Lindsay Park could have saved the best for last in terms of stern tests for Evaporate this Spring, but Ben Hayes is convinced he can mix it with star sprinters Jimmysstar and Angel Capital in Saturday’s $1 million CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield. The Per Incanto four-year-old basically demanded a… Read More »
Newcastle’s annual stand-alone Saturday meeting has become a calendar fixture, but for jockey Dylan Gibbons, it holds added significance. Not only was Gibbons born and raised in Newcastle where he served his apprenticeship under leading local horseman Kris Lees, it was also the scene of his his first black type… Read More »
Having made his name rejuvenating the careers of inherited horses, Joe Pride has gone on to prove his diversity with a succession of stars he has managed from the outset. Recent Group 1 winners Ceolwulf, Think About It and Private Eye have done all their racing for the Warwick Farm trainer and… Read More »
It took the colt many now consider Australia’s best three-year-old sprinter to beat My Gladiola in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and Jamie Mott is understandably upbeat about her chances in Saturday’s Thoroughbred Club Stakes. The John Mcardle-trained daughter of I Am Invincible drops back to fillies grade for… Read More »
Melbourne Cup Day was a life-changing one for Jamie Melham, but it had a costly post-script with the star jockey suspended for a ride late in the meeting. Melham was on Wednesday handed a 30-meeting suspension for her part in the incident that saw Blake Shinn fall from She’s Got Pizzazz in… Read More »
Co-trainer Paul Messara is hoping his decision to bypass a start in the Hot Danish Stakes pays dividends when emerging mare Clear Thinking chases a breakthrough black-type victory in the $1 million The Hunter. The six-year-old has won five of her seven starts, culminating in a brilliant Kosciuszko (1200m) performance last time… Read More »
If last year’s edition is anything to go by, Saturday’s feature at Newcastle, the Group 2 The Hunter (1300m) is certainly worth keeping an eye on. Now in its seventh year, the race was won by subsequent Group 1 winner Briasa last year, and while trainer Bjorn Baker may not have one… Read More »
Angel Capital has had more starts at Caulfield than any other racecourse, but that did not stop Chris Waller returning with him on Tuesday morning. The explosive four-year-old rounded out his preparations for this Saturday’s $1 million CF Orr Stakes with a course proper gallop at the scene of the 1400-metre Group… Read More »
Inkaruna will be given the chance to round out the Spring Carnival with a big payday for connections when she steps out at Caulfield this Saturday. The Sam and Anthony Freedman-trained filly, who was runner-up to classy stablemate Point Barrow in last Thursday’s Group 3 Red Roses Stakes at Flemington, will contest… Read More »
Fresh from conquering Champions Day at Flemington, Joe Pride has turned his attention to this Saturday’s $1 million The Hunter, in which he be heavily represented. Past winner Coal Crusher will be joined by Pride-trained stablemates Accredited, Estadio Mestalla and Golden Mile in the 1300-metre event at Newcastle. The Hunter will be run… Read More »
The revamped Spring Carnival programming, which sees the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) run at Caulfield this Saturday, is perfect for Jimmysstar according to his trainer Ciaron Maher. Fresh off a dominant win in the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m), Jimmysstar has returned to Melbourne in fine fettle…. Read More »
For the second year in succession, spring plans haven’t gone to plan for high-class galloper Linebacker, but his trainers remain adamant he will return bigger and better in the autumn. The Randwick Guineas winner was being prepared for a tilt at the Epsom Handicap â Golden Eagle double but when… Read More »
It has been a heady week for connections of the Ciaron Maher-trained Vivy Air, who has backed up a game second to stablemate Gringotts in the Big Dance with a thrilling win in the $2 million Five Diamonds. Collecting $600,000 for her second placing at Randwick on Tuesday, Vivy Air… Read More »
Ceolwulf further pressed claims for recognition as Australia’s best miler after claiming an epic Champions Mile at Flemington on Saturday. At his first start in Victoria the Joe Pride-trained gelding lifted from the canvas under hard riding from Chad Schofield to defeat Pericles in a stirring edition of the $3… Read More »
When Arctic Glamour claimed the scalp of subsequent Group 1 winner Joliestar as a three-year-old, connections thought the sky was the limit. It has taken two years and many frustrating defeats for the mare to deliver another, but she has done it in style, upsetting her more fancied rivals to… Read More »
Tulloch Lodge youngster Revengeance has booked his place in the world’s richest two-year-old feature after capitalising on his race experience to score a classy win in the $1 million Golden Gift at Rosehill. The first prizemoney purse of $580,000 guarantees his qualification for next year’s Golden Slipper (1200m) and co-trainer… Read More »
Giga Kick is now a Group 1 winner in three different states after a stirring victory in the Group 1 VRC Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington. Second up off a blistering return win in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield, the six-year-old gelding surged late on the heavy… Read More »
Melbourne Cup hero Jamie Melham ensured that Half Yours’ stunning Cup triumph wasnât her only highlight of the carnival, producing a running double early on Champions Day at Flemington. Melham claimed the Listed Fisher Stakes aboard the Peter Snowden-trained Need Some Luck, before returning one race later to win the… Read More »
Need Some Luck pushed his race record to an impressive six wins (and six runner-up  finishes) from fifteen starts, but it is the fact that he is a half-brother to the mighty grey Chautauqua ⊠he is out out of the same dam, Lovely Jubly ⊠that, more often than, is… Read More »
Soaking rain, sweeping wind and a testing Soft 7 surface greeted the juveniles in the opening race on Champions Day, the $400,000 Inglis Banner at Flemington. Nine of the twelve runners were making their debut, but none handled the conditions better than the Ciaron Maher-trained filly Calamari Ring, who dug… Read More »
