Horse Racing News
Spangler gets a Little Cup day joy
Twelve months after winning the inaugural Big Dance with Rustic Steel, Kris Lees has returned to add the Little Dance to his CV with smart gelding Spangler. While considered a consolation race for horses who don’t make the $3 million Big Dance (1600m) field, the Little Dance (1600m) boats a prizemoney purse...
Kelley full of Beans after the Barn Dance
Bad barriers have thwarted I’ve Bean Tryin’ this preparation and while his run of outside alleys continued at Randwick, he was finally able to overcome it. The gelding jumped from gate 13 of 14 in the $250,000 Barn Dance (1300m) on Tuesday and after settling with the backmarkers, Jason Collett brought him...
Melbourne Cup return on Willie Mullins radar
Irish trainer Willie Mullins vows he will be back for another shot at the Melbourne Cup despite his two runners finishing out of the placings at Flemington on Tuesday. Absurde ($9) was the best finisher of the pair, running seventh, 5-½ lengths from the winner Without A Fight while Vauban, who was...
Sam joins Freedman family’s Melbourne Cup tradition
The Freedman family’s connection with the Melbourne Cup stretches back beyond when Sam Freedman was born in February 1996. The son of Anthony, who was part of the FBI – Freedman Brothers Incorporated – that first tasted Melbourne Cup success with Tawrrific when Anthony’s brother Lee was steering the ship in 1989. The...
Thousand Guineas next stop in winning Roll
Katherine Coleman has always known Roll On High was a filly with above-average ability and now the rest of the world does too after she charged into Thousand Guineas contention at Flemington on Tuesday. The daughter of Shamus Award now occupies a place on the second line of betting on the Group 1 at...
McEvoys double down in Maribyrnong Plate
Race experience was to the fore in Tuesday’s Maribyrnong Plate, when Dublin Down edged out his stablemate Blue Stratum, and trainer Calvin McEvoy is now even more excited about what the future might hold for the pair. The Ballarat horseman, who trains in partnership with his father Tony, is confident both horses...
Without A Fight wins the 2023 Melbourne Cup
Imported galloper Without A Fight has etched his name into the history books by taking out the 163rd running of the Melbourne Cup at Flemington. Brought out to Australia for last year’s Melbourne Cup under UK trainers Simon and Ed Crisford, Without A Fight was not suited on the wet conditions, fading to finish 13th behind Gold...
Attractable triumphs in the $3m Big Dance
When owners Domeland first asked Sara Ryan if she would be their private trainer just over a year ago, she questioned their sanity. But the 29-year-old, who prepares a boutique team of 23 on the NSW Central Coast, is proving Domeland’s judgement to be spot on. After qualifying Attractable for the Melbourne Cup Day...
Punters plunge on Melbourne Cup favourites stablemate
Since arriving in Melbourne in September, Melbourne Cup favourite Vauban’s stablemate, Absurde, was generally out of the conversation in local racing circles as a genuine winning chance for Tuesday’s 163rd edition of Australia’s most famous race. However, since the barrier draw on Saturday night, the ‘second-stringer’ has been the hot horse on...
Big weight for The Big Dance favourite
Matthew Dunn is confident the inform Cepheus can concede weight to all his rivals and win the $3 million Big Dance (1600m) after drawing barrier one for Tuesday’s feature at Randwick. Having qualified for the race in July when winning the South Grafton Cup carrying 62kg, Cepheus will carry the same weight at...
