Daily News Wrap

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Doomben Cup postponed to Wednesday

The G1 Doomben Cup will be run on Wednesday after the Brisbane Racing Club was forced to call off Saturday's scheduled nine race card with heavy persisting in southeast Queensland.

It follows the G1 Doomben 10,000 meeting being moved to Eagle Farm last Saturday after rain rendered the Doomben surface similarly unsuitable for racing.

Brisbane was predicted to receive up to 40mm of rain on Saturday and a further 15mm is forecast for Sunday. While showers are expected to continue, those levels are likely to ease off significantly towards Wednesday.

Racing Queensland confirmed that all races scheduled transfer to the new date where the $1 million feature over 2000 metres is accompanied by the G3 BRC Sprint and the Listed The Roses – a G1 Queensland Oaks lead-up.

A midweek card originally planned for Wednesday at Doomben has been moved to Monday, May 30.

Madame Pommery impresses at Rosehill

The Chris Waller-trained Madame Pommery (No Nay Never {USA}) shed her maiden status at the second time of asking when she landed a race over 1200 metres at Rosehill on Saturday.

The 2-year-old filly surged clear in the final stages to beat Dark Harmony (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) by 3.16l. The winner’s stablemate Northern Beaches (Not A Single Doubt), who was sent off the $4.40 favourite appeared to struggle in the Heavy conditions and eventually finished another 0.3l away in third.

Madame Pommery winning at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Bred by Coolmore, Madame Pommery was purchased by Waller and Guy Mulcaster for $150,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2021 and he is out of dual winner Cancel (Exceed And Excel) who was snapped up by Coolmore for $400,000 at the 2018 edition of the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Cancel is a sister to 2014 G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Earthquake, while she also counts Listed-winning pair Pandemic (Sepoy) and Palomares (Commands) among her half-siblings.

Neasham unearths another exciting import

With Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) unable to defend his G1 Doomben Cup crown, Annabel Neasham was relying on Hopeful (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) - another exciting import - to hand her yet another stakes win on Saturday and he did not dissapoint when landing the Listed Lord Mayor's Cup at Rosehill.

Purchased by Stuart Boman of Blandford Bloodstock and Ontrack Thoroughbreds for €130,000 at the Arqana Arc Horse-In-Training Sale in 2021, Hopeful beat The Frontman (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) by 0.4l

Hopeful kicked off his Australian career with a second-placed finish at Hawkesbury and stable representative Alix Turpin said he was not an easy horse to train.

Hopeful (Fr) holds on to win the Listed Lord Mayors Cup at Rosehill | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

“Hopeful is not an easy horse to train so credit to the team, they have done a good job,’’ Turpin said.

“Annabel was very confident coming here off that run at Hawkesbury as it was very promising and he was stepping up in trip.

“It wasn’t an easy watch but Rachel knows him very well and it was a great ride from her, too.’’

Star Patrol enforces sprinting status at Flemington

The Clinton Mcdonald-trained Star Patrol (Starspangledbanner) continued his rich vein of form when he posted his third successive victory in the Ecycle Solutions Trophy at Flemington.

After seeing off his rivals by 7l over 1200 metres on ANZAC Day, the 3-year-old gelding once again showed a good turn of foot, beating Treporti (I Am Invincible) by 2l.

“He's still a big baby in a sense," said winning jockey Brett Prebble.

"He jumped out neutral today and the first 50 metres he never really took the bridle and I thought he's going to be a couple of lengths off them, then once he gets up into his stride he really becomes strong and wants to be competitive and start racing."

"I think the high-cruising speed drops a lot of horses and they can't sustain his gallop.

"That's the difference between the good ones and bad ones, they can't sustain their sprint."

Belle Plaisir impresses at Morphettville

New Zealand-bred mare Belle Plaisir (NZ) (Proisir) landed her first stakes victory since relocating to Tony and Calvin McEvoy’s Australian stable when she took out the G3 R A Lee S. at Morphettville on Saturday.

