It’s on. Sheza Alibi and Autumn Glow draw well in Winx
Saturday’s G1 Winx Stakes will see Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) jump from barrier one with Chris Waller-trained Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) drawing barrier three. “It’s just such an important starting point,” Waller told racingnsw.com.au.
“They’re all well prepared, they’ve been trialling for a number of weeks now and you’ve got to expect anything. You’ve got to be ready to run a tough 1400m at Group 1 level first-up. It’ll be interesting (with Sheza Alibi there), it’ll be a good race won’t it. And that’s what I say, you’ve got to be prepared for everything. I’m ready for it.”
Sheza Alibi | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Waller has seven of the 14 horse field with fellow Group 1 winners Beiwacht (Bivouac), Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun), Lindermann (Lonhro), Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio), Fangirl (Sebring), Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) and expensive import Barnavara (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) making up the rest of his team in the race.
Treasurethe Moment pleases in trial
Group 1 winner Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) trialed on Wednesday at Caulfield with trainer Matt Laurie setting her at the G1 Memsie Stakes. “She did what I asked of her (in the trial) … she probably feels similar (to last year but) she doesn't look as forward in her coat, if I'm being frank, she was very forward last year,” jockey Damian Lane said.
Treasurethe Moment | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“She pulled up having a bit of a blow this morning so I'd suggest she's not quite as screwed down as she was last year. The Memsie is going to be a tough ask first-up, it's going to be a cracking field but she's going to be competitive in whatever she runs in (this spring).”
Group 1 goals for Savvy Hallie
Trainer Brad Widdup will run Group 1-placed mare Savvy Hallie (Hellbent) in Saturday’s G3 Toy Show Quality and his big aim for her this spring is to win a Group 1 race. “She’s great, I’m very happy with her. We’ve had a good preparation leading up to Saturday. Hopefully she’s a bit better, but she’s pretty good as we know,” Widdup told racingnsw.com.au.
“If they go out and come back the same you’re in strife but she’s definitely developed. We’ve had a great prep until now and fingers crossed she keeps going.
Savvy Hallie | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“The Everest, you never say never. It’s a tough time in the spring, she’s a 4-year-old mare and I’d imagine 1200m to 1400m is her trip at this stage. There are good races but you’ve got to be very good to win them. The Golden Eagle is there too but I think the shorter trips might be better for her.
“We’ll just have to see how she comes back. It’s definitely thought about, we haven’t got too far ahead of ourselves but that race is on everyone’s mind.”
Cherry is the real deal
Part owner and Gold Coast Turf Club director Luke Henderson believes Cherry Bomshell (Lucky Vega {Ire}) is the real deal. She runs in Saturday’s G2 Silver Shadow Stakes. “The Queensland form of horses, when they go to Sydney, can just so often just be disregarded. But we have had a lot of very good horses from Queensland do really well in Sydney,” Henderson told racenet.com.au.
“I think this filly was totally underestimated in the Percy Sykes. She will compete in the Princess series in Sydney this spring and at some point a decision will be made as to whether she can run a mile and whether she could go onto the Flight Stakes.
“She had her final main hitout ahead of the Silver Shadow Stakes on Tuesday. And that was because after last Saturday's hitout, Rob (Archibald) said she had a bit more of a blow than what he expected. We hadn't planned on it, but they gave her another hitout and she has gone fine.”
Clark hoping for third Rowley Mile
Jockey Tim Clark hopes Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Punch Lane (So You Think {NZ}) can bring him a third Listed Rowley Mile on Thursday. He won the race in 2017 on Arbeitsam (Snitzel) and 2019 on Gaulois (Street Cry {Ire}). “It profiles as a nice race for him. He likes getting his toe in the ground so the prospect of a rain affected track is in his favour,” Clark told racingnsw.com.au.
Tim Clark | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“The mile suits and from the wide draw there’s a good straight run to try and get a spot. It was a good run by Punch Lane (last start). He held on pretty well and he’s had a trial since so he’s ready to go.”
Fall at Strathalbyn results in no race
Race five at Strathalbyn on Wednesday was abandoned when jockeys Lauren Stojakovic and Dom Tourneur fell on the first lap of the 2050 metre event. Both riders were conscious and assessed by paramedics with Tourneur taken to hospital.
According to reports on social media both horses, I Love This Song (Ilovethiscity) and Grinzinger Joy (NZ) (Savabeel), were uninjured and were caught by the clerk of the course.
Andrea should have been Andre
Tony Ball-trained gelding Andrea (Graff) heads to Randwick on Saturday and might be an omen bet for those who love a funny story. “He’s by Graff and Steffi Graf was married to Andre Agassi and that’s what he was supposed to be called,” Ball said.
“My wife runs the hospital and she did the papers one night and accidentally put an extra ‘a’ on him and it stuck to him. That’s how it happened, we didn’t change it. We think it’s bad luck to change it, we know who he is. She said he can be named after the singer (Andrea Bocelli). That’s how she got out of it.” Andrea has won two of his 13 starts and placed at Rosehill two starts ago.
Farnan double at Warwick Farm
Farnan sired a city class double at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. Debutant winning 3-year-old Blessed Eagle was covered in the main Wednesday racing feature.
