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Warrior down for the count

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:07:08 +0000

The early casualties for the Melbourne Spring Carnival continue to mount with one of last year’’s star 3YOs Shamoline Warrior the latest to go astray.
Trainer Mark Kavanagh has advised Racing Victoria stewards that Shamoline Warrior has a mild tear to a ligament above its sesamoid bone and will be sent for a two month spell.
The highly promising stayer had only one start back from a long spell since he was the pre-post favourite but scratched from the 2009 Victoria Derby on the morning of the race.
Before that he had scored impressive wins in the UCI Stakes (1800m) and the Norman Robinson stakes (2000m).
He raced handy for most of the way in the Liston Stakes at Caulfield on August 14, before his condition gave out and he finished well back.
Kavanagh has advised Stewards that Shamoline Warrior will not be an acceptor for the BMW Caulfield Cup, Tatts Cox Plate or Emirates Melbourne Cup when first declarations close on Tuesday, 7 September.

Kutchinsky out of the Cups

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:55:07 +0000

Tony Noonan’’s promising galloper Kuchinsky has fallen victim to a virus and will not be an acceptor when the first declarations are taken next Tuesday, 7 September for the Emirates Melbourne Cup, BMW Caulfield Cup and Tatts Cox Plate.
The Queensland Derby runner-up may be back for other features races late in the Spring but Noonan has decided that his preparation would not warrant a challenge for the big three of the Melbourne Spring.
Before his Derby placing Kutchinsky had flashed home to win the Grand Prix Stakes over 2200 metres at Doomben and he was considered a serious Cups contender .

Japs set to attack us again

admin — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:18:39 +0000

The 2010 Melbourne Cup is now a tempting target for Japanese stayers after the Federal Government gave the all clear to two pre-export quarantime facilities in Japan.
This has cleared the hurdle erected by the 2007 equine influenza outbreak both here and in Japan.
The last time any stayers from the land of the rising sun contested the Cup they took home the quinella in 2006 with Delta Blue edging out stablemate Pop Rock.
Racing Victoria General Manager of Racing Operations Leigh Jordan said: “This now paves the way for Japanese horses to travel to Australia. The approval of pre-export facilities at Toyo Nakayama was the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle with Tokyo the preferred venue for Spring racing aspirants.
Jordan added that Jaguar Mail and Meiner Kitz, the first two horses home in this year’s Group 1 Tenno Sho, Japan’s premier two mile handicap, are eager to target the Melbourne Cup and are now favoured to travel to Australia.

Ballarat Cup changes date

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 23:38:47 +0000

WITH the possibility that Ballarat may lose it’’s local public holiday status on the third Wednesday each November, the Club have been forced to move the Cup to a Sunday.
This year’’s Cup will be contested on Sunday, November 21, which will make it a fitting end to the Victorian Spring Carnival.
The change in dates for the local holiday has not been set in concrete but with the State Goverment’’s record of stuffing things up the Club decided to act first.
In fact they are treating it as a bonus.
BTC Chief Executive Shane Brennan said his club was pleased with the change and is looking forward to bringing down the curtain on this year’s Spring Racing Carnival in style.
“The club is most appreciative of Racing Victoria and Country Racing Victoria for facilitating the date change and the club will now work diligently with Ballarat City Council and the local community to ensure its success,” Brennan said.
“The move to a Sunday provides the club with an opportunity to not only welcome continued local support, but further encourage people in metropolitan Melbourne and other sectors of the state, who were not privy to the public holiday, to attend this great event.”

