Latest news with #WarrnamboolMayCarnival
News.com.au
05-05-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Warrnambool MP Dan Tehan to keep fighting against any changes to May jumps carnival
His party might have taken a belting in Saturday's Federal election, but Wannon MP Dan Tehan was keen to lead the charge against any changes to the Warrnambool May Carnival. Tehan could be among the possible candidates to become the Federal Opposition Leader after previous leader Peter Dutton lost his Queensland seat during Liberal's heavy election defeat. But Tehan, who attended multiple days of last week's carnival during campaigning in his western Victorian seat, said retaining jumps racing would always be one of his priorities. Another massive crowd watched the Grand Annual Steeplechase in perfect weather last Thursday. It was the first running of the gruelling event since Racing Victoria's latest review late last year permitted the continuance of jumps racing for another three years. Tehan said his office made a submission to the review on behalf of his electorate, which is the state's jumps racing epicentre. 'I always look on the positive (side) and we had a wonderful three days again,' Tehan said. 'You look at the crowds, about 6000 on Tuesday, seven or 8000 on Wednesday and you've probably got 15,000 for the Grand Annual. 'It's just magnificent and you look at the crowds that you'll get on a Saturday at Flemington at this time of the year, this carnival dwarfs it. 'People vote with their feet, and we've got to make sure it continues. 'We've had great jumping displays in all the three major jumps races and that's the way I think of it.' Racing Victoria established a Jumps Taskforce to oversee improvements to the sector after an unacceptable number of fatalities last year. The Jumps Taskforce will meet to review the season later this year and will report to the RV board on issues such as 'safety metrics, participation rates and economic impacts' before another review at the end of the 2027 jumps season. Tehan said shutting down jumps racing would make no sense in the current climate. 'I hope we don't have to keep fighting for it,' Tehan said. 'It's a fantastic spectacle, people love it and why would you want to shut industries down? 'I just hope jumps racing continues to thrive. 'It's what people want down here, it's why they come to Warrnambool and this state, if it starts closing industries down, there's going to be nothing left. 'We've got to be doing everything to encourage things like this. This brings people from around the world down here. 'Why wouldn't we help to support it?' Tehan held his seat after a serious challenge from independent candidate Alex Dyson.
The Australian
29-04-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
2025 Brierly Steeple: Leaderboard to finally top standings?
US-bred jumper Leaderboard will get his chance to shake off the 'bridesmaid' tag when he tackles Tuesday's $150,000 Brierly Steeplechase at Warrnambool. Leaderboard has thrived since tackling the Australian jumps scene soon after arriving from New Zealand in early 2024. The Mark Walker-trained gelding won a maiden hurdle at his second jumps outing at last year's Warrnambool May Carnival before scoring in a Benchmark 120 steeple last June. Leaderboard took on the best jumpers in training in the Australian and Grand National Hurdles as well as the Grand National Steeplechase last winter, running minor placings in all three features. • 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! However, Leaderboard has returned in terrific form over steeples this season, winning at Ballarat and Pakenham to start his 2025 jumps campaign. The form has left Leaderboard as the $3.40 favourite in early Brierly Steeplechase betting. 'We were the bridesmaid in a couple of big ones but hopefully he's a bit better in the big ones this year,' Leaderboard's trainer Mark Walker said. 'He couldn't be in better form so there's no reason he won't run well at Warrnambool.' • Brad Waters' horses to follow and forgive from The Valley on Saturday Leaderboard had enough quality on the flat to win the Group 3 Wellington Cup (3200m) in New Zealand in 2023. Walker said the 10-year-old had improved his jumping with the benefit of last season's experience behind him. 'He won a Wellington Cup as an older horse and it was only his first actual jumps season last year,' Walker said. 'He's pretty adaptable and we can slot him in anywhere but in jumps racing, you've always got to hope for the best as well. 'Bad luck can come into it but he's a safe jumper.' Leaderboard and jockey Will Gordon have combined for wins at Ballarat and Pakenham at their last two attempts. Picture: Racing Photos • Richard Callander's best futures bets for Brisbane winter plus Melbourne and Sydney spring Walker said the son of Street Cry would back up in Thursday's Grand Annual Steeplechase over the marathon 5500m. Leaderboard has not raced beyond the 4500m of the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Ballarat but said the gelding's confidence on the Warrnambool track would help him. 'He'll definitely back up in both races,' Walker said. 'He won a maiden hurdle there last year so he knows the track. 'The Grand Annual distance, who knows until you try it?' • Better than Black Caviar? Shane Dye's massive call on The Everest favourite Ka Ying Rising Will Gordon will ride Leaderboard in the Brierly Steeplechase while the Englishman will also ride another of Walker's runners on Tuesday when Dreamflight makes his jumps debut. Walker has only trained Dreamflight for three starts but said the son of Frankel's owners bought the gelding mainly to target the Warrnambool Carnival. 'He just still lacks a bit of experience but he's got a good jockey on him,' Walker said. 'I think he will pay his way over the jumps.' Dreamflight is a $19 chance to emulate Leaderboard in winning a maiden hurdle at Warrnambool.
