THE PETLEY REPORT: COOLMORE BOOKS TOP RIDERS FOR THEIR AUSTRALIAN FEATURE RACE CAMPAIGN

By Jack Petley | Tuesday, September 29, 2020

With top jockeys in demand in both Sydney and Melbourne this spring … with major events in both States … trainers are making moves to book top riders for their team. Coolmore have certainly made their move booking Kerrin McEvoy for the O'Brien trained Tiger Moth in the Melbourne Cup, Hugh Bowman for Kings Legacy in the Caulfield Guineas, John Allen for Santiago in the Cup, Ben Melham for Armory in the Cox Plate and Mark Zahra for Magic Wand in the same event, Damien Oliver for Personal in the 1000 Guineas and of course the major announcement, Hugh Bowman for Anthony Van Dyke in the Caulfield Cup.

McEvoy will be going for his fourth Cup win if successful on Tiger Moth after Cross Counter, Brew and Almandin. John Allen is well known to the O'Brien family as he began his riding career with Joe Crowley, the late father of O'Brien's wife, Annemarie.

Bowman will be at Randwick on the weekend for a solid book of rides, including Kolding in the Epsom Handicap and he will then move south, being able to head to Victoria much easier now with the announcement late last week that Inter State riders could ride at the carnival after following protocols.

Kolding sits at $13 in the Epsom Handicap with the Kiwi mare Probabeel heading the TAB list at $6, then $8 Star of the Seas, $9 Funstar, Rock, $11 Imaging, $13 Kolding, $15 Colette, Vanna Girl and Wild Planet.

The outstanding Kris Lees trained and Australian Bloodstock managed Mugatoo is the early favourite for the Metropolitan Handicap at $3 … then $6 Shared Ambitions, $9 Zebrowski, $11 Brimham Rocks, Hush Writer, $15 Girl Friday, Rondinella (looks the improver on last run), $17 Gallic Chieftain, Mirage Dancer.

The high-class Kiwi bred daughter of Zed, Verry Elleegant has opened as favourite for the Turnbull Stakes at $3.50, then $5 Surprise Baby, $7 Fierce Impact, Master of Wine, $10 King of Leogrance, Kings Will Dream, $15 Arcadia Queen, Dalasan, Django Freeman, Harlem, Vow and Declare.

This is interesting … I see that the TAB have the Chris Waller filly Hungry Heart favourite for the Flight Stakes ahead of the Team Hawkes filly Dame Giselle, who has already beaten Hungry Heart twice this spring (Silver Shadow and Furious) and heads for a clean sweep of the Princess Series. But, nonetheless Hungry Heart heads the market at $2.50 with the Team Hawkes filly at $3.50, then $8 Montefillia, $11 Vangelic. From all reports Dame Giselle has come through her latest efforts in fine order and is ready for the longer distance.

I'll bet Kiwi born Chris Waller wiped his brow and said something like, "Thank goodness that is over." Why would he utter those words, or similar? Just a minute or so beforehand his star sprinter Nature Strip, warm favourite for the upcoming $15 million The Everest, handled the start of a barrier trial at Rosehill well and got through the trial with James McDonald keeping the speedster under a hold and still some three lengths behind the winner of the trial at the end. The sprinter was ordered to trial after he had tossed McDonald soon after the gates in a trial last week. Now the crack sprinter is back on track to tackle the Premier Stakes at Randwick this week, his final run before the Everest, and one of his rivals on the weekend will be that dashing Randwick trained sprinter Classique Legend, who gained a brilliant last to first win in his last outing.

Meantime, other news from the Waller camp … Damian Oliver has been booked to ride the dashing NZ bred three-year-old Mo'unga, by Savabeel, in the Caulfield Guineas, a race Oliver hasn’t won since taking the 1990 event on NZ bred Centro, by Century. Oliver is in great form already this season with that win on Russian Camelot last weekend notching his 120th Gr1 success. Mo'unga is favourite for the Guineas at $6.50 after his fine Sydney form, with an easy win in the Dulcify at Rosehill last time out.

I also see that the stakes winning filly Only Words, by Sweynesse, has been purchased by Chris Waller racing alongside Star Thoroughbreds and is expected to join the stable next month. Only Words just won the listed Wanganui Guineas for her Te Awamutu trainer Clint Isdale earlier this month. Altogether she has had two wins and a minor placing from six starts for the Australian born Isdale, who worked for Waller in his early days. "Clint is a former employee and he has handled her very well in her early racing career," said Waller. "With a black type victory already, we can target similar three-year-old fillies races to further maximise her earning potential and value as a broodmare." Sweynesse, who stands at Novarra Park, was a mutiple group winner from 1400 metres to 1800m.

The Maher-Eustace trained stayer Al Galayel has earned a penalty of 1.5kgs for both the Cups with that dashing win in the JRA Stakes at the Valley beating a very strong field and he is in the mid-40s for the Caulfield Cup. The stayer has won his last three and looks well above average over ground.

