The Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week is on the wish list of connections with a good three-year-old. Trainer Danny O’Brien and the connections of Closer To Free are no different and if the colt’s form warrants it, the Group 1 race for three-year-olds over 1200m on the opening day of Melbourne Cup week… Read More »
Sydney-based Michael Freedman has dispatched Satin Summer to Melbourne to contest the upcoming three-year-old fillies sprint races. Satin Summer kicks off Freedman’s plan at Caulfield on Saturday in the Group 3 Quezette Stakes (1100m). Freedman said the sprinting fillies are better catered for in Melbourne, with the exception of the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes… Read More »
Epsom Handicap runner-up Fully Lit is on a mission to go one better in this year’s renewal, and he will take his first step towards that goal when he resumes at Rosehill. The Tulloch Lodge gelding was scratched from last Saturday’s Missile Stakes (1200m) in preference for the 1400m of… Read More »
It’s not often James McDonald heads to Wyong on a Sunday for a race ride, but he did it for Steel Will, and will now test the colt as a carnival contender at Rosehill. Steel Will didn’t go through the sales ring but is superbly bred being by I Am… Read More »
It’s not often a jockey compares themselves to a racehorse, but Rachel King can see parallels between herself and untapped filly Blue Door. The Bjorn Baker-trained three-year-old will make her seasonal return in the Listed Rosebud (1100m) on Saturday having claimed the scalp of exciting colt The Next Episode at… Read More »
The Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes is looking forward to the upcoming spring campaign of Evaporate. While technically still in winter, the Caulfield meeting on Saturday has a touch of spring about it, especially the Group 2 P B Lawrence Stakes (1400m). The weight-for-age contest has… Read More »
Bendigo is regarded as the ‘Nursery of Champions’ and Mark Walker is hopeful I Am Aria can add her name to a list of ‘Black Type’ winners that secured their maiden wins at the track. Horses the calibre of Hyperno, Better Loosen Up, Shocking, Campaign King, Star Of The Realm, Miami Bound and Hollow Bullet all had early wins at course about… Read More »
He’s a full brother to an Australian Derby winner, but debutant Savagram has shown a stylish turn of foot to win over a sprint trip at Canterbury, booking his place on Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s spring carnival team. By renowned sire of stayers Savabeel, Savagram is the younger sibling… Read More »
Winter form doesn’t always translate to carnival success, but Michael Freedman is keen to test the waters with impressive debutant Castillo King in the Rosebud. The Farnan colt will tackle Saturday’s Listed sprint at Rosehill after making a statement at his only start with a 3-1/4 length win over Silver… Read More »
Evergreen galloper Mr Brightside will continue his preparation towards his racetrack return with a jump-out at Flemington. The nine-year-old, prepared by Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes is scheduled to compete in a 1000m jump-out on Friday morning. Mr Brightside is preparing for his return run in… Read More »
Trainer Gavin Bedggood has a couple of options for Just Folk at Caulfield as he prepares the galloper for an early spring goal. Just Folk features among entries for the Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m), run at weight-for-age on Saturday along with the benchmark 100 handicap (1600m) in which he has… Read More »
Queen Regent scored one of the biggest Black Type upsets of last season and the team involved in her won’t have to wait too long for another crack at taking big odds in a feature race. The Blake Ryan-trained filly is slated to resume in this Saturday’s $200,000 Listed The Rosebud… Read More »
Another Wil has made his way to Victoria and is expected to kick off his latest campaign in the PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield. The seven-year-old arrived from Sydney last Saturday morning at trainer Ciaron Maher’s Ballarat stable where some work on Tuesday will determine whether Another Wil takes his place on Saturday. Joining Another Wil… Read More »
Champion jockey Craig Williams has scored a sixth win in the prestigious Scobie Breasley Medal for riding excellence in Victoria. Williams’ victory comes 20 years after he won the award for the first time in 2006, going on to emulate the feat in 2007, 2008 and 2009. His most recent… Read More »
Two years ago, US businessman John Stewart lost a high-profile bidding war to buy a daughter of Winx, but he was successful in purchasing another blueblood from that year’s Inglis Easter Sale. After finishing as underbidder on the $10 million Winx filly to the champion’s owner, Debbie Kepitis, Stewart secured… Read More »
Prima Bella appreciated the fast tempo and finished powerfully to win the Ranvet Handicap (1000m). One of the most improved horses in training, Prima Bella has struck a rich vein of form and scored her third win from five starts this winter preparation. “Prima Bella’s airborne,” Smith enthused. “When you… Read More »
Jockey Jye McNeil says Stakes is his own worst enemy despite his victory in the The Valley @ Caulfield Handicap (1200m) at Caulfield Heath. Stakes, successful on debut at Bendigo last month, took out The Valley @ Caulfield Handicap (1200m) on Saturday, his second success from three starts. Sporting blinkers… Read More »
Ready To Rush, the race mare who has had such a lengthy list of injury issues some joke she has kept a veterinary practice viable, scored an impressive win in the TAB Highway (1000m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Trainer Matthew Dale has kept Ready To Rush in his system… Read More »
John Thompson has extended his strong start to the season with Melanite’s Midway Handicap victory at Randwick giving him his third metropolitan win this week. After producing a double at Canterbury on Wednesday, Thompson parlayed it into a Saturday success at headquarters with Melanite ($6.50) scooting along the rails to… Read More »
Dan Clarken and Oopy MacGillivray have spring aspirations for their mare Mating Call who kicks off her campaign at Morphettville. And Clarken is looking forward to again seeing Mating Call step out over six furlongs when the mare runs in the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes (1200m) on Saturday. The only time Mating Call has raced over 1200m… Read More »
