A weekly digest from TRC featuring a round-up of recent international racing news
Native Trail flashes 2,000 Guineas credentials
GB: Europe’s champion two-year-old Native Trail has confirmed his position as hot favourite for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas after taking his unbeaten record to five in a course-and-distance rehearsal at Newmarket on Wednesday [April 13].
After his now customary mid-race flat spot, the Godolphin star powered home by 3½ lengths to win the Craven Stakes under William Buick and is now as short as 6-4 favourite for Britain’s first Classic of 2022 on May 1.
“You know once this horse hits the rising ground and gets into a battle he is going to keep finding,” said world #1 trainer Charlie Appleby, who also plans to run Coroebus in the Guineas. “I’d rather go into any gunfight with two guns as they say,” he added.
2,000 Guineas betting (Coral): 7-4 Native Trail, 10-3 Coroebus, 4 Luxembourg, 8 Point Lonsdale, 14 Modern Games, 16 Perfect Power, 20 Dubawi Legend, Triple Time, 25 bar.
Forbidden Kingdom ruled out of Kentucky Derby
USA: As might be expected, there was a major shake-up to the Kentucky Derby picture with final raft of serious trials last weekend.
One-time favourite Forbidden Kingdom has been ruled out with what was described as “epiglottis issue” after coming last of six in the Santa Anita Derby, in which maiden winner Taiba threw down his own Churchill Downs marker by beating stablemate Messier. Both principals were among those horses transferred from the suspended Bob Baffert to his former assistant Tim Yakteen,
Tampa Bay Derby winner Classic Causeway is also out after his dismal showing in the Florida Derby but connections of Blue Grass Stakes one-two Zandon and Smile Happy were both delighted with their charges in the Keeneland’s G1 prep.
Meanwhile in New York, Mo Donegal overcame Zandon’s Chad Brown stable companion Early Voting to claim the Wood Memorial.
According to British bookmakers, however, the Kentucky Derby ante-post market is still headed by Steve Asmussen’s Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter.
Kentucky Derby betting (William Hill): 11-2 Epicenter, 7 Taiba, 8 Zandon, 10 Mo Donegal, 12 Messier, Smile Happy, White Abarrio, 14 Charge it, 16 Cyberknife, Simplification, 20 bar.
Two-week whip ban and hefty fine for Rawiller after QE triumph
Australia: Nash Rawiller’s audacious triumph on Think It Over in the A$4m ($2.8m/£2.27m) Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick last weekend came with a sting in the tail as the jockey received a two-week ban and A$40,000 ($29,800/£22,700) ban for excessive whip use.
Rawiller earned the coveted Nathan Berry Medal as leading at Sydney’s two-day Championships meeting and was lauded for his tactical nous as he brought Think It Over to the stands side fence on better ground away from his rivals for a shock 40-1 success.
But he hit his mount 20 times, provoking a stern response from Racing NSW stewards including one of the biggest fines ever handed to a rider in Australia. The fine was later reduced to $30,000 appeal but the jockey’s suspension from April 17 to May 1 was confirmed.
All-time G1 record for Damien Oliver
Australia: Damien Oliver established a new all-time record for G1 wins in Australia when he gained his 127th top-level victory on 30-1 shot Nimalee in the Queen of the Turf at Randwick on Saturday [April 9].
Oliver, 49, overtook the legendary George Moore’s mark of 126 with a 2¼-length victory on the Matthew Smith-trained mare who will bid for second G1 in Saturday’s All-Aged Stakes.
Oliver has been at the top for three decades and is a member of the select group to have the Aussie ‘grand slam’ of Melbourne Cup, Cox Plate, Caulfield Cup and Golden Slipper. A ten-time winner of the Melbourne premiership, he has also won Racing Victoria’s Scobie Breasley Medal for race-riding excellence 14 times.
Hundred up for Moreira and Purton
Hong Kong: Amid their latest ding-dong battle for the HK jockeys’ premiership, Joao Moreira and Zac Purton both topped the 100-mark for 2021-22 this week.
Brazilian ‘Magic Man’ Moreira rode a double at Sha Tin on Sunday [April 10] to complete his seventh century and wrest the title-race lead from arch-rival Purton.
Three days later, Purton reached 100 for the sixth successive season at Happy Valley with victory on Viva Mama in a sprint handicap. Moreira hit back with two winners to end the evening 103-101 ahead as both riders go full tilt for their fifth title.
Trainer Caspar Fownes provided one of Moreira’s winners to move onto 998 career winners in HK.
Elsewhere in racing …
GB: Newmarket mourns death of Julie Cecil aged 80 More here
USA: Unbeaten Spenderella may join Motion’s Royal Ascot team More here
USA: GoFundMe page launched for former jockey Julio Pezua, injured in fall at Belmont More here
GB: Gay Kelleway calls on racing's support after equine mercy mission to Ukraine More here
GB: £200,000 British EBF series announced More here
France: Dominic Gardiner-Hill succeeds Phil Smith as co-chair of IFHA rankings committee More here
What’s been happening: Guineas for Luxembourg, Crown Pride for Kentucky, Efforia returns and more …
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