Seven for Hellbent
Yarraman Park’s first-season sire Hellbent was handed his seventh first-crop winner on Tuesday when the Kris Lees-trained Hellavadancer shed her maiden status at the third attempt at Gunnedah.
The 2-year-old filly surged clear to beat Early Hours (Dawn Approach {Ire}) by an impressive 5l, while Angela Sistina (All Too Hard) was another 0.2l away in third.
Hellavadancer was purchased by her owners Australian Bloodstock for $100,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and she is out of stakes-placed Oratorio mare Dancing Express, who is herself a half-sister to Listed winner Stagnite (Danehill Express).
Hellbent will stand the upcoming breeding season alongside his sire I Am Invincible for a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).
Uncommon James to test Melbourne
The Steven O'Dea and Matt Hoysted-trained Uncommon James (Cable Bay {Ire}) will be aimed at some lucrative prizes in Melbourne this spring.
A winner of four of his five starts for Steven O’Dea and Matthew Hoysted, Uncommon James is being aimed at the Listed Regal Roller S. at Caulfield on August 13 with a second Melbourne start planned for the Listed Chautauqua S. at Moonee Valley on September 3.
The son of Cable Bay (Ire) extended his winning streak to four when successful in the Darby McCarthy at Doomben last Saturday and he will have a short break before heading to Melbourne where he will be stabled at Cranbourne with Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.
"He's been super impressive with everything that he has done so far," Hoysted said.
"But he's still putting it altogether, he's doing a few little things wrong.
"A trip away can really make some of these horses grow up and can be the making of a lot of them and hopefully that can be the case with this bloke."
Vandyke confident Joy Too All is a future stakes winner
Trainer David Vandyke believes talented mare Joy Too All (All Too Hard) is a future stakes performer and is confident the rising 6-year-old will fulfil her potential before eventually heading to the breeding barn.
Joy Too All will bid for her sixth win in nine starts when she steps out in distance to 1350 metres in the Class 5 H. at Doomben on Wednesday.
“She’s a nice mare and is very consistent,” Vandyke said. “She’s got the capability of getting some black type down the track.”
Joy Too All | Image courtesy of Vinery Stud
Joy Too All is coming off a last-start fourth to Uncommon James at Eagle Farm on June 25. Uncommon James has since franked the form winning the Darby McCarthy at Doomben last Saturday to take his record to four wins and a second from five starts.
“It was a sit-and-sprint race which didn’t suit her last time,” Vandyke said. “The first 600 metres was run in 36.34s and the last 600 was in 34.16s. But, she worked to the line strongly and stepping out to 1350 metres will suit her better.”
Duais back in work
Multiple Group 1 winner Duais (Shamus Award) has returned to Edward Cummings’ Hawkesbury stable following her spell.
Having landed the G1 Queensland Oaks as a 3-year-old, the daughter of Shamus Award added another two elite-level wins to her CV as a 4–year-old when she landed the G1 Australian Cup and G1 Tancred S.
"She's great, she came back in really good order after about three weeks in pre-training, with a mix of ridden work, treadmill work and time on the water walker," Cummings told Racing.com.
"She's a bigger, stronger sort of version of what she's been, which is only natural given that she's starting to reach full maturity and turning five in a month.
"She's had a very uneventful beginning to her preparation since she's been in the stable, she's probably been back for three weeks and I'm very happy with her progress heading towards early August, where we plan to have her ready to trial and then a couple of weeks later in the Winx Stakes on August 20, she should be stepping out for the first time for the spring."
Big targets for Howley pair
Trainer Liam Howley is planning a big spring for both Virtuous Circle (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) and Highland Harley (Highland Reel {Ire}).
Virtuous Circle hasn't raced since his win in the Mornington Sires' and his trainer is pleased with how he's returned to the stable.
"Virtuous Circle is certainly more mature and a lot stronger this time around," Howley told Racing.com.
Liam Howley
"I'm really happy with where he's at. He's a colt with a nice pedigree, he's a stunning-looking colt. We'd like to think he's a Guineas horse, I think races like the Caulfield Classic over 2000 metres, the Victoria Derby."
Meanwhile, the Derby could also be on the agenda for Highland Harley.
