Contingency plans
New Zealand Bloodstock has contingency plans for the Ready to Run Sale breeze-ups, which currently cannot proceed at Te Rapa on October 11 and 12 due to Level 3 border restrictions.
If it is announced this Friday that the restrictions have been lifted, the breeze-ups will go ahead as scheduled, but if restrictions continue they will be postponed until October 18 and 19.
Should restrictions be extended even further, the breeze-ups will be moved to the Cambridge Jockey Club’s synthetic track.
McNeil booked for Cup
Trainer David Payne has confirmed Jye McNeil will ride Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}) in the G1 Caulfield Cup.
Montefilia collected her third Group 1 victory at Randwick on Saturday when she won the G1 The Metropolitan. She has been given an extra 1kg for that victory and will carry 52kg at Caulfield.
“I think it was a brave performance with the weight (55kg) she carried, and she was three deep the whole way, she covered a lot of ground,” Payne told Racing.com.
The Caulfield Cup will mark Montefilia’s first appearance in Melbourne since she finished third in the G1 VRC Oaks last spring.
“I don’t think it’ll worry her, she’s run in the Oaks there,” he said. “She’s a very good filly, she’ll just go where the jockey wants her to go, she’s very adaptable.”
Montefilia
Zouzarella at top for Guineas
Zouzarella (Zoustar) was beaten for the first time when coming from the back for second in the Listed Jim Moloney S. and trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman believe she will be at her peak for the G1 Thousand Guineas on Wednesday, October 12.
"She did have a very good blow last Saturday, so I think she's got some improvement to come and we'll really be tightening the screws on her now heading into the Thousand Guineas," Sam Freedman told Racing.com.
"She had the perfect prep run, I think. Without winning, she did as much as she possibly could I think, and she made a long run off a pretty quick tempo.
"Undoubtedly, we got a lot of benefit from that style run of that race, which is what we needed, so she's had the grounding now to step out to the mile. I think if she can draw a gate, which she hasn't done so far in her career, she'll be able to settle a lot closer."
Clean bill of health
Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) has scoped clean and on Wednesday will return to trainer Chris Waller’s Flemington yard.
The nine-time Group 1 winner was below par when fourth in Saturday’s G1 Turnbull S. and has since spent time at the beach.
The stable said Verry Elleegant is now in a paddock at Lauriston Park and also trotted up soundly on Monday. A post-race veterinary examination on raceday by RV Stewards also revealed no abnormality.
Green but good
Ma And Pa (Redoute’s Choice) was wayward in the straight at Warwick Farm on Monday, but was still too good for his rivals in the TAB H. to post his third win on the bounce this preparation.
Trained by Chris Waller for breeder Strawberry Hill Stud, the 4-year-old is the first live foal of the G1 VRC Oaks winner Dear Demi (Dehere {USA}).
“It was a fantastic effort and obviously he wandered about a fair bit in the straight, but he had enough up his sleeve to get away with it,” Waller’s Racing Manager Charlie Duckworth said.
“He’ll take plenty of improvement out of that and can go on for John Singleton.”
Ma And Pa (blue cap)
Another for Maurice
Arrowfield Stud stallion Maurice (Jpn) sired his 10th winner of the season when the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Saiko broke his maiden at Muswellbrook on Monday.
Saiko was purchased out of Murrulla Stud’s draft at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft for $80,000 by Triple Crown Syndications.
He is a son of the five-time winner Our Miss Bossy (Street Boss {USA}), who is from the family of the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. winner Choice Bro (Choisir) and the Listed John Dillon S. winner and G1 Futurity S. runner-up Cargo Cult (Spectrum {Ire}).
Stayer rehandicapped
Racing Victoria (RV) Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, has given Grand Promenade (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) a 1kg penalty for the G1 Caulfield Cup and the G1 Melbourne Cup.
Grand Promenade earned the weight penalty for his win in the G3 The Bart Cummings and will now carry 52kg in the Cups.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained stayer is exempt from the ballot in the Melbourne Cup courtesy of his weekend triumph, while he has moved to 39th in the Caulfield Cup order of entry with the penalty.
Elephant ready to go
Co-trainer David Browne is looking forward to Caulfield on Saturday where the in-form Elephant (NZ) (Shocking) will likely contest the G1 Toorak H.
He has been in grand form in Australia, winning two of his three starts, including the G3 Sandown S. and he finished runner-up in the G2 Feehan S.
“He is probably the best he has been the entire time. He is very fresh and he looks super, I think he will run a good race,” Browne said.
“He will run in the Toorak, but we have nominated him as well for the weight-for-age (G1 Might And Power S.) just in case some of the top weights don’t go to the Toorak, but by all accounts they should.”
Elephant (NZ)
Industry supporting jockey
The racing industry has a reputation for rallying to support its participants when times are tough and right now someone in need of that support is South Island jockey Yong Chew.
Chew is battling throat cancer, a fight compounded by the fact he has found himself isolated from his family and friends in Malaysia due to COVID-related travel restrictions.
Yong Chew
For the last three months he has been apprenticed to Riccarton trainer Lance Robinson, who with his family have become caregivers for the 25-year-old.
Syndicators Go Racing are raising funds for Chew at their inaugural golf tournament on October 15, with Racetrack Support, an arm of the Salvation Army.
“We have had a really good uptake and have 120 golfers signed up plus volunteers to help run the day. We have contingency plans in place so we can hold the event safely and in line with whatever COVID Alert Level we may be in,” Go Racing’s Matt Allnutt said.
Softer option taken
South Auckland trainer Steven Cole elected to bypass last Saturday’s G2 Dundeel At Arrowfield Hawke’s Bay Guineas with Magneto (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) in favour of a softer target closer to home this week.
He finished third in the Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy at Hastings last time out and Cole thought it would be too much of an ask for Magneto to make the long trip to Hawke’s Bay again a fortnight later.
Magneto (NZ)
“He has bounced through his last run and at this stage he is going to run at Matamata this weekend in a 3-year-old race over 1400 metres,” Cole said.
Cole was impressed with Magneto’s second-up effort in the El Roca and is looking forward to stepping him up over more ground as they look to the G1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas at Riccarton in November.
Scholarship deadline looming
Applications for the 2022 Keith and Faith Taylor Equine Scholarship, which supports the successful recipient to travel to Ireland and complete the world renowned Irish National Stud Diploma Course, close next week.
The Scholarship, which was established in 1991, is open to any person aged 30 or under who is interested in furthering their career in the thoroughbred industry.
Applicants should have some work experience at a thoroughbred stud in New Zealand and be committed to furthering their career in the thoroughbred industry.
Due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions, the successful candidate must be fully vaccinated (Irish National Stud policy) and be willing to complete any quarantine requirements. If the return to New Zealand is delayed for any reason, the Irish National Stud and NZTBA will support the recipient during that time.
