THE PETLEY REPORT: IT'S SPRING TIME AND THINGS ARE HOTTING UP AS THE BIG GUNS COME OUT TO PLAY

By Jack Petley | Friday, September 11, 2020

Racing is certainly hotting up in Oz and much interest will centre around the Flemington meeting this weekend with many Cups hopes on the spring trail. There is a top field for the Makybe Diva with Danny O'Brien producing three of his big guns for the spring, Russian Camelot, Vow and Declare and Miami Bound with Damien Oliver, I see, to ride Russian Camelot. Last year’s winner Gatting is back again with Luke Nolen up and Michael Rodd partners the star Team Hawkes galloper Master of Wine, out to make up for that unplaced effort in Sydney when resuming. Fierce Impact also makes a return to Melbourne racing after his fine run in the Winx Stakes in Sydney and Mark Zahra has been booked. The field includes Kiwi stayer Quick Thinker, the mount of Michael Dee, but not wanted in the market at $26. Russian Camelot heads the market at $3.60 ahead of 5 Fierce Impact, 6.50 Perfect Jewel, 9.50 Kings Will Dream, Master of Wine, and the rest at long odds including last year’s Melbourne Cup winner, Vow and Declare sitting at $41.

The Winning Edge Presentations field is also full of Cup likely candidates with the Kiwi stayer The Chosen One handy in the market at $10. Mike Moroney's ever so promising Aktau is the favourite at $4.20, then the German bred stayer Django Freeman, at $5, then the Chris Waller mare Toffie Tongue, $5.50, followed by 9 Shot of Irish, 10 The Chosen One 12 Aristia, 16 Oceanex, who is already in the Cup field for the Price -Kent yard, 21 Rivet Delight. Aktau, who already has gained a place in the Caulfield Cup via that Mornington Cup win has been set to carry 51 kgs in the Melbourne Cup and he sits at No 67 in that races order of entry. "There is work to get him to the Melbourne Cup," said Moroney. "Best way I would say is to qualify him through the Caulfield Cup."

Mike Moroney also holds a strong hand in the Bobbie Lewis producing the smart Ocean Park mare Tofane as she builds, hopefully for a place in the $15m Everest field. She meets a small but select field with the betting being 3.30 Tofane, 4 Zoutori, 4.20 Bold Star, 5.50 The Inevitable, 8.50 Banquo. Tofane last ran five months ago when landing her brilliant All Aged win and already Moroney says he has The Everest slot holders monitoring her progress … and he said the mare is well forward. "She is really good. She has had three jump outs." The mare runs twice in Melbourne before she heads to Sydney. "I would say slot holders will watch her run very closely," Moroney added.

The Baker-Forsman Cups horses, Quick Thinker and The Chosen One will commence their path towards the Cups this weekend at Flemington … Quick Thinker in the Makybe Diva and The Chosen One in the Winning Edge Presentations over 1700 metres. Both will be ridden by Michael Dee. "They have settled in well," said Murray Baker. "The fact that they have been there before has been a big help. They are in the same boxes as last year." Quick Thinker sits at $30 for the race on the weekend while The Chosen One is firmer, at $10. "I am picking they will both need the runs," said the great Kiwi trainer.

Savatiano holds favouritism for the Let’s Elope after that big win last time out for Godolphin ahead of the WA mare Arcadia Queen, 3.20, and they dominate the betting with the rest at double figures.

And also on the card, the Danehill Stakes with the Maher-Eustace colt Prague back in the south after his solid first season form in Sydney and he is favourite at $4.20 ahead of 6 Wisdom of Water, and the Team Hawkes colt Doubtland at $7 with William Pike claiming the mount.

This is going to be a super race. Farnan is still a firm favourite for the Run to the Rose in Sydney with already slot holder in the $15m Everest, Rothfire and the brilliant North Pacific and Mamaranga among Farnan’s rivals. Everest slot holders will certainly pay interest in this as they will in the form of Tofane in Melbourne. Farnan sits firm in the betting for this weekend's Run to The Rose at $2.50 while $15m Everest slot holder Rothfire is at $4.00. Farnan has been working great for the powerful Bott-Waterhouse yard and he is one certainly on trial for an $15 Everest slot with Rothfire already having been picked up by a slot holder.

There will also be much interest in that NZ bred three-year-old by Savabeel, Mo'unga in the Dulcify Quality. He kicked off his career on the Gold Coast with a win, then scored ever so easily at Newcastle and is now looking a real Classic contender. James McDonald rides and he is solid at $2.40 favourite ahead of Aim and Yardstick.

Funstar is hot in the Theo Marks for Chris Waller looking to make up for her ordinary 6th when resuming and interest here in former Kiwi Riodini, now with the powerful Bott-Waterhouse yard.

The brilliant Fasika has opened up a warm favourite, at $2.50 for the Sheraco Stakes and with connections ever hopeful of gaining entry into the Everest through a slot holder. .

That was a big win by Oceanography for the he Maher-Eustace yard at Sandown on Wednesday and the son of Ocean Park will head to the path of the Victoria Derby. "This past six weeks he has really improved," said David Eustace. saying that the NZ bred three-year-old would now target the Derby Trial at Flemington in two weeks.

I see that the Maher-Eustace yard have stated that the target for the brilliant Anders, who was nominated for the Run to the Rose this weekend, will instead be shifted south to aim at the Moir Stakes in Melbourne later in the month. His stablemate Prague is also heading south and he runs this weekend in the Danehill Stakes.

