Incentivise draws 16 for Cup
Melbourne Cup favourite Incentivise (Shamus Award) will jump from gate 16 in his bid to become the first horse in two decades to complete the famous Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double.
The boom Queenslander, who joined the Melbourne stable of Peter Moody this spring, will be ridden by Brett Prebble in his quest to become the first to do the double since Kiwi mare Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm {USA}) in 2001.
“No dramas – the draw is probably ideal,” Moody told Racing.com. “We’ll get a good run from there. He’s a roll-forward type of horse. When we have a look at the race, we’ll weigh up what might happen tempo-wise, but he probably didn’t want to draw too low and have to dig up.”
Second favourite Spanish Mission (USA) (Noble Mission {GB}) has drawn nearby in gate 14, while nine-time Group 1 winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) was confirmed as a starter on Saturday and will jump from gate 19. Notably, the Chris Waller-trained star will join forces with James McDonald, who has ridden her to nine previous victories including the G1 Vinery Stud S., Australian Oaks, Tancred S., Winx S., Chipping Norton S., Ranvet S. and George Main S.
Green light for Spanish Mission
Second favourite Spanish Mission (USA) (Noble Mission {GB}) has been given the all-clear to line up in the Lexus Melbourne Cup at Flemington on Tuesday.
The 6-year-old failed a Racing Victoria veterinary examination on Thursday, displaying signs of lameness in the right foreleg. The swelling had gone down on Friday, but there was still some heat in the area when Spanish Mission was inspected again, prompting a trip to a Werribee veterinary clinic and a third examination on Saturday morning.
But a panel of three vets has now given Spanish Mission the green light to be among final acceptances for the Melbourne Cup later on Saturday afternoon. The Andrew Balding-trained runner has drawn gate 14 and will be ridden by Craig Williams.
Think It Over cracks $3 million
With victory in Saturday’s $750,000 Kypreos Group Rosehill Gold Cup, accomplished 6-year-old Think It Over (So You Think {NZ}) took his stakes earnings through the $3 million barrier.
Trained by Kerry Parker at Kembla Grange, Think It Over has now won 10 of his 30 starts and more than $3.2 million for owner-breeders Bylong Park. He has won six Group races, headed by this year’s G1 George Ryder S.
Think It Over | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“For this horse to keep doing what he’s doing, it’s just sensational,” Parker said. “He’s in a terrific place, he’s enjoying it as much as we are. The horse is absolutely thriving and he’s loved every moment of this preparation and it’s just super to get that job done.
“From the day he walked in, we always knew we had a good horse, but you don’t know how good. We kept thinking, ‘We haven’t got to the bottom of him yet.’ He was pretty casual in his work, he’d only just do enough. It’s not as if he goes out there and runs time and you think, we’ve got a freak. He’s just been one that has been a building process every preparation. He’s come back stronger and more mature mentally, and I think all those things are what’s showing now and he’s just really enjoying his racing.”
Kiss Sum wins inaugural The Four Pillars
Wyong-trained 3-year-old Kiss Sum (Shamus Award) secured a place in New South Wales racing history on Saturday as the winner of the inaugural $700,000 The Four Pillars at Rosehill for Midway-eligible horses.
Ridden by Jason Collett for trainer Tracey Bartley, Kiss Sum dived through along the rails for a last-gasp 1l victory – the third win of a seven-start career.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good one like Sniper’s Bullet,” Bartley said. “You wait for another good horse to come along. I had mine when I was a young fellow, and to get another really serious horse is great. We work hard. Lots and lots of hours go into these horses, they just don’t make it overnight. It’s been a well-executed plan.”
The Mission sires first winner
Aquis Farm stallion The Mission sired his first winner when Mishani Warfare took out Saturday’s Moet & Chandon 2YO H. at Eagle Farm.
The Mission | Standing at Aquis Farm
Ridden by Jackson Morris, the 2-year-old scored by 1.75l from Mishani Persuasion (Heroic Valour) in a stable quinella for local trainer Les Ross.
G1 Champagne S. winner The Mission stands at Aquis Farm Canungra for a service fee of $8,800 (inc GST). The son of Choisir has now had a winner and a placegetter from seven first-crop starters to date.
Career high for Kiwi sprinter
New Zealand sprinter Justacanta (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) added a second stakes win to a highly successful stint in Australia in Saturday’s G2 TAB Not One Day Linlithgow S. at Flemington.
