Latest news with #NathanDoyle
News.com.au
01-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Warwick Farm preview: Nathan Doyle keeps faith in apprentice jockey Shannen Llewellyn after impressive win on Aroha Stone
Apprentice jockey Shannen Llewellyn impressed new boss Nathan Doyle with her winning ride on Aroha Stone and he didn't hesitate in keeping the combination together as they make their metropolitan debuts. Llewellyn had only been with Doyle 's Newcastle stable for 10 days when she guided Aroha Stone to a near two length win from Cha Cha Cha over 1600m at Gosford. It was also just reward for Aroha Stone who was just pipped by stablemate Caltsar at Kembla the start prior. 'They did get all the favours. They went lickety-split up front and she just camped behind them,' said David Dyson, Doyle's racing manager. 'That was Shannen's (Llewellyn) first ride for the stable and she did everything right. The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! 'She never went around a horse, quickly pouncing on the inside run when it come and they were too strong late. 'Each run this preparation has been good in its own right. It was just good to see her get the monkey off her back last start. 'Hopefully she can go on with it now.' Aroha Stone steps out in the TAB Handicap (1600m) where she has drawn ideally in barrier 5. 'Nathan has always thought she was a metropolitan class filly and she gets the chance to prove it this week,' Dyson said. 'Shannen started with us on June 9 - she is on loan to us for three months – and she is a very hard worker, very dedicated to what she does. 'Nathan had no hesitation in keeping her on this week. The minute we nominated Aroha Stone for this race, we told Shannen she had the ride. 'They have drawn to get the perfect run and Shannen's three kilo claim brings her into it quite well. 'If they get the breaks, lightning might strike twice.' Doyle loyalty also extends to Andrew Gibbons who sticks with Mornington Pier in the Hawaii Five Oh @ Vinery Stud Handicap (1600m). Gibbons had to work overtime to guide Mornington Pier to a first-up win at Newcastle when he came from last to run down Dalio and Tango Queen. Two local winners today on the home track with the @ndoyleracing trained Mornington Pier for @Austbloodstock taking out race 5 (1400m) while the @Leesracing Oakfield Duke won race 6 over 1250m. Congratulations to all the connections. ðŸ'�ðŸ�» â€' Newcastle Racecourse (@newcastleraces_) June 14, 2025 'He was first-up over 1400 metres and Andrew rode him every step of the way. He never travelled at any stage,' said Dyson. 'I spoke to Andrew about him a couple of days ago and he said 'it wasn't until the 150 metres where I thought I was going to win'. 'It was a really good effort to actually win. 'He came to us with the thinking he was a stayer but in his trials he looked a little sharp which is why we went to 1400 metres first-up instead of a mile. 'Everything he did prior to coming to us suggested he will get a trip and what he showed us the other day says the same thing. 'He will appreciate stepping up to the mile and will be even better as he gets out further.' Doyle also saddles up Mercy Me who makes her debut in the Asahi Super Dry Plate (1200m) for two-year-old fillies where she has barrier 5. The daughter of Hellbent has been very good in her trials including a last start win in her Wyong heat on June 16. After leading, she was given a shake up after straightening and extended nicely before pricking her ears near the line to beat Raging Force. 'She was asked to find the line by intent in that trial,' said Dyson. 'Nathan has a very good opinion of this filly. 'She is a very sharp filly and drawn to get a beautiful run in the race. 'Ash (Morgan) rode her in her trials and was keen to ride her on race day.' â– â– â– â– â– Trainer John Thompson couldn't have been happier with the way American Starlet performed first-up and gives her a great chance to break through. The daughter of American Pharoah was the victim of a wide barrier when resuming in the 1200m Midway Handicap at Rosehill on June 14. Having to go back to last in the field of 14, American Starlet was spotting the leaders a conservative eight lengths approaching the home turn before closing nicely between horses to finish just over two lengths off Motoscafo in fifth place. 'She ran really well first-up. She closed off very well and the jockey (Braith Nock) came back very happy,' said John Thompson. American Starlet has fared much better in the draw this week where she drew barrier 3 in the Castelvecchio @ Arrowfield Handicap (1400m) with Braith Nock again on board. 