Latest news with #Group1Doomben10
New Paper
14-05-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Queensland well worth the Veight
BRISBANE Tony McEvoy admits the decision to geld Group 1 winner Veight was a tough one, but hopes it will be vindicated ahead of a trio of Queensland feature races during the Brisbane Winter Carnival. The 2024 George Ryder Stakes (1,500m) winner is set to resume in the A$1.5 million (S$1.15 million) Group 1 Doomben 10,000 (1,200m) on May 17, and McEvoy, who trains in partnership with his son Calvin, says the Grunt four-year-old seems more relaxed as a gelding. "It wasn't an ideal decision to have to make, but we thought it was in the best interest of the horse," said McEvoy from Brisbane. "He seems very good, and he's acting right, which is great." A three-run Spring campaign struggled to get off the ground for Veight - pronounced as "vee-eight", named after the V8 engine - who finished 19th of 20 in the A$10 million Golden Eagle (1,500m) before a spell, with McEvoy admitting nothing went to plan. "It was a combination of things, really. He was obviously getting a little bit fussy in his thinking, and he drew some bad barriers," said the multiple Group 1 winning-trainer. "There were a few different factors, but we thought he'd be a better racehorse as a gelding." McEvoy has a traditional Brisbane campaign mapped out for Veight who has been in Brisbane for 12 days, with the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1,300m) on May 31 and Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1,400m) on June 14, both run at Eagle Farm, his likely progression. The Ballarat-based trainer is hesitant about the gelding's chances of chalking up a sixth victory on Saturday, especially if the ground is wet, but was pleased with the horse drawing barrier No. 9 in the field of 16, giving first-time partner Andrew Mallyon options. "Middle of the pack, that should allow Andrew to ride him where he's comfortable," said McEvoy. "He's not as forward as I would hope, but the run will improve him. "He's a very good horse, so he'll match it with them, provided he gets conditions to suit, but if the ground's wet, he'll struggle." Veight is a 25-1 chance in the market headed by 11-4 favourite Overpass, who finished second in the 2023 Doomben 10,000. The Bjorn Baker-trained sprinter, who recently failed to land a third consecutive The Quokka in Perth, has drawn barrier No. 10. Champion hoop James McDonald has been booked for 4-1 second-elect, the Annabel & Rob Archibald-trained Sunshine In Paris, who has once again drawn wide in barrier No. 14. Another top jockey, Craig Williams, who has won the past two Doomben 10,000's aboard Bella Nipotina and Giga Kick, has been booked to replace the suspended Blake Shinn aboard 9-2 chance Schwarz for trainers John O'Shea and Tom Charlton. McEvoy has yet to add his name to the winning roster of the 92-year-old feature, which includes notable graduates such as globetrotter Takeover Target (winner of the King's Stand at Ascot in 2006 and KrisFlyer Sprint at Kranji in 2008), two-time winner Apache Cat (2008 and 2009) and 2022 The Everest winner Giga Kick (2023), among others. Bella Nipotina also did the Doomben 10,000-The Everest double, but in the reverse order. Last year, Ciaron Maher's just-retired mighty mare beat I Wish I Win in a dramatic showdown, propelling her onto the world stage before she went on to take the world's richest turf race at A$20 million, five months later. The Doomben 10,000 is part of the rich Brisbane Winter Carnival or the Queensland Racing Carnival, which kicked off on May 3 with the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1,600m) won by Depth Of Character for the Archibalds and ridden by an old Kranji acquaintance, the rejuvenated Noel Callow. Beyond the Doomben 10,000, the day also boasts the A$250,000 Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2,000m), a lead-up race to the A$1 million Group 1 Queensland Derby (2,400m) on May 31. The juveniles will also get to fight it out in the A$300,000 Group 2 Spirit Of Boom Classic (1,200m), aiming to make their mark ahead of the highly anticipated A$1 million Group 1 JJ Atkins (1,600m) on June 14. SKY RACING WORLD
News.com.au
06-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Star sprinter Giga Kick handed luxury weight in Group 1 The Goodwood in Adelaide
