Latest news with #TABEureka
News.com.au
17 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
John Singleton selects Hesitate to run in his slot in 2025 TAB Eureka at Menangle
John Singleton has pinned his hopes on exciting three-year-old Hesitate to give him back-to-back wins in the world's richest harness race. Hesitate, part-owned and formerly trained in Victoria by Damien Burns and Scott Petrie, was confirmed in Singleton's $2.1 million TAB Eureka slot today. It came after Hesitate ran a terrific second to star Kiwi pacer Rubira in last Saturday night's Group 1 Queensland Derby at Albion Park. Insiders say there was strong competition from a rival slot owner to secure Hesitate. Singleton teamed with champion trainer-driver Luke McCarthy to win last year's TAB Eureka with subsequent Inter Dominion and Miracle Mile winner Don Hugo. • 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! 'Our team think Hesitate is a horse on the up at the right time and that it's a year where the three-year-olds can win the TAB Eureka,' Singleton said. 'Bay Of Biscay got close last year and the belief is this three-year-old crop is even stronger than last year. 'It was exciting to win the race (TAB Eureka) in just its second year last year and we would love to go back and do it again.' The TAB Eureka is restricted to three and four-year-old Australian-bred pacers, but a three-year-old is yet to win it. RUBIRA TOO STRONG! ðŸ'° The @AllStarsRacing_ pacer takes out the @ladbrokescomau Queensland Derby! Driver Adam Sanderson makes it back-to-back Derby’s in the bike - the first ever to do so! ðŸ'¥ #QLDisRacing — RaceQ (@RaceQLD) July 19, 2025 The Emma Stewart-trained Bay Of Biscay came closest last year when he flew home late for second to Don Hugo. For McCarthy, Hesitate securing a slot gives him the chance to remain unbeaten in the TAB Eureka. He drove the Emma Stewart-trained Encipher to win in 2023 and won with Don Hugo last year. Hesitate has raced just 23 times for 11 wins and five seconds. He ran second to exciting Kiwi pacer Rubira in last Saturday night's Group 1 Queensland Derby at Albion Park. 'I'm thrilled this horse (Hesitate) is in. I never doubted he'd get a slot, he's so good, but it's great to have it confirmed so we can just focus on the best pathway to the race now rather than having to prove anything to anyone,' McCarthy said. 'He's a genuine winning chance in a race like the TAB Eureka. He's got so much speed and the preferential draws the three-year-olds get is a big factor. 'He'll have a few easy days after the Derby run and then we'll have a look for the most suitable lead-up races between now and the Eureka. He'll be an even better horse by then than he is now.' Hesitate's managing owner Mick Harvey added: 'We were already well advanced in talks with Singo's team and they obviously liked what they saw in the Derby. 'Luke's got a huge opinion of this horse and each run is a learning curve. He should be right where we want home by TAB Eureka night. 'As many have said, there's a bit of a question mark on the depth of the four-year-olds this year, while we know this is a really strong batch of three-year-olds and Hesitate is clearly one of the best of them. 'It's also super exciting to team with somebody like Singo, who has done so much for racing and been a huge supporter of the TAB Eureka from day one.'
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Hall Of Fame trainer John Hawkes hopes to have runners in the biggest slot races of both equine codes
Hall of Fame trainer John Hawkes hopes to have runners in the biggest slot races of both Australia's equine codes. His exciting sprinter Briasa is already locked in for the $20 million The Everest on October 18 through the slot held by Max Whitby, Steve McCann, Colin Madden and Neil Werrett. Now Hawkes and his harness trainer, Geoff Webster, are hunting for a slot in the world's richest harness race, the $2.1 million TAB Eureka, with emerging three-year-old Seathestars at Menangle on September 6. Hawkes has always had a passion for harness racing and has owned '25 or more' pacers over the years, but Seathestars is potentially the best yet. The gelding won three races on end, including the South-East Derby at Albion Park on July 5, before a slashing and luckless fourth in the $150,000 Group 1 Queensland Derby last Saturday night. Seathestars drew outside the back row, sat near the rear and defied the pattern of racing to storm home into fourth spot behind star Kiwi pacer Rubira, which led throughout. 'I thought his run was great,' Hawkes said. 'You couldn't ask for any more from where he drew and how far back he was. He's always shown ability, but he keeps improving and that's the exciting part. 'Geoff (Webster) mentioned The Eureka and I let him call the shots. If he thinks the horse is good enough to aim for it, then I'm onboard. 'It's a race for three and four-year-olds and the four-year-old crop doesn't look overly strong this year, so it could be a year for a three-year-old to win it. 'It would be exciting to have a runner in The Everest and The Eureka.' • 'The shoulder has had enough': Digger calls time on career Webster added: 'I've always liked him, but on what he's done the past few weeks, especially in the Derby, he's even better than I thought he was.' Hawkes said Briasa would return to his Rosehill stables this week and had thrived during his time out. 'I think he can go up another notch this campaign, but he'll need to, given the races we're aiming at,' he said. 'Most of what he's done so far has been on raw ability. 'The timing is perfect for him to have a crack at a race like The Everest. He's lightly raced and still on the up. It's the right time of his career.' Briasa is brilliant in the G1 T J Smith Stakes! He makes it 7 wins from just 9 starts as he races away for @HawkesRacing and @G1TySchil! ðŸ'¨ @aus_turf_club | @WorldPool — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 5, 2025 Briasa boasts seven wins from just 10 starts, including the Group 1 TJ Smith, and hasn't raced since a fourth in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick on April 19. 'Forgive that run, he just wasn't quite ready and mature enough for the 1400m,' Hawkes said. Briasa is $8 third favourite behind Hong Kong sensation Ka Ying Rising and the exciting Private Harry in latest The Everest markets. Hawkes is looking forward to the challenge against Ka Ying Rising. 'He's clearly a very good horse, but I'm not scared of him. You want to race the best,' he said. 'I know my horse has the potential to improve a lot on what we've seen so far, so I'm excited about getting the chance to take on a horse like him (Ka Ying Rising), especially in our own backyard.'
