Latest news with #LightningStakes
The Australian
16 hours ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Rochelle Milnes stars with four winners to secure Adelaide jockeys' premiership at Morphettville
A rain-soaked Morphettville was shrouded in gloom on Saturday, but Rochelle Milnes shone brightly. The star apprentice nailed a remarkable four winners, including the Lightning Stakes, as she secured the Adelaide jockeys' premiership on the final day of the metro season. • 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! Milnes, 23, scored wins aboard Sav On Ice, Big Sue and Silent Emmy, completing her masterpiece with a brilliant come-from-behind victory aboard Cicala in the Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m) – nailing Victorian raider Fieldello on the line. It was a third Lightning Stakes win for trainer Will Clarken, and first for co-trainer Niki O'Shea, and proved the icing on the cake for Milnes, who announced herself as a rising star of Australian racing. 'I gave her (Cicala) a pat, I didn't even know if I'd won or not, I'm just so proud of this horse,' Milnes said. 'I have a really high opinion of her, she's just so level-headed, I think she's terrific – what a fairytale.' Milnes enjoyed a midweek break in Darwin, returning to Adelaide to dominate Morphettville's nine-race card, which saw her finish with 48 city wins in her first full season at metro level. • Smart mare waltzes to Bletchingly win as Moody aims higher 'I went for a quick freshen-up in Darwin, I think the sun got to me but I grew a new leg, it's just what I needed,' she said. 'It just started petering out late, it's really nice to get back on the board and have an incredible day – I'm so blessed with the support.' Milnes finished eight wins ahead of premiership rivals Lachlan Neindorf and Taylor Johnstone (40 apiece). Johnstone saluted aboard gun sprinter Lingani in race two, while Neindorf's faint premiership hopes were cruelled early with four of his mounts scratched due to Heavy track conditions. 'I appreciate all the support I've had, I didn't wish upon Lachy to have all those scratchings, and obviously Taylor just came out and rode a beautiful ride (Lingani),' Milnes said after winning aboard Sav On Ice. 'It's just the luck on the day I guess when it comes down to the line, but I'm really thankful for the support and especially with this horse – he's come on again.' Milnes' four-timer was a career-best day in the saddle at headquarters, and sits alongside her win in the Adelaide Cup aboard Silent Surrente, and back-to-back Port Lincoln Cup wins on I Need A Drink as highlights of the 2024-25 season. Cicala, ridden by Rochelle Milnes, wins the Lightning Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday. Picture: Makoto Kaneko • 'Sneaky chance': Pride mare shocks rivals at $51 Rain inundated Morphettville throughout the afternoon with a Heavy 9 track later downgraded to a Heavy 10. Lingani, who won last year's Lightning Stakes, relished it, giving her rivals a thrashing in an Open Handicap (1050m). The speedy mare bounced back to form under a smart steer from Taylor Johnstone, who kept her handy in third, breezing past frontrunner The Gov inside the final 200m. Lingani powered to a remarkable seven-length win, making it three from three on heavy going, as trainers Peter and Belinda Blanch set her for the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes (1200m) on August 9. Sav On Ice, produced a dominant 8½-length win to land Milnes' her first winner. The Darryl Carrison-trained colt did it easy despite covering extra ground from barrier 11. Phillip Stokes nailed the Adelaide trainers' premiership with 44 wins, the Group 1-winning handler had two runners at Morphettville, for a second with Brave Star. Talented apprentice Matthew Chadwick nailed a double on the card, with wins aboard Delightful Shecky and Solar Mist in the final event. Read related topics: Adelaide
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Apprentice Rochelle Milnes stars with four winners to secure Adelaide jockeys' premiership at Morphettville
