‘Unbridled enthusiasm’ is the enduring memory from last year’s TAB Great Chase community day at Ballarat Greyhound Racing Club. More than 200 people from 14 community groups packed the Ballarat Function Centre, surrounded by balloons, face-painting, and food. For many of the groups present it was a welcome return; some have been attending the Great Chase days since they started in 2003, and more than one carer said it’s one of the resident’s favourite day out. Debbie, a carer from 2018’s winner and 2019’s second-placegetter Eureka Village Hostel, looks forward…
Year: 2020
Flashback: Bendigo Great Chase
The Bendigo Greyhound Racing Association is a pillar of its local community, with charity and community engagement events happening across the entire year. The Bendigo leg of the TAB Great Chase is one event on the calendar that nearly 100 community group members did not miss in 2019. Kalianna Specialist School has been coming to the Great Chase for many years and the staff and students wouldn’t miss it for the world. Josh, from Kalianna School, has been attending with his students for upwards of 10 years, and said the…
Smart Performances Conclude 2020 Breeze Ups
Day Two of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale Breeze Ups saw the final 126 two-year-olds sprint down the straight of Te Rapa Racecourse. A total of 255 horses breezed up across the two days, with the two-year-olds now heading to Karaka for NZB’s Ready to Run Sale on November 18 and 19. After a downpour of rain overnight and in the early hours of the morning, the track conditions for the second day of the Breeze Ups settled at a Slow 7 with the rail moved in…
Fownes sets Legend and Dragon against Golden Sixty in G2 Sha Tin Trophy
Championship leading trainer Caspar Fownes will launch a two-pronged assault on Sunday’s Gr.2 Oriental Watch Sha Tin Trophy Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin when Southern Legend (Not A Single Doubt) and Dances With Dragon (NZ) (Savabeel) take their places en route to December’s LONGINES Hong Kong International Races. While Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro) and Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock) are set to renew their rivalry, Fownes has his pair in the mix to topple the favoured duo. But Fownes admits Sunday’s task will be a difficult one for both…
Winx loses foal
Australia’s darling of the turf, Winx (Street Cry), lost her I Am Invincible foal overnight. “There are so many people involved in the Winx story from owners, staff past and present, to her many fans around the world,” former trainer Chris Waller said in a statement. “Our thoughts and attention at the moment are on Winx ensuring that she remains healthy, as anyone in this situation would respect. “It is a traumatic time for a mother and those involved and Winx is now the centre of our attention following the…
Belle a late entry for Livamol
Star mare Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), who was named New Zealand Horse of the Year for the second year in succession on Sunday night, will be out to land her 12th Group One victory when she contests the Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings on Saturday. Connections have paid a late-entry to supplement the Jamie Richards-trained mare for the third leg of the Hawke’s Bay Triple Crown, where she will once again do battle with stablemate Avantage. There was just a nose separating the pair last start, with Melody Belle prevailing…
Collett looking to climb lucrative mountain
Expat New Zealand jockey Jason Collett will be looking to figuratively follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Sir Edmund Hillary and summit Everest this weekend. While it won’t be 8,848m above sea level, Collett will feel like he is if he takes home a winning share of the rich A$15 million The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday. The in-form hoop will partner Gytrash in The Everest and he is happy with the Gordon Richards-trained Group One winner heading into the rich feature. “His work has been good and…
Livamol test for Tiptronic
Group One winner Tiptronic (NZ) (O’Reilly) bypassed the first two legs of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival and trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall are hoping a less travelled path will benefit him at Hastings on Saturday. The son of O’Reilly will line-up in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) after carrying big weights in his three lead-up runs. “I intended not to go down for the Windsor Park Plate (Gr.1, 1600m) because I thought it would be a hard race for him and it was a hard race for a…
‘Tears’ of joy
Victoria’s ‘special staying squadron’ made a clean sweep of the G3 Sydney Cup heats (720m) at Wentworth Park last night. The Rob Britton-trained Here’s Tear’s ($3.70) clocked the fastest heat time defeating Vic counterpart Sunset Bourbski ($1.70F) by three and a half lengths in 42.16sec. Here’s Tears has returned to the form which landed him the G1 Fanta Bale Super Stayers (725m) at The Meadows. He was also runner-up in the G1 Zoom Top and holds Sandown’s 715-metre track record (41.16sec). And just over 20 minute later, Britton saluted again…
TAB OFFER: Need for Speed
Here’s an AFL/Greys opportunity Cats fans will be quick to act upon. TAB is offering $7.00 about Geelong goalsneak Gary Rohan kicking 1+ goals against Collingwood tonight and Kialla-based sprinter Extra Speed winning at The Meadows greyhounds. Rohan has bagged 19 goals in 16 matches (an average of 1.2 goals per game) this season. The speedy forward has also averaged 8.4 disposals per match. Meanwhile, the Michael Carter-trained Extra Speed is contesting a $6540-to-the-winner Mixed 3/4 over 525m. She’s won three of her last four starts – the past two…