25 International Gallopers Still In Cup
- Saturday, 25 July 0409 00:00
A strong international contingent is set to descend on Melbourne this spring with 25 overseas horses still on track for a tilt at the $4 million Melbourne Cup after first declarations were taken.
Media Puzzle, who gave trainer Dermot Weld his second Melbourne Cup two years ago following the 1993 victory by Vintage Crop, is among three remaining entries for the Irish trainer, along with Vinnie Roe and Maharib.
Compatriot Aidan O'Brien also has three nominations while Saeed Bin Suroor, trainer for the powerful Godolphin operation, has last year's favourite Mamool among his five remaining entries.
First declarations were also received for the Caulfield Cup on October 16 and Cox Plate on October 23 and while international interest in both was again strong, Northerly was a notable absentee from Caulfield Cup entries.
Last year's Melbourne Cup runner-up She's Archie, who was at 25-1 with TAB Fixed odds before Tuesday, was also missing from the $2 million race.
Lady Herries created history when she won the 1998 Caulfield Cup with Taufan's Melody and remains on track for another shot at the spoils with her five-year-old Wunderwood among the declarations.
Racing Victoria's director of equine business development, Mark Player, was delighted with the overseas interest in Melbourne's premier spring races and believes there is plenty of quality among them.
"There are eleven left in the Caulfield Cup, eleven in the Cox Plate and twenty-five in the Melbourne Cup," Player said.
"They're very strong numbers with fantastic depth."
Player said the fact O'Brien still had Powerscourt, Brian Boru and Excalibur in the Melbourne Cup mix showed he was seriously considering starts, while he believes Weld is hungry for further spring riches.
"I've spoken to Dermot Weld and it's fair to say his interest in winning a third Melbourne Cup is very high and I'm sure he would also like to be the first overseas trainer to win the Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double," Player said.
A total of 168 horses remain on track for the Melbourne Cup and 135 for the Caulfield Cup while the number of Cox Plate contenders more than halved to 79.
Among those missing were Dance Hero, who has been spelled and will miss the spring, Ming Dynasty Quality winner Dane Shadow and Bart Cummings' stablemates Strasbourg and November Dreaming.
TAB Fixed Odds' Glenn Munsie said the release of first declarations had little impact on markets, although some of the international entries had tightened slightly in betting.
"When the international horses are left in at this stage the trainers usually have some intention of going (to Australia)," Munsie said.
2KY, Sport 927 To Share Race Broadcasts
- Monday, 30 November -0001 00:00
Sydney radio station 2KY and Melbourne's Sport 927 have announced an agreement to share race broadcasts across both stations.
Sky Racing Network chief executive Peter Caillard said the latest wagering and racing news from Victoria and NSW would be broadcast on both stations, ensuring that listeners heard all the latest news as it broke.
"We are excited about working more closely with the Victorian racing industry's Sport 927 to enhance our premier race broadcasting service," he said in a statement.
"Both stations have been the leading broadcaster in their respective states and it's tremendous that we have partnered to ensure listeners from both stations will hear the very best of Victorian and NSW race coverage.
"The new arrangement creates synergies for the two stations, maximises wagering revenue and provides a great platform for the future of Australia's vibrant racing industry."
Sport 927 general manager Noel Crowe described the agreement as "a very exciting development".
"Listeners throughout NSW and Victoria will benefit from the two stations sharing the very best racing expertise and talent available," he said.
Under the agreement 2KY would continue to produce programs from its Sydney studios including the Big Sports Breakfast, Greg Radley's Race Day program, Football Fever and Hi-Tide.
Sport 927 would continue producing programs from its Melbourne studios and provide shared racing radio services and midnight to dawn programming.
It was expected the partnership would come into effect in the first half of this year.
79 Not Out For Cummings
- Monday, 30 November -0001 00:00
More than 60 years ago, his family doctor told Bart Cummings the only way to ease the chronic asthma he suffered was to stay away from horses.
Cummings did the opposite and Australia's greatest living trainer celebrates his 79th birthday on Tuesday just a few weeks after leading in his 246th Group One winner.
He is firmly entrenched in Australian folklore as the man every once-a-year punter knows as the Cups King for his 11 wins in Australia's most famous race, the Melbourne Cup.
But he is anything but a once-a-year trainer and Wonderful World's Caulfield Guineas win last month served as a reminder.
Cummings did not have a runner in this year's Melbourne Cup but it's a sure bet he will be back to try for an even dozen, even if he says he isn't counting.
"I don't keep records," Cummings says.
"That may sound strange but I never look back, I only look ahead. You can't dwell on the past. Racing goes on and you have to go with it."
"Time flies when you are enjoying life like I do."
Although famous for his one-liners, Cummings also thinks carefully about what he says. He lives for horses and they do their best for him.
"They think, they are honest, they are genuine, they are very intelligent and they do not forget," he says.
"You get a few non-conformists occasionally but if you are good tempered and good natured, horses will respond in a similar manner.
"I worked out early that you have to aim for the top and then work down. I've tried to eliminate the speculative side of racing by trying to choose Group One winners as yearlings. If they don't make the grade there are plenty of other races around."
Cummings first Group One win was with Stormy Passage in the 1958 South Australian Derby.
He moved his family from Adelaide to Sydney in 1975 and shared the Randwick training tracks with his arch-rival, the late TJ Smith.
Cummings and TJ Smith, who holds the record of 279 Group One wins, were among the inaugural inductees to the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2001 along with equine legend Phar Lap.
