Latest news with #Let'sFly
The Age
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Age
‘I'll look after you': Rider banned for trying to avoid missing weight
He was suspended for three weeks on the first charge and four on the second, but they are to be served concurrently from June 7. Hutchings said of the first charge that he'd made 'a massive mistake'. 'I've just come back from a three-month injury. Financially, it's put a lot of pressure on me,' he said. 'The last two days, we've been flooded in our home, so that's interrupted my preparation, hence my weight was a little bit bad. 'I felt the pressure because it was a Chris Waller runner, and I'm trying to establish myself again in NSW. I do regret it, and it's just possibly a brain snap on my behalf.' As for the second charge, he said: 'It sort of didn't hit me until we were sitting in here and he said those words and I thought, 'Geez, this is pretty big'. I'm all for the integrity of racing. Obviously, the words are serious, but it's a long way from what I meant.' Freedman flyer eyes Oaks Trainer Will Freedman believes Let's Fly is bred to tackle the 2400m of the Queensland Oaks after she rocketed into calculations with a wet-track demolition at Randwick on Saturday. A $31 chance, the filly relished heavy going in the 1800m benchmark 72 handicap for three-year-olds to win by almost six lengths and was quickly posted as a $15 (TAB) for the group 1 Oaks on June 7 at Eagle Farm. Leading Sydney apprentice Braith Nock raced Let's Fly outside the leader before she took over on the home turn under hands and heels riding. Nock then asked for an effort, and she gapped her rivals. Owners now seem certain to pay a late nomination fee for the Oaks. 'Her half sister, Mimi's Award, won over 2800 and 3200, so there's definitely pedigree to run over a trip, but she's come to hand a lot quicker than I thought,' said Will, who trains in partnership with his father, Richard. 'I thought an Oaks was way too ambitious, but she's beaten them like a good thing.' Sargent on weather watch Randwick trainer John Sargent has his fingers crossed for a wet Brisbane Cup on June 14 after Casual Connection showed he is up for another shot at the group 2 3200m test with a dominant win on Saturday. The six-year-old cruised to a three-length win in the 2400m benchmark 78 race, which he also won narrowly last year from Quantum Cat on a soft track. On a heavy surface on Saturday, he was never threatened. Last year, Casual Connection went onto the Brisbane Cup, where he ran ninth on a good 4 Eagle Farm surface. 'He's been a great horse, especially on this type of ground,' Sargent said. 'I wouldn't take him again, he's getting older now, unless it was wet. I took him last year, and it was rock hard, and he didn't like it, so we'll just tick away for a few weeks and see how the weather is. 'He loves the wet, he's only a one-paced horse so she rode it a treat.' Stanley breaks through Newcastle-based apprentice William Stanley celebrated his best moment in racing when scoring a first Saturday city win thanks to a strong effort from John Thompson-trained Flying Embers in the Midway Handicap (1400m). Stanley, who had his first city winner, Opal Fields, also for Thompson at a midweek Warwick Farm meeting, produced a calm ride on the favourite, which was caught wide but still powered to a one and a quarter length victory. Stanley, who hails from Orange, moved to join the Kris Lees stables, through a connection with former jockey Corey Brown, six months ago and hopes to land more city rides. 'That's my No.1 so far,' Stanley said of the win. 'All the family are in racing. Dad [Peter] was a jockey for 30 years and is now a trainer. All my sisters and brothers are jockeys. They weren't going to stop it [me becoming one]. 'I'm happy where I am at the moment and how things are going.' Agarwood brings spring promise The Adrian Bott-Gai Waterhouse stable is likely to spell Agarwood and target the spring after the promising filly stamped her potential with a commanding win at Randwick on Saturday. An odds-on favourite in the 1200m race for two-year-olds, the daughter of Wootton Bassett scored a two-and-a-quarter-length victory from Godolphin's Matima. Bott said before the race that Agarwood would be spelled to prepare for a spring campaign. Jockey Adam Hyeronimus said Agarwood was very professional on Saturday after she was a handful for Tim Clark behind the gates before winning on debut at Warwick Farm on May 7. 'She's really improved from that mentally, and she was such a professional today,' Hyeronimus said. Howlett hope seasoned for cups Hunter trainer Todd Howlett had his eye on wet-weather country cups for A Pound Of Salt after he burst through the pack late under Zac Lloyd to take out the Highway Handicap on Saturday. The five-year-old, which came to Howlett from Orange trainer Peter Stanley - the father of Saturday's Midway-winning apprentice William, raced away with the class 3 1200m event. It was his third win in eight starts for Howlett and the first in Highway grade. 'It was a good turn of foot under heavy conditions,' Howlett said. 'He's a little fella and when I got him, I wouldn't have expected him to be winning a Highway, so he's done a great job. 'I'll just try to find the right races, but maybe he could go into those country cups now. He does [handle heavy tracks]. That was the query today and he's done well.'
