Author: Ben Triandafillou

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based trainer John McArdle has hit a purple patch of form with three of his up-and-coming two-year-old’s breaking their maidens on debut in the past fortnight. Sure Am Invincible, Twain’s Express and So Let’s Toast all came through the same jumpout (Heat 4) at Mornington on Wednesday 27 May before going on to score victories at their respective debuts. In the 1000m jumpout, it was Sure Am Invincible who showed the early toe to lead the heat before her stablemates So Let’s Toast (first) and Twain’s Express (second) swept past the field to runaway with the clear fastest…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based apprentice jockey Campbell Rawiller landed his first metropolitan winner at Sandown on Wednesday 3 June. Rawiller partnered the Matthew Williams-trained Brilliant Concept to take out the seventh race on the card and made it back-to-back victories for the combination. Having scored a dominant benchmark 64 victory at Ballarat at their prior start, Rawiller took the four-year-old gelding to the rear of the field before slowly creeping forward in the run. By the top of the straight Rawiller had Brilliant Concept within two lengths of the leader and pounced in the straight to land a half-of-a-length victory in…

HORSE RACING THE Anthony Freedman stable continued their successful run with two-year-old’s as Agreeable stormed home to victory to notch up their fourth individual juvenile winner for the month of May. Coming off two encouraging jumpouts at Mornington, the daughter of Sebring reeled in her opposition to score a winning debut at Geelong on Friday 29 May. Agreeable settled at the rear of the field under jockey Jamie Kah before sweeping past her rivals in the straight and was eased down with her ears pricked in the final 50 metres. The Piencliff Racing-owned filly ended up holding a two-length margin…

HORSE RACING MATT Laurie’s talented sprinter  Alfa Oro has returned from an injury enforced two-year layoff in fine form with a gutsy victory down the Flemington straight on Saturday 23 May. The four-year-old son of Bachelor Duke resumed with a second placing at Pakenham in April before putting together a hattrick of wins culminating in Saturday’s Benchmark 78 Almandin Handicap (1100m). The speedy gelding has come a long way since suffering a spiral fracture in his front leg during trackwork that required surgery and a 20-month absence from the track. “To come back after a two-year layoff and win like…

HORSE RACING THE Amy and Ash Yargi racing stable have continued their successful run of late by scoring another dominant victory at Flemington on Saturday 16 May. Coming off a freshen up, their in-form mare Jamaican Hurry came from the rear of the field to notch up her third straight victory in the opening race of the day. Ridden patiently by jockey Michael Dee, Jamaican Hurry settled second last in the running before building momentum and flashing late in the race to run over the top of the James Cummings-trained Gododdin and the Lindsay Park-trained Lankan Star. The victory re-affirmed…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based apprentice jockey, Campbell Rawiller, has made a flying start to May by riding two trebles within a week of each other. The 19-year-old hoop landed his first treble at Bairnsdale on Sunday 3 May before booting home a second treble five days later at Wangaratta on Friday 8 May. Rawiller started with a bang at Bairnsdale, kicking home a winner in the third race for his boss Logan McGill. Rawiller sat just off the leader before pouncing around the bend and kicking clear in the straight for a comfortable 5-length maiden victory aboard the lightly raced Beguilement…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based apprentice jockey Matthew Cartwright kicked off his metropolitan debut in sensational form with a winner from his very first city ride on Wednesday 29 April. Having ridden 32 winners to date in the country, Cartwright was offered the ride aboard the John McArdle-trained Mockery at Sandown and made the most of his opportunity in town. Cartwright, who had already formed a good association with the three-year-old filly having previously ridden her for a win and a second at her last two starts, took up the running in the 1000m sprint and never looked back. The 17-year-old apprentice…

