Smerdon Eyes Another Inglis Bonus

Monday, 12 July 2010 05:59

Trainer Robert Smerdon is looking to enhance his record in Inglis bonus based races with promising two-year-old Breitling.

The youngster, who was narrowly beaten at his race debut, is Smerdon's only entry among the 34 nominations for Saturday's Inglis Bonus 1000 (1000m) at Caulfield.

The race carries a $70,000 stake but a juicy $100,000 winner's bonus is on offer to horses qualified for the sales company's race series.

Smerdon has dined out on Inglis races dating back to 2006 when he trained Inglis Premier winner Follow The Till, who collected nearly $288,000 for her connections. Stablemate Cenotaph was third.

Last year Tale Of Love won a bonus race at Mornington and picked up $152,000 when she won the Inglis Premier. Her stablemate Stoneblack finished third in the Caulfield event and was later second in a similar race won by Denman at Sandown.

Smerdon's winning run continued in May this year when Enzed Girl won a $50,000 bonus for her connections at Warrnambool.

A son of Lonhro and Flying Spur mare Spring Flyte, Breitling was a $50,000 Inglis Premier Yearling in Melbourne.

Spring Flyte was unplaced in two runs but Breitling's grand-dam Happy Spring was a sister to 1999 Maribyrnong Plate winner Happy Giggle.

Breitling has impressed Smerdon and the colt was heavily backed to start favourite at his debut when he finished second to the Peter Snowden-trained Soul in Thebigscreencompany Plate (1000m) at Flemington on June 26.

"It was a good run first up on a heavy track and it looks like it might turn out to be a good form race," Smerdon said.

"We have an opinion of our bloke but the winner (Soul) had our measure on the day.

"He (Breitling) probably struggled a bit late and was beaten nearly two lengths but he should take improvement from the run."

Soul is among the past winners in Saturday's along with Bit Of A Dude, Courgette, Indigo Dancer, Jugahlation, Live In Spring, Martika, My King Oath, Not A Pretender, Someday Somehow, Spirit Cent, and the unbeaten Umgeton.

The Gerald Ryan-trained Courgette is also entered for a two-year-old race at Rosehill on Saturday.

Picture: Colin Bull

Whobegotyou Gears Up For Spring

Sunday, 11 July 2010 07:15

Dual Group one winner Whobegotyou is back in training in preparation for the spring.

The Mark Kavanagh-trained four-year-old was given a few weeks to recover after he stripped flesh from a hind tendon when unplaced as favourite in the Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm on June 12.

Stable manager Merv Harvey said Whobegotyou's injury had healed well and the Street Cry gelding had arrived from Queensland at Rockmount pre-training facility at Euroa to spend the next two weeks on the water walker.

"He arrived there on Thursday and he looks in really good order and the leg is fine," Harvey said.

"He will spend a couple of weeks on the water walker and then come to Flemington."

Harvey said Whobegotyou would follow a weight-for-age campaign in the spring but would be entered for all the major spring races including the Cox Plate and the Melbourne Cup.

He said Whobegotyou could resume as early as next month.

"It just depends on how he comes up but he is a pretty clean winded horse and has only had three weeks in the paddock.

"He won't take long to come to hand.

"The water walker gets them pretty fit and he will probably just need a couple of sharp hit outs on the track.

"The jury is still out whether he can stay but he will be entered for everything in the spring."

As a three-year-old Whobegotyou won the Group One Caulfield Guineas and was second in the Victoria Derby and last spring won the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley and the Group One Yalumba Stakes (2000m) at weight for age.

He started favourite in last year's Cox Plate but was a sore horse after finishing sixth to So You Think.

"He pulled up ordinary after the Cox Plate and had a few issues," Harvey said.

"He is a hard horse to place because he can't go on real hard tracks and can't go on real wet tracks."

Harvey said Whobegotyou's backmarker racing style also made it hard for him to show his best.

"With his style of racing it is always going to be hard because has got to make his own luck," Harvey said.

Kavanagh's leading spring hopes are already back in work at Flemington including Melbourne Cup winner Shocking, Shamoline Warrior, Sound Journey, Valentine Miss, Here De Angels, We're Gonna Rock, Definitely Ready, Cat's Pyjamas and Zantelagh.

"Most of them will be ready to have a jump out at the end of July and kick off at Caulfield on August 14," Harvey said.

