Latizia makes winning debut
Ciaron Maher and David Eustace are likely to target the G1 Blue Diamond S. with talented 2-year-old filly Latizia (Capitalist), who kicked off her career on a winning note in Saturday’s New Year Sprint at Flemington.
Bought for $475,000 from Newgate Farm’s draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Latizia was too slick for her five rivals at Flemington on Saturday and scored by 1.5l from Godolphin pair Va Via (Astern) and Kin (Impending).
“We were reasonably confident that she had good ability,” Eustace said. “She had trialled up well. Big thank you to Lucy Yeomans and the team at Cranbourne. She’s not the easiest of fillies, she can be cantankerous at times. Julian Welch has done a bit of work with her as well with the gates, so all credit to them – they’ve done a really good job with her.
“The Magic Millions 2YO Classic will be discussed, but she’ll more likely stay here and concentrate on the Blue Diamond.
“She has very similar ownership to Coolangatta, and credit to Ozzie (Kheir) and his team – they keep putting plenty in. Newgate bred her and stayed in, with SF Bloodstock as well, so it’s a really good crew. We’ll enjoy today, and if she pulls up well, then we can make a plan.”
Blue-blooded filly stars on debut
Arrowfield Stud homebred Gentility (Snitzel) played a starring role at Mornington on Saturday, living up to her exceptional pedigree with a 3.75l debut victory in the Rosebud Country Club Plate.
Trained by Peter Moody, the 3-year-old filly is by Champion Arrowfield sire Snitzel out of Politeness (Street Sense {USA}), who won six races including the G1 Myer Classic.
Gentility winning at Mornington
Politeness is now the dam of two foals to race, both winners, with Ortaire (Snitzel) previously successful over 1600 metres in Japan. She has subsequently produced the unraced 2-year-old filly Manners (Snitzel), and returned to Snitzel to produce a colt in the spring of 2020. She had a colt by Dundeel (NZ) in 2021.
First winner for Gold Standard
Sheeza Belter recorded the first victory for her sire Gold Standard when she scored an impressive 1.43l win on debut in Saturday’s Magic Millions Plate at Ascot.
A Group 2-winning son of Sebring, Gold Standard has stood at Spendthrift Australia since 2018. He stood for a 2021 service fee of $5500 (inc GST).
With his oldest progeny 2-year-olds this season, Gold Standard has been represented by two runners to date.
Passed in at the 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale with a reserve of $50,000, Sheeza Belter earned $62,600 in stakes from Saturday’s debut victory for local trainer Luke Fernie.
Pike's future uncertain
Top Perth jockey William Pike has taken an indefinite break from race riding over his COVID-19 vaccination stance and admits his future is now uncertain.
Pike was replaced by Patrick Carbery on Midnight Blue (So You Think {NZ}), the favourite for Saturday’s G2 Tabtouch Perth Cup at Ascot, following the Western Australian state government’s ruling that proof of double vaccination against COVID-19 would be required for entry to the venue.
“I really don’t know what my future’s going to be like,” Pike told The West Australian. “I would love to keep riding. I would love to stay on top for as long as I can until one of the young guns comes along and boots me off my perch.
“I really don’t want to leave it, but under the circumstances right now, with the rules and different things in place, it’s getting harder and harder to go out and try and do my daily job.”
Tiger takes Bagot
In-form stayer Tigertiger (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) stepped up to stakes level and picked up the biggest win of his career in Saturday’s Listed Bagot H. at Flemington.
Tigertiger has now won five of his 21 starts, including four of his last five. From 10 appearances since relocating across the Tasman last year, the Rob Blacker-trained gelding has recorded five wins, four second-placings and a third.
Tigertiger (NZ) winning the Listed Bagot H. | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Blacker trains Tigertiger for New Zealand owner Ian Shaw, who trained him in the early part of his career and also trained his Group 2-winning dam Hoorang (NZ) (Zerpour {Ire}).
“Ian’s a vet, he trained this horse’s mother and won a New Zealand Cup with her,” Blacker said. “He had about four in work, and we’d been watching this horse race over there and saying ‘look at the action on this’ and something happened.
