Marshal ready

Former New Zealand-trained galloper Mongolian Marshal (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) will debut for trainer Stuart Gower in Saturday’s G3 R A Lee S. at Morphettville.

Previously prepared by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, he won the G3 Waikato Cup in 2018 and was also placed in last year’s G1 Windsor Park Plate.

“He’s settled in well,” Gower said. “We gave him a month in the paddock when we got him and he has come on nicely and as long as he works with a mate he is happy.

“I haven’t trialled him. There are no trials here at present and I could have given him a jump-out, but they’re only over 800 metres and for a horse like him it is a waste of time jumping him out over that distance.

“He has copped plenty of work and every gallop he has had he has just improved, so I’m really happy with the way he is going into it.”

Chasing further success

Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have enjoyed great success at Queensland carnivals and will be looking to Etana (Shamus Award) and Mask Of Time (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) to add to their tally.

They will run in Friday evening’s Listed Radio TAB Wayne Wilson H., usually held at Eagle Farm or Doomben but switched to the Sunshine Coast on Friday evening after the carnival was revamped.

The stable has won the G1 Stradbroke H., the G1 Tatts’ Tiara and the G1 Queensland Derby and this season has claimed victories in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, Listed Calaway Gal S. and the Listed Phelan Ready S.

Hefty suspensions

Champion jumps jockey Steven Pateman and his wife have been found guilty on a cobalt charge and banned for three years.

Pateman and Jessica Barton were handed their penalties on Thursday by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board after being found guilty of a race-day administration charge in March.

The charge was laid after the Pateman-trained Sir Walter Scott (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) returned a high cobalt reading in a pre-race urine sample at Coleraine in September, 2017.

Green light

Officials at Santa Anita Park have announced that the track has received approval from the Los Angeles County Health Department to resume safe live racing from Friday.

Racing will be conducted without spectators and with essential personnel following strict protocols to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

“We are very grateful for the open and continuous communication with both the Health Department and Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office,” said Aidan Butler, Executive Director of California Racing Operations for The Stronach Group.

Golden prospect

Command’n’conquer (Warhead) will have the benefit of a run on the track on his side when he attempts to go one better in Saturday’s G3 Brandons Gold Coast Guineas.

He suffered his first defeat in four starts when he motored home late to finish runner-up at the Gold Coast over 900 metres and the step up to 1200 metres should be ideal.

Command’n’conquer is trained by Steve Tregea and he said the gelding was improving with every outing and believed he had the potential to be among Queensland’s best horses next season.

Domestic travel opens

With New Zealand transitioning to COVID-19 alert level 2, restrictions on domestic travel have eased and people are free to once again travel between regions.

“Based on moving to level 2, we (racing industry participants) are able to move,” NZTR Chief Executive Bernard Saundry said. “That is a really positive outcome, so there will be no restrictions on that travel.”

While Saundry said this was positive news for many participants, he said caution still needs to be applied so that the country does not escalate up the alert levels.

“As the Government highlighted, while we are moving down levels and that is fantastic, but everybody needs to keep doing the right thing to keep New Zealanders safe,” he said.

Mare to spell

House Of Cartier (Alamosa {NZ}) will head to the spelling paddock after her unplaced run in the Listed Gosford Cup.

The John Sargent-trained mare won the Listed Wagga Cup at her previous start and her connections are eyeing more black-type targets in the spring.

“She just didn’t back-up last week in the Gosford Cup,” Sargent said. “I thought she would, she had done up a treat, but it was a pretty hard run that day. It was a six-hour float trip down and back on the same day.

“She has gone out for a spell. You’ll see a nice Saturday handicap mare in the spring with her. We’ll just pick out a race and try and get some more black-type with her.”

On weather watch

The Patrick Payne-trained Duke of Plumpton (NZ) (Bachelor Duke {Ire}) could bypass the Kennedy Mile at Flemington on Saturday in favour of some country cups assignments.

He has been in good form this campaign, winning fresh-up over 1400 metres at Echuca last month before finishing runner-up over 1600 metres at Sandown.

“He is a really nice horse,” Payne said. “There is plenty of fine weather here at the moment, so if the track does dry out too much I might just wait for another day with him.

“He’s in excellent order, but he does like a bit of give in the ground. It looks a pretty strong field with some nice, young horses in it. He might be better off going for the Edenhope Cup instead.”

Home track advantage

Baccarat Baby (Casino Prince) is a genuine mare and she will enjoy a home track advantage when she runs in the Listed Radio TAB Wayne Wilson H. on Friday evening.

The David Vandyke-trained 4-year-old has been seen to advantage on the Sunshine Coast course with four wins and a second from five appearances.

Runner-up in her last two starts, Baccarat Baby will use the race as her lead-in to the G1 Stradbroke H.

SI Sale

Entries for New Zealand Bloodstock’s South Island Sale will close on Wednesday, May 27.

Originally scheduled to be held in Christchurch in April, the auction will now be hosted online on the enhanced Gavelhouse Plus platform, launching on Thursday, May 28 and running through until 5pm NZDT on Sunday, June 7.

All yearlings offered through the sale on must be unbroken in order to be eligible for the lucrative Magic Millions series.