Another winner for Churchill
Coolmore Stud shuttler Churchill (Ire) sired a second winner in as many days as Miss Thatcher broke her maiden at Wagga on Thursday.
The 3-year-old filly finished strongly to beat Seventies Hit (Your Song) by 2.5l, while Heir Jordan (Spieth {NZ}) was another 0.2l back in third.
The filly was bought by Tim Martin from the Inglis HTBA May Yearling Sale for $20,000 and she is out of winning Testa Rossa mare Alberton Waltz, who is herself a half-sister to G3 Thoroughbred Club S. winner Cavalry Rose (Charge Forward).
Miss Thatcher becomes the seventh Southern Hemisphere-bred winner for Churchill who will stand the upcoming breeding season for a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).
Fogden excited for Best Of Bordeaux
Trainer Kacy Fogden is looking forward to Best Of Bordeaux (Snitzel) kicking off his preparation in the G3 San Domenico S. at Rosehill on Saturday.
The G1 Golden Slipper S. runner-up was initially due to begin his 3-year-old campaign in the Listed The Rosebud, but Fogden opted to wait for the Group 3.
"It feels like I've been waiting forever," Fogden said. "They are much more favourable conditions this Saturday as opposed to The Rosebud.
"Although it was quite tempting to run him, I thought there are bigger races in mind for him and there's no point potentially gutting him first-up under the big weight.
"I'm sure he would have handled it, but you never quite know until you do it and he is a nice colt that is very much worth looking after."
Swiss Exile looks to strike in San Domenico
Trainer Annabel Neasham is keen to see how Swiss Exile (Pariah) measures up in Saturday’s G3 San Domenico S. at Rosehill. The winner of the G2 Champagne Classic at Eagle Farm in May, the 3-year-old has impressed in two trials ahead of his first-up run.
Swiss Exile trialling on Friday, August 19 | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“He’s pretty smart, I think,” Neasham told News Corp. “This is possibly a step-up from the races he contested in Brisbane, but I think he’s progressive. From what I see at home and what we’ve seen in his trials, he’s certainly the most precocious colt in the stable at the moment.”
Sam Clipperton has the ride aboard Swiss Exile, which will jump from gate seven.
Maher bullish about Snapdancer
Co-trainer Ciaron Maher is confident that recent Group 1 winner Snapdancer (Choisir) will be ultra-competitive in Saturday’s G1 Memsie S. at Caulfield. Now a 6-year-old, Snapdancer won her maiden Group 1 in the Robert Sangster S. at Morphettville in May, before running second in the G1 Tattersall’s Tiara at Eagle Farm in June.
“The Caulfield 1400 metres, especially in the Memsie Stakes, is usually an on-pace sort of track,” Maher told News Corp. “I think it’s ideal for her. Racing on the pace over 1400 metres around Caulfield, she’ll take a bit of beating.”
Ethan Brown rides Snapdancer, which will break from barrier six.
Mugatoo retired
Dual Group 3 and 2021 All-Star Mile winner Mugatoo (Ire) (Henrythenavigator {USA}) has been retired.
The Kris Lees-trained gelding injured a tendon in last year’s Doomben Cup in May and had more than 12 months off the scene, before resuming at Rosehill on August 13, where he was well-beaten.
“He’s going to enjoy a nice, lush paddock now,” Nick Lovett of Australian Bloodstock, who raced Mugatoo, told Racing.com.
“There was nothing evident clinically with him, but we just weighed up the risk versus reward.
“He's certainly up there with the better horses we've been fortunate enough to race.”
Zamborghini ready for McNeil test
Matt Laurie believes unbeaten colt Zamborghini (Zoustar) could prove more effective if ridden with a sit.
Zamborghini – a $1.25 million buy from the Widden Stud draft at the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale - set the pace in his two victories.
Laurie has taught the colt to conserve his energy.
“He’s got a really nice building gallop,” Laurie told News Corp.
“He’s had to lead in his two starts to date but I don’t actually think that’s how he likes to be ridden, when he steps up to better grade, I think he’ll be just off them and hopefully go even better.”
Vale Peter Setchell
Peter Setchell, the founder and former principal of Millfield Stud, died this week in Cambridge after a battle with cancer.
Setchell’s first foray into racing was in the 1970s when he purchased the 200-acre farm north of Matamata, and one of his earliest success stories was the broodmare Pacaya (GB) (Psidium {GB}), the dam of the very smart Society Bay (NZ) (Zephyr Bay), whose four Group wins included the G2 Edward Manifold S. in 1986. Millfield Stud also bred the 1976 Sydney Cup winner, Oopik (NZ) (St Puckle {GB}), and the Australian Horse of the Year Red Anchor (NZ).
“He may have had a fast racehorse from time to time, but he never had a fast car,” said friend and fellow breeder, Scott Williams. “Peter was a man of frugal means who did right by the breeding industry, and a lot of his estate is going to animal charities.”
Setchell’s funeral service will be held on Thursday, September 1, at Woodside Estate, Matangi, at 2pm NZT.
Lightsaber ready for Memsie test
Peter Moody is hoping the rain stays away from Caulfield as he prepares to run Lightsaber (Zoustar) in the G1 Memsie S. on Saturday.
After more than 35 millimetres for the week and seven millimetres on Wednesday, Caulfield was posted as a Heavy 8 on Thursday morning, but with no rain forecast on Friday and Saturday it is hoped the track will get back into the soft range by raceday.
"He's had three trials, although two of them were on very wet ground hence the reason I gave him three to get some benefit out of it," Moody said. "He loves the seven at Caulfield and hopefully it gets back to that soft range.
"He's got improvement in him. He's a 4-year-old bull, a big strong horse and he looks enormous, and his form says he should be going to that type of race."
Wanzare excited by recently acquired Miss Take
Sydney owner Manoj Wanzare was celebrating on Thursday as his new acquisition Miss Take (NZ) (War Decree {USA}) delivered an impressive 9.5l demolition at Riccarton.
Wanzare purchased a significant share in the filly from Sam Beatson of Riversley Park, Andrew Stuart and Matthew Shepard after came onto his radar following her 10l trial win at Ashburton last week.
“One of her biggest assets is her high cruising speed, only the highest of calibre can burn the candle at both ends and still make it look effortless," Wanzare said.
“She will most likely run in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes next start. I have fond memories of winning that race with Matchmaker and would very much like to try and compete again with Miss Take, but Terri will have the final say on her programming, she has done a phenomenal job with her. Post Canterbury Belle, we will need to decide if we want to push on to the NZ 1000 Guineas or bring her over to Australia.”
Mark Johnston's milestone
Mark Johnston broke new ground on Wednesday evening (local time) when he became the first British trainer to reach 5000 winners. Johnston, who as of this year trains alongside his son, Charlie, has sent out over 200 winners a year with amazing regularity over the last decade or so.
He has been training since 1987 and is renowned for producing tough-to-pass, front-running horses from his North England base, which has been developed over the years to include extensive gallops and even its own airfield.
