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  • Guineas next stop in winning Roll

    Guineas the likely next step for daughter of Shamus Award

    Katherine Coleman has always known Roll On High was a filly with above-average ability and now the rest of the world does too after she charged into Thousand Guineas contention at Flemington on Tuesday.

    The daughter of Shamus Award now occupies a place on the second line of betting on the Group 1 at Caulfield on November 18 after decisively winning the $175,000 Desirable Stakes.

    The 1400-metre event was only the fourth start for Roll On High, following a Pakenham maiden win on October 20, but Coleman said the Slade Bloodstock galloper had earned her crack at a valuable Group 1 win.

    “Definitely, if she pulls up well then she’s probably earned her spot there,” Coleman, who trains in partnership with Peter Moody, said.

    Roll On High ($12), who is from the High Chaparral mare All Highs On Me, came with a sweeping run down the outside to score by three quarters of a length from Joliestar ($9.50) with Kimochi ($4.20) filling another minor placing, two lengths away in third.

    Even though Roll On High was up in grade, winning jockey Billy Egan said she relished the set up of the Desirable Stakes and would take benefit from the outing.

    “She was going this good when she won last start but she didn’t have that many horses to pass last time so she was a little lost when she got to the front,” Egan said.

    “Today she had one more to drag her a long way down the straight and she was very willing to pass it but when she hit the front she was still a touch green but she has a touch of class there.”

    Commemorative, the $3.30 favourite, enjoyed an economical run on the fence and presented as a winning hope early in the straight but weakened late to finish sixth, beaten just under six lengths.

  • Without A Fight gives Zahra back-to-back Cup wins

    Without A Fight has provided Mark Zahra with back-to-back victories in the Melbourne Cup.

    Imported galloper Without A Fight has etched his name into the history books by taking out the 163rd running of the Melbourne Cup at Flemington. 

    Brought out to Australia for last year’s Melbourne Cup under UK trainers Simon and Ed Crisford, Without A Fight was not suited on the wet conditions, fading to finish 13th behind Gold Trip. 

    But 12 months later, and in the care of Anthony and Sam Freedman, Without A Fight appreciated the firmer Flemington track that was upgraded to a Good 3 after the Melbourne Cup (3200m) on Tuesday, to race to a comfortable win under a brilliant ride from Mark Zahra. 

    After settling back in the field, Zahra was able to weave a passage through the field from the hometurn to take Without A Fight ($8) to a 2-¼ length victory from Soulcombe ($9.50) with outsider Sheraz ($151) a further half-length away third. 

    In winning Tuesday’s Cup, Without A Fight became the first horse since Ethereal in 2001 to complete the Caulfield – Melbourne Cup double and the 12th overall. 

    Zahra won the Cup last year on Gold Trip and had to make the difficult decision on whether to ride that galloper again or stick aboard Without A Fight after winning the Caulfield Cup on the gelding 17 days ago. 

    “Mark Hunter is a good friend and I rate him as one of the best judges in Australia,” Zahra said. 

    “I spoke to him at length about it and he said ‘you know, there’s not much in it, but if you can get him to settle, he’ll run it’. 

    “We went through the race, the weather forecast. 

    “The stars aligned for Gold Trip last year and they aligned for this horse this year. 

    “I don’t get to pick the result, I have to pick them before then and there was just a few things, the weight and the way he won the Caulfield Cup, I was confident he’d run it out today.” 

    Zahra said drawing barrier two and hugging the rails throughout allowed Without A Fight to have an easy run. 

    He said he was fortunate that he had some of the best jockeys in the world to follow. 

    “I was following Alenquer, probably not the best chance but D Oliver, in front of him was Gold Trip, in front of him was Vauban,” Zahra said. 

    “So, I thought I’m just going to stay here. They all made their moves, which opened up for me and I was on a horse you can just sit on. 

    “He’s got an electric turn of foot, and he just pulled me all the way to the line, and it was all over. 

