We seem to be endowed with fabulous horses on wonderful winning streaks at the moment.  Deserving of mention here is the super colt Sepoy (Elusive Quality - Watchful).  He's a Darley homebred.  I actually photographed him as a weanling, much to my delight when I discovered the images following his Blue Diamond Stakes victory.  He's only been defeated once, when narrowly beaten by Smart Missile as a 2yo in the 2011 Todman Stakes, which came in between his G1 victories in the Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper Stakes.  This spring he's gone undefeated, and yesterday he recorded his 2nd G1 for the 2011-2011 Racing Season, and his 4th overall, in the G1 Coolmore Ascot Vale Stakes.  The Darley colt has been up for a long time, and tackled the older horses at his last 2 starts, one of which was the G1 Manikato Stakes, and had to do it the hard way, yet under pressure he still found enough to outlast Foxwedge to win by a head.  Sepoy is trained by Peter Sno...

We have the undisputed star of the Australian Turf, and my personal darling and favourite, in Black Caviar, or Nelly, or The Famous Pony as I frequently call her.  And this spring another jewel has emerged in Atlantic Jewel.  She's a member of the fairer sex, or the tougher sex as I like to think of us girls, and she's also unbeaten.  She has an eon to go before she matches the deeds of the Famous Pony, but she's clearly a very special horse.  Alas, like Nelly, she's also suffered a setback, with the news today that the filly has strained a hamstring and alas and woe, is out of the VRC Oaks.  Her name?  Atlantic Jewel...  I've only photographed her twice.  First in the G1 Thousand Guineas and second was yesterday's Wakeful Stakes.  Both races have seen me come away shaking my head, marvelling at what I had just witnessed and fortunately photographed.  Every time her lovely trainer Mark Kavanagh has stepped her up, she's risen to the o...

Those of you who read this Blog regularly will know that I photograph racehorses.  I live in Canberra, and always have done, and therefore when I travel to Melbourne or Brisbane, there are times when I have to fly.  Typically I would fly to Melbourne on average 5 times per year.  This doesn't make me a really really heavy user of air transport, but it's not inconsequential either.   And I like to think that the purpose of my travel is important, because what I am about is creating a lasting legacy, and capturing moments in time that will enable so many people in Australia and throughout the world to remember what is was about the thoroughbred, or an individual thoroughbred, that makes us feel so good. Last night I learnt that Qantas ground all flights.  I was appalled.  I fly Qantas. Without fail.  I rarely even look at other airline companies.  Should I need to fly, I go directly to the Qantas website.  Why do I do this?  ...

There aren't any words.  Just pictures, and a little thankyou to my Famous Pony.....  See you on the next visit, with carrots on board... "Nelly", aka Black Caviar, begins to round the home bend. Sheer grace, speed and power.  That is the Famous Pony..