Vale Fiorente
Widden Stud on Tuesday issued a statement regarding the death of the 15-year-old Fiorente (Ire), the stallion succumbing to his battle with an ongoing chronic illness. In it, his trainer Gai Waterhouse said she was deeply saddened at the news.
“He gave me the greatest joy of my racing life winning the Melbourne Cup in 2013. He was the most beautiful horse to train, so talented and handsome, and he took everything before him,” the trainer said.
Fiorente (Ire)
Fiorente started his career under Hall of Fame trainer Sir Michael Stoute before he was sold to Australian interests and went into training with Waterhouse. Fiorente would provide Waterhouse with her first and only victory to date in the Melbourne Cup, which occurred in 2013. Fiorente was retired to stud in 2014 and to date is the sire of 148 winners and 15 stakes performers, including Group 2 winners Lunar Flare, Hawkshot and Stars Of Carrum.
At Widden Stud, longtime handler Phil Marshall described the horse as “incredibly tough”.
“We're all devastated,” he said. “Fiorente was unbelievably tough, but at the same time an absolute gentleman. The staff who knew him well are understandably shattered. He will be greatly missed not only by us, but by the whole industry.”
The Everest up to $20 million?
The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday reported that The Everest will climb to $20 million in prizemoney come October, with slotholders agreeing to the significant spike in value. Racing NSW didn’t confirm or deny the claim and, should it prove true in the coming days, it will pull The Everest into a spot behind only the US$22 million (AU$33,596,700) Saudi Cup in terms of world’s richest races.
Six years ago, The Everest kicked off with a $10 million purse, making it Australia’s richest race, and last year it was worth $15 million. The $5 million haul is reportedly viable because of slotholders agreeing to lift their respective investments to $700,000, with last place in the field of 12 now covering that amount in a restructure of the purse’s distribution.
“Our aim has always been to make it $20 million,” Peter V’landys said in 2022. “Whatever the prizemoney increase, it won’t be a million or $2 million… it will be a massive increase.”
New winner for Encryption
The Eureka Stud-based Encryption sired his fourth individual winner on Tuesday at Townsville. The Georgie Holt-trained Decrypting Gold, lining up for this third start, managed to put it all together to break his maiden with Jackson Murphy in the saddle.
Decrypting Gold is from the unraced I Am Invincible mare Aurous. The gelding was a $12,500 yearling purchase by T. Lines from the draft of Stonehouse Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Inglis Gold Yearling Sale.
Cloud over Coolangatta eases
After a lacklustre jump-out at Flemington on Monday morning, connections of the star filly Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) were contemplating the plan to send her to Royal Ascot for the G1 King’s Stand S. Co-trainer David Eustace, however, said on Tuesday that the 3-year-old filly had eaten up following her effort.
Coolangatta | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“She has come through it very well,” Eustace said. “She licked the bin yesterday, which is unusual for her after a strong hitout. Coolangatta is sound this morning (Tuesday), Ciaron’s first impressions were a touch underwhelmed. But what we’ve seen since then has encouraged us dramatically. All systems go to Royal Ascot.”
Coolangatta, Cannonball (Capitalist) and Artorius (Flying Artie) are all booked to fly from Melbourne to England on Wednesday, June 7.
Waterhouse/Bott seek back-to-back Stradbrokes
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are looking to claim back-to-back editions of the G1 Stradbroke H. on June 10 at Eagle Farm, and the pair will look to send three into the field, including Converge (Frankel {GB}) and Hawaii Five Oh (I Am Invincible). The connections of Surf Dancer (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who gained a ballot-free entry into the Stradbroke H. as a result of winning the G3 BRC Sprint, are weighing up whether to pay the $18,000 late fee nomination for the $3 million sprint.
First acceptances and late nominations are due by Wednesday, June 1, with final acceptances next Tuesday, June 6. Co-trainer Adrian Bott, speaking after Surf Dancer’s gallop at Eagle Farm on Tuesday morning, confirmed their plans for a three-pronged attack on the race.
