- This topic has 791 replies, 32 voices, and was last updated 15 years, 5 months ago by
.
- Posts
Sh!t, this place has fired up. And were still three months from the real action. Got to love the passion in this sport, after all, it’s why we all live and breathe it.
Before you guys take too many swings at eachother, remember we’re fighting for a common cause. To track down the next damn Cup winner!
By the way, looking forward to seeing The Miniver Rose, however more keen to see Moudre. I think he’ll give her wind burn at the 200m
Sh!t, this place has fired up. And were still three months from the real action. Got to love the passion in this sport, after all, it’s why we all live and breathe it.
Before you guys take too many swings at eachother, remember we’re fighting for a common cause. To track down the next damn Cup winner!
By the way, looking forward to seeing The Miniver Rose, however more keen to see Moudre. I think he’ll give her wind burn at the 200m
Yeah, Moudre looks a real nice horse – his win before a spell at Flemington was stunning.
If you’re wanting quality from me, I’ll have to stop posting. I tend to start threads about things that I don’t know much about but am interested in. Maybe I was taking my job as thread started too seriously, or not seriously enough. I think it is quite to plain to see that I treat this thread as my main "project", and perhaps I veer too much into treating it as a personal plaything. I was trying to make the thread a One Stop Shop for info about the Melbourne Cup. I’m sorry that you regard the topic of wearing white shoes to the racetrack as not important. I thought the idea of following the progress of Waterhouse’s horses was a good one, as I’m sure we all looked askance when she said she had six aimed at it. (Two For Tea won’t be running tomorrow by the way, as he has a viral infection. One down? Embarrasingly, she’s got the owners down from North Queensland for the weekend.
) I’m also interested in following the progress of a roughie into the field, but the problem is picking the right one, which is why instead I’m going to follow the Newcastle-Metropolitan route.On the subject of picking the winner, I’d have thought the most likely source is something that runs well (top 5) in the Caulfield Cup.
Received an email from Greg Carpenter, saying that Drunken Sailor is MC qualified.
Have sent another email back querying whether Mr Cumani is aware of this.
Thursday, 5 August 2010
By Robert WindmillJockey Craig Newitt is upbeat about the chances of lightly-raced four-year-old Spacecraft in the Group Three Aurie’s Star Handicap on the back an impressive jumpout during the week.
Formerly trained by Danny O’Brien, Spacecraft will make his debut for trainer Mick Price in Saturday’s Flemington feature.
Newitt has watched the progression of the son of Galileo in recent weeks but with champion jockey Damien Oliver doing most of the work on him it wasn’t until Tuesday that he got to partner him in a serious hitout.
He said he couldn’t have asked Spacecraft to go any better in an 800-metre jumpout against Australian Horse of the Year favourite Typhoon Tracy.
"He went to the line equally as good as Typhoon Tracy which is not bad for a horse that is going to want a mile (1600m) or even further," Newitt said.
"He jumped and led her up, he jogged, and went to the line with a fair bit in hand.
"We wanted to see if he was sharp enough so he could run over the six furlongs (1200m) on Saturday and I was very happy with him.
"He impressed me very much."
Spacecraft has raced only seven times but has promised to win a good race.
A Moonee Valley and Caulfield winner, he trained on last spring to finish a long neck second to Hanks in the Group Two AAMI Vase (2040m) at Moonee Valley but trained off in the autumn after an encouraging first-up third to Denman and Carrara in the Listed Zeditave Stakes (1200m).
His only public appearance for Price was last month when he ran on strongly to finish second in a 1000-metre Geelong barrier trial.
Trial winner Bay Of Poets ran the fastest time of the day and on Thursday won his maiden at Sale by four lengths.
"I don’t know why his (Spacecraft’s) form tapered off last autumn," Newitt said.
"There might have been issues there but he has shown no signs of any problems.
"He is going super."
Price has nominated Spacecraft for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups as well as the Cox Plate but shorter-term has the Group One Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield as a goal.
He said a win on Saturday would make it easier to place Spacecraft in the spring as his rating was still relatively low at 85.
"If he does happen to win his rating will go whoosh which would be beautiful," Price said.
Spacecraft’s weight of 53kg led to Oliver searching for a runner in his weight range in the Aurie’s Star.
He has landed on the back of the Peter Moody-trained Group One winner Headway (55.5kg) but Moody said she would not run if the track was heavy.
Flemington was rated a heavy (8) on Thursday.
Leika Larrikin is in the same race tomorrow, 6.10am British time.Waller was quick to give the praise for Our Cannavaro’s wins to stable vet Tim Roberts who discovered the gelding’s digestion was not working correctly and that he needed additives to assist him to absorb the amount he was eating.
