Hong Kong Derby goes to Massive Sovereign
Sunday’s Listed Hong Kong Derby was won by second favourite Massive Sovereign (Ire) (No Nay Never {USA}) for trainer Dennis Yip. The 4-year-old gelding is now unbeaten in two starts in Hong Kong and lived up to all the talk around him after his impressive debut win three weeks ago.
Previously trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, where he won two of his five starts, Massive Sovereign hadn’t run in stakes company until Sunday’s Listed Hong Kong Derby win.
Ka Ying Generation (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) was sent out at a strong pace by jockey Andrea Atzeni and was still six or seven lengths in front with a furlong to go, when Massive Sovereign and eventual second-placed Galaxy Patch (Wandjina) put on the after-burners and sped home to nab Ka Ying Generation on the line. The official margins were a nose and 0.75l. Massive Sovereign was ridden by Zac Purton, while Galaxy Patch was ridden by Blake Shinn. The favourite Helios Express (Toronado {Ire}) ran mid-field.
In his two starts in Hong Kong, Massive Sovereign has won over HK$17 million (AU$3.34 million). He becomes the 58th stakes winner for No Nay Never (USA).
McEvoy out for the autumn with fractured vertebrae
A scan on Sunday morning on jockey Kerrin McEvoy’s neck has discovered a fracture on the C6 vertebrae. The fracture won’t require surgery and is a non-spinal column injury. McEvoy will have a follow up MRI on Monday before a recommended four-week rest time before the injury will be reassessed.
McEvoy landed badly in the G3 Birthday Card S. when Tintookie (Winning Rupert) fell. Tintookie had to be humanely euthanised.
Kerrin McEvoy | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
McEvoy had a day filled with ups and downs on Saturday after his son Charlie broke his arm playing football in the morning, then he won the G1 Galaxy on Zapateo (Brazen Beau) before the fall in the last on the card.
Blue Diamond winner Hayasugi out for a spell
G1 Blue Diamond winner Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}) has escaped serious injury but will go out for a spell and be set for the spring. Hayasugi knuckled on leaving the gates in the G1 Golden Slipper and was lucky to avoid a fall. “It was an awful 50 metres,” trainer Clinton McDonald told Racing.com on Sunday.
“She’s pretty quiet this morning, Normally, she doesn’t lift her head from eating grass but she’s a little bit sore and sorry for herself, but she’ll be fine. She obviously knuckled quite badly coming out of the gates and Jamie (Kah) dropped the outside rein and then they went into the rail. She’s quartered her heel quite bad and she will go off for a well-earned break.
“You just feel for the horse, but the main thing (is that) Jamie is okay and the horse is okay. We know we have a high-class filly who’ll have a good break and coming back in the spring.”
Coleman set for Sires’ Produce
Trainer Matt Laurie will set Coleman (Pierata) for the G1 Sires’ Produce S. after the 2-year-old colt ran second in the G1 Golden Slipper on Saturday. “Obviously, happy that he ran very well but just to be beaten by the smallest of margins is a bit cruel,” Laurie told Racing.com on Sunday.
“He’s eaten up overnight and he’s actually strutting out quite well this morning. We’re not locking anything in, but we’ll keep him here for a week or so and make a call. It looks like the capability is there (to run in the Sires) and that’s the next race on the horizon. We’ll just see how the next 10 days goes.
Matt Laurie | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“We thought he could win the Diamond and was the No. 1 in betting and expected to win, but it went pear-shaped. But you take that run out and everything he has done is high class. We just scrub that from our minds.”
Coleman won his first two starts, both in stakes company, before running 13th in the G1 Blue Diamond S. His next two starts were a third in the G3 Pago Pago S. and the second in the G1 Golden Slipper with earnings over $1 million. A $550,000 purchase by Laurie and Justin Bahen at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in the Kulani Park draft, and he is a half-brother to Listed winner Liwa (Mulaazem) and is out of a half-sister to Group 2 winner and sire Rothesay (Fastnet Rock).
Mr Brightside/Pride Of Jenni re-match in Australian Cup
The battle of the season has been between Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) and Pride of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) with Pride Of Jenni holding a 2-1 advantage, but neither have won over the 2000 metres of the G1 Australian Cup.
“We're confident she'll get it, no worries,” jockey Declan Bates told Racenet.com.au. “She's much more relaxed these days and I'll just rate her accordingly. If she does it the right way, I think she'll run out a strong 2000. I'm looking forward to it.”
