Latest news with #Aushorse
Herald Sun
16-06-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Trainer Gavin Bedggood set to unveil St Lawrence
Group 1 Cranbourne trainer Gavin Bedggood is aiming new acquisition St Lawrence at Flemington on Saturday as a potential candidate for next month's Listed Winter Championship Series Final. Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. St Lawrence, ex-Ciaron Maher, has won eight of 23 starts and a tick under $1m prizemoney. The rising seven-year-old was last February purchased for $85,000 and transferred to Bedggood by passionate racehorse owner-breeder Paul Lofitis, of the Lofty Group. St Lawrence has tuned up with an impressive two-length 1300m Seymour trial win last Wednesday. • 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! 'He might run in The David Bourke or we might wait for an Open 1400m the following Saturday,' Bedggood said. 'We bought him online … he was a good get. 'He'll head towards the Winter Championship hopefully.' • Big Bets Review: War Machine delivers winning result for punters Bedggood also has new arrival, Casino Seventeen, 2024 Group 2 Perth Cup (2400m) winner, set for a Victorian debut in The David Bourke (1600m). Former West Australian Casino Seventeen, previously trained by Grant and Alana Williams, last raced on New Year's Day when fifth in a bid to defend the Perth Cup title. Casino Seventeen also won a 1300m trial at Seymour last Wednesday. — Aushorse (@Aushorse_TBA) January 1, 2024 • Littlefield eyes Royal Ascot-Glorious Goodwood dream Bedggood confirmed Sandown Cup winner Diwali would contest the 2500m race at Headquarters on Saturday, a bridging run to the Flemington Cup (2800m) on July 19. The astute trainer conceded Diwali would need to go 'to another level' again after rising sharply in rating. Diwali received a 20-point boost – he now has an 86 benchmark rating – for the Sandown Cup win. 'He's only four and a very sound horse so hopefully he can keep on his upward trajectory,' Bedggood said. 'Our next run or two will tell us, it has to, because his rating jumped up 20 points from that win so he's got to go to another level now too.' • 'He was a legend': Bedggood, Bates dedicate Sandown win to Laing The lightly-raced stayer has thrived with Bedggood, going from a Benchmark 58 win at Moe to Listed Sandown Cup in four starts. He placed second on debut for the stable in April in a Benchmark 64. 'He was very good at his first run for me and that horse (winner Fernao) has gone on to run third in the Andrew Ramsden,' Bedggood said. 'We took him to Moe to get a win because his rating allowed us to … he was ridden too close here (Sandown) the (third) start (for stable) and ran a good second. 'We were rapt with his run a fortnight ago, so he should be competitive again.' Originally published as Trainer Gavin Bedggood to unveil St Lawrence at Flemington, with Sandown Cup winner Diwali to also be entered Horse Racing The lack of a first-up run in England doesn't have Francesca Cumani 'Believing' in Asfoora's chances of winning back-to-back Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot this week. Opinion Form analyst Gilbert Gardiner thinks an Alex Rae-trained gelding is primed to notch a second career victory on Monday's meeting at Pakenham Synthetic.
News.com.au
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Simon Miller ‘real chance' of toppling Quokka adversary Overpass with three-year-old West Star
Simon Miller quips he is so sick of the sight of Overpass he might put a rowdy horse in an adjacent stable box to keep the two-time The Quokka champion awake at night. Overpass, Bjorn Baker 's sprint star and king of the west, stays at Miller's stables when in Perth. • It has been a glittering formula for success for Baker who has claimed the first two editions of the Quokka with Overpass and is favoured to win a hat-trick of the rich slot race on Saturday. Meanwhile, champion Perth trainer Miller has twice finished second in The Quokka with Amelia's Jewel in 2023 and 2024. Miller thinks he has a good chance of turning the tables in Saturday's $5m race, deploying two horses including 'X-factor' three-year-old West Star who has a big boom on him. West Star has won four from six and was set to be deployed in Group 1 races during the Perth summer carnival, until Miller discovered the star youngster had an entrapped epiglottis after his win in the Listed Belgravia Stakes last October. West Star missed the summer but returned with a vengeance with a dominant win at Ascot earlier this month. Barrier draw done for the $5 million Quokka! Who wins? — TABtouch (@TAB_touch) April 22, 2025 With elite Sydney jockey Tim Clark booked to ride, Miller feels like West Star can give The Quokka a serious shake although conceding Overpass remains the horse they all have to beat. 'I should try to put my most unruly horse next to Overpass to try to keep him awake at night,' Miller joked. 'I do think that West Star is the X-factor horse of The Quokka. He's a machine. 'I was shattered when he had an entrapped epiglottis and I had to miss the whole summer carnival with him. 'I thought he was going to end up in a (Group 1) Winterbottom Stakes or even a (Group 1) Northerly Stakes. 'Looking forward to later in the year, I would say he is a perfect horse for the Golden Eagle in Sydney. 'This Saturday, Overpass is there again and maybe you could say it's his race to lose. 'But I am getting sick of running second to him and I do think I'm a real chance.' West Star drew gate nine at Tuesday's barrier draw. Overpass, aiming for his third Quokka, drew barrier 10 and fellow NSW visitors Front Page (11) and Headwall (8) also drew wide. 🌟 of the West … With 3 wins from 5 starts, West Star holds off the challenge of a fast finishing September Born to capture first stakes victory in the Listed McMahon Belgravia Stakes over 1200m at Ascot. By Darling View Thoroughbreds’ Playing God (as is September Born), West… — Aushorse (@Aushorse_TBA) October 26, 2024 • Broadsiding retired, stud fee announced for 2025 Miller said he is delighted to have the services of Clark on West Star. The two have remained firm friends and have talked regularly ever since Miller was an assistant trainer to John O'Shea and Clark was apprenticed to O'Shea. As for the strength of The Quokka this year, Miller feels it is maybe not quite as strong as the previous two editions. But he said it is hard to know in advance as a horse like Headwall, who finished third behind Briasa in the Group 1 TJ Smith, could be one out of the box. 'Historically you could say that The Quokka has been bigger and better than it is this year,' Miller said. 'But who is to say a horse like Headwall doesn't go right on with it after racing in The Quokka?' Miller also has four-year-old mare Generosity in The Quokka and said she will be a big improver after finishing third in the Roma Cup when a month between runs. 'She will beat at least half the field home in The Quokka,' Miller declared.
