Guest House to make another statement in Golden Rose
Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr have G1 Golden Slipper winner Guest House (Home Affairs) on song for the G1 Golden Rose on Saturday. “We were never bypassing this race. Sure, he jarred up a bit in the San Domenico and I wasn't happy with him on the Sunday morning, which is fine because you get a lot of horses that get out of bed a stiff after playing the game, that's not abnormal but I still wasn't that happy with him on Wednesday,” Price told racenet.com.au.
Guest House | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We made an adjustment, sent him to Mt White, let him do some work in the freezing cold treadmill water walker and he's bounced back no worries at all. He was four weeks between runs going into the Golden Slipper so I'm comfortable. You have to read your horse and that's how I read it.
“Tim Sutty has been with me about 20 years, he's ridden a lot of my nice horses over the years and he's happy with the horse, the way he galloped and recovered. He'll have another gallop on Tuesday, and we'll line up on Saturday with no complaints.
“He's got as much, if not more, natural capacity of any colt I've trained and I haven't had two colts win a Slipper. Extreme Choice, Flying Artie, Jacquinot, we've has a few smart ones but he's the pick of the bunch.”
Distance changes no drama for Sheza Alibi
Multiple Group 1 winner Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) will run in the 2000 metre G1 Makybe Diva Stakes before dropping back to 1500 metres for the G1 Golden Eagle. “It’ll be perfect for her and it will give her plenty of time to come back to the Eagle,” co-trainer Peter Moody told racing.com.
Sheza Alibi | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“The beauty of it is that we get to have a try at 2000 metres this spring and that should give us valuable information for her next campaign in relation to races like the Australian Cup.”
Waller makes case for all Golden Rose runners
Chris Waller is likely to have several runners in the G1 Golden Rose led by expensive colt St Gotthard (Snitzel). Tron Bolt (Toronado {Ire}), Central Europe (Frankel {GB}), Stormy Marco (Wotton Basset {GB}) and Campione D’Italia (Snitzel) are all possibilities for Saturday’s race. “It’s such a fair track, Rosehill, and over the 1400, there’s four hundred metres to the first bend,” Waller told betsy.com.au.
Chris Waller | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We’ve had some good success from bad draws. Going back to Zoustar, I think he drew the outside and (jockey) Jimmy Cassidy was even more confident. He said, ‘nothing will get in his way’. It’s not something you can worry about. I could make a case for all of them, to tell you the truth.”
My Gladiola to mimic Asfoora
G1 AJ Moir Stakes winner My Gladiola (I Am Invincible) is on a Royal Ascot pathway that will mimic the path taken by Champion European Sprinter Asfoora (Flying Artie). “She was good at gold came through it no problem at all. We can enjoy the rest of it now, she's a Group 1 winner now and with her pedigree and type obviously she's a very valuable mare,” trainer John McArdle told racenet.com.au.
My Gladiola | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We can go through the program we had set for her now and the pressure is off a bit. She'll head to the Manikato (Stakes) at this stage and then possibly the Champions Sprint on the last day (of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington).
“The four races in Europe are all 1000m races and all but one of them are down the straight, the King's Stand (King Charles Stakes), Haydock, Goodwood and France. That would be the plan of attack.”
Unbeaten Lepolo on Derby pathway
Trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy could have the favourites for the G1 VRC Derby and G1 VRC Oaks with unbeaten colt Lepolo (Written Tycoon) and filly Quick Finish (Grunt {NZ}). “He trialled yesterday (at Flemington) and from there (Super Impose) he’ll go to the Caulfield Classic to the Derby,” McEvoy’s racing manager Rayan Moore told racing.com.
“She’ll probably come back here for the Ethereal (Stakes over 2000m) and then towards the Oaks. It’s great to have two of the Oaks and Derby favourites. They are both homebreds from Yulong and they have been brilliant supporters of the team.”
Waller’s weight worry with Aeliana
Multiple Group 1 winner Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) has been given 58kg for the G1 Melbourne Cup and trainer Chris Waller is uncertain about what to do. “I couldn’t believe she got 58kg in the Melbourne Cup. I’m not whinging, but holy heck, it makes it hard for a horse like Aeliana to win a Melbourne Cup with 58kg, she’s a mare. That’s equivalent of 60kg for a colt or a gelding. Yeah, she’s a good horse, but she’s won a Derby, a Ranvet and a Tancred, and she’s got 58kg or a 60kg equivalent for a male,” Waller told racing.com.
