It's In The Blood

Boogie Dancer

While most of Australia shivers through week 52 of the only season that matters, there is at least something that’s hot at the moment. His name is Sooboog. The son of Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) is approaching his sixth spring at Kitchwin Hills, where he’s had a fee drop from $13,200 (all fees inc GST) to... Read More

Master Jamie

A little like his novelist namesake, colourful horse trainer Graeme Green has a penchant for turning something out of nothing. Some 35 years ago in his then home town, the country racing hub of Grafton, needing to supplement his income from a small string of gallopers, Green saw an opportunity no one had previously spied.... Read More

Taksu

At 84, Tony McGrath knows the value of patience, and how to wait for things. For three years the breeder and real estate businessman waited at his home town of Port Douglas, far north Queensland, for Covid to do its worst in more densely populated parts before boarding a plane again. Finally, he flew to... Read More

Holyfield

Breeding, as many shrewd judges say, may be mostly about the mares, but there are some serious heavyweight stallions in the ring when it comes to the pedigree of Holyfield. For obvious starters there’s I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), who took another major leap towards sealing his much-anticipated maiden general sires title when Holyfield won... Read More

Johnny Rocker

And now for Snitzel’s next trick: siring sires. In 2016, the year which began the great son of Redoute’s Choice’s (Danehill) four straight general sires’ titles, he also debuted as a sire of a stallion in the first season table. It was a humble start, with Salade ending the 2015-16 season in 31st spot, after... Read More

Blue-blooded winners galore

Several planets aligned to push a rare array of thoroughbred blue blood to the winning post in a number of major races last weekend, in a vote of confidence to those adages about putting the best to the best. There were too many to limit a review to just one, but a fair place to... Read More