Month: January 2020

Victorian mare Etana has confirmed her liking for Queensland racing with a Magic Millions win. It’s the middle of summer but co-trainer Ciaron Maher is already thinking of the winter with Etana after she won the Magic Millions Quality. Etana ($3.90), bounced back from a costly defeat at the Gold Coast a week earlier when she defeated Reckless Choice, the $3.50 favourite, by 2-1/2 lengths, with Testashadow ($10) a short neck away third. Maher and his training partner David Eustace enjoyed immense success at last year’s winter carnival with Kenedna…

Assault’N’Bathory, trained by high school teacher Danielle Seib, has won first-up at Randwick. Part-time teacher Danielle Seib looks to have a genuine Country Championships contender on her hands in Assault’N’Bathory who has surprised the trainer with a first-up win at Randwick. Seib, who combines high school teaching with training a small team of horses at Goulburn, expected the six-year-old to improve from the run when he resumed in Saturday’s TAB Highway Handicap (1200m). But Winona Costin took Assault’N’Bathory to the lead and he extended his advantage on straightening, holding on…

Melbourne-trained three-year-old He’ll Haunt Us has claimed the opening race on Magic Millions day. Melbourne gelding He’ll Haunt Us completed a long-range plan when he won the $250,000 Magic Millions Maiden at the Gold Coast. He’ll Haunt Us ($5.50) was suited by a fast early pace before storming home to beat Hulk ($7) by a half length with another half to Playthefield ($51) in third. He’ll Haunt Us gave the Mick Price-Michael Kent Jnr partnership its first Queensland winner. Price said there were no big plans for He’ll Haunt Us…

The Mark Newnham-trained Randwick winner Splintex has an autumn Group One sprint in his sights. Apprentice Robbie Dolan did his homework and nutted out a plan aboard Splintex, implementing it to perfection to get the sprinter back in the winner’s circle at Randwick. And such is his opinion of the colt, he hopes the horse can take him all the way to a Group One win during the Sydney autumn carnival. “He’s an ideal horse for a race like The Galaxy,” Dolan said. “He will get in with 52kg, I…

Race experience won out when two-year-old Jabali Ridge broke through to score at Flemington. With race experience on his side, two-year-old Jabali Ridge has shown his professionalism to land a convincing win in his second start at Flemington. One of only two juveniles among the eight runners in Saturday’s The Arbour Plate (1000m) to have raced before, Jabali Ridge sat on the pace in the straight-track sprint before the gelding drew clear of his rivals over the final 200m. Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Jabali Ridge defeated…

Sam Collett pushes game filly Opalescence right to the line to defeat Boomer Hall at Trentham Photo credit: Race Images – Peter Rubery Nuggety northern two-year-old Opalescence gave punters another display of her never-say-die attitude when she fought back strongly to down her age-group rivals over 1200m at Trentham on Saturday. The Showcasing filly was narrowly beaten on debut when going down to the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) candidate Preakness at Otaki back in November. Byerley Park-based trainer Jenna Mahoney trekked back to the Central Districts with her charge for…

Private Secretary impresses with a Hong Kong debut win. Private Secretary sprang straight into Four-Year-Old Classic Series consideration with a smart step-out victory last month and Tony Cruz’s charge will aim to up the ante in the Class 2 Lung Kong Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin on Saturday, 11 January. The Kingman colt was a talent on the rise in Britain last year, capping a hat-trick in the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes (2240m) before running a solid fourth to subsequent Group 1 winner Japan in the Group 2 King Edward…

Trainer Chris Anderson knows it will be hard for Profit to topple Alligator Blood but he will fight. Trainer Chris Anderson is certain if the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas turns into a rough-house affair Profit will be up for the battle. Profit is taking on the short-priced Guineas favourite Alligator Blood for the second time at the Gold Coast on Saturday. At their previous clash, Alligator Blood beat Profit by two lengths into second place in the Group Three Vo Rogue (1400m) at Eagle Farm two weeks ago. It…