THE PETLEY REPORT: A FULLY COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO SATURDAY'S RACING WHERE MUCH IS AT STAKE

By Jack Petley | Saturday, September 19, 2020

There is little doubt that the $15m Everest has been the most exciting and innovative promotion in recent years in Australian racing. It certainly has given sprinters and sprint racing an ever higher profile. Usually, at this time of the year horses gearing up for the Cups hold sway in publicity but not now thanks to Pete V'Landys and his fired up team at NSW Racing and also the ATC. As soon as sprinters start moving along in their fastwork for the spring those with form or potential are talked about as Everest probables including the best two-year-olds of the previous season. And so the build-up begins with slot holders watching every race with an eagle eye and trainers and owners of crackerjack speed horses hoping that they will get the nod and the race for the massive purse.

Now slot holders for the $15m Everest are gradually flexing their muscles and now six star sprinters have been locked in with the latest one, Farnan, announced as the runner for Aquis Farm and so he joins Nature Strip, Rothfire, Gytrash, and Classique Legend with Big Mike Moroney's star mare Tofane gathered up during the week by Yulong … and I see that Farnan won't tackle the Golden Rose which is on the agenda of Rothfire and other outstanding three-year-olds.

With six slots already announced there will be much interest in the Shorts today with the likes of Bivouac, Eduardo, Catalyst, Dirty Work and Splintex clashing, and the winner is certain to gain attention from slot holders keen to lock in a star sprinter.

I'm so looking forward to Catalyst today. He looked good last season and has come back this time bigger, stronger and more mature. And I will recall here a conversation I had with Grant Cooksley during the week. I asked him "how good is Catalyst?" The ace jockey, and now training successfully too, came back the as usual straightforward reply … "Best horse in New Zealand. Might find the 1100 metres a bit short, but he has a tremendous sprint." So with those words I'm not leaving the son of Darci Brahma out. My three tips Bivouac, Catalyst, Eduardo. It will be some race and there is so much at stake.

Top fields for Royal Randwick … Kiwi bred and part owned Verry Elleegant meets a small but select field in the George Main Stakes. Hard to see her being beaten after that win last time, wide, in front on the home bend and still a winner. She has only six rivals so no need this time for James McDonald to cover any ground at all. A win here and she will further firm for the Cups and the WS Cox Plate. Main danger is Avilius and stablemate Kolding.

Kiwi filly Probabeel heads the market for the Bill Ritchie and on the strength of that unlucky 2nd last time she is the favourite at $3.60 and the one to beat … but she is not a home run. There are some smart three-year-olds opposing her including Brandenburg, all the better for his debut run for John Sargent, Reloaded and Roheryn.

Much interest in NZ in the Kingston Town with Danzdanzdance ($50 and out of form) and Zebrowskie, bred by Windsor Park and still part owned and Rondinella. Zebrowski who has had two runs under his belt for Team Hawkes, is solid in the market at $6.50 Tipping Zebrowski, Angel of Truth Rondinella.

Should be a good clash between the smart three-year-old fillies Dame Giselle and Hungry Heart in the Tea Rose. There is little between them. Also, Look for a better run from Icebath in the last for Brad Widdup and Glen Boss.

In Melbourne at Caulfield, Chris Waller has Kinane in the Foundation Cup having taken him out of his Randwick engagement. Mick Dee rides and the son of Reliable Man should be ready for winning form after having had two runs this campaign … and as always Waller runners get better as they go further into their campaigns. Tipping Kinane, Orderofthegarter (building towards the Cups for Danny O'Brien and Lloyd Williams) and Game Keeper.

Others I fancy at Caulfield, Celestial Sun, a Waller runner. Sierra Sue for the Busuttin / Young yard in Race 5, with Michael Walker up, and Lyre. And while on the Busuttin-Young yard I would say the three-year-old Tagaloa will be tough to beat against his older rivals in the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes. Top field engaged and three-year-olds have a good record in the race and the son of Lord Kanaloa is a Blue Diamond winner so he has the class to win and is in nicely at 54kgs with Walker up. Tipping Tagaloa, Behemoth, Age of Chivalry.

