Daily News | 8th December 2021

• NEW Peters Says No to East Coast Trio Raid

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  WA’s record-breaking owner-breeder Bob Peters has ruled out his star Group 1 champions going to Melbourne for an interstate campaign, reports rwwa.com.au. Peters, his wife Sandra, and co-trainers Grant and Alana Williams created WA racing history on Saturday by becoming the first to claim Ascot’s three Group 1s. However, Peters said an injury setback and the short turnaround between the Ascot Masters and the Melbourne autumn carnival conspired against his top trio travelling to the eastern states to race in the new year. The injury Peters referred to relates to beaten $1.22 Kingston Town Classic favourite Western Empire (Iffraaj) who was posted three deep for most of the race and has pulled up sore. “We definitely won’t be seeing Western Empire, he’s pulled up very sore over his back,” Peters told Tabradio. “He didn’t come through that run too well and definitely won’t be going there. It’s going to be hard for Regal Power (Pierro) to get there and Graceful Girl (Nicconi) doesn’t get much time before those races come up. She’s not a robust mare, so I doubt if any of them will get there.” The leviathan owners still have Gr1 Cantala Stakes winner Superstorm (Sebring) – see below – and Gr1 Railway Stakes heroine Inspirational Girl (Reliable Man), trained by Barwon Heads-based Danny O’Brien to represent them in Melbourne.

• NEW MM 2YO Classic Contender for Desert Fox

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  Prophetically-named Rommel (Commands) filly Out Of Aflica (ex Aflica) will be on trial for a trip to the Gold Coast when she steps out in the Aramis Plate (1050m) at Morphettville this Saturday, reports tbwa.net.au. Her gun stablemate Beau Rossa (Unencumbered) has already left Adelaide to run in the $1 million Magic Millions Snippets (1200m) on January 15 and, prizemoney permitting, an even richer assignment awaits Out Of Aflica on the same day in the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m). The Will Clarken-trained youngster was outstanding on debut last month. “She was our first 2YO starter of the season and it was a super win,” Clarken confirmed. “She’s strong and sound and never misses an oat. Her sire Rommel is by Commands and he’s doing a good job in Perth. She cost $50,000 at the Magic Millions over there and her breeder Santo Guagliardo kept a share.” Clarken also nominated Out Of Aflica for a Flemington nursery this Saturday but opted to stay at home. Guagliardo raced Rommel and, after a head second to Cadenza in the 2014 Magic Millions 2YO Classic at Ascot, he trained on to win a Gr2 WA Guineas (1600m) and Gr3 Zeditave Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield. Retired to Mogumber Park in Bullsbrook, he made an immediate impact capturing the Western Australian 2YO and First-season titles in 2020-21. Out Of Aflica is the final foal from Mull Of Kintyre mare Aflica who’s older half-brother Quick Flick (Spectacular Spy) won a Gr1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill and another close relation Epic Grey (Wicked Style) landed the RL Magic Millions 3YO Trophy at Pinjarra in 2018.

• NEW Bright Future Tipped for Waihaha Falls

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  Trainer John O'Shea has big hopes for Waihaha Falls after his win over 1500m at Rosehill on Saturday. It was the second time in five starts the son of Sacred Falls (O'Reilly) carried Waikato Stud's colours to victory, previously winning on the Kensington track when on debut in March. "He did a good job. It's only his second run this prep, and fifth career run," O'Shea told RacingHQ. "Hugh (Bowman, jockey) was very happy with him and said he still has a lot more to learn and offer down the road. While O'Shea believes the 4YO gelding has a bright future instore, he said they will take a patient approach with him. "We have just got to go through the grades and get some runs on the board and teach him to be a racehorse," he said. "Ideally he may end up a Villiers horse next year but what we do in the interim will depend on how he progresses." Waihaha Falls is out of Scaredee Cat mare Mink, and races for Mark and Garry Chittick, and Mr G. Lowry.

