Daily News | 20th April 2018

• Trapeze Artist Worthy of Favourite Tag

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  Jockey Tye Angland has no doubt Trapeze Artist (Snitzel-Treppes, by Domesday) deserves to be favourite for tomorrow's Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick. The Gerald Ryan-trained colt will be chasing his third Gr1 victory in the $600,000 weight-for-age feature following wins in the Golden Rose (1400m) in the Spring and the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) two weeks ago. "When he's won he's been very dominant and on his day when he turns up he's very classy," Angland told Racing NSW. "He's at his best when he has a bit of momentum and there's a bit of speed in the race he can slowly build up his revs. I'll work out where I want to be and ride the race how it unfolds." Angland believes Trapeze Artist has the right profile for the race, while pointing out many of his chief rivals do not. "There's a handful of horses coming back in distance which isn't ideal but a lot of horses overcome it," he said. "When they are coming back from a mile to 1400 metres they can lose a bit of speed in their legs. We are coming up in trip, he [Trapeze Artist] can run the 1400 metres and when you look at it he looks very well placed." Trapeze Artist, who will jump from barrier 8, is currently the $2.25 TAB favourite for the race.

  

  Trapeze Artist (image: Steve Hart)

• Gr1 All Aged Stakes: History & Preview

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  The final field has been declared and the barrier draw conducted for the $600,000 weight-for-age Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) to be run at Royal Randwick in Sydney on Saturday. First run in 1866, the All Aged Stakes has stood the test of time as one of Australia's genuine weight-for-age Group 1 contests. And a perusal of its honour roll shows why with past winners including Carbine (1889 & 1890), Wakeful (1902), Amounis (1930), Peter Pan (1935), Ajax (1938-40), Bernborough (1946), Noholme (1960), Tobin Bronze (1967), Emancipation (1984), Rough Habit (1992 & 93), Sunline (2000 & 2002), Atlantic Jewel (2012) and All Too Hard (2013). This year the clear race favourite is dual Gr1-winning colt Trapeze Artist who is fresh of an impressive win in the Gr1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) two weeks ago. TAB currently have the Gerald Ryan-trainee at $2.25 to claim his third top-flight success, ahead of Brave Smash at $8.50, and Le Romain and Hartnell at $9. Trapeze Artist, who is currently ranked the equal fourth-best horse in the world with a rating of 123, should prove too strong for his rivals from whom he will get a handy 2.5kg advantage under the weight-for-age scale.

  

• Spring in Doubt for Derby Hero

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  Australian Derby winner Levendi (Pierro-Lipari, by Redoute's Choice) could miss the Spring carnival after a scan revealed he has bone chips in his knee, reports racing.com. The Peter Gelagotis-trained colt will undergo surgery to remedy the injury which could rule him out of some of the major Spring features such as the Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup. "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 in a statement. "Naturally the horse's welfare and interest come first and we appreciate the public support over the last six months, which has seen Levendi elevate himself to the premier staying 3YO in Australia."

  

  Levendi (image: Steve Hart)

• Waller's Japanese Import Ready for All Aged Debut

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  Chris Waller will unveil one of his Japanese imports in tomorrow's Gr1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick. Satono Rasen (Deep Impact-Toupie, by Intikhab) arrived at Waller's stable earlier in the year as a winner of 3 of his 21 starts, including the Gr2 Shimbun Hai (2200m), a traditional lead-up to the Gr1 Japan Derby in which he finished second. The 6YO entire's class was also on display when he finished a close fifth to champion stayer Kitasan Black in the Gr1 Kikuka Sho (3000m) in 2015. "I've got so much respect for Japanese racing that it just seemed logical to me to try and get a few of them into the stable," Waller told racenet. "Satono Rasen is an older horse with some pretty good Japanese form especially earlier in his career. He might have just trained off in the past season but we've seen enough in him to suggest he could come here with the change of scenery and measure up to our carnival horses." Waller doesn't expect Satono Rasen to make a winning Australian debut on Saturday, but says the All Aged Stakes is a suitable launching pad for a campaign that could lead to Queensland. "I don't feel he's an All Aged Stakes winner but I do think he's going to prove a good second tier weight-for-age horse," Waller said. "He trialled well but he will improve off the run. It's a good starting point for the horse. I'll be happy if he's finishing off nicely... a race like the Doomben Cup is probably the perfect type of race for him."

