Ah, the good old days...Ken Callander reports in the Sydney Daily Telegraph: 'Roy Horton, who rode and trained in the golden years of Sydney racing, showed me the AJC Derby racebook of 1924 at Canterbury on Saturday. There were 402 bookies listed to field at Randwick that day and yes there was a Waterhouse among them.'

Is Takeover Target's racing career over? It could be after his inglorious 7.5lens 8th in the KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore. The scuttlebutt has already started saying that TT's legs have finally given in.

Court Command has been penalised half a kilogram (0.5kgs) to boost his chance of gaining a start in next month's $1 million Stradbroke Handicap 1400m at Eagle Farm. He has leapt ahead of Ortensia and Court on the order of entry. They were not penalised for their wins against their own sex and age groups at Doomben on Saturday.

Special ballot conditions may get Ortensia and Court into the Stradbroke final field. The special conditions can be used at the discretion of handicapper Lester Grimmet. They allow the handicapper to allocate an allowance of up to 2kgs to fillies and mares be utilised for 'ballot purpose' and this could guarantee Court and Ortensia places in the Stradbroke field. The classy pair will clash in the QTC Cup at Eagle Farm on May 30. The winner earns exemption from the Straddie ballot.

What a flop! Takeover Target put in a rare poor performance in the KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore. He was 4th one-out on the turn but was gone as soon as the field turned for home. Jockey Jay Ford says: 'It was a sub-par run...He was never travelling well for me.' The race went to Hong Kong's Sacred Kingdom ridden by Brett Prebble. He downed local champ Rocket Man in a thrilling finish. The pair fought it out over the last 200m with the winner prevailing by a neck. The race was run in a rec 67.8s.

Brave effort...Pompeii Ruler could finish only 4th in the Singapore Airlines International Cup in Singapore but he ran a brave race. He loomed up to tackle for the lead turning into the straight but started to falter when the real pressure was applied. French horse Gloria de Campeao $37.60 kicked clear 200m out and just lasted to stave off a flying finish from the UK favorite Presvis who was last into the straight.

Latest Stradbroke betting...Betchoice has Ortensia the new fav at $8.00 (7/1) followed by All Silent and Bank Robber at $9.00, then Danleigh $10.00, Apache Cat and Black Piranha $11.00.

News snips...Brad Rawiller is booked to ride Melbourne Cup prospect Empires Choice in the Doomben 10,000...Trainer Bart Cummings will run both Empires Choice and Swick in Saturday's race. Both may tackle the Stradbroke Handicap two weeks later.

Local jockey Shane Scriven, who staved off retirement plans when winning the Lord Mayor's Cup and Doomben Cup last Saturday, has picked up the Doomben 10,000 ride on the Fred Kersley-trained Marasco. Like the Doomben Cup winner Scenic Shot, Marasco hails from Western Australia

Big owner Lloyd Williams has got away with giving Efficient a 'barrier trial' run in a real race. The 2007 Melbourne Cup winner started at big odds and finished worse than midfield at Flemington, but connections were 'pleased' with the run. Some punters are asking why LW is allowed to run a horse like Efficient when there apparently is no hope of him winning.

Bank Robber has taken over as fav for the Stradbroke at Eagle Farm next month. The latest TAB Sportsbet market has him at $7.00 (6/1). Doomben winner Ortensia is into $11.00 after her strong performance. The market:

BANK ROBBER 7.00 2.50
ALL SILENT 9.00 3.00
DANLEIGH 9.00 3.00
APACHE CAT 11.00 3.50
BLACK PIRANHA 11.00 3.50
ORTENSIA 11.00 3.50
DUPORTH 11.00 3.50
LIGHT FANTASTIC 13.00 4.00
COURT COMMAND 13.00 4.00
ABSOLUT GLAM 13.00 4.00
EL CAMBIO 13.00 4.00
FORENSICS 15.00 4.50
COURT 15.00 4.50
YOUTHFUL JACK 17.00 5.00
RACING TO WIN 17.00 5.00
SOMETHING ANYTHING 17.00

Rachel Alexandra lived up to her star billing Saturday, becoming the first filly in 85 years to win the 1 3/16-mile Preakness Stakes. With jockey Calvin Borel in the irons, Rachel Alexandra became the first filly since Nellie Morse in 1924 to win the second jewel in US flat racing's Triple Crown, holding off a charge by Kentucky Derby-winner Mine That Bird.

