Reward For Effort and Canniness

     Midweek racing this week came from Ballarat and Canterbury with a heavy track at the former. Australian racing is strongly influenced by the Fastnet Rock or Encosta De Lago blood or as i reference a bit later in this post. The Canny Lad influence as well ! While Exceed and Excel has his day in the sun at times with his sons Helmet and Reward For Effort who both get regular winners, like the Dubai World Cup winner, Thunder Snow by Helmet . It was the later of his sons who opened and closed the Ballarat meeting on Wednesday. 

• Reward For Effort  -- book ends the meeting at Ballarat as his four year old son, Pakaya Prince finished the meeting with a win for Chatswood Stud and the John McArdle and Lachie King combination. He is out of the Galileo mare, Vonnie. The opener was won by My Boy Greg with jockey Damien Oliver in the saddle for an emotional trainer, Janet Wicks to record her first winner.

"I'm just so over the moon, it was such a good ride."
We love seeing the reward for effort for an emotional Janet Wicks. pic.twitter.com/FZCQefKuch

— Racing.com (@Racing) May 23, 2018

• Sepoy --  His daughter is a rising star. Anjana relished the heavy conditions after settling midfield on the inside before taking the lead in the straight, under easy riding by jockey, Ben Allen and then with an explosive turn of foot stormed clear to win the 2YO Fillies 1200m event at Ballarat. Jockey Ben Allen, said "I think she's pretty nice because there's a few horses in there that have run in some handy races and performed well." Just wanted to point out the Canny connection on the Sepoy dams side. Almost all of the top Australian stallions have the Canny family line. I Am Invincible, the half brothers Redoutes Choice and Manhattan Rain through Canny Lad's blue hen daughter, Shanthas Choice. Then there is Snitzel, Australias new champion sire who is the son of Redoutes Choice. Sepoy has the connection through, the lads ,half sister, Canny Miss. Canny Lad was a champion two and three year old and his greatest run was his third, in the 1990 Cox Plate when over the 2000m, he sat wide and was left a sitting duck for Better Loosen Up. Canny Lad was buried next to his old mate Octagonal at Woodlands Stud. The Canny's have left their DNA on Australian racing and its going to last for a long time.  

Sepoy 

Stands at Darleys Northwood Stud 

• Pedicel -- A Redoutes Choice 2yo filly purchased by the Coolmore operation for $360,000 scored at Canterbury for Lindsay Park Racing and James Macdonald when she had to dig deep to out last Reginae down the straight.The in form James Macdonald said "She's a lovely filly and will be even better as she matures and gets out to a mile,". She could be one to watch in the future.

Pedicel & @mcacajamez fight it out with Reginae down the straight, kicking back in the concluding stages to salute impressively at Canterbury for @lindsayparkrace. pic.twitter.com/zqlyjW1oTu

— Sky Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 23, 2018

• Augustus and The Avenger -- Some other Canterbury winners were the Waller trained, Snitzel ,3yo Augustus who put in a courageous effort, to win by a breath over Base Camp . A well judged ride by Tye Angland saw him get home . While in the last we saw another Chris Waller trained galloper successful when The Avenger kept Smart Missile's great recent success story in tact ! The Fastnet Rock stallion is still one of the best value stallions around. He was ridden by Lee Magorian and is out of the El Prado mare, Certain Promise. 

• Miss Leonidas -- The I Am Invincible 3yo filly and her jockey, Dwayne Dunn took inside lanes after the rising star missed the kick by four lengths in the A.R. Creswick Series Heat 1 to secure an easy victory. She is out of the Barathea mare, Happy Play. That Sadlers Wells line love the wet. Trainer Shaun Dwyer was thrilled with the win ! It gave Dwayne ride of the day award.

