Stewards explain Cox Plate call
Racing Victoria chief steward Robert Cram has explained the decision not to uphold the protest in Saturday's G1 Cox Plate.
Craig Williams, aboard second-placed Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) lodged an objection against the winner State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) for interference inside the final 100 metres.
State Of Rest (Ire)
"I could see there was a possibility of a protest being lodged and it could be a situation that might need to be considered by the stewards," Cram told Racing.com.
"There was clearly an incident there. John Allen (State Of Rest) does shift in and brush Anamoe (Craig Williams) for two strides and then comes off and they ride their respective horse to the end of the race.
"Craig gave evidence his horse was taken off its line and John Allen said the incident didn’t make a difference to the result and we debated that. It was clear that State Of Rest did shift in passing the 100 metres and brush Anamoe, and Anamoe was taken off his line of galloping at that stage.
"He (Williams) had approximately 13 strides to pick up State Of Rest but was unable to do so.
"It wasn’t clear-cut. We debated the issue strongly during that 25-30 min interval and it took us some time to analyse it.
"There were five voting stewards and after stewards heard the evidence the votes were taken and the majority of votes ruled."
Meanwhile, Joseph O'Brien's foreman Mark Power indicated that State Of Rest could contest Saturday week's G1 Mackinnon S. at Flemington.
Neasham delighted with Eagle pair
Annabel Neasham is pleased with how her two international contenders for the $7.5 million Golden Eagle, Laws Of Indices (GB) (Power {GB}) and Reve De Vol (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), have come through quarantine.
The pair have stepped up their preparation for the Rosehill feature, with their trainer telling Racenet, all was in readiness.
“They are lovely horses and they’ve settled in beautifully,” Neasham said. "They were pretty fit when they arrived so we haven’t done a lot with them. It’s mainly been about keeping them up to the mark.”
Laws Of Indices is coming off a Group 1 win at Deauville in July.
“He’s a magnificent horse with a great action and he gives you a beautiful feel,” Neasham said. “He goes on all ground too which is a big plus heading into a race like this in Sydney at this time of the year.”
Reve De Vol was placed second in a G3 2000-metre race at The Curragh at his most recent start.
“He works as good as Laws Of Indices and has freshened up quite nicely,” she said. “I quite like him.”
Jonker's magic plan
Tony Gollan has decided to send G1 Manikato S. winner Jonker (Spirit Of Boom) for a spell with a view to a first-up defence of his Magic Millions Sprint crown in January.
Gollan has decided against travelling the 6-year-old to Perth to contest the G1 Winterbottom S. in December. He will only give Jonker one run over the summer at the Magic Millions with an eye towards keeping him fresh for another Victorian campaign during the autumn, targeted at the race his sire son, the G1 William Reid S.
Jonker
“I am pretty keen to have a crack at the William Reid with him, then I will talk to the owners about a winter campaign, probably the (Doomben) 10,000 and Kingsford-Smith back here,” Gollan told Racenet.
“He will just have that one run during the summer and that is it.”
Shalaas stay strong
Arrowfield Stud's Shalaa (Ire) has maintained his lead as the leading producer of winners by second-season sires on Sunday with Pool Pony becoming his 13th Australian winner of the season on Sunday.
The Stuart Kendrick-trained gelding broke his maiden at start number three to continue a strong weekend for his sir, who had Semillion win the R. Listed Inglis Banner on Saturday.
Star Turn had his 12th Australian winner of the season with Impact Star victorious at Port Macquarie, while Flying Artie had his 10th winner, via Demands Galore at Coonabarabran and Astern his seventh winner with Dangers at Sale.
$1 million pinhook wins on debut
Super Fortune (Zoustar), a one-time $1 million Inglis Easter Yearling Sale graduate, was a super impressive debut winner at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Trained by Tony Cruz, the Zoustar gelding was a 2.8l winner over the 1000 metre contest.
A half-brother to stakes winner Bullpit (Speed N' Power {NZ}), Super Fortune was originally a $200,000 purchase for Suman Hedge Bloodstock through the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale before fetching $1 million from Orbis Bloodstock through the Milburne Creek draft at the 2019 Inglis Easter Sale.
J-Mac booked for Cup
James McDonald has secured the ride on Away He Goes (Ire) (Farhh {GB}) in the G1 Melbourne Cup for trainer Ismail Mohammed.
McDonald didn't ride on Saturday's G1 Cox Plate after pre-race favourite Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) was a scratching on race morning, but will be part of the action in the Flemington feature, which he is yet to win.
McDonald finished second aboard Fiorente (Ire) in the 2012 Melbourne Cup and was third on Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) in 2016.
McEvoy misses Derby ride
Kerrin McEvoy will miss riding at Flemington on Victoria Derby Day after opting to start a suspension incurred at Randwick on Saturday immediately.
McEvoy's decision will ensure he can attempt a fourth win in the G1 Melbourne Cup, where he is engaged on the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Grand Promenade (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}).
He was handed a four-meeting suspension after pleading guilty to a careless riding charge out of the Bondi S. That means he won't be able to ride James Cummings-trained Alegron (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G1 Victoria Derby.
Prebble has no weight worry
The extra 1.5 kg allotted to ruling G1 Melbourne Cup favourite Incentivise (Shamus Award) does not concern his jockey Brett Prebble.
Incentivise, who was so impressive winning the G1 Caulfield Cup, wlll now carry 57kg in the famous Flemington 3200 metre handicap.
Incentivise
“In my book he has earned the weight, he has won three Group 1s and he is the Caulfield Cup winner,” Prebble told the Herald-Sun.
“I know those wins have been compressed in a short space of time but it is what it is, most horses can’t win one of these races in their entire careers. He is winning by margins and he is running time.
“It is a decent task that he will face in the Melbourne Cup, but at the same time he has put his hand up to say he is a very serious horse.
“I don’t think it (the Melbourne Cup weight) will be a huge issue for him, I don’t have any problems with the penalty he got.”
Richards waits and sees on Probabeel
Trainer Jamie Richards said a decision on whether star mare Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) continues on a spring campaign or heads to the spelling paddock will be made in the coming days.
The four-time Group 1-winning daughter of Savabeel finished fifth on a suitable wet track in Saturday's G1 Cox Plate.
"As soon as the rain came it was game over pretty much,” Richards said. “We were actually tossing up about late scratching her, but as the track wasn’t downgraded during the day, we had no option but to go around."
“I thought she was very brave, but when Brett (Prebble) let her head go at the 600m she was just spinning her wheels from then on.
“We will now take a few days and see how she is before we make any further decisions with her.
“She left a little feed last night which she hasn’t been doing in this campaign, so it might be time for a break, but that decision won’t be made until the dust settles.”
Pittmans set new mark
The Michael and Matthew Pitman training partnership registered another significant milestone with the win of Okay Pal (Dissident) at Riccarton on Saturday,
The victory was the 400th for Matthew since he commenced in partnership with his father back in the 2014/15 racing season and comes hard off the back of Michael moving into second place on the all-time New Zealand trainers by domestic wins with 1878 victories to his name.
Okay Pal
The moment wasn’t lost on the younger Pitman who joined the family business straight after leaving secondary school.
“It was a special moment on Saturday as there are not many trainers who get to that number (400) in their career,” he said. “In saying that I was under no illusion when I left school that I was walking into a fantastic set-up that Mum and Dad had established and I was extremely fortunate to become a part of that.
“I guess I was always going to be involved given we had grown up with it, but I like to think I have learned off the best and that is something not a lot of people get to do."
