Daily News Wrap

Super Seth sires first trial winner

The Waikato Stud-based Super Seth sired his 2-year-old trial winner when Poetic Champion (NZ) - from the stable of Tony Pike - took out Heat 14 over 800 metres at Cambridge on the synthetic, while at Riccarton Park the Andrew Carston-trained Super Em (NZ) finished second over 600 metres behind Collective Hearts (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}).

First foal for Probabeel

Cambridge Stud happily announced the arrival of Probabeel's (NZ) (Savabeel) first foal, a healthy filly by resident multiple Group 1-winning stallion Almanzor (Fr).

Retired early last year as the winner of 13 of her 29 starts including four Group 1 races, Probabeel is, the stud reported “smitten with her new foal and so are we!”

Almanzor has been doing a good job with daughters of Savabeel - two of the first five winners bred on this cross earning black type including the G1 New Zealand Derby runner-up Andalus (NZ).

Bred by Gary Chittick, Probabeel - the winner of over $4.3 million in stakes - was purchased by Te Akau Racing for NZ$380,000 at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale.

Field celebrates 40 years at Widden

Widden Stud mainstay Derek Field celebrated 40 years at the historic stud on Tuesday. Now general manager of Widden Stud, Field first came to the stud in 1982 and saw Sir Dapper and Inspired win the Golden Slippers of 1983 and 1984, at the time their sire the great Vain had been at Widden for a decade. Field has seen many of the great stallions to roam the fertile paddocks at the property including Bletchingly and Marscay.

On Widden Stud’s social media platforms it said, “We celebrate 40 years of dedication from Derek Field. Derek’s commitment, wealth of knowledge and passion has been a driving force to the success of Widden. A milestone rarely reached, thank you Derek.”

Cartwright gets on a roll

Victorian-based apprentice Luke Cartwright rode his first winner on Monday at Warrnambool, and on Tuesday at Benalla rode his first double.

Cartwright was aboard the Alex Rae-trained John Joseph (Love Conquers All) who he partnered to a narrow victory from Hayai Mesu (Maurice {Jpn}), Cartwright then backed up on the Emma Church-trained Zoffany Street (Zoffany {Ire}) who scored at odds of 80/1.

Brunton stripped of licence

Tasmania’s Champion Trainer Scott Brunton has been stripped of his licence as reported by Punters.

Reportedly, the Australian Taxation Office secured a court order to shut Brunton’s business after rejecting a proposed payment plan to pay a six-figure debt in instalments over five years.

Brunton will retain his licence until September 8, giving the trainer time to transfer the gallopers in his care.

Brunton’s headline act The Inevitable (Dundeel {NZ}) has already been transferred to Tegan Keys, the partner of Brunton.

Melbourne Cup nominations out

The nominations for the ‘race that stops the nation’ on the first Tuesday in November have been released.

In total 132 nominations including 15 overseas entries have been received, a number slightly below the 186 and 43 entries received last year.

Leading trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Ciaron Maher and David Eustace and Chris Waller all hold multiple entries.

Late nominations will close at 12pm AEST on Tuesday, September 12 with weights to be declared on Tuesday, September 19.

The first acceptances will then close at 12pm AEST time on Tuesday, October 3.

McDonald injury worse than first thought

The injuries Champion Jockey James McDonald sustained in a fall at Wyong last Friday are worse than initially thought.

On Tuesday afternoon McDonald informed Racing NSW stewards that he had undergone further scans on his left foot that revealed a fracture.

McDonald shared a statement on social media indicating he received advice from his medical specialist and would be standing down from riding for a period of four weeks to allow the fracture to heal.

National Jockeys’ Trust Race Day

The National Jockeys’ Trust (NJT) has announced the date for the organisation's annual fundraising raceday. The National Jockeys’ Trust Race Day will be held on the G1 Spring Champion S. Day at Randwick on Saturday, October 28.

Sky Racing presenter and ex-jockey Bernadette Cooper and Neil Paine, a ex-jockey and race-day manager for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable, while injured jockey Kate Nipperess will also be in attendance to provide an update on her journey towards the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

The NTJ’s function is to aid jockeys and their families who are struggling with financial hardship.

