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So You Think (NZ) will attempt to win the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup at his first start on dirt. |
A race that often produces America's Horse of the Year, the Breeders' Cup Classic has been won by the likes of Zenyatta, Curlin, Invasor, dual winner Tiznow, Cigar, A.P. Indy and Sunday Silence.
So You Think has fared well in the draw for the $5 million feature with barrier five. Sunday morning's race will also see him run in blinkers for the first time since his three-year-old season in which he won his first of two Cox Plates.
The 3-1 favourite for the event is last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Stakes and Belmont Champagne Stakes winner Uncle Mo (Indian Charlie) with the three-time Group 1 winner Havre De Grace (Saint Liam) in the second line of betting at 4-1.
So You Think will be the second New Zealand bred horse to contest the Breeders' Cup Classic in the last seven years with the five-time Group 1 winning Karaka graduate Starcraft (Soviet Star) running in 2005.
A $110,000 purchase by DGR Thoroughbreds from Windsor Park Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2008 Karaka Premier Sale, So You Think will be shooting for Group 1 victory number nine in country number four in the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Also representing New Zealand Bloodstock at the Breeders' Cup Championships is the last-start Grade 3 Pheonix Stakes winner Hoofit (NZ) (Mossman x Chuckle).
A black-type winning three-year-old, Hoofit won the Listed Bonecrusher Stakes for his former trainer Stephen McKee before being secured by Phill Cataldo for his current US owner Jill Johnston.
Hoofit is unbeaten in America in two starts for his new trainer Graham Motion with his Grade 3 victory giving him guaranteed entry for the US$1 million Grade 2 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (1000m).
A $60,000 purchase by Beamish Bloodstock from Shelby Park at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2009 Karaka Premier Sale, Hoofit is currently mid-field in the market at 12-1.
31/10/2011 Australians dominate China horse racing championships
For the second year in a row Australian bred horses starred at China’s Flat Racing Championships in Wuhan over the weekend, taking out four of the five thoroughbred races.
The highlight of Saturday’s fixture at the Orient Lucky City International Racecourse was the Three-Year-Old Championship over 2100m, which was won by BRIGHT FUTURE ($160,000 2010 Easter, 3c Lonhro-Madame Dehereos).
Offered at Inglis’ world renowned Sydney Easter Yearling Sale by Shipton Lodge, the son of Lonhro showed a sleek turn of foot to finish ahead of fellow Australian bred TIANFU EAGLE ($45,000 2010 Easter, 3c Hussonet-Cooperpedy) in front of the adoring 10,000 strong crowd.
Sunday’s racecard was headlined by the Open Class Sprint (1000m) and Two-year-old Championship (1000m), which were also won by graduates of Inglis Sales.
Saluting for the same owner of Bright Future in the Open Class Sprint was FLY FLY ($3,250 Melb August, 4m Rohatyn-Ionian Lady) who led all the way to down former Australian metropolitan two-year-old winner RED PEONY (4m Exceed And Excel-Adorara) by over three lengths.
Following in the footsteps of last year’s winner VERY FAST ($130,000 2010 Easter, 3c Fastnet Rock-Silent Song), Sunday’s Two-Year-Old Championship was won by fellow Australian bred and Inglis graduate RACE EAGLE ($10,000 2011 Premier, 2f Henny Hughes-Ma Victoire) who overcame a chequered passage in the straight to power past her rivals in a very impressive display.
Snapped up from the draft of Ampulla Lodge at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, the daughter of crack sprinter Henny Hughes looks to have a bright future for her Beijing based connections.
“It has been a fantastic two days for Australian bred horses, who are starting to get a real following here in China”, said Inglis Managing Director Mark Webster, who was in Wuhan with Inglis Asia Representative Peter Twomey.
“Jackie Wu and the Wuhan Jockey Club continue to put on a great event in conjunction with the Wuhan Government and the China Equestrian Association, and it is very pleasing to again see Inglis’ clients being rewarded with plenty of success on China’s premier horse racing weekend” Webster added.
“''He could have won three Cox Plates but [we] wanted to take on the world,'' Chin Nam said.
''He has showcased Australian racing to the world and showed that we can match them. It has taken two course records to beat him [at his past two starts]. I hope he can go better in America.''
Chin Nam sold a controlling share of So You Think (NZ) to Coolmore Stud last spring and has enjoyed his star galloper’s globetrotting deeds.
''I'm as nervous as a kitten when he runs,'' he said. ''It is an amazing honour to see him racing at those tracks.''
So You Think (NZ) has tasted Group One success three times in the Northern Hemisphere this season in the Leopardstown Irish Champion Stakes, Tattersalls Gold Cup and in an epic edition of the Sandown Eclipse Stakes in which he defeated last season’s European Champion Three-Year-Old Workforce (King’s Best).
Jockey fined as So You Think
pipped
Chris Roots October 17, 2011
JOCKEY Christophe Soumillon produced one of his best to beat So You Think on Cirrus Des Aigles in the Champion Stakes at Ascot on Saturday but it was one swing of the whip too many, which left the Belgian fuming, out of pocket and searching for a lawyer.
Soumillon, widely regard as one of the best hoops in the world, tracked the dual Cox Plate winner So You Think throughout and Cirrus Des Aigles, named after the famed gallop at Chantilly, finished over the top of him to win by three-quarters of a length, running a course record.
However, it was the sixth strike of the whip in the final furlong (200 metres) for which Soumillon will be remembered. Stewards gave him a five-day ban and took his share of the prizemoney (about $80,000) under a law introduced at the beginning of last week.
'''We are civilised people. This is 2011, not 1800, you can't kill people like they used to,'' Soumillon said. ''The rules can change, but not like that. The rules should all be the same, you can't cut people's heads and legs off.
''Today I didn't make a mistake, so what happened? The rules should be the same everywhere in the world. Today is a world championships. When you go to the Breeders' Cup, Hong Kong, Melbourne Cup the rules are all the same. I will take a good lawyer and see what I can do.''
The focus was clearly taken away from Cirrus Des Angles' first group 1. Soumillon had replaced Richard Hughes at Ascot earlier in the afternoon after the Irishman pledged to hand in his licence to ride after a couple of whip bans this week.
Soumillon didn't miss the British racing authorities, who could cost him the jockeys' title in France. ''I am not here to whip horses, I'm here to make the horse run his best,'' he told the Racing Post. ''These whips are soft and maybe I should have hit him earlier. You're going flat out, there is a huge crowd here and advertising everywhere, how are you meant to see a tiny furlong marker?
''For the sake of 20 yards, I've been punished and lost £50,000, my valet will be paid, so will my agent, but I will not. This will have a big impact on my title challenge in France also.
''In what other sport do you see such big punishments for a little offence? It doesn't happen to Michael Schumacher or Zinedine Zidane, and they earn 10 times what we do.''
So You Think, which was backed from $4 to $2.70, showed himself to be in Europe's top echelon and could head to the lucrative Breeders' Cup in the US.
''He ran a stormer, he's a big horse with a big heart,'' said his Irish trainer, Aiden O'Brien. ''The boys [at Coolmore Stud] will have to speak about his future and make a decision.''So You Think's former trainer, Bart Cummings, would have found it hard to watch his champion from afar and mused yesterday: ''He would have won a third [Cox Plate] easily.''
17/10/2011 Super Easy Four
from Four
The Michael Freedman trained Super Easy has maintained his
unbeaten record in Singapore over the weekend with another
big win, this time in open company in the $125,000 Kranji
Stakes (1200m).
Unbeaten in four starts since going to Singapore, Super Easy (NZ) (Darci Brahma x Parfore) has been making his way through the grades and was given a chance to step up last night and he did not disappoint.
Running just off the pace with champion jockey Joao Moreira in the saddle, the three-year-old never looked troubled in the race as he took the lead in the straight and won by an effortless three lengths.
Group 3 placed behind the dual Group 1 winning filly Anabandana in New Zealand at two, Super Easy was hugely unlucky when running fourth in last year's Karaka Million, and looks destined for bigger things.
"We'll see how he pulls up. I will either give him a break or he'll be going towards the Sgp-2 EW Barker Trophy on November 11," said trainer Michael Freedman.
"He's obviously a very exciting horse though I must say I wasn't sure if I should throw him in at the deep end at only his fourth start.
"But I have so much faith in his ability and thought he deserved to be tested at that level.
"Ideally, I'd like to race him in weight-for-age races in six months. The Krisflyer International Sprint next year could be a long-range goal."
Green Birdie, a graduate of the Karaka Yearling Sales, travelled successfully to Singapore from Hong Kong to win the Group 1 Krisflyer International Sprint in 2010.
Super Easy was bred by M J Ryan and was offered by Esker Lodge at the 2010 Karaka Premier Sale where he was purchased by Blue Sky Thoroughbreds for $140,000. Raced by the Joy N Happiness Stable, Super Easy has now taken his Singapore stakes earnings to over S$185,000.
Super Easy is from the first crop of the promising young sire Darci Brahma, the sire of the stakes winners Artistic and Darci be Good. Darci Brahma has 11 two-year-olds in the Ready to Run Sale including half-siblings to Group 1 winners Veloce Bella (Volksraad) and Vouvray (Zabeel).
11/10/2011 Grade 1 Breeders'
Cup Sprint for Hoofit?
Last season's Listed Bonecrusher Stakes winner Hoofit (NZ)
has made a flying start to his racing career in America
when taking his first US stakes victory at Keenland last
week.
Trained by Graham Motion, Hoofit (NZ) (Mossman x Chuckle) is unbeaten in America in two starts after winning his first race over 1100 metres in early September. Last week's US$250,000 Grade 3 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes (1200m) saw the four-year-old maintain that record after a staunch battle with Edgar Prado in the saddle, beating Aikenite (Yes It's True) by a head at the line.
The Grade 3 Keeneland Phoenix Stakes is part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, and with Hoofit securing the race victory, he now automatically qualifies for the US$2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint.
Should connections decide to aim Hoofit at the race, he will be competing in the world famous Breeders' Cup World Championships.
New Zealand Bloodstock could see multiple runners in the 2011 Breeders' Cup World Championships this year (November 4 & 5) with the champion So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral) holding a nomination for the Breeders' Cup Classic on dirt.
Karaka graduates have ventured to the famous meeting before with the globetrotter Starcraft (Soviet Star) competing in the Breeders' Cup in 2005 after his Group 1 wins in France and England.
Previously trained by Steven McKee, Hoofit took the Listed Bonecrusher Stakes among his two victories during his career in New Zealand, and was second in the Listed Champagne Stakes to VRC Derby winner Lion Tamer as a two-year-old.
Bred by RA & JE Ferguson Partnership Syndicate, Hoofit was purchased by Beamish Bloodstock from Shelby Park at the 2009 Karaka Premier Sale for $60,000. He has now won over NZ$240,000.
Monday Oct 10, 2011 So You
Think set to back up at Newmarket
So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral) remains in the frame
for next week’s Champion Stakes at Newmarket.
The New Zealand-bred superstar finished fourth in the Prix
de l’Arc de Triomphe a week ago and trainer Aidan
O’Brien would have few qualms about making a swift
return to the track.
Winner of eight Group Ones in Australia, Britain and Ireland,
So You Think’s participation will be decided by the
Coolmore team, who own the horse in partnership with Dato
Tan Chin Nam.
“The boys will make up their minds, but at the moment
he seems very well,” O’Brien said.
“We’ll give them all the information but he
definitely has to be a possible.
“He’s got a great constitution and if I had
my way I’d run him every week!”
3/10/2011 So You Think (NZ)
Brave in Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe
One of the world's most prestigious races, the €4 million
Group 1 Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe (2400m), saw the New Zealand
bred champion So You Think produce a valiant performance
to run fourth in Paris this morning.
Trained by Aidan O'Brien, So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral x Triassic) gave the race his every effort but was a victim of a wide draw. Despite jumping well from his gate of 14, his jockey Seamie Heffernan elected to ease back, rather than be caught wide in running, and when the field settled he had just two of his 15 rivals behind him.
His stable mate, the Secretariat Stakes winner Treasure Beach (Galileo), went straight to the front in the Arc and set a break-neck pace in the feature, and at the 600 metres fellow Coolmore runner, the Coronation Cup winner St Nicholas Abbey (Montjeu), took the lead.
Straightening for home, So You Think was desperate for room, and when it came he was set alight by Heffernan, with the pair making up many lengths. But with 200 metres to travel, the race was all but wrapped up with the German bred filly Danedream (Lomitas) producing a brilliant finish to win the Arc by an astonishing five lengths.
So You Think was one of the only runners to make ground from the back, and when considering that the race was won in a race record time of 2:24.49 for the 2400 metres, it was a massive effort given the tempo of the race. The official placings, Danedream first, Shareta second, Snowfairy third and So You Think fourth.
A €9,000 yearling, Danedream is the first winner of the Arc from Germany since Star Appeal in 1975 and is the 15th three-year-old to win the Arc in the last 18 years.
"We had a bad draw for post position," said Aidan O'Brien afterwards. "He did a good job though for his first 2400-metre race. He was relaxed on the track, which is very important. We will soon be making a decision about his future."
Coolmore Stud spokesman Tom Magnier was likewise philosophical but far from disappointed with So You Think's effort. "Obviously the wide draw was something to be worried about and as it ended up he had quite a bit to do after getting back in the field.
"We would have loved to have won the Arc with him but he's still run very well and he lives to fight another day. Depending on how he comes through the race he might yet run in the Champion Stakes at Ascot.
"If he had a decent draw and the breaks had gone his way it's fair to say he would have finished close, but in saying that you have to give credit to the winner."
The Champion Stakes at Ascot will be held on 15 October, and if So You Think were to make an appearance, he will face the likes of Nathaniel who beat Workforce in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, two time Champion Stakes winner Twice Over, the French trained Cirrus Des Aigles, and the tough mare Midday who ran a close second to Twice Over in the Group 1 International Stakes in August.
The team also indicated that the Breeders Cup in America on dirt could also be a possibility for So You Think.
"He's a big cruiser and I think he would handle the dirt no problem," said O'Brien, "but the boys will have to discuss it before we decide what to do next."
Bred in New Zealand, So You Think was purchased by prominent Australian bloodstock agent Duncan Ramage from Windsor Park Stud at the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale for NZ$110,000. His remarkable career has now seen him win over NZ$9 million in stakes.
3/10/2011 Hannon secures first
and second in Europe’s richest 2YO Race
Richard Hannon, seeking to win his second consecutive trainers
championship, significantly boosted his chances when saddling
the first and second in Europe’s richest 2YO race,
the £500,000 Tattersalls Millions 2YO Trophy. COUPE
DE VILLE reversed the form with TELL DAD, winning by a length,
with both horses having run previously in the £200,000
Tattersalls Millions 2YO Median Auction Trophy.
