Daily News Wrap

Per Incanto nomination listed on Gavelhouse

A nomination to Little Avondale Stud’s Per Incanto (USA) has been listed on the Gavelhouse online auction platform.

The son of Street Cry (Ire) is available for an advertised fee of NZ$50,000 (plus GST) in 2023, and as of 9pm (AEST) on Saturday, September 30, the bid stood at NZ$26,000.

Bidding closes on Monday, October 2, at 7.39pm NZDT or 4.39pm AEDT.

Justify lands Saturday double

Coolmore Australia’s second-season sire Justify (USA) scored a double with his 3-year-olds on Saturday. The Peter Robl-trained colt Spicy Legend broke his maiden by no less than 5l at the third attempt at Aquis Park Gold Coast Poly.

Meanwhile, in Western Australia, Peters Investments’ gelding Pleasure Cruise doubled his unbeaten record, scoring again in his second start at Belmont for trainer Takahide Ikenushi.

Born A King brings Frankel up to 132

Chris Waller’s Born A King (GB) (Frankel {GB}) was delivered to perfection by Beau Mertens at Mornington to land Saturday’s Listed R.M. Ansett Classic. It was a first stakes victory for Star Thoroughbreds’ 7-year-old, and a poignant race to win for Mertens, whose father - who won the same race 11 years ago - passed away in June.

Born A King becomes stakes winner 132 for Juddmonte Farms’ superstar Frankel (GB). Whilst the majority of his stakes winners have come in Great Britain and Ireland, Frankel now has 17 stakes winners in Australia, having never left his base at Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket.

Baby Paris SW 13 for Playing God

Colin Webster trainee Baby Paris became stakes winner number 13 for Darling View Thoroughbreds’ Playing God when she won Saturday’s Listed Black Heart Bart S. at Belmont. Ridden by Peter Knuckey, she recorded a 0.17l margin.

It was a sixth lifetime win for the 4-year-old mare, who has had just 11 starts. Playing God stands for $33,000 (inc GST) in 2023.

Trobriand leads Kermadec double

Te Akau’s Trobriand (NZ) (Kermadec {NZ}) was a classy winner of the Guineas Trial (1400 metres) at Riccarton for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. It was a fourth career victory for the 3-year-old colt, whose main target was confirmed as the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600 metres) on 11 November.

“The 2000 Guineas is his target, so we will see how he pulls up from this and then confirm his next start with that goal in mind,” Bergeson said. “As long as he is okay then that is likely to be the (G3) War Decree Stakes here in late October.”

Trobriand was bred by Windsor Park Stud and made NZ$260,000 as a yearling when purchased by David Ellis from the stud’s 2022 Book 1 draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.

Kermadec (NZ) was handed a 3-year-old double later in the afternoon over at Morphettville Parks when the Travis Doudle-trained filly Sentimental Flame won her second race from just three starts.

Te Akau top up at Mornington

It wasn’t quite the lofty heights achieved by star mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) on Friday evening in the G1 Moir S., but Te Akau’s Cranbourne base notched another winner at Mornington on Saturday.

Making her Australian debut a winning one, 3-year-old filly Rubicon Crossing (Rubick) took the opening 1000-metre handicap by a decisive 2.75l under topweight, confirming her early promise which saw her place twice at stakes level in New Zealand.

“She’s still developing, she’s a small, neat filly and she’s still got a bit to come in terms of muscling up,” said Ben Gleeson, who leads Te Akau’s Cranbourne base.

Snowden assures all is okay with Mazu

Triple Crown Syndications' intended The Everest runner Mazu (Maurice {Jpn}) was a sensationally late scratching from the G2 Premiere S. at Randwick on Saturday after presenting lame on the morning of the race. However, his trainers Peter and Paul Snowden assured it is nothing serious and Mazu could trial as soon as Tuesday.

“The guys have gone back to bring him down and he’s just walked out half a grade lame behind,” Paul Snowden said on Saturday.

Snowden explained that Mazu was fortunately placed in Redzel’s (Snitzel) old stable, meaning in-box security camera footage can be reviewed as a further precaution, though he added that the issue was likely “a chiropractic” one.

Condor flying the flag for Eureka

Eureka Stud’s second-season sire Encryption scored his first international winner on Saturday courtesy of Condor in Singapore. The 3-year-old colt is so far his sire’s only runner outside Australia, and was breaking his maiden at the fourth attempt.

