A penalty for his Moonee Valley Cup win, combined with natural attrition, has Cleveland safely in the field for next week’s $8.4 million Group 1 Melbourne Cup. Racing Victoria’s head of handicapping David Hegan issued the Kris Lees-trained entire a 0.5kg penalty for Friday night’s win under 55.5kg, taking his Melbourne… Read More »
The Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable is looking forward to a fresh Veight tackling a straight race at Flemington on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Having finished second to Griff in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) on October 14, Veight has been freshened for a tilt at the Group 1… Read More »
After a luckless carnival in Sydney, Hope In Your Heart will embark on her first interstate mission in search of an elusive Group One win. Trainer Kerry Parker confirmed the five-year-old would head to Melbourne on Wednesday in preparation for the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington three days later, a race… Read More »
Amid mounting anticipation for the Melbourne Cup 2023, champion jockey James McDonald has been confirmed to ride last years winner Gold Trip. Trainer Ciaron Maher made the announcement on Saturday night, shortly after news broke that regular jockey Mark Zahra would be sticking with Caulfield Cup victor Without A Fight… Read More »
Quirky mare Espiona has given Kerrin Mcevoy a clean sweep of the first three editions of The Invitation, swooping late to get the verdict in a thrilling finish. McEvoy took out the race’s inaugural running on Icebath and backed it up last year aboard Promise Of Success before making it a hat-trick aboard the… Read More »
Imperatriz’s Victorian spring romp continued on Saturday when the superstar Kiwi sprinter added another Moonee Valley feature to her resume. The Mark Walker-trained five-year-old lived up to her prohibitive quote when she cruised to a 3-1/4-length Manikato Stakes win as $1.40 favourite with online betting sites. It was her third… Read More »
Tom Kitten made a one-act affair of the Spring Champion Stakes on Saturday, but fast-forward twelve months and James Cummings won’t be surprised to see him line up in a Cox Plate. Godolphin’s head trainer has a high opinion of the three-year-old, who gave sire Harry Angel his first Group 1 win… Read More »
A decision to ride Zeyrek quietly despite a lack of obvious tempo has reaped rewards for Team Hawkes with the gelding charging home to win the Craven Plate at Randwick. Disappointed to see him settle midfield and wide in the King Charles III Stakes (1600m) last start, co-trainer Michael Hawkes gave Tyler… Read More »
It wasn’t the race she was initially targeted at, but Prowess got her win at The Valley on Cox Plate when she won an eventful $300,000 Group 2 Crystal Mile. The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained mare entered the season one of the favourites for the Cox Plate, but a minor… Read More »
Cleveland has won his first race in Australia from seven attempts, taking out the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) on Friday night. A former Sydney Cup favourite and now with Kris Lees, the former Joseph O’Brien trained stayer is already assured of a Melbourne Cup start. Under a typically… Read More »
Lunar Flare has been ruled out of the Melbourne Cup and retired with a career ending injury. Trainer Grahame Begg announced on social media the immediate retirement of the mare on Saturday. Lunar Flare had finished an unlucky fourth in the Group 2 Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) on Friday night. “Regrettably Lunar Flare has been… Read More »
Damien Oliver notes some similarities between his first Cox Plate winner and his last ride in Australia’s weight-for-age championship at Moonee Valley. Australian racing Hall Of Fame Legend Bart Cummings supplied Dane Ripper to give Oliver the first of his two Cox Plate victories and it will be Edward Cummings, the grandson of… Read More »
Grahame Begg is out for redemption after Lunar Flare was withdrawn from last year’s Melbourne Cup due to a bruised heel with the mare set to start favourite in Friday night’s Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m). Lunar Flare, who has drawn barrier 3 for Friday night’s feature, won the… Read More »
Kerrin McEvoy will bid for a clean sweep in the $2 million The Invitation when he links with talented mare Espiona for the first time at Randwick. McEvoy has won both editions of the rich feature, capturing the inaugural running aboard Icebath in 2021 before backing it up with victory on… Read More »
After 18 months without a win, Amade has booked himself a potential start in the Melbourne Cup with a narrow win at Geelong. A former French galloper, Amade showed his class with a win at Flemington over 2600m in April 2021, and Wednesday’s success in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m) was his… Read More »
The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes have will be out to add their names to the honour of Cox Plate winning trainers. That honour roll includes their father David and grandfather Colin and Ben Hayes believes they have a strong chance in this year’s edition of the… Read More »
With a Group 1 prize at stake, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable has again called on James Mcdonald to ride I Am Me in the Manikato Stakes. I Am Me will be having her first start at Moonee Valley on Saturday when she lines up against six opponents in the Group 1 sprint…. Read More »
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will back-up Gold Trip into the Cox Plate after all the early indications are that he has taken no harm from his tough run in the Caulfield Cup. Gold Trip will be joined in Australia’s weight-for-age championship at Moonee Valley on Saturday by three-year-old King Colorado. The… Read More »
A fourth win at Moonee Valley beckons for Imperatriz when the mare faces six rivals in the Group 1 Manikato Stakes. Saturday’s 1200m sprint will be the fourth consecutive run at the track for Imperatriz who started the ball rolling with victory in the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) in March. This… Read More »
It isn’t the barrier James McDonald requested, but Danny Shum has labelled gate seven ‘OK’ for Romantic Warrior in Saturday’s $5 million Cox Plate at Moonee Valley. The Hong Kong star will start just wide of the middle of the field of 12 for the 2040-metre weight-for-age contest. Romantic Warrior… Read More »
