Shoot Out Back With A Bang

Saturday, 31 July 2010 06:45

Gold Coast trainer John Wallace says star galloper Shoot Out is nowhere near ready yet, but it didn't stop him from winning first-up in the Group Three Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield.

The last-start AJC Australian Derby winner surprised Wallace with the way he was able to bounce out of the gates and virtually control Saturday's 1200m sprint from the front, with Elumino just slightly ahead of him on his inside.

Ridden by top Queensland jockey Stathi Katsidis, Shoot Out ($6.50) scored by a half-length from Stanzout ($13) with Velocitea ($2.60 fav) three-quarters of a length away third.

"I was surprised when he was up there like that but I did tell Stathi 'you ride your own race just wherever he lands, it's up to you'," Wallace said .

"He's a good horse. He's nowhere near ready. He'll just improve and improve. He might be really good this horse."

"He's done things I've just never seen horses do. He's just a superstar horse, I love him so much."

The winner of six of his 12 starts including two Group One races as a three-year-old, the High Chaparral gelding is now outright favourite at $9 for the Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley ahead of last year's winner So You Think, another son of High Chaparral, at $10.

The rising four-year-old will also be entered for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

"We'll just take it as it comes. I'm not going to kill him. I want him there for a while, they (good horses) are hard to get," Wallace said.

Shoot Out will have his next start in the Group Two JJ Liston Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 14 and the trainer's intention is to "let him train himself" by running him every fortnight to ready him for the big spring plums.

"I'm very proud of him," Wallace said.

The $15,000 Gold Coast Magic Millions yearling purchase was also proudly watched at Caulfield by his Mount Isa owners Linda and Graham Huddy.

Katsidis also has a huge opinion of Shoot Out.

"Potentially I think he'll be the best horse I've ever been associated with and I've still probably got 25 years left in my career," he said.

"But a horse like this only comes along once in a lifetime and I'm just very lucky to be on board him.

"I could have led if I wanted to but I thought I better take hold of him because he's got to go twice past the post around this track if he gets to the Caulfield Cup and I wouldn't want him to start pulling.

"There's a long way to go yet but John's trained him sensationally. He had him really, really fresh for this race here today, that's why he raced the way he did and he did the same last time first-up and he was able to get him up to run the 2400 metres of the Derby.

"So John has him spot-on for whatever he is doing."

Trainer Colin Davies is considering a rematch for the grey Stanzout against Shoot Out in the Liston after his solid effort, sitting three-wide with cover before finishing second.

Pictures: Fiona Tomlin

Nolen Wins His Own Race

Saturday, 31 July 2010 03:48

Luke Nolen won the race named in honour of his first premiership victory at Caulfield this afternoon as filly Curtana showcased her credentials as a genuine Thousand Guineas contender later this year.

Settling in sixth position, Curtana gave the leaders at least five lengths on the home bend before swamping her rivals to win with ease.

“It’s good that the others slowed down and let me win this one,” Nolen quipped post-race.

Curtana ($2-$2.60 fav) won the $70,000 Congratulations Luke Nolen Handicap (1000m) for two-year-olds by a length with Marmaa ($6-$7.50) and Mr Cool Cat ($8-$7) filling the minor placings.

Fourth placegetter Umgeton ($10-$12) was the luckless runner of the race with jockey Glen Boss unable to find clear galloping room several times in the straight.

Tearaway leader Tricky Tricky ($3.20-$4.60-$4.40) weakened profoundly over the final furlong to finish fifth, beaten over 5-1/2 lengths from the winner.

“She’s a very good filly,” Moody said of the winner.

“As you saw today, she’ll get up to 1400 metres to a mile.

“You probably thought she was in a bit of trouble (on the home turn) if the leaders kicked but she has got a nice turn of foot.

“She always showed nice ability and I think we see her improve more so again next time around,” he added.

Nolen suggested “there was plenty of merit” in the win of Curtana.

“I thought I had to come off the bridle before straightening to chase them a bit,” Nolen said.

“I was worried, I thought they were going to stick on better then they did.

“I think she’ll stretch hopefully to a Thousand Guineas trip later on in the spring.”

Moody said that Curtana was the first horse he’s trained for owner David Moodie who owns a host of other Thousand Guineas candidates.

“The Thousand Guineas is probably not an unrealistic goal but he’s got a couple of stablemates in the same ownership in Crystal Lily and Willow Creek to contend with.”

“She has a very nice pedigree and her pedigree suggests she’ll get better with age too,” Moody added.

By Exceed And Excel out of Blazing Sword mare Razor Blade, Curtana is a half-sister to ill-fated sprinter Sunburnt Land who was struck by lighting while grazing in a paddock.

