Latest news with #QueenslandOaks
The Age
13 hours ago
- Sport
- The Age
Lees looks for Zaphod to hit back and lead another interstate double
Kris Lees expects to see the best of Zaphod at Randwick, after a forgive run, when the Newcastle trainer tries to score another Sydney-Queensland city double on Saturday. Lees, who has had a satellite stable on the Gold Coast since 2018, won his second Queensland Oaks in three years when You Wahng repeated the feat of 2023 winner Amokura on June 7. Loch Eagle also won at Randwick to cap a memorable day for the stable. 'It's been a great asset to the stable,' Lees said of the Gold Coast operation. 'Mandy Jupp does a wonderful job and it works very smoothly. She runs a very tight ship.' Lees has genuine metropolitan chances across the states again on Saturday. Lutetia ($14 Sportsbet) contests the TL Cooney Stakes and Bubba's Bay ($11) is in the listed Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich, while Bestower ($3.50) and Barazin ($11) are other runners on the program. 'Bubba's Bay, she was just taken on all the way last start [when sixth], but now third run in, she should run up to her best,' he said. 'I can see her really turning her form around. 'Bestower is a bit hard to catch but she could easily run well there, and Lutetia is racing consistently and she should run well.' Zaphod looks Lees' best chance across the meetings. The import, with three wins and three placings in nine Australian starts, was a $3.10 shot in the sixth, an 1800m benchmark 88 handicap.
News.com.au
6 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Grant Dixon warms up for 2025 Inter Dominion with Albion Park domination
Premier trainer Grant Dixon has more string to his bow than just champion pacer Leap To Fame heading into a huge hometown Inter Dominion Carnival. Despite Leap To Fame having a night off, Dixon and wife, Trista, flexed their muscle with a feature treble at Albion Park last night. Leap To Fame, who is already two-from-two this campaign, will be back to cap his Inter Dominion preparation at Albion Park next Saturday night. Team Dixon snared the quinella in last night's feature, the Flashing Red Discretionary, when Aroda led throughout with Trista aboard to bet Charge Ahead. Aroda's next target will be a title defence in the $106,070 Group 2 Redcliffe Cup on June 28 before the Inter Dominion starts at Albion Park a week later. Earlier, Dixon's exciting three-year-old Path To Greatness landed a huge plunge ($5.50 into $1.70) to lead throughout and easily win the Queensland Sun. The win secured the gelding a start in the $350,000 Group 1 Rising Sun at Albion Park on July 5. Path To Greatness, who boasts seven wins from just 13 starts, beat stablemate Charge Ahead to give Team Dixon another quinella. The most exciting win of the night came from Team Dixon's recent stable addition, Captains Mistress. The glamour Kiwi filly toyed with older rivals to win by 9.1m in a slick 1min53.1sec mile rate for 1660m. Her major target is the Group 1 Queensland Oaks. Here's one for the Southerners 🥇 Captains Mistress grinds down a gallant Stella Rouge to win the Dunstan G1 Sires Stakes 2YO Pacing Fillies Championship Final for Trainer/Driver Nathan Williamson #NZCupWeek @AddingtonNZ | @HarnessRacingNZ | @WoodlandsStudNZ — Trackside NZ (@TracksideNZ) November 15, 2024 The one minor disappointment of the night for the stable came when prepost Queensland Derby favourite Fate Awaits had to be content with third place behind exciting Kiwi raider, Rubira, in race nine. Rubira gave Kiwi Hall of Fame trainer Mark Purdon, who trains in partnership with son Nathan, part of a perfect start to their Queensland raid. Earlier, their star trotter Oscar Bonavena toyed with his rivals to win and stamp himself as a major player for the Inter Dominion trotting series. Rubira has the South-East and Redcliffe Derbys before the Group 1 Rising Sun on July 5 and the Group 1 Queensland Derby on July 19. 'It was great to get wins with them both because they needed the runs and will take improvement from them,' Nathan Purdon said. Champion NSW trainer Luke McCarthy will launch his Queensland raid from next week after stars Don Hugo and Hesitate won impressively at Menangle last night. Don Hugo proves too strong in the Club Menangle Golden Mile (Listed Classic) for Trainer Driver @lukeamccarthy. #ClubMenangle — Club Menangle (@ClubMenangle) June 14, 2025 Miracle Mile and Inter Dominion winner Don Hugo has easily won both starts this campaign and looms as the only serious danger to Leap To Fame in the Inter Dominion pacing series. Hesitate is likely to head to the Queensland Derby via the Rising Sun. 'I'll have a nice team in Brisbane for a month or so,' McCarthy said. The Queensland flavour extended to Melton last night where trainer-driver Chris Svanosio confirmed and impressive win by his US-bred trotting mare Aldebaran Acrux had booked her a trip to the Inter Dominion. She will accompany star stablemate Arcee Phoenix, who returns from a break at Melton next Saturday night.
