#Toorak Handicap

Group 1 racing returns to Caulfield on Saturday October 8th, with the running of the $3 million Caulfield Guineas. The Guineas is a three-year-old set-weights race contested over 1600m, and has been classified as a G1 event since 1979. The winning connections will take home $1.8 million, with Anamoe taking out last year's event. Other past winners…

The need to change calendars is as good a time as any to pull out the crystal ball and Brad Bishop has taken on the job of trying to find five horses who are not yet Group 1 winners but boast a ratings profile that suggests they have a strong chance to be in 12 months' time. A number of obvious contenders have been overlooked with the purpose of…

The need to change calendars is as good a time as any to pull out the crystal ball and Brad Bishop has taken on the job of trying to find five horses who are not yet Group 1 winners but boast a ratings profile that suggests they have a strong chance to be in 12 months' time. A number of obvious contenders have been overlooked with the purpose of…

Mr. Misunderstood wins Saturday's Commonwealth Turf at Churchill Downs, headed for bigger things in the year to come. Photo courtesy of Churchill Downs A spate of major weekend races around the world fueled hopes for the coming season, even as this year's championships are still being debated. In Australia, Redzel silenced any lingering doubts…

James McDonald guides Romantic Warrior to victory in the Group 2 Jockey Club Cup at Sha Tin last month. Picture: Lo Chun Kit-Getty Images James McDonald has a lot of big races on his CV but he's determined to add the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup to that list and he won't get many better opportunities than this Sunday with rising star Romantic Warrior. The…

It might have come as a surprise to some that the four-year disqualification penalty imposed on Darren Weir runs its course on February 6 next year. That is not to say he can resume training, even if he wants to, the very next day. There is a bridge over some many troubled waters to cross before that. But such news did not stop a raft of hastily…

Versatile galloper Private Eye can round out a remarkable preparation with a second career Group 1 with the Joseph Pride-trained talent opening favourite for Saturday's Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington. Private Eye has announced himself as one of the most exciting horses in the country this preparation and can highlight his rise in the $3m…

The spacious Flemington racecourse is a mere postage stamp compared to the place trainer Phillip Stokes spent his childhood. Flemington sprawls over more than 140ha of Crown land in Melbourne's mostly cool climate where the worst that can happen is a drenching from a passing shower. Stokes grew up in one of the world's toughest environments, a…

Golden Mile was too slick for his rivals in the Caulfield Guineas. Very excited heading into Saturday, it's a meeting I've had a bit of luck at over the years and hopefully this year it will be all about the blue team. I've got a good book at Caulfield riding a couple of my favourite horses and really looking forward to chasing my third Caulfield…

Champion sprinter Nature Strip can edge closer to Winx's world prizemoney record if he wins the Group 1 $3 million Darley Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday. Nature Strip, the world's number one-ranked sprinter, took his career earnings to just over $20 million when he ran fourth to Giga Kick in The Everest last start. In latest TAB…

Despite a strong push from Peter V'Landys and Racing NSW to try and encroach, with some levels of success, there is no denying that the Melbourne Spring Carnival is the place to be for the end of the year. The best horses, the best trainers and best jockeys want to be seen in Melbourne and want to win the big races in Melbourne. There is no denying…

News Corp form analyst Glenn McFarlane looks at the chances of every runner in Saturday's $3m Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington. 1. KOLDING (1) - $71 Trainer: Chris Waller Jockey: Damien Oliver GLENN SAYS: Group 1 winner who hasn't saluted since April last year. His two runs this campaign have hardly inspired confidence, especially a…

Welcome to Champions Day at Flemington, a new concept designed by the Victoria Racing Club as we continue to see the evolution of racing in Australia since the inception of the Everest. Not so long ago we had the Mackinnon Stakes (2000m at weight for age) run on Derby Day, the Emirates Stakes (1600m handicap) run as the feature on Stakes Day, which…

Whether you find yourself in the Birdcage, a backyard, or rooftop bar this Spring Carnival - 'BossBook' has you covered with weekly previews, racing tips, style guides, and more. Use Code: BOSSBOOK when you signup and make your first deposit at BossBet. Australia's newest championship race day, Champions Stakes Day at Flemington looks like an…

I Wish I Win has given his rivals a start and then given them a beating in the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes. The Peter Moody-trained gelding looked to be held up halfway down the straight and we all thought he was going to end up in one of those horror watches for punters. However, Luke Nolen found the gap and punched this very smart gelding through…

What do Overpass, Converge and In The Congo have in common? They have all beaten Godolphin superstar Anamoe. Given the trio boast the strongest form in Australian racing, it is telling that neither of them are favourite for the $10m Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. This is a reflection of the depth and quality of the field that…

