Her trainer has been preparing for the day Winx gets beaten and for a couple of seconds at Moonee Valley it seemed he might need to steel himself. But such are the champion qualities of Winx, Chris Waller can now breathe easy after she held off the challenge from Humidor… Read More »
Aloisia has tightened her grip on VRC Oaks favouritism with a dominant win in the Group Two Vase at Moonee Valley. The Thousand Guineas winner took on the colts and geldings in Saturday’s 2040m race and strode away from last weekend’s Caulfield Classic winner Cliff’s Edge to win by 3-1/2… Read More »
For a few fleeting strides Darren Weir thought he was going to pull off an improbable Cox Plate victory. As Winx was going to the front at the 600m, Weir was watching closely as Humidor began to make ground. He had noticed Humidor settle at the back of the field,… Read More »
A great day went within a long neck of being a magnificent one for jockey Blake Shinn. With a quartet of winners on the board at Moonee Valley before Saturday’s Cox Plate, Shinn almost spoiled the party of those willing Winx to a record-equalling third Cox Plate success. Shinn rode… Read More »
After escaping injury in a barrier mishap at Canterbury, Blake Shinn has put his abundant talent on show at Moonee Valley with a quartet of winners. Shinn had to forgo rides in later races at Canterbury on Friday night but he wasn’t going to miss being involved in Saturday’s Cox… Read More »
Godolphin filly Banish has capped her spring preparation with a valuable Group Two win in the Fillies Classic at Moonee Valley. Banish had won two benchmark races at Cranbourne in her four starts leading into Saturday’s 1600m race, which trainer James Cummings considered a target for the three-year-old. After settling… Read More »
It’s hard to imagine there is a more popular horse in Chris Waller’s stable than Winx but Who Shot Thebarman is right up there. The nine-year-old has cemented a place in his fourth Melbourne Cup with victory in the Moonee Valley Cup (2500m) over his stablemate Libran who also heads… Read More »
Trainer Bjorn Baker will consider a Group One start for Lubiton after the mare produced a track record-breaking performance at Moonee Valley. The Sydney-trained mare was taken to the front by Blake Shinn in the Group Three Powerflo Solutions Stakes (1600m) on Saturday, comfortably holding her rivals at bay. Backed… Read More »
Blondie has lived up to trainer Brendan McCarthy’s pre-race confidence to deliver a stakes win on Cox Plate day at Moonee Valley. The three-year-old was dropping back in distance in Saturday’s Listed Crockett Stakes (1200m) for fillies after weakening to finish last in the Edward Manifold Stakes at her most… Read More »
Paul Vautin is well known as an ex-NRL player and long-time presenter of The Footy Show until his recent sacking. But he has still found a role in front of the camera as a shareholder in a Group Three winner at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day. An old friend… Read More »
Trainer Darren Weir’s pre-race fears were unfounded after Gun Case lumped his topweight to victory at Moonee Valley. A winner of 11 of his previous 27 starts, Gun Case took out Saturday’s Strathmore Community Bendigo Bank Handicap over the shortest trip at Moonee Valley of 955m. Ridden by Dean Yendall,… Read More »
After a winning treble from as many runners on Caulfield Cup day, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable has started Cox Plate day on a bright note with Setsuna. Two-year-old filly Setsuna finished a close second on debut in the Listed Gimcrack Stakes at Randwick on September 30 before… Read More »
Moonee Valley will be the focus of the racing world this Saturday for Cox Plate Day and the chance to see history with Winx going for three straight Cox Plates. The weather is overcast, the track is good (3) and the rail is in the true position for the entire… Read More »
Hey Doc has survived a protest to win the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley with the well-supported Chautauqua a late scratching by the vet. The Tony McEvoy-trained four-year-old Hey Doc was a surprise leader in Friday night’s Group One sprint and held off a late challenge from In Her Time…. Read More »
With the Cox Plate to be run this Saturday, we take a look at the horses that may be able to stop the mighty mare continuing her winning streak. Obviously, these horses won’t be contesting this weeks WFA event, but we look at what horses could beat her and the… Read More »
Chris Waller isn’t getting caught up in over-thinking Cox Plate scenarios but the champion trainer doubts whether any of Winx’s rivals will adopt daring tactics in the $3 million race. He says it would only be to their detriment. Winx is the $1.15 favourite to win a record-equalling third Cox… Read More »
Winx has no shortage of admirers and now the champion mare is set to have a Group One race named in her honour. It’s been reported that from as early as next year the Warwick Stakes will be renamed the Winx Stakes and will also be run as a Group… Read More »
Aloisia is following the Jameka path to the VRC Oaks and will be out to pick up another feature race win on the way. The three-year-old won the Thousand Guineas (1600m) at her most recent start, giving her new trainer Aaron Purcell his first Group One victory. Saturday’s Group Two… Read More »
Trainer Mike Moroney is banking on a penalty and attrition for imported stayer Vengeur Masque to get a start in the Melbourne Cup. As the winner of Wednesday’s Geelong Cup, Vengeur Masque is eligible for a re-handicap after his narrow victory in the 2400m handicap. The six-year-old currently sits 45th… Read More »
Melbourne Cup winner Michelle Payne will realise another dream when she gets the chance to compete in her first Cox Plate. Payne shot to international prominence two years ago when she became the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup on Prince Of Penzance at Flemington. On Saturday Payne… Read More »
