I notice that the 2020 Cup runner up (Tiger Moth) is resuming tonight in the G1 WFA race over in Ireland tonight - Tattersalls Gold Cup 2100m. Will be interesting to see if he comes back in 2021.
Dual VRC Queen Elizabeth Stks winner (True Self) is entered for the same race - interestingly no longer in OTI colours, presumably their lease on her expired.
Millard hopeful of Melbourne Cup tilt with Panfield; Sparkling Dragon seeks back-to-back wins at the Valley
Font Size
By Declan Schuster 13/07/2021 15:37
Confident of Panfield’s ability to overcome the testing two miles of the 2021 G1 Melbourne Cup (3200m), trainer Tony Millard is remaining upbeat about his star stayer’s chances of competing abroad in Australia’s most famous race later this year on Tuesday, 2 November at Flemington Racecourse.
“We’re just doing our due diligence at the moment – it’s very exciting and we’ve been inundated with things from Australia,” Millard said. “He’s progressive and I don’t think there will be a problem with the distance, his female line suggests that he shouldn’t have a problem with that.”
A son of Lookin At Lucky, Panfield claimed Chile’s 2019 Triple Crown with consecutive G1 triumphs and burst onto the scene in Hong Kong with a strong third placing in the BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) before his tenacious victory in May’s G1 Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup (2400m).
“He’s just started his preparation, we have put him back in work now and we’ll see how we go but I think we’re going to make a call pretty soon either way in the next week or so if we are going to proceed – it’d be great if we could, it’d be nice to have a tilt at the Melbourne Cup,” Millard said.
Well versed in travelling horses, Millard has campaigned overseas a total of 10 times from Hong Kong with seven different horses; his best result, a fine win in the 2016 KOR G1 Korea Sprint (1200m, sand) with Super Jockey in South Korea, who also placed second in the 2015 G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen (1200m, dirt) in the United Arab Emirates.
He also crusaded bonny mare Sweet Sanette to finish a brave third in the 2011 G1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) at Royal Ascot behind Prohibit and Star Witness, respectively.
“I think that everything is going to hinge on the opposition at this stage, the regulations are quite steep that we now have to go through in order to get a horse to Australia.
“It is very tough and there are a lot of hoops to jump through so we’re not sure if we can still do it within the time frame and to also have a horse that is competitive but if it can all come together then we’ll definitely go – I think he’s just one of those horses, he’s a Triple Crown winner, he’s tough and he’s still a colt too,” Millard said.
Recently introduced regulations and measures by Racing Victoria and the Victoria Racing Club requires more boxes to be ticked for connections to race a horse in Melbourne’s Spring Carnival, such as a series of pre-export tests with regard to the soundness of the horse before having to comply with further pre-race testing while in quarantine at Werribee in Melbourne.
“We’d like to run him here earlier but we’ll see how it pans out, so for him to have a run here and then go is the rough plan but we haven’t seen the fixtures yet so all of these things have to fall into place,” Millard said.
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s (14 July) 88th and final fixture of the 2020/21 racing season in Hong Kong, the two-time South African champion trainer will be represented by four entries across the nine-race fixture including Sparkling Dragon (128lb) in the Class 2 Sports Road Handicap (1200m).
Crowned champion trainer of his native country in 1992 and 1994 (shared with Pat Shaw), Millard has been pleased with Sparkling Dragon as he eyes back-to-back wins with the son of O’Reilly.
“He trialled very nicely the other day, I’m very happy with him – I think he has a nice draw and he gets his chance,” he said.
The New Zealand-bred six-year-old is a six-time winner in Hong Kong, four times at the city circuit including last-start’s narrow success.
“Maybe it (the surface) is a little bit softer there and the opposition is not as strong, this is the highest rating he’s ever reached in his life and he’s not a young horse but he’s going particularly well at the moment,” Millard said.
Teaming with jockey Derek Leung, the 85-rater steps away from gate four against 11 others.
“I think just if he gets the right run, you need a little bit of luck but if he gets the right run he’ll go very close,” Millard said.
Wednesday’s (14 July) nine-race fixture at Happy Valley kicks off at 6.45pm with the Class 5 Ventris Handicap (1800m).
For the first time since its inception in 1996, the greys race on Oaks Day will be run on Melbourne Cup Day, in one of two tweaks the Victoria Racing Club has made to its Cup Carnival this year.
Renamed the Subzero Handicap in 2013 to recongise the achievements of the popular 1992 Melbourne Cup winner, the 1400-metre event restricted to horses that are grey in colour, will move onto the ten-race program on the first Tuesday in November.
“It gives the greys a bit more of a profile being on Cup Day,” VRC’s Executive General Manager of Racing Leigh Jordan said.
