Cover image courtesy of Newmarket Racecourse
Artorius bids to become a dual-hemisphere Group 1 hero
Australian colt Artorius (Flying Artie), last year’s G1 Blue Diamond S. winner, will look to add a second elite-level victory to his CV when he lines up in the G1 July Cup S. at Newmarket's July course. And if he is to get the job done, it will make him a Group 1 winner in both hemispheres, which is sure to do wonders for his prospects as a stallion (Artorius is part-owned by Newgate Farm).
Artorius turned in an enormous run in the G1 Platinum Jubilee at Royal Ascot, flashing home from last to dead-heat for third.
Co-trainer Sam Freedman has reported the colt has thrived since that run and he expects another big run from the 3-year-old, who will again be ridden by top local jockey Jamie Spencer.
Artorius taking in a pre-race gallop under Jamie Spencer at Newmarket's July course | Image courtesy of the Victoria Race Club
Arguably his biggest threat is G1 Commonwealth Cup winner Perfect Power (Ire) (Ardad {Ire}), who runs for trainer Richard Fahey. He has won six of his nine starts and has the services of star jockey Christophe Soumillon. The colt can match Artorius on his 2-year-old achievements, albeit in Northern Hemisphere terms, as he won the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket (Rowley Mile) last September.
Godolphin pair Naval Crown (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Creative Force (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who ran first and second respectively in the Platinum Jubilee, will renew acquaintances with Artorius, while the Hugo Palmer-trainer Flaming Rib (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) has good form around Perfect Power.
The 1200-metre race goes ahead on Sunday at 1.25am AEST.
Oxley Road resumes in G3 Sir John Monash S. at Caulfield
The honour roll for the G3 Sir John Monash S. at Caulfield is littered with top-quality gallopers. Super Elegant (Mister C {USA}) contested the race five times and went back-to-back in 2004/05. I Am Invincible, now the country’s leading sire, won the race in 2009, while another good stallion, Reward For Effort, was victorious a year later. The lightning-quick Lord Of The Sky triumphed in 2014, and in 2018, Voodoo Lad (I Am Invincible) scored impressively when favourite.
This year’s edition sees a field of 11 engaged, with Oxley Road (Exceed And Excel) and Aysar (Deep Field) the class runners.
The Peter Moody-trained Oxley Road is first-up and is likely to start favourite. He brings good fresh form to the race, having notched a win and two placings from three attempts, and he is yet to miss a place at Caulfield. The 4-year-old entire is a Group 2 and Group 3 winner, and two starts back he finished third in the G1 Oakleigh Plate, which was won by Marabi (I Am Invincible). He won a jump-out at Pakenham last month and should race on the speed under Luke Nolen.
Oxley Road winning the G2 Caulfield Sprint in 2021 | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Aysar has won just two of his 16 starts, but most of his races have been stakes class. As a 3-year-old, he finished second to Ole Kirk in the G1 Caulfield Guineas and he was just 1l behind Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) when fourth in last year’s G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. Aysar resumes here off the back of a Tatura trial and has won one of five first-up. Blaike McDougall rides from barrier 10.
In-form galloper Ashford Street (Moshe) has a fitness edge over a number of his rivals, while Mileva (Headwater) is a first-up specialist, having won three of four when fresh.
Inundation out to extend win-streak at Caulfield
One of the revelations of the winter has been the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Inundation (Headwater), who is unbeaten from three starts this campaign. After two wins in the country, Inundation was sent to town for the first time on June 25 and didn’t disappoint, winning a 3-year-old Handicap by 3l.
Inundation, who is related to Listed winner Crevette (Danehill {USA}) and G1 victress Cosmic Endeavour (Northern Meteor), has drawn the outside barrier in the field of 10 and goes up 2.5kg from his last run in Race 5.
Perhaps the hardest to beat is Plagiarized (Exceed And Excel) – a $1.8 million 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate, who is a son of dual Group 1 winner Platelet (Strategic). The Chris Waller-trained 3-year-old won a maiden when on debut at The Valley in February, before failing to fire at the same track in BM64 grade. Plagiarized will jump from barrier six under Brett Prebble.
Plagiarized was a $1.8 million purchase as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Another horse resuming here is Attractable, a gelded son of I Am Invincible, who made $290,000 at the 2020 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. Trained by Moody, he is a winner of three of seven starts and ran well in the G2 Autumn Classic prior to going for a break. Attractable owns a first-up win and has the services of Luke Nolen.
The surprise packet could be Rock Artist (Wandjina), who has won his past two for Ken and Kasey Keys, while Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain) may appreciate dropping back from 1300 metres to 1100 metres.
