NZ Colt Saracino Wins Danehill Stakes

Saturday, 10 September 2016 08:10

New Zealand colt Saracino has made an immediate impact in Melbourne, upstaging his Australian rivals in the Group Two Danehill Stakes at Flemington.

The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained three-year-old defeated older horses in a Group Two race in New Zealand in his season return last month before heading to Melbourne for the spring.

Saracino ($6) raced right on the speed in Saturday's straight 1200m sprint against his own age and kept finding under jockey Damien Oliver to defeat Godolphin-owned colt Archives ($6.50) by a long neck.

Samara Dancer, the only filly in the race, was another three-quarters of a length away third.

"I thought it was a very brave effort. He was in front a long way out," Baker said.

"He kept kicking all the way up the straight which is a good effort at Flemington.

"You'd like to think he could make the Caulfield Guineas but who knows, he might not be a miler. He might be just a straight sprinter.

"There's plenty of options open for him if he's not going to get the mile."

Saracino was Group-placed twice as a two-year-old in New Zealand and Baker said he had always shown ability.

The Caulfield Guineas Prelude over 1400m looms as a campaign-defining race for Saracino, with his performance there likely to determine whether he presses on to the Guineas over 1600m or sticks to shorter distances.

"I suppose the jury is out a little bit," Oliver said, in regards to whether Saracino would be strong at the Guineas distance.

"We'll get him to 1400 metres and see how he goes. He's quite brilliant but with a bit more racing under his belt he might be OK."

We've Got This Gets Chance In G2 Sprint

Friday, 09 September 2016 08:27

A significant weight pull on a couple of the higher profile sprinters gives trainer Greg Eurell confidence We've Got This can run a big race in the Group Two Bobbie Lewis Quality.

We've Got This scored a strong win in a benchmark sprint over the straight 1200m-course at Flemington in February and will be chasing his first Group race victory on Saturday.

Eurell had been aiming We've Got This at the Group One Goodwood in Adelaide in May but a foot abscess put an end to those hopes.

We've Got This resumed from a spell with a closing sixth, coming from last, in the Group Three Heath (1100m) after a slow start.

He carried 56kg but drops to 53kg on Saturday and is one of eight horses on the minimum weight.

The five-year-old has 6kg less than favourite Under The Louvre and 4.5kg less than star New Zealander Xtravagant who is on the second line of betting.

"He's in really good order. Really good order," Eurell said.

"He gets a lovely weight relief in this race and I think the all-important factor with him is that he gets a little smother and gets exposed late.

"It's a tough race but I think the horse has got a lot of ability and if he won it wouldn't surprise me."

Tim Martin With A Long Shot Winner

Saturday, 10 September 2016 08:10

Tim Martin trains a much smaller team than he did a decade ago and every winner counts.

So it was with some delight the Rosehill trainer watched as Moral Victory ($31) upset his more fancied rivals with a win on his home track on Saturday.

Martin admitted to having a small amount on the seven-year-old who was ridden by apprentice Clare Nutman to win TheRaces (1200m).

"I was going to send this horse to a barrier trial but he worked so well on Monday, I decided to send him to the races instead," Martin said.

"I had a little bit on him and just told Clare to try to be positive.

"Clare rides trackwork for me and knows my horses well."

Nutman's three kilogram claim brought Moral Victory into the race with 57kg, and the weight advantage helped when she brought him into the race in the straight.

Moral Victory chased down the leader Caped Crusader ($10) to win by a length with Suspense ($9) another half length third.

Favourite Sir Bacchus ($2.45) finished fourth anchored by 61.5kg.

Martin said Moral Victory was likely to have his next start in Melbourne.

"His benchmark rating here is getting up so we'll look at a couple of stakes races in Melbourne," he said.

"Anything from a mile (1600m) to a mile and a quarter."

Portelli Hopes Dane Not Anchored By Weight

Friday, 09 September 2016 08:27

Rebel Dane is in good form and is as fit as he's ever been but his trainer admits as the horse gets older, the races get tougher.

Gary Portelli is just hoping his class can get him an overdue win in Saturday's Group Two Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill in which the seven-year-old has to give weight to all his rivals.

"He's a Group One winner in a race with no other Group One winners so he's got to carry the weight," Portelli said.

Trainer Gary Portelli

"He has earned it and it is what it is, but it doesn't make it any easier with the younger horses coming up.

