Pike eyes Group 1 prize
William Pike is unwavering in his belief that talented mare Graceful Girl (Nicconi) can turn the tables on Elite Street (Street Boss {USA}) in Saturday’s G1 Winterbottom S. at Ascot.
The star WA-based hoop said the lightly raced Bob Peters-owned 4-year-old is ready to rise to the occasion after a finishing 0.6l second behind the Daniel Morton-trained gelding.
Graceful Girl (pink and white cap)
"She ran a great race the other day, got beat, 0.75l by Elite Street. She's got the right attitude this horse," Pike told Racing.com.
"All I can really say is that if I can get a bit of luck around the bend, I know she'll be attacking the line and I'm sure she'll be in it at some stage."
Timing is right for Festival Dancer
Matthew Smith believes there is a sense of timing around Festival Dancer’s (Choisir) raid on Saturday’s G2 Sandown Guineas at Caulfield.
Smith isn’t fazed about his impressive last start G3 Spring S. winner being the lone filly in the race, saying his rising star is ‘in the zone’.
Festival Dancer
“It’s purely about timing as she’s in the zone but she’s never had a trip away and never gone the Melbourne way so there’s a few things we’ve got to overcome,” Smith told Racenet.
“So, I won’t be going down there thinking she’s just going to win, that’s for sure but we’re going down there thinking she’ll run well.”
Class on display at Gosford
Well-bred Kia Ora-owned homebred Rejoiced (Redoute’s Choice) kickstarted his career in winning style with a 0.2l debut victory at Gosford on Wednesday.
Trained by Annabel Neasham, Rejoiced is out of Encosta De Lago mare Joy Toy, who is a half-sister to Champion mare More Joyous (More Than Ready {USA}). The duo are out of G1 Australian Oaks winner Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence {Jpn}).
Newgate Farm stallion Capitalist notched his 30th win for the season after Girl Mania backed up her dominant maiden victory at Wyong with success in the fourth event at Gosford.
SAJC records solid operating profit
The South Australian Jockey Club has enjoyed a strong 2020/21 financial year, announcing an operating profit of $414,000.
The result was achieved despite income from operating activities dropping by $2.8 million due to COVID-19 restrictions reducing the number of events held from 118 in 2019/20 to 68.
“This is a very pleasing result given the challenges we have faced over the past 12 months,” SAJC CEO Grant Mayer said.
“It’s an indication of the innovation and agility we have built into our operations in the face of COVID and reflects a continuation of the positive trajectory we have created for our business over the past six years.”
Cumani sweats on Zipping clearance
OTI Racing-owned stayer Future Score (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) could be allowed to run in Saturday’s G2 Zipping Classic at Caulfield despite there being no change in his condition since being ruled unfit to start in the G1 Melbourne Cup.
The Matt Cumani-trained gelding, who passed all pre-Melbourne Cup vet checks was scratched from the Flemington feature on race morning over concerns about the presence of a screw in one of his forelegs.
Future Score (Ire)
“It’s all dependent on what the vets say, it’s in their hands but the scientists, the guys that would know, tell me that it’s more of a protective quality,” Cumani told Racenet.
“We’re comfortable that the screw in there itself is not a danger. I can understand their (Racing Victoria vets) point of view, but the fact is the horse has been like that for a good 18 months and he actually won the (Listed) Cranbourne Cup like that.”
Blinkers for Blood
Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) will sport blinkers when he resumes in the G3 George Moore S. on December 4 after carrying the head gear en route to a soft trial victory at Doomben on Tuesday.
The G1 Australian Guineas winner clocked 57.70s over 1000 metres, closing strongly to finish the better of Sugar Boom (Spirit Of Boom) in the quickest time of the morning.
Alligator Blood
"We just thought we'd throw them (blinkers) on and sharpen him up that touch. They will definitely be on for the George Moore and whether they stay on for the rest of the prep, we'll see,” Alligator Blood’s trainer Billy Healey told Racing.com.
