Fearing the worst, track manager at The Valley Marty Synan has not applied any water to track ahead of the Cox Plate Qualifier meeting. Melbourne’s weather forecast has all week been for heavy rain on Friday with more rain on Saturday. Synan said rain was still forecast for Friday, but the… Read More »
Training horses is one thing, coping with the external pressures of the sport is another. Annabel Neasham is doing a remarkable job of handling both. The young horsewoman has racked up a trio of Group 1 wins in just over a year as a fully-fledged trainer and she is making giant… Read More »
The Lindsay Park stable is looking forward to finally getting imported galloper Port Guillaume out onto the racetrack. The French-bred galloper arrived in Australia last year as a highly credentialled 2021 Caulfield Cup contender, but the son of Le Havre was ruled out on veterinary grounds. Almost 12 months on, Port Guillaume is set to run in… Read More »
Pinjarra trainer Brett Pope is happy to kick start Divine Shadow’s campaign in Kalgoorlie and expects a competitive performance on his return. Brett Pope has fond memories of Divine Shadow’s Goldfield’s campaign last year where he showed his prowess in three of Kalgoorlie’s biggest races. The Blackfriars gelding ran third in… Read More »
James Cummings has declared the Winx Stakes the right form line for Saturday’s Chelmsford Stakes and says Cascadian will be hard to hold out in the Group 2 feature. Four horses who contested the first Group 1 of the Sydney season will clash again at Randwick – She’s Ideel (third),… Read More »
With his hopes of riding in Melbourne dashed, Glen Boss is refocusing his attention on the Sydney spring carnival. Glen Boss might be down, but he is never out. The top jockey’s hopes of riding in Melbourne this spring were snuffed out when a government backflip forced him to return from… Read More »
Lindsay Park trainers Ben and JD Hayes were left disappointed with the first-up run of Aysar at Flemington, a horse they say is one of the better gallopers in their stable. But Ben Hayes is expecting a far better showing when the son of Deep Field steps out in the Listed Chautauqua Stakes (1200m) at… Read More »
Laure Me In will tackle the first leg of what connections hope can be a provincial Cups double when he heads to Wyong for their showcase meeting on Friday. The gelding was scratched from last weekend’s Premier’s Cup (2000m) at Kembla Grange after he drew wide and has come up with… Read More »
The Anthony and Sam Freedman stable will consider scratching Argentia if the forecast rain hits The Valley. The Bureau of Meteorology is predicting between 20-35mm of rain on Friday and a further 3-10mm on Saturday. Argentia and stablemate Zouzarella are set to clash in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) on Saturday after both fillies posted wins at their… Read More »
An injury to regular rider Brenton Avdulla has prompted a jockey change for Randwick Guineas winner Lion’s Roar and it has been made with a longer-term view. The four-year-old resumes in the Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday when he will be partnered by Kerrin Mcevoy for the first time. McEvoy is… Read More »
Tim Clark has enjoyed an outstanding start to the new season with a brace of feature race wins and he is hoping Swift Witness can continue his spring form surge. The Ms Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly was responsible for delivering Clark’s first black-type success of the season in the Silver Shadow… Read More »
Any small ailment when chasing an elusive Group 1 victory is usually best dealt with by caution. That is precisely what Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young did with Sierra Sue who was highly fancied for last week’s opening Melbourne Group 1 of the 2021-22 season, the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at… Read More »
Rod Northam is hoping his Kosciuszko chance Spiranac can put her name up in lights with a win in the Vale Nini Vascotto (handicap over 1100m). The five-year-old was the winner of the Hunter and North West area qualifier for the Country Championships last campaign and wasn’t disgraced in the Group Three… Read More »
Damien Oliver believes Sandown debut winner Draft Day has a bright future but is worried the spring may come up too soon. The Leon and Troy Corstens-trained son of Tivaci was successful in the Ladbroke It! Plate (1200m) on Wednesday after over-coming a wide draw. A little slow into stride, Oliver pushed Draft Day… Read More »
$1.9 million yearling Profondo has made a winning start to his career at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday. Expensive colt Profondo has defied a betting drift to make a winning start to his career, taking out the 1st Crop Magna Grecia Foals Handicap (1400m). Profondo was the sale topping lot at the… Read More »
Stakes-placed last campaign, Flexible resuming on Wednesday to claim the IVE Print Handicap (1600m) under the guidance of Damien Oliver, providing the 11-time Scobie Breasley Medalist the second leg of a Sandown double. Specked in betting, Flexible ($9) scored by a head from the $3.30 favourite Ayahuasca with Kiss And Cry ($16) a nose away third. Flexible ran third on soft… Read More »
The Underwood Stakes is set to get greater exposure being transferred to AFL Grand Final Day. With Perth to host the AFL Grand Final with a later starting time in Melbourne, Racing Victoria has switched dates for the Underwood Stakes meeting. The meeting was scheduled to run on September 26 to avoid… Read More »
Simon Miller is prepared to forgive Son Of God’s last defeat and expects a positive rebound in the $100,000 Jolly Beggar Stakes (1000m) at Belmont Park on Saturday. Miller had high expectations for Son Of A God’s first up run in the Belmont Newmarket, but after pulling hard and racing… Read More »
South Australian trainer Michael Hickmott is using the Melbourne debut of Taunting to determine the spring path for the three-year-old. Taunting, the winner of two of his three starts, runs in the Inglis 2022 Yearling Sales Series Plate (1200m) at The Valley on Saturday in which he will be ridden by… Read More »
Irish import Dawn Patrol commences his spring campaign that owners Lloyd and Nick Williams hope will ultimately provide them another Melbourne Cup win. Dawn Patrol runs for the first time on Australian soil in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) at The Valley on Saturday having arrived in the country five weeks ago. A… Read More »
