Michael Travers Racing

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The ten-hour round trip to Dubbo paid off for Michael Travers Racing on Friday, with Brutal Force landing a big win in the 1100m Class One Handicap.Ridden by Jean Van Overmeire, the 4YO Brutal gelding was supported from $21 to $13 on what turned out to be a heavy 9 surface.Still, the Wagga runner thrived in the conditions, powering to a strong win in the $35,000 event.Travers, speaking after the race, explained it was a somewhat surprising result.“We came here for the other ones (stablemates), but we’ll take it,” Travers quipped.“I own him, too, so it’s a good result.”A $3000 purchase earlier this year via the Inglis Online March Sale, Brutal Force has been a shrewd buy for Travers, having now had four starts for the stable for two wins and a second, earning $27,000 in the process.It was a good day for the Wagga team, which also raced Jennie Divine, Taluk and Swinging High in the Country Classic Qualifier (1300m) later on the Dubbo program.The fillies and mares qualifier was led up by Jennie Divini (Jake Pracey-Holmes, $6.50), who kicked on gamely for third, while Taluk (Chad Lever, $13) caught the eye, flashing strongly for fourth, and Swinging High (Jean Van Overmeire, $6.50) was 3.89 lengths back in seventh.Travers and his team turn their attention to Canterbury on Monday, with Demi God to be tested again in metropolitan company when taking on the 1250m Benchmark 64 HandicapBraith Nock will be in the saddle, and the 3YO Peltzer gelding has drawn gate eight in the $65,000 event.&nbsp;Words: Jeff HansonImage: Racing Photography

MTR shows force Dubbo

Michael Travers

She’ll go around as one of the outsiders, but the Michael Travers-trained Mathrin will find conditions to suit and looks to get in nicely in Saturday’s Ladies Day Cup at Wagga. The rising nine-year-old will be searching for career win number ten when taking on the 1200m Benchmark 74 Handicap, and she has attracted the services of Brodie Loy and has drawn kindly with gate two. With rain around earlier in the week, it means the Riverside track will have some give, and is currently rated a soft six, which suits the old stager, who’s won six times on rain-affected surfaces. Tested in metropolitan company last time out, Mathrin will appreciate the drop back to country grade and racing on her home track (34: 5-4-4). As always, it will be a competitive race, with the likes of Bide Your Time and Fourthtimelucky the horses to beat. At Wagga, Travers will also have Brooklyn Dash (Matt Kirk) and My Inspiration (Robyn Freeman) in the 1800m Benchmark 50 Handicap and Brutal Force (Robyn Freeman) and potentially emergency Roullottie in the 1200m Class One Handicap. Next week, Travers will turn his attention to meetings at Albury on Tuesday and Goulburn on Friday. At Albury, the fields are out, and the Wagga trainer has Iroquai (Blaike McDougall) in the 900m Maiden Plate, Jenni Divine (Cory Parish) contesting the 1000m Class One Handicap, and Taluk (Blaike McDougall) going around in the 1175m Benchmark 58 Handicap. At Goulburn, Naughton's Bar will lead the charge in either the 1500m Maiden Handicap or 2145m Class One/Maiden Plate. Words: Jeff Hanson Image: Bradley Photos

