There’s a story around every corner in racing, and here’s one that jumped out at me after I looked into the pedigree of Monday’s impressive Warrnambool winner Crystal Tiger, a 3YO colt by the little known Crystal Finale.

The chestnut colt, trained by local young gun Ciaron Maher, skipped around the ’Bool in a quick 58.76 secs, suggesting there is a bright future for the youngster.

Crystal Tiger is the second winner for his sire Crystal Finale, a son of Hurricane Sky and the Century mare Crystal Century. There’s a good story behind Crystal Finale, but that’s for later in this yarn because Crystal Tiger has a lot of pedigree in his tank.

Crystal Tiger has a wonderfully historic female line – his dam line traces back to a sister of the legendary Phar Lap (pictured) – the 1934 mare Raphis (Night Raid–Entreaty), the Warrnambool winner’s eighth dam. Raphis is the best producing sibling of Phar Lap, leaving three Stakes winners, including the 1946 NZ Great Northern Oaks winner Swingalong, the seventh dam of Crystal Tiger.

Crystal Tiger is from the Marauding mare Steal Crazy (1992), whose dam Bewitching Hour is by Keen (GB) from the top race filly Impede (by Showdown from Day Tripper). Impede’s three Stakes wins included the 1979 Group 1 Storm Queen Stakes (1900m) at Rosehill. Impede also is the dam of the Group 3 Tranquil Star Stakes winner Shackle (by Luskin Star).

Steal Crazy’s five foals – two colts and three fillies – before Crystal Tiger, all made it to the races, but between them have won just one race, a Donald 1000m maiden, won by The Marauding Rose (by Desert Sun (GB)), in February 2008. Steal Crazy has had almost as many owners as she has had foals, but Crystal Finale is the first foal that Hamilton vet and breeding enthusiast Ian McLeod has bred from her.

McLeod runs a busy western districts’ veterinary practice. Each year McLeod and family, headed by wife Therese, foal down between 50 and 70 mares at their Hamilton farm that also seconds as the veterinary clinic.

McLeod also stands Crystal Finale, a former very smart racehorse, on the farm. It seems the stallion needs a good racehorse or two to lift his profile. There is no doubt Crystal Finale, with his pedigree rich in the blood of stalwart Australian sires like Bletchingly, Biscay, Star Kingdom, Century, Better Boy, Vain and Wilkes, only needs to a few winners to attract the interest of small breeders in western Victoria, often starved of stallions of worth.

Crystal Finale was bred by David Moodie’s Contract Racing Syndicate – Moodie part-owned the stallion’s sire Hurricane Sky (b h 1991, Star Watch–Dancing Show (USA), by Nijinsky (CAN)), brilliant winner of the 1994 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m, Caulfield) and a half-brother to Group 1 winner and good sire Umatilla (by Miswaki (USA) and Shantha’s Choice (by Canny Lad), the dam of the champion sire Redoute’s Choice (by Danehill (USA)). Hurricane Sky, who after standing at Arrowfield Stud, is now at Durham Lodge, Western Australia, has only three sons at stud  – Honalee in South Australia and Stormy Joe in New South Wales.

Crystal Finale’s racing life began with Moodie’s trainer Mathew Ellerton at Flemington. His first win came at his second start as an August 3YO in 2000, over 1100m at Flemington. On Caulfield Cup day, Crystal Finale won the 1400m Listed Gothic Stakes and he finished his first serious campaign with fourths in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m, Flemington), behind Inspire, and the Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m, Sandown), behind Scenic Warrior.

Crystal Finale had a light late-autumn campaign, winning first-up at Caulfield, and he returned in the spring with some encouraging performances at Stakes level, including a second-up eighth behind Pernod in the Group 1 Dubai Racing Club Cup (1400m, Caulfield).

Crystal Finale pulled up sore when 13^th behind Sudurka in the Group 1 Salinger Stakes (1200m, Flemington) on Derby Day, 2001.

After a long spell of 43 weeks, he returned under the rehabilitative care of Whittlesea trainer Peter Morgan, winning first up at Caulfield (1100m) in August 2002. But even Morgan’s expert treatment and rehab facilities couldn’t keep Crystal Finale sound. His final run was on Derby Day in 2003 when he finished last in the Group 3 Yallambee Stud Stakes (1400m, Flemington).

Crystal Finale was sold at the Inglis March Mixed Sale in 2004 for $5000 to the bid of Seymour trainer Anton Paholek, who outbid a disappointed Dr. McLeod, who was on the lookout for a stallion for the farm and just didn’t have the bank balance to stretch beyond that figure.

