Giga Kick ready for return
Clayton Douglas’ boom sprinter Giga Kick (Scissor Kick), a winner of the $15 million The Everest in October, will reappear this Saturday at Royal Randwick in the G2 Challenge S. He will take on a field that will likely include gun sprinters Eduardo (Host {Chi}), In The Congo (Snitzel) and Paulele (Dawn Approach {Ire}).
Giga Kick | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I am very confident,” Clayton told Racing.com.
“There looks to be a lot of speed over the 1000 metres and he’ll camp off them and have his chance in the running, I’d say.”
Giga Kick was a last-start fifth to Roch ‘N’ Horse (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) in the G1 Champions Sprint in November. He travelled from Clayton’s Mornington headquarters to Sydney on Monday and will likely tackle the G1 TJ Smith S. on April 1, with both the G1 All Aged S. and G1 Doomben 10,000 also possibilities.
All-Star Mile votes announced
Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) was revealed as the public's favourite as voting figures for the $5 million The All-Star Mile were publicised on Tuesday evening. Having finished unplaced in the 2020 edition of the race as a 3-year-old, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trainee was granted an automatic berth in the race with victory in last weekend's G1 Futurity S. at Sandown.
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr could be doubly represented in the race with I'm Thunderstuck (NZ) (Shocking) and Jacquinot (Rubick), as could fellow Victorian's Ben and JD Hayes, who have Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) and Gentleman Roy (So You Think {NZ}).
Racing Victoria’s Executive General Manager – Racing, Matt Welsh said outsiders Keats (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and The Inevitable (Dundeel {NZ}) earning a start provided “a couple of wonderful feelgood stories...”
“One thing that stands out amongst the top 10 is that there is no shortage of on-speed horses, which should ensure the 2023 All-Star Mile is a truly run contest, befitting of Australia’s richest mile race,” Keats told Racing.com.
Prowess out of NZ Derby
The second favourite for the G1 New Zealand Derby, 3-year-old Prowess (NZ) (Proisir), was withdrawn from the NZ$1 million feature on Tuesday. Trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood said they weren't happy with the way she was working in the lead-up to the rich feature, and they have elected to bypass the race in favour of other Group 1 targets both locally and in Australia.
Prowess (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kirstin Ledington
“It is disappointing not having her there, but the horse comes first,” James told NZ Racing Desk. “She will most likely go to the weight-for-age race (the G1 Bonecrusher S.) on Auckland Cup Day and then, all going well, into the Vinery.”
Legarto for Guineas test
New Zealand’s star filly Legarto (NZ), a 3-year-old daughter of Proisir who has won five of her six lifetime starts, will line up this Saturday in the G1 Australian Guineas at Flemington. Her Matamata-based co-trainer Ken Kelso said this week that it’s time to see how she stacks up against the likes of Australia’s star colt Jacquinot (Rubick).
“Her runs in New Zealand have been outstanding, with her wins in the 1000 Guineas and the Eight Carat,” Kelso told Racing.com. “She’s got a lot of ability and had an outstanding year, but we haven’t got a line on the Australian form so we’re going over to find out.”
Legarto will leave New Zealand on Wednesday morning for Mike Moroney’s Ballymore Stables at Flemington. It’s likely she will be spelled after the Guineas, with an idea of bringing her back to Australia next spring.
Incentivise pleases in return
The 6-year-old Caulfield Cup winner Incentivise (Shamus Award) returned to the track in an 800-metre jump-out at Pakenham on Tuesday morning. Incentivise had been sidelined for 14 months, and his trainer Peter Moody told Racing.com that it wasn’t a win he was chasing in the gallop.
Incentivise | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It was not Incentivise's finishing position that concerned me, rather the way he moved and the manner in which he went about it,” Moody said, adding that 800 metres is well-short of what the horse requires.
“It was just to get the juices flowing, really, and an opportunity to have a gallop on a nice surface and to get a look at his action, his mannerism and everything, and tick, tick, tick.”
Lowland S. the ninth leg of Filly of the Year Series
Wednesday’s G2 Lowland S. at Awapuni will be the ninth leg of the New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) Filly of the Year Series. The race will be worth eight points to the winner, four points for second and two for third. It is also a key lead-up to the G1 New Zealand Oaks on March 18.
Currently, the Series has a clear leader in the Proisir filly Legarto (NZ) with 26 points, while Polygon (NZ) (Highly Recommended) is second with 14 points and Best Seller (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}) has 13 points. Pennyweka (NZ) (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}) and Contagious (NZ) (Proisir) are the only two fillies in the Lowland S. on Wednesday who already have Series points to their names.
Bravo Halo for Karrakatta Plate?
Two-year-old Brave Halo (Brave Smash {Jpn}) was fourth to Little Brose (Per Incanto {USA}) in last Saturday’s G1 Blue Diamond S., and his trainers, Bullsbrook-based Sean and Jake Casey, and owner Wally Daly haven’t ruled out bringing him home to Western Australia for the G2 Karrakatta Plate in April.