“As one of the NJT’s main fundraising events, the race-day lunch aims to raise vital funds for the ongoing initiatives to support the country’s jockeys,” said NJT CEO Paul Innes OAM.

Tickets to the National Jockey Trust Race Day are $250pp or $2500 per table of 10, and include racecourse and event admission, a gourmet three-course meal from the award-winning ATC chefs, a premium beverage package, racebook, complimentary parking and more.

Hawaii bound for The Shorts

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Hawaii Five Oh (I Am Invincible) was an impressive winner of the opening heat at the Rosehill trials on Tuesday.

Adrian Bott told Sky Racing, “First time out he was given a relatively quiet trial at Warwick Farm but today there was a bit more intent, a bit more purpose.

“Good to see the horse putting himself there and actually wanting to do that and take it up, showing some good speed. He’s open to some good improvement off the back of that this morning so he’ll look to head towards The Shorts now.”

The G2 The Shorts run over 1100 metres will be on September 16 at Randwick.

Giga Kick saunters around The Valley

The reigning The Everest champion Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) worked around The Valley on Tuesday morning with regular partner Craig Williams aboard.

The Clayton Douglas-trained star will resume in Saturday’s G2 McEwen S. at the venue, which will likely be Giga Kick’s sole Melbourne appearance before he defends his The Everest crown in October.

“He had a nice stride around the track,” Douglas told RSN.

“He’s probably 30kg heavier for his first-up run, but he’s obviously a 4-year-old now and has developed quite a bit.

“There’s still a bit of juice in the tank for his next couple runs but he’s ready to go.”

Kah not disappointed in Buster

David Harrison was initially disappointed when Buster Bash (Trade Fair {GB}) failed to run a place in last Saturday’s G2 Heatherlie S. at Caulfield. However, Harrison felt optimistic when Jamie Kah returned to scale with a positive post-race assessment.

“I thought Buster Bash was disappointing on face value,” Harrison told The Races WA.

“But Jamie Kah came back, and she said was happy with his run. She said the horse was in a happy place and is going super.

“I had to ask her if she was sure, but she said don’t be disappointed. He just needs a drop in company and a bit further. The run was obviously too sharp for him. In better company over a mile, he is not a great horse, but he’s a good stayer.”

I Am Unstoppable out of McKenzie

The Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans-trained I Am Unstoppable (I Am Invincible) will bypass Saturday’s McKenzie S. and head to Flemington for the Listed Poseidon S. instead.

It is believed the promising colt will be campaigned exclusively at Flemington this preparation despite catching the eye in his work at The Valley on Tuesday morning.

“The piece of work was beautiful this morning but probably just more so for our program I think it will fit in better to go to Flemington,” Lloyd Kennewell told Racing.com.

“There was a bit of improvement out of the Vain S. He had a good blow up over the back after he raced, and he’s been down to the beach since.

“He is a very good colt and has a very good brain on him and we are very happy with where he’s at.”

Cup hopeful ruled out

Prominent owner Ozzie Kheir revealed that the promising colt Saint George (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}) has encountered a minor setback which has ruled him out of the spring carnival.

Saint George is currently still in the United Kingdom and trained by Andrew Balding.

“He’s just had a minor setback, it’s not major, if he was four or five, we would probably press on but because he’s a lightly raced 3-year-old and he’s got so much upside for the future, we decided to take a more conservative approach and give him the time,” Kheir told Racing.com.

“Our decision was to give him a spell and then get ready for the autumn. It's probably only a two-to-three-week setback but we didn’t want to rush him.”

Gollan happy to have Ollie back on

Champion Jockey Damien Oliver, who will retire in December, has been sought to partner the Tony Gollan-trained Zoustyle (Zoustar) in Saturday’s G2 McEwen S.

“Damien Oliver rode Zoustyle last spring and he did a really good job on him, so we are happy to have him back on,” Gollan told Punters.

“In this race last year, the horse had to do a fair bit of work and only got run down by Rothfire late.

“He has been getting away beautifully in his trials and jump-outs this time and I’ve had a really faultless preparation with him.”

