A crack at this year’s Group I Melbourne Cup (3200m) edged a step closer for Ladies First at Ellerslie where she passed the sternest test of her stamina with flying colours.

Not to be outdone by his half-brother Not A Single Cent breaking his maiden in the Group 11 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Flemington moments earlier, crowd favourite Happy Clapper charged home to down a gallant Global Glamour in Saturday’s $500,000 Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick.

It’s been a big week for Robert Crabtree and his Dorrington Park with strong results at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale during the past week followed by a Group II victory in the VRC Kewney Stakes for his homebred filly Bella Martini.

Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman are likely to be scouring Australian racing programmes for tough six year-old Saint Emilion following the grand front-runner’s first Group I success at Ellerslie on Saturday.

With race favourite Performer parting company with Hugh Bowman after turning for home in the Group II ATC Todman Stakes at Randwick on Saturday it was left to lightly raced colt Aylmerton to score a stylish win in blistering time.

Trainer David Pfieffer will target the $600,000 Group 1 ATC Arrowfield 3YO Sprint Stakes (Royal Sovereign Stakes) (1200m) with the progressive Snitzel filly I Am Excited following her determined win in Saturday’s Listed Fireball Stakes (1100m) at Randwick.

Sword Of Osman has taken pole position in the race for this season’s champion two-year-old honours.

Expensive Snitzel filly Estijaab confirmed her Golden Slipper credentials when breaking English’s race record to score a thrilling win in the Group II ATC Reisling Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

A model of consistency, the Kris Lees-trained Karavali earned a well-deserved maiden stakes win in Saturday’s Group III Aspiration Quality (1600m) at Randwick.

Group One-winning Australian trainer Mick Kent made his mark at Trentham on Saturday as an owner.

With a smorgasbord of Group I racing in Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand today it’s always good to see which stallions have the best opportunity to succeed.

The Mark Newman-trained Lanciato stamped himself a genuine lightweight chance in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile following a last to first performance in Friday’s Group III Newcastle Newmarket (1200m).

Chalk up another winner for the red-hot combination of trainer Clare Cunningham and jockey Jason Collett after the 2-year-old Krupt filly Onthetake overcame a troubled run to break her maiden in the $35,000 Beaumont Handicap (1400m) at Newcastle on Friday.

Sydney’s premier training operation will have four runners in Saturday’s $1 million Group I Randwick Guineas (1600m) and the stable believes one of their outsiders will defy his$51 quote.

The 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale provided a fairytale result for Victorian vendors Rushton Park, who had the honour of selling this year’s sale-topper, a $500,000 Fastnet Rock filly from Lady Melksham.

Well-related New Zealand stallion El Hermano has lost a long battle with a hoof injury.

A start in one of the showpiece races of Sydney's The Championships awaits Lizzie L'Amour if she races up to expectations in Saturday's Group I  Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie.

OK, so we received no brownie points for bravery in selecting odds-on favourite Santos, a grandson of Emirate Park’s excellent broodmare Elated Lady, as last week’s Best On Breeding, however, we will be sticking with the Emirates Park theme for this week’s tip.

Melt’s unbeaten record isn’t all that’s going on the line at Ellerslie on Saturday.

The 14 selected contenders for the HK$18 million BMW Hong Kong Derby were announced during a media conference at Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday and among them is exciting Nom du Jeu gelding Ping Hai Star.

Mike and Debbie O’Donnell of Fairhill Farm have been riding the crest of a winning wave in recent months with the upcoming dispersal of their entire weanling crop at the Riverside Stables in Sydney next month sure to attract significant interest from bloodstock investors and pinhookers.

Hinchinbrook is no stranger to success in the West having sired brilliant filly Whispering Brook to dominate the Perth two year-old events a couple of seasons back and at Ascot on Wednesday we saw a filly that may well do the same.

The Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale concluded with Book II today, wrapping up a rewarding week of trade.

Promising Sepoy filly Tarabai will not be out of place in Black Type races later in the carnival following her dominant victory at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.

