Brisbane's Rose Hopes On Track

Sunday, 28 August 2016 08:16

Queensland's Golden Rose hopefuls Oink and O'Reilly Cyrus have turned in eye-catching final hit-outs at Doomben.

Oink looks certain to run in the Group One Golden Rose (1400m) on September 10 but O'Reilly Cyrus remains on the cusp of getting a start.

While most of their rivals for the Golden Rose raced in three-year-old company in Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday, Oink and O'Reilly Cyrus raced against older horses.

Oink came from third last at the 600m to run fourth to the flying Land Office, who ran a class record 1:9.1 in a Class 6 Plate (1200m).

"Even though he was right back at the tail of field he was still deep," trainer Kelly Schweida said.

"I really liked the way he finished off. It was pretty good."

"The winner ran a second faster than any other horse at 1200 metres on the day so our final sectional would have been very good."

"I think he will go down for the Rose now but we will make a final decision during the week.

Trainer Liam Birchley was left to rue O'Reilly Cyrus's habit of getting back in her races after she stormed home for second in a Class 3 Plate.

"O'Reilly Cyrus would have easily broken 34 seconds for her final 600 metres," he said.

"But she has had to come from second last at the 600 and the winner Monsieur Gustave is very handy and had a big lead on her.

"I am sure she is capable of being closer to the pace in the early stages and the 1400 metres of the Rose and the Rosehill track will be ideal. We just have to get a start."

"But she picked up prize money and at least we are still in it at this stage."

The two are among the outsiders for the Golden Rose with Astern assuming favouritism with his win in Saturday's Run To The Rose at Rosehill.

Defcon Impressive In McNeil Stakes Victory

Saturday, 27 August 2016 08:17

The Snowden Racing team has struck in another early-season sprint for three-year-olds in Melbourne, with Defcon winning the McNeil Stakes at Caulfield.

Defcon's 1-1/4 length win first-up in Saturday's Group Three race came two weeks after the Sydney father-and-son training team brought Russian Revolution south to win the Vain Stakes.

After settling in the second half of the field on the fence in his first start the anti-clockwise way, Defcon ($7.50) didn't go around a runner under jockey Dwayne Dunn.

He defeated the favourite Highland Beat ($4.80) by 1-1/4 lengths with Wazzenme another half head away third.

The win also brought up a stakes double for Peter and Paul Snowden after four-year-old gelding Redzel took out the Group Three The Heath.

Peter Snowden said they had learned Defcon, the Black Opal Stakes winner from last season, had a lethal 300m sprint.

"And if you can hold him up for that last little bit it takes a good one to get by him," he said.

"He's a more furnished product this time through. He was always a bit soft last time and the trip away is only going to make this horse better."

Defcon will return to Melbourne for his next start in Group Two Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington for three-year-olds on September 10.

The Manikato Stakes and Coolmore Stud Stakes are also options later in the spring.

"It's good to see him win like that because I've got it in my mind he can improve off it," Snowden said.

"Going forward to the Danehill in a couple of weeks it looks perfect for him."

Detective Finds A Way To Break His Maiden

Sunday, 28 August 2016 08:16

Detective has had to work a little harder than planned to win his maiden but has come away from Wyong victorious.

Co-trainer Peter Snowden said he and his son Paul had hoped to give the colt a confidence booster at Sunday's provincial meeting.

Although only five went to the gates, Detective ($2.70) had to fight to beat Godolphin's Drachenfels ($2.20 fav) by a head with pair clearing away from the others in the 1350m-race.

Detective went to Wyong with the best form in the race with his four seconds from five starts including the Group Two VRC Sires' Produce Stakes in the autumn.

"He has been the bridesmaid too many times," Peter Snowden told Sky Thoroughbred Central.

"The second horse had a good crack at him four or five times down the straight.

"It wasn't an easybeat race."

The Joe Pride-trained Kanji also had to battle in a small Wyong Cup Prelude field but made his way back to winning form, beating Crossing Guard by a short head.

