Winning run continues
Cult hero The Harrovian (Fastnet Rock) kept his army of supporters happy with further success in Saturday’s Listed Magic Millions Bernborough Plate at Eagle Farm.
It was the Toby and Trent Edmonds-trained 7-year-olds’s 11th straight victory earned at the expense of Niccanova (Nicconi).
“It’s a great pleasure and full credit to the horse. He’s got a great following and he goes for a well-deserved spell now,” Toby Edmonds said.
Early black-type strike
Progressive mare Vamos Bebe (I Am Invincible) took the step up to stakes company with relative ease when she strode clear in the final stages of Saturday’s Listed Hallmark Stud Sprint at Ellerslie for a comprehensive victory.
Trainer Jamie Richards was delighted with the result after making the commitment to try the Rating70 mare out of her grade.
“It’s not something we do without a great deal of thought,” he said. “She’s a promising mare who we thought was the best of our 3-year-olds last year, but she had a few immaturity issues and just needed some time.
“She’s a very valuable commodity now with the black type to her name and the breeding she has on her side.”
Vamos Bebe | Image courtesy of Race Images
Another clean sheet
Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) kept his unbeaten record intact when the talented 3-year-old bolted in on his home track on Saturday.
Successful on debut at Bendigo, he was sent out a warm favourite in the Ken Sturt H. and raced away by 4.25l to inflict a first defeat on Robert Hickmott’s Beltoro (Toronado {Ire}).
Ayrton is prepared by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr was offered at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale by Leanach Lodge, was passed in shy of his NZ$40,000 reserve.
He is out of the unraced Odessa (NZ) (Falkirk {NZ}) and a half-sister to the G3 Eulogy S. winner Monterey Bay (NZ) (Kaapstad {NZ}) and their dam is the Listed Canterbury Belle S. winner Sabbatical (NZ) (Bakharoff {USA}).
Ayrton (NZ)
Timely pedigree update
Palamos (Extreme Choice) handed his younger half-sister another timely boost when he remained unbeaten following success in the Skycity 1100 at Ellerslie.
The Jamie Richards-trained colt, who was a debut winner at Te Rapa in October, is a son of Unrevealed (USA) (Forest Wildcat {USA}) and her Deep Field filly will be offered as Lot 919 by Kingstar Farm at next month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Palamos came with an irresistible finishing run in the hands of Opie Bosson and is now favourite for the DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka Million on January 23.
“He’s going to be an improved horse next time. He’s in the Karaka Million right up to his ears,” Bosson said.
He was bought out of Newgate’s Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale draft for $65,000 by Auckland agent Paul Willetts and then secured by Te Akau’s David Ellis for NZ$85,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale where he was offered by Ainsley Downs.
Extreme Choice | Standing at Newgate Farm
Freedman coming home
Hall Of Fame trainer Lee Freedman is on his way back to Australia to set up a training operation at the Gold Coast, which will be operational from March.
The 64-year-old has been based in Singapore since 2017 and said he is looking forward to his return.
"Ian Brown, the Gold Coast Turf Club Racing Manager, has outlined the huge infrastructure development plans for the Club culminating in night racing as of 2022," Freedman said in a statement.
"I believe these developments, plus the healthy prizemoney in southeast Queensland, will elevate the GCTC to an even more exciting racing destination."
Northern raider dominates
Matamata mare Sheezallmine (NZ) (Super Easy {NZ}) gave her southern rivals a galloping lesson when she strode away in the home straight to take out the Listed Alleviate Administration Hazlett S. at Wingatui.
The Daniel Miller-trained 5-year-old had trekked south off the back of a handy performance for sixth behind Levante in the Listed Haunui Bowl at Pukekohe last month.
“It was nice to get a win like that as she had been going good in races without a whole lot of luck,” he said. “She came down with my foreman Mason Stephens and he told me she had travelled and settled in well, so we were quite confident before the race.
“She never used to be that good a traveller, but I think the trip away to Riccarton last year really helped settle her down and she was ready to perform.”
Best in the West
The cream of the Western Australian yearling crop will converge on the Swan Valley in February when the world-class sales complex hosts the 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale.
To be held on February 15 and 16, the Sale has brought together a quality catalogue of 303 lots.
The variety of stock on offer is again a feature with no fewer than 72 individual sires represented with strong interest set to surround the stock by 11 freshman sires.
In a great boost for local buyers, 95 per cent of yearlings catalogued are eligible for either the Westspeed Platinum or standard Westspeed scheme. Some 53 lots are BOBS eligible and all lots offered are eligible to be paid up for the $12.775 million Magic Millions Race Series.
The Sale will be preceded by the Magic Millions race day at Pinjarra on February 6, featuring the $250,000 R. Listed Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic and $200,000 R. Listed Magic Millions WA 3YO Trophy. The 2YO Classic is boosted for the second year with the $75,000 Magic Millions WA Racing Women’s Bonus.
Primed for Australian return
Only three horses in the world finished the season with a rating higher than Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and certainly none of them have won Group 1 races in two hemispheres within 2020.
Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum’s homebred 6-year-old may not have received the recognition he deserves for his exploits throughout the year, but it is safe to say that he is fully appreciated by his trainer William Haggas and jockey Tom Marquand.
Addeybb has subsequently enjoyed a well-earned spell in the paddock, but has recently returned to Haggas’s Somerville Lodge in preparation for another trip to Australia in 2021. He won the G1 Ranvet S. and the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. on his last visit.
“I think we’re going to try for the same again,” Haggas said. “The beauty of last year was the travelling. He travelled immaculately and when he came back he was 8kg lighter than when he left, which is extraordinary.”
Addeybb (GB)
Magical mark
Champion jockey Joao Moreira is only the third jockey in Hong Kong history to ride 1000 winners on the island. The Brazilian reached the mark when successful aboard Incanto Prepared (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) at Happy Valley.
He joins 13-time champion Douglas Whyte (1813) and fellow champion Zac Purton (1209) in this elite millennial club.
“I can only describe it as a dream come true because I never dreamed that, to be honest, and I would never think that I could get to that mark in Hong Kong, knowing the place is such a tough place,” Moreira told the HKJC website.
