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MVRC announces new Cox Plate qualifier

The G1 Takarazuka Kinen isn’t the only international ‘win and you’re in’ race for the G1 Cox Plate at The Valley in October, with the Moonee Valley Racing Club (MVRC) on Wednesday announcing the G1 Saratoga Derby will hold the same status.

The MVRC will work in tandem with the New York Racing Association (NYRA) in a bid to target leading 3-year-olds from the Northern Hemisphere.

The winner of the 1900-metre race, which will be run on August 5, will automatically gain a spot in the field for the October 28 Cox Plate.

MVRC Head of Racing, Charlotte Mills, who was recently in Japan attempting to lure local star Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) to The Valley’s marquee event, is excited by the prospect of having another international star in the field, following confirmation that Hong Kong hero Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) will be aimed towards the time-honoured 2040-metre race.

“We feel there is still significant growth to come with the Saratoga Derby and it will continue to attract some of the best 3-year-olds in the world,” Mills told Racing.com. “The Ladbrokes Cox Plate has long been a stallion-making race and this connection between the two races also presents a wonderful opportunity for colts to secure a breeding career beyond racing, with recognition in both hemispheres eminent.”

NYRA Senior Vice President of Racing Operations, Frank Gabriel, believes the new partnership will improve the quality of the field for the Saratoga Derby.

“The Saratoga Derby Invitational has proven to be a strong race, attracting both top North American horses as well as well-regarded international shippers,” Gabriel said. “The added bonus of a potential berth in one of the world’s top races should only increase the strength of field.”

The Saratoga Derby has already provided a Cox Plate winner, with Joseph O’Brien’s State Of Rest (Ire), who will stand his first season at stud at Newgate Farm this spring, completing the double in 2021. William Buick guided Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) to victory in last year’s Saratoga Derby for Charlie Appleby and Godolphin.

Waller to train Montefilia

Four-time Group 1 heroine Montefilia (Kermadec {NZ}) looks set to race on, at least for the time being. New owners Yulong Investments have transferred the mare to Champion Trainer Chris Waller.

Montefilia was purchased from the Newgate Consignment for $3.4 million at this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale. The 5-year-old had 27 starts with David Payne, winning more than $3.2 million in prizemoney.

More juvenile joy for Dundeel

The Matthew Dunn-trained Fukubana became Arrowfield Stud resident Dundeel’s (NZ) 16th 2-year-old of the season when the colt scored on debut at Eagle Farm.

Bred by Kayano Limited, Fukubana was consigned by Arrowfield Stud at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. He was knocked down to Matthew Dunn / Neil Jenkinson for $250,000.

The colt is from the winless Lonhro mare Sekiyama and she is a sister to the Group 3 winner Ranier. Fukubana’s grandam is the Group 3 scorer Kanzan (Commands). Fukubana won by 1.88l under Ben Thompson.

Juvenile winner for Written By

First-season sire Written By posted a new winner on Wednesday in the shape of 2-year-old filly Written Melody, who won on debut at Belmont in Perth over 1000 metres. The filly was convincing with a 2.2l victory under the urgings of William Pike, and she was the first of a trio of winners for the Grant and Alana Williams stable at Karnup.

Written Melody is the fourth winner for her sire this season after such horses as The Novelist on the east coast. The filly was a $60,000 purchase for Williams Racing at the 2022 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, offered by Misty Valley Thoroughbreds at Greenfields Lodge. She is a daughter of the Lonhro mare Amthaal.

Caulfield farewell for Mertens

The life of multiple Group 1-winning jockey Peter Mertens will be celebrated at a funeral service at Caulfield Racecourse on Thursday morning. Mertens, the father of current Victorian-based jockey Beau Mertens, died aged 58 late last month after a brave battle with illness.

A popular member of the racing community, Mertens rode more than 2100 winners during his glittering career.

Ingratiating won’t go to stud yet

Godolphin’s 4-year-old star Ingratiating, a son of Frosted (USA), won’t head to stud just yet, according to Racenet on Wednesday. The retirement of both Anamoe and Paulele to the Darley ranks has, apparently, been the deciding factor in keeping Ingratiating going for another season.

“He’s a high-quality horse and, after retiring Paulele and Anamoe this year, we had to keep the horse in training,” said Sean Keogh, Godolphin’s Flemington foreman. “It wasn’t the year to be retiring a horse like that. Attitude-wise, he copes with it (being a stallion in work) fine, so he’s a horse we can campaign later in life as a sprinter.”

Ingratiating has so far won the G3 Vain S. and Listed pair of Maribyrnong Trial S. and Talindert S. He will take his place this Saturday in the G3 Sir John Monash S. at headquarters.

High-profile sibling to be saved for Flemington

Illative (I Am Invincible) - the half-sister to the dual Listed winner Illation (So You Think {NZ}) - won’t make her debut at Caulfield on Saturday, with trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr electing to run her down the straight at Flemington a week later.

“I just think 1000 metres down the straight at Flemington is sort of easy albeit it’s an open 2-year-old,” Price told Racing.com. “I had her nice and fresh for the 1000 metres and I always wanted to go to Flemington but we just put her in at Caulfield over 1100 metres just to have a look at the race. She has got good ability and she is very well bred and we think highly of her.”

Illative is from the winning Redoute’s Choice mare Pontiana, making her a half-sister to the Group winners Dragon Leap (Pierro) and Inference, as well as Illation.

Country Racing Victoria announced Horse of the Year finalists

One of Austy Coffey’s Bannerton (Glass Harmonium {Ire}), Belinda O’Loughlin’s Muntham Missile (Atomic) and Travis Doudle’s Not Usual Glorious (Fiorente {Ire}) will be crowned this year’s Country Racing Victoria Horse of the Year.

