Two scratchings have paved the way for Ballarat Cup favourite Lucky For All to secure a start in the $350,000 race. The Darren Weir-trained Lucky For All was second emergency when the final field was declared on Wednesday but the Chris Waller-trained Savacool and John McArdle-trained Smart As You Think… Read More »
Despite securing a licence to ride in Singapore, Ben Thompson will not be resting before his departure. Thompson begins a 12-month tenure in Singapore on January 1, but before leaving it is business as usual for the Melbourne-based rider. A recent two-day trip to Singapore, where he landed his first… Read More »
With a stable name like Big Knickers, you could be forgiven for thinking Niccobelle wouldn’t amount to much on the racetrack. But after landing a narrow victory at Randwick on Melbourne Cup day, the gelding has earned a shot at Saturday grade and will take his place in the TAB.com.au… Read More »
A record 812 juveniles remain in contention for next year’s $1.5 million Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) following the closure of first acceptances on Tuesday, the figure shattering last year’s total of 706 entries. David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig once again top the list of first acceptors with… Read More »
Leading Melbourne apprentice Ben Allen will head west in a bid for his first Group One win aboard one of the main Railway Stakes contenders, Peaceful State. The teenager has had four placings at Group One level during his career. Allen rode the Darren Weir-trained Peaceful State to third in… Read More »
Consistent mare Plucky Girl has had two strong trials as she prepares for another major step in her surprising career. Trainer Toby Edmonds admits Plucky Girl continues to surprise him as she steps up to new challenges with her record for 21 starts standing at eight wins and 11 minor… Read More »
Connections of three-year-old Starvirgo have tinkered with his gear in a bid to get the best out of the gelding in the Magic Millions 3&4YO Classic at Ballarat. Trainer Anthony Freedman has opted to remove the blinkers which Starvigo has worn in his past two starts and also the cross-over… Read More »
Two-year-old Jonah will get the chance to stake his autumn carnival claims at Rosehill after connections rejigged plans for the colt to make a flying visit to Melbourne. The youngster put the writing on the wall at his debut when he made a race of it with unbeaten juvenile Time… Read More »
With the major spring carnival races over, connections of Lycurgus are looking for the stayer to come to the fore in a couple of lucrative country Cups. The Danny O’Brien-trained Lycurgus will run in Saturday’s $350,000 Ballarat Cup (2200m) at the third start of his campaign and stable representative Matt… Read More »
Toowoomba trainer Steve Tregea has developed one of the most consistent stables in the state and hopes to parlay that into stakes wins over summer. Tregea runs a boutique breeding and training business on the Darling Downs and has had plenty of success with stakes winners such as Love Rocks… Read More »
Rockhampton trainer Graeme Green believes a comparison of times gives Master Jamie the chance to continue a proud tradition of central Queensland two-year-olds in Brisbane. Master Jamie showed his ability when he won his first start at Rockhampton by nearly seven lengths earlier this month. Green had no hesitation setting… Read More »
The father-and-son training partnership of Peter and Paul Snowden has been fined $7000 by Racing NSW stewards after a Newcastle winner returned a positive urine sample to a banned substance. California Concorde returned a positive to phenylbutazone, oxyphenbutazone and gamma hydroxy phenylbutazone following a win on September 29. A hearing… Read More »
A hefty weight has been offset by a drop in class as Gold Fields made a long-awaited return to winning form at Sandown. Trainer Logan McGill is now contemplating a summer country cups campaign with the six-year-old after his win in Wednesday’s Le Pine Funerals Handicap. Winless since taking out… Read More »
Few trainers put as much thought into their horses as Desleigh Forster and it again paid dividends for her with a double at Ipswich. Forster made it four winners for November when Desert Digby ($3.40) and Conquermore ($4.60) won. The trainer and jockey Mark Du Plessis are forming a strong… Read More »
Having opted to continue Fierce Impact’s campaign into the summer, Matthew Smith will use Saturday’s Rosehill meeting as an important stepping stone to his main goal. Fierce Impact will tackle the 1800 metres of the 2019 Membership Handicap, a test Smith believes will lay a strong platform for the five-year-old’s… Read More »
The old will be new again when Michael Freedman and Edward O’Rourke unveil their first runners as a training partnership this week. It is somewhat of a reunion for the pair with O’Rourke having worked as Freedman’s stable foreman before the latter took up a training opportunity in Hong Kong… Read More »
Trainer Lloyd Kennewell is counting down the days until Viddora’s defence of the Group One Winterbottom Stakes in Perth. The well-travelled mare arrived in Western Australia on Monday morning after a flight from Melbourne which contained a number of eastern states horses set for feature races in Perth in the… Read More »
John O’Sing trained Marway will now head to the paddock after completing a dominant hat trick of victories, with the trainer’s sights now set on the Capricorn Yearling Sales 3-Years-Old race in 2019. Showing plenty of promise as a 2-year-old, Marway has come into his own in recent starts, including… Read More »
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable has already two juvenile winners in Victoria this season and Not A Royal Doubt could add her name to the list in the Magic Millions 2YO Clockwise Classic at Ballarat. Not A Royal Doubt makes her debut in Saturday’s $200,000 race over 1000m,… Read More »
As most form students will attest, a favourable barrier draw is an important ingredient to success in racing. Ballarat trainer Matt Cumani was hoping to advertise his stable with good performances at his hometown Cup meeting on Saturday. He’ll saddle three runners, One More Try in the Ballarat Cup, Faith… Read More »
