From Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou
Horse: Williamsburg
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 1, Frank Packer Plate) Ride him back. I know there’s only going to be five or six in it and there’s going to be no pace on, but he has to be ridden quiet. He’ll get a soft track, which he likes, but more importantly he’s got to be ridden quietly like he was as a two-year-old. Both times he’s gone to his grand finals (Spring Champion Stakes and ATC Derby), he’s been ridden up on the speed. But I’m happy with him, he’s bright and well and fresh in himself.
Horse: The Face
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 10, Catanach’s Jewellers Hcp) The stable is optimistic The Face can return to the winner’s list in the Catanach’s Jewellers Handicap (1200m) after two encouraging runs from a spell, the latest when placed behind the in-form Bacchanalia at Group 3 level. He’s come back a totally different horse. His work the last two Tuesdays has been as good as he’s ever done. If he performs well enough on Saturday he’ll go to the Takeover Target Stakes.
From Team Snowden
Horse: Don Corleone
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, Champagne Stakes) He just missed the boat there (in the Sires’) through no fault of anyone’s. As Hughie (Bowman) said, he may not have won but he would have made it very interesting had he got out on equal terms and fought to the line because he was good once he got out. The winner just had too big a margin on him. I said to (managing owner) Henry (Field), I’ll wait and if he shows me any signs he’s had enough, if he looks fatigued or drops off his feed or lightens off, I’ll use that as an excuse to tip him out because he’s done a very good job already. I wouldn’t run him unless I was 110 per cent sure he’d run well. I don’t want to run him for the sake of it. His Sires’ run was very good and he’s done nothing but please us since then.
Horse: Make A Call
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, Champagne Stakes) The stable will also back up Make A Call after his narrow 2nd to Tom Kitten in the Fernhill Mile last weekend. He’s a bit of a monkey. He comes back from his runs like he hasn’t gone out there. But no doubt he’s got talent and it wouldn’t shock to see him run really well. He’s a tough horse and a very fit horse and he handles wet ground.
Horse: Mazu
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, All Aged Stakes) He’s probably the best wet tracker I’ve ever had. He is so comfortable in the ground, it’s incredible how well he handles it. The wetter the better, it makes no difference to him at all. He got past Nature Strip (in the Newmarket Handicap) and I think he thought the job was done but there were two more flying down the outside. I had to be pleased with his run. I always make our main race third or fourth run of the prep. Even though he’s a very good trackworker and he runs well, he really does come to hand third and fourth-up, and last year fifth-up he won a (Doomben) 10,000. Because he races a very tough way, it takes a little bit of racing to get him rock-hard fit and he’s not far off the mark now. You don’t know until you run them (at 1400m), but I’ve always thought he’s got a really good action, it’s very economical. And you can hold him up now, he’s not a one-trick pony who just jumps and runs. You can rate him and I think that gives him a good chance to run out a good seven (furlongs).
From John O’Shea
Horse: Waihaha Falls
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, Hal Marks Stakes) Waihaha Falls is going to have to cop his medicine early and probably go back to last or second to last (from barrier 10), which is disappointing. He loves wet ground and 1200m at Randwick is his forte. He is in great form and if he got a bit of luck in running there is no reason why he couldn’t be in the finish.
Horse: Lion’s Roar
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, JRA Plate) Lion’s Roar is early in the day and the barrier position (2) suits. He is getting up to his right trip. His first-up run was good. He didn’t handle the heavy ground, but he will handle the soft as well.
Horse: Lost And Running
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, All Aged Stakes) Lost And Running will be ridden by Tom Marquand from barrier 12. The key with him is to get him on a surface that is conducive to a good performance and most importantly a barrier that allows him to perform to his best. We definitely didn’t get that first-up in the TJ (Smith) and we definitely don’t have that on Saturday. He needs to continue to race and get some miles into his legs. Ideally, we would freshen post Saturday with a view to going to the Kingsford Smith (Gr.1, 1300m) and hoping we get a few things in his favour. He is actually going quite well, he just hasn’t had circumstances to suit him in any capacity.
Horse: Cotehele
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 9, Petaluma Hcp) He is probably our best chance of the day in the sense that he has got a frightfully good record first-up, he loves soft ground, and he loves on-speed at Randwick. If you go back to his first-up run last year in the South Pacific Classic (1400m), he was probably a bit unlucky behind a really good field. On Saturday, Reece (Jones, jockey) will claim his weight down to 52kg and he will box seat or lead. He is in great form.
From James Cummings
Horse: Pericles
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 1, Frank Packer Pate) After his narrow defeat in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas over 2000m, the gelding didn’t appear comfortable in the very heavy ground in the ATC Derby. We’re delighted with that horse, he’s really going well. He’s got every reason to run a good race here and I can see us targeting some 1600m races for him next preparation. But if there is the opportunity to step him up in distance I really want to know that he can run it out strongly now that he is fully fit.
Horse: Tom Kitten
Message: (Saturday, Randwick 7, Champagne Stakes) Backing up from a last-to-first win in the Fernhill Mile over the same course and distance seven days ago. He was excellent when he got clear with less than 200m to go on the weekend, he savaged the line first run at a mile. He’s the only proven miler in the race now. Can that be enough to turn the tables on Militarize? Maybe. Don Corleone has been dancing every dance, the Blue Diamond, the Slipper, the Sires’ so he’ll be pretty tough to beat. But Tom Kitten’s in that race and he’s a chance to really mix it with those horses now we’re up to a mile and he has that different form line coming into it. He’s already proven it (at 1600m), but there might be more pressure this week than there was in the Fernhill as expected jumping from a Listed race to a Group 1. If there’s a two-year-old I’ve got in training that will cope with that added pressure over a mile right now it would be Tom Kitten.
From The Editor
Sydney Race 4 – Opal Ridge
Sydney Race 7 – Militarize
Sydney Race 8 – Zaaki
