Stokes Pair To Make The Trip To Flemington
- Monday, 05 September 2016 08:27
Adelaide filly Samara Dancer hits the road again to begin a campaign her trainer Phillip Stokes hopes will lead to a Group One victory.
Samara Dancer runs in the Group Two Danehill Stakes at Flemington on Saturday when she will be joined by stablemate Captain Duffy who runs in the Listed Pin & Win Stakes.
The pair are no strangers to travelling between Melbourne and Adelaide.
Samara Dancer won the fillies division of the Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield before finishing down the track as third favourite in the Blue Diamond won by Extreme Choice two weeks later.
Stokes said travelling the filly back to Adelaide following the Prelude victory had taken a toll on Samara Dancer by the time of the Group One race.
"She was cooked on the day," Stokes said.
While he didn't win his Melbourne debut in the Listed Taj Rossi Final, Captain Duffy was competitive and has been working well for his return.
Stokes has bigger carnival plans for the pair later in the spring.
Samara Dancer is on a path to the Thousand Guineas while Stokes hopes to get Captain Duffy through to the Victoria Derby.
Stokes said Samara Dancer only had to gallop well at Morphettville on Tuesday to confirm a start on Saturday.
The filly has undergone a slow build-up which has included two "soft trials" in preparation for her return.
"We've been hindered with wet tracks over here and we've been treading water a bit," Stokes said.
"She's had two trials and they've been soft trials because of the conditions.
"We'll kick off in this and then it's two weeks to the Thousand Guineas Prelude and then hopefully on to the Thousand Guineas."
Captain Duffy's first big spring target is the Caulfield Classic on October 15 on his way to the Derby.
"That's the dream," Stokes said.
Dom Tourneur will partner both gallopers at Flemington.
Yankee Rose Pleases Trainer In Gallop
- Sunday, 04 September 2016 08:46
For the first time in a couple of weeks, trainer David Vandyke is pleased with Yankee Rose ahead of her next Group One assignment.
The trainer admits the filly can be frustrating and a few niggling problems and a couple of ordinary barrier trials along the way haven't helped.
But after a gallop between races at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, Vandyke has given her the green light to head to Sydney for Saturday's $1 million Golden Rose at Rosehill
Vandyke put her raceday blinkers on for the gallop and Michael Cahill made sure she worked strongly.
"She had a good blow and her heart rate was up but her recovery was good," Vandyke told Sky Thoroughbred Central.
"She is a frustrating filly to train. She doesn't do a lot in training or trials and she had a joint issue a couple of weeks ago.
"I put the blinkers on and we saw an improved horse.
"She was committed to the cause and really worked to the line strongly.
"Bringing her to the races and putting the blinkers has done the trick."
Michael Cahill rode her in the gallop but Hong Kong-based Australian Zac Purton, who won the ATC Sires' Produce Stakes on Yankee Rose, has the Golden Rose mount.
Vandyke, who relocated from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast earlier this year, said Yankee Rose would do another piece of work on Wednesday.
"I'll do a bit with her on Wednesday and she will leave for Sydney on Thursday," he said.
"She runs in the Golden Rose and then it's three weeks to the Flight Stakes which is her most serious goal this preparation."
Yankee Rose is an $8.50 chance in Saturday's Golden Rose (1400m) with Godolphin colt Astern the $4.40 favourite ahead of Omei Sword at $4.60.
Danielle Johnson To Ride Sofia Rosa
- Sunday, 04 September 2016 08:46
New Zealand jockey Danielle Johnson will get another chance to win a Group One race on Sofia Rosa when she replaces the suspended Michael Walker in the Makybe Diva Stakes.
Johnson was denied the NZ Oaks when Mark Hills on Fanatic successfully protested against her with the margin a nose.
Hugh Bowman rode the Stephen Marsh-trained mare to win the Australian Oaks in Sydney in April.
Sofia Rosa
The Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Saturday will be Sofia Rosa's second start in Australia since her Oaks win with the mare 10th in the Memsie Stakes after playing up in the barrier and being checked in the first half of the race.
