Month: January 2020

Jockey Barend Vorster will have surgery on a broken collarbone suffered in a fall at The Valley. Jockey Barend Vorster will undergo surgery to repair a fractured collarbone suffered in a fall in the Australia Stakes at The Valley. Vorster broke his collarbone when Manuel crashed to the ground in the home straight in last Friday night’s Group Two race at The Valley. Last year’s Group One C F Orr winner, the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Manuel was euthanised after breaking a shoulder in the fall. On the advice of…

Bivouac Godolphin Group One winners Bivouac and Kiamichi have shown they are ready for their autumn campaigns with barrier trial wins at Rosehill. Golden Rose winner Bivouac won the first of two course-proper heats over 900m on Tuesday, edging Hush Writer on the line. Last year’s Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi led all the way to beat stablemate Deprive by 2-3/4 lengths in the second 900m-trial. Trainer James Cummings has flagged the Group One Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield on February 22 as a starting point for Bivouac. The colt has not…

Golden Eagle winner Kolding (l) has been added to the entries for the Group Two Expressway Stakes. Spring star Kolding is among four late entries for the Group Two Expressway Stakes bringing the nominations to 11. The winner of the Epsom Handicap and the inaugural $7.5 million Golden Eagle, the Chris Waller-trained four-year-old was joined by 2019 Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi, veteran Sir Bacchus and Vegadaze as additional entries on Tuesday for Saturday’s 1200m-sprint. Godolphin’s Kiamichi led all the way to win a Group And Listed barrier trial at Rosehill…

Blue Diamond placegetter Free Of Debt makes his long-awaited return from injury at Caulfield. After 10 months away from racing, Adelaide colt Free Of Debt is primed to make his return at Caulfield. Placed in last year’s Blue Diamond Stakes, Free Of Debt runs for the first time as a three-year-old in Saturday’s Group Three Manfred Stakes (1200m). Free Of Debt has not raced since last year’s Golden Slipper at Rosehill, a race he came out of with a number of cuts and abrasions. As he was being prepared for…

Veteran sprinter Ball Of Muscle (l) will be given his chance at Group One glory during the autumn. Joe Pride knows Ball Of Muscle is coming to the end of his career but he believes the nine-year-old still has something to give. From a family dear to the trainer’s heart, Ball Of Muscle is a brother to Tiger Tees and a half brother to Terravista, both Group One-winning sprinters. They are all sons of the late broodmare Parfore who also produced Singapore champion Super Easy. Ball Of Muscle is running…

Hardly Swears scores under Keith Yeung. A hot nine-race card at Happy Valley on Wednesday (29 January) night is the stage for an attempted four-timer when Hardly Swears (125lb) returns to action in the Class 3 Queen’s Road East Handicap (1200m). Jimmy Ting’s lightly-raced charge completed a hat-trick when successful at the course and distance in late November and returns refreshed for the fray. “After his three wins I gave him a break and he’s still in good form – perhaps not at his top, but still in good form,”…