McEvoy suspended

Kerrin McEvoy has been suspended after breaching the whip rule aboard Tiger Moth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the G1 Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.

The champion jockey has been fined $50,000 and suspended for 13 meetings after hitting his horse 13 times before the 100 metre mark and 21 times in total. The suspension begins at midnight on Thursday until midnight on November 14.

Exhilarates back to winning ways

Last year's R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Exhilarates (Snitzel) returned to the winner's stall for the first time in over a year as she took out the Listed MSS Security Sprint at Flemington on Tuesday.

"James (Cummings) had this mare primed for today," jockey Kerrin McEvoy said.

"She is a competitive little girl. The other day without much cover, she overdid it a bit, and she has done that with me at times. Today it was nice to get the drop on them and save that finish."

Purple Sector hoping to get The Gong

The colours of the late Dato Tan Chin Nam were fittingly to the fore on Melbourne Cup Day when Purple Sector (NZ) (Pins) took out the Listed Furphy Plate.

Purple Sector, prepared by Randwick trainer John Thompson, required plenty of riding from jockey Craig Williams before prevailing by 0.3l from outsider Gold Fields (Churchill Downs), with Odeon (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) 0.1l away in third.

Purchased by Duncan Ramage's DGR Thoroughbred Services for NZ$60,000 out of the Trelawney Stud draft at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, the 5-year-old advanced his record to four wins and six placings for $412,850 in prizemoney.

“It is lovely to see Dato Tan Chin Nam’s colours winning on Melbourne Cup Day,” Ramage said. “We weren’t able to get into the Cup this year, but it is great to win on the day itself, with some good friends in the horse including the Hayek family and Matthew Sandblom.

“Trelawney Stud has a steep history in racing, dating back to Seton Otway, who set it up.

“They have bred seven Melbourne Cup winners off the farm and we bought this horse off them at Karaka in New Zealand for NZ$60,000.”

Purple Sector’s time in Melbourne will be short-lived, with Ramage confirming he will be aimed at the $1 million The Gong (1600 metres) at Kembla Grange on November 21.

Hunting elusive Group 1

The Frank Ritchie-trained Fiscal Fantasy (Skilled) is now on the hunt for an elusive Group 1 victory after winning her third Group 3 race at Ellerslie on Tuesday.

She made it back-to-back wins in the G3 Jarden S., taking an inside passage down the straight to win by 2l from Charles Road (Myboycharlie {Ire}).

“She is a little beauty,” Ritchie said. “I bought her in Melbourne and she is diminutive to say the least and I had a bit of a problem selling her, but she has got a heart bigger than herself.”

Fiscal Fantasy was Group 1-placed in the Zabeel Classic last year and that race is once again on the cards for the 6-year-old mare.

“Last year after this race we ran her in the Zabeel Classic. That is a little while away, but she is alright with a gap between races. I can’t run her in handicaps now, she is too small.”

Mare strikes again

Progressive mare Crosscheck (Hinchinbrook) will head for a spell at the top of her game following success at Randwick on Tuesday.

The sparingly-raced mare has put together a tidy record after defeating a competitive line-up of BM72 performers in the hands of Tommy Berry.

“She’s won three from seven now and Tommy got a lovely run into the race, full credit to the mare as she’s not overly effective on wet ground,” trainer John O’Shea said.

“We’ll give her a break now and if she strengthens and can get to Saturday level that would be lovely.”

Lameness forced withdrawal

King Of Leogrance (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) was taken out of the G1 Melbourne Cup on race morning due to lameness.

The Danny O’Brien-trained 6-year-old was found to be lame in his off-fore leg when inspected by Racing Victoria stewards.

King Of Leogrance, who won the G2 Adelaide Cup in the autumn, had finished third in the G3 Geelong Cup and had been listed as long as $61 for the Melbourne Cup.

