Valley to decide future
The path trainer Paul Preusker will take to the G1 Melbourne Cup with Surprise Baby (NZ) (Shocking) will be determined by the stayer’s performance at The Valley on Saturday.
The 6-year-old will return to action in the G2 Ladbrokes Feehan S., in which he finished fourth when resuming 12 months ago.
Another bold showing from Surprise Baby will likely see him run in the G1 Cox Plate ahead of the Cup, otherwise he will have his final lead-up run in the G3 Bart Cummings.
Surprise Baby (NZ) (outside, pink sleeves)
Highly-rated 4YO
Trainer John O’Shea is confident Opacity (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) can prove himself to be of Group 1 quality.
He has nominated the 4-year-old for the G1 Cox Plate and will firm up his plans following the gelding’s performance in Saturday’s G2 Drinkwise Tramway S. at Randwick.
“If he can get through Saturday that should give us some indication of where we slot in,” O’Shea told Racenet.
“He’s had two quiet trials, but we are just trying to keep plenty left in the tank for the later part of the spring. We are very happy with him.”
Time to shine
Co-trainer Mark Zahra believes Age Of Chivalry (NZ) (He’s Remarkable {NZ}) is ready to breakthrough this spring at the top level.
The 5-year-old, who ran third in last year’s G1 Toorak H. and second in the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke, will step out in the Listed Bendigo Bank S. at The Valley on Saturday.
Age Of Chivalry (NZ)
“He is going along extremely well. Touch wood everything has gone to plan nicely,” Zahra told Racing.com.
“Terrific first-up run, again the inside draw on the day wasn’t the greatest. It was a good performance, he had a good blow on the day and he’s improved naturally out of that. This should just top him off nicely for the Group 1 handicaps. "
Well-bred colt to fore
Regally-bred colt Sammy (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) has added to the family record with victory at Wyong on Friday and looks a colt with plenty more to offer.
The Strawberry Hill Stud-bred and raced 3-year-old was placed in his first two starts before successfully resuming in the Australian Bloodstock H. for rider Nash Rawiller.
Sammy is trained by Kris Lees, who prepares his G2 Tea Rose S.-winning half-sister Miss Fabulass (Frankel {GB}) and their dam Samantha Miss (Redoute’s Choice) was a champion 3-year-old filly who claimed three Group 1 events from his stable. She is currently in foal to I Am Invincible.
Johnson reunites with Avantage
Danielle Johnson is hoping to shift her 2020/21 season into another gear with a quality book of rides at Te Rapa on Saturday.
The 29-year-old has made a strong start to the new term, sitting in equal second place on the national jockeys’ premiership with eight wins from 66 mounts so far. She is just one behind high-flying apprentice Hazel Schofer, who tops the table with nine wins.
The headline act in Johnson’s Te Rapa book is Avantage (Fastnet Rock), the NZ$2.10 favourite for the G2 Valachi Downs Foxbridge Plate.
From four previous rides, Johnson has won three races – the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S., the G3 Gold Trail S. and this year’s G1 Haunui Farm WFA Classic.
“I’ve had some great success with her, winning those three stakes races including two Group 1s,” she said.
Awards go virtual
Uncertainty regarding alert levels has resulted in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) Board deciding against holding the 2020 Horse of the Year Awards in its usual format.
The achievements of industry participants over the 2019/20 season will still be acknowledged with the 2020 Horse of the Year Awards held as a virtual event, hosted by MCs George Simon and Kate Gourdie.
While NZTR recognises that this is disappointing for finalists in the voting categories, along with premiership winners wanting to celebrate with their peers, the unpredictability of where alert levels might land made this the only sensible decision.
More details regarding the virtual event will be forthcoming over the coming weeks.
Time Test full
Little Avondale Stud has announced that Time Test’s (GB) Southern Hemisphere book for 2020 is fully subscribed at 135 mares.
Time Test (GB) | Standing at Little Avondale Stud
Time Test shuttles from the English National Stud and his first foals were well-received last year in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and the fact that so few were put up for public auction in Australasia is testimony to their quality and their owners’ confidence.
A son of the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud winner Passage Of Time (GB) (Dansili {GB}), Time Test was the dual Group 2 winner of the Joel S. and the York S. and a multiple Group 1 placegetter.
Pride of south returns
The pride of the south, Group 1 winner Patrick Erin (NZ) (Gallant Guru), will begin his spring campaign at Wingatui on Sunday where he will tackle the Vault 21.
The Brian and Shane Anderton-trained gelding will carry 62kg and his connections just want to see him go around safely this weekend.
“He had a jump-out the other day and he didn’t blow at all, he is pretty forward,” Brian Anderton said. “He will be running on in the finish, but it will be a bit short for him probably.
"As long as he pulls up all right, that will be the main thing.”
The G3 New Zealand Cup at Riccarton in November remains his ultimate target this spring, but those plans looked to be in jeopardy a month ago.
“He did have a bit of a setback a while ago, he slipped over in the paddock and injured his back, but he’s alright now,” Anderton said. “We have nominated him for the New Zealand Cup, so we will see.”
Extra race in series
The schedule for New Zealand Bloodstock’s highly prestigious Filly of the Year Series has been confirmed for 2020/21, with NZB committed to delivering another successful year of sponsorship toward the sought-after title.
The new season will see the number of legs contested increase from 10 to 11, with the Waikato Racing Club to host the new addition in the G3 Soliloquy S.
As a result of COVID-19 and a rescheduling of the New Zealand racing calendar, the Soliloquy traditionally run at Ellerslie will now take place on October 24 at Te Rapa.
The series opens with the G3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ S. Gold Trail S. at Hastings on September 19 with the final race the G1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on March 21.
Sale shortened
The Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, which was moved to Newmarket this year due to COVID-19, has been shorted to two days, Tattersalls Ireland has announced.
The Sale will take place September 21 and 22, with Part II directly following the conclusion after the September Yearling Sale. This scheduling change is in response to the relocation of the Sale to Park Paddocks in Newmarket.
The remaining 2020 Tattersalls Ireland sales will take place in Ireland, and any vendors not wishing to sell in Newmarket will have the opportunity to sell in the new yearling section of the Tattersalls Ireland Flat Foal and Breeding Stock Sale on November 13.
Quarantine lifted
Overseas jockeys will be permitted to bypass Ireland’s 14-day quarantine requirement to ride on Group 1 cards, with the Irish government granting an exemption for elite athletes and sportspeople ahead of Irish Champions Weekend next weekend.
Irish jockeys travelling overseas to ride in Group 1s will also be exempt from quarantine upon return.
“We have had a change in the government protocols concerning sportspeople and athletes, but it is very much on a case-by-case basis,” Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive Officer Brian Kavanagh said.
“It will be limited to a small number of riders and only for Group 1 races. Jockeys travelling to ride would be at the lower end of the risk scale as they are operating in secure environments, but it will be on a case-by-case basis."
