Listed Scone Cup won by Tavi Time
Kris Lees-trained Tavi Time (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) won Friday’s Listed Scone Cup by 1.8l ridden by jockey Jay Ford. John O'Shea and Tom Charlton-trained Strait Acer (Headwater) was second with Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Grebeni (Ocean Park {NZ}) in third.
Winner of the G3 Summer Cup on Boxing Day this season, the win took Tavi Time to nine career victories from 21 starts with earnings over $820,000. Originally sold by Pencarrow Stud for NZ$60,000 at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale to Kiltannon Stables who on-sold him at the Inglis Ready To Race Sales for $130,000 to A Pazman.
He is the only winner for Guiseppina (NZ) (Johar {USA}) from six named foals. Guiseppina was a grand racemare winning the G1 Telegraph Handicap and five other races, as well as being twice Group 1-placed. Her dam is dual Listed winner Battocchi (NZ) (Success Express {USA}).
Can Godolphin win all four stakes races at Scone?
Trainer James Cummings believes he has the horse power to win all four stakes races at Scone on Saturday, led by four runners in the Listed Ortensia Stakes with his pick being Pisanello (Ribchester {Ire}). “We targeted the Ortensia Stakes for Pisanello knowing he loves that fast pace and 1100 metres at Scone,” Cummings told racenet.com.au.
“It is rare to bring a horse like him back from this carnival 12 months ago where he was so good at the Friday meeting. He enjoyed the pace and the expansive Scone track that day. Although he has drawn out in the Ortensia, if he can rely on a good pace then he will certainly be comfortable with that galloping room.”
James Cummings | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Promising filly Zeitung (Exceed And Excel) will contest the G3 Dark Jewel Stakes. “I like the way Zeitung is continuing to train on, she's feeling well that filly. She was excellent for us deep into her campaign last spring and she's doing the same now, coming off a positive run in the Guineas. Tackling the older mares poses its challenges but she is maturing all the time and she can pack a punch down in the weights.”
He also runs Thames (Lonhro) and Photograph (Blue Point {Ire}) in the Listed Denise’s Joy Stakes and Tamerlane (Golden Horn {GB}) in the Listed Luskin Star Stakes.
Too Darn Lizzie joins Maher
Group 2 winner Too Darn Lizzie (Too Darn Hot {GB}) will join the Ciaron Maher stable after being sold to Yulong for $2.4 million at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale recently, and so will $775,000 Qatar Racing purchase She Dances (Street Boss {USA}). “We are pretty excited by the two purchases,” Maher's Head of Bloodstock Will Bourne told racing.com.
Too Darn Lizzie | Image courtesy The Image Is Everything
“When buying tried horses like this your angle is normally to go to Fingal or to the beach - a change of scenario can often reinvigorate them. But these horses are already in form and just need to hold it, they're classy mares that we feel have plenty of racing left in them. They are going to have a little break now but look forward to getting them back into the system.”
Jedibeel reunites with Schiller
Jockey Tyler Schiller has a strong record on G1 Doomben 10,000 outsider Jedibeel (NZ) (Savabeel) and reunites for this Saturday. “I get along with him really well. He's fairly casual and he's easy to ride,” Schiller told racenet.com.au.
Jedibeel (NZ) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“To get him to use himself properly and hit the front at the right time, I think it's a bit of a struggle. He travels so well and you think you can just pop up and let him rip like any other horse could. He's got a short, sharp dash on him but as soon as you let him off the bridle, he probably peaks on his run quite quickly. But to his credit, he's come a long way in his last couple of preps. He's still got a short dash but it's more sustained now.” Schiller and Jedibeel have combined for five wins from nine starts, while Jedibeel has eight wins from 21 starts.
Racing unites around Schick family
The New Zealand and Australian racing industries have rallied around the Schick family of Windsor Park Stud after Sunday’s tragic accident with almost NZ$250,000 raised for the charities that the family wished to be supported.
“In loving memory of Jimmy Schick and on behalf of the Schick Family. In lieu of any flowers or food the family has asked anyone who wishes to make a contribution, kindly make a donation to this Give a Little page. Rod, Oli & Jack who were rescued at the scene would love to personally distribute all funds to the amazing emergency services, Cambridge Fire Brigade, Hato Hone St John Ambulance and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Trust who were truly amazing in our time of need. A huge thanks also to our local Police who were fantastic.”
