Latest news with #TonyBall
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Muswellbrook preview, best bets, inside mail for Sunday, June 1, 2025
As the clean up from the devastating floods in northern New South Wales continues, Taree trainer Tony Ball is looking to cause an upset in the two-year-old feature at Muswellbrook. Ball has three runners engaged in the Greg Cribb Memorial Red Crown 2YO Handicap (900m) in Andrea, All Too Silent and Northern Glow. Andrea opened a $26 chance on TAB Fixed Odds on Friday morning behind the Peter Snowden -trained Raging Force at $1.35 before firming into $19 after the early scratching of Firepop. The son of Group 1 placegetter Graff made his debut at Newcastle on February 15 when coming from last to finish fifth behind Frostfire, You're The Choice and Mednyi. 'He probably should have run fourth. He just got a bit lost,' said Tony Ball. 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! 'He will get back and get home hard.' Ball said Andrea has shown nice ability but has been a work in progress. 'He has shown me a bit this horse,' Ball said with a laugh. 'He had a few trials because he was slow to get going and put it all together but he has learnt to do it now.' Ball's other two runners in the Red Crown - All Too Silent and Northern Glow – opened as the two outsiders of the field at $101 but he expects them to make their presence felt, especially Northern Glow. The daughter of Group 1 Golden Rose runner-up North Pacific bumped into a pretty smart one on debut at Coffs Harbour where she had to chase the speedy Shaggy before finishing fifth. She then finished seventh behind the unbeaten Zumbo at Grafton on January 27. 'She didn't much wrong in her first preparation, she was just a bit green,' said Ball. She has improved immensely from last preparation and this time, I've put the ear muffs on her. 'She will go forward from the gate. She is quick.' All Too Silent raced in the same two races as Northern Glow when last behind Shaggy before closing from near last when fourth to Zumbo. 'His last run was excellent at Grafton,' he said. 'He's learnt a lot from that first preparation and is a lot different horse now. 'If Andrea is on song, he will beat the other two of time home and will be hard to beat. The favourite, Mia Ballerina dances her way to an easy win! ðŸ'� @mcacajamez @cwallerracing â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 21, 2025 'The filly could knock him off if he doesn't run to his potential but he has just a little bit more class than her. All Too Silent can run well but is probably looking for 1200 metres.' Ball's other runner for the day is Star Prediction in the Super Maiden (1280m) and he expects the gelding to go close to breaking through. The son of Nostradamus has placed in three of his five starts including a close second to Solitario at Scone on Cup Day. He also finished third behind Mia Ballerina and Hidden Achievement at Canterbury on April 21. 'He has tonnes of ability and is going enormous,' Ball said. 'He just got beat at Scone the other day. The horse of (Paul) Messara's just grabbed him in the last few strides. 'The second horse in that Canterbury race, Hidden Achievement, was racing at Rosehill this weekend and was also nominated for the Group 2 Sires' Produce at Eagle Farm. 'It's pretty good form.' The three-year-old has drawn out the outside barrier but Ball and jockey Shae Wilkes are too concerned. 'I said to Shae on Friday morning that we've drawn bad this weekend and she said 'We'll be outside the leader after we've gone 50 metres'. 'He worked really well on Friday morning and looks fabulous and I'm sure he will run very well again.' ADAM SHERRY'S TOP SELECTIONS BEST BET Race 7 No. 2: RITZSUN Narrow seconds at his past two runs and can go one better. NEXT BEST Race 3 No. 5: IMAGE OF THE SUN Well suited stepping up to the 2300m and gets her chance. VALUE BET Race 6 No. 7: ZOOMORPHIC Strong wins at his past two and an improving track only helps as he chances a hat-trick. QUADDIE Race 4: 3, 5, 8 Race 5: 1, 2, 8 Race 6: 4, 5, 6, 7 Race 7: 2, 8, 11 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW REECE JONES has some nice rides and looks a chance in the TAB Jockey Challenge. INSIDE MAIL – MUSWELLBROOK RAGING FORCE (2) was well backed on debut in the Group 3 Breeders Plate where he raced wide without