Landlock set for G1 Sires’ Produce
Second in the G1 Sistema Stakes last start, 2-year-old gelding Landlock (Merchant Navy) is ready to go one better in Saturday’s G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes. “It’s been business as usual since the Sistema, he’s a pretty easy horse to train,” trainer Cody Cole told Loveracing.nz.
“He just eats, does his work and typically always works well. We haven’t done anything out of the ordinary, all through the season his runs have been spaced out and we’ve taken him away for gallops to tick him over and keep him up to the mark. But, on the three-week back-up and the way he raced at Ellerslie, I didn’t feel anything extra was necessary.
Landlock | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“He looks like he’ll step up in trip and cop it well, he seems to relax quite nicely and he’s developed a nice turn of foot. He’s a wicked little horse and he didn’t have a big price tag, and probably by a pretty unfashionable sire, but he doesn’t know that.”
Five-timer for Barnes
Jockey Courtney Barnes rode half the card at Wingatui in New Zealand on Friday with five wins on a 10 race card, and all were trained by her former employers Brian and Shane Anderton. “I have only won three before (in a meeting), so to get five today was great,” Barnes told Loveracing.nz.
“It means even more doing it for BJ and Shane, they were massive supporters of mine when I was starting out, and I am forever grateful to them. I lived in Mosgiel (when growing up) so I worked for them before school and then I signed up to Shane (for my jockey apprenticeship).”
Barnes won on 3-year-old gelding No Party (NZ) (Proisir), Exchange (NZ) (Ghibellines), Haggle (NZ) (Ghibellines), Move On (NZ) (Ghibellines), and Imperative (NZ) (Ghibellines).
Ghibellines sires six at Wingatui
South Island sire Ghibellines sired six winners on Friday’s Wingatui card, with four ridden by Courtney Barnes. His other two winners were The Cluster (NZ) and Afire (NZ). “Afire is a sister to Smokin’ Romans, so I was pretty happy with that (win),” said trainer Brian Anderton who stands Ghibellines at White Robe Lodge.
“We got beaten in the last, but a Ghibellines beat us, so that gave him six for the day too. He does a good job.” A son of Shamardal (USA), Ghibellines has seven stakes winners led by Group 1 winner Smokin’ Romans (NZ).
Ghibellines | Standing at White Robe Lodge
More Prestige for Brideoake and Jenkins
Trainers David Brideoake and Matt Jenkins won a Listed race last weekend with Eric Yeung owned Prestige Forever (Ole Kirk) who will head to Sydney for the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes, and they have two more Yeung owned juveniles headlining on Saturday with last-start Ballarat winner colt Prestige Ole (Ole Kirk) in the VOBIS Gold Plate and filly Prestige Snitzel (Snitzel) in the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes.
“Prestige Ole hasn't done much wrong in his two starts and he should acquit himself well again. Prestige Snitzel only has to improve a little bit but I think she can be a classy 1400m-1600-metre 3-year-old filly,” Brideoake told racing.com.
“Eric has been in my stable for a while and he's friends of friends that have been with me for a long time. He races horses in Hong Kong and he wanted to have a few runners in Australia and it's worked out well. He gave me a chance to buy some nice stock at Sydney Easter last year and I bought Prestige Forever and Prestige Snitzel. Prestige Ole went through, but I bought him later online.”
Talkanco up for challenge in Supremacy
The West Australian juveniles will have to beat hot favourite Yes Queen (Yes Yes Yes) in Saturday’s Listed Supremacy Stakes, but co-trainer Ben Pearce thinks Talkanco (I’m All The Talk) can do it. “You would like to beat her, but you don’t have to,” Pearce told racingwa.com.au.
“It’s only the first up run for a Karrakatta Plate prep. It's pretty obvious she’s (Yes Queen) fast and sharp, but we think our horse is a nice filly and she’s returned well.
Talkanco | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“The draw probably doesn’t matter. She’ll be in the back half anyway and we’ll look to rattle home late. She’s (Yes Queen) going to jump and run, like she did in the trial. It all depends on what sort of pressure it gets in front, but we’ll be working home.”
Form around Tupakara strong
Co-trainer Rob Archibald thinks the form around 2-year-old filly Tupakara (Trapeze Artist) is strong, and she will get her break-through on Saturday at Rosehill in the G3 TL Baillieu Stakes. “She’s put herself in those races, we like her a lot. She’s talented,” Archibald told racingnsw.com.au of the filly who was fourth in the G2 Reisling Stakes last start.
Tupakara as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“The form out of her last run is very good, two of them ahead of her went on and ran first and third in the Slipper. She was meeting horses that were a lot deeper into her campaigns. She did a good job and will physically take good benefit from the run. It was a pleasing first-up effort knowing that there is improvement to come. She’s a high class filly, she’s still got plenty of maturing to do but we feel she deserves her opportunity.”
Strictly Business on debut at Flemington
Trainer Thomas Carberry will debut 2-year-old filly Strictly Business (Grunt {NZ}) at Flemington on Saturday. “She's been working well and has jumped out ok since she started. There is a maiden in a couple of weeks in Geelong, but obviously with the low amount of entries in a more valuable race at Flemington, you have to have a look,” Carberry told racing.com.
“She's qualified for all the bonuses, it will be a great experience for her to be on that track and it will be the same for the rest of them as well.” She is raced by breeder Martin Falvey who also raced Scuderia (Squamosa).
“Martin's always trying to plan for the future and breed good horses, so these two have really stepped up to the mark and are doing their jobs. Scuderia's retired, she'll be put in foal later this year. She did a great job this campaign, she just couldn't quite get that stakes placing. Martin said we would retire her after the 955m Challenge Final whether she won or lost and she came out of that race bouncing and happy, which is the important thing. She's off to try a different occupation now.”
