Draw an assist
Co-trainer Robbie Griffiths is hopeful the barrier draw can play in the favour of Daily Bugle (Press Statement) in the G1 Neds Caulfield Guineas.
“Some of those great colts in the Guineas have drawn poorly and he’s drawn a bit better (in nine) than them so hopefully that enhances his chances,” he said.
Daily Bugle
“Realistically, his form lines aren’t as good as the key players, but he is progressive and his run at the Valley was very good. With a better barrier than others, we’re optimistic that will put us in the mix.”
A two-time winner, Daily Bugle finished third in the G2 Bill Stutt S. and will be ridden by Jamie Mott.
Time called on Krone
Roll The Dice Racing has announced the retirement of its Group 1 winner Krone (Eurozone), who will be served by I Am Invincible.
Krone was prepared by Tony Gollan to claim the G1 Coolmore Classic and the G2 Guy Walter S. and earned more than $1.4 million.
She was purchased for $120,000 at the Gold Coast 2YOs in Training Sale by Roll The Dice out of the draft of Rosemont Stud, who remained in the ownership group.
Krone is out of a half-sister to the four-time Group 1 winner and sire Universal Prince with the G1 George Ryder S. winner Think It Over (So You Think {NZ}) also on the pedigree page.
Internationals arrive
A group of international horses including several targeting the XXXX Golden Eagle at Rosehill Gardens will arrive in Sydney this weekend and remain in New South Wales stables to continue their racing careers.
Among them is G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Laws Of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}), who will go to Annabel Neasham, and multiple stakes placegetter Maximal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), who will go to John O’Shea’s stable with both likely to head toward the Golden Eagle.
Top Rank (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), one of two horses purchased by Australian Bloodstock, is a Group 1 placegetter and will also join Neasham’s team while the second, Acquitted (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), will be trained by Kris Lees in Newcastle.
Syndicators OTI, who have enjoyed continued success in Sydney staying races in recent years, will welcome three horses headed by Golden Eagle contender Reve De Vol (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), Win O’Clock (GB) (Australia {GB}) and Mirann (Fr) (Motivator {GB}).
Distance query
Trainer Peter Moody has admitted there is a query over Lightsaber (Zoustar) seeing out 1600 metres in the G1 Neds Caulfield Guineas.
Lightsaber as a yearling
"He's going to be forward and make his own luck but he, like most of this field, has got to see out a strong mile," Moody said on his podcast, Moody On The Mic.
"Anamoe and Artorius are the two best horses in this race; are they going to see out a strong mile? That's probably going to be the question mark here."
Strong Inglis Digital catalogue
A strong group of racehorses and racing prospects headline the catalogue for the Inglis Digital October (Early) Online Auction, which is now open for bidding.
A total of 187 lots have been finalised for the Sale, including 122 racehorses (55 race fillies), 31 broodmares, 10 yearlings and 23 racehorse shares.
Some of the catalogue’s highlight lots include the multiple winner As I Do (Casino Prince) with a Toronado (Ire) foal at foot, a breeding right in Kitchwin Hills' stallion Sooboog, Deep Impact’s (Jpn) daughter Dolomites, Dio (Zoustar) who is a stakes-placed brother to three-time Group 1 winner Sunlight and Written Tycoon’s winning daughter Nevershotthedeputy.
“Buyers know where to head when it comes to online sales in Australia because Inglis Digital continues to look after them with results, be it racetrack winners, successful broodmares or outstanding family upgrades,’’ Inglis Digital’s Nick Melmeth said.
The final countdown of bidding in the October (Early) Online Auction begins from midday on Wednesday.
Hendra positive
A 7-year-old unvaccinated Clydesdale gelding has been diagnosed as positive for a novel Hendra virus-variant in West Wallsend near Newcastle, according to NSW PSI.
The case was identified on October 5 and confirmed by the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness two days later.
Participants are advised that this is the furthest south that a positive case has been confirmed in an area where grey headed flying foxes are known to be present.
While the current case has not been considered a risk to the thoroughbred industry, all participants are reminded that the signs and symptoms of Hendra can be vague and variable and the greatest of care should be always taken to monitor horses for symptoms.
Festivity heads to Hawera
Trainer Jamie Richards is hoping third time’s the charm with five-win mare Festivity (NZ) (I Am Invincible).
In her two prior starts this campaign, she has finished sixth in the G2 Foxbridge Plate and posted the same result over the same distance at Te Rapa last week, and Richards said she was luckless in both.
Festivity (NZ) as a yearling
“She has had a couple of runs under her belt now and had no luck in either of them,” Richards told The Form. “She raced outside the leader in the Foxbridge and I thought she fought on well under the circumstances.
“She got caught four and five deep last week at Te Rapa in a good race and was out where no one was winning.”
Promising filly
Godolphin's filly Life In Motion (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was an impressive debut winner of Thursday’s Prix Tenebreuse over 1400 metres at Saint-Cloud.
Settled in fourth early on the testing ground by Mickael Barzalona, the daughter of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Wavering (Ire) (Refuse To Bend {Ire}) challenged 300 metres from home and the André Fabre-trained favourite drew out to win by 5l.
“She is still very immature, but goes to great lengths to do things right and I really liked her way of doing things,” Barzalona said. “We could have won more easily, but she was on and off the bit in behind the leading horses.
“I allowed her to relax and let her come back to me in her own time. Once we quickened to the front, I didn't look back to see how far she won by and she still had plenty in reserve at the line.”
Out to defy recent history
Trainer Chrissy Bambry will attempt a rare feat on Saturday when 3-year-old Bellacontte (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) takes on the older mares in the G3 Wyndspelle at Grange William Stud Taranaki Breeders’ S. at Hawera.
No filly has won the race since the Murray Baker-trained Verlei (NZ) (Blues Traveller {Ire}) surprised at big odds in the year 2000.
A last-start winner of the G3 Gold Trail S., following a Listed win in the O’Learys’ Fillies' S., Bellacontte will carry just 50kgs with Sarah Macnab to ride, and is building toward the G1 Barneswood Farm NZ 1000 Guineas at Riccarton on November 13.
Trainer Chrissy Bambry and jockey Sarah McNab pictured with Bellacontte (NZ) | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
“She has trained on well since her last win,” Bambry said. “I wanted a 1400-metre race and a bit of time before the Guineas. Only having to carry 50kg should be a bonus for her because she is only 410kgs so the less weight the better.”
Change of plea date
Marcos Zulueta, the now-barred thoroughbred trainer facing two felony charges in the alleged nationwide horse-doping conspiracy case, appears on the verge of joining the growing list of defendants flipping their initial not guilty pleas to guilty.
This week, Zulueta, formerly based in the mid-Atlantic region, was granted an October 15 change-of-plea hearing in United States District Court (Southern District of New York).
If Zulueta does indeed end up pleading guilty, his flip will be the eighth in the wide-ranging case that initially included 28 defendants listed in the original indictment from March 2020.
