Latest news with #WinxGuineas
Herald Sun
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Trainer Matt Smith saddles up Millie De Lune at Randwick
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Trainer Matt Smith could be willing to contemplate a late Queensland winter carnival raid if Millie De Lune can put together back-to-back Royal Randwick victories this Saturday. Smith has the Group 3 $300,000 Winx Guineas (1600m) in the back of his mind for his progressive daughter of Puissance De Lune as she prepares to tackle the Elite Sand & Soil Benchmark 78 Handicap (1800m). •PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Millie De Lune has shown an abundance of potential this preparation with two victories in five starts and scored her biggest win to date last time with a dominant win over 2000m on soft ground in town. 'She is going really good and has progressed nicely since that last run,' Smith said. 'We have tried her a couple of times on better ground and she doesn't like it much … she might be a bit better in time but I thought she would make a reasonable nice staying filly and have always thought that. 'She has taken time to come around.' • EXPERT TIPS: Clinton Payne's race-by-race tips and analysis for Randwick on Saturday Saturday's run will determine if Smith puts Millie De Lune over more ground again or drops her back to a mile for the Queensland stakes assignment. The emerging three-year-old will already be dropping back a furlong from her last-start win when she lines up on Saturday. 'She was really strong late the other day so if we get tempo she will be fine with the drop back in trip but if not, it might be tricky from the barrier (12) as well,' Smith said. 'It's always a concern coming back in trip.' Ashley Morgan pilots Millie De Lune, which is a $3.70 favourite to continue her winning ways. Millie De Lune is well fancied at Randwick on Saturday. Picture: Jeremy Ng / Getty Images • Lipp out to fulfil $40m Lotto winner's spring carnival dream Smith is also in the hunt for the Listed $200,000 Civic Stakes (1400m) in which Astero ($34) links up with Andrew Adkins. But Astero will need to do something he's never done in 13 attempts – win at Randwick. 'I don't know why Randwick doesn't suit him,' Smith said. 'I think at Rosehill, it suits a horse that wants a bit more speed. 'The other day he was pulling behind them and he runs his best races when he is not right up on the bridle that much. 'But he hasn't been beaten that far and his three runs this time have been better than they look.' Smith also has Time Quest ($101) as the fifth emergency. Originally published as Trainer Matt Smith chasing back-to-back wins with Millie De Lune at Royal Randwick as stakes test looms
News.com.au
12 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Matt Smith chasing back-to-back wins with Millie De Lune at Royal Randwick as stakes test looms
Trainer Matt Smith could be willing to contemplate a late Queensland winter carnival raid if Millie De Lune can put together back-to-back Royal Randwick victories this Saturday. Smith has the Group 3 $300,000 Winx Guineas (1600m) in the back of his mind for his progressive daughter of Puissance De Lune as she prepares to tackle the Elite Sand & Soil Benchmark 78 Handicap (1800m). Millie De Lune has shown an abundance of potential this preparation with two victories in five starts and scored her biggest win to date last time with a dominant win over 2000m on soft ground in town. 'She is going really good and has progressed nicely since that last run,' Smith said. 'We have tried her a couple of times on better ground and she doesn't like it much … she might be a bit better in time but I thought she would make a reasonable nice staying filly and have always thought that. 'She has taken time to come around.' It's Millie De Lune on the inside who gives @AshMorgan6 a Randwick treble! ðŸŒ� @mcsmithracing @aus_turf_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 7, 2025 Saturday's run will determine if Smith puts Millie De Lune over more ground again or drops her back to a mile for the Queensland stakes assignment. The emerging three-year-old will already be dropping back a furlong from her last-start win when she lines up on Saturday. 'She was really strong late the other day so if we get tempo she will be fine with the drop back in trip but if not, it might be tricky from the barrier (12) as well,' Smith said. 'It's always a concern coming back in trip.' Ashley Morgan pilots Millie De Lune, which is a $3.70 favourite to continue her winning ways. Smith is also in the hunt for the Listed $200,000 Civic Stakes (1400m) in which Astero ($34) links up with Andrew Adkins. But Astero will need to do something he's never done in 13 attempts – win at Randwick. 'I don't know why Randwick doesn't suit him,' Smith said. 'I think at Rosehill, it suits a horse that wants a bit more speed. 'The other day he was pulling behind them and he runs his best races when he is not right up on the bridle that much. 'But he hasn't been beaten that far and his three runs this time have been better than they look.' Smith also has Time Quest ($101) as the fifth emergency.
News.com.au
25-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
David Vandyke secures Kerrin McEvoy to ride Queensland Oaks prospect Philia in Princess Stakes at Eagle Farm
The Queensland winter carnival atmosphere has come early for Sunshine Coast trainer David Vandyke, who has secured champion jockey Kerrin McEvoy to ride Philia in the $160,000 Princess Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday. And Vandyke expressed his surprise to see such a high quality horse as $2.80 TAB favourite Harlem Queen enter the 1600m race for three-year-old fillies. On Friday morning, Philia was paying $5.50 and the John Sargent-trained Meridiana was $6 in a big field. 'I sent Kerrin a message. He had a look at her last couple of runs and was impressed and he was keen to jump on,' Vandyke said about $83,000 purchase Philia, who has won her last two starts. 'That's worked out well and I'm hoping he can stick with her through the winter carnival. 'Kerrin will be up here to warm up for the winter carnival. It's not a big day of racing in Sydney and if this filly can measure up during the Group races in the carnival, now's the time to give her a spin around and see what he thinks.' It is one of seven rides on Saturday in Brisbane for Melbourne Cup-winning hoop McEvoy – all for different trainers. Vandyke said the main goal for Philia was the Group 1 $750,000 Queensland Oaks (2200m) at Eagle Farm on June 7, a race won by her half-sister Duais in 2021. 'I've trained her other half-sister Baccarat Baby, who won the Winx Guineas in 2019 and she was competitive at Group 1 level so it's a very strong family,' he said. 'I love the fact she (Philia) is by All Too Hard, the stallion for Alligator Blood. It was a terrific win last start and if she's improved Saturday on what we've seen, we're certainly looking at a top-three finish. 'The favourite (Harlem Queen) really is the benchmark, probably for the winter carnival because she's raced well against the top-line three-year-olds. 'I wasn't expecting a horse of that calibre in this race so early in the carnival but it'll show us where we sit. 'If we can run top three then we just march on into the winter carnival with an air of confidence that we can perform well.' • Heathcote sure Carbonara will pasta barrier test The Nathan Doyle-trained Harlem Queen has only raced nine times for two victories, but three of those runs were in Group 1s in the spring: second in the Flight Stakes (1600m) behind Lady Shenandoah at Randwick, fourth in the Champion Stakes (2000m) at the same track and fourth in the VRC Oaks at Flemington, won by Treasurethe Moment, at Flemington. Wonder fillies Lady Shenandoah and Treasurethe Moment are both three-time Group 1 champions and unbeaten this season. Meridiana will start from barrier five, just inside Harlem Queen, in Saturday's Princess Stakes. 'The favourite will be hard to beat but if Meridiana can get a soft run she's got a nice turn of foot and she's on the way up in the fillies' races,' Sargent said. Meridiana arrived on Thursday at the Gold Coast where she will stay with trainer Glenn Thornton, the father of jockey Damien Thornton, who will ride the filly on Saturday. Sargent said Meridiana would be targeted towards the $160,000 Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on May 10 before a likely tilt at the Queensland Oaks.
