By Michael Guerin Tony Herlihy can’t win the race named in his honour at Alexandra Park on Friday night but he can win a few others. The champion horseman will have his feat of training 1000 domestic winners recognised in the $17,500 sixth event tonight, the Congratulations Tony Herlihy 1000 Training Wins Mobile. Ironically, Herlihy has neither a stable rep or even a drive in the race but not for any official reason. “I didn’t even know it was going ahead until Karen (Blanchard, ATC racing manager) told me on…
Month: April 2021
Manners key for Butt pair
By Joshua Smith, Harness News Desk Woodend Beach trainer Bob Butt will take two trotters to Addington Raceway on Friday night and he believes if they bring their manners they are both winning chances. Six-year-old mare Gold Chain recovered well after breaking in her 2600m contest at the Christchurch track last week to finish fourth, and Butt put her early indiscretion down to gear. “I was rapt with her run last start,” he said. “It was a really good field and I was hoping she would go a good race…
Purdon’s plan is working
By Michael Guerin Scott Phelan knows Major Perry’s win at Cambridge on Thursday night means more than just a spot in next month’s Sires’ Stakes Final. He knows he means the plan of training partner Barry Purdon is working. Phelan drove the speedy son of Art Major and Katy Perry to the juvenile’s first career victory in the Sires’ Stakes heat and he looked the winner a long way from home. Major Perry, who had been luckless so far in his career, dived straight on to the back of stablemate…
Doncaster Mile 2021 Field Features Mugatoo, But No Gem Song for Lees
Trainer Kris Lees chases his first success in the time-honoured Group 1 $3 million Doncaster Mile (1600m) on Saturday in Sydney saddling-up the favourite Mugatoo, but withdrawing his other acceptor Gem Song. All-Star Mile winner Mugatoo lines-up in Sydney’s 2021 Doncaster Mile field for Kris Lees on Saturday. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos. Gem Song has officially been scratched from the Doncaster Mile field on Day 1 of ‘The Championships’ paving the way for the Brad Widdup-trained emergency Icebath (2) to gain a start with just 50.5kg. The widely-drawn withdrawal had…
Mares gear up for Sangster Stakes at Caulfield
Lyre to run in Saturday’s Listed Bel Esprit Stakes. (Natasha Morello/Racing Photos) Sam Freedman and his father Anthony have Group 1 aspirations for Lyre and Prophet’s Thumb, but before that there is a race at Caulfield to sharpen them up. Lyre and Prophet’s Thumb run in Saturday’s Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) en route to the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on May 1. “They’ll both run very good races. They’ve both been set for the Sangster,” Sam Freedman said. A winner of the 2019 Blue Diamond…
Apache to make rivals Chase this time
You can expect Apache Chase to be carving out a quicker early sectional than the 37.24 seconds he ran for his first 600m when unplaced at Eagle Farm a fortnight ago when he returns to the same venue for Saturday’s Listed Daybreak Lover Plate. Trainer Desleigh Forster felt jockey Jim Byrne should have increased the tempo last start, a race in which the official final sectional time was 33.91 on a day where they weren’t running quick times. Out to 1400m on Saturday, Forster said punters can expect to see…
Berry sets sights on another Championships Final
Tommy Berry. Photo: Steve Hart Having claimed the Country Championships Final aboard Art Cadeau, Tommy Berry is bullish about his prospects of adding the Provincial version on the Kim Waugh-trained Great News. The mare has won half of her 10 starts and is yet to miss a top-three finish. She will have to overcome a wide draw in gate 16 for Saturday’s $500,000 Provincial Championships Final (1400m) at Randwick but Berry is confident she is up to the task. “She has a very similar record to what Art Cadeau had…
Montefilia drawn to stay the distance in Oaks
Montefilia will back up in the Australian Oaks. Photo: Steve Hart Trainer David Payne is keeping faith in Montefilia’s staying credentials, despite the filly’s two defeats over classic distances. And he is adamant she will bounce back in Saturday’s Australian Oaks (2400m) at Randwick. The dual Group One winner finished third as an odds-on favourite in the VRC Oaks (2500m) last spring when she was ridden out of her comfort zone near the speed and overpowered late. She was again well supported when fourth to Explosive Jack in last weekend’s…
Bentley ready to test his mettle in Hong Kong
Harry Bentley is looking forward to his Hong Kong debut this Saturday. Harry Bentley is eager to test his mettle in Hong Kong when he kicks off his short-term contract this Saturday (17 April) at Sha Tin with six rides. Signed on to ride until the conclusion of this season, Bentley, 28, arrives with a wealth of international experience – a grounding which he hopes holds him in good stead as he readies himself for the challenging cauldron of Hong Kong racing. “It was definitely a surprise but a very…
‘UNBRIDLED’ YOUNG STAR
Punters won’t be the only one’s ‘riding’ on star prospect, On The Bit. He’s owned by a group of prominent jockeys including John Allen, Jye McNeil and Harry Coffey, and Warrnambool-based horse trainer Daniel Bowman. On The Bit has won his only three starts in brilliant fashion, and The Watchdog believes he’ll be hard to ‘rein in’ yet again! “He has a bit of ‘Shima Shine’ about him and just explodes… I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him. So, it’s scary to think where this chaser may be…