CARRYING the colours of Emirates Melbourne Cup winner Prince of Penzance, courtesy of part-owner Sandy McGregor, Wells has re-affirmed his intent to win a third Grand National Steeple following his victory in Sunday’s $100,000 Mosstrooper Steeple over 3,600 metres.
Reunited with Irishman Richard Cully, the pair’s first steeplechase start since last year’s National win, Wells was given top-weight of 70kgs. Setting the race’s early tempo was Zed Em with Cully content to sit midfield of the 11 starters. Wells jumped his way forward through the treble across the back to be third with two to jump.
Tracking neatly into the race Wells jumped head-to-head with Zed Em over the final two fences down the straight as the pair put up a stirring charge to the line with Wells getting the better of the contest to win by a head and King Of The Forrest five lengths back in third.
“He was just too good,” said Cully. “We had a couple of hairy moments there, but he’s just a good horse. I knew he’d stay and he was the fresh horse on the scene.”
Wells had tuned his stamina with five flat starts since March, his most recent an eighth in the Banjo Patterson at Flemington over 2,600 metres, won by the Irish-bred Super Haze.
“He’s so honest and tough and managed to overcome a few things along the way to get here,” said trainer Kathryn Durden. “Now it’s on to the Crisp and Grand National.”
Wells will have two weeks between Sunday’s win and the Crisp Steeple with a further two weeks to the Grand National on August 20th.
Sea King holds back tide
RISING 11-year-old Sea King, trained in New Zealand by Kevin Myers, but transferred to Patrick Payne when he races in Australia, was denied a shot at a third straight win in Sunday’s Mosstropper Steeple having not trialled over the larger fences this season.
Not to be denied, he tackled the A$100,000 Brendan Drechsler Hurdle over 3,600 metres. Renew, trained by Darren Weir with Johnny Allen up, was sent out a short-priced favourite as he sought to maintain his unbeaten hurdles run at his fifth start.
Free flowing, Renew led from the barriers but came under pressure with 600 metres to go. Wish Come True took over as Sea King loomed ominously at his rump. With Two Hats and Hornet’s Nest chiming in, a line of four tackled the last two jumps in the straight with the sprint to the line favouring Sea King as he got away by just over a length to beat Two Hats, with Hornet’s Nest third.
“He’s got an outstanding jumps record, winning 16 races,” said jockey Brad McLean.
“It’s the first time that I’ve ridden Sea King. He’s a quirky type of horse. I was very confident in the run that he would win. I just allowed him to switch off. I knew he would be tough late.
“Full credit to Paddy and Kevin ‘Dummy’ Myers back in New Zealand, they have done a great job sharing the training duties in Melbourne and New Zealand.”
The win was McLean’s 150th and the first time he had partnered Sea King, the 2014 Grand National Hurdle winner who was third in the Grand National Steeple the same year, to Wells.
On Sunday’s undercard, Johnny Allen and Darren Weir won the class 1 Hurdle with The Narcissist and the maiden hurdle was won by the Irish-bred Danehill Dancer gelding Refectory for trainer Richard Laming and jockey Aaron Lynch.
Winx on TV
IT may be the depths of winter in Australia with the Grand Nationals just weeks away, but when breakfast television, Channel 7’s The Morning Show, takes a live cross from Randwick to cover Winx’s first barrier trial since her autumn break, you know a racehorse has truly crossed over into the mainstream.
Footage of her galloping – she was third in the 900 metre jump-out – was accompanied with an on-air interview with part-owner Peter Tighe.
Later trainer Chris Waller summarised his approach, “I thought a little bit about it over the weekend. It’s obviously a ‘pre-season game’, we wanted to just make sure she got to this morning in good shape and reasonable fitness. She has, and the trial itself has gone well also.”
Winx will return to Randwick on August 19th for the Warwick Stakes, the first step on her quest for a third consecutive Cox Plate.
RNSW purchases property for equine welfare
RACING New South Wales have spent A$5 million buying a 2,600 acre property near Lithgow, two and a half hours from Sydney, for the purpose of rehabilitation, retraining and rehoming retired racehorses.
The property, ‘Bandanora’, already has an equestrian complex and currently runs about 300 cattle and 2,000 sheep.
“This is a major investment, not only for the rehabilitation of racehorses, which is a paramount objective of the board, but also as an investment for the future as a land bank that could have a multitude of uses for the NSW Thoroughbred Racing Industry in the future,” said Racing NSW chairman Russell Balding.
Racing NSW established the Equine Welfare Fund in October 2015 which is funded by 1% of all prize money paid in NSW, totaling over $2 million per annum.
Plumptre resigns
GODOLPHIN Australia’s managing director, Henry Plumptre, has stepped down after 16 years with Godolphin.
In a statement, Plumptre said that failure to report a strangles issue in May had “impacted on the reputation of the Godophin operation” in Australia.
His statement said: “I have been away for a short period overseas and have had time to reflect on the ongoing issue of strangles that was reported to Racing NSW stewards two months ago. In view of the fundamental failure to report the issue at the time, it is the best option for Godolphin if I stand down.
“The reputation and integrity of Godolphin is the most important aspect of what we do and this issue has impacted on that reputation. I have worked with some amazing people and horses over the last 16 years at Godolphin and I thank them for all their hard work and dedication.”
He continued: “I believe that the best years are ahead of Team Godolphin – the appointment of James Cummings ushers in a new era for the training operation and I wish His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and the whole team well for this spring and the future.”
Plans for a new Managing Director of Godolphin in Australia have yet to be announced.