The trainer commented afterwards, “COUPE DE VILLE had a tough race, he got badly hampered but it just proves that if you buy the right horse, then you can win these races. That will be it for the season for Coupe De Ville, as his is an improving horse and I would like to save him for next year. TELL DAD was a good reserve in second.”
Hannon won a total of £387,500 in the race, having previously been almost £600,000 ahead before scooping today’s big prize pot.
Medhi, who won the first race in the series, the £100,000
Tattersalls Millions Median Auction Stakes, finished in
third. All three horses cost under 100,000 guineas at last
year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale Book 1, with
the winner, Coupe De Ville being knocked down for 82,000gns
with Peter Doyle Bloodstock signing the docket.
Sunday, 2 October, 2011 Entrapment
downs champ in emotional return
Hong Kong's latest racetrack sprint sensation, the Aussie
bred and sold Entrapment, made a triumphant return to the
track on Saturday evening with a high class win in the Group
Three Sha Tin Sprint Trophy (1000m).
In extending his perfect record to eight, Entrapment downed two of the region's star gallopers Sacred Kingdom and Dim Sum.
A son of Halo Homewrecker, Entrapment hadn't raced since winning at Sha Tin on late June last year.
The outstanding prospect was struck down by a mystery neurological problem in his left hind leg - something so rare the ailment hasn't even a medical name.
The crowd cheered and connections celebrated when Entrapment went to the line with a soft half length win over Sacred Kingdom.
"When I saw Douglas (Whyte, rider) moving him up to the front, my heart was beating so hard I wasn't aware of anything around me until my wife Patsy said - You've won," owner Benson Lo Tak Wing beamed.
Whyte, who swept both feature races on the National Day card with Amibition Dragon winning the National Day Cup, was almost lost for superlatives.
"He can train a bit that John Size, can't he?!"
"I can't think of two horses I've ridden who've been more memorable," the South African star jockey said.
"Especially coming back from a break like that. These are the horses you dream about."
Entrapment, a bargain buy for $16,000 at the 2007 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, is the sole runner to date for his dam Miabondialee.
A daughter of Vettori, Miabondialee won two races at 1200 and 1550 metres - one of them at Moonee Valley.
Miabondialee in turn is from an unraced Palace Music half sister to Group One Karrakatta Plate winner Umah as well as the dam of Asian star Captain Obvious - a Malaysian star who recently won the Group Three Jumbo Jet Trophy in Singapore.
It is also the family of proven Group One winners including Visit and Response and fellow group winner Suzy Grey, Returntosender, Anyone Home, Northern Reward, Kenny's World and All Square.
Winner: Entrapment
Breeding: Halo Homewrecker-Miabondialee (Vettori)
Race: HKJC The Sha Tin Sprint Trophy G3 (1000m)
Sold for: $16,000
Sale: 2007 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale
Vendor: Trevennah (As Agent)
Buyer: New Zealand Bloodstock (As Agent)
Earnings: HK$5,543,250 (A$833,551)
Owner(s): Benson Lo Tak Wing
Trainer: John Size (Hong Kong)
30/9/2011 So You Think (NZ)
Looking to Join the World's Best
The eight time Group 1 winner So You Think (NZ) will be
looking to re-write the history books on Sunday as he contests
one of the world's most prestigious Group 1 races, the €4
million Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe (2400m).
Held in the beautiful surrounds of Longchamp Racecourse in Paris, the Group 1 Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe was first run in 1920 and has been won by some of the world's very best thoroughbreds.
Celebrating its 90th running this year, the Arc has been won by the likes of the Sea The Stars (Cape Cross), Zarkava (Zimindar), Dylan Thomas (Danehill), Hurricane Run (Montjeu), Dalakhani (Darshaan), Montjeu (Sadler's Wells), Peintre Celebre (Nureyev), Dancing Brave (Lyphard), Mill Reef (Never Bend), Sea Bird (Dan Cupid) and dual winner Ribot (Tenerani).
Trained by Aidan O'Brien, So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral x Triassic) will be out to accomplish what no thoroughbred from the Southern Hemisphere has managed since the race's inception, to join the illustrious list of Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe winners.
New Zealand bred Balmerino (Trictrac) ran one of his best career performances in the Arc in 1977, and was extremely unlucky not to have won the race for the kiwis, having to settle for second behind the dual Arc winner Alleged (Hoist the Flag).
So You Think comes into the Arc after a well fought victory in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) where he held off a determined Snowfairy to win by half-a-length, and is a 4-1 second favorite for the race.
The only horse in history to win the Cox Plate at ages three and four, So You Think has never raced over 2400 metres, but has shown his ability to perform over longer trips when running a brave third in the Melbourne Cup over 3200 metres.
A horse that has won 12 of his 17 career starts, and is the World Champion Stayer and Co-World Champion Middle Distance Performer, the fact that So You Think has built such a formidable record in England and Ireland is an achievement in itself, but the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe looks to be the toughest test of his career thus far.
Heading So You Think's competition is the current 3-1 race favourite Sarafina (Refuse to Bend) for trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre. Owned by the Aga Khan who is no stranger to Arc success, the four-year-old comes into the race having won her last three starts including the Group 1 Grand Prix De Saint-Cloud (2400m), and the Group 2 Qatar Prix Foy (2400m) at Longchamp.
Last year's winner, the Sir Michael Stoute trained Workforce (King's Best), is quoted at 7-1 after his second to Nathaniel in the Group 1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2400m) at Ascot in late July.
Workforce has been working well coming into the race but will have history against him on Sunday as only five horses in the Arc's history have taken back-to-back wins, the last being Alleged in 1977-78. In addition, of the five three-year-old Arc winners who have returned to defend their crown as four-year-olds since 1994, none have been successful.
Taking a look at recent Arc winners, the last 17 runnings of the race suggests that market leaders Sarafina, So You Think, Workforce, and at slightly longer odds Snowfairy, will have a tough ask as they look to break what has become a strong hold in the race by three-year-olds who have won 14 of the last 17 Prix de L'Arc de Triomphes.
The only horse to beat the three-year-olds in the last eight runnings of the Arc is Dylan Thomas in 2007. Older entires are forced to concede eight pounds to the colts and eleven pounds to the fillies, a large amount of weight for horses that are only three months away from being four themselves.
Heading the three-year-olds at 7-1 is the blue-blood filly Galikova (Galileo), a half-sister to the 14-time Group 1 winner Goldikova. Only lightly raced, she has only had seven starts for five victories for trainer Freddy Head and impressively won the Group 1 Qatar Prix Vermeille (2400m) at Longchamp at her last start. She will be looking to become just the third filly in the last 30 years to win the Arc, the last being Zarkava in 2008.
The three-year-old Reliable Man, by the 2003 Arc winner Dalakhani, has only been beaten in one of his five starts and was another to show that the 2400 metres should pose few problems when winning the Group 2 Qatar Prix Niel at Longchamp against his own age earlier this month. Trained by Alain De Royer-Dupre, he is a Group 1 winner over 2000 metres and is quoted at 10-1.
A dual Group 1 winner over 2400 metres, the Ed Dunlop trained Snowfairy (Inktihab) was a brilliant three-year-old taking four Group 1 races, but has had an interrupted campaign as a four-year-old with only three track appearances. She showed in her last start second to So You Think in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes that she still has that brilliance and determination, and she has been kept safe in the market at 12-1.
Last year's runner up Nakayama Festa (Stay Gold) has returned to Paris to compete in the race and is at 20-1 for the Japanese. Trained by Yoshitaka Ninomiya, he is a Grade 1 winner in Japan and finished fourth in a four horse field behind Sarafina in the Group 2 Qatar Prix Foy (2400m) at Longchamp at his last start.
Aidan O'Brien's assault on the Arc will also see him saddle three additional runners including the Group 1 Coronation Gold Cup winner St Nicholas Abbey (Montjeu) who ran third to Sarafina in the Group 2 Qatar Prix Foy (2400m) at his last start.
O'Brien's two three-year-olds in the Arc are the Irish Derby winner Treasure Beach (Galileo) who won the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes (2000m) in America in his last performance and Seville (Galileo) who ran fourth in the Group 1 St Leger Stakes (2800m) against his own age in his last track appearance.
At Longer odds of 50-1, the Pascal Bary trained filly Testosterone (Dansili) will line up after running second to Galikova in the Group 1 Qatar Prix Vermeille (2400m), with the Aga Khan owned Shareta (Sinndar) running third in the same race. She has incurred more support in the market and is kept at 40-1 along with the Carlos Laffon-Parias trained Silver Pond (Act One) who placed in his last track appearance, the Group 2 Grand Prix De Deauville (2400m).
Sep 26, 2011 Niceone in the
making
The Joao Moreira roadshow is showing no signs of slowing
down as Sunday’s first two races fell his way one
after another.
Not surprisingly, both mounts, Rush (Charge Forward) and
Niceone (NZ) (Ishiguru), showed skinny odds ($7 and $10
respectively) with the winning margins (three-and-a-quarter
and three lengths respectively) testament to the punters’
almost blind faith in the Moreira factor, more so when coupled
with the in-form runner on the card.
Moreira, who swept past his last year’s 116-win record
aboard Martial Art (NZ) (Tiger Hill) on Friday night like
it was a mere road marking, is well on course to take the
new season-tally for a jockey at Kranji to unfathomable
heights.
While the Brazilian jockey made no mistakes on the two odds-on
favourites, there were a few concerned looks among Niceone’s
backers when the Ishiguru three-year-old was locked in a
relentless speed battle with Don Inaki (Pure Prize) and
Mr Epic (NZ) for the first 600 metres of the S$65,000 West
Coast Park Stakes 1100m race (Polytrack) for Restricted
Maidens (2 & 3YO).
With Niceone (NZ) on the bridle and committed to the lead,
Moreira did not yield an inch to the pressure from Placais
and Don Inaki on the inside, holding his advantage coming
off the side to be the first to greet the judge at the home
turn.
After spending some petrol in the early stages, most thought
the Joy N Happiness-owned chestnut was entitled to shorten
up, but it soon became evident there was still plenty left
in the tank as he pulled away instead to go on and score
by three lengths from Emergency Acceptor City Lad (NZ) (Elusive
City) with Xin Star (Due Sasso) third a further gap away.
The winning time was 1min 5.2secs.
Moreira said he was never worried even if Niceone (NZ),
who was donning blinkers for the first time, was scrubbed
up for most of the way.
“He was off the bit throughout, but it was okay because
he is still not 100% at his top,” said Moreira.
“The instruction was to go forward as he can be a
bit shy between horses. I know we went pretty hard to get
the lead, but I was not worried as I know Leslie has poured
a lot of work into him.
“I rode him in a couple of trials and I think Leslie
has given him the best preparation to bring him to his peak
today. He was really in a better condition today.
“I could not ease off the speed as the other horse
(Don Inaki) would have taken over. I just let him stride
out and I was always confident he would give a strong finish
in the end.
“Leslie has a nice horse here. I think he will become
even better in six months’ time. As he is still a
bit green.”
Khoo said the gelding, being by Ishiguru, should be able
to go a little further in the future.
“We always knew he had potential. His second to Ip
Man at debut proved that,” said the former leading
jockey.
“I knew he was fit and even though he was tackled
early, I was confident he would keep going. I told Joao
to ride him positive and that was always the plan to put
him out there in front.
“Joao told me there is still room for improvement.
He is still very green and can be very shy around horses.
“But as his name suggests, I think he is a really
nice one. Being by Ishiguru (Danzig), he should be able
to go up to 1400m.”
Khoo and Moreira combined for a winning double together
when Feeling Good (Fraar) took out the East Coast Park Handicap.
The victory of Feeling Good completed a five-timer for Moreira
- his second of the season - after achieving the feat on
September 11
26/9/2011 Better Be at
his best in Singapore
With the Formula One in town, sustained speed was the order of the day in Singapore, with Better Be The One leading throughout to win the Group 3 Garden City Trophy (1200m) at Kranji.
BETTER BE THE ONE ($485,000 2008 Easter, 5g More Than Ready-Common Smytzer) faced a top class field in today’s 1200m sprint, but jockey Vlad Duric had no hesitation to jump the Michael Freedman trained galloper straight to the front before holding off the challenges of recent Group winners Argy Bargy and Ato to record his first feature race win in Singapore.
“Surprisingly it’s his first Group win anywhere,” said trainer Michael Freedman. “He was successful in Listed company before he came here.
“It is a big thrill to win a race like this especially for someone like John (O’Neill) who sent him up here after he reached his mark back in Melbourne”.
Sold to Blue Sky Thoroughbreds from the draft of Makybe at the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Better Be The One won over A$250,000 with Lee Freedman in Australia under the name of Common Interest, before being sent into Michael’s care in Singapore.
“Julian Blaxland and I were keen to send him over here to Michael,” said part-owner John O’Neill.
“He was a nice horse back home and we are on the lookout to bring more like him up here.
“He’ll get a month off now then we’ll get him ready for another trip to Dubai next March”.
Considered by many as the second best sprinter in Singapore, the Easter graduate has won over S$550,000 at Kranji from just ten starts, with connections very much looking forward to returning to Dubai, the scene of his very close third behind J J The Jet Plane in the Group 2 Al Quoz Sprint (1000m) earlier this year.
20/9/2011 Eye-catching Caviar
in Hong Kong
Keep The Faith sprinter Blue Caviar scored an eye-catching victory on debut in Hong Kong on Sunday.
Blue Caviar (4g Keep The Faith - Twisted Bliss by Canny Lad) did it easily in a Class 4 sprint up the Sha Tin straight course. He sizzled over 1000 metres in 57.55s.
Champion jockey Dougie Whyte positioned the winner just off the speed and then, when asked for effort, he found the necessary acceleration to put his rivals away.
The nature of the win pointed to a horse who would take significant natural improvement from his first race experience. "He's very good and did it comfortably," trainer Danny Shum said. "We will wait at least three weeks for another start, there's no point in rushing him.”
Whyte said Blue Caviar would be an even better proposition around a bend. "He was a bit wayward when he did hit the front, but with a rail to guide him around a bend, he will let down nicely. He's very tractable and has a lovely kick."
Blue Caviar is owned by the Diogenes Syndicate and earned HK$384,750 for his first-up victory.
His dam Twisted Bliss was bred by Tas Reilly at Basinghall Farm. Before being pensioned last year, the mare had foaled prior winners Twisted Times (Mukaddamah), Blitxaar (Xaar) and Zellemsee (Royal Academy).