In the last on the card, Nathan Doyle-trained 4-year-old gelding Heroic Deed made it three wins from four starts. The exciting prospect was a $120,000 purchase by Doyle Racing, Mitchell Bloodstock (FBAA) and Stallion Match from Armidale Stud’s Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale draft. Prior to that, he was sold by Waylon J Stud for $85,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
WA politicians meet racing participants at function
The newly formed Parliamentary Friends of Thoroughbred Racing Group (PFOTRG) met with West Australian politicians at an official function last week. “We know the important role racing plays in regional communities,” WA Premier Roger Cook said.
“It’s not just an opportunity for people to come and recreate, it’s a focal point for a lot of cultural interaction. From that perspective, we really want to continue to ensure that we can invest in regional racing to support our clubs with the infrastructure that they need right around regional WA.
“We’ll continue to make sure that work goes on into the future.” Also in attendance was Opposition Leader Basil Zempilas, and jockeys William Pike, Lucy Fiore, and Steven Parnham.
Stablemates set for Group 2 resumption
Stephen Marsh-trained pair of G3 Hawkesbury Guineas winner Media World (Written Tycoon) and Tardelli (I Am Invincible) will resume in Saturday’s G2 Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa. “Media World is a pretty high-class horse and his two trials for us have been great, so I am expecting him to race very well,” Marsh told Loveracing.nz
“He’s been an absolute pleasure to have in the stable, he’s a good style of horse with a lovely nature. His work has been good, he’s bright and happy and the plan is for him and Tardelli to go on to the Proisir Plate. That will be a ripping field as you would expect, it’s great to have so many good horses around.”
He’s part-owned by Yulong, who also have unbeaten Well Written (Written Tycoon) in the stable. “They’ve obviously got half of Well Written and Media World and we’ve also got Hidden Achievement, an I Am Invincible colt who will trial on Saturday before the first at Te Rapa, and a Super Seth 2-year-old colt for them.”
Dundeel sires double in New Zealand
On Wednesday at Cambridge, Dundeel (NZ) sired a double. Stephen Marsh-trained 3-year-old filly Perfect Pour (NZ) won her maiden at her first start this season. She was unplaced in two runs at two. Her trainer paid NZ$450,000 for her from Curraghmore’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft. Her dam, Grace Augusta (Declaration Of War {USA}) is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Mighty Boss (Not A Single Doubt) and Group 2 winner Coastwatch (Fastnet Rock).
The double came with stablemate Mulan Ardeche (NZ) and the 5-year-old mare took her record to three wins from 21 starts. Raptors Thoroughbreds paid NZ$180,000 for her from Cambridge Stud’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale draft. She is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Mongolian Marshall (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Marsh trained four of the seven winners on the card, with the other two being Kasukedo (Lonhro) and Bright Thoughts (So You Think {NZ}).
Australian sires land in China
According to New Zealand Stud Book records, former Australian based sires North Pacific, Ducimus, and Dawn Service have been exported to China. They left Australia for New Zealand earlier this year, and have since headed to China. With racing on mainland China to begin in October, under the guidance of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, there has been more movement of stallions to China with Rubick heading there last year.
North Pacific’s oldest crop are 4-year-olds and are led by Listed winner Zuleika. Ducimus has only small crops with two stakes placed winners among his 32 winners. Dawn Service, a Listed winning son of Justify (USA), has yet to stand at stud.
Rashabar retires to Haras de Castillon in 2027
The G2 Coventry Stakes winner Rashabar (Holy Roman Emperor) will take up stallion duties at Haras de Castillon in 2027, joining the burgeoning roster standing under the Castillon Stallions banner at the Normandy farm.
Benoît Jeffroy, founder of Castillon Stallions, said, “I am delighted that Sam Sangster and his partners have chosen us ahead of several studs in Britain. Rashabar's race record and physical make him a very attractive commercial prospect. There is also a strong support programme behind the horse, with both his owners and Castillon firmly committed to him.”
Trained by Brian Meehan, Rashabar confirmed his standing as one of the leading 2-year-olds of his generation when following his Royal Ascot win with runner-up finishes in both the G1 Prix Morny and G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere. Though failing to add to his tally as a 3-year-old, the son of Holy Roman Emperor continued to acquit himself well at a high level, notably finishing second in both the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano and G3 Greenham Stakes. He was also fourth in the Irish 2,000 Guineas, before occupying the same position when returning to Royal Ascot for the G1 St James's Palace Stakes.
“Rashabar was an incredibly genuine, tough and talented horse,” said Meehan. “He had the speed to win a Coventry, but also the constitution and class to be highly competitive in Group 1 company. He was a pleasure to train, very sound-minded, straightforward and willing and I very much look forward to training his progeny in the future.”
Bred at Haras de Beaufay, Rashabar is one of two winners from as many runners out of the unraced Camelot mare Amazonka, along with the G3 Prix Vanteaux second and G3 Prix Chloe third Lethal Beauty (Acclamation). Amazonka is herself a half-sister to the G3 Bronte Cup Fillies' Stakes winner River Of Stars (Sea The Stars) – who also filled the runner-up spot in the G1 Prix de Royallieu and G1 Caulfield Cup – and the Listed Dortmunder St. Leger Trial scorer Apadanah (Holy Roman Emperor).
