THE PETLEY REPORT: QUALITY RACING WHICHEVER WAY YOU LOOK. WHAT A WEEKEND WE HAVE IN STORE!

By Jack Petley | Friday, October 2, 2020

What a weekend this is going to be!

Top horses competing in both states … and one knows that the Cups are just around the corner with the Internationals arriving tonight, 29 of them all up, and it is a powerful contingent with Aidan O'Brien and son Joseph well represented with the likes of Tiger Moth, Armoury, Twilight Payment, Buckhurst and Master of Reality. The horses will be in the quarantine stables for two weeks with their grooms already out of quarantine and awaiting the planes carnival. And they will be watched with great interest as, of the last 10 Cups, five have been won by internationals.

UK trainer Charlie Fellowes has said in the press that he will announce the rider for his grand stayer Prince of Arran for his Cups bid on the weekend. Fellowes has been sent looking for a rider for Caulfield and Melbourne Cups hope after Michael Walker advised him that he would ride Dashing Willoughby, owned these days by Kiwi Sir Owen Glenn. Prince of Arran ran third to Enable at his last run and his trainer says he has "come on so well" since then. "He is absolutely spot on," said Fellowes.

Chris Waller will unleash many of his powerful string tomorrow. He has many top chances … Hungry Heart in the Flight and a host of runners in the Epsom headed by the firming in the betting NZ bred Star of the Seas ($5) and Funstar, out to $11 after her drawing wide. Glen Boss has won four Epsoms and he is keen to make that five on the Waller mare Funstar, who has eased in betting in the past day or so.

Waller has some tough and in-form stayers in the Metropolitan with his best supported in the market in that race being Brimham Rocks, but he and other Waller runners may be hard pressed to beat the Kris Lees trained, Irish bred Mugatoo ($2.50).

In early markets Mugatoo held a tight favouritism for the Metropolitan Handicap at $2.90 while New Zealanders of interest are Etah James ($16) and Rondinella ($18), with John O'Shea saying she is over the odds and has thrived since her last run, and the Windsor Park bred Zebrowski at $9.50. Shared Ambition has been withdrawn and that allows the Waller stayer Norway into the field with Alysha Collett the named rider and with brother Jason riding Raheen House for Kris Lees.

Etah James, the Sydney Cup winner, is on her way to the Cups and according to a stable spokesperson she is "really well" for the tasks ahead.

And the Waller string will be out in force in Melbourne with NZ bred Verry Elleegant heading the betting in the Turnbull and Shared Ambition heading the market for the Bart Cummings, a race which will see the winner earning a free entry into the Melbourne Cup.

Waller is heading for his fifth Epson win and last year he made a clean sweep of the majors and it looks as though he will have a pretty lucrative day tomorrow, a far cry to when he arrived in Sydney some two decades ago, with a handful of horses, little money in the bin, but with a desire to succeed in one of the most competitive racing centres in the world... and he has done just that and how!

Kiwi John Sargent says he more than happy with his four-year-old Brandenburg as he heads to the Epsom this weekend and he said the $7.5 Golden Eagle is firmly on the radar. Jason Collett rode the son of Burgundy in his work earlier this week and told the Kiwi trainer it was good work indeed. "He is peaking for this," said Sargent, “and hopefully after this he will head to the Golden Eagle."

And I note there are five lady riders in the big mile including Kiwi Alysha Collett who rides Savacool for Chris Waller and also partners one of his runners in the Metropolitan, 80 to 1 shot, Norway.

Meantime the favourite for the Everest, Nature Strip, is favourite at $1.85 for the Premiere Stakes after he trialled well for the stewards earlier in the week. He clashes with another Everest candidate, Classique Legend, who is second favourite on the weekend at $3.50. Also, in the race is Fasika, a Joe Pride sprinter and one that he is hopeful Everest slot holders will show interest in. Pride already has Eduardo in The Everest.

