Coolmore confirms Home Affairs for The Everest
Following the same blueprint as their 2019 success with Yes Yes Yes (Rubick), Coolmore has confirmed that their 2021 slot in The Everest will be taken by another 3-year-old trained by Chris Waller and ridden by Glen Boss.
Their hopes this year rest with Home Affairs (I Am Invincible), who scored an impressive victory in last month’s Listed Heritage S. in his only 3-year-old start to date. He was equally eye-catching in a jump-out alongside elite stablemate Nature Strip (Nicconi) at Rosehill on Wednesday.
“Chris Waller and his team have done an unbelievable job with this horse,” Coolmore Australia Principal Tom Magnier told Racing NSW.
“He was a good 2-year-old and he’s come out at three and really filled into himself. He showed that on the racetrack the other day, and when he trialled with effectively the best sprinter in the world.
“We’ve had Yes Yes Yes as a 3-year-old in The Everest with Chris and Glen Boss, so really we’re just trying to repeat the formula that worked.”
There are now just two slots that are yet to be confirmed for the 12-horse field for next Saturday’s $15 million showpiece. Godolphin are expected to be represented by either Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}) or Paulele (Dawn Approach {Ire}), while Kennedy Racing is yet to name their replacement for the injured Rothfire (Rothesay).
Hilal too strong
Group 1 performer Hilal (Fastnet Rock) powered back into winning form with an irresistible finish over the top of the favourite Coastwatch (Fastnet Rock) in Saturday’s G2 Heineken 3 Stan Fox S. at Randwick.
Runner-up in the G1 Sires’ Produce S., G1 Champagne S. and G2 Skyline S. last season, the Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes-trained colt had placed in only one of his three previous 3-year-old starts – a third placing in the Listed Exford Plate at Flemington on September 11.
“Hilal has always been a promising colt,” John Hawkes said on Saturday. “He (Tommy Berry) rode him well, he won, and that’s all you can do.
“We will see how he pulls up before we get too carried away, but he has bounced back today, so we will have a look and see what is coming up that might suit the colt.”
Delphi sends Caulfield Cup warning
A big win in Saturday’s G2 Neds Herbert Power S. has thrust Delphi (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) into contention for next week’s Caulfield Cup.
The 4-year-old strongly held out the late-finishing The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel) by 1l and has now won five of his nine starts.
“He’s a proper European stayer,” said jockey Damien Oliver, who rode Delphi for trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman. “He can stay on a good gallop and sustain it.
“I think he’ll give the Caulfield Cup a shake. He can put himself up on the pace and he’ll have no weight. He can sustain a gallop. When you get horses in good form out of this race, I think you’d got to really consider them.”
Mirra Vision goes one better
Narrowly beaten in the G3 Tibbie S. at Newcastle last start, Mirra Vision (Lonhro) took the next step with a slick finish to score her first stakes win in Saturday’s G3 Bentley Angst S. at Randwick.
Trained by Peter and Paul Snowden for Bennelong Bloodstock, the 5-year-old mare has now won seven of her 18 starts.
“She is airborne at the moment,” jockey Sam Clipperton said. “Peter and Paul have her in great form. She looked a treat before the race.
“It was a bit tricky from the barrier. I wasn’t sure where I was going to end up, but things panned out beautifully. I just tried to hold her together for as long as I could, just being a bit of a query at the mile. As soon as you ask her to go, she just lets it rip. She’s just a real push-button, professional racehorse and a pleasure to ride.”
Minhaaj rewards Rosemont investment
Bought for $1.8 million from Shadwell’s dispersal sale earlier this year, Minhaaj (Exceed And Excel) rewarded her new owners Rosemont Stud with a classy 1l victory in Saturday’s G3 The Nivison at Randwick.
“Congratulations to Nigel Austin and Anthony Mithen at Rosemont Stud,” trainer John O’Shea said. “They paid a bunch of money for her. I’d say that their judgment was vindicated there, because that was very impressive in a very good field.
“I think we’ll just poke along quietly and space her runs - give her a relatively light time in the spring and fire at something in the autumn.”
A family affair
Co-trainer Simon Zahra had more than one reason to celebrate after Dirty Thoughts (So You Think {NZ}) charged home to snatch a narrow victory in the G3 SENET Northwood Plume S. at Caulfield.
“I’ve got my brother and my mother and all that in it, so I’ll be number-one son tonight, that’s for sure,” Zahra said. “There’s six of us and I’m always at the bottom of the ladder.”
Dirty Thoughts | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Zahra’s training partner Mathew Ellerton paid only $16,000 to buy Dirty Thoughts at the 2019 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, and the 4-year-old mare has now banked more than $336,000 in her 12-start, five-win career.
“It’s great to have a Group 3 on the board,” Zahra said. “Mathew bought her for $16,000 and now she’s quite valuable. We just rode her a bit quieter than the way we did the other day – not that far back, but she was trucking to the line and hit the line well.”
Kahma Lass takes Weekend Hussler
G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Kahma Lass (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) picked up her first victory since last November’s Riccarton feature with a stylish performance in the Listed The Big Screen Company Weekend Hussler at Caulfield on Saturday.