Bart - Bart - Bart - Bart

admin — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 05:54:25 +0000

IT was that man again at Moonee Valley today where Bart Cummings chalked up another Group 1 victory when So You Think led throughout to claim the W S Cox Plate.
If he was in the stables of any other trainer it is doubtful that So You Think would have been given a place in the field but when it is Bart Cummings you don’t think twice.
Having only his fifth race start and with only two previous wins next to his name, So You Think quickly worked to the front and set a smart pace throughout.
With only 49.5kg on his back he never looked like tiring and while the more fancied runners were battling to make ground he kicked clear at the top of the home straight and held on to win clearly.
Fellow three-year-old Manhattan Rain held on gamely for second while Zipping kicked back after looking gone to hold on to third, just ahead of the fast finishing El Segundo.
Race favourite Whobetgotyou settled well back and looked a rough as he made ground from the 100 metre mark but failed to maintain that burst and only struggled to the line.
So You Think is Cummings’ fourth Cox Plate winner after Taj Rossi in 1973 and successive wins with Saintly in 1996 and Dane Ripper in 1997.
Melbourne Cup hopeful Speed Gifted (GB) was outclassed under the WFA conditions and was never in the hunt.
2009 TATTERSALL’S COX PLATE – 2040m (Saturday, October 24)
Group 1. WFA of $3,000,000 plus $50,000 trophies. First: $1,800,000 plus trophies; Second: $440,000; Third: $220,000; Fourth: $130,000; Fifth: $110,000; Sixth: $100,000; Seventh: $100,000; Eighth: $100,000.
$14.00 SO YOU THINK (NZ) (Dato Tan Chin Nam & Tunku Ahmad Yahaya. B/br c 3y, High Chaparral (Ire..) - Triassic (NZ), by Tights (USA). Tr: Bart Cummings. 495.kg. Glen Boss 1
$19.00 MANHATTAN RAIN (Teeley Assets Ltd syn. (Mgr: Ms I O”Farrell). B c 3y, Encosta De Lago - Shantha’’s Choice, by Canny Lad). Tr: Ms Gai Waterhouse. 49.5kg.
Craig Williams 2
$12.00 ZIPPING (Mr & Mrs L J Williams. B g 8y, Danehill (USA) - Social Scene (Ire.), by Grand Lodge (USA). Tr: John Sadler. 57kg. Steven Arnold 3
Then followed:
16.00 El Segundo (NZ) (b g 8y, Pins - Palos Verdes (NZ) 59 L Nolen 4
20.00 Scenic Shot (b g 7y, Scenic (Ire.) – Sweepshot) 59 S Scriven 5
2.80 f Whobegotyou (Street Cry (Ire.) - Temple Of Peace (Japan) 57.5 D Oliver 6
7.50 Heart Of Dreams (b g 4y, Show A Heart - Academy Of Dreams) 57.5 C Newitt 7
16.00 Rock Kingdom (ch g 4y, Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire.) - Happy Empress) 57.5 N Rawiller 8
21.00 Black Piranha (br g 6y, Clang – Jazztrack) 59 T Angland 9
21.00 Road To Rock (b h 5y, Encosta De Lago - Trewornan (GB) 59 G Schofield 10
21.00 Vision And Power (NZ) (b g 7y, Carnegie (Ire.) - Escada (NZ) 59 H Bowman 11
11.00 Speed Gifted (GB) (b g 6y, Montjeu (Ire.) - Good Standing (USA) 59 D Dunn 12
71.00 Nom Du Jeu (NZ) (b h 5y, Montjeu (Ire.) - Prized Gem (NZ) 59 M Rodd 13
Scratched: Sir Slick. Won by: 2-1/2 lengths, long neck. Time: 2:03.98. (Last 600m: 35.31). Track: good (3).
Barriers: 7-13-2-12. Judge’s numbers: 14-13-2-1.
SuperTAB Divs: Win: $9.50. Place: $3.00, $4.10, $2.90. Quinella: $54.20. Exacta: $132.80. Trifecta: $1569.30. First Four: $10,928.30.

Slick veteran faces early Vet check

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:17:58 +0000

Cox Plate rank outsider Sir Slick will have to pass a Veterinary check before he is allowed to take his place in Australia’s weight-for-age title race.
Reports from Mornington suggested that the $126 roughie appeared sore in his off fore hoof.
Racing Victoria’s chief veterinary surgeon Paul O’Callaghan today travelled to the Mornington stables of trainer Graeme Nicholson to inspect Sir Slick.
No decision was made on the spot but O’Callaghan will inspect the horse again before 7.30am on raceday at which time a decision will be made on whether the veteran Sir Slick takes his place in the $3,000,000 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley.

