A win in a rich Magic Millions race at Ballarat earlier in the season has made life tougher for the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Cusack. Successful in the Ballarat contest on debut in November, Cusack has paid the penalty by being the topweight in Saturday’s Neds Punters Toolbox Handicap (1100m) at Caulfield courtesy… Read More »
Unsuitable race programming has resulted in Grahame Begg needing to run Cardinal Gem at Caulfield ahead of a planned target at Flemington. The Silver Bowl Series Final (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday week has been Cardinal Gem’s goal for the campaign after being forced to miss a trip to Brisbane. As part… Read More »
When David Pfieffer recently returned from suspension, there were several familiar faces waiting for him at his stable complex. His team of horses had been sent to other trainers during his enforced layoff, but many of them quickly found their way back to him. “I have been lucky to be greeted… Read More »
To the wider racing industry, the vast majority won’t know who Vivienne Leggett is and what she has done for racing, spanning three decades. She was a very successful sponsorship manager of the Hawkesbury Race Club (HRC). She joined in 1991 and worked there for 26 years, with her hard… Read More »
It is safe to say that 2022 has already been one of the biggest years of Robbie Dolan’s life. He has landed his second Group 1 win aboard cult hero Shelby Sixtysix in The Galaxy, celebrated the arrival of his first child, and wowed Australia with his incredible vocal performances on The… Read More »
Plans for Looks Like Elvis’ assault on this weekend’s Listed Civic Stakes were going swimmingly – until the barrier draw. The gelding has been handed the outside gate in the 14-horse field and from that alley, trainer Jarrod Austin concedes he will need a few favours to remain unbeaten this campaign. “He… Read More »
Lightly raced filly Niccolite is ready for her racetrack return in a race her trainer Grahame Begg had hoped may have been a touch easier. Niccolite has not raced since last year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival and resumes in the Lamaro’s Hotel Handicap (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday. Begg said he had Niccolite ready to… Read More »
Bunbury trainer Michael Campbell is thrilled to have his classy three-year-old Bitofmerit back at Belmont Park on Saturday, but warned he could be underdone. The Demerit gelding will be out to maintain his unbeaten status in the Crown Perth Handicap (1000m) after making a big impression last year. Bitofmerit made a… Read More »
Peter and Paul Snowden will have a strong hand in the W J Healy Stakes with the race favourite and a last-start winner. From winning his maiden at Muswellbrook to capturing a last start stakes win, unassuming gelding Ranges has already surpassed his stable’s modest expectations It took the five-year-old… Read More »
The Hong Kong jockeys’ championship hangs in the balance after Zac Purton drew within one win of Joao Moreira with seven meetings left in the season as Derek Leung took riding honours with a double at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (22 June). On an eventful night, Moreira was stood… Read More »
The Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock stable held out hope that Daily Bugle would win a high-level stakes race and eventually make a stallion proposition. But as Daily Bugle’s three-year-old career winds down, the realisation that is unlikely to be achieved has sunk in for Griffiths who admits it… Read More »
Named after a New Zealand love song, Po Kare Kare makes a highly-anticipated progression to Saturday grade at Randwick. It was love at first sight when Bryce Heys spotted Po Kare Kare at a yearling sale in New Zealand, but the honeymoon period didn’t last long. Heys had ventured to… Read More »
Trainer Gavin Bedggood wants to try No Effort over a staying trip and part of his plan to get the mare to a longer journey is a return to Caulfield. No Effort will attempt to emulate her 2000m victory at Caulfield on May 28 when she runs over the same course and… Read More »
From a limited number of rides, Brock Ryan has managed to make his mark on the Brisbane winter carnival, and he hopes to parlay that form into the final Group 1 meeting of the season. Having captured the Victory Stakes aboard Count De Rupee in April, Ryan went to Ipswich for three… Read More »
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable is confident Copperfield can progress to better company after his success at Cranbourne wearing blinkers for the first time. Copperfield took out the O’Brien Real Estate Handicap (1400m) on Wednesday, a benchmark 64 grade race, but what impressed stable spokesman Ben Elam was the way he… Read More »
One of the cheaper buys at the 2021 Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Lady Harlem is quickly proving to be an astute purchase for her connections. The daughter of Sebring sold for $125,000 at the topflight auction and after notching a stakes placing on debut at Moonee Valley last year, she… Read More »
The long road to the Melbourne Cup could begin for Carif on Saturday when he kicks off his latest campaign in the Listed Civic Stakes at Randwick. Trainers Peter and Paul Snowden are keen to give the six-year-old another shot at Australia’s most famous race after he had a rough-house… Read More »
The trip home from Cranbourne to Warrnambool will be a little easier for trainer Peter Chow following the win of Idon’Tgetit. Chow made the three-and-a-half-hour journey from the seaside town to claim the Gendore Handicap (1600m) on Wednesday. Idon’tgetit had been successful on a heavy track at Echuca at his previous start and Chow was hoping for… Read More »
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable is set to unveil their latest import when He’s Our Bonneval steps out at Caulfield. Racing as Bonneval in the UK, the five-year-old son of Siyouni has been forced to undergo a name change following his arrival in Australia. A New Zealand mare trained by Murray Baker raced as Bonneval last decade and collected… Read More »
The emergence of Rebel Dane as a serious stallion has prompted trainer Gary Portelli to reignite the debate over whether Australia’s best colts are retired to stud too soon. In a career spanning 40 starts, Rebel Dane consistently competed at the top level, winning two Group 1 races before he eventually became… Read More »
