St Gotthard ready for Coolmore challenge
Trainer Chris Waller has deliberately targeted the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes with $2.7 million yearling, now 3-year-old colt St Gotthard (Snitzel).
“St Gotthard is a relatively lightly-raced horse, a really good run in the Golden Rose and since then he's been set for this race,” Waller told racenet.com.au.
St Gotthard | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He had a quiet trial in Sydney and a jumpout (at Flemington last Friday morning), so all systems go for a big run (in the Coolmore). This is the real pinnacle for a 3-year-old colt to really stand himself as a stallion, and that's what the Coolmore team (managing owners) are all about.” His full brother Switzerland won the Coolmore in 2024 and his foals are arriving this spring.
“There's plenty of quality about him, he's got speed and talent and James McDonald has been very impressed with him right from day one. So that, to me, tells me he's got the ability and it's just bringing it all together and making sure he's ready to peak (on Saturday).”
Wootton Bassett colt wins Group 2 in New Zealand
Wexford Stables-trained Coniston (NZ) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is on track for the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas after winning the G2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial on New Zealand’s holiday Monday.
“You look at the sectionals (last start), and he was the second quickest in the last 600 metres, and it was just a non-event. It was an expensive track gallop unfortunately,” co-trainer Andrew Scott told Loveracing.nz.
“Today we wanted to be positive. He wasn’t brilliant away, but he recovered into a rhythm. He trained really well coming in. It is pleasing for the team, they put him away through the winter when we were tempted to run, and they are getting the spoils now.
“If it was a mile today, he would have run it out strong by the looks of it. He will only improve with a good hit-out today. It is the first time he has hit top gear and been made to do it, to bite his bottom lip and keep going. There should be a good bit of improvement out of today.”
Now the winner of two of his four starts, Coniston is the first foal of La Gai Soleil (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) who is a Listed-winning half-sister to Group 1 winner Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).
Ace High scored a double at the meeting with Leroy Brown (NZ) and Random Miss (NZ).
Williams booked for Pembrey in Coolmore
Jockey Craig Williams has been booked to ride the Tony Gollan-trained filly Pembrey (Prague) for Saturday’s G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.
“Craig Williams is a very good booking for her I think,” Gollan told racenet.com.au.
Pembrey | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Craig will have a sit on her on Tuesday morning, they are allowing us to go down the straight, and it will be good for her to have a look at it. The filly trialled well at Warwick Farm the other day and has made her way to Flemington and settled in really well.
“Going into the race, fresh off a trial, is a replication of the preparation I gave her into that first-up run at Randwick. Our filly has probably been a little bit forgotten as she hasn't raced since the start of the spring.
“She is in the betting market, but she has been forgotten in conversation about the race. We were able to back off her a bit, and we just know how dynamic she is fresh. All of her peak ratings have been her fresh-up runs.”
Melbourne Cup noms down to 39
Monday’s third declarations for the G1 Melbourne Cup has reduced the field to 39 with Ciaron Maher training eight horses in the top 23, including last start winner Juja Kibo (Ire) (Belardo{Ire}).
“Juja Kibo won the Moonee Valley Gold Cup in tremendous fashion and could not have been more impressive coming from the back of the field while carrying the equal topweight of 58kg,” Racing Victoria’s head of handicapping David Hegan told racing.com.
Juja Kibo (Ire) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It was his second commanding victory at Group 2-level in succession after his Metropolitan win for which he was penalised two kilograms. After today’s further reassessment, he’s now risen 3.5kg since the release of weights and sits at -4.5kg below weight-for-age.”
Last ditch chance for Cup entrants
Wednesday’s Bendigo Cup offers many potential G1 Melbourne Cup runners a last chance to get into the big race, including Danny O’Brien-trained Litzdeel (Dundeel {NZ}) who was fifth last start in the G3 Geelong Cup.
“She's come through Geelong really well,” O'Brien told racenet.com.au.
“She's obviously got one more chance to push her way up the ballot order and that would be to win on Wednesday. The only other option is to wait for the Queen Elizabeth, but the Melbourne Cup has obviously been run by then. She may as well be going to a Bendigo Cup and seeing what happens out the back of that. If nothing, she can go to the paddock after that.”
Busuttin and Young's trio set for Derby
Trainers Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young have three runners nominated for Saturday’s G1 VRC Derby, being Gilgeous (Farnan), Cignetti (NZ) (Super Seth) and Icy You (Pinatubo {Ire}).
