Wakefield After Winning Farewell To Sydney

Tuesday, 15 November 2011 04:31

Brian Wakefield is looking to finish his latest Sydney trip with a winning double on Saturday.

The Brisbane trainer has had stablemates Nuptse and Pretty Composed in Sydney for the past month and both will be chasing their second victories of the campaign when they line up at Warwick Farm.

Nuptse is dual-nominated in a 1200m and 1000m race but Wakefield is looking at the latter while unbeaten Pretty Composed runs in the 1200m fillies and mares event.

Pretty Composed overcame a slow getaway to post a fast-finishing first-up win at Warwick Farm last Wednesday, extending her unbeaten run to three.

Nuptse is also a Warwick Farm winner in January, while this time around she has netted a Rosehill win and a third at Randwick.

"It would be a very nice end (if they win on Saturday)," Wakefield said.

"We'll probably look at heading home after this. They have been down here since the Thursday before Nuptse won at Rosehill (on October 22) and I've been going back and forth.

"We'll probably be heading home on Monday or Tuesday."

Wakefield believes both mares have stakes class talent and is keen to give them the opportunity to prove it.

Nuptse is already pencilled in for a Listed race over 1200m in Brisbane next month.

"I would like to think Pretty Composed is a black-type mare and the same goes with Nuptse," Wakefield said.

"Pretty Composed is above average but she has got to get everything right, race-wise.

"When she goes up in class you can't afford to make any mistakes."

Wakefield said Pretty Composed, a daughter of Stravinsky, had been "a bit erratic" so far but believes the trip away will help bring the best out of her.

"She seems to be really enjoying her time down here, it's done her the world of good just being in a different environment," he said.

"I know she travels well now and down the track I might even take her to Melbourne if there is suitable races for her."

Nathan Berry continues his association with Nuptse while Tommy Berry retains the ride on Pretty Composed.

Wakefield hopes keeping Nuptse fresh will be to her advantage dropping from 1200m last start at Randwick.

"I was just left with a little niggling doubt about her running a strong 1200 (metres), even though she didn't get things easy last start," Wakefield said.

"I've taken it a bit easy on her after that and thought I'd keep her fresh.

"There's a Listed 1200-metre race in Brisbane she can go to next time on December 3."

Cassidy's Big Day Soured By Whip Ban

Saturday, 12 November 2011 09:16

Jim Cassidy came crashing back to earth with a five-week suspension for whip offences after dominating the day at Rosehill with four winners on Saturday.

The champion jockey brought up his fourth win on the John O'Shea-trained Lightinthenite to move to the top of the Sydney premiership but was later hit with a two-week suspension for his overuse of the whip in winning the event.

Cassidy used the whip on 12 occasions before the 100m mark on Lightinthenite which was seven more than permitted, including seven times in consecutive strides.

It only got worse from there with the jockey also outed for another three weeks for striking fourth-placed Zara Dancer on 17 occasions prior to the 100-metre mark in the final race of the day which was 12 more than permitted, including 11 times in consecutive strides.

"I'm disappointed in myself. I had a blackout," Cassidy told stewards before pleading guilty to four whip offences.

The 48-year-old's suspension is set to start immediately and he can return to the saddle on December 18, the day after the Villiers Stakes meeting at Warwick Farm.

It was Cassidy's fifth offence since March for using the whip more than five times before the 100m mark and his sixth and seventh offences for using the whip in consecutive strides.

Chief steward Ray Murrihy said it was "quite a blatant disregard of the whip rule".

"We can't have a situation where someone decides they don't apply," Murrihy said.

"I'm at a loss to understand the most senior rider here showing a blatant disregard for the rule."

Earlier, Cassidy said he was proud of himself for being able to ride through the pain barrier after struggling with rib cartilage damage that forced him to stand down after one race last Saturday.

Cassidy opened his day with victory on the John O'Shea-trained Golden Slipper prospect Faustus in the Nova 969 Fitzy & Wippa Handicap (1100m).

