Ball Of Muscle Rolling Into G2 Shorts
- Monday, 12 September 2016 08:39
With Terravista missing the spring, sprinting understudy Ball Of Muscle carries trainer Joe Pride's Group One hopes.
He gets his first chance to prove he can take centre stage in the Group Two Shorts at Randwick on Saturday.
The six-year-old has trialled twice ahead of his first-up run.
He has won both and was impressive in the latest hit-out, winning easily under a tight hold from Kerrin McEvoy on Friday.
"Judging off his trials and the way he looks, he's come back better than ever," Pride said.
"I guess everyone says that about their horses when they come back but I don't think I've seen him trial better. It was excellent."
"Everything I've asked of him this preparation he's done and done with relative ease which is a good indicator."
Ball Of Muscle's Group One-winning half-brother Terravista is in work but will not race until autumn in a bid to overcome ongoing foot problems.
"Ball Of Muscle's the best sprinter we've got up and running at the moment so hopefully he can knock off a nice race for us," Pride said.
Pride considered starting Ball Of Muscle's preparation in the Group One Moir Stakes but decided The Shorts would prime him for Moonee Valley.
"Just seeing the strength of this Moir I really think he's going to have to be close to his peak to win it," Pride said.
"For that reason he's having a run here in Sydney before we leave because he's never been a horse who has peaked first-up."
If Ball Of Muscle exceeds his trainer's expectations he might get a crack at the Flemington carnival but a trip to Perth for the Winterbottom Stakes is more likely.
"It certainly won't be easy but you're not going to get an easier race for $1 million," Pride said.
Concorde Stakes placegetter Craftiness is nominated for The Shorts but likely to have her next start at Caulfield on September 24.
Ball Of Muscle is at $11 to win The Shorts in TAB's early market which is led by English at $2.80.
Tony Gollan Aiming Amexed At Newcastle Cup
- Monday, 12 September 2016 08:39
Premier Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan is hoping to fire his first shot in the spring carnival with Amexed in the Newcastle Gold Cup.
The Group Three Newcastle Cup (2200m) on Friday will be a spring carnival launching pad for several classy stayers and Gollan doesn't believe Amexed will be out of place.
Among the 17 horses entered on Monday for the Cup are four from the Kris Lees stable as the local trainer attempts to win his home town feature for the first time.
Sense Of Occasion and Slow Pace are last-start winners while former European Singing has finished second in two Australian starts.
Olympic Academy rounds out the Lees quartet.
Gollan said there was not much for Amexed in Queensland.
"There isn't a lot for him in Brisbane at the moment as he isn't a Magic Millions horse," he said.
The now six-year-old won the Group Three Rough Habit Plate as a three-year-old and returned to form when he won the Listed Caloundra Cup and the Ipswich Stayers Final in the winter.
Amexed resumed at Eagle Farm two weeks ago in an open handicap over 1600m, finishing sixth after casting a show in the race.
Gollan was happy with the run and believes the step up to 2200m will suit Amexed.
"It looks to be the right type of grade for him and if he goes well we can start talking about something a bit better," Gollan said.
The trainer is starting to build up his Sydney satellite stable and hopes to have regular runners from October.
He has 20 boxes at Rosehill which are now ready to be used.
"The wet weather in Sydney has held us up a bit but we are getting things together. We have about 40 two year olds and a good percentage of them are BOBs eligible horses," Gollan said.
Naturalism Stakes Option For Alpine Eagle
- Monday, 12 September 2016 08:39
Alpine Eagle's disappointing performance in the Group One Makybe Diva Stakes has prompted his trainer to try something new.
The five-year-old will run on Saturday in either Melbourne or Adelaide with Tony McEvoy hoping the seven-day back-up can switch him on.
McEvoy has entered Alpine Eagle for Saturday's Group Three Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield and the Listed Penang Trophy (1800m) at Morphettville.
"I'm going to back him up, either in the Naturalism or a race in Adelaide," McEvoy said.
"He didn't give me what I expected there on Saturday, for whatever reason.
"I thought a quick run might be good for him."
Alpine Eagle finished 11th in Saturday's 1600m weight-for-age Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington, won by Palentino.
"It was disappointing. He got too colty," McEvoy said.
He said they couldn't find anything wrong with Alpine Eagle after the race and he's hoping the quick back-up will suit.
"He's feeling well but he's not concentrating on the job at hand."
