New stakes winner for Playing God in Listed Pinjarra Cup
Trainer Steve Wolfe’s 6-year-old gelding Currimundi (Playing God) added his first stakes win in Sunday’s Listed Pinjarra Cup with a 0.32l win over Daniel and Ben Pearce-trained 7-year-old gelding Fear The Wind (Fiorente {Ire}) with the same distance to Neville Parnham-trained 5-year-old gelding Demolish (Rich Enuff {NZ}).
Currimundi wins the Listed Pinjarra Cup | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
The win was the 11th career victory for Currimundi who has earned over $700,000 from his 41 starts. He becomes the 23rd stakes winner for Playing God, and had run fourth in the G2 Perth Cup earlier this campaign.
A half-brother to The Spruiker (I’m All The Talk), a Listed-placed winner of nine races and over $800,000, Currimundi is one of only two foals for four-time race winner Pins Perhaps (NZ) (Pins), whose unraced dam, Penticton (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), is a half-sister to G1 Turnbull Stakes winner Sphenophyta (NZ) (Groom Dancer {USA}).
Atishu set for Australian Cup
Trainer Chris Waller believes Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) is ready for Saturday’s G1 Australian Cup. “I think she’s ready to go,” Waller told racing.com.
“I’ve made a purpose of just keeping her weight down. She does very well between runs, and I think that’s why her best runs are at the end of the prep, because she does so well between races and from her spells we’ve sort of always been behind the eight-ball.
Chris Waller | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We saw that in the spring, we finally got her to peak on the first day of Cup Week (winning the Empire Rose) and then she ran second to Via Sistina on the last day. So we've made a purpose of just keeping her a bit fitter and ready to go. So, she’s ready to peak in the Australian Cup.”
Sweethearted set for stakes debut
Trainer Phillip Stokes will run 3-year-old gelding Sweethearted (Brave Smash {Jpn}) in Saturday’s Listed HKJC World Pool Sprint Classic for his stakes debut. “He won his last two races last preparation, so he came of age a bit,” Stokes told racing.com.
“He probably should be undefeated. He didn’t win his maiden at Moonee Valley (at his second start) but I stuck to my guns and ran him on Pakenham Cup Day and he won that good prizemoney race. He backed it up at Geelong. He came from well back that day and won again, so he’s got a really good turn of foot. He’s had a spell and come back, and he’s only had the one jump-out, but we think that’s all he needs.”
Queensland integrity team looks to future
Queensland Racing Integrity Commission deputy commissioner Kim Kelly joined the organisation on Friday and has confidence the issues plaguing the state can be improved. “I'm confident that the QRIC is in very strong hands, particularly with Catherine Clark as the commissioner and Chantal Raine as a deputy commissioner,” Kelly told racenet.com.au on Sunday.
“I'm very confident that the commission is in very good hands as far as the financial aspects of the organisation and the governance of the organisation are concerned. Now I've got my part to play in that in regards to the operational aspects of the organisation but as far as those other matters are concerned, I've got supreme confidence that QRIC is in a better position now than it was on the 12th of September when we took over.
“I have no doubt about that, I'm very confident in that respect. Now that's a work in motion, it's a fluid thing, because you're always trying to be better. The minute that you think you're as good as you can possibly be, well it's time to get out and let someone else do the job because it means you're not going to progress.
“There's things that can be done better for sure. They're not just click-your-finger events, they don't happen overnight, but they are in progress.”
Three day Wellington Boot kicks off on Friday
The three day Wellington Boot carnival begins on Friday. “Our eight-race TAB program on the Friday features the ($40,000 Over The Line Racing) Iron Horse over 2400 metres with entry just $10,” Wellington Race Club’s Treasurer/Secretary, Michael Keirle told racingnsw.com.au.
“And racegoers receive a ‘free Friday drink’ coupon with on-track entertainment by Sugar Shane Riley. From 8pm at Wellington Soldiers Memorial Club its free entry for the Last Stand Chisel/Barnes Show which will be fantastic.
“We don’t race on the Saturday but there’s plenty of action with the Wellington Golf Day before the Wellington Boot Calcutta at Wellington Soldiers Memorial Club with tickets on sale at 6pm and the Calcutta at 8pm.
“Special guests will be ‘Miracle’ Malcolm Johnson, former rugby league player Gary Freeman and former top jockey Greg Ryan. There will also be free entertainment from 9pm by DJ Jabba following the Calcutta.”
Lady Iris stamps authority in New Zealand
Trainer Stephen Marsh’s 2-year-old filly Lady Iris (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}) won at Matamata on Sunday in her debut run. “She’s shown us plenty of speed in her trials and Billy (Pinn) thought after her last trial, she was certainly going to be a very good chance,” Marsh told Loveracing.nz.
Lady Iris (NZ) (yellow cap) | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“She jumped, used the early speed, sat outside the leader and was nice. It was nice to see her do that on debut. She can go to Ellerslie in three weeks’ time, there’s a nice race there for her, she’s a nice strong filly. She’s always been a little bit small, but she’s grown into herself a bit so she should be able to go right on with it.” The target race is the Listed Starway Stakes on April 19.
A half-sister to Listed placed Bullish Stock (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), Lady Iris is out of Listed winner The Lady (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) who is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Oracy (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Listed winner Lady Maroal (NZ) (Power {GB}).
Tickleberry wins a place in Country Final
Sunday’s Southern Country Championships Wild Card was won by trainer Scott Collings’ 4-year-old mare Ticklebelly (Va Pensiero). “She races up on speed, she gives herself every chance and there’s no doubt about her running 1400 metres that’s for sure,” Collings told racingnsw.com.au.
