Victorian jockey Michelle Payne is riding work at Newmarket in England on her latest overseas odyssey, and will have a race ride at Windsor next week.

Payne (23) has been riding out for regular Melbourne Cup visitor Luca Cumani of a morning and was spotted on the heath by trainer John Berry (my husband), who was keen to book her to ride. Payne has ridden for us before – a fourth at Kyneton (November 2005) and a second at Pakenham (March ‘06) on a mare that John and I have a small share in, Spaceage Juliet, trained at Benalla by Anne Taylor.

Payne came to our yard at Beverley House Stables extra early (5.20am) on Saturday before starting with Cumani at 6.15am and worked Stardust Memories (F 2006, Halling (USA)-Clarinda (IRE), by Lomond (USA)) over seven furlongs (1400m) on the Al Bahathri all-weather gallop.

Payne will give the filly another spin later this week ahead of her intended debut at Windsor, in a mile maiden, on Monday. Unless she is booked for another ride before then, it will also be her British race-riding debut.

She had a couple of rides in Ireland last year while she was riding out at Ballydoyle for Aidan O’Brien.

Payne had 55 wins in Australia this season before heading to Europe on a working holiday.

John Berry also hopes to book another Australian, Clare Lindop, for a ride or two when she comes to Newmarket this month as part of her working holiday. Lindop has been riding for former Adelaide trainer Jeremy Gask, who is in charge of the Horses First stable in Wiltshire – from four races she has two wins and two seconds.

Payne said she believed Stardust Memories was ready to run, although John does not expect her to win first up.  She is straightforward, but is small and a late developer. She will benefit from more time and distance, being by the same sire as Bauer, last year’s Melbourne Cup runner-up for Cumani.

THEY SAID IT

“She was only beaten just over two lengths last year (in the Melbourne Cup) and I think she’s a stronger filly this time around,” said famous Irish trainer Dermot Weld after Profound Beauty (B m 2004, Danehill (USA)-Diamond Trim (IRE), by Highest Honor (FR)) beat four others to win the Group 3 Curragh Cup (2800m) at her first start since Australia’s great race. The mare is being set for the Cup at Flemington again this year.

 ”She ran a cracking race last year,” said the man who already has two Cup trophies (Vintage Crop in 1993 and Media Puzzle in 2002). “She came to win a furlong out.”

The mare was well-handled in the Cup by Glen Boss, who pre-race had suggested the Irish mare had Makybe Diva qualities – he won the 2003, ‘04 and ‘05m Cups on the Diva.

In the end she was not seasoned enough, but managed to fight on and finish fifth, five lengths behind Bart Cummings’ 12^th Cup winner, Viewed.

Weld said the Curragh Cup was Profound Beauty’s mid-summer target and he said the logical next race would be September’s Irish St Leger (2800m), which he has won six times, including four with Vinnie Roe, who had three tries at the Melbourne Cup (fourth to stablemate Media Puzzle in 2002, second in ‘04 and eighth in ‘05). 

Asked if the prospect of a hard track would stop Profound Beauty going to Australia, Weld said “good, safe ground” was all that was required. “She doesn’t want it as soft as today,” he said of the “good to yielding” surface at the Curragh, when Profound Beauty (5-1) held on to beat Alandi (9-4) and Yankee Doodle (7-2). The Luca Cumani-trained Favourite Mad Rush (7-4), seventh in last year’s Melbourne Cup, dropped out to finish last in the small field, and was found to be lame. 

Asked if Profound Beauty would have a run in Australia before the Melbourne Cup, Weld said: “I wouldn’t rule anything in or out at this stage.”

Weld’s Rosewall House stable jockey Pat Smullen had the mount at the Curragh and is likely to get first option in Melbourne, although Boss and Damien Oliver, who won on Media Puzzle, can be expected to put up their hands for the mount.

“It’s unbelievable to win this race again. When there is expectation, like there was today, it’s always tense – but this is marvellous,” said champion trainer Aidan O’Brien after winning the main race at the Curragh a the weekend, the Irish Derby (2400m), with Fame And Glory (Johnny Murtagh).

