THE PETLEY REPORT (AUGUST 8 TO AUGUST 11)

By Jack Petley | Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Joe Pride put his hand up for a slot holder to pay attention to Eduardo for the $15m Everest after his new stable star Eduardo won the Missile Stakes hands down with the Kiwi mare Melody Belle never looking a chance. Pride also has the talented Fasika in his yard so he will be hoping that slot holders will pay close attention to both of his gallopers especially if Melbourne horses can't make the field.
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Eduardo never looked likely to be beaten and he held out the Godolphin mare Flit easily with Imaging (not the best of runs), third. Rawiller was also successful on the Chris Waller trained Desert Path. While he had a good winning day on the track things didn’t go his way in the steward’s room with stewards giving him seven days for over use of the whip on the Waller galloper and then outed him until September 1 for causing interference on Eduardo.
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Such has been Rawiller’s run of suspensions that the stewards have told the top rider he must seek help from a sports psychologist. It was his eighth careless riding suspension since returning to ride in Australia just over twelve months ago. This, I gather, is only the third time stewards have had to use this rule.
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Jason Collett rode a double and he scored the easiest of wins on the Maher-Eustace three-year-old Anders in the Rosebud. And while the $1m Golden Rose looks a race for the handsome colt he has had his odds cut for the Everest to $15 from $25 with the winner of that trial last week for Chris Waller trained Nature Strip still a firm favourite for The Everest. Latest betting for the Golden Rose: 6 Farnan, 7 Rothfire, 11 Doubtland, North Pacific, Peltzer, 15 Kings Legacy, Mamaragan, Smart Image, Tagaloa.
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Anders was presented at the races by the Maher-Eustace Sydney foreman Annabel Neasham but she shortly branches out of her own and from all accounts has a solid group of horses to kick off with in Sydney.
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One winner who really took my eye at Rosehill was the Frankel stallion New King for trainer Matthew Dale and Kiwi James McDonald. New King had two wins to his credit in the UK before his purchase for Australia and McDonald as greatly taken by the win.
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That was also a solid win by the David Payne trained filly Montefilia. I gather she will be given a short spell and then aimed at the major races for fillies in the spring including the Flight Stakes and the Oaks.
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And the Godolphin mare Tailleur made it three wins from four runs with an easy win and she does look a rising star especially on rain affected tracks.
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It is this time of the year when top gallopers start appearing at trials and jump outs and top Victorian trainer Danny O'Brien had his two star stayers out at the Flemington jump-outs, boom UK bred Russian Camelot and the Cup winner Vow and Declare.
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Russian Camelot is one of the most exciting younger stayers in Oz, winning the Derby in Adelaide hands down while almost six months younger than his rivals. It may not have been the classiest of fields, but the manner in which he gathered his rivals in over the final stages suggests he is well above the average. And remember this, the three-year-old could well have been sent back to England for the Derby as he had been entered, but that wretched virus wrecked plans. He is one exciting stayer. Russian Camelot won his trial while Vow and Declare finished second in his jump out. Both horses, I am told, looked in tremendous order.
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Meantime, I see Tyzone was third in a Gold Coast trial as trainer Toby Edmonds brings the top galloper up for a trip to Sydney and a crack at the Gr1 Epsom. He will likely resume in the Theo Marks in Sydney. And I note that Edmonds has the Epsom in mind for that cracking good mare Vanna Girl, by Husson, who won three decisively over the Brisbane carnival.
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Alligator Blood looked in fine order when galloping between races at the Sunshine Coast and it is expected he will resume early in September with the WS Cox Plate firmly on the agenda. He will certainly add spice to spring racing.
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Chris Waller is more than happy with the buildup to the spring for Verry Elleegant and she is likely to kick off in the Winx Stakes at Randwick on August 22. She is likely to gallop between races this weekend as Waller builds her up to fitness for the majors ahead, including a Cups campaign. Said the great NZ born trainer: "We held her back last year to let her develop.” Other Waller top gallopers are making their return including another Cups hopeful, Shared Ambition.
