• GOLDEN Slipper Stakes-winning jockey James McDonald has been confirmed as the rider of Auckland Cup winner Who Shot Thebarman in the $1 million Sydney Cup at Randwick on April 19.
Who Shot Thebarman’s trainer Mark Oulaghan has elected not to run the Yamanin Vital gelding again before the Sydney Cup despite the temptation of the traditional lead-up in the $300,000 Chairman’s Handicap at Randwick on Saturday.
A noted wet track performer, Who Shot Thebarman hasn’t raced since he won the Auckland Cup at Ellerslie.
The Sydney Cup booking is some consolation for McDonald after he had to give up the ride on favourite Messene in Saturday’s $3 million Doncaster Mile due to his light weight.
Singapore-based Corey Brown has landed the ride on Messene for Team Hawkes as McDonald cannot make his Doncaster weight of 51.5kg, even with the handicaps going up 1.5kg.
McDonald’s lowest riding weight is 53kg. He will now ride Dear Demi for Clarry Conners in the Doncaster while Craig Williams goes on to Messene’s stablemateNinth Legion .
• WHETHER Zoustar runs in Saturday’s TJ Smith Stakes or misses because of the weather, The Championships will be without the presence of his major owner Sheikh Fahad Al Thani.
Despite outlaying more than $10 million for the majority share in Zoustar Sheikh Fahad has other priorities this weekend in London where he will be running for his own self satisfaction.
The Sheikh will compete in the famous London Marathon to raise money for charity.
Sheikh Fahad’s racing manager David Redvers said the forecast of more rain in Sydney late in the week was a worrying sign for Zoustar.
"I imagine we will have a big discussion. If it keeps raining and the ground is heavy, it makes no sense to me to run him,” Redvers said.
• THE NZ connections of the G1 winner sprinter Irish Fling are keeping a hopeful watch on Sydney’s weather.
The Telegraph Handicap winner was unsighted on a wet track in The Galaxy at Rosehill and Sydney’s run of wet weather has placed a cloud of a start in Saturday’s $2.5 million TJ Smith at Randwick.
“She galloped on Monday for the TJ Smith but we probably wouldn’t start if it was wet again,” said co-trainer Guy Lowry said.
“It’s really unfortunate as she doesn’’t go a yard in it.”
If Irish Fling bypasses the TJ Smith she could remain in Sydney for the $300,000 Sapphire Stakes on April 19.
“We’re happy with the mare and it’s just a matter of getting the right conditions for her,” Lowry said.
• ANTHONY Cummings will be double handed in the TJ Smith with his classy sprintersFontelina and Villa Verde .
With Glen Boss booked to ride Rebel Dane , Cummings has engaged Hugh Bowman for the ride on Fontelina, a luckless second in the G1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.
Bowman has also been booked to ride the 5YO in the G1 All Aged Stakes on April 26.
Cummings says Villa Verde, to be ridden by James McDonald, has trained on in great style since her third in the G1 Galaxy.
• KIWI fillies showed their class at Rosehill last Saturday in the Vinery Stud Stakes - and the sorry story for local Oaks hopes is there is more to come!
The Rosehill form of Lucia Valentina , the Kiwi filly now with Kris lees, and Donna Logan’s classy Rising Romance showed they would be hard to beat in the Australian Oaks.
Lucia Valentina was a dominant winner on the heavy track but Rising Romance did her Oaks chances no harm with a strong fourth at her Sydney debut at her first run for five weeks.
Rising Romance won the G2 Royal Stakes at Ellerslie beating Lucia Valentina before she finished second against the colts in the NZ Derby.
The Kiwi challenge for the Oaks will get a further boost with Miss Selby , second in the NZ Oaks at Trentham, now confirmed for the Randwick classic.
Plans for NZ Oaks winner Miss Mossman are up in air after she tailed the Vinery field home as she has to be a late entry to take her place in the Randwick Oaks.
Fontelina Photo by Racing and Sports
• GOLDEN Slipper winner Mossfun and the majority of the youngsters who finished behind her at Rosehill last Saturday have been spelled.
The Hawkes stable ruled out any thoughts of Mossfun back up in Saturday’s ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes and will concentrate on sprint events when she returns to training in the
spring.
Others to spell out of the Golden Slipper include the runner up Earthquake ,Unencumbered and the Mick Price-trained pair Jabali and Cornrow .
Eloping and Oakleigh Girl will stay in work for the $500,000 Royal Randwick Stakes on April 19.
