Trainer Nathan Doyle and jockey Ash Morgan to combine with Hidden Motive at Randwick on Saturday
Hidden Motive, the talented two-year-old, is at $2.40 with TAB Fixed Odds to score his second successive win and get favourite backers off to a good start in the Precise Air Handicap (1100m).
A striking two-year-old colt by Newgate Farm's leading sire Capitalist, Hidden Motive notched his maiden with a runaway win at Hawkesbury last start.
This came after a first-up second to classy Aerodrome at Warwick Farm then his third placing behind promising duo Grand Eagle and Akaysha at Randwick.
The form around both those defeats stood up which only frustrated Doyle that he had to wait for the Hawkesbury race for Hidden Motive to finally break through.
'To be honest I was a bit disappointed Hidden Motive was beaten at Warwick Farm and Randwick,'' Doyle said.
'He shows us so much at home and I expected he would win those races but he's needed the experience and has improved with racing.''
Hidden Motive was ridden more conservatively at Hawkesbury with Morgan keeping a tight hold on the colt under well into the straight.
Morgan gave Hidden Motive more rein at the 250m and the colt bounded away to win by nearly four lengths – but the margin could have been even greater if the two-year-old was put under more pressure by his rider.
Despite coasting over the line, Hidden Motive was still timed to run the 1100m in 1m 03.55s (last 600m in 34.12s) even though the Hawkesbury track was rated a soft 7 that day.
Hidden Motive was purchased for $120,000 at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale last year and races in Driver's Kurrinda Bloodstock colours of white, pale blue star, striped sleeves and royal blue cap that are synonymous with unbeaten sprint sensation Private Harry.
AERODROME (2 g Ole Kirk - She Shao Fly) gets the better of race favourite Hidden Motive to win on debut 🚀
The gelding by @VineryStud 's OLE KIRK was a $190,000 @GilgaiFarm @inglis_sales Easter buy and gives his sire a 9th winner ðŸ'ˆ @MFreedmanRacing https://t.co/6nevlyYour
— ANZ Bloodstock (@anz_news) April 16, 2025
Driver also shares Doyle's opinion of Hidden Motive's emerging talent.
'When he ran in the Breeders Plate at the start of the season, he should nearly have won that day,'' Driver said.
'Then, we went to Warwick Farm for his return to racing and we were thinking he just wins, nothing would beat him, but he had to carry more weight than Aerodome that day and was narrowly beaten.
'We felt he might have been a bit flat second-up with 10 days between runs so we gave him three weeks before Hawkesbury and that was the horse we have seen at home.''
Both Doyle and Driver are hoping Hidden Motive can emerge as a big-race contender as a spring three-year-old.
The trainer and syndicator also have promising three-year-old filly Queen's Rhapsody lining up in a class 1 race at Newcastle on Saturday.
Queen's Rhapsody, a daughter of Coolmore's champion sire So You Think, ran second in four successive races to start her career then resumed to win her maiden easily at Hawkesbury last month.
'We feel Queen's Rhapsody is a stakes class filly every day of the week,'' Driver said.
'She's still six months away but the form around her is just incredible and she is going really well.''
• Ka Ying Rising locked in for The Everest as slot details revealed
Doyle has had a memorable season highlighted by Private Harry 's brilliant form including the Group 1 The Galaxy and The Sunlight, and the sprinter's selection for the $20 million The Everest at Royal Randwick in spring.
Private Harry, who returned to training this week, gave Doyle his first Group 1 win and has been central to the trainer's career-best season which has yielded nearly $4.5 million prizemoney for his stable.
'You don't get much chance to reflect in this game,'' Doyle said. 'The wheels keep turning so you can't rest on your laurels or you get left behind.''
With this in mind, Doyle's focus was back on his other Randwick runners with Hellfire Express and Rush Attack in the Midway Handicap (1500m) and Wooloowin and Super Bright clashing in the Asahi Super Dry Handicap (1400m).
Hellfire Express ran sixth behind Flying Embers in a Randwick Midway two weeks ago and Rush Attack has been freshened since finishing unplaced at Hawkesbury in early April.
Rush Attack attacks the line to win the Midway second up at Rosehill for @ZacLloydx and @ndoyleracing! 🙌 @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/2E7lt5xSLM
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 22, 2025
'I thought Hellfire Express was good last start, he had to carry at least 4kg more than any other horse in the race and on a very heavy track but he wasn't beaten far,'' Doyle said. 'He definitely has one of these Midway races in him.
