A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and a race by any other grading – approved or make-believe – is still something to celebrate if you come first, despite all the confusion. Gringotts (Per Incanto) is making a habit of winning these NSW black type races that aren’t. At Randwick’s Melbourne Cup... Read More

On the one hand, Jasmin Rouge (Dundeel) is a horse who’s confounded some old rules of thumb and has already exceeded expectations. She cost only $70,000 at Melbourne Premier as an underdeveloped yearling and is one of Dundeel’s fillies, who are supposed to be inferior to his male offspring. In contrast, one horse who fits... Read More

Knight’s Choice (AUS) By Trevor Marshallsea Where the hell did that come from? That was the question on most people’s lips following Tuesday’s stunning Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) victory to $91 bolter Knight’s Choice (Extreme Choice). It was asked not just because of form but in terms of how possibly could the winner of... Read More

Danny Rose is a breeder who’s had around a hundred horses in his time. Right now, he’s doing very well with just one. Rose is the breeder of Plenty Of Ammo (Rebel Raider), the first foal of his lone mare, the 14-year-old Millie’s Reef (Floral Pegasus). Plenty Of Ammo didn’t race till she was nearly... Read More

There was no sense of hit and hope in the pedigree match-up that produced Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) hero Private Life (Written Tycoon). The three major elements were so familiar and reassuring it would have felt like getting into bed. For starters there’s Written Tycoon (Iglesia). As attested by his enduring success at age... Read More