Weather to have last say
The weather will have the final say on whether last-start G2 Villiers S. winner Greysful Glamour (Stratum) runs in the G3 Summer Cup at Randwick on Boxing Day.
Greysful Glamour needs a decent surface and will only start with conditions to suit, otherwise trainer Mark Newnham may give the mare a break ahead of an autumn campaign.
Her bold front-running victory in the Villiers handed the grey a free ticket into the G1 Doncaster Mile and Newnham will leave that option open.
Greysful Glamour | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Samadoubt returns
Group 1 winner Samadoubt (Not A Single Doubt) is back in work with trainer Bjorn Baker after a lengthy spell following a tendon strain.
“Samadoubt is back in and I am actually really thrilled with him,” Baker told Racing.com.
“He looks good, he is doing everything really well and he came in with a really good fitness base.
“You wouldn’t know which leg he had his injury with so the early stages are encouraging, but we are not getting carried away.”
Samadoubt
Melham pleads guilty
The hearing into betting charges against jockey Ben Melham before the Victorian Racing Tribunal was adjourned on Monday for penalty submissions, which will be heard on Tuesday, after the leading rider pleaded guilty.
Melham's representative Dermot Dann told the tribunal that Melham would enter a plea of guilty to charges one, two, three and seven, while entering no plea on charges four and six.
The VRT ruled in October that Charge five relating to bets on Singapore races be dropped as the Australian rules of racing do not clearly prevent a jockey from betting on overseas races.
The charge against Melham's partner Karlie Dales relating to her evidence was withdrawn.
VRT Chairman Judge John Bowman congratulated the parties for achieving a resolution with the charges and said the tribunal may be in a position to announce penalties following the submissions.
Purchase pays off
Former Kiwi galloper Nikau Spur (NZ) (Proisir) has made an impression in Australia in just his second appearance across the Tasman.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained gelding ran away to a last-start 3.75l victory over 1600 metres at Moonee Valley after placing at Bendigo. He was identified by Maher’s bloodstock manager Will Bourne after running a game third on debut at Awapuni in July for former trainer Rosie Buchanan.
“I watched the race and the horse almost fell at the 500 metre mark, and to rattle home (for third) I thought it was a massive run,” Bourne said. “I thought he was a horse who could really go through his grades in winter over here.”
Bourne duly made contact with Buchanan and was delighted to secure the gelding.
“I try to buy a lot of horses and I can’t believe how quickly I bought the horse,” he said. “I offered fair money and she accepted it, and it was all done and dusted. I was really rapt with it.”
No chance for Melbourne
Owner Bob Peters has ruled out an autumn trip to Melbourne for his star mare Inspirational Girl (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}).
"She definitely won't come. The last run knocked her around, so she needs a decent spell," he said.
Inspirational Girl finished runner-up behind stablemate Truly Great (Dundeel {NZ}) at her most recent appearance in the G1 Kingston Town Classic having landed the G1 Railway S. at her previous appearances.
Inspirational Girl (NZ)
All business come race day
If you watched Royal Performer (GB) (Medicean {GB}) in track gallops you would think he’d have been better named Pauper or Court Jester.
But the ex-Hong Kong galloper is a different beast on race day, as he showed with his 5.75l demolition of his open handicap opponents at Te Rapa on Saturday, earning him a crack at the G2 Rich Hill Mile at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
Royal Performer (GB)
“He shows absolutely nothing in trackwork,” said Bob Vance, who owns and trains Royal Performer along with his wife Jenny, at Ardmore. “He’s easy to train because he doesn’t over-exert himself, but it can be hard to get a line on how he is going because of how he works.”
Royal Performer began his career in England, his country of birth, where he won three of his five starts under the name Turn Tide. Sold to Hong Kong, he won two races and placed five times in 17 starts for Caspar Fownes, but developed leg issues.
“When they’re in a box virtually 24-7 it’s tough if they have any leg problems. Caspar thought he’d benefit from being put in a paddock, and he sent him here and the horse was gifted to us.”
Mascarpone to miss Railway
Talented Team Rogerson-trained sprinter Mascarpone (Shooting To Win) is set to miss the G1 Sistema Railway on New Year’s Day.
“He’s out of the Railway, but he is running in the G1 Telegraph,” Graeme Rogerson said.
“He pulled a plate off in the run in the G3 J Swap S. last start and we will just freshen him up for the Telegraph.”
The 4-year-old has won six of his 15 starts and has been placed on four occasions, however, all of his victories have come when racing left-handed.
Mascarpone
Romanised to stud
Classic winner Romanised (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2021 at Haras de Bouquetot in Normandy, France, for a fee of €7000 (AU$13,450).
Campaigned by Robert Ng and trained by Ken Condon, the son of Holy Roman Emperor (Ire) won at first asking in April of his 2-year-old campaign and was second to eventual G1 Derby winner Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) in the G3 Solario S. that fall.
He sprang a 25-1 upset when beating U S Navy Flag (USA) in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, and though he went winless in three subsequent starts that year he bounced back in 2019 to win the G2 Minstrel S. and the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and defended his title in the Minstrel this July.
