Stars step out at Rosehill
Warwick Farm-based trainer Annabel Neasham ramped up the preparations of two of her stable stars on Saturday at Rosehill, when Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) and Sunshine In Paris (Invader) galloped together between races.
Neasham explained she is still in two minds where Zaaki will run first-up. However, the G1 Surround S. victress Sunshine In Paris would tackle the G2 Sheraco S. next month in hope she gains a slot in the $20 million The Everest.
Those trackside were also treated to an exhibition gallop from the Chris Waller-trained Zougotcha (Zoustar) who has both the $10 Golden Eagle and The Everest as options, with the G3 Toy Show Quality on August 19 a potential kick off point.
“I’d rather find out earlier in the spring and concentrate on something,’’ Waller said.
“I want to work out whether she’s a genuine sprinter or whether she’s a miler. She won the Flight Stakes over a mile, she missed her first-up run last prep because she had a temperature.
“So, we never learned how effective she was over 1200 metres.”
Kah's return imminent
Jamie Kah has been given the green light to ride at the Cranbourne trials on Monday following her latest neurological test on Friday. The clearance is a big step towards Kah’s eventual return to race riding after suffering a much-publicised fall at Flemington in March. Kah suffered bleeding to the brain and was placed in an induced coma from the fall.
Jamie Kah | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Acting chief steward Rob Montgomery confirmed that Kah’s status has been upgraded to participate in trials and jump-outs. However, she still has to face the Victorian Racing Tribunal on Wednesday, August 16 for a charge of conduct prejudicial to the images, interest, integrity and welfare of racing after images of Kah with a white powder were shared in July.
Shinn suspended at Flemington
Leading rider Blake Shinn ended Saturday with a 12-meeting suspension for careless riding. Shinn pleaded not guilty to the charge, but Racing Victoria stewards found he had caused interference to Flying Mascot (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) when riding Poland (So You Think {NZ}) in the ninth race on the card.
Shinn was reportedly frustrated when stewards informed that there would be no reduction to his ban due to his non-guilty plea.
“I didn’t plead guilty because I feel the horse (Poland) contributed to everything,” Shinn said.
“The horse caused it. It is as simple as that.”
It was an emotional and bittersweet day for Shinn. He rode two winners Shaiyhar (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) and First In Line (GB) (New Approach {Ire}). The latter tragically suffered a suspected heart attack after winning, an autopsy will be performed to confirm the cause of death.
Brayden Star to tackle Caulfield Cup?
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Brayden Star (GB) (Twilight Son {GB}) continued his good form at Flemington on Saturday in the VRC Member Lionel Moss Trophy with Damien Oliver in the saddle.
The victory prompted Busuttin to share that the import would be targeted at the G3 Naturalism S. at Caulfield on September 30 with the hopes that Brayden Star earns a golden ticket into the G1 Caulfield Cup from the Naturalism.
“Brayden Star is a genuine, nice, good horse. We were worried by the patten with him being a bit leaderish,” Busuttin said.
“I’d love to get him into the Naturalism. I’d love to get him out over 2000 metres. If he could win at Moonee Valley at his next start, then we’d go there with the idea of trying to get into a Caulfield Cup.”
Lloyd falls foul of stewards
There is no doubt Zac Lloyd can ride. However, the Champion apprentice continues to fall foul of the Racing NSW stewards, on Saturday at Rosehill Lloyd was suspended for the second time in four days.
Lloyd outrode his metropolitan claim on Saturday riding a double but was suspended for careless riding when stewards conclude Lloyd aboard Kirkeby (Kermadec {NZ}) caused interference to James McDonald aboard So United (So You Think {NZ}) in the third race on the card.
McDonald told stewards the incident, “Could have ended in tears. If he resisted and pushed Kirkeby back in, it would have placed Lloyd’s mount at risk of clipping heels.”
Lloyd commented, “I felt good enough to edge my way out underneath him (McDonald).”
However chief steward Steve Railton agreed that the action taken by Lloyd was forceful and could have been a lot more serious. Railton said, “Zac (Lloyd), I’m not going to lecture you, but you just can’t barge out like that.”
The suspension was the 11th for Lloyd since moving to Sydney.