    “I stood up in the irons and gave them the two fingers for two winners. 

    “I don’t know what I was thinking – idiot.” 

    Without A Fight’s victory adds the father-and-son training team of Anthony and Sam Freedman to the record books. 

    Anthony was part of Lee Freedman‘s haul of five Cup winners before the four brothers, Lee, Richard and Michael, went their separate ways. 

    The last win for the Freedman family came in 2005 with Maybe Diva and Sam Freedman said it had been a long time between wins in the Cup for the family. 

    Freedman senior is rarely seen at the races and Sam Freedman has been the face of the team. 

    “It’s been a great race for the family,” Freedman said. 

    “It’s been a while between drinks but it’s good to get another one and credit to the old man. 

    “He’s been incredible through all of this, his wisdom and experience in nursing a horse through like this. 

    “He went up to Queensland with him and looked after him up here and got him right into form and brought him back to Victoria and he’s been brilliant ever since so credit to him.” 

  • Moloney sets title defence, aims for April unification

    Jason Moloney had initially been tipped to lock in a unification bout for late 2023, but will instead defend his WBO world bantamweight title in January.

    Jason Moloney will defend his world bantamweight title for the first time on January 13 and is eyeing a maiden unification bout on Australian soil in April.

    Melbourne-born Moloney announced on Thursday he would meet American Saul Sanchez in Quebec City for his first fight since beating Vincent Astrolabio to claim the WBO belt.

    On his third attempt at a world title, ‘Mayhem’ Moloney (26-2, 19 KOs) overcame a hand injury to beat the Filipino by majority decision in May.

    After taking a break to allow his hand to recover, Moloney was down to fight Alexandro Santiago for a shot at the WBC title which would have moved him a step closer to undisputed champion status.

    But a mandatory fight with Astrolabio has taken priority for Santiago.

    IBF champion Emmanuel Rodriguez’s decision to retire and then backflip only days later cast doubt over a unification bout between he and Moloney.

    Itching to return to the ring, Moloney has opted to prioritise a maiden title defence over a chance for another belt.

    “Time was ticking away and I don’t want to sit on the sidelines any longer,” Moloney told AAP.

    “We tried quite hard to make the fight happen in Australia but a few pieces of the puzzle just weren’t falling into place.

    “Certainly after I’m successful in January, I’m hoping to get out and I’m hoping that a unification fight is next and hopefully in Australia.”

    Moloney is aiming for that fight to take place in April and wants his brother, super flyweight Andrew, to feature on the same card.

    “I’d like that,” he said.

    “He’s fighting December 9 in Melbourne and looking to get a win and get himself back in the title mix.

    “Hopefully we’ll share a show together early next year.

    “I would like to fight probably April, fingers crossed we can have a unification then.”

    But first, Moloney has been listed on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev’s fight with Callum Smith on January 13, the former defending his WBO, WBC and IBF light heavyweight titles.

    Australian super middleweight Rohan Murdock will fight Christian Mbilli on the same card in Quebec.

    Sanchez (20-2, 12 KOs) last fought in October when he handed Filipino southpaw RV Deniega the first loss of his professional career by unanimous decision in Japan.

    The 26-year-old is listed at No.10 on the WBO rankings and is contesting his first world title.

    “He’s someone who’s been on my radar for a while,” Moloney said.

    “He’s going to come into the fight very hungry, it’s his first chance at winning a title himself so I’m expecting a really good, hard fight.

    “But I believe in myself and believe in my abilities. I think I’m the best bantamweight in the world at the moment and it’s time to prove that.”

  • Ozzmosis aiming to uphold family tradition

    Ozzmosis out to become the fourth generation Coolmore winner

    Ozzmosis has the job of continuing his family’s amazing connection with the Coolmore Stud Stakes when the $2 million Group 1 is run at Flemington this Saturday.

    The Bjorn Baker-trained colt is out to become a fourth generation winner of the 1200-metre event that has risen to become the most significant race for three-year-old colts on the Australian calendar.

