“We are relishing taking on Stradivarius”

Road to the Melbourne Cup This year will be a year like no other for the Melbourne Cup. With the backdrop of a pandemic and the introduction of additional vetting procedures in the face of a series of fatalities in the race, the Road to the Cup is a chequered one for many international aspirants... Read More

The Inferno

We all know the value of meticulous planning in breeding but also of its apparent antithesis – luck. Sometimes those two powerful forces combine. Sometimes one blows the other out of the water.  It was lucky Pierro took ill in his third season of 2015. Not for Coolmore and his shareholders of course, but, six... Read More

Bentley lands early strike at Happy Valley opener

Demonstrating the benefits of an exhaustive three-month stint at the end of last season, Harry Bentley put hard-won lessons into immediate effect with victory on Turin Redstar (Kyllachy) in the Class 3 Community Chest Cup Handicap (1650m) at Happy Valley yesterday. Snaring the first points in the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge, Turin Redstar gave... Read More

Magic Millions on the radar for McCall’s promising son of Pariah

Berava the latest talented juvenile by a first season sire unearthed at Queensland barrier trials Queensland’s Nat McCall is daring to dream of Magic Millions glory after a colt she trains by Arrowfield Stud’s first season sire Pariah (Redoute’s Choice) demonstrated his natural ability and professionalism to win a Brisbane barrier trial yesterday. Berava (Pariah)... Read More

Deep Bond heads into Foy test as Japan winds up for another Arc

Deep Bond (Kizuna) will launch this year’s instalment of Japan’s decades-long quest for an elusive victory in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) when he races on French turf for the first time in the Prix Foy (Gr 2, 2400m) at Longchamp on Sunday. The Ryuji Okubo-trained galloper has been lodging at... Read More

Four studs, four stories

Four leading New Zealand studs each had varying stories to tell this week. They experienced the highs, as well as the exasperations associated with racing and breeding. Grabbing headlines is not new for Waikato Stud’s Savabeel (Zabeel). Even when he sires the winner of the first two-year-old race for the season it is old hat.... Read More