Girl Guide has been well supported to land a first-up stakes win at Caulfield. The Ciaron Maher-trained mare has been backed from $11 to $6 to win the Group Three Sir John Monash Stakes on Saturday. Fast `N’ Rocking, trained by David Hayes and Tom Dabernig, heads the market at… Read More »
Darren Weir has set a Commonwealth training record of 335 wins for the season with Gun Case’s victory at Moonee Valley. Weir went to Wednesday’s meeting with several leading chances but it took until the sixth race for Gun Case to give him the new standard. John Hawkes held the… Read More »
Prince Of Penzance is on target to return to the scene of his Melbourne Cup triumph at Flemington in the Makybe Diva Stakes. Trainer Darren Weir has a number of high-profile gallopers building up to this year’s spring carnival, including Cup winner Prince Of Penzance who galloped with Japanese horse… Read More »
Happy Clapper is back, bigger and better than ever as he looks to win the Epsom Handicap during the spring. The Pat Webster-trained gelding emerged as a genuine Group One contender in the autumn, finishing second to Winx in the Doncaster Mile. A week later Happy Clapper finished third in… Read More »
Golden Slipper winner Capitalist is being aimed at a weight-for-age return in the first Sydney Group race of the new season. The colt will step out in a barrier trial at Randwick on Friday with the Group Two Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on August 6 his first target as… Read More »
The controversy over whip rules has resurfaced with trainers Robert Heathcote and Gerald Ryan slamming the regulations. In Brisbane on Saturday, Jim Byrne fired in a protest against Jeff Lloyd saying he had overused his whip on the Heathcote-trained Doomben winner Dream Choice. “We haven’t got long enough to discuss… Read More »
Darren Weir has joined a select group of trainers to have prepared 100 metropolitan winners in Victoria in a season and admits the 2015-2016 campaign will be hard to top. Earlier this season Weir celebrated his first Melbourne Cup win with outsider Prince Of Penzance racing to a memorable victory… Read More »
A part-time racehorse trainer raising three young children has pulled off a major upset to land her first city winner. Thunder Road’s victory in the Highway Handicap at Randwick gave Goulburn-based Emma Longmire a win to remember. “This horse you wouldn’t think he’s a world beater and to actually be… Read More »
The controversial whip rules have again been highlighted by a protest from second-placed jockey Jim Byrne against Jeff Lloyd for hitting his mount too often in the straight in a race at Doomben. Lloyd’s mount Dream Choice ($4.80) ran past Byrne on Upstart Pride ($4.60) in the last 50 metres… Read More »
Daniela Rosa will be targeted at early spring stakes races after upstaging favourite Euro Angel in the Rivette Series Final at Flemington. The Mike Moroney-trained Daniela Rosa ($6.50) was second-up in Saturday’s $120,000 race for fillies after a win at Sale and was able to get the better of Euro… Read More »
Trainer Chris Munce’s decision to go back to basics with two-year-old Snow Fields has reaped a maiden win for the filly at Doomben. Ridden by Jeff Lloyd, Snow Fields held on to beat Invinciboy by a short neck in the Saturday’s Giddy Up Club 2YO (1350m). The filly had been… Read More »
The decision to take on the colts and geldings in the Silver Bowl Series Final at Flemington has rewarded the connections of Lady Selkirk. Trainer Matthew Williams opted to run the filly in Saturday’s $120,000 Silver Bowl Final for three-year-olds instead of the Rivette Series Final restricted to fillies. “I… Read More »
James Orman’s Brisbane premiership hopes are still alive following a reduction in a careless riding suspension. The 19-year-old apprentice is in a three-way battle with veterans Jeff Lloyd and Jim Byrne for the senior title. Orman was suspended for 11 days at the Ipswich Cup meeting on June 18 and… Read More »
Young Sydney jockey Sam Clipperton says he is excited about the next phase of his career in Hong Kong. Clipperton has been given a club contract to ride in the Asian racing capital from July until December. It has been a great year for Clipperton who rode his first Group… Read More »
The tough Randwick mile can make or break a horse’s chances. Trainer Matthew Smith is hoping the combination of a heavy track and the famed circuit can benefit Zayam in the Shoot Out Mile at Randwick on Saturday. The former French galloper’s past two wins have been at 1800 and… Read More »
Veteran Jacquinot Bay will be out to maintain his perfect record in this year’s Winter Championship Series in the Final at Flemington. And his jockey Michael Walker knows the rising nine-year-old will give him everything he has on Saturday. Jacquinot Bay has won two from two this campaign over 1400m… Read More »
A sharp drop in class is expected to give Akavoroun a chance for Victorian trainer Ciaron Maher to break his Brisbane winter duck. Akavoroun has been campaigning in Group and Listed races over the past weeks but drops back to Saturday open company in the Hog’s Steaks Hcp (1630m) at… Read More »
The chances of star sprinter Buffering racing again have improved after a month of rest and relaxation. Buffering began light work at a Queensland spelling property on Wednesday which could be the first step to his return to racing in Melbourne in the new season. The gelding was injured when… Read More »
While his Group One-winning sibling will have a quiet spring, Ball Of Muscle will be out to carry the mantle at the highest level. Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride has plans to return to Melbourne with Ball Of Muscle but no firm spring commitments for his elder half-brother Terravista. Ball… Read More »
The Listed Winter Championship Series Final is the likely target for last-start winner Iggimacool at Flemington. Saturday’s program features the finals of a number of winter race series held in Victoria in recent months, highlighted by the $150,000 Winter Championship Series Final (1600m). Iggimacool has also qualified for Leilani Series… Read More »
