Testing ground has helped Diala to bounce back into winning form with an all-the-way victory at Sandown. The Hawkes Racing-trained filly was successful at Caulfield on soft ground on April 11 before leading at Flemington last week when stepped up to 1400m, fading to finish tenth. Under Dwayne Dunn on… Read More »
Filly Macroura has continued an outstanding two-year-old season for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, outpointing a handy field to win the opening race at Randwick. The stable has enjoyed a heady season with its youngsters, winning the Magic Millions Classic with Away Game and stakes races with the likes… Read More »
A clever raceday gear change has put two-year-old Starosa on the road to the Group One JJ Atkins. Starosa ($1.30) made it two wins in a row when she led all the way for an easy win in the Lexus 2YO (1350m) at Doomben on Saturday. The filly did her… Read More »
Star apprentice Stephanie Thornton was on a mission to outride her metropolitan claim at Doomben and it didn’t take her long to achieve it. Thornton went into the meeting on Saturday with 79 city winners and made it 80 when Mount Beauty ($4.60) got up in the last stride to… Read More »
A directions hearing in regards to betting charges against high profile jockey Ben Melham and his partner Karlie Dales has been scheduled for later this month. On Monday, Racing Victoria stewards issued Melham with seven charges, six in relation to alleged betting activity between March and September last year and… Read More »
Sydney trainer John Sargent has prepared the winners of the two feature races on the second day of the annual Wagga Wagga Gold Cup carnival. Sargent sent two runners to Friday’s meeting with Foxborough a dominant winner of the $72,000 MTC Guineas (1600m) for three-year-olds before House Of Cartier took… Read More »
Queensland’s metropolitan racing regions introduced to help combat any spread of coronavirus are to be modified. Racing Queensland has announced limited consolidation of the regions from Monday. RQ said the racing zones designated in late March would be altered to allow conditional participant movement on race days for those presently… Read More »
Gold Medals and Zed Em are set to renew their Grand Annual Steeplechase rivalry when they meet for a third time in Australia’s longest race at Warrnambool. The Grand Annual Steeplechase over 5500m is the highlight of a shortened Warrnambool carnival, cut from three days to two this year, and… Read More »
A wide draw in a sprint race at Sandown usually sounds a warning for connections. But trainer Nick Harnett is not put off by gate 17 with Final Man in the Salute Frontline Workers Handicap (1200m) on Saturday. “It may turn out to be the best spot come that stage… Read More »
Lisdoonvarna will be the stable flag bearer for Amanda Turner at Randwick and the trainer is hoping the consistent mare can prove a worthy advertisement. Turner and Mauro Poletti dissolved their partnership late last year in the hope a revised business model would attract more clients. “A lot of people… Read More »
Mike Moroney hopes Buffalo River can be a contender in Group One spring handicaps but first the promising import will be out to add to the trainer’s tally of city winners this season. Four-year-old Buffalo River is one of the shortest-priced favourites on Saturday’s nine-race program at Sandown and Moroney… Read More »
The decision to extend nominations for the Open Handicap at Doomben has resurrected trainer Jack Duncan’s plans for the consistent Magnufighter. Duncan wanted to step Magnufighter to 2000m in Saturday’s Open Handicap but the race originally attracted only four nominations. Under Queensland rules a race must have at least five… Read More »
A winter carnival assault in Brisbane remains on the agenda for Gosford Guineas winner Hightail as his trainers look to raise the bar. The three-year-old resumes in the Quincy Seltzer Handicap (1250m) at Saturday’s Randwick-Kensington meeting, kicking off an innings that could encompass the Group One Stradbroke Handicap. A backmarker,… Read More »
Caulfield trainer Mick Price says Teleplay has the right track conditions to give her an edge in the Group One Sangster Stakes at Morphettville. The Morphettville track was rated in the slow range ahead of Saturday’s 1200m Robert Sangster Stakes for fillies and mares under weight-for-age conditions. Price, who trains… Read More »
Exciting two-year-old Wisdom Of Water has confirmed his rating as a top chance in the Group One J J Atkins with a sparkling return at the Gold Coast. Wisdom Of Water, who was having his first start since finishing fourth in the Magic Millions Classic in January, went straight to… Read More »
Wet weather has caused abandonments and transfers of race meetings in Victoria in the past two days but track manager Tim Bailey is confident the Sandown meeting will go ahead. Sandown was rated a Heavy (9) on Friday ahead of Saturday’s meeting as a result of 72mm of rain so… Read More »
Bjorn Baker has adopted the motto ‘you’ve got to be in it to win it’ as he prepares a young team of largely untapped horses to face class tests at Randwick. Sydney race fields traditionally soften at this time of year with the autumn carnival stars in the paddock and… Read More »
Grahame Begg has done his job to prepare Beauty Bolt for the Australasian Oaks, the rest is now up to the filly. Beauty Bolt left Begg’s Caulfield stable on Thursday night for Adelaide where local trainer John Hyam will stable her until Saturday’s Group One Australasian Oaks over 2000m for… Read More »
Trainer John O’Shea can be a hard marker when it comes to horses, but juvenile Newsreader has won him over despite having never raced. The well-named daughter of Press Statement will make her debut in Saturday’s Cellarbrations Handicap (1000m) against a mostly experienced field, headed by city winners Wild Ruler… Read More »
The handicap conditions for a number of winter series races at Flemington have been changed to cater for higher quality horses. With travel restrictions in place and a reduced number of feature races in Queensland during the winter carnival because of the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, all the races… Read More »
