THE PETLEY REPORT (JULY 1 to JULY 3). IMPORTANT ENGLISH CLASSICS WILL BE TOP VIEWING THIS WEEKEND

By Jack Petley | Friday, July 3, 2020

Good news for Aussie fans of top English racing, Sky Central will host many of the majors from tracks such as Epsom Downs, Sandown Park, Newmarket, Royal Ascot and York with the coverage kicking off on Saturday covering the card at Epsom Downs and two of the most important Classics in English racing, the Oaks and the Derby.
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Ace jockey Ryan Moore had the choice of the six entries from Aidan O'Brien and he has chosen Mogul for the Epsom Derby tomorrow with O'Brien giving the ride on the heavily supported stablemate Russian Emperor, a recent Ascot winner, to Seamie Heffernan.
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Still favourite for the big Classic is Ed Walker's star colt English King, the mount of Frankie Dettori, who has been ever so firm in the betting since the announcement that the champion jockey had gained the ride.
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Russian Emperor is also solid in the market and there is a late move for 2000 Guineas winner, Vatican City. O’Brien has given the Vatican City ride to Padraig Beggy. The other O'Brien candidates are Mythical (James Doyle), Amhran Na Bhfiann (William Buick) and Serpentine (Emmet McNamara).
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Tom Marquand, who rode with such success in Australia recently, has the mount on 33-1 shot Khalifa after losing the English King ride to Dettori.
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And while on this major meeting at Epsom, owners will be in attendance at the meeting with Interim measures being put in place at the track in accordance with Government guidelines.
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Those two star fillies, Love and Frankly Darling, head a small field of eight for the Oaks with Love just ahead of her rival in the betting, a place she has held since winning the 1000 Guineas and if she wins this she will be the first since Minding to win both Classics. O'Brien, who trains Love, also fields two other runners including Ennistymon, a daughter of Frankel who finished second to Frankly Darling in the Ribblesdale Stakes.
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At the time of writing, Love is at 11-10 for the Oaks. Frankly Darling, a Dettori mount, is at 15-8. Also solid in the market is the filly Ennistymon. Peter Chapple-Hyam produces a very promising filly here in Bahrani Star, by Sea the Stars, and while the filly is quoted at 50-1 the trainer is confident of a big run after her solid fourth at her last run,but she does face a stiff task against this opposition.
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John Gosden, the trainer of Frankly Darling has won the Oaks three times in the last six years, as has O'Brien.
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O'Brien withdrew his other smart filly, Peaceful, from the Oaks field, and he will now send her to France for the Prix de Diane on Sunday.
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Sunday will also see a race to beat all races … with Enable taking on a high-class field in the Coral-Eclipse which includes the very talented Charlie Appleby trained Ghaiyyath.
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And news from O'Brien on that smart galloper Santiago. The Irish Derby winner, he said, could well clash with champion stayer Stradivarius in next month's Qatar Goodwood Cup. "He could go straight to the St Leger, but we do have a thought that he may go to the Goodwood Cup," said O'Brien."
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Top lady rider Hollie Doyle rode a four-timer at Wolverhampton.
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Good news for race fans in Sydney, with general admission customers being admitted in larger numbers at Royal Randwick this weekend as the Australian Turf Club commences to welcome back fans, with patrons needing to book tickets online at TheRaces.com.au. All patrons will be required to follow social distancing protocols and will need to remain seated except when ordering food or taking a bet.
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One had to be impressed with that win, yet again, in Sydney during the week of the Blandford Lodge bred filly Le Gail Soleil for John O'Shea and breeders Graham and Helen Gaye-Bax. The filly is a half-sister to the smart mare Danzdanzdance and she has now won three on the trot for her Kiwi breeders. The filly was one of three wins for James McDonald.
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What a day for top trainer Matt Dunn at Murwillumbah. He produced five of the six winners on the card and in the other race his charge went down by a mere nose. In the past year or so Dunn has been making his mark in Sydney, especially in Highway races, and no doubt he will be seen more and more on the Sydney scene.
