Latest news with #Royal Randwick
The Australian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Nashville Jack in fine tune with slashing first-up win at Randwick
Trainer Brad Widdup waited until the last minute to decide to run Nashville Jack at Royal Randwick but his judgment proved correct as his promising colt put himself in the frame for the spring on Saturday. Widdup only made the final call on race-day morning to run his lightly-raced talent in the Keeneland September Yearling Sale 2YO Handicap (1100m) with the option to wait until Wednesday available to him. But the opportunity to run in the Saturday grade proved an opportunity too good to pass up. • 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! Nashville Jack was comfortably up to challenge as he produced a slashing first-up performance to score as hot favourite Nazwah floundered. The son of Golden Slipper winner Farnan still isn't the complete product but Widdup is excited about what's to come. 'He is still growing into himself,' Widdup said. 'He has always had natural talent. He contested a couple of strong races early on. 'I was umming and arring whether to run today but when he drew well, it made it easy.' Jockey Jason Collett was able to use barrier two to give Nashville Jack a perfect run on the fence and the experienced hoop elected to make his run closest to the inside. Nashville Jack ($4.60) went through his gears nicely and hit the front inside the final 150m, coasting clear late to score by two lengths from Lindsay Park galloper Hello Romeo ($13) and the Kris Lees-trained Wisnierska ($81). 'He is a nice horse, he has a bit of substance to him,' Collett said. 'He obviously trialled really good coming into it and I don't think he minded that soft ground. 'It's probably on the worst side of a soft 6 but it was a good performance and was quite soft in the end once he got to the front.' Nashville Jack is raced by Mulberry Racing's Michael Gregg, who has been a substantial investor in yearlings in recent years and recently purchased a slot in the $20m The Everest. His latest colt wears the same bumblebee yellow and black silks of his Group 2 winning sprinter stablemate Jedibeel. Nashville Jack was one of 114 live foals that made up the first crop by the 2020 Golden Slipper winner and Kia Ora Stud resident sire, Farnan. The colt, who was foaled on Halloween in 2022, was knocked down to Widdup for $225,000 when offered at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Widdup tested him in stakes company in a pair of Golden Slipper lead-ups early in his career where the colt finished fourth in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes and fifth in the Group 3 Black Opal Stakes. 'He has run in the Silver Slipper and his run in the Opal was very good when he came in with a shoe sticking halfway up his foot,' Widdup said. 'We put him out and he trialled up really well and it's great to see him return like that. 'It's not easy to do to come to Randwick against a couple of nice horses. 'I had him in Wednesday in a maiden and was umming and arring to the last minute this morning but it's great to see him come back and return like that.' Widdup is eager to see if Nashville Jack will measure up in black-type races again in the spring and will now consider running the colt in the Listed $200,000 The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on August 18, 'That race is probably the obvious,' Widdup said. 'We will have a look at that for sure and see what happens from there.' Nazwah, the $1.95 favourite, was coming off a dominant debut victory at Gosford but failed to replicate the first-up effort. The Peter Snowden-trained galloper had to do some work to find the front and lead Shaggy but ran out of gas over the concluding stages, finishing two-and-a-half lengths off the winner in sixth. Shaggy ($8) was similarly disappointing in his return, fading to only beat one runner home.
The Australian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Australian
Trainer Chris Waller praises Tommy Berry's tactical mastery on Cigar Flick at Randwick
Trainer Chris Waller had jockey Tommy Berry to thank after his well-bred mare Cigar Flick scored her first victory in more than a year at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Waller had a different plan in mind for his daughter of Churchill before Berry went off script to produce her with a barnstorming run down the outside to win the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m). 'I was actually watching the race with Charlie (Duckworth) and said 'I don't know what this Tommy is doing, we said we were going to come through them and have the last crack at them',' Waller said. • 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! 'Then I said after the race 'that's why Tommy is a jockey and I am a trainer'. He knew what he was doing.' Berry settled Cigar Flick in her customary position towards the rear of the field and ensured the daughter of Churchill kept momentum as they rounded the turn in a four-wide line. Cigar Flick ($13) unleashed a powerful burst down the outside to run over the top of the Matthew Smith-trained World Alliance ($11) to prevail by one-and-a-quarter lengths. John Thompson's Bundeena ($8) gave them something to catch inside the final furlong before finishing third. 'She is one that you have to ride for bad luck and hope for a bit of good luck,' Berry said. 'Today the opportunity presented to get her to the outside. 'I still had a bum to follow and be patient on her and she reaped the rewards of what's been a consistent preparation without any luck. 'She is in at the right time of year.' • Nashville Jack in fine tune with slashing win Cigar Flick hadn't won for more than a year heading into Saturday but Waller is hoping to win another race with the mare before she is retired to stud later this year. 