'This is another nice race for her. Up a little bit in distance suits, she's got a good draw and a good rider so she ticks a few boxes,' Thompson said. Motoscafo flies down the outside and wins on the line at Rosehill! ðŸ'Œ @JTRacingRwik â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 14, 2025 'The good draw is the key. She is going to get a nice run from there. 'I would expect she is box seating and be prominent in the finish.' While American Starlet is one of the favourites in her race, Thompson saddles up a couple of long price runners in other races but feels they can run cheeky races on a likely heavy track. Welcome Gypsy has been a victim of outside barriers in both starts back from a spell forcing her to endure wide runs in Benchmark 78 races at Randwick. She has again drawn out in the Brave Smash @ Yarraman Park Handicap Benchmark 72 (1000m) where she has gate 9. 'She just can't draw a barrier,' Thompson said. 'This is a good drop in grade for her though so that should help. 'She can run a much improved race. 'She loves it wet, a Heavy 10 is her go. She's a swimmer. 'The draw could turn out to be not so bad because they will probably want to get to the middle of the track. She will go forward and make her own luck.' Stablemate Hellaine also has a wide gate to overcome in the but will relish the wet track. 'She hasn't had much luck of late. Doing it a bit tough up front,' he said.
News.com.au
18-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Uncommon James set for Group 1 Melbourne spring targets after passing ‘make-or-break' preparation
It was a make or break preparation last time but Uncommon James passed with flying colours and the Queenslander has been given the green light to attack Group 1 sprinting features in the Melbourne spring carnival. The Matt Hoysted trained galloper won the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate in 2023 but hasn't won since and has had some setbacks along the way. Before heading for a Sydney autumn carnival tilt earlier this year, Hoysted wanted to see strong signs that Uncommon James was something near his brilliant best otherwise retirement would have beckoned. But he was terrific in three runs in Sydney and his third behind Nathan Doyle's super sprinter Private Harry in the Group 1 Galaxy – beaten only a length – stands out. The six-year-old gelding is relatively lightly raced, only having had 19 starts. Hoysted indicated he would be deployed back to familiar surrounds in Melbourne in the spring to attack races like the Group 1 Moir and Manikato Stakes. We're just wild about Harry!!! ðŸ˜� Private Harry gives @ndoyleracing and @AshMorgan6 their first G1 success in The Galaxy, and remains unbeaten! ðŸ'° @KBloodstockNSW | @aus_turf_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 22, 2025 He competed in both of the Group 1 Melbourne sprints in 2023, finishing third on each occasion. 'Uncommon James has only just come back into my stables this week,' Hoysted said. 'The plan is to head to Melbourne and we will probably run him first-up in the Carlyon Stakes and then go Moir into the Manikato. 'That last preparation was a bit of a make or break preparation for him. 'We needed him to show he still wanted to be a racehorse and he most certainly did that. 'We just had no luck in Sydney with barrier draws in all three runs. 'But he still showed that fight and desire that we wanted to see. 'So I am more than happy in thinking we will have him in good order for Melbourne, where he always settled in well. 'Those races should be nice targets for him.' Hoysted indicated there could be other horses in his stable heading south for races in the spring. Four-year-old mare Termagant, who was nominated for Ipswich on Saturday but won't race, is one that Hoysted is keen to send south in the spring. • The four-year-old daughter of Deep Field has won half of her 10 starts and was last seen shouldering a massive impost of 62.5kg to only go down a length over 1000m on the Sunshine Coast. 'Termagant is a smart horse, we have got Stakes class aspirations for her,' Hoysted said. 'She has got to step up but she is a very progressive type of mare and we want to travel her away. 'We just need to get her rating up. 'There are a couple of others in my stable that might be able to put their hand up between now and the spring. 'We might have two to four horses that we might look to send interstate.'
