Gold Coast two-year-old Sundance took full advantage of a bias towards leaders and runners on the fence to win in the $100,000 Listed Phelan Ready Stakes on Saturday. Constant drizzle settled on Doomben early on Saturday morning and the track was gradually downgraded to the soft range at the start… Read More »
Goulburn trainer Danny Williams has been trying to win a Highway Handicap for weeks but has had to settle for a half share. Punters were unable to split the Williams-trained Shutter Bug and Pera Pera and sent them out the $4.60 favourites in Saturday’s 1400m race at Randwick for country-trained… Read More »
A Lotta Love has scored an emotional maiden metropolitan win for her owners at Flemington. Part-owner Tom Thring died during the week following a battle with cancer. Ridden by Mark Zahra, A Lotta Love was backed from $3.80 into $2.90 favouritism before scoring a 1-1/4 length win in the Lola… Read More »
Trainer Pat Carey and jockey Rhys McLeod have had a long association and that working relationship has continued with a winner at Flemington. The pair teamed with Shakespearean Lass in the First Response Pharmacy Trophy (1000m) on Saturday giving the daughter of Written Tycoon her first success at Flemington. Shakespearean… Read More »
We take a look at the big bets the online bookmakers have taken on the weekends horse racing around the country with the big money being placed at Flemington, Randwick and Doomben.
Bookmakers have marked It’s Somewhat as the pick of Godolphin’s two Villiers Stakes runners but trainer John O’Shea has a different view. O’Shea believes the handicapper has made the five-year-old’s task too tough with an outside barrier draw delivering a knockout blow. The horse finished a brave second to Mighty… Read More »
For the first time in four years, Monton won’t contest the Villiers Stakes. But the veteran racehorse will only break marginally with routine. He will instead run in a support race at the feature Randwick meeting when he resumes in Saturday’s Listed Razor Sharp Handicap. The gelding won the Villiers… Read More »
Trainer David Hayes has begun an exhaustive, three-day mission to come up with a plan to counter a disastrous barrier draw for Melbourne Cup placegetter Criterion in Sunday’s Group One Hong Kong Cup. Criterion drew barrier 13, one from the outside, at the trickiest start at the Sha Tin track,… Read More »
Matamata breeder Graham Bax is pinching himself ahead of Sunday’s Hong Kong International races at Sha Tin. The studmaster at Matamata’s Blandford Lodge can hardly believe that two runners in the blue-riband Group One Hong Kong Cup were nurtured on his farm. Many of the world’s most powerful breeding establishments… Read More »
Jockeys can get it wrong when given a choice of rides in a feature race. But so far circumstances are falling into place for Brenton Avdulla after he opted to ride Happy Clapper over Red Excitement in the Villiers Stakes. Happy Clapper has firmed into $4.80 favouritism since drawing barrier… Read More »
Peter Snowden has reversed a previous gear change with That’s A Good Idea but admits the horse’s last-start flop remains a mystery. That’s A Good Idea was one of the favourites when he resumed in the Starlight Stakes last month before beating just one rival home. It was an uncharacteristic… Read More »
There is a theory in racing that in-form mares are reliable betting propositions. John Thompson is in the fortunate position of having two of them contesting separate feature races at Randwick on Saturday. The trainer will saddle up Zanbagh in the Group Two Villiers Stakes, the major race of the… Read More »
Trainer David Hayes declared the more kilometres Criterion travels the better he races as the entire prepares for another chance at Hong Kong Cup glory. “Travel really build character with some horses,” Hayes said. “I think that is the case with Criterion. “It’s enhanced his career and he continues to… Read More »
Nash Rawiller has delivered an upbeat report on Hong Kong Vase contender Preferment after riding him in a work-out at Sha Tin. Hugh Bowman will be aboard in Sunday’s Group One International Vase (2400m) with ex-pat Rawiller filling in on the Chris Waller-trained four-year-old on Monday. “He felt good. He’s… Read More »
Hong Kong might have rejected Bachman but trainer Gerald Ryan is more than happy to keep him in the stable. At his first start as a four-year-old and as a gelding, Bachman won at Randwick on Saturday to confirm a path towards next month’s $1 million Magic Millions Cup. The… Read More »
James McDonald has built on his Sydney premiership lead with an almost workmanlike four winners at Randwick. The only blip on his day came with a careless riding suspension which will give him an early start to his Christmas holiday from Sunday week until December 27. The No.1 rider for… Read More »
Trainer Robert Heathcote declared it would be the last time Traveston Girl would beat his horse Hopfgarten after the pair fought out a thrilling finish in the Listed Brisbane Handicap. The favourite Traveston Girl ($2.80) and Hopfgarten ($6.50) were first and second from the start in a race which was… Read More »
Wild Rain has offered some respite for Mark Kavanagh and family after a difficult week when she outsped her rivals to score at Sandown. Kavanagh has been before the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board defending cobalt charges levelled against him. It’s not only been tough for Kavanagh himself, but especially… Read More »
Newcastle mare Slots earned the chance to extend her Queensland campaign after winning the Listed Just Now Quality at Doomben on Saturday. Sydney apprentice Lester Grace got his first Brisbane win at his Brisbane ride when he brought Slots ($5) with a well-timed run to beat Real Surreal ($13) by… Read More »
At 24, Tim McIntosh is just starting to make his way as a trainer and has walked away from Randwick a winner from his first metropolitan runner. Star Shaft scraped into the field for Saturday’s Highway Handicap (1100m) as the third emergency and got under punters’ guards as a $26… Read More »
