THE PETLEY REPORT: JOCKEYS LINING UP FOR MAGIC MILLIONS RIDES. SOME WILL NEED TO QUARANTINE

By Jack Petley | Wednesday, December 30, 2020

Nash Rawiller heads to Queensland this week having escaped that border wall between NSW and Queensland through plying his trade in now almost Covid-19 free Victoria.

Ace Kiwi James McDonald and Hugh Bowman may well be in quarantine today, outside of Sydney, so they can be clear to be on hand for the rich Magic Millions, but, unless the border ban is lifted between NSW and Queensland, Kerrin McEvoy and Tommy Berry will be staying put in Sydney.

McDonald has yet to confirm his MM ride, but I do see that Chris Waller has not pulled the plug on Shaquero even after turning in a lack lustre run in his first start in Brisbane. I believe the colt was vetted after his poor run and passed fit. I gather he will gallop this week and then maybe have a run on the Gold Coast before Chris Waller decides, but punters have decided … they don't want to be on him in the MM and the colt has eased to $14 with some agencies and even further with others.

Nash Rawiller has his ride for the big one settled. He has taken the mount on that very good filly Baby Wong, now into single figures for the race with that solid second behind Alpine Edge in the McLachlan last weekend. And I see that Godolphin have picked him up to ride for them this weekend in the north, Hilo (in the Buffering) and Athiri (in the Nudgee Stakes).

And, of course, of the Sydney riders Glen Boss is already in the north and already amongst the winners including the Grand Prix on the Chris Waller-John Singleton colt The Elanora.

McDonald was in super riding form at Gosford yesterday booting home four winners including the Guineas win on that very talented three-year-old filly for Team Freedman, Forbidden Love.

Forbidden Love had her odds cut for the rich MM Guineas with a resounding win in the Gosford Guineas for McDonald and she now sits at $6 with the favourite, that brilliant filly Isotope, a solid favourite at $2.80 and with the Maher-Eustace filly Away Game easing a little to $7. And best to remember these words from Richard Freedman on Forbidden Love: " There is improvement there," he told the media.

Threeood, trained by Joe Pride, was successful in the Belle Of The Turf in the hands of the ever so talented Rachael King. "That was a superb ride by Rachael," noted Pride after Threeood’s success over Oakfield Missile and Selica."This is a tough mare and she doesn't know when she is beaten," said Pride.

Truly Great, the warm favourite for the Perth Cup this weekend has not fared the best at the barrier for Grant and Alana Williams and William Pike - gate 12 and with the in-form galloper - to carry 60kgs.

Talented sprinter Levante has her chance to show her worth in the highest grade when she tackles the Gr1 Railway Handicap at Ellerslie on January 1 for Ken and Bev Kelso. The mare has won five of her six starts with her only defeat coming in the Wellington Guineas. Levante has drawn gate 1 for the big sprint although Ken Kelso said he would have liked to have drawn a little wider.

Kelso said that the mare had an exhibition gallop at Matamata last week and has a barrier trial win over the Jamie Richards Entriviere, who ran her rivals ragged at Ellerslie the other day. Kelso said the mare ran a "slick time" in her exhibition gallop and he is hopeful of her gaining her first Gr1 win.

The Railway Handicap has drawn a field of 11 and Levante will line up against a smart field of sprinters including Avantage, Packing Rockstar, Julius and Spring Heat. Avantage has drawn well at gate 5 and is very solid in the betting in the early market.

Michael Pittman has announced that smart sprinter Sensei has been retired and he is now looking for a suitable stud for the smart son of Dream Ahead, a half-brother to Rothesay. "He is definitely a stallion prospect," said Pittman of the entire who won six of his 26 career starts including the listed Hazlett Stakes and the listed Pegasus Stakes.

In the UK John Gosden has been crowned flat trainer for the year for the third year running and his fifth time overall.

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