Sydney Morning Herald
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I'll look after you': Rider banned for trying to avoid missing weight
He was suspended for three weeks on the first charge and four on the second, but they are to be served concurrently from June 7. Hutchings said of the first charge that he'd made 'a massive mistake'. 'I've just come back from a three-month injury. Financially, it's put a lot of pressure on me,' he said. 'The last two days, we've been flooded in our home, so that's interrupted my preparation, hence my weight was a little bit bad. 'I felt the pressure because it was a Chris Waller runner, and I'm trying to establish myself again in NSW. I do regret it, and it's just possibly a brain snap on my behalf.' As for the second charge, he said: 'It sort of didn't hit me until we were sitting in here and he said those words and I thought, 'Geez, this is pretty big'. I'm all for the integrity of racing. Obviously, the words are serious, but it's a long way from what I meant.' Freedman flyer eyes Oaks Trainer Will Freedman believes Let's Fly is bred to tackle the 2400m of the Queensland Oaks after she rocketed into calculations with a wet-track demolition at Randwick on Saturday. A $31 chance, the filly relished heavy going in the 1800m benchmark 72 handicap for three-year-olds to win by almost six lengths and was quickly posted as a $15 (TAB) for the group 1 Oaks on June 7 at Eagle Farm. Leading Sydney apprentice Braith Nock raced Let's Fly outside the leader before she took over on the home turn under hands and heels riding. Nock then asked for an effort, and she gapped her rivals. Owners now seem certain to pay a late nomination fee for the Oaks. 'Her half sister, Mimi's Award, won over 2800 and 3200, so there's definitely pedigree to run over a trip, but she's come to hand a lot quicker than I thought,' said Will, who trains in partnership with his father, Richard. 'I thought an Oaks was way too ambitious, but she's beaten them like a good thing.' Sargent on weather watch Randwick trainer John Sargent has his fingers crossed for a wet Brisbane Cup on June 14 after Casual Connection showed he is up for another shot at the group 2 3200m test with a dominant win on Saturday. The six-year-old cruised to a three-length win in the 2400m benchmark 78 race, which he also won narrowly last year from Quantum Cat on a soft track. On a heavy surface on Saturday, he was never threatened. Last year, Casual Connection went onto the Brisbane Cup, where he ran ninth on a good 4 Eagle Farm surface. 'He's been a great horse, especially on this type of ground,' Sargent said. 'I wouldn't take him again, he's getting older now, unless it was wet. I took him last year, and it was rock hard, and he didn't like it, so we'll just tick away for a few weeks and see how the weather is. 'He loves the wet, he's only a one-paced horse so she rode it a treat.' Stanley breaks through Newcastle-based apprentice William Stanley celebrated his best moment in racing when scoring a first Saturday city win thanks to a strong effort from John Thompson-trained Flying Embers in the Midway Handicap (1400m). Stanley, who had his first city winner, Opal Fields, also for Thompson at a midweek Warwick Farm meeting, produced a calm ride on the favourite, which was caught wide but still powered to a one and a quarter length victory. Stanley, who hails from Orange, moved to join the Kris Lees stables, through a connection with former jockey Corey Brown, six months ago and hopes to land more city rides. 'That's my No.1 so far,' Stanley said of the win. 'All the family are in racing. Dad [Peter] was a jockey for 30 years and is now a trainer. All my sisters and brothers are jockeys. They weren't going to stop it [me becoming one]. 'I'm happy where I am at the moment and how things are going.' Agarwood brings spring promise The Adrian Bott-Gai Waterhouse stable is likely to spell Agarwood and target the spring after the promising filly stamped her potential with a commanding win at Randwick on Saturday. An odds-on favourite in the 1200m race for two-year-olds, the daughter of Wootton Bassett scored a two-and-a-quarter-length victory from Godolphin's Matima. Bott said before the race that Agarwood would be spelled to prepare for a spring campaign. Jockey Adam Hyeronimus said Agarwood was very professional on Saturday after she was a handful for Tim Clark behind the gates before winning on debut at Warwick Farm on May 7. 