Cox Plate

Chris Waller's star mare Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) had a scare at Tuesday's Breakfast With The Stars when her bandage came unravelled and she tripped, dislodging jockey James McDonald. Both horse and rider were fine, although Via Sistina galloped several laps before being caught. "We'll accept for Saturday and use all that time, right up until Saturday morning, to make sure everyone is happy," Waller told racenet.com.au about Saturday's G1 Cox Plate. "The horse is 100% first and foremost, we'll go beyond that, take bloods, make sure the...

Harry Eustace is plotting a two-pronged assault on some of Australia's biggest races with Docklands (GB) (Massaat {Ire}) and Sea King (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Being owned by Australian-based syndication company OTI Racing, Docklands was always slated for a trip to the Southern Hemisphere. Last year's Britannia Stakes winner has performed with credit in some high-class contests this season, notably when returning to Royal Ascot to fill the runner-up spot behind Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G1 Queen Anne Stakes. Sea King was last seen finishing a...

In a story reminiscent of 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), Carson's Run (c, 3, Cupid--Hot N Hectic, by Henny Hughes) found a sequel to his own fairy tale Sunday, detailed last year here and here. The West Point Thoroughbreds and Steven Bouchey runner, a winner June 23 of the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Monmouth Park, doubled up on his juvenile form, adding the GI Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes Sunday to his GI Summer Stakes victory last year at Woodbine. He crossed the Saratoga wire Sunday...

A plan was hatched by owner Peter Lau and trainer Danny Shum as early as last June to set their multiple champion Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) on a course towards the G1 W S Cox Plate in Melbourne some four months later. Having departed Hong Kong in mid-September, the gelding endured a sub-optimal period in quarantine at Werribee until the Australian government approved the shipment of his regular feed from Hong Kong to Victoria and Romantic Warrior was an underdone fourth in the G1 Turnbull S. at Caulfield Oct....

The obstacles were already considerable for three-time reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) long before connections of the 44 runners for Sunday's Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting took their seats for Thursday's morning barrier draw in the Sha Tin parade ring. Already a nine-time Group 1 winner and victorious in 25 of his 29 career starts, the 8-year-old has not started since defeating Beauty Joy (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) in the G1 Champions Mile in late April, a 224-day hiatus. Only twice in his...

Kicking off the World Pool meetings, last weekend's Turnbull Stakes Day at Flemington drew HK$133.4 million (approx. A$26.6 million) in wagering. The card consisted of five races from Flemington combined with four from Newmarket and one, the Gran Premio Latinoamericano, from San Isidro. Defending G1 Melbourne Cup champion Gold Trip took the featured G1 Turnbull S. The combined Win pool on the five World Pool races (A$6,545,489.82) was almost nine times the combined pool on the five non-World Pool races with the Victorian tote ($743,831.06). Meanwhile, the combined Duet (Quinella...

The GI Saratoga Derby Invitational, slated for Saturday, Aug. 5 at Saratoga, will offer the winner an automatic berth into the G1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate, the New York Racing Association, Inc. and Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) announced Wednesday. The new partnership will provide the winner of the Saratoga Derby, a 1 3/16-mile test for sophomores, a place in the starting gate for the Ladbrokes Cox Plate Oct. 28 at Moonee Valley in Victoria, Australia, with winning connections afforded subsidies for transportation and accommodation. In 2021, the Joseph O'Brien-trained State...

New Energy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), the 40-1 runner-up behind Native Trail (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}) in the 2022 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, will be gelded and will ultimately continue his career under the care of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace in Australia after being acquired by Jamie Lovett's Australian Bloodstock following a lengthy courtship. Trained in England by Sheila Lavery for her brother John, the £65,000 Tattersalls Goresbridge breezer won his maiden at first asking in June 2021, his lone victory to date, but he has run with credit...

Carrot Farm's Tastiera (Jpn) (Satono Crown {Jpn}), who fell victim to a stinging late rush from Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the G1 Satuski Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) Apr. 16, got first run on that favoured foe in the long Tokyo straight and found the wire a neck to the good, dashing any hope for a Triple Crown for 2023. Heart's Concerto (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) was a strong third at longshot odds, but the race was marred by the death of Carrot Farm's second betting choice Skilfing...

In a little over a decade, Henry Field has built Newgate into one of the leading stallion operations in Australia and a force to be reckoned with on the international thoroughbred playing field.    Foxwedge got the stallion arm of the operation up and running in 2012 and, since then, the roster has grown exponentially, with Capitalist and Extreme Choice some of the more recent additions to the farm.    In this week's Q&A, Field explained the key principals that helped him build Newgate into what it is today, discussed...

New Zealand-born, but Australian-based jockey James McDonald easily outdistanced Ryan Moore to be named the Longines World's Best Jockey for 2022. McDonald will be honoured at a ceremony during the gala dinner for the Longines Hong Kong International Races Friday, Dec. 9, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. The awarding of the Longines World's Best Jockey title is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races as established for the year by the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races...

Connections of the Melbourne Cup favourite Deauville Legend (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) have bolstered their chances of winning the race that stops a nation by securing the services of local jockey Kerrin McEvoy. A three-time Melbourne Cup-winning rider, McEvoy, who has a close relationship with Deauville Legend's owner Bon Ho, will take over from regular rider Daniel Muscutt. Trainer James Ferguson has arrived in Australia early to see his former inmate and breakthrough Group 1 scorer El Bodegan (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) tackle Saturday's Cox Plate on debut for Chris...