Ciaron Maher Racing Responds to RV charge

Co-trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have been charged by Racing Victoria stewards over a positive swab from a stable runner. A raceday blood sample taken from Piccatric after winning a maiden at Sale on February 28 contained the diuretic substance Frusemide. The matter will be heard by the Victorian Racing Tribunal at a date to be fixed. Under RV rules, the substance is permitted to be used in training but has a withholding period and is not allowed to be in a horse’s system on raceday. Maher and Eustace…

Liza lights up Doomben in promising win

Premier trainer Tony Gollan is confident Doomben winner Liza With A Zee will soon attract attention for her black-type performances rather than her racing colours. Two-year-old filly Liza With A Zee ($1.80) lived up to Gollan’s big opinion of her with a 3-1/2-length win against older horses in a maiden (1050m). Liza With A Zee was having her first run since she was a well-beaten ninth behind top filly Gotta Kiss at her first start in December. “I have always had a big opinion of her but we probably made…

Listed Scone Cup attracts capacity field

The Joe Pride-trained Archedemus is the early favourite to win the Listed Scone Cup. The Joe Pride-trained Archedemus is the early favourite to win the Listed Scone Cup despite the six-year-old gelding drawing wide in a capacity field. The former Gwenda Markwell-trained Archedemus finished a close fourth after leading in his defence of the Group Three Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1500m) at Rosehill last month in his first start for the Pride stable. Archedemus features among a field of 16 plus four emergencies for Friday’s Scone Cup (1600m) and has drawn…

Browne’s hill back in action

Waikato trainer Emma-Lee Browne. Photo: Trish Dunell Waikato’s famed Browne’s Hill is back in action after a month-long hiatus. The husband and wife training duo of Emma-Lee and David Browne had the opportunity to continue ticking their team over on their private training establishment on the property during COVID-19 Alert Level 4, however, they elected to turn out their entire team in the midst of uncertainty. “We decided not to (work them) with the uncertainty about when races were going to start again,” Emma-Lee Browne said. “We didn’t really think…

Rising Red Retired

Rising Red winning his last race at Sandown earlier this month. Photo: Pat Scala/Racing Photos The injury-plagued career of Rising Red has come to an end. The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained gelding succumbed to his third major injury in a track gallop on Tuesday, ending his racing career. “He galloped on Tuesday and pulled up sore in a gallop,” Busuttin said. “He had a fractured fetlock, so he has gone in to have surgery today (Wednesday), but he will be in recuperation, be retired, and we’ll find a good…

Santa Ana Lane and Lyre to give Freedman 2 strong chances in 2020 The Goodwood

Trainer Anthony Freedman is aiming to have two strong chances with Santa Ana Lane and Lyre in the 2020  Group 1 $400,000 The Furphy Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday. Santa Ana Lane, above, will be chasing a second win in The Goodwood at Morphettville. Photo by Steve Hart. Multiple Group 1 winner Santa Ana Lane will be lining up for his third Goodwood start after running fifth in 2017 and winning in 2018 while 2019 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Lyre is coming off a last start second in the…

Blinkers to help Sunlight focus in 2020 The Goodwood

Multiple Group 1 winning mare Sunlight will wear the blinkers for the first time when she steps out in the Group 1 $400,000 The Furphy Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday. Sunlight, above, will wear the blinkers for the first time in The Goodwood at Morphettville. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos. Sunlight ran the worst race of her brilliant career when she failed to beat a runner home in the sixteen horse field of the Group 1 $400,000 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on May 2. Tony McEvoy, who…

Wide draws for leading Goodwood contenders

Gytrash is favourite for the Goodwood Classic on Saturday. A field of 15 has been declared for the Group One Goodwood at Morphettville with favourite Gytrash drawing wide in barrier 12 while another leading contender, The Inevitable, has the outside draw. Saturday’s 1200m sprint is the final Group One race of this season’s Adelaide carnival. Five-time Group One winner Santa Ana Lane, who won The Goodwood two years ago, will carry the no.1 saddlecloth and has top weight of 59kg under the set weights plus penalties conditions. Santa Ana Lane…

Stick ‘Em Up to run in SA Fillies Classic

Trainer John Sargent is hoping for a win in Adelaide on Saturday. The SA Fillies Classic in Adelaide is the target for Sydney trainer John Sargent with Stick ‘Em Up which has also been nominated for the Andrew Ramsden Stakes in Melbourne. Sargent has confirmed Stick ‘Em Up will head to Adelaide for Saturday’s Group Three SA Fillies Classic (2500m) at Morphettville, with the trainer hoping the filly can go one better than stablemate Miss Moana a year ago. Sargent also nominated Stick ‘Em Up for Saturday’s Listed Andrew Ramsden…

Michael Rodd toughing it out in isolation

Jockey Michael Rodd is ready to race again after isolation. Returning jockey Michael Rodd cannot wait for his isolation period to finish allowing him to get out and start earning a living again. Riding in Singapore since 2015, Rodd made the decision to return to Melbourne when racing was shut down because of a spike in coronavirus numbers in the country. Fellow jockeys Daniel Moor and Patrick Moloney also returned to Melbourne and have finished their isolation periods while Rodd finishes his time on Sunday. Rodd said he had a…