Pedigree wins out

The beautifully-bred Kiss The Bride (NZ) (Savabeel) continued his rise through the Sydney staying ranks with a dominant win in the opening event at Randwick.

He is the first foal of the G1 Makfi Challenge S. winner I Do (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}) and was bred by her former trainer Allan Sharrock and Waikato Stud, who sold the mare for NZ$200,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale to Bjorn Baker and Blandford Bloodstock.

Kiss The Bride was given a cosy run in the trail and rounded off strongly in the straight under Josh Parr, who was having just his second ride back from a serious arm injury, to land the thick end of the stake in the Gold Coast Turf Club Trophy.

“The horse’s work during the week was outstanding and I was confident. He is very progressive,” Baker said.

The stable later completed a double with Parr when Frosty Rocks (Your Song) led all the way to bolt home in the Heineken H.

Rain forces early end

Saturday’s meeting at The Valley came to a premature end after heavy rain washed out the final four races.

"We inspected the track with the senior riders and unfortunately we were all in agreeance the track was not safe to continue on," Chief Steward Robert Cram said.

"The soil is waterlogged and we’ve got a lot of surface water. There are three sections of the track where we have water running across the track and on other parts of the track it is so waterlogged that the horses won’t get a good footing.

"Had the rain backed off and stopped we would have been a chance, but the track has been deteriorating since race one and we’ve been keeping a close eye on it but unfortunately we’ve reached the stage where it’s just not safe to continue on."

Bright prospect

Tailleur (Shooting To Win) put a wide space on her rivals at The Valley on Saturday and suggest she can make her mark in stronger company for trainer James Cummings.

The Godolphin-bred and raced 4-year-old went straight to the front and cruised away in the straight for the easiest of wins in the Dr Sheahan Plate.

“She obliged well and relished the conditions. She got into a lovely rhythm and if she can keep going through the grades we’ll be happy,” stable representative Sea Keogh said.

Smart debut victory

Lord Olympus (Olympic Glory {Ire}) made an impressive start to his career at Newcastle.

He overcame a slow start and an interrupted run to make a winning debut in the New Zealand Bloodstock Plate for apprentice rider Tyler Schiller.

Trained by Mark Newnham, Lord Olympus is a half-brother to the dual Group 3 winner and sire Time For War and they are out of Lady Zabelia (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), who was successful three times in South Africa.

The dam is a daughter of the stakes-winner Miss Powerbird (Mukkadamah {USA}) and she is a half-sister to the G1 Hong Kong Mile winner and sire Lucky Owners and to the dam of the four-time Group 1 winner Mosheen (Fastnet Rock).

Early celebration

The new partnership of Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou haven’t wasted any time in celebrating a first success.

The Rosehill trainers produced Zell (I Am Invincible) to claim top honours in the closing event on Saturday’s Newcastle card, the Australian Bloodstock Conditional Benchmark H.

The 4-year-old was a deserved winner as he had finished runner-up in his previous two appearances and has now won twice from six starts.

Stable running hot

Trainer Shea Eden has made a flying start to the new season with Alsvin (Excelleration {Ire}) successful at The Valley in the Happy 60th Birthday Pete H.

He has now sent out eight winners from 15 runners this term and has had four horses start in the city for three winners.

Apprentice Georgina Cartwright rode Alsvin aggressively to make the running and he stayed on too well to beat the favourite Coming Around (Gingerbread Man).

Derby lockout

Just nine days after unveiling plans to allow about 23,000 spectators to attend the running of the September 5 GI Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs has announced that no fans will be allowed to attend the race.

“We have made the difficult decision to hold this year’s Kentucky Derby without fans,” a statement from the track said.

“Churchill Downs and all of our team members feel strongly that it is our collective responsibility as citizens of Louisville to do all we responsibly can to protect the health, safety and security of our community in these challenging times and believe that running the Derby without spectators is the best way to do that. We deeply regret the disappointment this will bring to our loyal fans.”

Kentucky influence

The debut victory of Bourbonaire (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) brought an international flavour to Saturday’s Matamata meeting.

The colt is raced by the Bourbon Lane Stable, a syndicate managed by Mike McMahon and Jamie Hill of Kentucky, and trainer Stephen Marsh was successful in the Fairview Motors 1200.

“He’s a lovely colt and one you can follow. I think he’s going to end up a very good horse,” Marsh said.

Bourbonaire was purchased out of Little Avondale Stud’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for NZ$120,000. He is a half-brother to the G3 Manawatu Cup winner Jacksstar (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) with their dam the unraced Pentire (GB) mare Star Guest (NZ).

New partnership on board

The newly-minted training partnership of Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray put their first winner on the board at Matamata on Saturday when Claiborne (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) strode clear in the final stages of a 1600 metre contest to score a convincing victory.

Born and bred Irishman Murray joined Ritchie’s Cambridge operation over two years ago with Ritchie inviting him into a training partnership for the start of the 2020/21 season.

“I watched the race inside on a television so I could see a little better,” Murray said. “I was trying to keep the emotions in check and when he went over the line, I think it was a sigh of relief as much as anything. I’m feeling pretty chuffed now we’ve got that first winner.”

Sales move venues

In light of Ireland’s widespread 14-day quarantine requirement for visitors, Tattersalls Ireland will stage its September Yearling Sale on September 21 to 23 at Park Paddocks in Newmarket rather than its Fairyhouse headquarters.

“The decision to relocate the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale to the Tattersalls headquarters in Newmarket has not been an easy one, but the sale traditionally attracts large numbers of overseas visitors and at present Britain, while also being the source of many of our buyers, is significantly more accessible than Ireland,” said Tattersalls Ireland Chief Executive Officer Matt Mitchell.

Meanwhile, Goffs will stage its Orby and Sportsman’s Sales at its Goffs UK sales complex in Doncaster this year rather than at Kildare Paddocks in Ireland. The dates for the sales have also been slightly adjusted; the Sportsman’s Sale has been moved a week earlier to September 24 and 25, while the Orby Sale will take place slightly later than planned on October 1 and 2 to allow buyers who wish to attend Books 1 and 2 of Keeneland September to self-isolate for two weeks before traveling to Doncaster.