Columbus On Course For Spring

Saturday, 05 June 2010 03:59

Beautifully-bred colt Columbus has an exciting spring carnival ahead of him after he stormed home to win his race debut at Flemington.

A $1.2 million yearling, the Redoute's Choice two-year-old is a son of Group One-winning mare Kapchat and it looks just a matter of time before he becomes her sixth stakeswinner.

Ridden by Brad Rawiller, Columbus had impressed in jumpouts at Flemington and was dominant at the finish of Saturday's Von Costa De Hero Handicap (1000m).

Revved up over the last 200 metres, the David Hayes-trained youngster came out after the leaders with gusto and hit the line a length ahead of impressive Bendigo debut winner Liveandletdie with Oregon Spirit the same margin back third.

Hayes' racing manager Tom Dabernig said Columbus was a quality galloper and would immediately have a let-up before reappearing in the spring, possibly in the Group Three Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington in early September.

"He will go back to Lindsay Park to have a bit like a VIP freshen-up and be back for the good races over the spring," Dabernig said.

"He is a very laid-back sort of colt and I'm sure he will take great benefit from that run.

"He is still a bit big and burly so there are probably better things to come."

Hayes has given Columbus time to mature with shin-soreness delaying his race debut.

"We didn't really want to rush him but you'll see the best of him as a three-year-old for sure," Dabernig said.

"He has a stallion's pedigree and I'm sure the form out of the race will stack up.

"We thought the 1000 metres might be a bit nippy for him and will see the best of him over 1200 metres or 1400 metres around a bend.

"I liked the way he clocked off and came from back in the field and was really strong on the post."

Rawiller said Columbus impressed him with his finishing burst.

"The last 100 metres he was quite strong after being out in the open for a fair way," Rawiller said.

Pictures: Fiona Tomlin

No Action Taken Over Flemington Fall

Friday, 04 June 2010 06:15

No action was taken against any rider when Racing Victoria Limited stewards on Friday concluded an inquiry into James Winks being dislodged in a race at Flemington last month.

Winks was taken to hospital after being thrown from The Fugitive in the Veolia Environmental Services Hcp (1410m) on May 8.

He suffered cuts to his spleen and liver, a punctured lung and a cracked rib.

The inquiry was opened by stewards on the day of the meeting when evidence was taken from jockeys Danny Nikolic, the rider of Cudgewa, and Brent Stanley (Morossa) and apprentices Brent Evans (Cyclone Al), Billy Egan (Undeniably) and Jason Maskiell (Willigobung).

Stewards on Friday took evidence from Winks and the panel established that Undeniably and The Fugitive were both overracing which resulted in The Fugitive clipping the heels of Undeniably and blundering.

The incident caused a chain reaction of interference with Maskiell dislodged from Willigobung while Evans did a great job to stay on Cyclone Al who was slewed into the rail causing him to lose both irons.

Columbus Discovered At Flemington

Saturday, 05 June 2010 03:40

David Hayes appears to have another smart type in his care after two-year-old colt Columbus won the $70,000 Von Costa De Hero Handicap (1000m) at Flemington this afternoon.

Ridden patiently just off the speed by Brad Rawiller, Columbus lengthened stride at the 300 metre mark before hitting top gear inside the final furlong to overhaul odds-on favourite Liveandletdie.

In the run to the line, Columbus ($6) defeated Liveandletdie ($1.75-$1.80 fav) by a length with Oregon Spirit ($7-$9) a similar margin away in third position.

Magic Of Emma ($8-$9) ran her usual honest race finishing in fourth position with Dean Holland filling in for Ben Melham.

“He’s got a good stallions pedigree and he did that very easily today coming off the pace,” Hayes’ stable foreman Tom Dabernig said.

“He was really powerful late which was excellent.

Dabernig said that and believes punters will see the best of Columbus as a three-year-old next season.

“He’s just had a little bit of immaturity issues, shin-soreness and other things.”

“He’s a very laid back colt so I’m sure he’ll take great benefit from that and as you saw he’s still a bit burly so there’s better things to come.

“We’ll now set him aside and go back to Lindsay Park and give him a VIP freshen-up and be back for the classic races over the spring,” he added.

Columbus is bred to be a speedster however Dabernig believes the son of Redoute’s Choice will be able to run up to at least 1400 metres.

Columbus is out of the dam Kapchat, a Group 1 winner in her own right, who has produced five stakes performers including successful sprinter Kaphero.

Owners Peter Devitt and Les Gordon purchased the horse at the 2008 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale for $630,000 only to offer the horse at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale a year later and purchase the horse again for $1.2 million.