A rain-soaked Morphettville was shrouded in gloom on Saturday, but Rochelle Milnes shone brightly. The star apprentice nailed a remarkable four winners, including the Lightning Stakes, as she secured the Adelaide jockeys' premiership on the final day of the metro season. Milnes, 23, scored wins aboard Sav On Ice, Big Sue and Silent Emmy, completing her masterpiece with a brilliant come-from-behind victory aboard Cicala in the Listed Lightning Stakes (1050m) – nailing Victorian raider Fieldello on the line. It was a third Lightning Stakes win for trainer Will Clarken, and first for co-trainer Niki O'Shea, and proved the icing on the cake for Milnes, who announced herself as a rising star of Australian racing. 'I gave her (Cicala) a pat, I didn't even know if I'd won or not, I'm just so proud of this horse,' Milnes said. 'I have a really high opinion of her, she's just so level-headed, I think she's terrific – what a fairytale.' Milnes enjoyed a midweek break in Darwin, returning to Adelaide to dominate Morphettville's nine-race card, which saw her finish with 48 city wins in her first full season at metro level. Lightning Stakes | Cicala It's a red letter day for Rochelle Milnes as she caps off her impeccable day, taking out the last feature race of the season aboard Cicala âš¡ï¸�ðŸ'� ðŸ'° Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app REPLAYS: — (@Racing) July 26, 2025 'I went for a quick freshen-up in Darwin, I think the sun got to me but I grew a new leg, it's just what I needed,' she said. 'It just started petering out late, it's really nice to get back on the board and have an incredible day – I'm so blessed with the support.' Milnes finished eight wins ahead of premiership rivals Lachlan Neindorf and Taylor Johnstone (40 apiece). Johnstone saluted aboard gun sprinter Lingani in race two, while Neindorf's faint premiership hopes were cruelled early with four of his mounts scratched due to Heavy track conditions. 'I appreciate all the support I've had, I didn't wish upon Lachy to have all those scratchings, and obviously Taylor just came out and rode a beautiful ride (Lingani),' Milnes said after winning aboard Sav On Ice. 'It's just the luck on the day I guess when it comes down to the line, but I'm really thankful for the support and especially with this horse – he's come on again.' Milnes' four-timer was a career-best day in the saddle at headquarters, and sits alongside her win in the Adelaide Cup aboard Silent Surrente, and back-to-back Port Lincoln Cup wins on I Need A Drink as highlights of the 2024-25 season. Rain inundated Morphettville throughout the afternoon with a Heavy 9 track later downgraded to a Heavy 10. Lingani, who won last year's Lightning Stakes, relished it, giving her rivals a thrashing in an Open Handicap (1050m). The speedy mare bounced back to form under a smart steer from Taylor Johnstone, who kept her handy in third, breezing past frontrunner The Gov inside the final 200m. Lingani powered to a remarkable seven-length win, making it three from three on heavy going, as trainers Peter and Belinda Blanch set her for the Group 3 Behemoth Stakes (1200m) on August 9. Sav On Ice, produced a dominant 8½-length win to land Milnes' her first winner. The Darryl Carrison-trained colt did it easy despite covering extra ground from barrier 11. Phillip Stokes nailed the Adelaide trainers' premiership with 44 wins, the Group 1-winning handler had two runners at Morphettville, for a second with Brave Star. Talented apprentice Matthew Chadwick nailed a double on the card, with wins aboard Delightful Shecky and Solar Mist in the final event.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Darryl Hewitt tackles Lightning Stakes with determined winner Sir Now at Morphettville
Sir Now savaged the line for a fourth straight win last start, and Darryl Hewitt 's tough sprinter doesn't like settling for second place. A determined will to win has him chasing a fifth consecutive win at Morphettville on Saturday, this time at Listed level in the Lightning Stakes (1050m). A deluge of rain across Adelaide has runners likely to encounter a heavy track for Saturday's nine-race card, and rain, hail or shine, you can trust Sir Now will be hunting the line late. 'He's hard work, that will to win is competitiveness,' Hewitt, a former SANFL footballer of over 200 games, said. 'On the footy field, you want to fight to get the ball, he's much the same, he's very competitive, he wants to get to the front. 'Maggie (Collett) said she got goosebumps the last 100m (last start) because he just flattened out and attacked the horse rather than the line.' Sir Now, a son of Sir Prancelot, flew home inside the final 100m to deny Lindsay Park galloper, Beast Mode, in a Benchmark 80 (1000m) on the Parks circuit on June 28. 