Daily News Wrap

Embrace Farm offering flood relief

Sunshine Coast trainers Adam and Dallas Simpson are offering emergency equine transport and short-term accommodation for horses in low-lying areas that are being severely affected by the floods.

“With everything going on with the cyclone, Brisbane is basically under water. We’ve got spare paddocks in high places, so we can offer a significantly decreased daily rates and we’ll do free pick up to get horses out of flood zones. There’s nothing scarier than having your horse standing knee deep in water,” Maddison Orpin-Patrick told TTR.

“The roads are quite dangerous and Adam is out there helping out. The flooding around the Sunshine Coast is pretty bad. There are paddocks on the side of the highway near the Turf Club that look like lakes. It’s come on so quickly too.”

Embrace Farm is located in the Glasshouse Mountains with plenty of pastures on higher ground.

Golden Slipper order released

The ATC have released the latest order for the G1 Golden Slipper with several changes after the weekend. Five horses have ballot exemptions being Tentyris (Street Boss {USA}), Rivellino (Too Darn Hot {GB}), Tempted (Street Boss {USA}), Beiwacht (Bivouac) and Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}).

Devil Night (Extreme Choice), North England (Farnan), and Return To Conquer (Snitzel) head the rest.

Tentyris out of Slipper with injury

Trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman announced that their exciting G2 Todman Stakes winner Tentyris (Street Boss {USA}) has a stress fracture and will miss the G1 Golden Slipper. “Unfortunately, Tentyris has pulled up sore from Saturday and has a stress fracture,” Sam Freedman told racing.com.

“We won’t be pushing onto the Slipper, back for the spring.”

Return To Conquer to spell

David Ellis of Te Akau Racing will send Group 1 winning unbeaten colt Return To Conquer (Snitzel) for a spell, rather than press on to the G1 Golden Slipper. “He is going for a spell. He has had a great campaign, he has had four wins, all in stakes races,” Ellis told racenet.com.au.

“He has got a huge amount of improvement in him and we will give him six weeks in the paddock. He didn't win by much on Saturday but I think he got to the front too soon and with the blinkers on, he didn't see the other horse (runner-up Landlock) coming.”

Vale Paul Nolan Snr

Racing Queensland announced on Monday that Paul Nolan Snr died on Sunday morning aged 86. “Paul was the one that started Raheen, to be quite honest,” younger brother Basil told racingqueensland.com.au.

“He and my mother were the keen ones who wanted to start it – he was the first one that wanted to get into the racing industry. Paul was the one that was always keen on it as we were dairy farmers before that. He instigated it all.

“He was a great family man with a big family. He was a very good husband and father to them all.” Paul and his wife Sue had seven children, Marg, Peter, Michael, Donna, Cathy, Paul Jnr and Dan.

“When he got married, he moved to Dalby on a wheat farm but he always wanted to dabble in racing. He wanted to be a horse trainer and that is how it ended up. He didn’t have a lot of horses but he always found a good horse and had quite a bit of success as a trainer. They never cost a heap of money either, he didn’t buy the cream of the crop but he always found a horse who could gallop – which is hard to do.”

Tycoon Star will head to the Slipper

Lindsay Park will press on with juvenile colt Tycoon Star (Written Tycoon) and aim for the G1 Golden Slipper. “He will improve out of sight from that experience,” Ben Hayes told racing.com on Monday.

“He pulled up fantastic and is right on track for the Slipper. We will be going into the race confident he can do it. Around the bend (in the Todman), we were three-wide and he peeled out and he presented and we were only beaten a length.

“It was his first time on his Sydney leg, he was under pressure he just probably got onto the wrong leg. It was just greenness and getting on the wrong leg under pressure. He’ll learn so much from that and so it puts him right in the Slipper.”

Field Of Play off to Hong Kong

Field Of Play (Deep Field) will head to Hong Kong after he ran sixth in the G1 Blue Diamond as favourite. The 2-year-old gelding was trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. “We’d like to have him around, but when they are owned in Hong Kong it's always on the cards one way or the other,” Busuttin told racing.com.

“It looked like we might get to Sydney, but the owner decided to go up to Hong Kong. He’s a very good horse and he’ll go well there.

