Latest news with #WilliamReidStakes
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
West Coast trying to join four-peat club in Grand National Steeplechase
The four-peaters are a rare breed. The most recent, obvious adored four-peater was Winx, who won four Cox Plates in a row. Mic drop. Yeats won the prestigious Ascot Gold Cup four times and in harness racing Blacks A Fake won the Inter Dominion four times, but not in a row. There have been five-peaters (now there is a term you really don't hear that often). The great Australian sprinter Manikato won the William Reid Stakes five straight years from 1979 to 1983. Then there is the king of the peats, Koral. The big southerner won the Homeby Steeplechase at Riccarton seven times and finished second another. They got so sick of etching his name on the trophy they simply named the race after him. Which brings us to the $200,000 Racecourse Hotel Grand National Steeplechase at Riccarton today. It is the 150th running of the iconic race, which could have so easily been lost had jumps racing been canned. But today's 5600m is a chance for West Coast to join Winx, Yeats and the Penrith Panthers in the four-peat club. West Coast is a magnificent horse. Big, raw-boned but with a certain nobility in the way he stands. What is notable is the way he has carried 73kg in almost every steeplechase he has contested in the past two years, including his second and third Grand Nationals. There is no doubt he is the most accomplished horse in today's Grand National but eventually something has to give. West Coast is now a 10-year-old and carries 7kg more than favourite Jesko, even though the latter has been our form steeplechaser this winter. West Coast may have carried that same daunting weight to win the last two years but there was no Jesko in those races. To rub salt in the wounds, Jesko has stolen West Coast's regular rider Shaun Fannin, who trains the former and so obviously rides him. West Coast will still be our great racing warrior and he will still do what he always does in the home straight today: continue to go forward. But will he join the four-peaters? That may depend on what toll the step up to 5600m takes on Jesko. He had too much speed and too little weight for Captains Run and West Coast in the Koral (yep, that one) last Saturday and if today's race was over the same 4250m trip Jesko would start $1.30 again. But whether his leg speed burns quite so brightly, after 5000m and with 600m more to go, might decide this race. Earlier in the day, West Coast's stablemate Berry The Cash tries for one of those aforementioned three-peats in the Grand National Hurdles. He faces the same weight issues as West Coast but his arch-rival Dictation has been scratched so history awaits him. Michael Guerin wrote his first nationally published racing articles while still in school and started writing about horse racing and the gambling industry for the Herald as a 20-year-old in 1990. He became the Herald's Racing Editor in 1995 and covers the world's biggest horse racing carnivals.
The Age
08-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Wootton Bassett colt to attract strong early interest at Canterbury
Breeding buffs and punters alike will be in raptures before one horse has even left the stalls at Monday's holiday Canterbury meeting. Fittingly on the King's Birthday weekend, some of the most royally bred youngsters in the country step out for the first time in a two-year-old opener for the boys at set weights over 1250m. Heading the lineup is the debutant colt Central Coast for the all-conquering Chris Waller and James McDonald combination. An early favourite with bookmakers, Central Coast is beautifully bred, being by UK-reared global sprint sire Wootton Bassett, and out of dual group 1-winning mare Sunlight, who won the Newmarket Hcp and William Reid Stakes in the same season. Given two impressive trials on rain-affected ground, Central Coast looks primed for a big debut for what is a steeped and well-established group of owners. Loading He drew to get a lovely trail on what should be a gradually improving Soft 7 surface or even firmer, with the track drying out through Sunday and into Monday. But there's no shortage of impressively bred rivals, starting with Cabriole, a powerful-looking colt by superstar Lonhro from the high-class Group 1-winning mare Flit. Starting his career also behind two progressive trials, winning the latest comfortably at Warwick Farm on a Heavy 9, Cabriole was on the clear second line of early betting.
Sydney Morning Herald
08-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Wootton Bassett colt to attract strong early interest at Canterbury
Breeding buffs and punters alike will be in raptures before one horse has even left the stalls at Monday's holiday Canterbury meeting. Fittingly on the King's Birthday weekend, some of the most royally bred youngsters in the country step out for the first time in a two-year-old opener for the boys at set weights over 1250m. Heading the lineup is the debutant colt Central Coast for the all-conquering Chris Waller and James McDonald combination. An early favourite with bookmakers, Central Coast is beautifully bred, being by UK-reared global sprint sire Wootton Bassett, and out of dual group 1-winning mare Sunlight, who won the Newmarket Hcp and William Reid Stakes in the same season. Given two impressive trials on rain-affected ground, Central Coast looks primed for a big debut for what is a steeped and well-established group of owners. Loading He drew to get a lovely trail on what should be a gradually improving Soft 7 surface or even firmer, with the track drying out through Sunday and into Monday. But there's no shortage of impressively bred rivals, starting with Cabriole, a powerful-looking colt by superstar Lonhro from the high-class Group 1-winning mare Flit. Starting his career also behind two progressive trials, winning the latest comfortably at Warwick Farm on a Heavy 9, Cabriole was on the clear second line of early betting.
