Alcohol Free debut brings expectation
The Australian debut of European mare Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) will be watched around the world this Saturday when she lines up in the G1 Queen of the Turf S. for Tulloch Lodge. Visiting trainer William Haggas said earlier this week that should the four-time Group 1 winner bring her best to Randwick, it will be a “no contest”.
Alcohol Free (Ire) | Image courtesy of Bloodhorse
However, co-trainer Adrian Bott is remaining guarded, telling journalist Ray Hickson on Thursday that it will be hard for Alcohol Free, who last ran in the G1 Sussex S. at Goodwood last July (when third), to bring that form to Saturday.
“It’d be unfair on her to be expecting her to produce a career-best first-up in Australia,” Bott said. “But in saying that, she’s well-placed on what she’s done to date. Our job is having her in the right races and having her fit at this point.”
Alcohol Free won her only Australian trial on March 21. She will race for the Yulong operation, which paid over AU$10 million for her last year at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale.
Swansong for Levante
Following the announcement on Wednesday that the star Kiwi mare Levante (NZ) (Proisir) would join the catalogue for the 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale next month, her trainers Ken and Bev Kelso have confirmed that this weekend’s G1 Queen of the Turf S. will be the mare’s last hurrah. She will be attempting to win Group 1 number five when she lines up on Day 2 of The Championships.
“Right from the start she’s been an amazing horse,” said Ken Kelso. “She’s had so much to deal with - two colic surgeries and other issues - so to achieve what she has is quite incredible. If we’ve got one regret, it’s the issues she had meant we couldn’t get her over ground. There’s no question in our mind she would have been just as good over a trip, but we can’t dwell on that.”
Co-trainer Ken Kelso with Levante (NZ) | Image courtesy of Darryl Sherer
Levante will have it all before her on Saturday, taking on a Queen of the Turf field that includes the Australian debut of Alcohol Free (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}), along with the G1 George Ryder S. runner-up Fangirl (Sebring).
Heavy conditions predicted for Randwick
Randwick is likely to be rated ‘Heavy’ for Day 2 of The Championships on Saturday. As at 11am AEST on Thursday, the track was rated a Heavy 9, and Friday’s forecast for Randwick sees a high chance of showers and a possible thunderstorm. However, the forecast for Saturday is fine weather.
“Based on what we’ve had in the last 24 hours and what the forecast is looking like tomorrow afternoon, we’re pretty certain the track is going to be in that Heavy range for Saturday,” Michael Wood, Royal Randwick's racecourse manager, told RSN on Thursday morning.
Surefire under injury cloud
The Chris Waller-trained Surefire (GB) (Fastnet Rock) presented lameness in a near forefoot when subjected to a routine pre-race veterinary examination on Thursday morning, and she will undergo further examination before being declared fit to run in Saturday’s G1 Sydney Cup at Randwick. The 5-year-old was an impressive winner of the G2 Chairman’s Quality last Saturday.
Gin Martini out of Sydney Cup
The John Sargent-trained stayer Gin Martini (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) has been scratched from the Sydney Cup. The withdrawal occurred on Thursday on veterinary advice, with her owners, Tricolours Racing, admitting it was a minor issue.
Gin Martini was a last-start second in the G2 Chairman’s H. and a winner on March 18 of the G3 Epona S. The 4-year-old mare was third last season to El Patroness (Shamus Award) in the G1 Australian Oaks and, with close to $600,000 banked in prizemoney, she has more than returned her purchase price for Tricolours, who secured her from Landsdowne Park for NZ$40,000 at Karaka 2020.
Polygon eyes off the weather
Cambridge Stud’s 3-year-old filly Polygon (NZ), a daughter of Highly Recommended, is fit and well ahead of her effort in the G1 Australian Oaks at Randwick on Saturday. Matamata trainer Lance Noble said while the filly was in excellent order, he was concerned about the track getting into the Heavy range.
“An ideal track would be a Soft 6 or 7,” he said. “If it gets to an 8 or 9, it just makes that 2400 metres that little bit tougher, but hopefully it will all pan out and we think she will stay it out.”
Polygon (NZ) winning the G3 Eulogy S. | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
Polygon has won three of her 10 starts to date, including the G3 Eulogy S. and G2 Royal S. in New Zealand. She was sixth on her Australian debut in the G3 Kembla Grange Classic and then seventh last time out in the G1 Vinery Stud S.
Nathan Berry medal up for grabs
The race for the Nathan Berry Medal, awarded to the best-performed jockey during The Championships at Royal Randwick, is wide open, despite the betting market making James McDonald a clear favourite. McDonald is currently in sixth position with two points, which he earned when finishing second on Talbragar (Snitzel) in the Country Championships Final on Day 1.
James McDonald | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Zac Purton, who will not ride this weekend after returning to Hong Kong, leads the tally with five points after winning the G1 Doncaster Mile and finishing second in the G1 TJ Smith S. Sam Clipperton and Joao Moreira have four points apiece, while Luke Nolen and Tim Clark are tied on three points.
Don’t underestimate Kementari
Nacim Dilmi, the man charged by Godolphin with preparing Kementari (Lonhro) for the $4 million The Quokka in Perth next month, is confident the 8-year-old has the goods for the rich feature. Kementari was last seen when seventh behind The Astrologist (Zoustar) in the G3 Gold Rush in Perth last December. However, his two Sydney trials have presented a second to stakes winner Aft Cabin (Astern) as recently as March 21.
