Hobart Cup winner Growl is likely to remain in Tassie for the Launceston Cup on Feb 24. Growl ($12.20) shot clear as the field straightened for the run home and won by 4.25 lengths from the Tony Vasil-trained De Fine Lago ($6.50) and Tasmanian star Dream Pedlar ($30) who, like the winner, had a tough run.

Early Golden Slipper betting...Blue Diamond fav Beneteau is at $7.00 at head of Slipper market...Solar Charged from the John O'Shea stable is 2nd pick at $8.00...Chance Bye, who has won both starts, is on the 3rd line with Military Rose at $11.00....(TAB Sportsbet)...

Bits and pieces...Hype colt We're Gonna Rock will miss the Grp 1 Australian Guineas after pulling up sore at MValley last Friday. He's off for a spell...The David Hayes trained Eagle Falls and imported gallopers Changingoftheguard and Our Aqaleem will have a track gallop before the first race at Wednesday's Sandown meeting...Encosta De Lago colt Legalistic has firmed in Blue Diamond Stakes betting after his impressive debut win at Sale on Sunday...He's now at 17/1 ($18.00)...

Latest Blue Diamond market (TAB Sportsbet):

BENETEAU 3.60 1.65
PSYCHOLOGIST 4.20 1.80
CRYSTAL LILY 8.00 2.75
STAR WITNESS 8.00 2.75
GENERAL TRUCE 11.00 3.50
SECESSION 18.00 5.25
SHAAHEQ 18.00 5.25
SHES GOT GEARS 18.00 5.25
LEGALISTIC 18.00 5.25
MARMAA 31.00 8.50
TRICKY TRICKY 31.00 8.50
SWEET CHEEKS 31.00 8.50

No worries, the lights are still on...David Hayes is brushing off the shock flop of his star 3YO Irish Lights in the Rubiton at Caulfield. The filly ran a very ordinary 6th. DH explains: 'I think we just rode her too close and left her nothing at the end...There are some lovely fillies' races for her coming up so we'll take the conservative approach with her now and keep her to her own sex for the time being.'' Tough 6Yo Here de Angels won the race and trainer Mark Kavanagh is now looking at a crack at the Oakleigh Plate 1100m with him.

The Black Opal Stakes is the key target for promising 2YO Butt I'm Ready after his eye-catching win at Rosehill. Trainer Gary Portelli says: 'We always thought he'd be a nice three-year-old. He's still immature and everything is a big game to him...We'll probably have a crack at the Black Opal. He's the ideal horse for that...he races handy and he's got a nice turn of foot...I'm sure that will be a good race for him.' The $250,000 Black Opal Stakes (Listed, 1200m) will be run in Canberra on Mar 7.

Beneteau and Psychologist, impressive Blue Diamond Prelude winners, now dominate TAB Sportsbet's Blue Diamond market. Beneteau was a $9 chance coming into Saturday's race but is now into fav at $3.60 after as much as $17 was given before his first-up win at Randwick recently. Psychologist, scratched from a Kyneton maiden last Sunday, has firmed from $21 onto the 2nd line of betting at $4.20. She had been as much as $101 in original markets.

BLUE DIAMOND STAKES

Beneteau 3.60
Psychologist 4.20
Crystal Lily 8.00
Star Witness 8.00
General Truce 11.00
Secession 18.00
Shaaheq 18.00
She's Got Gears 18.00
Marmaa 26.00
Tricky Tricky 26.00
Pellizotti 35.00
Sweet Cheeks 35.00
others from 41.00

Not the best, so he's out...Well-fancied Sniper's Bullet is out of Sat's Grp 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. Trainer Tracey Bartley says the 6YO has an elevated white cell count. In the absence of the 7/1 shot, top mare Typhoon Tracy has tightened her grip on betting, firming from $1.70 into $1.55 on IASbet markets on the back of Sniper's Bullet's withdrawal.