    Ozzmosis is by Zoustar, who won the Coolmore Stud Stakes in 2013, five years after his sire Northern Meteor won the race.

    Back when the race was known as the Ascot Vale Stakes – before it moved to Derby Day, which coincided with its elevation to Group 1 status – Northern Meteor’s sire Encosta De Lago won it in 1996.

    Baker recognises the 19-horse field that contains the Golden Slipper trifecta of Shinzo, Cylinder and King’s Gambit, plus local stars including Stretan Angel, Steparty and I Am Unstoppable, is not going to be easy but is an obvious target for his classy colt.

    “He is a well-bred colt, he’s got a great attitude and I think he can run a big one,” Baker said.

    “It is obviously going to be a very hard race, but he is in good order.”

    Ozzmosis, a $250,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling, is out of the Darci Brahma mare No More Tears, who is a daughter of Ocean Of Tears.

    Ocean Of Tears (Minardi) is from the Centaine mare Procure, which makes her a half-sister to Hips Don’t Lie, the dam of Acrobat, Lake Geneva and Ennis Hill, who is the dam of one of last season’s top two-year-olds Learning To Fly.

    Ozzmosis did not debut until late May, when he won easily at Gosford, before a similarly impressive win at Randwick on June 10.

    He was then put away to be prepared for his three-year-old season and made it three from three in the Listed Heritage Stakes before a third placing in the Group 2 Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) won by Coolmore rival King’s Gambit.

    The Darby Racing-owned colt tuned up for the Coolmore with a slick Flemington jumpout win last Friday, leaving Baker and raceday jockey Rachel King happy.

    “Rachel was very happy with him, so that gives us a bit of confidence going into Saturday,” Baker said.

    “He seems to have settled in well down there and we’re very happy with him going into the race.”

    Zoustar is the only stallion represented in this year’s Coolmore Stud Stakes who is a past winner, but three others have supplied winners of the race.

    I Am Invincible, who has King’s Gambit, I Am Unstoppable and Tiz Invincible engaged, is the sire of Brazen Beau (2014), Home Affairs (2021) and In Secret (2022), Cylinder’s sire Exceed And Excel is a two-time winner of the race, while Steparty’s sire Artie Schiller produced Flying Artie to win in 2016.

  • Cummings playing it Strait in Eagle

    What began as a pipedream will become a reality when Strait Acer lines up in the Golden Eagle.

    He might have a famous racing surname, but the effort of Edward Cummings to have a Cox Plate and Golden Eagle runner in the space of eight days has been a notable feat.

    Cummings, the grandson of Cups King Bart and son of respected Sydney trainer Anthony, has a boutique team of just 22 horses in work at Hawkesbury.

    Despite his small numbers, he saddled up Duais to a luckless fourth in the Cox Plate (2040m) last weekend and will start Strait Acer in Saturday’s $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at Rosehill.

    While the latter is a $34 chance in pre-race markets, he arrives at the race in the form of his life.

    Stringing together a hat-trick of wins in Midway and Benchmark grade, Strait Acer stepped up to the Silver Eagle (1300m) and despite a chequered passage in the straight, he motored to the line for an encouraging second to Vienna Princess.

    If Cummings wasn’t certain he had a Golden Eagle contender going into the Silver Eagle, he was after it.

    “Even though it was the plan and we got into the race fair and square, I thought I was half-mad just for trying it because he was so far out of the handicap,” Cummings said.

    “We started his prep a month earlier than we normally do with our horses because he was that forward and because we needed to test him and get him up in the ratings quickly.

    “We had one run where we could be unlucky and the rest of them would have to be runs where he was winning, and that’s basically how it has turned out.

    “He put a few together and the last run in the Silver Eagle was really good.”

    Cummings can see similarities between Strait Acer and a horse he trained in partnership with his father, 2018 Villiers Stakes winner Sky Boy.

