Daily News Wrap

General booked for Diamond shot

General Beau (Brazen Beau) is set to take his place in Saturday’s G1 Blue Diamond S., with his connections paying a $55,000 late entry fee on Monday.

The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained colt has won both the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (C&G) and the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) in the lead-in to Saturday's $1.5 million feature.

He is currently on the third line of betting for the race and will be ridden by in-form hoop Jamie Kah, who is coming off a Group 1 victory in the G1 Lighting S. aboard Nature Strip (Nicconi) on Saturday.

Breeder and part-owner David Moodie of Contract Racing has previously won the Blue Diamond having paid a late entry, with Paint (Raami {GB}) in 1996.

First French stakes winner for Shalaa

Arrowfield Stud’s Shalaa (Ire) has sired his first Northern Hemisphere-bred stakes winner after King Shalaa (Fr) won the Listed Prix de la Californie at Cagnes-Sur-Mer.

The 3-year-old colt, trained by Francois Rohaut, stepped up to stakes company for the first time and won by 0.5l over the one mile race.

Out of Baki (Fr) (Turtle Bowl {Ire}), King Shalaa is a half-brother to Listed winner Packing Waltham (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}).

Shalaa is currently second on the first-season sires list in Australia, largely thanks to his G3 Breeders' Plate and R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Shaquero.

Hey Doc to embark on another Group 1 campaign

Multiple Group 1 winner Hey Doc (Duporth) will resume at Flemington later this month before tackling the G1 William Reid S. at Moonee Valley in March.

The 7-year-old had a jump-out at Avoca on Monday morning and is set to resume in the Listed ATA Bob Hoysted S. at Flemington before stepping back to Group 1 level.

"He jumped, led and won as you would expect. He had a good, healthy blow after the gallop and I think he'll come on from this first jump-out," co-trainer Calvin McEvoy told Racing.com.

"We may run Hey Doc first-up in the Bob Hoysted with a bit of weight which I wouldn't be against doing because he's a big horse.

"I think running in the Bob Hoysted would get us on the right leg ahead of the William Reid and when you're a top-class horse there's not a lot of races you can run in."

Aegon ready for Aussie debut

Unbeaten New Zealand star Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) will head to Saturday’s G2 Hobartville S. at Randwick after arriving in Sydney this week.

Aegon, who is unbeaten in four starts, including a last start triumph in the R. Listed Karaka Million 3YO Classic has opened as the $3.50 favourite to win his first Australian start.

Andrew Forsman, who trains with Murray Baker, believes Aegon can measure up to the class of an autumn 3-year-old in Sydney.

“It‘s the benchmark over there (Australia) and what you aspire to go over to when you have a promising horse here (New Zealand),” he told Racenet.

“We saw what happened to a couple of Kiwi 3-year-olds which went over last weekend and it didn't quite work out.

“It shows how tough it can be but hopefully he settles over there and will run well. We are really happy with him.”

Baker and Forsman also plan to run the son of the late Sacred Falls (NZ) in the G1 Randwick Guineas and G1 Rosehill Guineas.

Dunn, Rawiller set for comebacks

Two veteran jockeys are set to make comebacks this week on either side of Australia, with Brad Rawiller to be back riding trackwork after a bad fall in January, and Dwayne Dunn to return to race riding for the first time since September.

Dunn has recovered from a serious neck fracture and resumes riding at Sandown on Wednesday, with two mounts, while he is a chance to have rides in three Group 1 races at Caulfield on Saturday.

"I've done plenty of trials and I’ve really worked hard on my fitness so hopefully Wednesday executes properly and everything else will fall in behind that," Dunn told Racing.com.

Rawiller looked set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering a broken collarbone and a punctured lung in a race fall at Bunbury last month, but is ready to get back in the saddle.

“I go back to see the doctor next Tuesday and I hope to be riding trackwork on Wednesday," he said.

“When it happened they told me it would be a minimum two months out so I am tracking ahead of schedule.”

Rawiller is hoping to be back race riding within two weeks.

Olive sees Exotic silver lining

Trainer Nick Olive believes the delay and change of venue for Tuesday's Country Championship Qualifier can play into the hands of his mare Exotic Deel (Dundeel {NZ}).

Bad weekend weather has seen the $150,000 Nowra race moved to Goulburn after Sunday's meeting was abandoned but Olive told Racing NSW, that could work into his consistent 4-year-old's favour.

“Having a bit more time has probably helped her,’’ Olive said.

