Saturday’s $1 million Memsie Stakes at Caulfield is poised to give the most meaningful insights into this year’s spring carnival so far this season, with horses from interstate and overseas contesting the 1400-metre event.
The earmuffs going on to Winx in Saturday's Chelmsford Stakes will prompt mixed reactions but one thing is clear after she made it 18 in a row in the Warwick Stakes – she is a remarkable athlete.
There is plenty of pressure to keep getting it right with Winx for trainer Chris Waller and jockey Hugh Bowman but spare a thought for man pressing the button to start the races.
Chris Waller has decided to extend the use of earmuffs on Winx into a race for the first time when the champion mare runs in the Chelmsford Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Sometimes top-level three-year-olds find the transition to open company against their elders a bridge too far, especially at the highest level.
Their preparation for the Golden Rose may have been stop-start, but Peter and Paul Snowden got the perfect start on the track when Pariah eased to victory in the San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
Melbourne Cup winners sometimes struggle on their return to the racetrack after their greatest triumph.
When Bjorn Baker was learning his craft seven years ago, he came to Australia with Lion Tamer and won the Ming Dynasty Quality before progressing to a memorable Victoria Derby thumping. Now he is starting to think Addictive Nature is on the same path to glory.
The generous and spirit of racing was on show as more than $150,000 was raised at a benefit for Darren Jones family in Tamworth on Thursday.
Luke McCarthy has played host to Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen's all-conquering All-Star stable on many of their raids to Menangle. Now he has become part of the team for the Breeders Crown finals at Melton on Sunday.
Olive said he might give her another barrier trial on Tuesday ahead of her resumption in next Saturday's group 1 Memsie Stakes.
Gary Portelli got exactly what he wanted from She Will Reign as she returned for her first barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Friday while Michael Hawkes as smiling even though Everest favourite Chautauqua was left 10 lengths in her wake.
It is the time of year when questions get answered quickly, in the case of the San Domenico Stakes in the space of 1100m.
While El Divino is many millions of dollars in prizemoney and race wins behind his illustrious sister Winx, the stallion has the chance to carve out a little major race success on his own at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Ear nibbling, the sensual version of lug biting, could be the answer to the cantankerous barrier manners of the champion Winx.
Oil rigs took him around the world, but it was better prizemoney that brought New Zealand trainer Paul Facoory to Canberra.
The son of arguably Australia's most influential horse owners, Nick Williams, believes that Racing Victoria should divulge all of the financial exposure the state has to Racing.com.
The reality of the strength of the Snowden stable's three-year-old squad is illustrated by the clashes of Pariah and Taking Aim and unbeaten colts Assimilate and Hypnotist at Rosehill on Saturday.
The annual stallion parades weekend will seen racing's elite head to Hunter Valley in the next couple of days searching for the next super stallion but they can do so in the knowledge they more likely to be able to buy a group 1 in Australia than anywhere else in the world.
Everest slot-holder Damion Flower would love to have Chauffeur in his colours racing for $10 million in October but he won't be there just to make up the numbers.
There were plenty of highlights for Tim Clark last season: a couple of group 1s, a five-timer at Canterbury in November and 122 winners in total, and that is a benchmark for him entering 2017-18.
Tim Martin takes a couple of special horses to the races at Rosehill on Saturday.
Racing Victoria won't intervene to stop corporate bookmakers from advertising sports betting on its racing.com channel.
Trainer Chris Waller is considering fitting a barrier blanket to his all-conquering race mare Winx after her tardy beginning in Saturday's Warwick Stakes, a move that worked so successfully for another world champion race mare, Black Caviar, over a decade ago.
Senior Australian show jumping officials have confirmed that Prince Andrew has been invited to the show jumping championships next month in Australia.
Winx might have been visibly spectacular in her heart stopping return to racing in the Saturday's Warwick Stakes but signs are the best is yet to come.
Colac jumper Wells emerged victorious in Sunday's $350,000 Grand National steeple at Ballarat, his third success in the nation's most revered jumping event.
Saturday produced the remarkable and the bizarre as the country's two best horses returned. Winx might have "defied logic" but jockey Craig Williams filling his boots before winning the Lawrence Stakes on Hartnell also did.
Without having the world's best race mare Winx to contend with Caulfield Cup hopeful Hartnell showed just how good a racehorse he is with an effortless win in Saturday's Group 2 PB Lawrence stakes at Caulfield.
The patience and foresight of trainer Ciaron Maher and his staff were on Saturday handsomely repaid and rewarded by the win of high class colt Jukebox in the Group 3 Vain Stakes at Caulfield
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