After undergoing Achilles surgery late in 2021, lightly raced Panama Canal completed a remarkable return to racing at Healesville, when clocking the third fastest time ever recorded over 300m on February 27. Making his first appearance since October 10 and having his first start for new trainer Jessica Hopkins and owner Nicholas Cutri, Panama Canal had won two of his three starts prior to being sidelined. Just one week after Kepal had broken Healesville’s 300m record, clocking 16.21sec to eclipse Matt’s Entity’s previous benchmark of 16.22sec, Panama Canal made a…
Month: March 2022
‘Idolising’ Idolize
Flying femme Idolize headlined four winners – in the space of a thrilling 85 minutes – for Devon Meadows husband-and-wife team Peter and Natalie Presutto at Shepparton on the weekend. Idolize ($2.10F) claimed a $10,000 winner’s purse in the Matchmakers final (450m) defeating Devine Empress ($3.40) by 2.5 lengths, with Barista Chick ($11.10) a further 0.7 lengths away third in a slick 25.06sec. Winner of the G1 National Futurity and G2 Laurels and runner-up in the G1 Temlee, Idolize (Jan ’20 My Redeemer x Hightan) notched her 11th win from 20…
Country Championships
OddsBookmakersPast Winners Country Championships Betting Guide Date: Saturday, April 2, 2022 Location: Royal Randwick Racecourse Prize Money: $500,000 Distance: 1400m The Country Championships is a special conditions race over 1400m held at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Day 1 of The Championships each year. Held alongside some of the best races in the country, such as the Doncaster Handicap, TJ Smith Stakes, Australian Derby and the Sires Produce Stakes, the Country Championships is always a strong betting race. First held in 2015, the Country Championships is limited to gallopers trained in…
Anethole & Commando Hunt qualify for Country Championships Final
Two more horses have booked their place in the $500,000 Country Championships Final at Randwick on April 2. Anethole ($9), trained by Cody Morgan, took out Sunday’s $150,000 Hunter & North West Qualifier (1400m) on his home track at Tamworth, a long neck in front of Commando Hunt ($11) who stormed home on the Heavy 8 track to also secure his place in the final for Scone’s Cameron Crockett. After a wide run, favourite Banju ($3.70) was half a length away in third. Anethole, ridden by Sydney apprentice Tom Sherry,…
Canterbury racing preview & best bets | Wednesday, March 9
What Canterbury Races Where Canterbury Park Racecourse – King St, Canterbury NSW 2193 When Wednesday, March 9, 2022 First Race 1:45pm AEDT Watch Live Streaming Live at Sportsbet Midweek metropolitan racing in New South Wales has been transferred from Randwick-Kensington to Canterbury Park on Wednesday due to heavy rainfall. The track at Canterbury isn’t much better, however, as it is rated a Heavy 10 at the time of writing. Our NSW racing analyst brings you his best bets and quaddie numbers for the eight-race program, which is set to jump…
Bowman to replace Dolan on Profondo in Rosehill Guineas
Group 1 winner Profondo will have a new rider in the Rosehill Guineas, as connections have advised that Hugh Bowman will take over from Robbie Dolan. The $1.9 million yearling resumed as favourite in Saturday’s Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington, but after wobbling around the bend and copping a tough run in transit, the Richard Litt-trained colt dropped out to run 13th, 8.5 lengths behind Hitotsu. Irish hoop Dolan has done all of the riding on Profondo in his four career starts and in all trials, but the stable will…
Home Affairs heads nominations for Flemington on Saturday
Home Affairs ridden by James McDonald wins the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes at Flemington Racecourse on February 19, 2022. (Pat Scala/Racing Photos) It looks to be an exciting day’s racing ahead with plenty of promising gallopers nominated in what will be the second leg of the Flemington triple-header this Saturday. Racing HQ will host eight stakes races including two Group 1 features, the Australian Cup (2000m) and online bookmakers to take out this year’s running of the Newmarket Handicap. The Chris Waller-trained colt is coming off a first-up victory in…
Elephant out of All-Star Mile
New Zealand’s sole representative in the A$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington on March 19 is out. A bone chip has been found in the knee of Group Three winner Elephant (NZ) (Shocking) and trainers David and Emma-Lee Browne have elected to bypass the rich feature with the son of Shocking. “He has just got a chip in his knee, it is a fairly minor operation to get done,” Emma-Lee Browne said. “He was just a little bit off, so we got him checked out. It was just really…
Australian interest high early on Day One at Karaka
Australian interest in the quality New Zealand horseflesh on offer during the New Zealand National Yearling Sale was high early on the first day of selling with many familiar names featuring on the results page. Agents representing trainers such as Chris Waller, Danny O’Brien, Henry Dwyer and John O’Shea were all part of the early buying action, however, it was Tony Fung who headed the pack under his TFI banner as his on-site representative Kacy Fogden went to $425,000 to secure Lot 18, a Lonhro colt out of the Curraghmore…
Melbourne Cup aspirations for Derby hero
Trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott are eyeing a tilt at the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) in spring with Asterix (NZ) (Tavistock) after his victory in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on Saturday. The son of Tavistock took out the $1 million feature after a light preparation and his conditioners have elected to send him to the spelling paddock to give him time to mature ahead of spring. “Andrew and I sat down with one of the part-owners, Sam Kelt, this morning and Sam’s dream has always…