Latest news with #VictoriaDerby
Herald Sun
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Victoria Derby hopeful Thunderbolt Way to debut at Flemington
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Long term plans aplenty could form after Saturday's Trevor Clarke Handicap (1400m) at Flemington. The 1400m contest for two-year-olds will be the point at which sprinting or staying futures are decided for many of the 14 acceptors for the $150,000 race. • 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! Flemington trainer Simon Zahra expects to follow the staying path with his charge Thunderbolt Way, who will debut on his home track on Saturday. Thunderbolt Way is a son of the former smart sprinter Pariah, who twice won over 1100m in his racing days, but Zahra said the youngster showed all the attributes of a distance prospect. 'He's got stayer written all over him,' Zahra said. 'He's got good ability and might be a Derby horse as a three-year-old.' Thunderbolt Way is a longshot chance to make a winning debut at Flemington but Zahra said the chestnut would improve sharply on whatever he did first-up. • Singapore champ has mountain to climb at Flemington He said Thunderbolt Way's jumpouts indicated the stable had plenty to work with but time would produce an imposing specimen. 'He jumped out well but he's got a lot of improvement to come,' Zahra said. 'He's going to be a really nice horse next time in. 'He's got a bit of presence, a good action and a great attitude. 'We might get a couple of runs into him now and he'll be back in the spring.' Drawing barrier 13 made Thunderbolt Way's task more difficult over the Flemington 1400m course, which presents a long sweeping turn soon after the start. However, Zahra said the draw would present an opportunity to continue Thunderbolt Way's education. 'He'll go back from the wide draw and we expect to see him running on well in the straight,' Zahra said. 'That will be the best thing for him, to teach him to relax and finish the race off strongly.' Originally published as Thunderbolt Way to start on possible Victoria Derby path at Flemington
7NEWS
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Watchme Win's staggering return continues against Giga Kick in the Goodwood
For all of trainer Andrew Gluyas' success — which includes three Group One wins with one solely under his name — he's never been successful in one of the four majors in South Australia. When in partnership with Leon MacDonald, the training duo won the 2011 Caulfield Cup with Southern Speed and the 2014 Champagne Stakes with Indy Go Go, while more recently Gluyas won the Victoria Derby with Goldrush Guru. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Watchme Win's stunning return continues in the Goodwood. The pair came agonisingly close in 2023 with Another Award, who finished second in both the Robert Sangster Stakes and The Goodwood, and Gluyas is hoping Watchme Win can go one better. Sporting the same black and white colours of MacDonald racing, the four-year-old gelding won his way into the field with a strong victory in the Group 3 John Hawkes Stakes (1100m), although Gluyas admits it hadn't been the plan all along. 'Not really, we were just hoping to get him racing because he had a whole year off,' Gluyas said. 'So, after a good start-up prep, we gave him a break, after that Sir Sway race, and then we thought we'd see where he pops up, and he's popped up alright.' A trackwork incident as a two-year-old nearly saw Watchme Win's career over before it started, but Gluyas is confident the five-time winner is ready for a crack at Group One level. 'We're excited for Saturday. He's come through that run in the John Hawkes really well, he's building towards the six furlongs and it just happens to be in a Group One, but he's good.' As a set weights and penalties race, Watchme Win will likely carry 56kg in The Goodwood, giving away 1.5kg to all-in favourite Giga Kick, who hasn't won a race since May 2023 but is 24 official ratings points clear of Watchme Win, who is an $18 chance. 'I wish it was a handicap, that would've helped but that's the way it goes, it is how it is,' Gluyas lamented. 'I reckon it is (wide open) for them all, a lot of those mares are in good form out of the Sangster, so it should be good.' 'It's the right time to have a crack, if the race was somewhere else, well, maybe not, but at home, you may as well. 'Winning a Goodwood, that'd be alright, wouldn't it?' Dual group 1 champion and Everest winner Giga Kick is a $2 favourite.
