High hopes for Le Don De Vie
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable will rely on Le Don De Vie (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) as its sole representative in one of the feature races at the Sunshine Coast, with their other entrant Thought Of That (So You Think {NZ}) expected to bypass the race.
Le Don De Vie scored a surprise first-up win over 1600 metres at Flemington for Maher and Eustace before heading to Brisbane to finish 11th in the G2 The Q22 at Eagle Farm on June 11.
Le Don De Vie (GB)
"He's a good horse on his day," Eustace said.
"He won over a mile first-up so that was a big shock at a big price then The Q22 didn't really work out.
"He is getting up to a mile-and-a-half which he will like, and we will possibly plan to ride him a bit more positively as well."
Starianne to appreciate distance rise
After finishing second on debut at Sandown Hillside on June 15, Starianne (Sebring) will line up in the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final at Flemington on Saturday and co-trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have high hopes for the filly.
Busuttin is expecting Starianne to be improved by her debut run at Sandown.
"She didn't look completely happy in the wet the other day, but she was also green and raw and new," Busuttin said.
"And she was a bit like that in her trials. She's knows how to gallop, but she just doesn't really know what it's about just yet.
"Once she gets up over a trip, she should be good, so she'll go to Flemington on Saturday over a mile. I think she's a filly that will be running in some nice fillies' races over the spring."
Doull back in work
The Victoria Alliance’s impressive maiden Flemington winner Doull (Snitzel) is back in work at Anthony and Sam Freedman’s stable and he is being prepared for potentially big spring targets.
“He’s just gone back into work late last week so he had a really good break,” Anthony Mithen told Racing.com.
Doull is back in work and is being prepared for big spring targets
“Anthony and Sam (Freedman) were pretty keen to give him as long as possible given that he’s still a young, maturing horse so we’ve done that.
“He spelled really well without looking too heavy but gee, he looked healthy and well when he went back in, so they will build him up from here and plot a path into the Coolmore.”
Flemington back up for Cardinal Gem
After landing a well-deserved win at Caulfield last Saturday, Grahame Begg's 3-year-old Cardinal Gem (Choisir) will be out to repeat his heroics at Flemington this weekend in the Silver Bowl Series Final.
The son of Choisir proved too strong for his rivals in his latest outing, which followed some narrow defeats at his previous performances.
"He'd been without luck in his career so far and it was good that he was able to put it together Saturday," Begg said.
"We'd planned on having the quick back-up as it was a month between his run at Flemington to the final, so three weeks and then into the final, on a quick back-up, it's ideal. He came through Saturday's race beautifully.
"Straight after the race, his recovery was unbelievable. He's in good shape and I'm looking forward to going to the races Saturday.”
Neindorf making SA impact
Lachlan Neindorf is readjusting back home in South Australia and the apprentice has set his sights on cementing himself towards the top of the premiership table next season.
After two years in Victoria, Neindorf returned in April and has had immediate impact with 13 winners, including six at metropolitan level.
Lachlan Neindorf
"I'm really happy," Neindorf said. "It has surprised me a little bit, I thought I would have to force my way back in but I was lucky and grateful to get some good opportunities straight off the back and it was almost like I never left.
"It's good to be able to ride confidently again and be on better-class horses, opposed to Melbourne on the longshots and riding horses fancied in the market."
McAnulty puts his support behind racing
The New Zealand Labour Government’s support of the racing industry was firmly signalled after its landslide election victory in 2020 and its commitment is ongoing, new Minister for Racing Kieran McAnulty has said.
“I think the signal from the Government was pretty clear after the last election when it kept racing as a separate portfolio,” McAnulty said.
“People suggested that given the Deputy Prime Minister had Sports and Racing that the Prime Minister might want to combine the two.
“She was asked about that at the press conference when she announced who was the Minister and was in Cabinet and she was very clear on that.
“She said that the Government sees racing as a significant and very important industry for New Zealand and it deserves to have its own Minister.
“That sends a signal to the industry that this Government, regardless as to who is the Minister, takes it very seriously.
“It’s not an also ran, it’s a prominent front-runner. Racing is a significantly important export industry to this country and provides just as much as the fishing industry to our GDP and no one is suggesting we get rid of the Minister for Fisheries.”
Munce charged by stewards in CCTV probe
Chris Munce has been charged by stewards with administering an alkalinising agent to one of his horses as it was revealed stable CCTV footage is central to another 10 matters being probed in the ongoing inquiry.
Munce and his son Corey, who works for his father, both fronted a stewards' inquiry at Doomben on Tuesday and were charged by stewards with administering an alkalinising agent to Skate To Paris (Bradbury’s Luck) prior to the mare winning the $125,000 Listed Brisbane S. at Doomben last September.
Chris Munce | Image courtesy of Munce Racing
Corey Munce, who worked as a stablehand at the time, has been charged with being a party to the administration.
Munce and his son pleaded not guilty to the charges.
