Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
The Sir John Monash S., was first run at Listed level in 1985 - in 2014 elevated to its current Group 3 status, it is an early taste of carnival time.
14 of its winners have gone on to further stakes success in the proceeding months and there are a number of Group 1 gallopers on its honour roll - such as Prince Salieri, Flavour (Rubiton), Rubitano (Rubiton), Super Elegant (Mister C {USA}) and Platelet (Strategic).
There is also stallion success amongst its winning ranks with Prince Salieri, Reward For Effort and Sequalo getting their fair share of winners whilst in 2009 it was won by I Am Invincible who is close to securing his third successive Australian Champion Sire title.
“First run at Listed level in 1985 - in 2014 elevated to its current Group 3 status, the race which for many years was run at Sandown - is an early taste of carnival time.”
Two sons of Woodside Park’s Shalaa (Ire) fight out favouritism in this year’s running - the Gavin Bedggood-trained Mornington Glory and the Ciaron Maher-trained Recommendation.
Both horses head to the race first up from spells, both with good fresh form and both coming through the same Cranbourne jump-out on July 1 - Mornington Glory first, Recommendation third.
Mornington Glory was a game Ballarat second first-up last time in - his first run for the stable and his first run as a gelding. He was consistent from thereon with his career highlight a close up G1 Oakleigh Plate third.
Recommendation | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Recommendation, who was second at Randwick fresh in the spring, also contested the Oakleigh Plate, finishing a close up sixth.
Challenges to the favourites come from Ashford Street (Moshe) who did not enjoy the best of runs at Flemington last time out, Mrs Chrissie (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) who is racing in great heart and the consistent Queensland visitor Party For Two (Sidestep).
Listed Beaufine Stakes
Danzig Beau (Slant {USA}), Great Nation (Key Business) and Nerodio (Playing God) have all won this 1000-metre feature on two occasions - a feat being attempted by Ghost Who Walks (God Has Spoken) on Saturday.
Ghost Who Walks | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The Neville Parnham trained 6-year-old was deep into a successful campaign when taking out this race last year whereas this time in he is first up off a Belmont trial win - in which he defeated Nerodio who vies to become the first three times winner of this race.
That Stephanie Bakranich trained 8-year-old is also resuming as he was when winning this race two years ago. He took his place last year as well, running a game third.
Dangers to the duo trying to write their name into the race’s history book include Minsk Moment (I Am Invincible) back from a brief Melbourne campaign having won two trials at Lark Hill.
Minsk Moment
Also first up is Sophia’s Symphony (Smart Missile) who was in flying form last winter/spring, winning three in a row for the Michael Lane stable.
First Season Sires - Caulfield
There is plenty of first season sire interest in Race 3 at Caulfield on Saturday - the Sportsbet Jockey Watch H. seeing four runners by three different young stallions taking their place.
The Hawkes family-trained Husk - a winner at Sandown in mid-May - is one of the 44 members of the first of only two Australian crops for his Coolmore sire Calyx (GB).
The homebred for Cheval Properties and Kirks Bridge Farm, the half-sister to the G2 Perth Cup winner Casino Seventeen (Casino Prince) is one of Calyx’s four Australian bred 2–year-old winners from 12 runners.
Calyx (GB) | Standing at Coolmore
Resuming after showing promise during her debut campaign for the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman stable is Flying Straz. Stakes placed at her Adelaide debut in February, she is by Rosemont Stud’s I Am Invincible horse Strasbourg who has had two runners amongst his first 15 runners, Colmar also stakes placed.
At Aquis when conceiving his first-crop, the now Yulong-based horse Pierata has made a terrific start to his stud career with eight winners from 24 runners including the stakes winners Coleman and Tobeornottobe.
He has two runners making their debuts in this race, the $800,000 Magic Millions graduate Just Like Gaby and the $250,000 Magic Millions filly Sirena.
Pierata | Standing at Yulong
Recording a soft win in a recent Warwick Farm trial, Just Like Gaby is, as her name suggests, a daughter of the dual Group 1 winner Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible).
Sirena, who has finished second in three Cranbourne jump-outs, is out of the six-time Group placed multiple city winner Fidelia (Not A Single Doubt). Both fillies are in the same stables as their dams, Ciaron Maher and Griffiths de Kock.
First Season Sires - Randwick
The first race on the 10-race card at Randwick - the TAB H. - is a 1400-metre contest for juveniles in which Newgate Farm’s Tassort is represented by two runners.
Despite racing wide at Canterbury at her third outing, the Chris Waller-trained Good Sort was able to break through in game fashion. Looking a chance to make it two in a row, the Grand Park View Stud homebred is one of the three winners for the city winner Canossa (Haradasun) from the family of the recent Listed Tattersall’s Gold Crown winner Princess Rhaeyns (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}).
Tassort | Standing at Newgate
A $35,000 Inglis Premier buy, the Ciaron Maher-trained Sacred Fort, who has been in the placings at four of his seven starts - is the second of Tassort’s runners. Bred by Kawal Pty Ltd, he is out of a winning half-sister to the juvenile stakes winner Kinky Boom (Spirit Of Boom).
