Month: September 2024

Racing Victoria handicapper David Hegan said he would like to have waited an extra week before releasing the weights for the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m). Hegan said ideally the final handicaps for the Cups would be released after Saturday’s racing in Melbourne and Sydney to ascertain how potential contenders are progressing through the Gr.1 Underwood Stakes (1800m), the Gr. 3 MRC Foundation Cup (2000m) at Caulfield and the Gr.3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) at Randwick. Weights for the Caulfield Cup, on October 19, and the…

Kiwi-bred four-year-old Warmonger (NZ) (War Decree) caught the eye with his closing fourth placing in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes on Saturday and it is now all guns blazing towards the Gr.1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 19. When the weights for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups were released on Tuesday, Warmonger was allocated 53.5kgs for both races. The son of War Decree was a run away winner of the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) last campaign and is certain to gain a start in both feature Cups should connections wish.…

Tony Gollan’s talented galloper Antino (NZ) (Redwood) proved he was in the mix with some of Australia’s elite weight-for-age performers when a game third in the Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington last Saturday behind Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni. The son of Redwood had been slowly away when resuming in the Gr.1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) a fortnight earlier but under jockey Blake Shinn was quick to leave the machines on Saturday that enabled the gelding to take a prominent position. “He’s come through it really well,” Gollan…

Group Three winner Times Ticking (NZ) (Tavistock) has been a true family affair for the MacGregors, and now he has officially been passed down to the next generation. The nine-year-old son of Tavistock was co-bred by Alby MacGregor, and the Opaki horseman trained the gelding to 11 victories from 49 starts, including the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m), Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m), Gr.3 Red Badge Spring Sprint (1400m) and Listed Easter Cup (1600m). In the last couple of years, MacGregor has been a frequent visitor to the South Island with…

The New Zealand Pattern Committee have recently released a report outlining their review of the 2023/24 racing season. The committee, chaired by former New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing chairman Matthew Goodson, plays an important role in keeping New Zealand’s Group and Listed races to an international standard. “The committee is a group of representatives, half are New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing appointed (Bruce Sherwin, Mark Freeman and Gus Wigley) and half are New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association appointed (Michelle Saba, Scott Calder and Nick Hewson), and one New Zealand Bloodstock nominee (Kane…

Stephen Marsh may have temporarily lost the services of his star youngster Velocious, but he still has enough firepower to be a major force to be reckoned with in upcoming age group features. The Cambridge trainer was forced to call a halt to her three-year-old program following below par efforts when resuming at Taupo and again in the Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). “She’s gone for a wind operation, she’ll be back into the New Year and we certainly hope she will come back to top form,” Marsh said. The…