Star jockey James McDonald is free to ride Grace And Harmony in Saturday’s Group 1 Queensland Oaks after successfully appealing a careless riding ban on Wednesday. And in a double victory for Sydney’s leading hoop, he’s been snapped up for the coveted ride on boom three-year-old Ayrton for his next start on Stradbroke Handicap day. McDonald fronted the Racing NSW […]

The trainer of Cox Plate favourite Zaaki is concerned about the firmness of the Eagle Farm track and has called on track managers to put extra water on the surface ahead of her star galloper’s appearance in a rich race on Stradbroke Handicap day. Zaaki announced himself as the most exciting rising star in Australian racing with his explosive seven-length […]

Jumps jockey Darryl Horner Jr’s win in the Brierly Steeplechase came at a cost after stewards banned him for a month for a failed drug test. Horner Jr won the Warrnambool feature on Flying Agent on May 5 but was stood down from riding 13 days later after testing positive for a banned substance. Horner Jr submitted urine samples on […]

Aidan O’Brien is set to rely on Japan and Mogul in Friday’s Coral Coronation Cup at Epsom, with dual Classic-winning filly Love likely to wait for Royal Ascot. Japan is rated the biggest threat to Al Aasy by bookmakers, having got his career back on track with a comeback victory in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester last month. The four-year-old […]

Further top-level assignments await Tilsit following his narrow reverse in the Prix d’Ispahan on Sunday. The Charlie Hills-trained four-year-old won the Group Three Thoroughbred Stakes at Glorious Goodwood last summer, before rounding off his 2020 campaign by finishing fourth behind 2000 Guineas hero Kameko in Newmarket’s Joel Stakes. He was not disgraced in finishing fifth in the Neom Turf Cup […]

Hugo Palmer’s Ocean Road is poised to take her chance in the Group One Cazoo Oaks at Epsom on Friday. The three-year-old daughter of Australia was last seen finishing third behind Sherbet Lemon in the Listed Lingfield Oaks Trial in early May. The Qatar Racing-owned bay was hindered by a slow start on that occasion and has subsequently undertaken some […]

One of the most successful owner/trainer partnerships in racing could soon add another stakes winner to its combined tally when the Dunedoo filly Soprano makes her long-awaited debut. The filly was raised at George Altomonte’s Corumbene Stud, between Dubbo and Mudgee in the state’s central west. Altomonte is credited with breeding two Golden Slipper winners, namely Sebring (the sire of […]

Former three-year-old prospect Kinane is nearing a racetrack return for his original trainer Mick Kent. Kent had Kinane, whom he part-owns, for one start before transferring the gelding to star trainer Chris Waller’s stable as he planned to head overseas for an extended holiday. Covid-19 and the associated travel turmoil put an end to Kent’s plans but he left Kinane […]