Reward for Liberty

• Statue of Liberty -- On the last race of the day at Geelong on Friday saw Perfect Statue successful in the BM68 ,ridden by Tom Stockdale over 1300m. The 4yo mares, dam is High Esprit who won a couple of races in her career. This breed is so consistent and very rarely a week goes by, without a couple of winners. At Tatura we saw Alice Island the 3yo filly break her maiden status in the 1100m event. 

 Statue of Liberty Stands at Sun Stud for $7,700 

• Stratum -- Stragun was a winner at Murray Bridge over 1200m in the class 1, ridden by apprentice Justin Huxtable for Grant Kluske. The 5yo gelding is out of the Bel Esprit mare Heigl. The Tatura BM 64 saw Meridian Star, ridden by Jessica Payne win  the last over 1000m. The 4yo mare is out of Maiden of Fire a Rubiton mare. She won at her fisrt start this preparation for Richard Laming. Joan Constance made it 2 from 2 this prep with a win in the BM58 1000m event at Moe. Ellerton/Zahra trained ,Chris Symons ridden, 4yo mare came with a well timed run to record another victory. Prince Roo won at Cessnock over 1600m.

• Reward For Effort -- The well backed, My Unicorn, a Reward for Effort filly won at her first start in her 3 yo preparation for Peter Gelagotis in the 1000m maiden at Moe and did it in style, clearing away from her rivals for a big win. Later in the day, we saw Brueghlino, another of the breed lead all the way to gain victory in the 1600m maiden. Ridden by young Brandon Stockdale the 4yo mare is out of Encargo an Encosta de Lago mare who won one race. Seven Year Reward greeted the judge at Geelong on Friday over 1000m in the maiden . The gelding is trained by Greg Eurell and was ridden by Nikita Beriman. 

The Epic Looking Rewrad for Effort stands at Chatswood Stud 

• Raise the Flag -- Broadside winning the Newcastle Cup last week really woke me up to the quality of this breed over 1600m and beyond but they are quite capable fresh so be aware of that and Etah James at Ararat on Monday won well coming off a break for Matt Cumani ridden by Anthony Boyd in the BM 58.  

• Hard Spun -- In the Ararat 1100m BM 58 we saw a win for 5yo mare,Wound Tight ridden by, young Chelsea Hall who I must say, is a top jockey to follow . She regularly gets up on long price winners and rides the front runners a treat. Hard Spun breed love to be up on speed and use their tenacity to secure victory. Blithe Belle the 5yo Hard Spun mare kept up the breeds winning ways zooming down the outside to score in the BM 64 1200m final race on the card. Zahra/Ellerton trained abd Chris Symos ridden galloper.

• Canford Cliffs --  Another good ride by Brandon Stockdale saw Wimborne succesful in the last at Moe 1200m bm 58, the 4yo entire is out of that good mare Sorenstram by Encosta de Lago who won 6 races and 270,000 in prizemoney for the David Hayes stable.

• Equiano -- Bowie Rocks the 4yo Equiano gelding ridden by Lachie King and trained by Gerald Egan. Won a 1100m maiden at Tatura is worth mentining because he is out of the Fastnet Rock mare , She Likes To Rock. 

• High Chaparral -- Hiyaam won 1400m Maiben at Ballarat first up for Mick Price ridden by Pat Maloney. The 3yo filly is out of the Zabeel mare, Mazarine. Presumption 5yo gelding won the 2200m BM 64 at Murray Bridge ridden by Sariyn Fawke.2000m BM 58 was won by Greg Eurell trained Highgate Hill who came back in distance after being third previous start in a 2400m race. He was ridden a perfect race by Jamie Mott coming with a perfect time run down the ouutside.

• Artie Schiller -- The breed continued their winning run this week with Arties Dreamwinner, the 4yo mare was ridden by Linda Meech and trained by Dan O''sullivan won the BM64, 1400m event. Linda has been in great form the past week and put on a great front running ride.

