As Michelle Payne embarks on another exciting international experience, a racing dream at home in Victoria remains alive for the 2015 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey. Only hours before she was scheduled to fly to England on Tuesday night to compete in Saturday’s prestigious Shergar Cup jockeys’ team event at Ascot, Payne… Read More »
Trainer Mick Kent is confident he has got Abbey Marie fit and healthy ahead of the spring. Unbeaten at her first three starts in which she claimed the Group One Australasian Oaks in Adelaide last year, Abbey Marie was forced to miss last year’s spring carnival because of health issues…. Read More »
Group 1 winner Hey Doc has opened favourite for his return to racing in Saturday’s Aurie’s Star Handicap. Online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au has priced the Tony McEvoy trained four-year-old at $4.20 for the Flemington Group 3. In a wide open betting race another elite level winner, I Am A Star, is $7.50. Former Japanese horse,… Read More »
A trial involving eight classy three-year-olds at Cranbourne has confirmed what senior Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes has always thought. Stablemates Catchy, Formality and Tulip got away from their predominantly male opposition at the end of a 1000m-trial on Tuesday. Formality edged out Tulip by a nose with Catchy a… Read More »
Winx is heavier than this time last year but her showing in a Randwick barrier trial win has Chris Waller confident the world’s best horse on turf is as good as ever. The mare’s second trial of her spring preparation on Tuesday ended in her first career barrier trial win… Read More »
Champion mare Winx has surprisingly won her first ever barrier trial this morning at Randwick beating home a star field of horses. Winx who had her sixteenth career barrier trial this morning won her first of her career after being revved up in the later stages of the jump out… Read More »
Jarrod Todd has ridden the Neil Dyer-trained Royal Request to win the Darwin Cup with both men remembering jockey Roger Booth who died suddenly at the beginning of the carnival. It was the third Darwin Cup for Victorian trainer Dyer for whom Booth was riding when he collapsed and died… Read More »
As names are being bandied about for spots in the $10 million Everest, it seems Terravista has been forgotten. But Joe Pride is training him as if he is already in the race and hopes someone who holds a slot can see the wisdom in including the gelding in the… Read More »
Armed with a handy fresh record and a liking for the Flemington straight course, the Greg Eurell-trained We’ve Got This will be out to make an immediate impression in his season return in the Aurie’s Star Handicap. Saturday’s Group Three Aurie’s Star (1200m) has been the first-up target for some… Read More »
The biggest meeting at the top end of Australia comes around on Monday at Darwin where it is Darwin Cup Day. The weather is fine and the rail is in the true position for the entire circuit. BONUS #1: $501 FREE BET BONUS at Sportsbet.com.au BONUS #2: $500 FREE… Read More »
Caravaggio is in doubt for The Everest in Sydney after suffering his second defeat in his past two starts in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville. The Aidan O’Brien-trained colt, who started odds-on, could only manage sixth after a poor start in the race won by the Kevin Ryan-trained… Read More »
A fit and emerging top-liner has upstaged the world’s former highest rated sprinter in his return run at Sandown. Ability charged home to overhaul multiple Group One winner Lankan Rupee in the rescheduled weight-for-age Group Three Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) on Sunday. The Bletchingly was to be run at Caulfield on… Read More »
A day after riding his first flat winner at Flemington, Irishman John Allen has added another feature jumps race to his record. Allen partnered with the Darren Weir-trained Ancient King to win the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown on Sunday. It was another Weir-trained horse, Yogi, who gave Allen his… Read More »
Trainer Kathryn Durden admits she took Wells to Sandown with some apprehension but she has left with the Crisp Steeplechase trophy. A year ago Wells was ready to get on the float for the trip to contest the Crisp at the track when he suffered a colic attack and then… Read More »
Apprentice Taylor Marshall has landed a longshot winner at Flemington at his first day of riding at the famous racecourse. The 24-year-old with a 2kg claim guided the $151 rank outsider Nozomi home along the fence to take out Saturday’s The Rails Handicap. He punched the former Victoria Derby placegetter… Read More »
Riding Invincible Gem to win the Group Two Missile Stakes has proved a little easier for Corey Brown than walking the Kokoda Track. Putting aside the pain in his knees, Brown steered the Kris Lees-trained mare to a convincing 1-1/4 length win over her triple Group One-winning stablemate Le Romain…. Read More »
Trainer Mike Moroney is hopeful a fitness edge will allow Rhythm To Spare to pick up a better-class race during the early stages of the Melbourne spring carnival. Rhythm To Spare regained winning form after a patient ride by Patrick Moloney in the John and Denise Cobcroft Recognition Handicap at… Read More »
A winter handicap over 2000m at Flemington is not the usual formline for a Melbourne Cup winner. That was discounted 12 months ago when Almandin won Australia’s greatest race. Saturday’s 1 Oliver Street Plate, won by Aloft, a race Almandin ran last in 12 months ago, may again be a… Read More »
Chris Waller is plotting a backdoor entry into the Group One Metropolitan with emerging stayer Sayed. Sayed, a northern hemisphere-bred five-year-old, will be given his chance in provincial cups in the hope he can squeeze into the Metropolitan after winning at Randwick on Saturday. Ridden by Kerrin McEvoy, the $4.60… Read More »
The Matt Dunn Highway show has rolled on at Randwick but this time with a horse destined for much bigger things. Care To Think gave the Murwillumbah trainer his 11th win in the races for country horses, two more than Canberra’s Matt Dale who scratched Super Star Bob from Saturday’s… Read More »