Picture: Quentin Lang

No Doubt About Jack's Ability

Monday, 12 July 2010 01:08

The Moody juggernaut just rolls on.

The latest star Doubtful Jack is destined for better things after his impressive win at Flemington on Saturday.

He will have a short break now while Peter Moody maps out a spring program for the gelding.

Doubtful Jack proved he was a cut above those he met at headquarters on Saturday and looks to have a bright future ahead of him.

The win was no surprise to Moody although the margin was as he didn’t expect the gelding to win so easily.

On pedigree there could have been some doubt as his sire Not A Single Doubt was a noted speed horse from a sprinting family.

What stamina Doubtful Jack has would surely have come through his female line.

Whilst first and second dams Tootsie Roll and Regal Fantasy were unraced there is a lot of depth within their pedigrees.

His dam is by Marscay from a daughter of Sir Tristram from Estralita who was two removes from the great Chicquita - the best dual purpose mare since the days of Wakeful.

Chicquita enriches the pedigree enormously, her influence is still apparent after five generations.

She was by Blank, a noted sire of stayers, he stood at Talindert in the western district the property of the late Sir Chester Manifold.

Picture: Fiona Tomlin

Sparking Performance From Horse But Not Rider

Sunday, 11 July 2010 03:46

Accomplished jumps jockey Steven Pateman was his own worst critic following his winning ride aboard Sparking in Sunday’s $30,000 Warrnambool Nissan 0-120 Hurdle (3200m) at Warrnambool.

What appeared at first glance to be well-timed ride from towards the rear of field was portrayed by Pateman as a haphazard ride that miraculously got the chocolates.

After describing his ride aboard Sparking last Sunday at Coleraine as “a dead-set shocking ride,” Pateman gave an equally brutal assessment of today’s effort.

“He was always obviously travelling the whole way and I got a bit itchy coming to the second last and I kicked him in too far away (from the jump),” Pateman said.

“But to his credit he chipped in and made a bit of a mistake.

“And then he got straight back into the bit but I lost all (of) my iron and all this business…,” Pateman added with his voice wistfully fading in frustration.

Despite the errors from Pateman accumulating, Sparking managed to clear the last fence brilliantly before giving the all-the-way leader Half Moon Rising three lengths with a furlong remaining.

That advantage was quickly whittled down with Sparking grabbing the ascendancy inside the final 75 metres.

“Coming to the last jump he jumped that good on the bit and just let down like he was travelling,” he said before adding, “It was really well done.”

Sparking ($8-$7.50) won by 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Half Moon Rising ($13-$14-$13) with Cruyfforme ($3-$3.60 eq fav) given every chance by Brad McLean to finish third under a 1-1/2 lengths from the winner.

New York Express ($11-$15-$13) was next across the line, a further 2-3/4 lengths adrift.

Sparking is a recent addition to the Patrick Payne stable after being sent from New Zealand by former trainer Kevin Myers to race over the Australian winter. Sparking is joined by Soph, Saint Romain, Titch and Pennon as horses sent from the Myers stable to Payne two months ago.

After finishing last at his Australian debut in the Listed Winter Cup (2400m) on June 5 at Rosehill, Sparking was switched to jumping.

“He wouldn’t have come over here for no reason,” Pateman said.

A winner of 10 from 54 starts, Sparking has won just over $140,000 in prizemoney.

Picture: Colin Bull

Gippsland Racing: Juan Grand National Bound

Sunday, 11 July 2010 23:18

A second win within a week has Moe galloper, Juan Carlos, well and truly on target for an assault at either the Grand National Hurdle or Steeple at Sandown Lakeside on August 15.

Which event he tackles is yet to be determined, but at the same track as he will contest one of the features, the rising 10 year-old scored a comfortable four length win last Wednesday.

Trainer, Allison Bennett, will enter for both feature races before making a final decision.

“He will go to Stony Creek this week to get his steeple ticket and that will allow all options to be kept open,” she said.

“I will enter him for both and then look at the fields and weights. He hasn’t been over the steeples before, but he is such a big horse and such a clean jumper I have no concerns at all with him.

“Those races are still over a month away, so he will have one more before then. Whether that is over the hurdles or steeples or on the flat I am not sure yet,” she said.

His latest victory was Juan Carlos’s 10th from 78 starts and took his earnings past the $200,000 mark.

