Air Assault confirmed for SA Derby
Trainer Andrew Gluyas has confirmed Air Assault (Justify {USA}) will run in Saturday’s G1 South Australian Derby. “He obviously failed in the Victoria Derby at the trip in the spring, but I firmly believe he is a more-mature, seasoned racehorse now,” Gluyas told Racing.com.
Air Assault | Image courtesy of Racing SA
“Ultimately his form this campaign has been faultless and he has earnt his shot at the big race on Saturday.” Air Assault has won five of his 15 starts and was third to Bold Soul (NZ) (Embellish {NZ}) in the G3 Chairman’s S., last start.
Moody stars head north next week
Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Group 1 winners I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) and Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun) will head to Brisbane next week for the G1 Doomben 10,000. I Wish I Win had a jump out at Pakenham on Tuesday.
“He'll do another piece of work here next Tuesday and then he'll probably get on a plane next Tuesday afternoon and fly up to Brisbane along with his stablemate Chain Of Lightning and, all being well, they'll both run in the Doomben 10,000,” Moody told Racing.com on Wednesday.
Thompson luck to continue on Saturday
Jockey Adin Thompson escaped serious injury when his car caught fire last week and punters might hope his luck will continue when he kicks off his winter carnival tilt in the Listed Dalrello S on 2-year-old colt Zouna (Zousain) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
“We are very lucky it did burn here at the track because the next trip would have been going to drop the kids off to school in that car,” Thompson told Racenet. “I had just got off my first horse at track work, I start a bit earlier than my partner (who works for Rob Heathcote) and she came running in and said the car is on fire.”
An investigation has found no cause for the fire. Lawrie Mayfield-Smith-trained Zouna is unbeaten in two starts.
Spring for Oaks winner Vibrant Sun
G1 Australasian Oaks winner Vibrant Sun (The Autumn Sun) will spell and be set for spring targets. “She has done her job for us and we are happy to give her a six-week spell,” Michael Kent Jnr, who trains the filly in partnership with Mick Price, told Racing.com.
Vibrant Sun | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“We think she is a high-cruising speed miler and we are going to give her a lightish spring, three or four runs max. We will probably put a circle around the Empire Rose or Golden Eagle and maybe go via a Toorak.”
The Instructor heads to Queensland
After a strong win on Wednesday at Canterbury for The Instructor (Russian Revolution), co-trainer Gai Waterhouse wrote on her X platform that he’d be heading north for the Brisbane carnival. “The Instructor wins in dominant fashion to put himself right in the market for the rich 3YO races over Queensland’s winter carnival. Congratulations First Light Racing.”
The 3-year-old gelding’s owners also have the fun claim of winning the Ranvet Handicap (albeit not the Group 1 version). Winner of the Listed Blue Diamond Preview (c&g) as a 2-year-old, The Instructor now has four wins from 11 starts.
Gold Cup to give Attractable a confidence boost
Trainer Sara Ryan hopes a trial win before Saturday’s G3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup has given Attractable (I Am Invincible) a confidence boost after being beaten by Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) last start in the All-Star Mile. “Jenni did knock that around a bit as she can do,” Ryan said.
“He’s a horse that loves to be free rolling in front, he likes to have one horse in front of him but he doesn’t like when they’re too far away. He just kind of gave up. I could see the expression on his face, he was like ‘I can’t do it any more’.”
The reigning Big Dance Champion and winner of eight of his 26 starts, Attractable has earnings of over $2.4 million. He was a $290,000 purchase by Domeland from Mill Park Stud’s 2020 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft.
Uncommon James targeting Queensland Group 1s
Trainers Steven O'Dea and Matthew Hoysted will run Group 1 winner Uncommon James (Cable Bay {Ire}) in Saturday’s G2 Victory S. at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Hoysted told Racingqueensland.com.au that Uncommon James would head straight into the G1 Doomben 10,000 after the Victory S. before a decision will be made whether to tackle the G1 Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm in June.
Uncommon James | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Iconic Birdsville Races tickets on sale
On Wednesday, the Birdsville Race Club released discounted early bird tickets for the 142nd edition of the iconic Birdsville Races that will run on Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7.
Birdsville | Image courtesy of Birdsville Race Club
McNeil out with fractured leg
Jockey Jye McNeil will spend several weeks on the sidelines after sustaining a fractured fibula (the outer and usually smaller of the two bones between the knee and the ankle). The injury occurred six weeks ago at the Cranbourne trials, but McNeil continued to ride until the recent Mornington Cup meeting.
Embarrassing error at Murray Bridge
Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle-trained gelding 5-year-old gelding Flight Deck (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) was scratched from Wednesday’s Murray Bridge meeting in dramatic circumstances. A staff member had put the wrong horse in his box during the morning shift, and the unraced filly who bears an almost identical appearance to Flight Deck was taken to the races by mistake.
Moyle discovered the error upon saddling the horse and notified stewards, who ordered the late scratching and fined the stable $1500.
