Minor setback for Anamoe
There will be a close watch on Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) leading into next Saturday’s G1 Queen Elizabeth S. at Randwick after the superstar 3-year-old was reported to have had a minor issue over the last few days.
A dazzling 6.57l winner of the Rosehill Guineas in his most recent appearance, Anamoe reportedly had a temperature spike earlier this week.
“James Cummings has advised that Anamoe was found to have a slightly elevated temperature for a short period earlier this week,” Racing NSW stewards said in a statement.
Anamoe | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“He said that two subsequent blood samples taken from Anamoe on March 30 and April 1 identified slight abnormalities with the blood profile of the colt.
“Mr Cummings has further advised that Anamoe has not missed any work as a result of the abnormalities and he would provide Stewards with a further update on subsequent blood samples to be taken next week.”
Godolphin trifecta in PJ Bell
The all-blue colours of Godolphin ran rampant in the last race of the day at Randwick on Saturday, filling all of the first four positions in the G3 China Horse Club PJ Bell S.
Heresy (Street Boss {USA}), a last-start fourth placegetter in the G1 Surround S., lived up to her favouritism with a 0.41l victory, and she was ably supported by stablemates Zapateo (Brazen Beau), Arcaded (Street Boss {USA}) and Larkspur Run (Shamardal {USA}). All of the quartet are trained by James Cummings.
Heresy leads home the first four Godolphin runners in the G3 PJ Bell S. at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“It’s nice for the stable to get the first four, and that’s my first trifecta,” Cummings said. “It’s difficult to cheer three horses at once!
“We don’t normally like running so many of them against each other. They could all go their separate ways now – one can go to Scone, one to Adelaide, one to Brisbane and one could run in two weeks in the JB Carr, so it gives us a lot of options.
“Heresy had been going so well in this preparation. She was 100-1 in the Light Fingers and Surround, and she didn’t have the best of luck and could have finished closer. This really vindicated the training that she had been putting in.”
Honeycreeper bursts into Oaks contention
Jockey Hugh Bowman is a five-time Australian Oaks winner, only one short of Roy Higgins’ all-time record, and Saturday’s G3 TAB Adrian Knox S. at Randwick may have handed him a last-minute shot at an equaliser.
Previously an Oaks winner aboard Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}), Streama (Stratum), Sofia Rosa (NZ) (Makfi {GB}), Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) and Unforgotten (Fastnet Rock), Bowman guided Honeycreeper (Teofilo {Ire}) to a commanding win in Saturday’s final lead-up to the fillies’ Classic. The Godolphin filly stretched out powerfully in the last 100 metres to score by 3.15l.
Honeycreeper produces a powerful run to win the G3 Adrian Knox S. at Randwick | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“I presume she’s in the Oaks next Saturday, and funnily enough I don’t have a ride,” Bowman said. “Who would have thought?
“She won’t have any troubles with the Oaks distance. It was a dominant performance and she’ll race very well next week, if she backs up in the Oaks. The ground is very testing, but she seemed to travel through it well. I had a lapful of horse and just let her increase within herself, and she did the rest.”
Trained by James Cummings, Honeycreeper has now had 11 starts for three wins and six placings. She was a last-start placegetter in the Listed Tasmanian Oaks.
Black-type breakthrough for Nerve Not Verve
Talented mare Nerve Not Verve (NZ) (Shocking) hit a new career high with her first black-type victory in Saturday’s G2 Schweppes Chairman’s Quality at Randwick.
Close up in a G1 New Zealand Oaks and G2 Lowland S. as a 3-year-old, Nerve Not Verve has been hard to follow at times but has struck a rich vein of form in recent weeks. After winning at Moonee Valley in late February, she ventured to Sydney for a second placing in the G3 Epona S. and Saturday’s valuable first stakes success.
“She actually came close to retirement after running terribly at Moonee Valley one day,” trainer Mike Moroney admitted. “But I just thought she was badly in season that day, and then she came out and won her next start.
Nerve Not Verve (NZ) claims a first black-type victory in the G2 Chairman's Quality at Randwick | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“She’s a really good staying mare. I’ve always been a believer that she would stay. I think it’s the combination of her learning to relax a little bit more, as well as this sort of ground that she’s obviously adept in. She’s done a great job.
“We’ve got a little to think about now whether we head to Queensland or what we do with her. She’s deep into her preparation, but as you know with mares like that, they can stay in form.”
A half-sister to the G1 Auckland Cup winner Glory Days (NZ) (Red Giant {USA}), Nerve Not Verve was bought for NZ$60,000 by Bruce Perry Bloodstock from the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale. She has now had 39 starts for seven wins, 11 placings and $483,783 in stakes.
Another Carbine Club for Waller
Champion trainer Chris Waller celebrated his third G3 Fujitsu General Carbine Club S. victory in the last four years as Straight Arron (Fastnet Rock) dominated the $200,000 feature at Randwick on Saturday.
Making just the third start of his career and his first at stakes level, the up-and-coming gelding powered clear to score by 2.66l in the hands of top jockey James McDonald.
