Tosen Stardom To Line Up At Moonee Valley
- Thursday, 01 September 2016 08:36
Tosen Stardom will take his place in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes after getting the all-clear in a work-out at Warrnambool.
The Japanese horse was forced to gallop before Victorian stewards in order to take his place in Saturday's Group Two race at Moonee Valley.
Racing NSW stewards put an embargo on Tosen Stardom after he suffered a bleeding attack in quarantine preparing for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in Sydney.
That ban had not been lifted until Thursday when the now Darren Weir-trained Tosen Stardom proved his fitness in a searching gallop.
Weir won't be at Moonee Valley to see him run after accepting an invitation from Zhang Yuesheng, who owns the "Yulong" prefaced horses, for a private race meeting in China on Saturday.
The trainer flew out after watching Tosen Stardom go through his paces and will return in time for important trials on Tuesday.
"He looks magnificent," Weir said.
"He's a great sort of horse. Big and strong and he's a good galloper if you look at his form.
"We've galloped him with a few of our better horses and I don't think there's any problem with his ability."
Weir wrestled with tackling the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on Saturday week before deciding to kick off his campaign on Saturday.
"My gut feeling is to start off at the Valley but the track might suit him a bit better at Flemington," Weir said.
"I'd be disappointed if he didn't run well. Finishing in the first three would be a pass mark."
Tosen Stardom is one of four representatives for Weir and a firming favourite, shortening from $6.50 into $5.
Mahuta ($8) backs up after finishing third in the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield last week rather than going to the Makybe Diva Stakes a week later.
"I thought the better option was to go into this and then run in the Sir Rupert Clarke," he said.
Signoff ($35) has improved since his first-up run in Adelaide on August 20, but Weir doesn't expect him to be at his best until he gets out to 2400m.
Real Love ($61) hasn't raced since her fourth in the Brisbane Cup in June.
Weir says she will find the 1600m too short but is in fantastic condition after having a month-long break in the Queensland sun.
Worthington Looking For Honesty On G1 Path
- Thursday, 01 September 2016 08:36
The Furious Stakes will determine which Group One target trainer Rick Worthington chooses for Honesty Prevails.
A small hiccup in her preparation has meant Honesty Prevails is a little behind in her program ahead of Saturday's Group Two race over 1200m at Randwick.
"Because we had that little bit of a setback she just needs to run on Saturday to give us another couple of pages of the book to see where we are at," Worthington said.
Plan A is the Tea Rose Stakes building into the Group One Flight Stakes at Randwick on October 1.
But if Saturday shows she won't reach her peak in time, Worthington is happy to wait for plan B - the $500,000 Thousand Guineas at Caulfield a week after the Flight Stakes.
Both races are for the same prize money and over 1600m, a distance Worthington has always believed will suit Honesty Prevails.
He is convinced Honesty Prevails has returned a better horse than when she ran fifth in the Golden Slipper at her last start.
"She's extremely well. She's developed into an even stronger, bigger filly," Worthington said.
"She's going to improve on the run whatever she does on Saturday."
Worthington is hoping Honesty Prevails can get cover from barrier three and work home strongly late.
"I want her to relax early and get home because going forward the plan is to step her up over ground later on," he said.
Global Glamour will also kick off her spring in the Furious and she is a horse co-trainer Adrian Bott says is highly talented.
"She's forward enough for Saturday and we've always thought a lot of this horse," Bott said.
Honesty Prevails is an $8 chance to win the Furious, while Global Glamour is being kept safe at $7.
In an open betting race after Omei Sword's omission, Victorian raider I Am A Star is $5 favourite with trainer Shane Nichols opting for the Furious over the Atlantic Jewel Stakes in Melbourne.
Chris Waller-trained duo Awoke and Foxplay are at $6 and $9.50 respectively.
Symons And Laxon To Call Queensland Home
- Thursday, 01 September 2016 08:36
Group One-winning trainers John Symons and Sheila Laxon hope to celebrate their decision to move to Queensland with a winning double at Eagle Farm.
The two have had much success as solo trainers with Laxon best known for winning the Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double with Ethereal in 2001 while Symons trained Bel Esprit to win the 2002 Blue Diamond Stakes and Doomben 10,000 the following year.
They have been partners on and off the track for a decade in Victoria and Symons said they had originally come to Queensland with the idea of going into semi-retirement.
"But we have been at the Sunshine Coast and really enjoying it. Things have been going OK and we have decided to stay and have applied for our Queensland co-trainers licence," Symons said.
