Latest news with #1s
West Australian
30-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Bohemian Diamond a strong favourite for $100,000 clash but Dyson says Kelvinater can surprise
Two weeks ago, Bohemian Diamond showed she had the wood over most of her rivals in the WestSpeed Platinum Autumn Final (1400m) and should again assert her superiority on her rivals in the $100,000 Pinjarra feature. This week's $1.85 TABtouch fancy improved her impressive first-up record when scoring a comprehensive two-length win over Royal Gap and Cheryl's Shout (both $13 this weekend) on May 17. From that race, fourth placegetter Hammarmill ($8.50), seventh Major Mario ($12), ninth Why Me ($14), 10th Zac Luvs To Fly ($41) and 11th finisher Storm Commander ($51) will all reoppose. Whilst she has expressed an edge over those rivals, Kelvinater ($8.50) brings a different form-line and shapes as a logical challenger to the strong favourite. The $280,000 earner disappointed when finishing almost 10 lengths from Hammarmill two starts ago before rebounding just a week later to win on May 10. His rider, Taj Dyson, believes he can upstage the hotpot and says any overnight rainfall will be no object. 'I think he can (win). I actually really do like him tomorrow,' Dyson told TABradio. 'He just tends to be a different horse when he's in front and freewheeling a bit. 'I don't think the weight bothers him; the last start put that to bed. 'His wet form is pretty good, so I think if he can find the front and control, I think he'll be hard to beat. 'If we can lead (Cheryl's Shout) without doing too much work… he'll be extremely hard to beat.' Prior to last start, Kelvinater had not won since July 2023 when winning a 61+ rated race at Belmont. The gelding clearly has an affinity for Dyson having been partnered by him for three of his five career wins, with the jockey only returning to race riding in January after retiring in September 2023. 'He's definitely got the class on his side and it's a big mental game with him,' Dyson said. 'When a rider tries to tell him what to do, he throws the towel in pretty quick. 'He's a temperamental horse and even at trackwork, he's a handful, so Pop (trainer Fred Kersley) does a very good job with him. 'The drop in grade has obviously helped but he does have the ability to do it, it's just all in his head.' The five-year-old is by little known stallion Heritage – a half-brother to champion Northerly - from Fred Kersley's unraced mare Sheer Royalty. Just months before Sheer Royalty's birth, a pacer by the same name proved herself to be WA's best filly by capturing two Group 1s within two weeks, including the 2009 WA Oaks. + Speedy mare Joliestar ($3f) remains outright elect for the Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) at Eagle Farm, while Statuario ($6) just leads Belle Detelle ($10 to $6.50) for the other Group 1, the Queensland Derby (2400m).
Courier-Mail
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Jockeys Noel Callow, Kyle Wilson-Taylor in physical altercation
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Noel Callow has been stood down from riding under concussion protocols and will miss a Group 1 ride after being involved in a physical altercation with fellow jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor at the Doomben races on Wednesday. It means Callow will forgo the ride on Bevan Laming's Group 1 Queensland Derby contender Our Benefactor on Saturday, which would have been Callow's first Australian Group 1 ride in years after re-establishing his riding career in the Sunshine State. The Queensland Racing Integrity Commission has now confirmed Callow has been stood down for 12 days under concussion protocols. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The official stewards' report from Doomben Wednesday races was also published online at 11.30am on Thursday. The reference to the incident in the report said there was an 'adjourned inquiry into an 'incident post race (six).' And the report stated that, before race seven: 'The start of this race was delayed approximately five minutes when rider N. Callow, who had weighed out for this event, was then subsequently stood down after being examined by the club doctor and found to be unfit to fulfil his remaining engagements.' It also stated a 'medical clearance was required (including concussion protocol)' before Callow was permitted to ride again. Racenet broke the news on Wednesday that stewards were investigating a physical altercation between the jockeys, which came after ill-feeling between the pair escalated at Doomben. It is understood Wilson-Taylor insisted that he had not been the aggressor in the initial incident. • Clinton Payne's Queensland Derby tips, runner-by-runner form analysis Wilson-Taylor, who broke into the elite Group 1 club when he scored in the Tatt's Tiara on Palaisipan in 2023, has three rides at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Callow, with five Australian Group 1s to his name, has collected big-race wins all over the world, including a prolific stint in Singapore. The larrikin jockey they call 'King' has returned to being a formidable metropolitan riding force in recent times, but says after he first arrived in Queensland many trainers thought he was in semi-retirement. Queensland stewards did not take evidence from Callow on Wednesday as he left the course to seek medical treatment. Stewards have adjourned the inquiry, which took a considerable volume of evidence from other riders and racing officials, to a date and time to be fixed. They want more time to complete the inquiry to allow further investigation into the incident and to gather more evidence. Originally published as Noel Callow stood down under concussion protocols after physical altercation with fellow jockey Kyle Wilson-Taylor
West Australian
24-05-2025
- Sport
- West Australian
