Converge’s half-brother gets off the mark
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Coincide (Invader) finally shed his maiden tag, breaking through at Randwick-Kensington at his sixth start.
The 3-year-old is from Conversely (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}), making him a half-brother to the dual Group 1-winning stablemate Converge (Frankel {GB}).
Coincide was consigned by his breeder, Evergreen Rich, at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. He was bought for by his trainers and Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $320,000, making the most expensive Invader yearling in 2022.
Invader will stand at Aquis Farm at a fee of $11,000 (inc GST) this spring.
New winners for second season sires at Sale
Widden Stud resident Written By and Darley shuttler Harry Angel (Ire) both added a new winner to their tally on Wednesday.
Written By’s victory came via the Grahame Begg-trained Written Bligh, who was most impressive in taking our Race 1 under Jordan Childs. The filly was bred by Scott Holcombe and Milburn Creek and was passed in at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. She is from the winning Redoute’s Choice mare Lady Bligh and she herself is a half-sister to the Listed victress and Group 1 placegetter Run For Levi (Hussonet {USA}).
Written By will stand at a fee of $27,500 (inc GST) this season.
Harry Angel filly La Petite Angele denied Written By a double when she proved too good for the odds-on favourite Scorsese (Written By) in Race 2.
Trained by Cliff Brown, La Petite Angele was bred by B2B Thoroughbreds and it offered her at the 2021 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale. She made $30,000, before being consigned by Sullivan Bloodstock at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. There, Brown paid $130,000 for her.
La Petite Angele is out of the winning Sepoy mare Tiny Taj and she herself is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner and Listed-producing sire Galah and the stakes performers Pygmy (New Approach {Ire}) and Miniature (Exceed And Excel).
Harry Angel commands a fee of $33,000 (inc GST).
Unite And Conquer up and away
Kingstar Farm's Unite And Conquer, a son of Hinchinbrook, sired his first trial winner on Tuesday morning. From his first crop of juveniles, Switch To Go stepped out at Toowoomba, winning in the final heat of the morning, restricted to colts and geldings.
Purchased for $60,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale by owner Frank Manwaring, Switch To Go is trained locally by Harry Richardson.
Unite And Conquer stands at Kingstar Farm for $6600 (inc GST) in 2023.
Caulfield Guineas hero to resume in Missile
Godolphin entire Golden Mile (Astern) will look to return to the winner’s list in Saturday’s Missile S. at Rosehill.
After winning the G1 Caulfield Guineas and the G2 Callander-Presnell last spring, Golden Mile went winless during his four-start autumn campaign.
He has had two trials ahead of his return and won the most recent of those (at Randwick on Friday).
Golden Mile | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The 4-year-old has drawn gate two and will be ridden by James McDonald.
Stablemate Ingratiating (Frosted {USA}) - a last-start winner of the G3 Bletchingly S. - has also been accepted for the $300,000 race, but he is also in the G3 Aurie’s Star H. at Flemington.
Mathrick has Cause to aim high
Shawn Mathrick is going to shoot for the stars with talented sprinter Cause For Concern (Worthy Cause).
The 4-year-old gelding - a winner of four of eight starts - will line up in Saturday’s G3 Aurie’s Star H. at Flemington and Mathrick is confident he will run a bold race.
“He’s a sprinter, if he could go on Saturday and if he could blow them away in the Aurie’s Star, which as I said, his work this morning (Wednesday) was super, there’s some good races,” Mathrick told Racing.com.
“We’d go straight to The Everest with a sprinter, wouldn’t we? You’ve got to get a spot obviously but if he could front up like he did this morning (Wednesday), he’d be pretty impressive.”
Craig Williams will ride the last-start Flemington winner, who has drawn the inside alley.
Waller eyes Cox Plate with Lindermann
Champion Trainer Chris Waller has labelled this year’s G1 Rosehill Guineas victor Lindermann the “perfect weight-for-age horse” and has high hopes for the Lonhro entire this spring.
“I think he’s a perfect weight-for-age horse, which we probably struggled with last year,” Waller told Racing And Sports.
“He’s set for a big prep.
“We will look at the Winx first-up and then you’ve got the King Charles, which is a bit different in terms of where we’d normally go in terms of timing.
Lindermann | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“Then you've got your Turnbulls, maybe even a Cox Plate.
“I’d say the Golden Eagle is probably a bit short for him, 1500 metres. But it’s on his home track and if something went wrong through the prep you’ve always got it to fall back on.”
The three-time winner was first home in a 902-metre trial at Canterbury on Tuesday.
Blanc De Blanc out for spring
Michael Freedman has notified Racing NSW that promising I Am Invincible filly Blanc De Blanc will have an extended spell and therefore miss the upcoming spring carnival.
Now a 3-year-old, Blanc De Blanc won her maiden in November last year, before placing in four subsequent stakes starts, including running second to Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}) in the R. Listed Inglis Millennium.
Wiseman may ride in Darwin on Saturday
Bashing victim Sonja Wiseman could be a shock participant at Saturday’s Palmerston Sprint meeting in Darwin.
The 31-year-old jockey was left with significant facial injuries after being set upon by “a group of 10-15 men”, who hit her in the face with a large rock.
