Latest news with #Wodonga
The Australian
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Australian
‘He's got some ability': Trainer Colvin's 2025 Kosciuszko hope Cambar ready to rip at Royal Randwick on Saturday
Wagga trainer Gary Colvin will be at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday with his 2022 Country Championships Final winner Another One and his 2025 Kosciuszko hopeful Cambar both in action. While he's a winner of nine races and more than $1 million, Another One hasn't saluted since capturing the Wodonga Cup in November 2023. His two winter runs have both been below what is considered his usual fare, finishing down the order at Randwick and Flemington during the month of June. 'We've sorted a few things out with him and I really expect a big improvement from him,'' Colvin says. 'It's a pretty hard race that he's in but we've got to run him in them and I just want to sort of see how he is going.' • 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 Kosciuszko market could be in for a minor, or even major adjustment, depending on what Colvin's highly regarded Pierata son, Cambar, can deliver at his return to racing in Saturday's TAB Highway. 'I think he's got some ability,'' Colvin said. 'If he comes up to the mark where I think he will, I think he will definitely be looking at him for the Kosciuszko. 'He just had shin-soreness last time but he is back and going really well. 'I thought his trial at Albury was very good.' • Mitch Cohen's Blackbook: Five to follow from Royal Randwick on Saturday Colvin has another potential star of the 2025/26 season kicking off on day two of the new season, namely Party Boss, who turns three on Friday. 'I've got Party Boss in at Kembla,'' the trainer said. 'He's a nice horse on the way up. I've picked a hard race for him on Saturday but we might as well have a crack at his own age. 'He wasn't disgraced in the Black Opal. He drew wide and just never got in the race. 'He's had a good spell now and he's come back and I hope he goes alright.' Colvin's immediate focus rests with the outcome of Tuesday's scheduled meeting at Wagga which will be run on a Heavy 10, if at all. The popular local identity has several runners spread across the card namely Pride Of Jezza, Nic's Hero, Super Jules, Bonvalante, Newyork Missile, Philadelphia Storm and Kerma Art. Colvin's clear pick of the bunch is the booming last start winner, Pride Of Jezza. 'He's not bad,'' Colvin says. 'There is something about him, he won really easy last week.' Horse Racing Form analyst Shayne O'Cass presents his best bets and inside mail for Wellington on Thursday, plus his tips for the Wagga meeting. Horse Racing Mudgee trainer David Smith has a big week ahead starting on Tuesday and ending on Sunday chasing Big Dance eligibility at Forbes with his stable captain Lockdown Gamble.
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- The Advertiser
'Today it wouldn't have happened': how four country cops captured Rambo wannabe
For several days in early 1984, a heavily armed gunman who styled himself on John Rambo caused cross-border terror. Now, more than 40 years later, the four policemen who safely ended the manhunt while the offender aimed a gun at one of the officers have been recognised for their heroism. Andrew Joseph Medlock, 25, had amassed an arsenal of high-powered guns and ammunition after holding Kate Haynes and Roger Whitley captive in an isolated farmhouse near Woomargama, north of the NSW-Victoria border city of Albury-Wodonga. Dressed in army jungle greens and sporting a large hunting knife in a sheath behind his neck - just like Sylvester Stallone had in the movie First Blood, released 13 months earlier - the Army Reserve-trained 25-year-old was happy to show his captives his shooting proficiency by killing a bird in a tree. Ms Haynes and Mr Whitley had been tied by their hands and feet, forced to watch the Hitchcock horror movie The Birds, and threatened with a knife and guns. The terrified couple were held for five hours on the night of January 20, 1984 and believed they would be killed. Their ordeal only ended when they freed themselves before midnight and ran six kilometres to a nearby home, raising the alarm and sparking a major police operation that would span four days. Medlock fled Woomargama in Mr Whitley's Toyota four-wheel-drive with multiple firearms from the house, and an estimated 500 to 1000 rounds of ammunition. The hold-up of the couple was front page news in The Border Morning Mail, and residents in the region expressed fear while the armed man was on the run. Dog trapper Wayne Tindle stumbled upon Medlock in a remote part of the Nariel Valley, south of Corryong, four days after the pair were held captive, and had a gun pointed at him. Medlock had run out of fuel. Mr Tindle managed to escape with his life by telling Medlock he would get him fuel for the stolen Toyota LandCruiser, and managed to notify police. Police surrounded the area on January 24 and, fearing what would happen if the wanted man escaped with his arsenal, quickly hatched an arrest plan. Wodonga detective Pat Brear, dressed in the trapper's clothes to lull Medlock into a false sense of security, walked up to the 25-year-old on a remote track with two empty fuel cans. The detective had a gun pointed at him before three Albury officers swooped in and tackled the gunman. Mr Brear was unarmed with no ballistic protection and was just eight metres away from Medlock while he aimed at him. Five more cocked and loaded guns were next to the wanted man, ready to be used if he needed. While the three Albury officers - Peter