Expat well ahead of Wyong stakes event
The Mark Newnham-trained Expat (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) is in good order ahead of run in the Listed race Mona Lisa S. at Wyong on Friday.
A dual stakes winner, Expat will likely use the Listed as a stepping stone towards the G2 Golden Pendant.
"It is a good on-pace horses' track but when you get a full field of competitive mares like this race, sometimes it will suit a run-on horse just because of the pressure of the race," he said.
"But she is pretty well suited to most places she goes. You've got a long run down the back there, she's a good on-pace type of horse, she handles all ground. She is pretty uncomplicated."
The Listed Mona Lisa S., is one of two stakes events at Wyong on Friday, with the other being the Listed Wyong Cup.
Eighth Northern Hemisphere winner for Zoustar
Zoustar sired his eighth Northern Hemisphere-bred winner on Wednesday courtesy of Zephina’s (GB) victory at Wolverhampton.
Trained by David Evans, the filly scooted clear to beat Cloud Flyer (GB) (Fastnet Rock) by 2.4l, while Queen Of Cartes (Ire) (Kingman) was another 1l away in third.
Zoustar’s first Northern Hemisphere crop is headed by Group 3 winner Lezoo (GB).
Eduardo sets off on latest campaign
Despite having just turned nine, trainer Joe Pride believes Eduardo (Host {Chi}) is in the best shape of his life and he will kick off his campaign, which will once again be geared towards The Everest when he lines up in the G3 Concorde S. at Randwick on Saturday.
Joe Pride | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"I think this is his best opportunity to win an Everest because he's heavier than he's ever been," Pride said.
"The first one he went into, he'd only just got to Sydney, so we can put a line through that one.
"And last year, I'd like it over again."
Ground key to Spanish Mission
Peter Moody will only run his G1 Melbourne Cup hope Spanish Mission (USA) (Noble Mission {GB}) in Saturday’s G2 Feehan S. at Moonee Valley if the ground is no worse than Soft.
Spanish Mission was scratched from last weekend’s Listed Heatherlie S. at Caulfield and Moody does not want to run Spanish Mission on a significantly wet track, with the trainer prepared to bide his time until he gets the right conditions.
"He's low flying at home," Moody said. "But I'd like to get a gallop into him and just see him under race conditions as to how he is going compared to what he's showing me on the track at home.
"So, I'll probably run him on Soft ground, but not on a Heavy track. He's in too good an order to take the confidence away from him by running him on a Heavy track."
Should Spanish Mission bypass Saturday's Group 2 race, Moody said there was the option of the G1 Makybe Diva S. at Flemington on Saturday week.
Bridge give Legend the green light
Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt), winner of the 2020 The Everest, has been given the green light for a return to the races with trainer Les Bridge planning to run in the gelding in the G2 The Shorts at Randwick on September 17.
"McEvoy said he blew up about 80 metres out, so he's not as fit at this stage as I've had him in the past because of the time out," Bridge said.
Classique Legend | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
"I'm going to get him ready for The Shorts. When he won The Shorts (in 2020), I had him spot-on. He might not be spot-on this time, but we'll do the best we can.
"He is just a fraction behind in fitness, but he will certainly be fit enough for The Everest."
Bridge confirmed that all being well, the Bon Ho-raced Classique Legend would likely progress to the G2 Premiere S. on October 1 before tackling The Everest third-up two weeks later.
Semillion to bounce back?
Co-trainer Wayne Hawkes will be hoping Semillion (Shalaa {Ire}) can bounce back from his first-up last place finish in the G3 Vain S. when he tackles the G2 McEwen S. at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
"You would think it will be a leader's track and as soon as you say that everything will go 'lickety-split' and something sitting back will win," Hawkes said.
"Track conditions won't bother him. He won his first start here on a Soft track and he won the first race at the Championships in Sydney on a bottomless 20, so he goes good in the wet.
"Most of the Shalaas like wet tracks, so being wet won't worry us."
Hawkes said Semillion's performance will determine whether the G1 AJ Moir S. over Saturday's course and distance could be on the agenda at the end of the month.
In The Congo kicks off latest campaign
Last year’s G1 Golden Rose S. winner In The Congo (Snitzel) will kick off his latest campaign in Saturday’s G2 McEwen S. at The Valley, which he will be using as an audition for bigger targets such as the G1 AJ Moir S. and G1 Manikato S.
In The Congo | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“He’s travelled to Melbourne in great order,” Newgate Stud's Managing Director, Henry Field, told Racing.com. “It’ll be a high-pressure, fast-run McEwen Stakes and he looks the real seasoned campaigner in the race so hopefully he can show that.
“It’s a small field, but it’s also a quality field, so hopefully he’s good enough to win it.”