Later in the year, McLeod heard on the grapevine that Crystal Finale was back on the market, after his new trainer was unable to get the horse to the races. He jumped in a car straight away and secured the entire. Initially, McLeod gave the horse to Warrnambool trainer Jarrod McLean, but even the healing waters of Lady Bay couldn’t resurrect Crystal Finale’s racing career.

Crystal Finale covered 11 mares in the spring of 2004 – with only two of the seven foals born in 2005 have been named. No winners. In 2005, the chestnut covered 16 mares resulting in 12 foals, of which four have been named, including Crystal Tiger.

Crystal Finale’s first winner came from that crop when All Crystal (ch f 2006, ex- All Queens, by Final Card) – a lovely doubling of Star Kingdom blood – won at Donald (1000m) on August 4, but it is Crystal Tiger that shapes as the horse to give his sire a commercial boost.

Crystal Finale stands at a fee of only $1650 (inc. GST).

Therese McCloud, who owns Crystal Tiger, heaps praise on the horsemanship of Maher. “Ciaron has worked very hard on this horse, as he was a handful, who could really buck,” she said.

As for the future of Crystal Finale and the busy little Hamilton farm, well, she has great expectations but none more lofty than that of her husband. “I am sure Ian would love to give away the veterinary practice to concentrate on being a full-time studmaster.”

Hall Of Fame trainer Jack Denham has died.

Denham, aged 85, passed away in a Sydney hospital after a short illness, his son Allan has confirmed.

Denham, a man of few words but great deeds, trained more than 4000 winners in a careerd than spanned more than 60 years, after a brief riding career. He trained 59 Group 1 winners, his most recent was Metal Bender’s Rosehill Guineas in April.

Denham’s first Group 1 winner was Persian Lyric’s 1955 Doomben Cup, but he is best known in recent times as the trainer of the great Might And Power, winner of the 1997 Caulfield and Melbourne Cup double.

Denham won a Golden Slipper with Marscay (1982) and a Cox Plate with Might And Power (1998) and most of the Sydney features with horses the calibre of Filante, Purple Patch, Triscay, Fairway and Fair Summer.

Denham was inducted into racing’s Hall Of Fame in 2005. His Rosehill stable remain in the control of Allan, a leading trainer in his own right.

The lasting influence of champion international stallion Danehill on Australian breeding is never more emphasised than by a study of yesterday’s results at Hawkesbury.

Sons of Danehill (USA) (b h 1986, Danzig (USA)–Razyana (USA), by His Majesty (USA)) sired six of the seven winners, and the odd one out being out of a daughter of the great stallion.

Danehill died in 2003 as a multiple champion sire in both hemispheres.

The Hawkesbury winners sired by sons of Danehill were:

Race 1. Dancing Doll (ch m 4, Danehill Dancer (IRE)–Nassi Doll, by Nassipour)

Race 2. Sir Prancer (b or br g 4, Danehill Dancer (IRE)–Prized Possession, by Canny Lad)

Race 3. Zuzela (b m 4, Redoute’s Choice–Zastov (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ))

Race 5: Layable (ch g 5., Lion Hunter–Payable, by Zeditave)

Race 6: Godfather (br g 4, Untouchable–More Natural, by Naturalism (NZ))

Race 7: Zafaaf (ch m 4, Flying Spur–First Celebration (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB))

But perhaps the most significant winner at Hawkesbury was the one winner not from a Danehill line stallion, Power And Glory, who scored an impressive debut win in race three, a 1000m maiden.

Power And Glory is a 3YO son of Elusive Quality from the brilliant race filly Crowned Glory, by Danehill from the Bletchingly mare Significant Moment. The Group 3 winning Crowned Glory is best known for her runner-up finish behind Belle Du Jour in the 2000 Group 1 Golden Slipper.

Crowned Glory comes from a famous family; her dam Significant Moment (b m 1990, ex-Lady Giselle (FR), by Nureyev (USA)) is one of only five sisters or half-sisters to Group 1 winner champion sire Zabeel (by Sir Tristram (IRE)) and the Group 1 winner Baryshnikov (by Kenmare (FR))

This is a female family – that also includes the Group1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winners Detroit and her son Carnegie – that hasn’t been as productive in recent years in the breeding shed as the male side of the show.

Lady Giselle’s first daughter Mythraa (b m 1985, by Danzatore (USA)) died in 1996 after producing five foals of little consequence.

Charming Life (b m 1987, by Sir Tristram (IRE)) was exported to the USA in 1991 and then on to Europe from where she has been a good producer, leaving the Group-winning stayers Kingfisher Mill (by Riverman (USA)) and Wellbeing (by Sadler’s Wells (USA)).

