Dolan sitting Pretty
In-form apprentice Robbie Dolan will take the ride on Pretty In Pink (Sebring) in the G1 Stradbroke Hcp next Saturday.
Dolan has been in great form riding in Sydney, winning 10 races in May and has only had four Group 1 rides before.
But with Pretty in Pink, who won the G2 Moreton Cup on Saturday, getting just 49.5kg in the 1400m race, John O'Shea has opted to engage Dolan.
Almond Eye beaten
Japanese star Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) has been beaten into third in the G1 Yasuda Kinen in Tokyo.
Having her first run since winning the G1 Dubai Turf in March, the 4-year-old mare got a long way out of her ground and while charging home, couldn’t get to the line in time. It is just the second defeat of her career.
Fellow Silk Racing owned Indy Champ (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) got the run through the middle to win the race, claiming tearaway leader Aerolithe (Jpn) (Kurofune {USA}) in the shadows of the post.
The second favourite Danon Premium (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) pulled up with an issue at the rear of the field. Both he and Almond Eye were badly tightened for room just after the start.
Con Te Partiro making alternate plans
Adrian Bott has confirmed that he and Gai Waterhouse will likely send Con Te Partiro (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) to the G2 Dane Ripper S. at Eagle Farm on Saturday given she will probably miss a start in the G1 Stradbroke Hcp.
Bott and Waterhouse were keen to start the last start G3 Dark Jewel S. winner in the $1.5m race but she looks too far down the ballot order to obtain a run.
The Dane Ripper over the same distance, against her own sex now looks to be the next start for the stakes-winner in three countries, with Tim Clark the likely jockey.
Power’s La Force registers first stakes victory
After finishing second in four graded stakes in her past five starts, Power’s (GB) 5-year-old daughter La Force (Ger) claimed her first ever stakes win in the Grade 2 Santa Maria Stakes at Santa Anita.
Breaking sharply in the 1700 metre race, La Force took up a position at the back of the five horse field just a few lengths behind the leading Just a Smidge (USA) (Into Mischief {USA}). As the field entered the far turn jockey Drayden Van Dyke asked La Force move closer to the lead with the mare showing a power kick that had her take command of the race with under 400 metres left to run.
As La Force pulled away from the field, race favourite Paradise Woods (USA) (Union Rags {USA}) made her move to chase after the leader. But it proved to be too late with La Force earning her first stakes victory by 1 ¼ lengths in the end.
After shuttling to New Zealand from 2013 to 2017, La Force’s sire Power was sold to Oaklands Stud in Queensland where he currently stands for $11,000 incl. GST.
Classic beginnings
Little Avondale Stud bred Classic Unicorn (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA)) made an immediate impression on debut in Hong Kong, leading all the way to win over 1000m at Sha Tin.
Trained by Chris So and ridden by Zac Purton, Classic Unicorn strolled clear to win by 2.75l, giving Purton the record for the most prizemoney won in a single season by a jockey.
He was a $40,000 buy for Ric Wylie Bloodstock at the 2017 NZB Select Sale from Little Avondale's draft.
He is out of Grace and Eva (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), the half-sister to stakes-placed pair El Bulli (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Abbey Drive {Zabeel {NZ}), which is the extended family of champions Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Lucky Owners {NZ}) (Danehill {USA}).
Fourth winner for Toronado
Swettenham Stud's Toronado (Ire) marked his fourth Australian winner with Still A Star breaking her maiden at start number five at Devonport.
Still A Star, trained by Bill Ryan, has been runner-up at her first four starts, but becomes a fourth individual winner and sixth win for Toronado, whose first crop has been highlighted by Prince of Sussex, who won the $1m VOBIS Showdown at Caulfield.
Toronado
Other sires to get 2-year-old winners on Sunday were Hinchinbrook, who had Skiddaw win at Ballarat, as well as Blackfriars, who had Eye Of The Day win at Pinjarra, and Your Song, who had Outta Reach prevail at Goulburn.
Home double for Blackiston
Nigel Blackiston marked his first couple of wins at his adopted home track of Ballarat on Sunday.
Protection Money (Domesday) resumed a winner in a 1400m maiden in race 3 for owner Ross Wilkinson, and stablemate Balarante Lad (Fiorente {Ire}) completed the double over 1500m the next race.
“He’s come back in good order, he's a very slow maturing sort horse, a little dumb last time in but he's improved with the spell," Blackiston said of Protection Money
"He's trialled nicely twice here on the synthetic track and we're hopeful, it was a nice return and hopefully he can go on now."
Trainer Nigel Blackiston
Pence heads to paddock
Hunta Pence (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}) will get a well-earned rest having rounded off his campaign with a win in the Foxton Cup at Wanganui on Saturday.
Trainer Patrick Campbell said the 6-year-old, a winner of eight of his 40 starts, will head to the paddock and be set for better races once the weather improves.
“He was always going to the paddock, win, lose or draw on Saturday,” he said.
“He is starting to get into an awkward place in the weights now so we will have to think about how we place him next time in. He is at his best around the 2000m mark so that’s where we will be looking with him.”