News.com.au
28-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Leaderboard to tackle 2025 Brierly Steeplechase at Warrnambool May Carnival
US-bred jumper Leaderboard will get his chance to shake off the 'bridesmaid' tag when he tackles Tuesday's $150,000 Brierly Steeplechase at Warrnambool. Leaderboard has thrived since tackling the Australian jumps scene soon after arriving from New Zealand in early 2024. The Mark Walker -trained gelding won a maiden hurdle at his second jumps outing at last year's Warrnambool May Carnival before scoring in a Benchmark 120 steeple last June. Leaderboard took on the best jumpers in training in the Australian and Grand National Hurdles as well as the Grand National Steeplechase last winter, running minor placings in all three features. However, Leaderboard has returned in terrific form over steeples this season, winning at Ballarat and Pakenham to start his 2025 jumps campaign. The form has left Leaderboard as the $3.40 favourite in early Brierly Steeplechase betting. 'We were the bridesmaid in a couple of big ones but hopefully he's a bit better in the big ones this year,' Leaderboard's trainer Mark Walker said. 'He couldn't be in better form so there's no reason he won't run well at Warrnambool.' Leaderboard's class will prevail, winning the J.E.H Spencer Memorial Steeplechase as he likes ðŸ'« — (@Racing) April 13, 2025 • Brad Waters' horses to follow and forgive from The Valley on Saturday Leaderboard had enough quality on the flat to win the Group 3 Wellington Cup (3200m) in New Zealand in 2023. Walker said the 10-year-old had improved his jumping with the benefit of last season's experience behind him. 'He won a Wellington Cup as an older horse and it was only his first actual jumps season last year,' Walker said. 'He's pretty adaptable and we can slot him in anywhere but in jumps racing, you've always got to hope for the best as well. 'Bad luck can come into it but he's a safe jumper.' Walker said the son of Street Cry would back up in Thursday's Grand Annual Steeplechase over the marathon 5500m. Leaderboard has not raced beyond the 4500m of the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Ballarat but said the gelding's confidence on the Warrnambool track would help him. 'He'll definitely back up in both races,' Walker said. 'He won a maiden hurdle there last year so he knows the track. 'The Grand Annual distance, who knows until you try it?' Leaderboard is on the board this jumps season, leading them a merry dance over the 3250m at Ballarat 🎯 — (@Racing) April 6, 2025 • Better than Black Caviar? Shane Dye's massive call on The Everest favourite Ka Ying Rising Will Gordon will ride Leaderboard in the Brierly Steeplechase while the Englishman will also ride another of Walker's runners on Tuesday when Dreamflight makes his jumps debut. Walker has only trained Dreamflight for three starts but said the son of Frankel's owners bought the gelding mainly to target the Warrnambool Carnival. 'He just still lacks a bit of experience but he's got a good jockey on him,' Walker said. 'I think he will pay his way over the jumps.'
News.com.au
27-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Star jumps jockey Steven Pateman back in action at Warrnambool after missing last year
Star jumps jockey Steven Pateman endured the pain of missing last year's Warrnambool Carnival but will be back where he belongs at this week's three-day jumps racing showpiece. Pateman was serving the final days of a nine-month disqualification, watching his colleagues thrive on their biggest stage a week before he was able to resume riding and training from his Geelong base. He said being unable to ride at Warrnambool last year only heightened his excitement for the 2025 carnival. 'It's really exciting especially when we're going to have three runners of our own, including one in the Grand Annual,' he said. 'To just miss last year by a few days, makes it even more exciting.' Pateman's Warrnambool May Carnival record shows the reason for his desperation to return to the famous western Victorian circuit this week. Pateman has won three Grand Annual Steeplechases, four Galleywood Hurdles and four Brierly Steeplechases. Now 42, Pateman said he was as fit as ever and retained the drive that took him to the top of the Australian jumps riding ranks. 'I got up to 84kg when I was out but my body must have needed a break when I was out,' Pateman said. 'I was able to get my weight down really well when I came back and I've maintained it now. 'Age is just a number. I'm loving race riding so I'll keep going as long as I can. 'As long as I keep enjoying it, I'll keep doing it.' Pateman still marvels at his career trajectory, which took him from Margaret River in WA to starting work for the David Hayes stable at Lindsay Park in the late 1990s. But he said he has only wanted to work with horses, which made his time out of racing more difficult. 'I'm from Margaret River in Western Australia so how it has all come about has been crazy,' Pateman said. 'I've ended up being a jumps jockey because I've just found something that I love. 'It was really difficult in the first half of the disqualification because I've worked with horses since I started at Lindsay Park when I was 16, which was pretty young. 'I've never done anything else. 'I tried doing other things when I was disqualified but I just missed the horses so much.' Pateman has two rides on Tuesday's opening day of the Warrnambool carnival. He'll be aboard Normandy Bridge for champion trainer and Warrnambool local Ciaron Maher and Sing For Peace for the Patrick and Michelle Payne stable in divisions of the maiden hurdle. The dual licence holder will also saddle up Saint Eustace for his first run in 18 months in a Benchmark 70 contest over 2350m.