Tony Noonan plans a West Aussie campaign for his new stable aquisition Midnight Mustang after his impressive win at Flemington on Saturday. He's targetting two valuable races in Perth, the listed Roma Cup (1200m) on May 30 and the Belmont Sprint (1400m) a fortnight later as MM's next targets. TN took over the training of the classy sprinter from Luke Oliver. 'We definitely think he's up to better class,' says Noonan's foreman Wes Hunter.

Len Morton couldn't be prouder of his son Daniel, trainer of Doomben Cup winner Scenic Shot. He says the victory gave him a bigger thrill than when he won the Brisbane Cup with Muros. Len says: 'If ever a horse deserved to win a Group 1, it's this bloke...It's a great thrill to win it...I stood aside four years ago to let Dan have a go at training and for him to make a good fist of it and win Group 1 races make you very proud as a parent.' Dan Morton stayed in Perth yesterday. He's prreparing his topsprinter Scenic Blast for a UK campaign.

Tony Noonan has staked his claim for the big Stradbroke Hdcp with his super-classy filly Ortensia...She notched a powerful win in the Listed Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m) at Doomben and looked every bit a Grp 1 star in the making. She's 54th in the Stradbroke order of entry with 49.5kgs and ineligible for a penalty for today's win. Craig Williams did well to get ortensia acoss into a nice midfield spot and as the pack neared the home turn, he urged Ortensia into the race and she swept forward wide out and produced a sizzling finale. Belong To Many fought on gamely in the straight to hold 2nd with Russeting a sound 3rd

The placings and margins: Ortensia 56kg ($4) (C.Williams) defeated Belong To Many 58.5kg ($3.10) (J.Byrne) by three lengths with Russeting 55.5kg ($14) (R.Goltz) a short neck away in third place.

Breathing easy...Takeover Target is back feeding normally again and his trainer Joe Janiak reckons the old marvel is on target to win a second KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore on Sunday...JJ feared the rising 10yo may have fretted on his arrival in Singapore on Saturday as he refused some of his food the following day. He was a lot happier with him on Friday after TT had enjoyed a leisurely spin on the Kranji track. JJ says: 'He ate up last night which was pleasing...I just think he may have fretted when he first got here and left some of his feed.'

Apache Cat is an unlikely runner in the Stradbroke Hdcp. He'll have to break a 97-year weight carrying record in next month's Grp 1 sprint classic after being allocated 60kgs in the $1 million race, AC will have his next start in the Doomben 10,000 (1350 metres) in Brisbane on Saturday week.

Scone Cup mile winner Obvious Choice willnow target key Brisbane staying races, including the 3200m Queens Cup at the end of the winter carnival. Trainer Paul Messara says: 'He has shown what a versatile horse he is by winning today but he is a stayer in the making.'

Peter Snowden's winning run continues...He claimed a second successive Dark Jewel Classic when stable outsider Rio Osa came with a flashing finale to win the Listed fillies and mares classic at Scone. Snowden, born and bred in Scone, saddled up two runners but it was the least fancied Rio Osa and jockey Tye Angland who took out the $100,000 race. PS says: 'It's amazing the difference a barrier can make.'

Don't miss the latest June issue of PRACTICAL PUNTING MONTHLY magazine with Takeover Target on the front cover!

Lots of confidence from the David Hayes stable for Flemington...DH is expecting a big effort from Extra Zero and an improved performance from Arms Wide Open. Extra Zero is favorite at 3/1 for the Gibson Carmichael (race 3), while Arms WideOpen is at 8/1 for the Clarke Hdcp (race 2). Hayes has Usain at 4/1 in the opening race and Okuma at 7/1 in the final event.DH's only Doomben runner is 20/1 chance Red Element in the BTC Sprint.

Trainer Mark Kavanagh will raise the bar for his exciting newcomer Romanoff Limits following his strong win at Ballarat on Thursday. He is looking at the possibility of starting Romanoff Limits next on a metropolitan track. MK says: 'It was a good win...That's two starts for two wins, a great start to his career...We're looking forward to his next run already.'