Beacroft, Bert Bennett, and Dennis Monk - had bulletproof vests handed down from Sydney, they would have been useless against the high-powered guns Medlock had. Mr Bennett believes the wanted man had been set up for an ambush, given the location of his vehicle and having the six guns loaded and ready to fire. One of his rifles had bullets able to pierce armour and the four officers had fully expected shots to be fired by the wanted man during his arrest. Despite 41 years having passed since the high-stakes operation, the retired officers can recount details as if it happened yesterday. "There was a fair bit of fear by the population that lived up there that way about this unknown gunman, on the loose, in the hills around Corryong," Mr Beacroft recalled. He said it was a different world in 1984. "Negotiators didn't exist in those days, there was no communication," he said. "We were on our Pat Malone, just the four of us. "The command post was about an hour and a half away from where we were. "If something had gone down, there was no ambulance on standby. "Today, it would not have happened. "You'd have helicopters and 20 or 30 people surrounding the place." Despite the immense risk faced by the four officers, they knew they had to get their man before he could leave the area and cause "bloodshed". He had been highly erratic during his initial farmhouse hold-up, switching from quiet and passive to pointing guns and a knife in his victims' faces, telling them he knew how to kill. "Is he gonna put his hands up, or is he gonna come out firing?" Mr Beacroft said. "Because he had all his guns there ready to do that. "This took place after the first Rambo movie came out, and this bloke thought he was Rambo up in the mountains taking on the police. "He's dressed in military gear, got a mask around his face, got a knife hanging over his shoulder like Rambo, the whole box and dice." Following his capture, Medlock faced Albury court and admitted to charges, with the offending treated as a mental health case. The fallout from the incident still continues for Mr Brear, who said he quickly went downhill in the days after the arrest and lasted just four more years in the job. He has at times been hospitalised due to his symptoms of PTSD, having been shot at during his time in the Armed Robbery Squad in Melbourne before the 1984 incident. Being recognised, even 41 years later, feels like a "great panacea". "It cut short my career, but the recognition is so powerful," Mr Brear said. "It certainly helps me. "It's great to receive recognition from the NSW Police force." Mr Beacroft said the group had gone "a fair bit above" the award criteria. "I think it closes a door on something that perhaps should have been done a long time ago," he said. "It should have been done a long time ago. "There was a potential bloodshed scenario, which was stopped by the police who were up there. "At that stage, I'd been in the police for 20 years. "I'd never heard of anything like that happening before. "I was in the force for 20 years nearly afterwards, I never heard of anything similar to that afterwards." Detective Sergeant Troy Martin this week listened to two of the four officers tell their story and viewed photographs taken by The Border Morning Mail. "It's just amazing to hear these stories now," he said. "To see these photos, it shows how different it was back then. "It's an amazing story." The detective said it was "fantastic" the four men would be recognised. "It's well deserved," Detective Sergeant Martin said. Mr Beacroft, Mr Monk, and Mr Brear attended Thursday's awards ceremony, with Mr Bennett unable to make the event. For several days in early 1984, a heavily armed gunman who styled himself on John Rambo caused cross-border terror. Now, more than 40 years later, the four policemen who safely ended the manhunt while the offender aimed a gun at one of the officers have been recognised for their heroism. Andrew Joseph Medlock, 25, had amassed an arsenal of high-powered guns and ammunition after holding Kate Haynes and Roger Whitley captive in an isolated farmhouse near Woomargama, north of the NSW-Victoria border city of Albury-Wodonga. Dressed in army jungle greens and sporting a large hunting knife in a sheath behind his neck - just like Sylvester Stallone had in the movie First Blood, released 13 months earlier - the Army Reserve-trained 25-year-old was happy to show his captives his shooting proficiency by killing a bird in a tree. Ms Haynes and Mr Whitley had been tied by their hands and feet, forced to watch the Hitchcock horror movie The Birds, and threatened with a knife and guns. The terrified couple were held for five hours on the night of January 20, 1984 and believed they would be killed. Their ordeal only ended when they freed themselves before midnight and ran six kilometres to a nearby home, raising the alarm and sparking a major police operation that would span four days. Medlock fled Woomargama in Mr Whitley's Toyota four-wheel-drive with multiple firearms from the house, and an estimated 500 to 1000 rounds of ammunition. The hold-up of the couple was front page news in The Border Morning Mail, and residents in the region expressed fear while the armed man was on the run. Dog trapper Wayne Tindle stumbled upon Medlock in a remote part of the Nariel Valley, south of Corryong, four days after the pair were held captive, and had a gun pointed at him. Medlock had run out of fuel. Mr Tindle managed to escape with his life by telling Medlock he would get him fuel for the stolen Toyota LandCruiser, and managed to notify police. Police surrounded the