Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are looking forward to the return of unbeaten three-year-old Epimeles who will commence his Guineas campaign at Moonee Valley. A debut winner at Sandown last March and followed by a win at Listed level at Flemington the following month, Epimeles returns in the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m)… Read More »
Sydney-based rider Josh Parr will continue his association with Caballus when the entire steps out for the first time at Group 1 level. Trainer Bjorn Baker has sent the four-year-old to Melbourne for the Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday. Caballus has been stabled with Trent Busuttin and Natalie… Read More »
With Melbourne Cup entries now closed, David Hegan can get to work on finalising how much weight each horse will carry in this year’s $8.5 million Group 1 at Flemington. And Racing Victoria’s chief handicapper said competition for spots could be harder than any other of the post-Covid years. Total… Read More »
There might be pressure associated with taking over the training of a boom horse and Group One winner, but Annabel Neasham wouldn’t have it any other way. Neasham and her recently anointed training partner Rob Archibald will take the shackles of brilliant mare Amelia’s Jewel in the Tramway Stakes (1400m) at Randwick… Read More »
Leading Melbourne Cup contender Crystal Black will not travel to Australia after suffering a minor setback. The six-year-old, trained by Ger and Colin Keane, will be given a winter break instead. Crystal Black emerged as a strong Melbourne Cup prospect after winning the Group 3 Ballyroan Stakes at Leopardstown earlier… Read More »
Pride Of Jenni has shown an elevated temperature and minor blood abnormalities following her unplaced run in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes. Trainer Ciaron Maher revealed that blood tests indicated a possible minor virus, but the mare is already showing signs of improvement. Maher remains optimistic that the setback won’t… Read More »
If Oly’s Choice can kick off his upcoming campaign in the same blistering fashion as he finished his last, co-trainers Ben and Ben Pearce are in for an exciting ride. Oly’s Choice ran two placings from his first five starts when he last campaigned and arguably could have gone closer if… Read More »
Toby Edmonds Racing has been rebranded to E&M Racing following the formal announcement of the formation of the training partnership between Toby Edmonds and Stephen McLean. The new partnership will send out their first runner at the Sunshine Coast on Wednesday where they will have a good chance of putting… Read More »
There is a new look behind the scenes at the stable of multiple premiership winning trainer Robert Heathcote as the seasoned campaigner pushes forward into the new season. “There has been restructuring to a degree,” explained Heathcote. “I’ve got a new foreman … Jarred Coetzee. It’s not there yet but,… Read More »
The Ciaron Maher stable may not have the largest number of entries for the Melbourne Cup, but it has a mix of horses already in Australia along with those to travel from Europe. Nominations closed on Tuesday for the Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington on November 5, with Maher entering 16… Read More »
A total of 123 horses have been nominated for the 2024 Melbourne Cup, with 103 local and 20 international contenders in the mix. Among the notable trainers, Anthony and Sam Freedman lead a strong squad including 2023 winner Without A Fight, while Chris Waller has a record 21 horses nominated,… Read More »
From the moment Rains brought Set The Scene across to join his stable he’s had his eyes firmly fixed on winning the Carnarvon Cup and after his six-length romp in the Peter Evans Memorial Handicap (1700m), his goal appears within reach. Getting to Carnarvon’s pinnacle race has been a year in… Read More »
A total of 123 horses are officially in with a chance of winning this year’s Melbourne Cup after entries for this year’s $8.5 million race were revealed on Tuesday afternoon. Defending champion Without A Fight heads a list of 103 locally-trained entries, while 20 horses trained overseas were paid-up for the… Read More »
Moonee Valley track manager Marty Synan was happy to see the strong winds disappear ahead of track gallops in the lead up to the Group 1 Moir Stakes meeting. Synan said had those gallops been scheduled for Monday morning instead of Tuesday, they would not have gone ahead as part… Read More »
Singapore – Take two. That will be the play-sheet for jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor this Saturday with the young rider having picked up a very good ride on the Tim Fitzsimmons trained Golden Monkey in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth 11 Cup at Kranji. Earlier this year Wilson-Taylor was ready to… Read More »
Mixed martial arts fighter Jack Jenkins will be more than a casual observer when Group 1 action returns to Moonee Valley on Saturday. The Group 1 Moir Stakes (1000m) is the main race on Saturday’s card, and while Jenkins will be keeping a keen eye on that action, his main… Read More »
For owner Kevin Payne, the Group 1 Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley will be the spring shaping race for his high-quality mare Estriella. The 1000m sprint on Saturday will show Payne whether the four-time winner from eight career starts has made the step from three-year-old company to tackling older horses in… Read More »
El Castello has form around the pronounced favourite for the Caulfield Guineas and a colt many consider a leading Cox Plate contender, but that has not stopped Anthony Cummings from pinpointing an off-Broadway start to the campaign. The son of Castelvecchio will have his first start as a three-year-old in Wednesday’s $100,000… Read More »
After initial hesitancy from connections, Iowa has rubber-stamped his incursion into WA racing and ominously hovers over the upcoming Kalgoorlie carnival after another successful performance at Belmont on Saturday. Validating Darby Racing’s presence in Perth, the Galileo seven-year-old, with apprentice Luke Campbell aboard, proved too talented and too strong for his… Read More »
Darren Weir’s pre-training operation in central Victoria will shut down on September 9, 2024, following a ruling by the Victorian Racing Tribunal (VRT) on Monday. Weir’s legal representative, Ian Hill, KC, confirmed that Weir is prepared to start his two-year disqualification immediately, with a seven-day stay in place. Judge John… Read More »