Miss Leonidas and @dwaynedunn8 were breathtaking. An easy pick for #RideOfTheDay. pic.twitter.com/EPJdzEsMUf

— Racing.com (@Racing) May 23, 2018

Weir and Waller Show

All Too Hard -- James Macdonald made his return to race riding after a 18 month suspension today and in the opening event, at Warwick Farm he got the Waller team off to a flying start, when Cormac, scored in the 1400m maiden. The 3yo gelding is out of the Galileo mare, St Minerva. It was the first of two winners for this combination when later in the day a Savabeel gelding, Monasterio ,scored over 1600m in the BM 80. The Savabeels really love that mile ! This was also a start of a double for the stallion All Too Hard on the day because in the 2yo 1000m race at Sandown the filly Riviera scored for the Hawkes/Dunn combination. 

All Too Hard Stands at Vinery  

He is half brother to Black Caviar 

by the Flying Spur stallion Casino Prince

Fifty Stars --  The Sea the Stars colt has to be awarded the most superior victory of the day as he sat three wide most of the journey in the 1400m BM70 race at Sandown and still won in easy fashion, to keep his unbeaten record, intact. Trained by Darren Weir and ridden by Brad Rawiller. The dam of Fifty Stars is Swizzle Stick a daughter of Sadlers Wells. This colt could measure up in group races over a trip being by Sea The Stars. Where 1600m and beyond could see him claim a major win in the spring for the Darren Weir team.

• A star of the future? Fifty Stars remains unbeaten for @DKWeirRacing. https://t.co/cK8zOZs0Z3 pic.twitter.com/Hmt4ZkN7tI

— Racing.com (@Racing) May 16, 2018

So You Think -- The progeny of So You Think have been showing their inherited talents over the last racing season and it continued on Wednesday when Heavenly Thought scored in the final race on the Sandown card to give Darren Weir, four for the day. The 3yo colt was again ridden by Brad Rawiller . His other success for the day was at Murray Bridge when Bad Wolf saluted over 1200m for the Bowditch/Kennewell combination. 

Hectopascal and Sandown -- This 4yo Pins mare is certainly in love with the Sandown track as she gave Darren Weir another winner, when she flashed through a gap to score, in the last few strides of the 1400m mares race. This makes it four wins from her five starts at Sandown. The stallion Pins stood at Waikato Stud and was laid to rest last month under the trees at the Waikato stud alongside fellow champions O'Reilly, Centaine and Pompeii Court.He sired the 2007 Cox Plate victor El Segundo. 

Waikato Stud 

       Chris Waller --  Just a couple more winners worth mentioning in this weeks review of midweek racing and they are both trained by Chris Waller. Pembroke Castle is an I Am Invincible 2yo colt and could well be one for the future as he is out of the Redoutes Choice mare, Callista. He finally opened his account in the 1200m two year old event after four tries.The other is Almighty Crown who got up in the BM75 2100m event. He is a Street Cry gelding, out of Sesenta an Encosta De Lago mare and was ridden by an under rated Jock in Tim Clarke.    

A Star Rising

• Zoustar -- This young sire stands at the valley of champions," Widden Stud" . His first season of runners have been excellent and on wednesday at Balaclava his daughter,'' Be My Star'' trained by Tony Mcevoy and ridden by in form jockey, Jamie Kah, won easily over 1050m. He is a dual group one winning stallion by Encosta De Lago's son, Northern Meteor and he has the Redoutes Choice blood on his female side through his dam, Zouzou. I believe he is the stallion to follow from this years new comers.  

Zoustar Widden Stud

Chris Waller on Zoustar -- “He was that good, I could of prepared him for the Golden Slipper however given I thought he was bred to be at his best at Three we were happy to wait. What he did achieve at Two was just a glimpse of his natural ability. An equine machine.”

• Lonhro and Redoutes Choice -- At Warwick Farm on Wednesday we saw a race to race double for this nick. The two races were benchmark 78 and both trained by James Cummings. This is the same nick that the classy three year old, "Kementari", is bred on. The 3yo Lonhro colt, 'Revenire' was ridden by Tye Angland over the 1100m and is out of the mare, Come Hither. While in the last, Josh Parr got Schubert home over the 1300m. The 3yo Lonhro geldings dam is Ringstrasse. Runner up to Schubert was another Lonhro gelding Beacon.