Colorado Claire gave Cassidy and O'Shea an early double when she maintained her unbeaten record with a third straight win in the Bacardi Handicap (1400m).

Cassidy made it three on the Darren Smith-trained Oakfield Beauty before combining again with O'Shea on Lightinthenite in the Jacob's Creek Sparkling Moscato Handicap (1500m).

"I'm proud of myself and proud of Vic (wife Vicki) because she has babysitted me all week and helped with icing the injury every night to make sure we were here today."

Bonus Aspirations On Line At Warwick Farm

Monday, 14 November 2011 07:46

Joan Pracey will be one of three trainers driven by the lure of a rich bonus when she saddles up bargain buy Upstacker at Warwick Farm on Saturday.

On the back of Upstacker's winning ways, Pracey, who combines training with her role as a TAFE teacher, shares the running in the race for a $50,000 incentive.

The trainers' bonus is attached to races run for Inglis yearling sale graduates and Pracey is level with leading Randwick trainers John O'Shea and John Thompson.

"A win on Saturday would be nice but it's not going to be easy," Pracey said.

"It looks like a much tougher race than the one at Sale."

Upstacker collected Inglis bonus money of his own for the second time when he made the running to win at the country Victorian track.

Michael Rodd had the ride at Sale but Pracey said she hadn't been able to entice the leading Melbourne rider to Sydney on Saturday.

"I tried to book Michael again but he's obliged to ride for Mark Kavanagh at Moonee Valley on Saturday," she said.

Pracey was waiting on the availability of Hugh Bowman and Josh Adams before confirming a Warwick Farm jockey for Upstacker.

Adams won a two-year-old race at Hawkesbury on the colt last season.

Upstacker will be out to create a record for Inglis horses by becoming the first galloper to win three bonus races.

As it stands, he shares honours with three quality racehorses - Sincero, Chance Bye and Pane In The Glass.

There are 19 nominations for Saturday's race and all but three entries are eligible for the $100,000 Inglis bonus on offer.

O'Shea has nominated two runners, including Saturday's impressive Rosehill winner Colorado Claire, in a bid to improve his tally.

One of four winners for jockey Jim Cassidy, Colorado Claire made a successful transition to city racing with a clear-cut win over the well-regarded Darley filly Sindarin.

She is unbeaten in three starts after earlier wins at Goulburn and Kembla Grange.

O'Shea has also entered Hendricus while John Thompson has nominated maiden filly More Bubbly.

Melbourne trainer Mick Price has nominated lightly-raced three-year-old Saint Etienne.

An Echuca maiden winner, Saint Etienne confirmed he was a horse on the move with a close third to Galah in the Group Three Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington.

Destiny Could Be Villiers-bound

Saturday, 12 November 2011 08:46

Con Karakatsanis is considering the Group Two Villiers for My Destiny after the gelding made it back-to-back wins this preparation at Rosehill on Saturday.

My Destiny returned to winning form third-up on Melbourne Cup day at Randwick and backed up that performance by running down Embarrassed to take out the Number 1 Club Stable Handicap (1300m) by a long neck.

They cleared out from the rest over the concluding stages with Rolling Pin holding on to third, 3-1/4 lengths away, after sitting outside the leader in transit.

"I'm still undecided what I'll do with him, maybe the Villiers," Karakatsanis said.

"If he keeps improving and pulls up well enough then I don't see why not. He's going well enough.

"The Villiers is probably at the wrong time because it's another four or five weeks away but I'll keep him ticking over and see."

My Destiny's success was Karakatsanis' seventh winner from his past 11 runners along with two seconds.

However the trainer was unable to build on that winning run with the highly-fancied Riva De Lago ($2.30 fav) who finished third in the next race, won by Lightinthenite, after being slow out of the barriers.

"He (My Destiny) is a nice horse and is just showing the form he was showing last preparation when running third in the (Listed) Darby Munro," Karakatsanis said.

"It just took him a couple of runs to hit any form and fitness this preparation and now he's in full swing."

Jockey Jay Ford slotted in midfield early with Embarrassed and Rolling Pin running along up front.

