Latest news with #Randwick
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Canterbury preview: Trainer Bjorn Baker aims to close out his record season on a high note
Trainer Bjorn Baker has had by far and away his greatest season and is keen to keep adding to it at Canterbury today as he eyes more milestones in 2025/26. Baker has so far this season prepared 155 winners, topping his previous best of 128, with his runners earning in excess of $25 million. 'It's been an amazing season. I have a great team, great clients and I have a lot of nice horses around me,' Baker said. 'As good as this season has been, I'm looking forward to next season as well.' Baker is looking to get off to a quick start at Canterbury with Shalaa Gold and Olufsen kicking off their preparations in the Benchmark 64 TAB Handicap (1100m). Shalaa Gold was runner-up in his first four starts before a breakthrough win over 1100m at Warwick Farm in January. He showed he is on track to kick off his campaign on a positive note with two very good trials including a win over King Of Roseau in his Randwick heat on July 11. 'He's a promising horse. He did a good job to finally win a maiden last start after placing a number of times,' Baker said. 'He has trialled well and he is definitely forward enough so I think he's in there with a good chance. 'I'm also happy to see that the weather is pretty good this week so we will get a decent track for him.' Shalaa Gold gets the gold in the Warwick Farm opener! 🥇 @BBakerRacing ðŸ¤� @JoshuaParr8 — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 27, 2025 • Olufsen doesn't have the race experience of Shalaa Gold but showed he possessed plenty of ability with a debut win at Wyong in March. He has also trialled very well with a second to Mirra Impact in his Randwick trial on June 27 and a fourth to Amreekiyah in a Hawkesbury heat on July 7. 'He is a full brother to Ozzmosis,' he said. 'He was very good in winning at his first start. 'He is still a little bit green and putting it all together but he has been good in his couple of trials. 'There probably isn't much between these two and he has drawn a lovely gate as well. 'I guess Shalaa Gold will probably be a little more forward that Olufsen but it will come down to luck in running a little bit as well.' Olufsen starts the career off right with a win for the @BBakerRacing stable at Wyong! ðŸ'Œ — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 19, 2025 Baker has O'Invincible engaged at Canterbury and Wyong on Thursday and will weigh up the two options. The daughter of I Am Invincible is in the Broadsiding @ Darley Handicap (1250m) for which she has drawn barrier 13 while she has gate 7 in the Benchmark 64 at Wyong. 'She has got a wide gate but there is already three scratchings inside of her,' Baker said. 'We will just have a think about whether she runs or we wait for the next day.' O'Invincible was below her best first-up when a well beaten sixth to Livin' Thing at Randwick's Kensington track but better when just over a length behind Divine Vicky when sixth at Gosford. 'She was too bad to be true first-up and I think she may have had atrial fibrillation but she definitely had an excuse that day,' he said. 'She was okay last time out and she is definitely fit and well. I think stepping up to the 1250 metres suits her as well.' 'I thought he was good first-up and had excuses last time out on a very wet track at Rosehill. 'His work on Saturday was good and off that alone, I think he's got a good chance.'
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
2025 The Everest: Ciaron Maher-trained, Ozzie Kheir-owned Jimmysstar confirmed for TAB slot
Ciaron Maher will get the chance to win The Everest in consecutive years – and so too will slot holder TAB – after freakish Group 1 winner Jimmysstar became the fourth horse signed up for the $20m race in 2025. Jimmysstar, a two-time Group 1 winner last seen storming to victory in the Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in April, becomes the fourth horse to score a slot for The Everest in October. The horse they all have to beat, Hong Kong superstar Ka Ring Rising, is confirmed for a slot and is the hot $1.80 favourite, while Private Harry ($6) and Briasa ($8) also have slots. Champion trainer Maher won the 2024 The Everest with Bella Nipotina and will get the chance to go back to back after Jimmysstar scored the TAB slot. Earlier in his career, Jimmysstar could be an enigmatic galloper and several times went down as raging favourite, including as a $1.26 chance at Flemington and also when starting at $1.75 at Eagle Farm. But the penny has well and truly dropped and he is now widely considered one of the most explosive sprinters in the country. He came from near last to blow away his opposition in this year's Group 1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield and also powered over the top of his rivals in the All Aged. JIMMYSSTAR FROM THE CLOUDS! 🚀 He wins his first Group 1 for @cmaherracing 🥰 @Brown_ethan8 â€' (@Racing) February 22, 2025 • Jimmysstar races in the colours of prominent owner Ozzie Kheir who, along with his close friend Brae Sokolski, tasted Everest success when Yes Yes Yes won for Chris Waller in 2019. Kheir wasn't on track that day but said nothing would keep him away from Randwick when Jimmysstar contested The Everest later this year. 'We were in discussions with TAB for several weeks on Jimmysstar and they were fantastic to deal with and have come to the party with the ownership group's expectations,' Kheir said. @cmaherracing and @Brown_ethan8! 🙌 @aus_turf_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 19, 2025 'We are very excited to have one of our favourite horses heading towards The Everest which would not have been in our thought processes only nine months ago. 'Jimmy has been a quirky horse from the outset, which has cost him winning in the past, but now he has turned into a racehorse mentally and from his recent videos of him he looks unreal 'He has so much ability. 'He is not a big horse but he is all muscle.'
