Superstars to renew acquaintances in The All-Star Mile
Defending champion Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) will square off with his old sparring partner Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) in The All-Star Mile after the pair were handed the first two wildcards for the sixth edition of Australia’s richest mile race.
“He only had a few weeks in the paddock but he really enjoyed his time out and is now looking as good as ever,” Ben Hayes, co-trainer of Mr Brightside, said.
Mr Brightside (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We’ll follow the same program as last autumn and hope for the same result in The All-Star Mile. He’s such a versatile horse, he goes well on any ground and on any racetrack but it obviously gives us extra confidence that he has a very good record at Caulfield.”
The 2024 The All-Star Mile will be run at Caulfield on March 16.
The winners of Saturday’s Karaka Millions 3YO and Aotearoa Classic for 4-year-olds will be offered a guaranteed start in 2024's The All-Star Mile, which will this year feature a field of 16 runners.
Nominations extended for colts and geldings’ Diamond Preview
Caulfield will on Friday host the Blue Diamond Previews. After the Listed Blue Diamond Preview for colts and geldings attracted 14 runners, Racing Victoria decided to extend nominations. The maximum field size is 16 plus four emergencies.
Anthony and Sam Freedman have nominated three colts - Cap Ten (Capitalist), Eject (Street Boss {USA}) and Espinho (Written Tycoon), with the latter being a half-brother to the Group 1 heroine Shoals (Fastnet Rock) and the Listed winner Groundswell (Fastnet Rock).
Russian Roulette (Russian Revolution), from the all-conquering Tulloch Lodge stable of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, is also nominated. He has won two trials in Sydney.
Meanwhile, there are 15 nominations for the G3 Blue Diamond Preview for fillies, including the Rosehill trial winner, the Annabel Neasham-trained Bella Corazon (I Am Invincible).
Storm Boy to be set for Skyline
With the eyes of Australian racing firmly fixed on Storm Boy (Justify {USA}), co-trainer Adrian Bott has revealed the likely program to lead the electric colt into the G1 Golden Slipper, a path trodden previously by one of the icons of Tulloch Lodge.
“The most likely race for Storm Boy is the Skyline, three weeks into the Golden Slipper, a bit like his Magic Millions lead-up,” Bott told Racing And Sports.
“It's the ‘Dance Hero’ program.
Adrian Bott | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“Gai went back to the last time we did this, the dates might be a bit different but it works out well.”
Dance Hero (Danzero), who took all before him as a 2-year-old in the 2003/04 season, won the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic (just like Storm Boy), before going on to win the G3 Skyline S., the G1 Golden Slipper, the G1 Sires’ Produce S. and the G1 Champagne S., a feat that stands unmatched in the two decades since.
Imperatriz to tune up at Mornington
Fresh off a track gallop at Cranbourne on Friday night, world-class sprinter Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) will head across to Mornington on Wednesday as she nears a return to racing.
Te Akau Racing's assistant trainer Ben Gleeson told Racing.com on Monday that the plan is for the star mare to have two trials in preparation for her return to competition.
“We just wanted to take her away from Cranbourne for one trial and this looks a perfect fit,” Gleeson said.
“She’ll have one (trial) away from home and then one at home before she goes back to the races.
“It will be a maintenance trial. She’ll be held in hand and then when she heads to her second one in a week-and-a-half’s time, that will be the time we’ll let her do a bit more.”
Brown back in action
Group 1-winning jockey Ethan Brown will make his return to race riding on Wednesday at Sandown-Hillside.
Brown hasn’t ridden since September, after deciding to take a longer break following an August comeback from serious internal injuries sustained in a fall in the G1 Australian Guineas at Flemington in March.
Ethan Brown
“He rides there on Wednesday and he rides at Pakenham (Thursday night) and I think he’s riding at Caulfield on Friday and either Moonee Valley or Moe on Saturday, so he’s getting back into the swing of it,” Brown’s manager Phillip Roost told Racing.com.
“He feels good. He’s got quite a few trials under his belt and he’s ready to go. He just needed time.”
Brown is slated to partner the Michael Kent-trained Samuel Longhorne (NZ) (Shocking) in Race 5 - a 1600-metre BM64 H.
Haggas to make presence felt with quality stock
World-renowned trainer William Haggas, who has enjoyed tremendous success in Australia in recent years through the exploits of Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) and Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai), will again return to Australia in the autumn, with an army of elite-level horses set to descend on Sydney.
