In Secret has laid the foundation for another Group 1 shot after overcoming a dawdling start to kick off her autumn campaign with a win. The Godolphin filly has been tardy to jump in her barrier trials and was again slow out of the gates before gathering herself to settle midfield… Read More »
Jacquinot enhanced his status as one of the most valuable stallion prospects in Australia when he was crowned the winner of a dramatic $750,000 Group 1 CF Orr Stakes at Sandown on Saturday. The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr -trained son of Rubick was awarded the race in the stewards’ room after… Read More »
Lofty Strike was denied a shot at Group 1 glory at last year’s Blue Diamond meeting, but the son of Snitzel emphatically declared on Saturday that he is on track for a shot at redemption 12 months on. The Julius Sandhu-trained three-year-old scored a dazzling first-up win under Craig Newitt in… Read More »
Annabel Neasham experienced the best and worst of racing in the space of a few seconds with one of her two Inglis Millennium runners posting a sensational win as the other suffered a heavy fall. Neasham’s first thought was for two-year-old Dorothy Gail and her jockey Tom Marquand, who crashed to the… Read More »
James Cummings flexed his Blue Diamond muscle at Sandown on Saturday when jockeys sporting Godolphin’s famous royal blue silks won both $300,000 Blue Diamond Preludes. Barber lived up to his high billing when he won the colts and geldings edition, while Exploring put up her hand for a start in the $2 million… Read More »
Tasmanian racegoers were very close to witnessing one of the biggest upsets in recent history only for Dunkel to dive through late and take out the Listed Tasmanian Derby. The shortest priced favourite in the Derby since Northwest Passage in 2017, Dunkel was tipped to win in a canter, however it didn’t… Read More »
Lindsay Park trainers Ben and J D Hayes are looking forward to the Festival Of Racing with two of their stable stars Mr Brightside and Gentleman Roy. The pair meet in the first Group 1 race of the autumn, the CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Sandown on Saturday with the $5 million All-Star Mile… Read More »
Nature Strip showed he is on target for a 10th Group 1 win following a pleasing jump-out at Flemington. Opposed to stablemate September Run and the Mike Moroney-trained Roch ‘N’ Horse, the trio went 800m out of the barriers down the straight 800m course on Friday morning. Nature Strip led home Roch ‘N’ Horse with September Run in… Read More »
Perth trainers Sean and Jake Casey know what it takes to win on the eastern seaboard and are keen to see how their two-year-old Brave Halo measures up. Unbeaten in three starts at Ascot, Brave Halo is in Melbourne to run in the colts and geldings’ division of the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude… Read More »
Boom filly Learning To Fly will almost certainly take her place from an outside barrier in the $2 million Inglis Millennium as connections keep their focus on the bigger Golden Slipper picture. The youngster has come up with gate 19 in Saturday’s Randwick feature and will jump from the widest alley… Read More »
A Group 1 win on the CV of Turaath is what trainer Maddie Raymond is looking for. It is for that reason Turaath is heading to the C F Orr Stakes (1400m) at Sandown on Saturday when the mare could run the following week in the Group 3 Tony Bourke Memorial (1400m) at Flemington. Turaath has an excellent… Read More »
Having been given a taste of El Bodegon’s talent in the Cox Plate, Chris Waller is aiming high with the former French galloper ahead of his Sydney debut in the Apollo Stakes at Randwick. The four-year-old was an eye-catching third to Anamoe in Australasia’s weight-for-age championship last spring but Waller revealed the… Read More »
Cranbourne trainer Julius Sandhu has taken the advice of jockey Craig Newitt in electing to start Lofty Strike in a stakes race at Sandown. The Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) on Saturday will see Lofty Strike tackle older sprinters as he prepares for the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) on February 25. Sandhu was originally… Read More »
New Zealand trainer Andrew Forsman is banking on residual fitness proving pivotal for his galloper Aegon in his return run at Sandown. The Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) on Saturday will be Aegon’s first-up assignment, as it will be for four other runners in the 10-horse field. Aegon has… Read More »
A vital piece of the Golden Slipper puzzle is expected to come together at Randwick when nominal Slipper favourite Learning To Fly takes on a capacity field in the $2 million Inglis Millennium. The filly vaulted to the top of markets with an outstanding debut win in the Widden Stakes last… Read More »
A week after Aft Cabin monstered his Randwick rivals, James Cummings has superstars Anamoe and In Secret poised to do the same. Three-year-olds Aft Cabin and Golden Mile have already made encouraging returns for Godolphin and now trainer James Cummings is preparing to roll out his most prized autumn arsenal. Cox Plate winner… Read More »
What is best for the horse is theory behind Veecee coming back in distance ahead of his tilt at the Blue Diamond Stakes. An exciting prospect who scored an impressive debut win at Flemington on January 14, Veecee lines up for his second race appearance on Saturday. Veecee heads to the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (1000m) at… Read More »
He made the transition from Group One winning miler to top-line sprinter last preparation and the Joe Pride-trained Private Eye will be sticking to the shorter journeys this autumn. After winning both the Queensland Guineas and Epsom Handicap over 1600m in previous campaigns, the son of Al Maher won the Group Two… Read More »
Beaten only once in his six career starts, Queensland sprinter Uncommon James is back in Melbourne for the Festival Of Racing. Uncommon James will run first-up in the Group 2 Rubiton Stakes (1100m) at Sandown on Saturday with a view to running in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Sandown two weeks later. The… Read More »
Group 1 racing is back for the first time in 2023 at Sandown this Saturday, with the running of the C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) and WA is set to have a strong presence. Owner and breeders Bob and Sandra Peters will be hoping for improvement from Western Empire in the… Read More »
