Stay Inside back
Leading 2-year-old and G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Stay Inside (Extreme Choice) has begun his build-up for a spring campaign.
"Stay Inside's coming along fine, he's just starting to do a bit of pace work and heading toward being able to barrier trial probably late July, early August," co-trainer, Michael Freedman, told Racing.com.
Stay Inside | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
"Ideally, if he came back in good enough order and looked as though he was up to it, a race like The Everest would be top of the list, but maybe a G1 Coolmore Stud S. or something, but again it all really depends on how he's come back.”
Stay Inside has won three of his four starts and was turned out after triumphing in the Golden Slipper.
Pike a scratching
William Pike won’t be riding at the Rockhampton carnival this week after COVID-19 restrictions in Western Australia dashed any chance of him attending.
The star jockey was keen to travel, but a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine required in his home state after the latest breakout in Queensland has ended his hopes.
“I am extremely disappointed not to be coming to Rockhampton, I feel very sorry for the Club as they have put in a lot of time and effort to make this happen,” he told Racenet.
Sandra Peters, William Pike and Bob Peters
Well-bred trial winners
Well-related 2-year-old Hauraki Gulf (Written Tycoon) took a step closer to a return to raceday competition when he won an 800 metre trial at Gosford.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained juvenile had two starts earlier this year and last raced when third at Morphettville in February.
Hauraki Gulf was bought out of Rushton Park’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft by Sun Bloodstock for $175,000. He is a half-brother to the black-type winner All Too Royal (All Too Hard) with their dam the G1 Robert Sangster S. winner Bel Mer (Bel Esprit).
Another well-bred trial winner was Team Snowden’s All England (I Am Invincible), whose dam London Lolly (Charge Forward) won the G3 SAJC Breeders’ S. and is a half-sister to the six-time Group 1 winner Chautauqua (Encosta De Lago).
Benbow cleared
Jason Benbow successfully appealed a lengthy suspension at the Victorian Racing Tribunal on Monday.
Benbow had been banned for 25 meetings following an inquiry into Carleen Hefel’s fall at Edenhope last month and was charged and found guilty of careless riding.
Jason Benbow
“First, no one likes to see a rider have a fall. Obviously it was great to see Carleen back riding at the moment,” Benbow told Racing.com.
“It’s a serious charge and not one any rider wants on their record. I feel like the right decision was made and I’m looking forward to getting out and doing what I love.
“I’ve very grateful the right decision has been made.”
McKechnie off mark
Former successful jockey Holly McKechnie celebrated her first winner as a trainer with Donation (Outreach) at Warracknabeal on Monday.
McKechnie rode more than 600 winners, but injury forced her to retire from race riding at the end of 2017.
She has just three horses and is also an integral part of her partner Paul Preusker's Horsham stable.
"It's a great day, unfortunately I couldn't keep riding, but a lot of credit goes to my partner. He handed me this little horse helping me out," McKechnie told Racing.com.
"He has helped me out all the way through and I am really, really thankful to him."
Tyro trainer has O’Brien’s backing
Marc Chevalier is appreciative of the support of his former employer Danny O’Brien in his recent move to Hawkesbury to train in his own right.
The Frenchman was formerly assistant trainer to O’Brien and has two former members of his Flemington stable to begin the journey.
Kenzan (Adelaide {Ire}) and Oceanarium (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) are now part of Chevalier’s fledgling operation.
"Kenzan pulled up with a little chip in his fetlock, so the owner decided to sell," Chevalier told Racing.com. "Charlotte (Lallemont, Chevalier's partner) looked after him at Danny's, so she bought him.
"We bought Oceanarium at the sales and 80 per cent of the owners have stayed in her and they wanted me to train her, she'll start back in work next week.
“Danny has been really supportive. The day I said to him that I was going to leave, he couldn't be happier for me and said he would help me as much as he could.”
Campaign extended
Coventina Bay (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) was meant to be enjoying a well-deserved spell in the Queensland sun at the moment, however, the weather in the Sunshine State had other plans over the weekend.
Coventina Bay (NZ) | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
The Robbie Patterson-trained mare was set to have her final start of the season in the Listed Glasshouse H. at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday, but the meeting was abandoned following heavy rain.
Patterson will continue to keep her ticking over until she competes in the rescheduled meeting on Sunday where he believes she will be hard to beat.
“She trialled really well there a month ago and that is her sort of surface, she can skip over it,” Patterson said.
Track suits Acutus
Acutus (Sepoy) is loving the warmer climes of Ruakaka over winter.
The Bob and Jenny Vance-trained 6-year-old picked up his fifth career victory at the Northland track with his last start all-the-way win in the Northpine Waipu Cup and he is set to be a frequent visitor to the track over the coming months.
“Drawing one and getting to the front was quite a big advantage, and he finished off the race really well,” Bob Vance said.
Acutus | Image by Megan Liefting courtesy of Race Images
While he prefers the better tracks associated with summer racing, when Vance saw several Ruakaka meetings programmed over winter, he thought it would suit his charge down to the ground.
“He is a Good track horse, that is why we have brought him back in over winter because we knew the Ruakaka meeting was coming up and that is the ground that he likes, he likes the Good to Dead tracks,” Vance said.
Broome gets his Group 1
Coming closest in five attempts at Group 1 success on his latest in the May 23 G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, Ballydoyle's Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) finally made it count on Sunday leading with every step under Colin Keane in the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.
“Speaking to Aidan beforehand, he said to keep it pretty simple and if nothing was happy to go, to make my own way,” the winning rider commented.
“He's a very uncomplicated horse, very genuine and stays well. He pricked his ears and was taking me the whole way and galloped right to the line. He deserved that, as he's been very consistent this year.”
Sisfahan wins Deutsches Derby
Following in the steps of his sire Isfahan (Ger), Sisfahan (Fr) came out on top of the cluster of contenders for Sunday's G1 IDEE Deutsches Derby at Hamburg to realise a dream for Darius Racing.
Remaining towards the tail, but in touch straightening for home, the Henk Grewe-trained chestnut was sent towards the far rail as Stall Nizza's Alter Adler (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) looked the winner striking for home towards the other side. Getting to the front inside the final 50 yards, the 11 to 1 shot beat that 10 to 3 favourite by 1.25l to emulate Isfahan's success here five years ago.
