An injury to stable favourite Fangirl made for a tough week in the Chris Waller stable, but Zougotcha provided the perfect balm with a determined victory in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic. Zougotcha ($3.30 fav) defied a recent hoodoo for favourites and topweight of 57kg to deny all challengers in Saturday’s $1 million… Read More »
Teaming up with owner Tony Ottobre has changed the fortunes of former Irish jockey Declan Bates. Two Group 1 wins in the spring aboard Pride Of Jenni have been added to on Saturday when the Ciaron Maher-trained mare led throughout to claim the $4 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield. “Tony,… Read More »
James Cummings is welcoming a clash with star New Zealand filly Orchestral after Zardozi served a reminder of her talents with a dashing victory in the Phar Lap Stakes at Rosehill. The pair is on a collision course towards the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) in two weeks and Cummings believes it… Read More »
Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes will hold talks with the ownership group of Bold Bastille over a potential Golden Slipper start after her impressive win at Caulfield. The filly led throughout to claim the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1100m) on Saturday to keep dreams alive of starting… Read More »
Father-and-son training combination Mark and Levi Kavanagh are looking for a fortuitous autumn campaign with First Immortal after his first-up win at Caulfield. First Immortal’s autumn campaign launched with victory in the Listed Anniversary Vase (1600m) on Saturday which may lead to the gelding heading towards two ballot exempt races for the… Read More »
Filly Drifting and Victorian colt Dublin Down are the final two horses to earn Golden Slipper spots, but whether they take up the challenge is yet to be decided. The Tony and Calvin Mcevoy -trained Dublin Down secured a berth with his upset win in Saturday’s Pago Pago Stakes (1200m), staving off Anode and relegating short-priced favourite Gatsby’s into… Read More »
Troy Turner’s confidence in Own The Queen is sky high and he expects the filly will handle a rise in distance in the Natasha Stakes (2200m) at Ascot on Saturday. The Justine Erkelens-trained Own The Queen is unbeaten this campaign and extended her winning sequence to three straight in last fortnight’s… Read More »
Julia Martin hopes a dual-pronged attack will be potent enough to score a coveted home-town feature win at Geraldton on Sunday. Julia Martin will be represented by two runners in the $125,000 Batavia Sprint (1200m), Bombay Style and Miff Muffered Moof. As an eight year-old with 64 starts behind him, Bombay Style… Read More »
Luckless last start at Rosehill, co-trainers Peter and Paul Snowden kept the faith in the ability of Queen Of Dragons to mix it at group racing level and have been rewarded with victory in the Group 3 Kembla Grange Classic (1600m). Originally thought to be a sprinting prospect on breeding, the Snowdens… Read More »
Training Grahame Begg has questioned the programming of three-year-old races which has forced Maharba to tackle a race against older horses at Caulfield. Begg will saddle Maharba in the Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1200m) on Saturday, but said it was not the ideal scenario for the three-year-old, a two-time winner from eight… Read More »
Chris Waller won last year’s Golden Slipper with a son of Snitzel on the back-up after winning the Pago Pago Stakes and he is optimistic Gatsby’s put himself in a position to do likewise. The $220,000 Inglis Easter yearling is favourite for Saturday’s 1200-metre event at Rosehill, which is one of two… Read More »
Showing initiative and being proactive has earned Kyle Wilson-Taylor a big weekend away from home and an opportunity to put international experience on his riding resume. Brisbane based Wilson-Taylor will have six rides at Trentham in New Zealand tomorrow … rides which cover everything from the Group 1 NZ Oaks… Read More »
Mick Price is direct to the point when it comes to discussing his horses, but when talking of Jamie Kah, it is like speaking to a proud father. Kah teams with the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Ayrton in the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield on Saturday as the jockey searches… Read More »
Five weeks out from the first of South Australia’s features run at the highest level, each of the four Group One races to be run at Morphettville will see prizemoney doubled to $1 million. A partnership between Sportsbet, Racing SA and the South Australian Jockey Club (SAJC) has brought about… Read More »
Michael Hawkes is gearing up for a busy afternoon at Rosehill with six stakes runners, headlined by More Secrets in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic. However, it is the younger brigade that could be the stable’s best chance for a win with Makarena and Airman favourites for the Phar Lap Stakes (1500m) and Maurice… Read More »
The Coolmore Classic has been a happy hunting ground for outsiders in recent years and several trainers fancy their chances of continuing that trend at Rosehill. The last favourite to claim the fillies and mares feature was Aloha in 2011, while 13 of the past 20 winners have started at… Read More »
Evergreen Godolphin galloper Cascadian will complete a clean sweep of All-Star Mile venues when he competes at Caulfield. Saturday’s All-Star Mile (1600m) will be the third time Cascadian has competed in the race, having finished fifth to Zaaki at Flemington in 2022 then second to Mr Brightside last year at Moonee Valley. Cascadian… Read More »
Fangirl, one of Chris Waller’s leading chargers towards The Championships, has had her autumn campaign declared over after a Friday morning incident required her to be transported for veterinary treatment. Waller announced via X (formerly Twitter) that a wound to one of the five-year-old mare’s legs was enough to end… Read More »
Day 3 of the 2024 Cheltenham Festival saw the British trainers bite back after the Irish had dominated days 1 and 2. But Gordon Elliottâs Teahupoo ensured the biggest prize of the day still crossed the Irish Sea by taking the Stayersâ Hurdle and redeeming himself after his defeat last… Read More »
Twelve months ago, Cheval Savant was a Group 1 Australian Derby contender but while he wasn’t up to that level of three-year-old, Ciaron Maher and the gelding’s ownership have found a niche with him in picking off VOBIS and other incentives along the way with their consistent stayer. Cheval Savant,… Read More »
