Latest news with #JohnMonashStakes
Herald Sun
4 days ago
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Recommendation goes back to barrier basics for Bletchingly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. A barrier refresher course and weight-for-age conditions could give smart sprinter Recommendation a shot at a second Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes success. Recommendation won last year's Bletchingly Stakes during a super patch of form that included claiming the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes and The Heath 1100 on the Caulfield course. • 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! The Ciaron Maher-trained sprinter was not disgraced at Group 1 level in the Manikato Stakes in the spring but struggled at his first attempt at international competition in the Hong Kong Sprint last December. The rising six-year-old ran fairly first-up before struggling down the Flemington straight last month but Maher's assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said some barrier work produced an improved third in the Monash Stakes on July 12. Turnbull said Recommendation gave away too much weight in his first two runs this time in before improving at weight-for-age in the Monash Stakes. The same conditions will apply in the Bletchingly Stakes. • Spring carnival worth the weight for Stockdale 'He's never really fired down the straight and he got it pretty wrong and worked up two back so there were excuses,' Turnbull said. 'Last year, prior to the Bletchingly, he'd had such a good prep so he's pretty much handicapped himself so getting back to weight-for-age will help. 'These two races (the Monash and Bletchingly Stakes) are his chance to get back to the winner's stall.' Recommendation will have blinkers back on in Saturday's Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images Turnbull said Recommendation had spent time under the tutelage of noted barrier educator Julien Welsh to repair bad habits that had crept into the gelding's barrier routine. He said a fast start was vital to Recommendation's racing style but the son of Shalaa had not given himself the chance to jump quickly in recent runs. • Cherish a good track: Caulfield weather watch for smart filly 'That was his asset, stepping away from the gates and holding a prominent spot,' Turnbull said. 'He was just getting uptight, standing back in the gates and being very negative. 'They just get into bad habits. 'They might get away with something and they continue it on, they might get a bit tired or a bit grumpy or whatever it is. 'He's just a lot more comfortable in there. He stands up in the 'V' at the front of the gates, which is key, and he's very receptive to stepping away.' Turnbull said the return of blinkers to Recommendation's gear would also help the winner of nine of 26 starts regain his best form. Recommendation has firmed from $8.50 to $7.50 while the Corstens and Larkin-trained Baraqiel is the easing favourite, drifting from $2.90 to $3.20. Originally published as Trainer Ciaron Maher chasing another Bletchingly Stakes win with Recommendation
The Australian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Recommendation goes back to barrier basics for Bletchingly
A barrier refresher course and weight-for-age conditions could give smart sprinter Recommendation a shot at a second Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes success. Recommendation won last year's Bletchingly Stakes during a super patch of form that included claiming the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes and The Heath 1100 on the Caulfield course. • 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! The Ciaron Maher-trained sprinter was not disgraced at Group 1 level in the Manikato Stakes in the spring but struggled at his first attempt at international competition in the Hong Kong Sprint last December. The rising six-year-old ran fairly first-up before struggling down the Flemington straight last month but Maher's assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said some barrier work produced an improved third in the Monash Stakes on July 12. Turnbull said Recommendation gave away too much weight in his first two runs this time in before improving at weight-for-age in the Monash Stakes. The same conditions will apply in the Bletchingly Stakes. • Spring carnival worth the weight for Stockdale 'He's never really fired down the straight and he got it pretty wrong and worked up two back so there were excuses,' Turnbull said. 'Last year, prior to the Bletchingly, he'd had such a good prep so he's pretty much handicapped himself so getting back to weight-for-age will help. 'These two races (the Monash and Bletchingly Stakes) are his chance to get back to the winner's stall.' Recommendation will have blinkers back on in Saturday's Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images Turnbull said Recommendation had spent time under the tutelage of noted barrier educator Julien Welsh to repair bad habits that had crept into the gelding's barrier routine. He said a fast start was vital to Recommendation's racing style but the son of Shalaa had not given himself the chance to jump quickly in recent runs. • Cherish a good track: Caulfield weather watch for smart filly 'That was his asset, stepping away from the gates and holding a prominent spot,' Turnbull said. 'He was just getting uptight, standing back in the gates and being very negative. 'They just get into bad habits. 'They might get away with something and they continue it on, they might get a bit tired or a bit grumpy or whatever it is. 'He's just a lot more comfortable in there. He stands up in the 'V' at the front of the gates, which is key, and he's very receptive to stepping away.' Turnbull said the return of blinkers to Recommendation's gear would also help the winner of nine of 26 starts regain his best form. Recommendation has firmed from $8.50 to $7.50 while the Corstens and Larkin-trained Baraqiel is the easing favourite, drifting from $2.90 to $3.20.
