O’Shea and Berry’s discussions under review
Racing NSW stewards have reviewed the phone conversations between suspended trainer John O’Shea and jockey Tommy Berry. The review found that the pair had spoken on the phone on three occasions, twice before a race where Berry was to ride a horse trained by O’Shea’s former training partner Tom Charlton, and once afterwards.
On the first occasion, O’Shea told stewards that he talked to several jockeys telling them to “put all their communication through Tom Charlton.” The second time was about a fitness boot camp. “Tommy rang me to say he couldn't make it.” He added that there was nothing to say to Berry about “a horse like that” referring to Athabascan (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}).
John O'Shea | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
On the third phone call, Berry told stewards that it was a mental health check in. “John wasn't really in the mood to chat. He said he was only fair. I asked him how a recent trip to New Zealand was. He said it was fine and to be honest I'd just lost 2 kilos in the bath, so I wasn't ready for a great chat.” Berry also stated that he later visited O’Shea to check up on him.
Tom Charlton was also questioned and stated he had no knowledge of any phone calls. He also told stewards that the stable didn’t give riding instructions to senior jockeys. Stewards will make a decision on the matter at a later date.
Second-up to beat last year’s second
Second in last year’s G1 Stradbroke Handicap, Tony and Maddy Sears-trained Yellow Brick (The Mission) looks to go one better this year. “His second-up record's where we do see him have not his worse runs, but not his best ones - he's always super electric first up and then second up, his racing pattern changes a bit, and he gets a little bit carried away,” Maddy Sears told racingqueensland.com.au.
Yellow Brick | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“That's sort of what happened in the Kingsford Smith, he jumped from barrier 16 and he was just caught in no man's land and he was just race fresh. He had a good hit out on Saturday with one of the other horses in the race, Welwal, on the course proper, and they both worked enormous, and Tuesday morning he worked on the course proper with Skyhook, and I couldn't have been any happier with his work.”
Yellow Jersey to debut in Wilson
Trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy will give imported Yellow Jersey (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) his first run in Australia in Saturday’s Listed Wayne Wilson at Eagle Farm. “He’s got a pretty exciting profile. I think he’s going to be a player in the spring, this horse,” Calvin McEvoy told racing.com.
“We are confident he’s a good horse and he is going well, but it’s very hard to know how he is going to run. He has no pattern here and his form overseas is over a mile and a half. First-up over a mile, with one trial… he trialled exceptionally well on a heavy track, so if we get some rain, that will be a positive. From my point of view, it’s a bit of a wait, watch and see.” He is being aimed at the G1 Cox Plate in the spring.
Alalcance can stay in Brisbane Cup
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Alalcance (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) failed in her first attempt over two miles in the G1 Sydney Cup, but jockey Tim Clark believes she’ll stay the trip in Saturday’s G2 Brisbane Cup. “She's in as good a form now as she was back in the autumn of 2025 where she put a few together and started favourite in the Sydney Cup,” Clark told racingandsports.com.au.
Alalcance (GB) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“She has done really well since her win. I've been on her back a couple of times up there since that and I couldn't be happier with how she looks and how she's going. She has got to give a bit of weight away, that's the only concern, but apart from that she is in great shape.
“She was at the end of her 'prep', she raced keenly and gave herself nothing to finish the race off,” Clark said of the 2025 Sydney Cup run. I've got no concerns about her running that trip. Blinkers come off Saturday to make sure she relaxes to give her every chance to conserve energy and be strong at the end of the race.”
Grima on song for premiership
Trainer Chris Waller thinks that apprentice jockey Siena Grima can win next season’s apprentice premiership. “She’s going great, she’s a very good horseperson and her race tactics are getting better,” Waller told racingnsw.com.au.
“I think she can set herself up for next year and do it properly. She’s got the right teacher in Darren. If she gets the foundation right she can get off to a flyer and be the one to catch this time next year.”
Slipper winner packs on the pounds
G1 Golden Slipper winner Guest House (Home Affairs), trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, is back in pre-training after weighing in at 610kg at the end of his spell. “We tried to keep him as active as we can without interrupting his alone time to have a good freshen up before what looks to be a big spring campaign,” assistant trainer Ben Elam told racingnsw.com.au.
Guest House | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He’s been earmarked for some big targets this time around but he’s still got to do it as well. He’s a Golden Slipper winner and no one can take that away from him but I’d really like to see him develop into a strong 3-year-old which I think he has.”
Exceed And Excel juvenile wins on debut
Michael Freedman-trained 2-year-old colt Tannin (Exceed And Excel) won on debut at Gosford on Thursday. The Godolphin-owned colt is a half-brother to G2 Mille Fox Stakes winner Cinsault (Brazen Beau). Both are out of Street Cry (Ire) mare Fitou who was a Listed winner of five races.
Street Cry had a double at the meeting as a damsire with Tannin’s stablemate 3-year-old filly Pazyryk (Lonhro) winning her maiden. She is out of Raiment (Street Cry {Ire}) who is a Group 3-winning half-sister to Group 3 winner Tailleur (Shooting To Win).
Maurice double in Mackay
Arrowfield stallion Maurice (Jpn) sired a double at Mackay’s Thursday meeting. Lachie Manzelmann-trained 3-year-old gelding Exodas bolted home by over four lengths in the Northern Jewel QTIS race to take his record to four wins from ten starts with earnings over $130,000. Originally a $70,000 yearling, John Manzelmann purchased him for $6500 via Inglis Digital in January 2026.
Stablemate Yorokobi (NZ) won the next by a similar margin and the 3-year-old gelding now has two wins from 13 starts. A $180,000 yearling, he was purchased via Inglis Digital for $2500 in November 2025 after running last on debut.
