Saturday summary: Bayliss and Bowman in rare form, Incentivise wins again

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

Bayliss at the double

Jockey Regan Bayliss enjoyed a dream day out at Randwick with a Group 1-winning double aboard Never Been Kissed (NZ) (Tivaci) in the Darley Flight S. and Private Eye (Al Maher) in the TAB Epsom H.

While both victories were immensely satisfying, his success aboard Private Eye was of special significance as the 4-year-old’s trainer Joe Pride has been a major supporter since he moved to Sydney.

“It’s really unbelievable, I’ve been here for 12 months and it was a massive move to try and establish myself,” Bayliss said. “My weight has never been better and I’m walking 54kg and rode at 52.5kg today.

“I wouldn’t be here without Joe Pride, who has backed me and I just love this horse Private Eye,” Bayliss said. “Joe knows how to set one for a race.”

Private Eye settled with the tail-enders before Bayliss stoked up the gelding near the turn and he thundered down the outside to overhaul Aramayo (Poet’s Voice {GB}) with Dalasan (Dalakhani {Ire}) third ahead of Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}).

Sealed with a Kiss

Never Been Kissed credited Gai Waterhouse with her 10th winner of the G1 Darley Flight S. and training partner Adrian Bott with his second when the filly delivered an upset victory in the fillies’ feature at Randwick.

The Waikato Stud-bred and owned 3-year-old sat in the trail before Bayliss got her off the fence and she hit the line strongly to account for Hinged (Worthy Cause).

“It’s always been a special race for the stable and the partnership, and this filly was fantastic, incredibly tough,” said Bott, who won the race with Waterhouse in 2016 with Global Glamour (Star Witness).

Never Been Kissed won her first two starts before she suffered her first defeat when ninth off a wide run in the G2 Tea Rose S.

“She ran very well and got caught wide and had to cover a lot of extra ground. She’s off such a great farm so we knew she had a great constitution and terrific to get a Group 1 for Tivaci,” Bott said.

“She holds a nomination for the Thousand Guineas and we’ll have to weigh up whether we take her to Melbourne now.”

Bowman hits the ton

Hugh Bowman celebrated his 100th Group 1 victory when he guided Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}) to a hard-fought victory in the Heineken Metropolitan H. at Randwick.

“I must admit I am very proud to have achieved it. Obviously, one horse (Winx) was involved in a quarter of those 100 victories, which in itself is amazing,” he said.

“Hopefully there are still some good years ahead. There has been a bit of a re-adjustment since Winx’s retirement.

“I think that has shown in my riding, but I’m really trying to do my best to regain the momentum that I was accustomed to. I don’t feel I’m there yet. This race is certainly a stepping stone toward that.”

Montefilia’s trainer David Payne confirmed his three time-time Group 1 winner would now try to add to her tally in the G1 Caulfield Cup.

“She did it tough being three wide all the way. She’s a lovely mare and very special. She’ll go to Caulfield now,” he said.

No stopping Incentivise

Incentivise (Shamus Award) continued his picket fence form line toward the G1 Caulfield Cup with another top-quality performance at Flemington.

He stretched his unbeaten run to eight with a no-nonsense front-running performance to add the G1 Turnbull S., to his elite-level record off the back of success in the G1 Makybe Diva S., his first outing for Peter moody since transferring from part-owner Steve Tregea’s yard.

“I wanted him to have a good gallop and take improvement into the Caulfield Cup. He’s a bloody tough horse and he’s been there to be beaten for the length of the straight, both of his runs for me have been terrific,” Moody said.

“This will top him off for the Caulfield Cup beautifully. I’ll see how he pulls up and that will guide me as to how much I have to do with him in the next fortnight.”

Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) got home well for second with Chapada (Bullet Train {GB}) third while Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) was only fair in fourth.

Cox Plate calling

Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante) confirmed a crack at the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley when he took out the landed the second leg of the Hawke’s Bay Triple Crown, the G1 Windsor Park Plate at Hastings.

The John Bary-trained gelding had won the G1 Tarzino Trophy a fortnight ago and had no trouble justifying his short odds-on Saturday.

Bary confirmed that Callsign Mav would have his next start in the Cox Plate on October 23.

“We will now spend the money to get him across to Melbourne,” he said. “There’s nothing left for him to prove here, so he might as well go there and have a play with the big boys.

“It will be a big test, but if he’s good enough then he’s good enough and if not, we’ll find another race that suits.”

Raced by a large syndicate that includes Bary, Callsign Mav was fittingly bred by race sponsor Windsor Park Stud and was sold as a weanling at New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka for just NZ$3000. He has now won seven of his 19 starts and over NZ$565,000 in prizemoney.

Callsign Mav will now head to the Melbourne stable of Danny O’Brien, who will put the finishing touches on the gelding ahead of the Cox Plate.

Crusader back to best

Masked Crusader (Toronado {Ire}) firmed in the market for the $15 million The TAB Everest when he stormed back to winning ways in the G2 Premiere S. at Randwick.

The John, Michael and Wayne Hawkes-trained sprinter had been off the pace when fifth in the G2 The Shorts, but he was back to his best to weave through the field and dash to the eighth win of his career.

“I let him cut the corner and he sprinted very well. He’s got improvement in him and had a good blow so he will be ready for the big day,” rider Tommy Berry said.

