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 »
Trainer Chris Waller will commence his assault on the Melbourne Spring Carnival with three runners in the feature race at Flemington on Saturday. Waller has dispatched Atishu, Riff Rocket and Via Sistina to Melbourne to start in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m). Via Sistina is expected renew hostilities with Pride Of… Read More »
Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr have had experience preparing a three-year-old for The Everest and will be hoping former Perth gelding Bustling can put his best foot forward in Saturday’s Group 2 The Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill. Price & Kent Jnr’s only runner in seven editions of The… Read More »
Giga Kick, last yearâs Everest champion, is gearing up for a shot at reclaiming his crown despite a fifth-place finish in the Concorde Stakes. Trainer Clayton Douglas remains upbeat, confident that the sprinter still has plenty to offer as the spring carnival unfolds. While Giga Kick finished three lengths behind… Read More »
With tests on Pride Of Jenni last week determining no major issues, and the mare appearing in fine shape, Ciaron Maher is set to stick with his original plan with the Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner. The crowd favourite was among 13 entries for Saturday’s $750,000 Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at… Read More »
Jamie Kah has to answer the serious allegation of not giving one of her mounts every possible chance to obtain the best possible finishing position after being charged by Racing Victoria stewards on Monday. The charge, under AR 129(2) was issued in relation to her ride on Let’Sfacethemusic in the McNeil Stakes… Read More »
Trainer Gavin Bedggood and the connections of Mornington Glory were banking on the fittest horse supplying them with a Group 1 win at Moonee Valley. Sustained speed over the 1000m journey of the Moir Stakes on Saturday saw Bedggood land his first Group 1 win and gift the owners of the sprinter… Read More »
A gelding procedure appears to have done the trick for European import Buckaroo, who has taken out the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick to land his first win in Australia. Buckaroo contested some of Sydney’s best middle-distance races in the autumn, his most prominent result a third to Via… Read More »
Under-rated sprinter I Am Me has claimed several high-profile scalps to score a brilliant first-up win in the Concorde Stakes at Randwick, putting herself in the frame for an Everest slot. The Ciaron Maher-trained mare, who started at $4.80, denied evergreen stablemate Bella Nipotina ($4.40) by a half-neck in Saturday’s 1000-metre sprint… Read More »
Trainer Clinton Mcdonald fears Angel Capital may be too brilliant to run a strong 1600m after his return victory at Moonee Valley. Angel Capital resumed to take out the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m) on Saturday with McDonald hopefully plotting a course towards the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 12. The… Read More »
After having to settle for a minor role behind big brother Anthony and his filly Ameena in the first leg of the Princess Series, Michael Freedman has been delighted to see Manaal turn the tables in the Furious Stakes at Randwick. The Group 1 winner resumed with a narrow third in the Silver… Read More »
Patience is a rare commodity in racing, but the Ciaron Maher stable and the owners of A Little Deep have been rewarded with a Stakes win at Moonee Valley. A Little Deep took out the Listed Chautauqua Stakes (1200m) on Saturday in a patient ride by Jamie Kah who timed her run to… Read More »
After watching Giga Kick run past Private Eye in a recent barrier trial and space him by almost four lengths, the latter’s trainer Joe Pride turned away utterly satisfied. The hitout was never about the finishing result for his laidback sprinter, it was only ever about the start. “The only thing you… Read More »
Everyone enjoys a winter holiday in the sun and racehorses appear to be no different. A case in point is the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained I Wish I Win who runs first-up in the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday. The contrast between I Wish I Win’s… Read More »