Aussie runners at Sunday's Singapore International raceday have drawn well in their races. Takeover Target will start from barrier #3 in his bid to win another Grp 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint while Pompeii Ruler drew #2 and Sarrera #1 in the Grp 1 SIA Cup...TT's main rivals drew a mixed bag of gates with local champ Rocket Man starting from #9, Hong Kong's star sprinter Sacred Kingdom barrier #1 and Hong Kong International Sprint winner Inspiration in #12, just inside top UK contender Prime Defender in #14. SIA favorite Presvis will start from barrier #12.

Plenty of trainers brimming with confidence for Sat's Brisbane carnival races...Anthony Cummings is very keen on his Doomben Cup pair Miss Darcey and Prima Nova, and Cummings Jnr is certainly in top form, landing the BTC Cup with Duporth last week....Mike Moroney is another trainer filled with quiet confidence. He has Tinseltown as a strong Brisbane Cup prospect, and Revoke is looking good for the Qld Oaks...Look out, too for the stable's Robot in the BTC Classic.

Good news from Singapore...The Mick Price raider Pompeii Ruler has turned in some slick trackwork hitouts. After trotting and cantering for a lap of the Kranji track, PR ran home the final 600m in 36.9s. Travelling foreman Pat Payet says: 'I know him very well and have travelled with him before...He's very well in himself and hasn't put a foot wrong.' PR is at $7.50 (13/2) for Sunday's Singapore Airlines Trophy.

What's really going on at Racing Victoria as its execs decide the future of jumps racing? Word is that there's a lot of trepidation about taking that final step to outlaw the jumps, especially given the parlous state of the nation's finances at the moment. Ripping a huge chunk of action from the racing scene is not what the doctor ordered! The talk, too, is that some RV honchos have been shocked at the passion of the jumps supporters. Says one pro-jumps man: 'They thought they could make the Racing Minister Rob Hulls happy and toss us all into the trash can, but now they know they can't kick us around.'

General consensus is that Racing Victoria will NOT axe jumps racing but it will try to come up with some compromise formula that won't guarantee the long-term future of the sport.If that's the case, it won't satisfy the thousands of people who rely on jumps racing for a living. They want long-term security, and why not?

The Age reports: 'With the future of jumps racing in the balance yesterday, bus loads of supporters from the sport's heartland in Warrnambool made the four-hour trek to Racing Victoria Ltd's headquarters in an attempt to champion the sport and save the economic future of their town...Approximately 300 jumps-racing supporters rallied at the doors of the Racing Victoria, while police in riot gear and on horseback kept watch, and separated 24 anti-jumps protesters from the main group.

Stradbroke betting remains wide open following release of the handicap weights...All Silent remains the early fav at $8.00 (7/1) followed by Bank Robber and Danleigh at $9.00. Apache Cat is at $15 but trainer Greg Eurell says he won't run because his 60kgs top-weight assessment is far too much. The latest Betstar market:

All Silent 8.00
Bank Robber 9.00
Danleigh 9.00
Black Piranha 11.00
Duporth 13.00
El Cambio 13.00
Apache Cat 15.00
Light Fantastic 15.00
Ortensia 15.00
Absolut Glam 17.00
Forensics 17.00
Rightfully Yours 17.00
Racing To Win 21.00
Snipers Bullet 21.00
Youthful Jack 21.00

Decision delayed! That's the outcome of today's big talks at Racing Victoria on the future of jumps racing. RV says more talks are needed with interested parties. It's just another sign that the anti-jumps cliques within RV and the State Government are backing down from their implied threats to ban the jumps. It seems more and more likely that the jumps will remain. A decision will be announced next Monday afternoon.

UK bookies are taking no risks with West Aussie sprinter Scenic Blast at the upcoming Royal Ascot meeting. They have him at 8/1 for both the King's Stand Stakes and the Golden Jubilee Stks. Champ sprinter Takeover Target is also 8/1 for the GJS. European super-sprinter Overdose is fav for both races.

