Ron McDonell, a former member of the Bart Cummings stable during its golden years, has died after a long illness. McDonell was the Melbourne foreman for Cummings during the late 1960s and 1970s. Cummings’s Melbourne Cup winners during that time included Think Big and Gold And Black while other horses… Read More »
Damian Browne hadn’t ridden at Ipswich for three years before completing a treble on Smokin’ Joey on Saturday. Browne had earlier won on Wicked Intent and Rock Royalty but was seen at his best on Smokin’ Joey in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes. “I might give it another three years… Read More »
A well-judged ride from Linda Meech has paved the way for a Flemington win for Golden Oldies. Meech replaced Chelsea Hall in the Ken Cox Handicap on Saturday, but relied on the advice of the apprentice in scoring a hard-fought victory. Hall had ridden the three-year-old to success at Swan… Read More »
Apprentice Luke Tarrant made the most of a stay on a six-week suspension when he won the Ipswich Cup on Danchai at his first ride for Sydney top trainer Chris Waller on Saturday. Tarrant overcame problems near the home turn to get Danchai ($5.50) home by a head to Banca… Read More »
While her tearaway win in the Stayers Cup has earned Lovethebeaches a trip to Queensland, three of the jockeys of the horses behind her have been handed a dressing down. A week after the mare won the 3200m race at Randwick after putting 120m on the field mid-race, stewards concluded… Read More »
Physical strength plays a major part in riding horses, but Sam Clipperton has had to use just as much brain power to get Mirage home at Rosehill. The talented gelding has a history of barrier problems and added a new string to his bow at Randwick last month when he… Read More »
Pop ‘N’ Scotch will get a chance to improve on his second in last year ‘s Queensland Cup after returning to form at Ipswich on Saturday. Pop ‘N’ Scotch ($9) gave trainer Liam Birchley a winning double when he came from last to win the $100,000 Winter Provincial Stayers Final… Read More »
Black Jag has been likened to an off-season version of popular Tasmanian galloper The Cleaner after an all-the-way win at Flemington. In much the same way weight-for-age winner The Cleaner likes to roll along and break his opponent’s hearts, Black Jag also prefers to build the tempo from the front… Read More »
Craig Newitt has ridden his first Melbourne winner since returning from a Singapore riding stint. Newitt headed to Singapore at the end of last year to take up a six-month riding licence but decided not to extend his stay. He returned to Melbourne racing on a full-time basis at Flemington… Read More »
Chris Munce admitted he was the most nervous he had been since taking up training before star colt Wicked Intent won at Ipswich on Saturday. As it turned out, Munce had nothing to worry about with Wicked Intent, the $1.95 favourite, beating Real Good ($5.50) by 1-3/4 lengths in the… Read More »
Shards may not sit at the top of Godolphin’s juveniles but his Rosehill win has pushed him up a notch and given trainer John O’Shea his 30th two-year-old race win for the season. He was the $2.30 favourite for Saturday’s 2YO Handicap (1350m), based on his second to subsequent Group… Read More »
Apprentice Brandon Stockdale showed experience beyond his years in winning his first race at Flemington on Saturday. Bon Rocket’s saddle shifted as the field settled in the Young Members’ Ball Handicap, putting 16 year-old Stockdale at a disadvantage. When Stockdale asked Bon Hoffa to extend in the straight, the saddle… Read More »
Luke Nolen was the beneficiary of another rider’s misfortune when he guided two-year-old El Greco to a convincing win at Flemington. The Peter Moody-trained El Greco was sent out the $2.70 favourite and made light work of Saturday’s Eugene Gorman Handicap (1400m), striding clear over the final 200m to win… Read More »
Trainer Trevor Bailey believes the best of Ipswich winner Avalanches won’t be seen until the Eagle Farm racetrack is reopened. Avalanches ($10) continued to prove a good buy for Bailey when he beat the favourite Budget Bender ($2.50) by a short half-head in the Ipswich Mile on Saturday. However, Bailey… Read More »
Potential Melbourne Cup runner Trip To Paris is a late entry for the Gold Cup at Royal Ascot. Trainer Ed Dunlop is hoping the Chester Cup winner can raise his rating and earn the right to accompany Red Cadeaux to Australia in the spring. Red Cadeaux has finished runner-up three… Read More »
Damien Oliver has been ruled out of Saturday’s Flemington meeting but the champion jockey has been cleared for the Royal Ascot ride on Wandjina. Oliver suffered mild concussion as a result of race fall at Bendigo on Thursday and he spent the night in hospital before being released on Friday…. Read More »
Simon Love has been appointed chief executive of the Victoria Racing Club, replacing David Courtney who stepped down last year due to ill-health. Just last month, Love was appointed to the equivalent position with Perth Racing but VRC chairman Michael Burn said the club asked him to reconsider. “Before our… Read More »
The Victorian trainers facing cobalt charges are free to continue training pending their hearings, unlike two of their NSW counterparts. Danny O’Brien, Mark Kavanagh and the father and son partnership of Lee and Shannon Hope were charged on Thursday after horses in their stables returned cobalt readings above the threshold… Read More »
Tony Gollan is relying on Jim Byrne’s intimate knowledge of the Ipswich racetrack to pay off against the odds for his stable on Saturday. Byrne has ridden three Ipswich Cup winners and he was the most successful jockey at the corresponding meeting last year with a treble. It’s that sort… Read More »
Frank Ritchie knows he will never train the likes of Bonecrusher again but the New Zealand horseman is happy to keep his hand in with an albeit smaller stable. Ritchie farewelled Bonecrusher on Thursday when the nine-time Group One winner was euthanised at the age of 32 after suffering the… Read More »
