Apparently disease had wiped out the vines and the olive groves. I wasn’t able to corroborate this story via a quick google search. However, I do recall reading that Sir Peter Vela and his late brother Phillip’s father, Filip, came to New Zealand in the 20’s from a Croatian fishing village on the Dalmatian coast.... Read More

In the end, though, the ultra consistent four-year-old mare Prompt Response (Beneteau) came home a comfortable and deserved winner by a length and a quarter after a gem of a ride by Blake Shinn, defeating the fast-finishing Shillelagh (Savabeel) with Super Cash (Written Tycoon) just a half-head further back in third place in a time... Read More

There is a general consensus that the current crop of milers, both amongst the three-year-olds and older horses, is an ordinary one and while Alpha Centauri produced an admirable performance when winning the Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) at the Curragh last month, she elevated her form into a different bracket with a six-length... Read More

The David Hayes-trained Redkirk Warrior may well improve the six winners from 34 (not the 35 listed in the media guide) runners Royal Ascot strike rate of Australian-trained horses which is the best of any country outside the UK and Europe. But what of the strike rate of Merchant Navy’s handler Aidan O’Brien who has... Read More

That seems a big call with Toulouse only breaking through for his first win in four starts at Rosehill on Saturday, but On The Watch feels he has demonstrated sufficient quality to suggest that he has sound prospects of reaching a much higher level in the new season, especially over longer distances. Having his first... Read More