Author: Editor BOAY

Semi-retired horseman Mark Lupton is encouraged by reports on his top-class staying mare Etah James, as the eight-year-old daughter of Raise The Flag gets ready for a spring campaign. The winner of the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m) in autumn, Etah James has remained in the care of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace at their Warwick Farm base in Sydney, having traversed the Tasman on multiple occassions in late summer. Lupton, who bred and races the mare, trained Etah James to finish third in the Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) and fourth…

Strong N Fast (NZ) (Burgundy) lived up to his new name to take out the $20,000 Debt Collector 2016 Stakes Open Maiden race over 1200m on Polytrack on Sunday.  Originally known as BM Pins, the Burgundy four-year-old was renamed by his owners in that same indomitable spirit as their other charges like Strong N Powerful, String Surpass Natural and Exceed Natural.  Again, they were certainly hoping such a bold moniker would translate into reality on the tracks. It sure did, even if they had to cool their jets before they could see the results.  Fast…

Rising star Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor) gave another glimpse of his bombproof qualities after he scored a thumping win in the S$250,000 Singapore Classic (1400m) on Sunday, probably one of his most impressive to-date.  From the way the 2018 Karaka Book 1 sale graduate from the Westbury Stud draft effortlessly strolled to the line at the expense of some very smart just-turned four-year-olds, the Singapore Guineas (1600m) on September 26 looks his for the taking.  With all of Inferno’s previous six starts (for five wins) restricted to 1200m, some queried whether last year’s undisputed juvenile champion would…

It may have taken plenty of effort and sacrifice, but Cambridge trainer Tony Pike finally has his temporary Sydney satellite barn in operation. Stable foreman Chris McNab and trackwork rider Matthew Ward have undergone their mandatory two week quarantine period in Sydney after receiving travel exemptions to head across the Tasman earlier this month. While the pair missed stable runner The Bostonian’s opening assignment, the Gr.1 Winx Stakes (1400m) a week ago, they welcomed him to their temporary home at Rosehill on Monday morning. “They (McNab and Ward) got out…

Stephen Marsh is hoping a treble at Riccarton on Saturday can be the springboard to boost numbers in his South Island barn. Though Marsh’s main training establishment is at Cambridge, he is focused on making his satellite stable at Riccarton a permanent part of his operation. “I’ve got a 12-horse barn down there and got seven horses in it at the moment,” Marsh said. “It was full around New Zealand Cup time last year, but a few have been retired since. “I’m rapt in how the stable down there has…

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The long wait is nearly over for connections of one of the spring’s most exciting horses with Surprise Baby (NZ) (Shocking) ready to end a 10-month absence from the racetrack at The Valley on Saturday. Trainer Paul Preusker said on Sunday that he was ready to unleash the galloper in the group 2 Feehan Stakes where victory would earn Surprise Baby a ballot-free shot at his first spring goal – the $5 million Cox Plate. Surprise Baby won’t be there to be making up the numbers with Preusker keen for him…