Aeliana (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Makybe Diva, she was a pretty good horse, she won her third Melbourne Cup with 58.5kg (she was allocated 58kg). Poor old Aeliana… I just can’t get my head around it, to tell you the truth.
“The owners of Aeliana deserve a chance to be running in a Melbourne Cup, like the horses before her, with a fair weight. I don’t know where we’re heading, it’s as simple as that. I’m not whinging, but she can’t win a Melbourne Cup with 58kg, can she? I don’t want to cause a debate or get political at all; all I’m saying is I’m not very happy that Aeliana has got 58kg.”
Lord Remlap snapped up for The Kosciuszko
Scott Singleton assumed unbeaten Lord Remlap (Star Turn) would find a slot in The Kosciuszko, but it helped when one of his part-owners won a ticket. “I do think we would have got in regardless but it was just made a lot easier to strike a deal and get it done quickly,” Singleton told racenet.com.au.
“All of his work since has been great so we just need to keep him in one piece going into that race. It's hard to know how good he is because he's never lost but from day one we've always had a very high opinion of him. Even before he'd had a start we always had the opinion of him that he would be the type of horse to end up in that race but it's been good to see him come out and do it.” The 4-year-old gelding has won all of his four starts.
Roper decides to stay in Sydney
Apprentice jockey Anna Roper almost signed a loan to Queensland trainer Tony Gollan, but has decided to stay in Sydney with trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton. “I was very much thinking about making the move, but I'm going to stay in Sydney,” Roper told racenet.com.au.
“It was definitely in the picture and I'd spoken to a few trainers, mainly Tony, about taking me on. But the main thing that pulled me back is I've only got 25 winners left in my claim. If I go up there and spend three months, I'd probably burn through it and coming back is going to be harder.
“I have good connections in Sydney now and I don't really want to lose them.”
Debutant winner for Portland Sky
Second season sire Portland Sky added his ninth winner when Matt Laurie-trained 3-year-old gelding Saturn Sky bolted home by 2.25 lengths on debut at Bendigo. He was sold by Mullaglass Stud for $120,000 to WS Bloodstock at the Inglis Sydney Weanling Sale.
Saturn Sky is a half-brother to stakes placed Full Force (Cosmic Force) who now races in Hong Kong as Otokomae.
At the same meeting, 3-year-old colt Written Empire (Written Tycoon) won his maiden at start number two for trainers, the Hayes brothers.
New winner for St Mark’s Basilica
Shuttle sire and second season sire St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) added a new winner when Anthony Warren-trained 3-year-old filly Rosary Sister won her maiden at Nowra on Sunday. Owned by JE Star, she is the first foal of Inahappydaze (All Too Hard) who is a winning half-sister to a trio of stakes placed horses being Spiritual Pursuit (Snitzel), Wategos (Capitalist) and Bohemian Daisy (Hellbent).
At the same meeting, Bjorn Baker-trained 3-year-old filly Imperial Royale (Maurice {Jpn}) won her maiden at her second attempt.
Wild Ruler filly makes it three
Stuart Kendrick-trained 3-year-old filly Another Champers (Wild Ruler) won the QTIS 3-Year-Old race at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday to make it two wins in succession and three from six overall. The $80,000 graduate from Eureka Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft is the first foal of Miss Cliquot (Spirit Of Boom). Miss Cliquot is a winning full sister to Listed winner Perudo.
Doubles for All Too Hard and Ilovethiscity
At Kalgoorlie on Sunday, All Too Hard sired a double. Blood Brother took his record to three wins from eight starts for trainer Ricky Brown, while Science Degree won for the sixth time in his career for trainer Brett Drury.
At Mount Gambier, Ilovethiscity sired a double. Jyi Lukey-trained Urbanise made it two wins in succession, and three in total for his career. Later on the card, John Macmillan-trained I Love This Song took his career tally to four.
Another exciting juvenile for Appleby and Night Of Thunder
Charlie Appleby's runners can do no wrong at present and Godolphin's 850,000gns (AU$1.7 million) Tattersalls October Book 1 purchase Nabati (Night Of Thunder) continued the winning streak in Saturday's G2 Dubai Duty Free Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury.
“Dropping back to six furlongs helped Nabati and they went a nice, sensible gallop. He stuck at it well and it was a good ride from William. I would imagine that we might have a look at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint for him next,” Appleby said.