It had been thought that Waller would have Kolding in the Epsom but instead he has opted for the Gr2 Hill Stakes with James McDonald to ride and rated at $4 in the market with the favourite Fierce Impact at $2.25. Avilius is next in the market at $4.20 with Hugh Bowman up
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Little between Hungry Heart and Dame Giselle in the market for the Flight Stakes with Hungry Heart at $2.50 and the Team Hawkes filly Dame Giselle, going for a clean sweep in the Princess Series, at $2.60.

Not named in the Metropolitan Handicap field is the Maher-Eustace trained stayer Lord Belvedere, who is heading for the Bart Cummings and, like Chris Waller with Shares Ambition, looking for Melbourne Cup exemption.

Jamie Richards could well gain a Trans-Tasman double with his fine mare Probabeel in the Epsom and three runners in the Gr1 Windsor Park at Hastings headed by the two favourites Avantage and 10 times Gr1 winner Melody Belle.

Jamie Richards admitted he had a sinking feeling in his stomach, very much like the time Te Akau Shark drew wide in the Cox Plate, when he learned of the draw in the Epsom Handicap for his outstanding mare Probabeel. She has drawn gate 18. "I am gutted," said Richards. "But we are just going to have to be patient and most likely go back and give her a crack at them late. Thankfully, we have a very capable rider in Kerrin McEvoy who knows exactly what it takes to win big race." Probabeel carried 57kgs in her win in the Bill Ritchie and she drops to 52.5kgs for the weekend. After the wide draw Probabeel has eased slightly in the market and now sits at $7.

Victorian trainer Paul Preusker said he is looking forward to having his NZ bred stayer Surprise Baby tackle the Turnbull Stakes. "He is going to be a good winning chance," said the trainer of the son of Shocking, "and it is all about getting him ready for the Melbourne Cup." Surprise Baby turned in a fine second to Humidor in the Feehan and since then he says the stayer has done ever so well. Everything the stayer does on the racetrack is a major bonus, he cost a mere $5500 off the gavelhouse .com site.

The spring campaign for the NZ stayer Quick Thinker is on hold. Co-trainer Murray Baker revealed earlier this week that the Cups hope is undergoing vet tests to discover the reason for his failure in the JRA Cup on the weekend. "His campaign is on hold, "said Baker." We are going to know more in the next couple of days. He was disappointing the other day and we are looking into it. He hung badly and there is obviously something is not right."

In $15 million The Everest news, Godolphin will now have their blue jacket carried by two runners in the big event, Bivouac and Trekking with Max Whitby and Neil Werrett picking up Trekking for the big race. Trekking was placed in the big race last year... and Joe Pride must be pleased as he has been plumping for Eduardo to gain a slot and that arrangement has been completed with Mi Runners taking the smart sprinter after they had first opted for the now injured Rothfire. Eduardo will be ridden in the big event by Rachael King. There are two more slots to fill, that of James Harron and Chris Waller racing.

Coolmore have looked in their runner for their slot in the $15m Everest, the Freedman trained Santa Anna Lane, runner up last year to the crack three-year-old Yes Yes Yes. Anthony Freedman has his star sprinter out for the Gilgai Stakes at Flemington this weekend, his first run from a break. "He is very forward," said the Victorian trainer, "and it is ever so pleasing to have Coolmore pick him up."

The VRC I see is confident that they will have small crowds at the four-day Cup carnival at Flemington. There has been talk that some 10,000 may be allowed on track but that has yet to be confirmed.

Jamie Richards has a strong hand in the Windsor Park at Hastings this weekend with Melody Belle and Avantage, first and second favourites. They are both just over $3 in the market and the Te Akau yard will also have Prise De Fer in the big event. “Avantage is going well," said Richards. "She missed the kick the other day, but we are on top of that." And of Melody Belle, he said: "She has come back in good shape. She is a champion … probably the only concern is her fitness following that week or 10 days off in Sydney. But her work has been good."

