Debut winner for Artie Schiller
The Paul Preusker-trained Steparty (Artie Schiller {USA}) was sent out as the hot favourite in the opening race at Ballarat on Sunday.
With John Allen aboard, the 2-year-old colt was too slick for his rivals over the 1100 metre journey, beating Just Press Send (NZ) (Scissor Kick) by 1.25l.
Steparty is from the unraced Sepoy mare Watch Your Step. She has produced the Group 3-placed Scissor Step (Toronado {Ire}).
Artie Schiller (USA) | Standing at Stockwell Thoroughbreds
Artie Schiller (USA) stands at Stockwell Thoroughbreds in Victoria. He stood for $8800 (inc GST) for the 2022 breeding season. A 2023 fee has yet to be announced.
Gunstock to avoid Doomben Cup
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Gunstock (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) will remain in Victoria to race for the time being rather than tackling the G1 Doomben Cup on Saturday in Queensland.
Gunstock returned to racing after two knee surgeries and made a huge impression with his first-up win at Sandown-Hillside on May 6.
Co-trainer Mick Price said, “It’s not to say he won’t go to Brisbane but he won’t be going to the Doomben. Gunstock had quite a hard run on a heavy track first-up, so we’ll keep him here (Victoria) and look at BM100 at Sandown.”
Bold Bourbon and Yendall claim Casterton Cup
The Lindsey Smith-trained Bold Bourbon (NZ) (The Bold One {NZ}) won Sunday’s Casterton Cup with popular hoop Dean Yendall aboard. It was the third-straight success in the Casterton Cup for Yendall and the third-straight win on the progressive gelding Bold Bourbon, having combined for victories at Warrnambool and Terang this preparation.
Earl Of Tyrone joins Maher and Eustace
Trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace will train the Australian Bloodstock-owned Earl Of Tyrone (Ire) (Australia {GB}).
The 5-year-old son of Australia (GB) has been in Australia undergoing rehabilitation and will join the Maher and Eustace team in hope of competing in the spring majors.
“Earl Of Tyrone had a lesion in a tendon, he didn’t blow it out, but it was significant enough,” Jamie Lovett from Australian Bloodstock said.
“He wasn’t reactive on it, but it was just enough to pull up stumps. Earl Of Tyrone’s rehab is probably ahead of schedule, but he is in a good place.”
The chestnut gelding was a 300,000gns (AU$575,000) purchase at the 2022 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale by Australian Bloodstock and Ronald Rauscher and won his first start for new connections.
Earl Of Tyrone was placed in the Ebor H. and won the Listed Martin Molony S.
Lovett is hopeful he can be a player in the spring, “Earl Of Tyrone is a high-quality animal. He is the ideal horse for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.”
Matthew Cartwright ready to return
Victorian-based apprentice Matthew Cartwright is ready to return to race riding after spending more than two months on the sidelines.
The 20-year-old will have his first race ride back early in the week after having surgery on a fractured ankle he sustained in a mounting yard fall at Benalla in February.
Matthew Cartwright | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It’s great to get the tick of approval to head back to the races. I can’t wait to be out there again, hopefully, next Monday or Tuesday,” Cartwright said.
“I’ve been doing a lot of physio and hopefully will be able to get a few opportunities when I return, but I know it’s never easy.”
Industry comes together to help Sellses
It has been a challenging couple of months for the Sell family. Late last year, Mick and Mel Sell had their family life and training business thrown into chaos as floodwaters inundated their hometown of Kyneton.
The destruction from the floodwaters left the Kyneton racecourse training tracks unable to be used for several months. Then just two weeks ago, Mick Sell was involved in a serious horse accident that left him unable to work for three months. Sell broke his ankle and fractured his leg when leading a horse back from the pool, when the horse reared and got their leg tangled amongst Sell's.
Sell’s injuries required surgery and has proved a disaster for the stable, with Sell riding 10-12 gallopers each morning.
Learning of the Sellses plight, Heath Connors from Southern Cross Feeds was determined to help them. Last week Connors visited the Sell family to advise them that, along with Paul from Kyneton Stockfeeds, they would be taking care of the family's horse feeding bill for the next three months while Mick cannot work.
