Chris Munce knows what it takes to win a Melbourne Cup and he believes English Derby winner Anthony Van Dyck fits the bill. Munce landed the 1998 Melbourne Cup aboard Jezabeel, who was sensationally backed from $9 into $7 favouritism with media mogul Kerry Packer leading the charge against the… Read More »
Master Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien has had conflicting fortunes in the Melbourne Cup barrier draw with Anthony Van Dyck coming up with gate three and Tiger Moth barrier 23 ahead of his bid for a first Melbourne Cup. After the draw Tiger Moth lost outright favouritism drifting from $7 to… Read More »
Nature Strip will need a new jockey in the Group One VRC Sprint Classic after James McDonald was suspended for careless riding at Flemington. McDonald was outed for 12 meetings over his effort in the opening race on Saturday’s Derby day program in which he dead-heated for third on Horrifying…. Read More »
So relaxed was Koby Jennings when he took the call from Godolphin to ride Colette in the $7.5 million Golden Eagle, trainer James Cummings figured the jockey was out fishing. It was that cool and calm demeanour that helped Jennings handle the occasion of riding in Sydney’s second richest race… Read More »
Premier trainer Chris Waller continued his good record in the Cantala Stakes when Yulong Prince gave him his fourth win in the Group One race. Only the legendary Bart Cummings with six victories has trained more winners of the famous 1600 metre feature at Flemington. The victory was also a… Read More »
The Adelaide-trained Gytrash has produced a withering finish to win the $1 million Yes Yes Yes Stakes at Rosehill. Starting a $3.60 favourite, the five-year-old gelding overcame fellow Everest runner Haut Brion Her ($3.70) by a neck with Imaging ($10) a further 2-1/4 lengths away third. The only other Everest… Read More »
In an amazing result, former AFL coach Denis Pagan has won the Victoria Derby with Johnny Get Angry just four months after saddling up his first runner as a trainer. The 73 year-old, who coached North Melbourne to win AFL premierships in 1996 and 1999, has had only 12 runners… Read More »
Trainer David Payne has continued his wonderful vein of form this spring with Costello upsetting his more fancied rivals to win the $500,000 Rosehill Gold Cup. The $40,000 yearling purchase took his earnings to just under $600,000 with Saturday’s victory and Payne was delighted that he struck a wet track… Read More »
Arguably one of the most improved horse in Australia, September Run has continued her affinity with Flemington to upstage the colts and geldings in the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes. Trainer Chris Waller sent September Run to Melbourne after she struggled to measure up against Sydney’s best fillies and the… Read More »
Champion jockey Damien Oliver has credited the win of outsider Shout The Bar in the Empire Rose Stakes to co-trainer Adrian Bott’s initiative to add blinkers. Oliver rode Shout The Bar in trackwork on Tuesday and said it wasn’t a confidence booster as she didn’t feel great in the lead-in… Read More »
Andreas Wohler has given himself a shot at a second Melbourne Cup triumph after Ashrun secured the final place in the field with a late-charging win in the Hotham Stakes. Wohler won the Melbourne Cup with the Australian Bloodstock-owned Protectionist in 2014 and Ashrun is set to take his place… Read More »
The last horse to complete the Hotham Stakes-Melbourne Cup double was Shocking in 2009. Brew in 2000 is the only other Hotham winner to claim the Cup in the past three decades. Until 2005, both first and second placegetters in the race were guaranteed a Cup start but since then… Read More »
The opening race proved to be a triumph for Lindsay Park as they provided the first two across the line with Crosshaven fending off stablemate Aysar who looked certain to beat him in the closing stages. Co-trainer Ben Hayes said he was thrilled they had quinellaed the event and the… Read More »
Enchanted Heart missed out on a berth in the Golden Eagle but she has provided connections with a consolation prize at Rosehill. The mare was second emergency and failed to gain a start in Saturday’s $7.5 million Golden Eagle but Enchanted Heart ($3 fav) proved too strong in the Schweppes… Read More »
Despite Victoria Quay winning the traditional lead-in race to the VRC Oaks, the Wakeful Stakes, she won’t be in action in the fillies classic at Flemington. Her trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy decided they wouldn’t pay up for the VRC Oaks as they thought she was too immature for the… Read More »
Group One winner Warning and mare Oceanex have been cleared to take their place in the Melbourne Cup after passing veterinary examinations. The pair had both been under injury clouds but were deemed fit when inspected by Racing Victoria vets on Friday. However, Warning will need to pass another health… Read More »
In-form mare Lyrical Girl has not ticked the wet track box but trainer Tony Gollan believes she can address that form anomaly at Doomben. Lyrical Girl will be attempting to make it four straight wins this campaign in the TAB Create Your Spring Calendar Handicap (1110m). The mare is by… Read More »
The quality of European formlines boasted by recent recruit Sound Of Cannons has given John O’Shea every reason to be optimistic about the import’s future in Australia. The four-year-old will make his debut for O’Shea in the $500,000 Rosehill Gold Cup (2000m) on Saturday after being purchased by Terry Henderson’s… Read More »
A week ago, Jordan Childs was starting to worry he’d be watching the Melbourne Cup 2020 from the grandstand but a few days later he received the news he had picked up the ride on Irish visitor Stratum Albion. Earlier this spring the heavyweight jockey was dumped as the rider… Read More »
Joe Pride is still smarting from Eduardo’s Everest disaster but thankfully the horse appears to be recovering more quickly than his trainer. Pride was adamant Eduardo was a genuine chance in the $15 million race but the sprinter turned in his worst performance for the stable after uncharacteristically scorching the… Read More »