Taksu looking for consecutive feature race wins
The feature event on a 10-race card at Randwick is the Listed Winter S. The $160,000 contest boasts plenty of quality, with an even field of runners engaged.
Given the amount of rain in Sydney during the week, the track will doubtless be in the Heavy range which will plays into the hands of the ultra-consistent Taksu (Equiano {Fr}). The Joseph Pride-trained gelding has won four of nine starts on Heavy ground and has been out of the top three just once from nine starts on a soft track. The 6-year-old has won three of his past six, including the Listed Civic S. last time out. He was ridden to victory on that occasion by Glyn Schofield, who stays aboard. From six starts at Randwick, Taksu has two wins and two placings and he is a four-time winner from 11 attempts at 1400 metres.
Taksu winning the Listed Civic S. at Royal Randwick on his last start | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Cranbourne-based trainer Alex Rae, who had a winner at his home track on Thursday, has sent Chief Altony (Rebel Raider) north and he should appreciate the give in the ground. The 5-year-old has two wins and two placings from four runs on Heavy ground. Chief Altony is in a rich vein of form, having finished in the first three at his past four runs. The son of Equiano (Fr) has drawn barrier one and has services of Kathy O’Hara.
Another Victorian sent to Sydney for this race is the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Agreeable (Sebring), who won her only start on a Heavy track. She was beaten by the in-form Bella Rouge (I Am Invincible) over this trip at Flemington last start.
Jojo Was A Man (Al Maher) and Oscar Zulu (Epaulette) are likely to have their share of admirers. The former is two from four at Randwick.
Hopes aplenty in the G3 Pam O’Neill S.
Doomben hosts 10 races on Saturday, with the G3 Pam O’Neill S. the feature event. The 1600-metre contest carries a purse of $150,000 and has been won by many good horses, including Ortensia (Testa Rossa), Srikandi (Dubawi {Ire}), Ghisoni (Lonhro) and Savatiano (Street Cry {Ire}). The race is named in honour of Australia's first registered female jockey, who piloted more than 400 winners during her time in the saddle.
The country’s leading trainer, Chris Waller, has four runners engaged – She’s The Gift (NZ) (Power {GB}), Easifar (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai), Seleque (Deep Field) and Zing (Zoustar). Seleque is airborne, having won three of her past four races, but she has a wide gate to overcome. Easifar is up from Sydney, where she finished second behind stablemate Wicklow (Ire) (Twilight Son {GB}) in BM78 grade last start.
Seleque (purple, white stars) is a top hope for Chris Waller but has drawn wide for Saturday's G3 Pam O'Neill S. | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Charmmebaby (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) will be looking to add a third black-type victory. The 5-year-drops back from the G1 Tattersall’s Tiara, where she finished eighth, beaten 3.4l. This mare boasts a very good winning strike rate (nine from 33).
Cliff’s Art (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) won well at Randwick last start, but is drawn the car park, while Dzsenifer (Scissor Kick) has two wins and a second at this track and trip.
Gollan with two-pronged attack in Listed Chief De Beers
This race is named after Queensland great Chief De Beers (Hula Chief {NZ}), who won 20 races and in excess of $1.5 million in prizemoney. Interestingly, all of his victories took place at Doomben. He triumphed in the G1 Doomben 10,000 on two occasions (1995 and 1998) and finished his life as a police horse before his death in 2020.
Just like ‘The Chief’, Niedorp (Not A Single Doubt) is a Doomben specialist. The Tony Gollan-trained mare has had nine runs at Doomben, for five wins and three placings. Niedorp resumed from a spell in the Listed Lightning H. at Eagle Farm on June 4 and failed to fire. She boasts one win from seven second-up runs. Georgina Cartwright takes over from Jim Byrne. Gollan’s other runner is Tahitian Dancer (Dawn Approach {Ire}). Expect her to be charging late under Byrne. Gollan won the race in 2015 with Rocket To Glory (Shovhog)
Mr Mosaic last won in January, taking out a Rosehill Gardens handicap | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Sydney visitor Mr Mosaic (Rubick) is hard in the market and he looks ready to win after two encouraging runs this time in. He resumed with a runner-up finish in the Listed Ortensia S. at Scone, before running sixth in the Listed June S. at Randwick last start. Trainers Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou have engaged local apprentice Kyle Wilson-Taylor.
Centrefire (Shooting To Win) was an impressive winner of the Listed Gai Waterhouse Classic last start and she is drawn to get a gun run under Samantha Collett.