Pictures: Fiona Tomlin

Siberian May Give Trainer Flemington Win

Friday, 04 June 2010 06:15

Consistent galloper Siberian will be trying to give his trainer Grant Craven his first Flemington win in Saturday's Provincial Plate.

Craven is looking to capitalise on an encouraging start to his training career which began four months ago when he was promoted from assistant to head trainer of Bruce Cook's Riverend Park, a state-of-the-art training complex at Bangholme on the southeastern outskirts of Melbourne.

Already Craven's strike rate is better than 20 per cent with eight winners from 38 runners and his city record is an impressive two wins, three placings and a fourth from just six starters.

Akihito was Craven's first city winner under lights at Moonee Valley on April 1 and last Saturday Sandusky City scored at Morphettville.

At the same in Adelaide, Siberian was on trial over Saturday's distance of 1600 metres and finished a gallant 2-1/4 length fourth to Billy The Brat in the SA Thoroughbred Breeders Handicap on a slow track.

"I thought he had a few things against him last week at a mile the first time and on a wet track, but he did a good job," Craven said.

Trying to find firm ground for Siberian was the key and that the Provincial Plate had come at the right time for the gelding.

"He is a horse who has been a little bit maligned throughout his career but he just doesn't handle wet ground at all," Craven said.

"We took him to Adelaide for his last two starts looking for a dry track, but we probably erred slightly three weeks ago running him over 1250 metres instead of 1400 metres.

"He was posted deep but worked to the line really good to finish third and I was happy with him again last week, considering that the rain followed us over and the track got pretty sloppy."

Siberian has had top-four finishes at seven of his nine starts this campaign and Craven is confident that backing up this week won't be a problem.

Earlier in this campaign on a seven-day back up, Siberian showed his resilience when he followed a close second to Provincial Plate contender Sanrio at Sandown with a luckless third to Sleeque a week later.

"All things being equal, he probably should have won on the back-up that day as he knuckled at the start and was blocked for a run most of the straight, so it gives us a bit of confidence," Craven said.

Siberian is an on-pace runner and Craven said that race tactics would be no different on Saturday, despite being drawn out in barrier 14.

"Ideally racing over a mile at Flemington you'd like to box seat him but the barrier is probably not going to allow that so he will roll forward and sit outside the speed," Craven said.

"The horse is going well and with a firmish track I give him a good each-way chance."

Bart's Faith Pays Off Again For Michelle

Saturday, 05 June 2010 03:23

Jockey Michelle Payne broke a run of 77 losing rides in the city when she won the Geoffrey Levett Handicap at Flemington this afternoon with Sunday Rose.

Sunday Rose is owned and trained by Bart Cummings, who trained her last city winner which was Allez Wonder in the Group 1 Toorak Handicap in October last year.

Sunday Rose started favourite at $3.60 after drifting from her opening quote of $2.70, but Payne had her concerns before the race.

"She had me worried before the start", Payne admitted.

"She was really in a muck lather and a lot more fired up than last start."

Sunday Rose started the race towards the rear in tenth place of the fifteen horse field.

"I wanted to get cover for the first part of the race without really going to the back and I got into a nice position", Payne explained.

But then things started to get a bit messy from the point of view of anyone who had backed the favourite.

"The ones in front of me were rolling about a bit", Payne said.

"I was a bit worried about which track to take because every run I went for seemed to close when I got there."

At around the 400m mark, Payne found clear running.

"Luckily enough I got out with plenty of time", she said.

"She took a bit to wind up and went to run in when I first went for her so I swapped the whip through and she went to the line and ran it out well."

At the post Sunday Rose had a length to spare from Dorsoduro ($15-$17) which rocketed home from second last at the 400m.

A further three quarters of a length away was the early leader Happy Angel ($11-$12-$11), while Xian ($51) put in an eye catching run for fourth.

Photos: Fiona Tomlin

Smerdon Starts 3 Paterson Series Runners

Friday, 04 June 2010 05:45

Robert Smerdon has a strong hand in Saturday's second heat of the Banjo Paterson Series at Flemington with three runners, including Black And Bent who is racing in the best form of his career.

Black And Bent has been successfully mixing flat and hurdle racing and has won five of his past six starts.

The Black Hawk rising five-year-old is after a hat-trick of flat successes following wins over 2400m at Sandown last month and 3000m at Moonee Valley last Saturday.

Three starts back the gelding beat Saturday's rivals Grizz and Desert Master in the Galleywood Hurdle (3200m) at Warrnambool.

