First foal for Prized Icon

The first foal by Victoria Derby winner Prized Icon was born at Kooringal Stud early on Wednesday morning.

The attractive chestnut filly is out of the winning Mossman mare Cosmic View.

“Prized Icon is an outstanding individual, so we have very high expectations of his foals,” Kooringal Stud’s Angus Lamont said. “And his first one to arrive has certainly not disappointed. She’s a well-balanced filly with great bone – a cracking type.”

Gallery: The first foal by Prized Icon, out of Cosmic View | Images courtesy of Kooringal Stud

Prized Icon, who also won the G1 Champagne S. as a 2-year-old, covered 120 mares in his initial season at stud and boasted an excellent fertility rate.

“He has around 40 foals due before the end of August, so the next three weeks will be an exciting period,” Lamont said.

Prized Icon will stand his second season at a fee of $11,000 (inc GST) alongside the War Front (USA) stallion The Brothers War (USA).

King’s Legacy set to trial

Dual Group 1 winner King’s Legacy (Redoute’s Choice) is set to return to action with a trial next week.

The winner of the Sires’ Produce S. and Champagne S. in the autumn, the valuable colt pleased his trainers Peter and Paul Snowden in his first major piece of fast work on Thursday morning.

“We gave him his first good click up this morning, he’s had a few fitness gallops, and he went great,’’ Snowden said. “James McDonald came in and rode him and gave him a big tick so he’s right to have his first trial on Tuesday.”

King’s Legacy is set to trial twice before resuming in the G2 Run To The Rose on September 12. He is rated a $15 chance for the G1 Golden Rose.

V’landys sends warning to Victoria

Racing NSW boss Peter V’landys has set a three-week timeframe for Victoria to improve its COVID-19 situation, or face exclusion from rich Sydney spring features such as the $15 million The Everest.

“In three weeks, we will know,” V’landys told Racenet. “If by then Victoria is still recording 725 new coronavirus cases, like it did on Wednesday, well The Everest slot-holders are going to have to find a horse in New South Wales or Queensland, or New Zealand for that matter.

“Our focus – and sole focus – is keeping the industry going. We are not going to take any risks whatsoever in maintaining our industry operation. They have gone into Stage 4 lockdown in Victoria – in the next three weeks we will know if it has worked or if it hasn't worked.”

Melody Belle all-clear for Missile

Star New Zealand mare Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) has been given the green light to contest Saturday’s G2 Missile S. at Rosehill.

Connections of the 10-time Group 1 winner reported a skin irritation to Racing NSW stewards on Wednesday, and she underwent an inspection on Thursday. Trainer Jamie Richards reported that she passed with flying colours.

“The vet has been there and had a look over her this morning and he was very happy,” he said. “It’s just one of those things you have to report and keep open and transparent. It is nothing to be concerned about.”

Meanwhile, Richards confirmed that G1 Chipping Norton S. winner Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) will fly back to New Zealand on August 17 to spell following eye surgery in Sydney in June.

Oaks winner resumes

Danny O’Brien is hoping for a return to form by Miami Bound (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) in Saturday’s G.H. Mumm Plate at Flemington.

The winner of last year’s VRC Oaks, Miami Bound hasn’t raced since her autumn campaign was cut short due to below-par performances in the G2 Autumn Classic and Alister Clark S.

“She seems to have come up well,” O’Brien said. “She hasn't had a trial but she's fit enough. This is a run to get her going and she'll have the advantage of being on a soft track.

“She'll carry a big weight, which will make things hard first-up, so we're just hoping. What I want to see is a good run and a return to good form. I won't be looking at anything or making any plans for her until I see she's back in form.”

Weather key for Ryan’s Rosebud rankings

Gerald Ryan will saddle three key runners in The Rosebud on Saturday and expects track conditions to be a deciding factor.

Ryan will be represented by Return With Honour (Fastnet Rock), Kumasi (Snitzel) and The Face (Rubick) in the 1100 metre race for 3-year-olds at Rosehill.

"Dry track, I would say Return With Honour, soft track I would say Kumasi, heavy track, The Face," Ryan said.

G1 Golden Rose hopeful Return With Honour is held in high esteem by the stable and was hampered by wet tracks and bad luck in the autumn. After finishing third in the G3 Canonbury S., he was fifth in the G3 Black Opal and ninth in the G3 Schweppervescence.

Kumasi won on debut and finished second in the G3 Pago Pago S. in his only other start, while The Face made a winning debut at Gosford late last month.

VRC maintains hope for carnival crowds

Victoria Racing Club chairman Neil Wilson is still hoping minimal crowds can attend the Melbourne Spring Carnival and the club is making plans around this scenario.

Wilson said the VRC had been working on a number of contingencies in response to the COVID-19 situation, but they had the advantage of Flemington being a huge package of land to accommodate large numbers of people.

“In terms of the members, the public and the corporates it's less likely, but we are being as receptive as we can to accommodate whatever we are allowed to in terms of regulations of that time,” Wilson said on Melbourne's RSN radio on Tuesday.

“Four weeks ago we were planning for small numbers of people back to the track. Stage 4 has come into play, we are very grateful we can continue racing and things have changed.

"There's been an enormous amount of configurations which are possible for us from zero crowds to 50,000. With stage 4, that's less likely, but we're working on the basis that things can change and we could have crowds at the smaller end."

Grade 1 winner for Keeneland November

Millionaire and Grade 1 winner Concrete Rose (USA) (Twirling Candy {USA}) is a high-profile addition to this year’s Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

The 4-year-old will be offered as a racing or broodmare prospect during the premier Book 1 of the Sale, which begins on Monday, November 9 and follows the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Keeneland on November 6 and 7.

Concrete Rose has won six of seven career starts and more than US$1.2 million (AU$1,668,056), headed by wins in the G1 Belmont Oaks Invitational S. and Saratoga Oaks Invitational S. She will be consigned by Lane’s End, agent for co-owners Ashbrook Farm and BBN Racing.

“We’re excited to offer Concrete Rose as a racing or broodmare prospect with such great companies as Lane’s End and Keeneland,” Ashbrook Racing Manager Bo Bromagen said. “Working with them as partners gives us the greatest opportunity to showcase her.”

New role for John Hammond

John Hammond, who trained G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroes Montjeu (Ire) and Suave Dancer (USA), has been appointed racing manager to Gerard Augustin-Normand.

Sylvain Vidal remains an advisor to Augustin-Normand, who raced Le Havre (Ire) and stands him at Haras de Montfort et Preaux. The rest of the staff maintain their current positions.

“John Hammond has a great deal of experience training and a taste for breeding,” Augustin-Normand said. “After 10 years of activity, I thought it was time to breathe new life into our organisation.

“John Hammond is responsible for the entire workforce, breeding and training. He is also in charge of horse purchases and sales. The rest of the organisation remains unchanged.”

Hammond is looking forward to the exciting new opportunity.

“I am very honoured by the confidence of Gerard Augustin-Normand, but also very happy to be part of his team,” he said. “At the same time, I’m going to continue my work for OTI Racing.”