Giga unlikely to plot Guineas path
Clayton Douglas has all but ruled out a G1 Caulfield Guineas tilt with impressive G3 Vain S. winner Giga Kick (Scissor Kick).
Clayton Douglas with Giga Kick and Rod Douglas | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
The Mornington-based horseman said he doesn’t want to overtax his unbeaten galloper this campaign, which opens the door for a potential raid on the G1 Coolmore Stud S.
Bound for bigger things
Impressive G3 Quezette S. heroine Bound For Home (Rubick) is likely to be seen next in either the G3 Scarborough S. at Moonee Valley or the G2 Danehill S. at Flemington.
The Scarborough S. will be held under lights on G1 Moir S. night, Friday, September 23, while the Danehill S. is to be ran at headquarters the following Saturday.
Trainer Archie Alexander said Bound For Home is likely to spend two weeks in the paddock between runs before stepping out under race conditions.
Stakes grade awaits Squad
Shalaa (Ire) colt Squad, a $470,000 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase, is G3 McNeil S. bound after breaking his maiden status in devastating fashion when saluting by 4.5l at Bendigo on Sunday.
Owned by Rupert Legh and trained by Team Hawkes, Squad went home the better of Makusha (Magnus) and River Frost (Frosted {USA}) in the 1100-metre event.
“He’s a lovely horse going somewhere,” Wayne Hawkes told Racing.com.
“He’s a stakes class horse so you’d want him to be doing what he did today.”
Moore returns to Macau
Gary Moore has officially called time on his training career in Australia and will return to Macau to rejoin the training ranks at Taipa Racecourse.
A recent trip to Macau provided further inspiration for him to return to the city where he was crowned champion trainer eight times.
“I was up there about a month ago and I got a really great welcome, like a welcome home," Moore told Racing.com.
"That spurred me on to speed things up to be able to return to Macau to train."
Kah booked for exciting sprinter
Jamie Kah has been booked to ride Suman Hedge’s exciting sprinter Extremely Lucky (Extreme Choice) in Saturday’s Listed Carlyon S. at Moonee Valley.
The Will Clarken-trained gelding will line up in the 1000-metre contest after breathtaking Listed Lightning S. romp at Morphettville.
Baker unfazed by Babe’s bad run
Bjorn Baker remains unfazed by Belluci Babe’s (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) first-up flop in the G2 Missile S. despite the Little Avondale Stud-owned mare finishing 7.25l behind long-shot winner Hard Empire (Hard Spun {USA}).
The Warwick Farm-based horseman told Racenet that Belluci Babe has bounced back from the uncharacteristic performance and will press on to Saturday’s G3 Toy Show Quality at Randwick.
State Of Rest to step out in France
The China Horse Club and Newgate Farm-owned State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) will be out to add another Group 1 to his resume when he steps out in Sunday night’s G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville.
The G1 Cox Plate hero, who is likely to defend his crown this October, is set to take on a high-class field, which includes the Godolphin-owned Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the John and Thady Gosden-trained Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
The result will be updated overnight.
Shamardal colt steals the show at Arqana
A Shamardal (USA) colt with rarity value to add to his illustrious family ties was the sole millionaire yearling during the opening session of the Arqana August Sale when selling for €1.6 million (AU$2.3 million) from Gestut Ammerland to Godolphin.
Bred by one of the most respected studs in Europe, the close relation to dual Classic winner and leading sire Lope De Vega (Ire) was the standout on a day that had a strong clearance rate for an elite sale of 84 per cent, with the 112 yearlings sold from 133 offered during an elongated first day of France's premier auction bringing turnover of €19,862,000 (AU$28.6 million).
The reworked format for 2022 means that direct comparisons at this stage could be misleading, but the first-day average of €177,339 (AU$255,400) and a median of €120,000 (AU$172,800) were both up on the equivalent overall figures in those sectors for last year's sale.
Group 1 targets await Helena Baby
Trainer John Bell will set evergreen grey Helena Baby (NZ) (Gullotine {NZ}) for Group 1 glory after the gelding made it a one-act affair when winning an Open H. at Tauranga on Saturday.
The Listed Opunake Cup winner, who boasts a G1 Tarzino Trophy placing, will be seen next in the aforementiond Tarzino Trophy on September 10 before contesting the G1 Arrowfield Stud Plate and the G1 Livamol Classic.
