Jeff Penza has capitalised on the absence of Sydney’s top jockeys to plunder all three feature races at Newcastle, highlighted by his Cup win aboard the Chris Waller-trained Great House. With Sydney’s leading hoops unable to travel due to COVID-19 restrictions, Penza dominated Friday’s showcase races. Heading to the track for… Read More »
A wide draw has not dented Mark Newnham’s confidence in Spirit Ridge maintaining his undefeated record over the Kingston Town Stakes course and distance. Spirit Ridge has drawn barrier 17 for Saturday’s middle-distance feature but will jump from 14 if the emergencies don’t start. Newnham has taken heart from the… Read More »
Godolphin is hoping to add to its contenders in the upcoming three-year-old features when they run a couple of up-and-coming types at Caulfield. Brigantine and his James Cummings-trained stablemate Athelric are down to run in the Caulfield Guineas Prelude (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday. Athelric may not have an entry into the 2021 Caulfield Guineas, while Brigantine… Read More »
Te Akau stable star, nine-time Group 1 winner Avantage (Fastnet Rock – Asavant, by Zabeel) has been retired after suffering a tendon injury. At nine Group 1 wins, Avantage is the record-holder for her champion Australian sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill). The former Champion Two-Year-Old and Karaka Million winner, who has… Read More »
Co-trainer Michael Gangemi is confident Samizdat will handle his first shot at a Victorian Group 1 in tomorrow afternoon’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. The gelding heads in the $1 million feature off the back of a win in the Belmont Newmarket (1200m) and a third placing in… Read More »
Trainer Symon Wilde is focussing on the Melbourne Cup with his promising stayer mare Tralee Rose. However, the Caulfield Cup may come on the radar if the mare is successful in the Group 3 MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The winner of Saturday’s race earns a ballot exemption into the Caulfield… Read More »
Gerald Ryan has been waiting for the day that Mallory extends beyond a short-course journey, and it will finally arrive when she heads to Randwick for the Tea Rose Stakes. “I’ve been itching for a long time to get her to 1400 and 1600 metres,” Ryan said. The three-year-old has been… Read More »
At this time of the spring, a mare like New Zealand star Probabeel would normally be chasing the Group 1 action in weight-for-age races. But an early set-back meant the mare was not ready for those contests and her trainer Jamie Richards elected to follow a handicap path towards next month’s Cox Plate. After a first-up win at Caulfield… Read More »
Dual Group 1 placegetter She’s Ideel has one glaring omission from her resume – she is yet to win a stakes race. It is a statistic trainer Bjorn Baker is hoping the backmarker can finally rectify in Saturday’s Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Randwick. “She is yet to win a… Read More »
Duais might be the stable flagbearer but trainer Edward Cummings also has lofty ambitions for stablemate Prompt Prodigy. Placed in black-type company in the Tulloch Stakes during the autumn, Prompt Prodigy was nominated for two races at Randwick on Saturday, a benchmark assignment and the Group 2 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m)…. Read More »
His family campervan isn’t quite as fancy as the accommodation at the Inglis Hotel, but trainer Gordon Richards is just thankful to be back in town with South Australian sprint star Gytrash. Twelve months ago, the down-to-earth interstate trainer went on the ride of a lifetime when Inglis snapped up Gytrash… Read More »
Apprentice jockey Kristy Bennett is thrilled and delighted to be given the opportunity of riding in her first feature race at Kalgoorlie on Sunday. Bennett will ride Media Baron for her boss David Harrison in the Listed Blue Spec Drilling Boulder Cup (2100m) and dreams of a fairytale result. Bennett, closing in… Read More »
Buoyed by the early-season form of two of Harmony Rose’s autumn foes, Mark Newnham is optimistic the Group 1 placegetter can make her mark during the Sydney carnival. Placed behind Lion’s Roar and Mo’Unga in the Randwick Guineas and runner-up to Hungry Heart in the Adrian Knox Stakes, Harmony Rose will make her spring… Read More »
Godolphin trainer James Cummings is banking on Heresy dropping back to filly’s grade as being decisive at Caulfield. Heresy lines up in the Group 2 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m) on Saturday, her first test beyond 1200m while it will give the Godolphin team an insight into the filly for later in the spring. The daughter of Street Boss holds nominations… Read More »
David Harrison says Jericho Missile can prove himself worthy of a trip to the Goldfields when he tackles the Nicopolis Stakes (1200m) at Belmont on Saturday. If Jericho Missile can produce a top performance in the $100,000 event, David Harrison will set his sights on the Listed Hannans Handicap (1400m) in Kalgoorlie…. Read More »
The George Main Stakes has been a bogey race for Verry Elleegant but Sydney’s pin-up mare gets the perfect chance to right that record at Randwick. Market đź’°: View the Odds for the George Main Stakes Verry Elleegant finished fourth to Avilius in the corresponding race two years ago and filled the… Read More »
Queensland Oaks winner Duais is set to kick off her spring in the Cameron Handicap at Newcastle as trainer Edward Cummings plots a path to the 2021 Caulfield Cup. The mare is also among acceptances for the Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday, but Cummings says she will… Read More »
Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr. will wait and see whether I’m Thunderstruck will take his place at Caulfield. Currently the emergency acceptor in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m), Price and Kent Jr were dealt a double whammy when I’m Thunderstruck drew the extreme outside barrier. While keen to run over… Read More »
How would three athletes respond to travelling in a car together for nine hours ahead of competing against one another in a big race. That is what faces three South Australian equine athletes who travel to Melbourne on Thursday evening in the same truck to run in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield… Read More »
Ayrton’s spring campaign is under a cloud after the boom four-year-old was found to be lame. Co-trainer Mick Price informed Racing NSW stewards on Thursday that Ayrton had swelling to his near hind leg but the extent of the issue was unclear. “Mr Price has advised that Aytron has been treated… Read More »
