From Richard & Will Freedman
Horse: Fashion Legend
Message: (Saturday, Brisbane Race 5, Fred Best Classic) Fashion Legend heads there off a slightly disappointing effort in the Takeover Target Stakes where he finished 8th and just over 3-1/2 lengths from winner Think About It to continue a plain first-up record. It was less than we’d expected because we’d thought he was more forward. A little bit of that is our training style as well. We don’t usually have horses ready to win first-up, they probably enjoy having a run under their belt. But he is unbeaten in two second-up runs. He likes to dictate himself when he starts rolling and getting to his top. At least he’s going to have plenty of room and there’s speed outside him as well. Hopefully we can get into a three-wide cover line and he can peel out and have his chance.
From Clarry Conners
Horse: Pin Me Up
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation Hcp) I had her in the 1300m but I decided to go to the 1400m because I could get young Zac who rode her in the trial. Her benchmark is high and she has to carry a bit of weight but that’s why I wanted someone to take a bit of weight off her (with Zac Lloyd’s claim she’ll carry 58.5kg against fillies and mares). It’s not an easy race but she’s drawn a barrier and I think she will be very competitive. In her previous races in New Zealand she’s had no speed at all. But in the trial she was right on the pace straight away, that’s the part that surprised me. That was the first time I’d done anything with her and I was very pleased. She’s done sensationally since she’s been here, gone forward in leaps and bounds, so I’m really looking forward to Saturday.
From Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott
Horse: Hawaii Five Oh
Message: (Saturday, Brisbane Race 5, Fred Best Classic) He’s drawn midfield (gate 9), which will suit him, and there looks to be some speed in the race and plenty of pressure will be on. It’s a big step up for him but he’s progressing nicely and it’ll be good if he can get into the Stradbroke as our second runner.
Horse: Converge
Message: (Saturday, Brisbane Race 8, Kingsford Smith Cup) Converge is already a winner of the Group 1 J.J. Atkins in 2021 and Group 1 Randwick Guineas in 2022, drew barrier one in his final Stradbroke warm-up. Converge is proven at Weight For Age and is well weighted in the Stradbroke. He should run well and improve off this run on Saturday but 1300 metres is probably short of his best.
From Joseph Pride
Horse: Titanium Power
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, SCCF James Tedesco Outreach Program Hcp) Titanium Power is coming back from a 3rd in the Luskin Star Stakes. He was in an 1100m first-up without his blinkers on and it’s a very different set up now having had two runs and he’s got his blinkers on. He’ll be better in this than he was first-up. I think he will run well, the only trouble is he’s a horse that needs the fence and I don’t know how he’s going to find the fence from 11. If they go quick enough, he’s pretty quick himself, he might be able to get across. It’s not a target race for him but it’s an interesting race for him because I’ve prepared him differently than what I have in the past.
Horse: Dragonstone
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, SCCF James Tedesco Outreach Program Hcp) He reminds me of, and I can only hope he’s half as good, Destiny’s Kiss. I know he’s not a stayer but he’s the same size. Think About It is a bit the same, if he walked into someone’s barn they wouldn’t be super impressed but it’s about the engine and (Dragonstone) has obviously got one of those. He probably runs up to 1200m, I’m not going to change that, he looks a genuine horse and hopefully now he is a bit older he finds a bit of improvement. He went up in between horses (in the trial) which I’m told is not the way to ride him. He’s very much a clear air horse so we’ll be looking to get him to the outside of horses so he can finish right off.
Horse: Dehorned Unicorn
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, SCCF James Tedesco Outreach Program Hcp) I was a touch disappointed (last start 4th) but maybe I’m too harsh on him first go in stakes grade. He wasn’t far away. His last win was at Randwick over the 1100m with 59.5kg on New Year’s Eve and he’ll drop 7kg on that. He was racing super last preparation and some of his best runs were at Randwick. He goes back to Randwick and gets a fast run race, I would have thought he’d be a very good chance.
Horse: Zoushack
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 9, Precise Fire Hcp) The hardy six-year-old carried 7kg more in his first-up 3rd in a small field on a heavy track back on April 29 and boasts an unbeaten 1400m record. He’s a genuine honest horse and he’ll run well. It’s a long time since I’ve had him in a race with a really light weight. I was happy with his first-up run, he’s not suited on heavy, he’ll get the sting out which is ideal. He won last prep with 64.5kg so 53.5kg is going to feel pretty light to him.