Tassort - whose fee rises from $11,000 to $38,500 (inc GST) this spring - has had 10 winners amongst his first 28 runners with Manaal leading the way as winner of the G1 ATC Sires Produce S. whilst Ameena and Ad Astra are both stakes placed.
“Tassort - whose fee rises from $11,000 to $38,500 (inc GST) this spring - has had 10 winners amongst his first 28 runners with Manaal leading the way as winner of the G1 ATC Sires Produce S.”
Arrowfield Stud’s G1 Rosehill Guineas and G1 Champagne S. winner Castelvecchio is the other first-season horse with a runner in this race - Verona’s Cleopatra raced by her breeder having been passed in at the Inglis May Yearling Sale.
Leading throughout at her Hawkesbury debut for the Annabel Neasham stable, she is one of her sire’s two debut-crop winners - a crop which has also produced the stakes placed El Castello.
Castelvecchio | Standing at Arrowfield
Verona’s Cleopatra is one of the six foals from as many foals to race for the unraced Cleo’s Raine (Redoute’s Choice) whose dam is the Group 1 mare Egyptian Raine (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}) whose daughter Egyption Symbol (Stratum) won twice at Group 3-level.
First Season Sires - Doomben, Belmont and Murray Bridge
The Teddy Bears Picnic August 3 (now that sounds like a fun race day!) H. is the opening event at Doomben and it is a busy race for Kitchwin Hills’ G2 BRC Champagne Classic and G3 Breeders Plate winner Dubious who has three runners.
A $250,000 Magic Millions graduate trained by Ciaron Maher, Miss Trustful is down in class after contesting stakes races at her last two starts - third in the Listed Phoenix S. in early June.
She is a granddaughter of the stakes winner Great Anna (Anbaa {USA}) whilst the Kut Goldman-trained Indubitably is out of the stakes-placed Lady Mary (Dane Shadow).
Miss Trustful as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Picked up for $20,000 at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, she did a bit of work out wide at Beaudesert last time out but was able to break her maiden in tough fashion.
Meanwhile the $22,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale graduate Healthy Suspicion looks suited up in distance having found the line well when third at her Toowoomba debut for the Nicholas Beck stable.
A son of Not A Single Doubt from the family of Shamardal (USA) and Street Cry (Ire), Dubious has had 25 runners so far, five of those being winners.
“Picked up for $20,000 at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, she (Indubitably) did a bit of work out wide at Beaudesert last time out but was able to break her maiden in tough fashion.”
Waikato Stud’s G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Super Seth also has a runner in this race - Savour The Dream (NZ), a $180,000 Karaka yearling bred on a 4 X 3 cross of Zabeel (NZ).
Too good at just his second start at Doomben, the Bevan Laming-trained colt is out of the G1 New Zealand Oaks placegetter Savvy Dreams (NZ) (Savabeel).
Super Seth has eight winners amongst his first 23 runners including Linebacker (NZ) and Super Photon (NZ).
Super Seth | Standing at Waikato
In the placings at two of her first three starts, the Peter Robl-trained Bella Khadijah (Pierata) is another by a first-season stallion. Bred by Fernrigg Farm, the $80,000 Inglis Classic Yearling purchase is out of the Group 3-placed city winner Mouquet (Viscount).
Bowness Stud’s G1 Rosehill Guineas winner D’Argento has two Saturday runners - Metalic Marlin in the second at Belmont and Tripod Terror in the second at Murray Bridge. Also in the latter race is the Morphettville jump-out winner Swiftie Harriet by Vinery Stud’s Exceedance.
And also lining up in Perth is Mighty Roar by Rangeview Stud’s Long Leaf and the debutant Lano by Darley’s Blue Point (Ire).
Sydney Metropolitan Jockeys Premiership - Rawiller makes a late run
Whilst Chris Waller has the Sydney trainers premiership in his keeping with 141 city winners so far this season - 55.5 wins ahead of his nearest rivals Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott - the jockey’s premiership is a tighter contest.
A competition between James McDonald and Nash Rawiller.
But it is one which McDonald cannot see off in his usual winning style, currently on the sidelines with illness. His winning tally for the season sits at 83 whilst Rawiller is hot on his heels with 77 wins.
Nash Rawiller
Rawiller has seven rides at Randwick on Saturday - the impressive Scone debut winner Bartolf (So You Think {NZ}) in the first, the consistent Cranky Harry (Spill The Beans) in the third, Dr Evil (Casino Prince) in the fourth, African Daisy (American Pharoah {USA}) in the sixth, the import Ha Ha Ha (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the seventh, Testator Silens (Star Witness) in the eighth, the in-form Bear On The Loose (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) in the ninth and the flying South Of India (Churchill {Ire}) in the last.
There are plenty of well-fancied runners amongst that lot with Cranky Harry, African Daisy, Testator Silens and Bear On The Loose all opening as favourites in the betting whilst each of the other Rawiller mounts are well-fancied at single figure odds.
Rawiller has won this premiership on three occasions - 2009/10, 2010/11 and 2012/13 - beaten by only two wins by McDonald in 2013/14. McDonald meanwhile has won the last five.