'Rush Attack had a trial on Monday to keep him ticking along and he will either run at Randwick or play at home (Newcastle) on Saturday.''
Wooloowin has been unplaced in successive stakes grade runs in the Birthday Card Stakes during the autumn carnival and then the Dark Jewel Classic at Scone so she will appreciate the drop in grade for Randwick.
'She's a good mare and I'm expecting her to run well on Saturday,'' Doyle said.
Super Bright has never raced beyond 1300m in her 33-start career but Doyle believes the mare deserves her chance.
'I want to try her at 1400m and have her ridden quietly,'' Doyle said. 'She should be competitive because she's always around the mark.''
â– â– â– â– â–
Doyle's Oaks hope 'flying under the radar'
Trainer Nathan Doyle believes his promising filly Churchill's Choice is 'flying under the radar' going into the Group 1 $700,000 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Churchill's Choice has been winless in three starts leading into the three-year-old fillies classic but Doyle said there has been merit in each of her losing efforts, particularly last start when fourth to Philia in The Roses.
'She should nearly have won first-up (fourth behind Lilac in the James HB Carr Stakes) then ran a super race to finish second (behind Depth Of Character) in the Queensland Guineas,'' Doyle said.
'But then we gave her three weeks between runs going into The Roses and she was trapped three wide with no cover.
'I thought it was a really good run last start and she seems to be flying under the radar a bit going into the Oaks.''
In latest TAB Fixed Odds betting for the Queensland Oaks, Churchill's Choice is rated at $12 behind $4.20 favourite Philia.
Churchill's Choice storms home to victory at Randwick and defends her unbeaten record! @RachelK11 | @ndoyleracing | @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/dyawlHvztH
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 21, 2024
Churchill's Choice won her first three starts last summer including her defeat of older horses over the Randwick mile course in December which convinced Doyle to set her for the Oaks.
Although Churchill's Choice hasn't won beyond 1600m, her trainer is adamant the filly will run a strong 2200m on Saturday.
'I have no dramas with her going to 2200m,'' Doyle said.
'She shows us she can stay and is primed fourth-up for the Oaks.
'If she can get a nice, economical run in transit then she should be in the finish.''
Churchill's Choice's sire line is laden with stamina genes. She is by Churchill, who has already sired the winner of a French Derby and Oaks, and the filly's grandsire is the legendary Galileo, the former champion racehorse and winner of the 2001 English Derby before becoming arguably the most influential stallion of the modern era.
Galileo, Coolmore's champion stallion who died in 2021, sired a record five winners of the English Derby and Oaks.
In England this weekend, the world's most famous three-year-old classics, the Oaks (first run in 1779) and Derby (first run in 1780), are being run at Epsom Downs.
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On The Punt: Volkano to erupt at Ballarat
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Dubbo preview, tips and inside mail for Sunday, August 10, 2025
There aren't many horses that have graced the Dubbo Turf Club with better resumes than what Wayne Wilkes ' new stable addition Kote brings. It wasn't long ago when Kote was considered one of the more promising youngsters in Sydney racing, winning the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes during his second preparation. Second behind Kote that day was Thron Bone (now Invincible Sage). That galloper would go on to win the Group 1 Chairman's Sprint in Hong Kong before matching motors with superstar sprinter Ka Ring Rising. And while Kote's career hasn't gone in that direction, the six-year-old has proven to be a handy money-spinner throughout 32 starts and Wilkes is confident he can win a few races at his new surroundings. 'He's a horse that will keep improving this preparation,' Wilkes said. 'Obviously he's got a lot of ability and it's nice to have horses like that come into the stable and I'm still learning about him. 'I thought he did well a few weeks back at Grafton and his first-up record would suggest that he always needs the run. 'He was up thereabouts on the speed in a race where they went mad up front and as a result, he just felt the pinch late. 'His work has been good since and he handled the float trip up to Grafton well so getting out to Dubbo won't bother him. 'He's a horse that has been everywhere throughout his career and he's pretty laid back so the long trip doesn't bother him at all.' Kote takes out the Grainshaker Brian Crowley Stakes in style 🙌 @jasoncollette @ACummingsracing — Australian Turf Club (@aus_turf_club) October 22, 2022 Jockey Ben Looker was aboard Kote at Grafton but Wilkes' daughter, Shae, will take the ride for today's 1100m open handicap. 