“I think we should strongly consider the race," he said. "Surf Dancer worked well this morning and he looked nice and sharp. He wasn’t originally nominated for the race, but I don’t think there was any sort of fluke about the BRC Sprint win.”
Gunstock retired
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Gunstock (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) has been retired after reaggravating an old injury when he finished fourth at Sandown-Hillside on Saturday. The injury-plagued galloper raced only nine times, winning four races, including the G3 Norman Robinson S. and the G3 Coongy H.
Gunstock (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We found him to be off in his action again,” said co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr. “After having a long discussion with the owners, we think it is in the best interest of the horse if we look after him and give him a good home. We feel for Gunstock to have so many injuries, it must be a conformation issue. The fact he keeps reinjuring the same knee… he has got very fragile knees.”
Vale Trust In A Gust
On the same day that brought the news of Fiorente's death, Tuesday also revealed that the 12-year-old Trust In A Gust had also died. A dual Group 1 winner of the Toorak H. and Sir Rupert Clarke S. in 2014, the son of Keep The Faith was bred by Adam Sangster at Swettenham and trained by Darren Weir through 10 career victories.
Trust In A Gust began his stallion career at Swettenham Stud in 2016, relocating to Glen Eden Stud as recently as last season. To date, his winner numbers are 38 from 178 live foals, including the stakes performers Chicago Storm and Tempest Charm.
Group 1 winners draw wide in Queensland Oaks
The 2022 Golden Slipper heroine Fireburn (Rebel Dane), who became the first Slipper winner recently since She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain) to win a stakes race at three, has been handed the visitor's draw of 16, concluding the unveiling of the barriers for the G1 Queensland Oaks, to be run on Saturday at Eagle Farm.
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained G1 Australasian Oaks winner Affaire A Suivre (NZ) (Astern) has been handed barrier 13.
Melbourne Cup hero back in work
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Melbourne Cup winner, Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}), has returned to work at the partnership’s Cranbourne stable in aid of a tough spring preparation. Connections have indicated that Gold Trip will chase successive back-to-back Cup victories.
“Gold Trip is back early and building that nice fitness base, we’ve got options. He’s back in good order and he’s going to get a fair bit of weight after winning the Cup last year,” co-trainer Ciaron Maher said. “You never know, the moons can align again for him in the spring.”
Progressive Golden Boom to step up in distance
Queensland trainer Tony Gollan is convinced Golden Boom (Spirit Of Boom) will run out a strong 1200 metres at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Golden Boom narrowly won the Darby McCarthy at Doomben over 1100 metres last start, leading some to question his ability to get further, but Gollan feels there was excuses.
“He is nice and fit now, there will be improvement in him from the Darby McCarthy because there was a month between runs and I had to give him a trial in between,” Gollan said. “I don’t think 1200 metres will be a problem. You will see a vastly different horse on Saturday.”
Take two for Winx’s little sister
The half-sister to the Champion mare Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), City Of Lights (Deep Impact {Jpn}), will likely make her debut at Geelong on Sunday rather than Saturday’s Flemington meeting. The filly, trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, was expected to debut last Friday at Cranbourne's night meeting, but track conditions saw her scratched from that engagement.
“We weren’t that keen to see City Of Lights on a bottomless track at her first start,” co-trainer Sam Freedman said. “She’s a filly with talent but she’ll be a miler. Maybe there’s a race at Geelong on Sunday, a 3-year-old maiden over 1400 metres, so that’s probably the plan.”
Brown to slowly return to riding
Jockey Ethan Brown was initially told by doctors he’d be out for a minimum of six months following his Australian Guineas race fall on March 4 at Flemington. However, the young hoop’s recovery is progressing ahead of schedule and he could be back riding work by the start of next season. However, he says he “won’t be rushing his return”.
Ethan Brown | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Hopefully I'll be back riding trackwork in two months, but I've just got to get my core strength back, so you never know. It could be sooner,” Brown said.