Ford got on his bike around the field prior to the turn to have My Destiny within striking distance and he set sail after Embarrassed in the straight.

"It's good to see him carry his form on now that he's worked his way back into fitness and form," Ford said.

"It was a pretty good win because he was probably the first horse that has come from off the pace today and he was strong to the line."

Ford believes My Destiny would handle the rise to 1600m should Karakatsanis head towards the Villiers next month at Warwick Farm.

"He'll get further (than 1300m). I'd say he would see out a mile (1600m)," the jockey said.

New Day Rising To Lift On Saturday

Monday, 14 November 2011 07:16

A temperature ruled New Day Rising out of his first Sydney start for trainer Gary Portelli who hopes to get the gelding's Villiers campaign back on track this week.

The former Gai Waterhouse-trained galloper was unplaced when he made his debut for the Portelli stable at Geelong on October 19 but showed an encouraging glimpse of form when fourth to Under The Eiffel on November 1.

The five-year-old is one of 20 entries for the November Handicap (1400m) at his new home track, Warwick Farm, on Saturday.

"He had to be scratched from Rosehill on Saturday because he developed a temperature on the trip up from Melbourne and had to be treated," Portelli said.

"Everything has settled down now and as long as he works well on Tuesday, he should be running.

"I was very happy with his effort against Under The Eiffel when he was beaten less than four lengths."

Under The Eiffel franked his own form with an impressive victory in Saturday's Group Three Sandown Stakes.

Clients of Portelli bought New Day Rising from Eduardo Cojuangco's Gooree operation with two wins and four placings beside his name from 11 starts for Waterhouse.

"He has had his problems in the past with knee issues," Portelli said.

"But he is a happy horse and free in his action so we're hoping he can make it to the Villiers."

The Group Two Villiers Stakes (1600m) at Warwick Farm on December 17 is Sydney's major summer feature.

New Day Rising's potential opponents on Saturday include the Joe Pride-trained pair of Miss Keepsake and Title along with veteran Mentality, runner-up in last year's Villiers to Dances On Waves.

A triple Group One winner over the Randwick mile as a young horse, Mentality has not won since August of 2009 when he dead-heated with Kroner in the Group Two Premiere Stakes.

Eight Bills will also make his first Sydney appearance for Portelli when he runs in the Benchmark 85 over 1000 metres.

The sprinter has done all his racing so far out of Portelli's Flemington stable run by the trainer's brother Troy.

"I entered him for Moonee Valley as well but he will be on the road to Sydney later this week," Portelli said.

"It's just a question of finding the right races and it's great to be able to put these horses on a float and send them between the two stables."

Eight Bills has won six of his 15 starts, five over 1000 metres.

Cassidy Steals The Show At Rosehill

Saturday, 12 November 2011 08:00

Jim Cassidy rode through the pain barrier to steal the show at Rosehill on Saturday with four winners, including a treble for Randwick trainer John O'Shea.

Cassidy has been battling a rib cartilage injury which forced him to stand down after just one ride at Randwick last Saturday.

However the grand slam-winning jockey defied doctor's advice, spending only a few days on the sidelines instead of a few weeks, and was at his brilliant best on Saturday despite still feeling the effects of the injury.

His four winners on Faustus, Colorado Claire, Oakfield Beauty and Lightinthenite took the 48-year-old to the head of the Sydney jockeys' premiership with 23 wins.

"I might have to retire tomorrow now I'm in front, it's been a few years since I've had my nose in front in the premiership," the champion rider quipped.

"I'm proud of myself and proud of Vic (wife Vicki) because she has babysitted me all week and helped with icing the injury every night to make sure we were here today.

"It's been a brilliant day and we got through it which is the main thing.

"I'll be making a decision first thing in the morning about whether I ride on Wednesday though because it's pretty fragile right now."

Cassidy and O'Shea's day started with victory on Golden Slipper prospect Faustus who made an impressive debut in the The Nova 969 Fitzy & Wippa Handicap (1100m), defeating favourite Kuchinskaya by half a neck.

