No Stradbroke for Baller
Trainer Tony Gollan will resist the temptation to run Baller (High Chaparral {Ire}) in the G1 Stradbroke H. following his victory in the G2 Ascot Green Moreton Cup.
Saturday’s Eagle Farm race gave the winner free passage into the feature sprint of the carnival, but Gollan will instead target the G3 Healy S.
“He’s not a Stradbroke horse, he is at his best when he is kept fresh and races over 1200 metres,” he told Racenet.
“The way he has raced at Eagle Farm, I would suggest something like the Healy S. here on Tatt’s Day would be perfect.”
Gollan will still be a force to be reckoned with in the Stradbroke as he has the current $6 favourite Vega One (Lope De Vega {Ire}), the last-start winner of the G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup.
Regal run from Knight
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Knights Order (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}) doubled his black-type haul in Australia when he posted an authoritative victory in the Listed XXXX Winter Cup.
Rider Tim Clark settled the 6-year-old in behind the pace and took control on straightening and they proved too good for Parry Sound (Pierro).
Knights Order (Ire) | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“That was beautiful to watch. Gai and Adrian have really worked this horse out to get him to this level,” stable representative, Neil Paine, said.
Knight’s Order, who won four times in England, opened his stakes account when he won the Listed Tatts Cup in the spring.
Well-bred filly scores
Pedigree was to the fore at Newcastle where Satin Ribbons (Capitalist) went one better on a debut second to land the Australian Bloodstock 2YO Plate.
“I think she is blessed with a lot of ability, but she doesn’t know how good she is yet. The more racing she gets the better she will be,” co-trainer, Paul Snowden, said.
“She will be better once she gets up to 1100 metres as well. She can find the front and then go through her gears.”
Bred and raced by Belinda Bateman, the filly is a half-sister to the Listed Gimcrack S. winner Satin Slipper (Pierro) with their dam the G2 Silver Slipper S. winner Satin Shoes (Flying Spur).
Moore off mark
Champion Hong Kong trainer John Moore has sent out his first winner from his new Gold Coast base when So Clever (Choisir) scored an effortless win on his home track.
The 4-year-old was making his debut off the back of a trial win and bolted away with the Dindas Maiden H. under the urgings of apprentice Jaden Lloyd.
The longest-serving and most prolific-winning trainer in Hong Kong history, Moore was crowned leading Hong Kong trainer seven times and prepared Champion gallopers including Military Attack (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}), Designs On Rome (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), Able Friend (Shamardal {USA}), Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock).
Another for Astern
Astern produced the second black-type winner of his young career when Danger Strykes (NZ) was victorious in the John Turkington Forestry Castletown S. at Wanganui.
The Darley stallion’s account had been opened by the Listed Cinderella S. winner Seradess and the Tony Pike-trained Danger Strykes doubled the tally with a determined finishing run in just her second appearance.
“I don’t think she liked the track that much either as she was dipping and diving, so she can go out again and we will bring her back for some of those early spring 3-year-old filly features,” trainer, Tony Pike, said.
Astern was also represented by Somewatt Fabulous, a 2-year-old debut winner at Morphettville Parks for trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly.
Astern | Standing at Darley
Dale gets it right
Trainer Matthew Dale’s pre-race assessment of the TAB Highway H. at Rosehill proved spot on when his filly Distillate (Dissident) made all the running for the third win of her six-start career.
“She’s quite a progressive filly and I knew it was going to be a challenge leading all the way, but with no weight (52kg) on her back that’s the way we played our cards,” Dale said.
Apprentice Louise Day carried out her role perfectly and Distillate travelled well and had enough in reserve to account for Moetta (Uncle Mo {USA}).
No argument from trainer
Trainer Chris Calthorpe had no argument with Queensland Racing Integrity Commission vets after they ruled his filly Media Award (Shamus Award) out of Saturday’s G1 Queensland Oaks.
Calthorpe said he had no issue with the decision after his shock G1 Australasian Oaks winner had lameness issue in the lead-up.
"She was definitely lame, they made the right call, there's no blue from me, we have still got a racehorse which is the main thing and she will go for a spell now,” Calthorpe told The Courier-Mail.
"We think it may have happened on Tuesday morning during a gallop but we are not sure, there are no dramas from our end."
Brosnan’s champ reigns
Supreme Heights (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) was back doing what she does best as she added a further black-type title to her career record when taking out the feature event at the Listed AGC Training S. at Wanganui.
Prepared at Matamata by Mark Brosnan, the 5-year-old has been a model of consistency throughout her 21-start career with two Group 3 victories on her record.
“I thought she probably looked the best horse in the field on paper, but that’s not where they run the race,” Brosnan said. “I thought Lynsey (Satherley) rode her beautifully and had her in the right place at the right time.”
Special call for Simon
Commentator George Simon had the joy of calling his own horse Queen Of Soul (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) the winner of the opening event on Saturday.
Simon and his wife Maryanne bred the filly at their Mana Park property and have remained in the ownership group.
Trained by Shaun Ritchie and Colm Murray, Queen Of Soul led all the way to claim the Sistema 1600 and her second victory in four starts. She is a half-sister to the G3 Bonecrusher S. winner The Soultaker (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}).
Kavanagh new CEO
Brian Kavanagh, whose 20-year tenure as Chief Executive Officer of Horse Racing Ireland comes to an end upon the conclusion of his latest term in September, will in November take up the role of Chief Executive Officer of The Curragh. Kavanagh takes over from Pat Keogh, who has been in the role since July 2019.
“The board are looking forward to welcoming Brian into his new role as CEO of The Curragh Racecourse and training grounds, and look forward to Brian leading The Curragh as we prepare for racing post-COVID world and growing the world-class training ground facilities here at The Curragh together with the strong, committed team we have already in place,” The Curragh Board Chairman, Padraig McManus, said.