Early betting moves/prices on 2 of Saturday's major races at Rosehill (TAB Sportsbet odds)

EXPRESSWAY STAKES

RANGIRANGDOO 3.00
DANLEIGH 4.20
DAO DAO 5.00
COURT 6.00
MCCLINTOCK 7.00
CENTENNIAL PARK 8.00
PRIMA NOVA 17.00
GATHERING 51.00

1st bet
$1000 @ $7 Danleigh
then $1500 @ $5
$500 @ $4.20

REDUCE YOUR CARBON HOOFPRINT

GRIFFON 3.60
MOTSPUR 5.00
DE LIGHTNING RIDGE 8.50
WELKOM GOLD 10.00
KOICHI 12.00
SO ANYWAY 12.00
SCHMOO 16.00
KELLY 16.00
MALAMBO 16.00
SACRED CHOICE 18.00
BAY WINDOW 18.00
JEST CREWSIN 18.00
EALOUS GUY 26.00
PRIOR BARON 35.00
CANARY ISLANDS 41.00

Welkom Gold $500 e/w @ $18, $500 e/w @ $14, $300 e/w @ $10

Caulfield on Saturday

3-01.45 WELLINGTON RACING CLUB STAKES 1400 M
Of $100000 and $500 trophy. 1st $60000 and trophy of $500, 2nd $18000, 3rd $9000, 4th $4500, 5th $2500, 6th $2000, 7th $2000, 8th $2000.For Three-Years-Old. Set Weights plus Penalties. (LISTED).This race carries a SUPER VOBIS Nominators Bonus of $10,000 for qualified horses.No Allowances for apprentices. Field Limit: 16 + 4 EM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. Horse Trainer Jockey Barr Wgt Pen RTG
1 DENMAN Peter Snowden Kerrin McEvoy 7 58.5 (110)
2 CARRARA Tony Vasil Nash Rawiller 6 58.5 (103)
3 THE HANDSOME ONE Greg Eurell Dale Smith 2 56 (70)
4 SOPHROSYNE Michael Moroney Mark Zahra 5 55 (72)
5 MOST IMMEDIATE Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Steven King 4 55 (70)
6 BREAK THE HABIT Sonny Coombes Danny Nikolic 1 55 (60)
7 CHILLED BY CHOICE Russell Cameron Damien Oliver 3 55 (61)

Betting on Thursday afternoon

DENMAN 1.30
CARRARA 5.50
SOPHROSYNE 11.00
MOST IMMEDIATE 15.00
THE HANDSOME ONE 17.00
CHILLED BY CHOICE 41.00
BREAK THE HABIT 126.00

8-04.30 AAMI HOBART CUP 2200 M
Of $400000 and $3000 trophy. 1st $220000 and trophy of $3000, 2nd $68000, 3rd $34000, 4th $17000, 5th $11000, 6th $10000, 7th $10000, 8th $10000, 9th $10000, 10th $10000.(GROUP 3).No Allowances for apprentices. Field Limit: 17 + 4 EM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. Horse Trainer Jockey Barr Wgt Pen RTG
1 ZAVITE (NZ) Anthony Cummings Nash Rawiller 10 59.5 (105)
2 ISTA KAREEM (NZ) Colin Little Danny Brereton 8 59 (104)
3 PLAYWRIGHT (NZ) Steve Richards Steven King 14 56.5 (99)
4 BALLACK (NZ) Danny O'Brien James Winks 1 55.5 (96)
5 BANGERANG QUIKPIC Darren Weir Craig Williams 13 55.5 (96)
6 GROWL (NZ) David Hayes Brad Rawiller 12 55 (95)
7 LARRY'S NEVER LATE (NZ) Rodney Douglas Craig Newitt 11 54 (92)
8 DREAM PEDLAR Troy Blacker Michael Rodd 6 53.5 (90)
9 RATHSALLAGH (NZ) Robert Smerdon Glen Boss 2 53 (89)
10 DE FINE LAGO Tony Vasil Dwayne Dunn 5 53 (87)
11 SYNDROME (NZ) Michael Moroney Blake Shinn 7 53 (86)
12 ASSENT David & Scott Brunton Garry Murphy 15 53 (85)
13 BEVEN HEIGHTS George Blacker Darren Gauci 16 53 (84)
14 THE TIGER Colin & Cindy Alderson Danny Nikolic 4 53 (82)
15 MAYBE FRENCH Mark Everett Lincoln Coffey 9 53 (75)
16 MR ISAAC Gary White Chris Pace (a) 3 53 (75)

