Perth Sale delayed
Following consultation with local industry bodies, Magic Millions has delayed the Perth Yearling Sale by three days and will now be held on February 18 and 19.
The delay in the commencement of the auction is to alleviate issues following recent COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions for the Perth, Peel and South West regions and the recent local bushfire situation.
"Taking all issues into consideration and after speaking with our industry partners including RWWA and TBWA we found it necessary to delay the Sale by a few days," Magic Millions Managing Director, Barry Bowditch, said.
"The new dates will enable vendors, prospective buyers and industry members to have confidence in the auction and enable participation in a COVID-safe environment."
Official inspections will commence at the Magic Millions sales complex in Middle Swan from Sunday, February 14.
Test for mare
Saturday’s G1 Neds CF Orr S. at Caulfield will tell trainer Danny O'Brien whether Sovereign Award (Shamus Award) can foot it in top company.
The mare has earned the opportunity to prove herself off the back of a successful spring campaign, which netted the 5-year-old consecutive Group 2 victories in the Ladies’ Day Vase and the Tesio S.
Sovereign Award is among the entries for The All-Star Mile and a bold run in the Orr would also bring the G1 Futurity S. into contention.
Out for autumn
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace have sent unbeaten filly Sneaky Five (Fastnet Rock) to the paddock.
They had accepted with her in the $2 million R. Listed Inglis Millennium, but have opted to give her more time.
Sneaky Five
"It's a busy period for a 2-year-old, a lot of them are able to run once during the spring and prepare for the autumn, whereas she's had two runs on wet ground, only had the chance to have a short turnaround and try and be right for the very early autumn," co-trainer David Eustace told Racing.com.
"It makes it tight for a 2-year-old and it's not easy."
Sneaky Five won the R. Listed Inglis Banner on debut and then claimed The Golden Gift, earning more than $880,000 from those two appearances.
Cummings major player
James Cummings’ 2-year-olds have been dominant forces in Melbourne this season and five of them will be taking on Saturday’s Blue Diamond Preludes.
Cummings has trained 10 juvenile winners this term with a tally of six in Melbourne and four of those will be in action at Caulfield.
In the G2 Prelude for the fillies, Cummings will line up Telluride (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), Arcaded (Street Boss {USA}) and Picarones (Shooting To Win), who have all won city races.
In the colts and geldings' division he will start Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) and the maiden Kallos (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).
Captivant looking good
Promising 2-year-old Captivant (Capitalist) produced a sharp winning performance at Friday morning’s Randwick trials.
The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained won his 735 metre heat in the hands of James McDonald to draw attention to his autumn prospects. He was a debut winner of the Victory Vein in the spring and then ran fourth in the Golden Gift before a break.
John O’Shea’s Robodira (Husson {Arg}) also turned in an encouraging performance to win her heat as she prepares for a return following success at Rosehill in November in her only race day outing.
Trainer John Thompson quinellaed one of the 850 metre open heats with last season’s dual Group 1 placegetter Mamaragan (Wandjina) narrowly downing last-start The Hunter winner Sweet Idea (Casino Prince).
Thompson also landed the 1200 metre open heat with his G1 George Ryder S. winner Dreamforce (Fastnet Rock).
Open for bidding
Another quality Inglis Digital catalogue has been finalised, which will see 186 lots offered online. The February (Early) Sale is now open for bidding.
The catalogue of 186 lots features 109 racehorses, 40 broodmares, 20 shares and 14 yearlings among other offerings. Of the 186 lots, 118 are being offered unreserved.
Highlight lots include: G3 Carbine Club winner Safin (Snitzel), eight time winner Royal Thunder (Casino Prince) and last-start Randwick winner The First Of May (Zoffany {Ire}).
National Weanling Sale
New Zealand Bloodstock has announced a physical sale at Karaka for the 2021 edition of the National Weanling Sale on Friday, May 14.
While the National Weanling Sale is relatively new, weanling graduates are no strangers to success having recorded an impressive score of eight Group 1 wins and 59 stakes wins and headlined by G1 Tarzino Trophy winner Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante) and G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}).
NZB Managing Director Andrew Seabrook is confident the physical weanling sale will provide a great opportunity for domestic buyers to inspect and bid on horses in one centralised location.
“Given the unlikely chance of New Zealand pinhookers being able to travel to Australia to buy, I’m optimistic that the weanlings that are offered here will be well sought after,” he said.
Weanlings offered in the Sale will be eligible to enter in the lucrative Karaka Million Series and the CollinsonForex Karaka Cup for the duration of their careers.
