So who is Australia’s Champion 2YO? With pretty much just the Brisbane Winter Carnival left of the juvenile season, one must emerge as the Champion, and alongside of it, the Champion Male and Champion Female. And unless someone jumps out of the woodwork and lands a couple of Gr 1s… Read More »
Plenty of stallion news has surfaced and here is the latest. The blockbuster news was the release of the Widden Stud stallion roster and Trapeze Artist (Snitzel-Treppes) debuts at a staggering, no wait , whopping $99,000. To bring how ambitious that price is into perspective, his sire Snitzel hasn’t left… Read More »
With Winx retiring comes the obvious question: who will she go to first? Lots of social media comments have Justify, American Pharoah and Snitzel high on the list. Personally, I think she grew rather fond of staring at The Autumn Sun during training and that relationship should be consummated. But… Read More »
We know Winx is a freak of nature. We know what she did two starts ago against a very determined and brave superstar in Happy Clapper and then backed it up winning with absolute ease against some decent up and coming horses in the likes of Brutal and Dreamforce. We… Read More »
Winx has left us all with myriad memories. All good. Some even spectacular. And she should again in the Gr 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday. But in real life terms, in reality, in hard copy version, in something tangible we can all keep, from her race track days, I’m… Read More »
With the seemingly hundreds of million dollar babies selling at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney this week, it’s a great time to reflect on the values of Aussie horses. Many people of course caught up with the wave of emotion surrounding the champion mare, will have her placed… Read More »
Ok, here is the update on the Santa Anita track, the world of horse racing in general, and what will probably take place. And it’s not a pretty picture. Santa Anita is the tipping point for change in our sport whether we like it or not. And as sure as… Read More »
When racing stopped at the famed Santa Anita course in March, following the deaths of 22 horses over a scant few weeks, the why and hows started immediately. The owner of the track, The Stronach Group, when finally allowing racing to return three weeks later, after every possible thing was… Read More »
Almond Eye storms away from the field then under persuasion, she hangs on to impressively win the Gr 1 Dubai Turf over 1800m on Sunday morning. Everyone raved about it and yes, it was outstanding, probably even awesome. The time was good, the way she won was grand sitting 3-deep… Read More »
So the answer to the question: what 5 things would improve racing in Australia, rests with the answerer’s perspective. Is it a punting viewpoint he/she is coming from? Or an owners, or a trainers? As I’m an owner and a punter, I’m going to address the question from toset perspectives…. Read More »
Ask yourself this: what is the one thing, the very most earnest of racing things you’d like to see happen? Keep the answer in your mind for a moment. The saga of this question begins with one of those facts that is so big and so obvious (like Uluru), that… Read More »
Late last year in France, the governing body for horse racing, France Galop, decided to allow female riders a 2kg weight allowance EVERY time they rode in a race. This was for all females, not just apprentices, and the hope was the ladies would receive more rides. Which has happened…. Read More »
On March 16th we will see the inaugural running of the $5m All Star Mile at Flemington but unfortunately the name doesn’t truly reflect the quality of race. The name All Star Mile suggests racing fans will get to watch the best milers or thereabouts battle it out for a… Read More »
In Hong Kong Beauty Generation is the best race horse. He’s so good he’s a deadset national superstar. No question, and he showed it again leading all the way at Gr 1 level in super fast time at Sha Tin last weekend. Champion jockey Zac Purton regularly rides him and… Read More »
The current $5 All Star Mile vote leader and one of the key horses in markets is unlikely to line-up in the inaugural event which has put further pressure on the quality the race is set to attract. The Chris Waller trained The Autumn Sun who currently leads $5m All… Read More »
As a boy growing up in the racing industry, many things appealed to my imagination. One of them was this: what would happen if a field one week, backed up and all raced again 2 weeks later? Would we get the same result? Would class shine through? Well, with the re-opening… Read More »
The chances of Yucatan racing against Yucatan increased a fair bit yesterday, although still unlikely. And as it did, race caller Terry McAuliffe made a faux pas that raised eyebrows. In short, the Aussie-bred Yucactan (Domesday-Folk Rock) strolled in at Strathalbyn in Adelaide, winning as he liked by nearly 4 lengths… Read More »
Racing NSW CEO Peter V’landys must get out of bed and just give thanks every day. Because everything he and his Board seem to rubber stamp comes up trumps, while conversely, Racing Victoria keeps getting slammed. Regumate being the latest. Until Racing Victoria sees fit to recognise that fillies and… Read More »
Potential. We see and hear about it all the time in horse racing. From pub talk to racing experts raising their eyebrows as they speak like they know, they alone see the future saying such prose as – “Oh this horse has the potential to be anything.” And this, “He’s… Read More »
Boom colt Kementari could be set to take on Champion mare Winx in this weekends Group One Winx Stakes at Randwick. Godolphin have opted to make Kementari a late nomination for the first Group One of the new season which would see their prized colt line-up against Champion mare Winx… Read More »