Secret’s out

Princess Secret (USA) (Khozan {USA}), winner of the Susan’s Girl S. and My Dear Girl S. for owner and trainer Daniel Pita, has been denied entry into the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies after testing positive for a banned substance.

An October 26 blood test administered by the Breeders’ Cup out-of-competition program turned up the presence of Stanozolol, an anabolic steroid expressly prohibited by Breeders’ Cup under its conditions of entry.

“All horses pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup are subject to our stringent medication and testing protocols and must meet these requirements in order to compete,” Breeders’ Cup President and Chief Executive Officer Drew Fleming said.

Additional supplements for Fasig November

Officials at Fasig-Tipton have announced the addition of two supplemental entries to the auction house’s November Sale, to be held Sunday, November 8.

Catalogued as Hip 287 is the New York-bred Wasp (USA) (American Pharoah {USA}), who followed up on a debut second with a romping 10.25l maiden victory trying a distance of ground for the first time in the Belmont slop on October 30.

The 3-year-old bay filly hails from the female family of Grade 1 winners Evening Jewel (USA) (Northern Afleet {USA}), General Challenge (USA) (General Meeting {USA}) and Denman’s Call (USA) (Northern Afleet {USA}). Wasp is consigned by Claiborne Farm, agent, as a racing/broodmare prospect.

Bluewater Sales, agent, consigns Hip 286, a weanling colt by leading sire Into Mischief (USA) out of Greenfield D’Oro (USA) (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}), whose dam Maryfield (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}) won the 2007 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint en route to Eclipse Award honours.

Tattersalls exploring options for December Sales

Following the UK government’s announcement of a nationwide lockdown on October 31, all possible options and dates will be considered for the upcoming Tattersalls December Sales, Tattersalls announced on Monday.

The COVID-19 cases in the UK and abroad have been rising, and as a result, the lockdown will begin on November 5 and last through at least December 2, interfering with the current sales dates.

“As has so often been the case this year, we are having to respond to events and decisions entirely outside our control, but we would like to assure vendors and purchasers alike that our overriding priority is to stage the 2020 Tattersalls December Sales prior to Christmas,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony.

“Naturally our preferred option is to stage the December Sales on the existing scheduled dates and we are currently seeking clarity from the government as to whether bloodstock auctions are allowed to take place during the lockdown period. In the meantime in consultation with both Goffs and Arqana, we will be looking to establish viable alternative dates with the joint aim of providing the industry with workable solutions to the challenges we all face.

“We will endeavour to provide the industry with definitive answers as soon as possible and while we regret the uncertainty and disruption caused by the new lockdown, we will continue to do everything in our power to stage sales at Tattersalls as safely as possible and at all times in full compliance with prevailing regulations.”

Remote UK phase of Godolphin Flying Start begins

The UK phase of the Godolphin Flying Start program for first-year trainees has begun remotely from Ireland, Godolphin announced on Monday. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the change. This segment will contain bloodstock insurance, racing administration, nominations sales, marketing, HR, racing and veterinary management, as well as an introduction to the legal system.

Other changes include the practical experience with yearlings will be undertaken at Kildangan Stud, while the two-week course on exercising racehorses will be completed at the Racing Academy and Centre for Education (RACE) instead of the British Racing School. Later on in the two-year course a UK study tour has been scheduled.

In Australia, the Godolphin Flying Star second-year trainees are taking part in the program with little change to the course structure. They quarantined for two weeks and are now based in Scone, New South Wales where they are completing practical rotations in the surrounding area, as well as visiting Hunter Valley stud farms. The trainees also completed their Leadership module at Macquarie University Graduate School of Management in Sydney.

“It has been important for us to be reactive to the everchanging environment presented by COVID-19, but it brings me great satisfaction that despite the challenges, the groups of trainees in both Australia and Ireland have adapted well and have been able to achieve many of the same learning outcomes as previous year groups,” said Godolphin Flying Start Director Clodagh Kavanagh.