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Latest News
| Friday, July 4, 2008 |
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| Margham gives Sheik Mohammed another boost at Newcastle |
| Posted @ 08:38:00 EST |
Sheikh Mohammed's winning run with the progeny of Encosta de Lago continued at the metropolitan meeting at Newcastle on Thursday with Margham, a $700,000 purchase from the draft of Yarraman Park at the 2007 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, reports Breednet.com.au.
It states: Second on debut at Canterbury to promising filly Olonana on June 18, Margham benefited from race experience this time around, finding the line strongly to take the 1200 metre maiden by a length and a half.
Bred by Mike O'Donnell of Fairhill Farm, Margham was consigned by Yarraman on his behalf and is the fourth foal of stakes-placed Desert End (USA), a half-sister to stakes-winner Royal Med (USA), the dam of classy Kiwi Group Two winner Millennium.
Margham is the eighth two year-old winner for Encosta de Lago this season, Yarraman also having sold another of his juvenile winners in Infatuation (from Mad Desire) for $250,000 at Magic Millions.
Other smart juvenile winners sold by Yarraman Park this season include Group STC Two Silver Slipper winner Amelia's Dream (Magic Millions $250,000) and Listed winner Viennese (Magic Millions $1.4 million), both fillies by Redoute’s Choice. |
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| Tabcorp kicks off Jackpot Saturday at Rosehill |
| Posted @ 07:30:00 EST |
Tabcorp's "Jackpot Saturday" kicks off at Rosehill on Saturday with $75,035.89 going into the quaddie pool, and the First 4 on the final three races will have seed money of at least $50,000, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
It says the Newcastle harness racing quaddie on Saturday night will kick off with $51,935.64 in the pool and the First 4 in the opening race has $37,205,83. At Wentworth Park dogs, the quaddie will be $34,617.23 and the First 4 on race 8 will be $12,094.60. |
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| Thursday, July 3, 2008 |
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| Hearts race...but Sandown steeple plays out OK |
| Posted @ 08:01:00 EST |
THERE was an air of trepidation at Sandown yesterday as the dark clouds that loomed on the horizon sounded something of an ominous warning for those involved in the first race of the day, a steeplechase, as jumps racing fast nears its judgement day, reports The Age.
Its report states: After a spate of fatal falls this season, including two fatalities in last Saturday's Grand National Hurdle, where only four of the 13 starters completed the course, scrutiny has increased ten-fold on a genre of racing which some sceptics believe is past its use-by date.
An unusual scene at the Sandown course met racegoers on arrival, with security guards positioned at each entrance, the mounting yard, and at strategic positions around the track, to prevent animal-rights protesters from disrupting the race. Police were also on alert.
But come race time, all eyes were anxiously fixed on the field of nine jumpers as they neared the first steeple.
When all cleared it safely, focus moved to the next obstacle, and then to the next 10 in the horses' path; photographers snapping every leap, hoping to capture the next scene of carnage.
Hearts raced when eventual runner-up Deliver Us stumbled after the last fence, but he regained his footing to finish the race intact, along with seven of his eight rivals.
Gold Mover, who was pulled out of the race by jockey Danny Crozier when beaten, failed to finish the course but was unharmed.
Robbie Laing, trainer of the winner Foxtown, suggested that improvements to the sighter line — two bands of white paint running across the back of the fences — played a role in the fall-free race.
www.theage.com.au |
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| Wednesday, July 2, 2008 |
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| Greg Ryan blasts ratings based handicapping |
| Posted @ 07:37:00 EST |
Greg Ryan, who once held the Australian record for the most winning rides in a season, is not a fan of ratings based handicapping, reports Craig Young of the Sydney Morning Herald.
His report adds: The Dubbo-based jockey believes top class horses are being sacrificed at the expense of second-raters.
"I think the ratings give merit to the inferior horse," said Ryan, shortly after breaking new ground at Cessnock yesterday. "If there is a good thing in a race, what is wrong with that? The sport should be about the best horse winning and I think ratings go against that. It is hard for horses to get a roll on because of the ratings."