Hobart Cup (Monday, Feb 8) betting on Thursday afternoon

RATHSALLAGH 6.00
ZAVITE 6.00
BANGERANG QUIKPIC 7.00
PLAYWRIGHT 8.00
SYNDROME 8.50
ASSENT 9.50
DE FINE LAGO 11.00
GROWL 11.00
BALLACK 13.00
THE TIGER 15.00
LARRYS NEVER LATE 15.00
DREAM PEDLAR 17.00
ISTA KAREEM 21.00
MR ISAAC 71.00
MAYBE FRENCH 71.00
BEVEN HEIGHTS 126.00

Is that egg on your face, sir? Stewards have given Michelle Payne the all-clear over her ride on Rebel Truce at Sandown-L on Jan 23. But they reckon she made a mistake in not taking the horse to the outside instead of the inside in the straight. Stewards opened an inquiry after the3YO finished sixth in the Rancher Super VOBIS Handicap (1300m. Michelle told the hearing that she had ridden the colt quietly at his previous start at Warrnambool before improving her position by making her run wider. Rebel Truce had hung inwards considerably under pressure over the final 200m. She elected to ride Rebel Truce close to the rail at Sandown-L. Stewards said they believe she erred in the early stages of the straight when she should have persisted on Rebel Truce to the outside of Sophrosyne which would have given her a greater opportunity to gain an uninterrupted run to the finish line.

TAB Sportsbet customers hit with a mammoth plunge on the Luke Griffith trained Sutton Princess at Canterbury on Wed. Originally listed at $14 yesterday and remaining at that quote this morning, when betting reopened, money started to flow through from 10.30am. First bet taken was $800 @ $14 which was followed over the next hour by ones including $650 @ $10 and $800 @ $9. In the final 20 minutes of betting the filly firmed from $8 into $5.50 with bets taken including $1000 @ $8, $600 @ $7.50, $1000 @ $7, $1100 and $800 @ $6.50 while one of the final wagers was $1200 @ $6. Nash Rawiller punched the filly out to the line.

Latest betting on the C.F. Orr Stakes on Saturday:

C F ORR STAKES
TYPHOON TRACY 1.70
HEART OF DREAMS 4.50
SNIPERS BULLET 7.50
RAFFAELLO 10.00
DANZYLUM 18.00
VIEWED 18.00
SHOCKING 23.00
ZIPPING 23.00
SIRMIONE 61.00
LITTORIO 61.00

7-04.15 SPORTINGBET ORR STAKES 1400 M
Of $400000 and $2000 trophy. 1st $240000 and trophy of $2000, 2nd $72000, 3rd $36000, 4th $18000, 5th $10000, 6th $8000, 7th $8000, 8th $8000.Standard Weight for Age. (GROUP 1).No Allowances for apprentices. Field Limit: 16 + 4 EM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No. Horse Trainer Jockey Barr Wgt Pen RTG
1 VIEWED Bart Cummings Steven Arnold 7 59 (119)
2 SHOCKING Mark Kavanagh Michael Rodd 9 59 (115)
3 ZIPPING Robert Hickmott Nicholas Hall 8 59 (115)
4 SNIPER'S BULLET Tracey Bartley Nash Rawiller 4 59 (116)
5 SIRMIONE Bart Cummings Dwayne Dunn 3 59 (112)
6 HEART OF DREAMS Mick Price Craig Newitt 6 59 (113)
7 LITTORIO Nigel Blackiston Craig Williams 5 59 (107)
8 DANZYLUM Robbie Griffiths Matthew Allen 2 59 (100)
9 RAFFAELLO Jim Marconi Steven King 10 59 (104)
10 TYPHOON TRACY Peter G Moody Luke Nolen 1 57 (116)