The Gooree Park Stud-owned Significant Moment is Lady Giselle’s third filly and since producing a brother to Crowned Glory in 2001 – Significant Hill, now at stud in the Philippines – she has missed five times and produced only three foals; the inbred Carnegie filly Jannah (2003); Redoute’s Star (c 2006, by Redoute’s Choice), who is now in Hong Kong, and a Fastnet Rock filly in 2008.

In 1995, Lady Giselle produced a filly by Marscay (by Biscay), Prima, who is owned by Arrowfield Stud. Prima left four consecutive foals for Arrowfield between 1999 and 2002, but since then has produced only two foals after missing or slipping seven times – her 2005 colt by Redoute’s Choice is unnamed and in 2007 she produced a filly, named Entrée, by Snitzel.

Lady Giselle’s final filly foal, Mam’Selle Giselle (b m 1996, by Kenmare (FR)), also bred and owned by Arrowfield, died in 2007 after foaling a colt by Charge Forward (by Red Ransom (USA)). It was her fifth foal after leaving two moderate winners from coverings by Redoute’s Choice, Flying Spur (two) and Hussonet.

Power And Glory, who was making his debut for Gooree and trainer Gai Waterhouse, is Crowned Glory’s fourth foal and her second winner. The gelding is similar in style to his mother, although a typical Elusive Quality late maturer.

Trainer Colin Little has unearthed an exciting son of Belleluia’s sire Bel Esprit.

Forty Two Below was very impressive winning at Stony Creek last Saturday. The 3YO, who is out of the Danehill mare Danish, has now won two of his three starts and he looks like a horse with a big future.

Forty Two Below beat another Bel Esprit offspring, Stately Spirit, to win the 1100m event by a length, but he could have won by much further.

The gelding was bred by Ariel Arnott, who also bred the Group-winning brother and sister pair Bel Mer (G1 Robert Sangster Stakes, Morphettville) and Mooring (G3 Chairman’s Stakes, Singapore), both by Bel Esprit from Drop Anchor.

Forty Two Below is scheduled to have his next run at Caulfield on Wednesday, December 16.

Little also trains the unbeaten Work The Room (Bel Esprit-Social Scene), a half-brother to Zipping, who looks to be an exceptional talent, but hasn’t been seen since winning the Flying Spur Handicap (1300m) at Sandown in May.

Belleluia is coming to the end of her four-week spell, so we will have a full report on move back into training next week.

Meanwhile, her trainer Robbie Griffiths is having a hot run, leading in seven winners in the first 10 days of December.

To rad more about Bel Esprit and his offspring, view Bel Esprit Winners’ Club website.

WE SAW IT

Just when it seemed emerging Hong Kong star Happy Zero would be the horse Australia’s sprinters Scenic Blast, All Silent and Apache Cat would have to beat in the Group 1 Cathay Pacific International Sprint (1200m)  next month, connections have indicated they might chase a bigger purse on the same day.

Happy Zero beat another Australian-bred sprinter, Hong Kong’s short-course champ Sacred Kingdom, in yesterday’s Group 2 Sprint Trial (1200m) to establish himself as one of the favourites for the $HK12 million (about $A1.8 million) race on December 13. And trainer John Moore told the Hong Kong Jockey Club website that Happy Zero (Br g 5, Danzero-Have Love, by Canny Lad) would take plenty of beating in the sprint, which is shaping as the definitive sprint championship of the year. “He’s a very fit horse at the moment and I believe we’re a big chance of winning next month,” Moore said. “I think he’s the new kid on the block and I don’t want to take anything away from Sacred Kingdom, a world champion, but some times you have to give way to the next generation and I believe this is the one.”

Later, however, Moore told the South China Morning Post that Happy Zero would be a late entry for the $HK16 million (about $A2.3 million) International Mile. “Darren Beadman’s been telling me for weeks that this horse is a miler, not a sprinter. We will keep our options open, but we might go for the longer race with him instead.”

Beadman, Moore’s retained rider, told hkjc.com that he was held up in the straight yesterday as Sacred Kingdom made his run, but “once you have this horse wound up he goes through the gears pretty quick. I don’t think I’ve ever been on a horse with as long a stride, and that includes (former Australian champion) Saintly, who was a much bigger and longer horse. This guy covers an enormous amount of ground. He’s very exciting.”

Sacred Kingdom  (B g 6, Encosta De Lago-Courtroom Sweetie, by Zeditave) will be improved by the run and will meet Happy Zero 2kg better if he goes around over 1200m again. His Australian jockey, Brett Prebble, was not disappointed with the run, the top-rated sprinter’s first since June.

