THE PETLEY REPORT: ANTHONY VAN DYKE WILL HAVE IT ALL TO DO CARRYING TOP WEIGHT FROM A WIDE DRAW

By Jack Petley | Thursday, October 15, 2020

Earlier this week I read a comment from the travelling foreman for Irish champion trainer Aidan O'Brien that a good draw would help his star stayer Anthony Van Dyke in the Caulfield Cup but he added: "Middle to low best. Not too wide. I don’t think it matters he is straight forward." Well the star Gr1 Epsom Derby winner will certainly have to put his best foot forward for Hughie Bowman. He has come up with gate 21, three less, gate 18, if there are no withdrawals. Not only that is tough but he carries 58.5kgs.

All of that hasn't stop punters keeping Anthony Van Dyke at $5.50 in the betting along with the Chris Waller trained mare Verry Elleegant, who has a good gate at 11 and will come into 9 if no scratchings. Waller has a strong challenge to repel the raiders as he also has Finche (12) and Toffee Tongue (5) in the field.

But the international challenge looks strong too. Anthony Van Dyke, Buckhurst for Joseph O'Brien, Dashing Willoughby (Andrew Balding), Prince of Arran (Charlie Fellowes) and True Self (Willis Mullins).

The NZ interest will centre around Mirage Dancer for Kiwis Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young, Chapada for Mike Moroney and The Chosen One for the Baker-Forsman yard. There are other NZ breds and also the NZ bred mare Oceanex has to have three withdrawals before she can make the field.

William Pike is the new rider for Dalasan for the Caulfield Cup after the stewards were called to adjudicate over who would ride the stayer with Billy Egan having been booked. Pike, at that stage, was on non-runner Schabau, but then owners wanted Pike for Dalasan and so that was decided with Egan, I gather, likely to gain compensation if the stayer wins.

Rain is predicted later in the week and this will certainly help Verry Elleegant and stablemate Toffee Tongue with Verry Elleegant having that wonderful soft track form, eight wins on slow or heavy and the other a win in the Oaks in WA, on soft ground.

Early days but my top four at present, Verry Elleegant, Anthony Van Dyke, Finche and Chapada.

Chapada did not have a penalty for the Caulfield Cup as he won the non-penalty race, the Herbert Power, but he has been given a 1.5kgs penalty for the Melbourne Cup.

Cranbourne Cup winner Future Score has not been penalised for the Melbourne Cup and he now heads to the Lexus Stakes.

News from the Kris Lees yard … Mugatoo won't run in the Caulfield Cup, but instead have a crack at the WS Cox Plate and he has firmed with that news with Russian Camelot still favourite at $4.

Meantime in Sydney punters are starting to warm to Nature Strip again in the $15 million The Everest. At one stage … because of his defeats, a set-back and that melee in a barrier trial … he moved out to just under $7 with punters seemingly turning their backs on the Waller star. But since the barrier draw and those words from Chris Waller saying he is very well and well suited by gate 5 he has shortened again in the betting. There was also news that James McDonald was out riding the bay earlier in the week and I gather the Kiwi was more than pleased with the work.

I would say Chris Waller has been working his magic behind the scenes with Nature Strip and come Saturday he will be cherry ripe and he is my top tip to take away the massive purse. The big dangers after the draw, Classique Legend from gate 6 and the raider Gytrash from gate 7.

Libertini, unfortunately has drawn gate 12 while James Cummings' two runners, Bivouac and Trekking drew gate 10 and 4 respectively with Mike Moroney's mare Tofane in gate 11.

Interesting I see that Hugh Bowman has lost the Farnan ride in the Gr1 Coolmore to Glen Boss and Boss also now has the ride on Sir Dragonet in the WS Cox Plate when Bowman will be on the sideline through that 10 day suspension after his ride in the Caulfield Guineas.

Farnan won a trial mid-week and won it in fine style so that Bott-Waterhouse yard will now send him south with a rousing workout behind him.

Bad luck for the Aidan O'Brien yard. Wichita fractured a leg in work. Wichita had been aiming for the Cantala Stakes and Boss now has been booked for Kings Legacy in that event.

At Caulfield yesterday Nonconformist kept out other runners with that success in the Coongy, while the upset of the day, in the Blue Sapphire, went to the NZ bred Ranting over Hanseatic and the hot, hot favourite Anders who was expected to win in a canter. Ranting is by Zoustar and is a graduate of Gerry Harvey's Westbury Stud and is the first winner from Vanilla Ice Cream, a placed More Than Ready daughter of Gr2 performer Villa Bend and sister to Blue Diamond winner Danelagh.

Entries have closed for the Winterbottom Stakes in Perth and I note that Nature Strip has been entered while James Cummings has put in Kementari, Deprive, and Trekking.

The Livamol at Hastings this weekend has drawn a field of 17, one emergency, with the Ta Akau pair Melody Belle and Avantage dominating betting over Leith Innes' mount Two Illicit. Star mare Melody Belle will be out to gain her 12th Gr1 win when she contests the Livamol and on Sunday night she gained further kudos being named NZ Horse of the Year. The connections of the great mare have paid a late entry to gain a Livamol Stakes run and her main rival will be her stablemate Avantage. Melody Belle sits at $2,40 favourite and Avantage is at $3.40.

And with Melody Belle to run this weekend the Hastings, the crowd will be swelled with syndicate boss John Galvin saying the bulk of the 34 strong syndicate would be on hand. Galvin and his wife Jessica run Fortuna from their home in Hamilton and he said they have 30 horses syndicated, 13 in Singapore with Mark Walker, a jumper with Kevin Myers and the rest with Jamie Richards at Te Akau. Melody Belle will, after the Livamol, likely head towards the Captain Cook at Trentham and then spell. "There are options in NZ and Australia in the autumn," said Galvin.

Two Illicit, said co trainer Robert Wellwood, is near her potent best and a major challenge to the Te Akau runners. "She is better suited up over 2000 metres and with a more evenly run race we expect her to run well and finish off strongly," said Wellwood who trains the four-year-old by Jimmy Chou with Roger James.

The other main meeting in NZ is at Ellerslie, Great Northern Day with nine runners in the Steeplechase headed by Shamal and Wise Men Say. The Hurdle over 4190 metres has drawn a strong field of 14 with topweights the much in form Aigne (four from last five runs) and Tommyra.

And last, but certainly not least, in the UK Hollie Doyle broke her own record when she recorded winner Number 117 on State Occasion at Kempton.

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