Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
We’re less than two weeks out from the Golden Slipper so it was no surprise to see Blue Diamond place-getters Hanseatic and Personal winning heats at the Randwick trials on Thursday morning.
The colt ran slightly faster time, but there was a lot to like about the effort of Fastnet Rock filly Personal, who always looked to be in cruise control and won with ears pricked.
Personal looks like she has brought her A game to Sydney!
She’s been kept fresh for the Slipper and if she draws a gate I believe she’ll be competitive given the lack of a dominant two year-old in Sydney this year with the possible exception of Farnan.
Champion sire Fastnet Rock has done a lot of amazing things in his illustrious career producing a whopping 155 stakes-winners, but a Golden Slipper winner is missing from that list and maybe Personal is the horse to remedy that omission.
A $640,000 Inglis Easter purchase from the Cressfield draft for Tom Magnier/ BBA Ireland, Personal runs in the Coolmore navy blue for Coolmore and partners, that include Adrian Niccol, who selected the filly.
Personal is a sibling to stakes-placed Trope, Selectify and Laser Flash being the sixth winner from six foals to race from stakes-winning Galileo (IRE) mare Personify, a daughter of blue hen Procrastinate.
There were four additional 2YO heats won by Encountabull (Bull Point), Panna Cotta (Fastnet Rock), Heroess (Snitzel) and Smart Image (Smart Missile).
See all the trial results at Breednet with Sale Mail and at Racing NSW with video.
Story by Tara Madgwick -Thursday 12th March
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Australian Guineas star Alligator Blood will jump from gate 10 in the $5 million All-Star Mile at Caulfield on Saturday following Tuesday’s all-important barrier draw.
The David Vandyke-trained Group I winner will take on a competitive field of 15 runners in the lucrative feature where he will look to add to his astonishing record of 10 victories from 11 starts.
Te Akau Racing were celebrating when Kiwi Star Melody Belle – a 10-time Group I winner – drew perfectly in barrier five.
Grant and Alana Williams will saddle up Regal Power and Superstorm in the feature and enjoyed mixed results at the draw.
Regal Power has barrier three while Superstorm, which ran home for second behind Alligator Blood in the Guineas, has barrier 14.
Dual Group I winner Fierce Impact also drew wide in barrier 12 while the sole three-year-old filly in the race, Godolphin’s Flit, had her task made even tougher after drawing the outside in barrier 15.
Epsom Handicap victor Kolding (barrier seven) will line up next to fellow Group I star Black Heart bart (six) and three-year-old colt Heart of Puissance has drawn the inside gate.
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ALL STAR MILE
‘He’s unders’ – there’s a chance Alligator Blood could miss All-Star Mile
Alligator Blood. Photo: Getty Images
There is a chance that fan favourite and joint race favourite Alligator Blood could miss the All-Star Mile with trainer David Vandyke declaring “he’s unders’ in betting on the $5m race.
Alligator Blood was easily voted into the rich race with 18,502 votes to top the count but Vandyke is wary of the fatigue factor with his star horse from Queensland.
Coming off an epic win over Catalyst in the CS Hayes Stakes, Alligator Blood will aim to grab his first Group I in the Australian Guineas at Flemington on Saturday.
But there is a chance the All-Star Mile at Caulfield on March 14 could be a bridge too far.
Alligator Blood is the joint $4.50 All-Star Mile favourite with Catalyst – but Vandyke is offering no guarantees that one of the biggest All-Star Mile drawcards will be there on the day.
And he couldn’t possibly take the price in the All-Star Mile, knowing his horse has been up for a while and there is a chance he could be spelling come All-Star Mile time.
“He has had a race or a trial every month since and including last July – that’s quite unusual, especially for one of my horses,” Vandyke told Racenet.
“I couldn’t say that he is going to be ready to go out for a spell after Saturday – but I’m just very mindful that is a possibility.
“How are we favourite in early betting on the All-Star Mile?
“It makes no sense. In my opinion he is unders in the All-Star Mile.
“I hope I’m wrong, I hope he is a shorter price after the Guineas on Saturday but I certainly wouldn’t be jumping in.
“If he doesn’t run in the All-Star Mile, you do your money.
“Some of these other horses he is racing against appear to be on the way up and they are only at the early stages of their preparations.”
Alligator Blood is on the second line of betting for the Saturday’s Australian Guineas, at $3.20 behind only Catalyst ($2.60) in betting.
Vandyke has no qualms about his horse being ready to rumble for another fight on Saturday.
It’s just there is a chance he may have had enough by the All-Star Mile.
Having said that, Alligator Blood has surprised Vandyke before.
“There was some chance he wouldn’t make it down to Victoria for this preparation on the back of his Magic Millions preparation,” Vandyke said.
