Latest news with #BenMelham
News.com.au
12-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Declan Bates chasing his next Group 1 winner in Stradbroke Handicap aboard Rise At Dawn
Irish jockey Declan Bates is used to playing musical chairs in racing, but he's confident he's on the right horse for the $3m Stradbroke Handicap on Saturday at Eagle Farm. Many pundits thought Bates had been treated harshly when he was stripped of the ride on reigning horse of the year Pride Of Jenni shortly after the frontrunning mare's flop in the Group 1 Cox Plate last September. Owner Tony Ottobre decided to instead go with Ben Melham and then Craig Newitt, despite Declan steering Pride Of Jenni to five wins and five placings from 13 races, and $9m in prizemoney, since he picked up the ride in September 2023. Bates, who has won three of his four Groups 1s on Pride of Jenni, handled the controversial decision with class, saying he felt privileged just to be riding such a talented mare in the first place. 'It wasn't as if there was a fallout or anything,' he told Racenet this week on a bitterly cold morning in Ballarat. 'I probably knew it would come to an end at some point and when it happened, I just felt I was lucky to be on board when I was. 'It provided me with some of the best days of my career. I'm happy to just keep working away and now I'm looking for the next one (Group 1 winner), that's how it works.' That Group 1 winner could easily be the Ben, JD and Will Hayes -trained Rise At Dawn, who is $9.50 in betting for the 1400m Stradbroke at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The four-year-old gelding is only one of two horses in single figures in the market, with the other being stablemate War Machine ($2.70). Bates, 36, has been on board War Machine for seven of his 12 races but Tim Clark will ride the hot Stradbroke favourite on Saturday. 'The favourite will be hard to beat and he's actually a horse I do know very well,' Bates said. 'I've ridden him a few times and won a couple of races on him in the early days. 'He's coming off two really good wins but it's probably a step up for him. He looks to be well in but he probably does need to pick up again if he's going to win. 'My fella's had a couple of runs in some really competitive races like the Doncaster Mile in Sydney (where he finished fourth) so he's sort of well seasoned and he'll be hard to beat.' Bates will fly up to Brisbane on Friday night to ready himself for his first tilt at a Group 1 in Queensland on a horse he's never ridden before. 'It looks to be a pretty wide-open race, really,' he said. 'He (Rise At Dawn) should be hard-fit now with a good run under his belt and he gets in with a light weight. 'He ticks plenty of boxes and so I'm very confident he's going to run well.' Rise At Dawn is coming off a fifth placing in the Kingsford Smith Cup last Saturday and Bates expects him to improve as he backs up just seven days later. 'He'll get in with a light weight – would you call it a drop in grade maybe – and the extra 100m should suit,' Bates said 'He'll need everything to go right on the day but if it does then he'll be thereabouts for sure.'
The Australian
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Clinton McDonald-trained Miss Ole wins at Sandown Hillside
Clinton McDonald was feeling sick soon after the start of Miss Ole's debut outing but was on much better terms with himself after the filly's Sandown outing on Saturday. Miss Ole was heavily backed but finished fifth after bungling the start on debut at Warrnambool last month but the filly showed the benefit of experience in the Sportsbet Jockey Watch Handicap (1000m). Punters were again keen to support Miss Ole, backing her from $3.60 to $2.60, but the daughter of Ole Kirk gave her backers few worries under jockey Ben Melham. Miss Ole sprinted well from midfield to defeat the previously unbeaten Saluted ($3.80) by three-quarters of a length while Espana ($14) made an encouraging debut when running on for third. McDonald said a Cranbourne jumpout between runs also helped Miss Ole's racing manners but the two-year-old had plenty of improvement left in her. • 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! 'She's learning all the time,' McDonald said. 'From the run at Warrnambool to today, what she's shown us at home, she's come on big time. 'She was just a little bit fierce early and I knew she'd be very strong late. 'We gave her a little jumpout in between, a maintenance trial, and she jumped out well there so it wasn't a concern. 'We just tried to teach her to use herself, to go through her gears, and we saw that today.' Miss Ole's connections celebrate in the grandstand at Sandown. Picture: Scott Barbour / Racing Photos McDonald said Miss Ole would probably have another run at Flemington on June 7 before a break ahead of a spring three-year-old preparation. 'I think she's a stakes horse for sure on what she shows at home,' McDonald said. 'She's just going to keep improving.' McDonald went on to endear himself to racing radio listeners when emerging filly Ahha Ahha completed a stable double in the ive > Handicap (1400m). The Cranbourne trainer suggested punters take the Miss Ole / Ahha Ahha double on Saturday radio before Jamie Melham steered the $4 chance to a comfortable win. McDonald said Ahha Ahha had been unlucky at her previous two starts but had the perfect run at Sandown. 'I thought she probably should have won her last two,' McDonald said. 'She should have won at Cranbourne and there's merit to say, she probably would have won at Caulfield. 'She gets it wrong. Sometimes in behind, she's very green. 'But today, with Jamie's beautiful hands, she travelled sweetly, the run came and she was explosive again.'