"We have 16 boxes at the track at the moment and are looking at expanding to about 30."
He said the Sunshine Coast was an ideal venue to train horses.
"You have got the major training tracks, the bush trails at the back and the pool. It is ideal for us," he said.
Symons and Laxon have had eight winners since coming north in May with Denoninator and Irish Constabulary leading the way.
The pair look major chances in their races on Saturday with the Denoninator to tackle the UMS Schoolwear Hcp (2200m) and Irish Constabulary the Barambah Organics Hcp (1200m)
"Denoninator hasn't had a lot of luck lately," Symons said.
"He got caught deep in a $100,000 race on Ipswich Cup day and last start Rebecca Williams rode him very well but got caught in the inferior ground at Eagle Farm.
"He only got beaten a lip so we are looking forward to Saturday with him."
Apprentice Sarah Eilbeck, who is back from a holiday in her native England, will claim 3kg on Denoninator.
Irish Constabulary has also been consistent and was second to star mare Hidden Pearl at his last start.
"There is no Hidden Pearl this time and Irish Constabulary did get through Eagle Farm well last start," Symons said.
Webster Happy With Clapper Ahead Of Return
- Thursday, 01 September 2016 08:36
Happy Clapper has proved he can compete with the best, giving his trainer confidence it won't be long before he is hailed a Group One winner.
If not for Winx, Happy Clapper would have the Doncaster Mile trophy and Pat Webster is aiming him at Randwick's other famous 1600m-race, the Epsom Handicap.
He takes the first step in Saturday's Tramway Stakes as the favourite based on his autumn performances which also include a third in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes behind Lucia Valentina.
"We know he is a Group One horse after the autumn," Webster said.
"The Epsom Handicap is his goal and he is entered for the Cox Plate.
"We live in hope. We live to dream.
"But I can't wait to get Saturday out of the road first."
Webster's main concern is the heavy rain predicted in Sydney on Friday.
"The Tramway is race eight so by that time of the day the track could be chopped up," he said.
"It's not ideal and he's vulnerable first-up. He gets through soft tracks but has only had one start on a heavy.
"I guess my instructions to Brenton Avdulla will be to come as wide as you can.
"But the last time I told him that, he came up the inside and won the Villiers.
"Brenton knows him well enough so he'll know what to do after riding earlier in the day."
Webster trains Happy Clapper for Michael Thomas who also raced multiple winner Thankgodyou'rehere, second in the 2011 Group One Galaxy.
Later that year, Thankgodyou'rehere finished third in the Tramway before winning the Bill Ritchie then failing in the Epsom.
Happy Clapper's program will be the same and Webster is confident the gelding will only get better as the distances get longer.
"I learned early on from Bart and TJ Smith you need a 2000 metre horse to win over the Randwick mile," he said.
"From what I see, Happy Clapper is a 2000 metre horse and he showed how good he is in the Doncaster."
Darryl Hansen Wins Appeal Against Ban
- Thursday, 01 September 2016 08:36
Magic Millions winning trainer Darryl Hansen has successfully appealed a nine-month disqualification for allegedly having a horse with an elevated carbon dioxide (TCO2) reading.
In a judgment handed down on Thursday, Queensland's Racing Disciplinary Board found the process that followed from sending a second sample used in the case to Victoria for testing had been flawed.
Hansen pleaded not guilty to the charge of presenting How Can I Help with an elevated TCO2 reading after an unplaced run at Ipswich on August 18, 2015.
However, stewards found him guilty of the charge and disqualified him for nine months from October 2015.
Hansen, the trainer of the 2015 Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Le Chef, appealed the conviction and sentence and was granted a stay of proceedings to continue training until a decision.
There have been several hearings in the months since his disqualification with the RDB reserving its judgment after final submissions in May.
The hearings heard lengthy arguments about the two samples used by stewards to convict Hansen and whether the second of them complied with the state's Racing Act.
Hansen's lawyers argued the B sample certificate which was obtained from the RASL Laboratory in Victoria had failed to meet the mandatory compliance requirements of the Act.
In Thursday's judgment, the RDB found the compliance requirements in the case of the second sample had not been carried out making that sample worthless.
The RDB found the receipt, testing and results of the B sample had been contrary to the certification and requirements of the Act.
"In the absence of both certificates being valid a prima facie case under the presentation rule cannot exist and the charge cannot be sustained," the RDB said.
"We would also add that this is certainly not a case where the stewards are at fault."
Hansen's lawyer Matt Tutt said his client had been vindicated after being put through a year-long process.