"That's what we wanted to see," Pride said.

"He has been racing over unsuitable short trips and he was back up to 2100 metres."

Redzel Outspeeds Rivals In Caulfield Win

Saturday, 27 August 2016 08:17

Sydney sprinter Redzel has landed a betting plunge in taking out a stakes race at Caulfield.

The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained galloper was supported from $8.50 to $5.50 before landing The Heath 1100 on Saturday.

Ridden by Mark Zahra, Redzel held off the $3.70 favourite Under The Louvre to score by a long neck with Santa Ana Lane ($11) three-quarters-of-a-length away third.

Peter Snowden said the stable planned the attack on Saturday's race after the gelding's win at Canterbury on July 23.

"It's a race we identified straight after his last start," Snowden said.

"The way he races takes a fair bit out of the horse and he needs to have his races spaced.

"We've got the key to him now and he keeps on winning."

Without stables in Melbourne, Snowden said Redzel would return to Sydney but could be back later in the spring.

"He won't race for about a month," Snowden said.

"There's some good sprints coming up both here and at home and he keeps raising the bar.

"A good horse almost chased him down and there's a lot of good horses down here at this time of the year."

Zahra, who had ridden Under The Louvre to previous stakes race success, knew the Group One-winning sprinter would be coming hard in the final stages.

"Late in the race he (Redzel) started walking and I was wondering where Under The Louvre was, but luckily he had enough left in the tank," Zahra said.

Kinglike Ready To Rule In Concorde

Sunday, 28 August 2016 08:16

Gerald Ryan spends most of his life looking at horses and what the trainer sees of Kinglike has him excited ahead of the four-year-old's race return.

While he isn't one to weigh his horses, Ryan's eyes tell him Kinglike had put on around 50 kilograms since he ran fourth behind Japonisme in the Arrowfield Stud Stakes in April.

Formerly trained by Peter Moody, Kinglike has had just that one start for the Ryan stable.

He returns in Saturday's Group Three Concorde Stakes (1100m) at Randwick.

"I reckon he's around 50 kilos heavier than the autumn," Ryan said.

"He was a late foal and took a long time to mature.

"All the jockeys who have ridden him work tell me he feels like a Group One horse and that's without me telling them who they were on.

"I think he's the forgotten horse."

The now-retired Moody thought enough of Kinglike to run him as a three-year-old in the William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley in March.

He had little luck in the Group One race won by stablemate Flamberge which signalled Moody's swan song.

Before the William Reid, Kinglike was a close second to English in the Challenge Stakes with the Gai Waterhouse-trained filly subsequently winning the Group One All Aged Stakes.

"I have watched all the tapes of his races and liked what I've seen," Ryan said.

"The plan is to run in the Concorde, then The Shorts and then go to Melbourne but which race we haven't decided yet."

Kinglike will meet the Chris Waller-trained Group One winner Japonisme again in his next two starts.

"Japonisme will have three runs in Sydney - the Concorde, The Shorts and the Premiere Stakes and then go to Melbourne for the Manikato Stakes," Waller said.

Quinella For Kris Lees In Premier's Cup

Saturday, 27 August 2016 08:17

Kris Lees' hopes of winning an elusive hometown cup have been strengthened after he trained the quinella in the Premier's Cup.

Sense Of Occasion ($8) stormed home to defeat his more-fancied stablemate Singing, who was $6 into $4.60 in the Listed race at Rosehill.

Lees is NSW's most successful trainer based outside Sydney, but has never won the Newcastle Gold Cup on his home track.

He said he now had two live chances for the Group Three race over 2300m on September 16.

The Premier's Cup was Sense Of Occasion's first win for Lees with the horse formerly trained by Tony McEvoy and Joe Pride after the death of his original trainer Guy Walter.

Lees said he was surprised Sense Of Occasion was able to overcome imported stayer Singing after a tough run.

"To be honest I gave up on the winner in the run," Lees said.

