Infatuation heads Magic Millions 2YO Classic order of entry
After banking $190,000 for her second-place finish in the Golden Gift, the Bjorn Baker-trained Infatuation (I Am Invincible) is sitting at the top of the order of entry for the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Following her victory at Doomben on Saturday, the Tony Gollan-trained Skirt The Law (Better Than Ready) is sitting in sixth on the list, while Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar), who won the G3 Gimcrack S. and G3 Breeders’ Plate winner Empire Of Japan (Snitzel) locked together in fourth.
Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed filly, Revolutionary Miss (Russian Revolution) is in pole position in the order of entry for the R. Listed Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, while Stroll (Snitzel) moved up the list into third following her victory in last weekend’s Listed Mode S. at Doomben.
Melbourne Cup hero to return to work
Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) will this week come back into work to undertake a pre-training phase, before the Melbourne Cup winner’s trainer, Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, ramp things up ahead of his autumn campaign.
“He’s an entire and these stallions, particularly Northern Hemisphere ones, wouldn’t want any longer off,” Australian Bloodstock's Jamie Lovett said.
“Now it’s just a case of building him up and getting him ready for the G1 Queen Elizabeth S.”
Lovett revealed Gold Trip suffered a foot abscess during his break, but overall, “he spelled well”.
Williams closes Macedon Lodge
Leviathan owner Lloyd Williams has closed his famous Macedon Lodge property, with seven-time Melbourne Cup winner dispersing his horses to a number of stables.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott have taken over the training of 2020 Epsom Derby winner and 2022 Melbourne Cup runner Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), while this year’s Andrew Ramsden S. victor Point Nepean (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) has joined Lindsay Park.
Aylmerton juvenile wins Warwick Farm trial
Just three babies faced the starter in Monday’s lone 2-year-old trial at Warwick Farm, with Goulburn trainer Jean Dubois preparing two of them.
Winning the 740-metre heat was Besson - a colt by Dubois’ G2 Todman S. winner Aylmerton, from the dual-winning Bernardini (USA) mare Berdini.
He was handled by Tyler Schiller and clocked 44.73s on the synthetic track.
Besson | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Bred and raced by Woodpark Stud, Besson is closely related to the Group 2 winner Happy Galaxy (Nadeem) and his third dam is the Group 1 victress Porto Roca (Barathea {Ire}).
Second in the trial, 2.63l away, was the Richard Litt-trained Bo Katan (Impending), with the winner’s stablemate, Spring Snow (Aylmerton) a further 0.19l back in third.
Australian Cup the aim for Smokin’ Romans
Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace are targeting the G1 Australian Cup at Flemington in March for their improved stayer Smokin’ Romans (NZ) (Ghibellines).
The 6-year-old is already a Group 1 winner at the track and trip, having taken out this year’s Turnbull S. in October.
“He’s just gone back into work at Fingal,” Eustace told Racing.com.
“He looks terrific, he’s had a nice break, but we don’t like to give those older horses too long and let down too much. He’s going to hold, obviously, plenty of residual fitness.
“We’re working towards, primarily, the Australian Cup, for the first half of the autumn and then obviously be guided by him and his performances as to where he heads to after that.”
Yankee Rose youngster goes for Group 1
Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) - a 2-year-old filly out of the dual Group 1 heroine Yankee Rose (All American) - has been entered for Sunday’s G1 Hanshin Juvenile Fillies.
The Mitsumasa Nakauchida-trained filly carries the colours of Sunday Racing and won at Niigata on debut in July, before finishing second behind Ravel (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the G3 Artemis S. at Tokyo in October.
The Hanshin Juvenile Fillies' honour roll includes last year’s winner Circle Of Life (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), as well as Soul Stirring (Jpn) (Frankel {GB}), Buena Vista (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}) and the great Vodka (Jpn) (Tanino Gimlet {Jpn}).
Yankee Rose won the G1 Sires’ Produce S. and the G1 Spring Champion S. in 2016
Australian autumn features on the cards for Aegon
Saturday’s G1 Captain Cook S. runner-up, Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), has gone to the paddock, with trainer Andrew Forsman eyeing the autumn riches of Australia for the 5-year-old.
“I think he’s up to weight for age either here or in Australia. He’s got a couple of options in Melbourne that we’ll probably work towards in February,” Forsman said.
Aegon’s next race is most likely to be the G1 CF Orr S. at Caulfield on February 11.
Aegon (NZ) | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
“To be honest, on a big track that was a little bit off on Saturday at Trentham, a strong mile really sees him out, and that’s the extent of his range,” Forsman said.
“I doubt we’ll ever go beyond a mile with him again, and focus on keeping him fresh at 1400 metres to 1600 metres.”
Aegon started favourite in Saturday’s 1600-metre feature but was beaten by Prise De Fer (NZ) (Savabeel) by 0.5l.
Jigger charges for Queensland trio
Trainer Todd Austin and wife Toni, as well as jockey Ric McMaho, have been charged by the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) with the possession of a ‘jigger’ and of providing false and/or misleading evidence.
On Monday, the QRIC released details of the charges, which came after a picture was taken by a well-known racing photographer at trackwork prior to the Birdsville Cup meeting in August. The photo allegedly shows McMahon holding an illegal electrical device commonly called as a jigger.
Along with the possession charge, Austin was charged with commissioning an act of cruelty to the horse Hemmerle (Lucas Cranach {Ger}) when he engaged McMahon to ride the horse at Birdsville earlier in the year.
The Austins were also charged with providing false and misleading information to QRIC stewards in relation to the investigation into the matter.
The three have until next Monday to submit pleas to the charges and provide further submissions.
Epicenter to Coolmore America
Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter (USA) (Not This Time {USA}), a leading candidate for champion 3-year-old honours, will enter stud in 2023 at Ashford Stud, Kentucky. He will stand for US$45,000 ($66,000).
“Epicenter was solid all year and the Travers was the breakout performance he needed and deserved, and he did it in an emphatic way,” said trainer Steve Asmussen.
“Epicenter is the best son of Giant's Causeway's best sire son Not This Time and is out of a stakes winner by the sire of Gun Runner,” said Coolmore's Dermot Ryan. “His combination of speed and stamina made him a potent force and he's a very good-looking horse to boot. Breeders are going to love him.”
