Currie ban overturned on appeal

Queensland trainer Ben Currie has successfully appealed against a two-and-a-half year disqualification over the use of an electrical device on two of his horses.

The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal quashed a guilty finding of him intending to use an electric apparatus, or ‘jigger’, capable of affecting performance, on the horses Massive Attack (Excites) in 2015 and Said Written (Written Tycoon) in 2016.

He was initially disqualified for a total of four years on both charges, before the penalty was reduced to 30 months at Internal Review.

However, QCAT Member Ann Fitzpatrick said text messages sent by Currie pertaining to both horses are not “sufficient evidence" of an intention by Mr Currie to have Massive Attack subjected to an electronic apparatus capable of affecting its performance.

“In the end, I am not satisfied that there is sufficient evidence to justify a finding that Mr Currie’s evidence should not be accepted,” the Member said.

This decision means Currie now has no current disqualifications, but his return to training now hinges on a pending criminal matter.

Star mare Delicacy dies

Multiple Group 1-winning mare Delicacy (Al Maher) has died from an allergic reaction to penicillin.

The 9-year-old, a winner of both the G1 Australasian Oaks and the G1 South Australia Derby, as well as the G3 Western Australian Oaks and G2 Western Australian Derby, was set to foal to Pierro this spring.

She had already produced two foals to Pierro for her breeder Bob Peters, the filly Very Likely and the colt More Likely.

On the racetrack, she won 12 of her 19 starts, including further stakes success in the G2 Perth Cup, G2 Cox S., G3 WA Champion Fillies S. as well as the Listed Ascot 1000 Guineas and Listed Natasha S.

Path clearing for international runners

The path is clearing for internationally trained runners to contest this year's Melbourne Spring Carnival.

RA's acting chief executive Myles Foreman told Racing.com that some travel exemptions for staff have already been approved, which should pave the way for free movement of horses.

"There's movement and obviously there is no issue with the movement of the horses, but we need the people to go with the horses and we are progressing well at this stage," he said.

"If we continue to get (those travel exemptions) and meet the right criteria, there is no reason why we cannot proceed on the basis that we've got stable staff able to come out with careful management around the 14 days quarantine.

"The message, at the moment, is subject to meeting the criteria of the visa and the travel exemption, we are seeing approvals flowing through, which bodes well."

Stable staff will need to come to spend two weeks in quarantine before meeting up with the European horses that are expected to arrive in the first few days of October.

The plan is for a 32-horse capacity plane to take off from Heathrow Airport in late September.

Dame looking for dry ground

Co-trainer Paul Snowden is hoping a drying Randwick track can give Dame Giselle (I Am Invincible) a boost in Saturday's G2 Silver Shadow S.

A winner of the G2 Reisling S. on a soft track back in April, Dame Giselle prefers being on top of the ground, and with Randwick on the improve from a Soft 7, things are shaping up well for her resumption from a spell.

"She has always been a nice filly so it is no surprise to see her return in good order, she just needs dry tracks which she didn't get in the autumn," Snowden told Racenet.

"We are just looking for some dry ground and it looks like we are going to get something like that on Saturday which is pleasing.

"She has come back looking the same and she's always been a big filly, just a little bit older and more mature, but the dry track will be key.

"It doesn't look like it will be perfect but it is just about as good as we can get on Saturday."

Con Te Partiro ready to roll

Dual Group 1 winner Con Te Partiro (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) begins her journey to the Breeders' Cup in Saturday's G1 Winx S. and co-trainer Adrian Bott says she is ready to make an impression.

“She’s really thriving this prep. Two trials and we’ve got her really forward going into the Winx S.," he told Racenet.

“She’s had the blinkers on in both trials this prep because we want her as fit as we can get her starting off a prep.

“There will be nowhere to hide on Saturday taking that step into Group 1 weight-for-age company for the first time.

“She’s drawn well and with her pattern of racing I’d expect her to get a good run in the race. "

Con Te Partiro's spring plan is set to head to the USA, with runs in the G1 George Main S. and Epsom H. to come.

“That’s the current plan but as we all know there’s a lot going on in the world at the moment so we’ve put her in the Cox Plate and if the plans were too change and she stays here, there are plenty of options for her.”

Sherrif on Livamol mission

Saturday's Colchester Engineering 1400 at Matamata will be the kick off point for Sherrif's (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) path to the G1 Livamol Classic in October.

Co-trainer Roger James is happy with how preparations have progressed for the 6-year-old.

"I've been really happy with him. He's a horse who has always shown me well above average ability. He's from a family that has proven to take time to develop but I'm happy with him now as I've ever been, from how he is in his action to how he is mentally," James said.

