Latest news with #Muswellbrook
The Australian
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Muswellbrook, Goulburn previews: Winx and you'll miss it
There is Winx form at Muswellbrook on Tuesday. Kind of. Enter Wayne Wilkes' home-bred first-starter Bellerata. Granted, Bellerata was foaled 10 years after Winx arrived but her own dam, Uratta Belle, wasn't just a contemporary of Winx, she was once a rival. Housed on the Central Coast by Kylie Gavenlock, Uratta Belle was sent out a $4.40 favourite in the IBIS Milano Restaurant Handicap (1100m) at Warwick Farm on June 4, 2014. Try as she might, Uratta Belle finished a distant third to one of Chris Waller's debutantes, namely, Winx. • 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! On Tuesday at Muswellbrook it will be the turn of Uratta Belle's second foal, Bellerata, to make her racetrack debut in the Godolphin Maiden Plate over 1000m. Bellerata was among the 116 foals from the first crop of Greg Hickman's All Aged Stakes winner Pierata. Wilkes' filly has trialled twice, finishing third of four in a December 30 heat at Taree before resurfacing at Port Macquarie on June 24 to clock in a close second of the half dozen runners. 'She has just got to do things right in the race,'' Wilkes said. 'She did a little bit wrong in her trial so I am just looking for a good educational run. 'She is a nice filly but she is still probably a bit young in the head too.' It may not be too long again before Wilkes is back in Sydney on a Highway quest. The Taree master is eager to test his handy chestnut Tanglewood Jimmy in another Highway after his barnstorming fourth in his first Highway back on Spring Champion Stakes day, 2024. 'I would like to find a nice 1600m Highway for the next start would be ideal,'' Wilkes says. 'Jimmy's' immediate mission will be Tuesday's Arrowfield Class 3 Handicap (1450m). It will be the horse's second run in 2025, the best part of a month after his eye-catching third at Muswellbrook in a 1280m Benchmark 66. 'I was very happy with him,'' Wilkes said. 'He was probably a little bit on the fat side first-up but still found the line. 'The 1400m will suit him, it's just if he gets the right run.' Both Bellerata and Tanglewood Jimmy will be steered on Tuesday by Wilkes' talented apprentice jockey/daughter Shae, whose tally of winners has reached 60 in quick time, with 23 of those wins are shared with her father. Trainer Wilkes' third and final runner on the Muswellbrook card today is Sheila's Fanta Sea who boasts a tidy CV of two wins, three seconds and two thirds. Sheila's Fanta Sea will no doubt find Tuesday's assignment decidedly easier than her last start when pitched against all-comers from around the state in a 1200m Class 3 TAB Highway at Royal Randwick. 'She just goes up a little bit in weight but she comes back to the country,'' Wilkes said. 'I nominated her for Scone as well on Friday and this is quite a tough race but I don't expect Scone to be much easier. 'She's had a couple of goes at Scone and hasn't done well there, whereas she has placed twice at Muswellbrook the only times she's been there.' Sheila's Fanta Sea boasts a fascinating pedigree. Her fifth dam is none other than Sweet Embrace who still holds the somewhat dubious honour of being the longest priced winner of the Golden Slipper. The Jack and Bob Ingham owned daughter of inaugural Golden Slipper winner Todman was sent out at 40/1 when successfully shedding her maiden status in the 1967 renewal. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Cleary wants a win for 'Uncle Gerry' Trainer Joe Cleary (right) with his trainer father Frank. Trainer Joe Cleary aims to deliver the man he affectionately knows as 'Uncle Gerry' a parting gift when blue-blooded mare Juliette's Joy makes what could very well be her final racetrack appearance on Tuesday. Juliette's Joy was bred by Gerry Harvey and foaled down in New Zealand. Not only is she a daughter of New Zealand's nine-times Champion Stallion Savabeel, she is from the same family as the Harvey-bred 2003 Golden Slipper winner Polar Success. 