Weatherley coming home

Sam Weatherley will head home from Sydney next Sunday, not for a holiday, but to reignite his New Zealand riding career at Riccarton the following Saturday.

New Zealand’s champion apprentice for the past two seasons, Weatherley has spent the last 15 months indentured to champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller, during which time he has kicked home 45 winners for prizemoney of A$3.25 million.

“I’ve had some success over here and it has been a massive experience, something I never thought I would get to experience when I started off, but I just want to get back home,” Weatherley said.

“I love the racing over here in Sydney, it’s the best ever, and I’ve had support. I’m proud of the effort I have put in over here, but I just want to do what makes me happy and that’s to go back to New Zealand.

“It’s very tough over here, both physically and mentally, and I’ve handled it, but at the same time I have been homesick. “

Minervini on move

Mark Minervini is the latest trainer to leave Adelaide and is moving to New South Wales given uncertainty over funding for racing.

He said the South Australian industry continued to decline and his new Newcastle base appealed because of its proximity to the Hunter Valley breeding farms.

Prize money for Adelaide's major races in the autumn was cut while several infrastructure projects are on hold.

Stalwarts Tony McEvoy, Phillip Stokes and Lloyd Kennewell have all moved their main training bases to Victoria.

Bletchingly return

Mystic Journey (Needs Further) is set to resume in Saturday’s G3 Bletchingly S. at Caulfield.

The Adam Trinder-trained rising 4-year-old was hard held in a recent trial win and is on a path toward the G1 Cox Plate.

The winner of the G1 Australian Guineas hasn’t been seen out since she won the All Star Mile in the autumn.

Trinder said he planned to run Mystic Journey in the Memsie S. following the Bletchingly.

Ripcord makes impact

Talented 3-year-old Ripcord (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) is the latest galloper to make the successful move from Wanganui trainer Kevin Myers to Victorian horseman Patrick Payne.

He landed a 2200 metre race at Pakenham in his Australian debut in the hands of Luke Currie.

“It was a good effort. I was a little bit worried going into it as he was quite a hard ride on the way to the gates and I thought he might tug and the trip might see him out with so long between runs,” Currie said.

“But obviously, Paddy (Payne) is pretty good with them. He had him spot on and when he jumped he settled beautifully and he is going to make a nice stayer.”

A’Ali claims Group 2

Stepping up from a June 5 debut second at Ripon to garner Royal Ascot’s June 20 G2 Norfolk S. in his only other start last time, Shaikh Duaij Al Khalifa’s A’Ali (Ire) (Society Rock {Ire}) maintained a rich seam of form and justified odds-on favouritism with a snug victory in Sunday’s G2 Darley Prix Robert Papin at Deauville.

Making smooth headway out wide inside the final quarter mile, he kept on strongly under mild urging in the closing stages to prevail by an ultimately comfortable 3/4-of-a-length from My Love’s Passion (Fr) (Elvstroem).

He showed an impressive turn of foot there so we might come back here for the [Aug. 18 G1] Prix Morny and that is under strong consideration,” revealed trainer Simon Crisford.

“He’s really straightforward, a very easy colt to deal with and he has a nice turn of foot. Luckily, he has all the right attributes and is a very good racehorse.”

Guarana triumphs in Oaks

Exhibiting sheer brilliance in her first two outings, Guarana (USA) (Ghostzapper {USA}) was more workmanlike on Sunday at Saratoga, but got the job done in her two-turn debut with a wire-to-wire success in the GI Coaching Club American Oaks.

“She handled a mile and an eighth well,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “I thought she got a really good ride from Jose. Nice, comfortable fractions and had enough to get to the wire. The runner-up ran terrific as well. It was a good horse race.’’

Guarana is one of 11 Grade 1 winners for 2004 Horse of the Year Ghostzapper, eight of which are fillies or mares.

Melham suspended

Ben Melham will miss G3 Bletchingly S. day at Caulfield following a suspension in Singapore.

A quick trip to Kranji on Sunday resulted in a three-meeting ban on a careless riding charge.

He went to Singapore to ride the unplaced Eye Guy (Bradbury’s Luck) in the Derby, but there was also success as he won on Gold Strike (Iffraaj {GB}) for ex-patriate Australian trainer Cliff Brown.

Melham will resume riding at the Moonee Valley meeting on August 3.