Daily News Wrap

Perth fires evacuees to Magic Millions

More than 50 homes have been razed and hundreds evacuated with the Wooroloo bushfires raging in Perth’s hills that had on Tuesday evening already burned through 7300 hectares.

Hundreds of people and their livestock have been evacuated as the fire threatens lives and homes to Perth’s north eastern suburbs.

The fire started in Wooroloo yesterday afternoon and is now heading west, with residents in Ellenbrook, Aveley and the Vines alerted that they were under emergency threat on Monday night.

Horses and other livestock have been moved to the Magic Millions facility in Swan Valley as many farms are given evacuation orders.

Racing and Wagering Western Australia (RWWA) has advised of several evacuation venues for those affected and needing to house horses. They include Belmont Racecourse, Lark Hill, Northam Harness, Byford Harness, Northam Thoroughbreds and Off The Track Estate.

There are currently bushfire emergency warnings for the areas of The Vines, Bailup, Ellenbrook, Gidgegannup, Millendon, Walyunga National Park, Upper Swan, Aveley, Avon Valley National Park, Red Hill, Belhus, Baskerville, Herne Hill, Bullsbrook, Wooroloo, Brigadoon and in the Shires of Mundaring, Chittering and Northam and the City of Swan.

The fires have hit at the same time as a COVID-19 lockdown order for the greater Perth region.

Draw favours Profiteer

The barrier draw for the R. Listed Inglis Millennium at Randwick has favoured pre-post favourite Profiteer (Capitalist).

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained colt has barrier six and has now firmed to $1.85 after Sneaky Five (Fastnet Rock) drew out in 17 and has drifted to $8.

"He is a very happy colt and he's thrived," Price said on Sydney's Sky Sports Radio. "He's put on a bit of weight and he's just really deepened up in the coat.”

Profiteer will return to Melbourne after Saturday’s outing for the G1 Blue Diamond S. ahead of the G1 Golden Slipper S.

Three out of Mile

New Zealand rising star Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), as well as the Leon and Troy Corstens-trained Morrissy (Snitzel) and Neil Dyer-trained Kaonic (NZ) (Savabeel), have all been withdrawn from the entries of the $5 million All-Star Mile.

Andrew Forsman, who trains in partnership with Murray Baker, said Aegon would skip The All-Star Mile in Melbourne and will be targeted towards the Sydney carnival.

G1 Epsom H. winner Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) is the sole entry left for New Zealand after Jamie Richards indicated that Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) would also bypass the race.

Mugatoo sweating on Mile votes

After finishing fourth in the G1 Cox Plate last year, Mugatoo (Ire) (Henrythenavigator {USA}) is vying for a spot in The All-Star Mile and Australian Bloodstock’s Luke Murrell is hopeful he can secure enough votes to earn himself a spot in the race.

"We walked away from the Cox Plate thinking if we had the run of the winner the result could have been very different," Murell told Racing.com.

"His record speaks for itself and he is going as good as ever by all reports.

"I haven't been looking deliberately but keep getting plenty of people texting me who have voted for him.

"He has a cult following up here in New South Wales and is one of the most popular horses we have ever had so hopefully that counts for something."

Pippie to launch in Lightning

Dual Group 1-winning mare Pippie (Written Tycoon) will be looking to add a third top-flight victory to her CV this autumn before heading to the Inglis Chairman’s Sale and co-trainer Chris Meagher is hopeful the G1 Black Caviar Lightning S. is the race she can do it in.

"Damian Lane will come down and ride her tomorrow and as long as she comes through a-okay she will go to the Lightning," Meagher told Racing.com on Tuesday.

"There is obviously no corner for her to kick-off, but we won't be changing the way we ride her.

"She will be riding the speed and I would imagine five or six across the track will do something similar."

Sirius Newmarket contender

Saab Hasan has his sights set on the G1 Newmarket H. for his G3 Standish H. winner Sirius Suspect (Wanted) and the Flemington trainer believes he is in great shape to give the feature sprint a shake.

"He's flying, absolutely flying," Hasan told Racing.com.

"He had 14 days off (after winning at Flemington), and he's smashing all his feed, he's eating his breakfast by 7am.

"We will go to The Valley to gallop next Monday and then we will gallop again the following Monday and then he will trial the following Friday on the 26th at Flemington.

"That will tune him up for the Newmarket. He has shown fresh (he can perform well) and he's coming in off a short let-up, so there's no reason why he can't emulate the same run he did first-up (on Melbourne Cup Day)."

Waller staff resign

Chris Waller released a statement on Tuesday regarding a physical altercation between two of his Gold Coast staff at a party last month who have since resigned.

"There has been speculation that there was a party that got out of hand on the Gold Coast involving stable staff on the evening of Wednesday the 27th January. As this incident was outside of work hours, I haven't made comment in relation to this until today," Waller said in the statement.

