For the first time this season, the Les Ross / Mishani Enterprises stranglehold on the early two-year-old races of the season in Queensland was broken by the Chris Munce trained Kahlisee at Eagle Farm on Saturday, but halfway up the home straight Ross would have been forgiven if he had… Read More »
The extravagant salute said it all. Apprentice Bailey Wheeler has been having a ball recently riding winner after winner and his salute on the Annabel Neasham trained Fancy Man in the featured Queensland Cup at Eagle Farm was just part of a continuation of that run of success, although Wheelerâs… Read More »
Gold Trip has shown he is on track for another tilt at the Melbourne Cup after staging a last to first win in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. Last year’s Melbourne Cup winner was in last place when the field swung for home in the Group 1 race over 2000m on Saturday… Read More »
Nash Rawiller’s belated emergence from the jockeys’ room was just the sign the Chris Waller stable needed to know he was ready to produce a riding masterclass on Montefilia in the Hill Stakes. Rawiller didn’t disappoint, settling the six-year-old worse than midfield before picking a passage through in the straight and bringing… Read More »
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Future History has won the ‘Golden Ticket’ into the Melbourne Cup with his all-the-way win in The Bart Cummings at Flemington. Success in Saturday’s Group 3 contest over 2520m provides the winner a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 7. Future History joins Goldman and Lunar… Read More »
Lightly raced filly Makarena has successfully made the giant leap from winning a midweek maiden to taking out the $500,000 Tapp-Craig at just her third start. Trained by John, Wayne and Michael Hawkes and raced by their wives, Makarena ($4.40) vindicated the belief of her trainers, sitting handy to the speed before… Read More »
Paul Snowden will almost certainly resist any temptation to back-up brilliant Roman Consul Stakes winner King’s Gambit in The Everest, but he won’t be surprised to see the colt in the $20 million sprint next year. One slot remains to be filled with Yulong yet to confirm its runner for next week… Read More »
A quick back-up coupled with a rise in distance has paid dividends for Godolphin filly Zardozi who claimed her maiden Stakes win with a stylish performance at Flemington. Zardozi took out the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) on Saturday to potentially forge a path towards the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) at… Read More »
If Our Norman causes an upset and wins the XXXX Kalgoorlie Cup (2300m) on Saturday, it won’t come as a complete shock to Perth trainer, Chris Willis. Chris Willis concedes the clash between Our Norman and hot favourite Villeins is a David versus Goliath battle, but he’s confident of a competitive performance. Willis… Read More »
James Cummings has already demonstrated an ability to identify the right horses to direct towards the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes and there is plenty riding on the performance of his runner in Saturday’s $175,000 Listed event. Blue Illusion will be not only Godolphin’s first two-year-old runner for the season, but its first Australian… Read More »
Subzero was more than a racehorse. The 1992 Melbourne Cup winner was described by Richard Freedman, one-quarter of the Freedman brothers training team who conditioned the famous grey to victory in Australia’s most famous race, as ‘Australia’s greatest thoroughbred’ for more than his racing record. Not just a Melbourne Cup… Read More »
Jockey Daniel Moore is reuniting with Uncle Bryn at Flemington ahead of a bigger assignment in the Caulfield Cup. Uncle Bryn contests the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday in a bid to emulate the deeds of Smokin’ Romans 12 months ago. Smokin’ Romans won the Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield enroute… Read More »
An overseas runner has commanded much of the attention in the lead-up to Saturday’s Turnbull Stakes, but Hong Kong star Romantic Warrior is not the only international flavour to the $750,000 Group 1. Simon and Ed Crisford-trained gelding West Wind Blows brings form from European races containing some of the world’s… Read More »
Trainer Grahame Begg has considerable belief in lightly raced mare C’est Magique. The winner of a Pakenham synthetic maiden at her debut outing, C’est Magique has competed in Stakes race in her four subsequent starts. Begg has raised the bar further on Saturday with C’est Magique heading to Flemington to tackle the open age sprinters in the… Read More »
New Zealand trainer Mark Walker will be looking to build on his impressive strike-rate in Melbourne since establishing a stable at Cranbourne. From seven runners out of the Cranbourne stable since the start of September, Walker has produced three winners and will looking to increase that tally at Moonee Valley on Friday night and further… Read More »
Filly Opal Ridge won the inaugural running of the Tapp-Craig, and Hawkes Racing is hoping Makarena can make it a clean sweep for the girls when she steps out in the $500,000 Rosehill feature. In an unusual move for the stable, the three-year-old will contest Saturday’s 1400 metre race at just her… Read More »
The $2 million Hill Stakes will be a fork in the road for import Hoo Ya Mal with connections hoping he can prove himself worthy of another Melbourne Cup bid. Co-trainer Adrian Bott has been rapt with the five-year-old’s two runs from a spell, including his midfield effort in the 7… Read More »
A three-year-old fillies Stakes race at Flemington could determine the direction that Poifect takes later in her spring campaign. Poifect is engaged to run in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday with her Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes having an open mind on her potential ‘Grand Final’. Options… Read More »
Star Hong Kong-based jockey, Zac Purton, is set to join forces with trainer Willie Mullins for this year’s Melbourne Cup, riding Absurde in a partnership that has been a decade in the making. Purton’s previous collaboration with Mullins in the Melbourne Cup dates back to 2017 when he rode Max… Read More »
Parisal’s first-up win proved her capacity to absorb pressure and James Cummings says she will probably have to show the same resilience to overcome a wide draw in The Nivison. The Astern mare settled midfield from a similarly awkward gate in the Toy Show Quality (1300m) and tracked three and four-wide… Read More »