Group 3-placed and a six-time winner across the Tasman, Justacanta joined Patrick Payne’s stable this spring and won the Listed Paris Lane S. at Flemington in early October. He placed in the G3 Moonga S. at Caulfield two weeks ago, then returned to Flemington for another exciting win from off the pace. Ridden by Dean Yendall, he got up to beat Kemalpasa (Magnus) by 0.1l.
“Patrick was pretty keen on him on the way he’d been working and the way he’d been looking going into today,” Yendall said. “He did think it might be a bit strong for him, but it was worth a throw at the stumps. We hit that middle wicket and really knocked those bails clean off today.
“I thought I had plenty in hand and he attacked the line well. I probably rode him a bit ‘good’ at Caulfield. He didn’t find the line, whereas the start before here he got held up and was really strong to the line.”
Minhaaj goes back-to-back
Three weeks after winning the G3 The Nivison at Randwick, Rosemont Stud’s recent recruit Minhaaj (Exceed And Excel) went back-to-back with another valuable Group 3 victory in Saturday’s Furphy Sprint at Flemington.
Minhaaj | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The Rosemont team paid $1.8 million to buy the mare from Shadwell’s Unreserved Dispersal at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in late May.
“She was a great buy,” Rosemont’s Pat Mithen said on Saturday. “Really exciting for the stud to have her race, and race and race so well, and the all the residual value that’s left in her. I’m looking forward to seeing what else is in store.”
Favourite Fangirl delivers
Exciting filly Fangirl (Sebring) lived up to her hot favouritism with a dominant 3l victory in the opening race of the Flemington carnival on Saturday, the G3 Paramount+ Carbine Club S.
Trained by Chris Waller for Ingham Racing, Fangirl has now had five starts for three wins and a placing.
“She’s very smart,” jockey James McDonald said. “She’s been a work in progress. I could say that she should be almost unbeaten, to be fair. She had no luck early doors and is reaping the rewards.
“She’s very well educated, she knows what she’s doing. A spectacular win. No doubt she’ll be a filly on the rise, and I’m sure she’ll be figuring in all of those Group 1 races.”
Second stakes success for House Of Cartier
Well-bred mare House Of Cartier (Alamosa {NZ}) brought up the second black-type win of her career with a dominant 3.5l romp in Saturday’s Listed Ricoh Feilding Gold Cup at Awapuni.
House Of Cartier | Image courtesy of Grant Matthew
A daughter of multiple Group 1 winner Shez Sinsational (NZ) (Ekraar {USA}), the 6-year-old has won five races for owner-breeders Bill Gleeson and Pee Gee Bloodstock. She won the G3 Metric Mile at Awapuni in late September, and in between times finished fifth in the G1 Livamol Classic at Hastings – beaten only 1.5l by the winner Savy Yong Blonk (NZ) (Savabeel).
House Of Cartier was the second winner at Awapuni on Saturday for trainer Peter Didham, who also saddled the 3-year-old Morus (NZ) (Savabeel) for a debut victory in maiden grade. It was an impressive come-from-behind performance by Morus, whose dam Include (NZ) (Gallant Guru) was a three-time Listed winner.
Listed win for Frontman
Last season’s G1 New Zealand Derby placegetter Frontman (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) claimed the first stakes win of his career with a strong finish to score by 0.75l in Saturday’s Listed PRH Transport Trophy at Tauranga.
Frontman (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright
Trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, the full brother to multiple Group 1 winner Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) has now had three wins and three placings from 10 starts. He made two appearances in Sydney in the autumn, finishing eighth in the G2 Tulloch S. and seventh in the G1 Australian Derby.
Frontman became the sixth individual stakes winner for his dam Imposingly (Zabeel {NZ}), who is also the dam of Bonneval, Group 2 winner Lord Arthur (Camelot {GB}), and Group 3 winners Imposing Lass (NZ) (Makfi), Full Of Spirit (Flying Spur) and Lady Cumquat (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}).
Go Racing quinella
Kiwi syndicators Go Racing celebrated a big result in Saturday’s Fujitsu General H. at Rosehill, finishing first and second.
Mightybeel (NZ) (Savabeel) was sent out as a $1.90 favourite in a six-horse field, but it was the $7.50 chance Lord Ardmore (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) who came out on top with a 1.9l victory. Both horses are trained by Chris Waller.
Lord Ardmore was a NZ$65,000 purchase from the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. He was a winner in New Zealand earlier in his career, and also finished fourth in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas. He has now earned over $120,000 in stakes.
