Author: Ben Triandafillou

HORSE RACING THE Anthony Freedman stable has unveiled a potential Victorian Derby candidate after the dominant display of Warning at Flemington on Saturday 5 October. Having drawn a good gate in the Listed Super Impose Stakes (1800m), Freedman passed up on taking the three-year-old son of Declaration of War to an 1850m maiden race at Kyneton on the Friday and instead lined up in the key lead-up race towards the Derby. The decision paid dividends for the Pinecliff, Mt Eliza-based trainer as the maiden galloper raced clear in the straight to score a comfortable two length victory over the Lindsay…

Read More

HORSE RACING IT took just five rides for 18-year-old apprentice jockey, Campbell Rawiller, to ride his first career winner at Moe on Tuesday 24 September. After making his race riding debut at Jerilderie, NSW (a non-TAB meeting) on the previous Saturday, Rawiller made the most of his sole ride at Moe aboard the Cameron Templeton-trained Girl On a Train. Despite not being wanted in the market and jumping at $31, Rawiller entered the race with hope and settled his mount down at the rear of the field. Utilising his lightweight, Rawiller stormed home down the outside fence to score an…

Read More

HORSE RACING ASTUTE Mornington trackwork clocker Les Obriem passed away on Sunday 15 September after spending more than four decades applying his trade. The old-school clocker, who also wrote under the nom de plume Craftsman, passed away aged 74 due to health issues. Throughout his time Obriem worked for various media outlets including the Sportsman, the Sporting Globe, The Herald, The Truth and the Winning Post as well as being heard on radio stations, 3UZ with Bert Bryant and 3DB with Bill Collins. In recent years, Les had a passion for going to Sandown and then Werribee to clock and…

Read More

HORSE RACING BALNARRING-based trainer Kerry Edwards landed her first Stakes race with stable star, Rox The Castle, at Flemington on Saturday 14 September. Despite drawing an outside barrier, the former New Zealand galloper was too tough in the Listed $140,000 The Sofitel (1400m) stakes after sitting outside the lead and holding on for a narrow victory. The gutsy win topped off a Mornington-trained trifecta with the Rachel Frost-trained Travimyfriend finishing half-of-a-length away in second and the Grahame Begg-trained Romancer finishing a further length behind in third. Trainer Kerry Edwards was understandably ecstatic following the gallant victory. “He is unbelievable,” she…

Read More

HORSE RACING THE small, yet brave, Balnarring-trained racehorse Rox The Castle has once again defeated a runner that many pegged as a “horse that couldn’t be beaten” at Sandown on Wednesday 4 September. The Kerry Edwards-trained galloper jumped as the second favourite behind the promising Phillip Stokes-trained Jumbo Ozaki who many expected to come out on top before heading towards bigger targets in the Spring. But, the little pocket rocket, Rox The Castle, didn’t lay down without a challenge and led from start to finish with the top weight of 59.5kg to score his first win for the preparation. Third-up…

Read More