A Listed winner in her native New Zealand, the 5-year-old mare stayed on stoutly to beat Cherry Tortoni (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) by 0.1l with Excelida (Exceed And Excel) coming home another 2.8l away in third.

“God bless her – she’s a really good little mare who came over from New Zealand,” he said. “Lucy Tanner and her co-owner (Lance Hickman) sent her over to us, and she’s raced really well for us. To win a Group 3 with this mare today is very special.

Belle Plaisir (NZ) lands her first stakes company since relocating to Australia in the G3 R A Lee S. at Morphettville | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

“She was a Listed winner in New Zealand and also had form around some good-quality horses who had come across to Australia and run well, so we knew that she had what it took.”

The stable will now consider a trip to Queensland for the National Classic at Eagle Farm on June 4.

Aravene enters Queensland Oaks reckoning

Following her victory in the Canadian Club at Rosehill on Saturday, the Caroline Jennings-trained Aravene (Fastnet Rock) could now be aimed at the G1 Queensland Oaks on June 4.

The 3-year-old filly pulled clear in the final stages to defeat Ting Tong (Epaulette) by 3l, while Sea Treasures (NZ) (So You Think {NZ}) was a further 0.5l away in third.

Aravene was snapped up by the Kennedy Racing Group for $235,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Widden Stud draft and she is out of Group 3-placed Zabeel (NZ) mare Arianne (NZ), herself a daughter of dual Group 1 winner Justa Tad (NZ) (Istidaad {USA}).

Fifth winner for Spieth

Aquis Farm-based first-season stallion Spieth (NZ) chalked up his fifth winner when the Patrick Payne-trained Birdies Galore made a winning debut in the We Thank Lions Club Maiden Plate at Warracknabeal on Saturday.

The 2-year-old scampered clear in the closing stages to beat Lady Ardoyne (Sports Edition) by 2.3l, while Vandelle (Rubick) was another 0.5l further afield in third.

Spieth (NZ) | Standing at Aquis

Purchased by Prime Thoroughbreds for $60,000 from the Bowness Stud draft at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, Birdies Galore becomes the first winner for dual-winning Not A Single Doubt mare Atalanta Miss.

First winner for Derryn

The Grangewilliam Stud-based first-season sire Derryn sired his first winner when the Allan Sharrock-trained Sophmaze (Derryn) got off the mark at the third attempt at Trentham on Saturday.

The filly defeated Miss Nico Belle (Nicconi) by 0.5l, while Canufeelit (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) was another 0.2l back in third.

Derryn - a son of Hinchinbrook - stands at Grangewilliam for a fee of $5000 (plus GST).

First stakes win for Verry Elleegant’s older brother

The Kevin Myers-trained Verry Flash (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) - the older brother of multiple Group 1-winning Champion mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) - has had his jumps career put on hold after he added a first stakes win to his record in the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup at Trentham on Saturday.

The 7-year-old older brother of Champion mare Verry Elleegant claimed his ninth victory for owners Nick Bishara and Don Goodwin, courtesy of a patient ride by apprentice Faye Lazet who claimed the biggest victory of her fledgling career with the win.

Bishara, who prepared Verry Flash to win seven races before transferring him to the Myers stable with a jumping career in mind, managed to catch the race on television before heading off to feed up at his own stable and was thrilled to get the victory.

Verry Flash (NZ) added a first stakes win to his record in the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup at Trentham | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk

“Isn’t it amazing what can happen when you swap a mug trainer for a real good one,” he joked.

“He has always shown us the family ability, but last year we thought he may have met his mark so Don and I decided to see if Kevin might make a jumper out of him.

“He won first-up on the flat for Kevin, who has been patient with him and he had had a trial and a jump-out before today so we thought he would be close to the mark, but maybe not a winner in that fashion.”

Daily News Wrap