Cummings' mind open on Anamoe
The autumn campaign of 3-year-old star Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) is yet to be determined, according to his trainer James Cummings.
Cummings told Racing.com that the G1 Caulfield Guineas-winning colt would likely stick to Sydney, but that wasn't an iron-cast guarantee.
“He is feeling well. He has come back in in good shape. He had a good break after the Cox Plate,” Cummings said.
Anamoe | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“He gets the chance to continue to build his 3-year-old record so far and on his stud credentials before he is eventually retired.
“He is still as exciting for us now as he was at the start of last preparation. We are pretty keen on seeing him kick off and hopefully he continues to go ahead because he is such a promising horse that we have on our hands.
“We keep our options open (as to where he goes). Don’t be surprised if you see him nominated in various races. The target will be to kick him off fresh in Sydney. I think he is ready to go first-up.”
Jemeldi breaks ground for Winning Rupert
A smart debut victory by the Tom Button-trained Jemeldi at the Sunshine Coast has given Newgate's Winning Rupert the first winner from his second crop.
Jemeldi, a $50,000 purchase from last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where he was offered by Daandine Stud, finished too strongly under jockey Tiffani Brooker to defeat race favourite Spiritualised (Spirit Of Boom) by 1l with Kobe Lad (Kobayashi) in third, another 1l astern.
Winning Rupert | Standing at Newgate Farm
Winning Rupert now has 21 winners in Australian overall, including 12, highlighted by Listed winner It'sarayday, in this current season.
Bonus boost for ill Mair
Trainer Mick Mair watched on from hospital as Sneaky Starter (Press Statement) claimed the $300,000 Magic Millions Women's Bonus when running seventh in Saturday's R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Mair, who is suffering from what he says is 'a host' of ailments, was delighted to claim the bonus, with the horse part-owned by his wife Belinda.
“I haven’t even got close to that for running seventh before, it’s quite incredible," he told Racenet.
“My wife owns half of the filly so I am pretty sure it will go to a good home.
“I have everything at the moment, I’m in hospital so it has been a bit of a struggle, my temperature is really high. I was here cheering on from hospital.”
Sneaky Starter, who cost just $15,000 and has earned close to $100,000 in prizemoney before her latest bonus, will now be spelled.
"She will actually be a nice filly because she ran a nice race there on Saturday,” Mair said.
Miller aims for Winterbottom
Trainer Simon Miller has a long-term goal of tackling the G1 Winterbottom S. with smart sprinting mare Miss Conteki (Eurozone) after her second consecutive stakes win in the Listed Miss Andretti S. at Ascot on Saturday.
Miller told SENTrack that he would think about a Melbourne trip for Miss Conteki but he doesn’t think the timing is right with travel an issue for horses from Western Australia.
A winner of nine of her 13 starts, the 5-year-old will be saved for feature sprints in Perth for now.
Brown Jnr on comeback trail
Jockey Stephen Brown Jnr is making progress towards a riding return, over two years after a Wangaratta fall almost cost him his life.
Brown suffered fractures in his neck and ribs, two punctured lungs, and significant brain trauma in the fall, spending six weeks in hospital and two years in rehabilitation towards a comeback to the saddle. He rode his first jump-out at Wangaratta on Friday.
“The biggest part of my body that got injured was my brain obviously, but I think that’s probably 100 per cent again,” Brown Jnr told Racing.com.
Stephen Brown Jnr | Image courtesy of Darwin Turf Club
“My memory wasn’t too good there for a little while, but I think it’s just about back on track.
“I’ve got no aches or pains, so I think things are looking good. It was my first jump-out back, and I was just focussed on doing my job. Not much was going through my head to be honest.
“It was unreal, this is what I’ve wanted to do my whole life, so it was really enjoyable.”
Waymouth in induced coma
Popular picnic jockey Debbie Waymouth is in an induced coma after a fall at Woolamai.
The 66-year-old was airlifted to the Alfred Hospital on Saturday after clipping heels when riding Baldock (Needs Further) for her daughter Rebecca.
The Victorian Jockeys' Association confirmed on Sunday morning that Waymouth had suffered a broken jaw, multiple rib fractures and a fracture in her back.
Stablemates eyeing Thorndon Mile
The G1 Thorndon Mile campaigns of Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman stablemates Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) and The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel) will ramp up at a trial at Te Rapa this Wednesday.
Aegon is coming into the trial off the back of unlucky runs in both the G1 Captain Cook S. and the G1 Zabeel Classic.
“He is very well and it will be good to get a line on him as we could possibly take him to Trentham for the Thorndon Mile in a fortnight,” Baker said.
Aegon (NZ) | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The Chosen One hasn’t raced since finishing fifth in the G1 Melbourne Cup back in November.
“The Chosen One has spelled very well and it will be good to see how forward he is with the trial run,” Baker said.
“We are thinking about the Thorndon first-up as he has a tremendous record fresh having won first-up over 1700 at Flemington two years ago, finished second in the Herbie Dyke fresh-up last autumn and finished an unlucky third in the Feehan S. first-up at Moonee Valley in his last campaign.
