Eighth stakes winner for Shalaa
Arrowfield Stud-based sire Shalaa (Ire) sired his eighth stakes winner when Night Endeavor (Fr) landed the Listed Derby du Languedoc at Toulouse in France on Tuesday.
The 3-year-old colt bounded away to beat Lovely Diamond (Fr) (Wings Of Eagles {Fr}) by an impressive 3l, while Long Ridge Road (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) was another 0.ll away in third.
Shalaa, whose Australian stakes winners include G2 Reisling S. winner Seven Veils and Group 3-winning pair Shaquero and Semillion, will stand the upcoming breeding season at Arrowfield Stud for a fee of $33,000 (inc GST).
Fourth winner for Jukebox
Aquis Farm’s first-season sire Jukebox sired his fourth winner when the Chris Wood-trained Alfriston got off the mark at the third time of asking when he landed a maiden over 1300 metres at Cambridge on Wednesday.
The 2-year-old gelding came out on top of a close finish to beat Abandon (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) by 0.1l, while Lycomedes (Nicconi) was the same distance away in third.
Purchased by his trainer and Paul Moroney Bloodstock for $25,000 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, Alfriston is out of the winning Sebring mare Usena.
Alfriston is the first runner for Jukebox in New Zealand and he will stand the upcoming breeding season for a fee of $6600 (inc GST).
Cool Kaap impresses at Eagle Farm
A mere few hours after it was announced American Pharoah (USA) would be rested from shuttling duties, Coolmore’s 2015 Triple Crown winner sired his 34th winner in the country courtesy of Cool Kaap’s victory in the XXXX Dry Mdn H. at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
Making his first appearance on a racecourse, the Coolmore-race colt defeated Thrilling Award (Shamus Award) by a 1l, while Russian Queen (Russian Revolution) was another 0.3l away in third.
Trained by Chris Waller, Cool Kaap was purchased by Tom Magnier for $320,000 from the Kia Ora Stud draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and the colt is out of US Grade 3 winner Ashley’s Kitty (USA) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}) and she is a half-sister to US Grade 1 scorer Cupid (USA) (Tapit {USA}).
On Wednesday, Kia Ora Stud secured Cool Kaap's unplaced half-sister Speedy Kitty (Exceed And Excel) on the Inglis Digital June (Late) Online Sale, paying Sullivan Bloodstock $200,000 for the daughter of Exceed And Excel.
Deep Field’s Bulikov gets off the mark
Newgate Farm’s Deep Field was represented by his 13th 2-year-old winner of the season when the Robert Heathcote-trained Bulikov got off the mark at the second attempt at Eagle Farm on Wednesday.
Last seen finishing third on debut at the Sunshine Coast on June 19, the 2-year-old colt beat Northern Pride (Better Than Ready) by 0.4l, while Lammer (NZ) (Swiss Ace) was a further 1.8l.
Deep Field, who broke the record for prizemoney earnings by a stallion in Hong Kong, will stand the 2022 season for a fee of $88,000 (inc GST).
Two for Griffiths and de Kock in Rivette Series Final
Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock will mount a two-pronged attack on Saturday's Rivette Series Final at Flemington, with the partnership set to saddle Black Orlov (Pride Of Dubai) and Throntari (Alpine Eagle) in the 1400-metre race.
"She (Black Orlov) was really good at Moe when she won very well first-up," Griffiths told Racing.com.
Mathew de Kock and Robbie Griffiths | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
"We didn't think she'd handle the ground at Bendigo, and we don't think she did even though she ran third, we think it was more on heart than actually handling the conditions. She's quite a progressive filly that's trained really well."
Of Throntari, Griffiths commented: "She was very good at Caulfield resuming, ran about sixth but ran really good splits and we thought she'd run very well at Sandown and surprisingly didn't handle the ground, so we gave her a forgive run there.”
"We think that she can give us a good run."
Thron Bone set to back-up Flemington
Thron Bone (Thronum), who turned heads when impressively breaking his maiden at Caulfield last weekend, will be out to add a quick-fire second win to his CV when he runs in this Saturday’s Next Gen Sprinters Final at Flemington.
"He's pulled up pretty well and we will just see closer to the day," trainer Jerome Hunter told Racing.com.
"It's not 100 per cent but it's certainly heading that way.
Thron Bone will back up in this Saturday’s Next Gen Sprinters Final at Flemington after his impressive win at Caulfield last weekend | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"I had a look at the field and a few horses I thought were a threat didn't accept, so it's looking a bit promising the field and a winnable race.
"If he wins, I have a bit of time to freshen up and head for harder races early spring. The 1200 metres will probably suit him even better. He only kicked the last 100 metres the other day and he was only getting faster and faster on the line."
Battleton takes aim at Winx Guineas
Trainer Bjorn Baker will be attempting to snare his first victory of the 2022 Queensland Racing Carnival when he saddles Battleton (Zoustar) in the G3 Winx Guineas at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.
