The half-brother to champion mare Black Caviar is on the improve but still not out of the woods, according to BC3 Thoroughbreds spokesman Simon Marshall. The two-year-old colt developed the hoof disease laminitis after he was bitten by a spider. His life hung in the balance while he fought the… Read More »
Mount Athos is reported to be in fine form as he prepares for another international challenge in the Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin on Sunday week. The six-year-old was last seen finishing third behind Fiorente in the Melbourne Cup in early November and recently moved on to Hong Kong… Read More »
Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamed Al Thani’s desire to preside over the “best racing operation in the world” led to his Al Shaqab Racing launching a UK operation on Friday. Leading British turf figure Harry Herbert, the racing manager of the successful Highclere syndicate, has been appointed as a full-time racing… Read More »
One-time champion Melbourne apprentice Jason Maskiell has been suspended from riding in races for 18 months after testing positive to a banned substance. Maskiell fronted Racing Victoria stewards on Friday and pleaded guilty after providing a urine sample at Kyneton races on November 6 which contained a banned substance. The… Read More »
Hayden Haitana, one of the central figures in the notorious Fine Cotton ring-in scandal, has had his lifetime ban from racetracks lifted. The board of Racing Queensland on Friday agreed to a recommendation by stewards to lift the ban on Haitana, who has served 29 years. Haitana, 68, wrote to… Read More »
David Hayes will use the debut of $1.5 million colt Zulu Land to gauge whether to set the youngster for Melbourne’s premier juvenile race. Zulu Land steps out for the first time in Saturday’s Flemington Equine Clinic Plate (1000m) at Caulfield on the back of a barrier trial win at… Read More »
The Darley domination of Sydney’s early two-year-old races is expected to continue when Memorial steps out for her second start at Rosehill. She is one of three Peter Snowden-trained fillies, including Earthquake, to win over the past three weeks and is the $2 favourite to repeat her debut performance on… Read More »
Jacquinot Bay’s first-up record is flawless but his trainer Guy Walter is keeping a lid on his expectations heading to Rosehill. The six-year-old will be up against a strong field of sprinters in Saturday’s Starlight Stakes (1100m) including his stablemate Straight Albert who is returning from an injury-enforced break of… Read More »
Winning races hasn’t always been a focus for talented four-year-old Ninth Legion. But courtesy of a little human intervention, his appetite for competition has been reignited. A promising youngster, Ninth Legion raced well against Pierro, All Too Hard and Epaulette as a three-year-old, including a fourth in the 2012 Group… Read More »
Fillydelphia is in peak form and fitness for Saturday’s Tattersall’s Recognition Stakes at Doomben but six months ago it was a different story. The mare was having a simple pick of grass when a blade pierced her right eyelid which caused an ulcer and forced Heathcote to abandon winter carnival… Read More »
The Neil Dyer-trained mare Belle Ez has bounced back from a nine-week enforced break because of illness to be better than ever. Belle Ez posted her first city win at Moonee Valley this month and will be chasing back-to-back metropolitan victories in the Carpet Call Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday…. Read More »
Anthony Cummings’s Melbourne Cup carnival ended with two stakes wins, a Victoria Derby placing and one missed opportunity. From 12 runners over the four days at Flemington, Cummings prepared Fontelina for his second Yellowglen Stakes victory and Surge Ahead to win a VRC Oaks day support race. The Randwick trainer… Read More »
Chris Symons reunites with Multilateral at Caulfield intent on keeping their perfect record intact. Symons has ridden the Chris Waller-trained imported galloper in two Melbourne wins but hasn’t been aboard the five-year-old in a race since April. The gelding has had six starts since – five in NSW – and… Read More »
Three-year-old By The Grace, impressive in his only two outings with a win and a second place, is being groomed for a stakes mission in Adelaide next year. By The Grace will line up as the favourite in the CRV Hospital Helping Hand Plate at Caulfield on Saturday. The God’s… Read More »
Irishman Eddie Lynam has two chances to become the first European trainer to lift the Hong Kong Sprint with Sole Power and Slade Power representing his stable. Sole Power won the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot this year but has not yet won over six furlongs (1200m) and finished… Read More »
St Nicholas Abbey faces a critical few weeks as the multiple Group One winner continues his fight to fully recover from a fractured pastern and ensuing complications. Aidan O’Brien’s star had to be retired after suffering the leg injury during a routine work-out in July. Just two days after he… Read More »
The rescheduled Werribee Cup race meeting will go ahead next month after the renovated surface was given the green light by stewards and jockeys. Werribee has been out of action for racing since a meeting in July was abandoned because its track was unsafe. Renovations on the inside section of… Read More »
John Cornish will step down from his role as chairman of the Australian Turf Club in February. His retirement from the post was announced at the club’s annual general meeting on Thursday with vice chairman Michael Crismale confirmed as his replacement. Cornish, the inaugural chairman of the ATC, has been… Read More »
Country Cups specialist Constant Force will be given another chance to prove himself at city level with trainer Symon Wilde wanting a dry track and some luck at Caulfield. Constant Force has been a dominant horse on the Victorian provincial scene with wins in last year’s Colac, Stawell and Ballan… Read More »
Dual Group winner Lady Of Harrods is showing trainer Russell Cameron all the signs she can snap a 14-month losing streak at Caulfield. Last year’s Thousand Guineas Prelude winner is approaching peak fitness heading into Saturday’s Carpet Call Handicap (1400m) and indicated she was closer to another win with her… Read More »
