Month: May 2022

In the week leading up to Australia’s only Melbourne Cup ballot-exempt race run outside of the Spring Carnival, the Victoria Racing Club has revealed its ambition to implement another as soon as next season. VRC executive general manager of racing Leigh Jordon on Wednesday said the club was keen to make the Listed Roy Higgins Quality (2600m) a sixth local ballot-exempt race. The Roy Higgins has been flagged as a potential ‘golden ticket’ race in the past, but plans are more advanced than ever with the VRC awaiting confirmation from…

Denis Pagan is after further Flemington feature spoils when he lines-up Turn It Up Tommy (NZ) (Tivaci) in the Listed Andrew Ramsden (2800m) on Saturday. The former AFL coach scored success in the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at the Melbourne track two years ago with New Zealand-bred Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock) and he is hoping fellow Kiwi-bred Turn It Up Tommy can get a Flemington stakes win this weekend. If successful, the three-year-old son of Tivaci would earn ballot-free entry into the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington in…

Carl Henderson believes he has found an ideal race at Arawa Park on Saturday for his talented mare Jodelin Gal to resume her five-year-old season, which will be all about adding to her future value. While the Te Awamutu trainer is quietly confident of a bold showing, he does expect the daughter of Swiss Ace to benefit from her outing in the Gr.3 Rydges Rotorua Stakes (1400m). “She might just possibly need a run and you always query whether they are fit enough, but she has always gone well first-up…

Mapperley Stud is excited to announce they have secured the high-class racehorse Armory who will commence stallion duties at their Matamata property in 2022. Mapperley Stud has joined forces with Windsor Park Stud to acquire the Group One-performed and multiple Group-winning son of champion sire Galileo.  Armory retires to stud a winner of five races from his 16 starts, amassing more than A$1.7 million in stakes and accumulating a number of champion accolades.   A precocious two-year-year-old, Armory won three of his first four starts including the Gr.2 Futurity Stakes (1400m)…

Secret Amour (NZ) (Niagara) will be on trial for a Brisbane winter campaign when she contests the Gr.3 Rydges Rotorua Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park on Saturday. The five-year-old mare joined New Plymouth trainer Robbie Patterson from the Jamie Richards stable this season and made an immediate impact, winning an open handicap at Wanganui last month after coming from last. It’s an effort which prompted Patterson to send her to tackle black type company for the first time this weekend. “By all accounts she’s really thrived, and she’s improved in…