Daily News Wrap

Tycoon colt to the fore

Written Tycoon colt O’Tycoon, who has a sister catalogued as Lot 264 at the upcoming Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in January, was an impressive 2.3l trial winner at Warwick Farm on Thursday.

Purchased by Bjorn Baker Racing and Clarke Bloodstock for $180,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, O’Tycoon’s sister is to be offered by Coolmore Stud.

The other 2-year-old trial winner in the sessions was the Invader gelding Vaderzan for Gary Portelli.

Verbier victorious

Miss Verbier (Fastnet Rock), a sister to G1 Mackinnon S. winner turned Gold Front stallion Awesome Rock, was victorious on debut at Kyneton on Thursday.

The David Brideoake-trained mare finished 0.3l the better of the Rupert Legh-owned First Platoon (Sebring) with a narrow gap back to Seymour Bloodstock debutant My Artemis (Written Tycoon).

Highclere horses on the move

Highclere Racing has confirmed that talented stayers Lord Belvedere (GB) (Archipenko {USA}) and Bartholomeu Dias (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}) will be transferred from Ciaron Maher and David Eustace to Annabel Neasham.

The promising Durston (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}), who was also in the care of Maher and Eustace will now be trained by Chris Waller.

Gallery: A few of the Highclere Racing horses headed to Annabel Neasham

"We've still got horses with Ciaron and David, it's just that a couple didn't fire last preparation and we thought a change of environment might jazz them up a bit and might get us a change of luck," Highclere Australia’s Managing Director Tony Fleiter told Racing.com.

"Lord Belvedere and Bartholomeu Dias, they won themselves a couple of races last year but probably didn't handle the step up in distance, so Annabel will just start with a clean canvas with them."

Mystic Flame fires

Mystic Flame, a daughter of young Aquis Farm stallion Divine Prophet, notched her second career victory in a Class 1 H. at Cowra on Thursday.

Ridden by Michael Heagney and trained by Maree Hopkins, Mystic Flame finished 0.45l ahead of Gracious Gracie (Dream Ahead {USA}) with a 0.65l gap back to Miss Warny (Epaulette) in third.

Divine Prophet remains sixth overall on the second-season sire standings by winners on 13, behind Flying Artie, Shalaa (Ire), Maurice (Jpn), Capitalist and Star Turn who are tied atop on 21.

Sixth winner for Territories

Darley stallion Territories (Ire) secured his sixth Australian winner for the season by the way of Famous Pedrille’s maiden victory at Hawkesbury on Thursday.

The Ron Quinton-trained gelding, who was contesting his seventh career start, proved too good for Roma Avenue (Star Witness) and Tea Or Coffee (Snitzel) in the 1400 metre contest.

Freedman cleared

Mitch Freedman has been cleared of any ‘error or negligence’ by the Victorian Racing Tribunal after it determined that the use of Hygain Release feed triggered cobalt readings in a swab obtained from Pearl De Vere (Wanted) at the Geelong races in June 2019.

“It is not contested the probable source of cobalt was the feed product, Hygain Release,” Judge VRT Chair Judge John Bowman said.

“We understand the feed, Hygain Release, has widespread use throughout the industry, thus we have a situation where you the trainer of Pearl De Vere has done nothing wrong.”

Summer Cup off the cards

Exciting French import Huetor (Fr) (Archipenko {USA}) won’t contest the G3 Summer Cup on Boxing Day even if he keeps his unbeaten record on Australian soil intact at Randwick on Saturday.

The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained galloper will be aiming for his third-consecutive victory since joining the father and son duo when he lines up in the 2000 metre BM88 Precise Air H.

“This is a nice race for Huetor, then we can give him a break to get ready for the autumn and maybe winter carnivals. The turnaround is getting shorter and shorter now between the carnivals,” Peter Snowden told Racenet.

It’s time to raise the bar

Danny O’Brien will allow performance not expectations to dictate a path forward for promising sprinter It’sourtime (Time For War).

The lightly raced 4-year-old is chasing back-to-back victories at Flemington on Saturday after breezing past Magnajet (Magnus) and progressive mare Duchess Of Dorset (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) on Stakes Day.

“It’s a good next step for him. This looks a pretty deep race, he’s got to be a good each-way hope,” O’Brien told Racenet.

“If he can keep going through his grades he’ll get to a decent race. But at the moment we’re trying to get him through his next start.”

Didham in a quandary with House Of Cartier

Peter Didham’s plan to use this weekend’s G3 Manawatu Cup as a lead-up to the G1 Zabeel Classic for classy mare House Of Cartier (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}) could yet come unstuck with heavy rainfall continuing to fall across the region.

Didham had planned to use last Saturday’s G2 Cal Isuzu S. at Te Rapa as his stable star's final lead up but when the rain came Didham changed tack and decided to target Saturday’s 2300 metre Awapuni feature.

“The idea has always been the Zabeel Classic but now we’ve got the quandary; do I run with 59kgs on her back on a Heavy track?” Didham said.

“I’m still thinking about it, but at this stage I really don’t know what I’m doing. I probably won’t make a final decision until Saturday morning.”

Johnstons join forces

Great Britain’s most successful flat trainer of all time by winners, Mark Johnston, will enter a training partnership with his son Charlie from January 1 next year.

“We often like to have a five to 10-year plan in our business and the goal of me having the sole license has been in the back of our minds for quite some time,” Charlie Johnston said. “It’s what I’ve always been working towards, and when they introduced training partnerships it offered us an obvious route to get from A to B.

“I’m in a very fortunate position to draw on Dad’s 30 years and 4800-plus winners of experience, but at the same time have some youth and drive to push the string onwards and upwards to greater heights.”

Elsworth calls time

David Elsworth, one of Britain’s greatest dual-purpose trainers of all time, has announced that he won’t renew his license next year, thus calling time on more than six decades in racing.

The 82-year-old demonstrated his innate horsemanship and versatility as a trainer through the success of legendary steeplechaser Desert Orchid (GB) and popular stayer Persian Punch (Ire).

“If you go to a party, there is a time to go home. I’m not upset or downhearted about anything, it’s just time to move on. I’ve had a great time.”