Chasing stakes double
Banquo (Written Tycoon) will chase a his second black type win in a week when the brother to the G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Booker runs in the G2 Sandown Guineas on Saturday.
He was successful in the Listed Springtime S. at Flemington to post the second win of his five-start career.
Banquo will chase a his second black type win contesting the G2 Sandown Guineas on Saturday
"He's been really good since last Saturday and we think he's going to run really well," trainer Danny O'Brien said.
Banquo started his career with New Zealand trainer Stephen Marsh and raced twice for him in Melbourne earlier this year before remaining in Australia to join O'Brien's stable.
"He's a horse we only got after he had had a couple of runs in the winter so we gave him a spell and had an open mind on him all spring," he said. "He's made really good progress and come a long way in a short time.”
Newcastle preferred option
Trainer Mark Newnham considered starting Panna Cotta (Fastnet Rock) in last weekend's $1 million Golden Gift before deciding it was too much to ask of the filly on debut.
The youngster will instead make her first appearance in Saturday’s Sage Painting Max Lees Classic at Newcastle.
"I thought the Golden Gift was going to be a high pressure race and 1100 metres first-up, it probably wasn't going to be the race for her to start off in," Newnham said. "I thought I'd wait for this one."
Trainer Mark Newnham has opted to start Panna Cotta in Saturday’s Sage Painting Max Lees Classic at Newcastle
She showed good gate speed to lead all the way and win her only trial at Eagle Farm.
"She hasn't gone backwards since her trial and her trial from was franked with the horse of Jean Dubois'," Newnham said.
Panna Cotta is the first horse Newnham has trained for breeder Segenhoe Stud with the filly a sister to the G3 Thoroughbred Club S. winner Serene Majesty with their dam the stakes winner Custard (Lonhro)
On trial for Villiers
A bold run from Spectroscope (USA) (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}) in the Mooloolaba Cup at the Sunshine Coast will book a trip to Sydney for the G2 Villiers S.
He resumed at Eagle Farm a month ago and finished third in a three-way photo-finish in an open handicap over 1400 metres.
"He gave the winner 8kg and the runner-up 5kg before going under by about a head," trainer Natalie McCall said. "Spectroscope isn't a big horse, but he is strong and tough.
"If he races well on Saturday it will mean a month to the Villiers. It seems an ideal race for him.
"The Villiers has been a good race for Queensland horses in recent years and there are some other races up here to suit him later in the summer.”
Advertise to start at £25,000
Advertise (GB), a triple Group 1 winning sprinter at 2-years-old and 3-years-old, will begin his stud career at the National Stud, Newmarket in 2020 for a fee of £25,000 (AU$46,993). National Stud Director Tim Lane said of the G1 Phoenix S., Commonwealth Cup and Prix Maurice de Gheest winner, “Advertise possessed the perfect combination of speed, precocity and toughness. His three Group 1 victories cemented him as one of the best sprinters of his generation and we are very confident he has the physical attributes to be the complete package for breeders.”
Also new to the National Stud is G1 Irish St Leger winner Flag of Honour (Ire), who will be available for £4500 (AU$8458). The National Stud roster is completed by Aclaim (GB) at £9500 (AU$17,856) and Time Test (GB) at £8500 (AU$15,976), both represented by their first foals this year, and Rajasinghe (Ire) at £5000 (AU$9398), whose first foals arrive next year.
Smullen receives Cartier Award
Multiple Irish champion jockey Pat Smullen was presented with the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit during the 29th annual Cartier Awards at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Tuesday evening.
Paying tribute to Smullen’s achievements, Harry Herbert, racing consultant for Cartier, said, “Pat Smullen is an inspirational figure. As well as his brilliance in the saddle, his dedication to help others who face the same health issues tells us what an outstanding human being he is.”
WA moves on welfare
Moves are underway to improve welfare standards for racehorses in Western Australia, including creating a passport for each horse to track them after retirement and subjecting knackeries and abattoirs to random inspections.
The state government announced on Thursday a new rule of racing whereby the industry must aim to rehome all healthy and behaviourally sound thoroughbreds and standardbreds.
Racing and Gaming Minister Paul Papalia said the federal government would be pressured to implement and oversee a National Traceability Register, which was essential to restore confidence in the industry in the wake of the recent scandal surrounding the Meramist Abattoir in Queensland.
Top lot bound for rich Dirt Sprint
Horses of racing age led a strong market during Wednesday’s eighth session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale as Grade 3 winner New York Central (USA) (Tapit {USA}) sold to Khalid Mishref for US$240,000 (AU$352,573).
WinStar Racing, agent, consigned New York Central (USA) was sold by WinStar Racing and his four wins includes the G3 Maryland Sprint S. The colt is out of Fashion Cat (USA) (Forest Wildcat {USA}) and is a half-brother to the G2 winner Corfu (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}) from the family of Group 1 winner Peace Rules (USA) (Jules {USA}).
Mishref said New York Central would be sent to Saudi Arabia to be aimed at the US$1.5 million (AU$2.2 million) Dirt Sprint in February 2020 on the undercard of the US$20 million (AU$29.4 million) Saudi Cup at King Abdulaziz Racetrack.
Cumulative sales with four sessions remaining in the auction are US$191,698,200 (AU$281,627,513) for 1895 horses at an average of US$101,160 (AU$148,616) and median of US$45,000 (AU$66,108).
Group 1 challenges
Supera (NZ) (Savabeel) will use Saturday's G2 Gartshore Tauranga S. as a dress rehearsal for a return to Group 1 racing.
The Sir Peter Vela-bred and raced mare tackled Group 1 company twice last preparation, finishing seventh in the Haunui Farm WFA Classic at Otaki on a slow track before her second placing in the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' S. at Te Aroha.
"She'll run in this and then she'll go to the G1 Captain Cook S. and then to the G1 Zabeel Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. That was the idea of giving her a run there last start," said Ken Kelso, who trains Supera in partnership with his wife Bev at Matamata.
Supera resumed in a 1400 metre open handicap at Ellerslie last month, hitting the line strongly for second under 60kg.
Chasing Riccarton gold
The gold colours of Kevin Hickman will once again be prominent at Riccarton on Saturday.
The Valachi Downs principal has four horses entered with private trainer Stephen Autridge, with two firm chances in feature races.
Laced With Gold (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) will line-up in the Listed Barneswood Farm Welcome S. after finishing second and fourth in her two previous starts over 800 metres at Riccarton last month.
“She has continued to please us, but her barrier draw doesn’t,” he said. “She is well and we have put blinkers on just to smarten her up that little bit.”
Autridge is also looking forward to contesting Group 1 spoils on Saturday with Karalino (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) in the gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600 metres).
“I am very happy with her,” he said. “She has drawn quite nicely and the distance will be no problem. We think that she is a really promising filly. She has done nothing but improve, so we believe we will be right in it. We are looking forward to it.”
Meeting cancelled
The Hong Kong Jockey Club cancelled its midweek race meeting at Happy Valley due to ongoing protests and political unrest.
It is the second time in the past two months a Hong Kong race card has been called off because of the social turmoil gripping the country.
The Jockey Club said its decision to cancel Wednesday's Happy Valley meeting was made in the safety interests of its employees and racegoers.
