Nadal has Group 1 targets after Supernova
The Meteorite winner Nadal (Xtravagant {NZ}) will head to Group 1 targets after he runs in Saturday’s Supernova at Pakenham on December 21. “It’s 62 days to the Oakleigh Plate after The Supernova. He can have a couple of weeks out in the paddock and he’s not going to lose fitness and he’ll be ready to go,” trainer Ciaron Maher’s stable representative Jack Turnbull told racing.com.
Nadal | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“Ciaron and I have said for a fair while he’s the best handicap sprinter we have this spring. He’s always threatened to do what he did at Cranbourne, but until they do it, it's only hearsay. He’s a fast horse, but he’s better as a gelding. He had time off because he had soft knees and it all come together at once.” The 4-year-old gelding has won three of his 10 starts and over $650,000.
NZ TAB legislation will ensure exclusivity
Legislation is in front of the New Zealand government to ensure the NZ TAB has exclusive rights locally. “This legislation will enhance the long-term sustainability of New Zealand’s racing industry by making TAB NZ New Zealand’s sole provider for sports and race betting both on land and online,” MP Winston Peters told thestraight.com.au.
“Growing competition from offshore online betting operators poses a significant threat to the TAB NZ model. This change brings the model up-to-date with the current sports betting climate and will ensure the financial sustainability of the racing industry, as established in the Coalition Government’s Q4 Action Plan for New Zealand.”
If passed, the legislation will ban offshore operators, such as Australian-based wagering service providers, from servicing customers in New Zealand.
Berry rates Gringotts for Ingham on Saturday
Jockey Tommy Berry rates Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) for Saturday’s The Ingham at Randwick. “It would be nice to draw a gate because I think if he does he's going to be even harder to beat. It's nice to know he can get himself out of trouble even when he doesn't draw well,” Berry told racenet.com.au.
“He is probably one of the most exciting horses I've ridden for some time. He is only going to meet some of the same sort of horses he has been racing over the past couple of starts. He is not going to endure any penalties from his last-start win where he was impressive.
Tommy Berry | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“(Rivals) Port Lockroy was very impressive in Perth and Private Eye was too good up to that sort of distance the other day. We are probably coming to the time now where the good races are behind us. But to have good-quality horses race like this in December is exciting for everyone, I think.” Gringotts won The Gong and The Big Dance at his last two starts and has earnings over $3 million from his nine wins to date.
Bacash aimed at Magic Millions
Lindsay Park will run 2-year-old colt Bacash (Cosmic Force) at the Caulfield Heath meeting on Saturday December 14 as they aim him at January’s R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic. “He's been freshened for this, he trialled last Friday really well and he's on track, if he runs well and wins he'll be going up to the Magic Millions,” Ben Hayes told racenet.com.au.
“His two runs to date have been really good, James McDonald rode him last start and said he needed some head gear. We jumped him out in head gear since and it really straightened him up and made him concentrate. He's a big strong horse and he's handling his work no problems and very sound.”
Ben Hayes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Lindsay Park have had four juvenile winners this season with Tycoon Star (Written Tycoon), Miss Celine (Magnus), Shining Smile (Spirit Of Boom), and Hello Romeo (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}). “Some years you get a good crop, some years you don't. This year we've got a particularly good, forward bunch, last year things didn't quite go to plan.”
Stretan Angel targets Lightning and Newmarket
Trainer Phillip Stokes says the G1 Black Caviar Lightning and G1 Newmarket H. will be the next targets for his 4-year-old mare Stretan Angel (Harry Angel {Ire}). “She was only out for about three-and-a-half weeks but that's all she needed. She was lightly raced last preparation, so she's good,” Stokes told racing.com.
Stretan Angel | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She's not far off (a Group 1), so let's hope this will be her time.” She was fourth in the G1 VRC Sprint Challenge S. last start.
Arabian Summer aimed at Sunlight
Arabian Summer (Too Darn Hot {GB}) missed the spring with a foot abscess and trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy are setting her for the inaugural $3 million Magic Millions Sunlight 3YO on January 4. She will resume in December. “That first run, we will use it as another trial as she will be the class filly in the race. Then she should be spot-on for the Sunlight,” Calvin McEvoy told racing.com.
Arabian Summer | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
The 3-year-old filly hasn’t raced since winning the inaugural Magic Millions National Classic in May.
Around The Nation: Sunday’s highlights
Sunday saw six meetings across Australia. At Werribee, 3-year-old filly What You Will (Supido) won on debut. The Werribee Cup was won by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman trained Riot And Rose (NZ) (Pins) who won the Wodonga Gold Cup last start and now has seven wins from 15 starts including winning his first four in succession back in 2021.
Arma Veloce wins G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies
At Hanshin on Sunday, 2-year-old filly Arma Veloce (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) won the G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies to take her record to two wins and a last start Group 3-placing from three starts.
She becomes the 28th stakes winner for Harbinger (GB) and is out of winning mare Rakuami (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) who is a half-sister to Group 2 juvenile winner Monde Can Know (Jpn) (Kinshasa No Kiseki).
