Benedetta heads north for more Group 1 options
Trainer Jason Warren has confirmed Benedetta (Hellbent) will have a crack at the $3m Stradbroke. “What a thrill for her to tick off that Group 1 winning box on Saturday and it was certainly a Jamie Kah masterclass,” Warren told Racing.com.
“The mare has pulled up in great order and the plan is to travel her back home either Monday night or if not some time on Tuesday. I didn’t want to have her standing on a float on Sunday for 10 hours or so and just wanted to allow her some extra time to get over Saturday’s run.
Benedetta | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“The plan will be to get her up to Brisbane in a week or so and ideally I would love to find her a box at Eagle Farm. I would love to find her a travelling companion and it maybe Gawnski depending on how he runs this Saturday at Flemington.”
Coco Sun to spell and aim for Caulfield Cup
Trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy will send their G1 South Australian Derby winner Coco Sun (The Autumn Sun) for a spell rather than to the Brisbane Carnival, and will aim her at a G1 Caulfield Cup campaign during the spring.
Eneeza heads to new Magic Millions National 2YO Classic
This year will see the inaugural running of the $1 million Magic Millions National 2YO Classic. Originally slated to take place at the Gold Coast, the race has now been relocated to Doomben on May 25. Trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman will send 2-year-old filly Eneeza (Exceed And Excel) north for the race.
“She was one of four horses to work up there this morning,” Moody told Racing.com. “We had I Wish I Win, Chain Of Lightning and Autumn Angel work, as well as Eneeza, and I'm happy with them all.”
Eneeza won the G2 Percy Sykes S. at her most recent start and has a record of three wins from six starts with earnings over $1.1million.
No confirmed runners for The Everest
For the first time in The Everest’s short history, there are no confirmed runners for the 2024 edition five months out from the race. “I'm not really surprised there isn't a horse locked in for The Everest yet, the slot-holders still have plenty of time,” Joseph Pride told Racenet.com.au.
The Everest | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We see this every few years where there is a bit of a changing of the guard in the sprinting ranks. I'm confident both of my horses, Private Eye and Think About It, will be there again this year but I understand why slot-holders haven't picked them up yet.
“If Think About It goes to Queensland and does what I think he will do then I feel we will have a deal done pretty quickly for him.”
Bruce Sherwin appointed Interim NZTR Senior Handicapper
New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) has appointed Bruce Sherwin on a fixed term 3-month contract to fill this vacancy effective May 13. NZTR have spent two months searching for a suitable candidate to replace Neil Jennings as NZTR’s Senior Handicapper.
Sherwin has overseen NZTR's Handicapping Complaints process since 2013 and has been an integral member of the NZTR Handicapping Review Committee since 2014, assuming the chairmanship in 2022. In 2015, Sherwin was appointed to the New Zealand Pattern Committee, and from 2022, he has served as New Zealand's representative to the Asian Pattern Committee.
The NZTR Board has granted Sherwin a leave of absence from the Board to undertake the role of Handicapper, and no horses that he has ownership in will race during this time.
Andrew Ramsden S. for Frankel mare
Robbie Griffiths will send last start winner 4-year-old mare Let’sbefrankbaby (Frankel {GB}) to the Listed Andrew Ramsden S., a race which comes with a ballot-free entry to the G1 Melbourne Cup. “She came through the run super. She was fourth up on Saturday and she ticked all the boxes on Saturday. We were very happy with her,” Griffiths told Racing.com.
“We don’t think it will be a problem. Her mum won over 3000m. We always thought staying would be her strength. That’s what we liked about Caulfield as she showed her staying attributes. It would be great if she was lucky enough to sneak her way into the big one. Whatever happens she’ll be ideally suited in the staying races in the spring.”
Last Saturday's G3 The Cummings winner En Francais added to Magic Millons National Broodmare Sale
Trainer Jake Stephens confirmed that 6-year-old mare En Francais (Puissance de Lune {Ire}) has been added as a supplementary entry to the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. “The supplementary lots closed at 9:30am this morning, so I've entered her for the Queensland sale and I've told the other owners, so we've just got to work out whether we do sell her there,” Stephens told Racing.com.