The 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale featured the progeny of some 20 first season sires and it was Coolmore’s blue-blooded Encosta de Lago son Rubick that finished with the best average and also the single highest priced sale.

An innovative experiment to split the stud career of Northern Meteor’s best son Zoustar between Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley and Woodside Park Stud in Victoria found overwhelming success in the sale ring this week where his second crop of Victorian conceived youngsters duly sold like the proverbial hot cakes.

Diminishing participation at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Victoria from major Hunter Valley vendors has not stopped Yarraman Park from being well rewarded at Oaklands this week with eight yearlings selling in Book One at an average $258,750.

Former champion racehorse trainer Peter Moody will be sharing his lively stories, and giving tips on what to look for in a racehorse at an exclusive event on the Gold Coast on Sunday March 18.

Opening her account with a surprise win at Bendigo on Tuesday was regally bred Street Cry (IRE) filly Silent Roar, a $550,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Spendthrift Farm from the Widden Stud draft.

Book 1 of the 2018 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale ended with a flurry today, with the sale’s two top Lots both coming on an action-packed afternoon at Oaklands.

Godolphin continued its spending on yearlings this year with the sale-topping Fastnet Rock filly at the Inglis Premier yearling sale on Tuesday.

As a half-sister by champion sire More Than Ready (USA) to three stakes-winners, you would like to think this maiden winner on Tuesday and Kembla will be winning much better races than this.

Opie Bosson’s Group One hopes in the two-year-old feature at Ellerslie will rest with Sword Of Osman, although it’s not strictly by choice.

The Geraldy Ryan trained Menari has suffered a minor setback, which has ruled him out of races like the $2.

There are now three horses exempt from ballot for next month’s Golden Slipper after the weekend’s racing.

Select Sale graduate Best of Luck (NZ) (Thorn Park) produced a sparkling front-running performance in Macau on Sunday to win the M$550,000 Listed Sand Specialist Stakes (1510m).

Prematurely dead after just four seasons at stud, Northern Meteor is poised to leave a lasting legacy with three of his young sire sons now on the board with winners, while another two are proving popular at the yearling sales this year with their first offspring on offer.

For Rosehill trainer Gerald Ryan, the instruction was simple.

If you have even a passing interest in racing be sure to watch the return of Bred To Win tonight on Sky Thoroughbred Central as Caroline Searcy delves into the world of thoroughbred breeding to tell you more about the background of your favourite horses.

Respected New Zealand racing identity Jeanette Broome has died aged 81.

Talented three-year-old colt Grunt will now head to the spelling paddock in preparation for the spring after securing his first Group One win when victorious in the Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday.

The New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales Series heads south to showcase the South Island Session with the 121-lot catalogue available online and arriving in the post late next week for viewing.

Phill Cataldo’s eye for young thoroughbred talent has again been emphasised by the emergence of Vin De Dance.

Plenty of interesting two year-old trials around the country in the past week so here are all the placegetters with their breeding and sale information.

When Hinchinbrook filly Seabrook won the Group II ATC Sweet Embrace Stakes on Saturday she became the 85th stakes-winner to carry a double cross of Danehill and joined a growing list of two year-old stakes-winners this season bred this way.

With four wins from five starts, Group I VRC Australian Guineas winner Grunt is one of the brightest prospects in Australian racing, but we will be waiting now until the spring to see him race again.

The 2018 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale got off to an even start on a day where the Victorian industry led from the front.

Lightly raced Premier Sale graduate Gunt(NZ) (O’Reilly) has rapidly emerged as one of Australian racing’s brightest three-year-old stars, and he completed that rise at Group One level in Saturday’s A$1 million Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.

Superstar Ready to Run Sale graduate Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj) won the Group 1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) last year, and it was an even bigger result in 2018 as two horses sold through the two-year-old sale fought out the finish in the prestigious $1 million classic at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Domesday’s Group I Queensland Derby winner Ruthven was back in the winner’s circle at Sha Tin on Saturday with his trainer John Moore confirming he is on track for the upcoming Group I Hong Kong Derby.