HORSE RACING JOHN McArdle’s consistent stayer, Themoonlitegambler, has taken another promising step towards the Group One South Australian Derby (2500m) on Saturday 9 May. The three-year-old gelding backed up his solid third placing in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) with another gutsy performance in the Group Three Chairman’s Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday 25 April. Having sat outside the lead, jockey Emily Finnegan got going 800m out from home and gave a great sight in the straight before the race-favourite and leading SA Derby contender, Dalasan, gained the lead inside the final 100m. Themoonlitegambler stuck on nicely for second…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer Tony Noonan has landed a blowout result at Caulfield on Saturday 18 April as his tough filly Florent took out The VOBIS Sires Guineas on the three-day back-up. Having finished fifth over 1400m at Geelong on Wednesday 15 April, the three-year-old daughter of Fiorente stepped out once again over the mile in the Guineas at the odds of $51 before executing Noonan’s long-range plan to perfection. The tough filly had been luckless at her first two starts this prep before landing the dream run in transit on Saturday with the aid of a nice barrier…

HORSE RACING THEMOONLITEGAMBLER is right on track for the South Australian Derby in May for Mornington-based racehorse trainer John McArdle. Despite covering plenty of extra ground in the Listed Dominant Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m) on Saturday 4 April, the three-year-old son of Good Journey (USA) continued to hit the line hard for third place behind last year’s Caulfield Guineas favourite, Dalasan. While Dalasan looked to get the dream run through the field, Themoonlitegambler was caught three-wide with cover for the entire race before turning into the straight five to six-wide. The Mick Huxtable-trained, Perfect Route, held onto second placing but…

HORSE RACING THE Matt Laurie-trained Riddle Me That has topped off an impressive campaign with a narrow but decisive victory in the Listed Bendigo Guineas on Saturday 28 March. The three-year-old son of Deep Field kicked off his preparation in fine form with a dominant victory at Pakenham before having a luckless run at Flemington when posted three-wide the entire trip and still managing to secure second place. The gelding turned the tables on the victor from last start, Spend, with a narrow head victory in the $150,000 Bendigo Guineas. Given the perfect ride from jockey Daniel Stackhouse, the gutsy…

HORSE RACING IT was a day to remember for the Mornington-based training partnership of Amy and Ash Yargi who scored a winning double on Mornington Cup day on Saturday 21 March. Despite racing without a crowd, the Yargi Racing team were thrilled to land back-to-back winners at their home track of Mornington as the inform mare, Jamaican Hurry, and the enigmatic, I’m Telling Ya, rose to the fore in races two and three. Co-trainer Amy Yargi said it was an odd feeling to see Mornington so empty on its featured Cup meeting but was glad that racing was still able…

HORSE RACING TWO up-and-coming stayers are set to clash once again in the $350,000 Mornington Cup on Saturday 21 March. Mornington-trained galloper Just Benjamin from the Anthony Freedman stable will be looking to turn the tables on Michael Moroney’s English import, Aktau, after tasting defeat last start at Caulfield. The pair faced off in the $135,000 Keno Classic Handicap (2000m) on Saturday 22 February where Just Benjamin jumped as the favoured runner in the field. Just Benjamin, a former UK galloper, was caught three-wide without cover throughout the race on a track that favoured runners that were leading or on…

HORSE RACING DAVID Brideoake’s Group 1 winning mare, Princess Jenni, looks set to strike in the Group Two Sunline Stakes (1600m) on Friday 20 March after a forward showing first-up at Flemington on the weekend. Settling at the rear of the field in the Listed March Stakes on Saturday 7 March, Princess Jenni flashed home late to place behind the well-supported Hawkes-trained runner, Wild Planet. Trained out of Brideoake’s Mornington-based set-up, the four-year-old mare has consistently struck winning form at each of her second-up runs throughout her career – a record that currently reads three wins from three attempts. Brideoake…

HORSE RACING GRAHAME Begg’s talented mare, Miss Siska, will be out to win her third race in succession on Saturday 7 March when she lines up in the Group 1 Australian Cup at Flemington. The younger sister of the dual Group 1 winning sprinter, Hay List, defeated several key runners of the Australian Cup two weeks ago at Caulfield when saluting in the Group 2 Peter Young Stakes on Saturday 22 February. The six-year-old daughter of So You Think, who is trained out of Jonathon Munz’s Pinecliff property in Mt Eliza, is really starting to hit her straps this preparation,…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainers had a stellar day out at Caulfield on Saturday 22 February having claimed two of the three Group 1 events, and finished runners-up in the featured Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes. The John and Chris Meagher training partnership landed their first Group 1 victory as a team with their speedy mare, Pippie, in the Oakleigh Plate while a well-executed late nomination for the Group 1 Futurity Stakes paid dividends for trainer Shane Nichols as the gutsy Streets of Avalon clung on to win the $500,000 contest. The Meagher camp utilised the excellent front-running jockey, Linda…