cover and finishing a three length sixth to King Kirk. Has since been gelded. Closed strongly under a hold when third in his May 5 Randwick trial. ANDREA (1) was green on debit at Newcastle on Feb 15 where he settled last and wide. He did make up ground to beat a couple home and finish two-and-a-half lengths off Frostfire. IT STAYS IN VEGAS (5) was also green in debut when fifth at Scone on Jan 30. Led and won a Gunnedah trial on May 14. Bet: Trifecta 2 / 1, 4, 5 LAST LALIQUE (8) is a debutant is a half-sister to the consistent Dollar Magic by Star Witness. Sat outside the leader and kept under a good hold to the line when a nose second ion her May 14 Gunnedah trial. BRUMMAGEN (1) was third to Sardonyx at Dubbo on debut in February last year and returned with a handy fourth to Joiselle second-up. Resumes from a long spell after a handy third to Wonder Step in his May 13 Wellington trial. BALLY ISLE (4) will take improvement from his two runs in his first campaign including a debut second to Divine Feminine at Quirindi. IMAGE OF THE SUN (5) settled four lengths off the leader Enterprise Lassie and made ground under her 62kg to finish second over 1600m. Was slow out and always well back when down the drack to Fiorsum Fred in the 1600m Highway at Scone on May 17. Much better suited stepping up to the 2300m. JONNY BE SWIFT (7) battled away for third to Cascade Mountain as an odds-on fav at Gunnedah two starts back before backing up at Taree eight days later when a long head third to Justifiably over 2000m. CASCADE MOUNTAIN (2) is in great form with four wins and a close second from his last five starts. STRATIFIED (5) is racing in consistent form. Led all-the-way to beat Rouge Moulin at Mudgee back on Feb 23. Has placed in three of his four runs since and was fourth in the other. Just run down late by Lockdown Gamble at Mudgee last start. MCKEON (8) came from a long way back when beaten just over two lengths by Ballinderry Sal in the TAB Highway at Randwick two starts ago. Bounced back to winning form to beat Ritzsun in the Highway on Gosford Cup Day. INFERENCIA (3) led all-the-way to win a Rosehill Highway on Mar 22 before an eighth to Bianco Vilano at Warwick Farm. STAR PREDICTION (1) battled away for third behind Mia Ballerina and Hidden Achievement over 1250m at Canterbury three starts back then struggled in the very heavy ground when sixth to Mille De Lune over 1500m at Newcastle. Back to 1300m and just nabbed by Solitario at Scone last start. JUSTICE WARRIOR (2) was okay when second to Cashaway Gold at Port Macquarie first-up and better when second to King's Secret at Gosford. Raced keen with a sit and didn't finish off when sixth to Queen's Rhapsody at Hawkesbury last start. CALIFORNIA SECRET (8) resumes here. Closed nicely from last for third in his May 13 Warwick Farm trial. ZOOMORPHIC (7) was ultra impressive winning a Mudgee Super Maiden and followed with a nice win from Only Need One on a Soft 5 at Dubbo. With an improving track here, his chances of a hat-trick improve. NAVY STEEL (4) has two wins and a close second from his four runs this time in. Just beaten under 61.5kg at Inverell last start. SANZENO (5) had no luck when down the track in the 1600m Highway at Scone last start. Was a handy third to Otium over 1700m at Scone and a half-length second over 1400m to Mulvader at Mudgee before that. RITZSUN (2) raced outside the leader when a neck second to Deion at Mudgee then raced in the middle of a lie of three before going to the front when a head second to Mckeon in the Highway at Gosford. Drawn wide but gets a claim and can break through. MOVE SHE CAN (11) scored a nice win first-up at Scone before a third to Hulu here. Bumped at start and got well back when fifth at Tamworth last start. Drawn well and should settle in a forward position. OCTAVIAN TREASURE (8) and CUMBOOGLE (1) have claims.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Assessing special needs in Essex 'continues to be a challenge'
