Caulfield Guineas winner bigger and stronger

A stronger Super Seth (Dundeel {NZ}) is building towards a new preparation aimed at adding more feature-race success to the G1 Caulfield Guineas winner's CV.

The Anthony Freedman-trained colt capped his spring with a thrilling Guineas win in October, charging home to grab Queensland gelding Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) in the final stride of the 1600 metre classic. The David Vandyke-trained Alligator Blood made a winning return at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Super Seth was given a break after his Guineas triumph, and in November New Zealand's Waikato Stud secured a majority share in the future stallion.

"He has been back in for just over two weeks now, so we're just taking him along nice and slowly," assistant trainer Sam Freedman said. "We're very happy with how he's going.

"Obviously he's got to take that step into the autumn, but he seems to have strengthened up. He has started some pace work and we're happy with the way he's moving.

"We'll be looking to nail down his autumn targets. The Australian Guineas is an obvious choice, and even some of those weight-for-age races like an Orr or Futurity. We'll map out a proper program from him in the coming weeks."

Freedman said Super Seth had strengthened and put on around 40 kilograms during his break.

"He's never been an overly big horse, but he seems to have really grown into himself now," he said. "So hopefully the best is still ahead of him."

Victoria Derby winner Warning (Declaration of War {USA}) has just returned after a break, with the Australian Derby in April his likely autumn target.

Star sprinter Santa Ana Lane (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who finished second in The Everest during the spring, is still spelling after failing to fire in his defence of the G1 VRC Sprint Classic at Flemington last month.

"He's still in the paddock and we're giving him until around Christmas so he can have a really good break," Freedman said.

"There's no real plan with him yet, but we'll probably go down the TJ Smith path again. He'll likely have one run before the TJ and go into that second-up."

Lane reunites with Lys Gracieux

Australian jockey Damian Lane will attempt to end a memorable 2019 on a high note when he rides Cox Plate winner Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) in the final start of her career.

Lane has played a starring role in some of Australia's major races in 2019, starting with his win in the Golden Slipper in Sydney in March on Godolphin-owned filly Kiamichi (Sidestep).

During the Melbourne spring carnival, he won the $5 million Caulfield Cup on Japanese horse Mer de Glace (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) a week before adding the $5 million Cox Plate on Lys Gracieux.

Lane will be reunited with Lys Gracieux in next Sunday's G1 Arima Kinen at Nakayama.

“I'm really looking forward to it,” he said. "Obviously she's a quality mare. It's going to be a tough race now that Almond Eye (Jpn) is going there, but I'm really looking forward to it."

Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) was redirected to this race after a spiked temperature ruled her out of the Hong Kong Cup earlier this month.

The TAB has Almond Eye at $2.50 in an all-in market for the Arima Kinen, with Lys Gracieux one of two horses at $5.

"My expectation is that she will run well because she is such a class horse and she's so honest, but it's going to be a very competitive race,” Lane said.

“It's probably the best race that Japan has seen all year. Nearly every one of their best horses is in this race. So it's going to be mighty competitive, but she will run well.”

Richard Litt looking ahead

Warwick Farm trainer Richard Litt has had a career-defining year and is looking to build on the momentum.

Castelvecchio (Dundeel {NZ}) gave Litt his first Group 1 win in the Champagne S. and ran a slashing second to Lys Gracieux (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) in the Cox Plate.

The colt's owner, Ottavio Galetta, has bought Clarry Conners' Victory Lodge stables at Warwick Farm. Litt will move in next year, with room for more than the 22 horses he has in work.

"It's a few months away yet but I'm very grateful,” Litt said. "It is a very famous place and while it's not much bigger than where I am, it is a wonderful place and I'm obviously very excited.”

Multiple Group One-winning trainer Conners has sent out four Golden Slipper winners from Victory Lodge and champion Research (Imperial Prince {Ire}) among others. He will also be moving close by, sharing a stable complex with his son Marc.

Arrowfield Stud has bought into Castelvecchio who will eventually stand alongside his sire Dundeel (NZ). But first there is the autumn carnival to think about, with Castelvecchio ready to begin his preparation.

"He's flying. He is in very good order," Litt said. "He is a different horse again. He has grown up a lot. He had a few weeks at Arrowfield and I'm very happy with him.”

Litt said Castelvecchio would start out against his own age group before stepping up to weight-for-age in races such as the Queen Elizabeth S.

"It's a long way away, but he'll probably go to the Hobartville into a couple of Guineas races to the Queen Elizabeth and the Derby," he said. "He'll be nominated for all the big races."

Raymond Tusk wins at Newcastle

Raymond Tusk (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) has made a successful return to English racing after an unplaced run in the Melbourne Cup.

The Richard Hannon-trained 4-year-old won the All-Weather Championships Qualifier at Newcastle on Saturday.

Sent out as favourite in the 3300 metre race, Raymond Tusk scored by 0.5l over Funny Kid (USA) (Lemon Drop Kid {USA}).

Raymond Tusk finished 16th of 24 in the Melbourne Cup on November 5, 5l from the winner Vow And Declare (Declaration of War {USA}).