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘She's come on big time': Clinton McDonald-trained filly Miss Ole rewards faithful punters with Sandown victory
Clinton McDonald was feeling sick soon after the start of Miss Ole's debut outing but was on much better terms with himself after the filly's Sandown outing on Saturday. Miss Ole was heavily backed but finished fifth after bungling the start on debut at Warrnambool last month but the filly showed the benefit of experience in the Sportsbet Jockey Watch Handicap (1000m). Punters were again keen to support Miss Ole, backing her from $3.60 to $2.60, but the daughter of Ole Kirk gave her backers few worries under jockey Ben Melham. Miss Ole sprinted well from midfield to defeat the previously unbeaten Saluted ($3.80) by three-quarters of a length while Espana ($14) made an encouraging debut when running on for third. McDonald said a Cranbourne jumpout between runs also helped Miss Ole's racing manners but the two-year-old had plenty of improvement left in her. 'She's learning all the time,' McDonald said. 'From the run at Warrnambool to today, what she's shown us at home, she's come on big time. 'She was just a little bit fierce early and I knew she'd be very strong late. 'We gave her a little jumpout in between, a maintenance trial, and she jumped out well there so it wasn't a concern. 'We just tried to teach her to use herself, to go through her gears, and we saw that today.' McDonald said Miss Ole would probably have another run at Flemington on June 7 before a break ahead of a spring three-year-old preparation. 'I think she's a stakes horse for sure on what she shows at home,' McDonald said. 'She's just going to keep improving.' Following a luckless run at Warrnambool, Miss Ole lands an important metro victory ✌ðŸ�» @cmcdonaldracing — (@Racing) May 24, 2025 McDonald went on to endear himself to racing radio listeners when emerging filly Ahha Ahha completed a stable double in the ive > Handicap (1400m). The Cranbourne trainer suggested punters take the Miss Ole / Ahha Ahha double on Saturday radio before Jamie Melham steered the $4 chance to a comfortable win. McDonald said Ahha Ahha had been unlucky at her previous two starts but had the perfect run at Sandown. Ahha Ahha utilises a beautiful trip, pouncing at the top of the straight & sprinting away for a comfortable win ðŸ'° @cmcdonaldracing @jamieleekah07 — (@Racing) May 24, 2025 'I thought she probably should have won her last two,' McDonald said. 'She should have won at Cranbourne and there's merit to say, she probably would have won at Caulfield. 'She gets it wrong. Sometimes in behind, she's very green. 'But today, with Jamie's beautiful hands, she travelled sweetly, the run came and she was explosive again.'