HORSE RACING THE Grahame Begg-trained Galaxy Raider made one final attempt to secure his spot in Australia’s richest mile race with a last to first victory at Flemington on Saturday 15 February. Prior to running on Saturday, the Pinecliff, Mt Eliza-based runner sat just outside the top 10 on the leaderboard for the $5 million All-Star Mile which is set to be run at Caulfield in March. With almost 2,500 votes to his name on Thursday night, the stable favourite didn’t leave anything on the track in his final bid to secure his spot in the multi-million dollar race by…

HORSE RACING THE Anthony Freedman-trained Hanseatic has solidified his spot as the clear-cut favourite for the $1.5 million Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield in two weeks’ time. The Godolphin-owned boom colt showed something special to win from an unlikely position in the colts and geldings Prelude on Saturday 8 February. Keeping his unbeaten record intact, the two-year-old son of Street Boss gave ground when turning for home before sweeping past his rivals to nab the current Blue Diamond second-favourite, Rulership, just before the line. Despite running an overall slower time of 1:03.08 seconds compared to the two-year-old fillies Prelude time…

HORSE RACING THE Pinecliff-based racehorse trainers had a day out in the rainy conditions at Caulfield on Saturday 1 February by claiming four of the nine races on the card. Trainer Grahame Begg took out the second race of the day with impressive up-and-comer Nonconformist before striking again in the fifth race with his gutsy two-year-old Mildred. Fellow Pinecliff-based trainer, Anthony Freedman, then made it three-on-the-trot for the Mt Eliza setup, by winning the sixth race with potential Mornington Cup hopeful, Just Benjamin, and the seventh race, being the feature Manfred Stakes, with talented three-year-old colt Super Seth. Freedman’s running…

HORSE RACING ANTHONY Freedman and Luke Currie have again struck juvenile success with the Godolphin blue as Hanseatic stormed home for a dominant win in the $140,000 Listed Blue Diamond Preview (1000m) for colts and geldings on Saturday 25 January. The combination joined forces to claim the $1.5 million Group One Blue Diamond Stakes with Lyre last year and look well positioned to try and emulate those heroics once again as the son of Street Boss shot to $3.40 favouritism following his emphatic victory. Despite settling wide without cover after drawing the outside barrier, the classy colt still managed to…

HORSE RACING AEECEE Diamond topped off a state double for Mornington-based trainer Anthony Freedman on Thursday 16 January. Following on from Western Wingo’s maiden victory at Ararat earlier in the day, Aeecee Diamond relished the wet conditions and scored a tough victory to break his maiden at the Pakenham night meeting. Bringing up the stables 16th winner from their past 50 runners, the three-year-old gelding by Fighting Sun was forced to do it the hard way by racing three-wide the entire trip after drawing a wide barrier. Freedman’s racing manager Brad Taylor said he was pleased to see the track…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer, Jerome Hunter, landed a dominant double at the Cranbourne night meeting on Saturday 14 December but was quick to urge for change to the current racing fixture. Hunter, who saddled up Catching Beams (Race 5) and Iknewshewasmine (Race 7) to victory for apprentices Will Price and Matt Cartwright, called for more balance to accommodate racing participants lifestyles with the additional twilight and night meetings. Hunter, who like most in the industry gets out of bed as early as 4am every morning, said that the additional night meetings were ‘killing the industry from the inside’. “I…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer Logan McGill is looking to reach new heights with his inform Sale Cup winner, Gold Fields, in the coming months. The last-start $160,000 Group Thee Sandown Stakes winner will head to Sydney next to race in the Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) on Saturday 14 December, before embarking on a potential trip to Dubai. McGill said he was “50/50” between heading overseas or staying in Melbourne to have a crack at the $5 million All-Star Mile in March. “It is such an honour for him to have an invite to race in Dubai and at…