“We've always had a couple of runners in the Derby, it's not easy to do with 3-year-olds at this time of year, but you just need a bit of luck,” Young told racingandsport.com.au
Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We've run second with horses that have had really wide barrier draws and all those little things come into play when you're tackling Group 1s. They've gone a couple of different paths, but they do actually work together, and I think Cignetti has that little bit better turn of foot, whereas Icy You is more an out-and-out stayer.
“Each race Cignetti just tightens up that little bit. He's quite a big, gross sort of a horse, but looking at him on Saturday morning I was thinking he's really got nice and fit and he's going to be spot-on for the 2500.
“Icy You had to do a little bit of work on the corner (at Geelong) and I thought he was pretty tough to stick on. He'll love the trip, he needs 2500, and he's tightened up nicely too.”
Conquer The World to live up to name
Trainer Clinton McDonald will run 3-year-old gelding Conquer The World (Toronado {Ire}) in Saturday’s G3 Carbine Club Stakes. He won his maiden by six lengths at start number three at Cranbourne last start.
“I think he’s a very good horse and potentially a very, very good horse,” McDonald told betsy.com.au.
“We’re just taking him along very steady, not asking too much of him, and I think this is a nice progression; fourth run into the Carbine Club at 1600 metres. He’s a big, imposing individual and we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do. Since he had that second-up run, where Ben (Melham) gave him one around the bum for the first time ever in his life, it really switched him on and we saw what he did at Cranbourne.”
New Off The Track collaboration
Sydney International Three-Day Event (SYD3DE) announced an exciting new partnership with the Australian Turf Club (ATC) Foundation on Monday. Under the partnership, dedicated competition opportunities for retired Thoroughbred racehorses will be held at the 2026 event, from 20-22 November at Sydney International Equestrian Centre, Horsley Park.
“We are thrilled to work with the ATC Foundation to develop more opportunities for retired racehorses. We know Thoroughbreds are naturally talented for eventing and make great horses for professionals and amateurs at every level,” Sydney 3DE President Shane Rose told racingnsw.com.au.
Italy’s G2 Premio del Jockey Club won by Stingray
Gunther Schmidt homebred Stingray (Zarak) was all alone at the end of the €506,000 G2 Premio del Jockey Club S.I.R.E. Trofeo Pio Bruni at Milan on Sunday. Schmidt is no stranger to group-race glory, as he also bred multiple Group winner Claymore (New Bay) and the multiple Listed-placed Balzac (Japan).
The win was the second in a row for Stingray, who claimed the G3 Premio Federico Tesio earlier this month over the same course. Constitution Hill raced near the back for most of the contest before making up ground in the straight. However, he was no match for the turn of foot of several of his rivals.
“He's run a very good race,” Henderson told the Press Association. “Unfortunately, what went heavy ground on Wednesday didn't stay heavy very long, it was genuinely just good ground, but no excuses.
“There are no complaints at all, but what really got us excited was when they were calling the ground heavy, as we know he goes in it and maybe some of the others can't. That's where our real optimism came from and unfortunately as soon as we stepped foot on the course, it wasn't anything like that, but no excuses.”
Italy's big day highlights
Crown Board (Lope De Vega) won the G3 Premio Ribot Memorial Loreto Luciani by 2.25 lengths for Laurence Holder and trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam.
Saturday's Milan highlights included Wish You Fly (Sioux Nation) becoming the 29th stakes winner for her Coolmore sire when winning the G3 Premio Dormello Trofeo N. B. F. Lanes for Talenti Racing Stable. A 60,000gns (AU$120,000) Tattersalls December foal, she brought €80,000 (AU$127,700) out of the 2026 Goffs Classic Breeze-Up Sale in June.
Counterattack's Nightdance Attack earned the first black-type score of his career with a victory in the G3 Premio Gran Criterium Trofeo Paolo Ferrario for Michael Wachowitz and trainer Waldemar Hickst.
Jas wins on Road to Kentucky
Red Lane Thoroughbreds' Jas (Justify) entered the G3 Street Sense Stakes off three turf races, and despite his lack of racing experience on the dirt, the chestnut came from just off the pace to take his dirt debut in Churchill's Sunday feature.
Jas also earned 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby series that will determine the preference list for the 20-horse 153rd Kentucky Derby on May 1. Points were awarded on a scale of 10-5-3-2-1 to the top five finishers.
“He's a very talented horse and ran great races on turf but trained well on dirt,” said Asmussen. “It's always nice to have a quarter of a million dollars in earnings before making your first start on dirt. That's the opportunity Kentucky Downs gave him. With his pedigree, we were confident he'd be able to handle two-turns on dirt.”
