Slipper the right fit for Millane
Peter Moody has indicated his desire to push on to Saturday week’s G1 Golden Slipper S. with impressive Flemington debut winner Millane (Zoustar).
The Pakenham-based trained said the lack of standout juveniles this season has made the decision easier, however, the Victorian Alliance-owned colt is currently 20th in the features order of entry.
Peter Moody, Millane and Luke Nolan after winning the Listed The Australian Childhood Foundation Plate | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"Let's be honest, you name the 2-year-old you are going to run and hide from this year? Coolangatta has been the benchmark all the way through and remains that way. But once again, you are not going to run and hide from (her),” Moody said on his Moody On The Mic podcast.
"This is a damn good colt, a very good colt and we've always had that healthy opinion of him."
Ford in the driver's seat
Jay Ford gets a prime opportunity to add a 13th Group 1 victory to his resume when he partners boom filly Espiona (Extreme Choice) in Saturday’s G1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill.
The Star Thoroughbreds-owned 3-year-old will take on older horses at just her fifth career start, however, she is set to prove hard to hold out with just 50kgs on her back.
Jay Ford
“She’s only lightly raced but she’s obviously a horse of immense talent. She has a light weight and has drawn a good gate (four) I’m looking forward to it as she looks like a quality ride,” Ford told Racing NSW.
“She’s a high-profile horse so I’ve watched her runs since she resumed, and she created a big impression last preparation.”
Up and Running
John O’Shea is delighted with high-quality sprinter Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) ahead of his tilt at Saturday’s G1 Newmarket H. at Flemington.
The 5-year-old gelding heads into the race off the back of a first-up victory in last month’s G3 Southern Cross S. at Randwick and presents as Coolmore-owned colt Home Affairs’ (I Am Invincible) main danger.
Lost And Running | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“This is a race we have always had on his radar. The opportunity to get into the race with a nice weight (56kgs) wasn’t lost on us, particularly the way the weather has panned out here in Sydney,” O’Shea told RSN.
“I think it is a nice weight. He drops significantly from what he carried the other day, and it is a weight he should be competitive with.”
Walk in the park
The Listed-placed Godolphin colt Spacewalk (Exosphere) justified favouritism when breaking his maiden status over 1100 metres at Canterbury on Thursday.
The James Cummings-trained juvenile beat home the Kim Waugh-trained Chipper (No Nay Never {USA}) by 0.65l with a 0.73l gap back to Alpha One (Super One) in third.
Australian Bloodstock-owned juvenile Willinga Beast (Snitzel) was an emphatic 2.3l victor of the 1100 metres fillies contest on debut when finishing ahead of Deep Expectation (Deep Expectation) and Sweet Baby Boom (Spirit Of Boom).
Weight a worry
They say weight can stop a train, and Tony Gollan believes that could prove the case with Krone (Eurozone) when she takes on a host of classy rivals in Saturday’s G1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill.
The Rosemont Stud-owned mare will be required to lump 58kg in pursuit of consecutive victories in the fillies and mares contest, which features boom filly Espiona (Extreme Choice), 50kg, and fellow Rosemont-owned mare Promise Of Success (GB) (Dansili {GB}).
Krone | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"She loves the wet ground, so I'm not too concerned about the track, just giving that weight away to younger rivals," Gollan told Racing.com.
"The difficulty this year is the weight; she's got to carry 1kg more than what she did last year and that's a big ask when you've got some of those very good, young horses down on the very light weights."
Thunderstruck pleases Price
Mick Price has I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking) exactly where he needs to be ahead of next Saturday’s all-important The All-Star Mile at Flemington.
The OTI Racing-owned G1 Toorak H. hero, who has finished fifth in the G1 CF Orr S. and the G1 Futurity S. this preparation galloped alongside stablemate Our Playboy (Sebring) in a relaxed manner between races at Sandown on Wednesday under Jamie Kah.
“She (Jamie Kah) said she had plenty there and he was strong to the line and strong through the line and had she wanted to put her foot down a little bit, he would have accelerated,” Price, who trains in partnership with Michael Kent Jnr told Racenet.
