Hot run for Pierro continues
After siring a double on Thursday, the Coolmore Stud-based Pierro continued his hot streak when his promising daughter Poifect was successful on debut at Geelong on Friday.
The Ben and JD Hayes-trained juvenile, with Daniel Stackhouse in the saddle Poifect was much too classy for his opposition, scoring by 1.50l from Itza Motza (Starspangledbanner) and Masonry (Zoustar) further away in third.
Pierro | Standing at Coolmore
The filly is the fifth foal from the Flying Spur mare Without Exception. She is the full sister to the Group 2-winning Krupt and a half-sister to the Listed winner Anevay (Exceed And Excel).
Poifect was a $200,000 yearling purchase by Lindsay Park Bloodstock from the draft of Coolmore Stud at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Extremely Lucky joins Waller
Champion trainer Chris Waller has overtaken the training of the exciting sprinter Extremely Lucky (Extreme Choice). The 4-year-old gelding is raced by a group of connections that includes Richard Pegum, Mike Symons and bloodstock agent Suman Hedge.
Extremely Lucky started his career in South Australia with the Murray Bridge-based Sam Burford. Then he was sent to fellow South Australian Will Clarken, winning the Listed Lighting S. at Morphettville for Clarken.
The gelding was last seen when unplaced in the G1 Moir S.
Showdra makes it five for Showtime
Showdra became the fifth winner for her exciting first-season sire Showtime, who stands at Arrowfield Stud for a 2023 fee of $16,500 (inc GST).
Trained by Gold Coast-based trainer Lee Freedman, Showdra was partnered to victory by Samantha Collett in the 1400-metre maiden at the Sunshine Coast on Friday.
The filly was a $32,000 yearling purchase by Lee Freedman from the draft of Arrowfield Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Peters' Diamond to make Victorian debut
Prominent Western Australian-based owner Bob Peters is keen to see where his progressive 6-year-old mare Bright Diamond (I Am Invincible) sits in Victoria.
Now in training with Pakenham-based trainer John Leek Jnr, who has recently teamed up with Peters on the east coast, Leek will debut the mare in Race 4 over 1100 metres at Flemington on Saturday. “It's a very good race and some good horses in it,” Peters told The Races WA.
“I'm expecting she will show us where she is at on Saturday.
“She hasn't had a lot of runs, so I'm not too worried about her age but more so the number of runs she's had,” he said.
“Bright Diamond will probably have this campaign before I send her to a stallion.”
Win could weigh King out of the target
Cranbourne-based training partnership Robbie Griffiths and Matthew de Kock are faced with an unusual situation; if King Magnus (Magnus) scores his third win in a row at Flemington on Saturday, he may be weighted out of his main target the Winter Championship Final at Flemington, on Saturday, July 1.
King Magnus | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“If King Magnus runs a place on Saturday, there’s a chance he can win the final, but if he wins again, he probably can’t. We’d have to talk about what we’d do in terms of running in it,” Griffiths said.
“We’re appreciative of how well he is going, and we’ve had luck in running. We may just have to change track on our preparation goal.”
Vale Daryl Archard
Racing Victoria reported on Friday morning that Echuca-based trainer Daryl Archard had passed away, aged 68, following a battle with illness.
Archard, a popular trainer amongst the racing fraternity, received his trainer’s licence in 1977 and trained over 200 winners.
Daryl Archard | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Archard’s last winner came on Saturday, April 22, 2023, when Vandelle (Rubick) saluted at Kyneton with apprentice Tom Prebble in the saddle.
Racing Victoria’s Chief Executive, Andrew Jones, said: “On behalf of the Victorian Racing industry, I would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Daryl’s family and friends following the sad news of his passing.”
South Australian legend set to retire
On Friday, Racing SA (South Australia) broke the news that the Hall of Fame trainer Leon Macdonald will retire from training at the end of the 2022/23 season.
Macdonald, a South Australian racing community legend, has trained full-time since 1975 after part-time training from 1972. Since the 2009/10 season, Macdonald has trained in partnership with his son-in-law Andrew Gluyas from his French Cotton Lodge Stables.
Among the many highlights in Macdonald’s career is the famous victory of Rebel Raider in the G1 VRC Derby, where the colt was guided to a historic win by the South Australian jockey Clare Lindop. Macdonald also trained the G1 Caulfield Cup victress Southern Speed (Southern Image {USA}), just a snippet of a career filled with highlights.
Sioux Nation's Ocean Jewel takes the Ballycorus
Underlining the strength of the speedier 3-year-olds this year, Al Shira'aa Farms' Ocean Jewel (Ire) (Sioux Nation {USA}) passed a stern test against the older brigade on Thursday as she captured Leopardstown's G3 TRI Equestrian Ballycorus S.
Stretching out to seven furlongs, having finished third behind The Antarctic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Ocean Quest (Ire) (Sioux Nation {USA}) in the G3 Lacken S. over six at Naas last month, the Willie McCreery-trained half-sister to the 1000 Guineas heroine Mother Earth (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) was able to use her sprinting prowess to stay close to the early pace in second. Committed by Billy Lee passing two out, the 16-5 shot saw out the finale strongly to score by 1.25l from the veteran stalwart Real Appeal (Ger) (Sidestep).
Ocean Jewel becomes the eight stakes winner for Sioux Nation (USA).
Freshman sire Masar off the mark in Paris
Darley Europe’s first-crop sire Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) became Europe's latest freshman off the mark when Godolphin's homebred juvenile Will Scarlet (GB) eased to a smooth victory in Thursday's Prix du Bassin Parisien over seven furlongs at ParisLongchamp.
