Horse Racing News
Kah and Hickmott fire at Ballarat
South Australian trainer Michael Hickmott could not have asked for a better trip across the Victorian border, landing a treble at Ballarat. Hickmott took a team of three horses from his base at Murray Bridge – Togetherforever, Spirit Of Camelot and High Five – who were all successful in maiden class races on Wednesday’s...
Austin, Lees secure Final spots via Wildcard
Kris Lees will have five runners in the Provincial-Midway Championships Final after Willinga Freefall and Baltic Coast filled the placings behind the Jarrod Austin-trained Terra Mater in the Wildcard at Newcastle. All three placegetters have secured their spot in the $1 million finale on Saturday week, along with the qualifiers from six selected heats. The Lees duo...
Jockey Stefano Cherchi dies following injuries suffered in fall
Italian-born jockey Stefano Cherchi had died, two weeks after suffering head and internal injuries in a race fall at Canberra. The NSW Jockeys’ Association announced the devastating news on Wednesday on behalf of the 23-year-old’s family. “With deep sadness, the Cherchi family have announced their beloved son Stefano passed away peacefully today,”...
Japanese raider on song for the Doncaster Mile
Having collected the Golden Eagle in the spring, Japan’s Obamburumai is back in Sydney looking to add some more prize money to the coffers. Obamburumai banked $5.25 million for his win in the Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill last November and is in line for another $2.3 million if successful in the...
Shaiyhar ready to shine at Caulfield
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable held out high hopes for Shaiyhar ahead of last year’s Spring Carnival. The Irish-bred galloper who did his early racing in France, won twice over 2000m at Flemington in his first Australian campaign, but each time he when exposed to a longer distance he flopped when...
Joe Pride keeping faith in one-time 2024 Doncaster Mile favourite
Having successfully converted Private Eye from a Group One-winning miler into one of Australia’s best sprinters, Joe Pride will attempt the reverse with his Everest hero Think About It. Private Eye won the 2021 Epsom Handicap over the famous Randwick mile and wasn’t disgraced when stretched out to 2000m two starts later to...
G1 winner Attrition back after setback
TTrainer Mitchell Freedman had hoped to be in Sydney for the opening day of The Championships at Randwick rather than chasing another Stakes race at Caulfield. The Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m) had been the target for the Freedman-trained Attrition when the entire commenced his autumn campaign, but a setback after his first-up...
The wetter the better for Maher’s Bella in TJ Smith Stakes
Connections of Bella Nipotina have welcomed the forecast for heavy rain in Sydney ahead of her rematch with benchmark sprinter Imperatriz in the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick. Bella Nipotina has finished behind the Te Akau Racing star in all three starts this preparation but significantly, the runs have all been...
Orchestral bypassing Australian Derby for the Australian Oaks
An extra seven days between racing and the hope of a better weather forecast has led co-trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood to look to the Australian Oaks on the second day of The Championships rather than backing up in the ATC Australian Derby this Saturday. The three-year-old filly by Cox Plate-winning...
Annabel Neasham filly fresh and ready to Fly
Following the retirement of multiple Group 1 winner Zaaki, Annabel Neasham is looking to her next generation of carnival horses to step up to the plate, among them Light Fingers Stakes runner-up Learning To Fly. One of the best two-year-olds of her generation, the Justify filly spent nearly a year on the...