Last seen running second in the G3 Gunsynd Classic on June 11, Battleton also produced a good performance to run third in the G3 Fred Best Classic on May 28 and Baker is hopeful he can finally get his head in front on Saturday.
“His two runs up there have been good,” Baker told Racing Queensland. “He’ll have a good chance on Saturday after those runs and the mile suits him.”
Johnny Get Angry back in work
While trainer Denis Pagan is delighted to have his 2020 G1 VRC Derby winner Johnny Get Angry (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) back in work, the trainer has warned that given the gelding's recent health battles, there is no guarantee he will make it to the races.
“He’s back in work, he starts improving gallops tomorrow (Thursday),” Pagan told Racing.com.
“He’s had throat surgery and I’ve just got my fingers crossed he comes back to somewhere near his capability.
Johnny Get Angry (NZ) | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“Track work and jump-outs and that is a bit like dancing with your sister, you’re not going to know until you get into a match-day situation.
“He’s certainly looking the part, but we’ve still got a long way to go yet. At the moment he’s not making any noise, he’s strong.
“He may not even be able to be at his best, but I’ve done everything I can do, and we’ve got good people around him.”
Begg looks to the future for Passive Aggressive
Trainer Grahame Begg is looking to the future with unbeaten filly Passive Aggressive (Fastnet Rock), believing that the best is yet to come with the last-start Listed Creswick S. winner.
"We've given her an easy time the last 10, 12 days," Begg told Racing.com. "She heads down to the beach tomorrow (Thursday), she's going to have two weeks down at Balnarring and just coast along down there and just cool her heels a bit, and then she'll resume probably late August.
“She's pretty untapped, so we haven't seen the best of her yet. She's still learning her craft, it's just the way she goes about it, it's got me intrigued, she just seems to be coasting all the time."
The best is yet to come with last-start Listed Creswick S. winner Passive Aggressive | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Meanwhile, Begg confirmed that last year’s G1 Caulfield Cup runner-up Nonconformist (Rebel Raider) has also returned to work and will be prepared for another tilt at the Caulfield showpiece later on in the year.
"He's back in now, he did a bit of pace work this morning," Begg said.
"He'll resume in the Memsie Stakes late August and then goes to the Makybe Diva at Flemington, then the Underwood, Caulfield Stakes and then Caulfield Cup."
Brazilian import joins Stokes’ stable
Brazilian Grade 1 placegetter Olympic Korchnoi (Brz) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}) is an intriguing new addition to the Phillip Stokes stable.
The horse won one of his 10 starts in his native Brazil, while he also ran fourth in the G1 G.P. Derby Paulista November 2020 and has been placed at elite level on three occasions.
“He’s just arrived here, he’s a stallion, he raced in a Brazilian Derby, I haven’t watched the replay and I don’t know how to pull that up,” Stokes told Racing.com.
Phillip Stokes
“Lovely big imposing sort of horse, one of those American pedigrees, very interesting sort of horse. He had some issues, I’m not sure what they were, like I said he’s only just arrived, so I don’t know a lot about him.
“Oh, he’s a lovely big, strong horse, I’ve had him out on the track twice now, does everything right in a nice manner.
“We’ve got to get him registered, get him branded and we’ll just bring him along slowly and see where he ends up.
“A horse is a horse so, as long as he’s sound, we’ll see how that form stacks up.”
Verry Elleegant moving towards French debut
Multiple Group 1 winner Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) is pleasing trainer Francis-Henri Graffard as she builds towards her European debut.
Graffard has pencilled in the G1 Prix Rothschild at Deauville at the start of August, provided the former Chris Waller-trained mare continues to please her new trainer.
"She's a strong filly. She's feeling good in her body, a very sound filly," Graffard told RSN.
"The mechanics are very good, her action is very good. She's a lovely mover. She gives a lot of power, you can see she's a very good filly. I have good horses in my yard, and I will put her with them and see where we stand.
"I had to clip her. It's summertime here and she looks so much better now she's clipped because she was sweating a little bit too much with her winter coat."
Hawtin announces his retirement
Two-time New Zealand premiership-winning trainer Keith Hawtin bowed out with a winner at Cambridge on Wednesday.
Hawtin produced Heart Of Gold (NZ) (Niagara) to win the Waipa Earthworks 1550 under jockey Lynsey Satherley then confirmed the Pam Brindley-bred and raced gelding would be his final starter.
"That was my last runner. He's the only one I've got still racing," 70-year-old Hawtin said.
Keith Hawtin has retired | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
"I've got a dozen at home, a couple to trial in the middle of next month but then I won't have anything.
"There's a couple there to go to Hong Kong and we've got to work out where a couple will go, a couple I own myself, one that might go to Brendon in Aussie, but that's it.
"It's been a great life in racing. Racing has been great to me. I don't regret a second of it."