'It's Shae's first race ride on him but she knows him pretty well having ridden him a bit since he came down from Queensland,' Wilkes said. 'He's got barrier two so I'd expect him to be up there on the speed and with a bit of fitness benefit from his run the other day, I'm hoping he's got a bit more left in the tank late in the piece.' Dubbo's surface was rated in the soft range on Saturday afternoon and with Kote's record on good tracks reading zero wins from 15 starts, Wilkes is hoping it stays that way. On rain affected going, Kote has won four times including his most recent win in last year's Thunder Thousand in Newcastle. 'He certainly enjoys a track with a bit of cut in the ground so hopefully it stays in that soft range,' Wilkes said. 'Having said that, he did go close a few back at the Gold Coast on a firm surface in a good race so he's not completely out of it if the track is quick.' Kote has been handed the 62kg topweight for the $27,000 contest where he'll face 10 rivals, including the likes of Mabel, Plentitude and Rothgate. Mabel and Plentitude both come into the race with Sydney metropolitan form so Wilkes is hoping Kote can step up to the task. 'He will have to find a bit with the weight on his back because the race he's in has turned out to be pretty strong,' Wilkes said. 'Some of those horses come into the race in good form so it's no easy task.' Wilkes is coming off a season highlighted by Sumo Fish winning the MNCRA Country Championships Qualifier at Port Macquarie and he's starting to look toward that race for next year to figure out which horses to target. 'Obviously (Sumo Fish) isn't eligible for the race anymore so we're just starting to figure out which horses we set for the race,' Wilkes said. â– â– â– â– â– DUBBO TIPS BEST BET Race 1 No.5: XERXES Showed good improvement second-up at Tamworth when narrowly denied. Can break through here. NEXT BEST Narrowly beaten in a Highway last time out with 59kg on his back and he now drops all the way down to 55kg. VALUE BET Race 7 No.5: PRESSNELL Put a line through his last start run. Gets Bullock on now and a better gate. JOCKEY TO FOLLOW AARON BULLOCK has a super book of rides and I think he'll ride at least two winners. Probably more. QUADDIE Race 5: 2, 4, 9, 7 Race 6: 1, 3, 11 Race 7: 5, 6, 9 Race 8: 2, 6, 9, 11 â– â– â– â– â– DUBBO INSIDE MAIL XERXES (5) looks to be the one third-up into the campaign off a narrow last start defeat. Showed plenty of fight to just go down in a dogfight but he'll have extra fitness here and he's drawn well in a race where his rivals aren't. BLUE KINGDOM (1) was rolled at $1.30 on debut at Taree. Will improve at his second start and think the race he comes out of is strong. Aaron Bullock on. Not much went right for SMART BUY (10) first-up at Scone. She was trapped deep right at the rear and made it hard to get into the race following that. The problem is she's drawn way off the track here in barrier 17 but Group 1-winning rider Reece Jones is aboard. BET: XERXES to win. CROWN LEGEND (6) beat all but Zelestial last time out at Scone over a mile. Sticks at the distance and was six weeks between runs on that occasion so you'd think he gets here in improved order. Big gear change with Bullock on first time. STOCKHOLM (1) hasn't enjoyed the wet conditions at his last few runs and also did it tough a Wellington most recently. Drawn well here and has a good record at the trip. GRANDINI (3) comes out of Highway company, although she didn't beat one home. Turned in a strong performance at the start prior and doing something similar would make her a winning hope here. BET: CROWN LEGEND to win. RACE 3: SUPER MAIDEN PLATE (1100m) SUPREME STYLE (9) has started her career on a good note with two seconds from two starts. Resumes here after last running in April and strikes a race where there's quite a bit of speed. She can capitalise and break the maiden status. 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Goulburn previews: Portelli's horror streak of wide barriers continues
TWO-time Golden Slipper winning trainer Gary Portelli 's horror streak of wide barriers this season has followed him to Goulburn on Monday where three of his four runners were dealt the outside alley in their respective races. Portelli has saddled-up five starters in the 2025/26 season so far, the first two of those drew 7 of 7 and 6 of 6 in their assignments. Portelli's Goulburn -bound quartet with each of their barriers are Zoodoo (9 of 9), Sculptor (10 of 10), Angels Cry (14 of 14) and Greygenta who was issued 12 of 16. Zoodoo finished last in his only visit to Goulburn, on debut in January but has a more recent provincial placing to enhance his resume, followed by an excusable, distant fourth on the Canberra Acton track. 