While Group 1s wait out the weather, Campaldino makes his case

Cover image courtesy of Trackside Photography

Campaldino set for Brisbane Cup

Co-trainer Adrian Bott will likely set Campaldino (NZ) (Ghibellines) towards a start in the Brisbane Cup on June 14 after his comfortable 1.7l win in the G3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Eagle Farm.

There was no stopping the 4-year-old gelding once he hit the front inside the final 400 metres in the 2400-metre Group 3 feature worth $200,000, prevailing in misty Heavy 8 conditions for Darby Racing.

“I think we’ll have to (consider the Brisbane Cup). I think he’s got the ability to stay further. I just want to take advantage of while he’s in this form. I think there is more upside, so why not look at it?” Bott said.

Four of Campaldino’s five career wins from 13 starts have now come in conditions that have been a Heavy 7 or worse.

“We came up here with a bit of confidence the way he’d been working since his last run and the way he’s been all preparation. When the rain came it filled us with confidence,” Bott said.

Bott reserved praised for winning jockey Tim Clark, and the way he timed Campaldino’s run home on the straight.

“When Tim was able to get him outside of the leader, he did relatively little work and we were able to control the race from that point. I was pretty confident through the run and he looked to travel pretty well,” he said.

“Lovely ride by Tim. He knows the horse very well.”

Clark said Campaldino made an impressive step up to win so comfortably at Group 3 level.

“He made a really big leap there coming from midweeks. The horse has been going so well that we were confident he would take that step,” he said.

“He’s just been a different horse since Gai (Waterhouse) and Adrian took the blinkers off him. He was wanting to overdo it. With the blinkers off he relaxes really well. He conserves his energy and it was a really dominant performance there.

“The way he’s relaxing in his races is the key and I’m sure over two miles he’ll do the same.

“He’s versatile and a lightly raced horse on the rise.”

Campaldino’s sire, Ghibellines, now has eight stakes winners from 203 runners for White Robe Lodge at Otago, and has a NZ$7000 service fee.

It was the first stakes victor for Shocking mare, Zuzana (NZ) from two starters.

New Endeavour ready for Group 1 attempt after a big victory

Co-trainer Adrian Bott has not dismissed the idea of New Endeavour (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) soon running in a Group 1 after his victory in the Lord Mayor’s Cup at Eagle Farm.

The 5-year-old gelding found the front inside the final 300 metres in the 1800-metre Group 3 feature worth $200,000, under another good ride by Tim Clark.

He went on to salute by 2.5l, and it was his first win in 16 starts Down Under.

“I was happy to bring him here today. This is his first win in Australia, and he has been promising so much,” Bott said.

“Twelve months ago he was knocking on the door for a Group 1. Very deserved.

“I think he can get there in some point in time, but what we do after today – we just wanted to get today’s run out of the way and see what he produced.

“We’ll have a look and see what options we’ve got for him and make an assessment then.”

New Endeavour’s promising performances this preparation included a runner-up finish in the Doncaster Prelude at Rosehill on April 1, and a third place in the JRA Plate at Randwick on April 19, both at Group 3 level.

Bott said those runs had him in excellent condition for the Lord Mayor’s Cup.

“He had that nice conditioning for today. He is quite deep into his prep, but he really relished the conditions and he was confident with that,” he said.

New Endeavour now has three wins from 26 career starts.

“He got a lovely run throughout and the speed was good for him. He went so close to winning a couple of races at this carnival last year, but it is good to see him finally get that win in Australia and it was well deserved,” Clark said.

“He’s got that added fitness and it was nice to see him put a margin on them late. Gives him that confidence out of today’s win.”

New Endeavour was purchased for $544,000 by Gai Waterhouse/Adrian Bott/McKeever Bloodstock from Varian Stable Ltd at the 2023 Goffs Ireland London Sale.

The gelding is by Group 1-winning Dubawi stallion New Bay (GB) who has 18 per cent of stakes horses to runners from his first two crops, and out of Moody Blue (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

New Bay stands for A$132,255 at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland.

Touristic's strong 2000-metre trip

A start in the Caloundra Cup on July 5 could be on the cards for Touristic (GB) (Frankel {GB}) after his impressive two-length victory in the R. Listed Lord Mayors Cup at Rosehill.

Under an excellent ride by Andrew Adkins, the 6-year-old gelding found an extra gear at the 600-metre mark in the Listed feature over 2000 metres, and was too good from there.

After saluting in this stayers’ race worth $200,000, veteran trainer Peter Snowden is now contemplating a shot in the Caloundra Cup over 2400 metres.

“It was fantastic. He’s been running all preparation. It was his seventh run this time in,” stable representative Aaron Lau said.

“He was full of life and really on song the past couple of weeks, and a lovely ride by Andy.

“He does a lot of work, and he deserves it.

“Potentially the Caloundra Cup at the end of the Carnival. We also have the Winter Cup here in a couple of weeks’ time.