Yarraman Park sires were in hot form at the weekend with I Am Invincible siring Santos to win the Group II ATC Skyline Stakes at Randwick, while Hinchinbrook posted a two state stakes double with Seabrook an exciting winner of the Group II ATC Sweet Embrace Stakes and classy mare Flippant returning to top form in the Group III VRC Frances Tressady Stakes at Flemington.

The prospect of the $1m Inglis Classic Bonus going off increased and Maluka Thoroughbreds received the perfect boost on the eve of the Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

Darley Stud’s first season stallion Albrecht is off the mark with his son Sanglier proving too strong in a 1000 metre maiden at Wyong on Saturday.

Defending champion Dixie Blossoms came from last on the turn to claim a second success in Group II Guy Walter Proven Thoroughbreds Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.

Ten months ago, the Mick Price-trained Secret Agenda claimed the prized scalp of Viddora in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville before finishing fourth in the Group 1 Goodwood Stakes.

Headline-hogger Winx was not the only stakes winner from Street Cry’s sixth Australian crop on Saturday, she had to share the honour with the Anthony Freedman-trained Nozomi who prevailed in a tight finish to the Group III TAB Multiplier Autumn Handicap (1400m) at Flemington.

After defeating the subsequent Magic Millions winner Sunlight when making her career debut in the Listed VRC Maribyrnong Trial back in October, Nomothaj fell off the radar when a struggling 14th at the Gold Coast.

Newgate Farm's promising young Northern Meteor son Eurozone broke the ice for his first winner at Morphettville on Saturday and did it in style with talented filly Krone taking out the Listed SAJC Cinderella Stakes.

OTI principal Terry Henderson paid a glowing tribute to his trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman after the Melbourne-based identity’s colours were carried to victory in the Group I Vodafone New Zealand Derby (2400m) on Saturday.

O’Reilly colt Grunt claimed his first Group One win in the Australian Guineas on Saturday but one gets the feeling trainer Mick Price thinks his best days are still ahead.

If she’s not the most valuable mare racing in Australia at the moment, Saturday’s Group One Surround Stakes winner Shoals would make the shortlist.

She settled back, circled the field and won by a huge margin to the roars of an appreciative crowd in a somewhat common scenario – such is Winx.

Balloted out of last week’s Blue Diamond Stakes, Hinchinbrook filly Seabrook overcame a tough run to win the Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick on Saturday with Hugh Bowman declaring she’s got “Slipper written all over her”.

Santos will give Gai Waterhouse her chance at a seventh Golden Slipper after he led home an I Am Invincible one-two in the Skyline Stakes Gr2 at Randwick on Saturday.

Snitzel filly Nomothaj joined Shadwell Stud’s multi-pronged Golden Slipper arsenal with a return to the winners list in the Listed 3AW Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.

Choisir featured with a stakes-winner in South Africa on Friday when three year-old colt Sir Frenchie captured the Listed Ibhayi Stakes at Fairview.

A busy week of inspections has vendors and buyers ready for the 2018 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, which begins on Sunday at Oaklands Junction.

Trainer Mick Kent will step his Helmet filly Metronome up to stakes company following her tough performance in the Ladbrokes Friday Night Lights Handicap (1200m) at Moonee Valley.

The first Charm Spirit (IRE) two year-olds are set to race in Europe this year with good early reports from the Northern Hemisphere giving cause for optimism and for his growing fan base in Australasia the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale presents another opportunity to secure his locally bred offspring.

Global Thinking will close her South Island campaign on Saturday, but that might not be the end of her travels this season.

gavelhouse,com graduate Sacred Edge scored his most significant win to date at Newcastle on Thursday, winning the $30,000 Newcastle 1600m Handicap for his Warwick Farm-based trainer Clare Cunningham.

Savvy Coup continued the southern sparkle at Hastings on Thursday when she trumped a smart field of fillies in an impressive dress rehearsal for an upcoming classic challenge.

