Tarawera Wins Crisp Steeplechase

Sunday, 01 August 2010 08:16

The Grand National Steeplechase at Sandown in a fortnight’s time appears at the mercy of Tarawera following his dominant victory in the $100,000 QLS Logistics Crisp Steeplechase (3800m) at Warrnambool on Sunday.

Racing in fourth position for the first half of the race, Tarawera challenged Key Symbol and Morsonique at the second last fence only to obtain the lead prior to the final fence and win easily.

Tarawera ($2.15-$2.30-$2 fav) defeated Morsonique ($7-$6.50) by eight lengths with Plumtastic ($9-$11) a similar margin away in third.

Mali Juraj ($8-$10-$9) finished fourth after nearly falling at the first fence.

Equal topweights Al Garhood, Sir Pentire and Virvacity were all eased out of the event.

After the race, the comparisons between Tarawera and former stablemate Pentiffic were rife.

“He’s a nice young horse," co-trainer Brian Johnston said.

"I’m not going to say he’s Pentiffic yet but gee he’s doing everything right.

“The only other one to do this in their first season is Pentiffic.

Winning jockey Trent Wells said, “I’m not going to compare them but he’s going in the right direction.”

“I wouldn’t compare any of them to Pentiffic, he’s a superstar but this bloke is only four (turned five today).

“Pentiffic did it when he was older,” he added.

In his first season over the bigger fences, Pentiffic won the Hiskens Steeplechase, Crisp Steeplechase and Grand National Steeple.

Tarawera will get his chance to win the $150,000 Grand National Steeplechase (4530m) at Sandown on August 15.

Wells also paid tribute to the training effort from Johnston and Fran Houlahan.

“Jockeys get on here and lapdog up trainers all the time but gee I’m lucky to be apart of them.”

“They are great trainers and they really are great people.

“He jumped really good, made a mess at probably one of them but he’s a class above them.

“It was just a matter of when I wanted to get there.

“Brian copped a bit of bad publicity lately, but for an imbecile he trains pretty good,” he quipped.

With a record of four wins and two seconds from eight jumps starts, Tarawera took his overall record to six wins and five placings with over $210,000 in prizemoney, of which, only $33,000 has been won on the flat.

Pictures: Colin Bull

A New Heir To Hurdling Throne?

Sunday, 01 August 2010 04:23

Regal Heir, at only his fourth hurdling start, captured one of the biggest races on the jumping calendar in winning the $100,000 Kevin Lafferty Hurdle (4150m) at Warrnambool this afternoon.

His victory was slightly overshadowed by two star jumpers, Some Are Bent and Mazzacano, failing to finish the race with their immediate racing future sure to come under question.

Ridden by Nathan Dunn, Regal Heir settled in a midfield position as Desert Master led ahead of Some Are Bent, Vindicating and Tibooburra Travis.

Mazzacano, who settled in last position, lost contact with the field as they made their way into the back straight for the second occasion.

Gavin Bedggood wasted no time in retiring the ten-year-old out of the race, approximately 1000 metres from the finish.

Bullecourt was the next to be pulled up with four hurdles remaining by Craig Durden before Some Are Bent wilted dramatically as the tempo lifted approaching the second last hurdle at the 600 metre mark.

Brad McLean took no chances and for the third time from his last four starts, Some Are Bent failed to complete the course.

His sudden demise threatened to spoil the chances of Regal Heir.

“The horse usually gets back but we elected to take a more leading position and not let Some Are Bent get too much of a lead on us,” Dunn said.

“I tacked onto Some Are Bent around the back straight when we started to make a race of it.

“I thought he’d take me into the race but he didn’t.

“I then took it up with Desert Master and he was the stronger of the two in the end.”

Regal Heir and Desert Master jumped the final fence together with Regal Heir galloping clear of the late challenge of Corries.

Regal Heir ($8-$11) defeated Corries ($11-$15) by 1-1/4 lengths with Desert Master ($11-$13) a further five lengths adrift in third.

Tibooburra Travis ($5-$5.50-$5) was a tad disappointing, only holding his ground throughout to finish fourth ahead of Sparking ($6-$7-$6).

Trainer Ciaron Maher said that he was quietly confident of a sound performance from Regal Heir considering his record on his home track.

“He’s only won three races and all have been here on heavy tracks – the ground was never a concern,” Maher said.

Boasting an overall record of three wins and six placings from 25 starts, Regal Heir has a 50% winning record over the jumps and has now accumulated in excess of $90,000 in prizemoney.

Meanwhile, today’s victory was Dunn’s fourth at Warrnambool this season. He has ridden six winners this season.

Pictures: Jenny Barnes

So You Think On Target For Shoot Out

Sunday, 01 August 2010 06:59

Reigning Cox Plate favourite So You Think and one of his main rivals, Shoot Out, could clash as soon as the J J Liston Stakes at Caulfield on August 14.