Keep The Faith sired Blue Caviar in his first crop and he is the stallion’s first starter in Hong Kong. After such a superb debut, more of his stock are sure to head there in future.
Keep The Faith (Sunday Silence) was a Caulfield stakes winner before transferring to North America where he ran a national record of 1.06.82s for 1200 metres.
Keep The Faith is standing for a $7,000 (inc gst) service fee at Swettenham this year.
19/9/2011 NZ-breds dominate
at Sha Tin
Paul O?Sullivan?s Hong Kong stable received a much-needed
boost on Sunday night with a welcome success at Sha Tin.
The expatriate Kiwi horseman struck an early winning blow
with Pizzazz (NZ) (Bertolini) to spearhead an outstanding
evening for New Zealand-bred horses who claimed four events
on the card.
Pizzazz (NZ) was a dominant winner of the class three handicap
over 1200 metres, much to the relief of his trainer.
O'Sullivan endured a season to forget in 2010-11 with just
13 wins but, despite his current predicament, he showed
he had retained his sense of humour.
"We didn't have to wait until Christmas for our first
winner this time,” he told the South China Morning
Post. "It was a relief. We're down on numbers and we
had a tough year, but that's just a part of being here.
We've changed our stable complex and it's just fantastic
the new one, the horses are calmer.
"I've got to dig myself out and I've got to come back,
one win doesn't bring it back but it's a nice start. It
keeps everybody involved in the stable happy.”
Pizzazz (NZ) was ridden by O?Sullivan?s former apprentice
Derek Leung who received his share of praise after the race.
"He is out of his time and he can do what he wants,
but I just tell him to be at my place at five `o'clock every
morning,” O?Sullivan said. “When the trainers
see a guy there at that time, they take notice.
"He's a really good kid and, like any good sportsman,
he seems to have a lot of time to do what he wants to do."
Pizzazz (NZ) was bred by Edwina Morris and Alan Jones, of
Berkley Stud, and sold by them to New Zealand Bloodstock,
as agent, at the 2008 South Island Sale for $NZ80,000.
Pizzazz (NZ) is out of the End Sweep (USA) Forty Niner)
mare Endrita (NZ) who hails from an international family
that features the dual Gr.1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Only Royale
(Caerleon).
Pizzazz (NZ) was ridden to victory by Derek Leung, who furthered
his experience with a successful riding stint in New Zealand.
The gelding now has four wins and three placings from his
14 appearances.
Five Clubs (NZ) (Danbird) continued his impressive run of
form with his defeat of the class three short-course performers
over 1200 metres. He had collected a win and two minor place
finishes from his previous three starts before the conclucion
of the 2010-2011 season.
A $NZ21,000 purchase out of Highview Stud?s 2008 Select
Sale line-up at Karaka, Five Clubs (NZ) is the seventh winner
out of Hacienda (NZ) (Bletchingly) who is a half-sister
to the Gr.1 Galaxy Handicap, Oakleigh Plate and AJC Sires?
Produce Stakes winner and influential sire Snippets (AUS)
(Lunchtime).
My Memory (NZ) (Strategic Image) posted the second success
of her career with a short-head defeat of the hot favourite
Silver Dragon (NZ) (Cape Cross) in the class four handicap
over 1200 metres.
The six-year-old grey was a NZ Bloodstock purchase, on behalf
of Hong Kong interests, at the 2007 Ready to Run Sale at
Karaka. He was offered by Te Runga Stud and realised $NZ50,000.
My Memory (NZ) is a son of Umhlanga Rocks (NZ) (Sound Reason)
who won five races and is a half-sister to the Gr.2 Hawke?s
Bay Cup and Gr.3 Thompson Handicap winner King Of Ashford
(NZ) (His Royal Highness) and the Listed Wanganui Cup winner
Govicar (NZ) (Pat?s Victory).
Shiny Day (NZ) (Bahhare) recorded an upset win in the class
four handicap over 1400 metres at odds of 35-1. The lightly-tried
four-year-old was making the fourth appearance of his career
and was returning from a four month break.
He was a $NZ50,000 purchase out of Kirkwall Thoroughbreds?
Select Sale consignment to Karaka in 2009 and is out of
the Zabeel (NZ) (Sir Tristram) Noubeel (NZ).
The winner of two races, she is now the dam of three winners
after earlier stud success with Bahzaar (NZ) (Bahhare),
Laughing Stock (NZ) (Bahhare) and Euro Connection (NZ) (Bertolini).
Noubeel (NZ) is also a three-quarter sister to the Gr.3
Tesio Stakes winner Zatella (NZ) (Zabeel) and a half-sister
to her dam Nouvain (NZ) (Truly Vain), who won four races
with her career highlight victory in the Gr.3 Avondale Classic
Stakes.
19/9/2011 Fulton Flying for
Walker and Ready to Run Sale
Kiwi trainer Mark Walker achieved a significant milestone
in Singapore last night with Flying Fulton securing his
first Singapore stakes win in the Sgp-3 Committee's Prize
(1600m).
Sent out favourite for the feature, Flying Fulton (Flying Spur x Fulton) was simply too good for his rivals over the 1600 metres, taking the lead at the 200 metre mark and racing home well to win by a length, with the New Zealand bred Singapore Derby winner Clint back in third place.
New Zealand's five-time Champion Trainer, Walker was thrilled to pick up his first Singapore black-type win.
"It sure is a big thrill to win my first Group race in Singapore," said Walker.
"Winning big races back home seems to happen all the time but it's a bit of a struggle when you are in a new country.
"It's only our first season here and if you think about it, we've been punching well above our weight in the big races here."
A $210,000 graduate of the 2008 Ready to Run Sale, Flying Fulton was bred by A S & J A Bongiorno and was purchased by David Ellis from Mana Park.
"David always buys beautiful athletes and this bloke is certainly one. He has come through as an older horse and I think he will improve further."
Walker has indicated that the five-year-old will be aimed at the Group 1 Panasonic Kranji Mile on October 2.
The victory continues the Ready to Run Sale's success in Singapore this season with Fat Kid (Handsome Ransom) winning the Sgp-2 Queen Elizabeth Cup and Sgp-3 Fortune Bowl, and Dontellthewife (Volksraad) winning the Sgp-3 Moonbeam Vase.
Flying Fulton was one of three Ready to Run Sale graduates to salute for the meeting, with Ninth Avenue (NZ) (Quorum x Mrs Bouquet) and Steven (NZ) (Elusive City x Goodwood Jazz) taking their races, and Palombaro (NZ) (Rusty Spur x On Leave) winning a race for the Karaka Festival Sale.
New Zealand Bloodstock graduates also took three races in Hong Kong last night with My Memory (NZ) (Strategic Image x Umhlanga Rocks), Shiny Day (NZ) (Bahhare x Noubeel) and Five Clubs (NZ) (Danbird x Haceinda) all winning their respective races.
Name
Sale Details
Vendor
Buyer
Ninth Avenue
$28,000, 2007 RTR
C. L. Goodin
NEW ZEALAND BLOODSTOCK
Steven
$36,000, 2008 RTR
Valachi Downs
MR L LAXON
Palombaro
$6,500, 2007 K3
Totara Park Stud
DEAN HAWTHORNE BLOODSTOCK
My Memory
$50,000, 2007 RTR
Te Runga Stud
NEW ZEALAND BLOODSTOCK
Shiny Day
$50,000, 2009 K2
Kirkwall Thoroughbreds
MR PUI JUN KUEN
Five Clubs
$21,000, 2008 K2
Highview Stud
LAKEVIEW STUD PTY LTD
So You Think's connections want a French revolution
Chris Roots September 16, 2011
IRISH master trainer Aidan O'Brien will give his Australian champion So You Think the chance to make history in next month's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in Paris.
The dual Cox Plate winner has already won three group 1s in Europe, including the time honoured Eclipse Stakes, beating last year's Arc hero Workforce and more recently the Irish Champion Stakes. O'Brien has been happy with his progress since his eighth group 1 victory on both sides of the world.
''So You Think is in great form and all being well with
him, the plan is to run in the Arc given reasonable ground
conditions," O'Brien said.
The Arc is considered Europe's best race and will be run over 2400metres on October 2. Coolmore Australian racing manager Tom Magnier is hopeful of another famous win in Paris after Cadel Evans's Tour de France victory. ''It would be a great achievement if he could go there and win for Australia and New Zealand,'' he said. ''We have had a bit of luck in Paris this year already.''
13/9/2011 Mehdi and Bronterre
head entries for £200,000 Tattersalls Millions Median
auction trophy
Europe’s most valuable sales race series continues
this Saturday with the £100,000 Tattersalls Millions
Fillies’ Median Auction Stakes and the £200,000
Tattersalls Millions Median Auction Trophy at Newmarket
Racecourses’ Rowley Mile, the second and third races
of the eight race series, worth £1.75million.
Mehdi, winner of the £100,000 Tattersalls Millions Median Auction Stakes on August 27th and the £55,000 first prize, will collect a further £110,000 should he win on Saturday. Trained by Brian Meehan, the Holy Roman Emperor colt was purchased by Angie Sykes for 50,000 guineas at Book 1 of the 2010 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and has been targeted at the Tattersalls Millions for his owner, Iraj Parvizi since the start of the season.
However it is Mick Channon-trained Samitar, who cost 39,Amongst the 55 entries at the five-day entry stage is the David Wachman trained Alkazim who has finished second on his only three race starts. The colt, who is also by Coolmore stallion Holy Roman Emperor, was purchased for 130,000 guineas.
David Wachman, trainer of Alkazim commented, “Alkazim is a nice horse coming into himself. He deserves his chance in this valuable race having run well on each of his starts we expect him to run well in it”.
Leading champion trainer, Richard Hannon is likely to be well represented on Saturday with 10 horses entered in the £100,000 Tattersalls Millions Fillies’ Median Auction Stakes and 20 horses in the £200,000 Tattersalls Millions Median Auction Trophy. Included in the entries are Saturday’s impressive Listed winner Bronterre, purchased at October 1 for 110,000 guineas and stable mate Coupe de Ville who has won three out of four starts and was purchased for 82,000 guineas.
Richard Hannon Jnr commented, “Bronterre is an outstanding two-year-old and could be Group 1 material and Coupe de Ville has improved all year, but we will make a decision later in the week.”
The Charlie Hills-trained Balty Boys who finished a respectable fourth behind Mehdi in the first of the Tattersalls Millions series looks set to face the winner again this Saturday in the £200,000 Tattersalls Millions Median Auction Trophy. The Cape Cross colt who is partly owned by Sir Alex Ferguson, was purchased for 100,000 guineas as a yearling.
Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale featuring the only horses eligible for the 2012/13 Tattersalls Millions series takes place from Wednesday 5th October – Friday 7th October, 2011. .
The remaining legs of the £1.75 Tattersalls Millions Series are as follows;
£100,000 Tattersalls Millions Fillies’ Auction Stakes, 6f fillies, 17th September 2011
£200,000 Tattersalls Millions Auction Trophy, 7f colts, geldings and fillies, 17th September 2011
£500,000 Tattersalls Millions 2YO Trophy, 7f colts, geldings and fillies, 1st October 2011
£300,000 Tattersalls Millions 2YO Fillies’ Trophy, 7f fillies, 1st October 2011
£250,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Trophy, 10f colts, geldings and fillies, April 2012
£150,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Sprint, 6f colts, geldings and fillies, April 2012
£150,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Cup, 10f colts, geldings and fillies, June 2012
12/9/2011 Laxon full of praise
for Michael
Michael (NZ) (Towkay) stepped up from his debut seventh
over 1000 metres to score a gutsy win second-up in a 1400
metre race for Restricted Maidens (2 & 3YO) on Sunday.
Clearly outpaced at his first run in the speed dash on August
26, the Towkay (Last Tycoon) three-year-old was also caught
wide before he made some late ground to finish just under
seven lengths off the winner Hard Stuff (NZ) (Volksraad).
That first outing proved highly beneficial as Michael (NZ)
has since improved a few lengths on the tracks and with
the lengthening of the trip to 1400m, an improved showing
was widely expected, as reflected by his $21 odds, making
him the second elect after odds-on favourite ($8) Diamond
Quality (Elusive Quality).
Michael (NZ) jumped smartly before being tucked away on
the rails by jockey Joao Moreira, while Diamond Quality
set a steady pace upront.
The favourite looked the goods as he made a strong bid for
home but Michael wore him down with every stride to get
the upperhand by half-a-length on the line. Third a further
gap of more than five lengths away was Decisive (Strategic).
The winning time was 1min 23.83secs.
“This is a very good horse in the making,” said
winning trainer Laurie Laxon. “He’s got a good
style and a nice physique about him.
“I think he has a good future here and he should go
up to the mile easy.
“He was the last horse to pull up about a furlong
after the winning post.”
Moreira said the Oscar Racing-owned galloper showed lots
of courage but still had scope for improvement.
“He had everything in his favour. He had a good jump
and got a clear run when he issued his challenge in the
home straight,” said the leading Brazilian hoop.
“It was a tough win but the way he won tells me he
will get better over more ground.
“Laurie knows what he was doing with this horse. To
bring him up straight from 1000m to 1400m goes to show what
a master trainer he is.
“The horse is still very green and doesn’t quite
know what he’s doing yet, but I’m sure he will
win more races in the future.”
Michael (NZ) is a New Zealand-bred three-year-old by Towkay
out of the Flying Spur (Danehill) mare La Grandezza and
cost NZ$57,500 as a yearling from the 2010 New Zealand Bloodstock
Select Sale.
12/9/2011 Joy And Fun in emphatic
return
There were only eight runners in yesterday’s HKSAR
Chief Executive’s Cup (1200m), the Class 1 sprint
highlight of the opening day of the 2011/12 Hong Kong season
on Sunday September 11 but there was a fairytale ending
when Joy And Fun (NZ) (Cullen) made a winning return to
competition, defeating fellow Kiwi-bred Little Bridge (NZ)
(Faltaat).
Although he might be approaching the veteran stage, eight-year-old
Joy And Fun (NZ) has gradually been brought back to form
by trainer Derek Cruz after breaking a bone in his near-foreleg
when looking poised to challenge in the Group One Golden
Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot last year.
If there was a good side to the injury it was that Joy And
Fun (NZ) went into Sunday’s race on his lowest rating
(109) since May 2008, and the way he won a barrier trial
last Saturday suggested to Cruz that he went into the race
back to somewhere near his best.
“I’m very pleased with him,” said Cruz.
