A timely dumping of overnight rain has quashed Sterling Alexiou’s one reservation ahead of General Salute’s bid to add the final black-type race of the Sydney season to his last start win in the Winter Stakes. The gelding’s four career victories have all been on rain-affected ground, and with Rosehill… Read More »
Trainer Gavin Bedggood hopes to one day see debut winner Burning Heartz in an Oaks race, but first he is looking to gather a Stakes win with the filly. A debut winner at Sandown on July 1, Burning Heartz is Adelaide bound to run in the Group 3 South Australian Sires’ Produce Stakes… Read More »
King Pedro has staked his claims for the spring staying races with an outstanding performance to overcome a muddling pace and win the Listed Grafton Cup. Trainer Tom Charlton, who was watching from his office in Sydney, admitted to being anxious with the way the track was playing for the… Read More »
Mature age apprentice Bailey Kinninmont hopes to parlay his first metropolitan success into victory at the home of the Melbourne Cup. The 28-year-old rides for the first time at Flemington when he partners Lake Vostok in the RMBL Investments Rising Stars Final (1600m) on Saturday. Kinninmont landed his first city winner aboard the Gavin… Read More »
A late season two-year-old race will serve as an important litmus test for Forest King as trainer Tom Charlton looks to get a better guide on where to aim him in the spring. The gelding will resume in the Kia Ora Bloodlines to Headlines Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday… Read More »
A new track and an overdue renovation at another have seen Racing Victoria swing some changes to the dates and venues of races during the Spring Racing Carnival. With Moonee Valley off-line as it is rebuilt, a number of their feature have been transferred with the Melbourne Racing accommodating most the meetings although this year’s Cox Plate is heading to Flemington…. Read More »
The Ciaron Maher stable is banking on the addition of blinkers helping French import Zabiari recapture his overseas from when he takes his place in the final stakes race of the Sydney season. A dual Group 3 winner over a mile in France, Zabiari made his local debut in the… Read More »
Trainer Matt Dunn capped a career-best season when his smart sprinter Band Of Brothers showed sustained speed to lead all the way in the Listed $200,000 Ramornie Handicap (1200m) at Grafton on Wednesday. Band Of Brothers bounced back from an indifferent last-start effort and defied a series of challengers in… Read More »
Tommy Berry’s decision to cut short his holiday in order to partner Castillo King at Warwick Farm has been rewarded with the colt making an impressive debut. The top Sydney hoop hadn’t ridden since the Tattersall’s Tiara meeting at Eagle Farm on June 27 and wasn’t due to return to… Read More »
The Lindsay Park team are looking to the long term with their impressive juvenile Hard Kick who resumes at Flemington. Successful on debut in the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington in February, Hard Kick resumes in the TAB We’re On (1000m) at Flemington on Saturday. Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes… Read More »
Mornington trainer Clayton Douglas is relishing the increased workload having recently taken over the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable. The Freedman father-and-son training team were disqualified for 28 days last month following the conclusion of an accidental race-day treatment inquiry. Douglas has stepped in as ‘caretaker’ trainer and has seen his numbers double, joking ‘I was born for this’. While he oversees… Read More »
Stirling Osland is hoping So You Are can provide him with his first Listed winner before the four-year-old departs his Armidale stables. The four-year-old gelding has been placed at his past two starts behind the Bjorn Baker-trained Thebudgiesmugla, and Osland revealed So You Are would soon be joining that horse in Sydney…. Read More »
The Kris Lees trained Rustemo has all the credentials required to win the Grafton Guineas Quality on Wednesday. A winner of three of his four starts this preparation, the son of Russian Revolution justifiably tops the betting boards as the clearcut favourite for the Guineas at $2.90 … with the… Read More »
Two stables, those of Michael Freedman and the Chris and Corey Munce training partnership have the possibility of claiming a Ramornie Handicap / Grafton Cup double in the Grafton Carnival’s two major feature races on Wednesday and Thursday. They are the only two stables with runners in both events. Freedman… Read More »
Star young riders Siena Grima and Braith Nock continue their compelling duel for the coveted Sydney apprentices premiership at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. Nock has led the title race for most of the season but Grima has seized the momentum with a treble in Tazima, Perfect Justice and Benevac at… Read More »
A maiden Flemington appearance was not part of Stern Idol’s schedule until his jumps rivals ran scared, but the back-up plan could include a shot at an emotional win for connections. The champion steeplechaser is among 21 entries for this Saturday’s $150,000 Deane Lester Flemington Cup. The 2800-metre race is… Read More »
Two of Cliff Brown’s Group 1 performers are back in Melbourne about to start their preparations for a spring campaign. Sepals and Von Hauke have enjoyed a break in the Queensland warmth since finishing second and third respectively in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm last month. The pair… Read More »
The Ciaron Maher stable looked to have a strong hand in a three-year-old race at Caulfield and it was left to the outsider of the pair to take the prize. The Maher team saddled the $2.40 favourite Decalogue and $6.50 chance Ichnusa in the Sportsbet Feed Handicap (2000m) on Saturday…. Read More »
This was Sky Thoroughbred Central’s host Gavin Carmody’s neat summation of the Cactus Imaging Handicap (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Grima, the star young rider, moved to 32 city wins and is two wins clear of nearest rival Braith Nock in the Sydney apprentices premiership when she rode her… Read More »
The lid looks to have been lifted from Cruiserweight following his impressive win at Caulfield. Success in the Sportsbet Jockey Watch Handicap (1400m) on Saturday was the gelding’s third win in succession and second since joining the Lindsay Park team of Ben, Will and J D Hayes. Cruiserweight has already… Read More »