A determined win over 1200 metres in Saturday's Bletchingly Stakes has catapulted AJC Australian Derby winner Shoot Out up the markets for the major spring features.

Trainer John Wallace deliberately started his campaign early with many of Shoot Out's potential competitors still stepping up their pre-race preparations.

So You Think and Faint Perfume warmed up for their major spring assignments with jumpouts at Flemington on Friday.

Duncan Ramage, bloodstock manager for their owner Dato Tan Chin Nam, said both horses pleased in their respective 800m trials with Blake Shinn coming down from Sydney to ride them.

"They were more than satisfactory at this early stage of their preparations," he said.

He said Cummings would decide when So You Think and Faint Perfume resumed but the Liston and the Memsie Stakes were under consideration at this stage.

"The Liston might come a week too quick so probably the Memsie, but that would be fine tuned by Bart after their next few serious hit outs.

"There's the Makybe Diva if Bart wants to go a mile that early in the preparation.

"Then you've got the Dato Tan (Chin Nam) and the mares race, the Stocks Stakes, for Faint Perfume at the Valley, again over the mile.

"They'll basically troop through the weight-for-age races with So You Think targeting to go through to the Underwood and the Caulfield Stakes which would seem to be the best races leading into the Cox Plate.

"And Faint Perfume would probably run two weeks before the Caulfield Cup (in the Turnbull Stakes) in an ideal world.

"Bart has always targeted races and it's up to him to get them through to their targets."

Faint Perfume is the early favourite with corporate bookmakers for both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups while So You Think is favourite for the Cox Plate.

Nominations for the major spring races will be taken on Tuesday with TAB Sportsbet to release its markets on Thursday.

Pictures: Fiona Tomlin & Quentin Lang

Laurie Steels Saturday Success

Sunday, 01 August 2010 04:17

Young up and coming Mornington trainer Matt Laurie celebrated his first Saturday metropolitan winner as The Big Steel took out the $70,000 Join MRC & Receive $2,000 Instant Value Handicap (1800m) at Caulfield.

The Big Steel ($26,$31) jumped well and was ridden positively by Ben Melham travelling in the first two throughout.

Melham made his move on the gelding before straightening and kicked clear to record a solid length and a quarter victory over the fast finishing Cheerful Jury ($51,$81) with King Cobweb ($14,$21) a further three quarters of a length away.

After five years of training Laurie was thrilled to taste Saturday success and was already looking to the future.

“Thats our first Saturday win so I’m really excited,” said Laurie.

“He begins well, relaxes and now he is really flattening out too.

“He is going to be an exciting horse, I expect him to get a trip and think we will have some really good times with him.”

Melham concurred with Laurie’s assessment of the three-year-old attributing the win to a terrific training performance.

“Matt has done a terrific job with him and had him in tremendous order,” said Melham.

“I have a really big opinion of this horse and he won very well in the end.”

The win takes Big Steel’s career earnings to almost $60,000 from just eight starts.

Photo by Fiona Tomlin.

Gloria De Campeao Retired To Stud

Sunday, 01 August 2010 06:15

Dubai World Cup winner Gloria De Campeao has been retired after suffering a tendon injury, robbing the Melbourne spring carnival of one of its drawcards.

The French champion has been retired to stand at stud after scans detected a tear in his tendon following a trackwork session.

He was being prepared for a tilt at the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 23.

The horse's Swedish owner Stefan Friborg told Racing Victoria the bad news on Sunday but said he had a desire to target future spring carnivals if he had a suitable candidate.

Nominations for the all the major Melbourne races including the Cox Plate close on Tuesday.

Despite the absence of Gloria De Campeao, officials still expect a strong list of international nominations with the Moonee Valley Racing Club offering a guaranteed $100,000 return for any internationally-trained starter in this year's race.

Picture: Andrew Watkins (Dubai Racing Club)

Moon Rises At The ‘Bool

Sunday, 01 August 2010 03:32

Half Moon Rising trudged through a genuine Heavy (10) surface to win the $15,000 Star Printing Service Maiden Hurdle (3200m) at Warrnambool on Sunday.

Leading all the way with Adam Trinder in the saddle, Half Moon Rising appeared to have the measure of Cruyfforme with 150 metres remaining until Brad McLean shifted his mount to the outside part of the straight to race at the girth of the Graeme Smith-trained galloper.

Cruyfforme ($3-$3.10 fav) motored late only to just miss Half Moon Rising ($4.60-$6-$5.50) in a photo finish by a half head with The Member ($4-$4.20) battling away up the middle section of the straight a further in third.

