Classique Legend firms in betting for The Everest after win in The Shorts

Brilliant sprinter Classique Legend’s sizzling performance to win the Group 2 $500,000 Bowermans Commercial Furniture The Shorts (1100m) at Randwick today has seen his price halved for The Everest 2020. Classique Legend, above, was a brilliant winner of The Shorts at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart. Classique Legend was marked at $10 for the $15m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 17 before today’s win but is now the second favourite at $5 at Ladbrokes.com.au. The Chris Waller trained Nature Strip heads The Everest betting at $4. Winning jockey…

2020 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes Results: Craig Williams Claims Win No. 6 Aboard Behemoth

A superb ride from Craig Williams has helped Behemoth and trainer David Jolly to claim back-to-back Group 1s in Saturday’s time-honoured Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. The son of All Too Hard was installed as the rightful favourite after winning the Group 1 Memsie Stakes only a fortnight ago, but this time around had his work cut out carrying 60kg in a higher quality field. Williams also found himself with work to do in the race as the pair were left searching for room behind Banquo and Tagaloa…

Kingston Town Stakes winner Taikomochi on target to give Waterhouse her 7th win in The Metropolitan

Tough stayer Taikomochi is on target to give Gai Waterhouse her seventh win in The Metropolitan after racing to a convincing win in the Group 3 $160,000 Schweppes Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Randwick today. Taikomochi, above, scored a tough win in the Kingston Town Stakes at Randwick. Photo by Steve Hart. Waterhouse has won six Metropolitans in her own right, dating back to Te Akau Nick in 1992, but if Taikomochio can take out this year’s trophy, it will be the first for her and co-trainer Adrian Bott together.…

Rothfire odds on in 2020 Golden Rose betting

Queensland three-year-old Rothfire has been installed as the odds-on favourite for the 2020 Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday. Rothfire, above, is the odds on favourite for the 2020 Golden Rose at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart. Rothfire was one of the juvenile stars of the 2020 Brisbane Winter Carnival with his win in the Group 1 $350,000 J J Atkins (1400m) at Eagle Farm. The Robert Heathcote trained gelding was then set for a Spring Carnival campaign and showed the Sydneysiders his…

Thornley grateful for Harness Million opportunity

By Jonny Turner Junior driver Olivia Thornley is keeping a cool head as her drive in one of the country’s richest age-group races of the season looms. The twenty-year-old has been entrusted with the drive behind Aladdin, a genuine contender in the inaugural running of the listed $200,000 Harness Million Two-Year-Old Colts And Geldings Final at Alexandra Park on Friday night. Thornley took the drive behind Aladdin when he caught the eye when flashing home for fifth placing behind American Dealer in last week’s Group 1 Sires Stakes Final at…

Princess Tiffany out of Spring Cup

Auckland Covid Update Owners will be allowed back at Alexandra Park for Friday night’s Spring Cup meeting. With Auckland reverting to Covid alert level 2 owners with horses racing will be allowed back at the track for the first time in over a month but are being asked to register to come along, via a link sent to them in an email. While gatherings can be no more than 100 people the Auckland Trotting Club can have more than that on track as they will be accomodating owners in the…

54 Nominations for Glenys & Philip Kennard/Graphite Development Ltd Futurity Series

A pleasing total of 54 nominations have been received by the Met for the Glenys & Philip Kennard / Graphite Development Ltd Futurity Series that commences on 25 September at Addington with total estimated stakes of $70,000. The well-patronised series caters for 3-year-old and older pacers assessed not faster than MR (Non-Winner) as at 1 July 2020. A nominated horse must start at least twice in the period from 2 August to 22 October at a NZMTC meeting to be eligible for the Futurity Series Final on Show Day, 13…

Busuttin’s Derby contenders go on trial

Trent Busuttin assesses the Melbourne midweek program as a crucial day for his three Victoria Derby aspirants, who will all be in action at Flemington. Two of them, Clinched (Dundeel) and Wertheimer (NZ) (Tavistock), are in the Derby Trial (1800m) and his top seed Albarado (NZ) (Savabeel) will run in the 1400m benchmark 64 event for three-year-olds. Busuttin is most looking forward to seeing Albarado after scratching him from a race at Caulfield on Saturday due to a “slight hiccup”. Albarado has had three starts for a debut win over…

Hawke’s Bay runners provide plenty of optimism for Gerard

Trainer Pam Gerard was delighted with the return of Tokorangi (NZ) (Redwood) and Pinmedown (NZ) (Pins) at Hawke’s Bay on Saturday. Three-year-old filly Tokorangi was one of the runs of the day when finishing fourth in the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), while Pinmedown was beaten only four lengths in the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) when tenth and will be seen at her best when out to a middle distance. “Tokorangi probably ran up to how she had been working and to her form last season,” Gerard, who trains in…

Highlights in new role for Cave

Former Waikato jumps jockey Greg Cave has achieved a couple of milestones in Australia within the past few weeks. Cave (57) was granted his trainer’s license in Perth this year and celebrated his first training success when Patristic (Patronize) won at Northam on August 27, then he saddled up the same horse to give him his first city win at Belmont last Saturday. “I was confident because he ran third last start and improved on that run,” Cave said. “I thought he was on his game today, but he will…