Nature Strip to defend VRC Sprint crown
Trainer Chris Waller has confirmed that Nature Strip (Nicconi) will defend his crown in the G1 VRC Sprint Classic at Flemington on November 5.
Connections had also been weighing up whether to keep Nature Strip in Sydney for his namesake race, the $3 million Nature Strip S. at Randwick on October 29, but that would have meant stretching the horse beyond 1200 metres for the first time and also given him less time to recover from his tough run in this year's The Everest when he finished fourth behind Giga Kick (Scissor Kick).
Nature Sprint looks to defend his crown in the G1 VRC Sprint Classic at Flemington | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“His next start will be at Flemington in the Darley Sprint, a race that he was dominant in last year and he has obviously had great success up the straight in recent years,” Waller said.
“This allows us to give him three weeks between runs as we believe that he is more effective with his races spaced.
“Moving forward, spacing his races and giving him a three-race spring preparation will continue to give him longevity and enable Nature Strip to race on for another year.”
Durston confirmed for the Cup
Last weekend's G1 Caulfield Cup winner Durston (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) will take his place in the 2022 Melbourne Cup, trainer Chris Waller confirmed on Wednesday. The 7-year-old gelding will be ridden by Damien Oliver.
Waller needed a replacement for Michael Dee, who is committed to Lunar Flare (Fiorente {Ire}) for Grahame Begg.
Durston (GB) | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Durston was a wide-odds winner of the Caulfield Cup ahead of Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) and Knights Orde (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}), the first emergency to ever win the race, earning a berth in the Melbourne Cup with a 2kg penalty,a rise from 51.5kg to 53.5kg.
The Melbourne Cup will be the Highclere horse's seventh start for Waller and his eighth total Australian start since his importation from the United Kingdom two years ago.
Small field for Inglis Banner
Seven 2-year-olds are set to contest Saturday’s R. Listed Inglis Banner at The Valley. The 1000-metre race carries a purse of $500,000, with $300,000 going to the winner.
Reigning Victorian Premiership-winning trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have Cape Byron (Capitalist) engaged, and he will jump from barrier three under John Allen. The colt was bred by Merricks Station and realised $260,000 at this year’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. He is from the Snitzel mare Wind On Tide, who is a half-sister to the multiple stakes winner Detours (Ad Valorem {USA}).
First-season sire Harry Angel (Ire) is represented by the Lindsay Park-trained Arkansaw Kid. He is out of Florabella (Exceed And Excel) and is related to Group 1 winners Shinzig and Shindig (NZ) (Straight Strike {USA}), as well as the dual Listed winner Strada.
Arkansaw Kid was bred by Philippa Duncan Bloodstock and made $190,000 at this year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Five for Godolphin in the Kirkham
Godolphin has nearly half the field in Saturday’s Kirkham Plate for 2-year-olds, with the ‘Blue Army’ to send out five of the 11 runners. Three colts and two fillies will don the Godolphin royal-blue jacket for trainer James Cummings.
Stanislaus (Exceed And Excel) is a half-brother to G1 Caulfield Guineas hero Golden Mile (Astern), while Faberge (Exceed And Excel) is a sister to multiple Group 1 winner Bivouac, who now stands at Darley Australia. Three of the Godolphin quintet are by Darley’s outstanding stallion Exceed And Excel.
The Gary Portelli-trained Kintyre (Hallowed Crown), a half-brother to reigning Golden Slipper victress Fireburn (Rebel Dane), also makes his debut, as does the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Coincide (Inavder), who is a half-brother to Group 1 winner Converge (Frankel {GB}).
Two fillies for Spring Champion
Saturday’s G1 Spring Champion S. at Randwick has attracted a field of 12, with two fillies set to tackle the boys.
Group 1 winner She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice) and last Saturday's G3 Ethereal S. victress Renaissance Woman (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) will look to join the likes of Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}), Maid Of Heaven (Smart Missile) and Yankee Rose (All American) as fillies to win the 3-year-old staying feature.
She’s Extreme will be ridden by Glyn Schofield, while Rachel King will partner Renaissance Woman.
Tuvalu for the Crystal Mile
The last-start G1 Toorak H. winner Tuvalu (Kermadec {NZ}) has accepted for this Saturday's G2 Crystal Mile at The Valley. He will meet a nine-horse field that includes the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. winner Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante) and the Mick Price-Michael Kent Jnr import Visinari (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
Tuvalu | Image courtesy of Darren Tindale
Tuvalu will again be partnered by jockey Jarrod Fry, who has ridden the 5-year-old Lindsey Smith-trained gelding in his last eight starts.
Since commencing his career in January 2021, Tuvalu hasn't been out of a place in 13 starts, boasting a total of eight wins and $1.1 million in prizemoney.
