The Daily Wrap

5 min read

Latrobe to bypass Melbourne Cup

Leviathan owner Lloyd Williams has changed tack with his international Group 1 winner Latrobe (IRE) (Camelot {GB}).

A start in next month’s G1 Melbourne Cup has been ruled out for the Northern Hemisphere 3-year-old.

Williams has told Racing Victoria the horse is instead likely to head to the G1 Mackinnon Stakes instead.

Latrobe has won two of his seven starts, including the G1 Irish Derby earlier in the year.

He finished runner-up in the G1 Irish St Leger at his last appearance.

Latrobe is a half-brother to the G3 Gladness S., winner Diamond Fields (Fastnet Rock), with their dam Question Times (GB) (Shamardal {USA}) a half-sister to the G3 Sceptre S., winner and G1 Cheveley Park S., runner-up Sunday Times (GB) (Holy Roman Emperor {IRE}).

Runaway making progress

Runaway (Manhattan Rain) has moved up to 28th in order of entry to the G1 Melbourne Cup.

He has progressed up the ladder with a 1.5kg penalty for winning Wednesday’s G3 Geelong Cup.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained stayer won the VRC St Leger at Flemington last season before running third in the G1 South Australian Derby.

Racing Victoria handicapper Greg Carpenter said the performance of Runaway was outstanding.

“It is encouraging to see a VRC St Leger winner return in such good form as a 4-year-old and Runaway will be very competitive in the Melbourne Cup with 52kg if he can secure a place in the final field of 24 runners," Carpenter said.

The 1.5kg penalty is the same given to Media Puzzle (USA) (Theatrical {IRE}) before his Melbourne Cup victory.

Guineas tilt confirmed

Dawn Patrol (NZ) (Dawn Approach {IRE}) will put his unbeaten record on the line at Group 1 level next time out.

The winner of his two starts, he placed in a 1200 metre trial at Te Aroha on Thursday with an effort that has convinced trainer Frank Ritchie to aim for the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas.

“At this stage we are going. We are happy with the run and I needed to give him something between his last run and the 2000 Guineas,” Ritchie said.

“Unless something arises in the next couple of weeks we we’ll be going.”

“I think he has got all the talent you probably need, however he doesn’t have a lot of ringcraft. He wants to over-race from time-to-time, but he was pretty good today in the trial.

“It would be nice to have the race another couple of months away, but it’s only education, I’m not worried about fitness and I am pretty sure he is up to them.”

Dawn Patrol winning at Matamata

From maiden to Group 1

It may have been a lowly maiden contest at Waipukurau, but it provided a stage for King Louis (NZ) (Equiano {FR}) to book his passage south.

The G2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas placegetter was untroubled to win the Brooke Edgecombe Maiden and will now go to Riccarton for the G1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas.

King Louis

King Louis cleared the barriers and strode to the front 900 metres from home. Rider Jason Waddell didn’t have to get serious in the straight with the gelding coasting clear to win with ease.

“He did it well with his ears pricked and if he was going to the Guineas you’d expect him to.”

He is raced by Richard and Liz Wood, who raced the Bary-trained 2010 Guineas winner Jimmy Choux (NZ) (Thorn Park).

King Louis is a son of the Flying Spur mare Nimbletoes, who is from the family of the G1 Winterbottom S., winner Takedown (Stratum).

Old team back together

Michael Walker will resume his association with former boss Allan Sharrock in Melbourne on Saturday.

A champion apprentice during his time with the Taranaki trainer, he will ride Ladies First (NZ) (Dylan Thomas {IRE}) in the G2 McCafe Moonee Valley Gold Cup.

Walker got a feel for the G1 Auckland Cup winner during the Breakfast with the Stars session during the week.

“Michael had no knock on her work at all. She handled the Valley just fine. She looks really good and she's fit,” Sharrock said.

“I'd liken her condition to how she was before the Auckland Cup. We think she'll be at her optimum for Saturday, but whether that's good enough, we'll find out.

“We've just had the misfortune to come up against one of the strongest Moonee Valley Cup fields in years. They had seven last year but this year it's a full field of 15 and three emergencies.

“She should get a soft enough run from barrier one and if she could run in the top five we might back up (in the Hotham Handicap) on Derby Day and then get her home for another Auckland Cup preparation in the autumn.”

Steady trade marks day three at Fasig-Tipton October sale

The Fasig-Tipton October Fall Yearlings Sale continued to churn out steady results through its third session in Lexington on Wednesday, with a filly by Uncle Mo bringing a top price of $350,000 when selling to bloodstock agent Mike Ryan on behalf of Bob Edward's e Five Racing.

The session topping daughter of Uncle Mo was the first purchase for Ryan, who continued to see steady demand for quality offerings even as the yearling sales season winds down. He compared the filly to another offspring of Coolmore's Uncle Mo in G1 Kentucky Derby winner, Nyquist, whom he had purchased for $230,000 as a yearling at the 2014 Keeneland September Sale.

"She looked like a female Nyquist," Ryan said. "She's tall and elegant with a beautiful long neck and shoulder. The first time I saw her, I wrote Nyquist on the page. She'll go to Stonestreet and hopefully we'll see her on NBC a year from now."

Uncle Mo