Prizemoney boost for Caulfield Cup
The Melbourne Racing Club have announced that this year’s 150th running of the G1 Caulfield Cup will be worth $6 million, up from $5 million last year. “The Sportsbet Caulfield Cup is one of Australia's great races and the Melbourne Racing Club has a responsibility to ensure it remains there,” Melbourne Racing Club chief executive Tanya Fullarton said.
“The 150th running gives us the right moment to elevate the race, ensuring it remains a compelling target for the best available staying horses.
“The Sportsbet Caulfield Cup will remain the world's richest 2400m handicap race supported by the increased prizemoney pool, which in distributing money to every starter, recognises the considerable commitment required to prepare a horse for a race of this scale.”
Dunn hoping to go one better in Eye Liner
Beaudesert trainer Jeff Dunn hopes his stable star Listed Ramornie Stakes winner Sha Of Gomer (Shalaa {Ire}) can go one better than last year’s second placing in Saturday’s Listed Eye Liner Stakes. “He's done a lot for me personally as a trainer and for our family, as well,” Dunn told racingqueensland.com.au.
“Training is a very fickle game - one week you can be hot property and the next week you can be the house on the street that nobody wants to buy. What he's done for me is really put my name up in lights. I could go and buy a tried horse and I have no trouble syndicating it now. I could go and buy a yearling and again have no trouble syndicating it.
Jeff Dunn | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
"Whereas before Sha Of Gomer and the success that he brought with him and to us, I would have had a lot of trouble doing that. It might have taken me two or three months to syndicate a horse, whereas now it takes me a day, two or three days.
“The exposure that he's brought to the stable in good races has really put our name up in lights. We're not just a little small stable that trains out of Beaudesert. We're very hands-on and we don't have $1 million yearlings coming into our barn every year. But, we work hard and we get the best out of the horses that we have.”
Regal Zeus to kick of spring campaign
John McArdle-trained Regal Zeus (Zoustar) will kick off his spring campaign in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes on Saturday. “I'm 99 per cent sure we'll run in the Eye Liner and then the Glasshouse and if everything went according to plan then we would be the fit horse leading into the Memsie,” McArdle told racingandsports.com.au.
“That was the plan and the reason for heading up there was because it is a 61-kilo maximum topweight off a 54-kilo minimum, so he wouldn't be getting as badly weighted up there as he would be in Victoria.”
Ipswich Cup to honour past jockeys
Past winners of the Ipswich Cup have been invited to attend Saturday’s renewal. “I think it's important to recognise the past feats that have built the foundations of what makes our sport so great today,” Ipswich Turf Club CEO Nathan Exelby told racenet.com.au.
“Garry Legg went on to become a much-loved racing writer for The Courier Mail and he's now an important part of the Queensland Jockeys' Association. I was lucky enough to work with him for a number of years and I'm thrilled to recognise this milestone for him on Saturday.
Nathan Exelby | Image courtesy of Ipswich Turf Club
“We also thought it was an opportunity to recognise other riders over the past century and we look forward to having them as VIP guests this weekend.” Legg won the Cup 50 years ago on Timides (NZ) (Alcimedes {GB}), while other invitees include Michael Kerr, who won the 1986 Ipswich Cup on Hot On Aces (NZ) (Ace On Aces {USA}), Gary Doughty who won on Fine Spy (NZ) (Grosvenor {NZ}) in 1996, Jim Byrne winner in 2006 on Sphenophyta (NZ) (Groom Dancer {USA}) and Damian Browne who won in 2016 on Maurus (GB) (Medicean {GB}).
Improvement expected for Predation
Trainer Edward O’Rourke expects 2-year-old gelding Predation (Capitalist) to improve sharply from his debut effort in the Kirkham Plate when he runs at Canterbury on Wednesday. Sometimes you can get away with one trial but the race didn’t go to plan, he jumped a bit slow and they steadied up in front and got on heels and everything went to bits after that,” O’Rourke told racingnsw.com.au.
“He’s had a lot better grounding this time, everything has been straightforward and we’ve got to the trials and he’s done everything right. We’ve given him plenty of time and he’s continued to improve for us. He’s an exciting horse with plenty of upside to come for the future and I’d be disappointed if he’s not there fighting out the finish.”
