Cardinal Gem overcomes wide draw in Weekend Hussler Stakes

Ten races will be run and won at Flemington on Saturday for Standish Handicap Day. Weather is fine, track is soft (5) and the rail is out four metres for the entire circuit. Back Me 5 Zestiman (Bet Now: $4.50) is a Zoustar colt for Team Hayes on debut. He jumped out here a few weeks ago and for mine, seemingly moved well enough when finishing…

Nonconformist is poised for a third shot at the Caulfield Cup, following an impressive second-place finish in The Q22 at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Trainer Grahame Begg was highly pleased with Nonconformist's performance, attributing the resurgence to the firm Brisbane track conditions that favoured the horse over the softer turf in the Doomben…

Perseverance has paid off for trainer Grahame Begg who captured the final Group 1 race of the Melbourne Spring Carnival with Magic Time. Begg was looking forward to the Spring Carnival but had his Caulfield Cup hope Nonconformist withdrawn on the eve of the race while his Melbourne Cup Lunar Flare went amiss 10 days before the big race at…

Jordan Childs secured a Melbourne Cup start for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott camp when steering Goldman to victory in the Roy Higgins in March. Picture: Getty Images. Many jockeys would love to have Jordan Childs' problem this spring. Childs has the task of plotting a path through the spring with support of an ever-growing band of supportive…

Trainer Grahame Begg was delighted with how his two Cups contenders came through there trials at Cranbourne in preparation for their spring returns. Lunar Flare and Nonconformist both trialled over 1000m on Monday, on a track that was rated slow. With a berth in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup already assured courtesy of her win in the Listed Andrew…

Trainer Grahame Begg has eyes set on a Group 1 race in Brisbane with Cardinal Gem after his explosive win at Sandown. The deteriorating Sandown track held no fears for the gelding who raced to a comprehensive win in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) on Saturday. Showers throughout Saturday downgraded the track from a Slow 5 to a Heavy 8…

Jordan Childs completed a feature race double at Sandown which in turn could lead to bigger wins later in the year. Forty mintues after guiding Cardinal Gem to victory in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) on Saturday, Childs led throughout on White Marlin to win the Group 3 Easter Cup (2100m). The victory in the Easter Cup for White Marlin was…

Fine weather, a favourable barrier draw and a fit racehorse are the ingredients Grahame Begg says can give him a first win in the Stradbroke Handicap. Begg has finished second twice in the Group 11400m handicap and third once and believes Cardinal Gem can break that drought at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Cardinal Gem drew barrier six and will come in…

Track conditions will be of little concern for Grahame Begg with his runners in two of the feature races at Sandown. Begg will saddle Cardinal Gem in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m) and Lunar Flare in the Group 3 Easter Cup (2100m) with both holding form on good and wet ground. Rain is predicted at Sandown on Friday and Saturday. The Bureau…

Nonconformist (right) and jockey Jordan Childs will chase their sixth win together in Saturday's Mornington Cup. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images. In-demand jockey Jordan Childs was spared a tough choice of rides in Saturday's $300000 Mornington Cup (2400m). Childs has been the stable rider for trainer Grahame Begg for several seasons while…

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's year-long Melbourne Cup plan rolled on when imported stayer White Marlin remained unbeaten in the Group 3 Easter Cup at Sandown. Waterhouse and Bott have sent progressive stayers Goldman and White Marlin to Melbourne in the latter part of the autumn, looking to qualify them both for the Melbourne Cup. Goldman earned…

Trainer Grahame Begg will have a phone full of congratulatory messages after completing a two-state double on Saturday. Begg was on the 5pm plane from Sydney having been at Randwick to watch Passive Aggressive land a last stride win in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) while it was left to newly appointed assistant-trainer Chris Hyland to saddle…

The 2021 Caulfield Cup runner-up Nonconformist picked the perfect time to regain his best form in the Group 2 Blamey Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. Not only did the Grahame Begg-trained galloper post his first win since the 2021 Naturalism Stakes, Nonconformist earned himself a wildcard into the $5m All-Star Mile with his success. It remains to…

After running second in the Caulfield Cup 12 months ago, Nonconformist is on target to go one better Nonconformist confirmed to Grahame Begg he was on target for the 2022 Caulfield Cup with a pleasing run against some of the nation's best at weight-for-age on Saturday. While Nonconformist finished second-last of the eight runners in the Group 1…

Cardinal Gem has landed back-to-back wins taking out the Weekend Hussler at Caulfield Not even the widest draw for the third start in succession could stop Cardinal Gem from making a dramatic class ride at Caulfield. A Flemington winner last month, Cardinal Gem was making the jump from Benchmark 70 grade to a Listed race in the Weekend Hussler on…

Nonconformist will wind up his Caulfield Cup preparation in the Might And Power on Saturday Grahame Begg is hoping for a truly run Might And Power Stakes for Nonconformist in the lead up to his main goal a week later. The Group 1 race over 2000m will be Nonconformist's final run before the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday week, a race the…

Cardinal Gem will jump from the widest gate for the third straight run when he lines up at Caulfield Grahame Begg has some questions to ask over computerised barrier draws after Cardinal Gem drew the extreme outside barrier for the third time in succession. Cardinal Gem contests the Listed Weekend Hussler (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday coming off…

The Group 1 Underwood Stakes is run at Sandown on Sunday. Raced over 1800m at weight-for-age level, the Underwood is worth $1 million, with $600000 going to winning connections. We have only a small field of six runners in 2022, much the same as last year when Zaaki saluted in a field of five. See our guide below: Annabel Neasham / Jamie Kah…

Only a significantly wet track may thwart the third attempt of I Am Superman contesting the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield. The Peter and Paul Snowden stable has been trying for three years to get I Am Superman into the 1400m Group 1 handicap. In the past two years things have conspired against the Irish import making the field and while…

Jordan Childs and the Grahame Begg-trained Nonconformist will chase an upset result in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images Jockey Jordan Childs wouldn't mind a bit of banter with his father Greg after Saturday's Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington. Greg Childs was an outstanding jockey in his…

Cardinal Gem will head to Brisbane in peak form after lumping topweight to victory in the Listed Anniversary Vase at Sandown. The Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm on June 10 is the target trainer Grahame Begg has in mind for Cardinal Gem following his win over 1400m on Saturday. Begg has pencilled in a start for Cardinal Gem in…

Grahame Begg says Passive Aggressive is ready to bounce back to winning form when she heads across the border to run in Adelaide. Passive Aggressive will line up in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday after giving Begg all the positive signs following a recent trip to Sydney. Unbeaten in her first four starts,…

Cardinal Gem does not have a lot in his favour ahead of the Anniversary Vase at Sandown. A galloper that has shown a liking for galloping room in his races, Cardinal Gem has drawn barrier one in the 1400m Listed race on Saturday. And Cardinal Gem faces a significant weight rise following his win in the Group 3 Victoria Handicap over the same course…