Latest news with #BRCSprint
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
2025 BRC Sprint: War Machine books Stradbroke Handicap berth with dominant win
The Lindsay Park dynasty has a golden chance to win its first Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap after War Machine proved he was a machine by blowing away his opposition in the Group 3 BRC Sprint. With the race offering a golden ticket into next month's Stradbroke, War Machine was sent out the well-backed $2.40 favourite and did the business under Blake Shinn. It was the icing on the Doomben cake for Shinn who not long earlier had won a record-breaking fourth Group 1 Doomben Cup, riding Queensland freak Antino to glory. War Machine's BRC Sprint triumph prompted bookmakers to elevate the four-year-old – who had been trained by the late Mike Moroney prior to his death – to outright $5 Stradbroke favourite. Lindsay Park founder Colin Hayes never won the Stradbroke Handicap, nor did his son David but grandsons Ben, Will and JD Hayes will now chase Queensland's biggest race. 'That was an unbelievable effort by the horse,' JD Hayes said. 'We've only had him a short time. 'He came in incredible condition from Ballymore and we've been very lucky to inherit him. 'It looked like we'd get a beautiful run from the barrier and he's let down well. 'He had his ears pricked on the line and we're really looking forward to the Stradbroke.' A race-to-race double for @blake_shinn as War Machine wins the last at Doomben in impressive fashion! @lindsayparkrace — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 24, 2025 • Man of the moment Shinn paid tribute to the late Moroney. 'I had a little bit to do with this horse when Mike Moroney trained him and he did a great job nurturing him in his early days,' Shinn said. 'The Hayes boys are the beneficiary of that. 'If he runs in the Straddy, I think he'll be hard to beat.' While War Machine was dominant, Far Too Easy also stood up to be counted in finishing runner-up and Murwillumbah trainer David McColm indicated a Stradbroke mission was on the cards. Far Too Easy is the fairytale horse who has survived deadly floods and bacterial infections and surged to glory in last year's $2m The Kosciuszko at Randwick. He has since produced a couple of lacklustre runs but his BRC Sprint effort was much better and his rating will almost certainly get him a Stradbroke berth. 'The winner was too good today but I thought my horse's effort was great,' McColm said. 'He did what we know he can do. 'Assuming he goes to the Stradbroke, the weight difference in that race will be a big difference for him. 'He needed to do something today to go towards the Stradbroke. 'We had been disappointed with his last two runs but we have had a lot of wet weather in New South Wales and it's been a hard slog these last six months 'I think we have got him back.'
The Australian
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
2025 BRC Sprint: War Machine wins for Lindsay Park
The Lindsay Park dynasty has a golden chance to win its first Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap after War Machine proved he was a machine by blowing away his opposition in the Group 3 BRC Sprint. With the race offering a golden ticket into next month's Stradbroke, War Machine was sent out the well-backed $2.40 favourite and did the business under Blake Shinn. It was the icing on the Doomben cake for Shinn who not long earlier had won a record-breaking fourth Group 1 Doomben Cup, riding Queensland freak Antino to glory. War Machine's BRC Sprint triumph prompted bookmakers to elevate the four-year-old – who had been trained by the late Mike Moroney prior to his death – to outright $5 Stradbroke favourite. Lindsay Park founder Colin Hayes never won the Stradbroke Handicap, nor did his son David but grandsons Ben, Will and JD Hayes will now chase Queensland's biggest race. • 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! 'That was an unbelievable effort by the horse,' JD Hayes said. 'We've only had him a short time. 'He came in incredible condition from Ballymore and we've been very lucky to inherit him. 'It looked like we'd get a beautiful run from the barrier and he's let down well. 'He had his ears pricked on the line and we're really looking forward to the Stradbroke.' • 'That was serious, wasn't it?': Antino makes Doomben Cup a one-act affair Man of the moment Shinn paid tribute to the late Moroney. 'I had a little bit to do with this horse when Mike Moroney trained him and he did a great job nurturing him in his early days,' Shinn said. 'The Hayes boys are the beneficiary of that. 'If he runs in the Straddy, I think he'll be hard to beat.' While War Machine was dominant, Far Too Easy also stood up to be counted in finishing runner-up and Murwillumbah trainer David McColm indicated a Stradbroke mission was on the cards. Far Too Easy is the fairytale horse who has survived deadly floods and bacterial infections and surged to glory in last year's $2m The Kosciuszko at Randwick. He has since produced a couple of lacklustre runs but his BRC Sprint effort was much better and his rating will almost certainly get him a Stradbroke berth. • Nash Rawiller makes bold Stradbroke prediction after Doomben demolition 'The winner was too good today but I thought my horse's effort was great,' McColm said. 'He did what we know he can do. 'Assuming he goes to the Stradbroke, the weight difference in that race will be a big difference for him. 'He needed to do something today to go towards the Stradbroke. 'We had been disappointed with his last two runs but we have had a lot of wet weather in New South Wales and it's been a hard slog these last six months 'I think we have got him back.'
