Trainer Robert Heathcote had good news in two states with his star Buffering recovering from an injury scare and his three-year-old Punta Notre making a great city debut at Doomben. Buffering worked strongly in Melbourne on Saturday morning and is back in the frame for the Group One Darley Classic… Read More »
Outsider Bonaria has come from the back of the field to claim the Group One Myer Classic at Flemington. Sent out a $26 chance in the $500,000 race, Bonaria stormed down the outside of the track to beat Sydney mares Sweet Idea ($6.50) and Catkins ($7.50). “She is a horse… Read More »
The Chris Waller-trained Preferment has become the first maiden in more than two decades to win the $1.5 million Victoria Derby. Coming from worse than midfield, Preferment ($8.50) outstayed Bondeiger ($11) in the Flemington Classic to give Waller and jockey Damien Oliver Derby day Group One doubles. For Oliver it… Read More »
After a luckless early spring Happy Trails heads for the paddock with a Mackinnon Stakes win under the belt. The South Australian-trained galloper scored a fighting victory denying Joao Moreira treble on $6 favourite He’s Your Man. Ridden by Damien Oliver, Happy Trails ($7) scored by a short-half-head from He’s… Read More »
As the regular rider of champion Takeover Target, Jay Ford knows a gun sprinter when he sees one. And he has no doubt Our Boy Malachi will measure up to better company after steering the former North Queensland gelding to victory at Rosehill on Saturday. The horse came to Sydney… Read More »
Happy Trails has scored a last-stride win in the Group One Mackinnon Stakes, edging out He’s Your Man in a finish involving two of world racing’s glamour jockeys. Ridden by Damien Oliver, Happy Trails ($7) got the better of the Joao Moreira-ridden He’s Your Man ($6) to claim a short… Read More »
The Darren Weir-trained Signoff has stormed into the Melbourne Cup with a convincing win in the Lexus Stakes at Flemington. Signoff, who was well-supported for the Melbourne Cup in the lead-up to Saturday’s 2500m race, has moved to second favourite at $6 for Tuesday’s Cup behind Caulfield Cup winner Admire… Read More »
Brazen Beau’s first experience of Flemington’s straight track was a disappointment to say the least. His second was a Group One-winning performance in the Coolmore Stud Stakes and testament to Chris Waller’s faith in his own training methods. Waller took Brazen Beau back to Sydney after his fifth in the… Read More »
Promising two-year-old The Wildman has lived up to his name with an erratic win which could extend his campaign. Bookmakers gambled with The Wildman who drifted from $1.90 to $2.30 before beating Patronizing ($6) by a head in the Tiland Constructions Handicap at Doomben. The Wildman raced greenly at his… Read More »
Expectations were high but the results were mixed after two short-priced Godolphin colts met with varying fortunes at Rosehill on Saturday. Two-year-old Exosphere started a dominant $1.65 favourite in the opening race after an impressive six-length barrier trial win. But he couldn’t repeat that performance on race day after he… Read More »
Chris Waller has trained the quinella in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes as Brazen Beau defeated Delectation to lead in an all-Sydney finish. Ridden by Joao Moreira, Brazen Beau ($8) came from midfield and finished off along the outside rail to win by 1-1/4 lengths. Delectation ran well above… Read More »
A sense of deja vu surrounded the traditional Oaks lead-up when John Sargent produced Thunder Lady to win the Wakeful Stakes at Flemington. A year ago, the Sargent-trained Kirramosa won the Wakeful (2000m) on the Saturday and went on to claim the Group One Classic five days later. Her third… Read More »
Trainer Phillip Stokes is not convinced about stretching Hucklebuck back out to the Emirates Stakes distance but jockey Dom Tourneur would like the gelding to get his chance in the Group One mile. Hucklebuck made amends for an eye-catching Derby Day defeat in the Carbine Club Stakes 12 months ago… Read More »
Untapable polished off an impressive year with a 1-1/4-length victory in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, with a pregnant Rosie Napravnik becoming the first female jockey to win the race in its 31-year history. Napravnik stunned the crowd of 37,205 at Santa Anita and a national television audience by announcing she… Read More »
One of the surprising statistics to have emerged in the build-up to Mustajeeb’s run in the Breeders’ Cup Mile is that Dermot Weld has yet win a race at what is one of the biggest meetings in the world. Weld has broken down barriers for European trainers in international events,… Read More »
Frankie Dettori has struck gold with Hootenanny in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at Santa Anita. Trained by American Wesley Ward for Coolmore, the Royal Ascot winner was keen in the early stages before being settled third as stablemate Luck Of The Kitten set the pace. Luck Of The Kitten… Read More »
Sweet Idea will have to pass a veterinary examination even before she faces a test of a different kind in the Group One Myer Classic. Trainer Gai Waterhouse reported Sweet Idea had a bruised heel which the stable had been managing. The mare, who is equal favourite for the Myer… Read More »
Unchain My Heart has been scratched from Saturday’s Lexus Stakes with trainer David Hayes taking the gamble the mare makes the Melbourne Cup field. After the withdrawal of 2012 Cup winner Green Moon from the Cup on Saturday with a cracked hoof, Unchain My Heart moved up one place to… Read More »
A nervous Chris Waller could not have asked for a better start to the Melbourne Cup carnival when Kermadec took out the Carbine Club Stakes. Kermadec ($6), ridden by Blake Shinn, scored a half-length victory over Stratum Star ($6) with Manhattan Avenue ($15) 2-1/4 lengths away third. Waller admitted to… Read More »
The travelling days of veteran Red Cadeaux are not over yet with another trip to Australia early next year on the radar. English trainer Ed Dunlop said Group One races during The Championships in Sydney in April were targets for the dual Melbourne Cup runner-up. “I have a major inkling… Read More »