Cox Plate - the facts and figures

admin — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 02:50:46 +0000

TWISTED and turned to suit, the facts and figures from past Cox Plate results suggest that Whobegotyou is far from a certainty this year.
For a start no horse whose name starts with a W has won a Cox Plate.
Whittier ran second twice - 1923 and 1924 and Winfreux was runner-up in 1965 and 1966, while Wonderful World ran second in 2007.
The most successful initial has been S with 13 winners and will be represented this year by Scenic Shot, Sir Slick, Speed Gifted and So You Think.
Allowing for no scratchings, Whobetgotyou will start from barrier 10, which has supplied only four winners with the last being Bonecrusher in the 1986 “race of the century.”
The most successful barrier has been 6, Scenic Shot’s draw this year.
Whobegotyou will also carry saddlecloth 10 which has supplied just five winners over the years, the latest being Makybe Diva in 2005, with number 1 the standout with 19 winners.
Recent changes in the weight-for-age scale mean Whobetgotyou will carry 57.5kg, which is yet to supply a winner with 59kg (9st4lb) the most success weight with 32 winners.
The reigning favourite is one of only two chestnuts contesting the race this year (along with Rock Kingdom) and that colour horse has saluted 28 times, but none since Saintly in 1996.
The most prolific colour has been bay with 30 wins, including the last three years with Fields Of Omagh, El Segundo and Maldivian.
And the bays have the numbers on their side again as there are nine of them going around this time.
Presently Whobetgotyou is quoted $2.90, approximately 2-1, a price that has supplied five winners, the last 2-1 winner was Better Loosen Up in 1990.
The most prolific winning price is 4-1 with six winners.
Of course there a couple of details that tip the scales towards the pre-post favourite.
Whobegotyou is a gelding and horses that have faced the chop are the most prolific winners in the history of the race with 32 successess, including the last three years, which has eased them ahead of entires who have won 31 Cox Plates.
He is a four-year-old and they lead the way with 25 wins ahead of five-year-olds with 22.
Of course the numbers, colours and letters will count for nothing once the starter says go.
Given his love of Moonee Valley, four starts for four wins, and with Damien Oliver doing the piloting, Whobegotyou is likely to claim his own place in Cox Plate history.

Stars prospects set to light up Spring

admin — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 06:15:00 +0000

THE 2009 Melbourne Spring Carnival is looming as one of the best for years after several potential superstars were unearthed in less than half an hour at Caulfield and Rosehill this afternoon.

And they were matched by equally impressive performances by a couple of already established topliners.

First up was the highly promising four-year-old Mic Mac who staked his claim as a star of the future with a dominating win in the Group 2, Memsie Stakes at Caulfield.

A winner at six of his first seven starts Mic Mac faced his acid test in a field that boasted two Melbourne Cup winners, a Cox Plate winner and a BMW winner and he passed in flying colours.

Smartly away from his inside draw Mic Mac led the field at a solid clip with Von Costa Der Hero sitting on his shoulder.

That pair drifted towards the centre of the track entering the home straight where Von Costa De Hero issued a short lived challenge before the effort told on him and he dropped right out.

It was left to 2008 Melbourne Cup winner Viewed and 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Efficient to issue the next challenge but they were unable to make any ground on the leader who was drawing clear again towards the end.

The talented but eternal unlucky Whobetgotyou made a late charge through a gap to gain second without ever looking a likely winner.

A later vet check on Von Costa De Hero failed to reveal any problems with the horse who was ridden completelu upside down to his normal standard of racing.

Viewed and Efficient were ultra-impressive runs over the unsuitable 1400 metres and both will shorten in betting for the Melbourne Cup after their efforts.

Winning trainer Greg Eurell said after the race that Mic Mac would now be set for the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes over 1600m at Moonee Valley in a fortnight but he wasn’t sure if he would press on for the Cox Plate.

SOME 20 minutes later, in Sydney, Denman gave former class galloper Lonhro his first Group One winner as a sire when he stormed clear to score an easy win in the Golden Rose Stakes at Rosehill.

