Fifth winner for Trapeze Artist
The well-bred 2-year-old colt Tumbling became winner number five for first-season sire Trapeze Artist on Tuesday when winning on debut in the first race at Ballarat. He edged out the Turn Me Loose (NZ) colt Loose On Gin (NZ) and the Capitalist colt Hedged, all debutants.
Tumbling is raced by Ozzie Kheir and partners, and trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace at Cranbourne. He was on-song at Ballarat, winning by 2l with jockey Beau Mertens as a $17 fancy.
The colt was a $650,000 purchase for Maher at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, sold by Vinery Stud as a son of the unraced Invincible Spirit (Ire) mare Viviette (Ire). He was the second highest-priced yearling by Trapeze Artist in the sale and is well-related as the family of good sires Cape Cross (Ire) and Iffraaj (GB).
Tumbling joins Trapeze Artist’s previous winners Disneck, Introducing, Spin Doctor and Allaboutella, along with the Group-placed Facile.
All-Star draw complete
The draw for this weekend’s The All-Star Mile took place on Tuesday, with the 15-horse final field confirmed. The likely favourite, the five-time Group 1 winner Alligator Blood (All Too Hard), was handed barrier seven for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, while Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) drew barrier two and I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking) barrier five.
The inside marble was drawn by the Maher-Eustace import Nugget (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), who was fifth to Alligator Blood last time out in the G1 Futurity S. The Tasmanian star The Inevitable (Dundeel {NZ}), undefeated in six starts, drew barrier three and the outer draws were taken up by Sheeza Belter (Gold Standard) in 13, Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in 14 and So Si Bon (So You Think {NZ}) in 15.
Imperatriz ready to go one better
Trainer Mark Walker told NZ Racing Desk that his smart mare Imperatriz (NZ) (I Am Invincible) is ready to go one better next weekend in the G1 William Reid S. The 4-year-old was collared by Artorius (Flying Artie) in the G1 Canterbury S. last week, but Walker is taking a positive approach.
“It was disappointing to come so close but you just have to cop that on the chin,” the trainer said. “The upside was that she well and truly measured up over there.”
James McDonald will again partner Imperatriz after the Canterbury S. loss. The mare will be aiming for a third Group 1 this season after wins this year in the G1 Railway S. and G1 BCD Sprint at Te Rapa.
Giga Kick in no rush for new jockey
Mornington trainer Clayton Douglas is in no rush to engage a new rider for his star 3-year-old gelding Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) in the G1 TJ Smith S. on April 1. The Everest winner’s regular rider Craig Williams sustained a fractured clavicle, finger and broken ribs in a fall at Flemington last Saturday and will be indisposed for several weeks.
Giga Kick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Giga Kick was a last-start third to Passive Aggressive (Fastnet Rock) in the G2 Challenge S. when first-up from his brilliant win in The Everest. He holds nominations for the TJ and the G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint on Days 1 and 2 of The Championships respectively.
Arapaho handed a half-kilo penalty
Racing NSW on Tuesday re-handicapped the Lope De Vega (Ire) gelding Arapaho (Fr) for the G1 Sydney Cup. The gelding was handed a half-kilogram penalty off the back of his Listed Canberra Cup win on Sunday, bringing his Sydney Cup weight to 53kg.
Trained by Bjorn Baker, Arapaho edged towards $1 million in earnings with his latest victory. He could meet a Sydney Cup field that includes the top-weighted Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) lugging 59.5kg off his Melbourne Cup win.
Shortlist revealed for SSSAs
The shortlist for the Godolphin-sponsored 2023 Australian Stud and Stable Staff Awards (SSSA) has been completed, with judges settling on a shortlist that reflects the ‘strength and quality’ of the hundreds of nominations received. Some 200 nominees were put forward across seven categories, a number that has been reduced this week to 41.
“This year, due to the extraordinary quality of the nominations, the committee had difficulty shortlisting the nominees to five finalists in several of the categories,” the judges stated. “Noteworthy again in 2023 was the number, exceptional quality and diversity of nominations in the Newcomer and Administration and Ancillary categories.”
Among the 41 among the shortlist are the likes of Robert Petith of Silverdale Farm in the Dedication to Breeding category, and Widden’s longtime employee Emile Fredricks for the Horsemanship Award. In the category of Leadership, Godolphin’s Sean Keogh and Coolmore’s Bruce Murray were announced, while Georgia Bowen of Clayton Douglas Racing is among the shortlist for the Newcomer Award.
The two finalists in each category will be announced on Friday, March 31, with the winners awarded at the Gold Coast Turf Club’s hosting of the annual SSSA Awards on Wednesday, May 24.
Murphy excited for The All-Star challenge
Champion Irish jockey Oisin Murphy is excited ahead of his ride in the The All-Star Mile and expects a competitive edition of the race this Saturday at Moonee Valley. Murphy is set to partner the Annabel Neasham-trained Laws Of Indices (Ire) (Power {GB}) in the $5 million feature.