Forgot You set for Feehan
Co-trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young will be hoping Forgot You (NZ) (Savabeel) can keep his unblemished record at Moonee Valley intact when he tackles Saturday's G2 Feehan S.
A happy hunting ground for the 4-year-old, Forgot You has won twice at Group 2 level at The Valley, taking out the G2 Stutt S. and G3 Moonee Valley Vase last spring.
"It's not ideal going first-up into the Feehan, we wanted it to be second-up," Young told Racing.com.
"We trialled him over 1400 metres and he won, had a really good hitout. Even though it's not quite the same pressure as a race having a trial, he took really good benefit from that.
"He looks great, he looks like a picture, and hopefully it should be an ideal stepping stone for him."
Payne eyeing fourth Chelmsford win
Trainer David Payne will be hoping to snare a fourth victory in the G2 Chelmsford S. when he saddles multiple Group 1 winner Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}) in the Group 2 at Randwick on Saturday.
"She's well, she's happy. It's a bit on the sharp side but she has got a bit of class so she could surprise," Payne said.
Montefilia (orange silks) | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"She just needs a bit of speed in the race, but I will be happy to see her running on strongly."
On the third line of G1 Caulfield Cup markets at $15 and a $26 G1 Melbourne Cup chance, Montefilia also holds a nomination for the Cox Plate.
Payne is yet to decide if the Moonee Valley feature will enter their spring calculations, but he has mapped out her first three campaign runs with the G1 George Main S. and G2 Hill S. her second and third-up targets.
Australian options aplenty for Imperatriz
Te Akau trainer Mark Walker might yet turn his back on a $1 million bonus with his superstar mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) in favour of an even more lucrative Australian prize.
Walker confirmed Imperatriz would next tackle the G1 Tarzino Trophy at Hastings on Saturday-week before going on to the G1 Arrowfield Stud S. at the same track on October 1.
It was thought Imperatriz would then head to the G1 Empire Rose S. for fillies and mares at Flemington on October 31, for which connections would receive a $1 million bonus if she were to win, having won last season's G1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' S. to become eligible for the bonus.
But Walker has left the door open to bypass the G1 Empire Rose S. in favour of the $10 million the Golden Eagle at Rosehill the same day.
"She'll run the first two legs at Hastings and then we'll either look at the Empire Rose Stakes or we're keeping an open mind towards the Golden Eagle," Walker said. "It will be one or the other. They are both the same day but we'll just check the weather in Sydney and Melbourne.
"She was really good last week and we're really happy with her through the race too. She's a good mare, that's for sure."
Cleveland misses Australia trip
A few days after Joseph O’Brien announced that his G1 Cox Plate hero State Of Rest (Ire) (Starspanngledbanner) would not return to Australia, the trainer suffered another blow to his spring carnival plans as Royal Ascot-placegetter Cleveland (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) also failed the stringent vet protocols.
Seven-time Melbourne Cup-winning owner Lloyd Williams purchased a stake in Cleveland following his second in the £100,000 (AU$161,600) Copper Horse S. at Royal Ascot on June 14 with the Camelot (GB) entire transferred from Aidan O’Brien to son Joseph.
Verry Elleegant next assignment locked in
Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) will return to the racecourse on Arc trials weekend in either the G1 Prix Vermeille or the G2 Prix Foy on September 11, trainer Francis-Henri Graffard revealed.
The mare was last of seven in her first Northern Hemisphere run, the G1 Prix Jean Romanet, earlier this month. Depending on how the 11-time Group 1 winner performs in September in those races will determine if she will step out in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe on October 2.
“She has come on a lot from the race,” Graffard said. “She will run next weekend at Longchamp, either in the Prix Vermeille or the Prix Foy. She will come on a lot, she will be better over an extra two furlongs and on softer ground.”
50 for Kingman
Juddmonte Farm-based sire Kingman (GB) was provided with his 50th stakes winner on Wednesday when Habana (Ger) landed the G3 Albrecht Woeste - Zukunfts-Rennen at Baden-Baden.
The 2-year-old filly surged clear to beat See Paris (Ger) (Counterattack) by 2l, while Ghrainne (GB) (Ardad {Ire}) was another 1.5l back in third.
Kingman stands at Banstead Manor in Newmarket for a fee of £150,000 (AU$255,400).
Second for Bolt D'Oro
Former shuttler Bolt D'Oro (USA) chalked up his second stakes winner when Boppy O (USA) landed the G3 With Anticipation S. at Saratoga on Wednesday.
The 2-year-old colt came out on top of a close finish to beat Battle Of Normandy (USA) by 0.1l.
Standing at Spendthrift Farm in the USA, Bolt D'Oro shuttled to its now defunct Australian arm in 2019 where he covered 104 mares at fee of $13,750 (inc GST).