"He looked like he was posted three deep without cover and the other horse was travelling sweetly.

"The second horse was very good. He was game in defeat."

Sense Of Occasion's rider Tim Clark said the horse's staying quality had shone through.

"Being wide I just had to take my medicine and sit there," Clark said.

"There was no point rushing forward, it wasn't going to do the horse any good."

Lees said Singing, who finished second to Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist in a Group Two race in Germany, would improve following his second Australian start.

Black Heart Bart Lands G1 Memsie Stakes

Saturday, 27 August 2016 08:17

Darren Weir has declared Black Heart Bart the benchmark horse in his stable after the six-year-old made emphatic spring statement in winning the Memsie Stakes.

"He's the best horse I've got," Weir said.

"Lucky Hussler's a good horse but this horse is bombproof, sound but while not much to look at he loves the stable routine."

Weir had his best season last year with a training record of 348 winners that included the Melbourne Cup with Prince Of Penzance.

In winning the weight-for-age Memsie, Black Heart Bart claimed the first Group One race of the 2016-17 Australian season.

Backed from $2.20 to $2 favourite, Black Heart Bart, under Brad Rawiller scored by 1-1/4 lengths from Rising Romance ($17) with Mahuta ($8) 2-1/4 lengths away third.

Black Heart Bart had his first preparation for Weir earlier in the year, running second in the Newmarket Handicap.

He then won The Goodwood in Adelaide before running second in the Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm.

Weir said the son of Blackfriars came back from his Queensland spell in great condition before starting a spring campaign the gelding's owners hope will end in a Cox Plate triumph.

"He got a month of sun with some light work up there before coming home," Weir said.

"The owners are very keen to go to the Cox Plate but they've said if you want to deviate along the way then we're happy with that, but if you can, aim towards the Cox Plate.

"Really who wants to take Winx on, but we'll see how far we get."

Rawiller thought he might have been a little closer in the run and was surprised Rising Romance was in front of him.

But the strong pace had also set the race up perfectly.

"They went a lot quicker than we thought they would but I was certainly ready for it," Rawiller said.

"Charmed Harmony can certainly roll along but I was certainly happy even though I was further back than I wanted to be."

Weir said he was happy with the performance of Mahuta and Palentina (fifth) while he was a little disappointed in Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance who beat one runner home.

But jockey Harry Coffey thought the performance was satisfactory after the track was ungraded during the meeting.

"That's not ideal for him because he doesn't really let go on a real firm track," Coffey said.

"But I think there was enough give there that he'll come through the run well."

Evacuation Roars Into Guineas Contention

Saturday, 27 August 2016 08:17

Evacuation has stamped himself as a major contender for the Group One Caulfield Guineas with a dominant first-up win at Rosehill.

Sent out the $1.90 favourite, Evacuation hit the line strongly as he scored a 2-3/4 length victory from Savvan ($6) with Pipeline ($13) third in a three-year-old benchmark race on Saturday.

Evacuation has firmed from in Caulfield Guineas betting from $26 to $9.

He shares favouritism with Divine Prophet and Group One winner Sacred Elixir for the Group One race on October 8.

Co-trainer Gai Waterhouse said she was confident Evacuation would improve over the 1600m Guineas distance.

"I knew where I wanted to take him. I felt all the time he'd be a miler," Waterhouse said.

Waterhouse's training partner Adrian Bott said the horse would now head to Melbourne to race in the Group Two Bill Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 30.

"The Guineas has always been earmarked for him and just with the timing and everything we don't want to rush him to the Golden Rose," Bott said.

The stable has a strong record in the Stutt Stakes, with Almalad and Pierro winning the race in recent years.

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy said he was worried at the 400m, but the horse eventually switched on.

"He was almost like the big boy in the playground," McEvoy said.

"He only really knuckled down in the last furlong so there's room for improvement both up in trip and once he really gets a grasp on the game."