Emotional victory for Cleo Cat
Tom Dabernig-trained 4-year-old mare Cleo Cat (American Pharoah {USA}) made it five from five on Saturday at Ballarat and the win was an emotional one for part-owners Bad Axes syndicate. One of the Bad Axes, Chris Nolan, became disabled in 1996. “We’re all old mates from school, and we have a 5 per cent share of a few different horses, which is how we got into Cleo Cat,” Bad Axes member Anthony Costigan told racing.com on Sunday.
“Chris was our school captain, and he obviously suffered a very bad brain injury a while ago. He’s an honorary member of the syndicate and we always think of him when ours race. When we started the syndicate and told her (Chris’ mother Mary) about it, she was asking how much it would cost, and we said, ‘nup. He’s a partner – it’s not going to cost him anything’.
Cleo Cat | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“He’s in it, she’s in it, and even if we weren’t winning, it’s all just about getting involved, getting excited and having a punt with your mates. It’s a bit of a special purpose for us with the syndicate, Chris being involved. Now we’ve got a horse that’s five out of five… we’re living the dream.”
Call for night racing at Geelong
Trainer Tom Dabernig has expressed a desire for night racing at Geelong. “The whole Western District caters for a reasonable amount of horses. Geelong is very accessible from Melbourne. I'm not sure of the costs involved in it, or whether it's something that Racing Victoria would want to do, or the race club,” Dabernig told racing.com.
Tom Dabernig | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“Certainly, from our point of view, it does seem a little bit one-sided, geared around the other side of Melbourne. I think (that) certainly the product of it would work and Geelong's got a great facility and would probably be a good location.”
Tasmanian carnival kicks off in style
The Tasmanian Summer Racing Festival began in thrilling fashion last weekend and continues with the Devonport Cup on January 8. “The Newmarket H. was a great race with Stuart Gandy's mare Geegees Gemstone holding off our local star The Inevitable,” TasRacing CEO Andrew Jenkins told racing.com on Sunday.
“We always welcome people coming over from the mainland. We welcome the experience. It is important that at a time when we are promoting Tasmanian racing to a national audience that we position ourselves as a statewide industry, benefiting regional economies as much as the economies of the major population centres.”
Likeakalix heads to Derby
Leanne Gaffney-trained 3-year-old gelding Likeakalix (Calyx {GB}) will head to the Tasmanian Derby on February 7 after winning on Friday night at Devonport. “I was quite surprised they went pretty slow early which made it a bit tricky for Bulent (Muhcu) but once he got to the outside, he let down quite well,” Clinton Gaffney told tasracing.com.au.
“He looks like he’s going to get over a bit of distance which is good going forward. There’s a mile here in a fortnight and if he performs there, we will keep stepping up.” He has had three starts and placed in his first two. A $30,000 Magic Millions Tasmania Yearling Sale purchase by his trainer from Armidale Stud, he is out of imported mare Like A Song (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB}).
Tenma wins Scarlet S.
Getting blinkers off following an uninspired third in her most recent start in the G2 Oak Leaf at Santa Anita in October, Baoma Corp.'s 2-year-old filly Tenma (USA) (Nyquist {USA}) went to the front and never looked back, rolling to a confident victory in Saturday's G2 Starlet S. at Los Alamitos.
Bred by Bobby Flay, the US$200,000 (AU$313,000) Keeneland September yearling flourished into an US$850,000 (AU$1.3 million) OBS April juvenile after Donato Lanni secured the flashy filly for Boama Corp. Tenma is the second foal for Amaganssett, purchased for US$875,000 (AU$1.37 million) at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale in 2018.
Second dam Twirl (USA) (Galileo {Ire}) is a full sister to Irish Group 1 winner Misty For Me (Ire), herself responsible for Group 1 winners U S Navy Flag (USA) and Roly Poly (USA), both by War Front (USA). Additionally, Misty For Me is also the dam of Group 1 scorer Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who in turn produced a pair of black-type winners.
Fatal Flaw wins G1 Cape Fillies Guineas
Trained by the father-and-son duo Brett and James Crawford, 3-year-old filly Fatal Flaw (Saf) (New Predator) came into the G1 Cape Fillies Guineas off a win in the G3 Starling S., but was a bit of a bridesmaid with five placings in eight starts. Ridden by jockey Piere “Striker” Strydom, she won in a commanding performance. Scarlet Macaw (Saf) (Horizon {Saf}) was second with Little Suzie (Saf) (Trippi {USA}) in third.
The winner has an ANZ pedigree being by Group 2 winner New Predator (New Approach {Ire}) who was offered at sale by Patinack Farm but passed in, and Fatal Flaw is out of Alinga (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) who was sold by Yarraman Park Stud for $90,000 in 2008 and won a Listed race in South Africa. Alinga is out of a half-sister to triple Group 1 winner Naturalism (NZ) and his full sister Group 1 winner Crystal Palace (NZ) (Palace Music {USA}) and Listed winner Olympic Boy (NZ) (Vice Regal {NZ}).
