Manaal waiting until the morning before making Sires decision
The decision on whether Manaal (Tassort) will run in the G1 Sires’ Produce S. will be made on Saturday morning. “I think we’ve got to wait and see what we get on Saturday, until we see what kind of surface we’re racing on and how it’s racing that’ll determine tactics to a large degree,” trainer Michael Freedman told Racingnsw.com.au.
Manaal | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Group 2 winner Manaal ran fifth in the G1 Golden Slipper at her last start.
Velocious on song for second Group 1
Kiwi 2-year-old filly Velocious (Written Tycoon) will spell after the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. on Saturday and be set for her 3-year-old campaign. “Win, lose or draw she’s had a fantastic campaign and will have a nice spell after this. She won’t have a taxing spring and we’ll be targeting the Kiwi,” trainer Stephen Marsh told Loveracing.nz.
The Manawatu Sires’ is the first event in the $1 million bonus series attached to next season’s inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi over 1500 metres. Velocious has won four of her five starts including a last start win in the G1 Sistema S.
Victoria raider ready for Dequetteville
Trainer Shane Nichols believes travel and race day experience is the key with 2-year-old filly Climate Change (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in the Listed Dequetteville S at Morphettville on Saturday. “We took her to Sydney to see if we could line up in the Inglis Millennium and she probably tapered off her prep a little bit in a very hot race so we then gave her a break and she has trialled up really well since,” Nichols told Racingandsports.com.au.
Sun Worshipper wins on debut
2-year-old Sun Worshipper (Sun City) won on debut on Friday at Rockhampton for trainer Matt Kropp. From the first crop of Sun City, a son of Zoustar, Sun Worshipper becomes the fourth winner (from seven runners) for her sire.
Sun City | Standing at Telemon Thoroughbreds
Sun City stands at Queensland's Telemon Stud.
Nature Strip to lead out the TJ Smith field
Champion sprinter Nature Strip (Nicconi) will lead out the G1 TJ Smith S. field on Saturday. Now retired and enjoying life as a show jumper with jockey Kathy O’Hara, Nature Strip won the G1 TJ Smith S in 2020, 2021 and 2022. He won 22 of his 44 starts with earnings over $20.7million.
Expected rain arrives in Sydney
By 2pm on Friday, Randwick had received 85mm of rain with the expected total to hit 200mm by Saturday morning, as rain continues to fall heavily in the region. The Bureau of Meteorology expects the rain to cease by 8am on Saturday and with a forecast temperature of 26C, there will be several hours before racing starts at lunchtime on Saturday.
Rocky Rich ready for Capricornia 2YO Classic
Winner of his only start, 2-year-old gelding Rocky Rich (Overshare) is ready to take on the Capricornia 2YO Classic at Rockhampton on Saturday. “I’ve only ever had two runners at Rocky and I went there earlier this year with this race in mind,” trainer Pat Webster told Racingqueensland.com.au.
“There’s plenty of locals to beat and Clinton Taylor’s horses are always hard to beat.” Rocky Rich was a $15,000 purchase by Luke Berger Racing and Daniel Bourke at the Capricornia Yearling Sale from KBL Thoroughbreds.
Gundagai Cup for cheap online purchase
Cliff House (Starcraft {NZ}) who cost $7000 as an unraced 4-year-old at an online sale is the hot favourite for Sunday’s Gundagai Cup. “He has won $170,000 and I thought his last win was his best with the turn of foot he had at the finish,” trainer Tim Donnolly told Racingnsw.com.au.
Cliff House as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Cliff House won the Albury Mile at his last start and has six wins from 13 starts.
Big upset on cards for Comfort Me in Roma Cup
Trainer Rhys Radford has Comfort Me (Playing God) ready to upset the favoured runners when resuming in Saturday’s G3 Roma Cup. “Looking at his trial I can’t see why he can’t run a cheeky race,” Radford told rwwa.com.au
The winner of seven of his 35 starts and over $1.1million is currently at $15 while Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}) is the $1.95 favourite.
Neindorf to miss good book of rides this Saturday
Jockey Lachlan Neindorf will be back at the races in a fortnight after injuring his arm in a fall last Wednesday. He misses a good book of rides this Saturday, including All Woke (All Too Hard) in the Listed Dequetteville S. “I’m OK, no broken bones,” Neindorf told Racingsa.com.au.
He aims to ride last-start Listed Matrice S. winner Climbing Star (NZ) (Zoustar) in next week’s Irwin S. and then in the G1 Sangster S. at Morphettville on April 27. Jacob Opperman will take the ride on All Woke.
Fined for abrupt comment on track conditions
Mount Gambier trainer Wayne Walters has pleaded guilty conduct prejudicial to the image and interests of racing AR228(a), where he criticised the surface at Mount Gambier in a televised interview with Racing.com on March 22.
Wayne Walters
Walters was fined $2000 for the comment, “Track's sh*t and they raced accordingly”, with half the fine suspended for a period of two years under the provisions of AR283(5), provided that Walters is not found guilty of a conduct related matter during that period.
Four Group 1 races in South Africa on Saturday
Champions Day, the third day of the 2024 4Racing’s The Championships, which will be run at Turffontein on Saturday, with four Group 1 races on offer. Mike de Kock is aiming for his seventh G1 South African Derby with Marauding Horde (Saf) (Vercingetorix {Saf}) in the field of twelve runners. Marauding Horde has won three races in succession including a Listed race.
Cape champion trainer Justin Snaith, along with his neighbour Brett Crawford, who has a satellite yard at Randjesfontein, and their KZN counterparts Mike Miller, Carl Hewitson, Nathan Kotzen and Lorenzo Karriem have all brought horses to Turffontein.
The other races are the G1 Empress Club S., G1 Computaform Sprint, and G1 Champions Challenge.
America’s three Group 1 races for Saturday
America will host three Group 1 races on Saturday; the G1 Santa Anita Derby, the G1 Blue Grass S, and the G1 Madison S.
Flightline (Tapit {USA})’s trainer John Sadler has 3-year-old colt Tapalo (USA) (Tapiture {USA}) in the Derby, and he comes off a second last start. The favourite for the race is Bob Baffert trained Imagination (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}). Points to qualify for the G1 Kentucky Derby are on offer with 100-50-25-15-10 to the first five finishers, however Baffert trained horses are not eligible to run in the G1 Kentucky Derby.
