A day after Mikaela Claridge died from injuries suffered in a trackwork accident at Cranbourne, jockeys around the country have paid their respects to the apprentice rider. Jockeys competing in the second races at Victorian meetings at Caulfield and Warracknabeal on Saturday wore black armbands while interstate riders did likewise… Read More »
Lindsey Smith confirmed the move to Victoria as a right one, a star colt resumed with a bang at Rosehill while the career of a top sprinter is at the crossroads. All that and more in this weeks edition of ‘The Good, The Bad and The Ugly’. KEY NEWS: Scales… Read More »
Trainer Lindsey Smith will savour the win of Scales Of Justice in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield before confirming spring plans. Scales Of Justice landed the first Melbourne Group One race of the spring on Saturday under a perfectly judged ride from Dean Yendall. Backed from $4 into $3.70 second… Read More »
God Of Thunder has capped a successful afternoon for Hawkes Racing, giving them their third winner on the San Domenico Stakes program. The four-year-old, whose dam Jolie Bay and granddam Legally Bay were both trained by the Hawkes team, was gelded before the start of his current preparation and connections… Read More »
New Zealand champion Melody Belle has defended her Group One title in the Tarzino Trophy at Hastings with a sustained display of strength. After missing the start slightly, Melody Belle was back in the field against pre-race plans but built momentum under Michael McNab to pass Wyndspelle and win by… Read More »
Co-trainer Chris Meagher says he will take a gentle approach with Pippie despite the mare’s graduation to stakes level at Caulfield. Pippie is unbeaten in three starts this campaign after leading throughout to claim Saturday’s Group Three Cockram Stakes. Meagher, who trains in partnership with his father John, said Pippie… Read More »
Heavy-track specialist Wu Gok has come to the fore at Rosehill to claim his first stakes win and set up a tile at another. One of seven Chris Waller-trained horses in the 10-horse field for the Group Three Premier’s Cup (1900m), Wu Gok ($6.50) kept his new stablemate, former Perth… Read More »
Crystal Dreamer has defied his starting price to spring a surprise in the Group Three The Heath at Caulfield, upstaging a field of well-regarded sprinters in his first start for almost a year. Seven-year-old Crystal Dreamer had been off the scene for 51 weeks because of a suspensory injury but… Read More »
Nine years after combining to win the Ming Dynasty Quality with Lion Tamer, jockey Hugh Bowman and master Kiwi trainer Murray Baker were at it again with Quick Thinker, who has surprised the stable to win his Australian debut. Andrew Forsman, who now trains in partnership with Baker, said he… Read More »
Champion trainer Chris Waller has devised a novel method of regular travel to help The Avenger hit the best form of his career. The Avenger ($5.50) outplugged the favourite So Spirited ($2.60) by a short head to win the Ariat Country Music Rodeo Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday…. Read More »
The Caulfield Guineas Prelude could be the race that shapes the spring campaign of Super Seth who returned with an impressive win at Caulfield. Trainer Anthony Freedman said Super Seth would be aimed at either the Caulfield Guineas (1600m) or freshened for the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) depending on his… Read More »
A week after riding the filly staking her claim as Sydney’s best, Tommy Berry has claimed a feature win on a colt making his own name. The Hawkes Racing-trained Exceedance lived up to the hype to win Saturday’s Group Three San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill. His win came seven days… Read More »
With his first Australian win now on the board, the next job for promising import Super Titus will be to try to qualify for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Having his third Australian start and second of his current preparation, in Saturday’s Heatherlie Stakes at Caulfield, Super Titus defied a… Read More »
Brisbane jockeys have worn black armbands in the second race at Eagle Farm out of respect for apprentice rider Mikaela Claridge. The president of the Queensland branch of the Australian Jockeys’ Association, Glenn Prentice, said Queensland jockeys had been keen to pay tribute to Claridge in some form. “When we… Read More »
A wet Rosehill track has brought a betting plunge unstuck with outsider Mrs Madrid showing the ability her trainer has always been confident she possessed in an upset result. Anthony Cummings sent Mrs Madrid to Saturday’s 2000m-race as a $26 chance with the imported Heart Of Grace backed from $34… Read More »
Danny O’Brien will test My Pendant at stakes level after the mare staged a last-to-first victory at Caulfield. Under a cool ride by Damien Oliver, My Pendant was last on the home turn before overpowering her rivals to win Saturday’s Clanbrooke Racing Handicap. Sent off the $2.30 favourite, My Pendant… Read More »
Sydney jockeys have paid tribute to Mikaela Claridge, wearing black armbands in memory of the young apprentice who was killed in a trackwork accident at Cranbourne. The riders wore the armbands in the second race at Saturday’s Rosehill meeting and jockey Tim Clark, who won the race on Wimlah, said… Read More »
After winning a race on Memsie Stakes day at Caulfield, one of Melbourne’s leading jockeys, Dwayne Dunn, has paid his respects to fallen rider Mikaela Claridge. An apprentice jockey, 22-year-old Claridge died from injuries sustained in a trackwork accident at Cranbourne on Friday morning. Dunn rode Dawn Dawn to win… Read More »
Dawn Dawn has made amends for an unlucky first-up second in Sydney with victory in a hit-and-run mission to Caulfield. The Hawkes Racing-trained mare arrived at Flemington on Friday morning ahead of winning Saturday’s Nitto Denko Handicap. Co-trainer Wayne Hakes, who runs the stable’s Melbourne base, said Dawn Dawn would… Read More »
Stayer Makdanife had his connections scratching their heads after he went from a dismal last seven days ago to a tough win at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The Chris Waller trained Makdanife ($5.50) won a slogging battle with Ocean Addict ($4) to score by a short neck in the Country… Read More »