Daily Telegraph
07-06-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Hidden Motive triumphs in thrilling finish at Randwick
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Private Harry crew stuck again when Hidden Motive scrambled home at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Hidden Motive, the heavily backed favourite, just held off rank outsider Kujenga in a deceptively tight finish for the Precise Air Handicap (1100m). Sean Driver of Kurrinda Bloodstock was pleasantly surprised when his colt Hidden Motive was declared the winner. Racenet iQ members get full access to our Pro Tips service, where Greg and our team of professional punters provide daily tips with fully transparent return on investment statistics. SUBSCRIBE NOW and start punting like a pro! 'To be honest we didn't think he got the bob,' Driver said. 'But he's a tough horse and was able to win in conditions that didn't suit. 'He will go home now to our farm in the Hunter Valley for two weeks and the big aim is the Coolmore (Stud Stakes) in the spring.' Talented colt Hidden Motive, trained by Nathan Doyle and ridden by Ash Morgan, was backed from $1.95 into $1.65 favouritism and just held off $81 bolter Kujenga to win by a nose with Matima ($3.80) a long head away third. Hidden Motive, a stablemate of Kurrinda Bloodstock's exciting unbeaten sprinter and The Everest contender Private Harry, scored his second successive win to complete a promising two-year-old season. 'We feel he is a four-five lengths better horse than what he showed today,' Driver said. 'He overraced, he got pestered in front and did a bit of work there. He will improve a lot. 'Wait until you see him on top of the ground. At home what he shown us, he is absolutely electric.' Morgan, who has ridden Private Harry to all five wins including the Group 1 The Galaxy this season, also has big opinion of Hidden Motive's emerging potential. 'I thought it was a very good win,' Morgan said. 'He paraded a lot better than he has been and he was very relaxed and switched off. 'Probably that first ten or fifteen metres he was a little switched off, but I let him roll up. That horse (Dubbo Boy) came to him and we just fired each other up a little bit. 'So, it was a really good win. I know it was a very small margin but he was entitled to get beaten.' Hidden Motive was born and raised at Scone nursery, Cressfield, and was offered as part of their 2024 Magic Millions Yearling Sale draft. Purchased by Doyle Racing and Kurrinda Bloodstock, the colt's $120,000 price-tag belies his epic pedigree. For starters, Hidden Motive is a son of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Golden Slipper winner, Capitalist. On top of that, Hidden Motive is the fourth foal of his dam, Secret Agenda, whose seven career wins included the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide and Group 2 Sapphire Stakes in Sydney. Hidden Motive is another quality descendant of the racetrack champion and broodmare gem, Denise's Joy. Driver also revealed Private Harry has returned to Doyle's Newcastle stables to begin preparations for the Group 1 $20m The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 18. 'Private Harry has been back in the stables for about two weeks and has put on between 65-80kg – and it's all muscle,' Driver said. 'He has grown about an inch-and-a-half, you've got to remember he's only three so he's still got that bit of growing to do. He looks outstanding.' Driver revealed Doyle is planning to give Private Harry two lead-up races into The Everest. 'We are going to The Shorts and then the Premiere Stakes before The Everest,' Driver said. 'He will have two barrier trials but whether the first one is in Newcastle – I'll be honest, he doesn't do much at home. He's very lazy. 'He has never beaten a horse home in trackwork. Nathan will have a horse going to Port Macquarie and it will beat him. 'If you're going off his trackwork, you might not sleep at night. But his IQ is through the roof. I imagine he will have his first trial at home, his second trial we'll come to Sydney, an exhibition gallop and then we'll go first-up.' Just 35 minutes after Hidden Motive's win, Doyle and Morgan completed an early brace when Hellfire Express scored more decisively than his stablemate in the Midway Handicap (1500m). Hellfire Express ($15) led most of the way and held off the late closing Convergent ($10) to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths with the unlucky Callistemon ($5.50) third just in front of favourite Engine Room ($4.60). Morgan's breakout season has included his first Group 1 win with Private Harry and another four stakes races. His Randwick double moved him to 98 wins on all tracks this season. But the in-form jockey is not about to rest on his laurels. 'I don't want to take a break,' Morgan said. 'I feel like I have worked too hard to take it easy now, so I'm just trying to roll while the momentum is good. It has been a magic season.' Originally published as Promising colt Hidden Motive has spring Group 1 target after digging deep for narrow victory at Randwick
News.com.au
