Daily News | 19th October 2017

• Bonneval Under Injury Cloud

  Thursday, 19th October 2017
  Caulfield Cup second favourite Bonneval will be required to undergo a vet examination today before she is permitted to run in Saturday's $3.15 million feature. Racing Victoria advised Bonneval's trainer Murray Baker that she was rated 'one out of five' lame following a vet inspection yesterday afternoon. Baker told Chief steward Terry Bailey that he "wouldn't be running her if she was sore". He is adamant that the reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year is fit and healthy and ready to take her place in Saturday's race, despite suffering cuts to her offside hind leg in last weekend's Gr1 Caulfield Stakes. However, Bailey countered Baker's assertion by replying, "I have heard that before…she will need to be checked out tomorrow."

  

  Bonneval (image: Mark Gatt)

• Bonneval Owners Enjoying the Ride

  Thursday, 19th October 2017
  Meanwhile, the owners of Bonneval have revealed they have turned down huge offers to purchase the star Kiwi mare, reports NZ Racing Desk. Crowned New Zealand Horse of the Year last year, Bonneval has hitherto won 7 of her 11 starts, including three Group One victories in the New Zealand & Australian Oaks, and the Gr1 Underwood Stakes. She is currently second favourite ($7.50) behind Irish stayer Johannes Vermeer for Saturday's $3.15 million Gr1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) in Melbourne. "We've had approaches to purchase her; one after she won the Oaks in Sydney and then after she won the Underwood," said John Rattray, who races the 4YO with Alastair Lawrence and Terry Jarvis. "It was certainly an awful lot of money, but we just decided we're enjoying the ride too much and come what may we decided we want to hang on to her." Rattray added: "She's obviously got strong residual value as a broodmare…she's won six Group races in a row - you just can't buy the sort of fun we're having." Rattray says that whatever the result on Saturday, he feels privileged to be involved with what he describes as an once-in-a-lifetime horse. "Whatever happens on Saturday – win, lose or draw - it's been fantastic," he said. "We're very blessed to have her, she's quite the marvel."

• Caulfield Cup Favourite Thriving

  Thursday, 19th October 2017
  Aidan O'Brien's travelling foreman TJ Comerford says Caulfield Cup favourite Johannes Vermeer continues to thrive in the lead-up to the world's richest mile-and-a-half handicap, reports racing.com. The 4YO Irish stayer became favourite for Saturday's $3.15 million feature following his eye-catching second behind Gailo Chop in last weekend's Gr1 Caulfield Stakes (2000m) in Melbourne. The son of Galileo then firmed further, into $4.60 with TAB fixed odds, after drawing gate two at yesterday's barrier draw. "I texted him [O'Brien] straight away and he was very happy with it," Comerford said of the starting position. Johannes Vermeer, whose only win at Gr1 level came in the Criterium International in France as a juvenile, rounded out his Caulfield Cup preparation when galloping over 1500 metres on the synthetic track at Werribee yesterday morning. "He's come out of the race very well, he's benefitted from that run," Comerford said. "He looks way better this week than he did last week. I think he's just come into himself. He takes to his racing well, he looks well, he's healthy and I was very pleased with him this morning."

• Formality Wins Gr3 Blue Sapphire Stakes

  Thursday, 19th October 2017

  	Mrgn.	Runners
  	-	9. Formality (4) News J: K Mc Evoy T: D & B Hayes & T Dabernig W: 55 kgs S: Fastnet Rock D: Jolie's Shinju
  	0.4L	2. Jukebox (9) News J: Craig Williams T: Aaron Purcell W: 57 kgs S: Snitzel D: Jestatune
  	1.7L	5. Lone Eagle (5) News J: D Dunn T: M G Price W: 57 kgs S: Zoffany D: Green Mirage
  	2.1L	10. Crown Witness (1) News J: B Melham T: S J Webb W: 55 kgs S: Star Witness D: Noble Heir

