Currie and Oliver suspended
Leading hoops Damien Oliver and Luke Currie will both be sidelined for a brief period of time, after pleading guilty to careless riding at Flemington on Saturday.
Stewards assessed Currie's decision to shift inwards aboard Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Australian Guineas as mid-range interference and handed the 39-year-old a 10 meeting suspension.
Damien Oliver
Meanwhile, Oliver was slapped with an eight-meeting suspension for shifting inwards aboard Best Of Days (GB) (Azamour {Ire}) when insufficiently clear of eventual winner Star Of The Seas (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) in the G2 Darley Blamey S.
Oliver will be sidelined post next Saturday’s Australian Cup meeting and will return in time to ride superstar entire Russian Camelot (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the $5 million The All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley on March 13.
Queensland trainer recruits sporting stars
Chris Anderson has signed up a trio of high-profile “ambassadors” for his Brisbane stable, in an attempt to attract fresh audiences to racing.
Anderson has brought in Australian cricket star Andy Bichel, rugby league legend Allan Langer and three-time Brisbane Lions AFL premiership winner Simon Black, who will all own shares in stable runners as well as socialising with existing clients.
“The idea really came from me being friends with Andy Bichel, who has relationships with the other two guys,” Anderson told Racenet.
“I think there is a massive opportunity to grow the pie in racing, to attract new fans to the sport, and these three guys have got such wonderful profiles that they are perfect people to help with that.
“These guys all love racing and are all great characters, and I’m thinking there would be a lot of people who may not really know how to be involved in horse ownership but would love to get involved with these sorts of guys. They will be at open days at my stable and, when available, come to the races so my owners can rub shoulders with them.”
Jolly hoping to join family affair
South Australian trainer Peter Jolly is hoping to join sons Richard and David in the field for The All-Star Mile at Moonee Valley on March 13.
David Jolly has the multiple Group 1 winner Behemoth (All Too Hard) in the $5 million feature, while Richard and his daughter Chantelle have Regalo Di Gaetano (Supreme Class).
Peter Jolly’s hopes of joining them came alive at Flemington on Saturday when Morvada (Mossman) won the G3 Shaftesbury Avenue H.
Peter Jolly | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“It’d be just so great if the three of us can get in, we’d create history,” Jolly said. “The horse is doing the talking. I couldn’t get enough votes, but I always had confidence in this horse.
“He’s a terrific horse around The Valley. He’s only had one shot there and led all the way, so I’d love to get him back there over a mile.”
Mystic Journey injured
Group 1 winner Mystic Journey (Needs Further) will undergo surgery after sustaining an injury in Saturday’s G2 Blamey S. at Flemington.
The Adam Trinder-trained mare finished a disappointing fifth in the Blamey, and owner Wayne Roser told Racing.com that the 5-year-old mare came out of the race with bone chips and bruising in a knee.
Luke Currie and Adam Trinder | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“We knew something was wrong, because she didn't finish off as she normally does," Roser said. “She'll be out for four months after the operation, which we hope is on Thursday, and then we’ll allow her time to recoup.
"It's very disappointing, because she looked so well in the mounting yard. Even with these injuries she finished 2.5l from the winner. If she was primed and not injured, she would have won it quite easily I would have thought."
Mystic Journey is the winner of 12 of her 25 starts and just under $4 million in stakes, headed by victories in the G1 Australian Guineas and the inaugural All-Star Mile as a 3-year-old.
Beasley back in the winners’ circle
Jockey Danny Beasley has returned from retirement on a winning note, guiding Lim’s Unique (Uncle Mo {USA}) to victory at Kranji on Saturday.
The 45-year-old Australian hung up his riding boots in 2017 and has since served as track rider and assistant trainer Daniel Meagher. But he is now reigniting his riding career, and Saturday’s breakthrough win came in his fifth ride back.
“It’s great to get that first winner back early,” Beasley said. “A big thank you to the Meagher family and also the Singapore Turf Club for giving me the opportunity to do what I love doing.”
The winner of more than 2000 races, Beasley has won a dozen Group 1 races in Australia including a Golden Slipper on Polar Success (Success Express {USA}) and back-to-back Queen Elizabeth S. aboard Grand Armee (Hennessy {USA}).
Stakes targets for Coventina Bay
Exciting New Zealand mare Coventina Bay (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) is set to step back up to black-type company following an impressive performance at Matamata on Saturday.
The 5-year-old recorded the seventh win of her 12-start career with a dominant performance in the Lisa Chittick Plate, powering home from off the pace to win by 2l.
“She has got such a turn of foot, and she showed that again yesterday,” trainer Robbie Patterson said.
“She has pulled up really well this morning and is bouncing around and full of life. Our main goal is the G1 Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. at Te Aroha in April, so she can have one more run before then.
“I think that will most likely be in the G3 Cuddle S. at Trentham on March 20. It sits nicely three weeks out from Te Aroha.”
Coventina Bay collected her first stakes win in the G3 J Swap Sprint in December, then finished third in the G2 Rich Hill Mile at Ellerslie.
New date for NZ Derby
Next weekend’s G1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby has provisionally been put back one day due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in Auckland.
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Saturday evening that Level 3 lockdown restrictions would be in place in Auckland for a period of seven days, meaning Ellerslie will be unable to hold its most prestigious race on Saturday, March 6.
In a statement released on Sunday, New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing and the Auckland Racing Club stated that their preferred solution is postponing the meeting to Sunday, March 7, in the hope that Auckland’s restrictions will be eased at the end of the seven-day lockdown period.
"While this is the 'best case' scenario, it is by no means a certainty," NZTR CEO Bernard Saundry said. "We are continuing to work through different options, should indications be that Auckland will not come out of Alert Level 3 at that time.
“Our focus, and that of the ARC, is to ensure that the country's blue riband event for our 3-year-olds goes ahead. Two World Wars failed to see the New Zealand Derby stopped, and we are determined that Covid won't either.
"There are a couple of options we are considering in conjunction with our stakeholders and we are all focused on making the best of the cards we have been dealt.”
