THE PETLEY REPORT: SIR DRAGONET SETS UP MOUTH-WATERING CLASH WITH ADDEYBB AND VERRY ELEEGANT

By Jack Petley | Sunday, April 4, 2021

The Victorian Sir Dragonet claimed a crushing win in the Gr1 Tancred Stakes at Rosehill on the weekend and the way the former UK bred stayer won the big event has ace rider Glen Boss looking ever so forward to the clash with the raider Addeybb and Verry Elleegant in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.

The WS Cox Plate winner of last spring ran fourth behind the star pair last weekend, but, since then, said Boss, and co trainer Cairon Maher, the winner of 4 from 15 and just under $5million in stakes has improved.” He gets better with racing and work," said Maher. “Bring on the Queen Elizabeth,” said the ace jockey.

Addeybb and Verry Elleegant sit at $3 in the market for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes with Mugatoo at $7 and now Sir Dragonet at $11.

Gai Waterhouse has won almost every major available on the Australian scene, but she has yet to win a Derby a race her famous late father TJ Smith won nine times and with stars like Tulloch and Kingston Town. Now the ‘First Lady of Racing’ looks to have a genuine Derby contender, Yaletown, a son of Vancouver and raced by Coolmore.

Yaletown gained a fine win in the Tulloch Stakes yesterday with the last four winners of the Derby having been successful in the Tulloch, including Murray Baker's pair, Quick Thinker and Jon Snow. Sky Lab and Montifillia head the market for the Derby at $5 then $8 Cherry Tortini, Favreau, Lions Roar, Young Werther and with Yaletown now at $15.

Chris Waller gained his 100th winner for the season in Sydney mid-week and wasted little time in adding to the tally with Shared Ambition in Race 2 yesterday and then the Gr1 Vinery with that very smart filly Hungry Heart. Usually, Waller trained runners drop back early, but not Shared Ambition. He began smartly and so James McDonald allowed him to lead. And he stayed there throughout the Neville Sellwood 2000 metres event. He has an entry for the Doncaster this weekend but more likely to be saved for the Queensland carnival said the astute trainer and maybe the Doomben Cup.

Harmony Rose looked likely to win the Vinery inside the last 100 metres but then Hungry Heart came with a brilliant finish to gain the honours. The daughter of Frankel gave Waller his 121st Gr1 win. Now the filly will head to the ATC Australian oaks on April 17 at Randwick and I note that Verry Elleegant, Heavenly Glow and Serenade Rose won the Vinery and then the Oaks.

Latest Oaks market: $4.50 Montifillia, Amarelinha, Harmony Rose, $6 Hungry Heart, $11 Impecunious, who ran on late for her third in the Vinery and looks a definite Oaks prospect.

Nimalee won the Emancipation for trainer Matthew Smith and rider Rachael King with King keeping the fast mare Greysful Glamour in her sights throughout and then lodging her winning challenge inside the last 150 metres. Her next run will be the Coolmore Legacy Stakes on April 17. That is where Greysful Glamour runs, too, and her effort yesterday, said James McDonald was "very game and very good."

The Waterhouse-Bott yard were also successful with Yao Dash in the Doncaster Prelude who now sits at $18 for the Doncaster, with the latest market: $4.50 Mugatoo, $6 Mo'unga, $8 Think It Over, $13 Aegon, Avilius.

The Kiwi bred jumping star Zed Em, under his big weight , was an ever so game 2nd in the Great Eastern falling to a late finish of Spying On You, in the hands of Tommy Ryan. Zed Em is a wonderful ten-year-old and the winner is one year older.

That was a strong win by the Hang Man for Mike Moroney in the Easter Cup at Caulfield and he now heads to the Brisbane Carnival with the Doomben Cup high on the agenda. The stayer was so well handled by Kiwi born Daniel Stackhouse who had earlier been successful on the very promising Minhaaj for the Dabernig-Hayes yard. And of Hang Man Stackhouse said:" This is a very good horse."

In NZ Beauden gained his 11th win of his 36 start career for Team Rogerson when successful in the Awapuni Gold Cup beating the Jamie Richards stayer Prise de Fer.

The Baker-Forsman yard had no luck at all with The Frontman, well beaten in the Tulloch in Sydney, but they did gain a major at Awapuni with the three-year-old Roc de Cambes filly, Joy Alone, in the Manwatu Classic in the hands of Wiremu Pinn.

And while Melody Belle could only manage sixth in Sydney after being well back early the Te Akau team were successful at Gr 1 level with the smart youngster On the Bubbles in the Manawatu Sires Produce.

News out of the UK, the champion jumps rider, Richard Johnson, OBE, has announced his retirement after a massive tally of 3819 winners.