Tourneur dominates at Murray Bridge
South Australian-based jockey Dom Tourneur rode three winners on Saturday at Murray Bridge. Tourneur’s day started in Race 2, riding the Matt Laurie-trained Esecutore (Performer) on debut to a dominant victory. In the fourth race Tourneur rode the Peter and Belinda-trained Validated and rounded Saturday out aboard the Sue Murphy-trained Hasta La Fiorente (Fiorente {Ire}) in the eighth race.
Dom Tourneur | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Walker trains first Flemington winner
Harris Walker, who trains in partnership with the Mornington-based horseman Pat Carey, celebrated his first winner at Flemington on Saturday.
Walker and Carey were represented by Starlight Scope (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) who took out the VRC Member Jennifer Lefebvre Trophy over 1400 metres with Jye McNeil aboad.
Myers' super Saturday
The Wanganui-based trainer Kevin Myers enjoyed an incredible Saturday at Riccarton Park. Myers trained the first two winners over the hurdles and one winner over the steeples on the card. In Race 3 on the flat, the promising Bozo (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) to win, she was followed by Valley King (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) in Race 5.
Night Of Thunder's Highfield Princess outclasses King George rivals
John Quinn's stable star Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) took four starts to get rolling last year and provided symmetry to her profile with another post-Summer Solstice springboard in Friday's G2 King George Qatar S. at Goodwood.
Last term's G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest, G1 Nunthorpe and G1 Flying Five heroine returned to her best form with a 3l victory in the King George.
“Highfield Princess ran really well in the Duke Of York and maybe got a bit tired,” Quinn said. “At Royal Ascot, she was beaten just a length in the King's Stand and then, four days later in the Jubilee, she ran another fantastic race. We decided to give her a break, which we did last summer, and we were pleased with her at home. She is a 6-year-old mare and, fair dues to her, she has bounced back well. She is a top-class filly and we are delighted to have her. All she has done is improve for racing and gone from being a top-class handicapper to being the best sprinting filly in Europe, if not the world. I was very keen for her to get her head in front for herself and today will have done her a lot of good. Group 2 races are so hard to win as well, but she had run here two years ago in the (G3) Oak Tree and handled the track lovely, so we thought she'd handle the track. We thought maybe, just maybe, this might be easier than, for instance, the Maurice de Gheest which we decided to miss.”
Kingman's Epictetus upsets Fellow TDN Rising Star Nostrum at Goodwood
George Strawbridge's homebred 'TDN Rising Star' Epictetus (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) had finished of the board in his three latest starts and returned to form with a bang to deny fellow Rising Star Nostrum (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in Friday's G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred S. at Goodwood.
“Epictetus showed plenty of speed over a mile at two and we thought he was a horse who would progress to 10 furlongs this year, but that did not pan out,” explained Thady Gosden. “He has run good races, but not what we thought that he was capable of. It was a perfect ride from Frankie. He broke well, sat him on the fence and followed Ryan (Moore). Nostrum is a very smart horse, but Frankie gave our horse a brilliant ride. Epictetus ran a very good race last year (in the Futurity Trophy) at Doncaster when second to a future Derby winner on soft ground. He rolls his knee a little bit and is bred to like a little bit of give in the ground. It is slightly less tacky today and a bit more good to soft.” Looking ahead, Gosden continued, “There is a mile race back here, the (G2) Celebration Mile, which fits in well.”
Godolphin's Hurricane Lane bought by Coolmore as National Hunt sire
Dual Classic winner Hurricane Lane (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) will stand in 2024 under Coolmore's National Hunt banner after being purchased from Godolphin this week.
Trained by Charlie Appleby, the March foal broke his maiden at first asking at Newmarket in October of 2020, and was an undefeated winner of the G2 Dante S., his third start, in 2021. Third in the G1 Derby, Hurricane Lane rattled off the G1 Irish Derby, G1 Grand Prix de Paris, and the G1 St Leger in succession later that summer and was a close third in the G1 Grand Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. Kept in training at four, he added a third in the G2 Hardwicke S. at Royal Ascot and was also first in the G2 Jockey Club S. at five.
