Month: April 2022

The boil-overs continued at Royal Randwick on Saturday with Matthew Smith’s mare Nimalee taking out the $1 million Queen of the Turf Stakes over the mile. The daughter of So You Think went around at $31.00 with Ladbrokes in the fillies and mares feature, only to showcase a devastating turn of foot in the concluding stages to race past the leader Annavisto. A patient ride from Damien Oliver, who won the Queen of the Turf in 2016 aboard Azkadellia, did the trick as the pair settled two back from the…

Bella Nipotina stretches out to win the Group 2 Sapphire Stakes. (Photo: Steve Hart) After a brave win in Saturday’s Group 2 Sapphire Stakes at Randwick, Bella Nipotina is likely to head to either Adelaide or Brisbane for her next run. The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained mare is twice placed at the highest level and a two-time Group 3 winner, but the four-year-old daughter of Pride Of Dubai can now add a Group 2 to her resume, after claiming the Sapphire by a short neck over Tricky Gal who…

Nimalee boots clear in Queen Of The Turf Stakes (Photo: Steve Hart) Nimalee’s brilliant victory in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes has given champion stallion So You Think a third Group 1 winner on Day Two of The Championships, while Damien Oliver has also surpassed George Moore’s Group 1 record as a rider. The Matthew Smith-trained five-year-old was gifted a terrific steer by Oliver in the 1600m fillies and mares Group 1 race, which saw her race away from Annavisto and a fast-finishing Icebath. 2022 QUEEN OF…

Think It Over comes down the outside running rail to win the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. (Photo: Steve Hart) It was only fitting that the race of the century was won by the “ride of the century”, which is exactly what Greg Radley coined Nash Rawiller’s The Championships had been highly anticipated by everyone with half a clue, and it did not disappoint, with a tactically brilliant ride from Nash Rawiller causing a boilover in the 2000m feature. Headlined by Verry Elleegant, Zaaki, Anamoe, Duais, Montefilia and two other Group 1…

Think It Over will go down in the record books as one of the greatest ever boil-over winners after claiming Saturday’s Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes – a race many regarded to be the best of the century, if not all-time. The 2000m staying feature attracted an elite field comprising of last year’s Melbourne Cup winner Verry Elleegant, last fortnight’s All-Star Mile winner Zaaki, and last-start Group 1 winners Montefilia, Duias, and Anamoe, but instead it was Kerry Parker’s six-year-old upsetting the lot at a whopping $41 price tag. The…

Knights Order has gapped his rivals to claim the 2022 Sydney Cup. Photo: Lisa Grimm A masterful front-running ride by Rachel King delivered Knight’s Order his maiden Group 1 victory, running his rivals into the ground in the Sydney Cup (3200m). The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained stayer was well supported in betting, firming into $8, while early favourite Stockman drifted from $4.80 out to $7.50 prior to the jump. Having drawn ideally in barrier one, the son of So You Think didn’t see another horse throughout the two mile…

A second Sydney Cup is heading the way of Gai Waterhouse following Knights Order’s win in Saturday’s prestigious $2 million staying race. The proven two-miler led all the way to take out the second Group 1 on Day 2 of The Championships, in large part due to Rachel King’s elite tactics aboard the firming $7.50 chance. The seven-year-old son of So You Think mapped to settle on speed, and it didn’t take long for him to find the front after getting away quickly from the inside draw. As expected, King…