Nash Rawiller appreciates the irony of his pairing with Laser Hawk in Saturday’s Apollo Stakes at Warwick Farm. Rawiller hasn’t ridden in a race since he broke his ankle in a barrier mishap on December 18 and Laser Hawk has been sidelined for 10 months after an operation to remove… Read More »
Peter Moody’s Blue Diamond prospects may have taken a large knock thanks to the injury to stable elect Thermal Current, but the premier trainer believes they are far from lost. Even before the discovery of Thermal Current’s hamstring injury, Moody believed each of his other three contenders – Dissident, Kona… Read More »
Robert Smerdon’s first concern leading up to Saturday’s Oakleigh Plate was to give his filly Shamal Wind the right preparation. Having done that, he wanted only to draw a favourable barrier. That hope was granted when No.1 came out against the filly’s name. “Now it’s up to the jockey,” Smerdon… Read More »
If Funtantes is to perform at her best it all comes down to rhythm, according to trainer Robert Heathcote. “If she can get into that rolling rhythm where she’s cruising along on top of the ground she always gives a mighty kick,” Heathcote said. Funtantes has failed to handle heavy… Read More »
A horse with a lot of heart and a full quota of staying ability will try to overcome the flaws in his trainer’s theories in Saturday’s Group Two Autumn Classic at Caulfield. Subiaso tackles a couple of established three-year-old stayers and at least one other with tremendous potential in a… Read More »
The Peter Moody-trained Thermal Current has been scratched from Saturday’s Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield. Thermal Current has a muscle strain, Racing Victoria reported. The colt had been the most fancied of Moody’s runners and was an $8 chance to win the $1 million race. Moody will still have three… Read More »
Aidan O’Brien’s first National Hunt runners in well over eight years have failed to land a blow at Punchestown. The master of Ballydoyle is no stranger to the jumping game, having trained the incredible Istabraq to win three Champion Hurdles at Cheltenham. However, the stable’s last runner under National Hunt… Read More »
Tamworth trainer Leon Davies heads to Quirindi on Friday hoping for a case of deja vu. In 2011 Davies won the two features races – Sarah’s Son in the Lightning and Prussian Secret in the Quirindi Cup. Sarah’s Son, a brilliant first-up winner at Tamworth, backs up in the $25,000… Read More »
A fit and healthy Blake Shinn will return to the Sydney fold at Warwick Farm on Saturday almost six weeks after being stood down from riding for medical reasons. Shinn has been a notable absentee from the jockeys’ ranks since the January 10 meeting at Gosford where he returned to… Read More »
David Hayes doesn’t pull any punches in his assessment of his stable’s below-par performance of the first few months of the current racing season Neither does he mind praising its resurgence since the new year. “We were spectators for three months – now we’re competitors,” Hayes said. For the man… Read More »
David Hayes has tried to win the Blue Diamond Stakes from most angles. In 2006 the Hayes-trained Miss Finland looked to be the right horse at the right time, but she got run over by $17 stablemate Nadeem. The following year Sleek Chassis looked to be a second-tier contender only… Read More »
Robert Heathcote meant it as a compliment when he declared Mein Schadenfreude a future hurdler. After 12 attempts at winning a race, Mein Schadenfreude, the $2.20 favourite, finally broke through for his first success in Wednesday’s Haymes Paint Australia Handicap (2240m) at Doomben. The gelding ploughed through testing conditions win… Read More »
His following wouldn’t be remotely close to that of Black Caviar’s but star colt Pierro will still command special interest at Warwick Farm on Saturday. The Gai Waterhouse-trained three-year-old won’t be racing for prize money but he will provide an intriguing sidebar to Apollo Stakes day with a solo gallop… Read More »
When Geoff Lane was 18 and half way through the most successful jockey’s apprenticeship Australian racing has known, a transfer deal was hatched in which he would switch stables from Tommy Woodcock to the leading trainer of the day Jack Godby. “It gave me the opportunity to make a few… Read More »
A fit and healthy Blake Shinn will return to the Sydney fold at Warwick Farm on Saturday almost six weeks after being stood down from riding for medical reasons. Shinn has been a notable absentee from the jockeys’ ranks since the January 10 meeting at Gosford where he returned to… Read More »
Monton’s reappearance in Saturday’s Group Two Apollo Stakes will be an emotional one for trainer Ron Quinton. It comes just over a week after the sudden death of the gelding’s part-owner and long-time stable supporter David Lamond. Quinton met the bloodstock agent many years ago through a mutual acquaintance and… Read More »
International sprinter Ortensia and last year’s winner Woorim head a field of 14 to contest the $400,000 Group One Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on Saturday. Ortensia will make her return to Australian racing from barrier four in the sprint after winning Group One races in Dubai and England last year…. Read More »
Star three-year-old All Too Hard will mount a lone challenge for his age group when he contests the $500,000 Futurity Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. Black Caviar’s half-brother is one of 10 acceptors for the Group One sprint over 1400m. All Too Hard, a first-up winner against older horses in… Read More »
Kauto Star is set to demonstrate some of his new dressage skills when he appears at Newbury on March 2. The 16-time Grade One winner and dual Cheltenham Gold Cup hero was retired from racing last October and has since been in the care of leading event rider Laura Collett…. Read More »
Confidence in Guelph’s ability to handle a high-pressure Blue Diamond was the deciding factor in Kerrin McEvoy choosing to stick with her in Saturday’s $1 million race. Darley’s No.1 jockey left his decision until the last minute but announced he would stay with the race favourite over stablemate Metastasio after… Read More »