The winner will be announced at a function at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on August 19. The Club, Jockey and Trainer of the Year will also be revealed.

Black-type ambition for Sigh

The No Nay Never (USA) mare Sigh, trained by Peter Moody at Pakenham, will take her place this weekend in the G3 Sir John Monash S. as she chases valuable black type. The 4-year-old was scratched from last Saturday’s Listed Santa Ana Lane Sprint Series Final, with the week in-hand to her benefit, according to Moody’s assistant trainer Katherine Coleman.

“We were hoping to split her and some of our other horses up, and this looks a very nice option for her,” Coleman said. “She’s a light, naturally athletic filly so she doesn’t need much work, and I think the two weeks between runs would have been a bit of a question mark. We go into Saturday’s race very happy with her.”

Sigh has won her last two races at Flemington, in the most recent defeating the Group 3 and Listed winner General Beau (Brazen Beau), a one-time Blue Diamond favourite.

Century for James Orman

Jockey James Orman posted his 100th metropolitan winner for the season when piloting Kronenbourg (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}) to victory in the final race at Eagle Farm on Wednesday. It came down to a photo finish, but the pair came out on top over the 1500 metres.

Orman’s century of metro winners is the first time he’s managed the feat, joining the likes of Chris Munce, Jeff Lloyd and James McDonald. Orman is currently leading the Australian jockey premiership with 179 winners nationally, ahead of Aaron Bullock and William Pike.

“It’s a good achievement to get to, that’s for sure,” he told Racenet. “I’d prefer it if people weren’t talking about it before it happened, but it’s nice to get it over and done with now.”

Offers swell for Knight’s Choice

Co-trainers Sheila Laxon and John Symons have revealed that the million-dollar offers they received for their Winx Guineas winner Knight’s Choice (Extreme Choice) have ‘swelled substantially’ in the last few days. The 3-year-old gelding is raced by Richard and Kaye Waldron and Cameron Bain, who paid $85,000 for the horse as a yearling. “My advice is to do what they want to do if they’re enjoying it,” Symons told RSN927 this week.

“I would leave it completely up to Cameron. His idea is he’s bought the horse for his dad to enjoy, and he’s certainly getting some enjoyment at the moment. I’m sure there’s a fair bit more enjoyment to come.”

Knight’s Choice has won four of his seven starts to date and he is unbeaten in his last four races in southeast Queensland.

Juvenile winner for Toronado

The 2-year-old filly Toropa added a juvenile win on Wednesday to the seasonal tally of her east-coast sire Toronado (Ire), winning by a neck for the Hopeland-based trainer Vernon Brockman. The filly was on debut. Brockman said after the race that Toropa could be an Ascot carnival horse if she continued to shape the way she was going, but he wouldn’t commit to naming any new-season targets just yet.

“I would like her to be there in the sprint (at Ascot) and if she does, she’ll have to have a break shortly,” the trainer said. “It was a very pleasing victory because she doesn’t know a lot. She’s well-bred and let’s hope it continues. I haven’t had a 2-year-old winner for a while, but then again I haven’t had many 2-year-old runners.”

Toropa was a $230,000 yearling for Brockman at the 2022 Magic MIllions Perth Yearling Sale, offered by Amelia Park. She is from the Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) mare Europa Point, who is a half-sister to the Listed Hobart Guineas winner Reprisal (Galileo {Ire}).

Money Matters to take on the Beaufine

The 6-year-old gelding Money Matters (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) will take on the Listed Beaufine S. this Saturday at Belmont in Western Australia, returning after a six-month absence from the track. With the likelihood of wet going this weekend, his co-trainer Michael Gangemi said conditions should suit the horse.

“He’s been really set for this race and we’re really excited to see him,” he told Tabradio. “He likes the Soft going, so if he can get the sting out of the track on Saturday over 1000 metres, I think he’s our best chance.”

Money Matters won 10 races for previous trainer Adam Durrant, including the G3 Roma Cup and a Listed-race pair. He joined the Gangemi operation after a private, $150,000 sale. In the Beaufine S., he will join his stablemate True Detective (Shamus Award).

Galileo’s Espionage resumes with Listed win

Up markedly in trip and racing for the first time since October, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Espionage (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made it a winning return in Roscommon’s Listed Lenebane S. on Tuesday.

The colt won by 1.5l under Ryan Moore.

“He had very good form as a 2-year-old, but it’s taken a while to get him back and I was delighted with him (on Tuesday),” Moore said.

“It was a nice performance and I think he’s a quality colt who stays well. He got that mile and three quarters well and will be very comfortable up to fourteen (furlongs, 1800 metres).”

Stable representative Chris Armstrong added: “We’ll probably look at something like the (G2 Great) Voltigeur from here. He’s one to look forward to. It was a good renewal of this race. Over the last few years 3-year-olds maybe didn’t have the strongest record and it is tough for a 3-year-old coming here against some solid older horses.”

Espionage is closely related to Simple Verse (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}), who was successful in the G1 St Leger and G1 British Champions Fillies & Mares S.

Sioux Nation 2-year-old lands San Siro stakes race

The Endo Botti-trained Sioux Life (Ity) (Sioux Nation {USA}) proved far too good for stablemate Beauty Of Tuscany (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) in Tuesday’s Listed Premio Gino E Luciano in Milan.

Sioux Life was piloted to her 2.5l victory by Dario Vargiu.

The filly is from the winning Rip Van Winkle (Ire) mare Ninepins (Ire) and she herself is a three-quarter sister to the 2019 G2 Italian Derby hero Keep On Fly (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}).