Two graduates of Rich Hill’s 2016 Karaka yearling draft will take their place in Saturday’s Group I  New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie.

Back in May 1978, an imported mare named Lady Upstage (GB) made an inauspicious debut over 1200 metres at Randwick beating just two of her seven opponents home.

The catalogue for The Chairman’s Sale Breeding Prospects continues to strengthen ahead of the looming close-off date for entries.

The 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale starts on Sunday and Millford Thoroughbreds are looking forward to a strong sale with a stunning draft of 11 youngsters by leading sires such as Snitzel and Written Tycoon.

A dominant win in the Group I Blue Diamond Stakes has major studs circling Written By.

Syndicator OTI Racing could be in for a big weekend on both sides of the Tasman with their New Zealand-bred runners.

The latest gavelhouse New Zealand catalogue is online with 36 Lots on offer including yearlings, tried and untried racing stock and broodmare packages from some of New Zealand's leading stud farms.

The Inglis Premier Yearling Sale is done and dusted, but for leading South Australian nursery Mill Park it’s straight back to business with the Magic Millions Yearling Sale in Adelaide next week on March 13 and 14.

Only one filly poses any possible threat to the 2017-18 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series leader Dijon Bleu (Burgundy).

The Rushton Park draft of 20 for the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale features a host of lovely prospects but none more interesting than the one and only yearling in Australia by leading US sire Into Mischief.

The Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes at Launceston on Wednesday was won by rank outsider Tiesto, a bargain $11,000 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale purchase.

Take nothing away from the debut win of Exceed and Excel filly Cristobal but the performance of second placegetter Miss Fabulass had to be seen to be believed in the 2YOF Maiden Handicap at Rosehill on Wednesday.

Promising staying filly All Too Soon was the first leg of a winning double at Rosehill on Wednesday for Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard.

Newgate Farm’s Sizzling added another winner to his tally when two year-old filly Zizzis showed brilliant speed to lead all the way and win a competitive maiden at Bendigo on Thursday.

Young Randwick trainer Ed O’Rourke posted his first metropolitan winner when talented Sebring colt Ringerdingding did everything right to win a very competitive juvenile maiden at Rosehill on Wednesday.

Regally-bred filly Paulownia will head straight to stakes company following a perfect debut.

A proven source of Group I winners including current season three year-old Trapeze Artist, Bowness Stud are offering an outstanding draft of eight for the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale including three stunning colts by the current leading Australian 2YO Sire Zoustar.

Group I ability – tick, by a leading sire – tick, speed to burn – tick, female pedigree – tick, this colt is now on every stud master’s hit list.

There are so many interesting first starters in Australia and New Zealand today it’s hard to settle on one as a highlight, but a Frankel filly from an out and out champion and the half-sister to Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign make race two at Rosehill today a must watch.

Speculation on the racing future of last Saturday’s Group I MRC Oakleigh Plate winner Russian Revolution has been ended with an announcement from Newgate Farm heralding his retirement.

Catalogues for the Inglis VOBIS Gold Yearling Sale and Autumn Thoroughbred Sale are now available online.

Five two year-old heats at Randwick on Tuesday morning were run on heavy ground with the most interesting winner an expensive son of leading two year-old sire Written Tycoon that was the most successful pinhook result at the 2017 Magic Millions.

The New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series continues on Thursday with the eighth leg, the $70,000 Group 3 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings – a key lead-up to Oaks races on both sides of the Tasman.

The autumn carnival of star sprinter Chautauqua is up in the air after the multiple Group I-winning sprinter refused to leave the barriers in two separate barrier trials.

Group I winning Holy Roman Emperor (IRE) mare Sheidel has been retired from racing and will start a new career in the breeding barn.

The progeny of Wellfield Lodge stallion Alamosa are firing on all cylinders.

Age Of Fire’s Sydney campaign has been confirmed and he will head across the Tasman next week.

The 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale kicks off this Sunday and if you are a vendor offering one of the 43 yearlings by Written Tycoon at this sale, you’re about to get run off your feet.