The trainer said that normally big eaters in the stable would have eight scoops of feed daily, with smaller eaters down to four. Our Cannavaro though takes 10 scoops, but his results prior to his winter campaign were not reflecting the input.
Roberts prescribed the key additive to allow Our Cannavaro to properly digest his feed, the horse bloomed and he has raced accordingly ever since.
. . . Waller is now considering provincial cups as the next step for Our Cannavaro.
Received a reply back. Apparently, Drunken Sailor is qualified for the Melbourne Cup, but
not
for the Caulfield Cup. (Ballot Clause is similar, except it is for 1mile+ not 2300m+, and since 1 August 2009, NOT 2008.) The Galway win was one day before the qualifying period (Caulfield Cup), on 31st July 2009. The wins in Meydan don’t count, as the H’caps were restricted (95-110) instead of being Open.
I suppose the two main roughies have already been identified by Andy and Anthony, in Leica Larrikin and Moudre, but there was another performer yesterday with bigger plans afoot:-
Miles Above could be Cups-bound
* AAP
* From:
* Saturday, 7 August 2010Bush trainer Denis Daffy will attempt to qualify Miles Above for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups after his Flemington win on Saturday.
Bush trainer Denis Daffy will try to qualify improved galloper Miles Above for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups after he charged around the field from last for an impressive Flemington win.
Daffy, who has been training for 40 years, said he never lost faith in Miles Above developing into a good horse and he is now racing in the best form of his career.
The five-year-old made it three wins from five runs this campaign in Saturday’s Roland Walker and David Webb Handicap (2000m) and such has been his improvement that Daffy entered for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups last week.
"We threw him in the Cups because we just don’t know much he will keep improving," Daffy said.
"We will concentrate now on looking at trying to qualify him."
Champion jockey Damien Oliver rode Miles Above for the first time three starts ago when the gelding finished third at Caulfield.
He was so impressed with the run that when he saw him win his next start over 2250m in Adelaide he rang Daffy to recommend Saturday’s event as a target for the Good Journey gelding.
Daffy said Miles Above’s work had been "superb" since the Caulfield run and that he derived extra benefit from his trip to Adelaide.
"We took him to Adelaide thinking we would get an easy kill and the trip over there I think has made him grow up," Daffy said.
Miles Above settled at the tail of the Flemington field but joined the leading group at the top of the straight before surging to the front at the 150 metres and streaking away to a 3-3/4 length win over Chase The Sun and Spontaneous.
A $20,000 yearling, Miles Above has won six of his 27 starts but while he promised much as a three-year-old he continually disappointed.
"He has been one of those big, dopey, immature horses but always showed ability from the first day we galloped him," Daffy said.
"I think this time in he’s a more mature horse whereas before he would just look around and do things wrong rather than concentrate on winning.
"I just feel now he is putting it all together and I’m hoping he goes on from here."
Looking forward to next Saturday, it seems at the moment we are in for a monumental Liston:-
Predatory Pricer back for Caulfield after last year’s injury
* by Garry Legg
* From: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
* August 08, 2010 12:01AMMICK Price is confident his new stable star Predatory Pricer has left behind the wreckage of last spring.
Price will kick off his Melbourne spring campaign with Predatory Pricer and stablemate Heart Of Dreams in Saturday’s Liston Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
The Caulfield stable’s big guns are embarking on tough campaigns, with Predatory Pricer attempting to resurrect his career after the shattering disappointment of last year’s Caulfield Cup.
The Street Cry stallion started favourite in the Cup, but staggered over the line in 12th place after injuring his leg.
Connections have transferred Predatory Pricer from Paul Murray to Price, who could not be happier with his progress.
"He’s a lovely horse and has a very good preparation," Price said of Predatory Pricer. "He did have a reasonable injury to his off front fetlock, but he’s vetted all the time and it hasn’t caused him any trouble.
"He’s been on the water walker since May and back in the yard since the middle of June. His attitude is good, he’s sound and he’s also a stallion and on the odd occasion he let’s everyone know he’s around.
"He trialled here last Tuesday and went good, he finished second to one of (Peter) Moody’s and it was a nice half-mile (800m) hit-out."
Predatory Pricer, who won the Liston last year, is yet to win at Group 1 level. In the lead-up to last year’s Caulfield Cup he was third to Heart Of Dreams in the Group 1 Yalumba Stakes (1800m) and then second to Efficient in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m).
Price said the Caulfield Cup would be only a secondary consideration this time. He intends following a similar path to last year before heading to Moonee Valley on October 27 for the Cox Plate (2040m) with the seven-year-old.
"Basically we’re heading to the Cox Plate, that’s his mission, the Caulfield Cup is a remote possibility," Price said. "After we kick off this week, it will be the Makybe Diva, Yalumba and Underwood Stakes, which is a nice lead-in to the Valley."