"He's well capable of winning a really nice race, hopefully even in Australia eventually, though that won't be until the autumn at the earliest. But we're hoping he can tell us that's the level he should be competing at.

"He's in a favourable place in the handicaps now. We're hoping he can get into the field for the Group 1 (Livamol Classic) on the last day at Hastings but he’ll be well-placed in the handicaps for those middle distance Cups races too."

Waikato Branch stallion parades cancelled

The gavelhouse.com Waikato Branch New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association stallion parade planned for this weekend has been cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“It’s unfortunate for the Waikato Branch who have put so much effort into this tour, but we cannot risk up to 100 people going around the Waikato from farm to farm under the current COVID-19 restrictions,” NZTBA Chief Executive Justine Sclater said.

“The breeding season is due to start next week and with the virus so far being contained in Auckland it would be foolhardy to risk jeopardising that by having the public parade.

“Under Level 2 the breeding season should be able to go ahead normally, and we would encourage people to make private arrangements with the farms to view their stallions, under circumstances where masks are worn, social distancing is maintained and contact tracing in place.”

The NZTBA plans to produce a digital stud tour, while breeders are also encouraged to contact studs directly to organise private stallion viewings.

In addition, the Ebbett VW National Breeding Awards have been postponed with a tentative date for Saturday, September 26.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards Finalists announced

The nominees for the NZ Thoroughbred Horse of the Year Awards have been announced with the 3-year-old category expected to be hotly contested.

Eight horses, including five fillies, are finalists in the 3-year-old division, with seven of the eight contenders having won a Group 1 race.

Te Akau’s Jamie Richards is the sole nomination for Trainer of the Year, after a season that included 11 Group 1 wins and more than $7 million in stake earnings.

The Te Akau stable will be represented by five of the 20 individual horses who will be finalists in the flat racing categories.

The Horse of the Year Awards dinner will be staged at Claudelands, in Hamilton, on Sunday, October 11.

The finalists for the categories that will be decided by the voting panel are:

Champion Two-year-Old: Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel), Play That Song (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}), Vernazza (More Than Ready {USA}).

Champion Three-Year-Old: Catalyst (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), Loire (NZ) (Redoute's Choice), Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), Quick Thinker (So You Think {NZ}), Sherwood Forest (Fastnet Rock), Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}), Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca).

Champion Sprinter-Miler (up to 1600 metres): Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}), Julius (NZ) (Swiss Ace), Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}).

Champion Middle Distance (1601 metres -2200 metres): Avantage, Melody Belle, True Enough (NZ) (Nom Du Jeu {NZ}).

Champion Stayer (2201 metres and further): Platinum Invador (NZ) (Redwood {GB}), Roger That (NZ), (Shinko King {Ire}), The Chosen One (Savabeel).

Champion Jumper: Bad Boy Brown (NZ), It’s A Wonder, Wise Men Say.

Trainer of the Year: Jamie Richards.

Jockey of the Year: Opie Bosson, Lisa Allpress.

Jumps Jockey of the Year: Shaun Fannin, Aaron Kuru, Shaun Phelan.

Owner of the Year: Joan Egan, Hermitage Thoroughbreds, Kevin Hickman, JML Bloodstock, Dick Karreman, B J & J E Lindsay Partnership, NZ Thoroughbred Holdings, OTI Management Ltd, Trelawney Thoroughbred Ltd, Sir Peter Vela.

Arqana moves Select Sale

Arqana has announced that its Select Sale, which had been rescheduled from August to September 24 to 26, will now be brought forward by a little over a fortnight to the new date of September 8 to 10.

The change is a result of the recent imposition of a new 14-day quarantine requirement on travellers to the UK from France, which would not allow participants at the major European yearling sales to attend the three major sales at Arqana, Goffs and Tattersalls.

A statement released by the French sale company on Wednesday read, “Immediately after the announcement by the British government that any person entering the United Kingdom from France would be subject to 14 days of self-isolation, Arqana undertook extensive consultation of vendors represented in the Select Sale catalogue as well as buyers potentially affected by the new constraint. The schedule of premium yearling sales is exceptionally dense this year as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, and the initial date of 24-26 September would not have allowed buyers to take part in all three major European sales while abiding by the quarantine rule.”

The new dates for the Deauville auction allow sales travellers sufficient time to quarantine ahead of the Goffs Orby Sale on September 29 and 30 and Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, which begins its two-week run on October 6. The Arqana Sale now clashes with the Tattersalls Ascot Yearling Sale, which is being held in Newmarket this year on September 8.

Quarantine restrictions remain in place in Ireland for 14 days of isolation for visitors from most overseas countries.