Daily News Wrap

No Everest for The Next Episode

Listed-winning 2-year-old colt The Next Episode (Snitzel) won’t head to the G1 The Everest, but still has the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes as a goal.

“We are not tempted to go for The Everest,” part-owner Widden Stud’s Antony Thompson told racingandsports.com.au.

“I think Ciaron (Maher, trainer) wants to be conservative and play the long game. Ciaron has looked after him so far as there was a temptation to push on to a Group 1 in Brisbane but he didn't, he did the right thing by the horse.

“He feels the Coolmore (Stud Stakes) is the right race to target with The Next Episode during the spring carnival.” The $2.8 million yearling has won three of his five starts at two.

“The Next Episode is a very kind, relaxed, intelligent horse but on raceday he gets a bit excited at the barriers and wants to get on with it a bit. He is fairly inexperienced so Ciaron wants to keep him in Melbourne and teach the horse to do things right in his races. The plan is to get him to the Coolmore at probably his third or fourth run in - Flemington on Derby Day is the dream.”

King announces retirement

Jockey Steven King has announced his retirement from the saddle. The 56-year-old hoop had his first ride in 1987 and has won 50 Group 1 races.

“I just think it's time. It's been 40 years and I think it's time to see what the other side of the world looks like. It's time to go and see what else is out there. I think 40 years might be the limit,” King told racenet.com.au.

“I'm going to do a bit of travelling and I'm really looking forward to it. Most of my trips away have been with horses and it will be good to travel without being involved in racing.” King has more than 1600 wins in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, England and Dubai.

Group 1 target for Sass Appeal

Trainer Danny O’Brien will set Group 2 winner Sass Appeal (So You Think {NZ}) for the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

“She's come back in great shape, we're keen to have her up early enough because we'd like to have her in the Rupert Clarke,” O'Brien told racenet.com.au.

“She'll be ready to go to the races in a couple of weeks… two runs before the Rupert Clarke, she still needs a win to get her rating up to make sure she gets a start. She's had five starts, won four of them, only time she got beaten she was probably unlucky in her first start and her progression went like that (up).

“She was really impressive as a 3-year-old filly, particularly her last win (Kewney), she belted a good group of 3-year-old fillies that went on to run well in Sydney. She was very dominant against them and we're hoping she can elevate now as a 4-year-old, which is the question for all 3-year-olds really, not all of them take that step into open age.”

Guineas dreams for Neveu

Trainer Jon O’Connor has the good problem of too many choices with G3 SAJC Sires’ Produce winner Neveu (Rich Enuff).

“We’ve got a big opinion of him. I dare say he might find his way back to Melbourne at some stage,” O’Connor told racingsa.com.au.

“The pinnacle would be the Caulfield Guineas. I think that would be a bridge too far and it’s going to come up a bit soon for us where we are at now. We’ll have to have a good look. He’s a horse you have to target races with, we’ve got next year’s Autumn Carnival here, lot to think about now.”

Split’s emotional win on Sunday

Patrick Payne-trained Split (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) was injured in a truck crash in March this year. Sadly, the driver Peter Butler died in the accident as did three unraced youngsters from the same stable. On Sunday at Coleraine, Split won his second start back since the accident, having run third when resuming in early July.

“It was great to see him come back like that. For him to come back like that is pretty amazing,” co-owner Jo Rathbone told racing.com.

“He did have a few cuts, he had a decent one across his wither and on one of his front legs, as well. You never know how greatly something like that impacts a horse; it might appear to be all good, but there might be something else that you can’t quite see, internal stuff.

“It’s incredible that he's back and racing so soon; it’s a credit to Patrick and his team and the vets and everyone who’s played a part.

“I got forwarded a message that Patrick and his team had been sent by one of the first responders who had actually gotten Split and led him down to one of the neighbours. He saw him have that first run on the flat at Casterton (on July 5) when he ran third and he was thrilled. You’ve got to take your hat off to people like that, it’s amazing what they do.

“It’s nice that someone like that remembered the horse and has been following him."

Mossfun’s half-brother to debut

Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have elected to debut 2-year-old colt Keen Observer (Ole Kirk) at Moe on Tuesday. He’s a half-brother to G1 Golden Slipper winner Mossfun (Mossman).

“He's a big-framed horse that is probably 16.1 (hands) already,” Young told racenet.com.au.

“He will get over a bit of a trip eventually but he's jumped and been on the bunny and led in his jumpouts. He's still got to fill out a little bit but he's got a massive stride on him.”

Rich Enuff adds juvenile winner

Two days after Rich Enuff’s Neveu won the G3 SAJC Sires’ Produce Stakes, another of his juveniles has scored at Pakenham’s Synthetic meeting on Monday. Reece Goodwin-trained 2-year-old gelding Pocketfullofcash won his debut by 2.5 lengths for owners Graebar Park.

Pocketfullofcash is the third winner for Belwazi (Bel Esprit) who won the Listed Kensington Stakes and six other races.

Airburst targets easier maiden

Beautifully bred 3-year-old filly Airburst (Zoustar) was transferred from Chris Waller to Paul Snowden, and she’s run two placings for her new stable who hope she can win her maiden at Taree on Tuesday.

