Lane leads Melbourne Jockeys Premiership
With nine meetings left on the Melbourne city calendar for this season, jockey Damian Lane isn’t taking his 16 win advantage in the Melbourne Jockey’s Premiership for granted. “It would be great to have my name on the CV, to have my name up there with some of the elite riders who have won it before me. I’ll knuckle down, it’s not over yet, and I’ll keep striving towards it,” Lane told Racing.com.
Damian Lane | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“There are a few weeks to go and the winter racing during the cold weather can be mentally challenging, especially when you see other people posting shots in warmer spots, but when you’ve got a good target to pursue it makes it easier.”
Resolute Racing adds Maher to trainers
John Stewart named Ciaron Maher as the third and final trainer for Resolute Racing’s Australian yearlings, along with Chris Waller and Bjorn Baker. Maher will train a $650,000 I Am Invincible filly from Faith In Hand (Fastnet Rock), who is a full sister to G1 Thousand Guineas winner Amicus, and the $225,000 Street Boss (USA) filly out of an unraced mare This Time Bridie (More Than Ready {USA}).
Beer returns to Flemington next weekend
NSW trainer Mitchell Beer is looking forward to being in Melbourne next weekend when he’ll bring down Mnementh (Eurozone) for the Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final at Flemington.
“I’m really excited to get back to Melbourne, obviously, that’s home, I took my first job at Flemington working in the stables, I spent five years getting yelled at by John Sadler there as well!” Beer told Racing.com.
“Flemington’s just a special place, especially for someone who grew up in Melbourne, so to have the thought of having a good chance there in any race, especially a stakes race, it’s bloody exciting.”
Better Than Ready adds juvenile winner
Kevin Hansen-trained 2-year-old gelding Ask Me Mate (Better Than Ready) won at Rockhampton on Sunday at just his second raceday outing. He becomes the nineth 2-year-old winner for his sire this season.
Ask Me Mate as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Debutant juvenile winner for Denman
Dubbo’s Sunday meeting provided Mudgee trainer Mack Griffith with an exciting debutant win by 2-year-old gelding Nomorenightshift (Denman). He is the third foal and third winner for Nosey Tycoon (Written Tycoon) who is related to Group 3 winner Magnapal (Magnus).
Cult hero Dubai Moon wins again
Dubai Moon (Pride Of Dubai) won on Sunday at Ballarat for trainer Frankie Stockdale to take his record to nine wins from 54 starts with a further 14 placings. He became a cult hero with punters when winning four in succession over a two week period in Jan/Feb this year.
McCarthy hospitalised after fall at Casterton
Leading jumps hoop William McCarthy has been taken to hospital with a suspected dislocated shoulder, following a fall at Casterton on Sunday. His horse Killourney (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) returned to scale unharmed.
William McCarthy
Earlier, the opening race at Casterton was abandoned after the Ciaron Maher-trained Joffrey (NZ) (Raise The Flag {GB}) slipped on landing on the first circuit in the home straight and fell. His rider Luca Remondet was up and taking to doctors, but sadly Joffrey was humanely euthanised following the incident.
Cups plan for Spencer
Spencer (NZ) (Derryn) has won his last three in succession including at Hawkes Bay on Saturday, and now will be aimed at New Zealand’s winter cups. “He is entered for the Winter Cup down at Riccarton and will most likely need one more race before we go there,” trainer Erin Hocquard told Loveracing.nz on Sunday.
Spencer (NZ) (orange silks) prevailed in a thrilling finish to the Taradale Club H. | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
“He had three weeks between runs this time and if we do the same again then the Opunake Cup looks ideal for him as it would be three weeks to that and then a fortnight to the Winter Cup.” The 127th running of the G3 Winter Cup will be on August 3.
