From Kristen Buchanan
Horse: Winning Proposal
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 1, Petaluma Hcp) She’s a lovely filly, I feel bad for her that she keeps getting 59kg but she handled it last start and at least I can get Nash (Rawiller) on with that weight. She’s only a little slip of a thing but she’s very game. I thought Nash did what he needed to do (last start) but didn’t knock her around as much and she pulled up very well from it. She’s just so composed, she can be a little hot under the collar but when you take her to race day she’s more mature than some of our five-year-olds. It’s such an asset in a two-year-old and you’ve got to make the most of that.
Horse: Chevron
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 2, Robrick Lodge Eremein Hcp) I’ll have the fingers crossed that Chevron can sail through the ground in the Robrick Lodge Eremein Handicap. He’s not a big fan of wet tracks and it’s getting hard to dodge them. I’m not eliminating wet tracks for him but I’ve been trying to wait for a dry one. He’s ready to go and it’s a nice small field, it’s his benchmark rating, but if he’s disappointing he’ll go to the paddock.
From John Thompson
Horse: Jojo Was A Man
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Winter Stakes) The horse was largely consistent earlier in his career and didn’t need them (blinkers), but after four unplaced runs from a spell, I decide it was time to try something new. He is by Al Maher and I’ve noticed a lot of the Al Maher’s do wear blinkers and I think Al Maher wore them himself. He has always been a really consistent horse and hasn’t really needed them, but it’s probably time to give them a burl. Reece Jones is back on as well, he hasn’t ridden him for a while. He galloped him on Tuesday with the blinkers on and he said, ‘put them on, he worked great’ so we’ve put them on.
Horse: With Your Blessing
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 9, Catanach’s Jewellers Hcp) Blinkers go back on With Your Blessing for Saturday’s Catanach’s Jewellers Handicap. With Your Blessing raced well in blinkers last preparation but I kept them off for his first-up and second-up runs. He’s a horse that obviously needs them to switch on. I trialled him in them the other day at Randwick and he trialled really well. He’s spot-on and it’s a nice race for him. He loves the wet.
From Scott Collings
Horse: Mogo Magic
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, Thank You ATC Members Hcp) Getting to the Kosicuszko is our target but I don’t think we need to go out this year and try and prove too much. His fitness is right where we need it to be now because he was coming off a long break and this looks like a nice race for him. He’s coming along super, I couldn’t be happier with him. In the next one or two starts if we can put that win straight on the board I’d nearly reckon that would get him a spot in the Kosciuszko. The horse will take up his normal role, he’ll either lead or sit outside the leader. In the ideal world we’d like to be up against the fence at some stage and I think that will help him.
From Matthew Kelley
Horse: Starlight Girl
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 4, Highway Hcp) A Waterhouse and Bott discard, but as fourth emergency and one scratching so far it’s an impatient wait. Starlight Girl has led to win at Queanbeyan, Goulburn and Albury with scintillating 1000m speed and time on rain affected ground. We’re ready to go, I’ve been in this situation before so I don’t get my hopes up but three wins is superior form to the majority of the field from a wagering point of view. She’s highly strung, excitable and does have barrier issues. I went back through her trials and jump outs with Gai (Waterhouse) before she won those races for us. There’s no problem with her loading but any extended time in the barriers she gets agitated and prone to rear. But we’re resolving them with race experience. She’s come out running to win three in a row, she’s a natural talent.
From Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich
Horse: Clear Thinking
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 4, Highway Hcp) There’s no doubt that’s (the Kosciuszko) on the radar. If she wins on Saturday I’ll give her a little break and then aim toward the Kosciuszko. She’s the type of horse that people will be looking at. She’s a young horse and I think with a little rest and a prep under her belt she’ll come back a better horse. I do feel she’s a sprinter, I don’t think she’s a horse that’s going to get a mile, she’s a 1000m-1200m horse. She doesn’t have an amazing stride, riders don’t say she gives an amazing feel. She just goes about her business. She can only do what she’s done so far, it’s just the way she’s done it and she’s done it easily. There are some good horses in Saturday’s race so she will know she’s in a race for sure.
From Brad Widdup
Horse: Jedibeel
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, Thank You ATC Members Hcp) I won’t be telling Zac (Wadick) to hit the button and lead because there’s enough speed in the race. It’ll give us an idea if the fence is off or they are not making ground out wide, we’ll know those things by his race. That’s where it helps a little bit. The 1200m was obviously tougher then you’re playing on a heavy track as well. I weighed it up and from barrier 11 in an 1100m race it’s probably going to play like a 1200m race. He’s in really good order, I won’t be using that as an excuse if he gets beaten. He’s missed racing but he hasn’t missed any work.
Horse: Sneaky Paige
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 9, Catanach’s Jewellers Hcp) She resumed with a below par performance in the Gai Waterhouse Classic at Ipswich but the last time she saw a heavy track at Randwick she was a winner, back in the 2022 spring. I’ve got to get racing under her belt, she normally takes four or five runs to come right. She’s a very good worker and has great recovery after she gallops, she’s probably one of the better workers I have in the stable but she fools me a lot. She baffles me because she’s a beautiful big filly and has performed well but it’s hard to get it out of her on race day. I’ve got to keep her ticking over and get the right race at the end of the month and hopefully have her right on that day.
From Dar Lunn
Horse: Elson Boy
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 9, Catanach’s Jewellers Hcp) I have no hesitation in keeping the band together as (Chelsea) Hillier’s claim sees Elson Boy drop 1.5kg on his last start win where he held 1-3/4 lengths on Testator Silens. I thought we keep him around 1200m and 1300m, we have a plan to give him three weeks off after Saturday then come back. If he happened to win or run a nice race then you have people talking about him, that’s what you need. I thought Chelsea rode him extra well at Rosehill, and she claims the 3kg so it brings him in at the weights well. He feels as good as I could get him at the moment. He’s done everything right since he won at Rosehill. Randwick is going to be a heavy track so it will probably make it like a 1300m race. He’ll still go forward, he’s a good horse out of the gates and can muster speed. I think he has enough pace to be there and at least this time he’s drawn a nice alley (gate 5). We’ve had to use him a bit more than we wanted to get there but drawn the five he should get there all right.
From Bjorn Baker
Horse: Wategos
Message: (Saturday, Sunshine Coast Race 7, Glasshouse Hcp) Wategos has been in a purple patch of form since his arrival in Queensland, posting a Doomben win in May and following it with a brace of black-type placings. He is proven in heavy ground and that is shaping as a crucial statistic with the Caloundra track rated in the heavy range on Wednesday and further rain forecast. He’s going well and he’s pretty adaptable on all track conditions. He’s drawn the middle of the pack, eight of fifteen, so he’ll be able to put himself in the first four to six and I think he’s a big chance. He gets down in the weights, Rachel King rides. He’s going to be very competitive.
Horse: Alegron
Message: (Saturday, Sunshine Coast Race 8, Caloundra Cup) Rachel (King) goes on him, she has ridden him earlier in his career and she knows him well. He was very good in the Brisbane Cup, he’s had three weeks between runs, he’s dropping in trip and he seems to be thriving in Queensland. He’s got a pretty good gate (5) so we will put him where he’s comfortable and I think he’ll really appreciate the big Sunshine Coast track.
From The Editor
Sydney Race 2 – Lady Boss
Sydney Race 5 – Kapakiri
Sydney Race 8 – Tamerlane