News.com.au
15-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Athabascan primed for Melbourne Cup qualifier Andrew Ramsden Stakes
Athabascan is poised to streamline Melbourne Cup ambitions with a victory in the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m) at Flemington on Saturday. Athabascan, a $4.40 favourite trained by John O'Shea and Tom Charlton, has returned to Flemington for the Cup qualifier with solid Sydney form and a slight gear change. • 'In the Sydney Cup (placed fifth) we put the blinkers on him and probably, if we were being critical, he overraced slightly,' Charlton said. Interference at a crucial stage in the Sydney Cup – 'copped a big bump' – also blunted Athabascan. 'Coming back to 2800m, a slight gear change with winkers,' Charlton said. 'It looks a really nice race (Andrew Ramsden) for him but the tricky draw is our main concern.' Athabascan, scratched on Cup eve last year with an irregular heartbeat, a most untimely and to date one-off gut-wrenching setback, has the second widest barrier to contend with on Saturday. 'We've got a really good rider in Ben Melham on,' Charlton said. 'He's one of those riders capable of pulling off a stroke of genius … nothing we can do about it (barrier) and we expect him to run really well.' Eight of the top 10 stayers in the market, including second favourite Berkshire Breeze, copped wide draws in the Flemington feature. 'It might end up being a good thing, one of those things you never really know,' Charlton said. 'He's a very easy to train stayer, a great temperament, very versatile, a very happy horse. 'He galloped last week between races, he looked sharp, fit, he has never lets us down and I'd be surprised if he let us down this week.' Athabascan has raced consistently the past five starts in Sydney, building in fitness and distance, and cleared all precautionary veterinary check-ups. 'We went through a number of tests (last year when he returned to Sydney), everything has been in order,' Charlton said. 'He's been checked every time he's raced and showed nothing. 'I'm not a vet, but it was one of those things (cardiac arrhythmia on Cup eve), the vets have a duty and the horse comes first, as it should.' Charlton said Athabascan would likely be rested after Saturday to prepare for the spring but a strong performance, as expected, could trigger another interstate venture. 'He's a horse we don't want to leave idle too much but I'd say he'll have a freshen up ahead of the spring,' Charlton said. 'There's always options north of the border, Brisbane Cup, but we'll get through Saturday first.' â– â– â– â– â– VRC: Timing right for Cup qualifiers Victoria Racing Club has endorsed the placement of its Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m) – a Melbourne Cup qualifier at Flemington on Saturday. The $300,000 golden ticket has attracted a capacity field for the second time in three years – with 22 acceptors including four emergencies. Chief racing officer Leigh Jordon said trainers and connections supported the fixture largely designed to help local trainers qualify a stayer for the race that stops a nation. 'We have talked about it (fixture),' Jordon said. 'We think we have the timing right with the Roy Higgins (end of March), Deakin was a good winner of the Higgins … and the Ramsden in May. 'We've got The Archer in September and The Bart Cummings in October, I think we have got the mix right … we get a lot of trainers saying we'd like to have an opportunity to qualify our horse locally.' Jordon said the mid-May timeslot afforded the Andrew Ramsden winner a chance to have a break before the spring. 'It gives an opportunity for a horse to get into the Cup that wouldn't usually get into the Cup,' Jordon said. The Map won the Andrew Ramsden last year but struggled to recapture the form after a busy 2023-24 campaign. The South Australian mare finished 21st in the Cup. Lunar Flare won the 2023 Andrew Ramsden and was fancied for the Cup only to be agonisingly scratched race morning on veterinary advice. The field on Saturday includes a mix of 'up and coming stayers', seasoned campaigners and athletic jumpers still able to compete on the flat. Athabascan is a $4.40 favourite from Berkshire Breeze ($5.50) and Alma Rise ($7).
CNN
29-01-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Man sets world record by visiting 42 museums in under 12 hours
A British man has become a Guinness World Record holder after visiting an unparalleled 42 museums in less than 12 hours. While Ben Melham, age 42, earned the record of 'most museums visited in 24 hours,' he actually completed his attempt in less than half that time. Melham traversed London last October, beginning his journey at East London's Museum of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society at 9:03 a.m., and finishing it at the Royal Academy of Arts in Central London at 7:58 p.m., Guinness World Records said in a press statement. In between, he visited some 40 other museums, ranging from world-renowned attractions including the Natural History Museum, the Tower of London and the British Museum, to the smallest of the United Kingdom's national museums -– the Sir John Soane's Museum. Melham said he was inspired to attempt the record after reading a Guinness World Records book with his children. After discussing how hard it could be to break a world record, his kids, Matilde and Henrik, 'challenged me to turn words into action,' Melham said, according to Guinness World Records. He decided to undertake the challenge in London, which he called an 'obvious choice.' 'London's museums contain millions of objects. Each of these can give you a moment to connect to a point in time, a particular person or wonder of nature,' he said. Melham, who works in the museum sector as an operations consultant, is now hoping to break the world record for most museums visited in one year. As of last week, he had visited 85 museums since he beginning his challenge in October, documenting his journey on Instagram and Bluesky. 'Museums preserve and share the stories and objects that define us. They are spaces where we come together to reflect on our past, discuss our present, and imagine our future,' Melham said. His world record for visiting 42 museums in 24 hours beat the previous title holders by 11 museums. Sujoy Kumar Mitra and Swaroop Dawrani, both from India, set the previous record earlier in 2024, visiting 33 museums in one day, Guinness World Records said.