Fame And Glory was the 8-11 favourite and one of six Coolmore runners – the others finished second (Golden Sword, 11-1), fourth (the pacemaker Rockhampton, 200-1), ninth, 10^th and 11^th (last). It was O’Brien’s fourth consecutive win in the race and a record seventh overall. Fame And Glory (B c 2006, Montjeu (IRE)-Gryada (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)) won by five lengths.

If you thought that was a margin, well … America’s racing princess, Rachel Alexandra (B f 2006, Medaglia D’Oro (USA)-Lotta Kim (USA), by Roar (USA)) won the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes (1800m) at Belmont in New York by 19 lengths at odds of 1-20 at her first start since her win in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the American Triple Crown. Although the weekend win came in a field of three, it prompted this comment from jockey Calvin Borel: “She’s … I don’t know, like Secretariat or Seattle Slew, whatever you want to call it. I’ve never been on one like that in my life.”

And another star American mare, the unbeaten Zenyatta (B or br m 2004, Street Cry (IRE)-Vertigineux (USA), by Kris S (USA)) won her 11^th straight  race when she romped home in the $300,000 Vanity Stakes at Hollywood Park in Inglewood. When asked the merits of Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta’s jockey Mike Smith said: “Maybe down the road we can have a little race together.”

WE SAW IT

There were no superstars, but plenty of promise was shown at Flemington on Saturday, a little unusual for a mid-winter meet. The Darley youngster Denman (Br c 2, Lonhro-Peach, by Vain) was impressive over 1100m. And Gran Sasso (B g 4, Dehere (USA)-Lady Soffel, by Rubiton), trained by Brian Mayfield-Smith, underlined his straight track prowess (2 wins, 2 placings from five starts) with a win over 1000m in the last. He will back up in the final of the winter sprint series (same track, 200m more) on Saturday.

On the Sunshine Coast, the superior mudder Reggie (B/br m 8, Germano (GB)-Crackastar (NZ), by Star Way (GB)) won the $200,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m). It was a brave effort by the mare and a smart one by jockey Jim Byrne, who got the $5 favourite going about 1200m out and had the race won all the way up the wet straight. Reggie appears to be loving her racing, although she was bought to go to stud – Victorians Terry Henderson and Simon O’Donnell, of OTI, paid $240,000 for her at the Magic Millions broodmare sale early in June. With the prospect of another wet track, trainer Peter Moody might be might be tempted to give her one more run, in the $150,000 Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) on July 16. The Caloundra meeting was a hybrid – they raced in daylight and under lights, and on turf and on the cushion (all-weather) track. That broodmare sale has been a good investment thus far, with last week’s Group 1 Winter Stakes winner, Russeting, also a graduate of the sale.

Young Caulfield trainer Luke Oliver, who took wet-tracker Scenic Scene to Sydney to win on June 20, won with Elmore (B g 5, Testa Rossa-Razero, by Danzero) at Morphettville on Saturday. Oliver  (32) is building a reputation of winning with cast-offs at home, and now he is striking away.

Flemington-based Hall Of Fame trainer David Hayes has had many winning interstate raids, the latest at Belmont in Perth on Saturday when Journey (ch f 3, Jeune (GB)-Hasty Jest, by Rory’s Jester) won the $75,000 Listed Belmont Oaks (2000m).?Journey at only her fifth race start, and off a Moe maiden win, was perfectly, and patiently, ridden by Brad Parnham to beat the locals Tsarinsky and Jewelled.

WE’LL WATCH IT

There’s still a month of racing left in the 2008-09 season, but Hugh Bowman has sealed the Sydney jockeys’ premiership – he has 86 wins to Corey Brown’s 76, and Brown plans to take a break after next weekend. Peter Snowden’s Saturday treble reduced Gai Waterhouse’s lead in the trainers’ race to 2.5 (78.5-76), and Darley’s man is shortening at each meeting through sheer weight of numbers  – at Randwick tomorrow, he has four runners, Gai has one.