Mathrin well-placed in Wagga Ladies Day Cup 

Michael Travers will shoot for the stars with his in-form filly, Seasmoke, which will take on the $80,000 MTC Guineas at Wagga on Friday.
The 3YO daughter of Dracarys has been racing in good form since winning her maiden over the 1400m at Albury on February 23.
Since then, the flashy grey has been thereabouts, running placings over the 1400m trip at Albury on March 19, Gundagai on April 12, and Albury on April 23.
Last time out, Seasmoke was doing her best work late, hitting the line strongly at Albury in preparation for tomorrow&rsquo;s 3YO feature race.
&ldquo;She&rsquo;s going well, and we&rsquo;ve got a lot of local owners that wouldn't mind getting out to the carnival,&rdquo; Travers said.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s going to be a tough race, but they are only 3YO once, so it&rsquo;s worth having a crack; we&rsquo;ll see where she finishes and what we can expect of her next preparation.&rdquo;
A bargain buy, Seasmoke was purchased as an unraced 2YO for just $1000 during the 2024 Inglis August (Early) Online Sale.
A nice filly with obvious ability from the outset, Seasmoke took a little while to put it all together for connections.
&ldquo;I think the key has been her mental maturity,&rdquo; Travers said.
&ldquo;She&rsquo;s always had the physical tools, but wasn&rsquo;t there mentally, but she understands what her job is now, and she is happy to get out there and do it.
&ldquo;She didn&rsquo;t cost us a lot, but her owners have been good; patience is hard to come by, but those who have it have been rewarded, and hopefully continue to be rewarded with her.&rdquo;
A very strong MTC Guineas on paper, the likes of Bjorn Baker, Gai Waterhouse &amp; Adrian Bott, and John Sargent will have runners, along with leading country stables.
Shaun Guymer will ride Seasmoke, and from the good draw (gate 2), the filly will get every chance.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;re hopeful rather than expecting a result, and we&rsquo;d love her to come out and run a credible race,&rdquo; Travers said. &ldquo;We won&rsquo;t change anything; from the good draw, we&rsquo;ll get her comfortable and give her every opportunity.
Travers will have runners on both days of the 2026 Wagga Gold Cup carnival, including Notafoni on Thursday in the $50,000 Super Maiden Handicap (1000m).
On Friday, the stable will have runners in multiple feature events.
Swinging High (Rebecca Bronett-Prag) has drawn gate 17 in the $75,000 Queen Of The South (1400m), while Demi God (Shaun Guymer), who ran a very credible sixth in last month&rsquo;s Albury Guineas (1400m), is likely the stable&rsquo;s best chance on the day, taking on the 1300m Benchmark 58 Handicap. Words/Image: Jeff Hanson

Travers dreaming of Guineas glory with $1000 purchase

Michael Travers will have up to six starters at Cootamundra on Saturday, with his Wagga stable targeting the popular Southern Districts Racing Association ANZAC Day picnic meeting.
The feature event on the program is the Cootamundra Picnic Cup (1400m), where stablemates Kahawaty and Freud will represent MTR.
Kahawaty, who finished 3rd in the Holbrook Cup in February, turned up and finished second in the 1400m Benchmark 58 Handicap at Berrigan on March 26.
After finishing down the track in recent efforts, she is back to the picnics for this race, and the 7YO Pride Of Dubai mare will carry 71.5kg and have Dylam Parrott in the saddle.
Freud has been running well, winning the Ardlethan Picnic Cup in March before running second in the Tullibigeal Picnic Cup and third in the Hillston Cup in recent starts.
The 5YO So You Think gelding is stepping down in distance, which may go against him, but he does draw softly with gate one, while he lands the services of leading picnic hoop, Ricky Blewitt.
Earlier on the card in race two, the maiden pair of Girl Scout (Ash Boyd) and Zouqua (Shaun Cooper) will take on the 1200m Maiden Plate, while in race three, My Inspiration (Ricky Blewitt) and Roullottie (Ash Boyd) contest the 1200m Class 3 Trophy Handicap.
The MTR team will then turn their attention to Wagga next week, with the running of the time-honoured Wagga Gold Cup carnival on Thursday and Friday.
The stable has seven runners entered across both days, including Swinging High in the $75,000 Queen Of The South (1400m) and Seasmoke in the $80,000 MTC Guineas (1600m). Words/Image: Jeff Hanson