07-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Promising colt Hidden Motive has a Spring Group 1 target after digging deep to clinch a narrow victory at Randwick
The Private Harry crew stuck again when Hidden Motive scrambled home at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Hidden Motive, the heavily backed favourite, just held off rank outsider Kujenga in a deceptively tight finish for the Precise Air Handicap (1100m). Sean Driver of Kurrinda Bloodstock was pleasantly surprised when his colt Hidden Motive was declared the winner. 'To be honest we didn't think he got the 'bob',' Driver said. 'But he's a tough horse and was able to win in conditions that didn't suit. 'He will go home now to our farm in the Hunter Valley for two weeks and the big aim is the Coolmore (Stud Stakes) in the spring.' Talented colt Hidden Motive, trained by Nathan Doyle and ridden by Ash Morgan, was backed from $1.95 into $1.65 favouritism and just held off $81 bolter Kujenga to win by a nose with Matima ($3.80) a long head away third. Hidden Motive, a stablemate of Kurrinda Bloodstock's exciting unbeaten sprinter and The Everest contender Private Harry, scored his second successive win to complete a promising two-year-old season. 'We feel he is a four-five lengths better horse than what he showed today,' Driver said. 'He over-raced, he got pestered in front and did a bit of work there. He will improve a lot. 'Wait until you see him on top of the ground. At home what he shown us, he is absolutely electric.' Morgan, who has ridden Private Harry to all five wins including the Group 1 The Galaxy this season, also has big opinion of Hidden Motive's emerging potential. 'I thought it was a very good win,' Morgan said. 'He paraded a lot better than he has been and he was very relaxed and switched off. 'Probably that first ten or fifteen metres he was a little switched off, but I let him roll up. That horse (Dubbo Boy) came to him and we just fired each other up a little bit. You can exhale if you backed Hidden Motive! 🥵 The fav gets his nose down at the right moment to make it two wins in a row in the Randwick opener! @AshMorgan6 @ndoyleracing @aus_turf_club â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025 'So, it was a really good win. I know it was a very small margin but he was entitled to get beaten.' Hidden Motive was born and raised at Scone nursery, Cressfield, and was offered as part of their 2024 Magic Millions Yearling Sale draft. Purchased by Doyle Racing and Kurrinda Bloodstock, the colt's $120,000 price-tag belies his epic pedigree. For starters, Hidden Motive is a son of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Golden Slipper winner, Capitalist. On top of that, Hidden Motive is the fourth foal of his dam, Secret Agenda, whose seven career wins included the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes in Adelaide and Group 2 Sapphire Stakes in Sydney. Hidden Motive is another quality descendant of the racetrack champion and broodmare gem, Denise's Joy. Driver also revealed Private Harry has returned to Doyle's Newcastle stables to begin preparations for the Group 1 $20 million The TAB Everest (1200m) at Royal Randwick on October 18. 'Private Harry has been back in the stables for about two weeks and has put on between 65-80kg – and it's all muscle,' Driver said. 'He has grown about an inch-and-a-half, you've got to remember he's only three so he's still got that bit of growing to do. He looks outstanding.' Just hop on the Doyle/Morgan express! 🚂 Hellfire Express wins the Midway - and that's the first two Randwick races to @ndoyleracing and @AshMorgan6! @aus_turf_club @Darby_Racing â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025 Driver revealed Doyle is planning to give Private Harry two lead-up races into The Everest. 'We are going to The Shorts and then the Premiere Stakes before The Everest,' Driver said. 'He will have two barrier trials but whether the first one is in Newcastle – I'll be honest, he doesn't do much at home. He's very lazy. 'He has never beaten a horse home in trackwork. Nathan will have a horse going to Port Macquarie and it will beat him. 'If you're going off his trackwork, you might not sleep at night. But his IQ is through the roof. I imagine he will have his first trial at home, his second trial we'll come to Sydney, an exhibition gallop and then we'll go first-up.' Just 35 minutes after Hidden Motive's win, Doyle and Morgan completed an early brace when Hellfire Express scored more decisively than his stablemate in the Midway Handicap (1500m). Hellfire Express ($15) led most of the way and held off the late closing Convergent ($10) to win by one-and-a-quarter lengths with the unlucky Callistemon ($5.50) third just in front of favourite Engine Room ($4.60). Morgan's breakout season has included his first Group 1 win with Private Harry and another four stakes races. His Randwick double moved him to 98 wins on all tracks this season. But the in-form jockey is not about to rest on his laurels. 'I don't want to take a break,' Morgan said. 'I feel like I have worked too hard to take it easy now, so I'm just trying to roll while the momentum is good. It has been a magic season.'
