Another shrewd placement from John Sargent sees his stable with a genuine VRC Oaks chance after Harlow Mist won the Kennedy Oaks Preview (1800m) at Flemington and maintaining a perfect race record. At her third start, and after wins at Goulburn and Scone, the three-year-old ran 0.27 seconds outside of Barb Raider’s… Read More »
John O’Shea hasn’t given up on Lost And Running making a late bid for an Everest berth, despite his unplaced first-up performance in the Shorts. The scratching of reigning champion Giga Kick on Saturday with a muscle tear means slot holder James Harron is back in the market for a runner, while Godolphin,… Read More »
They don’t call Joao Moreira ‘The Magic Man’ for nothing. The internationally decorated jockey was at his brilliant best in Saturday’s Golden Rose (1400m), extricating Militarize from a sticky position halfway up the straight and sooling him home to post a last-stride win. Moreira has now ridden Militarize three times for as… Read More »
Uncle Bryn went one better than last year when he dominantly secured the Caulfield Cup ballot exemption that accompanies victory in the Cattanch’s Jewellers MRC Foundation Cup. The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained import lived up to the high rating the stable has had on him since landing in Australia when… Read More »
Steparty will be defending an unbeaten record in next month’s Caulfield Guineas after the colt scored a tenacious win in the main Victorian lead-up to next month’s $3 million Group 1. The Paul Preusker-trained three-year-old added a fifth picket to the fence he has been building since winning a Ballarat maiden… Read More »
It wasn’t the prettiest win, but Espiona has raced herself into contention for trainer Chris Waller’s Everest slot with a commanding performance in the Golden Pendant at Rosehill. The quirky mare wanted to get her head to the side as she ranged up to eventual third placegetter Banana Queen but once jockey… Read More »
Intent on qualifying Athabascan for the Melbourne Cup, trainer John O’Shea will bypass a start in the Metropolitan and head straight to Victoria with the in-form stayer. The Irish import made it two wins on the trot when he stormed home from the back in Saturday’s Colin Stephen Quality (2400m) at Rosehill,… Read More »
Trainer Bjorn Baker is keeping a lid on Everest talk about his exciting colt Ozzmosis, but his owners are keen to run the undefeated three-year-old in the $20 million sprint if a slot holder comes calling. That scenario is a step closer after Ozzmosis resumed with a devasting victory in Saturday’s… Read More »
Star sprinter Giga Kick has been ruled out of The Everest with a torn muscle sustained in his first-up run at Moonee Valley. Giga Kick was beaten into third place behind Imperatriz in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on September 9, after missing the start. Jockey Craig Williams made… Read More »
Damien Oliver will be looking to add to his Group 1 tally when he partners Alligator Blood possibly for the last time at Caulfield. Alligator Blood runs in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) on Saturday with Oliver aboard before the champion jockey is expected to hand the reins back to Tim Clark in coming weeks. Clark was… Read More »
A resounding last-start win has put Athabascan on a Melbourne Cup path with trainer John O’Shea seeing no reason why the French import can’t go on with the job. The five-year-old has been in Australia for less than a year and after a seasoning campaign in the autumn, which included a Canberra… Read More »
A plan that has been months in the making has come to fruition for trainer Bjorn Baker following confirmation Overpass has become the seventh horse to secure a start in the $20 million The Everest. Narrowly edged out by Private Eye first-up in the Shorts (1100m) last Saturday, Overpass’s connections this week closed… Read More »
Sam Freedman has been happy to talk about Without A Fight but he is now more than ready to see the galloper back at the races. That appearance comes in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday. Without A Fight came to Australia last year with Simon and Ed Crisford for… Read More »
Less than a year after Joao Moreira began what he thought would be a global farewell tour, retirement plans have been put on the backburner as another Australian Group One target beckons. Moreira feared his days of riding were numbered when he struggled with an ongoing hip issue last year, prompting… Read More »
Giga Kick, the reigning Everest champion, is set to bypass the Group 2 Premiere Stakes and head directly to the $20 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 14. The decision follows a difficult first-up run in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley, a race marred… Read More »
Adding his star power to the midweek meeting at Warwick Farm, celebrated jockey Joao Moreira wasted no time making an impact with a winner at his first ride. Moreira, who has been competing in Japan, is back in town to partner the Chris Waller-trained Militarize in Saturday’s $1 million Golden Rose (1400m),… Read More »
Sticking to campaign templates that have worked in the past is Chris Waller’s usual formula for big race success. But the champion trainer is stepping outside the box in his attempt to win the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) first-up with Shinzo. No horse has captured the $1 million spring… Read More »
Racing Victoria Head of Handicapping David Hegan says he can only provide a weight for the Melbourne Cup on the evidence in front of him. The $5 Unibet favourite Vauban has been allocated 55kg in the 2023 Melbourne Cup, a weight that may seem harsh given the stayer is a Listed Three-Year-Old winner in… Read More »
Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr are looking for back-to-back wins in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) and will saddle up the lone filly in the race with Charm Stone drawing the inside gate at Rosehill. Only one filly has won the Golden Rose and never in its traditional place in… Read More »
Owner Peter Walsh set a cat amongst the pigeons when he threw Everest plans into the melting pot for his star mare Amelia’s Jewel. On the eve of her interstate kick off at Flemington, Walsh sent social media into a frenzy and gave trainer Simon Miller conniptions. Up until that stage… Read More »