The Age
13-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
Cummings backs Golden Mile to challenge for farewell Godolphin group 1
On the quick back-up from the biggest decision of his career, James Cummings is confident Golden Mile can handle a short turnaround and push to give him a final group 1 win as head trainer of Godolphin Australia on Saturday in the $3 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m). Already set to end his eight-year tenure at Godolphin on July 31, Cummings announced on Wednesday at a press conference in Sha Tin that he had accepted an invitation to train in Hong Kong from September next year and he was having next season off to refresh and prepare for the move. The life-changing decision came as he tries to score a final elite-level win with Godolphin, who look unlikely to have a contender for the last group 1 of the season, the Tatts Tiara on June 28. That leaves the Stradbroke and JJ Atkins (1600m) on Saturday at Eagle Farm as perhaps the last opportunities as a farewell major for Cummings, who has landed 52 group 1s. Last Saturday, Golden Mile was a brave third in a thrilling finish to the group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m). After working early to sit outside leader Zarastro, Golden Mile looked to have edged ahead late before Joliestar swooped to nab a resurgent Zarastro in a photo finish, with Golden Mile close behind. In the other group 1s, Pinito fell just short of You Wahng in the Queensland Oaks and Lavalier was one and a half lengths back in fourth in the Derby. Cummings felt Golden Mile, which returned to racing this season after his stud career was ended by injury after covering just 14 mares, could be in the finish again. He was a $9 Sportsbet chance from gate two with Jason Collett aboard again. 'In the midst of all this going on, we've been focusing on training horses,' Cummings said.
Sydney Morning Herald
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Cummings backs Golden Mile to challenge for farewell Godolphin group 1
On the quick back-up from the biggest decision of his career, James Cummings is confident Golden Mile can handle a short turnaround and push to give him a final group 1 win as head trainer of Godolphin Australia on Saturday in the $3 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m). Already set to end his eight-year tenure at Godolphin on July 31, Cummings announced on Wednesday at a press conference in Sha Tin that he had accepted an invitation to train in Hong Kong from September next year and he was having next season off to refresh and prepare for the move. The life-changing decision came as he tries to score a final elite-level win with Godolphin, who look unlikely to have a contender for the last group 1 of the season, the Tatts Tiara on June 28. That leaves the Stradbroke and JJ Atkins (1600m) on Saturday at Eagle Farm as perhaps the last opportunities as a farewell major for Cummings, who has landed 52 group 1s. Last Saturday, Golden Mile was a brave third in a thrilling finish to the group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m). After working early to sit outside leader Zarastro, Golden Mile looked to have edged ahead late before Joliestar swooped to nab a resurgent Zarastro in a photo finish, with Golden Mile close behind. In the other group 1s, Pinito fell just short of You Wahng in the Queensland Oaks and Lavalier was one and a half lengths back in fourth in the Derby. Cummings felt Golden Mile, which returned to racing this season after his stud career was ended by injury after covering just 14 mares, could be in the finish again. He was a $9 Sportsbet chance from gate two with Jason Collett aboard again. 'In the midst of all this going on, we've been focusing on training horses,' Cummings said.
News.com.au
09-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Glen Thompson weighing up Q22 back-up for filly Benagil
Flemington trainer Glen Thompson will make a decision on Wednesday on whether gifted filly Benagil will back up for Saturday's $1.2m Q22 over 2200m at Eagle Farm. Thompson believes Benagil was unlucky not to win last Saturday's Queensland Oaks (2200m) feature after getting caught behind horses in the straight before making a late charge under Mark Zahra. She ended up finishing third, less than a length behind the Kris Lees-trained You Wahng and Godolphin's runner Pinito. 'I'll make a decision on Wednesday morning,' Thompson said. 'She's licked the bin out ever since the Oaks and seemed nice and bright this morning (Monday). 'I always had in the back of my mind that if she won (the Oaks) then I'd look at running her in the Q22. 'She should've won so I guess there's no reason not to give her a chance and I don't think it's an overly strong year for it (the Q22). 'Even Mark (Zahra) said she should've won by a length or two. It's frustrating because they're hard races to win and she'll never get another chance in an Oaks again. 'She just needs to give us a sign that she doesn't need to back up. 'She was going to go for a break this week but one more week isn't going to hurt.' Calling for the win! ðŸ'² You Wahng takes the G1 Queensland Oaks for @Leesracing and @TommyBerry21! @BrisRacingClub @RaceQLD — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025 It would be hard to knock back a chance to contest the weight-for-age Q22, won last year by Fawkner Park, given the winner's cheque is a massive $720,000. Thompson said Craig Williams would ride in the Q22 if he decided that the Australasian Oaks winner Benagil would race on Saturday. 'She'll then have five or six weeks in the paddock up here (in Brisbane) and she'll come back for a couple of runs for the tail end of spring,' he said. Thompson said Benagil would go second-up into the $1m Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on November 1.
