RV lodge last minute Laming appeal
Racing Victoria has lodged a last minute appeal against trainer Richard Laming’s current three-month cobalt ban, despite the Victorian Racing Tribunal finding that Laming had limited culpability and that the illegal reading was due to an “honest mistake” by a stable employee.
“Mr Laming lodged an appeal with VCAT against the severity of a three-month suspension handed to him by the Victorian Racing Tribunal last month after he pleaded guilty to presenting a horse to race with cobalt above the permitted threshold,” RV spokesman, Shaun Kelly, said.
“On the basis that the stewards requested a penalty of 10 months disqualification before the Victorian Racing Tribunal for that offence, they have lodged a counter-appeal so that VCAT considers the position of both parties in making its decision as to an appropriate penalty.”
Mo’unga primed for Guineas
The deluge of rain in Sydney has led Warwick Farm trainer Annabel Neasham to take a unique approach with G1 Rosehill Guineas favourite Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel) this week.
As a result of the Guineas being postponed due to the weather, Neasham elected to undertake a six-hour round trip to Queanbeyan with stablemate and G1 Longines Golden Slipper S. hope Queen Of Wizardry (Not A Single Doubt) to gallop.
“We go that far to race them without any issue, so I thought we would go down there and give them a gallop between races one and two on fresh ground,” Neasham told RSN927.
“He was three weeks between runs, so it wasn’t going to do him any harm. That little trip would have topped him off nicely, I hope.
“I am glad I went. It just enabled me to give them a good hitout and now I don’t have to worry too much. They will do a little bit on Thursday, but their main bit is now done.”
Osborne hopes for Avoca prizemoney
Trainer George Osborne is hopeful that trainers and connections of runners involved in Saturday’s Avoca mishap are reimbursed.
He said the decision for stewards to declare the race a non-event and not to split the races prize pool of $23,000 among all 10 runners was unjust.
“I would have thought that in the fairest instance they give the 10 runners $2000 and a bit each and say there’s something for you,” Osborne told Racing.com.
“Because we all went to the races thinking we were competing in a race, we all thought we were competing for prizemoney and at the end of the day we were never going to race for anything.
“I’ve got to bring my horse home, I’ve got to get it right again, I’ve got to get it ready to go to the races again, to go to another maiden and now go through the whole process again.”
TAB provides punter insurance
The TAB's Glenn Munsie has confirmed that original “All-In” betting markets will be honoured at this weekend's rescheduled G1 Golden Slipper meeting.
Munsie announced that All-In markets prior to last Saturday and All-In markets from this Saturday would be treated different, due to Racing NSW reopening nominations for all races except the Slipper.
“The two 'All-In' books will be treated as two separate races. Last week’s will be resulted with those runners that were nominated last week as per the situation when the Winx Out markets we offered,” Munsie tweeted.
“For example, if you took $11 for Tailleur last week and it is beaten by a horse that only nominated this week you are paid as a winner in last week’s book. As an aside if you backed a horse last week that didn’t renominate your bet has been refunded.”
Dragonet primed for Ranvet
Co-trainer David Eustace is confident that Cox Plate-winning entire Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) can make amends for his lacklustre last-start showing, when he steps out in this Saturday’s G1 Ranvet S. at Rosehill.
Eustace said that the 5-year-old has come through his ninth-placed effort in the $5 million The All-Star Mile in good order, confirming that he is well within himself and ready for the step out to 2000 metres.
Sir Dragonet (Ire)
“He raced a little bit fresh early in the race and he was quite wound-up before the race for whatever reason,” Eustace said.
“He was nominated last week but it was a week after a fairly gruelling run, but now we’re two weeks after that run and he’ll be a lot better suited over 2000 metres.”
Grandslam ready for Guineas clash
Co-trainer David Eustace is expecting this week’s G1 Rosehill Guineas to bring talented 3-year-old Grandslam (Myboycharlie {Ire}) on “perfectly” for next month’s G1 Australian Derby.