Although beaten by fellow Aussie Beadman, Prebble had another treble to continue his incredible form. In the past four meetings he has had four, three, three and three wins, and he is 15 clear on the jockeys’ premiership with 26 wins. Moore leads the trainers’ list with 17, one ahead of last year’s champion Caspar Fownes.

Zac Purton made it another big day for the Australians riding in Hong Kong with his first Group 2 win there, taking the Mile Trial on Fellowship from Sight Winner and the fast-finishing defending international champion, Good Ba Ba.

“He (Fellowship) has been a very honest performer and he has competed at the top level for a season and a half now, but he has often found one or two too good for him on the big day,” New Zealand trainer Paul O’Sullivan told hkjc.com. “Today, though, he got a nice run under Zac, the pace was good and he deserved a big win.”

Good Ba Ba, the International Mile winner for the past two years, had the  fastest final sectional time, prompting trainer Derek Cruz to say the horse was on course for a third win.

Fields for the Sprint, Mile and the other international Group 1s, the $HK20 million Cup (2000m) and the $HK14 million Vase (2400m), will be announced on Wednesday.

Scenic Blast has been in Hong Kong since October 17 after racing in Japan. He was scratched from the Sprint Trial because of a sore foot, but connections hope he will be ready for the main race. American sprinter Cannonball, who ran at Royal Ascot mid-year, arrived in Hong Kong at the weekend. All Silent and Apache Cat are due to fly from Australian next week.

Australia’s Racing To Win might also go, for either the Mile or Cup, but Gold Salute’s flop in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot in Perth, after which he pulled up sore, ended his connections’ hopes.

THEY SAID IT

“I love this horse. He never stops trying and, even though he hasn’t won for over two years, this win makes the wait worth it,” said NSW trainer Tracey Bartley about Sniper’s Bullet, winner of the Railway at $17 – he ran second last year and was consistent in the Melbourne spring, but had not won since June 2007, when he was first home in the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm. Sniper’s Bullet (B g 6, Bite The Bullet (USA)-Yallah Terrace, by Yallah Prince) has earned more than $2 million and his win tally now stands at seven from 33 starts.

“I am mindful taking on the older horses next week with the weight (because) he is not a three-year-old yet. He is a chance of starting in the Winterbottom – we will monitor him this week,” said Perth trainer Perth Frank Maynard of Kid Choisir, strong winner of the $75,000 Listed Placid Ark Stakes (1200m) at Ascot on Saturday, carrying 59kg.

Kid Choisir (Ch c 3, Choisir-Friendly Seas, by Mister C. (USA)) has won five of eight – and most runs have been well spaced – but would face a tough task to beat the older locals, perhaps Ortensia (who didn’t get the 1600m in the Railway on Saturday) and another Victorian Lucky Secret, the recent Sandown winner, who is to be flown over on Friday. (Trainer Tony Vasil then intends to take the Rubiton 6YO to New Zealand for two big sprints in January.)

There will be an even more important visitor for the $500,000 Group 2 Winterbottom Stakes (1200m) – retired champ Takeover Target, who won the race last year after a thrilling duel with Apache Cat, will lead the field out. The “traveller” (he had four trips to England and also went to Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore) is doing a farewell tour of sorts after successful surgery, the result of an injury in his final race, the Group 1 July Cup (1200m) at Newmarket in England.

“Jason has a great strike rate for me. He has only had a handful of rides and won at least three or four,” said trainer Lee Freedman of apprentice Jason Maskiell. Despite riding only rarely in the city over the Melbourne spring carnival, Maskiell reminded us at Sandown that he is a young jockey of considerable talent. The Caulfield-based Tasmanian claimed the first two races, on Umanugget for Peter Moody and Tariks for Freedman.

WE ALSO SAW

Among our television travels, Bits & Pieces “dropped in” at 2am Sunday on the best race of the weekend, the Grade 1 Betfair Chase (4800m) at Haydock in England. The race underlined how important longevity is in building horse heroes, when jumping favourite – that’s the people’s, as well as the punters’ (at 4/6) – Kauto Star slugged it out over the final four fences with Imperial Commander (9/1). To the eye, Kauto appeared beaten; but the photo gave him a win by a whisker.

Kauto Star (B g 2000, Village Star (FR)-Kauto Relka (FR), by Port Etienne (FR)), has won 19 of 32 jumps starts (15-22 over the bigger fences) since March 2003. The reigning Cheltenham Gold Cup champion fell in the Betfair last year, but won the previous two. He is quoted at a shade of odds-on for his next start, the King George at Kempton in December.

