THE PETLEY REPORT (JULY 8 - JULY 10): RACING NEWS FROM NSW, VIC, NZ, HK, SINGAPORE AND THE UK

By Jack Petley | Thursday, July 9, 2020

Racing NSW has banned horses trained in Victoria from taking part in races in the northern state for an indefinite period. The ban, said NSW Chief Steward Mark Gestel, is immediate and also affected NSW horses returning home. He said the problem would be monitored. but with the lockdown in Victoria being for six weeks that restriction will remain in place for period.
____________________________________________________________________

Victorian jockeys are unable to ride in NSW unless they undergo a 14 day quarantine period but riders from other States are able to ride in NSW without quarantine.
____________________________________________________________________

A super ride by Kiwi Jason Collett handed Newcastle trainer Kris Lees his first Grafton Cup with Sixties Grove, under a massive 61kgs. Collett, who has formed a solid association with Lees, rode the winner masterly. He took ground near the inside before the bend, then showed initiative to clear the pack and dash down the outside for a great win.
_____________________________________________________________________

"Top ride," said Lees, who may now aim the Sixties Grove at the Metropolitan with the stayer now having won nine of his 30 starts, with his main win in the Brisbane Cup.
____________________________________________________________________

The Chris Waller-trained stayers The Lord Manor and Carzoff gained the minor placings in the Cup.
____________________________________________________________________

I did think that Team Snowden could win the Ramornie with Hightail. The hot favourite only finished eighth though, after being heavily backed in the days leading into the event, but the Randwick yard still gained the major purse in the Cup with Signore Fox (20-1) saluting in the hands of Jeff Penza. Paul Snowden put the improved form down to a gear chance.
_____________________________________________________________________

The Godolphin runner, Haunted, finished second in the Ramornie and Jonker ran a handy third. The heavily supported Snitz ran poorly, finishing ninth after being with the speed for a good deal of the race.
_____________________________________________________________________

John Moore, who is soon to settle in Sydney and train with brother Gary, already has a Hong Kong galloper eyeing off the Cups in Melbourne … Sunny Speed, formerly known in the UK as Crack on Crack On. Sunny Speed has a very good third behind Furore and Waikuku in the HK Derby and he is, said Moore, recovering at present from a tendon problem. Moore also stated in the press that he has owners keen to purchase European stayers for Australian racing.
______________________________________________________________________

Annabel Neasham, who for some time has played a leading role in the successful Maher-Eustace yard in Sydney, has announced that she will be training on her own account into the new season. She said in a release that she had applied for her licence and would set-up at Warwick Farm noting that she felt Warwick farm "the ideal place for training." Over time she has had some smart young gallopers on her watch including Prague and Away Game.
____________________________________________________________________

Looking for a berth in the rich Kosciuszko is Albury trainer Donna Scott, who has the weekend's winner at Flemington, Lord Von Costa, in her yard. Shortly after the win Scott took to social media to purchase $5 tickets in the Kosciuszko to try and help give the stable a chance for their first runner in the feature event on Everest Day.
______________________________________________________________________

I'll be interested to see how that superbly bred filly Grand De Flora manages the 2000 metres of her race at Caulfield tomorrow. She is bred to be ever so good over ground being by champion NZ sire Savabeel from the Oaks filly Daffodil. She kicked off her career with the James-Wellwood yard at Cambridge and meantime has been with Danny O'Brien and has won three of her four runs across the Tasman. O'Brien said the race would be a "litmus test" for the filly and a win would have him aiming her at bigger races in the spring.
_____________________________________________________________________

That win at his last run has seen the Waugh-trained Thrumbull marked up as favourite for the Winter Stakes at Rosehill tomorrow at $4.20 ahead of 5.50 Noble Boy, 6 Dealmaker, 6.50 Sambro, 9.50 Girl Tuesday, 12 Ready to Prophet.
_____________________________________________________________________

Because of certain sections of the Ballarat track not up to standard the meeting will be run at Moonee Valley on Sunday.
______________________________________________________________________