Artie Schiller Stands at Aquis Farm

• Nicconi -- I wanted to include Nicconi who had winners in the city with Sirconni ridden by Linda Meech in her favorite manner leading throughout but there were country winners as well including William Thomas in the 1100m maiden at Ararat. The 3yo gelding is out of the Fastnet Rock mare Girl Rocks. They recorded a double at Cessnock on Monday with Hammoon Bridge and Nicorama, both mares recording victories over 900m and 1150m respectively.

Some other notable results -- We saw the I Am Invincible progeny get a double at Wyong. Reliable Man is a breed to keep an eye on over the next year he stands at Westbury stud in New Zealand and I have been seeing a few of his progeny entering the winners circle over the last few weeks. Reliable Man won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes before going to stud and is by Dhalakhani out of a Sadlers Wells mare so wet tracks could be beneficial. 

 

Progeny with success this Week

Canterbury 13/09/2017 -- A double to Exceed and Excel with Kerrin Mckevoy riding Piracy to victory over 1250m in bm77 while 4yo mare trained by Chris waller, Cocoexcel scored in the 1100m bm70, ridden by Blake Shinn.

Newcastle 16/09/2017 --  A Sebring double with Seaglass winning the class 1 1200m for the Snowdens ,ridden by Koby Jennings while in the 1850m class 1 it was Jess Taylor aboard Seababe  trained by Gary Portelli. Seababe is out of the Encosta de Lago mare Swinging Babe. Biscuit was another winner in the class 1 1800m at Bathurst for Sebring this week.

High Chaparral -- Numerous country winners including Anchor Bid at Bendigo 1600m 3yo fillies benchmark 70 for Darren Weir. While the 4yo gelding, Pressing Matters was successful over 2400m, breaking his maiden status. I'm A Princess BM 60 1400m winner at Balaklava for the Mcevoy\Kah combination. High Offer at Swan Hill in the 1200m maiden for Yendal/Weir.The gelding is out of a Redoutes Choice mare. Lifeline Princess, Bathurst 1200m bm 60 winner, ridden by Greg Ryan.


Artie Schiller -- Wheal Leisure 4yo mare, ridden by Ben Allen in the 1600m bm78 at Bendigo is out of an Encosta De Lago mare. While Shagra won at Geelong over 1330m,the 3yo filly was ridden by Mick Dee.On the Sunday we saw GeneralArtie win a Dubbo maiden over 1200m, ridden by Greg Ryan.

 Artie Schiller is by El Prado and stands at Aquis Farm

Reward for Effort -- Rewarding Laughter 3yo filly won on the heavy track at Casterton in the maiden over 1100m. Queens Reward won a 1000m maiden at Mornington. Canford Cliffs -- In the bm58 over 1200m saw the 3yo colt Hecta, win well. Ridden by Melissa Julius,he could easily win again. Jingles the 4yo mare won a Goulboun maiden over 1300m, ridden by Koby Jennings.

 Reward For Effort stands at Chatswood Farm 

Nicconi -- Canterbury winner Nictok has now won 7 of her 8 starts.Ridden by Hugh Bowman in the bm 79 over 11100m. In the 1100m maiden at Grafton 4yo mare Queen of Kingston, saluted.


Hard Spun -- Lord Sundowner 3yo gelding broke his 1300m maiden status at his fourth start . Ridden by Jake Noonan for Mick Price and Steel Caps finally broke through at Wangaratta.
Hinchinbrook -- Beach Life had a class 1 win at Geelong over 1530m. The 4yo gelding is out of an Encosta de Lago mare. At Wangaratta 4yo mare Fastbrook ridden by Beau Mertens won the class 1 over 1100m.


Other Stallions Standing Out -- Denman, Not a Single Doubt, Raise the Flag, Bel Esprit. 