    After showing early promise, Sky Boy notched five successive victories during the spring and summer of that year and Cummings has used him as a barometer for Strait Acer.

    “Watching a horse like him reminds me a lot of Sky Boy when he had that prep stringing five or six wins together, culminating in the Villiers,” Cummings said.

    “We have gone on a very similar journey and that experience has informed a lot of what we’ve done with this horse.

    “The horse is in great nick, and he is just learning and improving all the time.”

    Cummings will also start Queenmaker in the TAB Handicap (1900m), the mare continuing to thrive as she prepares to line up for her sixteenth start in a campaign that kicked off in February.

    “We did give her a month freshen-up (in July), she’s had five or six starts since then and it’s only her second racing preparation. She loves it,” Cummings said.

    “Zac Lloyd goes back on and I think he’ll be riding her with a fair bit of confidence.”

  • NRL’s Manly retain Croker, McLean re-signs with Cowboys

    Manly have moved to re-sign Lachlan Croker only one day before rival NRL clubs can begin swooping on players coming into a contract season.

    Hooker Lachlan Croker will remain at Manly until the end of 2026 after the club announced his re-signing only one day before the player market opens.

    From November 1, clubs can begin formal negotiations with players who are out of contract at the end of 2024.

    But by securing Croker, their best-and-fairest player in 2022, Manly have retained their biggest name who had been set to hit the open market.

    Croker, who has played 104 of his 105 first-grade games for the Sea Eagles, has signed a two-year deal.

    Originally a half in Canberra’s junior system, Croker arrived at Manly in 2018 and has been a regular first-grader since 2020.

    He became starting hooker after Danny Levi left the club before the 2021 season and has become noted for his work rate in defence.

    “Lachlan has been one of our most consistent players over the last two seasons. It’s great for us to be able to extend him out for a further two years,’ coach Anthony Seibold said.

    “He has played over 100 games for our club now and is a great team man. You know what you are going to get with ‘Crokes’.”

    North Queensland have re-signed veteran prop Jordan McLean on a one-year contract that could see him through to retirement.

    The former Melbourne middle man will be 33 shortly after next season ends, but has proven he is still up to the rigours of first grade, starting 22 games this year.

    He averaged 111 run metres in 2023 and bolsters a middle rotation that also includes Jason Taumalolo, Reuben Cotter and Griffin Neame.

    Elsewhere, Newcastle have confirmed the signing of Penrith winger Tom Jenkins on a two-year contract from 2024.

    Stuck behind Brian To’o, Sunia Turuva and Taylan May, the Panthers had already confirmed Jenkins would not be at the club next year.

    He looms as a replacement option for Dominic Young, who has joined the Sydney Roosters.

  • Roosters’ tough contract calls with November arriving

    The Sydney Roosters face a big battle to retain their superstars as rival clubs begin pitching to off-contract players.

    Penrith’s triple premiership-winning five-eighth Jarome Luai headlines a list of more than 150 players who are contracted through 2024, but able to field rival offers for 2025 from November 1.

    Other big names include Newcastle’s recent State of Origin debutant Bradman Best, Brisbane’s grand-final standout Ezra Mam and crafty North Queensland five-eighth Tom Dearden.

    But Trent Robinson’s Roosters undoubtedly have the biggest pool of top-level talent hitting the open market as they look to string together a more consistent season in 2024.

    Five-eighth Luke Keary sits top of that list, with the club facing a difficult call over whether he and Sam Walker are the right halves pairing to inspire more premiership success.

    The perennial heavyweights have endured two up-and-down seasons and Keary, who has struggled with concussion in recent times, turns 32 in February.

    Roosters utility Joey Manu is an enticing prospect for rival clubs, able to play fullback at an elite level but stuck behind captain James Tedesco for that spot at Bondi.

    Manu – who has previously insisted he has no preference as to which position he plays – is tied to a Roosters deal worth an estimated $800,000 per season, big money for a centre.

