Matcha Latte resumes at Randwick
Matcha Latte (Maurice {Jpn}), who was Group 3-placed as a 2-year-old, resumed from a spell with an impressive maiden victory at Randwick-Kensington on Wednesday and he could now be aimed at stakes races including the G1 Spring Champion S.
The Mark Newnham-trained son of Maurice (Jpn) ran three times as a juvenile and he finally got his head in front when beating A Lot More Love (Sebring) by 0.3l.
Matcha Latte winning at Randwick-Kensington | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“He’s always been an above-average colt, he showed good ability in the autumn and has matured nicely so I’m sure once we get him out to a mile-plus he’ll be better again,” said Mark Newnham.
“He’ll head towards races like the Gloaming and hopefully end up in the Spring Champion S.
“You can see in his coat he still has good improvement to come, but it’s nice to get that maiden win out of the way.”
Power to stand for $13,200
The Oaklands Stud roster will once again be headed by Power (Ire), who will stand the 2022 breeding season for an unchanged fee of $13,200 (inc GST).
Power once again will stand alongside Exosphere, who will be offered at a fee of $6600 (inc GST), while Prince Fawaz will stand for a fee of $11,000 (inc GST).
Coolangatta to head north?
The recent prizemoney boosts announced for the Sydney spring carnival could entice connections of G1 Golden Slipper S. placegetter Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) to head north to Sydney.
The filly will kick off her campaign in Victoria where co-trainer Ciaron Maher has identified the G1 Moir S. at Moonee Valley on September 23 as an ideal early season target.
If she can prove her mettle against the more seasoned sprinters in the Moir, Maher says Sydney's feature sprints will be on their radar.
Coolangatta | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"One hundred per cent," Maher said. "She has got to win a Group 1, tick that box. I just thought that arguably her best run was in the Gimcrack S. over the 1000. She is a fast horse.
"I was keen to get her to The Valley and have a look and she would have a lot of options open to her if things went the right way there."
No Bordeaux for Rosebud
Best Of Bordeaux (Snitzel) will not resume in the Listed The Rosebud at Rosehill on Saturday.
While the colt was widely expected to resume at Rosehill on Saturday, trainer Kacy Fogden had flagged concerns over his 61kg top-weight earlier in the week and he was not among acceptances on Wednesday.
He instead appears likely to resume under the set weights plus penalties conditions of the G3 San Domenico S. a fortnight from Saturday.
Millane set to resume
Victorian Alliance-raced colt Millane (Zoustar) will kick-off his 3-year-old campaign in the G3 Vain S., while the ownership’s unraced colt Bews (I Am Invincible), will attempt to open his account in a maiden at Sale on Thursday.
“He’s a very talented horse which we’ve had to be patient with as he had a couple of niggling things through his 2-year-old year which meant we couldn’t quite see him at the races at two,” Rosemont principal Anthony Mithen told Racing.com.
Millane
“But he’s got a lot of talent and he’s been showing this preparation, so we’ve excited to see him on Thursday kick off.
“I think the plan was to put a nom in for the Vain (S.) but unless it comes up short on numbers and weak on class, which I don’t think it will, he’ll go to Sale on Thursday and hopefully do the colours proud.”
Memsie kick off for Nonconformist
After a few near misses at elite level, trainer Grahame Begg has revealed that Nonconformist (Rebel Raider) will have plenty of Group 1s on his agenda, starting with the G1 Memsie S. at Caulfield on August 27.
“He seems to be a much more mature horse,” Begg told Racing.com.
“He’s a 6-year-old now but he’s only had 19 starts so he’s been very lightly raced and we’ve looked after him.
“Hopefully we’ll reap the rewards. The Caulfield Cup is the main target and he’ll go Memsie, into the Makybe Diva, into the Underwood and into the Might And Power and then back-up a week later in the Caulfield Cup.”
Group 1 option for Grand Impact
Co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr has said Grand Impact (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) will now be aimed towards the G1 Coolmore Stud S. after the colt’s impressive win at Sandown on Sunday.
“We are going to go the Coolmore path. He is already in the paddock,” Kent Jnr told RSN.
Grand Impact (NZ) | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
“He is out of a Swiss Ace mare, he is pretty sharp, and while he is by a champion miler we think he is better kept to the fresh side with blinkers on. Without blinkers he is very on and off the bridle.
“He will probably come back and go via the Blue Sapphire into the Coolmore, all going well.”
Dettori booked for Melbourne Cup heroine
Brae Sokolski – part-owner of superstar Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) - has revealed champion jockey Frankie Dettori will ride the mare in her European debut, the G1 Prix Jean Romanet (2000 metres) at Deauville on August 21.
The 2000-metre race will be the 11-time Group 1 winner’s first for new trainer Francis-Henri Graffard.
All going well, Verry Elleegant will contest the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris on October 2.
Thoroughbred Breeders Queensland Association (TBQA) annual awards
The TBQA has announced its annual award winners for 2021/22.
Aquis Farm’s The Mission won the Champion First Season Stallion gong after he finished with 10 winners from 20 starters. They won 14 races and $896,145 in prizemoney. The Mission's best performer was the gelding Mishani Warfare who was bred by Mishani Enterprises and had 12 starts for two wins, a second and a third earning $238,775 in prizemoney.
The Mission | Standing at Aquis Farm
For the fourth successive season, Eureka Stud’s Spirit Of Boom was Champion Sire after 275 of his progeny won 211 races, including seven stakes wins. His winners during the season included G1 Manikato S. hero Jonker who contributed $626,000 of the sire’s $9,610,237 in prizemoney. Spirit Of Boom was also named Champion 2-Year-Old Stallion with 23 winners combining for 35 race wins.
The Broodmare of the Year will be announced at the Racing Queensland Thoroughbred Awards on October 6.
Keeneland September Yearling Sale attracts huge numbers
Keeneland has catalogued 4147 horses for the 79th renewal of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The auction will take place between September 12-24 and comprises 12 sessions.
Similar to the 2021 September Sale, Week 1 of this year's auction will feature Books 1 and 2 during the first four days, and more than 1100 horses.
The September Sale catalogue has a total of 2102 colts, 2044 fillies and one gelding, including 21 yearlings bred outside North America. Yearlings in the catalogue represent 199 established stallions, including American Pharoah (USA), Frankel (GB), Galileo (Ire), Medaglia D'Oro (USA), Kingman (GB) and More Than Ready (USA).
Additionally, a number of young stallions are represented by their first crop of yearlings, including Audible (USA), Catalina Cruiser (USA), Mitole (USA) and Omaha Beach (USA).
Star Of India to join Neasham
Star Of India (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who landed the Listed Dee S. for Coolmore and Aidan O’Brien, will continue his life in Australia with trainer Annabel Neasham.
The son of Galileo (Ire) finished a well-beaten 13th in the G1 Epsom Derby and hasn’t raced since. While he awaits a flight to Australia, which has yet to be confirmed, the colt has been transferred to the stable of Harry Eustace in Newmarket.
“He has bought by an ownership group to head to Annabel Neasham in Australia and the plan is to run him up here before entering quarantine to go to either Melbourne or Sydney,” Eustace told PA Media.
“There’s no pressure for me to run him, but if I’m happy with him he’s good to run. We’ll take a bit of time with him and get to know him and there’s a couple of options at either Windsor or in France later in the season.”
Those options Eustace refers to are the G3 Winter Hill S., an open age event at Windsor on August 27, or the G3 Prix du Prince d’Orange for 3-year-olds at Longchamp on September 4.
