Moore back aboard Shinzo
Champion jockey Ryan Moore will travel to Sydney to be reunited with star colt Shinzo (Snitzel) in the G1 Golden Rose S. on September 23. James McDonald had been slated to ride the Golden Slipper hero in the $1 million race, but he will be sidelined for a month due to a fracture in his left foot.
Moore produced a brilliant ride aboard Shinzo to win the Slipper.
Shinzo | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We have been chatting with Ryan since learning of James’ injury,” Coolmore’s Tom Magnier told The Daily Telegraph. “There are some feature races in England that weekend but nothing as big as Shinzo in the Golden Rose. Shinzo is a high-profile colt, he is a Golden Slipper winner and Ryan knows the horse as well as anyone.
“Ryan's ride in the Golden Slipper was unbelievable and he is a big fan of this horse. Ryan can’t wait to get back and ride Shinzo in the Golden Rose.”
Bumper nominations for Group 1 Randwick mile
Nominations have jumped to a seven-year high for the G1 Epsom H., which will be run on Randwick on September 30. A total of 104 horses remain entered for the $1.5 million race, including 2021 champion Private Eye (Al Maher).
The rise in nominations exceeds 100 for the first time in seven years and continues a significant increase since prizemoney was lifted to $1 million in 2018 and then $1.5 million in 2021.
Australian Turf Club Head of Racing and Wagering, James Ross, said the three races were on a centrepiece Saturday of the 10-week Sydney Everest Carnival.
“The strength of nominations for the TAB Epsom further highlight the significance of two major weight-for-age races over the Royal Randwick mile in the 7 Stakes and ultimately the $5 million King Charles III Stakes on Everest Day,” Ross said.
The G1 Metropolitan and G1 Flight S. also feature on the September 30 card. A total of 74 horses were nominated for the Metropolitan and 65 horses for the Flight.
Doyle launches ambitious Cup quest
Star England jockey Hollie Doyle is chasing the plum Melbourne Cup ride aboard the Chris Waller-trained Soulcombe (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Doyle told Racing.com she has reached out to connections of the imported stayer, who resumed with an impressive first-up win in Saturday’s Listed Heatherlie H. at Caulfield.
Hollie Doyle | Image courtesy of Racingfotos.com
“I won the Melrose (Handicap at York in August 2022) on him when he was trained by William Haggas, so I do know the horse,” she said. “I don’t have high expectations to get the ride but if you don’t ask, you don’t get I suppose.
“Obviously, he won at the weekend, and it was just an idea, an ambitious one, but who knows? To just get a ride in the Melbourne Cup would be great, let alone on a chance with a horse like Soulcombe.”
Small field for Giga Kick’s return
Star sprinter Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) will face just five rivals in Saturday’s G2 McEwen S. at The Valley. They include the multiple Group 1 heroine Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), the Group 1 scorer Rothfire (Rothesay) and the Group 3 winner Zoustyle (Zoustar).
Giga Kick, who boasts seven wins from 10 starts, will break from gate six under Craig Williams.
Globe gains Feehan start
Unbeaten middle-distance galloper Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) will be a starter in Saturday’s G2 Feehan S. at The Valley after acceptances came out on Wednesday morning. The 5-year-old had been in danger of failing to get a run, after 23 horses were nominated for the $500,000 contest. Globe was, at the time, outside the top 15 in the ballot.
The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained Globe, who boasts four wins, will be handled by Jamie Kah.
Globe (NZ) | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“He’s smart. I haven’t ridden one like him for a long time. He has got a lot of ability,” she told RSN on Tuesday.
The winner of the Feehan wins its way into the G1 Cox Plate via a golden ticket.
Savabeel 3-year-old breaks the ice
Gold Bullion (NZ) (Savabeel) is a maiden no longer after winning at the third time of asking. Blake Shinn partnered the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained runner, who was too good in the 1500-metre maiden (Race 1) at Sandown-Hillside.