“She galloped last Wednesday and a couple of extra days that will give her that freshness, she’s probably better today than she was yesterday.

“Whereas with other horses you’re thinking ‘do I give them a bit of work or not?’’’

In-form jockey Rachel King takes the ride.

Jewel joins Victorian stable

Group 3-winning mare Aimee’s Jewel (NZ) (Proisir) has joined the stable of Kyneton trainer Charles Cassar as she looks to add Australian black type to her CV.

She won three of her seven starts for Stratford trainer Trudy Keegan, including a memorable victory in the G3 Canterbury Breeders' S. at Riccarton in November.

Keegan, who remains in the ownership of Aimee’s Jewel, said it had been very clear from the outset that principal owner Troy Pannell would transfer the mare across the Tasman should she show enough ability.

“Charles Cassar is his main trainer. Right from the get-go with all of Troy’s horses, and he has got five with us, we had always been under the guideline that we would get them going here in New Zealand and if they showed enough and were good enough, they would ultimately try and get black type in New Zealand before heading over to Charles,” she said.

“We have always wanted to establish that relationship where he could potentially send horses back to us as well and have him as our base. His property in Kyneton is very similar to ours here, with day paddocks.”

Australia still on the cards

Group 1 winner Concert Hall (NZ) (Savabeel) is still being aimed toward an Australian campaign, but her connections are just figuring out which path to take.

The Joan Egan bred and owned 6-year-old has gone from strength-to-strength this campaign, winning three of her five starts and finishing runner-up in her two other assignments, culminating in victory in the G1 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

But a barrier incident at New Plymouth last week where the mare parted company with jockey Danielle Johnson before scaling a fence and was ultimately caught in a kids’ playground, cast a shadow on her G1 Australian Cup aspirations.

“We are still contemplating Australia, it’s just a matter of which way we get there,” co-trainer Roger James said. “It will be worked out this week and I intend to approach Auckland to see if we can have an exhibition gallop there and work from there.”

Northern features beckon

Nick Wigley and Kayla Milnes had an exciting spring with stakes-winning 3-year-old Matchmaker (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) and now promising 2-year-old Mozzarella (Capitalist) is giving the Rangiora trainers something to look forward to in the autumn.

She ran away to a comfortable last-start 4l victory at Riccarton, her second win on-end, fulfilling the promise seen in her by her trainers.

Mozzarella is scheduled to head north at the end of the week, however, Wigley said the current COVID-19 alert levels have put a spanner in the works.

“At this stage, she is booked to go up next weekend to Matamata, depending on COVID,” he said.

“It is an unknown, so we will just see what happens after Wednesday. We will know more after that.”

Her first northern assignment will be the G2 J Swap Contractors Ltd Matamata Breeders’ S. at Matamata on Saturday week, before the G1 Sistema S. at Ellerslie a fortnight later.

Te Aroha meeting to be held behind closed doors

Wednesday's meeting at Te Aroha and trials at Cambridge and Ashburton on Tuesday, will be run behind closed doors as part of COVID-19 protocols.

The Auckland region is in Alert Level 3 and the remainder of the country in Alert Level 2.

It has been decided that all meetings for the three-day lockdown will be run ‘behind closed doors’, meaning that the owners of horses entered, members, the public, and sponsors will be unable to attend.

"NZTR and the clubs apologise and acknowledge that this may be a disappointment to those affected, but with insufficient time allowed to safely plan for a group (or groups) limited up to 100 persons, it was jointly determined that this restriction is justified," a statement read.

"Therefore the only persons who will be permitted to attend these meetings will be trainers, riders, officials and club staff or contractors etc (the list of permitted persons is fully described per 2.1 of the NZTR Directive)."

Announcements regarding other race or trial meetings will be made in the coming days in line with government advice.

Billesdon Brook to visit Dubawi

Classic heroine Billesdon Brook (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) will visit Darley stallion Dubawi (Ire).

Retired after her eighth-place finish in defence of her G1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. in October, the Richard Hannon trainee was named an English highweight at seven to 9.5 furlongs in 2019.

“Billesdon Brook is going to Dubawi, I know it's expensive but I think she deserves it, so I'm just waiting for her to be ready to go off to Newmarket,” owner Jeanette McCreery told Racing Post.

“I'd always thought I'd send her to Dubawi, I think he's a wonderful stallion so I thought 'why not', she deserves the best. She hurt herself in the last race she ran in, it was very wet in the Sun Chariot. She's been home, had box rest, now she's out in the paddock and is fine, so we've something to look forward to in a couple of years anyway.”