    Roosters edge forward Angus Crichton has repeatedly been linked with a switch back to his boyhood code of rugby union, but talks of an immediate move have broken down.

    He remains contracted through 2024 on a reported $600,000 per year – another potential financial spanner in the works for the Tricolours if he opts against moving to the 15-man code.

    Stalwarts Nat Butcher and Daniel Tupou are also without deals beyond 2024, as is prop Terrell May, whose impact off the bench was vital as the Roosters made a late charge to the 2023 finals.

    Veteran prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves turns 35 in January and is off contract at the end of 2024, but appears likely to retire at season’s end.

    The Wests Tigers, Canterbury and St George Illawarra are all set to spring into action from November 1, eager to bolster their stocks following disappointing 2023 campaigns.

    Wednesday will be the first official day on the job for new Dragons coach Shane Flanagan and his Gold Coast counterpart Des Hasler.

    St George Illawarra are poised to make a serious play for Luai to start in the halves.

    The playing future of first-choice five-eighth Junior Amone is clouded following a guilty verdict in his recent assault trial, while halfback Ben Hunt has made no secret of his desire to leave the joint venture.

  • Kovalica Waller’s Golden boy

    Chris Waller has put blinkers on Kovalica to sharpen him up for a slight distance drop.

    The Cox Plate came under serious consideration for Kovalica, but his performance in the King Charles III Stakes convinced connections the $10 million Golden Eagle was the right target.

    The Queensland Derby winner was one of the few horses to make headway from back in the field, coming from last on the corner to finish fifth behind stablemate Fangirl.

    That 1600m effort has proved the determining factor in resisting the temptation to step Kovalica up to 2040m in last Saturday’s Cox Plate and instead fit him with blinkers for a Golden Eagle (1500m) assault.

    “Had he not sprinted as hard as what he did in the King Charles, the Cox Plate would have been the logical race to go to,” trainer Chris Waller‘s racing manager Charlie Duckworth said.

    “But the fact he was reeling in older weight-for-age stars, and that he’s only four once …. the Cox Plate is still going to be there for him next year.”

    Waller won the inaugural Golden Eagle with Kolding, who like Kovalica was raced by Neville Morgan and sported the prominent owner’s blue and white colours.

    But they aren’t the only commonalities the horses share.

    Both are by Ocean Park, both won the Queensland Guineas the previous winter and like Kolding, Kovalica will tackle the Golden Eagle fourth-up and off the back of a Group 1 mile run at Randwick.

    Duckworth can make cases for all of the stable’s runners but says Kovalica’s fast finishing second in the Epsom Handicap (1600m) and his King Charles Stakes effort make him Waller’s top seed.

    “He pretty much has to be,” Duckworth said.

    “Despite only running second and fifth, you couldn’t have asked more from any horse in his last two runs.”

    The commitment of jockey Tommy Berry has also been a confidence boost.

    Berry has been retained for the Golden Eagle mount after riding Kovalica last start and hasn’t missed an opportunity to sit on his back since.

    “Tommy has come in and galloped him on the Saturday, Tuesday, (last) Saturday and again on Tuesday.

    “He is putting the hard yards in and he has got bags of faith in the horse.”

    Kovalica ($10) will lead a five-pronged Golden Eagle bid for Waller, although he has been a market drifter since landing gate 16 at Tuesday night’s barrier draw.

    His barn mates fared better with Rediener drawing three, Osipenko and Vienna Princess alongside each other in barriers eight and nine respectively, while Age Of Kings will jump from gate 11.

  • Good signs for Simmons as Nets nab first win of season

    Ben Simmons is impressing coach Jacque Vaughn and his Brooklyn teammates early in the NBA season, falling just shy of a triple-double in the win over Charlotte.

    Ben Simmons is showing shades of his best to begin the NBA season, starring in Brooklyn’s first win of the campaign over Charlotte.

