Empire can wait
G1 Railway S. winner Western Empire (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) is out of the autumn with owner Bob Peters revealing the 4-year-old has been sidelined after a back injury and has undergone an arthroscope on a separate issue.
Western Empire (NZ), winner of the G1 Railway S. | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“He’s had a small arthroscope in behind the fetlock joint,” Peters told Racing.com.
“The joint came up a bit after the race (Kingston Town Classic), it could’ve happened in the race – who knows.
“It’s not a problem, it’s been done, and the chip’s been taken out, his back was also damaged in the race, and he’s had some treatment for that which he seems to be responding to, I think he’s over that.
Bob Peters | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“We’ll give him a good spell and see him next season sometime. He’s pretty good.”
Western Empire was last seen when second behind stablemate Regal Power (Pierro) in the G1 Kingston Town Classic. He is a winner of seven of his 13 starts, including the G2 Western Australian Derby.
Converge on comeback trail
Co-trainer Adrian Bott has outlined the autumn plans for G1 JJ Atkins S. winner Converge (Frankle {GB}), who is set to trial at Gosford on Thursday.
Bott, who trains the horse with Gai Waterhouse, told Racing.com that the colt had enjoyed the benefit of a full spring in the paddock after being laid low by a virus early last season.
Converge | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
"He’s come back looking really well," Bott said. "He picked up a virus there early last spring after his first-up run (Run To The Rose) so we pulled the pin in that campaign pretty quickly.
"It knocked him about a bit but he had a long time out to get over it and went out nice and early so he’s had the benefit of a good long break and had a strong build into the autumn."
Converge will likely run first-up to the G3 Eskimo Prince S. at Randwick on February 5 and then go into the G2 Hobartville S. before heading to the G1 Randwick and Rosehill Guineas.
Jamaea back on Guineas track
Co-trainer Luke Price was delighted with a Tuesday barrier trial from stable star Jamaea (Headwater) who confirmed her favouritism for the R. Listed Magic Millions 3YO Guineas finishing strongly.
Jamaea produced a strong finish in the 1000-metre trial at the Gold Coast, finishing 1.5l off fellow Guineas hopeful Lady Of Honour (No Nay Never {USA}).
Jamaea as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“That‘s just what you want to see her do,” Luke Price told Racenet. “It was very pleasing and shows she is in good order.
“She didn’t blow hard but needed it and Ronny (Stewart) said she travelled sweetly and relaxed."
Jamaea was scratched from last Saturday's Listed Nudgee S. due to the deteriorating track.
All about timing for Uncorked
Pierro filly Uncorked is being aimed at a last-minute dash towards the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic, when contesting the Aquis Gold Pearl 2-Year Old Fillies this Saturday.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are looking to use the quick week turnaround to their advantage, but need Uncorked to win on Saturday.
Uncorked as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Uncorked will run on Saturday and back up into the Magic Millions so this should top her off nicely,” Bott told NewsCorp.
“She has done really well since her last run and has more improvement there.”
Uncorked, who has run second at her two starts, was a $130,000 purchase out of the Willow Park Stud draft at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Subzero aims for Freedmans
Richard and Michael Freedman are looking to launch Love Tap (Tapit {USA}) towards the Magic Millions Subzero on January 15 through Saturday's The Wave at the Gold Coast.
The gelding will re-unite with Nash Rawiller in the $250,000 feature and Richard Freedman says the 1800-metre race is a good way to head towards the $1 million saying feature the following week.
Love Tap | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“It was a shy at the stumps running him in the Golden Eagle (1500 metres), it was a bit too short for him then he ran third in an 1800-metre race after that,” Freedman told Racenet.
“He had a let up in the stables then we ran him in a 1400 (metres) race for him which is too short at this stage of his career but he did do his best work over the last 100 so that put the writing on the wall for 1800."
Currie gets call up from Bailey
Veteran jockey Luke Currie has replead it was former Racing Victoria chief steward Terry Bailey that informed him that he had secured a short-term contract to ride in Hong Kong.
Bailey, who is now part of the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s stewards’ panel, rang Currie and fellow Melbourne rider Daniel Moor last week to offer them the chance to ride in Hong Kong.
The 40-year-old will leave Melbourne for Hong Kong on Sunday where three weeks’ quarantine awaits.
Luke Currie
Currie told Racenet that he would love to revisit an old partnership with former Flemington trainer David Hall.
