Kiwi stayer back to best
Quick Thinker (So You Think {NZ}) found his top form at this time last year and he made a timely return to his best to claim the G2 Schweppes Chairman’s Quality at Randwick.
The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained stayer was successful 12 months ago in the G1 Australian Derby off the back of success in the G2 Tulloch S., but has largely been below par since.
Quick Thinker | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
However, he responded positively on Saturday under a good ride from Damian Lane and held out the late charge of Rondinella (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) to set up a crack at next Saturday’s G1 Sydney Cup.
“Obviously, the track was quite testing and they were under the pump a fair way out and he was still travelling well. His gallop on Thursday was good and that gave us confidence,” Forsman said.
Game, set and match
Matchmaker (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) opened her Australian account in style with a hard-fought victory in the in the G3 China Horse Club PJ Bell S.
The filly had placed in one of her two previous starts since relocating to Chris Waller’s stable from the Rangiora stable of Nick Wigley, whose son Gus’ Inglewood Stud is part of the ownership group, and Kayla Milnes.
“She came from the South Island of New Zealand and did a good job there and now she’s won on the big stage on Doncaster Day so it’s pretty special,” Waller said.
Stout stayer
Liquero (Fiorente {Ire}) produced a stout staying performance to land the Listed Galilee Series Final over 2400 metres at Caulfield.
Liquero
Beaten just once in five appearances, he took up the uncustomary role of pacemaker and held a strong gallop for rider Jye McNeil to beat Through Irish Eyes (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and the winner’s stablemate Reuber (Dissident).
“I’ve always thought he would get better the further he went and at one stage I was worried there were no races far enough for him,” trainer Cindy Alderson said.
Smart 4-year-old too good again
Art Cadeau (Artie Schiller {USA}) added to his impressive record when he proved too good for his opposition in the Newhaven Park Country Championship’s Final.
The Terry Robinson-trained 4-year-old now has five wins and six placings from his 11 starts and his victory on Saturday was relished by rider Tommy Berry.
“It’s like riding a Group 1 winner. There’s so many good people involved with this horse and Terry has done a great job,” he said.
One more test
Annavisto (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) is likely to have one more start this preparation following her winning run in the Hylands Race Colours H. at Caulfield.
“She’s a good filly and can go to Adelaide for the Listed Nitschke S. and that will do her. She’ll have a nice spell and the older she gets, the better she’ll get,” co-trainer Mick price said.
Annavisto has won three of her last four starts, including the Listed Bendigo Guineas last month.
Te Aroha abandoned
The G1 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. has been rescheduled to Te Rapa next weekend after the Te Aroha meeting on Saturday was abandoned when track conditions were deemed dangerous after a fall in race three.
Rain during the day caused the downgraded Dead 6 surface to become slippery and forced the abandonment after the Cody Cole-trained Extortion (Casino Prince) slipped past the winning post and fortunately both rider Sam Collett and horse escaped unscathed.
“We conducted enquiries around the fall with the jockeys and trainers and track staff and it was quickly established the meeting could not continue,” Stipendiary Steward, Matthew Williamson, said.
Back in business
Talented mare Missile Mantra (Smart Missile) showed she was set for a good campaign with a tidy first-up victory at Caulfield.
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained runner was making her first appearance since she won the G3 Summoned S. in November and produced an irresistible finish to claim top honours in the Neds Filter Form H.
“She’s been trialling up a storm. She had a bit of a set-back with an infected leg at the start of her preparation, but she’s really good now,” stable representative, Andrew Angelone, said. “I thought she’d run really well and it all worked out perfectly.”
Blinkers do the trick
The addition of headgear on Hunnam (Shalaa {Ire}) proved a masterstroke as he led all the way to break his maiden in the Neds H. at Caulfield.
The Team Hawkes-trained 2-year-old, who was backing up from a third in last Saturday’s Listed Redoute’s Choice S., stepped cleanly for rider Jye McNeil and was travelling sweetly into the straight before sprinting clear in the closing 250 metres.
“It was pretty straightforward and the team made a plan to roll forward if he stepped away well. The 1200 metres and the blinkers were the keys to his performance,” McNeil said.
Tributes to Prince Philip
The death of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and husband of The Queen, on Friday at age 99 will be marked across British racecourses.
Two minutes of silence was observed at Aintree on Friday, with jockeys wearing black armbands and flags flying at half-mast, and those measures will be repeated again during the Grand National meeting at the course. Similar tributes will be held at the fixtures at Chepstow, Lingfield Park, Wolverhampton and Newcastle.
Though never a racehorse owner himself, the Duke of Edinburgh had been an honorary member of the Jockey Club since 1947 and regularly accompanied The Queen at Royal Ascot, where the Duke of Edinburgh H. was staged.
Bull makes mark
Having last tasted victory in the GI Shoemaker Mile last May, Peter Brant's Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) exploded from off the pace to comfortably best eight-to-one chance Ride A Comet (Candy Ride {Arg}) in Friday's GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland.
Settled in a rail-hugging fifth behind Get Smokin (USA) (Get Stormy {USA}), the seven-to-two chance made a big move to get into contention and swung out three wide to take control at the head of the lane and drove clear to score by 2l over the game Ride A Comet.
“Raging Bull got a great trip and setup. He's much more effective with a solid pace in front of him,” winning trainer, Chad Brown, said.
Watson claims title
Doug Watson earned his seventh UAE trainers' championship at Al Ain Racecourse on Friday evening, claiming the victory with 40 wins, one more than three-time champion Ernst Oertel, despite his yard being compromised by a COVID-19 outbreak early in the season.
Watson now stands alone as the trainer to have won the most UAE training titles; he was previously tied with Satish Seemar on six.
“We have such a great team at home, both the owners and the staff,” Watson said. “They have been fantastic and everyone works seven days a week and we went through the COVID situation and thankfully everyone's okay from that and things have gone well (since). It was tough right down to the wire.”
