Top colt primed for return

Trapeze Artist (Snitzel) is ready for his defence of the G2 Expressway S.

Last season's champion colt courtesy of his three Group 1 wins, two at weight-for-age, Trapeze Artist will be having his first start since his second in The Everest when he lines up on Saturday over 1200 metres.

Trapeze Artist ran fourth in a barrier trial last Tuesday week and Ryan had the option to give him another at Randwick on Thursday, but declined.

"He has been working well so I decided against it," Ryan said.

"He put in a really good gallop on Friday so I'm very happy where he is at heading to the Expressway."

The four-year-old will follow a similar path to last year with the Apollo Stakes and a clash with Winx his next step after the Expressway. All going well, Royal Ascot looms as a possibility in June.

Brook to get Orr chance

Champion trainer Darren Weir has confirmed Whispering Brook (Hinchinbrook) will start in the G1 Orr S. with the in-form mare to join a number of her stablemates in the weight-for-age race at Caulfield.

Whispering Brook, who started her career in Western Australia with trainer Simon Miller, is unbeaten in three starts this preparation including the G3 Standish H. and Friday night's G2 Australia S.

Whispering Brook beat a quality field in the Australia S., which included three of her stablemates - Land Of Plenty (Stratum) finishing third, Fifty Stars (IRE) (Sea The Stars {IRE}) was sixth and Brave Smash (JPN) (Tosen Phantom {JPN}).

“They will all go to the Orr. We'll give Whispering Brook her chance. She will run 1400 metres the way she went on Friday night,” Weir said.

"Land Of Plenty was great and he's on track and I thought Fifty Stars was great right on the line. Brave Smash, that's about where he was at. He will make that ground up. It's similar to what he did last year.”

Gollan looking ahead

Leading Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan is in New Zealand looking for his next star.

He has joined many other Australian owners and trainers heading to New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale where he bought smart filly Epaumada (Epaulette) last year.

"She was the only horse I got last year and she has won both her starts. I was a bit behind with her otherwise she would have run in the Karaka Million," Gollan said.

"I have had a bit of luck with the sale as we picked up Amex (a stakes winning stayer) here a few years back."

Meanwhile, his unbeaten galloper Zoustyle (Zoustar) has been spelling, but using the water walker and will be back in Gollan's stables within a fortnight.

City Of Light too good

City Of Light (USA) (Quality Road {USA}) has won the Pegasus World Cup, a race touted as a match-race with Accelerate (USA) (Lookin At Lucky {USA}), but one which didn’t eventuate.

The two were neck-and-neck on the home turn before City Of Light asserted his superiority and drew away on the rain-soaked Gulfstream Park dirt.

Seeking The Soul (USA) (Perfect Soul {IRE}) got up to run second with Accelerate a distant third in the US$9 million race, the richest in the United States.

“This horse is a gift. Amazing,” City Of Light's trainer Michael McCarthy said.

It was the final race for both City Of Light and Accelerate as both horses will stand alongside each other at Lane's End Farm in Kentucky.

Done deal in SA Group 1

Arrowfield Stud stallion Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral {IRE}) has struck a major winning blow overseas.

His son Atyaab won the G1 Cape Derby over 2000 metres, the third victory of his eight-start career.

Trained by Mike De Kock, he was a $260,000 Inglis Sydney Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Shadwell Stud and is out of the Danasinga mare Sylvaner, who won nine races including three at Group 2 level.

Atyaab’s success continued a good run for Dundeel, whose son Cutadeel (NZ) has won his last three starts to build momentum toward the G1 New Zealand Derby while Yourdeel (NZ) finished third in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic.

RQ on the move

Racing Queensland is looking at a move from its Deagon headquarters to make way for a state-of-the-art training facility and education centre.

RQ's chief executive Brendan Parnell said investigations had been made about moving the governing body's office arm to a site nearer the Brisbane city centre.

"There are a couple of reasons. Firstly we need to be closer to government and council as well as the two major tracks.”

"But most importantly if we are to build a major education centre and first class training complex we need more room and we can get that by moving the office.

"There needs to be more stables on site for an expansion and that means creating more room."

Butterworth makes gains

Capital Gain (Ad Valorem {USA}) has given his trainer Paul Butterworth his greatest highs and toughest lows in racing, but delivered a much-deserved upswing with his first win in over 18 months at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday.

Butterworth credits Capital Gain with saving his training career when he won the G1 JJ Atkins S. in June 2017, with mounting costs forcing the Eagle Farm-based horseman to consider other employment options before his big win.

But the euphoria of that success has led to more heartache for Butterworth as a run of horrendous injuries has seen Capital Gain fail to salute since.

Butterworth said the horse had been through a fractured pastern, fractured skull and chipped knee joint, which made the success in an open handicap on Saturday all the more special.

"It's a bit emotional, he's been through the ringer with injuries this horse, but he doesn't run a bad race and what a ride from Larry (Cassidy) which ultimately won us the race," Butterworth said.