“They were going to send him somewhere for a bit of education. It took a bit of negotiating, the Shaw family, they’ve had horses their whole life, so to get them to trust me with their horse, I’m very, very happy, very grateful.”
Blacker said the G2 Adelaide Cup in March could be a possible target for Tigertiger.
Lighthouse remains undefeated in Australia
American import Lighthouse (USA) (Mizzen Mast {USA}) kept her perfect Australian record intact with a 1.25l win in Saturday’s Listed Chester Manifold S. at Flemington.
The grey mare has now won seven of her 13 career starts, including four out of four since joining Ciaron Maher and David Eustace’s Cranbourne stable.
“Obviously it was her toughest test, but I thought it was her most impressive win as well,” Eustace said. “There are races like the CF Orr S. which you’d have to think about, but we’ll have to give her a little bit of time.”
Fireburn does it again
Gary Portelli is taking special satisfaction from the feats of 2-year-old filly Fireburn (Rebel Dane), who recorded her second-straight win in Saturday’s Ranvet H. at the Kensington track.
Fireburn has now won two of her three career starts, but Portelli, who trained her sire Rebel Dane to win two Group 1 races, believes the best could be yet to come.
Fireburn (red cap, outside) winning the Ranvet H. at Randwick Kensington | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“It’s like a proud father situation right now having Rebel Dane sire such a promising filly,” Portelli said. “She’s got a lot of Dad in her. I remember all of his wins were only by a head on so many occasions, including the Manikato and Sir Rupert Clarke, but he knew where the line was.
“I think this filly is going places. She’s got a massive stride, and I can’t wait to see when she gets over a little bit further as well later on. She might be a better horse in the autumn carnival yet, but we’ll see how she comes through it.”
Stable and Savabeel quinella in Cup
Saturday’s G3 Skycity City Of Auckland Cup at Ellerslie was dominated by Savabeel and the training partnership of Roger James and Robert Wellwood.
The favourite was the last-start G3 Waikato Cup winner Cheaperthandivorce (NZ) (Savabeel), but it was her Group 1-winning stablemate Concert Hall (NZ) (Savabeel) who stole the show with a 0.75l win.
Savabeel | Standing at Waikato Stud
Bred and raced by Joan Egan, Concert Hall has now won 11 of her 31 starts, headed by the G1 Zabeel Classic in December of 2020.
“This will be a massive thrill for Joan, who’s at home at the moment nursing a broken ankle,” Wellwood said.
“Concert Hall is a good, tough mare, and she’s a very big and strong mare now. She was the class horse of the field today, and she wasn’t badly off at the weights. She won really well.”
Artie a local hope for Millions
Golden Artie (Artie Schiller {USA}) emerged as a home-track hope for the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast on January 15 with a stylish win at Doomben on Saturday.
Making the third start of his career, the gelding scored by 0.4l in the hands of Ben Thompson.
“He had no luck on the Sunshine Coast, today he had the luck and we were strong at the finish, and now we are in the Millions,” co-trainer Bryan Guy said.
“I’ve got to give credit to Ben Thompson – he told me a while back that we would be winning the Millions. I said, ‘Have you forgotten about Coolangatta?’”
Golden Artie was a $30,000 purchase from the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and has now earned $85,000 in stakes.
Kementari on song at Doomben
Enigmatic Godolphin star Kementari (Lonhro) was at the peak of his powers at Doomben on Saturday, taking his career earnings past $2.5 million with victory in the $200,000 The Buffering.
The James Cummings-trained 7-year-old has now won seven of his 38 starts, headed by the G1 Randwick Guineas as a 3-year-old in 2018.
“This win was special for Kementari – he is a very popular horse amongst our organisation, everyone in the Godolphin team loves and adores this horse and he means a lot to everyone,” Godolphin Australia's Managing Director Vin Cox said.
Kementari
“For varying reasons he is a bit of a polarising horse, but on his day he is an outstanding horse. To put away a field like this shows you he is in such good order.”
Kementari is set to run in the Magic Millions Cup on the Gold Coast on January 15, while two of his offspring will be offered during the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“When he went to stud he didn’t prove all that fertile and he has only got two foals, and both foals are in the Magic Millions Sale,” Cox said.
