Champion trainer Chris Waller became a two-time Australasian Oaks winner at Morphettville on Saturday thanks to a memorable and patient ride from Damien Thornton aboard the favourite Toffee Tongue. The three-year-old filly by Tavistock was the only runner in the field not to have won a maiden, but was given all the favours down in the weights with Thornton hoping to achieve a maiden Group 1 victory of his own. With most runners looking to steer clear of the inside part of the wet Morphettville track, Thornton chose to do…
Month: May 2020
Comfortable Win Sees Jungle Edge Enter Goodwood Calculations
The old boy Jungle Edge was too good for them in the Group 3 D C McKay Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville on Saturday lapping up the wet track to lead from barrier to box. The nine-year-old was backed into heavy favouritism on the Soft 6 and apprentice jockey Georgina Cartwright did not disappoint punters with her impressive forward-running display. Jungle Edge exploded from the gates to take up the lead and seemed to have plenty left in the tank as he raced away from the rest of the field. The…
2020 Robert Sangster Stakes Results: Front Runner Bella Vella Causes Boilover
A quality field of sprinters stepped out over the 1200m at Morphettville on Saturday to contest the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes, but nobody was expecting $41.00 roughie Bella Vella to emerge first past the post. The Will Clarken-trained five-year-old was looking to make it three wins in a row following a first-up at Moonee Valley and a second-up win at Morphettville Park over the 1000m. The rise in class looked to be too sharp for many punters though, leaving jockey Todd Pannell with plenty of work to do from…
Trainers defend RQ’s race programming
The Qld Trainers association has defended the small fields at the Gold Coast and Doomben. Queensland’s biggest trainers’ body has defended officials over criticism of the quality of the metropolitan meeting at Doomben. Racing Queensland has split the state into zones with metropolitan racing at the Gold Coast on Fridays and Brisbane on Saturdays. The Brisbane meeting on Saturday had four races which did not have each-way betting while the two feature races had only four runners each. RQ is responsible for programming at all meetings and it bore the…
Thornton’s first Group 1 win justifies SA trip
Damien Thornton has ridden his first Group 1 winner Toffee Tongue in the Australasian Oaks in Adelaide. The decision to self-isolate for two weeks to compete during the Adelaide carnival has already paid off for Damien Thornton who has become Australia’s newest Group One-winning jockey. With the lure of some prized rides during the Adelaide carnival, the Victorian jockey made the call to relocate and fulfilled the required COVID-19 imposed quarantine period before riding on Saturday at Morphettville. The 24-year-old guided the Chris Waller-trained filly Toffee Tongue to victory in…
Wong gets instant return on well-placed investment
Dual New Zealand Broodmare of the Year Bagalollies (right) with her two sons, Hong Kong Horse of the Year Werther (middle) and her yearling colt by Tavistock (left) Photo: Supplied Race favourite Toffee Tongue had plenty of international supporters during the running of Saturday’s Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m), none more so than thoroughbred enthusiast Edmund Wong, who was cheering hard from his home in Hong Kong as the daughter of Tavistock claimed her maiden victory in the blue riband event . The Chris Waller-trained three-year-old filly is the latest…
Clark has big plans for latest racetrack purchase
Progressive mare Le Castile in winning action at Tauranga Photo: Trish Dunell Bloodstock agent Adrian Clark has high hopes for his latest thoroughbred acquisition when she makes her racetrack return next season. Clark has purchased well performed racemare Le Castile for a Hamilton-based couple with the intention of adding black type success to the rising six-year-old’s career record before she heads to the matron’s paddock as a foundation mare for his new clients. It is a path that Clark has travelled successfully in the past with the likes of Tip…
Group One Goodwood next for Jungle Edge
Trainer Mick Bell will give veteran sprinter Jungle Edge his shot at the Group One Goodwood. Trainer Mick Bell will rely on a little-known Adelaide trainer to keep Jungle Edge in peak condition for a shot at the Group One Goodwood at Morphettville. Jungle Edge won his first South Australian start on Saturday, leading throughout in the Group Three D C McKay Stakes (1100m) with apprentice Georgina Cartwright aboard in an ideal trial for The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 16. Because of coronavirus protocols stopping Bell crossing into…
Tiley to take patient approach to racing resumption
Dual stakes winning juvenile Play That Song Photo: Trish Dunell Pukekohe-based trainer Nigel Tiley is happy to take a wait and see approach as the build-up commences for the resumption of racing in New Zealand in early July. Tiley, who has enjoyed a stellar season with the likes of multiple stakes winners Riodini and Play That Song, had been ready to launch the campaigns of his winter team members when the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to all New Zealand racing in late March. With the uncertainty surrounding restart dates,…
Charlatan, Nadal for Baffert in Arkansas
Charlatan and Bob Baffert-trained stablemate Nadal have won the 2 divisions of the Arkansas Derby. Trainer Bob Baffert has won both divisions of the Arkansas Derby with Charlatan and Nadal who have each earned maximum points towards the Kentucky Derby. The 1800m-race was run at Oaklawn on the day the Kentucky Derby would normally have been held. It has been pushed back to September 5 by the coronavirus pandemic and associated restrictions. Instead, 20 three-year-olds ran in two divisions of the Arkansas Derby, each worth $500,000. Each race was worth…