Author: Ben Triandafillou

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer, Jerome Hunter, landed a dominant double at the Cranbourne night meeting on Saturday 14 December but was quick to urge for change to the current racing fixture. Hunter, who saddled up Catching Beams (Race 5) and Iknewshewasmine (Race 7) to victory for apprentices Will Price and Matt Cartwright, called for more balance to accommodate racing participants lifestyles with the additional twilight and night meetings. Hunter, who like most in the industry gets out of bed as early as 4am every morning, said that the additional night meetings were ‘killing the industry from the inside’. “I…

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HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer Logan McGill is looking to reach new heights with his inform Sale Cup winner, Gold Fields, in the coming months. The last-start $160,000 Group Thee Sandown Stakes winner will head to Sydney next to race in the Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) on Saturday 14 December, before embarking on a potential trip to Dubai. McGill said he was “50/50” between heading overseas or staying in Melbourne to have a crack at the $5 million All-Star Mile in March. “It is such an honour for him to have an invite to race in Dubai and at…

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HORSE RACING THE consistent Brett Scott-trained gelding, Toosbuy, continued his brilliant start to his preparation by scoring his fourth victory at Cranbourne on Friday 29 November. The six-year-old son of Danerich sat wide and towards the rear of the field for the entire race before unleashing a powerful finishing burst to score a comfortable one-and-three-quarter length victory over the Gary Cluning-trained Written Letter and the Lloyd Kennewell-trained Crimson Tycoon. It was a great way to close out the night for jockey, Daniel Stackhouse, who bought up a winning double having also won on the Lindsay Park-trained Zorro Macho earlier in…

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HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer Shane Nichols took out the opening race on Ballarat Cup day with his speedy mare, Tahitian Dancer, on Saturday 23 November. The talented four-year-old daughter of Dawn Approach was looking to make amends after being held up at her previous start at Flemington. Ridden by two kilogram claiming apprentice jockey, Teo Nugent, the speedster drifted to the rear of the field and rounded the corner in last position before letting down strongly in the straight. Storming down the centre of the track, Tahitian Dancer quickly ran past her rivals before being eased down near the…

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HORSE RACING MULTIPLE Group One winning jockey, Stephen Baster, has finished his career as a winner with his final ride aboard the Logan McGill-trained Gold Fields at Sandown on Saturday 16 November. After more than 13,000 rides across his 28-year career, the retiring 44-year-old got the most out of the last-start Sale Cup winner, Gold Fields, to score a narrow short half head victory in the Group Three Sandown Stakes. The victory brought up Baster’s 1,256th winner and topped off what has been a remarkable career in the saddle. “I was a bit overwhelmed early,” the 14-time Group One winning…

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