From John O’Shea
Horse: Fall For Cindy
Message: (Saturday, Brisbane Race 7, Magic Millions National Classic) Fall For Cindy is coming off the back of two straight wins after a spell. We made a conscious decision to only send horses up here capable of handling heavy ground, and she handles heavy ground. It’s a little query at the mile, she hasn’t won at it but there’s every indication she’ll get it. But she’s in great form and she’ll get through the ground so no reason she couldn’t run a mile.
Horse: Good Banter
Message: (Saturday, Brisbane Race 8, Queensland Oaks) The filly was raring to go after a first-up run in the The Roses two weeks ago. She’d had a couple of weeks in the paddock, so that should have just brought her on nicely, and she looked strong from her work Tuesday morning. She pleased us, so we are looking forward to Saturday. I think she just ended up on the worst part of the track there that day at Doomben in The Roses where you needed to find 8-10 out. She was sort of tracked up on the inside in the worst part of the ground. It was good through the line though and was a more than acceptable first-up run.
From Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou
Horse: It’s A Wonder
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, Foundation Female Member Hcp) It would be fair to say nothing has gone to plan with promising filly It’s A Wonder in recent weeks but she finally gets her chance to race in the Foundation Female Member Handicap. She’s been balloted out, races called off, bad barriers. We missed out getting up north, the plan was to run last week then go to the mile and a quarter tomorrow. Despite the stop-start preparation, It’s A Wonder has plenty of ability and with 52kg and confidence in heavy ground it’s not beyond her to win Saturday’s race. It’s not ideal running against the older mares but she’s got no weight on her back, Jay Ford knows her, it’s a nice big track and she handles the (wet) ground,
Horse: Williamsburg
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Lord Mayors Cup) The certainty of a heavy track combined with a slightly more favourable barrier and if he finds the right spot in the race, Williamsburg can post his first win since he ploughed through a heavy surface to win the Dulcify at Randwick in October 2022. It’s a long time between drinks but in saying that he’s run in a lot of races he probably couldn’t win. When he comes back a grade from that he’s very consistent. He’s had three goes at 2000m. He ran 5th in the Spring Champion Stakes, he ran 3rd in the Rosehill Guineas, and he ran 3rd in the Frank Packer Plate where arguably Nash Rawiller outsmarted Joao Moriera and kept him in a pocket. I’ve got no doubts about him running 2000m properly. You’d still like to see him ridden quieter. You look back through his replays and his best runs are when he’s ridden off the speed.
From Joseph Pride
Horse: Principessa
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, Foundation Female Member Hcp) She’s just looked like she wants ground as she gets older and she’ll get that in coming runs. In fillies and mares grade, a mile, on a wet track it is suitable with her.
Horse: The Black Cloud
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, TAB Hcp) The promising filly returns to the scene of her impressive first-up win when she tackles the TAB Handicap with an extra 3kg on her back. Shamus Award (her sire) gives me confidence, most of his stock get through it (wet tracks) well and she’s not a big filly. It remains to be seen if she’s going to be as good on heavy ground, she’s pretty fast but she’s got a bit of a ticker though. I don’t think it will bother her. I tend to find these lighter fillies skip across the ground. I think she will be fine in it but I don’t know. She’s exciting, isn’t she, she’s done so much in a short amount of time. She looks a real good prospect and a great horse to have up at this time of year.
Horse: King Of The Castle
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, Petaluma Hcp) He’s yet to win below 1400m but it’s how heavy the track may get that concerns me the most. He’s probably the one that’s least suited on heavy ground, I know he won at Kembla on a heavy on Gong day but I do think he’s a better horse on a soft track.
Horse: Estadio Mestalla
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, Petaluma Hcp) I don’t think he’s done enough racing to be getting carried away with that (second-up form). If you want to offset poor second-up form give them a decent gap between runs and give them a trial and he’s had that. I’ve seen it work too many times. It decreases the chance of you taking a horse that’s a bit flattened by a first-up run back to the races. He should go better because he’s not a 1200m horse, 1300m will suit him a lot better and a wet track is not a problem.