With the exception of the NZ Oaks, Johnson has a perfect record on Sofia Rosa with three wins from three rides including two at Group level.
As an apprentice, Johnson spent time in Sydney as the winner of the Chris Waller Scholarship which the trainer sponsors in conjunction with the Auckland Racing Club.
She also rode in the jockeys' Origin series in Brisbane last summer.
Walker was outed for careless riding at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Quality Trial Between Races At Doomben
- Sunday, 04 September 2016 08:46
Star sprinter Buffering will have some quality opposition in a barrier trial with Group One-winning mare Miss Cover Girl among his rivals.
The 1050m trial will be run between races at Doomben on Wednesday with the hit-out to confirm whether Buffering heads to Melbourne for the Moir Stakes.
Miss Cover Girl, winner of the Tattersall's Tiara, will be given a strong work-out with trainer Kelly Schweida keen to take her to Sydney for the Group Two Shorts 10 days later.
"If she races well in The Shorts we will then press on to the Premiere Stakes a fortnight later," Schweida said.
"If she races well in that we will push on to Melbourne for races like the Myer Classic.
"But she will need to be going well for that to happen."
Damian Browne rode Miss Cover Girl in the Tatt's Tiara but will be required for Buffering in Wednesday's trial.
However, Browne will be offered the chance to ride Mss Cover Girl in Sydney.
"Damian doesn't like to travel all that much but it will be up to him," Schweida said.
The Schweida-trained three-year-old Oink will head to Sydney midweek for the Group One Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill on Saturday.
"A Sydney reporter rang me and asked if we were looking for 1400 metres and I said no we were looking at a share of $1 million prize money," Schweida said.
"They pay good money back to about 10th and I don't think Oink will be out of place."
Fellow trainer Robert Heathcote is looking for Buffering to have a solid hit-out in preparation for the Group One Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 30.
"I want him to have a sound-out. I don't want a trial where three or four of them lob along and then stretch out in the final 200 metres," Heathcote said.
He hopes there will be seven or eight runners in the trial and is willing to provide three of his own horses if needed.
Tarzino On Front Foot For Makybe Diva
- Sunday, 04 September 2016 08:46
Tarzino has not put a foot wrong in the lead-up to the Makybe Diva Stakes despite a raceday vet's report he was lame after his last start.
Trainer Mick Price remains puzzled by the vet's assessment the four-year-old was lame in his off hind leg after the Memsie Stakes.
The dual Group One winner finished eighth in his first-up run in the Memsie at Caulfield on August 27.
Price said Tarzino appeared fine in the hours after the race and he had no concerns when he inspected the four-year-old the following morning.
He said Tarzino had continued his preparation for Saturday's Makybe Diva Stakes without any hint of a problem.
"We couldn't find anything," Price said.
"You can have two vets look at the same horse and not necessarily have the same opinion and especially with hind quarter lameness.
"The hind quarter is a big area and they only have to put in the odd abnormal stride and you can come up with that diagnosis, which I can understand.
"We looked at him at 5.30 and again at six o'clock that night and again at 8 o'clock the next morning and he was all fine.
"He hasn't missed a beat since.
"I haven't got a query on him."
Michael Dee rode Tarzino in a 1200m-gallop at Caulfield on Saturday morning and Price said the horses would have another hit-out at Caulfield on Tuesday morning.
And Price is happy to see Tarzino back at Flemington on Saturday.
"He loves Flemington and I think you'll see him run well," Price said.
"So long as he's hitting the line, like he did at Caulfield, I'll be happy."
Tarzino won last year's Victoria Derby at Flemington and returned in the autumn to run a close second in the Australian Guineas at the same track when second-up from a spell.
He took the Rosehill Guineas in Sydney before his fourth to Tavago in the ATC Australian Derby.
With 54kg in the Caulfield Cup, Tarzino currently heads the betting for that race in October at $13 and shares the second line at $21 for the Melbourne Cup.