  At Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne yesterday, Coolmore's former Gr1-winning Champion Australian Sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill-Piccadilly Circus, by Royal Academy) added a Group race success when classy 3YO filly Formality (Fastnet Rock-Jolie's Shinju, by Jolie's Halo) scored a strong front-running win in the $350,000 Gr3 Blue Sapphire Stakes (1200m) for 3YOs, defeating Jukebox & Lone Eagle. Formality, who was a $120,000 yearling buy at the 2016 Inglis Easter Sale, improved her record to 5 wins (including the Gr2 Silver Shadow Stakes & Gr3 Chairman's Stakes) & 2 placings (including the Gr1 Blue Diamond Stakes & Gr2 Percy Sykes Stakes) from 9 starts for $795,700 in earnings. Co-trainer David Hayes said the Coolmore-owned Formality was likely to have her next start in the Gr1 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on 4 November.

• Quilate Wins Gr3 Ladies' Day Vase

  Thursday, 19th October 2017

  	Mrgn.	Runners
  	-	7. Quilate (7) News J: Beau Mertens T: M C Kent W: 55 kgs S: Bramshaw D: Miss Peligrosa
  	0.2L	2. Flying Jess (2) News J: T Angland T: J F Moloney W: 56 kgs S: Hinchinbrook D: Maritess
  	0.3L	1. Prompt Response (5) News J: D Oliver T: G Waterhouse & A Bott W: 58 kgs S: Beneteau D: Prompt
  	1.5L	4. Tahanee (1) News J: Craig Williams T: D K Weir W: 55 kgs S: Stormy Atlantic D: Tawafeej

  At Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne yesterday, Tasmania's Bionic Lodge celebrated the first stakes win of its unraced stallion Bramshaw (Encosta de Lago-Cotehele House, by My Swanee) – a half-brother to Danewin and Commands - when 5YO bay mare Quilate (Bramshaw-Miss Peligrosa, by Dangerous) unleashed a powerful run from the rear of the field to win the $150,000 Gr3 Ladies' Day Vase (1600m) for 4YO+ mares, defeating Flying Jess & Prompt Response. Bred by author Kristen Manning, Quilate improved her record to 5 wins and 7 placings from 18 starts for $211,315 in earnings. "We set this mare for this race a while ago. We felt after last prep she had a lot more to give. She improved during her spell, she really thickened up and finally developed and matured," trainer Mick Kent told racing.com. "She keeps improving the older she gets. That's a great result for a local homebred." From the Dangerous mare Miss Peligrosa, Quilate is a direct descendent of legendary blue hen Eight Carat. This is one of the most outstanding families in the Studbook and includes champion racehorse Octagonal, his freakishly talented brother Mouawad, Kaapstad, Diamond Lover, Marquise, Viscount, Tristalove, Shower Of Roses, Viking Ruler, Don Eduardo, Deep Field and Shooting To Win. In fact Quilate carries three doses of Eight Carat, as both her sire and damsire are also line-bred to the celebrated broodmare.

• Rich Charm Wins Listed Italktravel Stakes

  Thursday, 19th October 2017

  	Mrgn.	Runners
  	-	8. Rich Charm (5) News J: Patrick Moloney T: Ms U Clarke W: 54 kgs S: Danerich D: Charmly
  	0.1L	1. Keen Array (4) News J: M Zahra T: D & B Hayes & T Dabernig W: 60 kgs S: Bel Esprit D: Moorea
  	2.1L	11. So You Too (8) News J: D Oliver T: L Macdonald & A Gluyas W: 54 kgs S: So You Think D: Modonna
  	2.2L	3. Bassett (6) News J: Beau Mertens T: M G Price W: 56.5 kgs S: Savabeel D: Fledgling

  At Caulfield racecourse in Melbourne yesterday, Rangal Park Stud's Gr3-winning stallion Danerich (Danehill-Millrich, by Rubiton) added a black-type success when 5YO brown gelding Rich Charm (Danerich-Charmly, by Kingston Mill) opened his stakes account when landing the $120,000 Listed Italktravel Stakes (1200m) for 3YO+, defeating Keen Array & So You Too. Rich Charm, who is part-owned by his trainer Udyta Clarke, improved his record to 7 wins and 5 placings from 16 starts for $510,900 in earnings. Cranbourne-based Clarke said Rich Charm would make his next appearance during Melbourne Cup week at Flemington.