“There’s a real special atmosphere at Moonee Valley. The crowd really gets on top of the racetrack”, Murphy told Racing.com. “It is an ultra-competitive race. Fingers crossed I draw a nice barrier. I'm flying all the way down to Australia and I want to give Laws Of Indices a good ride.”
Murphy has previously ridden in Australia, including partnering Godolphin’s son of Dubawi (Ire), Benbatl (GB), into second in the 2018 Cox Plate behind the superstar Winx (Street Cry {Ire}).
Campionessa for Australian Cup
The 5-year-old Kiwi mare Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}), trained for Te Akau Racing by Mark Walker, will make an attempt at the G1 Australian Cup on Saturday week. Campionessa was a last-start second to Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) in the G1 Bonecrusher S. on March 11, and she hasn’t been worse than fourth in her last 11 starts, six of which were at stakes level.
“She’ll go to the Australian Cup and it’s a race that may not be as strong as other years,” Walker told NZ Racing Desk. “Even if you run third, it adds a fair bit of value to a mare and she’s going really well. She will fly over on Tuesday week.”
Campionessa (NZ) | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Opie Bosson will ride Campionessa, renewing a partnership that has seen him ride the mare in her last two runner-up finishes at Group 1 level.
Count Da Beans for The Archer
The Tony Gollan sprinter Count Da Beans (Spill The Beans) is the second horse to gain a slot in Rockhampton’s rich feature The Archer, due to be run on April 30. The 3-year-old gelding has been first or second in five of his seven lifetime starts, and he takes his place in a slot belonging to Archer Park.
“He certainly demonstrated to us how good he was when just nosed out at his last start by Fashion Legend in the Vo Rogue at Doomben,” said Chris Wessel, managing director of Archer Park. “After The Archer, we’ll look to qualifying him for the Stradbroke.”
The Archer will be contested over 1300 metres on April 30 and it’s the richest provincial race run in Queensland. This year it will be worth $775,000 as against last year’s inaugural figure of $440,000.
Justify filly goes two-for-two with Chantilly triumph
Prime Equestrian's €150,000 (AU$242,000) Arqana August graduate, Secretive (Fr) (Justify {USA}), backed up a debut success at Deauville last November with a comfortable 3l victory on her return as a 3-year-old in Monday's Prix du Chateau over one mile at Chantilly.
The daughter of US$550,000 (AU$828,000) Keeneland November mare Media Mischief (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) is entered in both the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas) on May 14 and the G1 Prix de Diane (French Oaks) on June 18, with trainer Yann Barberot stating the former is on the agenda after taking in one more run next month.
Lisa Allpress for surgery
Kiwi leading rider Lisa Allpress rode Always More (Bureaucracy {NZ}) to victory at Trentham last weekend, but it will be her last ride for at least six months as she temporarily departs the sport for shoulder surgery. Allpress will undergo the procedure at Whanganui on Thursday as a result of a fall she took nearly five years ago during a jump-out.
Lisa Allpress | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“If you saw my shoulder you would look at it and think (something wasn’t right),” the jockey told NZ Racing Desk this week. “It’s all got to go back into the right places and be comfortable. The whole thing is building back toward riding again and it’s hard work. I just hope this is a break and not full-time.”
Leading Kentucky Derby contender sent to paddock
Zedan Racing’s 3-year-old colt Arabian Knight (USA), a son of Uncle Mo (USA), has been ruled out of the Kentucky Derby in May. His trainer Tim Yakeen reported he wasn’t pleased with the colt’s latest work and will allow the horse the time to mature and develop. Arabian Knight will be aimed towards a summer and autumn campaign.
New Yorkers rally for Belmont Park
Over 100 New Yorkers, including union members, backstretch workers, trainers, veterinarians and farmers, rallied on Monday in Albany, north of New York, in support of a plan to modernise Belmont Park. According to a recent release, the plan promises significant job creation and as much as US$1 billion (AU$1.5 billion) in one-time economic impacts. It will also free up 110 acres of state-owned land at Aqueduct Racetrack for future development.
The facilities at 117-year-old Belmont Park haven’t been upgraded since 1968, and plans to modernise the track will promise a ‘critical boost to New York’s economy’.
“The vast majority of New Yorker’s support modernising Belmont Park, which is why over 100 people came to the Capitol today to urge lawmakers to build a new Belmont,” said Jack Sterne, a spokesman for the group We Are NY Horse Racing.
Arqana Breeze Up Sale catalogue available Tuesday
The catalogue for Arqana's annual Breeze Up Sale, set to be held May 11-13 at Deauville, will be available online starting on Tuesday, March 14 (local). This year, 185 2-year-olds are on offer, including 38 out of Group winning/producing mares, plus a number of full or half-siblings to Group 1 winners. Additionally, more than 80 stallions are represented.
The breezes will take place on the grass at Deauville-La Touques Racecourse on Thursday, May 11, followed by a day of inspections on Friday, May 12, with the sale taking place on Saturday 13 May, beginning at 11am (local).
All horses offered at the Breeze Up Sale are eligible for the Arqana Series with a guaranteed minimum prizemoney of €1.2 million (AU$1.93 million). The five races will take place on the Thursday before the August Sale starts and is for both 2- and 3-year-olds.