'The wet track won't worry her, she is rock hard fit, 2100m – there's more positives than negatives,'' Cleary says. 'I have taken the blinkers off her, she's just been getting a little bit revvy with the hoods on so hopefully she can just get back and relax and find the best part of the track. 'And I think that will be it for her on Tuesday. I think she heads home after (today). 'She's been a ripper. She really cops her work and she enjoys her work and her racing but it is that time of the year when Uncle Gerry wants his mares home and I think she'll be one of them.' 'Uncle Gerry' can reciprocate by handing Cleary a present of his own should the in-form Pretty Vegas cash in on Tuesday. A daughter of Exosphere, Pretty Vegas made her way to Cleary's Queanbeyan HQ from Harvey's Baramul Stud in the Hunter Valley via Adelaide when offered at the 2021 Magic Millions. 'She is super consistent,'' Cleary said. 'I just thought I would stay away from Saturday's Highway and try and find her a confidence booster and I think I've found the right race for her on Tuesday. 'Keagan (Latham) seems to ride her really well, they seem to have clicked, and she carries weight okay. 'An outside barrier won't be a hindrance with the way the track is going to play, so it is probably a bonus drawn out to be honest, and she has trained on well since her good effort in the Highway (June 21). The Canberra Raiders tragic will also saddle-up stablemates Pick A Symphony and Crazy Atom. 'Pick A Symphony has still got his L-Plates but he is going to be a nice horse,'' Cleary said. 'Crazy Atom is screaming out of a bit of a journey and a bit of juice in the track and she is going to get both.'
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Muswellbrook, Goulburn Tuesday preview: Winx and you'll miss it
Kind of. Enter Wayne Wilkes ' home-bred first-starter Bellerata. Granted, Bellerata was foaled 10 years after Winx arrived but her own dam, Uratta Belle, wasn't just a contemporary of Winx, she was once a rival. Housed on the Central Coast by Kylie Gavenlock, Uratta Belle was sent out a $4.40 favourite in the IBIS Milano Restaurant Handicap (1100m) at Warwick Farm on June 4, 2014. Try as she might, Uratta Belle finished a distant third to one of Chris Waller 's debutantes, namely, Winx. On Tuesday at Muswellbrook it will be the turn of Uratta Belle's second foal, Bellerata, to make her racetrack debut in the Godolphin Maiden Plate over 1000m. Bellerata was among the 116 foals from the first crop of Greg Hickman's All Aged Stakes winner Pierata. Wilkes' filly has trialled twice, finishing third of four in a December 30 heat at Taree before resurfacing at Port Macquarie on June 24 to clock in a close second of the half dozen runners. 'She has just got to do things right in the race,'' Wilkes said. 'She did a little bit wrong in her trial so I am just looking for a good educational run. 'She is a nice filly but she is still probably a bit young in the head too.' It may not be too long again before Wilkes is back in Sydney on a Highway quest. The Taree master is eager to test his handy chestnut Tanglewood Jimmy in another Highway after his barnstorming fourth in his first Highway back on Spring Champion Stakes day, 2024. Tanglewood Jimmy gets the job done with the big weight! ðŸ'° @Wilkes_Racing — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 17, 2024 'I would like to find a nice 1600m Highway for the next start would be ideal,'' Wilkes says. 