Trainer Kris Lees says Special Reward is capable of a rapid form reversal at Eagle Farm. Out-of-form sprinter Special Reward will be given a final throw at the stumps to earn a Stradbroke Handicap start in the Group 2 Moreton Cup at Eagle Farm. Last year’s Newcastle Newmarket winner hasn’t… Read More »
A decade since he returned for another stint at racing, Cliff Green will have his first representation in a black type race at Belmont on Saturday. Green will saddle up Benji’s in the Listed Raconteur Stakes (1400m), the rank outsider and despite having modest expectations, Cliff Green is keen to explore the… Read More »
Trainer Andrew Noblet is hoping a winning combination will come to the fore for a breakthrough Saturday victory at Flemington. Jockey Patrick Moloney and Witchfulthinking team up in the VRC Member Ben Edney Trophy (1400m) with the pair aiming for a third victory. Moloney rode Witchfulthinking to victory at Warrnambool during last month’s carnival… Read More »
David Payne is well aware it has been more than a year since Costello last raced over his pet distance but he is hoping the horse can make the wait worthwhile. A son of 2010 Melbourne Cup winner Americain, Costello has an excellent 2400 metre record having competed over the… Read More »
Nailing the delicate balance of maintaining a horse’s fitness while keeping them mentally fresh can require pinpoint accuracy and trainer Gerald Ryan is hoping he has got the mix right with Bottega. An undoubted talent, the entire has disappointed at his past two starts, over-racing when finishing down the track behind… Read More »
Winter Cup favourite Parry Sound might be the headline act for trainer Bjorn Baker but two horses resuming at Rosehill could emerge as surprise packets for the stable. Baker is in for a busy afternoon with 10 runners across nine races and while he regards Parry Sound as his leading chance, he… Read More »
Medina Spirit has yet to be stripped of his 2021 Kentucky Derby victory, but that outcome has moved a step closer when the confirmation on Wednesday that a second (split sample) taken from Medina Spirit had also tested positive to the restricted substance betamethasone. Immediately, on the back of that… Read More »
It’s June, the month of European Classics, and it’s Bob Scarborough with the broadest grin heading into the Prix du Jockey-Club with his St Mark’s Basilica as the $3.25 Sportsbet favourite. In scoring a decisive victory in the Poule d’Essai des Poulains when ridden by four-times French champion Spanish expatriate… Read More »
Queensland Oaks favourite Bargain is going to be a tougher nut for rivals to crack on the bigger track at Eagle Farm this weekend according to trainer Mark Newnham. The Sydney-based conditioner partnered Bargain in a course proper gallop at Eagle Farm on Tuesday and she gave him the feel… Read More »
New Zealand Oaks runner-up Charms Star could be the big improver in Saturday’s Queensland Oaks as she continues to thrive in her new surrounds of Queensland. Charms Star had her first Australian start when a solid third in the Doomben Roses a fortnight ago and Kerrin Mcevoy has retained the… Read More »
An idea originally hatched as a “loose plan” can come full circle for Edward Cummings when Duais runs for Group 1 glory in Saturday’s Queensland Oaks. Cummings indicated Duais would have been in the spelling paddock had she won the ATC Oaks, but after she ran second in that race, the trainer kept… Read More »
By any measure, Dan Morton has enjoyed a successful three-year-old season. His Ascot summer carnival hit a peak with Kissonallforcheeks, Snickerdoodledandy and Kallaroo. Kissonallforcheeks took out the Lee Steere Classic (1400m) and the WA Breeders Classic (1400m). Snickerdoodledandy defeated Kissonallforcheeks in the Burgess Queen Stakes (1400m) to give Morton a… Read More »
Trainer James Cummings is upbeat about the chances of Varda in the Group 2 Moreton Cup at Eagle Farm. After sticking to short-course sprints for more than two years, Godolphin believe the time is right to stretch Varda over a slightly longer journey. The mare has been a prolific winner… Read More »
Michael Freedman has confirmed BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Tiger Of Malay has come through the race in great order and remains on target for the Group 1 J J Atkins Stakes. The colt had struggled to make an impact from wide draws at his two previous runs but from… Read More »
The Victorian Jockeys Association will show their support for equine welfare by carrying Racing Victoria’s Off The Track logo on their breeches. RV and the VJA announced a three-year sponsorship deal which will provide funding to support jockeys and their families in their time of need. Victoria’s peak racing body has committed… Read More »
After a series of minor placings, Parry Sound gets an ideal chance to return to the winner’s list in the Winter Cup. Bjorn Baker is always happy to look out for a fellow New Zealander, so he has no qualms accommodating visiting Victorian stayer Inverloch for Kiwi-born trainer Trent Busuttin…. Read More »
After a debut second at Geelong, Sistine Explorer makes her way to Flemington for her second start. Andrew Noblet is banking on race experience being vital when Sistine Explorer makes her city debut at Flemington. Sistine Explorer is pitted against Invincible Caviar, a debutant daughter of Black Caviar, in the VRC Member… Read More »
A return to two-year-old racing and the addition of blinkers could be the key to Sinba rebounding at Rosehill. Gerald Ryan believes promising juvenile Sinba was on a hiding to nothing when beaten as an odds-on favourite at Gosford and remains confident he can atone on his home track of Rosehill. The… Read More »
Improving filly Rebel Rama will produce one of the feelgood stories of the Brisbane winter carnival if she can upset her higher-profile rivals in the Queensland Oaks. Prepared by Marc Conners, who has just 18 horses in work at Warwick Farm, Rebel Rama will be Mikayla Weir’s first Group One ride,… Read More »
In form Brenlyn’s Trooper is set for his Flemington debut after successive wins at Albury. Wodonga trainer Sylvia Thompson is using a straight race at Flemington on Saturday as a test run for a potential start in a stakes race. Brenlyn’s Trooper, with Jake Duffy aboard, runs in the VRC Member William… Read More »