Metro win for son of First Seal
The second son of the G1 Flight S. winner First Seal (Fastnet Rock), a 3-year-old gelding called Golden Age (I Am Invincible), broke his maiden on Wednesday at Warwick Farm on the second time of asking. Trained by the Hawkes team and raced by Alan Bell, Golden Age won the 1400-metre maiden by 0.36l to Oriental Tycoon (Written Tycoon).
Golden Age was fourth on debut late last month at Rosehill, and Michael Hawkes said there was room for betterment.
“He’s still learning, this horse,” the co-trainer told Sky Racing. “He doesn’t really know what it’s all about and he’s got to learn his craft, obviously. The further he gets the better he’ll be, but he’s a winner and he’s won well.”
Golden Age was bought by Hawkes Racing for $500,000 from Sledmere Stud at the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. His dam, First Seal, was a five-time Group winner in an outstanding career for China Horse Club.
Back-to-back wins for Baker mare
The 4-year-old mare Miss Madison (NZ) brought up a Rachel King-Bjorn Baker double at Warwick Farm on Wednesday by making it two wins on the trot in the fourth race, a BM72 over a mile. It was also winner number 83 for Darley’s resident second-season sire Astern.
Miss Madison has now won her last two straight for the Baker yard, and looks on-song this preparation with her record now standing at three starts, two wins and a third for the season. Baker confirmed the mare would progress to Saturday grade next time out, with considerations for black type further along.
Miss Madison is a former Kiwi galloper, and was Listed-placed before coming to Sydney earlier this year. Her dam is a daughter of the G2 Western Australian Oaks winner Fatal Attraction (Zabeel {NZ}).
Osborne calls it a day at Kyneton
Kyneton trainer George Osborne has called it a day on his training career, announcing via his website on Wednesday morning that he would finish following the Kyneton Cup meeting on November 2.
Osborne cited the track upgrades at Kyneton as a major motivation for his getting out of training, declaring it impossible to train his string of horses without adequate access to facilities. He stated that floating horses to nearby tracks would be a "financial disaster".
George Osborne and the late Miss Vista | Image courtesy of Osborne Racing
“I will have many dark days as this is the only business I know and love, but I am also looking forward to living a life somewhat out of racing, although I will always remain in some manner,” he said.
Osborne has been training horses for close to 30 years across places like Kembla Grange, Rockhampton, the Gold Coast and Kyneton. His most recent good horse was the flashy filly Miss Vista (Show A Heart).
Heidi Hi maps the NZ Cup
The Kiwi mare Heidi Hi (NZ) (Roc De Cambes {NZ}), trained by Robert Dennis at Southland, is on a path to a possible start in next month's G3 New Zealand Cup over 3200 metres.
The 6-year-old will tackle the Grand Casino at Wingatui on Thursday, a BM75 over 2200 metres, with another possible start at the same track on November 1 ahead of a decision on the New Zealand Cup.
Heidi Hi (NZ) when racing | Image courtesy of NZTM
“We'll see how she goes on Thursday, but there's an option to run on Melbourne Cup day over 2200 metres again and then hopefully on to the New Zealand Cup if we're going well,” Dennis told NZ Racing Desk.
Heidi Hi is a winner of three races in her 24-start career, and was placed last preparation in the Wairio Cup (2200 metres). She is currently the only horse in training for Dennis.
Six Aussies among the HK Sprint field
As of Wednesday, international entries for the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint on December 11 numbered 35, with no less than 13 individual Group 1 winners among them.
The sprint feature, which is part of the Hong Kong International Races, will be run on the turf over 1200 metres and has boasted such winners in the past as the Australian-bred Sky Field (Deep Field), Lord Kanaloa (Jpn), Silent Witness (El Moxie {USA}) and Falvelon.
There are six Australian horses currently nominated for this year's race, headed by Nature Strip (Nicconi), Eduardo (Host {Chi}) and last weekend’s winner of The Everest, Giga Kick (Scissor Kick). Also nominated are Economics (Capitalist) for Annabel Neasham, September Run (Exceed And Excel) for Chris Waller and The Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) for Cliff Brown.
No violation for Hot Rod Charlie
An investigation into allegations that Hot Rod Charlie (USA) (Oxbow {USA}), a winner of the G2 Lukas Classic S. at Churchill Downs on October 1, was wearing illegal toe-grabs in the race has found the horse was not in violation of any regulations set down by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA).
Race images of Hot Rod Charlie seemed to suggest the Doug O'Neill-trained colt was wearing the banned devices on his shoes, and an appeal was filed by connections of the race's runner-up, the Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike (USA) (Keen Ice {USA}).
“The stewards concluded that Hot Rod Charlie was not in violation of HISA's horseshoe rules,” the HISA statement reads. “After an independent review of the documents and related evidence submitted by the stewards, HISA has determined that the investigation was well-conducted and thorough, and agrees with the conclusion of the stewards.”
The Bloodhorse has reported that the owner of Rich Strike, Richard Dawson, plans to review the HISA findings.
