Excitement mounting
Trainer Chris Waller can't wait for the re-match between his star mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) and Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) in Saturday's G1 Ranvet S.
Addeybb beat Verry Elleegant in both the Ranvet and the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. last year but Waller feels his mare is up for redemption in 2021.
“It was great to see him go back to the other side of the world and perform at Group 1 level,” Waller told Racenet.
Verry Elleegant (NZ)
“She has come out and won a Caulfield Cup against horses with good Irish and English form.
“As soon as you see her ratings you can see she deserves to be up there with the best horses.
“She has come back well and you could see last-start how tough she is, so she is up for a fight. I am looking forward to it.”
Vale Allan Douch
Victorian trainer Allan Douch has passed away after a long illness, aged 74.
An influential figure in the careers of jockeys such as Peter Mertens, Frankie Stockdale and Noel Callow, Douch trained the quality 1990s steeplechaser Big Zap (Good As Diamonds {Ire}), who won a Crisp Steeplechase.
"Allan was a legend around the Traralgon area. He was old-school, a jack-of-all-trades and a great horseman," Callow said.
Douch's last winner came in January when Ally's Reward (Reward For Effort) won at Stony Creek.
Camelot Sydney-bound
Russian Camelot (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is heading to Sydney this week with his principal target the G1 Queen Elizabeth S., which might come off a quick back-up if trainer Danny O’Brien believes he needs another outing.
The All-Star Mile runner-up is entered in the G1 Doncaster H. seven days before the 2000 metre feature.
Russian Camelot (Ire)
“We’ve got him in the Doncaster, but we’ll just see how he goes up there on Thursday night and we’ll work out if he needs to go there," O’Brien told Racing.com.
"He’s grown up and he’s a pretty mature horse now so I don’t expect any (settling-in) problems and he’s done plenty of work down at Barwon Heads going right-handed so I don’t see that as being an issue for him."
Filly enjoys Valley gallop
September Run (Exceed And Excel) enjoyed an 800 metre spin around Moonee Valley on Monday morning ahead of Friday evening’s G1 William Reid S.
She was partnered by Craig Williams, who rode the filly to win the G1 Coolmore Stud S. and was aboard when she was unplaced last time out in the G1 Newmarket H.
“I was disappointed with the outcome, of course, and a couple of things didn’t work out,” Williams told Racing.com.
September Run
“She got a little bit hampered at the start and then the way the race unfolded with those horses coming across, I was hoping she might have been able to balance up and get running before they come across and closed up the margin we had on them, but we were unable to do so.
“She wasn’t as effective as she usually has been down the straight and she was still only 4l (off them) after getting hampered, so it was still a very good run.”
Sandbar retired
Two-time stakes winner Sandbar (Snitzel), a half-brother to last season’s G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) has been retired.
“Sandbar has given his ownership group a great ride. He will be a worthy stallion for whichever farm secures him,” BK’s Racing Manager, Ben Vassallo, said.
Sandbar (black and white check cap)
Sandbar was a $650,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase for Jadeskye Racing/BK Racing and won four races, including the Listed Lonhro Plate and the Listed Rosebud Plate, and was placed in the G2 Roman Consul S. and G3 Pago Pago S., and fourth in the Golden Slipper.
He is a son of the G3 Vanity S. winner Tallow (Street Cry {Ire}) and the family of G1 AJC Oaks winner Lowan Star (Biscay), the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (Fillies) winner Beauty School (Royal Academy {USA}) and the South African black-type winners Petite Dane (Danehill {USA}) and Danish Silver (SAF) (Silvano {Ger}).
Oaks likely for Tokorangi
The Ballymore Stables of Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard are likely to be represented by two runners in Saturday’s G1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks, headed by Group 2-winning filly Tokorangi (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) and her Group 3-placed stablemate Dragon Queen (Sweynesse).
There had been some consideration to bypassing the Oaks with Tokorangi and focusing on Sydney, but the NZ$10 Oaks chance now looks a strong chance to take her place at Trentham.
