Forty remain in Melbourne Cup contention
Forty horses have paid up at Monday’s third acceptances stage for the G1 Melbourne Cup. Owner Ozzie Kheir will run Saturday’s G1 Cox Plate runner up Buckaroo (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) in the Cup. “I just thought that he'd run to the peak performance of his career on Saturday,” Kheir told racenet.com.au.
Ozzie Kheir | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“I haven't seen the ratings yet but he's run to his peak and probably gone the best that he's ever gone. He's only been beaten by a champion mare, probably the horse of the year again. He's only been beaten a nose so I thought you've got to give him his chance.
“We'll see how he pulls up and whether he passes his scans. You've got to keep your options open and that's what we're doing. Ultimately, we would like to run but we need to keep those options open to run. The window closes today if you don't get scanned and you don't pay up. If we weren't going to run, we wouldn't get scanned and we wouldn't pay up.”
Archer Stakes winner Revelare ruled out of Cup
Revelare (So You Think {NZ}) has been ruled out of the G1 Melbourne Cup after his pre-race scans were completed. “It’s disappointing for the team and connections as the Melbourne Cup is always a race we love to be part of,” trainer Rob Hickmott told racing.com.
Revelare | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“However, after consulting with our veterinary team and considering Revelare’s best interests, we believe sitting out this year’s Cup is the right call. The priority is always the health and longevity of our horses. Revelare will be given time to recuperate from a minor setback and focus on future targets.”
Seagulls Eleven same profile as Lake Forest
Trainer Hugo Palmer feels his Golden Eagle charge Seagulls Eleven (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}) has the same profile as last year’s winner Lake Forest (GB) (No Nay Never {USA}). “We had to feel we had a chance of being in the money. He’s rated the same as Lake Forest was when he came down last year, so we’re in the ball park of where we needed to be to win last year’s race,” Palmer told racingnsw.com.au.
“We’ve come to Australia every time we’ve had the horse to bring us. It’s a place I love and was very happy for the year or so I lived there. The guys with him have done a fantastic job, it’s his second trip. We took him to California for the Breeders’ Cup last year so it’s not totally out of the blue to be put on a plane and flown somewhere else but Sydney is twice as far. He barely lost a kilo and has just thrived since he’s been there.”
He won the G3 Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood two starts ago and comes here off a last start eighth in the G1 City Of York Stakes over 1400 metres. “York races Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. When the draw came out for Saturday we’d just had one day’s racing I thought it was fantastic, we have the inside draw and exactly where we wanted to be.
“And that’s where you wanted to be through Wednesday, Thursday and most of Friday but as we got to the end of Friday that part of the track was just chewed up. With the benefit of hindsight, York is a very flat and very fast, sharp, track and I think what suits him is a very stiff seven, like an Ascot seven, or an easy mile like Newmarket or Goodwood.
“One of the many things that appealed about the Golden Eagle is the intermediate trip of 1500 metres is tailor made for him.”
Linebacker to give Lloyd revenge in Golden Eagle
After bad luck plagued Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard) in last year’s Golden Eagle, jockey Zac Lloyd is ready for revenge on John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth). “I’m after a bit of revenge. We were a bit stiff last year,” Lloyd told racingnsw.com.au.
Linebacker (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I’m confident he can go well. I’m very excited for the weekend, he’s a top class horse. You don’t get much better than him. He’s won a Group 1 but he’s not regarded in the same heights as some other horses so hopefully he can win and prove that he is one of the top horses in Australia.
“For me the Golden Eagle would be a great race to win, it has international appeal and to win would be a great achievement. John and Tom have him going really well, his work has been sensational, and I’m very excited to see what he can do in the Golden Eagle because his win the other day was spectacular.”
Prizemoney boost for Thoroughbred Club Stakes
Lovatsville Stud and the Melbourne Racing Club announced on Monday that the G3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes to be held on November 15 for 3-year-old fillies will now be worth $1 million and rennamed the G3 Move To Strike Thoroughbred Club Stakes.
“Currently a Group 3 event, the MRC is striving for the Thoroughbred Club Stakes to be upgraded to Group 1 status, given the absence on the Australian racing calendar of a 1200-metre Group 1 contest for 3-year-old fillies,” said MRC Chair Cameron Fisher in a press release.
“This new partnership reflects the shared ambition of the MRC, The Thoroughbred Club and the breeding industry’s commitment to the race.”
Lovatsville studmaster Sam White added, "We’re fans of what the MRC are doing and very much appreciate the commitment to the industry that the Move To Strike ownership group are demonstrating with this exciting new partnership."
Vale Glen Baker
Queensland trainer Glen Baker has died aged 60 of stomach cancer. “Every time I'd ring him after I had ridden a winner he'd act like he didn't watch the race,” his daughter jockey Bailie Baker told racenet.com.au on Monday.
“He'd always say ‘yeah I've done nothing special today, nothing caught my eye'. He was very funny and super easy to talk to. I remember every time I'd meet someone new he'd start a conversation with them like he'd known them for years.
“Seeing other people happy really brought him a lot of joy. I remember always coming to him about stuff and he'd say ‘just always be kind because it makes you look better'.”
Vale Rex Kelly
Grafton local and former jockey Rex Kelly died on Monday aged 80. He rode over 1500 winners, mostly in country NSW. Famously in 1977, he rode Dudley Wilson-trained outsider Mistress Anne (Vain) to beat the super star colt Luskin Star over 900 metres at Newcastle in the Northern Slipper.