area on January 24 and, fearing what would happen if the wanted man escaped with his arsenal, quickly hatched an arrest plan. Wodonga detective Pat Brear, dressed in the trapper's clothes to lull Medlock into a false sense of security, walked up to the 25-year-old on a remote track with two empty fuel cans. The detective had a gun pointed at him before three Albury officers swooped in and tackled the gunman. Mr Brear was unarmed with no ballistic protection and was just eight metres away from Medlock while he aimed at him. Five more cocked and loaded guns were next to the wanted man, ready to be used if he needed. While the three Albury officers - Peter Beacroft, Bert Bennett, and Dennis Monk - had bulletproof vests handed down from Sydney, they would have been useless against the high-powered guns Medlock had. Mr Bennett believes the wanted man had been set up for an ambush, given the location of his vehicle and having the six guns loaded and ready to fire. One of his rifles had bullets able to pierce armour and the four officers had fully expected shots to be fired by the wanted man during his arrest. Despite 41 years having passed since the high-stakes operation, the retired officers can recount details as if it happened yesterday. "There was a fair bit of fear by the population that lived up there that way about this unknown gunman, on the loose, in the hills around Corryong," Mr Beacroft recalled. He said it was a different world in 1984. "Negotiators didn't exist in those days, there was no communication," he said. "We were on our Pat Malone, just the four of us. "The command post was about an hour and a half away from where we were. "If something had gone down, there was no ambulance on standby. "Today, it would not have happened. "You'd have helicopters and 20 or 30 people surrounding the place." Despite the immense risk faced by the four officers, they knew they had to get their man before he could leave the area and cause "bloodshed". He had been highly erratic during his initial farmhouse hold-up, switching from quiet and passive to pointing guns and a knife in his victims' faces, telling them he knew how to kill. "Is he gonna put his hands up, or is he gonna come out firing?" Mr Beacroft said. "Because he had all his guns there ready to do that. "This took place after the first Rambo movie came out, and this bloke thought he was Rambo up in the mountains taking on the police. "He's dressed in military gear, got a mask around his face, got a knife hanging over his shoulder like Rambo, the whole box and dice." Following his capture, Medlock faced Albury court and admitted to charges, with the offending treated as a mental health case. The fallout from the incident still continues for Mr Brear, who said he quickly went downhill in the days after the arrest and lasted just four more years in the job. He has at times been hospitalised due to his symptoms of PTSD, having been shot at during his time in the Armed Robbery Squad in Melbourne before the 1984 incident. Being recognised, even 41 years later, feels like a "great panacea". "It cut short my career, but the recognition is so powerful," Mr Brear said. "It certainly helps me. "It's great to receive recognition from the NSW Police force." Mr Beacroft said the group had gone "a fair bit above" the award criteria. "I think it closes a door on something that perhaps should have been done a long time ago," he said. "It should have been done a long time ago. "There was a potential bloodshed scenario, which was stopped by the police who were up there. "At that stage, I'd been in the police for 20 years. "I'd never heard of anything like that happening before. "I was in the force for 20 years nearly afterwards, I never heard of anything similar to that afterwards." Detective Sergeant Troy Martin this week listened to two of the four officers tell their story and viewed photographs taken by The Border Morning Mail. "It's just amazing to hear these stories now," he said. "To see these photos, it shows how different it was back then. "It's an amazing story." The detective said it was "fantastic" the four men would be recognised. "It's well deserved," Detective Sergeant Martin said. Mr Beacroft, Mr Monk, and Mr Brear attended Thursday's awards ceremony, with Mr Bennett unable to make the event. For several days in early 1984, a heavily armed gunman who styled himself on John Rambo caused cross-border terror. Now, more than 40 years later, the four policemen who safely ended the manhunt while the offender aimed a gun at one of the officers have been recognised for their heroism. Andrew Joseph Medlock, 25, had amassed an arsenal of high-powered guns and ammunition after holding Kate Haynes and Roger Whitley captive in an isolated farmhouse near Woomargama, north of the NSW-Victoria border city of Albury-Wodonga. Dressed in army jungle greens and sporting a large hunting knife in a sheath behind his neck - just like Sylvester Stallone had in the movie First Blood, released 13 months earlier - the Army Reserve-trained 25-year-old was happy to show his captives his shooting proficiency by killing a bird in a tree. Ms Haynes and Mr Whitley had been tied by their hands and feet, forced to watch the Hitchcock horror movie The Birds, and threatened with a knife and guns. The terrified couple were held for five hours on the night of January 20, 1984 and believed they would be killed. Their ordeal only ended when they freed themselves before midnight and ran six kilometres to a nearby home, raising the alarm and sparking a major police operation that would span four days. Medlock fled Woomargama in