Update on Kah, Williams fall
The Victorian Jockeys’ Association released an update at 6.30pm AEDT on Saturday evening regarding Jamie Kah and Craig Williams, the two riders who fell during the running of the G2 Sires’ Produce S. (Race 4) at Flemington on Saturday. Both riders were stood down from their respective mounts and taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Kah was cleared of any fractures or brain injuries, however, she was in and out of consciousness for some time after the fall, was heavily concussed and remained sedated according to the update.
Williams’ Twitter was updated at around 7.30pm AEDT on Saturday evening with the following:
‘Craig has a fractured clavicle, broke 1 or 2 ribs and has a fractured finger, he currently has a neck brace on and surgery is unlikely at this point, however, we still await further news.’
Bondi secures first winner
Two-year-old filly Krysanova provided her sire Bondi with his first winner on Saturday at Ascot. The Trevor Andrews-trained juvenile was first past the post in the Bunbury Brighter Plate over 1000 metres with Brad Parnham aboard. Krysanova had shown ability prior to her first start, when winning a trial over 850 metres at Belmont by over 4l on February 27.
Krysanova winning at Ascot | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Bondi, a son of Snitzel, stands at Lynward Park Stud in Western Australia. Bondi was placed in the G1 Champagne S. and he has had three runners from his first crop of 35 foals. Krysanova is from the Blackfriars mare All Friared Up, who won the Listed Beaufine S.
Scallopini earns Stradbroke option
Steven O’Dea and Matthew Hoysted’s 8-year-old gelding Scallopini continued his fine form from this preparation and his affinity with Flemington. The son of Snitzel was a winner of the Listed The Elms H. over 1400 metres at the same track on February 18, and he was reunited with Damian Lane for another victory in the G3 Shaftesbury Avenue H. on Saturday.
The pair held Savannah Cloud (NZ) (Savabeel) to second by 1.7l with the the imported son of Bated Breath (GB), Biometric (GB) a further 2l away in third. Co-trainer Matthew Hoysted indicated a tilt at the G1 Stradbroke H. on June 10 will be an option for the gelding.
Scallopini's victory was the second leg of a stakes double for Arrowfield Stud's stalwart Snitzel, who earned stakes winner number 133 courtesy of Shinzo in the G3 Pago Pago S. at Rosehill.
Cepheus claims Ajax, new stakes winner for Sea The Stars
Matthew Dunn’s 6-year-old gelding Cepheus (GB), a son of Sea The Stars (Ire), claimed his first stakes win in Saturday’s G2 Ajax S. over 1500 metres at Rosehill Gardens.
Partnered by Nash Rawillier, Cepheus held off the fellow import Waterford (Ire), a son of Awtaad (Ire) in second 1.4l away, while Casino Prince gelding Caesars Palace ran into third 1.8l away.
Cepheus (GB) goes all the way to win the G2 Ajax S. at Rosehill | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Cepheus claimed the G2 Ajax S. after placing second in handicap company at Doomben on his last start, and the gelding becomes the 102nd worldwide stakes winner for Sea The Stars, who stands at the Aga Khan’s Gilltown Stud in Ireland.
Sirileo Miss storms clear in Matron win
Symon Wilde’s 5-year-old mare Sirileo Miss was a dominant winner of Saturday’s G3 Matron S., over 1600 metres at Flemington. The daughter of Pride Of Dubai shot clear at the top of the Flemington straight, not to be caught. Excelida (Exceed And Excel) finished second 3.7l away, with Barb Raider (Rebel Raider) a further 4.1l away.
“I think that’s four from six second-up,” stable representative Ben Casanelia said. “Today, gate one, Ben (Melham) rode her well… (and) she’s done that really easily.”
After winning the race, jockey Ben Melham announced that he would stand down for the rest of the afternoon in order to attend to his partner Jamie Kah, who was at the time in transit to hospital following a fall in the G2 Sires' Produce S. - the previous race.
Sirileo Miss brings her Group 3 tally to three with previous victories in back-to-back editions of the G3 Ladies' Day Vase.
What You Need looks to step up
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained 3-year-old colt What You Need (Supido) returned on Saturday in impressive fashion by winning the VRC Members James Matthies Sprint over 1000 metres at Flemington, his second lifetime start.
With Ben Melham aboard, the colt won by 3.2l over stablemate Kaygeebee, a Russian Revolution gelding, in second, followed by Lincoln Square (Rubick) in third a further 4.5l away.
They will now target the $500,000 Sunlight Classic over 1100 metres at Flemington on March 25 before a $1 million test in the G2 Arrowfield S. over 1200-metres at Royal Randwick on April 8.
The son Supido was marked as one to watch after winning his Geelong debut by 4l in August last year, but a veterinary issue delayed his progress.
“He’s a very exciting horse,” co-trainer Price told racing.com. “He had a chip out of his fetlock (last preparation), but the beach boys have done a good job with.”
Right You Are wins Australian Cup Prelude
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained 6-year-old gelding Right You Are, a son of So You Think (NZ), won his fifth-straight start at Flemington in the Australian Cup Prelude over 2000 metres with Mark Zahra aboard.
Right You Are held the 2019 Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}) to 1.2l in second and the imported son of Kingman (GB) Emissary (GB) a further 2.5l away in third.
Co-trainer David Eustace confirmed that Right You Are would line up in the G1 Australian Cup at Flemington on March 25.
“It’s a lovely trial for the race; he’s a gelding, fit and sound and in career-best form; we’ll have a crack for $3 million,” Eustace told Racing.com.