Luvizpet ($4.60-$6) added little value to an already skinny First 4, while Betcha Life ($20-$26) fell at the final hurdle at the top of the straight. The seven-year-old gelding and his jockey Lee Horner were unhurt in the incident.

“He will be a good jumper in the lower grade events,” Trinder said before noting the damp track conditions.

“When we swang around for the second lap, you could really notice the difference so its going to be trying conditions for the rest of the day.

“I had a look (at the track) before the race and it appears a few lengths better out there (on the outside rail in the straight) so you might see me do it again,” he added.

Half Moon Rising boasts a solid record over the jumps with a win and two placings from four starts.

His overall record is less flattering with three wins and six placings from 23 starts with his prizemoney just beyond the $35,000 mark.

Picture: Colin Bull

Half The Numbers Double Result For Moody

Sunday, 01 August 2010 06:15

When Peter Moody decided to almost halve the size of his racing team he never envisaged he would be Melbourne's leading trainer two years later.

Moody has challenged the system with his hands-on approach and come up trumps with his best ever season, ending a dominance by the "big two" stables of David Hayes' Lindsay Park and trainer Lee Freedman that has endured since 1976.

Added to Moody's 83 winners to take to the Melbourne premiership were 98 in the country, 192 nationally and six Group One victories for the "bushie" who grew up in the Queensland outback town of Charleville.

As a trainer, Moody cut his teeth on race meetings at Ipswich and the Gold Coast. He relocated to Melbourne after winning his first Group One race, the 2001 Victoria Derby, with Amalfi.

A constant stream of winners followed but two years ago he put a new focus on getting younger horses and concentrating on quality rather than quantity.

His winning strike rate began to fall away when he lost touch with his team as his numbers grew. Staffing numbers were also an issue.

"When I had 45 horses I was getting 80 to 100 winners a year but when I got to 80 and I was getting 150 winners a year we didn't feel any better for it," Moody said at the time.

Moody is not a self promoter and says winning a premiership was never a goal even when he decided to make stable changes.

"We cut our numbers back from about 100 to 66, put the prices up and got a better class of horse to train," Moody said.

"We weren't thinking about winning a premiership at all.

"We were just happy ticking away and the premiership has been a bonus.

"It is a massive thrill."

He modestly tries to put his title win in context and attributes his success to his staff; racing manager Jeff O'Connor, stable foreman Tony Haydon and stable jockeys Luke Nolen, who won his first Melbourne jockeys' premiership, and Linda Meech, who won the country title.

"The premiership is not going to change the way we eat," Moody mused.

He said Hayes and Freedman were still giants of the industry and would rise again.

"Freedy has probably taken a different tack on things chasing Cup horses from Europe while Hayes is in that transition moving from Lindsay Park to Euroa," Moody said.

"This year has been a good opportunity to attack them but you wouldn't expect either of them to lie down."

Moody rebuilt his stable from the bottom up with Blue Diamond Stakes winner Reward For Effort and Golden Slipper Stakes runner up Headway setting the tone for the renaissance last year.

Black Caviar was another rare find along with Wanted and Tickets who also both trained on as three-year-olds alongside headline act and Horse of the Year favourite Typhoon Tracy.

Typhoon Tracy won four Group Ones - the Myer Classic, Orr Stakes, Futurity Stakes, and Queen Of the Turf - while Moody also celebrated elite success with Headway (Coolmore Stud Stakes) and Wanted (Newmarket Handicap).

Heading into this spring, Doubtful Jack is an untapped talent and there is a bunch of unraced two-year-olds.

It augurs well for another premiership assault but Moody says it will only get tougher.

Besides Hayes and Freedman he has huge respect for Mark Kavanagh and Danny O'Brien.

"Kav is no shrinking violet," Moody said.

"He has probably got the biggest team in Melbourne and I think in the next couple of years Danny O'Brien, once he gets his farm and up and running at Geelong along with his Flemington stables, will be a big force."

While Moody says a run of premierships is unlikely, he is excited about the horses he has in the stable.

"We've had nearly 30 individual two year-old winners and outside a couple of those the rest of them I think would win in town (as three-year-olds)," Moody said.

"That is 30 wins in town next year without trying hard.

"You throw in the four-year-olds, and old Tracy (she's five) will be good for a few, and then there is the new lot of two-year-olds coming through which look quite nice as well.

"I wouldn't put it (another premiership) beyond the realms of possibility but it's not an ambition or anything to chase back-to-back premierships.

"But if it happens we will gleefully accept it."

Pictures: Fiona Tomlin

Gippsland News: Gippsland Trainers Dominate Final Meeting

Sunday, 01 August 2010 01:48

Bairnsdale Racing Club hosted a seven event program on Saturday and it was a great day for Gippsland trainers, who took out five of the seven events.

