Horse Racing News
The Everest day options for Benedetta
The lure of Sydney’s big prizemoney races has proven a temptation too strong to resist for trainer Jason Warren and his classy mare Benedetta. The Group 3 winner travelled up from Victoria last week and blew out the cobwebs with a stylish barrier trial at Randwick on Friday, finishing third behind...
Montefilia wins the Hill Stakes
Nash Rawiller’s belated emergence from the jockeys’ room was just the sign the Chris Waller stable needed to know he was ready to produce a riding masterclass on Montefilia in the Hill Stakes. Rawiller didn’t disappoint, settling the six-year-old worse than midfield before picking a passage through in the straight and...
Future History claims Melbourne Cup 2023 start
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Future History has won the ‘Golden Ticket’ into the Melbourne Cup with his all-the-way win in The Bart Cummings at Flemington. Success in Saturday’s Group 3 contest over 2520m provides the winner a ballot exemption into the Melbourne Cup (3200m) on November 7. Future History joins Goldman and Lunar Flare as...
Godolphin filly races into VRC Oaks contention
A quick back-up coupled with a rise in distance has paid dividends for Godolphin filly Zardozi who claimed her maiden Stakes win with a stylish performance at Flemington. Zardozi took out the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) on Saturday to potentially forge a path towards the Group 1 VRC Oaks...
King’s Gambit lands the crown in Roman Consul Stakes
Paul Snowden will almost certainly resist any temptation to back-up brilliant Roman Consul Stakes winner King’s Gambit in The Everest, but he won’t be surprised to see the colt in the $20 million sprint next year. One slot remains to be filled with Yulong yet to confirm its runner for next...
Makarena repays the faith of Team Hawkes in the Tapp-Craig
Lightly raced filly Makarena has successfully made the giant leap from winning a midweek maiden to taking out the $500,000 Tapp-Craig at just her third start. Trained by John, Wayne and Michael Hawkes and raced by their wives, Makarena ($4.40) vindicated the belief of her trainers, sitting handy to the speed before...
Options abound for Poifect
A three-year-old fillies Stakes race at Flemington could determine the direction that Poifect takes later in her spring campaign. Poifect is engaged to run in the Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday with her Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes having an open mind on her potential ‘Grand Final’. Options include the...
Makarena making the right moves ahead of the Tapp-Craig
Filly Opal Ridge won the inaugural running of the Tapp-Craig, and Hawkes Racing is hoping Makarena can make it a clean sweep for the girls when she steps out in the $500,000 Rosehill feature. In an unusual move for the stable, the three-year-old will contest Saturday’s 1400 metre race at just...
NZ Group 1 winner set for Australian debut
New Zealand trainer Mark Walker will be looking to build on his impressive strike-rate in Melbourne since establishing a stable at Cranbourne. From seven runners out of the Cranbourne stable since the start of September, Walker has produced three winners and will looking to increase that tally at Moonee Valley on Friday night and further with...
Flemington straight to suit C’est Magique in Gilgai Stakes
Trainer Grahame Begg has considerable belief in lightly raced mare C’est Magique. The winner of a Pakenham synthetic maiden at her debut outing, C’est Magique has competed in Stakes race in her four subsequent starts. Begg has raised the bar further on Saturday with C’est Magique heading to Flemington to tackle the open age sprinters...