“And there was some chance after the spring I was going to turn him out for a longer break.
“All the way along there has been times when we re-assess whether he has had enough and needs a longer break.
“He has kept surprising us the whole way through.
“Just when I think he might be ready for break, he, like a lot of good horses, rebounds better than expected.
“We will have to re-assess again after Saturday.”
If any of the top 10 vote getters in the All-Star Mile drop out of the race, the selection of emergencies is done in order of prizemoney earned (excluding bonuses) since 1 February 2019 in races from 1200m to 2050m inclusive.
As it stands, Matthew Smith‘s Group I star Fierce Impact is next in line to gain a start followed by the Godolphin trio of Alizee, Avilius and Flit.
Story by – Ben Dorries (Racenet)
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Bonus A Timely Reason For Academy To BOBS Up
There’s an extra 100,000 reasons for connections of Academy to hope talented three-year-old can find his best form at Kembla Grange on Wednesday.
Photo Courtesy: Bradley Photographers
Trainer Mark Newnham concedes the gelding has been chasing fitness in his two runs back but will have no excuses on that score as he eyes the huge bonus money in the Kembla Grange $100,000 BOBS Platinum Handicap (1600m).
It’s the first BOBS Platinum bonus offered in 2020 and Newnham said it was an irresistible target for a horse he’s sure is ready to fire.
“He could’ve gone to another race but for not as much money so we’ll try our hand there,’’ Newnham said.
“He’s fit now, he’s taken a while to come good in the coat as well. I’m happy with the way he looks now and it’s a good race for him.’’
Academy won his first two starts and earned himself a shot at Group 3 company in the Ming Dynasty in August where he struck a heavy track and was beaten six lengths by Quick Thinker.
Wide barriers have hampered Academy in his two runs this summer, the latest a midfield fifth behind Rocha Clock, but Newnham has been satisfied under the circumstances.
“I haven’t been disappointed with him he’s just needed to be fitter,’’ he said.
“He did a bit much early (second-up) and he got a real shove on the turn and that knocked the wind out of him and he got tired.
“He’s had a bit of work and a trial since then so there won’t be excuses.’’
January 28th, Story by – Ray Hickson – Racing NSW
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Time To Reign Set For Flemington Return
Trainer Gary Portelli has given Group-winning colt Time To Reign a solid build-up to have him ready for his long-awaited return in the Listed Kensington Stakes.
Time To Reign. Picture: Bradley Photographers
Trainer Gary Portelli understandably has a soft spot for Group-winning colt Time To Reign who is the half-brother to his 2017 Golden Slipper winner She Will Reign.
And the Sydney trainer is hoping Time To Reign will be able to measure up in feature sprints this campaign to stamp his credentials as a stallion prospect.
Time To Reign is scheduled to travel from Sydney by road to Melbourne overnight on Thursday to begin his campaign in Saturday’s Listed Kensington Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.
While the meeting is still scheduled to go ahead, smoke haze is predicted to return to Melbourne on Saturday and racing officials will continue to liaise with the Bureau of Meteorology and Environmental Protection Authority about conditions.
Racing Victoria has been forced to call off meetings at Werribee on Tuesday and Yarra Valley and Caulfield on Wednesday because of the haze from bushfires and poor air quality in the area.
Time To Reign won three of his six starts as a two-year-old including the Group Two Silver Slipper, and was fifth in the Golden Slipper.
Portelli had to abort Time To Reign’s spring campaign when he failed to get over an elevated temperature as quickly as hoped, but the Warwick Farm trainer said the colt has had a faultless build-up after a good spell.
“We’re hoping this colt can get some really good results this preparation and consolidate his position in someone’s stallion barn,” Portelli said.
“He’s had a really good preparation leading into this.
“He’s been in work for a long time and we planned to set a good core for him so that he could have a long preparation.
“He’s had two trials to have him ready and at this point everything has gone completely to plan without any hiccups.”
Unlike his illustrious half-sister, Portelli says Time To Reign is not the sort of horse to set the track alight in his work which makes it harder to gauge how well he is going.
Portelli said it was only in barrier trials and races Time To Reign showed his ability.
The sprinter signalled he was on target when he won his most recent trial at Warwick Farm by almost 10 lengths.
“I have got him as good as I can get him so I’ve got no queries on where he’s at,” Portelli said.
“But it’s hard to line them up when you haven’t raced against older horses and he’s never been down the straight before.
“There’s plenty of ticks in the right boxes but there’s also a couple of unticked boxes.
“It’s going to be interesting and an exciting day.”
Last-start Listed Christmas Stakes-winning five-year-old All Too Royal is shading Time To Reign for favouritism in Saturday’s field of six.
Story by:
OneSelection2win 
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