En Francais | Image courtesy of Racing SA
“She's such a nice type, so I'm thinking it might be better to sell her where she can be seen. With the carnival being pretty strong over here, it wasn't a weak Group 3, it was a pretty good race, so I'm sure she'll be sought after as a racing and breeding prospect. The Queensland Carnival is on so someone could buy her and have a crack at it.”
En Francais has five wins and ten placings from 20 starts with earnings over $360,000, and she is a daughter of stakes placed winner Detox (Golden Snake {USA}) who is a half-sister to G1 Mackinnon S. winner Alcopop (Jeune {GB}).
Surprise sprint nomination for Melbourne Cup horses
Trainer Danny O’Brien created some surprise when he nominated Melbourne Cup winner Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}) and stablemate Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) for Saturday’s Listed Straight Six over 1200 metres. “They're just there in case they need a jumpout really,” O'Brien told Racenet.com.au.
“We haven't decided if they're going to run. They haven't raced for a while. They're potentially heading up to Brisbane so there's not many options to give them a hit-out other than that 1200m Listed race.”
Another 2-year-old winner for Blue Point
Keeping 2-year-old colt Interest Point (Blue Point {Ire}) at home in Mornington on a Monday for his debut raceday outing proved to a masterstroke by trainers David Brideoake and Matt Jenkins with the colt winning by 2.75l.
The half-brother to Group 2 winner Allibor (All Too Hard) was withdrawn as a yearling, and becomes the third first crop winner for Blue Point in Australia. Blue Point, of note, has four stakes placed juveniles; Blue Stratum, Bosustow, Heavy Metal, and Reasonable Point.
Bourke overcomes health issues to get back to training
70-year-old trainer Tom Bourke has overcome several health issues recently and will return to the races with two runners at Rockhampton on Tuesday; 2-year-old filly Dubious Authority (Dubious) and 4-year-old gelding It’s Gerry (Better Than Ready). He has only three horses in work currently.
Tom Bourke
“He didn’t run up the hill at Toowoomba so his owners sent him back here to me,” Bourke told Racingqueensland.com.au about It’s Gerry. “I’ve only had him a week and I haven’t been able to do much with him but he came here in good order from Barry’s (Lockwood).”
“I had the stroke in 2017 but I only lost the use of a few fingers so I kept training. Then the following year I got the double with prostate cancer but I had it removed and everything is good now.”
Unique treble achieved by Queensland’s Brad Stewart
Queensland jockey Brad Stewart achieved something unique at Saturday’s Burrandowan Picnic Race Club meeting when 3-year-old gelding Masterplan (Sidestep) was a dominant winner of the Final of the annual Burnett To The Beach series. Stewart bred, trained, and rode Masterplan!
“He is no world-beater but he was well placed in that race, although he had a big weight,” Stewart told Racingqueensland.com.au on Monday.
“I was not sure at one point I would be back riding so it is nice to breed, train and ride him.” Stewart was having only his third ride back from injury, and he missed a unique fourth part of the achievement as his mother, Pauline, is Masterplan’s owner.
French Guineas delayed by thunderstorm, won by Metropolitan
Sunday's G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Poulains was delayed by 40 minutes due to a thunderstorm before Metropolitan (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}) won for trainer Mario Baratti, who enjoyed his first Classic win. He previously had been assistant to Marco Botti. “On his seasonal debut, I knew he was short of work so we were ready to accept defeat that day knowing he would improve,” Baratti said.
“He finished well after being too far back and so I was encouraged. Not only has he improved fitness-wise, but also mentally and that showed today. … I won the German 2000 Guineas last year, but winning a French Classic is a whole different ball game! I work with a very good team of employees who are very passionate about what they do, so the groundwork has been laid down by all concerned.”