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Ciaron Maher chasing another Bletchingly Stakes win with Recommendation
A barrier refresher course and weight-for-age conditions could give smart sprinter Recommendation a shot at a second Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes success. Recommendation won last year's Bletchingly Stakes during a super patch of form that included claiming the Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes and The Heath 1100 on the Caulfield course. The Ciaron Maher -trained sprinter was not disgraced at Group 1 level in the Manikato Stakes in the spring but struggled at his first attempt at international competition in the Hong Kong Sprint last December. The rising six-year-old ran fairly first-up before struggling down the Flemington straight last month but Maher's assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said some barrier work produced an improved third in the Monash Stakes on July 12. Turnbull said Recommendation gave away too much weight in his first two runs this time in before improving at weight-for-age in the Monash Stakes. The same conditions will apply in the Bletchingly Stakes. • Spring carnival worth the weight for Stockdale 'He's never really fired down the straight and he got it pretty wrong and worked up two back so there were excuses,' Turnbull said. 'Last year, prior to the Bletchingly, he'd had such a good prep so he's pretty much handicapped himself so getting back to weight-for-age will help. 'These two races (the Monash and Bletchingly Stakes) are his chance to get back to the winner's stall.' Turnbull said Recommendation had spent time under the tutelage of noted barrier educator Julien Welsh to repair bad habits that had crept into the gelding's barrier routine. He said a fast start was vital to Recommendation's racing style but the son of Shalaa had not given himself the chance to jump quickly in recent runs. 'That was his asset, stepping away from the gates and holding a prominent spot,' Turnbull said. 'He was just getting uptight, standing back in the gates and being very negative. 'They just get into bad habits. 'They might get away with something and they continue it on, they might get a bit tired or a bit grumpy or whatever it is. 'He's just a lot more comfortable in there. He stands up in the 'V' at the front of the gates, which is key, and he's very receptive to stepping away.' Turnbull said the return of blinkers to Recommendation's gear would also help the winner of nine of 26 starts regain his best form.
New Paper
12-07-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Cross-border Pride and joy
Leading Sydney trainer Joseph Pride enjoyed a good day at not one, but two offices in Australia on July 12. The 2024-25 Australian horse racing season may be drawing to an end with only around two weeks remaining, but the Warwick Farm handler was not letting up on his quest for more winners to pad up his successful campaign, even across borders. At home in Randwick, he struck a race-to-race double with two from his team of four runners - King's Secret ($22) in a Benchmark 72 handicap (1,100m) followed by Aberlour ($71) in a Benchmark 78 handicap (1,800m), both with A$160,000 (S$135,000) purses - to tie with Ciaron Maher on the Sydney metropolitan trainer's premiership on 45 winners, but still staying in fifth place on a countback for seconds. In racing, trainers never split their winners, be it in a lowly Class 1 at Wagga or a Group 1 in Flemington, and Pride is no different. However, if his geographical location on that day was anything to go by, a greater sense of "Pride and joy" must have been felt 700km away from home - Caulfield. A little less than three hours after cheering his duo home from the simulcast TV monitors at the Melbourne racecourse, and the obligatory phone chats to the owners and stable supervisor Orla Pearl, Pride was reaping the rich reward for his hit-and-run one-horse mission with consistent mare In Flight in the A$200,000 Group 3 Sir John Monash Stakes (1,100m). Typical of airline flights, the $16 favourite was also late to take off. Three wide at the rear, the Flying Artie four-year-old must have given her punters the same fingernail-chewing moments as a passenger waiting for hours on the tarmac. But once Craig Williams throttled her up upon straightening, she finally became airborne, sprouting wings towards a soft landing with one length to spare from New York Lustre (Jamie Melham). Even for Pride, it was only when the Proven Thoroughbred black and lime green silks were over the line that he could release his pent-up nervous energy with a cathartic fist pump from his Caulfield vantage point. "I thought we would be a lot closer in the run and not tracking out so wide," he said. "That is probably what made it so awkward for her, but as soon as she straightened up and balanced up, she was good - she's a pretty good mare, this mare." The Proven colours also flew high at one half of Pride's Sydney double, King's Secret, who is the half-brother of one of Pride's and Proven's best horses, Group 1 Epsom Handicap winner Private Eye. "It's impressive. To see a mare throw horses like that again and again and to have the family in the stable. It's something special," said Pearl to Sky News, referring to their dam Confidential Queen. The mood was a lot less joyous in the Daniel Meagher camp in Caulfield, though. The former Kranji-based Australian trainer's two-time Singapore Horse of the Year Lim's Kosciuszko was soundly beaten in eighth place - his third defeat in as many starts since moving to Australia. One race earlier, Singapore Derby winner Lim's Saltoro fared even worse. After three encouraging runs at the same track, the 10-time Kranji winner put in his worst run by beating one home. In mitigation, he was eased out of the race in the home straight by jockey Jason Maskiell, who kept looking down to his left and right, as if something had gone amiss. The win by In Flight, who may be aimed at either the Oakleigh Plate or The Galaxy next year, also capped a treble for Williams, who has now whittled down the gap on the back-from-injury leader, Blake Shinn - who did not win any race - to four wins (67 versus 63). With five metropolitan meetings still left, the Shinn-Williams showdown will keep racegoers on the edge of their seats at the business end of the Melbourne season. manyan@