Bred by Eureka, Condor was originally a $70,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase for Grange Bloodstock and was subsequently a $150,000 Inglis Ready2Race graduate in 2022, selling to Fitzsimmons Racing and Wattle Bloodstock (FBAA).

Encryption’s headline juvenile last season was G2 BRC Sires’ Produce S. winner Cifrado, and he stands for $13,200 (inc GST) in 2023.

International gallopers touch down in Sydney

This weekend, a large contingent of Northern Hemisphere horses targeting the $87 million Sydney Everest Carnival will arrive in Australia.

Ten of the gallopers hail from the United Kingdom and will head to Canterbury Park. Amongst the group is the returning Light Infantry (Fr) (Fast Company {Ire}), while he will be joined by others such as Zoology (GB) (Zoustar) and New Endeavour (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) at Canterbury Park.

Coin Toss (Flying Artie), set to join the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable, is arriving from Singapore and is expected to target the $10 million Golden Eagle.

Shinn set for sidelines

There is no doubt Blake Shinn would have savoured every moment riding in Sydney on Saturday, as the Champion hoop is set for a stint on the sidelines after being deemed responsible for his fall from Fasuto (Supido) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.

Horse and rider walked away unharmed, but Racing Victoria’s chief steward, Rob Montgomery, felt the incident could have been avoided if Shinn showed more care.

“The problem with what we’re faced with you (Blake Shinn) is you’ve put yourself in danger, you’ve fallen,” Montgomery said.

“Luckily, Fasuto came away unscathed. We've got to protect you, we've got to protect the field, we've got to protect the horses.”

Shinn argued at first, he felt he was riding with caution. However, he accepted responsibility and was given a 14-meeting ban, expected to start on Sunday after the meeting at Sandown-Hillside. Shinn will miss Flemington’s G1 Turnbull S. meeting next Saturday.

Williams nabs Soulcombe ride

Craig Williams has received the ride on the Chris Waller-trained Soulcombe (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in next Saturday’s G1 Turnbull S., considered an important test for next month's G1 Cox Plate.

Williams received the ride after Blake Shinn was suspended for 14 meetings on Friday night at Moonee Valley. However, the ride on the promising gelding in the G1 Caulfield and Melbourne Cups is open.

Path chasing Toorak ticket

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained untapped galloper Golden Path (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) will look to use Sunday’s G3 Sandown S. as a launch pad for further riches.

The 4-year-old has an eye on the G1 Toorak H. but needs to justify the lofty goal with an impressive performance at Sandown-Hillside.

“He’s really come on since his first-up run,” Kent Jnr told Racing.com.

“To be fair, we probably ran him over a trip short of his best and it just found him out; he kept closing hard. It was the ideal first-up run without winning.

“The Sandown is the sort of race where we need to win, if not run very well, to get our rating up a fair bit and hopefully sneak into the Toorak.”

Goffs Orby Book 2 recap: daughter of Night Of Thunder leads way at 140k

Goffs' chief Henry Beeby acknowledged the selective nature of the trade at the re-branded Part 2 Goffs Orby Sale where a €140,000 (AU$230,500) Night Of Thunder (Ire) filly led the way on Friday when selling from Derrinstown Stud to Macie and Kishore Mirpuri.

That sale continued the theme of well-bred fillies commanding plenty of respect in the ring during Book 1 and Book 2 of this year's Orby Sale.

All told, the sale returned an aggregate of €8,097,500 (AU$13.3 million), representing a 22 per cent fall from the Sportsman's Sale last year while the median fell 14 per cent to €18,000 (AU$29,600) and the average dipped seven per cent to €23,136 (AU$38,000). Of the 464 horses offered, 350 were sold, representing a clearance rate of 75 per cent (down from 86 per cent in 2022).

Beeby commented, “Following an excellent Orby Book 1 headed by two millionaire lots it was always going to be a challenge to maintain such a vibrant trade in our rebranded Orby Book 2.

“Orby Book 2 is the successor to the Sportsman's Sale which has enjoyed many strong years... So, to come anywhere near to those statistics is relatively pleasing and, in fact, today's figures represent the second best since the sale expanded to two days due to popular demand in 2019.”