Latest news with #DaneRipperStakes
7NEWS
29-06-2025
- Sport
- 7NEWS
Tom Sherry rides Tashi to perfection to win epic Tiara at Eagle Farm
Tashi has broken a string of placings in group races with a dominant victory in Group 1 Tattersall's Tiara (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Prior to the victory, Tashi's last win came in a benchmark 88 at Randwick in March 2024 and in that time, the Peter Snowden trained mare raced exclusively at blacktype level, placing in seven. That included a narrow defeat to Floozie in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m) on June 14, but Tashi was able to turn the tables and then some, running out an easy two-length winner under Tom Sherry. While $3.20 favourite Floozie went for home early in the straight, Tashi ($7.50) had been afforded a beautiful trail by Sherry and quickly pounced as Floozie faded to finish fifth, Abounding ($19) and Olentia ($31) getting home for the minor placings. Peter Snowden, who won the race in partnership with son Paul with Tycoon Tara in 2017, said the win was thoroughly deserved. 'She's been tremendous all prep, so nobody could begrudge her the win,' Snowden said. 'She kept putting her hand up every start, so I'm really proud of her. 'There were no half measures today, she won dominantly. She kept getting beaten short half heads, it was a tremendous run last week in the Dane Ripper, I think this is her 11th run this campaign so huge credit to her. 'Tom (Sherry) rode her an absolute peach today, I think it's his first Group Oneso I'm so pleased for him and the mare.' Sherry's previous best result in a Group One had been a third placing aboard Firm Agreement in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) last year, the twenty six-year-old's first win at the highest level coming at his 20th attempt. 'It's been a long time coming for me,' Sherry said. 'The stars aligned today, and I can't thank Peter and his team enough. It's been a long road and it's been a tough year, but moments like this make it all worthwhile. 'When I came up outside Abounding, I got the jitters and went full bore. 'I've worked really hard to get here. Winning a Group One for a lad from Ireland is a very big deal for me. 'I'm so proud of this mare and it feels like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. Things like this don't happen to people like me, so I'm delighted.'
New Paper
27-06-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Tiara is a great fit for Tashi
The guesswork in spotting the last Australian Group 1 winner of 2024-2025 has been made just a little harder by one missing piece. None of the 17 runners to the A$700,000 (S$583,000) Tattersall's Tiara (1,400m) at Eagle Farm on June 28 (1.58pm Singapore time) is coming out of the Stradbroke Handicap. Queensland's premier Group 1 1,400m event, which was won by War Machine on June 14, has delivered the Tiara winners of the last four editions - Tofane (2021), Startantes (2022), Palaisipan (2023) and Bella Nipotina (2024). Since the fillies and mares contest earned Group 1 status in 2007, eight winners have borne the Stradbroke formline in their lead-up, with Srikandi (2015) and Tofane doing the Stradbroke-Tiara double, a feat achieved by only Dane Ripper in the pre-Group 1 Tiara era in 1997. Interestingly, the eventual 1997 Cox Plate winner is, in name, providing the perfect fall-back option to a Tiara renewal bereft of Stradbroke form this year. The Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1,300m), which is held on Stradbroke day, is without a doubt the next best traditional prelude. No fewer than 10 of the 14 Dane Ripper runners in 2025 will contest the Tiara, including the first three home, Floozie, Tashi and Firestorm - who, unsurprisingly, head the market. If anything, the statistics around the Dane Ripper Stakes as a Tiara crystal ball are almost as compelling as the Stradbroke. For the nine Group 1 Tiara winners who did not come through the Stradbroke, seven rounded out their preparations in