When he retired from the saddle in the late 1980s, he worked as the trackwork supervisor at Clarence River Jockey Club (CRJC) and was also the official starter for the Northern Rivers Racing Association. In 2023 Kelly was awarded Life Membership of CRJC.
“I remember Rex as a brilliant bush rider who knew how to get a dollar in the very tough years; he never gave an inch start and never expected it. I have been lucky to have worked with some fine starters over the years but none were better than Rex,” wrote CRJC CEO Michael Beattie.
“I would like a dollar for every horse and/or jockey Rex saved from serious injury simply because of his ability to know what a wayward horse was about to do before it happened. RIP Rex you may be gone, but you will never be forgotten especially by those who were fortunate enough to see you ply your many skills in person.
“Sincere condolences to wife Pam, kids David, Vicki and Scott, and to Rex’s greater family and friends.”
Strada Vareena to resume on Wednesday
Last season’s good juvenile filly Strada Vareena (Street Boss {USA}) will resume at Rosehill on Wednesday for trainer Bjorn Baker. “She’s stronger, she’s bigger, her trials have been good,” Baker’s racing manager Luke Hilton told racingnsw.com.au of the G2 Magic Night Stakes fourth-placegetter.
“We’re pleased with her and we want to step her through the grades now and let her show us the ability we thought she had. She performed well as a 2-year-old, she didn’t have a lot of luck in her last run and she came out of it having to have surgery.” She was a winner on debut at two.
Zousain colt makes it two
At Newcastle on Monday, Richard and Will Freedman-trained 3-year-old colt Zocketman (Zousain) took his record to two from two with a win over 1150 metres. His other win had been as a 2-year-old. An $80,000 purchase at Inglis Classic Yearling Sale by Sam Kavanagh Racing and Still Point Equine from Widden Stud, Zocketman is out of Group 3 winner Thurlow (Sebring).
Imperatriz half-brother wins maiden
Alexander Rae-trained 3-year-old gelding I’mateez (Capitalist) won his maiden at Wangaratta on Monday at his fourth start. The half-brother to Group 1 winner and NZ Horse Of The Year Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) was purchased by Lofty Thoroughbreds and AGR Racing for $200,000 from Bhima Thoroughbreds’ 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Imperatriz was sold via the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in the same year for $6.6 million to Yulong, where she recently foaled a Pierata filly.
So You Think double at Wangaratta
With the news that his gelding Revelare won’t run in this year’s G1 Melbourne Cup, So You Think (NZ) sired a double at Wangaratta on Monday. Of The View won her maiden for trainers Patrick and Michelle Payne, and Too Big took his record to three wins for trainer Peter Smith.
Mark Twain to run in Bendigo Cup
Trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood paid up at Monday’s third declaration stage for the G1 Melbourne Cup with Mark Twain (NZ) (Shocking) who will run in Wednesday’s G3 Bendigo Cup. “On his wellbeing and his work, I'd be extremely disappointed if he didn't run a bold race. I'd like him to win or be unlucky in the running and fill a placing, getting home fairly quickly,” James told Loveracing.nz.
“It's no use just making up the numbers (in the Melbourne Cup but it's a great race if you go into it in form. Unfortunately, his form on raceday is not backing up how well I feel he is. He's got the odd excuse. He's been trapped wide and had hard runs but really he's got to step up.”
Long weekend double for Navy Beach
Broodmare Navy Beach (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) enjoyed an interesting double on Sunday and Monday with her 3-year-old gelding Sir Ruby (NZ) (King Of Comedy {Ire}) winning in Malaysia over 1300 metres, and Wolfgang (NZ) (Puccini {NZ}) winning at Te Rapa on Monday. The remainder of the meeting at Te Rapa was called off after a horse slipped in race 2.
Sir Ruby is the first winner for second season sire King Of Comedy. “We thought we may have had it (first win) in New Zealand by now, but these Heavy tracks are still lingering and hopefully they start to turn the corner in the next week or two,” Novara Park principal Luigi Muollo told Loveracing.nz.
“He (King Of Comedy) was better on better footing. As they mature as 3-year-olds and get over a mile and 2000 metres, that is what they will be best at. Kingman (King Of Comedy’s sire) is at 21 percent black-type performers to runners, he is an amazing stallion. King of Comedy had that turn of foot that Kingman had and it won’t be long until they (his progeny) start showing it.”
Wolfgang is a Group 3 winner who will head to the G3 New Zealand Cup next. Navy Beach has also produced stakes-placed Naval Fleet (NZ) (Declaration Of War {USA}) and she is a two-time winning half-sister to Group 2 winner Te Akau Coup (NZ) (Thorn Park) and Listed winner Don Garcia (NZ) (Danehill {USA}).
Bolt d’Oro colt wins G3 Street Sense
Pin Oak Stud's 2-year-old colt Incredibolt (Bolt d'Oro) lived up to his name when rallying from last to surge past 7-5 favourite Universe (Global Campaign) in deep stretch and win Sunday's G3 Street Sense Stakes on opening day of Churchill Downs' 136th Fall Meet.
Incredibolt earned 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby series that will determine the preference list for the 20-horse 152nd G1 Kentucky Derby on May 2. The colt is trained by Riley Mott, son of Hall of Famer Bill Mott, who trains Sovereignty, winner of last year's Street Sense Stakes.
“It's his second time winning here at Churchill and we're just delighted to have 10 points for the Kentucky Derby,” said Michael Hardy, Director of Farm Operations for Pin Oak Stud. “Hopefully, he can follow the path Sovereignty did.”