• Dettori Booked for Redkirk

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  David Hayes has confirmed that champion European jockey Frankie Dettori has been booked to ride Redkirk Warrior (Notnowcato-Flag, by Selkirk) at Royal Ascot next month. A brilliant winner of the Gr1 Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (1000m) and Gr1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at his past two outings, the UK-bred Redkirk Warrior will not race again until the Gr1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot on Saturday 23 June. "We have decided to go with someone who has the experience, and no one has had more winners at Royal Ascot than Frankie Dettori," Hayes told racing.com. "The decision was made through discussions with myself and Redkirk Warrior's owner and for us experience was the key. We settled on either Frankie Dettori or Ryan Moore, but Ryan will ride Merchant Navy in the same race so we have booked Frankie."

• Weekend Black Type Feature Schedule

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  Headlined by the weight-for-age Gr1 All Aged Stakes and the Gr1 Champagne Stakes for 2YOs in Sydney, there are 22 stakes races across Australia, New Zealand and Singapore this weekend. Brought to you by International Animal Health Products, below in AEST order are Saturday's & Sunday's scheduled stakes races incorporating integrated fields, form, indicative odds and runner news:

  Saturday

  • 11:50am: Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) Pukekohe
  • 1:10pm: Gr3 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) Royal Randwick
  • 1:19pm: Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) Riccarton
  • 1:35pm: Gr2 Championship Stakes (2100m) Pukekohe
  • 1:45pm: Gr3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) Royal Randwick
  • 1:54pm: Gr3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) Riccarton
  • 2:10pm: Gr2 Easter Handicap (1600m) Pukekohe
  • 2:20pm: Gr3 JHB Carr Stakes (1400m) Royal Randwick
  • 2:27pm: Listed Mick Dittman Plate (1050m) Doomben
  • 2:55pm: Gr1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) Royal Randwick
  • 3:07pm: Listed Ascot Handicap (1200m) Doomben
  • 3:26pm: Listed Redelva Stakes (1100m) Morphettville
  • 3:35pm: Gr1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) Royal Randwick
  • 3:47pm: Listed Tails Stakes (1600m) Doomben
  • 3:55pm: Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) Caulfield
  • 4:06pm: Gr3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) Morphettville
  • 4:15pm: Gr3 Japan Racing Association Plate (2000m) Royal Randwick
  • 4:46pm: Listed Auraria Stakes (1800m) Morphettville
  • 5:05pm: Listed Sheila Gwynne Classic (1400m) Ascot
  • 5:10pm: Listed Anniversary Vase (1400m) Ascot
  • 6:20pm: Gr2 W.A.T.C. Derby (2400m) Ascot

  Sunday

  • 6:55pm: Gr2 Singapore 3YO Classic (1400m) Kranji

  

• Saturday 11:50am: Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m) Pukekohe

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 1:10pm: Gr3 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) Royal Randwick

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 1:19pm: Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) Riccarton

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 1:35pm: Gr2 Championship Stakes (2100m) Pukekohe

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 1:45pm: Gr3 Frank Packer Plate (2000m) Royal Randwick

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 1:54pm: Gr3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) Riccarton

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 2:10pm: Gr2 Easter Handicap (1600m) Pukekohe

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 2:20pm: Gr3 JHB Carr Stakes (1400m) Royal Randwick

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 2:27pm: Listed Mick Dittman Plate (1050m) Doomben

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 2:55pm: Gr1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) Royal Randwick

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 3:07pm: Listed Ascot Handicap (1200m) Doomben

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 3:26pm: Listed Redelva Stakes (1100m) Morphettville

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 3:35pm: Gr1 All Aged Stakes (1400m) Royal Randwick

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 3:47pm: Listed Tails Stakes (1600m) Doomben

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 3:55pm: Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) Caulfield

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 4:06pm: Gr3 RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) Morphettville

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 4:15pm: Gr3 Japan Racing Association Plate (2000m) Royal Randwick

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 4:46pm: Listed Auraria Stakes (1800m) Morphettville

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 5:05pm: Listed Sheila Gwynne Classic (1400m) Ascot

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 5:10pm: Listed Anniversary Vase (1400m) Caulfield

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• 6:20pm: Gr2 W.A.T.C. Derby (2400m) Ascot

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• Sunday 6:55pm: Gr2 Singapore 3YO Classic (1400m) Kranji