the Dane Ripper, with Red Tracer (2013), Cosmic Endeavour (2014) and Invincibella (2019) the three to have completed the double that Floozie is chasing. Undefeated in four runs this campaign, Tony Gollan's mare by Zoustar is a deserved favourite at 3-1, almost sharing that tag with Firestorm, on whom James McDonald is bidding to equal Malcolm Johnston's 45-year-old record of 16 Group 1 wins in one season. But, perhaps, the one anomaly to that market is Tashi's odds of 6-1. In the Dane Ripper Stakes, the Peter Snowden-trained mare did not see clean air as early as the winner Floozie, but still took a huge chunk of ground off her to miss out by only half-a-length. The one-pound swing in Floozie's favour is too marginal to account for the quote discrepancy. For that reason, Tashi represents much better value, especially if he finds daylight earlier. Knockers may argue that the Sebring five-year-old does not scream Group 1 material, but then again, neither do most of her 16 rivals. As a benchmark, the only Group 1 winner, 2024 South Australian Derby (2,500m) winner Coco Sun is first-up after a disappointing Spring campaign, and over a trip not made to suit. Firestorm and Semana are the only two Group-placed contenders, and also hail from the powerhouse yards of Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher respectively. Firestorm ran second to stablemate and glamour filly Lady Shenandoah in the 2025 Coolmore Classic (1,500m), while Semana's three Group 1 placings notably include her second to Bella Nipotina for a Maher 1-2 in last year's Tiara. Bella Nipotina, who was recently retired, was the last of seven favourites since 2007 to win the Tiara. It has, however, also hatched nine double-figure winners in 20-1 shots Russeting (2009), Miss Cover Girl (2016) and Tycoon Tara (2017), incidentally Snowden's only Tiara winner. A win by Tashi would not be as jaw-dropping, but would vault Darley's (Godolphin's old name in Australia) former head trainer back into the limelight and give his Irish jockey Tom Sherry a much-deserved first Group 1 silverware. manyan@
The Age
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Age
McDonald counts on storming finish to equal Miracle's group 1 record
James McDonald hopes a swing in the weights and a rise in distance can offset a disappointing draw for Firestorm as the superstar jockey strives to equal the Australian record for group 1 wins in a season on Saturday at Eagle Farm. McDonald sits on a personal-best 15 elite victories in Australia in 2024-25 with only the Tattersall's Tiara (1400m) left for him to match 'Miracle' Malcolm Johnston's record of 16 from 1979-80. Chris Waller-trained Firestorm remains one of the top fancies for the fillies and mares feature, but her and McDonald's hopes were dealt a blow when she drew gate 19. That was 14 of 17 on Friday. 'It's never ideal,' McDonald said. 'The perfect draw was probably between eight and 12 because she does like a bit of room, but obviously we didn't get that, so we need a bit of luck. You never know. Eagle Farm is a big, fair track, so hopefully it plays well.' Firestorm was a $4.20 chance with Sportsbet, which had Floozie as favourite at $4 and Tashi at $7.50. Last start, those main rivals finished one-two in the group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m) when McDonald gave third-placed Firestorm an ideal run from gate nine. Firestorm's impost drops a kilogram on Saturday, while Floozie and Tashi go up 1kg and 1.5kg respectively to all meet at 57kg. McDonald hoped for genuine pace up front to give Firestorm the chance to launch late. 'She'll improve off her first-up run, and she meets the first two better at the weights, so that bodes well for her, and the 1400 will suit her better,' he said. Firestorm won the group 2 Millie Fox Stakes first-up at 1300m in February before almost upsetting star filly Lady Shenandoah, and McDonald, with a flying finish in the group 1 Coolmore Classic at 1500m. Waller was taking encouragement from that effort.