Craig Newitt will have his first ride on Predatory Pricer in the Liston, while Damien Oliver will pilot Heart Of Dreams, who will either head to the Cox Plate or Caulfield Cup.
"Heart Of Dreams is also going very well. He ran second in a trial, in faster time than the other bloke. I’m really happy with him and the Cox Plate or Caulfield Cup are his options," Price said.
Heart Of Dreams won last year’s Underwood Stakes then finished seventh to So You Think in the Plate. He was spelled after that and brought back and finished second to Typhoon Tracy in the CF Orr Stakes in february. His last run was sixth to Danleigh in the Group 1 George Ryder at Rosehill on April 3.
Queenslander Shoot Out, who will also contest the Liston will meet an impressive line-up. Aside from the Price pair Cox Plate winner So You Think and Melbourne Cup hope Faint Perfume could also resume in the Liston.
Leviathan owner Lloyd Williams is also set to use the Liston as his platform for the spring with Irish Derby winner Mourayan and C’est La Guerre, likely to race at Caulfield.
Melbourne-based Kiwi trainer Mike Moroney has pencilled in the Liston as the launch pad for Spring Champion Stakes and VRC Derby winner Monaco Consul.
Moroney said Monaco Consul was being aimed at the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, but he has not ruled out a Cox Plate start.
While the Liston regularly attracts the big guns back from winter hibernation it has not been a great guide to the weight-for-age classic.
In 61 runnings of the Group 2 event, only So Called (1978), Tauto (1971) and Tobin Bronze (1966) have won the Liston and gone on to complete the Cox Plate double.
It’s incredible – and the article doesn’t mention that Herculian Prince, Shocking and Shamoline Warrior are likely runners too.
The only two Melbourne Cup hopes I’d take from yesterday are Moudre and Leica Larrikin. Berlioz will probably head that way, but I don’t think he has the class.
Sculptor was an emergency nomination for the Cup last year, but was withdrawn I think at the first acceptance stage.
Float is the australasian term for horsebox. It is a bit weird though when the first time you hear it is as a verb instead of a noun.
Incidentally, The Fuzz, who is mentioned in the article also has Cup entries, though he hasn’t run for 18 months.
Sculptor breaks the mould with Cup dream
By BARRY LICHTER – Sunday Star Times
Last updated 05:00 08/08/2010Peter McKenzie knows he’s dreaming entering Sculptor for the Melbourne Cup, but he wasn’t going to let the chance-of-a-lifetime slip for a measly $826.
The Levin trainer knows nominating a broken down eight-year-old racehorse and failed stallion, who hasn’t raced for nearly three years, ranks right up there with the dreamers who have pitted their maidens against some of the world’s best stayers for the $7.5 million race on November 2.
But Sculptor is no ordinary animal and, if there’s half a chance he can make it to Flemington again to repeat what McKenzie says was one of his best days in racing, he is willing to take it.
Sculptor’s last start was in the 2007 cup when he hit the front turning for home only to fade to ninth, feeling the effects of a flip in his float the previous day.
McKenzie had already committed to taking Sculptor to Hong Kong for the International Vase when, a few days before his flight, he damaged a suspensory ligament in training.
The horse was given more than six months out before he resumed training last year, but he got only to the galloping stage when the leg flared up again.
When McKenzie lost Sculptor’s sire, His Royal Highness, after a freak accident last September he decided to breed some mares to Sculptor instead.
But while he served 25 mares, Sculptor managed to get only five in foal.
When McKenzie consulted expert reproductive vet Lee Morris at Cambridge’s Equibreed Clinic, she discovered Sculptor’s sperm were not living long enough to fertilise the mares’ eggs.
"We originally thought there must be something wrong with the DNA of his sperm but apparently they were just highly energetic and using up all their energy."
Because Sculptor has such a super pedigree, McKenzie still hopes to try the horse again, timing his services as closely as possible to the mare’s ovulation.
But, with his leg now looking back to normal, McKenzie decided, at eight, he wasn’t too old to have another crack on the racetrack.
"He’s in his third month of work and seems to be holding up this time. He’s done most of his work on a water treadmill so far but as soon as I get back [from Christchurch] he’ll go to the beach."
McKenzie said the beach between Hokio and Waitarere in the Horowhenua was excellent for conditioning horses on the comeback because they could be galloped in a straight line, rather than straining round bends on the track.
"He takes an awful lot of work to get fit but I’m still pretty optimistic. I’d say he’s a month to six weeks away from racing."
Sculptor, who has won seven races and $766,000, gave McKenzie a career highlight at his second-to-last start when he won the Saab Quality at Flemington, forcing his way into the Melbourne Cup field.