The Australian
03-05-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Lachlan Neindorf pulls off South Australian Derby heist with Femminile
Lachlan Neindorf, a Stokes-trained horse, and cutting the corner en route to Group 1 victory, Femminile's upset win in Saturday's South Australian Derby felt like deja vu. Twelve months after Neindorf and Climbing Star stole victory in the Robert Sangster, the hoop produced another gem to guide Femminile ($16) to Derby glory at Morphettville. Jumping from barrier two in Saturday's $1m feature, the Dundeel filly didn't travel around another horse, as Neindorf latched onto the back of race favourite Statuario in running, before sticking to the rail and defying the grey in the closing stages. • 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! The win handed master trainer Phillip Stokes a maiden SA Derby win, and had assistant trainer Tommy Stokes elated post-race. 'We're just so proud. This horse has been prepped up an absolute treat leading into today,' Tommy Stokes said. 'Full credit to the team at Pakenham and Morphettville, it's a big operation now. The team puts in a lot of work, mum and dad, she spends a lot of time on the farm there.' Unlike last year, when he notched a maiden Group 1 win in emotional scenes, there were no tears from Neindorf, now proudly sporting bleached blonde hair. 'No more tears. It's funny, about a month afterwards I went over to Flemington. Rode one for Phil and the team, and I think it was Pat Carey next to Phil, he said, 'you must have taught that boy everything',' Neindorf said. 'He said, 'I didn't tell him how to bloody cry!' So from that day onward, I go, you know what, I'm not crying again, no more'.' The emotion wasn't as palpable as last year's Sangster, but Neindorf's smart mid-race Judgement was again on display for all to see. Femminile holds off favourite Statuario to win the SA Derby. Picture: Makoto Kaneko 'I was (following Statuario) he was drawn one, I was drawn two, and that was just the plan early on, and then he sort of went to avenue out, and I lost the back of him, and from that point on, I just thought, 'you know what, let's make it up as we go here',' he said. 'The seas just parted, and all of a sudden I was behind Stubby on the top of the straight, and he rolled off to get to the better ground, and I thought, I'll take inside you now, and then come out and the rest was history.' Statuario was gallant for second, beaten a ¾ length by Femminile, as jockey John Allen narrowly missed a fifth SA Derby win, while Victoria Derby winner Goldrush Guru was forced to make a mid-race move to the lead, and faded out to finish sixth. Godolphin galloper Lavalier filled the placings, sticking on bravely to finish third. Read related topics: Adelaide
News.com.au
30-04-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
‘I'm very interested': Trainer James Cummings confirms application to base himself at Leilani Lodge at Randwick
James Cummings has confirmed he will make application to train out of famous Leilani Lodge at Royal Randwick after Godolphin revealed it is moving to a public training model from next season. Cummings has been the private trainer at Godolphin for eight years, preparing 50 Group 1 winners for the 'Blue Army' with the likes of Anamoe, Broadsiding, Cascadian, Hartnell, Alizee and Bivouac. But the champion trainer told Racenet he was considering all his options including possibly going back to where it all began – Leilani Lodge at Randwick. 'I'm very interested in making an application for Leilani Lodge,'' Cummings said. 'I can confirm it is my intention to apply.'' Cummings said he was 'comfortable' with his decision to go public with his training business. 'I think the time is right and from my perspective it is pretty exciting to be going back out on my own,'' he said. Cummings will continue to train some horses for Godolphin from the start of the 2025-26 season including Group 1 winners Tom Kitten and Zardozi and top two-year-old Tempted. It is understood Cummings will continue to train out of Godolphin's Carbine Lodge stables at Flemington. The Australian Turf Club's expression of interest process for the Leilani Lodge stables is due to close on Monday at 5pm. It is believed Cummings is among several of Sydney's biggest trainers who are potentially interested in applying for the stables. Leilani Lodge has been with the Cummings family for five decades until James' father, Anthony, was forced to vacate the stables when his trainer's licence was revoked by Racing NSW in early March after his business went into liquidation. James's grandfather, the legendary Bart Cummings first moved into Leilani Lodge at Randwick in the early 1980s and won a Sydney trainers' premiership from those stables in 1989-90. An original Hall of Fame inductee, Bart Cummings prepared some of his greatest champions out of Leilani Lodge including Saintly, So You Think, Beau Zam, Shaftesbury Avenue, Sky Chase, Campaign King, Dane Ripper and many others. If James Cummings is successful with his application to ATC for the vacant Leilani Lodge stable complex at Randwick, it will be a case of going back to the future. James started his training career in partnership with his grandfather in August, 2013, preparing 95 winners together including Group 1 wins with Hallowed Crown in the 2014 Golden Rose and 2015 Randwick Guineas. When Bart Cummings passed on August 30, 2015, James continued to train out of Leilani Lodge in his own right and in 2016 he prepared Prized Icon to Group 1 success in the Champagne Stakes and Victoria Derby. But then James Cummings was approached by Godolphin in 2017 to take over as their private trainer from John O'Shea. Cummings and Godolphin have been a formidable force in Australian racing ever since with the trainer preparing more than 1400 winners for the famous 'Royal Blue' colours including 50 at Group 1 level for stable earnings of over $200 million prizemoney. Anamoe has been Godolphin's best horse during the Cummings era winning nine Group 1 races including the 2022 Cox Plate and earning Horse of the Honours in 2022-23. Cummings also trained a Golden Slipper quinella in 2019 with Kiamichi and Microphone and the winners of the Golden Eagle (Colette, 2019), Doncaster Mile (Cascadian, 2021), Epsom Handicap (Hartnell, 2018), Tancred Stakes (Avilius, 2019), and two Golden Rose s with Broadsiding (2024) and Bivouac (2019). The champion trainer also enjoyed tremendous success for Godolphin interstate preparing the winners of the All Star Mile (Tom Kitten, 2015), two Australian Cup s (Cascadian, 2023 and 2024), three Newmarket Handicap s (Bivouac, 2020, In Secret, 2023 and Cylinder, 2024), two VRC Oaks (Zardozi, 2024 and Willowy, 2021), two Caulfield Guineas (Anamoe, 2021 and Golden Mile, 2022), and a Stradbroke Handicap Trekking, 2019).