Juvenile winner for Brave Smash
Debutant 2-year-old filly Pulp Friction (Brave Smash {Jpn}) won at Ballarat on Tuesday for trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy. McEvoy Racing and Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) purchased her from Lucas Bloodstock’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft for $42,500. Pulp Friction is the second winner from seven foals for winning mare Lemon Sweet (Bradbury’s Luck).
Brave Smash had a double on the card with Brave Carol who added her second career win for trainer Andrew Noblet.
Pulp Friction’s stablemate 2-year-old filly Del Lirenza (Anders) won on the same card. She was having her third start and was up against the older maidens. Raced by Bell River Thoroughbreds and partners, she is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Material Man (Vital Equine {Ire}).
Pierata adds juvenile winner
Georgie Holt-trained 2-year-old gelding Vierata (Pierata) won at his second start at Townsville on Tuesday, having run second on debut. He is the second foal and second winner for Valuate (Falvelon) who won three times at the same track.
AgriFutures expression of interest
AgriFutures have put out an Expression Of Interest for a “suitably qualified provider to undertake a comprehensive analysis of the Australian Thoroughbred foal crop, including its trends, drivers and future outlook,” said the press release.
“The project will deliver a robust, data-driven understanding of foal crop dynamics and their impact on key industry indicators such as race field size, ownership participation and overall sustainability.
“With the Thoroughbred breeding industry contributing significantly to Australia’s economy and early signs of declining foal crop levels, this work will help inform strategic decision-making and support a viable, competitive and resilient industry into the future.”
Campbell looking to beat own record
Hall of Fame trainer Barry Campbell has 46 wins this season, only one behind his best ever season of 47 achieved in 2018/19. “It’s been an unbelievable year. Last year was a good one, but this year has been even better,” Campbell told tasracing.com.au.
“I think we’ve won 11 feature races this year, so that’s been big for the prize money total. The horses have just raced really well.” He has six weeks to beat his own record, something that seems likely.
Riding for Disabled fundraiser
Graeme and Debbie Rogerson and Clinton Isdale will be well-represented at Waikato Thoroughbred Racing’s annual RDA Raceday at Cambridge on Wednesday. The annual meeting raises funds for the Riding For The Disabled charity.
With three runners for the training partnership on the program, it is last start winner Tarzador (NZ) (Tarzino {NZ}) that has the best chance. “She won really well,” Isdale told Loveracing.nz. “It was a tough run, she got taken on for the majority of the race but toughed it out nicely. She will be thereabouts.”
Siblings win Group 1 races in Brazil
Full siblings Plano B (Brz) and On The End (Brz), sired by Emcee (USA), both won Group 1 races over the weekend on the same day at the same track. Both trained by MS Oliveria with 3-year-old filly On The End winning the G1 Grande Premio Presidente da Republica, while 2-year-old colt Plano B won the Grande Prêmio Jockey Club Brasileiro on the same card at Rio de Janeiro’s Hipódromo da Gávea.
The pair are the third and fourth foals from Dead End (Brz) (Wild Event {USA}) whose first two foals are both minor winners. Dead End is a winning half-sister to Group 2 winner Voo Livre (Brz) (Northern Afleet {USA}) and Listed winner Feliz Rainha (Brz) (Put It Back {USA}).
Potential changes to USA work visas
A raft of changes to the H-2A Temporary Agricultural Worker Program woven into the recently introduced Securing Agriculture's Workforce Act could open up the visa to the immigrant backstretch workforce.
Designed specifically for agricultural workers, the H-2A program has for a long time effectively excluded equine backstretch workers from participation as it is designed for non-immigrant ag' workers who perform seasonal or temporary jobs.
“For decades, that has been strictly defined in regulations to mean the length of the job contract is limited to 10 months and the underlying job must be BOTH seasonal and temporary,” according to a governmental factsheet on the proposed legislation.
“There's broad definition to include equine, so, Thoroughbred and other sectors within our equine community are included,” said Oscar Gonzales, vice chair of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), a long-time advocate in Washington for immigration reform as it relates to backstretch workers.
Gonzales served as deputy chief of staff to former secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack.
Among the key provisions of the bill as written, Gonzales identified language allowing for existing unauthorized workers to gain access to the program, provided they meet certain eligibility requirements (like background checks and an in-person interview).
“Another part that is critical, the paperwork part of the legislation appears to be much more simplified and streamlined, so that an employer won't have to exhaust their resources to just get through the application process,” said Gonzales.
