Things to know today
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Birdman won the Group 1 Underwood Stakes over 1800 metres at Caulfield on Saturday, the Chris Waller trained gelding beating Cosmic Crusader by a length and three quarters with Attrition a further two and a quarter lengths away third. Ben Melham rode him. It was a second Group 1 for the imported son of Free Eagle, after the Doomben Cup over 2000 metres in May, and it came off a first up sixth in the Memsie Stakes over 1400 metres on 29 August. The Turnbull Stakes at Flemington on 3 October is the likely next run, with the Cox Plate at Flemington on 24 October the target. Earlier in the day stewards, in consultation with riders, directed the moveable rail out a further four metres from the 350 metre mark to the winning post after areas of concern were found on the inside of the straight, and race 1 was delayed by ten minutes. The Melbourne Racing Club said the issue was with standard track repair plugs near the inside rail and that it would review the matter immediately after the meeting. Racing Victoria stewards have since asked the club for a report on the track. “The Melbourne Racing Club is preparing a report as requested by Racing Victoria stewards,” a club spokesperson said, adding that once the report is complete the club will be in a position to provide a further update. Who will conduct the report has not been confirmed. The rail will be at the 13 metre position for the $2 million Group 1 Manikato Stakes at Caulfield on Sunday 27 September, cutting the field limit from 16 to 13. The Moonee Valley Racing Club, whose race moved to Caulfield while Moonee Valley is closed for renovation, said it was advised of the rail movement on Sunday. No inquiry has concluded and no finding has been made (The Straight, Just Horse Racing, Betsy, Yahoo Sport Australia, Racing Victoria). Turfling does not reproduce Racing Australia field content, so key runners only. |
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Sheza Alibi will run the Group 1 Might And Power Stakes over 2000 metres at Caulfield on 10 October before dropping back for the $10 million Golden Eagle over 1500 metres at Rosehill three weeks later. It will be the four year old mare’s first start beyond 1600 metres. Peter Moody trains her, and she won the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes over 1600 metres at Flemington a week ago after opening her campaign with a second in the Group 1 Winx Stakes. No winner of the Golden Eagle in its first seven runnings has come through a 2000 metre lead up. “It’ll be perfect for her and it will give her plenty of time to come back to the Eagle,” Moody said (The Straight) |
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Observer has had surgery for colic and will be rested from stud duties. The son of Ghaiyyath began his first breeding season at Darley’s Northwood Park on 1 September at $33,000 including GST. Darley said the problem was diagnosed early and has been addressed, and that he will now have a period of rest and recovery with further updates to come. Trained by Ciaron Maher, he won five of his 11 starts for almost $1.7 million, among them the Group 1 Victoria Derby and the Group 1 Australian Guineas, a double only three horses had completed in the 40 year history of the Guineas before him, the last of them Hitotsu in 2022 (The Straight) |
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System Of Play stayed unbeaten at Ellerslie on Saturday, the Te Akau colt winning over 1400 metres by half a length under Michael McNab after Grocer’s Girl had stretched the field in front of him. The son of Ole Kirk, out of the Medaglia D’Oro mare Statuesquely, had won his only previous start over 1200 metres at Te Rapa in April. David Ellis bought him for $480,000 from the Ohukia Lodge draft at last year’s Ready To Run Sale at Karaka. The Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas over 1600 metres at Riccarton on 14 November is the aim. “He is a very exciting colt on the way up,” the assistant trainer Reece Trumper said (LOVERACING.NZ) |
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Knock Off led all the way in the Group 3 Hunterville Vet Club Metric Mile over 1600 metres at Trentham on Saturday, the seven year old going four lengths clear on the home bend and holding Potiki, with Hi Yo Sass Bomb third on a testing track. Leah Hemi rode him for Gerard Cvitanovich, who trains him for his own family. The son of Fabulous has now won six of his 19 starts for more than $203,000. “We didn’t know how he would handle the track, but he deserved it,” Cvitanovich said (LOVERACING.NZ) |
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Perfumist took her first stakes win in the Group 3 NZB Tibbie Stakes over 1400 metres at Newcastle on Friday, the five year old mare settling fifth and drawing away by 2.6 lengths under Rachel King for Bjorn Baker. Bred by Gerry Harvey and raced by OTI Racing and partners, the El Roca mare was bought for $190,000 out of Westbury Stud’s draft at the 2023 Ready to Run Sale and has now won eight of her 21 starts for A$854,158. She is the 15th individual stakes winner for her sire. The Group 3 Angst Stakes and then the A$2 million Big Dance over 1600 metres at Randwick on 3 November are the plan (LOVERACING.NZ) |
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Geegees Mistruth was named Tasmanian Horse of the Year for a second year running at the state awards at Wrest Point in Hobart on Friday night, having won the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes at Morphettville, the first Group 1 for the Geard family’s Geegees operation. She is by their resident stallion Wordsmith and was trained by Stuart Gandy for her first 12 starts, six of them wins, before moving to a Cranbourne stable ahead of last year’s Melbourne spring. The Group 1 winning jockey Craig Newitt was named a legend, and The Inevitable, Hellova Street, the former race caller Colin McNiff and the jockey Harold Coutts went into the Hall of Fame (The Straight) |
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