Alongside the aforementioned Dubai Honour, who will return to defend his G1 Queen Elizabeth S. title, Haggas will travel Desert Hero (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Post Impressionist (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Mujtaba (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Top jockey Tom Marquand, who has been riding all around the world in recent months alongside wife Hollie Doyle, is understood to be making the trip to ride for Haggas.
Youth to mix it with experience in Australia S.
The G2 Australia S. has attracted a quality field of nominations for the 2024 iteration, with the most eye-catching element being the 3-year-olds putting their hand up to be entered into the race.
All of King Colorado (Kingman {GB}), Veight (Grunt {NZ}), Brave Mead (Brave Smash {Jpn}), Southport Tycoon (Written Tycoon) and Scentify (Justify {USA}) have been nominated to tackle the older horses under weight-for-age conditions.
Also featuring in the nominations for Saturday’s feature are Nugget (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), Sweet Ride (Deep Field) and Recommendation (Shalaa {Ire}).
I Am Unstoppable gets a new jockey
Talented 3-year-old sprinter I Am Unstoppable (I Am Invincible) will be partnered by top rider Jamie Kah in the G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. next month, according to co-trainer Lloyd Kennewell.
“He was really good,” Kennewell told Racing.com after the colt completed an 850-metre jump-out at Cranbourne on Monday morning.
“He was obviously out for his first trial for the preparation. He's going to have another one, but he was terrific.
I Am Unstoppable | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“That was Jamie's first sit on him and she was extremely happy. She is booked for the first two races - the Lightning and the Newmarket.
“The Lightning's a good race to kick off in and while it's obviously going to be a super-strong race, he's a very good colt and a valuable colt at that, who deserves to take his place.
“The Lightning will battle-harden him for the Newmarket, where he’ll come in well at the weights.”
Sparta to conquer the west?
Talented sprinter King Of Sparta (I Am Invincible) looks set to tackle the second running of The Quokka, with part-owner Harry Mitchell of Yarraman Park telling The Races WA a deal is in the pipeline.
“We were keen to come last year but it didn’t work out,” Mitchell said.
“We’ve had three people enquire about him and one proposal and we are hoping to make a decision in the next two to three days.
“We think we will be coming.”
King Of Sparta will be met with a strong field, already boasting Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}), Overpass (Vancouver) and Oscar’s Fortune (Rich Enuff).
Harry to run in the Guineas?
Promising 3-year-old Run Harry Run (Written Tycoon) has been set a lofty goal by trainer Mike Moroney, with the veteran horseman hoping the rapidly improving gelding can reach Group 1 level in the autumn.
“We’ll have some nice horses in the Australian Guineas,” Moroney told Racenet.
“Run Harry Run, he’ll run in the CS Hayes (S.) first-up. He was impressive at Caulfield (in the spring) and he’ll be an Australian Guineas horse.”
The son of Written Tycoon has enjoyed three victories from four career starts, including the G3 Blue Sapphire S.
Michel eyes Melbourne Cup glory
French jockey Mickaelle Michel, who is currently riding in Victoria, has dreams of winning the G1 Melbourne Cup.
Michel won her first race in Australia on Saturday, partnering the Stephen Brown-trained Southern Fire (Toronado {Ire}) to an upset victory in Race 3 at Flemington.
“I really want to stay for the Melbourne Cup. I will definitely work for that,” Michel told RSN.
Michel has ridden in France, Saudi Arabia, England, Japan and the US.
She is currently on a six-month stay with trainer Brent Stanley.
Vale, David Benjamin
The New Zealand racing and breeding industry is mourning the death of David Benjamin, a noted marketing innovator, who passed away on Friday.
Benjamin played a pivotal role in establishing the now iconic hospitality area at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale. Ray Knight, who worked with him at Fieldhouse Stud, said he was a brilliant marketer.
“He was before his time in many ways. He was very good with marketing and promotion, and always led a pretty good ship,” Knight said.
David Benjamin | Image courtesy of Trish Dunell
“He started the tents and hospitality areas at the national sales when they were originally at Trentham. It started out as feeding the staff lunch and it developed into what it has become today.
“I don’t know if David had seen it in the States, he may have because he spent a lot of time in the States.
“Part of his legacy is what we are seeing throughout Australasia now (in sales hospitality).”
