Fingers crossed for turnaround
Jye McNeill is hoping the Chris Waller-trained Kings Will Dream (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}) can turn his luck around to post consecutive wins in the G1 TAB Turnbull H. at Flemington.
McNeill rode the 7-year-old to a solid third in the G2 PB Lawrence S. before finishing 10th in the G1 Makybe Diva S., in which they copped severe interference when Gatting (Hard Spun {USA}) went amiss.
"I'm really looking forward to Saturday, it's very competitive racing and I've got quite a number of rides which I'm really looking forward to,” he told Racing.com.
"He performs well at the track and the trip, but the obvious query is coming off an unknown run last start with everything that played out so we're hoping he can bounce back.
"I'm very happy with his work and the way he's been going.”
Kings Will Dream (Ire)
Tofane on song for Gilgai
Group 1 winner Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) will have her final hit-out in Melbourne on Saturday before heading north to Sydney to attempt to summit A$15 million The Everest at Randwick later this month.
She will run in the G2 Gilgai S. and trainer Michael Moroney is pleased with the way she is progressing.
“So far everything has gone to plan,” Moroney told RSN927. “We had planned when we brought her in that we wanted to chase The Everest and our homework says that after she has had two runs is about when she is at her best.
“She has taken nice improvement from her first-up run. I had her pretty forward because we were in negotiations over an Everest spot, so I knew I needed to have her up to performing well. She has gone on with it and has improved again I think.”
Tregea encouraged
Steve Tregea is confident Niccanova (Nicconi) is ready to show his best in the G1 TAB Epsom H. at Randwick.
Tregea was pleased with his charge’s effort for fifth in the G2 Shannon S. last time out after the horse had beaten only one runner home prior to that in the G2 Theo Marks S.
He said that was an out of character performance from the normally reliable Niccanova, winner of nine of his 31 starts and more than $850,000, who is in the care of Craig Carmody in Sydney.
Cumani trying to stay cool
Matt Cumani is trying his best to put aside the massive bonus that would come if Creedence (Helmet) wins the G3 The Bart Cummings.
Matt Cumani
The Ballarat trainer has the 6-year-old in top form for the event with success send the victor into next month’s G1 Melbourne Cup.
Not wanting to get ahead of himself, Cumani said Creedence deserved his chance and was treating The Bart Cummings as the right race at the right time for the progressive stayer.
Creedence has had four runs since joining Cumani’s stable for three wins, including at his past two starts at Flemington and Moonee Valley.
Buyers circling
Punters betting into early markets for the G1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai 48th New Zealand 2000 Guineas should tread warily with impressive Te Rapa winner Mega Bourbon (El Roca).
The Stephen Marsh-trained galloper made it back-to-back wins at Te Rapa when winning the NZB Ready To Run Breeze Ups 12-13 October, closing well to run down highly-rated filly Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard).
Marsh confirmed there had been significant interest from offshore buyers in the promising 3-year-old.
“He has been very popular. He has won his last two in good times and been very popular with Hong Kong buyers,” Marsh said. “If he is not sold, he will be coming back here in three weeks for the G2 Sarten Memorial.
“I never really looked at him as a miler, especially a Riccarton miler. If he can come out and do something similar in the Sarten, I might be talking to the owners and we might be looking at a late nomination (for the Guineas). "
Breeders’ Cup target
After removing Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) from the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe due to the deteriorating ground, trainer Aidan O’Brien confirmed Europe’s leading 3-year-old filly will target the G1 Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.
Speaking to Sky Sports Racing, O’Brien said they will go with Love where good ground is more assured.
“It would be unusual if the ground came up good on Champions Day (at Ascot), it is usually soft or heavy so it would be wrong to carry on with her for another two weeks and then the same thing happen.
“So we’ll give her a little time now and give her a nice run in the Breeders’ Cup. The plan is to have her in training next year, so that’s something to look forward to.”
Segenhoe smiles
Segenhoe Stud graduate Computer Patch (Exceed And Excel) landed top honours in the G3 National Day Cup at Sha Tin on Thursday.
Trained by Tony Cruz and ridden by Joao Moreira, the 4-year-old raced close to the pace powering clear to win by nearly 3l in a slick 55.84s.
Computer Patch was bought out of Segenhoe’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft for $800,000 by George Moore Bloodstock.
A half-brother to G1 CF Orr S. winner Manuel (Commands), he won one of his three starts as Sun Patch for trainer Ron Quinton before relocating to Hong Kong.
Murphy maintains innocence
Champion jockey Oisin Murphy has said he will fight to clear his name after it was revealed this week that he had tested positive for metabolites of cocaine at Chantilly on July 19, the card during which he partnered The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince of Lir {Ire}) to finish second in the G2 Prix Robert Papin.
If found guilty, he could face a lengthy ban from the saddle; Frankie Dettori was side-lined for six months in 2012 after testing positive for cocaine in France, he admitted to using the drug, while Rab Havlin failed a drug test in that country in 2017, resulting in nearly 10 months out of the saddle.
“I have never taken cocaine in my life and will fight to clear my name. I want to thank those who are supporting me and in the meantime I want to keep riding winners and focus on my career,” a statement from Murphy read.
