Exemptions required
Anyone from the northern beaches of Sydney intending to attend the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale next month will need to apply for an exemption from Queensland health authorities to enter the state.
If granted an exemption, hotel quarantine will be required which also includes Queenslanders returning home. Everyone travelling from New South Wales will require a border pass declaration and visitors from the central coast or greater Sydney will be asked to undergo a COVID-19 test on arrival in Queensland and isolate pending results.
Import cashes in
Long Arm (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) caught his connections by surprise when he made a dream start to his Australian career.
The lightly-tried 5-year-old won two of his three starts in Ireland before relocating to Peter Gelagotis’ Moe stable.
“This was meant to be a warm-up for him so it’s exciting,” the trainer’s brother Manny said.
Long Arm was partnered by Jordan Childs and came with long strides to claim the #Lovethehorse Trophy at the expense of Think ‘N’ Fly (So You Think {NZ}).
Frodo too fast
Pocket rocket Tavi Mac (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), who affectionately carries the moniker Frodo due to his diminutive stature and ungainly build, captured the biggest victory of his burgeoning career when he dashed away from his rivals in Saturday’s G2 Kevin Pratt Memorial Manawatu Challenge S. at Awapuni.
Tavi Mac (NZ) | Image courtesy of Race Images
“He has a special place in my heart, this horse,” trainer Allan Sharrock said. “He’s not the best horse I’ve ever trained, but he is the toughest I’ve ever laid a hand on. The tenacity he shows every time he lines up is just amazing.
“He’s developed a cult following and everyone wants to get their picture taken with him, which is just fantastic. I think the best thing about him now is that he is finally learning how to race.”
Distance suited
Seberate (Sebring) appreciated a drop back in distance to claim the Myer Giftorium H. at Flemington.
Seberate
“He’s been a very consistent horse this preparation, almost frustrating, and we’ve played around a bit with the distances but I think 1400 metres is his trip,” co-trainer Ben Hayes said.
Seberate, who was ridden by Lewis German, has now won four races and was runner-up in the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce S. as a 2-year-old.
First for Brazen Beau
Brazen Beau sired his first New Zealand winner when On The Bubbles was successful on debut to head a quinella for the Darley stallion in the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Pearl Series Race for the 2-year-olds at Awapuni.
Trained by Jamie Richards, he showed an abundance of gate speed to lead for rider Johnathan Parkes and kicked strongly in the run home to beat Brazen Blue.
“He had his first two trials as a colt and had a few issues so we gelded him and his work since had been good and strong,” Richards said.
Bred by Burnewang North Pastoral, On The Bubbles was bought for $60,000 by Ben Kwok and agent Bevan Smith at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale. He was then purchased for NZ$90,000 by Te Akau’s David Ellis out of Leanach Lodge’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale.
On The Bubbles is out of More Bubbles (Sebring) who is a half-sister to the G1 Myer Classic winner Politeness (Street Sense {USA}).
Thrilling finish
Hastings visitor Hunta Pence (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}) overcame his apparent dislike of the Awapuni track to register his biggest career victory when he took out the G3 Bramco Granite and Marble Manawatu Cup in a desperate finish on Saturday.
The 8-year-old had failed to finish in a dividend bearing placing in 10 previous trips to the Palmerston North circuit, but trainer Patrick Campbell was confident of a good showing.
Hunta Pence (NZ) (orange and white) | Image courtesy of Race Images
“I’ve always thought he was best at around 2000 metres as a couple of times when he has stepped up to 2200 metres and further he has just been found wanting in the last 200 metres,” he said.
“That happened in this race twice and also in the Hawke’s Bay Cup, but leading in I couldn’t fault him.”
Group 1 winner retired
Te Akau Racing has announced the retirement of its Group 1 winner Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel).
The curtain has come down on the career of the 3-year-old, who ends his racing days in sound health, who claimed the G1 Sistema S. and the Karaka Million and successful in four of his six starts for trainer Jamie Richards.
Te Akau, who will look to place Cool Aza Beel at stud, was purchased out of Fairdale Stud’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for NZ$150,000. He is from the family of the dual Group 1 winner Malaguerra (Magnus) and the G1 Coolmore Classic winner Aloha (Encosta De Lago).
Fairdale will offer Cool Aza Beel’s half-brother by Iffraaj (GB) as Lot 321 at Karaka next month.
Work in progress
Trainer Tony Pike believes Dawn Parade (Dawn Approach {Ire}) is a potential star of the future once he puts it all together.
The Cambridge trainer produced the 3-year-old to win the Print House 1400 at Te Rapa at his second start.
“He’s a horse of immense talent, but he still does a few things wrong. He’s certainly got all the talent,” Pike said.
The G1 Levin Classic-nominated Dawn Parade sat outside the leader Moana (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), who was placed in the G2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas in the spring, and proved too good for the filly in the closing 200 metres.
Varian fillies disqualified
The Roger Varian-trained fillies Angel Power (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Queen Daenerys (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) have been disqualified from Listed wins at ParisLongchamp in September as a result of the well-documented Gain feed contamination saga that also saw Aidan O’Brien scratch his four runners from the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
France Galop has revealed that 12 horses tested positive for the prohibited substance Zilpaterol as a result of the feed contamination, but all the trainers involved-including Varian, who was the only overseas trainer affected-have been cleared of any wrongdoing.
“I am very disappointed for the owners of Angel Power (King Power Racing) and the owner of Queen Daenerys (HH Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa), that through no fault of our own these two horses were found to have traces of Zilpaterol in their system,” Varian said.
Lasix banned
The 2021 stakes races run at Gulfstream Park will be carded Lasix-free, effective from January 1.
The move to medication-free racing reflects the commitment made in April by major racing organizations and associations to eliminate Lasix in all stakes races in 2021 and is consistent with the International Federation of Horse Racing Authorities (IFHA) standards.
Gulfstream Park will be the first racetrack in Florida to move to medication-free racing.
The medication-free format for stakes races will apply to the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational and the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational set to take place on January 23 as well as the GI Florida Derby and GII Fountain of Youth.
