Sixth winner for Russian Revolution
Leading first-season sire Russian Revolution was represented by another new winner at Newcastle on Saturday.
Russian Roni, having the third start of his career for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, scored a stylish 1.72l victory in the Lakes Podiatry 2YO Maiden Plate with Winona Costin in the saddle.
Russian Roni was bought for $150,000 by Waterhouse, Bott and Kestrel Thoroughbreds at the 2021 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Sun Stud.
Newgate Farm’s Russian Revolution has now sired six winners from 19 first-crop runners, topping the first-season sires’ premiership with more than $1.44 million in stakes. Revolutionary Miss and Rise Of The Masses have won at Group 2 and Group 3 level respectively, backed up by the stakes-placed Russian Conquest.
Tarrant returns with impressive 2-year-old
Queensland jockey Luke Tarrant celebrated his return to city racing with a highly impressive win aboard first-starter Steady Ready (Better Than Ready) at Doomben on Saturday.
A dominant winner at the trials earlier this month, the Tony and Maddysen Sears-trained Steady Ready produced a repeat performance on Saturday and romped home by 5.75l.
“What a way to come back,” said Tarrant, whose last city meeting was at Eagle Farm in August. The talented rider has battled drug and disciplinary issues in recent times.
“I worked for Searsy as a young apprentice, he has been there for me from the jump, so I am just so glad I could win on this horse for him.”
Tony Sears was delighted with Saturday’s result.
“I personally think he (Tarrant) is one of the best riders in Queensland,” he said. “He knows this is his last chance, he walked in off the street and I drug-tested him straight away, because that’s how our stable operates.
Steady Ready as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“I told Luke I would be randomly drug-testing him, but I also told him that if he wanted to put the hard yards in there was a horse (Steady Ready) standing over there and he could ride it. And I told him it was probably one of the better horses I’ve had.
“I don’t think I’ve had too many horses who can gallop like him. We got a couple of offers after the trial, but I told the owner not to sell him because he could be anything.”
Guineas result reversed
Jungle Magnate (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}) was awarded victory in Saturday’s Quayclean Mornington Guineas after being struck on the nose by the whip of a rival rider.
Sharp Response (Maurice {Jpn}) won the race by 0.1l, but the stewards reversed the placings after Jungle Magnate was accidentally hit with Beau Mertens’ whip 150 metres from the finish.
It was the second win in a six-start career for Jungle Magnate, who also finished third in the G2 Moonee Valley Vase in October.
Jungle Magnate (NZ) (green cap) wins the Mornington Guineas
“He showed some good potential last spring,” jockey Damien Oliver said. “It’s my first time on him, but the way he finished the race off today suggests he’s in for a good campaign.
“I don’t know how much he’s matured from last campaign, because I haven’t got anything to measure it up against, but he really pleased me with the way he hit the line.
“For sure he’s a horse I’d like to stick with. The South Australian Derby could be a good goal to aim for.”
Four out of four
Exciting mare Jump The Broom (Sebring) overcame a troubled run to score a come-from-behind win at Mornington on Saturday, extending her perfect career record to four-from-four.
“At Mornington, you need to be in the right spot, which she certainly wasn’t, and she needed a little bit of luck to get out,” co-trainer Wayne Hawkes said.
“Not many horses will win from that sort of spot. Her turn of foot is amazing, and she is certainly going somewhere.
“We picked this race about a month ago, and her record’s intact.”
Poignant results at Tauranga
Saturday’s Tauranga race meeting produced a pair of poignant victories.
The fourth race on the card was won by Clever Ruds (NZ) (El Roca), whose trainer Debbie Sweeney tragically lost her brother Mark Sanders in a boating accident last weekend. The 43-year-old was himself a former trainer, saddling 127 winners in partnership with the pair's father Graeme Sanders, headed by the 2008 Auckland Cup with Prize Lady (NZ) (Prized {USA}). Mark Sanders was also the father of three teenaged children.
Later in the afternoon, the G2 Ultimate Mazda Japan Trophy was won by Gino Severini (Ire) (Fastnet Rock). The accomplished gelding is part-owned by highly respected former trainer Ray Wallace, who recently died at the age of 92, and trained by Wallace's son Bruce in partnership with Grant Cooksley.
Gino Severini is now the winner of seven of his 44 starts and more than NZ$377,000. The Japan Trophy was his second stakes win, after previously taking out the G3 Eagle Technology S. in 2020, and he has also placed in the G1 Windsor Park Plate, G2 Foxbridge Plate and last year’s edition of the Japan Trophy.
“He is always thereabouts and tries very hard,” Cooksley said. “He has been up for quite a while, but we’ve spaced his races well, and he has had a few niggles that have meant we had to back off him a few times.
Gino Severini (Ire) (white cap) wins the G2 Japan Trophy at Tauranga | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
“The big worry today was whether he would handle the Heavy track, but he had won a trial in similar ground before and I think being out wide probably helped him out.
“It is a great result for the Wallace family after Ray passed away, and we might just have had that bird on the shoulder to get that win for them.”
Long journey worthwhile
A 1200-kilometre trek to Christchurch paid dividends on Saturday when Irish Girl (NZ) (El Roca) won the G3 Valachi Downs South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. at Riccarton.
Trained at Ruakaka in Northland, the 5-year-old made the long journey south by road and ferry before delivering a new career-best with a 1l victory over Zouluminous (Zoustar).
Trained by Kenny Rae in partnership with his daughter Krystal Williams-Tuhoro, Irish Girl has now had 19 starts for six wins and seven placings.
Irish Girl (NZ) wins the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders' S. at Riccarton | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
“I ended up making a booking on the Wellington ferry for the crossing at 2am on Monday morning, so Krystal drove her all the way down there on Sunday to make the boat and then carried on to Christchurch,” Rae said.
“She said the mare just took it all in her stride and has thrived all week. While she is no Melody Belle, she is one tough cookie, and she showed that with how well she fought in the straight to get the win.
“I’m having a think about maybe freshening her and then taking her to Brisbane, where there are so many suitable options for a mare like her. I’ve always thought she was good enough to be competitive over there, so while she is in form, it seems a sensible decision to try and have a go at them.”
Autumn over for Sejardan
A torrid run in the Golden Slipper has taken its toll on talented 2-year-old Sejardan (Sebring), who has been ruled out of the rest of the autumn.
The winner of the G2 Todman S., G3 Breeders’ Plate and the Golden Gift, Sejardan finished ninth in last Saturday’s Golden Slipper after repeated interference in a rough-run race.
Trainer Gary Portelli has advised Racing NSW stewards that the colt has responded well to treatment on a laceration he sustained to his near hind foot, but he will now be spelled and will not race again during the autumn carnival.
Tauherenikau abandoned
Sunday’s race meeting at Tauherenikau has been abandoned due to heavy rain in the Wairarapa region throughout the week, causing inconsistencies with the track surface.
The track was inspected on Saturday morning by the Racing Integrity Board, club officials and others, and the group unanimously agreed that the track was unsafe for racing.
A replacement meeting has been carded for Waverley on Friday.
