Ideal draw to Field Of Play
Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young paid the $55,000 late entry fee on Tuesday morning for 2-year-old gelding Field Of Play (Deep Field) for Saturday’s G1 Blue Diamond Stakes, and were rewarded with drawing barrier five. “That was ideal. I came here hoping to draw in the first half of the field, one to seven or something like that, and luckily we got it,” Busuttin told racenet.com.au.
Field Of Play is unbeaten in two starts, including a last start win in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (c&g).
Field Of Play | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Yulong purchase Angel Capital
Yulong announced on their social media on Tuesday that they had acquired exciting 3-year-old colt Angel Capital (Harry Angel {Ire}). Trained by Clinton McDonald, he is nominated for Saturday’s G1 Futurity Stakes.
The last start winner of the G2 Autumn Stakes has won four of his seven starts, including on debut at two. Originally a $400,000 purchase by Upper Bloodstock from Mill Park Stud’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft, Angel Capital is one of 17 stakes winners for Harry Angel (Ire).
He is one of three stakeswinners from Bahamas (Teofilo {Ire}), who has a yearling filly by Pinatubo (Ire). His older siblings are Hong Kong stakeswinner Senor Toba (Toronado {Ire}) and G2 Moonee Valley Vase winner Berkeley Square (Territories {Ire}), who has earnings over $1.6 million.
Freedman to back up colt into Diamond
Anthony and Sam Freedman have won three of the past seven G1 Blue Diamonds, and will back up 2-year-old colt Tentyris (Street Boss {USA}) into Saturday’s edition. He dead-heated in last Saturday’s Listed Talindert Stakes. “He has pulled up really well so far and hopefully he has another good few days,” Sam Freedman told racing.com.
“It's not something we'd normally do (the back-up), but there are a few ways to skin a cat and, with these 2-year-olds, you are going on the fly with a lot of them. We (have) always rated him.”
Katsumi Orochi sold to MyRacehorse
MyRacehorse general manager Ben Willis confirmed on Tuesday that they have purchased Katsumi Orochi (Maurice {Jpn}) and the 2-year-old colt will miss the G1 Blue Diamond. “It's very exciting. We've been keeping a close eye on this guy this preparation. We watched him in his jumpouts in the lead-up to the Blue Diamond Prelude and then we saw his pretty impressive third in the race,” Willis told racing.com.
Katsumi Orochi | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“We've been trying to find the next potential stallion opportunity as well and when you look at this guy, he's by Maurice out of a Snitzel mare and what he did at his debut over 1100 metres was most impressive, and we genuinely think he's going to improve sharply when he gets to 1400 metres and 1600 metres.
“Anything he does at two is a bonus. The real aim is to bring him back for the Caulfield Guineas in the spring. That's the race we are going to be really gearing up for. We're in no rush with him. It's very tempting this Saturday being a Blue Diamond, but we want to make sure we are doing what we believe is the best thing by the horse.”
Maher trio ready for Blue Diamond raid
The Ciaron Maher stable will have three runners in Saturday’s G1 Blue Diamond led by Cherish Me (Brazen Beau), who won the Geelong Diamond on debut. “(She) ran the biggest figure of our 2-year-olds this season, which is always nice," assistant trainer Jack Turnbull told racing.com.
They also have Icarian Dream (Blue Point {Ire}), who is currently second in the order for the G1 Golden Slipper, and Wiltshire Square (Wootton Bassett {GB}).
Super Smink set for Futurity
Perth trainer Dan Morton isn’t bothered by Super Smink (Super One) running seventh in the G1 CF Orr Stakes a fortnight ago as she heads into Saturday’s G1 Futurity Stakes. “After reviewing it and the way the track played, the general consensus was the inside wasn’t where you needed to be. That said, there’s no sugar coating it, she popped late, it looked to me she was going to run into third or fourth,” Morton told racingwa.com.au.
Super Smink | Image courtesy of Ascot Park
“Weighing it all up, she’s pulled up really well and I know she’ll come forward from the run. All things added up, I’m pretty happy going forward and feel like we are going to improve. I’ve said it a hundred times, we’re under no illusion, we know what we are up against.
“But, I’ve got a lot of confidence in her, she’s a 4-year-old mare on the rise. I have no doubt about that and she looks mint.”
Espionage has dual Group options
Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have dual nominated 3-year-old colt Espionage (Zoustar) for Saturday’s G3 Zeditave Stakes and G1 Oakleigh Plate. “He's had a bit of time to settle in (at Flemington) and get the prep right so we'll just see how we land on Saturday in terms of the races,” Bott told racenet.com.au.
Espionage | Image courtesy of Sportpix
A stakes winner at two, Espionage is yet to race at three. “He got to the trials (in the spring) and we had to tip him out so we've haven't seen as much of him as we'd have liked. That was one of the factors why he didn't take his place in the Lightning at weight-for-age. He's still a relatively inexperienced horse.