Woman and Leather'n' Lace

Leather'n' Lace -- Another super win, from this promising Street Cry filly at Bendigo on Thursday.The track was on the heavy side which could have exaggerated the ease of the win in the 1300m event but still keep an eye out for this girl in town.  The 12th foal of the Maroof mare Hard Rider who has produced three other stakes winners. Utah Saint ,Big Chill, and Hard Stride but this girl could be the best of them all.

 Leather 'n' Lace winning at Bendigo 

Bel Esprit -- This evergreen stallion who sired the great, Black Caviar continues to produce many winners all over the continent and on Wednesday, at Mornington, there were two more . The first was the Cairon Maher trained, Smokin Bella in the 1200m event, she is out of the Galileo mare ,Gallant Lady. This was followed by the Weir, trained Labuan Star in the benchmark 84 over 1000m.

Levendi -- This was an impressive victory by the Pierro colt in the 1200m BM64 event. He didnt really appreciate the conditions but still won easily. Jockey , Ben Melham had heaps of praise for the Peter Gelgotis trained colt, after his easy win. The next start in the planning for him is the Guineas Prelude in a couple of weeks and then the ultimate goal the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas. Being out of the Redoutes Choice mare Lipari, I have a feeling he may improve even further on a dry track.

Exceed and Excel -- At Canterbury on Wednesday we saw a double for the breed with Coco Excel ridden by Blake Shinn scoring in the 1100m event while Piracy with Kerrin Mcevoy riding won the BM 77, later in the day. The tight Canterbury track, may suit the breed. I wanted to touch on Exceed and Excel's son, Reward For Effort who is standing at stud and is really producing excellent stock at the moment including the talented Ability and Blondie and in the first at Mornington, Queens Reward added another promising type to that list.


Woman -- Frankel continues to have his progeny step out in the land of Oz and are leaving their mark. This filly is out of that great mare More Joyous and is trained by the Waterhouse/Bott team. At the moment, they say that they are just assessing the fillies talents to plan an attack in the Autumn and that win on the tight Canterbury track has certainly shown them plenty for the future.

Daily Bred Stallion 

Pierro

Lonrho''s triple crown winning son who last year was crowned the best first season sire in Australia

and stands at Coolmore Stud

In his first crop

Tulip – winner of the G3 Magic Night Stakes

And yesterday the Peter Gelagotis trained colt Levendi was sent out favourite for the Benchmark 64 event over 1200 metres at Mornington and delivered an impressive win on the heavy ground.

South Australian Racing Awards

Hey Doc -- He was named South Australian Racehorse of the Year due to his Caulfield Guineas and Australian Guineas success. The bay gelding is by Duporth out of Heyington Honey a General Nedyim mare. After finishing fourth in the Memsies Stakes on saturday his earnings sits at 1.15 million, winning 4 of his 11 starts. Trained by Tony Mcevoy, he looks set for success over the spring carnival.

Hey Doc Guineas Win 

Jamie Kah -- Jamie was named jockey of the year. After a great 2016/17 racing year for her with 130 winners which is a record for a female jockey in one season in Australia. One of her major wins this year was Cavaloce in the Durbridge Stakes. She had previously claimed the Adelaide jockey premiership in 2012/13 as a 17 year old. She decided to have a break after having issues with the stewards over medical certificates in 2015 but has returned to become one of Adelaides premier jockeys.

Emily Finnegan -- The young Irish girl was named Apprentice Jockey of the year. Emily rode 66 winners last season and is a deflnate up and coming jockey to watch.

Emily Finnegan Story 

Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas -- Trainers of the year. Leon has been in the industry for 45 years and combining with Andrew Gluyas a few years back has continued to have quality horse and in 2011 they were victorious in the Caulfield Cup with Southern Speed.

Have Another Glass -- The 5yo mare trained by Sue Jaensch was awarded, South Australias most consistent galloper. She is by Domesday and has won 6 from 13 starts.

