Moonee Valley

Last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf hero Victoria Road (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) will contest the A$5-million G1 Cox Plate in the colours of Ozzie Kheir next month, Racing.com reported on Friday. Bred by Trevor Stewart and trained by Aidan O'Brien for Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor and Derrick Smith, the colt is currently traveling to Australia where he will spend his two-week quarantine in Melbourne. O'Brien will continue training the son of G3 Abernant S. and G3 Charge Sprint S. victress Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire})...

A trio of new race days have been approved for the 2023 World Pool calendar by the Hong Kong SAR government, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) announced on Thursday. The HKJC applied for Newmarket's Sun Chariot S. Day on Oct. 7, Turnbull S. Day at Flemington that same day, and Cox Plate Day at Moonee Valley on Oct. 28 to be added to the schedule. A total of four races will be world pool events at Newmarket that day, while five races at Flemington have been added to the...

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...

Group 1 winner and star import Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) is set to have his first Australian start and first of 2023 in the All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley on Mar. 18 after being handed a wildcard entry for the race on Friday, Racing.com reported. The 5-year-old horse joined trainer Mike Moroney's stable in December, with the All-Star Mile always a target race for his Australian debut. Alenquer, who was previously trained by William Haggas, hasn't started since a ninth-place finish in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at...

Almanzor (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}--Darkova, by Maria's Mon), who serves mares at Haras d'Etreham in France and at Cambridge Stud in New Zealand during the Southern Hemisphere breeding season, achieved a remarkable multi-national double Aug. 20, with winners minutes apart in Japan and in Australia. Over a rain-affected course at Niigata, the well-related first-starter Via Luce (Ire) defied an awkward draw in gate 15 of 17 to validate $1.90 (9-10) favouritism and become the first Japanese winner for her sire. Beaten for pace despite being asked by jockey Yasunari Iwata,...

Aidan O'Brien has set his sights on winning the G1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate for a second time, with Derby hero Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Royal Ascot victor Circus Maximus (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) among his 11 initial entries for the Australian feature. O'Brien sent Adelaide (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to win the 2014 renewal, with the Moonee Valley Group 1 subsequently dominated by Chris Waller's superstar Winx (Aus) (Street Cry {Ire}), a record four-times winner before her retirement earlier this year. No stranger to competing in Australia, O'Brien has...