acing Victoria (RV) has stressed that “it is a level playing field for everyone” in the wake of leading European challenger Jan Brueghel (Galileo) being withdrawn from Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 2400m).  The English St Leger (Gr 1, 1m 6.5f) winner’s trainer Aidan O’Brien branded the decision made by the local stewards as “ridiculous”... Read More

Daughter of Star Witness shoots for first top tier victory in Flemington’s 1200-metre event Mark Walker is confident his surging filly Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) can strike a blow for New Zealand sprinters and cause another spoiler to the stallion-making party in Saturday’s Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Flemington. Rising from last season’s... Read More

The Gloaming Stakes quinella face off again in Saturday’s Randwick Group 1 oubts may hang over two Sydney features on Saturday as Australia’s isolating black type shambles continues, but connections of El Castello (Castelvecchio) and Swiftfalcon (Exceedance) are bursting with confidence as they resume battle in the Sydney’s undisputed Group 1, the Spring Champion Stakes... Read More

Earlier on the Geelong card, Saint Emilion (Snitzel) proved himself a burgeoning force for the in-form Ciaron Maher stable, and likely VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) contender, after the colt took out the Geelong Classic (Listed, 2200m).  The son of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) had shed his maiden tag on his previous start when scoring at... Read More

A new contender for next month’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) was unveiled on Wednesday when Onesmoothoperator (Dialed In) made the smoothest of Australian debuts in the $500,000 Geelong Cup (Gr 3, 2400m). Trained by Brian Ellison in North Yorkshire, England, the seven-year-old boasted just four all-weather wins before Wednesday’s contest, but had hit a... Read More