How does one of the world's highest-ranked sprinters receive weight from half of his rivals in a Group 1 race? Connections of many of Giga Kick 's rivals in The Goodwood at Morphettville would be asking the same question but Mornington trainer Clayton Douglas has the simple answer. 'Because he hasn't won a race for nearly two years, albeit he was nearly off for 12 months with an injury, he gets in so well at the weights,' Douglas said. 'It looks a very winnable race at the weights. If it was a handicap, it would be completely different.' The Goodwood is run under set weights and penalties conditions, which led to Giga Kick having 54.5kg to carry in Saturday's edition of Adelaide's biggest sprint. Giga Kick has the light weight despite finishing 2024 rated a point behind Hong Kong superstar Ka Ying Rising and US sprinter Cogburn in the World's Best Racehorse Rankings. • The Goodwood final field and barrier draw Giga Kick won The Everest in 2022 and was narrowly beaten in last year's race but has not won since claiming the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in 2023. Douglas said Giga Kick was poised to return to winning ways in The Goodwood. Giga Kick has had three jumpouts to prepare for his first start since the Group 1 Champions Sprint at Flemington last November. Douglas said the jumpouts ensured Giga Kick would be fit enough to win over 1200m first before leaving slight improvement for his second outing of the year in Brisbane. 'He'll be hard to beat,' Douglas said. 'He's been in work a long time so I've got no issues with him over 1200m, especially on the big track at Morphettville. 'He's probably only going to have a couple of runs in this campaign. 'The next is obviously the Kingsford Smith Stakes over 1300m in Brisbane so he's got the miles in his legs, that's for sure.' • MP pledges to keep up the fight for jumps racing at The 'Bool Giga Kick drew barrier 12 in the 13-horse field that will tackle the $1m sprint. Douglas said the draw would help, rather than hinder, Giga Kick's bid for a first-up win. 'That should suit him being drawn over there,' Douglas said. 'With the way Morphettville has been playing over the last few weeks, they have been getting away from the rail too. 'It's going to map perfectly. 'He'll probably amble through the first 600(m) and it will be game on from there.' Jockey Mark Zahra will get down to 54.5kg to ride Giga Kick in The Goodwood. Zahra dominated the Morphettville meeting on April 26, winning the Group 1 Australasian Oaks on Benagil and Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes on Charm Stone. Ben Melham will ride Charm Stone in The Goodwood.
News.com.au
03-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Libertad shocks the punters at $71 in Victory Stakes
Three years ago, Annabel Neasham watched on as her superstar galloper Zaaki was beaten as a $1.24 favourite in the Group 1 Doomben Cup. On Saturday at Eagle Farm, the newly married Annabel Archibald was the queen of the roughie as Libertad was a quaddie killer when stunning punters with a $71 blowout in the Group 2 Victory Stakes. Life just keeps getting better for the trainer, who recently married co-trainer Rob Archibald, as she scored both Eagle Farm Group 2 features after earlier winning the Queensland Guineas with Depth Of Character. Few saw Libertad's win coming. But it was hard not to be impressed in his second run back from a year-long injury lay-off and bookies slashed his odds from $101 to $15 for the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in a fortnight. Jedibeel ran a narrow second for Brad Widdup and Golden Mile was terrific for James Cummings and Godolphin as a $41 chance in third. A real head bobbing finish in the G2 Victory Stakes at Eagle Farm, and it's the outsider Libertad who gets his nose down on the line! 😮 @ANeashamRacing | @BrisRacingClub | @TrilogyRacing1 — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 3, 2025 The first of the Queenslanders home was evergreen warrior Rothfire in fourth, with trainer Rob Heathcote and connections delighted and indicating they would give him a shot at the 10,000. 'On the strength of that run, we would have to run him 10,000,' Heathcote said. 'There was pressure on inside and outside, was the last man standing and he was entitled to tire. 'He is as tough as Buff (Heathcote's former Group 1 star Buffering).' The Victory Stakes left more questions than answers with equal favourite Far Too Easy finishing second last, fancied Hidden Wealth near the tail and Coleman for the Chris Waller stable nowhere near the winner. • 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! But, for Annabel and Rob Archibald, it was a triumph of epic proportions given Libertad had been to hell and back on the injury front. 'It is great to get him back on track,' Archibald said. 'He's had a couple of setbacks with a septic joint. He is lucky as they can be nasty. 'Then he had a little stress fracture when he came back from that. 'Looking back through his form, he's won some good races and placed behind Joliestar in the Arrowfield so I knew he had the form on the board but I thought he may be a run short. 'I originally had Jamie Mott booked on Lady Laguna and I said this morning 'sorry, she's gone to Hawkesbury instead'. 'I'm sure that when Jamie looked at the (betting) price of Libertad he didn't think he was in with a chance.' Mott now feels sure Libertad can make an impact in Group 1 company in the Doomben 10,000. 'Today he hit the front and got very lost and was like a drunken sailor for a time there until the second horse joined him and kind of headed him,' Mott said. 'To his credit he fought hard and was able to get him on the line. 'With so long off, he should have so much more improvement.'