'She is a lovely horse, beautiful,' Waller said. 'She won't have too much more racing. Her mum is a sister to Fangirl so she is well bred and she will go to stud this year. She has done a great job. 'We will see what else we can find. 'This type of distance and these type of conditions and she can win another one of them.' The win came less than an hour after Berry produced a vastly different ride to score on the Ciaron Maher-trained Lugh. His decision to push forward early on the son of Snitzel in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1300m) proved decisive. Lugh ($9) travelled well outside the lead and kept finding over in the straight to hold off Chris Waller's Starman ($16) by three-quarters of a length with the Bjorn Baker-trained Slinky ($21) working home strongly for third. • 'Sneaky chance': Pride mare shocks rivals at $51 Lugh is still only lightly-raced and has highlighted his considerable talent in just a handful of starts, winning four of six. 'He doesn't have much of a turn of foot but has a big action,' Maher's assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said. 'On a bigger track here at Randwick was going to suit him better. 'He enjoyed the conditions and I thought Tommy (Berry) rode him really well. 'He is a horse that needs a bit of encouragement, he is very casual and has the best attitude. 'The way Tommy rode him, he kept him on his job.' Stablemate Sacred Rocks was expected to be the horse to beat but was a drifter in betting out to $3.50 and never looked likely. Apprentice Anna Roper made a mid-race move to settle closer on the daughter of Sacred Falls, which ran out of gas over the concluding stages to miss the placings. 'I don't it really work out for Sacred Rocks,' Gerard-Dubord said. 'She was slow away and just had to make that move mid-race. 'She got going early so was always going to be soft late.'
The Australian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
Randwick inside mail: Barbara Joseph eyes Big Dance success as 50th milestone looms
One of the undisputed queens of the sport of kings is days away from reaching an epic milestone that will take her to '50 not out'. Barbara Joseph, aka the Queen of Bombala, will see off another racing season with a couple of live chances at Royal Randwick on Saturday, the same venue as her memorable Doncaster win in 1989 with Merimbula Bay. • 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! 'Mum had her first starter at Bombala on the fifth of October in 1975,'' son Paul Jones said. 'It's name was Howitt Park, hence her property at Bombala is named that.' It won. Howitt Park was to become the first of more than 1000 winners trained by Joseph from Bong Bong to Fannie Bay in Darwin, granting Joseph her 'Cups Queen' status. 'We've lost count of the number of cups she has won, either on her own or in the partnership, because for a while there she was winning every cup. 'She's won the Bombala Cup so many times, Cooma Cups, I think she won five, six or seven Bega Cups. 'She's got a big, beautiful trophy cabinet of all the notable trophies that she's won, a Snake Gully Cup, she won that a few times, Wagga Cup, she won that in 2000 and again not long after.' Barbara Joseph is closing in on her 50th anniversary as a trainer, her Big Dance prospect Super Helpful is a runner at Randwick on Saturday (top right) and Joseph with jockey Darren Beadman after a win in 1996. Main picture: Jonathan Ng Then there's all the Canberra Cups, the Darwin Cup and of course the spoils of Merimbula Bay's Doncaster. Overcrowded as it may be, Joseph would be only too happy to accommodate space for The Big Dance silverware should Team J J R's 2023 Big Dance placegetter Super Helpful rise to the occasion on the first Tuesday of November. • Thompson has strong hand to cap off outstanding season The $20,000 yearling whose earnings are within sight of $1m is back at HQ on Saturday, two weeks after his forgettable, and forgivable, failure there. 'He stood there and stepped back when they jumped and missed the start by four,'' Jones said. 'We gave him a 400m jumpout the Wednesday after and he pinged the lids. Billy Owen rode him for me in the jumpout and said he won't be missing it next time.' Jones, meanwhile, is bullish about the chances of last-start Narrandera winner Cougars in The Agency Real Estate Handicap (1300m). 'Don't underestimate this horse,'' Jones warned. 'He is working with our best horses, (Australian Oaks runner-up) Sun 'N' Sand and he works with Super Helpful and he probably has the wood on them when he sits in front of them.' ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ BEST BET CIGAR FLICK (race 8) hasn't won since June 29 last year at Eagle Farm when Tommy Berry rode her as was the case in her last two at Randwick and Rosehill where horse and rider can count themselves as unlucky. Fair to say, that this 'niece' and stablemate of Fangirl is a magnet for bad luck but she is a genuine black-type performer. All in all, she is too good to be priced at $12. • 'I'll miss the team': Cummings prepares for emotional farewell BEST VALUE VERY SEWREEL (race 6) is a daughter of Sewreel who won the Oaks Prelude in NZ when Murray Baker had her. Sewreel crossed the Tasman and had four runs our side of the ditch (for son Bjorn) including a third on the Belle Of The Turf. Her Snitzel daughter Very Sewreel was runner-up in the Tassie Oaks for Tulloch Lodge and her debut run for (Bjorn) Baker here two weeks ago had so much merit, most of it hidden. Talented type. EARLY QUADDIE RACE 3: 6, 7, 8 RACE 4: 1, 2, 3, 8 RACE 5: 1, 2 RACE 6: 5, 9 QUADDIE RACE 7: 4, 6, 7, 11 RACE 8: 4 RACE 9: 4, 10, 18 RACE 10: 3, 5, 6, 9 PRICE CHECK RUBY