The Victoria Racing Club has announced any horse balloted out of the 2010 Emirates Melbourne Cup field will receive a consolation in the shape of a $100,000 bonus if it can win the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m), run on the final day of the carnival.

The Queen Elizabeth Stakes has traditionally been the race targeted by horses that miss out on a run in the Cup.

The VRC board also approved a distance change for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes from 2500 metres to 2600 metres in an effort to provide an extra, albeit minimal, staying test for all runners.

It’s an interesting decision by the VRC, as the bonus comes in the wake of concerns by some owners and trainers that this year’s Cup, the 150^th running of the great race, will be loaded with overseas horses – those that come across for the race as well as a host of horses, more than 20, that have been imported by Lloyd Williams, Lee Freedman, David Hayes and Chris Waller – thus making it very difficult for the locals to secure a start in the 24-horse field.

And this year, we might see the return of the Japanese-trained horses following the lifting of equine influenza bans, which have prevented them from running since Delta Blues and Pop Rock fought out the race in 2006.

VRC chief executive Dale Monteith agrees that missing out on a Cup start is one of racing’s disappointments. “It is arguably every owner’s dream to have an Emirates Melbourne Cup runner, and to get as close as having a Cup final acceptor, yet miss out on a place in the field of 24, would be an extremely frustrating and disappointing experience.

“The VRC board has been highly innovative in providing a tangible consolation opportunity to disappointed Cup connections, in the form of a realistically achievable $100,000 race bonus.

“The club’s offer will also act as an incentive for connections to continue to participate in the Melbourne Cup carnival program; on average, about 40 per cent of the horses balloted from the Emirates Melbourne Cup, from year to year, do not race at the carnival in other events. This statistic is likely to improve, with the bonus opportunity now in place,” he said.

Picture: Englishman Luca Cumani eyes the Melbourne Cup.

The announcement by the Singapore Turf Club and Aushorse that they are joining forces to produce a seven-race series with bonuses for Australian-bred 2YOs in Singapore in 2011 is a welcome boost for the Australian breeding industry.

It will heighten Singaporean interest in Australian-bred yearlings with speed pedigrees in 2011 (for the 2012 series), especially horses in the low-to-middle price range, which is the appealing buying range for Singapore trainers and owners.

The Australian selling companies, Inglis and Magic Millions, will participate in the series by offering bonuses of $S25,000 and $S30,000 (alternately in the first four races) to winners bought at Australian yearling sales. Aushorse provides the bonus for the other three races.

The series will start in February with a $S100,000 race over 1000m on the Polytrack, with the Australian bred and sold horses racing for a $S25,000 bonus.

If any of the first six races are won by a horse not bred in Australia or not sold at any of the yearling sales, the bonus will jackpot to be added to the $S75,000 on offer as the bonus for the seventh race of the series, the $S400,000 Group 2 Singapore Golden Horseshoe (1200m), run on the turf  at Kranji in May.

The series also gives incentive for Australian trainers and owners to speculate on yearlings at the sales with the principle objective of preparing them for the Singapore buying market. Horses eligible for the bonuses will be in high demand, especially as the 2011 series, starting in February, was announced after the last Australian yearling was sold at the Magic Millions National Sale on Gold Coast on Monday.

Of course, with a wealth of Australian trainers based in Singapore, and rules that allow Australians to race in Singapore, the opportunity is there for Australian yearling buyers to consider sending their horses to Singapore to race.

Total sum for the series will be $S1 million made up as follows:

a)     Inglis race in February – $S100,000 ($S75,000 base stake plus $S25,000 bonus) over 1000 metres on Polytrack

b)     Magic Millions race in February – $S100,000 ($S75,000 base stake plus $S25,000 bonus) over 1000 metres on Polytrack

c)     Inglis  race in March – $S75,000 ($S55,000 base stake plus $S20,000 bonus) over 1100 metres on Polytrack

d)     Magic Millions race in March – $S75,000 ($S55,000 base stake plus $S20,000 bonus) over 1100 metres on Polytrack

e)     Australian sponsored race in April – $S125,000 ($S95,000 base stake plus $S30,000 bonus) over 1200 metres on turf

f)       Australian sponsored race in April – $S125,000 ($S95,000 base stake plus $S30,000 bonus) over 1200 metres on turf

g)     Singapore Group 2 Aushorse Singapore Golden Horseshoe in May – $S400,000 ($S325,000 base stake plus $S75,000 bonus) over 1200 metres on turf

NOTE: the Singapore dollar is worth about 80 cents Australian.