“We wanted a day at the races where he was calm, give him a gallop and not get stressed by racing as such. So physically and mentally it was a good idea to bring him out here.
“He’s got some improvement to come, but he worked really well, and his fitness is where you want it.”
Adelaide Cup draw announced
Classy Victorian-based stayer Tigertiger (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) maps to get all the favours in Monday’s G2 Adelaide Cup after drawing superbly in barrier seven of 16.
The Rob Blacker-trained gelding will line up alongside last year’s winner Good Idea (So You Think {NZ}), barrier six, and the Seymour Bloodstock-owned Abreed (Dundeel {NZ}).
OTI Racing-owned gallopers Daqiansweet Junior (NZ) (Sweet Orange {USA}) and Future Score (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) will jump from barriers two and nine respectively while fellow Victorian raiders Skelm (Animal Kingdom {USA}), Aurora’s Symphony (Glass Harmonium {Ire}) have been allocated gates 11 and 16.
Skelm set for Cup tilt
Terry Kelly and Anne Bridges won’t be overcome by the occasion when they saddle up Skelm (Animal Kingdom {USA}), their only horse in Monday’s G2 Adelaide Cup at Morphettville.
Skelm, a 7-year-old veteran of 42 career starts will carry 55kgs in South Australia’s feature staying event despite winning last month’s Listed Torney Cup at Moonee Valley by 3l.
Skelm
"He's just not doing anything wrong at the moment, he's eating, working, we're really happy with him. He just has kept improving and improving and improving,” Bridges told Racing.com.
“Our horse is going to get there in really good order and the weights are really in his favour. The horses that are his danger he only gives them a kilo, they give him four kilos."
Peters wary of the task at hand
Bob Peters is wary of the task at hand when his star mare Inspirational Girl (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) steps out in Saturday week’s The All-Star Mile at Flemington.
The leading Western Australian-based owner, who quinellaed the lucrative feature in 2020 with Regal Power (Pierro) and Superstorm (Sebring), said Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz) can turn the tables on Inspirational Girl with a 4kg weight turnaround from their meeting in last Saturday’s G2 Blamey S.
Inspirational Girl (NZ) | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"She meets him (Zaaki) four kilos worse and while she will improve out of that, so will he, so that's a lot of weight to give up," Peters told Racing.com.
"He (Zaaki) might be the horse to beat. I don't know about I'm Thunderstruck. If he's right, he'll be hard to beat.”
Vanna Girl retired
Group 2-winning mare Vanna Girl (Husson {Arg}) has been retired after failing to make a full recovery from knee surgery.
The Toby and Trent Edmonds-trained 5-year-old was last seen finishing a narrow third in last November’s Listed Ballarat Cup.
New Zealand track ratings to align with Australia
From Monday, April 4, the New Zealand Track Ratings will once again align with those introduced to Australia in 2014.
While this move is part of NZTR’s shift to the Single National System, it is being implemented at this time due to the significant amount of work needed to update racing data around horses currently racing.
Tracks will be categorised as Synthetic, Firm, Good, Soft and Heavy and they are to remain aligned to the penetrometer reading for that number.
There will no longer be a Heavy 11 rating.
Go For Gin passes
Go For Gin (USA), the oldest living G1 Kentucky Derby winner, passed away on Tuesday due to heart failure at the Kentucky Horse Park, where he had lived since retiring from stud duty in June 2011.
Go for Gin, who won the Kentucky Derby in 1994, took up stud duty at Claiborne Farm and was later sold to Bonita Farm in Maryland, where he stood from 2004 until his retirement.
His progeny have earned more than US$16.5 million (AU$22.5 million) and include Albert the Great (USA), who won the 2000 G1 Jockey Club Gold Cup.
“We’re honoured that Go For Gin was an ambassador of the park for nearly 12 years,” said Kentucky Horse Park Executive Director Lee Carter.
“As a visitor favourite, Go For Gin brought visitors from around the world to the Bluegrass and introduced new fans to the sport of Thoroughbred racing. He will be greatly missed by all of us at the Kentucky Horse Park.”
