Hall of Fame for Vela

New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame has announced their intention to induct Sir Peter Vela, principal of New Zealand Bloodstock and Pencarrow Stud, into the Racing Hall of Fame.

“Inducting Sir Peter Vela into the Racing Hall of Fame is an honour,” Racing Hall of Fame Chairman Cherry Taylor said.

“An instrumental figure in racing, Sir Peter has won numerous owner titles and a host of other awards and accolades over the years. We look forward to the official function celebrating his success.”

Vela’s lengthy involvement in racing and breeding is highly regarded by his peers. He has raced many top-flight performers born and raised on his farms and prepared by some of the world’s leading trainers and ridden by a raft of high performing jockeys.

“NZB are incredibly proud that our owner is being acknowledged for his lifelong contribution,” New Zealand Bloodstock Managing Director Andrew Seabrook said.

Valley off, Derby delayed

The forecast for extreme heat in Melbourne has prompted racing officials to abandon a city meeting at The Valley.

Friday night's scheduled meeting was called off late on Thursday with Racing Victoria and the Moonee Valley Racing Club making the decision after consulting with RV's veterinary department, the Bureau of Meteorology and the respective jockeys' and trainers' associations.

The forecast is for 42 degrees in Melbourne on Friday afternoon with the heat lasting into the evening.

"The hottest part of the day is predicted to be late afternoon when many horses would be required to travel, and the temperature is currently predicted to be 41 degrees when the meeting is scheduled to start at 6.30pm," RV's Greg Carpenter said.

Meanwhile, Tasracing has announced the postponement of Friday's Tasmanian Derby meeting at Hobart. The meeting will now be run as a day fixture on Saturday with temperatures predicted to drop from 40 degrees on Friday to a much more comfortable 28 .

Top 3YO to trial

Star 3-year-old Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) will step out in a barrier trial at the Sunshine Coast.

Trainer David Vandyke had originally considered giving Alligator Blood a track gallop, but accepted the club's offer of a barrier trial between races on Sunday.

"We decided he would benefit from the barrier experience. He will go 1000 metres in a field of five and it should be perfect for him," Vandyke said.

He will have three Melbourne starts, at this stage, in the G3 CS Hayes S. at Flemington on February 15, the G1 Australian Guineas at Flemington on February 29 and the All-Star Mile at Caulfield on March 14.

"Alligator Blood has opened a big lead in the All-Star voting which gives us a warm and fuzzy feeling he is so popular,” Vandyke said.

Cummings happy

James Cummings is in a bullish mood ahead of a two-pronged attack on Saturday’s G2 TAB Expressway S. at Randwick with Alizee (Sepoy) and Kiamichi (Sidestep).

“Alizee’s training really, really well, frighteningly well,” he said. “It’s another case of aim and fire when she’s fit and ready. That’s how it was when she won the Futurity.”

Kiamichi was a late nomination and is also in tip top order for her resuming run.

“We added her to the field after she trialled so well on Tuesday morning,” Cummings said. “By keeping the entries open it allowed me to assess her trial and then to return to our original thought which was to race her at weight-for-age.

“She showed as a 2-year-old that she was something of an iron filly and we’re looking forward to seeing her show that again.”

Tried and true

Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace are following a proven path to the G1 Golden Slipper S. for Magic Millions Classic winner Away Game (Snitzel).

Capitalist (Written Tycoon) claimed the Magic Millions-Golden Slipper double three years ago, the first horse to manage the feat since Phelan Ready (More Than Ready {USA}) in 2009.

Annabel Neasham, who oversees the Sydney arm of the Maher-Eustace operation, has no doubt Away Game has the ability and toughness to press on to the Slipper.

"It has been done before. Capitalist did it so you can get them to peak twice in reasonably quick succession and she is a horse with a really good constitution," she said.

Shock move

Japan has barred betting on the G1 Melbourne Cup and the G1 Caulfield Cup.

Melbourne Racing Club Executive Racing Manager Jake Norton said it was disappointing news and expected MRC revenue from international media rights to be slashed by about five per cent as a result.

Victoria Racing Club Racing Manager Leigh Jordon said the news would not impact on Japanese horses coming to Australia for the spring or relationships with Japanese trainers, officials or owners.

Jordon indicated he believed Japanese had withdrawn from betting on the Cups due to the fact they are handicaps.

Ready to resume

Miss Leonidas (I Am Invincible) is in fine shape for the Listed WJ Adams S. at Caulfield.

"Everything's gone pretty well this campaign," trainer Shaun Dwyer said. "She's had two jump-outs. She needed the first one and her work subsequently was good, and then her second one, John Keating got off her and said she's back now."

Miss Leonidas finished second to Nature Strip (Nicconi) with Sunlight (Zoustar) third in the G1 Moir S. at The Valley on September 27 before winning the G2 Caulfield Sprint on October 19.

"She's probably raced in stronger company than the rest of this field," Dwyer said. "She really acquitted herself well in the Moir and then in the Group 2, and if the second and third horses were in this I'd say they would be under 10-1 as well."

Cup target

The Listed Mornington Cup is on the program of Aktau (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) as part of a long-term plan to target Australia's major staying races.

The English stayer was bought as a G1 Melbourne Cup prospect and has his second Australian start, and sixth of his career, in Saturday's Mal Seccull H. at Caulfield.

"He was really impressive first-up and he's trained on very well," Moroney said. "We've given him time between runs. We're trying to keep him in work to have a crack at the Mornington Cup, all going well."

The winner of the Cup on March 21 earns a ballot exemption to the G1 Caulfield Cup in October.

Inside knowledge

Top Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan has a long association with the family of 2-year-old Looming Large (Spirit of Boom), who makes his debut at Eagle Farm.

Looming Large won a Doomben trial by 5l on Tuesday and as long as he continues to do well, he will back up in Saturday's QTIS 2YO H. despite a wide gate.

"I can't get a decent barrier at the moment but he is a nice horse and this race suits him," Gollan said. "I trained his sire Spirit of Boom and Spirit's mother Temple Spirit. I also trained Looming Large's dam Miss Leibert and her mother Stravain Lady.

"So I have now trained three generations on Looming Large's maternal side and I obviously know a lot about his sire's side of things."

Oaks trial

Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh still has five fillies in contention for March's G1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand Oaks at Trentham and will have a better line on two of them after racing at New Plymouth on Saturday.

Marsh will produce Elisa Carolina (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) and Heart Of The Ocean (NZ) (Tavistock {GB}) in the Listed Fasttrack Insurance Oaks Prelude at New Plymouth, the pair out to enhance their Classic prospects ahead of upcoming Oaks targets.

"Elisa Carolina is a nice, strong filly and I think the Oaks comes at the right time for her. She's going really well and getting better all the time," Marsh said.

"Heart Of The Ocean has plenty of ability, but she's still a bit immature so whether she's ready for our Oaks or might be better off waiting for a race like the Queensland Oaks, we'll just wait and see."