'Jimmy's' immediate mission will be Tuesday's Arrowfield Class 3 Handicap (1450m). It will be the horse's second run in 2025, the best part of a month after his eye-catching third at Muswellbrook in a 1280m Benchmark 66. 'I was very happy with him,'' Wilkes said. 'He was probably a little bit on the fat side first-up but still found the line. 'The 1400m will suit him, it's just if he gets the right run.' Both Bellerata and Tanglewood Jimmy will be steered on Tuesday by Wilkes' talented apprentice jockey/daughter Shae, whose tally of winners has reached 60 in quick time, with 23 of those wins are shared with her father. Trainer Wilkes' third and final runner on the Muswellbrook card today is Sheila's Fanta Sea who boasts a tidy CV of two wins, three seconds and two thirds. Sheila's Fanta Sea will no doubt find Tuesday's assignment decidedly easier than her last start when pitched against all-comers from around the state in a 1200m Class 3 TAB Highway at Royal Randwick. 'She just goes up a little bit in weight but she comes back to the country,'' Wilkes said. 'I nominated her for Scone as well on Friday and this is quite a tough race but I don't expect Scone to be much easier. 'She's had a couple of goes at Scone and hasn't done well there, whereas she has placed twice at Muswellbrook the only times she's been there.' Sheila's Fanta Sea boasts a fascinating pedigree. Her fifth dam is none other than Sweet Embrace who still holds the somewhat dubious honour of being the longest priced winner of the Golden Slipper. The Jack and Bob Ingham owned daughter of inaugural Golden Slipper winner Todman was sent out at 40/1 when successfully shedding her maiden status in the 1967 renewal. â– â– â– â– â– Cleary wants a win for 'Uncle Gerry' Trainer Joe Cleary aims to deliver the man he affectionately knows as 'Uncle Gerry' a parting gift when blue-blooded mare Juliette's Joy makes what could very well be her final racetrack appearance on Tuesday. Juliette's Joy was bred by Gerry Harvey and foaled down in New Zealand. Not only is she a daughter of New Zealand's nine-times Champion Stallion Savabeel, she is from the same family as the Harvey-bred 2003 Golden Slipper winner Polar Success. 'The wet track won't worry her, she is rock hard fit, 2100m – there's more positives than negatives,'' Cleary says. 'I have taken the blinkers off her, she's just been getting a little bit revvy with the hoods on so hopefully she can just get back and relax and find the best part of the track. 'And I think that will be it for her on Tuesday. I think she heads home after (today). 'She's been a ripper. She really cops her work and she enjoys her work and her racing but it is that time of the year when Uncle Gerry wants his mares home and I think she'll be one of them.' 'Uncle Gerry' can reciprocate by handing Cleary a present of his own should the in-form Pretty Vegas cash in on Tuesday. A daughter of Exosphere, Pretty Vegas made her way to Cleary's Queanbeyan HQ from Harvey's Baramul Stud in the Hunter Valley via Adelaide when offered at the 2021 Magic Millions. 'She is super consistent,'' Cleary said. 'I just thought I would stay away from Saturday's Highway and try and find her a confidence booster and I think I've found the right race for her on Tuesday. ' Keagan (Latham) seems to ride her really well, they seem to have clicked, and she carries weight okay. 'An outside barrier won't be a hindrance with the way the track is going to play, so it is probably a bonus drawn out to be honest, and she has trained on well since her good effort in the Highway (June 21). The Canberra Raiders tragic will also saddle-up stablemates Pick A Symphony and Crazy Atom. 'Pick A Symphony has still got his L-Plates but he is going to be a nice horse,'' Cleary said. 'Crazy Atom is screaming out of a bit of a journey and a bit of juice in the track and she is going to get both.'