“This season he seems to be throwing out that (injured)
left leg much better than he did last season when he was
always saving himself a bit. Of course he’s getting
a bit old now, but I think the break in training may have
done him some good.”
“He’s back to his old self again,” said
a delighted Cruz. “This will be his last season whatever
happens, but he’ll be trained now for the Cathay Pacific
Hong Kong Sprint in December, then for Dubai in March and
perhaps he’ll even go back to Ascot if he’s
still in form.”
Owned by Mr & Mrs Johnny Wong Chun Nam, Joy And Fun
(NZ) has long since eclipsed his NZ$15,000 purchase price
at the 2004 New Zealand Bloodstock Weanling Sale.
The son of Cullen (Danehill) is out of the outstanding broodmare
Gin Player (NZ), a daughter of Defensive Play (Frappiano)
that has proved a cash-cow for Cambridge Accountant Scott
Williams.
Williams paid just $2000 for Gin Player (NZ) at a Karaka
sale in May 2002. In addition to Joy And Fun (NZ), Gin Player
(NZ) is the dam of dual Group One winning mare Zarita (NZ)
(Pentire) and Group Two Concorde winner, Run Like The Wind
(NZ) (Pins), as well as talented Hong Kong galloper Sea
Prince (NZ) (Spartacus).
12/9/2011 Smart Giant continues
in similar vein
The John Moore-trained Smart Giant (NZ) (Pins) continued
where he left off last season, claiming a Class 2 event
over 1400m at Sha Tin on Sunday to make it three successive
victories for the talented four-year-old.
Like Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Ambitious Dragon (NZ),
Smart Giant (NZ) is by Waikato Stud stallion Pins (Snippets),
who was the Champion sire in Hong Kong in season 2010/11.
"Smart Giant came through his trial well in preparation
for this, and I have high hopes for him this season,”
Moore said.
Smart Giant (NZ) proved too good for his rivals in front
of a bumper crowd of 62,000 at Sha Tin in the hands of Darren
Beadman, defeating the Caspar Fownes-trained Flying Supreme
(NZ) (O’Reilly) by a length-and-a-quarter.
Smart Giant (NZ) is a half brother to former classic winning
New Zealand filly, Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed).
"I have always felt he would be a miler or further,"
Moore said. "And being out of that Daffodil family,
you would have to think that he might get even further than
that. He was one of the stable stars last season and I think
he'll make a top horse."
5/9/2011 Nandowra has makings
of special horse: Freedman
Short-priced favourite Nandowra (NZ) (Savabeel) earned the
verdict by the slenderest of margins in the S$75,000 Class
3 Happy Valley Handicap (1400m) on Sunday to hand trainer
Michael Freedman a race-to-race double.
It was a welcomed change of luck for the Australian who
has often come off such tight finishes at the losing end.
Nandowra (NZ) with Danny Beasley up looked to have the race
at his mercy when he came off the fence to hit the front
at the 300m, but Ronnie Stewart had in the meantime brought
What Now (State City) out in the clear for his move.
The two gallopers locked horns for 200m but it was Nandowra
(NZ) on the inside who got the bob in to score by a nose
from a brave What Now. A long gap away in third was Knight
Spirit (Statue Of Liberty) (Benny Woodworth) who just edged
Lockdown (Jeune) (Olivier Placais) off for third by a head.
The winning time was 1min 22.4secs.
Freedman, who a race earlier saw Zac Warrior (NZ) (Yamanin
Vital) open his account, said he thought luck had eluded
him again on the line, but was relieved when the photo gave
the $7 favourite the nod.
“I was upstairs and from my angle, I thought Cliff?s
horse grabbed me on the line,” he said.
“But my horse did a good job to hold on. He?s a nice
horse in the making but mentally, he?s not quite there yet.
“He has a good future here but he?s still immature
at this stage. I am not going to overtax him too much but
at some stage he should be able to get over more ground.
“The Singapore Four-Year-Old Challenge is still a
long way off but if he learns his trade and develops further,
he may be a candidate next year.”
Freedman said he would resist the temptation to apply blinkers
on the Savabeel (Zabeel) four-year-old to address his waywardness
at this juncture.
“Most Savabeels thrive on blinkers at a later stage,”
he said. “So, I?m going to hold back putting the blinkers
but they will eventually go on him.”
Beasley agreed with Freedman that Nandowra (NZ) was still
not quite the finished article.
“He was a bit stirred up in the barriers and started
kicking just before the start,” said Beasley.
“That?s why he was a little sluggish out of the gates.
I had to dig in to hold my position from there on.
“But he kept fighting all the way to the line. I have
a very high opinion of the other horse (What Now) too as
I?ve worked on him before.”
Nandowra (NZ) was at his third win from seven starts for
the Results Stable and has now collected more than $175,000
in prizemoney.
So You Think joins Irish turf
greats with sizzling stakes win
Chris Roots September 5, 2011
INTERNATIONAL superstar So You Think could have a date in Paris or with the unbeaten Frankel at Ascot after winning the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown on Saturday.
Irish master trainer Aidan O'Brien was rapt So You Think was able to hold off a fit Snow Fairy to win a race that includes the greats of the Irish turf, including his sire High Chaparral, on its honour roll.
''It's a long time since he ran [63 days] and you'd always be worried about that,'' O'Brien said. ''We'll discuss things during the week now as to where he'll go next.''
Unfortunately that won't be a third Cox Plate but the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and English Champions' Day at Ascot next month are on the radar, as is America's Breeders' Cup.
"He's an unusual horse. He could come back to a mile or go [2000 metres]. He has never tried [2400 metres] but with the big horse [Pour Moi] out of the Arc, that is a possibility - it leaves the door open,'' O'Brien said.
A drop back to a mile would bring in the possibility of a mouth-watering clash with Frankel in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but the English Champion Stakes at the same meeting is a more likely target.
''He's the kind of horse that spoils you for choice,'' owner John Magnier said. ''There is the Arc, but there's also the races at Ascot, the mile race or the mile-and-a-quarter … a return Down Under is not imminent.''
Meanwhile, 2008 Melbourne Cup runner-up Bauer has earned yet another shot at the world's richest handicap race after registering his first victory in nearly three years with a boilover win at Haydock in Britain.
Terry Henderson's syndicate, OTI Racing, is a part-owner of the grey galloper, which missed winning the 2008 Melbourne Cup by a nose when Viewed beat him. He said Bauer was booked to join his Luca Cumani stablemates Manighar, Drunken Sailor and Sahara Sun in quarantine next Friday and on the Melbourne flight on September 22. But he said the horse still had much to do.
''That form from 2008 has all lapsed now, so he has to requalify for the Melbourne Cup and unfortunately last night's race did not do that,'' Henderson said. ''That means we'll have to go back to the Geelong Cup [which Bauer won in 2008] to try and earn his spot.''
Manighar and Drunken Sailor are likely to run in the Caulfield Cup on their way to the Melbourne Cup, while emerging former Chilean-trained horse Sahara Sun gets his chance to earn his ticket south when he makes his debut for Cumani at Doncaster in Britain on Wednesday.
Also at the weekend in Europe, Melbourne Cup entrant Modun may have attracted the eyes of influential Australian owners with his win, for trainer Sir Michael Stoute, at group 3 level over 2400 metres at Kempton. It is understood a sale could be finalised this weekend, and the son of King's Best is likely to fly to Australia later this month.
One of Dermot Weld's two Melbourne Cup nominations, Galileo's Choice, won a group 3 race over 1800 metres at Leopardstown. The stayer has a touch of the Vintage Crop about him, having won a maiden hurdle at Galway.
1/9/2011 So You Think
(NZ) Hot Favourite for G1 Irish Champion Stakes
After eight weeks away from the track since his scintillating
battle in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes with Workforce, the
kiwi-bred So You Think (NZ) is set to resume his campaign
in the Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) on Sunday morning
New Zealand time.
The Aiden O'Brien trained So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral x Triassic) is set to recapture the punters attention as he goes in search of Group 1 number eight in the Irish Champion Stakes, where he is quoted as short as 1-3. He will also be out to emulate the deeds of his sire High Chaparral (Sadler's Wells) whose six Group 1 victories included the Irish Champion Stakes in 2003.
With the sad retirement of the English Derby winner Pour Moi (Montjeu) last week, The joint World Champion Middle Distance Performer and World Champion Stayer So You Think has been installed with many bookmakers as the favourite for the Group 1 Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe.
With speculation rife in media circles as to whether So You Think will make his journey back to Australia for a crack at his third Cox Plate, all focus will be on his trainer Aidan O'Brien after the race as many expect him to announce the superstar's plans, with a tilt at the Arc looking the preferred option.
The Group 1 Irish Champion Stakes (2000m) at Leopardstown was first run in 1976 and has been won by some of the elite Northern Hemisphere thoroughbreds, with many going on to commence stud careers.
In 1995 the race was won by Pentire (Be My Guest) who took the race as a three-year-old, and since 2000 it boasts a who's who honour roll including USA's 2009 and 2010 champion sire Giant's Causeway (Storm Cat), High Chaparral (Sadler's Wells), the four-time Group 1 winner Azamour (Night Shift), Dylan Thomas (Danehill) who took back-to-back victories, the 2008 Co-World Champion New Approach (Galileo), the incomparable champion Sea the Stars (Cape Cross), and Cape Blanco (Galileo) who has won two Group 1 races in America this year.
The race has also been dominated by Aidan O'Brien since 2000 with the trainer winning six of the last 11 events including last year's race with Cape Blanco, a very talented horse who holds a nomination for the 2011 Cox Plate.
Leading the charge against So You Think in the Irish Champion Stakes is the outstanding filly Snow Fairy (Intikhab x Woodland Dream), a four-time Group 1 winning filly who won the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup against the older horses last year. She began her four-year-old career against So You Think in the Eclipse Stakes, finishing fourth.
With her last start seeing her run second to the talented mare Midday (Oasis Dream) in the Group 1 Nassau Stakes, she has had an interrupted campaign this season due to wet tracks but will be fit with two races under her belt and is well placed in the market at 5-1.
Famous Name (Dansili x Fame at Last) is next in the market at 12-1 and comes into the race in solid form, winning five of his last seven starts, all of these at black-type level, with his last start seeing him run second in a German Group 1 over 2000 metres. A winner of 14 of his 27 race day appearances, he is the earner of over £1,000,000.
In addition to So You Think, Aidan O'Brien has another two runners in the race with Roderic O'Connor and Recital.
The lightly raced Roderic O'Connor (Galileo x Secret Garden) made amends for his unplaced run in the English 2000 Guineas, a race in which Frankel (Galileo) destroyed the field, with a good win in the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas at his next start. His last start saw him run eighth in the Irish Derby but that can be excused as he seemed to take a disliking to the 2400 metres.
He is the third favourite in the race at 14-1 and, being by Galileo who is having an unbelievable season at stud, it would be of little surprise to see him running on in the concluding stages.
The three-year-old Recital (Montjeu x Dibenoise) is also lightly raced, having only five starts on the track, and he comes into the race after running sixth in the English Derby. He took a good win two starts back in the Group 2 Derby Trial Stakes and is at 20-1.
Dunboyne Express (Shamardal x Love Excelling) is quoted at 33-1 and comes into the race looking to improve on recent starts. He has won three times during his nine start career including the Group 3 Irish Guineas Trial.
So You Think is a $110,000 yearling from New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka Premier Sale, purchased by prominent Australian bloodstock agent Duncan Ramage in 2004 from Windsor Park Stud.
The race will be held at Leopardstown this Saturday 3 September at 6.45pm Irish time, 5.45am Sunday morning 4 September New Zealand time.
29/8/2011 So You Think new
favourite in Paris
Aidan O'Brien's star Australian import So You Think (NZ)
(High Chaparral) is the new favourite for the Prix de l'Arc
de Triomphe after Epsom Derby winner Pour Moi (Montjeu)
was forced into premature retirement. Trained in Chantilly
north of Paris by Andre Fabre Pour Moi leapt to the top
of the Arc betting when clinching an impressive victory
in June's Epsom Derby.
But he suffered a career-ending injury on Friday morning.
Official news of his fate was slow to filter out, with the
first signs that all was not as it should be coming from
the betting exchanges in Britain with his price drifting
alarmingly from 3-1 favourite as bookmakers reported a suspicious
amount of interest in his market rivals. Pour Moi was available
at double those odds by lunchtime on Friday, and by the
end of the day could be backed at 100-1 on the betting exchanges,
still with no official comment from either Fabre or his
owners, Coolmore. Twenty-four hours after the injury Coolmore
released their first public statement through the social
networking site Twitter on Saturday. That post reported
that Pour Moi had suffered "a severe over-reach"
and would now be prepared for a career at their stud in
Ireland. Fabre later told Britain's Press Association that
the injury had "happened two days ago". "When
it was scanned, you could see what the damage was,"
he added. "It was deeper than we thought." Pour
Moi, who took the Derby by a head under his young French
rider Mikael Barzalona, was due to have his Arc warm-up
in the Prix Niel at Longchamp in a fortnight's time. Fabre,
reflecting on his three-year-old's performance at Epsom,
said: "What he did at Epsom was amazing, to go from
last to first. "For a horse to get there so easily,
the turn of foot he showed was a sign of great ability.
I have never trained a middle-distance horse that had such
acceleration." Pour Moi becomes the first Derby winner
not to race again since Secreto in 1984. In his enforced
absence So You Think (NZ), also owned by Coolmore, now heads
the betting for the Arc on October 2 at 5-1, with Sarafina
(Johannesburg) - third in 2010 - and last year's winner
Workforce (King’s Best) next best at 11-2.
Palombaro bounces back to
form
Monday Aug 29, 2011
New Zealand-bred Palombaro (NZ) (Rusty Spur) added to his
consistent record when successful in the $55,000 Class 4
Stakes over 1100m on the Polytrack on Friday night.
Appreciating getting back to Class 4 grade, Palombaro (NZ)
took his prizemoney past the $200,000 mark with the victory.
Ridden by Vlad Duric, Palombaro (NZ) scored by a length-and-three-quarters
over Afriend (NZ) (Danroad)(Shafiq Rizuan) with Shinkansen
(Falvelon) (C S Chin) a half-length away third. Duric made
the most of his inside draw to give Palombaro (NZ) a good
run in fifth spot behind the pace which was set by Popi
Popi (NZ) (Ishiguru) (Barend Vorster) and Shinkansen.
Coming around the hometurn Duric eased the gelding around
the heels of the two leaders and following a brief struggle
surged clear over the final 100m to score a comfortable
victory.
Trainer Bruce Marsh described Palombaro (NZ) as a “knockabout”
type of horse who was ideally suited back in Class 4 grade.
