‘We felt the most sensible thing to do was to not shuttle him this year’

Illness revealed to be behind shock decision to keep Too Darn Hot in the UK Champion international stallion Too Darn Hot (Dubawi) had to be taken out of service for almost a fortnight during the recent northern hemisphere breeding season, the untimely illness leading to the sire’s shock withdrawal from Australian shuttling duties this spring.... Read More

Starting with a great finish

Riccarton’s Winter Cup (Gr 3, 1600m) got the new season off to a heart-stopping start when Jay Bee Gee (Complacent) got the judge’s nod by the narrowest of margins, a judge that clearly had a much clearer image than we the public were provided. It sure looked like a dead-heat. Winning jockey Kelly Myers also... Read More

Schwarz’s time to aim up in Missile

Rosemont Alliance colt to step out in Group 2 as Group 1 precursor Twenty-four hours after parading Rosemont Alliance’s first colts syndicate stallion Doull (Snitzel) at Geelong races on Friday, studmaster Anthony Mithen will be transfixed to the Missile Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) watching another stallion prospect in the making. The Randwick Group 2 will... Read More

Hadouken takes to the Top End in style with Darwin Cup victory

Dirt track revelation Hadouken (6 g Real Impact ex Any Other Day, by Redoute’s Choice) kept his perfect Northern Territory record intact by claiming the local industry’s biggest race, the Darwin Cup (2050m), on Monday. The well-travelled gelding, who started his career in Sydney with now retired Warwick Farm-based trainer Gabrielle Ellis before joining the... Read More

Coolmore awaiting a spring Storm in comeback Kensington trial

Fellow three-year-old Switzerland to have his first new season hit-out at Rosehill The first tentative steps in Coolmore’s hopes of having an Australian-bred Group 1-winning colt in its possession for the fourth time in five years will be taken at Sydney barrier trials this week. Three-time stakes winner and Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) placed... Read More

Detroit City on path to spring glory

Leading Victorian stallion Toronado (High Chaparral) may have an early spring Classics contender after Detroit City stepped up to city class to make it two wins in two starts on Saturday at Flemington. Following an impressive four-length victory on a Heavy 10 surface in a 1200-metre Wodonga two-year-old handicap, the gelding handled metro level with... Read More