Features
Music Magnate to take Bjorn Baker on Dubai adventure in the Al Quoz Sprint
Stir in some encouragement from Robert Heathcote, who won the race two years ago with Buffering, and the recipe’s looking good for the Bjorn Baker-trained gelding. The subconscious seed, however, may well have been planted in 2007 when Baker had what he describes as a ‘weekend away’ in Dubai for the World Cup meeting.... Read More
More from On The Watch
Redzel’s outstanding sectionals on an amazing day of very fast times at Randwick
On a day of very fast times, which caught most racing buffs by surprise with the nine-race card being conducted on a surface rated as Good 4, generally considered far from ideal for breaking records. In addition, the meeting commenced with a penetrometer rating of 5.19, also not considered conducive to fast times, plus there... Read More
Resin (AUS) 3 f Exceed And Excel – Beaded by Lonhro
Promising Godolphin-raced filly Resin (Exceed And Excel) followed her first-up second in a three-year-old maiden over 1000 metres at Gosford on 22 February with an impressive win at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. She settled in second place under jockey Glyn Schofield, racing outside the leader Dinnigan (Snitzel) at a good tempo before she was produced... Read More
Siyouni’s Aylmerton emerges as a serious Slipper contender
Stylish winner of a mid-week maiden at Canterbury at his only other start, Aylmerton may well prove to be special. A well grown, powerful, mature colt of quality, he very much resembles his France-based sire and has an exceptionally strong female pedigree. Bred in NSW by Dr David Chaikin at his Woodpark Stud south... Read More
It’s time to ask questions about the perennial problem of track biases
We go all the way back to December 1939 for the club to decide that a hedge on the inside of the track, on the flat side, was making the track much quicker there. No, I wasn’t there then but I doubt it could have been much quicker on the inside than it was... Read More
The Victorian A grade trainers list is now irrelevant and anachronistic
The point is what in the heck is an A licensed racehorse trainer? This is the first category listed under licensed trainers. It’s still relatively exclusive with around 70 names listed but, once upon a time, it carried a certain gravitas as well as exclusivity. And certain benefits which are now virtually irrelevant according to... Read More