Babies on display
A host of well-related juveniles, including Trapeze Artist’s brother, Master Showman (Snitzel), along with runners by upcoming first-season sires Speith, Pariah, Menari, Impending and Merchant Navy will be on display at Monday’s Inglis Official 2-year-old barrier trials at Randwick.
Sire Trapeze Artist, brother to Master Showman | Standing at Widden Stud
Nine 850-metres heats will get underway on the Kensington circuit at 9am AEST and Arrowfield Stud's Pariah and Aquis Farm's Speith will lead the first season charge with two runners respectively.
Menari, Impending and Merchant Navy will each be represented by the one runner.
The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Master Showman is engaged in the seventh heat. Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale-topper Charlesfort (Fastnet Rock), who was purchased for $525,000 by Annabel Neasham Racing and Tony Fung, will feature alongside Master Showman.
Other noteworthy entrants include James Harron Bloodstock and Tom Magnier’s $1.15 million Inglis Easter Yearling purchase Zambezi River (Redoute’s Choice).
The Chris Waller-trained colt will feature in the fifth heat on the program.
Super stable
MyRacehorse, in partnership with Spendthrift Australia and Hesket Bloodstock, is offering racing fans the opportunity to own shares in 26 high-quality 2-year-old gallopers via their Super Stable concept.
Valued at $5 million, the Australian-first ownership experience allows MyRacehorse customers to own 0.001 per cent in each runner with no ongoing training fees.
The Super Stable encompasses colts, fillies, early 2-year-olds, late bloomers, sprinters and stayers by leading sires such as Written Tycoon, Lonhro, Fastnet Rock, So You Think (NZ) and American Pharoah (USA).
The stable of 26 come from esteemed breeder Hesket Bloodstock and will be trained by Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra.
Ayrton under injury cloud
Ayrton’s (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) spring remains in doubt after being found to have swelling in his near hind leg.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable advised Racing New South Wales stewards of the news on Thursday.
The Group 3 winner will miss next fortnight’s G1 Epsom H. at Randwick and isn’t guaranteed to contest next month’s $7.5 million Golden Eagle.
Ayrton (NZ)
“We are not sure what’s caused the swelling, but the vets are getting on top of it,” Steve Travaglia of Roll The Dice Racing told Racing.com.
“He was a little bit lame and he was a bit worse last night, but he has responded well to treatment this morning but it’s all about the horse’s welfare, that’s paramount at the moment.”
Sooboog on the board
The aptly named Soobooma provided Kitchwin Hills' sire Sooboog with his first winner for the season when breaking his maiden status at Sale on Thursday.
The Ray Besanko-trained gelding held out Rubirock (Rubick) and the well-supported Phillip Stokes-trained Sirianni (Snitzel) to score by 0.2l in the 1000-metre dash.
Sooboog is currently standing at a service fee of $13,200 (inc GST).
Heresy headlines contingent
James Cummings is forecasting a strong showing from exciting filly Heresy (Street Boss {USA}) in Saturday’s G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude at Caulfield.
“She is one of the few fillies to get so close to the colts of that entire cohort. She got beat a neck against the males at Caulfield. That’s going to look like good form as she drops back against the 3-year-old fillies,” Cummings said.
“If she can stretch her brilliance out to seven furlongs, then she’s going to be a really good chance in this race.”
Bonham How Now-bound
Tony Gollan will unveil high-class mare Bonham (Per Incanto {USA}) in Saturday’s G3 How Now S. at Caulfield.
Gollan said he will use the 1200-metre sprint to gauge where Bonham sits ahead of upcoming spring features.
"At the start it was about her settling in and getting to know her and what type of horse she was. The last six weeks, I have been really pleased with her, she's started to get into a good groove," Gollan said.
"I think she can present really well (in the race on Saturday). We've kept her fairly fresh and she seems to have a little bit of dash.”
Duais takes aim
Edward Cummings' G1 Queensland Oaks-winning heroine Duais (Shamus Award) will plot a likely course towards next month’s G1 Caulfield Cup via a first-up tilt at either Friday’s Listed Cameron H. at Newcastle or Saturday’s G3 Bill Ritchie H. at Randwick.
Duais
Cummings said weather conditions will determine which race she contests.
The Newcastle track is currently rated a Heavy 8 while the Randwick surface is a Soft 6.
"I'd expect her to run well, but also understanding that she's first-up and there is a long-term plan ahead," Cummings told Racing.com.
"There's very little pressure on the result, as long as she's running well."
Cascadian can win
James Cummings has reiterated that next fortnight’s G1 Epsom H. remains Cascadian’s (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) main focus despite describing him to be perfectly positioned third-up in Saturday’s 1600 metre G1 George Main S. at Randwick.
Cummings remains wary of star mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) and last start G2 Chelmsford S. winner Think It Over (NZ) (So You Think {NZ}).
“He is perfectly positioned third-up at a mile. We have seen the horse run brilliantly at weight-for-age and the horse’s run in the All Aged S. (in the autumn) was a beauty,” Cummings said.
“It’s a good race again and I feel like he’s going well enough to be running a good race.”
Spring not over
Andrew Forsman isn’t ruling out the possibility of Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) contesting next month’s $7.5 million Golden Eagle despite the G2 Hobartville S. winner returning to New Zealand for a freshen-up following an unplaced performance in last Saturday’s G1 Makybe Diva S. at Flemington.
Aegon (NZ)
“I went out and saw him this morning (Thursday), and he looks bloody good,” Forsman told NZ News Desk.
“He’s bright and happy to be out running about in the paddock. A week on the grass in the fresh air will be good for him then we’ll get him back in and see what we do with him.”
Baby back
Talented stayer Surprise Baby (NZ) (Shocking) has returned to work this week in the care of new trainer Gavin Bedggood after successfully recovering from a hairline fracture of the third tarsal bone.
Surprise Baby (NZ)
The lightly raced 7-year-old hasn’t raced since finishing a beaten favourite in last year’s G1 Melbourne Cup.
"The spring is going to come about too quickly, but on the work he has done and the fitness base he has, the Cranbourne Cup could be his cameo appearance for the spring or even the (G3) Kevin Heffernan (S.),” Bedggood told Racing.com.