Early betting moves for Sandown on Wednesday (from TAB Sportsbet):

Race 3

Soaring Dragon $200 @ $35, $150 e/w @ $31 and $400 e/w @ $21 now $15

Race 4

Flash Gift $1200 e/w @ $9 now $7.50

Race 5

Pinatas $1000 @ $4.60 unchanged
Viallico $1300 @ $11 now $9

Race 6

Cascabel $500 @ $4.50 twice unchanged
Aspen Heights $500 e/w @ $8.50 now $7.50

Race 7

Midnight Wine $1500 @ $10 now $8.

Are they getting carried away? An international campaign beckons for Sat's Grp 2 Wellington Cup (2400m) winner Red Ruler. He's likely to have at least one other start in New Zealand over the next two months before setting off on an international campaign in Hong Kong and Singapore. Trainer John Sargent says: 'We have nominated him for the QEII Cup on April 25, and all going to plan, the horse will head to Hong Kong early April...We can also consider the Grp 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji on May 16.' This is all very well but given his Aussie form perhaps it's aiming a bit high with Red Ruler?

Newmarket Hdcp betting is currently dominated by All Silent and Black Caviar. Betstar.com.au has the pair at $6.00 (5/1) each. Latest market:

All Silent 6.00
Black Caviar 6.00
Nicconi 11.00
Starspangledbanner 13.00
Trusting 13.00
Wanted 15.00
Weekend Hussler 15.00
Avenue 17.00
Eagle Falls 17.00
Headway 17.00
Were Gonna Rock 17.00

It couldn't be more open! Early markets on the Doncaster have at $11.00 the field. Denman and Whobegotyou share the top line, according to the latest Betstar market.

Denman 11.00
Whobegotyou 11.00
Manhattan Rain 13.00
Rangirangdoo 13.00
So You Think 13.00
Heart Of Dreams 15.00
More Joyous 15.00
Trusting 15.00
Typhoon Tracy 15.00
Irish Lights 21.00
Rock Kingdom 21.00
Theseo 21.00
Weekend Hussler 21.00
We're Gonna Rock 21.00

Oh, how can they doubt sweet Michelle? Melbourne's #1 female jockey Michelle Payne will front stewards on Tuesday as an inquiry continues into her ride on Rebel Truce at Sandown Lakeside on Jan 23. Michelle rode RT well back to the turn and from that point he ran on into 6th in the Rancher Handicap (1300m), almost 3 lens from the winner. Stewards raised concerns about Michelle's tactics on Rebel Truce, particularly from the 600 metres, and then launched an inquiry. They have now examined betting trends and looked at RT's previous starts. RT is trained by Patrick Payne, Michelle's brother.

The Danny O'Brien-trained Star Witness has firmed in pre-post betting for the Grp 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) after his win in Sats Talindert Stakes (1100m, Listed) at Flemington. The Starcraft colt charged down the middle of the course to beat the well-fancied Tricky Tricky. Bookies Centrebet slashed the colt's Blue Diamond Stakes quote from $13 into $8.50. Latest betting with TAB Sportsbet:

SECESSION 7.00 2.50
CRYSTAL LILY 8.00 2.75
BENETEAU 8.00 2.75
STAR WITNESS 8.00 2.75
INNOCENT GAMBLE 11.00 3.50
PELLIZOTTI 13.00 4.00
GENERAL TRUCE 13.00 4.00
SWEET CHEEKS 15.00 4.50
SHAAHEQ 15.00 4.50

Lightning 4th-place Starspangledbanner will continue his racing career in Ireland after only two runs in Melbourne this autumn. Trainer Leon Corstens says the sale of the Choisir colt to Coolmore means that Starspangledbanner's Australian racing program will finish with the $1 million Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on Mar 6 before he goes to Ballydoyle stables in Ireland to be prepared by Aidan O'Brien. Lightning winner Nicconi is also set for a UK campaign.

