Racing to continue in Victoria, for now

Racing Victoria remains confident that thoroughbred racing in the state can continue despite the state moving to Stage 4 restrictions, following the continued outbreak of COVID-19.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews is expected to confirm the impacts on the industry of the latest measures on Monday, but Racing Victoria has already put in place strict protocols to prevent the spread of coronavirus, which have been in place for the duration of the pandemic.

The State Government has confirmed tough new measures aimed to reduce case numbers, including curfews and travel restrictions, which will be in place until at least September 13.

Racing Victoria has since issued a statement, saying it will be business as usual.

"Until otherwise advised, racing and training is continuing under the strict biosecurity protocols that have safely guided the Victorian racing industry throughout the past four-and-a-half months without a COVID-19 case," it said.

"As advised by the Premier today, the Government will make a further announcement tomorrow regarding any changes to its directives around places of work. RV will await that announcement before providing an update to the industry."

Any shut down of racing in the state would prove disastrous in the lead-up to the 2020 Spring Carnival.

Crusader's return imminent

Promising 4-year-old Masked Crusader would be set to return to the races in the next two weeks, with the Toronado (Ire) gelding set to trial this week.

Michael Hawkes confirmed to Racenet that Masked Crusader, a winner of three of his four starts to date, will line up in a 900 metre trial on Tuesday at Rosehill.

"He will just have the one trial and then we will start looking at things from there," Michael Hawkes said.

"We are happy with him, he is great and he looks really well.

"He will run in a benchmark race first-up probably on Saturday week (at Randwick) and then we will see how we go in that before making any other plans."

Apprentices reprimanded

Victorian apprentices Teo Nugent and Lachlan King have escaped any charges after the conclusion of a three-week inquiry into rides in a race at Caulfield last month.

King aboard Surreal Image (Akeed Mofeed {GB}) and Nugent on France’s Boy (Equiano {Fr}) took each other on for the lead in a 1700 metre handicap on July 11, with both horses fading late in the race, prompting the inquiry

Stewards interviewed both riders, as well as trainers John Hickmott and Kevin Corstens, shortly after the race, while they also sought input from Racing Victoria Apprentice Jockey Coach Alf Matthews and the masters of each rider, King's mentor Gerald Egan and Nugent's boss David Eustace.

Stewards could not determine the error of judgement could be described as culpable under the rules of racing and issued both riders with a severe reprimand.

Stakes racing on horizon for Kiss The Bride

Bjorn Baker is making long-term plans for Saturday's Randwick winner Kiss The Bride (NZ) (Savabeel).

The 5-year-old outstayed his rivals in a 1800 metre BM78 H. to claim his fifth win and first of the campaign.

“He (Kiss The Bride) didn’t show a whole heap early on but he has continued to improve,” he said of the NZ$200,000 purchase from the Waikato Stud draft at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale .

“I do think he is better on top of the ground and I think it was mainly guts, a good ride from James McDonald and a never-give-in attitude that got him home.

“There’s not a whole heap of races for him at present so I’m going to have to give it some thought on where we go to with him.

“I’d like to think we will be looking at some of the staying stakes races but that might still be a preparation away.

“He’s crying out for 2000 metres and further although, with the track the way it was, it probably seemed more like that than the official 1800 metres that it was on Saturday.”

Stewards scratch after wrong horse presented

Racing Victoria stewards scratched a John McArdle-trained runner at Sandown on Sunday, when the wrong horse was brought to the races.

Drone Strike (Smart Missile) a $7 chance, was scratched from the Ladbrokes Odds Boost Exotics H. after stewards established the horse floated to the track was not the right horse.

"The horses were in the paddock together and the girl who got her out of the yard simply got the wrong horse," McArdle said.

“It was just a case of human error.”

Greene pulls right rein

Trainer David Greene's decision to send his 4-year-old Judy's Song (NZ) (Niagara) to the track instead of the trials proved the right one at Te Aroha on Sunday.

Greene had been considering running the mare in a 1200 metre trial before making her debut over more ground but decided to try his luck on Sunday instead. Judy’s Song rewarded that thinking as she came from near last on the home bend to win decisively by 3.5l.

“She had only had the one trial over 900 metres and was outpaced most of the way so we weren’t expecting too much today,” Greene said.

“In saying that her last 100 metres that day, and then past the post was very good, but I did think 1200 metres would be too short for her.

“I was actually going to give her another trial over 1200 metres and maybe then line her up over a mile so it’s great to get a win on raceday here instead.

“The heavy track certainly helped but she was very impressive in the final furlong and very strong at the finish.”

Greene believes Judy’s Song still has plenty of developing to do and predicts she could be prominent over more ground at this time next year.

“She’s really only developing into herself now so I think on what she showed today she could be quite a solid winter horse in her next campaign,” he said.

“I think winter tracks will be her forte so we will just take her along quietly as she learns more about the game."

Silvano stars again at South African National Sale

The second and final session of the Bloodstock South Africa National Yearling Sale saw seven additional seven-figure (Rand) lots added to the top of the price list.

Maine Chance Farms’s champion sire Silvano (Ger) had been the star of Day 1, responsible for the top four lots including the sale-leading R7-million (AU$574,065) colt, and he once again provided the top two on Saturday. The leading light was Maine Chance’s colt (Lot 329) bought by Anthony Beck for R2.3-million (AU$188,621). He is the second foal out of the G1 SA Oaks winner Pine Princess (SAF) (Captain Al {SAF}), who has an as-yet unraced 2-year-old full brother.

Wilgerbosdrift sold the Sale’s two highest-priced colts on Friday and they provided another highlight on Saturday in the form of Lot 251, a Silvano half-brother to Group 3 winner Folk Dance (SAF) (Tiger Ridge {USA}) and the Classic-placed Capoeira (SAF) (Oratorio {Ire}). He was bought by Form Bloodstock for R1.6-million (AU$131,214).

Young sire Gimmethegreenlight was the one to break up Silvano’s momentum on the leaderboard, with a colt (Lot 366) sold for R1.4-million (AU$114,813) to Form’s Jehan Malherbe. Malherbe paid the same price for Lot 453, a rare offering in this country by Uncle Mo (USA). The colt is the second foal out of Ubiquitous Mantle (Ire) (Alhaarth {Ire}), a three-time winner in Ireland the US and a granddaughter of the G1 Yorkshire Oaks winner Roseate Tern (GB) (Blakeney {GB}).

Unsurprisingly in the COVID era, figures were slightly off from last year’s returns. From 478 yearlings catalogued over the two-day sale, 341 were offered and 294 sold for an aggregate of R86,915,000 (AU$7,121,000). Last year, 438 had been sold over three days for R139,380,000 (AU$11.4 million). The average dipped 7.2 per cent to R295,629 (AU$24,222), while the median was down 8.6 per cent at R160,000 (AU$13,121).