Month: March 2023

Autumn Ballet is the $2.90 favourite for the Black Opal Stakes at Canberra on Sunday. Autumn Ballet did nothing but thrive at last year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sales, and part-owner Nick Vass is expecting her to do the same on debut in the Black Opal Stakes at Canberra on Sunday. The promising filly – who was a $340,000 purchase for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott – will line up as the $2.90 favourite across online betting sites. All indications are she will live up to the hype after an impressive…

Platinum Invador swoops late to collar Nerve Not Verve in the Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m). Photo: Kirstin Ledington It was the case of third time lucky for the Lisa Latta-trained stayer Platinum Invador, who upset calculations in Saturday’s Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m) to register a deserved big race success. The seven-year-old son of Redwood had previously placed fourth in the race in 2021 behind Oceana Billy after filling third place behind Saturday’s race rival, Roger That a year earlier. Sent to Queensland during the winter of 2021, when…

The three-year-olds dominated the Newmarket Handicap 2023 results at Flemington on Saturday with Godolphin‘s gun filly In Secret defeating Lofty Strike in the 150th edition of the famous sprint. 2023 Newmarket Handicap winner In Secret is now a two-time Group 1 winning filly at Flemington down the straight. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos. The James Cummings-trained daughter of I Am Invincible became the first filly to win the Group 1 $1.5 million Newmarket Handicap (1200m) since Sunlight (2019) with a powerhouse finishing burst to salute by one length third-up. In a…

Master trainer Chris Waller enjoyed his first success in the Group 1 $600,000 Coolmore Classic (1500m) with his progressive mare Espiona breaking through for a maiden elite level success at Rosehill Gardens. 2023 Coolmore Classic winner Espiona broke through for her maiden Group 1 win at Rosehill on Saturday. Photo: Steve Hart. Waller came close in last year’s Coolmore Classic with his Surround Stakes winning filly Hinged running third, but was in the winners’ stall this Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival with his last start Flemington winner Espiona. The four-year-old daughter…

Prowess (inner) and Campionessa fight out the finish to the Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2050m). Photo: Kirstin Ledington Three-year-old filly Prowess showed a combination of class and guts to upstage her older rivals in Saturday’s Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2050m) at Pukekohe. After racing handy to the speed set by veteran galloper The Mayor, Prowess cruised to the front at the top of the straight. Despite laying out significantly under pressure, Prowess dug deep to cross the line with a neck advantage over runner-up Campionessa. Winning…

Tokyo Tycoon presents a pretty picture as he takes out the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). Photo: Kirstin Ledington Leading rider Opie Bosson brought up a special milestone at Pukekohe on Saturday when outstanding juvenile Tokyo Tycoon provided him with his tenth win in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). Most jockeys strive to capture one win at the highest echelon during their careers but Bosson, who now has 90 Group One wins to his name, has made this race his own and provided another masterclass on the striking son…

Scallopini ridden by Damian Lane wins the Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap at Flemington. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) Scallopini was made to work wide from his barrier, gave the rest of the Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap field 1.5kg and he still gave them a beating, bringing up his fourth win from four starts at the Flemington 1400m. After jumping from barrier 14, Damian Lane pushed forward and was made to work three-wide for the first 200m of the race, before crossing and settling outside Savannah Cloud at the front of the field.…

In Secret ridden by Dean Holland wins the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) The lone filly in the Newmarket Handicap In Secret has taken out the Group 1 feature at Flemington on Super Saturday, with Dean Holland picking up the ride to win his second Group 1 of his career. With Jamie Kah being involved in the fall earlier in the program, James Cummings and the Godolphin team were tasked with finding a replacement jockey for In Secret in the feature and Dean Holland was the…

Espiona got her head down in time to claim the Group 1 Coolmore Classic. Espiona has driven up the inside to win the Group 1 Coolmore Classic for the fillies and mares on Saturday afternoon, gaining her first win at Group 1 level and Chris Waller getting his first win in the race. Michael Dee has been in sublime form and it showed with his ride on the four-year-old mare, sneaking rails runs to nail Pride Of Jenni in the shadows of the post. It comes after Michael Dee had…