Dark Jewel pair carry uncertainty
Co-trainer Michael Kent Jnr is keeping expectations low for Group 1 winner Vibrant Sun (The Autumn Sun) who resumes in the G3 Dark Jewel at Scone on Saturday alongside stablemate Kitty Rose (GB) (Invincible Army {Ire}). “Of course (Vibrant Sun) is vulnerable being first-up after six months off but she is trialling very sharp,” Kent told racingnsw.com.au.
Michael Kent Jnr | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“She’s a smart mare and it’s the best she’s ever looked. We had to send her for minor surgery and do some clean up in her joints but she’s come back as good as ever. She’s finally furnished and matured into a proper, good looking, deep bodied mare. She’s never trialled better than her two trials.”
On Kitty Rose, he said, “With these imports some of them hit the ground running and some acclimatise at different rates. While her trackwork has been very good and everyone who rides her loves her, we just haven’t seen her attack the line in her trials yet. It’s very much a watch and learn from us at her first run but I know she is a talented mare. It’s just a matter of when we see that from her. It’d be no surprise to see her run well.”
Beau Dazzler ready for Rough Habit
Derby prospect Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan) will run in Saturday’s G3 Rough Habit Plate for trainers Tony and Maddy Sears. "He ran a great race in the Guineas which was a nice steppingstone to the Derby,” Tony Sears told racingqueensland.com.au.
Beau Dazzler (NZ) | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
“He’ll have no problem running 2400 metres in the Derby but to get there he needs to run well in the Rough Habit. “The plan all along with him has been the Queensland Derby but we’ll assess him after he runs in the Derby about going south for the spring. He runs on all surfaces, whether it’s wet or dry, and he probably excels on heavy tracks because he’s got such a good turn of foot.”
Waterhouse Bott expensive import to resume at Doomben
Trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott will set Sir Delius (GB) (Frankel {GB}) for the G1 Melbourne Cup but first he needs to impress at Doomben on Saturday in the G3 Chairman’s Handicap. “We bought him originally as a Cup prospect, so that would probably, naturally, be where he's targeted on the back of this Queensland campaign,” Bott told racing.com.
“I guess it depends on how he's adapted to the racing here and how effective he's been, probably would dictate the types of races that he goes through in order to get there.” A Group 3 winner in France, he was purchased for 1.3 million gns (AU$2.8 million) at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale by Waterhouse, Go Racing, De Burgh Equine and McKeever Bloodstock.
Around the nation: Friday’s highlights
With six meetings around Australia on Friday, 2-year-old gelding Cashbook (Flying Artie) won at Scone. He was having his second start and was a $28,000 purchase by Todd Smart Racing and Wattle Bloodstock (FBAA) at the Inglis HTBA May Yearling Sale from Widden Stud. The victory took his earnings over $110,000.
Divine Prophet sired a double at Albury with Heavenly Kiss and State Ripper. Juvenile filly Ferocious Frankie (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) won on debut at Pakenham and was purchased by trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young for NZ$170,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale from Ardsley Stud. Busuttin and Young also won the first with 3-year-old gelding Whateley (Written Tycoon) who now has two in succession.
Georgie Holt-trained 2-year-old colt Satisfied Mugs (Invader) won again at Townsville, taking his juvenile record to four wins from six starts. Jockey Lucy Fiore rode a treble at Albany in WA.
Biologics aimed at Guineas
Impressive juvenile filly winner Biologics (I Am Invincible) will be aimed at the G1 MRC Thousand Guineas in the spring. “You'd end up probably kicking her off late August, early September, but we've got to work all of that out,” trainer Graheme Begg told racing.com.
“But we never really had her cranked right up (to win). She had shown us nice ability behind the scenes, but doing it race day is a different thing. If she finished top four, we were going to be really happy. We just wanted to give her one run before tipping her out.”
Neindorf eyes Metro Premiership
Jockey Lachlan Neindorf is third in South Australia’s Metro Jockey’s Premiership, five wins behind leader Rochelle Milnes. “It’s definitely a goal. I’d love to be able to win a premiership,” Neindorf told racingsa.com.au.
“I can easily get suspended, but I am hoping they (suspensions) can stay at bay for the rest of the season because if they do, I have the confidence and I think I’m a chance.” He has seven rides on Saturday including 2-year-old filly Chisholm (I Am Invincible) in race one for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.
