McCall Looking To Colour Charge To Step Up
- Wednesday, 14 September 2016 09:38
Consistent gelding Colour Charge has shaken off his injury problems and is set to propel his trainer Natalie McCall back into the limelight at Eagle Farm.
A last-start Sunshine Coast winner, Colour Charge makes his metropolitan open company debut in Saturday's Spring Carnival Hcp (1830m).
He has been consistent for McCall having won seven races and been placed a further seven times in his 29 start career.
McCall won the 2014 Group One Stradbroke Handicap with River Lad and also had considerable success with Lady Echelon.
However, with both horses now out of the stable, McCall has been low key with city runners and is gradually rebuilding her team.
"After River Lad left me he had stints with the Snowdens in Sydney and Kris Lees in Newcastle but he is retired now. Lady Echelon is also retired but they were both very good to me," McCall said.
"We are only a small stable so when you lose a few good horses it takes a while to replace them. Things have been going OK this season and I am looking forward to having more city runners."
"When we wanted to build the team I had a chat to Scott McAlpine at Eureka Stud and he suggested we take Colour Charge who is by his sire Red Dazzler. We gave $40,000 for him but he has more than repaid that," McCall said.
She believes Colour Charge is now ready to confirm his potential in better class.
"He had a lot of injury problems early in his career and that is why he is a six-year-old who has had only 29 starts. But there haven't been any problems of late and he is ready to show his best," McCall said.
She is confident Colour Charge will handle the new look Eagle Farm on Saturday although she doesn't want the track to be too wet.
Colour Charge has drawn barrier 11 on Saturday but it has not been a disadvantage to be away from the rails at Eagle Farm in the months since it re-opened after renovations.
McCall has also been helping her father, trainer Ray McCall, who has been in ill health in recent months.
"Since Christmas Dad has been very sick but they think they may have found what it is now and we are looking forward to him improving," she said.
Ray McCall is best known for training Top Echelon who went on to sire River Lad.
Derby Possibility For Improving Rocketeer
- Wednesday, 14 September 2016 09:38
It might look a run of the mill three-year-old race at Caulfield but it could also be the next step in a spring goal for Rocketeer.
The Mick Price-trained gelding contests the Ladbrokes Supports National Jockey Trust Plate (1600m) on Saturday which the trainer hopes may propel him towards a Victoria Derby start.
A year ago Tarzino won the corresponding race at the same meeting before going on to capture the Victoria Derby three runs later at the end of October.
While Tarzino headed to the Caulfield Guineas en route to the Derby, finishing seventh behind Press Statement, Rocketeer will be taking a different path.
Price said he was eyeing the Caulfield Classic over 2000m on October 15 as a lead-up to the Derby two weeks later.
"He'll run on Saturday and I want to run him in the Caulfield Classic because there's good prize money and then he might be our Derby horse," Price said.
"That's the way we're aiming if there's enough petrol left in the tank."
Rocketeer returned from a spell with a first-up fifth behind Leotie over 1100m at Sale in July before breaking his maiden status over 1400m at Wangaratta last month.
He was then a closing 1-1/4 length second to Hey Doc at Moonee Valley on September 3 after being held up for a run.
Price said the slight rise in distance to 1600m on Saturday would suit.
"He's a big raw three-year-old that came in with a big long winter coat on him but he's continued to improve throughout the preparation," Price said.
"He'll run really well on Saturday."
Full House Expected At Werribee For Spring
- Tuesday, 13 September 2016 20:04
Racing Victoria's international scout Leigh Jordon is expecting the house full sign to be posted at the Werribee quarantine centre for the spring carnival.
Jordon says the two quarantine stables can house 24 horses, eight in one barn and 16 in the other.
The first lot of international horses, which will be the larger of two shipments, go into quarantine on Thursday in the UK and are due into Melbourne on October 1.
The second load is due two weeks later.
Already locked away for a trip for the Melbourne Cup is $15 favourite Wicklow Brave following his win in the Irish St Leger at The Curragh on Sunday.
Jordon says Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby could send out as many as six horses in the first shipment.
He said Scottish was being aimed at the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups and Tryster the Cox Plate and hopefully the Emirates (Mackinnon) Stakes.
Besides Scottish, Godolphin has Francis Of Assissi, Oceanographer, Second Wave and Qewy entered in the Melbourne Cup in Appleby's care.
"Besides Scottish they've got four other stayers that they want to target at races like the Geelong Cup, Moonee Valley Cup and Bendigo Cup," Jordon said.
"They've looked at it and thought there's all this prize money on offer for handy stayers.
"They could sneak into the Melbourne Cup with a penalty, but might not, but it's still the prize money that is attractive."