"I just hope the predicted rain doesn't come and make a lane on the track."

The initial disappointment of Rebel Dane's third in the Warwick Stakes behind Winx and Hartnell has dissipated with the runner-up's devastating win in the Chelmsford Stakes last week.

"I thought he would have run second to Winx but Hartnell has come out and won by many lengths," he said.

"Rebel Dane is back to 1300 metres which he likes. He has held his weight at 495 kilograms which is 15 kilos over what he usually is at the third run of his campaign.

"He is consistent and usually races against genuine Group One horses but it would be nice to get another win in what will be his last racing season."

Rebel Dane has won seven races including the 2013 Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes and has earned his owners almost $1.8 million.

The lightly raced Les Bridge-trained four-year-old Southern Legend is the $2.60 favourite to win his first Group race at his seventh start.

He will carry 53 kilograms, six kilos less than Rebel Dane who is at $9.50.

Vet Too Unwell To Give Evidence: Lawyer

Friday, 09 September 2016 08:27

A vet who denies being involved in supplying cobalt could be at risk of self-harm if forced to give evidence to a Victorian appeal, a judge has heard.

Dr Adam Matthews denies fellow vet Dr Tom Brennan's claim he supplied bottles containing a substance called vitamin complex that Brennan gave to horses in Danny O'Brien and Mark Kavanagh's stables.

A judge is deciding whether to force Matthews to testify at the trainers' appeals against their cobalt disqualifications.

Matthews is suffering from a significant psychiatric disorder that requires ongoing treatment in hospital, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal heard on Friday.

Matthews' lawyer Nicole Spicer said a psychiatrist had diagnosed the vet as suffering from a significant depressive disorder.

Spicer said the psychiatrist was convinced any involvement with the legal system in the next six months would damage Matthews' treatment and welfare, including a risk of suicide.

"Having a professional of that standing identifying a genuine risk of self-harm or the taking of a person's life is not something to be taken lightly," Spicer said.

Spicer said Matthews is currently an in-patient in hospital receiving psychiatric care that includes daily treatment with a method she understood to be somewhat analogous to electroconvulsive therapy.

It would be a concern if he was compelled to give evidence during his treatment, she said.

Spicer said Matthews and his legal team agreed to him being independently assessed, although the hospital will not allow that to happen while he is an inpatient.

VCAT president Justice Greg Garde said Brennan's credibility was a significant issue in the appeal and Matthews' evidence was also significant.

"His evidence goes to the core of some of the important matters in dispute in this proceeding," Justice Garde said.

The Racing NSW Appeal Panel found Matthews not guilty of being the supplier of cobalt in a bottle of vitamin complex Brennan sent to Kavanagh's son, Sydney trainer Sam Kavanagh.

Matthews gave evidence to the NSW stewards' inquiry, after initially declining to appear on medical grounds.

Spicer suggested VCAT could use transcripts of Matthews' NSW evidence and his blanket denial that he had anything to do with cobalt or the vitamin complex bottles.

Justice Garde will decide on September 19 whether Matthews has to give evidence after hearing further submissions.

If a summons to appear is enforced and Matthews then fails to attend VCAT, a warrant could be issued for his arrest.

* Readers seeking support and information about suicide prevention can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467.

Browne Makes Return To Saturday Riding

Friday, 09 September 2016 08:27

Multiple Group One-winning jockey Damian Browne makes a low key return to metropolitan Saturday racing at Doomben and trainer Robert Heathcote believes it could be a winning one.

Browne has claimed winners at the past two Sunshine Coast meetings but has not ridden in the metropolitan area for a month apart from a cameo appearance on Wednesday when he took two rides and partnered star sprinter Buffering in a trial at Doomben.

He had all of August off to take his family on a cruise and has not ridden at a Saturday metropolitan meeting since July 30.

Browne has taken just two rides, both for Heathcote, on Silento (Real Milk Handicap) and Brotherly Secret (Class 6 Plate), at Doomben.

Browne said he had deliberately kept his comeback low-key and restricted mainly to his home track at Caloundra.

"I just want to get the body right after a month on the sidelines. There is no use rushing things. You do more harm than good," Browne said.

Heathcote believes both Silento and Brotherly Secret have strong chances on Saturday.

"Silento's run was a lot better than it looks when he was fourth last start at the Sunshine Coast. They walked in front and he is a horse that needs a fast early pace," Heathcote said.