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Kiwis are too, looking at the Everest. The Bostonian looked in great order at the trials last week and already has solid form in Sydney and the star three-year-old of last season Catalyst is also back, looking stronger. Remember that tough fight he gave Alligator Blood in the CS Hayes. He was the star three-year-old in NZ last season for Clayton Chipperfield.
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And news on smart galloper Tofane … she went well at the Flemington jump outs and Mike Moroney told the media that she will have a more "serious" workout in a couple of weeks time. "I am pleased with the way she is progressing," the Kiwi said of the mare by Waikato Stud sire Ocean Park who has won five of her 14 starts for the stable including last time out in the All Aged at Randwick.
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Star Perth gallopers, Showmanship, Regal Power and Arcadia Queen will run this weekend in Melbourne, with William Pike on hand to do the riding. He will choose between Arcadia Queen and Regal Power in the Lawrence Stakes.
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That win by the Price-Kent filly Cafe Rizu at Flemington on the weekend has her firming in the market for the Oaks and she now sits on the low 20s with most agencies. While she is by speed sire Rubick, she has some solid Kiwi staying blood in her background being out of daughter of that great Cambridge stud sire Zabeel and from the family of Star Karen who ran second in the Oaks at Trentham last year. "She definitely feels like an up and coming stayer," said winning rider Damien Oliver. Oliver was also in fine form on the Godolphin gallopers Fatigues and Home of the Brave.
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I note that Trading Post, formerly Salton Sea in Australia, was successful at Kranji on the weekend for Cliff Brown.
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Smart Youmzain, who is held in partnership by NZ's Cambridge Stud and Haras d'Etrehasm, notched yet another outstanding run on the weekend when second behind the very good Space Blues at Deauville. Said his trainer Kevin Ryan: "He has been a superstar from day one. From the time he arrived in my yard he has been naturally talented and a very exciting horse. Likely he will now be aimed at the Foret and a likely clash with Space Blues again. Looking forward to meeting the winner. That's what good horses do. They take each other on."
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The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia have just announced that they will pay prizemoney to the horses placed second to 10th in the Saudi Cup run in February but the Jockey Club currently continues to withhold the winning purse from connections of this year’s winner Maximum Security with his trainer Jason Servis facing federal charges in the US. Maximum Security beat Midnight Bisou in the $20m, event with the winner’s purse a massive $10million! Midnight Bisou gathered $3.5m and Godolphin pocketed $2m for third with Benbatyl and the 10th horse received $200,000. Phew!
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Maximum Security is now with Bob Baffert and I note in the press that the galloper turned in a cracking trial for his new trainer at Del Mar as he readies for the Pacific Classic on August 22.
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Also, news out of the US, Tiz Law has now emerged as the favourite for the Kentucky Derby after his runaway win in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga. He won by just under 6 lengths and clocked the fourth fastest time for the race since the event was first staged some 151 years back. Tiz Law, by Constitution, has now won his four starts this season with wins in the Belmont Stakes, Florida Derby and Holly Bull. And he has won his races on average by just over three lengths. Caracaro and Max Player, 2nd and 3rd in the Travers, will also head to the Kentucky Derby.
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And news on that great mare Enable. She will run at Kempton next instead of the Yorkshire Oaks at York before she has her prep aimed at having her right at her peak for the Arc. That means Enable will run against Charlie Fellowes stayer Prince of Arran. "But we are only running there for bigger plans ahead." Fellowes said when told of plans for Enable. Fellowes still has the Melbourne Cup foremost in his mind but has problems ahead like all international trainers looking at Melbourne … and, if he cannot gain entry into Australia for his staff, I see in the press that he will send the horse to Cairon Maher and fellow Englishman David Eustace. "But we are hopeful we will all be there, firstly for the Geelong Cup," he added.
