News

NEALE DONNELLEY previews the $13 million TAB EVEREST from Royal Randwick this weekend:    SPECIAL CONDITIONS $13,000,000 THE TAB EVEREST (1200m).   FOR all the hype, ALL the money, and all the publicity – good or bad – the TAB … Read more

Vain  (1969) Pat Hyland Surround (1976) Alan Trevena Manikato  (1978) Gary Willetts Red Anchor (1984) Mick Dittman Lonhro (2001) Darren Gauci Grand Cidium (1973) Mick Mallyon Our Maizcay (1995) Brian York Luskin Star (1977) Roy Higgins Grosvenor (1982) Mick Dittman … Read more

A year ago the event was regarded as an inspirational innovation introduced primarily by Racing New South Wales chief executive Peter V’Landys. With a brilliant combination of promotion and publicity leading up to the $12 million race The Everest achieved … Read more

Less than a month ago teenage jockey Ben Allen was sitting on sidelines recovering from glandular fever, hoping against hope that he wouldn’t miss out on the chance for spring carnival glory. How the wheel of fortune has turned for … Read more

More horses than ever are clamouring to get a start in Australia’s two great staying handicaps, the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, but not surprisingly the number of connections willing to pay up for their galloper to take on Winx in … Read more

Tony McEvoy is not afraid to roll the dice. The trainer is essentially having a $1.5 million bet by fielding Oohood against the colts, headed by hot favourite The Autumn Sun, in Saturday’s Caulfield Guineas. Oohood will aim to break … Read more

What can you say about the Winx factor? The wonder mare simply wows everyone. A sun-kissed Flemington had a record crowd of more than 22,000 for Turnbull Stakes day on Saturday, the afternoon when the spring carnival traditionally hits top … Read more

If Saturday was the day the spring carnival got serious, then Victorian trainers and owners might have reason to beware. Nobody is surprised when the wonder mare Winx travels south from Sydney and wins a big prize – she has … Read more

In just a few weeks, the Melbourne Cup for 2018 will have been run and won. Another horse will have etched its name in the record books and become part of Australian turf history. Chances are that the whoever gallops … Read more

The sun was shining, the sky was a brilliant blue and the stands were packed. The expectant crowd was roaring as the field turned for home, awaiting another coronation as the Queen of the Turf loafed along at the back … Read more

Godolphin trainer James Cummings will get the chance to emulate his grandfather Bart in the Melbourne Cup after his imported galloper Avilius survived a stewards inquiry to take out the race named after the legendary Bart Cummings at the track … Read more

There would be plenty of candidates for the title of unluckiest horse in training, but one with very strong claims is French import Vengeur Masque. Not so much for the manner of his defeats in races – although he has … Read more

Australia loves her, and no one here doubts that Winx is the queen of the turf. And not just in her native country. A panel of international handicappers – of which Racing Victoria’s Greg Carpenter is a member – has … Read more

The honours, tributes and affirmations of greatness just keep coming for wonder mare Winx, who has been crowned Australian racehorse of the year for the third time in succession. The seven-year-old is setting new standards and breaking records every time … Read more

NEALE DONNELLEY previews the three feature races from Royal Randwick this weekend:   Group 2 $300,000 ROMAN CONSUL STAKES. (1200m): AN evenly graded bunch of quality Sydney-based colts could be surprised by a Queensland raider in the $300,000 Roman Consul … Read more

                Turnbull Stakes 1979 Dulcify (B Thomson) 1991 Let’ Elope (S King) 2017 Winx (J Bowman) 1992 Naturalism (SD Marshall) 2001 Sunline (G Childs) 1989 Super Impose (D Gauci)

Tabcorp chief executive David Attenborough does not believe wider economic conditions will affect spring carnival wagering markets and is tipping punters to splurge a 10-figure sum over the next six weeks.   ‘‘We will do around $1 billion of sales … Read more

Winx running round Flemington in next year’s Turnbull Stakes and backing up into yet another Cox Plate? Sounds unlikely given that she would be eight this time next year. But, says one of the wonder mare’s owners, Debbie Kepitis, going … Read more

The blue-blooded European gallopers heading to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups might have endured a nightmare trip because of their plane delay in the Middle East, but for their Japanese counterparts there was an equally alarming issue to deal with … Read more

The European gallopers whose arrival into Australia was delayed by flight problems last weekend will now be allowed to race on Caulfield Guineas day, after the federal government granted Racing Victoria’s appeal to allow them out of quarantine on October … Read more

His eyes had a mischievous twinkle, and if he was feeling the ill effects of a 60-hour journey from the Ballydoyle base of the master trainer Aidan O’Brien, then TJ Comerford, O’Brien’s travelling foreman, certainly wasn’t showing it when he … Read more

Jeff Lloyd, who turned 57 on September 1, will be sadly missed when he hangs up his saddle. Lloyd, who says he will retire before the end of the 2018-19, is expected to have his last ride at the Magic … Read more

As weekends go, they don’t get much better as far as jockey Ben Melham is concerned. The Melbourne-based rider landed a Group race double at Moonee Valley on Friday night when he scored on I Am A Star and The … Read more

Newcastle trainer Kris Lees looks to hold the key to the Thousand Guineas with favourite Smart Melody and stablemate El Dorado Dreaming confirming they will be big players in the fillies classic when they ran first and third in the … Read more

Grand Final West Coast vs Collingwood, MCG, 2.30pm   West Coast 2018 Season Record: 18 Wins, 6 Losses Last 5 Games WIN Melbourne 121-55 WIN Collingwood 86-70 WIN Brisbane 98-72 LOSS Melbourne 91-108 WIN Port Adelaide 62-58 Last 5 Finals … Read more

Saturday, September 22 Second Preliminary Final West Coast vs Melbourne, Optus Stadium, 3.20pm (AEST)   West Coast 2018 Season Record: 17 Wins, 6 Losses Last 5 Games WIN Collingwood 86-70 WIN Brisbane 98-72 LOSS Melbourne 91-108 WIN Port Adelaide 62-58 … Read more

NEALE DONNELLEY previews four of the feature races from Rosehill Gardens this weekend:   Group 3 $200,000 GLOAMING STAKES. (1800m): MELBOURNE raider TAVIRUN will tackle just five rivals in Saturday’s famous Group 2 $200,000 Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill Gardens. Trained … Read more

Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes 1. Manikato (1980) 2. Testa Rossa (2000) 3. Tauto (1971) 4. Exceed And Excel (2003) 5. Torbek (1980) 6. Rancho Ruler (1988) Peter Ellis has attended over 10,000 race meetings and has viewed and assessed more … Read more