Trainer Archie Alexander has been charged by Racing Victoria stewards after one of his horses returned a swab that breached allowable cobalt levels. The Alexander-trained Tom’s Knight returned a urine sample containing traces of cobalt in excess of the allowed threshold of 100 micrograms per litre. The swab was taken… Read More »
Racing Victoria has rejected a proposal to make sweeping changes to the 2020 spring carnival. In a Melbourne Racing Club-backed move, plans were tabled to shift the Caulfield Cup from a traditional mid-October date to a late November timeslot. The proposal would have upended decades of thoroughbred racing tradition by… Read More »
Kris Lees is hopeful a switch in environment will help bring about a change in fortunes for Graff who is one of two chances for the trainer in the Stradbroke Handicap. Lees is set to have both Graff and fellow entire Chief Ironside in Saturday’s Group One Stradbroke Handicap at… Read More »
Andrew Adkins has set himself one simple goal for the remainder of the season – not to break any more bones. The young jockey has recently returned to the saddle following a run with injury which started during the 2019 Sydney autumn carnival when he suffered multiple fractures in a… Read More »
One-time favourite Vega One will be ridden in his comfort zone despite drawing wide in the Stradbroke Handicap. Vega One was favourite for much of the early betting in the Stradbroke until his defeat in the Victory Stakes at his last start. After drawing barrier 20, he is now being… Read More »
South Australian trainer Ryan Balfour has placed a lot of faith in the judgment of Jamie Kah with his decision to step Li’l Kontra up in distance at Flemington. Before Kah made the move to Victoria in early 2019, the trainer and jockey had been a successful combination in Adelaide… Read More »
Trainer Steve O’Dea has taken a cautious route to the JJ Atkins with Gotta Kiss but he is confident she won’t be disgraced in the Group One race. Gotta Kiss is the forgotten horse of the Atkins as O’Dea has carefully managed her career. The filly had her first start… Read More »
Multi-talented Steve Tregea can become one of the few to breed, own and train a Group One winner in Australia if Niccanova claims the Stradbroke Handicap. Tregea has built up an impressive reputation from his Windermere Stud complex on Toowoomba’s outskirts on the Darling Downs. He mainly breeds horses which… Read More »
Peter Snowden once achieved the feat of training the winners of all five Australian Group One races for two-year-olds in a season. While he cannot match that in 2019-20, Snowden believes Saturday’s JJ Atkins contender Wild Ruler is a chance to give the stable its third juvenile Group One for… Read More »
Responsible for producing Frankel’s first Australian juvenile stakes winner, Chris Waller will try to add to the stallion’s two-year-old tally at Randwick with Yangtze Rapids. The Waller-trained Hungry Heart got Frankel on the board with her Sweet Embrace Stakes victory during the autumn, going on to finish fifth in the… Read More »
Trainer Grahame Begg thought he had ticked all the boxes before sending Beauty Bolt to Adelaide for a Group One assignment. Unable to travel to South Australia, or send one of his staff, Begg loaded up the truck with all the required feed to make Beauty Bolt’s trip to the… Read More »
Champion mare Winx’s little sister is set to make her debut on Monday at Warwick Farm. Winx’s little sister Covent Garden who is also trained by Chris Waller will be making her long awaited debut in a maiden over 1200m at Warwick Farm on Monday. Covent Garden who is a… Read More »
The Brisbane Racing Club will be allowed to have a select number of patrons on-course under strict biosecurity conditions for its Stradbroke Handicap meeting. Queensland race clubs can now have up to 20 patrons on-course but they must comply government COVID-19 checklists. “Further patrons may be able to return upon… Read More »
Superare started at short odds before narrowly winning his last start but trainer Stuart Kendrick believes it was not a true indication of the colt’s ability. The two-year-old is one of three runners Kendrick has in the Group One JJ Atkins at Eagle Farm on Saturday. It is testament to… Read More »
Joe Pride has turned to Nash Rawiller in the hope he can deliver a win aboard Archedemus at Randwick and put the horse on a path to the spring. A recent stable recruit, Archedemus put the writing on the wall with a solid fourth to Amingiri on return in the… Read More »
THE JJ ATKINS Group One, 2YOs set weights, Eagle Farm HISTORY * First run in 1976 when won by Romantic Dream * Group One since 1985 * Set weights since 2007, handicap 1976-2006 * Known as the JJ Atkins since 2013 * Traditionally run over 1600m, this year the race… Read More »
STRADBROKE HANDICAP Group One, 1400m handicap, Eagle Farm HISTORY * First run in 1890 (winner Pyrrhus) * 1890-1953 run over six furlongs (1200m) * Winners include Wiggle (1958), Persian Lyric (1961), Kilshery (1962), Winfreux (1965), Divide And Rule (1970), Triton (1972), Daybreak Lover (1984, 1986), Campaign King (1988), Rough Habit… Read More »
In almost any other year, Hugh Bowman would be preparing to ride at Brisbane’s flagship winter carnival meeting. But against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, he instead finds himself heading to Randwick on Saturday for a motley crew of winter rides. Among them is multiple stakes winner Tactical Advantage,… Read More »
Stuart Webb, who was embroiled in the Aquanita scandal that rocked Australian, racing has had his application for a trainers’ licence knocked back by Racing Victoria. Webb was disqualified for four years by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board in 2018 but had that reduced to an 18-month ban on… Read More »
Ventura Storm will be racing for his career on the Flat when he runs over a staying trip at Flemington. The Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner is one of four stayers Lindsay Park contesting the Paddock Plate on Saturday. Ventura Storm, who will be joined by Neufbosc, Valac and Sin… Read More »
