Fire destroys jockey’s mobile home
Queensland jockeys Brendon Newport and Sarah Robbins lost their mobile home and around $50,000 worth of equipment when fire destroyed their home in Roma on Sunday. They were parked at the home of family friends Stuart and Cheryl Rogers. “We were out the backyard and the neighbour shouted ‘it's on fire' and we got out there but the fire was that hot,” Stuart Rogers told racenet.com.au.
“Our front door was about 15 metres from the vehicle and the heat from the fire cracked the glass on the door and started melting the paint away. The fire burnt the side of our house and damaged the neighbour's house. They (Newport, Robbins and their kids) were just about to leave so if that had of happened on the road, we might not have had any people left. We just want to make sure they're OK and lend them some gear so they can keep on riding and earning.”
Robbins and Newport have five children. “We lost all the kids' stuff, all of mine and Sarah's race gear and jockey gear, practically nearly everything that we had because we'd packed up to go to Alice Springs but that didn't work out.” Newport said.
“The truck is completely gone. The only thing salvageable was the back of the truck where the horses are, nothing was sort of touched there.” Donations can be made to the QRISP (Queensland Racing Industry Support Program) via Account Name: Licence Assistance Association BSB: 484-799 Account Number: 084333357 Reference: BRENDAN or SARAH.
Williams to ride Mr Brightside in Hong Kong
Jockey Craig Williams obviously adores Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) who he will ride in Hong Kong next Sunday. “Mr Brightside is an absolute warrior,” Williams told hkjc.com.
“He’s a star, and he competes at the elite level every time he goes around. There are no days off for a horse like that when he competes. He’s on show, he’s on display. And he has a following, everyone loves him in Australia. He will carry the weight of a nation when it comes to the big day at Sha Tin.
Craig Williams | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I am very privileged to ride him. He has been developed by the Hayes boys (Ben, Will and JD). He was their first Group 1, the three brothers together, and it has been a privilege to be part of his journey, his development.
“He’s a very special horse. He’s one of the best milers in Australia and when he stretched out to 2000 metres, he was beaten only by an international mega star Romantic Warrior in the Cox Plate – beaten by the shortest of margins.”
It’s tight at the top
Just under $600,000 splits Pride Of Dubai and Zoustar at the top of the Australian Sires’ Premiership with $1 million on offer in both the Saturday’s G1 Robert Sangster Stakes and G1 Australasian Oaks. Throw in the upcoming Brisbane carnival and the fact that Snitzel sits in third, only $2.5 million behind Pride Of Dubai, and the run to the end of the season to see who will be crowned Champion Australian Sire is going to be tight.
Snitzel leads the 2-year-old table easily, over $1.5 million in front of Ole Kirk, while Written Tycoon is comfortably ahead of Snitzel on the 3-year-old table. Ole Kirk leads Wootton Bassett (GB) by a tick under $300,000 on the First Season Sires table, so a victory by either of their progeny in Brisbane will make the difference there.
Stokes can’t split Group 1 runners
Trainer Phillip Stokes has two runners in Saturday’s G1 Robert Sangster Stakes with Stretan Angel (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Climbing Star (NZ) (Zoustar) and he can’t chose between them. “They’ve had entirely different preps, but here we are in the week of the race and I can’t find much separating those two,” Stokes told racing.com.
“Stretan Angel has been racing against the elite, but she’s had four weeks (between runs) and had a nice jumpout and she’s really good. She deserves one (Group 1 win). She has been racing so well against some really good horses, so up against fellow mares, she’ll run very well.
Phillip Stokes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Climbing Star’s first-up run was great after a setback and she’s going super too. She loves this time of year so there’s not much separating those two.”
East wins on debut
Apprentice jockey Olivia East was a winner at her very first raceday ride at Sale on Sunday abroad Gavin Bedggood-trained Nasraawy (Snitzel). “I was very lucky to get the opportunity from Gavin and his connections,” East told racing.com on Monday.
“Obviously, the plan wasn’t to sit four wide, but that’s just how we landed. I spoke to Gavin and Darren (Gauci) before the race and they said not to panic if I was that wide, especially on a track like Sale, it’s an easy bend and the main point was not to panic.
“It felt like all my hard work up until this point had paid off. I didn’t really go out expecting to win, I didn’t really go out expecting much, I just wanted to have a good time and enjoy the experience, that was the main aim. Coming back to scale was really, really awesome, seeing my friends and family there.”
Matinee screening of Darby McCarthy movie
Racing fans are invited to the matinee screening of 'In A Lifetime' – the incredible story of Darby McCarthy, which will be held at the Cunnamulla Railway Theatre in Cunnamulla, Queensland, some eight hours drive inland from Brisbane, on Wednesday, April 30 at 1pm.
The movie about champion jockey Darby McCarthy tells his story through interviews with people who have known and worked with Darby McCarthy over his racing career, and afterwards. It was funded through Documentaries Australia and is produced by Chris O’Reilly and directed by David Waddington.
