Group 1 hard to ignore

The lure of a shot at a Group 1 crown will be hard to resist with Amphitrite (Sebring) given the impressive progress she has already made this season.

The filly has come a long way in the space of three starts, culminating with a grand performance to win the G2 TAB Edward Manifold S., at Flemington where she led home a stable trifecta and she could now take aim at next Saturday’s G1 Thousand Guineas.

“She’ll probably go there, although it might just all come a bit too quickly for her,” trainer Darren Weir said.

“She did look great in the yard, big and strong so maybe she will back up.”

The genuine Krone (Eurozone) has been confirmed to run in the Classic following her effort for second behind Amphitrite.

“That was the plan all along and she’s gone well enough and the filly that ran third, she’s probably more of an Oaks sort of horse, I liked the way she attacked the line,” Weir said.

He was referring to Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), who was making her Australian debut after clients of the stable bought into the filly.

New blood on show at breeze-ups

Two-year-olds by first-season sires Deep Field, Better Than Ready, Rubick and Whittington are among 65 horses who will breeze-up on Monday ahead of the 2018 Gold Coast 2YOS in Training Sale to be held on Tuesday.

Breeze-ups for the sale have already been held at Warwick Farm, Seymour and the Gold Coast with the final batch to take place from 9.30 am.

A Whittington colt out of Ghoom (Tiger Hill {IRE}) was the fastest breeze-up at the first session at the Gold Coast and a colt by the Grandview Stud stallion out of Charism (Danzero), the three-quarter sister to former champion 2-year-old Dance Hero, is set to breeze on Monday.

A colt by Rubick, put forward by Chevaux Bloodstock, will also be on display. Out of the half-sister to Shared Reflections (Umatilla), he is the only Rubick who will go through the ring after the other three horses were withdrawn.

Deep Field will have three horses at Tuesday's sale, with the colt out of black-type winning imported mare Hadavision (Vision And Verse {USA}) on display on Monday, while a Better Than Ready gelding out of Dublette (Dubleo {USA}), already named Ready Conqueror, will also be in action.

Also on display will be no less than 12 of the progeny of All Too Hard, including 11 offered by Baramul Stud.

Tuesday's sale, which starts at 11am local time, will feature 187 of the original catalogue of 220, with 33 withdrawals.

It will be followed by the Gold Coast Spring Racehorse Sale, with 34 horses on sale, including 21 from Godolphin.

They include Group 2 winners Old North (Lonhro) and Souchez (Lonhro) as well as several other stakes-competitive horses.

Guineas still in the mix

Starts in next Saturday’s G1 Caulfield Guineas remain in the balance for a pair of in-form entries.

The connections of the Listed UCI S., winner Extra Brut (Domesday) and Wild Planet (Animal Kingdom {USA}), who was successful in the Listed Antler Luggage S., have yet to commit to the feature.

Extra Brut’s trainer Darren Weir remains undecided with a run in the G3 Caulfield Classic another option for Saturday’s winner.

“I was keen to ride him quietly and I loved the way he stretched out late,” Weir said. “He could be a chance (for the Guineas) to back up, I don't know yet.”

Extra Brut completed a hat-trick of wins when he charged home from well back in the field under rider John Allen.

“He’s in grand form and we had a sticky gate, but I got three wide with cover,” he said. “They’ve done a good job naming this guy.

“His pedigree doesn’t suggest he’ll want to stay, but he switches off beautifully.”

Meanwhile, Team Hawkes are looking at all their options for Wild Planet, who remains unbeaten this preparation.

“We'll give him a nice couple of quiet days because it was a hard run,” Wayne Hawkes said.

“I don't know yet, he's still in the Caulfield Guineas next Saturday, but I don't know whether you'd be backing up after running that hard today.

“But you never know. The Carbine Club Stakes here at Flemington is an option and we might put him in the paddock and bring him back for an Australian Guineas yet.”

Next stop Myer for Eckstein

Eckstein has returned to winning ways to confirm plans for another tilt at the G1 Myer S., at Flemington.

She was successful there on Saturday in the Listed Furphy Paris Lane S., to boost her confidence and that of Goulburn trainer Kurt Goldman.

“She hasn't won for well over a year, but has gone very close and only went down by a nostril in the Myer last year,” he said.

“She'll go have a bit of an easy time and then come back down.”

Goldman said Eckstein didn’t act well at Caulfield so has ruled out a lead-up run there and may look to trial the 5-year-old instead ahead of the Myer.

Free to ride in Cox Plate

A suspension won’t stop veteran jockey Chris Johnson from partnering Savvy Coup (NZ) (Savabeel) in the G1 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley later this month.

The 54-year-old copped a six-day ban for his ride on Gift Of Power (NZ) (Power {GB}), in which they were relegated from fifth to sixth in the Mardigras Events H., for causing interference in the straight.

Johnson’s suspension began immediately and will conclude at the end of racing on Friday, October 19.

Eight days later he will be aboard Savvy Coup, who doubled her Group 1 tally on Saturday when last season’s New Zealand Oaks winner was a dominant winner of the Livamol Classic for trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman.

Troy Harris also picked up a suspension out of the Hastings meeting and will be side-lined from October 11 to 18 while Sam Spratt will be out from October 14 to 26.

Winx recovers at Altona Beach

PHOTO GALLERY: Champion mare Winx visited the beach at Altona on Sunday morning after winning the G1 Turnbull Stakes.

She is accompanied by Youngstar who finished 2nd in the same race, and Invincibella who won the G2 Blazer S.

Winx is ridden by Ben Cadden and led by strapper Umut Odemislioglu.

Another meeting called off

The final day of the Hawke’s Bay carnival on Saturday aside, it was a grim weekend for New Zealand racing.

The fixture at Riccarton on Saturday was called off after two races due to the unsafe nature of the track and the meeting at Te Awamutu on Sunday went exactly the same way.

“Several riders in race two reported their mounts shifting, particularly at the 800 and 600 and on the bend,” stipendiary steward Brady Jones said.

“We couldn’t find any slip marks of note, it was just the inconsistencies of the track that were of concern to riders.

“The general consensus was that they had no confidence in the track and couldn’t ride competitively around the bends.”

Frankel’s Call the Wind Takes the Cadran

Beginning his career only this year at the western provincial venue of Machecoul, Call the Wind (GB) (Frankel {GB}) only began to show promise on his fourth maiden start on June 14.

George Strawbridge’s homebred has now progressed through the ranks to become another Group 1 winner for his sire.

"He comes from a great family and the dam now has three Group one winners. Of course, he will stay in training next year and we have to think about the Ascot Gold Cup," said winning trainer Freddy Head.

5th Group 1 For Laurens

John Dance’s Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) is still churning out wins at the highest level and there was a fifth to celebrate as the formidable bay made virtually all in Saturday’s G1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. at Newmarket.

“She’s a superb filly and deserves her status,” said Karl Burke “Hopefully, she’ll get the praise she deserves now. John (Dance) is happy to supplement for the (Oct. 20 G1) QEII if that’s what we want to do and I think we’ll stick at a mile now. She’s also in the Breeders’ Cup as well, but the main thing is to get her home and see how she comes out of this.”

More Than Ready's Roy H Does It Again

Champion Roy H (More Than Ready) was victorious in Saturday's GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship.

"This is the Roy H I’ve been waiting to see all year. He’s a great horse and I hope to springboard this to the Breeders’ Cup," said winning trainer Peter Miller.

More Than Ready is standing this season at Vinery Stud for $66,000.00 (GST inc).