"He's improved four or five lengths since last season, which is why he's been so competitive on the flat," Smerdon said.

"He did a great job again last Saturday and has really made the step up this season."

Smerdon has the Australian Hurdle (3400m) at Sandown on June 19 in mind for Black And Bent, who won the Lachal Hurdle (3900m) from Desert Master at Sandown last August before he finished fifth to that horse in the Grand National Hurdle (4530m).

Glen Boss takes over the reins on Black And Bent from Mark Pegus who won on the gelding at Moonee Valley.

Pegus goes on to stablemate Come On Cugat on Saturday.

Owned by Gerry Harvey, Come On Cugat has been placed in two of four runs since being transferred from Chris Waller to Smerdon, including a gallant third to stablemate Persian Star in the Andrew Ramsden Stakes (3200m) at Flemington where he tried to lead all the way.

Come On Cugat is also heading towards a jumping career and on Monday won a hurdle trial at Hamilton by 15 lengths.

Topweight Light Vision, winner of the Listed Bart Cummings (2520m) at Flemington for the past two years, will be ridden by Nick Hall.

The 2010 Banjo Paterson Series Final (2500m) will be run at Flemington on July 10.

Last year it was won by the Brian Jenkins-trained Figure Of Speech, who is engaged in Saturday's heat.

The rising nine-year-old will be ridden by Stephen Baster, who was aboard when he scored an upset win at $41 in the Listed Heatherlie Hcp (1700m) at Caulfield last August.

Come On Cugat shares favouritism with the Darren Weir-trained Oak Heart at $5.50, with TAB Sportsbet ahead of Black And Bent at $6.50 and Light Vision at $10, while Figure Of Speech is at $31.

Picture: Fiona Tomlin

Doubtful Jack Gives Taylor A Flying Start

Saturday, 05 June 2010 02:44

Taylor Lovelock-Wiggins has saluted at Flemington for the first time in his short career, scoring on the Peter Moody trained Doubtful Jack, in the $75,000 Brian Beattie Handicap (1400m).

Doubtful Jack ($3.20,$3.50,$3.80) worked hard from an outside gate but apprentice Lovelock-Wiggins showed astute judgement easing to sit outside the leader Beyond Pardon ($3.20,$4.20,$4) who continued to work hard to hold the rail.

Turning for the run home Doubtful Jack rolled out to the better going and in the blink of an eye put pay to the opposition, going on to score by more than four lengths from the eye catching State Grade ($12,$21) with Beyond Pardon weakening for third a length away.

It was the second four length victory for Doubtful Jack from just three runs this preparation and according to Lovelock-Wiggins there is plenty of improvement to come.

"He is quite immature still but he has got a lot of ability, and it's raw," said Lovelock-Wiggins following the win.

"It was a very, very good win."

Lovelock-Wiggins rode perfectly to his new masters instructions sitting on the top-weights girth throughout, but admits it is something he has to do on a more consistent basis to make it in Victoria.

"Peter believed we would get the sit outside the leader, we had a lovely run and we just put pay to them when he balanced up," said Lovelock-Wiggins.

"I'm with the right stable for the winners to keep coming and if my riding improves I might stay here," he added with a wry smile.

The win takes Doubtful Jack's career earnings to almost $200,000 from just the ten starts and brings up his fourth win.

Photo by Fiona Tomlin

Nobody At Fault For Flemington Fall

Friday, 04 June 2010 05:30

Stewards have cleared all riders of any wrongdoing from a Flemington race last month which saw two riders dislodged from the saddle.

James Winks and Jason Maskiell both fell from their mounts and Brent Evans miraculously stayed in the saddle aboard Cyclone Al back on May 8 in the $75,000 Veolia Environmental Services Handicap (1400m).

Evidence was taken from Winks at today’s hearing before Racing Victoria Limited stewards concluded that the fall was caused due to Undeniably (Billy Egan) and The Fugitive (James Winks) over-racing with The Fugitive shortly after clipping the heels of Undeniably and blundering.

As a result the stewards could not be satisfied that any rider was culpable and no further action was taken.

Picture: Colin Bull

Wood Set To Make Melbourne Debut

Friday, 04 June 2010 11:27

While the Melbourne racing fraternity are already aware of Taylor Lovelock-Wiggins after he rode a double at Caulfield earlier in the year, it’s another equally gifted apprentice that will fly under the radar at Flemington on Saturday.

But it won’t be long before this young hoop commands attention for all the right reasons.

