Cup in picture for 3YO

A tilt at the G1 Sydney Cup is on the cards for Warning (Declaration Of War {USA}) if he runs up to expectations in Saturday’s G1 Bentley Australian Derby.

Brad Taylor, racing manager for trainer Anthony Freedman, confirmed the back-up into the Cup was being seriously considered.

"We've got plans to run him in the Sydney Cup if he runs well, so the 2400 is going to be no issue," Taylor said.

Warning proved his staying prowess in the spring with a dominant G1 Victoria Derby victory.

High Doncaster hopes

Anthony Cummings will be chasing his first win in the G1 The Star Doncaster H. and believes Prince Fawaz (Fastnet Rock) is the right horse to deliver a result.

Cummings is mindful of the strong record of 3-year-olds in the race and is confident of a bold showing.

"I just thought it was the right race for him, it made sense in terms of what we've seen from him and where I think his capability lays," Cummings said. "If the rain does turn up, having had that run at 2000 metres, it will hold him in very good stead.

"You look at his run the other day and he runs one of the fastest early sectionals, but then he runs one of the fastest final sectionals, which says there was a fair bit of merit in what he did.”

Parr fancies chances

Josh Parr is confident Shadow Hero (Pierro) will have no trouble mastering the 2400 metres of the G1 Bentley Australian Derby.

"This preparation he is a stronger horse physically and mentally and his physical condition says to me he is still coping okay with the preparation,” he said.

"From the first time I rode him, he gave me the feel he could win a mile and a-half Derby and I still think that.

"It is one of our most prestigious races. It's usually an exciting race and I think this year's field has the potential to produce a really exciting contest."

Start in balance

Co-trainer Peter Snowden will decide after Saturday’s G2 Schweppes Chairman’s Quality whether Carif (So You Think {NZ}) will press on to the G1 Sydney Cup.

"We'll just see what he does on Saturday," Snowden, who trains in partnership with his son Paul, said. "He's backing up from the Tancred last Saturday, but that should not worry him.

"He did it in the spring and he ran very well so I'm not worried about the back-up. Whether we go again, three weeks in a row, we'll just have to see what he does on Saturday.

"He’s going well and he’s been set for this race on Saturday so I'm expecting him to run well."

Mare retired

Co-trainer Michael Hawkes has advised Racing New South Wales stewards that Dawn Dawn (All Too Hard) has been retired.

The decision was made in the wake of the 5-year-old’s unplaced run on an unsuitably wet track in the G2 Emancipation S.

Dawn Dawn won five of her 18 starts, including the G2 Guy Walter S. and finished third in the G3 How Now S.

Smooth preparation

Randwick trainer John Sargent is poised to make a splash when Brandenburg (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) contests Saturday’s G1 Doncaster Mile.

The Kiwi ex-pat, who moved to Sydney six years ago, has the 3-year-old colt humming this campaign and the drop to the minimum weight with seven-time Doncaster winning jockey Glen Boss booked to ride has seen Brandenburg installed favourite.

“Everything’s coming together like a puzzle,” Sargent said. “It has worked out perfectly. We decided after the Randwick Guineas where he ran third that being a son of Burgundy, probably a mile to 2000 metres is his distance range.

“We saw the weights in the Doncaster, where he was allotted 49kgs. They have raised the weights and he now carries 50.5kgs, which is the minimum, so it was a good chance to have a go at a race like this.”

In familiar territory

Andrew Noblet will return to his former home track at Caulfield for the first time since relocating to a new training operation at Ballarat.

"The sand and the Polytrack are a bit like Caulfield, but the hill track is something different which I'm using for a few of the older horses," Noblet said.

"I had a hill track at Sutton Grange which was pretty steep and I had three years there, so it's not entirely foreign to me."

Since moving last month, Noblet has had 12 starters from the new yard, with Think We're Due (So You Think {NZ}) successful at The Valley.

Noblet has four horses back at Caulfield on Saturday, including three-time winner Hint Of Mint (Delago Deluxe) in the Thomas North H.

Derby aspirations

Chuck A Luck (Niagara) will take his next step toward the G1 South Australian Derby (2500 metres) when he lines-up in the Neds H. at Caulfield on Saturday.

The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained gelding has been in fine form since joining their Cranbourne stable this year, placing first-up before winning over a mile at Mornington last start.

“He didn’t have much luck first-up and he stuck his neck out on the line second-up,” Busuttin said. "He may be looking for 2000 metres now, but we just wanted to give him another mile before getting him up over 2000 metres.

“His immediate target will be the South Australian Derby. He gives every impression that he is going to get over ground, but the next couple of starts will tell the story.”

Federer grand slam

Riccarton filly Miss Federer (NZ) (Swiss Ace) has been confirmed as the 2019/20 New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year.

Trainer Andrew Carston paid just NZ$10,000 to buy Miss Federer in Book 2 of Karaka 2018, his stable star.

She posted victories in both of the first two legs of the Southern Filly of the Year Series – the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle S. at Riccarton, and the Listed NZB Airfreight S. at Wingatui.