Co-trainer Murray Baker also told the NZ racing desk that he has just recently gelded the promising three-year-old Unition, raced by China Horse. He looked good in his first season but ran poorly at his debut at three at Ruakaka, so a decision was made to geld him. He was out at the trials at Te Aroha earlier this week and won his heat impressively. "Let's hope he is right and has his mind on the job," said Baker with a mind now to aim the three-year-old at the 2000 Guineas at Riccarton.

Indian born Sydney resident Manoj Wanzare has a half share in that smart Makfi filly Matchmaker who tackles the Canterbury Stakes at Riccarton, having taken his share in the filly with breeders and owners Gus and Bianca Wigley. The filly will stay in NZ heading towards the 1000 Guineas and then she will be transferred to Chris Waller in Sydney. Wanzare is also is a member of the Verry Elleegant syndicate. "She was the first top horse I was involved in," he said. "I keep pinching myself. I didn't think in my wildest dreams that I would be winning at this level.” Matchmaker is at $9.50 tomorrow with the favourite Cornflower Blue at a firm $1.90.

Team Kelso of Matamata said during the week that their smart mare Supera, bred and owned by Sir Peter Vela, is well ready for a big effort in the Windsor Park Stud Stakes at Hastings. The mare is at $11 with Ken Kelso saying that the granddaughter of that great staying mare Ethereal has done ever so well since her dashing second in the Tarzino Trophy on the first day of the carnival."

Talented Riccarton sprinter Wekaforce runs on her home track as she builds to a trip to the north for the Telegraph Handicap for trainer Terri Rae. The sprinter has been a winner and placed in recent trials and heads to the Rangiora Handicap with stablemate Windsor and is a shortening $2.70 favourite with Windsor on the seventh line, at $13. Rae has a strong team for the meeting including the impressive last start maiden winner, Stella Creek in the Canterbury Belle Stakes. "She is still in the 1000 Guineas ,"said Rae." We will just take it one race at a time."

Hawkes Bay trainer John Bary says not to leave out his upset winner of the Tarzino, Callsign Max, in the Windsor Park Stud Stakes at Hastings this weekend. The son of Atlante is at $31 and Bary said he thought the galloper is "overlooked in the market." “He showed last season he was up with the best," said Bary. “He was fit to rumble last time and he is improved and I was very happy with his gallop earlier in the week." Callsign Max has won 4 of 11 for the stable.

That was an impressive winner at Tauranga … Super Pursuit for Richard Collett and the trainer says he is a horse with a future. "He would have won races as a three-year-old," said Collett," but he broke a splint bone as a spring three-year-old. He was operated on and then given a good spell." Super Pursuit is a son of Proisir and is a half brother to NZ Filly of the Year Dijon Bleu and is raced by breeders Mac Robinson and Craig Grammer.

Big news out of France … top UK rider Oisin Murophy has tested positive for metabolites of cocaine at a meeting in France earlier in the year. He was tested back in July and returned the positive. Murphy said in the media that he will fight the charges. "I have never taken cocaine in my life," he said in a medias report. “I will do everything that I can to prove that I have not taken cocaine." At present he is leading the flat jockeys championship with 111 winners to his credit.

And while on France Aidan O'Brien has taken his outstanding filly Love out of the Arc commenting that she would not have been happy on the rain affected track. Enable is still there and she heads 14 runners and has firmed further in the betting with the withdrawal of Love. O'Brien still has Serpentine in the big race on the weekend as well as Sovereign, Japan and Mogul with Japan to be ridden by ace Japanese jockey Yutake Take.

This is an interesting story, Saudi Arabia has announced that they will allow two female apprentice riders for the up-coming season. Last January lady riders competed in the original Saudi Cup meeting with Kiwi Lisa Allpress being the first lady rider to win a race on Saudi soil. As well as the apprentice jockeys it is noted that female trainers are also on the Saudi scene.

And while on Saudi Arabia the prizemoney for the two-day Cup meeting commencing on February 19 is now $30 million a slight increase on the first-year tally of $29.2m with the Cup to carry a stake of $20m.

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