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Via Sistina, Fangirl and more headline star-studded Randwick trials
The build up to Via Sistina's spring campaign is well and truly underway, with the nine-time Group 1 winner blowing out some cobwebs in a star-studded Randwick trial on Tuesday. It was Via Sistina 's first public appearance since claiming the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on Day 2 of The Championships and she wasn't out there to break any records. Star stablemate Fangirl was also present in the 850m hit out and both were given quiet trials as Chris Waller aims them towards the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick next month. 'The 23rd of August they will be racing … if everything goes to plan,' Waller said. 'We allow an extra week just in case for a temperature or sore foot and things like that. 'Nine times out of 10 you need it and sometimes you will see them have an exhibition gallop if they haven't had a problem. 'It's just about being careful. You are a month away so you can imagine how much fitness is going to be done in the next month.' 1⃣ The Novelist 2⃣ More Territories 3⃣ Full Count Felicia The @GaiWaterhouse1 & Adrian Bott gelding too speedy in an 850m Kensington trial on Tuesday - behind them were Extractor, Zardozi, Tom Kitten, Fangirl and Via Sistina. @tabcomau — Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) July 21, 2025 The Novelist won the 850m hit out in a time of 51.48 seconds, covering the final 600m in 33.67s. Godolphin's Tom Kitten and Zardozi also featured in the trial – their final time heading to the races under the James Cummings banner. The second heat of the morning also featured a handful of Waller's spring brigade with Autumn Glow, Wodeton, Aeliana and Lazzura returning. The unbeaten Autumn Glow settled up on the pace and finished third in the 850m hit out, won by Palmetto in 51.20s. The last 600m was covered in 33.69s. 1⃣ Palmetto 2⃣ Beiwacht 3⃣ Autumn Glow Basically all the way for @jsargentracing 's Canberra Cup winner in the second 850m Kensington trial on Tuesday - also in this heat Manaal, Pericles, Wodeton, Lazzura and Aeliana. @tabcomau — Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) July 21, 2025 • Autumn Glow is headed towards the Group 1 Epsom Handicap, for which she's rated the $3.50 favourite in futures betting. 'She would resume in one of the sprint handicaps or set weight fillies and mares races to get to the Epsom third-up,' Waller said. Meanwhile, Waller has the Group 1 Golden Rose circled on the calendar for Wodeton, with that run to decide the rest of his spring campaign. 'He (Wodeton) looks like he has come back really well and we will go to the Golden Rose. 'Then it will be Coolmore or (Caulfield) Guineas but I think 1400m will suit him better. 'He will be ready to go before the Run To The Rose. 'We could run two or three weeks before, being up this early 'But because he went out after the Golden Slipper, they actually had a long break so he is up ready to go.' Nepotism at $4.
