Latest news with #CaloundraCup
Courier-Mail
17 hours ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Angela Jones leaves door open in Brisbane premiership after frustrating day at Eagle Farm
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Brisbane jockeys' premiership race is still very much alive after leader Angela Jones failed to make the most of her opportunities at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Jones had a decent book of seven rides but couldn't break through for a winner and extend her narrow lead on apprentice jockey Emily Lang, who is sidelined while serving an eight-day suspension on a careless riding charge. The 24-year-old Jones sits on 64 wins in the Brisbane premiership, two ahead of Lang, with just three metro meetings remaining before the season ends this month. • 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! Lang returns to riding on Wednesday, hungry in the knowledge that she's still well in the hunt to create history and become the first female to win a Brisbane jockeys' premiership crown. Both Lang and Jones work for Brisbane's premier trainer Tony Gollan, who is holidaying in Bali and missed the live action at Eagle Farm on Saturday. There were several cases of 'close but no cigar' for Jones, who finished runner-up on Berezka ($3.50) and Spanish Treasure ($2.30), and third on Arisphere ($2.40), Brereton ($2.90) and Give Giggles ($4.80). Jones' chance of securing the metro premiership took a big blow when she copped a 10-day suspension for careless riding at the Caloundra Cup meeting two weeks ago when she won the Group 3 Winx Guineas (1600m) on The Three Hundred. • Wilson-Taylor steps up for double with Waller She returned to racing last Wednesday at Doomben but couldn't find a winner on the day. Gollan's stable representative Craig Cavanough said after the final race on Saturday that it was coming down to a thrilling duel between good mates Lang and Jones. 'She was a bit unlucky with five placings,' Cavanough said about Jones. 'She's around the money and one thing about Ang, she won't let it get to her. 'She'll turn up again on Wednesday (at Eagle Farm) and ride them 100 per cent again. 'Ang is such a cool character and she never gets flustered. 'Not riding a winner today won't worry her. She'll be here on Wednesday ready to hook in again. 'The two girls are going good and it's nice to have them both in our team. It's a terrific duel between them.' Jones' fiance Kyle Wilson-Taylor jagged a double on Saturday for Sydney's top trainer Chris Waller, winning on $11 chances Yet He Moves and Caboche in consecutive 1600m races. There was drama in the penultimate race when trainer Gary Duncan lodged a protest against the winner Lead Me On which was dismissed by stewards. Duncan and jockey Taylor Marshall, riding Ten Good Reasons, argued they were denied a chance at victory when Cobi Vitler shifted across on Lead Me On just 50m from the finishing post but stewards deemed it did not affect the result. Originally published as Angela Jones leaves door open for Emily Lang in Brisbane title race after failing to ride a winner at Eagle Farm
Courier-Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
Grafton preview: Will Hulbert hints at a Cup upset with Dillian
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. To say co-trainer Will Hulbert was surprised at the price of Dillian in the Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) would be an understatement. Hulbert is adamant Dillian should have won the Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Eagle Farm on May 31 and at least placed in the Caloundra Cup at the Sunshine Coast last start and feels the $26 is way over the odds. 'To be brutally honest in my opinion, I think he has been slaughtered his last three starts,' said Hulbert who trains in partnership with his father, Peter. The imported gelding finished 10th in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup and last in the Group 2 Brisbane Cup behind Campaldino both times before an eighth to Half Yours in the Listed Caloundra Cup. The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! Prior to those three runs, he kicked off his campaign, his first for the stable, with back-to-back wins over 2050m at Doomben and 2400m at Eagle Farm. 'I think he should have run second in the Caloundra Cup, the Brisbane Cup, who knows if he can run two miles but being three-wide for the first 1000 metres doesn't help,' Hulbert said. 'In the QE II Cup, I've got no doubt in my mind he would have won that if he got clear air from the 800 metres. 'I would have thought Dillian would have been near favourite. 'We know he can definitely run the distance. 'I've got our old apprentice, Adin Thompson, on this week 'He doesn't need good luck to win, he just doesn't need bad luck. 'From barrier 4, he's going to get a nice run and if he gets clear running from the 800 metres, I think he will be the one to beat.' Joining Dillian in the Grafton Cup is fellow import Zoology who is also in his first preparation for the stable. The son of Zoustar pleased Hulbert on his first-up run over 1350m at Doomben despite beating just three home. The five-year-old then finished second over 1800m at the Sunshine Coast and third to Eaglemont over 1650m at Doomben before returning there last Saturday with a nice win over 2000m. 'He has shown a lot of ability from the first day her arrived in the stable,' Hulbert said. 'He was going really well leading into his first-up run for us but he just had to go back to near last from the barrier because I didn't want to give him a gut buster first-up. 'He still ran quite well and the form has been franked by The Inflictor. 'I thought he would win two starts ago over the mile at Doomben then I galloped him on the Saturday then when the data that came back from the Equimetre came back, I thought 'crap' he is looking for 2000 metres. 'That's was how he raced so we stepped him up to the 2000 metres last Saturday and he blew them away. He had a really good turn of foot at the end of it.' Apprentice Rob Thorburn rode Zoology a treat last weekend and Hulbert had no hesitation sticking with him in the Cup and isn't concerned by the five day back-up for the gelding. 'I had no intentions of taking Rob off at all,' he said. 'He rides a bit of work for me and has had 13 rides for five wins. 'The quick back-up back doesn't concern me at all. He pulled up extremely well. 'The only query is stepping up to the 2350 metres for the first time. 'From barrier 1, he's not going to spend any petrol for the first three-quarters of the race anyway so may as well through caution to the wind and see what happens.'
