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Seven for Alabama Express
Alabama State (2 c ex Bouquet De Flores by Street Cry) became the seventh first-crop winner for Yulong’s first-season sire Alabama Express (Redoute’s Choice) when breaking his maiden at the fifth time of asking in a 1100-metre contest at Hawkesbury on Thursday. Also providing trainer Jack Pilkington with his first winner, the colt proved strong to the line, beating Je Reve (Capitalist) by 0.9 lengths with a further 1.4 lengths back to Bellenth (Hellbent) in third place. “I never had any doubt about his talent,” said Jack Pilkington. “He’s just had some bad luck in his races and bad barriers and today it all went right and he was too good. He’s had five starts, so win lose or draw he was always going to have a break after today and will now go for a six week spell.” Alabama State was an $80,000 purchase for his trainer and Jamie Piggott from Yulong’s 2023 Book 2 draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and runs for an ownership group that includes well known Sydney owner-breeder Peter Horwitz, in whose colours he runs. He is the second winner out of the stakes-placed Street Cry (Machiavellian) mare Bouquet De Flores, herself a half-sister to Group 2 winner Lazuli (Dubawi) and stakes winner Inspiriter (Invincible Spirit).

 

Marquand excited by Vinery showdown

UK-based jockey Tom Marquand is looking forward to his ride on VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Zardozi (Kingman) in this weekend’s Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) at Rosehill. The James Cummings-trained daughter of Kingman (Invincible Spirit) will be bidding to follow up her last-start Phar Lap Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) success when she takes on the likes of boom New Zealand filly Orchestral (Savabeel) on Saturday. “It doesn’t take too much working out when they have a record like her,” Marquand said. “She is pretty good and you have to be scared of her. But we’re used to clashes, it’s good fun, and I come here to try to get on good horses.” Marquand was aboard Zardozi for that latest victory, one that surprised her jockey. “She surprised me to be honest, the speed she showed at that trip was pretty awesome,” Marquand said. “We saw what she did at 2500 metres [in the Oaks] and for her to do it at that distance was pretty amazing. You couldn’t be happier with where she is in her prep off the back of that and everything points in the right direction. She has proven she is a Group 1, top-class filly and she will need to be to beat the Kiwi filly.”

 

Rosehill win would be the tonic for Widdup

Just a week after losing his talented mare Tintookie (Winning Rupert) in a fall last weekend, Brad Widdup will head back to Rosehill on Saturday looking for a positive result from his three feature-race runners. Phearson (Exosphere) will line up in the Doncaster Prelude (Gr 3, 1500m), while three-year-olds Piplup (Inference) and High Dandy (Ace High) will tackle the Vinery Stud Stakes and Tulloch Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m) respectively. A first-up winner of the Liverpool City Cup (Gr 3, 1300m) two starts ago, Phearson then ran down the field in the Ajax Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) on his latest outing, but Widdup expects the six-year-old to bounce back this weekend. “He had a tough first-up run and gave himself another tough run as well, but he only knows one way,” Widdup said. “He’s not a heavy horse so I’m very mindful of it, but most horses can’t do what he does, how he treats himself. He doesn’t give himself an easy day, but he does look great.” Widdup is hoping to see Piplup produce her best work late in the Vinery, with High Dandy looking one for the future. “I haven’t had a filly like this since I’ve started training. She (Piplup) appears to be a real stayer,” Widdup said. “[High Dandy’s] going to be a nice horse for us, and the sire is going super, Ace High.”

 

Distance right for Athabascan

A step back up in trip on Saturday is expected to see Athabascan (Almanzor) produce an improved performance as he takes on the likes of the William Haggas-trained Post Impressionist (Teofilo) in the Tancred Stakes (Gr 1, 2400m) at Rosehill. The John O’Shea-trained son of Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) has had two starts so far this campaign, running sixth in the Verry Elleegant Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) first-up before a fourth-placed effort in the Sky High Stakes (Gr 3, 2000m) last start. “He’s drawn tricky [barrier 11] but it’s a mile-and-a-half and he is a mile-and-a-half horse,” O’Shea said. “I think we’ve been riding him a bit too forward. We will give him a chance on Saturday, and he is more than competitive at that level. He’s going well and that was evidenced by where the market had him [last start] when he was a 7-2 chance.”

 

Katsu chasing straight-track win

Cranbourne-based trainer Grahame Begg is hoping that Katsu (Mikki Isle) can land another win down Flemington’s straight when he tackles Saturday’s Bob Hoysted Handicap (Listed, 1000m). The four-year-old son of Mikki Isle (Deep Impact) won the Kensington Stakes (Listed, 1000m) over this weekend’s track and trip back in December and has not been sighted since running fourth in the W J Adams Stakes (Listed, 1000m). The sprinter had been set to tackle the Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) at Caulfield, however Begg explained Katsu jarred up at Caulfield and required some paddock time. “He was a bit out of sorts at Caulfield,” Begg said. “He was a bit wound up before the race, he didn’t have a pony to go to the start with him and he was a bit on edge. He went to the paddock for two weeks and then came back into work. Caulfield might not be his track. He’s had three runs there and hasn’t quite ‘pinged’ there. But I knew this race was at the end of March, so I had plenty of time to get him ready, freshen him up and recalibrate. He had a little jump-out 12 days ago. He showed his usual speed and was very controlled in the jump-out.”