"In a race that's going to have enormous speed, the George Moore, we probably need that extra card up our sleeve when you're trying to run down horses like Zoustyle."
Kheir secures smart filly
Smart filly Unusual Culture’s (NZ) (Unusual Suspect {USA}) brief New Zealand career is set to come to a conclusion following Saturday’s G3 Lucia Valentina Wellington S. at Otaki after prominent owner Ozzie Kheir acquired the Fraser Auret-trained 3-year-old.
An effortless 4l winner of her only career start to date, Unusual Culture will carry Kheir’s colours on Saturday and is likely to be trained by a Victorian-based stable.
Unusual Culture (NZ)
“She is a gorgeous horse and there is a lot of depth in that field. You would certainly say that she is the new kid on the block and got a fair bit to learn, but I really do think she has a very bright future,” Auret said.
Hypnos ready to soar
Group 1-performed gelding Hypnos (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) is in fine fettle ahead of Saturday’s G3 Eagle Technology S. at Te Aroha, according to Roger James.
James, who trains the 6-year-old in partnership with Robert Wellwood, said his galloper has trained on since finishing second behind Justaskme (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}) in the G2 Tauranga S. on November 13.
Hypnos (NZ)
“He hit the front probably a bit too early last start, but I am happy enough with him,” James said.
“There is no doubt that a good draw is a big help, and it will be an assist for him because we can ride him where we want to from (barrier) six without doing any work, whereas if you start using him at the beginning of the race, he can get quite aggressive.”
Kisukano primed for Eagle Farm feature
Michael Nolan is convinced high-class galloper Kisukano (Bel Esprit) can boost her broodmare status with a maiden stakes victory in Saturday’s Listed Eureka Stud Fillies And Mares Classic at Eagle Farm.
A winner of seven career starts to date, the Group-placed Kisukano boasts a 2l victory over subsequent G2 Run To The Rose winner Rothfire (Rothesay) in last year’s $500,000 Aquis QTIS Jewel 2YO at the Gold Coast.
“She had a 900 metre jump-out here in Toowoomba last week which she won easily and that was probably as good as I have ever seen her jump-out, it was an open jump-out with some decent horses in it,” Nolan told Racenet.
“To me she seems to be going very good, I think she is in really good shape and if she won this on Saturday, you know what broodmares are worth, it’s all about black type for these sorts of mares.”
Godolphin wins fourth consecutive John Deere Award
For the fourth consecutive year Godolphin has won the John Deere Award, which honours the outstanding breeder of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup World Championships and the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.
Godolphin-bred runners, including Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) earned 68 points by winning three Breeders’ Cup World Championship races and five Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races.
Japan’s Northern Farm finished second with 40 points while St. George Stables rounded out the minor placings with 36 points.
Erhaab passes at 30
Shadwell’s 1994 G1 Epsom Derby winner Erhaab (USA) passed away earlier this week at Batsford Stud aged 30.
Bred by Sheikh Hamdan’s Kentucky-based operation, Erhaab was trained by John Dunlop and retired with a record of 11-4-2-2 following a suspensory ligament injury.
He stood in Japan, Kentucky and at Shadwell’s Beech House Stud before later becoming a jumps stallion at Wood Farm Stud and Batsford Stud.
Zarak share heads Arqana Online
Bloodstock agent Charlie Gordon-Watson purchased a 1/50th share in His Highness The Aga Khan’s promising young stallion Zarak (Fr) for €350,000 (AU$546,000) to top the Arqana Online Sale on Tuesday.
Zarak (Fr) | Standing at Haras de Bonneval
The 2017 G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud-winning son of Dubawi (Ire) has already sired the Group 1-placed Times Square (Fr) and Purplepay (Ire).
Fellow first-season sire Zelzal (Fr), who stands at Haras de Bouquetot also proved popular, with Meridian International’s Ghislain Bozo paying €125,000 (AU$195,000) for a 1/50th share in the G1 Prix Jean Prat winner.
