Montgomery appointed chairman of stewards
Racing Victoria has announced that Rob Montgomery has been appointed chairman of stewards after the retirement of Robert Cram in July.
Montgomery had been deputy chairman of stewards for the past 13 years and has 24 years of experience overall. Montgomery officially took the reins on Friday morning.
“Taking on the role of chairman of stewards at Racing Victoria is a tremendous honour and I’m privileged to lead a stewards panel that embodies remarkable talent and unwavering dedication,” Montgomery said.
Rob Montgomery | Image courtesy of Racing Victoria
“Robert Cram built an excellent team during his tenure as chairman, which I’m now privileged to lead, and I look forward to upholding and enhancing our steadfast commitment to the integrity of Victorian racing.
“My focus as chairman will be to continue to upskill and develop our stewards, support and work with our industry participants and ensure the oversight of safe, fair, clean and competitive racing.”
NZB announce revamped NZB Insurance Pearl Series
New Zealand Bloodstock have announced that Entain and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing will add further boosts to the NZB Insurance Pearl Series bonuses for fillies and mares.
With the added bonuses, the series will also be renamed the Entain - NZB Insurance Pearl Series. Winning owners will receive a NZ$20,000 bonus, increasing from NZ$10,000, while the winning trainer and nominator will receive NZ$1000 each, a NZ$500 increase respectively.
Not only will the winner be rewarded, the owner of the filly or mare that places second will receive a NZ$4000 bonus, a NZ$2000 increase, while the owner of the third placegetter will now earn NZ$2000.
Entain and NZTR have also created a NZ$100,000 Pearl Series Bonus Final to be run in the autumn. The final will be open to Pearl Series registered horses only, up to five years of age.
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing’s CEO Bruce Sharrock confirmed the governing body’s support for a revitalisation of the Pearl Series.
“Both Entain and NZTR have banded together to provide a NZ$2 million enhancement to the Pearl Series over the course of four years.
“The boost in bonuses will apply to all fillies and mares currently entered in the race series, as well as new nominees wishing to enter for this coming season. Nominations will be reopened until the end of August.
"Promoting the participation of fillies and mares racing carries advantages not only to total field sizes, but also bringing benefits to owners with increased stakes and in turn enhancing the race record of their filly or mare as a valuable breeding proposition.
“A number of high-profile New Zealand thoroughbred mares have graduated from the Pearl Series including Group 1 winners Avantage, Belle En Rouge, Levante, Melody Belle and Probabeel.
“We would like to thank Entain for their continued innovation in New Zealand racing, as well as NZB Insurance who have now sponsored the Pearl Series for over a decade,” he said.
Maher and Eustace’s super five
The powerful Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable enjoyed a super Friday when the stable sent out five winners at Geelong.
The stable started the day with promising Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon) on debut, followed by Golden Estrella (Zoustar) in the second.
Dave Eustace and Ciaron Maher | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Maher and Eustace were then represented by Second Act (Fr) (Harzand {Ire}) in the fourth race and rounded out the day with Baroque Road (Caravaggio {USA}) in Race 7.
Showboat makes it six for Showtime
The Richard and Will Freedman-trained Showboat, a son of Showtime, scored on debut at Muswellbrook on Friday. The 3-year-old gelding was ridden by Jean Van Overmeire in the 1000-metre maiden, scoring by 0.05l from Nyali Sands (Casino Prince).
Showboat was a $52,500 purchase by Dream Thoroughbreds and Bluegrass Bloodstock (FBAA) from the draft of Ashleigh Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale.
Showtime has sired six winners led by the Listed winner Show Royale and the Group 3 placegetter Tacito. Showtime will stand the 2023 breeding season at Arrowfield Stud for $16,500 (inc GST).
Nugent eager to return
Victorian-based jockey Teo Nugent is eager to return to the city after spending five months on the sidelines after suffering a serious neck injury and concussion in a horror fall at Moonee Valley on March 18.
Royal Melbourne Hospital orthopaedic surgeon Dr Peter Turner will meet with Nugent in September attempting to gain a clearance to return to trackwork.
Teo Nugent | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I’m pretty confident he’ll sign me off to ride trackwork at some stage in September, all going well,” Nugent said.
“I can’t wait until we get back to trackwork and on one (racehorse), it’s been quite a while but looking forward to that and a couple of my nice horses are returning, so fingers crossed we can get back in the saddle, get the fitness back and get on-board.”
Sample clears Tomlinson
Apprentice jockey Sheridan Tomlinson has been cleared after he was required to provide a urine sample after a drug screening irregularity in South Australia at Morphettville on Saturday, July 22.
The saliva samples Tomlinson provided at the meeting showed a faint marker which indicated a possible irregularity causing him to be disposed of at the meeting.
