Kirwan's Lane arrives in the nick of time

Luke Price never thought Cuban Royale would be lining up in the biggest race on his home track but his stalwart has enjoyed a remarkable rise over the past year that his stable could never have expected. Price and his father Robert will chase their second victory in the $1m The Gong (1600m) this Saturday at Kembla Grange with the now nine-year-old,…

Narrowly beaten by fellow Juddmonte-owned filly Haskoy in the Galtres Stakes at York last year, the daughter of Frankel was beaten on her first four starts of the current campaign before registering a confidence-boosting Listed success in France last month. That teed Time Lock up for the Group Three Princess Royal Stakes at Newmarket two weeks ago…

Star jockey James McDonald has declared gun mare Fangirl is as good as any horse in the country as he prepares to chase his third Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. McDonald has won two of the past three editions of the $1m feature and piloted Godolphin superstar Anamoe to victory in the race last year when Fangirl finished…

It's Frankie Dettori's Royal Ascot farewell but former Hong Kong-based Irishman Neil Callan stole the show early on the first day, standing tall and roaring with delight after taking out the opening race of the carnival aboard long-shot Triple Time. Callan, who wound up his Hong Kong stint at the end of the 2020-21 season, shocked punters in the…

Hawaii Five Oh stormed into the conversation for the Group 1 $3m Stradbroke Handicap after his outstanding Hawkesbury Guineas win last Saturday. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Hawaii Five Oh only defeated a Group 3 field of three-year-olds at Hawkesbury but it was the emphatic nature of his win that has him rated a Stradbroke…

Josh Parr is keen to enhance his unique riding record on a racetrack where he has had ridden more winners than any other at Hawkesbury on Saturday. The top jockey is the only rider to win all four feature races at the iconic stand-alone meeting - the Group 3 treble of the Hawkesbury Gold Cup, Crown and Guineas and the Listed Hawkesbury XXXX Gold…

Trainer Joe Pride is upbeat about the chances of Expat and Titanium Power at the Hawkesbury stand-alone meeting on Saturday. Expat takes her place in the Group 3 $200000 Hawkesbury Crown (1300m) and Titanium Power lines up in the Listed $160000 Hawkesbury XXXX Gold Rush (1100m). Pride recently took over the training of Expat who had her first run…

Chris Waller's racing manager Charlie Duckworth has identified three of the stable's Hawkesbury team on Saturday he believes are horses punters should take note of heading into the winter months. The stable will have multiple runners in one of the feature races of the day, the $200000 Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m) and Duckworth declared there…

A capacity field has been assembled for the Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick this Saturday, where All Star Mile winner Mr Brightside is favourite. Down below is a speed map, runner preview and $100 betting strategy for the 2023 Doncaster Mile. Despite being a full field, there isn't much front end pressure to my eye. Gentleman Roy should find the…

Mazu, the only horse already locked for a start in the $15 million The Everest later this year, is clashing with most of his potential rivals at Royal Randwick on Saturday. The Group 1 $3 million Furphy TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) has been called the "Autumn Everest" such is the quality of the field. There are eight individual Group 1 winners among the…

Trainer Brad Widdup is hoping his luck can turn with first starter Jedibeel at Hawkesbury on Tuesday. Jedibeel, a well-bred three-year-old colt by champion sire Savabeel, has impressed at the barrier trials and is $3.90 favourite in early TAB Fixed Odds betting to make a winning debut in the Richmond Club Provincial Maiden (1100m). Widdup is due…

Trainer David Payne has Fox Fighter primed for a giant-killing performance in the Listed $160000 Razor Sharp (1200m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday. "Fox Fighter never lets you down, he really puts in," Payne said. "He's not a big horse but he has a lovely turn of foot, especially on firm ground. "As he showed last start, he is up to this level. He…

Boom import Nugget has retained favouritism for the $2 million The Ingham even though he might not squeeze into the field for the rich Royal Randwick mile race on Saturday. Nugget, who has the limit weight of 54kg, is currently 22nd in order of entry for The Ingham which has a bumper 30 entries. The maximum field size is 20 from the 1600m…

Tim Clark has declared the best is still ahead for the late-blooming Dajraan, who gave an insight into his talent with a commanding win in the Group 3 Festival Stakes at Rosehill. A superbly bred son of the great Frankel out of 2014 Golden Slipper winner Mossfun, Dajraan ($11) turned in his best performance since arriving in Australia from the UK…

Few horses improve as eight-year-olds, but an extended spell has Cisco Bay racing in some of the best form of his career, laying the platform for the gelding to chase his first black-type win. Cisco Bay will line up in the Group 3 Festival Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill on Saturday following a Randwick win two starts ago and a fast-finishing second to…

There was never any likelihood Promise Of Success, Kirwan's Lane and Berdibek would meet with the same fate as their boom stablemate Waihaha Falls. The John O'Shea-trained trio are rated 101 or higher and safely made the field for the $1m The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday. This wasn't the case with Waihaha Falls last week when he was…

Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou can continue their successful Sydney spring carnival with stable star Ellsberg in the $2m Five Diamonds (1800m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. Ellsberg is racing for a hat-trick of wins after his dead-heat (with Top Ranked) in the Group 1 Epsom Handicap and his last start romp in the Five Diamonds…

Godolphin is considering extending Caulfield Guineas winner Golden Mile to include one more race at Royal Randwick on Saturday. Trainer James Cummings has entered Golden Mile for both the Group 1 $2m Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) and the Group 2 $1m Callander-Presnell (1600m). But it seems likely Golden Mile will be kept to 1600m with the…

Nine-year-old gelding Landfall has been in more countries than an Amazing Race contestant, but has now settled into Mark Newnham's Sydney facilities with a look to racing over the summer. Boasting eight victories and almost $3 million in prize money, the Myboycharlie progeny has shown plenty of ability in both local trials to date and has given…

Most trainers would be content to have one runner in a Group 2 $2 million race, but Randwick-based conditioner John O'Shea will saddle up four in this weekend's The Ingham on his home surface. O'Shea will have all bases covered on Saturday from his old grey beard Berdibek to the lightly-raced Diamil, and everything in between. Perhaps the stables…

Tom Sherry has an outstanding record aboard Kirwan's Lane and he is hoping to enhance it even further when he reunites with the John O'Shea-trained gelding in the Listed Ladies Day Cup at Hawkesbury. Sherry has ridden the horse six times for three wins and two seconds and was aboard for his biggest success in the Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup (1600m)…

The Daily Telegraph's racing editor Ray Thomas and Sky Thoroughbred Central's form expert Ron Dufficy debate the chances at The Gong meeting at Kembla Grange on Saturday. 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! BEST BET R6 No.1: EASY…