Not This Time’s Conceit wins G3 Dogwood Stakes
It was a thriller under the lights in the GIII Dogwood Stakes, but Juddmonte's Conceit (Not This Time) came out as the ultimate beneficiary of the throwdown on the lead when she ran down the duelling leaders to win the photo.
“She's a lightly raced filly and starting to really figure things out on the dirt,” said trainer Brad Cox after the race. “We know she tries hard and was going to come with a big run. We're very thankful for Juddmonte for sending us another talented homebred of theirs and the future is very bright.”
Italian yearlings topped by Mehmas filly
Milan's Ippodromo La Maura played host to the SGA Yearling Sale on Friday, with a Mehmas filly consigned by Le.Gi. leading the way when knocked down to Emanuele Grimaldi for €90,000 (AU$145,000).
The top lot is out of the Raven's Pass mare Ravensbelle, a half-sister to three black-type winners, most notably the G3 Jockey Club Cup scorer and G1 Prix Royal-Oak third Veracity (Lomitas).
Lot 7 was one of five purchases made by Grimaldi for a total of €281,000 (AU$453,000), with the others including lot 18, a Space Blues filly who fetched €70,000 (AU$113,000), and lot 31, a Bayside Boy filly bought for €62,000 (AU$100,000). Both fillies belonged to the seven-strong consignment from Rosati Colarieti.
The second top lot was a Nathaniel filly offered by Vedano, a half-sister to the G3 Premio Guido Berardelli hero Atom Hearth Mother (Rock Of Gibraltar) and Listed Premio Gino e Luciano Mantovani scorer Al Siq (Acclamation). Lot 13 was bought by John Kalmanson for €87,000 (AU$140,000).
Of the 83 lots offered, 68 sold at a clearance rate of 82%, up from 79% 12 months ago. The aggregate of €1,182,500 (AU$1.9 million) represented a 7% increase compared to last year, despite three fewer lots being offered, while the average was also up by 7% at €17,390 (AU$28,000) and the median up by 5% at €10,500 (AU$16,900).
European Equine Conference to be held at Irish National Stud
The European Horse Network (EHN), with the support of Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) and the European Federation of Thoroughbred Breeders' Associations (EFTBA), will host the European Equine Conference at the Irish National Stud on Tuesday, September 22.
The event has the support of Nina Carberry and Hilde Vautmans, Members of the European Parliament and co-chairs of the MEP Horse Group, and the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD.
A round table, moderated by Richard Pugh, head of racing and insights at HRI, will discuss the importance of the Irish breeding and racing sector to Ireland and internationally.
The conference aims to bring together Members of the European Parliament, Irish Government representatives and stakeholders from across the European equine sector, for an afternoon of open and constructive dialogue.
Irish Year Book to go ahead
The Irish Racing Yearbook 2027 is currently under production, with the much-missed John Fleming, the man responsible for the popular publication for over two decades, being succeeded in the role of publisher by his son, Danny.
The Irish Racing Yearbook, which is heading into its 50th year, is the definitive annual chronicle of horse racing in Ireland. It also covers the achievements of Irish people on foreign soil, providing interviews, profiles, analysis and much more from all sectors of the thoroughbred racing and breeding industries.
Following engagement between the Irish Racing Yearbook team and the family of John Fleming – who died in a tragic accident at Dublin Airport in April this year – the decision was made to go ahead with the 2027 edition.
Six horse fall at Churchill Downs
Race 2 on the Downs After Dark Saturday card at Churchill Downs was declared a no contest after a spill brought down several horses and riders with three jockeys taken to the hospital. Of the six afflicted horses, three were loaded onto an equine ambulance, according to the chart notes.
The second contest on the card was a juvenile maiden special weight with a field of 10 lining up. Several runners were later involved in a spill that left six without a jockey, namely Lutkenhaus (Cristian Torres), who was injured in the fall, and later loaded onto an ambulance; Ritornello (Francisco Arrieta), who fell; Midnight Rumble (Axel Concepcion) who fell and walked off; Shacklebolt (Walter Rodriguez) who fell and was transported off by ambulance; Steve Wood (Martin Garcia) who fell; and Industrious (Keith Asmussen) who fell and was loaded onto an ambulance.
Martin Garcia, Walter Rodriguez, and Cristian Torres were all transported to UofL Hospital. Keith Asmussen opted to take off his mounts for the remainder of the card while Francisco Arrieta took off his mount in the third, but was expected to return for the rest. Axel Concepcion returned to the saddle in the third race.
