Behemoth a big hit
The popularity of hulking sprinter Behemoth (All Too Hard) continues to grow and on Monday he led voting for The All-Star Mile with 8223 cast in his favour.
The David Jolly-trained Behemoth won at Group 1 level last preparation in the Memsie S. and Sir Rupert Clarke S. and recently claimed the Listed Durbridge S. when resuming.
Behemoth
Star Western Australian mare Arcadia Queen (Pierro) is currently second in The All-Star poll with 8198 votes ahead of Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) with 7703, Greysful Glamour (Stratum) has 6323, The Harrovian (Fastnet Rock) is on 4807 and Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) is on 4683.
Pippie ready to fly
Speed merchant Pippie (Written Tycoon) will defend a perfect first-up record when she resumes in Saturday’s G1 Black Caviar Lightning at Flemington.
The Chris Meagher-trained mare is undefeated in four runs off a break and an easy trial win at Mornington last week showed she was ready for her final racing campaign.
Pippie
Pippie has won six of her 13 starts, including the G1 Moir S. and the G1 Oakleigh Plate, and may sign off in the G1 The Galaxy at Rosehill. She will be one of the feature offerings at the Inglis Chairman's Sale in Sydney in May.
The Lightning promises to be keenly contested with high-class sprinters Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) and Nature Strip (Nicconi) in the lineup.
Sydney return
Fifty Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will head to Sydney for this Saturday’s G2 Apollo S.
Trainers Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig have had to resort to Plan B after they were forced to scratch him from the G1 CF Orr S. due to throat mucus when scoped last week.
Fifty Stars (Ire)
“He’ll run in the Apollo in Sydney next Saturday, which will give him two weeks into the G2 Blamey S. and he’ll have two weeks into the G1 Australian Cup after that,” Dabernig told Racenet.
Top 3YO Sydney-bound
Unbeaten New Zealand 3-year-old Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) will arrive in Sydney next week.
“Aegon has done well since his win on Karaka Million night and is very fresh. We haven’t done much with him and he will probably have a gallop on Tuesday and another on Saturday before he gets on the plane,” co-trainer and part-owner, Andrew Forsman, said.
“He will go into the G2 Hobartville S. first-up and then two weeks after that the G1 Randwick Guineas.”
Aegon (NZ) (inside)
The Baker and Forsman trio of Aegon, The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel) and Quick Thinker (So You Think {NZ}) will be accompanied by experienced travelling foreperson Aleisha Legg, who could be in for a long stint across the Tasman.
“Aleisha will head over on Sunday and be with the team for the entire campaign,” Forsman said.
Tabata takes Breeders’ S.
Progressive mare Tabata (NZ) (Savabeel) collected her first black-type success when she prevailed in a desperate finish to the Listed Property Brokers Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. at Tauherenikau on Monday.
Owned by former Black Caps cricket captain Brendon McCullum ONZM, she is trained by Stephen Marsh and his third at stakes level in 48 hours after securing a Group 3 double on Saturday with Vernanme (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) in the G3 Taranaki Cup and Belle Fascino (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) in the G3 White Robe Lodge.
Brendon McCullum and wife Ellissa celebrate the victory of their mare Tabata (NZ) with trainer Stephen Marsh and jockey Danielle Johnson | Image by Peter Rubery courtesy of Race Images
“To get any stakes win is always a thrill but to pick up three over the weekend is very satisfying,” Marsh said. “Tabata is still lightly-raced, but we were hoping to pick up some black type for her record when she eventually goes to the broodmare paddock.
“She has got a very good finish on her and when she started to pick up halfway down the straight, I started to think we might snatch third but her last 50 metres was just phenomenal.”
Stars out to play
A number of potential carnival stars from Chris Waller’s stable will step out this weekend with the G1 Caulfield Cup winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) among them.
She will open her campaign in the G2 Apollo S., in which she will take on stablemates Funstar (Adelaide {Ire}), Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) and Toffee Tongue (NZ) (Savabeel).
Waller will also have two leading chances in the Melbourne feature with Nature Strip (Nicconi) and September Run (Exceed And Excel) in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning.
Verry Elleegant (NZ)
Trackwork trial
The Melbourne Racing Club is trialling extended opening hours for trackwork and, as part of a trial, with Mornington-based trainers now able to use facilities until 10.30am, rather than 9.30am. Mornington opens to trainers from 4am.
MRC Executive Director - Racing, Operations & Membership, Jake Norton, said the club will get a clearer picture of how trainers view the prospect of a later finish at the end of the three-month trial.
"We are also going to play around a little bit with opening times for grass tracks, for example, because they don't open every day. And equally pools and so forth, just to see whether an amount of a majority change their training habits as a result," he told Racing.com.
First-up query on stayer
Co-trainer Andrew Forsman isn’t quite sure what to expect from top stayer The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel) when he tackles the G1 Herbie Dyke S. at Te Rapa this weekend.
The 5-year-old entire will be having his first race day start since doing his connections proud during the Melbourne spring carnival, finishing third in the G1 Caulfield Cup before running a gallant fourth in the G1 Melbourne Cup.
The Chosen One (NZ) (pink cap)
The Chosen One will be having his only domestic race on Saturday in a preparation that has the G1 Sydney Cup in April as the main target. A pair of trial outings last month have fitted him for his campaign opener, however Forsman knows whatever he produces on the day will bring him on nicely for the Australian venture.
“He is very well, but it’s not easy going into a Group 1 over 2000 metres first-up,” Forsman said. “I think he is as ready as we can have him and he did win first-up in Melbourne in the spring.”
Spendthrift moves for colt
B. Wayne Hughes's Spendthrift Farm has acquired a 50 per cent ownership interest in Graded stakes winner Keepmeinmind (USA) (Laoban {USA}).
The 3-year-old colt was second behind Essential Quality (USA) (Tapit {USA}) in the GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and third behind that subsequent champion in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile before concluding his 2-year-old campaign with a win in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S.
“We are delighted to be a part of such an exciting young racehorse as Keepmeinmind, and thankful to Cypress Creek and Arnold Bennewith for the opportunity to join the team,” said Ned Toffey, Spendthrift's General Manager.
“We believe Keepmeinmind is poised for a big 3-year-old year. He demonstrated tremendous talent as a 2-year-old, placing twice in Grade Is, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and finishing up the year in style with a convincing win in the Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill.”