Puro Magic wins G3 Kitakyushu Kinen
The G3 Kitakyushu Kinen on Sunday was won by 3-year-old filly Puro Magic (Jpn) (Asia Express {USA}) who made it two Group 3 wins in succession after also winning the G3 Aoi S. at Kyoto last start. Puro Magic led all the way over the 1200 metres, recording a time of 1:07.9.
She has now won four of her nine starts for trainer Shogo Yasuda.
G3 Radio Nikkei Sho won by Off Trail
Godolphin’s 3-year-old colt Off Trail (GB) (Farhh) won Sunday’s G3 Radio Nikkei Sho at Fukushima equalling the race record time of 1:45.3 for the 1800 metres. He has now won three of his seven starts, and been placed on three occasions. This was his first stakes win.
He is the only runner for Farhh in Japan, and becomes Farhh’s 14th stakes winner. The son of Pivotal stands at Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket.
Five former Australian gallopers to debut in Hong Kong on Monday
Five Australian exports will make their Hong Kong debut at Sha Tin's public holiday fixture on Monday night; Motoman (Super One), Alpha One (Super One), Gor Mo Tuen (Speith {NZ}), Riding High (Exceed And Excel), and Sovereign Fund (Capitalist).
Hong Kong Jockey Club
“(Motoman)'s got good gate speed, which is an asset over the 1000m in Hong Kong and only trialled on Tuesday, so he should be ready to run well, but he is a big horse and will improve with racing,” jockey Zac Purton told Racing.com.
Hong Kong battle heads to Monday at Sha Tin
Monday’s Reunification Raceday meeting at Sha Tin will see tied trainers Pierre Ng and Francis Lui bring big teams as their trainers’ championship battle continues.
Ng has ten runners on the 11 race card, while Lui has 12.
Juddmonte’s Bluestocking wins G1 Pretty Polly
Saturday's G1 Pretty Polly S. served up a thriller, with Juddmonte's Bluestocking (GB) (Camelot {GB}) running down Emily Upjohn (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the final yards for a deserved top-level breakthrough. With abundant rain falling on The Curragh throughout the day, the Ralph Beckett-trained 4-year-old who was herself cruelly denied late in last year's G1 Irish Oaks held the upper hand in terms of ground preference and traded as the 11-10 favourite as a result.
Bluestocking (GB) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Rossa had an inkling that Emily Upjohn might go forward at some point and in a way it helped us, as it gave us something to aim at,” Beckett said. “Irish Oaks Day will live long in the memory for the wrong reasons, but it doesn't matter now. This justified the decision to stay in training and we learnt a good deal about her on Irish Oaks day last year–we know now to hold on to her a bit longer and today is perfect recompense. You'd think the [G1] Nassau is the right place to go and she clearly enjoys York, she's run well twice there, so the [G1] Yorkshire Oaks will probably be a good idea as well.”
Bluestocking is a daughter of 2011 G1 Matron Stakes heroine Emulous (GB) (Dansili {GB}).
Kingsbarns earns Breeders’ Cup berth
Spendthrift Farm's Kingsbarns (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) earned an automatic berth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic with a dominant victory in the GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday. “We're extremely proud of this horse's effort and for the entire team behind him,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher.
“Obviously winning a Grade I is a tremendous accomplishment. I think we've seen this year he's been able to settle better than when he was a 3-year-old and show that new dimension. He sat a perfect trip today and really kicked well when turning for home.”
Kingsbarns's victory gave Uncle Mo his second graded win of the afternoon, following Sabatini's win in the G3 Selene S. at Woodbine.
Anderson named Chief Steward for Canada
Doug Anderson has been named chief steward of The Jockey Club of Canada, effective June 29. Anderson succeeds R. Glenn Sikura, who served two three-year terms as chief steward.
Sikura will remain on the Board of Stewards of The Jockey Club of Canada until his term as a steward officially ends at the 2025 Annual General Meeting. David Anderson and Sue Leslie have both completed their second three-year term on the Board of Stewards of The Jockey Club of Canada and have stepped down.