  

  Waihaha Falls (pic: Bradleyphotos)

• Coolmore Mourns Choisir Passing

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  Royal Ascot hero Choisir (Danehill Dancer-Great Selection, by Lunchtime) has died, aged 22, at Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley, reports dailytelegraph.com.au. The news was confirmed by farm principal Tom Magnier who said, “It’s a terribly sad day for all of us at the farm, the horse was a great character and the staff are gutted. But Choisir has left an extraordinary legacy as a racehorse and a sire… he was a wonderful servant for Coolmore. Magnier revealed, “I was lucky enough to be there at Royal Ascot in 2003 when he won the King’s Stand Stakes on the Tuesday and then he backed up to win the Golden Jubilee Stakes on the Saturday. No one could believe what he did that week.” Choisir was trained by Paul Perry who saddled the Champion 2YO colt to win Flemington’s Gr1 Lightning Stakes before embarking on his trailblazing European sojourn. A superb stallion, who sired eleven Group 1 winners, it is fitting that just last month, at Newcastle where he was trained, Choisir was represented by his one hundredth individual stakes winner when Festival Dancer won the Gr3 NZB Newcastle Jockey Club Spring Stakes (1600m).

  

  Star racehorse and leading sire Choisir (pic: Steve Hart)

• Prizemoney Boost for Alister Clark

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  Racing Victoria has announced a boost to the prizemoney of the Gr2 Alister Clark Stakes to $750,000, run over 2040m in the spring, reports punters.com.au. "Today's announcement of a $450,000 boost to the Alister Clark Stakes will ensure that Victoria boasts a high quality three-year-old 2000m event in the month of March," Racing Victoria Executive General Manager – Racing, Greg Carpenter, said. "Not only does this enhance the current Victorian March racing calendar, but it also provides an attractive progression for Victorian horses into interstate Derbies or for those staying three-year-olds remaining in Victoria for the Galilee Series, with the Bendigo St Leger Trial, Galilee Final and VRC St Leger run during April. The second and third placegetters in the 2021 Alister Clark Stakes, Young Werther and Explosive Jack, went on to quinella the 2021 ATC Derby during The Championships, while 2018 runner-up Levendi went on to win the 2018 ATC Derby. The 2020 Alister Clark Stakes winner Nonconformist also went on to run second in 2021 editions of the Caulfield Cup and The Might and Power." This move strengthens the 3YO staying program in Victoria.

• First Runner for Spendthrift's Gold Standard

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  Wednesday at sandown will see the first runner step out for the Spendthrift Farm-based Gold Standard (Sebring), with the 2YO filly Golden Queen (Gold Standard-Queens Plaza, by Elusive Quality) trained, like her sire, by the Waterhouse/Bott stable. A winner of the Gr2 Stan Fox Stakes and fourth in the Gr1 Golden Rose behind Trapeze Artist (Snitzel), the good-looking son of Gr1 Golden Slipper winner Sebring (More Than Ready) covered a solid book of 53 mares in his debut season. Interestingly, the filly has been seen at the barrier trials on three occasions all at Randwick, including a last start almost two length win, but will make her debut in the opening race on Wednesday's Ladbrokes Park Hillside meeting in Victoria. In the small field of just seven runners, all unraced, Champion jockey Damien Oliver will partner the filly, and although she will jump away as one of the favoured runners, it is the Cindy Alderson-trained Rippling Belle (Reward For Effort-Miss Gidget, by Gonski) who has the support of money. The winner of two jump outs, winning her most recent in dominant fashion by many, many lengths, the filly will be the first foal to race out of the speedy Gr2 Blue Diamond Prelude (F) placed Gonski mare Miss Gidget. Like Golden Queen, another runner in the field by a first season sire chasing their first win as a stallion is the Matthew Ellerton trained Tanto (Churchill-Kaiken, by Exceed And Excel), a daughter of Coolmore's four-time Gr1 winner Churchill (Galileo), Europe's Champion 2YO and dual Guineas winner.

  

  Gold Standard 

• Quality Pedigreed 2YOs Step Out in Sydney

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  A field of exciting 2YOs has been assembled for Race one at Warwick Farm today, led by $800,000 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale graduate Californiachoicest (Redoute's Choice-Lahana, by Hussonet). One of two runners for Team Snowden, the 2YO colt ran third in a barrier trial at the end of November. Team Snowden's other runner, California Deeply (Deep Field-Murtle Turtle, by Murtajill) is out of Gr3 SAJC Breeders' Stakes second placed Murtle Turtle, with the colt costing $380,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Annabel Neasham also has two runners in the event: Hyde (Snitzel-Helix Park, by Nicconi) who was a $600,000 purchase at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is the first foal of a winning half-sister to Listed winner Outdo. The other Neasham runner is Capital Elle (Capitalist-Laeta, by All Too Hard), one of two fillies in the race. Capital Elle was a $120,000 purchase at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale and is out of a half-sister to this season's group placed 2YO Bohemian Daisy. The other training partnership with two runners in this field is Waterhouse/Bott who have Rise of the Masses (Russian Revolution-Ruud Awakening, by Bernardini) and Okataina (Savabeel-Mystery Lake, by Shackleford). The dam of Rise of the Masses is NZ Champion 2YO Ruud Awakening.

