Crowds unlikely
Despite the easing of social restrictions this week, it is unlikely that crowds will return to Victoria tracks by this weekend.
“Whether it can get away by Saturday, it’s going to be tight,” Racing Minister Martin Pakula told RSN 927.
“Certainly within the next week or two I would expect to see crowds starting to come back to racetracks once those plans are submitted and ticked off by the relevant inter-departmental committee and the Department of Health and Human Services.
“We’re engaging with the industry I think starting today or tomorrow.
“My suggestion has been we talk to the three metropolitan clubs and probably CRV (Country Racing Victoria), on behalf of all country clubs, about submitting applications along with GRV (greyhounds) and HRV (harness) as well.”
Trekking wins trial
Godolphin sprinter Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}) tuned up for Saturday’s G1 Winterbottom S. with a trial win at Belmont on Monday.
Ridden by William Pike, who will take the ride on Saturday, the dual Group 1 winner took out the 1000 metre heat by 0.3l.
Trekking
"Obviously, Willie (Pike) is not used to the way James (Cummings) trains his horses but we just said 'come out neutral, get some cover and let him find his stride nicely the last furlong'," James Cummings' representative Nacim Dilmi told The Races WA.
"He's pulled up very well which gives us another great indication he's going well into Saturday's race."
Shot sold to Hong Kong
G1 VRC Derby runner-up Hit The Shot (Dundeel {NZ}) has been sold to Hong Kong where he will be trained by John Size.
“He is a horse that’s shown a lot of promise. We were yet to see the best of him,” former trainer Matt Cumani told Racing.com.
“He is a horse that would have gone on really well and been really successful for the rest of his 3-year-old year and into his 4-year-old year.”
No rush for new trainer
Owner Allan Endresz said he is in no rush to decide who the new trainer for Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) will be or whether he will be trained in New South Wales or Victoria.
The gelding is set to undergo surgery for kissing spine next week which will see him off the track for four to six months.
Alligator Blood
“I’ve got probably 14 trainers that want him. They’re Sydney, Melbourne based,” Endresz told Racing.com.
“Alligator is in for his surgery next week. The vets are giving us a good prognosis on that… so he should come back pretty good.
“We’re going to leave it for a few months and make a proper assessment. We are going to leave him down there (in Sydney or Melbourne) and give him the best opportunity we can to tackle the big races.
“The best opportunity will be somewhere within Flemington or Randwick. That will allow us to really settle him down and have a fair crack.”
Shelby set for paddock
After a disappointing run when starting as the short priced favourite at Ballarat on Saturday, progressive gelding Shelby Cobra (Toronado {Ire}) will head to the paddock for a spell.
“He’s as good as gold (after the run),” trainer Mike Moroney told Racing.com. “He just raced tired. He’s had enough. So he is going to the paddock (on Tuesday).”
Shelby Cobra
Valley a possibility
The first campaign for Brazen Boy (Brazen Beau) hasn’t quite gone to plan with the Phillip Stokes-trained 2-year-old being scratched at the gates before the Listed Merson Cooper S. when on debut, but he could step out at Moonee Valley this Saturday.
“I’ll just see how he works tomorrow morning as physically he’s fine but it's just in the back of your mind that his campaign hasn’t gone to plan and whether it's worth just having a break and going again,’’ Stokes told Racing.com on Monday.
‘’He had to get his barrier (certificate) after what happened at Sandown so it’s hardly been an ideal prep for him but he bounced out (of the barriers) the other day and showed that speed is his forte.”
Group 1 assignments
Trainer Leanne Elliot is now eyeing Group 1 targets with consistent galloper Rock On Wood (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) after his win at Awapuni on Saturday.
He was victorious in the race last year and was once again piloted by Elliot’s son Ryan, who forewent the Premier day at Pukekohe to retain the ride on the family favourite.
Rock On Wood (NZ) | Image courtesy of Race Images
“It was a very good run on Saturday, he went well,” Elliot said. “It was nice that Ryan came down to ride him, he is pretty committed to him.”
Elliot noted her charge is more forward this year compared to last season and she will now head south to try and snare Group 1 honours in the Rydges Wellington Captain Cook S. on Saturday-week.
“He has had two races under his belt now and this time last year he had just had the one, so he is a little more forward,” she said. “I am planning on going to the Captain Cook at Wellington on December 5 with him, and then the G1 Thorndon Mile in January.”
Collett celebrates in style
Sam Collett has designs of a great summer aboard the exciting mare Levante (NZ) (Proisir) after her stunning return to racing in the Listed Counties Bowl at Pukekohe.
It was part of a three-win celebration on her 31st birthday for Collett, who also won the Listed Fasttrack Insurance 2YO S. aboard Brix (NZ) (Sweynesse) and the Vernon and Vazey 1400 with Our Alley Cat (NZ) (Atlante).
Sam Collett
Levante was ridden in all five of her starts last season by Ryan Elliot, who guided her to four wins and a highly impressive runner-up slot in the G2 Wellington Guineas after blowing the start by 8l.
However, the Kelsos have turned to Collett for the mare’s 4-year-old season while her rating remains relatively modest.
“Because this preparation they’re looking to target those handicap races they approached me early on in her preparation because she’s going to get fairly light weights where she is at the ratings and they wanted a rider that was going to stick with her,” said Collett, who rode Levante at 53kg at Pukekohe.
Rising Star
With likely Horse of the Year Authentic (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) recently retired to stud, the Bob Baffert barn wasted no time unveiling its next speedy superstar by the nation’s leading sire as the China Horse Club and WinStar Farm’s Life is Good (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) demolished his competition to become a no-brainer ‘TDN Rising Star’.
The bay made all the running at Del Mar on Sunday and he was always in complete control and to streak home by 9.5l.
Life Is Good, who was a US$525,000 (AU$717,000) Keeneland September Yearling Sale buy, is bred on the same cross as promising young sire Practical Joke (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}). His dam, herself a US$435,000 (AU$594,000) September buy, never won in five tries but hit the board in maiden special weights in both Kentucky and Arkansas.
Life Is Good’s second dam is stakes winner Bonnie Blue Flag (USA) (Mineshaft {USA}), who sold for US$1.5 million (AU$2.05 million) in 2011, but just US$15,000 (AU$20,500) last November in foal to California Chrome (USA) at the age of 12 after having little success with her produce on the track.
Racing over
Shortly after announcing that the final three weeks of its Thoroughbred meet would be cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, Woodbine was forced to cancel races seven through 13 on Sunday’s card due to inclement weather, effectively ending the meeting.
Among the races cancelled were renewals of the G3 Grey S. for 2-year-old males and G3 Mazarine S. for juvenile fillies.
“Woodbine Racetrack was forced to cancel the remainder of its live thoroughbred racing program on Sunday, November 22 following the sixth race due to inclement weather conditions in the Toronto area,” a brief statement said.
“For the safety of the horses, participants and staff, races seven through 13 were cancelled as a result of the inclement weather, including accumulating snow and forecasted fluctuating temperatures and mixed precipitation.”