News.com.au
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Victorian pacer Fighter Command chasing Eureka slot via The Beautide in Tasmania
Star pacer Fighter Command will bypass the Queensland riches to focus on a Tasmanian pathway towards a spot in the world's richest harness race. Just as he did last year, the four-year-old will target the $60,000 Beautide in Hobart on August 2 for his ticket into the $2.1m TAB Eureka at Menangle on September 6. The winner of the Beautide gets the Tasracing slot in the TAB Eureka and Fighter Command is eligible because he was bred and foaled in Tasmania. 'We didn't get an invitation as such to the Rising Sun (Albion Park on July 5), so we'll focus on the Beautide again,' trainer Jess Tubbs said. Fighter Command, who was scratched just days before last year's TAB Eureka with a life threatening twisted bowel, has only raced five times since for two wins and two fourths. • 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! He will take another important step towards the TAB Eureka in a fascinating Nevele R Stud Pace (1720m) from a back row draw (gate 10) at Melton on Saturday. Standing in his way is the exciting The Narcissist (gate eight), who is unbeaten in eight starts since switching to the powerhouse Emma Stewart and Clayton Tonkin stable. Although Fighter Command won't head north, Tubbs is still going with one, maybe two of her stable stars. The definite is star mare Rakero Rebel, who looks the main threat to pre-post favourite Eye Keep Smiling in the $150,000 Group 1 Golden Girl at Albion Park on July 19. Rakero Rebel will sharpen up for Queensland when she drops back to racing her own sex from gate six in the eight race at Melton on Saturday night. 'Providing she goes as well as we expect, I have to take her,' Tubbs said. 'Better Eclipse is the other possible raider. He's got a Melton trial this week and probably another next week and then I'll make the final call on him. 'I had to turn him out again because he just wasn't himself in a couple of runs back, but he seems better now.' In Tubbs' mind is how well Better Eclipse has performed in Queensland previously, including winning the Group 1 Sunshine Sprint in 2022. Better Eclipse also won two heats and finished second in another before running second in the 2023 Brisbane Inter Dominion final behind the great Leap To Fame. Queensland has been a happy hunting ground for Tubbs in general. She scored her first Group 1 training success with Momentslikethese in the 2021 Queensland Oaks. The other Melton race on Saturday night with big Brisbane implications is the Yabby Dams Trotters' Free-For-All where Arcee Phoenix resumes from a break. Chris Svanosio's six-year-old scored his biggest win in the $NZ600,000 TAB Trot at Cambridge on April 4 and is vying for Inter Dominion favouritism with star Kiwi pair Oscar Bonavena and Bet N Win.
News.com.au
12-06-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Injury sidelines unbeaten TAB Eureka favourite Always Hot
Australia's most exciting pacer and early TAB Eureka favourite Always Hot has been sidelined by injury and will miss the world's richest harness race. Always Hot was $3.50 favourite for the $2.1m TAB Eureka in September before his owner-breeder Peter Gleeson confirmed the three-year-old had gone to the paddock after some 'hot spots' were revealed in a recent full body scan. • 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 colt has won all eight starts, including a dominant display at his most recent run in the Group 1 NSW Derby on March 8. 'It's not the end of the world, but it's certainly very disappointing,' Gleeson said. 'He looked a great chance in the Eureka and some other big races, but the recommendation was to give him eight to 10 weeks in the paddock rather than risk bone chips or something worse. 'You just can't press on when you hear that. There's still a lot of money to be won as an older horse if we do the right thing by him now. We've been patient so far and will continue to be, to give him every chance. 'Depending on what the scan shows after this time out, he could be back for races like the Vicbred and Breeders Crown towards the end of the year. Or, we could just wait and target the Chariots Of Fire early next year.' It's a huge blow to Gleeson, especially with Always Hot being the best horse he's had since the freakish Ride High, who won 16 of his 18 starts between 2018 and 2000 before being cut down in his prime with injury. 'It would've been nice after losing Ride High too early if this guy could have won me two or three million … maybe still can,' Gleeson said. 'Like Ride High, Always Hot is a big, big fella and you've got to be extra cautious with them given the pressure they put on their legs.' In a double blow, Gleeson, one of Australia's most influential owner-breeders, also revealed his superstar young mare Very Pretty would also miss the TAB Eureka. The four-year-old has won nine of her 10 starts and finished second in the other, but hasn't raced since a Melton win on August 17, last year. 'We've had a really frustrating run with her,' Gleeson said. 'She just wasn't herself, but the vets could never pinpoint what it was late last year when she missed the Victoria Oaks, Vicbred and Breeders Crown. 'She was close to racing again and got a bit of a bump in training and has gone to the paddock again. It's only minor, but the timing isn't great with those big races not far away. 'She's such a good mare she'd have in the TAB Eureka up to her ears, but it's not to be. 'People haven't seen the best of her. Clayton (Tonkin, co-trainer) said to me one day she was a champion mare and he's not one to throw around tags like that. 'Hopefully she gets through this quickly and well and we can see her racing again later this year, too.' Gleeson is still hopeful of being a player in the upcoming Queensland Constellations carnival with his three-year-olds. 'Go Miki might go for the Queensland Derby, while Looks Perfect, who won only two starts last year and won well in a recent Terang trial, could head to the Oaks,' he said.