ANOTHER TEMPY WIN

It hardly seems a week has gone by recently when one of the Templetons (Mick or Tracey) hasn’t trained a winner. This week it was Tracey’s turn when Luckyi’mbarefoot won at Cranbourne Sunday, despite over-racing early in what was a terrific effort.

The $47,000 purchase at last year’s Inglis premier sales ran down the track in the Group Two Sires Produce last preparation, but tuned up for this first up assignment with two trials at Sale.

“He is a half brother to Holy Request, who we trained. He had plenty of ability, but unfortunately was a bleeder and was banned from racing,” said Tracey.

“Most of the owners of Holy Request came into him and we got a few new ones, but it’s good for them.

“At this stage I’m not sure what we will do with him, but there is a race at Sandown we could tackle before the end of the season, or then a couple of weeks later there is a race at Flemington, but he’ll be a three year-old then.

“We’ll just wait and see how he comes through this run and make a decision, but it is clear to us, even at this stage, that he will be far better suited over more ground.”

BIG JUMPS DAY

Big day coming up for the Moe Racing Club this Saturday with its Super Jumps Day, the final meeting of the season.

It is a massive day for the jumps jockeys as apart from the four jumps races – two hurdles and two steeplechases – there are three high weight events scheduled.

Having had a wretched season with lost meetings, the club is anticipating a big day to round off its racing year.

Bairnsdale Racing Club hosts Gippsland’s final meeting of the season on the last day of the season, July 31.

SECOND AGAIN

In recent columns I have mentioned Prinsom as a horse to follow and he keeps running second! Friday’s effort at Geelong was his sixth second in seven starts, but it must be remembered he is still only a three year-old giving weight to older horses and appears to have a very bright future indeed. Dare I say – stick with him!

NSW RAID SUCCESSFUL

Traralgon based trainer, Robert Lont, has again made one of his long interstate trips worthwhile. Uncle Ben won at Narrandera Saturday and stablemate Bee Three ran second, while Coldstream Hill was a three length victor at Cowra Friday.

When asked why he was traveling so far, Lont said there were several reasons.

“With a horse like Uncle Ben, who has a low 50’s rating, it is nearly impossible to get a run down here unless they split a race, which they haven’t been doing a lot, so to be certain of getting a run I have to look at these options – plus he likes the track.

“He’s had seven starts there for four wins and a second and we’ll take him back for the Narrandera Cup.

“Coldstream Hill needs a dry track and it is had finding a dry track here, so that is why he went to Cowra.

“One of my mates said ‘why the hell would you want to travel for seven hours all the way up there’, but at $468 an hour I don’t mind,” Lont joked.

Picture: Colin Bull

Mildura: Where Riding Records Are Created

Sunday, 11 July 2010 01:47

Dean Yendall’s six winners at Mildura on Monday, equalled the record set by John Salisbury and Charlie Hartnup.

But nothing quite compares to the record set by John Salisbury, who rode 11 winners straight at the one course.

Ironically it was at Mildura, over three separate meetings.

On the first day he rode the winner of the last race. At the next fixture his only rides were in the last four races which were all winners taking his tally to five.

At the following meeting he rode the card, six winners, which is a record that has stood since 1963.

He is the only Victorian jockey to have ridden 11 winners straight on the same racecourse.

Picture: Colin Bull

Virvacity Wins Thackeray Steeple

Sunday, 11 July 2010 09:44

The Darren Weir-trained Virvacity turned the tables on Tarawera from their last clash in the Australian Steeplechase to win the $100,000 Thackeray Steeplechase (3450m) at Warrnambool on Sunday.

Ridden by regular rider Tommy Logan, Virvacity was produced at the right time to attack leader Al Garhood and fellow on-pace runner Russian Rule approaching the second last jump at the 650 metre mark.

“Al Garhood started to come off the bridle 800 (metres) out and I was pretty confident I had them covered,” Logan said.

“But Russian Rule kicked back pretty good - better then I thought – and we then jumped the last in front and just hoped there was nothing behind us.”

Unfortunately there was something behind Logan and it quickly was alongside him.Tarawera burst through along the rails to issue a challenge close to the line but Virvacity was not going to be denied victory.

Virvacity ($4-$4.60) defeated Tarawera ($2.20-$2.70-$2.60 fav) by a long head with Russian Rule ($9-$10-$9) a further 5-1/2 lengths away in third.

