Alenquer to enter quarantine
Trainer Mike Moroney, alongside his brother, bloodstock agent Paul Moroney, last week announced the purchase of the promising French-bred galloper Alenquer (Fr) (Adlerflug {Ger}) from the Northern Hemisphere. The 4-year-old colt will enter quarantine on Monday before arrival to Moroney’s Ballymore Stables ahead of Christmas.
“We’re over the moon that we’ve got him, especially at the price we were able to secure him,” Moroney told Racing.com. “We were in the right place at the right time. He’s a lovely, strong and balanced horse, certainly with a bit of class.”
Alenquer will be aimed at the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. in the autumn and the G1 Cox Plate next spring. He was a lightly raced horse for trainer William Haggas, with wins in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and G2 King Edward VII S. at Royal Ascot for three total wins and a third.
Another impressive winner for Merchant Navy
The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained High Blue Sea (Merchant Navy) posted an impressive victory to shed his maiden status at Rosehill on Wednesday.
The 3-year-old gelding powered to the line to post an impressive 2.3l victory over Oriental Tycoon (Written Tycoon), while Gelsey (Sebring) was another 1.3l further afield in third.
The gelding was purchased by Binalong Bloodstock for $100,000 at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale in 2020, before being bought by George Moore Racing and Team Moore Racing for $220,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale the following year.
Twilight Glow next for Naiconi
The Listed Twilight Glow S. could lie in wait for Naiconi (Nicconi) after she chalked up her second successive win with a victory at Sandown-Lakeside on Wednesday.
Trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, the daughter of Nicconi scooted clear to beat Belmia (Bel Esprit) by 0.8l, while Miss Dunsford (Dissident) was another 2l away in third.
“The stable has always liked her,” stable representative Ryan Moore said. “We took her over to Adelaide for a stakes race in the autumn. The 1050 metres was possibly a little bit sharp at the time.
“She's a winner over 1200 and 1400 metres and being by Nicconi, she's a really lovely filly and hopefully she can keep on improving.
“In 10 days' time there is the Twilight Glow S. We'll see how she settles out of this race, but ideally, we'll head there.”
Waller with four in Ballarat Cup
Trainer Chris Waller has a bumper hand in Saturday’s Listed Ballarat Cup with three of the 15-horse field coming from his Flemington stable and another, Longvillers (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), coming from his Rosehill headquarters.
From Flemington, Waller has Polly Grey (NZ) (Azamour {Ire}) and Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel), along with Desert Icon (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) for Star Thoroughbreds. Waller last won the 2000-metre Ballarat Cup with Junoob (GB) (Haafhd {GB}) in 2015.
Two for Busuttin and Young in Magic Millions Ballarat 2YO Classic
Fresh from a treble at last week’s Cranbourne Cup meeting, co-trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young will unleash two debutants in Saturday’s $250,000 R. Listed Magic Millions Ballarat 2YO Classic. Sunsource, a $370,000 yearling colt by Zoustar, will be ridden by Daniel Moor, while Written Tycoon filly Amantine, which made $50,000, will be handled by Craig Newitt.
Local trainers Tony and Cavin McEvoy will also have two runners, they being Amelie (Spirit Of Boom) and Capulet (Extreme Choice).
Sacred Satono for Counties Bowl
Promising 3-year-old colt Sacred Satono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) will take his place against the older sprinters in Saturday’s G3 Counties Bowl at Pukekohe, where he could face a good field that includes the returning Letzbeglam (Snitzel), dual Group 3 winner Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) and triple Group-winner Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy {NZ}).
Sacred Satono (NZ) | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Sacred Satono, trained by the Byerley Park-based Wallace-Cooksley yard, is a winner of his last two starts and was Listed-placed as a 2-year-old at Te Rapa this time last year. He had a skin setback that ruled him out of the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas a fortnight ago, a race for which the form says he would have been competitive.
