It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when Arrowfield Stud great Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) wasn’t all that valued as a broodmare sire. The past is another country and all that. But faith in his “rival” stallion as a maternal grandfather in those days from Widden Stud’s Antony Thompson is now paying off... Read More

Against the tide of imported European runners and sires, supporters of Australasian-bred horses will be cheering Signature Scent (Written Tycoon), who made it two from two in impressively taking a two-year-old fillies handicap over 1100 metres at Caulfield on Saturday. Now a city winner, Signature Scent looks like fully justifying Yulong’s determined, shall we say,... Read More

We’re not saying Caloundra Cup (Listed, 2400m) winner Half Yours (St Jean) is bred to get a trip or anything, but his grandsire Teofilo (Galileo) has left three Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winners in the past seven years, and his damsire fathered a certain mare who won three more. Stay? Thought he’d never leave.... Read More

Repetitions run in the family for Miss Joelene (Russian Revolution), who broke through for a black type victory and took her earnings past $1 million in Saturday’s Tattersall’s Gold Crown (Listed, 2100m) at Eagle Farm. Bred by Brisbane’s Janelle Whalley and Darren Wilson of Wilrace Pty Ltd, she’s out of a dam by that fine... Read More

Here’s something you don’t see every day: Nine-year-old jockeys. But the subject provides a historical link for two of the most famous families in Australian racing – the Woottons and the Freedmans. Back in 1902, trainer Richard “Dick” Wootton took umbrage with Australian racing authorities when they wouldn’t let his son Frank ride professionally in... Read More