Meg snares first stakes win
The Matthew Dale-trained Meg (Sebring) added a much deserved stakes win to her record when she landed the Listed Mona Lisa S. at Wyong on Friday and in the process handed the late Widden Stud-based sire Sebring his 77th stakes winner.
Last seen winning a handicap over 1200 metres, Meg stayed on strongly to beat the James Cummings-trained duo Katalin (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) and Larkspur Run (Shamardal {USA}), who finished second and third respectively.
Meg wins the Listed Mona Lisa S. at Wyong | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“Being out wide with momentum looked to be the key and I got to thinking the wide barrier was an advantage, not a disadvantage,” said Matthew Dale. “I thought if she could run second or third she’d run out of her skin, so to get up and win is very rewarding.
“Her coat still hasn’t cleaned up so there is good improvement to come. I think she looks to be a Group-style mare over 1600 metres.”
Wyong Cup goes to Durston
The Highclere Australia-raced Durston (GB) continued the strong record for imports in the Listed Wyong Cup when the Chris Waller-trained gelding took out the Listed contest on Friday.
In winning the race, the son of Sea The Moon (Ger) became the ninth overseas-bred horse since 2010 to win the Listed contest, while he also provided his trainer with his eighth win in the race.
Durston was Group-placed during his time in the UK with trainer David Simcock and he showed some of that talent on Friday when he led home a 1-2-3-4 for Waller, with stablemates Yiyi (No Nay Never {USA}), Our Intrigue (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) and Lord Ardmore (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) finishing second, third and fourth respectively.
Lope De Vega chalks up century of stakes winners
Lope De Vega (Ire) hit a century of stakes winners on Thursday and the milestone was provided by his daughter Manisha (Ire), who added a first stakes race to her record in the Listed Prix De Liancourt at Longchamp.
The 3-year-old filly prevailed in a blanket finish to beat Know Thyself (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) by 0.1l. Ondulee (Ire) (Adlerflug {Ger}) was a further 2.5l in third.
Based at Ballylinch in Ireland, Lope De Vega - a son of Shamardal (USA) - is available to breeders in the Southern Hemisphere at a fee of €65,000 (AU$96,800).
Brightside looking for Cox Plate ballot exemption
The Lindsay Park-trained Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) will be racing for a ballot exemption when he tackles the G2 Feehan S. at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
JD Hayes is pleased with the 5-year-old gelding’s form ahead of the Group 2 and said the rain that fell earlier in the week and a Soft track on Saturday certainly will not disadvantage Mr Brightside.
"A track getting into Heavy range won't scare us at all," Hayes said.
"He's ticked over beautifully at home and looks fantastic. We can't be happier with how he's done between runs, and we just hope that turns into a nice performance on Saturday."
Track condition key to Zoustyle chances
Damien Oliver is preparing to ride Queensland raider Zoustyle (Zoustar) in the G2 McEwen S. at Moonee Valley and the jockey is hoping the rain stays away.
Oliver partnered the Tony Gollan-trained sprinter in a gallop at The Valley on Tuesday morning getting a sense of his ability and hopes the track will improve on its Soft 6 rating from early on Friday morning.
Damien Oliver
"He's a lovely big horse and has got a big stride," Oliver said.
"He probably wasn't suited on the Heavy ground, so I'd like to see him on a drier track.
"He's got good speed, but it will all come down to how the track races and I would certainly like to see an improving track for him."
Wet tracks not to Millane’s liking
Millane (Zoustar) is due to take his chance in the Inglis Ready2Race Sale October 11 Plate at Moonee Valley on Saturday, but his trainer Peter Moody has warned he may hold him back a week if the track does not dry out sufficiently.
Moody is aiming Millane at the G1 Golden Rose S. at Rosehill on September 24 and next month's G1 Caulfield Guineas.
The trainer would like to get another run into Millane before the Golden Rose and has the back-up option of the Listed Exford Plate at Flemington on Saturday week, should the track conditions come up Soft.
Millane | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
"He's in good order but he's waiting for a good track," Moody said.
"We're trying to get him ready for the Golden Rose, so if he doesn't run this week, he'll probably have to run the week after, or he could trial at home and go straight to the Golden Rose.
"But my preference would be to give him a run."
Forgot You to miss spring
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained Forgot You (NZ) (Savabeel) will miss the spring after he displayed filling and heat in a suspensory after trackwork on Friday.
The son of Savabeel was due to kick off his spring campaign in the G2 Feehan S. at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Scope finds Illation issue
Spring plans are now up in the air for Illation (So You Think {NZ}) after he was found to have 'intermittent instability' in the throat following his unplaced G1 Memsie S. run last Saturday.
Co-trainer Mick Price said Illation would gallop on Monday week at Cranbourne with a host of gear changes the stable are hopeful will address the throat issue, which was picked up following a taped scope of his throat during a gallop earlier this week.
Illation | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“We had some intermittent instability in the throat on the day we think, after what we saw yesterday,” Price told Racing.com.
“We are addressing the instability in the throat with raceday gear at the moment.
“We are going to trial him on Monday week with a crossover noseband, tongue tie and nasal strip and we are going to take it from there. I am not going to pick a race until we see how he trials.”
Bidding open on Entriviere
The bidding is now open on Gavelhouse Plus for Group 1-winning mare Entriviere (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).
Bred by Kevin and Kathleen Gray and purchased privately by Te Akau’s David Ellis, Entriviere had 16 starts for seven wins, five placings and more than $725,000 in stakes.
Gallery: Group 1-winning mare Entriviere (NZ), images courtesy of Gavelhouse Plus
She was a brilliant winner of the G1 Sistema Railway at Ellerslie on New Year's Day, having earlier captured the G2 Sheraco S. in Australia during the spring, along with the G3 Concorde H. the previous season.
Bidding will end on Gavelhouse Plus from 5pm AEST (7pm local) on September 7.
Alcohol Free to go under the hammer
Outstanding four-time Group 1 winner Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) will be offered at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale which takes place from November 28 to December 1.
Selected for the new Sceptre Session on November 29, the Churchtown House Stud-bred promises to be amongst the highlights of the 2022 global bloodstock sales calendar.
Owned by Jeff Smith, the mare won the G1 Cheveley Park S. as a juvenile, the G1 Sussex S. and G1 Coronation S. at three before showing a deadly turn of foot to win this year's G1 July Cup at Newmarket.
"Four-time Group 1-winning race fillies rarely appear at public auction and she is a rare jewel to grace our inaugural Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Sale,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony.