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The lockdown in Victoria this week because of that dreaded virus has ace Opie Bosson wondering what is ahead for him this spring. He, of course, is No1 rider for Te Akau and had been hoping he would be in Australia for mounts on Te Akau runners including Probabeel and Melody Belle and a strong team of fillies from Cambridge Stud. Bosson has been getting back to full fitness with training sessions at the David Ellis property and also by doing work on his Pukekawa sheep and beef farm. "It would be nice to go to Australia through the carnivals to ride in those big races, Bosson told the NZ Racing Desk. "I made as much money in two months in Sydney as I did for the whole season in New Zealand, so it can be pretty lucrative. The prizemoney over there is unbelievable. But David wants me to concentrate on the horses back home to start with and there are plenty of nice ones coming along."
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One of Bosson big wins in Aussie was that on the Mike Moroney mare Tofane who is heading down the path of the $15m Everest. “I spoke to Mike this week and he said she is coming up well," said Bosson. "I am not sure whether I can ride her or not."
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The Melbourne Racing Club has announced no changes to the stake-money to three major events to be run during the spring, the $1m Thousand Guineas, the $2m Neds Caulfield Guineas and the pinnacle of the club's spring, the $5m Caulfield Cup. But there have been cuts to other majors with the Memsie Stakes, to $750,000 from $1m, the Herbert Power, to $350,000 from $400,000; the Schillaci, down to $300,000 from $400,000, the Zipping, $250,000 from $300,000; the Blue Sapphire Stakes, to $400,000 from half a million and the Caulfield Classic, to $250,000 from $350,000.
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The NZ bred filly Grand de Flora, by Savabeel from the Oaks winner Daffodil, looks a very promising sort gaining back to back wins at Sandown this week. Danny O'Brien is looking at eventually sending her over more ground. "She is now ready for 2000 metres after two wins at 1600 metres," said O'Brien rep, Ben Gleeson. "Hopefully those wonderful bloodlines will be to the fore."
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That winner for the Go Racing team, Wairere Falls at Geelong late last week, was having his third start and his first since being gelded. By Savabeel, the young galloper is in the hands of Chris Waller and he told the NZ racing Desk that the well-bred young galloper will make progress through the grades. "He is certainly heading in the right direction," said Waller of the half-brother to four-time Group 1 winner Sacred Falls and it is also from the family of Packing Pins, Shopaholic and Splurge.
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Michael Rodd was impressed with that win by the NZ bred son of Shooting to Win, Mystery Shot at Caulfield last weekend.
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The NZ Oaks placegetter, Feel the Rush, has been sent into Australia to link up with the powerful and highly successful Maher-Eustace stable. She ran third behind the smart filly Jennifer Eccles and Vancooga at Trentham in the Oaks for South Island trainers Kelvin and Aimee Tyler.
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Amy McDonald reported to the NZ racing Desk that the top Kiwi jumper Shamal, winner last week at Casterton, has thrived since the win and is on the right road to the Grand National in August. "He may run at Warrnambool next Sunday," said McDonald who trains the star jumper for Kiwi trainer and part owner Ken Duncan of Wanganui. The jumper has been with the trainer since April with Duncan unable to travel overseas because of the virus.
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McDonald advised that another Kiwi jumper in her yard, Alfie Dee, has knocked a leg after winning a trial at Casterton last week and the Grand National Hurdle winner for Duncan last year has been sent to the paddock.
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The other Kiwi jumper to win at Casterton, Woodsman, now with Patrick Ryan, is likely to race at Warrnambool next Sunday in the Lafferty Hurdle. New Zealand based Tony Gillies, who previously trained and co-owns the son of Mastercraftsman, said he is keen for the jumper to have a crack at steeplechasing, probably next season. "He will probably return after that race but we may go for his steeplechase ticket before he returns home so that he is qualified for majors over there next winter."
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Windsor Park shuttle stallion Charm Spirit gained his eighth stakes winner in Europe when Time Scale ran out and easy winner at Newmarket on the weekend for trainer Ralph Beckett. The multiple Group one winner Charm Spirit will return to NZ to Windsor Park this spring.
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I note the passing away during the week in NZ of Mark Buckley, who had held an association with the Wanganui track for some 40 odds years beginning as groundsman and ending up track manager, a role he fulfilled until his retirement in 2012.
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Matamata trainer Cody Cole already has a winner on the board with racing back on the NZ scene he has high hopes of adding to that win with a trio of handy gallopers at Te Rapa, Vainglory, Nancy Spain and Pear Davone. Vainglory will now be ridden by Sam Weatherley after Michael Coleman, her booked rider, was badly injured at the trial earlier this week breaking his femur and his pelvis.

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