Colette retired
Colette (Hallowed Crown), the Godolphin mare who won two Group 1 races and the Golden Eagle, has been retired.
Colette's 25-start career included Group 1 wins in the Australian Oaks at three and the Empire Rose S. at Flemington, while in 2020 she won the Golden Eagle. She finished with career earnings of $7.1 million.
Colette | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“Interestingly, she is the highest earner Godolphin Australia has owned,” Godolphin Managing Director Vin Cox told Racenet.
“She has been a hugely popular contributor to the Godolphin team, she has given some great thrills on the track and we look forward to her contribution as a broodmare.”
Five rivals for Fireburn
Fireburn (Rebel Dane) will face just five rivals in her quest to complete the 2-year-old Triple Crown in Saturday’s G1 Champagne S. at Randwick.
Looking to become the first filly since Burst (Marauding {NZ}) in 1992 to win the Triple Crown and first juvenile since Pierro (2012) to win all three races, Fireburn will jump from barrier two and is poised to start as an odds-on favourite in the Champagne.
The Anthony Cummings-trained She’s Extreme (Extreme Warrior), runner-up to Fireburn in the Sires’ Produce S., jumps from barrier six.
Wide challenge for Forbidden Love
Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) drew the outside of a capacity field of 14 in Saturday’s G1 All Aged S. at Randwick.
The three-time Group 1 winner came up with barrier 16, but will come into 14 after scratchings. Hoewever, Hugh Bowman will have a task to overcome what is expected to be another Heavy track in Sydney.
Forbidden Love | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Annabel Neasham has three All Aged runners with Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel) (barrier nine) joined by imports Laws Of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}) (two) and Olmedo (Fr) (Declaration Of War {USA}) (three).
Showman shines at Hawkesbury
Trapeze Artist's brother Master Showman (Snitzel) broke through for his first success at start number three in an 1100-metre maiden at Hawkesbury.
The 2-year-old, who like his four-time Group 1-winning brother did, carries the colours of Vieira Racing, led all the way and had to survive a protest from the second-placed Shalailed (Shalaa {Ire}), but got the nod in the photo finish and in the stewards' room.
The colt is trained by Gerald Ryan, who also trained Trapeze Artist, and Sterling Alexiou and was ridden by Brenton Avdulla.
He finished seventh in the G3 Breeders' Plate at his first start and then ninth in a race at Canterbury in February.
Secret success for Godolphin
In Secret (I Am Invincible), a $900,000 purchase by Godolphin at the 2021 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, opened her career with an impressive 1100-metre maiden win at Hawkesbury.
Ridden by James McDonald, In Secret, trained by James Cummings, quickened impressively late in the race to defeat Deep Expectation (Deep Field) with Sweet Mercy (Capitalist) in third.
She is the second foal out of five-time stakes winner Eloping (Chosir) and was bred in a partnership of Segenhoe Stud and Michael Christian of Saconi Thoroughbreds.
She was sold to Godolphin through Segenhoe's draft and became the eighth individual 2-year-old winner this season for I Am Invincible.
Debut win for Queen
Queen Of Nations (Shalaa {Ire}) made a winning debut for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr in a 1200-metre maiden at Geelong, becoming the eighth individual Australian winner this season for her Arrowfield stud-based sire.
Queen Of Nations led all the way for Patrick Moloney, defeated Tapa Capall (Fiorente {Ire}) with Red Sun Sensation (Awesome Rock) closing off for third.
Queen Of Nations was a $220,000 purchase for Snippets Racing Syndications, Mick Price Racing and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, where she was offered by Burke Bloodstock.
Halvorsen shapes up at Good Friday challenge
Halvorsen (Magnus) is ready to make his mark in Friday's inaugural The Country Discovery (1100 metres) at Sale, according to co-trainer Robbie Griffiths.
After finishing second in the G1 William Reid S. last start, Halvorsen looks set to relish the drop in class.
"He's coming off a terrific run so it would be nice to be the inaugural winner of The Country Discovery," Griffiths, who trains in partnership with Mathew de Kock, told Racing.com.
Halvorsen
"He's held together in good order, so we're really pleased with him. We'd like to think of what we've seen he'll hold his form very well."
Halvorsen is one of 15 acceptors in the $500,000 race, with the weight headed by G1 The Goodwood winner Savatoxl (Kuroshio).
Spring plans for Wolverine
Roydon Bergerson is confident he has made the right call not to head to Australia to contest this weekend's G1 Champagne S. with star juvenile Wolverine (NZ) (Tivaci).
“She has gone for a spell at Chris Rutten’s,” Bergerson said.
“We thought about the Champagne S. on Saturday but it was just a bit too close. Maybe she will head to Australia in the spring.”
Wolverine's 2-year-old season included two Group 2 wins while she finished runner-up in the R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO Classic and G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S.
“Hopefully she will go to Melbourne. I think she is better left-handed than right-handed. I think she is two or three lengths better,” he said.
“We are working through her plans at the moment, I have got to speak with Luke (Murrell, Australian Bloodstock), but it is more than likely she will start her 3-year-old season over there."
Coventina Bay eyes Group 1 treble
Robbie Patterson is confident of Coventina Bay's (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}) prospects in Saturday’s G1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ S.
The New Plymouth trainer can’t fault his stable star, who will be chasing a hat-trick of top-flight victories when she steps out in the fillies and mares’ feature at Te Rapa.
“She galloped this morning and it’s probably the best she has ever galloped so she is bang on. It will take a good horse to beat her,” Patterson said.
Coventina Bay (NZ) | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
Coventina Bay will drop back in trip on Saturday, but that won’t hinder her winning prospects.
“She explodes when she has been freshened and she will love it with a bit of tempo on. This is the first time I have been really, really confident with her in a Group race to tell the truth, she is absolutely gleaming,” Patterson said.
Coventina Bay is booked to fly to Brisbane on April 29 and will front up in the G2 Hollindale S. a fortnight later before targetting the G1 Doomben Cup.
First winner for U S Navy Flag
The Oaks Stud's U S Navy Flag (USA) has registered his first winner when Ocean Vision (Ire) won a 1000-metre maiden at Dundalk on debut.
Prepared by Kieran Cotter and ridden by Jake Coen, Ocean Vision raced greenly throughout but prevailed becoming the first winner for his sire in either hemisphere.
U S Navy Flag, a son of War Front (USA), won the G1 Middle Park S. and G1 Dewhurst S. He stood his first two seasons at Valachi Downs before relocating to The Oaks Stud last season where he stood for a fee of NZ$15,000 (plus GST).
His eldest Southern Hemisphere progeny are yearlings.
Cumani receives Order of the Star of Italy
Classic-winning trainer Luca Cumani has recently been honoured with the Order of the Star of Italy, an award akin to a knighthood presented to Italians deemed to have promoted the nation abroad.
Cumani has resided in England since 1973, having started as an assistant to Henry Cecil before embarking on his own training career in Newmarket three years later. Following his retirement from the training ranks at the end of 2018, he has focused his attention on Fittocks Stud, which he runs with his wife Sara.
Matt and Luca Cumani | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The Cumanis took a brief break from the foaling season to attend a ceremony at the Italian embassy in London, where he was presented with his award last Tuesday.
“It was completely unexpected. I got a letter from the Italian ambassador, I had no idea at all,” said Cumani, who won the Derby in 1988 with Kahyasi (Ire) and repeated that feat a decade later with High-Rise (Ire).
“With Italy not being such a great racing country nowadays I didn't think that my modest achievements in England would resonate in Italy at all. But it is a great honour to receive it, one has to be very proud of it, and I am," he said.
