THE PETLEY REPORT: CAN JYE MCNEIL LAND ANOTHER GROUP 1 WIN IN THE MACKINNON STAKES?

By Jack Petley | Saturday, November 7, 2020

Last spring Melody Belle went down in the Mackinnon Stakes to the grand Irish mare Magic Wand and today her main rival is another mare, Arcadia Queen, the mount of Luke Currie and a super fifth in the Cox Plate.

Melody Belle goes into the race on a cracking run of Gr1 form with majors at the Hawkes Bay meeting and, since she has been in Melbourne, she has thrived says trainer Jamie Richards.

Melody Belle more often than not gets back in her races so the smallish field will be right up her alley … and as her winning rider in NZ Opie Bosson said when commenting on the wonderful mare he commented: “Jye (McNeil) won't have any problems with her, she is push button."

Richards is hopeful of gaining a Gr1 double on the day with his crack colt Need I Say More, the favourite for the Gr1 1000 Guineas at Riccarton. Need I Say More goes into the race with 4 wins from 5 starts and was unlucky the time when beaten in the Hawkes Bay Guineas.

It is the Hawkes Bay Guineas winner, Aegon, from the powerful Baker-Forsman yard, who will offer tough opposition to Need I Say More. His win in the Hawkes Bay Guineas was so, so impressive coming from near last to first with a brilliant finish.

Aegon's rider is Leith Innes and he likens the colt to his sire Sacred Falls, the colt Innes won a 1000 Guineas on and trained by Tony Pike before transferring to Chris Waller in Sydney. Said Innes of the colt, "He has got the same action as his sire. And the same personality. He is a relaxed, laid-back horse. He is perhaps not as big as Sacred Falls at this stage of his career, but he rides like he is a bigger horse. I liked the way he worked last Saturday."

Aegon sits at $3.40 int he market with Need I Say More at $2.90.

It has been a great carnival for Joseph O'Brien with that great Cup win and he looks to have the one to beat in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Pondus, a stayer by Sea the Moon. He turned in a big run for fourth in the Bendigo Cup and is raced by the Team Williams syndicate with Damian Oliver up.

And Pondu’s toughest rival, another raider, True Self (Hugh Bowman) for Willie Mullins and winner of the race last year. The best of the locals, Mike Moroney's Chapada (Daniel Stackhouse).

Five beaten runners in the $15 million The Everest are in the Darley headed by Nature Strip, Bivouac and Libertini. The first two are in my top three. I'm sticking with Nature Strip as I am certain he wouldn't be there if Chris Waller wasn't happy with his latest efforts. Hugh Bowman rides with James McDonald not winning his appeal against the suspension he gained during the week.

Chaillot is the favourite for the Matriarch Stakes but I am staying with Toffee Tongue. She failed in the Caulfield Cup, but this is easier. Expect a big run from Vanna Girl and Bjorn Baker's She's Ideel who is right in this.

And one more bet for me, the James Cummings trained Plaquette in the last.

Kiwi Jason Collett has had a wonderful spring and he looks set to add another major prize to his CV, the $1m Golden Gift in Sydney on the Team Snowden colt Captivant, who was so impressive for Collett when he won at his debut, sitting back and then powering over his rivals. The Snowden’s also have the promising Mura Mura in the field, but I fancy that the Maher-Eustace two-year-old Sneaky Five could be a big danger to the favourite Captivant.

John O'Shea is fast building a strong team around him. He won a race on Oaks Day at Flemington and he looks to have a good chance of taking the Kia Handicap with La Gai Soleil, yet another smart galloper by the ill-fated Tavistock. Tommy Berry rides and she was impressive when returning from a spell and winning.

Jason Collett teams with James Cummings with Promotions in Race 8 and looks a top bet and Petronius looks set for a big run in Race 3 for John and Gary Moore.

And another top ride for Collett, Amy's Shadow in the Country Classic, the Kiwi could well have a big, big day.

Back in New Zealand, at Riccarton 21-year-old Sam Weatherley has a strong book of rides and he has been in fine form lately with doubles at Awapuni, Te Rapa and Hastings. He has gained the mount on the Stephen Marsh trained Bourbonaire in the 1000 Guineas and also the top ride on the stayer The Good Fight in the Metropolitan Handicap. That stayer sits at $4.50 in the market and drops in weight from his last good run.

Another top ride that Weatherley is confident about is the Team Pittman trained Clubcard in race 3.

And while on Riccarton I see that a synthetic track will be built at the track and that work would commence after the completion of the Cup meeting. The Cambridge track, costing $6.5 million is completed and now in full use at Cambridge with trainers delighted with the track.

The Pittmans, as usual, have a big team for their local meeting and will have two in the Guineas, Marine and Watchmaker. Of the two Marine is most favoured with punters, at $13 at present, with Watchmaker at $26.

In the UK, Oisin Murphy has been crowned champion jockey for the second time after William Buick ran out of chances to head him off. Murphy is in Keeneland for the Breeders Cup and left the UK earlier in the week and gave Buick a sniff of victory, but he came up short.