Keiron Mcevoy -- He was inducted into the racing hall of fame on the weekend and he celebrated with a total of five winners at Royal Randwick. One of his mounts was Redzel the Doomben Ten Thousand winner while his best ride of the day was on Washington Heights in the last. Keirons first group 1 winner was Brew in the 2000 Melbourne Cup. Last season he rode a total of 119 winners. He has rode a winner at Doncaster for Godolphin on Rule of Law in 2004 St Leger .

 Rule of Law winning the 2004 St Leger at Doncaster

 Winx Returns 
The champion mare Winx is back on the Cox Plate trail with a barrier trial last week and looked in ominous form. She is chasing 18 in a row, in the Warwick Stakes on the 19th of August. The Street Cry mare seems to have grown in statue and with Arrogate failing in the San Diego Hcp last week . The prospect of her taking over the mantle as the best racehorse in the world could well be only a month away. Hugh Bowman after the trial, stated , she was the strongest she had ever felt. Her next trial date is set down for the 9th of August in the lead up to her first start this preparation. If she continues on her winning way this spring. Her resume will be up there with Australias all time greats. She will break Makybe Diva's stakes winning record and equal Kingston Towns three Cox Plate victories and be just shy of Black Caviars wins in succession record .

Winx Barrier Trial

Racing Legends

NSW racing has purchased a 2600 acre Bandonora Property situated between Lithgow and Mudgee that will become the retirement home for racehorses after their career has finished. Hartnell and Hauraki have already been booked into the $15 million dollar property for their retrirement life. The success of the Victorian concept has prompted this positive move by NSW. The Victorian Racing Legends is the home for greats like Apache Cat,Silent Witness,Might and Power and is growing every year with new residents. Its an initative that needed to be put in place. Many champion stallions and mares are housed after their racing lives for breeding purposes but geldings are a different matter. They are particularly difficult to home some go on to show eventing others sold on to for private owners for pleasure riding. There has been a programe running in the USA and its been growing over recent years . Where ex race horses are used for riding in correctional facilities and for therapeutic riding programs for people with disabilities and who have suffered trauma in their lives.  
 Chris Waller trainer of champion mare Winx on the racing legends programe."It is important that horses are well looked after from the day they are born until the day they die. This goes an extra step beyond what is already being done.I don’t think there is an issue (in horse racing) but we need to make sure there never is.”  

 Might and Power winning the 1997 Melbourne Cup

 

Horses Birthday 

In the southern hemisphere 1st of August is used as the horses birthday due to the mares oestrus cycle which begins around spring time or when daylight hours start to extend around the 1st September. Mares successfully bred in September generally start having their foals around early August. At times mares will produce a foal before the first of August and sometimes as late as November but the majority of foals are born in the months of September and October due to the cooler weather and the good quality and plentiful supply of grasses at this time.

Snitzel Filly born October 2014

Jockey Titles

• Victorian --  The Victorian title sees Dean Yendal recording a great year again with 138 winners and yet another title but lady jockey Linda Meech had an awesome season just falling short with 127 victories. She is a great horse woman and i believe entitled to some more regular rides in the big city. Linda was suspended on Sunday at Bendigo so her season is over and has left her just one win shy of Jamie Kah who has won the title as top female jockey of the season. 

 Dean Yendal aboard the super mare Yankee Rose who trialled this week in preparation for her return to racing after a bone chip kept her away from the tracks in the Autumn..

• Queensland -- Jeff Lloyd nicknamed The Guv was born on 1st September 1961 and when his family settled in South Africa in 1973 became an apprentice Jockey there in 1976. Jeff was champion apprentice in Transvaal South Africa,three years in a row 1977/78/79, riding for DeVilliers. Jeff later moved to the Ricky Maingard stable and here he learnt alot about being a true professional and how to conduct himself. It was also here he got to be associated to the great Wolf Power. Who Jeff says is the best horse he has ridden along with speedster,Tommy Hotspur. It was this partnership with Maingard that saw Jeff win South Africa Jockey premiership 6 times and in the 1991/92 season rode a record 313 winners. Following this he moved to Maurituis where he won the top jockey title 5 times. Jeff suffered a heart attack in 2013 but has clawed his way back to success in Queensland  and this year has added another Queensland jockey title to his tally. He has totalled 126 wins this season along way clear of his nearest rival Jim Byrne.

