Month: September 2019

Aethero excites

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Aldo Domeyer was aboard Aethero (grey cap) for the first time. Aethero heads into his second season unbeaten in three starts and showing signs that he might just live up to the hype that is building around him. “I guarantee you, he’s a superstar in the making,” John Moore said after the chestnut led Beauty Generation through the line in the 1000m barrier trial shortly after dawn at Sha Tin (Tuesday, 24 September). “How far he’ll go, we’ll wait and see,” he added. For now, the exciting sprinter has to…

Celestial Falls to put Oaks hopes on show

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Sydney trainer Mark Newnham is aiming to win the VRC Oaks Trial for the second consecutive year. After winning the Oaks Trial at Flemington a year ago with Greysful Glamour, Sydney trainer Mark Newnham and jockey Tim Clark are looking to repeat the feat with a sibling of the 2018 winner. Newnham has sent Celestial Falls to Melbourne for Wednesday’s Oaks Trial (1800m) for three-year-old fillies and victory would clinch her a spot in the Group One VRC Oaks (2500m) in November. Celestial Falls’ half-sister Greysful Glamour went on to…

Shannon Stakes for Volpe Veloce

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Group One winner Volpe Veloce Photo: Race Images Group One winner Volpe Veloce will most likely contest Saturday’s Gr.2 Shannon Stakes (1500m) atRosehill, with the six-year-old mare to step up in distance after only beating one runner home in the Gr.2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) at the same track a fortnight ago. Trainer Graham Richardson believes the mare will benefit immensely from her fresh-up run, in which she ran into Western Australian star Acadia Queen, who could be one of the key horses to follow this spring. “Initially I was…

Strong support for Time Test shows in debut crop pedigrees

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Time Test stands at Little Avondale Stud for $10,000 +GST Time Test, who shuttles to Little Avondale Stud, came out of last weekend’s Group One action in Europe with his profile considerably enhanced. By happy coincidence, the first northern hemisphere crop of foals by the son of Dubawi contains half-brothers to Logician, who announced himself a potential superstar with a decisive victory in the St Leger, and Irish Oaks heroine Star Catcher, who notched an all-the-way success in the Prix Vermeille. The colts out of Scuffle, a Listed-placed daughter of…

Railway redemption for Princess Kereru

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The Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) will be Princess Kereru’s primary target this season Photo: Trish Dunell A return to the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day remains the primary focus for Princess Kereru this season. The daughter of Pins was beaten by a neck by Santa Monica in the opening Group One of the year and trainers Ken and Bev Kelso would dearly love to go one better this term. She kicked off her preparation with a third placing in her 800m trial at Cambridge on…

Favourite Bivouac draw barrier six in Rose

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Favourite Bivouac has drawn barrier six in a field of eight for the $1 million Golden Rose at Rosehill. The Godolphin colt will be tested over 1400 metres for the first time with the stable waiting for confirmation Hugh Bowman will be fit to ride on Saturday after breaking a finger. Exceedance, considered Bivouac’s main rival, has drawn barrier seven in the Group One race. The field boasts two Group One winners, Prince Fawaz (J J Atkins) and Castelvecchio (Champagne Stakes) who have barriers five and three respectively. Bivouac is…

Homesman early favourite for G1 Underwood

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Feehan Stakes winner Homesman is favourite for the Group One Underwood at Caulfield. Defending titleholder Homesman is the early favourite to make it back-to-back Underwood Stakes victories after the release of nominations for the weight-for-age Group One race at Caulfield. The Lloyd Williams-owned Homesman, who made a winning start to his spring campaign in the Group Two Feehan Stakes earlier this month, was the $2.80 favourite on Monday for Sunday’s Underwood (1800m) which has attracted 21 nominations. He is one of 11 Group One winners among the entries including last-start…

Godolphin nominate three for G1 WFA Moir

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Trainer James Cummings has watched several of Godolphin’s horses work at The Valley. Godolphin will be strongly represented in the Group One Moir Stakes with Trekking and Viridine and trainer James Cummings has not ruled out adding to the fire power by nominating three-year-old filly Exhilarates. Cummings indicated it was more likely last season’s Magic Millions Classic winner would run against her own age and sex in Friday night’s Group Three Scarborough Stakes (1200m) at The Valley but he and the team would consider the Moir option. The 1000m sprint…

Empire Rose Stakes aim for Loving Gaby

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Loving Gaby will be aimed at the Group One Empire Rose Stakes for fillies and mares. Loving Gaby has yet to step out at the races this spring but her connections have their sights on a feature race later in the carnival for the dual Group One-placed filly. With races such as the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) on October 12 coming up too soon for Loving Gaby, the stable is aiming her at the Group One Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) on November 2 at Flemington. The Empire Rose is…

Bivouac assumes Golden Rose favouritism

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Godolphin’s Bivouac (blue) is the outright favourite for the $1 million Group One Golden Rose. Bivouac has assumed favouritism from Exceedance for the Group One Golden Rose but trainer James Cummings admits the 1400 metres is an unknown factor. The Godolphin colt finished second to Exceedance from the Hawes Racing stable in the San Domenico (1100m) but was dominant in the Run To The Rose (1200m) in which his rival was third. The two had been sharing the top market position at $3.50 but on Monday the TAB tightened Bivouac…