Month: September 2019

Two-state options for Santa Ana Lane

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Santa Ana Lane will run in either Sydney or Melbourne after missing The Shorts at Randwick. After aborting Plan A for Santa Ana Lane’s Everest preparation, connections of the star sprinter remain optimistic it will not negatively impact on his chance to win the $14 million sprint. Santa Ana Lane was scheduled to head to Sydney to run first-up in Saturday’s Group Two Shorts (1100m), won by Pierata, but after more than 80mm of rain at Randwick during the week, trainer Anthony Freedman decided to keep him at home in…

Kilcoy Club hoping for more TAB meetings

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Some of Queensland’s best known racing names have joined the Kilcoy Race Club committee. Kilcoy, 80km north of Brisbane, was a foundation Friday TAB circuit club in Queensland before being bumped back to country status about 20 years ago. In recent years it has made a resurgence with nine TAB meetings and it hopes that will grow to one a month. The club has also undergone extensive renovations on and off the track with the backing of the Somerset Council. There are plans for further expansion at Kilcoy which also…

Yao Dash likely for Group One Golden Rose

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Yao Dash (red/white) is likely to take his place in the $1 million Group 1 Golden Rose at Rosehill. The lightly raced Yao Dash, the only horse to beat Funstar, is now set to take his place in the Group One Golden Rose. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained three-year-old won his midweek debut at Canterbury last month and backed it up with victory at Rosehill on September 7 when he held off Funstar by half a length in a 1300m-race. The Chris Waller-trained Funstar came out on top at…

Underwood Stakes next for The Chosen One

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Champion NZ trainer Murray Baker will aim for a 5th win in the Group 1 Underwood with The Chosen One. Caulfield Cup aspirations for The Chosen One will get another examination when the four-year-old strives to give champion New Zealand trainer Murray Baker his fifth win in the Group One Underwood Stakes at Caulfield. The Chosen One began his Melbourne spring campaign in the Group Two Feehan Stakes at The Valley where he fought on well for fifth despite racing three-wide throughout the 1600m race. He runs again in Sunday’s…

Ocean Park on song for Waikato Stud

Editor BOAY

Resident Waikato Stud stallion Ocean Park was to the forefront of the trans-Tasman racing action on Saturday where he was represented by four individual winners on the day, including a Group Threesuccess at Royal Randwick. The Chris Waller-trained Kolding booked himself a start in the Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) in a fortnight when he displayed all the toughness of his five-time Group One winning sire afterfighting back to win the Gr.3 Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m) after being headed by eventual runner-up Fierce Impact. That followed wins by Fabric over 1400m…

Probabeel on target for Flight Stakes

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Star three-year-old filly Probabeel is on target to tackle the Gr.1 Flight Stakes at Royal Randwick on October 5 Photo: Trish Dunell A slashing run for second in Saturday’s Gr.2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Randwick has confirmed to trainer Jamie Richards that he has exciting kiwi three-year-old Probabeel spot on for her major campaign assignment in a fortnight. Probabeel will tackle the Gr.1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at the venue on October 5 with Richards delighted with how his charge came through her latest appearance. “We are very happy with…

Vernanme takes Pukekohe feature

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Classy customer Vernanme races to victory at Pukekohe Photo: Race Images – Kenton Wright The Stephen Marsh and Danielle Johnson combination enjoyed a big day out at Pukekohe on Sunday with a winning treble that was highlighted by the victory of Vernanme in the Listed Haunui FarmKaraka Classic (1600m). The Marsh stable has had a steady start to the season with just the five winners to date off the back of a record year that saw the Cambridge operation finish third on the National Trainer’s Premiership ladder with 97 victories.…

Kolding confirms G1 Epsom Handicap start

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Kolding has booked himself a spot in the Gr.1 Epsom after victory at Randwick on Saturday Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au Chris Waller believes there is a sense of timing surrounding Kolding this spring after the progressive gelding booked himself a spot in the Group One Epsom Handicap with a gallant win in the Bill Ritchie Handicap at Randwick. Fierce Impact ($10) looked to have the 1400-metre race in his keeping when he accelerated to the front over the final furlong but Kolding ($7) surged again in the final bounds to nail the…

Melody Belle keeps Triple Crown dream alive with Windsor Park Plate victory

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Melody Belle and Opie Bosson have the situation well under control as they head to victory at Hastings Photo: Trish Dunell Recently crowned New Zealand Horse of the Year, Melody Belle made it Group One victory number eight in emphatic fashion when she dominated her rivals in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) atHastings. The Jamie Richards-trained five-year-old repeated her deeds of last season when she took out Saturday’s feature event after capturing the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) on the first day of the BostockNew Zealand Spring Carnival for the…

O’Brien and Waikato Stud keep on winning

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An association spanning more than 15 years continues to pay dividends for trainer Danny O’Brien. Fabric, winner of Saturday’s Fight Cancer Foundation Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield, is the latest O’Brien winner to wear the Waikato Stud colours. The association between O’Brien and Waikato Stud dates back to 2004 with Glamour Puss, a dual Group One winner of the Goodwood Handicap and Salinger Stakes, just as the trainer was commencing his career. Ridden by Craig Williams, Fabric ($8.50) scored by 1-1/4 lengths from the $2.70 favourite Haut Brion Her with One…