One time Melbourne Cup (3200m) favourite Surprise Baby (NZ) (Shocking) will return to Flemington on Saturday to contest another Group One feature, the Australian Cup (2000m). The son of Shocking has had just two runs since finishing 13th in the 2020 Melbourne Cup, resuming just over a year later at Caulfield for just the one run in spring, finishing ninth in the Gr.3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1400m). “He would have been 15 or 16 months without a run had he not had that run. He had three weeks in the…
Month: March 2022
Late Auckland Cup tilt for Mohaka
The connections of Mohaka (NZ) (Nadeem) are hoping she can repay their faith on Sunday after they made the late nomination payment for the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie this weekend. The six-year-old mare has been in good form of late, placing behind Waisake (NZ) (Zed) in the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m) in January before running fourth in the Gr.3 Taranaki Cup (2000m) last month. But it was the way she ran home to finish third in the Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) last start that convinced…
Te Akau’s youthful juggernaut rolls on to Sistema
Te Akau has been the all-conquering force in New Zealand juvenile racing for some time and they have another Group One two-year-old title firmly in their sights at Ellerslie this weekend. The Matamata operation has claimed the last six editions of the Karaka Million 2YO Classic and sent out the last four winners of the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). Exciting Almanzor colt Dynastic continued Te Akau’s domination of the Karaka Million with his last-start victory and he will head a three-pronged attack on this Sunday’s running of the Sistema. He…
Field of Dreams
Life’s “emotional rollercoaster” took Avalon trainer Michelle Mallia and Corio owner Matthew “Matty” Field on a ‘wild ride’ at Shepparton on the weekend. They were in a metaphoric ‘front carriage’ that took them to the pursuit of happiness when Matt’s Hope (Mar ’20 Cosmic Rumble x Hope’s Thunder) – named after Field who suffers from spina bifida – won the Shepparton Classic final (450m). Matt’s Hope ($9.40) snared a $10,000 first prize defeating Mallia-trained litter brother In A Blue ($35.90) – owned by Billy McRae – by 1.2L, with Brewski…
The Follow Files: Raging Bull shows Australian Derby credentials
The weekend just gone had it all – Nature Strip got rolled by Shelby Sixtysix, Anamoe went down, Zaaki went down, and Profondo only beat two runners home. Despite a bit of a tough day for favourite punters, it was a quality day of racing with plenty of future winners to come out of the meetings at Randwick and Flemington. We hope to find you a few horses that can replicate the feats of Converge, who took out the Randwick Guineas after we suggested adding him to your blackbook following…
Freedman brothers to dissolve training partnership on April 1
Just days after claiming their third Group 1 together, brothers Richard & Michael Freedman have announced that they are set to dissolve their training partnership from April 1. The Freedmans enjoyed success at the highest level on Saturday in the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes as Forbidden Love romped in to give the stable a third Group 1 win together. The star mare won the training pair their first Group 1 title 12 months ago in the Surround Stakes, before the now-retired Stay Inside took out the 2021 Golden Slipper in…
Punters flocking to Warne’s Sacred Oath in Ipswich maiden
It may only be a $37,000 Maiden Plate, but all eyes will be on race two at Ipswich on Wednesday as the late, great Shane Warne’s colt Sacred Oath steps out. The Australian cricketing legend tragically passed away last Friday night, aged 52, so there is sure to be plenty of interest in the David Vandyke-trained three-year-old. ‘Warnie’ is one of 20 registered owners in Sacred Oath, a colt by Sacred Falls who has had just one career start, finishing second on debut at Doomben on February 16. Sacred Oath…
Overpass skipping Newmarket for Arrowfield Sprint run
Joshua Parr returns to the mounting yard aboard Overpass after winning the Inglis Sprint at Flemington. (Reg Ryan/Racing Photos) After a brilliant win in Saturday’s $750,000 Inglis Sprint (1200m) at Flemington, trainer Bjorn Baker says Overpass will skip this weekend’s Newmarket Handicap and return to Sydney. The three-year-old was heavily backed in the sprint feature on Saturday, doing enough to defeat a game Spellcatcher over the 1200m, but despite the strength of the victory, the winning trainer isn’t going to look to repeat the dose on March 12. Overpass has…
Ray Darby – still a goal-scorer nearly 60 years on
by Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk At 81, Patumahoe-based trainer Ray Darby is still kicking goals. Fifty eight years ago he scored twice for Mt Roskill to secure a 3-1 win in the 1964 Chatham Cup final at the Basin Reserve. Now, he’s just achieved another milestone. He had his 50th win as a trainer when Neymar, a horse appropriately named after a footballing superstar, won an amateur drivers’ race at Cambridge Raceway last week (March 2). “It was a real thrill,” says Darby, “I was by the stables…
Sandown Hillside betting tips & odds | Wednesday, March 9
What Sandown Hillside Races Where Sandown Racecourse – 591-659 Princes Hwy, Springvale VIC 3171 When Wednesday, March 9, 2022 First Race 2:30pm AEDT Watch Live Streaming Live at Sportsbet HorseBetting’s Victorian racing analyst brings you his top tips and quaddie numbers for yet another Wednesday afternoon meeting on the Hillside track at Sandown. The track is rated a Soft 5 and the rail is out some 13m for the entire circuit, which is almost certain to favour on-speed runners. The first of nine races is set to get underway at…