Savvy Hallie picked by Mulberry for The Everest
Brad Widdup-trained mare Savvy Hallie (Hellbent) has been selected for the Mulberry Racing slot in the G1 The Everest. She ran second in Saturday’s G2 Premiere Stakes to Godolphin’s Tempted (Street Boss {USA}) who seems likely to run for her owner’s slot again this year.
Savvy Hallie | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Announced to date are Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), Ninja (Farnan) for Fairway Thoroughbreds, Headwall (Dream Ahead {USA}) for Max Whitby, Neil Werrett, Col Madden and Steve McCann, Blue Door (Stay Inside) for Newgate and Spicy Martini (Justify {USA}) for Inglis.
Warwoven could be once in a lifetime colt
Bjorn Baker-trained Warwoven (Sword Of State) comes off a victory in the G1 Golden Rose and heads to Saturday’s G1 Caulfield Guineas.
“He has come through the Golden Rose great,” Baker told racenet.com.au.
Warwoven | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He has got a great attitude, he is really bombproof. He had a nice gallop left handed on Thursday, it wasn't about breaking the clock, not in what was his first proper gallop and we will probably give him a mate on Tuesday and aim to do a bit more but he has been very, very good, arguably once in a lifetime colt.”
He could potentially head to the G1 Cox Plate afterwards. “You have to dream and that's what the race is about. His mother was a Group 2 winner over 2000 metres. He relaxes really well and he can absorb pressure, which he showed last Saturday.
“It's one step at a time, we all know that, but if he goes to he Caulfield Guineas and goes as well as I think he will (we can look that way).”
Paradoxium for Roman Consul
Warwoven’s stablemate Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) will stick to sprinting and runs in Saturday’s G2 Roman Consul Stakes.
“I am very excited about him,” trainer Bjorn Baker told racenet.com.au.
Paradoxium | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I’ve got some pretty good horses to compare him against at the moment and I've got some pretty good people I work with that have great attitudes but I think Paradoxium has one of the best.”
Birdman’s form almost in Sheza Alibi league
G1 Underwood Stakes winner Birdman (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) will run into exciting mare Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) in Saturday’s G1 Might And Power Stakes.
“After really putting away Cosmic Crusader in the Underwood and then watching what he did in the Turnbull, it’s strong form that he’s taking into the race,” part-owner Ozzie Kheir told racing.com.
“She’s (Sheza Alibi) in the discussion of being in the top two in the country with Autumn Glow, but we are not going to the races thinking that she will just roll up and win. We think we will give her a race and we have some slight confidence that we could knock her off.
“It will be a tactical race and both horses have grand finals at their next starts with her going to the Golden Eagle and Birdman going to the Cox Plate. It won’t be a big field but it will be a really good clash.
“We bypassed yesterday (Turnbull Stakes), which in hindsight was not a bad move given the conditions.”
The Big Dance three-peat for Gringotts
Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto {NZ}) will run in the Alan Brown Stakes before attempting to win The Big Dance for the third time.
“We have got two options for him – either run this week in the Alan Brown where he will have a bit of weight, or you could wait for the King Charles next week where he will have to face Autumn Glow again,” Ciaron Maher’s assistant Jo Gerard-Dubord told racingandsports.com.au.
Gringotts (NZ) | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“But his main target this preparation has been The Big Dance. Last year he ran in the Alan Brown heading towards the Big Dance and it just works well timing-wise. It's three weeks from his last start and then three weeks and three days into The Big Dance.
“At this stage the plan would be to run this week, but we will nominate, likely accept and if we felt the race didn't suit, whether it's track conditions or whether it's a barrier, we still have the option to go to King Charles next week.”
Crescent King earns stakes spot with Monday win
Monday’s public holiday meeting at Warwick Farm saw Peter Snowden-trained 3-year-old colt Crescent King (Written Tycoon) take home the spoils and make it two wins in succession.
“He's won both starts his time in, a Super Maiden last start at Canterbury – that was a big win – and that was a good effort today with 60 kilos chasing a red-hot speed like that,” Snowden said.
“He's done a great job. He's a talented horse. I think he's above Wednesday grade and I think there's a nice race coming up for him. Maybe the Brian Crowley. It's something I've had my eye on for a while for him and after watching today, I don't think he'll be out of place in a race like that.”
It’s a timely victory for next week’s Magic Millions Horses In Training Sale, as Crescent King graduated from Kenmore Lodge’s 2025 draft when Amy Feng paid $300,000 for him.
Interstate double for Dundeel
Yulong and Gilgai Farm-owned and Chris Waller-trained 3-year-old colt True Tone (Dundeel {NZ}) won the first at Pakenham and he’s the third foal and third winner for Tune Doubt (Not A Single Doubt) who is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Jukebox (Snitzel). Yulong purchased him from Gilgai Farm for $600,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
At Doomben, Waller-trained 3-year-old colt Great Times Ahead (Dundeel {NZ}) won at his third start. Owned by Newgate Bloodstock, China Horse Club and partners, the syndicate purchased him for $600,000 from Arrowfield's Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft. He is the first winner for unraced Courchevel (Snitzel), a half-sister to the immortal Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) and Group 3 winners City Of Lights (Deep Impact) and El Divino (Snitzel).
