Kiwi heroine Verry Elleegant lands fairytale Melbourne Cup success
Waller, McDonald land first wins in Australia’s flagship race as mare shoulders champions’ weight to four-length success No matter what heights have previously been scaled, there are moments that feel defining. Yesterday’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) triumph for Verry Elleegant (Zed) encapsulated just what the great race signifies. For all the big-race, Group 1... Read More
I’m sure that’s the way it was supposed to be
Praise the Lord, a southern hemisphere bred horse won the Melbourne Cup. Dare we say Australasian bred? I think not. Verry Elleegant (Zed) is a product of New Zealand. The fourth NZ-bred winner since 2000. Remarkably, given the overall dominance of northern hemisphere-trained horses and the harbingers of antipodean breeding doom, that’s more individual winners... Read More
Maher and Eustace buy Bali Beach to target Cup glory beyond today’s four-pronged attack
Training partnership secure half-sister to Cross Counter on eve of bidding for a first Melbourne Cup success at Flemington Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will seek their first Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) triumph today with four runners in the showpiece event at Flemington, but already the training Goliath is looking at least five years... Read More
Howley riding into Flemington station with his talented Highland Harley
As the one-time private trainer for owner Lloyd Williams, Liam Howley is no stranger to Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) day but today signals an important step in the trajectory of the Victorian horseman now firmly on the path to establishing his own racing identity. The Kyneton-based trainer, who was a key member of the... Read More
Big money wins
Competition between the heavy hitters, Racing NSW and Racing Victoria, extended to week three beyond the once typical Sydney Spring Carnival. Before the concept of The Everest (1200m), the Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m), Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and Metropolitan Handicap (Gr 1, 2400m) were run before all eyes focused on Melbourne’s big... Read More
Eight for Almanzor
New winners Almanzor (pictured) – It was a good week for Cambridge Stud shuttler Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) as he sired his seventh and eighth individual winners. Dissociate (2 f ex Party Animal by Makfi) became the seventh winner for the first-season-sire when she won the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden over seven furlongs at... Read More