Latest news with #Benchmark72
News.com.au
7 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Godolphin's transition to public training begins with Amusing win for Chris Waller and James McDonald at Rosehill
Premiership winners Chris Waller and James McDonald helped launch Godolphin's new era with a bang as Amusing gave the champion trainer his first winner for the 'Blue Army' at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Godolphin has moved from a private to public training model for the new season with multiple trainers from Sydney and Melbourne taking over the powerhouse's racing stock from departing conditioner James Cummings. Waller was one of many prominent recipients with Amusing the first horse to line up at the races for a new stable across Australia. McDonald made sure it was easy viewing for all involved as Amusing comfortably dispatched rivals to salute in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1500m). 'It's certainly a great honour to be training for Godolphin, they've been our biggest competitor for so many years and we've watched them every week to see what they are doing, how we are performing against them and they've been the best yardstick,' Waller said. 'There success has been amazing, starting with Woodlands with the Inghams and Sheik Mohammed buying that operation and developing their own operation. 'What their team has done has been amazing. It's great for Australian racing and to be one of the nine or 10 trainers to be chosen to train for them is an honour to be considered good enough to train for them.' 'The mutual respect over the years has been fantastic for their trainers, staff and management and they've really been the benchmark.' Waller watched the race with Hall of Famer Darren Beadman, who had spent his first full morning at the stable as a new member of Waller's staff. Amusing is one of nine horses now with Waller with the leading conditioner also set to put the polish on a string of two-year-olds later in the season. It's a @cwallerracing quinella in the Rosehill opener! 🙌 Amusing wins the first! ðŸ'� â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 2, 2025 The classy daughter of Masar came to Waller in winning form after narrowly edging out her now stablemate Sister Daae over the same track and trip last month. 'We've taken over from a great operation and just seeing the horses coming into our system, a lot of the riders have just said 'wow',' Waller said. 'The young horses are so well educated and horses like Amusing have settled in really well. 'James has done a great job and their team and it really is an honour. 'I was nervous coming into the race just to make sure everything went well and things like that so it was a good relief.' McDonald was happy to stay closest to the inside on Amusing ($2.80 favourite) and had hit the front 300m from home before bounding clear to score by 2¼ lengths from Narbold ($5) and the Nathan Doyle -trained Aroha Stone ($12). McDonald has only just celebrating securing his seventh consecutive Sydney jockeys' premiership last season and ninth in total to move one away from George Moore's all-time record of 10 victories. He needed one race to move back to the top of the pile in Sydney racing. An Amusing finish! 🤩 Amusing wins in a thrilling photo finish in race 4 at Rosehill! @AlyshaCollett @godolphin @JamesCummings88 â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 19, 2025 'It's great to get off to a winning start,' McDonald said. 'It always sucks going back to zero, especially after such a long season like it was but it's good to make the perfect start and here we go again. 'Onwards and upwards, I'm looking forward to this season, there's plenty to look forward to and it was good to kick off with a nice winner like that, especially being Godolphin's first runner with Chris. 'She's a filly with plenty to offer going forward I think. She's a lovely big scopy filly.' Waller's 142-win metropolitan haul last season secured a remarkable 15th Sydney trainers' premiership in succession with the Rosehill conditioner the odds-on favourite to continue that reign in 2025/26. 'We take our Saturday racing so seriously and it was last Saturday the end of season and then it was straight into it, what can we do better and where can we improve,' Waller said. 'We did a few little things different and went through the runners yesterday, different to how we did before and trying to make the race day a little bit easier so we knew exactly what we were doing yesterday and what was handling tracks. 'Just being a little bit better prepared.'