150,000 Vials Of Vaccine To Ease EI Pain
- Monday, 30 November -0001 00:00
The thoroughbred industry and Australia's Olympic equestrian hopes received a welcome boost on Sunday with the approval of a large scale vaccination program to combat equine influenza (EI) in NSW and Queensland.
NSW Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald said a shipment of 20,000 doses of the vaccine would arrive from France on Thursday with the bulk to be distributed in the two states which have the disease.
A thousand vials of the vaccine will go to Victoria to be used on racehorses competing in the rich Melbourne spring carnival and Mr Macdonald says he hopes some horses from NSW may still be able to compete once they are inoculated.
"Next Thursday 20,000 doses will arrive in NSW for distribution across the states," Mr Macdonald said.
"One thousand doses will go to Victoria with the rest split between NSW and Queensland in the first instance.
"The following week another 30,000 doses will arrive and after that we are ordering tomorrow a further 100,000 doses."
Mr Macdonald said the plan was to vaccinate what he called working horses - "breeding and racing horses and the high level equestrian horses".
"NSW has an adequate allocation in the first instance to start the buffer zone work as well as to vaccinate horses in areas which have not so far contracted the disease," he said.
"Primarily horses at Rosehill, the Central Coast and Newcastle will be vaccinated and we will discuss other areas with NSW racing.
"The ability of NSW horses to compete in Victoria would be very beneficial to the racing sector here and we hope we can deal with this issue at a national level."
The first case of EI in Australia was detected in a stallion at the Eastern Creek quarantine centre on August 23 after the horse arrived from the northern hemisphere for stud duties.
How EI spread from the federal facility will be the subject of an inquiry by retired high court judge Ian Callinan.
In the meantime, the multi million dollar racing and breeding industries in NSW and Queensland have been devastated while several Olympic equestrian qualifying events have been cancelled.
The first racing centre to be shut down was Randwick where more than 700 horses are trained and on Saturday EI was confirmed at Sydney's second biggest precinct, Warwick Farm.
Rosehill, which is home to around 350 horses, remains EI free and Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'Landys said it would be a priority for vaccination.
"We will start it straight away on Thursday night if we can," Mr V'Landys said.
"We will be micro chipping horses because those over five have not been micro chipped and we can record those vaccinated.
"We will have a staff of 100 vets if we can get them.
"This is a floodlight at the end of the tunnel but up until this stage the equine influenza train keeps running us over.
"Hopefully this is the big breakthrough we have been looking for."
Mr Macdonald and Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran said they were still committed to eradicating the disease but widespread vaccination had not been ruled out.
"That is our aim. It is too early to give up on that objective. All governments remain committed to the eradication policy but we're not going to stubbornly cling to it," Mr McGauran told reporters in Melbourne.
"If the scientific evidence in coming weeks shows that it's like trying to hold back the tide then, of course, we will have to vaccinate the wider horse population.
"We're not prepared, however, to concede that the containment battle has been lost."
Horses receive a booster shot two weeks after the initial vaccination by which time immunity should be established.
Mr V'Landys said 4,000 of the first doses would be used on thoroughbred and harness racehorses in NSW.
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries Minister Tim Mulherin welcomed the move to give NSW and Queensland the bulk of the vaccines after discussing the matter with national, state and territory agriculture ministers.
"This is not only a good result for Queensland but the correct result.
"The NMG (National Management Group) decision, endorsed by the ministers, also will allow under strict and consistent biosecurity measures the protection of high value horses in restricted areas of NSW and Queensland including thoroughbred and standard bred horses, horses for the Olympic Games and stallions involved in breeding.
"The question of vaccinating brood mares will be considered by the Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases this week," Mr Mulherin said.
"We still remain confident that the disease can be controlled and eradicated and the strategic use of the vaccines will play a vital role.
"The priority has to be the buffer zones and treating the infected areas in Queensland and NSW, although I acknowledge that it is important that the Victorian racing is protected as it is a major asset of the national industry."
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh earlier called for the EI vaccine to be available nationally, not confined to eastern states.
"It's Queensland's view that any vaccinations available for equine flu should be available nationwide and that all who are affected by it should have equal access to it."
Two-Year-Olds Kick off Next Month
- Monday, 30 November -0001 00:00
The Sydney Turf Club will hold the first trials for the new season youngsters on Friday, September 6.
Heats at the Canterbury Park Racecourse will be run over approximately 850 metres and be limited to no more than 10 runners per heat.
Randwick will then host trials ten days later on Monday, September 16 over (approx) 900 metres.
Cranbourne will hold the first official two-year-old trials for Victoria on Friday, September 6. Fillies as well as colts and geldings will have the opportunity to trial over 800 metres. Wangaratta will hold 2YO trials three days later.
In South Australia as usual the straight track of Victoria Park will host the first jump outs for the babies. The trials over 800 metres will be held on Monday, September 9. The seond round of Adelaide 2YO trials will also be held at Victoria Park on September 30.
Brisbane's trials for the two-year-olds don't kick off until Friday September 13. The trials conducted by the Brisbane Turf Club will be over 475 metres.
Adelaide's first two-year-old race, the $22,000 Spring Plate over 900 metres will be run at Victoria Park on Saturday 21 September. Last year the race was won by the subsequent Sydney winner Yes She Can Cancan.
The first juvenile race in Melbourne, the listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes over 900 metres, is run at Flemington on Monday, October 7.