Manikato moved to Saturday
After being called off due to the thunder, lightning and rain at Moonee Valley on Friday, the G1 Manikato S. will now be run as Race 11 on Saturday’s Cox Plate Day card.
This decision came after trainers met with MVRC CEO Michael Browell and stewards following Friday night’s abandonment.
However, some horses will need new jockeys for Saturday’s rescheduled contest, with Hugh Bowman, who was set to partner Eleven Eleven (Fastnet Rock), Blake Shinn - The Inferno’s (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) jockey and September Run’s (Exceed And Excel) rider Kerrin McEvoy, all engaged at Randwick in Sydney.
A List’s Capitalist shines at Magic Millions breeze
A filly by Capitalist clocked the fastest time in the final breeze-up ahead of the Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs In Training Sale on Friday. Consigned by A List Stud, the filly stopped the watch at 10.26s, the quickest time of the whole catalogue.
The filly was purchased by her vendors for $185,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale and she is out of the daul-winning Charge Forward mare Prerequisite.
Lot 111 - Capitalist x Prerequisite (filly) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Prerequisite herself is a daughter of Listed winner Trail Of Gold (Danewin) making her a half-sister to A Gold Trail (Hussonet {USA}).
Another two offerings ran under 10s in the final breeze-up at Eagle Farm on Friday, with a Symphony Lodge-offered Shalaa (Ire) colt running 10.79s, while a filly by Divine Prophet, offered by KBL Thoroughbreds, stopped the clock at 10.83s.
The Magic Millions sale takes place on the Gold Coast on Tuesday.
Ohukia Lodge colts dominant in Te Rapa breeze
A son of Aquis Farm’s first-season sire Lean Mean Machine clocked the fastest time over two days of breeze-ups at Te Rapa ahead of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, which begins its two-day run on November 16.
Catalogued as Lot 305 and offered by Ohukia Lodge, the colt is out of the winning Snitzel mare Thwayya and he covered the 200 metres in a time of 10.06s, which was a shade quicker than his fellow Ohukia Lodge-offered colts by Deep Field (Lot 83) and Pride Of Dubai (Lot 260), who both galloped in a time of 10.07s.
“The standard of breeze-ups seen at Te Rapa over the last two days was of an outstanding quality, which is a testament to the effort put in by our expert consignors and preparers,” NZB Managing Director Andrew Seabrook said.
“This would have to be one of the most consistent set of times I have seen in my 30 years of the breeze-ups. We had a great attendance of buyers, trainers and agents and are looking forward to seeing the 2-year-olds up at Karaka in a month's time.”
All breeze-up videos are now available to view online at www.nzb.co.nz.
Calico Jack makes impression at Ballarat
Having sired an impressive winner on Thursday, Coolmore’s Merchant Navy chalked up another winner when Calico Jack broke through for his maiden win at Cranbourne on Friday.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained 3-year-old gelding defeated Legio Ten (Exceed And Excel) by 1.3l and New York Hurricane (Exosphere) was another 0.1l further away in third.
Bought by his trainers for $425,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2021, Calico Jack’s three-quarter brother by Fastnet Rock is catalogued for the upcoming Magic Millions Gold Coast 2YOs In Training Sale, which takes place on Tuesday.
Exceed And Excel juvenile posts smart win
Summer Loving - a 2-year-old filly by Exceed And Excel - caught the eye with a smart win in a trial at Rosehill on Friday.
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, the filly surged clearly easily to post a 3.64l win over Full Revolution (Russian Revolution), clocking a time of 54.71s.
The filly was snapped up by his trainers and Bruce Slade’s Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $425,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2022 and he is out of G3 Percy Sykes S.-placed Sebring mare Serena Bay.
Well-related Pride Of Dubai gelding impresses
The other juvenile trial conducted on Friday was won by the David Payne-trained Maharba (Pride Of Dubai), stopping the watch at 54.43s for the 900-metre trial at Rosehill.
The son of Coolmore Stud-placed Pride Of Dubai is out of the Listed-winning More Than Ready (USA) mare Blizzardly and she is also the dam of ill-fated, Group 3-winning sire Unencumbered (Testa Rossa), who also landed the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic in 2014.
Lost And Running finishes second in trial
After being sensationally failed by the vet on the morning of last weekend’s The Everest, the John O'Shea-trained Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) got back on the track on Friday morning, posting a second-place finish in his 1030-metre Open Trial.
The gelding was withdrawn from the $15 million race after being found to be lame in the off hind leg, but he showed he was none the worse when finishing 0.3l behind the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Saturn Star (Zoustar) in the Rosehill trial.
Alligator Blood gets the green light
After being placed under an injury cloud on Thursday, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) has been given the green light to line up in the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
“The lameness in the horse’s near foreleg detected upon examination yesterday has resolved today,” the statement read.
The news will be well-received by the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable after being adamant the controversial horse was not lame.
O’Sullivan backing Berkeley to bounce back
Having finished fourth in the G1 Caulfield Guineas last time out, Dan O’Sullivan is backing Berkeley Square (Territories {Ire}) to bounce back in the G2 Moonee Valley Vase on Saturday, which he will be using at stepping stone towards the G1 VRC Derby.
“I've said plenty of times I have been waiting to get him out past the mile," O'Sullivan said.
Berkeley Square | Image courtesy of Darren Tindale
“I've been playing a waiting game to keep him fresh enough to run him at the mile.
“He's done a couple of pieces of work since the Guineas, and he did a nice piece of work on Tuesday and was super strong. He's really in a good place now.”
Amelia’s Jewel makes comeback
Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) - one of the best 2-year-olds last season - makes her much-anticipated comeback in the Listed Belgravia S. at Ascot on Saturday.
“The programming for the fillies over here is awful every year, you are always on the back-up, I call it the Big Bash Series," Simon Miler said. “She will run on Saturday then back up on Melbourne Cup Day, then basically 10 days later she has to back up again – they just smash the fillies up this time of year.
“I have them forward enough to win first-up and then I just try and build them through the runs.
“I need to figure out what distance she likes, we haven't found that yet. Ideally, she goes to the Northerly, the old Kingston Town S.”
Champions Sprint next for Giga Kick
Clayton Douglas has decided to swerve the G1 Coolmore Stud S. with The Everest hero Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) and instead tackle Nature Strip (Nicconi) in the G1 Champions Sprint on the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival at Flemington.
Douglas said the G1 Coolmore Stud S. could come up a touch quick for the 3-year-old gelding and the three-week break between races would suit Giga Kick better.
“It obviously suits better for the horse for us not to rush him and to give him that extra week," Douglas told Racing.com.
Giga Kick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“It's the same trip up the straight but the break in between looks perfect. Timing-wise it suits better, with the trip to Sydney and back, it feels like the three weeks (break) is the right way to go.
“He seems completely fine, but I just made the call this morning to go for the Champion Sprint and what an exciting lead-up to a great race that should be.”