“I rode quite a bit for David. I think I rode my first stakes winner for David when I was 16 or 17 or something like that,” Currie said.
“It will be nice to get over there and have a few rides for David but it will be good to make a few other contacts as well.”
Star yields Magic return
A $60,000 spend at the Magic Millions at the National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast last year has yielded dividends for Stephen Marsh and bloodstock agent Dylan Johnson after the victory of Iconic Star (Brazen Beau) over the weekend.
Iconic Star won at Tauranga on Sunday and is now being aimed by Marsh at the G3 Brighthill Farm Concorde H. on Karaka Million night at Ellerslie later this month.
“It was great to see her win like she did on Sunday and she has come through the run well,” he said.
“She should get into the Concorde with a manageable weight and if she can get the right luck in running we believe she will be really competitive.
“While we know this is a special project, it was also great to see how much pleasure the owners who were on track at Tauranga took from her win.
“You just can’t go past the thrill of winning a race and to see them celebrating and having such a good time was just fantastic.”
Derby dream becoming a reality for James
Roger James' long held G1 New Zealand Derby ambitions for Pinarello (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) are taking flight after the gelding's victory at Te Aroha on Monday, his judgment may not be too far off.
Pinarello showed a fantastic turn of foot for jockey Leith Innes in the straight winning his maiden mile contest by 3.ll and James, who trains with Robert Wellwood, is eyeing March's Group 1 feature.
“I said a year ago he was my best chance to win another Derby, and I think we’re right on track,” James said.
“He’s a big, frail boy, and he’s just started to get his head around life, really.”
He hasn’t decided where Pinarello will run next, wanting to see how he recovers from his maiden victory before deciding.
“We’ve got a lot of options available,” he said. “We might get to the Derby on three runs, or maybe four runs.”
Crutchley takes flight in Singapore
Trainer Stephen Crutchley, who has spent the last seven years in Singapore after leaving New Zealand back in 2014, can’t wait to get the new season underway in the nation after recently being granted an “A” license by the Singapore Turf Club.
Crutchley has spent his time in Singapore as an assistant trainer with Mark Walker, John O’Hara, Theo Kieser and more recently, Leslie Khoo, but will now go out on his own.
“When I first came up here I put in my application for an A license, but that is a very involved process that requires you to fulfil a number of criteria set down by the Turf Club,” he said.
“You can’t function as a trainer until the Club grants you boxes and it has taken quite some time to achieve that.
“I’m lucky in that while I have been here and also before moving up here, I have been involved with Constance Cheng who has horses all over the world under her Toast Trusts Stable banner.
“Right now, I probably have a dozen horses from her and several other Singapore owners, along with some from Australia, Hong Kong and a couple from New Zealand, while I am working hard to get more.
“I think once we have the appropriate structures in place, I should have my first runners on the track towards the end of January or the beginning of February.”
Golden start for Johnstons
Golden Sands (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) became the first winner co-trained by Charlie and Mark Johnston over the all-weather at Wolverhampton on Monday.
It was their second day under their new dual licence. The elder Johnston had 4874 winners on his own-the highest in UK racing history. Winless with a pair of runners at Newcastle on Sunday, the Johnstons had to settle for second with their first runner on Monday, Achnamara (GB) (Kodiac {GB}).
“It's certainly one for the statisticians,” Charlie Johnston told Sky Sports Racing. “It's a big change but at the same time nothing has changed at all, but it's great to get it on the board after having gone close in the race before.
“On the day-to-day of running things at home, I've been heavily involved for a long time now. It's what I've been working towards throughout and when they brought in those joint-licenses a couple of seasons ago it was an obvious stepping stone for us in between his license and mine. And it's good to get on the board.”
Bute charges added against Baffert
The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has amended its Statement of Charges issued against trainer Bob Baffert to include a pair of positive tests for phenylbutazone that occurred in 2019 in California and a subsequent inspection of the trainer's barn in which it alleges that 25 improperly labeled medications were found.
NYRA's Statement of Charges now contains allegations that, over a 16-month period prior to the 2021 G1 Kentucky Derby, six horses under Baffert's care violated rules and regulations in six separate races.
Having charged Baffert with engaging in conduct detrimental to the best interests of racing, NYRA has sought to temporarily ban the trainer from its tracks. A hearing on the matter is scheduled to begin January 24.