MTR sets two-pronged attack on Cootamundra Picnic Cup

Michael Travers will set the in-form Freud for Saturday&rsquo;s 1700m Hillston Cup.
The recent Ardlethan Picnic Cup winner and Tullibigeal Picnic Cup runner-up is racing in great form and runs into a small five-horse field at Hillston, which will suit the noted backmarker.
Travers believes it will now be a matter of the 5YO So You Think gelding handling the dirt racecourse for in-form jockey, Carly Frater.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s going alright; he&rsquo;s had a lot of racing, so he doesn&rsquo;t need a lot of work,&rdquo; Travers said.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s racing well, and the distance won&rsquo;t be a problem, but with his style of racing, and with him getting back, he might get some kick back, but that is Carly&rsquo;s problem now.&rdquo;
Frater has been making the most of her opportunities in recent months, kicking off a winning affiliation with 2026 Holbrook and Carrathool Cup winner, Astunner, for Wagga trainer, Darrell Burnet, while landing TAB winners at Albury and Wagga.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve ridden with Carly enough, and I know she can get the job done,&rdquo; Travers said.
&ldquo;She is at the track every day, putting in the hard yards, and she deserves the opportunity.&rdquo;
On a path to the Cootamundra Picnic Cup later this month, and a possible tilt at the $50,000 Picnic Champion Series Final at Dubbo later this year, Travers is hoping Freud can continue to perform on the non-TAB and picnic circuit.
&ldquo;He needed the run, and that&rsquo;s why he&rsquo;ll go to Hillston; Cootamundra is our next target, and hopefully after that he has enough points because that (the final) is what he is being aimed for now,&rdquo; Travers said.
Travers and his Wagga stable are in for a big weekend of racing, with three runners at Hillston on Saturday and six runners at Gundagai on Sunday.
The best of the stable&rsquo;s chances appears to be the in-form Seasmoke, which is being set for next Sunday's Queen Of The South Prelude BM58 (1300m) or Wagga Guineas Prelude 5M 66 (1400m) at Wagga's Murrumbidgee Turf Club.
On Sunday, the 3YO Dracarys filly has Blaike McDougall in the saddle when contesting the 1400m Class Two Handicap, alongside stablemates Brooklyn Dash (Cory Parish) and Teresprit (Rebecca Bronett Prag)
&ldquo;Seasmoke looks our best chance,&rdquo; Travers said.
&ldquo;She is going well, and we are gearing her up for a race over the Wagga carnival.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
Words/Image: Jeff Hanson

Frater on board as Freud targets Hillston Cup

For the second time in three years, Michael Travers has won the Ardlethan Cup, with&nbsp;Freud&nbsp;proving to be a class above his rivals on Saturday.
After&nbsp;Dancing In The Sky&nbsp;(Seb Galea)<a href="https://www.countrypunter.com.au/travers-and-galea-dance-their-way-to-ardlethan-cup-win/">&nbsp;won the feature race in 2024 for Travers</a>, the Wagga trainer knew what was needed to win another Ardlethan Picnic Cup and his 24th&nbsp;race of the 2025/26 season.&nbsp;
Starting&nbsp;Freud, who boasts a strong finish and recent TAB form, Dylan Parrott was in the saddle, and the 5YO So You Think gelding raced at the rear of the field before running over the top of his rivals.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was a good effort,&rdquo; Travers said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was run a bit slow, and he generally needs the speed on so he can get home over the top of them, so for him to win the way he did was encouraging.&rdquo;
A $4,750 purchase via the Inglis Digital Online Sale in October, Freud has been a good earner for connections, winning almost $30,000 after his victory at Gundagai in January and Saturday&rsquo;s eye-catching win at Ardlethan.
&ldquo;Everyone is well in front now, which is great and what we want when we buy these cheaper horses,&rdquo; Travers said.&nbsp;
Freud will be on the quick back-up at Tullibigeal on Saturday, where he will have Parrott in the saddle again, with the pair expected to be one of the major players in the Tullibigeal Picnic Cup (1600m).
Still, Travers admitted it will be a tougher task than expected, given his racing style and the tighter Tullibigeal racecourse.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll do very little with him as it&rsquo;s a quick turnaround, but he will have to be on his toes,&rdquo; Travers said.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a more leader-biased and tight turning track, so he will have to be well and truly on his game as the big track at Ardlethan definitely helped him.&rdquo;
Travers said a good result at Tullibigeal with&nbsp;Freud&nbsp;would have him considering a Picnic Championships tilt, with the $50,000 final at Dubbo later this year a major drawcard.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Once you dip your toe in the water, you may as well keep going, and he&rsquo;s suited to that type of racing, so it&rsquo;s a nice bonus to have him potentially going toward a $50,000 race,&rdquo; Travers said.&nbsp;
Also heading to Tullibigeal on Saturday will be last-start placegetter,&nbsp;Girl Scout, which was first-up for Travers when finishing third, beaten a long neck in the 1200m Maiden Plate.&nbsp;
Leandro Ribeiro will remain in the saddle, and connections will be confident of another strong showing on Saturday.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was an encouraging debut,&rdquo; Travers said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;We learned a little bit about her; we hadn&rsquo;t done a great deal with her, but now we can smooth out the edges and have her right for Tullibigeal.&rdquo;&nbsp; Words/Image: Jeff Hanson