Vets warn against JE in horses
Less than a week after the vaccine was offered free to stud staff in flood-affected regions, Australian veterinarians have warned horse owners to watch out for symptoms of Japanese encaphalitis (JE) among their horses. There have been 35 ‘highly probable’ positive equine cases in Queensland and New South Wales, including three deaths, according to a report by The Guardian newspaper.
“It has the potential to be very significant for horses as the highest concentration of horses in Australia are located within the ranges of infected mosquitoes,” said Dr Hadley Willsallen, the president of Equine Veterinarians Australia.
Image courtesy of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forest
Current recommendations suggest horses should be rugged, masked, stabled or sprayed to prevent being bitten, particularly in flood-affecting regions this summer. While an equine vaccine against JE hasn’t yet been approved in Australia, the federal government is working with associated departments to submit an emergency use permit for a vaccine for domestic horses.
Winning double for Irishman on debut in NZ
Tipperary native Joe Doyle, riding in New Zealand for the first time on Tuesday, posted a raceday double at the Rotorua meeting. He was first past the post aboard Buccheri (NZ) (Ghibellines) in the opening event, and again aboard Golden Kiwi (NZ) (El Roca) in the fourth. Both horses came from the Cambridge stable of Tim and Margaret Carter.
Irish jockey Joe Doyle | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“It has been fantastic,” Doyle told NZ Racing Desk. “It couldn’t have gone any better. It was during COVID that I got it into my head to come here, but obviously everything was shut and I didn’t get the opportunity (to come) for a couple of years. I can’t thank them (the Carters) enough for the start they have given me. They are fantastic people.”
Doyle is the latest in an array of international riders recently arrived to New Zealand, including South Africans Warren Kennedy and Craig Zackey.
Sons of Dubawi shine as Ghaiyyath colt leads the way at Goffs
Sons of Dubawi (Ire) shot the lights out at Goffs on Tuesday as a colt by first-season sire Ghaiyyath (Ire) topped the November Foal Sale at €185,000 (AU$284,500) followed by a Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt who made €180,000 (AU$276,800).
The Ridge Manor Stud-drafted Ghaiyyath colt was sold to Pier House Stud, whose Brendan Morrin revealed that any hopes of nabbing Lot 474 cheaply soon dissipated when Tony O'Callaghan appeared ringside.
But it was Pier House who fought off a strong drive from the Tally-Ho Stud boss to secure the colt who will be offered for resale as a yearling.
Lot 474 - Ghaiyyath (Ire) x Cross My Mind (Ire) (colt) | Image courtesy of Goffs
The Night Of Thunder colt (Lot 516) was consigned by Airlie Stud and signed for by Brendan Holland of Grove Stud. He is out of the black-type performer Good Place (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}) and Holland is hoping that his luck continues with the sire whose progeny is in high demand.
The aggregate on Day 2 was €8,316,750 (AU$12,787,700) which represents a 10.5 per cent rise on last year's figures. The average of €38,863 (AU$59,800) was also up 12.6 per cent and the median was up seven per cent to €30,000 (AU$46,100). Of the 257 foals offered, 214 were sold, equating to an 83 per cent clearance rate.
The Platinum Queen added to Tatts
Group 1 winner The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}) (lot1924B) will be offered as a wildcard entry during the Tattersalls December Mares Sale. Successful in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye, the bay will be sent through the ring during the second Sceptre Session on Nov. 29. The first Group 1-winning juvenile filly to be offered during the Tattersalls December Mares Sale this century, she was also the first of her age and sex to take the l'Abbaye since Sigy (Fr) (Habitat) in 1978.
Tom Palin of Middleham Park Racing said, “The Platinum Queen's breeze at the Rowley Mile back in April was unbelievably impressive and we were determined to buy her. She has been an absolute superstar for Middleham Park Racing ever since, taking us everywhere including Royal Ascot, Glorious Goodwood, the Ebor Meeting at York and ultimately to Group 1 glory in the Abbaye on Arc day at Longchamp where she achieved something which has not been done in more than 40 years. The Platinum Queen really is a special filly, a credit to Richard Fahey and the whole team at Musley Bank, and she has the physical scope to develop into an equally outstanding 3-year-old.”
