Month: May 2020

Trainer John O’Shea is eagerly awaiting the debut of 2yo filly Newsreader at Randwick. Trainer John O’Shea can be a hard marker when it comes to horses, but juvenile Newsreader has won him over despite having never raced. The well-named daughter of Press Statement will make her debut in Saturday’s Cellarbrations Handicap (1000m) against a mostly experienced field, headed by city winners Wild Ruler and Sancy. Despite her newness, O’Shea is confident the juvenile will not be out of her depth. “It’s a really strong race but I was telling…

Australasian Oaks candidate Beauty Bolt (r) has gone from Melbourne to Adelaide for her G1 test. Grahame Begg has done his job to prepare Beauty Bolt for the Australasian Oaks, the rest is now up to the filly. Beauty Bolt left Begg’s Caulfield stable on Thursday night for Adelaide where local trainer John Hyam will stable her until Saturday’s Group One race over 2000m for three-year-old fillies at Morphettville. Because of COVID-19 protocols requiring any person crossing state borders to undergo two weeks isolation, Beauty Bolt and stablemate Vanuatu, who…

Trainer Bjorn Baker will have a large team competing at Randwick’s Kensington meeting. Bjorn Baker has adopted the motto ‘you’ve got to be in it to win it’ as he prepares a young team of largely untapped horses to face class tests at Randwick. Sydney race fields traditionally soften at this time of year with the autumn carnival stars in the paddock and most of the remaining talent pool headed to Queensland. But with a truncated carnival in Brisbane and coronavirus restrictions complicating interstate travel, more horses are staying home.…

Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan has several chances at Doomben as he continues to rack up records. Three-year-old Garibaldi heads a strong line-up for premier Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan as he heads towards yet another career peak at Doomben. Gollan has 10 runners at Saturday’s meeting, giving him a great chance to build on his 111 winners for the season. With three months of the season remaining Gollan is well on the way to topping his best effort of 137 winners set in 2018/19. He also has a chance to reach…

Citation in 1948, the 2nd favourite of 13 triple crown winners for the virtual Kentucky Derby. Secretariat is the 7-2 favourite for the virtual Kentucky Derby, an animated race featuring all 13 Triple Crown winners on the day the Derby would have been held before the coronavirus pandemic forced its postponement. The virtual Derby will use computer-generated imagery of the 13 horses running the 1-1/4-mile (2000m) race at Churchill Downs. It will be shown as part of NBC’s three hours of coverage on Saturday (Sunday AEST). Secretariat got the No.…

Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) contender Zayydani. Photo: Ross Holburt/Racing Photos David Hayes is warning the tote is not an accurate reflection of Zayydani’s (NZ) (Savabeel) chances in the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on Saturday. Zayydani, who races in the silks of breeders Brent and Cherry Taylor of Trelawney Stud, is rated a $41 prospect in a market headed by Affair To Remember ($5). Hayes, who trains in partnership with his son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig, has been pleased with Zayydani’s lead up form where she was a…

Trainer Colin Little, who bought Vegas Knight for $180,000 at Karaka. Photo: AAP Trainer Colin Little has always felt Vegas Knight (Declaration of War) had the potential to win a Derby in Australia. But the chances of Vegas Knight, who was purchased out of Highden Park’s 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock draft, contesting a Derby hinge on his performance at Sandown on Saturday. The South Australian Classic on Saturday week is the final Group One Derby in Australia this season. Little deliberately bypassed the Victoria Derby with Vegas Knight in the…