An unlucky eighth when she made her seasonal debut in the G3 How Now S. on September 18, the 4-year-old produced a strong finish from the back to score in the hands of Brett Prebble.
“I thought she would improve second-up,” Prebble said. “Her work on Tuesday was really good. She really put her hand up to say that she was fit.
Brett Prebble | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“In against the boys today and with really good weight relief, we saw what she did. She’s still a bit new but has raw ability there.”
Kahma Lass is trained by Jamie Richards for Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay. She was bought for NZ$290,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis.
Sneaky Five remains undefeated
After 11 months on the sidelines, quality filly Sneaky Five (Fastnet Rock) returned to action on Saturday and kept her perfect record intact in the G3 Thoroughbred Club S. at Caulfield.
The Rosemont Stud filly made a big impression as a 2-year-old last spring with victories in the R. Listed Inglis Banner and the Golden Gift, and on Saturday she delivered again with a powerful finish down the outside of the track to score by 0.75l.
Bought for $305,000 from the 2020 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Sneaky Five has earned more than $1 million from her three-start, three-win career to date.
“Great to see her bounce back,” Eustace said. “She was obviously a long time off the track and the team have done a great job just to get her back and firing.
“To be honest, we really didn’t expect that. She is a bit of a sleeper at home. She’ll come on plenty for it.
“She had quite a tough spring campaign as a 2-year-old. She ran two races and won on a wet track. We made the decision to give her a good long break.
“She went to the farm at Rosemont, who have been really supportive the whole way through. They allowed us to take our time and tell us when she’s ready. She proved that she is and she is going to kick on from there.”
Three in a row for Lombardo
After extending his winning sequence to three with a first black-type victory in Saturday’s Listed Neds Village S. at Caulfield, a possible Group 1 bid looms for lightly raced 5-year-old Lombardo (I Am Invincible).
Ridden by Jye McNeil for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Lombardo swept to victory by 0.75l over Godolphin’s Pandemic (Sepoy). From 10 starts, Lombardo has now recorded six wins and a placing.
Price suggested that the G1 Manikato S. at Moonee Valley later this month could now be a potential target.
“It’s 13 days to the Manikato – why not? He can run along and he’s got a big stride,” Price said. “He doesn’t have to be ridden off the speed. He’s versatile. You’ve got to progress, don’t you? Given the horse handles Moonee Valley, it’s worth it.”
El Roca filly scores
Unplaced in New Zealand’s first 2-year-old race of the season at Wanganui last month, Gwen Stephani (NZ) (El Roca) took a big step forward to win Saturday’s Matamata Veterinary Services Ltd 2YO at Matamata.
Ridden by Darren Danis for trainers Team Rogerson, Gwen Stephani produced a powerful late run to reel in the favourite Order To Charge (NZ) (War Decree {USA}) and score by 1.3l.
“She has just improved out of sight from Wanganui, and I think that first run was a lot better than it looked,” Graeme Rogerson said.
“Her work has been superb and she galloped with one of my other good juveniles in Gibraltar Rising (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) during the week and more than held her own.
“She’s a very strong filly and I’m going to have to sit down and work out what we do with her. I am thinking about taking a couple of the 2-year-olds down to Riccarton for the stakes race there (the Listed Welcome S. on November 13), so she is a candidate for that, along with Gibraltar Rising.”
Gwen Stephani was a $50,000 purchase by Rogerson Bloodstock at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
Weight no barrier for Vernanme
In a tough weight-carrying performance, Vernanme (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) lugged 60 kilograms to an emphatic victory in Saturday’s Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup.
A brother to Group 1 winners Shamrocker (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) and Rock Diva (NZ) (Lucky Unicorn) and Group 2 winner Bohemian Lily (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), Vernanme has now won five of his 24 starts. The Matamata Cup was his third black-type win, having previously claimed the G3 Taranaki Cup and Listed Karaka Classic. He has also been a Group 1 placegetter in the Levin Classic.
“That was just awesome,” trainer Stephen Marsh said. “He had 60 kilograms on his back and won it like the good horse he is.
“I was worried at the 500, Frontman (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) looked like he was travelling easily and had a five-kilogram pull in the weights on us. But my guy got his momentum up and did it very well in the closing stages.”
Vernanme is now likely to target the G2 Tauranga S. on November 13.
Veteran mare upsets
An upset victory by 9-year-old mare Magic Incanto (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) in Saturday’s G3 Wyndspelle @ Grangewilliam Stud Taranaki Breeders’ S. at Hawera delivered a first black-type success for Hawke’s Bay trainer Fred Pratt, who still rides his own work at the age of 63.
“That is definitely my biggest win,” Pratt said. “I started off as a jockey before I got into training for a few good clients back in the late ‘80s.
“I also spent 17 years in Australia riding and working as a foreman for the late Jim Marconi, before I came home and did a couple more years training before doing five years at the Whakatu meatworks.
“I got back into training when one of the owners of this mare (Magic Incanto) asked me to take her on.”
