Military Rose Given Easy Time On Soft Track
STAR filly Military Rose and her stablemate Sweepstaking won their respective barrier trials over 1000m at the Gold Coast today.
This year’s Magic Millions winner Military Rose won her two-year-old heat by a head with jockey Stathi Katsidis giving her an easy time to the line.
Military Rose clocked 1.03.13 but was never comfortable in the heavy conditions.
Katsidis also partnered Sweepstaking in her impressive two-length Open heat win in 1.02.64.
The fastest trial winner yesterday was the John Thompson-trained Dancescape, another Katsidis mount, who raced away for a four-length victory in 1.02.60.
Trainer Gillian Heinrich plans would head to Sydney later this week where her main target, weather permitting, will be next month’s $1m Group One Golden Rose (1400m).
Meanwhile, outstanding Gold Coast galloper Shoot Out heads to Melbourne on Wednesday and is due to open his spring campaign in the Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday week.
Tuesday’s Gold Coast barrier trial results:
2YO MDN 1000m: LADY INNOCENT (Ms L Cheshire) 1, La Bella Luna (B Stewart) 2, King Baroo (L Rolls) 3. Then came: Pips, Heart Scent, Stutz Power, La Bella Rose, Riding Honours. ½ len, 1 1/2len. 1.03.92. Winner trained by H Norman.
2YO MDN 1000m: HIDE ‘N’ SEEK (J Taylor) 1, Trust In Me (D Tanti) 2, More More More (G Colless) 3. Then came: Golden Clang, Ferelli, In A Tangle, Bald Hill, Witches Black. ½ len, 1 ½ len. 1.02.95. Winner trained by H Page.
2YO MDN 1000m: JAQUALO (M Cahill) 1, Heavens Own (B Wallace) 2, Slick Image (D Tanti) 3. Then came: Miss Fascination, Yun Fat, Seawinds, Sunshine Kid, Sensational Hill. Lg nk, 1 len. 1.02.90. Winner trained by G Ryan.
2YO MDN 1000m: MILITARY ROSE (S Katsidis) 1, Satch (P Hammersley) 2, Gypsy Rock (B Hull) 3. Then came: Withthesewings, Executive Officer, Dragon Size, Looked Sharp. Hd, 2 len. 1.03.13. Winner trained by G Heinrich.
OPEN 1000m: LUCKY OMENS (B Stewart) 1, Monching (L Rolls) 2, Brigadoon Star (M Palmer) 3. Then came: Elsquare, Cabazon, Allervite, Truesdale. 1 ¼ len, 1 ¼ len. 1.02.71. Winner trained by B Guy.
OPEN 1000m: SWEEPSTAKING (S Katsidis) 1, At The Roxy (L Cheshire), Culture Warrior (P Hammersley) 3. Then came: I’ve Got Talent, Kasafuego, Martha Say. 2 len, ½ len. 1.02.64. Winner trained by G Heinrich.
CLASS 2 1000m: DANCESCAPE (S Katsidis) 1, African Lion (L Cheshire) 2, No Ransom (D Barron) 3. Then came: Da Vista, Illude. 4 len, 1 ½ len. 1.02.60. Winner trained by J P Thompson.
CLASS 2 1000m: DUBACHI (D Tanti) 1, Dance At Midnight (D Green) 2, Diamondheart (L Cheshire) 3. Then came: Meld, Morning Swim, Fast Fleet. 1 len, lg nk. 1.03.32. Winner trained by T Bailey.
MAIDEN 1000m: HYACINTHS’N’HONEY (J Taylor) 1, Zadane (P Hammersley) 2, Paguyjo (L Cheshire) 3. Then came: Dell’s Angel, Waterseye. 4 len, 2 ½ len. 1.04.47. Winner trained by H Page.
MAIDEN 1000m: ROYAL PAGE BOY (J Taylor) 1, Come On Archie (P Hammersley) 2, Manifest Destiny (K Forrester) 3. Then came: Pamela’s Wonder, King Of The Stars, Racing Pages. 3 ½ len, sh nk. 1.04.19. Winner trained by H Page.
MAIDEN 1000m: I FISH (L Cheshire) 1, Silver Kisses (M Palmer) 2, Elite Sherilea (D Griffin) 3. Then came: Fire Lizard, Country Classic, Storm Diamond. ½ hd, ½ len. 1.03.80. Winner trained by M Brosnan.
Story: Neil Archer 20.7.2010
Gold Coast Hoops Set For Darwin
CURRENT Gold Coast premiership-winning jockey Dan Griffin and previous titleholder Chris Whiteley will both be riding on Palmerston Sprint and Darwin Cup days in Darwin next week.
Both Griffin and Whiteley have won three GCTC jockey titles in the past decade and Griffin, currently on 64 winners, is set to make it number four on the honours board.
Griffin and Whiteley dominate races on a weekly basis at the Gold Coast and it’s not unusual for both jockeys to ride multiple winners on the same card.