Declan Bates | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The TAB has Mr Brightside as the $2.75 favourite with Pride Of Jenni at $3.
Orchestral arrives on Tuesday for Vinery tilt
Boom Kiwi 3-year-old filly Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) arrives in Australia on Tuesday for a tilt at the G1 Vinery Stud S. “She flies on Tuesday to Sydney and hopefully we’ll run in the Vinery on Saturday,” co-trainer Roger James told Racing.com on Sunday.
“It’s (Derby) an option. I’ve never done it (backing up) with her, and firstly I’d like to see how she measures up in the Vinery. We’ve got that (Queen Elizabeth) left open as an option, but the Oaks is the most likely option.”
Orchestral (NZ) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
Orchestral will be ridden by James McDonald in the Vinery, and she has won five of her eight starts including the last four in succession, with the G1 New Zealand Derby her most recent win. She has earnings over NZ$1.5 million. Roger James and his co-trainer Robert Wellwood purchased her at the 2022 New Zealand Bloostock National Yearling Sale’s Haunui Farm draft.
Caroline Searcy's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale Preview
Monday night on Sky Thoroughbred Central Caroline Searcy presents the first of two 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale Previews ahead of the elite thoroughbred sale at Riverside Stables, Warwick Farm on April 7 & 8.
With unprecedented expectation surrounding the sale of the first yearling from champion mare Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) who features in the Coolmore segment on Monday night.
Other leading Australian stud farms featured this week are Arrowfield Stud, Newgate Farm, Widden Stud, Kitchwin Hills/Alma Vale and Kia Ora Stud.
Caroline Searcy with Lot 391 - Pierro x Winx (filly) | Image courtesy of Caroline Searcy
In Part 2 of the Previews on Monday April 1 featuring farms in the Southern Highlands of NSW; Silverdale Farm, The Chase, B2B Thoroughbreds, plus Hunter Valley operations Marquee Stud and North Bloodstock.
Part 1 of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale Preview will be at 8.30pm (AEDT) on Monday, March 25 on Sky Thoroughbred Central (Foxtel Channel 528).
Part 2 of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale Preview will be at 8.30pm (AEDT) on Monday, April 1 on Sky Thoroughbred Central (Foxtel Channel 528).
Trainer Perdon wins first country cup
Trainer Andrew Perdon has won his first country cup when 6-year-old mare Starspangled Baby (Starspangledbanner) won Sunday’s Bairnsdale Cup. “I’ve only been in this for a short time, and to get a country cup already… everyone in the industry knows how hard they are to win,” Perdon told Racing.com.
“So, to get one this early, and with this mare – I’ve got a heap of my mates in her, so it’s just fantastic.” Perdon gained his trainer’s licence last year and this is his first full season as a trainer.
“She’s been banging on the door. She hasn’t won for six months, but she’s always been thereabouts. And in really good races too, we’ve been putting her to the test, so I couldn’t be any prouder of the horse. I’d also like to thank Paul Worthington and his daughter Jade… he gallops her for me and they’ve really helped me out with ideas, what to do with her.”
Starspangled Baby has won seven of her 44 starts, and of those, 13 have been for Perdon with two wins. Perdon purchased her as a yearling from Supreme Thoroughbreds for $12,000 at the 2019 Inglis Gold Yearling Sale.
Fab’s Cowboy invited to retire to Living Legends
With Fab’s Cowboy (Greenwood Lake {USA}) breaking his own Australian record in winning his 53rd race on Saturday has resulted in an invitation from Living Legends for his retirement. The 12-year-old gelding will be forced to retire at the end of the season under the new age rules preventing horses aged 13 or older from racing. “(CEO) Andrew (Clarke) from Living Legends has invited him to go there in retirement, which had always been our hope to send him there,” Mel Johnson told Racenet.com.au.
“To have that realised now, we couldn't be more proud and we are over the moon to have that there. A lot of people have said we should apply for an exemption to allow him to race on, but it's not something we have ever considered. As much as he loves doing what he is doing, and he is incredibly sound, if anything was to ever happen to him with an exemption, we wouldn't like it at all.