“He’s a difficult horse. I think he’s got quite a bit of ability, but he takes the mickey a bit. I think once the penny drops, he might knuckle down and make a horse,” Shinn told Racing.com. “He did that on raw ability and it was good to see him do it. He was very well placed and hopefully he can gain some confidence and go on with it.”
Gold Bullion was bred by Menage A Charge before being offered by Newhaven Park at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He was bought by China Horse Club/Newgate Bloodstock/Trilogy Racing for $400,000.
The gelding is the third foal of the Group 2 victress Gold Rush (NZ) (So You Think {NZ}) and she is a half-sister to the stakes winners Gold Fever (NZ) (Savabeel) and Calaverite (Lonhro) and the stakes performer Tommy Gold (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}). Calaverite has thrown last year’s G1 Caulfield Guineas hero Golden Mile (Astern).
Argentia ready to peak
Joseph Pride believes recent stable addition Argentia (Frankel {GB}) is just about at her top after two encouraging runs since crossing from Anthony and Sam Freedman. The dual Group 3 winner, who has finished fourth and second respectively for Pride, will contest Saturday’s G2 Theo Marks S. at Rosehill.
“We’re still learning about her but I think she’s set to peak in the next run or so,’’ Pride told RNSW.
Argentia | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It was a mongrel draw in the end and it really played against her (in the Show County), and she’s better on the dry.
“I don’t know if there’s a horse going any better in the stable than her. I’m looking forward to her run on Saturday. I’m just feeling my way through with her. In the autumn I think I’ll come up with a target for her but in this spring, I’m just finding out what she’s all about.”
Attrition on Toorak path
Promising gelding Attrition (Churchill {Ire}) heads to the G2 Feehan S. at The Valley on Saturday, as trainer Mitchell Freedman plots a spring path for the 4-year-old. Attrition’s main spring target is next month’s G1 Toorak H., but how he gets there remains fluid.
“There’s a number of different paths that he could take,” Freedman told Racing And Sports. “We think the ideal race for him is the Toorak Handicap, but how we get there, we will map that out after he runs on Saturday.
“He’s a 98-rater now and every other year I think he would have been right to get in and I don’t see that being any different this time. They gave him a few points the other day for his run in the PB Lawrence, so he should be right.”
Waller leaning to Rose with Militarize
Dual acceptor Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) is likely to resume against his own age in Saturday’s G2 Run to the Rose at Rosehill. The colt has also been accepted for the G2 Theo Marks S.
“I think we'll run him in the 3-year-old race, which wasn’t my original plan,” Waller told Racing And Sports. “It’s a smaller field and he’s not that well in at the weights in the Theo Marks against the older horses, not as well as I thought he might have been. I wouldn’t be expecting him to win over 1200 metres, but I think it’s a good stepping-stone towards the Golden Rose and Caulfield Guineas, which I think is his race.”
Militarize (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Apprentice Zac Lloyd has been engaged for the ride aboard the two-time Group 1 winner in the Run to the Rose.
Lane hopes Jewel shines on east coast
Star jockey Damian Lane is looking forward to his first race ride aboard brilliant mare Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}). Lane was in Perth on Tuesday to get acquainted with the Group 1 heroine in a Belmont trial ahead of her first campaign away from home.
The Simon Miller-trained Amelia’s Jewel - a winner of seven of her nine starts - will resume in the G2 Let’s Elope S. at Flemington on Saturday week.
“She’s obviously a good horse, a Group 1 winner and was narrowly beaten in The Quokka. I’m excited to get her here and see where she fits in,” Lane told Racenet on Wednesday at Sandown. “I don't think we’ll fully know (her potential) until we get her in a raceday environment against those better horses.”
The 4-year-old holds a Cox Plate nomination, but connections may opt to instead run in the Golden Eagle.
Marston handed lengthy ban
Ex-jockey and one-time Sky Racing presenter Chynna Marston has been barred from the racing industry until 2030 after she was dealt a seven-year disqualification for multiple animal welfare breaches.