Ryan had just won the Jungle Juice Cup at Cessnock. Having ridden the winners of most cups on the bush circuit in NSW, Ryan had never claimed the Cessnock feature, which was taken out aboard the Albert Stapleford-trained Cruzado.
The neck victory wasn't without incident. Cruzado had to survive a protest from apprentice Tye Angland, who rode the runner-up, Unlocked. Angland told stewards Cruzado bumped his mount approaching the 100m mark. Angland claimed the contact cost his horse the margin but Ryan wasn't conceeding. He pointed out he nursed Cruzado to the line and Unlocked was never going to kick back and win. Racing NSW stewards agreed and dismissed the protest.
Ryan set his record mark for winners in a season in 2002-03, with 216.5. His haul was bettered by Allan Robinson in 2005-06, but that tally of 224 is under threat from Victorian Brad Rawiller, who broke through the 200 barrier last Friday. Ryan has ridden 79 winners this season, but said: "I had three of four months off with the [equine] flu." |
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| Tuesday, July 1, 2008 |
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| Jumps racing leaders come up with 9-point safety plan |
| Posted @ 08:04:00 EST |
THE Australian Jumps Racing Association will today present a nine-point plan on the embattled sport to Racing Victoria Ltd and chief steward Des Gleeson that could be introduced as soon as next Saturday, reports The Age.
It says: Rodney Rae, chief executive of the AJRA, said last night that the recommendations had been reached at a committee meeting yesterday that included jockeys, trainers, Des O'Keefe of the Victorian Jockeys Association, and Marg Lucas, chairperson of the Warrnambool Racing Club.
"We don't want to list any of the recommendations before we put them before Bernard Saundry (acting CEO of RVL) and Des Gleeson," Rae said. "We wanted to focus on steps that could be taken immediately and it was a very positive discussion."
He said the AJRA would work "hand-in-glove" with RVL in its review of jumps racing, which has been brought forward at the request of the Racing Minister, Rob Hulls.
The review is to be completed by mid-August for presentation to the RVL board at its September 3 meeting. |
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| Monday, June 30, 2008 |
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| Jumps review ready 'within a month' says RVL boss |
| Posted @ 05:39:00 EST |
AT THE bidding of the Racing Minister Rob Hulls, Racing Victoria Ltd will bring forward its annual review of jumps racing after the Grand National Hurdle debacle at Flemington on Saturday, reports The Age.
It says: Hulls said yesterday after speaking with RVL chairman Michael Duffy he expected to have the review "within a month".
Hulls said horse deaths and injuries to jockeys should not be regarded as a "natural byproduct of jumps racing" because people would start to lose confidence in jumps racing generally.
The RVL board will have jumps racing on the agenda at its monthly meeting on Thursday and the Australian Jumps Racing Association will discuss the recent spate of falls and injuries at a committee meeting today.
Rodney Rae, chief executive of the association, said yesterday his organisation was willing to work with the Minister and RVL on any review of jumps racing.
At the same time, Rae pleaded for a commonsense approach to the uproar on Saturday when only four of the 13 starters in the Grand National Hurdle finished the race.
He said circumstances on Saturday should be looked at in isolation rather than being symptomatic of jumps racing as a whole. "No one likes to see what happened (on Saturday). The primary interest of everyone involved in jumps racing are the horses, but we should take a big, deep breath before making any rash decisions," Rae said. |
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| Sunday, June 29, 2008 |
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| Sea Battle gives Kavanagh chance to make his winter mark |
| Posted @ 07:49:00 EST |
TRAINER Mark Kavanagh will be winging his way to Europe next Saturday when his latest up-and-comer, Sea Battle, runs in the final of the Winter Championship at Flemington, reports Tony Bourke of The Age.
His report adds: The four-year-old qualified for the final over 1600 metres with his impressive win in yesterday's final heat.
"He had to win to get into the final, but I won't be there to see it," Kavanagh said.
Kavanagh's stable is back in full swing after a mid-season setback followed his great start to last year's spring carnival.