Racing Victoria is considering whether to disqualify eighty-one horses trained by lifetime banned trainer Robert Smerdon and other Aquanita trainers involved in the treatment scandal … and have stake-money returned. Phew!
____________________________________________________________________

Because of the border lockdown between NSW and Victoria, Inglis have announced that the Melbourne Gold Sale will go on line but with the benefits of using Oaklands for inspections. Bidding opens today and closes on July 16.
_____________________________________________________________________

That was an ever so impressive win over the bigger fences by Kiwi export Flying Agent for Amy McDonald at Warrnambool last Sunday with the NZ bred winning ever so easily by 17 lengths. The former Team Anderton galloper won two of his 14 starts before heading across the Tasman. "Said McDonald: "It is so easy to get carried away but when you pull off all the sparkles it was still only a maiden chase." Flying Agent will now head to the Pakenham meeting on July 19.
_____________________________________________________________________

NZ racing, since the return after the lockdown, has not been well served with coverage of fields in daily papers, but punters can take heart that Raceform, incorporating Best Bets, will hit the streets for the new racing season with racing news and incorporating the TAB's Best Bets. On-going work with fields and form has been completed and Raceform is scheduled to be back on sale on Thursday July 30. "With industry wide support our team will bring punters everything they need in a single volume to enable them to back winners," said well-known editor, Dennis Ryan.
_____________________________________________________________________

And for punters wanting to watch NZ racing, I note there is NZ racing content available on Facebook through Racing This Time. The site offers an insight into the industry before and after the race with the usual race-day build ups, race reviews, parade ring and aftermath celebrations … all live. Very worthwhile. Have a look!
_____________________________________________________________________

Wanganui jockey Johnathan Parkes will be on a quest for the final 100 winners he needs to make the 1000-win jockey table when he kicks off riding at Wanganui today, his home track. Parkes notched winner No 900 when successful for Gary Vile on Fattore Otto at Awapuni last weekend and he has a good book today including Wait a Sec, the Livamol Classic winner of last year.
____________________________________________________________________

More than 1000 race meetings at 51 venues throughout NZ have been confirmed by the Dates Committeee of RITA for the forthcoming year. The new dates see an increase of thoroughbred meetings, 273 to 278, and the conditional reintroduction of five dates to the Avondale Jockey Club contingent on the development of regional racing plans before December 31.
_____________________________________________________________________

Te Akau Shark came through his optic inplant surgery on an eye ever so successfully, but then he has been hit by a lung infection which is causing concern. Jamie Richards said the star galloper was making steady progress and he is hopeful the big chestnut will be out of the clinic next week.
_____________________________________________________________________

Richards commented on his plan for Te Akau Shark from there. "He will spell in NSW for probably three or four weeks," Richards said. "That is to make sure he is 100 per cent before he returns to New Zealand. "Richards said that Te Akau Shark would be given a rest and then return for racing in late summer and, hopefully for Aussie fans, be back in Sydney next autumn.
____________________________________________________________________

Richards, like many trainers, is monitoring the border closures between NSW and Melbourne and he said the "longer it goes the more concerning it becomes." He has Melody Belle and Probabeel in Sydney with Melody Belle expected to kick off her campaign in Australia in the Missile Stakes early in August as a lead up to the Winx Stakes. He said he had planned to have Probabeel kick off her campaign in Melbourne but said he may keep the rising four-year-old in Sydney for a little longer.
_____________________________________________________________________

I see that Richards has not gained the number of boxes he had hoped for at Flemington for his spring campaign and he told the NZ Racing Desk "there are other options that we are looking at."
_____________________________________________________________________

Star Kiwi sprinter The Bostonian is back in work with Tony Pike and the Cambridge trainer is already putting in place a return to Sydney for the sprinter who won the Canterbury Stakes there last campaign and also finished placed in the George Ryder Stakes. "He has been back in work for some seven weeks and he is coming up really well," said Pike. "He looks fantastic." Pike said the rising six-year-old will likely resume in the Winx Stakes in Sydney and like other trainers of top sprinters is hopeful that the sprinter can show enough form to be considered for a slot in the $15m Everest.
_____________________________________________________________________

