Hayes mare cherry ripe
Classy mare Zayydani (NZ) (Savabeel) is cherry-ripe ahead of her raid on Saturday’s Listed Sportsbet Ballarat Cup, according to Ben Hayes.
Hayes, who trains the last-start G2 Matriarch S. winner in partnership with his brother JD, said the 5-year-old has trained on since her stakes Day romp.
Zayydani (NZ)
“She’s come through the run in great order, we can’t fault her as she worked excellent on Tuesday,” Hayes told RSN.
Rupee ready to silence the critics
Robert Price has cast aside commentary that his gun gelding Count De Rupee (Real Impact {Jpn}) isn’t capable of running out a strong mile in Saturday’s $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange.
Price, who trains in partnership with his son Luke, conceded that it will be a tough ask from barrier 17, however, he is confident his galloper has the quality to overcome the draw.
“Luke and I both believe he will run a strong 1600 metres. But this is a way of putting our toes in the water at the mile and if the horse fails then we are happy to bring him back to sprinting,” Price told Racenet.
“It (Golden Eagle) was only his third start this campaign, coming off the back of a nice spell and it proved what a great athlete he is. Not many horses go straight to a mile and perform at this level so after three runs this time in he has had the right preparation to run the 1600 metres.”
Cup runners headline Inglis Digital
One-time G1 Melbourne Cup contenders Southern France (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Dashing Willoughby (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire) headline the Inglis Digital November (Late) Sale, which opened on Friday.
Lot 5 - Dashing Willoughby (GB) | Image courtesy of Inglis Digital
A G2 Zipping Classic winner for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace in 2019, Southern France was last seen finishing 13.8l fifth behind Incentivise (Shamus Award) in the G3 Tattersalls Cup.
A multiple stakes winner in England, Dashing Willoughby didn’t measure up in last year’s G1 Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and has struggled to replicate his best form in three runs this spring for Chris Waller.
Capitalist and Rupert keep on Winning
Newgate Farm’s prolific second-season sire Capitalist notched his 20th winner for the season via the maiden victory of Capital Gamble at Ipswich on Friday.
Winning Rupert | Standing at Newgate Farm
Capitalist’s barnmate Winning Rupert brought up his fifth winner for the season when the Toby and Trent Edmonds-trained White House Gold broke through at start number two at Grafton on Friday.
Blue Solider up to the task
David Payne believes Blue Solider (USA) (Declaration Of War {USA}) to be the forgotten horse in Saturday’s $1 million The Gong at Kembla Grange.
Payne said the Irish-import, who was a Listed winner and Group 2 placed as a 2-year-old has continued to progress since breaking through at his fourth start on Australian soil in the Listed Ladies' Day Cup at Hawkesbury on November 4.
“This is a much stronger field so I can understand why he is such good odds again but I’m really happy with how the horse is going,’’ Payne told Racenet.
“He has drawn a good barrier; he has a lightweight and it looks like he will be on a drier track so who knows?”
Balfour seeks Ballarat victory
Ryan Balfour is hoping Ballarat can prove a happy hunting ground once again when he saddles up Outlaws Revenge (Reward For Effort) in Saturday’s Magic Millions 3 and 4-Year-Old Classic.
Balfour, who won last year’s VOBIS Gold Eureka Stockade with Tradewind (Trust In A Gust), said Outlaws Revenge has travelled over in superb order after impressing on resumption at Morphettville earlier this month.
Ryan Balfour
"We were rapt with his return. We knew the 1000-metres would be a bit sharp for him, but he ran super, he did his best work late and got beat by a good horse,” Balfour told Racing.com.
"It's a really nice race for him, I think he'll eat up the extra distance and getting onto a bigger track than the (Morphettville) Parks will suit.”
Breeding awards rescheduled
The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Ebbett VW National Breeding Awards will now be held in February 2022, with the winners to be revealed in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
From December 3, each of the Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year sponsored by Arion Pedigrees, New Zealand Small Breeder of the Year sponsored by Luigi Muollo and Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan New Zealand Breeder of the Year will be announced each week.
The Group 1 awards; Personality and Mary Lynne Ryan Young Achiever Awards will be announced in February at the breeding awards event.
“It is unfortunate the awards have had to be pushed to next year though it is important to be able to celebrate our breeders’ success,” NZTBA Chief Executive Justine Sclater said.
“It is a case of making the best of the situation and giving the award winners the recognition they deserve.”
Sixty to step out
Hong Kong’s highest-rated galloper Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro) will make his much-anticipated racetrack return in Sunday’s G2 Jockey Club Mile.
Victory in the feature contest would take the 6-year-old entire's winning streak to 15.
“Mentally, I think even better (this season)," Golden Sixty’s jockey Vincent Ho told Racing.com.
"He started off a little bit heavy, which he never did, but lucky he's a really easy horse to train up and with some gallops and some trials, he's already up to his good fitness, so we're happy with that."
Mehmas colt tops final Goffs session
Lot 813, a colt by Mehmas (Ire) brought top billing on the fourth and final day of the Goffs November Foal Sale when selling to Tally-Ho Stud for €70,000 (AU$110,000). He was offered by his breeder Golden Vale Stud.
Overall, the Goffs November Foal Sale returned solid results with €25,560,300 (AU$40 million) worth of foals sold over the four days at an average of €34,666 (AU$54,000) and a median of €22,000 (AU$34,000). The clearance rate was a healthy 82 per cent.
Mitole colt brings top billing
A first-crop Mitole (USA) colt topped the second Book 5 session at the Keeneland November Sale on Thursday when knocked down to Rexy Bloodstock for US$100,000 (AU$137,000).
Mitole (USA) | Standing at Spendthrift Farm
Hip 3154 was consigned by Hill ‘N’ Dale's Sales Agency on behalf of Vinny Viola’s St. Elias Stables.
A total of 289 horses sold on Thursday for a gross of US$3,931,400 (AU$5.4 million) at an average of US$13,603 (AU$19,000) and a median of US$9000 (AU$12,000).
Through the first nine days of the 10-day Sale, 2239 head have amassed US$194,463,100 (AU$267.2 million) for an average of US$86,853 (AU$120,000) and a median of US$40,000 (AU$55,000).