In Melbourne, Damien Oliver (65) rode a double and put his nose back in front of Craig Williams (64) on Saturday and he had a win of sorts from today’s appeal against a careless riding suspension – he had his sentence halved and can resume at Flemington on Saturday. But with Ollie planning a July break, Williams remains favourite to make it four premierships on end. Lee Freedman (64) and David Hayes (62) didn’t add to their Melbourne tallies in the trainers’ race.

Darley’s No. 1 rider, Kerrin McEvoy, third on the Sydney premiership, had a treble, giving him 58.5 city wins for the season and a career total of 999 – he was hoping win No. 1000 could come as early as today when, at Gunnedah, about 450km north-west of Sydney,  he rode Star Spangled and Illude, but both ran second. They were the first Australian runners for former English trainer Mark Wallace, who is based at Warwick Farm. McEvoy rode for Wallace in England. The jockey shouldn’t have to wait long for his 1000th – he has seven rides at Randwick tomorrow, including four for Snowden.

In Hong Kong there remains a question mark on its champion trainer as the season winds up at Sha Tin on Wednesday.  Caspar Fownes (65), John Moore (63) and John Size (61) all had one win at Sha Tin yesterday, when Brett Prebble rode four winners, Darren Beadman one and Zac Purton one. Western Australia’s champion Willie Pike, 0-22 after three meetings in Hong Kong, is hoping for a winner in his preview stint before starting full-time in the new season in September.

Flemington has a top-notch winter meeting coming up on Saturday, although the jumpers no longer race there.  The VRC has: the Listed $200,000 CRV Winter Championship (1600m); the $150,000 All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m); the $150,000 Banjo Paterson Series Final (2500m); and two $100,000 series finals for 3YOs over 1200m.

Eagle Farm has the Listed Ascot Handicap (1200m) and Rosehill the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m). They also race at Belmont and Morphettville.

In the UK, the spotlight is on Sandown where the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes (2000m) will be run.

“This was a lovely sight to behold,” said Emma Berry, thethoroughbred.com.au’s correspondent in England. “This”, of course, is the Australian tandem of Takeover Target, with race rider Jay Ford (in red), and Scenic Blast, with trainer Dan Morton riding.

The sprinters worked over 1000 metres on the July Course at Newmarket on Friday as part of their preparation for the Group 1 July Cup at the track on July 10 – Scenic Blast will back up after winning the Group 1 King’s Stand (1000m) at Royal Ascot on June 16 and Takeover Target will have his first start, after being scratched from his target race, the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) at Royal Ascot on June 20, because of an elevated temperature.

The pair ran the first 600 metres of the gallop at a steady pace, with Takeover Target (B g 9, Celtic Swing (GB)-Shady Stream, by Archregent (CAN)) ahead, and quickened over the final 400. Scenic Blast (B/br g Scenic (IRE)-Daughter’s Charm, by Delgado (USA)) joined the veteran and they went to the post together. The pair has never raced against each other. Takeover Target won his two races in Perth (the G2 Winterbottom Stakes, 1200m, and the G3 Scahill Stakes, 1400m) late last year, while Scenic Blast was getting ready to race in Melbourne, where he won the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) in January and the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) in March.

Corporate bookmakers have Scenic Blast as the 2-1 favourite for the July Cup. Morton told the Racing Post: “He’s good fresh, which is why we didn’t go for the Golden Jubilee, and he’s pulled out good today. We just went nicely and he picked up really well in the closing stages.

“You can feel the undulations on the course and he was possibly not totally comfortable on them, but the last two furlongs he was fine. We have still got two weeks to the race and if Michael (Prosser, Newmarket’s clerk of the course) let’s us we could come back and give him some further experience of the course.”

Takeover Target’s owner-trainer Joe Janiak was encouraged by his horse’s gallop. “Hopefully he’s on his way back. He did everything he had to and it was a good, solid workout,” he said.

“He had a temperature before Ascot and unfortunately these things happen, but he looks (to be) back on track. Maybe we will come up again next week.”

Bookmakers are offering 14-1 about Takeover Target in the July Cup.

Clare Lindop, one of South Australia’s top jockeys, has ridden her second winner in England.