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Over the years Tommy Heptinstall has raced some outstanding gallopers in NZ including the Tavistock, Werther, and Sangaster. He is now retired from real estate and living in Melbourne and in the past year or so he has moved several of his NZ bred gallopers into Victoria with, all up, six with Michael Hickmott and two with Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. And while he wants to win majors in Australia to win a NZ Derby is his ultimate goal. "That has been fuelled since I used to hitchhike to Auckland so stay with an aunt and take in the Derby and the Auckland Cup," he told the NZ Racing Desk." He still has horses in NZ with friend Andrew Campbell but says the immediate future is in Australia. "The lack of leadership in New Zealand makes me wish I was 20 years younger as I would be back in a flash in New Zealand and I would tip the industry on its heels." This past few days Heptinstall has enjoyed to wins, with Derby candidate Wertheimer with the Busuttn-Young yard at Pakenham and then on Saturday with Aqueduct at Murray Bridge for Michael Hickmott.
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The strong Roger James- Robert Wellwood Cambridge stable will start moving along their spring hopes and they will step out Concert Hall, Sherrif and Two Illicit in trials before the Taupo meeting on Wednesday. James said he was hopeful to have Two Illicit in Australia this spring but said that this trip had been discounted with the problems of Covid 19 virus in Australia and borders being closed. "So, we will concentrate domestically with her and, if all goes well, we could look at Sydney in the autumn," said James, who over the years has enjoyed much success across the Tasman.
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Concert Hall, said the Cambridge trainer, has been entered for the Livamol Classic as has Sherrif who is also entered for the Windsor Park. "I would like to give Concert Hall a couple of runs before we tackle Hastings, but programming information isn't helping me decide where at this stage,” said James. James is more than happy with his team and also with the progress of the five-year-old Tavistock gelding London Banker. "I describe him as an old-fashioned Kiwi stayer slow maturing and needing time."
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The six-timer by the young rider Hazel Schofer, a 3kg claiming apprentice, at Hawera on the weekend was not the first for a young rider. She joins now Sydney's No1 jockey James McDonald and of course she was helped by a 12-race card. Senior riders to have taken six in a day, since 1995, Lance O'Sullivan (twice), David Walsh (twice), Cathy Tremayne, Michael Coleman and Chris Johnson.
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That Hawera meeting was also a big day out for Kiwi trainer Al Sharrock. Sharrock and Schofer combined to take out four winners at the Hawera meeting … Shanghai Express, Tavi Mac, Beckiboo and Aricina and Sharrock also saddled up The Grinder with Lisa Allpress for a win. Sharrock was quick to compliment the rides from Schofer. "I don’t think you will find any other three kilo claimer having won six in a day,"
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Last November Kiwi trainer Toby Autridge set out a plan for his promising jumper, Tommyra. His aim was to have the horse ready to win the Waikato Hurdle this year, and the jumper did just that hitting the line 15 lengths clear of Ali Baba who was followed home by Arite Guru and Bad Boy Brown. "When we put him back in work last November this was the race we set out to win,"s aid Autridge. "He will now head to the Hawkes Bay Hurdles at Hastings and then either the Great Northern or the Grand National.”
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In the other major jumps race of the day a thrilling finish was turned on with Harvey Wilson's It's A Wonder gaining victory by a short neck over the former South Island jumper Delacroix. It looked as if the latter would claim victory when taking a slight lead over It's A Wonder but, under a hard ride by Shaun Fannin, the gelding came back just short of the line. "That is one tough horse," said Fannnin with Wilson now looking at the Great Northern and perhaps a run in the Pakuranga Hunt Cup beforehand. “The Hunt Cup will be a good guide to how he would handle a further run over the hill in the Northern," said Wilson who added that Bad Boy Brown would tackle the Awapuni Hurdle and then head to Ellerslie for the Northern.

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