Magic weekend of racing Across the Ditch
Across the Ditch • January 16th, 2026 9:20 AM • 5 min read
Harness Racing - Adam Hamilton
It is time for round three.
New Zealand Cup hero Kingman boasts a remarkable 2-0 record against the great Leap To Fame as they head into their third clash in Saturday night’s $50,000 Gr.3 Shepparton Gold Cup (2690m).
An ideal barrier draw in a small but select field of just five has Kingman favourite to win again.
Kingman looks almost certain to lead from the pole with Leap To Fame out in gate three.
They are leagues ahead of their three rivals on class and form.
The one query is Kingman’s lacklustre first-up third in last week’s Bendigo Cup, but trainer-driver Luke McCarthy has already turned the page.
He’s adamant the late travel down from Sydney to Melbourne, caused by scorching temperatures and bushfires, was behind the run.
“He wasn’t himself. He felt flat, had no zip when I pulled him out to sprint,” McCarthy said.
Kingman has stayed down near Shepparton at Nathan Jack’s stables since last Saturday while it’s Leap To Fame doing the travelling this week.
But his trainer-driver Grant Dixon has stretched the travel – a 21 hour road trip - over four days to include a lengthy stopover at Menangle on the way down.
It’s a crucial race for both as only the winner will have a viable chance to bank the new $1 million bonus on offer across the six weeks of the Victorian Summer of Glory.
Even the winner at Shepparton will still have to win three of the other four remaining legs, including the Hunter Cup, to bank the hefty bonus.
The draw is huge for Kingman, who has beaten Leap To Fame on his merits in the Victoria Cup on October 18 and that epic NZ Cup.
It looks almost certain Kingman will lead and Leap To Fame will have to apply the pressure, as he’s been forced to do so many times.
Based on their two clashes so far, Kingman should win. But there’s that lingering query about last week’s run.
TAB Trot and Inter Dominion champion Arcee Phoenix gets his chance to return to winning form in the other feature, the $30,000 Shepparton Trotters’ Cup.
Trainer-driver Chris Svanosio was thrilled with his fighting effort when he sat outside Keayang Zahara and ran second to her in last Saturday night’s Gr.1 Maori Mile at Melton.
There is no Keayang Zahara to contend with this week. She’s waiting to run at Ballarat on Saturday week.
Hopes had been high that dual NZ Cup winner Swayzee would join Kingman and Leap To Fame in the Shepparton Cup.
But trainer Jason Grimson has opted to keep him to race at Menangle instead on Saturday night.
“Then he’ll head down for the Ballarat Cup the week after,” he said.
Grimson won five of the seven races at Menangle last week and has a strong hand again on Saturday, including Swayzee and exciting former Kiwi mare Tokyo Rose.
Greyhound Racing - Jared Timms
Greyhound Racing is back in full force in Australia and particularly this weekend in New South Wales, when heats for the Gr.1 National Futurity and Gr.1 National Derby are run and won at Wentworth Park.
Many standout race bitches will step out in four bumper National Futurity Heats, undoubtedly headlined by the talented Eriza Sparkles, who will step out in Race 2 on Saturday night, allocated the ideal Box 2.
Eriza Sparkles enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence in the backend of 2025, winning the Gr.1 Dapto Megastar Final before finishing second in the Million Dollar Chase over this route in October.
She has opened a $1.75 favourite ahead of this week’s heat, while she also maintains her position on the top line of All In betting as a $4 chance to reign supreme in Saturday week’s final.
The National Derby shapes as a far more open series, also boast four talent-rich heats on Saturday night.
All eyes will be locked on Heat 3 (Race 9), when He’s A Pearl, son of the legendary She’s A Pearl, chases his first Group One final berth.
He’s A Pearl has continued to improve with racing since debuting in October, winning seven of 17 starts and placing a further three times.
He’s A Pearl opened a $2.50 favourite ahead of his heat and looks to represent value as a $9 chance in All In betting.
Thoroughbred Racing - Nick Quinn
Magic Millions day at the Gold Coast was once known as something “a little bit different”, it is now one of the highlights on the Australian racing calendar.
The meeting this Saturday will see $13.25m in prizemoney and bonuses over a ten-race program on offer for Magic Millions Race Series nominated graduates of the Magic Millions Yearling Sales Series.
There are hot market leaders in both the feature races.
Warwoven from the Bjorn Baker stable is a perfect two from two and shapes as the one to beat with Rachel King in the saddle in the two-year-old event
Aside from the favourite in the Classic, there looks to be two strong roughies in the form of Itchintogo who is on the quick backup after destroying his rivals last Saturday and Shiki, who actually started favourite against Warwoven before winning nicely at the Gold Coast.
In the three year-old feature it is all about Ninja who produced a stunning performance to win the Vo Rogue.
One punter is confident the two favourite’s will claim the feature races with a $20,000 double at $3.42 on both Warwoven and Ninja both winning.
Some big bets on the Gold Coast meeting include $4000 on Warwoven at $1.95 and $2000 at $2.
While Toorak Jewel has attracted support in Race 3 with a bet of $2321.43 at $4.05.
They are also racing at Flemington with the highlight the Australian Cup Race Day, 28 March over 2000m.
Darkbonee is chasing a winning hat trick and has been backed from $3.60 into $2.40.
Saint George is now on the second line of betting at $3.10 with Berkeley Square $6.50.
Some early big bets on the Flemington program include $1250 on Vain Champagne at $7.75 in Race 5 and in the same race $1179.41 on Celerity at $2.70.
$1055.26 at $2.90 on Yes I Know in Race 4 and $1055.26 on Darkbonee in Race 8.
