KRIS Lees has a Magic Millions target in mind for Hawker Hall if he can continue his winning form at Royal Randwick tomorrow. The promising young sprinter has already tallied four wins from nine starts, and chases a fifth in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1100m). Adam Hyeronimus is a new rider for the Russian Revolution four-year-old, who to date has been partnered by senior jockeys throughout his career. Hawker Hall, a Brisbane winner last winter, resumed with a close second to

IRRESPECTIVE of how many winners Terry Croft trains this season, he will hold a record which can’t be matched. The long-standing Hawkesbury trainer’s first-up victory with Royal Corporal at Canterbury yesterday meant that he has trained both the provincial track’s first winner of the season and first of the new calendar year. Croft had scored with Zoutastic at the Forbes Cup meeting on August 3. He clinched his fourth success of the season in winning with Royal Corporal yeste

FROM the Republic of Zimbabwe to the UK to Australia! It’s been quite a journey for 23-year-old apprentice Deon Le Roux, who could not have wished for a better festive season by riding his first two Aussie winners at Queanbeyan on Boxing Day and Gosford yesterday on New Year’s Eve. Making those victories even more memorable was the fact that the Harare-born young jockey had an exceptional cheer squad. “My parents, girlfriend and friends came out to Australia, and arrived on C

WYONG Race Club will honour the memory of late apprentice jockey Bronte Simpson at its feature Saturday metropolitan stand-alone meeting on Saturday week. Along with confirming Limitless Lodge as a new sponsor of the club’s flagship event, the $500,000 The Lakes (1600m), general manager Greg Purcell has announced one of the 10 races will be known as the “Bronte Simpson Memorial”. Simpson tragically lost her life last week in a single car accident in country New South Wales. W

LAST year’s Provincial-Midway Championships Final winner Territory Express has changed stables. The $1m plus earner will now be trained at Warwick Farm by Joe Pride. Territory Express’ former trainer Paul Niceforo this morning confirmed the switch. The six-year-old gelding’s barrier woes continued at his last run when he stood flatfooted and lost considerable ground in the $2m Group 2 The Ingham (1600m) at Royal Randwick on December 13. RacingNSW stewards subsequently asked c

JAKE Hull is hoping his home track triumph with Valilee yesterday trumpets an exciting start to the new year. Valilee ($2.25 favorite) was too nippy for his rivals in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1000m), boosting his record to three wins from four starts. With regular rider Mitchell Bell on vacation, talented Wyong apprentice Anna Roper substituted and didn’t make a mistake. Whilst not the first to begin, Valilee quickly got into stride and led throughout to comfortably defeat

AN overdue stakes breakthrough for Kind Words at Gosford today capped a huge Christmas holiday weekend for leading Newcastle trainer Kris Lees. Kind Words’ victory in the $300,000 Group 3 Belle of the Turf Stakes (1600m), surviving a protest in the stewards’ room, was Lees’ sixth winner over the last three days, which included an earlier Group 3 success with Tavi Time in the Summer Cup and doubles at Royal Randwick last Friday and Eagle Farm yesterday. Tavi Time made it back

BRISBANE’S winter carnival is the target for Private Harry. Kurrinda Bloodstock principal Sean Driver, buoyed by Super Norwest’s barnstorming return to racing at Royal Randwick yesterday, has outlined plans for the brilliant sprinter, who is rehabbing well after unfortunately injury forced him out of the $20m The Everest (1200m) last October. “Private Harry is sound, and took another step in his rehabilitation process by starting on the water walker at Wild Oaks pre-training

HAWKESBURY’S opening heat of the 2026 Provincial-Midway Championships is likely to attract talented local mare Oui Oui Oui. The Yes Yes Yes four-year-old remained unbeaten this campaign with her third win on end at Royal Randwick yesterday, boosting her already imposing record to five victories from only nine starts. Trainer Jason Attard is yet to have a closer look at the PMC series program, but hinted last night that his home track 1400m Qualifier on February 19 appealed as

DREAMS are free! Wyong trainer Shaun Harvey will have his first stakes runner in tomorrow’s $300,000 Group 3 Belle of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford. Harvey’s mare Invasive Dreams is the $81 outsider with TAB.com.au for the provincial feature, but it isn’t an afterthought that he is taking on the more fancied mares. He took over her current preparation a few months ago, and has given her six starts. “I took her to Gosford for a Benchmark 64 Handicap over the Belle of the