However, the cleared urine sample means Tomlinson can return to riding and will not face any further disciplinary action.
Racing SA chief steward Matt Santoro said, “As far as we’re concerned it’s the end of the matter.”
Title Fighter ready for back-up
Mornington-based trainer Clayton Douglas is confident Title Fighter (Lean Mean Machine) can make it consecutive wins when he returns to Moonee Valley on Saturday.
Title Fighter led all the way on debut at Moonee Valley on July 29, although some argued the track pattern which was suited to racing on speed or near the inside section of track were at an advantage.
Title Fighter | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“You wouldn’t complain if it was like that again (Moonee Valley), but he’s proven he’s a pretty handy horse,” Douglas said.
“If he happens to win, maybe a race like the Poseidon over 1100 metres up the straight might be something up his alley.”
Pride Of Sullivan set to fly at The Valley
The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained Pride Of Sullivan (Pride Of Dubai) will be out to continue the fast start Lindsay Park has made in the new season, and booked herself a place in Listed Atlantic Jewel S. in September.
“Pride Of Sullivan is a very good trialler, she has won a lot of her trials by big margins, that’s what she is, very fast,” Ben Hayes said.
“I think 1000 metres will be perfect, if she handles Moonee Valley and rails she’ll be very hard to catch and will have them under pressure a long way from home because that’s her asset.
“Pride Of Sullivan has a very high cruising speed, so I think it’s a good race for her and she’s drawn ideal.”
Pride Of Sullivan will contest the Quentin Wallace H. with Michael Dee in the saddle.
Vermeille retrieval mission for Blue Rose Cen
High-class filly Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) will resume in the G1 Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp on September 10, trainer Christopher Head revealed on Thursday.
Prior to her fourth in the G1 Nassau S. during the Qatar Goodwood Festival earlier this month, the Yeguada Centurion homebred had completed a rare Group 1 triple, with wins in the Prix Marcel Boussac at two, and the Classic double of the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches and Prix de Diane this year.
“She is very well, she had a good journey back from France and everything is all right,” Head said. “Everything has gone smoothly with her since Goodwood and she worked well (on Wednesday morning).
“We're still hoping to go through with the schedule we had in mind for her and the Vermeille is the plan–everything is good.”
Ramatuelle to tackle Prix Morny
'TDN Rising Star' Ramatuelle (USA) (Justify {USA}) will test the waters in Group 1 company in the Prix Morny at Deauville on August 20. Co-owned by NBA hall of famer Tony Parker, the chestnut is three-for-four, with victories against males in both the G3 Prix du Bois and G2 Robert Papin, her two latest starts to date.
“She's doing fine, she's really good,” Head said. “She's just full of speed and I have entered her in the Morny, that is going to be the plan for her.
“I'm very happy with her. She runs over that distance and at that pace really fluently, we are delighted to see her win her races and we just can't wait to see her run again.”
Moreira looking forward to Shergar Cup, retirement delayed
Joao 'Magic Man' Moreira, Rest of the World team captain for the Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot on August 12, is looking forward to the challenge, as he delays his retirement for now.
“I was struggling with hip injuries at the end of last year, which I am not over yet but there is no doubt that I am a lot better than I was,” said the four-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey. “I was thinking about quitting riding but, once I started getting better, I felt I could push on for a bit longer. I feel like I can do at least another 18 months if things stay as they are, but the doctors do say that it is not going to get any better.
“I have been riding in Brazil and travelling a bit. I went to Japan earlier this year for a couple of weeks, then Saudi Arabia and also Dubai, before a short stint in Australia. I went back to Brazil, where I had some really nice rides in big races that I have never won before. Career-wise, I have been doing all right, and being able to be around my family and relatives has made my life easier.
“It is very unlikely that I will go back to Hong Kong. I will be doing stints in different places. I really want to go back to Australia. Then you have Dubai and Japan, which I think is one of the best places to ride in the world.”
Hukum rises to joint-second on the Longines WBRR
After taking the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. at Ascot, Shadwell's Hukum (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) has been given a mark of 128 on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings, which were released on Thursday.
Another Shadwell representative, G1 Prince Of Wales's S. hero Mostahdaf (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), is also at 128, with only Japan's Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) higher in the pecking order at 129. After the leading trio is Juddmonte's Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who was second in the King George, one better than King Of Steel (USA) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) (120).
Rankings newcomer White Abarrio (USA) (Race Day {USA}) is at 122 after taking the GI Whitney S. at Saratoga on Saturday. Another fresh face on the WBRR is Nations Pride (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), successful in the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen. He sits at 121 pounds, one better than crack sprinter Shaquille (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}), at 120. The grandson of Invincible Spirit (Ire) has won all four of his 2023 starts, including the G1 July Cup S. last month.
