Powerful prospect
Power Scheme (Fiorente {Ire}) has been in excellent form this preparation and he can add the Listed Bet365 Kilmore Cup to his tally on Sunday.
The Tom Dabernig and Ben Hayes-trained 4-year-old has won two of his last four starts and last time out was a close second in the G3 Eclipse S.
Power Scheme
Black Sail (NZ) (Savabeel) won at his most recent appearance and will drop 4.5kg on that run while Delectation Girl (GB) (Delegator {GB}) was fifth when resuming in the G3 Hong Kong Jockey Club S. and has twice won second-up.
Pancho (Dissident) and Holbein (Pierro) are both racing well and wouldn’t need to show much improvement to be in the finish and a last-start failure aside, Mrs Beckham (Toronado {Ire}) has been going sound in her races.
Ideal going
Skiddaw (Hinchinbrook) found conditions ideal at Ballarat and duly added the fourth win of his career.
The 4-year-old was quickly into stride from a wide barrier to sit in second spot and, after taking control early in the run home, stayed on strongly for a comfortable victory in the Suez McKellar Mile.
“He’s a horse that’s better on the former tracks. He had a tricky gate, but flew out to get a good spot and it’s quite hard to make ground from the back,” stable representative Mark Chevalier said.
Meeting rescheduled
With temperatures at Swan Hill forecast to reach 41 degrees on Sunday, Racing Victoria notified that the meeting has been rescheduled to next Wednesday.
The Bureau of Meteorology advised that temperatures will peak between 1-4pm on Sunday and the decision to move the meeting to Wednesday was made by Racing Victoria in consultation with the Club.
The program from Sunday’s abandoned meeting will remain unchanged. However, all horses will need to re-nominate, but with those who were a final acceptor on Sunday being given preference in the ballot.
Back in business
Talented mare Media Sensation (I Am Invincible) backed up an eye-catching performance at the Ellerslie trials earlier this month with a comprehensive front-running effort to take out the G2 Dunstan Feeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ S.
Media Sensation (orange silks)
“We have been quite happy with her and had done a good bit of work with her on the beach,” co-trainer Dawn Williams said. “She had a really good break over the winter and we didn’t rush her back.
“The time she spent at the beach has really brought her on and she did look good heading to the start today. We targeted this race first-up and now she has that under her belt we will have a look toward what is next for her.”
One of the missions that the Williams’ have in mind for their charge is the G1 Sistema Railway at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
Top honour to Ghaiyyath
Godolphin’s four-time Group 1 winner Ghaiyyath (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has been crowned the Cartier Horse of the Year and has also been acknowledged as the Cartier Older Horse.
The 5-year-old is the third Cartier Horse of the Year for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin operation following Daylami (Ire) in 1999 and Fantastic Light (USA) in 2001.
Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}), owned by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, was named Cartier 3-year-old Colt
Love (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the Cartier 3-year-old Filly and Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum’s 6-year-old Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was awarded the Cartier Sprinter. For the third consecutive year, one of the most popular horses in training, Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) was named Cartier Stayer.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Van Gogh (USA) (American Pharoah {USA}) was named Cartier 2-year-old Colt of 2020 and the Cartier 2-year-old Filly fell to Pretty Gorgeous (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}). Trainer John Gosden OBE was the recipient of the Cartier/Daily Telegraph Award of Merit in 2020.
Second Counties Cup
Enigmatic stayer In A Twinkling (Fastnet Rock) was on his best behaviour as he secured his second G3 Franklin Auctions Counties Cup with a gritty effort on Saturday.
The Jamie Richards-trained 5-year-old can be a headstrong character at times and has tested Richards' patience on numerous occasions.
“We had been expecting him to run well and turn his form around as his work this week had been very good,” Richards said. “He is a bit of a hard horse to get a line on as you have to take him on trust a little bit. On top of the ground and up in trip this time, he was very good.”
Memorable week
The celebrations continued at Pukekohe Park on Saturday for Glen Harvey following a top result on Wednesday at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale.
Brix (NZ) (green silks)
The Cambridge trainer produced his first black-type winner when Brix (NZ) (Sweynesse) triumphed in the Listed Fasttrack Insurance S. to join stablemate Miss Ipenema (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) in the Karaka Million.
Harvey had made a splash at the Ready to Run Sale when he sold son of Reliable Man (GB) under his Roysyn Stables banner for NZ$230,000. The gelding was purchased last year by his parents Bruce and Maureen for NZ$5100 off gavelhouse.com.
Perfect record
Exciting filly Shezzacatch (NZ) (Savabeel) kept her unbeaten record intact when successful at Awapuni on Saturday to confirm she is on target for loftier assignments.
Bred by part-owner Tony Rider of Milan Park, the Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen-trained 3-year-old had won the Listed El Roca Sir Colon Meads Trophy on debut and comfortably.
Shezzacatch will now be prepared for next month’s G3 Eulogy S. with the G1 Levin Classic in January her main goal.
Mehmas fee up
Record-breaking first-season sire Mehmas (Ire) will see a fee increase to €25,000 (AU$47,000) at Tally Ho Stud in 2021. The son of Acclamation (GB) stood for €7500 (AUS$14,120) this year.
The standardbearer of the Tally Ho roster, however, remains Kodiac (GB), who is available in 2021 for €65,000 (AU$122,350), the same fee at which he has stood the past two years.
Cotai Glory (GB) and Galileo Gold (GB) both have their first runners next year and will stand for €5000 (AU$9400), the same fee as Vadamos (Fr), Kessaar (Ire) and Inns Of Court (Ire).
Gestut Roettgen roster
Group 1 winners Reliable Man (GB) and Protectionist (Ger) will each be available at Gestut Roettgen in 2021 for €6500 (AU$12,235).
Reliable Man returns to Roettgen after two years in France and has left 22 stakes winners, headed by the Southern Hemisphere Group 1 winners Miami Bound (NZ) and Miss Sentimental (NZ).
Reliable Man (GB)
G1 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist is the sire of two stakes-placed horses from his first crop of 2-year-olds this year, headed by the G3 Preis der Winterkonigin third and Winterkonigin Trial second Amazing Grace (Ger).
Multiple Group winner Millowitsch (Ger) (Sehrezad {Ire}) stands his second season for €1111 (AU$2000).
