Month: January 2020

Robbie Waterhouse reflects on racing’s problems

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Robbie and Gai Waterhouse at Tulloch Lodge by Brian de Lore Published 15 November The Optimist made its debut back in April and in the ensuing eight months the editorial content has often revolved around the discussion ad-nauseam of the ongoing problems confronting the New Zealand racing industry.   RITA, I’m assured, is doing its best in the limited space in which it has to move and we, the industry participants, need to be patient and wait for better days, which, I’m also assured, will be forthcoming. But many of…

Betting guru has advice for us Kiwis

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by Brian de Lore Published 8 November 2019 The headwinds for racing which were thought to be zephyr-like at season’s start have strengthened to a steady trade wind as Australian spring racing declines in both crowd numbers and betting turnover. Bad publicity driven by animal activists through the Australian ABC slaughterhouse program and the double-edged sword recoil from the Point of Consumption (POC) levies are the two likely causes. That double-whammy has both damaged racing’s image and reduced betting turnover. Nearly all of Melbourne’s major spring race days have been…

Richard Litt to train $1.9 million colt

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Richard Litt (c) will train a $1.9m colt from Magic Millions for Ottavio (r) and Wendy Galletta (l). Ottavio Galletta is the new owner of a $1.9 million colt, the most expensive yearling sold so far at the annual Magic Millions sale at the Gold Coast. By the late Deep Impact out of Group winner Honesty Prevails, the colt, consigned by Arrowfield Stud and to be trained by Richard Litt, was one of four yearlings to reach $1 million or more on the second day of the sale on Thursday.…

Heathcote hopes syndicate luck continues

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Trainer Robert Heathcote has racked up a Doomben treble ahead of the rich Magic Millions meeting. Trainer Robert Heathcote hopes his luck with horses raced by big syndicates at Doomben carries over to the Gold Coast. The Heathcote-trained Ready For Magic ($6.50) won at Thursday’s meeting for a Flying Start syndicate before a Rob Slade syndicated horse, Spirit Rich ($10), won. Heathcote racked up a treble when he trained a winner for his wife Vicky, the owner of Emerald Kingdom. The Doomben twilight meeting was the first of five consecutive…

Kersley hopes to add to recent city wins

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Fred Kersley again rides Ryan’s Fender at Flemington as the two aim for a third-straight win. Apprentice Fred Kersley will be out to add to a recent sequence of winners at Saturday metropolitan meetings when he heads to Flemington. Kersley has managed to ride at least one winner at each of the past five Saturday meetings in Victoria, starting with a winning double on the Pakenham Cup program on December 7. He claimed the feature on Etah James for his boss Matt Cumani and also won on stablemate Future Score.…

Kavak revives memories of Kelso Wood

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Trainer Chris Munce says Kavak is a better Magic Millions Classic chance than his odds suggest. Memories of late trainer Kelso Wood will be revived when Kavak runs in the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast. Wood, who died aged 72 in September 2018, won the race with Real Surreal in 2013, the second time he had the first horse past the post in the Classic. The Wood-trained Prince Regent was first home in the 1988 Classic only to lose on protest to Molokai Prince. Two…

Carnival test for Newnham pair at Randwick

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Trainer Mark Newnham expects progressive three-year-old Splintex to appreciate 1000m at Randwick. Mark Newnham is hoping to get a deeper insight into the carnival credentials of progressive pair Splintex and Academy when they contest separate races at Randwick. The speedy Splintex, who boasts a victory over subsequent Group One winner Exceedance, tackles the Bushfire Appeal Race Day 25th January Handicap (1000m) on Saturday after finishing third to Hightail in the Gosford Guineas (1200m). It is a form reference Newnham expects will stand up. “He probably found the 1200 at Gosford…

All-Star Mile attracts 95 nominations

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Mystic Journey is one of the favourites to defend her title in the $5 million All-Star Mile. Defending champion Mystic Journey and another 25 Group One winners feature among the 95 nominations for the second edition of the $5 million All-Star Mile. Entries for the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield on March 14 were released on Thursday with 10 of the 15 places in the field to be determined by public vote. Voting will be open for a month from January 16, with the top 10 to be announced on…

Further boost for 3YOs at winter carnival

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RQ boss Brendan Parnell has announced the latest updates to the Queensland winter carnival. Racing Queensland has announced the final changes to its winter carnival with some new races and a boost to two and three-year-old programs. The carnival will now be held over 10 weeks from April to June with the opening draw card the $350,000 EVA Air Queensland Guineas for three-year-olds. The Guineas will carry ballot-free exemption to the newly announced $1.5 million Eva Air Q22 at weight for age. The carnival in recent years has been opened…

Hyeronimus has gun book for metro return

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Jockey Adam Hyeronimus returns to Randwick after being sidelined with a bulging disc. Almost three months after being sidelined by a bulging disc, Adam Hyeronimus returns to race riding poised to make the most of some plum opportunities for Tulloch Lodge. The jockey has not ridden since he took a tumble at The Everest meeting at Randwick on October 19 and was sent for scans which revealed a bulging disc in his lower back. “It hasn’t been ideal but I’ve recovered well and I’ve avoided having an operation which is…