• Slipper Favourite Salutes in Barrier Trial

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Coolangatta (Written Tycoon-Piping Hot, by More Than Ready) continued to show her above average ability, pulling away to win a Randwick barrier trial on Tuesday morning at Royal Randwick. Set to be aimed, initially, towards the $2m Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast in January where she is currently the race favourite, the Milburn Creek yearling sale graduate stepped out over 1050m and took out her heat by just over a half-length over the older horses with Tommy Berry in the saddle. With James McDonald committed to partner the filly during her Queensland campaign, the daughter of last season’s Australian Champion Sire is likely to resume in the Gr3 B J McLachlan Stakes over 1200m at Doomben on Boxing Day before progressing to the Magic Millions with the $2m juvenile feature race set to be held three weeks later. Dominant when winning the Gr3 Gimcrack Stakes by over 3-lengths in October on debut, the filly was instantly installed as favourite for next year’s $5m Gr1 Golden Slipper, with no other juvenile performance since seen as good enough to displace the filly at the top of betting. Bred on a pedigree cross that has produced 15 winners from 17 runners, including five stakes-performers, highlighted by Gr1 winner Luna Rossa, Piping Hot, the dam of the boom filly has a yearling by Arrowfield Stud’s Dundeel (High Chaparral) before missing to Capitalist (Written Tycoon) last season.

  Coolangatta does it easily in this morning’s trial at Randwick.@TommyBerry21 @cmaherracing
  pic.twitter.com/qpjeX9Y4xs — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 6, 2021

• Portelli's Shadow Ready to Win Again

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  Trainer Gary Portelli believes 3YO gelding Rebel Shadow (Rebel Dane-Red Silhouette, by Rip Van Winkle) can cope with the step up in class in Race six at Warwick Farm today, according to racingnsw.com.au. "The other day was a pretty good win, he got held up at a stage where he was about to go through his gears," Portelli said. "Had he got clear at the top of the straight he probably wins by a margin. The fact he was held up and was able to get up off the canvas and still win just gave me that bit more confidence that there's something about him. Good horses can pick themselves up, that's what encourages me to think we might have a handy one going forward." Rebel Shadow has a win and three placings from four starts and is by Gr1 winning sprinter Rebel Dane (California Dane-Texarcana, by More Than Ready), trained by Portelli. "His dad did the same thing one day when he won at Rosehill, he had a big weight and was stopped about the 250m but regrouped and won strongly through the line and that's something you don't see very often," he said. "He's a work in progress, his father didn't come good until about the same time at three. He's got something there. We're looking forward to seeing how he comes out of it into his next start."

• UK Pair Head to Hong Kong Jockeys' Challenge

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  Jockeys Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand will face ten rivals in the International Jockeys' Championship in Hong Kong tonight, reports racingpost.com. Doyle finished in joint-third place last year. "The International Jockeys' Challenge was absolutely awesome last year and I'm delighted to have been invited back. I was lucky enough to ride a winner in it last year and finish joint-third but hopefully I can better that," said Doyle. "Happy Valley has its demands but I enjoyed the way of riding around there and hopefully I can have a bit more luck this year." The other overseas riders competing are Ryan Moore, New Zealander James McDonald, Damian Lane (Australia), Mickael Barzalona (France), Lyle Hewitson (South Africa) and Yuga Kawada (Japan). The local riders are Zac Purton, Joao Moreira, Alexis Badel, and Vincent Ho.