 Lonhro winning the Australian Cup

• Street Cry Stallions Double -- At Sandown, Street Cry stallions, Street Sense and Street Boss both tasted success with five year old mare Ensuing ridden by Daniel Stackhouse winning the benchmark 64 over 1500m. The Street Sense mare has now won twice this preparation.While Jamie Mott rode the Street Boss 4yo gelding, Laughing Heir to victory in the 1800m BM 70.Two other winners worth mentioning are Groovin and Beaverbrook. The former is by Mastercraftsman who continues to get plenty of winners in the staying races while Beaverbrook is by Written Tycoon who is getting winners all over the country at the shorter trips. They were both out of High Chaparral mares. 

Mastercraftsman Coolmore USA 

Warnambool Carnival

      The passion of race caller Ric Mcintosh brings Warnambool jumps carnival alive. This year he put in a masterful call as he nailed the theatre of the 5500m event. Gold Medals the local hope came from way off the pace as they jumped the second last with young jockey Carl Douglas timing his run to perfection. Slowly wearing down a gallant Zed Em to score on the line to the cheers on the hill. Seriously how bloody good is the Bool!

Click for Call of Grand Annual Gold Medals

In the listed, Wangoon, the Weir trained Handsome Thief came storming down the outside under John Allens urging, to get up and score over stablemate Stellar Collision as another Mcintosh catch cry could be heard. Back Weir! Drink Beer !Weir saying afterwards ''that the pull in the weights was the big factor''. The later will now head towards the Group 1 Goodwood Hcp while the Theif may head north to the Stradbroke, in Brisbane. Its good to note that he is by Shamardal the same stallion as the Hong Kong QE11 Cup Group one winner Pakistan Star. 

 Shamardal's son Lope De Vega 

   In the 2035m Warnambool Cup it was another victory for Darren Weir making it his fifth cup in a row when Gallic Chieftan stormed over the top of stablemate Yogi to register his second win in a row. Darren Weir saying afterwards,''he was just the fittest horse on the day and its good to end the carnival on a high''. This made it 12 wins for Weir over the carnival just two short of last years record breaking fourteen.

Gallic Chieftan winning the Warnambool Cup

Legendary St Leger

       
           The VRC St Leger is a legendary race with so much history .  The St Leger was the principal  race on the opening day of the autumn meeting at Flemington until 1972. It was then that the race was transferred to Anzac Day . Since 1972 the VRC St Leger has steadily declined in importance but remains a race still carrying the historic St Leger name . It was a Group 2 race from 1980-1990 and Group 3 from 1991- 2005 and now is a Listed Race . The VRC St Leger in its golden years was won by some of Australia’s greatest champions including numerous Melbourne Cup winners.The notable winners on the VRC St Leger honour roll include Phar Lap, Grand Flaneur, Poseidon, Hall Mark, Tranquil Star, Tulloch, Comic Court, Delta, Gurner's Lane, Sailor's Guide, Martini-Henri, Abercorn, Prince Foote, Patrobas, Artilleryman, Furious, Spearfelt, Trivalve, Hua, Hydrogen, Prince Grant, Taras Bulba, Lord Dudley, So Called and Shiva’s Revenge. Bart Cummings trained seven winners of the VRC St Leger. Tommy Smith trained six winners . Yesterday, it was Tommy's daughter, Gai Waterhouse with her co trainer Anthony Bott who trained the winner, Runaway, who is out of  the Catrail mare Catshaan half sister to Abbey Marie . Runaway joined an honour roll which includes Phar Lap, Comic Court and Tulloch, the latter, trained by Waterhouse's Hall of Fame father. 

Gai Waterhouse has called on Victorian racing authorities to rejuvenate the VRC St Leger 2600m after claiming her third win in the past six editions of the three-year-old classic courtesy of the son of Manhattan Rain, Runaway, who led throughout in the staying feature at Flemington. Gai said yesterday "It's a wonderful race but keep it for three-year-olds only and increase the prizemoney and increase the status because I'm telling you, this is the exact stepping stone we need to go to the Melbourne Cup," "The St Leger is a time-honoured race all around the world but particularly in England and Australia."It's a great staying test for young horses but it's slipping under the radar and it really shouldn't.