"There is no secret I think Silento is pretty smart and Damian's riding style should suit him."

Heathcote said he gave Brotherly Love a great each-way chance when the gelding was second at big odds behind Land Office at Doomben two weeks ago.

"Naturally they chopped half a second off the class record but my bloke was good," he said.

Heathcote has elected to claim three kilograms with Sarah Eilbeck on sprinter Saluter in the Buy A Bale Open (1050m).

"Saluter has been scratched a few times because of wet tracks and looks a lot better placed at the weights with a claim," Heathcote said.

Browne is the regular rider of Buffering and has ridden him to all seven of his Group One wins including the Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai earlier this year.

Freedman With Chance In Makybe Diva Stakes

Friday, 09 September 2016 08:27

Lee Freedman has the unique chance to win the Group One race named after the champion horse he trained when Our Ivanhowe makes his spring return in the Makybe Diva Stakes.

Freedman, who is now in partnership with his brother Anthony, saddles up Our Ivanhowe in Saturday's weight-for-age race at Flemington, named in honour of the three-time Melbourne Cup winner.

Freedman, who trained Makybe Diva to two of her three Cup wins, won the race three times in the 1990s when it was known as the Craiglee Stakes but hasn't won it since it was renamed the Makybe Diva Stakes in 2007.

He believes Doomben Cup winner Our Ivanhowe can make a promising season return on his way to spring targets over further.

"He's going very well and he's in really good order," Freedman said.

"He'll run very well tomorrow. He'll run even better if we got a lot of rain, but I can't see us getting the rain that we need.

"He's very good on dry ground anyway, but he excels even more because he really loves soft ground."

Our Ivanhowe was placed in last year's Caulfield Cup and that race will be a strong focus again this spring, with the seven-year-old high up in betting for the 2400m handicap.

The German import hasn't won over less than 2000m and has only had one start at 1600m since arriving in Australia.

"On his form it would appear to be possibly a bit short, but staying horses often run very well fresh in that race," Freedman said.

"And I expect him to run well too."

Black Heart Bart is the $2.30 favourite after his convincing Memsie Stakes win while his Darren Weir-trained stablemate Palentino is at $6.

Should the track remain in the good range, Freedman admitted Black Heart Bart would be hard to beat.

Freedman says Our Ivanhowe has totally acclimatised and while he's just turned seven he is still lightly raced having had 18 starts.

"He's where he should be now and this should be a good campaign for him I would have thought," he said.

Daniel Moor has the ride on Our Ivanhowe on Saturday and he will also be on stablemates Santa Ana Lane, Cool Chap and Authoritarian at Flemington.

"He knows this horse. He's trialled him and he's ridden him in work quite a few times," Freedman said.

"It's just a nice reward for all the work that he does."

Cobalt A Performance Enhancer, RV Vet Says

Thursday, 08 September 2016 08:54

The science is "overwhelming" that cobalt can act as a doping agent and is performance enhancing for racehorses, Racing Victoria's head vet maintains.

Dr Brian Stewart, the driver behind Victoria's cobalt rule, has not changed his view that cobalt administered under the right circumstances could act as a doping agent in horses.

"The fundamental science is overwhelming," Stewart told a cobalt appeal.

Trainers Danny O'Brien and Mark Kavanagh's barrister Damian Sheales said there was "not one shred of science" to support Stewart's theory that cobalt was performance enhancing, but the vet disagreed.

"There's a mass of scientific evidence that would support its potential to have that effect," Stewart said on Thursday.

Before Racing Victoria introduced its cobalt threshold in April 2014, Stewart told the regulator's board cobalt salts had the effect of a doping agent in horses.

Stewart said that had been unquestionably proven in animal experimentation studies, although there were no equine-specific studies.

"My opinion was under the right circumstances it would act as a doping agent," Stewart told the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

"In specific quantities at the correct time at the right frequency of administration, it is my opinion that it would act as a doping agent."

O'Brien, Kavanagh and Lee and Shannon Hope's appeal against their cobalt disqualifications heard a Racing NSW lawyer had said the regulator no longer maintained that cobalt enhanced performance.

Stewart said that may be a legal proposition but he and his counterpart at Racing NSW, Dr Craig Suann, still believed the science showed it was performance enhancing.

"The science was still held by Craig and I and the rest of the scientific community that cobalt is a very significant potential performance enhancer."

