Lightly raced filly Rocababy (NZ) (El Roca) upset the applecart at Wanganui on Saturday when she came with a determined late finish to take out one of the feature events on the day, the Listed The O’Leary’s Fillies Stakes (1200m). The Anna Clement-trained daughter of Westbury Stud stallion El Roca came into the race with a solid last start placing behind the Allan Sharrock runner, Librarsi (NZ) (Reliable Man) who was installed a warm $2.80 favourite for the contest. However, punters largely ignored the chances of Rocababy as she drifted…
Month: September 2022
All-the-way Valley victory for Castillian
After strong-finishing seconds in his two previous starts, a change of tactics brought a deserved breakthrough for New Zealand-bred colt Castillian (NZ) (Per Incanto) in Saturday’s Ladbrokes Handicap (1500m) at Moonee Valley. A smart maiden winner at Warracknabeal in late July, the son of Per Incanto stepped up into city class and produced eye-catching late runs to be runner-up at Flemington on August 6 and at Moonee Valley on August 20. Stepping up in trip for Saturday’s 1500m race, the Patrick Payne-trained Castillian charged out of the gates to take…
Rothfire returns to his best in McEwen Stakes triumph
Rothfire ridden by Damian Lane wins the McEwen Stakesat Moonee Valley Racecourse. (Morgan Hancock/Racing Photos) Superlatives often get thrown around in professional sport, but Queensland trainer Rob Heathcote was spot-on when he said Rothfire’s win in the McEwen Stakes was a “miracle”. He was also spot-on when using the same term simply to describe his comeback from a serious injury. Saturday’s victory was the five-year-old’s first since the devastation of fracturing his near fore sesamoid in the Golden Rose on September 26, 2020. 2022 McEwen Stakes Replay https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-McEwen-Stakes.mp4 And Heathcote…
Off The Bench with GRV Chair Peita Duncan and Sportsbet CEO Barni Evans
GRV Chair Peita Duncan and Sportsbet CEO Barni Evans join Hutchy and Pickers on Off The Bench to celebrate our new partnership with Sportsbet. greyhoundracingvic · Off the Bench celebrates GRV and Sportsbet’s new partnership (03.09.22)
North Star Lass fights back in Furious Stakes
North Star Lass prevails in Furious Stakes. (Steve Hart) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s tenacious North Star Lass was able to fight back to win the second leg of the Princess Series, prevailing by a long head in the Furious Stakes at Randwick. The Zoustar filly led the field early on from barrier one under Tim Clark, and despite Willinga Beast laying down the gauntlet in the straight, North Star Lass was able to fight back and win the valuable Group 2 event. Champagne Stakes winner She’s Extreme finished 3.5…
Mr Brightside stamps his Cox Plate ticket
Mr Brightside (NZ) ridden by Craig Williams wins the Feehan Stakes. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Ben and JD Hayes have compared him to the great Better Loosen Up, and that comparison is looking more and more accurate after Mr Brightside’s dominant 4.5 length victory in the Feehan Stakes at Moonee Valley. It was all too easy as this year’s Doncaster Mile winner found himself 2.5 lengths in front at the 150m mark in the Group 2 feature over a mile. And the sky is now the limit for the…
Eduardo defies betting drift to score in Concorde Stakes
Eduardo kicked off his Everest campaign in style. (Photo: Steve Hart) Eduardo has joined the likes of Redzel and Nature Strip as winners as the Concorde Stakes (1000m), as he bolted in to win by more than 2.5 lengths in the 2022 edition at Royal Randwick. Now a nine-year-old, winning trainer Joseph Pride said it doesn’t mean a thing for his champion sprinter, who ages like a fine red wine. After opening as an even-money favourite, Eduardo drifted out to as much as $3 with online bookmakers, but he never…
Four Queens heads home Rae quinella at Riccarton
Four Queens (left) gets the better of stablemate Sacred Giant at Riccarton. Photo credit: Race Images South Local trainer Terri Rae got her day off to the best possible start at Riccarton when new stable runner Four Queens narrowly headed stablemate Sacred Giant over 1400m in the second race of the day. Formerly prepared by Tony Pike at Cambridge, Four Queens had remained with Rae in the south after contesting both the Listed Easter Cup (1600m) and Gr.3 South Island Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton last autumn. The five-year-old daughter…
Kings out to reign for Lor in South Korea
Kings Shield is one of Hong Kong’s finest dirt horses. Kings Shield has conquered virtually all before him on the dirt in Hong Kong but Seoul Racecourse’s sandy, beach-like surface will pose an entirely new challenge as the son of Scat Daddy takes aim at internationally accredited opposition in Sunday’s (September 4) G3 Korea Cup (1800m, sand). Unable to make the journey to South Korea, trainer Frankie Lor will instead watch from home at Sha Tin with the final preparations left to his son Lok and the team on the…
Matthew Chadwick upbeat over Hong Kong’s Seoul hopes
Kings Shield works on Seoul sand under Matthew Chadwick on Thursday morning. Matthew Chadwick hopes to carry impressive momentum onto the international stage at Seoul Racecourse on Sunday (September 4) when he partners Hong Kong’s Computer Patch in the G3 Korea Sprint (1200m, sand) and Kings Shield in the G3 Korea Cup (1800m, sand). Winner of the Tony Cruz Award as Hong Kong’s best-performed local jockey last season with 55 wins, Chadwick is relishing the opportunity to parade his wares internationally as he combines with Jimmy Ting (Computer Patch) and…