Pictured: The Australian-bred Rocket Man (by Viscount) is the top rated horse in Singapore.

On Derby Day in 1968, I tuned into the radio to listen to Vain win the Maribyrnong Plate (1000m, Flemington). As much was I was excited by Bill Collins’ gushy call of the great colt streaking away to win by eight lengths, hard held, with Pat Hyland clinging to a clump of mane to keep his balance, my interest was elsewhere.

At the 2YO barrier trials, run earlier in the spring at Flemington on a Sunday in front of a big crowd (oh, the memories), I took meticulous notes and marked my horses to follow; taking particularly interest in the new sires. One horse that caught my eye was an impressive trial-winning performance by raw, leggy colt by first-season sire, the imported Bluescope (USA).

The colt, named Big Scope, had run third behind Vain (by Wilkes (FR)) in the Debutant Stakes (900m) at Caulfield; before that he also chased home Lone Wolf (by Lupus (GB)) in the Maribyrnong Trial (1000m, Flemington).

On Derby Day, he was outpaced and green, but he kept trying and hit the line hard, although Vain was in another race.

On the final day of the Melbourne Cup carnival, Big Scope backed up for his fourth run in five weeks, in the 1200m Flemington Stakes. The colt relished the extra trip, and careered away with a most impressive win by six lengths, with Lone Wolf in his wake. Trainer Artie D’Alton declared prophetically: “If Big Scope can win that easily, how good is Vain?”

Big Scope’s dam was Illawong, a Deville Wood (GB) mare, who went on to produce two other brilliant Stakes winners, also by Bluescope – I’m Scarlet (Theo Marks Quality, Canterbury Stakes, Northern Slipper Stakes and Expressway Stakes) and Tumberlua (Villiers Stakes and Keith Mackay Handicap). I’m Scarlet sired three Stakes winners in Western Australia.

Unfortunately, that hard early racing took its toll on Big Scope and he didn’t reproduce his spring juvenile form, but he, along with another smart pre-Christmas youngster, Bluedora, did much to boost the profile of Bluescope, who went onto sire two Doomben 10,000 winners in Bengalla Lad and Blue’s Finito.

And where does this reminiscing all lead? To race one at Narromine on Monday and the easy winner, Crooked Smile, trained by Tracey Bartley of Sniper’s Bullet fame.

Crooked Smile had been beaten into third place at Gilgandra at her debut, but the 3YO filly is headed for better things than the outer bush circuit.

Her pedigree suggests that, too. She is the first foal, by Encosta De Lago, of the top-class racemare Skewiff (b m 1997, Mookta–Centrullah, by Century). Skewiff, a hardy, but talented mare for trainer Darren Weir, won the 2004 Group 3 Rose Of Kingston Stakes (1400m, Flemington) and the 2005 Group 3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m, Flemington). She raced until she was eight.

Skewiff’s dam, Centrullah, is a granddaughter of Big Scope’s dam, Illawong – a study of her pedigree on the Stud Book website took me back more than 40 years.

(In 2007, The Thoroughbred magazine published a story about cantankerous old Centrullah and her then yearling colt by Beckett (IRE) – view that story).

Skewiff (pictured) was sold at the 2006 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale for $450,000, in foal to Encosta De Lago, to agent Jamie Walter.

Breeding lines:

Bluescope (USA) (b h 1958, Helioscope (USA)–Blue Jeans (USA), by Bull Lea (USA)) – his granddam, Blue Grass (USA), by Blue Larkspur (USA), won the Kentucky Oaks.

Illawong (br m 1958, Deville Wood (GB)–Plea, by Confessor (GB) – Illawong’s granddam, Constant Hope, was a daughter of dual Melbourne Cup hero, Peter Pan.

The news that one of the world’s top gallopers, Gloria De Campeao, has been set for this October’s $3 million Group 1 Cox Plate (wfa, 2040m, Moonee Valley) is not only a terrific boost for the race, but also a wonderful opportunity for Australian racing fans to see a genuine international superstar.

Gloria de Campeao won the 2010 Group 1 Dubai World Cup (wfa, 2000m) at Meydan in Dubai in March – he will be the first World Cup winner to come to Australia to race. Of course, Street Cry, winner of the 2002 World Cup, and Singspiel (1997) have shuttled to Australia as a stallion.

