Cameron Rawiller injured at Warrnambool
Jump jockey Cameron Rawiller has been injured on the first day of the jump racing season in Victoria after falling from Teofilo Star (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). The falling horse also brought down Serenade The Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Both horses and Serenade The Star’s jockey Daryl Horner Jnr were unscathed in the incident.
Rawiller was taken to hospital with a suspected collar-bone fracture, and the races were delayed as the course awaited a new ambulance.
Blue Diamond winner on song for Slipper
Trainer Clinton McDonald believes his 2-year-old filly Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}) is a threat to the colts in the G1 Golden Slipper. The filly was set to trial on Tuesday but McDonald elected to give it a miss.
“She did enough on Friday and we’re happy with we’re she’s at and I didn’t think she needed it,” McDonald told Racing.com.
Hayasugi | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She’ll have a nice gallop later in the week and then again early next week and then we’re off to Sydney. She galloped really nicely on Friday here. Jamie (Kah) came and rode her and she galloped over half a mile in company. She pulled up and wouldn’t have blown a candle out, so I thought she didn’t need to trial.”
Hayasugi won the G1 Blue Diamond S. at her most recent start and has a record of three wins from five starts.
“We took Courtza up (in 1989) and Show County was the best colt so that talk is always around,” he said.
“I can’t fault her, so they won’t want to have any chinks in the armour. We think she’s on the improve. She’s improved again and she looks fantastic and hasn’t missed a beat.”
Immediacy trials well before Classic targets
Co-trainer Trent Busuttin was pleased with Immediacy (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}) after he trialled on Tuesday morning ahead of the G1 Rosehill Guineas and G1 Australian Derby targets.
“He’s been in and out of work many times, so I think certainly he can do it,” Busuttin told Racing.com.
“He went well in his jump-out this morning, which was good to see. He sat back and ran third and looked to do it pretty easy. Luke (Currie) was happy with him, and all is positive. There are no dramas. Everything is going as it should.
“Obviously, we’ve got to take on the Sydney colts, which always separates the men from the boys, but we are really looking to get to him to 2000 metres, for sure. Militarize is obviously a very classy horse and I thought Tom Kitten was unlucky and he did win the Spring Champion Stakes (2000 metres) so we know him over the trip. I guess they have been there and done that and we are going to see where our horse is at.”
Immediacy, who is co-trained by Natalie Young, is unbeaten in three starts with a last start win in the G2 Autumn Classic.
Mr Brightside draws out wide for The All-Star Mile
Favourite Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) has drawn barrier 11 for Saturday’s The All-Star Mile with Racing Victoria putting together a field of 12.
“Barrier six would have been better but we can deal with barrier 11 with no problems,” co-trainer Ben Hayes told Racenet.com.au.
“The speed has drawn inside us so he can jump and roll across. He's got a great record at Caulfield and sat wide before on a fast tempo and really kicked away. If anything, it keeps him out of trouble. Overall, we're happy.” Ben trains in partnership with brothers Will and JD.
Pride of Jenni (Pride of Dubai) has drawn in six. The pair have finished 1-2 in both the G1 CF Orr S. and G1 Cantala S. this campaign with one win each.
Moroney believes Buffalo River can beat favourites
Trainer Mike Moroney believes Buffalo River (Noble Mission {GB}) can win The All-Star Mile on Saturday, despite the presence of Mr Brightside (Bullbars) and Pride of Jenni (Pride of Dubai).
“If you go on theories, if they (Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni) don't turn up, then we're the next-best chance,” Moroney told Racing.com.
Buffalo River (USA) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Whenever Buffalo River's around it puts interest into the race, with him and Pride Of Jenni being there it's going to be truly enough run I would think and give everyone its chance. Going to make it very interesting, especially around Caulfield, which is a track he loves, he's been Group 1-placed there at a mile. My only little question mark is he's getting very deep into a prep, they're one run away from having their last one. I'm confident he's ok but you never know, especially with the way we've got to train him off the treadmill mainly, at times it's a little bit hard to get a line.”
Import Buffalo River was a 2-year-old winner in England before arriving here as a 3-year-old. He has won nine of his career 45 starts and comes into The All-Star Mile with three successive third placings, twice behind Mr Brightside.
New juvenile winner for Invader
I’m Zac (Invader) became a new 2-year-old winner for his sire when he won on debut over 800 metres at Warwick on Tuesday. He made easy work of it in the end, crossing the finish line 1.5l ahead of the field. Trained by Desleigh Forster and ridden by Kirk Matheson, I’m Zac was the $2.60 favourite.
Sold by Berkeley Park Stud for $70,000 to Paul Moroney Bloodstock as a weanling, I’m Zac was sold again to Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Catheryne Bruggeman as a yearling at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Kenmore Lodge to trainer Desleigh Forster. He is from the third crop of Invader who stands at Aquis Farm.
Jacob’s Time primed for Randwick-Kensington
Co-trainer Sterling Alexiou has Jacob’s Time (Trapeze Artist) primed for Wednesday’s meeting at Randwick-Kensington, but is worried about the race strategy.
“The only question mark is you go from a big field, fast run race, to drawing six of nine in what looks a pretty steady run race stepping up in trip,” Alexiou told Racingnsw.com.au.
“They probably look polar opposite maps on paper. We’re just happy with how he’s returned and how he’s progressing this preparation. We were really happy with how he trialled up this time in, a lot sharper than he normally is. You’ve got to keep his mind on the job otherwise he tends to have a bit of a bludge.”
