THE PETLEY REPORT (JUNE 6 - to JUNE 9)

By Jack Petley | Tuesday, June 9, 2020

Jack Petley has gathered a wealth of racing experience in many roles over several decades and in recent times he has produced a very informative daily racing news feed on Facebook. Jack will continue to post on facebook, where he has built up a healthy support base, but his commentary, across a broad section of racing precincts, will now also have a regular place on the HRO website.

This is THE PETLEY REPORT!

After the weekend, one galloper looks a certainty for the $15m Everest in the spring. A trainer of another is hopeful that slot holders may look at his star colt while the third contender in focus could only run third in the 2000 Guineas in the UK when red-hot favourite.
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Les Bridge's outstanding grey Classique Legend, who was ever so unlucky in the Everest last year, came back to racing at Royal Randwick and, even under his 60kgs and a track which did not suit him ideally, he stormed to a brilliant win for Kerrin McEvoy and his 82-year-old masterful trainer. Now the grey heads to the paddock for a brief spell but he will be back to be readied for the big one in the spring.

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The trainer thinking of a maybe gaining a slot in the Everest is a leading mentor in Brisbane. Rob Heathcote has had some pretty good horses under his wing over the years and now looks to have an outstanding rising three-year-old in the form of the JJ Atkins winner, Rothfire. Buffering would be the best horse Heathcote had had through his yard and he said that even that champion sprinter would have been ‘hard pressed’ to do what Rothfire has done so far in his racing career. The colt, who ran a cracking 1.21.06 for the 1400 metres at Eagle Farm, will now head to the paddock and with Heathcote mentioning that there has been a little talk regarding an Everest slot.

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The talked about Everest candidate running in the UK was the Charlie Appleby Pinatubo. The colt ran a hot favourite for the 2000 Guineas at Newmarket but the best he could do was third behind the Osin Murphy ridden, Andrew Balding trained colt Kameko with Wichita, in the hands of Frankie Dettori, finishing second. Pinatubo looked to have been beaten fair and square. The winner has now firmed for the Derby and Murphy feels he is the colt to take out the classic. Balding's father, Ian, won the Derby many years back with Mill Reef, who had been second the time before in the Guineas to the great Brigadier Gerard.
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Latest betting for the $4 Nature Strip, 8 Alligator Blood, Bivouac, 11 Farnan, Pinatubo, 14 Aethero, Classique Legend, Gytrash, Loving Gaby, Masker Crusade, Santa Anna Lane, Tofane, Trekking. Upwards others.
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That win by Tyzone in the Stradbroke, had been planned by the Toby and Trent Edmonds training team for several months. The star sprinter ran second to Trekking in the race last year and from almost that point they set about aiming to win the 2020 event.
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Robbie Fradd, who guided Tyzone to victory in the Stradbroke, was hit with a $500 fine after being found to have used his whip too many times prior to the 100m mark. Two suspensions came out of the race … Michael Cahill, rider of Trekking, was suspended for seven days and James Orman was outed for 11 days, both on careless riding charges.
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The Chris Waller trained Savabeel galloper Stardome picked up his fourth winner's cheque when successful at Eagle Farm. And while on Chris Waller I did like the win by Achiever at Randwick which was some compensation for not making the JJ Atkins field at Eagle Farm. Waller has a high opinion of the rising three-year-old and rates him the type who could take out a Spring Champion Stakes or the like.
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The late, great Darby McCarthy was honoured by the State Government of Queensland, being named a "Queenslander Great.”
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John O'Shea looks to have a very smart galloper on his hands in Opacity, the rising four-year-old by Ocean Park. The galloper was successful at Randwick under the brilliance of Hugh Bowman, taking his record to five wins from seven starts. O'Shea, is now setting his sights higher with the NZ bred, looking to gain runs in the Epsom and the $7.5 million Golden Eagle. O'Shea had given thought to running Opacity again this weekend, but has now decided to pull the plug on his racing for the season, to spell him and then be ready for the spring.
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Big news in Sydney is that the successful jockey Adam Hyeronimus will stand in front of stewards later this week where he will face charges of betting offences. I gather, there will be other charges as well, such as giving false or misleading evidence at an inquiry last year.
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Chapada gained that well overdue win for Mike Moroney when successful at Flemington striding away for his first win in his last 15 starts since he broke through for a maiden win in Victoria in the spring of 2018 … but he has turned in some fine efforts in between times including a third in the Victoria Derby and a third in the Rosehill Guineas.
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Prezado took his wins to three on end when successful at Flemington.
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That was a solid win by the NZ bred Heptagon in the hands of Dean Yendall in the Swan Hill Cup. The galloper is with the strong Price-Kent yard and he won easing down by three lengths. He may now head to the Winter Championship series. Heptagonal is the elder half-brother to Gr2 Wellington Guineas winner Emily Margaret. He was purchased by Price for $150,000 at Karaka.
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It’s a ‘No go’ for the proposed recently revamped programme for the spring and early summer for Victorian racing. That lasted a mere few weeks. Many rejected the new concept and it has now been announced that the current schedule will be kept intact … so no Caulfield Cup after the Melbourne Cup! The carnival will now kick off with the NZB Memsie Stakes at Caulfield on August 29.
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Former Aquanita trainer Stuart Webb has been knocked back by Racing Victoria regarding a licence application.
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That wonder mare in Japan, Almond Eye could run only second in the Yasuda Kinen on the weekend bowing down to Gan Alegria. Off the home bend the champion mare looked to be travelling with ease … but, when Christophe Lemaire went for her, she failed to respond and battled into second.
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The much-travelled trainer Charlie Appleby produced the outstanding Godolphin owned Ghaiyyath to beat the Derby winner of last season Anthony van Dyke and also left the great stayer Stradivarius in his wake in the Coronation Cup at Newmarket. He is likely to head to a clash with the great mare Enable at Sandown next month. The star stayer cleared his rivals mid-way through the race and he eventually won by two-and-a-half lengths.
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In the US, Honor AP upset the better regarded three-year-olds with a dashing win in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby beating the favourite Authentic. That win has now seen the odds of the winner cut to 7-1 from 18-1 for the Kentucky Derby. It hasn't been a great few weeks for top trainer Bob Baffert, who has Authentic. Just the other day another Derby candidate, Nadal was retired through injury and Charlatan, winner of the Arkansas Derby, is also injured
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Alfred Chan rode a treble at Sha Tin … and what about the betting in HK with the club co-mingling with the UK! $HK$238,477,853 was handled co-mingling for the meeting. Moreira rode one winner, Purton missed out.
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Well respected and widely experienced horseman Marc Devcich has been appointed as general manager to the major stud in New Zealand … Cambridge. Devcich (47) has gained world-wide experience over the years including stints at Segenhoe, Widden, Dixiana Farm in Kentucky as well as Windsor Park Stud and Mapperley Park. He will leave Henley park, a successful family operation, in the hands of his capable wife, Sarah.
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Sad to note the passing of Chris Luoni in New Zealand during the week. An accountant he was the driving force behind the establishment of the NZ Hall of Fame and was also an experienced breeder and owner with horses such as stakes winners Ma Danseuse and Oliverdance … and he also raced stakes winner Balrani.
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It was also a very sad day at Windsor Park, one of NZ's finest nurseries in the heart of the Cambridge District when they laid to rest at the stud the 20-year-old stallion Falkirk who was born and raised on the property. Falkirk was an unbeaten Group winner in four NZ starts before embarking overseas to win further group races in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. He also ran at Ascot where he finished fourth in the Kings Stand before failing in the July Cup and heading to Windsor Park for stud duties. Falkirk sired the winners of some $20 million.

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