It's a close battle...Takeover Target is co-fav at $2.30 for the KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore. The latest TAB Sportsbet market has local star Rocket Man equal fav. In the Singapore Airlines Cup, Pompeii Ruler is at $7.50 and Sarrera is $11.00. The ruling fav is Presvis at $2.25.

Friday's Scone Cup sees I've Got Talent the ruling fav at $4.40, narrowly ahead of My Sweet Cookie at $4.80, and then Soiled at $6.50, according to the market issued by TAB Sportsbet.

It's over for now...Queensland star Chakvetadze has a leg injury and is out of the winter carnival. The filly, trained by Mick Nolan at Toowoomba, is unbeaten after six starts. Following her last start win in the Gold Coast Guineas the filly was being set for the Stradbroke Handicap in June, but will now be out for the rest of the winter carnival. Connections say they are confident she will recover for the spring.

Early news for the spring...Kiwi stayer Capecover is back in work and connections are confident he's a Melbourne Cup prospect. Capecover was spelled after the Auckland Cup. Trainer Alexander Fieldes says: 'He had two months in the paddock and I'll take him to the beach for a month...I'm very happy with the horse and we hope to get him back to the form he showed last year...The good thing is that he is fully qualified for the Melbourne Cup.'

Racing Victoria seems to be toning down its attitude to jumps racing. In a TVN interview on Tuesday, RV boss Rob Hines was claiming that jumps racing was never 'suspended'. All that happened, apparently, was that several races at Moe were switched to the flat. It seems the outcry at suggestions the jumps will be scrapped has been more intense and angry than anyone at RV or the State Govt expected.

Both Rob Hines and the Racing Minister Rob Hulls are not emerging from the jumps crisis with their reputations boosted. Hines is being seen by some as a lackey for Hulls, and the minister is being seen as a one-eyed anti-jumps crusader who won't listen to reasonable calls for calm.

Melbourne Cup winner (2007) Efficient is one of 26 entries for the Straight Six (1200m) at Flemington on Sat.The grey's 2008 Cup campaign was torpedoed when he strained a fetlock joint in training. The Zabeel 5YO has raced only three times since beating Purple Moon, Mahler and stablemate Zipping in the Melbourne Cup. Owner Lloyd Williams plans to give him one run before putting him away for the spring. His key target will again be the Melbourne Cup.

Will she or won't she? Mornington trainer Tony Noonan will decide after trackwork tomorrow which race Ortensia will run in this weekend at Doomben. He has entered the filly in the Listed Glenlogan Park Stakes and the Grp 3 BTC Classic, both over 1350m.

Thanks to a reduced suspension period, Craig Newitt can ride Pompeii Ruler in Sunday's SIA Cup in Singapore...Queensland stewards suspended Newitt for 10 meetings and fined him $2,000 for his ride on Rightfully Yours in the PM's Cup but QR's appeal tribunal reduced the 10-meeting suspension to 8 meetings and the suspension now ends at midnight on Saturday night...The sting in the tail is that Newitt now has to pay a $5,000 fine, up from $2,000.

Jumps supporters are fighting back...Top jockey Steven Pateman reckons the fight for jumps racing's survival is not yet lost. He's urging supporters to attend a rally at Racing Victoria Limited's Epsom Road headquarters tomorrow morning. SP says: 'We won't be waving placards or wearing T-shirts...We will be a voice in numbers and we will be fighting for our sport and for what is right.' Jumps fans would have been dismayed by a biased ABC 7.30 Report broadcast on Monday. Most of it was taken up with the complaints of a teenage girl who didn't like jumps racing.

Claws trimmed...Trainer Greg Eurell is ready to axe a Stradbroke Handicap start for Apache Cat after the popular sprinter was given 60kg in next month's million-dollar showpiece handicap. Apache Cat heads the weights ahead of John O'Shea's Racing To Win (58.5kgs) with a 3kgs gap to Perth visitor Marasco on 55.5kgs.GE says: 'I thought he would have got 59kgs which would have caused us to sit down and have a really hard think about things but he just can't give a horse like Marasco a four and a half kilo head start and expect to beat him...It would be an extremely difficult exercise for him,'

Snowden warms up for Scone...Surround Stakes winner Portillo leads a classyraft of noms for the Listed $110,000 Dark Jewel Classic (1400m) at Scone on Friday...Portillo is one of four horses trainer Peter Snowden has nominated for the meeting. Snowden has Rio Osa fin the Dark Jewel and has Spinney nominated for the Listed $110,000 Emirates Park Scone Cup (1600m). His fourth rep is Latigo in th Yalumba.

