Montefilia draws well in Oaks

Pre-race favourite for the G1 VRC Oaks Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}) has drawn an ideal barrier of five for Thursday’s $1 million race.

Miravalle (Redoute’s Choice), who flashed home for fourth in the G2 Wakeful S. on Saturday, will jump from her immediate outside under Craig Williams, while emerging South Australian filly Biarchi (Free Eagle {Ire}) has drawn barrier one for John Allen.

Primed for second Cup tilt

For the past 12 months, Horsham trainer Paul Preusker has meticulously focused on one race for his star stayer Surprise Baby (NZ) (Shocking) and the fruits of that planning will be revealed on Tuesday when he contests the G1 Melbourne Cup for the second time.

Preusker saddled the stayer to finish fifth in a sedately run affair last year and believes the lessons learned from that race will hold them in good stead.

Since last year’s Cup, Surprise Baby has purposely had just two starts and was second placing in the G2 Feehan S. followed by a luckless ninth in the G1 Turnbull.

"He was nice and strong to the line in the Turnbull. Craig (Williams) got off him and was thrilled," Preusker said. "He said Surprise Baby had taken a significant step as he was able to settle on the fence, something he hadn't been able to do previously, and then get to the outside.

"Hopefully, in the Melbourne Cup we can get a position and get good cover this year. With this in mind we've done things a bit differently which has been about teaching him to settle.

"The fact he settled so well on the fence from barrier one in the Turnbull was a real confidence booster. It means he can get cover in the run and not over-stride.”

Mustajeer ready to break Cup hoodoo

If Mustajeer (GB) (Medicean {GB}) is to win Tuesday’s G1 Melbourne Cup, he will be just the third 8-year-old to have taken out the race since it was first run in 1861.

The Kris Lees-trained gelding finished 23rd in last year’s edition of the race but the trainer believes he still has what it takes to be a contender in the staying feature.

"Everybody is forgetting what a torrid run he had in the Melbourne Cup (last year),” Lees said. "You have to completely forget about that.

"Mustajeer raced really well in the autumn, winning the Parramatta Cup first-up at Rosehill in February and then finishing second in both the Sky High S. and Tancred S. (2400 metres) there before his fifth in the Sydney Cup.

"He has made steady improvement at his last couple of runs this preparation (finishing ninth in The Metropolitan at Randwick on October 3 and eighth to Verry Elleegant in the Caulfield Cup (2400 metres) a fortnight later).

"From a good draw (barrier two) tomorrow, Mustajeer should get an economical run.

"He is in great order, and Cameren Swan (stable foreman) and Michael (Rodd) have been very pleased with his work at Sandown in the last week.

"Whilst I realise it won't be easy to win the Cup, I feel he can run boldly and earn some nice prizemoney for his owners.

"Obviously, it would be a tremendous thrill for all concerned if Mustajeer can spring an upset."

Corstens thrilled

AFL great-turned trainer Denis Pagan provided one of the feel-good stories of 2020 when preparing Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) to win the G1 Victoria Derby on Saturday, but he was quick to deflect much of the credit to good friend and fellow Flemington trainer Troy Corstens.

Pagan, who owns Johnny Get Angry outright in addition to training him to Classic glory six months after obtaining a trainer’s license, paid tribute to Corstens for sourcing the horse at the Karaka Sales in New Zealand as well as playing a guiding hand for a newcomer to training.

“I’m just really proud of Denis,” Corstens told RSN 927. “Everyone thinks he has been in the game five minutes, he hasn’t really, he’s owned horses for 35 years. He’s had a lot of slow ones as well,” Corstens said.

“For him to get a good one and to apply his craft and knowledge to our industry is fantastic. I thought it would be great for our game if he turned out any good and, guess what, he is.”

Back-to-back aim for True Self

The Willie Mullins-trained and OTI Racing-owned True Self (Ire) (Oscar {Ire}) missed out on a spot in the G1 Melbourne Cup and so will target a back-to-back win in the G3 Queen Elizabeth S. on Saturday.

"True Self will go to the Queen Elizabeth S. and she'll be joined there by Gallic Chieftain and Haky,” OTI Racing’s Managing Director Terry Henderson told Racing.com.

"Normally and especially with a horse like True Self, who was higher in the weights than last year, and San Huberto, carrying 6kg below weight-for-age would normally see you get a run in the Melbourne Cup.

"But it just shows the quality of the Melbourne Cup this year is just that little bit stronger.”

WFA challenge for Sherrif

Sherrif (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) will be tested at weight-for-age for the first time at Ellerslie on Tuesday when he contests the G3 Jarden S.

The Roger James and Robert Wellwood-trained 6-year-old heads into the race off the back of two placings and his connections believe he is ready for a new challenge.

“They have been preparatory runs and I have been happy enough with them,” James said of his three prior starts this preparation. “He is getting to a distance now where he is designed to run and he has good success at.

“It’s a step into weight-for-age company so it is a step up from what he has been racing against, but I think he is ready for it.

“The weight-for-age factor is the big thing coming from handicap company, but I wanted to test him at some stage and it’s a nice meeting and a nice course that he has been successful at."

Seven for Mikki Isle

Arrowfield shuttler Mikki Isle (Jpn) scored his seventh first-crop winner on Sunday when his 2-year-old daughter La La Christine (Jpn) won on debut at Kyoto.

The 2-year-old kicked away in the final stages to beat Luce Carina (Jpn) (Discreet Cat {USA}) by 1.25l while In One Sitting (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was another 0.5l away in third.

Furore lands Ladies’ Purse

Furore (Pierro) landed the G3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse H. at Sha Tin on Sunday to lead home a one-two finish for trainer Tony Cruz.

The Pierro gelding passed the post 1.25l ahead of stablemate and reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year Exultant (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), in a swift time of 1:45.91s, which secured the two-time champion trainer his fifth triumph in the race.

Furore’s win was his first since his heroics in the Listed BMW Hong Kong Derby as a 4-year-old. Despite multiple placed efforts in the highest grade, the 6-year-old was without a win from his following 12 runs, and Sunday’s reward owed plenty to jockey Joao Moreira’s cool, calm and collected ride.

“I actually had in mind that we were going to be a little bit closer in the field thinking that there wasn’t much pace in the race but he didn’t jump very well so we found ourselves a little bit further back,” Moreira said.

“Halfway through I started to not worry about that anymore though as he started to travel very comfortably, slowly coming closer into the race and I could feel from there on that he was going to be very hard to beat.”

Spun To Run to Gainesway

Spun To Run (USA), winner of last year’s G1 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile, will enter stud at Gainesway next season and will stand for US$12,500 (AU$17,800).

The 4-year-old was also third in last year’s GI TVG.com Haskell Invitational S. and he captured the G3 Smarty Jones S. He ended his career with a runner-up effort behind champion 3-year-old Maximum Security (USA) (New Year’s Day {USA}) in the G1 Cigar Mile H.

“Great milers make great stallions,” said Gainesway’s Director of Stallion Sales and Recruitment Sean Tugel. “His speed figures at a mile were fantastic. The Breeders’ Cup is the biggest stage and Spun To Run ran a very talented group of colts off their feet.”