• No Forgetting This Filly

  Thursday, 19th October 2017
  Well-bred filly Unforgotten may have earned herself a trip to Melbourne for the spring carnival after shedding her maiden status with a stylish win at Canterbury yesterday. The daughter of Fastnet Rock, whom trainer Chris Waller paid $360,000 for at the 2016 NZ Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Curraghmore, unleashed a twinkling turn of foot at the top of the straight to score a decisive 2.3 length win in the Schweppes Plate over 1250m. The 3YO had shown a glimpse of her ability when powering home for second behind subsequent Gr1 Spring Champion Stakes winner Ace High at her previous outing. "She's a very nice filly with some good owners including Noel Greenhalgh in whose colours she runs," Waller told Sky Racing post-race. "She's got the right pedigree being by Fastnet Rock from a daughter of Galileo, so she still might make it to Melbourne for Cup week." Unforgotten is out the Galileo mare Memories Of You (IRE), a half-sister to Gr1 French 1000 Guineas winner Matiara.

• Oliver Secures Cox Plate Ride

  Thursday, 19th October 2017
  Champion jockey Damien Oliver has been booked to ride Happy Clapper in the $3 million Gr1 WS Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday week, reports racenet. Oliver replaces Sydney-based jockey Blake Shinn, who was aboard Happy Clapper when he was beaten as an odds-on favourite in last weekend's Gr3 Craven Plate (2000m) in Sydney. Trainer Pat Webster said Happy Clapper's (Teofilo-Busking, by Encosta de Lago) owner wanted a local jockey to ride the 7YO, adding that the horse had come through his last-start defeat well. "He felt the run but no worse than his previous ones," he said. "He'll go for a swim today and we're looking forward to going to Melbourne." Webster added: "We'll head down next week. He's been to Moonee Valley before so we don't need to be there on Tuesday morning." Happy Clapper ran 6th (beaten 11 lengths) behind Winx in last year's Cox Plate.

  

  Happy Clapper (image: Steve Hart)

• Strong Field for NZB Ethereal Stakes

  Thursday, 19th October 2017
  A quality field of 3YO fillies will put their prospects for next month’s Gr1 VRC Oaks (2500m) to the test on Saturday when they run in a race which carries special significance for its sponsors, the $150,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Ethereal Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield. Ethereal (NZ) was bred and raced by New Zealand Bloodstock principal Sir Peter Vela and his late brother Phillip. She won eight races including the Group 1 Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, BMW and Queensland Oaks. Her Caulfield-Melbourne Cup double in 2001 was the last time a horse claimed both races in the same year. Last year’s race had a fitting winner in the form of the classy New Zealand filly Eleonora (Makfi), whose dam Sopra Tutto is a daughter of Ethereal. The Ethereal Stakes will be run as race 3 on Saturday’s Caulfield Cup day programme with a start time of 1:25pm (3:25pm NZT).
  

• Tarzino Sibling Set for Debut

  Thursday, 19th October 2017
  Bulwark, a full-brother to Victoria Derby winner Tarzino, is set to make his debut in a 3YO maiden handicap over 1400m at Kembla Grange today. Trained by John Thompson on behalf of a syndicate headed by Dato Tan Chin Nam’s Think Big Stud, Bulwark was purchased by Duncan Ramage for $400,000 at the 2016 NZ Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Cambridge Stud. By Tavistock out of the Zabeel mare Zarzino, Bulwark is a sibling to the former Mick Price trained Tarzino who retired to Westbury Stud last year after a successful racing career that netted 4 wins from 14 starts and over $1.6 million in prize money. His biggest wins were as a 3YO in the Gr1 Victoria Derby and Gr1 Rosehill Guineas. He was also runner-up in the Australian Derby.

