The spring racing season kicks off in style this Saturday at Royal Randwick with the Group 1 $1 million Winx Stakes (1400m), featuring a glittering field of elite gallopers led by Chris Waller’s reigning Cox Plate champion, Via Sistina. The eight-year-old mare, a daughter of Fastnet Rock, returns as the $2.70 favourite with Ladbrokes, aiming to […] The post 2025 Winx Stakes Field & Odds: Via Sistina First-Up Favourite appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au.
Year: 2025
Hawkesbury racing tips & free quaddie numbers | Rowley Mile 2025
What Rowley Mile Day 2025 Where Hawkesbury Race Club – 1 Racecourse Rd, Clarendon NSW 2756 When Thursday, August 21, 2025 First Race 12:45pm AEST Visit Dabble Rowley Mile Tip: River Of Stars River Of Stars profiles beautifully for the Rowley Mile, landing a soft draw with James McDonald up and 58kg under the Listed conditions. The Waller import was placed in the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) last prep and has the class to put this away fresh at a mile. He trialled up soundly in Sydney, and a…
Leroy’s life in Queensland
As a trotter Royal Shine won seven races for trainer Sam Smolenski – the last of them when driven by star reinsman Dexter Dunn at Ashburton in 2017. Now, the 13-year-old son of Monarchy is “Leroy”, a para-riding horse based in Queensland. To read about Leroy and his Life After Racing click here
Metro series returns after winter break
After a short break in August, the very popular Metro series is back. September 12 will see four heats run, two each for the R40-50 Pacers and Trotters. Each heat will be worth $17,000 with the first four in each of them automatically qualifying for the two $35,000 finals a fortnight later (September 26). All heats and finals will be held at Alexandra Park. The Metro series is a key part of the Look North strategy launched last year to reinvigorate racing in Auckland and Cambridge. The last finals were…
News Briefs – August 20
A great weekend for turnovers, a permanent change at Addington, a tonne of horse feed and Dex hitting $6m all feature in this week’s News Briefs. Turnovers up across the board Harness racing turnovers had a sharp upturn over the weekend, with $2.36m spread over the Addington, Auckland and Oamaru meetings. The total was over $200,000 or 12.4 per cent up on the corresponding meetings last year. On Friday night Addington totalled $917.4k, up 10.2%, on the same number of races while Auckland’s was $582.5k, up 18.5%. The Kurow…
Northern mile looming for Matscot
Canterbury gelding Matscot (NZ) (Haradasun) is once again set to fly the southern flag in the North Island next month when he crosses the Cook Strait to contest the Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa. The eight-year-old son of Haradasun ran third in the race last year, when it was run as the Arrowfield Stud Plate at Matamata, and trainers Sharon Robertson and Alan Reeves are looking forward to returning to Waikato with their charge in a bid to go two better in the mile feature. Matscot made…
Hutchings set for homecoming next month
Following his successful stint in New Zealand over summer, expat Kiwi jockey Rory Hutchings is set to return to his homeland next month. While he spent several months in New Zealand at the start of the year, this trip will be a hit-and-run mission for the Sydney-based hoop, who has answered the call of leading New Zealand stable Te Akau. He has been booked to ride Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson’s Group One winner Quintessa (Shamus Award) in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) at Ellerslie on September 6, and he…
Seamsew continues strong synthetic run
Cambridge trainer Mark Treweek continued his great record on his local synthetic track on Wednesday when Seamsew (Brazen Beau) took out the Saddley Warehouse (970m). The seven-year-old son of Brazen Beau jumped away well from his wide gate and was sent straight to the front by apprentice jockey Rihaan Goyaram. Seamsew continued to lead the pack into the turn and was asked to improve by Goyaram, and he quickly responded, opening up several lengths on his rivals. Race favourite Electric Zou closed quickly late, but came up a long head…
Gringotts appeals as Winx Stakes knockout
Tommy Berry can make a case for Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto) upsetting the apple cart in the Winx Stakes. All eyes will be on the return of star mare Via Sistina in the Winx Stakes but rival jockey Tommy Berry believes it just might be the right race at the right time for Gringotts in the gelding’s bid for a second major. Gringotts will kick off his campaign in Saturday’s Randwick feature having captured his maiden Group 1 win in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) last campaign. While several of Gringott’s rivals are better known over longer journeys,…
Leedox set to make New Zealand return
Timaru trainer Stephanie Faulkner looks to have her hands on another exciting ex-Hong Kong galloper, with stakes winner Leedox (NZ) (Time Test) set to make his New Zealand return. Faulkner had plenty of success with fellow former Hong Kong galloper Green Luck, who claimed last year’s Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) and North Canterbury Cup (2000m). Following his retirement late last year, Faulkner was on the lookout for a replacement, and her connection with Green Luck led to Leedox joining her barn in March. Initially trained by Andrew Forsman, Leedox…