Queensland carnival receives cash boost
Racing Queensland has announced a significant prizemoney boost to eight stakes races across its feature winter carnival.
The G1 Queensland Derby and G1 Doomben Cup will each rise to $1 million, up from $600,000 and $700,000 respectively.
Zaaki (GB) winning the 2021 G1 Doomben Cup
The G1 Queensland Oaks and G1 Tattersall’s Tiara will see a $100,000 increase, bringing their total purse to $700,000 while the G3 BRC Sprint rises to $250,000 from $175,000 and the G2 Moreton Cup rises to $250,000 from $200,000.
Further Queensland Carnival increases will be provided at Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast including the Listed Eye Liner S. and G3 Winx Guineas which will both rise from $175,000 to $200,000.
Positive news for Purton
Zac Purton appears to have escaped serious injury following a horror four-horse fall which marred Sunday’s running of the G1 Hong Kong Sprint at Sha Tin.
Zac Purton
Purton, who sustained broken ribs and damage to his nose in the fall, told Racing.com on Monday morning that he was sore but otherwise okay.
Third winner for Invader
The Kacy Fogden-trained Battledance became Aquis Farm stallion Invader’s third winner from as many runners to date when saluting at Rockhampton on Monday.
The Aquis-owned and bred colt finished 0.75l the better of Princess Marian (Better Than Ready) with a 1.25l gap back to third in the 1050 metre contest.
Invader | Standing at Aquis Farm
Invader is currently tied with Raheen Stud stallion Heroic Valour atop the first-season sire standings by winners.
Astern filly fires
Astern filly Oronoco narrowly denied Wealthofknowledge (Capitalist) and Sasil Esroah (Stratum Star) at Newcastle on Monday to become her Darley-based sire's 11th winner this season.
Astern | Standing at Darley
The son of Medaglia D’Oro (USA) currently sits 10th overall by winners on the second-season sire standings and seventh overall by progeny earnings.
Caserta farewell confirmed
A funeral service to celebrate the life of jockey Chris Caserta will be held next Monday, December 20 at St Monica's Catholic Church in Moonee Ponds, Melbourne.
A live webcast will be available to stream via tobinbrothers.com.au and the family have advised that donations to the National Jockeys' Trust are appreciated.
Almanzor youngsters shine in trials
A son and a daughter of Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Almanzor (Fr) impressed with winning outings at Monday’s Rotorua trials.
The Jamie Richards-trained pair of Dynastic (NZ) and an unnamed filly out of Corsage (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) stepped out in consecutive 800 metre heats and both were successful under soft rides from Opie Bosson.
“We’ve got plenty of Almanzors and these are two of the more forward ones. They are out of mares that had a bit of speed themselves,” Richards said.
“He is a really exciting stallion and most of the ones I’m fortunate to have will improve as 3-year-olds and we like them a lot.”
Boom filly back in work
Boom filly Espiona (Extreme Choice) will return to Chris Waller’s Rosehill stables this week in preparation for races such as the G1 Surround S. and G1 Doncaster H.
Espiona winning at Flemington
The Star Thoroughbreds-owned 3-year-old turned heads when last seen winning the Listed Desirable S. by 6.5l at Flemington at just her second career start.
"With a horse of this potential calibre, you try to earmark the Group races straight away," Star Thoroughbreds’ Denise Martin said on Monday.
Denise Martin of Star Thoroughbreds
"This one appears to be exceptionally talented but for me, she is a filly that has won a Listed race on Oaks Day at Flemington, albeit in remarkable fashion. But we want to make sure that she can continue to proceed and becomes as good as we think she is and hope she is.”
Weight-for-age the aim
Grahame Begg is setting G1 Caulfield Cup runner-up Nonconformist (Rebel Raider) a three-state challenge next year in an attempt to build on his already burgeoning reputation.
Nonconformist
Begg said the 5-year-old will kickstart his 2022 campaign in April’s G1 All Aged S. at Randwick before heading north to contest the G2 Hollindale S., G1 Doomben Cup and G2 Q22.
“That will show us how he measures up as a weight-for-age horse and we’ll then winter the horse in Queensland before coming back to Melbourne for the spring,” Begg told Racenet.
Grahame Begg
“If he does deliver under weight-for-age in Queensland then we’d probably stick to the scale in the spring, but we know he can stay and if we stuck to handicaps then the Cups are there.”
Nugent planning for future
Young apprentice Teo Nugent, who rode last month’s G1 Melbourne Cup fourth placegetter Floating Artist (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), has made a substantial investment in his future by purchasing a 40-acre farm near the Pakenham racecourse.
The 23-year-old has his sights on establishing a pre-training and agistment business with his father, John.
Teo Nugent riding Floating Artist (GB) at Flemington
“I’ve started thinking about my future, and I love horses and working with horses, so that's why I purchased the property at Pakenham as an investment in my future,” Nugent told The Standard.
"I'm wanting to set the property up for agistment and pre-training. My dad John is going to be helping me."
