Month: November 2024

Last year’s Melbourne Cup Day concluded in success for Mark Walker in the Gr.3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m), a race he will chase back-to-back crowns in on Tuesday with Kiwi mare Quintessa (NZ) (Shamus Award). Walker won the mare’s feature with Group One winner Skew Wiff, a memory he looks back on fondly. “It’s massive to win any race on Melbourne Cup Day, the atmosphere is electric with 100,000 people there, so it would be nice to get a winner this year if we can,” he said. Walker…

The Subzero Handicap (1400m), a race solely for registered grey thoroughbreds, has proven to be a fan favourite at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day, and this year, Kiwis will have their own grey to barrack for. Popular grey gelding Chattahoochee (NZ) (Reliable Man) has developed a cult following back in New Zealand where he has won six races and was runner-up in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) earlier this year for Te Awamutu trainer Debbie Sweeney. The son of Reliable Man was building towards a trip across the Tasman this preparation,…

Te Akau and Fortuna Racing’s filly Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) proved she is among Australia’s top sprinting three-year-olds last Saturday at Flemington, finishing second in the A$2 million Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m). The daughter of Star Witness was a Group Two winner during her juvenile term in New Zealand, but since relocating across to Mark Walker’s Cranbourne stable this season, she has gone to a new level with victories in the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes (1100m), Gr.3 Scarborough Stakes (1200m) and Gr.2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m). Her impeccable form gave Walker…

Grant Cooksley came tantalisingly close to getting his hands on the Melbourne Cup as a jockey, and he is hoping to rectify that on Tuesday as a trainer when he lines-up Trust In You (NZ) (Sweynesse) in the two-mile feature. The South Auckland horseman rode in several editions of the time-honoured race, including a runner-up performance behind Kingston Rule in 1990 aboard the Murray Baker-trained The Phantom. This week Cooksley, who trains in partnership with Bruce Wallace, will have his chance to go one better in the race courtesy of…

Pre-post favourite Habana (Zoustar) will head into unfamiliar territory at Ellerslie, but there is confidence in his camp that it will be a smooth transition. The six-year-old has fashioned an impressive record up to 1600m and will step out of his comfort zone for the first time on Tuesday when he runs in the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m). All the key indicators strongly suggest the son of Zoustar will be just as effective over more ground, which will also be very much to the liking of his stablemate and race…