Former topline apprentices and now fully-fledged jockeys Matt Palmer and Paul Hammersley were to make the trek north but a broken hand put Palmer’s trip to rest while Hammersley was suspended by stewards.
Griffin (0403442279) and Whiteley (0419023170) are available for rides on both Darwin racedays
Story: Steve Hawkins 20.7.10
O'Dea's Bargain Filly Lands The Cash
 FORMER Townsville trainer Steve O'Dea walked away with a bargain when he snared Easy Rocking filly Funky Lady for $10,000 at last year’s QTIS sale. And O’Dea found the perfect race for the filly to open her winning account in Saturday’s Mockridge Memorial QTIS 600 2YO Maiden (1400m) at the Gold Coast.
Raced by Townsville Turf Club president Alan Parry and his brother John, Funky Lady picked up the major $20,500 QTIS prizemoney on Saturday to lift her career earnings to $56,500 – not a bad start for a filly with one win and two placings from seven starts.
“I thought she was a nice type of filly at the sale,’’ said O'Dea on Saturday.
"Rob Heathcote paid $22,000 for her full-sister this year, so to get this filly for $10,000 seems a good buy now.''
O'Dea continues to make his mark in south-east Queensland since he moved to Eagle Farm from Townsville just over 18 months ago.
He has only been training in his own right for three years, but learned his craft working for Gai Waterhouse and Kevin Moses in Sydney and with leading Gold Coast trainers Alan Bailey and Gillian Heinrich. “I really only moved down to Brisbane by chanace,'' said O'Dea. "I brought a couple of horses down from Townsville to campaign and things went so well during that trip I decided to stay. “Things have really kicked on quite well since I moved and I think I've had somewhere around 46 winners since I moved down.''
During his initial venture south, O'Dea brought down Kiss Me Katy and Go Cart and this winter has had success with Lion Heart filly Bianca Jewel, who last week landed the $250,000 QTIS 600 2YO Plate (1400m) at Eagle Farm.
Funky Lady was no match for Bianca Jewel in their past two clashes, finishing midfield both times, but appreciated the drop in class in Saturday's Gold Coast race.
"She struggled a bit against the better class, but this race was more suitable for her,'' said O'Dea. "I might put her out now and I think she might get over a bit more ground later on.''
Ridden by Ryan Wiggins, the well-backed Funky Lady ($3.50 to $2.90), overpowered Mackenzie ($5.00) right on the line to score by a short neck with Federer Express ($11) a long neck away third.
Saturday’s Surfers Paradise Rotary Club Mockridge Memorial Hcp is named in honour of Gold Coast couple Graham and Josie Mockridge who were killed in a Portugal plane crash in 2002 after attending a Rotary Internation convention.
Story: Neil Archer 17.7.10
Photo: Trackside Photography PTY LTD
Heinrich A Winner But Focus On Rose
GILLIAN Heinrich was delighted to see Falls Creek finally rediscover winning form at the Gold Coast on Saturday but her main focus at the moment is on star filly Military Rose's upcoming three-year-old season.
 Military Rose, the brilliant Magic Millions winner in January, will barrier trial at the Gold Coast tomorrow morning in preparation for her spring campaign in Sydney and Melbourne.
Military Rose has not started since suffering her first defeat in six starts when unplaced in the Golden Slipper on April 3 when she just didn’t fire in the wet conditions at Rosehill.
Heinrich delayed the filly’s return trip to Sydney last week because of more wet weather in the south.
“She really looks terrific and I'm really looking forward to taking her to Sydney again,'' said Heinrich. “I was going to send her down last week but, because of the weather down there, I decided to keep her home a bit longer and give her a barrier trial at the Coast on Tuesday.''
Heinrich's Sydney ambitions for Military Rose include the $70,000 The Rosebud (1200m) on Saturday week, the Group Three $130,000 Run To The Rose (1300m) on August 14 and the Group One $1m Golden Rose (1400m) on August 28.
All going to plan, Military Rose will then head to Melbourne to tackle the Group One Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 13.
“Hopefully she can notch up her first Group One down south over the spring,’’ said Heinrich.
It was less loftier surroundings for Falls Creek on Saturday when he bounced back to his best to win the Class 5 Hcp (1200m).
Falls Creek, a $160,000 Magic Millions graduate, won back-to-back Gold Coast races last spring, but his recent form this campaign had been patchy.
Falls Creek ($4.60) drew clear to beat Falconten ($5) by three-quarters of a length with a length to Power Of George ($4.40) who held on for third after leading.
Story: Neil Archer 17.7.10
Photo: Trackside Photography PTY LTD
Expensive Yearling Comes Up Trumps
SYDNEY discard Supertrooper showed a glimpse of the ability his bloodlines suggest he should possess when he broke through for his first win in Saturday’s E&G Maiden Hcp (1400m) at the Gold Coast.
