Month: September 2023

2023 The Metropolitan Results: Just Fine Narrowly Wins For Punters

AAP

Favourite backers were given a fright in the Group 1 $750,000 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick on Saturday with the heavily-backed favourite Just Fine only just getting to the line in the final stride to salute at an odds-on quote of $1.75. 2023 The Metropolitan winner Just Fine is Melbourne Cup-bound this spring. Photo: Steve Hart. The European expat has now won three-from-three down under with Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott after fighting off the front-running Spirit Ridge ($41) who was huge nearly stealing the show in The Metropolitan on…

2023 Epsom Handicap Winner Rediener Wins for Waller & O’Hara

AAP

Jockey Kathy O’Hara enjoyed her third career Group 1 lunging late in a thrilling 2023 Epsom Handicap result to secure the mile classic aboard the in-form Chris Waller-trained Rediener. 2023 Epsom Handicap winner Rediener handed Waller his fifth win in the mile classic. Photo: Steve Hart. Four-year-old Rediener went around as an underrated $9.50 hope in this year’s Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (1600m) despite a last start win fresh in the Group 3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) on September 16. He franked that form with a lovely on-speed…

Just Fine just gets there in cracking finish to Metropolitan

AAP

Rachel King lifts Just Fine to a narrow victory in the Group 1 Metropolitan. Photo: Racing NSW Just Fine (-133.33) was backed as if unbeatable in the Group 1 Metropolitan, but there would have been a few stressful moments in the home straight for favourite backers as he just got the better of roughie Spirit Ridge (+4000) in the final strides. After very impressive wins at both of his first two starts in Australia, the ex-European opened as a very short favourite with most online bookmakers on Wednesday and held…

Waller quinellas Epsom as Rediener, Kovalica fight out finish

AAP

Rediener under Kathy O’Hara claims the Group 1 Epsom Handicap. Photo: Racing NSW Chris Waller has trained his fifth Epsom Handicap winner, with Rediener (+900) getting the better of stablemate Kovalica (+900) in another close photo finish in the second of three Group 1 contests at Randwick. After drawing barrier two, Kathy O’Hara was able to settle her four-year-old gelding behind the speed and steer him through a gap late to finish off strong and hold off the fast-finishing Kovalica, with Joao Moreira getting everything out of the Queensland Derby…

Think About It holds on in cracking edition of Premiere Stakes

AAP

Think About It (inside) returned a winner in the Group 2 Premiere Stakes at Randwick. Photo: Racing NSW Think About It (-117.65) has continued his extraordinary winning run by claiming the Group 2 Premiere Stakes at Randwick, which has seen his career record improve to 10 wins from 11 starts. After being sent around as an odds-on favourite with online bookmakers, punters that took the short odds would have been worried when the runner-up Hawaii Five Oh (+750) charged at the leader in the final 100m, but as winners do,…

Tropical Squall goes all the way in Flight Stakes

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Adam Hyeronimus guides Tropical Squall to a dominant win in the Group 1 Flight Stakes. Photo: Racing NSW Tropical Squall (+800) has led from barrier to winning post in the Group 1 Flight Stakes, giving jockey Adam Hyeronimus his second Group 1 victory and trainers Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott their third Flight Stakes success as a training partnership. After jumping the best of any runner in the race, the daughter of Prized Icon took up the lead without any challenge and was allowed to run the race at her…

New Zealand-bred quinella in Randwick opener

NZRacingDesk

The opening race on a star-studded card at Randwick on Saturday was dominated by New Zealand-breds, with Loving Cilla and Philipsburg running first and second in the A$120,000 Midway Handicap (1800m). Loving Cilla was an unlucky third in a similar race over 1600m at Randwick two weeks earlier, having struggled to obtain clear running down the straight. There were no such concerns on Saturday, with jockey Tyler Schiller taking the seven-year-old back to second-last before bringing her down the outside with an irresistible finishing burst. Philipsburg kicked through on her…

Mustang Valley claims a second Hawkes Bay Group One

NZRacingDesk

A year on from a breakthrough spring campaign that announced her arrival on the Group One stage, Mustang Valley did it again in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Hastings on Saturday. The daughter of Vanbrugh began last season with a rating of 70, but a spectacular five-length romp on the opening day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival thrust her into the spotlight. In her next three starts, she won the Gr.3 Metric Mile (1600m), ran a strong-finishing second in the Arrowfield Stud Plate and romped home by…

Financier delivers a return

NZRacingDesk

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh was thrilled to see his consistent four-year-old Financier return to the winner’s circle in the Collier’s Commercial HB Premier (1400m) at Hastings on Saturday. The lightly-raced son of Tavistock settled midfield on the fence under a no-panic ride by Opie Bosson, and cruised through the field rounding the home turn to burst into contention at the 150m mark. Financier had been caught late when placing second to Jimmysstar on the first day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival but wasn’t to be denied on Saturday holding…

Lantern leads the way in Guineas

NZRacingDesk

All eyes were on standout Satono Aladdin gelding Tokyo Tycoon in the lead-up to Saturday’s Gr.2 Animal Health Direct Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Hastings, but another son of the same stallion stepped out of his shadow and stole the show. Lantern Way shook free of his maiden status with a stunning upset win, defying 20-to-one odds in outstanding style. While Tokyo Tycoon’s wheels were spinning in the Heavy9 track and he struggled to make an impression from midfield down the straight, Lantern Way launched a powerful finish from third-last…