Stewart said the Victorian rule was brought in, ahead of the national threshold introduced in January 2015, to deter people from experimenting with cobalt.

The regulator had a provision to possibly do out-of-competition testing.

"The cobalt that will be used in out of competition won't be administered close to the time of racing, so only the very stupid or very arrogant trainers would get caught on raceday," he said.

Stewart admitted the regulator made a mistake in not warning the industry in 2014 that commonly-used products such as injectable vitamin supplement VAM could push cobalt levels over the threshold.

Asked if there should have been warnings, he said: "With the benefit of hindsight, yes."

There were warnings about such products when the national threshold was halved, to 100 micrograms per litre of urine, from September 1 this year.

Mediterranean Flying Snowdens' Golden Flag

Friday, 09 September 2016 08:27

Mediterranean's rise to become Peter and Paul Snowden's sole Golden Rose hope seemed unlikely a month ago.

Capitalist was favourite for the Golden Rose while Mediterranean's best effort on a racecourse was a dominant midweek victory at Canterbury.

But the father-son training team altered their plan for the $1 million Group One race after Golden Slipper winner Capitalist failed to fire first-up in the Group Three San Domenico Stakes.

Mediterranean, who is related to Capitalist and also races in James Harron Bloodstock's green and gold silks, now carries the stable's hopes in Saturday's feature at Rosehill.

Senior trainer Peter Snowden has vowed to leave no stone unturned as he applies blinkers to Mediterranean in a bid to cause a Golden Rose boilover.

"I think now's the time to put them on just to keep him focused," Snowden said.

"I've been thinking about it for a while. I worked him in them a couple of times and he worked a bit sharper with them on."

Snowden said Mediterranean has been crying out for 1400m and will benefit from barrier five.

"He gets the trip, it's a good draw and it is a grand final so I'm not leaving any stone unturned," Snowden said.

Mediterranean was fifth in the Run To The Rose, with the first six over the line to run in the Golden Rose.

While Omei Sword is the Chris Waller-trained runner headlining the market at $3.80, he believes stablemate Nikitas is a knockout chance.

"He's entitled to be the forgotten horse," Waller said.

"He's got the ability of a good horse. His run in the Magic Millions would show that."

Nikitas ran second to Capitalist in the Magic Millions Classic when trained by Kelso Wood.

Waller said Nikitas was unlucky in the Run To The Rose, his first start for his new stable, finishing sixth after sitting three wide facing the breeze.

"The 1400 metres will suit him better and obviously the first-up run will tighten him up significantly," Waller said.

"He's definitely a top five chance and he's a chance at going better."

Mediterranean is at $26 for the Golden Rose and Nikitas has been turned in from $71 to $51.

Entirely Platinum Fresh For Makybe Diva

Thursday, 08 September 2016 08:54

Although Entirely Platinum hasn't won a race for more than two years, his co-trainer insists he is in career-best form.

Wayne Hawkes, who prepares the gelding in partnership with his father John and brother Michael, says the seven-year-old has held his form since his last-start third in the Group Two P B Lawrence Stakes on August 13.

Entirely Platinum ran third behind Fawkner and Rising Romance in last year's Makybe Diva Stakes after having a torrid run from a wide draw.

This year Entirely Platinum has drawn the inside barrier in Saturday's Group One race which should allow Dwayne Dunn to negotiate a better passage.

"He probably should have won this race last year after drawing wide," Hawkes said.

"He was always three-deep and almost did the job.

"He's in just as good form and while he might not have won for a while he's been oh so unlucky and oh so close on a few occasions.

"He's in career-best form but hasn't won for two years."

The gelding's last win came at Rosehill in August 2014.

He was scheduled to run last week in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley but missed a start as an emergency.

Hawkes says the extra week between runs shouldn't pose a problem as Entirely Platinum races well fresh.

The only concern for Hawkes is the five to 10mm of rain predicted on Friday.

"Our biggest plus is that we're racing at Flemington," Hawkes said.

"It will take a hell of a lot of rain to stuff Flemington up.

"It's the best wet weather track in Melbourne so if it's going to pour on Friday we're racing at the right track."

The Darren Weir-trained Memsie Stakes winner Black Heart Bart is the dominant $2.30 favourite to capture his second Group One win of the season ahead of stablemate Palentino at $6.

Rising Romance is the $8 third pick with Entirely Platinum at $15 on Thursday.