Boasting a record of two wins and a second to Master Harry from three starts, Curtana has accumulated over $147,000 in prizemoney.

Curtana will next run in the $100,000 Listed Quezette Stakes (1100m) for three-year-old fillies at Caulfield on August 14.

Pictures: Fiona Tomlin

Big Steel To Lift Trainer's Profile

Saturday, 31 July 2010 05:59

Mornington trainer Mat Laurie is hopeful The Big Steel is the headline horse he has been looking for to lift his profile.

The rising four-year-old grey gave Laurie his first Saturday city win when he graduated from a last-start restricted grade victory on the Geelong synthetic track to land the Join MRC & Receive $2000 Instant Value Handicap (1800m) at Caulfield.

"This win is hugely important," Laurie said.

"I have got some really good supportive owners and I'm thrilled for them today."

Laurie has trained 30 winners in the last five years, including 13 this season.

The Big Steel has shown notable improvement in the last two months and from eight starts has won three of his last four runs from 1600m to 2100m.

"He is going to be an exciting horse," Laurie said.

"He has learned to flatten out in his races now, has nice gate speed and just sits nice outside the leader.

"I think the owners are going to have some fun with him as he looks a nice staying horse for the future."

Jockey Ben Melham had The Big Steel on the pace all the way and urged him clear in the straight to score by 1-1/4 lengths from Cheerful Jury and King Cobweb.

"I've had a beautiful wrap on this horse for while," Melham said.

The Mike Moroney-trained Lordoftheparrots dominated betting at $3.20 but, ridden by Damien Oliver, was never a factor.

"He was slow to move and didn't get a lot of luck early," Moroney said.

"He just had no chance from back where he was."

While Lordoftheparrots made ground to finish seventh, the stable was rejoicing Abitofado's overdue win in the next race, the Chisholm Institute Handicap (1800m).

In a nail-biting finish, Abitofado, ridden by apprentice Adam McCabe, fought back tenaciously to beat Makeadreamcometrue in a photo-finish.

Ridden by apprentice Jason Maskiell, Makeadreamcometrue looked set to win easily when he loomed up in the last 200 metres but died on his run the last few strides.

Abitofado had placed at his last four city runs, including most recently at Flemington where he finished second to Miss Lily Rose.

Miss Lily Rose was $2.60 favourite on Saturday and made up a lot of ground from last to finish fifth.

Pictures: Fiona Tomlin

Cummings' Stars In Quiet Spring Start

Friday, 30 July 2010 06:15

Bart Cummings-trained stars So You Think and Faint Perfume warmed up for their major spring assignments with quiet jumpouts at Flemington on Friday.

Reigning Cox Plate winner So You Think was not pushed out over 800m behind Thousand Guineas winner Irish Lights.

VRC Oaks and Vinery Stud Stakes winner Faint Perfume finished second in her jumpout.

"They were just having quiet trials," Cummings' Melbourne stable foreman Reg Fleming said.

Faint Perfume is $17 favourite with Eskander's Betstar for both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups while So You Think is $10 favourite for the Cox Plate, just shading the John Wallace-trained Shoot Out who resumes in Saturday's Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

Other Cummings-trained horses to trial were Group One-winning sprinter Swick and Elvstroem rising four-year-old mare Finn Class who is a maiden after six starts but has been placed over 1800m on the Kensington circuit at Randwick.

Clements Wins Appeal Against Warning Off

Saturday, 31 July 2010 05:15

Racing Victoria stewards are considering their position following Neville Clements' success in his appeal before the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) against being indefinitely warned off Victorian racetracks.

VCAT president Judge Ian Ross upheld professional punter and commission agent Clements' appeal on Friday with a finding that he was not subject to the rules of racing.

The former rails bookmaker had been warned off in Victoria by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board on March 24 for failing to give stewards a complete set of his phone records for a five-month period.

His legal representative had argued there that he was not subject to the rules of racing.

Clements said he wasn't prepared to hand over his phone records on the grounds that he was protecting the confidentiality of his clients in placing bets on their behalf.

Judge Ross said the central issue was whether stewards had the power to obtain or take possession of any mobile phones, computers, electronic devices, telephone records or financial records.

Clements had been questioned by stewards over his betting activities on a number of horses ridden by Danny Nikolic which he had laid lo lose on Betfair.

Nikolic was subsequently cleared of two charges of improper practices in connection with racing and two charges of conduct prejudicial to the image of racing.

Clements is now awaiting a hearing before an appeal board in Queensland against being warned off in that state over failing to attend a stewards' inquiry into Baby Boom who was a beaten odds-on favourite at the Sunshine Coast in early January.