The smart Godolphin sprinter Bivouac was impressive when wining his trial at Randwick in the hands of Hugh Bowman who was impressed. The sprinter is heading down the path of the $15 Everest although Godolphin have yet to show their hand as to their chosen runner. Bivouac sits at $15 in the market.

Good trial also by the Anthony Cummings sprinter Libertini and the trainer is keen on gaining an Everest slot.

Te Akau's smart four-year-old mare Probabeel is on the path to the WS Cox Plate. said trainer Jamie Richards. The mare looked good when trialling in the same heat as Bivouac and Richards told the NZ racing Desk he was "really pleased" with the hit out. "I thought she looked great," he said. "She never really trials that well because she had the blinkers off. She got to the line well and looked good with the distance short of her best. She will run in the Bill Ritchie on Saturday week and then to the Epsom Handicap. She holds a nomination for the Golden Eagle as well, but the plan has been to set her for the Cox Plate and that is what we are trying to do."

Matamata trainer Lance O'Sullivan said he and Andrew Scott were well pleased with that run by Dragon Leap in the Tramway and he said the smart galloper pulled up well and has continued to improve. It had been earlier thought that the four-year-old would head to the Epsom Handicap next but the plan now, said O'Sullivan, is to run him in the Bill Ritchie with that race gaining the winner exempt from the ballot and penalty for the Epsom Handicap. "We are starting to rethink our plans just because of the way he is going," said the former champion jockey. "The chance of his running a fortnight before the Epsom is starting to look an attractive option."

“Phew!" That's what Victorian racing officials must have uttered after a staff member of the Bott-Waterhouse yard in Melbourne felt unwell and was tested for Covid 19 and the tests came back negative. The stable went into a brief lockdown over the matter but is back in full training at Flemington. Good news for all I would say.

There is much controversy over the statement released by Racing Victoria indicating that they wish to see a reduction of whip use in a race and for that rule to be implemented from the start of 2021. The move, I gather, was announced without consultation with the Australian Jockeys Association, headed by former Victorian employee, Martin Talty. I would say this will bring much discussion over the next few weeks. Not a great time to announce it, though, on the eve of the major carnival in Victoria.

The outstanding NZ bred mare Verry Elleegant has been given 55kgs in both the Melbourne Cup and the Caulfield Cup. That is a challenge for the daughter of Zed as only one mare has carried more to victory, Makybe Diva with 55.5kgs in 2004 and then again the year later with a massive 58kgs. NZ bred Surprise Baby, the early favourite for the Melbourne Cup has been given 55kgs. Quick Thinker is weighted at 53.5kgs in both Cups and he is the highest weighted Southern Hemisphere four-year-old. Stablemate The Chosen One has 53.5kgs.

The topweight for the Melbourne Cup has gone to the Aidan O'Brien trained stayer Anthony Van Dyke at 58.5kgs and it is interesting to note that O'Brien has provided four of the last five topweights when weights have been released for the Melbourne Cup. He also has Anthony Van Dyke with 58.5kgs in the Caulfield Cup the same weight as stablemate Japan and another O'Brien stayer, Magical, sits at 58kgs.

If Magical wins the Caulfield Cup, the 6 times Gr1 winner will need to set a weight carrying record for a mare, with Tranquil Star winning the Cup back in 1942 with 56kgs.

In a report in the UK press I see that O'Brien has five spaces booked on the one and only flight into Melbourne and with his Down Under candidates to be named after the big meetings in the UK and Ireland this weekend.

While there will be much interest in the performance of the star Charlie Appleby galloper Ghaiyyath in the Irish Champion Stakes on the weekend, Down Under race fans will be watching the form of the Aidan O'Brien stayers entered for both the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups. O'Brien will field three runners in the seven-horse field including Magical, and Japan, both entered for Australian majors.

This is an interesting story out of the UK. The British Horse Racing Board has suspended racing accounts held by Phoenix Thoroughbreds and they will not have further runners in the UK until further notice. I recall, Phoenix, who has racing interests world-wide, including in Australia, announced they were pulling out of British racing mid-August but on the weekend their colours were carried to success by Frankenstella.

In NZ Craig Grylls has kicked off the new season with a double for employers Kevin and Jo Hickman winning aboard Karalino and Communique. The Hickmans sponsored the day through their Valachi Downs Stud and Grylls commented that it "was great to get two wins for them in their colours."

The multiple Gr2 winner Scott Base has been retired after running 12th in the Foxbridge Plate last weekend at Te Rapa. "He was just showing signs of wear and tear," said co-owner Chris Rutten. He ends his career with five wins from 22 starts.

This is a big opportunity for the young South Island apprentice Rohan Mudhoo. He has been booked for two rides for the powerful Te Akau stable at Riccarton tomorrow, Age of Fire and Summer Moonsoon.

Meleka Belle has been named Arion Pedigrees Eight Carat Broodmare of the Year. She is the dam of the outstanding Melody Belle and hails from that wonderful "Belle" family founded so, so many years ago by the late James and Annie Sarten. The mare is owned by their daughter Marie Leister, who said she was "over the moon" with the award.

In Hong Kong, Zac Purton won a double on the first meeting of the season on the weekend and he continued that form with four winners at Happy Valley and now has six wins from 17 mounts for the new season.

From the US Bob Baffert is now eyeing off the Preakness with his Kentucky Derby winner Authentic. "What I am going to do is leave him in Kentucky and then take him to the Preakness and another shot at Tiz The Law. "said the champion US trainer. The Kentucky Derby winner is now at 11-2 for the Breeders Cup in November but Baffert has yet to show his hand on that event with the colt.