 Runaway at the 2016 

Inglis Easter Yearling Sale

       An eye catching debut during the Anzac Day meeting at Randwick yesterday . An emerging colt with huge potential called Autumn Sun. A Queensland winter carnival campaign now looms for the Redoute’s Choice two-year-old after his commanding win in the Armistice Plate 1200m with the Group One JJ Atkins on June 9, his target . Despite being trapped three wide the trip and with Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle ,he still had enough in reserve. He cost $700,000 as a yearling purchase and is out of the Galileo mare , Azmiyna. That leads to another winner i wanted to mention yesterday Milwaukee who is by Fastnet Rock out of the Galileo mare, Hummingbird scored in the 1200m race. The Fastnet Rock breed really do love that Flemington straight which is all a big positive for Merchant Navy's appearance down the Royal Ascot straight. The grand dam is Cashier who is by Danehill.  
 The continuing success of the So You Think's were displayed again yesterday with his filly, Think Bleue winning the 3yo Vobis Hcp in effortless fashion. Ridden by Damien Lane for Darren Weir , a big future is in line for this filly. The breed are really stamping themselves on the world stage and as they mature i can see many more victories in store. Once they step up to 1400m and beyond they show their inherited talent.

Giants Causeway and Smart Missile

 Randwick --The Kensington course last hosted a race meeting in November 2014, before this new rebuild. The first race on its return was won by the promising 2yo Godolphin filly Gododdin who is by Exceed and Excel. The filly debuted in October in a maiden but has then been given time to develop by the stable.“She’s just taken a little while to get back on track, it was very impressive to see her do that,” Godolphin assistant trainer Darren Beadman said. Jockey Glyn Schfield decided to roll forward on her and use her brilliance and that proved a winning move in the 1300m All Too Hard Vinery Handicap. 
        In the maiden over 1300m we saw a gutsy win by the Snitzel filly , Luskintyre Lass ridden by Corey Brown and trained by Bott/Waterhouse. She kept fighting after being headed to win. Warranty the All Too Hard filly scored again making it 3 from 6 starts. She is out of Encosta De Lago mare and is definately one to keep following. She was ridden by Blake Shinn in the 1100m event.  In a later race the Hawkes trained, Thaad, ridden by Tye Angland made it 3wins from 13 starts. The Smart Missile gelding is out of the Zabeel mare, Uneasy. He finished strongly down the outside to get up and beat Bravissimo in the 1300m Ranvet Hcp. Smart Missile is in third place behind So You Think and Sepoy for the Third Season Sires, title. That’s after heading last season’s Australian Second Season Sires' table by Winners 66 and Wins 93 and finishing third on the Earnings list with prizemoney of $3.2 million. He was announced as a new addition to the Twin Hills roster this spring .

Smart Missile will Stand at Twin Hills Stud

 

Sandown -- Galaxy Raider ridden by Jordan Childs for Graeme Begg stormed home to victory. Halfway down the straight in the BM70 over 1400m he looked like he might struggle to reel in the leader but then that big turn of foot clicked in and he was home in an inkling . He is by Hard Spun and is a very consistent galloper who suffers bad luck because of his racing style . 
Connery the gelding by Pierro out of the Cape Cross mare, Sean Baille Mor made it 2 wins from 8 starts in the benchmark 64, over 1600m. He was well ridden by Jordan Childs who is riding in super form right now. I wanted to highlight the breed here as 1600m is a pet distance for them. At Werribee on Thursday Coutinho a Pierro gelding, trained by Anthony Freedman, scored a convincing win sustaining a long run for victory in the maiden over 1600m. He is out of Footprints, the Redoutes Choice mare.

Latest News

Surgery for Levendi -- Australian Derby winner Levendi is to undergo surgery to remove bone chips putting his spring campaign in doubt.Trainer Peter Gelagotis has issued a statement advising of the procedure and alerting futures punters,the following. “Unfortunately Levendi will undergo arthroscopy surgery to remove bone chips and he will be in the best hands at Werribee Equine Centre and naturally this could put his spring campaign on hold depending on the recovery time required from this procedure,” Gelagotis said.