“Halfway through this prep it wasn’t even a consideration but it is now. Obviously it’s going to be a very, very, hard race but once again I think she’ll put herself up on speed and make her own luck and they’ll know she’s there. We need a good draw but you saw it at Nowra, she can do it the hard way if she has to but it’s probably going to limit our chances.”
Around the nation: Sunday’s highlights
Sunday gave racing fans eight meetings and at Goulburn, Luke Pepper trained 3-year-old filly Pleasurize (Winning Rupert) stayed unbeaten with her second win. At Orange, 3-year-old filly Triple Tempo (Yes Yes Yes) won her second in succession. At the Sunshine Coast, 3-year-old gelding Livalittle (NZ) (The Autumn Sun) won on debut.
At Bairnsdale, 3-year-old gelding Royal Dispatch (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) won on debut while at the same meeting 3-year-old filly Secret Elegance (Snitzel) broke her maiden. She is a half-sister to Group 1 winner In Secret (I Am Invincible).
Coolmore’s Sierra Leone third on seasonal debut
Touchuponastar (USA) (Star Guitar {USA}) could have won the Sunday Stakes named for his sire practically by just showing up, but instead, connections took the path of greater resistance and allowed him to take his chance against the likes of Eclipse Award and G1 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone (USA) (Gun Runner {USA}) in Saturday's G2 New Orleans Classic Stakes who finished third.
Of the beaten favourite, jockey Flavien Prat said, “He never got into a rhythm. He was struggling to keep up the pace. He made a run late but those horses were all running away.”
Good Cheer looks the real deal for Godolphin USA
Six starts. Six wins. Godolphin homebred Good Cheer (USA) (Medaglia d'Oro {USA}) stamped herself as a force to be reckoned with in Louisville on the first Friday in May with yet another impressive win, this time in Saturday's G2 Fair Grounds Oaks. “This is a very good filly and we're really proud of her,” said winning trainer Brad Cox.
“She had to work hard to finish up but she finished very well. She's not massive, but we've got two races in her as a 3-year-old and we have six weeks between now and the Kentucky Oaks to get her ready.”
One of 184 stakes winners for her illustrious sire, Good Cheer is fourth foal out of Grade 1 winner Wedding Toast (USA) (Street Sense {USA}) who has produced three winners including Good Cheer's stakes-winning half-brother Ya Hayati (USA) (Dubawi {Ire}). This is the family of Grade 1 winner Congaree (USA) (Arazi {USA}) and stakes winner Sangaree (USA) (Awesome Again {USA}).
Asmussen equals Louisiana Derby record
Steve Asmussen added the G2 Louisiana Derby with 15-2 chance Tiztastic (USA) (Tiz the Law {USA}). It was the Hall of Fame conditioner's fifth victory in the marquee event of the meeting in the Big Easy, equalling the record held by Todd Pletcher.
“Joel (Rosario) gave him the perfect trip on the day and the horse rose to the occasion,” Asmussen said. “He's getting better and great to see him run such a good race when it mattered so much. The horse has got a great mind about him. I love how he acted pre-race. He ran a solid race, but I think there's more in him.”
Winner of the valuable Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile last September, third Graded winner from the first crop from his sire, Tiztastic is one of four winners from four to race out of his untried dam, Keesha (USA) (Tapit {USA}). Also the dam of 2023 Ruthless Stakes winner and G2 Beaumont Stakes runner-up Interpolate (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}), Keesha is a half-sister to stakes winner Steady On (USA) (Pioneerof The Nile {USA}) and to Shumoos (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}), a Group 3 winner in Europe on the all-weather and twice placed in Group 2 contests on the grass, including the 2011 G2 Queen Mary Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Kentucky Derby points for Juddmonte’s Final Gambit
Juddmonte homebred 3-year-old colt Final Gambit (USA) (Not This Time {USA}), an impressive last-to-first maiden winner at third asking at Turfway Park February 15, ran by them all once again to pull off a 15-1 upset in Saturday's G3 Jeff Ruby Steaks in Florence, good for 100 points on the road to the G1 Kentucky Derby.
Tessa Walden, assistant to winning trainer Brad Cox said, “He was visually impressive when he broke his maiden here. It gave us confidence he'd come with a run, especially with how he handled the surface this winter.”
Final Gambit becomes the 23rd Graded/45th stakes winner worldwide for Not This Time (USA). Juddmonte and Cox also campaign Not This Time's unbeaten G3 Lecomte Stakes winner Disco Time (USA). The winning Tapit (USA) mare Pachinko (USA), a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Announce (GB) (Selkirk {USA}), is also responsible for the 2-year-old filly Conceit (USA) (Not This Time {USA}) and a yearling filly by Justify (USA). She was bred to Mage (USA) for 2025.
First winner for first season sire Nando Parrado
The Irish National Stud's first-season sire Nando Parrado (GB), a son of Kodiac (GB), was off the mark on Saturday with the sharp filly Golden Breeze (Fr) providing an instant breakthrough winner from his initial crop. Debuting over five furlongs at La Teste, the Ecurie de Launay homebred was quickly into stride and prominent under Fabrice Veron. Edging clear inside the last two furlongs, the Kevin Tavares-trained 3-1 shot hit the line strong to score by four lengths from Lady'Armor (Fr) (Armor {GB}).
Nando Parrado (GB) | Standing at Irish National Stud, Ireland
“We're thrilled to see the first runner by Nando Parrado win so impressively on debut,” said Irish National Stud CEO Cathal Beale. “She was incredibly professional and showed a great turn of foot to win by 4l under hands and heels. Nando has over 90 2-year-olds to run for him and we're getting strong reports from trainers and breeze-up consignors alike.”
