Record number of entries for Blue Diamond
The Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) has revealed a record number of entries for the 2023 G1 Blue Diamond S. A total of 947 juveniles have been confirmed as first acceptors, with the Maher-Eustace yard once again heading the list by volume with 86, 20 more than its nearest rivals Godolphin and Annabel Neasham, both with 66.
Recent stakes winners featured include the Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. winner Zulfiqar (Exceed And Excel) and the G3 Ottawa S. winner Charm Stone (I Am Invincible), along with the G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Krakarib (Ribchester {Ire}), R. Listed Inglis Banner winner Arkansaw Kid (Harry Angel {Ire}) and Empire Of Japan (Snitzel), a winner of the G3 Breeders’ Plate.
Connections have until midday on Tuesday, January 3, to lodge their second acceptances, with the MRC's Blue Diamond Stakes Series due to kick off on Australia Day.
Miller confident about Amelia's Jewel
Perth trainer Simon Miller, who has the star filly Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) in this weekend’s G3 WA Guineas, believes that three weeks between runs will fit her nicely for Saturday’s race. Amelia’s Jewel had her colours lowered for the first time in five starts on Cup Day when she was beaten to second in the Listed Burgess Queen S. at Ascot.
“She drops weight from her last start, has trained on since and looks a million dollars, so we are ready,” the trainer told Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) on Thursday.
Amelia’s Jewel is one of only two fillies in the WA Guineas field and she’s drawn barrier five. Her trainer will be hoping she can break a duck of six placings in previous editions.
Bonny Lass draws the carpark in Counties Bowl
Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall’s sprinting mare Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy {NZ}), a last-start winner of the G3 Sweynesse S., has drawn the outside barrier (11) for Saturday’s G3 Haunui Farm Counties Bowl at Pukekohe. The 4-year-old is a race favourite and on-track to line up in the G1 Railway S. on New Year’s Day.
“I wasn’t very happy when we landed the extreme outside gate yesterday,” Richardson said. “And that’s on top of carrying the top weight of 60kg, plus the likelihood that the track is going to cop a bit of rain over the next few days.”
Bonny Lass (NZ) | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Saturday’s field will also include Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard), a dual Group 3 winner, and Cambridge Stud’s Letzbeglam (Snitzel), while Dragon Leap (Pierro) rounds out the top four in betting.
Dee confirmed for Aegon
Jockey Michael Dee, who piloted Manzoice (Almanzor {Fr}) to victory in the G1 VRC Derby recently, has been confirmed by Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman for Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) in the upcoming G1 Captain Cook S. at Trentham on December 3.
Aegon was a winner during the Melbourne spring of the G3 Moonga S. at Caulfield and fourth to Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) in the G1 Champions Mile at Flemington. He has returned to New Zealand in good shape, according to his trainer.
Manzoice and Michael Dee win the G3 Moonga S. at Caulfield | Image courtesy of Bruno Cannatelli
“It was good to see him measure up against that sort of lineup (in the Champions Mile),” Forsman said. “That’s the best of what’s going around in Australia at the moment. It was great and he’s travelled home and settled in very well since.”
Brutality to peak in The Gong
Warwick Farm trainer Joe Pride said his 6-year-old gelding Brutality (Shamus Award) is read to peak in Saturday’s million-dollar The Gong at Kembla Grange, despite the horse being unplaced in all four starts this preparation.
“Everybody knows he’s been in races that haven’t suited him,” Pride said. “It’s (The Gong) a nice little ‘drop in grade and up in distance’ (1600 metres) job on some of the opposition he’s been facing of late. He’s a horse who takes racing to get to his peak, and his profile tells you he’s going to be peaking on Saturday.”
Brutality has won six of his 36 starts to date, his stakes victory coming in the G2 Villiers S. (henceforth The Ingham) last December.
O’Shea lauds late-spring program
Randwick trainer John O’Shea believes that the new, rich, late-spring races like The Hunter and The Gong have added plenty to the new-look Sydney carnival, Racenet reports.
“I would like to see the spring pushed back even further,” the trainer said. “The months of October and November are wonderful opportunities for our industry to showcase itself with no opposition (from other sports). If I was the Victorians, I would move the Melbourne Cup to the third Tuesday in November.”
O’Shea said the Melbourne spring carnival had already been shuffled around with the emergence of Sydney’s strong spring and, as a result, the final day of the Cup Carnival was a huge success.
“I think what we are learning is that you need to move, change and evolve, and the opportunity to push back deeper into October and November is a realistic time for the industry to capitalise.”
Mudgee hosting flood-affected Cowra meeting
Mudgee Race Club will host this Saturday’s scheduled Cowra meeting, with the Cowra racecourse inundated with floodwater from recent rain events in New South Wales' central west. A gold coin donation in aid of flood victims in Cowra will be collected at the gates for Saturday's races at Mudgee.
“We genuinely feel for our Cowra friends as we were in the same place a couple of weeks ago,” said Damien Toose, Mudgee Race Club’s CEO. “We hope that they recover quickly and the damage is minimal. Our thoughts are with them and their neighbouring towns at present.”
Lost And Running on the mend
Randwick trainer John O’Shea is confident that Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), who was a raceday scratching from the $15 million The Everest on October 15, will be sufficiently recovered from a hip muscle injury by the autumn.
“We have no doubts Lost And Running could have won The Everest,” O’Shea told Punters.com.au. “I’m not saying the horse would have won it. I’m saying he could have won it. There were very few winning chances in the race, of which he was one.”
O’Shea is yet to set a comeback race for the 6-year-old gelding before the autumn, but mentioned both the G1 Canterbury S. or G1 The Galaxy.
Christmas yearling sale announced
The thoroughbred auction house Bloodstockauction.com has announced a new online sale, the Christmas Yearling Sale, which will occur from December 15 through December 20. The aim of the catalogue is to showcase yearlings that might be unsuitable for the major commercial yearling sale in 2023.
A reduced price has been set for entries, with no commission payable on lots passed in. Bloodstockauction.com has promised lengthy and detailed marketing in the lead-up to the sale, with Anthony Gafa, the company’s founder and director, stating it was a perfect opportunity for breeders.
“It’s a great time of year to sell your horses and we look forward to showcasing your yearlings for you,” he said.
Flightline settles in at Lane’s End
The undefeated horse of the moment, four-time Grade 1 winner Flightline (USA), has settled in at Lane’s End Farm in Kentucky where he relocated earlier this week. It followed a minor share (2.5 per cent) in the horse selling at last week’s Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale for US$4.6 million (AU$7.2 million).
Flightline will cover a book of 150 mares in his debut season, and his fee was recently announced at US$200,000 (AU$300,000). It’s the highest fee for a horse entering stud in America since Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (USA) in 2015.
“It will not be from lack of quality mares if he doesn’t make it,” said Lane’s End’s Bill Farish. “He adapted the first day here. We put all this padding in his stall and I don’t think he’s even licked it.”