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Shayne O'Cass's tips, inside mail for Goulburn, Muswellbrook on Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Form analyst Shayne O'Cass provides his best bets and race-by-race analysis for Goulburn and Muswellbrook on Tuesday. â– â– â– â– â– GOULBURN TIPS BEST BET Race 5 No.3 WEXFORD MISS: Races well at home, excels at the trip and handles it wet. NEXT BEST Race 7 No.6 GREYGENTA: Lightly-raced filly who possesses a big finish. Go well. VALUE Race 6 No.11 NAMBI GHIMA: Best runs so far have been on Heavy tracks. Good longshot. QUADDIE Race 4: 2,6,9,10 Race 5: 3 Race 6: 3,6,8,11 Race 7: 4,6 JOCKEY TO FOLLOW Keagan Latham is less than a month away from winning another Provincial title. GOULBURN INSIDE MAIL SHADY ROAD (10) has also accepted for Muswellbrook today. Long story short; he was a $650,000 Easter Yearling purchase who has trialled really well without having been shown up or shown off. CRIMSON WINGS (9) is ready to go to the races after two trials, one good, the other one – very good. Hails forms a great NZ family. SHREDDED (6) was well-backed on debut at Kembla. Beaten but could be a big improver. BET: SHADY ROAD (10) each-way or if scratched CRIMSON WINGS (9) to win. WEXFORD MISS (3) is a Kembla winner for the O'Shea/Charlton. Still with Champion Thoroughbreds, she has twice finished runner-up inside her five runs for Danielle Seib who has found the perfect fit for the mare today. CRAZY ATOM (4) will very much appreciate the 1400m second-up, off his 1200m return last month. Has sound numbers on Heavy tracks. Forbes resident EAST HARLEM (7) is crying out for 1400m now. BET: WEXFORD MISS (3) (best bet), Daily Double 1st Leg 3, 2nd Leg 6. NAMBI GHIMA (11) is unplaced in six starts but her best run so far was on a Heavy track at Nowra. The Jason Coyle bred, owned and trained filly also trialled rather well on occasions on Heavy tracks at Warwick Farm. THE BIG BLUE (6) was warming to the task big time when third at Wyong first-up. This big track will suit him better, so will the mile. Ditto that for OMAHA SAND (3) who has miler written all over him. GREYGENTA (6) is a ghostly grey like her sire, D'Argento, the Rosehill Guineas winner. This Gary Portelli trained $35,000 weanling purchase has done some good things in her five starts so far. Her win at Queanbeyan was bordering on the unbelievable; they don't often win from last of 10 like she did that day. Market watch advised. Her biggest danger – and obstacle – is the stablemate SCULPTOR (4) whose lone win was on a heavy 8 at Goulburn. Drawn wide but not a terribly big field. BET: GREYGENTA (6) to win or if scratched SCULPTOR (4) to win. â– â– â– â– â– MUSWELLBROOK TIPS NEXT BEST Race 1 No.3 HE'STHECHIEF: Local who has his foot firmly on the till. VALUE Race 3 No.7 BELLERATA: First starter from a good barn who has trialled well. SWEXAN (5) is a son of Sweynesse out of a mare by Melbourne Cup placegetter Jakallberry. There is no doubt with that sort of pedigree that Swexan will run at very least a mile and probably more. If that is true, then he has to be marked 'up' on that distant third on debut at Wyong over 1100m. REBEL RHAPSODY (1) has placed at three of his six starts, all at the provincials, one by a nose at Kembla. Has trialled well. EMPRESS TSARINA (4) demands respect. BET: SWEXAN (5) to win. TANGLEWOOD JIMMY (7) is a handy horse who has finished 'out of the frame' once in 10 starts and that was on a Heavy 10 at Rosehill at the end of a pretty long and successful campaign. He was very hard to miss late in the race first-up here. Progressive type. GALANO (1) has 65kg which doesn't automatically rule him out but is he a 10kg better horse than 'Jimmy'? Doubt it but we'll see. LUSKAIRE (3) and POCKET EIGHTS (4) have claims. BET: TANGLEWOOD JIMMY (7) to win (best bet), Daily Double 1st Leg 7, 2nd Leg 5. SUPERHERO (1) has accepted for two races at Canterbury on Wednesday. Should he be absent today, it could open the door for the 2022 Rockhampton Capricornia Yearling Sale Classic 2YO Plate winner, Sammiballerina to waltz back into the winner's stall. Sure, she doesn't win often but her other victory was here at home over this same trip. EIGHTY EIGHT STARS (5) is a track/distance winner. GOLDEN HONOUR (6) has won three times on Heavy. PRINCESS MARY (5) has two wins and three seconds from 15 starts. More impressive however are her first-up stats if one win and two seconds from five fresh runs. She handles Good to Heavy. On face value, the 1000m is short of her best but her best is good enough to win this and she is first-up remember off a smashing trial win. TOOMUCHINFORMATION (3) and WITHSTAND (4) are likewise first-up. As for Bullock's mount, Toomuchinformation, he trialled well in the Princess Mary heat.
