Damien Oliver and James Cummings will chase their 50th winner together when they team with Vilana at Flemington on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival. Vilana and stablemate Tamerlane line-up in the Group 2 The Damien Oliver (1400m) on Saturday, a race that has been renamed from the Linlithgow Stakes to honour the champion jockey who rides at his final… Read More »
He might have a famous racing surname, but the effort of Edward Cummings to have a Cox Plate and Golden Eagle runner in the space of eight days has been a notable feat. Cummings, the grandson of Cups King Bart and son of respected Sydney trainer Anthony, has a boutique team… Read More »
He had the more difficult run in The Everest, but does Private Eye have what it takes to turn the tables on stablemate Think About It in their Giga Kick Stakes rematch? Not even trainer Joe Pride is sure of the answer. “The one part I can’t deny with Think About It is… Read More »
Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will & Jd Hayes were forced into tinkering with the Victoria Derby program of Apulia after missing an important lead-up at run at Flemington. To get the miles into the legs before Saturday’s Group 1 feature over 2500m at Flemington, Apulia has needed to race in the two… Read More »
The Lindsay Park stable is looking to bounce back after the disappointment of a narrow Cox Plate defeat in the first of three Group 1 races on the opening of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington. Mr Brightside was beaten in a deceptive photo finish in the Cox Plate last weekend and the… Read More »
Joseph Pride has issued a stark warning to Think About It’s Giga Kick Stakes rivals, declaring The Everest winner still has a couple of lengths up his sleeve. Pride said that while the horse didn’t need to improve much in terms of fitness, he had made inroads in other areas… Read More »
Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban and stablemate Absurde have had a gallop at Flemington in preparation for the Melbourne Cup 2023. The Willie Mullins-trained pair were brought from the Werribee International Horse Centre for Breakfast With The Stars on Tuesday morning. It was the first time the general public got a look at the pair with… Read More »
His stable star may have been beaten for just the second time in her career last start, but Simon Miller couldn’t be happier with Amelia’s Jewel ahead of Saturday’s Golden Eagle at Rosehill. Beaten 5.5 lengths as a $2.40 favourite in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) last start, Miller is confident the… Read More »
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 »