Lindop, who is on a working holiday, again paired with former Adelaide trainer Jeremy Gask, who is training in England, to win a 1200m maiden at Doncaster on Medicean Man (Ch g 2006, Medicean (GB)-Kalindi (GB), by Efisio (GB)) on Saturday morning (Australian time).

Last week, in an all-Australian affair, Lindop and Gask won at Haydock with the former Australian galloper One Way Or Another (B g 2002, Carnegie (IRE)-True Blonde, by Naturalism (NZ)).

Lindop has had four rides in England for two wins and two seconds, and both seconds had drama. At Haydock, in her first ride in England, Lindop was suspended for two days by the stewards for an over-aggressive use of the whip on another Australian horse, Catalan Bay (B m 2004, Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE)-Kim Angel, by Serheed (US)).

At Doncaster, Lindop looked set to win on the Gask-trained Nobelix (Gr g 2002, Linamix (FR)-Nataliana (GER), by Surumu (GER)) when the grey faltered in the last 50 metres. Novbelix was run down in the shadows of the post by Valmari, to be beaten a head. Unfortunately, Nobelix broke down so badly he was euthanased at the track.

Lindop has rides for Gask at Windsor (June 29) and Brighton (June 30) and she also will ride Catalan Bay and One Way Or Another at Haydock on July 2.

Gask, who has been training for the Horses First group on a well-appointed property, The Beeches, in Wiltshire, for 18 months, is having a terrific run. He has trained four winners in the past week – his strike rate of 13 winners from 91 runners in 2009 puts him on a healthy strike-rate of 14 per cent.

The Thoroughbred visited Gask in Wiltshire last year. To read that article – Aussie Hope Lies In English Fields – from the 2008 Spring edition, CLICK HERE. 

The Thoroughbred has completed a detailed analysis on the Quaddie for this Saturday’s meeting at Belmont: all the form assessed, all the work done, to make your Quaddie punting a breeze; and, we hope, profitable.

Download the BELMONT Quaddie

THEY SAID IT

“I’ll give it a shake – the margin is decreasing with time. He can’t improve, but I can,” said Bart Cummings after his 253rd Group 1 win, second only to the late, great T.J. Smith (282). Another much younger Hall of Fame member, Lee Freedman, is next on 123.

Bart’s 253rd came courtesy of Russeting in the Winter Stakes (1400m), the 2008-09 Group 1 finale at Eagle Farm on Saturday, and it came without the usual patient Cummings’ preparation because the mare (B or br 4, Commands-Granny Apple, by Bluebird (USA)) came to him from Toowoomba trainer Don Baker only after the Magic Millions broodmare sale on the Gold Coast early this month, when Adam Mackrell paid  $300,000, planning to send the mare to his family’s stud, Bell View Park (NSW). Stable foreman Reg Fleming has done the work with Russeting.

This season Cummings has added four Group 1s to his tally, with Viewed the first and biggest (Melbourne Cup No. 12), then Swick (Patinack Farm Classic), then Roman Emperor (AJC Australian Derby in April) and now Russeting.

Interestingly, Russeting beat Prima Nova, trained by Bart’s son Anthony – Swick (B g 7, O’Reilly (NZ)-Creme Anglaise (NZ), by Crested Wave (USA)) beat Anthony’s Turffontein in the Patinack on the last day of the Melbourne Cup carnival.

Whether Russeting can play her part in adding to Bart’s tally next season depends on whether the trainer can convince the Mackrells to delay sending the mare to stud.

Cummings will turn 82 in November. If he can repeat this season’s mark each year – something he hasn’t managed since 1997-98 – he will be rising 90 if/when he catches Smith. The odds look long, but it is Bart we’re talking about.

Top Group 1 trainers this year with six wins each were Gai Waterhouse (93 all up) and Mick Price (14). Peter Snowden had five to take his tally to six in his short time at the head of the Darley team. Nash Rawiller (20) was top jock with six, from Craig Newitt (16) and Damien Oliver (83) on five.

