Anamoe ready to show talent
Trainer James Cummings is relishing the prospect of getting smart colt Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) back to the track in Saturday's G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) at Caulfield.
Anamoe was an impressive last-start winner of the Listed Merson Cooper S. at Sandown in November and Cummings feels he is ready to make a substantial impression this autumn.
Anamoe
“Of the 2-year-olds we’ve sent to the races this season he has registered the best performance," Cummings said.
"Our feeling is that with a horse like Anamoe the best course would be to let it all unfold naturally and we might be duly rewarded. He’s won at 1000 metres after all and we wouldn’t want to see him ripping along when we don’t want him to.
“He’s worked stylishly in preparation for this and we’re looking forward to stepping up to this race.”
Diamond assault
Cummings also has Kallos (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) in that race, after he debuted with a close-up third at Moonee Valley last month.
“Hopefully, he can build on a tough performance at Moonee Valley where he was wide throughout,” he said.
“This is a step-up, but we have a healthy opinion of his stablemate who won that race (Telluride), he’s improved naturally and he’s strong enough to make the progression to this level.”
Telluride (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) is one of three Godolphin runners in the Group 2 fillies' edition of the Prelude. Arcaded (Street Boss {USA}), an impressive first-up winner at Caulfield last month, is a clear favourite.
Arcaded
“She was well-found in her dominant Caulfield win, even though it was probably in a race a grade below this,” Cummings said.
“She’s compact and agile, but she possesses hidden strength and a turn of foot that allows her to get out of trouble.”
Sir Dragonet prepared for Orr first-up
G1 Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) heads a field of 10 for Saturday's first Australian Group 1 of 2021, the CF Orr S.
A strong trial at Geelong convinced trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace to push on with a plan to kick off the import's autumn campaign in the Orr.
Sir Dragonet (Ire)
"The timing doesn't worry me at all," Maher told Racing.com in reference to The All-Star Mile five weeks later.
"I'd rather have a big stallion like him fit and ready to go, so hopefully the rain comes and he can take his place.
"There's a bit (of rain) forecast for Friday and whether it comes or not, we'll wait and see. A Dead 4 is normally a Good 3 so maybe we'll need a Soft 5."
Glen Boss will take the ride.
The field also contains previous Group 1 winners Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}), Fifty Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Streets Of Avalon (Magnus).
Sacred Falls colt tops National Online Yearling Sale
A colt by Sacred Falls (NZ) topped the Gavelhouse Plus National Online Yearling Sale, bringing NZ$39,000.
The special online sale replaced Book 3 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka, which was held last week, and it was Lot 26, by Sacred Falls out Cheryl Moana Marie (NZ) (Savabeel), which was offered by Valentine Lodge, which got the top price.
The colt is a sibling to two winners, Matuki (NZ) (Pins) and D'clone (Pins).
The second top price was Lot 10, a Tavistock (NZ) colt which sold for $24,000. Offered by Cambridge Stud, he is half-brother to Powering (NZ) (Power {GB}), a dual winner in Australia.
Overall, 24 yearlings were sold, with 20 passed in short of their reserve.
Gem set for Millennium
Mystic Gem (Capitalist) can make her mark on the $2 million R. Listed Inglis Millennium on Saturday, according to trainer Kris Lees.
The filly debuted at Doomben two weeks ago, with a win over 1050 metres and Lees feels like she has made the necessary improvement to tackle a very strong bunch of 2-year-olds in the rich race at Randwick.
“She’s certainly on the up so it wouldn’t surprise me to see her run well,’’ he told Racing NSW.
“She’s a professional little filly, it’s questionable whether she has the class of some of the others. It was a good tradesmanlike win, she has a soft draw and she gives the indication she will be comfortable in the ground.”
Hickmott back in charge at Macedon Lodge
G1 Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Robert Hickmott has again taken charge of Lloyd Williams' Macedon Lodge.
Hickmott, who prepared two Melbourne Cup winners for the Hall Of Fame owner in Green Moon (Ire) (Montjeu (Ire}) and Almandin (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}), will train all of Williams' Australian-based runners again.
Robert Hickmott
He is listed as the trainer of Williams' horses, Hosier (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Degraves (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), Buckhurst (Ire) (Australia {GB}), Kenya (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Harrison (GB) (Sixties Icon {GB}), King Of Leogrance (Fr) (Camelot {GB}), Orderofthegarter (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Saracen Knight (Ire) (Camelot {GB}).