Only 10 days ago, Gloria de Campeao was brave when nudged out by Lizard’s Desire, who was second (beaten a nose) in Dubai, in the Group 1 Singapore Airlines International Cup (wfa, 2000m) at Kranji.

It has been a while since an internationally-trained horse has competed in the Cox Plate. The most recent was in 2005 when three horses – Super Kid (7^th, trained by John Moore in Hong Kong), Greys Inn (10^th, Mike de Kock, South Africa) and Tosen Dandy (11^th, Hideyoki Mori, Japan) – were unplaced behind Makybe Diva in a memorable race.

Of course, Makybe Diva was bred in Great Britain, but she didn’t race there.

It could be said that the Irish Derby winner Grey Swallow, who was 12^th behind Fields Of Omagh in 2006, was an international – he won his Irish Derby under the guidance of Dermot Weld in Ireland, but Weld sold the grey to Wadham Park’s Peter Rowsthorn, who entrusted his private trainer Dale Sutton with preparing Grey Swallow for the Cox Plate. Unfortunately, the exercise failed when Grey Swallow dwelt at the start before trailing the field home. He pulled up lame and was retired to Rowsthorn’s Woodside Park Stud – his oldest progeny are yearlings.

Going back to the fly in-fly out visitors, Godolphin went close to winning the Cox Plate in 2002 when the handsome chestnut Grandera, a horse with a similar Group 1 winning record to Grey Swallow, rattled home for third behind Northerly and Defier after wobbling around the home bend. Grandera (by Grand Lodge (USA)) shuttled to Australia as a stallion between 2003 and 2007.

Only two former international racehorses have won the Cox Plate: the most recent was Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Almaarad, who won for trainer Colin Hayes in 1989; and the first Cox Plate winner, Violoncello in 1922, was promising galloper in England when he was spotted by Sydney’s Sir Samuel Horden on one of his travels. Horden paid £4000 for Violoncello, who also won the Caulfield Cup in 1921.

What appeals to me about Gloria De Campeao is his running style, which is perfect for Moonee Valley. He will set the pace and keep the pressure on; he rarely gives up without a fight. Watching him run in the Cox Plate will be a highlight for a race that has starting to lag behind the Melbourne Cup for publicity in recent years.

Gloria De Campeao was bred and originally raced in Brazil. He is trained in France by Pascal Bary, a horseman of high international standing, who has trained the winners of Group 1 races in six countries, including three Breeders’ Cups in North America.

Gloria De Campeoa has a strong South American pedigree, but that goes back to Great Britain from a family that has significance influence in Australia and New Zealand.  His sire Impression (ARG), has an American pedigree, being by Fappiano’s son Rubiano (USA) from Improbable Lady (USA), a daughter of the French-bred Liloy. Audacity (BRZ), the dam of Gloria De Campeao, is a direct descendant of a mare that appears in the Stud Book as the West Australian mare (GB), born in 1857, who is best known as the dam of the breed-shaping stallion Musket (GB), the sire of Carbine.

Interestingly, I wrote recently about Lee Freedman’s promising 2YO, Smokin’ Joey (b c 2007, Encosta De Lago–Dalzing, by Blazing Sword) also tracing back to Musket’s dam.

Molson’s win in the opening race, the Star Shower 2YO Handicap (1400m), at Sandown Hillside today is testimony to the lengths Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm racing operation will go to get a win.

In a similar manner to the  “travel to win” policy adopted by trainer John Hawkes when he was at Woodlands Stud, and fostered other trainers such as Peter Moody and Mick Price, the Patinack team is travelling eastern and southern Australia in search of a winner.

Molson, a filly by Fusaichi Pegasus (USA) from Canada (by Canny Lad), started her career with a 740-metre trial win at Randwick on March 26 – she made her debut 15 days later, finishing sixth behind Cyndiana Star over 900 metres at Newcastle.

Two weeks later, trainer John Thompson shipped the filly to Adelaide for a 1000-metre 2YO race at Morphettville. She filly raced in a good position, but was very one-pace before finishing seventh behind Tropical Thunder.

Thompson sent Molson back to his Melbourne base. An increase in distance saw an immediate result, with the filly running on powerfully to beat all but Female Agent (by Commands) in 1200-metre 2YO Maiden at Ballarat on May 13. It was a promising performance from a filly, indicating she would relish a further increase in distance.

That came today at Sandown, where Molson proved a shade too strong for Lee Freedman’s Population (by Shamardal (USA)), with Female Agent franking the form line by finishing third.

