In Her Time ready for trial
Everest-bound sprinter In Her Time (Time Thief) will kick off her preparation for the $14 million race with a trial at Gosford next Monday.
Comeback jockey Nash Rawiller will ride the 6-year-old in the trial with regular rider Corey Brown out of action for the spring with a serious back injury.
In Her Time will trial at Gosford next Monday
It will be the two-time Group 1 winner's first appearance since finishing sixth in the G1 Newmarket Hcp at Flemington.
A decision was made to race on with In Her Time after Orbis Bloodstock purchased a 50 per cent share in her earlier this year. She will contest The Everest for a second straight year after securing a run via Inglis' slot.
Premiership joy for Meech
Linda Meech has become the first female jockey to win the Victorian jockeys' premiership.
The 38-year-old has ridden 138 Victorian winners with just one day of the season to go, 25 more than her nearest rival, John Allen.
Linda Meech has won the Victorian jockeys' premiership
"It's a relief actually," Meech told Racing.com. "Last year I got close to doing it (five behind winner Dean Yendall) but I got suspended a fair bit."
"I got off to a good start, so I thought it was a good idea to have a crack at it. I was a bit dirty on myself from the year before, so it was good to get it out of the way."
"It was a second chance really. You don't get a second chance at a lot of things in life, but I was lucky enough to get a second chance and made the most of the opportunity."
Danceteria gets Cox Plate invite
The Australian Bloodstock-owned Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute's Choice) has received an official invite to contest the G1 Cox Plate by the Moonee Valley Racing Club.
Danceteria claimed the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis at Munich on Sunday, putting the David Menuisier-trained 4-year-old on the radar of the MVRC.
A decision on whether he travels to Australia is likely to be made in the next seven days by his owners.
The MVRC also extended an invitation to Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), the runner up in this year's G1 Investec Derby.
Walker in top form
Te Akau’s Mark Walker is setting a hot pace in Singapore in the race for the Trainers’ Premiership.
His most recent success at Kranji with Sacred Sea (NZ) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was his 50th for the season and with a 13-win buffer over Michael Clements could be on target to set a new record.
“We had 87 wins when winning the premiership in 2017, but may struggle to reach that with quite a few of our winners now up in grade,” Walker said. “Last season we won S$4.7 million in prizemoney for the owners and we will probably top that."
The winner of five training premierships in New Zealand, Walker was crowned Singapore Champion Trainer in 2015 and 2017 while also finishing second and third since moving to Singapore in 2010.
Award finalists
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing has announced another batch of finalists for the 2019 Horse of the Year Awards with the winners to be announced at a gala dinner at the Ellerslie Racecourse, on Sunday, September 8.
Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman and Jamie Richards are up for Trainer of the Year, Lisa Allpress, Opie Bosson, Matthew Cameron and Johnathan Parkes will contend for Jockey of the Year, while the Owner of the Year nominees are Archer Equine Investments, China Horse Club Racing, JML Bloodstock, Kevin Hickman, Kamada Racing and Bloodstock, Brendan and Jo Lindsay Partnership, NZ Thoroughbred Holdings, Raffles Dancers (NZ), Kelvin Tyler and Sir Peter Vela.
Jamie Richards has been nominated for trainer of the year
The Champion jumper will be between Chocolate Fish (NZ) (Colombia (NZ), Gagarin (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), Jackfrost (NZ) (Gallant Guru), Perry Mason (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) and Shamal (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), while Jumps Jockey of the Year is between Aaron Kuru, Buddy Lammas and Shaun Phelan.
Subzero on improve
Popular grey Subzero (Kala Dancer {GB}) is off the danger list at the Bendigo Equine Hospital.
His owner and constant companion Graham Salisbury said the gelding, who turns 31 on Thursday, has made excellent progress.
Salisbury said Victorian Equine Group's Sarah Jalim had reported Subzero was bright with his temperature improving.
"He's still a little way off but he's going forward and she said that's the main thing. Finding that length and-a-half has got him off the danger list."
Subzero is off the danger list
Rostropovich nears return
Top-quality stayer Rostropovich (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) is nearing a return to the track.
Now with Lindsay Park after being last seen when fifth in last year's G1 Melbourne Cup, the rising 5-year-old should be back at the trials this month.
Rostropovich is nearing a return to the track
"He seems great, quite a straightforward horse," co-trainer Tom Dabernig told Racing.com.
"The plan at this stage is to take him to Tatura (trials) for a hitout on the 12th. Nothing is set in stone at this stage but we might look to kick him off in the Makybe Diva S. at Flemington."
"He's an elite horse and I think he'll come to hand pretty quickly."
Sentimental goal
Sam Spratt is not one for setting goals, but she is making an exception in the new season and also has a realistic opportunity to achieve a very notable milestone within another few seasons.
The Pukekohe jockey is pleased with her results for the 2018-19 season, going into the last meeting of the term at Tauranga on Wednesday with 59 winners, including three black type events, to be back in the top 10 on the New Zealand Jockeys’ Premiership.
Sam Spratt would love to win a race for her grandmother's 100th birthday
“I’m the type of person who takes everything as it comes. I’m not huge on setting goals, but I’d love to win a race for my grandmother’s 100th birthday," she said.
“She turns 100 on January 7 and my brother, Neil, and his family are coming over from England for it. It’ll be a great family get-together and it would be pretty special if I could win at that time.”
Spratt is also gradually closing in on 1000 wins in New Zealand, sitting on 864 wins after the weekend, and she has kicked home 82 black type winners in New Zealand.
Stable addition
Leading Brisbane apprentice Jagg Guthmann-Chester is joining the Warwick Farm stable of Matthew Smith.
"Jagg wants to come to Sydney and give it a try," Smith said. "He has ridden plenty of winners in Queensland and I have watched him ride and he rides well.
"We expect him here this week and he will have rides for the stable from next week so we'll see how he goes."