• VICTORIAN trainer Jason Warren has booked Chad Schofield for Bel Sprinter in Saturday’s TJ Smith Stakes where the G1 winner needs to find his best form to warrant pressing on for a return to Singapore next month.
Warren last week lodged a late entry for Bel Sprinter in the Kris Flyer Sprint at Kranji, the race he finished second in last year.
Bel Sprinter has not won since his brilliant win in the G1 Galaxy at last year’s autumn carnival.
• TRAINER Brent Stanley has a number of options under consideration for his classy two-year-old Veuvelicious following her impressive Sydney debut at Rosehill last Saturday.
After her fast-finishing third to Bachman over 1400m) Stanley is weighing up between a start in the Listed Fernhill Handicap at Randwick on April 19, going straight to the G1 Champagne Stakes a week later or sending the daughter of Northern Meteor for a spell.
“If she does race on she’ll probably go to one race or the other, she won’t go to both,” Stanley said.
“She hasn’t missed a beat but I wil giv e it a day or two before I make a decision.”
• KIWI three-year-old El Doute , a talented colt by Redoute’s Choice, has joined the Chris Waller stable.
Waller will be hoping he can hit the local opposition for six as El Doute is part owned by New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum.
El Doute is out of the G1 winner Ellicorsam and has won four races from 13 starts.
• SYDNEY’s wet weather has been a godsend for trainer Tony McEvoy’s bid to getMouro to the post for Saturday’s Doncaster Mile at Randwick.
Mouro jarred up at his first Sydney start at Rosehill and McEvoy was left hoping for some rain to take the fire out of the tracks.
McEvoy has booked Luke Nolen for the ride and expects him to be suited with the sting out of track on Saturday.
• THE Doncaster just won’t be the same without a Gai Waterhouse-trained starter.
With Tres Blue ruled out it is the first time since 1992 when she first received her training licence that Waterhouse – a seven time winner of the race - won't have a starter.
• THE 2012 Queensland Derby winner Brambles had a quiet time finishing third in his comeback trial at the Cranbourne trials on Monday.
The Peter Moody-trained star has been sidelined by a tendon problem since he went amiss early last year.
Brambles has won five of his 10 starts but Moody has no definite plans at this stage apart from heading towards the Brisbane carnival with the rising six-year-old.
Who Shot Thebarman’s trainer Mark Oulaghan has elected not to run the Yamanin Vital gelding again before the Sydney Cup despite the temptation of the traditional lead-up in the $300,000 Chairman’s Handicap at Randwick on Saturday.
A noted wet track performer, Who Shot Thebarman hasn’t raced since he won the Auckland Cup at Ellerslie.
The Sydney Cup booking is some consolation for McDonald after he had to give up the ride on favourite Messene in Saturday’s $3 million Doncaster Mile due to his light weight.
Singapore-based Corey Brown has landed the ride on Messene for Team Hawkes as McDonald cannot make his Doncaster weight of 51.5kg, even with the handicaps going up 1.5kg.
McDonald’s lowest riding weight is 53kg. He will now ride Dear Demi for Clarry Conners in the Doncaster while Craig Williams goes on to Messene’s stablemateNinth Legion .
• WHETHER Zoustar runs in Saturday’s TJ Smith Stakes or misses because of the weather, The Championships will be without the presence of his major owner Sheikh Fahad Al Thani.
Despite outlaying more than $10 million for the majority share in Zoustar Sheikh Fahad has other priorities this weekend in London where he will be running for his own self satisfaction.
The Sheikh will compete in the famous London Marathon to raise money for charity.
Sheikh Fahad’s racing manager David Redvers said the forecast of more rain in Sydney late in the week was a worrying sign for Zoustar.
"I imagine we will have a big discussion. If it keeps raining and the ground is heavy, it makes no sense to me to run him,” Redvers said.
• THE NZ connections of the G1 winner sprinter Irish Fling are keeping a hopeful watch on Sydney’s weather.
The Telegraph Handicap winner was unsighted on a wet track in The Galaxy at Rosehill and Sydney’s run of wet weather has placed a cloud of a start in Saturday’s $2.5 million TJ Smith at Randwick.
“She galloped on Monday for the TJ Smith but we probably wouldn’t start if it was wet again,” said co-trainer Guy Lowry said.
“It’s really unfortunate as she doesn’’t go a yard in it.”