"It was one of the most brilliant rides by Lisa [Cropp] – she simply outrode Craig Williams [on runner-up The Fuzz]. It was a remarkable day and encapsulated everything that’s great about racing."
But McKenzie said he went from the absolute heights to the absolute depths when, the following day, Sculptor had an accident in a trailer float on the way to the local beach.
"I was in the back with him and when the driver’s foot slipped from the accelerator on to the brake it tipped both of us over.
"Sculptor put his back out and, even though I massaged it a lot, he wasn’t right on cup day.
"When he turned for home and hit the front, instead of stretching out, his neck came up and you could see he wasn’t happy."
McKenzie said the importance of enjoying the highs in such a rollercoaster business was really brought home when His Royal Highness died 12 months ago, just as he was gaining overdue recognition as a stallion.
"That was a very sad day. But it was his own stupid fault.
"He was about to serve his first mare for the season, and was showing off, when he reared over backwards, landed on his back, and ruptured internal organs.
"The moral of the story: Don’t show off to birds who are too young for you."
McKenzie, a former lawyer with a passion for racing and acting, said he couldn’t help but think what might have been every time he looks at his latest boom horse by His Royal Highness.
Three-year-old Eminence set tongues wagging when he won his debut at Wanganui on July 29 by an effortless seven lengths.
"He’s very smart, and intelligent, that’s why he didn’t need any trials. Most of the good His Royal Highnesses are tough racehorses with big tickers but he has exceptional speed too."
Eminence would have been among McKenzie’s team for the Riccarton meeting this week had he not picked up a small stone bruise and a cough.
But McKenzie is still thinking of bringing the horse down later this week to get him used to travelling because, with his ability, McKenzie says he’ll be doing a lot of miles in the future.
KIWIS IN THE CUP
BOOMING ……………… Jeff Lynds
CROCODILE CANYON . H Mathews
HARRIS TWEED ……. M & B Baker
HOLLOWAY …………. Richard Otto
IREL …………… Graeme Rogerson
JUNGLE ROCKET ….. Jeff McVean
KEEP THE PEACE . Shaune Ritchie
MISS KEEPSAKE …. Andrew Scott
MONACO CONSUL ….. M Moroney
NAZABEEL ………….. Richard Otto
RED RULER ………… John Sargent
SCULPTOR ……… Peter McKenzie
SNAKE GULLY …. Howie Mathews
STERLING PRINCE … Wayne Hillis
THE HOMBRE ………….. John Bary
Godolphin have not made any decisions yet about who they’ll bring down, or even if they will come down. Really hope to see them there though.
This Liston Stakes this weekend is going to be an absolute cracker.
Nominated are a Caulfield Guineas placegetter (Carrara), NZ Derby winner and Melbourne Cup placegetter (C’est La Guerre), an Australian Guineas and Underwood Stakes winner (Heart of Dreams), a VRC Derby winner (Monaco Consul), an Irish Derby placegetter (Mourayan), a Stradbroke Handicap winner (Mr Baritone), last year’s Liston Stakes winner (Predatory Pricer), a Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes placegetter (Raffaello), a Melbourne Cup winner (Shocking), an AJC Derby winner (Shoot Out), a Cox Plate winner (So You Think), last year’s Mudgway Stakes, Windsor Park Plate and Geelong Cup placegetter (Sterling Prince), a Caulfield Cup placegetter (Vigor) and an Auckland Cup winner (Zavite).
All won or placed at G1 level.
Then you add the rest – Apprehend, an emerging stayer who I thought ran a great race in the Bletchingly; Jungle Ruler, a 1400m specialist who loves wet tracks; Shamoline Warrior, enough has been said on here about him; Sherpa Tenzing, who ran 3rd in the VRC St Leger; Tollesprit, emerging stayer who was quite disappointing in the Bletchingly.
This is as good a Liston Stakes as you’ll get IMO.
Alcopop, Allez Wonder (not in MC but in the other two big ones), Holloway, Exceptionally, Fairygem, Fairfield Flame, Gorky Park, Macedonian, Moatize, Phaze Action, Precedence, Rebel Raider, Right Fong, Scouting Wide, Small Minds, Tobique and Zabdued are other Cup entrants who are entered this weekend.
Also, we’ve got 8 entered in the Geoffrey Freer, including Pompeyano, who ain’t qualified yet.
That will be interesting Gerald.
Three late entrants for the Melbourne Cup – Black Mamba (now with Gai, fresh from America), Miss Alia and the Japanese trained Meisho Dontaku.
) I’m also interested in following the progress of a roughie into the field, but the problem is picking the right one, which is why instead I’m going to follow the Newcastle-Metropolitan route.
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.