Tracy’s Spirit impresses on debut
Having the second start of her career, Tracy’s Spirit (Spirit Of Boom) chalked up her first career victory when she took out the Dunlop Super Dealer Caloundra QTIS 2YO H. at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday.
The Kris Lees-trained juvenile defeated Sonny Daze (Performer) by 0.8l, while Chilled (Shalaa {Ire}) was another 1.5l away in third.
Raced by Australian Bloodstock, the filly is out of the dual-winning Encosta De Lago mare Tracy’s Image.
Tracy’s Image herself is a daughter of South African Champion Tracy’s Element (Last Tycoon {Ire}) and she is also the dam of fellow Champion mare Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom {USA}), Listed winner, turned sire Red Element and Group 1-placed mare Kylikwong (Red Ransom {USA}), while further back this is the same family as multiple Group 1 winner Alligator Blood (All Too Hard).
The filly was bought by her trainer and owners for $280,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2022 and she was one of two winners for Spirit Of Boom at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday, with Light Of Boom saluting the judge in Race 2 on the card.
First winner for Staphanos
In breaking his maiden at Trentham on Saturday, Pignan (NZ) provided Novara Park-based stallion Staphanos (Jpn) with his first winner.
A placegetter in both of her two previous appearances, the Lisa Latta-trained filly was a class above her four rivals in Saturday’s Kernow Construction 2YO.
“It was really exciting to see him sire his first winner on Saturday,” Novara Park principal Luigi Muollo said. “She was actually the very first Staphanos foal to be born.
“We’ve always known she was a good filly. She’d just missed the start in her previous race and then got a check, but she won well on Saturday and it was very exciting.”
All-Star Mile hopes for Amelia’s conqueror
Laced Up Heels (Toronado {Ire}), the only horse to have beaten Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}), will be vying for a start in The All-Star Mile.
The filly’s trainer Luke Fernie said Laced Up Heels was a special 3-year-old and although it was wishful thinking that she could get into The All-Star Mile, she had the potential to do so.
“If you haven’t nominated her and she came out and went super, you’d be kicking yourself,” Fernie said. “We can use her early races as a stepping-stone to see what’s in the tank.”
The trainer revealed Laced Up Heels would make her Melbourne debut in the G3 Kevin Hayes S. at Sandown on February 11.
Sunsource locked in for Magic Millions
Sunsource (Zoustar) will take the next steps towards his run in next month’s R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic when he has a jump-out going right-handed over 1000 metres at Cranbourne on Monday.
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained colt made a big impression on debut when he landed the Magic Millions Ballarat 2YO Classic and spent a little time in the paddock following that victory last month.
“He had nine days in the paddock after Ballarat and we've then sent him to the water walker,” Busuttin said.
“He came through the race in excellent order and we're looking forward to seeing him run again.”
Busuttin also revealed Sunsource would run in a 2-year-old handicap over 1200 metres at Doomben on New Year's Eve before heading to the Gold Coast.
Price and Kent Jnr stable stars set to clash
I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking) and Jacquinot (Rubick) have both returned to Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr’s stable and they will both be aimed at the G1 CF Orr S. and G1 Futurity S. in February.
“I’m Thunderstruck looks terrific. He’s a horse who does very well in the paddock. He’s been on a diet since, but he’s done so well. He couldn’t look any better,” Kent Jnr said.
Kent Jnr is excited about Jacquinot and the prospect of adding another elite-level race to his tally after he won the G1 Golden Rose S. last spring.
“The Orr and the Futurity are great targets for him,” he said. “He’s had one start over 1400 metres in the Golden Rose and it proved it suited him, as he was quite dominant.
“He’s come back, as he does every preparation, in better shape. He’s been a narrow, raw horse, who will continue to furnish and get better and better.”
Dettori announces his intention to retire
One of the greatest jockeys of all time, Frankie Dettori has announced that next season will be his last and that he will call time on his glittering career in 2023.
Dettori will begin his global farewell tour at Santa Anita in December and could well bring the curtain down at that same venue at the 2023 Breeders' Cup.
“Next year, 2023, will be my final professional year as a jockey. It's something I've been thinking about for a while,” he told British television station, ITV. “My heart wants to carry on riding but I have to use my brain. I want to stop at the top. It has been difficult but I think it's the right time.
“The plan is I am riding Boxing Day in Santa Anita and I'm planning to spend 10 weeks in California. I should make my way back via Dubai and Saudi and I guess start my (British) season in Newmarket.
“I will be riding right through, obviously it will be my last Guineas, my last Derby, my last Royal Ascot so on and so forth and then will probably finish (in Britain) at either Champions Day at Ascot or at Newmarket. The final farewell as a professional rider will be in California at the Breeders' Cup.”
So far, Dettori has ridden 282 winners at the highest level, including 21 British Classics.
McNeil gets on the board in Hong Kong
Jye McNeil clinched his first win in Hong Kong when he steered Australian-bred gelding Excellent Fighter (Hinchinbrook) to victory in the Lukfook Jewellery Diapure H. at Sha Tin on Sunday.
McNeil produced a fine ride to beat Double Show (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) by 0.2l, while Oriental Spirit (Astern) was a further 1.5l away in third.
The G1 Melbourne Cup-winning jockey began his six-week stint in Asia in November.
Moody questions whip ruling
Peter Moody believes any decision on the overuse of the whip should be left to the Racing Victoria stewards’ discretion based on how a jockey’s whip use looks visually during a race and whether it’s to the detriment of racing.
Moody was the beneficiary of the RV stewards’ decision to uphold their own protest against Blake Shinn for overuse of the whip when his mare Invincible Caviar (I Am Invincible) was ruled the sole winner after initially dead-heating with My Yankee Girl (American Pharoah {USA}) at Flemington on Saturday.
Moody said he was gobsmacked and surprised by what occurred and he felt for My Yankee Girl’s trainers Frank and John Salanitri.
“I watched the race and visually to me it didn’t look like Blake Shinn was doing too much wrong. I would have been pleased if he had been the rider of my horse,” Moody said.
“Stewards have handcuffs on them to a degree when these rules are put in place and have to act upon them, and it makes it hard. It’s hard to quantify a margin. I believe it should be thrown back to the stewards and if visually it’s against the image of racing, then uphold it, but, personally, yesterday (Saturday), I didn’t think Blake Shinn’s riding style was.”
Livesey rides first metropolitan winner
Alana Livesey brought up her first metropolitan victory when she produced a brilliant rails-hugging ride aboard Picargo (Oamaru Force) at Gawler on Saturday.
Trained by Ryan Balfour, the gelding scooted away to beat Karacasu (Headwater) by 3l.
After the race, Balfour was glowing in his praise for the young rider.
“She’s the backbone of the stable,” Balfour told Racing.com. “I’m ecstatic, I did shed a tear when she crossed the line actually, just through relief for myself, no, for her!
“She rode that an absolute treat and I said to her, ‘You’re drawn one,” and she was a bit panicked by that, and it was a good field.”
