Hellbent filly goes three-from-three
The Jason Warren-trained Hellbent filly Benedetta improved her record to three straight wins from just four starts at Sandown on Saturday when she justified odds of $2 to score in a 3-year-old fillies’ BM78 (1300 metres) by 1l over Peter and Paul Snowden’s Discerning (Street Boss {USA}), with a 2.75l gap back to Belmia (Bel Esprit) in third.
Out of the three-time winner Whatalovelyday (Domesday), Benedetta was a $75,000 purchase for Eales Racing Syndications at the 2021 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, and was one of two winners for Yarraman Park’s second-season sire Hellbent on Saturday, after Clayton Douglas’ 3-year-old gelding Hell Be Coming broke his maiden at the third attempt at Kyneton.
Six-timer for Capitalist
Newgate Farm’s Capitalist recorded a six-timer of 4-year-olds on Saturday afternoon. A double at Eagle Farm was notched by the Tony Gollan-trained pair of King Kapa, a gelding winning his fourth-straight race, and Comrade Rosa - both of whom won in handicap company.
At New Plymouth, Chrissy Bambry’s mare La Capita broke her maiden, as did Paul Wallace's gelding Capitan De Seda at Toowoomba, whilst Danny O’Brien’s gelding Lafargue was successful at Morphettville Parks and John McArdle’s mare Tycoon Humma found victory at Sandown.
Dream metro start for Dun
It was a thrilling finish to the opener at Eagle Farm, a 2-year-old handicap over 1000 metres, as Bedaub (Easy Rocking) attempted to run his rivals ragged from the front. Still 3l ahead of his rivals at the 100-metre marker, he was caught on the line by Glass Of Rose (Shooting To Win).
With the pair 2l clear of the third-placed horse, Mishani Ambitious (Rothesay), the victory provided a fairytale first metropolitan winner for the filly’s trainer Jeff Dun, whose partner Rikki Jamieson was in the saddle.
“It’s really rewarding with this filly,” Dun said after the race. “She’s just really smart and she’s always been that way…It’s really rewarding, especially for the owners that have all supported me with this horse, I just can’t thank them enough for their support, backing a little, young trainer like me.
“It’s a real team effort; I get to know them really well on the ground and she (Jamieson) gets to know them on their backs.”
A $32,500 purchase by Matilda Koch at the 2022 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, Glass Of Rose made her first start in an 800-metre Ipswich maiden on January 18, where she was a running-on fourth, just behind Mishani Ambitious. She is out of the Testa Rossa mare Sky Rubi, a dual-winner, and from the extended family of dual-Group 1 winner Purple (Commands).
Specialty back in business
Surging to the lead with 250 metres to run, Specialty (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) kept finding in the Listed Dunedin Guineas at Otago, recording a 1.5l margin over Romancing The Moon (NZ) (El Roca), with a 3.75l gap back to Charbano (NZ) (Vespa {NZ}) in third.
Trained in Timaru by Bruce Tapper and Varma Ramhit, Specialty runs for owner/breeders Clearview Park, operated by Tapper’s son Aaron, and first found black-type success in the G3 Barneswood Farm S. on October 15 last year, earning him a start in the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas. He finished a gallant fifth in that race, but had struggled for form somewhat in two starts since.
With the blinkers applied for Saturday’s effort, his resurgence in form may now see him aimed back at top-level targets.
“He’ll go to Invercargill first for the (Listed) Southland Guineas (1600 metres) and then on to Wellington,” co-trainer Bruce Tapper said, referring to the G1 Levin Classic as his Wellington target.
“The blinkers helped him as well and so did the firm track, he needs good going.”
Specialty is the only foal out of Rio Tennille (NZ) (Captain Rio {GB}) and is related via her fourth dam to Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}).
Colorado takes Taranaki Cup
The G3 Taranaki Cup at New Plymouth went the way of Colorado Star (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}) on Saturday - a surprise winner at $32 for trainer Mike Breslin. The 7-year-old gelding gained his first stakes win in 28 starts, which include five further victories, and he becomes the 21st stakes winner for his sire, the Wellfield-based Alamosa (NZ).
Having not tasted victory with the gelding since September 2021, Breslin was delighted to see him return to form.
Colorado Star (NZ) gets a first stakes vitory in the G3 Taranaki Gold Cup at New Plymouth | Image courtesy of Race Images - Peter Rubery
“At home he has been as well as he has ever been, his work has been good and I just felt he hadn’t been putting in on raceday,” he said.
“I purposely put Ryan (Elliot) on as he is quite a strong rider and I said, ‘Go forward and make sure he is awake’.
