Caulfield Part Of Autumn Racing Revamp

Tuesday, 10 August 2010 07:45

A super race day at Caulfield is central to Melbourne's new-look Festival of Racing next autumn.

Group One features the Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), Futurity Stakes (1400m) and Oakleigh Plate (1100m) will all be run on February 26 as part of a race programming overhaul designed for more practical scheduling of events.

Two three-year-old Group Two races, the Autumn Classic (1800m) and Armanasco Stakes (1400m) as well as the weight-for-age Group Two St George Stakes (1800m), will be support races along with the Group Three Mannerism Stakes (1400m).

Significantly, runners in the St George Stakes and Oakleigh Plate now get a two-week break to the Australian Cup and Newmarket Handicap which have both been pushed back a week and will now be run on the second Saturday in March.

The Australian Guineas (1600m) will be the stand-alone Group One race on the first Saturday in March.

Melbourne's Festival of Racing will start at Caulfield on February 12 with the Group One Orr Stakes (1400m) along with five other Group races including the two Blue Diamond Preludes.

The Lightning Stakes (1000m) at Flemington will be run two weeks later than usual on February 19, replacing Moonee Valley's Group One William Reid Stakes (1200m) under lights on Friday, March 25.

The changes mean that on five consecutive Saturdays Group One races will be the focus of autumn racing in Melbourne before the Friday night Group One finale at Moonee Valley.

The three city clubs and Racing Victoria Limited will join forces in a cooperative marketing campaign to build public interest, attendance, media coverage and wagering on the carnival.

RVL chief executive Rob Hines said the new-look programming would also complement the Sydney carnival.

"We want to be compatible and lead-in and not conflict with Sydney," Hines said.

He said the autumn offered exciting racing and was under-appreciated.

"Some of the best racing of the year is at this time of year," Hines said.

"Yet we have had very poor crowds, haven't had a good marketing strategy and we haven't been united as a group."

Hines said a joint promotion by the clubs with RVL would put attention back on the autumn but conceded that it would never be able to compare with the spring racing carnival.

Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) chief executive Alasdair Robertson said the Festival of Racing had "enormous potential and can really grow".

He said it was a compacted program of racing, was very understandable and easy to communicate to people.

The Group Two Alister Clark Stakes for three-year-olds has an amended distance from 1600m to 2040m and will be run under lights on March 18, two weeks after the Australian Guineas.

The Werribee Cup (2600m) has moved from the spring to the autumn will be run during the day on March 18.

The Mornington Cup (2400m) keeps its traditional date on February 16 along with the Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m) but will now also feature the Inglis Premier for two-year-olds, transferred from Caulfield.

The Listed Kilmore Cup (1600m) will switch from February 13 to February 27 to avoid a clash with the Group Three Carlyon Cup (1600m) at Caulfield on February 12.

Two-year-olds will also be racing for a $1 million bonus should a horse win all three races in the Blue Diamond Series as part of a new sponsorship with Patinack Farm.

There are 41 Listed and Group races scheduled during the Melbourne Festival of Racing.

Kilmore Abandoned

Monday, 09 August 2010 23:24

Today’s meeting scheduled for Kilmore has been abandoned due to inclement weather that has left surface water on several parts of the track.

The Kilmore course proper has received 11mm of rain over the past week with 2mm of rain overnight ensuring the meeting was called off shortly after 8am.

Racing in Victoria will be held at the Geelong Synthetic for the next three days before Caulfield and Coleraine race on Saturday.

Hope For Spring Guru

Tuesday, 10 August 2010 05:59

Co-trainers Lee and Shannon Hope have seized the opportunity to launch Guru Bob's spring campaign on the synthetic track at Sandown's transferred meeting at Geelong.

Lee Hope said he was left with few options for the talented four-year-old who looks well placed against relatively moderate opposition in Wednesday's Ammon Ra Handicap (1000m).

Craig Williams has taken the mount on Guru Bob who will carry 59kg on the strength of his autumn form which included a last-start crack at the Group One Australian Guineas won by Rock Classic.