    A run of injuries hampered Simmons after he moved to the Nets last season as part of a highly-publicised trade that sent James Harden to Philadelphia.

    But Simmons has appeared undaunted by the prospect of repaying Brooklyn for their faith this season and came within two assists of a triple-double in Tuesday’s 133-121 road win.

    Running the point, the Australian (11 points, team-high 10 rebounds, team-high eight assists) masterminded a 15-2 run that helped the Nets begin the game on the front foot.

    Brooklyn never surrendered their lead, though the Hornets did cut it to single digits either side of halftime and then again in the final period.

    Simmons’ passing game out of trouble was especially effective at setting the Nets up in transition and it was encouraging to see him use his size to take the paint on.

    “I said this to him specifically at shoot-around, ‘I saw progression from game one to game two and I’m looking forward to seeing the progression from game two to game three’,” said Nets coach Jacque Vaughn.

    “He definitely set the tone for us to start the basketball game. I think his physicality, his ability to push the basketball was high-level for us, getting guys open for shots.

    “It’s a joy to play that way. I think this team is built versatility-wise to play that way. We’ll continue to embrace it.”

    Simmons would likely have finished the game with his second triple-double as a Net had he not been shifted to the post late in the fourth quarter.

    Brooklyn, without Nic Claxton due to a left ankle sprain, were down a big man in their rotation.

    Nets forward Cam Thomas (33 points) lauded Simmons on his start to the season.

    “Him playing like this, I wouldn’t say it’s at his full potential yet but him getting back in stride, he’s looking real good. He’s been solid,” Thomas said.

    “We’re getting comfortable with him. Just figuring out how he plays is good, he’s playing fast, up-tempo. He’s going to find us.

    “The harder you run, the more easy baskets you can get from him. Obviously he’s playing well. I’m happy for him.”

  • Rugby Australia accept coach Jones’s resignation

    Rugby Australia have officially accepted the resignation of embattled coach Eddie Jones, who quit following the Wallabies’ disappointing World Cup showing.

    Rugby Australia have officially confirmed the resignation of coach Eddie Jones, who will depart next month.

    RA chief executive Phil Waugh will hold a press conference in Sydney on Tuesday afternoon as the search for a new coach begins.

    After signing a five-year deal Jones quit the post after less than 10 months on the back of a shambolic Rugby World Cup campaign in France, where the Wallabies failed to get out of the pool stage for the first time.

    They also endured record losses to Fiji and Wales, with Jones only managing two wins from his nine Tests in charge.

    The 63-year-old had been heralded as the Wallabies’ saviour when he was appointed as a ‘captain’s pick’ by chairman Hamish McLennan after the axing of previous incumbent Dave Rennie.

    Jones coached Australia to the World Cup final in 2003, and took England to the 2019 showpiece before being sacked late last year after a run of poor results.

    But he made a series of confounding decisions on his return to the Wallabies hot-seat, including naming a young, inexperienced squad for the World Cup and leaving out long-serving skipper Michael Hooper and playmaker Quade Cooper.

    Australia’s players were also rocked when Jones was linked with the Japan coaching vacancy. He was forced to deny he’d interviewed for the role just days out from the tournament opener in Paris.

    Two weeks ago, Jones insisted he was “absolutely committed” to overseeing the Wallabies through to the next World Cup, on home soil in 2027.

    But by last weekend he had offered his resignation to the RA hierarchy.

    It’s believed Jones will walk away from his hefty contract without a pay-out.

    He insisted he had no other international role to go to, including the Japan position which has yet to be filled.

    World Cup-winner Stephen Larkham and fellow former Wallabies assistant Dan McKellar are expected to be RA’s top targets to replace Jones.

    Larkham is currently coaching the ACT Brumbies after taking over from McKellar, who is head coach at Leicester Tigers in the UK.

    McKellar was Rennie’s forwards coach, and believed to be viewed as next in line to succeed the Kiwi, but resigned earlier this year when Jones was appointed to the top job.