“Because Melbourne Cup Day is such an international day and is telecast all around the world, we think it’s a good thing to promote.”
The Off the Track Subzero Handicap was won last year by the John O'Shea-trained Berdibek.
The Club runs an identical 1400-metre Benchmark 90 race on Melbourne Cup Day which grey horses aren’t permitted to enter.
As a result, the Club will move the Listed Desirable Stakes (1400m) for three-year-old fillies onto the Oaks Day program – making half of the ten-race program stakes level.
Jordan said it was the VRC’s intent to have an increased presence of fillies and mares races, on what is traditionally known as Ladies Day.
The Desirable Stakes is the race Frankie Dettori rode his first Australian winner in 1999 aboard La Zoffany, who defeated Group 1 winning sprinter Spinning Hill.
Quick question - what Is tiger moth up to.that was a hell of a run last year.he had a good jockey and a light weight.but simpley couldn’t run down twilight payment.
Is the next Sir Dragonet possibly on his way to Australia for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace?
The premiership-winning partnership are closing in on a deal for talented galloper Gold Trip, with an agreement pending vet checks and scans.
Gold Trip, trained by Fabrice Chappet, finished fourth in last year’s Group 1 Arc behind Sottsass and will be nominated for the Victorian spring’s major races under Maher and Eustace’s name.
While excited at the prospect of securing another high-quality import, Eustace was also cautious about the stable’s likely acquisition.
“It’s not all finalised and it’s still subject to vettings and scans, so there’s no need to get carried away. But there will be a horse in the nominations called Gold Trip who raced over in Europe and raced very well,” Eustace said.
“We won’t get carried away as it’s not all done, but the horse will appear in our noms.”
The nominations for the Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate and Caulfield Cup will be released on Tuesday afternoon.
One of the other Maher/Eustace horses in the nominations will be last year’s Cox Plate winner Sir Dragonet.
Eustace said the stable was pleased with how the Group 1 star had returned ahead of the spring.
“His fitness is good. He hasn’t done really any grass galloping, he doesn’t really need to, to be honest,” he said.
“He is a horse that really appreciates doing a lot of work down at the beach on that heavier sand and getting some work and miles into him that way.
“Naturally he will then do some faster work on turf. He will lob into a trial in the next few weeks.
“He won’t need too many runs before the Cox Plate, two or three.”
There was a Joseph O’Brien trained Melb Cup entrant that ran last night at Leopardstown in the G3 Ballyroan Stks 2400m - a NH 3yo called Benaud. He’s currently 50/1 in Melb Cup markets.
He finished 4th beaten 20 lengths, so hopefully he’s one we can eliminate from making the trip down here.
Aust Bloodstock have just released a press statement announcing that they've bought RODRIGO DIAZ to run in the Melbourne Cup. Has a 96 rating with no group form yet, surely he doesn't get in?
Fresh from an eye-catching run from import Mankayan at Flemington last Saturday, Australian Bloodstock has confirmed another potential Melbourne Cup candidate is on his way to Australia this spring.
Australian Bloodstock has revealed it has purchased a 50 per cent share in stayer Rodrigo Diaz, who is currently in training in the UK with David Simcock and is being prepared for a trip to Melbourne this spring.
"We have long held a good opinion of Rodrigo Diaz," said Australian Bloodstock's Jamie Lovett. "We feel he is the ideal type for the Lexus Melbourne Cup.
"The horse has been beautifully handled by both David and his connections as he was working through his grades, so when the opportunity presented itself to join the ownership with Quantum Leap Racing, we embraced it thoroughly."
Rodrigo Diaz is currently an $81 chance with Sportsbet to win the Melbourne Cup.
Rodrigo Diaz won three races on the all-weather last year and hasn't missed a place from four starts in 2021.
Rodrigo Diaz is yet to pass the first ballot clause for either of the Cups but Lovett said he could achieve this via Saturday's group 3 Geoffrey Freer Stakes (2671m) at Newbury or when after he arrives in Australia.
He is likely to remain under Simcock's name when he races in Australia.
Lovett said the horse was such a promising stayer, he could contest the Melbourne Cup before returning home via Saudi Arabia for a 3200-metre turf race before being aimed at the 4000-metre Asco Gold Cup next June prior to returning to Australia.
Could target the Hotham like they did with Ashrun?
Whatever happened to Ashrun?
Raced 3 times in 2 weeks last Spring - Geelong Cup, Hotham & Melb Cup. Was transferred to Ciaron Maher & hasn’t been sighted since and not entered for anything this Spring.
Returned to Andreas Wohler in Germany after his Spring campaign. Was to be aimed at races in Saudi Arabia in late March/April but was a no show and hasn't raced since so presumably has issues.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum