Gill McLachlan applies to Racing Victoria director position
Former AFL CEO Gill McLachlan applied to become a director of Racing Victoria this week, in a move that takes him a step closer to being named Chairman. Once his position as a director is approved, McLachlan would then need to be voted in as Chairman with Racing Minister Anthony Carbines required to sign off on the appointment.
Gill McLachlan
The position of chairman has been vacant since June 2023 with board member Mike Hirst currently acting as chairman.
Queen Of The Turf to be Atishu’s farewell
Dual Group 1 winner Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) will have her final run in Saturday’s G1 Queen of the Turf S. before going to the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast next month. “She’s been a terrific mare and has given us all some huge thrills along the way,” Go Racing manager Matt Allnutt told Loveracing.nz.
“It’s been an amazing ride, and it would be a real fairy tale if she could sign off with one more big Group One performance at Randwick this weekend.” Originally trained in New Zealand by Stephen Marsh with four wins for him, she is currently trained by Chris Waller. Atishu has won ten of her 40 starts and over $4million. She won the 2023 G1 Queen Of The Turf S. and the 2023 G1 LKS Mackinnon S.
Orchestral on song for Oaks win
Short favourite Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) is ready for Saturday’s G1 Australian Oaks. “She’s in lovely order and has come through the Vinery very well. She’s done everything we’ve asked of her,” co-trainer Robert Wellwood told Loveracing.nz.
“Going back up to the 2400 metres is really going to suit her at this stage of her preparation.”
Moody believes his filly can beat Orchestral
It’s a bold claim but co-trainer Peter Moody believes his 3-year-old filly Autumn Angel (The Autumn Sun) can beat the super Kiwi mare Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel). “I think Orchestral has to improve off her win in the Vinery the other day and she might well have,” Moody told Racing.com.
Autumn Angel | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
"(But) I think my filly can beat her, Autumn Angel … she's pulled up unbelievably well off the seven-day back-up, she drops six or seven kilos on her run last week. And I know that race rated well below the Vinery, but with improvement, a better track … I think we can defeat her.”
Autumn Angel ran second in the G3 Adrian Knox S. last start and won the G2 AV Kewney S. at the start before that.
Rain affected track a benefit for Mr Brightside
Co-trainer Ben Hayes knows strategy is key when chasing Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) and thinks the wetter surface at Randwick will assist Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) in Saturday’s G1 Queen Elizabeth S. “We could easily see him turning around his form,” Hayes told Racing.com.
“He hasn't been on a rain-affected track since he won the Doncaster H., and it was in the Heavy range that day. He definitely enjoys a bit of give in the track, especially once he's this deep into a preparation.
“The wide draw on Saturday means we'll probably ride him more on the conservative side. Pride Of Jenni obviously adds that same element to the race as what he's encountered at his last two starts and it's going to be interesting to see the way some of the other jockeys ride against her.”
Chain Of Lightning form around Tashi
Team Snowden were thrilled with the win of Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun) in last week’s G1 TJ Smith S as it franked the form around their 4-year-old mare Tashi (Sebring). Tashi ran second to Chain Of Lightning in the G3 Birthday Card S. “The form was franked last week and I thought she was stiff not to win at Rosehill,” Peter Snowden told Racingnsw.com.au.
“She got held up for a fair way up the straight and didn’t get out until late and charged at the winner.” Tashi runs in Saturday’s G2 Sapphire S.
Four stakes runners for breeder Harry Perks
Breeder Harry Perks will have four homebreds chasing black-type glory at Morpehttville at Saturday. Air Assault (Justify {USA}) runs in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas, en route to a tilt at next month's G1 South Australian Derby.
"(Elegant Eagle)’s obviously been a great mare for me and is the dam of Go Indy Go, a Group 1 winner, as well as Air Assault, Essay Raider and even La La Luchie, who had one of her fillies (Cherokee Brave) run third in a Listed race in Melbourne on Saturday,” Perks told Racing.com.
Air Assault | Image courtesy of Racing SA
Party Princess (So You Think {NZ}) runs in the Listed City of Adelaide H., Lovely Lookin' (American Pharoah {USA}) runs in the Listed Redelva S and Seeking Glory (Jimmy Creed {USA}) in the G3 Auraria S.
Herastar ready for Bendigo assignment
Herastar (Starspangledbanner) won the Listed Cinderella S. at Morphettville on debut and will run in Saturday’s VOBIS Gold Rush at Bendigo. “It was a first stakes winner for me as a solo trainer,” Dean Krongold told Racing.com.
“Obviously, I had a bit of success with Jason Warren when I was in partnership with him but still, to do it with a lovely 2-year-old filly by Starspangledbanner was a really special moment and with a good group of owners that had been with me from the start in her.
“When she got back from Adelaide, we gave her two weeks in the paddock and we brought her back to gear up for this race and The Showdown, obviously two weeks after this one.” A $40,000 purchase by her trainer from Gilgai Farm at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Herastar earned $65,000 in her first start.
Queman breeder to unveil juvenile in Listed race
Francis “Boof” Smith bred Group 1 winning sprinter Queman (Mint Lane {USA}) and on Saturday, he will debut 2-year-old gelding Silver Lifestyle (D’Argento) in the Listed Without Fear S. at Morphettville. “He won his jumpout the other day,” Smith told Racing.com.
Connections with Queman | Image courtesy of Racing SA
“I think he'll be more of a 3-year-old, but we want to give him one start this time and then we'll probably turn him out.” Smith purchased Silver Lifestyle at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale for $37,000 from Bowness Stud.
Shalaa juvenile wins on Friday
Trainer Liam Howley’s 2-year-old colt Shaalute (Shalaa {Ire}) won at Geelong on Friday with jockey Daniel Moor aboard.
The colt was having his fourth start and he’d run second at the start prior. An $80,000 purchase by Eric Koh, King Power and Bevan Smith from Valiant Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Shaalute is the fifth foal and fifth winner for his city winning dam Occitan (Street Cry {Ire}).
Inaugural Southern Alps Challenge
Saturday marks the inaugural running of the NZ$350,000 TAB Southern Alps Challenge over 1600 metres at Riccarton in New Zealand. The race is restricted to trainers with South Island stables and the runners have to have been in the South Island since December 31.
“They’ve turned this meeting into an exciting raceday, and especially with that Southern Alps Challenge,” trainer Michael Pitman told Loveracing.nz.
“I’m looking forward to the day, and the other exciting thing for us is that I’m two wins away from 2,000. It would be great if we could get there tomorrow, or if not tomorrow, maybe back at Riccarton the following Saturday.”
Pitman has two runners in the Southern Alps; Mystic Park (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) and Charbano (NZ) (Vespa {NZ}), while both Makabar (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and Proserve (NZ) (Proisir) require scratchings to make the field.
Jason Collett unfit to ride on Saturday
Jockey Jason Collett, who bruised ribs in a fall at Kembla Grange meeting on Tuesday, has told Racing NSW stewards that he “has not recovered sufficiently to fulfil his riding engagements at Saturday's Royal Randwick meeting.”
Jason Collett
Wexford debuts two juveniles on Sunday
Wexford Stables trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will run a pair of 2-year-olds at Te Rapa on Sunday. Both Ribkraka (NZ) (Ribchester {Ire}) and Tristar (NZ) (Exceedance) are expected to be better at three. “He may find the 1100 metres a bit sharp, but there’s some longer two-year-old races this autumn, and once he gets out over 1400 metres, he’ll hit his straps,” Scott told Loveracing.nz about Ribkraka.
“She’s a filly that might lack experience, but she makes that up in ability,” Scott said of Tristar. The stable initially also entered trial winning $1.3million yearling Sister Cynane (I Am Invincible) but have scratched her for another day.
Yarradale Stud’s War Chant dies of old age
Yarradale Stud’s 27-year-old stallion War Chant (USA), a son of Danzig (USA) died on Thursday. The Group 1 winner initially stood at Robert Clay’s Three Chimney’s Farm in Kentucky in 2001 and enjoyed a career that saw him shuttle on occasion to Chile and Western Australia. From 2014, he was permanently based at Yarradale Stud.
“He was a quirky devil at times but taught me to be a better horseman. We are very lucky he has built a terrific reputation as a broodmare sire, and rest assured, we haven’t seen the last of his name in the record books,” Yarradale Stud Manager Davy Hanratty told tbwa.net.au.
War Chant sired 46 stakes winners including three Group 1 winners, two in the Northern Hemisphere and the G1 William Reid S. winner Silent Sedition in Australia. As a broodmare sire, War Chant has 39 stakes winners to date, with three Group 1 winners, led by successful sire Shalaa (Ire).
Laurel River heads World Thoroughbred Rankings
Juddmonte Farms' homebred Laurel River (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}) is at the top of the second edition of the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings for 2024 with a rating of 128, based on his G1 Dubai World Cup win.
Private Eye (Al Maher) remains the highest ranked Australian-trained horse on 120 putting him fifth equal overall and the highest rated sprinter. Recently retired Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) remains on 119 in equal eleventh with I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel), Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}), Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) and Hong Kong's Voyage Bubble (Deep Field).
Breeders’ Cup Mile winner to resume in Group 1
The G1 Maker's Mark Mile S will run late on Friday night (AEST) and will feature the season debut for G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile winner Master of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). “He is a worthy favourite,” trainer Charlie Appleby said. “He broke his maiden on soft ground, and he's won a Group 2 on soft.”
Appleby also has Naval Power (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the same race. On Saturday, the G1 Apple Blossom S. and the G1 Jenny Wiley S. will run in America.
