Stats misleading

Trainer Desleigh Forster doesn’t believe the form of Chapter And Verse (Rothesay) at Doomben tells the full story ahead of a return there for Saturday’s G3 TAB George Moore S.

Chapter And Verse has had six starts one the track and is yet to break his duck.

"He won a maiden at Beaudesert and we threw him in the deep end at Doomben in a 3-year-old Plate in June last year," she said.

"He finished second to The Bostonian who went on to win in Listed company after that. Of course, The Bostonian came back last winter and won two Group 1 races.

"Chapter And Verse has also finished second at Doomben to Looks Like Elvis, who has raced well in the south, and fourth to Tyzone in the G3 BRC Sprint."

Veteran going well

Veteran sprinter Thermal Current (Exceed And Excel) will attempt to add to his record at The Valley in Saturday’s Murray Nangatta H.

Mark Zahra and training partner Mathew Ellerton have had the gelding for his past seven starts after he began his career with Peter Moody before moving to Darren Weir.

The winner of eight races, Thermal Current has not yet won for his latest stable, but Zahra said the gelding keeps turning up, running his usual honest races.

"He looks fit now and we can't fault him," Zahra said. "His work is good and his legs look fantastic for a 9-year-old.

"He's so honest so we'll keep sending him around until he puts his hand up to say I'm done."

Adkins side-lined

Andrew Adkins has suffered another injury blow, suffering a suspected fractured wrist seven months after breaking multiple bones in a race fall.

His latest setback wasn’t racing related with the jockey slipping down stairs while putting out rubbish bins.

"I was trying to do the right thing and take the rubbish out," Adkins said. "I fell down some stairs and it looks like I have fractured my scaphoid bone in my wrist. Hopefully all my bad luck will be over now."

Strong support crew

Sukwhinder (Delago Deluxe) won’t lack support when she steps out in Saturday's Listed Mode Plate.

Trainer Michael Costa has been in great form of late with six winners so far for November.

"I think we have had only one horse miss a place from 16 runners this month, but we are naturally keen to get more stakes winners and hopefully can start with Sukwhinder on Saturday," he said.

Sukwhinder was purchased at the Scone Inglis Yearling Sale to syndicate, around the time stable foreman Raj Dhaliwal’s mother passed away.

“He was naturally upset and we gave him a five per cent share and let him name her which he did in honour of his mother's name. I understand half of India is following her career," Costa said.

Inglis Preview out

The Inglis 2020 Sales Season Preview Magazine has been launched and this year’s publication has expanded to preview all three of the auction house’s major select yearling sales of 2020 – Classic, Premier and Easter.

With the Classic catalogue already released and the Premier catalogue due out in a fortnight, the Australian Easter Yearling Sale will again showcase yearlings by the world’s best stallions and prepared by the Southern Hemisphere’s leading horse people.

Separate to the Sales Season Preview Magazine, a digital publication of select 2020 Easter pedigrees has also been created. To view a PDF of some of the best pedigrees for Easter 2020, and to view the Inglis 2020 Sales Season Preview Magazine follow the below links.

The final Easter Yearling Sale catalogue will be available in mid-January.

On Derby trail again

Lance O'Sullivan has gone close to winning the G1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby in his time training, five-times producing 3-year-olds to finish in the top five.

Despite the quality of those that have gone before, O'Sullivan says none have had superior potential to his leading candidate for this year's Derby, Dragon Leap (Pierro).

He created a big impression with a dazzling debut win at Te Rapa and he goes into Saturday's Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial as favourite at just his second start.

"What he did at Te Rapa didn't surprise us," said O'Sullivan, who trains in partnership with Andrew Scott. "He's just a real professional. He's a very laid-back horse. He does what he does in his work. He eats and he sleeps and nothing fazes him.

"He's bred to run a trip, but before we start talking about a Derby, you have to realise he's only just won a maiden race and we can't get too far ahead of ourselves.”

MM catalogue online

The catalogue for the 2020 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale in February is now online and contains a record number of yearlings.

The 146 lots feature youngsters by an impressive line-up of 57 individual sires, including the first crops of 12 stallions.

With recent graduates including Mystic Journey (Needs Further), Palentino (Teofilo {Ire}), The Cleaner (Savoire Vivre {GB}) and Soul Patch (Shamus Award), the sale is statistically the best return on investment yearling sale in Australasia.

The 2020 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale will be held from Monday February 24, the day after the $75,000 Magic Millions 2YO Classic (plus $10,000 Racing Women's Bonus) and the $65,000 TasBreeders Magic Millions 3YO & 4YO Classic.

Sound start

The Tattersalls December Foal Sale got off to a solid start on the opening day with a filly by Night Of Thunder (Ire) and a colt by El Kabeir (USA) leading the way during a session that saw seven lots top 50,000 gns (AU$95,500).

The daughter of Darley’s leading first season sire Night Of Thunder, consigned by Genesis Green Farm, was knocked down to Jamie Railton for 65,000 gns (AU$124,150). She is out of Harlequin Girl (GB) (Where Or When {Ire}), a half-sister to the G2 Gimcrack S. winner Blaine (GB) (Avonbridge {GB}).

"She is a pinhook prospect," said Railton. "She is a fine horse and is a good advert for her sire."

Sharing the top billing was Ballyreddin and Kellsgrange Studs’ El Kabeir colt, who was purchased by Philipp Stauffenberg. Out of School Run (Ire) (Invincible Spirit Ire}), the chestnut colt is from the family of multiple Group 1 winners Dream Ahead (USA) and Fairyland (Ire) (Kodiac {GB})

Chasing first stakes win

Kozzi Asano is aiming to add another first to his breakout season this weekend.

The Canterbury-based Japanese apprentice had only ridden eight winners in his career to the start of this season, but since August 1 he has saluted the judge 30 times to sit in joint second place on the jockeys' premiership alongside three-time champion Lisa Allpress.

Still missing from Asano's resume is a stakes win and he is aiming to remedy that when he rides this year's G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Sentimental Miss (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) in Saturday's Listed Steelform Roofing Group Wanganui Cup.

"That would be great. Any stakes win would be great, but my aim for this season is to ride lots of winners," Asano said.

"I never expected the start to the year I've had. I've been helped by a lot of good trainers and owners and there have been many good horses too," he said.