Denman was spelled after an unlucky placing at his first start at Flemington in December and today was his fifth win from as many starts since resuming.

He got back in the field early but quickly raced up to the leaders when asked for an effort by jockey Kerrin McEvoy and after taking the lead in the home straight he soon established a winning break.

Denman will now be set for the Spring Champion Stakes before likely heading to Melbourne.

While the winner was impressive so too was the runner-up Trusting who stormed home from the tail of the field with a withering burst which suggested he will prove hard to beat in the Spring Champion Stakes which will likely be a stepping stone towards the Victoria Derby.

Poor decisions lose the Ashes

admin — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:22:22 +0000

WELL the Poms have regained the Ashes, but in boxing terms it wasn’t a knockout victory, it was a points decision and a hotly disputed one at that.
They will be waking up with sore heads this morning after celebrating their win but when they sober up they might consider just how lucky they were.
Sure, several Poms played well at times but there is little doubt that Australia were cruelly treated and a series of poor decisions by a series of people that made the difference between victory and defeat.
Nobody doubts that umpiring at that level is tough and there is clearly always going to be mistakes but how come they all seemed to favour England?
Absolutely nothing worse than not calling for the video umpire when Flintoff claimed a clearly “grassed” catch early in the series.
We won’t go as far as calling Flintoff a cheat but can you imagine how the jackals of the English press would have squealed had that been the other way around with an Australian claiming the catch.
There were numerous other doubtful decisions and several that were absolutely doubtless.
How Billy Bowden did not give Strauss out LBW first ball defies belief.
And in this final and deciding Test Marcus North copped two poor decisions.
He clearly edged the ball on to his pads in the first innings but was given out LBW and then in the second innings there is no way a video umpire could not have given him the benefit of doubt had they called for a replay of his “alleged” stumping by Prior.
You could think that Bowden seemed to get caught up in the emotion of the English player’s appeal his finger went up that quick.
But it would be terribly wrong to simply blame the umpires.
The Australian captain was on the wrong side of several bad calls with the coin toss throughout the series and had he won the toss and batted in the final Test it would likely have been a different result.
Of course you can’t blame Ponting for that, a coin toss is a matter of luck.
But not so a matter of luck when it comes to team selection.
It was criminal to see Nathan Hauritz sitting out this final Test.
Hauritz is not the best off-spinner in the world but either is English spinner Graeme Swan and he was turning the ball a mile from the start.
The Poms had left the covers off the pitch the day before the Test started and it was clearly going to be a spinners wicket.
From day one it was a dustbowl and as far as I know it is up to the selectors to understand these things.
The end result probably matches the lack of judgement shown by the team management before the first Test even started.
How the Australian’s prepared for that match by using practice balls brought over from Australia instead of using the local ball defies belief.
What were they thinking?
Costs?
Whatever it was it was a poor decision and one of many that cost Australia the Ashes.

Patience earns Williams a Sydney Cup

admin — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 06:03:45 +0000

A BRILLIANT ride by Craig Williams has seen veteran stayer Ista Kareem score an easy win in the Sydney Cup at Randwick today.
From his inside barrier draw, Williams allowed Ista Kareem to settle in the second half of the field while the heavily backed Fuimicino was allowed to stride along at a good pace out in front.
With no pressure placed on him Fuimicino led the field into the home straight but he was soon under pressure and struggling as he was challenged by Divine Rebel and Mr Tipsy.
That pair raced down the outside and looked to have the race between them at the 200 metre mark but Williams was able to steer Ista Kareem through the pack and kicked up along the rails.
It looked a combination of Divine Rebel and Mr Tipsy fading the closing stages along with Ista Kareem’s powerful finish that decided the result.
Divine Rebel kicked back to gain second place just ahead of Mr Tipsy.
Early leader Fuimicino battled on fairly to finish just behind the placegetters alongside with Master O’Reilly who was never in the race from the wide barrier with his big weight.
Winning trainer Colin Little said the weather played a big part in Ista Kareem’s win.
Little said: “He failed in the Adelaide Cup because of the humidity but he got the conditions he loves here.’’