Less than 18 months ago, Lyle Chandler was struggling to make ends meet. Having relocated to Scone and taken out his trainers’ licence at the start of the COVID pandemic, he had barely any horses, little interest from owners and had found himself a regular at the local Bunnings as he… Read More »
Trainer Brian Mcgrath is comfortable with his decision to keep D’Jumbuck fresh for an attempt at a second win on the Flemington straight course. D’Jumbuck provided McGrath with his maiden Flemington victory when successful on January 14 and returns to the course to contest the World Pool Handicap (1200m) on Saturday. McGrath had Saturday’s benchmark… Read More »
Trainer Darryn Weatherley admits he isn’t sure how New Zealand Group 1 winner Pier will measure up against some of Australia’s most promising three-year-olds in the Hobartville Stakes, but he is happy to roll the dice and find out. Racing is a family affair for the Kiwi horseman, who trains in partnership… Read More »
Brian Kruger, the Racing Victoria Chairman, clearly is an optimist. Most would say that to be involved in the racing game you have to be optimist, because it is a game that will test you almost at every turn whatever your role in the industry, and, arguably, the higher up… Read More »
Grahame Begg won’t have to consider a Blue Diamond start for Maharba who has his first run for the trainer at Flemington. The former Sydney-trained two-year-old runs in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on Saturday after one start in Sydney but is not entered for the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Sandown next Saturday. Maharba’s solitary run came up in a good form race where the wayward gelding finished fourth in the Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill on November 5. Barber,… Read More »
The relationship between Racing NSW and Racing Victoria has been balancing on a precarious edge for some time now. You wouldn’t even have to read between the lines to reach what would seem to be a fair conclusion … namely, that those involved in this particular power play don’t like… Read More »
It is said to have choice is great, that is unless you are a jockey. Craig Williams had to choose between three horses as his ride in the Group 3 The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday. In the end he settled on topweight, the Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained See You heaven, despite having won his only two rides… Read More »
From a debut defeat at Goulburn to Flemington Group 1 placegetter, VRC Oaks runner-up Pavitra came a long way in a short time at her first preparation. Co-trainer Will Freedman is bullish about the filly’s chances of again featuring in the three-year-old classics this autumn, although he admits his confidence has been… Read More »
An infection has ruled Carbine Club Stakes winner Perfect Thought out of the Sydney autumn carnival with trainer John Sargent instead turning his sights towards Queensland. After missing the Eskimo Prince Stakes due to an elevated temperature, Perfect Thought had been slated to re-route to this weekend’s Hobartville Stakes (1400m) but was… Read More »
Matthew Smith had a feeling Supido would leave a mark on Australian racing and he is hoping his faith in the bloodline will be rewarded as soon as this Saturday. The Warwick Farm trainer prepares untapped colt Buenos Noches, who runs in the $1 million Group 1 Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at… Read More »
Its Thursday in Melbourne, and at the Melbourne Conference Centre sees Racing Victoria host the four-day 39th Asian Racing Conference, which this year is all about ‘Breaking Barriers.’ Welcomed by ARF Chairman Winfred Engelbrecht-Bresges, the Business Programme Plenary Session 1 ‘The Landscape’ brought together global leaders from racing, sport, business… Read More »
A nasty incident in the mounting yard at Benalla has cost apprentice Matthew Cartwright the opportunity of riding a winner for his mother and grandmother a day later at Sandown. Cartwright fractured his ankle in the incident on Tuesday and was due to have surgery on the injury around the time the Lyn… Read More »
Jockey Michael Walker has called time on his career after riding more than 2000 winners in Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore. Walker has made the decision to hang up the saddle after suffering a brain injury during a fall at Pakenham jumpouts in July last year. “I’ll never… Read More »
He’s just 12-months into his training venture, but former jockey Ryan Hill hopes the spotlight will shine on his stable at Pinjarra on Saturday. Aiming for his biggest payday, Guarding Heaven and Ofcourse She Has will step out in the $250,000 Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic (1200m). Guarding Heaven has… Read More »
Gary Portelli’s quest for back-to-back Golden Slippers ramped up a notch after Extreme Spirit took the first step on that path with a determined debut win at Kensington. While the Warwick Farm trainer will be racing the clock to get the two-year-old qualified given the $5 million Golden Slipper showpiece is just… Read More »
Trainer Matthew Williams does not want to upset the hand that feeds him. When Jamie Kah elected to ride the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr -trained Annavisto in the Group 3 Tony Bourke Memorial (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday, Williams was not about to argue. Williams saddles Wrote To Arataki, a horse Kah has ridden to… Read More »
Learning To Fly’s Inglis Millennium victory was a bittersweet moment for Michael Freedman. While the Randwick trainer had to settle for a narrow second with Blanc De Blanc, there was some consolation in the fact Learning To Fly’s performance franked the form of another of his smart two-year-olds, Mumbai Muse…. Read More »
Star English jockey Tom Marquand will be sidelined for two months with a dislocated shoulder but remains hopeful of making a late Sydney autumn carnival cameo. Marquand suffered the injury when he fell heavily from Dorothy Gail in the $2 million Inglis Millennium at Randwick last Saturday. While initial scans didn’t… Read More »
A jump-out last week has Scallopini primed to tackle a stakes race at Flemington. The Steven O’Dea and Matt Hoysted-trained eight-year-old returns to Flemington on Saturday to contest the Listed Elms Handicap (1400m). It was the same course and distance Scallopini was successful over during the spring when he accounted for Pinstriped in… Read More »
Nine races will be run and won at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, with good depth across the program. Race One: 8 Tronic Mighty Race Two: 5 Sky Gem Race Three: 1 Cheval Valiant Race Four: 7 Sunny Delight Race Five: 3 Victory Scholars Race Six: 7 Eighteen Palms Race… Read More »