News.com.au
04-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Doomben 10,000 favourite Schwarz set to trial at Royal Randwick on Monday alongside stablemate King Of Thunder
Trainers John O'Shea and Tom Charlton will tune up some of their Queensland Winter Carnival big guns at Monday's set of Royal Randwick barrier trials. Leading the way will be smart sprinter Schwarz which is being prepared for a crack at the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 and he is the standout performer at Monday's rescheduled set of trials. The four-year-old entire will feature in a 1050m heat of the session with champion jockey James McDonald booked to ride. A date with Saturday week's Group 1 $1.5 million Doomben 10,000 (1200m) at Doomben will follow if all goes to plan for the son of star stallion Zoustar. O'Shea and Charlton are eager to chase back-to-back majors with Schwarz, the $4 favourite in the Doomben 10,000, after snaring a stallion making Group 1 win last start in the William Reid Stakes at The Valley. 'After his William Reid win we gave him a little freshen up and he responded really well,' Charlton said. 'We know we can prepare him to run well fresh. Schwarz was utterly brilliant in the William Reid Stakes, finding the lead from the outset & pounding his opposition into the turf ðŸ'« Where to next for @JohnOSheaRacing 's Group 1 winning son of Zoustar? — (@Racing) March 22, 2025 'The way he runs his races, we get him fit but fresh at the same time into that Doomben 10,000. 'I guess we are following a similar path with him to what we did in the William Reid so he seems in good order and we are happy with him.' Schwarz has already been named as the new headliner on Rosemont Stud's stallion roster for this year's breeding season however the fee for the four-year-old is still to be announced. He will be retired after the Queensland Winter Carnival. 'This is definitely his last preparation and we will get through the 10,000, which is obviously a race that we are keen to target,' Charlton said. 'No plans have been made beyond that run but ideally he will be off to stud this season.' Schwarz will be joined in Queensland by talented stablemate King Of Thunder, which will contest a 1200m trial on Monday morning, also with McDonald aboard. The Derby goes to the filly! 🤩 Aeliana destroys them in the G1 Australian Derby, and just how good is she?! @cwallerracing | @LaneDamian | @StarTbreds | @aus_turf_club | @WorldPool — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 5, 2025 King Of Thunder finished fifth behind Aeliana in the Group 1 Australian Derby on the first day of The Championships at Royal Randwick last month and he is being targeted Queensland edition of the three-year-old feature. 'King Of Thunder is similar, he had a little freshen up and all being well we will head to the Rough Habit into that Queensland Derby,' Charlton said. 'At this stage that's the plan for him.' King Of Thunder shares $8 equal favouritism for the Queensland Derby with stablemate Maison Louis and last Saturday's Queensland Guineas winner Depth Of Character. The Queensland Derby is on May 31.
News.com.au
29-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Modella staying in NSW for Group 3 Hawkesbury Guineas instead of travelling to Queensland
Trainer Lee Curtis is hopeful the decision to keep untapped filly Modella closer to home for Saturday's Group 3 $250,000 Hawkesbury Guineas (1400m) can lead to a potential Group 1 Brisbane winter carnival raid. Curtis, who trains alongside his wife Cherie, nominated Modella for Hawkesbury's stand-alone meeting as well as Brisbane's Group 2 $350,000 Queensland Guineas (1600m) at Eagle Farm on the same day. 'We have decided to stay here,' Curtis said. 'We just think she was a bit keen last start (in the James Carr) so have changed a bit of gear with her and she has been working quite well in that. 'We want to try her at the 1400m and then if all goes well and she runs well, we will look to go up to Queensland. 'She could end up in a Stradbroke or an (Queensland) Oaks or The Roses, I just don't know and we just want to get through this weekend before.' A three-year-old daughter of Castelvecchio, Modella has the option of heading on a fillies' Classic path or being kept over the shorter trips. The Curtis's plan to have her among the nominations for the Stradbroke Handicap, which was won last year by a three-year-old filly when Stefi Magnetica put her name up in lights. The Hawkesbury Guineas is a proven stepping stone for future Group 1 horses with last year's winner Schwarz going on to claim the William Reid Stakes earlier this year. Modella, rated a $15, was among 23 nominations for the Hawkesbury Guineas alongside Snitzanova ($4.50 favourite), Emirate ($6.50) and Just Party ($6.50). The final field is set to be revealed on Wednesday morning. James McDonald breaks through for his first of the afternoon with Lilac for @ANeashamRacing. @mcacajamez — 7HorseRacing ðŸ�Ž (@7horseracing) April 19, 2025 • 'Got to aim high': Flying filly has Stradbroke in sights Modella was beaten but far from disgraced in her first crack in stakes grade last start when she was trapped three deep but battled on for fifth in the Group 3 James HB Carr Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick. 'She got caught deep and then the pace went out of the race so everything went against her,' Curtis said. 'But the run in itself was huge. 'She is going good and her work on Tuesday morning was good so she is on target and we've just got to wait to see if she draws a barrier. 'But if she was to draw badly, we probably wouldn't even run her because we don't want to go through (last start) again.' Meanwhile, Curtis confirmed exciting filly Bauhinia has returned to work to begin preparing for the Sydney spring carnival. Bauhinia hasn't raced since finishing down the track in the $3m Magic Millions Guineas in January with the stable planning a slow build up towards her return. A date with the $10m Golden Eagle is among the options available to Bauhinia in the spring.
