Written By claims second winner
Widden Stud’s first-season sire Written By claimed his second winner on Wednesday as the Lee Freedman-trained gelding Sunday Mail found victory at the second time of asking in an 800-metre maiden at Ipswich.
He was dominant as a $1.60 favourite and saw out the race by 1l from Mishani Metallic (Kobayashi) with Mishani Ambitious (Rothesay) a further 1.5l back in third.
A $150,000 purchase by his trainer at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, he is out of the Exceed And Excel mare Sunday Rose, a three-time winner and half-sister to Group 2-placed Divine Moon (God’s Own). Written By’s progeny have been headlined so far this season by the G3 BJ McLachlan S. winner The Novelist, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
High-priced yearling slated to debut
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Kundalini (I Am Invincible), who fetched $1.7 million at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, is set to make her debut in Race 1 at Randwick on Saturday - a 2YO H. over 1000 metres.
Bred by Go Bloodstock, the filly was bought from the Newgate Farm draft by James Harron Bloodstock and is raced by John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds.
Kundalini as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Kundalini is from the New Zealand Champion 2-Year-Old of 2012/13, the Group 1 victress Ruud Awakening (Bernardini {USA}), making her a half-sister to the Group 3 winner Rise Of The Masses (Russian Revolution).
The filly ran second in her lone appearance at the trials (over 900 metres at Rosehill on January 12) and will be handled by Jason Collett.
Rawiller out of hospital
After falling ill at Warwick Farm’s trials on Monday morning, jockey Nash Rawiller was released from hospital on Wednesday afternoon. Following the sixth heat on Monday, Rawiller complained of chest pains and feeling faint, but has since undergone extensive testing and been given a ‘clean bill of health’.
“Thank you to everyone who has expressed their concerns and passed on their best wishes this week,” he said in a statement.
“I will take some time to rest and recover before returning to riding in the next seven to 10 days.
“I've been given a warning sign, basically,” he told Racing.com.
“For a pretty fit 48-year-old, it gives everyone a bit of a reminder, you don't take a risk with your health; if you don't feel right, it's worth going in and getting it looked at, because basically, I could've had a heart attack had I kept going for another month, it wasn't looking good where I was.”
Oakbank abandoned mid-meeting
Wednesday’s South Australian meeting at Oakbank was abandoned by order of stewards following Race 4, due to an issue with the track at the 500-metre mark.
The three abandoned races from the meeting will be transferred to the Murray Bridge meeting scheduled for Friday, January 20.
Overseas raid an option for In Secret
Godolphin Australia Managing Director, Vin Cox, has told News Corp the 'Blue Army' will consider a Northern Hemisphere summer campaign in Europe for star filly In Secret (I Am Invincible).
“Whether we put her on a plane… I won't say it’s not a possibility, but we need to look at it,” Cox said.
“We’ll just have to consider the rest of the year as well so there’s a lot to play out.
“Are we going to go there? Who knows?
“We've got to get through the autumn, primarily.”
In Secret | Image courtesy of Darren Tindale
The G1 Coolmore Stud S. heroine is likely to resume at Group 2 level at Randwick on February 11.
“She’ll probably come back through the Light Fingers S. (1200 metres) and the Surround (1400 metres), but she could potentially head down for the Newmarket H.," said Cox.
“She looks like she’s a six-furlong horse that could get out to seven (furlongs – 1400 metres).
“We haven’t ruled out getting to a mile, you never know.”
Bosson on Trobriand in Karaka Million 2YO
The barriers have been drawn for Saturday’s two Karaka Million feature races at Pukekohe, with Te Akau Racing holding a strong show in numbers. With seven runners, they will make up half the field in the R. Listed Karaka Million 2YO, of which they’ve won the past six editions.
One of their favoured runners, Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) drew wide in barrier 14.
“Probably can’t repeat it on the radio, Louis,” was trainer Mark Walker’s reaction to his draw. “I think Trobriand in particular is drawn perfectly.”
It was subsequently confirmed that Trobriand (Kermadec {NZ}) will have the services of New Zealand Champion Opie Bosson.
In the R. Listed Karaka Million 3YO Classic Wild Night (NZ) (Vanbrugh) will aim to make it six-straight wins from barrier two, whilst crack filly Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) has drawn one.
Guineas plan for Heaven
Richard and Chantelle Jolly’s star 3-year-old filly See You In Heaven (Divine Prophet) has been handed a G1 Australian Guineas target by her trainers for this autumn. Following her trial at Strathalbyn on Monday, Richard Jolly reported that she’s returned in great order following a short break after her G2 Sandown Guineas romp in November.