Assessments of children for special educational needs and disabilities (Send) by a county council "continues to be a challenge given the high volume", a new report has than one in four education health and care plans (EHCPs) were completed by Essex County Council within the 20-week target, according to data for is an improvement compared with March 2024, when 0.6% were carried out within the legal time frame - which was the worst completion rate of any local authority in Nye from Witham, who has a child with an ECHP, said it was "appalling" that more than three-quarters of these children "remain failed". Geoff Hurst has Essex school named after himEssex County Council receives between 300 and 400 requests for an EHCP every month. As of March, the authority was responsible for 14,581 young people who required extra support for has been an increase of 1,221 children with an ECHP in Essex in the space of a year, according to figures from a corporate performance report for the start of 2025, 587 EHCP assessments have been completed, but they have taken on average 346 days to complete, according to the report. More than 3,000 applications are currently being county council says it has invested £1m to increase the number of educational psychologists to work on Ball, Conservative cabinet member for education, said: "We have been open about the ongoing work to improve the local Send system and are seeing the results of the changes we have made." 'Piecemeal service' But Kim Mayhead, who runs a special educational needs advice and support group for Essex families on Facebook, argued: "There's not enough funding. "We are a huge county and we are running a piecemeal service."I've been in this world of Send with my son for 25 years. It has got worse year on year."The report, which will be discussed at county hall on Thursday, notes that artificial intelligence is being used in producing the first draft of an EHCP - which is saving two hours per has also been a rise in the number of children who are home educated in the Essex county area, which stood at 4,333 during the first three months of report forecasts there will be 4,800 to 5,000 home educated children by the end of the academic year in has been "a significant increase" in children missing education, 570 as of early 2025 and a rise of 23% in a year, the report added: "Success can only truly be measured in terms of families' experiences and we won't stop until all families benefit." Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
News.com.au
21-05-2025
- Climate
- News.com.au
Taree trainers Glen Milligan and Tony Ball devastated following floods
Taree trainer Tony Ball has revealed he's lost just about everything following the devastating floods in the area. Ball revealed how his house is almost completely submerged in water and that he won't be able to reach it for at least a week. 'It's the worst I have seen in a long, long time. It is just devastating,' Ball said. 'It's gone through our house and we've lost everything. 'It's nearly up to the roof they tell me because we had to leave yesterday. 'We stayed in a motel last night. 'We saved my truck, horse float, my ute, my wife's car, my dog and a bag of clothes each and we won't be able to get home for probably a week.' Ball, who has trained in his own right for around six years, admits it's devastating but his biggest worry now is getting feed for his horses. On top of his own stable, Ball is looking after a few for fellow trainer Glen Milligan but said they could be in trouble with the produce shop also going under. 'We got them out the day before but our biggest downfall now is our produce shop has about four feet of water in it,' Ball told Sky Sports Radio. 'I've got enough feed to feed mine and Glen's for tonight and tomorrow but we've got to get feed for them.' An emotional Glen Milligan said it's the worst he's ever seen it, despite living in the area for 30 years. Video of the track at Taree taken at 8.30 this morning @Punters @RacenetTweets — Jett Hatton (@KnowsJett) May 20, 2025 Milligan, who lives at the track, said all his horses are safe but the bottom story of his house is underwater. 'My house is double storey and we've got about two feet of water in it,' Milligan said on Sky Sports Radio. 'There's just no end to it … the track is an ocean. 'There's a metre of water in the courtyard I reckon and we've been here 30 years and there never has been any. 'The horses are all safe here but my house will probably just go under further. 'So many people have offered to help but it's a bit hard when you can't get in and out and you can't get out of Taree either. 'From the 400 to the 200m is about the only bit of grass you can see at the racecourse.'