“He’s a good Class 4 horse,” said Marsh.
“He finds it too hard to win in the higher grades
and although he goes up in weight he does run well.
“I don’t know what happened to him last time
at his first run back when dropping back to Class 4 grade.
“Maybe he backed up too quickly, so we gave him a
freshen up and he bounced back to form.
“He’s a good knockabout horse and is nice and
sound.
“He should be able to win again.”
Duric praised Marsh for turning Palombaro (NZ) out in excellent
order and having the gelding at the top of his game for
the race.
“Full marks must go to Bruce for the way he turned
him out,” said Duric. “Bruce had him well placed
and importantly that’s his right class.”
Marsh added blinkers to Palombaro’s gear for Friday
night’s race and Duric said the gelding switched off
well during the race.
“There was nice pace on from the outset which really
suited him,” said Duric.
“He settled nicely behind them and he settled well
with the blinkers on as well.
“Hopefully there will be another win in him somewhere.”
A six-year-old by Rusty Spur (USA) (West by West) from the
Centro (NZ) (Century) mare On Leave (NZ), Palombaro (NZ)
is raced by the Tudor Lodge Racing No 12 Stable and landed
his fifth win from 26 starts and took his prizemoney to
around the $225,000 mark.
29/8/2011 Yet another Super
Easy win Singapore
Exciting three-year-old Super Easy (NZ) (Darci Brahma) made
it two-from-two with another impressive winning display
in the last race of Friday’s all-Polytrack night meeting.
A five-and-a-quarter-length debut winner two weeks ago,
the colt by New Zealand champion Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill)
gave his numerous backers no real cause for concern throughout
the 1100m journey of the $75,000 Class 3 event.
Jumping from barrier number four as the odds-on favourite
($6), Super Easy (NZ), a one-time winner in New Zealand
who also ran an unlucky one-length fourth in the Karaka
Million over 1200m at Ellerslie on January 30, came out
quickly for jockey Joao Moreira but was eased back in second
position when Uno (NZ) (Align) (John Sundradas) decided
to whip around the outside to claim the early lead.
As cool as ever, Moreira did not panic, allowing the smart
sprinter to run relaxed outside the leader before popping
the question at the top of the straight. Super Easy (NZ)
swept past Uno (NZ) with consummate ease but Rising Expectation
(Magic of Sydney) (Barend Vorster) and Raging Storm (Exceed
and Excel) (Vlad Duric) were not about to let him slip away
so easily.
But once Moreira lowered into his familiar low-crouching
position, Super Easy (NZ) immediately responded by bounding
away for a three-length victory over Raging Storm who pipped
Rising Expectation for second spot by a head. The winning
time was a smart 1min 05.48secs. “He is a lovely horse,”
said winning trainer Michael Freedman. “It is never
easy for a horse to jump from a Class 4 to a Class 3 and
more so at such a young age. “He’s still learning
what racing is all about too. We thought before the race
that we would try and box-seat, but that didn’t work
out and it took Joao a little while longer to get him to
settle. “But at the end of the day it has been a pretty
good win and he will learn a lot from it. “These sorts
of horses are always a pleasure to train.” Freedman
said he would wait and see how Super Easy (NZ) pulled up
before deciding on the colt’s immediate future. There
were some concerns following the race as the three-year-old
received a cut to a hind leg. “We’ll wait and
see how he pulls-up before deciding what to do,” said
Freedman. “There is a Progress race in a couple of
weeks that could suit, but I’ve got Mr Big earmarked
for that as well. “He might be a hard horse to place
now but there is the (Singapore) Three-Year-Old Challenge
next year that will suit him, but that doesn’t start
until the end of February.
“It is a bit of a long wait.” Super Easy’s
win also brought up another treble for Moreira, who had
scored aboard Cosmic Vanguard (Danewin) in the opener and
Boom Town (More Than Ready) in the preceding race, to sit
just two wins shy of the century. Super Easy (NZ) is raced
by relatively new outfit Joy N Happiness Stable, which includes
owners with racing interests in top sprinter Northern Lion
(NZ) (Ishiguru).
28/8/2011 Mehdi wins £100,000
Tattersalls Millions Median Auction Stakes
Purchased for 50,000 guineas at Book 1 of the 2010 Tattersalls
October Yearling Sale, the Brian Meehan-trained Mehdi ridden
by Shane Kelly was the winner of the £100,000 Tattersalls
Millions Median Auction Stakes, and taking home the £42,430
first prize.
Brian Meehan commented: “He’s done us proud. He is entered in the remaining Tattersalls Millions races so we will see what happens nearer the time. He was bought by Angie Sykes at Tattersalls last year and he’s done a really good job for us and his owner, Iraj Parvizi who is a loyal supporter.”
The son of Holy Roman Emperor narrowly beat the Group 3 Albany Stakes winner, Samitar (39,000 guineas) by a short head with the Charlie Hills-trained Balty Boys (100,000 guineas) finishing in third place.
Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale featuring the only horses eligible for the 2012/13 Tattersalls Millions series takes place from Wednesday 5th October – Friday 7th October, 2011.
The remaining legs of the £1.75 Tattersalls Millions Series are as follows;
£100,000 Tattersalls Millions Fillies’ Auction Stakes, 6f fillies, 17th September 2011
£200,000 Tattersalls Millions Auction Trophy, 7f colts, geldings and fillies, 17th September 2011
£500,000 Tattersalls Millions 2YO Trophy, 7f colts, geldings and fillies, 1st October 2011
£300,000 Tattersalls Millions 2YO Fillies’ Trophy, 7f fillies, 1st October 2011
£250,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Trophy, 10f colts, geldings and fillies, April 2012
£150,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Sprint, 6f colts, geldings and fillies, April 2012
£150,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Cup, 10f colts, geldings and fillies, June 2012
24/8/2011 35 Entered for first
race of 2011/12 Tattersalls Millions series
SATURDAY’S £100,000 Tattersalls Million Auction
Stakes at Newmarket, is set to feature a strong quality
field following today’s five-day entry stage. The
first leg of the 2011/12 Tattersalls Millions Series worth
a massive £1.75 Million kick starts the Northern Hemisphere’s
most extensive sales race series for yearlings purchased
at Book 1 of the 2010 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale..
Last year’s renewal of the race saw the Richard Hannon-trained Zebedee storm to victory before the son of Invincible Spirit went onto win the Group 2 Flying Childers Stakes at Doncaster the following month. The Hannon team look set to have high hopes of winning the spoils for a second consecutive year with a total of nine horses entered from the yard including Bronterre, a 110,000gns purchase and Jacob’s Cats who cost 38,000gns and both winners on their most recent appearances.
However it is Mick Channon-trained Samitar, who cost 39,000gns as a yearling and was highly impressive when she won the Group 3 Albany Stakes at Royal Ascot who looks the one to beat should she run in Saturday’s renewal. A decision has not been confirmed yet as to whether the daughter of Rock of Gibraltar will line up or head over to Ireland where she holds an entry in the Group 1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and a decision will be made later in the week.
Channon also enters Tidentime who was purchased for 75,000gns and who won his maiden at Newmarket just over a week ago.
Brian Meehan enters Mehdi and Symphony Time, while William Muir enters Charitable Act who was a winner at Kempton on his latest appearance.
The remaining legs of the £1.75 Tattersalls Millions Series are as follows;
£100,000 Tattersalls Millions Fillies’ Auction Stakes, 6f fillies, 17th September 2011
£200,000 Tattersalls Millions Auction Trophy, 7f colts, geldings and fillies, 17th September 2011
£500,000 Tattersalls Millions 2YO Trophy, 7f colts, geldings and fillies, 1st October 2011
£300,000 Tattersalls Millions 2YO Fillies’ Trophy, 7f fillies, 1st October 2011
£250,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Trophy, 10f colts, geldings and fillies, April 2012
£150,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Sprint, 6f colts, geldings and fillies, April 2012
£150,000 Tattersalls Millions 3YO Cup, 10f colts, geldings and fillies, June 2012
23/8/2011 Americain flops
in France
Americain remains on target for this year's Melbourne Cup
despite a distant defeat in France.
The 2010 winner finished a dismal 10th of 13 runners in the group 2 Prix Kergorlay at Deauville but trainer Alain du Royer-Dupre said there were genuine excuses for the five-length loss.
''The ground was too fast for him and he nearly fell on his knees coming out of the stalls and had no action afterwards,'' du Royer-Dupre told the Racing Post.
''He couldn't relax and they quickened brutally in the straight. You mustn't write him off as he was unfavoured by the race from start to finish and he will now go into quarantine.''
The Kergorlay was won by Jukebox Jury, a British-trained stayer which beat Kasbah Bliss. Luca Cumani's Manighar, owned in Australian interests, was edged out of third place. Jukebox Jury's trainer Mark Johnston told Racing Victoria officials he would lodge a Melbourne Cup nomination.
A solid final piece of serious work on Wednesday morning has the Americain camp confident the defending Emirates Melbourne Cup champion can make it back-to-back wins in the Prix Kergorlay, at France’s Deauville on Sunday night AEST.
The Australian-owned son of Dynaformer won the 3000-metre Group 2 at his final European start before coming Down Under in 2010 and champion French trainer Alain de Royer-Dupre is sticking with the winning formula.
Part-owner Colleen Bamford said connections were this week informed of how the seven-year-old had progressed since his win in the Listed Prix de Reux (2500m) on August 2 and all looked promising.
“We got an email yesterday with some photos and he had his last good gallop yesterday before the race on Sunday and he looked amazing,” Bamford said on Thursday.
“We'd had a little bit of concern with him earlier in the year, he just didn't quite look right, but now he looks just like he did last year. He's really bloomed and we're expecting that he'll run really well on Sunday.
“He won the Prix Kergorlay last year before coming to Australia so we're hoping that he can do that again this year.”
The Prix Kergorlay – the final field for which will be known Friday – will be Americain's final start before embarking on another Australian trip, where he is entered for both the $2.5 million BMW Caulfield Cup and $3 million Tatts Cox Plate.
Entries for the $6 million Emirates Melbourne Cup do not close until September 1.
Americain won't be the only Spring Racing Carnival contender in action at the Deauville meeting with a couple of other Cups contenders also a chance of running.
The Luca Cumani-trained Manighar, who was a luckless second
to Americain 12 months ago, remains in the Prix Kergorlay
but may stay in the UK for Saturday night's Lonsdale Cup
at York.
Americain's fellow French-trained galloper Dunaden will
run in the Prix Kergorlay and trainer Mikel Delzangles is
eager to contest his first Melbourne Cup with the promising
stayer.
Also amongst the entries are recent BMW Caulfield Cup nominees
Red Cadeaux and Allied Powers, with Fox Hunt and Kasbah
Bliss possible Emirates Melbourne Cup nominees if they run
well.
The Spring Racing Carnival aspirations of several Northern Hemisphere horses will go on the line in one of America’s most famous races this Sunday morning.
Cape Blanco and Zack Hall, who are both among the nominations for the $3 million Tatts Cox Plate (2040m), are part of the field of 10 for the AU$970,000 Arlington Million.
The Aidan O'Brien-trained Cape Blanco is the $2.90 favourite, marginally in advance of Gio Ponti ($3), for the 2000-metre event that will be run at 8.15am AEST.
The son of Galileo, a five-year-old by Australian standards, counts last year's Irish Derby and Irish Champion Stakes among a haul of seven wins from just 13 starts.
Zack Hall is a progressive son of Muhtathir who has won three of seven starts in his native France and is an $11 chance in Sunday's race.
The five-year-old is prepared by Mikel Delzangles, who also has Dunaden entered for the $2.5 million BMW Caulfield Cup.
The Arlington Million is the banner event on the card at the Chicago course, but not the only race featuring potential Spring Carnival raiders.
Veteran mare River Jetez, a Tatts Cox Plate nomination from South African legend Mike de Kock, will contest the $727,000 Beverly D Stakes (1900m) for fillies and mares.
There is an Australian link to one of the other Beverly D Stakes runners, the Christophe Clement-trained Cheetah, who is owned by Moonee Valley Racing Club chairman Rob Scarborough.
The daughter of Tiger Hill is a winner of three of her eight starts and is likely to be entered for the Emirates Melbourne Cup – for which nominations close on 1 September – if she runs well.
Cheetah occupies the $5.50 third line in Beverly D Stakes betting, behind River Jetez ($5) and Chad Brown-trained $4 favourite Stacelita.
12/8/2011 Igugu Crowned South African Horse Of The YearRecord breaking filly Igugu last night had her name etched into the history books when crowned South African Horse Of The Year for season 2010/11 at the country’s Equus Awards in Johannesburg.
Igugu, a graduate of Inglis’ Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, did not race as a two-year-old, but quickly made up for lost time, notching eight wins and two placing’s from 10 starts in her classic season, highlighted by three Group 1 victories.
Bred and sold by Kia Ora Stud, IGUGU ($65,000 2009 Premier, 4m Galileo-Zarinia) became only the 12th filly in 114 years to win South Africa’s premier race, the Group 1 Durban July (2200m) last month, in the process establishing a new benchmark for a three-year-old filly by carrying 55kgs to victory.
Earlier in the season the daughter of Galileo became the first filly to win the Triple Tiara and the R1million bonus that goes with it, taking the Group 2 Gauteng Fillies Guineas (1600m), Group 1 South African Fillies Classic (1800m) and Group 2 South African Oaks (2450m) by a combined margin of 20 lengths. Igugu then trounced her opposition in the Group 1 Woolavington 2,000 Stakes (2000m) heading into the Durban July.
The star filly finished the season as the joint highest-rated horse in South Africa, having raced in all three of the nation’s major racing centres.
Igugu is the second foal of the unraced Intikhab mare Zarinia (IRE) and hails from the family of Champion French filly Zarkava. After being purchased by Summerhill Stud in Melbourne Igugu was exported to South Africa and sold for R1million ($A135,000) from Summerhill’s draft at the 2009 Emperor’s Palace Ready To Run Sale.
After her third win, Igugu changed hands to race for the highly successful Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa al Maktoum-Mike de Kock combination, which have previously raced the likes of Easter graduate Musir to Champion 2YO Colt and Champion 3YO Colt honours in South Africa and United Arab Emirates respectively.
Igugu’s connections now have plans to contest next year’s Dubai World Cup carnival, despite not being able to take the normal route for South African horses through Europe, due to outbreaks of African Horse Sickness in her home country earlier in the year. Racing South Africa is hoping the United Arab Emirates allows a limited number of direct horse transport flights into Dubai for the 2012 carnival.
de Kock recently indicated Igugu’s stablemates, Group 1 Golden Horseshoe runner-up Mushreq ($350,000 Easter, 3c Flying Spur-Alharir) and Group 2 winner Safwan ($250,000 Easter, 5g Encosta de Lago-Showella), will also be bound for United Arab Emirates if the export difficulties can be overcome.