Eustace believes that the full brother to G1 Caulfield Cup winner Jameka (Myboycharlie {Ire}) is continuing to excel with maturity, declaring that he will have no problems seeing out the 2400 metre Derby trip.
Grandslam | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“He has only got better with age and was very good over 2040 metres at The Valley,” Eustace told RSN927.
“We’d been very happy with his efforts and we’ve been just teaching him to settle for the first couple of runs so when he could roll forward, he could roll forward in a nice rhythm.”
Nature Strip sizzles in jump-out
Leading hoop James McDonald has declared that superstar sprinter Nature Strip (Nicconi) is in fantastic order, ahead of a potential tilt in Saturday’s G1 The Galaxy S. at Rosehill.
McDonald reported that the 6-year-old was at his absolute best in a 900 metre jump-out at Rosehill’s polytrack on Tuesday morning. "He popped out of the stalls beautifully and got into a lovely rhythm pretty quickly and finished off the gallop very nicely. It was very smooth, docile sort of work. He went well,” McDonald said.
Classique returns in style
Leading Hong Kong-based hoop Zac Purton was delighted with last year’s The Everest winner, Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), after partnering the superstar sprinter in a 3.5l barrier trial romp.
Purton is confident that the Caspar Fownes-trained galloper can recapture his brilliant best when he steps out in the 1200 metre G2 Sprint Cup at Sha Tin on April 5.
“We all saw it, he jumped out well, travelled well and did everything right,” Purton told the South China Morning Post.
“There is certainly a fair bit of improvement in him you’d think but I was happy with it, he is a lovely horse.”
Brown considers mentor role
Recently retired jockey Corey Brown is excited about the prospect of giving back to Sydney’s next wave of apprentice hoops.
The two-time Melbourne Cup-winner believes that he would thrive in a mentor role within the NSW apprentice academy.
“I can see myself in media, I don’t mind it. However, I would like to give a little bit back to the game as by trying to help out the young kids coming through,” Brown told RSN927.
Corey Brown
Change of tack for Tiley
Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley will downsize his team at the end of May to concentrate on training just those horses he has an ownership interest in.
The former top-line jockey said the change in focus is coming largely so he and his wife Lee can spend their winters in Queensland.
“We bought a house there a couple of years ago. It’s more for Lee’s health than anything, she’s had some circulation problems so it’s imperative she has a warm climate in winter,” Tiley said. “We tried to keep the stable going without us being there, but it just doesn’t work.”
Tiley has informed most of his stable owners of the plan, which will result in him ceasing training for clients from the end of May, relinquishing on-course stabling at Pukekohe and further developing his home property, which is just minutes away from the course.
Nickalls weighing up options
Trainer Stephen Nickalls is still coming down off the high of Llanacord’s (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) effort to run third in the G1 New Zealand Oaks.
“It was a wonderful run, absolutely amazing,” he said of the filly he co-owns with his mother and stepfather, Dianne and Kevin Hopson. “She was magic. It was an unreal day and we had a great experience. You know you have done alright when your owner is in tears after the race.”
Nickalls said Llanacord has come through the race well and he is now faced with the decision of whether to rest her until next season or cross the Tasman to target Australian black-type tests.
“There is obviously the South Australian Oaks which is only a mile and a-quarter and I think the mile and a-half might suit her better. If we went anywhere, I think we would lean toward Brisbane but my owner is worried with COVID as he loves watching his horses race.”
Bentley to Hong Kong
English jockey Harry Bentley has been granted a Hong Kong Jockey Club licence from April 16 to the end of the 2020/21 season, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has announced.
The 28-year-old, who has already booted home 1002 winners since he was apprenticed at the age of 16 to trainer Gary Moore, has accrued 41 Group and Listed race wins.
Bentley was aboard Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) when he won the G1 Darley July Cup and G1 Prix de la Foret both in 2016. Prior to starting in Hong Kong, Bentley must complete a three-week hotel quarantine.