In the Guineas lead-up he finished second three times - to Our Baby Bonus, No Vacancy and autumn star Denman in the Group Two D'Urban Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

At his other autumn run he was beaten three lengths when fourth to Denman in the Listed Zeditave Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

Hope said that Guru Bob had paid for his consistency despite his only win being as a two-year-old at Echuca.

"We all wanted to give him a crack at those better races in the autumn which he didn't win and now he is paying the penalty which is a bit of a worry," Hope said.

He said he didn't want to run Guru Bob on a heavy track at Sandown and was thankful the meeting had been transferred to Geelong.

"We wouldn't have gone to Sandown with that weight (59kg) knowing how the track is there at the moment," Hope said.

He said that Guru Bob had "developed" since the autumn but added that he would be better for the Geelong run.

"He isn't a real 1000-metre horse so it probably won't give us a real good guide but at least we get him ticking over," Hope said.

"He probably hasn't grown a lot but he has come back a little bit stronger.

"He looks well and is well in himself although his coat is about three weeks off coming right out."

Hope said careful placement of Guru Bob would be the key to his spring chances.

"In three weeks time hopefully the weather will have picked up and we can look for options for him," Hope said.

Among Guru Bob's Geelong rivals is the Mark Kavanagh-trained We're Gonna Rock who at his race debut beat the highly-talented Marconi.

Guru Bob beat home We're Gonna Rock at his next start when the pair finished second and last respectively at Moonee Valley.

We're Gonna Rock was immediately spelled after pulling up shin-sore and is $1.95 favourite with TAB Sportsbet to bounce back with a first-up win ahead of six-length Sale debut winner Assertive Albert ($3.80).

Last-start Bairnsdale winner Mo' Money is at $9 ahead of Guru Bob ($12).

Fry Accepts Suspension

Monday, 09 August 2010 09:02

UPDATED (Monday 9pm): Apprentice Jarrod Fry will not appeal against a nine meeting suspension incurred at Flemington on Saturday.

Fry was outed after being found guilty of careless riding on his mount Magnifique Soleil in the $70,000 Pauline Fogarty & Kenneth Bird Handicap (1410m).

Trained by Darren Weir, Magnifique Soleil finished seventh beaten 7.8 lengths behind Censor on Saturday.

Racing Victoria Limited stewards notified media outlets on Monday afternoon that Fry was due to contest the suspension on Thursday at the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary (RAD) Board.

However he will now start his suspension after tomorrow's races at Kilmore.

Picture: Fiona Tomlin

Oliver To Ride Heart Of Dreams

Tuesday, 10 August 2010 05:42

Heart Of Dreams will be ridden by leading jockey Damien Oliver in Saturday’s $200,000 Group Two KS Enviromental J.J Liston Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Oliver rode the five-year-old gelding last start in April's Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill when finishing sixth behind Danleigh.

The Mick Price-trained galloper has had 17 starts and jockey Craig Newitt has ridden him 11 times for two Group 1 wins in the Cadbury Guineas and Underwood Stakes.

Meanwhile, Oliver has had five rides aboard the son of Show A Heart for three wins and a second, two of those victories in stakes company.

Newitt instead has been booked by Price to ride Predatory Pricer, who is set to have his first run for the stable on Saturday since relocating from Paul Murray's stables at Kembla Grange.

Predatory Pricer’s last win was recorded in the 2009 edition of the Liston Stakes.

Caulfield (Saturday) - Nominations

$200,000 Group 2 KS Environmental J.J Liston Stakes (1400m) - WFA

Picture: Fiona Tomlin

Mott To Make Comeback

Monday, 09 August 2010 07:33

Victorian jockey ranks are set to be bolstered further by the return of former leading jockey Jamie Mott.

Mott was cleared to ride on late Thursday afternoon by the Racing Victoria licensing committee and will be managed once again by Craig Dickson.

Dickson said that he intends to take rides for Mott starting this Friday at Geelong.

“He starting back at 57kg and he’ll ride at 57kg for a while and with time he’ll ride at 56kg,” Dickson told the Virtual Formguide.

“He realises he’s had a few stuff-ups and he’s got to take his time and keep his weight at 57kg.”

