A wide barrier for consistent sprinter Vatican in the Listed WJ Adams Stakes has dented the confidence of trainer Byron Cozamanis. Vatican is chasing back-to-back Listed wins over 1000m at Caulfield having won the Doveton Stakes early last month, but has to contend with barrier 12 of 13 in Saturday’s… Read More »
Boom colt Prince Harada can go a long way to living up to the wraps on him in Saturday’s Manfred Stakes at Caulfield. $250 MANFRED STAKES FREE BET The Tony vasil three-year-old has opened $3.80 favourite with online bookmaker sportsbet.com.au. He meets some classy opposition including several possible Australian Guineas… Read More »
The return to training of Group One winner My Kingdom Of Fife will be monitored by his breeder and former owner, Queen Elizabeth. Trainer Chris Waller was visited by the Queen’s racing manager John Warren last week and filmed a video to be shown to the monarch. My Kingdom Of… Read More »
The support of Gai Waterhouse was foremost in the mind of Damien Oliver when he chose to ride Bull Point over the Tony Vasil-trained Prince Harada. Oliver rode Prince Harada to sixth in last year’s Caulfield Guineas but told Vasil last week he had decided to ride the Waterhouse-trained Bull… Read More »
Damien Oliver will ride boom filly Earthquake in a crucial barrier trial with a view to partnering her in the Blue Diamond Prelude if a knee injury keeps Kerrin McEvoy out of the race. McEvoy fell from the Mike Moroney-trained Massale before the home turn in the Karaka Million in… Read More »
A new look Tegan Harrison repaid an old debt when she helped rookie trainer Lacey Morrison score her biggest win to date at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Harrison led all the way on Tukiyo ($14) to beat Avaladyluck ($10) by a short head with a half neck to Darlin’ Jules… Read More »
Peter Snowden added to his Blue Diamond fire power with Mohave’s Preview win at Caulfield on Saturday but the most impressive Diamond trial of the day wasn’t in Melbourne. The Snowden-trained Earthquake had been favourite for the Blue Diamond since betting opened but she was displaced on Saturday after the… Read More »
Having produced former New Zealander Travolta to win the Listed Australia Day Cup at Randwick, Gai Waterhouse will now send him back to his homeland for a bigger prize. Waterhouse nominated the Group One Auckland Cup (3200m) on March 5 as the target for Travolta who prevailed in a head… Read More »
The bookies friend Carn struck again at Eagle Farm on Saturday when he won his third city race at huge odds. Ridden by Alisha Taylor, Carn ($81) knocked out just about everyone in the first leg of the quadrella when he beat favourite Walhaan ($3.70) by a half neck in… Read More »
A minor setback ended hopes of a Magic Millions campaign for Eloping but the smart two-year-old earned her shot at the Blue Diamond Stakes with victory in the fillies Preview at Caulfield. The Peter Morgan and Craig Widdison-trained Eloping came into Saturday’s Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) for fillies on… Read More »
Premiership-leading trainer Darren Weir closed Friday night’s Moonee Valley meeting with back-to-back winners and wasted little time getting on the board at Caulfield with Means A Lot taking out the opening race. Means A Lot was second-up in Saturday’s Carlton Draught Handicap (1400m) and Weir was questioning whether the six-year-old… Read More »
If Gerald Ryan had any nerves before Rubick’s debut at Randwick he wasn’t letting them show. And after the much-hyped colt cruised to victory over 1000m in 56.39s the trainer said satisfaction not relief was his overriding emotion. Bookmakers reacted a little more, firming Rubick into favouritism for both the… Read More »
A photo of the Brendan McCarthy-trained Zedi Knight racing against unbeaten champion Black Caviar has pride of place in the trainer’s lounge room. The photo was taken half-way up the straight during the 2012 Group Two Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley, a race where Zedi Knight led initially before finishing… Read More »
Tony McEvoy admit’s Big Memory’s appearance in Saturday’s Listed Australia Day Cup is a deviation from his own rule book. The European import will leap steeply in grade from his win in a benchmark race at Canterbury last month into stakes company. But the move is part of a bigger… Read More »
Andrew Mallyon’s reunion with General Truce was a memorable one at Flemington on Saturday as the jockey partnered the under-rated sprinter to victory in the Listed Kensington Stakes. Mallyon rode the Ricky Maund-trained General Truce in his first five starts as a two-year-old, including victory in the 2009 Group Three… Read More »
Visiting Irish apprentice Oisin Murphy has helped Eraset break a 19-month winning drought with an upset victory at Flemington on Saturday. The Craftsman Handicap (1720m) appeared a race in two with equal $2.80 favourites He’s Your Man and Prince Of Penzance the only runners under double figure odds. But after… Read More »
Victorian trainer Robbie Laing came to Randwick believing there was only one danger to Boomwaa in the Inglis Classic. Unfortunately for him he was proved right when Peggy Jean, trained by his old boss Gerald Ryan, wore down her more experienced rival to win the $250,000 race. Punters believed the… Read More »
Darren Weir is on target for his first Victorian metropolitan trainers’ premiership with another winning performance from consistent mare Flying Hostess at Flemington on Saturday. It was her third win this prep with Flying Hostess only missing a placing once in her past nine starts. The four-year-old, who cost $25,000… Read More »
Two-year-old Nostradamus has lived up to the hype with an impressive debut win to confirm he is a genuine Blue Diamond contender. The half-brother to 2010 Blue Diamond winner Star Witness stepped out as the $1.45 favourite in Saturday’s Nursery Plate (1100m) at Flemington and showed his class to score… Read More »
More than one milestone awaits classy sprinter First Command if he can return a winner in Saturday’s Listed Kensington Stakes at Flemington. The eight-year-old is striving to win the $120,000 Listed race for the third straight year and has been a firmer in early betting, tightening from an opening quote… Read More »