From Andrew Ryan
Horse: Life Well Lived
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 2, Highway Hcp) The way he was winning and progressing we had expectations of a Country Cups horse, maybe even city grade but he developed breathing issues that required a throat operation. We understand what affect throat surgery can have on a horse but his first-up run at Mudgee at unsuitable distance was encouraging enough to suggest he’s recovered well enough. Obviously it’s still wait and see until he’s put under pressure at his preferred distance range. And produces. We’ll know a lot more on Saturday. We couldn’t be happier with his work and attitude and Anthony (Cavallo) who has always ridden him says the same. We think he’ll run us a race, or we wouldn’t have nominated. Does want a ‘mile’ or further. But second-up, still fresh, the 1400m suits.
From Team Snowden
Horse: Godzilla
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 1, Wilson Asset Management Hcp) A stone bruise put paid to his autumn carnival campaign and he’s taken a little while to get over that issue. He trialled okay going into it (last start 8th) but everyone thought he was going to start when he left off before he had the sore foot. I thought he’d go better than what he did, yeah I was disappointed, but his work since that run has been very good so I’ll put it down to fitness more than anything else. He gets his chance to redeem himself.
Horse: Vomo Island
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 1, Wilson Asset Management Hcp) (Vomo Island) was off a little freshen up so he was probably a little underdone. He’s ready now, he’s had another trial between runs and he’s ready to run well. We tried to get him to Brisbane but he didn’t make the cut so he needs to be running well to get into the JJ (Atkins). There hasn’t been too many seven furlong races, normally they don’t go too hard in them. He’s got gate speed, he can be handy and if they are going hard he can sit off them.
Horse: Tashi
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 4, Taylor Hcp) She’s a good fresh filly, she always trials well and she’s in the right race to run well first-up.
Horse: Mirra View
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation Hcp) Her first run was excellent, really good. The seven furlongs shouldn’t worry her, she’s got a nice draw and a claim and she’ll run well.
Horse: Unspoken
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, Swysh Hcp) The gelding has been runner-up in two of his three starts (for the stable), and had excuses in the other, and comes off a solid 2nd behind Akasawa over 1700m at the Scone carnival. All his runs have been good. His first run was excellent, he was flattened at Hawkesbury and third-up he ran well again at Scone. He’s been looking for this trip for a while and I think he’s found the right race. He’s a mile and a quarter, mile and a half horse, he’s ready for 2000m.
Horse: Billiondollarbaby
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, Fujitsu Airstage Hcp) I would have liked 1200m but that was a very strong race (in Brisbane) so when we drew bad it was a no brainer to stay home.
From Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou
Horse: The Face
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, SCCF James Tedesco Outreach Program Hcp) The gelding has been competitive all preparation including a 5th in the Group 3 Star Kingdom Stakes in March and in filling the same position behind Think About It in the Listed Takeover Target Stakes last time out. With plenty of pace in Saturday’s sprint, The Face can show another string to his bow by stalking the speed, rather than setting it. He should be able to get a sit on Saturday off a hot speed and I think the race maps out well for him.
Horse: Conscript
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, SCCF James Tedesco Outreach Program Hcp) The five-year-old was narrowly beaten by a race-fit Astero when resuming on a heavy track at Rosehill in April, an effort all the more meritorious given he went into it off a limited foundation. He got balloted out of two trials which is why he went to the races without a trial, and he hadn’t even had a jump out. But he didn’t miss a beat and it’s strange, he’s had a race now and two weeks later we’re able to get a trial into him, so he had a tick-along trial last Friday and the horse appears to be going well. This is a step up in grade, but you can’t get a more honest horse than him.
From John O’Shea
Horse: Andalus
Message: (Saturday, Eagle Farm Race 7, Qld Derby) Andalus, who is making his debut for the stable, will have to overcome the second outside gate. He ran 2nd in the New Zealand Derby and probably went too far forward in the Australian Derby but he’s a really nice horse. Blinkers go back on for Saturday’s contest and while he will be eight weeks between runs, the gelding has been kept up to the mark with two barrier trials.
Horse: Stroke Of Luck
Message: (Saturday, Eagle Farm Race 7, Qld Derby) Stroke Of Luck leads the stable’s Derby charge after drawing well in barrier four. He had no luck in the Tulloch Stakes three starts ago when strung up for a run, then wasn’t disgraced when 8th in the ATC Australian Derby on an unsuitable heavy track. He showed he had freshened up well with a solid 3rd to Special Swey in the Rough Habit Plate at Doomben. He was six weeks between runs and had a burn around the other day. He didn’t quite get around Doomben and he’ll be better suited over a mile-and-a-half at Eagle Farm.
From The Editor
Brisbane Race 6 – Chrysaor
Brisbane Race 7 – Kovalica
Brisbane Race 8 – Rothfire
