Daily horse racing news – Thursday, 26 November 2020
We are approaching the first weekend without a Group 1 race in the eastern states since August, but there will be plenty of high-class action over at Ascot for Winterbottom Stakes Day. We have an update on Udyta Clarke, the progression of talks between the VRC and the Victorian government in regards to crowds at the races, and the future of Alligator Blood.
Good signs for Udyta Clarke
She may not be in the clear just yet, but popular trainer Udyta Clarke has shown improvement over the last 24 hours after being rushed to hospital on Tuesday morning. She has since been moved from the emergency ward, and the entire team at HorseBetting.com.au wishes Udyta a speedy recovery.
Summer racing crowds on the horizon
The Victorian government could soon give the green light to Racing Victoria for crowds to be welcomed back in a COVID-safe environment. The VRC released its summer schedule on Wednesday, and with Flemington set to host eight meetings throughout summer, there looks to be no better time and place for racing crowds to return.
Alligator Blood joins Waterhouse & Bott stable
Alligator Blood is a free agent no longer. Having parted ways with David Vandyke, the Australian Guineas winner is heading south to join the Waterhouse & Bott team. With such a professional setup in both Victoria and New South Wales, connections may have found the right tonic to get the superstar gelding back on track and into the winner’s stalls.
Fields released for Saturday racing
The featured event for the eastern states this weekend is the Group 3 Festival Stakes at Rosehill Gardens, where a capacity field of 16 is set to lock horns over a $160,000 prize pool. Coming off a dominant win on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington, the Hawkes-trained Outrageous has opened up a $5 favourite in a wide-open market. We’ll have all you need to know about the races at Rosehill and The Valley coming through later in the day.