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  

• Kiwi Stable-Mates Cup Bound

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  Champion Kiwi trainer Murray Baker has confirmed that talented stable-mates Zacada and Vin de Dance (see below) are likely to be aimed at the Melbourne Cup later in the year. The late-maturing Zacada (Zabeel) finally lived up to the potential he has always shown when going down narrowly in a photo finish in the Gr1 Sydney Cup (3200m), while Vin de Dance (Roc de Cambes) performed best of the stable's four Australian Derby runners when finishing fourth in the prestigious Classic. Both horses are now exempt from the ballot for the Melbourne Cup. "They're all home and going out for a spell," Baker told NZ Racing Desk. "Zacada went huge in the Sydney Cup and just missed out. He's now qualified for the Melbourne Cup and so is Vin De Dance." Baker added: "They'll both have a good spell and we'll work out plans to get them both back to Melbourne and maybe the Cup. Vin De Dance is owned by OTI and I know they're keen on the Cup."

• Seventh Up Ready for Easter Handicap Defence

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  Cambridge trainer Shelley Hale expects Seventh Up to prove highly competitive when he attempts to defend his title in tomorrow's Gr2 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Pukekohe. "The only difference is last year he raced over 1200m then 1400m and this year it's been 1400m and 1600m," Hale told NZ racing Desk. "He's also gone up from 55 to 59 kilos, but I'm really happy with him. He's done plenty of work. He's ready." Seventh Up (Shinko King-Regelle, by Exploding Prospect) won when resuming over 1400m at Rotorua last month then backed up a week later and finished a creditable fifth behind Ocean Emperor in the Gr2 Windsor Park Stud Japan NZ International Trophy (1600m) at Matamata after being held up in the straight. Hale revealed a trip to Australia for the Brisbane winter carnival is on the cards for Seventh Up if he performs well. "Seventh Up might be better suited going for something like the Hollindale and Doomben Cups, but it will all depend on what he does on Saturday," she said.

• Scat Daddy Colts Dominate Tattersalls Craven Sale

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale finished with a flourish on the second day with a son of Scat Daddy selling for 900,000 guineas. The sale saw a total of 94 lots sell for 13,313,500 guineas, down 6% on last year's record turnover whilst the average and median came in at 141,633 guineas and 75,000 guineas respectively. The day's top seller was a colt out of the Rahy mare Madera Dancer (Lot 163) which was knocked down to agent Stephen Hillen for 900,000 guineas after he saw off Godolphin's John Gosden. "He is for a client who wishes to stay anonymous," said Hillen, "but the colt will be staying in the UK. I saw this horse at Mayfield Stables twice this winter - the first time I thought he was a bit small, but he developed and developed and when I saw him the second time, I loved him." Another son of Scat Daddy gave the ill-fated sire sensation the top two lots of the day. The second highest price was lot 155 from the Medaglia D'oro mare Lauded who fetched 775,000 guineas to the bid of Jamie McCalmont. McCalmont, who was buying on behalf of Coolmore's MV Magnier, said: "The late Scat Daddy was a stallion that was just getting better and better. He can produce anything and he has two of the world's best three-year-olds this year." At the conclusion of the 2018 Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony commented: "The huge rises across the board at the 2017 Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale were always likely to be hard to match and although falling short of last year's wide margin record levels, the turnover is the second highest in the sale's 30 year history, the average is also second only to last year and the sale finished strongly." The next Tattersalls sale is the Guineas Breeze Up & HIT Sale that takes place from May 3rd-4th.

  

  Scat Daddy x Madera Dancer colt (image: Tattersalls)

• Valuable Aga Khan Filly Impressive On Debut

  Friday, 20th April 2018
  One of the best-bred fillies in the world triumphed overnight on debut at Longchamp in France. Trained by Alain de Royer-Dupre, 3YO Zarkamiya (Frankel-Zarkava, by Zamindar) was sent off at just under even money in the 8 furlong Prix de la Lancette for maidens where she sat midfield before quickening strongly over the last furlong to pass pace-setter Xagare and win by a length. By the freakishly talented Frankel, Zarkamiya’s dam is the European Horse of the Year Zarkava, a mare who won her only seven starts as a 2YO & 3YO, among them the Gr1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe. Earlier this month Zarkava foaled a Sea The Stars colt, and is already the dam of multiple Gr1-performed Gr1 Grand Prix de Saint Cloud winner Zarak, a son of Dubawi. De Royer-Dupre indicated that Zarkamiya will be stepped up to 10 furlongs next start as she heads toward a number of potential Gr1 contests during May and June.