Kris Lees called a halt to Tavi Time’s campaign after he successfully defended his Group 3 Summer Cup “title” at Royal Randwick today. Given a brilliant ride by Dylan Gibbons, the New Zealand-bred gelding not only lifted his winning record to double figures, but boosted his earnings to millionaire status. Tavi Time ($4.80), carrying 56kg (3kg more than last year), became the second horse this decade to land back-to-back Summer Cups (2000m). I’m Imposing did the double in 2013

THE master and his apprentice were both Boxing Day winners – but on different tracks. Hawkesbury’s leading trainer Brad Widdup produced a winning debutante on Newcastle’s inner Beaumont track, whilst Poppie Gorton ventured a little further afield to win a race at Quirindi. Widdup made it 30 wins for the season when newcomer Levelling Up ($4.40) got his career off to a flyer, and Gorton rode her sixth winner (and first for an outside stable). Levelling Up, ridden by Christian

KRIS Lees says Tavi Time is “going as good as ever” as he chases an “imposing” double at Royal Randwick on Friday. The New Zealand-bred gelding, to be ridden by Dylan Gibbons, will attempt to become the second horse this century to win successive Group 3 Summer Cups (2000m). I’m Imposing won the Australian Turf Club’s feature in 2013 with 55kg, and carried 4kg extra the following year to complete the Boxing Day double. Tavi Time (Jay Ford) with 53kg last year beat 10 rivals,

SANTA Claus arrived at exactly the right time for Denim Wynen! The Wyong trainer’s overdue “gift” in the shape of a $20 winner – her first in several months - was delivered at Taree yesterday. “I’ve had a pretty rough trot,” Wynen said today. “Our good mare Sunshine Law bowed a tendon and has been retired to start a breeding career. “And I was preparing a youngster for the Magic Millions when it suffered a stress fracture.” Thus Wynen was delighted to see Triple Triple lead t

BRAD Widdup has finalised jockeys for both his Magic Millions Sunlight Plate runners, who will trial at Rosehill Gardens this morning. Tommy Berry has been booked for Savvy Hallie, and Tyler Schiller for Nashville Jack. The $3m MM Sunlight Plate (1100m) will be run at the Gold Coast on January 10 as a feature of the twilight meeting. Berry will partner the three-year-old stablemates in separate 900m trials at Rosehill. Hawkesbury’s leading trainer has already trialled Savvy H

BLAKE Ryan says there is no alternative but to “have a throw at the stumps” with his first-up home track winner Heaven Bound. Thus the Hawkesbury trainer will give the five-year-old daughter of Pierro the opportunity to chase black type in Sunday’s $300,000 Group 3 Belle of the Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford. Heaven Bound returned in fine style by winning a Provincial Benchmark 64 Handicap (1500m) at Hawkesbury on December 14 at her first start since late July when runner-up

ROD Bailey was straight to the point! “If I had trialled him, he would have started around a $2 favorite,” the popular Wyong trainer said today in respect to his first-up triumph with Classic Pocket at his home track yesterday. “He was going that well getting ready for his return.” Bailey’s decision to skip trialling the lightly-raced Hong Kong-owned four-year-old paid off handsomely as Classic Pocket went to the post as an $8.50 chance, providing his trainer with a terrific

KONASANA 2024 BELLE OF THE TURF WINNER THEY’RE back! Gosford Race Club’s feature Belle of the Turf Stakes and Gosford Guineas race meeting returns to home soil at The Entertainment Grounds on Sunday for the first time in two years. Wyong Race Club kindly hosted last year’s fixture as Gosford was out of action because of major renovation work on the track. Sunday’s card is the first of four programs to be held over the summer holiday period, which always prove popular with so

KRIS Lees says it’s difficult to separate stablemates Brave Call and Bestower at Royal Randwick tomorrow. It’s round three when the pair again oppose each other in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (2400m). It’s one-all, with Bestower (second) finishing ahead of Brave Call (fifth) in a similar grade race over 1800m at Rosehill Gardens on November 8, before they ran the quinella in another Benchmark 78 over 2000m at the Saturday metropolitan fixture at Kembla Grange on November 22 on

DAMIEN Lane has seen enough to give the go-ahead for Oakfield Saturn to seek a city victory at her maiden metropolitan attempt at Royal Randwick on Saturday. “The query was always going to be backing up 10 days after winning at home yesterday week,” the Wyong trainer said this evening. “But Oakfield Saturn is nice and bright, and happy. She is definitely ready to go back to the races.” Oakfield Saturn, a member of owner Bruce Mackenzie’s team, has won three of her eight start