Skybird is likely to get a shot at completing Australia’s 1000-metre Group 1 double after pleasing her trainer Mitch Freedman in a trial on the Caulfield Heath track on Wednesday morning. The five-year-old settled towards the rear in the quality-laden 10-horse trial and swept home down the outside under light riding… Read More »
Trainer Grahame Begg will be keeping an eye on the weather as he readies Royal Insignia for a return to racing at Caulfield. Royal Insignia is among nominations for the Listed Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) on Saturday which will be his first outing since finishing tenth in the Group 1 Australian Guineas… Read More »
Chris Waller’s biggest names are all bound for the Winx Stakes, but the champion trainer will have representation Melbourne’s first weight-for-age feature of the season. This Saturday’s $300,000 Group 2 PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield will feature some of the American mares Waller prepares for Yulong, all that is to… Read More »
While there was a lot number of disappointed people the Randwick meeting last Saturday was called off, there was possibly no more so than Victorian trainer Gavin Bedggood. The Bedggood-trained St Lawrence was down to run in the Premier’s Cup Prelude (1800m) on Saturday but after a deluge of rain on… Read More »
Racing New South Wales’ decision not to reprogram the Missile Stakes is set to be Melbourne’s gain with Private Eye in line to resume in this Saturday’s PB Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield. Private Eye was an acceptor for the $300,000 Group 2 Missile Stakes, which was abandoned when last Saturday’s… Read More »
A pair of barnmates who underlined their promise at the back end of last season are ramping up preparations for their respective racetrack returns and Raging Force is poised to be the first to step out. By Snowden’s former classy sprinter Cosmic Force, Raging Force staked his claims for a spot… Read More »
OTI Racing has some team members it has Spring aspirations for set to resume this week, but arguably most interest is in one of its triallers. Melbourne Cup fancy Deakin will be back in action at the Pakenham jumpouts on Tuesday morning. The Phillip Stokes-trained French gelding announced himself one of… Read More »
Time on the sidelines through injury could not separate Blake Shinn from taking out the Melbourne metropolitan premiership last month, nor did it get in the way of notching the highest number of votes to claim his fourth Scobie Breasley Medal at an awards ceremony last night. 37-year-old Shinn achieved a… Read More »
It was nearly 70 weeks since Queman had raced but there was little to show that the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner of 2024 had lost his form with a return win in at black-type level at Morphettville. Queman’s last run was in April last year finishing unplaced in the… Read More »
Syndicators Australian Bloodstock may have another Melbourne Cup prospect on their hands with import Relentless Voyager stamping his staying credentials at Moonee Valley in the Travis Harrison Cup. Carrying 61.5-kilos over the 2040-metre trip with Mark Zahra aboard, Ciaron Maher – who won the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) with… Read More »
The Lindsay Park training team’s good success rate with horses transferred to them from the late Mike Moroney’s care has continued with emerging talent Oak Hill launching a Moir Stakes bid with a return victory at Moonee Valley on Saturday. Ridden by Blake Shinn, Oak Hill ($2.70) made a late dash… Read More »
The $160,000 Premier’s Cup Prelude (1800m) will now be run at the Kensington midweek meeting after heavy rain forced the abandonment of the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Randwick was already rated a Heavy 10 early in the morning, and a 7:30am inspection by Racing… Read More »
Having been nominated for a return bid at winning back-to-back Caulfield Cups, last year’s winner Duke De Sessa will miss the race. Racing Victoria stewards posted on social media on Friday that Duke De Sessa had been removed from nominations for the Group 1 contest over 2400m at Caulfield on… Read More »
The spring carnival build-up continued at Warwick Farm on Friday morning, where Group 1 winner Ceolwulf made his final public appearance before he resumes in the Winx Stakes. Trainer Joe Pride gave him an intentionally quiet hit-out when he trailed the field home in a 900m heat at his home track… Read More »
Missile Stakes favourite Private Eye has been officially withdrawn from Saturday’s Group 2 feature at Royal Randwick. Trainer Joe Pride confirmed the decision on social media Friday morning, stating the star sprinter would instead trial at Warwick Farm before being scratched from the race. The eight-year-old had been installed as… Read More »
Sons And Lovers took a giant step towards a trip to Melbourne for this year’s Spring Carnival after a win in Ireland overnight Thursday, Australian time. The Joseph O’Brien-trained gelding was a tenacious winner of the Ballyroan Stakes (2414m) at Leopardstown. The son of Study Of Man, a Northern Hemisphere four-year-old,… Read More »
He is usually setting the benchmark for other trainers, but Chris Waller admits he has taken inspiration from Sheila Laxon’s upset Melbourne Cup win with Knight’s Choice to plot an audacious bid of his own. While internationally trained and pedigreed runners often dominate the Cup field—and indeed early markets for this year’s… Read More »
The dream of the connections of Bur Dubai racing in Melbourne’s big Cup races will kick off at Moonee Valley. An imported galloper from the UK, Bur Dubai starts his spring campaign in the EDSA Group Handicap (1600m) on Saturday. It is a far cry from the Caulfield Cup, for which… Read More »
Joe Pride has until Friday morning to decide if early Missile Stakes favourite Private Eye will take his place in the first Group race of the Sydney season or step out in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm. The class runner in Saturday’s 10-horse field, Private Eye has been backed… Read More »
Chris Waller is resigned to pitting four of his biggest stars against each other first-up before placing them on different Group One paths into the spring. The quartet will be among the headline acts at an outstanding set of Randwick barrier trials on Thursday, the heats delayed by two days due… Read More »
