After a winless winter campaign, the veteran gelding’s career isn’t finished yet and he’ll return to defend his Idyllic Prince Stakes (1300m) crown on August 24. Trainer Simon Miller said Valour Road is on song for his first-up run, albeit he’s mindful the nine-year-old is reaching the latter stages of a wonderful… Read More »
The spring picture has got a little clearer with the nominations closing for two of the three features in Melbourne, the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate. Tuesday saw 173 horses entered for the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19 while there were 137 nominations for the Group 1… Read More »
Ben Thompson, who is in Queensland enjoying a break from race riding, will head back to Hong Kong shortly to prepare for the start of what he hopes will be his first full season in that highly competitive racing precinct. “I go back in two weeks,” confirmed Thompson. “I’ll get… Read More »
The smile said it all … but, then again, Stephanie Thompson is seldom without a happy outlook at the track. But this was special in its own way. Back home for the current break in-between the Hong Kong seasons, where Steph’s husband and fellow jockey Ben now plies his trade,… Read More »
Trainer Ciaron Maher took advantage of giving Melbourne Cup favourite Circle Of Fire a look at Moonee Valley as the imported galloper builds his fitness ahead of the Melbourne Spring Carnival. Circle Of Fire sits on the fourth line of Caulfield Cup betting while he is the $11 Melbourne Cup favourite ahead… Read More »
Japanese star Prognosis is Racing Victoria’s prime target for this year’s Cox Plate. Paul Bloodworth, Racing Victoria’s international recruiter, confirmed that Prognosis’s connections are considering a Melbourne trip this spring. Prognosis, a six-year-old, boasts three Group 2 wins over 2000m in Japan and finished second to Romantic Warrior in last… Read More »
Last season’s cups champion, Without A Fight, is in a “grey period” of recovery from a tendon injury. Co-trainer Anthony Freedman is pleased with the horse’s progress but has yet to decide on his spring target, with a clearer decision expected in a month. Freedman hinted that if Without A… Read More »
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable is looking to bring two of last season’s leading two-year-olds to Melbourne in search of spring riches. Golden Slipper winner Lady Of Camelot is expected to commence her tilt at The Everest in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley next month… Read More »
James Cummings and the Godolphin race programmers will now get serious about putting Spring plans in place for some of their biggest names after a solid session of trials at Rosehill on Tuesday morning. Tom Kitten and Zardozi fought out one trial, Aft Cabin and Kallos ran one-two in another and Pericles was runner-up at a… Read More »
Every racehorse deserves the best post-racing life it can have … but the plain truth is that some will be luckier than others in that regard which is why it is so good to report one of the many heartwarming stories of a horse leaving racing on its own terms… Read More »
As has been well documented, there have been a number of subtle changes in the trainers ranks for the new season including, amongst others, two high profile stables realigning their positions with Paul Snowden stepping away from the Snowden training partnership, leaving his father Peter in sole charge as he… Read More »
Chris Waller is still not 100 percent sure what Riff Rocket’s entire Spring campaign will look like, but the dual Derby winner will be given his chance to prove he can be an elite-level open-age stayer. The four-year-old American Pharoah gelding will be among the entries for the Cox Plate (2040m) and… Read More »
Two of Victorian racing’s biggest names continued their spring preparations on Monday morning, just hours before being revealed as finalists in the year Victorian Racehorse Of The Year. Pride Of Jenni and Mr Brightside had jumpouts 60km apart prior to being announced as Horse Of The Year rivals alongside Imperatriz, Romantic Warrior and… Read More »
Two of the highest-profile two-year-olds from last season, Lady Of Camelot and Storm Boy, took their spring preparations to a new level on Monday with trials at Randwick. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott -trained duo made their first public appearances of the campaign in the trials that was originally scheduled for… Read More »
Bailey Wheeler has some unfinished business in town. While there is no doubt that Cejay Graham thoroughly deserved the Brisbane Apprentice Jockey Premiership for the 2023/24 racing season for her polished, professional performance both on and off the track, Wheeler was a contender for that title until he was derailed… Read More »
Racing Queensland CEO Jason Scott has given an update on the current, unfortunate track standoff at Eagle Farm, where racing has basically been suspended at this time following a fall approaching the home turn on July 20. The fall was the final straw for jockeys following their reports over many… Read More »
Apprentice Emily Lang started off the new metropolitan season with a win on Vodka Martini at Doomben on Saturday … and the 2023/24 Queensland Provincial Apprentice Jockey Premiership winner is looking forward to her first full season in town, having recently made the move from the then Steven O’Dea and… Read More »
Sunday night’s impressive Group 1 Prix Maurice de Gheest hero Lazzat could be set for a trip across the globe as trainer Jerome Reynier earmarked the Golden Eagle at Rosehill as a potential target. Trained by Jerome Reynier in Marseille, the three-year-old gelding has gone from strength to strength this season, winning… Read More »
Jockey Will Gordon has ticked off one glaring omission from his record after Affluential took out the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown. While Gordon had won plenty of feature races over jumps since making the move from Ireland while also making a name for himself on the flat, he had… Read More »
Champion jumps jockey Steven Pateman is likely to recommend Stern Idol head to the Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat following his easy victory at Sandown. Stern Idol ran away with the Crisp Steeplechase (4200m) at Sandown on Sunday, his fourth win in a steeplechase this year. Pateman said what weight Stern Idol… Read More »