News.com.au
23-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Rex Lipp says Cifrado must win BRC Sprint to make Stradbroke Handicap field
Toowoomba trainer Rex Lipp has declared that his stable star Cifrado needs to win Saturday's BRC Sprint to have any hope of making the prestigious Stradbroke Handicap. 'He's got to win it,' Lipp said about the $300,000 Group 3 race, which offers a golden ticket into the feature Stradbroke (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 14. 'If he doesn't win it, he goes to the paddock.' Cejay Graham returns from suspension to hop on board the four-year-old gelding from barrier two in the BRC Sprint (1350m) after regular rider Kyle Wilson-Taylor decided to instead steer $19 chance Matcha Latte for Wyong trainer Sara Ryan. 'He hasn't had a lot of luck on him so who knows?' Lipp said about Wilson-Taylor declining the ride. 'He's an easy horse to ride, you've just got to use your common sense. He's as good as I can get him, it's just a matter of whether he's good enough.' With a rating of 102, Cifrado sits on the fringe on qualifying for the $3m Stradbroke but he will need to beat a strong field in the BRC Sprint that includes the Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained $3.70 favourite War Machine, which is coming off a last-start victory over Jimmy The Bear in a Benchmark 100 (1400m) at Caulfield on May 10. The Hayes brothers' Rise At Dawn, which finished fourth in last month's Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick, is also strong in the market at $6.50. Cifrado, who has won $1.7m in prizemoney with five wins from 26 starts, is a $23 chance in the BRC Sprint. Last year's Group 2 BRC Sires' Produce Stakes winner will appreciate the extra distance of 1350m after his flop in the 1200m Group 2 Victory Stakes this month. Topweight Yellow Brick, trained by father-and-daughter combination Tony and Maddy Sears, has a 107 rating, which should be good enough to make the Stradbroke field. The five-year-old gelding, who hasn't raced since finishing fifth in the $1.5m Magic Millions QTIS Open (1300m) in January, has won both his trials this month. 'He's in very good order, I couldn't be any happier with him,' Maddy Sears said. 'His rating looks enough to get him in the Straddie so hopefully we don't have the worry of anything. We'll go for the win-and-your're-in theory and get the job done. 'I just want the sun to keep shining and shining because he's very good on a dry surface. 'Most times he's been beaten it's been caused by a wet track.'