“I think he can do it,” Dilmi said. “He’s settled in very well, looks great and we’re confident we have the right horse here. For an old horse like him, he carries on like he is a 3-year-old. Now that he’s here and settled, we have the right for WA again.”
Kementari | Image courtesy of Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA)
Kementari is just shy of $5 million in racetrack earnings. Last month he secured his slot in The Quokka after negotiations with the slotholder SEN. He will face the heavy favourite Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) in the inaugural feature.
Running for place money behind Amelia’s Jewel?
Ascot trainer Neville Parnham is pleased with his 3-year-old gelding Bustler, a son of Playing God, earning a berth in The Quokka next month, but he conceded his horse will be all at sea getting the better of the in-form Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}). Bustler was sixth to the filly last weekend in the G3 Roma Cup, running into her now in his last three outings.
“It looks like she will be very hard to beat,” Parnham told The Races WA. “Everyone is starting to think they are only running for placings, but it’s still good prizemoney around and anything can happen between now and then. From what I saw of her on Saturday, she’s a super horse. She’s something special, I think.”
Bustler | Image courtesy of RWWA
Bustler has won four of his seven starts to date, including the Listed Fairetha S. last November and he was second in the G2 Western Australian Guineas. The gelding will race in The Quokka for slotholder Jack Lee-Steere.
Time for Karman Line to step up
Co-trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, who helm Wexford Stables in Matamata, will line up the 4-year-old Kiwi mare Karman Line (NZ) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) in the G1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. at Pukekohe this weekend. The mare is winless since her debut start in late 2021, but she has been placed in five of her nine starts.
Karman Line (NZ) | Image courtesy of Megan Liefting (Race Images)
“It’s a bit of a throw at the stumps,” O’Sullivan told NZ Racing Desk on Thursday. “We think she’s better than what she’s doing. We’ve given her four weeks between runs. She’s a mare that’s capable of winning a big race, but it’s just a matter of getting the right recipe to do it.”
Wexford pair lands in Brisbane
The Wexford Stables-trained pair of Dragon Leap (Pierro) and Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) has landed in Brisbane for a winter campaign. The horses left new Zealand on Tuesday, arriving in Sydney and travelling onwards to Queensland on Wednesday. Co-trainer Lance O’Sullivan said they were safe, well and straight into their feeds.
Dragon Leap is a dual Guineas winner in his homeland and will likely consider the G1 Stradbroke H. as an eventual June 10 target. Waitak, a Listed winner in Auckland, will step out on Saturday week before a possible tilt at the G1 Queensland Derby.
Tapwrit filly tops Texas breeze-up sale
A filly by the Belmont S. winner Tapwrit (USA), who stands at Gainesway for US$10,000 (AU$15,000), has topped the Texas Thoroughbred Association’s 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, bringing a final price of US$300,000 (AUS$450,000) when selling to trainer Randy Morse at Lone Star Park.
Hip 167 breezed in 9⅘ seconds during Monday’s breeze-ups, and she was bought on behalf of owners Randy Patterson, Joe Morgan and Sam Vogel. She was a US$60,000 (AU$90,000) yearling at last year’s Fasig-Tipton July Sale.
Wednesday’s one-day auction, the 193-horse catalogue sold 103 juveniles for US$3,420,000 (AU$5.1 million) and an average of US$33,204 (AU$50,000). There were 64 horses reported not sold for a buy-back rate of 38.3 per cent.
Globetrotting Subjectivist straight to the Gold Cup
The 6-year-old European stayer Subjectivist (Gb) (Teofilo {Ire}) will head directly to the G1 Ascot Gold Cup without another prep race this year, according to his trainer Charlie Johnston. Subjectivist won the race in 2021 and, after a lengthy tendon-injury absence, he was unplaced in February in the G3 Red Sea Turf H. during the Saudi Cup meeting, and third in the G2 Dubai Gold Cup at Meydan on March 25.
“We’ve had a bit of debate about Sagaros and Yorskhire Cups and things, but the plan for now for him, all being well and should we able to get him there, is to go straight to Ascot,” Johnston said. “With that in mind, he’s just swimming and on the water walker at the moment, having an easy couple of weeks before we try to build him back up for the Gold Cup.”
First winner for Calyx
Coolmore sire Calyx (GB), a son of Kingman (GB), was the latest European freshman to get off the blocks when posting his first winner. The 2-year-old Classic Flower (GB) was triumphant over 5.5 furlongs at the French venue Salon-de-Provence.
Calyx (GB) | Standing at Coolmore Stud
The G2 Coventry S.-winning Calyx shuttled to Australia for two seasons in 2020 and 2021, getting 72 live foals. His European fee for 2023 is €10,000 (AU$16,000).
Daylami dead at 29
The seven-time Group 1-winning Champion Daylami (Ire) was euthanised on Wednesday due to the infirmities of old age, a statement by the Aga Khan Studs has announced. The horse was two weeks shy of his official 29th birthday by the calendar year on April 20.
Daylami raced first for his breeder, His Highness The Aga Khan, and later in the blue silks for Godolphin. He won Group 1 races in France, England, Ireland and America, and was US Champion Male Turf Horse, European Horse of the Year and European Champion Older Horse, all through 1999.
Daylami stood at Gilltown Stud in a joint arrangement between the Aga Khan Studs and Godolphin. He was the sire of Classic winner Grey Swallow (Ire) and multiple Group 1 winner Voila Ici (Ire) among his 14 stakes winners. He was a half-brother to the Arc winner Dalakhani (Ire) and has lived at Giltown in retirement for the last four years in the care of his handler, Joe Doyle.