Straight Arron followed in the footsteps of Waller’s 2019 Carbine Club S. winner Ringerdingding (Sebring) and 2021 winner Kiku (Zoustar).
Straight Arron dominated the field to win the G3 Carbine Club S. at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“It was good to see him show good acceleration – he made it look easy,” Waller said. “We’ll just slowly raise the bar. He looks like he is a nice, progressive horse. He is well-bred. The owners are nice and patient, so they’ve given me the opportunity to give him time. I’ve found, with horses like that, they can keep raising the bar. He’s got a really bright future, and his pedigree would suggest he can get to 2000 metres.”
A son of G1 Queensland Oaks placegetter Imperial Lass (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), from the family of Group 1 stars Tavago (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and La Sizeranne (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), Straight Arron was a $270,000 purchase from Torryburn Stud’s draft at the 2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Torryburn Stud will offer a half-sister to Straight Arron by Zoustar, catalogued as Lot 223 in the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Another One goes one better
Runner-up in last year’s Newhaven Park Country Championships Final at Randwick, Another One (Super One) returned 12 months later and went one better.
The 4-year-old gelding got the better of Commando Hunt (Time For War) and Amulet Street (Epaulette) in an exciting finish, and he is now the winner of six races and more than $780,000 in a 15-start career.
Another One went one better to claim victory in the Newhaven Park Country Championships at Randwick | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“This horse has improved and matured,” trainer Gary Colvin said. “They were all asking, ‘Is he better than last year?’ And I said I thought he was. That was a terrific win.
“I’ll think about the Town Plate at Wagga and then giving him a spell, and hopefully someone might pick him up for The Kosciuszko.”
Cherry Tortoni heads Payne double
Trainer Patrick Payne enjoyed a big day at Bendigo on Saturday, winning the Listed Bet365 Golden Mile with Cherry Tortoni (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and the $200,000 The Big Screen Company Bendigo St Leger Trial with The Cunning Fox (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}).
Payne took particular satisfaction from Cherry Tortoni’s performance, which was the sixth win of a 19-start career that has often seen the gelding drop a long way back in the running and give himself too much to do.
Cherry Tortoni was victorious in the Listed Golden Mile at Bendigo
“He’s a very genuine horse, and maybe he’s tagged with a little bit of a stink next to his name,” Payne said. “But he’s a very honest horse and still only a young horse, he’s only a 4-year-old.
“There might be a race for him in Adelaide, but we’ll just wait and see. There’s no need to rush him.”
Gundec takes Guineas
Symon Wilde turned a $10,000 price tag into black-type success when Gundec (Kermadec {NZ}) won Saturday’s Listed Mitchelton Wines Bendigo Guineas.
The colt was bought for only $10,000 from an Inglis Online Sale in 2020, and he has now earned $199,200 in a career that has featured three wins and a second placing from eight starts to date. He also contested the Victoria Derby at Flemington in the spring, finishing 12th.
“We bought him to run in the Derby and he got there, but we did a speed gene test on him and it showed that he might be better, more effective, over shorter trips,” Wilde said. “We've trained him that way since then and he's been really sharp.”
Millar celebrates first Group 2 win
New Plymouth trainer Janelle Millar picked up the biggest win of her career when progressive staying mare Zola Express (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) won Saturday’s G2 City of Palmerston North Awapuni Gold Cup.
The win was Millar’s first at Group 2 level and fifth stakes win overall. Two of those black-type successes have come this season with Zola Express, who has now had 17 starts for five wins and six placings. She won the Listed Wanganui Cup in November and ran second in the G3 Taranaki Cup in February.
Zola Express (NZ) wins the G2 Awapuni Gold Cup | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
“She just keeps on improving, and she deserves this win,” Millar said. “This is probably the biggest race I’ve won, and this is right up there with the highlights of my career. Every win is a good one, but these are extra special. This is something we have worked towards for so long, and this is a horse that just tries so hard every time.”
Millar is a granddaughter of highly respected former Taranaki trainer Jack Taylor.
Germanicus breaks frustrating run
An upset victory in Saturday’s Listed Bramco Granite and Marble Flying S. at Awapuni ended a frustrating run for the talented Germanicus (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}).
It was the first win a 16-start dry spell dating back to January 20 for the gelding, who has now scored a total of five victories in a 28-start career.
A son of Group 3 winner and Group 1 placegetter St Germaine (NZ) (Keeper), Germanicus has frequently struck bad luck in a recent run of form that includes a third in the G3 Anniversary H., sixth in the G1 WFA Classic and sixth in the G2 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile.
Danica Guy with Germanicus (NZ) after winning the Listed Flying S. at Awapuni | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
“He always tries hard but is always unlucky and gets himself into awkward positions,” trainer Danica Guy said. “It’s such a relief to see him do that today.
“There was a question mark dropping back in distance today, but his work had been enormous. He just needs a bit of pace on to take bad luck out of the equation, and he got it today.”