"He's really thrived, put on some good condition," Howley said. "I'm hoping he’ll be a Derby horse this spring. He's quite happy in himself, he knows he's a racehorse. Having had those good few runs as a 2-year-old, he's really forward mentally, so I think it's realistic to be setting the sights on the Derby at this stage of the year.
"Everything needs to go right but at this stage, we'll dream big."
Strong sale at Fasig-Tipton
Bloodstock agent Steve Young, was active throughout Monday's Fasig-Tipton July Selected Horses of All Ages Sale, and made the day's highest bid when going to $500,000 to acquire recent American Derby runner-up Kuchar (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}) (Hip 547) on behalf of an undisclosed client. Agent Jacob West was underbidder on the colt.
“He is a proven and improving 3-year-old,” said Young . “If he improves in the next three months as much as he improved in the last three months, he will be a nice horse.”
A total of 129 offerings sold Monday for a gross of US$10,814,000 (AU$16 million). The average was US$83,829 (AU$124,000) and the median was US$58,000 (AU$86,000). With 30 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate was 18.9 per cent.
Perth raids on the horizon for Media Award
Trainer Chris Calthorpe is already beginning to map out a plan for Group 1 winner Media Award (Shamus Award).
The daughter of Shamus Award will be aimed at G1 Railway S. in mid-November and the G1 Northerly S. - formerly the Kingston Town S. - in early December will be her main aims.
"She's had a good four-month break pretty much after that trial in January, which was only satisfactory," Calthorpe told Racing.com.
Media Award
"She's been back in work now for about six weeks and we're really happy with her.
"Our plan, depending on timing and how quickly she comes up and she's pretty athletic so it doesn't take her long, will be to have one or two runs here (Melbourne) and then head to Perth.
"We'll target those two races (Railway S. and Northerly S.) with her, that will be her late spring, early summer campaign and we'll see how we go."
Tycoon Evie transferred to Snowden stable
Last weekend’s G3 Pam O’Neill winner Tycoon Evie (Written Tycoon) has been moved from Rex Lipp and Nicholas Hahn’s stable and will continue her career with Peter and Paul Snowden.
“That’s correct, she’s headed to the Snowdens,” Lipp told News Corp.
“She is going to go down there for the spring and then she is supposed to come back to me for the summer carnival.
“There was a whisper about it before the races on Saturday but when I got to the races the owner told me.”
McDonald returns to the races
Having not been seen on a racecourse since before his triumphant Royal Ascot trip, jockey James McDonald is back and preparing for his return to race riding in Australia.
McDonald rode three winners at the prestigious festival in England, highlighted by his triumph on Nature Strip (Nicconi) in the G1 King's Stand S.
James McDonald
McDonald's manager Mark Guest confirmed that he will be back in the saddle at the barrier trials on Friday at Canterbury before he competes at the races at Randwick's Kensington track next Wednesday, July 20.
Corstens on the mend
Leon Corstens provided an update on his son and training partner Troy Corstens on Tuesday after he suffered multiple injuries in a cycling accident more than a week ago.
"He's sick and sorry for himself still but he'll get over it eventually," Leon Corstens told Racing.com.
"He's going to take a little bit of time but all in all, he's a hell of a lot better than what he expected really.”
Kilner makes progress
There was some further encouraging news for injured NSW-based apprentice Leah Kilner on Tuesday, with medical staff in Brisbane reporting she has been able to stand and drink on her own for the first time since her heavy race fall at Grafton on July 3.
"Leah's condition is improving in the High Dependency Ward," said a Racing NSW statement issued on Tuesday.
"She was able to stand for the first time today and is also now able to drink on her own and continues to communicate with family."
Kilner was dislodged from Stella's Turn (Star Turn) less than 100 metres out from the post in the third race at Grafton. She was immediately airlifted to Princess Alexandria Hospital in Brisbane and put into an induced coma.
Just three days ago, doctors reported that she had been moved out of intensive care and was waking for longer periods and able to talk and communicate with family.
Meredith awake, no change for Andreou
NSW-based rider Elissa Meredith has woken from her coma and is able to recognise family members as she continues to recover from her fall at Gunnedah on July 4.
There has been no change, however, to the condition of injured Melbourne-based jockey Juana Andreou, who remains in a coma and in a critical condition after she was kicked in the head by a horse she was clipping on July 4.
