Black Heart Bart is a dominant favourite to claim the second Group One race of the spring in Melbourne although there has been solid early support for his stablemate Palentino. The Darren Weir-trained pair head the market for the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. Black Heart Bart, a… Read More »
Adelaide filly Samara Dancer hits the road again to begin a campaign her trainer Phillip Stokes hopes will lead to a Group One victory. Samara Dancer runs in the Group Two Danehill Stakes at Flemington on Saturday when she will be joined by stablemate Captain Duffy who runs in the… Read More »
With retirement plans shelved for now, spring carnival stalwart Happy Trails returns to Flemington for the seventh consecutive year. The winner of seven races and more than $3.2 million, the nine-year-old makes his reappearance in Saturday’s Group One Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m). Happy Trails hasn’t raced since finishing fifth to… Read More »
No laboratory in the world had an accredited method to test for cobalt in horse urine when Racing Victoria brought in its cobalt threshold, an inquiry has heard. Racing Analytical Services Ltd lab director David Batty said the issue of accreditation was raised with Racing Victoria in 2014. “In early… Read More »
Nominations have been extended after just 14 entries were received for the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes including Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance. The Darren Weir-trained stayer is one of three horses the leading trainer has entered for Saturday’s race at Flemington with Group One Memsie Stakes winner Black Heart… Read More »
Smart colt Astern is the horse punter’s want in Saturday’s Golden Rose Stakes. After the three-year-old won the Run To The Rose, online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au turned his price from $13 into $4.60. Astern has further tightened and now heads betting at $3.20. Another impressive last start winner, Divine Prophet ($4.20)… Read More »
A sportsbet.com.au punter collected more than $788,000 by winning Saturday’s Moonee Valley Quaddie. Plenty of punters made an early exit when $26 chance Merriest won the first leg. Many of those that survived were halfway home when favourite Voodoo Lad ($2.70) saluted in the second leg. The knock-out punch came… Read More »
Tarzino has not put a foot wrong in the lead-up to the Makybe Diva Stakes despite a raceday vet’s report he was lame after his last start. Trainer Mick Price remains puzzled by the vet’s assessment the four-year-old was lame in his off hind leg after the Memsie Stakes. The… Read More »
For the first time in a couple of weeks, trainer David Vandyke is pleased with Yankee Rose ahead of her next Group One assignment. The trainer admits the filly can be frustrating and a few niggling problems and a couple of ordinary barrier trials along the way haven’t helped. But… Read More »
Derryn will fly the flag for the Lindsay Park team in the Golden Rose and co-trainer Tom Dabernig expects the colt to be all the better for his previous Sydney experience. An impressive winner at Caulfield at the end of July, Derryn was nabbed late by Divine Prophet in the… Read More »
New Zealand jockey Danielle Johnson will get another chance to win a Group One race on Sofia Rosa when she replaces the suspended Michael Walker in the Makybe Diva Stakes. Johnson was denied the NZ Oaks when Mark Hills on Fanatic successfully protested against her with the margin a nose…. Read More »
Awesome Rock has earned himself a shot at the Cox Plate with an impressive win in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley. As the winner of Saturday’s Group Two race, Awesome Rock gains an automatic start in next month’s weight-for-age championship. Ridden by Stephen Baster, Awesome Rock… Read More »
With chief executive John Ferguson at the races, Godolphin landed a Group Two double at Randwick. Ferguson, who is also Godolphin founder Sheikh Mohammed’s racing manager, was in Sydney on Saturday to see Hauraki win the Tramway Stakes after Hartnell dominated the Chelmsford Stakes. After racing near the tail of… Read More »
Jockey Chris Parnham believes Voodoo Lad is destined to make his mark at the top level after a last-to-first win at Moonee Valley. Parnham ended up further back than he had hoped on Voodoo Lad in Saturday’s SAJ Fruit Supply Stakes (1200m) after he stepped away slowly. But was stunned… Read More »
Racegoers might have been disappointed by the absence of Winx in the Chelmsford Stakes, but Hartnell has made up for it with a stunning display in the Group Two feature. After connections opted not to run the champion mare on Saturday’s heavy track, Godolphin’s Hartnell assumed favouritism at $2.05 and… Read More »
On the day where Chris Waller and Hugh Bowman were supposed to take centre stage with Winx, Foxplay’s Furious Stakes win has eased their frustrations. Waller scratched Winx from the Chelmsford Stakes on Saturday morning due to the heavy Randwick track. The jockey-trainer combination then teamed up for High Mist’s… Read More »
The Thousand Guineas Prelude will determine the spring path for Moonee Valley winner Merriest. The Danny O’Brien-trained three-year-old took out the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes on Saturday, her second victory from four visits to the racetrack. Ridden by Damien Oliver, Merriest ($26) sat outside the leader before scoring a short-head… Read More »
Wild Rain’s hard-fought win in the McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley has earned the sprinter a shot at the Group One Moir Stakes. A virus kept Wild Rain out of a recent Listed race at Moonee Valley with trainer Mark Kavanagh taking a cautious approach and waiting for Saturday’s Group… Read More »
After 30 years of owning thoroughbreds, Andrew Love can finally boast a city winner. And it is thanks to the dumbest horse Terry Robinson has trained. Persistence paid off for the part-owner from Wollongong as Grand Rouge ($9) went past $2.50 favourite Galaxy Warrior in the final 100m to win… Read More »
Little more than a month into the new season, Hawkes Racing has brought up its 12th three-year-old win with Swear taking out the Ming Dynasty Quality at Randwick. Co-trainer Michael Hawkes said the colt was an example of the team’s patience with last season’s juveniles which was now paying off…. Read More »