Rosehill will host its final major raceday of the spring carnival, with the running of the $10 million Golden Eagle set for Saturday. The race will be run over 1500m and features the best four-year-old horses in the country under set-weight conditions. Since its introduction in 2019, it has become the world's fourth richest race on turf behind The…

What a Golden Eagle we've got this year - and that's before we even get to the actual race. Controversy reigned this week when actions were taken to allow the Chris Waller import Welwal to take his place in the field. The horse's rating was bumped up and the field was expanded from 18 to 20 to ensure he could make the cut. Another mitigating factor…

You know you are watching Group 1 racing anywhere in the world when you see the Godolphin blue salute at the highest level. Of course, it happened twice at Caulfield on Saturday with Anamoe and Golden Mile. And while Godolphin's James Cummings seemed to be channelling Barry Humphries true-blue Aussie character Barry McKenzie at The Heath with "that…

The Might And Power Stakes promised to be one of the races of the year and it didn't disappoint with Anamoe scoring a narrow but decisive victory while the'blue army' was dominant in landing three races including two Group 1s. It was certainly a task to sift through so many good performances in landing on five to follow but there were also plenty…

Caulfield Racecourse hosted three Group 1 races on Saturday as spring racing begins to hit its straps. Rated a soft 5, the Caulfield track was able to produce exciting battles, particularly in the form of a thrilling finish to the Might and Power Stakes. Anamoe (Might and Power) and Golden Mile (Caulfield Guineas) scored wins with James McDonald on…

David'Gator' Gately has provided his full tips and race-by-race ratings for Group 1 CaulfieldGuineas Day at the Melbourne Racing Club, Caulfield on Saturday October 8th. It's Day 1 of the Caulfield Carnival, the feature today the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas. The meeting also has the Group 1 Toorak Handicap and the Group 1 Might And Power Stakes on…

Hall of Fame trainer John Hawkes concedes there is no certainty even a proven wet-tracker like Mr Mozart will handle the extremely heavy conditions at Royal Randwick on Saturday. "When the track gets to a Heavy 10, then you can't say with any confidence if a horse will get through the going," Hawkes said. "Even those horses like Mr Mozart, who…

Herald Sun form analyst Brad Waters takes an early look at Saturday's blockbuster Caulfield Guineas meeting. BEST BET QUEEN OF THE BALL (Race 6, No.9) Speedy Sydney filly that was simply too quick for her rivals at The Valley. She's up in class but she's going to be hard to run down with only 51kg on her back. VALUE BET CROSSHAVEN (Race 4,…

There's a Cox Plate to die for, a Caulfield Stakes looking almost as good, a Melbourne Cup promising a boost in European talent, a handful of fortunes and stud careers to be made or lost, and a hundred other plotlines. As the Sydney Swans and a Parramatta would say, thank God the footy's done and we can focus on racing and the spring carnival. For…

I Wish I Win (NZ) is favourite for the Toorak Handicap. Picture: Scott Barbour-Racing Photos via Getty Images Punters are backing boom galloper I Wish I Win to overcome a tricky draw in Saturday's Group 1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield. I Wish I Win was $3.20 into $2.60 when TAB markets opened for the feature mile where Peter Moody's in-form…

Rarely has a trainer taken an in-form horse to a Group 1 with as much reason to be peeved as John Bary has heading to Matamata on Saturday. But while Spring Tide's chances in the $300000 Plate may be fading with every track update, the Hawke's Bay trainer thinks Best Seller can give him Group 2 consolation in the Hawke's Bay Guineas. The Plate and…

This is one of the days that is marked in the racing calendar every single year during the spring carnival for racing enthusiasts. We have a card packed full of excellent racing on Saturday and our 2022 Caulfield Guineas Day Preview can be found below. Not keen to jump into the small field full of first starters so happy to sit the opening race…

Former Kiwi galloper I Wish I Win dominates the Toorak Handicap (1600m) market and is primed to claim Group l glory in the mile contest this Saturday at Caulfield. Down below is a speed map, runner preview and $100 betting strategy for the 2022 Toorak Handicap. *Existing customers only. 2nd Racing bet. Excl SA & WA. T's & C's apply. Gamble…

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…

Callsign Mav (yellow colours) drives between I Am Superman (left) and Tuvalu to take out the Group 1 A$1 million Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes at Caulfield last Saturday. Photo / Supplied By John Jenkins Hastings trainer John Bary had a windfall of about A$50000 when Callsign Mav, a horse he formerly prepared, took out the Group 1 A$1 million Sir Rupert…

The News Corp racing and sports wagering team has 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 six 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 New Corp Racing and 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 six 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 Melbourne Cup…