"He was still very new and there's unbelievable improvement in him. He's a beautiful horse," Cassidy said of the More Than Ready colt.

Cassidy and O'Shea were at it again when Colorado Claire maintained her unbeaten record from three starts when she got the better of Sindarin in the Bacardi Handicap (1400m).

Oakfield Beauty, prepared by Darren Smith at Newcastle, brought up Cassidy's treble in the styletread.com.au Handicap (1400m) before O'Shea and Cassidy capped their day in style with Lightinthenite proving too strong in the Jacob's Creek Sparkling Moscato Handicap (1500m).

"It is killing me now," Cassidy said as he returned to scale on Lightinthenite.

"I was on empty with 10 strides to go. I'll be feeling it tonight and tomorrow."

Lightinthenite was asked to get going from the 700m mark by Cassidy and the lightly-raced runner fended off his rivals to defeat Circle Of Power by a short neck with a head to favourite Riva De Lago in third place.

"John said just put him to sleep the first half-mile (800m) and be aggressive the last 700 (metres) and it worked out," Cassidy said.

"It was a good effort."

O'Shea was also delighted his stable's success on Saturday.

"They are all lightly-raced conveyances that are building very good records," he said.

"We'll keep chipping away with them and looking after them and hopefully they'll repay us."

Bumper Entries For Goulburn Cup Day

Monday, 14 November 2011 06:46

Three-time winner Guy Walter has entered Cyber Crime and Straight Alert among 17 quality nominations for Friday's $80,000 Goulburn Cup.

The high profile Warwick Farm trainer with a satellite stable at Goulburn won last year's event with Willy Jimmy to go with victories by Market Unit (2003) and Nothin' Leica (2004).

Other leading trainers with nominations for the Cup (1600m) include Anthony Cummings (Dealer Principal), Graeme Rogerson (Rockin' Rocket), Bede Murray's New Zealand Derby winner (Coniston Bluebird), Robert Price (One Way Ticket) and Jason Coyle (Alright Already).

Other entries include Forbes and last start Coonabarabran Cup winner Granite Bluff, trained by Richard Clarke, lightly raced Randwick winner Nextanix prepared by Kerry Parker and Chris Strickland's multiple south coast country Cups winner Sebony.

This year's Victoria Derby winning jockey Hugh Bowman has confirmed he will ride at the meeting which also features the $25,000 Goulburn Diva (1300m) in which he will partner the Anthony Cummings-trained Alchemy.

The list of 20 nominations includes horses trained by Bart Cummings, Grahame Begg, Tracey Bartley, Gary Portelli, Gerald Ryan, Danny Williams and Matthew Dale.

"Overall the club is delighted at the number and quality of horses entered for Goulburn Cup day and the calibre of trainers involved," club chief executive Greg Wilson said.

"The Shellscrape Goulburn Diva in particular has attracted a strong entry.

"We're looking forward to a most successful meeting."

Weights will be issued on Tuesday with acceptances taken Wednesday.

Sacred Pins Shows His Class At Rosehill

Saturday, 12 November 2011 06:31

Chris Waller praised the initiative of jockey Glyn Schofield and at the same time predicted a big future for Sacred Pins after the three-year-old remained unbeaten at Rosehill on Saturday.

Schofield was instructed to sit behind the speed in fifth or sixth in Saturday's Schweppes Handicap (1200m) but when the heavily-backed Sacred Pins was going to be posted wide the jockey sent the gelding forward to take up the running.

Sacred Pins, who firmed from $5 to $3.80 favouritism, went on to record his second win from as many starts as he held a 1-1/4-length advantage over Embark ($26) on the line with a long neck to Gaze In Awe ($8) and Cindarockinrella ($6.50) who dead-heated for third.

"Good ride," Waller said.

"The instructions were to be about fifth or sixth because there looked to be heaps of speed and if we went with them we probably wouldn't clear them.

"But he was just too good."

Waller believes Sacred Pins can be a carnival player in the autumn but his initial thoughts of the son of Pins being a miler are likely to be revised.

