Five for Weir at Caulfield
Darren Weir continued to re-write the record books, notching up five winners at Caulfield from the nine races on offer on Underwood S. day.
Weir has already amassed 104 wins for the season, and as well as having five winners, he finished runners-up in three of the races he didn’t win.
Weir won with Cliff's Edge (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), Bondeiger (War Pass {USA}), Grey Shadow (Dash for Cash), Native Soldier (Sepoy) and Furrion (GB) (Camelot {GB}).
He was runner-up in the Group 1 feature with Tosen Basil (Jpn) (Harbinger {Jpn}} as well as with Tezlah (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) and Kemono (Jpn) (Kinshasa No Kiseki).
All up he had 16 runners on the day for five winners, three seconds, a third and two fourths.
G1 winner for No Nay Never
Coolmore's emerging shuttle superstar No Nay Never (Ire) has notched his first Group 1 winner with Ten Sovereigns (Ire) prevailing in Saturday's G1 Juddmonte Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket.
It's been an enormously successful first season on the track for No Nay Never's 2-year-olds and Ten Sovereigns has capped it off with a win at the top level, defeating Jash (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) by half a length with Rumble Inthejungle (Ire) (Bungle inthejungle {GB}) well beaten in third.
"It is exciting for the lads as they have the stamina in the Galileo mares and now they have justified having the No Nay Never and Scat Daddy speed," trainer Aidan O'Brien said after the race.
"That was the exciting thing today - he was going to Group One standard and you don't really know how they will go until you run them."
No Nay Never is currently in his third season at stud in Australia for Coolmore, standing for $19,250.
Toorak destination for Cliff's Edge
Consistent 4-year-old Cliff's Edge (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) will step to the G1 Toorak Hcp on October 13 after a tough win in the Le Pines Funerals Hcp at Caulfield on Sunday.
Cliff's Edge claimed his seventh win from his 19th start, dropping back to open company, charging late to claim Sircconi (Nicconi) with Al Passem (Al Maher) third.
Having gained the confidence of his first win since his success at G2 level in the Alister Clarke S. in March, trainer Darren Weir has no doubts about where he wants to go now.
"The Toorak's his goal. We'll get there in two weeks. He looks nice and fit now and hopefully he'll get in there with a lightish weight. He’ll be up there in the first three or four and hopefully gets his chance to run well."
Weir felt the win on Sunday was the perfect way to top him off for his first Group 1 run since finishing fifth in the Rosehill Guineas in the autumn.
"He's a tough horse, a very laid-back horse. I thought he looked well here today, he was very casual. That will bring him on, and he'll present here in a fortnight in very good shape," he said.
Kosciuszko field complete
The field for the $1.3m Kosciuszcko has been completed with Kurt Goldman's Ruthless Agent (Bullbars) named as the final starter on Sunday.
The race, which is designed for country-trained gallopers in New South Wales, will be run on the same day as the world's richest turf race, The TAB Everest.
Care To Think (So You Think {NZ}) is current favourite for the race ahead of Victorem (I Am Invincible) and Don’t Give A Damn (Bon Hoffa).
Internationals finally arrive at Werribee
The delayed shipment of 19 international horses for Melbourne's Spring Carnival has arrived at Werribee.
An issue with a cracked windscreen saw the flight delayed for 24 hours, with a lengthy stopover on the runway in Sharjah.
The horses arrived on Sunday, potentially missing the cut-off for quarantine to be allowed to run on Caulfield Guineas Day on October 13. They will require special dispensation from authorities to allow that to happen.
Withhold (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), the Roger Charlton trained stayer who is highly fancied for the G1 Melbourne Cup, was one of the horses held up as well as Red Verdon (USA) (Lemon Drop Kid {USA}) along with five from Aidan O'Brien's stables.
All horses will be assessed to determine the impact the delay has had on them.
Love Affair to kick off at Hastings
Love Affair (NZ) (Savabeel) will commence her spring campaign in the G3 Red Badge Sprint at Hastings on Saturday after last-minute change of heart from trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman.
The promising mare was set to start in Saturday’s open sprint at Avondale but co-trainer Forsman believes the Hastings race is more suitable for the 5-year-old.
“She’s ready to go and we could have run her at Avondale but once we had a think about it, the Hastings option was a little more attractive,” he said.
“She was set to carry a pretty big weight at Avondale, whereas she should get in somewhere near the minimum at Hastings. While the 1400m isn’t ideal we think she is forward enough to cope with it."
Love Affair has had two trials ahead of her first-up assignment.
“She comes to hand pretty quickly and we were pleased with the way she performed in the trials she has had, which were both on fairly wet tracks,” Forsman said. “The main goal for her is to get some more black type so we will map out a campaign based on the options available."