Don't miss the June issue of PRACTICAL PUNTING MONTHLY magazine with the mighty Takeover Target on the front cover. Inside you'll find top racing articles by Prentice Manetter, William 'Bad Bill' McBride, Roman Kozlovski, Julian Mould, Brian Blackwell and The Optimist...all aimed at helping punters win at racing.

James Winks called up for Douro Valley ride in Doomben Cup

Hong Kong-based jockey James Winks will ride the Danny O'Brien-trained Douro Valley in Saturday's Doomben Cup in Brisbane. Winks is currently 19th on the HK jockey premiership with 8 winners and 18 placegetters from 163 rides.

Why did Swiss Ace, the 2/1 equal fav, flop in the BTC Cup? He was found to be "coughing" after the race.

There's growing unrest at the management of racing in Victoria. Racing Minister Rob Hulls has been accused of meddling in the jumps crisis, and a report in The Age says he telephoned RVL boss Rob Hines shortly before Hines suspended jumps racing after fatal falls at Warrnambool last week. Critics are pointing to the Geelong thorotrack debacle and asking why Hulls and Hines are not being held more accoutable for that financial disaster?

The Age says: ' (Hines) own track record is mediocre at best after the failure of the Geelong all-weather track.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Hong Kong shock...Aussie Jamie Stier quits chief steward job

Jamie Stier stunned Hong Kong racing on Saturday with the announcement that he will step down as the Hong Kong Jockey Club's chief stipendiary steward at the end of the current racing season, reports the Sth China Morning Post. It says the 45yo Australian will complete 11 years on the stewards' panel after the 78th meeting of the current term on July 1. He has been chief steward for the last 6-1/2 years. Stier says: 'There is a lifespan to a job like this and we've formed the view that I might have reached the end of that lifespan, so I've decided to stand down at the end of this season.'

Not another one! Blake Shinn is out until May 29 after copping yet another suspension at Doomben. It means he'll miss the Doomben Cup and Doomben 10,000 meetings over the next two weeks. He was found guilty of careless riding on the Gai Waterhouse-trained Rabbuka in the Chairman's Handicap. He was also fined $500...His suspension begins on Thursday and expires on May 29.


Cummings Jnr relieved man after Duporth scrapes home

Anthony Cummings was a relieved man after Duporth's close victory in the BTC Cup. He declared Duporth was due for a change of luck, branding the 3YO colt's autumn campaign a 'tragedy greater than Macbeth.' AC was close to despair as Duporth went across the finish line locked together with Bank Robber and Apache Cat. He says: 'I thought he had run second or third...He hasn't had much luck in a number of the bigger races...I set my sights on winning the Newmarket in Melbourne with him and if he had got the gap he would have run a clear second.' Previously winner of the Golden Rose (Grp 2) and San Domenico (Grp 3), Duporth's overall record now stands at 3 wins and a 3rd from 12 starts for earnings of $1,123,625.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

UK import Speed Gifted zooms into spring Cups contention

He didn't beat much but the way he did it was eye-catching...That's how it was for the UK import Speed Gifted in taking out the 1620m AGL Trophy at Flemington. Unfancied at around 13/1, the 5YO Montjeu gelding produced a sizzling final 200m to win easily at his first start since arriving from Britain and going into the stable of Lee Freedman. Speed Gifted won at 2400m to 2800m in the UK and is being set for a crack at this year's Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

Anthony Cummings has big plans for Duporth, narrow winner of the BTC Cup at Doomben. He will aim him at the big Brisbane sprints, the Doomben 10,000 and Stradbroke Handicap. Jockey Luke Nolen says Duporth will be 'better suited back in a handicap' in the Stradbroke. Apache Cat (3rd) lost no admirers when he just failed to record a second successive win in the WFA race. He appeared reluctant to really stretch out between horses and only began to hit top gear close to the line.


