WILLIAM REID STAKES 1200m, $500,000, Group One, weight-for-age at Moonee Valley NOTABLE WINNERS * Gothic (1929); Comic Court (1951); Flying Halo (1952/53/55); Dual Choice (1972); All Shot (1973/74); Manikato (1979/ 80/ 81/ 82/ 83); Vo Rogue (1988); Hareeba (1995); Cape Of Good Hope (2005); Apache Cat (2008/09); Silent Sedition (2017);… Read More »
With the racing career of Shoals drawing to an end, her trainer Anthony Freedman says she could not be in better shape ahead of another Group One assignment. Shoals runs at Moonee Valley on Friday night in the William Reid Stakes looking to add a fourth victory at the highest… Read More »
Running a near Australian record at his last start has earned veteran Straturbo the chance to lift his prize money over $600,000. The nine-year-old will be racing on his 17th different track in Saturday’s Brisbane Racing Carnival Open Handicap (1000m) at Eagle Farm. Originally trained by Gary Portelli at Warwick… Read More »
Dual Group One winner Ace High returns to his home track for the first time in a year and according to trainer David Payne, his timing could not be better. The four-year-old has done his early groundwork in Melbourne and heads home for Saturday’s Group One Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at… Read More »
Queanbeyan trainer Joe Cleary will put aside the disappointment of Girls Are Ready’s last-start defeat to chase another big QTIS bonus pay day at Eagle Farm. Girls Are Ready will tackle the TAB QTIS Two-Year-Old Handicap which carries bonus payments of $36,250 on top of the first prize of $42,500…. Read More »
Eagle Farm has been swamped with 140mm of rain in the past week which would usually have trainer Liam Birchley happy for noted wet tracker Say I Cee You. There have been few wet tracks in Brisbane in recent months as the city sweltered through one of its driest summers… Read More »
Champion Winx remains in picture perfect order ahead of what is anticipated to be her final home track appearance and the likely penultimate start of her career. As has become the norm for Winx, the seven-year-old had a comfortable early morning gallop at Rosehill on Thursday with Hugh Bowman aboard,… Read More »
Beaten as a short-priced favourite in the Australian Cup, import Avilius gets another chance to land his first Group One win in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill. The James Cummings-trained Avilius was the $3.30 favourite for the weight-for-age Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on Wednesday after a field of 15 was declared,… Read More »
Global racing and breeding operation Coolmore has bought into Golden Slipper contender Yes Yes Yes in the lead-up to the $3.5 million race. Yes Yes Yes stamped his Slipper credentials when he raced to an impressive victory first-up from a let-up in the Todman Stakes earlier this month, however the… Read More »
South Australia’s star apprentice Raquel Clark showed her professionalism to bring up her 100th winner for the season on Dream Kisses in the National Apprentices Series at Doomben. Clark reached 99 winners on Sunday with a treble at Port Lincoln and her first season century was never in doubt when… Read More »
Trainer Anthony Freedman continues to produce results with the handful of Godolphin-owned gallopers in his stable. While the majority of the Godolphin stock are trained by James Cummings, Freedman has this season won the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes with Lyre who lines up in Saturday’s Golden Slipper at Rosehill…. Read More »
Self Sense will attempt a second cup victory in the space of a week when he runs for the third time in the Mornington Cup. The rising nine-year-old won the Yarra Valley Cup last Sunday and trainer David Brideoake says there is no reason why the gelding shouldn’t run again… Read More »
If winning is all about mindset, Joe Pride is convinced Ball Of Muscle is in the zone as he prepares for a rematch with top sprinter Redzel in the Group One Galaxy at Rosehill. A field of 13 has accepted for the 1100-metre feature including Pierata, classy colt Graff, frontrunner… Read More »
An impressive barrier trial on soft ground and an encouraging piece of work at Randwick has Lyre poised for her shot at joining a select group of two-year-olds to win the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper double. The Anthony Freedman-trained Lyre took her record to three wins from four starts… Read More »
Grahame Begg is banking on Written By’s return to racing around a turn proving decisive in the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley. A winner of six of his 10 starts, Written By has finished out of the placings three times, two of those down the straight at Flemington. Begg… Read More »
Sydney’s weather and the drying powers of the Rosehill track will have a bearing on whether last-start Liverpool City Cup winner Dreamforce fronts up against champion Winx in the Group One George Ryder Stakes. Dreamforce is being aimed at the Group One $3 million Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April… Read More »
In an era when yearlings regularly sell for six and seven-figure amounts, David Payne has proven to have an eye for a bargain, particularly with the family of Rosehill Guineas contender Costello. Payne has already had success with two of Costello’s half-siblings and happily paid $40,000 for the son of… Read More »
The biggest 2YO question in the land has been, and it has been this way for 6 months: where does the Godolphin inner sanctum rate their own? Who is on top? Where, for example, do all of those who made the Golden Slipper, fit in the pecking oder, in their… Read More »
A field of 11 has been declared for Melbourne’s final Group One race of the year, the William Reid Stakes. Favourite Sunlight has drawn the outside barrier in Friday night’s 1200m sprint at Moonee Valley as connections look to erase the demons of her only unplaced run in 14 starts… Read More »
A major test of the Ipswich racetrack’s soil and foundations has begun which should ensure the best way to solve problems that have plagued the club. Ipswich has lost five meetings in recent months despite there being little or no rain. Problems have arisen with the drainage system which are… Read More »