New Paper
01-08-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Waller set to start 15th reign on a winning note at Rosehill
Fresh from a 15th crown earned from 142 metropolitan winners, Sydney's premier trainer Chris Waller is unlikely to rest on his laurels at the first city meeting of the new 2025-26 season on Aug 2. The Kiwi-born horseman saddles his usual strong squad of 16 runners at the Rosehill Gardens 10-race programme. Unfortunately, Singapore viewers will not get to see the running of the race honouring his latest title, the Congratulations Chris Waller Handicap as the race slated as Race 10 in Sydney is not part of the Singapore Pools' Australia card. But they can certainly take a good look at two of his smart prospects in the earlier part of the afternoon, Sister Daae, a solid each-way chance, and Concordia Wind, a value bet, in Races 5 and 7 respectively on Pools' card. Sister Daae is only the second pick in a Benchmark 78 race, the A$160,000 (S$134,000) Congratulations James McDonald Handicap (1,400m), after the Peter Snowden-trained Tuileries, who is all the rage to score a sentimental win for Sydney's gun jockey, recently anointed its champion for the ninth time. A four-year-old daughter of So You Think, Tuileries chalked up back-to-back wins at Canterbury and Randwick in December, earning a shot at the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1,400m) on the Gold Coast on Jan 17. From the outermost alley in the field of 18, she still finished an eye-catching seventh to Bosustow after settling well back. She was sent an odds-on favourite at her racing comeback at Rosehill on July 19, but was left with too much to do from a rearward spot in a muddling-run affair. She still closed in late for fourth, around ¾ length off the winner Useapin. With that first run under the belt and the extra 200m, Tuileries is widely expected to hit the target this time, but Sister Daae could be a tough nut to crack. At her last start in a Benchmark 72 event (1,500m) at Rosehill on July 19, the Zoustar four-year-old mare should have won if not for having to change course twice. She still ran a head second to Amusing. Rising star Zac Lloyd, who was aboard at that torrid run, will certainly be keen to make amends. While Sister Daae is unproven on a heavy track, it should not be much of a question mark as Zoustar's progeny are noted swimmers. In the very next race, the shorter Benchmark 72 event over 1,200m named as the Congratulations Braith Nock Handicap in a nod to Sydney's new champion apprentice jockey, Concordia Wind may not be Waller's best bet of the day, but at 16-1, she represents superb value. Racing in the same Hermitage green and red silks as Sister Daae, the Justify four-year-old mare showed ability with three wins from seven starts, but is resuming from a nine-month spell, which may explain the cool reception. However, she did not show any signs of ring-rustiness at a Randwick barrier trial on July 22 when she was pushed out late to run a head-second to Mamushka. Should her long odds still deter some, her one-from-one record on a heavy track can certainly help them take the plunge. A spitting image of her famous sire, the game chestnut with the white face will settle in her customary role at the back for Tommy Berry before charging down the Rosehill straight. manyan@
Sydney Morning Herald
29-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Smith reckons promising colt can kick off Golden streak at Warwick Farm
Trainer Matthew Smith is confident the best is ahead of lightly raced colt Golden Straand – and he'd like to think the Traffic Warden @ Darley Handicap (1300m) at Warwick Farm today is a nice stepping stone. The rising four-year-old wasted little time in getting on the board with an easy win at his second start at Gosford, and Smith said he gave a glimpse of his potential when he jumped straight into Saturday grade. That was when he split Diddle Dumpling and Codetta in a Benchmark 72 at Rosehill earlier this month. 'I think he took the next step, that's for sure,' Smith said. 'He did things a lot better than in the start before. He's getting there, he's just got to learn his race craft and he'll be fine. 'The depth of racing in Sydney is so competitive, especially in those 72s and 78s, and a horse needs to have above-average ability to jump quickly in those grades. 'They've got to be smart in the way they race, they can't be overdoing it. They've got to be travelling and know how to quicken up. He's got the ability, the penny hasn't quite dropped yet, but I think he'll get there.' Golden Straand stays at 1300m for his fourth race start and Smith is comfortable with his decision to save him from Randwick last weekend. Jay Ford retains the ride on the colt and, from a barrier five, Smith said the right platform is there for him to win and then step up in distance. 'He should get the right run from there, it's the perfect barrier for him,' he said. 'I'm keen to see him at a mile, I think he'll be a really nice horse over seven furlongs to a mile.