“I got quite confident about the 800-metre as he was still hard up against the bridle, so he was more like the old Colorado Star.”
Honesty prevails
The Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400 metres) at Wingatui on Saturday was won by the Leda Beck-trained 8-year-old mare Honesty (NZ) (Postponed {USA}), who was recording her first stakes win, and the 35th for her late sire Postponed (USA).
Living up to her name, Honesty held off the persistent challenge of Riviera Rock (NZ) (Road To Rock) to score by 0.4l, with Leave It To Me (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) 1.5l away in third.
Soulcombe stays favourite despite loss
Installed as favourite for the 2023 G1 Melbourne Cup after just his first run in Australia - when winning the G3 Queen’s Cup on November 5 - Soulcombe (GB) (Frankel {GB}) tasted his first defeat on Australian soil when he returned on Saturday in the Drinkwise Mile at Randwick.
Soulcombe (GB) | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Trained by Chris Waller, the 4-year-old gelding failed to make an impression turning in, and settled for sixth place, with the race won by the Lyle Chandler-trained Banju (Benfica). Despite the loss, the son of Frankel (GB) remains at the head of the Melbourne Cup betting.
Artorious and Astrologist receive Dubai nominations
Trainers Anthony and Sam Freedman have nominated Artorious (Flying Artie) for the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai, which will be held at Meydan on March 25, which has also attracted an entry from the Leon and Troy Corstens-trained The Astrologist (Zoustar).
Over 1600 entries, including 892 individual horses hailing from 21 different countries, have been received for the 2023 Dubai World Cup meeting, which will offer total prizemoney of US$30.5 million (AU$44.06 million) across nine races.
Truck-hiding jockey banned for 22 months
NSW jockey Troy See has been banned for 22 months after an incident at Murwillumbah on January 21 when he was found in possession of a mobile phone in the jockeys’ room and hid under a truck after refusing to hand it over to stewards.
As the stewards' report explains:
“He (See) was advised by stewards that the phone would be retained for examination. The phone was returned to him to write down the contact details he would require while the phone was being examined.
“After writing down the contact details he left the steward's room with the phone in his possession. Stipendiary steward Ms Tara Vanderstok requested that he return to the inquiry room.
“He refused to do so and continued to walk away from Ms Vanderstok with the phone in his possession. Ms Vanderstock directed that he returned the phone to her, which he refused.”
Breeding rights to be offered at Goffs Online
Breeding rights in young stallions Profitable (Ire) and Cloth Of Stars (Ire) will go under the hammer at Goffs Online during their February Sale from 11am to 1pm (local) on Friday, February 10.
Standing at Darley’s Kildangan Stud in Ireland for €9000 (AU$14,000), Profitable, winner of the G1 King's Stand S. at Royal Ascot, is the only stallion with multiple sprinting Group winners from his 3-year-old crop. After siring the G2 Queen Mary S. winner in his freshman year, he covered 116 mares last season. With a stud fee of €7000 (AU$10,900) at Haras du Logis in France, European Champion Older Horse Cloth Of Stars won the G1 Prix Ganay and was placed twice in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe.
Blue Point 2-1 favourite for British and Irish first-season honours
Blue Point (Ire) has been installed as the 2-1 favourite to be crowned leading first-season sire in Britain and Ireland by Paddy Power.
Ballyhane Stud's Soldier's Call (GB) has been inserted at 5-2 next best in the betting while Coolmore's Ten Sovereigns (Ire) has been quoted at odds of 3-1. Tally-Ho Stud, responsible for two of the past three champion first-season sires Mehmas (Ire) and Cotai Glory (GB), are represented by 4-1 chance Inns Of Court (Ire). It's 10-1 the field.
Blue Point (Ire) | Standing at Darley
Blue Point stands at Darley’s Kildangan Stud in Ireland for €35,000 (AU$54,700) having started off on a fee of €45,000 (AU$70,400) in 2020. Shuttling to Darley’s Kelvinside base beginning in 2020, his first Southern Hemisphere yearlings were a hit at Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January, selling for up to $900,000.
Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. wins seven straight at Gulfstream
On the east coast of the United States on Friday, leading rider Irad Ortiz, Jr. equaled the record for most wins by a jockey on a card at Gulfstream Park after riding the winners of seven consecutive races on a nine-race program.
Ortiz shares the Gulfstream record with four other jockeys: Hall of Famer Jerry Bailey (3/11/96), Tyler Gaffalione (7/4/17), Luis Saez (1/24/18; 3/29/18) and Paco Lopez (3/21/20).
Ortiz became the only jockey in Gulfstream history to win seven races in a row.
