Duais' little sister catches the eye at Eagle Farm

David Vandyke is arguably one of the most astute trainers in the country. One of his biggest assets is his patience and the finely measured way in which he brings his horses along, trying not to push any horse beyond its capabilities at any given time, having long since mastered the art of not getting ahead of himself. Which is exactly the reason…

A trial in Sydney next Thursday will be a factor in where top weight-for-age mare Duais starts her autumn campaign. Duais won the 2022 Australian Cup and Tancred Stakes before racing in great heart in Melbourne last spring, finishing in the top four in four straight weight-for-age contests. The Edward Cummings-trained Duais was unlucky not to win…

Damien Oliver says he is getting a bit'Damien Oliver worn out' with all the media attention as his stellar riding career draws to a close. The most winningest jockey over the Melbourne Cup Carnival with 85 victories over a career spanning 35 years, Oliver rides at this year's Carnival for the last time with potentially the Thousand Guineas meeting…

The Cox Plate synergy is not lost on Damien Oliver, as the legendary jockey plots a fairytale third triumph in Australia's best race at The Valley. The two-time Cox Plate winner first saluted in 1997 on the mare Dane Ripper, a $40 outsider trained by the illustrious Bart Cummings. Oliver's quest on Saturday rests on the mare Duais, a $26 outsider…

Vow And Declare's performance in the Moonee Valley Gold Cup on October 27 will determine whether he competes in a fourth Melbourne Cup. The 2019 Cup hero made up a lot of ground to grab second place in Saturday's Group 1 Might And Power Stakes, crossing the line two lengths behind star weight-for-age galloper Alligator Blood. "We only want to get…

Which spring feature Duais heads to will not be determined until after her performance in the Might And Power Stakes at Caulfield. The Edward Cummings-trained mare remains in the entry for the Caulfield Cup (2400m) on Saturday week and the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 28. But Saturday's Group 1 Might And Power (2000m) at…

The first Group l of the 2023/24 racing season is the Winx Stakes (1400m) and the race shapes up to be a beauty. Down below is a speed map, runner preview and $100 betting strategy for the 2023 Winx Stakes. The lead is there for Zaaki if Jamie Kah wants it. First up off one trial, will there be intent to hold the lead? Major Beel and Lindermann,…

When five year old pacing mare Tornado Banner (Bettor's Delight) won at Addington last Friday night (Jul. 7) it completed what has been a long journey for both the horse and her dedicated young harness racing trainer Alison Ward. Ward purchased Tornado Banner from Denis Moore at the 2019 NZB Standardbred Sales in Christchurch for $21000. "I was…

David Vandyke thinks so much of his latest European import Without Revenge, he will send him to Sydney in just his third Australian start on Saturday. The gelding has taken Queensland racing by storm in his two undefeated starts to date, but Vandyke says his best attribute is the fact he races nothing like a European at all. With sustained speed to…

Without Revenge will race at Kembla Grange on Saturday. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography David Vandyke thinks so much of his latest European import Without Revenge, he will send him to Sydney in just his third Australian start on Saturday. The gelding has taken Queensland racing by storm in his two undefeated starts to date, but Vandyke…

There's hundreds of ways to pick a winner in the Melbourne Cup. Maybe you look at the barrier draw, inspect the form guide, look at the statistics around past winners. Or you could even go for the colour (bay horses win most often), or which name you like most (Smokin' Romans gets my vote). Love Spring racing? Get Expert tips, analysis and race…

Life is good for trainer David Vandyke. There is just no downside to his position of having runners in both the $10 million Golden Eagle and the $3 million Nature Strip Stakes, which are carded as consecutive races at Rosehill card on Saturday. Fair to say though that, win lose or draw, the excitement of that particular sixty minutes of racing for…

Gilbert Gardiner and Clinton Payne Four-time Cox Plate-winning jockey Hugh Bowman is set to be reunited with Duais in the $8m Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m). Josh Parr has been Duais's regular pilot this year, following early success winning the Australian Cup and Tancred Stakes in back-to-back Group 1 autumn starts. Duais ran eighth at Caulfield on…

Don't give up on Duais for the Caulfield Cup on Saturday. That was trainer Ed Cummings' message to punters regarding the $11 winning chance with Neds. Cummings' high opinion of his five-year-old mare has not dropped, despite finishing eighth in the Turnbull Stakes last start on October 1. And the Sydney conditioner was pleased with the work his…

Jockey Josh Parr declared triple Group 1 winner Duais was "ready to go" in Saturday's Caulfield Cup after a strong track gallop on Tuesday morning. Parr travelled from Sydney to ride the Ed Cummings-trained mare in her final hitout before the $5m contest on the course proper at Caulfield on Tuesday morning. Duais covered her last 400m in 25.82sec…

Trainer Ed Cummings did not lay eyes on stable star Duais for a couple of days and believes in that short time the mare has improved her condition. Duais is in Melbourne to begin her Melbourne Spring Carnival campaign in earnest in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday. The Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) on October 15 is the…

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…

The New Corp Racing and Sports Wagering team have put together an expert panel to give you, the audience the early inside running on feature races in Melbourne and Sydney this spring. The panel of five will be offering their early thoughts on all of the Group 1 races and other feature contests during the spring, through until the end of the…

The winning ways of Darwin trainer Phil Cole in Queensland have continued after he landed a winning double at the North Gregory Turf Club's meeting at Winton on Saturday. It was also a significant occasion for the Northern Territory stable with six-year-old mare Faith And Love saluting in her final race before enjoying retirement at Willow Park…

Snapdancer will have a crack at a second Group 1 win when she resumes in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Picture: Grant Peters-Trackside Photography Formguides might not accurately depict Snapdancer's lead-up into Saturday's Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. Snapdancer hasn't raced since her fighting second in the Group 1 Tatt's…

Streaking into her biggest test yet off four consecutive victories, Goodnight Olive looms the one to beat in a full field of 13 set for Saturday's $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Keeneland. A 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper, the Chad Brown-trained filly was an impressive winner of the Grade 1 Ballerina in her most recent…

Trainer David Vandyke has confirmed that Gypsy Goddess, the winner of the National Champion Three-Year-Old Filly title for 2021-22, has been sold as a broodmare and will relocate to Japan where she will join another former David Vandyke runner, now broodmare, Yankee Rose, who won the Queensland Horse Of The year title for the 2015/16…