Winx jumpout an early treat at Randwick
Superstar mare Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) will make a special appearance at Randwick on Saturday as she prepares for her next run in the G1 George Main S on September 15.
Winx, who took her winning streak to 26 when she won the race named in her honour on August 18 at Randwick, will have a jumpout alongside three of her stablemates before the opening race on Saturday.
She will front up against D'Argento (So You Think {NZ}), The Autumn Sun (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) and Foxplay (Foxwedge {Aus}) in a 1000m jumpout.
Hugh Bowman will ride Winx as per usual while James McDonald is on D'Argento, Kerrin McEvoy on The Autumn Sun and Jay Ford on Foxplay.
Three other horses, Viridine (Poet's Voice {GB}), Siege of Quebec (Fastnet Rock (Aus}) and Santos (I Am Invincible {Aus}), will have exhibitions gallops.
Lindop, Perks honoured
History making jockey Clare Lindop and legendary breeder and owner Harry Perks will be inducted into the South Australia's Thoroughbred Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Lindop became the first woman to win the Victoria Derby aboard Rebel Raider in 2008 and was also the first Australian woman to ride in the Melbourne Cup in the same year.
Having ridden over 1400 winners, including four Group 1 winners, she retired from race riding in June and is set to be honoured at the industry awards to be held on Saturday.
Perks, known for his association with Toorak Park Stud and then Mill Park Stud in South Australia, bred and owned a remarkable 13 Group 1 winners, including the stars Gold Guru and Southern Speed.
Clare Lindop
Everest expectations for Kemono
Darren Weir is an unashamed fan of Japanese import Kemono (Kinshasa No Kiseki {Aus}), who debuts for the trainer at Caulfield in the G3 Heath 1100 on Saturday, and is adamant he can contend for The Everest.
"I reckon we will see him race well this Saturday and then we'll look to get him into The Everest." - Darren Weir
But while he is a huge wrap for the 4-year-old, he doesn’t expect him to be able to match stablemate Voodoo Lad (I am Invincible {Aus}) and he will benefit from the run and improve greatly with The Everest in mind."
"Why I'm doubting he’s a winning chance on Saturday is the fact he will be a better horse second-up, then even better third-up and the dream is he can prove himself to be a worthy contender for The Everest," Weir told Racenet
"He’s very exciting and although he still has to do it here I reckon we will see him race well this Saturday and then we'll look to get him into The Everest."
There are currently only two spots left in The Everest, with the slotholders ATC and Max Whitby yet to decide who will represent them.
Ch 10 set to snatch Cup rights
Channel 10 looks poised to secure the rights to broadcast the Melbourne Cup from 2019.
Media reports suggest Channel 10 will snatch the rights from the Seven as part of a $10 million deal, regaining the iconic event it lost the rights to in 2001.
Seven confirmed that the deal was far in advance of what it was willing to offer.
"We are proud of our award-winning racing coverage, but as we have consistently said about the economics of sports rights, the deal must make commercial sense or we will step away," a Seven spokesman told Mumbrella.
“While another party has placed a far higher valuation on these four afternoons of television, we will do what is financially responsible and right for our shareholders.”
The Victoria Racing Club, which controls the broadcast rights to the event, would not comment on whether a deal had been done.
Double feature joy for McEvoy at Wyong
Godolphin mare Savatiano (Street Cry {Ire}) has added black-type to her resume with a tough first-up win in the Listed Mona Lisa S. at Wyong.
The 4-year-old showed her class, with jockey Kerrin McEvoy forced to track wide and take off at the 600m mark. She swept over the top of her rivals and collected her fifth win from just 12 starts.
Shumookh (Dream Ahead {USA}) finished second with Irithea (Snitzel {Aus}) third.
Savatiano is the 123rd stakes winner for Street Cry and is the first stakes winner from Redoute's Choice mare Retsina. She was out of G1 winner Star Shiraz. Star Shiraz was bought by Darley for $1.125 million back in 2007 and sold for $200,000 in 2017.
Meanwhile, Chris Waller's imported stayer Carzoff (Fra)} (Zoffany {Ire}) claimed the Listed Wyong Gold Cup, giving McEvoy a feature double for the day.
As opposed to his ride on Savatiano, McEvoy had to be patient on Carzoff, waiting for a gap to appear between runners before surging the six-year-old to the lead in the final stages and beating Dark Eyes (Snitzel {Aus}) by a length with Shalmaneser (Teofilo {Ire}) third.
The former French galloper how has four wins from 22 starts having broken through for his first victory of what has been an unlucky campaign.
Fastnet Rock success in Ireland
Fastnet Rock was responsible for a new group winner in Ireland on Thursday when the William Haggas-trained One Master (GB) shipped from Britain to Tipperary to take the G3 Fairy Bridge S. The 4-year-old filly, who races as a homebred for American-based owners Lael Stables, bested 3-year-old fillies Dan’s Dream (GB) (Cityscape {GB}) and Ship Of Dreams (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), the latter trained by Joseph O’Brien. Fourth was Zhang Yuesheng’s Yulong Gold Fairy (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}).
Fastnet Rock’s other representatives in Europe this year have included, in addition to the G1 Diamond Jubilee S. winner Merchant Navy, Group 3 winners Turret Rocks (Ire) and Torcedor (Ire), who was recently sold by Te Akau to German interests.
Pike stable chasing title defence
Tony Pike won last year’s Listed Listed El Roca – Sir Colin Meads Trophy with Bostonian (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) and he will make a double attack on the 3-year-old event at Hastings on Saturday.
The Cambridge trainer will be represented by Cyber Attack (Shamexpress {NZ} and Stella Noire (Showcasing {GB}).
“They’re pretty evenly matched,” he said. “Cyber Attack will handle any rain that happens to fall before Saturday, while Stella Noire’s probably looking for a reasonable track surface.
“Stella Noire might have more natural ability, but she’s going in fresh-up and he’s going to be a fit racehorse going into Saturday’s race.”
"She's grown into a very big and impressive looking filly." - Tony Pike on Stella Noire
Out of a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo {IRE}), Cyber Attack has won two of his six starts and finished runner-up in last season’s Listed Auckland Futurity S.
Stella Noire hasn’t been sighted since she won on debut on Boxing Day. “She’s grown into a very big and impressive looking filly,” Pike said.
Strappers’ efforts acknowledged
Strappers preparing horses for the Tarzino Trophy Daffodil Raceday at Hastings on Saturday will have an added incentive, with Al Basti Equiworld Dubai announcing sponsorship of Best Turned Out prizes at the course for the next two years.
“Hawke’s Bay Racing is delighted to partner with Al Basti Equiworld Dubai to recognise those people behind the scenes who are such an important aspect of racedays.” - Andrew Castles
Already a successful concept at Riccarton and Trentham, for each race run at all three venues, prizes of $50 per race on Premier and Feature racedays and $25 per race on Industry and Tier 2 days are given to the best presented strapper and horse combination.
In addition to this, on Saturday Al Basti Equiworld Dubai is committing an extra $50 per race to the New Zealand Cancer Society on behalf of each winning strapper.
“Hawke’s Bay Racing is delighted to partner with Al Basti Equiworld Dubai to recognise those people behind the scenes who are such an important aspect of racedays,” Hawke’s Bay Racing’s chief executive Andrew Castles said.
Al Basti Equiworld Dubai, is the UAE’s leading distributor of horse feeds, supplements and veterinary medicines and is a major supporter of racing in the UAE, USA, UK, Germany and New Zealand.
