Matt Stewart
Total 46 Posts
‘The one constant in their life’ – The unbreakable bond between horse and strapper
Donna Fisher cried for two days straight when she realised Black Caviar’s end was near. The strapper and the unbeaten mare shared an unbreakable bond during her racing days, a relationship mirrored with champion racehorses and their strappers the world over.
‘Labour in vain?’ - Victoria faces reality of being jumps racing’s last bastion
As the Victorian jumps season nears its end, and New Zealand puts the format under review, Matt Stewart reflects on Racing Victoria being the exception rather than the rule.
Crocs, bull sharks, oil and sand – The Darwin difference
Training at Darwin’s Fannie Bay has its fair share of unique challenges but legendary horseman Gary Clarke tells Matt Stewart ahead of Monday’s Darwin Cup that he wouldn’t be anywhere else.
The Payne of expectation – How Michelle’s Melbourne Cup changed everything
Michelle Payne, who retired from riding this week, was centre stage in one of the most remarkable moments in Australian racing history. The legacy of that Melbourne Cup win is still being felt, by Payne herself, those who are closest to her, and by a new generation of jockeys she has inspired.
It takes two – Training partnerships evolve to meet need to compete
Four of the top 10 stables in Australia this season have been in training partnerships. Be they family or strategic alliances, they have evolved to meet the need to compete in an era of super stables, writes Matt Stewart.
Bourne to fly and a Will to succeed - Ciaron Maher’s Secretary of State
Will Bourne followed his father Butch into the thoroughbred game, but as Ciaron Maher’s right-hand man, is going at a pace his dad can only dream about.
'The tall are getting taller and the small are getting smaller' - The changing state of Australia’s stallion farms
The number of farms willing to take on the risk and challenge of standing stallions is on the decline. Matt Stewart looks at the situation in Victoria, where a couple of studs are trying to buck the trend.