“There is a good chance she will go to Wellington on Saturday. Obviously, we were tossing up whether to go to Sydney. The forecast is looking quite wet over there long-term and it is a bit risky,” co-trainer Pam Gerard said.
Tokorangi (NZ)
Dragon Queen has gone under the radar as she builds toward her Oaks assignment.
She finished a game third in the G3 Sunline Vase at her most recent start and has surprised her conditioners as she continues to handle a rise in trip.
“She will definitely run this weekend, she was super last-start,” Gerard said. “Whether she can get 2400 metres I don’t know, but she does just keep stepping up.”
Hoping for change of luck
Co-trainer Troy Corstens is hoping for a change of racing pattern for Swats That (Shamus Award) when the filly steps out in the G1 William Reid S. on Friday evening.
Swats That will be contesting her fourth consecutive Group 1 sprint after running second in the Coolmore Stud S. last preparation and most recently third in the Lightning H. and fifth in the Newmarket H.
Swats That
“I would love to see her get a bit of cover which she hasn’t done in her two runs this preparation,” co-trainer Troy Corstens told Racing.com.
“If we can get a bit of cover and draw a nice gate here on Friday night I think it will make all the difference. If we could draw three or four or something like that, we can ride her exactly where we want to ride her for a change.”
Fabergino impresses
Fabergino (Maschino) had her first outing from Chris Waller’s stable at Monday’s Rosehill trials and made it a winning one, leading all the way to easily win her 900 metre heat under jockey James McDonald.
The former Perth flier joined Waller last week from Tiarnna Roberston’s stable with a trip to Royal Ascot in the planning.
Fabergino has won 12 of her 19 appearances, including the Listed Bob Hoysted S. at Flemington at her most recent start. She holds a nomination for Saturday’s G1 The Galaxy at Rosehill.
Goodwood target
Promising sprinter Alfa Oro (NZ) (Bachelor Duke {USA}) will get the chance to prove himself at Group 1 level this autumn with trainer Matt Laurie eyeing a trip to Adelaide.
At his only attempt in stakes grade he finished fourth in the G2 Caulfield Sprint and that came when he had come to the end of his preparation, according to his conditioner.
Laurie is hoping that will change this preparation with Alfa Oro set to resume in the Listed Bel Esprit S. at Caulfield on April 17 with a plan of getting to the G1 Goodwood in Adelaide in May.
“He is probably a bit happier on the tracks with give. So hopefully by the time he is up and racing, that will be more likely to have those conditions,” Laurie told Racing.com.
“I’d love to have him ready for the Goodwood. It would fit in nicely. We could slot in two runs and then that race would be there ready for him.”
Group 1 hopes boosted
Shigeru Pink Ruby (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) punched her ticket for the G1 Japanese 1000 Guineas with a neck victory in the Hochi Hai Fillies' Revue over 1400 metres on Sunday.
Sent off at 13-1, the chestnut perched in sixth spot as Paul Neyron (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) carried the field into the single bend. She faced a wall of horses to get through turning into the home straight, but she burst in between horses late and nailed new leader Yoka Yoka (Jpn) (Squirtle Squirt {USA}) narrowly on the line.
Minnie Isle (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) rounded out the trifecta another length behind and the well-backed Opal Moon (Jpn) (Victoire Pisa {Jpn}) was dead last for much of the race, but made up some ground late on to take ninth.
Upset victory
The G2 Kinko Sho was supposed to be 2020 Japanese Fillies' Triple Crown winner and heavy favourite Daring Tact’s (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) coming out party, but she had to settle for second behind boilover winner Gibeon (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
Able to set off on an uncontested lead, the 6-year-old entire was shadowed by Satono Flag (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) just off his right flank.
Still going easily with 800 metres to go, Gibeon caught the more fancied runners sleeping and went clear and held on to win by a neck at odds of more than 225-1 as Daring Tact just missed on the wire. Potager (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was 0.5l back in third, a nose to the good Hong Kong Group 1 winner Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in fourth.