Jordon says fellow Godolphin trainer Saeed bin Suroor is likely to return while Andreas Wohler, who won the 2014 Melbourne Cup with Protectionist, is coming to run Articus in the Caulfield Cup and Red Cardinal in the Melbourne Cup.
He said the second shipment would contain Ebor winner Heartbreak City and Japanese raider Curren Mirotic.
"Between six and nine would be a nice number for the Melbourne Cup," Jordon said.
"For the Caulfield Cup there could be between two and four, depending on what Aidan (O'Brien) brings and up to three in the Cox Plate, again depending on what Aidan does.
"We're still waiting for Vadamos to commit for the Cox Plate.
"Hopefully we'll find out soon."
Bacarella Trying For Tea Rose Turnaround
- Tuesday, 13 September 2016 20:04
While gallant in defeat after leading during the Furious Stakes, cover could be the key to Bacarella's bid to turn the tables on Foxplay in the Tea Rose Stakes.
The Gary Moore-trained Bacarella took up the running at her last start in the Group Two Furious Stakes at Randwick but was no match for the Chris Waller-trained Foxplay, who pulled away to win by 1-3/4 lengths.
It was the second time in two starts a Waller-trained filly has had Bacarella's measure after she fell victim to the powerful finish of Omei Sword who romped in to win the Silver Shadow by 3-1/4 lengths.
Omei Sword's second behind Astern in the Golden Rose boosts Bacarella's claims for the Group Two Tea Rose (1400m) at Randwick, but she will need to improve to upstage Foxplay.
"She deserves this on Saturday," Moore said.
"She's got a lot more muscle on her since the Furious and she's gone very well in her work on Tuesday morning."
Moore said Bacarella's prominent role in the Furious was unintentional.
"If you look back on her trials as a two-year-old, a few times she missed the start and she was held up and she showed a good change of gear," Moore said.
"She could easily lead but I'd like to see her ridden off the speed if that presents itself."
While the Group One Flight Stakes over 1600m at Randwick on October 1 is the final race of the Princess Series, Moore says Saturday's race will tell him more about Bacarella's distance range.
"I think what we've got to see is if she gets a good ride by Tim Clark on Saturday to see if she can go further," Moore said.
And a start in the Flight would also mean another encounter with Omei Sword.
"Omei Sword is a very good filly and she's the likely favourite for the Flight Stakes," Moore said.
"She beat me very easily so it would be pretty hard to take her on again."
Foxplay is the $2.80 favourite for the Tea Rose while Bacarella is on the third line of betting at $6.
Moore's runner in the Listed Heritage Stakes will be Mount Panorama who ran third behind Astern in the Group Two Silver Slipper Stakes in February.
He said Mount Panorama's last in the San Domenico Stakes first-up showed him he should have been fitter before he kicked off his campaign.
"He looks in great shape now," Moore said.
"He worked very well on Tuesday morning on the course proper."
Winx Odds-on To Make It 11 Straight
- Tuesday, 13 September 2016 20:04
Winx is destined go to her next start at the same sort of odds Black Caviar did in many of her races but trainer Chris Waller plays down any comparison between the two mares.
Although Winx is attracting a public following and is odds-on to be named Australia's champion for last season, she doesn't have the perfect record of Black Caviar who won all her 25 starts.
What she does have is a will to win which sets her apart and she is already at $1.15 to win her first Group One race of the new season in Saturday's George Main Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Hugh Bowman reacts after riding Winx to victory in the Cox Plate
Winx has won 14 of her 20 starts, the past 10 in a row.
"Black Caviar is the only horse to run at the same level and go through undefeated," Waller said.
"Winx has been beaten and she will be defeated again but that's not something we can worry about.
"If she gets beaten she will get beaten by a good horse."
Former Japanese horse Tosen Stardom and Godolphin's last-start Tramway Stakes winner Hauraki share the second line of betting at $9.50.
Randwick Guineas winner Le Romain is next at $13 and also holds an entry to the Group Three Bill Ritchie Hcp (1400m).
Trainer Kris Lees will wait until after Wednesday's acceptances to decide which race the four-year-old runs in.
Le Romain already has some form as a giant killer, upsetting the Waller-trained odds-on favourite Press Statement as a $21 chance in the Randwick Guineas in March.
Winx is in a different league from Press Statement and although Waller prepares himself for defeat, he doesn't think it is imminent.
"Her will to win sets her apart," he said.
"We haven't protected her. I respect all the horses she races against.
"But she is fit and well and she will do her best."
Great Esteem, trained at Caulfield by Stuart Webb, was added to the entries on Tuesday but is expected to run in either the Naturalism Stakes on his home track or a Listed race in Adelaide.