Quality mare strikes again

Consensus (NZ) (Postponed {USA}) is making up for lost time in fine style.

She won her first race for two years when successful in last month’s G3 Trentham S. and she added the G3 Platinum Homes Taranaki Cup at New Plymouth to her record on Saturday.

The set weights and penalties conditions of both races suited the 2016 G1 Zabeel Classic winner ideally.

“It’s good to have her back. She’s a past Group 1 winner and you never like to see their form tail off,” trainer Stephen McKee said.

“We’ll keep rolling with her now. There’s a couple of options in Australia and the Bonecrusher S.”

Consensus dropped in to race one off the fence in fourth spot and was presented at the right time by rider Chris Johnson to take major honours.

Liking for Lucas pays off

Linda Huddy's liking for the offspring of sire Lucas Cranach (Ger) paid a winning dividend when his son Get Stuck In was successful at Eagle Farm.

Huddy and her husband Graham are among the biggest horse owners in Australia and have had great success including G1 Australian Derby winner Shoot Out (High Chaparral {Ire}) and G1 Victorian Derby victor Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).

They have several horses with trainer Tony Gollan by Lucas Cranach, who ran third in the 2011 G1 Melbourne Cup.

“I have run out of fingers and toes counting the number of horses we have by Lucas Cranach and I think he is just starting to come into his own,” Huddy said.

“The last time I checked he had 15 winners but I think there will be more in the city soon.”

Bullet a beauty

Second Bullet (Encosta de Lago) posted the 11th victory on his career with a dogged performance at Caulfield.

Under champion jockey Damien Oliver, he stuck to his guns grimly in the straight to win the Robert Hunter H.

"He's an absolute ripper," trainer Danny O'Brien's racing manager Matt Harrington said.

Second Bullet, who is out of the former outstanding race mare Private Steer (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), was racing at 2400 metres for the first time since running second in the 2016 Bendigo Cup.

Harrington said Second Bullet, who has now won two of his past three starts, splits his time between O'Brien's Flemington stable and Barwon Heads property which he believes has really helped the gelding's longevity.

No Queensland action yet

Queensland officials will not take any action against leading trainer Darren Weir before his show cause action in Victorian is finalised.

Weir, his foreman and trainer Jarrod McLean and stable employee Tyson Kermond have been charged with multiple offences arising out of a raid on two of Weir's stables on Wednesday.

Racing Victoria has opened a hearing in which it has asked Weir to show cause why he should not be suspended pending the result of the charges.

Queensland Racing Integrity Commissioner Ross Barnett said the body would not take any immediate action against Weir or Mclean.

"The commission continues to consult with Racing Victoria in relation to the ongoing nature of the investigation.”

No place for jiggers

Australian Trainers' Association chief executive Andrew Nicholl says there is no place in racing for jiggers to be used in the training of horses.

Nicholl was responding to a Melbourne newspaper article which quoted an unnamed trainer who said jiggers had always been a useful tool in helping horses jump from the barriers or to get lazy ones find their form.

"The bottom line is the rules of racing are extremely clear that jiggers are an unacceptable apparatus to have from a training and racing viewpoint," Nicholl said.

Trainer Darren Weir faces three Racing Victoria stewards charges of being in possession of three electrical devices capable of affecting the performance of a horse with his Warrnambool foreman, licensed trainer Jarrod McLean, facing one charge.

Nicholl said the majority of trainers understood their obligations under the rules of racing not only with jiggers, but in relation to everything.

Boy a gallant winner

Gallant Boy (NZ) (Gallant Guru) went one better when he scored in a driving finish to the line in the G3 White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age at Wingatui.

The 8-year-old finished runner-up in the feature mile last season, but would not be denied this again.

Trained by Brian and Shane Anderton for the estate of his breeder, the late Patrick Smith, Gallant Boy was notching his 11th career victory and first at stakes level.

“I had a nasty draw and I didn’t want to dig him up and get him pulling,” rider Terry Moseley said.

“I ended up one off the fence most of the way and when there was a bit of carnage down the back, I ended up getting a nice trip.

“I had spent nothing and got a nice run through which was the winning of the race. . This was a good quality field and he is a really good horse.”

Air Max in hot form

Air Max (NZ) (Nadeem) has gone back-to-back in age group stakes events.

The Lance Robinson-trained 3-year-old followed up his Listed Gore Guineas victory with further success in the Listed Mediaworks Dunedin Guineas at Wingatui.

He settled off the pace before finishing down the centre of the track in the hands of Terry Moseley.

Air Max is out of the Hussonet (USA) mare Steel Stilettos and is a half-brother to stablemate and G3 White Robe Lodge WFA runner-up Boots ‘N’ All (NZ) (Perfectly Ready).

Another half-brother by Super Easy (NZ) was sold last Friday during New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale by Long Acres Stud for NZ$45,000 to Hong Kong’s Upper Bloodstock.

All Star Mile Leaderboard

All Star Mile voting is still lead by Urban Ruler (Roman Ruler), who is still well clear of unlikely runner The Autumn Sun (Redoute's Choice). Urban Ruler was purchased as a yearling Hancox Bloodstock for $40,000 on behalf of 800 shareholders.