THE PETLEY REPORT: JAMIE RICHARDS IS 'ALL SMILES' THIS TIME AROUND AFTER THE COX PLATE DRAW

By Jack Petley | Friday, October 23, 2020

This time last year Kiwi trainer Jamie Richards was not that happy after the draw of the 2019 Cox Plate. His star stayer Te Akau Shark drew wide and that made his task a lot tougher although he overcame that disadvantage and ran a gallant third.This time Richards is all smiles. The reason, his outstanding Savabeel mare Probabeel has drawn gate 2. "It is such a big help," said the Te Akau trainer. "It means we can ride a positive race and have her up in the first half of the field." Kerrin McEvoy was not on hand to work the mare but Patrick Payne, his brother in law, climbed aboard and was more than pleased with the way she handled tricky Moonee Valley. Probabeel is at $9 in the latest market and she hits Melbourne with that wonderful Sydney form with those Epsom and Bill Ritchie wins and a second in the Show County.

Meantime 12 times Gr1 winner Melody Belle will join Probabeel in Melbourne for a hit and run at the $2m Mackinnon Stakes on November 7, a race she ran second in last year behind the raider Magic Wand having won the Empire Rose beforehand. The mare, by Commands, was a brilliant winner of the Livamol Classic at Hastings and that win and the way she came through the run had her connections looking across the Tasman. "When we weighed it up, 2000 metres at Flemington, hit and run raid, just go there and come back, perfect," said John Galvin who manages the Melody Belle syndicate through his company, Fortuna.

When the field was finalised for the WS Cox Plate earlier this week Team Williams were more than upset when Buckhurst was made first emergency allowing the three-year-old from the Maher-Eustace yard Grandslam, for whom connections had shelled out $200,000 (acceptance fee of $54,500 included) to make the field … but Buckhurst has now got a late recall following the scratching of Magic Wand, who failed a second fitness test. All other runners have been declared fit to run.

While Probabeel gained that wonderful barrier draw for the Te Akau team, Danny O'Brien was not so lucky with his star galloper, Russian Camelot, who pulled the outside stall with 14 runners to go to the post. With that wide draw Russian Camelot has eased slightly in the market and the WA mare Arcadia Queen, from gate 8, moving in slightly.

Damien Lane will ride the UK visitor Aspetar and that raider has drawn very well at gate 3 for trainer Roger Charlton and certainly a big chance on his European form. Adding to his chances is the fact that Lane rides Moonee Valley so, so well.

Moonee Valley officials and owners of star gallopers were overjoyed when it was announced that 500 of the connections of the gallopers could attend the Cox Plate meeting, but then came the bad news that the decision has been reversed by the Victorian Government with most of the City still in comparative lockdown. Now a decision will be made shortly on the Melbourne Cup with Sydney so far ahead of Victoria with 11,000 fans attending The Everest meeting last weekend.

Still on the Cox Plate news, the back in form and much rejuvenated Humidor for Chris Waller was sent around in his trial by Craig Williams and the top rider reported the NZ bred stayer to be "in wonderful order for Saturday." Said Williams: "He really stretched my limits of energy. I just love the way he is going. It gives me confidence and it makes me smile." Since joining with Chris Waller, Humidor has been in fine form with a win in the Feehan and placings in the Underwood and Caulfield Stakes.

Manikato Stakes night tonight with a strong field engaged headed by the Godolphin sprinter Trekking at $3.50 then $6 Pippie, $6.50 Dirty Work, $9.50 Hey Doc, 10 Diamond Effort, Brooklyn Hustle, 12 Bella Vella. Trekking is the way the market has gone and he will be so tough to beat after his great 4th in the Everest but, nonetheless, I'm putting Dirty Work, the mount of William Pike, on top.

Steel Prince got that penalty Team Freedman wanted after he had been successful in the Geelong Cup and he now has 53.5kgs, the same weight as the third placegetter at Geelong, King of Leogrance, and now sits at 25 in position of order for the Cup. Steel Prince finished ninth in the Cup last year.

Mark Zahra has kept the mount on Verry Elleegant for the Melbourne Cup ahead of Kiwi James McDonald. McDonald though will still ride for the Chris Waller yard in the big one being named as rider of stablemate Finche. It was not a decision the stable took lightly as James McDonald was ever so successful in Sydney and he spent so much time settling the wayward NZ bred mare in her races. The media report from Charlie Duckworth for the stable reads: "It was not a decision we took lightly, but we felt it wrong to break up the partnership that Mark and Verry Elleegant have created winning the Turnbull and the Caulfield Cup."

Both Finche and Verry Elleegant have come through their runs in the Caulfield Cup in wonderful order although Toffee Tongue will not take her place. Instead she will likely run in the Queen Elizabeth or the Matriarch or spell and be readied for the autumn.

I see in the UK media that Charlie Fellows is ever so pleased with the progress of his tough stayer Prince of Arran since that game 4th in the Caulfield Cup. He is back for his third attempt at the Melbourne Cup having been third two years back and then promoted to second last year. "He is so well, he is jumping out of his skin," said the UK trainer.

German bred stayer Django Freeman is out of the Cup with a knee injury which has had him sent to the spelling paddock.

Good news for followers of the Peter Moody trained three-year-old three-year-old Glenfidditch. He missed the Caulfield Guineas because of a setback but is back on track now and will head, said Moody, to the Group 1 Coolmore Stakes after a solid workout this week.

Now for the Chris Waller report on his runners at the Valley tomorrow: Kolding: "I am satisfied with Kolding knowing that he won at 2000 metres last start. He won at weight for age two runs back and Hugh Bowman said he feels better this spring then last autumn. Humidor: "He is well, both horses are well."

James McDonald rides Kolding in the Cox Plate and he is keeping his fingers crossed that rain keeps way. "He is much better on fast ground," said the NZ born ace. "He is in career best form and I think he will be a wonderful ride."

The Waller’s runner report of his runners in the Crystal Mile ... Kings Will Dream: “He raced without much luck in his last two races and is coming back in grade. He finished 2.5 lengths behind Verry Elleegant at his last run. His work has been good. He deserves to be fighting out the finish”. And take note of this comment on Olmedo. "He is a serious race-horse. I am looking forward to getting him onto the racetrack. I believe he is good enough to win Gr1 race sin Australia." And THIS comment has me thinking Kiwi born Waller rates the European bred galloper highly: "I would love everyone else to see what I am seeing at home."

The Waller stable has three running in the Moonee Valley Cup. Polly Grey (she will need a little rain to help), Shared Ambition (he has been a little disappointing) and the overseas visitor Selino. Waller said the former UK galloper worked at the Valley on Tuesday and seemed to get around well. He pointed out that the stayer had been successful at Chester in the UK, a turning track like the Valley. "He has certainly impressed me since coming to Australia," said Waller.

In Sydney on the weekend, Djukon has opened favourite for the Tattersalls Cup at $4.0 ahead of $5 Grey Lion, $6 Girl Tuesday, $7 the former Kiwi mare Rondinella, $7.50 Attention Run.

Peltzer heads the betting the Bondi Stakes at $3.0 ahead of $4.20 Prime Star, $6 Acrophobic, Thermosephere. Elizabeel.

Plans have yet to be finalised for Nature Strip and stablemate Haut Brion Her with the mare likely to stay in Sydney for the Yes Yes Yes Stakes and Nature Strip to head to Melbourne for perhaps the Darley Classic. After his failure in the Everest, Nature Strip was given a few days off to recover. Already the speedster is high in the market for the Darley at $5.

In NZ Stephen Autridge is looking forward to racing this weekend with 1000 Guineas hopeful Kelly Renee tackling the Soliloquy Stakes at Te Rapa, and with Communique and Karalino at Riccarton. The first named runs in the Spring Classic and Karalino in the Couplands Bakeries Mile Trial. "They are both well and both look hard to beat," said Autridge who trains in partnership with Kris Shailer. They are private trainers to Kevin Hickman.

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