Cup developments
After returning an elevated blood result, trainer Robert Hickmott has withdrawn Point Nepean (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) from the G1 Melbourne Cup.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Melbourne Cup import Interpretation (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) faces a race morning vet inspection after presenting lame on Monday.
“Our trainers have said they don’t think there’s anything to worry about so we’re confident he’ll make it to the race,” Interpretation’s managing part-owner, Ozzie Kheir, told Racing.com.
Grahame Begg’s mare Lunar Flare (Fiorente {Ire}) will also need to be given the green light, after she presented with some heel pain.
“We took the shoe off her and obviously been giving her lots of icing and poulticing up and hopefully the shoe will go back on tomorrow morning, and she’ll be re-inspected at about 7am (local),” Begg explained.
“These things, they go one way or the other. They can come right quite quickly as this has come up quite quickly, and it may resolve itself and all we can do is to try and deal with what we’ve got.
“It’s disappointing but when you are dealing with animals, they are athletes, and they are training every day of the week, so little things pop up.
“That’s the most important thing, the horse’s welfare.”
Saxon Warrior gains new stakes winner
At Chantilly in France on Sunday (local) the G3 Prix Miesque (1400 metres) was won by the 2-year-old Saxon Warrior (Jpn) filly Moon Ray (Fr). Trained by Nicolas Clement, she was building on her second-place finish on her last outing in the Listed Prix Saraca and becomes the first-season sire’s third stakes winner, all of which have struck at Group 3 level.
“She was a 55,000 (Euro, AU$85,600) Arqana October yearling who was a bargain – you couldn't ask for any more. She will probably return in a Guineas trial and we'll find out whether we go for the Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas),” Clement said.
Saxon Warrior won the English 2000 Guineas himself after a faultless, Group 1-winning juvenile campaign, and this season sees his first crop of Southern Hemisphere runners, one of which has already stepped out in New Zealand.
Saxon Warrior stands at Coolmore Australia this season for $19,250 (inc GST).
New stakes winner for I Am Invincible
Yarraman Park’s Champion Sire I Am Invincible gained a new stakes winner on Sunday when the 4-year-old mare Jazz Etude won the Listed Lumiere Autumn Dash at Nigata in Japan.
A sister to last season’s Pierro Plate winner and Group 3-placed Mumbai Jewel, Jazz Etude was a $650,000 purchase by Katsumi Yoshida at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and becomes the sire’s 84th stakes winner.
I Am Invincible stands at Yarraman Park for $247,500 (inc GST).
Harry Angel keeps kicking
Darley’s shuttle stallion Harry Angel (Ire) gained a new winner in the Northern Hemisphere on Sunday (local) when 2-year-old filly Warrior Angel (Ire) won by 2l on debut at Pisa in Italy.
It takes his total number of winners in his first Northern Hemisphere crop to 23, and his first crop in the Southern Hemisphere has so far produced one runner for one winner in the Ben and JD Hayes-trained Arkansaw Kid, who took out the RListed Inglis Banner at Moonee Valley on October 22.
Harry Angel stands this season at Darley Kelvinside for a fee of $16,500 (inc GST).
Freedman bullish about mare’s Cup prospects
Realm Of Flowers’ (So You Think {NZ}) co-trainer, Anthony Freedman, claims the 6-year-old Melbourne Cup contender ticks a lot of boxes.
The mare has drawn beautifully in gate five, has just 50kg, is proven on rain-affected going and has placed at two miles.
Realm Of Flowers | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“The 3200 metres is the perfect trip for her,” Freedman said.
“She’s got a great record at Flemington. She rarely runs a bad race there and she handles all types of going.
“We think we've got her pretty right.”
Field of 11 for G1 VRC Oaks
Star filly She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice) will face 10 rivals in Thursday’s G1 VRC Oaks at Flemington.
The Anthony Cummings-trained filly, who placed third in the G1 Spring Champion S. last start, will jump from barrier one under Tommy Berry.