Maher wins Galleywood with Chains Of Honour
Ciaron Maher has taken out another feature race at Warrnambool, winning Wednesday’s Galleywood Hurdle with Chains Of Honour (Redoute’s Choice). “A massive shout out to Luca, super ride,” Maher told Racing.com about French jockey Luca Remondet.
Ciaron Maher | Image courtesy of Inglis
The 7-year-old gelding has a classy pedigree, being out of Group 1 winner Faint Perfume (Shamardal {USA}), and was previously a Group 3 winner on the flat as a 3-year-old. Faint Perfume has also produced Group 2 winner Good Idea (So You Think {NZ}) and Listed-placed winner Mr Black Back (Snitzel) and she has an unraced 2-year-old colt called Cologne (I Am Invincible) who was a $500,000 weanling purchase by Peter Morgan from Yarraman Park Stud.
Maher also confirmed Tuesday’s Brierly winner Stern Idol (Ire) (Raven’s Pass {USA}) wouldn’t run in Thursday’s Grand Annual.
Maher flies to USA on Thursday
Trainer Ciaron Maher will spend the weekend in America. “It's my first time to Kentucky and I like travelling so really looking forward to it,” Maher told Racing.com on Wednesday.
“We trained a winner for Sheikh Fahad and I think he's got the third favouite (in the Derby) and he said to come over and I thought 'Why not'? I will be meeting a lot of people and you never know what will happen in those sort of trips.
“They are changing things (with drug rules) over here. They have a bit of dirt-track racing but Wesley Ward travels to (Royal) Ascot and is pretty successful, so their grass-track horses have got plenty of quality.
“We actually have one in training over there by Curlin out of Bounding.” The 3-year-old filly is named Jillaroo, and is placed at her only start, and is the fourth foal of Group 1 winner Bounding (Lonhro) who is a half-sister to ill-fated Group 1 winner Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Dual Group 1 winner La Crique on track for Queensland
Trainers Katrina and Simon Alexander were pleased with the trial of their dual Group 1 winner La Crique (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}) on Tuesday where she ran second. “She’s really thriving, with a bit of age on her we have to be cautious that she doesn’t get away on us fitness-wise which is why we chose to give her a trial,” Katrina Alexander told Loveracing.nz on Wednesday.
“Hopefully we can get her over there for her owners who have been very patient, the horse deserves to be rewarded with something nice in Australia to add to her pedigree page for whenever the broodmare paddock comes for her.” She will be aimed at a race at Eagle Farm on June 8 to kick off her carnival.
Rhumb Line gives Zousain another 2-year-old winner
Trainer Mark Currie’s 2-year-old Rhumb Line (Zousain) gave her first season sire his seventh winner in the first at Ipswich on Wednesday.
Zousain | Standing at Widden
Rhumb Line was second past the post with an 0.1l margin but won in a protest over Toby Edwards-trained 2-year-old filly Accelar (Alabama Express).
Puissance de Lune juvenile winner at Warrnambool
Team Hayes took 2-year-old colt La Pleine Lune (Puissance de Lune {Ire}) to Warrnambool for his first start on Wednesday and he delivered with a win.
La Pleine Lune is the first winner from Puissance de Lune’s current crop of 2-year-olds and only his third career juvenile winner.
Stablemates to clash in juvenile feature
Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong have two runners in Saturday’s Listed Champagne S., for 2-year-olds; Rose Of Dublin (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) and Lil Zena (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}). “They are totally different types and Rose Of Dublin is quite leggy and probably not your typical two-year-old type,” Furlong told Loveracing.nz.
“Lil Zena is a little stockier and carries a little more natural muscle. Obviously they will be better 3-year-olds, but they are doing everything asked of them now, which has been a bonus.”
NZ’s good sprinting mare heads to Queensland
Ben and Ryan Foote-trained Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) trialled on Tuesday ahead of a trip to Queensland. “I’m not sure if she will have another trial or race here before she goes to Australia,” Foote told Loveracing.nz on Wednesday.
Babylon Berlin | Image courtesy of Race Images
“She has got a booking on the flight to Brisbane on May 25 so we might go there, but nothing has been set in stone just yet.” No specific target was mentioned for the Group 3 winner of eight of her 27 starts.
Seven nations represented in Royal Ascot nominations
At least seven countries are set to be represented for the Group 1 races and early-closing Group 2 contests for Royal Ascot, the racecourse announced on Tuesday. Worth a record £10 million (AU$19,283,00 million) in prize-money this year, the meeting boasts purses of at least £650,000 (AU$1,253,000) for the Group 1 races, and all races are worth at least £110,000 (AU$212,130).
Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun) is being set for the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S, while Asfoora (Flying Artie) has already arrived in Newmarket as of last week, with an eye to the G1 King Charles III S. Trained by Henry Dwyer, the mare will prep in the G2 Temple S. at Haydock Park on May 25.
New code introduced for UK betting affordability checks
Punters in the UK frustrated with the new affordability checks will have some certainty with a new Code introduced to clarify matters. Only those who deposit over £25,000 (AU$48,200) in a rolling 12-month period will be subject to checks.
“This code is good progress towards solving an issue that has generated such heated public debate,” Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) chief executive and acting chair Michael Dugher told racingpost.com.
