THE PETLEY REPORT (JULY 4 to JULY 7): ALL THE NEWS FROM THE UK, NSW, VIC, NZ, HK AND THE US

By Jack Petley | Tuesday, July 7, 2020

Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien gained his eighth win in the Epsom Derby giving him the most wins now in the 240-year-old Classic … but he did it with a colt by Galileo who had won a maiden race just a handful of days before with 30-year-old jockey Emmet McNamara sending Serpentine to an almost all the way win at odds of 25-1.
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Tom Marquand, taken off favourite English King, gained second in the Derby on his 50-1 shot Khalifa. An even longer long shot at 66-1, Amhran Na Bhfiann, also from O'Brien's yard, was third. Kameko, the 5-2 favourite, was fourth just ahead of the second favourite English King.
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So, O'Brien now has eight Derbies to his credit and that great sire Galileo has five more Derby winners than any other stallion. O'Brien’s Derby wins kicked off with Galileo in 2001 … then came High Chaparral, Camelot, Ruler of the World, Australia, Wings of Eagles and Anthony Van Dyke twelve months ago.
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O'Brien and Galileo were to the fore again when the brilliant filly Love stormed to a great win in the Oaks coming off the pace with a devastating finish.
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Ghaiyyath, carrying the royal blue jacket of Godolphin, gave Enable and his other rivals a galloping lesson in the Coral-Eclipse at Sandown. William Buick took the Charlie Appleby star to the front soon after the start and the galloper then commenced to run his rivals ragged with the great mare Enable two and a half lengths back in second place.
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Buick warned that Enable won't be as easy to beat next time stating in the media that, "it was her first run of the season and she will improve a great deal from the run." Those comments were echoed by her trainer John Gosden who said, "Frankie (Dettori) said she just needed the last half furlong so he looked after her."
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This was the first run for Enable since she failed in the Arc and, to be fair, trainer John Gosden had warned earlier in the week that she "may need the run."
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Gosden said that Enable would now be aiming at the King George at Ascot and of course long term, the Arc. And Appleby said he would likely not take her on in the Arc, instead pointing to the Juddmonte International at York as a goal.
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While on Appleby, I see he still has to make a decision on where Pinatubo runs next, but maybe in the Jean Prat at Deauville … and, interestingly, I see that he has mentioned an international campaign for Barney Roy. Maybe the Cox Plate where the odds are handy at present. Said the top trainer, "After his next run he will have a break and then look at going for some international races later in the year."
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The now part owned sprinter Hello Youmzain (Cambridge Stud), winner of the Golden Jubilee at his last run, looks headed for the July Cup. Thirteen entries have been received for the big event including the Commonwealth Cup winner, Golden Horde.
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Other UK shorts - Dashing Willoughby was successful in the Coral Henry Stakes at Sandown and long-term trainer Andrew Balding said he has his sights set on the Melbourne Cup. Balding said the stayer may miss the Goodwood Cup and perhaps tilt at the Lonsdale Cup. "He has done enough today to get into the Melbourne Cup if that is a goer in the autumn. That will be very much his goal." Said Balding.
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Balding added that Kameko may run in the Sussex Stakes on route to the Juddmonte International.
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Tom Marquand gained his 500th British success on Sir Plato at the Chepstow meeting.
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Seamie Heffernan handed out a 21-day ban for overuse of the whip on the Aidan O'Brien three-year-old Order of Australia.
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I note that Chris Waller's stable has gained $43.76 million in stakes this season, his best tally ever. What a remarkable achievement from the NZ born champion trainer.
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James McDonald has 14 days chopped off his 21-day ban after that ride on Threeood and so misses just one week.
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There were some fine wins at Royal Randwick including the gutsy win by the Godolphin filly Tailleur, making it two for two, in the hands of in-form Jason Collettt. Then there was a brilliant end to end win for Kathy O'Hara on the speedy Spaceboy for Gary Portelli. Godolphin also won with Handspun. Jason Collett also won on High Opinion and he gained the honours with yet again another well timed ride. Bjorn Baker kept his winning tally rolling along with a narrow win with Edison while Tigre Royale (by Redwood) was tough when just beating Desert Path over 2400 metres.
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The inquiry being held in NSW by stewards regarding betting allegations against Adam Hyeronimus and his cousin Blake Paine went for around six hours on Monday in Sydney with further submissions still to be made.
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Two runners have been already been claimed for the $15m Everest … Nature Strip and Classique Legend … and it has been noted that talks are being held regarding the brilliant Alligator Blood. The first four horses past the post in the big event will all receive million dollar purses with the winning slot holder and the owners of the winner sharing a massive $6.2m. The runner-up will collect a cool $2,4m, third place gains $1.3m and the fourth place cheque is for $1m.
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Humidor will have another trainer with it having been announced that the NZ bred and still part owned in NZ will link with Chris Waller. It had been thought the top galloper may be retired after his failure in Perth, but he now will hopefully be re-ignited from the Waller camp.