Wakeful S. victress Zennzella (Snitzel) will back up from Saturday and she will once again have the services of James McDonald.
Pavitra (American Pharoah {USA}) and As Times Goes By (Deep Impact {Jpn}) - the Wakeful S. placegetters - are both slated to run in the 2500-metre Classic, which carries a prize purse of $1 million.
Capacity field for G3 Ottawa Stakes
Sixteen 2-year-old fillies are set to contest Thursday’s G3 Ottawa S. at Flemington.
The field boasts one winner, that being the Chris Bieg-trained Harleen (Written Tycoon), who scored on debut at Murray Bridge on October 14.
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr have two runners entered - Charm Stone (I Am Invincible) and Spicy Margs (Deep Field).
Sandhu mulls Lofty options
Cranbourne-based Julius Sandhu will use the next 48 hours to decide if Lofty Strike (Snitzel) contests Saturday’s $3 million G1 Darley Champions Sprint.
Lofty Strike ran a gallant fourth behind In Secret (I Am Invincible) in Saturday’s G1 Coolmore Stud S.
“I could not in my wildest dreams be happier with the way he pulled up,” Sandhu told Racing.com.
“If I am happy with his progress over the next 48 hours there is a likelihood we will back up.
“It’s a valuable race for his future being a Group 1 and he’s a 3-year-old who will get in reasonably good at the weights.
“If he doesn’t race now, the lack of suitable races means he goes to the paddock again with only two runs under his belt.”
It's understood that if the 3-year-old doesn’t run on Saturday he will be spelled.
Thunder to tackle Champions Stakes
Cox Plate runner-up I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking) will square off against Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) in Saturday’s Champions S. at Flemington.
Co-trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr toyed with the idea of sending I’m Thunderstruck to the G1 Champions Mile but have opted to keep him at 2000 metres.
I'm Thunderstruck (NZ) | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“There is a stumbling block in Anamoe, of course, but I feel more comfortable in a smaller field, just trying to take bad luck out of the equation,’’ Price told Racing.com.
“He’s had two runs at 2000 metres. One was in the Might And Power (S.) where he was beaten a blister and the other was the Cox Plate where he was again beaten a short margin.’’
Lees looks for Dettori masterclass in Big Dance
Newcastle-based trainer Kris Lees is banking on the genius of Frankie Dettori in Tuesday’s Big Dance at Randwick.
Lees’ in-form galloper Hosier (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) has drawn barrier 20 for the $5 million race.
“We've come up with a tricky gate, but it may be a better alley than barrier one to be fair,” Lees said.
“When you first see 20 you think, ‘We’re in trouble here’, but when you pull it apart it’s the Randwick mile, he’s a horse that rolls forward and a momentum horse so it might be the right gate.
“He’s a world-class rider and we’re privileged to have him on our horse.”
Racing New South Wales announces new Chairman of Stewards
Steve Railton has been appointed by Racing New South Wales as Chairman of Stewards, following the resignation of Marc Van Gestel to take up a role in Hong Kong.
In a career as a steward spanning 42 years, Railton commenced his career as a Stipendiary Steward in Queensland before being appointed as Chairman of Stewards in 1995. In 2003 he was appointed as Deputy Chairman of Stewards with Racing NSW before accepting a role with the Hong Kong Jockey Club as a Stipendiary Steward and Secretary of the Licensing Committee in 2009, a role he held for 12 years. In 2021 Steve returned to Sydney where he was appointed as Deputy Chairman of Stewards.
Steve Railton | Image courtesy of Racing NSW
Racing NSW Chief Executive, Mr Peter V’landys AM, said: “Steve Railton is regarded as one of the most experienced and proactive stewards in both Australia and around the world. Racing NSW is fortunate to have a steward of Steve’s capabilities to accept the role to continue the high level of integrity that Racing NSW provides and is the benchmark for in world racing.”
Racing New South Wales also announced the appointment of Tom Moxon as Deputy Chairman of Stewards.
