They do things big in Western Australia. A few years ago, south coast boutique breeder Craig Thompson bought a boat and named it after his wife – Rosemary. That sounds very lovely, but it’s the kind of boat – not that he’d want to try this – that wouldn’t fit into the MCG. Thompson, the... Read More

Appropriately enough, this weekend, we look forward to three consecutive days of blue riband racing after last Sunday’s death of the great, 30 times British Classic–winning jockey Lester Piggott. Piggott’s home soil tally included a record nine Derbys and was supplemented by a further 22 Classic wins in France and Ireland and this weekend we... Read More

New winners Impending (pictured above) – The Paul Perry-trained Forecaster (2 c ex Street Storm by Stormy Atlantic) showed the benefit of a break when he scored a maiden victory over 1100 metres at Canterbury on Wednesday, providing Darley stallion Impending (Lonhro) with a fourth individual winner. Having the run of the race under William... Read More

Maximillius (AUS) 2 c Written Tycoon – Scandiva by Fastnet Rock O: Dorrington Farm B: Robert Crabtree T: Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr W: David Coles AM Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), Morphettville, May 21 A horse that is bred to be a future star earns Maiden of the Week status after taking a first... Read More

Luck is extremely important quite often in the making of a thoroughbred, and veteran South Australian hobby breeder Brenton Parker has had his share of both kinds. In 2002, he and wife Liz bought a rising two-year-old out of a paddock who became Madame Flurry (Perugino). She wasn’t up to much on the track, winning... Read More