Queensland breeder Ron Gilbert passed the colt in at the Inglis Easter sale and decided to race the horse.

Astern To The Fore In G2 Run To The Rose

Saturday, 27 August 2016 08:17

As a jockey James McDonald can't bet on horses, but he can back his own judgment.

He proved spot-on with his choice to ride Astern over Impending in the Run To The Rose at Rosehill.

One of four Godolphin runners the Group Two race, Astern ($6) toughed it out in a battle with the favourite Star Turn ($2.50) to win by a long head.

Astern (L) beating Star Turn to win Group Two Run To The Rose

The stable jockey for the John O'Shea-trained team, McDonald said he had always had a fondness for Astern and the decision was not too difficult.

The colt has firmed from $26 to be the $4.60 favourite to win the Group One Golden Rose in two weeks, over 1400m, an extra 200m on Saturday's race.

"He's a very good horse and 1400 metres should no issue for him," McDonald said.

"I hope so anyway.

"He's a different animal compared to his two-year-old season and that's the only reason I went that way.

"I thought he was the real deal as a two-year-old. I think he is even more of the real deal now."

Tommy Berry, who rode the Hawkes Racing-trained Star Turn, said there were positives to take from his second.

"He got to the front too easy," he said.

"He pulled me there and he looked around a bit once he got there.

"We just needed something to take him a bit further into the race.

"I think he has still got improvement and 1400 metres won't be a problem."

Brenton Avdulla was equally buoyant about Impending ($8.50) who ran third, albeit 3-1/2 lengths behind Star Turn after getting squeezed mid-race.

"He ended up getting a good spot but just had horses all around him," Avdulla said.

"He didn't have much room till the 150 metres and worked to the line nicely.

"If I'd had the room earlier he might have finished 1-1/2 lengths closer."

Godolphin Australia's managing director Henry Plumptre said Astern and Impending were likely to be their only two Golden Rose runners.

"We'll wait and see but the other two (Tessara 7th and Telperion 11th) didn't go well enough to run in a Group One race in two weeks," he said.

Fourth-placed El Divino, a younger sibling of champion Winx, will still head to the Golden Rose with co-trainer Gai Waterhouse happy with his performance after he led to the turn.

Tally And Dee To Combine In G1 Memsie

Friday, 26 August 2016 08:05

Apprentice Michael Dee is excited about the opportunity to ride for racing powerhouse Godolphin in the first Group One race of the Australian season.

He even gave up a near-full book of rides at Moonee Valley last weekend to be free to ride Tally when he resumes in Saturday's Group One Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.

Dee was suspended at Geelong last Wednesday week and started his suspension before the Moonee Valley meeting in order to be back in time for Memsie Stakes day at which he has six rides, including four for Godolphin trainer John O'Shea.

"Obviously I have started to do a bit of riding for them but I'm pretty thankful for the ride, especially in a Group One," Dee said.

Tally will be having his first start since finishing third in the Australian Derby (2400m) in Sydney in April which came after four wins in a row in Victoria, including two Group Two races over 1800m and 2040m.

"He really stepped up to the mark last preparation putting a few wins together on end and then it was a huge run in the Derby to run third," Dee said.

"Obviously tomorrow he's fresh up and he's got a pretty awkward barrier. John has said just get him back and relaxed, follow something into the race and he'd like to see him finishing off really well."

Tally is at $41 in a quality field which includes seven Group One winners, but if he could sprint over the top of his rivals fresh it would be a breakthrough at the elite level for both horse and rider.

Dee has ridden in five Group One races in Australia since moving to Victoria last year and another five in his native New Zealand, with a fourth placing in the Newmarket Handicap on Churchill Dancer his best finish.

"It would be great for my career and winning a Group One is every jockey's dream," Dee said.

O'Shea said Tally had matured since the autumn.

Godolphin has indicated Tally will take a traditional path towards the Caulfield Cup.

"He went out after his autumn campaign as a teenager and has returned as a young man," O'Shea said.