New juvenile winner for Jukebox
Aquis Farm resident Jukebox logged his 11th winner on Monday, with the Cassandra Stummer-trained Shine Your Light taking out Race 1 at Scone - a 1000 metre 2-year-old handicap.
A homebred for JW Ramsey, Shine Your Light has contested several city races including the Kirkham Plate last October, where she finished third to Barber (Exceed And Excel), and the G2 Magic Night S., where the filly placed fifth behind Steel City (Merchant Navy).
Jigsaw seeks Group 1 glory
Trainer Cindy Alderson was tempted by some rich sprints earlier in the autumn but has been happy to stick to her plan with her promising sprinter Jigsaw (Manhattan Rain), who will seek a maiden Group 1 victory in Friday night’s $1 million William Reid S. at Moonee Valley.
Jigsaw raced through his summer preparation unbeaten culminating in the G2 Australia S. at The Valley.
“Hopefully I don’t end up with egg on my face, but I'm very happy with him,” Alderson told Racing.com.
“He’s in good order and his final gallop will be on Monday or Tuesday.”
The 4-year-old gelding has had two jump-outs at Cranbourne over 800 metres in preparation for the William Reid S.
Warren mulls William Reid for Benedetta
Promising filly Benedetta (Hellbent) could be a surprise addition to Friday night’s G1 William Reid S. at The Valley.
Trainer Jason Warren admitted he is considering starting the 3-year-old filly in the feature sprint, but is leaning towards saving her for Saturday’s Listed Sunlight S. at Flemington.
Benedetta | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I certainly won’t rule out the William Reid. Three-year-old fillies have got a good record in it, and she looks progressive enough to certainly consider it,” Warren said.
“At this stage we’re probably leaning towards Flemington given she ran so well there last start but, in saying that we did come to The Valley (on Monday) to give ourselves a look at the track and give ourselves that option.”
Benedetta was a brilliant winner of the Inglis Sprint up the Flemington straight last time out.
Stable to press on with Thunder
Multiple Group 1 winner I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking) will head to Sydney as planned, despite failing to show his best this time in.
The 5-year-old, who pulled up from his unplaced run in Saturday’s The All-Star Mile with heat stress, will be aimed towards the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. at Randwick on April 8.
“Initially, (he was) not very good, he was quite severely affected by heat stress, and he was a bit staggery, to be fair, but he recovered really good 20 minutes after,” co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr said on Monday.
“The Racing Victoria vets were unbelievable, there were five of them there helping us out cooling him off and he was good the next morning, this morning he's great, so we’ll just take it day by day with him but certainly still the plan is to go to the Queen Elizabeth.”
Uncommon James Perth-bound
Winner of the G1 Oakleigh Plate earlier in the autumn, Uncommon James’ (Cable Bay {Ire}) trainers Steve O’Dea and Matt Hoysted are in the process of finalising negotiations with slotholders for the $4 million The Quokka in Western Australia on April 15.
The up-and-coming gun sprinter was arguably unlucky in last Saturday’s G1 The Galaxy S. at Rosehill Gardens, prompting his trainers to change tack to avoid the nation’s best sprinters in April’s G1 TJ Smith S., at weight-for-age conditions.
Uncommon James | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We’ve changed our mind, we are going to The Quokka,” Hoysted said. “We don’t want to test him against the real bigs at weight for age just yet, we think he is going to be better in six months' time.”
Matt Hyland updates Kah and Nugent condition
Matt Hyland, head of the Victorian Jockeys’ Association, has delivered an update on the condition of injured jockeys Jamie Kah and Teo Nugent. Kah, whose fall occured at Flemington on G1 Newmarket Day, was due to be released from the Royal Melbourne Hospital on Monday. Meanwhile Nugent, who sustained a fall on Saturday’s The All-Star Mile meeting at Moonee Valley, was released on Sunday, however he faces a lengthy stint on the sidelines.
VJA opposes more night meetings
Victorian Jockeys’ Association boss Matt Hyland said on Monday afternoon riders don’t want rules regulating their work hours following a series of falls, but has rejected moves for more night meetings, citing already heavy workloads.
Hyland suggested to Racing.com that paying jockeys for jump-outs could also be part of the answer, saying that if his members are remunerated for that work, it may lead to less financial pressure on jockeys to take mid-week rides. However, Hyland concludes that the recent falls are more likely due to “jockey error” and bad luck than fatigue.
Rising star Marble Arch to Guineas
The Ben and JD Hayes-trained Marble Arch (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), is set to continue her brilliant first racing preparation as her trainers eye a start in the April 1 $200,000 Listed Bendigo Guineas for the Sportsbet Future Stars Series victress.
