Horse Racing News
Romantic Warrior primed for Cox Plate 2023
James McDonald’s confidence in Romantic Warrior ahead of this Saturday’s $5 million Cox Plate is increasing with every track gallop. The champion jockey was at Moonee Valley on Monday morning to partner the Hong Kong star in a 1200-metre workout with Danny Shum stablemate Romantic Charm, six days out from the...
Nominations in for Spring Champion Stakes day at Randwick
The G1 Spring Champions Stakes (2000m) has often been a good horse’s race as the boys get to the 2000m for the first time and may well press on to the Victoria Derby. Tom Kitten ($2.50) looks like he is really striving for that ground so has to run favourite here...
Without A Fight issued a 1kg penalty for the Melbourne Cup
Without A Fight has been issued a 1kg penalty for his Caulfield Cup win with the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained gelding to now carry 56.5kg in the Melbourne Cup. Racing Victoria’s head of handicapping David Hegan announced the penalty on Monday afternoon, two days after his win under 55.5kg in the 2400-metre...
Track in good shape for the 2023 Cox Plate meeting
Moonee Valley track staff freely admit that preparing the course for the double-header Cox Plate Carnival is a challenge, and the plan for Friday night's meeting is for a firmer track. Since the final Moonee Valley meeting of the 2022/23 season back in March, their focus has all been about providing the best surface for...
Matthew Dunn not worried about The Big Dance misstep
Matthew Dunn is confident Big Dance favourite Cepheus can overcome a minor setback in time for the $3 million Melbourne Cup Day feature at Randwick. The in-form gelding was scratched from Saturday's Filante Handicap (1600m) at Randwick after presenting with mild swelling in his near-fore fetlock three days earlier. However, Dunn said...
Chris Waller eyeing a fifth WFA Cox Plate
In a bid to claim a fifth Cox Plate champion trainer Chris Waller will give his two representatives extra experience at Moonee Valley ahead of Australasia's weight-for-age championship. Fangirl and Militarise had their first look at the Moonee Valley circuit on Saturday ahead of the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m) and will return on Tuesday morning for Breakfast With The Best. Both horses were not out to break the clock but will be asked to do something more...
Kathy O’Hara snares another Sydney feature
With regular jockey Kerrin Mcevoy in Melbourne for the Caulfield Cup, John Sargent had to find a new rider for Palmetto in the Five Diamonds Prelude and his booking of Kathy O'Hara proved a winning one. O'Hara has been a mainstay of the Sydney jockeys' room for many seasons but is enjoying...
Melham delighted with Gold Trip in the Caulfield Cup
Jockey Ben Melham will be putting his hand up to ride whichever horse Mark Zahra rejects in the Melbourne Cup. Ben Melham rode the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Gold Trip into third place in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday and would like to keep the ride in the Group...
Without A Fight takes out the Caulfield Cup
Mark Zahra's faith in Without A Fight was vindicated when the imported galloper provided the jockey a second Caulfield Cup in four years. In different scenes from his win aboard Verry Elleegant when there were no crowds on course because of COVID, Zahra defeated his close friend Jamie Spencer aboard English galloper West Wind Blows in a race...
Tulloch Lodge fires another two-year-old bullet
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have continued their outstanding start to the juvenile season, producing Shangri La Express for a debut win at Randwick to give them three of the first four two-year-old races of the term. The stable started its run when Espionage led home a Breeders' Plate trifecta before Sovereign Hill won...