Glyn Schofield has already had cause for two celebrations this week. And with a decent ride in the feature race at Warwick Farm on Saturday, there’s a chance of one more. In a week when his daughter Whitney announced her engagement to jockey Nathan Berry, Schofield, who turned 46 on… Read More »
Thousands of kilometres separate the border region of China, Mongolia and Russia where Bob Onikul lived to his Rosehill stable but for the trainer the journey has been about one thing – a love of horses. On Australia Day, Onikul will be at Warwick Farm where his six-year-old mare Stealapipe… Read More »
A sheikh worth billions, an ambitious New Zealander who came to Sydney with only a few horses and a work ethic, and a horseman of Russian heritage are trying to win the Australia Day Cup at Warwick Farm on Saturday. In there with them is a South Afican jockey who… Read More »
Officials at Cheltenham are “extremely hopeful” Saturday’s Trials Day meeting will go ahead as planned. Staff at Prestbury Park have been battling the elements all week as they try to get the track ready for a meeting which is set to feature the likes of Sprinter Sacre and Bobs Worth…. Read More »
British General can earn a Group One C F Orr Stakes start if he takes his Flemington form across town in the John Dillon Stakes. Trainer Dan O’Sullivan is trying not to get ahead of himself with the in-form galloper but he is prepared to give him his shot at… Read More »
One of the more unusual and undoubtedly painful reasons to scratch a horse has changed the complexion of betting on the $100,000 Canterbury Classic on Friday night. Pre-post favourite Sessions was withdrawn from the Listed scamper on Thursday because of an issue with one of the assets which could make… Read More »
Two Melbourne Cup heroines have figured prominently in the pedigrees of two winners in country Victoria on Thursday. The Nigel Blackiston-trained Karata and Compass from the Kane Harris stable revived memories of two of the best Melbourne Cup winners of the modern era. Karata, the last foal produced from the… Read More »
Two years after almost winning the Australia Stakes, rejuvenated sprinter Undeniably is back to go one better at Moonee Valley on Friday night. A bout of travel sickness a few months after the 2011 edition of the Group Two sprint put Undeniably’s career in doubt. But after a couple of… Read More »
Swing Vote is on Gai Waterhouse’s Blue Diamond short-list but whether she makes the final cut is still to be determined. The youngster will make her Victorian debut in Saturday’s Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) for fillies, taking on an cracking field which includes Diamond favourite Miracles Of Life. Mark… Read More »
Gai Waterhouse’s quartet of Australia Day Cup runners have a lot in common but it is their points of difference that will determine who comes out on top at Warwick Farm. Waterhouse will have weight of numbers on her side in Saturday’s feature with Tullamore, Reuben Percival, Travolta and Power… Read More »
Morpheus, Frankel’s Oasis Dream half-brother, finished well out of the frame at his first start at Nottingham. The Sir Henry Cecil-trained colt was sent off at odds of 3-1 to make a winning debut in the British Stallion Studs Supporting British Racing EBF Maiden Stakes but never really looked like… Read More »
Robert Heathcote has learned to live with Fillydelphia’s headstrong attitude. Keeping Fillydelphia content and managing her niggling fetlock issues has been a challenge for Heathcote but he believes the mare is on target to crack the $500,000 prize money barrier in Saturday’s Sunshine Coast Cup. “She’s in a good place… Read More »
A day in the life of Canberra’s Matthew Dale is this week set to test any notion that the pressures on a modern racehorse trainer can be justified by the rewards available. Already one of the busier trainers in the country, Dale has a day on Friday that isn’t to… Read More »
Talented colt Rusambo is set to return after a three-month ban but a lack of numbers in the Listed Zeditave Stakes is a concern for his assistant trainer. Three-year-old Rusambo hasn’t started since his third to Snitzerland in the Group Two Danehill Stakes in September. The Peter Snowden-trained colt bled… Read More »
Venetia Williams believes Katenko could develop into a contender for both the Grand National and Cheltenham Gold Cup. Williams describes Aintree as a “very serious option” but she feels taking on the best at level weights at Cheltenham could also be possible. The seven-year-old looked a young chaser on the… Read More »
Former Channel 4 Racing pundit John McCririck has confirmed he has started the first stage of his legal proceedings against the broadcaster as he seeks damages following his axing from its racing coverage. McCririck was one of a number of faces dropped from the presenting team after Channel 4 awarded… Read More »
Suspended jockey Danny Nikolic reportedly had an online account run by a third party to win $60,000 on at least one allegedly fixed horse race in 2011. Forensic analysis of the account registered to a person in Queensland revealed it was used by Nikolic to hide his betting activities, Fairfax… Read More »
John Meagher has guided the careers of some of racing’s elite riders and Ash Butler hopes to one day be counted among them. Melbourne Cup winning jockeys Brett Prebble and Steven King were apprenticed to Meagher when he was a leading trainer at Flemington. Twenty-year-old apprentice Butler joined the Meagher… Read More »
The barrier draw has robbed Anthony Cummings of one runner at Warwick Farm on Saturday but it might just deliver an overdue win for another. Two-year-old filly Vergara won’t take her place in the opening event after drawing wide, nor will she run at Canterbury on Friday night for the… Read More »
Unbeaten records will go on the line at Caulfield on Saturday when seven last-start winners clash in an intriguing Blue Diamond Preview for fillies. Among them is Blue Diamond Stakes favourite Miracles Of Life, who backed up her debut win in Adelaide with a nine-length victory at Morphettville three weeks… Read More »
