Geelong named Victorian Country Club Of The Year
The Geelong Racing Club has been named the Club of the Year at the annual Country Racing Victoria Awards held on Saturday evening. “Naturally our season is headlined by the Geelong Cup, but the Coastal Classic we think it has tremendous scope for us moving forward to develop that and maybe one day challenge the crowd we get to a Geelong Cup,” Club CEO Luke Raynar said.
Warrnambool May Carnival won the Event of the Year for the third time in recent history and for the first time under the guidance of new CEO Luke Cann. “To have our iconic Carnival recognised at this level is an amazing nod to the 2024 event, which we believe to be one of the best ever. I am so proud of the entire team for their efforts in bringing this event to life,” Cann said.
Around The Nation: 3-year-old winners for Sunday
At Goulburn, Cristal Clear became the 10th winner for Exceedance, while Highway Strip (Nicconi) and Fortingall (I Am Invincible) also won.
At Pakenham, The Showvinist (I Am Invincible) took his record to three wins from five starts, while Rose De Vellor (Cable Bay {Ire}) won on debut and Flying Straz (Strasbourg) became the third winner for her sire after Group 3 winner Colmar and Stormbourg.
In Queensland at Kilcoy, That’s Interesting (Cosmic Force) made it two in succession with a good win and took her record to three wins from five starts, while State In Texas (Star Turn) won at his second raceday start.
At Tasmania’s Hobart meeting, Angel Sphere (Stratosphere) was the only 3-year-old winner on the card.
Mistruth will be back
Tasmanian filly Geegees Mistruth (Wordsmith) has returned home to the Apple Isle after her gallant second placing in the G3 Quezette S. but will return to Melbourne for future assignments in the coming months. “I saw her first thing Sunday morning and she was really bright, she always pulls up with plenty of energy,” trainer Stuart Gandy told racing.com.
Geegees Mistruth | Image courtesy of Tas Racing Australia
“She'll have a bit of a freshen up and then I guess we've got to make plans now because obviously she's more than competitive over there. I'll talk to Ben (Melham) and see what his thoughts are and where he thinks she measures up. His first impression was that she'd be lovely over 1400m. The options are just crazy really.”
The Good Fight wins Grand National Steeplechase
The Good Fight (High Chaparral {Ire}) has dominated Sunday’s Grand National Steeplechase at Ballarat, giving trainer Rachael Cunningham her second win in the race, and Daryl Horner Jr his first. “This horse is very special – he’s an incredible horse, I’ve wanted him for years and I was underbidder on Inglis,” Cunningham told racing.com.
“Reece Goodwin bought him, and then he came over (to us) with owners to go jumping, and this time the plan’s worked. We’ve got some really good owners in this horse … just a great group we’ve put together, and we’ve had so much fun.”
Beautifully bred, 10-year-old gelding The Good Fight is a son of Pravda (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) known as the mare who stopped the race that stops a nation, when she refused to go to the start of the 2000 G1 Melbourne Cup. She won eight races including the G2 Taranaki Cup, and as a broodmare, she has produced The Good Fight, whose best win was the 2021 G3 Rotorua Cup, and Listed winner Pravana (Anabaa {USA}). Pravda is a full sister to G1 Adelaide Cup winner Cronus (NZ).
Jockeys injured in Grand National
An incident on the final lap of the Grand National Steeplechase saw three horses fall. Jockey Lee Horner was transported to The Royal Melbourne Hospital with a head injury, according to the Victorian Jockeys Association, while Will Gordon was transported to Ballarat Base Hospital with a suspected shoulder injury. An update on the horses wasn't available at time of writing.
Victorian Country Horse Of the Year winner
Ballarat and Murtoa Cup wins earned Captain Envious (NZ) (Savabeel) the title of 2023/24 Country Horse of the Year at Saturday's Country Racing Victoria Awards. “I’d say there is only a 50-50 chance that he’s back,” owner Sean Buckley told racing.com on Sunday about the suspensory injury he sustained at his most recent run when third in the G2 Brisbane Cup.
Captain Envious (NZ) | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“But we will try everything we can, I love the horse. He was in a bad situation when he was young, and he overcame that and got better and now he’s got a second problem in life, but we will try and fix that as well.” Captain Envious has won six of his 23 starts with earnings over $700,000.
Kirramosa’s daughter wins nicely in Japan
G1 VRC Oaks winner Kirramosa (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}) enjoyed a winner in Japan on Sunday with Chuwa Dance (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) who took her record to two wins from 10 starts in the 1500 metre race while ridden by Takuma Ogino. Kirramosa has had three foals to race in Japan for three winners including 3-year-old filly Tropical Tea (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) who won at two last year.
Ebor winner headed to Melbourne Cup
Henry de Bromhead-trained mare Magical Zoe (Ire) (Shantou {USA}) claimed the Melbourne Cup "win and you're in" Ebor Handicap at York in dominant style on Saturday. “We'd love to go to the Melbourne Cup,” de Bromhead said.
“It's an iconic race we'd love to try and win. It's a dream, I'd love to have a runner down there, I'd love to win it, and why couldn't she? It's certainly been on our minds, we had to win the Ebor, which seemed a fairly tough thing to do, and we've done that now [so] we can start to give it a bit more serious consideration.”
The Group 3-placed winner of six races has won on the flat and over hurdles.
Hickman’s Savile Row has Guineas horse
Promising 3-year-old Suit Yourself (NZ) (Savile Row {NZ}) honoured the memory of the late Kevin Hickman in perfect fashion when he scored a special victory at Te Rapa on Saturday. His sire was one of the many tremendous horses bred and raced by Hickman who passed away on Friday after a lengthy illness.
“That was the plan to try and get a win early in his career and he’s been a really nice colt right through,” trainer Pam Gerard told Loveracing.nz on Sunday. “He didn’t do everything right, but he’d had that race day experience and is learning all the time. We’re looking forward to getting him up over 1400m and a mile, and may look towards the Hawkes Bay Guineas or, possibly, sending him south early to Riccarton.”
Goodwood G2 Celebration Mile won by Ice Max
Goodwood’s G2 Celebration Mile on Saturday was won by 3-year-old gelding Ice Max (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) for trainer Karl Burke. He took his record to five wins from 10 starts.
G3 Prestige S. won by juvenile filly
David Loughnane trained 2-year-old filly Anshoda (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}) took her record to two wins from three starts in winning Saturday’s G3 Prestige S. at Goodwood.