Brave Halo | Image courtesy of RWWA
“At the moment, we are looking at his back leg after he got galloped on (in the Blue Diamond),” Daly told The Races WA. “He had a couple of stitches but luckily there was no tendon injury. I think we could come back for the Karrakatta Plate. That looks an option or we could spell him and go to Melbourne again in the spring as a 3-year-old.”
Deane Lester tribute fundraiser
A fundraiser for the late Deane Lester was hosted on Tuesday at Crown Melbourne, organised by Lester’s friend and Channel 7 broadcaster Hamish McLachlan, and supported by a legion of corporate companies and racing industry identities. Funds raised were in aid of Lester’s family, which has inherited significant debts in the wake of his death a fortnight ago.
The fundraiser offered 40 tables at $10,000 a table, and each was snapped up by the likes of Ladbrokes, Racing Victoria and Racing.com, plus a myriad of identities like Ciaron Maher, Lindsey Smith, Simon Zahra, Robbie Griffiths and Ricky Ponting. Bruce McAvaney delivered a moving speech, as did jockey Damien Oliver and others, and an auction of relevant items featured throughout the luncheon, including services to Brutal (NZ), Russian Camelot (Ire) and Rubick.
“We’re raising important funds and we’re also paying tribute to a great man,” said broadcaster Jason Richardson. “Everyone is here and it gives you a very special feeling.”
Val Di Zoldo seeks an Oaks berth
The 3-year-old filly Val Di Zoldo (NZ), a daughter of War Decree (USA) and last-start winner at Taupo early in February, will be seeking a confident berth in the G1 New Zealand Oaks on March 18 with her run on Wednesday in the G2 Lowland S. Cambridge trainer Tony Pike told NZ Racing Desk that his Group 3-placed filly has taken a lot of confidence from her last-start win.
Val Di Zoldo (NZ) winning at Taupo | Image courtesy of Racing Images
“She’s been right around some of those better fillies over the shorter trips but I’ve always thought that the way she races, she’d appreciate the step-up in distance,” the trainer said. “With a few of the best fillies heading in other directions, she’s going to be a good chance on Wednesday and, hopefully, in the Oaks as well.”
Val Di Zoldo will meet the likes of Contagious (NZ) (Proisir) and Family Ties (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) in the Lowland S. this week.
Mitch Freedman’s Guineas decision
Mitch Freedman’s promising 3-year-old colt Attrition (Churchill {Ire}) will be accepted in both the G1 Australian Guineas in Melbourne and G1 Randwick Guineas in Sydney, as his trainer is still unsure on a preferance.
“We are going to accept in both races and see what happens,” Freedman told Racing.com.
The young trainer admitted the Australian Guineas at Flemington would be his preference, as the colt had been targeted for the Australian Guineas.
“I’d love to be running down here in the Australian Guineas, he has a had a look at Flemington, he knows this way of going and we don’t have to travel him.”
Whilst a decision will be made Thursday night, Craig Williams has been booked to ride the colt in the Randwick Guineas and connections have not committed to a rider in the Australian Guineas.
Little urges Racing Victoria for change
Veteran Melbourne trainer Colin Little has called on Racing Victoria to implement a change to track opening times, citing staffing concerns amongst his peers.
“Every trainer I talk to is desperate for staff and they can’t get any,” Little told Racing.com.
“I think it’s the 4am start, and I just can’t see the reason why we start at 4am. A normal strapper's day is a 4am start and 5pm finish. It’s a 13-hour spread.
“It would help ease a stable’s pressure in attracting and keeping staff,” Little added.
Sam Spratt returns from Saudi experience
Kiwi jockey Sam Spratt was back at the trials in her native New Zealand on Tuesday morning after a whirlwind trip to Saudi Arabia. The Auckland jockey was invited to compete in the Saudi International Jockeys’ Challenge ahead of the US$20 million (AU$30 million) Saudi Cup, and she rode against the likes of globetrotters Frankie Dettori and Joao Moreira.
Auckland jockey Sam Spratt | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“They do things a lot differently over there,” she told NZ Racing Desk. “Even with simple things like the gates, they just open them and you can go in in any order. The dirt track was very deep but an amazingly big, wide surface. It just looked tight, but it was really well-cambered so it rode really nicely.”
Spratt will ride Sequoia Star (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) this week in the G2 Lowland S. at Awapuni on Wednesday.
Top apprentice sidelined in NZ
New Zealand’s leading apprentice, Kelsey Hannan, has been sidelined following a fall at Riccarton on Friday. Hannan was dealt a broken wrist after coming off her mount shortly after the start of the final race on the card.
Hannan has 50 wins to date this season and currently leads the New Zealand apprentice premiership while fifth on the overall jockeys’ premiership. She told NZ Racing Desk on Tuesday that she’s unsure how long she will be out for.
Kelsey Hannan | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“I’ll go back to the hospital when I get home and they’ll do some more x-rays to see if I need surgery or not,” she said. “I was getting a bit tired (in the season) and was planning on having a bit of a break while I was suspended, but not quite this sort of break.”