Horse: Excelladus
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 7, Petaluma Hcp) I have been waiting for the wet tracks to arrive with Excelladus who drops 5kg on his second-up third behind Diamond Diesel two weeks ago. I was very happy with him, he’s a very good wet tracker. He’s right in that race. It’s a shame to be clashing them but at this time of year it’s inevitable.
From Paul Perry
Horse: Bakerloo
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 5, Foundation Female Member Hcp) Bakerloo was an upset winner at Randwick two weeks ago and she’s had the right set up to run out a strong mile in the Foundation Female Member Handicap. She’s a nice honest filly and keeps improving. I thought she could win that day. Hopefully she can keep it up. She’s a bit older and a bit more mature so if she’s ever going to handle that sort of thing she should be able to do it now.
Horse: Sky Lab
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 8, Lord Mayors Cup) There are pluses and minuses to having the delay (the Lord Mayors Cup) with the planned second-up run but I’ve been able to keep the gelding “ticking over well” so fitness won’t be an issue. It’s a similar field, I think he’s weighted right up to it. He always puts in, every run he’s put in, so I think you can be assured of that. The 2000m seems to be his ideal distance but I think the weight brings them back together. I don’t think the change makes a difference because he races well at Rosehill too, six of one and half dozen of the other I think. He won’t have much more, maybe even after this one he will have a break. He’s sound as a bell, he’s been good, touch wood, that way.
From Luke Pepper
Horse: Opal Ridge
Message: (Saturday, Brisbane Race 9, Moreton Cup) The Moreton Cup winner is guaranteed a start in the Stradbroke. It wasn’t in our original plans to go for the Stradbroke but the race has fallen away a bit. We’ve accepted for the Moreton Cup and we’ll make up our minds later whether she runs. If she were to win the Moreton Cup she’ll qualify for the Stradbroke but it’s a big step up from 1200 metres to 1400 metres in a week. There’s plenty of options we’ve got before the Tatt’s Tiara. Her win in the Ortensia (Stakes) was fantastic as it came off a decent break. She was very strong through the line and she had a great deal of improvement left in her. She went up to Brisbane last Friday and has settled in well at Matt Hoysted’s stables at Eagle Farm. The experience of coming up here last year helped her settle in a lot better this time.
From John Sargent
Horse: Unique Ambition
Message: (Saturday, Brisbane Race 8, Queensland Oaks) We’re going up there to win. It’s a big step up for her but I’ve trained some good fillies over the years and she’s right up with the best of them. She’s fit and well and it’ll be a nice race for her. Her last run at Scone was very good but her two runs before that on heavy tracks at Randwick were hopeless. I was just waiting for a good track and she produced it at Scone so away we go. After the Oaks she’ll spell in Queensland then cruise through the spring with three or four runs before getting ready for the autumn next year.
From Mark Minervini
Horse: Dehorned Unicorn
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 6, TAB Hcp) Dehorned Unicorn will make his stable debut in a benchmark 78 over 1000m. That’s one reason we bought him because it knocked us off one day at Randwick and quite admired the horse. Joe had a good opinion of him and I’ve had two or three conversations with him about him and they were happy to keep him but the syndicate decided to move him on. He’s been with us since early March and he’s done really well, both Joe and Sam Clipperton both probably thought he needed a change of scenery so hopefully being out of the city, he’s worked well and trialled well. He’ll go to the races and be competitive on his trackwork for sure.
Horse: Quick Tempo
Message: (Saturday, Randwick Race 9, Bob Charley AO Stakes) Quick Tempo put in the best performance of the preparation last start when 2nd to Opal Ridge in the Listed Ortensia Stakes at Scone and the predicted rain in Sydney this week will play into his hands. We deliberately held him back waiting for the wetter tracks, he’s got good form on heavy tracks… he seems to excel on the softer tracks and hopefully it’s still wet on Saturday, that’ll work in his favour for sure.
From The Editor
Sydney Race 2 – Watch My Girl
Sydney Race 4 – Piggyback
Sydney Race 9 – Iowna Merc