He's excited...Import Our Aqaleem has trainer David Hayes all aquiver...The Epsom Derby 3rd placer may have won just an ordinary city mile race at Flemington but it was so convincing a performance that it put a real big smile on the DH countenance. He says: 'That's one of the biggest wins you'll ever see. He's just invited himself into anything...His three-year-old form was as good as anything the Sheikh [Hamdan] has sent me. I'm really excited.' It's no wonder...Our Aqaleem ran 3rd in the Epsom Derby in 2007 but later fractured his pelvis twice. He went into Saturday's race without having raced for two and a half years!

Although most punters ignored Our Aqaleem, buyers of my book Knockout Horses were right onto him! The formula used in the book clearly selected the stayer as a likely longshot winner.

Good to see South Australian jockey Kayla Stra doing really well in America. She 'starred' last year in Animal Planet's reality TV series 'Jockeys' and is currently riding at Golden Gate Fields at Berkeley (San Francisco area) on the Northern Califonian circuit. She's 7th on the jockey standings there with 9 winners, 11 2nds and 5 3rds from 53 rides since December 26.

Anger mounts...Trainers will demand the VRC employ security staff to protect horses at future music festivals planned for Flemington in the wake of the Australia Day break-ins. A Flemington-based trainer says trainers are furious that intruders were able to enter stables and gain easy access to horses during the Big Day Out concert on Tuesday.

Bad break...Sydney jockey Peter Robl will miss Sat's Lightning Stakes after breaking his collarbone in a fall at Thursday night's Canterbury meeting.

Fortune awaits...The Victorian BIG 6 pool is expected to top $2 million with a mega-jackpot of $500,000 to kick-start the pool at Saturday's Lightning Stakes meeting at Flemington.

Latest betting news from TAB Sportsbet on Thursday evening::

Blue Diamond

Secession has eased over the past week but remains favourite at $7.00...Crystal Lily has firmed from $26 to $8.50 after winning the Fillies Preview on Tuesday....Beneteau has come in from $18 to $8.50 after winning in Sydney on Tuesday...Roulettes was 2nd favourite but drifted to $21 after missing a place in the Fillies Preview.

Lightning

Starspangledbanner open $5.00 behind Burdekin Blues but is now into favourite...We have taken bets of $1,800 at $5.00, $3,631 at $4.80, $2,000 at $4.60 and $2,000 at $4.40...Shellscrape has firmed from $11 to $10.

CS Hayes

Extra Zero opened $6.50 and the first bet we took was $2,000 at that price...Money has continued with $2,000 at $5.00 and $1,300 at $4.20...Extra Zero is now the clear favourite.

Vanity

Only action has been $850 Salinas at $9.50.

Talindert

Tricky Tricky is $2.80 but money in the Blue Diamond suggests the colt should go close on debut...It has firmed from $81 to $14 in the Blue Diamond without racing.

He's back...Michael Rodd will be reunited with Shocking when the Melbourne Cup winner resumes in Sat week's Grp 1 Orr Stakes at Caulfield. Corey Brown was aboard Shocking in his Melbourne Cup triumph but increased weights have given Rodd the chance to again take the ride. he says: 'I've ridden him all the time in his work...I missed the early rides on him when I broke my wrist and I couldn't ride him in the Melbourne Cup at 51kgs but he will probably run at weight-for-age through the autumn and he'll get a decent weight even if he ran in a handicap so I'll be right to ride him all the time.

