Wait on Oaks fancy
G1 Australasian Oaks winner Media Award (Shamus Award) remains under a cloud for Saturday's G1 Queensland Oaks.
Queensland Racing Integrity Commission vets will determine on raceday whether the Chris Calthorpe-trained filly is fit to contest the Eagle Farm feature.
Calthorpe told Racenet that Media Award was continuing to improve with treatment, however conceded it was a race against time.
“They think she is lame,” he said.
“She is continuing to improve each day, we will know more at 7am AEST Saturday morning.”
Media Award
Crowd-free racing to remain in Victoria
Racing Victoria has confirmed that no spectators will be allowed at any race meeting in the state until at least next Thursday, June 10.
Despite the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Regional Victoria, racing will remain behind closed doors for now.
“Due to the limited number of spectators and a focus on limiting, to the extent possible, the movement of racing industry participants, RV has determined that racing will be spectator free across all Victorian racetracks until at least next Thursday,” an RV statement read.
“This decision has been taken in consultation with Country Racing Victoria (CRV) and the relevant Clubs, to ensure thoroughbred racing is able to continue safely.”
The statement said the owners will be given priority access when the industry deems it safe to welcome back patrons to the racecourse.
Fourth Aussie winner for Cable Bay
Former Woodside Park shuttle stallion Cable Bay (Ire) has his fourth Australian winner with Uncommon James successful at the Sunshine Coast on Friday.
Cable Bay (Ire) | Standing at Highclere Stud
Trained by Steve O'Dea and Matthew Hoysted, Uncommon James made up for his narrow defeat on debut at the Gold Coast to charge clear and win by 3.3l under jockey Ben Thompson on Friday.
The colt was bred and is raced by Caitlin Lavin's Lavin Park Racing and Breeding. He is the only foal to race from the stakes-placed Jet Spur mare Pickabee.
Bargain ready for Waller onslaught
Trainer Mark Newnham is confident his star filly Bargain (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) can defy the six-strong Chris Waller contingent and win Saturday's G1 Queensland Oaks.
Waller has a strong hold on the race and trained five of the first six home in the G2 The Roses at Doomben two weeks ago.
The numerical disadvantage doesn't concern Newnham, who is used to having to defy the numbers against the powerhouse trainer.
Mark Newnham
“It’s just the norm for us Sydney trainers – you take on the Waller army every week, it doesn’t matter if it’s in a maiden or it’s a Group 1,” Newnham told Racenet.
“I’d say her and Duais are probably bringing the stronger form into the race.
“She has come through that really well, I was happy with her and I rode her myself on Tuesday when she ran right through the line.
“I gave her a bit of a feel of the course proper there and she seemed to handle it pretty well.”
Ryan's Sinba patience
Gerald Ryan has stakes aims for his smart juvenile Sinba (Xtravagant {NZ}), who contests a 2-year-old race at Rosehill on Saturday.
But, it is unlikely to be the G1 JJ Atkins S. on Saturday week that the gelding heads towards regardless of how he performs on Saturday.
“At this stage we probably wouldn't back him up,” Ryan, who trains with Sterling Alexiou, told Racenet.
“It was on the radar but there is a couple of races there in a few weeks' time that might suit him better.
“He will go to Saturday and then we might go to a 1500 metre event in a fortnight at Rosehill, or there is a Listed 1800 metre race at Eagle Farm a week after that.”
First winner for Highland Reel
Coolmore's Highland Reel (Ire) became the latest European freshman sire off the mark when the Mark Johnston-trained even-money favourite Highland Premiere (GB) shed maiden status in Thursday's EBF R. Novice S. going a shade over six furlongs at Hamilton.
The 32,000 gns (AU$61,824) Tattersalls December foal and 15,000 gns (AU$28,980) October Book 2 yearling had earlier posted an April 15 debut fourth over five at Ripon, before running third-up to six in a May 18 Nottingham maiden last time.
Prominent throughout, he was stoked up when tackled by Smullen (Ire) (Camacho {GB}) approaching the final furlong and kept on well under a drive in the closing stages to deny that rival by a neck.
Stewart snares Stradbroke ride
Veteran jockey Ronnie Stewart has secured a ride on the Chris Waller-trained Subpoenaed (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) in next Saturday's G1 Stradbroke H.
Stewart, who piloted Selino (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) to victory on the G1 Sydney Cup in April, will partner with the mare, who has just 51kg in the race.
Subpoenaed was last seen when second in the G1 Robert Sangster S. in Adelaide, beaten just 0.6l by Instant Celebrity (Not A Single Doubt).
Kah booking a boost for Moody filly
Peter Moody landed Group 1-winning jockey Jamie Kah to ride his improving filly Snickerdoodledandy (Snitzel) at Flemington on Saturday almost by way of accident.
Moody was caught out by his initial jockey preference having a double booking, and then turned to Brian Higgins, only for Higgins to confirm he couldn't make the weight. Kah was his third choice.
Jamie Kah
"We had an apprentice booked who had a dual booking and I think Jamie Kah was one of the few who didn't have a ride in the race," Moody said on his podcast Moody On The Mic.
"She's (Snickerdoodledandy) taking on the older mares here, but she's come on nicely and a little gear change with the tongue tie on will aid her nicely," he said.
Snickerdoodledandy, a winner of three of her nine starts, contests the VRC Member Ben Edney Trophy.
Iffshecan set to surprise again
Trainer Cody Cole is hoping Iffshecan (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) can continue to surprise him heading into Saturday's Listed John Turkington Forestry LTD Castletown S. at Wanganui.
The filly has come along in leaps and bounds in recent months and will get her first tilt at stakes level at Wanganui this weekend.
“She will be putting herself on speed somewhere thereabouts, she has got plenty of gate speed and when you can go to the front and kick away it takes a lot of bad luck out of the equation,” he said.
“She will need to have made a bit of improvement from her maiden win, it is stakes company and there are other horses that have performed at stakes level and have won races there. I couldn’t see why she wouldn’t measure up.”
A short freshen-up will follow her weekend hitout before she gets ready for her Classic season.
“We will give her a short break and get her going and look for some of those spring races if she comes up well enough,” Cole said.
Baffert can run at Santa Anita, Del Mar and Monmouth Park
Following Wednesday's announcement from Churchill Downs Inc. that Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert would be banned for two years, the trainer was given the green light to run at Santa Anita, Del Mar and Monmouth Park.
“The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club has made significant progress in equine safety and welfare over the last several years and compliance with medication policies is an important component of that progress,” said a statement released by Del Mar. “In that regard, we continue to gather information, including regulatory processes, related to the matter involving trainer Bob Baffert. We will withhold any decisions about this matter until we have all such information.”
Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, which operates Monmouth Park, told Asbury Park Press, “If Bob has a Haskell horse and he wanted to come to Monmouth Park to run in the (July 17 GI TVG.com) Haskell (S.), he is welcome. I'm sure there will be those that disagree with me and think we should ban him, but we're not doing that at Monmouth Park.”
Santa Anita, Baffert's home track and where the majority of his stable is based, issued the following statement Wednesday.
“Santa Anita Park is committed to integrity, accountability and fairness in our sport. As it stands, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC)–which is the governing body for horse racing in Kentucky–has not released all of the information nor has it offered a ruling on this matter. We will continue to await action by the KHRC and will make a decision once their regulatory process is complete.”
