Hours of patient work have paid off for trainer Steve Tregea when giant gelding Command’n’conquer scored on debut at Toowoomba. There are few bigger racehorses than Command’n’conquer, who stands more than 17 hands and weighs 630kg. Tregea revealed Command’n’conquer had been a handful to train but in an unusual way…. Read More »
Having already won the Group One George Main Stakes this season, Godolphin star Avilius gets the chance to add another feature weight-for-age mile at Randwick in the Chipping Norton Stakes. The James Cummings-trained Avilius is one of 10 individual Group One winners among the field of 14 for Saturday’s Group… Read More »
Xilong’s lead-up to the Surround Stakes has not all gone to plan but co-trainer Calvin McEvoy says they would not be running the talented filly in the Group One race if they did not think she was up to it. Xilong won the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes last spring and… Read More »
A spot in the All-Star Mile is on offer in the Blamey Stakes at Flemington and trainer Aaron Purcell is hopeful Guizot can secure it with victory in the Group Two race. Saturday’s Blamey Stakes (1600m) is one of two “win and you’re in” races for the $5 million All-Star… Read More »
Top filly Gem of Scotland will miss the $125,000 Jewel Prelude at Doomben and is likely to have a trial instead. Trainer Rex Lipp is keen to run Gem Of Scotland in the $300,000 The Jewel at the Gold Coast on March 14. Lipp will then decide whether to head… Read More »
Multiple Group One-winning sprinter Nature Strip will not run in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington and instead will return to Sydney for his next start in the Group Two Challenge Stakes. Nature Strip was allocated top weight of 58kg for the Group One Newmarket Handicap (1200m) on March 7 when… Read More »
Caloundra’s Natalie McCall has one of the best strike rates this season of any Australian trainer and she would dearly like to add to it with frustrating Spectroscope at Doomben. Spectroscope will attempt to end a run of outs that has stretched nearly three years in the Listed Tattersall’s Members… Read More »
Damian Lane has given star New Zealand three-year-old Catalyst his seal of approval ahead of the Australian Guineas at Flemington. Lane rode Catalyst in his final gallop at Mornington on Wednesday. It was the second time he had partnered the gelding in work and Saturday’s Group One Australian Guineas over… Read More »
The chances of another Cummings becoming the 3rd member of Australian racing’s elite Melbourne Cup family to actually train a Melbourne Cup winner, took a dramatic turn today. Cummings, Anthony that is, and not his sons James or Edward, was today announced the trainer of central European wonder horse NANCHO…. Read More »
Queensland star Alligator Blood and New Zealander Catalyst headline the field of eight for the Group One Australian Guineas at Flemington. Alligator Blood has drawn barrier two for Saturday’s $1 million race for three-year-olds over 1600m while Catalyst is set to jump from barrier four. The pair staged a stirring… Read More »
Nine races will be run and won at Happy Valley this Wednesday night, with some really strong depth across the program, including a couple of Class One races. Race One: 7 Victorious Seeker Race Two: 11 Exceptional Desire Race Three: 1 Happy Warrior Race Four: 11 Oversubscribed Race Five: 3… Read More »
Dual Group One winner Fierce Impact heads the list of provisional emergency runners for the All-Star Mile at Caulfield and is also in line for a wild card. Last week the 10 most popular horses voted by the public were announced leaving five spots open. Streets Of Avalon cemented his… Read More »
Popular gelding Happy Clapper shares top weight with Godolphin’s Avilius for the Doncaster Mile with both given 58kg for the $3 million handicap. Happy Clapper won the race two years ago carrying 57kg and is unlikely to run in the race with the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on April 11,… Read More »
A good recovery following a gallop at Flemington in preparation for the Australian Guineas is what trainer David Vandyke has been looking for from stable star Alligator Blood. The gallop on Tuesday showed Vandyke Alligator Blood had recovered from his fighting win over Catalyst in the C S Hayes Stakes… Read More »
David Brideoake is resigned to losing lightly raced stayer Shepard to his owner Peter Moody once the former champion trainer renews his licence. Moody has applied to train again after walking away in March 2016 when he was suspended for six months after Lidari returned a high cobalt reading following… Read More »
Nature Strip will join an elite group of gallopers if he wins the Newmarket Handicap after being given the top weight of 58kg. The Chris Waller-trained gelding will become only the fourth horse in the past 50 years to carry 58kg or more to win the Group One 1200m sprint… Read More »
Having captured the Cox Plate with Lys Gracieux, Japanese trainer Yoshito Yahagi is eyeing off Australia’s richest 1600m-handicap, the Doncaster Mile, with Mozu Ascot. The Yahagi-trained horse won Sunday’s Grade One February Stakes at Tokyo to confirm plans to bring him to Sydney for the $3 million Doncaster Mile on… Read More »
We are just days away from the inaugural Saudi Cup with its world record $20 million prizemoney purse. And this morning, Godolphin has announced that one of their biggest stars, BENBATL (Dubawi-Nahrain) will contest the great event. Which means Australia, in its own way, will have a pair of stars… Read More »
Top-line New Zealand sprinter The Bostonian has shown his readiness for his next Australian campaign with a gallop at Ellerslie. The Tony Pike-trained five-year-old won a trial earlier in this month and made use of perfect conditions at Ellerslie ahead of a two-start Sydney campaign. “He galloped over 1000 metres… Read More »
Champion British jumps jockey Richard Johnson has been given the all-clear to return riding following his recovery from a broken arm. The four-time champion jockey has been out of action since suffering the injury to his right arm in a fall at Exeter on January 21. He trailed Brian Hughes… Read More »