Talking of veteran trainers, Cummings is a few years off Jack Denham’s pace – the Rosehill trainer celebrated his 85th birthday with a winner, Cleanup, at Rosehill on Saturday. We know that because Jack’s son Allan, also a trainer, told the media. Jack, of course, rarely gives more than a grunt to the fourth estate.

Tasmania has another young jockey aiming to make his mark on what Tasmanians call “the mainland”. Jason Maskiell rode a winner (Awimoweh, for Robbie Laing) at Moonee Valley on Saturday and will join Mick Price at Caulfield next month.

“You couldn’t go to anyone any better than Mick Price, and I’m just stoked to get the opportunity to come over,” said Maskiell (18), who will be featured with other “sons of guns” in the Winter edition of The Thoroughbred, out next month.

Maskiell, son of top Tassie jockey Stephen, is the third of the island’s promising young riders to cross Bass Strait – Craig Newitt (24) has established himself as one of Melbourne’s top jockeys, with Price playing a big role in his maturation; and Daniel Ganderton (20) is apprenticed to Gai Waterhouse in Sydney and is third in line behind Nash Rawiller and Blake Shinn – Ganderton has 41 metro wins this season, Shinn  43 and Rawiller 46.5. Ganderton leads the apprentices’ race.

Shinn won the Sydney senior premiership last year, but this season Hugh Bowman is likely to win from Corey Brown. Bowman had a treble at the weekend and leads 81-73. Darley’s Peter Snowden (72) kept in touch with Waterhouse (77.5) in the race to be top trainer.

With Damien Oliver and Craig Williams riding in Brisbane, the Victorian jockeys’ ladder did not change. They are clear on top with 63 wins each. Lee Freedman (64) leads David Hayes (61) for the trainers’ crown.

WE SAW IT

Fair Trade, impressive in his two Melbourne starts for Mick Kent this year, won first up in Hong Kong on Sunday and propelled Caspar Fownes into the lead in the trainers’ title for the first time this season with only three meetings to go. The victory, the second for the afternoon at Sha Tin, took the trainer to 62 wins, the same as the stumbling Moore, who was a dozen clear two months ago, but Fownes has 55 seconds to Moore’s 49. Fownes, champion in 2006-07 for the first time, has 20 winners from his past 100 runners, Moore only seven. John Size is third on 59, and still a rough chance to repeat last season’s premiership success.

Fownes used Sunday’s run to give the million-dollar-plus purchase Fair Trade (B g 3, Danewin-Villa Igea, by Papal Power (USA)) a run-up to next season, when he has to build on his unbeaten record to race against Hong Kong’s best. On yesterday’s effort, he is up to that class.

Jockey Weichong Marwing, who drove Fair Trade ($3.65 favourite) forward, told the South China Morning Post: “Caspar said he showed enormous acceleration in Melbourne when ridden cold, but this is Hong Kong and he has to become more versatile and learn to race forward.”

Zac Purton had a treble at Sha Tin to take his season’s tally to 37. The Australian is seventh, but could finish as high as third; rising Chinese star Matthew Chadwick holds that spot with 39.

Away from the Royal Ascot spotlight that Scenic Blast slotted into with his win in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) last week, another Australian gained a mention. No, not Takeover Target, a Golden Jubilee scratching because on an elevated temperature, but Clare Lindop, South Australia’s reigning champion rider.

On a working holiday in England, she teamed up with former Adelaide trainer Jeremy Gask to ride a winner (One Way Or Another) and a second (Catalan Bay) at Haydock at the weekend. The horses are Australian, too – David Hayes used to train One Way Or Another (B g 5, Carnegie (IRE)-True Blonde, by Naturalism (NZ)) and Lee Freedman had Catalan Bay (B m 4, Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE)-Kim Angel, by Serheed (USA)).

The spectre of death continues to hang over jumps racing with Whatsourgo (Ch g 5, Jeune (GB)-Alzabella, by Alzao (USA)) having to be put down after falling at the last jump in the Ted Best Hurdle at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

The stewards’ reports on the jumps at the Valley and at Casterton on Sunday (see racingvictoria.net.au) show just how closely officials are monitoring the races to ensure all care is taken.

