Rich Hill Stud’s John Thompson knows what it takes to breed a Melbourne Cup winner. In 2015, the Walton nursery, near Matamata, was represented by outsider Prince Of Penzance, who famously combined with Michelle Payne to triumph in the great race. On Tuesday, the stud will be represented by another feel-good Cup runner in Surprise[...]
At this time of the year the name Lupton takes on a special meaning at Flemington through the deeds of the legendary Waverley wonder Kiwi and his win in the 1983 Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m). On Tuesday, another branch of the Lupton family will try to write their own chapter into Cup folklore when[...]
Persan's campaign started in March and he underlined his toughness and class with a win in The Bart Cummings, securing a golden ticket into the Melbourne Cup.
Semi-retired horseman Mark Lupton is encouraged by reports on his top-class staying mare Etah James, as the eight-year-old daughter of Raise The Flag gets ready for a spring campaign. The winner of the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) in autumn, Etah James has remained in the care of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace at their[...]
The progeny of regally-bred stallion Raise The Flag continue to make an impact on staying and jumping features in Australia. The White Robe Lodge stallion is the sire of Tuesday’s dominant Warrnambool Grand Annual Steeplechase (5500m) winner Ablaze. The win comes less than a month after Raise The Flag’s daughter Etah James took out the[...]
Glen Boss considered her his best long-shot ride in a Group One race and Etah James has proven him right, upsetting her more fancied rivals to win the Sydney Cup at Randwick. Making her debut for co-trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, the well-travelled mare has spent most of her career in Victoria with Matt[...]
There will be a hint of sibling rivalry in the Sydney Cup with English brothers David and Harry Eustace both having chances to win the time-honoured Group One race at Randwick. David Eustace trains in partnership with Ciaron Maher in Australia and they operate one of the largest stables in the country with bases in[...]
Kiwi mare Etah James is in fine fettle heading into Saturday’s Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) and has thrived since joining the Sydney stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace according to the seven-year-old mare’s former trainer and part-owner Mark Lupton. The Matamata horseman receives regular updates from Annabel Neasham, the Warwick Farm stable foreperson[...]
Group 3 winning mare Etah James will join the stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace after a brave performance when fourth in last Saturday’s Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m) behind Roger That. The seven-year-old mare is in the twilight of her career and will be set for a tilt at the Group 1 Sydney[...]
Graham Richardson experienced one of his biggest moments in racing when Tiptronic won the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa last month and the Matamata trainer is hoping for a repeat performance at Ellerslie on Saturday. “It was awesome, it was a well-deserved win by him, especially since he ran second in[...]
Mark Lupton’s New Zealand training career could end in a blaze of glory at Ellerslie on Saturday. The Matamata-based horseman will saddle up Etah James, a Raise The Flag seven-year-old mare he co-bred and part-owns, in the Group 1 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m), hoping for his first stakes win as a trainer to[...]
Handy staying mare Etah James has returned to New Zealand and will be set for a tilt at the Group 1 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on March 7. The seven-year-old has re-joined Matamata horseman Mark Lupton, who part-owns the mare with his wife Cath and fellow breeders Terry Reid and Gary[...]
Matamata owners Mark and Cath Lupton are hoping their dream run will continue in Saturday’s Group 2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa. The Luptons’ quality mare Yearn will chase back-to-back stakes wins in the fillies and mares’ feature, having claimed a career-best victory in the Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at[...]
Fred Kersley went out with a plan to make the Pakenham Cup a strong staying test on Etah James. And it worked to perfection as the apprentice jockey his biggest race win. In an upset on the Matt Cumani-trained mare, Kersley stood high in the irons as he crossed the line a comfortable winner. But[...]
Trainer Matt Cumani has opted for the longer of two options with staying mare Etah James, who will take her place in the Pakenham Cup. Besides Saturday’s Listed race over 2500m, Cumani also has the mare nominated in the 2000m Werribee Cup on Sunday. After finishing sixth over 2800m at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day,[...]