If Irish Fling bypasses the TJ Smith she could remain in Sydney for the $300,000 Sapphire Stakes on April 19.
“We’re happy with the mare and it’s just a matter of getting the right conditions for her,” Lowry said.
• ANTHONY Cummings will be double handed in the TJ Smith with his classy sprintersFontelina and Villa Verde .
With Glen Boss booked to ride Rebel Dane , Cummings has engaged Hugh Bowman for the ride on Fontelina, a luckless second in the G1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley.
Bowman has also been booked to ride the 5YO in the G1 All Aged Stakes on April 26.
Cummings says Villa Verde, to be ridden by James McDonald, has trained on in great style since her third in the G1 Galaxy.
• KIWI fillies showed their class at Rosehill last Saturday in the Vinery Stud Stakes - and the sorry story for local Oaks hopes is there is more to come!
The Rosehill form of Lucia Valentina , the Kiwi filly now with Kris lees, and Donna Logan’s classy Rising Romance showed they would be hard to beat in the Australian Oaks.
Lucia Valentina was a dominant winner on the heavy track but Rising Romance did her Oaks chances no harm with a strong fourth at her Sydney debut at her first run for five weeks.
Rising Romance won the G2 Royal Stakes at Ellerslie beating Lucia Valentina before she finished second against the colts in the NZ Derby.
The Kiwi challenge for the Oaks will get a further boost with Miss Selby , second in the NZ Oaks at Trentham, now confirmed for the Randwick classic.
Plans for NZ Oaks winner Miss Mossman are up in air after she tailed the Vinery field home as she has to be a late entry to take her place in the Randwick Oaks.
Fontelina Photo by Racing and Sports
• GOLDEN Slipper winner Mossfun and the majority of the youngsters who finished behind her at Rosehill last Saturday have been spelled.
The Hawkes stable ruled out any thoughts of Mossfun back up in Saturday’s ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes and will concentrate on sprint events when she returns to training in the
spring.
Others to spell out of the Golden Slipper include the runner up Earthquake ,Unencumbered and the Mick Price-trained pair Jabali and Cornrow .
Eloping and Oakleigh Girl will stay in work for the $500,000 Royal Randwick Stakes on April 19.
• VICTORIAN trainer Jason Warren has booked Chad Schofield for Bel Sprinter in Saturday’s TJ Smith Stakes where the G1 winner needs to find his best form to warrant pressing on for a return to Singapore next month.
Warren last week lodged a late entry for Bel Sprinter in the Kris Flyer Sprint at Kranji, the race he finished second in last year.
Bel Sprinter has not won since his brilliant win in the G1 Galaxy at last year’s autumn carnival.
• TRAINER Brent Stanley has a number of options under consideration for his classy two-year-old Veuvelicious following her impressive Sydney debut at Rosehill last Saturday.
After her fast-finishing third to Bachman over 1400m) Stanley is weighing up between a start in the Listed Fernhill Handicap at Randwick on April 19, going straight to the G1 Champagne Stakes a week later or sending the daughter of Northern Meteor for a spell.
“If she does race on she’ll probably go to one race or the other, she won’t go to both,” Stanley said.
“She hasn’t missed a beat but I wil giv e it a day or two before I make a decision.”
• KIWI three-year-old El Doute , a talented colt by Redoute’s Choice, has joined the Chris Waller stable.
Waller will be hoping he can hit the local opposition for six as El Doute is part owned by New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum.
El Doute is out of the G1 winner Ellicorsam and has won four races from 13 starts.
• SYDNEY’s wet weather has been a godsend for trainer Tony McEvoy’s bid to getMouro to the post for Saturday’s Doncaster Mile at Randwick.
Mouro jarred up at his first Sydney start at Rosehill and McEvoy was left hoping for some rain to take the fire out of the tracks.
McEvoy has booked Luke Nolen for the ride and expects him to be suited with the sting out of track on Saturday.
• THE Doncaster just won’t be the same without a Gai Waterhouse-trained starter.
With Tres Blue ruled out it is the first time since 1992 when she first received her training licence that Waterhouse – a seven time winner of the race - won't have a starter.
• THE 2012 Queensland Derby winner Brambles had a quiet time finishing third in his comeback trial at the Cranbourne trials on Monday.
The Peter Moody-trained star has been sidelined by a tendon problem since he went amiss early last year.
Brambles has won five of his 10 starts but Moody has no definite plans at this stage apart from heading towards the Brisbane carnival with the rising six-year-old.