The Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale catalogue has arrived on my desk. The sale has been moved earlier than usual, starting on Wednesday, January 27.

A quick peruse of the 630 lots (sold over four days) and I couldn’t help but notice that the former smart Melbourne sprinter Due Sasso has 47 yearlings in the catalogue, a healthy number from 76 foals born in his first season. Due Sasso (pictured) stands in 2009 at Mungrup Stud for a fee of $5500 (inc. GST) – he stood for $9900 in his first two seasons (he only has 36 foals from crop two).

Ironically, as Due Sasso is about to launch his stud career at the yearling sales, his former trainer Brian Mayfield-Smith is about to bow out from training at the end of this month.

Due Sasso has a lot going for him that appeals to West Australian buyers – he’s a son of Scenic (IRE) (by Sadler’s Wells), a stallion that had an amazing impact on WA, and Australian, racing after he moved there from Victoria in 1999. Scenic covered three seasons in WA before returning to Victoria in 2003. Scenic, who died in March 2005, sired the outstanding WA gallopers Scenic Blast, Scenic Shot, Marasco, Idyllic Prince and Grand Nirvana – and of course, the 2007 Melbourne Cup winner Viewed.

Due Sasso is listed as one of Scenic’s fastest sons, which is a tick for his stallion potential – it’s amazing how many times a fast son of a leading sire, even if not Group winner of note, can emerge as a good/champion stallion. Think Danzig (Northern Dancer), Red Ransom (Roberto) and even Due Sasso’s barn mate at Mungrup Oratorio (by Stravinsky).

Due Sasso was a precocious juvenile, winning the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m, Caulfield), beaten subsequent Group 1 winners Nadeem (Blue Diamond Stakes) and Wonderful World (Caulfield Guineas).

Mayfield-Smith described Due Sasso, after that win, as a brilliant colt with natural speed at both ends of his races. He retired after only eight starts.

Due Sasso is out of the Rubiton mare Scarlet Bird, so he defied this part of his pedigree known for producing late maturers. He inherited his speed from his third dam, Sleepyhead, a slick daughter of the fast import Daybreak (IRE) (by Golden Cloud), although Sleepyhead’s dam Mintaway won the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2400m). Sleepyhead is best known as the granddam of the freakish juvenile Rancher (by Bold Lad (IRE), who was also a good sire for Arrowfield Stud.

Three other first season sires have big drafts in the Perth sale – the Fusaichi Pegasus stallion Flying Pegasus (54 yearlings), the stout Danehill son Saxon (34 yearlings) and Catbird’s brother Bearcat (27 yearlings).

Flying Pegasus (b h 2002, ex-Cashier, by Danehill (USA)) won the Group 2 Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m) as a 3YO and the Group 3 Kindargarten Stakes (1200m) at two. His dam Cashier won the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m).

Bearcat (b h 1999, Danehill (USA)–Fitting, by Marscay) did his racing in Hong Kong where he won four races from 1200m to 1400m.

Saxon (b h 2001, ex-Jeanetta Cochrane (IRE), by Sadler’s Wells (USA)) won four races including the Group 2 Queensland Guineas (1600m).

This column has argued throughout the spring carnival that horse racing’s post-race media structure is somewhere between poor and non-existent, and it has evolved over time almost by accident, in contrast to all other elite sports.

Well you reap what you sow, and Saturday’s bunfight between highly respected media commentator Steve Moran and “Team (Lloyd) Williams” at the Sandown Classic meeting, was the new low point and a direct result of the industry’s governing body failing to have an adequate media process and policy in place.

It was worse than previous situations such as poor sponsor coverage (Caulfield and Moonee Valley), the disrespectful media crush (which Bart Cummings had to endure after winning the Caulfield Cup) and the embarrassing baseball cap incident (Mark Kavanagh getting pelted with an Emirates lid) simply because this latest incident received more coverage than the race itself.

And the proof of the problem lying fairly and squarely with Racing Victoria Limited, and not Moran nor Williams, is that both sides have made valid points in holding their ground from polar opposite directions.

For instance, Moran argues that it is of news interest to see and hear from the man entrusted with the licence to train the winner – in this case the newly-appointed Robert Hickmott – while Lloyd Williams counters that he has a different corporate structure to others, and only himself or his son Nick are (regularly) available as the public spokesmen for their organisation.

