The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable often err on the side of ambition rather than caution when they have a good horse in their stable. Globe fits that bill after being unbeaten in his only four appearances to date and on Saturday he faces his toughest test when he heads… Read More »
Chris Waller will have up to seventeen runners at Rosehill, five of them Group 1 winners, but it is one horse that has him especially excited. When asked to nominate the galloper he is most looking forward to seeing on Saturday, Waller didn’t hesitate to name Kovalica, who has the Epsom… Read More »
Michael Freedman believes multiple Group winner Queen Of The Ball is in career-best shape but has cautioned firm tracks remain the key to her spring. The daughter of I Am Invincible will line up in the Group 2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday after a fighting second to Parisal first-up in… Read More »
Sydney trainers will have later trackwork start times from February next year in a bid to attract more people to the industry. The Australian Turf Club announced on Wednesday it would be changing trackwork times at all three training centres from February 1 next year, with Randwick and Warwick Farm… Read More »
Dual Group 1 winner Militarize is set to make his seasonal return in The Run To The Rose with trainer Chris Waller increasingly lukewarm on pitting him against the older horses in the Theo Marks Stakes. The colt is an acceptor for both races and while he was originally an emergency for… Read More »
Queensland trainer Tony Gollan concedes his sprinter Zoustyle will have a tough task beating Giga Kick when they meet at Moonee Valley. The Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) on Saturday will see Zoustyle, second in the sprint 12 months ago, tackle Giga Kick and five other rivals, including last year’s nemesis Rothfire. “I don’t know whether… Read More »
Michael Freedman is hoping to learn more about two of his emerging colts when lightly raced pair Moravia and Ducasse contest feature three-year-old races at Rosehill. However, his duo will now be heavily reliant on luck after coming up with difficult draws in their respective assignments. Lining up for just his third start,… Read More »
James Mcdonald will be out of action until early next month after Australia’s premier Group 1 rider was found to be suffering from a fracture in his left foot. The regular rider for some of the expected stars of the Spring Carnival was involved in a fall at Wyong on Friday… Read More »
The Melbourne Cup picture has become slightly clearer following the closure of entries for the great race in November. A total of 132 nominations were received on Tuesday by the Victoria Racing Club for this year’s renewal, which includes 15 international gallopers, representing at the same stage an increase from 97 last year among which were 10 internationals. Last year’s nominations… Read More »
The nominations for the $8 million Melbourne Cup (3200m) have been officially released, setting the stage for the race that stops a nation. The entries for the Melbourne Cup saw a total of 132 horses nominated including 15 internationals, which is significantly less than the 186 horses (incl 43 internationals)… Read More »
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable is favouring starting Gold Trip in a benchmark 100 race at Moonee Valley to kick-off the stayer’s spring campaign. Last year’s Melbourne Cup winner is entered for the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) as well as the 2040m benchmark 100 Handicap on Saturday, and after a gallop… Read More »
Hawaii Five Oh was one of the surprise packets of the late Sydney Autumn and Brisbane Winter and looks to have come back just as well, leading all the way in Tuesday’s first trial at Rosehill to defeat a star-studded field. Jumping well from an outside gate under Adam Hyeronimous, Hawaii… Read More »
Ozzie Kheir, the owner of the promising three-year-old colt Saint George, has decided to withdraw the horse from this year’s Spring Carnival, including the Melbourne Cup. Saint George, who is currently trained by Andrew Balding, recently ran in the Group 3 Bahrain Trophy at Newmarket, following a second-place finish at… Read More »
The horse that put young trainer Clayton Douglas on the map is set to have the first start of his campaign in defence of his Everest title. Giga Kick resumes in the Group 2 McEwen Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday in what shapes as the sprinters only Melbourne appearance before the $20… Read More »
As the deadline for the 2023 Melbourne Cup entries looms, Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper David Hegan is puzzled by the enigmatic Irish horse Vauban. Trained by Willie Mullins, Vauban has an unusual racing history, with only 14 startsâeight of them over hurdles. “I can’t really remember a horse with a… Read More »
After last year’s heartbreak of having what would’ve been his first Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) runner scratched on race day with a bruised heel, Grahame Begg has his sights on redemption with Lunar Flare to be aimed solely at the race that stops a nation. The daughter of 2013 Cup winner… Read More »
A week at the beach beckons for The Everest second favourite I Wish I Win, who has recovered well from his first-up third placing in Saturday’s Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Peter Moody on Monday morning released his stable update to his co-owners Waikato Stud after the five-year-old had been… Read More »
Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr will give Globe the benefit of some added experience at Moonee Valley ahead of his first-up run. Globe is set to resume in the Group 2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) on Saturday as he looks to build on his unbeaten four start career. The five-year-old son of Charm Spirit has not… Read More »
Mr Brightside has been a special horse for Lindsay Park providing the stable with a number of firsts. The New Zealand-bred gelding provided Ben and J D Hayes with their first Group 1 when he took out the Doncaster Handicap at Randwick last year. With brother Will, the twin of J D, joining the training… Read More »
David Payne has masterminded a Chelmsford Stakes boilover, producing roughie Navajo Peak to upstage several weight-for-age stars and put himself in the frame for some even bigger targets. The gelding was sent out the equal outsider of the Group 2 field at $41 but Payne took a different view, telling jockey Chad… Read More »