Queenslander Justin Wood will ride for the first time in the Melbourne metropolitan area with two rides at headquarters.

Wood, who turns 19-years-old next month, is indentured to Tony Vasil at Caulfield for the next three months.

He will partner Dorsoduro in the Geoffrey Levett 0-82 Handicap (1100m) for his boss and rank outsider Star Encounter in the Ken Cox Handicap (2000m) later in the day.

Wood said the opportunity to work with Vasil was organised by master Steele Ryan.

“He knew the winter would be hard for a claimer and always had plans to test me down here,” Wood told the Virtual Formguide.

However Wood is no stranger to Victorian racing. He had his first race ride at Stony Creek aboard Affinis on November 9, 2007 and won his first ever race at Casterton aboard Adder Boy two rides later.

Wood only rode briefly in Victoria before returning to Queensland where he has won such races as the North Queensland Amateur Cup and the 2008 Beaudersert Cup.

To say Wood was born into racing is a severe understatement. His father Mark is a jockey and so is his younger brother Mitchell.

On the maternal side of the family, his grandfather Thomas Brown and great grandfather Thomas Brown Snr were also jockeys.

“Having a father in racing has meant the world to me.”

“He is one of my hardest critics and has pushed me to achieve everything I can.”

Despite that rich background in racing, the journey to where he is today hasn’t been without its setbacks.

Wood broke his femur in January 2009 and was sidelined through injury for four months.

It was at that time Wood decided to focus his mind on breaking into the difficult Brisbane jockey ranks by refining his talents.

“I have always watched a lot of top riders and have just tried to base my own style on what I liked.”

The hunger to succeed was insatiable and it was inevitable the teenager with maturity beyond his years would be spotted by wise judges.

As Wood says himself, “A good attitude in racing goes a long way.”

A week after winning the Murwillumbah Cup aboard Gather last November, Wood registered his first metropolitan win when he expertly steered Drenalin to victory at Eagle Farm.

His daring front-running ride earned the plaudits from many good judges and he hasn’t looked back since with his tally of metro wins now into double figures.

Wood says he is comfortable with the timing of his move which saw him almost make an immediate impact, finishing second last Thursday at Ballarat aboard the Vasil-trained $21 hope Belle Elegante.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to set up down here in Melbourne, I just wasn’t sure when,” he said.

“I’d like to further my ability in racing and gain some experience from down here as well as minimise my claim in town.

“If the opportunity goes well for me, I’d be more than happy to stay.”

Picture: Ross Stevenson

Flemington The Best Place For Xian

Thursday, 03 June 2010 22:19

Trainer Colin Little is hoping for a dead or better racing surface to give him a true indication as to where his three-year-old filly Xian is at when she contests the $70,000 Geoffrey Levett Handicap (1100m) at Flemington this Saturday.

Xian was an impressive winner on debut at Pakenham in a 1000m Maiden Plate back in February scoring by more than a length from Bambina, who has since won in the city defeating the likes of Beyond Pardon and Perminsky.

However Xian failed to impress when resuming at Moe just three weeks ago in a 0-68 rating handicap (1000m) finishing second last and almost 20 lengths from the winner.

Little wasn't too deflated by the performance citing a bottomless track as the likely cause and confident the filly will improve when she steps out on Saturday.

"It was unlike any other heavy track here in Australia," said Little at track-work this morning.

"They went in about 9 inches at Moe and she had her ears laid flat against her back, going nowhere, on the home turn."

Little conceded it was about time he and the owner tasted success again and believed the better track conditions would give him a fair assessment as to where the daughter of Cape Cross is at.

"We are looking for a better track to get a guide as to where she is at," said Little.

"She is owned by Chairman of the VRC Mr Rod Fitzroy who has been a lifetime supporter of the stable and it is about time we had another good horse together"

"Many years ago I trained a horse for Rod called Testimony who won thirteen something races in town and we have been looking for another since," Little added.

Notwithstanding the debut win Little highlighted that a number of small setbacks had impacted the fillies short career, including a tendency to tie up after gallops.

"She won on debut, but that seems like a long time ago now," Little said.

"Since then we have had our hands full with general filly problems including a lot of tying up."

Xian will jump from barrier six in the sixteen horse field with jockey Ben Melham in the saddle.

The term 'tying up' refers to a condition similar to cramping in humans where the horse will show a stiff, uncomfortable stride and a reluctance to move following a work out.  It is often more pronounced in younger horses with highly strung personalities, which conversely present a number of other issues to trainers.

Photos by Quentin Lang