“He isn't ready to completely retire and sit in a paddock, he would sulk, so we had reservations about him going and sitting at Living Legends while people give him carrots. When we spoke to Andrew, he said they have an under saddle program, which is perfect for him, he will get great care there and he can do some jumping or dressage with some capable riders, which is what he loves doing.”
Full sister to Veight runs second on debut
Pedigree fans noted that the 2-year-old full sister to Saturday’s Group 1 winner Veight (Grunt {NZ}) was making her debut on Sunday at Ballarat. Trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Rock Pop had won a jump-out going into the race, and on race day, she showed her potential in running second.
Rock Pop is a homebred for Yu Long Investments.
Takamatsunomiya Kinen won by Mad Cool
5-year-old entire Mad Cool (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) won the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen on Sunday with Australian-bred Victor The Winner (Toronado {Ire}) in third. Mad Cool becomes the 16th Group 1 winner for Dark Angel (Ire).
The race was run in 1.08.9 on a wet track. Mad Cool took his record to six wins from 12 starts. He was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida from Moyglare Stud Farm at the 2019 Goffs November Foal Sale for €225,000 (AU$375,000).
Six-day suspension for Marquand
Jockey Tom Marquand will miss Doncaster day after being given a six-day suspension by Racing NSW stewards for careless riding causing interference while on third-placegetter Corniche (Fastnet Rock) in the Listed Derby Munro S. He pleaded guilty to the charge.
The report said, “after leaving the 900-metre, he permitted his mount to shift in when not sufficiently clear of Don Corleone, which was checked when crowded onto West Of Dalby.” Don Corleone (Extreme Choice) finished third-last and West of Dalby (Santos) finished last.
Tom Marquand | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
His suspension is set to commence on Monday April 1 and expire on the morning of Sunday April 7. There were four jockeys given suspensions from the Rosehill meeting, the others being four days for Sam Clipperton, Zac Lloyd will miss March 27 to April 1, and Jordan Childs will miss April 1 to April 5.
Kimochi aimed at Vinery Stud S
Trainer Gary Portelli believes his 3-year-old filly Kimochi (Brave Smash {Jpn}) should be shorter in the market for the G1 Vinery Stud S. “I think they've got it wrong,” Portelli told Racingandsports.com.au.
“Zougotcha, what price would she be in a race like that? We've stretched Zougotcha in a Coolmore. She's done nothing wrong, my filly. I know you've got two Group 1 winners there, my filly hasn't won one yet but she has raced the best of them. I don't think she should be that far out of the market, that's for sure.”
Gary Portelli | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Kimochi has only won two of her 12 starts but has placed on nine occasions including a last start third in the G1 Coolmore Classic. She won the G2 Light Fingers S. first-up this campaign and has earnings over $1 million. Kimochi was a $21,000 weanling purchase by Hall of Fame Bloodstock from Valiant Stud at the 2021 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.
Jockey loses appeal on betting ban
Jockey Dale Evans has lost his appeal against a six-month ban. The Queensland Racing Appeals Panel released the results of the hearing in which Evans claimed he did not know that he was prohibited from betting on overseas racing.
Dale had originally pleaded guilty and was appealing the length of the suspension only.
“The total amount involved with those bets was considerable being of the order of $81,224. Of the total number of 2042 bets, 47 were placed within Australia ($1,718), the remainder ($79,506) being on overseas thoroughbred racing events,” stated the stewards report.
In the appeal document, stewards said, “Although there was an element of evasion in the Applicants initial response to the Steward's questioning, he did ultimately plead guilty to the offence. He has a lengthy disciplinary history, but he has no previous entries for betting offences. The offence itself involved a large number of bets with the amount involved being considerable. Offending of this nature, as the Panel has observed, has a clear potential for harm to the industry of thoroughbred racing.”
Stakes-winning return for de Sousa
Jockey Silvestra de Sousa rode a winner in England on his first day back after serving a 10-month global ban for breaching betting rules in Hong Kong. “I love British racing, I love the people. I got a big reception as a welcome back and I'm delighted with the opportunities I've been getting. It's nice to get a winner, especially on the first day of the season,” de Sousa told Racingpost.com.
“I rode plenty of winners (in Hong Kong) but things happened out there. They're very restrictive on who you're speaking to. But I am up for a new challenge and here I am.”
He won on Roger Varian-trained Charyn (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the Listed Doncaster Mile. 4-year-old entire Charyn now has three wins including a Group 2 win as a 2-year-old.