Kermadec gets juvenile winner
At WA’s Bunbury meeting on Thursday, Ross Price-trained 2-year-old filly Merivale Louvain (Kermadec {NZ}) won on debut. The homebred for Claymore Investments is the second foal of Merivale Miss (Blackfriars) who is a winning half-sister to stakes placed Harry Thomas (Scandal Keeper).
At the same meeting, Darren McAuliffe-trained 2-year-old gelding Bob The Baker (Gingerbread Man) won his maiden against the older horses at his third start. He was a $37,500 purchase by Impressive Racing from J Farms Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale draft.
Dwyer awarded British trainer’s licence
Trainer Henry Dwyer is set to ramp up his involvement in European racing having been granted a trainer's licence by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA).
Dwyer is best known in this part of the world for his exploits with the high-class sprinter Asfoora (Flying Artie), a regular visitor to these shores in recent years. In 2024, Asfoora announced herself to European racing fans with a first top-level success in the King Charles III Stakes at Royal Ascot, while last year she followed a fifth-place finish in the corresponding race with further Group 1 victories in the Nunthorpe Stakes and Prix de l'Abbaye.
Asfoora is set to line up in the King Charles III Stakes for the third consecutive year next week, spearheading a three-strong challenge for Dwyer at Royal Ascot as he embarks on this exciting new phase of his career, with Britannia Stakes hopeful Synners Kid (Ten Sovereigns) and G3 Albany Stakes contender Kochella (Kodiac) also set to represent him.
“Honoured to have officially been granted our UK trainer's licence by the BHA,” read a statement issued by Dwyer on social media. “We've thoroughly enjoyed competing at all the major festivals the past two years, an experience we want to share with all our Australian owners.
“We plan to purchase and have in work 4-6 horses each summer in the UK, before repatriating them to Ballarat to continue their careers. We'll likely have three runners at Royal Ascot next week, something we'd love to build on each year.”
Doubles across the board at Happy Valley
Trainers Tony Cruz and David Eustace scored doubles at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, as did jockeys Brenton Avdulla and Zac Purton. Caspar Fownes remains on top of the Trainer’s Premiership with 62 wins from second placed Mark Newnham on 58 with Danny Shum on 57.
Cruz’s 3-year-old gelding Tycoon Resources (Written Tycoon) stayed unbeaten in winning his third race. “He’s an improving horse, I believe he’s got really good prospects. I reckon I’ll run him one more time before the season ends. I believe he’s still got more improvement to come,” Cruz told scmp.com.
Sold by Yulong at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $300,000, he was withdrawn from the Inglis Ready2Race Sale and sold privately to Hong Kong. He is a half-brother to Group 1 winner Hungry Heart (Frankel {GB}).
Finger wins Tokyo Derby
M's Racing's American-conceived and Japanese-foaled Finger (Jpn) (Gun Runner) moved one step closer to a sweep of the Japan Dirt Triple Crown with a front-running victory in Wednesday's ¥170 million (AU$1.4 million) Listed Tokyo Derby at Ohi Racecourse.
The bay colt entered Wednesday's 2000 metre contest having never finished worse than second in his seven previous career appearances. That included a runner-up effort behind Rock Ptarmigan (Jpn) (Siskin) in the Listed Keihin Hai over 1700 metres before turning the tables on that rival in the first leg of the Dirt Triple Crown, the Listed Haneda Hai going the metric nine furlongs.
Finger can sweep the Triple Crown, formally initiated in 2024, in the Listed Japan Dirt Classic–won that year by Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn})–over this same course and distance on October 7. Natural Rise (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) annexed the first two legs of the series in 2025 before finishing second to Narukami (Jpn) (Thunder Snow {Ire}) in the Dirt Classic.
Trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka is perhaps best known for conditioning Japanese champion dirt horse Lemon Pop (Lemon Drop Kid) and the top older dirt galloper Mikki Fight (Jpn) (Drefong). Just this past weekend, Tanaka sent out Sixpence (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) to upset the G1 Yasuda Kinen, a 'Win and You're In' qualifier for the GI Breeders' Cup Mile.
The Lion In Winter dies in training
Group winner The Lion In Winter was euthanised following a training accident at Ballydoyle, The Sun reported on Wednesday evening. The former Derby favourite, set to run in next Tuesday's G1 Queen Anne Stakes, was four.
By Sea The Stars, the Aidan O'Brien trainee was undefeated in two starts as a juvenile, taking the G3 Acomb Stakes. At three, he ran third in the G1 Prix Jean Prat, filled the same spot in the G1 Prix Moulin, went one better in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and turned in a third-place effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile. A Listed winner this year, The Lion In Winter was fifth in the G1 Lockinge Stakes in May last out, his 12th start.
“Sadly The Lion In Winter suffered a fracture on the gallops and had to be put down,” O'Brien told TDN.
Ward’s Royal Ascot team gathers
Wesley Ward has been the greatest international supporter of Royal Ascot in recent years and the American trainer has dispatched a team of seven runners in a bid to extend his record at the meeting of 12 wins to date.
The septet includes G1 Commonwealth Cup contender Outfielder (Speightstown), an imposing individual who was fourth in last season's G1 Prix Morny and has picked up a pair of black-type wins at Turfway Park and Churchill Downs this year.
“Outfielder did not get to come to Royal Ascot last year as he had a little issue with a shin, so the timing was not right, but everything has gone perfect for him this year,” said Ward's assistant trainer Blake Heap. “He is a good-minded horse, so the occasion should be no trouble to him. He knows what is going on.
“Ez Tina is doing very well. She scratched her leg in the swimming pool, which we are keeping an eye on. It has not healed up completely, although it doesn't seem to bother her. Her work yesterday was awesome – she outworked Outfielder. To me, that piece of work would be pretty hard to beat.”