Racing Victoria stewards confirm betting probe
Racing Victoria’s chief steward, Robert Cram, has confirmed they are investigating 'a number of rides and betting activity as part of a long-running investigation'. Cram was unable to go into specifics of the investigations, including a time frame on the races under review or when the investigation would be concluded.
“It’s a complex matter and will take some time to sort out,” Cram told RSN 927. “It’s not unusual that we have investigations running into certain races across the state. We do it each and every year. We have a number of intelligence sources. Our stewards will investigate betting, they’ll investigate rides and liaisons between people. Stewards will investigate whatever they need to do to come to the right conclusion.”
Epsom race in memory of Lester Piggott
Epsom Downs Racecourse, home of the English Derby, has announced the introduction of the Lester Piggott Handicap S. on Derby Day, to be run in memory of the legendary jockey who died a year ago at the age of 86. Frankie Dettori will lay a wreath at Piggott's commemorative statue on Saturday.
Lester Piggott | Image courtesy of Horsephotos
“It is an honour to be asked to lay a wreath at Lester's statue on Derby Day,” Dettori said. “He was a hero of mine who then became a good friend and it's impossible to measure the impact he had on me, both as a person and a jockey throughout my life. I'm sure it will be a poignant and emotional moment for many reasons and I'm grateful to Epsom Downs for inviting me to lead this year's tributes to Lester on my last Derby Day as a jockey.”
Piggott won the the Epsom Derby nine times during his long career, including aboard the Champions Nijinksy II (Can), Sir Ivor (USA) and Roberto (USA).
Angers powers away to German 2000 Guineas glory
French challenger Angers (Fr) (Seabhac {USA}), successful just once in six prior outings, was an almost unconsidered 12-1 chance for Monday's G2 German 2000 Guineas, and he made a mockery of his odds with a power-packed display in the one-mile Cologne Classic. He becomes the second French-trained winner since the race's 1986 reincarnation, and follows in the hoofprints of Alex Pantall's 2013 victor Peace At Last (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}).
Angers becomes the second black-type scorer and first Classic winner for his sire Seabhac (USA), a son of the late Scat Daddy (USA). Seabhac stands at Haras du Taillis in Heugon, France.
Anmaat prevails in Prix D'Ispahan
Less than a length covered the first five home in Monday's G1 Prix d'Ispahan at Longchamp, with Shadwell's Anmaat (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}) edging it from Light Infantry (Fr) (Fast Company {Ire}) in a finish that was touch-and-go.
Successful in the G2 Prix Dollar on testing ground here on Arc weekend, the Owen Burrows-trained 5-year-old, who was runner-up to Adayar (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) in the G3 Gordon Richards S. at Newmarket earlier this month, stayed on the best to oust four rivals in a line across the track. They were, in order after the first two, the outsider Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}), who was nosed out of the runner's-up spot, Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Erevann (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}), beaten by two short necks, with the latter suffering significant trouble in running in the closing stages.
Anmaat becomes his sire Awtaad's (Ire) first Group 1 winner. Awtaad, who won the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas, stands at Derrinstown Stud in Kildare.
Echo Zulu the best in Winning Colors
No stranger to layoffs, Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Echo Zulu (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}) made her first start of 2023 a winning one with a runaway score in Churchill Downs' G3 Winning Colors S. on Moday.
On the sidelines since a game second to 2022 Champion female sprinter Goodnight Olive (USA) (Ghostzapper {USA}) in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, Echo Zulu returned to the races in this six-furlong sprint, the shortest distance she's ever raced, without missing a beat, looking every bit the 3-10 favourite as a near 6l winner.
Ninth Hollywood Gold Cup for Baffert
Embattled American trainer Bob Baffert landed a ninth victory in the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup on Monday when Defunded (USA) (Dialed in {USA}) wrested command of the race, going wire to wire over the mile-and-a-quarter.
Baffert is now tied with the legendary trainer Charlie Whittingham for numbers of victories in the Hollywood Gold Cup.