Clements laid Baby Boom substantially on Betfair to lose that race.

"We are considering our options regarding whether we adopt the Queensland ruling and we are currently reviewing the VCAT decision," chief steward Terry Bailey said.

Bailey did not rule out an appeal against the VCAT decision.

Price Keeps Lid On Velocitea

Friday, 30 July 2010 05:15

Caulfield trainer Mick Price is circumspect about the emergence of four-year-old mare Velocitea as a top-class sprinter.

The winner of Adelaide's Group One Goodwood Handicap (1200m) in May, Velocitea will have her fifth run for Price when she resumes in Saturday's Group Three Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.

Price expects that she will be in the finish again, and may even make it her fourth win since joining his stable this year, but for the moment he is measured when he talks of her long-term spring prospects and is keeping things in perspective.

"She is a good mare and will run very well but I wouldn't be saying just wait until I get her to something like a Salinger, or superstar stuff like that," Price said.

"She has got fantastic form with three wins and a second in four runs for me but I just think she's had a dream go at things.

"She hasn't clobbered them in the races she has won and she has drawn some nice gates with some nice rides and had a lot of things go her way.

"I am just not sure when she is put under absolute pressure how much margin have I got with her."

Velocitea's only defeat for Price was two starts ago when she was beaten less than a length when second to Rostova in the Group One Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.

She had previously won two stakes races at Caulfield and capped her campaign with a long neck win over Catapulted in the Goodwood.

Price won't shy away from any challenge with Velocitea and is keen to find out just how good she is this spring when the racing is tougher.

"She's had a normal spell and normal preparation and is going pretty well," Price said.

"She's has a couple of nice trials and if she runs second on Saturday that will be okay but I'm half-thinking she can win.

"I can't tell you if she has improved at all from last time but I don't think she has to really."

Formerly trained by Brian Mayfield-Smith, Velocitea has won seven of her 18 starts and her record when fresh is outstanding with three wins and second from five first-up runs.

Craig Newitt won the Goodwood on her when riding her for the first time and has retained the mount for the Bletchingly for which she is the $3.70 favourite with TAB Sportsbet, ahead of AJC Australian Derby winner Shoot Out ($4) who is also resuming.

Bendigo-trained three-year-old Tollesprit ($8 in to $7) and Keano ($9 in to $8) have been market shorteners along with Mr Baritone ($13 in to $10).

Picture: Fiona Tomlin

Promising Curtana In Comeback Win

Saturday, 31 July 2010 04:59

The Peter Moody-trained Curtana is on track for a showdown with two other David Moodie-owned fillies, Crystal Lily and Willow Creek, after powering home to win her spring opener at Caulfield.

The rising three-year-old daughter of Exceed And Excel made it two wins from three starts when, with Luke Nolen aboard, she won Saturday's appropriately-named Congratulations Luke Nolen handicap (1000m).

The race honoured Nolen on the last day of the racing season to coincide with his first Melbourne jockeys' premiership.

Nolen said Curtana was very promising and was impressed with the way she went to the line a length ahead of Marmaa and Mr Cool Cat.

"I thought she would be a little bit vulnerable late in the race as I thought they would stick on better than they did," Nolen said.

Moody said Curtana was unlucky not be unbeaten after running second to stablemate Master Harry at her debut in the Listed Streets Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.

"At her first run she ran into a very smart stablemate who I have a lot of time for," Moody said.

"But for that she could have quite easily been unbeaten."

Moody said the Group One Thousand Guineas was a realistic goal for Curtana but is mindful that Moodie already has two horses heading in that directions.

Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra train Moodie's Golden Slipper Stakes winner Crystal Lily while Moody prepares Willow Creek who was fourth in the Blue Diamond Stakes, second in the VRC Sires' Produce Stakes and won the Group Two Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill.

Moody said Curtana would only get better as her race distances increased.

"Her racing pattern suggests that 1400 metres or a mile (1600m) in three or four runs time that she's going to be a lovely filly," Moody said.

"Today you probably thought she was in a bit of trouble when the leaders kicked but she has got a turn of foot, the turn of foot of a nice horse, and has a very good pedigree.

"The Thousand Guineas is not unrealistic for her but there are a couple of high-profile ones in the same ownership in Crystal Lily and Willow Creek to contend with."

Picture: Fiona Tomlin

Plenty Of Winners & Apprentices In Weir's World

Friday, 30 July 2010 03:53

In the space of just 15 years Darren Weir is firmly established as one of Victoria’s leading thoroughbred trainers.

It was never going to be easy he was fully aware of that when licensed in 1995 to train at Stawell.