Offered by Berkley Stud, the O'Reilly colt now named Miami Provocateur became the highest priced two-year-old ever sold at the South Island Sale when knocked down to trainer John Bell for $220,000.
Pleased with the quality of his purchase, John regards Miami Provocateur as a horse with a lot of potential.
"He is a very nice horse, he's good natured and is a very athletic colt who is a great mover and has shown that he has a good amount of ability.
"He has won both of his trials in preparation for racing. We didn't go out to push him too hard but in both outings he ran very well and won them easily.
The Sale topping O'Reilly colt Miami Provocateur
"He was very green and a bit gun-shy in his debut but
he is progressing nicely. We are in no hurry with the horse
so we will see how he goes in the next few weeks and decide
where we will send him next as we head into the spring."
Purchasing horses from the South Island Sale to race in Asia, John currently has horses in training in Hong Kong and Singapore and is looking to have a strong season with his South Island graduates Pizzazz (Bertolini x Endrita) and Boy (Istidaad x Validify).
"I saw Boy at the South Island Sale in 2008 and really liked him, he was a good type and he had the pedigree to match and I am also a big fan of his sire Istidaad.
"I have sent Boy to Singapore to Stephen Gray's stable and he has been racing nicely. We were looking at running him in the Singapore Derby but decided that it was in the horse's interests to give him a break.
"The Singapore Cup later in the year is a race we are looking to target with him, it is a handicap race so he would get a nice weight so all going to plan, that race will be his target."
The South Island Sale has a good history of producing horses that go on to perform on the international stage. Last season's stakes winners include the Group 3 Metropolitan Trophy winner Blood Brotha (Danzighill), Group 3 Canterbury Gold Cup winner Inferno (Yamanin Vital), dual stakes winner St Peters Gift (St. Petersburg) who has won the M-2 Macau Director's Cup since the catalogue went to print, and the dual stakes winning three-year-old Milo (Coats Choice).
With older graduates including the Group 1 Caulfield Cup winner Master O'Reilly (O'Reilly), dual HK-1 winner and Champion Hong Kong Stayer Super Kid (Gaius), Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas winner Hustler (Al Akbar) and Group 1 VRC Derby winner Second Coming (Oak Ridge), the South Island Sale has a proven track record of producing top level horses.
"The South Island Sale is a good Sale to purchase from," said John. "The horses offered in the Sale are strong, sound and hardy types and I find that when you bring them up north to a warmer climate and give them a bit of time to acclimatise and settle in, they really thrive and develop into nice horses."
The South Island Sale's supplementary entries are now online.
New Zealand Bloodstock's South Island Sale of Two-Year-Olds & Mixed Bloodstock will be held at Canterbury Agricultural Park, Christchurch on August 12 from 11am. To order a catalogue please contact New Zealand Bloodstock at reception@nzb.co.nz or call 09 298 0055.
Entries for New Zealand Bloodstock's Ready-to-Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds close this Friday 12 August. To request an entry form please contact New Zealand Bloodstock.
Now a resident of the Singapore racing ranks, Super Easy (NZ) (Darci Brahma x Parfore) began his racing career under New Zealand trainer John Sargent. A winner of both of his trials in Cambridge in November last year, Super Easy showed his promise on the track when winning his debut at Trentham, beating the tough filly Planet Rock (Fastnet Rock) in the process.
His next race came in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes where he met the brilliant filly Anabandana (Anabaa) and, in a stride for stride battle down the Ellerslie straight, the filly took the honours by a nose.
His last start in New Zealand saw him notch up a brave fourth in New Zealand's richest two-year-old event, the Karaka Million, where he was trapped wide and ran a tough race before being run down in the shadows of the post.
Last night's return to the track has proven that his six month break from the races has done nothing to dampen his ability. Jumping in the lead for jockey Joao Moreira, Super Easy travelled beautifully in transit and was never challenged in the straight as he strode away effortlessly to record a five-and-three-quarter length victory over the field.
"He's a horse that has some good scope about him," said his trainer Michael Freedman, "so we will just take him along quietly and hopefully we will have a lot of fun with him.
"He's growing into a lovely sort of horse and if he continues to develop the way I think he will then he could be a lovely horse for the Three-Year-Old Series next year."
Super Easy is from the first crop of the five-time Group 1 winning son of Danehill in Darci Brahma whose first crop also includes the stakes winner Darci Be Good, the winner of the Listed Fernhill Handicap in Australia last season.
Super Easy was bred by M J Ryan and was offered by Esker Lodge at the 2010 Karaka Premier Sale where he was purchased by Blue Sky Thoroughbreds for $140,000. Raced by the Joy N Happiness Stable, Super Easy has now taken his stakes earnings to almost $100,000 from only four race starts.
Americain made a promising start to the campaign that will culminate with defence of his Emirates Melbourne Cup title when he won at Deauville in France overnight.
The American-bred, French-trained entire, who etched his name into Australian racing folklore with victory in the 150th Emirates Melbourne Cup last November, accounted for five rivals in the Listed Prix de Reux over 2500 metres.
The son of Dynaformer, a seven-year-old by Southern Hemipshere time, settled just off the pace but accelerated impressively when asked by jockey Gerald Mosse at the furlong to score by a length.
It was the Alain de Royer Dupre-trained star's first win since his Flemington win. He was spelled after running third as $2.10 favourite in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase in December with his only other outings a pair of sixth placings over 3082m in April.
De Royer Dupre told Racing Post that Americain was starting to get back to his best after his Australian venture, which also included victory in the Group 3 Geelong Cup (2400m).
“He was not happy in the (Northern Hemisphere) Spring and it takes time to recover after crossing the world,” de Royer Dupre said.
“Americain is a seasonal horse who comes to his best at this time. The horse is now spot on. Like last year he will now go and try to win another Prix Kergorlay and then go into quarantine. He may not have another race before the Melbourne Cup.”
But just to be safe, de Royer Dupre had Americain nominated for the $2.65 million BMW Caulfield Cup (2400m) and $3 million Tatts Cox Plate (2040m), which closed yesterday.Fellow BMW Caulfield Cup entrants Dunaden and Manighar, along with Emirates Melbourne Cup hopeful Brigantin, are likely to be among Americain's rivals when he returns to Deauville for the Group 2 Prix de Kergorlay (3000m) on August 21.
Mr Big confirmed his status as the undisputed champion two-year-old of Singapore when he romped to victory in the $200,000 Group Three Magic Millions Juvenile Championship (1200m) at Kranji today.
Sent out the second favourite after two wins from as many runs, Mr Big showed blistering speed at both the start and end of the race to win by a length and a half.
The win was a perfect result for trainer Michael Freedman with his other runner, the Charge Forward youngster Rush, running a eye catching second placing.
"It's a great honour for me to win the Juvenile Championship," Freedman said after the impressive win.
Mr Big"Over the years we've seen many top horses win the race and let's hope this one goes on to similar feats."
"After he won the Aushorse race, he took a month off and I must say it was a bit of a rush to get him ready."
"Danny (Beasley, winning jockey) was adamant the blinkers would help him and it's a gamble that has paid off."
"He's done a great job to back up after a week and win the Aushorse race and now he's won the Juvenile Championship first-up. He's probably earned another good break," Freedman added.
The win wasn't the first in a Magic Millions feature race for Danny Beasley.
My Big with connections"I've had a lot of luck riding Magic Millions horses and also won a Magic Millions (2YO Classic) with the former good filly Mirror Mirror," Beasley said.
"This horse is a real cruisy horse. He doesn't do much in his trackwork and trials - he's so easy to work with and this should hold him in good stead here in Singapore for the future."
"I'm so proud of the horse - he really stood up and showed everyone he's the champion two-year-old today," he added.
Mr Big has turned out an incredible money spinner for connections considering he cost just $21,000 from the Yarraman Park Stud at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Unbeaten in three runs he's earned over S$320,000 already and he looks likely to build on that after he returns from a spell.
Anna and Michael Freedman and Danny Beasley"The second horse (Rush) ran a great race and he looks to have a really nice future."
"His dam was placed in a Adrian Knox Stakes so he will only keep getting better next time in over some more ground," Freedman added.
Mr Big, like Australia's champion juvenile Sepoy, is by Elusive Quality and is from a daughter of Danehill.
He is the sole winner, from two to race, for his dam, Basamaat - she is a full sister to the international stakes performer Clear Impression.
Basamaat in turn is from the group winning Red Ransom mare Shining Hour - successful in the Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Winner: Mr Big
Breeding: Elusive Quality-Basamaat (Danehill)
Race: Singapore TC Magic Millions Juvenile Championship
G3 (1200m)
Sold for: $21,000
Sale: 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Yarraman Park (As Agent)
Buyer: Victorian Bloostock Agency
Earnings: S$320,407
Owner(s): O & T Stable
Trainer: Michael Freedman (Kranji)
31 July 2011 Always Certain
wins Group Two $300,000 Chairman's Trophy in Singapore
Always Certain completed a magical day's racing at Kranji when he beat the best stayers in Singapore in today's Group Two $300,000 Chairman's Trophy (1800m).
Ridden to perfection by in form hoop John Powell, Always Certain came home strongly to beat the region's star three-year-old Gingerbread Man.
Risky Business made it a trifecta for Magic Millions graduates when he steamed home from the back of the field to run third.
The win completed a feature race double for trainer Michael Freedman following the victory of Mr Big in the Magic Millions Juvenile Championship around an hour earlier.
"He's such a talented horse and it's very satisfying to see him finally win a big race for my friend Bernard who has been one my supporters from Day 1."
Always Certain"I think there were at least five times when I've gone home wondering what could have been if he had not been checked etc."
"The Derby didn't pan out the way we wanted for him. He met traffic problems but he still ran super for fifth when the race was all over."
"He pulled up so well after the race that I had a word with Bernard that I might look at the Chairman's Trophy."
"I will now seriously look at the Gold Cup as I'm sure he will run a great 2200 metres," Freedman added.
Always Certain has now earned almost S$800,000 from his 23 starts - not bad considering he cost just $60,000 at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Presentation timeAt the Gold Coast auction he was offered by Swettenham Stud, as agent for breeder Dr Paul Cradock and was purchased by Grant Pritchard-Gordon's Badgers Bloodstock.
"Lee really liked him at the sales," Michael Freedman said. "And he started off with him in Victoria."
"It was decided to geld him and it was then he was switched to me in Singapore by owner Bernard Lee."
"Bernard was instrumental in helping me get my licence in Singapore and this horse was one of the first in the stable - so it's very special."
The win continued the good run in feature races for John Powell - he recently captured the Singapore Derby aboard Cliff Brown's Clint.
"I rode him more aggressive than usual," Powell reported. "I didn't want him to get too far back as I didn't the others to give him too much of a start."
John Powell in a Freedman sandwich - Anna and Michael"He's not the easiest horse to ride as he needs to get to the outside. If horses come back on him, he tends to run out of luck."
"Thanks to Michael for the ride. When he rang me last week I was only too happy to accept such a good ride," Powell added.
Always Certain, by former star Magic Millions graduate Not a Single Doubt, is one of two winners produced by the stakes winning Akaaber mare Akarana.
A full sister to Tasmanian Derby winner Suavity, Akarana won the listed Vanity Stakes at Flemington at three.
Winner: Always Certain
Breeding: Not a Single Doubt-Akarana (Akaaber)
Race: Singapore TC Chairman's Trophy G2 (1800m)
Sold for: $60,000
Sale: 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Swettenham Stud (As Agent)
Buyer: Badgers Bloodstock
Earnings: S$793,454
Owner(s): Horizon Stable
Trainer: Michael Freedman (Kranji)
31/7/2011 Harbour Watch
heads Guineas market
The Richard Hannon trained HARBOUR WATCH, bought by Peter Doyle Bloodstock at the 2010 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale, raced to the top of the betting for next year’s 2,000 Guineas following his emphatic victory in the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.
Consigned to the December Yearling Sale by Rathbarry Stud, the son of ACCLAMATION was knocked down to the Doyle team for 58,000 guineas and is now unbeaten from three starts after he overcame difficulties in running to score in the Richmond.
Following his success bookmakers promoted HARBOUR WATCH to the head of betting for the first Classic of 2012 alongside Ballydoyle’s Tattersalls October 1 graduate POWER with prices as short as 8-1.
Following his win trainer Richard Hannon commented;
"Hughesie said he would have won by four or five lengths if he hadn't been carried wide.
"He's a very good horse and we've got a lot of options now - the Mill Reef, the Middle Park and the Dewhurst.
"I don't see the point in stepping him up to a mile this year, we may as well stay at a trip he's good at, but I've no doubt at all that he will stay a mile next year..
"He might be by Acclamation (a sprinter) but I'm sure he'll stay."
HARBOUR WATCH, who is out of the WOODMAN mare GORBAND, was bred by Tom and Geraldine Molan’s Riversfield Stud and the Co Limerick nursery is set to offer his CAPE CROSS brother at Book 1 of the forthcoming Tattersalls October Yearling Sale (October 5-7).
Sergeant Pepper continued the outstanding streak of wins for Magic Millions sold juveniles in Singapore when he led throughout to win on debut at Kranji tonight.
With Barend Vorster in the saddle, Sergeant Pepper led into the straight and came back under his urgings to hit the front and then hold out the late closers to win on debut.
In winning, the son of Danzero led home a quinella for Rocket Man's trainer Pat Shaw and a trifecta result for Australian thoroughbred company Magic Millions.
The win was the 21st race in Singapore this season won by a two-year-old - 19 of those 21 were won by Magic Millions graduates.
Sergeant Pepper was purchased by South African based bloodstock agent Andy Williams on behalf of connections for $80,000 at last year's Magic Millions National Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast.
"He showed pace in his barrier trials but it was not tremendous pace," Shaw said. "I was a bit surprised by his (short) price."
"Still, he's done the job, although he is still very green," he added.
"It's good for the owners, Rosy and Wolfgang who are first-time owners."
"They are not here tonight - they are in Germany on holidays - but I'm sure they were watching and they'll be thrilled to know they've had a win with their very first horse."
Sergeant Pepper"The second horse (Let's See Action) also ran very well and is looking for more ground. He's a nice horse with a good future."
Winning rider Barend Vorster was impressed with Sergeant Pepper.