Sydney Morning Herald
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
McDonald counts on storming finish to equal Miracle's group 1 record
James McDonald hopes a swing in the weights and a rise in distance can offset a disappointing draw for Firestorm as the superstar jockey strives to equal the Australian record for group 1 wins in a season on Saturday at Eagle Farm. McDonald sits on a personal-best 15 elite victories in Australia in 2024-25 with only the Tattersall's Tiara (1400m) left for him to match 'Miracle' Malcolm Johnston's record of 16 from 1979-80. Chris Waller-trained Firestorm remains one of the top fancies for the fillies and mares feature, but her and McDonald's hopes were dealt a blow when she drew gate 19. That was 14 of 17 on Friday. 'It's never ideal,' McDonald said. 'The perfect draw was probably between eight and 12 because she does like a bit of room, but obviously we didn't get that, so we need a bit of luck. You never know. Eagle Farm is a big, fair track, so hopefully it plays well.' Firestorm was a $4.20 chance with Sportsbet, which had Floozie as favourite at $4 and Tashi at $7.50. Last start, those main rivals finished one-two in the group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m) when McDonald gave third-placed Firestorm an ideal run from gate nine. Firestorm's impost drops a kilogram on Saturday, while Floozie and Tashi go up 1kg and 1.5kg respectively to all meet at 57kg. McDonald hoped for genuine pace up front to give Firestorm the chance to launch late. 'She'll improve off her first-up run, and she meets the first two better at the weights, so that bodes well for her, and the 1400 will suit her better,' he said. Firestorm won the group 2 Millie Fox Stakes first-up at 1300m in February before almost upsetting star filly Lady Shenandoah, and McDonald, with a flying finish in the group 1 Coolmore Classic at 1500m. Waller was taking encouragement from that effort.
News.com.au
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Tony Gollan mare Floozie primed to cap dream campaign in Group 1 Tatt's Tiara
Tony Gollan was itching to get back from a trip to Royal Ascot as he has been 'daring to dream' that he can take out the Group 1 Tatt's Tiara with winning machine Floozie. Gollan is an astute judge with his horses and it's not too often he raises the bar so dramatically as he has with Floozie, who has won four in a row for him since coming to Queensland from her previous trainers in Victoria. • 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! Floozie was privately purchased by Yarraman Park Stud from her previous owners and when Gollan got her, he earmarked the Listed Silk Stocking on the Gold Coast as her number one winter carnival goal. But with that in the bag, as well as three other races including the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes last start, Gollan is now shooting for the stars with four-year-old Floozie. Gollan returned to Australia on Monday from a trip to Royal Ascot and, in his time away, Floozie's Tatt's Tiara bid at Eagle Farm on Saturday had often been on his mind. Floozie brains them in the G2 Dane Ripper Stakes! ðŸ'¥ @tonygollan — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) June 14, 2025 'I went away last week, but I was itching to get back for this Tatt's Tiara meeting,' Gollan said. 'I really like this mare and she has come such a long way for us in such a short time, I really think she is a terrific chance. 'I had a plan to get black type for her during the carnival, I thought the Silk Stocking was the option that I really needed to target. 'That's why I did what I did to get her to that race third-up. 'But since then, we have really dared to dream. 'She was really good the other day and I felt there was still some good improvement in her. 'She has won at track and the trip and she has drawn to get a really nice run again. 'I wouldn't swap her for any other horse in the race, she is as good a chance as any.' Champion trainer Gollan feels like it has already been his best season but a win in the Tatt's Tiara, which would be his third Group 1 of the season following two from Antino, would be the cherry on top. Gollan believes the last Group 1 of the season has several chances, but unlike most years it doesn't have a mare which had come off a flashing light run in the Stradbroke Handicap. 'It's always a good race which has three or four chances in it,' Gollan said. 'The only difference this year is that you normally see a mare which has run really close-up in a Stradbroke, but it's devoid of that this year. 'So you would think form coming through the races we have come through is the right form. 'This would be my best season so far, but this would be a crowning moment. 'Angela (Jones) has been on the horse the whole way for me and has never put a foot wrong. 'She has always stuck to the plan and as the horse has built in confidence and built in form, the horse and rider combination has really continued to grow.' Floozie has drawn barrier nine and is a $4.40 chance on TAB fixed odds to score the final Group 1 of the racing season.
