Month: March 2020

New York’s Aqueduct racecourse has been commissioned as a coronavirus recovery centre. Aqueduct racetrack has been turned into a temporary hospital site help some of the many affected by coronavirus in the New York City area. “Aqueduct Racetrack will serve as a safe haven for those recovering from this virus,” New York Racing Association (NYRA) chief executive Dave O’Rourke said. “We recognise that we all must work together as a community to meet this challenge and emerge stronger for it.” Aqueduct’s winter racing had been scheduled to end on Sunday…

Trainer Danny O’Brien hopes to get Melbourne Cup winner to Sydney for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Trainer Danny O’Brien is unsure what the future holds for Vow And Declare’s bid for consecutive Melbourne Cup victories. O’Brien was planning to take Vow And Declare to Brisbane for a three-run campaign, part of a nine month build-up to this year’s Cup at Flemington in November. But the multi-million dollar Queensland winter carnival has been abandoned because of the coronavirus pandemic with authorities to keep racing as long as possible under a reduced…

Eric The Eel has earned a trip to Sydney after a Doomben win and will start in the Australian Derby. Brisbane three-year-old Eric The Eel has been given the green light to head to Sydney for the Australian Derby under revised coronavirus protocols for transporting horses. Trainer Stuart Kendrick waited until consulting all the owners on Sunday afternoon before making the decision to head south. Kendrick had planned to take Eric The Eel to Sydney for the Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. But new cross-border travel restrictions introduced last…

Epsom Handicap winner Kolding (r) heads a large Chris Waller-trained team for the Doncaster Mile. Chris Waller is convinced a return to Sydney racing will help Kolding when the gelding heads a strong team trying to give the champion trainer a record-equalling seventh Doncaster Mile at Randwick. Waller expects to have at least six runners in Saturday’s Group One Doncaster on the first day of The Championships at Randwick. Prize money for the race has been halved to $1.5 million as part of cost-cutting measures designed to minimise the economic…

Star NZ filly Probabeel (gold/black) is likely to press on to the Australian Oaks. Under normal circumstances, Probabeel would be on her way home to New Zealand after a profitable Sydney campaign. The filly has had three starts for a Group One win in the Surround Stakes and seconds in the Group Two Phar Lap and Group One Vinery. With uncertainty over how long racing in Australia can continue despite stringent biosecurity measures to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, trainer Jamie Richards is likely to give Probabeel her chance in…

Joao Moreira gets his 900th Hong Kong win on Picken (red silks). Joao Moreira became only the fourth jockey in Hong Kong history to reach 900 wins and he did it in style with a five-timer at Sha Tin yesterday afternoon (Sunday, 29 March). “I wasn’t counting!” the Brazilian ace said after his fourth on the board, Picken, had sealed the milestone win at the end of a tough duel for the Class 3 Nam Shan Handicap (1400m). Only the retired greats Douglas Whyte and Tony Cruz, and his brilliant…

Brisbane premiership leader Baylee Nothdurft to ride in the Metro North region as Qld divides into regions. Queensland’s top metropolitan jockeys will be divided into two divisions when regional racing starts in the state this week. Racing Queensland has introduced five regions for race meetings in an effort to combat the spread of coronavirus in the industry. Racing is continuing with no crowds and strict biosecurity restrictions are in place at race meetings and in stables. Riders were asked to nominate a region in which they wished to compete and…

Trainer Adrian Bott supports the cost-cutting measures taken by Racing NSW ahead of The Championships. Prominent trainer Adrian Bott is grateful racing is still proceeding during the coronavirus crisis and supports prize money cuts for The Championships at Randwick. The Championships are scheduled to go ahead over the next two Saturdays under strict biosecurity measures with prize money for the eight Group One races halved. Bott trains in partnership with Gai Waterhouse and the stable has been to the fore in recent weeks with a Group One winner on each…