Moody to train WA raiders in Group 1s

Champion trainer Peter Moody will oversee the spring campaigns of G1 Makybe Diva S. winner Gatting (Hard Spun {USA}) and talented stablemate The Velvet King (Universal Ruler).

Gatting and The Velvet King who are trained by Darren McAuliffe when in Western Australia, were set to be trained by Lindsey Smith, when they headed east to take on the G1 Memsie S. and Makybe Diva S. but he had a change of heart.

"It's obviously disappointing that Lindsey changed his mind so late and didn't take them on after we had an agreement," McAuliffe told Racing.com .

"We lose nothing though with the horses being under the guidance of Peter Moody, who knows how to train winners on the big stage at Caulfield.

"Peter and I formed an affiliation many years ago in Singapore when I had Universal Ruler in quarantine, and he had Magnus."

The pair will leave for Victoria next Monday.

The Bostonian to head back to Australia

Triple Group 1 winner The Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) will target more Group 1 glory in Sydney in the spring.

Trainer Tony Pike confirmed the rising 5-year-old is headed back to Australia in the next few weeks with several targets in mind.

“He has been back in work for just on seven weeks,” Pike said. “He is coming up really well. He has had a few pieces of fast work and I can’t fault him, he is looking fantastic.

“At this stage he will probably have a trial or a couple of exhibition gallops in New Zealand and it is most likely, after talking with David (Archer, owner) this week, that he will resume in the Winx S. on August 22.

“At this stage he will purely be campaigning in Sydney. It’s just a matter of trying to convince the Government to give us an exemption to get a couple of staff members over there.”

Pike also hasn't given up hope of maybe attracting a slot in The Everest with The Bostonian, who put himself back on the radar of Everest slotholders with his G1 Canterbury S. win earlier this year.

“If he could get a spot in The Everest that would be great,” Pike said. “He would be hugely competitive if there was a slow or heavy track, which is a possibility at that time of year. "

Zacouver adds to Vancouver's record

Coolmore's Vancouver secured his ninth first-crop winner in the Southern Hemisphere with the win of talented filly Zacouver (NZ) at Sandown.

Zacouver, trained by Leon and Troy Corstens, improved at her third run under an excellent ride from Craig Williams.

She was bred by Coolmore in partnership with Pencarrow Stud as was a NZ$50,000 purchase for Malua Racing / Flemington Bloodstock from the Curraghmore draft at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale at Karaka. Zacouver is out of Fastnet Rock mare Fair Isle, who is now in foal to Justify (USA).

Vancouver has had eight first-crop winners in Australia and one in South Africa with the Mike de Kock-trained Group 2 winner Mount Pleasant, while he has also had one winner in the USA.

Spendthrift Farm secures breeding rights for Vekoma

B. Wayne Hughes’s Spendthrift Farm has acquired the breeding rights to multiple Grade I-winning millionaire Vekoma (USA) (Candy Ride {Arg}). The chestnut captured the prestigious G1 Runhappy Metropolitan H. on Saturday, four weeks after dominating the G1 Runhappy Carter H.

“We are extremely excited about Vekoma and his future as a stallion. It’s not often you see an elite racehorse that is by a Grade I winner and out of a Grade I winner,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift General Manager.

“Vekoma is a terrific blend of his sire Candy Ride and his Speightstown dam Mona De Momma, showing brilliance from six furlongs to a mile and an eighth and from 2-years-old to 4-years-old. There’s sire power throughout the pedigree, with Vekoma’s second dam being a sister to Mr. Greeley.”

Test for Two Big Fari

Trainer Todd Howlett wants to test The Kosciuszko credentials of Two Big Fari (Walking Or Dancing {NZ}) at Grafton on Thursday.

Two Big Fari, a winner of five of his eight starts, contests the Class 6 Showcase on Thursday and Howlett told Racing NSW, it should prove a good measuring stick for his future prospects.

"We don’t know what his level is yet, that’s the hard thing, I’d like to think he is a Kosciuszko horse,’’ Howlett said.

“Last time we kicked off as a Class 1 horse and ended up in The Country Championships.

“Everything I’ve asked him to do he’s just stepped up every time. I’m really pleased with him but I’m a bit nervous.

“I nominated him a few weeks ago in town but I saw this race and thought it was a good kick off point. It’s a country only plate and hopefully a nice easy race first-up.’’

Jungle ready to rumble in Monash

Trainer Mick Bell is confident his star veteran Jungle Edge (Dubawi {Ire}) can notch his seventh stakes win on Saturday's G3 Sir John Monash S. at Caulfield.

Bell said the 9-year-old has bounced off his five-week break between runs in rude health and was ready to roll.

"He's feeling that good, he's dangerous," Bell told Racing.com.

"He had a freshen up after he came back from Sydney, but I've ramped up his work at the track over the last few weeks.

"Like we've done a couple of times before, he had a little jump-out at Cranbourne on Monday, which is basically his last bit of work going into Saturday.

"It'll be the old form of Jade Darose and Jungle Edge back together and it's been really nice that it's worked out that way, after all the hard yards she put in on the horse, Jade is riding him.

"She said it was a good trial on Monday and she was very happy with him."

Ballarat meeting moved

An upcoming meeting at Ballarat will be transferred to The Valley.

RV stewards inspected the Ballarat turf track and were of the view that certain sections past the winning post have suffered from recent racing and wet weather. The track would benefit from additional time to recover and RV has moved the meeting scheduled for Sunday, July 12.

The next meeting on the turf track is scheduled for Sunday, 23 August (Grand National Steeplechase Day) with the BTC confident the track will recover in time to conduct this meeting.

Kranji Mile campaign to begin

Singapore-based Michael Clements will aim Countofmontecristo (NZ) (Echoes Of Heaven) at the Kranji Mile next month.

A previous runner-up in the race, which was originally scheduled to take place on May 23 before being rescheduled to August 16, Countofmontecristo will kick-off his preparation in a Class 1 race over 1200 metres on Saturday.

“The trip is a touch on the short side for him these days as he is getting old now,” Clements said. “But he did well on the track and distance previously. He should be okay.

“Besides, he’s shown at his recent races he’s better off ridden off the pace. Even when he is outpaced, it’s okay, he proved he had a good style of racing from quite a way back.

“As he’s running in the same sort of class, I expect a similar run this Saturday. If there is blistering speed upfront, he should be sharp and fresh enough to sit just behind the leaders.”