In the wake of The Idiots...Music fans trying to gain illegal access to the Melbourne Big Day Out are believed to have caused career-threatening injuries to at least two horses from the Flemington stables of Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Mark Kavanagh, says the Sydney Morning Herald. It adds: 'The Herald believes some fans jumped a fence behind an apartment complex and entered Kavanagh's stables, where several fillies were released from their boxes. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.'

Early betting on Sat's Lightning at Flemington sees Burdekin Blues and Starspangledbanner sharing favoritism at $4.60.

BURDEKIN BLUES $4.60 $1.85 STARSPANGLEDBANNER $4.60 $1.85 NICCONI $5.50 $2.05 IRISH LIGHTS $7.50 $2.50 SHELLSCRAPE $9.00 $2.85 HEADWAY $9.00 $2.85 WANTED $13.00 $3.80 DUPORTH $15.00 $4.30 SISTER MADLY $21.00 $5.70 CANNONBALL $41.00 $10.00 GOVERNANCE $41.00 $10.00 SEEKING ATTENTION $101.00 $24.00 HONEST TRUTH $101.00 $24.00 (market from Unitab)

You're right, mate! US jockey Patrick Valenzuela WILL ride the Yankee sprinter Cannonball in Sat's Grp 1 Lightning Stakes at Flemington. He's been given the all-clear after a probe into his US disciplinary record. Seems it wasn't so bad after all. Valenzuela has ridden more than 4000 winners in his 30-year career. He'll be on Cannonball for the first time. Valenzuela, whose wins include the 1989 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes on Sunday Silence, has for some years ridden under an agreement with the Californian Horse Racing Board that he submit to regular drug testing. He was suspended on drug offences eight times in the 1990s and in 2000 spent 22 months on the sidelines for a positive drug test. He has since been suspended on drug charges in 2004, 2006 and 2007. In 2008, he rode his 4000th career winner.

Like a dog on a bone...Queensland Racing stewards have begun appeal proceedings against the decision to overturn the two-month suspension incurred by Sydney apprentice Daniel Ganderton.

Idiots' time...Music festival gatecrashers broke into several high-profile stables and let valuable racehorses out of their enclosures at Flemington on Tuesday.

Crystal Lily has joined Secession at the top of Blue Diamond Stakes betting, according to the latest market from Betstar.com.au. The filly firmed after her smart win at Caulfield on Australia Day.The daughter of Stratum showed nifty pace to lead throughout in the fillies' division of the Blue Diamond Preview (Listed, 1000m). The market on Wednesday:

Crystal Lily 7.00
Secession 7.00
Beneteau 9.00
Shaaheq 9.00
Innocent Gamble 11.00
General Truce 13.00
Tricky Tricky 13.00
Shes Got Gears 15.00
Sweet Cheeks 15.00

Has there been a worse ride this year than that of Craig Williams on the well-backed My Bentley in the final race at Caulfield? The usually reliable jockey lacked any initiative to break away from his pre-race instructions. The stewards report says:

When questioned regarding the tactics adopted on My Bentley today and also the overall performance of the gelding C Williams explained that he had suggested to connections prior to the race that in his opinion horses were finding it difficult to make ground during the day and for this reason My Bentley may be better suited ridden in a more forward position nearer to the rail. However his instructions were to ride My Bentley back in the field in accordance with its normal racing pattern with the view that there would be sufficient early speed in the race to allow My Bentley to finish the race off. C Williams added that the race was not run to suit and though whilst he had an opportunity to make a run three wide with cover near the 800m, it would've been in conflict with his instructions. C Williams further explained that approaching the home turn his mount was unable to go forward due to a number of runners not making ground and elected to gain a trail on the back of Larry's Never Late (NZ) which was the only horse going forward, then after passing the 200m My Bentley was checked when blocked for a run between Larry's Never Late (NZ) and Bolle which shifted in marginally. A subsequent veterinary examination of My Bentley after the race revealed the gelding to be lame in the near hind leg and trainer Mr M Kent was advised a veterinary certificate of fitness is required for the gelding prior to racing again. A swab sample was also taken for analysis.