Best To Focus On The Good

Gai Waterhouse - horse trainer

Footy Stars Kick A Goal With Cefalu

NEITHER Matthew Pavlich nor Chris Judd made it to today's final afternoon of the AFL season, but both club captains enjoyed a consolation of sorts last night when a horse they part-own was a 100-1 boilover winner of the listed JRA Cup at Moonee Valley.

Germanicus Keeps Dream Alive For Smith

RACING'S dream factory works on rolling out a rare commodity called a good horse.

Beadman Keen To Take On Hussler

A SPARKLING start to the Hong Kong season has champion jockey Darren Beadman sitting on top of the premiership and now he has Australian horse of the year Weekend Hussler in his sights.

Maldivian Will Spring Back, Says Trainer

TRAINER Mark Kavanagh has not given up on his huge galloper Maldivian and believes the headline horse from last spring could still recapture his best form in time for the spring feature events.

After 22 Rounds, Three Weeks Of Finals And 184 Games, It's The Showdown We Had To Have: Hawthorn V Geelong

GOODBYE, Saints. Hello, Granny. And that's the story for Hawthorn. They smashed StKilda out of a one-sided two-horse race for the right to play a seemingly omnipotent Geelong in next Saturday's grand final.

Hotshot Aside, Smerdon Has Own Vision For Caulfield Cup

FOUR weeks out from the Caulfield Cup, Weekend Hussler continues to dominate discussions about which horse is the likely winner, but there is a race within a race to claim a spot in the $2.5million event.

Malcolm In The Middle

IT has taken 10 months, but finally federal politics is getting interesting. A one-horse race is never the most exciting spectacle, but that's what it was with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd up against the likeable but ineffective former Liberal leader Brendan Nelson.

The Horse In Australia

The Horse in Australia F iona Carruthers Random House, $49.95

New Jockey, Same Ride

I am amazed that there are some people who are still taken in by the old scheme of changing the jockey but not the horse.

Weekend Hussler's Trainer Feeling Need For Speed In Underwood Stakes

"I just hope the pace is on. He's such a brilliant horse, he can make two runs in a race and sprint at the end."

Bede Prepared To Give Deed The Chance To Exceed

FROM a Goulburn maiden to a Group Three "mile" is a big jump for any horse.

Maldivian Guillotined

MALDIVIAN'S trainer Mark Kavanagh lashed out at the tactics employed on Sir Slick and Jungle Ruler in yesterday's group 2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes, claiming they "carved up" his horse, who missed a place as odds-on favourite.

Typhoon Blows Them Away

SYDNEY trainer Tim Martin had good reason to praise the grit of his sprinter Typhoon Zed, pointing out after the horse's victory in yesterday's group 1 Manikato Stakes that he had raced with a breathing problem throughout its career.

Petty's Parallel Worlds

Petty's Parallel Worlds Ed., Russ Radcliffe High Horse, $39.95

Special Albert Takes Award

SOMERSBY pacer Special Albert was crowned Newcastle Harness Horse of the Year yesterday.

Morgan's Brave Call Rewarded

WHAT do you do when you set your horse - who is at best a day-to-day proposition because of dodgy legs - for a specific race and he doesn't get into the field?

Three Harnessed To Horse Of Year Prize

THE Newcastle Harness Horse of the Year has developed into a three-way race.

Hussler In Line For Fantastic Clash

THE return bout between Australian Horse Of The Year Weekend Hussler and the high-class Light Fantastic is set to become a reality after trainer Ross McDonald said he favoured starting his champion four-year-old in Saturday's Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.

Hoysted Right At Home With His Champions In Hall Of Fame

Bob Hoysted knew how to handle a good horse, Stephen Howell writes.

Weekend Hussler Wins Gong In A Canter

SIX-TIME group 1 winner Weekend Hussler last night joined some of the greats of the Australian turf when he was announced as Horse of the Year at an awards ceremony in Melbourne.

Strong Support Cast For The Diva

WHILE horse-of-the-year Weekend Hussler and the unbeaten Light Fantastic will be the headline attractions in Saturday's Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington, their inclusion has largely overshadowed the return of last year's Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup winners.