It was a big day of racing at Rosehill on Saturday. The three-year-old Run To The Rose saw Cylinder stride past the post with “an explosive” turn of foot.
James Cummings is holding his cards close to his chest, keeping all his options open. Cylinder is unbeaten this prep with a will to win. We won’t write off Militarize though with a sneaky impressive run down the outside.
Unfortunately for Craig Williams, Giga Kick missed the start in his race and with 97 per cent hold in the ring there was a sigh from the crowd. It was too short a race. He will be back!
She is back! It was a magnificent effort by Imperatiz with Micky Dee aboard. A patient ride by the young jockey saw the horse with an amazing motor under the bonnet sped through to win the feature at Moonee Valley.
James Cummings’ Golden Mile, wearing blinkers with Nash Rawiller aboard, had a well-deserved win at Moonee Valley. A very talented versatile four-year-old horse with a Caulfield Guineas under his belt as well. The ride brought in a double for the pair.
Race nine at the Valley saw Ben Allen on Pinstriped pip Attrition at the post, making his way into a Cox Plate spot. Trainer Enver Jusofovic said he “felt like Willy Wonka with the Golden ticket”. There are many first-time owners in this horse who will be on for a fun ride.
The mail out of Waller camp is that Chris is setting Fan Girl for the rich $5 million race, King Charles Stakes on 16 October. The Old Tugger will be sending a fair wad of the folding stuff around. Here’s hoping!
I read some interesting figures during the week about the rise and rise of Annabel Neasham. Over the last 35 years only Gai Waterhouse had a better start, as measured by Group One winners, to their training careers. Precisely eight group ones in three years. That includes Chris Waller, Darren Weir, the combination of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, James Cummings, Tony Gollan and even the Snowdens.
Better still it’s been done in just over three years. It’s important to note that Gai had a walk-up start taking over from her legendary father Tommy Smith’s Tulloch Lodge. Now with a three-state set up and still only in her early 30s you can only guess to what heights Neasham’s career will rise.
He is back for another crack at the Melbourne Cup, that’s Dermot Weld the legendary Irish horse trainer who won the Melbourne Cup in 1993 with Vintage Crop 30 years ago, and then again with Media Puzzle in 2002. It’s been 11 years since his last starter in the Cup, but in Harbour Wind he reckons he has found the right horse. Be very wary of the 75-year Irish leprechaun, he is not here to drink our Guinness beer.
The old trainers simply wouldn’t believe the amount of science involved in training racehorses these days. First, there are the DNA tests to determine a horse’s best racing distances. The finest example of its use was a decade ago when top Melbourne trainer Danny O’Brien used tail hair tests to determine that his then maiden three-year-old Shamus Award who was bred to be an out and out sprinter was a potential top line middle distance horse. He won the WFA 2000 Cox Plate as a maiden.
Then there is computer generated individualised feeds based on the horse’s biological make up and regular blood and faeces tests. To top it off, the horses carry bio- feedback technology on them during and after gallops. That information is used to fine tune the horses work and recovery.
The very top stables employ equine exercise physiologists to manage all the horse performance data. To think the old fellas just did it with their eyes and hands, and tor a fraction of the cost.
The Kelly Schweida and Ron Wanless show. They’ve been enjoying some good success of recent times. I’ve been noticing the increasing number of young horses turned out by Kelly in the striking Wanless Tartan silks.
So, I did a quick check of the books and strike me down Ron and Judy Wanless have 11 horses in the Schweida Eagle Farm stables. Don’t worry Ronny has plenty of money after decades of commercial success in scrap metal and more recently garbage, now called waste.
Ron and I are roughly the same vintage so I’ve been following his antics from the late 1960s when he was a boxer, showjumper and champion speedway driver. I came see how he and Kelly would get on like a house on fire as the trainer is as honest as the day is long and an Aussie larrikin. Good luck to them both.
The third of the big three cups was run this Saturday, that of course is the Bedourie Cup won by Taipan Tommy. The big three are in order Betootah, Birdsville and Bedourie all located within the vast Diamantina Shire straddling the South Australian and Northern Territory borders.
The Cups are run back-to-back over a three-week period. Outback trainers often organise a team of horses to run at the big three, camping out along the way. They love their racing out there, and a drink on a hot day.
Paddy’s long-suffering wife walked into the kitchen to find paddy wielding about a fly swatter. “What on earth you be doin Paddy?”. “Hunting flies,” replied Paddy proudly, “I have killed three males and two females already!” “Oh, and really Paddy how could you tell?”. “Three was on the beer can and two were on the phone.”
