Daily News Wrap

Farnan shoots for The Galaxy

G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) will target the G1 The Galaxy this campaign.

Co-trainer Adrian Bott said the 3-year-old had come back well from a below-par spring campaign and would target feature sprints in the autumn.

“He is back in work and going great,” Bott told Racenet.

“We are hopefully going to see him at the trials in three weeks' time and are looking at The Galaxy as a first-up option for him. He is back in great shape and looks well.

“Since his last preparation he has put on some really good condition.”

Profiteer heads to Sydney before Diamond

Impressive recent Flemington winner Profiteer (Capitalist) will take an unlikely path to the G1 Blue Diamond S. through the R. Listed Inglis Millennium.

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained 2-year-old has taken a detour to Sydney and will trial at Rosehill on Wednesday before heading to the $2 million Inglis Millennium at Randwick on Saturday week.

Kent Jnr told Racenet that they felt the Millennium would be a good path back to the Blue Diamond on their home track of Caulfield on February 20.

“We wanted to capitalise on the prizemoney on offer in what is a restricted race in the Millennium,” he said.

“He’ll trial Wednesday and have 10 days into the Millennium then come back for the Blue Diamond."

Hugh Bowman will ride the son of Capitalist.

Baker leaning towards Sydney for Aegon

Co-trainer Murray Baker is leaning on sending Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) to Sydney this autumn rather than embark on a Melbourne campaign.

The star 3-year-old took his unbeaten run to four with his win in the R. Listed Karaka Million 3YO Classic on Saturday and Baker is still weighing up his autumn options.

"He might be going to Sydney as the program there is good for him and we can go to (his son) Bjorn's (stables at Warwick Farm) as we might have a couple of others going over but no decision has been made yet," Baker told Racing.com.

"We'll let the dust settle for a few days."

That would rule Aegon out of tacking either the G1 Australian Guineas or The All-Star Mile in Melbourne.

Baker is still not convinced about which distance Aegon is best suited at.

"We don't know if he'll go past a mile but there is no reason why he shouldn't as he's out of a Zabeel mare and his sire (Sacred Falls) went to 2000 metres," he said.

Skymax looking for Farm repeat

Mark Newnham is confident imported stayer Skymax (Ger) (Maxios {GB}) can measure up to stakes company in Tuesday’s Listed Australia Day Cup at Warwick Farm.

Skymax is already a winner over the Warwick Farm 2400 metres and Newnham thinks if he can get the race run to suit, he could prove the superior stayer.

“His asset is that he’s a strong stayer but you just have to make sure it becomes a staying contest and not a sit and sprint," Newnham told Racing NSW.

“I’m just happy to get him down in weight and back on good ground, I think the key is getting down to 53kg, Robbie (Dolan, jockey) rides that weight comfortably.

“He’s (Skymax) been here a while now and seems to have acclimatised pretty well. He has a good coat on him and I don’t have to work him a lot.

“He’s a clean-winded horse and he’s doing well in between runs. It’s a good chance for him at a track and distance he’s won at and on good ground.”

The Harrovian set for Melbourne trip

Toby Edmonds has confirmed The Harrovian (Fastnet Rcok) will tackle the G1 Futurity S., ahead of The All-Star Mile at The Valley in March.

Edmonds told Racing.com he is confident that The Harrovian, who has won 11 races straight in Queensland, would get enough votes to get into the $5 million All-Star Mile and plans were afoot to send him south.

"He's had a couple of weeks at the farm and now he's back in," Edmonds said.

"We'll just go the same route we did with him when he won first-up last time, he doesn't take much work to get fit.

"He'll gallop on our course proper on Wednesday morning the reverse way to give him a bit of practice on that other leg and then he can go to Melbourne after that. We'll bring our own rider, Brad Stewart who will ride him.

"The horse has a great will to win but can he measure up to some of the genuine Group 1 horses in the race? I guess we won't know until after the event but we're hopeful."

Tuvalu impresses on debut

Lindsey Smith produced a smart debut winner at Warrnambool on Monday, with Tuvalu (Kermadec {NZ}) winning by 7l over 1300 metres.

Tuvalu, a $200,000 buy by Boomer Bloodstock and Smith from the draft of Merricks Station at the 2019 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, was sat on the pace by jockey Ethan Brown and exploded away down the straight.

Brown barely moved on him and the 3-year-old won in the manner of a very promising horse.

He is out of Hangin' Tough (Exceed And Excel), the three-quarter sister to Group 1 winner Helmet and Group 2 winner Pearls (Exceed And Excel).

Levante seeks Avantage revenge

Co-trainer Ken Kelso will now turn his attention to a rematch with class racemare Avantage (Fastnet Rock) in the G1 BCD Group Sprint (1400 metres) at Te Rapa on February 13 with G2 Westbury Classic winner Levante (NZ) (Proisir).

Levante finished third to the six-time Group 1 winner in the G1 Sistema Railway (1200 metres) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day and then bounced back to win at Ellerslie on Saturday.

“I think the Group 1 at Te Rapa is next for her,” Kelso, who trains with wife Bev, said.

“She’s at that point now where you can’t avoid the good ones, so we’ll take them on there.

“The three-week gap from her last run is ideal and the 1400 metres suits. We haven’t got any plans past that as we have always said we'll take one race at a time with her.

“I think she still has some maturing to do and will be a better horse for her next campaign, but she has a few options for us to have a look at.

“I do think she will be very effective at a mile, especially with some pace on, so we could possibly look at the Breeders’ S. at Te Aroha in the autumn.”

Threading a path to the Oaks

Trainers Stephen Autridge and Kris Shailer want to target last start G2 Royal S. winner Needle And Thread (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) at the G1 New Zealand Oaks in March.

Shailer said the filly had a quick freshen-up after her win on New Year's Day and that she has thrived since returning to their Matamata barn.

“She has just kept improving and she is eating and doing better now than she ever has,” he said. “From New Year’s Day onwards she hasn’t really missed a beat.

“At this stage she will go to the Fillies' Classic at Te Rapa in February. We will go race-by-race. The main goal is the Oaks, but whether she makes it there is not the be-all and end-all.”

Meech a new mum

Jockey Linda Meech is celebrating the safe arrival of her newborn son Anthony.

Meech has been out of the saddle since booting home the Stawell Cup winner for her partner, former jockey turned trainer Mark Pegus, in April last year.

Meech and Pegus welcomed little Anthony Wilbur Pegus into the world last week.

Pegus said Meech and Anthony were doing well and the new mum was able to head home from hospital over the weekend.

Benbatl to resurface in Europe

Godolphin's Benbatl (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), a Group 1 winner in Australia, Germany and Dubai, will not compete in either the Dubai World Cup Carnival or the Saudi Cup. The 7-year-old entire will instead make his next appearance in Europe according to his trainer Saeed bin Suroor. The bay signed off last year with a third in the G2 Joel S. at Newmarket on September 25.

“Benbatl will not run in Dubai or Saudi Arabia this year–we'll keep him for a European campaign and look to get him out in May,” said trainer Saeed bin Suroor. “He's still a good horse, but this year we are looking for better results from him. Last year didn't go his way–the ground never seemed right, (and) there is no point running him on soft.

“He's not going to stud just yet, anyway. We've got him for this year, then we'll keep options open. Everything over a mile, nine furlongs and a mile and a-quarter is suitable for him, that's what we think.”