Trainer Paul Preusker believes his star stayer Surprise Baby (NZ) (Shocking) can secure a start in the Cox Plate by winning the only race which carries a golden ticket into it, the Gr.2 Feehan Stakes at The Valley. Preusker said even if Surprise Baby didn’t win he wanted to see enough to justify running him in a Cox Plate as a lead-in to the Melbourne Cup, for which he is favourite. Surprise Baby hasn’t started since he finished fifth in last year’s Melbourne Cup when he flew home and was…
Month: September 2020
Another string to Sims’ bow
Former jockey Amber Sims kicked off her training career in the best possible fashion at Avondale on Wednesday, winning the Avondale Sunday Markets (1600m) with Coruba Jak (NZ) (Jakkalberry). Jockey Andrew Calder took advantage of his ace barrier, driving Coruba Jak forward to take an early sit behind leader Rising Risk. Calder asked his charge to improve turning for home and Coruba Jack was able to get the better of Rising Risk and held off the late challenge of Reliabull to win by a head. Sims was delighted with the…
Baker-Forsman pair tackle 3YO feature
Cambridge trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman have been given a free rein to develop promising three-year-olds Unition (Fastnet Rock) and Suffused (Choisir) as they see fit. That was the word from Forsman as he assessed the pair ahead of Saturday’s Gr.3 WRC Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa. Both Fastnet Rock colt Unition and Choisir colt Suffused race in the colours of global powerhouse owner China Horse Club and have the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 7 as their…
Auret vying for back-to-back Guineas
Fraser Auret is hoping to unearth another quality three-year-old in the Listed HS Dyke Wanganui Guineas (1200m) on Saturday. The Marton trainer took out last year’s race in emphatic style when Cooga Doon (NZ) (Makfi) distanced his rivals to win by nine lengths. There was plenty of interest in the son of Makfi after the race and he was subsequently sold to Hong Kong interests for a seven-figure sum. Auret will be represented in this year’s Guineas by Mogador (NZ) (Proisir) who takes the same form into the race as…
Court trio ready for Ascot Park
By Jonny Turner A big last start effort showed Tom Martin is ready to produce a repeat of his last impressive outing at Ascot Park when he returns there on Thursday. The southern bred 4yr-old powered to an effortless victory on his last trip south from Graham Court’s Canterbury stable early last month. A wide draw and a tough trip parked outside the leader in his last start at Addington stopped Tom Martin from making it two in a row. But his brave effort, just tiring in the last 150m…
Lisa hoping Healesville history repeats
The Healesville Cup will always hold a special place with Ian and Lisa Cockerell, who celebrated their first – and to date only – Group victory when Zipping Arnold was an upset winner in 2016. On that unforgettable occasion for the husband-and-wife training team, their $21 roughie Zipping Arnold caused a massive boilover when defeating hot favourite Invictus Rapid. The Buckley-based Cockerells have their fingers crossed that history repeats in Sunday afternoon’s Group 3 Healesville Cup (350m) with their despised outsider Broken Drum, the ‘slowest’ heat winner and a $31…
Popular greyhound columnist and coursing stalwart lost to the sport
One of the great characters of Victorian greyhound racing, Darryl Embling passed away on Monday at age 64 following a stroke. Darryl began training greyhounds in the Geelong region before moving to Rokewood and then Cape Clear. He rose to prominence with his popular ‘Bushwacked’ column in National Greyhound Form newspaper, in which he would highlight various winners from around regional Victoria each week. Darryl was also the anonymous journalist behind the ‘Man In The Tree’ column, which was always a must-read feature of the publication because of his humorous…
CEO’s Monthly Update: September
Welcome to the September edition of Greyhound Monthly Victoria and the first day of spring.
Sandown track update
Sandown Park’s return to racing has been delayed due to further remedial works required on the racing surface. In conjunction with GRV, works were recently completed following the identification of an issue with a sub-surface section of the track base. While those works were successful, the track surface has not reconsolidated as expected. Analysis of the track sand is currently being conducted with track works to commence following the results of that analysis. Sandown GRC and GRV will continue to update participants as works progress, including news on when the…
DoubleTree by Hilton to Sponsor Karaka Million 2YO
New Zealand Bloodstock is excited to announce the first-ever sponsorship of the prestigious $1 million Karaka Million two-year-old race held at the NZB Karaka Million Twilight Meeting on the eve of the National Yearling Sales Series. The most iconic two-year-old race of the season will now be known as the DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka Million 2YO and will continue to be contested by eligible graduates of NZB’s sales at Ellerslie Racecourse. Scheduled to open its doors in Spring 2021, the state of the art property at Karaka will feature 120…