Month: November 2019

Signed silks from Michelle Payne’s historic Melbourne Cup win are up for auction. Two famous pieces of memorabilia are to be auctioned with proceeds going to the National Jockeys Trust. A set of silks in the colours worn by Michelle Payne to win the 2015 Melbourne Cup on Prince Of Penzance and a pair of Hugh Bowman’s breeches will go under the hammer at the Melbourne Cup Call Of The Card on Monday. The colours are signed by many members of Payne’s large family and the cast of Ride Like…

The Melbourne Cup is the horse race “everybody wants to win,” Coolmore boss Tom Magnier admits. Thoroughbred racing and breeding giant Coolmore has enjoyed success around the world including with Sydney’s richest race, but a Melbourne Cup remains elusive. “This is the race that everybody wants to win,” Coolmore’s Australian boss Tom Magnier admitted. The Irish-based Coolmore operation has four hopes as it vies to add the $8 million Melbourne Cup to Sydney’s $14 million The Everest, which it won as a part-owner last month. The Coolmore Cup runners –…

The traditional Melbourne Cup parade is expected to draw thousands of people and many protesters. Tens of thousands of people are expected to turn out for the annual Melbourne Cup parade, including potentially hundreds of protesters angry about the treatment of former racehorses. The traditional Monday parade through Melbourne’s CBD, ahead of the running of the $8 million Cup on Tuesday, always attracts anti-horse racing activists. Police are preparing for more protesters throughout the Cup carnival after recent allegations of animal cruelty involving racehorses sent to a slaughterhouse. The Coalition…

John Allen rides Downdraft in the Melbourne Cup for Joseph O’Brien, grandson of his old boss. Former Irish jockey John Allen’s life will turn full circle when he is legged aboard the Joseph O’Brien-trained Downdraft in the Melbourne Cup. Allen started his career with O’Brien’s grandfather Joe Crowley at Owning Hill near Piltown in County Kilkenny, the same yard O’Brien now operates. That was, Allen estimates, 15 or 16 years ago with the jockey spending five or six years at the stable. Allen came to Australia earlier this decade and…

The Chosen One will race without blinkers in Tuesday’s Group 1 Melbourne Cup Photo credit: Bruno Cannatelli Trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman will remove the blinkers from their Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) hope The Chosen One as they look to provide the four-year-old Savabeel entire with his best possible chance to win Australasia’s great race. The Chosen One finished fifth in the Group 3 Hotham Handicap (2500m) on an unsuitable wet track at Flemington on Saturday in his final lead-up to Tuesday’s Cup with Forsman keen to see…

Flamboyant jockey Frankie Dettori needs a Melbourne Cup to complete his trophy collection. No international horse has won the Melbourne Cup twice, and Frankie Dettori has not won the race at all. But both Cross Counter, to be ridden by William Buick, and the flamboyant Dettori aboard Master Of Reality, will bid to rewrite the record books at Flemington on Tuesday. And they won’t be alone. Vow And Declare, Surprise Baby and Youngstar are the patriotic favourites as the only horses with a local trainer, a local jockey and solely…

Toms winning the Listed Feilding Gold Cup (2200m) at Awapuni on Saturday. Photo: Trish Dunell Foxton trainers David and Emma Haworth came within a nose of a quinella in Saturday’s Listed Ricoh Feilding Gold Cup (2200m) at Awapuni, headed by a breakthrough performance by Toms. The improving six-year-old won four races last season, including three of his last four starts, and he had begun a new campaign with eye-catching performances at Hastings and Otaki. He stepped up to stakes level for the first time on Saturday and rose to the…

Shadows Cast winning at Awapuni on Saturday. Photo: Trish Dunell Attempting to repeat a spring double from two years ago, top-class galloper Shadows Cast ticked the first box with a supreme weight-carrying performance in Saturday’s Courtesy Ford Redcraze Bowl (1400m) at Awapuni. The son of Per Incanto won the same race in November 2017, then lined up in the Group 2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton 11 days later and shared the spoils in a dead-heat with Son of Maher. Shadows Cast’s achievements towered over his rivals in Saturday’s…

Marzemino winning at Pukekohe on Saturday. Photo: Race Images Classy mare Marzemino survived a late scare in Saturday’s Roger Gill Agriculture (1200m) at Pukekohe to make a winning start to what could be a career-defining campaign. The daughter of Per Incanto has made a big impression in lower grades in previous preparations, winning five races including four from six starts last season. Trainers Peter and Dawn Williams now believe the five-year-old is ready to step up to the big time, with her itinerary featuring the Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m)…