“I can confirm that some of these staff were from my stable and have been stood down as a result of this incident, which did include a physical altercation between two people, who have resigned immediately.

"Due to the incident being outside of work hours, we have to be careful how the matter is handled and therefore a thorough investigation is continuing.”

SA receives prizemoney boost

South Australian racing received a large boost on Tuesday with the announcement that an extra $2.6 million to be injected into the industry.

The G1 Goodwood, G1 Robert Sangster S., G1 Australasian Oaks and G1 South Australian Derby have all increased by $100,000 from $402,250 to $502,250 while the G2 Adelaide Cup will receive a $50,000 increase, rising to $302,250.

Other black-type races will also have increased prizemoney, while general prizemoney levels will also rise from July 1.

"The industry is strong and vibrant at the moment, and this announcement only adds further to that momentum," Racing SA CEO, Nick Redin, told Racing.com.

"We're backing the industry to get behind us, and the trainers and other industry figures we speak to are certainly doing that.

"These new prizemoney levels will ensure our SA participants will be in a position to continue to grow their businesses."

Allen suspended

Group 1-winning jockey John Allen has been suspended for eight meetings after pleading guilty to a low-range careless riding charge at Donald on Monday.

Allen’s suspension will begin midnight on February 6 and expires at midnight on February 13.

Lifetime ban expected

A lifetime ban from all New Zealand tracks awaits the man who walked into the middle of the Trentham home straight on Saturday and narrowly avoided catastrophe with the oncoming field.

Jockeys were forced to take evasive action and the man was later arrested and will appear in the Hutt Valley District Court on Thursday.

New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing General Legal Counsel James Dunne​ told Stuff.co.nz the ban would come in to force as soon as court processes were finished.

“We take an extremely dim view of what happened. He can expect a lifetime ban from all the clubs around the country,” he said.

“His name and picture will be going out to all the clubs, as well as to harness racing and greyhound clubs and to some of our international partners.”

Te Rapa challenge

Exciting 3-year-old Rocket Spade (Fastnet Rock) is tackling older horses at Te Rapa on Wednesday as part of his preparation for the G1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby.

Trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott, he is the favourite on the TAB futures market for the Derby following his victory in the G2 Auckland Guineas at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.

“There’s no other race for him. It’s just in a difficult space because we want to give him two runs over ground before the Derby,” O’Sullivan said.

Rocket Spade will carry 62kg at Te Rapa, giving weight to all his opponents and O’Sullivan said his colt doesn’t need to win to stay on the Derby track.

“He hasn’t been to the races for five or so weeks, it’s his first run over ground, and you look at the weight he’s got to carry compared to older horses. You wouldn’t really expect him to win.”

Classic winners impress

Cambridge trainer Tony Pike is looking forward to autumn racing with a couple of last season’s Classic winners after pleasing trials at Rotorua on Tuesday.

G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Loire (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) showed a good turn of foot when coming from the back of the field to take out her 1000 metre heat.

“I was really pleased with her trial,” Pike said. “She’s a Group 1 filly, you expect her to trial well.

“At this stage we will kick her off in the fillies and mares’ 1400 metres at Matamata on Breeders’ S. Day and the long-term target, if she comes up well, will be the G1 Te Aroha Breeders’ S."

Pike was also pleased with G1 New Zealand Derby winner Sherwood Forest's (Fastnet Rock) first-up hitout over 1215 metres, finishing fourth.

“He ran out of room late and was always travelling well and was really strong through the line. He has come back in great shape and his long-term target this prep is third-up in the G2 Awapuni Gold Cup.”

Primed for Taranaki Cup

Diminutive galloper Fiscal Fantasy (Skilled) will be vying to boost her pedigree page even further at New Plymouth on Saturday when she contests the G3 Powerworx Taranaki Cup.

The Frank Ritchie-trained mare has won at Group 3 level on three prior occasions and finished runner-up in the 2019 G1 Zabeel Classic.

She disappointed when tailing the field home in the Group 1 feature on Boxing Day last year, but rebounded with a solid runner-up effort in the G3 Trentham S. last month.

“She has pulled up very well,” Ritchie said. “We are coming back to 1800 metres so I have tried to freshen her a little bit.”

Lady Apple retired

Lady Apple (USA) (Curlin {USA}), third in the 2019 G1 Kentucky Oaks, has been retired and will be bred to Grade 1 sire Quality Road (USA), owner Phoenix Thoroughbreds announced on Monday.

A four-time Grade 3 winner in the 2019 Fantasy S., Iowa Oaks, Remington Park Oaks and in the 2020 Houston Ladies Classic, the bay was trained by Steve Asmussen for the majority of her career.

“She has been a fantastic race mare for us and she'll be an excellent addition to our breeding operation,” Phoenix Thoroughbreds CEO, Amer Abdulaziz, said in a statement. “She has a top-class pedigree with a race record to match while the cross with Quality Road looks very exciting.”