Racing writer for The Sydney Morning Herald
The Patinack connection with Ben Lawrence has already delivered John Thompson an Oaks placegetter in Honesta, and handy sprinter Nieta could be the next to step up to black type for a group of Queensland owners.
Team Hawkes has plenty of two-year-olds by All Too Hard and they are showing the right signs to be factors as juveniles. Groundbreak, which won a barrier trial at Rosehill on Monday, steps out as the Hawkes' first runner by their former star on his home track on Saturday.
Cessnock trainer Todd Howlett doesn't get surprised anymore by wide draws for Nic Vendetta, he is just used to them.
It might be too much to hope for but Tim Clark would love it if he jumps on Infra Dig looking for a fifth winner of the afternoon again at Rosehill on Saturday.
A Miracle Mile winning owner and a controversial trainer-driver, who was arrested in a race-fixing investigation earlier in the year, are understood to have been charged by Harness Racing NSW stewards over text messages sent leading into a race at Goulburn on Australia Day in 2015.
Warwick Farm trainer Matthew Smith has an eye towards The Championships with Faraway Town has she takes on the boys in the Sandown Guineas on Saturday.
Bookmaker Eric Conlan shut his bag for the last time and was given a guard of honour off Canterbury on Saturday.
Tim Clark admitted his day couldn't have got off to a worse start when he arrived at Canterbury without his riding vest, but by the end of Saturday he might be leaving it at home more often after a personal-best five winners.
Will Hayes went out and did a couple of laps with brothers on Wednesday morning, nothing usual for an aspiring AFL midfielder in November. Only Hayes did it in the saddle of a group 1 winner He's Our Rokkii around Flemington.
Michael Freedman is finding his way in Sydney and is building a stable based on young horses that seem to be early runners.
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