Freud triumphs in Ardlethan Cup ahead of Tullibigeal test

Chasing a tenth career win, the Michael Travers-trained Mathrin will look to defend her title in the 2026 Corowa Cup.
In 2025, stable apprentice Amy O&rsquo;Driscoll was in the saddle as the Deep Field mare powered to a half-length victory.
The eight-year-old will arrive in Corowa with good form behind her, with a recent second in the Cowra Cup proving she still has plenty left to offer.
Fresh off a fourth in the Tom Patton Cup (1800m) on February 18, Mathrin will be fit and ready to fire when contesting Saturday&rsquo;s $40,000 feature.
In a massive boost, NSW&rsquo;s leading jockey, Pierre Boudvillain, has been booked for the ride, and despite the awkward draw (gate 10), there will be confidence that the old girl can deliver connections another win.
It won&rsquo;t be a walk in the park, though, with Kym Davison set to start Canny Hell (Brittany Button, 57.5kg), Rob Potter racing last-start Kembla Grange winner Tavolo (Damon Buddler, 56.5kg), while the in-form Deepwater Artist (Quayde Krogh, 55kg) will carry the minimum (55kg) for Matthew Kelley.
Travers is set to take another big team to the races at Corowa.
Notafoni (Pierre Boudvillain, gate 3) and Blue Cattle Dog (Brittany Button, gate 7) contest the 1000m Maiden Plate, and Teresprit (Pierre Boudvillain, gate 4) resumes in the 1000m Benchmark 66 Handicap.
Kahawaty (Claire Ramsbotham, gate 4), following up a good third in the Holbrook Cup, is back in grade, taking on the 1300m Benchmark 58 Handicap.
Rounding out the stable&rsquo;s chances, Freud (Quayde Krogh, gate 3) has drawn nicely in the 1600m Class Two Handicap.
Travers and the team are in for a busy week, with runners entered at Warwick Farm on Wednesday and Wagga on Thursday ahead of the Albury Gold Cup carnival on March 19-20. Words: Jeff Hanson Image: Bradley Photos

Boudvillain to ride Mathrin in Corowa Cup

Michael Travers vividly remembers riding in the first-ever Country Championships final way back in 2015.
A leading country jockey at the time, Travers combined with Peter Stanley as Hollywood Nell took on the $300,000 final, won by the Todd Willan-trained Artlee (Mitchell Bell, $6).
Now an accomplished trainer in Wagga, eyeing success in Saturday&rsquo;s $150,000 Country Championships Southern Districts qualifier at the Murrumbidgee Turf Club, Travers admitted it was a big step up in class against some of the best jockeys riding in Australia.
&ldquo;When they first started, I rode a horse, Hollywood Nell, for Peter Stanley, and I remember it pretty well because I don&rsquo;t remember my feet touching the ground for the first furlong,&rdquo; Travers laughed.
&ldquo;I was held pretty tight by some of the better riders up there, like Tye Angland and Joao Moreira, but it was a different experience, and it would be nice if we could get that exciting experience in the final for someone else.&rdquo;
Representing the Wagga team is a $600 purchase and a fairytale horse, Jenni Divine, who&rsquo;s already won connections over $54,000.
Lightly raced, the 4YO Divine Prophet mare has gained a start after being drawn as an emergency.
Jenni Divine won her maiden over 1200m at Wagga two starts back, showcasing impressive early speed and a turn of foot.
Then, taking on a loaded 1200m Class One Handicap at Goulburn on February 12, the Wagga galloper was her own worst enemy at times and was unlucky not to win, finishing third, going down a half-head to the unbeaten Midnight Moose.
&ldquo;She&rsquo;s racing fantastic,&rdquo; Travers said.
&ldquo;We took her to Goulburn the other day, and I expected her to go pretty close to winning, and we weren&rsquo;t far off.
&ldquo;I think if she goes straight at any stage of the race, we could have knocked it off.
&ldquo;The idea was to go into Saturday&rsquo;s Country Championships two on the bounce and be Johnny on the spot, but come race day at Goulburn, she got beaten.
&ldquo;Still, she is going well and ready for the qualifier.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s been a journey for the connections of Jenni Divine, who have had to wait a little longer than usual to see their mare racing and winning.
&ldquo;She did a little bit of a suspensory tear, and they stuck well with her,&rdquo; Travers said.
&ldquo;She didn&rsquo;t cost them a lot to get into as she was a $600 purchase, and even half of the owners, I put in for free as they were in other horses that went by the way side, but it&rsquo;s been a long road, and to be stepping into a race like that on Saturday is pretty exciting.&rdquo;
While the Kym Davison-trained Autumn Break is the red-hot even money favourite, Travers was excited to be involved in his first Country Championships as a trainer.
&ldquo;Other Southern Districts trainers have won the race, including Doug Gorrel with Asgarda and Gary Colvin with Another One, which is great,&rdquo; Travers said.
&ldquo;It can be done, and I&rsquo;m not sure if I&rsquo;ve got the right horse as Kym Davison&rsquo;s looks hard to beat, but we&rsquo;ll be having a crack with Jenni Divine.&rdquo;
It&rsquo;s set to be a busy Country Championships program for Travers, who will have up to five runners.
Stable stalwart Mathrin (Shaun Guymer) is every chance in the Tom Patton Cup (1800m), and the consistent Menzah One (Shaun Guymer) is up and distance, and down in class when taking on the 1600m Class One/Maiden Plate.
Inzain Baby (Cory Parish) and Eagle Crescent (Mathew Cahill) then form a two-pronged attack in the $50,000 Super Maiden Plate (1400m). Words: Jeff Hanson Image: Trackpix Photography