Antino destroys classy Doomben Cup field in race-record time
Antino continued his imperious vein of form in the Group 1 $1 million XXXX Doomben Cup (2000m), annihilating his rivals in a four-length romp. The last into stride, Antino ($3f TABtouch) settled third from the back as invariable pace-maker Pride Of Jenni ($5) adopted her customary role. Beyond halfway, Pride Of Jenni had opened up by three lengths on Linderman ($10), who in turn held a similar margin over the chasing pack. Past the 800m, Blake Shinn hooked Antino to the outside to begin his trademark long run and the six-year-old rapidly began to loop the field, making up ground hand over fist. Despite being four wide, Shinn had a vice-like grip of Antino as he moved past Pride Of Jenni at the 400m like she was stood still. With Shinn getting stuck-in up the straight, the son of Redwood effortlessly increased his margin with Fawkner Park and Kovalica toiling away to fill the remote placegetter positions. Gollan, a Toowoomba boy, has won multiple Group 1s and 11 straight Brisbane training premierships but said this horse was a different breed. 'This is a new beast in my career,' he said. 'This has been the best horse I have trained . After winning the Toorak Handicap last year, we have all just gotten better as a team. 'Antino has gone to another level, what we have seen today is pretty special. 'It was a pretty good Doomben Cup field and now we will set our sights on the Cox Plate in the spring. 'His style of racing will suit a Cox Plate where you can build and build into it. 'Sometimes he doesn't break out of the barriers well, but Blake just lets him get into his stride and he knows when it is time to go. 'I just said to Blake today I couldn't get him any better and he will do the job for you. 'That's as good a win as I've been involved in.' Pride Of Jenni's trainer and record-breaking master Ciaron Maher summed up the performance in a simple quote: 'That was serious, wasn't it?' A Brisbane Racing Club promotion meant that free beer was enjoyed by patrons at the meeting thanks to Antino's win.
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Central Districts get vote of confidence from racing bosses
Things got worse on Anzac Day when the Awapuni relaunch lasted one race before that meeting was called off for the usual reason: a slippery surface making racing unsafe. Add to that long-term doubts about the sustainability of the remaining Trentham grandstand and Ōtaki losing its only Group 1 to Ellerslie and good news has been hard to come by in the lower half of the North Island. But help, or at least the promise of help, is on the way. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing have backed the new Awapuni track by scheduling two Group 1s to be run there in the spring, if the track can come up to scratch by then. That IF has to be in capital letters as NZTR chief executive Matt Ballesty has made it clear the track must prove itself first and any sign of trouble that threatens the Group 1s will see an alternate venue found. The two races are the Arrowfield Stud Plate and the Livamol, traditionally the second and third legs of the Hawke's Bay Triple Crown. With Hastings out of play for the spring (more on that soon) the three Group 1s it usually holds will be split between Ellerslie for the first, the Tarzino Trophy, with the next two legs tentatively at Awapuni. 'Subject to a visit from track expert Liam O'Keefe in early June we intend to run the two Group 1s in that region,' Ballesty told the Herald. 'However, if the track isn't exactly where it needs to be and more time is needed we won't rush and we will look at other options. 'NZTR understands all participants, especially trainers, need to know in advance where the races are to be held.' While the move is hardly the most boisterous vote of confidence in Awapuni being up and running by spring, NZTR are bringing in the big guns in Flemington track man O'Keefe, who helped Ellerslie smooth out their problems when they launched their StrathAyr track last year. Like Ellerslie, one of the key Awapuni issues has been compaction of the top layer, making it prone to becoming slippery, so it will need constant verti-draining to break up that level and create more organic matter, ultimately providing a more natural surface. But one of Awapuni's issues is rocks underneath the surface which limits the use of certain verti-draining machines. There will be weekly management meetings between the local administration body RACE, NZTR, O'Keefe and fellow track expert Callum Brown. If that all goes well racing is scheduled to return to the turf track in August with Ballesty saying, 'a safe return to racing is our number one priority'. So while nothing is certain in the increasingly weird world of race track management, NZTR are at least giving Awapuni and those who run it the chance to prove themselves. The second piece of good news for the region came in Hastings last night when Ballesty announced racing will remain at the current track with recambering work to start soon. The Hastings track has been dogged by problems in recent years, admittedly not helped by erratic spring weather, but one of its biggest issues has been the camber on the bend out of the straight. There has been debate about whether it is better to fix the current track or look to build a new track in the Hastings region, but Ballesty answered that question when addressing club members last night. 'We will start work on correcting the camber on the track and all going well hope to have it ready for racing in spring 2026,' he said. That is a far quicker, and cheaper, option than moving the track in what is a famous racing region and all going well Awapuni and Hastings could be racing, on safer surfaces, in the New Year. Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald's Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world's biggest horse racing carnivals.
