Metrop on radar
Trainer Kris Lees is confident Mugatoo (Ire) (Henrythenavigator {USA}) can make his mark at Group 1 level with the Metropolitan H. a likely target.
The import remained unbeaten in two outings this preparation with success in Saturday's G3 Premiers Cup at Rosehill.
Lees is now looking at next month's G3 Newcastle Cup as a stepping stone to higher honours for the 6-year-old.
Mugatoo rounded off strongly under rider Kerrin McEvoy to beat Sikandarabad (Ire) (Dr Fong {USA}) ($10) and longshot Herengawe (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) was third.
Persan dominant again
Persan (Pierro) continued his outstanding run of form with a sublime performance at Caulfield to win for the fifth time from his last eight appearances.
He raced close to the pace and one off the fence before he hit the front 200 metres from home and drew clear to win with ease.
“He’s a beautiful-moving horse and relaxes really well now. He’s got a future and we might look at the Listed Ansett Classic over a mile and a half at Mornington or he could sneak into the G3 Bart Cummings,” co-trainer David Eustace said.
Eagle prospect
Dancing Gidget (Al Maher) is in the running for a start in the $7.5 million Golden Eagle.
Trainer Chris Waller said she was among a number of horses the stable had entered for the event and the mare boosted her chances with victory in Saturday’s Everest Carnival On Sale H. at Rosehill.
Raced by the Ingham family, Dancing Gidget came with a well-timed run for rider James McDonald to beat Nimalee (So You Think {NZ}) with the winner’s stablemate Vegas Jewel (NZ) (Shocking) third.
"Vegas Jewel was the one with the big, flashing light on," Waller said. "She has raced in better races, she was first-up and pretty fresh."
Double celebration
Nick Ryan capped a memorable few days when he produced Express Pass (Wandjina) to win the Evergreen Turf H. at Caulfield.
On Wednesday, he was recognised as one of Victoria’s best young trainers when awarded the 2019/20 Colin Alderson Rising Star Award. The award is open to Victorian-based trainers 40 years and under and with no more than seven racing seasons’ training experience.
“It’s been a big week and this has always been a horse that’s showed a lot of promise, that was a top win,” Ryan said.
Perfect manners
Problem child Kisukano (Bel Esprit) was on her best behaviour at Eagle Farm and showed her ample talent with a runaway win.
The filly has proved troublesome to load into the gates several times, but she reacted well to the blindfold and went in quietly and came out running to land the Gallopers Sports Club Plate and her sixth victory from eight starts.
“The blindfold worked and Mark (Du Plessis) wanted to get her around to the start early and get loaded first. Right through the preparation we’ve listened to Mark and it’s worked well,” trainer Michael Nolan said.
“Whether we get another run out of her we’ll wait and see, we’ll be doing what’s best for the filly.”
Super win
I Am Superman (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) showed his appreciation of a better track at Caulfield to post his first win on Australian soil.
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained 5-year-old was given a cosy run by Mark Zahra and charged clear 200 metres from the post to claim the MRC Members’ Tipstar H.
“Peter and Paul have been happy with all his work and thought he should go better the Melbourne way of going,” stable representative Andrew Angelone said.
I Am Superman won three times and was Group 3-placed in Ireland before he was sent to Australia by former trainer and part-owner Michael O’Callaghan for last season’s Golden Eagle. He was unplaced and then spelled.
Change of stable
Leading Singapore performer Countofmontecristo (NZ) (Echoes Of Heaven) is now in Mark Walker’s stable.
The Joe Singh-owned 7-year-old has been transferred from Michael Clements’ team and is currently the highest-rated galloper still in work at Kranji on 115 points.
Countofmontecristo was a beaten favourite when third at his last start in the G1 Kranji Mile when ridden by Clements’ number one jockey Louis-Philippe Beuzelin.
Under Clements’ care, the horse has won 10 races, including three Group 2s and two Group 3s from 31 starts.
Derby lawsuit dismissed
A three-judge panel of a federal appeals court Friday upheld a district court’s decision from last November to dismiss a lawsuit by Gary and Mary West, the owners of Maximum Security (USA) (New Year’s Day {USA}), which sought to overturn the colt’s controversial disqualification from first place in the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby.
“What should have been the fastest two minutes in sport turned into over a year of litigation,” wrote Judge John K. Bush in the opinion accompanying the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. “Neither Kentucky law nor the Fourteenth Amendment allows for judicial second-guessing of the stewards’ call.
“The district court dismissed the suit for failure to state a claim. It determined that the stewards’ decision was not reviewable under Kentucky law, that the Wests had no property interest in the prize winnings, and that the challenged regulation is not unconstitutionally vague…. we agree and affirm the judgment of the district court.”
Jockey breaches protocol
Jockey Ben Curtis was escorted from Newmarket on Friday and will be side-lined for 14 days after breaching COVID-19 protocols. The all-weather champion for the 2019/20 campaign, is currently fourth in the Flat jockeys’ championship standings.
“He will not be permitted to enter a racecourse for 14 days from today as per the published COVID-19 requirements whilst the matter is investigated further,” the British Horseracing Authority said,
Trainer Gary Moore was fined £750 (AU$1350) earlier this month after breaching protocols at Goodwood, while Mark Gillard and his assistant Steven Hosie were each handed six-week bans on Friday after they were found to have violated the COVID-19 rules at Newbury. They will be unable to attend a racecourse until September 26.