Mr Whitley's Toyota four-wheel-drive with multiple firearms from the house, and an estimated 500 to 1000 rounds of ammunition. The hold-up of the couple was front page news in The Border Morning Mail, and residents in the region expressed fear while the armed man was on the run. Dog trapper Wayne Tindle stumbled upon Medlock in a remote part of the Nariel Valley, south of Corryong, four days after the pair were held captive, and had a gun pointed at him. Medlock had run out of fuel. Mr Tindle managed to escape with his life by telling Medlock he would get him fuel for the stolen Toyota LandCruiser, and managed to notify police. Police surrounded the area on January 24 and, fearing what would happen if the wanted man escaped with his arsenal, quickly hatched an arrest plan. Wodonga detective Pat Brear, dressed in the trapper's clothes to lull Medlock into a false sense of security, walked up to the 25-year-old on a remote track with two empty fuel cans. The detective had a gun pointed at him before three Albury officers swooped in and tackled the gunman. Mr Brear was unarmed with no ballistic protection and was just eight metres away from Medlock while he aimed at him. Five more cocked and loaded guns were next to the wanted man, ready to be used if he needed. While the three Albury officers - Peter Beacroft, Bert Bennett, and Dennis Monk - had bulletproof vests handed down from Sydney, they would have been useless against the high-powered guns Medlock had. Mr Bennett believes the wanted man had been set up for an ambush, given the location of his vehicle and having the six guns loaded and ready to fire. One of his rifles had bullets able to pierce armour and the four officers had fully expected shots to be fired by the wanted man during his arrest. Despite 41 years having passed since the high-stakes operation, the retired officers can recount details as if it happened yesterday. "There was a fair bit of fear by the population that lived up there that way about this unknown gunman, on the loose, in the hills around Corryong," Mr Beacroft recalled. He said it was a different world in 1984. "Negotiators didn't exist in those days, there was no communication," he said. "We were on our Pat Malone, just the four of us. "The command post was about an hour and a half away from where we were. "If something had gone down, there was no ambulance on standby. "Today, it would not have happened. "You'd have helicopters and 20 or 30 people surrounding the place." Despite the immense risk faced by the four officers, they knew they had to get their man before he could leave the area and cause "bloodshed". He had been highly erratic during his initial farmhouse hold-up, switching from quiet and passive to pointing guns and a knife in his victims' faces, telling them he knew how to kill. "Is he gonna put his hands up, or is he gonna come out firing?" Mr Beacroft said. "Because he had all his guns there ready to do that. "This took place after the first Rambo movie came out, and this bloke thought he was Rambo up in the mountains taking on the police. "He's dressed in military gear, got a mask around his face, got a knife hanging over his shoulder like Rambo, the whole box and dice." Following his capture, Medlock faced Albury court and admitted to charges, with the offending treated as a mental health case. The fallout from the incident still continues for Mr Brear, who said he quickly went downhill in the days after the arrest and lasted just four more years in the job. He has at times been hospitalised due to his symptoms of PTSD, having been shot at during his time in the Armed Robbery Squad in Melbourne before the 1984 incident. Being recognised, even 41 years later, feels like a "great panacea". "It cut short my career, but the recognition is so powerful," Mr Brear said. "It certainly helps me. "It's great to receive recognition from the NSW Police force." Mr Beacroft said the group had gone "a fair bit above" the award criteria. "I think it closes a door on something that perhaps should have been done a long time ago," he said. "It should have been done a long time ago. "There was a potential bloodshed scenario, which was stopped by the police who were up there. "At that stage, I'd been in the police for 20 years. "I'd never heard of anything like that happening before. "I was in the force for 20 years nearly afterwards, I never heard of anything similar to that afterwards." Detective Sergeant Troy Martin this week listened to two of the four officers tell their story and viewed photographs taken by The Border Morning Mail. "It's just amazing to hear these stories now," he said. "To see these photos, it shows how different it was back then. "It's an amazing story." The detective said it was "fantastic" the four men would be recognised. "It's well deserved," Detective Sergeant Martin said. Mr Beacroft, Mr Monk, and Mr Brear attended Thursday's awards ceremony, with Mr Bennett unable to make the event. For several days in early 1984, a heavily armed gunman who styled himself on John Rambo caused cross-border terror. Now, more than 40 years later, the four policemen who safely ended the manhunt while the offender aimed a gun at one of the officers have been recognised for their heroism. Andrew Joseph Medlock, 25, had amassed an arsenal of high-powered guns and ammunition after holding Kate Haynes and Roger Whitley captive in an isolated farmhouse near Woomargama, north of the NSW-Victoria border city of Albury-Wodonga. Dressed in army jungle greens and sporting a large hunting knife in a sheath behind his neck - just like Sylvester Stallone had in the