Is it sport or business? Steve looks at one of racing’s perennial questions.
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
Trio Of Two-Year-Olds Impress In Winning Debut Performances
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
Debonairly (AUS)
O: Speedway Stables LLC B: Makybe Racing & Breeding T: Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott S: $320,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale V: Milburn Creek P: Marette Farrell / Gai Waterhouse Racing Won: Schweppes Maiden 2YO Plate (1100m), Warwick Farm, 14 December 2016 Debonairly, who won a barrier trial over 807 metres... Read More
Japanese Horses Star In Hong Kong
The victory of champion Maurice (Screen Hero), the favourite, in the day’s richest event, the Hong Kong Cup (Gr 1, 2000m), by three lengths in a time of 2:00.95 was suitably impressive and the perfect end to a wonderful racing career in which he won 11 of 18 starts, six of his successes coming in... Read More
Steve wraps up Hong Kong International raceday and looks to the future of racing in the region
The stunning crowd and turnover figures; the performance of Maurice in the Hong Kong Cup (Gr 1, 2000m); some now not unexpected petulance from Maurice’s jockey Ryan Moore and news of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s c.HK$500,000,000 development of the Conghua training facility near Guangzhou in China were the talking points of the day. And,... Read More
Steve looks at the fancies and various precedents to the four Hong Kong International races on Sunday
The verdict: Highland Reel (Galileo) is simply superior to his rivals here and he stretched out freely on the track on Friday morning to indicate he’s in good shape. Those to take with him in trifectas are Big Orange (Duke Of Marmalade); Satono Crown (Marju); Nuovo Record (Heart’s Cry) and perhaps Silverwave (Silver Frost). THE... Read More