“She didn't have the blinkers on or anything, we left them off her, I was more than happy with what I saw,” Jolly told Racing.com.
See You In Heaven | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“She's pulled up good and we're more than happy with where she's at.
“She only had a fortnight off so she didn't have a lot of time, she tends to get fat pretty quickly so I didn't want to give her too much time off to be honest, it took a long time to get her fit in the spring.”
Pier looks to Sydney
Top Kiwi 3-year-old Pier (NZ) (Proisir) may be on his way to Sydney after he resumes at Pukekohe on Saturday in the G3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200 metres). Last seen winning the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600 metres) at Riccarton last November, he is expected to find fitness for the run, and his travel plans are not dependent on victory.
“He had four weeks in the paddock and then he spent two weeks on the water treadmill at Lyndhurst Farm and he’s been back here for six weeks,” said Darryn Weatherly, who trains the gelding with daughter Briar.
“He has developed and this is a stepping-stone for him and he’s not fully tuned up. He’s about 10kg over the weight he was when he won the Guineas, but I am really happy with him.
“We have got plans to take him to Sydney and he hasn’t been right-handed before, hence the reason we’re going to Pukekohe.”
Small field for Carrington Stakes
Saturday’s Listed Carrington S. (1400 metres) at Randwick has attracted a field of nine runners, with the Jarrod Austin-trained Looks Like Elvis (All American) to carry the top weight of 58kg. He will be ridden by Brett Prebble from barrier four.
Joseph Pride has two runners - Titanium Power (So You Think {NZ}), who will jump from gate two under Glyn Schofield, and Snippy Fox (Fowedge), who will break from stall three and has the services of Jay Ford.
Little Big Bear crowned European Champion Juvenile
Little Big Bear (Ire) has been named Europe's Champion Juvenile for 2022 and becomes the 12th European Champion 2-Year-Old to have been trained by Aidan O'Brien.
The son of No Nay Never (USA), who was bred by Camas Park Stud and Summerhill, achieved his top rating of 124 for his 7l rout in the G1 Keeenland Phoenix S. at the Curragh, the same race won previously by Yulong’s shuttler Lucky Vega (Ire). The victory was the culmination of four-straight wins in five starts, including the Listed Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot and the G3 Anglesey S.
Little Big Bear (Ire) | Image courtesy of Racingfotos.com
“We always thought from day one he was very good and we were very surprised the first day that he got beat, but with 2-year-olds that can happen,” said O'Brien, who noted that the G1 2000 Guineas is the aim for Little Big Bear.
Three of the top five colts in the ratings were trained at Ballydoyle by O'Brien. Blackbeard (Ire), another son of No Nay Never who won the G1 Darley Prix Morny and G1 Juddmonte Middle Park S., was ranked five points below his stablemate and equal with Chaldean (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in joint-second on 119. Blackbeard retired to Coolmore Stud at the end of last season and was the subject of plenty of interest during last weekend's Irish Stallion Trail.
Zarak share tops Arqana Online January Sale
Abdullah Saeed Almaddah purchased a 1/50th share in smart, young sire Zarak (Fr) (Lot 1) for €410,000 (AU$631,900) to top the Arqana Online January Sale on Tuesday (local).
The son of Dubawi (Ire) and G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe heroine Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar {USA}) is already the sire of 15 stakes performers led by Group 1-placed Purplepay (Fr) La Parisienne (Fr) and Times Square (Fr), as well as four Group winners. He stands at the Aga Khan Studs’ French base, Haras de Bonneval, for €60,000 (AU$92,500) in 2023.
Zarak (Fr) | Standing at Haras de Bonneval
Another stallion to feature was Persian King (Ire), with a 1/50th share in him (Lot 10) selling to Paul Harley Bloodstock for €150,000 (AU$231,200), The Haras d'Etreham stallion stands for €25,000 (AU$38,500) this year. His eldest foals are yearlings of this year in the Northern Hemisphere.
A 1/48th share in Nirvana Du Berlais (Fr) was acquired by Thomas Maudet for €60,000 (AU$92,400), while the Bridge Consignment went to €58,000 (AU$89,300) for Lot 4, a 1/60th share in The Grey Gatsby (Ire).
Of the 14 lots offered, 12 sold for a gross of €986,000 (AU$1.52 million).
