Slipper Day remains in limbo
Racing NSW Chief Steward Marc Van Gestel says that a decision won’t be made on Saturday’s G1 Golden Slipper meeting until raceday morning.
Van Gestel declared that there is too much uncertainty surrounding the current forecasts for Rosehill over the next 48 hours to make a firm decision on whether the feature program will proceed.
“It’s difficult to make contingencies when most of the rain is forecast on raceday,” Van Gestel told Racenet.
“We’ll be able to handle what’s predicted today and tomorrow but it’s what’s predicted for Saturday.
“If what they’re predicting comes to fruition, then that will obviously make it difficult, but we’ll do what we can."
Brown announces retirement
Multiple Melbourne Cup-winning hoop Corey Brown has called time on his illustrious career, after opting to undergo spinal surgery on a shattered T7 and severely damaged T4 vertebrae suffered in a 2019 fall.
Corey Brown
The 44-year-old still feels as though he is in the “prime” of his career despite the injury. However, the delicate surgery he is set to undergo on Wednesday will rule him out of the saddle for life.
“There has been plenty of tears,’’ Brown told The Daily Telegraph.
“But deep down, I’ve had a sense for a few months it was over, I just didn’t want to admit it.’’
Stokes pulls pin on Ancestry’s Group 1 bid
Pakenham-based trainer Phillip Stokes has confirmed that talented sprinter Ancestry (The Brothers War {USA}) will bypass Friday night’s G1 William Reid S. in preference for a tilt at Saturday’s Listed Hareeba S. at Mornington.
Ancestry
Stokes believes the 4-year-old will be better suited back in class, declaring that he will be assisted by the inside draw, barrier one, in the Hareeba S.
“It looks to be a high-pressure race, the Group 1 (William Reid S.) and he probably doesn‘t get in very well at weight-for-age,” Stokes told RSN927.
Freedman described Slipper as a “guessing game”
Co-trainer Michael Freedman was noncommittal when asked if his star colt Stay Inside (Extreme Choice) will handle a bottomless Rosehill surface.
Stay Inside | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Freedman described Saturday’s G1 Golden Slipper S. as “guessing game”, stating that no trainer can be 100 per cent assured that their juvenile will relish the testing raceday conditions.
“It’s a complete “guessing game”, none of the horses in Saturday’s race have seen anything beyond a Soft 7 or Heavy 8,” Freedman told RSN927.
Integrity board seeks full disclosure
The Victorian Racing Integrity Board has proposed that Racing Victoria take disciplinary action against a senior steward involved in the Richard Laming case.
VRIB Chairman Jack Forrest QC asked for “full and public explanation” about why the case was thrown out.
“Accountability, transparency, and public confidence in the integrity of racing mean that there must be full public disclosure of the stewards’ conduct, including publication of details about relevant actions and the disciplinary action taken,” Forrest said in a VRIB press release.
Racing Victoria responded in a statement of their own on Wednesday night, declaring that they are in the process of addressing the issue.
"Racing Victoria, like the Victorian Racing Integrity Board and Racing Integrity Commission, demands the highest integrity standards in Victorian thoroughbred racing to ensure a fair competition and the confidence of participants and punters in our sport."
Scott chases fairy-tale with Flame
Kylie Scott, the wife of injured Mornington-trainer Brett Scott is hopeful of a fairy-tale triumph in Saturday’s Listed Mornington Cup.
Scott will saddle up the family’s stable star and leading local chance Irish Flame (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) in the feature mile and a-half event, only weeks after Brett suffered a serious head injury as a result of being kicked by a horse.
"His (Irish Flame) run-on Saturday was sensational, I was very nervous going into it and was hoping I'd got the job right so to just be beaten by a Melbourne Cup placegetter, I was very happy,” Scott told Racing.com.
"It would be amazing if we could pull it off, it's what dreams are made of."
