THE PETLEY REPORT: PLATINUM INVADER KICKS OFF HIS BRISBANE CAMPAIGN ON HIS WAY TO THE BRISBANE CUP

By Jack Petley | Friday, April 30, 2021

Kiwi stayer Platinum Invader kicks off his Brisbane campaign in the Treasury Brisbane Open handicap for new trainer Barry Lockwood of Eagle Farm and will be ridden by Mark du Plessis, the South African who ever so successfully in NZ before making Brisbane his home. The gelding has 61kgs but connections have decided not to put a claiming rider on board so as to allow Du Plessis the opportunity to become acquainted with the galloper. The stayer, who is on the way to the Brisbane Cup, was fourth in the most recent Auckland Cup. After the short campaign he will return to Lisa Latta's care.

The Chris Waller trained stayer So You Win is favourite for the event at $3.50 while the Kiwi stayer not rate in the market at 12-1.

Looking at other events at Eagle Farm the Godolphin galloper Trekking with Hugh Biowman engaged is a warm favourite for the TAB Stakes and sits at a solid $2.20 ahead of fellow Sydney trained galloper Fasika, at $3.50 with Brent Avdulla in the north for trainer Joe Pride. He is also on the Joe Pride trained three-year-old Private Eye in the Queensland Guineas and is firm at $2.60 ahead of Apache Chase, $2.90, and Tumbler Ridge, $9. Private Eye is the winner of 5 from 8 for Pride.

Randwick trainer Anthony Cummings has his smart young galloper Mizzy at Morphetville tomorrow and she is well in the market for the TAB Classic at $7 with Regan Bayliss to ride. Anthony Cummings said during the week that Mizzy is a genuine "Gr 1 class mare. She has been racing in the best of company for sometime. She is a dream to train."

Instant Celebrity (Craig Williams) is the favourite at $6.50 and the Godolphin galloper, Flit (Damian Oliver) is at $10. Chris Waller has the NZ bred Subpeonaed (Damian Lane) in the field and I like her odds, 10-1, on her recent Sydney form.

For the Oak,s the filly Steinem is favourite at $4.20 ahead of the unbeaten Hela (four from four), $5 and the very talented filly Personal at $8. Kiwi filly Tokorangi is at $16 with Mark Zahra up and fellow Kiwi filly Llanacord, $26.

The Oaks Stud, Cambridge has announced that US Navy Flag will stand in the spring at the property in conjunction with Coolmore. He had earlier been two seasons at Valaichi Downs in Cambridge but in recent times the stud has been reducing in size. A son of sire sensation War Front from the champion Galileo two-year-old Misty for Me, US Navy Flag will stand this season at $15,000 plus GST.

Big news out of Hong Kong, British born Neil Callan has had his suspension in Hong Kong reduced down to being out for 15 meetings instead of the original outing, to the end of the season, which would have meant his missing 28 meetings. He was adjudged to have been disrespectful during a stewards inquiry into alleged careless riding at Happy Valley in February. Callan has been in fine form in Hong Kong with 21 wins to his credit and with 276 winners to his credit in that country.

Interesting story in the UK media saying that international horses refused participation in the Melbourne Cup on vet grounds will not automatically be suspended from running in Britain with the BHA conducting its own assessment of the blocked horse, or horses, prior to returning to the track. Trainers in the UK have labelled the Racing Victoria's plans a "disaster."

The talented Bachelor Duke galloper, Alfa Oro has been retired which is bad luck for trainer Matt Laurie as he had put together a fine racing record, six wins from 11 starts.

I note that full details on the proposed merger between the Auckland Racing Club and the Counties Club will be the topic on the table at a meeting of members of the two clubs on May 10. And I see that there is every chance that the Avondale Jockey Club will also be included in what is to be a development of a world class venue at Ellerslie that should showcase racing in the Auckland region at its finest. The proposed merger was first mooted last year and development of the project has continued at a steady pace said ARC chief Executive, Paul Wilcox. "It is vital that we share the information we have with members before it is placed in the public domain."

The high class mare Travelling Light runs tomorrow in the Travis Stakes at Te Rapa and her trainer, Ben Foote says he is leaving the "door open" with regards to a short Brisbane campaign. And he said that should she win well tomorrow than he will consider sending the mare across the Tasman for the Gr1 Tattersalls Tiara at Eagle Farm on June 26. "But she will have to win and win well to consider that," he said.

A strong field has been attracted to the Travis with the smart Jamie Richards mare Savy Yong Blonk (Danielle Johnson) heading the market and rightly so too, as she has won two of her last five and been second on the other occasions. Foote also has that brilliant Babylon Berlin at Te Rapa tomorrow in the Cambridge Breeders Stakes and the daughter of All Too Hard has a strong record at 1200 metres, having won two of her four starts over the journey and placed on four other occasions.

Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Almanzor has kicked off his NH career the right way with his first representative, Faro de San, winning over 1100 metres at Chantilly in France. He is the first foal of Fixette, a daughter of Kodaic, who was a juvenile winner and runner up in a brace of French Gr 3 races. The stock of the young sire have proven to be highly sought after Down Under with his yearlings selling up to $A800,000 at Australasian Sales.

Almanzor will stand at the fee of $30,000 and also that fee has been set by Cambridge Stud for another superbly bred and high-class racehorse, Youmzain, with the stud announcing that both books are full. Also, at the stud is Embellish, Savabeel's Group one winning son with his fee at $4000.The two international sires will shuttle into New Zealand at the end of July and will be out of quarantine on August 10.

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