Imperial Commander (B g 2001, Flemensfirth (USA)-Ballinlovane (GB), by Le Moss (GB)) has won 6-14 and is shaping as a Cheltenham Gold Cup contender against Kauto Star in March.

WE’LL WATCH IT

Ascot on Saturday has the Winterbottom and two Listed races, the Jungle Dawn Classic (1400m) and Aquanita Stakes (1800m). Eagle Farm has two Listed races, the Carlton Draught Classic (1200m) and Tattersall’s Recognition Stakes (1600m). They also race at Moonee Valley, Randwick and Morphettville.

Australian John Moore, one of Hong Kong’s leading trainers and son of one of Australia’s greatest jockeys, the late George Moore, has bought a horse from the Aga Khan in Europe, with the 150th Melbourne Cup his ultimate target for next year.

With international attention on Hong Kong in the lead-in to Sunday’s four Group 1 races at the Cathay Pacific International meeting at Sha Tin on Sunday, Moore told Alan Aitken of the South China Morning Post that the horse, Beheshtam, was a rising four-year-old (by Northern Hemisphere time).

“My agent in the UK recommended that Beheshtam would be an ideal Melbourne Cup horse if I had a client who was interested, so I looked at his pedigree and his form and I went ahead and bought him for the same syndicate that owns Collection,” Moore said. ”He has won up to 2600 metres in France and he is in quarantine now with a (Hong Kong) Derby campaign the first target.”

Beheshtam (Ch c 2006, Peintre Celebre (USA)-Behkara (IRE), by Kris (GB)) was trained at Chantilly by Alain de Royer-Dupre. His limited career has resulted in two wins from six races – his most recent start was 12th behind the champion Sea The Stars in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp in October.

Collection, also by Peintre Celebre, won the Group 1 Hong Kong Derby (2000m) last year and Moore said then he would send him to Melbourne for the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m), Australia’s weight-for-age championship, at Moonee Valley in October. But he changed his mind and has prepared Collection him for the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m), worth $HK20 million (about $A3 million) on Sunday, for which he is a pronounced favourite ahead of English galloper Presvis, trained by Luca Cumani – Cumani, of course, has a Melbourne Cup connection, finishing second with Purple Moon in 2007 and Bauer in 2008.

“We’ll see how he (Beheshtam) works out here first, then the Melbourne Cup could be on his agenda later,” Moore said. “I’ve always said I’d love to go back and win one of the big ones in Australia, and he might be the horse.”

Hall Of Famer George Moore is regarded as one of Australia’s greats and, with another member of the Hall Of Fame, the late Scobie Breasley, the best rider never to win the Cup. After Moore snr retired from riding he trained in Hong Kong, and John Moore took over from him in 1985. Moore jnr has been leading trainer five times, and last season his horses earned $HK100 million (about $A15 million on today’s exchange rates).

If Beheshtam comes to Australia, Collection could come for the Cox Plate as part of a package that might also include Happy Zero, one of the main chances in the Group 1 $HK16 million International Mile (1600m) on Sunday. Moore had suggested he would be a travelling partner last year for Collection.

Darren Beadman, one of Australia’s champion riders of the past two decades and Moore’s retained rider in Hong Kong, would be expected to make the trip with them. He has won Melbourne Cups (Kingston Rule, 1990, and Saintly, 1996) and a Cox Plate (Saintly, 1996).

He will ride Moore’s four - Happy Zero, Collection, Viva Pataca (the $14HK million G1 Vase, 2400m) and Inspiration (the $HK12 million G1 Sprint, 1200m) – on Sunday.

Australia’s runners in the Sprint – All Silent (Nick Hall), Apache Cat (Damien Oliver) and Scenic Blast (Steven Arnold) - and Mile entrant Racing To Win (Hugh Bowman) have all worked well at Sha Tin this week.

The Hong Kong Carnival prelude at Happy Valley tonight features a three-race international jockeys’ invitation series. Sydney’s premier rider Hugh Bowman is Australia’s representative, although most eyes will be on the Canadian jockey Chantal Sutherland, who already has turned heads since she arrived in Hong Kong.

Sutherland, who has ridden more than 450 winners, combines her career in the saddle with modelling. Sutherland is currently second on the Woodbine jockeys’ premiership.

WE SAW IT

William Pike had been given permission by the Hong Kong Jockey Club to ride at Perth’s big meeting on Saturday, but because of “difficulties in making satisfactory travel arrangements” (that is, to get back to ride at Sha Tin in Hong Kong yesterday) he called off the trip.