New winner for St Mark’s Basilica
Second season sire St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) added a new southern hemisphere winner when Matt Laurie-trained 3-year-old gelding Vantaa won at Pakenham on Monday. Second on debut, he was having his second start. PR Thoroughbreds paid $200,000 for him from Arrowfield Stud’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft.
A half-brother to stakes-placed Crockett (All American), he is one of five winners from five to race for Street Cry (Ire) mare Tuusula, an unraced daughter of Arrowfield’s super mare Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice). Miss Finland also produced Tuusula’s full sister Group 1 winner Stay With Me.
Platinum Pantheon on song for Silver Eagle
G3 Winx Guineas-placed Platinum Pantheon (Hanseatic) is ready for the Silver Eagle after running second on Saturday at Randwick.
“He was doing his best work late and it was exactly what we wanted fresh-up,” trainer Lisa Latta told Loveracing.nz.
“He has come through the race really well and he has eaten up. All going well, he will go to the Silver Eagle in a fortnight. We will double nom him that day, there are a few other races, if he didn’t make that field.”
Four juvenile trials in New Zealand
At Tuesday’s Matamata trials, the four juvenile trials were won by the colt Mighty Sovereign (So You Think {NZ}), filly Zorutan (Zousain), filly B’Dazzled Blu (I Am Invincible), and colt Blue Derringer (NZ) (Derryn).
B’Dazzled Blu is a half-sister to Listed winner Solaia (Toronado {Ire}) and was bought by David Ellis for $360,000 from Yarraman Park Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft.
Dam of Ombudsman to Sceptre Sessions
Syndicate, the 12-year-old dam of four-time Group 1 winner Ombudsman, is the latest addition to the line-up for the Sceptre Sessions at the Tattersalls December Mares Sales.
The daughter of Dansili will be sold by Ombudsman's breeder Ballyhimikin Stud and is back in foal to his sire Night Of Thunder.
“Syndicate's at home at the moment, she's carrying a full sibling to Ombudsman and the plan is to have her at the Sceptre Sessions later in the year at Tattersalls, so we're very excited and looking forward to that,” Ballyhimikin's Jack Hanly told TDN’s Emma Berry at Tattersalls.
“We've retained the 2-year-old filly called Syndicale, by Ten Sovereigns, so we are able to stay in the family.”
Bred by Juddmonte, Syndicate is a full sister to the Group 3 winner Runnymede and to Listed winner Stipulate. A dual winner herself, she was bought by James Hanly through Anthony Stroud for 25,000gns (AU$49,900) at the December Sale in 2017.
Ombudsman, the winner of back-to-back Prince of Wales's Stakes among his nine career victories, may be seen next in the Qatar Racing Champion Stakes back at Ascot on British Champions Day on October 17. He is set to join the Darley stallion roster next season.
Trio gallop around in G1 Spinster Stakes
In a G1 Juddmonte Spinster Stakes scratched down to just three Grade 1 winners, it was Fully Subscribed (Tiz the Law) who topped the classy trio to stamp her second ticket to the G1 Breeders' Cup Distaff at Keeneland.
Fully Subscribed was last seen winning the G1 Personal Ensign Stakes by over nine lengths up at Saratoga. That contest also carried an automatic berth into the Distaff via the Challenge Series. Before that she was the half-length winner of the GII Shuvee Stakes, also at The Spa, and has now claimed the hardware in three of her five starts this season.
The remaining three broke well with Eclipse champion Immersive (Nyquist) stepping forward to set the pace through an opening sectional in 0:24.19 and a half-mile in 0:48.43 as Fully Subscribed tracked in second and Counting Stars (Honor A.P.) playing caboose.
Places were largely unchanged after six panels in 1:13 flat but that changed as they swung through the final bend and Fully Subscribed rolled to the front to take over the lead from Immersive. Striding into the stretch under a confident ride, the chestnut continued on with her business in the lane to score comfortably over Counting Stars. The final time was 1:50.60.
“A three-horse field can be kind of a Tom-and-Jerry game,” said winning rider Flavien Prat. “But she jumped well and everything set up good. She was traveling well and gave me a good run. Obviously when I saw Irad [Ortiz Jr. on Counting Stars] coming around, I asked her to get going and she responded well, and after that I was just trying to save some energy.”
U S S Valor to skip Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
After another scintillating performance, this time in Saturday's G1 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, U.S.S. Valor (War of Will) is done for the year. Owner Barry Irwin announced Sunday that the colt will not run in the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and will instead regroup before the connections plot a path to next year's G1 Kentucky Derby.
“I talked to (trainer) Shug (McGaughey) this morning and we both feel as though the horse has done enough this year,” Irwin told the TDN.