The Naturalism Stakes carries a ballot exemption for the Caulfield Cup to the winner, which McEvoy admitted was a temptation.
The race has attracted 28 nominations including six individual Group One winners.
Ciaron Maher has the past two VRC Oaks winners, Set Square and Jameka, heading to the Naturalism while Ranvet Stakes winner The United States is the highest-rated horse among the nominations.
The United States finished second in last year's Naturalism won by Magnapal who is again entered.
Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have nominated Australian Derby winner Tavago for the Naturalism and Saturday's Hill Stakes in Sydney.
Busuttin said they would wait until after the horse galloped on Tuesday before deciding whether he ran on Saturday or waited for another race.
"We've thrown nominations in as a precaution. He may not even run this weekend. We may wait until next week in the Underwood," Busuttin said.
"We're going to give him a gallop tomorrow and go from there."
Singapore-based Glen Boss will make a flying visit to ride Tom Melbourne in the Naturalism.
Unbeaten Miss Vista Nearing Race Return
- Monday, 12 September 2016 08:39
As popular for her striking looks as her speed on the track, the unbeaten Miss Vista is a nearing a return to the races.
With her unusual white markings and blue eyes, the four-year-old has attracted much attention since she made her debut at Ballarat in March.
Trainer George Osborne is looking to give her an exhibition gallop at Bendigo on Wednesday and kick off her campaign at Moonee Valley nine days later or the following week at Caulfield.
After the Ballarat win, she added a city victory at Flemington a month later.
"She's created that (attention) by the way she looks, and the fact that she runs very fast I suppose," Kyneton-based Osborne said.
He believes the best example of why Miss Vista has drawn such attention is the head-on vision of her Flemington win.
"If you try to watch another horse in the race, you can't," he said.
"You just get fixed on her, no matter who you're trying to look at.
"It's near impossible for her not to draw your attention to her."
Osborne said Miss Vista had been "terrific" in two Geelong jump-outs on the synthetic track.
He is planning to gallop her on the grass at Wednesday's Bendigo meeting if the track isn't too heavy.
"Due to all the wet weather we haven't given her a gallop on a grass track this preparation, not that that's a huge issue but I wouldn't mind doing it," he said.
If she doesn't make the field for a benchmark-78 over 955 metres at Moonee Valley's night meeting on Friday week, Miss Vista will run in a benchmark race over 1000m at Caulfield.
"We're not going to be throwing her in the deep end at this stage," Osborne said.
"She's a four-year-old mare and doesn't have the advantage of racing her own age any more.
"I do feel she'll get her chance to race in black type races, but it may be next preparation or the preparation after."
Winx Well On The Way To Main Aim
- Sunday, 11 September 2016 08:29
An interruption to Winx's campaign is of no concern to trainer Chris Waller.
After a comprehensive win over Hartnell in the Warwick Stakes, Winx missed a scheduled start in the Chelmsford Stakes because Waller did not want to risk her on a heavy track.
The champion mare is again likely to have only a few rivals when she runs in Saturday's Group One George Main Stakes at Randwick before she heads to Melbourne.
"We planned her program so that she could miss a race if she had to," Waller said.
"She is fine. She is fit enough and I have no concerns."
Winx was an eye-catching third in a 1000m-barrier trial at Warwick Farm on Friday and will have her final lead-up gallop at Rosehill on Wednesday.
Her stablemates Spiritjim and Storm The Stars will be entered for the George Main (1600m) with the latter third in the Chelmsford won in dominant fashion by Hartnell who lines up in the Hill Stakes (2000m).
Japanese horse Tosen Stardom will run in the George Main Stakes with her owners, Australian Bloodstock, keen to see how he measures up against Winx ahead of another possible clash in the Cox Plate.
Hartnell's John O'Shea-trained stablemate Hauraki, winner of the Tramway Stakes on September 3, runs in the George Main on his way to the Epsom Handicap.
Hauraki has been placed four times in Group One races including a third behind Winx in the Chipping Norton Stakes in autumn.
Waller will take on Hartnell in the Hill Stakes with Preferment, Who Shot Thebarman and Grand Marshal who are all on a Cups campaign.
O'Shea has not committed Hartnell to any races in Melbourne with the Group One Metropolitan in Sydney his preferred target.
"He is a horse that likes to get his toe in the ground and he's more likely to get that in Sydney," he said.
Tosen Stardom's stablemate, the Darren Weir-trained Signoff, will also be entered for the Hill Stakes.