Chris Waller Guarding Francesco for 2023

Cleveland has won his first race in Australia from seven attempts, taking out the Group 2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup (2500m) on Friday night. A former Sydney Cup favourite and now with Kris Lees, the former Joseph O'Brien trained stayer is already assured of a Melbourne Cup start. Under a typically composed James McDonald ride, Cleveland ($6.50) ran on…

This article contains third-party links. The 2023 Melbourne Cup is shaping up to be a truly memorable race, with several horses in with a genuine chance of winning the prestigious event. Gold Trip emerged victorious last year and has been slashed in the betting for this year's renewal despite being saddled with top weight. However, the horse's…

For eager punters looking to start their weekend in style, trackside at Mooney Valley is the place to be on Friday night for the Group 2 Gold Cup. First staged in 1883, the famous staying event is run over 2500m, and features some talented stayers who will look to back up in the iconic Melbourne Cup come November 7. Lunar Flare - who won the Gold…

The Moonee Valley Cup, a prestigious horse race with a history dating back to 1883, is a prominent event in the Australian racing calendar. This race predates the famed Cox Plate by 40 years, making it one of the oldest in the country. In its inaugural year, the race was won by Castaway, and it has since seen several remarkable performances. Over…

Ciaron Maher has won Australia's biggest races but running second in the Geelong Cup, to help Ashrun qualify for the Melbourne Cup, was as rewarding as any. Ashrun was sidelined for more than a 1000 days with a tendon injury, which Melbourne Cup and Cox Plate-winner Maher doubted could be rehabilitated, but three starts back the import moved to the…

He's yet to taste success in the Caulfield Cup but James McDonald believes his efforts to get down to 54kg will pay dividends in Saturday's $5 million feature. Australia's premier rider will partner the Chris Waller-trained Francesco Guardi in what experts are declaring "the strongest field in years". WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Richmond stars pumped as…

For countless punters across the nation, attention turns to Melbourne this Saturday for the staging of the 2023 Caulfield Cup. A strong field has been assembled for the time-honoured Group 1 race over 2400m at 5.15pm, where the winner will take home $3million in prizemoney. First staged in 1879, the handicap distance race is viewed by many who…

The 2023 Caulfield Cup (2400m) is the feature event on Saturday's stacked 10-race meeting at Caulfield. A capacity field of 18 is headlined by reigning Melbourne Cup champion Gold Trip ($5.50), who is looking to go one better than his narrow defeat in this event last year. A strong international flavour features amongst the favourites with online…

Things are heating up in the spring racing carnival, with all roads leading towards the $8 million Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday of November. Some of the best stayers from Australia and abroad will compete in the 3200m event at Flemington, but there's still plenty of action to unfold before we get there. Last year's winner Gold Trip is…

Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Chris Waller at Macedon Lodge with the 2023 Cup. Picture: Alex Coppel One Melbourne Cup has only motivated champion trainer Chris Waller to win another. Chris Waller tasted success in 2021 with Verry Elleegant victorious and the "surreal" experience has the 152-time Group 1 winner hungry to claim a second iconic gold…

Melbourne Cup winning owner Noel Greenhalgh, selling fruit at the Brisbane Markets on Thursday morning, has four runners in Saturday's Group 1 Turnbull Stakes. Picture: Ben Dorries Buyers at the Brisbane Fruit Markets not only want to take home some of Noel Greenhalgh's blueberries, grapes and melons but they're chasing something else from the…

The Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on Saturday will showcase the Australian debut of Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior. The multiple Group 1 winner and his jockey James McDonald will have to overcome a double-digit gate (11) to win. Romantic Warrior, fellow Northern Hemisphere raider West Wind Blows and another eight imported gallopers…

All the big names remain in the Melbourne Cup after Tuesday's first acceptances for Flemington's showpiece event. A field of 72 contenders are left in contention for the 2023 edition of Australia's richest handicap, including the Willie Mullins -trained pair Vauban and Absurde, who arrived in Melbourne on the weekend. The pair had its first look at…

International runners Romantic Warrior and West Wind Blows head TAB's opening market on Saturday's Group 1 Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. Romantic Warrior and West Wind Blows had a look at the Flemington track in gallops on Sunday morning before the pair takes on the locals for the first time in Saturday's $750000 feature. Hong Kong star Romantic…

Reigning Melbourne Cup winner Gold Trip, set to resume at The Valley on Saturday, is among 17 Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained horses nominated for the race that stops a nation. Victorian Racing Club on Tuesday will announce a full list of nominations for the Melbourne Cup after 1pm. Only five horses have won the Cup more than once in its…

The 2023 Melbourne Cup betting odds sees the Willie Mullins-trained Vauban as the clear favourite ahead of the November 7th event that is dubbed "the race that stops the nation". The Melbourne Cup is the richest two-mile handicap horse race in the world and is always run on the first Tuesday in November, which this year falls on the 7th and the…

Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller admits that group 1 racing drives him these days as he enters the prime of his career and confesses to feeling strangely anxious heading into the first group 1 of the season at Randwick on Saturday. It is not a feeling the champion trainer, who has been the leading group 1 trainer for the past 11 seasons, is…

Co-trainer David Eustace says Persan has been lacking the X-factor in his bid to get back into winning form. It has been 18 months since Persan last crossed the line in first position but gets another chance on Saturday when he lines up in the Group 2 Zipping Classic (2400m) at Caulfield. Persan has been to the post on 13 occasions since that…

Former Hawke's Bay jockey Michael Dee and Durston, winners of the Caulfield Cup on October 15. Now he goes for the double, booked for Lunar Flare in Tuesday's Melbourne Cup. Photo / Getty Images Hawke's Bay could hold two of New Zealand's more significant hopes in the 2022 Melbourne Cup, the three minutes and 20 seconds gallop that stops two…

Champion Hong Kong-based rider Zac Purton is one of several jockeys in the mix to pilot Caulfield Cup winner Durston in the Melbourne Cup at Flemington next month, however trainer Chris Waller has declared "nothing is locked in yet". Purton has put his hat in the ring to pilot Waller's second Caulfield Cup winner after earlier this month declaring…

Christmas for punters is finally here, with the best month and a half of racing in Australia kicking off last Saturday with two massive Group 1 meetings at Randwick and Flemington. We have focused this week's Follow Files on those two meetings, where we have found some horses that produced very good runs on their way to Victoria's top Cup…

From a $21 winner to now being favourite for the Caulfield Cup, that's the rise of Turnbull Stakes winner Smokin' Romans but can he repeat the effort in a fortnight? FIVE TO FOLLOW SMOKIN' ROMANS (Race 7) How could you not? History says Group 1 Turnbull Stakes winners usually go on with it in the spring and Smokin' Romans, apart from being in the…

The Bart Cummings (2510m) this Saturday at Flemington looks an absolute lottery on paper and that is reflected in the Ladbrokes.com.au market. Heading it is Interpretation, who has been a long range speck for the Melbourne Cup, and with the winner of this race getting ballot exemption for the first Tuesday in November, he is the one that is…

Let's get the honesty session out of the way early. This is not a vintage Turnbull Stakes, and in truth is probably the most ordinary rendition this century. But it's still a Group 1 race, it's attracted a full field, and with many competing formlines it makes for a compelling betting race. The set weights and penalties format of the Turnbull also…

Interpretation is a well supported favourite with Ladbrokes.com.au for the Bart Cummings (2510m) this afternoon at Flemington. The winner of the race gets ballot exemption for the Melbourne Cup and most punters want Interpretation to win given he has been well specked for the Cup. He's been best backed to win this afternoon as well,…