Warning no certainty for SA Derby

G1 Victoria Derby winner Warning (Declaration Of War {USA}) has returned to Victoria after his excellent third in the G3 Chairman's S. with a decision to be made this week whether he goes back for the G1 SA Derby or contests the Listed Andrew Ramsden S.

Warning looks to be back in form after closing well to be beaten 2l by Dalasan (Dalakhani {Ire}) in the Chairman's S. at Morphettville on Saturday.

Assistant trainer Sam Freedman said that Warning was 50/50 to come back to Adelaide in two weeks' time.

“The horse is on his way home already and we’ll have a good look at him this week. While he is likely to return to Adelaide for the Derby, it’s also on the table to go to the Andrew Ramsden at Flemington on May 16 instead," he told Racing.com.

"As we know with the Ramsden there is a big carrot on the end of that for the winner with a run in the Melbourne Cup in November at stake.”

Vow And Declare spelled

G1 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}) will be spelled with trainer Danny O'Brien none-the-wiser over his failure at Flemington on Saturday.

O'Brien said the 4-year-old had trotted up fine at his Flemington stables on Sunday after finishing fifth as a short-priced favourite in the William Newton VC H. over 2600 metres.

The trainer admitted he was below par in his final two runs and he was best served headed to the paddock for a good rest, rather than head towards the Listed Andrew Ramsden S. on May 16.

He will likely target the G1 Turnbull S. first-up again this year as he heads towards his Melbourne Cup defence.

Two more jockeys back from Singapore

Alysha Collett and Patrick Moloney will both return to Australia from Singapore.

Both jockeys have opted to come back after it became clear that restrictions in Singapore will be tightened after a resurgence in the coronavirus crisis.

Moloney will serve a two-week quarantine period after returning to Victoria, similar to what Daniel Moor and Michael Rodd are currently going through having returned from Singapore recently.

New Zealander Collett will head to Sydney where she rode successfully as an apprentice.

Retirement for Cliff's Edge

Two-time Group 2 winner Cliff’s Edge (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) has been retired with connections hoping to secure a stallion deal with him.

The 5-year-old, a winner of eight of his 30 starts and over $1.1 million, celebrated his two biggest wins in the G2 Alister Clark S. and the G2 Waterford Cystal Mile, both at Moonee Valley. He contested Group 1 races on nine occasions.

Managing Owner Pam Wilson said the time had come to find a home for Cliff’s Edge at stud.

“We want to find the best home we possibly can for him,” Wilson said.

"Cliff’s Edge presents an excellent stallion opportunity. He was very talented and had all the attributes you love in a horse; toughness, consistency and importantly speed.

“He was precocious enough to win at 2, running the fastest time for his age at Sandown over the last 10 years. His 3-year-old season was thrilling and at times dominant and pleasingly he backed it up and consistently mixed it with the best of the best at Group 1 level as a 4 and 5-year-old."

Vega One ride probed

Racing Queensland stewards have opened an inquiry into apprentice Baylee Nothdurft’s ride on the Tony Gollan-trained Vega One (Lope De Vega {Ire}) at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

Vega One finished fourth in the Henzells Agency H. over 1000 metres, having closed from the back in the field and the 4-year-old appeared to run out of room in the final stages. The race was won by stablemate Just Orm (Falvelon).

The stewards’ report of the meeting mentioned an inquiry had been opened after evidence was taken from Nothdurft and Gollan.

The inquiry will resume at an as-yet undetermined date in the future.

Gibbs disappointed by Ruakaka omission

Ruakaka trainer Chris Gibbs is disappointed that there will be no racing at his home track this winter after it was left off the limited calendar released by NZTR last week.

Gibbs and training partner Michelle Bradley enjoy a good record at the course and he feels the local trainers weren't consulted with when the decision was made to not race at the North Island venue.

“On the face of it, it is a blow as the reality is there will be no racing here for at least 12 months,” Gibbs said. “The winter is where our stable tends to shine and to not have racing here is tough.

“I understand they canvassed trainers throughout the country regarding options and the like but they never spoke to us as we would have tried to make a strong case for Ruakaka’s inclusion.

“We know there are a good number of trainers that use our meetings to get their horses ready for the spring and they won’t have that option now so I would have thought that might have strengthened our case further.

“I guess what we have to do now is sit down and work out what we are going to do and how we can work around what is in front of us.”

Setback for Rich Charm

Group-winning sprinter Rich Charm (Danerich) has suffered a setback and will miss the upcoming Listed Wangoom H. at Warrnambool.

Rich Charm, who has had just one run since 2018, had been targeted at the Warrnambool feature but trainer Udyta Clarke said he would be saved for stakes races over the winter.

“He was just so bad which isn’t like him because he’s so tough and always puts in an effort, and his bloods came back showing that he’d been really sick," she told Racing.com.

“He’s back all okay now thankfully, I just had him on light swimming for a few weeks so I can start getting the work back into him now.

"Unfortunately the Wangoom will come up too early, it would have been a good race for him but I just want to make sure he’s fully recovered."