Metropolitan was unbeaten in two starts at two but could only manage fifth in his first run at three. He now has a record of three wins from four starts and this was his first stakes win. From the third crop of the Aga Khan’s Dubawi (Ire) son Zarak (Fr), Metropolitan became his sire’s 19th stakes winner and third Group 1 winner.
“Our breeding operation is also experiencing a great moment with the successes of our stallions such as Zarak and Siyouni. Their success is no coincidence, as it's a long-term project and their breeding pages have a lot going for them. It's a game of intellectual chess with nature as my father likes to say. In our quest, we are helped by the fact that we don't need to follow a trend,” said Princess Zahra Aga Khan after Rouhiya’s Classic win earlier on the card.
Famous silks fight out finish of French 1000 Guineas
The finish to Sunday's G1 Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches had a true 80s throwback feel to it, with the world-famous Aga Khan and Sangster silks involved at the finish of the French Guineas. Francis-Henri Graffard-trained Rouhiya (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) won for the Aga Khan with Sangster’s Kathmandu (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) only a head behind in second.
“Francis-Henri Graffard's gut feeling last year was that she was a Poule filly and only this week, we asked ourselves the question, should we run in the Poule d'Essai on Sunday or head to the (Listed) Prix des Lilas at Chantilly on Saturday?” Princess Zahra Aga Khan said. “We reasoned in terms of the future and in terms of the filly as a breeding prospect, so we opted for the Poule d'Essai. For a breeder to produce a filly like her is extraordinary. It's the reward of decades of work.”
A winner at two, Rouhiya took her record to two wins from four starts and she became Lope De Vega’s 128th stakes winner.
Los Angeles wins Derby Trial
Ballydoyle's unbeaten juvenile Group 1 winner Los Angeles (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) made his 3-year-old debut look impressive in winning the G3 Derby Trial on Sunday. “When he steps up again to a mile and a half he'll improve and he's right now bang in the Derby picture. He's very exciting,” said stable representative Chris Armstrong.
Los Angeles (Ire) | Image courtesy of Racingfotos.com
“He's a big horse, but he's a beautiful mover and he's got the right mind,” he added. “You could see him walking around the paddock beforehand, absolutely chilled and he has the same attitude at home. Camelot obviously went around Epsom no problem and this horse has a lot of his sire's good traits.”
It has been 22 years since High Chaparral (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {GB}) won the Derby Trial and Derby double in 2002, although there were three in succession with Sinndar (Ire) (Grand Lodge {USA}) and Galileo (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {GB}) winning the double in 2000 and 2001.
Expensive mare wins G3 Soaring Softly S.
Just five months after bringing 700,000gns (AU$1.46million) at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale as a Listed winning 2-year-old, 3-year-old filly Pipsy (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) won her North American debut with a last-to-first win in the G3 Soaring Softly S. at Belmont's Aqueduct meeting on Sunday. Sent out as favourite, she made punters nervous by missing the start, but flew home to win.
“The horses were acting up around her and she got very anxious in the gate and broke in the air,” said jockey Flavien Prat. “So, we went to Plan B. I gave her a chance to see if she would get underneath me and she sure did. When I tipped her out, she made a great move.”
Initially sold for €60,000 (AU$98,000) as a weanling at Goffs November Foal Sale in 2021, Pipsy now has three wins from four starts.
UK Racing’s ITV wins second BAFTA
ITV Racing’s coverage of the Cheltenham Festival won a Bafta on Sunday night for the best sports broadcast of 2023, beating the BBC's coverage of FIFA Women's World Cup final, in which England lost to Spain, and the Men's Tennis Final at Wimbledon.
“It feels like a great night for racing,” ITV’s lead host Ed Chamberlin told racingpost.com. “This is the ultimate stage, there were some incredible people here and it's great that racing was up there on the stage. This was the only award for sport too.
“It's a little bit surreal. We were up against the women's world cup, which was probably the ante-post favourite, and when our name was called it was like 'oh my god'. It's our second Bafta and I think we enjoyed this one a little bit more.”
