Felines Flies To Win The Concorde Stakes
- Saturday, 03 September 2016 08:31
Felines has lived up to her part of the bargain with a Group Three win and now all her trainer has to do is persuade her owner to keep her racing.
Gerry Harvey has her earmarked for the broodmare barn but Kris Lees hopes her Concorde Stakes win on Saturday will help sway him otherwise.
A short-course specialist, Felines has won seven races over 1000m, four at Randwick including the Concorde.
"There's not enough of these races for her," Lees said.
"I just hope Gerry doesn't send her to stud because she's still got some good racing left.
"The key to getting her to win this race was the 1000 metres at Randwick."
Felines ($8.50) raced up on the pace set by Brisbane visitor Hidden Pearl ($3.60).
She got to the lead a little sooner than Jason Collett had planned but fought back when challenged by Federal ($8) to keep him at bay by 1-1/2 lengths.
"I could hear something was coming," Collett said.
"I didn't quite know who it was, but she gave a really good kick.
"I half thought I'd got there a bit soon but to her credit her kick was strong and it was enough in the end."
Hidden Pearl weakened to fifth, while favourite Japonisme ($2.45) finished sixth after never looking a winning hope.
If he can convince Harvey to forestall motherhood, Lees will try to find a suitable sprint in Melbourne during the spring.
Timely Group Two Wins For Godolphin Duo
- Saturday, 03 September 2016 08:31
With chief executive John Ferguson at the races, Godolphin landed a Group Two double at Randwick.
Ferguson, who is also Godolphin founder Sheikh Mohammed's racing manager, was in Sydney on Saturday to see Hauraki win the Tramway Stakes after Hartnell dominated the Chelmsford Stakes.
After racing near the tail of the field, jockey James McDonald brought Hauraki ($13) to the outside and he let down strongly to defeat Le Romain ($4.40) with the favourite Dibayani ($4) third.
Ferguson said trainer John O'Shea had always held Hauraki in high regard.
"He's done very well today and hopefully he can go for a Group One weight-for-age and then win the Epsom," Ferguson said.
The five-year-old has been placed at Group One level in the ATC Australian Derby, Chipping Norton Stakes, Ranvet Stakes and Doomben Cup.
McDonald rode both winners and Ferguson was full of praise for Godolphin's No.1 Australian jockey.
"James is riding out of his skin," Ferguson said.
"James came to Europe in our summer and he really performed like the world-class rider he is."
Happy Clapper finished fifth in the Tramway and trainer Pat Webster was happy with his return to racing.
"I'm happy with Clapper," Webster said.
Ferguson was also delighted with Hartnell, who smashed his rivals following champion mare Winx's scratching from the Chelmsford.
"I'm absolutely thrilled to bits with him," Ferguson said.
"He raced in England earlier in his career. Now he's come over here and he's just got a massive future."
Parnham Effusive In Praise For Voodoo Lad
- Saturday, 03 September 2016 08:31
Jockey Chris Parnham believes Voodoo Lad is destined to make his mark at the top level after a last-to-first win at Moonee Valley.
Parnham ended up further back than he had hoped on Voodoo Lad in Saturday's SAJ Fruit Supply Stakes (1200m) after he stepped away slowly.
But was stunned by the gelding's turn of foot as he came from last approaching the home corner.
Parnham said he hadn't had a horse let down like that for him.
"He let down like a superstar," Parnham said.
"He missed the kick and was nice and relaxed which is not like him. I thought he might manage to run midfield from where he was but to blow them away like he did was a really good job."
Voodoo Lad, the $2.70 favourite, won by a length over Keen Array with three quarters of a length to Sebring Sun third.
Parnham is unbeaten on Voodoo Lad from three rides including back-to-back Listed wins in the Regal Roller Stakes at Caulfield and Saturday's race.
Voodoo Lad's only defeats in his past five starts have been placings in two straight-course races at Flemington in July.