News.com.au
03-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Tamworth preview: Justin Bowen backs eager apprentice Bronte Simpson to get the job done on Zakor
Muswellbrook housed galloper Zakor will make the trip out to Tamworth for the eighth time in his career chasing what would be his third win at the track and distance set aside for the feature event. The six-year-old's first run at Tamworth coincided with his first win; Aaron Bullock steering the then Jan Bowen-trained two-year-old to an easy triumph in the April 6, 2021 maiden immediately prior to his honourable fourth in the annual Romantic Dream Plate. Fast forward to the present and while Zakor is still owned by his breeder, Jan Bowen, he has switched stables to her grandson, Justin, for whom the horse has raced nine times. During that sequence, Zakor posted an emphatic win at his home track last centred in between four other minor placings. Zakor lands some good bets and gets up at @thebrookracing for local trainer Justin Bowen! â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 22, 2024 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! 'He was tops,' Bowen said. 'You take the winner (Flame Of Hestia) out and he's right there fighting it out for the finish. The winner was just a class above them on the day and we won't find one of them at Tamworth, that's for sure. 'The Wyong track is a little tight and he is a big boy so by the time he winds-up it's all over but a track like Tamworth will definitely suit him. 'He is always highly competitive and back to his own grade on Friday, it is certainly one of races that with the right run and a bit of luck, he'll be right there. 'If we can find the right race, which I think we have, he is ready to break through again.' Zakor has been ridden by some of the best in the business in his time with Justin Bowen, namely Aaron Bullock, Ashley Morgan, Clayton Gallagher, Darryl McLellan and Josh Parr. This week, it will be the turn of highly regarded young apprentice Bronte Simpson in the TLE Electrical Benchmark 74 Handicap (1000m). 'I have followed her for a while and she is riding really well,' Bowen said. 'She is always messaging me every time we've got a runner asking if we have anything and we finally got the right one for her. 'Zak is pretty tractable. He is pretty easy just to jump and be on speed and the way Bronte rides, she does such a good job, so I think she'll get along with him pretty well.' Atoka breaks her maiden at her 26th start! 😮 â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 6, 2025 For the record, Zakor is a son of Golden Rose and Doomben 10,000 winner Epaulette who was exported to Turkey in 2021 to continue his stud duties. Bowen heads to Tamworth with a second Epaulette foal, this one named Atoka who is raced in partnership by Jan Bowen and the Hunter Valley living legend, Pat Farrell. The four-year-old Atoka is rated a $71 chance to win the Anytime Self Storage Units Class 1 Handicap (1200m) but is given a much better hope of securing a rare (second) win by her trainer. 'It is a nice race for her,' Bowen said. 'She gets through the wet and she enjoys Tamworth. 'I can see her bouncing back and running a good one.' Atoka will need a few scratchings to make the cut, stablemate Thirteen Under will need a flood of absenteeism in the same race, but is not without hope of a medal should he be granted the opportunity. 'He is his own worst enemy. He gets too far back and misses the kick but if he can jump clean and put himself in a position, he is also one that can just pipe up and run a blinder on the day,' he said. â– â– â– â– â– Ace race broadcaster Anthony Manton can add another winner to his tally should the Waikato Stud graduate Imezaaki find his old spark in the Warnelec Electrical Services Benchmark 58 Handicap (2100m). Manton is no stranger to the winner's stall, most often with company from others in one of his Patriot Bloodstock ventures. As for Imezaaki, he was originally sold for $200,000 at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale to Bjorn Baker. It was during his stay there that Imezaaki recorded his career personal best when finishing third in the Group 3 BRC Grand Prix (2100m) in December 2023. This week's assignment is over the exact same trip, third-up off a 1400m and mile run for his new handler, Craig Clegg. Encoder storms home down the outside in the Grand Prix Stakes, saluting for @freedman_lee! â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 16, 2023 'He has run over a trip a few times before,' Clegg said. 'I have been happy enough with him. I would have loved to have had another mile under his belt, just to be more satisfying, but we'll know on Friday whether that's true or not. 'I have looked through his form, he's run places on Soft but it is going to be Heavy (this week) but they have all got to plough through it.' Clegg, meanwhile, takes two of his string into the rich and rewarding Anytime Self Storage Units Country Boosted Class 1 Handicap over 1200m with Rembroy and Cascan fighting it out for the enhanced purse. 'It's a $30,000 Country Boosted race,' Clegg said. 'It terrific what Racing NSW are doing for up here.' Clegg is leaning the way of Rembroy and hardly surprising given the powerful nature of the gelding's June 16 win at Tamworth under Aaron Bullock. 'The last 50 to a 100 metres was nice the other day and Aaron said the same thing,' Clegg said. 'He's drawn (barrier) 3 so Aaron will put him in a nice comfy spot, you'd think.' And while Rembroy has been dealt a 'winning draw', his stablemate will be one of the last of the runners called up. 'Cascan is drawn wide but it's a get back type who will hopefully run home,' Clegg said. 'It might be a bit short for her but I had to give it a run somewhere to get a bit of match fitness under her belt.'