His recipe for success is hard work - something he has never been afraid of which has resulted in 1,086 winners after the win of Rue Maple at Moonee Valley last Saturday.

While Weir is proud of his record of six country training premierships, he is just as proud of the apprentice lads that have been attached to the stable.

Sebastian Murphy, Brady Cross and Ben Melham are now fully fledged jockeys while Jarrod Fry, Jason Rule, Jake Duffy and Jackson Matthews are still indentured to their master.

Weir has never been afraid to send a boy on a man’s mission. His philosophy being if they put in the hard yards they are rewarded with the rides.

Saturday was a big occasion for Fry and Rule both had mounts in the Travis Harrison Apprentices Cup a race that is dear to the hearts of all young jockeys.

Fry completed a winning double when he won the race on Belscenica. He had previously scored on Rue Maple earlier in the day for his boss.

He has the perfect score on the Rubiton filly, four rides for as many wins, increasing his city wins to 31 in an all up score of 181winners.

Rule, who hails from Wangaratta, is a competent young jockey with a bright future. He has ridden 66 winners this season with three in the city area.

Picture: Jack Styring

Big Spirit Bounces Back

Saturday, 31 July 2010 04:47

Big Spirit returned to the winners’ enclosure for the second time this month after winning the $70,000 Pin & Win for Epilepsy Handicap (1200m) for three-year-old fillies at Caulfield on Saturday.

Winning at Flemington down the straight over 1000 metres on July 10, Big Spirit raced again the following week against fillies and mares and finished seventh, beaten over four lengths from Tonic at Caulfield.

This afternoon Jake Noonan rated Big Spirit in the lead to perfection from barrier 12, with the filly pinching enough of a break in the early portion of the straight to win ahead of the fast finishing pair of Lucy’s Cash and Sona Gaire.

Big Spirit ($4.60-$7) defeated Lucy’s Cash ($4.40-$6) by a half neck with Sona Gaire ($12-$13) a further head away in third.

Bluey’s Mist ($26) enjoyed a cosy run in transit on the rails and stuck on well for fourth while Music In The Park ($6-$4.60-$4.80) was the best of the rest, finishing fifth

“That’s about her fourteenth run this season, so she’s been a wonderfully consistent filly,” Hore-Lacy said.

“We don’t do much with her between runs, we just take her to the races.”

Hore-Lacy said the key to her defeat last start and victory today was her quick start out of the barriers.

“She was slow out and had to be hacked up to get outside the leader.”

“Once we had done that she overraced and ran herself into the ground.

“Today she won the start quite clearly and got to the lead, the inside is important on days like this and the rest is history,” he added.

Noonan, who rode Big Spirit for the first time last start, conceded that his ride wasn’t the best last start.

“I probably made the wrong decision on her last start, when I just tried to hold her up she wanted to fight me the whole time,” Noonan said.

“Today she jumped really well, half a length in front of them.

“I was going to elect to sit outside the leader and I knew from then she’d probably over-race so I elected to let her stride forward and get there under her own steam,” he added.

Big Spirit is by Invincible Spirit out of the dam Big Sky Montana who produced multiple stakes winner Dantana. She is likely to have her next run at the same venue in the $125,000 Group 3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) for mares on August 14.

Boasting a record of six wins and five placings from 17 starts, Big Spirit has accumulated $267,980.

Pictures: Fiona Tomlin

Former Trainer Wood Passes Away

Friday, 30 July 2010 03:50

Former trainer Ron Wood past away earlier this week leaving memories of a little man who devoting much of his life to training racehorses.

Most of his time was spent in the Yarra Glen area where he trained and bred the horses he raced with much success.

He commenced training around 1973 with just a handful of horses that is how he liked it giving each horse his own personal attention.

A little known mare Dark Mica was the key to his success she was foaled three years before he gained a trainer’s licence.

By Thredbo from Mica Creek she had a few prominent sires within the first three generations yet nothing was really working well for her.

She won eight races with stake earnings of $6,030 which would illustrate that prize money in the early seventies wouldn’t get you far in a tram car.

The turning point for the mare arrived when she was mated to Don Newell’s sire Sovereign Slipper.

She produced Mickle Mica a winner of nine races which included the Listed Silver Jubilee Stakes at Moonee Valley.

Unbeknown to Ron his mare had founded a dynasty and a goldmine in the small paddock behind his house where Dark Mica grazed.

The mare produced six winners of 43 races while two daughters followed the pattern of mum producing winners of 23 races.

Ron enjoyed a comfortable life passing away at 82. He often commented “there was never any shortage of bread on the table thanks to Dark Mica.”