'She's really improved from that mentally, and she was such a professional today,' Hyeronimus said. Howlett hope seasoned for cups Hunter trainer Todd Howlett had his eye on wet-weather country cups for A Pound Of Salt after he burst through the pack late under Zac Lloyd to take out the Highway Handicap on Saturday. The five-year-old, which came to Howlett from Orange trainer Peter Stanley - the father of Saturday's Midway-winning apprentice William, raced away with the class 3 1200m event. It was his third win in eight starts for Howlett and the first in Highway grade. 'It was a good turn of foot under heavy conditions,' Howlett said. 'He's a little fella and when I got him, I wouldn't have expected him to be winning a Highway, so he's done a great job. 'I'll just try to find the right races, but maybe he could go into those country cups now. He does [handle heavy tracks]. That was the query today and he's done well.'
Herald Sun
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Joe Pride-trained Storm The Ramparts wins at Randwick
Storm The Ramparts enhanced his reputation as a superior mudlark with his all-the-way win at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Top jockey Adam Hyeronimus produced another tactically perfect frontrunning ride on Storm The Ramparts in the Taylor Construction Handicap (1000m) to complement his earlier winning effort on unbeaten two-year-old filly Agarwood. For trainer Joe Pride, it was more a case of maximising what was a gilt-edged opportunity for Storm The Ramparts given the heavy track conditions. • 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! 'This horse is a very good wet-tracker, that was the big ace up his sleeve today,'' Pride said. 'I was pleasantly surprised to get here to see how wet the track was and the times they were running as it gave Storm The Ramparts his chance to win. 'With a horse like him, we have got to take advantage of these opportunities because they might only get one or two each preparation. 'We probably won't get a track this wet again for him this campaign but we will keep chasing the wet tracks with him.'' • Queensland Oaks on the radar for Let's Fly Storm The Ramparts ($7.50) held off the late charge of Grand Larceny ($5) to win by a neck with Hi Dubai ($8.50) a half-length away third. Winning Proposal was backed into $4.20 favouritism but after going wide on the turn, she failed to run on as well as expected and laboured to finish only seventh, beaten about four lengths. The winner stopped the clock at 1m 01.33s which was nearly six seconds outside the course record set by another Pride sprinter, Eduardo, and reflective of the extremely heavy track conditions. There was also more than 16 lengths between Storm The Ramparts and the last-placed finisher, Big Me, which is a huge disparity in a 1000m race but also an indication of the testing track surface. Trainer Joseph Pride is seen in the Randwick mounting yard after Storm The Ramparts' victory. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images • 'Very easy watch': Agarwood dominates juvenile opener Storm The Ramparts is a half-brother to stablemate Dragonstone, a last-start winner of the Listed Hawkesbury Rush. Although Storm The Ramparts might not be quite as good as his older sibling, the four-year-old is proving a great moneyspinner and is building a good race record. Storm The Ramparts scored his third career win (and eight minor placings) from just 14 starts and took his overall prizemoney to nearly $300,000 – a considerable return on the $85,000 connections paid to purchase the horse at the 2022 Magic Millions Yearling Sale. Pride was also more than satisfied with the closing effort of Testator Silens to finish sixth, beaten just over two lengths by Storm The Ramparts. 'Testsator Silens has run really well and he will be back here at Randwick for a 1300m race in two weeks,'' Pride said. Originally published as Joe Pride-trained sprinter Storm The Ramparts laps up heavy conditions in Randwick victory
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Let's Fly puts herself in contention for next month's Group 1 Queensland Oaks with a dominant victory at Randwick