Cup defence looking good
Trainer Grahame Begg will be shooting for consecutive wins in the G3 Clanbrooke TS Carlyon Cup with his Caulfield hopes resting with Nonconformist (Rebel Raider).
The local horseman was successful in the race 12 months ago with Miss Siska (So You Think {NZ}), who has since moved to Matthew Smith’s stable and is a race rival, and fancies his chances of a repeat.
Begg’s confidence was boosted last week when Nonconformist finished runner-up in a Geelong trial behind G1 Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}).
Nonconformist’s main autumn goal will be the G1 Australian Cup, the 2000 metre feature favoured over the rich The All-Star Mile.
Trial changes
Victoria (RV) wishes to advise that changes have been made to Monday’s official trials at Cranbourne.
The Cranbourne Turf Club has advised Racing Victoria it is unable to conduct the Monday’s trials on the outside training track as it has not recovered from a recent renovation due to inconsistent and unfavourable weather.
The trials will now be conducted on the northern track, which only has capacity to conduct trials over 800 metres.
Heats will be held for 2-year-old colts, geldings and fillies, 3-year-old colts, geldings and fillies, a Class 3-Open trial and a maiden-Class 2 heat.
To assist runners needing to trial over longer distances, a new set of official trials has been programmed at Werribee next Tuesday with 1100 metre heats for 2 and 3-year-old and older horses.
Oaks hopes on line
Well-related filly Lily’s Lady (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) contests Saturday’s Listed Fasttrack Insurance Oaks Prelude at New Plymouth and trainers Stephen Autridge and Kris Shailer are hopeful she can bank some more black type and emerge as a serious Oaks contender in the process.
Despite being a maiden after four starts, Lily’s Lady boasts a last start Group 2 placing in the Royal S. at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
Lily’s Lady (NZ)
“I’ve tried to pick the easiest race to target without going to a maiden race,” Autridge said. “We believe Lily’s Lady is improving with every run and she worked really well on Tuesday. Back to 1800 metres around Taranaki is a question mark, but it is the path we have taken.”
Lily’s Lady is out of Bohemian Lily (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), the winner of the G2 The Roses and a sister to multiple Group 1 winner Shamrocker (NZ), who beat the boys in the G1 Australian Derby.
Final Karaka results
Final results have been accumulated from New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 and Book 2 yearling sessions held at Karaka.
Over five days of trading, 647 yearlings sold for an aggregate of NZ$60,996,500 and the combined average and median increased on previous years, reaching NZ$94,276 and NZ$62,500 respectively and the clearance rate settled at a recent record of 82 per cent.
The confidence in the domestic market was evident with New Zealand buyers accounting for 58 per cent of the total spend at Karaka 2021.
In what were trying circumstances due to border closures, international buyers still made their presence felt, with 37 per cent of the horses offered receiving an online bid.
Melbourne beckons
Cambridge trainer Roger James will produce Concert Hall (NZ) (Savabeel) in Saturday's G3 Powerworx Taranaki Cup at New Plymouth as a springboard to a campaign in Melbourne.
Concert Hall (NZ)
She became James' first Group 1 winner since the late Silent Achiever (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) when she won the Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day and he will now attempt to guide her to similar Australian success.
"Make no mistake, she's no Silent Achiever but she is a good mare in her own right," James said. "It's taken her until six (years of age) to fully mature and her form line is something we're proud of. She's in tremendous order and we're looking forward to the race.”
Kentucky comes to Wingatui
Wingatui trainer Steven Prince may not be partial to a Mint Julep, but he can’t get enough of his in-form galloper by the same name.
The 4-year-old daughter of Darci Brahma (NZ) was named after her owners Craig Hunter, Dean Taig, Murray Bayly and Beth Wood attended the G1 Kentucky Derby and sampled the cocktail synonymous with one of the world’s biggest race meetings.
Mint Julep (NZ) | Image courtesy of Race Images South
“Mint Julep is the cocktail that they have over at the Kentucky Derby,” Prince said. “The boys went over to the Kentucky Derby and they went into a Mint Julep tent. We have had a try on it too and it’s a terrible drink.”
Mint Julep (NZ) has drawn barrier one in the Amalgamated Builders Limited & Diamond Syndicate at Wingatui on Saturday and Prince believes she will once again be hard to beat.
*Correction to February 5, 2021 edition*
Profiteer’s pedigree was incorrectly stated in yesterday’s edition. It should have read No. 1 - Profiteer (Capitalist x Athena Lass). We regret the error.