“On the day (Blue Diamond), he just couldn’t cope with the heat. He was beautiful and relaxed when I saddled him up, but as soon as he got out in the sun and the heat and away from the fans set up in the stables, he was really sweating, and he was like he’d already run his race.”

Landlock heads to G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce next

Trainer-Cody Cole was unsurprised by Landlock (Merchant Navy) running second to unbeaten Return To Conquer (Snitzel) in Saturday’s G1 Sistema Stakes and he will press on to the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes. “We probably weren’t as surprised as everyone thought we would be, he had been working very well and he’s always shown us a lot,” Cole told Loveracing.nz.

“We were pretty confident he was going to run a big race and thought he was at overs, you never go into a race like that thinking you’re going to win but at the same time, we weren’t surprised with the run.

“That run on Saturday was only a stepping stone to the Sires’, that race was always our end goal and it was the logical step to go to the Sistema on the way there. We’ll just tick him over, he was five weeks between runs and had some time in the paddock during that period. He’s not a horse you have to work overly hard, we won’t be taking him out anywhere unless he does too well condition-wise. It’ll be business as usual for him until we head to Wellington, he’s very straightforward to train and has the perfect attitude for a 2-year-old.”

Zardozi aimed at G1 Australian Cup

Godolphin’s Group 1 winning mare Zardozi (Kingman {GB}) will head to the G1 Australian Cup via the G2 Peter Young Stakes. “Very happy … it was second-up at a mile and she ran (third), ran an honest race,” Nacim Dilmi told racing.com about her run in the G2 Blamey Stakes on March 1.

“She'll now head towards the Australian Cup in a few weeks' time, we're probably going to give her another run in the Peter Young in a couple of weeks. She's in great order, couldn't be happier with her. She loves Melbourne.”

First winner for Tagaloa

Cowra’s meeting on Monday saw the first winner for Yulong’s G1 Blue Diamond winner Tagaloa when 2-year-old filly Spicy Lu won on debut for trainer Nick Olive and apprentice jockey Coriah Keatings in an open maiden event over 1200 metres. She bolted in by 3.22l from 5-year-old gelding Fireup (Casino Prince) and 4-year-old mare La Chaparron (Motsayter {USA}).

Bought by her trainer from Vinery Stud for $30,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Spicy Lu is out of city winner All Salsa (Charge Forward) who has produced two other winners and has a yearling filly by Victor Ludorum (GB).

Around the nation: Monday’s highlights

Away from the G2 Adelaide Cup meeting at Morphettville, there were four other meetings around the nation. At Warrnambool, 3-year-old filly Self Serve (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) won on debut. Jockey Warwick Satherley rode a treble at Mckay on Deciduous (The Autumn Sun) who made it two in a row, Latin Love (Sebring), and 3-year-old filly Power Of Katie (Power {GB}).

Albury puts woes behind it for The Bluff Knoll

Less than a month ago, the Albury Racing Club was reported to have been stripped of all their upcoming meetings, but they have negotiated their way through the troubles and will run The Bluff Knoll slot race on March 16. “The Wellington and Reeves Bluff Knoll is a fantastic addition to the Great Southern racing calendar, and we are thrilled to host the slot race for the second year,” Albany Racing Club spokesman Alan Smith told racingwa.com.au about the race sponsored by Wellington and Reeves.

“Once again, a top-quality field has been assembled for the race, with the State’s best sprinters set to come to Albany in a bid to claim the Wellington and Reeves Bluff Knoll. With the likes of Snowdome, Devine Belief, Almighty Class and Rope Them In engaged, I’m sure it’s going to make for a fantastic race.

“Racing is a major contributor to our local economy. The Wellington and Reeves Bluff Knoll is more than just the top-quality racing on the track – it’s about celebrating the Great Southern racing industry and the vital role it plays in our community.”

Racing to resume in South-East Queensland

Racing Queensland announced a few changes to the program for this week as a result of the flooding from Cyclone Alfred, but most race meetings will go on as planned. “Following the abandonment of Doomben, three additional races have been added to the Eagle Farm program which will now be run as an 11-race card. An additional three races will also be added to the Eagle Farm program on Saturday, March 15, which will also be run as an 11-race card,” reported racingqueensland.com.au.