News.com.au
29-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Victoria Derby winner Goldrush Guru draws 18 for South Australian Derby
The sole Derby winner, local hope Goldrush Guru will have to overcome one of the outside barriers if he's to be successful in Saturday's $1 million South Australian Derby at Morphettville. The Adelaide feature is Australia's only other Derby run over the 2500m, the distance of the Victoria Derby which was won by Goldrush Guru in November last year. The Andrew Gluyas -trained colt draw barrier 18 for Saturday's set weights assignment. On Tuesday, a field of 16 with three emergencies, was declared for South Australia's blue-ribband which will see three fillies take on the boys. Aside from Goldrush Guru, the field also includes last start winners Statuario, which will be ridden by four-time South Australian Derby-winning jockey John Allen and VRC St Leger winner American Wolf, which will be piloted by last Saturday's dual Group 1-winning jockey Mark Zahra. Port Adelaide Guineas winner Snoopy Now is in the field along with last Saturday's Chairman's Stakes placegetters Lavalier and Dubai Focus while another interesting runner is last start Kiwi Group 3 placegetter, Roctave, from the Stephen Marsh stable. The three fillies in the race are Cavity Bay and Femminile, which both finished behind the placegetters last Saturday in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks, and the dominant last start Echuca winner Chase Your Dreams. The field and barrier draw for the South Australian Derby is: No. – Horse – Trainer – Jockey – Barrier – Weight 1 – GOLDRUSH GURU – Andrew Gluyas – Jason Holder – 18 – 56.5kg 2 – STATUARIO – Emma-Lee & David Browne – John Allen – 3 – 56.5kg 3 – CONFETTI GARDEN – Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – Liam Riordan – 14 – 56.5kg 4 – AMERICAN WOLF – Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – Mark Zahra – 11 – 56.5kg 5 – SAINT EMILION – Ciaron Maher – Todd Pannell – 7 – 56.5kg 6 – SNOOPY NOW – Darryl Hewitt – TBA – 8 – 56.5kg 7 – DUBAI FOCUS – Aaron Bain & Ned Taylor – Ben Melham – 13 – 56.5kg 8 – LAVALIER – James Cummings – Jamie Melham – 15 – 56.5kg 9 – POLITELY DUN – Danny O'Brien – Daniel Stackhouse – 2 – 56.5kg 10 – ROCTAVE – Stephen Marsh – Jordan Childs – 9 – 56.5kg 11 – DARKNCONFIDENTIAL – Stuart Gower – Rochelle Milnes (a) – 1 – 56.5kg 12 – COMPRESSING – Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young – Daniel Moor – 10 – 56.5kg 13 – SCINTILLANTE – Cliff Brown – TBA – 5 – 56.5kg 14 – CAVITY BAY – Tony & Calvin McEvoy – Harry Coffey – 17 – 54.5kg 15 – FEMMINILE – Phillip Stokes – Lachlan Neindorf – 4 – 54.5kg 16 – CHASE YOUR DREAMS – Ben, Will & JD Hayes – Ethan Brown – 19 – 54.5kg 17e – CAPTAIN HILFIGER – Peter Gelagotis – TBA – 16 – 56.5kg 18e – GLOBAL ECLIPSE – Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr) – Ben Melham – 6 – 56.5kg 19e – GIN RUMMY – Alexander Justice – Justin Potter – 1 – 56.5kg GOLDRUSH GURU wins the Penfolds Victoria Derby 🌟 It's a race to remember for @jamieleekah07 and Andrew Gluyas. 🎥 @wwos | #DerbyDay | #MelbCupCarnival — Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) November 2, 2024 Statuario is the dominant stayer! ðŸ'° Could the SA Derby be next for him? @Em_spartaracing — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) April 5, 2025 American Wolf storms down the Flemingtonstraight to win the VRC St Leger with @JohnnyA_24 for @busuttin 🤩 — Victoria Racing Club (@FlemingtonVRC) April 25, 2025 Bring on the Derby! Athanatos joins the likes of Mummify and Dalasan as winners of the Chairman's Stakes. @pstokesracing @DanielStack33 — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) April 26, 2025 In a truly run 2100 metre race that became a staying test, it's Kiwi Skyhalk who wins Race 7 from @Ellerslie_Races. That's 3 on the day for @marshracing. Another one for Contributer @MapperleyStud Owned by @BourbonLane — Trackside NZ (@TracksideNZ) April 19, 2025 "WHAT A QUALITY FILLY." Benagil wins the Australasian Oaks. The first Group 1 for Glen Thompson as a solo trainer after the passing of Mike Moroney. 😇 — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) April 26, 2025 Three-year-old filly, Chase Your Dreams, makes a statement over the staying trip, winning against older opposition with ease ðŸ'¥ @lindsayparkrace @Brown_ethan8 — (@Racing) April 18, 2025 â– â– â– â– â– The Morphettville track was rated a good (4) on Tuesday and the rail will be in the 2-metre position on Saturday. The Bureau Of Meteorology forecast for Adelaide is. Tuesday – Partly cloudy. 21. Wednesday – Partly cloudy. 20. Thursday – Mostly sunny. 20. Friday – Mostly sunny. 22. Saturday – Mostly sunny. 25.
