Horse Racing News
Genzano notches Gavranich’s first group victory
She’s only been on the books as a co-trainer with Paul Messara for a few months, but Leah Gavranich has already posted her first group win. Their three-year-old filly Genzano ($15) was impressive taking out the Group 3 3YO Spring Stakes at Newcastle saluting by a length and a quarter over another filly Kind...
Magic Time wins the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes
Perseverance has paid off for trainer Grahame Begg who captured the final Group 1 race of the Melbourne Spring Carnival with Magic Time. Begg was looking forward to the Spring Carnival but had his Caulfield Cup hope Nonconformist withdrawn on the eve of the race while his Melbourne Cup Lunar Flare went amiss...
Pride and Schiller Crush them in The Hunter
After jumping on terms with them from the inside alley, rider Tyler Schiller pushed his mount along the rails to be in front after travelling only 100m and put some solid tempo into the 1300m affair. The Turffontein gelding put a massive gap in them in the home straight and held off...
Sky’s the limit for Thousand Guineas favourite
Mitch Freedman has often thought he’d discovered one at a yearling sale that might have escaped the attention of other good judges only to miss out when the hammer fell. That is why the Ballarat trainer was so happy to land Skybird at last year’s Inglis Classic Sale. The favourite for Saturday’s Group...
Commemorative set to contest Thoroughbred Club Stakes
James Cummings is stepping promising filly Commemorative back in distance as an attempt at a Group 1 classic over a mile has come along too soon for her. Commemorative was the original favourite for the Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) but Cummings has instead favoured a start in the Group 3...
Golden Slipper winner Fireburn retired, sold to Japan
Last year’s Golden Slipper winner Fireburn has a date with an as-yet-unnamed Japanese stallion after it was announced on Thursday that the daughter of Rebel Dane had been retired. “She wasn’t on the market,” Louis Mihalyka of Laurel Oak Bloodstock said. “We were approached by an agent who I know well who...
Cummings hoping Gravina can turn form around in The Hunter
Though at longer odds in the markets, James Cummings is hoping Gravina can replicate similar form turnarounds of the past when he lines up at Newcastle on Saturday. The six-year-old lines up again in The Hunter (1300m) with the stable looking to go two places better than the third placing in...
Quickster one to watch in the Thousand Guineas
Peter Moody has seen enough of Quickster to say that despite her double-figure odds she can still mix it with the more fancied chances in the Group 1 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield on Saturday. Approaching the $1.5 million 1600-metre feature at her third start, the filly by Cox Plate-winning sure Shamus...
Nick Ryan sets sights on the Thoroughbred Club Stakes
Nick Ryan has higher aims than a Group 3 race at Caulfield as he saddles up Munhamek in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, but earlier on the card his attention will be taken with the challenge for Material Dreams to add to her growing string of successive wins. Material...
Skew Wiff back on track ahead of the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes
It wasn’t exactly D-day for Skew Wiff at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, but the Kiwi mare’s trainer Mark Walker was still relieved to see her win. It was the four-year-old’s second start in Australia, following a sixth placing in the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes on October 21, and while those...