Day: 2 February 2023

Doubles for Purton, Ho, Shum and Yiu as Man looks to Centenary Sprint Cup

AAP

E Legend continues Manfred Man’s strong recent run. Seeking elite success with Lucky Sweynesse in the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin this weekend, Manfred Man laid down a positive marker at Happy Valley on Wednesday night with E Legend’s success. Providing Man with his ninth victory since the start of January – and 21st of the campaign – E Legend claimed the second section of the Class 4 Oi Kwan Handicap (1650m) for Zac Purton as a positive omen ahead of Sunday’s feature meeting when Man…

Sandown racing preview & quaddie tips | February 4, 2023

AAP

What Sandown Races Where Sandown Racecourse – 591-659 Princes Hwy, Springvale VIC 3171 When Saturday, February 4, 2023 First Race 12:35pm AEDT Visit Ladbrokes Metropolitan racing in Melbourne heads to the Hillside track at Sandown on Saturday afternoon for a nine-race program. Highlighted by the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes and Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes, the meeting is littered with plenty of good horses as the Autumn Carnival inches closer and closer. We expect a firm track despite intermittent showers forecast for Melbourne’s south-east in the lead-up, meaning we should…

Randwick best bets, top odds & quaddie | Saturday, February 4

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What Randwick Races Where Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 When Saturday, February 4, 2023 First Race 12:20pm AEDT Visit Ladbrokes We’re back racing at Randwick on Saturday afternoon for a mammoth 10-race program that is set to be run and won. There’s plenty of feature racing as we find out more about the two-year-old crop with the Listed Lonhro Plate. We’ll also be seeing some key three-year-olds returning to the track in the Group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes. We should be racing under picture-perfect conditions at…

Randwick-Kensington best bets & quaddie tips | February 3, 2022

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What Kensington Races Where Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 When Friday, February 3, 2023 First Race 3:20pm AEDT Visit Ladbrokes We’ve got twilight racing heading onto the Kensington circuit at Randwick Racecourse on Friday afternoon for a competitive seven-race program. The track is currently listed as a Soft 6; however, we should see plenty of sunshine hitting the racecourse in the lead up to the meeting, so expect an upgrade closer to a Good 4. The rail has moved out +3m the entire circuit and as…

Uplifting Second Session of Book 2

NZRacingDesk

A buoyant day of selling concluded Day Two of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 2 Sale, with the clearance rate lifting significantly off the back of the opening session.  International flavour was present in the Sir Patrick Hogan Auditorium yet again, with Hong Kong responsible for purchasing four of the top five lots. NZB Bloodstock Executive Kane Jones was heartened by the lifting of key sale indicators at the end of Day Two. “There was a positive vibe in the auction ring throughout selling today, right from the first lot walking in…

Hong Kong active on second day of Book 2

NZRacingDesk

Hong Kong buyers were active on day two of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 2 yearling sale, with four of the five top lots sold earmarked for the Asian racing jurisdiction. Topping the list was lot 922, the Sweynesse colt out of Kilgravin Lodge’s draft, who was purchased by bloodstock agent John Foote on behalf of Hong Kong clients for $140,000. “He is by Sweynesse who is a very popular horse in Hong Kong and he is very good-looking, black horse, so he really looked the part,” Foote said. “He is…

Weather puts Sydney on radar for smart filly

NZRacingDesk

A lucrative Plan B might come into play for stakes-winning filly Polygon (NZ) (Highly Recommended) with connections considering a trip to Australia for the in-form three-year-old. A start for the daughter of Highly Recommended in Friday’s Gr.2 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas (2000m) is highly uncertain with the Te Rapa track currently offering a heavily rain-affected surface after a period of atrocious weather. Trainer Lance Noble said the odds looked against the Cambridge Stud-bred and raced Polygon taking her place and the weather outlook for Waikato was also far from encouraging.…

Mirabelli bringing a different kind of storm to Taranaki

NZRacingDesk

Cambridge trainer Paul Mirabelli will head south to New Plymouth with a more welcoming storm on Saturday. His promising juvenile filly Firestorm (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) will target the Gr.3 Platinum Homes New Plymouth Taranaki 2YO Classic (1200m) at just her second start. The daughter of Satono Aladdin impressed when winning over 1000m on debut and Mirabelli has been pleased with her subsequent progress. He said this weekend’s distance is well short of her best, but he expects her to be competitive against an even line-up of fillies, which includes Listed…

‘Elite’ Vic lights up Launceston

Editor BOAY

Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mark Delbridge is expecting significant improvement from classy youngsters Elite Alex and Ailee Bale as he chases more silverware in Saturday night’s Group 2 Launceston Cup Final (515m). Elite Alex, Ailee Bale and kennelmate Landyn Bale all contested Monday night’s heats of the $60,000 to-the-winner Cup without the benefit of trialling at Launceston and after enduring an 11-hour boat trip. Elite Alex, a superbly bred March ’21 son of Fernando Bale and Suffragette, winner of the G2 Launching Pad in 2017, started $1.85 favourite in his heat…

The Stir Up featuring Boo Boo Billy, Baby Jaycee and Rejuvenate

Editor BOAY

GRV’s Gerard Guthrie and Trent Langskaill provide their thoughts on some of the star greyhounds racing in Victoria.   Keep an eye on these, they are worth saving in your WatchDog Blackbook!   Gerard  We hope Quilts is enjoying a week of relaxation, Trent, as we highlight the star Victorian chasers racing all around Australia over the next few nights. Trent  Let’s start in the Sunshine State, Gerard, because trainer David Burnett is hoping to secure more Queensland success this evening. Gerard  I chatted with David a couple of days ago and…