 

Smith eyes Australian Cup boilover with Esti Feny 

Having run a last-start third in the Australian Cup Prelude (1800m) at odds of $41, Esti Feny (Pigeon Catcher) will be bidding to shock his more fancied rivals when he tackles the main event at Flemington on Saturday. The Hungarian-bred import is the $126 rank outsider for the Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m), but his trainer Matthew Smith is hopeful there can be another long-priced winner of the contest. “I had him in up in Sydney as well and I looked at both races and I thought at least there would be a solid tempo in Melbourne,” Smith said. “There’s only nine acceptors and I thought we would try and beat one home and if we finish fifth there will be a little better prize. The quicker they go, the better his chance of being in the finish. He just needs a steady gallop. I don’t know whether he’s good enough to beat those better ones, but we’re hoping he might be the shock of the Carnival.” 

 

Daqiansweet Junior chases Cup start

Daqiansweet Junior (Sweet Orange) will be aimed at a third start in the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) should he win Saturday’s Roy Higgins Quality (Listed, 2600m) at Flemington. The Phillip Stokes-trained son of Sweet Orange (War Front) ran sixth in the 2022 renewal of the Cup before going one place better when fifth in last year’s race, and bids to grab this weekend’s ‘win and you’re in’ slot into the Cup via the Roy Higgins. “He got into the Cup pretty comfortably last year,” Stokes said. “He should be ok again, but if you don’t have to take the chance it makes the programming easier if we’re going that way.” Daqiansweet Junior has had one run since last year’s Cup, finishing fifth in the Australian Cup Prelude on March 9. “I thought his first-up run was the best he has put in for a long time,” Stokes said. “He bounced, put himself there, and only got beaten a bit under four lengths which is probably a ‘PB’ for him. He goes to the Roy Higgins second-up in good order, and then hopefully peaking third-up in the Sydney Cup.” 

 

Lees has faith in Brudenell

Newcastle-based trainer Kris Lees has revealed he will have Troy Corstens to thank should Brudenell (Russian Revolution) land Friday’s Country Discovery (1100m). The four-year-old gelding reappeared with a win in a Benchmark 94 (1000m) before running fifth in the Oakleigh Plate. He was last seen scoring in the Bel Esprit Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Caulfield on March 16, after which Corstens pointed out Friday’s $500,000 race. “I was looking at the Saturday races and he [Corstens] pointed it out. I’ll thank him on Friday if we get a result,” Lees told Racing.com. “All the boxes appear to have been ticked. They tell me barrier one is a good barrier to have at Yarra Valley. He’s racing well. He ran well in the Oakleigh Plate when he finished fifth and he backed it up with a good strong win at Caulfield a fortnight ago in the Bel Esprit Stakes, so he gets a few ticks and he’s in good order. He can handle all tracks and he might need a break and then come back for the late winter and early spring.”

 

Charity angle important for Price

Co-trainer Mick Price admits the opportunity to help raise funds for the Good Friday Appeal is the main feature of Friday night’s inaugural Southside Challenge (1300m). Hosting a feature maiden race worth $100,000, Friday’s event will see trainers from Cranbourne and Pakenham pitted against each other in the restricted race. “Given that the beneficiary is going to be Victoria’s Royal Children’s Hospital, which I think is a great cause, it’s great,” Price, who trains in partnership with Michael Kent Jnr, told Racing.com. “If you’ve ever seen a sick kid, why wouldn’t you want to donate? So that’s the whole crux of it, so if it helps create a little bit of momentum for donation, it’s got to be a good thing. I think it’s a great idea and I think it’s great that Ladbrokes has got on board as a sponsor. I’m happy to support it, it’s a bit of fun and, for the benefit of our owners, it’s a $100,000 maiden.”

 

Stud and Stable Staff Award finalists announced

The 14 finalists for the 2024 Australian Stud And Stable Staff Awards have been announced.  These finalists embody the dedication and passion that define the backbone of the industry and the spirit of racing. Each finalist has demonstrated exceptional commitment and expertise in their respective roles, upholding the highest standards of professionalism and care for the thoroughbred, staff and fellow colleagues. “The calibre of nominees this year reflects the depth of talent and commitment within our industry. Selecting the two finalists in each category was incredibly challenging, yet it was great to see the passion that each individual brings to the table,” Johan Petzer, Chair of the Stud And Stable Staff Awards judging panel, said. “This annual event is one I eagerly await and marking a decade of these awards will make it a truly special celebration.” The ceremony to announce the winners of the 2024 Australian Stud And Stable Staff Awards will take place on Wednesday, May 29 at The Star Gold Coast hosted by Ally Mosley and James Tzaferis. The list of finalists can be found here.

 

Think It Over retired

Three-time Group 1 winner Think It Over (So You Think) has been retired. Less than a month after capping his remarkable comeback from a career-threatening tendon injury with a win in the Verry Elleegant Stakes, connections have decided to call time on the now eight-year-old’s racing career following veterinary assessments. The son of So You Think (High Chaparral) raced 42 times for 14 wins and 13 placings, with a prize-money haul of nearly $8.5 million. His three elite-level wins came in the 2021 George Ryder Stakes (Gr 1, 1500m), 2022 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and this year’s Verry Elleegant Stakes.

 

Nolen to make racing return

After more than two months on the sidelines, jockey Luke Nolen is set to return to the races on Friday night. The Group 1 winning rider will partner the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Linas Reel (Highland Reel) in the sixth event of the night, the inaugural Southside Challenge. Friday’s mount will be Nolen’s first since being injured in a trackwork fall at Pakenham in early February where he injured his back and pelvis, as well as suffering internal bleeding and a broken rib. The 43-year-old had surgery to stem the internal bleeding and returned to ride at the Pakenham jump-outs on March 19.

 

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