Month: May 2023

Ace young sprint star Giga Kick added another Group 1 victory to his imposing record when beating home inaugural The Quokka champ Overpass in a hard-fought Group 1 $1.5 million Ladbrokes Doomben 10,000 (1200m) victory in Brisbane on Saturday. 2023 Doomben 10,000 winner Giga Kick (pictured in Melbourne) was excellent in Brisbane ahead of a spell. Photo Credit: Ultimate Racing Photos. The reigning The Everest winning Scissor Kick gelding made it back-to-back Doomben 10,000 wins for the three-year-olds when charging home down the outside late off a 10/10 ride by…

The Patrick Payne-trained Dunkel was huge late reeling in the nearly all-the-way leader Promises Kept to post a brave win in the 149th edition of the time-honoured Group 1 $500,000 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville on Saturday. 2023 SA Derby winner Dunkel (pictured in Melbourne) was good running down the beaten favourite late at Morphettville. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos. The summer’s Tasmanian Derby winning son of Dundeel bounced back fresh off a two month let-up atoning for an unplaced March run in The Valley’s Alister Clark when charging home…

Reece Jones guides More Prophets to victory in the Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic. Apprentice jockey Reece Jones and trainer John Thompson have combined for a minor upset in the Group 3 Dark Jewel Classic at Scone on Saturday afternoon. She’s a mare that’s been plagued by horror barriers and luckless runs, finally able to produce her brilliant best from back in the field to score a dominate 1.2-length victory. Short Shorts ($4.80) was a well-backed commodity in the penultimate event and looked the winner powering to a forward position,…

Giga Kick was too strong for his rivals in the Doomben 10,000. Photo: Darren Winningham All the eyes in the Australian racing world were on Giga Kick in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 as the raging odds-on favourite with online bookmakers, got over the top of Overpass late to bring up his second Group 1 success in as many starts. The Clayton Douglas-trained three-year-old gelding jumped as the $1.65 favourite, and even though he found the front with 75m to go, he appeared to always have the race within his…

Tyler Schiller guides Special Swey to victory in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate. Photo: Darren Winningham Tyler Schiller and Chris Waller have combined to cause a major boilover in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate with Special Swey, presenting some queries over some of the Queensland Derby contenders with the big 2400m race set to be run and won in two weeks’ time. Jumping as a massive outsider at $34 with online bookmakers, Special Swey went straight to the front and led with no real contest, before kicking clear…

Billy Egan was all smiles after claiming his first Group 1 win. Photo: Atkins Photography Dunkel has produced a sublime effort from back in the field to take out the 2023 edition of the Group 1 South Australian Derby. Jockey Billy Egan saved all the ground diving up the inside aboard the Patrick Payne-trained gelding to nail Promises Kept on the winning post. As the race went on with 400m to go, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace training duo were going to pick up…

Kalapour proved a class above in the Group 3 JRA Chairman’s Handicap at Doomben. Photo: Darren Winningham The lone staying event of the day for the older horses at Doomben was the Group 3 JRA Chairman’s Handicap, where the lightly-raced import Kalapour has taken out his first Group 3 success of his 12-start career. After jumping as the online bookmakers’ favourite at $3.80, the six-year-old gelded son of War Command settled midfield, before making his move on the home turn to run home strong down the outside and pick up…