Outsider in Australian Cup worth considering
Trainer Danny O’Brien has warned everyone not to ignore 7-year-old gelding Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) in Saturday’s G1 Australian Cup. “He's got enough good runs at the track and distance at Group 1 level to say he's in the mix,” O'Brien told racing.com.
“He's a blowout chance as he loves the course and distance and a firm track. He's going to present there ready to fire. I'm very happy with him.”
Young Werther (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Grinzinger Pod takes on sprinters
Trainer Ben Brisbourne is pleased with 3-year-old filly Grinzinger Pod (Calyx {GB}) ahead of Saturday’s Listed World Pool Classic (formerly the Sunlight Classic and before that the Moomba Plate). “She had a bit of a mid-season break and has come back in really good form, from what we can see,” Brisbourne told racing.com.
“She's won a trial and a jumpout (at home). This is an extremely hot race, but it will at least give us an indication of the avenue we need to go with her for the rest of the autumn. If she's competitive, then we go down the stakes-race avenue and if she's a couple of lengths off that, then we'll just go back to handicaps. She's still got a realistic handicap mark and there's plenty of prizemoney on offer for 3-year-old fillies.”
Steady Ready is King Of The Mountain
Better Than Ready sired a double at Toowoomba on Friday night led by 5-year-old gelding Steady Ready who won the slot race, King Of The Mountain. Trained by Tony and Maddy Sears, Steady Ready won by 0.2l for jockey Cody Colis over Kevin Kemp-trained 4-year-old mare Russian Alliance (Russian Revolution) with Tony Gollan- trained Millane (Zoustar) in third.
Steady Ready took his record to seven wins from 19 starts and over $1 million. A $70,000 purchase by Paul Moroney and Haoh & Co from Yarramalong Park’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft, Steady Ready has put together three in succession this time in and is previously a Listed winner.
Lindsay Hatch-trained 3-year-old gelding La Raza (Better Than Ready) took his unbeaten record to two on the same card. Better Than Ready has 14 stakes winners.
Second winner for Graff
Peter Snowden-trained 2-year-old filly Telling (Graff) won the first at Muswellbrook on Friday to become the second winner for her first season sire. The filly was resuming after running sixth to Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}) in the R.Listed Inglis Nursery Plate back in December.
Video: Watch Telling race replay, video courtesy of Racing NSW
An $85,000 purchase by her trainer from Yarraman Park Stud’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft, Telling is out of Never Doubt Me (Not A Single Doubt) who has also produced Group 3 placed Divine Glory (Hellbent). Never Doubt Me won 11 races including one in Sydney and is from the family of Group 1 winner Costume (NZ) (Savabeel).
Casino Bay is Anders’ fourth winner
At Toowomba on Friday, 2-year-old filly Casino Bay (Anders) became the fourth winner for first season sire Anders with a 1l victory for trainer Mark Currie. She was having her second start, having run second on debut.
Purchased by her trainer for $30,000 from Raheen Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft, she is the third winner for Group 3 placed winner of seven races Sino Eagle (Casino Prince). Sino Eagle’s third dam is Listed winner Snippet’s Show (Snippets).
Around the nation: Friday’s highlights
Friday enjoyed seven race meetings, two at night. At Muswellbrook, 3-year-old filly Dealt (Dundeel {NZ}) won on debut, and apprentice jockey Braith Nock rode a treble on 2-year-old filly Telling (Graff), 3-year-old gelding Merchant Gold (Merchant Navy) and 3-year-old filly Fingers Hunter (Brutal {NZ}).
Stefi Magnetica aimed at second Stradbroke
Trainer Bjorn Baker will set Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard) for a second G1 Stradbroke victory. “The Stradbroke is Queensland’s darling race and we would love to go back-to-back with her and we think she has the quality to do it,” part-owner Mitch Cunningham of Ridgmont Stud told racingqueensland.com.au.
Stefi Magnetica | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“We will have a few others we will bring up as well as Stefi Magnetica - Arriving Home will be back up and she will probably go first-up into Scone and then come up to Brisbane for the carnival. There are other horses we will bring up potentially as well but that is still to be determined, we will see. Certainly, Stefi and Arriving Home will be flying the flag for Ridgmont.”
Galaxy Patch gets champion rider on Sunday
Trainer Pierre Ng hopes that a ride from Zac Purton will help Galaxy Patch (Wandjina) find his form again in Sunday’s G2 Chairman’s Trophy. He hasn’t won since October 2024 and this will be Purton’s first ride on him. “Zac trialled him really well. I’ve never seen the horse so relaxed in the early part of the trial, so I think we’ve found the right person for him,” Ng told scmp.com.
“The Group 1 (Champions Mile on April 27) is in our minds, so hopefully not too long to wait. He’s still [only] 5-years-old and he’ll be a lot more professional, more mature later on.”
Purton has nine rides on Sunday, which is his first day back after breaking his toe.
Canadian Group 1 added to Breeders’ Cup series
The GI E.P. Taylor Stakes has been added to the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series as an official “Win and You're In” race, according to a release from Woodbine Entertainment on Thursday morning.
The new designation offers the winner an automatic, fees-paid berth into the GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at the 2025 Breeders' Cup World Championships which is scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar. This year, the E.P. Taylor Stakes will be run August 16, sharing the stage with Woodbine's King's Plate. After construction is completed on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course in 2026, the race will move back to its spot on the September calendar, alongside Woodbine's three other Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races.
