Changingoftheguard might be one of the roughies for Tuesday’s $10 million Melbourne Cup, but just getting into the race is an achievement for Kris Lees. It will be the Newcastle trainer’s first Melbourne Cup runner for the race’s most successful owner Lloyd Williams. Williams is part of a big group that… Read More »
UK trainers Simon and Ed Crisford know a Melbourne Cup contender when they see one. They after all did bring 2023 winner Without A Fight to Australia in 2022 when he finished 13th behind Gold Trip before he was left in the care of Anthony and Sam Freedman when successful. The… Read More »
In a long and successful training career, Tony McEvoy is a step closer to achieving his Melbourne Cup dream. His Caulfield Cup winner Half Yours drew barrier eight which has seen the gelding retain outright favouritism in Tuesday’s 3200-metre Group 1 feature at Flemington. Half Yours leads the Melbourne Cup odds… Read More »
There have been comparisons made to Hall Of Famer Winx, and the Chris Waller-conditioned Autumn Glow ($1.75F) has continued her winning run taking out the $10,000,000 Golden Eagle at Royal Randwick in fine fashion. The victory takes her tally to eight straight to start the career, as she proved too… Read More »
Observer played a key role in an unforgettable first day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival for Godolphin, Ciaron Maher and Mark Zahra with a dominant win in Saturday’s $2 million Victoria Derby. The son of Ghaiyyath gave Godolphin the two three-year-old Group 1 features when he backed up the Coolmore… Read More »
Pride Of Jenni wound back the clock two years when she ran her rivals ragged to win the Empire Rose Stakes at Flemington. Success in the 2023 version of the Group 1 race for mares paved the way for Pride Of Jenni to a further two wins at the highest… Read More »
Many believed Jimmysstar ($2.50F) was the run of the race in The Everest a fortnight ago, and those opinions have been franked with a dominant display in the $3,000,000 Russell Balding Stakes. Trained by the in-form stable of Ciaron Maher, the son of Per Incanto settled mid-field on the fence… Read More »
The Anthony and Sam Freedman stable had been enduring a tough spring campaign, but the victory of Tentyris in the Coolmore Stud Stakes has given the team something to celebrate. And a start against the older horses in the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) next Saturday is on the cards… Read More »
Read what the Jockeys and Trainers said following the Victoria Derby 2025. Winning Trainers: Ciaron Maher Ride by Zahra: “He took luck out of it. He’s riding on the crest of a wave. There’s no-one riding any better. He’s a great mate. It’s just fantastic for Godolphin and to be… Read More »
Read what the Jockeys and Trainers said following the Russell Balding Stakes 2025. Winning Trainers: Ciaron Maher (Johann Gerard-Dubord comments) On the win: “It was well deserved obviously. He has been running big races all prep. His run in The Everest was huge. To back it up two weeks later,… Read More »
Not for the first time in the last eight days, Mark Zahra steered a three-year-old to short-priced favouritism for a Melbourne Cup Carnival Classic with an effortless win one of the key lead-ups. The white-hot hoop enjoyed an armchair ride aboard Getta Good Feeling in Saturday’s Group 2 Wakeful Stakes… Read More »
In-form jockey Mark Zahra cannot remember having a stronger book of rides ahead of the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington. Zahra has been booked for favourite Observer in the Victoria Derby (2500m), second pick Tentyris in the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) and third favourite Leica Lucy in the Empire Rose… Read More »
In a former life as a jockey, Nick Ryan does not have fond memories of Victoria Derby Day. A champion apprentice, Ryan wasted hard to ride Alinghi in what is now the Empire Rose Stakes at 47.5kg, only to run a narrow second as the $1.70 favourite, the closest he came… Read More »
The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and Jd Hayes may not have the same Victoria Derby Day firepower as their father once had, but they are looking at hopefully walking away with a major prize that has eluded the stable. In his first year after taking over from his father Colin at… Read More »
The lure of a $10 million prize pool has drawn Dominic Sutton to Randwick chasing the Golden Eagle. Not yet two years into his training career, Sutton already has a Group 1 win under the belt courtesy of the success of Feroce in the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington. Feroce is the… Read More »
Don’t expect big celebrations from the team behind Autumn Mystery if the three-year-old wins the Victoria Derby at Flemington. “I’d be happy to go to the pub for a parma and a pot of beer, that would do me,” Autumn Mystery’s trainer Rory Hunter said. “You do have to dream, and he’ll… Read More »
Champion trainer Chris Waller holds a strong hand in the sole Group 1 race for mares during the Melbourne Spring Carnival. Waller has Fangirl, Lazzura and Leica Lucy engaged in the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday. Atishu took out Empire Rose Stakes honours for Waller last year while his previous success… Read More »
The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes is certainly not complaining about the transfer of the Golden Eagle to Randwick on Saturday. The $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) has been staged at Rosehill since its inaugural running in 2019 but has been transferred to Randwick for… Read More »
Chris Waller is confident Wootton Verni can measure up to Melbourne’s spring features in time, but the champion trainer is in no rush with the developing import. He is therefore pleased to have a race as lucrative as this Saturday’s Rosehill Gold Cup to send him to. The son of Wootton Bassett… Read More »
After his second visit to Werribee this week to hop aboard Melbourne Cup 2025 hope Meydaan, James Mcdonald could not have been happier with the four-year-old’s progress towards the 3200-metre Group 1 feature on Tuesday. While his immediate attention is on steering $2.20 favourite Autumn Glow in the Group 1 Golden… Read More »