Native Trail to stand in Ireland

Irish 2,000 Guineas winner and unbeaten European Champion Two-Year-Old Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) will stand at Kildangan Stud, Ireland in 2024. Trained by Charlie Appleby, Native Trail carried the Godolphin blue throughout his career, which featured a stellar unbeaten juvenile campaign in 2021 which culminated with spellbinding performances in the G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien S at the Curragh followed by the G1 Dewhurst S. at Newmarket.

After landing the G3 Craven S. on his seasonal return at three, he found only stablemate Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) too tough in the 2,000 Guineas, but made the Classic breakthrough in the Irish equivalent.

Sam Bullard, Darley's director of stallions, commented, “What a horse. He never failed to take the eye, and when you watch those big wins of his, across two demanding seasons, it's very impressive.” He added, “We are privileged to be standing a champion like him at Kildangan Stud. It's a while since our first Champion Two-Year-Old who went on to win a Classic retired to stud at Kildangan; that horse was Shamardal, and who's to say Native Trail won't do just as well?”

Connections of Believing and Mill Stream supplement for Sprint Cup

Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Mill Stream (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) have been supplemented at a cost of to take on Shaquille (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) in the Betfair Sprint Cup at Haydock on Saturday.

A total of 23 speedsters are in contention for the six-furlong Group 1, with the Julie Camacho-trained Shaquille very much the star attraction as he looks to add to his previous top-level wins this summer in the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot and the July Cup at Newmarket.

The George Boughey-trained Believing and Jane Chapple-Hyam's Mill Stream are two interesting contenders after their respective connections decided to add them to the field.

Believing has won two Listed races and a Group 3 this season and is one of two potential runners for the Highclere Thoroughbred Racing team along with Karl Burke's Spycatcher (Ire) (Vadamos {Fr}), who was beaten a short head by King Gold (Fr) (Anodin {Ire}) in the Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville last month.

Mill Stream won a Listed race and a Group 3 at the French track in August and fully merits his place in Group 1 company.

“Mill Stream has come out of his Deauville race in good order, so we have decided to take the opportunity to run him again while he is in good form as there are no other options for him until Champions Day,” said Chapple-Hyam.

German Oaks winner Muskoka to be offered at Arc Sale

Muskoka (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), the brilliant winner of the G1 German Oaks, will be offered at the Arc Sale at Arqana on Saturday, September 30 at Saint-Cloud.

A winner at two, the Henk Grewe-trained filly won the Listed Henkel Stutenpreis at Düsseldorf in May before landing the G3 Brümmerhofer Stuten-Meile at the beginning of July at Hamburg.

She followed that success up with a top-level triumph in the German Oaks at Düsseldorf on August 6 in the colours of Stall Golden Goal, managed by Lars-Wilhelm Baumgarten.

Rated 110, the daughter of Sea The Moon (Ger) is out of a half-sister to Brametot (Ire), and hails from the maternal line of Monsun (Ger) and other Group 1 winners Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and Molly Malone (Fr) (Lomitas {GB}).

The catalogue for the Arc Sale will be released on Monday, September 11.

Muskoka is sold with an entry in the G1 Prix de L'Opéra on Sunday, October 1 at Paris Longchamp.

Nutella Fella another stakes upsetter for Contessa in Hopeful

Trainer Gary Contessa, who sprang a 21-1 upset in the opening-day G3 Schuylerville S., brought the curtain down on the 2023 Saratoga season with another shocker when 54-1 outsider Nutella Fella (USA) (Runhappy {USA}) ran down the field late to take the G1 Hopeful S.

“We kind of figured he was going to break slow from the gate because he's a moron in the gate, and I just was hoping there'd be plenty of speed, which there was,” Contessa said. “When they said :22 flat, I was thinking, 'This is great.' Then Junior (Alvarado) went from the inside to the outside and I thought he rode him masterfully. He saved ground when he could and then ultimately went outside and got the money.”

As for next targets for Nutella Fella, Contessa said, “Champagne to the Breeders' Cup, unless he throws us a curve. He's going to stay up here the next six weeks with me and we'll be racing in the Champagne from here. I think he'll get two turns. It looked like it today.”