'They put two or three lengths on the third horse, it wasn't like Beast Mode was stopping greatly,' he said. '(Beast Mode) ran well next start, finished fourth at Flemington last Saturday – so the form stacks up.' • SA premiership-winning trainers to split Freshened, four weeks between runs, Hewitt is pleased with his three-year-old ahead of a stakes tilt, but admits keeping the fiery customer ticking over has been a challenge. 'He came through it good, the only trouble is we've had four weeks off between runs – he's a fairly active horse,' he said. 'It wasn't much good putting him out for a week in the paddock because he's that well he would probably hurt himself. 'I've had to monitor him in the box for the last four weeks and keep him ticking over, hopefully he's still right enough to go tomorrow. 'I would have liked to have had a three-year-old lead-up race, but there was only a (Benchmark) 66 and he would've got 68kg or something.' A heavy track won't concern Hewitt, Sir Now has won five of seven career wins on rain-affected circuits, including a win on heavy ground. Sir Now just keeps on winning! ðŸ'¥ Darryl Hewitt's 3YO gelding comes from a long way back & was four-wide at the turn to show an electric turn of foot late to salute for the fourth time in a row 😤 — (@Racing) June 28, 2025 The gelding, who will be piloted again by Maggie Collett, has earnt his chance at stakes level, but it's been no mean feat getting there. 'I'm sort of counting on the heavy, being a wide draw (11), it might even suit being wide,' Hewitt said. 'It (Lightning) was never really on the radar, with this horse, it's one race at a time. 'He can be a handful, he can dump a rider here and there, you don't know whether he's going to do a lap or two with no rider. 'Maggie, she's not scared of him, he can put the wind up jockeys.' Hewitt also has stakes-winning gelding, Snoopy Now, ready to fire in a Benchmark 72 over a mile, with Connor Murtagh booked to ride. 'We've put the work into him again for the 1600m and he's bouncing around,' he said. 'He ran second in the Sires' Produce on a heavy last year to Colmar – he'll handle it all right too.'
Herald Sun
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
2025 Calaway Gal Stakes: Shaun Dwyer with Dragonne Rouge
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Shaun Dwyer enjoyed his 67th birthday on Monday and the wily Sunshine Coast trainer would love nothing better than to cap celebrations with a victory over the big stables in the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The Group 1-winning trainer will saddle up $7.50 chance Dragonne Rouge in the $200,000 contest over 1200m for 2YO fillies, a precursor to the start of the Queensland Winter Carnival on Saturday week. She will go up against the likes of the Tony Gollan-trained star Hi Barbie ($2.90), fellow unbeaten filly Ha'penny Hatch (4.80), trained by Paul Shailer on the Gold Coast, and the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Headbanger ($6). • 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! Dwyer is hoping he can win another Group 1 – 21 years after his last – with Dragonne Rouge, who will be targeted towards the $1m JJ Atkins (1600m) on June 14 at Eagle Farm if she can continue the brilliant start to her fledgling career (two starts, two wins). In his heyday, Dwyer had about 80 horses in work, winning the 2004 Lightning Stakes with flying filly Regimental Gal, the 'Toowoomba Tornado' who the year before captured the rich Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast. These days, Dwyer's stable numbers have dwindled to about 15 and he has become the hunter rather than the hunted. 'I was a big stable once, I had 80-odd horses at Deagon there for a while,' Dwyer said. 'Those premier trainers, you've got to keep it in reality. They've got a lot of horses and the more they get, the better quality they get and they don't come for nothing. 'It's always good to get a horse (Dragonne Rouge) with that sort of ability. She's just so strong to the line and that's what you want.' • 'I was a bit green': Healey's time to shine after Alligator Blood regret Dwyer said he was quietly confident his filly could win on Saturday under the guidance of Andrew Mallyon, who takes the ride in the absence of Damien Thornton (who is riding Ha'penny Hatch) and Michael Rodd (Isti Star). 