Breakthrough for Territories
Darley stallion Territories (Ire) has his first Australian winner with Finsceal successful over 1200 metres at the Sunshine Coast.
The Tom Button-trained Finsceal charged home from the rear of the field to defeat Hinged (Worthy Cause) by a narrow margin on the line with Miss Pierro (Pierro) a further 3l back in third.
Finsceal as a yearling
Finsceal was initially sold for $110,000 by Oaklands Stud at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and then fetched the same price to Gerard O'Toole from the Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs In Training Sale, where he was offered by Symphony Lodge.
He is out of Rosalita (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), who is a granddaughter of Listed winner Dolka (Ire) (Shergar {Ire}), the half-sister to G1 2000 Guineas winner Doyoun (Ire) (Mill Reef {USA})
Territories returns to Darley Kelvinside this spring at a fee of $11,000 (inc GST).
Epsom on Lion's agenda
Lion's Roar (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) will be targeted at the G1 Epsom H. this spring and returns to the stable this week.
O'Shea told Racenet that the return of the 3-year-old, who won the G1 Randwick Guineas, would create quite a buzz at the Randwick stables.
Lion's Roar (NZ) (red cap) | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“He is back in the stable on Monday or Tuesday this week so we are really looking forward to seeing him back,” O’Shea said. “It is going to be an exciting time.
“Epsom will be his maiden target but we are pretty happy with him and he's had no dramas.”
Lion's Roar could also be targeted at the $7.5 million Golden Eagle at Rosehill on October 30.
Open mind on Anamoe
Trainer James Cummings is keeping an open mind on the path of Group 1-winning colt Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) this spring.
Cummings said the first target for the impressive G1 Inglis Sires' winner would be the G1 Golden Rose S.
Anamoe
“I am hoping to resume him in early September and not make it any more complicated than that,” Cummings told Racenet.
“He will be nominated for the Golden Rose and the Caulfield Guineas and races like that.
“We will adjudicate which way we are going to go with him, probably the crossroads of the Golden Rose.”
Meech back in the winner's stall
Linda Meech returned to the winner’s stall for the first time since her return to race riding winning the Apsley Cup (2000 metres) at Edenhope.
Meech partnered the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Last Week (GB) (Tamayuz {GB}) to victory, her first win since April last year.
She took an extended period of time out of the saddle and gave birth to a son, Anthony Wilbur Pegus, in January.
The dual Group 1 winner returned to race riding last month, with Sunday’s win coming at only her sixth ride back.
Carleen Hefel had a heavy fall in the same race and was transported to a local hospital for scans.
Lafferty on the mend
Laura Lafferty is out of hospital and in good spirits after a horrific fall at Swan Hill on Friday.
Lafferty and Ronniejay (All Too Hard) crashed through the running rail in the final race on Friday and while she was initially released after scans revealed no broken bones, she returned to Swan Hill hospital on Saturday night.
Laura Lafferty
“The pain is in my right shoulder so I’m not sure maybe there is some ligaments or tears," Lafferty told Racing.com.
“Also my left knee is quite sore. I am quite sore still, but I will go see Gary (Zimmerman) on Tuesday and he can tell me what else might be there.
“Hopefully there’s a bit of a turnaround in the next few days or the next week and by then I might have more of an idea when I could be back.”
Lafferty has ridden 56 winners this season and recently ridden her first two metropolitan winners in Melbourne.
Birthday deal for Stewart
South Canterbury trainer Len Stewart celebrated his 89th birthday with Take The Deel (Dundeel {NZ}) storming to victory in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Waimate Cup at Timaru on Sunday.
Stewart turns 89 on Tuesday and has found a new lease on life with the hardy 5-year-old, who cost just NZ$1200 through gavelhouse.com.
“I wasn’t really expecting it today as I had my concerns about the tricky track tripping him up,” Stewart said.
“In the end he was very strong at the finish.
“We knew he had the bloodlines, but it was always a matter of getting his legs to move fast enough.
“He can be pretty ignorant around home, but the penny seems to have dropped now and I’m hoping he can keep improving even more.”
Winter goals for Didham's Art
Trainer Peter Didham will chase a G3 Winter Cup win with Floral Art (NZ) (Road To Rock) after she recorded her first victory since October 2019 at Trentham on Saturday.
The 6-year-old found her best form on the Heavy track to record a drought-breaking win and Didham wants to go on with her towards the Riccarton feature in August.
“She had gone a good race for fifth first-up last month and although I was a little concerned she might still be one race short, she struck the track conditions she loves and just flew home to win," he said.
“Her recent form reflects a couple of poor decisions I made last year chasing a start in the Winter Cup
“We went down south and struck a dry track every time she ran. She tried her heart out, but she just isn’t anywhere near her best on that type of track.
“She had a good long break and has come back well so we’re going to have another crack at the Winter Cup with her.”
Thoroughbreds Are Go returns
Australia’s only national thoroughbred re-homing program, Caroline Searcy’s “Thoroughbreds Are Go” returns this Monday night at 7.30pm (AEST) on Sky Thoroughbred Central.
The show is designed to help racing’s trainers, owners and breeders find good homes for thoroughbreds away from the track and also encourages the take-up of the thoroughbred breed in the general equestrian world, while providing advice on how best to care for thoroughbreds away from racing stables and studs.
Episode one contains stories on Krissy Harris and the Thoroughbred Sport Horse Association which rewards thoroughbred competitors with great prizes at shows around Australia.
It also covers a huge interschools event at Coonabarabran in country NSW, and Arrowfield Stud’s Strappers’ Stories has a tale of a stable worker at John Sargent’s Randwick base who explains the love of a horse she looked after as a foal in New Zealand, through its racing training in Sydney and on to a new home in Tasmania.
Thoroughbreds Are Go is broadcast on Sky Thoroughbred Central on Foxtel’s channel 528 on Monday night at 7.30pm (AEST) and it will be sent out weekly through TDN AusNZ.
