Racing Victoria handicapper David Hegan said he would like to have waited an extra week before releasing the weights for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Hegan said ideally the final handicaps for the Cups would be released after Saturday’s racing in Melbourne and Sydney to ascertain how potential contenders are… Read More »
Chris Waller on Tuesday paid tribute to his dual Derby winner Riff Rocket, who has died. The four-year-old son of American Pharoah succumbed to complications from emergency colic surgery that was conducted early last week. A shattered Waller fondly remembered the gelding, who was bred and raced by Debbie Kepitis and… Read More »
A start in a Group 1 race at Caulfield could determine whether Godolphin galloper Pericles stays in Melbourne or heads back to Sydney for the remainder of the spring. A last start winner of the So You Think Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 7, Pericles will be one of the… Read More »
Winner of the Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) and Group 1 JJ Atkins (1600m) as a two-year-old, Broadsiding will attempt to become the first horse to win the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) first-up having hit the line well for second in an 1000m open trial at Hawkesbury on Tuesday…. Read More »
Fresh from recording his first Australian win, Buckaroo is in line to be given the chance to chase a maiden Group 1 victory in this Saturday’s $750,000 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield. The 1800-metre weight-for-age event will be run three weeks after Buckaroo took out the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at… Read More »
Under-rated gelding Encap has shed his tag as a perennial bridesmaid with a gutsy victory in the Group Two Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill to confirm his Golden Eagle credentials. Coming into Saturday, the Gary Portelli-trained four-year-old had won just one race, the Ming Dynasty Quality on the corresponding program 12… Read More »
Mr Brightside has exacted revenged on arch enemy Pride Of Jenni to take Group 1 honours in a thrilling race at Flemington. Having staged a thrilling contest last spring before renewing hostilities in the autumn, Mr Brightside got the upper hand over Pride Of Jenni in the closing stages to claim a… Read More »
Traffic Warden has upstaged some of Sydney’s highest-profile colts to land an outstanding first-up win in The Run To The Rose, giving Godolphin its fourth successive victory in the Golden Rose lead-up. Trainer James Cummings confirmed the three-year-old would join stablemate Broadsiding in the Group 1 before a decision was made on whether… Read More »
Trainer Danny O’Brien is eyeing a Group 1 race during the Melbourne Cup Carnival with impressive Flemington winner Grinzinger Belle. Having her first start since competing in early winter at Caulfield, Grinzinger Belle registered an easy win in the Group 2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) on Saturday. The Group 1 Empire… Read More »
Her coat is yet to come through and she isn’t completely wound-up, but Sunshine In Paris has still managed to make a sparkling Everest statement with a dynamite win the Sheraco Stakes at Rosehill. Claiming the scalp of Joliestar, who had been equal favourite for the $20 million showpiece before Saturday,… Read More »
Owner Lloyd Williams has moved a step closer to winning an eighth Melbourne Cup after Irish-bred galloper Point King earned a start in the great race with a fighting win at Flemington. Point King took out the Group 3 Archer Stakes (2500m) on Saturday to earn a ballot exemption into the… Read More »
The Ciaron Maher stable is chasing a Golden Ticket into the Melbourne Cup with two of their stayers at Flemington. Interpretation and Berkshire Breeze contest the Group 3 Archer Stakes (2500m) at Flemington on Saturday with victory providing a ballot exemption into the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 5. The Archer… Read More »
Adrian Bott has issued an ominous warning to Storm Boy’s Run To The Rose rivals, declaring the hulking colt has improved from his slashing first-up win and is expected to continue to improve as he stretches into the spring. The high-profile three-year-old gave nothing else a chance when dominating from… Read More »
Exciting mare Joliestar made a clear Everest statement with her thumping first-up win in the Show County Quality, now her challenge is to back it up. The four-year-old has rocketed into $5 equal favouritism for the $20 million showpiece and could firm further if she repeats her fresh effort in the… Read More »
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable are hoping to rewind the clock 12 months to the last time Mostly Cloudy was successful. That victory over 2500m was at the corresponding Flemington meeting Mostly Cloudy ran at last year when he ran out a comfortable two-length winner. The problem with that… Read More »
As a Group 1 winner, Pinstriped is now consigned to tackling Australia’s elite gallopers. Providing trainer Enver Jusufovic with a maiden Group 1 win in the Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 31, Pinstriped has the chance to go back-to-back at the highest level when he contests the Makybe Diva Stakes… Read More »
The Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington is a race that can shape the spring. The Group 1 race over 1600m at Flemington on Saturday attained Group 1 status in 2013 with horses of the calibre of Fawkner (2015), Humidor (2017), Incentivise (2021), I’m Thunderstruck (2022) and Mr Brightside last year being… Read More »
A bulked-up Switzerland will bid to open his spring account with a bang when he headlines his stable’s two-pronged attack on The Run To The Rose at Rosehill. After a brief flirtation with stepping him out in last month’s San Domenico Stakes (1100m), trainer Chris Waller opted to stick to his original… Read More »
Australian Derby winner Riff Rocket is out of the spring carnival after undergoing emergency surgery overnight for colic. The four-year-old had been due to contest the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday and was a $9 equal second favourite for the Caulfield Cup (2400m). Trainer Chris Waller reported Riff Rocket… Read More »
Willie Mullins has decided to bypass the Caulfield Cup with his stayer Absurde, aiming exclusively for the Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Absurde was not among the 89 first acceptances for the $5 million Caulfield Cup, with connections opting for a later shipment to target the Cup. Among the remaining international… Read More »