• Press Statement Filly Scores Gr2 Success

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  The running of Saturday's Gr2 Southern Cross Stakes at Kenilworth highlighted another exciting Australian-bred racing in South Africa when the Brett Crawford-trained Kitty Cat Chat (Press Statement-Whats New Pussycat, by Fast 'N' Famous) leading home a one-two finish for owner-breeders Ridgemont Highlands. Foaled in Australia before being exported to South Africa, Kitty Cat Chat became the third black-type winner, and first at group level for Vinery Stud's Gr1 Caulfield Guineas winner Press Statement (Hinchinbrook). Leading throughout under inform jockey Louis Mxothwa, the 4YO mare was winning for the fourth time in just five starts to date, and has set herself for further black type races during the remainder of the Cape Summer season. Last year's race saw fellow Australian-bred Run Fox Run (Foxwedge) finish second before coming out at her next start and winning the Gr1 Cape Flying Championship, now a possible aim for Kitty Cat Chat. She is the first foal of Group 1 winner Whats New Pussycat, whose second foal also appears quite smart with her 3YO colt Whoa Whoa Whoa (Maurice) winning his first two starts before a narrow second at just his third outing.

• Scan Reveals Further Incentivise Injuries

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  The future racing career of Gr1 Caulfield Cup winner and Gr1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Incentivise (Shamus Award-Miss Argyle, by Iglesia) could possibly be in doubt, and most definitely for the short term, after extensive tests at the University of Queensland Vet Hospital revealed injuries to his front suspensory ligaments, reports racing.com. "He has had exhaustive scans along with an MRI at the University of Queensland Vet Hospital at Gatton and it found damage to his fetlocks," reports punters.co.au. Former trainer and part-owner Steve Tregea noted, "He has to be re-scanned in February to see where it is at then. The report says it takes three to six months to heal and they will advise from there. There is a chance he doesn't make the winter carnival as a result." Incentivise recorded nine successive victories that took connections on the ride of their life from a maiden win at the Sunshine Coast, to success in the Gr1 Makybe Diva Stakes, Turnbull Stakes and Caulfield Cup, before his gallant second to Verry Elleegant (Zed), where it has been determined the injuries occurred. Now based at Tregea's Windermere Stud after extensive treatment, which included plasma rich protein, connections are hopefull that the son of Rosemont Stud's Shamus Award (Snitzel) regains his full health, but at this stage the future plans for the rising star of Australian racing appear in limbo.

• Appleby IRB International Trainer of the Year

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  Godolphin’s UK-based trainer Charlie Appleby was crowned International Trainer of the Year for a fourth time at yesterday’s Horserace Writers & Photographers Awards (HWPA) at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. Horses hailing from his Moulton Paddocks base in Newmarket contested ten North American Grade 1 races during 2021 and won no less than eight of them, twice being followed home by a stablemate. Throw in the Jockey Club Derby at Belmont, a Grade 1 in all but name won by Yibir (Dubawi), and Appleby had an incredible nine big transatlantic triumphs during the year. His crowning glory was at the Breeders’ Cup meeting, where three of his four horses that did start at Del Mar came home in front, landing arguably the meeting’s three most prestigious turf contests, including the Breeders' Cup Turf by Yibir. Appleby's wins around Europe throughout the year were also impressive. Hurricane Lane (Frankel) took both the Irish Derby and the Grand Prix de Paris before his gallant Arc third; Space Blues (Dubawi) landed the Prix de la Foret; and, over the Irish sea, Native Trail (Oasis Dream) gave his handler a third National Stakes victory at The Curragh in the past four years.

• UK Trainers on Near Record Global Pace

  Wednesday, 8th December 2021
  International racing has once again been hugely popular with UK trainers during the past year, according to the International Racing Bureau. Remarkably, given the negative impact of Covid upon international travel, 2021 could yet become the highest grossing year ever in terms of overseas prize money earned by British trainers. As of early December, the total is a little shy of the blockbusting £29.7m accrued in 2018 but it is already the second largest tally. And, given the riches on offer at the Longines Hong Kong International meeting this coming Sunday, the £30 million barrier could yet be broken. The IRB’s Adrian Beaumont said, “It has been an amazing year for international racing, especially given the extra protocols caused by Covid. British based trainers have won major races in Bahrain, Canada, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and the States as well as throughout Europe. It is remarkable that John and Thady Gosden won the world’s richest race, the Saudi Cup with Mishriff, but didn’t win our award due to Charlie Appleby’s stellar season.”