Raymond Tusk has won four of his 14 starts, headed by the G2 Milan Gran Premio del Jockey Club and the Listed Glasgow S. He has also placed in the G3 Geoffrey Freer S., Sagaro S. and Aston Park S., and ran sixth in the G1 Eclipse S.

The Newcastle win gives Raymond Tusk an automatic berth in the 3200 metre Marathon on All-Weather finals day at Lingfield on April 10.

Brisbane 2YO race may have two divisions

With the Magic Millions 2YO Classic rapidly approaching, Racing Queensland will consider splitting a 2-year-old race at Eagle Farm that looms as a vital lead-up.

Saturday's $125,000 race also carries two QTIS bonus payments and is one of the few 1000-metre races in the lead-up to the $2 million Classic at the Gold Coast on January 11.

The 1000-metre start at Eagle Farm is restricted to 10 starters, but early indications are there will be between 20 and 30 nominations for the race.

RQ's racing manager Simon Stout said if numbers justified it, they would consider running two divisions of the race.

"We can't split black-type races and while this race has $125,000 in prizemoney it is not black-type," Stout said.

The secretary of the Queensland branch of the Australian Trainers Association, Cameron Partington, said many trainers were keen to place their first-starters at the 1000 metres while others were keen to boost prizemoney for the Millions.

"It would be good, if the numbers are there, that the race is split to help owners and trainers," he said.

RQ has no plans to change the number of starters at the 1000 metres, and the level for 2-year-olds has been extended to a full season for safety reasons.

There are four other juvenile races to be run in south-east Queensland this week, but they will be run at 1200 or 1100 metres.

The 1000 metre start on the old Eagle Farm track once accommodated 20 runners and later 16, but the 1000 metre chute was lost in the recent redevelopment.

Magic Millions Guineas for Star Surprise

Mike Moroney has decided to target the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas at the Gold Coast with promising sprinter Star Surprise (Sidereus).

The 3-year-old returned from a spell in a 1000 metre race on the Pakenham Cup program eight days ago and came from last in the field of 10 to win by 1.25l.

Moroney said the plan was for Star Surprise to fly north this week with the Magic Millions Guineas on January 11 the target.

Star Surprise has three wins from five starts, with his only unplaced run when last of the six runners in the Listed Vain S., won by Bivouac, at the end of his first campaign.

"Whether he gets 1400 metres, we'll see," Moroney said. "I think he will, and he's bred to on the dam side. He's not very big, that's the only thing. But he's a pretty good horse."

Moroney was impressed with Star Surprise's Pakenham return but said he believed how the gelding handled the trip away to Queensland would have a bearing on his Magic Millions chances.

"His sectionals were very, very good and he's a seriously good horse I think," Moroney said. "He's just a bit temperamental though and this will be his first trip away, which is going to be the worry.”

Moroney has shelved thoughts of running stablemate Hawker Hurricane (Deep Field) in the Magic Millions Guineas and said he would instead be in the paddock.

Hawker Hurricane won the Magic Millions 3&4YO Classic at Ballarat on November 23.

"I'll save him for the autumn," Moroney said. "I tried to fly him up for the Gold Edition but couldn't get a plane. He had to run there to be in sync, so I thought I would put him in the paddock instead."

Saturday's Gold Edition Plate at Eagle Farm was won by Magic Millions Guineas favourite Alligator Blood (All Too Hard).

Meagher on winning wave

Trainer Chris Meagher can hardly wait to get consistent Trevelyan (Pierro) to the $250,000 The Wave.

Run over 1800 metres, The Wave is one of several new races introduced in a revamped Brisbane and Gold Coast summer carnival. It is designed to bolster the January 4 meeting at the Gold Coast, a week before the main Magic Millions meeting.

The race is expected to draw a cross-section of horses from around Australia, but Trevelyan will not be out of place. He scored his second consecutive win over 1600 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Meagher has had The Wave, for 3 and 4-year-olds, as Trevelyan's target for some time.

"I know his form is at 1600 metres, but I have always felt 1800 will suit him," Meagher said. "Trevelyan was five weeks into this. We certainly race him sparingly and he seems to enjoy that sort of work.

"He is a real trier. He is the type of horse you love having in your stable. His wheels were spinning at the 200, but he kept trying and was too good."

Group 1 targets possible for Beauden

An impressive victory at Awapuni on Saturday has moved Beauden (NZ) (Bullbars) into Group 1 contention.

A last-start placegetter in the G3 Eagle Technology S., the 5-year-old gelding overcame a starting-gate stumble to score a dominant 4l win in the Central House Movers H.

“I just don’t know how he stayed on his feet, I really don’t,” co-trainer Graeme Rogerson said.

“To then go on to do that was quite remarkable, although we’ve always thought he had the makings of a top horse.

“He’s been a bit of a work in progress and taken a while to mature, but I think he might be at his peak now and he is quite capable of winning a good race this campaign.

“We’ll sit down and have a good talk about our options. He is nominated for most of the summer features, including the G1 Thorndon Mile and right up to the G1 Auckland Cup, but in the end it will be up to Joan (Egan, owner-breeder).

“I think a race like the G1 Zabeel Classic (G1, 2000 metres) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day would be ideal, but we will have a clearer picture once we’ve had a chat about it all.”