Meet the man who bought the dam of a Melbourne Cup contender for 1,000gns

One thousand pounds doesn’t go very far in the breeding industry. It might pay for a few months’ worth of boarding fees, one or two visits from the vet, or a nomination to a minor National Hunt sire. For Eric Boumans, though, that relatively insignificant sum was enough to buy the dam of a credible... Read More

New Zealander vs New Zealand

It took New Zealander, world champion jockey James McDonald to deny New Zealand-bred Mr Brightside (Bullbars) in a classic renewal of the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m). Live, it looked like Mr Brightside had prevailed. Even experienced Melbourne commentator, Matt Hill, gave his initial call to the six-year-old Kiwi gelding but the photo proved otherwise.... Read More

Lindsay Park with a big Derby day Group 1 show

Arkansaw Kid, Apulia and Barbie’s Fox given strong chances in respective Flemington features Ben, JD and Will, the latest generation of the Hayes clan, may not be able to replicate their father David’s Derby day bonanza of 1990, but the new era of Lindsay Park will have a strong hand in Flemington’s three Group 1s... Read More

Romantic Warrior the headline act the Hong Kong International Sale needed

Rolston delighted Sha Tin banner horse conquers the Cox Plate in a show of true sportsmanship  Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) successfully carried the weight of Hong Kong expectation in Saturday’s stirring Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) victory, the triumph reward for trainer Danny Shum’s bold vision to travel his stable star to Australia. For expatriate Kiwi... Read More

Street Cry success continues to flow in Cox Plate 

The 2023 Cox Plate was yet another vindication of the influence of Street Cry in Australia’s greatest weight-for age race. After four victories as a sire and one as a grandsire, the title of Cox Plate-winning broodmare sire can now be bestowed on the remarkable Street Cry (Machiavellian) thanks to Romantic Warrior (Acclamation). The Irish-bred... Read More

Zac Purton rides four-timer, Seasons Wit extends winning streak at Happy Valley

Seasons Wit (Capitalist) went a long way to confirming some of his early promise yesterday when he romped to a fourth straight win in the Class 2 Kwangtung Handicap Cup (1000m) at Happy Valley. Expertly handled by Zac Purton, who collected a four-timer at the fixture, Seasons Wit  – trained by Jamie Richards – extended... Read More