The Master’s mighty mare vies with Winx for top billing
It's been a big week with the late Bart Cummings again vying for top spot with the budding champion Winx.
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Max Presnell
McDonald will need a special ride on Astern
In a period of jockey baking, Astern will require a Jim Cassidy special from James McDonald in Saturday's Golden Rose at Rosehill Gardens.
In the sport of kings, Bold Sniper carries the Queen's hopes at Moonee Valley
Her Majesty The Queen, the owner of Bold Sniper who is taking the low road to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in Saturday's Signs Handicap at Moonee Valley, was a cog below royal reserve when Bob Hawke rode home a result with unabated enthusiasm at Canberra in 1988.
Black Heart Bart and Star Turn a couple of class acts
Despite the promise of a spring of much content, emphasised by Caulfield's Memsie Stakes meeting, Melbourne is the "most depressing race scene in all my time", according to Shelley Hancox.
Winx facing a challenge, but she's not racing Bernborough
Champions, an exclusive club in which the outstanding Winx is seeking entry, can be gained more by worthy defeat than success over Bum of the Month opposition.
Racing split by Winx and Payne
Michelle Payne and the Prince Of Penzance engagement, bone surgery to Winx, and the value in backing the Snowden three-year-olds are the week's main issues.
Mediterranean may have the class at Randwick
Weight of yearling sale money comes into play with Saturday's Rosebud Stakes at Royal Randwick when the potential of Mediterranean will be tapped by a bevy of three-year-old talent.
Vintage season of racing undermined by bickering
Chris Waller promises to cap the outstanding performance of the vintage 2015-16 season by breaking his Sydney trainer's record at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
Reflections on the love of strappers for their charges
"They breed thoroughbreds to the tune of 30,000 a year so for every stakes winner there might be 200 draggers who get shipped off to the meat works when they can't earn their keep on the track. Being a groom is a special vocation – you're here in a lifesaving capacity. The breeders are breeding bigger horses on weaker legs, the owners rarely live around the horses and most are in it for the money or bragging rights, the trainers and vets are shooting them up with drugs and running them injured and the jockeys are making big bucks on their backs. You'll hear them all say they love their horses but as far as I'm concerned the only ones to earn the right to say that are the grooms. You feed the horse, you brush the horse, you pet the horse and then you can say you love it. We have an old saying in this sport. Treat the horse as your friend you're your slave." – The Sport Of Kings (4th. ESTATE, London) by C.E. Morgan.
Jockeys can talk up rides, but do we want to listen?
Punters are the beneficiaries of the current clash between Craig Williams and Dwayne Dunn for the Melbourne premiership at a time when the tongue tie has been released from jockeys.
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