I want to hear from the decision maker – whoever that person is – and as such am delighted to hear Lloyd Williams talk whenever he is interviewed. He is generous with his time and gives genuine insight into his privately-trained team, such as the push he gave listeners leading into Efficient’s Turnbull Stakes win at the start of the spring carnival. At big odds, too!

Again, Moran is absolutely correct in saying that it is the punters who ultimately fund this sport, and as such are deserving of the information that they receive via the various media outlets.

Equally, as “Team Williams” is a totally private entity with no direct or related benefit in promoting its horses – unlike Darley or Patinack, which have extensive breeding interests – it would be entitled to have a total “Fort Knox” set up should it wish.

Fortunately, for everyone’s sake, it doesn’t.

All that’s required is for the governing body of racing to formulate professional pre- and post-race media policies, which are fair and reasonable for all participants in the industry – performers, purveyors and consumers alike.

The policies also need to adequately represent and reflect the new, varied and instant media age, and acknowledge that racing competes in the toughest environment in its history, from both a wagering and sports market perspective.

PAYNE SHINES

What was lost through the controversy was the impressive performance of jockey Michelle Payne as TVN’s pre-race horse condition analyst. (Payne wasn’t riding because she had been suspended.)

And in a sport where men and women compete on equal terms – riding, training or punting – the presence of another female in the electronic media rightfully saw her judged on her insights rather than her gender.

But it begs the question as to why the racing print media still seems to be like the local post office – all mail.

Zipping is eight years young. That was obvious to all who saw the grand gelding’s third win in the Group 2 Sandown Classic (wfa 2400m) on Sandown’s Hillside course on Saturday. And it prompts the question: will he go for four in a row next year when nine?

Each of his wins has been superb, whether finishing oh so strongly or taking off half a mile out and running and running. And owner Lloyd Williams has managed Zipping (B g 8, Danehill (USA)-Social Scene (IRE), by Grand Lodge (USA)) well – he has won 13 of 39 starts – so here’s hoping.

And here’s hoping there’s no zip on trainer or jockey talking, via pay television, to those watching at home or in a pub or club about the 2010 race and the probable grand run: a designated spokesman cannot explain the thrill as well as the person who saddles or rides the horse.

Zipping’s jockey Michael Rodd was elated coming back to scale, holding up three fingers and several times pointing down to the horse to explain where the credit belonged. A TV interview on dismount would have been a winning bonus – for all.

THEY SAID IT (OR MIGHT HAVE)

 “Two out of three ain’t bad.” Well, ‘Team Williams’ new trainer Robert Hickmott might have said that when he won with his first runner, Tintern, and his second, Zipping, at Sandown (C’Est La Guerre, unplaced in Zipping’s race, was the third.)

It would have been relevant to have Hickmott say something, even if it were only, “Nice to start with a win, or two.”

 “…………” ‘Team Williams’ on TVN.

 “Don’t take your bat and ball and run off with it.” Racing’s most accomplished telecaster Bruce Clark to  ‘Team Williams’ as TVN wrapped up the day’s racing. (Lloyd Williams was angered by comments Steve Moran made on TVN about Hickmott not being allowed to speak.)

“That’ll be about it,” said a quietly elated but typically understated Brian Mayfield-Smith after Greatwall Of China won at Sandown – the trainer has announced his retirement because, without “the right cattle”, his Flemington stable is running at a loss. Mayfield-Smith, 62, has been a big winner since taking up his trainer’s licence in Queensland in 1971 – he was the man who, in 1985-86, knocked Tommy Smith off his throne in Sydney after 33 years.

“I really like him for later. He gives you the feel of a nice 2000-metre, Derby type of horse … hopefully he can keep going that way.” Jockey Kerrin McEvoy, after Kidnapped (B or br g 3, Viscount-Youthful Presence, by Dehere (USA)) was strong in winning the G2 Sandown Guineas (1600m) after being headed by the filly Majestic Music (Br f 3, Al Maher-Regal Flute, by Royal Academy (USA)). 

McEvoy, Darley’s retained rider, said Kidnapped, who has won four of nine starts, would go for a spell. He is likely to take the traditional Group 1 autumn path (since 2006, before which the first leg was the 1900m Canterbury Guineas) in Sydney – Randwick Guineas (1600m), Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and AJC Derby (2400m). 