Daily Mail
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Escort breaks silence with explosive claims about Mark Latham and his 'freak off' question
A sex worker has detailed bombshell claims that Mark Latham and his then-girlfriend contacted her for a threesome that never eventuated. The fallout for the controversial NSW independent MP continues after his ex, Nathalie Matthews claimed he inflicted 'a sustained pattern' of psychological, financial and emotional abuse against her for almost three years. Ms Matthews is now seeking an apprehended violence order against the one-time federal opposition leader, alleging Latham engaged in vile acts towards her, claims that he has denied. Sex worker Carly Electric has weighed into the saga by claiming the pair contacted her 'out of nowhere' earlier this year for what she suspected was for a threesome. 'She (Ms Matthews) just came out of nowhere and it's like they were love bombing me … each of them separately landed in my DMs,' Ms Electric told the Daily Telegraph. She claimed Ms Matthews messaged her about their common interest in horse racing before Latham made contact. 'She (Ms Matthews) was messaging me things like: "We're looking at your photos, we think that you are so stunning",' Ms Electric said. 'I was like: 'Are you going to book me'?' A back and forth of messages was exchanged before Ms Electric eventually paid her own way to fly down and meet up with the pair at a Randwick race meet on April 5, before heading out to dinner and drinks afterwards. She claimed she was driven around by Latham in a 'beaten-up car', the 'kind you'd buy your kid'. 'I thought it was quite weird that someone like him would interact with someone like me, he seemed quite excited,' Ms Electric said. She insisted that sex never eventuated between the trio and a threesome was never discussed. She broke her silence after sexually explicit WhatsApp messages between Latham and Ms Matthews became public this week. Some of the messages included references to Ms Electric, who was described by Latham as a 'good rooter'. 'Multi skilled. Comedian. Race lover. Keen rooter. Exactly our sort of person!' he wrote. He also joked if she might want to be involved in a 'freak off', a another term used by infamous rapper Sean Diddy Coombs for a threesome. Latham is yet to address the latest claims. The former federal Labor leader has categorically denied he 'abuses women' and insisted all his dealings with Ms Matthews were entirely consensual. It is also not suggested the claims of abusive behaviour are substantiated, only that the allegations have been made. In an interview with Chris Smith on 2SM on Wednesday morning, Latham did not deny sending lurid texts to Ms Matthews from the floor of state parliament. 'The big news is I had a private life,' he said. 'I had a sex life and I've got to say it was fantastic.' 'If I'm the only person in Australia who in a work environment engaged in a bit of playful sex talk with their partner, then I'll buy everyone a lottery ticket tomorrow.' Latham noted the AVO case against him was being brought privately after NSW Police chose not to pursue the allegations. 'There is a court case pending because she's lodged a private AVO application,' he said. 'She tried to get an AVO with the police... I think that tells you a lot about the substance of the matter.'
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Peter Snowden believes impressive Randwick winner Grand Prairie can measure up in the spring
Master trainer Peter Snowden added another promising youngster to his growing spring arsenal when blue-blood colt Grand Prairie returned with a bang at Randwick Kensington on Wednesday. Less than a month after brilliant stablemate Raging Force stamped his authority at the same track, Grand Prairie highlighted his spring credentials with a determined first-up success. Grand Prairie ($6) battled hard late to hold off the Chris Waller-trained Pictor ($31) in the TAB Maiden Plate (1100m). Both horses race in the colours of heavyweights Yulong, which bred Grand Prairie from its ever-growing broodmare band. Grand Prairie is by Written Tycoon out of Group 1 winner Viddora, the latter of which was a was sold to Yulong as a breeding prospect for $2.55m in 2020. 'He is a nice horse, we've always liked him,' Snowden said. 'He is still learning, having a look around at other horses and when he got to the front he stargazed a little bit. 'That's good because he is still wining and doing that because you know with more race experience, the better he will get.' Grand Prairie just does enough to hold off Pictor and wins at Randwick-Kensington for @SnowdenRacing1! 🙌 — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 16, 2025 • Snowden is still working out whether Grand Prairie is an out-and-out sprinter or whether he will be suited stepping out to 1400m to a mile. With the spring carnival right just around the corner, the Randwick trainer will have plenty of options to choose from in the coming months. 'He is in the right time of year and is ready to launch,' Snowden said. 'There is lot of good racing coming up. It is up to him whether he keeps stepping up but he has a great pedigree out of a very good mare. 'It's pleasing to have the Yulong horses going well. 'It's not a bad race either, there is a bit of depth in that so the fact is he has won and won like that, and he's still learning.' It's an easy watch at the Kenso track with Custom firing home to take out the third! 🚀 @JamesCummings88 | @ZacLloydx — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 16, 2025 There will be no shortage of trainers putting their hand up to take over the training duties of exciting Godolphin filly Custom. The daughter of Street Boss made a sensational return from a break when she bolted home from back in the field to score by 1¼ lengths in the Drinkwise Maiden Plate (1100m). Custom is currently trained by James Cummings but Godolphin will move to a public training model on August 1, meaning the filly will find a new home. That new stable is still to be confirmed.