The Australian
07-06-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Newcastle preview: Home track has Nathan Doyle's gelding set to Attack
Connections of Rush Attack are putting his last start failure down to not handling the Hawkesbury track and expect to see him return to form back on home turf. Rush Attack settled midfield on the fence bit failed to run on and beat just three home behind Enter The Dragon on April 9. Prior to that run, he won a Benchmark 72 Midway at Rosehill before a nose second in another Midway at Randwick behind Pocketing. • 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! 'There are some horses who go to Hawkesbury but just don't handle it,' said David Dyson, racing manager for Nathan Doyle. 'His previous form was very good in town which holds him in very good stead here.' The gelding drops back to a Benchmark 58 and gets in well with 59kg on his back after the claim of Mollie Fitzgerald. 'He is one of the most consistent horses in the stable,' Dyson said 'He has had a little gap between run hence why we trialled him on Monday just to get him ready. 'There's a bit speed in this race and he has drawn to get a beautiful run just behind them. 'One thing this horse does is try and he will put himself in the finish. That's just what he does.' Queen's Rhapsody kicked off her campaign on a bright note with a length win at Hawkesbury on May 15. While she won comfortable in the end, feedback from jockey William Stanley was that she floated once she hit the front. Doyle has put visors on the three-year-old this week to help her focus and she looks extremely hard to beat in the Class 1 Handicap (1250m). 'We have put the visors on this week to help he concentrate a little bit more,' Dyson said. 'She worked in them about 10 days ago and was really good. She was very sharp. They seemed to have taken her to the next level. 'Once again, we have opted to claim again. Mitch Stapleford takes three kilos off which gets her into the race beautifully.' Bohemian Art looked to have the race won at the 200m on debut when she hit but just didn't know how to put them away and Impressionism kicked back to narrowly beat her. She then went to Kembla where she was a well beaten fifth to Monte Veebee but was found to have bled from one nostril. Having galloped to stewards satisfaction since then, the stable expects her to bounce back in the Maiden Plate (1400m) for fillies and mares. 'Put a line through that run,' Dyson said. 'She galloped for the stewards here last Friday over 1000m to clear that embargo and she worked very strongly. 'We are very happy with her we think she is back to where she was at her first-up run.' Doyle also has two youngsters making their debut in the 2YO Maiden Handicap (1200m). Divo is a grandson of Makybe Diva by Capitalist who has shown plenty of ability winning his two trials this preparation. Just Response is by Justify and like his stablemate, has won both his trials. 'Divo has got a lot of speed. My one query with him is the long time between his last trial on April 24 and his race debut,' said Dyson. 'It would be great if it could get back to somewhere near a soft because the drier the better for him. 'Just Response isn't as sharp as Divo but he has got the fitness edge on his side. He trialled on the Beaumont on Monday and went very well. 'The wet track was absolutely no issue to him so he is one horse we know will get through it.'