Bunroy won for local trainer Dan Cunningham, Moe pair Allison Bennett and Tracey Templeton recorded victories as did sale trainers Frankie Stockdale and Cliff Murray.

For Stockdale it was his first winner as a professional trainer and promising mare, Summer Dream, looks to have many more successes in store.

LOCALS CHEERING

Bunroy was a popular winner for her band of local owners. It was her second win in just five starts for the Cunningham stable.

“We bought the mare of the Cox stable and Brian (Cox) told me this she had developed well since she’d been spelling and you will have some fun with her,” said part owner, Nobby McMahon, who is a long time friend of the Cox family.

“We are very pleased to have a mare that has won two out of five starts for us. She is still only very lightly raced and is very sound and strong, so hopefully there are a few more days like this in store.”

Cunningham had been away for much of the week watching his son Chris boxing in Darwin and some of the syndicate members - tongue in cheek - suggested Julie had done a great job improving the mare this week!

MO’ BACK ON TRACK

After his last run in December, Mo’ Money had bone chips removed from his knees, but bounced back to racing with an effortless win in the 0-72 handicap.

Trainer Tracey Templeton and husband Paul, said after the race they brought the horse to Bairnsdale to hopefully give him a soft win to build up confidence.

“It can also be awkward placing a horse like him with that sort of rating as there just aren’t a lot of races around and it is even more difficult at this time of the year because he doesn’t like wet tracks,” said Paul.

“Today’s track was ideal and we’ll now just wait and see how he has come through the run before we decide where we go next,” he said.

AMOROUS SUCCESS

Allison Bennett continued her good recent run when Amorous Lady scored in the distance maiden.

“She is only very small and tries hard and it is very nice to get a win on the board for her, because I think she deserves it.

“She’s a half brother to You Sexy Boy who had plenty of ability. He only had 20 starts but won three city races.

“Hopefully now she has broken through she can go on with it,” she said.

FRANKIE BREAKS ICE

Sale’s Frankie Stockdale scored his first win as a trainer when Summer Dream, a daughter of former Gippsland Horse of the Year, Fashion Flame, won easily.

“It’s good to get the first one on the board. We’ve now got about 13 or 14 horses on the books and things are going well,” said Frankie.

“She had good form leading into this, as the two times she’s run second they were behind handy ones. First up last start it was a good effort, but she had plenty of improvement in her and it made her spot on for today,” he said.

Fellow Sale trainer, Cliff Murray, backed up Haka Brave after running at his home track Tuesday and he produced the finish of the day, coming from a seemingly hopeless position at the 300m mark to steam to victory.

Picture: Colin Bull

Magro Challengers Moody For Training Honours

Sunday, 01 August 2010 04:38

Unlike his stable jockey Luke Nolen did just a race prior, Peter Moody was unable to salute in the $70,000 Congratulations Peter Moody Handicap (1200m), a race named in his honour, instead Cranbourne trainer Darren Magro took the honours.

Ocean Challenger ($4.40,$5.50,$4.60) started smartly and was given the run of the race by Craig Williams travelling sweetly on the heels of race leader Altitude ($11,$13,$12) around a slippery Caulfield circuit.

Williams showed patience waiting until the 300m mark before peeling off Altitude and hitting the line strongly to score by half a length with Heartland ($26,$31) running on nicely a length away.

Magro was always confident of the four-year-old mare’s chances but was aware she would need luck in the straight.

“The horse puts herself there, she finishes her races off and she just needed a bit of luck today,” said Magro.

“Craig told us before the race that we would just need a bit of luck in the straight, and we got it.”

Black type is now very much on the agenda for the daughter of Rubiton with Magro keen to test her against the fillies and mares.

“We will have to have a go at a couple of the black type mare’s races coming up on that win,” said Magro.

Williams described the win as ‘dominant’ praising the efforts of Magro believing the trainer has the mare worked out.

“She only needed luck and when she got it she was really dominant,” said Williams

“Darren has done a terrific job with the horse, he doesn’t gallop her much and keeps her fresh and it works,”

Photo by Fiona Tomlin

Bendigo Abandoned

Sunday, 01 August 2010 00:34

Sunday’s meeting at Bendigo has been abandoned due to continuing rain and surface water on track.

Damp conditions in the middle of winter have not helped the Bendigo course proper to dry sufficiently following their last meeting on July 22 which held eight races on a Slow (7) surface.

Bendigo received 28mm of rain in the past week with 8mm of rain overnight.

Rated a Heavy (10) early this morning, the meeting was on the verge of going ahead before the track received another downpour shortly after 7am.

The meeting was cancelled at 7:45am and later postponed as Racing Victoria confirmed the meeting would not be rescheduled.

However trainers who had runners entered at Bendigo, will have until 4pm this afternoon to nominate runners for Sandown on Wednesday and Sale on Thursday.

Picture: Colin Bull