Big double for Milan Park

Milan Park’s Tony Rider was thrilled with Saturday when his homebred Savabeel sisters Provence (NZ) and Damask Rose (NZ) won the G1 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes and the inaugural NZB Kiwi respectively. “It was amazing and very, very special. It seems so unbelievable, but it happened,” Rider told Loveracing.nz on Monday.

“David (Ellis) has always held (Damask Rose) in high regard and when she was a two-year-old he still had 25 percent left in her. He rang me and said she was very, very good and said I really think you should take the 25 percent. I said I’ve already got a filly (Provence) out of the mare, so I didn’t take the opportunity.”

Their dam Sombreuil (Flying Spur) has a Super Seth colt on the ground and he’ll go to the yearling sales in 2026. “The Super Seth will be going to the sales, I’ve already had Inglis chasing me but more than likely he’ll go to Karaka.”

Tancred for La Crique

Trainers Simon and Katrina Alexander will aim La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}) for the G1 Tancred after she ran second in the G1 Bonecrusher NZ Stakes over the weekend by the tiniest of margins. “It is always good to see when two good horses are fighting it out like that for the majority of the straight, it made quite the spectacle for everyone,” Katrina Alexander told Loveracing.nz.

“We just went down again, we need a bigger head. He (El Vencedor) is obviously in a purple patch of form and full credit to his trainer (Stephen Marsh), they have done a super job at this time of year to keep him where he is at.

“We were super happy with our mare, she made it a race, and that is what we intended going out to do. Michael (McNab, jockey) made a good decision during the running that we had to take it to them and see if she could hang on. Someone had to win, if it was a dead-heat that would have been the dream, but she has pulled up super well from it so that is the main thing. Full credit to the track team at Ellerslie, they provided a track that horses seemed to come off in very good shape.”

This Time Girl to continue to Oaks

Hollie Wynyard will press on to the G1 NZ Oaks with This Time Girl (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) after she ran second in the G3 Sunline Vase over the weekend. “It was a really good Oaks trial, the whole season we’ve been taking her back and teaching her to settle and the 2400 metres of the Oaks has always been our goal,” Wynyard told Loveracing.nz.

“She’s bred to do it, she’s out of a mare that won over 2100m, and I think Phill Cataldo (bloodstock agent) only paid $10,000 for her as a yearling, so she was a pretty outstanding purchase really.

“We don’t have to do too much with her, she’s a natural stayer. She had five weeks between runs and still ran out the 2100 metres really well, I’ve just got to get her there happy and healthy and she’ll do the rest.”

Melbourne Cup dreams for Trav

Raymond Connors has won every major two-mile race in New Zealand and now he’s setting Saturday’s G2 Auckland Cup winner Trav (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) for the G1 Melbourne Cup. “It was nice to win on such a big day (Champions Day) with all of those good races on. To be up there and a part of it was good,” Connors told Loveracing.nz on Monday.

“It is nice to say that I have won the three major Cups in New Zealand, it is a good achievement. “The Melbourne Cup is the dream so you are breeding or buying horses that will hopefully be good enough to win some staying races. If they can’t win Cups races then they can jump, so there is another future for them.”

Listed win for Tito Mo Cen

Yeguada Centurion homebred 3-year-old colt Tito Mo Cen (Ire) (Uncle Mo {USA}) delivered a blistering 7l triumph over 9 1/2 furlongs at Chantilly last month and continued on the upgrade with a dominant performance back at the same venue in Sunday's Listed Prix Maurice Caillault. “He is a very impressive colt physically, he is mentally strong and his forte is his high cruising speed,” said trainer Victoria Head.

“On his first run, I wondered how he would react when challenged and he found another gear. It was the same today and that is certainly the mark of a good horse. He loves the surface, but he has never been trained on grass yet and we will have to see how he does then. I think on good or fast it should not prove a problem. He is entered in the [G3] Prix La Force at Longchamp, but his next target is not definite yet and will be decided in time.”

Tito Mo Cen is the second foal produced by G2 Goldene Peitsche and G3 Summer Stakes victrix Raven's Lady (GB) (Raven's Pass {USA}), the first being multiple Group 1-placed G1 Prix de la Foret heroine Ramatuelle (USA) (Justify {USA}).