Former star mare Verry Elleegant will have a Group 1 race at Randwick renamed in her honour. The Australian Turf Club has announced the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) will be rebranded as the Verry Elleegant Stakes from this year as a tribute to the 2021 Melbourne Cup winner. Trained by Chris… Read More »
Following his 10th placing in the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington on January 1, Regal Power has been retired. Regal Power ends his career as an eight-year-old and off the back of 41 starts since his debut at Belmont Park in 2018. The son of Pierro won 10 races, placed eight times… Read More »
The news of a probable career ending injury to Alligator Blood is not the way racing enthusiasts want to see any horse bow out, particularly after a career which has had it all … from excellence to adversity, from glory to controversy, from reaching heights to combating the lows. But,… Read More »
Cult galloper Alligator Blood may have run his last race, with trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott confirming the star galloper had sustained an injury to his pastern, located between the fetlock and top of the hoof. The seven-year-old gelding won a trial at Rosehill on Thursday morning under regular jockey Tim Clark however… Read More »
July 1, 2023 to January 26, 2024 … that period represents the just shy of seven months that Nikita Beriman has been out of the saddle with a shoulder injury. That’s a long time in the life of a jockey, but, like most riders, how long an injury takes to… Read More »
Jockeys and stewards agree that more trials are needed before the green light is given for racing to commence on the new Caulfield Heath inner track. Six official trials were held for the first time on Monday and while the feedback was positive, Victorian Jockeys Association CEO Matt Hyland said… Read More »
A trip to Moonee Valley earlier in the week has paved the way for exciting three-year-old Veight to make a winning return to the racetrack. The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained colt became the first of his age to win the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) since Holler scored in 2016. Sent out… Read More »
In a masterful training performance, John O’Shea has nursed dual Group 1 placegetter Zou Tiger back from two bouts of surgery to produce him for an emphatic win in the Listed Carrington Stakes at Randwick. A high-class three-year-old, Zou Tiger placed in the 2022 Golden Rose and last year’s Randwick Guineas, but… Read More »
Almost a year to the day since Golden Slipper winner Shinzo made his debut, Chris Waller and owners Coolmore have unveiled another son of Snitzel who they hope can head down a similar path. Switzerland ($2.70 fav) lived up to the promise he had shown at the trials with an authoritative… Read More »
Astute purchases by Newgate Farm and China Horse Club have shown good signs of delivering greater rewards as the Peter and Paul Snowden -trained High Octane and Holmes A Court ran first and second in the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) for colts and geldings at Caulfield. Both debutants, High Octane was… Read More »
Race experience counted as the Clinton Mcdonald-trained Hayasugi snared her win just at the right time – right on the winning post – to throw herself into contention for the Blue Diamond Stakes in four weeks’ time. Hayasugi in Japanese means ‘too early’ but there was nothing of that about Jamie… Read More »
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable is banking on a return to Caulfield being a winning formula for Ayrton. The six-year-old runs in the Listed John Dillon Stakes (1400m) at his favourite track on Friday. Ayrton has raced at Caulfield on six occasions, registering five wins, four of which have… Read More »
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Veight will sport new race day headgear in a bid to overcome his wayward tendencies in his return run at Moonee Valley. Veight runs in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) on Saturday and will wear a one-eyed blinker and a butterfly bit after working in the combination… Read More »
Ozzmosis gave trainer Bjorn Baker and jockey Rachel King the biggest wins of their careers in the spring, taking out the stallion-making Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) and the colt’s next challenge is tackling the older horses. The son of Zoustar will likely stay in Sydney for the Autumn with two Group… Read More »
Star sprinter Imperatriz will take a step towards a planned racetrack return at Flemington with a jump-out at Mornington. Imperatriz, who is scheduled to make her reappearance in the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington next month, had been entered for a jump-out at Cranbourne on Monday, but Ben Gleeson, the… Read More »
Yarraman Park director Harry Mitchell, one of the gelding’s owners, confirmed a deal was poised to be finalised as soon as this week. “We were keen to come last year but it didn’t work out,” Mitchell told The Races WA. “We’ve had three people enquire about him and one proposal… Read More »
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have the early Golden Slipper favourite in unbeaten colt Storm Boy, but Bott admits their Breeders’ Plate winner Espionage might just be the forgotten horse. The son of Zoustar was put away after leading home a stable trifecta in the early-season feature, but he is back in… Read More »
Lightly raced European-bred Aramco has relished a step up in distance to secure his first metropolitan success at Flemington. Aramco led throughout to collect the TAB Australian Cup Race Day, 30 March on Saturday at only his sixth start for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable. Ridden by Damian Lane ,… Read More »
It was only an off-season meeting, but Bjorn Baker admitted to feeling a few pre-race nerves before new recruit Caballus backed up his barrier trial performances with a promising win at Rosehill. A $1 million yearling who was formerly raced by an ownership group that included Coolmore, he didn’t measure… Read More »
Brad Widdup originally planned to send Sneaky Paige for a vet check this week, but when he couldn’t get an appointment, he sent her to the races instead. The turn of events proved fortuitous, with the mare breaking through for an important Sydney Saturday win in the Rosehill Bowling Club Handicap (1200m)…. Read More »
