Champion Sire honours for Spirit Of Boom

Spirit Of Boom has been crowned Champion Sire of Queensland for a second consecutive year in the 2019/20 racing season. His achievement included five stakes winners, 96 individual winners and progeny earnings of $6,120,720 in Australia for the season.

He also received the award for Champion 2-Year-Old Stallion of Queensland producing 15 individual 2-year-old winners earning $1,050,441.

Having now won two titles, Spirit Of Boom has emulated his sire Sequalo who was also twice Champion Sire of Queensland, joining Eureka Stud stallion Semipalatinsk (USA) as a multiple title winner.

Spirit Of Boom and Zoustar were the two stallions with oldest crop progeny 4-year-olds to feature in the top 15 sires by winners.

Wild Ruler wins jump-out

Wild Ruler (Snitzel) secured bragging rights with a Flemington jump-out win over several of his likely Coolmore Stud S. rivals on Thursday.

The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained colt relished his chance to get a look at the Flemington straight and crossed the line clear, stopping the clock at 47.01s over 800 metres.

Watch: Wild Ruler jump-out

Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) was given an easy time though his first look down the straight and the G1 Golden Slipper S., winner continues to make strong progress having not raced since his shock defeat in the G2 Run To The Rose.

Leading Coolmore hope September Run (Exceed And Excel) was also close-up along with Swats That (Shamus Award).

Lameness concern for O'Brien pair

Racing Victoria vets will continue to monitor the Aidan O'Brien-trained pair Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) after both showed signs of lameness on Thursday.

Magic Wand presented with lameness in her right fore limb, while Armory presented with a degree of lameness in his left fore leg.

RV is set to provide another update on Friday following the completion of the re-inspections, which will be conducted by a panel of three veterinarians - two from RV and one independent.

Meanwhile, stewards also confirmed that Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained import Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) would carry synthetic hoof filler in front during Saturday's race.

Trekking turnaround the Manikato query

James Cummings admits he has a slight query over whether Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}) will handle the short turnaround into Friday night's G1 Manikato S.

Trekking was fourth in The Everest, having previously run second in the G1 Moir S. and Cummings thinks if any horse can thrive off that schedule it is the 6-year-old.

“The question in my mind is the six-day back-up after his tenacious assault on The Everest,” he said. “I know the horse is paving the way as the first sprinter to back up out of that pressure cooker, and he is the type of tough journeyman to pull it off.

“He strode out nicely all week, reassuring me that he was right to travel down and tackle the Melbourne sprinters again.”

Cummings also has Kementari (Lonhro) in the race.

“His first-up effort in the Gilgai was solid, looming up ominously until his condition just gave out against fit opposition," he said. "We blinkered him up for the Manikato a couple of years ago too and his run was enormous.

“A victory here at the graveyard of champions would be a win for the true believers.”

Weight penalty a Cup plus for Prince

G3 Geelong Cup winner Steel Prince (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}) looks assured of a start in the G1 Melbourne Cup after receiving a 1kg weight penalty for his win on Wednesday.

Steel Prince leaps up to 25th on the Cup order of entry, and will now carry 53.5kg.

"This year was an extremely strong renewal of the Geelong Cup with four European stayers - all Group or Listed race winners - making their Australian debut and this year's G2 Adelaide Cup winner King Of Leogrance also contesting the race," Racing Victoria's chief handicapper Greg Carpenter said.

"When we took into account the outstanding quality of yesterday's field, we felt that 1kg was the appropriate penalty for Steel Prince, which takes him to 53.5kg and 25th in the order of entry.

"While the margin of victory was narrow, Steel Prince won with some authority in the end. He carried 0.5kg less than King Of Leogrance yesterday and now moves to the same weight as him in the Melbourne Cup.

"Geelong Cup winners in the last decade have an outstanding record in the Melbourne Cup with Americain and Dunaden both going on to win the Flemington feature with 54.5kg after being penalised for the Geelong win."

Pippie ready to fly in Manikato

Pippie's (Written Tycoon) co-trainer Chris Meagher is not concerned about the flying mare stepping up to the 1200 metres of Friday's G1 Manikato S. at The Valley.

Pippie is coming off a brilliant front-running win in the G1 Moir S. over the 1000 metres and Meagher believes she is ready to step up for her next assignment.

"If you look at her form, she's won two at 1000 metres, two at 1100 metres and two at 1200 metres and one of those was a Group 3," Meagher told Racing.com.

"If she sustains the speed that she does in an Oakleigh Plate and a Moir S., she may struggle. But we don't have to go that quick. We can restrain her a touch to get the 1200.

"She's come through [the Moir] in terrific order. If anything, she's probably done a touch better, which is a little bit frightening. Going into Friday night, she couldn't please us any more."

Waterhouse, Bott trio set for 2YO impact

Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will step up their new-season 2-year-old campaign with a trio of runners in Saturday's Forum Group Kirkham Plate.

Total Babe (I Am Invincible), who was third in the recent G3 Gimcrack S. will line-up alongside first starters Bahahaa (Shalaa {Ire}) and Cerda (Snitzel) in a race which is likely to be a key lead-up to the $1 million Golden Gift in a fortnight’s time.

“They will all take their place on Saturday and we will see what it brings but a race like the Golden Gift is high on the radar of all our 2-year-olds at present,” Bott told Racenet.

“It can be a great springboard into those bigger races in the autumn so hopefully that’s the case.”

Total Babe is expected to be the hardest of the trio to beat.