•     NSW -- In Jeff Penza we see another veteran jockey on top of the leader board just in front of Greg Ryan who has won plenty of titles over the last 10 years . Its good to see a different face take the title this year. Jeff Penza 132 wins but its worth mentioning  a young female hoop, Rachel Murray who is on 118 winners after the I Am Invincible gelding I Am The Bot won the maiden at Moree on Monday.  She will be worth following in the new season.

•     Perth -- Its another William Pike success story this season over in the west but it looks like he wont quite make the century of wins. He is sitting on 95 and with two meetings left he needs to be right on his game. William as totaled 191 wins this season in Australia the most successful jockey being 10 clear of Jeff Lloyd for that title.

•     Adelaide -- Its a battle of the ladies in the city of churches with Jamie Kah and Clare Lindop having  great seasons with even young Emily Finnegan coming in third with 32 victories. Coming into the  last meeting on Saturday Jamie Kah has 128 wins in season 2016-17 a new Australian record for the most wins by a female jockey in a racing year. Jamie has had a huge year and I can see her building on this next season so keep your eye on this young lady in 2017/18. 

Jamie will be riding Cashed at Morphetville on Saturday in the feature event a horse by Krupt she has had success on before.

•  Sydney -- Hugh Bowman has forged his way clear of Brenton Avdulla who has struggled for good rides over the last two weeks. At Canterbury yesterday Hugh scored a treble while Brenton got the unbeaten Special Missile home in race four this left Hugh, 2.5 wins clear with just Saturdays meeting left. It will be Bowman's fourth title. Brenton Avdulla said after winning on Special Missile " Its hard to fire a gun when you have no ammo. "

•     Melbourne -- Its been the Craig Williams show the past few meetings in Melbourne and it looks as though he has that title in the bag. Must give young Beau Mertens a wrap though. Its been an awesome year for the young apprentice who turned senior rider last week. He has totaled 73 winners this year so hats off to him. Lets hope we see him continue his great form as a senior rider.

Craig Williams riding the talented two year old 

High Chaparral filly heading for the VRC Oaks, Anchor Bid on Saturday

Clare Lindop and Rebel Raider

Ace Attack --  Trained by Leon Mcdonald and Ridden by Clare Lindop won at Morphetville in the benchmark 80 over 1800m. The Rebel Raider 3 year old gelding is out of the Rory's Jester mare, Buckle My Shoe . Clare tends to chase a lot of the Rebel Raider breed, to ride, and the win, must have bought back memories of  his win in the group one, Victorian Derby in 2008.


Clare Lindop -- One of the most accomplished female jockeys in Australia . Lindop has a strong association with trainer Leon MacDonald, which has assisted in her winning multiple South Australian jockeys premierships. She has ridden more than 800 winners including three Group I victories. The first one coming with the 2008 Victorian Derby on Rebel Raider. She became the first female jockey to ever ride in a  Melbourne Cup when she rode Debben for Leon MacDonald.

Rebel Raider --  Rebel Raider had 21 starts. He raced from 2 years old to 6 years old .He won from 1200m of the G3 Spring Stakes and coming from last in the 2008 VRC Derby at 100/1 proved he could stay. Rebel Raider stood his first season at stud at Carin Park in 2012, where he covered only 18 mares. He was then moved to Wyndholm Park where he has covered 84 mares in 2012, 88 in 2013, 112 in 2014, 104 in 2015 and 60 in 2016. He is by Reset the Zabeel stallion out of  Picholine who also has Sir Tristram on her dams side. Wyndholm Park also stands Floral Pegasus for $5,500 .

Rebel Raider 2008 Victoria Derby

Clare Lindop at home with her dog Coco