THE PETLEY REPORT: LOST AND RUNNING GETS EVEREST CALL-UP. AYRTON COULD HEAD FOR THE GOLDEN EAGLE

By Jack Petley | Thursday, June 17, 2021

As was expected that crackerjack rising star sprinter Lost and Running, trained by John O'Shea, has been claimed by the TAB for the $15 Everest. He is now the third to be named for the big event, the others are Masked Invader and Nature Strip, who just the other day resumed work for Chris Waller. He runs in the Everest on the Chris Waller racing ticket.

Mick Price is now looking at the $7.5 Golden Eagle with NZ bred boom galloper Ayrton after his dashing win at Eagle Farm last weekend.

The Bott-Waterhouse yard have some rising stars in their Randwick team and they produced another smart looking galloper at Randwick yesterday, Huesca, and he will now have a rest before being aimed at much bigger prizes.

I see it will be announced that $67 million will be spent on upgrading country racetracks when the budget is announced next week, so to say racing in NSW is booming is an understatement.

Champion Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien has yet another superstar on his hands, the four-year0old mare Love. The Oaks and Guineas winner of last season resumed in the Prince of Wales Stakes at Ascot overnight and she clearly was far superior in the hands of Ryan Moore. Audarya was her closest rival towards the end but just could not run down the high-class mare. It was O'Brien's fourth Prince of Wales following on Duke of Marmalade, So You Think and Highland Reel. And not long after the win and she was quoted at 6-1 and even shorter for the Arc in France. For Moore it was his second win in the Gr1 event, having won on Highland Reel in 2017. Said Moore: "She is high class … and she will get better as the season progresses."

Big moment for Laura Pearson, an apprentice, at Ascot kicking home Lola Showgirl for David Loughnane in the Kensington Palace Stakes becoming the fourth lady rider to win at the carnival and the first apprentice. She is still a 5lb claimer. Said the 20-year-old: "I don't know what to say, what a thrill."

Indie Angel won the Duke of Cambridge in the hands of 50 year-old Frankie Dettori while Quick Suzy took the Queen Mary and Kemari captured the Queen's Vase for William Buick and Charlie Appleby.

Tonight, sees the running of the Gold Cup and the hot favourite is the high-class stayer Stradivarius, going for his fourth win in the event. He sits at 5-6 in the market while one of his main rivals, Subjectivist is at 11-2 with Joe Fanning to ride. Twilight Payment is at 28-1`as the Melbourne Cup winner resumes. And there has been betting on the top stayer for Joe O'Brien.

Noon Star is the firm favourite for the Ribblesdale Stakes at 11-4 for Sir Michael Stoute and then in the betting, 4-1 Divinely, Eshaada, Gloria Mundi, 9-2. Noon Star has that second in the Oaks to Snowfall as her best run for this. Divinely was an unlucky runner in the Oaks and Gloria Mundi, say the critics, is an improver.

The American sprinter Lucci, trained by Wesley Ward who has enjoyed so much success at Ascot over the years, sits as favourite for the Norfolk Stakes, five furlongs, with top US rider John Velazquez on hand for the mount. Cadamosto, looks one of main rivals at 9-2 then Nakatomi and Go Bears Go.

That promising Kiwi jumper Aigne looks likely to head across the Tasman later this winter for a crack at the Grand National Hurdle and the Grand National Chase. The jumper had been prepared for his races by owner Neil Dowd, but for his last four wins he has been in the care of Kevin Myers. The jumper boasts four wins and two placings form six runs over hurdles and he may run in a Steeplechase race this weekend. O'Dowd had the galloper in Australia some two years back for the Jericho Cup and he ran sixth.