Four at Rosehill for Ryan
Talented apprentice jockey Brock Ryan had an outstanding afternoon at Rosehill on Saturday with four winners.
The 2kg claimer recorded victories aboard So Say You (So You Think {NZ}), Chat (Deep Field), No Compromise (NZ) (Pins) and Cuban Royale (Casino Prince).
It was the first four-win day for Ryan, who has now ridden a total of 214 winners in a career that dates back to the 2015/16 season. He has 41 wins to his name this season, 23 of them at Sydney’s city tracks.
“I’m over the moon,” Ryan said. “I just got my apprenticeship extended for another four months, so I’m still apprenticed until December now, which is good.
“I’ve been apprentice to Rob and Luke (Price) for the last two years now. They’ve helped me heaps with my riding. Luke was a great rider himself and he’s a great mate, so it’s great to repay them.
“I don’t like to puff the chest out and be too confident, but I was confident most of my horses would run well today, so it was good to get the results.”
Trainer suffers heart attack
Veteran Sunshine Coast trainer Gary Duncan suffered an apparent heart attack at Doomben on Saturday.
Duncan reportedly collapsed in the tie-up stalls following the first race, and medical officials worked to revive him before he left the course conscious in an ambulance, accompanied by his wife Megan.
Early end at Morphettville
Saturday’s Morphettville meeting was called off after four races due to visibility problems.
A heavy downpour lashed the Adelaide track in the early part of the afternoon, and jockeys who rode in the fourth race reported poor visibility.
Stewards elected to postpone the last five races of the meeting into the early part of next week. There is no racing programmed for South Australia on Monday or Tuesday, but officials could decide to add the five races on to the Balakalava program on Wednesday.
Jockeys Todd Pannell and Jessica Eaton are locked in a tight battle for Adelaide premiership honours, currently sitting on 62 wins apiece.
Plaquette continues good form
Godolphin mare Plaquette (Exceed And Excel) carried on a strong run of form with a determined victory in Saturday’s MRC Member Garry Franklin H. at Caulfield.
Ridden by Damien Oliver, the 4-year-old kicked hard in the straight and turned back the challenge of La Mexicana (I Am Invincible) by a half-head. Plaquette has now won five of her 17 starts, including two of her last three.
“She can tend to be a bit cantankerous in the barriers and going in late today suited,” Godolphin representative, Sean Keogh, said.
“She’s probably at the back end of her career as is, but we see her in a fine vein of form and that’ll be something for the team to think about going forward.”
Eloquently impresses
Promising filly Eloquently (Poet’s Voice {GB}) added another win to her record with an impressive performance in Saturday’s Mt Franklin QTIS 3-Years-Old H. at Doomben.
The 3-year-old kicked away to win by 2.25l, and her eight career starts have now produced five wins and a second.
“This filly keeps doing well in the stable and just seems to keep improving,” trainer Steve Tregea told Racenet.
“There is a fillies’ race next week over 1300 metres – we will see how we go there, and after that she will probably have a break.”
The win continued a strong run of form for Tregea, who has saddled boom stayer Incentivise (Shamus Award) for six powerful wins from nine starts including the G3 Tatt's Cup. He will be trained by Peter Moody in the spring.
“The last little period has been one of my most enjoyable times in racing,” Tregea said. “When you have good horses winning well, it is a lot easier to get out of bed in the morning.”
Johnson cracks milestone
A winning double at Te Rapa on Saturday brought up a milestone for Danielle Johnson, the runaway leader in New Zealand’s jockey ranks this season.
Victories aboard It Might Be You (NZ) (Savabeel) and Gerda (Denman) gave Johnson her 150th and 151st wins of the 2020/21 season. She became the eighth jockey to ride 150 winners in a New Zealand season, joining illustrious names such as James McDonald, Michael Walker, Lance O’Sullivan, Opie Bosson and Lisa Allpress.
Johnson has a colossal lead in the New Zealand Jockeys’ Premiership this season, with second-placed Sam Collett sitting on 88 wins.
Danielle Johnson aboard It Might Be You (NZ) | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
First win for Kiwi apprentice
Apprentice jockey Ace Lawson-Carroll rode the first winner of his career aboard Crystallize (Iffraaj {GB}) in Saturday’s Super Seth @ Waikato Stud 1500 at Te Rapa.
The 16-year-old sent Crystallize straight to the lead and dominated the race from there, crossing the finish line 4.25l in front of runner-up Diogenes (NZ) (Thewayyouare {USA}).
Apprenticed to Shaun and Emma Clotworthy at Byerley Park, Lawson-Carroll has had a win and a placing from five career rides to date.
Goffs Orby in Ireland
The Goffs Orby Sale will be staged at Kildare Paddocks in Ireland on its originally scheduled dates of September 28 and 29, with Ireland having recently lifted quarantine requirements for most vaccinated visitors entering the country. The Goffs Sportsman's Sale, which had had a contingency plan of November 1 and 2 at Kildare Paddocks, will immediately follow the Orby Sale on September 30 and October 1.
Goffs Group Chief Executive Henry Beeby said, “We are delighted and hugely relieved that the Irish Government's latest announcements will allow the Irish National Yearling Sale to be held where it belongs, in Kildare. At this point I would like to thank Tattersalls for their collaborative approach to work on a contingency plan with us should overseas buyers have been unable to come to Ireland. However, I think all of us are pleased that this contingency is not required and each sale can take place at the right time and in the right place.”
Master Of Reality defends Her Majesty’s Plate
Master Of Reality (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), who was relegated from second to fourth in the 2019 Melbourne Cup, has recorded back-to-back wins in a black-type feature in Northern Ireland.
The Joseph O’Brien-trained runner won the Listed Her Majesty’s Plate at Down Royal by 3.5l last year, and he defended that title on Friday with a comfortable front-running victory by 1.75l.
Master Of Reality has now had 21 starts for five wins headed by the G3 Vintage Crop S., with a further six stakes placings including the G1 Ascot Gold Cup and G2 Curragh Cup.
Although a return to Melbourne has yet to be confirmed this spring for Master Of Reality, owner Lloyd Williams reported to Racing.com that potential Cup candidates Pondus (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Dawn Patrol (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) flew out of England on Friday en route to Australia.
Chrono Genesis to Arc
Four-time Japanese Group 1 winner Chrono Genesis (Jpn) (Bago {Fr}) will be pointed to this year's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, owners Sunday Racing have confirmed, with jockey Oisin Murphy set to take the ride.
Chrono Genesis beat the Classic winner Kiseki (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) in the G1 Takarazuka Kinen last summer before a third behind Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in the G1 Tenno Sho Autumn. She wrapped up her 4-year-old campaign with a victory in the G1 Arima Kinen over a shade further than the Arc trip, and was second to Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic before bouncing back to win this year's renewal of the Takarazuka Kinen on June 27. Her current rating of 120 makes her the world's highest-rated mare between 10.5 and 13.5 furlongs (2100 and 2700 metres).
Irish Champion S. for World Pool
Longines Irish Champion S. Day at Leopardstown on September 11 will be a World Pool event, marking the first time Irish racing will participate in the World Pool.
Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, which owns Tote Ireland, said, “Irish Champion S. Day at Leopardstown – day one of the Longines Irish Champions Weekend – is a showcase day in Irish racing, and Horse Racing Ireland welcomes its inclusion in World Pool.
“The addition of Irish Champion S. Day is a first for Irish racing and is both great news for Irish Tote bettors and for Leopardstown, underlining the benefits of Tote operators around the world coming together to providing bigger pools and better value.”