“He keeps coming through each and every run in good order, so we’ll make a decision next week.”

By Champion Stallion Frankel and out of Heuristique (Ire), Touristic ran a fighting fourth in the $300,000 G2 Neville Sellwood Stakes over 2000 metres in Heavy 8 conditions also at Rosehill on April 1.

The Snowden stable took plenty of encouragement from that.

“He ran close in the Neville Sellwood over the Carnival, and he just loves to get his toe into the ground, and once these tracks are around he really excels,” Lau said.

Adkins was confident Touristic would excel on Saturday’s track, also Heavy 8 conditions.

“I thought the main thing for him today was to begin well, which he’s not really known for,” he said.

“Just a fluent run from the 600, and then he was always going to be strong late.

“He’s been crying out for a track like that – rain-affected. He got that today.”

Tough Niance shines at Caulfield

Victorian trainer Grahame Begg praised Niance’s (NZ) (Swiss Ace) never-say-die attitude after her three-quarter length victory in the Listed $175,000 Bel Esprit Stakes at Caulfield.

Under Daniel Moor, the 5-year-old mare found the front inside the final furlong in the 1100-metre sprint and showed plenty of class to win convincingly from there.

“She’s a gun. Never knows how to run a bad race,” Begg told racing.com after his sprinter notched four consecutive wins, with the past three at Listed level.

Niance has overcome a traumatic injury to get to where she is today.

“She came back from a pretty significant injury where she cracked her skull,” Begg said.

“And she had fragments taken out of her skull. So to be able to bounce back and come through that …

“She hasn’t missed a beat. When she got back into full training regime, she gave us all the indication she prepped up really well for today’s race.

“She was in the paddock and they found her. She had swelling to her skull.

“But there wasn’t any sign of head trauma. We were a bit miffed what happened to her.”

Niance’s sire, Swiss Ace, has 22 stakes winners from 583 runners, and commands an NZ$5000 stud fee at Westbury Stud.

It was the first stakes winner for dam, Cosmetic (NZ) (Red Giant {USA}) from two runners.

Begg said he would look to continue raising the bar at stakes level for his impressive mare.

“It was great. She was in a good rhythm all the way through,” he said.

“I said to Daniel ‘keep it smooth, it doesn’t matter if you’re wide because it’s a straight run to the home turn’.

“She’s got a great will to win, this mare. I’m sure there are better things in store for her.”

Take note and listen to Ears Back's credentials after first Listed victory

Ears Back (Jakkalberry {Ire}) recorded a memorable first black-type win for herself and Rangiora trainer John Blackadder in the Listed AGC Training Stakes over a mile at Wanganui.

A two-length victor, it was a welcome slice of good fortune for the 6-year-old mare.

She was checked and beaten by 2.7l in the G3 TAB Mile at Riccarton last November, along with a close fifth after a below-par effort in the Listed Rangitikei Cup over the same distance at Trentham last start on May 17.

Ears Back broke brilliantly from gate four, and she went on to finish strongly from Belardo Boy (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}).

She now has eight wins from 37 starts, six placings and NZ$285,660 in prizemoney.

“That’s my first black-type win and I’m absolutely thrilled,” said Blackadder, who also shares in the ownership of the six-year-old.

“It’s great for the horse, great for her owners and also great for Mereana Hudson, who gave her a perfect ride today. The plan came off. It’s so satisfying.

“She was quite unlucky in that first run up north at Trentham a few weeks ago. She struck a really wet patch at the turn and lost a couple of lengths, but she still ended up being beaten by less than a length and a half. So to get the stakes win today, in the second of our northern targets, is a really big thrill.”

Saturday’s victory was the sixth stakes winner for Ears Back’s sire, Jakkalberry (Ire) from 134 runners.

And it was the first stakes winner for dam, Makesmewonder (Grass Wonder {USA}) from four runners.

Eagle Farm races postponed

Following persistent rainfall and visibility concerns, Racing Queensland has postponed races 6-9 of its Queensland Derby meeting.

The G3 Fred Best Classic will be run at Doomben over 1350 metres on Wednesday.

The G1 Kingsford Smith Cup, G1 Queensland Derby and Listed Helen Coughlan Stakes will now be staged as part of a 10-race “Super Saturday” on June 7, in conjunction with Queensland Oaks Raceday.

To accommodate the three rescheduled races from Derby Day, the Benchmark 90 Handicap and Class 6 Handicap will be run at Sunshine Coast Turf Club on Sunday, June 8.

Champion jockey Nash Rawiller said postponing the races was the right call.

“I walked the track between Race 1 and 2. I was still a little disappointed the root system isn’t like it should be,” he said.

“I feel like it’s a bit firmer underneath. The horses are hitting it, sliding and lifting the grass straight up.

“But at the end of the day, the track wasn’t the problem. It was just plain visibility.

“If you got back a little bit, the mud was hitting your goggles, and we couldn’t see what we were doing.

“Everyone was pretty adamant about that after the last race we ran.”