Moody and Nolen close in on milestone
Leading trainer/rider duo Peter Moody and Luke Nolen could combine for their 800th winner at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
The pair require only three wins to reach the significant milestone and will team up with three runners at the G1 William Reid S. meeting.
Peter Moody and Luke Nolen in 2013
Moody believes that all three; Cernan (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), Vidiano (Pierro) and In Good Health (Congrats {USA}) are live chances in their respective events.
He said Vidiano looks to have the best chance of winning, declaring that she has plenty of upside.
"She only won a maiden last start at Pakenham, but I think she's got good stakes potential," Moody said on his Moody On The Mic podcast.
Eduardo looking to achieve rare feat
Leading G1 The Galaxy S. contender Eduardo (Host {Chi}) will be looking to achieve an unlikely feat when he steps out at Rosehill on Saturday.
Eduardo
The classy last-start winner has history against him, with only four horses in the race's 39-year history carrying more than 56.5kg to victory.
The Joseph Pride-trained gelding has been lumped with 58kgs for the feature sprint, after nosing out five-time Group 1-winning sprinter, Nature Strip (Nicconi) at his last start.
Berry delighted with Libertini
Leading Sydney-based hoop Tommy Berry is bullish about the chances of lightly raced mare Libertini (I Am Invincible) in Friday night’s G1 William Reid S. at Moonee Valley.
Libertini
Berry confirmed that he didn’t think twice about making the journey down to Melbourne, despite having a full book of rides at Rosehill the following day.
"I galloped her two weeks ago and I said to (trainer) Anthony (Cummings), 'She's just not right yet' and within two weeks she's really come on well," Berry told Racing.com.
"She's spot on for the weekend and she's definitely fit enough for 1200 metres first-up and she's got that incredible record fresh."
Swats That ready for Valley test
Co-trainer Troy Corstens believes his star 3-year-old Swats That (Shamus Award) is the forgotten runner in tomorrow night’s G1 William Reid S. at Moonee Valley.
Corstens is expecting his fully wound-up filly to match motors with leading race contenders September Run (Exceed And Excel) and Libertini (I Am Invincible), stating that there’s no reason to suggest why she can’t finish ahead of the pair.
“I just see her getting the perfect run, because if you asked me before the draw what barrier I wanted I would’ve said, four,” Corstens told RSN927.
Bosson eyes fifth NZ Oaks with Amarelinha
Leading New Zealand-based hoop Opie Bosson will chase a fifth success in Saturday's G1 New Zealand Oaks (2400 metres) when he steps aboard star filly Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel).
A victory aboard the commanding race favourite will give Bosson a chance to level up to Chris Johnson, who's the only five-time Oaks-winning jockey since the race was transferred from Riccarton in 1973.
Amarelinha (NZ)
Bosson confirmed that the Jamie Richards-trained galloper is in fantastic order ahead of her autumn grand final.
"She wasn't 100 per cent in the ground after the rain came at Ellerslie last time and didn't let down like she usually does. But the better ground will suit her on Saturday, and I think she'll run out a strong 2400 metres. She looks a good winning chance,” Bosson told NZ Racing Desk.
TIC to sponsor largest Interschool Equestrian event in Australia
Thoroughbred Industry Careers (TIC) will remain the major sponsor of the 2021 North West Equestrian Expo, held in the NSW North West Slopes town of Coonabarabran.
Event Secretary Rebecca Moxham welcomed TIC’s ongoing support of what is Australia’s largest interschool equestrian competition, declaring that she is excited for the event's return after its 2020 COVID cancellation.
“They (TIC) have recognised the value of the type of person that comes to this type of event as being suitable to go far in the industry,” Moxham said.
“We have riders from all over NSW now and from such a broad spectrum of disciplines. Often, they are quite natural riders and horsemen and women. They realise that they don't just have to become a jockey and that there are many other opportunities in the industry for them.”
Entries are now open for this year’s expo, held from Friday, June 4 to Tuesday, June 8.