Let's Fly lived up to her name with a runaway Royal Randwick win that just might have earned her a start in the Queensland Oaks. Then 45 minutes later, Casual Connection also put daylight between himself and his chasing rivals to put himself into the Brisbane Cup conversation. For a Saturday Sydney off-carnival meeting without a stakes event, some of the dominant and classy winners including Let's Fly and Casual Connection showed they were on target for interstate feature race raids. Promising three-year-old filly Let's Fly made a mess of her rivals in the Chalouhi Handicap (1800m), scoring by a widening margin of nearly six lengths. Let's Fly ($31) raced in a forward position, took the lead around the turn then exploded away to win by five-and-three-quarter lengths from classic hopefuls She's A Dealer ($10) and Hurstville Zagreb ($4.20 favourite). Will Freedman, who trains in partnership with his father Richard, said Let's Fly's win has given connections reason to consider setting her for the Group 1 $700,000 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm on June 7. 'I thought she ran really well last week when she over-raced for the large majority of it and we thought, on a heavy track and a week back-up she might settle better,' Freedman said. 'I know the question will be, will we go to Queensland for the Oaks but we will make that decision in the next week or so. 'We have always had a high opinion of her, she ran in the Thousand Guineas last spring, and she has matured a lot this preparation. 'But she has come to hand a lot quicker than I thought. I thought an Oaks was way too ambitious but she has beaten them like a good thing.' ✈ï¸� Let's Fly makes a mess of them all at Randwick! @NockBraith | @R1CHARDFREEDMAN | @willfreedman â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 24, 2025 • Let's Fly is part-owned by Sky Sports Radio's Racing HQ presenter Dave Stanley who for once was almost lost for words after the race. 'This is my first Saturday winner in town, it's a great thrill,' Stanley said. Master New Zealand trainer Roger James is still hopeful of getting She's A Dealer to the Oaks despite being well-beaten by Let's Fly. 'My jockey, George Rooke, said She's A Dealer normally sprints and puts the race to bed quickly but she couldn't today,' James said. 'She's a high class filly, we like her a lot, but we have only ever seen her on much better tracks than this. She got weighed down on that track and the winner had taken flight by then. 'But we came here to try and do a job to get into the Queensland Oaks and she's earned another $29,000 for her second. 'They have changed the entry qualification for the Oaks to average earnings per start and she has only had four starts now so that might get us quite close. 'What we will do is prepare her here and then go up Wednesday night before the Oaks. If she doesn't make the field she will get on the plane to go home.' ðŸ¤� Casual Connection relishes on the heavy track and brains them at Randwick! @jsargentracing | @MollyBourke7 â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 24, 2025 • 'Very easy watch': Agarwood dominates juvenile opener Then it was Casual Connection's turn to make a statement with his strong staying effort to win the PF Civil Handicap (2400m). Ridden by star apprentice Molly Bourke, Casual Connection ($11) raced away to score by three lengths from Wuddzz ($4.80 favourite) with just over a length to Asgoodassobergets ($6.50). Trainer John Sargent revealed Casual Connection won the same Randwick race last year before earning a start in the Group 2 $400,000 Brisbane Cup (3200m) at Eagle Farm only to finish unplaced behind Alegron. Sargent said Casual Connection could go back for a second crack at the Brisbane Cup on June 14 if the track is rain-affected. 'We ran him in the Brisbane Cup last year but the track was too firm for him,' Sargent said. 'If we happen to get a wet track for the Brisbane Cup next month, then I would give him another chance in the race. 'He's a tough stayer but he's at his best on rain-affected going. Molly rode him very well because the horse needs plenty of galloping room to build his momentum. 'He's not a sit-sprint type, he needs to get into his rhythm because he stays all day.'