If the attitude of other Hunter Valley studs is any guide, Kitchwin Hills would have had every reason to feel comfortable had it decided to increase the fee of their emerging stallion Dane Shadow.

But Kitchwin Hills has caused a stir with its announcement today that it won’t be increasing Dane Shadow’s fee.

At only $16,500 (inc. GST), Dane Shadow (pictured) represents tremendous value considering his impressive start to his stud career – his oldest progeny, from limited books of average-class mares, are only three and include the top sprinter Shellscrape, the class filly Hurtle Myrtle and a host of other promising horses.

Last season, Dane Shadow covered a quality book of 160 mares – he had another 100 or so on the waiting list – at that fee, after  increasing from a fee of $7700 in 2008.

“I know breeders will be surprised that we haven’t increased Dane Shadow’s fee,” said Kitchwin Hills’ stud manager Mick Malone. “It was something we discussed at length, but we wanted to ensure another 150 or so quality mares to back up last year’s book.”

“We are taking a long-term view by not pricing him where many are saying we could. We can see the future benefit by creating two solid books, back to back.

“We have huge plans for Dane Shadow and don’t want to risk anything in building his future. If breeders have a good win out of this then good luck to them, this will only help us all in the future.”

The Kitchwin Hills decision will be welcomed by breeders in the wake of two years of selling yearlings for little or no profit off the high fees of 2006 and 2007, and at a time when many others studs have gone “trigger happy” in increasing fees for some stallions when the general call has been for fees to come down, or at least stay relatively stagnant.

This year, Dane Shadow’s yearlings have given breeders a return of more than nine times the $7700 fee – and there is no signs the profit making will stop off the $16,500 fee, especially considering the better quality mare the stallion covered last season.

Kitchwin Hills also announced that their new sire, Duporth (by Red Ransom (USA)), will kick off his stud career at a fee of $22,000 (inc. GST), which places him under the fee of Vinery’s new Red Ransom-son Onemorenomore ($24,250), and more than Arrowfield’s new Red Ransom-son, All American ($16,500). All three young stallions won at Group 1 level – Duporth (2009 BTC Cup 1200m), Onemorenomore (2009 Champagne Stakes 1600m) and All American (2009 Emirates Stakes 1600m).

Nowhere else in the world is Red Ransom held in such high esteem as a sire of stallions – the fact that Red Ransom is a wonderful outcross, and proven cross, for Danehill-line mares has a lot to do with it, but also Red Ransom (who died in November last year) has been well support in his 11 years at Vinery Stud and his stock, which includes the champion mare Typhoon Tracy, are proven under Australian conditions – a fact that is starting to appeal more and more to Australian breeders.

Note: The Slattery Media Group supplies media services to Kitchwin Hills.

New Zealand father-son training partnership Murray and Bjorn Baker are planning a rushed trip to Sydney with their exciting 2YO Lion Tamer (pictured).

Murray Baker said he was seriously considering running Lion Tamer in Saturday’s Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick after encouragement from his son that the field for this year’s race was not of a high standard.

Bjorn is in Sydney looking after Baker team’s Sydney Cup contender Harris Tweed.

“Bjorn has spoken to a few experts and his thoughts are that this is a good opportunity to win a Group 1 in Australia,” Baker said.

The Bakers have good advice as this year’s Champagne Stakes does look to be substandard. None of the first four home in the Golden Slipper – Crystal Lily, Decision Time, More Strawberries and Hinchinbrook – is running. Beneteau finished fifth in the Slipper and is the only Slipper runner entered for the Champagne Stakes, and the son of Redoute’s Choice has been in training for a long time after placing third in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m, Caulfield) in February.

Baker said it was not his usual style to back up a 2YO within seven days, but Lion Tamer had come through his New Zealand win in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m, Ellerslie) win on Saturday as if he hadn’t had a run.

“He’s very tough and he’s a genuine stayer. If any horse can handle the back up and the trip across (the Tasman ) it’s him. We won’t have to work him,” Baker said.

Baker said that Lion Tamer’s only poor run – ninth in the Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m, Awapuni) – was to be forgiven. “He was flattened at the start by his stablemate and it was a leader-biased track that day. He never got into the race.”

Lion Tamer is by the first-season sire Storming Home, a son of Machiavellian, from Lioness, a mare by Generous (GB). His third dam is the outstanding staying mare My Blue Denim, who was second behind Beldale Ball in the 1980 Melbourne Cup. This is the same family as Harris Tweed.