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Kiwi born Michael Dee, who has been riding in fine form in Victoria, will be off the scene for a time. He injured a collarbone in a fall at Pakenham. Dee won the fifth race on Heroic Fighter, but the horse fell on pulling up and Dee fell heavily and I note he is due for surgery. "Hopefully surgery will right everything and I could be back in six weeks," said Dee, who has ridden 76 winners this season with his most important victory being the CF Orr Stakes on Alabama Express in February. He has been riding with much success in Victoria since leaving his homeland back in 2015.
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Also, at Pakenham, Bridget Grylls was successful on Brazen Princess with Grylls relocating across the Tasman with partner Joe Waldron, who trains out of Mornington. "I am trying to ride as much work as I can," said Grylls. "It is just so competitive but I am really enjoying the racing."
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At Warrnambool on the weekend Gobstopper won the Kevin Lafferty Hurdle over fellow Kiwi Woodsman. He has now won four for Eric Musgrove since shifting from Andrew Campbell in NZ and he is likely to tackle the Brendan Drechsler Hurdle at Pakenham on July 19 and then the Grand National Hurdle at Sandown. The former Shaun Ritchie galloper Bee Tee Junior was also a winner.
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Former star galloper Danzero has died aged 28 at Rosemont Stud in Victoria. He sired 1042 runners and 669 individual winners.
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In NZ Jamie Richards brought up his 100th winner of the season and his first century on his own account when he produced Bak Da Master at Awapuni. It is the second time he has achieved 100 or more but the other time he was in partnership with Stevie Autridge.
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Richards leads Stephen Marsh by 27 winners in the NZ Premiership and the NZ TAB has paid out of the Matamata trainer to win the Premiership. Along with 17 stakes wins in NZ, Richards has also added 3 Gr1s in Australia to his tally with 11 of his 20 Group and listed wins coming in Gr1 races.
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Top Kiwi trainer Shaun Ritchie is soon to commence a training partnership with Colm Murray and he says that partnership will assist in campaigning horses in Australia. In recent years the number of horses leaving NZ to go Australian trainers has grown with the stakes in NZ ever so low and the Aussie stake-money increasing by every year. Ritchie said it is "cruel losing some of the better horses to Australians but you can understand why the owners want to take them there for significantly better prizemoney."
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Ritchie, who has plans for Australian campaigns with Swiss Watch, The Good Fight and of course that outstanding three-year-old filly of the season in NZ, Jennifer Eccles, added that, "Having Colm back at home is a big plus.”
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But, of course, travel plans of all New Zealand trainers will depend on what Australian States are available for Kiwis to travel to with the Covid virus rampant in Victoria at present and with the NSW Government putting in place closed borders. Ritchie said that when travel is available having a team of horses travelling to Melbourne made the exercise more cost effective for NZ owners with the training fees of Kiwi trainers cheaper than their counterparts across the Tasman.
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Now this is a wonderful story from the NZ racing Desk regarding that first riding success by 25-year-old apprentice Maria Sanson on Super Flash for her boss, Mark Oulaghan after finishing fifth at her first ride on Overtheriver for Kevin Myers. Maria, I gather, has always had a love for horses graduating as many Kiwi kids do from a pony club and with the thought of one day becoming a jockey. But her parents wisely noted that she had the bug but made certain she kept up with her education before venturing into the field of racing. Maria attended Massey University where she graduated with a conjoint Bachelor of Business and BA majoring in International Business Management and a politics degree along with a Diploma in Defence and Security studies--WOW! After she had graduated, she linked up with the Oulaghan stable and now she is a winning rider. But what of the future for the 25-year-old apprentice? She is keen to focus on her riding, but said "long term "I would like to be involved in politics.” With such determination I would bet on that!
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It was a red-letter day for jockey Jason Waddell at Te Rapa on the weekend riding the Stephen Marsh galloper Osaka to success and then watching a maiden galloper (Fonts L"Algar) he part owns with good mate and trainer Chad Ormsby. "I normally try to buy one or two horses a year to turn over to add some coin to the pocket. This filly we tried to sell at the Ready to Run sale, and she didn't sell." said Waddell.
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Waddell will continue to ride in New Zealand at the moment, but I see he is keen to try his luck in Australia, that is if the Covid bans are lifted.
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In Hong Kong Joao Moreira was given a one-day ban at Sha Tin and Zac Purton looks now a home run to win the Premiership being six ahead of Moreira with three meetings remaining.
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The HKJC held a sale of young horses last week with the turnover better than the club expected, a very healthy HK$74.3m with the top price being paid for a gelded son of I Am Invincible out of Etopia at $HK7.2m. Second highest price was $HK6.5m for a son of Zoustar.
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That wretched virus struck at the Lone Star Park meeting in the US on the weekend, with an individual at the track testing positive and the meeting being called off after one race. Racing re-commenced at the track on May 22, but now the closed sign is up for the time being.

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