movie First Blood, released 13 months earlier - the Army Reserve-trained 25-year-old was happy to show his captives his shooting proficiency by killing a bird in a tree. Ms Haynes and Mr Whitley had been tied by their hands and feet, forced to watch the Hitchcock horror movie The Birds, and threatened with a knife and guns. The terrified couple were held for five hours on the night of January 20, 1984 and believed they would be killed. Their ordeal only ended when they freed themselves before midnight and ran six kilometres to a nearby home, raising the alarm and sparking a major police operation that would span four days. Medlock fled Woomargama in Mr Whitley's Toyota four-wheel-drive with multiple firearms from the house, and an estimated 500 to 1000 rounds of ammunition. The hold-up of the couple was front page news in The Border Morning Mail, and residents in the region expressed fear while the armed man was on the run. Dog trapper Wayne Tindle stumbled upon Medlock in a remote part of the Nariel Valley, south of Corryong, four days after the pair were held captive, and had a gun pointed at him. Medlock had run out of fuel. Mr Tindle managed to escape with his life by telling Medlock he would get him fuel for the stolen Toyota LandCruiser, and managed to notify police. Police surrounded the area on January 24 and, fearing what would happen if the wanted man escaped with his arsenal, quickly hatched an arrest plan. Wodonga detective Pat Brear, dressed in the trapper's clothes to lull Medlock into a false sense of security, walked up to the 25-year-old on a remote track with two empty fuel cans. The detective had a gun pointed at him before three Albury officers swooped in and tackled the gunman. Mr Brear was unarmed with no ballistic protection and was just eight metres away from Medlock while he aimed at him. Five more cocked and loaded guns were next to the wanted man, ready to be used if he needed. While the three Albury officers - Peter Beacroft, Bert Bennett, and Dennis Monk - had bulletproof vests handed down from Sydney, they would have been useless against the high-powered guns Medlock had. Mr Bennett believes the wanted man had been set up for an ambush, given the location of his vehicle and having the six guns loaded and ready to fire. One of his rifles had bullets able to pierce armour and the four officers had fully expected shots to be fired by the wanted man during his arrest. Despite 41 years having passed since the high-stakes operation, the retired officers can recount details as if it happened yesterday. "There was a fair bit of fear by the population that lived up there that way about this unknown gunman, on the loose, in the hills around Corryong," Mr Beacroft recalled. He said it was a different world in 1984. "Negotiators didn't exist in those days, there was no communication," he said. "We were on our Pat Malone, just the four of us. "The command post was about an hour and a half away from where we were. "If something had gone down, there was no ambulance on standby. "Today, it would not have happened. "You'd have helicopters and 20 or 30 people surrounding the place." Despite the immense risk faced by the four officers, they knew they had to get their man before he could leave the area and cause "bloodshed". He had been highly erratic during his initial farmhouse hold-up, switching from quiet and passive to pointing guns and a knife in his victims' faces, telling them he knew how to kill. "Is he gonna put his hands up, or is he gonna come out firing?" Mr Beacroft said. "Because he had all his guns there ready to do that. "This took place after the first Rambo movie came out, and this bloke thought he was Rambo up in the mountains taking on the police. "He's dressed in military gear, got a mask around his face, got a knife hanging over his shoulder like Rambo, the whole box and dice." Following his capture, Medlock faced Albury court and admitted to charges, with the offending treated as a mental health case. The fallout from the incident still continues for Mr Brear, who said he quickly went downhill in the days after the arrest and lasted just four more years in the job. He has at times been hospitalised due to his symptoms of PTSD, having been shot at during his time in the Armed Robbery Squad in Melbourne before the 1984 incident. Being recognised, even 41 years later, feels like a "great panacea". "It cut short my career, but the recognition is so powerful," Mr Brear said. "It certainly helps me. "It's great to receive recognition from the NSW Police force." Mr Beacroft said the group had gone "a fair bit above" the award criteria. "I think it closes a door on something that perhaps should have been done a long time ago," he said. "It should have been done a long time ago. "There was a potential bloodshed scenario, which was stopped by the police who were up there. "At that stage, I'd been in the police for 20 years. "I'd never heard of anything like that happening before. "I was in the force for 20 years nearly afterwards, I never heard of anything similar to that afterwards." Detective Sergeant Troy Martin this week listened to two of the four officers tell their story and viewed photographs taken by The Border Morning Mail. "It's just amazing to hear these stories now," he said. "To see these photos, it shows how different it was back then. "It's an amazing story." The detective said it was "fantastic" the four men would be recognised. "It's well deserved," Detective Sergeant Martin said. Mr Beacroft, Mr Monk, and Mr Brear attended Thursday's awards ceremony, with Mr Bennett unable to make the event.