"He is still very green and needs to mature futher," he said. "He lengthened up nicely in the home straight as he has got such lovely long strides."
"Once we pulled up, he put his head on the chest and wanted to do some more. He can only improve from that first run," Vorster added.
By Danehill's Golden Slipper winning son Danzero, Sergeant Pepper is one of six winners produced by the well related Sydney winning Centaine mare Done That.
Two of her winners - Rainbow Styling and Zingaling - have both won Group Three and listed races in Sydney.
Done That, who won three races to 1250 metres including two in Sydney, is a three quarter sister to Wyndam Special and half sister to stakes gallopers Double Reef, Star of Nouvelle and Giladane.
She is also closely related to the Japanese stakes winners and big prizemoney earners Meiner Hourglass, Meine Nouvelle and Meiner Charles.
Another in the family is the Balaklava Cup winner Civil - a five time winner and fourth placegetter in the Group One Manikato Stakes.
Patrick ShawMeanwhile, Shaw has announced that his champion international sprinter Rocket Man won't be running in Melbourne during the upcoming Spring Carnival.
He said the quarantine conditions heading into and out of Australia would have caused his future too many problems.
"If he is to go to Australia, he would have to be there a month before the race," Shaw said.
"Then he would have to go straight to Hong Kong from Melbourne, meaning he would have to return to Singapore as a newcomer and be quarantined for two weeks at the SEQS which has no training facilities."
"That would then effect his preparation towards his main target, the Golden Shaheen in March. This is a race he should have won twice already, but I still want him to be the first horse to win the race back-to-back."
The Group One Sprinters Stakes, another leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, was now the main future target for Rocket Man.
"Japan is my first choice now. He can get there 10 days before the race and he can come straight back to isolation at Kranji after the race, and be trained almost immediately for Hong Kong."
Australia's loss will be Japan's gain with Shaw saying a trip there was now high on the radar. He would also defend his international Group One wins in the Golden Shaheen in Dubai and KrisFlyer International on his home track of Kranji.
"As we all known, he has a huge following in Australia and it's a pity he won't be running in Australia."
"A lot has been said abour the match-race with Black Caviar, but to be honest, it's not all about the mare."
"He's Australian-bred and it would have meant the world to me to just take him back to his country of birth to compete against the best there."
"As for the race with Black Caviar, who knows, it might happen in Kranji in 2012 now that she is targeted at Royal Ascot next year."
Winner: Sergeant Pepper
Breeding: Danzero-Done That (Centaine)
Race: Singapore TC Restricted 2&3YO Handicap (1200m)
Sold for: $80,000
Sale: 2010 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale
Vendor: Macquarie Stud
Buyer: World Wide Bloodstock
Earnings: S$34,807
Owner(s): Rosy's Stable
Trainer: Patrick Shaw (Kranji)
Magic Millions' long and successful relationship with the Singapore Turf Club continues on Sunday with the leading Australian based sales company sponsoring the $200,000 Juvenile Championship at Kranji.
The race, one of the feature two-year-old races contested in Singapore, will be run over 1200 metres and will bring together the region's top young gallopers.
The latest sponsorship by Magic Millions continues over 30 years of association with the Singapore Turf Club - dating back to when the club raced at Bukit Timah.
Simon Leong, Vice-President, Corporate Services of the Singapore Turf Club said his club was thrilled to have Magic Millions on board.
"We are delighted that Magic Millions will sponsor the juvenile championship for the fifth year running," Leong said.
"Magic Millions contributes champion thoroughbreds to the racing industry in the region and world-wide."
"Singapore's sporting sensation Rocket Man, a graduate of the Magic Millions, was the first Singapore-trained thoroughbred to win an International Group One."
"We are thrilled to continue this partnership," Leong summed up.
Magic Millions Sales Director David Chester said the relationship with Singapore and the Turf Club had been long and fruitful.
"Magic Millions is honoured to again sponsor the STC Juvenile Championship," Chester said. "Magic Millions applaud the Singapore Turf Club for their vision in leading the way in Asia, promoting two-year-old racing."
"The Magic Millions sponsored STC Juvenile Championship, trogether with the Golden Horseshoe Series (partly sponsored by Magic Millions) provides Singapore owners and trainers with a wonderful opportunity for an early return on their investment."
"Two-year-old racing is both popular and exciting because it always has the element of surprise and it is a sure way to continue the growth of quality horses racing in Singapore."
"We are proud of our record as the major supplier of the Club's best two-year-olds. In this season alone, 19 races have been won by juveniles and of these, 17 were won by graduates of Magic Millions sales."
"The 2YO Juvenile Championship provides the ideal opportunity for Magic Millions to launch the company's Gold Coast 2YO Horses in Training Sale, scheduled for October 19 and 20."
"Magic Millions' sponsorship of Singapore racing is our company's way of thanking all the STC's clients and supporters," Chester added.
Last year the Magic Millions Juvenile Championship was won by Gingerbread Man, ridden by Barend Forster for trainer Bruce Marsh.
Gingerbread Man, who will on Sunday run in another group race, was purchased for $30,000 from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The leading contenders for Sunday's edition of the Magic Millions Juvenile Championship include Mr Big, Dark Matter, The Tudor, Rush and Kaiser - all Magic Millions sales graduates.
Blue Tosca continued his outstanding form in Malaysian features when he cruised to victory in yesterday's Group One Sultan Gold Vase (1100m) at Ipoh.
Prepared at the track by Steve Cook, Blue Tosca was sent out one of the fancied runners after his last start dead heat success in the Penang Sprint Trophy - another Group One feature in Malaysia.
With Martin Wepner in the saddle, Blue Tosca got home to beat Bintang Terang by a half length, while Fighter Jet was another neck back in third place - a breath ahead of Good Judgement.
A gelded son of Golden Slipper winner Canny Lad, Blue Tosca now boasts the impressive race record of eight wins and nine minor placings from just 23 starts and earnings of 766,892 Rgt.
He has turned out an astute purchase for Cook - who went to $20,000 to secure him from the draft of Strong and Hayden at the 2007 Magic Millions National Horses in Training Sale at the Gold Coast.
"He's turned out a great value buy," Cook said of Blue Tosca.
"I'm as proud as punch of him - his second Group One win in just two weeks - lovely days," he added.
Blue Tosca is by the same sire as Group One winners He's No Pie Eater, Calveen, Accomplice, Dodge, Republic Lass, Cannsea, Preserve, Ancient Song and Small Minds.
Jockey Martin WepnerHis dam, the Desert King mare Desert Bride, was a Sydney winner over 1550 metres.
She is from a four time Brazilian winning daughter of Ferdinand who is a sister to the dams of Salsa Inglesa and Dreamscrape and half sister to group winners Festival Hall and Hymn.
Further back it is the same family as influential stakes winners Yeats, Nureyev, Number, Thatch and Re Thong.
Blue Tosca was one of six Magic Millions winners on the feature Perak Turf Club card.
The others were Blue Storm (Stormy's Son-Moomba Queen), Earl Grey (Verglas-Lady Danny), Ace Wonder (Partners Choice-Cachet Amour), Mr Merciful (Show a Heart-L'Arcobaleno) and Natural Tycoon (Iglesia-Fast Bid).
The Magic Millions National Horses in Training Sale, where Blue Tosca was purchased by his connections, is now open for entries.
The sale will be held at the Gold Coast on October 19 and 20. Breeze ups will be held at the Gold Coast on September 19 and October 17 and Seymour on September 21.
Winner: Blue Tosca
Breeding: Canny Lad-Desert Bride (Desert King)
Race: Perak TC Sultan Gold Vase (1100m)
Sold for: $20,000
Sale: 2007 Magic Millions National Horses in Training Sale
Vendor: Strong & Hayden
Buyer: Stephen Cook
Earnings: 766,892 Rgt
Owner(s): Blue Grass Stable
Trainer: Stephen Cook (Ipoh)
“I will definitely have to give it (start in the Juvenile Championship)
due consideration,” said Freedman, who has yet to
add the juvenile classic to his collection of feature wins
at Kranji.
“I’ll see how he pulls up, but at this stage,
I am leaning to giving him a let-up and allow him to grow
further.
“Hopefully, he will grow into a nice three-year-old
and I can bring him back for some of these three-year-old
races next year.”
While Distinction, a son of Grangewilliam Stud sire Brilliance,
flashed home from the rear to run third to Ninetyfive Power
on debut last month, he was ridden a lot more positively
by jockey Ronnie Stewart from barrier No 4 this time around.
“He drew wide on debut and he had to be ridden for
luck whereas today from a better barrier, we wanted to ride
him more positively.”
“The good thing about this horse is he travels so
kindly and is a push-button type of horse.”
“I suppose the fact he is a grandson of Thunder Gulch
helps him to be such a relaxed horse. The sire Brilliance
was a pretty good sprinter in Australia, though.”
“I think this bloke will make a good 1400m-1600m horse
in the future.”
Stewart who had to waste hard to ride at the 50kg allotted
to Distinction, said it was all worth the effort.
“I had to lose 1.3kg to make the weight, but it was
all worth it,” said Stewart.
“Mind you, I was a little bit unsure whether he was
good enough to win tonight. I galloped him during the week
and it was not sensational. I told Michael maybe he had
a raceday horse here. He only does what you ask him to do.”
“Even tonight, he was swishing his tail and was like
waiting for me to give him a dig to get going. He only responds
to what you ask him to do. He’s a very laid-back type
of horse. I think he will get better over more ground.”
So You Think's Royal Ascot conqueror, Rewilding, had to
be put down after breaking a leg in the King George VI &
Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Britain on Saturday. Rewilding
was part of the Godolphin racing machine and was ridden
by Frankie Dettori in the group 1 taken out by the three-year-old
Nathaniel, whose connections paid a £75,000 ($113,000)
late-entry free to start in the Royal Ascot feature. Nathaniel
proved too strong for the Arc de Triomphe and English Derby
winner Workforce, which was no match for the Australian
champ So You Think when the pair clashed in the Eclipse
Stakes at Sandown on July 2. Nathaniel provided trainer
John Gosden and jockey William Buick with their first winner
in the race. The Racing Post reported that Buick ''who was
brought up in Norway, had already given an emotional interview
to the BBC about the desperate events in the country''.
Gosden spoke about Nathaniel being aimed at the Arc de Triomphe
in October, for which another late-entry fee will be required
as the horse hadn't won a maiden when nominations were taken.
Workforce's trainer Sir Michael Stoute said his galloper
had sustained a cut to a hind leg.
22/7/2011 Macau on track to
Defy Favourite
Promising three-year-old Macau (NZ) (Fastnet Rock) is a
certainty to challenge favourite Cash Dot Com (Hussonet)
in the feature Shin Min Cup over 1200 metres at Kranji on
Friday night.
The Mark Walker-trained gelding showed great determination
to take out the Big Maverick Handicap at Kranji three starts
back but has been plagued by bad luck at his previous two.
Left at the gates when they jumped last start, Macau (NZ)
missed the kick by 2 lengths but worked home strongly to
finish third beaten just 1 ½ lengths.
A consistent conveyance since his debut victory in March,
Macau (NZ) has only missed prizemoney on one occasion during
his Singapore career. The gelding has blossomed since his
move to Asia and has benefitted from the patience of his
trainer.
“He certainly has good potential and will keep getting
better,” said Walker. “He’s already a
big strong horse and looking at the way he runs so relaxed,
I would like to think he can be tested over longer than
short sprints in the future.
“I didn’t think he was quite ready for the (Singapore)
Three-Year-Old Challenge as it would have been a bit of
a rush. I gave him a spell instead and he’s come back
in good order.
“As he’s by Fastnet Rock, we will have to handle
him with care. We can’t have enough of those in our
stables.”
Purchased for $260,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling
Sale from the draft of Kendayla Park by bloodstock agent
Demi O’Byrne; Macau (NZ) raced by Coolmore Stud.
“Demi O’Byrne purchased the horse as a stallion
prospect but we had to geld him early in his career,”
said Walker.
“He is owned by Coolmore and they were very keen to
support the stable up here when we made the decision to
move.
“We had the horse gelded down in New Zealand before
he came up here.”
Macau is from the stakes placed mare La Campanella who descends
from the family of New Zealand bred Oaks winner India’s
Dream (NZ) (Western Symphony).
The other feature on Friday night is the S$55,000 New Paper
Trophy over 1600 metres.
Of interest is the impeccably bred Big Masterplan (NZ) (High
Chaparral). Bred by Peter & Philip Vela, Big Masterplan
(NZ) is by leading sire High Chaparral, sire of no less
than four Group 1 winners in Australasia from just two crops;
from Romanee St Vivant (NZ), a half-sister to Champion Stayer
Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm).
The Laurie Laxon-trained gelding is a winner at the distance,
and is bred to improve with maturity.
18/7/2011 Clint Scores Derby
Glory
Consistent gelding Clint (NZ) (Casual Lies) displayed great
determination to outgun his rivals in taking out the Sgp-
1Singapore Derby over 2000 metres at Kranji on Sunday.
A winner of three races prior, the gelding?s victory gave
trainer Cliff Brown his first Group win since commencing
training in Singapore in 2008. The win had a sense of poetic
justice, with winning rider Johnny Powell also the rider
of Brown?s first ever Singapore winner.
Ridden masterfully by Powell, Clint (NZ) jumped quickly
from an inside draw and settled three back behind the speed
on the fence. Biding his time, Powell stalked runner up
Better Than Ever (French Deputy), before coming
around him at the 200 metre mark, and running away to post
a 2 ½ length victory.
“It was around the 300m mark that I got back to concentrating
where Clint was in the race and I thought for a while there
that „here we go again – another second in a
big race,? Brown said after the race.
“But I knew the horse was fit and the 2000m would
be ideal for him.
“I?m still in a state of shock.
“I have to thank Johnny and CK (owner Phua). Johnny
gave him a great ride and CK for his support with this horse.
“He?s been pretty much bombproof throughout his time
with us. The 2000m journey was perfect for him and he had
a great draw.
“All that he needed was some luck from the draw, which
he got, thanks to a great ride by Johnny.”
The win gave jockey Powell his second victory in the race,
having won the event aboard Hello and Goodbye (NZ) (Danzalion)
for Bruce Marsh previously.
“Things haven?t been going too well for me of late
but this might just be the thing to turns it around for
me,” said Powell.
“To give Cliff his first Group win just adds to the
victory. Cliff has been a great supporter of mine and he
gets his horses fit.
““I got a great run through the race and when
I quickened up coming around the turn I thought he would
be in the finish.
“I had Better Than Ever in my sights and I knew my
horse would run out a strong 2000m.
