Williamsburg shares up for grabs
Two five per cent shares in Group 3-winning 3-year-old colt Williamsburg (Snitzel) will be offered in a bespoke Inglis Digital Online Sale this week.
The son of Snitzel and Group 1 winner Fenway (High Chaparral {Ire}) is a graduate of Inglis’ Australian Easter sale, having been purchased by Tony Fung Investments in 2021 and alongside his victory in the G3 Schweppervescence H., he also won the Listed Dulcify S. and Listed Fernhill H.
Williamsburg has won four of his 11 career starts for $530,000 in prizemoney and looks an ideal G1 Randwick Guineas and G1 Rosehill Guineas contender as an autumn 3-year-old, as well as countless quality races as an older horse.
The shares will be offered in a bespoke Inglis Digital Online Sale, which opens for bidding at 9am AEDT on Monday, January 30 and closes out for bidding from 4pm AEDT on Tuesday, January 31.
Lucky number seven for Golden Sixty
Having surrendered his 16-streak unbeaten run in last year’s G1 Stewards' Cup, Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) made amends for last year’s loss when he landed the Sha Tin Group 1 on Sunday.
Adding a seventh Group 1 to his record, the Francis Lui-trained son of Medaglia D’Oro (USA) finished 1l ahead of Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and California Spangle (Starspangledbanner) was another 0.1l away in third.
Golden Sixty was purchased by Riversley Park and Enigma Farm for $120,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Element Hill in 2017. He was then snapped up by his trainer for NZ$300,000 at the Ready to Run Sale of 2-year-olds later that same year.
Kah steers Voyage Bubble to victory
The Torryburn Stud-bred Voyage Bubble (Deep Field) followed up his last-start win in the Class 3 Ping Shan H. with a victory in the Hong Kong Classic Mile at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Ridden by Jamie Kah, the son of Deep Field defeated Tuchel (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) by 1.4l, while Packing Treadmill (Manhattan Rain) was a further 1.5l away in third.
Voyage Bubble was Torryburn Stud’s top-priced lot at the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, with Hong Kong-based trainer Ricky Yiu going to $380,000 for him.
Lane to Saudi
Melbourne-based jockey Damian Lane will continue his association with Japanese racing when he heads to Saudi Arabia to ride at the Saudi Cup meeting next month.
Lane has been booked to ride three Japanese-trained on February 25, including Dancing Prince (Jpn) (Pas De Trois {Jpn}) in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, which he won last year. He will also ride three-time Grade 1 winner Daring Tact (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) in the G3 Neom Turf Cup and Silver Sonic (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}) in the G3 Red Sea Turf H. for the stayers.
In riding at the meeting, Lane will miss the G1 Blue Diamond S. at Caulfield.
Private Eye to take aim at Newmarket
Group 1 winner Private Eye (Al Maher) will warm up for his assault at the G1 Newmarket H. when he steps out in a trial at Warwick Farm on Monday.
Trainer Joe Pride confirmed on Sunday that Private Eye was on a Newmarket path with the 5-year-old likely to go to the historic 1200-metre straight race at Flemington on March 11 on the back of three trials.
“He’s coming down for the Newmarket,” Pride told RSN 927’s Correct Weight on Sunday. “That will be his first-up run. He ran so well fresh last time (when he won G2 Gilgai S. over the Newmarket’s 1200-metre course.
“It’s (Newmarket) a race on the calendar that I found too hard to resist. Hopefully, he will be reasonably weighted there, but I think the 1200 metres first-up will be perfect.”
High hopes for Elliptical
Co-trainer Sam Freedman is hopeful that multiple Group 1-placegetter Elliptical (Dundeel {NZ}) can finally land a well-deserved elite-level race this preparation.
Having gone so close to winning both the G1 Caulfield Guineas and the G1 Spring Champion S. during the spring, the 3-year-old is nearing a racetrack return for a campaign that will be aimed at the G1 Australian Guineas.
“Elliptical will probably resume in the Autumn Stakes or the C.S. Hayes Stakes and he's heading to an Australian Guineas,” said Freedman.
“We've got an All-Star Mile nomination for him and we'll either go that way or up to Sydney for a race like the Rosehill Guineas.”
Infatuation misses Autumn Carnival
Bjorn Baker has revealed that Infatuation (I Am Invincible) has undergone arthroscopic surgery to her off-fore fetlock and, as a consequence, had been sent for a spell and will miss the autumn carnival.
The daughter of I Am Invincible broke her maiden at Randwick on December 31 and was most recently seen finishing a solid fourth in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Lightning plans for Joyful Fortune
The Mark Newnham-trained Joyful Fortune (Nicconi) is heading to the G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. at Flemington on February 18 after which Newnham will decide whether the sprinter returns to Melbourne for the G1 Newmarket H. in March.
At this stage, Newnham favours running Joyful Fortune in the G1 The Galaxy at Rosehill on March 18.
“He trialled during the week and trialled quite well and will have another trial in a couple of weeks before he heads down,” Newnham said.
“I'll probably head back home for The Galaxy as I'm not sure of his ability to run a strong 1200 metres, but he does really enjoy the straight, so we'll work it out after that first-up run.”
O’Shea yet to lock in plans for Benaud
John O’Shea has said he has yet to lock in plans for Benaud (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), but he has revealed the gelding is likely to kick off his campaign in the G1 Chipping Norton S.
The gelding’s second-up performance in the G3 Sky High S. set to be a campaign defining race.
“He will go to the 10-furlong race two weeks after (the Chipping Norton), it's set weights and penalties, and then we will make an assessment from there," O'Shea said.
“Whether he goes on to The BMW (Tancred Stakes) and heads towards the Sydney Cup, I'm not sure. I want to get to that race and make a call.”
Forbidden Love retired from racing
Three-time Group 1 winner Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) has been retired from racing after sustaining an injury in Saturday’s G2 Expressway S. at Rosehill.
“We regret to report that during yesterday’s Expressway Stakes at Rosehill, Forbidden Love suffered a career-ending injury and has subsequently been retired from racing,” said Michael Freedman Racing in a statement released on social media.
“While the injury has brought her racing career to an end, we are relieved to report that she is expected to make a full recovery as a breeding prospect. She is currently in the capable hands of Randwick Equine Centre where she is receiving the necessary treatment prior to embarking on her next chapter as a broodmare.
“We would like to thank her ownership group for entrusting us in training such a wonderful mare and look forward to seeing her progeny carry on her legacy in the future.”
Forbidden Love retires from racing as a 5-year-old mare with eight wins from 29 starts and career earnings of over $2.2 million.
Art Collector wins Pegasus
Art Collector (USA) sprung a 15-1 upset in Saturday's US$3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream. Favoured Cyberknife (USA), a painful second in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Keeneland in November, failed to duplicate his sire's [Gun Runner] heroics from the same wide draw in post 10 and was a disappointing sixth.
Vale Ben Lawrence
The thoroughbred industry is mourning the death of long-time participant Ben Lawrence who died on Friday, aged 40.
During his career, Lawrence worked for Patinack Farm as stud manager and he also enjoyed spells with Collingrove Stud in NSW and Chatswood Stud in Victoria. He was working for International Animal Health up until his death.