"Obviously he's a lot better around a corner. I think he's Group One standard," Parnham said.
Randwick Track Expected To Improve
- Friday, 02 September 2016 08:26
The biggest star at Randwick is supposed to be Winx but the weather is claiming centre stage ahead of the Chelmsford Stakes meeting.
But if the rain in Sydney forces a change of plans for the champion mare, her trainer Chris Waller says that will only be a minor inconvenience.
"Her program has always allowed for her to miss a race along the way so I wouldn't think much would change," Waller said.
"We won't make a decision until after we see if she runs or not."
Waller and her owners are not keen to run her on Saturday if the track is rated a heavy 10 but Randwick track manager Nevesh Ramdhani is predicting slightly better ground.
"We had 14 mils to 9am and another 22 mils to 3pm but I was pleasantly surprised when I walked it this afternoon (Friday) and I have rated it a heavy nine," Ramdhani said.
"The stewards have also walked inspected it and are happy with the heavy nine rating."
Ramdhani said there was still more rain to come but it was expected to clear by midnight.
"I'm not too concerned because Saturday will be pretty breezy with winds up to 40 kilometres an hour so we should get a bit of drying in before the meeting."
Winx is $1.15 with the TAB to record her 11th straight win since her second in the 2015 Australian Oaks.
If she doesn't run in the Group Two Chelmsford (1600m), options include Group One races over the same distance in two states, the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on Saturday week or the George Main Stakes at Randwick a week later.
"There are all sorts of options," Waller said.
"She is fit enough after her first-up run to miss a race."
Winx made her season return look easy, winning the Warwick Stakes under a hold from Hugh Bowman, beating many of her potential Chelmsford rivals most of whom she sees on a daily basis.
Waller has six of the eight entries with Godolphin's Hartnell and James Cummings-trained three-year-old Prized Icon the others.
As of Friday, Prized Icon at $7 is the only other runner under double figures.
Maher Mares Meet Again At Moonee Valley
- Friday, 02 September 2016 08:26
Ciaron Maher is using the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes as a stepping stone to bigger spring prizes for two of his stable stars but victory for either could change their programs.
The winner of Saturday's Group Two race gains automatic entry into the Cox Plate which is currently not on the radar for either Set Square or Jameka, the winners of the past two VRC Oaks.
"Both are probably on a Caulfield Cup path so it doesn't map that well," Maher said.
Jameka
"If one of them was to win then you would have to consider it.
"We had thought about it with Jameka last year.
"If she had won the Thousand Guineas we'd have rolled the dice into the Cox Plate but she ran second and we took the alternative path.
"It could be an option for her."
Both mares will be having their second starts back after meeting in the P B Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield on August 13.
Jameka finished fourth behind Miss Rose De Lago with Set Square ninth.
Early betting suggests Jameka at $7.50 has better prospects ahead of Set Square ($19), although Maher is happy with both mares.
"They've both come through their first-up runs really well," Maher said.
"Their work has been good, the extra distance of the mile will suit and there should be good speed from The Cleaner and they should be able to slot in comfortably.
"Jameka has won around the Valley before so I would possibly lean more towards her but Set Square's sectionals were really good first-up at Caulfield."
The mares could be split after Saturday with Jameka maybe heading to the JRA Cup at Moonee Valley and Set Square to the Naturalism at Caulfield which would gain her a Caulfield Cup start.
They could then meet again in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington before next month's Caulfield Cup.
"Set Square is on the borderline of getting a Caulfield Cup start," Maher said.
"Depending on how she runs on Saturday, there are options for her."
Maher said Set Square had matured after missing an autumn campaign which he said in the long-term would benefit her.
"Srikandi and Azkadellia missed an autumn and came back better the following prep," Maher said.
"She hasn't won for a while but has been competing at the highest level and has been very competitive.
"I think she's come up better this time around and she seems to have matured into a strong racehorse."