It was the right move that kept him in the right place at the right time, and paid off three-fold. Pike, last season’s champion jockey in Western Australia, had a treble for Australian trainer John Size, to double his tally of wins for the Hong Kong season that began in mid-September.

The middle pin of the winners was Holi Ravioli (B g 6, Fasliyev (USA)-Curio Jade, by Varick (GB)) at better than 30/1 in the main race, the $HK1.75 million (about $A250,000) Midland Holdings Cup (1650m). The others were 9/4 chance A Walk In The Park (B g 4, Faltaat (GB)-Awave (NZ), by Crested Wave (USA)) and 9/1 shot Moonwalk (B g 4, Traditionally (USA)-Waikiki Princess, by Turtle Island (IRE)).

Size put Pike on because his No. 1 rider Douglas Whyte, Hong Kong’s champion for the past nine seasons, was in Japan for an invitation series. The engagements followed Pike’s win on Appreciation for Size a week earlier, when the trainer praised him but pointed out how difficult it was for little-known newcomers to get good rides when the top jockeys had the market cornered.

Size backed his words with rides on Sunday, and Pike (23) delivered … and vastly improved his chances of having his contract renewed in February for the remainder of the season that finishes mid-2010.

“It is very rewarding when you have a day like this here; just a great feeling any time you win here because it really isn’t easy,” Pike told Alan Aitken of the South China Morning Post. “There are a lot of good jockeys here and it’s hard to break in.”

Size said: “It is difficult to get opportunities here but he’s a good lightweight and, with Douglas having a day away in Japan, that meant there was a chance for Willie and he has taken full advantage of it.”

Size, after an early drought, is moving quickly up the trainers’ premiership towards his usual top-three spot. He has 13 wins, five off the pace set by Caspar Fownes and John Moore. Victorian Brett Prebble (30 wins) is top jock – he didn’t ride at the weekend but returns from suspension for the international day at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Pike’s Perth ride? It was to have been at Ascot on Star Encounter, eighth at $41 in the $500,000 Group 1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m), won by Sniper’s Bullet ($5.50), who completed the State’s spring-summer Group 1 double – and the first to do it in that order since the Railway was moved from December/January to November in 2005. Nash Rawiller won the Railway Stakes (1600m) – at $17 – and Damien Oliver took over in the Kingston Town, which took to $2.4 million the earnings for Sniper’s Bullet (B g 6, Bite The Bullet (USA)-Yallah Terrace, by Yallah Prince).

The gelding’s trainer Tracey Bartley (42), from Mudgee in NSW (soon to move to Brisbane), is a story himself. The Age reported on Saturday that Bartley quit riding in 2000 after a horror fall left him with a loss of balance of 18 months and, in 2006, was found to have stomach cancer – he was given the all clear last year. On top of that, Damien Murphy, apprenticed to Bartley, died after a race fall in 2007; and last year trainer Pat Quinn, father of Bartley’s wife (also Tracy but without the ‘e’), died after a heart attack when pinned against a rail by a horse.

Having read about Bartley, you could not help but cheer home Sniper’s Bullet.

God Has Spoken (Br c 3, Blackfriars-Dolly Will Do, by Rubiton) was second at $9 ahead of $3.10 favourite Scenic Shot (B g 7, Scenic (IRE)-Sweepshot, by Dr Grace (NZ)). The 3YO could back up in the $100,000 Listed St. Leger (2100m) on Saturday and Scenic Shot, who finished well, could tackle the $250,000 Group 2 C.B. Cox Stakes (wfa, 2100m) – a race he won in 2006 – the next week.

Across the Tasman, Ekstreme won the Group 1 Captain Cook Stakes (wfa, 1600m) at Trentham, prompting trainer Bryce Revell, a former jumps jockey, to say that next year’s Group 1 Cox Plate (wfa, 2040m) at Moonee Valley would be the mare’s target. Opie Bosson rode Ekstreme (B m 4, Ekraar (USA)-Cashcade (NZ), by Anziyan (USA)).

THEY SAID IT

“I would have sold him,” said trainer Mick Price of impressive Caulfield winner Marconi (B g 3, Lago Delight-Capriceuse (NZ), by Grosvenor (NZ)). Price had been offered $250,000 for the once headstrong colt, now tractable gelding, but he failed Hong Kong’s stringent vet exam – twice.  Seeing that Price bought Capriceuse, who was in foal with Marconi, for only $4000 from an advertisement in The Weekly Times,  a sale would have been a guaranteed a big profit – his wife, Caroline, wanted to breed “warm blood” eventing or show jumping horses.