We reprint part of their report on the open steeple at Casterton as an example: “Paul Hamblin, rider of Riri, was found guilty of a charge under the provisions of LR 62(9) a, b. The particulars of the charge being that after falling at the second last obstacle near the 600 metres Hamblin remounted Riri and continued on negotiating the final obstacle when Riri was clearly not in contention and may have been distressed due to the fall. Stewards also took into account that his actions posed a risk to both horse and rider. Hamblin’s licence to ride in jumping races was suspended for a period to commence at midnight 21 June and to expire at the completion of the second jumping race at Warrnambool on 28 June 2009 – a total of three jumps races, taking into account the jumps races in South Australia. On arriving at this decision Stewards took into account the remorse shown by Hamblin for his actions.”

How times have changed. Not too long ago Hamblin would have been praised for his action.

WE’LL WATCH IT

The independent report commissioned by the NSW Government on the potential merger of Sydney’s two clubs, the Australian Jockey Club and the Sydney Turf Club, is due out tomorrow. It should be fascinating reading.

Weekend Hussler: will he or won’t he be back in the spring? Trainer Ross McDonald said connections would decide on Wednesday after another veterinary opinion was sought on the back problem that is still worrying the four-year-old gelding, the winner of seven Group 1 races.

The $200,000 Listed Winter Championship (1600m) at Flemington is not on until July 4, but Davcon looks the one to beat on his stylish and easy win in the Geoff Torney Cup (1500m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday. Davcon (Bl g 4, Anglia-Royal Persepoly, by Persepolis (FR)) started a $2 favourite and Michael Rodd found all the gaps to get to the front on straightening. Trainer Heath Conners, now part of the Aquanita stable at Caulfield, has a couple of handy four-year olds – remember, Davcon ran fourth in the 2007 Caulfield Guineas behind Weekend Hussler, Scenic Blast (both Group 1 winners) and Marching (a Group 2 winner); and Conners’ Chasm (Ch g 4, Umatilla (NZ)-Arabian Poppi, by Al Hareb (USA)) is no slouch, either. He has a Group 3 win among his eight from 18 starts. He has been spelling since second to Serious Speed in the Group 3 Lee Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on May 9.

Belmont has two Listed races on Saturday – the York Stakes (1600m) and the Belmont Oaks (2000m). Caloundra has three – the Caloundra Cup (2400m), the Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) and the Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) as part of a two-track (grass and cushion) and day-night meeting. Rosehill has one – the Winter Cup (2400m). They also race at Flemington and Morphettville.

Group 1 action continues overseas on Sunday. Ireland has its Derby (2400m) and the Pretty Polly (2000m) at the Curragh; France has the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud (2400m).

While our exciting 2YO filly Belleluia is having a well-earned break, it is timely to outline some of the other great benefits of being a member of The Thoroughbred Magazine Club.

This club was formed to give our members the opportunity to participate in all aspects of the racing industry – from the thrill of racing a horse and the chill of early morning track gallops to the joy of breeding a foal.

It was good to see some of our members attend the trials at Cranbourne when Belleluia stepped out on May 25, and we look forward to the filly returning to race later in the spring. The filly didn’t let us down with an encouraging performance to finish fourth in a fast heat, and trainer Robbie Griffiths believes we have an exciting prospect to follow next season.

And thanks to some of our most important corporate supporters, we are pleased to feature four exclusive benefits – from the Victoria Racing Club, Luxbet, Tyrrell’s Wines and Perth Racing – now available for The Thoroughbred Magazine Club members.

There is no better time in racing that the famous Melbourne Cup Carnival, and the Victoria Racing Club is offering The Thoroughbred Magazine Club members the opportunity to experience all the glamour and excitement of this great racing experience in 2009.

Any TTMC member, who books a ticket for the Champions Cocktail Marquee during any of the four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, will receive a special memento Carnival cap.

The Champions Cocktail Marquee is set in the beautifully shaded Elms precinct at famous Flemington. The area has become very popular because of its lively and enjoyable al fresco atmosphere.

