Group One winner I’m Thunderstruck is being set once more towards the A$5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at The Valley on March 18. The son of Shocking finished runner-up to Zaaki in the rich feature at Flemington earlier this year, and his connections are keen to try and get the lion’s share of the purse in March. Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, I’m Thunderstruck carries the silks of OTI Racing. “The All-Star Mile is a race that fits perfectly into I’m Thunderstruck’s preparation. Given the lucrative prizemoney…
Year: 2022
Wellington Guineas on the cards for The Racketeer
The Gr.2 Life Direct Wellington Guineas (1400m) is the likely target for The Racketeer after his gutsy victory at Te Rapa on Saturday. The Racketeer, one of two winners for the day for the Cambridge partnership of Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray, led most of the way for in-form apprentice Kelsey Hannan to hold off a useful Rating 65 field over 1200m. Ritchie said The Racketeer was an exciting horse but he was unlikely to take on the big guns in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) at Pukekohe next…
Hinepara’s effort augurs well for future
Prestige winner Hinepara delivered exactly the Te Rapa performance trainer Josh Shaw was hoping for and an effort that has fuelled further feature staying race ambitions. The reigning Gr.2 Avondale Cup (2400m) champion made her first appearance for six weeks in Saturday’s open 1600m event and the Darci Brahma mare was doing her best work late in the piece to run fourth. “It was good to see a run like that and I was proud to see her show a bit of form,” Shaw said. “I thought she would run…
In case you missed it – Unleash Collinda, Geo and Amron Boy
Form expert Dale Code has picked out a selection of runs from around Victoria that have caught the eye over the past fortnight. #1 UNLEASH COLLINDA (Box 2) Breeding: Apr ’20 Beast Unleashed x Audacious BellTrainer: Jason Thompson, PearcedaleRecord: 21 starts 14-3-1 Dale says: Unleash Collinda somehow broke his existing track record over 300m at Healesville by more than two lengths in a mind-boggling 16.057 seconds. How does a dog miss the start, get a bump and still run a time that no other greyhound has even got close to? Simply…
Impressive Geelong winners look to be city bound
Harry Coffey returns to the mounting yard on Belthil after winning at Geelong on Friday. (Photo by Reg Ryan/Racing Photos) Two smart gallopers made their successful racing returns in the space of 45 minutes at Geelong last Friday that could soon be city winners. Tolpuddle and Bethil were both sensationally backed underlining the potential they have already displayed in trackwork and trials. The Grahame Begg-trained Tolpuddle was the first to salute the judge after being crushed in the betting from $4 to $1.80. While his winning margin wasn’t big, he…
Golden Boom best horse in race despite “train wreck” first loss
Tony Gollan says Golden Boom lost no respect, despite suffering his first loss at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Punters who dived into the short odds about the Tony Gollan-trained Golden Boom were crying all the way to the bar and left sobbing into their beers as they watched a replay of the Gold Edition Plate 1200m at Eagle Farm. Punters were entitled to be unimpressed by jockey Ryan Maloney’s ride on the beaten short-priced $2.15 favourite with bookmakers in a small, but quality field of juveniles, as the Golden Boom…
Moods a racing character jokes about axed “Peter Moody” chapters
Top trainer Peter Moody had viewers in stitches during a recent interview. You have to take your hat off to Peter Moody who surely must be one of the true characters of Australian turf with a wit to match his training ability. Moody was at his best during an interview on Racing.com when discussing the chances of his plethora of runners around the country last Saturday. Now we all know Moody climbed to the very top of the world’s racing mountain with his now-retired superstar sprinter Black Caviar (unbeaten in…
Ping Hai Galaxy triumphs as Zac Purton slots a Sha Tin four-timer
The grey flash salutes for John Size. Zac Purton’s remarkable 2022/23 season continued with a familiar flourish at Sha Tin on Sunday with a quartet, including victory aboard Ping Hai Galaxy in the Class 2 Lukfook Jewellery Cup Handicap (1000m), as the Australian maintained a relentless pursuit of Joao Moreira’s record for the most wins in a single Hong Kong season. The four-timer propelled the five-time Hong Kong champion jockey to 64 wins for the term and, with 28 of 88 scheduled meetings completed, Purton is on course to potentially…
Thornley’s gold run continues
Canterbury junior driver Sam Thornley has capped off a productive last few weeks with his 50th success in the sulky. Earlier this month he was runner-up at the Australasian Young Drivers’ Championships in Victoria. And then yesterday at Rangiora he reined Madam Ruler to her first win in the Margaret and Morris Vermeulen Memorial Pace. “It was a big thrill getting there – especially on the old man’s horse,” Thornley told Harness Racing Unhinged’s Nigel Armstrong post-race. Trained by father Robin Thornley, Madam Ruler was quick off the arm and…
Veteran Mick a Hobart hero
Disappointment in the Melbourne Cup and The Phoenix turned into a Group 1 celebration for veteran Victorian star Fernando Mick in the time-honoured Hobart Thousand (461m) last Thursday night. After coming agonisingly close to Melbourne Cup glory, when runner-up, and then being overlooked for The Phoenix, Fernando Mick claimed a thoroughly deserved Group breakthrough when winning the Hobart Thousand at his 92nd start. Claiming a first G1 victory after 90-plus starts would be a rarity in any racing code and is another wonderful achievement for reigning Australian Trainer of the…