Al Garhood ($3.10) weakened over the concluding stages into fourth, the 70kgs simply too much of an impost.

“Darren Weir has done a fantastic job with this horse to get him back, he had a lot of problems with him but he’s done an amazing job.”

“He’s a pretty old horse now but he’s only coming good now.”

Today was Virvacity’s third feature race win over the jumps. He has won the 2006 Galleywood Hurdle and the 2008 Von Doussa Steeplechase.

A winner of 10 from 55 starts, Virvacity has earned $397,648 in prizemoney.

Virvacity will now be aimed towards the $150,000 Grand National Steeple (4530m) at Sandown on August 15.

Picture: Sportpix

Another Nikolic Ride Under Scrutiny

Saturday, 10 July 2010 08:15

Jockey Danny Nikolic is embroiled in another controversy after he was accused of "stopping" Trustus in the Winter Championship Final at Flemington.

Brian Johnston, who co-trains the four-year-old with his wife Fran Houlahan, lodged a complaint on behalf of the connections with stewards over Nikolic's riding tactics on the gelding who started $11 and finished 10th to Doubtful Jack in Saturday's $200,000 1600m feature.

A heated exchange took place between Nikolic and Johnston in the stewards' room, with panel chairman Allan Reardon warning both parties to calm down.

Johnston accused Nikolic of not riding to instructions to have Trustus in a forward position but the jockey countered that he told connections before the race that his plan was always to track odds-on favourite Doubtful Jack.

Johnston said Nikolic had ridden Trustus contrary to the way the horse had been ridden by other jockeys in recent starts.

"What I said before the race was don't have the horse six or eight horses back. Have him there," Johnston said.

"He didn't ride to instructions to go forward and possie up and instead chose to come back behind Doubtful Jack which in my view was the wrong thing to do.

"The horse went back, back, back, back, back.

"He made some ground for a portion of the straight and then I was too disgusted and I walked away from the clock tower (near the 200m).

"My sentiments are the same as the other owners."

Nikolic angrily fired back at Johnston's allegation that he had "stopped" Trustus from running on his merits.

"What do I get out of stopping this horse in the main race of the day," Nikolic said.

"You (Johnston) accuse me of stopping one after the bullshit I have gone through," he added referring his recent well-publicised battle with stewards.

"I'm getting sick and tired being called a thief or a fraud.

"I tried to make it (Trustus) begin, got a bit of cover, and got dragged back."

While agreeing that he was told ride the horse handy, Nikolic lost the back of Doubtful Jack when that horse went forward one off the fence leaving him stranded on the rails.

"No doubt he asked me to be a bit closer," Nikolic conceded. "He didn't want me eight or nine lengths back.

"But I said before the race I was going to try and get on Doubtful Jack's back.

"I said if we can beat Doubtful Jack we win the race."

But Nikolic said the only way he could keep following Doubtful Jack was if he pushed Darren Gauci's mount Tiakinui out across the heels of another horse.

"I can only be dictated to where I can go in the race by the horses in front of me," Nikolic said.

"I had to sit there and once the tempo was slowing there was nothing I could do."

Nikolic alleged that Johnston had a history of complaining about the rides of other jockeys in the past and speculated that Johnston had heavily backed Trustus.

He also alleged that Johnston had declared Trustus "a moral" and that it would be "a good way to stick it up the stewards if I was to win on this horse".

Stewards adjourned the inquiry to a date to be fixed.

Only last month Nikolic was cleared by the Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board of two charges of engaging in improper practice and two of conduct prejudicial to the image of racing after an exhaustive 137-day inquiry into 21 of his rides earlier this season.

Pictures: Fiona Tomlin & Colin Bull

Bent Breaks Million Dollar Barrier

Sunday, 11 July 2010 08:08

Some Are Bent took his overall prizemoney tally beyond the $1 million mark after winning the $100,000 Tom Corrigan Hurdle (3550m) at Warrnambool on Sunday.

Leading for the latter two-thirds of the race, Some Are Bent shook off several challenges in the last 700 metres of the race to win.

His determined performance gave trainer Robert Smerdon another feature race win at the country circuit after winning seven races over the Warrnambool May Carnival.

"That was more relief than anything," Smerdon said after the race.

“With the focus on the jumps and with a horse like him everyone is watching him.