The jumps racing crisis: Jockeys consider compromise deal

The poorly-handled jumps racing crisis is set to worsen and take new turns...Reports say some jockeys are after a compromise deal to ban hurdle racing and retain steeplechase events in Victoria...They believe outlawing of hurdle racing is the answer to the crisis. They say the tiny jumps now used in hurdle racing are its greatest problem. They say horses approach the small jumps too quickly.

There are also plans to strongly resist a jumps racing shutdown. The Australian Jumps Racing Association is threatening a massive class action against Racing Victoria. Association president Rodney Rae has attacked Victorian Racing Minister Rob Hulls, accusing him of a vendetta against the sport and claiming he has been applying political pressure to ban it. There is also mounting criticism of RVL boss Rob Hines's role in the issue.

Friday, May 8, 2009

Noonan undecided on Stradbroke bid by Ortensia

Melbourne trainer Tony Noonan is still undecided on a Stradbroke run for his smart filly Ortensia. She'll have her first Brisbane outing in the Glenlogan Park Stakes (Listed) at Doomben on Saturday week. TN says: 'She's settled in really well and her work up in Brisbane has been first-class so far...She will run next Saturday providing the track is not sloppy wet...I'm still thinking of running her in the Stradbroke but I she may end up in a race like the Winter Stakes.'

Don't miss the JUNE issue of PRACTICAL PUNTING MONTHLY with Takeover Target on the front cover...Inside there are great articles by Roman Kozlovski, Prentice Manetter, William 'Bad Bill' McBride, Brian Blackwell and Julian Mould.


Go your own way...South Australia snubs Victoria anti-jumps push

Go your own way...As Racing Victoria, egged on by the State Labor Govt, decides whether to ditch a massive financial component of the racing industry, jumps racing, South Australian racing authorities have decided to ignore the Victorian anti-jumps campaign and are pressing ahead with Saturday's hurdle race at Morphettville.


Gai gives thumbs-up for new AJC committee

Gai Waterhouse reckons the AJC is 'back on track' again after a rocky couple of years. She says: 'I'm happy with the AJC board...They've got rid of a bit of dead wood...it has received a complete new lease of life...I think we'll see huge changes at the AJC, and for the better...On Tuesday, the directors and executives had a brainstorming session which went for 10 hours...It has never happened before.'

Jay Ford is OK after that race fall at Canterbury on Wednesday. He was riding trackwork at Randwick the next morning. He says: 'It was a soft landing.' JF flies out of Sydney next Wednesday for the ride on Takeover Target in the KrisFlyer in Singapore on Sunday week.

Ecstasy and the agony...Melbourne jockey Jamie Mott has been banned for six months for using illegal drugs for the second time in a year. He's the first rider to be suspended in Victoria for having ecstasy on his bloodstream.

BTC Cup final field, early prices

Final lineup for Sat's Grp 1 1200m BTC Cup at Doomben, with early prices from TAB Sportsbet:

BTC CUP
Main chances in BOLD typeface
1 APACHE CAT Greg Eurell 58.5...$2.40
2 SNIPER'S BULLET Tracey Bartley 58.5...$9.00
3 MR BARITONE (NZ) Michael Moroney 58.5...$26.00
4 SWISS ACE Mick Mair 58.5...$3.80
5 BLACK INK Les Kelly 58.5...$26.00
6 SOMETHING ANYTHING Gary Portelli 58.5...$26.00
7 SOLO FLYER Anthony Cummings 58.5...$12.00
8 BANK ROBBER Gai Waterhouse 58.5...$7.00
9 DUPORTH Anthony Cummings 57...$17.00
10 ABSOLUT GLAM Danny O'Brien 56.5...$17.00