Death of Giants Causeway --  Jockey, George Duffield on Wednesday described Giant's Causeway as a horse that "just wanted to win" as he recalled their memorable victory over Kalanisi in the 2000 Coral-Eclipse Stakes. Giant's Causeway, whose death at stud in the United States was announced by Coolmore on Tuesday, was stepping up in distance for the first time after finishing runner-up in the 2,000 Guineas. Irish 2,000 Guineas and winning the St James's Palace Stakes. Kalanisi headed him inside the last furlong but Giant's Causeway, being the horse he was,fought back and beat him. At the end of an epic duel over the final furlong Giant's Causeway won the photo finish verdict by a head. The Eclipse was the only one of Giant's Causeway's six Group 1 victories, regular jockey, Kinane missed out on. Kinane said: "They called him The Iron Horse and that was very apt. He was tough as they come and always had something in the locker. He was special a hell of a good two year old and a very good three year old who went on to become a great stallion."

George Duffield winning the 

2000 Eclipse Stakes on Giants Causeway

Soliloquy --  Soliloquy took out the G3 Nell Gwyn Stakes at Newmarket for team Godolphin becoming her sire's Dubawi 's, newest Group and Stakes winner. She sprinted from the gate and quickly gained the lead, kicking clear for a strong victory. Bred by Godolphin in England, Soliloquy is out of the multiple Stakes winner and G1 placed Dysphonia, a daughter of  Darley sire, and Australian champ, Lonhro.

Retirement of Dansili -- Dansili is a son of Danehill and was one of the leading sires in England and a top broodmare sire. The announcement from Juddmonte Farms came earlier this week. Stating he has been pensioned from stud duties due to declining fertility . He was out of the legendary mare Hasili, who died last month at the age of 27.

Casino Prince and Encosta De Lago

Sandown -- Written Tycoon double at Sandown today with Golden Script winning the first. It was a perfect ride from young Ben Allen, that got the job done for Darren Weir and the team. The second was Island Dream who made it two from two with a similar ride to get the money but this time it was Luke Nolen.

 Written Tycoon Stands at Woodside Park Stud

       This filly is out of a Delago Brom mare and is a horse to follow. I wanted to mention the broodmare sire here as the Encosta De Lago's, love Sandown and during the day, the breed cropped up in a number of pedigrees. The third horse in this race Dawn Dawn by All Too Hard got chopped out in the straight and should of pushed the winner. All Too Hard is by Casino Prince another breed that have always had a liking for Sandown and in the seventh event the BM70 over 1600m we saw All Too Hard's three year old gelded son Reflectivity, kick strong to win.

 All Too Hard half brother to Black Caviar 

Stands at Vinery Stud

        In the two year old over 1400m won by Secret Blaze who is by Snitzel"s son Sizzling, out of  a Galileo mare. There was a good run by a Fiorente colt, Hawkshot. He sat three wide the whole trip and still almost got the job done. He is out of an Encosta De Lago mare. A coming winner for sure. In the final race the BM78 over 1600m, Sunday Pray, led all the way like many of the winners did today. The gelding is by the Encosta De Lago stallion, Manhattan Rain.

      Some other noteworthy performances were the mare Corrs win over the 2400m she is by Mastercraftsman, definately a breed to follow over the staying distances beyond 2000m. While a couple of So You Thinks who ran into places, Ancient Echoes very honest with a touch of class and the recently gelded Think Babe.

Warwick Farm -- In the BM74 Rising Star Hcp over 1600m, the Waller trained, So You Think 3yo colt out of the Encosta De Lago mare, Dark Vision was successful .The 1600m trip is a pet distance for the breed. A noteworthy double by Street Cry with Molten winning the 1300m BM74 and Marsupial winning over 1100m. The former out of a Fastnet Rock mare the other out of an Exceed and Excel mare. I have seen the Street Cry's successful at Warwick Farm on a regular basis so worth noting. In the last over 1200m, the James Cummings trained Resin won. The filly is by Exceed and Excel out of a Lonrho mare.