Latest order for Inglis Millennium
Inglis have released the latest order of entry for the R.Listed Inglis Millennium to be held on February 7. Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Revengeance (Hellbent) leads from Ciaron Maher’s Calamari Ring (Street Boss {USA}) with Paul Murray-trained Where’s The Circus (Trapeze Artist) in third.
A field of 16 will take their place with the starter.
Warwoven to miss Blue Diamond
Trainer Bjorn Baker confirmed that G1 Blue Diamond Stakes second-favourite Warwoven (Sword Of State) has been spelled and will miss the race. “We’ll try to get him to the Slipper, but we’ll just take it one step at a time,” Baker told racing.com.
Warwoven | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
He was scratched by the vets prior to the R.Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic. He has been spelling since then and the plan is to bring him back into work next week. “We thought he was okay to run and they didn’t, so that’s the way it goes.”
Mehegan hunting third Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes
Trainer Michael Mehegan has won the G3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes twice, in 2017 and 2018 with Prussian Vixen (King Of Prussia), and hopes to add a third this Saturday with Bossy Benita (So You Think {NZ}). “That's been our long term goal with her for ages, to try to win that race for a third time with her,” Mehegan told racenet.com.au.
“It's still a pretty strong year though, I'll give it that. There's plenty of 100-raters in there.” Bossy Benita is currently the second favourite.
“(In the spring), things didn't go to plan. Her rider fell off her a few weeks before the Let's Elope, then she went through a few running rails and hurt herself. In hindsight, I probably should have spelled her. It just cooked her and she'd had enough. She had a good break and she's had the three jumpouts and she's pretty much ready to go.”
Group 3 targets for She’s Pretty Rich
Cranbourne trainer Matthew Brown will target the G3 Mystic Journey Stakes and G3 Vamos Stakes in Tasmania with 6-year-old mare She’s Pretty Rich (Written Tycoon). “We gave her four weeks off, and she’s had two 800-metre jump-outs at Cranbourne, the latest last week, which was very encouraging,” Brown told tasracing.com.au.
“I’ve tried to bring one or two over to Tassie for the carnival each season, but we missed last year. She’s Pretty Rich will come over next week and go to the Mystic Journey and then stay on for the Vamos.”
Quilty confirms cancer diagnosis
Jockey Cameron Quilty has confirmed a cancer diagnosis, and trainer Saab Hasan has setup a GoFundMe page to help support him. Quilty rode She’s Elusive (Lean Mean Machine) for Hasan at Sandown on December 10 and went to the doctors for a check up after hurting his ribs. Doctors discovered the pain was from a tumour. “He’s been an integral part of racing and he’s fighting cancer at the moment, he’s got a tumor on the lung,” Hasan told racing.com.
“He started off at Flemington like I did with the Cerchis, he started off with Ray Lawson. He’s 53 and credit to him, he’s still coming up and riding trackwork for us, as is Johnny Keating, who’s another fellow in his 50s always helping out. We need these people in racing.”
Edmonds excited to see Grand Old Bowler
Pakenham trainer Trent Edmonds is excited about 3-year-old filly Grand Old Bowler (Exceedance) who has her second career start at Sandown on Wednesday, having run third on debut. “I've been here (at Pakenham) just a tick under two years and have only had 49 runners so that tells a story,” Edmonds told racenet.com.au.
“I obviously want more business as I've only got half a dozen in work and it's been very slow. That being said, it just takes time. Hopefully a couple of good results in the next couple of months with some younger stock can get the ball rolling a bit.
“(Grand Old Bowler) probably should have won. She got belted out of the barriers when the inside and outside horse gave her a smashing and it put her out the back. When she burst through, I still thought she was going to win but she just started flicking her ears and had a bit of a look at either the big screen, winning post or both because she'd never been away from home before.” The filly is part-owned by former Carlton and Swans rover Bernie Evans as well as Melbourne 2021 premiership players Bayley Fritsch, Clayton Oliver and James Harmes.