Those stuff-ups have plagued Mott’s career for the last two years.

In November 2008, he was suspended from riding for four months after testing positive to cocaine.

His career as a jockey was ultimately derailed midway through 2009 when less then two months into his comeback, he tested positive to the illicit drug ecstasy.

He became the first jockey in the state to do so.

And just last December Mott’s stablehand registration was suspended for a month after failing an alcohol breath test, blowing .042 at Flemington trackwork which exceeded the 0.02% threshold under the rules of racing.

Despite those three indiscretions, Dickson hopes Mott has turned the corner as he is unquestionably a prodigious talent in the saddle.

In his last full season riding (2007/08), Mott rode 111 winners to finish fifth in the Victorian Jockeys' Premiership.

“People don’t realise that before he was outed that as an apprentice he rode 18 city winners in just over a month," Dickson said referring to a golden period where Mott rode four metropolitan trebles in the space of six weeks.

“And then in the first month back after suspension the first time, I think he rode 16 or 17 winners across the state.

“He was hanging around the wrong people and that was his worst problem.

“I think he realises now that he’s got one crack left in him,” he added.

To view the Virtual Formguide's extensive list of statistics for Jamie Mott, click here.

Picture: Fiona Tomlin

Mamba Joins Gai's Melbourne Cup Team

Tuesday, 10 August 2010 04:45

American Group One winner Black Mamba has been added to Gai Waterhouse's Melbourne Cup team as a late nomination.

Japanese stayer Meisho Dontaku was added to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups along with Black Mamba on Tuesday while the Pat Hyland-trained Miss Alia was nominated for the Melbourne Cup.

Black Mamba did her early racing in New Zealand in the care of Murray Baker before spending more than two years with John Sadler in the United States.

The biggest of her six wins there was the Group One John C Mabee Handicap (1800m) in August 2008.

Waterhouse said the seven-year-old mare had recently returned to work at her Randwick stable.

"Tony Bott syndicated her and chose me to train her," Waterhouse said.

"She had a few months off with a quarter crack to her heel but she's fit and well now.

"Hopefully we can get her to the Melbourne Cup."

Black Mamba hasn't raced since tailing off in the Hong Kong Vase at the Sha Tin International meeting last December.

Victorian Jockeys' To Receive 4% Increase

Monday, 09 August 2010 07:30

The Victorian Jockeys' Association is pleased to announce that Racing Victoria Ltd has agreed to a 4% increase in the fees payable to riders for season 2010/11.

The increase adds weight to recent claims by RVL that Victoria is clearly the pre-eminent racing state in Australia.

VJA Executive Officer Des O’Keeffe said:

“We congratulate RVL in coming to this agreement. It’s clear the job of being a jockey in Victoria presents more challenges and demands as each year passes. We are pleased the Board has acknowledged that fact by increasing the fees paid to riders despite what are tough economic times facing our Industry.

The additional 4% will see Victoria’s middle tier riders receive the greatest increase. The riding fee will increase to $169 (from $164), the minimum ride allowance (when riders attend for 3 or less rides) will increase to $74 (from $66) and the trial fee will increase to $53 (up from $48)."

VJA Director and leading rider Chris Symons said:

“Seven riders including myself and Executives of the Victorian Jockeys’ Association met with RVL CEO Rob Hines a few weeks ago. Open and frank discussions enabled everyone to put their point of view. Rob Hines is to be congratulated in affording us the opportunity to have that discussion and for assisting the RVL Board members in understanding the issues that riders face in this state.

Many of us ride in other states around Australia and there’s no doubt Victoria is the best state to ride in. We want to keep it that way. RVL’s response gives all of us the incentive to continue riding as long as possible. It is reassuring that RVL recognize and appreciate our efforts."

Australian Jockeys Association Chairman (and VJA Director) Ross Inglis commented:

“Racing Victoria Ltd have taken a sensible fiscal approach. We understand there are some difficult financial times ahead over the next couple of years until the wagering licenses are sorted out in 2012. There is no doubt that Victoria leads the way in jockey welfare, remuneration, health and safety. We sincerely hope that other states will continue to follow their example.