“She has been the most natural 2-year-old of all of them and has the race experience,” Bott said.

“She has the speed to be able to control things and roll forward from that draw so she has an advantage in that sense.”

Kheir buys into smart Kiwi filly

Australian owner Ozzie Kheir has bought into the smart filly Tokorangi (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) ahead of her run in the G3 Waikato Stud Soliloquy S. at Te Rapa on Saturday for trainers Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard.

Tokorangi impressed when coming from well back in the G3 Hawke's Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail S. to finish a luckless fourth, and Gerard fells she is in the right place to make significant improvement.

“She is not a big robust filly. She doesn’t take a lot of work and I’m pretty happy with where she is at,” Gerard said.

“Ballymore owned a bit of her and Ozzie Kheir was pretty keen to get in on the action so Mike let a little bit of her go.

“She is in different colours this week but she stays here to race at this stage. Down the track if she shows enough ability she needs to be in Australia.”

Consistency continues at Arqana

The second part of the Arqana October Yearling Sale concluded on Wednesday with consistent results across the two-day section. Again, the clearance rate was encouragingly high at 82 per cent, with 131 horses realising €3,179,000 (AU$5.3 million) at an average of €24,269 (AU$40,508) and a median of €20,000 (AU$33,380).

Lope De Vega (Ire) had been represented by his fifth juvenile stakes winner of the season when Godolphin’s unbeaten Parchemin (Ire) landed the Listed Prix Isonomy at Deauville and several hours later across the road at Arqana, another of the stallion’s young chestnut sons led the third day of trade.

Bred by Framont Limited and offered through Haras de Castillon, Lot 465 joined a large intake of sales yearlings for Al Shaqab Racing this season after Paul Hensey and Nicolas de Watrigant went to €95,000 (AU$158,570) to secure the half-brother to the stakes-placed Mohab (GB) (Sir Percy {GB}).

“He was a lovely individual and Lope De Vega is a proven sire who does it day in and day out. He’s also out of a mare by Mr Greeley, which always adds a bit of brilliance to a pedigree,” said Hensey of the son of the unraced Princess Aurora (USA), a half-sister to American Listed winners Willard Straight (USA) (Lion Cavern {USA}) and Jesse’s Justice (USA) (Lear Fan {USA}).

Al Shaqab also bought Lot 452, a filly by its freshman stallion Al Wukair (Ire) and from the family of another of its former stallions, Style Vendome (Fr), from the Fairway Consignment for €60,000 (AU$100,150).

Speightstown increased to US$90,000

WinStar Farm, Kentucky released its 2021 stud fees on Wednesday and leading the roster is Speightstown (USA), who will stand for US$90,000 (AU$126,790) and leading second-crop sire Constitution (USA), who will stand for US$85,000 (AU$119,750).

WinStar has reduced the stud fees of most of its stallions in recognition of the challenging economic conditions. “During these times, we felt it appropriate to drop 75 per cent of our fees,” said Elliott Walden, WinStar’s president, CEO, and racing manager. “We gave two horses a bump–Speightstown, the co-leading sire this year with three Grade 1 winners and fourth general leading sire, and Constitution who has over-delivered at every point of his career.”

Former shuttle stallion to Vinery Stud in Australia, More Than Ready (USA) will stand for US$65,000 (AU$91,570).

WinStar also announced that two-time G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Tiznow (USA) has been pensioned from stallion duties.

Tapit at US$185,000

Gainesway Farm, Kentucky announced that Tapit (USA) will stand for US$185,000 (AU$260,630) in 2021. The grey super sire, North America’s leading stallion by lifetime Graded stakes winners (84), Grade 1 winners (27), and progeny earnings (US$159,714,395) stood the 2020 season at US$200,000 (AU$281,770). Four-time Grade 1 winner McKinzie (USA) will begin his stud career next season at a fee of US$30,000 (AU$42,260).

“I am excited about beginning this new chapter in the Gainesway stallions with McKinzie,” said Gainesway CEO Antony Beck. “His accolades on the racetrack speak for themselves with his brilliance and race record, I couldn’t think of a better prospect to bring to Gainesway to complement our champion sire Tapit.”

Coventina Bay on stakes path

Coventina Bay (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) will continue her path towards stakes company at Te Rapa this Saturday when she contests the Beefeater Garden Bar 12/12 1400.

The Robbie Patterson-trained 5-year-old strung together four wins last preparation after having surgery over her most recent spell.

“She had a back operation and she has improved from what she was and has matured a lot mentally,” he said.

Black-type targets await Coventina Bay later this year, with her first stakes target being the G2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. at Pukekohe next month.

“She has got some big assignments,” Patterson said. “She will go to Counties for the G2 Fillies and Mares 1400 metres.”

2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival schedule confirmed

The 2021 Dubai World Cup Carnival was announced by the Dubai Racing Club on Wednesday. The first race meeting of the 2020/21 season is November 5, while the Carnival properly begins in January. Racing will be conducted under guidelines from the UAE government which will be released at a later date. The 2020 Dubai World Cup Night was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DWCC will run over six consecutive Thursdays from January 21 to February 25, with the $1.7-million Super Saturday card scheduled for March 6. The January 21 seven-race card contains six Group or Listed events including the G2 Al Maktoum Challenge Round 1. Total purses are reduced slightly from the previous year due to COVID-19. The closing date for connections to file their Dubai World Cup Carnival applications is November 23.