Cup winning jockey suspended
G1 Caulfield Cup winning jockey Pat Cosgrave has been suspended for 11 meetings on a careless riding charge arising from the $5 million race.
Cosgrave pleaded guilty to the charge that he allowed the eventual winner Best Solution (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) to shift in near the 1800-metre mark, tightening Japanese runner Sole Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
He will begin the suspension immediately, meaning he can return to riding on October 31, in time to fulfill commitments in Dubai on November 3 before returning to Melbourne to again partner Best Solution in the G1 Melbourne Cup.
Ryusei Sakai aboard Sole Impact was also suspended for causing interference and was also suspended for 11 meetings.
Jordan Childs was suspended for seven meetings for allowing Khulaasa (Epaulette) to shift ground in the opening event at Caufield. He was already set to serve an earlier suspension and now returns the day before he rides Written By (Written Tycoon) in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes.
At Randwick, apprentice Jean Van Overmiere was suspended until November 5 after weighing in heavy on Top Striker (High Chapparal {Ire}), who was beaten a nose in the ClubsNSW Handicap.
G1 aims for Diplomatico
Team Hawkes will target exciting colt Diplomatico (Snitzel) at the G1 Coolmore Stud S. at Flemington after his impressive win at just his third start in the Listed Southern Cross Group Brian Crowley S. at Randwick.
Diplomatico, who was a $1.7m yearling buy for a syndicate of high-profile Hong Kong-based owners, showed a superior turn of foot to win one of the features of the day and Michael Hawkes said afterwards that they were keen to make him into a stallion prospect.
“There’s a lot of high-profile Hong Kong owners in the horse,” Hawkes, who trains in partnership with his father John and brother Wayne, said.
“That’s what we do. We make colts and we’ve just hopefully made another one.”
Mix-up traps Weir, McLean
Racing Victoria stewards scratched Trap For Fools (Poet's Voice {GB}) from the G3 Coongy Handicap at Caulfield after he was wrongly stabled with Darren Weir rather than with trainer Jarrod McLean.
Chief steward Robert Cram found Trap For Fools had been at Weir's Warrnambool stables at the time of entry for the race and not at McLean's official stables at Yangery.
Cram took action under local rule 27A which stipulates a horse must be stabled where it is trained unless permission is given by the stewards. He scratched the horse at 2:15pm before adjourned an inquiry into the mix-up.
McLean is Weir's Warrnambool foreman, but also maintains several horses under his own name.
Tenacious filly takes opener
Zizzis (Sizzling) showed the gritty side of her nature with victory in the opening event, the QMS Media Plate, on Caulfield Cup day.
Rider Craig Williams pushed forward from an awkward gate to lead and the 3-year-old responded gallantly under pressure to beat Khulaasa (Epaulette) in a driving finish.
“It’s a great way to start off and credit to Patrick Payne and his team,” Williams said.
“It was her first time up to 1400 metres and they were quite confident.”
Zizzis was a $120,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast purchase for Joe O’Neill’s Prime Thoroughbreds.
“Her first two runs back were pretty good, she got caught on the wrong side of the track at Flemington and she had nowhere to go at Moonee Valley,” he said.
“It’s the first time I’ve won a race on Caulfield Cup day so it’s great. She’ll run next at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.”
Zizzis is trained by Patrick Payne, who missed the race after traffic problems, and has now won three of her six starts.
Money talks at Rotorua
Expensive yearling Media Sensation (I Am Invincible) has kept her Classic hopes alive.
On Saturday, the gifted filly downed last season’s Listed Karaka Million placegetter Bocce (Foxwedge) at Rotorua where she came from the tail of a small field to win the Faulkner Drainage 1215m.
“We’re going to try and get to a mile with her, that’s why we’re riding her back,” co-trainer Peter Williams said.
“At this stage, she’s still a chance for the 1000 Guineas at Riccarton. The field is falling away a wee bit and I wanted to bring her here to see how she handled going left-handed.”
Winning rider Michael Coleman said the 3-year-old showed her versatility and was never troubled in the running.
“We had to go back from a tricky draw and she hit the line hard,” he said.
Media Sensation is out of the High Chaparral (IRE) mare Different To and she is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Dorabella (NZ) (Postponed {USA}) and the Group 1 performer Crusoe (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}).
It is also the family of the two-time Australian black type winner Kudakulari (NZ) (Savabeel).
Media Sensation is owned by long-time racing partners Ger Beemsterboer and Sarah Green, who bought her out of Lime Country Thoroughbreds’ draft at Karaka for $425,000.
Beemsterber and Green have had a long and successful association with the Williams’ stable, most notably with the Group 1 winner Planet Rock (Fastnet Rock).
Stakes winner in waiting
Bill Pomare fancies the chances of Donna Anne Billy (NZ) (Tavistock {IRE}) emulating her dam Shinko Bay (NZ) (Shinko King {IRE}) by earning black type.
The Rotorua trainer and club committee member celebrated further success with the mare on his home track on Saturday in the TW Moore H., when she posted her sixth career success.
“Her mother won a stakes race and ran third in one, but she had bad feet,” Pomare said.
“This mare has got good feet and I can see her winning a stakes race over 2000 metres.”
Donna Anne Billy was sent to the front by apprentice Ashvin Goindasamy and after they skipped clear on the turn it was game over and the cruised home by a widening margin.
“She’s showing the speed the family’s got and when she gets to the front she switches off and relaxes,” Pomare said.
The pedigree includes Flying Free (NZ) (Heroicity), who won nine races including the Listed Rotorua S., for Pomare.
