Horse Racing News
Thousand Guineas contender gets a look at Caulfield
The competition will be tougher on Saturday but Ballarat trainer Mitch Freedman was happy to give Skybird a confidence-boosting practice run at Caulfield on Tuesday morning. The undefeated filly had her first look at the scene of the $1.5 million Group 1 Thousand Guineas, where she worked with a modestly-performed stablemate...
Opal Ridge on track for The Hunter at Newcastle
Things haven’t gone exactly to plan for Luke Pepper’s stable star Opal Ridge this campaign, but the Scone based trainer believes a short freshen up and a substantial drop in weight will help Opal Ridge find her best form. Sent out a $2.80 favourite in The Kosciuszko first up despite having...
Last Spring G1s in Melbourne at Caulfield for G1 Thousand Guineas day
A great Spring carnival of Group 1 racing ends at Caulfield with the running of the Thousand Guineas and the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes this weekend. With the decision taken to alter the placement of the G1 Thousand Guineas (1600m), the race takes excellent shape. Skybird ($3.50) tries to stay unbeaten but...
Abscess a blessing for Arataki
There is no such thing as a well-timed foot abscess, but Matthew Williams has taken positives from the one that kept Wrote To Arataki out of the Empires Rose Stakes. The Warrnambool trainer discovered the abscess in the 48 hours leading up to the $1 million event at Flemington on November 4, which...
Moroney’s G1 Thousand Guineas countdown almost over
No one is happier than Mike Moroney that the $1.5 million Group 1 Thousand Guineas is now just days away. The Flemington trainer has Coeur Volante heading towards the $1.5 million Group 1, with the filly having not started since winning the Thousand Guineas Prelude on October 21. Moroney concedes it has been a...
Timing right for Begg’s Magic mare ahead of the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes
Magic Time has been considered a Group-1-mare-in-waiting for some time and the four-year-old will get her first crack at that level next Saturday at Caulfield. The Grahame Begg-trained star will start one of the leading fancies in the $1.5 million Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. The 1400-metre handicap will be run for the first...
Mazu set to trial at Hawkesbury ahead of The Hunter
Plans to target the $1 million The Hunter with Mazu will become clearer after the sprinter steps out in a barrier trial at Hawkesbury. Mazu is set to trial with Nash Rawiller aboard on Monday, five days before The Hunter (1300m) is held at Newcastle on Saturday. "We've done things a bit different...
Shangri La Express remains unbeaten in the $1m Golden Gift
Shangri La Express has stamped himself as a Golden Slipper prospect with a tough win in the Golden Gift to remain unbeaten from his first two starts. With the winner’s purse from Saturday’s $1 million feature for two-year-olds, Shangri La Express has now banked enough prize money to secure a start in...
Pride Of Jenni lands big Flemington G1 double
Just as he had done a week earlier, Declan Bates stole a Group 1 race over a mile at Flemington on Pride Of Jenni. Bates and the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Pride Of Jenni took out the Empire Rose Stakes on the opening day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and the pair reunited for Champions Mile...
Imperatriz claims sprint Championship at Flemington
A different venue and more accomplished set of rivals posed no problem for Imperatriz, who completed an unbeaten Victorian spring campaign in Saturday’s Champions Sprint at Flemington. The flying Kiwi mare took her career Group 1 tally to eight when she held off The Everest runners Buenos Noches and In Secret to win...