WE SAW IT

The Hay List bubble burst in Perth on Saturday as the 4YO tried to make it nine straight.  The giant gelding (Statue Of Liberty (USA)-Sing Hallelujah, by Is It True (USA)) was sixth at $1.50 to Revolition ($21) in the Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m), and the stewards’ report made interesting reading. Paraphrased, it said:

Horse bounded on jumping; rider (Jason Brown) said he crossed field and led, and travelled comfortably until mis-striding near the 400m, and was then under pressure and tired; vet exam showed horse to be lame in the near fore; trainer Jim Taylor said Hay List would be spelled.

Attention now turns to the unbeaten (after four starts) Waratah’s Secret (Br g 3, Oratorio-Blissfully (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ)), who was to trial over 950m at Lark Hill today. Trainer David Harrison is preparing Waratah’s Secret for the Group 2 $500,000 Winterbottom Stakes (1200 metres) at Ascot on November 28.

perthracing.com.au reports that Hong Kong-based William Pike, Perth’s champion jockey last season, will be on Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) chance Keytomoney on Saturday, with Paul Harvey unable to ride at the 52kg.

“I would have loved to have Harvey on, but he couldn’t get down to the 52kg for him, so we rang Pike and he was happy to be offered the ride,” trainer Michael Lane said.

Pike is struggling to get on good horses in Hong Kong. He has two winners from 77 rides since the season started two months ago. Pike has ridden Keytomoney in his past six wins.

Sydney-based Victorian Nash Rawiller will be on NSW visitor Sniper’s Bullet in the Railway – if he rides it anywhere near as well as he did Lucky Secret in the Listed Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1300m) you’d want to be with him. Rawiller cuddled Lucky’s Secret (B g 6, Rubiton-Won’t Tell, by Rory’s Jester) in the lead before bursting clear inside the 200m to ensure he got the trip, and his first win beyond 1200m. 

Sniper’s Bullet (B g 6, Bite The Bullet (USA)-Yallah Terrace, by Yallah Prince) was a short-head second to Gilded Venom in last year’s Railway when ridden by Michael Rodd, who is on honeymoon after yesterday’s wedding to partner Cara Aspinall. Rodd rode Sniper’s Bullet in his three spring starts in Melbourne for two fifths and a third.

WE’LL WATCH IT

Wednesday’s highlight is the Listed Ballarat Cup (2200m).

Saturday’s best in Victoria is the G3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m), which may see Tintern, a winner over 1700m at Sandown, butter up again.

Australia’s best is the Railway at Ascot, which has three Listed races, too – the Tattersalls Cup (2200m), the Carbine Club of WA Stakes (1400m) and the Placid Ark Stakes (1200m).

They also race at Eagle Farm, Morphettville and Rosehill.

Despite his original bullish plan to send Collection from Hong Kong for last month’s Group 1 Cox Plate (wfa, 2040m) at Moonee Valley, Australian trainer John Moore opted to keep the gelding at Sha Tin for December’s glamour Cathay Pacific International meeting.

Yesterday, Collection (B g 2005, Peintre Celebre (USA)-Lasting Chance (USA), by American Chance (USA)) easily won the 2000m Group 2 trial race for the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (also 2000m) to show Moore, one of Hong Kong’s pacesetters for the past 15 years, had pulled the right rein – unlike stable rider Darren Beadman, who preferred Moore’s veteran star Viva Pataca, who finished seventh, as his lead-in ride.

It was not the first time Moore’s second-choice rider, the South African Weichong Marwing, had found the leftover tastier than Beadman’s first choice, and it probably won’t be the last.

However, the saving grace for Beadman, one of the modern greats of Australian racing, is that he should get to ride both horses in the Group 1s at the December 13 international meet – Moore indicated that Collection would go on to the $HK20 million (almost $3 million) Cup and Viva Pataca (B g 2002, Marju (IRE)-Comic (IRE), by Be My Chief (USA)) would run in the Group 1 Vase (2400m), worth $HK14 million (about $2 million).

Neither race will be easy for Moore, with visitors having dominated the 2000m and 2400m races over recent years. Viva Pataca, for example, ran second in the Cup last year behind Eagle Mountain, trained by South African Mike De Kock, and was fourth in 2007 behind Godolphin’s Ramonti.

Viva Pataca had won the past two International Cup trials, but yesterday he was too far back to have any say in the run home. Not Collection, who was simply super and now is two from two over 2000m at Sha Tin – the other win was the Hong Kong Derby earlier this year, the race that prompted Moore to talk of bringing him to Australia.

“What a turn of foot he has,” Moore said yesterday of Collection. “He is going in the right direction for the Cup and I expect he will be the one to beat. 