News.com.au
17-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Albury preview: Trainer Rob Wellington is confident Drumcondra is ready to show his true ability on home turf
Albury trainer Rob Wellington is expecting a much improved performance from his exquisitely bred, almost entirely French colt, Drumcondra, when he steps out for just the second time. Wellington's two-year-old was backed off the map when he made his debut at Wodonga on June 28, opening at $6.50 to start $3.50, but fading to finish with just one other behind him in the 10 horse field. And, while Wodonga is more or less the twin city of Albury, in racing terms it is a world away from Wellington's home ground as the trainer himself explained. 'It was probably my own fault,' Wellington said. 'We're getting renovations done on the Albury track and we've only got the one way of going which is New South Wales. We used to always get a day a week for the Victorian way of going. 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 just got completely lost at Wodonga. 'He jumped and just missed it a bit and he just didn't pick the bridle up. He didn't handle that way of going and it was a Heavy track that particular day too and he never got through it. 'That's a mark (against him) how he will go at Albury being a Heavy track but he's drawn well, the horse is well, and he really needs to race now and just get that bit of education. 'He is ready to run and I look forward to seeing how he goes.' Drumcondra 's pedigree would have those in France bewildered as to his relatively meagre $10,000 purchase price at the Gold Coast in 2024. The colt is a son of the Todman Stakes winner Alymerton who is himself a son of one of France's most prized stallions, Siyouni. On top of that, Drumcondra's grandam was placed in two stakes races in France and finished fourth in that country's Oaks. 'He is a nice horse,' says Wellington. 'He is very mature, he knows his trade, but how he gets through the going and how he handles this one, we are all looking forward to seeing.' Wellington will saddle-up a second runner of great interest and intrigue, namely Machete who makes her stable debut in the Plus Fitness Thurgoona Maiden Plate (900m). Marble Point finishes with a rattling sprint, overhauling her opposition in the concluding stages ðŸ'« This filly is from the same family as Puissance De Lune & the current 2000 Guineas favourite, Field Of Gold 😱 â€' (@Racing) April 21, 2025 'She's had the one trial and we're still learning a bit about her,' Wellington says. 'She's a nice filly that is coming along; 900m might not be here go because she gets back a bit but it is definitely going to help with her first-up run.' Machete was originally trained in Victoria by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman. She was beaten a respectable margin at Sandown-Lakeside on debut before her 'even' sixth at Cranbourne on May 9. 'They had a bit of an opinion of her I believe and we picked her up online (for $15,000),' Wellington said. 'She's been a great acquisition to the stable but I'm not jumping up and down thinking she is a first-up opportunity. 'I think we'll have some fun with her but it might just take a little bit of time.' Machete boasts considerable residual value far beyond what Wellington paid for the young filly bred by the man who designed Black Caviar, All Too Hard, Jameka, Ole Kirk et al, namely Gilgai Farm principal, Rick Jamieson. Machete is by the William Red Stakes winner and Group 1 sire Hellbent out of the Savabeel mare My Emotion. Her three wins included the 2010 MVRC Moonee Valley Classic and the VRC Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes at the same track where Machete's 10th dam, Rainbird, won the 1945 Melbourne Cup. â– â– â– â– â– Mark Mason-trained gelding Who Goes There's perfect record over 1000m at Tamworth goes on the line in another hotly-contested country sprint to finalise the meeting. Born on Armistice Day in 2019, Mason 's warhorse Who Goes There has won every one of his four battles at the track and trip including his all-the-way victory there on July 4. 'We haven't really had the opportunity to take him away too much, I know he has been to Sydney, but the races have presented themselves at home so that's where we've stayed,' Mason said. 'I'd say probably the topweight is the one to beat this time, the horse of Jacob Perrett 's (Mystery Lad). 'I think they have met a couple of times and Jacob's has beaten him and he's beaten Jac's horse.' While not quite in the realm of faultless like his stablemate, Mason galloper Deebo 's own preference for his home track should stand him in good stead when he leads them out in the Kel Penfold Finance Handicap (1200m). The last at @_TJC goes to the promising Who Goes There - and that's three winners for @reith_christian! â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 30, 2024 The great grandson of 1995 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Royal Tiara has two wins and three placings from his five Tamworth appearances. And with a similarly compelling set of numbers at the distance and first-up, it is easy to see why Mason chose this race to open his winter campaign. 'Probably the worst part about him is the weight,' Mason says. 'Hopefully he can be in the first five or six and finish it off.' When it comes to which trainer has the two best bred horses in action, Mason wins hands down, albeit in a dead heat between former John Singleton-bred gallopers, Ma And Pa and Geo. Ma And Pa is a son of Redoute's Choice and the VRC Oaks winner, Dear Demi, while Geo is out of Kris Lees-trained Samantha Miss. Ma And Pa, a multiple city winner and once runner-up to Huetor, has won a trial since his below-standard run at Tamworth on June 27. 'He went that hard early, he just couldn't finish off,' Mason reported. 'We have taken the blinkers off him and put Grant Buckley on him; just an older head on him to see if he can get him to settle. 'It is probably a bit short for Geo but being the rating they are, it is to find the races for them. 'We'd thought we'd put in this because it's at home and not a bad race to kick off in.'