Hickmott was the head trainer at Macedon Lodge for eight years from 2009 onwards.
Addeybb's Aussie assault in doubt
Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) is in doubt to make the trip to Australia this autumn.
Addeybb, who won the G1 Ranvet S. and G1 Queen Elizabeth S. last autumn was set to travel to Sydney but issues with the entrance of William Haggas' staff into Australia may prove too much of an obstacle.
Addeybb (Ire)
Haggas said staff needed to quarantine in time to meet Addeybb when he comes out of his own quarantine later this month.
The back-up plan is for Addeybb to contest the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic (2400 metres) at Meydan on March 27 instead.
Avantage tunes up for Sprint
Six-time Group 1 winner Avantage (Fastnet Rock) pleased trainer Jamie Richards with her gallop at Te Rapa on Wednesday.
She will next contest the G1 BCD Sprint on Saturday week and Richards said she needed the hitout after racing at Trentham last month when recording back-to-back wins in the G1 Telegraph.
Avantage
“She’s a month between runs and up to 1400 metres, so she needed to do something and we gave her a similar prep last year,” Richards said.
“I was pleased with the work. She looked good to me in her action and Opie (Bosson, jockey) was pleased with how she felt.
“She’ll improve again for that and she’s going to have to be at her best because there is a very exciting mare in Levante coming through the grades and it’s going to be a wonderful contest.”
Vernanme back in class
Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh hopes dropping Vernanme (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) back in class can get the 5-year-old back in winning form.
Vernanme will contest the G3 Powerworx Taranaki Cup on Saturday after being well-held in the G1 Zabeel Classic on Boxing Day.
“Probably bringing him back to the 1800 metres looks ideal,” Marsh said. “It is a good field though with horses like Group 1 winner Concert Hall, it is very tidy.
“He has drawn nicely (barrier eight) with Michael McNab on and visor blinkers. He should be able to run a real race I would have thought, but it is a very tidy field.”
Gallant repeat on cards at Wingatui
White Robe Lodge principal Brian Anderton is hoping his grand campaigner Gallant Boy (NZ) (Gallant Guru) can claim the race the South Island stud sponsors, the G3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age.
Gallant Boy has a strong record in the race, having won the 2019 edition and finished runner-up in 2018 and is ready to contend again, albeit from the outside barrier.
Gallant Boy (NZ) (green and yellow silks) | Image courtesy of Race Images South
“I think he can overcome his barrier draw, he is pretty well the old boy,” said Anderton, who trains in partnership with his son, Shane.
“We had this race in mind the whole way through.”
The 10-year-old is coming off a last-start victory in the Listed Timaru Cup in December.
“He went well with those two wins and two placings from the four starts and he freshened up well. He had a week off after Timaru,” Anderton said.
Saudi Cup next for Knicks Go
Coming off a dominant win in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational, Knicks Go (USA) (Paynter {USA}) is scheduled to make his next start in the Saudi Cup on February 20 in Riyadh.
“As long as he breezes well this weekend, we're going to the Saudi Cup,” trainer Brad Cox said. “We plan to ship him out Monday (February 8).”
Cox said the decision became easier when it became clear that Knicks Go came out of the Pegasus in perfect shape.
“The owners (the Korea Racing Authority) would like to go to the Saudi Cup and they've made that clear. I looked for a reason not to run him back in four weeks and he's given me no indication that would not be a good idea. That's why I've said I want to see him breeze one more time before we put him on a plane. He really rebounded from the Pegasus in great shape and in good order. He's not giving me any reason to not run him, so we're going to press forward.”
OBS March Sale catalogue released
The catalogue for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's 2021 March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training is now available via the OBS website.
A total of 561 juveniles have been catalogued for the two-day Sale, set for Tuesday and Wednesday, March 16-17, with both sessions beginning at 11.00am (local time). Hips 1-282 will sell Tuesday and Hips 283-563 Wednesday. The Under Tack Show will span three days, beginning Thursday, March 11 with Hips 1-188. Hips 189-376 will breeze Friday, March 12 and Hips 377-563 will go Saturday, March 13.
OBS will again offer online bidding during the March Sale.
