Almond Eye out

Japanese superstar Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) has been withdrawn from next weekend’s G1 Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin.

Plans for the mare to travel have been cancelled due to an elevated temperature.

Almond Eye would have been a major drawcard as the winner of six Group 1 events, including the Tokyo Tenno Sho, the Japan Cup and the Meydan Dubai Turf for trainer Sakae Kuneida and regular jockey Christophe Lemaire.

Desleigh’s dream horse

Desleigh Forster believes Chapter And Verse (Rothesay) could be the best horse through her hands after he came from the clouds to win the G3 TAB George Moore S. at Doomben.

Forster won the race in 2011 with Adebesi (Shovhog) and has had six stakes winners since, but she has a special spot for Chapter And Verse.

"What can I say other than he is a special horse. He is a good horse. I think he can be the best I have trained and I think he can win in even better company," she said.

"Mark (jockey Du Plessis) knows exactly how to ride him. I was a bit worried when he got so far back, but Mark got clear at the right time."

Chapter And Verse will now head to the Magic Millions carnival where he is likely to tackle the Magic Millions Cup.

"Then we can start looking at the winter and even the spring," she said.

Group 2 winner for No Nay Never

Nay Lady Nay (USA) bullied her way to the lead in the final strides to claim her first graded stakes victory in the G2 Mrs. Revere S. at Churchill Downs on Friday. The dark bay filly settled in mid-pack behind fractions of :25.54 and :50.25. Tipped to the centre of the course closing for home, she forged through a narrow gap between rivals to gain command.

No Nay Never (USA) is also the sire of this year’s G1 Darley July Cup winner Ten Sovereigns (Ire), as well as Nay Lady Nay’s full-brother and G2 Coventry S. winner Arizona (Ire), who finished fourth in this month’s GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. In the U.S., the stallion has been represented by last year’s Colleen S. winner Mae Never No (Ire).

First stakes win

Apprentice Stephanie Thornton posted a career-best victory aboard Sugar Boom (Spirit Of Boom) in the Listed Mode Plate at Doomben.

The win gave trainer Tony Gollan a Doomben treble after earlier scoring with A Man To Match (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Le Palmier (Spirit Of Boom).

"Sugar Boom goes really well for female riders and Steph is the best around at the moment. She won on Sugar Boom at the Sunshine Coast and I had no hesitation putting her on even though she couldn't claim," Gollan said.

"Sugar Boom is a much tougher filly this campaign. She has really bloomed over her break and I think she can now live up to her early potential."

Gollan will now add Sugar Boom to his team for the Listed Gold Edition Plate at Eagle Farm in a fortnight where he could have half a dozen runners.

Alward a happy horse

The warmer Queensland weather has done Alward (Ire) (Aqlaam {GB}) the world of good and saw him triumph in the Listed ATC Cup at Rosehill.

Alward spent the winter and most of the spring at trainer Chris Waller's Gold Coast stable and was an Open H. winner at Doomben three weeks ago.

"It has been a while between drinks, but he found winning form in Queensland and has come down in great condition," Waller said. "He arrived earlier this week and obviously the team up there do a pretty good job.

"The change of scenery for the horse just keeps them interested and Hugh Bowman gave him a beautiful ride."

Stakes breakthrough

The Mitigator credited his Greta West-based sire Master Of Design with his first black type winner when he claimed the G3 Eagle Technology S. at Ellerslie.

Trained by Peter McKay and ridden by son Shaun, the 5-year-old took up his customary role in front and surged clear 300 metres from home.

“He’s very honest and deserved to win a race like this,” McKay senior said. “I’m thinking of stepping him up to 2000 metres in the G1 Zabeel Classic here on Boxing Day.”

Pot of gold awaits

Confidence levels in a winning return from Rubisaki (Rubick) were high at The Valley and they weren’t misplaced.

The 3-year-old won the Murray Nangatta H. untouched by rider Jye McNeil to put the Patrick Payne-trained filly in line for shot at a massive purse.

“She’s eligible for an Inglis race in Sydney worth $1 million in February,” part-owner Joe O’Neill said. “It just depends which way Patrick wants to go with her. She’s a very, very good filly.

“She’s in fantastic order and was ready to go two weeks ago, but she got a snotty nose and couldn’t run in the Roses during Cup week.”

Eyes on Millions

Trainer Robert Heathcote may have only his second Magic Million 2YO Classic runner after Dusty Tycoon (Written Tycoon) kept her unbeaten record in tact at Doomben.

The winner of her two previous starts led all the way to take top honours in the QTIS 2-Year-Old.

Dusty Tycoon was a $160,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase and is raced by a Mirunners syndicate, which sold 1000 shares in the filly. The idea, backed by Racing Queensland, is to give small-time race goers a chance to race an expensive horse.

"I usually don't have a Magic Millions horse because we breed some of ours and we also usually don't have many early-season runners," Heathcote said. "It is wonderful for racing to have so many people to have a Magic Millions runner. Now we can concentrate on how best to get her to the Millions."

Rawiller outed

Nash Rawiller will miss the G2 Villiers S. meeting at Randwick after being outed for careless riding aboard Moss Trip (Mossman) in the G3 Festival S.

Rawiller was banned for six meetings for causing interference to Testashadow (Testa Shadow) near the 1000 metres in Saturday's Rosehill feature.

He will ride next Saturday before beginning his penalty and can return on December 16.

Tommy Berry also found himself in trouble with stewards and was issued a four-meeting suspension for causing interference aboard Baller (High Chaparral {Ire}) near the 800 metres in the Starlight Stakes.

Berry will ride next Saturday before beginning his ban and will be back in time for the Villiers.

Trelawney strikes again

Trelawney Stud has enjoyed further black type success with its racing team with Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) claiming in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial at Ellerslie.

Principals Brent and Cherry Taylor celebrated victory with Loire (Redoute’s Choice) in last month’s G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and now they have another talented filly to look forward to the future with.

“It was a very good run and we put the blinkers on this filly and she worked superbly in them. Congratulations to Trelawney, they’re having a super run and it’s nice to get a stakes winner for them,” said Robert Wellwood, who trains Two Illicit with Roger James.

Two Illicit won the Ellerslie 3-year-old feature with the favourite Dragon Leap (Pierro) finishing second after getting to the front and then veering off the track.

Oaks winner back

Last season’s G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Sentimental Miss (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) returned to her best with a quality staying performance to take out the Listed Steelform Roofing Group Wanganui Cup.

The Lisa Latta-trained 4-year-old has disappointed on several occasions in her current campaign after an eye-catching effort for seventh behind Endless Drama (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) in the G2 Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa back in August.

“To be fair she has been a little disappointing this time in so we thought it might be best to put her away for a rest after this run,” Go Racing syndicate representative Matt Allnutt said.

“The way she really hit the line so well might mean we have to take another look at that as she really let down and it was a very good win.”

Trainer on a roll

Fresh off a black type double at Otaki on Friday, trainer Stephen Marsh’s run continued at Ellerslie with the promising Lincoln King (NZ) (Shocking).

The lightly-raced 5-year-old came from the back to win the Dunstan Feeds Stayers’ Championship Qualifier.

“The 2400 metres of the Dunstan Final is going to suit him. He’s a progressive stayer and a nice, relaxed horse,” Marsh said.

Lincoln King is out of the stakes winning mare Shi Kin Fly (NZ) (Shinko King {Ire}) and was bred by Wellfield Lodge who remain in the ownership and will offer his half-brother by Turn Me Loose (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) at Karaka next year.