ABC News
02-07-2025
- Health
- ABC News
Young Victorians wait in hospital for acute mental health care beds
Wodonga teenager Katie Kendall says finding the mental health care she needed at just 16 was an extra blow to her already-fragile state. The closest available acute adolescent mental health inpatient bed at Eastern Health's Box Hill Hospital was more than a three-hour drive away, and securing a bed was never guaranteed. "There was a period where I was presenting every single night for about a month because I couldn't get beds in inpatient units, and that's what we were told to do, just keep presenting to the local hospital," she said. Acute mental health inpatient beds provide a space with expert multi-disciplinary teams to support young people with acute mental health challenges. Katie was admitted to the beds at Box Hill Hospital six times, and once into an Albury adult mental health unit when she was just 17 in a unisex space that "scared" her. She said she was also once left up to five nights in an emergency department. "Every time it's happened, I end up coming out worse," Ms Kendall said. "Being trapped in that sort of room and needing to try to keep yourself safe when you're already not in a good place, you don't have anything to do, a lot of the time, my mental health just spiralled." Ms Kendall, now 19, said she had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and chose to be treated privately. Demand for youth mental health care is rapidly increasing, but acute adolescent mental health inpatient bed numbers are stagnating. There are 58 acute adolescent mental health inpatient beds across Victoria that support young people, generally aged between 12 to 17 years of age, and more than two-thirds of them have been operating for more than 20 years. Just four are in regional Victoria. Each regional area feeds into designated metro-based health services, where the state's remaining acute adolescent mental health inpatient beds are split between Austin Health, Eastern Health, Monash Health and the Royal Children's Hospital. Some metro services accommodate about 400 mental health inpatient referrals a year. They accept referrals from other areas if they have availability. Austin Health has received 329 referrals to its Adolescent Inpatient Psychiatry Unit over the past year. It was able to accommodate 37 of 42 rural referrals. Monash Children's Hospital Stepping Stones adolescent inpatient mental health unit accommodates mostly low dependency referrals and experiences peak seasonal challenges, but its intensive care area beds are nearly always full. There has been a 50 per cent increase in mental health conditions among young people between 2007 and 2021, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Youth mental health experts say there is a huge gap in care for young people who have complex mental health issues that available community services can't treat. Youth mental health advocacy group, Orygen, said many adolescents had to be very unwell before they qualified to access acute inpatient care. "Their experience in going to an emergency department, not being able to be admitted because you're not unwell enough because that system is under so much stress, means that they are often then sent back or discharged back then into the community," Orygen's director of policy and engagement, Vivienne Browne, said. "There's not the services there in the community that are able to respond to the complexity and the severity of their mental ill health. The Royal Commission into Victoria's Mental Health System recommended in 2019 a further 170 new youth and adult mental health beds. A Victorian government spokesperson said that had been delivered and included 10 Youth Hospital in the Home beds around Melbourne. In 2022, the Victorian government rolled out its Mental Health and Wellbeing Levy on businesses to help provide a stable and dedicated form of additional funding for the mental health system. The levy raised $1.2 billion during the 2023-24 financial year, but the ABC was unable to obtain a breakdown from the government on how that money was spent. "Every dollar raised by the Mental Health and Wellbeing Levy goes straight into the mental health system — as is required under Victorian legislation," a government spokesperson said. "In response to the royal commission's recommendations, planning is also underway for a new statewide service framework for inpatient care for young people — this will be developed in partnership with young people, their families, carers and supporters.
