Fraser Auret is hoping to unearth another quality three-year-old in the Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1200m) on Saturday. The Marton trainer took out last year’s race in emphatic style when Cooga Doon (NZ) (Makfi) distanced his rivals to win by nine lengths. There was plenty of interest in the son of Makfi after the race and he was subsequently sold to Hong Kong interests for a seven-figure sum. Auret will be represented in this year’s Guineas by Mogador (NZ) (Proisir) who takes the same form into the race as…
Author: Editor BOAY
Lisa hoping Healesville history repeats
The Healesville Cup will always hold a special place with Ian and Lisa Cockerell, who celebrated their first – and to date only – Group victory when Zipping Arnold was an upset winner in 2016. On that unforgettable occasion for the husband-and-wife training team, their $21 roughie Zipping Arnold caused a massive boilover when defeating hot favourite Invictus Rapid. The Buckley-based Cockerells have their fingers crossed that history repeats in Sunday afternoon’s Group 3 Healesville Cup (350m) with their despised outsider Broken Drum, the ‘slowest’ heat winner and a $31…
Popular greyhound columnist and coursing stalwart lost to the sport
One of the great characters of Victorian greyhound racing, Darryl Embling passed away on Monday at age 64 following a stroke. Darryl began training greyhounds in the Geelong region before moving to Rokewood and then Cape Clear. He rose to prominence with his popular ‘Bushwacked’ column in National Greyhound Form newspaper, in which he would highlight various winners from around regional Victoria each week. Darryl was also the anonymous journalist behind the ‘Man In The Tree’ column, which was always a must-read feature of the publication because of his humorous…
CEO’s Monthly Update: September
Welcome to the September edition of Greyhound Monthly Victoria and the first day of spring.
Sandown track update
Sandown Park’s return to racing has been delayed due to further remedial works required on the racing surface. In conjunction with GRV, works were recently completed following the identification of an issue with a sub-surface section of the track base. While those works were successful, the track surface has not reconsolidated as expected. Analysis of the track sand is currently being conducted with track works to commence following the results of that analysis. Sandown GRC and GRV will continue to update participants as works progress, including news on when the…
DoubleTree by Hilton to Sponsor Karaka Million 2YO
New Zealand Bloodstock is excited to announce the first-ever sponsorship of the prestigious $1 million Karaka Million two-year-old race held at the NZB Karaka Million Twilight Meeting on the eve of the National Yearling Sales Series. The most iconic two-year-old race of the season will now be known as the DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO and will continue to be contested by eligible graduates of NZB’s sales at Ellerslie Racecourse. Scheduled to open its doors in Spring 2021, the state of the art property at Karaka will feature 120…
Grading Update: Points allocation process is changing
GRV’s Racing Department recently conducted a review of the ranking points allocation process and, with the assistance of participant feedback, identified that the ranking points calculation as per the Grading Guidelines requires a minor update to ensure that the level of points used in the calculations is appropriate for the type of meeting. In the past, the race meeting schedule was quite consistent week to week, with the different meeting types held at each track on ‘set’ days. The Grading Guidelines therefore linked the day the meeting was held to…
Kiwi filly follows in footsteps of Sunline
When La Vernazza (NZ) (More Than Ready) steps out at Randwick she will be treading the same path as champion Sunline (NZ) (Desert Sun), who at her first Australian start broke the hearts of the best of Sydney’s fillies in the 1998 Furious Stakes. A recent acquisition for trainer Jamie Richards, La Vernazza, who raced as Vernazza in New Zealand, will be tackling Saturday’s 1200m feature at her fifth race appearance and comes to Sydney with a big reputation. Initially trained by Lance Noble, the Matamata Breeder’s Stakes winner ran…
Williams gives Surprise Baby tick of approval
Jockey Craig Williams is confident current Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) favourite Surprise Baby (NZ) (Shocking) will deliver a strong performance when he returns to raceday at Moonee Valley on Saturday. The son of Shocking is set to resume in the Gr.2 Feehan Stakes (1600m) and Williams travelled to Horsham on Tuesday to partner the six-year-old gelding in his final piece of fast work before the race. “I’m not too sure if anyone clocked him or not but to me his performance (in the Feehan) will take a lot of beating…
Northern mission for Wekaforce
Riccarton trainer Terri Rae is planning a trip to the North Island for her smart sprinter Wekaforce (NZ) (Showcasing). Rae has won three races with the mare since she transferred from Tony Pike’s stable in Cambridge as a two-time winner. The daughter of Showcasing headed back across the Cook Strait last March for a hit-and-run black-type mission which almost came off, with Wekaforce caught on the line by fellow Riccarton sprinter, dual Group One winner Enzo’s Lad (Testa Rossa), in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m) at Trentham. Wekaforce has enjoyed…