Marston and her partner Alex Kean on Wednesday learned their fate following a lengthy Racing NSW investigation into the mistreatment of thoroughbred racehorses in their care. Kean was slapped with a six-year disqualification for his role.
Marston is unable to be an industry participant in any form until September 6, 2030, while Kean’s disqualification will end one year earlier.
Samizdat out to end winless drought
Michael Gangemi hopes Samizdat (Not A Single Doubt) can finally return to the winner’s stall in Saturday’s Listed Farnley S. at Belmont. It’s been two years since Samizdat last triumphed. On that occasion, he charged home to win the Listed Belmont Newmarket first-up.
Gangemi, who trains in partnership with his brother, Chris, says a raft of injury concerns and illness has held Samizdat back.
Samizdat | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
“We’re excited to see what he does because the signs behind the scenes that he is showing us is that he’s ready to run a good race,” Gangemi told The Races WA. “Obviously he has the class to win a race like this and we’re expecting a forward run. As long as he’s hitting the line hard we know we’re on the right track.
“We’re hoping it’s all pointing to a good run; his best is definitely good enough for a race like this.”
Midweek treble for Written Tycoon
Yulong’s star stallion Written Tycoon logged a treble of winners on Wednesday. Both Southport Tycoon and Vivianne saluted at Sandown-Hillside, while Able Willie scored at Randwick-Kensington.
Written Tycoon is currently fifth on the Australian General Sires’ table.
Meanwhile, second-season sires Ace High, Eminent (Ire), Encryption, Real Steel (Jpn) and Prized Icon all had one winner.
Havana Grey dominates Tattersalls Somerville Sale
The Whitsbury Manor Stud stallion Havana Grey (GB) was hot property on Tuesday at the season-opening Tattersalls Somerville Sale, the stallion represented by four of the top 11 lots in the catalogue, including the sale topper Lot 221, a grey daughter of the Harbour Watch (Ire) mare Minoria (GB) and half-sister to the Group 3-placed It’s Showtime Baby (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). The filly sold to agent Matt Coleman for 155,000gns (AU$320,000) and will head to trainer George Scott.
Lot 221 - Havana Grey (GB) x Minoria (GB) (filly) | Image courtesy of Tattersalls
The number of six-figure sales increased from four last year to seven in this week's sale, the average improving by five per cent to 31,904gns (AU$65,900). The Somerville Sale finished with an 89 per cent clearance rate for 271 yearlings sold and a turnover of 8,646,000gns (AU$17.84 million).
Former German champion jockey dead
Filip Minarik, a former four-time Champion jockey in Germany, died this week at age 48, it was confirmed. Born in the Czech Republic, he rode in Germany from 1992 and, by the time of his enforced retirement in July 2020 from a race fall, he had posted 1669 wins and was Champion rider in 2005, 2011, 2016 and 2017.
Minarki had also ridden in France and Japan, and he captained the winning European team in the 2019 Shergar Cup when riding Stone Of Destiny (GB) for Andrew Balding. His career-ending incident occurred at Mannheim Racecourse, after which he spent four weeks in an induced coma with head injuries and a broken leg and ankle. Minarik had suffered severe depression since his retirement from competitive riding.
Derby museum named top US attraction
The US publication USA Today this week named the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs among its top 10 attractions for American sports fans. The 2023 Best Readers’ Choice travel awards ranked the museum, which flanks the racecourse grandstands, fifth overall and it was the only attraction in Kentucky nominated. A total of 19 attractions received nominations, with the public voting online for their favourites.
The Kentucky Derby Museum | Image courtesy of the Kentucky Derby Museum
“We’re honoured to make the USA Today 10Best list and we’re grateful for everyone’s votes,” said Patrick Armstrong, the museum’s president and CEO. “The Kentucky Derby is the longest-running sporting event in America and we love sharing the thrill of the Derby every day with every guest that walks through our doors.”
The Field Of Dreams movie set in Iowa and the US Olympic and Paralympic museum in Colorado were among those attractions ahead of the Derby museum.