News.com.au
04-06-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Wagga preview: Trainer Gary Colvin is confident in Southern Dancer's potential as she looks to overcome unlucky streak
Southern Dancer may only have one win to her name but trainer Gary Colvin is adamant her record should read much better. The three-year-old claimed a maiden win over 1175m at just her second start and has been placed in five of her next 11 starts. The latest of those placings was over 2050m at Wodonga 12 days ago when third to First Day when luck wasn't her friend. ' Southern Dancer is probably one of the unluckiest horses I've ever had,' said Colvin. 'She has had a lot of bad draws and no luck in a number of races. 'We went to Wodonga last start and she just got held up at a vital stage. 'With a 200m straight, it was too late when she got out but she hit the line full of running. 'Hopefully all the bad luck is behind her now.' Punters get the cash! ðŸ'° The well-backed Southern Dancer handles the conditions and lets down powerfully to take Race 1 at @AlburyRacing under Holly Durnan for trainer Gary Colvin. â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 29, 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! The daughter of I Am Immortal steps out in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (2000m) which is a Heat of the Wagga Stayers Series with Blaike McDougall to again ride. 'Blaike rode her at Canberra a couple of starts back and said she will get over 2400m metres,' Colvin said. 'I'll just stick to the 2000 metres for now but I really like her. 'Back to a big track, I'm confident she will run really well.' In the same race, he also saddles up Kerma Art who is having his first go at the 2000m. 'He won a couple of races and is usually not too far away,' he said. 'He has been running up to a mile but he's a bit of a one-pacer so I thought I would try him over the 2000 metres and see what happens. 'He's no star but he should be thereabouts. Lightly-raced four-year-old Deflector has been very good in placing at her two runs this preparation and is a leading contender in the Maiden Plate (1300m). The daughter of Pride Of Dubai resumed with a third to Master Patrick in a Wagga Super Maiden over 1000m where she was held up early in the straight. She then finished a nose second to Sundrop over 1200m at Corowa 18 days later. 'She is coming along quite nicely and I expect her to go very well,' Colvin said. Master Patrick flies home on the outside and wins at a BIG price! He was $101 on @tabcomau fixed odds! ðŸ'° @AshMorgan6 | @tpd_racing â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 1, 2025 'She is a typical Pride Of Dubai, taking a bit of time to mature but she is starting to it her straps now. She is getting better with every run. 'You like to see them continuing to come on and that is what she is doing.' Another maiden who is closing in on his first win is Doc March who contests the Maiden Plate (1600m). The son of Prized Icon was runner-up in consecutive starts at Wagga before a fourth to Chilly Charlie at Canberra on May 9. 'He just got back and could make up the ground to win in a couple of races here at Wagga,' Colvin said. 'I knew he wanted a bit of ground but he is on his way and going pretty well. 'He has had about a month since his last run but he is ticking over very well.' Joining him in this race is Astern Torch who is coming off a third to Track And Field on the Wagga Riverside 12 days ago. 'He has been a very frustrating horse. He showed me ability early on but is a bit of a one-pacer,' he said 'He keeps doing enough to convince me to persevere with him.' Meanwhile, Colvin said he is pleased with stable star Another One who resumes from a long spell at Randwick on Saturday. â– â– â– â– â– Trainer Lyndall Olson is hoping home track advantage can offset her queries as Gold Card and Zaru strive for success in one of the day's features. Gold Card and Zaru line up in the Corey Brown Cup at Taree just two weeks after the track was flooded. The heavy ground is just one query Olson has for the pair who appreciate soft tracks at this stage of their careers. 'As they have gotten older, they have shown they prefer soft tracks rather than the heavy,' Olson said. Gold Card kicked off his latest campaign with a win in the Hannam Cup over 1007m at Taree on March 17 before a five week gap into his next start when a three length seventh to Cassiel at Canterbury. A vintage @Aaronbullock90 ride sees Zaru take out Race 7 at Taree! â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 31, 2025 He steps up to 1250m in the Benchmark 82 race where he is a perfect four from four over the track and distance. 'It was a nice win over the 1000 metres then we went to Canterbury and he wasn't disgraced at all,' said Olson. 'I'm just a bit worried about the time he has had between runs. 'It's been just over six weeks between since his last race. Whether he needs the run or not. 'We have taken the three kilos off with Leanne Boyd aboard but he well and I expect him to run a nice race.' Zaru finished down the track when resuming under 61kg at Taree on May 13 but Olson isn't reading too much into that performance. 'It was hard to make ground from back in the field with his weight and also the 1000 metres was too short for him,' she said. 'We just had to find a race for him to kick off in. 'As he has gotten older, he is a become wiser and he doesn't like the heavy going any more. 'We've got Aaron Bullock back on and he does seem to have a way with him. 'Like Gold Card, he loves his home track.' Olson has no qualms about the track rating for Gold Melody after she scored a stylish win over 1250m on a Heavy 10 at home on May 13. The four-year-old is a strong chance again in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1300m). 'She did really well to win last start. It was a nice ride from Anna (Roper),' she said. 'She has trained on really well and I think she is a good chance again from barrier one.'