"These men were literally like a pack of coyotes going on a hunt,” she told Racenet.
Remarkably, Wiseman was back riding trackwork on Wednesday morning.
“I rode trackwork this morning (Wednesday) and I definitely think I am fine to ride, everything also seems to be getting a go-ahead from a medical point of view at this time,” Wiseman said.
“There was no pain and my nose didn’t bleed.
“It is still going to hurt if I get hit by kickback on Saturday.
“I’ve got to go for brain scans, my doctor who dealt with me when I had my bad fall a while ago just wanted me to do them to double check that I’m okay.
“I also just want to double check with the doctors as well.”
Wiseman has accepted for two rides, including Vunivalu (Toorak Toff) in the $135,000 feature.
Berkeley Square set for resumption
Having missed the autumn due to injury, Group 2 winner Berkeley Square (Territories {Ire}) returns to the races on Saturday, with the untapped 4-year-old gelding to line up in the VRC Dennis Foley Sprint (1410 metres) at Flemington.
Berkeley Square was sidelined during the autumn after he stepped on a nail and got an infection in his pedal bone that required surgery.
“The injury has healed up without a problem and he’s now good to go,” O’Sullivan told Racing And Sports.
Berkeley Square | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He’s a very good horse and hopefully he gets a clear run, but he’s going there with only one jump-out.
“With, hopefully, a long spring ahead of him he will get benefit out of it and the 1400 metres is probably the shortest that he wants these days.”
When asked what his spring targets are, O’Sullivan said: “Everything is on the table.
“We’ll work our way through it and see how each run goes. I’ve looked ahead but haven’t locked anything in.”
Lloyd’s double soured by suspension
Sydney’s Champion Apprentice of last season Zac Lloyd picked up where he left off, chalking up a double at Randwick-Kensington, but his day ended on a bitter note when he was handed a five-meeting ban for causing interference in Race 1.
Lloyd’s penalty commences following Saturday’s Missile S. meeting and he is free to resume riding at Hawkesbury on Rowley S. day (August 17).
Gold Trip on same path to Cup
Last year’s G1 Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) will again contest the G1 Cox Plate en route to defending his title.
Gold Trip finished a luckless ninth in the 2022 Cox Plate and was only 2.9l off the winner Anamoe. He then headed to Flemington where he lumped 57.5kg to victory.
“That worked last year so we will do the same this year,” co-trainer David Eustace told Racing.com.
Gold Trip (Fr) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“For his lead-in races we will be guided by the weather and also the weights he will get.”
The 7-year-old stayer had his first jump-out at Cranbourne on Monday, finishing last in a field of five over 1000 metres on a Heavy track. Eustace said he will have another couple of jump-outs or trials ahead of his first-up run.
Alcohol Free to be aimed towards The Everest
Imported mare Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) is likely to run for her owner, Yulong Investments, in this year’s The Everest, assuming she bounces back to form.
The multiple Group 1 winner failed at her only Australian start in the autumn, finishing 10th in the G1 Queen of the Turf S. at Randwick in April.
The 6-year-old looks set to resume in the G2 Sheraco S. at Rosehill on September 9.
“At this stage she is going to head towards an Everest campaign,” co-trainer Adrian Bott told Sky Sports Radio.
“A positive run in that race and I think we can link into a race like the Premiere Stakes as a lead up to The Everest.
“So, the timing will work well but that first-up race will be crucial as to whether we stick to a sprinting campaign or look to stretch her out a little bit later in the preparation.”
BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe purchased Alcohol Free for 5,400,000gns ($10,988,460) at Tattersalls December last year.
Moment of silence for Taiki Yanagida
During Waikato Thoroughbred Racing’s first meeting of the season at Cambridge on Wednesday, the industry honoured the late Taiki Yanagida by observing a moments’ silence, nearly a year after the apprentice jockey’s tragic passing.
Affectionatley known as ‘Tiger’, Yanagida died in Waikato Hospital on August 9, 2022, following a race fall at Cambridge. Yanagida was aboard a Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained galloper, which fell with 250 metres remaining in the final race on the card.
Taiki Yanagida | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Yanagida was knocked unconscious and placed in an induced coma at the track, before being transported to Waikato Hospital. He suffered serious head and spinal injuries and after a brave six-day fight, Yanagida died, surrounded by loved ones.
Bergerson celebrates maiden victory
New Te Akau co-trainer Sam Bergerson made a winning start to his career at Cambridge on Wednesday when Cote de Beaune (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) took out Race 5 - a BM65 over 970 metres.
It was the first win for the newly established Te Akau training partnership of Mark Walker and Bergerson.
Bergerson was thrilled to get on the board so early in his career.
“Monkey off the back early (in the season) is a very good feeling and a bit of relief too,” Bergerson said.
“It’s a massive thrill, a bit overwhelming, surreal and bizarre.
“I watched the race with Mark (Walker) and it was pretty exciting to see him (Cote de Beaune) cross the line in front.
“I’ve been given a massive opportunity with Te Akau Racing and I am looking to repay Dave (Ellis) and Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) and Mark for the faith they’ve put in me.”
