Features
Lightsaber
As the name would suggest, Lightsaber is a flashy thoroughbred who stands out – in more ways than one. For a start there’s the tail – the eyecatching streak of silver trailing the bay, who underlined his Caulfield Guineas credentials and further pushed those of his sire Zoustar with his second stakes win from eight... Read More
More from Jo McKinnon Column
Ugly duckling earns champion status while her sire is regarded as a one-hit wonder
A wayward, plain, angular looking mare by a little known stallion in New Zealand called Zed (Zabeel), there wasn’t too much hoo ha when Verry Elleegant first arrived on the Australian racing scene back in the spring of 2018. She hardly boasted a glittering racetrack resume having won a rating 65 race at Matamata before... Read More
Would Victorian racing be poorer for the loss of Sandown racecourse?
This Saturday’s much anticipated meeting at Sandown cannot and must not be a wake. Group 1 racing returns to the track for the first time since 1996 and the eyes of the racing nation will be on this magnificent racecourse as Australia’s best horse Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux) is expected to run in the Underwood Stakes. Sandown... Read More
Broader implications as the HKJC buys American again
The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s (HKJC) purchase of a Medaglia D’Oro (El Prado) colt at Keeneland’s September Yearling Sale late last week ended a nine-year absence from the North American market and signalled a tweak to its buying strategy that has implications beyond the immediate concern of its quirky Hong Kong International Sale (HKIS). The... Read More
17 for Churchill
New first season sire winners Churchill (pictured) – Churchill’s impressive start with his first northern hemisphere two-year-olds continued, recording his 16th and 17th individual winners. River Thames (2 c ex Where’s Sue by Dark Angel) got his career off to a winning start at Punchestown on Tuesday. Ridden by Wayne Lordan, the Aidan O’Brien-trained colt... Read More
Von Trapp
3 f Frankel – Chortle by Dubawi Trainer: Mark Newnham Race: Tea Rose Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m), Randwick In a lineup of high class and stoutly-bred fillies in today’s Tea Rose Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m), the Mark Newnham-trained Von Trapp stands out as an intriguing runner. By Juddmonte’s superstar Frankel (Galileo) and out of... Read More