Talented 3-year-olds shine
Gifted colts Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) and Remarque (Snitzel) both paraded in fine order at Rosehill on Friday morning and trialled accordingly.
Chris Waller’s Home Affairs sat in second spot to the turn in his 900-metre heat and cantered home under rider Glyn Schofield to score by 2.8l.
Out of a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner and sire Russian Revolution, he won the G2 Silver Slipper S. last season and Group 1 options this season include the Golden Rose S., Caulfield Guineas or the Coolmore Stud S.
Team Hawkes’ Remarque was settled in third place in his trial by Courtney Van Der Werf and ran home stylishly without being put under any pressure to win by 3.3l.
A winner last season, he finished third after an interrupted run when resuming in the Listed The Rosebud S., but the brother to the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Estijaab bypassed last Saturday’s G3 San Domenico S. due to the Soft going.
Glenn Haven closing
Glenn Haven Racing has confirmed that its training operations will cease from September 30.
The picturesque Hawkesbury-based training facility will be sold through Inglis Rural Estate Agency.
"We would like to thank Matt Vella and all our staff for their wonderful contribution over the past few years and we are proud of the work they have done with a long list of successful graduates passing through the operation," Glenn Haven said in a statement.
"Please note Sir Owen and Go Bloodstock Australia remain committed and supportive of the thoroughbred industry. We are taking a significant change of direction and unfortunately no longer have the volume of racehorses to warrant our own training facility.
"Go Bloodstock retain our full confidence in Matt Vella and all our team, and we will continue to support Matt in whatever future venture he undertakes."
Oliver taking chances
Senior Victorian jockey Damien Oliver is already aware of increased riding opportunities due to Sydney riders unable to travel and the lengthy bans handed out to Jamie Kah, Ben Melham and Mark Zahra for breaching COVID-19 rules.
"The situation of the jockeys being suspended has certainly opened things up a bit, not just for the top jockeys, but I think everyone gets to move up a rank or two, so to speak," Oliver told Racing.com.
"I've certainly noticed I'm getting a few more rides. I was probably going to the races for two to four rides, whereas I think I had seven or eight on Saturday and seven on Wednesday and I've got something similar on this weekend.”
Oliver has five mounts at Moonee Valley on Saturday, including the promising filly Argentia (Frankel {GB}), who was ridden by Zahra in her impressive debut win, in the Listed 3 Point Motors Atlantic Jewel S.
Positive test
A Warwick Farm stablehand tested positive to COVID-19 at trackwork on Friday morning.
It is understood the Warwick Farm stablehand did not work on Thursday and stewards have put in place rapid testing before racing industry participants are allowed on track and the stablehand had not entered any stables before the test.
The stablehand was sent home and told to report for further testing and to isolate, Ray Thomas reported on Racenet.
Stewards conducted widespread testing of other Warwick Farm industry employees and so far no further positive readings have been returned.
Sydney on radar
Trainer Aidan O’Brien has floated the possibility of a trip to Sydney for Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}).
Mother Earth (Ire)
He will make a final decision after she chases a third Group 1 victory in the Matron S. at Leopardstown on September 11.
“There is a chance that Mother Earth will go to Sydney,” O’Brien told Irish media this week.
“There is a fillies’ race worth $2 million (The Invitation) a week before the Golden Eagle. There is a chance that after the Matron she will go into quarantine and go to run in that and then hopefully run in the Golden Eagle.”
Esta La Roca on song
New Zealand-bred mare Esta La Roca (NZ) (El Roca) is in a purple patch of form and trainer Lloyd Kennewell is hoping that will continue on Saturday when she contests the G2 McEwen S. at Moonee Valley.
She won first-up over 1000 metres at Sandown in June before placing in her next three starts, including the Listed Lightning S. at Morphettville and Listed Carlyon S. at Moonee Valley.
Esta La Roca (NZ)
“She is going as good as she was the other day when she just got run down. I think it is a perfect race for her,” Kennewell told SENTrack.
“A Group 2 with a mare like her can increase her value quite substantially if she can run top three, which I think she is more than capable. I think she is right on song.”
Lengthy wait worthwhile
Patience and persistence were rewarded at Wyong on Friday when Invincible Vision (I Am Invincible) led all the way to make a winning debut as a 5-year-old.
