Randwick Turf Talk: ‘One of the best wet trackers on the program … and he's good odds too'

News.com.au22-05-2025

Racenet and The Daily Telegraph's Ray Thomas and Shayne O'Cass debate all the key chances at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
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Ray Thomas: Shayno, there is some conjecture the sun might come out for the Royal Randwick meeting tomorrow – I've forgotten what it looks like! Have you done your heavy 10 form?
Shayne O'Cass: Oh yeah. I know some punters hate heavy tracks but I actually like them. It makes the form easier without being easy. Just go for the proven muddies and hope the track is universally heavy/fair.
Thomas: I'm not sure about the wet track conditions for the two-year-olds in the opener but Agarwood was very impressive on debut at Warwick Farm, running faster time than Regulated Affair the same day. Can either trouble Sequista?
A very nice win to Agarwood at Warwick Farm! ðŸ'¥ @clarkyhk | @GaiWaterhouse1 | @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/FyBp2m8DAG
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 7, 2025
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O'Cass: I also did the muddie pedigrees RT, doesn't always work out precisely, but if it comes down to who is bred to get through it the best of these, it is Matima.
Thomas: This is a good Highway with So You Pence and Shropshire Lad the ones to beat. I'm going to have a save each way on My Last Hooray as he will get through the heavy going.
O'Cass: Loved your Frank Cleary piece, he could have nearly won two Slippers had it not been for Burst. Then again, Clarry Conners could have won 5 but for Encounter's swerve – ouch. I am a big Chemtrail man, RT. He's such a naturally talented horse.
Thomas: Green Fly is the one to beat in the Charity Challenge Handicap. He's tough to watch as he gets so far back early in his races but he does have a powerful finish and he's a real mudlark.
ðŸ'š Green Fly from nowhere nabs Cool Jakey right on the line to give @LaneDamian a Rosehill double! @FreedmanRacing | @OTIRacing | @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/aOe9GpWSak
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 1, 2025
• 'What else am I going to do?': My Last Hooray no last hurrah for Frank Cleary
O'Cass: Concur RT. I am eager to see how Diablo Bolt goes here first-up. He's a good horse.
Thomas: Cruel Summer is one of the better we-trackers on the program, he's in great form and he will enjoy the heavy in the second last. He's good odds, too.
O'Cass: I'll be on Kazalark unless the market says 'don't'.
She's Unusual leads the journey and kicks away for an easy win! @JohnOSheaRacing
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 17, 2024

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Matildas relive shootout glory for national portrait

West Australian

22 minutes ago

West Australian

Matildas relive shootout glory for national portrait

The Matildas' 2023 World Cup quarter-final triumph against France, which ended with a history-making penalty shootout, will be commemorated with an artwork at the National Portrait Gallery. The Matildas' 7-6 triumph on penalties made them the first Australian football side to reach the final four of a World Cup, capturing the attention of a nation and changing the perceptions of women in sport. Sydney-based artist and filmmaker Angela Tiatia has asked the World Cup squad of 23 Matildas to re-live the tension of the 10-round shootout for the video artwork. Some of the players had never re-watched those nail-biting moments, said Tiatia. "It elicited such emotional reactions, including visible goosebumps from the players, cementing for me what a privilege and inspiration it is to create this portrait," she said. Players Clare Hunt, Clare Wheeler, Courtney Nevin and Teagan Micah were on hand following a friendly match against Argentina on Monday night as the project was announced at the gallery in Canberra on Tuesday. The Matildas are currently ranked at a 20-year low of 16th in the world and will be hoping they can return to the heights of 2023 with the appointment of coach Joe Montemurro. While Montemurro sets his sights on silverware at a home Asian Cup in 2026, the National Portrait Gallery has artistic aspirations instead. The video portrait is its most ambitious commission yet, according to director Bree Pickering. "Some subjects, like the Matildas, need to be depicted in sound and motion or both," she said. Due to broadcast rights restrictions, the artwork can't actually include footage of the shootout, so Tiatia has decided to take a more artistic approach and hopes the result will be like watching a moving painting. She filmed with 14 members of the 2023 squad at a training camp in Houston in February, and hopes to film with injured striker Sam Kerr in London come July. Football Australia interim chief executive Heather Garriock said watching the 2023 squad capture the hearts of Australians was one of the most powerful moments she has ever experienced. "This portrait is more than a tribute to feats on the pitch, it's a testament to the cultural shift they helped lead, and the legacy they continue to build for women and girls," Garriock said. The artwork will be finished later in 2025 and is slated to show at the gallery in Canberra over summer before embarking on a tour.