'The jockey said he didn't really appreciate that surface so he is a better chance hopefully on what will probably be a wet track, I'd imagine,'' Portelli said. 'On his run at Newcastle, he'd be competitive for sure.' Of all Portelli's Goulburn entrants, there is no contest in which is the track specialist among them. That honour goes clearly the way of Sculptor who shares his name with the 1983 Danehill Stakes and Brian Crowley Stakes winner. Portelli's 2021 model's record at Goulburn is three starts for a win and a second. 'We tried him over 1300m the other day but he just raced too fiercely and flattened out and couldn't find the line so we are back to the sprint and back to a wet track hopefully,'' Portelli said. Angels Cry ($8) meanwhile looks headed on the right trajectory for what would be her second career win at start five when she tackles the Nutrien Harcourts Benchmark Handicap (1600m) wearing the white, green crossed sashes, red sleeves and cap carried by past Portelli-trained Group 1 stars, Fireburn and Rebel Dane. 'She got beat by a pretty smart horse of Garry Lunn's at Bathurst and after she went through the line, I thought she was battling on just as strong past the line,'' Portelli said. 'I thought maybe the slower tempo of the mile might suit her.' Portelli's final runner on Monday's card is the $30,000 Inglis Australian Weanling purchase Greygenta whose sole win thus far was a barnstorming last to first effort at Queanbeyan a week out from last Christmas. She opened her winter campaign with career worst run at Goulburn (on a heavy (9)) before bouncing back to her best 18-days later when third at Kembla. â– â– â– â– â– DANNY Williams quest for another Goulburn Trainers' Premiership starts on Monday when two of the stable string go around in eminently winnable races. Williams whose career highlights include the 2022 Group 1 Galaxy with Shelby Sixtysix just three starts after winning a Highway Handicap, has lost count of exactly how many local titles he has won but reckons it ''must be six or seven''. Williams can take his career total of Goulburn winners to 148 should the lightly-raced Manwari and his nine-year-old stablemates both be successful on Monday. Manwari will be ridden in the Maykazz Maiden (1200m) by Nick Heywood whose win tally for Williams of 46 ranks him second to Matthew Cahill (60) but above former jockey and now dual Darwin Cup winner trainer – Peter Robl – on 43. Heywood's record on Manwari is four rides for three placings including the gelding's July 15 third at Warren when clocking in third as the $1.75 favourite. 'He seems to be a horse that has shown us enough that we feel that he is city-class but he has been very disappointing on what he has shown us on the racetrack,'' Williams said. 'We took six horses to Warren looking for a drier track and it never stopped raining the whole day. 'Albeit he got through the ground, we had him at 1200m and we took some blood leading into it and the blood said he could have done with more work. 'And he struck a wet track, it says a soft (6) but it was a lot wetter than that because they downgraded it after race one. 'He just ran out of puff. 'We have held him back for this meeting for a couple of reasons. 'We've got a lot of owners coming on Monday for (me) winning the Premiership and having a day-out and secondly, it just looked a nice suitable race for him.' Avid breeding buffs will be interested to dissect Manwari's fascinating pedigree which was designed by well known industry figure, James Bester. 'We bought this horse because he is he has got a cross of two brothers,'' Williams said. 'His sire Menari is by Snitzel and he's out of a Hinchinbrook and Snitzel and Hinchinbrook are half-brothers. 'I am quite a fan on inbreeding and so we bought this horse based on his pedigree.' For the record, Manwari's inbreeding is a 4 X 4 doublecross of Snippets who happened to win the Galaxy some 24 years before Williams won it with giant-killer, Shelby Sixtysix. Speaking of 'ageless' horses, Williams makes a solid case for now nine-year-old Sapphires Son who tackles the Nutrien Harcourts Benchmark 58 Handicap over his favoured distance of 1600m. The son of former Vinery Stud resident Pluck's last win came in the nation's capital the day before Bella Nipotina's brave salute in the $20 million The Everest (1200m). That said, his recent form stands-up well in what is clearly an open and competitive mile race and while carrying a featherweight of 51kg after apprentice Dale Cole 's 4kg claim. 'He is very one-paced and he needs a lot to go right for him,'' Williams said. 'I've put Dale on him quite a bit because he is an easy to ride. Dale did ride him very well at Forbes bit Forbes is a track where you need to be running forward from the 600m and he just got held up a little bit longer than we would have liked. 'He looks to be best suited going out to 1600m and if we get a downgrade of the track it is only going to be to his benefit.'
