Melbourne’s flagship spring races including the Melbourne Cup will retain their rich purses while minimum prize money in Victoria will return to pre-COVID levels from the start of the new season. But 12 stakes races during this year’s Victorian spring carnival, including three Group Ones, will have a prize money… Read More »
The 100th running of the W.S. Cox Plate on Saturday 24 October at The Valley will remain at the record level of prizemoney of $5m as the elite weight-for-age horses both locally and internationally contest ‘The Race Where Legends Are Made’. Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Moonee… Read More »
Country-based Victorian trainer Noel Richards has made a long overdue return to the winners enclosure with the win of Niamh Chinn Oir at Ballarat. The victory on Tuesday was Richards’ first since Captain Shillalae won at Dunkeld in November 1996. Jockey Christine Puls had the ride on Niamh Chinn Oir… Read More »
A NSW metropolitan jockey who was sent for COVID-19 testing after displaying flu like symptoms has tested negative to the virus, Racing NSW’s chief steward has confirmed. The jockey last competed at Saturday’s Rosehill meeting and was sent for testing on Tuesday morning after showing flu like symptoms. It prompted… Read More »
Trainer Nick Ryan has no reservations in tackling a stakes race with Sircconi a week after the gelding placed at his first attempt at a middle distance. Sircconi stepped up to 2000m at Caulfield, finishing second to Mirimar, and drops to 1600m on Saturday when he runs in the Listed… Read More »
Moonee Valley Racing Club chief executive Michael Browell has not given up hope of having some form of crowd on course for the 100th running of the Cox Plate. Browell was upbeat with how coronavirus numbers had been tracking in Melbourne earlier this month before a dramatic turnaround in recent… Read More »
Trainer Greg Eurell admits Ilovemyself leaves big shoes to fill in his stable, with the promising galloper set to do his future racing in Hong Kong. Eurell confirmed the rising three-year-old, who won impressively on debut in a Listed race at Flemington in one of two autumn starts earlier this… Read More »
Nine Sydney jockeys have been prevented from riding at Tuesday’s Gosford meeting after a well-known Sydney hoop who competed at Rosehill on Saturday began to show flu-like symptoms. While the prominent rider is awaiting test results for COVID-19, Racing NSW stewards announced Andrew Adkins, Brenton Avdulla, Tim Clark, Sam… Read More »
Champion mare Winx and her jockey Hugh Bowman are set to be immortalised on a grain silo in Bowman’s hometown of Dunedoo. Winx is known as arguably the best racehorse the country has ever seen will see her photo and that of jockey Hugh Bowman painted onto an old Graincorp… Read More »
Danzero, a Golden Slipper winner who went on to find further fame as a stallion, has died at the age of 28. The 1994 Slipper hero died peacefully in his paddock at Rosemont Stud in Victoria where he had been domiciled for almost a decade. A son of the all-conquering… Read More »
Grahame Begg is looking to reverse the result of a stakes race from 12 months ago when Romancer runs at Flemington. Romancer is nominated to contest the Listed VRC-CRV Winter Championship Series Final having finished second in the race last year. The Begg-trained galloper split Rekjavik and Holbien last year… Read More »
A bout of colic has claimed the life of young stallion Fighting Sun. Standing at Sun Stud, Fighting Sun was retired as a two-year-old as the result of a serious leg injury after winning his only two starts for Gai Waterhouse. Fighting Son had been high up in markets for… Read More »
A form reference belonging to the 2019 WS Cox Plate winner has propelled Japanese mare Chrono Genesis to the top of markets for this year’s race. Four-year-old mare Chrono Genesis earned an automatic Cox Plate start when she blitzed a Group One field in the Takarazuka Kinen. In the absence… Read More »
Trainer Matthew Williams is hoping the results of a lung wash will shed some light on the disappointing performance of Harbour Views at Caulfield. Harbour Views was sent out the $2.05 favourite on Saturday, but finished fourth behind Mirimar over 2000m. Racing Victoria stewards reported Harbour Views lame in the… Read More »
After more than 60 years in racing as a jockey and a successful trainer, Pat Hyland has retired. Ill-health has forced Hyland to step away from a training partnership with his son Chris to spend time on his farm in rural Victoria. Inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame… Read More »
Jockey James McDonald has confirmed he will appeal a three-week suspension over a running and handling charge. McDonald was found guilty of failing to take all reasonable and permissible measures to win or obtain the best possible placing on Threeood in a race at Randwick on June 20. Theeood started… Read More »
Australian racing continues to stem the tide of promising horses heading offshore with the owners of Brandenburg knocking back lucrative international offers. While Randwick Guineas winner Shadow Hero has been sold to Hong Kong, the connections of Brandenburg join those of stakes winners Kinane and Front Page to turn down… Read More »
Between them, Damien Oliver and Craig Williams have 18 Melbourne jockeys’ premierships. It’s something not lost on Williams as the pair are challenging for this season’s title, with Williams in the box-seat to claim his ninth premiership and fifth in succession. Two winners at Caulfield on Saturday, compared to Oliver’s… Read More »
Using Loving Gaby as a yardstick, trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace hope to follow a similar spring campaign with Magic Millions winner Away Game. Maher and Eustace prepared Loving Gaby to win the Manikato Stakes at The Valley as a spring three-year-old and they will try to get Away… Read More »
Trainer Joseph O’Brien added to the uncertainty over international runners at this year’s spring carnival despite having two Irish Derby undercard winners who firmed in Melbourne Cup betting. O’Brien sent out Buckhurst and Twilight Payment for Group Three victories at the Curragh but the 2017 Melbourne Cup-winning trainer is unsure… Read More »
