Yorkshire trainer Brian Ellison may have unearthed his best chance yet for the Melbourne Cup after Onesmoothoperator took out the Group 3 Geelong Cup. Betting firms took a shine to Onesmoothoperator’s victory in Wednesday’s 2400m handicap, slashing the stayer’s price from $51 to $10 and equal fourth favourite behind Jan Brueghel at… Read More »
At the start of the preparation, El Castello was hard-pressed to be competitive in a barrier trial. At Randwick on Saturday, the three-year-old will be sent around as one of the fancied runners for the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m). Few have taken more satisfaction in the horse’s journey than… Read More »
The inform Ciaron Maher stable has unearthed another potential Group 1 winner with the victory of Saint Emilion at Geelong. Maher collected the Group 1 double of The Everest and Caulfield Cup last weekend and after the success of Saint Emilion in the Listed Geelong Classic (2200m) on Wednesday, the Group 1… Read More »
Champion jockey Craig Williams did something at ‘Breakfast With The Best’ at Moonee Valley that he rarely does, ride Mr Brightside in a track gallop. Williams has been associated with Mr Brightside since the gelding’s third career start, riding him in 34 of his 38 starts and in 15 of his 17… Read More »
The QIBCO British Championships Series at Ascot drew the curtain on the 2024 Flat Season with the 29 year-old Oisin Murphy claiming his fourth Champion Flat Jockey title. “This is something I really tried to achieve this year,” Oisin said “as I have had great support from so many trainers… Read More »
It has taken a little longer than they initially hoped, but OTI will get a crack at the Cox Plate with a son of Mark Of Esteem mare Icky Woo when Docklands lines up in Saturday’s $5 million event. The Harry Eustace-trained son of Massaat will have his first Australian start… Read More »
Legendary Irish trainer Willie Mullins has made a hit-and-run visit to Werribee to check on his two Melbourne Cup aspirants Vauban and Absurde. The pair are currently undergoing their second week of quarantine, having arrived in Melbourne on October 19 ahead of the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November… Read More »
Now a Group 2 race, Gerald Ryan, who trains in partnership with Sterling Alexiou, believes Saturday’s The Invitation (1400m) at Randwick will be a good opportunity for consistent four-year-old mare Arctic Glamour to add some more black type to her resume. Arctic Glamour hasn’t won a race in just over a… Read More »
Vow And Declare, the 2019 Melbourne Cup winner, is poised to contest the $500,000 Geelong Cup (2400m) on Wednesday, with trainer Danny O’Brien aiming for a second victory in his hometown race. Despite an underwhelming seventh-place finish in the Caulfield Stakes, O’Brien remains optimistic, noting Vow And Declare’s strong recent… Read More »
Pride Of Jenni, trained by Ciaron Maher, is likely to take her place in Saturday’s prestigious Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, following her narrow defeat in the King Charles III Stakes. Maher has closely monitored her recovery, and all signs suggest the mare is in good condition to back up… Read More »
Godolphin’s rising star Broadsiding completed an impressive second gallop at Moonee Valley on Tuesday morning, solidifying his preparations for Saturday’s $5 million Cox Plate. Under the guidance of jockey Jamie Kah, Broadsiding stepped up his pace during the Breakfast With The Best session, following a slower-paced look at the track… Read More »
Trainer Luke Fernie is happy to press on deeper into the Melbourne Spring Carnival with Wild Belle and Ripcord, despite disappointing at their most recent outings. Ripcord finished at the tail of the field in Saturday’s Group 3 Moonga Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, as did Wild Belle in the Group 3 Northwood… Read More »
Darren McAullay’s call of the 2017 Winterbottom Stakes, a race that the owner of prized mare Viddora, Nick Lovett, will never get tired of hearing. Nick was part of the Llyod Kennewell-prepared sprinter’s Victorian ownership and at Ascot that day to watch her claim the $1 million Group 1 Winterbottom… Read More »
Brent Thomson was a fresh-faced New Zealand-based 17-year-old apprentice when he made his first appearance on Australian soil at Moonee Valley. It was Cox Plate Day, 1975, and the weather was atrocious, so much so the meeting was abandoned after the running of Moonee Valley Cup, but not before Thomson… Read More »
Moonee Valley course curator Marty Synan is expecting a fair track across the board when the club hosts 18 races in 24 hours on the weekend. Friday night kicks off with an eight-race card, highlighted by the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup, while on Saturday a further 10 races will… Read More »
Chris Waller will give Via Sistina every chance to play her part in this Saturday’s $5 million Cox Plate, despite a trackwork mishap at Tuesday morning’s Breakfast With The Best session. The last-start Turnbull Stakes winner tossed rider James Mcdonald and then galloped multiple laps of the Moonee Valley circuit riderless after a… Read More »
Anode will be given another chance to prove himself at 1600 metres this Saturday, when the I Am Invincible colt lines up in the Callander-Presnell at Randwick. The $1 million Group 2 will be the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained three-year-old’s first start at the trip this campaign after two runs… Read More »
The Ciaron Maher stable will chase a first win in the Geelong Cup with Herman Hesse and Interpretation in line for honours. The Group 3 contest over 2400m on Wednesday is one of the few staying feature races run in Victoria that has eluded Maher who secured a second Caulfield Cup when Duke… Read More »
Apprentice jockey Sophie Mitchell celebrated her first career win at Penola on Monday, guiding All Beans to victory in a Benchmark 64 handicap. After 19 winless rides since her debut in August, Mitchell took a positive approach from the barrier aboard the $3.80 favourite, trained by Justin Pickering, and led… Read More »
Caulfield Guineas placegetter Evaporate is poised to be among the final acceptances for the $5 million Cox Plate, pending a successful workout on Tuesday morning. Co-trainer Ben Hayes confirmed that if the three-year-old performs well, Evaporate will likely become the seventh confirmed runner for the prestigious race. Originally slated for… Read More »
