Moore mixing it up

John Moore is taking a fresh approach with Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road To Rock) when the defending champion completes his final gallop on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s G1 FWD Champions’ Mile.

“He’ll jump out of the gates, which isn’t usual for him,” he told the Hong Kong Jockey Club website. “He’s been up a long time and we noticed last season that he was a little lethargic out of the gates at the back end, so the jump out should sharpen him.

“We’ve increased his workload a little bit since his last run to make sure he’s very sharp on the day. He’s just so durable and he’s coping with all of it,” Moore said. “The programme here dictates when he runs but the races are so spaced that it works in his favour.”

Beauty Generation is unbeaten in his last eight appearances and most recently in the G2 Chairman’s Trophy.

Lofty goals for stablemates

Western Australian trainer Simon Miller has confirmed Group 1 targets for Valour Road (Frost Giant {USA}) and Lady Cosmology (Universal Ruler) at next month’s Adelaide carnival.

The former has been set for the Goodwood H. and Lady Cosmology has the Robert Sangster S. on her programme.

“I couldn’t be happier with Valour Road’s win on Saturday,” Miller said. “He’s come out of it well and is ready for the step-up to Group 1 level. We’re looking at starting him in the Euclase S. a fortnight before the Goodwood.

“Lady Cosmology didn’t like the heavy track last Friday. She’s capable of running a big race against the fillies and mares in the Sangster. “There’s also a chance Lady Cosmology will also start in the Proud Miss S. two weeks later.”

Gold Sale inspections

Inspections begin on Wednesday morning ahead of the Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale, which will be held at Oaklands Junction on Sunday with selling to begin at 10am. The catalogue includes 137 Super VOBIS-nominated yearlings and 105 BOBS eligible youngsters

A total of 261 yearlings, 241 in the main catalogue and 20 supplementary entries, will be offered for the sale with Stockwell Thoroughbreds, Stonehouse Thoroughbreds and Sunhill Bloodstock open for parades from 12 noon on Wednesday.

The majority of drafts will be available for inspection from Thursday while all offerings will be parading by Friday morning.

Successful stallions Written Tycoon, Exceed and Excel, Zoustar, So You Think (NZ), Dundeel (NZ) Deep Field, Fiorente (Ire) and Rubick are represented in this year’s catalogue.

Guineas off agenda

Trainer Anthony Cummings will err on the side of caution with Agassi (Pierro).

His immediate thought after the 3-year-old won at Randwick on Monday was a quick back-up into the G3 Hawkesbury Guineas on Saturday, but he has now thought better.

"He's pulled up well, but we've decided the best plan for him is to have his next run on May 4 in a similar race, then three weeks into another benchmark race with another two weeks to the Queensland Guineas,” Cummings said.

"We think that's a better way to get him to Queensland. Glamour Cat will get into the Hawkesbury Guineas so it's either the high road or the low road with her.

"The Guineas wouldn't be a silly idea and she is not without a chance with 54 kilos."

St Leger ideal for Transact

The Gai Waterhouse stable is again targeting the Listed VRC St Leger at Flemington with the race considered ideal for Transact (Dundeel {NZ}).

Waterhouse, who has been training in partnership with Adrian Bott in recent seasons, has previously won the race with Hippopus (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Order Of The Sun (Encosta de Lago) before the partnership also triumphed in last year's edition with Runaway (Manhattan Rain).

"It's a race we like to target each year and having the stable down in Melbourne the past few years has really helped us achieve that and bring the right types of horses down there from Sydney," Bott said.

"I think we've got the right type of horse again this year in Transact. He's just an out-and-out stayer.”

Sydney return for filly

Plans are already in place for a Sydney return for leading New Zealand filly Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel).

Wet tracks dogged her during the autumn carnival with the Karaka Million winner, who is raced by Cambridge Stud principals Brendan and Jo Lindsay, finishing sixth in the G3 Magic Night S., and fifth in the G1 Sires’ Produce S.

“She had a track gallop on the Saturday prior to the Champagne, but pulled up with a bit of filling in front,” Cambridge Stud Chief Executive Officer Henry Plumptre said. “She was never lame and we flew her home.

“She’s having six weeks at the Karaka farm before she comes back into work. That’s with a view to taking part in the Princess series in the spring. We're quite keen to see her end up in a race like the Flight S.”

New season return

Danielle Johnson, who has been side-lined since mid-November after fracturing collar bone in a race fall at Ruakaka, will delay her return to race-riding until the new season.

“I’ve been back riding trackwork for the last couple of weeks and I had four trial rides last Monday, but I won’t be back race riding until next season,” Johnson said.

“I still have a plate and six screws in my collar bone and they’re coming out on July 23. I couldn’t move my collar bone at all for a long time and it’s still a bit weak so it’s going to take a while to get my full strength back.

“I usually take a break over the winter, so it’s been nice having time off in the summer. But riding over the Christmas and New Year carnival is what we strive for as jockeys and watching the horses that I would usually ride win was tough.”

Season finale for Shadows Cast

Thursday’s Listed Manawatu ITM Anzac Mile at Awapuni looms as the final run for the season for Group 1 winner Shadows Cast (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}).

“He’s got 60kgs and the bottom weight has got 53kgs, so it is a seven kilo spread, but I don’t think that will be a huge burden for him,” trainer Mark Oulaghan said. "He ran in the race last year carrying 60kgs and just got beaten.”

It has been more than a month between runs for Shadows Cast when he finished a well-beaten eighth behind Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands)in the G1 New Zealand S. on a heavy track at Ellerslie last start.

“We probably should have scratched him at Ellerslie,” Oulaghan said. “We wanted to run him over 2000 metres, but it was a heavy track and we probably rode him a bit wrong and it was just a culmination of things. It was his first time right hand going."