The Age
29-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Smith reckons promising colt can kick off Golden streak at Warwick Farm
Trainer Matthew Smith is confident the best is ahead of lightly raced colt Golden Straand – and he'd like to think the Traffic Warden @ Darley Handicap (1300m) at Warwick Farm today is a nice stepping stone. The rising four-year-old wasted little time in getting on the board with an easy win at his second start at Gosford, and Smith said he gave a glimpse of his potential when he jumped straight into Saturday grade. That was when he split Diddle Dumpling and Codetta in a Benchmark 72 at Rosehill earlier this month. 'I think he took the next step, that's for sure,' Smith said. 'He did things a lot better than in the start before. He's getting there, he's just got to learn his race craft and he'll be fine. 'The depth of racing in Sydney is so competitive, especially in those 72s and 78s, and a horse needs to have above-average ability to jump quickly in those grades. 'They've got to be smart in the way they race, they can't be overdoing it. They've got to be travelling and know how to quicken up. He's got the ability, the penny hasn't quite dropped yet, but I think he'll get there.' Golden Straand stays at 1300m for his fourth race start and Smith is comfortable with his decision to save him from Randwick last weekend. Jay Ford retains the ride on the colt and, from a barrier five, Smith said the right platform is there for him to win and then step up in distance. 'He should get the right run from there, it's the perfect barrier for him,' he said. 'I'm keen to see him at a mile, I think he'll be a really nice horse over seven furlongs to a mile.
News.com.au
25-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Darryl Hewitt tackles Lightning Stakes with determined winner Sir Now at Morphettville
Sir Now savaged the line for a fourth straight win last start, and Darryl Hewitt 's tough sprinter doesn't like settling for second place. A determined will to win has him chasing a fifth consecutive win at Morphettville on Saturday, this time at Listed level in the Lightning Stakes (1050m). A deluge of rain across Adelaide has runners likely to encounter a heavy track for Saturday's nine-race card, and rain, hail or shine, you can trust Sir Now will be hunting the line late. 'He's hard work, that will to win is competitiveness,' Hewitt, a former SANFL footballer of over 200 games, said. 'On the footy field, you want to fight to get the ball, he's much the same, he's very competitive, he wants to get to the front. 'Maggie (Collett) said she got goosebumps the last 100m (last start) because he just flattened out and attacked the horse rather than the line.' Sir Now, a son of Sir Prancelot, flew home inside the final 100m to deny Lindsay Park galloper, Beast Mode, in a Benchmark 80 (1000m) on the Parks circuit on June 28. 'They put two or three lengths on the third horse, it wasn't like Beast Mode was stopping greatly,' he said. '(Beast Mode) ran well next start, finished fourth at Flemington last Saturday – so the form stacks up.' • SA premiership-winning trainers to split Freshened, four weeks between runs, Hewitt is pleased with his three-year-old ahead of a stakes tilt, but admits keeping the fiery customer ticking over has been a challenge. 'He came through it good, the only trouble is we've had four weeks off between runs – he's a fairly active horse,' he said. 'It wasn't much good putting him out for a week in the paddock because he's that well he would probably hurt himself. 'I've had to monitor him in the box for the last four weeks and keep him ticking over, hopefully he's still right enough to go tomorrow. 'I would have liked to have had a three-year-old lead-up race, but there was only a (Benchmark) 66 and he would've got 68kg or something.' A heavy track won't concern Hewitt, Sir Now has won five of seven career wins on rain-affected circuits, including a win on heavy ground. Sir Now just keeps on winning! ðŸ'¥ Darryl Hewitt's 3YO gelding comes from a long way back & was four-wide at the turn to show an electric turn of foot late to salute for the fourth time in a row 😤 — (@Racing) June 28, 2025 The gelding, who will be piloted again by Maggie Collett, has earnt his chance at stakes level, but it's been no mean feat getting there. 'I'm sort of counting on the heavy, being a wide draw (11), it might even suit being wide,' Hewitt said. 'It (Lightning) was never really on the radar, with this horse, it's one race at a time. 'He can be a handful, he can dump a rider here and there, you don't know whether he's going to do a lap or two with no rider. 'Maggie, she's not scared of him, he can put the wind up jockeys.' Hewitt also has stakes-winning gelding, Snoopy Now, ready to fire in a Benchmark 72 over a mile, with Connor Murtagh booked to ride. 'We've put the work into him again for the 1600m and he's bouncing around,' he said. 'He ran second in the Sires' Produce on a heavy last year to Colmar – he'll handle it all right too.'