Price said Marconi, despite a minor fetlock problem, was sound and was shaping like he had a racetrack future. Saturday’s runaway 5½-length win in the Acryn Plate (1000m) at $2.30 followed a six-length romp at Stony Creek a month ago and backed the “racetrack future” claim.

The Prices got their “warm blood” foal from Capriceuse, but she died giving birth.

“It’s nice when they replicate on race day,” said Randwick trainer John O’Shea after Ambers Waltz ($1.85f) lived up to her work on the training track and won the www.attheraces.com.au Handicap at Rosehill on Saturday. Ambers Waltz (Br f 2, Danehill Dancer (IRE)-Ambers Halo, Don’t Say Halo (USA)), a $550,000 Magic Millions buy, is likely to head to the Gold Coast for January’s Magic Millions 2YO race – she races in the blue with pink hoops made famous for West Australian Keith Biggs by 1995 Melbourne Cup winner Doriemus.

O’Shea has had a filly “replicate” two Saturdays on end – the other is Solar Charged (B or br f, Charge Forward-Soul Singer, by Danehill (USA)), an impressive winner on Randwick’s Kensington track as $2.40 favourite on November 28.

WE’LL WATCH IT

The international focus this week is on the Cathay Pacific meeting at Sha Tin in Hong Kong with four rich Group 1 races – the Sprint (1200m), the Mile (1600m), the Cup (2000m) and the Vase (2400m). Australia has three Sprint reps (All Silent, Scenic Blast and Apache Cat) and one in the Mile (Racing To Win), and will be represented by Hugh Bowman, Sydney’s premier rider, in a three-race jockeys’ invitation series at a warm-up meeting at Happy Valley on the Wednesday night.

There’s plenty to see in Melbourne at the weekend, too, with races at Moonee Valley on Friday night, at Flemington on Saturday and at Moonee Valley again on Sunday, the third meeting a twilighter fitting snugly with Hong Kong and Singapore (Kranji).

On Saturday, Ascot has the Group 3 Scahill Stakes (1400m) and two Listed races, Eagle Farm has three Listed races, and Rosehill and Morphettville each has one.

The Thoroughbred’s  Perth preview reveals the chances in the Quaddie legs and all other races at the Group 1 Kingston Town Classic meeting at Ascot on Saturday.

The best bets are in races two and three, and we’ve found eachway value in race seven.

To find out what our form analyst is tipping CLICK HERE

Apache Cat has landed in Hong Kong to complete the Australian invasion for the Cathay Pacific International race meeting at Sha Tin on December 13, strapper Ty Poulton reporting that Australia’s white-faced sprinter travelled well and settled in to familiar stables after racing at the same meeting last year.

Cranbourne trainer Greg Eurell left for Hong Kong today after hearing from Poulton that the Cat had “flown over the first hurdle” in his bid to improve on third placing, behind Inspiration, in last year’s Group 1 International Sprint (1200m).

Apache Cat is in the Australian quarantine barn at Sha Tin with sprinters All Silent and Scenic Blast and miler Racing To Win. Scenic Blast has been there since October 17, having raced in Japan earlier that month; the other pair, from NSW, flew in a day earlier than Apache Cat and have pleased connections since.

Sportingbet has All Silent as $4.60 favourite for the $HK12 million (about $A1.8 million) sprint ahead of local champ Sacred Kingdom ($4.80), Scenic Blast ($7), American California Flag ($7.50) and Apache Cat ($8).

Damien Oliver will ride eight-times Group 1 winner Apache Cat, Steven Arnold will be on Australia’s horse of the year Scenic Blast and Nick Hall will partner All Silent, the Group 1 Patinack Farm Classic (1200m) winner at Flemington last month.

The South China Morning Post reported that Scenic Blast appeared to be over foot problems that forced his withdrawal from the Group 2 Sprint Trial (1200m) at Sha Tin on November 22, working strongly for Arnold in winning a four-horse trial on the turf yesterday.

“I was happy with that,” trainer Dan Morton told the paper. “He clearly needed the hit-out but he seems to have come through it well.

“The foot problem is just something we have to keep an eye on and manage. It flares up now and again but he appears OK now.”

Racing To Win is a $13 chance in the $HK16 million (about $A2.2 million) Group 1 Mile – last year’s winner Good Ba Ba is favourite at $2.60 from Happy Zero ($4).

The big international meeting has four Group 1 races  – the 2000m Cup and 2400m Vase are the others – and a prelude meeting under lights at Happy Valley on December 9 that features an international jockeys’ challenge. Hugh Bowman, winner of the Sydney premiership last season, is Australia’s representative.

