Bits & Pieces

THEY SAID IT

“If you’ve got an eye for a horse you couldn’t miss him,” said the great Bart Cummings on Saturday after he won his fourth Cox Plate – and his 256th Group 1 race – with So You Think (b/br c 3, High Chaparral (IRE)-Triassic (NZ), by Tights (USA)).

So You Think is still a baby – officially a three-year-old, he doesn’t actually turn three until November 10, just four days before Cummings is 82. And at that age, Bart is entitled to say: “You can’t buy experience, you’ve got to earn it, and I’ve earned a fair bit and it’s starting to work.”

“Come this way, Mr Cummings.” Chief steward Terry Bailey obviously agrees that the great man has earned it. There was no “Bart” from Bailey as he tried to direct him through the media horde to the presentation ring after the Cox Plate win.

“He is all legs. He feels like he has got eight of them.” Jockey Luke Nolen likens Hanks (b g 3, Encosta De Lago-Sister Fromseattle (USA), by Seattle Slew (USA)) to an octopus after winning a key Victoria Derby trial, the AAMI Vase (2040m), at Moonee Valley on Saturday, and suggesting that Flemington would suit him even better.

“It is a big carrot in front of you – 2500 metres on a big track at Flemington,” trainer Peter Moody said when asked if the horse named for Tom Hanks, star of the movie Sleepless in Seattle.

“I’ve always said, mentally she’s fragile. Physically she’s a racehorse, but mentally she’s not there yet,” said Moody on his other impressive winner, Avenue ($1.50-$1.65f). After operations to remove chips from both fetlocks, Avenue (br f 3, Anabaa (USA)-Virage, by Kenmare (FR)) has had five starts for four wins – the loss was to subsequent Thousand Guineas winner Irish Lights. Avenue, a sister to former top sprinter Virage De Fortune, a dual Group 1 winner, looks a likely earner for years, be it on the track or as a broodmare, or both.

“He’s a horse that is still learning, so why not help the horse learn? Why send him off to university when he can still win in secondary class? I think he will be back here next year (for the Cox Plate),” said Rosehill trainer Chris Waller after Rangirangdoo’s dominant and record-breaking win in the G2 Patinack Farm Crystal Mile instead of running in the Cox Plate. Waller had displayed the great Bart Cummings trait, patience, with Rangirangdoo (b g 5, Pentire (GB)-She Wishes (NZ), by Kenfair (NZ)).

“It was a sensational ride. He just proves week in, week out that he’s made the step up and is on the way to becoming one of our elite jockeys,” said Robert Smerdon after Nick Hall’s last-stride win on Lady Lynette (br m 5, Ladoni (GB)-Queen’s Own, by Coronation Day) in the last at Moonee Valley.

WE SAW IT

While the focus was on Moonee Valley, Ascot in Perth highlighted another classy effort from one of several WA horses that keep on winning – this time it was Kasabian ($2.20f), who made it five on end with a gutsy effort in the Ascot Vale Handicap (1200 metres).

Trainer Darren McAuliffe is aiming Kasabian (b g 4, Choisir-Safety Valve, by Air De France (USA)) at the G1 Railway Stakes (1600) at Ascot on November 21. From 11 starts he has six wins and four placings.

The low point at Perth was the death of speedster Dark Target from a heart attack after he ran last as $1.60 favourite in the $125,000 Group 3 Prince Of Wales Stakes (1200m). Dark Target (br g 5, Danetime (IRE)-Accuracy, by Protos (USA)) won eight of 19 starts.

Idyllic Prince (b g 7, Scenic (IRE)-Uma Princess, by Umatilla (NZ)) won the race, his 12^th success in 34 starts.

WE’LL WATCH IT

Wednesday has the $150,000 Listed Bendigo Cup (2200m) and Friday has a night meeting at Moonee Valley, but Saturday is the go when Derby Day at Flemington kicks off the Melbourne Cup carnival with four Group 1s: the $1.5m Victoria Derby (2500m), the $750,000 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m), the $500,000 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) and the $500,000 Myer Classic (1600m). But wait, there’s more – the $300,000 G2 Wakeful Stakes (2000m), the $300,000 G2 Salinger Stakes (1200m), the $250,000 G3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m), the $250,000 G3 Chatham Stakes (1400m) and the $250,000 G3 Lexus (2500m), formerly the SAAB Quality and the last chance to qualify for the Melbourne Cup. 

They also race at Rosehill, Eagle Farm, Ascot and Morphettville.

Extroverted international jockey Frankie Dettori will jet in for his 12th crack at winning the Melbourne Cup. Godolphin has put him on Kirklees (b h 2004, Jade Robbery (USA)-Moyesii (USA), by Diesis (GB)). Kerrin McEvoy, who was seventh on Kirklees in the Caulfield Cup, switches to second-stringer Crime Scene (b g 2003, Royal Applause (GB)-Crime (USA), by Gulch (USA)), who was sixth in the Geelong Cup.

With Caulfield Cup failure Cima De Triomphe not qualified for the Melbourne Cup, Damien Oliver will ride the Chris Waller-trained import Warringah (b g 2005, Galileo (IRE)-Threefold (USA), by Gulch (USA)), who was trained by Sir Michael Stoute. “Ollie” will be allowed to ride a half-kilo over at 53kg.

Dan Nikolic will ride Basaltico (ch h 2004, Shantou (USA)-Sfilza, by Indian Ridge (USA)) for Cima De Triomphe’s trainer Luca Cumani – if  the horse makes the final 24. He is 28th in qualification order after third declarations today.

If David Hayes decides to run Changingoftheguard (b c 2006, Montjeu (IRE)-Miletrian (IRE), by Marju (IRE)), Glen Boss will ride. The former Aidan O’Brien-trained horse is back on track after a hoof abscess burst.

MARKETS - TAB Sportsbet offers these odds (all in):

Melbourne Cup, 3200m

Flemington November 3

$6.50 Efficient, Viewed, Alcopop

$11 Roman Emperor

$13 Zipping

$15 Daffodil, Speed Gifted

$17 Master O’Reilly

$21 Leica Ding, Mourilyan, C’Est La Guerre, Vigor, Shocking

$26 Allez Wonder

$31 Kirklees, Warringah, Changingoftheguard

$41 Munsef, Fiumicino

$61 Capecover, Kibbutz, Precedence, Basaltico, Crime Scene, Dandaad, Ista Kareem

$81 Hume, Zavite, Newport

Victoria Derby, 2500m

Flemington, Saturday

$3.40 Shamopline Warrior

$5.50 Rockferry

$7 Monaco Consul

$9 Hanks

$11 Southern Skye, Viking Legend

$13 Onemorenomore

$14 Extra Zero, Spacecraft

$15 Bridgestone

$18 Gathering