Travers dreaming of divine result in Country Championships

A well-overdue win &ndash; almost two years in the making &ndash; Seasmoke landed a good victory at Albury on Monday.
With Pierre Boudvillain in the saddle, a handful of connections were on hand as the beautiful grey filly raced a touch better than midfield before powering to a comfortable one-length victory in the 1400m Maiden Handicap.
A popular result for the stable, Seasmoke&rsquo;s story with Michael Travers Racing (MTR) commenced when she was picked up for just $1000 at the 2024 Inglis August (Early) Online Sale.
With the 2YO showing some promise, and the fact that she is by Dracarys, Michael, with the help of Dusty Hooves Media, ran a Game Of Thrones-themed promotion in a bid to raise the stable&rsquo;s profile. For those who weren't caught up in the Game Of Thrones television phenomenon, "Dracarys" is High Valyrian for 'dragonfire', used by Daenerys Targaryen to command her dragons to breathe fire. MTR eventually gave away shares to promotion winners Jason Winner and Scott Cox.
While it took ten starts, with Michael working out the big grey filly, Seasmoke delivered for connections at Albury on Monday, winning impressively on a heavy surface.
It's a full-circle moment for the team, which has grown so much in those nearly two years, with Dany's win representing a real journey for Michael and the path his stable is on. Words/Image: Jeff Hanson

Seasmoke breathes fire on Albury rivals

Michael Travers has been targeting a Tumut-Braidwood Cup double this preparation with five-time winner, Kahawaty.
In 2025, the Pride Of Dubai mare went close, finishing second for John Kissick in the Tumut Cup (1400m), beaten less than a length, before backing up and triumphing for Amy O&rsquo;Driscoll in the Holbrook Cup (1400m).
Despite going close, the seven-year-old hasn&rsquo;t won since, notching minor place finishes at Wagga and Narrandera, but she has been showcasing good form in recent outings.
Two starts back, the Wagga galloper had Shaun Guymer in the saddle and was doing her best work late to finish 4th, beaten 2.3 lengths in the Adelong Cup on January 2.
Last start, she travelled to Parkes and finished 5th in a stronger Benchmark 82 Handicap, beaten by 2.28 lengths.
At Tumut today, Kahawaty gets in nicely with gate one and 55kg, and Wagga jockey Josh Richards is aboard for the ride.
Still, it is a nice race, headlined by runner-up in the Tumbarumba Cup runner-up Astunner (Blaike McDougall, 57kg), and the enigmatic Gundy Guy (Billy Own, 58.5kg).
Michael Travers will take two runners at Tumut today, with maiden galloper Ballandella Street (Josh Richards, 57kg) taking on the 1400m Maiden Handicap. Words: Jeff Hanson Image: Holbrook Race Club

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MTR shows force Dubbo

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