Northerly Stakes 2024 Group 1 betting preview & tips | December 7

What 2024 Northerly Stakes Where Ascot Racecourse – Perth, Western Australia When Saturday, December 7, 2024 Prizemoney $1,500,000 Distance 1800m Conditions Weight For Age 2023 winner Dom To Shoot (1) | T: Sean & Jake Casey | J: Jarrad Noske (59kg) Visit Dabble The Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) will be the feature event on the nine-race card at Ascot this Saturday afternoon. With 18 runners accepting for the 16-horse contest, a full field is expected to take their place in the final Group 1 of the calendar year. Western…

Babylon Berlin set for Ellerslie Group 3 tilt

Babylon Berlin will contest Saturday’s Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Well-performed speed merchant Babylon Berlin will strip a fitter mare for Saturday’s assignment at Ellerslie. The daughter of All Too Hard will bid to add to her impressive black-type sprinting record when she steps out in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1200m), a race she won in 2022. Babylon Berlin opened her current preparation in convincing fashion when she romped away with the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) at Te Rapa last month…

Ryan Moore aims for further IJC success at Happy Valley

Ryan Moore is chasing a third IJC title. Ryan Moore was playing it typically cool over his chances in Wednesday’s International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley. Moore was among the 12 superstar riders at the IJC Press Conference in Tai Kwun, the culture and heritage venue in Central, Hong Kong. The 41-year-old has put his hands on the IJC trophy on two occasions in 2009 and 2010 and has been virtually an ever-present in intervening years as well as winning most of the calendar’s noteworthy races. He will be…

Zahra chasing Group 1 glory on Democracy Manifest

Democracy Manifest. Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au Mark Zahra is determined to claim Group 1 success in Perth this weekend after falling short in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m). Zahra rode Democracy Manifest in the feature race, with the Chris Waller-trained gelding finishing 14th, just four lengths off the winner. Now, Democracy Manifest will take on Saturday’s Group 1 Northerly Stakes (1800m) at Ascot. “He’s not the best horse away, so I ended up in a position where I was back. I got onto the back of Light Infantry Man, but he…

McDonald aiming Angel Capital towards ambitious autumn

Angel Capital ridden by Ben Melham winning the Caulfield Guineas Prelude. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) Clinton McDonald’s promising three-year-old colt, Angel Capital, has an ambitious autumn campaign lined up, with the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) and Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) identified as key targets. McDonald revealed that the son of Harry Angel will kick off his campaign in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) on January 24, before progressing to the two Group 1 contests at Caulfield in February. Last seen finishing sixth in the Group…

Mark Twain progressing well after career-threatening injury

Mark Twain. (Photo by Ross Holburt/Racing Photos) Mark Twain is nearing the end of his rehabilitation from a tendon injury, with connections setting their sights on a Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) campaign in 2025. OTI Racing director Terry Henderson shared this week that the rehabilitation program, successfully utilised by other stablemates with similar injuries, boasts a comeback success rate of approximately 70 percent—offering strong hope for Mark Twain’s return to racing. “He’s close to the end of his rehabilitation with Matty Williams, and he looks good as he finishes…

News Briefs : December 4

A 23-race Friday night, the re-appearance of a champ, and a milestone for the Smiths all feature in this week’s News Briefs.  Bumper dual venue Friday night  This week will see the first 12-race card on a Friday night at Alexandra Park since April 7, 2017. Starting at 5.24pm the meeting will feature the $40,000 Thames Goldfields Summer Cup, the $40,000 Caduceus Club Northern Breeders Stakes and the $40,000 Thames Members Handicap Trot. There will also be an 11-race card at Addington including three Group 1s, the Garrards Pacing and…

Bittercreek to be aimed towards Magic Millions success

Ben Allen returns to the mounting yard aboard Bittercreek after winning the Red Anchor Stakes at Moonee Valley. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Talented three-year-old colt Bittercreek is set to return to Queensland, aiming for the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m) at the Gold Coast this January. Trained by Leon and Troy Corstens in partnership with Will Larkin, Bittercreek will embark on his second Queensland campaign following his runner-up finish behind Broadsiding in the Group 1 J.J. Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm earlier this year. That performance came just two…

Wood Celebrates Early Christmas

In Hong Kong, Christmas comes early for racing fans, with the Hong Kong Jockey Club hosting their International Races at Sha Tin each December. For the last six years, expat Kiwi Tom Wood has been centre stage at the pinnacle racing event, calling the LONGINES International Jockeys’ Championship meeting at Happy Valley on the Wednesday prior to co-hosting the television coverage of the LONGINES Hong Kong International Races on the Sunday. This year the respective meetings will be held this week (December 4 and 8), and Wood is excited to…