Last Tuesday the quietness and tranquility of Camperdown Racecourse and its members' car park was suddenly shattered by the arrival of a long convoy of horse floats that descended on the pretty yet remote western district track.
The summer so often only seems to heat up when the kids go back to school.
While David Hayes appears to be in a pivotal position to have an impact in some of Australia's finest two-year-old races this autumn, he will not commit to two of his most gifted two-year-olds starting in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes in late February.
Champion jockey Hugh Bowman went within a nose of missing a couple of months and the ride on Winx in the autumn as he won on Olympic Academy at Randwick on Saturday.
Last season Darren Weir smashed John Hawkes' record for training the most winners in an Australian season when he saddled up 348 of them. Can he go even better and nudge the 400 barrier?
Adam Hyeronimus has wanted to win the Carrington Stakes since he was kid and one of his favourite horse Ecuador got the job done for him at Randwick on Saturday.
There was no Melbourne winner more heartfelt, nor more loudly cheered on Saturday afternoon than the front-running Burning Front, the third leg of a Darren Weir treble at Moonee Valley.
James Cummings was at the forefront to start the Randwick meeting on Saturday, but far from the punters' pal. His double with a filly bought to go early and a three-year-old where patience has paid dividends had bookies on top.
Canberra trainer declares his stable star is "on the way back" after comeback from horrific fall begins.
Hall Of Fame jockey Jim Cassidy will lead the celebration of racing in Bathurst when it holds its richest meeting featuring the Bathurst Cup on Friday.
Darren McCall will make the whip ban his first priority after being elected president of the United Harness Racing Association on Wednesday.
With whip activists on the boil, the Hammer Of Thor strike by James Doyle, given rave reviews for his four Randwick winners last Saturday, is better described as the gift of encouragement.
Yankee Rose trainer David Vandyke was fined $25,000, his vet David Garth $15,000 and the star filly disqualified from the Flight Stakes at a hearing into a positive swab for Ketorolac at Racing NSW on Friday.
Newcastle trainer Phillip Atkins has picked Star Crossed back up after a tough start to his preparation in the heat of December and will test his autumn credentials in the Wilkes Quality at Randwick on Saturday.
The vast Darren Weir numbers at Moonee Valley on Saturday will play a significant role in six of the races on the card.
Star mare Single Gaze is set for a triumph return to the track on Friday at Canberra's Thoroughbred Park.
Ecuador was impressive first-up in the December Handicap and there is no reason that he can't win again in the Carrington Stakes.
Preview of the race meeting at Moonee Valley on Saturday, January 21.
Darren Weir has been given the task of reinventing the career of El Divino, the younger brother of dual Cox Plate-winning mare Winx.
For Rachael Murray it would have been easier to have kept riding work at Godolphin 18 months ago. It was a steady income and she was highly respected there - but only as a work rider.
Just two months after narrowly missing out on Melbourne Cup glory, European stayer Heartbreak City will start his winter jumping campaign in Ireland this weekend.
Deploy was one of those horses that teased with his ability, but this preparation he has turned into a winner. He will look to continue his rise through the grades at Randwick on Saturday.
After 10 days action, the Magic Millions sale on the Gold Coast netted gross turnover of $135 million at the four sessions of the Book 1 sale of 658 thoroughbreds at a $205,226 average.
Graham Daley from Hazelwood Stud is the type owner that trainers want in their stable because as Gary Nickson puts it "he's just lucky".
The reality of heat and the new weights scale got the better of Sydney' leading jockey Brenton Advulla as he had to forgo a couple of rides at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Young apprentice Anna Jordsjo, whose partner Josh Cartwright was charged with careless riding in the now infamous final event in Adelaide last Saturday, has been stood down from riding after suffering a heavy fall at track work this morning.
It might be a few weeks yet before the top line gallopers hit the track for their big late summer and autumn assignments, but top stables up and down the country are now putting the finishing touches to long laid plans for their stars to shine when the big money races come round again in Melbourne and Sydney.
Trainer Chris Waller may have labelled it a preseason game, but there is no doubt Winx can draw a crowd, even when there is nothing on the line.
As the racing community reels from Josh Cartwright's reckless ride on Senior Council in the final race at Morphettville on Saturday, Cartwright's former mentor was astounded by the young jockey's "brain fade".
Australian racing's fairytale filly which chased Winx into third in the Cox Plate has been dragged into a drug probe after returning a positive swab during the spring carnival. But the case could have wide-ranging ramifications over the handling of licensed veterinarians.
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