“His main aim is the Sydney Cup in the autumn, but that is a little up in the air with the difficulties that offshore travel poses for us with the COVID pandemic.”
Tutakaka ready to roll
G1 New Zealand Derby (2400 metres) candidate Tutukaka (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) will tackle the R. Listed Karaka Million 3YO Classic on Saturday.
Trainer Tony Pike said the Listed Geelong Classic winner, a half-brother to champion Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) is travelling well ahead of his second-up assignment.
“We’ve got a few going to the big night at Ellerslie this coming weekend, including Tutukaka in the 3YO Classic,” Pike said.
“He has worked very well since his first-up run at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day and will have the blinkers on this time.
“We probably were a touch too negative on him last time as he got too far back on a slow tempo and never really got into the race.
“The blinkers will sharpen him up and even though the mile is probably a little too short for him, I think his class can still take him a long way."
Pike also has Pacific Dragon (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) in the R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO.
Oaks winner foals Too Darn Hot colt
The stakes-producing Talent (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), winner of the 2013 G1 Investec Oaks, foaled a colt foal by Too Darn Hot (GB) on Saturday morning at Luke Lillingston's Mount Coote Stud in Ireland.
Bred by Ashbrittle Stud and Mark Dixon, he is the first foal of the season at Mount Coote.
“He is very nice,” Lillingston told the TDN. “He looks like a strong foal. He was only born at 5am this morning but he's good-looking and strong, and I can say both of those things with a degree of confidence.”
Talent, who was also runner-up in the G1 St Leger and third in the G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S. during her Classic campaign, has got off to a strong start as a broodmare, her first foal being Ambition (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won at pattern level each of the past three seasons.
Eclipse Award finalists announced
Knicks Go (USA) (Paynter {USA}) was one of a dozen winners at the 2021 Breeders' Cup meeting at Del Mar in early November to be named Eclipse Award finalists, as the candidates in 11 equine and five human categories were announced Saturday.
While the finalists for 2021 were not revealed–they will be announced at the conclusion of the Eclipse Award ceremony at Santa Anita on February 10–it is a fait accompli that Knicks Go will take home the evening's most coveted award.
The grey, winner of the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, capped his 5-year-old season in style with a powerhouse victory in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, easily accounting for 3-year-old Eclipse Award finalists Medina Spirit (USA) (Protonico {USA}) and Essential Quality (USA) (Tapit {USA}). He was undefeated at two turns in 2021, which also included a pillar-to-post tally in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational and in the G1 Whitney S. at Saratoga.
The sophomore male division will prove one of the biggest cliffhangers at this year's awards ceremony, as voters will have been forced to choose between the season-long consistency of Essential Quality and Medina Spirit, whose Kentucky Derby 'win' remains an open question and whom many will have opposed on non racing-related grounds, but whose resume features a defeat of elders in the GI Awesome Again S. and a superior finish in the Classic.
The brilliant Life Is Good (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) earned a spot on the ballot courtesy of his towering score in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. Knicks Go and Life Is Good are headed towards a highly anticipated clash in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational in two weeks' time.
Nominees:
2-Year-Old Male
Corniche (USA) (Quality Road {USA})
Jack Christopher (USA) (Munnings {USA})
Modern Games (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})
2-Year-Old Filly
Echo Zulu (USA) (Gun Runner {USA})
Juju's Map (USA) (Liam's Map {USA})
Pizza Bianca (USA) (Fastnet Rock {USA})
3yo Male
Essential Quality (USA) (Tapit {USA})
Life Is Good (USA) (Into Mischief {USA})
Medina Spirit (USA) (Protonico {USA})
3-Year-Old Filly
Clairiere (USA) (Curlin {USA})
Malathaat (USA) (Curlin {USA})
Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB})
Older Dirt Male
Knicks Go (USA) (Paynter {USA})
Maxfield (USA) (Street Sense {USA})
Mystic Guide (USA) (Ghostzapper {USA})
Older Dirt Female
Letruska (USA) (Super Saver {USA})
Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn})
Shedaresthedevil (USA) (Daredevil {USA})
Male Sprinter
Aloha West (USA) (Hard Spun {USA})
Flightline (USA) (Tapit {USA})
Jackie's Warrior (USA) (Maclean's Music {USA})
Female Sprinter
Bella Sofia (USA) (Awesome Patriot {USA})
Ce Ce (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA})
Gamine (USA) (Into Mischief {USA})
Male Turf Horse
Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB})
Space Blues (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire})
Yibir (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})
Female Turf Horse
Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn})
Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB})
War Like Goddess (USA) (English Channel {USA})
Steeplechase
Baltimore Bucko (GB) (Sholokhov {Ire})
Snap Decision (USA) (Hard Spun {USA})
The Mean Queen (Ire) (Doyen {Ire})
Owner
Godolphin LLC
Juddmonte Farms Inc.
Klaravich Stables Inc.
Breeder
Calumet Farm
Godolphin LLC
Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC
Jockey
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Flavien Prat
Joel Rosario
Apprentice Jockey
John Hiraldo
Charlie Marquez
Jessica Pyfer
Trainer
Steve Asmussen
Chad Brown
Brad Cox