Lachlan Neindorf | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“It will be interesting to see what she does. She got beaten by one of Bjorn Baker’s who then went on and won another Listed race and was narrowly beaten in a Group 1 (Within The Law). If she brings that form to Saturday, she’s going to be awfully hard to beat.”
Te Akau’s Towering Vision ready for Champagne
Te Akau Racing’s Towering Vision (NZ) (Circus Maximus {Ire}) could double his stakes-winning tally in Saturday’s Listed SkyCity Champagne Stakes at Ellerslie. “We were quietly confident that he’d run well, we didn’t expect him to win but it didn’t come too much as a surprise,” co-trainer Sam Bergerson told Loveracing.nz of his last win.
“He looks like a really nice chance again on Saturday, he’s met quite a few of these horses before. It’s a smaller field so it may be quite tactical, it’ll be an interesting race. He is doing really well in the stable, he did a nice piece of work on Wednesday with Altari and we were really happy with him. He’ll go for a break after Saturday and we’ll look forward to his 3-year-old season, we had thought he would’ve been more of a 3-year-old so what he’s doing now is a really nice bonus.”
Sears training team move to Gold Coast
Tony Sears and daughter Maddy had already been using a satellite stable at the Gold Coast, but they are moving there full time now their Toowoomba property has been sold. “We’ve got 20 horses in work at the Gold Coast and 40 at Toowoomba but it’s been in the pipeline for a while to set up permanently at the Gold Coast,” Tony Sears told racingqueensland.com.au.
Tony Sears | Image courtesy of Sears Racing
“We’ll still keep a small team going at Toowoomba and some of my staff will stay on here and look after it. We’ve taken over another 20 stables at the Gold Coast and I’m in the process of finding a property like we’ve got here that’s close to the track.”
Dante goes to son of New Bay
In a rare diversion from the domination of the breeding superpowers this season, the G2 Dante Stakes was a triumph for David and Lavinia Aykroyd, English owner-breeders with four broodmares at their disposal. And for the second year in a row, Yorkshire's key Derby trial went to a colt raised in the county at Copgrove Hall Stud.
The Ralph Beckett-trained Pride Of Arras (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) is out of the Oasis Dream (GB) mare Parnell's Dream (GB), who is also an Aykroyd homebred and a boarder at the Harrogate farm formerly owned by Guy Reed, which is now managed by Brian O'Rourke.
“It's very thrilling. He was bred at Copgrove Hall and was broken in for us by Mark Dwyer,” said Lavinia Aykroyd, whose bloodstock interests are managed by BBA Ireland's Patrick Cooper.
Pride Of Arras won by 1.25l to spare over Frankel (GB)'s Damysus (GB). There was another 1.75 lengths between that G3 Sandown Classic Trial third and the solid yardstick Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB) (Kameko {USA}) in third, with the 8-11 favourite The Lion In Winter (Ire) running free early and then flat where it mattered, finishing sixth.
“He's worthy of his place in the Derby,” Beckett said. “It's difficult to say he's like my other Classic horses. He's not a Westover, he's not Bluestocking. He has a good back pedigree, but not the profile of those, if you like. But, in saying that, he has more speed than Westover, he's a better workhorse than he was. If he handles Epsom, which I think he will, and he handles the jamboree, which based on today I think he will, we've every right to think we're going there to be competitive. What happens after that, who knows?”
Sea The Stars filly thrashes Middleton field
Sent off the 8-11 favourite for Thursday's G2 Middleton Fillies' Stakes at York, Jeff Smith's See The Fire (GB) was in a class of her own at the end to fully justify the support. Always travelling with menace under Oisin Murphy, last year's G3 Strensall Stakes winner and G1 Nassau Stakes and G1 Sun Chariot Stakes-placed daughter of Sea The Stars (Ire) moved through tiring rivals to take command two out. Siyouni (Fr)'s Beautiful Love (Ire) earned the distant second, a neck ahead of Night Of Thunder (Ire)'s Royal Dress (Ire) in a race that was entirely about one filly.
For Andrew Balding, this represented welcome confirmation of the winner's class. “We've always had a very high opinion of her and she's improved since last year,” he said. “We probably made a bit of a mess of her last year, as we didn't step up in trip until it was too late. For some reason, she wasn't at her best in the Eclipse, but she really found her feet after that despite having a busy season. We were a little disappointed on her comeback run at Sandown, but she probably needed the run and that's put her spot-on for today.”