"He's very good," Waller said.

"With everything we do with him he just takes the next step. He's a really docile horse and just does nothing around the stable and you wouldn't think he was a good horse until you see him gallop and see him on race day.

"I think he's got a pretty big future.

"I was thinking more a mile (1600m) in the autumn, but he's got some speed.

"He might be a bit more brilliant."

Schofield said Sacred Pins was travelling too keenly to keep trying to slot in behind the lead which forced him to roll forward on settling down.

"He was travelling that much keener than everything else early on," the jockey said.

"I was basically checking him just to try to get him in behind, and when you are doing that you're better off just letting him roll along.

"He's got the speed, he beat them for speed and he beat them in the end."

Peter Snowden Fined Over Positive Swab

Monday, 14 November 2011 03:16

Darley Australia's head trainer Peter Snowden has been fined over a positive sample from a minor race winner.

The Snowden-trained Moravany tested positive to therapeutic substances oxyphenbutazone and phenylbutazone after winning at the outer Sydney racetrack Hawkesbury on September 3.

Snowden pleaded guilty to presenting Moravany to race with a banned substance during a Racing NSW inquiry on Monday. He was fined $4000.

The inquiry heard evidence from Snowden, his veterinarian and foreman as well as Darley Australia's general manager Henry Plumptre.

Stewards took into account Snowden's previously unblemished record when they decided on the penalty as well the number of starters the stable has each season.

Snowden has been in charge of Sheikh Mohammed's Australian racing team since a 2008 acquisition of the Ingham family's Woodlands Stud bloodstock interests.

He oversees stables at Warwick Farm and Flemington as well as a privately-owned training facility on Sydney's outskirts.

Moravany was stripped of her win with the Class Two race awarded to the Gai Waterhouse-trained De Burghler.

Cassidy Gets Early Rosehill Treble

Saturday, 12 November 2011 05:46

Champion jockey Jim Cassidy rode in pain at Rosehill on Saturday, but after bagging an early treble it was easy to see why he made the effort.

Cassidy left Randwick in noticeable discomfort after just one ride last Saturday with rib cartilage damage but recovered quickly enough to ride on Thursday and Friday and again on Saturday.

He opened proceedings at Rosehill with a winning double for trainer John O'Shea on two-year-old Faustus and promising three-year-old Colorado Claire.

He then made it three from three rides with victory in the fourth event on the Darren Smith-trained Oakfield Beauty.

Colorado Claire ($2.70 fav) continued the unbeaten start to her career, making the transition to city grade with ease as she defeated Sindarin ($2.90) by 1-1/4 lengths in the Bacardi Handicap (1400m) with Debelle ($8.50) another 2-1/4 lengths away third.

"It's a good healer for the ribs, a few winners," Cassidy quipped.

"They (the ribs) are still pretty sore but I've done my best. I've been icing all week. I guaranteed my trainers and owners I wouldn't let them down and would be here, so I'm thankful to them for being loyal and hanging out for a couple of days for me."

Colorado Claire sat just off her main danger Sindarin in running but Cassidy took a look over his shoulder at the top of the running and then the filly responded as the jockey released the brakes.

"She's a nice filly and just wants to win. She's a professional," Cassidy said.

"In the run she was a pleasure to ride, she wanted to win and knew what it was all about."

O'Shea said Colorado Claire and debut winner Faustus were two of "a tribe" of promising young horses in his Randwick stables that make it easy for him to get out of bed each morning.

Faustus stamped himself as a possible Golden Slipper prospect, defeating Kuchinskaya and Limes on debut in Saturday's Nova 969 Fitzy & Wippa Handicap (1100m).

The colt is headed to the paddock to target the autumn while Colorado Claire is in line to back up at Warwick Farm next Saturday.

"She's a lovely filly," O'Shea said of Colorado Claire.

"There's an opportunity to run her next week in a mile (1600m) race, an Inglis bonus race, so we'll just see how she pulls up and if she does well we'll probably give her the opportunity to run there."