Spirit Of Boom draws level with Better Than Ready
The Tony Gollan-trained Honey Pot became Spirit Of Boom’s 23rd individual winner of the season when she took out Race 5 at Eagle Farm – the 1200-metre QTIS 2YO H.
Spirit Of Boom | Standing at Eureka Stud
Honey Pot’s victory sees Spirit Of Boom join Better Than Ready atop the Leading 2-Year-Old Sires by winners. The former has 32 wins overall, while the latter has 31.
It was a quinella for both trainer and sire, with Spiritualised finishing a close second.
Double for American Pharoah
Second-season sire American Pharoah (USA) had two winners on Saturday and both were bred and are traced by Ron and Judy Wanless.
American Pharoah (USA) | Standing at Coolmore America
Kris Lees’ Flag Of Honour won the first at Rosehill Gardens, while Peter Moody’s Daytona Bay took out Race 8 at Flemington.
American Pharoah, who boasts 32 winners and 49 wins in 2021/22, won’t be returning to Coolmore Australia this season.
Purton claims fifth Hong Kong Jockeys’ Premiership
Australian Zac Purton has won his fifth Hong Hong Jockey's title, after finishing the final day of the season with a treble.
Purton and Joao Moreira, also a four-time premiership winner, headed into Saturday's meeting locked on 132 victories. Moreira, who led Purton by 18 wins in February, went winless on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Frankie Lor edged out Australian John Size to win the Trainers' crown. Size has won the trainers' championship 11 times.
Four for Dream Ahead, Tycoon Ruler
Stallions Dream Ahead (USA) and Tycoon Ruler both sired four winners on Saturday.
Dream Ahead had a winner at Morphettville parks, Gympie, Thangool and Eagle Farm.
Tycoon Ruler’s wins were at Gympie, Hughenden, Toowoomba and Goondiwindi.
Six for Waller
Australia’s leading trainer, Chris Waller, added six wins to his tally on Saturday.
Waller notched four wins at Rosehill Gardens, one at Flemington and one at Eagle Farm.
He now has 344 wins for the season, of which 264 are metropolitan successes.
Jockey says advertising boards to blame for gelding’s defeat
Jockey Jeff Kehoe told Racing New South Wales stewards the advertising boards near the finish line at Rosehill Gardens cost Sir Ravanelli (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) victory in the TAB Highway H. (1200 metres).
The Terry Evans-trained 4-year-old looked home, before running off the track.
“When I got to the 200 (metre mark) when the black boards start, he really was wanting to get off the track,” Kehoe said.
“If he goes straight, he wins by panels.”
Bott outlines targets for stable stars
Adrian Bott, who trains in partnership with Australian Racing Hall of Famer Gai Waterhouse, has detailed plans for some of the stable’s top performers.
Recent Group 1 winner Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) is likely to resume in the G1 Memsie S. at Caulfield on August 27.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott
Dual Group 1 victor Converge (Frankel {GB}) will be aimed at the $10 million Golden Eagle on October 29, possibly via the G1 The Epsom H. on October 1.
G1 Sydney Cup winner Knight’s Order (Ire) (So You Think {NZ}) is on a G1 Melbourne Cup path, and may resume in Sydney before heading to Melbourne, while In The Congo (Snitzel) will be kept to sprint trips and is looking for dry ground.
Golden Sixty claims back-to-back HK Horse of the Year titles
Hong Kong superstar Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) – a New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale graduate that was bred in Australia by the Hutchins family of Element Hill - picked up his second consecutive Horse of the Year title at the Jockey Club’s Champion Awards on Friday night.
Having won the G1 Hong Kong Mile and G1 Champions Mile, Golden Sixty also retained his crown as Champion Miler, and, not surprisingly, was named the Most Popular Horse of the Year for a third year in succession.
Wellington – a son of Vinery Stud’s All Too Hard – was named Champion Sprinter, while Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) was crowned Champion Middle-Distance Horse and Most Improved Horse.
Australian Zac Purton was named Most Popular Jockey, the Champion Griffin award went the way of Lucky Sweynesse (Sweynesse), while Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the Champion Stayer gong.
Aussie riches await La Crique
Group 1-performed Kiwi filly La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}) will head across the Tasman for a tilt at some of the main races during the spring.
La Crique impressed during her 3-year-old season, winning five of her eight starts and placing in the other three.
La Crique (NZ) winning the G2 Avondale Guineas | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
She won the G3 Desert Gold S. at Trentham in January, followed by the G2 Avondale Guineas Ellerslie in February, before placing second in the G1 New Zealand Derby at Ellerslie in March.
The $10 million Golden Eagle and G1 Cox Plate are both options for the Simon and Katrina Alexander-trained filly.
Benbow bags a treble
Victorian jockey Jason Benbow, who has moved to South Australia until at least the end of the season, made a successful start to his campaign, notching three winners at Morphetville Parks on Saturday.
Benbow took out the feature on blueblood He’s Heaven (Zoustar) for Peter Moody, who he has had a long association with. Benbow won the G1 Emirates S. aboard the Moody-trained Sky Cuddle (Snippets) in 2004.
Venting takes out NT Derby
Star Witness gelding Venting defied his price ($19) to win Saturday’s NT Derby by 2.79l.
He is trained by local Kerry Petrick and was handed by Paul Denton.
Venting is related to Group 1 winners Bollinger (Dehere {USA}), Bint Marscay (Marscay), Filante and Kenny’s Best Pal.
Wolfburn (Snitzel) finished second, while Rising Fire (Headwater) was third, some 10l off the winner.