“As for Viva Pataca, he got back a little further than I wanted. He was at the rear and would have had to run an unbelievable time home to be in it. But he will be a big chance in the Vase next month. He will definitely be in the first three then.”

Group 2 trials for the Group 1 Mile ($HK16 million) and Group 1 $HK12 million Sprint (1200m) will be held at Sha Tin on Sunday, with Australian horse of the year Scenic Blast to run in the sprint trial.

Steven Arnold, no longer committed to the Lloyd Williams stable in Victoria, will be back on Scenic Blast (B or br g 5, Scenic (IRE)-Daughter’s Charm, by Delgado (USA)) after Mark Zahra filled in for the most recent leg of the Global Sprint Challenge in Japan on October 4. Then, Scenic Blast disappointed after suffering interference, but trainer Danny Morton hopes for improved runs in Hong Kong as connections chase a $1 million bonus for winning Group 1s in three countries – Scenic Blast already has wins in Australia (the Lightning) and England (the King’s Stand).

How well the gelding has acclimatised should be known on Saturday when he is likely to race against the world’s top-rated sprinter Sacred Kingdom (B g 2003, Encosta De Lago-Courtroom Sweetie, by Zeditave) and last year’s International Sprint winner Inspiration (Ch g 2003, Flying Spur-La Bamba (GB), by Last Tycoon (GB)), both bred in Australia – Beadman, who won last year on Inspiration for Moore, is likely to ride him again. Another Australian, Brett Prebble, is Sacred Kingdom’s jockey.

Prebble is on a hot streak, with three winners yesterday and four at the night meeting at Happy Valley on Wednesday. With 20 wins he leads Keith Yeung (15) and Beadman (11) in the jockeys’ premiership. South African Douglas Whyte, winner of the past nine titles but a slow starter this season, is one of five riders with 10 wins.

Moore, with two wins yesterday, leads the trainers’ premiership on 15, two clear of another Australian, David Hall (13), who also had a double yesterday.

Australia’s other Group 1 sprinting stars, All Silent (B g 6, Belong To Me (USA)-Lisheenowen, by Semipalatinsk (USA)) and Apache Cat (Ch g 7, Lion Cavern (USA)-Tennessee Blaze, by Whiskey Road (USA)) also have been invited to next month’s race.

Mornington trainer Tony Noonan is waiting to hear if his mare Ortensia will be invited. She is in Perth preparing for either the Group 1 Railway Stakes  (1600m) at Ascot on Saturday or the G2 Winterbottom (1200m) on November 28. (Apache Cat ran second behind Takeover Target in last year’s Winterbottom before finishing third in the Hong Kong Sprint.)

Noonan, by the way, will be in Perth quite a bit from now on, as he will open a satellite stable there next month.

Another Victorian, Mark Riley’s Gold Salute (B or br g 6, Testa Rossa-Gold Sarah, by Catrail (USA)), is seeking an Hong Kong invitation, too. His Railway run will determine if one is forthcoming.

The Thoroughbred Magazine Club’s filly Belleluia has pulled up sore after her fifth at Mornington on Saturday.

The filly stumbled badly at the start, losing two to three lengths, before she recovered to settle midfield on the fence.

Although she looked to be in a good position, about three lengths from the leaders at the 500m, Belleluia could only hold her ground to the line. Jockey Luke Currie didn’t knock her about after he realised that she wasn’t a chance of running into a place.

Currie immediately reported that he was almost certain that Belleluia had “pulled a muscle” when she slipped at the start. “She almost came down, as she lost her back legs. I’d be surprise if she hasn’t done some damage because when I asked her to sprint on the turn, she couldn’t accelerate,” Currie said.

Trainer Robbie Griffiths, who was at Sandown on Saturday, has confirmed that Belleluia was sore on Sunday morning.

“She has pulled some muscles over her back. I think that, under the circumstances, her run was tremendous,” Griffiths said.

“The best thing for her will be to treat her injuries and give her a ‘calendar month’s spell’ at Eliza Park on the best of the spring grass. This will give her more time to grow and mature.

“The injury is not a long-term problem, and I believe she is an exciting filly with a good future. I look forward to getting her back in training at Cranbourne in the autumn.”

When a race-fit horse has a month in the paddock, it is usual that it will take eight to 10 weeks to return to the same level of fitness. Expect Belleluia to be ready to race in late February or early March.

Listed to Robbie Griffiths’ audio report (below) on Belleluia.