The Coffs Harbour-trained Poor Judge will line up for back-to-back country Cup wins in the Ballina Cup (1600m) on Friday. Prepared by Anthony Honess, the Group winning seven-year-old is coming off a runaway win in the Moree Cup (1400m) on September 2 at only his second start since joining the… Read More »
Excelebration and Farhh are set to clash in Sunday’s Prix du Moulin at Longchamp. The pair would both have considerably more Group One victories to their name if it were not for the existence of Frankel, but for once Sir Henry Cecil’s champion is not among the field. Excelebration won… Read More »
Mick Kinane took the honours on Patriotic with a narrow win in the Legends Classified Stakes at Doncaster. A field of 16 ex-jockeys had gathered for the only charity race held in Britain under the Rules of Racing and the man who came home in front was perhaps the most… Read More »
Frankel is to have a racecourse gallop at Newmarket on Saturday week as he builds up to what is likely to be the final start of his career. Trainer Sir Henry Cecil has decided against giving the unbeaten superstar a run between last month’s Juddmonte International Stakes and the Champion… Read More »
Having been involved in the early careers of horses such as So You Think, trainer John Thompson knows the “X-factor” when he sees it. And he believes Nechita, the filly he’ll saddle up as favourite in Saturday’s $1 million Golden Rose (1400m), has just that. Before being appointed trainer for… Read More »
Embattled jockey Danny Nikolic must wait until at least Monday to learn if he still has a career in racing after the postponement on Wednesday of the hearing of charges against him. Nikolic, 37, is alleged to have threatened Victoria’s chief racing steward Terry Bailey in an incident at last… Read More »
Despite his superior record on wet tracks, connections of Didntcostalot are hoping for a firm surface at Moonee Valley on Saturday. The Marc Conners-trained sprinter will line up in the Group Three McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley, his second attempt at a Group Three race. Didntcostalot, a $3000 yearling… Read More »
Ambidexter was a notch below the best of his generation as a three-year-old but a new approach could help him bridge that gap this spring. The entire will begin his campaign at Rosehill on Saturday in the Group Two Sebring Stakes (1400m). Stretched out to 2000 metres in the autumn,… Read More »
Bold predictions haven’t been a part of the David Hayes’ repertoire in recent times. But the trainer who has won multiple premierships in two countries is prepared to make an exception in the case of Saturday’s Moonee Valley runner Fictional Account. The Irish import’s only appearance in Australia resulted in… Read More »
John O’Shea has seen enough of More Joyous to know what a daunting task Colorado Claire faces on Saturday. The O’Shea-trained Colorado Claire is one of eight mares that will line up against the Gai Waterhouse-trained More Joyous when the champion mare makes her return in the Listed Sheraco Stakes… Read More »
A week after veteran Danleigh took feature race honours in Sydney, eight-year-old Alcopop will be out to turn back the clock in Melbourne. The South Australian-trained gelding will continue his comeback from a knee injury in Saturday’s Group Two Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley. Alcopop was… Read More »
Jockey Michael Rodd has described Whobegotyou as an “incredible horse” following the gelding’s death on Wednesday. With trainer Mark Kavanagh and owner Laurence Eales too upset to speak, it is unclear exactly how the seven-year-old died. However, it is known he was at Eales’ Victorian property and his death has… Read More »
Dual Group One winner Jukebox Jury has been retired after suffering a setback. The six-year-old dead-heated with Duncan in last year’s Irish St Leger and also won the Group One Preis Von Europa in Germany in 2009. He has not run since finishing 20th in the Melbourne Cup last November… Read More »
Hugh Bowman is the most successful jockey in Golden Rose history but he will be trying to win it at Group One level for the first time on Saturday. Bowman won the first two editions in 2003 (In Top Swing) and 2004 (Doonan) – when the race had a $1… Read More »
The last time Victorian trainer Leon Corstens had a runner in Sydney, the horse arrived unheralded but left as a star-in-waiting. He is hoping there might be a similar transition with Waterford Hill, a lightly-raced galloper confirmed as a Theo Marks Stakes starter at Rosehill on Saturday. “I don’t think… Read More »
Nechita remained a clear-cut Golden Rose favourite after the barrier draw for the $1 million race as jockey Christian Reith declared the Patinack Farm filly ready to continue her unbeaten sequence on Saturday. Reith put Nechita through her paces in her final serious piece of work before the Group One… Read More »
The owners of Melbourne-trained Shamexpress will be hoping history repeats itself after gambling $50,000 to bring the three-year-old interstate for Sydney’s $1 million Golden Rose. Connections of the Danny O’Brien-trained colt have forked out the late-entry fee for Sydney’s richest spring race, mimicking last year’s winner Manawanui. Manawanui also cost… Read More »
The Group One George Main Stakes is firming as the next race for All Too Hard after the colt was a notable absentee from the $1 million Golden Rose field. The Patinack Farm-owned colt wasn’t among the 10 Golden Rose acceptors on Tuesday, with Nechita, owned in the same interests,… Read More »
Melbourne Cup runner-up Red Cadeaux is to be focused entirely on the Flemington feature again this year. An entry in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, Red Cadeaux was the most notable absentee from the former when first declarations for the race were made on Tuesday. Trainer Ed Dunlop had… Read More »
A track gallop at Moonee Valley on Tuesday is expected to go a long way toward determining the spring program of Australian Derby winner Ethiopia. Trainer Pat Carey and jockey Rhys McLeod came away from the workout in the belief that Ethiopia would make his spring debut in the Group… Read More »