Sterling Alexiou | Image courtesy of the Australian Turf Club
The 3-year-old gelding broke his maiden back in December at his second start and ran fourth first-up in this campaign.
“He’s possibly a horse we could get out to a Frank Packer Plate if he keeps improving, or we could get a couple under his belt and if he’s going to run a mile and a half look at a Queensland Derby,” Alexiou said.
“We’re still feeling our way a bit but I think he’s a hose that’s going to run a pretty solid 2000 metres, whether he gets beyond that you don’t know until you try them.”
Melbourne Cup dreams for Excelleration
The win by Excelleration (Excelebration {Ire}) in the G2 Adelaide Cup on Monday has his trainer Richard Cully dreaming of the G1 Melbourne Cup.
“Not to get too carried away but I think it would be silly to not think about November,” Cully told Racing.com.
“You don’t get to many chances at it (Melbourne Cup) and while it was never a question to me about the two miles at least he’s ticked the box now. A good friend of mine in Melbourne is a bit of a form guru and he think he could run top 10 in a Melbourne Cup off 52kg. We’ll count back and see if we can find a race that gets us straight in. Maybe the race in May, the Andrew Ramsden, could be an option. It’s a good spot to be in, trying to work out how you get a run in a Melbourne Cup.
“He was only 50 per cent to run in the Adelaide Cup because I was looking at the Roy Higgins and thinking the 2600 metres with a month between runs (since the Launceston Cup) looked like a suitable option but when the weights came out for the Adelaide Cup, I thought it would be an insult if we didn’t take our chance with that weight. We can say we pulled the right rein now.”
Excelleration has won seven of his 19 starts and over $620,000, and was a $6000 purchase from the Riverina Downs draft at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
Celestial Legend chasing new rider for Doncaster
With regular jockey Kerrin McEvoy unable to make the 49kg assigned to 3-year-old colt Celestial Legend (Dundeel {NZ}) for the G1 Doncaster H, trainer Les Bridge is looking for a new rider.
Celestial Legend has won his last two starts, the G1 Randwick Guineas and G2 Hobartville S. He also won a city race as a 2-year-old, and has earnings over $950,000. He was a $220,000 purchase by Legend Racing and Avenue Bloodstock at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from Arrowfield Stud.
Two more allowed for Friday’s Pakenham Cup
Racing Victoria have clarified that Friday night’s Listed Pakenham Cup will have a field of 14, not 12 as originally stated. “Night racing meetings in Victoria are capped at 12 unless they are a black-type race and this will be the first time at Pakenham that the Cup's been run under lights,” club chief executive Neil Bainbridge told Racing.com.
Neil Bainbridge | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“Pakenham night meetings are always fields of 12 but obviously this is the first Listed race held at Pakenham under lights, so Racing Victoria has amended it to allow a field of 14, which is terrific. There's been a restriction on field size limits on night meetings probably since night racing started. Ideally, it would be reviewed at some stage by Racing Victoria, but we are pleased that it is going to be 14 and not 12 and it's set to be a great night's racing.”
Gold Coast meeting transferred
Racing Queensland advised that the race meeting scheduled for Saturday, March 23 at the Gold Coast Turf Club has now been transferred to the Polytrack to allow for works to be completed on the course proper. Trainers should check the Racing Queensland website for details on changes to the program.
Inbreeding contributes to mid/late-term pregnancy loss
New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), in collaboration with Cornell University, has found that inbreeding is a contributing factor to mid- and late-term pregnancy loss (MLPL), but not early pregnancy loss (EPL) in thoroughbreds. This is the first study which explores the effect of genomic inbreeding levels on late-term pregnancy loss in the horse and will help inform mating choices to minimise the risk of miscarriages in thoroughbreds.
Dr Jessica Lawson said, “This research provides critical evidence showing that mating highly related individuals does have a tangible effect on our breeding operations, as there is a real risk of a mare losing her pregnancy late in gestation and failing to produce a foal at all that season."
“The take home from our work should be to carefully consider breeding choices that involve mating of highly related individuals as, ultimately, this may increase the chance of the foal inheriting mutations which may not be compatible with life. We are already working on the next step, looking to identify these changes so more specific advice can be provided in the future”.
HISA meeting discussed breeze-up sales
Trainers Ron Moquett and Dale Romans told the latest Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) town hall meeting on March 11 that they need to apply the same rules to breeze-up sales as they do to racedays.
“I think it's somewhat hypocritical to say that we're there for the integrity of the sport, whenever the product of the sport is based on the health of these animals and so much can be done good and bad. The fact that we don't regulate (sales works) in some form or fashion, it's kind of hypocritical to the rest of the world that we really care about these athletes' health, because we only care about them if we can bet on them,” Moquett said.
Romans agreed, saying, “I don't understand why the sales companies aren't held at the same standard as we are and I think that they should offer hair samples for every horse that breezes. If I purchase a horse, they should offer the test and we can pluck the hairs and see what's in that horse going forward.”
HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus informed meeting attendees that currently a horse is not covered by HISA until it has an official work that is recorded by Equibase, however she has previously had meetings with Keeneland, Fasig-Tipton, and Ocala Breeders Sales Company in October and they “agreed to work together to come up with an anti-doping program that aligned with HISA so that there's a sensible journey from weanling, yearling, 2-year-old, and then into horses of racing age.”