The big news out of Sydney during the week was Hugh Bowman being outed for three weeks for the ride of Farnan in the Run to the Rose. I gather he will appeal otherwise he comes back on Everest Day. Bowman had only returned this last weekend after that six week outing.

Kris Lees has been trying to win the Newcastle Cup for some time now and so have Australian Bloodstock and they did it in style yesterday with Mugatoo racing away impressively with the Cup and then having his odds slashed for the Metropolitan, now favourite at $2.80 and from mid 50s to $15 in the Epsom. Lees said he will decide which race will suit shortly as both are on the same day, October 3 at Randwick.

Also firming for the Epsom Rock, the winner of the Cameron Handicap for Team Hawkes now at $10 after sitting on $26. Top fields for Hastings in NZ today and, kicking off with the Hawkes Bay Hurdle, Grinner ($3.90) looks the one to beat with the main rivals being ,Tommyra ($4.20) and Zentangle.

In the Hawkes Bay Chase tips, Mandalay, Delacroix, Napoleon. Dellcroix heads the betting for the Chase at $3,40 followed by, 4 Mandalay, 5.50 Napoleon, 8.10 El Disparo, 10 Tai Ho.

In the El Roca, The Irishman, Suffused, Yourpoint. The Irishman favourite at $2.80 and the one to beat followed by $5.50 Yourpoint, $6 Suffused, $8 Auitobahn, Alchemia.

Babylon Berlin favoured in the Gold Trial, with main rivals Taroni and De La Terra. Debut winner and impressive too, Babylon Berlin heads the market for the Gr3 Gold Trail Stakes, at $3.60 then Taroni, $4.50, $$6.50 De La Terre, $7.50 Bonite Aurelia, $8 Miss Aotearoa and $10 Sweet Anna, who will carry the famous colours of Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan. The filly cleared maiden ranks at her debut win and Murray Baker says she has "come on the right way" since. Sir Patrick will also be represented by Romantic Lady but the 80-year-old told the NZ Racing Desk that he is cutting down on his horses. "I had my name attached to some 50 about this time last year but I am reducing and I'd like to get down to around half a dozen nice horses."

The Te Akau mare Avantage (a hot, hot favourite at $1.95) is the one to beat in the Tarzino with main rivals the Oaks winner Jennifer Eccles and Bavella. Te Akau's Jamie Richards looks well placed to gain a Trans Tasman double with Avantage and Probabeel.

Twenty-nine horses have entered quarantine and will then head Down Under for the carnival and it certainly is a powerful group including Anthony Van Dyke., Magic Wand, Master of Realist, Twilight Payment, Dashing Willoughby, and Aspetar to name a handful. Interesting, I note that 13 of the horses in quarantine will head to local yards including Mr Satchmo and Selino to Chris Waller Almania to Kris Lees, Skyward to the Busuttin-Young yard and Sir Dragonet and Involved to the Maher-Eustace stable.

I see Michael Walker has turned down the ride on Prince of Arran for the Cups moving instead to take the mount on the recent purchase by Sir Owen Glenn Dashing Willoughby. Prince of Arran went into quarantine this week with other European Cups hopes and trainer Charlie Fellkowes had expected to retain Walker, who had been on the star stayer for the past two Cups. Fellowes says he has already had calls from other top riders for the mounts in Australia, perhaps firstly in the Caulfield Cup.

In the UK I note that the British Horseracing Authority ruled out Pheonix Thoroughbred owned galloper Back to Brussels from racing at Ayr during the week. Last week the BHA suspended the owner's racing accounts meaning Pheonix could not make declarations for their horses until further notice.

Not much fun being a trainer in South Africa I see. Riiot police had to be called when grooms formerly employed by trainer Yvette Bremmer let several horses in the care of the trainer loose at the Fairview racetrack and one was fatally injured when running into a fence and two others injured. Officials are meeting to assist in solving the dispute between grooms and the trainer.

"His detail and his determination were major factors as was his bravery. He was a very principled man. He was a family man, and his loyalty and integrity were an example to anybody within the sport," so said the great Irish trainer Dermott Weld on the passing this week of the great jockey Pat Smullen, who was stable jockey for 20 years.

Hong Kong is ahead of schedule and crowds will return to Sha Tin this weekend with government approval.