Estijaab and Schwarz siblings win at Canterbury
Chris Waller-trained 3-year-old gelding Secure (Snitzel) won his maiden at Canterbury on Easter Monday at his fourth start. He was a $1.4 million purchase by Kia Ora Stud and TFI from Arrowfield Stud at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and is a full brother to G1 Golden Slipper winner Estijaab and Group 3 winner Remarque, with all three out of Group 1 winner Response (Charge Forward).
Ciaron Maher’s 3-year-old filly Silver Wedding (Zoustar) won the second on the card, again her first win in four starts, and she was an $800,000 purchase by Cambridge Stud from Widden Stud’s draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. She is a full sister to Group 1 winner Schwarz, out of Group 2 winner Summer Sham (Not A Single Doubt).
Around the nation: Monday’s highlights
Easter Monday had plenty of action across the nation with seven meetings remaining after Muswellbrook’s Lone Pine meeting was postponed due to an irrigation issue with the track. Tony Gollan-trained 2-year-old filly Before Anyone Else (Better Than Ready) won at Ipswich and she was having her second career start. At Canterbury, John O’Shea and Tom Charleton-trained 3-year-old gelding Maison Louis (NZ) (Super Seth) took his record to three wins from five starts.
At Sandown, 3-year-old filly Marble Point (Blue Point {Ire}) won on debut. Black Caviar’s son Prince Of Caviar enjoyed his second winner this Easter weekend with 3-year-old gelding Regal Judgement winning at Augathella in Queensland. He becomes the fourth winner for the second season sire who has 37 foals in his first crop.
Belzoni overcomes injury to win
Trainer Lisa Latta showed patience is the key when 2-year-old gelding Belzoni (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) won at Waverley on Easter Monday. Pulled up shortly after the start on debut as an early juvenile in October, he hasn’t been seen since, but won over the 1100 metre trip by 1.3l. “At Trentham he got pulled up, we think he just locked his stifle,” Latta told Loveracing.nz.
“We turned him out for a decent break and he has had two very nice trials coming back through. With the showers today it was always going to suit him. He is a typical Belardo, he is going to be better with a bit of time, both physically and mentally.”
Belzoni (NZ) | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
An NZ$45,000 purchase by his trainer from Haunui Farm at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, Belzoni is a full brother to six-time winning mare Caitlyns Wish (NZ) and half-brother to Group 3 winner Carnival (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}).
Double for young trainer in NZ
Young New Plymouth trainer Tawhiti Hina has only eight horses in work, and is only in his third season as a trainer, and enjoyed a double at Waverley on Easter Monday with his only two runners for the day Summer Breeze (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) and Side Piece (NZ) (Jon Snow {NZ}). “(Summer Breeze) is a very promising mare who was just having her third start and I had been hoping for some rain as I knew she would really appreciate it,” Hina told Loveracing.nz.
Tawhiti Hina | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images)
“He (Side Piece) is really just a big goof who knows nothing and needs more time to grow into his huge frame. He has taken a long time to strengthen up and he is far from being the finished product, so we might give him a break now as he can go to the paddock on a winning note.”
The sire Eminent (Ire) also had a double at the meeting with 3-year-old gelding Joan’s Joker (NZ) and 4-year-old gelding Sunset Boulevard (NZ).
Ferraris to ride My Wish in Champions Mile
Hong Kong’s youngest jockey, South African Luke Ferraris aged 23, will ride Mark Newnham-trained My Wish (Flying Artie) in the upcoming G1 Champions Mile on April 27. “It’s nice to have a horse like that to look forward to,” Ferraris told scmp.com.
“It’s been an amazing journey so far, just with his progression from when he first came into the yard to where he is now. I don’t think anyone in the stable would have believed you if you told them he’d be where he is today when he first stepped out on the track. It’s been an amazing team effort – credit to Mark and his team.
My Wish | Image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club
“He reeled off an insanely quick time in the Derby (when second). The barrier was just costly, but he seems to have come through it well. His work leading up to it has been good, his trial was nice and he came through that well. It’s going to be a good test.”
Garzia to ride Citizen Bull in Derby
With less than a fortnight to the G1 Kentucky Derby, it was announced on Sunday that Citizen Bull (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}), last year's champion juvenile, will give jockey Martin Garcia his first Derby mount since 2015. “It's a dream come true,” said Garcia, a 40-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico. “It's what every jockey wants.”
Garcia has ridden in the Kentucky Derby four times, all between 2010 and 2015. His best finish came in 2015 when Dortmund (USA), also trained by Bob Baffert, finished third behind subsequent Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (USA).
Bigger things suggested for Listed winner
Coming back to the scene of her debut win over this trip last month, Rabbit's Foot (Fr) (Golden Horde {Ire}) followed up in Sunday's Listed Prix Caravelle to suggest bigger and better things are ahead. Always happy tracking the front duo, the Francois Rohaut-trained half-sister to last year's G2 Prix d'Harcourt winner and G1 Prince of Wales's Stakes runner-up Zarakem (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) took control approaching the furlong pole en route to an authoritative 1.5l success from Ginalyah (Ire) (Chachnak {Fr}).