THE BREEDING

Apache Cat (Ch g 7, Lion Cavern (USA)-Tennessee Blaze, by Whiskey Road (USA))

All Silent (B g 6, Belong To Me (USA)-Lisheenowen, by Semipalatinsk (USA))

Scenic Blast (B or br g 5, Scenic (IRE)-Daughter’s Charm, by Delgado (USA))

Racing To Win (Gr g 7, Encosta De Lago-Surrealist, by Kenny’s Best Pal)

Sacred Kingdom (B g 6, Encosta De Lago-Courtroom Sweetie, by Zeditave)

Good Ba Ba (B g 7, Lear Fan (USA)-Elle Meme (GB), by Zilzai (USA))

Happy Zero (B g 5, Danzero-Have Love, by Canny Lad)

I need to begin with a confession.

Last week when penning this column, I felt like I was being a little bit of a conspiracy theorist in suggesting it seemed more than coincidental that details of the EPO charges laid against the Laming stable by RVL were released to the media late on a Friday afternoon, two weeks after the heat of the spring carnival had well and truly died down.

It seemed – I stress seemed – that given that the incident came to light in June, it was a strategic ploy to release any “bad” racing news post-spring, long after the Twigleys, Gales and Hawkins of the beautiful people had moved their supermodel selves back off track.

And I wrote – while hiding behind the grassy knoll in an open-topped car – that the “hiding” strategy is dumb strategy.

Since the column was published, Damien Oliver “suddenly” was suspended for a Derby-Day drug-related offence (reduced to a severe reprimand on appeal), Leon Corstens officially was charged over eventual Caulfield Guineas winner Starspangledbanner returning a pre-race positive test to a prohibited substance from AUGUST 1 – yep August, as in four months ago – and Racing Victoria announced the cancellation of jumps racing.

Has the theory become fact?

Ollie and the AFL example

The issue of Damien Oliver’s suspension and subsequent successful appeal has many layers. One that hasn’t been canvassed is this hypothetical:

On the same (Derby) day and place that Oliver tested positive, an AFL champion could have knowingly and wittingly ingested an illicit drug – such as cocaine – in, say, a typical celebrity-filled sponsor’s marquee.

The following day at pre-season training, a random drug test could have seen him test positive to the said drug.

Once confirmed, the governing body wouldn’t know about it, the player’s club wouldn’t know about it and the voracious media – and subsequently the public – certainly wouldn’t know about it, because the confidentiality of the illicit drug policy would have protected his privacy.

The AFL also would have counseled and attempted to medically rehabilitate the player.

This process has been put together by the AFL with experts in the field of drug rehabilitation, and has the full support of the AFL Players’ Association.

So with that in mind, did a Hall of Fame jockey with the highest profile in the country, whose suspension led TV sports bulletins and received significant coverage in other general sections of the sporting media BECAUSE it was Damien Oliver, REALLY need to have his name so publicly dragged through the mud?

Me thinks not, particularly given that his suspension was quashed on appeal.

Now it would be fair and accurate to point out that the significant difference between the AFL hypothetical and Oliver is that the AFL would be under the “out-of-competition” testing criteria, while Oliver was a breach of the regulatory rules, albeit minor and inadvertent.

But when reading RVL integrity services manager Dayle Brown (The Age, Nov 25) saying, “… we could be unjustly tarnishing a reputation” (by releasing a finding as soon as a positive test is discovered,) the intention of privacy seems honorable enough.

So why not let the appeal process (that is the whole box and dice) be heard in camera as well?

Sitting on the (jump) fence

For someone charged with giving his opinion, this writer professes to not have a strong opinion either way about the seemingly terminal future of jumps racing – both sides of the debate have merit.

Having said that, a true racing person can’t help but side with those fighting for their right to continue their professional existence, despite personally not being inclined to analyze, nor to invest on the races themselves.

But a better bet than Denman at Deniliquin is the revolting bunfight that we’re going to be seeing at any and all Victorian race-meetings featuring jumps racing next year.

RVL chief executive Rob Hines told Sport 927 that allowing the sport to continue in 2010 gave it “a chance to transition”.

In reality, it’s a gift-wrapped-hand-written-please-come-to-my-party invitation for the RSPCA and like-minded, vehement anti-jumping crusaders to showboat, demonstrate, grandstand and disrupt race meetings.

We got a taste of it at feature jumps meetings at Sandown and Moonee Valley this year when those with no reputations to lose were doing their utmost to smear all those attending.

It’s not going to be pretty.