Training and racing to continue at Flemington

Training and racing are free to continue at Flemington racecourse despite the suburb of Flemington and adjoining Kensington being ordered into lockdown as the COVID-19 crisis worsens in Melbourne.

While thousands of public housing residents have been confined to their units at nine public housing towers, many of which stand less than a kilometre from the Flemington Racecourse, the Victoria Racing Club says the shutdown would have no impact on racing or training at Flemington at this stage.

“Both Flemington Racecourse and our Horse Training Facility continued operations during the initial state-wide stage three lockdown with very strict biosecurity measures in place to protect both participants and the public,” the VRC statement read.

“Those safety measures are still in place.

“In the event that stage three restrictions are re-imposed on the suburb of Flemington, we will work with government, industry and health authorities to ensure we continue to comply with the guidelines during the ongoing operation of the course and horse training facility.”

Four in a week for Headwater

Vinery Stud's Headwater got his fourth winner in a week and the 10th from his first crop, when the Kris Lees-trained filly Sequana powered over the top of her rivals at Mudgee on Sunday.

Given a cold ride by Andrew Gibbons, Sequana unleashed a strong late burst to come from last and win by a widening 2.43l in the 1200 metre maiden, defeating Council (Krupt) and Microna (Choistar).

She was a $20,000 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale purchase who was then sold for $65,000 to Australian Bloodstock at the 2019 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale. Sequana is out of stakes-placed Magic Albert mare Leviosa.

Headwater joins Pride Of Dubai with 10 Australian first crop winners this season, two behind Spill The Beans.

Chantrea could be headed east

Unbeaten WA filly Chantrea (Puissance De Lune {Ire}) could be headed to Lindsey Smith's Victorian base after her most recent win.

Chantrea took her winning streak to five with her victory in the Listed Belmont Oaks on Saturday and part-owner Professor John Yovich said it was a possibility she would now head across the Nullarbor.

“If we stay here, if we target fillies and mares’ races in the east – we’ll just see how she pulls up before we decide whether we’ll target the Belmont Classic in two weeks,” Yovich told TABRadio.

“We’ll weigh up those options and take it from there.

“The filly will continue to fill out. The whole family line is the same and she won’t mature for another six months or more.

“We’ll see her shoulders and everything still developing so she’s done a good job for a horse that’s still growing.”

Dee hospitalised in Pakenham fall

Jockey Michael Dee has been transported to hospital after injuring his shoulder in a race fall at Pakenham.

Dee had just won the 2200 metre race on Heroic Fighter (Redoute's Choice) when the 4-year-old stumbled after colliding with the riderless Midas Man (Golden Snake {USA}), who had lost his jockey, apprentice Celine Gaudray on the home turn.

Paramedics transported Dee to hospital for scans after the fall, while Gaudray was assessed on the track but walked back to the jockey’s room after she was cleared of serious injury.

First Japanese winner for Mikki Isle

Three-time Arrowfield Stud shuttler Mikki Isle (Jpn) has sired his first winner in his home country.

His first-season colt Dualist (Jpn) was successful for trainer Takayuki Yasuda at Hanshin on Saturday, winning by 0.75l in a 1200 metre dirt race.

Mikki Isle was a winner of the G1 Mile Championship and G1 NHK Mile Cup and was crowned the Champion Sprinter and Miler in Japan in 2016.

He served at Arrowfield in 2017, 2018 and 2019 with books of 96, 76 and 77 respectively, but won't return in 2020 due to quarantine complications caused by the COVID-19 crisis. His first Australian crop will hit the track in the new season.

Another feature win for Gobstopper

He may be a brother to two Group 1 winners, but Gobstopper (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) continues to establish himself as a star in his own right with another feature hurdle win.

Gobstopper, a winner of the Australian Hurdle and the Galleywood Hurdle this season, staged a dramatic late surge to win in Sunday’s Kevin Lafferty Hurdle at Warrnambool to continue an all-conquering 2020 season.

“He’s a lovely horse and he just doesn’t give up,” trainer Eric Musgrove said. “The horse is in great heart at the moment and everything he does, he enjoys.

“I hadn’t given up hope, he half knuckled down the straight and it took him a little while to balance up again and I thought the last part of the race he finished off very strongly."

Gobstopper, a brother to Group 1 winners Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and Toffee Tongue (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) has now win 17 races, including the G3 New Zealand Cup, and over $500,000 in prizemoney.

Sanson hungry for more after first win

Apprentice jockey Maria Sanson is readying herself for more success after riding her first career winner at Awapuni on Saturday

Sanson, having her first day at the races, scored aboard Super Flash (NZ) (Super Easy {NZ}) for her boss Mark Oulaghan in the last race of the day.

“The phone had been going non-stop when I got back to the jockey’s room and although I did manage to have a couple of celebratory drinks at the track I was home early for some dinner and then I just crashed,” she said.

“Super Flash had shone at the jump-outs and trials and I know Mark has a lot of time for him, so I was hoping he could go well. When we got into contention all I was thinking was please keep running Flash.

“My legs were burning and when I was pulling up, they were turning to jelly. It took a wee while to pull up so it wasn’t until I got back to the birdcage that people came up and started congratulating me which was really nice.

“Mum and Dad were there as well so it was a great experience.”

Express delight for Vile and Erb

The win of Hydroexpress (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) was especially significant for trainer Gary Vile.

Vile had two winners on the day, but it was the win of the 3-year-old filly that meant the most to him, having bred her with good friend Cliff Erb.

“Cliff and I bred her as he has a share in Shamexpress so we used his service with a mare I own, Myminkcoat,” Vile said.

“I was quite confident going into the race as she had had two jump-outs and won them both comfortably so I didn’t expect the heavy track to be any worry for her."

Myminkcoat (NZ) (Coats Choice) is one of four mares that Vile breeds from, with a younger half-sister to Hydroexpress getting ready to make her raceday debut in the near future.

“We’ve got four mares that we breed from as a hobby although it does get a bit expensive,” he said.

“Myminkcoat is in foal to Turn Me Loose and when she foals down, we will most likely send her back to Shamexpress again.

“I’ve got a lovely Darci Brahma 2-year-old filly from her who had a jump-out the other day and a yearling Charm Spirit filly as well.”