• Tosen Stardom Highlights Deep Impact Case

  Thursday, 19th October 2017
  The outstanding performance by top weight Tosen Stardom in Saturday's $500,000 Gr1 Toorak Handicap (1600m) at Caulfield has strengthened the case for backing the Deep Impact sire-line in Australia. Arrowfield stands the only two Group 1-winning sons of Deep Impact available to breeders outside Japan, namely Real Impact, whose first Australian foals are arriving this Spring, and Japan's 2016 Champion Sprinter-Miler Mikki Isle, serving his first book of Australian mares. Bred and still part-owned by Katsumi Yoshida's Northern Racing, Tosen Stardom is Deep Impact's second Group 1 winner from only three Australian runners. The pioneer was Real Impact who competed at The Championships in 2015 winning the Gr1 George Ryder Stakes and finishing a close second in the Gr1 Doncaster. Deep Impact's superstar status in Japan is well-established, but his international record, from around 30 runners outside Japan, is equally imposing. Seven of them are Group 1 winners: Gentildonna (Dubai), A Shin Hikari (France & Hong Kong), Beauty Parlour (France), Real Steel & Vivlos (Dubai), as well as Real Impact and Tosen Stardom. Deep Impact is well on the way to securing his sixth Japanese Sires' premiership with 18 stakes winners and almost $A53 million prize money. Echoing Snitzel's category dominance in Australia last season, Deep Impact is also heading the 2YO and 3YO Sires' tables.

• Smart QLD Colt to Resume Saturday

  Thursday, 19th October 2017
  Trainer and former champion jockey Chris Munce is hopeful that smart colt Saint Patricks Day (Excelebration-Danahere, by Dehere) can make his presence felt over the Queensland summer carnival, reports Sky Racing. The now 3YO was rated one of the best juveniles in Queensland last season, winning the Listed Dalrello Stakes at his third start before finishing a creditable fourth behind champion Kiwi 2YO Melody Belle in the Gr2 Sires' Produce Stakes. "He had a few niggling issues so we missed the JJ Atkins Stakes [Gr1] with him," Munce said. "I'm not taking anything away from the eventual Atkins winner in Capital Gain but Saint Patricks Day finished in front of him the three times they met." He added: "It gives you an idea of my bloke's ability." Saint Patricks Day will resume against older horses in a one metro win handicap over 1200m at Doomben on Saturday, before aiming at the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas in January. "The 1200 metres on Saturday is ideal. He has had two trials and he has to start somewhere," Munce said.

• Boom Filly To Miss Guineas

  Thursday, 19th October 2017
  Unbeaten filly The Precious One (Darci Brahma-The Jewel, by O'Reilly) has been ruled out of next month's Gr1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton, reports NZ Racing Desk. Injury means the Claire Anderton-trained 3YO will be denied the opportunity of emulating her mother, The Jewel, who won the Classic in 2002. "She was going there before she got a stone bruise and missed some work," Anderton said. "She's got a slight joint issue and we're not prepared to take any risks with her so we've pulled her out of the Guineas." Anderton said The Precious One would be given the necessary time to recover and connections would then consider their black-type options later in the season. "The Guineas was our goal and it's absolutely gutting, but that's racing and we don't want to aggravate anything," she said. "We'll look after her. It's just immaturity more than anything and her best interests are the most important thing. We'll give her the time she needs."

• Dettori Bullish about Cracksman

  Thursday, 19th October 2017
  Frankie Dettori is confident that a drop in distance will not harm the prospects of Cracksman in Saturday’s Gr1 Champion Stakes at Ascot, reports Sky Sports. The highly regarded Frankel colt was last sighted winning over 2400m in the Gr2 Prix Niel at Chantilly on 10 September, but will drop to 2000m for the showpiece event on British Champions Day. In fact Cracksman has raced over a mile-and-a-half at his last four outings, which also included a win in the Gr2 Great Voltigeur Stakes at York and placings in the English and Irish Derbys. “I think he'll be fine over 10 furlongs, he's getting stronger and if the rain comes it will help him and disadvantage some of the others like Highland Reel and Ulysses. It will make it more of a test of stamina, so I'm praying the rain comes,” Dettori said. “I rode him this morning [Wednesday] and he's in great nick. John [Gosden] has done a brilliant programme for him this year bearing in mind we've got next year to look forward to as well.” He added: “We're going there with lots of confidence and hoping for the best.” Should he be successful on Saturday, Cracksman, who races in the same colours as owner Anthony Oppenheimer’s champion galloper Golden Horn, will become Frankel’s first Group One winner in Europe.