Stradbroke chances boosted
Tyzone (Written Tycoon) has moved stylishly into G1 Stradbroke H. contention with a dashing victory in the G3 Bernborough Ascot BRC Sprint at Doomben.
“He’d be a real light lightweight chance on that performance,” rider Blake Shinn said. “He was sensational. I rode him last time and I felt he was a tragedy beaten.
“I just kept him out of trouble and he showed his true colours. It was a great victory.”
Tyezone is trained by Toby Edmonds and has an impressive strike rate with 16 wins from his 31 starts.
Major blow-out
Moor Gait (Fiorente {Ire}) caused a massive boil-over when she claimed the G3 TAB SA Fillies’ Classic at 200-1.
Despite the three figure starting price, rider Daniel Stackhouse was bullish about the Andrew Noblet-trained filly’s chances.
“I know the filly pretty well now and I knew she would run the 2500 metres,” he said. “I had plenty of horse with 600 metres to run and when she got the run through she was strong.”
Cup tilt confirmed
Grey Lion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is on his way to Queensland following his win in the Listed Lord Mayor’s Cup at Rosehill.
"He toughed it out. He was under pressure a long way from home," trainer Matthew Smith said. "He will go to the Brisbane Cup now."
Grey Lion had won the G3 JRA Plate at his previous start, ridden both times by Kathy O’Hara.
"He was really good and very tough," jockey Kathy O'Hara said. "It was good to see him show he's got a bit of bottom to him because he's run plenty of seconds before, but when he got challenged he really lifted and tried very hard."
Tough as teak
Li’l Kontra (Krupt) stepped out for the ninth start of her current preparation and the steely 2-year-old produced her best performance when winning the G3 M&J Chickens National S. at Morphettville.
The iron filly looked to have blown her chances with a tardy beginning, but she finished with purpose under rider Dwayne Dunn to win for the third time in her career.
“She’s a little star, amazing. She’s just a freak and a pleasure to train,” Morphettville conditioner Ryan Balfour said.
Barriers tell tale
Draws made all the difference in the Listed City Property Services Bill Carter S. at Doomben where Perudo (Spirit Of Boom) inflicted a first defeat on Gem Of Scotland (Rothesay).
Perudo enjoyed an economical run behind the pace and finished resolutely to win at the expense of Gem Of Scotland, who was forced to cover extra ground from an outside gate and roared home.
“She’ll be back here in two weeks for the Oxlade S. and hopefully the barrier gods smile on us again,” Perudo’s trainer Tony Gollan said.
Derby plans
David Hayes believes he has a genuine Classic contender on his hands in the form of Independent Road (Declaration Of War {USA}), who came from the tail of the field to claim the Hugh Bowman Hall of Fame Trophy at Flemington.
Hayes, who trains in partnership with son Ben and nephew Tom Dabernig, was impressed by the win after pre-race concerns about a lack of tempo.
"Coming from last, well only good horses can do that," he said. "The figures he put out to be beaten at Bendigo were excellent and to see it again, that tells me to back off now and set him for the VRC Derby in the spring.”
Dam of Kingman passes away
Zenda (GB) (Zamindar {USA}), winner of the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches and now best known as the dam of Classic winner and superstar young sire Kingman (GB), has died aged 20 following a prolonged bout of laminitis.
Zenda, a half-sister to Oasis Dream (GB), remarkably became the first Juddmonte home-bred Classic-winning filly to produce a Classic winner when Kingman won the 2014 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, his first of four straight Group 1 wins over a mile that year that would end in him being named Cartier 3-year-old Colt and Horse of the Year. Kingman has already produced a Classic winner in his first crop, with Persian King (Ire) taking last weekend’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains.
“She was a very special mare, kind and a delight to be around– she will be greatly missed by all the team at Juddmonte,” Stud Director in the UK Simon Mockridge said.
G1 winner and Classic producer, Zenda
Deserved break
Strapping mare Hinerangi (Fastnet Rock) will head for a break following her victory in the Listed James Bull Rangitikei Gold Cup at Awapuni.
Trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman for breeders Christopher and Susanna Grace, the 5-year-old sat in second spot to the turn.
“She’s a monster isn’t she,” rider Robert Hannam said. “She races on pace and grinds really well and she only had 53kg on her back. What I didn’t want to do was sit and sprint as I wanted to make it more of a staying mile.”
Hinerangi winning the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup
Notable win
Shaun Phelan celebrated his first success in a new role when Big Mike (NZ) (Don Eduardo {NZ}) won the Dunstan Feeds H. at Te Rapa.
The leading jumps jockey now also trains in partnership with his father Craig and their Listed Pakenham Cup winner has most likely earned a return trip across the Tasman with his latest win.
The G2 Brisbane Cup and the Listed Caloundra Cup are races under consideration for Big Mike.