New winner for North Pacific
Second season sire North Pacific added winner number 18 when Matthew Smith-trained 3-year-old colt Curado won at Goulburn on Tuesday. He was having his fourth start, having placed in two of his first three starts.
A homebred for J Mackay, Curado is the fourth winner from as many to race for Saunter (Exceed And Excel) who is from the family of G2 Perth Cup winner Casino Seventeen (Casino Prince). Saunter has a Too Darn Hot (GB) yearling colt as her final foal. He will be presented by Sledmere Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale as Lot 390.
Forever Young & Calandagan lead Dubai World Cup entries
American and Japanese champion Forever Young (Real Steel) and the Longines World's Best Racehorse Calandagan (Gleneagles) lead the nominations for the Dubai World Cup night on March 28.
Japan's dirt superstar is nominated for the G1 Dubai World Cup alongside 2024 winner Laurel River (Into Mischief) and 2025 winner Hit Show (Candy Ride), among others.
In the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic is Calandagan, alongside 2024 Sheema Classic winner Rebel's Romance (Dubawi), GI Breeders' Cup Turf hero Ethical Diamond (Awtaad), and 2025 winner Danon Decile (Epiphaneia). Croix Du Nord (Kitasan Black), Durezza (Duramente) and Masquerade Ball (Duramente) are also among the entries.
Erwan Charpy, head of racing operations and international relations at Dubai Racing Club, said, “We are thrilled to see such exceptional nominations from around the world for the 30th running of the Dubai World Cup. The presence of former and defending champions highlights the prestige and global pull of this meeting, and we are confident that the 2026 edition will deliver an outstanding celebration of international racing at its very best.”
Australian trained horses with entries include Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}), nominated for both the G1 Dubai World Cup and G2 Godolphin Mile. In the G1 Al Quoz Sprint, there is Angel Capital (Harry Angel {Ire}), Baraqiel (Snitzel), Beiwacht (Bivouac), Joliestar (Zoustar), Marble Nine (Kobayashi), Tentyris (Street Boss {USA}), and Zou Sensation (Zoustar). In the G2 Dubai Gold Cup, there is River Of Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Valiant King (GB) (Roaring Lion {USA}).
Sunday to kick of 4-year-old series in Hong Kong
Jockey Matthew Chadwick with reunite with Patch Of Cosmo (NZ) (Super Seth) for Sunday’s Listed Classic Mile, the first leg in the important 4-Year-Old Series. “I was always looking and hoping to get back on him if he was able to get into the Classic Mile,” Chadwick told scmp.com.
Matthew Chadwick | Image courtesy of The Hong Kong Jockey Club
“I rode him a bit last season and he showed some real tenacity and some real fight, so it will be interesting to see what his ceiling is because he hasn’t hit it yet. It’s good to be able to get back on and see how he’s improved this season and how he’s come on from his last run.
“He’s a lovely, gross horse and he has a lovely character. He does what you ask him to do. I think he’ll be in with a shout – hopefully he can be in the finish with them.”
Paddy Power make Minzaal favourite to be leading FSS
Minzaal has been chalked up at odds as short as 10-11 for first-season sires' championship honours by Paddy Power, whose trader James Ryan said it is the Derrinstown Stud-based stallion's 'title to lose'.
Ryan, who priced up the market, also revealed that the firm is happy to lay second-favourite Blackbeard at odds of 6-4. Meanwhile, Baaeed has not gone unsupported at odds of 66-1.
According to Global Stallions, Minzaal has 115 2-year-olds to run for him this year while Blackbeard has the same number of juveniles. Tally-Ho Stud's representative Persian Force has 99 soldiers on the ground and can be backed at odds of 4-1 to emulate stud mates Starman and Mehmas by landing the championship.
Explaining how the firm prices up the market, Ryan said, “The first-season sires market is always an exciting one to price up and really seems to get the bloodstock enthusiasts' opinions out. The main factors that go into pricing up the market would be the number of 2-year-olds that each stallion has to run for them, how the stock got on at the sales, the average ratings of the mares as 2-year-olds and the percentage of the mares' progeny that raced at two.”
