Oceanex in doubt for Cup

Oceanex (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) was the first horse to book her ticket to the G1 Melbourne Cup after winning the ballot-exempt Listed The Andrew Ramsden at Flemington in May, but the Kiwi-bred mare is now in doubt of taking her place in the great race.

The daughter of Ocean Park (NZ) underwent a veterinary examination by Racing Victoria’s chief vet Dr Grace Forbes at Caulfield on Thursday and she, along with co-trainer Mick Price and stable vet David Shepherd, were not happy with the horse’s action.

“We had a 7.15am trot-up with Dr Grace Forbes, RV vet, this (Thursday) morning and Oceanex is not 100 per cent in her action. We think it is foot related,” Price, who trains the mare in partnership with Michael Kent Jnr, told RSN927.

“I came back in from being out in the middle and we trotted her up with Dr Dave Shepherd, who has been Oceanex’s vet since she was a yearling. We both agree that she is not 100 per cent in her action so we are going to change the shoes on her and there is another inspection that will happen at lunchtime tomorrow (Friday).

“Conformationally she is really flat-footed and gets a little bit low in the heel, but she hasn’t had a day of unsoundness in her life.

“She jars up on the firm tracks, there is a lot of horses who do. I think it has just got to the point where it has reared its ugly head and we just need to address it.”

Shepherd and Price have decided to try Equicast shoes to relieve pressure on her heels.

Dee to ride Persan

Michael Dee has picked up the ride on G3 The Bart Cummings winner Persan (Pierro) for the G1 Melbourne Cup.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Persan has been ridden by Jye McNeil for most of his campaign but had already committed to ridding the Joseph O'Brien-trained Twilight Payment (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}).

Journey set for spring swan-song

Saturday’s G1 Empire Rose S. will be the last run for Mystic Journey (Needs Further) this spring and trainer Adam Trinder is hopeful she can go out with a win.

“She’s in great order. She’s lovely, bright, bouncy, a ball of muscle. She’s ready to head back to the races,” Trinder told RSN.

“It was really relieving to see what she did in the Stocks S. and she’s bounced out of that with a real air of confidence. She moves forward to the Empire Rose (1600 metres) at Flemington, she’s fantastic there, so it ticks a lot of boxes.

“She travels (Thursday) evening, so she will be in Melbourne (Friday) morning. She will have a walk and a pick throughout the course of the day and refamiliarise herself with her surroundings and then go racing on Saturday, which is something that works really well for her.”

Gytrash chasing consolation

Gordon Richards will cherish his The Everest experience with Gytrash (Lope De Vega {Ire}) for a long time to come, but a consolation victory in the Yes Yes Yes S. will make it even sweeter.

The Rosehill feature will present a couple of fresh challenges for Gytrash when he extends to 1300 metres and faces the likelihood of a heavy track, both for the first time.

Richards believes Gytrash has been strong enough at the end of shorter races to suggest an extra 100 metres won't pose a problem, and the sprinter has been adept on slow ground.

However, the combination of a heavily rain-affected track and a distance rise could make for a testing assignment.

"His run in The Everest certainly didn't lack any finish. He's won over 1200 metres at Flemington and he got to the front a bit too early in the Goodwood when he just got run down by Trekking," Richards said.

"It (distance) holds no fear for me but sometimes a heavy track can make it a tougher run, or make it seem like a longer race."

Magic Wand retired

Last year’s G1 Mackinnon S. winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will not defend her title and has been retired after succumbing to a foot abscess.

"She has got a foot abscess and it's one of those abscesses we can't do anything about, we're trying to draw it out," Aidan O'Brien's travelling foreman TJ Comerford said.

"We thought we could get the abscess out through the heel of her foot but it doesn't seem to want to release at the moment, we do think it will burst out of her coronary band.

"It hasn't worked out for us and it's just a pity because the last thing you want is a foot abscess, it's nothing serious, but it's sore on her at the same time.”

Dark Angel at 60k

Dark Angel (Ire) leads the 2021 Yeomanstown Stud roster at €60,000 (AU$99,890), as the County Kildare-based stud released their fees for next season. All fees have been reduced by 25 per cent due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The grey has enjoyed a great season, and sits eighth on the TDN European General Sires' List, with Group 1 winners Battaash (Ire) and Raging Bull (Ire) on top of younger horses of the quality of G1 Prix Morny third Rhythm Master (Ire).

Stanaway charged

Torquay trainer Bryce Stanaway will front the Victorian Racing Tribunal after being charged seven times for various offences following alleged incidents at the Bendigo races earlier in October and in the days that followed.

Stanaway’s horse Moorabool (Seventh Reason) was eased out of a race in the home straight at Bendigo on October 17 and failed to complete the course, with the jockey dismounting and a barrier attendant and vet attending to the horse.

Stewards will allege that Stanaway behaved in a manner that was prejudicial to the image, interests and/or welfare of racing, that he acted in a threatening and/or abusive manner to Racing Victoria officials, and that he refused to allow the RV veterinarian to provide emergency care to Moorabool on the racetrack and/or otherwise sought to reverse care undertaken by that RV veterinarian.

2000 Guineas Not An Option

G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas contender Not An Option (Not A Single Doubt) has been ruled out of the 3-year-old feature after bone chips were found in one of his fetlocks on Thursday morning.

The colt had suffered a heart fibrillation when finishing last in the G2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial S. at Te Rapa on Saturday, but trainer Tony Pike had been pleased with his recovery after the race before Thursday’s finding.

“Unfortunately this (Thursday) morning, apart from his heart fibrillation on Saturday, we found a small chip in one of his fetlocks. It is only very minor but it is going to have to come out,” Pike said.

“Unfortunately that rules him out of the Guineas and he will come back for a late Autumn campaign in either Sydney or Brisbane.

“It was a bit of a head scratcher on Saturday. Those heart fibrillations do happen, but I was quite confident the way he pulled up on the Sunday but with this (bone chip) rearing its head we are going to have to look after him and take that out and start again.”

Karaka Million order of entry released

New Zealand Bloodstock has revealed the current order of entry for the Karaka Million races to be held at Ellerslie on January 23.

Te Akau Racing hold a strong hand in the 2021 R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO, a race they have won four times in a row with Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands), Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) and Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel).

Horses purchased by David Ellis currently occupy three of the top four positions through the early weeks of 2-year-old racing this season.

The top position belongs to Follow Your Dreams (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}), trained by Kenny Rae and Krystal Williams-Tuhoro at Ruakaka. Bought for NZ$24,000 from Valachi Downs’ Book 2 draft (at the New Zealand Bloodstock Sale), the impressive colt has had two starts for two victories at Riccarton this month.

Te Akau Racing’s top-ranked runners are currently Palamos (Extreme Choice) who sits in second place, while two-time placegetter Avonallo (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) and debut Avondale winner Sophisticardo (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) are third and fourth respectively.

Meanwhile, 2020 Karaka Million 2YO winner Cool Aza Beel is currently the table-topper in the order of entry for the NZ$1 million R. Listed Karaka Million 3YO Classic. He could attempt to follow in the footsteps of his stablemate Probabeel, who was the first horse in history to win both the Karaka Million 2YO and the Karaka Million 3YO Classic.

Melbourne Group 3 winner Crosshaven (Smart Missile) and the undefeated G2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400 metres) winner Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) are also prominently positioned.