Anamoe draws well for Cox Plate
The Cox Plate barrier draw took place on Tuesday morning amid the Breakfast With The Best at Moonee Valley. The first five horses drawn took up the first five barrier positions, with Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) drawing the rail and Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) getting barrier two.
For race favourite Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}), it was an ideal marble when he drew barrier four with James McDonald, while Alligator Blood (All Too Hard), a last-start winner of the G1 Underwood S., drew widest in barrier 12. I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking) drew similarly with barrier 10.
Gold Trip set for Cox Plate
Fresh from finishing a brave second in the G1 Caulfield Cup, Ciaron Maher and David Eustace confirmed on Monday that the Australian Bloodstock-raced Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) would take his place in the G1 Cox Plate and he will jump from barrier seven with British-based jockey Jamie Spencer booked to take the ride.
“Firstly, the horse came through Caulfield very well,” Eustace said. “He's in great nick and we just feel the ground is going to be in his favour this weekend.
“We can't guarantee what the ground will be like in the (Melbourne) Cup, that and the fact that it is away from handicap conditions means he's not going to have to lump a big weight.
“He brings in a different form line as well. There's a group of horses that are all obviously high-class, that have been racing against each other and have had hard runs. He goes there not having faced them and we just think he could measure up to them.”
Breeze-ups wrap up in New Zealand
The second day of breeze-ups for the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) Ready to Run Sale concluded on Tuesday with 129 2-year-olds at Te Rapa racecourse. The track was rated a Soft 5, with NZB Managing Director, Andrew Seabrook, observing it the most consistent set of gallops he'd seen in a long time.
“This would have to be one of the most consistent set of times I have seen in my 30 years of the breeze-ups,” he said. “The standard seen at Te Rapa the last two days was of an outstanding quality, which is a testament to the effort put in by our expert consignors and preparers.”
Jamie Beatson's Ohukia Lodge was responsible for the top two breeze-up times on Day 2 of breeze-ups for the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale
The NZB Ready to Run Sale will occur on November 16 and 17, with a 329-strong catalogue across the two days. Some of Tuesday’s highlights included Lot 305, a colt by Lean Mean Machine that posted the quickest breeze of the day in 10.06s, along with Lot 83, a Deep Field colt that got home in 10.07s. Both horses feature in the Ohukia Lodge draft.
Light Infantry steps out
The lightly raced 4-year-old Light Infantry (Fr), a European import now in the charge of trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, had his first look around a Sydney racecourse on Tuesday morning when he stepped out of quarantine facilities at Canterbury Park. The son of Fast Company (Ire) currently leads the market for Saturday’s $10 million Golden Eagle.
“In his last run (the G1 Haras de Fresna at Deauville, in which he was second), he went to another level,” Maher told Sky Racing on Tuesday morning. “He’s a very active, athletic horse and he’s still going to furnish, so he’s pretty exciting.”
Light Infantry (Fr) | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Light Infantry has had five starts in Europe for two wins and a pair of Group 1 seconds. He won the G3 Horris Hill S. as a 2-year-old and has run second to the likes of Tenebrism (USA) (Caravaggio {USA}) and Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
Maher confirmed the horse won’t remain in Australia permanently but will instead head back to Newmarket. However, it is likely he will return again to Sydney next year in a pattern that is becoming increasingly popular to European-based horses.
Paulele in perfect barrier
Trainer James Cummings has expressed his delight after G1 Manikato S. favourite Paulele (Dawn Approach {Ire}) drew barrier six for Friday night’s Group 1 event at Moonee Valley.
“It would not be lost on anyone that plenty of sprinters can sense that there's blood in the water with a Group 1 without the absolute mega superstars in the race,” Cummings said.
Paulele | Image courtesy of Darren Tindale
“But I don't think it's a 'Mickey Mouse' Group 1 having a look at it and it's important for him to draw well in a big field.
“The 1000 metres in the Moir, when he was away from the rail, wasn't ideal on a night you needed to be nearer the rail that night and hopefully it just unfolds for him and he's able to show that lethal turn of foot he was able to exhibit in the Schillaci last time at Caulfield.”
Sheraz withdrawn from Melbourne Cup
Chris Waller’s promising stayer Sheraz (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) will miss the G1 Melbourne Cup after the stable told stewards the 6-year-old had pulled a muscle behind.
Last seen finishing fifth in the G2 Herbert Power S. on October 8, the son of Sea The Stars (Ire) finished second in last season’s G1 Sydney Cup.
Neasham under QRIC stewards investigation
Trainer Annabel Neasham is under investigation in Queensland for alleged illegal use of shockwave treatment on a horse that was scratched from Eagle Farm last Saturday.
A Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) spokesperson confirmed the investigation on Tuesday.
“QRIC stewards are investigating NSW trainer Annabel Neasham for allegedly using shockwave treatment on horse Supergiant within the prohibited number of clear days,” the spokesperson said.
Annabel Neasham | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“Supergiant was scratched from racing at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
“Under the Rules of Racing, Extra-Corporeal Shock Wave treatment is prohibited from use within seven clear days of racing.’’
Harry Angel chalks up 20th winner
The Kevin Frost-trained Harry's Halo (Ire) broke his maiden at Pontefract on Monday and in the process provided his sire Harry Angel (Ire) with his 20th Northern Hemisphere-bred winner.
Sent off at odds of 25-1, the 2-year-old defeated Taj Neom (Ire) (El Kabeir {USA}) by 0.8l, while Nightout (GB) (Outstrip {GB}) was a further 0.5l away in third.
Harry Angel is currently covering his fourth book of mares at Darley’s Kelvinside base, where he is standing for a fee of $16,500 (inc GST).
Not This Time at US$135,000
Runaway leading American third-crop sire Not This Time (USA) will stand for US$135,000 S&N in 2023 as the headliner of the Taylor Made Stallions roster.
In 2022, he boasts a crop-best 12 stakes winners, 25 black-type horses, five graded stakes winners, a pair of Grade I winners.
Knicks Go (USA), Horse of the Year, Champion Older Male and Longines World's Best Racehorse of 2021, will stand his second season at stud for US$30,000 S&N.