Mel Sell said, “It was an incredibly kind gesture that brought tears to my eyes. This is a life-changing difference for us. It is overwhelming and incredible.
“Thank you so much, Southern Feeds and Kyneton Stockfeeds, for your kindness and generosity. I can’t quite say what a difference it makes in being able to direct that money into other bills and keep your head above water.”
Full brother to Adayar claims Lingfield Derby Trial
With match fitness an advantage leading into Saturday's Listed Lingfield Derby Trial S., it was Godolphin nominee and G1 Derby at Epsom Downs entry Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) who stepped forward for a career-high in the 12-furlong test (2400 metres).
He set the seal on a Lingfield Trials double for the Godolphin-Appleby-Buick triumvirate with an impressive victory from the Newmarket winner Waipiro (Ire) (Australia {GB}), with The King's Listed Newmarket S. runner-up Circle Of Fire (GB) (Almanzor {Fr}) trailing home in third.
Military Order, the fifth of six live foals, is one of two scorers produced by G1 Irish 1000 Guineas runner-up Anna Salai (USA) (Dubawi {Ire}), the other being G1 Derby and G1 King George hero Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Adayar ran second in the 2021 renewal of this contest on the turf.
Godolphin’s Eternal Hope wins Lingfield Oaks Trial
Godolphin's Eternal Hope (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) does not possess a ticket for next month's G1 Oaks at Epsom Downs, but qualifies to be one of the first in line for the supplementary stage after a stylish victory in Saturday's Listed Oaks Trial at Lingfield.
She had yet to make a start on the turf and continued that trend after the day's stakes contests were switched to the track's synthetic surface.
Eternal Hope was steadied to stalk the pace in fourth through to halfway in this stakes bow. Inching closer with three furlongs remaining, the 9-4 second choice made headway under pressure off the home turn to challenge passing the furlong marker and was driven out from there to subdue Ballydoyle's favourite Be Happy (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) recording an ultimately comfortable victory.
Eternal Hope is the second of four foals and lone winner from two runners produced by Voice Of Truth (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) a winning half-sister to triple Group 1 winner Rio De La Plata (USA) (Rahy {USA}).
Songline downs Sodashi
The Toru Hayashi-trained Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) upset the ‘white wonder’ Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune {USA}) in the G1 Victoria Mile at Tokyo on Sunday.
Australian jockey Damian Lane partnered Sodashi and the pair only went down narrowly when trying to achieve back-to-back victories in the Group 1.
Red Knight victorious in Man O’ War
By the age of nine, most racehorses have left their best days well behind them. However, Red Knight (USA) (Pure Prize {USA}) clearly did not get that memo, pulling off the most important victory of his career in Saturday's G1 Man O' War S. at Belmont.
“He started taking me from the five-eighths pole to the quarter-pole waiting for the time to go and when I asked him he responded really well,” explained winning rider Irad Ortiz, Jr.
“I was hoping he would move a little earlier than usual. He's a big horse and has a huge stride and it was in my mind I wanted to let him go a little earlier, but I was stuck there. I think by the five-eighths pole, Frankie's horse (Dettori and Warren Point) started to pick it up a little bit, so I tried to follow him and my horse was doing it easy so I don't want to get in his way. By the quarter-pole, he was already in stride. I just bided my time and tipped him out and he did the rest.”
Arcangelo provides Arrogate with seventh stakes winner
In the final local prep for the G1 Belmont S., Arcangelo (USA) (Arrogate {USA}) found the wire just in time to secure his first stakes win in the 69th running of the G3 Peter Pan S.
“The horse is just built differently,” said trainer Jena M. Antonucci. “I know that sounds so cliché, but it's my job–our job–to stay out of his way. Mr Ebbert (owner) has done a great job to give the horse time and let him mature. He's a May foal. We never had a focus on doing early season. We let the horse grow and mature and here we are.”
Concerning a start in the G1 Belmont S., the trainer said, “There's a conversation. We have no plan yet. Ground has never been a problem, that's why we waited as long as we did.”