'When you've got a small team, you're hoping everything goes right and you've done the job,' he said. 'Fortunately I've been here a few times in my life and, yeah, I am pretty confident that if she can get the right ride then she'll go good. 'I think Andrew Mallyon is the ideal rider because he likes those midfield travels and he lets his horses find their feet.' • Video 'crystal clear' on animal cruelty allegation: lawyer Dwyer believed the wide expanse of Eagle Farm would suit Dragonne Rouge even better than her last-start victory at Doomben this month when she wore down odds-on favourite Get Ready Lass over 1110m to get the cash on a soft track. 'We've had the benefit of a couple of solid runs,' Dwyer said. 'I've got no doubt that the 1200m at Eagle Farm is probably going to suit her a lot better. 'She can just travel around on the bit and let down. I think her times the other day (at Doomben) were very good.' Originally published as Sunshine Coast trainer Shaun Dwyer puts a Dragonne Rouge victory in the 2025 Calaway Gal Stakes at the top of his birthday list
News.com.au
23-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Sunshine Coast trainer Shaun Dwyer puts a Dragonne Rouge victory in the 2025 Calaway Gal Stakes at the top of his birthday list
Shaun Dwyer enjoyed his 67th birthday on Monday and the wily Sunshine Coast trainer would love nothing better than to cap celebrations with a victory over the big stables in the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday. The Group 1 -winning trainer will saddle up $7.50 chance Dragonne Rouge in the $200,000 contest over 1200m for 2YO fillies, a precursor to the start of the Queensland Winter Carnival on Saturday week. She will go up against the likes of the Tony Gollan -trained star Hi Barbie ($2.90), fellow unbeaten filly Ha'penny Hatch (4.80), trained by Paul Shailer on the Gold Coast, and the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott -trained Headbanger ($6). Dwyer is hoping he can win another Group 1 – 21 years after his last – with Dragonne Rouge, who will be targeted towards the $1m JJ Atkins (1600m) on June 14 at Eagle Farm if she can continue the brilliant start to her fledgling career (two starts, two wins). In his heyday, Dwyer had about 80 horses in work, winning the 2004 Lightning Stakes with flying filly Regimental Gal, the 'Toowoomba tornado' who the year before captured rich Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast. These days, Dwyer's stable numbers have dwindled to about 15 and he has become the hunter rather than the hunted. 'I was a big stable once, I had 80-odd horses at Deagon there for a while,' Dwyer said. 'Those premier trainers, you've got to keep it in reality. They've got a lot of horses and the more they get, the better quality they get and they don't come for nothing. 'It's always good to get a horse (Dragonne Rouge) with that sort of ability. She's just so strong to the line and that's what you want.' ðŸ�‰ Dragonne Rouge makes it two from two with a win in the opener at Doomben! @BrisRacingClub | @_damienthornton | @dwyerracing — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 12, 2025 • Dwyer said he was quietly confident his filly could win on Saturday under the guidance of Andrew Mallyon, who takes the ride in the absence of Damien Thornton (who is riding Ha'penny Hatch) and Michael Rodd (Isti Star). 'When you've got a small team, you're hoping everything goes right and you've done the job,' he said. 'Fortunately I've been here a few times in my life and, yeah, I am pretty confident that if she can get the right ride then she'll go good. 'I think Andrew Mallyon is the ideal rider because he likes those midfield travels and he lets his horses find their feet.' • Video 'crystal clear' on animal cruelty allegation: lawyer Dwyer believed the wide expanse of Eagle Farm would suit Dragonne Rouge even better than her last-start victory at Doomben this month when she wore down odds-on favourite Get Ready Lass over 1110m to get the cash on a soft track. 'We've had the benefit of a couple of solid runs,' Dwyer said. 'I've got no doubt that the 1200m at Eagle Farm is probably going to suit her a lot better. 'She can just travel around on the bit and let down. I think her times the other day (at Doomben) were very good.'
