The perennial champion jumps jockey’s trophy will become Tony McCoy’s personal property after he is crowned No.1 for the 20th and final time at Sandown. The trophy is to be decommissioned and presented to McCoy on his retirement on Saturday (Sunday AEST) to keep permanently in acknowledgement of his number… Read More »
The 2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking is off and running as a producing sire. New Zealand-based Shocking sired his first winner on Friday when Shockaholic won over 1100m at Echuca in country Victoria. Shockaholic cost his trainer Matt Laurie $NZ75,000 ($A73,000) at last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Select Sale. Since… Read More »
Sydney and Melbourne trainers have joined their country counterparts to support the two-day Wagga Wagga racing carnival. The $100,000 Wagga Wagga Town Plate on Thursday is worth six figures for the first time and has attracted 30 nominations while the $140,000 Gold Cup the following day has 34 entries. Last… Read More »
Margaret McDonald, wife of the late Ross McDonald, has been granted a licence to train gallopers and she will prepare a small team at Caulfield. Margaret was never far from her husband’s side during the trainer’s halcyon days during the 1980s when Group One winners flowed from their stable. While… Read More »
John Sargent is ignoring the formguide to declare potential Queensland Oaks filly Swift Lady will revel in any rain-affected ground at Randwick. And it seems punters are on the same wavelength as the Randwick trainer with Swift Lady already firming from $8 to $4 to win the Gallipoli Handicap on… Read More »
Trainer Robert Heathcote can’t separate promising stayers Fusina and Gid Up Strop but admits he is unsure how they will measure up against the interstate challenge at the Gold Coast. The stablemates take on some talented opposition in Saturday’s Group Three Gunsynd Plate (1800m) which this year is a major… Read More »
If unbeaten filly Appalachian Annie was racing anywhere but Flemington, trainer Vincent Malady would be feeling a little more confident. The Geelong-based trainer makes one of his rare visits to Melbourne on Saturday with the unbeaten three-year-old who is the $4 favourite for the Euroa VCs Handicap (1000m). But Malady… Read More »
It is likely to be some time before Bart and James Cummings fill the void left by the retirement of dual Group One winner Hallowed Crown. But the return of a promising filly at Randwick on Saturday might go some way towards helping the training partnership take its next step… Read More »
Stable newcomer Time For War has impressed Stuart Kendrick ahead of the Gold Coast Guineas, his first start for the trainer. Time For War hasn’t run since finishing down the track in the Group One Coolmore Stud Classic (1200m) won by Brazen Beau at Flemington on November 1. However, Time… Read More »
New Zealand trainer Trent Busuttin is hoping he has picked the right year to set a horse for the VRC St Leger. Along with his partner Natalie Young, Busuttin prepares the Zabeel three-year-old Gifted Lad which lines-up in the $200,000 race on Saturday. The St Leger, first run in 1857,… Read More »
Trainer Tony Gollan admits Temple Of Boom is in the twilight of his career as the veteran sprinter embarks on another campaign, starting with a defence of the Victory Stakes. Temple Of Boom is one of three runners Gollan will have in Saturday’s Group Two sprint at the Gold Coast…. Read More »
Getting to 1000 winners in a career in Britain seemed out of reach for jumps jockeys until Stan Mellor broke the mould in December 1971. So who could possibly have thought, nearly 40 years later, that figure would be quadrupled as Tony McCoy bagged his 4000th over jumps in Britain… Read More »
African Story and Prince Bishop, the past two winners of the Dubai World Cup for Godolphin, have been retired. Both horses seemed suited by the Dubai carnival with six of African Story’s eight career wins coming at the meeting while Prince Bishop won there four times. Prince Bishop also beat… Read More »
Group Two winning sprinter Rubick has been added to the Coolmore stallion roster with a decision pending on whether he races during the Brisbane carnival. He will join Cox Plate winner Adelaide has run his last race and will stand in the Hunter Valley this spring at $22,000. A fee… Read More »
Australian star Criterion has drawn the rails for the Group One QEII Cup at Sha Tin. Criterion is making his second trip to Hong Kong and he will start one of the favourites in the 2000m race after a clear-cut win in the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick…. Read More »
Jockey Michael Walker has good reason for hoping his goal to ride 100 winners this season can be realised at Flemington on Saturday. Walker is within sight of the century and is keen to achieve it this weekend so he can celebrate it with his family. Walker’s children, son Kase… Read More »
Two horses with family ties to Group One winners landed important midweek victories at a rescheduled Canterbury meeting on Thursday. The superbly bred Defender, by Redoute’s Choice out of outstanding race mare Alinghi, broke her maiden with a determined win in the Hyland Race Colours Plate. Not to be outdone,… Read More »
There’s nothing worse than punters losing their shirts at the track, unless its a jockey who has lost his pants trying to win a race. In one of the more risque and embarrassing moments in Australian horse racing, leading jockey Blake Shinn finished the opening event at Canterbury giving racegoers… Read More »
The annual pilgrimage of Sydney’s top riders to Queensland for the winter carnival races has given Jason Collett a perfect opportunity to build on his recent good form. With Hugh Bowman, Blake Shinn and Kerrin McEvoy all riding at the Hollindale Stakes meeting at the Gold Coast on Saturday, Collett… Read More »
The Flemington performance of Stipulate will decide if the imported galloper heads to Brisbane for the winter carnival. Co-trainers David Hayes and Tom Dabernig had been considering a trip to the warmer climate for the six-year-old before a disappointing first-up run at Bendigo last month. A recent barrier trial with… Read More »