“Obviously she’s a very well bred filly and has a lot to live up to in that regard,” Snowden told racingnsw.com.au.

“She’s pleased me since she arrived in my stable and all of her three starts have been solid. Her mother (Red Tracer) was a good wet tracker, and Airburst has handled them so that’s in her favour heading into Tuesday. She’s drawn a good gate and can take up a striking position and Ben [Looker] has been on her in all her starts for me, so he knows her very well now too.”

Airburst is the fourth named foal of Group 1 winner Red Tracer (Dane Shadow) who has already produced Group 3-placed Overlord (Sebring).

Well Written to kick off in Group 1

Unbeaten rising 4-year-old mare Well Written (Written Tycoon) will kick off her spring campaign in the G1 Proisir Plate at Ellerslie on September 5.

“She’ll kick off there and, all going to plan, she’ll either go to the Silver Eagle or the Epsom into the $10 million Golden Eagle,” trainer Stephen Marsh told Loveracing.nz.

“She’s got to take that next step up to the big guns now, but we’re confident in her to do that. It’s very exciting. There’s definitely a physical difference about her, she’s a lot thicker and more mature. It’s fair to say that she was a touch slight, but she’s a much stronger model this time in.” She has won all her six starts.

Masquerade Ball set for Japan’s revenge

Japan is out for revenge. Two decades on from the defeat of Heart's Cry to Hurricane Run and Electrocutionist in the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, Masquerade Ball (Duramente), and travelling companion Wurttemberg (Kitasan Black), will bid to go a couple of places better and deliver a memorable triumph for Japan in one of Europe's great middle-distance races.

Teruya Yoshida, the man behind Shadai Race Horse, the syndicate that owned Heart's Cry and now Masquerade Ball, still hasn't forgiven himself for the defeat of 2006.

The Shadai Farm boss said, “It was mainly my idea to try and win the King George with Masquerade Ball this year. We tried to win the race many years ago with Heart's Cry but he was beaten only a length into third by Hurricane Run and Electrocutionist. Heart's Cry had won the Dubai Sheema Classic by over four lengths on the bridle before the King George.

“But, when we brought him to Ascot, his barn was very much isolated at that time, so he lost a lot of weight on that trip. I blamed myself for that defeat. That's why, ever since that race, we have been wanting to bring two horses for the race so we have been waiting for the right time to bring two very good horses.”

Minstrel Stakes winner set for Breeders’ Cup

Returning to the scene of his finest hour on Sunday, Amo Racing's Phoenix Stakes hero Power Blue (Space Blues) duly regained the winning thread taking on his elders for the first time in The Curragh's G2 Minstrel Stakes.

Trainer Robson De Aguiar, who was completing a quickfire double having won the preceding maiden with the 50-1 shot Shi Yang, confirmed that the Ebor Festival's Group 1 over this trip is the immediate target with Keeneland also on the agenda in October. “He's fantastic, he won the first 2-year-old maiden at The Curragh last year and has taken on the best,” he said.

“He deserves this,” he added. “He can go anywhere from six to a mile, he's a pleasure to train. This is a good trip for him and seven furlongs at York will be the race for him. He's very lazy at home, like a pony, but he tries his best for you at the races. I'd say the Breeders' Cup Mile could be for him and maybe the QEII at Ascot as well, but York is next.”

Unbeaten Tokaido adds Group 2

Amy Murphy trainee Tokaido (Ubettabelieveit) faced two rivals from the Joseph O'Brien stable in Sunday's G2 Goffs Prix Robert Papin and the G3 Prix du Bois winner confirmed his status as France's leading juvenile with a smooth success in the six-furlong feature.

“We are very lucky to have found him and thankful to the guys for sending him to me,” said Murphy. “It's amazing, it was more like a racecourse gallop today and he's done it well, so we are very happy. Sadly, he's a gelding and he can't run in the [G1] Prix Morny, so he's going to go to the Harry's Half Million at York in the middle of August.”

Woodbine Oaks won by Knicks Go filly

She could've gone around again, and they wouldn't be able to catch her. Luster (Knicks Go) dominated the field and strolled home to win the Woodbine Oaks.

“Tremendously exciting horse,” said trainer Josie Carroll, who also trains third-placed Bold Time (Not This Time). “I had some questions until today, but she certainly looks like she'll get her route of ground. She seems to be moving forward all the time.”

Carroll is no stranger to Oaks success, as the conditioner of 2011 winner Inglorious, and she later won the Queen's Plate with that filly, as well as Curlin's Voyage (2020) and Kin's Concerto (2024).

Spinaway next for well bred Effusive

Spendthrift Farm's 2-year-old filly Effusive (Into Mishchief) likely earned herself a start in the G1 Spinaway Stakes with her professional debut victory at Saratoga on Saturday.

“She came out of the race in good shape,” said Blake Cox, assistant to his father, trainer Brad Cox. “She seems a little tired, most first-timers are after they run here. I would think the Spinaway is on the radar, for sure.”

Effusive is the second foal out of champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar), who provided Brad Cox his first Grade 1 victory in the 2018 G1 Ashland Stakes.