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Grafton Cup the ideal chance for Bear On The Loose to end winless streak
Like his name suggests, he's been on the loose trying to snap a winning drought that's stretched for more than a year. Thursday's feature Grafton Cup presents an ideal chance to restore that winning feeling. Bear On The Loose, a tough and still lightly raced five-year-old in the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott stable at Randwick, hasn't won since a debut Australian win in a BM 78 Hcp over 1800m at Rosehill in June 2024. That front-running effort in heavy going came nearly nine months after his last UK start, an 85-rating win to cap three victories in four outings before he was brought to Australia with a growing staying reputation. But stop-start campaigns and frustration kicked in through the second half of last year, with Bear On The Loose placed only once in four more starts up to group 3 level. He was then spelled before returning in autumn via a series of quiet trials, and looked primed for a big prep when he was edged out by a nose first-up at Hawkesbury in a strong BM 94 over a mile. Loading Since then, though, he has beaten all but the winner in four of his five runs, including the Listed Winter Cup at Rosehill and Caloundra Cup on the Sunshine Coast. Yet, Bear On The Loose has never been fitter, and better placed to claim a feature Listed country cup, and return to winning ways. Opening around $5 in betting behind early favourite Belvedere Boys ($4.20), Bear On The Loose's biggest danger could well be another British import following a similar timeline.
The Age
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
Grafton Cup the ideal chance for Bear On The Loose to end winless streak
Like his name suggests, he's been on the loose trying to snap a winning drought that's stretched for more than a year. Thursday's feature Grafton Cup presents an ideal chance to restore that winning feeling. Bear On The Loose, a tough and still lightly raced five-year-old in the Gai Waterhouse-Adrian Bott stable at Randwick, hasn't won since a debut Australian win in a BM 78 Hcp over 1800m at Rosehill in June 2024. That front-running effort in heavy going came nearly nine months after his last UK start, an 85-rating win to cap three victories in four outings before he was brought to Australia with a growing staying reputation. But stop-start campaigns and frustration kicked in through the second half of last year, with Bear On The Loose placed only once in four more starts up to group 3 level. He was then spelled before returning in autumn via a series of quiet trials, and looked primed for a big prep when he was edged out by a nose first-up at Hawkesbury in a strong BM 94 over a mile. Loading Since then, though, he has beaten all but the winner in four of his five runs, including the Listed Winter Cup at Rosehill and Caloundra Cup on the Sunshine Coast. Yet, Bear On The Loose has never been fitter, and better placed to claim a feature Listed country cup, and return to winning ways. Opening around $5 in betting behind early favourite Belvedere Boys ($4.20), Bear On The Loose's biggest danger could well be another British import following a similar timeline.
News.com.au
05-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Tony McEvoy dreaming of Caulfield Cup after securing Caloudra Cup with Half Yours
Victorian trainer Tony McEvoy 's ultimate goal of taking Half Yours to the Caulfield Cup moved a step closer to reality on Saturday when the tough gelding emphatically won the $300,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) at the Sunshine Coast. McEvoy wasn't sure whether $3.50 favourite Half Yours would run the 2400m but those doubts were convincingly put to bed on a soft track at Corbould Park. The four-year-old finished 4½ lengths ahead of Bear On The Loose ($4.20), with the Tony Gollan-trained Felix The Scat ($17) another two lengths back, to rubberstamp his Caulfield Cup credentials. It is unlikely Half Yours will be ready for this year's $5m Caulfield Cup on October 18 but next year's edition will be front of mind for Tony McEvoy and his training partner and son Calvin. 'When you look at his form and how he's kept progressing, to come out and do what he did there (in the Caloundra Cup), I mean that was a dominant win,' Tony McEvoy said. 'Of course this is a long way from the Caulfield Cup, I'm a realist. 'But we've bought this horse (for $305,000), he's the right age and if he's well then we'll head down that path (Caulfield Cup) and we can always divert. 'There are so many options, aren't there? But you've got to have a target and the Caulfield Cup is a pretty good one to target.' Half?! It's all his today! Half Yours explodes away and leaves them standing in the Listed Caloundra Cup! ðŸ'¨ And it's a @SCTurfClub double to @mcevoymitchell and @AshMorgan6! 🙌 â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 5, 2025 Belmont Bloodstock and McEvoy Mitchell Racing purchased Half Yours last November, with the McEvoys taking over his training from Victoria's leading trainer Ciaron Maher. 'Ciaron was the underbidder and he was disappointed he didn't retain him,' McEvoy told Racenet earlier this week. 'He dropped the ball there but I'm glad he did.' It was a terrific day for winning Welsh-born jockey Ash Morgan, who had earlier saluted for the McEvoys on Mr Verse in the opening race. 'It was a muddily run race,' Morgan said about the Caloundra Cup, won last year by Angela Jones on Mission Of Love. 'Bailey (Wheeler on Nikau Spur) went for it in the race which allowed me to flow into it. 'When I went for him he exploded. I think he's a proper horse. 'His strength is that he relaxes really well in the run and has an explosive turn of foot. He put them to bed. 'Down in the weights, and there's a lot of good races over two miles, there's not really any ceiling for that. 'Thanks to Tony for four rides today and they were all immaculately prepared and they all ran enormous. 'My first rides for the stable and hopefully not my last.'
