European stayer Al Riffa will attempt to give Irish trainer Joseph O’Brien a third win in the Melbourne Cup having been purchased by Australian connections. But Al Riffa will not remain in Australia post the Melbourne Cup and will chase lucrative prize money targets on the world stage. Al Riffa has been… Read More »
Champion trainer Chris Waller made a special trip to Caulfield to watch Fangirl go through her paces ahead of the Group 1 Memsie Stakes. Fangirl was scratched from the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick last Saturday and floated to Melbourne that night to run in the Memsie Stakes (1400m)… Read More »
The racing career of triple Group 1 winner Sunshine In Paris is over following an injury sustained at trackwork on Tuesday morning. Training partners Annabel and Rob Archibald broke the news on social media after consulting with the six-year-old’s owners John and Deb Camilleri. “Our stable star Sunshine In Paris has unfortunately picked… Read More »
Antino will be tackling a much stronger Memsie Stakes that the version he was unplaced in last year, but Tony Gollan is convinced his veteran stable star is a more seasoned horse in 2025. The seven-year-old son of Redwood resumes in the 1400-metre Group 1 that is the spring kick-off point for… Read More »
Marhoona has made her first public appearance since winning this year’s Golden Slipper, holding out a host of well-performed sprinters to win a trial at Hawkesbury on Monday morning. The Emirates Park-raced daughter of Snitzel scored a half-length win over Headwall in the 800m hitout, which also included Shangri La Spring (third), Jedibeel (fourth)… Read More »
Jockey Mark Zahra has been given the call up to ride Fangirl in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. The Chris Waller-trained mare was floated down from Sydney on Saturday night and will head to Caulfield on Tuesday for a familiarisation gallop ahead of the Memsie Stakes (1400m) on Saturday. Fangirl… Read More »
Fresh from claiming the opening three-year-old stakes race of the season with Skyhook, Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou are preparing to chase another, this time with well performed colt King Of Pop. The winner of the Black Opal Stakes at two, King Of Pop will resume in the Group 3 San… Read More »
Justin Huxtable scored a notable victory when he partnered the Tom Button trained Rogue Bear to a Cairns Cup success at Cannon Park on Saturday. It was a triumph of sorts for Huxtable, given all that he has gone through over the last twelve months ⊠from being stood down… Read More »
After all the hard work that has gone into getting Baraqiel back to the track, co-trainer Troy Corstens admitted his heart almost sank when the sprinter was pulled from the barriers to undergo a veterinary check on Saturday. But after being given the all-clear to run, Baraqiel just over a… Read More »
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable have Group 1 aspirations with Street Rider after his return victory at Moonee Valley. After having his first two starts in Brisbane as a two-year-old, Space Rider was given time to mature with a three-year-old campaign in mind. The Group 1 Caulfield… Read More »
The jury is still out on whether Autumn Glow is going to be a sprinter or miler but the mare has ticked another box at Randwick by handling her first start on a heavy track to remain undefeated. Trainer Chris Waller contemplated whether to scratch her from Saturday’s Toy Show… Read More »
Having shaken off her maiden tag last start, Savvy Hallie took an even more significant step at Randwick with her first black-type win in the Silver Shadow Stakes. Arguably one of Sydney’s best two-year-olds not to win a race, Savvy Hallie was unlucky to bump into subsequent Black Opal Stakes… Read More »
Ciaron Maher-trained fillies Cherish Me and Exit will race just over an hour apart at Moonee Valley on Saturday, but they could be rivals before the spring is out if they perform as expected this weekend. The Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) has been identified as a likely spring target for… Read More »
Robusto isn’t the most accomplished horse in the Winx Stakes but he is one of the fittest and in conditions expected to be at the extreme end of the spectrum, that might be enough to cause a boilover. Trainer Bjorn Baker has deliberately programmed the gelding to arrive at Saturday’s Group 1… Read More »
Okita Soushi heads to Moonee Valley to start a Melbourne Cup campaign that the Ciaron Maher stable hopes leads to a slight improvement on 12 months ago. The Irish-bred import finished third in last year’s Melbourne Cup after looming in the straight as the possible winner. Having raced just once since last… Read More »
It might be selling Bjorn Baker short by saying that he came of age at the top tier of his profession with his magnificent 2024/25 season because he has always been a very good trainer ⊠but letâs run with that for the moment. The season-to-season stats tell a story…. Read More »
Via Sistina is the reigning queen of Australian racing but stablemate Aeliana is the horse trainer Chris Waller believes could be her heir apparent. The established star and rising young talent clash for the first time in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday, Via Sistina a $2.30 favourite for… Read More »
Ninety-three years young, Shirley Batten trained a winner at Casino this week with the four-year-old gelding Eagleâs Fire taking the honours in a BM58 Handicap under the steadying burden of 59kg which he carried with steely determination to claim victory in a pressurised finish. Adding to the pleasure of the… Read More »
All eyes will be on the return of star mare Via Sistina in the Winx Stakes but rival jockey Tommy Berry believes it just might be the right race at the right time for Gringotts in the gelding’s bid for a second major. Gringotts will kick off his campaign in Saturday’s Randwick… Read More »
Trainer Joe Pride is content with the preparation Ceolwulf has had leading into his return outing at Randwick. While the prospects of a wet track are not ideal, Pride said ‘it is what is’ and would not be swayed from running the gelding first-up in the Winx Stakes (1400m) on Saturday. The… Read More »
