More joy for Special family

Tuesday Special (Snitzel) become the latest member of the famous Denise's Joy family to join the winners' list breaking her maiden at Hawkesbury.

Beginning her career over 1300m, the daughter of four-time Group 1 winner Tuesday Joy (NZ) (Carnegie {Ire}) toughed it out to beat the favourite Canyonero (Pierro) by three quarters of a length.

Trained by Bjorn Baker and ridden by Blake Shinn, she becomes the fifth of Tuesday Joy's progeny to win, including her older half sibling Girl Tuesday (Street Cry {Ire}) who won her first three starts for Chris Waller last spring. Thursday's win came 10 years to the day since Tuesday Joy won the G2 Apollo S.

Tuesday Joy missed to Snitzel the year after Tuesday Special was born and now has a yearling colt by Savabeel that was foaled in New Zealand.

She is the daughter of G1 Queensland Oaks winner Joie Denise (Danehill {USA}), who also produced G1 Australian Oaks winner Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence {USA}), the dam of the eight-time Group 1 winner More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}).

The matriarch of the family, Denise's Joy (Seventh Hussar {Fr}) was a multiple Oaks winner who has been one of the more influential broodmares in Australian racing of the past 30 years.

Vet test for Loving Gaby

Leading G1 Blue Diamond S. hope Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) will undergo further veterinary inspection on Friday before she is cleared to run in Victoria's richest 2-year-old race.

The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace trained filly, who is raced by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, was found to have lameness in her off fore leg and will be given a further inspection on Friday.

She tops most Blue Diamond markets after her stunning debut win in the G3 Chairman's at Caulfield on February 2.

Mick Price's colt Shotmaker (Shooting To Win) must also pass the vet's inspection on Friday having also shown lameness in his off fore leg.

He was runner-up to I Am Immortal (I Am Invincible) at his only start in the Blue Diamond Prelude held a fortnight ago at Caulfield.

Currie can continue to train

Toowoomba trainer Ben Currie will be permitted to train on after gaining a stay of proceedings on the stand down order issued by Queensland Racing Integrity Commission.

Currie, who faces 35 charges, including seven laid last Friday by Queensland Racing Integrity Commission (QRIC) stewards, took his case to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal on Thursday afternoon, seeking to continue training while his charges were heard.

QCAT determined that he should be allowed to continue training until five days after QRIC's internal review into the latest charges is conducted.

That means he is free to resume his business, but he still faces an exclusion order from the two main Brisbane venues, Doomben and Eagle Farm, who used their powers under their liquor licenses to prevent him from attending the venues.

Currie has promised to vigorously defend the charges against him.

J-Mac reveals tough 2YO choice

Star jockey James McDonald is hoping he has made the right decision electing to ride G1 Golden Slipper S favourite Tassort (Brazen Beau) in Saturday's G2 Silver Slipper S at Rosehill.

McDonald had the choice to ride Tassort or switch to $2 million colt Faretti (I Am Invincible) for the race and told Racenet 'it was a harder decision than people would realise'.

“He only had the one trial, but it was good,” McDonald said of Tassort. “He’s matured a lot and he’s only going to get better."

“I’ve got a good feeling about him going into Saturday and I think barrier six suits him."

“If they can’t beat him on Saturday, they’re going to find it tough for the remainder of the autumn."

“His last 100m is something special, they won’t want to be stopping. He’s not going to win the race at the 400, he’ll be winning it over the final 100m."

Big support crew behind All-Star longshot

Urban Ruler (Street Boss {USA}) never lacks support and he will have a multitude of followers when he runs in Saturday's Class Six Plate at Doomben.

The gelding is raced by a Shelley Hancox syndicate with 800 members, who got behind the vote for the inaugural All-Star Mile on March 16 with 10 of the 14 runners chosen by the public.

Despite Urban Ruler polling second with 8428 votes, some corporate bookmakers have indicated he could start as much as $501, but Munce believes he is a much better chance than that.

"He has won at Flemington and the 1600 metres suits. We are not getting carried away, but you get $90,000 for running 14th so why not run," Munce said.

"I expect him to go better on Saturday and we might even give him another run before the Mile. I will see after Saturday."

Rondinella rewarding James

Roger James has long held a high opinion of Rondinella (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).

“I made a bold statement when she won her maiden race that she’s the best that I’ve trained since Silent Achiever and she’s given me no reason to change my mind on that statement,” said the Cambridge horseman, who trains in partnership with Robert Wellwood.

Rondinella has won her last two starts and will shoot for a hat-trick when she runs in Saturday’s Listed Marks Ewen & Associates Kaimai S. at Matamata on Saturday.

“I’m really happy with her. She takes very little work, but the one piece of work that she’s had was quite stunning, I just hope that we don’t get all the rain that’s predicted,” James said.

Gem setback not long-term

Kris Lees is confident the infection Gem Song (Your Song) has suffered won't significantly disrupt the 3-year-old's autumn campaign.

Gem Song was a last start winner of the G3 Eskimo Prince S. but has been scratched from Saturday's G2 Hobartville S. at Rosehill, where he was set to meet resuming star The Autumn Sun (Redoute's Choice).

However, tests revealed an infection which Lees hopes will not impact him beyond this week.

"He's just got a little minor infection in his leg, a little bit of cellulitis, so he'll come out but we're still hopeful we can get him to the Randwick Guineas," Lees said.

"It's an interruption we didn't need, but I think he'll get over it pretty quickly."

Time called on Big Orange

The curtain has come down on the career of the well-travelled stayer Big Orange (GB) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}).

He won the G1 Gold Cup at Ascot in 2017, two editions of the G2 Goodwood Cup and was a dual winner of the G2 Princess of Wales’s S.

The Michael Bell-trained Big Orange twice ventured to Australia for the G1 Melbourne Cup with his best effort a fifth placing in 2015.

Owned by Bill and Tim Gredley, Big Orange had been out of action since picking up an injury in the Dubai Gold Cup last March and the same problem has returned.

"He'd only been trotting and was due to be re-scanned on Monday, but we brought it forward before he started cantering and there's a tiny bit of heat on the leg and the warning was there," Bell said.

"It was a no-brainer really, given it had flared up just through trotting.