Hurrican Lane (Ire) | Image courtesy of Godolphin
“We are delighted to get Hurricane Lane,” Coolmore's Cathal Murphy said. “He's a fine, big, good-moving horse with a pedigree and race record to match. He's one of the best sons of Frankel to date and comes from a leading Aga Khan family. His dam by Shirocco won a Listed race at Saint-Cloud and her half-sister Seal Of Approval won a Group 1 on British Champions Day.”
Shaquille working toward Haydock's Sprint Cup
Shaquille (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}), a dual Group 1-winning sprinter in the colours of Hughes, Rawlings and O'Shaughnessy, will shortly begin his fast work in preparation for the G1 Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock on September 9.
Trained by Julie Camacho, the 3-year-old is eight-for-seven and claimed both the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the G1 July Cup S. in July.
“Shaquille is in really good form,” said Camacho's husband and assistant Steve Brown. “We purposely gave him a quiet couple of weeks after Newmarket which was always the plan. He looks well and it has freshened him up. He has regrouped nicely and is back cantering.
“We are very pleased with him. He is a very straightforward horse at home and he will do his first bit of fast work on Saturday. We are all systems go to Haydock and we're looking forward to it.”
Of the colt's autumn plans, Brown added, “I would think the obvious route would be to go to Champions Day (in October). We've obviously had a little bit of interest in the possibility of going abroad (to the Breeders' Cup) this year, but I think we will be staying at home and probably go to Ascot.
“We'll go a step at a time, but it will have been a long year by then and he's still a 3-year-old and we have to be mindful of that.”
Elusive Princess dominates the Saratoga Oaks in American debut
Nobody was going to rain on Elusive Princess’s (Fr) (Martinborough {Jpn}) parade as she emerged from the bog that was Saratoga's lawn Friday to score her first stakes win in the G3 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. With pouring rain that led to an abandoned post parade and eventually cancelled the rest of the card, the field for the Saratoga Oaks went straight from the paddock to the gate.
“I thought I was in a good position,” said winning jockey Flavien Prat. “She actually jumped better than I thought and she was traveling well. Really handy and when I had a chance I thought not taking any risk then the two horses in front of me came really shifting out, but I ended up fine. I was actually on the good ground so I was okay with it. I was going to go outside, but I ended up being a lot wider than I thought.”
Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale catalogue now online
The catalogue for the 2023 Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, which is set to take place on Tuesday, September 19, to Thursday, September 21, is now available to view online. The auction will have 506 lots on offer for Part I on September 19 to Wednesday, September 20, with 256 more lots selling during Part II on the final day.
The September Yearling Sale has produced 53 individual 2-year-old winners to date throughout Ireland, UK, France, Italy and Hungary, as well Group 3 and listed success at home and abroad. Last year, trainer Stefano Botti purchased G3 Premio Primi Passi winner Folgaria (Ire) (Due Diligence {USA}), who remains unbeaten in three career starts. Other graduates from a year ago include listed winners Myconian (Ire) (Magna Grecia {Ire}), Man With The Plan (Ire) (James Garfield {Ire}) and Tiger Belle (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}).
Some of the many highlights of the 2023 catalogue include a Dandy Man (Ire) full brother to Group 2 winner Dandalla (Ire) (Lot 68); a Churchill (Ire) half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner Danedream (Ger) (Lomitas {GB}) and Group 3 winner Venice Beach (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (Lot 95); a River Boyne (Ire) half-brother to multiple Group 1 winner A Case Of You (Ire) (Hot Streak {Ire}) (Lot 222).
Three Champs lead class of 2023 into Hall of Fame
Saratoga Springs, New York. Co-owner and co-breeder Steve Coburn was a quotable presence during California Chrome’s (USA) fine career and delivered again Friday when the California-bred was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame.
Champions California Chrome, the late Arrogate (USA) and Songbird (USA) (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}), all in their first year of eligibility, joined jockey Corey Nakatani in the contemporary class of 2023. Fernando Toro was selected by the Historic Review Committee. Three people–the late John Hanes II, the late Leonard Jerome and Stella F. Thayer–were inducted as Pillars of the Turf in the ceremony at the Fasig-Tipton Sales Pavilion.
Award-winning journalist Edward Bowen, a museum trustee who has chaired a number of Hall of Fame committees, was presented with the inaugural Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Award for his contributions to the museum.
