In the Inglis Sprint, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained three-year-old gelding Calanda overcame a slow start, running fast closing sectional times to win in good style. Calanda was still back in tenth place in the 13-horse field at the 400 metres, where Blake Shinn skilfully steered him though on the inner going to third at... Read More

O: Shadwell Stud Australasia Ltd T: David, Ben Hayes & Tom Dabernig B:Canning Downs Pty Ltd S: $360,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale V: Canning Downs P: Shadwell Australasia W:Dream Thoroughbreds Maiden Plate (1400m), Sandown Hillside, 21 December The Lindsay Park-trained and Shadwell-raced colt Barjeel (Foxwedge), who had not finished further back than... Read More

The filly made her racecourse debut only a week earlier at the provincial Kembla Grange track when she jumped brilliantly and led throughout, drawing clear without effort to win by more than eight lengths, running the 1000 metres in 56.04, just a fraction outside the track record. Just as telling was her sizzling time of... Read More

OK, let’s get one thing straight from the word go. No person, no animal ever passes away. Never has, never will. They die! We’re born (we didn’t pass in), we live, we die. Deal with it. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear your father passed away,” you say. What, that will soften the blow for me?... Read More

It began by pitting one horse and rider against another in the spirit of competition. Yes, of course, the odd side bet followed but it was the sport which mattered most. So it was certainly refreshing, over the past week, to hear the following responses from Zac Purton and Hugh Bowman when I asked them... Read More

Firstly, the Lindsay Park-trained filly Catchy (Fastnet Rock) staged an excellent effort in coming from the tail of the field to win the Two-Year-Old Plate (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night. Craig Williams eased Catchy from her outside barrier (7) and she settled in last place in the seven-horse field, tracking a good tempo.... Read More