The successful Melbourne spring campaign of South Australian trainer Phillip Stokes continued at Flemington on Saturday with his four-year-old mare Molto Bene winning the Headquarters Tavern Stakes. Last week, the Stokes-trained Eclair Big Bang won the Caulfield Guineas Prelude at Caulfield, and with Dom Tourneur aboard again, Molto Bene’s ($10)… Read More »
Peter Snowden described Guelph’s Group One Flight Stakes win as a track gallop after Sydney’s best filly overcame a wide run to outclass her rivals. In an arrogant display, Guelph sat three-wide, strode up to join the leaders on straightening and raced away to score by 1-3/4 lengths over Melbourne… Read More »
Like father, like son. That’s how jockey Michael Cahill summed up the racing manners of Vienna Royale, a son of Falvelon, who burst into Magic Millions contention with a dominant win at his debut at Doomben on Saturday. “He’s a foolproof horse, a lot like Falvelon was,” Cahill said. Falvelon… Read More »
A tenacious win by Honorius in the Group Three Craven Plate at Randwick has confirmed a trip to Melbourne for the well-bred four-year-old Trainer David Payne doesn’t believe Honorius can match it with the elite but is confident he can find a winnable Group One race to secure the horse’s… Read More »
The Darley team has another Group Two Sandown Guineas in its sights after the Peter Snowden-trained Paximadia led all the way in the Listed Yellowglen Vintage Stakes at Flemington. Melbourne stable foreman Paul Snowden said Paximadia, the $3 favourite, will take on the Group Three Carbine Club Stakes on Victoria… Read More »
Darley’s Guelph confirmed her rating as one of Australia’s best three-year-old fillies at Randwick on Saturday. Collecting the third Group One victory of her career, Guelph justified her odds-on tag to win the Flight Stakes. But she had to do it the hard way, racing three-wide without cover in the… Read More »
Victoria Derby-bound colt Polanski strengthened his claims for the Classic with victory in the Listed UCI Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. The Robbie Laing-trained Polanski ($13) enjoyed a perfect run in the 1800m event for three-year-olds before working into the race and taking the lead at the 400m mark. He… Read More »
An unfashionable trainer with a cheap horse has celebrated one of his biggest racing moments in the first two-year-old event of the Sydney season. Gary Nickson produced $6000 weanling purchase Alpha Miss ($7.50) to claim Saturday’s Listed Gimcrack Stakes (1000m) at Randwick, edging out the Gerald Ryan-trained favourite Tetsuko by… Read More »
Leading Cox Plate contender It’s A Dundeel is in doubt for the Caulfield Stakes after a foot abscess burst at trackwork on Saturday morning. The Murray Baker-trained last-start Underwood Stakes winner is scheduled to have his next spring start in the Group One Caulfield Stakes (2000m) but the foot issue… Read More »
Trainer Tony McEvoy will set Risen From Doubt for the $1 million Blue Diamond after his impressive first-up win in the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes – Melbourne’s first race of the season for two-year-olds. The colt by Not A Single Doubt was purchased for $140,000 at the Gold Coast Magic Millions… Read More »
Japan’s hopes of landing Sunday’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for the first time were boosted on Friday as both their runners received favourable draws for the Longchamp showpiece. Last year’s unlucky runner-up Orfevre was drawn in eight – where 2010 winner Workforce sprang from – and Japanese Derby winner… Read More »
David Hayes will unveil three youngsters in Melbourne’s first two-year-old race of the season at Flemington on Saturday. Hayes, who has prepared a record five Blue Diamond winners, says it’s exciting times when the new season two-year-olds start to step out. “That’s the future, isn’t it,” Hayes said. “This year… Read More »
Bookmakers don’t think Ironstein can cause a Group One upset at Randwick on Saturday but the veteran stayer’s trainer Gerald Ryan thinks otherwise. Ironstein takes on the well fancied Prince Cheri ($4.80) and Moriarty ($4.60) in the Metropolitan (2400m) and is a $17 chance in the early markets. Ryan believes… Read More »
With a kiss on the nose and a purposeful look into the eye of Hawkspur, jockey Michael Walker got acquainted with the horse he hopes can land him a breakthrough Melbourne Group One win. Walker rides the Chris Waller-trained Hawkspur for the first time in Saturday’s Turnbull (2000m) at Flemington… Read More »
Steve Englebrecht has done his job to get Malavio to the Epsom Handicap in the best condition possible and it’s now up to Nathan Berry to work out how to get him to win from his wide barrier. Malavio will jump from the second-widest barrier in the 17-horse field, a… Read More »
Flying Snitzel was an impressive winner at her only Flemington start and jockey Craig Williams is looking for a repeat when she returns to the track on Saturday. Williams reunites with the mare in the Group Two Blazer Stakes (1410m) and hopes she can turn in a similar performance to… Read More »
Tim Clark has narrowed down Saturday’s Group One Epsom Handicap to five chances and he reckons his mount Sizzling is one of them. The Queensland four-year-old is yet to be seen at the peak of his powers outside his home state where he has won seven races, six of them… Read More »
Sea Moon faces a spring carnival moment of truth on Saturday with jockey Brett Prebble hoping the highly-rated import brings his European form to Flemington. Sea Moon steps up in distance in the Listed Bart Cummings (2520m) which Prebble believes gives the horse his chance to shine. Prebble says Sea… Read More »
Jockey Glyn Schofield says the key to riding leading Epsom contender Boban is making sure the gelding doesn’t overrace in the middle stages. Boban is one of three Chris Waller-trained horses running in the famous Randwick mile on Saturday and has been swapping favouritism with Toydini for the past week…. Read More »
Robert Heathcote says it’s not an afterthought to run Magic In Motion at Doomben on Saturday. Magic In Motion impressed Heathcote with her win at Eagle Farm so the trainer gave her the green light to back up in the Mount Franklin Sparking Handicap (1350m). “This race is a lovely… Read More »