Wangoom at Warrnambool on Wednesday: Field, prices
Posted @ 12:21:00 EST
7-03.00 SCOTT PETROLEUM WANGOOM HANDICAP 1200 M
Of $100000 and $1000 trophies. No Allowances for apprentices. Field Limit: 16 + 4 EM
Main chances in bold type
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 TIME MATTERS Darren Weir Damien Oliver 5 59 (104)...$10.00
2 STANZOUT Colin Davies Darren Gauci 18 57 (100)...$21.00
3 STORMHILL Clinton McDonald Michelle Payne 11 57 (100)...$26.00
4 THREEDEE Kelvin Bourke Brad Rawiller 16 57 (100)...$8.50
5 JUGGLE THE BOOKS Jarrod McLean Mark Pegus 9 55 (95)...$15.00
6 BOND STREET Rick Harrison Craig Robertson 7 54 (92)...$13.00
7 THIN AND CRISPY Jarrod McLean Jason Benbow 12 54 (92)...$26.00
8 BENELLI (NZ) Bevan & Richard Laming Brenton Avdulla (a) 3 53.5 (91)...$13.00
9 KING JOHANNES (NZ) Doug Harrison Craig Williams 10 53.5 (90)...$11.00
10 GAME SERENA Ron Gravett Peter Mertens 20 53 (90)...$26.00
11 AMERRYKING John McArdle Luke Nolen 15 53 (89)...$11.00
12 APPLE LODE Steve McKinnon Matt Pumpa 8 53 (89)...$21.00
13 ARCH SYMBOL Bill & Symon Wilde Aaron Spiteri 4 53 (89)...$4.20
14 LANCET Geoff Daffy Neville Wilson 19 53 (89)...$15.00
15 BORUGINO Russell Cameron Dean Holland (a) 14 53 (87)...$25.00
16 CROWN RUBY Darren Weir 2 53 (86)...$10.00
17e BOCUSE Rodney Douglas Daniel Moor 13 53 (84)...$4.80
18e MIDNIGHT MUSTANG Tony Noonan 6 53 (84)...$4.80
19e AIRSTREAM Brent Hollinshead 17 53 (84)...$17.00
20e ROMAN'S IMAGE Robbie Laing 1 53 (84)...$26.00


Black Piranha ready for Stradbroke, 10,000 targets
Posted @ 12:07:00 EST
Black Piranha is going to have a crack at the Stradbroke in Brisbane. He's done well during a short break and trainer Con Karakatsanis says: 'The plan is he will only run in the Doomben 10,000 and then the Stradbroke before we spell him for the spring.' BP will have a Sydney barrier trial on May 14 before going to Queensland. Karakatsanis is confident he can break through for a Grp 1 success.


Empires Choice set for spring carnival comeback
Posted @ 07:36:00 EST
Bart Cummings has announced that Empires Choice, which had been headed to stud, will now be aimed at the Melbourne Spring Carnival. The rising 6YO hasn't raced since mid-February last year.

How long before the politicians pull the plug on jumps racing? The word is within 5 years. There's new evidence that momentum is building to scrap the jumps. Victoria's Racing Minister Rob Hulls told Steve Moran's Raceday program on Sport 927 that jumps racing's future is bleak if the spate of equine deaths in recent years does not end.

The pollies and their racing admin cronies have already come close to killing off the jumps. The 2009 jumps season has been slashed by 29 races with just 10 meetings in Melbourne. Flemington has axed jumps racing with the Grand Nationals now at Sandown.

Trainer Diane Poidevin-Lane and husband Carl have lodged appeals against the severity of a Racing NSW suspension....They were outed for five months as a result of Celtic Courage returning an illegal bicarb level after the AJC Australian Oaks last month.


Monday, May 4, 2009

The debacle rolls on...Geelong Thoroughtrack closed until 2010
Posted @ 20:47:00 EST
The debacle continues...Geelong's controversial ThoroughTrack will be closed for racing until at least April next year although it will remain available for winter training. Racing Victoria is deferring remedial work on the ThoroughTrack until next spring as, without the track, Geelong trainers would have been left without a training surface.


