A well-judged front-running ride by Peter Robl on Reply Churlish has given the mare her first metropolitan win at Rosehill and sparked ambitions of stakes success. The Australian Turf Club Handicap marked the fourth consecutive win for Reply Churlish and continued trainer Steve Englebrecht’s best season for some time. Englebrecht… Read More »
Katelyn Mallyon has wasted no time in cementing a new partnership with the Flemington training team of Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra. The champion apprentice is on a three-month loan to the stable and she made a flying start when guiding Spellrocker to an all-the-way win in the Lisa Clarence… Read More »
There was a genuine irony when two-year-old No Problem dashed the Magic Millions Classic hopes of eight rivals at the Gold Coast on Saturday. Caloundra-trained No Problem ($6) scored by three-quarters of a length from Star Drop ($8) with a long neck to First Rain ($61) in the Coastal Tipper… Read More »
Apprentice Josh Cartwright has landed his first Melbourne winner on a filly who has also posted a breakthrough city success. The Robbie Griffiths-trained Romancingthestone powered to victory in the opening race at Caulfield on Saturday, giving 19-year-old Cartwright his first Melbourne winner having previously claimed a city win in Adelaide…. Read More »
Peter Moody started the new year with a feature winner at Flemington and is well represented to make an impact again on his home track at Caulfield. Quick Snitzel, one of nine Moody-trained runners to accept for Saturday’s meeting, is the shortest-priced favourite on the card in the Equiano Speed… Read More »
Leading jockey Blake Shinn has until Friday to appeal a suspension that will keep him out of the rich Magic Millions meeting. Shinn is tipped to fight the seven-meeting ban that stewards dished out during Wednesday’s Randwick meeting. Racing NSW stewards said a deadline for Shinn to lodge the paperwork… Read More »
Perseverance and patience have paid off with Permit regaining his form to add the Listed Tattersalls Club Cup at Randwick to his recent Christmas Cup success. The Chris Waller-trained former French gelding progressed through his grades as a five-year-old to earn a Sydney Cup start via his win in the… Read More »
Another Listed race is on the radar for Dances On Stars following his breakthrough stakes win at Randwick on Wednesday. Trainer Gerald Ryan diverted from his usual practice and sent the four-year-old fresh into the Listed Carrington Stakes (1100m) without a barrier trial. The method worked with Dances On Stars… Read More »
Nigel Blackiston declared visiting apprentice Oisin Murphy a future star after he partnered Outback Joe to victory in the Listed Bagot Handicap at Flemington. Irish apprentice Murphy, 18, is on loan to the Danny O’Brien stable and backed up his metropolitan win at Moonee Valley last weekend on Settler’s Way… Read More »
Kaiser Sun was on his best behaviour at Flemington and it showed as the short-priced favourite romped home an easy winner in the Flemington 1840-2014 Handicap. At his last start two weeks ago the Danerich gelding was fractious when loading into the barriers but still won easily. On Wednesday, his… Read More »
Trainer Peter Moody is in Queensland inspecting yearlings but that didn’t stop him giving jockey Chad Schofield a confidence-boosting telephone call about the Flemington chances of Spirits Dance. The champion apprentice backed up Moody’s faith in the filly by winning Melbourne’s first race for 2014, belying her $21 starting price… Read More »
Messene has stretched his winning streak to five at Canterbury to seal a treble for the Hawkes training partnership which began with the introduction of a live Magic Millions contender. Invisible got the ball rolling with his debut victory in the two-year-old and Maysoon brought a race-to-race double while Messene… Read More »
Ballarat trainer Darren Weir finished with a Moonee Valley double from the last two races to add to his treble at Caulfield on Boxing Day. Weir’s double on Saturday included Prince Of Penzance’s win in the Sportingbet Best Tote Plus Handicap and he will now aim the horse at the… Read More »
Birthday boy Jason McLachlan declared the Magic Millions Guineas was ripe for picking after his filly Enquare won at Doomben on Saturday. Responding to a clever ride from jockey Jim Byrne, Enquare ($4.80) won by three-quarters of a length from Gundy Spirit ($13) with a short neck to the favourite… Read More »
Rival trainer Bryan Guy was one of the few who wasn’t overawed by the win of Sydney colt Unencumbered in the Group Three B J McLachlan Stakes (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday. The Bjorn Baker-trained Unencumbered ($4.40) had Magic Millions Classic favourite written all over him when he beat Guy’s… Read More »
Winning jockey Chris Symons saw the lighter side of a lengthy delay to the start of the Emsley Lodge Handicap at Moonee Valley. The race for three-year-olds was run 12 minutes past the advertised starting time on Saturday and it was Symons’ mount Jessy Belle ($14) which came out on… Read More »
Trainer Liam Birchley will have his fingers crossed hoping his rising star Black Jet gets at start in the $200,000 Magic Millions Stayers’ Cup. Ridden a clever race by jockey Glen Colless, Black Jet ($4.80) came from second last at the 700m to win the Carlton Draught Handicap (1600m) at… Read More »
A trip to the Gold Coast for the rich Magic Millions awaits Invisible who has dented a few reputations with his debut win at Canterbury. The first winner for his sire All American, Invisible ($10) showed maturity beyond his experience when he claimed fellow debutant and equal race favourite Jetwings… Read More »
Strapping two-year-old Chivalry is headed for a possible Group One Blue Diamond Stakes start after a bustling win at Moonee Valley on Saturday. In only his second race start, the Mark Kavanagh-trained colt was beaten for speed out of the gates and was checked in the early stages before settling… Read More »
Peter Snowden couldn’t have been more matter-of-fact about Pleiades’ sub-par return to racing. “I thought she went terrible and I was bitterly disappointed,” he said. Pleiades never figured when she resumed with a down-the-track performance and the mystery only deepened for the departing Darley trainer when she returned to winning… Read More »