News.com.au
23-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Tony Gollan says it is Transatlantic's ‘time to shine' with Stradbroke Handicap ticket up for grabs in BRC Sprint
Tony Gollan has declared 'now is Transatlantic's time to shine' as a Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap golden ticket goes up for grabs at Doomben on Saturday. The champion Queensland trainer has long felt Transatlantic has been an exceptional horse in the making and at times he has felt like he could potentially have a similar early trajectory to Group 1 star Antino. Transatlantic will be one of a trio of Gollan runners in Saturday's Group 3 BRC Sprint at Doomben, a 1350m affair which offers the winner ballot exemption into next month's Stradbroke. With a rating of 99, four-year-old Transatlantic would almost certainly need to win on Saturday to get into the Stradbroke field. Transatlantic was sent north for his first-up assignment, to Queensland's beef capital of Rockhampton, where he finished third as a $4.40 chance in the $1m Archer slot race over 1300m. Gollan said he was far from disappointed with the run, pointing out Transatlantic has never won when first-up. By contrast, his second-up record is outstanding and he has never been beaten in three second-up runs. 'I wasn't disappointed at all with him in The Archer, his first-up record is what it is,' Gollan said. 'It was probably as good a first-up run as he has ever produced and it was in the best grade he has raced in first-up. 'I was happy because he did some work early and just peaked on his run late. 'He is so much better for that run and his second-up stats say it all.' • Shinn in emotional history-making Doomben Cup mission While plenty of eyes will be on Gollan's champion Antino in the Group 1 Doomben Cup, getting the job done on Transatlantic and securing a Stradbroke start also takes on huge importance. Sydney jockey Regan Bayliss, who ventured to Rockhampton to ride Transatlantic, gets the ride again on Saturday and will have to produce some magic from a double-digit barrier. Gollan said it is time for Transatlantic ($11) to step up and frank his high opinion of him. 'The BRC Sprint is a good horse's race and I have long felt Transatlantic is a good horse,' Gollan said. 'But he has got to take that step up now and until they do that, the job is far from done. 'Now is his time to shine. 'He is well in at the weights and will roll forward and sit on speed. 'He will be on pace, he can be anywhere in the first three pairs.' Gollan also has Freedom Rally and Rockribbed in the BRC Sprint. Freedom Rally is an elite performer and Rockribbed is a winner, going for three wins in a row. 'Freedom Rally is a bit of a forgotten horse, the Victory Stakes was too short for him off his autumn campaign,' Gollan said. 'He has improved out of sight and getting to 1350m will suit him down to the ground. 'This time last year he was one of the favourites heading towards the Stradbroke, but he didn't make the field. 'He can definitely bounce back and run a very good race back to this grade. 'Rockribbed is just a winner, he can put himself in a forward position and run well.'
News.com.au
20-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
2025 BRC Sprint: Robert Heathcote poised to spring upset with luckless $2.3m earner Abounding
After almost conjuring a Group 1 big-odds blowout for the ages last Saturday, Rob Heathcote has confidence he can spring a mighty upset in the Group 3 BRC Sprint. Fresh off only narrowly being denied with evergreen warrior at $41 in the Doomben 10,000, the Eagle Farm trainer has $2.3m earner Abounding in Saturday's race at Doomben which offers the winner a golden ticket into the Stradbroke Handicap. Abounding resumed in the Group 2 Victory Stakes earlier this month but the filly was out in the cheap seats from a wide barrier and finished 10th, beaten four lengths. It continued a run of shocking gates for Abounding, the Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Guineas winner of last year. In her past five starts, Abounding has drawn barriers 12, 13, 15, 10 and 16. Martin Harley has ridden Abounding in her past 13 starts including the 2024 Magic Millions triumph, but Sydney jockey Tommy Berry takes the mount in the 1350m race on Saturday. Abounding over the top in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas! @mmsnippets @GCTurfClub @FirstLight_FLR — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 13, 2024 'I am delighted with this filly, she had zero luck first-up,' Heathcote said. 'She was caught wide but I can probably say that for nearly all of her recent runs. 'She has had no luck dating right back to the (2024) Magic Millions, but she is definitely Group class. 'Whether she is Group 1 or not, we will find out down the track. 'She will head towards the (Group 1) Tatt's Tiara and we have nominated her for the Stradbroke. 'Her rating already has her close to getting into the Stradbroke and this race on Saturday will tell us more. 'My track work rider gave her a whiz around Doomben this morning and she went super. 'Hopefully the track will continue to dry out for her. 'I think she is in the same sort of form that won her the Magic Millions last year.' • 'They'll have to carry me back': Cejay dreams of Doomben Cup upset Four-year-old mare Abounding is a $26 chance in the BRC Sprint but the Heathcote camp feels she is a far better chance than her price suggests, especially if she finally gets a favourable barrier draw. Rothfire is also a $26 chance for his next assignment – Saturday week's Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm. After almost knocking off favourite Sunshine In Paris in the Doomben 10,000, the ageless sprinter has continued to thrive. 'Rothy is fantastic,' Heathcote said. 'I had him under saddle this morning for the first time this morning since Saturday. 'I could not be happier with him and he will go into the Kingsford Smith Cup a better chance than his $26 price reflects.' Sir Delius impresses in his Australian debut, surging to victory at Doomben! @GaiWaterhouse1 @clarkyhk — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 17, 2025 The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott -trained import, who won his first race Down Under, will be set for a spring Cups campaign including in the Melbourne Cup where he is now a $15 chance.