For example, Western Australian riders still face major issues under their Workers Compensation Act. Jockeys in that state who are injured receive less than $700 gross per week by way of compensation payments. This is less than half of what jockeys receive in other states. We will be meeting with representatives of RWWA and representatives of the West Australian Government later this month in an attempt to rectify that situation.”

The VJA acknowledges RVL has been instrumental in the introduction of Superannuation for jockeys, Industry funded Insurances (both Public Liability and Death and Personal Accident), a Career Benefit Fund to provide for riders at the time of retirement from riding, support of the National Jockeys Trust, competitive riding fees, payment of prize money down to 10th place (also benefiting riders), the Jockey Assistance Welfare program and world best practice in Raceday Medical Services.

The roll out of plastic running rail and uprights is yet another example of RVL’s progressive attitude towards safe racing for horses and jockeys in this state.

Cups Nominee Name Change

Tuesday, 10 August 2010 00:55

Connections of Caulfield and Melbourne Cups nominee Holloway have been forced to change the gallopers name after she shared her name with an eleven-year-old gelding currently racing in New South Wales.

Holloway has been renamed Holloway Castle. Official racing databases should recognise the name change in the coming days.

Trained by Richard Otto, Holloway Castle has done all previous racing in New Zealand.

The five-year-old daughter of Zabeel boasts a record of a win and a placing from five starts and is nominated for this Saturday’s $70,000 Light Fingers Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield.

Many Options For Avenue

Monday, 09 August 2010 07:15

Leading trainer Peter Moody has left his options open with smart mare Avenue who will resume in either Adelaide, Melbourne or Sydney on Saturday.

The triple Group Three winner has been nominated for two races at Caulfield, the Group Three Cockram Stakes (1200m), and the Listed August Sprint (1200m).

She has also been entered for the Group Three Spring Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville and the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill.

Moody said wherever Avenue showed up on Saturday, she had to perform or she could be off to stud sooner rather than later.

"She has got to show to me that she's come back otherwise it's off to the breeding barn," he said.

Moody said Avenue was in the same boat as stablemate Headway, who was runner-up in the 2009 Golden Slipper and won the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington last spring.

Headway ran fifth to Elusive Touch when resuming in last Saturday's Aurie's Star Hcp (1200m) at Flemington.

"They are very valuable mares and I don't want to flog them for 12 months if they are not going to be winning at Group One or Two level," Moody said.

"I know they can win at Listed and Group Three level, but there's no sense in flogging them around in $100,000 races when they can go off to stud and have a half-a-million-dollar foal."

After a hat-trick of 1200-metre wins in the Champagne Stakes at Moonee Valley, the Thoroughbred Club Stakes at Caulfield and the Red Anchor Stakes at Moonee Valley, Avenue failed to find her best form in the autumn with four unplaced runs.

Meanwhile trainer Mick Price has Das Machen in the Cockram but has announced the retirement of Group One The Goodwood winner Velocitea.

Velocitea was sent out favourite when she resumed and ran third to Shoot Out in last Saturday week's Group Two Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield.

Price said the five-year-old, who raced five times for him for three wins and two placings all in stakes races, might be mated with champion stallion Redoute's Choice this spring.

Velocitea won two races in New Zealand as a two-year-old before being sent to Flemington trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith who won two races with her including the 2009 Group Three How Now Stakes at Caulfield.

She was transferred to Price when Mayfield-Smith retired from training.

Like Avenue, Das Machen is nominated for the Spring Stakes, but is also entered for the Light Fingers Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield.

She has been placed at her past five starts, winning over 1200 metres at Caulfield and Moonee Valley but faces a big class rise if she take her place in the Cockram.

Heading the entries are Thousand Guineas winner Irish Lights, Tesio Stakes winner Lady Lynette, Moonee Valley Fillies Classic winner My Emotion and Matron Stakes winner Response.

Puttanesca, who won the Group Two Royal Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie, makes her debut for the Mark Kavanagh stable.

Pictures: Quentin Lang & Fiona Tomlin