The daughter of Per Incanto (USA) is unbeaten in three Australian starts since losing out on debut at Wanganui in New Zealand.
Marble Arch (NZ) | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“She has trained on nicely, she has held her condition and in a terrific routine at the farm getting out in day paddocks,” co-trainer JD Hayes told Racing.com.
“Most likely we are going to head towards Bendigo, we are expecting another good effort. But as soon as she gives us the signs of training off, we tip her out.”
Soulcombe to return to Flemington
The Chris Waller-trained import Soulcombe (GB) (Frankel {GB}) headlines Saturday’s revamped $500,000 Listed Roy Higgins Quality. The 4-year-old gelding burst into calculations for November’s G1 Melbourne Cup last spring when winning the G3 Queen Elizabeth S., the victory prompting bookmakers to make Soulcombe the early co-favourite for the race that stops the nation.
Part-owner Ozzie Kheir told Racing.com: “We want to try and replicate his first run at Flemington last spring, so we’ll go back to the same course in the Roy Higgins.
“We suspect he might not totally like the Sydney way of going.”
Star Kiwi mare gets a look at The Valley
Multiple Group 1 winner Imperatriz (NZ) (I Am Invincible) was given a spin around The Valley on Monday morning, ahead of her tilt at Friday night’s G1 William Reid S.
The 4-year-old, who was touched off by Artorius (Flying Artie) in the G1 Canterbury S. on March 4, is looking for a fifth win in top company.
“She got around super,” Te Akau Racing’s travelling foreman, Hunter Durrant, told Racing.com.
“She was just here for a look around, not here to do a lot of work but she finished off nice.
“She can be a bit lazy from time to time but she saves it for raceday.”
Bartley injured in paddock accident
Wyong Race Club announced this afternoon that popular Wyong trainer Tracey Bartley had been seriously injured in a paddock accident on Sunday.
Bartley was operated on for injuries to his spleen and kidney in Sydney and is in a stable condition.
RV stewards set to resume Guineas inquiry
Having adjourned so as to allow the jockey time to recover, Racing Victoria stewards expect to re-open the inquiry into Ethan Brown's G1 Australian Guineas fall on Thursday or Friday this week.
Chairman of Stewards Robert Cram on Saturday reported the stewards are keen to continue the inquiry as soon as possible but are respectful of the condition of Brown, who sustained a number of injuries including a lacerated liver and kidney problems.
Stewards have already obtained evidence from Mark Zahra (who was riding Holymanz {Almanzor {Fr}}), Blake Shinn (Ellipitcal {Dundeel {NZ}}) and Damien Oliver (Amenable {Lonhro}) on the Saturday of the incident.
OBS March Sale kicks off US juvenile sales
The Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, the first juvenile auction of the season in the United States, begins on Monday morning (local) in Central Florida. With 833 horses catalogued, compared to 635 a year ago, the auction has been expanded to three days this year and bidding begins each day at 11am (local).
“We have been pleased with the amount of traffic we have seen in the barn area,” OBS Director of Sales Tod Wojciechowski said. “With all of the buyers who have contacted us about coming into town for the sale, I feel pretty good. There are an awful lot of good horses on the grounds. I feel like we should have a good sale.”
Lucky Vega to serve high-class book of mares
Lucky Vega (Ire), who shuttles from The Irish National Stud to Yulong Stud, has been supported heavily by his owner Yuesheng Zhang from the outset and is set to receive a majority of the prominent owner’s European-based mares this season.
Lucky Vega (Ire) | Standing at Yulong Stud
Michael Donohoe, advisor to Mr Zhang, shared some of the mares set to be served by Lucky Vega, and they include Revenue Share (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who is a half-sister to the dam of the ill-fated dual-Group 1 winner Sea Of Class (Ire) (Sea The Star {Ire}), and Lucrece (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who is the dam of juvenile Group 2 winner Hello You (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
Dual-purpose sire Pastorius passes away
The G1 German Derby winner and dual-purpose sire Pastorius (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) has died at the age of 14 after failing to respond to treatment for a ‘multinodular pulmonary fibrosis syndrome’.
Bred by Franz Prinz Von Auersperg and Florian Haffa, the son of Soldier Hollow (GB) landed three Group 1 victories in Germany and France for trainer Mario Hofer and owner Stall Antanando and his influence extended to Australian stakes winner Schabau (Ger), who won the Listed Roy Higgins Quality in 2019.