Cat still has claws...holds off Ace in BTC early betting
Posted @ 13:03:00 EST
Apache Cat is holding off local star Swiss Ace for favoritism for Sat's BTC Cup at Doomben. Latest IASbet.com market has the Cat at $2.50 (6/4)and Swiss Ace at $4.40 (appx 7/2).The market:

BTC CUP
APACHE CAT 2.50 1.375
SWISS ACE 4.40 1.847
BANK ROBBER 8.00 2.75
DANLEIGH 9.00 3.00
RIGHTFULLY YOURS 9.00 3.00
SNIPERS BULLET 10.00 3.25
COURT 13.00 4.00
SOLO FLYER 13.00 4.00
ABSOLUT GLAM 19.00 5.50
MR BARITONE 19.00 5.50
DUPORTH 20.00 5.75
RED ELEMENT 26.00 7.25
BLACK INK 31.00 8.50
SOMETHING ANYTHING 31.00 8.50
DANCE THE WAVES 61.00 16.00
DOUBLE DARE 61.00 16.00
TERANABA 161.00 41.00


Stradbroke latest: All Silent holds favoritism at $8.00
Posted @ 12:54:00 EST
All Silent has retained early favoritism for the Stradbroke following Saturday's racing locally and interstate. The latest market for IASbet.com:

ALL SILENT 8.00 2.75
BANK ROBBER 9.00 3.00
BLACK PIRANHA 10.00 3.25
DANLEIGH 10.00 3.25
APACHE CAT 12.00 3.75
RIGHTFULLY YOURS 12.00 3.75
RACING TO WIN 13.00 4.00
EL CAMBIO 14.00 4.25
FORENSICS 14.00 4.25
LIGHT FANTASTIC 14.00 4.25
ORTENSIA 14.00 4.25
YOUTHFUL JACK 16.00 4.75
MARASCO 18.00 5.25
SOLO FLYER 19.00 5.50
KILOTON 20.00 5.75


Weekend to Dye for in Mauritius...Shane rides 4 winners
Posted @ 11:20:00 EST
Everything comes to those that wait...Shane Dye is taking Mauritius racing by storm...He booted home FOUR winners at the weekend...Dye has been riding in Mauritius since the start of the season last month, teamed up with the island's leading trainer Gilbert Rousset...His foursome has shot him to the lead in the local jockeys' premiership.


Singapore, England...and then the USA for Takeover Target?
Posted @ 07:30:00 EST
Will Takeover Target take over the US? Maybe. Reports overnight say talks are underway about the champ running in the Breeders Cup series in New York...Owner-trainer Joe Janiak says the 9YO sprinter could go to the US after a fourth visit to the Royal Ascot meeting next month. His target? The $1.36 million 1300m Breeders Cup Turf Sprint on Nov 6 at San Anita.

Takeover Target's next mission is to defend the Krisflyer Stakes title he won in Singapore last year. He'll clash in the 1200m race on May 17 with Singapore's undefeated 3YO Rocket Man, who last month claimed the highest rating (115) ever for a galloper in Singapore after his seventh victory in the Grp 1 Lion City Cup at the Kranji course.

Eternal optimist...Craig Newitt has not given up hope of riding Pompeii Ruler in the $2.8 million Singapore International on May 17. He will lodge an appeal on Monday against the severity of a careless riding suspension that has sidelined him until after the race...Newitt's manager John Nikolic says CN believes the suspension, incurred at the Gold Coast on Saturday for careless riding on Rightfully Yours, was too harsh. CN won the race but lost it on protest.

Peter Moody confirms that his brilliant unbeaten filly Black Caviar has run her final race for the season. She'll be spelled immediately for a spring campaign targeted at the Grp 1 Thousand Guineas.

Tough call...Luke Dittman, son of the great Mick Dittman, has quit race riding due to weight problems.


Sunday, May 3, 2009

Moroney lines up star fillies for Queensland Oaks attack
Posted @ 14:18:00 EST
Mike moves...Mike Moroney plans a two-pronged attack on the $400,000 Queensland Oaks 2400m with Prix Du Sang and Revoke. Lightly raced Prix Du Sang scored a game win over 1800m at the Gold Coast on Sat while at Te Aroha in NZ, Revoke was equally impressive registering a strong win. Prix Du Sang and Revoke will clash in the $175,000 Doomben Roses (2020m) on May 16 as the lead-up to the Grp 1 Oaks (2400m) on May 30.


Yes, it's still Jay Ford on Takeover Target in Singapore
Posted @ 13:09:00 EST
The good news...Jay Ford WILL be aboard Takeover Target when the champ sprinter races next in Singapore. Trainer Joe Janiak has confirmed that Ford has retained the ride for the KrisFlyer International sprint on May 17.