Masked Crusader has come in from $8 to $6 for The Everest following his defeat of Standout (Exceed And Excel) and the longshot Embracer (Sebring).

“He’s a very good horse and when he gets the luck he’s always there,” Berry said.

While Masked Crusader pressed his Everest claims, the same might not be able to be said of Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), who was fourth after having every chance and Rothfire (Rothesay) dropped away to beat one home.

Kallos upsets in Danehill

Ingratiating (Frosted {USA}) was the favoured Godolphin contender in the G2 VRC Members’ Danehill S., but it was the unheralded Kallos (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) who flew the blue flag and posted a dominant victory.

Kallos was coming off a Hawkesbury maiden win and trainer James Cummings saw enough in that performance to send him to Melbourne.

“We’ve always had a bit of an opinion of the horse. James thought he would get him here and give it a go,” stable representative Reg Fleming said.

Kallos sat in behind the leaders and when rider Fred Kersley pressed the button the colt responded positively to bolt clear with General Beau (Brazen Beau) rounding off well for second ahead of Bruckner (Snitzel).

“We’ll let the dust settle first and then see what James and the other guys want to do with him,” Fleming said.

Kallos’ well-fancied stablemate Ingratiating, who won the G3 Vain S. before a runner-up finish in the Listed Poseidon S., settled back in the field and beat only two home.

Oaks longer-term goal

Trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman are likely to resist the temptation of a G1 Thousand Guineas start for Elusive Express (NZ) (Jakkalberry {Ire}), despite her success in the G2 TAB Edward Manifold S. at Flemington.

The filly has made impressive progress since joining their Mornington operation with two wins and a placing in the G3 Tranquil Star S.

“We might give the Thousand Guineas a bit of thought, but the Ethereal S. might suit her better,” Sam Freedman said. “I think she’s got the constitution to cop a prep to head toward the Oaks.”

Elusive Express arrived at the stable courtesy of the efforts of the Freedman’s Racing Manager Brad Taylor and bloodstock agent Andrew Williams, who identified her as a likely prospect after trialling in New Zealand.

She produced an irresistible finish in the hands of Jye McNeil on Saturday to defeat Team Hawkes’ Yearning (Snitzel), who finished bravely along the fence and they were clear of Glint Of Hope (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).

Always a Star

Bonny Tasmanian mare Still A Star (Toronado {Ire}) set herself up for a seven-figure bonus when she produced a typically gallant performance to triumph in the Furphy Rose Of Kingston S. at Flemington.

She settled within shouting distance of the leaders and gave everything in the straight to rider Luke Currie in the run home to get the better of the front-runner Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) with another Tasmanian in Mystic Journey (Needs Further) doing well to come from the back for third.

Still A Star will now take aim at the G1 Empire Rose S. and further success would earn her a $1 million bonus for completing the Flemington double.

“That’s the big dream, I can’t believe she’s won this and to get the Empire Rose would be the icing on the cake,” trainer Bill Ryan’s daughter Monica said.

Coolangatta all gold

Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) successfully defended the stable’s G3 Keeneland Gimcrack S. title with an emphatic victory at Randwick.

She is prepared by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, who produced Enthaar (Written Tycoon) to triumph 12 months ago in equally impressive fashion.

Maher and Eustace were represented at Randwick by Jack Bruce, who was of the opinion that Coolangatta’s winning effort may have been the better of the two.

“I think it may have been, it’s probably relief more than anything. The team have had so much belief in this horse and it was pleasing to see her rip clear,” he said.

“It’s hard to get a thrill like that in racing. Ciaron and David haven’t done too much with her. She is a well-built filly and such a pleasure to look at.”

Coolangatta kept the leaders within her sights and when rider James McDonald slipped her more rein the filly exploded clear to beat Drisana (Merchant Navy) by 3.4l.

Colt overcomes scare

Trainer Gary Portelli survived a pre-race scare with Sejardan (Sebring) before the colt showed his quality with a commanding performance to claim the G3 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate.

“When we drew the bad gate (11) I said it won’t worry this bloke, he’s going to get back anyway. The only worry I had was when he got his leg up in the gates. Luckily, the stewards and the vets there made the right decision to let him run,” Portelli said.

“He’s a beauty. He’s a really nice horse and has the best attitude, he’s a good type of horse and good to see he’s strong at the end of the race.”

Sejardan raced behind the leading division and jockey Jason Collett was able to get the colt into clear air for the closing 150 metres and he dashed home to account for Zambezi River (I Am Invincible) and Emperor (I Am Invincible).

Filly repays faith

Jockey Damian Lane was happy to put his faith in Get In The Spirit (Spirit Of Boom) and plot his own course on way to a dashing victory in the Listed Darley Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington.

Lane stayed on the outside part of the track and the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained filly proved far too slick for her rivals and sailed by home by 2l from Lascars (Sepoy) and Rampant Lion (Frankel {GB}) finished third.

“I knew where I wanted to be and it wasn’t an easy decision to make and the 2-year-olds like to find the fence,” Lane said. “She is so professional and handled herself well.

“She jumped quickly and travelled well and won with a fair bit in hand, she’s pretty quick. She gave me a great feel when I had a sit on her and is well-educated.”