Flemington moved forward on New Year's Day
Hot weather in Melbourne on New Year's Day will see Flemington's traditional meeting start at 10.35am AEDT and conclude by 3pm AEDT.
Racing Victoria announced the amended race times on Thursday, with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting a maximum temperature of 38 degrees, with the time between 4pm to 5pm on Saturday expected to be the hottest time of the day.
The meeting’s two feature races, the Listed Bagot H. (2800 metres) and the Listed Chester Manifold S. (1400 metres), will start at 1.45pm and 2.20pm respectively.
Horses will only be required to arrive at the track one hour prior to their scheduled race.
Neasham's upset Ambition
Annabel Neasham is plotting a R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic upset with Soaring Ambition (Not A Single Doubt).
Soaring Ambition was an impressive winner of the R. Listed Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic at her only start and will take on the $2 million feature race at the Gold Coast next month.
Neasham told Racenet that she believes her filly has the capability to defeat hot favourite Coolangatta (Written Tycoon).
Soaring Ambition | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
"Coolangatta is very good, obviously," Neasham said. "The stable (Maher-Eustace), I know them well and they are the best at producing 2-year-olds.
"She is certainly the one to beat but I think Soaring Ambition is the one I have seen this season which can beat her.
"I think (Coolangatta) is (beatable), a high-pressure 1200-metre race, every horse is beatable."
Matt Tillett leaves McEvoy Mitchell Racing
Tony and Calvin McEvoy have confirmed that Matt Tillett has departed the stable to pursue an opportunity elsewhere.
Tillett has been working as Sales and Marketing Manager for McEvoy Mitchell Racing but leaves with the trainers' blessing.
Matt Tillett | Image courtesy of McEvoy Mitchell Racing
"Matt has been a real asset in helping grow our business over the past three years," Tony McEvoy said in a statement.
"In particular he has done a great job looking after our owners and planning our open day events."
Heavy track a cloud on Chase
The state of the track will be a decisive factor as to whether Apache Chase (Better Than Ready) contests Saturday's Magic Millions The Buffering (1350 metres) at Doomben.
Apache Chase (red cap)
The in-form 4-year-old is favourite for the race but trainer Desleigh Forster told the Courier Mail that she will not be afraid to scratch Apache Chase should the track comes up Heavy, with rain forecast in Brisbane.
"I think he would handle the ground, he has all the makings of a horse that would but the thing is I don’t have to run him on a Heavy track if I don’t want to," she said.
"Why run him on a Heavy track this close to the Millions? We can pick and choose where we go.
Desleigh Forster
"If we run and he has a gut-buster, the Millions are only in two weeks' time so he certainly doesn’t have to go there on Saturday, we can wait and have an easy jump-out at home."
Apache Chase will contest either the Magic Millions Cup (1400 metres) or QTIS Open (1300 metres) on January 15.
Group 1 glory beckons for Levante
Levante (NZ) (Proisir) is aiming to complete the set by claiming the G1 Sistema Railway (1200 metres) and in the process significantly boosting her future broodmare value.
The lightly raced Levante has enjoyed a faultless preparation with a pair of trial wins on either side of a resuming victory in the Listed Counties Bowl at Pukekohe Park, clear signs that she will strip in prime order on Saturday.
"She had that last trial at Rotorua and an exhibition gallop at Matamata last Thursday and that was always the plan to do that," said Ken Kelso, who trains the 5-year-old with wife Bev.
Levante (NZ) | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
Levante has won eight of her 12 starts despite a string of tardy beginnings, but in more recent appearances she has jumped cleanly from the barrier and promises to give another bold account of herself from gate six on Saturday.
"It’s all been going well and everything has gone to plan. She is in the best possible condition she can be in and we’re very happy – it’s all up to her and the rider now," Kelso said.
As long as Levante races up to expectations on the weekend, her following target will be the G1 JR & N Berkett Telegraph at Trentham on January 15.
More winners for Frosted and Tivaci
Second-season sires Frosted (USA) and Tivaci produced maiden winners at Werribee on Thursday.
Frosted gelding Perito Moreno overcame a chequered passage in the straight to dive late and break through over 1416 metres at start number three for Mathew Ellerton. He was a $150,000 buy out of the draft of Mill Park Stud. He is the first winner out of Group 2 winner Serenely Discreet (Exceed And Excel).
He is also the ninth winner of the season in Australia for Darley's Frosted.