Pike also had the news that the NZ Derby winner Sherwood Forest and the smart filly Loire are back in work for spring racing. Sherwood Forest spelled in Sydney and he has been back in the stable for three or four weeks. "He has come back in wonderful order," said Pike. For her part, Loire has been back in work about the same time and she had her first try at speed earlier this week. Her agenda may include the Foxbridge Plate and then the Hawkes Bay meeting.
______________________________________________________________________

Bad luck for the Walton nursery Rich Hill. Because of complications with flights into NZ because of the world-wide virus that outstanding son of Deep Impact, Satono Alladin is unable to shuttle Down Under for the spring. Rich Hill chief, John Thompson said he had worked overtime to have the stallion in NZ but he has been foiled because of worldwide disruption to flights. "Air freight is at an absolute premium. Shadai contacted all major airlines that fly into Japan but there was no room for two stallions and grooms,” said Thompson. Also affected is Chatswood Stud's shuttle stallion from Shadai, Al Ain.
______________________________________________________________________

Zac Purton has the HK Premiership in the bag. Purton made certain of victory with that treble last weekend. It is interesting to note the comparison figures between the top Aussie and Brazilian champ Joao Moreira. Purton rides heavier that Moreira and he has had 681 mounts during the season compared to 708 for Moreira and he has also ridden fewer favourites during the season, 235 against 267.
_____________________________________________________________________

And while on HK there are an interesting couple of runners among interesting buys by HK owners for the next season … the French Derby placegetter The Summitt and the very talented sprinter Smokey Bear, who won his last three startsfor Roger Charlton.
_____________________________________________________________________

He has been far away from the limelight in HK, Blake Shinn has been working hard behind the scenes and he looks to have found a smart mount in Fortune. Shinn has gained a mere 13 winners but has had some 42 seconds in his stint in HK where he is still keen to make his mark.
_____________________________________________________________________

Singapore racing gets under way this weekend at Kranji and I see that the Singapore Champion three-year-old of his year, Countofmontecristo will kick off his campaign in the Class 1 race. He is building up to a crack at the Kranji Mile due to be held early in August.
_____________________________________________________________________

Interesting to see that there are several European trainers eyeing off the Victorian spring carnival, but of course all that depends on that dreaded Covid 19 virus which is running rampant in Victoria at present and causing the border between that State and NSW to be closed.
______________________________________________________________________

Andrew Balding is looking at Down Under with his stylish winner of the Henry 11 Stakes Dashing Willoughby,while Cross Counter is being looked at by Godolphin and there is also talk of the recent Limerick winner, Great House being considered by Donnacha O'Brien.
______________________________________________________________________

July Cup news … Richard Hannon says that he will send Threat around in the July Cup instead of heading to France for the Prix Jean Pratt. "He has come through his Ascot run in fine order "said Hannon who has booked Oisin Murphy for the mount.
______________________________________________________________________

There will be much interest from Down Under at Newmarket on the weekend when Youmzain, the recent winner of the Diamond July at Royal Ascot, tackles the Gr1 Darley July Cup, taking on the very talented Clive Cox trained, Golden Horde. Youmzain is now half owned by Cambridge Stud and he will likely stand in France and NZ at the end of his racing career.
_____________________________________________________________________

Golden Horde meets a strong field but trainer Cox is confident of a big run: "His win in the Commonwealth Cup was excellent and he has thrived since then," said Cox. Cox has already won the race twice, with Lethal Force and Harry Angel. Lethal Force the sire of this smart three-year-old.
______________________________________________________________________

I note that Ghaiyyath and Enable will not clash in the King George and Queen Elizabeth with the Charlie Appleby trained Ghaiyyath, instead, heading towards the Gr1 Juddmonte International at York. It looks now that the two star gallopers will have to wait until the Arc later in the year to meet again. Enable, in latest betting, is favourite for the King George at 7-4 and will be going for her third win in the event having been successful in 2017 and 2019.

More articles