• Eamonn Tiernan

Canberra champion mare Single Gaze avoids Winx en route to Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.

• Chris Roots

The cloak-and-dagger work to find an Everest contender continues between slot holders, but the marketplace has dual track record holder Deploy in next month's $10 million race.

• Patrick Bartley

Victorian racing administration will enter a new era on Friday when the Minister for Racing, Martin Pakula, announces the make-up of the new independent board of Racing Victoria.

• Chris Roots

When James Cummings walked into the Godolphin set-up a couple of months ago he quickly had a handle on several three-year-olds, and Astoria and Sanctioned were among them.

• Chris Roots

It was probably the most important number of the week for Jason Collett – three - the barrier Bonny O'Reilly drew for the Golden Pendant at Rosehill on Saturday.

• Chris Roots

Much-improved stayer Auvray has only four rivals in Saturday's Colin Stephen Quality at Rosehill, but a couple of months he had only one – himself.

• John Holloway

Many of the usual suspects shone at the two-year-old trials at Canterbury on Monday, with several leading candidates for the Breeders' Plate and Gimcrack Stakes strutting their stuff.

• Chris Roots

Champion mare Winx will continue her quest for a third Cox Plate in Melbourne, but she could have a June date with the Queen next year in the race Black Caviar won at Royal Ascot.

• Adam Pengilly

Winx will race at Flemington for the first time in her illustrious career after trainer Chris Waller opted for the Turnbull Stakes as the mare's next start, delivering a huge blow to Sydney's inaugural staging of The Everest next month.

• Chris Roots

It was a surprise to see Champagne Cuddles among the final field for Saturday's Golden Rose at Rosehill, but her trainer Bjorn Baker won't be surprised at all if she causes an upset.

• Michael Lynch

Champion jockey Damien Oliver could not hope for a better partner in his quest to win a fourth Melbourne Cup, after announcing on Monday morning that he would team up with the Lloyd Williams-owned Almandin in this year's great race.

• David Polkinghorne

Normally, winning your third straight Canberra Cup would be a happy occasion.

• Michael Lynch

Lloyd Williams bid to win an extraordinary sixth Melbourne Cup will go ahead without the galloper many rated as the classiest stayer in the field.

• Chris Roots

John Camilleri continues to be amazed by his prized broodmare Vegas Showgirl, who seems to have a sense of timing every time she gives birth to another foal.

• Patrick Bartley

Darren Weir's hopes of winning his first $3 million Caulfield Cup appear to get stronger by the day.

• Chris Roots

Segenhoe Stud's Peter O'Brien has foaled thousands of horses in his time, including Winx, but Merchant Navy could go to the top of the list in Saturday's Golden Rose at Rosehill.

• ROOTS AND ALL
• Chris Roots

Winx is a remarkable athlete but she is starting to become a victim of her own success and the expectation that goes with it.

• David Polkinghorne

Both Canberra stars put in solid runs as they head towards two of the spring's biggest races.

• Chris Roots

Australian Bloodstock's Jamie Lovett believes former Japanese galloper Brave Smash will provide the X-factor for The Everest after taking the Australian Turf Club slot.

• Chris Roots

Michael Walker said he was never going to win by far but Comin' Through was always going to win the Bill Ritchie Handicap at Randwick on Saturday.

• Chris Roots

It has been a big week for Redzel. On Tuesday he secured a spot in next month's Everest and after his track record win in The Shorts at Randwick on Saturday, he is challenging for favouritism for the $10 million slots race.

• Patrick Bartley

After months of trying to curb the often wayward habits of former Kiwi galloper Humidor, trainer Darren Weir and his hardworking staff were not only rewarded with a comfortable group 1 victory at Flemington on Saturday but are now poised to give Victoria's most successful stable a Caulfield Cup win.

• Michael Lynch

Melbourne Cup winner Almandin showed he was on course for a repeat this year with a slashing win under 61 kilograms in the Japan Racing Association Trophy at Flemington, scoring in the style that suggested several more kilos would not have changed the result.

• Chris Roots

Winx has given punters displays of dominance but this preparation the superstar has introduced a sense of theatre about her winning performances.

• Michael Lynch

Star Casino officials will have a mouthwatering decision to make over the next 24 hours as far as their Everest slot is concerned.

• Michael Lynch

Top quality horses can produce freakish performances, and Royal Symphony, the favourite for the Caulfield Guineas, showed himself to be out of the top drawer with an extraordinary win on his seasonal reappearance at Flemington.

Champion mare Winx has stretched her sequence to 20 wins in claiming the George Main Stakes at Randwick.

• Chris Roots

Billy Owen has spent the week with Single Gaze in Melbourne but he will be looking for his biggest win as a picnic jockey when he rides Kinda Tangy in the Picnic Championships Final at Dubbo on Sunday.

• David Polkinghorne

Canberra trainer Matthew Dale expects the magnitude of this spring will hit him when he gets to the races.