“His ability says he'll get there at some point, but we're probably just a preparation behind. It would have been great to have that spring 3-year-old campaign to get him to where we wanted to.”
Laming colts head to Guineas
Bevan and Richard Laming-trained 3-year-old colts Savour The Dream (NZ) (Super Seth) and Our Benefactor (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) will be set for the G1 Australian Guineas and G1 Randwick Guineas respectively. “Their first-up wins this prep have been impressive because they're certainly not screwed down,” Richard Laming told racenet.com.au.
“They both went into their first couple of runs with one soft trial. They've got a lot of improvement to come, which they'll need to take on that better class of horses. It's probably time to up the bar with them.”
OTI purchase Oaks contender
OTI Racing have purchased 3-year-old filly Twisted Love (NZ) (Vanbrugh), who will be set for the G1 NZ Oaks by trainer Bill Thurlow. “She will be in our care for a little while. We are not too sure how far she goes this campaign, so we will just wait and see,” Thurlow told Loveracing.nz.
Twisted Love (NZ) | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images)
“The Oaks is the plan at this stage, but there is still plenty of water to go under the bridge before that happens. There is good money there now, so it is a great incentive to try and leave them here as long as they can.” Twisted Love won on debut at Waverley on January 29, and was a NZ$17,000 purchase at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale by her trainer from Seaton Park.
Hashizume back from injury to ride Willydoit
Jockey Masa Hashizume returns from a four week injury break with a broken collarbone to ride 3-year-old Willydoit (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}) in Saturday’s G2 Avondale Guineas. “I hadn’t done much for about four weeks, then I started riding trackwork on the 11th (of February). I’m feeling good, I’ve been going to the gym to help my shoulder and everything’s going well,” Hashizume told Loveracing.nz.
Masa Hashizume | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“He’s a very easy-going type of horse, and in a good way, he doesn’t know anything or worry about anything. He’s won at 1400 metres and a mile, but when you look at him, he looks like a big 4-year-old staying type. Whatever he’s doing now is just a bonus, he’ll go 2100 metres no problem.”
Skew Wiff retired
Waikato Stud have retired their Group 1-winning mare Skew Wiff (NZ) (Savabeel). “She holds a really special place in my heart being my first Group 1 winner,” co-trainer Sam Bergerson told Loveracing.nz.
“She had a few quirky traits which made her a bit different from everyone else. She wasn’t overly big, but she was just so gutsy and was really special.” Winner of four of her 26 starts and over NZ$600,000, Skew Wiff won the 2023 G1 Tarzino Trophy.
Thesecondatportsea another Digital sale success
Trainer Jack Bruce will run Thesecondatportsea (Churchill {Ire}) either at Ipswich on Wednesday or the Gold Coast on Saturday. The $40,000 purchase at the 2023 Inglis Digital May Sale has been a good earner since arriving in Bruce's stable. “I’ve also got her nominated for the Gold Coast on Saturday and I’ll just wait awhile, but it looks attractive to go to Ipswich now (that) she’s drawn the rails,” Bruce told racingqueensland.com.au.
Thesecondatportsea | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“She’s been a great buy as she’s won more than $160,000 since I bought her. She’s been racing well and has been very unlucky in a few of her recent runs. She’s been up since July last year and has been very unlucky a lot of times. Her last run at Doomben was huge, as she drew a bad gate and got back to last and had to circle the field when she ran second.”
Queenslander makes Hong Kong debut
Jockey James Orman makes his Hong Kong debut at the Valley on Wednesday night. “This is the next step for me and it’s something I’ve always wanted to tick off,” Orman told scmp.com.
“I’m looking forward to it. I can’t wait. Hopefully I can get some good rides and I just want to do as best as I can and have a good crack. I haven’t really got any particular goals there – more so just get over there and do my best.”
Palladium set for Melbourne Cup
Nicky Henderson has reiterated that connections of Palladium (Ger) have Melbourne Cup ambitions for last year's G1 Deutsches Derby hero, who is first set to continue his hurdling career in the G1 Triumph Hurdle at next month's Cheltenham Festival. “I don't think Palladium will be jumping fences, I think he'll be winning the Melbourne Cup,” Henderson said, referring to stepping up from hurdles to steeplechasing.
Nicky Henderson | Image courtesy of Highclere Thoroughbred Racing
“With colts, it (going jumping) isn't the easiest thing you'd ever do, but they either do it or they don't. He's got a fantastic temperament and that makes it very, very easy. He went away and did a bit of loose schooling to start with, which we nearly always do with horses who are coming off the Flat, and he enjoyed that. He's been terrific all the way through.”
If he does end up heading to Australia, it will be with another trainer. “I expect he'd probably go back to a Flat trainer.”
