Arc plans on track for Verry Elleegant
Champion trainer Chris Waller has confirmed G1 Melbourne Cup hero Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) is in line to contest the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe in Paris next September.
Speaking to media in Great Britain, Waller said Verry Elleegant had come through her Melbourne Cup win well and would likely head overseas in 2022 with stablemates Nature Strip (Nicconi) and Home Affairs (I Am Invincible).
Verry Elleegant (NZ) | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"The owners raised the idea (of the Arc) last year and I wasn't quite as keen, but I think now is a good time to do it," Waller said.
"The beauty of Verry Elleegant is that she is adaptable over all distances. She's won a Group 1 race over 1400 metres through to 3200 metres now and she's won in all conditions.
"A very firm surface is no problem and a very wet surface, she is almost as effective. To me that is the right type of horse to travel.
"She's a very clean-winded horse who doesn't need a lot of work. She can do her work here in Australia and pick out two or three races over there."
Group 1 aims for Red Can Man
Trainer Steve Wolfe is confident his stable star Red Can Man (Gingerbread Man) can make an impression in Saturday's G1 Winterbottom S.
The 5-year-old has returned home from a two-month long campaign in Melbourne, which was highlighted by his win in the G3 Sir John Monash S., at Caulfield in July.
"It was good to get one of those wins, and with a bit of luck, he might've got two," Wolfe told Racing.com.
"David (Brideoake) did a good job with him over there given the circumstances, if things had panned out a bit better, I would have gone over with him.
"With COVID the way it is, we thought we would bring him home."
After a fourth in the G3 Colonel Reeves S., Wolfe is expecting an improved showing on Saturday.
"We couldn't be happier with him, he had a few problems when he got home from Melbourne, obviously the truck trip home took a bit out of him and put us a bit behind the eight ball," he said.
Media Award heads to paddock
G1 Schweppes Oaks winner Media Award (Shamus Award) has been spelled, with connections keen to have her at her best for the autumn.
Media Award had two runs in Sydney this preparation, contesting The Invitation and the Golden Eagle, finishing eight and 16th.
Media Award
"Her first run in Sydney, we thought she should have finished top two or three, rapt with the run, very proud of her, she ran really well, she ran eighth, beaten 3l," her trainer Chris Calthorpe told Racing.com.
"In the (Golden) Eagle, we rode her forward, which was against her pattern, we sort of tried to ride the race, not the horse.
"Instead of keeping her up for an extra three or four weeks, and giving her one (extra run), we'll give her a nice spell and then get her back and hopefully have her ready for the autumn, whether it's Australian Cup, All-Star Mile, whatever it is."
Healey happy for good Patch
Sunshine Coast trainer Billy Healey is happy to see his former sprinter Paleontologist - now named Lucky Patch (NZ) (El Roca) on his path to Group 1 glory in Hong Kong.
Lucky Patch, prepared by Francis Lui, has now won back-to-back Group 2 features and is one of the leading hopes for the G1 Hong Kong Sprint next month, much to the delight of his former trainer.
“Deep down you are very proud because he did start his career here, we educated him and kicked his career off to get him to where he is,” Healey told Racenet.
Lucky Patch (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“Obviously they have kept him going over there but he was spotless in anything he did here, he was never beaten in a jump-out, trial or a race for us.
“He would be the toughest horse I have ever put a bridle on. Funny enough he didn’t show much early days but he always continued to improve so it just shows you can’t write them off too early because they can mature into a good horse.”
Healey confirmed stable star Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) will resume in Saturday week's Listed George Moore S.
Begg's Guineas Gem
Grahame Begg believes Cardinal Gem (Choisir) can be a major player in Saturday's G3 Sandown Guineas at Caulfield after a strong run in Listed company at Flemington last time out.
"We'd like to think he'd get a run; he ran very well in the lead-up race, and we earmarked the Sandown Guineas for him some months ago when they changed the race to this current date," he told Racing.com.
Grahame Begg
"We've geared him up towards this race. We don't know he can run a mile, but neither I guess do a lot of the others.
"We think he'll be right on song."
Auckland program changes
With Auckland border restrictions set to continue until December 15, racing in the region has responded accordingly.
The meeting set to take place at Ellerslie on December 4 has been transferred to Matamata, while the twilight meeting on December 9 has been cancelled.
As a result, the Tauranga meeting on December 10 will now be run for feature stake money.
Turner a man of many trades
Palmerston North builders' apprentice, farmer and jockey Dylan Turner is hoping to build on his strong start to his riding career, having had six winners from 41 starts.
The 27-year-old has plenty on his plate away from racing, juggling race riding on the weekends with a building apprenticeship Monday to Friday, in addition to milking cows on a daily basis.
“I’m sort of flat out. I’m up at 3.30 every morning to milk cows, and then 6.30 to go building, and I don’t get home until about 6pm,” he said.
“Everyone knows I’m only riding weekends because I’m building through the week, but my riding is at a stage where I’m rapt with it.”
With his building work shutting down for three weeks, Turner will be more available on racedays during the Christmas-New Year break, looking to ride 10 days during his 21-day break.
Turner will also use that period to decide whether he starts riding two days a week in 2022, which could see his building work move back to four days a week.
“I’m still up in the air whether I go back riding full-time once I finish my building apprenticeship,” he said.
“I’m going to have a good, hard think about it over Christmas.”
Leofric on the move
Grade 1 winner Leofric (USA), a son of Candy Ride (Arg) who had been standing at Rockridge Stud in New York, will relocate to Darby Dan Farm in Kentucky for the 2022 breeding season. The 8-year-old stallion will stand for US$7500 (AU$10,300)
“There's a lot to like about Leofric. He has a stallion's pedigree, and his first foals are outstanding,” said Ryan Norton, stallion director at Darby Dan Farm.
“Being a Grade 1 winner by Candy Ride, it makes a lot of sense to bring him to Kentucky now to give him every opportunity to succeed as a stallion and carry on his sire's legacy. We are excited to share him with breeders.”
Leofric won the 2018 G1 Clark H., G2 Hagyard Fayette S., and G3 West Virginia Governor's S. He was third in that year's G1 Woodward S. On the board in 12 of 14 starts, he won eight times and earned neatly US$1 million (AU$1.38 million) for owner Steve Landers Racing and trainer Brad Cox.