A half-brother to G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Mossfun (Mossman), he was purchased out of Fairview Park Stud’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $1,050,000 by trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott with Blue Sky Bloodstock.
“He’s been a work in progress and has had a few problems, but we were fairly confident,” stable representative Neil Paine said. “He’s a big, strong horse and everything to like about him.”
Invincible Vision first trialled more than two years ago and most recently won both of his Randwick trials last month.
Success for Furnaces
Hoodlum credited his sire Furnaces with his second success when the Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard-trained 3-year-old was successful on debut at Hawera on Friday.
Raced by Gary Harding, Hoodlum is out of the Denman mare Grapevine who is a half-sister to the Listed Phoenix S. winner and G1 JJ Atkins S. runner-up Sagarone (Real Saga).
He was originally bought out of co-breeder Aquis’ draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Riversley Park and Woburn Farm for $22,000. The latter then offered him at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale where he made NZ$125,000 to the bid of Benner and Phill Cataldo.
Furnaces won three races and was a multiple Group placegetter before the son of Exceed And Excel retired to Allandale Park.
Hiflyer finally back
After more than 29 months on the sidelines, Te Aroha trainer Peter Lock’s long wait is finally over and Group 1 performer Hiflyer (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) will resume in Saturday’s G2 Valachi Downs Foxbridge Plate.
Hiflyer
“He was off the scene for a long time with a tendon injury, but he’s been scanned three times now and is as good as gold, and his build-up in this new preparation has gone really well,” Lock said.
“After a nice jump-out at Matamata, he had a really good hitout between races at Cambridge a few weeks ago. I thought he worked really well that day.
“Then he topped it off with a very strong gallop on the course proper here at Te Aroha the other morning, where Sam Collett came over to ride him and was thrilled with how he felt.”
Group winner rehomed
Multiple Group winner Finche (GB) (Frankel {GB}) has been retired and rehomed, after suffering a tendon injury earlier this year.
"Finche has been a wonderful horse to the stable, obviously representing us in three Melbourne Cups," trainer Chris Waller told Racing.com.
The 8-year-old is now in the care of equine physiotherapist Serena Cox, after his owners ensured he had completed his rehabilitation from injury.
"We know Serena well as she works for our physiotherapist Tom Simpson and as fate would have it, Finche was the first horse that Serena met at Chris Waller Racing," Waller said.
Finche was successful in the G2 Prix Eugene Adam before relocating to Sydney where he won the G3 Kingston Town S. and was twice placed in the G1 Turnbull S. and finished fourth in the G1 Melbourne Cup.
Rain no problem
A rain-affected track at Moonee Valley would be ideal for Realm Of Flowers (So You Think {NZ}) when she opens her spring campaign on Saturday.
The mare will be racing at a distance below her best in the G2 Clamms Seafood Feehan S., but easing underfoot conditions wouldn’t disadvantage her chances.
Realm of Flowers
“We know Realm Of Flowers is a swimmer and she’ll handle a wet track,” co-trainer Sam Freedman said.
An emphatic victory in the Listed Andrew Ramsden S. to close her autumn campaign handed Realm Of Flowers a guaranteed G1 Melbourne Cup berth and all roads will lead the mare to the first Tuesday in November at Flemington.
Further Group success
Syndicate supremo Nick Bradley and George Boughey hooked up to secure the trainer's first pattern-race triumph with Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) in last month's G3 Prix Six Perfections at Deauville and repeated the dose with Corazon (Ire) (Markaz {Ire}), who won the G3 Prix d'Arenberg at Paris Longchamp.
“It's great to have another stakes winner for Nick, he's the biggest supporter of my yard and so we're very happy,” said Boughey.
“Mickael (Barzalona) is world class and has given her a peach of a ride. We've been pretty keen to make sure we have the right people on board when we travel to France and Mickael has done us another favour.”
Yaupon to Spendthrift America
Uncle Mo’s (USA) son Yaupon (USA), who became his sire's ninth Grade I winner with a tenacious victory in the Forego S. at Saratoga last month, will enter stud at Spendthrift Farm for the 2022 breeding season.
The Steve Asmussen-trained 4-year-old has the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar as his long-term objective before retiring to the stallion barn.
“Aside from being extremely fast, Yaupon is one of the best-looking sons of Uncle Mo you will find anywhere,” said Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey.