The Victoria Racing Club offer is exclusive to The Thoroughbred Magazine Club.

And if you go to the races to watch your own horse race, and you like to have a bet, then Luxbet’s ClubXtra membership is perfect – a 12 per cent bonus payout to owners who bet on their own horses (conditions apply).

The famous Tyrrell’s Wines, one of Australia’s oldest wine companies, is a strong supporter of The Thoroughbred. Tyrrell’s are offering TTMC members a special offer on their magnificent wines.

The wonderful win of WA-trained Scenic Blast at Royal Ascot draws attention to the quality of racing in Perth, and Perth Racing has an outstanding membership offer to keep punters up-to-date which all the news, form and tips in Perth.

To view all the benefits, all you need to do is become a subscriber to The Thoroughbred Magazine – CLICK HERE for all the details.

While our exciting 2YO filly Belleluia is having a well-earned break, it is timely to outline some of the other great benefits of being a member of The Thoroughbred Magazine Club.

This club was formed to give our members the opportunity to participate in all aspects of the racing industry – from the thrill of racing a horse and the chill of early morning track gallops to the joy of breeding a foal.

It was good to see some of our members attend the trials at Cranbourne when Belleluia stepped out on May 25, and we look forward to the filly returning to race later in the spring. The filly didn’t let us down with an encouraging performance to finish fourth in a fast heat, and trainer Robbie Griffiths believes we have an exciting prospect to follow next season.

And thanks to some of our most important corporate supporters, we are pleased to feature four exclusive benefits – thanks to the Victoria Racing Club, Luxbet, Tyrrell’s Wines and Perth Racing – now available for The Thoroughbred Magazine Club members.

There is no better time in racing that the famous Melbourne Cup Carnival, and the Victoria Racing Club is offering The Thoroughbred Magazine Club members the opportunity to experience all the glamour and excitement of this great racing experience in 2009.

Any TTMC member, who books a ticket for the Champions Cocktail Marquee during any of the four days of the Melbourne Cup Carnival at Flemington, will receive a special memento Carnival cap.

The Champions Cocktail Marquee is set in the beautifully shaded Elms precinct at famous Flemington. The area has become very popular because of its lively and enjoyable al fresco atmosphere.

The Victoria Racing Club offer is exclusive to The Thoroughbred Magazine Club.

And if you go to the races to watch your own horse race, and you like to have a bet, then Luxbet’s ClubXtra membership is perfect – a 12 per cent bonus payout to owners who bet on their own horses (conditions apply).

The famous Tyrrell’s Wines, one of Australia’s oldest wine companies, is a strong supporter of The Thoroughbred. Tyrrell’s are offering TTMC members a special offer on their magnificent wines.

The wonderful win of WA-trained Scenic Blast at Royal Ascot draws attention to the quality of racing in Perth, and Perth Racing has an outstanding membership offer to keep punters up-to-date which all the news, form and tips in Perth.

To view all the benefits, all you need to do is become a subscriber to The Thoroughbred Magazine – CLICK HERE for all the details

The Thoroughbred’s in-depth Perth preview reveals the chances in the Quaddie legs and all races at Belmont on Saturday.

The value bet is an each-way tip in the opener, and there are three standouts in later races.

To find out what our form analyst is tipping, CLICK HERE

This year at England’s Royal Ascot is Takeover Target’s fourth, but for the first time viewers of TVN and Sky Racing will have to wait until the final meeting of the five-day carnival, Saturday, to see the old warrior – he will run only in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) rather than start off in tomorrow’s Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m), the race he won in 2006.

Australia will have a King’s Stand runner, Scenic Blast, who is more than a Takeover Target substitute – around the 7-2 mark, he is challenging local three-year-old Amour Propre (3-1) for favouritism, just ahead of another English horse, Fleeting Spirit (4-1).

Considering that Australians Choisir (2003) and Miss Andretti (2007) also won the King’s Stand, and that Scenic Blast is regarded as Australia’s best sprinter this season after winning the Group 1 Lightning Stakes (1000m) and the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) up the Flemington straight in the autumn, the short odds are justified. Steven Arnold, who rode him at Flemington, has the mount.

