Stud buys into top sprinter

Cambridge Stud has bought into the Group 1 winning sprinter Hello Youmzain (Fr) (Kodiac {GB}).

They have joined a partnership involving Haras d’Etreham and SF Bloodstock to purchase the entire from Jaber Abdullah and he will race on next year with his current trainer Kevin Ryan.

The partnership is also the principal owners of European champion Almanzor (Fr), who shuttles between Haras d’Etreham and Cambridge Stud.

Hello Youmzain recently won the G1 Haydock Sprint Cup after finishing third in the G1 Commonwealth Cup. He is also a Group 2 winner as a 2 and 3-year-old.

“The key elements in his pedigree are stallions Danehill, Invincible Spirit and Shamardal, all of whom have had a massive influence on the Australasian bloodstock industry in recent years,” Cambridge Stud Chief Executive Officer Henry Plumptre said.

“Coupled with his performance, which has earned him a Timeform rating of 124, he is a great physical which is critically important in the Southern Hemisphere.”

Hello Youmzain will step out in the G1 Qipco British Champions Sprint S. at Ascot next week before being rested over the winter. He will race alternately in the colours of Haras d’Etreham and Cambridge Stud.

Another Winx record

Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) has won the Australian Horse of the Year for an unprecedented fourth time.

She was also named the champion middle distance performer for the season at a ceremony in Hobart on Thursday, the same night she was honoured with the Spirit Of Sport award at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in Melbourne.

Winx's trainer Chris Waller was again recognised at the Horse of the Year awards as the country's leading Group 1 trainer and her rider Hugh Bowman the leading jockey.

The 3-year-old winners were Sunlight (Zoustar) who was named best filly and The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice) best colt or gelding. Godolphin Australia produced the top 2-year-old, G1 ATC Sires' Produce S. winner Microphone (Exceed And Excel).

Godolphin's Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), the first English-trained horse to win the G1 Melbourne Cup, was the champion stayer and the champion sprinter award went to the Anthony Freedman-trained Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega {Ire})

Work in progress

Famous (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}) isn’t the finished article yet, but co-trainer Peter Snowden has a good opinion of the colt who runs in the G2 Yulong Stan Fox S. at Randwick.

"He's a slow maturing type and I think he'll be better again with another three months under his belt," he said. "He's got provincial form, but he's certainly got some talent there."

Snowden said Famous has the makings of a quality horse, but is a preparation away from the finished product and he views Saturday's race as a perfect stepping stone.

Tavistock colt stars

Almost 70 2-year-olds breezed at Friday's final session ahead of next week’s Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale with the quickest across the morning Tavistock (NZ) colt, catalogued as Lot 203.

To be offered by Baramul Stud, Lot 203 is the third foal of the multiple winning Pins mare Bellapin (NZ) and he stopped the clock in 10.68s.

A Rubick colt from Symphony Lodge (Lot 173) looked sharp in his breeze, clocking 10.74s.

Three other members of the Baramul Stud draft rounded out the day's top five times by colts by All Too Hard (Lot 101, 10.75s), Pluck (USA) (Lot 163, 10.75s) and More Than Ready (USA) (Lot 184, 10.76s).

The More Than Ready colt from Group 1 winner Allez Wonder (Redoute’s Choice) is a brother to recent stakes winner and Kooweerup.

Missed G1 opportunity

The Holy One (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) was withdrawn from the G1 Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas after he was found to have heat in his near fore leg.

The scratching of the last-start G2 Stutt S. winner has allowed the Anthony Freedman-trained Groundswell (Fastnet Rock) into the field.

Kerrin McEvoy was originally to ride Eric The Eel (Olympic Glory {Ire}), but will be aboard Groundswell with Brett Prebble to take over on the Queensland-trained hope.

McLean suspended

Group 1 winning trainer Jarrod McLean has been suspended by Racing Victoria stewards until police charges, including animal cruelty, are finalised in court.

McLean fronted RV stewards on Thursday after being charged a day earlier by the Victoria Police Sporting Integrity Intelligence Unit.

He is facing multiple counts of engaging in torturing, abusing, overworking and terrifying a thoroughbred racehorse; and causing unreasonable pain or suffering to a thoroughbred racehorse. McLean is facing 16 charges, which also include conduct that corrupts betting outcomes and possessing cocaine.

RV stewards on Thursday opened three separate inquiries involving McLean, registered stable employee Tyson Kermond and licensed jockey agent and registered stable employee William Hernan.

Kermond was charged by police with six animal cruelty offences and one count of conspiracy to defraud Racing Victoria with Hernan facing one charge of corrupt conduct. All four are due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates court on October 23.

Ready to run in Toorak

The New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale has been a great source for Flemington trainers Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra and they are hoping to strike more success with sale graduate Age Of Chivalry (NZ) (He’s Remarkable {NZ}) this weekend.

He was purchased by Henry Plumptre out of Curraghmore’s 2017 draft for NZ$50,000 and will step out in the G1 Toorak H. at Caulfield on Saturday.

“He’s in good order,” Zahra said. “He has had three weeks in between runs. We have just been ticking him over and working him over a bit more ground, just so he can relax over the mile.”

Ellerton and Zahra were underbidders on Age of Chivalry, but ended up with the horse after approaching Plumptre post-sale.

The Flemington conditioners have experienced success with a number of graduates from New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale, particularly with Group 1 performer Odeon (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}), who has recently returned to the stable.

Sprinter nearing best

Cadogan (Smart Missile) will be chasing his first win since returning from illness when he runs at Eagle Farm.

He is on the comeback trail after suffering a virus during a trip to Scone where he ran last in the Listed Luskin Star S. in early May.

"He was one very sick horse with a high temperature and we had to bring him along slowly once he had recovered," Toby Edmonds said.

Cadogan was well beaten first-up in August, but his performances have since have been encouraging.

"He finished very strongly from well back when second to Deep Image at Eagle Farm two runs back," Edmonds said. "Then he might have been only fifth at Doomben last time, but it was a very good run.”