Everest slot up for tender

Racing NSW will put The Everest slot surrendered by Jadeskye Racing up for tender.

The slot was forfeited after Damion Flower was arrested on serious drug charges.

Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys said the tender will not necessarily be awarded to the highest bidder but to the 'person or organisation that brings benefit and adds to the promotion and appeal of the race which has captured everyone's attention'.

"The slot has attracted many interested parties who are willing to pay the amount necessary," Racing NSW chief executive Peter V'landys said.

"The challenge for them is how they can show that they will bring something unique to The Everest."

Winner No.5 for Toronado

Swettenham Stud's Toronado (Ire) collected the fifth winner from his first Australian crop with Mariamia victorious in a Moe maiden.

The filly, an $18,000 buy for last year's Premier Sale, was on debut over the 1017m and relished the heavy conditions for trainer Shane Stockdale and jockey Thomas Stockdale to win by 0.75l.

She beat two well-bred runners in Hummalong (Hallowed Crown), the half-sister to stakes-winner Humma Humma (Denman) and Paris (Snitzel), the half-sister to Group 1 winner English (Encosta de Lago).

Toronado's first crop in Australia has been highlighted by VOBIS Showdown winner Prince Of Sussex, while he has also had two stakes winners to date in the Northern Hemisphere.

New track guidelines

Racetracks in Victoria will be presented with more give under new guidelines, which will come into effect from the start of next season.

Under Racing Victoria's updated Racing Surface Preparation Guidelines, from August 1 all Victorian clubs will be asked to prepare a track with give in the interests of horse welfare and a track with a rating of Good for all races.

As part of the guidelines, clubs will be requested to prepare a track that is a 'Good 4' for at least the first race of the meeting, never a 'firm' rating.

Winks answers call

James Winks will head to Sydney on Saturday to ride for Hawkes Racing at Rosehill where he has three mounts for the top trainers.

A four-time Group 1 winning jockey, the Victorian jockey has a close association with the Hawkes training partnership in Melbourne and is happy to make the flying visit to Sydney where he has picked up a select book of rides.

"I obviously ride a lot for them in Melbourne. I'm sort of second behind Dwayne Dunn for them here, and they asked if I'd go up for the day," Winks said.

Winks' mounts are headed by Firsthand (Star Witness) in the Listed Civic S., Freehearted (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) in the TAB.com.au H. and Heart Conquered (Akeed Mofeed {GB}) in the Everest Carnival Hospitality H.

Open slate for Verry Elleegant

The Chris Waller stable aren't yet willing to commit to a spring path for G1 Australian Oaks winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}),

Waller stable representative Charlie Duckworth told Racenet that the nature of the filly meant it was her manners that would determine where she ended up.

“She’s come back a little bit stronger but she’s not the type that’s ever going to be a gross filly,” he said. “She’s always going to be a little bit wiry but as we know she’s got stacks of ability."

“There’s so many options for her and there’s a reason why there are so many options for her, it’s because she’s so talented but we’ll let her dictate to us. It’s a bit of an open slate."

Deirdre Hope cleared to train

Deirdre Hope, the wife of suspended trainer Shannon Hope, will be able to train a small team after a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal order.

Racing Victoria has objected to Mrs Hope being granted a licence, because Shannon Hope and his father Lee are serving a three-year penalty for cobalt offences.

But she has been allowed to train by VCAT on certain restrictions.

Meanwhile, Victoria’s Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board has found another two trainers guilty of serious charges relating to elevated cobalt readings.

Trainers Matthew Leek and Trevor Andrews have been found guilty on charges of administering or causing to be administered products that produced high cobalt readings in horses and will receive penalties at a later date.

Well-bred 3YO on debut

There will be an air of excitement at Ruakaka on Saturday when Drops of Jupiter (NZ) (Echoes Of Heaven) makes his debut in the Racing Sunday August 11.

The 3-year-old is a half-brother to Kiwi-bred Hong Kong superstar Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock), who is currently the highest rated active racehorse in the world.

He is the winner of seven Group 1 races so Drops of Jupiter has big horseshoes to fit into.

"He's got a lot to live up to with his half-brother's reputation, but we're not going to get carried away," said Michelle Bradley, who co-owns the gelding and trains him in partnership with Chris Gibbs at Ruakaka. "We'd be rapt if he was finishing the race off well and running in the first five."

Sacred Elixir home

Group 1 winner Sacred Elixir (NZ) (Pour Moi {Ire}) has returned to New Zealand from his former Hong Kong base and a scan has revealed positive signs he will make a race day return in his homeland.

Formerly trained in New Zealand by Cambridge conditioner Tony Pike, Sacred Elixir won three Group races for owners Raffle Racing, including the G1 JJ Atkins S., and finished runner-up to Prized Icon (More Than Ready {USA}) in the G1 Victoria Derby before joining Tony Cruz’s Hong Kong barn in 2017.

“He injured his right-fore suspensory in his third start and rehabilitation up there was unsuccessful, so they have sent him home,” Raffles Racing Manager Bruce Sherwin said.

While his rehabilitation in Hong Kong failed to show any improvement, a scan conducted at Raffles Farm’s Cambridge property on Thursday revealed positive signs for the talented galloper.

“He’s a lightly raced horse. He has only had 15 starts, so we can be patient in the rehabilitation, but from what we are seeing he is a chance of returning to the track.”

Track to suit Kiwi mare

New Zealand mare Terra Sancta (NZ) (Pierro) returns to her favourite Australian track as she strives to end a run of outs at the Sunshine Coast.

She will be having her fourth start for the winter carnival in Saturday's Listed Caloundra Cup.

Terra Sancta has failed to run a place since arriving, but has been solid in all her starts including her last run when sixth in the Ipswich Cup last Saturday week.

"She just didn't seem to get around Ipswich and looked unbalanced for much of the race," trainer Tony Pike said. "She really didn't seem to get going until it was too late with the short straight."

"This will be the first time she has got back on a big track this campaign. She has won both her starts at the Sunshine Coast."