“He jumped terrific, he’s much better suited to these fences,” he added.

Jockey Brad McLean registered his tenth win aboard Some Are Bent this afternoon and said the rising nine-year-old had a tendency to be slower out of the gates with increasing age.

“He was a little slow away and in a way it was a blessing in disguise as I just allowed him to relax in that first 1000 metres and then stride forward,” McLean said.

“That’s where he jumps best and he just jumped grouse.

“I think there was only one on the side which he got wrong at the mile and other then that it was just a top effort,” he added.

Lugging 70kg to victory, Some Are Bent fought off Sir Pentire early in the race before holding Sir Pentire’s stablemate Vindicating at bay over the concluding stages.

In a busy finish where the first four horses across the line were within a length of each other, Some Are Bent ($2.50-$3) defeated Vindicating ($11) by 3/4 lengths with Famous Prince ($10-$11) making ground from the rear of the field into third a further short neck away.

Tibooburra Travis ($2.50-$3-$2.60 fav) finished fourth.

“The quality handicap conditions of today’s race sort of favoured him over the others but it was a good effort as he walked out of the gates, which he doesn’t normally do, and didn’t land in his favoured role so he had a little bit of work to get there (the front),” Smerdon said.

“I was happy where he was, he was jumping quite good in behind them and I thought the longer he rests there the better chance he has got.

“It’s been five and a half weeks since he’s been to the races and there’s no substitute for match practise so he should be improved off that to some extent.”

Some Are Bent will now press on towards the $150,000 Grand National Hurdle (4530m) at Sandown on August 15.

In winning today, he joined fellow champion jumpers St. Steven and Karasi as horses that have won over $1 million in prizemoney primarily due to their jumping exploits.

However should Some Are Bent win another $49,500 in prizemoney, he’ll become the only horse to exclusively win $1 million over the jumps in Australia.

In comparison, St. Steven retired with $2 million in prizemoney of which $465,000 was earned in Australia over jumps.

Karasi, winner of the Nakayama Grand Jump on three consecutive occasions between 2005 and 2007, retired with $3.7 million in prizemoney with $224,690 of that earned in Australia over the jumps.

“I know money has gone up with time but if he’s the first horse to pass the $1 million barrier over the jumps, it’s a big achievement for him and its just testament to his longevity I guess.”

Some Are Bent has won 14 races from 61 starts whilst boasting more than a 50% winning record over the jumps.

Pictures: Colin Bull

Moody's Big Flemington Double

Saturday, 10 July 2010 08:15

Victoria's leading trainer Peter Moody picked up a winning double at Flemington when Elumino swept home to claim the All Victorian Sprint Series Final.

The mare's success came less than an hour after stablemate Doubtful Jack took the Winter Championship Final with ridiculous ease.

Although Elumino's victory wasn't as clear-cut as that of Doubtful Jack, Moody saw enough merit in it to look towards early spring stakes races as he plots a black-type campaign for the four-year-old.

"Unfortunately that wasn't a black-type race but that's where she needs to go now," Moody said.

"We'll probably have a go at the Cockram Stakes at Caulfield early in the spring and then give her a break when the good mares come back.

"Then we could bring her back and have a look at some Listed races at the end of the spring carnival.

"She's won over $200,000 but the goal now is to get some black type for her before she finishes up."

Moody had been concerned that Elumino had not been finishing off her races when ridden close to the speed in recent runs, and instructed jockey Luke Nolen to settle near the rear of the field to enable the mare to find her feet.

The plan paid off with Elumino ($13) storming down the middle of the track over the final 200m to defeat the Mark Kavanagh-trained favourite Elusive Touch ($3) by a head, with veteran sprinter Grand Duels ($9) 1-3/4 lengths away third.

The win extended Moody's unbeatable lead in the metropolitan trainers' premiership and gave Nolen a 12-win buffer on the jockeys' table over apprentice Jason Maskiell.

Both Moody and Nolen will claim the first premierships of their careers when the metropolitan season concludes on July 31 at Caulfield.

Elumino's owners run the pub at Birdsville on the edge of the Simpson Desert, more than 1300 kilometres to the southeast of Townsville where the owners of Doubtful Jack reside.

"It's a good day for Queensland and they'll be rocking the Birdsville Pub tonight," Moody said.

Pictures: Fiona Tomlin