Bits & Pieces

WE SAW IT

The rain Southern Australia so badly needs was there for all to see at Doomben on Saturday, with those watching pay television amazed at the downpours as races two and four were run at Doomben – fortunately the deluge had passed over when the Doomben 10,000 (race five, 1350m) was run and there was no rain on Apache Cat’s parade as he won the Group 1 race.

The white-faced wonder is as popular in Queensland as Takeover Target is elsewhere, having won the past two 10,000s and with a third and a win in the BTC Cup (1200m), also a Group 1. It is more a case of cheer the one you have rather than the one elsewhere, with TT not having raced in Brisbane since he won the 10,000 in 2007.

Apache Cat (Ch g 6, Lion Cavern (USA)-Tennessee Blaze, by Whiskey Road (USA)) can’t compete with Takeover in the “Story Stakes”, nor has he won overseas, but he has won eight Group 1s (the same as TT) and has earned $4.4 million – Takeover has passed the $6 million mark. And, galloping ability aside, that white face, accentuated by white blinkers, makes him something to watch in running. As winning rider Damien Oliver said: “His quirky markings really endear him to the crowd.”

Ollie was at his brilliant best winning his 83^rd Group 1 in the 10,000, cruising to the front before the turn while the rest of the field was ploughing on behind, and holding off the visible challenger, Black Piranha, while All Silent was “all hidden” from the TV camera (on the outside rail) in beating Sniper’s Bullet for third. Those watching on TV screens couldn’t understand why there was a photo for third – now they know.

The rain continued much further north on Sunday – in Hong Kong, where the last two races of the 10-event card at Sha Tin were called off.  Zac Purton, part of the drama at Doomben on Saturday, was in the thick of things again 24 hours later.

Aussie Purton almost missed his 10,000 ride on the wet-track flop Court Command when the wild weather forced his HK-Brisbane plane to detour via Townsville, and then he won the Group 3 Premier’s Cup (2200m) on swimmer Reggie. (Reggie (B or Br m 8, Germano (GB)-Crackastar (NZ), by Star Way (GB)), is heading to the Magic Millions broodmare sale next week.) Said trainer Peter Moody, in as many words: whoever buys her could have a Brisbane Cup runner. Back in HK, Purton had two wins on the abbreviated card to take his season’s tally to 31, two up on last year’s mark with 10 meetings left in the season.

Fellow Aussie Brett Prebble had a double to take his tally to 64, second to South African tearaway Douglas Whyte (91). And Prebble had even better news when Sacred Kingdom’s connections decided to pay a late entry fee of almost $100,000 for the Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 20. The world’s top-rated sprinter showed he could handle travel with a win in the Group 1 KrisFlyer (1200m) at Kranji in Singapore on May 17. “I can’t wait to get there,” said Prebble. – “I’ve never ridden at Ascot before and not only am I going to get there, I’ll be on the best sprinter in the world today.”

Another Victorian jockey, James Winks, wants to go no further than Hong Kong next season. Winks, a late addition to the HK ranks in January, told the South China Morning Post on Sunday after his 10^th winner: “I hope I’ll be invited back again next season because I certainly want to come.”

Darren Beadman, who certainly will be back, had no luck on Sunday – he didn’t ride a winner and stewards found him guilty of not riding a sixth-placed horse with full vigour to the line. Beadman finished a nose and a short head from fourth. Stewards said his (in)action might have affected First Four dividends – the pools are huge – and suspended him for two weeks (after he rides in a Group 1 race at Sha Tin next Sunday).

THEY SAID IT

“Every owner and every punter is good for the game; the bigger the owner, the bigger the punter, the better for the game,” Robert Smerdon said after Makeadreamcometrue (B g 5, Volksraad (GB)-Lady Tee (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ) won at Caulfield for big Sydney owner Nick Moraitis. Smerdon reckoned Moraitis told him he had “50 something” horses in work at any time – Caulfield trainer Smerdon has 10-12 of those.  Moraitis hit the headlines with the champion Might And Power, winner of the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups in 1997 and Cox Plate in 1998, and he was back there during the recent Sydney carnival with back-to-back Group 1 wins with the greatly improved Vision And Power. Smerdon said Saturday’s win would be a tonic for Moraitis, who had back and neck surgery.

“I didn’t think he’d ever win by that sort of distance; he’s a pretty laidback sort of a galloper,” said Flemington trainer Mark Kavanagh after Shocking’s stunning three-length win in the manner of a spring horse in the Taralye Foundation Cup (2000m) at Caulfield. . Weather and flight availability will determine whether Shocking (B c 3, Street Cry (IRE)-Maria Di Castiglia (GB), by Danehill (USA)) goes to Brisbane for the Queensland Derby (2400m) at Eagle Farm on June 6.

“We’ve got a pretty smart horse, but do you really want to cook it?” More Kavanagh on whether to go to Queensland.

“He’s  a good judge of a horse, no doubt about him,”  Kavanagh again, this time of Lawrence Eales, owner of Shocking and another of the Street Cry progeny, last spring’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas winner  Whobegotyou (Ch g, ex Temple Of Peace (JPN), by Carnegie (IRE)) and Shocking.

 WE’LL WATCH IT

Black Piranha’s bid to break his Group 1 duck in the Stradbroke Handicap (1350m) at Eagle Farm on June 6 is worth hanging out for after his second to Apache Cat in the 10,000. It was his third Group 1 second in his past three runs and, in anyone’s language, that is unlucky. Or is it? Prizemoney was $80,000 (Ryder), $380,000 (Doncaster) and $130,000 (10,000) for $590,000 – then again, first prizes were $264,900, $1,211,500 and $416,000 for $1,892,400, and that’s some gap ($1.3m). Black Piranha (Br g 5, Clang-Jazztrack, by Distinctly North (USA)) is trained at Rosehill by Con Karakatsanis, yet to train a Group 1 winner. Tye Angland has had the ride in all the seconds. In the Stradbroke BP drops to 53.5kg from 59 at wfa in the 10,000; and the distance goes up to 1400m, which should suit. And he won’t be worried if the rain continues. First prize in the $640,000, and we’re guessing that connections also know that second is worth $200,000.

Eagle Farm has a big meeting on this Saturday, too, with the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m). Also on the card are three Group 2s, a Group 3 and two Listed races.

Belmont in Perth has the Group 3 Roma Cup (1200m), Rosehill the Listed McKell Cup (2400m) and Flemington has two $100,000 races, the David Bourke Provincial Plate (1600m) and the second heat of the Banjo Paterson Series (2600m) for stayers.

And another spring reminder about Caulfield trainer Peter Moody’s promising youngster Black Caviar (Br f 2, Bel Esprit-Helsinge, by Desert Sun (GB)) comes from the win of Carrara (B c 2, Elvstroem-Crystal Sprite, by Hurricane Sky) in the Listed Doomben Slipper (1350m) after his third to the flying Black Caviar at his previous start at Caulfield. Carrara was also Elvstroem’s first Stakes winner.