FLYER (race 5) went off at $51 first-up at Rosehill on July 5 and beat one home but there is a good reason why he was $19 (on Friday morning) for this. First of all, he ran through the line with a bit of purpose there when resuming so we can suggest he has come back in good nick. Next off, he is a second-up winner, a Randwick winner and best of all, his numbers at the mile are four wins and two thirds from seven goes. Gets in nicely now with the 3kg off. SECTIONAL STARS KINGSTON CHARM (race 2) was bred by Cathy Hains, the daughter of Kingston Town's owner/breeder David. As her name suggests, Kingston Charm is from one of the great families of the Stud Book that include Melbourne Cup winner, Kingston Rule. As for Kingston Charm, she is more a miler than a two-miler and provided the track plays fair on the weekend, she will be launching her bid hard and fast as was the case when an unlucky second in the July 12 Midway here. • Untapped talent chasing another win at Randwick on Saturday RANTAN (race 9) is one of two runners at HQ on Saturday for the Hall of Famer, Ron Quinton. Now if they both happened to win, Quinton would have trained exactly 100 winners at Royal Randwick. God knows how many winners he rode here/there! As for Rantan, she has been racing without much luck this preparation but we know from all the way back to her 900m debut win at Newcastle that she has a booming finish when clear. TRIAL POINTERS SHAGGY (race 1) is fast! Very fast! Remember he ran 45 seconds to win his 800m debut by almost six lengths. Hard to know what this exorbitant rail placement means on the day but surely barrier one, first use of the track, with an 11m rail out, can only boost Shaggy's already undeniable winning prospects. Won a Beaumont heat on July 9 – nicely. STARMAN (race 7) may not be every punter's cup of tea. To be fair to the horse, he is somewhere in between a non-winner and perennially unlucky. If you consider that he has placed five times in 11 Randwick runs then he is probably worth a look at $4 the place and $18 the win for the brave ones.
The Australian
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Australian
‘Very exciting horse': Glorious Moments can end trainers' black-type wait after statement win at Randwick
It's been more than 10 years since long-time Randwick stalwarts Jim and Greg Lee tasted black-type success, but their next feature win might be just around the corner. The Lee brothers last tasted Stakes race success in the 2015 Winter Challenge with Keepit To Yourself but the latest product to come out of their stable, Glorious Moments made a serious statement at Royal Randwick on Saturday. The lightly raced gelding produced a classy turn of foot to put his rivals away in fine style when scoring an emphatic win in the 3YO Benchmark 72 Handicap (1300m). • 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 home track victory came at just the fourth start for Glorious Moments which was sidelined for more than 12 months after his first two starts as a juvenile due to a quarter crack in a hoof. 'You do what you can to keep it together but unfortunately it didn't work out early in his career and he eventually had to go out,' Greg Lee said leading up to Saturday. 'The only way that is going to repair is giving them time and that's what we did.' Glorious Moments made a winning return from a long spell at Canterbury on June 18 then on Saturday he provided his winning jockey Heavelon Van Der Hoven with his first Sydney metropolitan winner, 24 hours before the rider relocates to continue his career. Van Der Hoven, 32, was born in Namibia and has been based in New South Wales for five years but on Sunday, he's making the move to Queensland in the quest of more opportunities. 'I'm very grateful for the chance to ride a horse like this,' Van Der Hoven said. 'I'm going to Brisbane. I'm just going to try and see how I go up there. • Nashville Jack in fine tune with slashing win 'I really like the atmosphere and the weather up there. 'If I get offered the chance I'll jump on a plane to come back and ride this horse. I'd go anywhere to ride him.' Glorious Moments ($3.80 eq fav), a rising four-year-old by the 2019 Doncaster winner Brutal, came from the second half of the field, switching to the outside of runners at the top of the straight and letting down strongly to win by a widening 4¼ lengths. 'He still has a bit to learn,' Van Der Hoven said. 'He didn't know when to travel or when to relax, he did everything a bit upside down. 'He's so raw but he's very exciting. 'He's got a really good turn of foot and that will be an advantage as the races get harder. 'He's a very exciting horse.' Randwick-trained horses filled the placings with Codetta ($5) second, one-amd-a-half lengths ahead of Signor Tortoni ($5) in third. Stardeel was the other $3.80 equal favourite and finished fourth. • Ole Dancer 'has quality' for spring despite Moody query Greg Lee hinted that Glorious Moments could be 'the best horse we've had for a long while' and that he believes the gelding will continue to improve with more experience and as the distances increase, suggesting 'I think he will run a mile plus'. Stable racing manager and part owner of Glorious Moments, Keith Lam, suggested that a trip to Melbourne is a possibility in the weeks and or months ahead for the emerging talent. 'He's a lovely horse. It's taken a fair while for us to get to this point but finally he's starting to show what we've known what he has,' Lam said. 'He did that pretty easy today. 'There's a couple of black-type races coming up Melbourne for him. 'I don't have the names of the races here but there are a couple of suitable races coming up for him. 'It will either be next start or maybe the one after. We'll just see how he pulls up.'