Fox Sports
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
They wanted Florida. Now the Maple Leafs get the Panthers in Round 2 again, for 2nd time in 3 years
Associated Press Sometime during Round 1 of the Toronto-Ottawa series, Maple Leafs fans joined in unison and began chanting. 'We want Florida!' They used the same chant in 2023, and even though that series didn't go to the Leafs' liking, they wanted a rematch — which will happen. The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers will open an Eastern Conference second-round series on Monday night in Toronto, the second time the teams will have met in Round 2 of the playoffs in the past three years. Florida beat the Leafs in five games in 2023. 'They've had a significant change. Half our teams are different,' Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. "So, there's not much at all to be used from that series.' Leafs defenseman Morgan Reilly said his club feels the same way. 'They have different people over there. We have different people in here,' Reilly said. 'I think the playoff mindset in general remains the same, but I think that there's differences with both teams and with structure and systems and whatnot.' Toronto has 56 wins this season including playoffs, second most in the NHL behind Winnipeg. And Toronto has won 27 road games, the most in the league. The Leafs ousted Ottawa — and Brady Tkachuk — in Round 1 and now get Florida — and Matthew Tkachuk, Brady's brother — as their reward. 'It's going to be probably a harder series, even,' said Leafs coach Craig Berube, who has made tons of right moves in Year 1 of his Toronto tenure. 'We won the series, we're past that now and we're starting to focus on Florida and get prepared for Florida.' The Panthers, bidding for a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, have more wins than anyone in the NHL over the past three seasons. And they're starting a series on the road for the seventh time in that span — going 4-2 in the previous Game 1s away from home since the start of the 2023 playoffs. 'We don't mind it," Florida forward Evan Rodrigues said. 'Going in, starting on the road and being able to steal one and trying to take the crowd out of it gives you a little extra boost, I would say.' The season series Florida went 3-1-0 in the season series against Toronto, outscoring the Maple Leafs 13-7 and outshooting the Leafs 117-93. The Panthers peppered Toronto in those games; the 117 shots on goal obviously doesn't take into account 73 blocked shots by the Leafs in those four matchups. Toronto probably learned in those four games that it cannot take unnecessary penalties. Florida went 5 for 11 on the power play in the season series, while Toronto went 1 for 9 — and gave up a short-handed goal to the Panthers as well. It should be noted that both teams would say the regular season doesn't mean much; Toronto went 3-0-1 against the Panthers two years ago and Florida went on to win the postseason matchup in five games. 'The regular season doesn't tell you anything,' Maurice said. The Marchand factor Panthers forward Brad Marchand certainly knows his way around Toronto at this time of year. No active player has more playoff games, goals, assists or points against the Maple Leafs than Marchand, a trade-deadline pickup by Florida. Marchand has appeared in 28 playoff games against Toronto, with 10 goals, 19 assists and 29 points. He faced Toronto in four series while with Boston — all went seven games, and the Bruins won Game 7 every time. The Leafs' power play Toronto has been running a power-play unit that's unusual — five forwards at times, playing to its strength. The primary group: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander and Matthew Knies. It was lethal in Round 1 against Ottawa. The Leafs went 6 for 17 with the man advantage in that series, connecting on nearly 20% of their shots in those opportunities. That was a far cry from how the power play was at the end of the regular season, when Toronto finished the season 6-for-31 in those spots over the final 14 games heading into the playoffs. The ties that bind The Maple Leafs have three players — defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson, forward Steven Lorentz and goaltender Anthony Stolarz — who were with the Panthers for their run to the Stanley Cup last season. Maurice is one of three men who have coached both Florida and Toronto. The others: Roger Neilson and Peter Horachek. The droughts Most hockey aficionados know — and Toronto fans are acutely, perhaps even painfully aware — that the Maple Leafs haven't won the Stanley Cup since 1967, which also happened to be the last season in which the team made it to the title series. This one might be equally hard to fathom: Toronto hasn't even gotten past Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs since 2002. In fact, this is only the third trip for the Leafs to this round in that span — they lost to Philadelphia in 2004 and Florida in 2023. Toronto has used 361 different players and eight different coaches — Maurice among them — in that span since its last trip to the NHL's final four. ___ AP NHL playoffs: and recommended
