Michelle Payne Fourth On Return
- Sunday, 11 September 2016 08:29
Michelle Payne says she feels like she's never been away although there has been no fairytale result to her return to competitive riding.
The Melbourne Cup-winning jockey suffered a career-threatening injury in fall in May when she split her pancreas.
But she said she was back where she belonged after riding Lucky Liberty, who was also returning from injury, into fourth place in a race at Sale on Sunday.
"I was really happy with how he went and how I went," Payne told racing.com.
"It's great to be back. I feel like I haven't missed a beat."
Payne said the drive to the country Victorian track gave her time to think about why she wanted to keep doing what she has done for the past 15 years.
"I had a lot of time to think in the car on my own," she said.
"I love thinking about racing and how the horse will go.
"It's so intricate. It's a game of inches and that's what I love about it.
"It's one of greatest levellers you can have in life.
"The beauty of it is everyone has a chance to win a big race."
Whether she gets the chance to ride Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance in the big race again this year is still a question.
But after being granted a dual trainer/jockey licence she will be riding her own horses.
"I have always had a plan to ride and train my own horses and that's what got me back," she said.
"I would love to be back on his (Prince Of Penzance) back but the owners don't owe me anything and neither does the horse.
"I know the owners are concerned for my welfare and I appreciate that."
The Quarterback On Track For Gilgai Return
- Sunday, 11 September 2016 08:29
The Quarterback has beaten two of the country's best horses in a Newmarket Handicap and his next challenge is to match it with the top sprinters at weight-for-age.
Trainer Robbie Griffiths is hopeful the gelding can prove his credentials this spring during a three-run preparation in Melbourne.
The Quarterback gave Griffiths his first Group One win when he beat Black Heart Bart and Chautauqua to win the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) in March.
While The Quarterback was beaten in his next three autumn starts, Chautauqua went on to win the $2.5 million TJ Smith Stakes and the Chairman's Sprint Prize in Hong Kong while Black Heart Bart has also won two Group One races and been runner-up in another three.
"We've just got to prove that we can hold those form lines with them at weight-for-age," Griffiths said.
"That's the thing. Yes, we beat them on a handicap scale and whether we can do the same at weight-for-age is what we've got to prove this preparation.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he has come on, but raceday is going to give us the real answers."
The Quarterback had a barrier trial at Cranbourne on Friday and his performance in the 800m hit-out has given Griffiths encouragement heading towards the sprinter's return in the Gilgai Stakes at Flemington on October 2.
"I thought it was as good as he's ever trialled," Griffiths said.
"He ran fourth on the bridle in quick time. (The winner) General Jackson ran pretty fast and I thought The Quarterback ran fantastic.
"By the time he has another trial on Monday week and some more training, he should be cherry ripe for the Gilgai.
"I want him to be pretty ready first-up because we're only having three runs, so I want him to hit form straight up."
After the Group Two Gilgai at Flemington over the same 1200m straight course as the Newmarket, The Quarterback is scheduled to contest two weight-for-age Group One sprints, the Manikato Stakes and Darley Classic, also targets for Chautauqua.
Weir Pair To Heading To Randwick
- Sunday, 11 September 2016 08:29
Premier Melbourne trainer Darren Weir is sending two of his spring hopefuls on Sydney mission to determine their carnival targets.
Former Japanese horse Tosen Stardom will tackle Winx in the George Main Stakes at Randwick on Saturday with Signoff to run in the Hill Stakes.
Tosen Stardom, to be ridden by Craig Williams, was headed to the Underwood Stakes at Caulfield on September 24 but his owners Australian Bloodstock decided to to run him against Winx to gauge his Cox Plate prospects against last year's winner.
Darren Weir
The six-year-old came to Sydney in the autumn for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes but missed the race after a bleeding attack in quarantine.
At his first run for Weir, Tosen Stardom finished an unlucky fourth behind Awesome Rock in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 3.
After Saturday Tosen Stardom will head to the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on October 2.
"Because he didn't have a lot of racing over the autumn I thought having two weeks between runs and then another two weeks would be better for him," Weir said.
"Plus the trip away won't do him any harm. "Hopefully it will tighten him up a bit."
Signoff, fourth in the 2014 Melbourne Cup behind Protectionist, was originally going to Morphettville to run in the Tokyo City Cup before the change of direction.
Weir is happy with the way Signoff is progressing towards this year's Melbourne Cup and says the 2000m Hill Stakes fits in perfectly with the gelding's program.
"There was an 1800 metre Listed race in Adelaide but 2000 metres is better for him and the trip away to Sydney will also be good," Weir said.
"It will get him thinking and also tighten him up a bit."
Palentino and Black Heart will be Weir's representatives in the Underwood Stakes after finishing one-two in the Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.
"They're both on the path to the Cox Plate but at any stage we can deviate," Weir said.
"It's run by run from now on and if they're not running it (2000m) out strongly we can have a re-think.
"There are plenty of races for them."
Owners Continue To Monitor Xtravagant
- Sunday, 11 September 2016 08:29
Te Akau Racing will continue to monitor Xtravagant but have not found anything amiss in the 24 hours since his failure at Flemington.
The New Zealand star behaved badly before Saturday's Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) at Flemington and Damien Oliver eased him down in the race.
His co-trainer Stephen Autridge said he was actually better pre-race than on his previous visit in the autumn.
Te Akau, which races the horse, said so far all tests were clear ahead of the results of blood tests.
"We immediately had Blake (Xtravagant) vetted and his heart, his legs and the scope all came back 100 per cent," Te Akau said in a statement.
"The good news and the most critical news is that we have (subject to the blood reports) a physically well horse and that is a huge worry off all of our minds."
Autridge also had a bad day when he was hit with a $500 fine for giving a treatment called Neutradex to Xtravagant on Friday against the Australian rules.
Stewards took pre-race blood and urine samples from Xtravagant and, after establishing the 30mg of the alkalinising agent would have a negligible effect on the horse's TCO2 level, allowed him to start.
All's Well With Cassidy Comeback
- Sunday, 11 September 2016 08:29
Jockey Larry Cassidy admits he was sceptical when Brian Smith steered him into an unusual aid to try to help with his crippling knee pain.
Cassidy rode his first winner after a lengthy injury lay-off aboard the Smith-trained Sony Legend at Doomben on Saturday.
Smith has played a big part in Cassidy's comeback, in particular urging him to try a "Wellcell" which is now his constant companion.
The trainer has been a champion of the Wellcell, attributing it to getting him over a major health scare several years ago.
It is a small plastic device which emits electromagnetic light frequencies and is advertised as a treatment for everything from pain to poor sleep.
"Larry was complaining about his knees and the trouble he was having so I kept telling him to get a Wellcell and he finally did," Smith said.
Cassidy said he was not really sure if it worked or not but said he now took it everywhere.
"I'm not exactly sure what it's meant to do, but I know I lost the damn thing for a week. It was in the bottom of my bag or something," Cassidy said.
"My knees got very sore again. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but after I found it again I carry it with me except when I am riding."
Sony Legend was Cassidy's his first winner since he steered Winx to victory in the Sunshine Coast Guineas 16 months ago, the beginning of the champion mare's unbeaten run which now stands at 10.
It has been a long and painful comeback for Cassidy whose weight soared during his enforced lay off.
"When you are sitting around all day and eating that will happen," he said.
"But I have a strict exercise regime in place and walk 60-70 kilometres a week.
"Of course that means using your knees and at times the pain was crippling. But I have my weight down and I should be able to ride 54 kilograms in a few weeks."
"I'm still not 100 per cent there but the timing is coming back."