That was such bad luck for Robert Heathcote when Rothfire was found to have a sesamoid injury which has taken him out of The Everest. From reports the three-year-old gelding came through the operation in fine shape and there is every chance he will return to the racetracks, but not for a year at least.

In other Everest news Nash Rawiller has given the nod to Behemoth as his mount in the $15 million event. Joe Pride, I gather, was keen to have his services for Eduardo, who is being considered by a slot holder or two for the big race. Behemoth has won his last two, the Memsie and the Rupert Clarke and he is just over $20 in The Everest market with Nature Strip of course holding firm as favourite after his good trial.

Glen Boss, who won The Everest last year on Yes Yes Yes, has been booked for Bivouac, by Godolphin, after Hugh Bowman decided to miss the Everest and head to Caulfield for the mount on Anthony Van Dyke, the Aidan O'Brien stayer, in the Caulfield Cup. Godolphin are also hopeful Trekking can gain a place in the race.

Gytrash won his heat at the trials at Rosehill yesterday and he is right on track for The Everest with Kiwi Jason Collett, in superb form lately, taking the mount.

I note that Farnan will gallop between races at the Kensington track tomorrow having recovered, I gather, from a slight setback. A good gallop will have him back on track for the Everest.

I see there is some movement for Ole Kirk for the Everest and a slot holder, I am told, has asked about Trekking. Latest odds for the big one … $3.50 Nature Strip, $5 Classique Legend, $6 Gytrash, $11 Bivouac, $15 Anders, Farnan, OIe Kirk, $17 Trekking, North Pacific, Tofane, $21 Eduardo (also interest in him from a slot holder).

Reports from the north had Alligator Blood trial well at the Sunshine Coast and he will soon head into Sydney.

NZ news … Interesting, Jamie Richards, head trainer for Te Akau, also has two of his team head the early markets for the Windsor Park Stud Stakes at Hastings. The 10 times Gr1 winner Melody Belle, back from her short trip to Sydney, is the early favourite at $3 just ahead of smart stablemate Avantage on $4. Then $5 Jennifer Eccles.

Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie is looking across the Tasman at the WS Cox Plate with his fine Oaks winner of last season, Jennifer Eccles. The mare runs this weekend in the Windsor Park Stud Stakes at Hastings and if she wins and wins well or runs a top race Ritchie said he will look at the Cox Plate. "She would want to win well this weekend to justify that particular pursuit (Cox Plate), but it is not out of the question otherwise we could not have kept her in the entries,." said the highly successful trainer.

Peter and Dawn Williams are looking at the promising filly Helsinki to head their string into their old stamping ground, Riccarton. The filly has been runner up in two of her last three starts and the NZ Racing Desk reports that if she runs well at Avondale next week she will then tackle the Soliloquy Stakes at Te Rapa and then, all going to plan, go south for the 1000 Guineas. "I think she is good enough," said Peter Williams of Helsinki, who is from an unraced three quarter sister to the ill-fated Sacred Falls, a three time Gr1 winner for Chris Waller and the NZ 2000 Guineas winner.

Matamata trainer Roger James was more than pleased with the runs of Concert Hall and London Banker at Ellerslie on the weekend. The Manawatu Cup winner Concert hall came home hard and late to push Dawn Patrol hard in their race and London Banker was a close third in his event, won by longshot Lord Sibford. James said he would look at Cups races for London Banker through the late spring and summer. "Then there could well be something for him in Australia," said the master trainer who nowadays is in partnership with Robert Wellwood. James will now focus on the Hastings meeting this weekend and he has NZ Derby runner up Two Illicit in the Windsor Park Stud Stakes. "She is right on tune," he said.

In the UK Enable is one of 22 left in the field for this weekend's Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. She will go for her third win in the event having just being beaten last season by Waldgeist. The field is packed with star gallopers including the outstanding Aidan O'Brien filly Love, winner of the 1000 Guineas, the Oaks at Epsom and the Yorkshire Oaks at her last outing. O'Brien may also have Japan, Sovereign and Mogul and he is likely to make a supplement for the impressive Derby winner Serpentine. Joseph O'Brien has Buckhurst, Crossfirehurricane, Thames River and New York Girl left amongst the entries. Andrew Fabre who won with Waldgeist last year will be trying for his ninth win in the big race with Persian King.

In Hong Kong, the rising star Golden Sixty beat star galloper Beauty Generation in the Celebration Cup. In a way it was expected by punters with the winner is receipt of 17lbs over the now trained David Hayes trained galloper. Said Hayes afterwards: "We knew it was always going to be a big ask to give a young champion so much weight … but he is going to be at his very best come November and December."

*Betting prices quoted were correct at the time of writing but very much subject to change

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