Avdulla suffers fracture
Racing NSW Stewards have confirmed that Brenton Avdulla suffered an undisplaced fracture of his C7 vertebra and a small bleed on the brain after falling from his mount Xtremetime (Extreme Choice) in Saturday's G2 Darley Silver Shadow S. at Randwick.
Avdulla has since been admitted to St Vincent's Hospital Sydney for overnight observations and is likely to be discharged on Sunday.
Tibbie on mare’s program
More Prophets (Smart Missile) was a dominant winner of the Gow Gates H. at Randwick to earn herself a crack at a feature-race prize.
Trainer John Thompson said the mare was overdue a change of fortune and would now be set for the G3 Tibbie S. at Newcastle next month.
“Her luck has turned after she was held up in a few runs of late. It was a fantastic ride by James (McDonald), he got her in the right spot. She’s a progressive mare and she’ll run in the Tibbie and hopefully get some black type.”
Bred by part-owner Bell River Thoroughbreds, More Prophets is a half-sister to the G2 Rubiton S. winner Prophet’s Thumb (I Am Invincible).
Richards to regroup with mare
Trainer Jamie Richards was philosophical about the circumstances that put a halt to a start in Saturday’s G3 Toy Show Quality at Randwick for Entriviere (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), after she pulled up mildly lame with a hoof issue during the week.
“The problem just popped up at the wrong time and being so close to raceday we couldn’t really give her any help with anti-inflammatories or the like,” he said. “It’s not ideal, but I think we will give her a trial next and then we can work out something for her after that.”
Jamie Richards
On the domestic front, Richards has his fingers crossed New Zealand’s strict lockdown measures can stem the spread of the virus and enable at least parts of New Zealand to move down Alert levels to enable racing to re-commence.
“Like everyone else, we have our ears on the news as we wait to see what happens this week,” Richards said.
Win machine too good
Corner Pocket (Toronado {Ire}) kept his winning sequence going at Moonee Valley on Saturday with a gritty front-running display.
The Lindsey Smith-trained 5-year-old landed his seventh consecutive victory when he made the running under Declan Bates and kicked on strongly to claim the Stuart Murray H.
“He’s a beauty this horse and the picket fence keeps getting longer,” stable representative, Shane Jackson, said.
Melham booked
Ben Melham will partner international Group 1 winner Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) in the G1 Cox Plate.
Australian Bloodstock’s Jamie Lovett confirmed the booking to Racing.com and said Gold Trip has made his way from France to Newmarket to prepare to enter quarantine on September 9.
"He certainly travelled well and has settled in well. Dave Eustace’s brother Harry is with the horse and he said he hasn’t left an oat,” he said.
"We just have to get through the scintigraphy like all of them and then we are in play so we’re looking forward to getting him out here for the Cox Plate."
Melbourne on radar
The Melbourne spring carnival remains in the mix for last season’s G1 Randwick Guineas winner Lion’s Roar (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}).
"It's just all relevant to what he gets done up here and warrants the trip, more than anything," trainer John O’Shea told Racing.com.
"He's a Group 1 winner at a mile, he's run well in the G1 Rosehill Guineas, got beaten a short-half head in the (G1 Australian) Derby, so has some good traditional credentials to run well in either a G1 Caulfield Cup or maybe even a G1 Cox Plate.”
Japanese success
One runner, one winner! Darley stallion Frosted (USA) is on the board in Japan following the success of his son Jasper Krone (USA).
Out of the stakes performed Kitten’s Joy (USA) mare Fancy Kitten (USA), the colt led all the way to win by a wide margin over 1200 metres at Niigata.
Sakhee passes away
The G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and G1 Juddmonte International winner Sakhee (USA) was euthanised on Friday at Shadwell's Nunnery Stud due to the infirmities of old age. He was 24.
Bred by the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum, Sakhee stood at Shadwell following a successful racing career under trainer John Dunlop’s guidance.
At stud from 2003 to his retirement in 2016, Sakhee didn't light up the world as a sire but he provided a few notable top-flight winners in the G1 Audemars Piguet Queen Elizabeth II Cup and G1 Dubai Duty Free winner Presvis (GB), G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains victor Tin Horse (GB) and the G1 July Cup scorer Sakhee's Secret (GB). Sakhee had been living out his retirement at Nunnery Stud.
Collett rings the bell
A rail-hugging ride by Jason Collett paved the way for the promising mare Ten Belles (Nicconi) to add to her record with victory in the TAB Highway H. at Randwick.
Trained by Scott Collings, the 4-year-old has now won three of her four starts and is unbeaten this preparation following a previous success at Goulburn.
Ten Belles was purchased by part-owner Scott Henman via the Inglis Digital March Monthly Sale in 2019 for $9090. She is out of Decibeel (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), who was successful six times and is a sister to Listed SAJC St Leger winner Thousand Veils (NZ), dam of dual Group 3 winner Perast (Snitzel).
Adrian tops Sale
Recent Group 3 winner Adrian (Ger) (Reliable Man {GB}) was the top-priced lot at €110,000 (AU$179,355) at the BBAG's first August Horses in Training Sale.
Adrian (Lot 2), a 4-year-old entire, was picked up by Tom Malone. Trained thus far by Henk Grewe for Gestut Auenquelle, Adrian was a Listed winner last year and has won two black-type races this year, most recently the 2400 metre G3 Furstenberg-Rennen on July 18.
There were a high number of buybacks out of the boutique Sale, including the two horses that drew the highest bids of the day: French Listed-winning 2-year-old Best Sixteen (Fr) (Penny's Picnic {Ire}) (Lot 26), who was led out unsold at €210,000 (AU$342,400), and the Listed-winning 4-year-old Only The Brave (Fr) (Iffraaj {GB}) (Lot 7), who was bought back at €140,000 (AU$228,200).