Waikato Stud's Tivaci has his seventh Australian winner after Wolf Prince's upset victory over 2025 metres for trainer Daniel Williams.
Double for Belardo
Haunui Farm's second-season sire Belardo (Ire) had a pair of winners at Kurow on Thursday.
Belesard (NZ), trained by Michael and Matthew Pitman, won a 1400 metre maiden while stablemate Roussanne (NZ) won a 1200 metre maiden race on the same program.
Belardo (Ire) | Standing at Haunui Farm
Belardo now has six winners in New Zealand this season, placing him equal first with Vadamos (Fr).
Fellow sophomore Puccini (NZ), who stands at Mapperley Stud, got his second winner with Texas Tea (NZ) at Taupo.
Crosshaven backed to bounce
Crosshaven (Smart Missile) will be out to break a run of outs when he contests the Listed Chester Manifold S. at Flemington on Saturday.
Lindsay Park trainers Ben and JD Hayes are confident the 4-year-old can recapture his best form which included his win in the G3 Carbine Club S.
Crosshaven
"He was nearly a winner over Cup week. We thought he was going to give a good shout, but he just fell short," JD Hayes told RSN. "But I think he's coming into form and is in for a good summer period.
"In the early months of January and February, if he can translate his trackwork into raceday, he might be able to win a couple."
The lightly raced son of Smart Missile will be lining-up for his 15th start on Saturday. He has registered five wins with two minor-placings and almost $650,000 in prizemoney.
Decisive moment for Portelli filly
Trainer Gary Portelli says Saturday's Ranvet H. at Kensington could prove a decisive fork in the road for promising filly Fireburn (Rebel Dane).
Fireburn | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Portelli said Saturday's race will guide him on whether to press on with Fireburn or save her for targets in her 3-year-old campaign.
"I think she’s a fantastic spring 3-year-old filly for sure that’s why I don’t want to go too far with her," Portelli told Racing NSW.
"If she runs a nice third or fourth I’ll still be over the moon with her because I’ll just tip her out. If she happens to win we might be plotting a different course."
What is that different course?
Gary Portelli
"She’s in the Blue Diamond, I’m not sure she’s up to that grade yet but she could get some black type in the fillies' lead ups," he said.
"I’ve had enough nice 2-year-olds over the years to spot them and get a feel for what’s coming through but she’s been a horse that keeps raising the bar. Every time I think she’s going to plateau and maybe train off she goes to another level. Rebel Dane was the same."
Tarnawa to Frankel
Breeders' Cup champion Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}), who was retired in November, will visit Frankel (GB) for her first cover, Pat Downes, the Manager of the Aga Khan Studs in Ireland, announced on the Nick Luck Daily podcast.
Frankel (GB) | Standing at Banstead Manor Stud
Bred and raced by His Highness The Aga Khan, the chestnut scored three times at the highest level in 2020, in the Prix Vermeille, Prix de l'Opera and Breeders' Cup Turf. She was second in the 2021 G1 Irish Champion S. to Cartier Horse of the Year St Mark's Basilica (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and also filled that position in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe for trainer Dermot Weld.
"The plan for her first season at stud will be that she will travel to the UK to be covered by Frankel, so we are excited about that," Downes told Nick Luck on the podcast. "That is the decision we've taken. When you actually look at her pedigree for example, she is out of a Cape Cross mare, so Sea The Stars is not an option for her."
South African winner for Kermadec
Darley's Kermadec (NZ) secured his first winner in South Africa on Wednesday in Sunday Island.
A homebred for Sabine Plattner trained by Andre Nel, the 3-year-old colt broke his maiden with a 5l victory over 2000 metres.
He is the fifth winner from five to race from Port Elizabeth (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), a three-quarter sister to Group 3 winner Steel Princess (Ire) (Danehill {USA}).
Fourth success for Omega Perfume
Omega Perfume (Jpn) (Swept Overboard {USA}) maintained his dominance in the G1 Tokyo Daishoten and ran out winner for the fourth time at Oi Racecourse on Wednesday. The charismatic 6-year-old entire was sent off at favourite for the NAR circuit showpiece.
The consistent grey did not begin racing until he turned three, but in addition to winning the Tokyo Daishoten four times (2018-2021), he has also filled the runner-up spot in the Listed JBC Classic at Kyoto on four occasions 2018-2021. Second in the Listed Kawasaki Kinen to start his year in January, he resurfaced with a fifth in the Listed Teo Sho at Oi on June 30 prior to his second-place finish in the JBC Classic on November 3.