“I thought he showed an awful lot of fight. It wasn’t handed to him on a platter today; he had horses coming at him for quite a long time and kept finding.”
Platinum Invador heads Redwood double
The Lisa Latta-trained stayer Platinum Invador (NZ) (Redwood {GB}), pulled off an upset win in Saturday’s G2 Auckland Cup over 3200 metres at Pukekohe. It was the first leg of a quick-fire double at the track for Redwood (GB), who in the next race scored with handicapper Astron (NZ).
The 7-year-old Platinum Invador had previously placed fourth and third in the 2021 and 2020 editions of the Auckland Cup, and was sent to Queensland during the winter of 2021. When prepared by Barry Lockwood, Platinum Invador sustained an injury that saw him off the scene for over a year. He has slowly returned to full fitness since resuming in November last year.
A beaming Latta found it hard to contain her excitement as she accepted congratulations after the race, noting: “It’s a race I’ve always wanted to win, and I’m thrilled for his owners.”
Bradbury’s Luck earns new stakes winner
The Jason Miller-trained 5-year-old Burnya To Survive landed the Listed Bunbury S. (1400 metres) under Lucy Warwick at Ascot on Saturday, becoming an 11th stakes winner for his sire Bradbury's Luck. Remarkably consistent, it was a seventh win in 11 starts for the gelding.
Burnya To Survive wins the Listed Bunbury S. at Ascot | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Sent off the $4.60 favourite, he prevailed by 0.77l over Carocapo (Husson {Arg}), to provide the second leg of an Ascot double for his trainer and jockey separately, and take his earnings past $275,000. He is out of the four-time winner Baleen In Me (Flying Pegasus).
Harrison scores in Bunbury Cup
David Harrison’s 5-year-old gelding Blazing Away took home the Ascot’s Listed Bunbury Cup on Saturday securing his first stakes race, and handing a 13th black-type success to his Yarradale Stud sire City Place (USA) - the son of Storm Cat (USA) who relocated from Florida to Western Australia ahead of the 2014 breeding season.
Blazing Away is out of Malaika (Fighting Falcon {USA}), a winner of the Listed Pinjarra Cup.
Defcon notches 20th winner
The Rex Lipp and Nicholas Hahn-trained filly Crimson Warning (Defcon) broke her maiden in Saturday’s 1300-metre 2-year-old handicap at Eagle Farm, becoming a 20th winner for her sire Defcon, a winner of the G3 McNeil S. and G3 Black Opal S. during his career.
Mark Du Plessis rode the 2-year-old to victory by 1.2l from the Rothesay filly Mishani Ambitious in second, while Capital Cee a daughter of Capitalist was 1.7l away in third.
Crimson Warning was a $12,000 purchase by Nick Hahn from the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale when consigned by Eureka Stud.
Defcon stands at Boyne River Thoroughbreds in Queensland.
Zahra suspended in winning ride
Mark Zahra pleaded guilty to careless riding aboard Revolutionary Miss (Russian Revolution) in the $300,000 G2 Kewney S. at Flemington on Saturday, a race he won aboard the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained 3-year-old.
Stewards found Zahra was insufficiently clear of Razeta (Deep Field) ridden by Blake Shinn, when attempting to find clear racing room at the 250-metre mark by shifting across heels, resulting in Shinn being hampered and being checked off heels.
“In issuing the charge the stewards are aware that Razeta was experiencing some pressure from her outside, which has been taken into account,” Victoria’s Chief steward Robert Cram told Zahra.
Zahra informed stewards that he felt the interference caused by Revolutionary Miss would have happened regardless of his actions.
Racing Victoria Stewards suspended Zahra for eight meetings, however, due to Victoria’s Labour Day public holiday Zahra will not miss a Group 1 meeting, returning in time for next Saturday’s Golden Slipper meeting where he will ride partner King's Gambit (I Am Invincible) in the feature race for Peter and Paul Snowden.
Dual Champion Heart's Cry dies at 22
Japanese and UAE champion and top sire Heart's Cry (Jpn), a son of the great Sunday Silence (Jpn) died on March 9, the Japanese Racing Association (JRA) announced on Friday. The 22-year-old was in good health until he passed, due to a sudden inability to stand.
Teruya Yoshida, CEO of Shadai Farm, said in a statement, “Heart's Cry ran out of steam last night (Thursday). I heard from the person in charge of the Shadai Stallion that he left nobly and without showing any weakness until the very end.”
Heart's Cry (Jpn) | Image courtesy of Shadai Stallion Station
Bred by Shadai Farm, the April foal went into training with Hashiguchi and carried the Shadai Racing Horse silks with honour in three countries. Best known for his defeat of paternal half-brother Deep Impact (Jpn) in the 2005 Arima Kinen, he showcased his quality on the world stage, taking the 2006 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic in Dubai, and finished a respectable third in the G1 King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Diamond S. at Ascot later that year.
Retired to stand at Shadai Stallion Station in 2007 after five wins from 19 starts and over $8 million in earnings, Heart's Cry would spend his entire stallion career there. The sire of 63 stakes winners, his best runner was versatile mare Lys Gracieux (Jpn), who won the Arima Kinen in 2019, as well as the G1 Cox Plate, G1 Takarazuka Kinen, and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup. Of his 11 top-tier winners, G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) and G1 Yasuda Kinen hero Just A Way (Jpn) also travelled to the deserts of Dubai, and left with a victory in the G1 Dubai Duty Free.
