Zed Em has given trainer Patrick Payne a fourth victory in Australia's toughest race, the Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool. The win turned around his narrow defeat 12 months earlier when Zed Em was beaten by Gold Medals who fought bravely on Thursday to finish second, three lengths astern of the Steven Pateman-ridden gelding who[...]

Flying mare Darktown Strutter puts her outstanding Gold Coast record on the line when she tackles an elite short course field. Darktown Strutter is back to her pet 900m-circuit in Saturday's $105,000 Bat Out Of Hell. The mare is unbeaten in five starts at the Gold Coast and is four from four over the 900m.[...]

The new Anderson-Heathcote training partnership will have its first black-type runner at the Gold Coast. Consistent mare Femme Fireball will resume in the Listed Silk Stocking (1200m) and has been primed for Saturday's race. The partnership between five-time Brisbane premier trainer Robert Heathcote and rising star Chris Anderson began on Wednesday and struck immediate success[...]

Talented sprinting prospect Halvorsen will race on a seven-day back-up at Flemington ahead of a possible interstate trip for a Group One sprint. Halvorsen convincingly won the VOBIS Gold Dash (1100m) at Caulfield last Saturday and trainer Robbie Griffiths is planning to back the three-year-old up in Saturday's Who Shot Thebarman Handicap for his first[...]

Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have continued their domination of the jumps races at the Warrnambool carnival, taking out the Champion Novice Hurdle with Chequered Flag. The win in Thursday's race was Maher and Eustace's fourth jumps win following a double with Euroman and Bit Of A Lad on the opening day and Big[...]

Trainer Grahame Begg hopes a proven form line holds up when he has his first Queensland runner in six years at the Gold Coast. The Begg-trained Miss Siska, the younger half-sister of top sprinter Hay List, is set to tackle Saturday's Group Two Hollindale Stakes (1800m) at the Gold Coast. Begg was a regular visitor[...]

Leading Brisbane jockey Jim Byrne has taken the first step towards a timely return to the saddle. Byrne rode three horses in work at Eagle Farm on Thursday morning and was happy with the results. “If it was off-season I would be pushing it. But I am still a couple of weeks off coming back.[...]

Controversial Toowoomba trainer Ben Currie's legal team is considering its options after he was denied the chance to have any runners at the Queensland long weekend race meetings. Currie has been the centre of a year-long saga during which he has at various times been asked to defend 42 allegations ranging from race day treatment[...]

Trainer Matt Dunn is so fed up with Rocknavar drawing outside barriers he seriously considered altering her path to the Queensland Oaks. Rocknavar is back from Sydney where she was unplaced but far from disgraced in the Adrian Knox Stakes and Australian Oaks. Dunn believes Rocknavar is yet to be given a proper chance to[...]

Melbourne Cup winner Dunaden has died after a paddock accident at Overbury Stud in England aged 13. Owned by Qatar Racing, Dunaden won the 2011 Melbourne Cup for Sheikh Fahad Al Thani and returned to Australia the next year to claim the Caulfield Cup. He was trained in France by Mikel Delzangles and was ridden[...]

Comeback sprinter Menari has safely negotiated a midweek cameo in preparation for a return to racing. Menari stretched his legs in a solo exhibition gallop at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. Ridden by James Innes Jnr, Menari was given an easy time in covering the 800m in 49.58 seconds. The last 600m of the workout was[...]

I Am Someone will chase Group One honours in Adelaide after a rails-hugging ride from Dean Holland landed the sprinter victory in the Wangoom Handicap at Warrnambool. Trainer Paul Preusker is eyeing The Goodwood at Morphettville on May 18 after the sprinter landed his first stakes race in Wednesday's feature on day two of the[...]

Jockey John Allen has landed a fourth victory in the Galleywood Hurdle, guiding Big Blue to an impressive win in the feature race at Warrnambool. After arriving in Australia, Irishman Allen commenced riding trackwork at Ballarat for Darren Weir before making a name for himself over jumps. Combining with Weir, Allen won the Galleywood on[...]