 By outstanding Coolmore Stud stallion Rock Of Gibraltar out of the former outstanding two-year-old filly Hasna, Supertrooper was originally purchased by major Japanese owner Katsumi Yoshida for $500,000 when he went through the Sydney Easter yearling sale.
Rock Of Gibraltar was the first horse in history to win seven Group One races in a row while Hasna, a Snippets filly, was an outstanding two-year-old, winning the 2003 AJC Sires Produce-Champagne Stakes double.
But put in work with Gai Waterhouse at Randwick, Supertrooper showed his connections absolutely nothing on the training track and in several barrier trials so they quickly unloaded him. Toowoomba trainer Russell Kirwin bought Supertrooper for four of his stable clients through Sydney bloodstock agent Cameron Barnes.
“We paid a lot less than $500,000, I can assure you,’’ said Kirwin.
“Apparently he showed them absolutely nothing in a couple of trials and they didn’t muck around, they got rid of him straight away,’’ said Kirwin.
Kirwin gave Supertrooper his first four starts at Toowoomba, but the three-year-old didn’t like the Clifford Park cushion track.
“Saturday at the Gold Coast was his first run on the grass and he drew perfectly (barrier two) which is always a big help,’’ said Kirwin.
“He has tended to over-race a bit and we’ve been trying to teach him to settle. We’ll probably give him a break now. Hopefully with his breeding there are more wins in him. He should be suited in races from 1600m to 2000m.’’
Supertrooper’s win on Saturday continued a long association Kirwin has had with jockey Leanne Deguara, who launched a riding comeback in January after becoming a mum.
“It’s good to see Leanne back riding. She’s ridden a lot for me over the years,’’ said Kirwin.
Story: Neil Archer 17.7.10
Photo: Trackside Photography PTY LTD
Gerry's Filly Finds Form On Dry Track
 A RETURN to a dry track proved the key factor as former Sydney filly Livada staged a form reversal to post a runaway win in 3YO Maiden Plate (900m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday.
Raced by billionaire businessman Gerry Harvey, Livada was sent north to Gold Coast trainer Stephen Jones earlier this year after she failed at her first three starts at Canberra, Kembla Grange and Newcastle.
She hadn't shown Jones that much more in her first two starts at the Gold Coast on June 16 and July 3.
"There were genuine excuses for her last time as the track was heavy and she just didn't handle it,'' said Jones, "But back on a dry track today she was a different filly.''
Jones has had a long association with Harvey and is expecting a few more of the major owner's horses to arrive on the Gold Coast in coming weeks.
Some punters were expecting Livada to show her best on Saturday, betting support forcing her price in to $4.40 after opening at $7.00.
Livada bounced straight to the front in the 900m dash and always looked the winner, dashing home for a 21/4-length victory.
Story: Neil Archer 17.7.10
Photo: Trackside Photography PTY LTD
Morrisey Extends Premiership Lead
 JOHN Morrisey extended his winning lead in the Gold Coast trainers' premiership when Newsnight maintained his handy record over the Gold Coast 1400m journey on Saturday.
Newsnight gave Morrisey his
34th winner at the Coast this season and, with an eight-win margin over nearest rival Trevor Bailey, has his second successive trainers' title wrapped up.
Morrisey won his first Gold Coast title last season with 26 winners.
Newsnight ($6) drew away to win the Class 3 Hcp (1400m) by two lengths to give the four-year-old four wins from 10 starts over the 1400m trip at the Coast.
Story: Neil Archer 17.7.10
Photo: Trackside Photography PTY LTD
Lucky Toss Helps Griffin To Another Treble
 LUCKY Toss laid the foundation for a two-track double for Toowoomba trainer Tony Gollan and maintained jockey Dan Griffin's outstanding form when she got home for a last-stride win in Saturday' Class 3 Hcp (1800m) at the Gold Coast.
Gollan later scored with Falvelina at Doomben.
Lucky Toss was the middle leg of winning treble for Griffin, who has now ridden 64 winners at the Gold Coast this season.
Griffin will finish short of Ken Russell's long-standing record of 76 winners set in the 1980-81 season but, with one Gold Coast meeting left this season, could still better his personal best return of 67 winners he posted in 2006-7. Griffin's other winners on Saturday where Livada and Falls Creek.
Story: Neil Archer 17.7.10
Photo: Trackside Photography PTY LTD
Shadow Streets Ahead Of Rivals
 PROMISING three-year-old Flying Shadow made short work of his opposition in Saturday’s Class 1 Hcp (1100m) at the Gold Coast and trainer Bruce Hill expects further improvement as he develops.
Flying Shadow made it two wins from five starts when he dashed away for a six-length win in the class record time of 1.03.48. The gelding is bred along staying lines, being by the Beaudesert-based Zabeel stallion Shadow Creek out of the Quest For Fame mare Cache Cove. “That is the promising aspect,’’ said Hill. “He is showing sprinting ability with a staying pedigree.’’
Story: Neil Archer 17.7.10
Photo: Trackside Photography PTY LTD |
