Sargent mulls next move
Four Moves Ahead's (Snitzel) chances of contesting Saturday's G2 Sweet Embrace S. will come down to a Tuesday morning track gallop.
Trainer John Sargent was forced to scratch Four Moves Ahead from Saturday‘s G2 Silver Slipper S. after she knocked herself, but he is hopeful the highly-rated filly can recover.
"She must have got cast and knocked her knee but if we didn’t get it down and back to normal quick in a bid to get her there on Saturday, we might have missed out next week as well," Sargent told Racenet.
"We had to treat her and take her out but she seems fine in herself.
"She worked on Saturday morning and seemed fine so she will gallop on Tuesday.
"Nash Rawiller has been booked to ride and it‘s all systems go if she gallops well, gets vet checked and passes."
Aegon All-Star bid from RV
Star unbeaten New Zealand colt Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) could still be a chance of running in next month's All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley.
Racing Victoria’s EGM of Racing, Greg Carpenter, confirmed he had touched base with Aegon’s co-trainer and part-owner Andrew Forsman, after his win in the G2 Hobartville S. on Saturday,
"I rang Andrew (Forsman) this morning and congratulated him on the victory and told him that we’d love him to consider a wildcard into The All-Star Mile," Carpenter told Racing.com. "He did say that Sydney is their plan, but he has a week to discuss it."
Carpenter said The All-Star Mile panel would need to decide whether defending champion Regal Power (Pierro) would get wildcard consideration following his moderate run first-up in the G2 Peter Young S. at Caulfield.
Aegon | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
"He’s a good candidate but it just depends on who else is in the mix," Carpenter said.
"He is the defending champion but we would have liked to see something better yesterday and it will depend on how the other wildcards roll."
Cups double on Wilde's mind
Symon Wilde believes Tralee Rose (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) can measure up to the quality of the G1 Sydney Cup should she win the upcoming G1 Adelaide Cup as expected.
Tralee Rose bolted in by 3.5l in the Listed Lord Reims S. on Saturday and looks the one to beat in next month's Adelaide Cup.
"She seems to be just getting better and better with time. Her behaviour is better and we were so happy with the way she travelled over there (Adelaide)," Wilde told Racing.com
"It was sort of a dress rehearsal for the Adelaide Cup and it was a question mark for us but she’s just becoming a complete racehorse from being a touchy filly.
"I was having a think about it last night and if she did happen to win the Adelaide Cup, you’d have to think about the Sydney Cup.
"It’s a Group 1 and worth a lot of money and if she could win it, she would be in the (Melbourne) Cup next spring. We wouldn’t have to wait for the Andrew Ramsden in May or having to have her earn a spot in the spring."
Williams' return to boost Behemoth
Trainer David Jolly believes a change back to his regular jockey will be of benefit to Behemoth (All Too Hard) heading into The All-Star mile after he finished fourth in the G1 Futurity S. on Saturday.
Craig Williams was suspended and was unable to ride the dual Group 1 winner but should be back available for his major goal campaign at Moonee Valley on March 13.
"Nothing against Ollie (Damien Oliver), but a familiar jockey will be back on next start," Jolly said. "He has got a few little tricks and if you have sat on him before, you know that and if you haven’t it might take a ride to get used to him," Jolly told Racing.com.
"The bottom line is that it was no disgrace to be beaten by those top mares (Probabeel and Arcadia Queen) given not much went right for our bloke so I think we can take something out of that and turn it around in a few weeks."
Baby into Country Champs Final
Charmmebaby (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) qualified for the $500,000 Newhaven Park Country Championships Final at Randwick on April 3 with a win in the Mid North Coast Qualifier at Scone.
The Qualifier was moved from the mare's home track at Taree, but it didn't bother the Bob Miligan-trained 4-year-old, who win by 3.5l from Subtle Grey (Murtajill), who also makes the final.
"I was confident she could win, it just worried me where she was going to get in the run," Milligan's son Glen said.
"I said (to Grant Buckley) just come back and don’t have an excuse why we got beaten.
"She surprised me how she let down because she’s always a bit dour and takes a while to wind up."
Cups hat-trick looms for Collett
Sam Collett is eyeing another G1 Auckland Cup victory after Robusto's (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) win in Saturday’s G2 Avondale Cup.
Collett won the Avondale Cup on Glory Days (NZ) (Red Giant {USA}) in 2019 and went on to complete the double at Ellerslie the following month. She also won the prestigious Ellerslie two-miler when successful aboard Tauranga galloper Roger That (NZ) (Shinko King {Ire}) last year.
"I spoke to Murray Baker this morning to confirm the ride on Robusto for the Auckland Cup," Collett said.
"I know her two-mile form isn’t that good, but it is very hard to get off her after what she produced on Saturday.
"She is rock hard fit, will only carry 53.5kgs and with her pattern of racing she will put herself in a good spot which makes life a lot easier in those staying contests."
Collett has no real explanation for her success in the big Cup races but does have a formula she likes to use in any distance event.
"I can’t put my finger on anything other than I have been very fortunate to get on the right horses for the right races," she said.
"I’m very thankful for that and I’ve managed to have some good success thanks to the efforts of those involved with the horses I’ve ridden."
More to come from Dark Alley
Dark Alley (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) scored an impressive victory on his home track at Hastings on Sunday and the Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen-trained gelding looks set for better races.
Dark Alley didn’t disappoint in the hands of Johnathan Parkes, as he rounded up his rivals quickly in the home straight and won by 1l.
Lowry, who bred and owns the 4-year-old in partnership with Little Avondale Stud, was quietly confident of a good performance as there had been excuses for his last start performance and he is convinced there is plenty in store for him.
“I’m pretty confident he has the ability to go right through the grades,” he said.
“He’s got a very good turn of foot but he still has a lot to learn.
“Johnathan said today that he got to them very quickly in the run home and then decided to loaf around a bit, which is something he did on debut as well.
“He just needs more racing to get that out of his system, but when he does get it all together, he could be pretty good.”
Premier Showcase on SKY
Sky Thoroughbred Central will showcase a one-hour Preview of the 2021 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale on Monday night, January 22 at 7.30pm AEDT on Foxtel Channel 528.
The Preview features yearlings from regular leading Premier Sale vendor, Philip and Patti Campbell’s Blue Gum Farm as well as yearlings from Darren and Liz Dance’s Esker Lodge, Ben Cooper’s Merrick Station and with Daniel Brash at Collingrove.
Replays can also be seen on Sky Thoroughbred Central at times including 7am Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 and leading into the Sale at 8am Sunday morning, February 28, and it can be streamed live on racingnsw.com.au.