“He really hit his top at the 300m mark and I thought
something would have to come hard to run us down”.
Bred by CK (owner Phua), Clint is the thirteenth stakes
winner for his sire. Out of the Deputy Governor mare Torch
(NZ), the gelding descends from the same family as Hong
Kong Derby winner Holy Grail (NZ) (Deputy Governor).
18/7/2011 NZB Grads Storm
Singapore's Derby Card
New Zealand Bloodstock graduates had a successful meeting
in Singapore last night with six individual winners at Singapore's
Derby meeting at Kranji.
Singapore's six time champion trainer Laurie Laxon claimed three races in the meeting with Vaya Condios (Golan x Our Sportsgirl) opening his account in the first. Laxon also saw Cape Treasure (Cape Cross x Moments I Treasure), who is part owned by New Zealand Bloodstock's Chairman Joe Walls, take the fifth on the card with Tolmon Nika (High Chaparral x Matchplay) winning race 10.
Laxon is no stranger to leading the Singapore Trainer's Premiership and has been dictating proceedings on the 2011 table where he is currently on 43 season wins, four clear of his nearest rival Patrick Shaw on 39.
Fellow kiwi trainers also notched up success in the Derby meeting with their NZB graduates. Sacred Emblem (Volksraad x Axis) claimed a win for trainer Steven Burridge, Collect the Cash (Keeper x First Payment) and Polar Esprit (Bel Esprit x Polar Sky) achieved a quinella for Mark Walker, and Kallisan (Stratum x Eloa) took a win for Stephen Gray.
New Zealand's reputation as a leading producer of Derby winning thoroughbreds is well established, and that reputation was again to the fore last night in the Sgp-1 Singapore Derby with NZ bred Clint (Casual Lies x Torch) taking the honours. Clint is bred and owned by New Zealand Bloodstock Asia's Co-Director CK Phua.
Clint is the eleventh New Zealand bred Derby winner since 2010.
Name Breeding Sale Vendor Buyer Sale Price
Vaya Condios Golan x Our Sportsgirl Windsor Park Stud MR
LK LAXON 2009, K1 $70,000
Cape Treasure Cape Cross x Moments I Treasure Phoenix Park
P/I 2008, RTR P/I
Tolmon Nika High Chaparral x Matchplay Curraghmore Stud
DR KC TAN 2008, K1 $120,000
Sacred Emblem Volksraad x Axis Windsor Park Stud MR DR WILES
2009, K2 $20,000
Collect the Cash Keeper x First Payment Sir James Lodge
Ltd P/I 2008, K2 P/I
Kallisan Stratum x Eloa Little Avondale Stud MR S GRAY 2009,
K1 $220,000
The revered status of Sacred Kingdom in Hong Kong has been further enhanced with the son of Encosta De Lago being named Champion Sprinter for the fourth time.
In doing so, SACRED KINGDOM ($200,000 2005 Premier, 7g Encosta De Lago-Courtroom Sweetie) surpasses fellow Inglis graduate and Hong Kong idol Silent Witness, who took the prize three times from 2003-04 to 2005-06.
The Ricky Yiu trained superstar notched his seventh career Group 1 success in 2010-11 by winning the Centenary Sprint Cup for the second consecutive year.
Purchased from the draft of Kornong Stud Farm at the 2005 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Sacred Kingdom has been a fantastic ambassador for the Australian breeding industry on the world stage since his cosy win on debut back in December 2006.
His 17 wins and eight placing’s have earned him more than $HK45million, proving an amazing result for his owner Mr Sin Kang Yuk, who was at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in search of another superstar.
This accolade comes on the back of another stellar 12 months for Inglis graduates on the international stage.
BLACK CAVIAR (4m Bel Esprit-Helsinge) now holds the position as the World’s Equal Top Rated Horse with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, having gone unbeaten in all 13 career starts to date, the latest six all in Group 1 races.
STARSPANGLEDBANNER (4h Choisir-Gold Anthem) was crowned Champion Australian and European Sprinter after his Golden Jubilee Stakes and July Cup Group 1 double in the UK last year.
IGUGU (3f Galileo-Zarinia) has emerged as the latest superstar of South African racing and looks most likely to be crowned Horse of the Year following her Triple Tiara and Durban July wins.
ULTRA FANTASY (8g Encosta De Lago-Belle Anglaise) joined fellow Inglis graduates Takeover Target and Silent Witness as the winner of the Group 1 Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama, Japan.
SPEED BABY (4g Fastnet Rock-Twisted Heart) heads into this Sunday’s Group 1 Singapore Derby with a last start victory in the main lead-up race, the Group 1 Patron’s Bowl, just three weeks ago.
The next 12 months promises to be an exciting time for a number of these horses as they aim to display their talent to the rest of the world.
Connections of Black Caviar are keen to showcase the mare abroad in 2012, while Igugu's trainer Mike de Kock has indicated Dubai ambitions for Igugu, aiming to follow a number of stablemates, including the UAE Derby winning Inglis graduate Musir.
What Ambitious Dragon (NZ) (Pins x Golden Gamble) has achieved this season is no less than exceptional. Trained by Tony Millard, he started the season with a win over a class 4 1200 metre race in mid October, and has gone on to take seven victories on the turf. His headline wins coming in the HK-1 Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m), HK-1 Hong Kong Derby (2000m) and the International Group 1 QE II Cup (2000m).
Hong Kong Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon (NZ). Photo
HKJC
This remarkable season has seen him take seven wins on the
Hong Kong turf, equalling the record set by Entrapment last
season for most victories in a Hong Kong season. His wins
also secured him the title of Hong Kong's Most Improved
Horse with a rating increase of 68 points, from 57 to a
hugely impressive and thoroughly deserved rating of 125.
The awards continued with Ambitious Dragon also awarded the Champion Middle-Distance Horse title as well as emerging the dominant winner of Hong Kong's Most Popular Horse, an award he won in a landslide victory with almost 100,000 votes, while second place went to fellow NZB graduate Beauty Flash (NZ) with a little over 23,000 votes.
Ambitious Dragon has followed in the hoof prints of another champion NZ bred horse, the NZB graduate Vengeance of Rain (Zabeel x Danelagh) who also won the Hong Kong Derby - QE II Cup double in 2005 and was awarded the Hong Kong Champion Middle-Distance Horse. He was later crowned Hong Kong Horse of the Year in 2007. Ambitious Dragon (NZ) and Vengeance of Rain (NZ) are the only two horses in Hong Kong racing history to win the HK-1 Hong Kong Derby - Group 1 QE II Cup double.
Ambitious Dragon's HK-1 and Group 1 wins have continued New Zealand's immaculate record in some of Hong Kong's premier races and has enhanced the New Zealand thoroughbred industry's reputation as a prolific source of derby contenders. New Zealand has produced five of the last eight Hong Kong Derby winners with Ambitious Dragon (2011), Super Satin (2010), Vital King (2007), Vengeance of Rain (2005) and Lucky Owners (2004).
Ambitious Dragon has also taken his Waikato Stud sire Pins to new heights, the sire of 41 stakes winners has been officially crowned the Champion Sire in Hong Kong with over HK$31 million in stakes earnings. New Zealand based sires continue to perform in Hong Kong, with fellow Waikato Stud based sire O'Reilly having taken back-to-back titles in 2007/08 and 2008/09.
Ambitious Dragon was bred by Guy Lowry and was offered by Belvedere Farm at the 2008 Karaka Select Sale. His half-brother by High Chaparral was purchased by the Hong Kong Jockey Club for $420,000 from Belvedere Farm at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale and will surely be the star attraction at the 2012 Hong Kong Sale.
Not to be forgotten, Beauty Flash (NZ) (Golan x Wychwood Rose) has also been a brilliant performer in Hong Kong this season for his trainer Tony Cruz. The winner of Hong Kong's most prestigious mile race, the International Group 1 Hong Kong Mile, he made it back-to-back wins over the distance when winning the HK-1 Steward's Cup, cementing his place as Hong Kong's premier miler.
Further showcasing his talents, Beauty Flash came back in distance to 1400 metres in the HK-1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup where he ran a superb 1.21.74 and comfortably registered his third consecutive Group 1 - HK-1 victory.
Beauty Flash was honoured at the Hong Kong Racing Awards when crowned Hong Kong's Champion Miler.
Like Ambitious Dragon, Beauty Flash has continued New Zealand's status as a world leader in the richest mile race in the world. Since the mighty Sunline (NZ) won the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile in 2000, New Zealand has bred and/or sold four individual winners of the race with Beauty Flash (2011), The Duke (2010), Lucky Owners (2003) and Sunline (2000) - a feat unmatched by any other country.
Bred by Windsor Park Stud, Beauty Flash was bought by Hong Kong-based buyer Dan O'Donnell from Halidon Hill at the 2007 Karaka Select Sale for $65,000. He has now won over NZ$5.7 million.
Entries for New Zealand Bloodstock's 2012 National Yearling Sales Series at Karaka are due now. To enter your yearlings please contact NZB on 09 298 0055 or visit http://www.nzb.co.nz/.
Award Winner Owner Trainer
Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon Johnson Lam Pui Hung
Anthony Millard
Most Popular Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon Johnson
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Anthony Millard
Singapore's star three-year-old Gingerbread Man continued his winning streak at Kranji last night, this time proving too classy for a field containing older rivals.
The son of Shamardal sat second for much of the race before coming with a strong run in the home straight to hit the front and then comfortably hold out his rivals.
The performance was an impressive win for the Bruce Marsh trained gelding, who was starting for the first time since clean sweeping the recent Three-Year-Old series in Singapore.
It's been a remarkable career already for Gingerbread Man considering earlier this year he was crowned Singapore's Champion Two-Year-Old of 2010.
"To be honest, he had a nice easy time after the Three-Year-Old Challenge," Marsh reported.
"We've slowly brought him back to fitness. But you know how he is - in his trials, he doesn't show much and is just content to go around."
"Still, I knew he had come back stronger and I felt he had improved further from the time he won the Three-Year-Old races."
"He proved tonight he can measure up in Open company. There were no shortage of honest horses in tonight's races - they're all winners."
Bruce Marsh"He will now go to the Chairman's Trophy at the end of the month. It's been a race I've been thinking about for him as I'd like to test him over more ground now."
Gingerbread Man cruised home, beating Keep Away by a length and a quarter, while early leader Happy Everybody was a nose back third.
Gingerbread Man has been a revelation for connections after being knocked down to Magic Millions bloodstock consultant and auctioneer James Dawson for $30,000 at the 2009 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Dawson purchased the son of Shamardal on behalf of Singapore based client Joe Singh and he is raced by Singh's Gingerbread Stable.
The outstanding three-year-old now boasts nine wins from just 12 runs and he's earned a staggering S$940,924.
Gingerbread Man is one of two winners and a placegetter, from three to race, for the twice raced Hurricane Sky mare Quaffle.
Quaffle is a half sister to the stakes winner Golden Snitch and is from a Snippets winning half sister to Epsom Handicap winner Iron Horse.
Winner: Gingerbread Man
Breeding: Shamardal-Quaffle (Hurricane Sky)
Race: Singapore TC Open Handicap (1400m)
Sold for: $30,000
Sale: 2009 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Rothwell Park (As Agent)
Buyer: Magic Millions as agent
Owner(s): Gingerbread Stable
Earnings: S$940,924
Trainer: Bruce Marsh (Kranji)
Michael Freedman's excellent run in Singapore's two-year-old races continued last night when exciting prospect Rush won on debut at Kranji last night.
A juvenile son of Charge Forward, Rush showed a great will to win, finishingly strongly against the rail to beat seasoned juvenile success story Kaiser by a neck.
Rush was sent out the second favourite having shown ability in jump outs on the grass - but connections' confidence was dented a little when he didn't look as impressive on the polytrack.
For Freedman the victory continued his excellent season with juveniles.
"It's been a bit frustrating with the older brigade and all these placegetters," Freedman said.
Michael Freedman"But it's good to see that rebuilding campaign I have developed with those two-year-olds is starting to pay off."
"Dan said this one will only get better over a bit further."
"It was a good tough effort for a two-year-old to beat a more experienced two-year-old like Kaiser."
"I'm glad he won as he's been in work for a while as it's taken a while to sort out some ownership issues."
Freedman said he would adopt a "wait and see" approach before deciding whether he could join other two-year-old stable stars in one of the region's feature races in three weeks time.
"We'll have to see how he pulls up. At this stage he's 50/50 to head for the (Magic Millions) Juvenile Championship at the end of the month."
"Cash Luck is back in work while Mr Big will trial this week," Freedman added.
Rush (inside) wins impressivelyRush is a son of Magic Millions graduate, Red Ransom's Group One winning son Charge Forward and he was purchased by connections for $75,000 at last year's Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The youngster, who is raced by the Mummify stable, was sold through the draft of Arrowfield Stud and is the first winner for the group performed Timber Country mare Flidais.
The result was another clean sweep for Magic Millions - with all three placegetters purchased by their connections from a Magic Millions auction.
Winner: Rush
Breeding: Charge Forward-Flidais (Timber Country)
Race: Singapore TC Open 2YO Stakes (1200m)
Sold for: $75,000
Sale: 2010 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale
Vendor: Arrowfield Stud (As Agent)
Buyer: Magic Millions as agent
Owner(s): Mummify Stable
Earnings: S$34,807
Trainer: Michael Freedman (Kranji)
Former Aussie galloper Tenzing broke through for his biggest win in Singapore last night when he flew home to win the Group Three $200,000 Fortune Bowl (2000m).
"And also for Danny. He's been riding well and hopefully this will be an added confidence booster as well."
Steven Burridge's winning run in Dubai continued overnight when quality Asian galloper Captain Obvious won the Al Naboodah Construction Group (1200m) at Meydan.
A cracking half brother to Captain Obvious by proven Group One producing sire Citidancer will go under the hammer at next month's Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale at Belmont.
Star Hong Kong sprinter Eagle Regiment scored the biggest win of his career and the first Group One win for his trainer when he scored a thrilling success in last night's Centenary Sprint Cup (1000m).
"Over 1000 metres he is a different horse, he is very good but now they will have to stretch him out."
Talented gelding Good Baby emerged as one of the new stars of Malaysian racing with a barnstorming win in yesterday's 2011 Magic Millions Malaysian Classic.
Good Baby was educated in Australia by Mr Beh's good friend, renowned Perth horseman Joe Byrne and he trialled three times in the WA capital before being shipped to Asian last year.
Rising star Tears to Diamonds continued his rapid progression through the Malaysian racing grades when he thumped a quality field in yesterday's Group One Yang Di Pertua Negeri Gold Cup (2200m).
