Golden Eagle target

A gallant effort for third by Riodini (NZ) (Proisir) in the G1 Epsom H. gave co-owner and breeder Alan Galbraith a massive thrill.

Galbraith, who shares in the ownership of the 4-year-old with wife Liz, daughter Celia and her husband Mike, was cheering hard throughout the race as the family’s pride and joy took over approaching the home bend before battling on gamely for his placing.

“We got a big thrill out of the race as it has been a real adventure sending a horse over there to compete against the best on offer,” Galbraith said.

“The racing there is just so strong and it was a big step up from what he faced here, so we got a massive buzz out of how he went. It would have been nice for him to just get a little more cover but all in all it was a bloody good run.”

“His next start will be in the Golden Eagle which gives him a chance to have a freshen-up. His rating is high enough now that he will make the field without any problems so we just have to wait four weeks now, which is the hard part.”

No doubt about it

Champion stallion Not A Single Doubt continues to cast a long shadow of influence.

He was retired from active duty this year by Arrowfield Stud, but his presence was again felt at Randwick with a notable double in a broodmare sire role.

The G3 Keeneland Gimcrack S. winner Enthaar (Written Tycoon) and G3 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate winner Shaquero (Shalaa {Ire}) are both out of daughters of Not A Single Doubt.

Sydney trip rewarded

Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young’s decision to send Mirage Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}) to Sydney proved a masterstroke.

The Cranbourne trainers elected to bypass the G1 Turnbull S. closer to home and their decision was rewarded with victory in the G1 Metropolitan at Randwick.

“We thought the Turnbull would have been a bit stronger and we just thought that we wanted to chase that Group 1,” Young told Racing.com.

"He’s a Frankel stallion and he’s now a Group 1 winner in Australia. We were just mindful of that, trying to get a Group 1 on the way through to the Caulfield Cup.”

Break for smart 3YO

Top colt North Pacific (Brazen Beau) has been sent for a well-earned break.

The 3-year-old won the G3 Up And Coming S. to open his spring campaign and ran third in the G2 Run To The Rose before pushing stablemate Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) to the limit when a close second in the G1 Golden Rose S.

Trained by John, Michael and Wayne Hawkes, North Pacific is raced by Orbis Bloodstock who secured the colt for $800,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale where he was offered by Bhima Thoroughbreds.

Melham outed

Ben Melham will be forced to sit out next Saturday’s G1 Caulfield Guineas meeting after copping a ban on Saturday.

The jockey was suspended by Racing Victoria stewards after he was found guilty of causing interference on Chica Fuerte (Hinchinbrook) in the G2 Edward Manifold S.

Melham was also fined $1100 for excessive whip use on Finche (GB) (Frankel {GB}) when they finished third in the G1 Turnbull S.

Mare under microscope

Last season’s G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) is unlikely to return to Hastings for the G1 Livamol Claassic.

Co-trainer Shaune Ritchie was scratching his head after the G1 Windsor Park Plate, in which the mare failed to flatter.

“We are going to get the vet to her, but I don’t know if there is anything wrong with her based on her post race recovery,” Ritchie said. “It’s hard to find an excuse as she got a lovely trip and she travelled up okay and was willing enough but there was just no punch.

“I’ve found the best thing to do in this situation is to gracefully retreat and start again. If we went to the races again and she went the same I would be left feeling pretty bloody foolish.”

Hello It’s Me retired

Group 2 winner Hello It’s Me (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) has been retired.

The 6-year-old won five of her 19 career starts, but had been finding it hard to recapture the form of her 3-year-old season where she took out the G2 Royal S. at Ellerslie.

Co-trainer Michelle Bradley would have liked to have given one of her favourites one last chance to turn her form around at Te Rapa on Friday, but it wasn’t to be.

“She just had a little bit of incident in the float on the way to the races and suffered a few grazes on one side,” Bradley said. “It wasn’t anything major, but Friday was going to be her last chance to get back into form after disappointing us in her first two runs in this campaign.”

Hello It’s Me will be offered as a broodmare prospect on the gavelhouse.com website early next week.

Blood to fore

Well-related filly Embers (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) posted the first winning strike of her career with a dominant display at Ellerslie on Sunday.

She is trained by Tony Pike for breeders The Oaks Stud and is a 3-year-old daughter of the former smart race mare Smoulder (NZ) (Traditionally {USA}).

She won four races, including the G2 Eight Carat Classic and the Listed Great Northern Foal S. and was also placed at Group 1 level in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. and the New Zealand 1000 Guineas.