ABC News
12-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Bayswater Power Station turns 40 as ageing infrastructure drives up energy bills
It has been 40 years since Bayswater Power Station near Muswellbrook first roared to life. At its peak, Bayswater was the largest energy supplier to the New South Wales grid. This week, past and present employees gathered to celebrate the past 40 years while staring down a future beyond coal-fired power. Bayswater will not make it to 50, with the site scheduled to power down in 2033. AGL's transformation lead Shaun Green said it could be daunting looking towards an unknown future. "If you go back a decade, we had no idea that it would look like this," he said. But he remained optimistic about the industry's future. "It is very exciting what we've got planned with our future and the transition out of coal," Mr Green said. Chris D'Hotman started at Bayswater as a mechanical engineer and is now the head of generation and revenue. He said, despite the move away from coal-fired power, the staff had immense pride in their work. "We do it because we know what we're doing is powering the economy," Mr D'Hotman said. As the 2033 closure date looms, maintenance costs continue to rise and planned and unplanned outages increase at Bayswater. It is part of a wider trend that contributes to rising power bills. AGL will spend more than $130 million and switch off one of four units for planned maintenance at Bayswater this September, which it does on a four-year cycle. Bayswater-Liddell general manager, Len McLachlan, said costs inevitably increased as infrastructure aged. "Most of the equipment was built [in the 1980s] and mainly stays the same … so we do need to fine-tune it," he said. "Definitely, ageing plants can contribute to [higher prices], but I think it's more so just the fact that the energy industry is changing so much. A report from Reliability Watch using data supplied by power station operators to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) revealed how unreliable the power station was. One of Bayswater's four units was completely offline from October 1, 2024, until February 19, 2025. Meanwhile, there were nine other outages across the site's other three units between October and March. The Australian Energy Regulator has warned NSW customers they are in for a hefty increase to their power bills of between 7.9 to 9.7 per cent from July 1. AEMO has linked increasing outages at ageing coal-fired power stations in the final quarter of 2024 to record-high wholesale prices. Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis lead Australian electricity analyst Johanna Bowyer said that when power stations went offline for repairs and maintenance, more expensive forms of power, such as gas, were used to fill the gaps. She said this pushed up wholesale electricity prices. Bayswater has provided about 20 per cent of NSW's electricity over the past four decades. But at Bayswater's age, Ms Bowyer said its days were numbered. "We've seen coal generators over the age of 40 years decline to have an average availability of 65 per cent, so only 65 per cent of their capacity available to market," she said. With coal-fired power stations set to close, renewable projects have been emerging to take their place, including plans for a solar panel manufacturing site at nearby Liddell Power Station. Meanwhile, AGL is also pushing forward with its Hunter Energy Hub, which includes solar and wind projects as well as battery storage. Chris D'Hotman said he "often considers" if he will need to change careers by moving into the renewable industry. "Renewables are expanding at such a rapid rate," he said. "It's something that we in the coal-fired sector ought to know more about."