HORSE RACING THE consistent Brett Scott-trained gelding, Toosbuy, continued his brilliant start to his preparation by scoring his fourth victory at Cranbourne on Friday 29 November. The six-year-old son of Danerich sat wide and towards the rear of the field for the entire race before unleashing a powerful finishing burst to score a comfortable one-and-three-quarter length victory over the Gary Cluning-trained Written Letter and the Lloyd Kennewell-trained Crimson Tycoon. It was a great way to close out the night for jockey, Daniel Stackhouse, who bought up a winning double having also won on the Lindsay Park-trained Zorro Macho earlier in…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based racehorse trainer Shane Nichols took out the opening race on Ballarat Cup day with his speedy mare, Tahitian Dancer, on Saturday 23 November. The talented four-year-old daughter of Dawn Approach was looking to make amends after being held up at her previous start at Flemington. Ridden by two kilogram claiming apprentice jockey, Teo Nugent, the speedster drifted to the rear of the field and rounded the corner in last position before letting down strongly in the straight. Storming down the centre of the track, Tahitian Dancer quickly ran past her rivals before being eased down near the…

HORSE RACING MULTIPLE Group One winning jockey, Stephen Baster, has finished his career as a winner with his final ride aboard the Logan McGill-trained Gold Fields at Sandown on Saturday 16 November. After more than 13,000 rides across his 28-year career, the retiring 44-year-old got the most out of the last-start Sale Cup winner, Gold Fields, to score a narrow short half head victory in the Group Three Sandown Stakes. The victory brought up Baster’s 1,256th winner and topped off what has been a remarkable career in the saddle. “I was a bit overwhelmed early,” the 14-time Group One winning…

HORSE RACING MORNINGTON-based apprentice jockey, Matthew Cartwright, rode his first winner in just his third career race at Swan Hill on Tuesday 29 October. Hopping aboard the Dean Krongold-trained mare Miss Inception, Cartwright sat just outside the leader before kicking clear in the straight to win under hands-and-heels riding. The stable apprentice to his mother and grandmother, Leonie Proctor and Lyn Tolson, and son of former jockey, Rikki Cartwright, the up-and-coming hoop seemed destined to follow a similar path to his family in horse racing. But to score his first win so early in his career is a feat…

HORSE RACING THE Japanese-bred thoroughbreds continued their dominance of this year’s Spring Racing Carnival with a narrow victory in the 2019 Peninsula Cup at Mornington on Sunday 3 November. Formerly trained in Japan and now under the care of Mornington-based trainer, Anthony Freedman, Danon Roman relished a hot speed to land the days $60,000 feature race and score his first win in Australia in a tight photo finish. The Kevin Corstens-trained Surreal Image went straight to his customary role of leading at a good gallop for young Mornington-based apprentice jockey, Campbell Rawiller, before the swoopers took over the running turning…

HORSE RACING UP-AND-COMING Mornington-based apprentice jockey, Campbell Rawiller, scored the biggest win of his early career by taking out the St Arnauds Cup on Saturday 26 October. It was fitting that Rawiller took out his first country cup at the same track he won his first trial at earlier in the year. The now three kilo claiming apprentice made the most of his final meeting with his four kilo claim to lead all the way aboard the Kevin Corstens-trained Surreal Image. A late surge from the O’Sullivan-trained Patch Adams made it an interesting finish but the gutsy Surreal Image managed…

HORSE RACING THE Shane Nichols-trained, Streets of Avalon, has once again been successful when racing on the quick seven-day back-up by winning the $200,000 Group Three Moonga Stakes on Saturday 19 October. The stable star clearly overcame his tough run in the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes two weeks ago as he kicked clear in the Caulfield straight on Saturday to score a one-length victory over the Western Australian visitor, Variation, and Godolphin-owned, Royal Meeting. Ridden by Ben Melham, the under-rated galloper bought up his third victory from the five-times he has raced on the quick back-up. His overall…