It was all going fine until Maldivian's mishap in the barriers before the Caulfield Cup and things started to unravel, which led to a slump during the autumn.
Now, it seems, the stable is right back on track and Kavanagh feels his absence for a few weeks will only fire him up for a big spring this year.
Ridden by Nicholas Hall, Sea Battle put in one of the runs of the day to come from last and win running away.
"I didn't think he could win from back there," Kavanagh said. "I thought he would be about midfield and out wide, so it was a pretty good effort."
Sea Battle ($8) romped home by 4¼ lengths from Snort ($7.50), with In The Shadows ($21) battling on gamely for third after travelling three wide all the way. |
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| Saturday, June 28, 2008 |
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| Jim Cassidy 'interviewed' by Racing NSW stewards? |
| Posted @ 07:08:00 EST |
JOCKEY Jim Cassidy is understood to have been interviewed by Racing NSW stewards over allegations he received money from underworld figure Tony Mokbel in return for tips on horses, reports The Age.
It says: Cassidy was named in The Age earlier this month for allegedly receiving the cash from Mokbel in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
While chief steward Ray Murrihy would not confirm that Cassidy was interviewed yesterday, he did say a licensed person was spoken to about the matter.
"I can only say we are investigating the matters aired in The Age newspaper and we are seeking to pursue whether there is any basis for the allegations," Murrihy said.
"If licensed people did receive money for tips, we would regard that as a most serious matter and we will continue with our approaches to the relevant bodies and associations to see if there is any evidence to support the allegations."
Racing NSW stewards have requested information from law enforcement agencies as well as a number of regulatory bodies, but are still awaiting a response.
Victorian stewards interviewed Cassidy over the telephone after the allegations appeared in The Age on June 14. |
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| Friday, June 27, 2008 |
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| Bookie firm uses random phone calls to spruik business |
| Posted @ 07:10:00 EST |
THE online bookmaking agency Sportsbet has started calling mobile phones randomly encouraging people to bet, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.
It says: When the phone is answered, a pre-recorded voice message says: "What are you waiting for? Hit six [on the keypad] for a $60 betting voucher. Go on, hit six for $60 and you could win big."
The agency admits there is no way of knowing if the calls are being made to minors or problem gamblers, and wants the Federal Government to help identify vulnerable consumers.
The calls are made by a separate business, the mobile phone subscription service Jackpot SMS, which uses a computer program to dial random numbers. It then launches a recorded message, which offers whoever answers a $60 betting voucher if they press their keypad.
Sportsbet is not mentioned, but people who accept the offer are sent a text referring them to its website to claim their voucher. |
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| Thursday, June 26, 2008 |
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| Captain Bax maintains Baxter family's trophy name |
| Posted @ 07:38:00 EST |
AFTER 19 years, the Baxter family finally has its name back on the Pacesetter Stakes trophy, reports Craig Young of the Sydney Morning Herald.
He writes: Macquarie Stud principal David Baxter was at Gosford yesterday to watch the Kris Lees-trained Captain Bax take out the $100,000 feature.
In 1989 one of racing's true characters, Arthur Baxter, David's father, claimed the Pacesetter with a thoroughbred marvel named Magic Gleam. A horse that won at two years of age and every season thereafter until being retired at 10. In all, Magic Gleam had 132 starts for 25 wins, 19 seconds and as many thirds with career earnings of $537,920.
"He is still at home," David Baxter said. "He is 25 years of age, runs with the yearling colts in the paddock."
Magic Gleam was prepared by Harry Clark to win the Pacesetter, with the late Max Lees training the gelding to third in the Gosford feature two years after winning it. Lees's son, Kris, trains Captain Bax, which is now "probably heading up to Grafton for the Ramornie Handicap".
"I'm thrilled to bits," Baxter said after Captain Bax rattled home from last to down Gai Waterhouse favourite and June Stakes winner Mister Celestial.
"He injured himself 12 months ago. He had a small suspensory problem, he was supposed to be out for six months but it ended up 12 with equine influenza." |
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