The five horses under the microscope heading into the spring

Leading racing broadcaster Gareth Hall has named the five horses under the microscope heading into the spring.

With spring just weeks away, Hall believes there are storylines aplenty heading into the best time of the year for racing fans with hype building towards the first Group 1 of the season - the Memsie Stakes.

In order to create more hype and discussion amongst racing fans, Hall has put a quartet of horses and their connections under the gun.

1. Storm Boy

“I think when you purchase for $22 million as a two-year-old after winning a listed race, you’ve got to perform,” Hall said on SENTrack's Giddy Up.

“He was placed in the Golden Slipper and he wasn’t a bad run after missing the kick and he was probably over the top in the Sires.

“He’s had one trial and I don’t think you can read too much into the first trial but he’s got to prove a lot this campaign.

“He’s a son of Justify and obviously Coolmore have invested a lot in him.

“What path does he take? Most likely I think he’ll be a Guineas horse and then end goal if everything goes to plan will be the Cox Plate.

“He’s a horse that is under a little bit of pressure.”

2. Pride Of Jenni

“I reckon she’s under a little bit of pressure to perform again and do it again.”

3. Giga Kick

“He’s on the comeback and we haven’t seen him for a long time. He was an Everest winner at three and it all went wrong for him last spring.

“He’s had a long time off the scene, I think he’s trained by a very good trainer in Clayton Douglas but we’re yet to get a jockey booked for him this spring as obviously there was that controversy with Craig Williams getting the sack.

“He’s a fascinating horse and is under a little bit of pressure.”

4. Amelia’s Jewel

“She’s got a new trainer now in Annabel Neasham and I think she’s got a little bit to prove this campaign.

“Obviously she had a pretty successful career with Simon Miller but she’s now being looked after by Neasham and Rob Archibald and it will be fascinating to see what she can do.”

5. Think About It

“He won an Everest, he dominated the winter carnival of 2023 and then he won an Everest but they then decided in the autumn if he can get out over a longer trip and that experiment backfired big time.

“The question is, have they stuffed up his career in a way? Can they get him back to his best and keeping him to the sprinting trips.”