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Trainer Chris Waller praises Tommy Berry's tactical mastery as Cigar Flick storms home to victory at Randwick
Trainer Chris Waller had jockey Tommy Berry to thank after his well-bred mare Cigar Flick scored her first victory in more than a year at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Waller had a different plan in mind for his daughter of Churchill before Berry went off script to produce her with a barnstorming run down the outside to win the ATC Thank You Owners Benchmark 72 Handicap (1100m). 'I was actually watching the race with Charlie (Duckworth) and said 'I don't know what this Tommy is doing, we said we were going to come through them and have the last crack at them',' Waller said. 'Then I said after the race 'that's why Tommy is a jockey and I am a trainer'. He knew what he was doing.' Berry settled Cigar Flick in her customary position towards the rear of the field and ensured the daughter of Churchill kept momentum as they rounded the turn in a four-wide line. Cigar Flick ($13) unleashed a powerful burst down the outside to run over the top of the Matthew Smith -trained World Alliance ($11) to prevail by one-and-a-quarter lengths. John Thompson 's Bundeena ($8) gave them something to catch inside the final furlong before finishing third. 'She is one that you have to ride for bad luck and hope for a bit of good luck,' Berry said. 'Today the opportunity presented to get her to the outside. 'I still had a bum to follow and be patient on her and she reaped the rewards of what's been a consistent preparation without any luck. 'She is in at the right time of year.' Cigar Flick lights it up! ðŸ'¥ The @cwallerracing trained galloper flies down the outside to win giving @TommyBerry21 a race-to-race double! ✌ï¸� â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 26, 2025 • Nashville Jack in fine tune with slashing win Cigar Flick hadn't won for more than a year heading into Saturday but Waller is hoping to win another race with the mare before she is retired to stud later this year. 'She is a lovely horse, beautiful,' Waller said. 'She won't have too much more racing. Her mum is a sister to Fangirl so she is well bred and she will go to stud this year. She has done a great job. 'We will see what else we can find. 'This type of distance and these type of conditions and she can win another one of them.' The win came less than an hour after Berry produced a vastly different ride to score on the Ciaron Maher -trained Lugh. His decision to push forward early on the son of Snitzel in the Marcellin College Benchmark 78 Handicap (1300m) proved decisive. Lugh ($9) travelled well outside the lead and kept finding over in the straight to hold off Chris Waller's Starman ($16) by three-quarters of a length with the Bjorn Baker -trained Slinky ($21) working home strongly for third. It's @TommyBerry21 and @cmaherracing combining in race 7 at Randwick as Lugh salutes! ðŸ'� â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 26, 2025 • 'Sneaky chance': Pride mare shocks rivals at $51 Lugh is still only lightly-raced and has highlighted his considerable talent in just a handful of starts, winning four of six. 'He doesn't have much of a turn of foot but has a big action,' Maher's assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said. 'On a bigger track here at Randwick was going to suit him better. 'He enjoyed the conditions and I thought Tommy (Berry) rode him really well. 'He is a horse that needs a bit of encouragement, he is very casual and has the best attitude. 'The way Tommy rode him, he kept him on his job.' Stablemate Sacred Rocks was expected to be the horse to beat but was a drifter in betting out to $3.50 and never looked likely. Apprentice Anna Roper made a mid-race move to settle closer on the daughter of Sacred Falls, which ran out of gas over the concluding stages to miss the placings. 'I don't it really work out for Sacred Rocks,' Gerard-Dubord said. 'She was slow away and just had to make that move mid-race. 'She got going early so was always going to be soft late.'