Reports are that Scenic Blast (B/br g 4, Scenic (IRE)-Daughter’s Charm, by Delgado (USA)) travelled comfortably and has settled in well alongside Takeover Target at Newmarket, and they add to the reasons Perth trainer Dan Morton expects his horse to run well.

“I would like to think we have Scenic Blast somewhere near his best form,” Morton said.

The one hiccup was drawing the widest barrier (15), but he is a “get back” horse and should not be too disadvantaged. And he is a straight track specialist, at least down the flat straight at Flemington. Amour Propre will jump from six, Fleeting Spirit from one.

The track is rated good to firm for Tuesday, with a fine day forecast.

Also stabled with Scenic Blast and Takeover Target (9yo b g Celtic Swing (GB)-Shady Stream, by Archregent (CAN)) at Abingdon Place in Newmarket is Golden Jubilee favourite, South African JJ The Jet Plane (B g 2004, Jet Master (SAF)-Majestic Guest (SAF), by Northern Guest (USA)) – at 4-1 he heads early markets from Scenic Blast (from 6-1 to 10-1 with UK bookies), although the West Australian is unlikely to run. Morton has indicated he will save him for the Group 1 July Cup (1200m) at Newmarket on July 10.

Royal Ascot has seven Group 1 races on its five-day, 30-race card. The main staying race, the Group 1 Gold Cup over 4000m on Thursday, will see the Aidan O’Brien-trained Yeats (B h 2001, Sadler’s Wells (USA)-Lyndonville (IRE), by Top Ville (IRE)) try to win the race for the fourth year straight. Australians will remember him for his struggling and distant seventh in the 2006 Melbourne Cup won by Delta Blues.

Geordieland (Gr h 2001, Johann Quatz (FR)-Aerdee (FR), Highest Honor (FR)) was 18^th in the same Cup and has been second to Yeats in the past two Ascot marathons. Yeats is favourite at 9-4, Geordieland and Patkai (Ch h 4, Indian Ridge (GB)-Olympienne (IRE), by Sadler’s Wells (USA)) are at 3-1.

The races will be shown late at night on the Australian pay TV channels. The program, starting with the Queen Anne, the race Australia’s Haradasun won last year under the care of Coolmore’s O’Brien, is (Eastern Standard Times):

TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY

23:30 Queen Anne Stakes (G1) 1600m

0:05 King’s Stand Stakes (G1) 1000m

0:45 St James’s Palace Stakes (G1) 1600m

1:20 Coventry Stakes (G2) 1200m

1:55 Ascot Stakes 4000m

2:30 Windsor Castle Stakes 1000m

WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY

23:30 Jersey Stakes (G3) 1400m

0:05 Windsor Forest Stakes (G2) 1600m

0:45 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (G1) 2000m

1:20 Royal Hunt Cup 1600m

1:55 Queen Mary Stakes (G2) 1000m

2:30 Sandringham Stakes 1600m

THURSDAY-FRIDAY

23:30 Norfolk Stakes (G2) 1000m

0:05 Ribblesdale Stakes (G2) 2400m

0:45 Gold Cup (G1) 4000m

1:20 Britannia Stakes (G2) 1600m

1:55 Hampton Court Stakes 2000m

2:30 King George V Stakes 2400m

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

23:30 Albany Stakes (G3) 1200m

0:05 King Edward VII Stakes (G2) 2400m

0:45 Coronation Stakes (G1) 1600m

1:20 Wolferton Rated Stakes 2000m

1:55 Queen’s Vase (G3) 3200m

2:30 Buckingham Palace Stakes 1400m

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

23:30 Chesham Stakes 1400m

0:05 Hardwicke Stakes (G2) 2400m

0:45 Golden Jubilee Stakes (G1) 1200m

1:25 Wokingham Stakes 1200m

2:00 Duke Of Edingburgh Stakes 2400m

2:35 Queen Alexandra Stakes 4200m

(Fields and form available at racingpost.com, one of the world’s great racing websites.)