Anamoe improves
Saturday’s G1 George Main S. winner Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) has ‘improved a lot’ trainer James Cummings revealed on Sunday morning.
It was reported by Racing NSW stewards post-race the multiple Group 1 winner had pulled up lame in the off-foreleg and would require a veterinary clearance before racing again.
“He was examined thoroughly before he got onto the float back to Osborne Park,” Cummings told Sky Sports Radio on Sunday morning.
“He was actually vetted three times and a couple of those times he thought he was fine and the third time he gave Mark Van Gestel that assessment that he was lame.
“The good news was that when he got back to Osborne Park he had improved a lot from that three grades out of five lameness that was determined by the club vet.
“They will give him the best of care and his health will come first. But the good news is he had improved a lot on that initial assessment which was published last night by the stewards.”
So You Think filly sparkles at Flemington
The John Sargent-trained So Dazzling (NZ) (So You Think {NZ}) entered the reckoning for the G1 VRC Oaks when she took out the Kennedy Oaks Preview at Flemington on Sunday.
The 3-year-old filly defeated Whakamana (Sacred Falls {NZ}) by 0.8l, while Let'sbefrankbaby (Frankel {GB}) was another 2l away in third.
The filly was purchased by DGR Thoroughbred Services and her trainer for NZ$200,000 at Book 1 of the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
Jockey Damien Oliver was a bit more effusive after the 0.8l win, happy that the filly was able to hold a spot given the rise in distance.
"She's a lovely staying filly. I saw her last run and she didn't show any speed at all early but she was great the last 150 (metres) of her race last time," Oliver said.
"I did get there a little soon but it wasn't a matter of actually going, they really steadied up that midrace and she just cruised up there. John Sargent certainly knows what he's doing with staying horses so she's got a bit going for her."
Derby next for Mr Maestro
Already a Listed placegetter in his native New Zealand, Mr Maestro (NZ) (Savabeel) scored a first win in Australia when he took out the Victoria Derby Preview at Flemington on Sunday.
The colt ploughed through the Heavy conditions to beat Kapakiri (Kermadec {NZ}) by an impressive 1.8l, while Major Beel (NZ) (Savabeel) was another 1.3l further back in third.
Andrew Forsman, who was on track at Flemington, suggested the G1 VRC Derby was the obvious goal, but no plans had been decided yet.
"Obviously, we brought him here with staying races in mind… we've got a few options, we haven't really pencilled anything in yet, we could even consider dropping back to the mile and having a go at the Guineas," Forsman said.
"I was just a little bit nervous with the Heavy track conditions today. He hasn't raced for a month, so going to 1800 metres I thought it was a tough effort."
Cardinal Gem scores at Flemington
The Grahame Begg-trained Cardinal Gem (Choisir) scored his third career win when he landed a BM70 at Flemington on Saturday.
With races at Flemington pushed back nearly an hour due to lightning and heavy rain in the area and the track downgraded to a Heavy 10, Begg was unsure how Cardinal Gem would handle the surface but was otherwise confident going in.
"We felt going into the race he was very well-placed dropping back from the 78, it was a solid (benchmark) 78 race at Caulfield a couple of weeks ago, and with Logan's claim it just brought him in so well at the weights," Begg said.
"We think next year he might be a Stradbroke horse… if we can get his rating up and we can earmark him for something during the winter it would be really, really good."
Elkington Road makes it two from two
The Michael Moroney-trained Elkington Road (All Too Hard) will get the chance to emulate his sire All Too Hard when he lines up in the G1 Caulfield Guineas on October 8 and he warmed up for his tilt at the Group 1 with a sound victory at Flemington on Sunday.
The 3-year-old gelding finished with a flourish to beat Desert Star (Deep Field) by 0.1l, while The Wizard King (Flying Artie) was a further 2l away in third.
"He is still new to it all. It's a pity the race was not on a better surface to get a true line on him," Moroney said.
"I will be guided by what Jamie (Kah, Jockey) thinks. He looks in the right order to me.
"If you had to pick between my two, the other being Japanese Emperor, I think this horse is a bit stronger."
Paris Dior to take a shot at Golden Rose
The G2 Percy Sykes S. winner Paris Dior (Pierro) will tackle the G1 Golden Rose S. after connections decided not to run her on a wet track in the G2 Tea Rose S. at Randwick on Saturday.
The filly was a race morning scratching from the third leg of the Princess Series, co-trainer Peter and Paul Snowden opting not to risk her on the Soft 7 conditions after her tough first-up fourth in the G2 Furious S. on Heavy ground.
Peter Snowden said in hindsight, he wished he hadn't run Paris Dior and stablemate Russian Conquest (Russian Revolution) in the G2 Furious S., but the rapid deterioration of the track caught him by surprise.
"I should never have run them. I just didn't believe it would be that bad," Peter Snowden said. "She couldn't afford another gut buster."
Millane to Golden Rose
The Peter Moody-trained Millane (Zoustar) will have his first run in Sydney when he lines up in Saturday’s G1 Golden Rose S. at Rosehill.
Owned by the Victorian Alliance, the son of Zoustar, who cost $1.15 million as a yearling, has run twice as a 3-year-old, finishing third on both occasions.
"He is on track (for the Golden Rose) and seemingly the most important piece to that puzzle is there is good weather forecast, outside a couple of days, but the back end in Sydney looks pretty nice," managing owner Anthony Mithen of Rosemont Stud told Racing.com.
"If we get a Good racing surface he will really make his presence felt.
"He might lob up there as a bit of a forgotten horse."
Verry Elleegant's dam passes away
Verry Elleegant’s (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) dam, Opulence (NZ) (Danroad), passed away after foaling a healthy filly foal at Grangewilliam Stud on Saturday.
The 17-year-old mare was crowned New Zealand Broodmare of the Year for the second consecutive season at the New Zealand Breeding Awards last month after the deeds of her 11-time Group 1-winning daughter Verry Elleegant and stakes-winning son Verry Flash (NZ) (Zed {NZ}).
Farm principal Mark Corcoran was devastated by Opulence’s death but took solace that everything was done to try to save the mare.
“She foaled in the early hours of Saturday morning and had a cracking filly. She was fine all day and then in the afternoon she went for a trot,” Corcoran said. “While she was jogging around she had an internal bleed.”
“On vets' advice we put her on a truck to take her to Massey University’s surgical clinic and unfortunately she died en route.
“We have just done a post-mortem this (Sunday) morning and she had ruptured the uterine artery and had an internal haemorrhage. It is really upsetting, but that is breeding.”
