Sunshine In Doomben
Ladbrokes Doomben 10,000 (Group 1)
TRAINED by the newly-married Annabel (nee Neasham) and Rob Archibald, Sunshine In Paris made a searching run from near the tail of the field to run down the locally-trained Rothfire to win the A$1.5 million Group 1 Doomben 10,000 over six furlongs in Brisbane on Saturday.
“Rothfire was as tough as they come,” said Sunshine In Paris’ jockey James McDonald.
“I was worried at the furlong that we weren’t going to get to him, but he probably had a tougher run than we did and my mare kept on surging. He gave us one hell of a fright.”
Having changed hands for $3.9 million at the 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale as a last start Group 1 winner, the five-year-old Invader mare has since added two more Group 1 races to her record, having been in the Annabel and Rob Archibald stable throughout her career.
“I am just so pleased for Sunshine In Paris,” said Rob Archibald. “She has been great all prep but she just hasn’t had a great draw and I am so happy that it worked out today.
“For (owners) John and Deb (Camilleri) for being brave enough and supportive today to run her on a (heavy) track that probably isn’t her best and Annabel back home, I know she would be cheering very loudly.
“She loves this mare, as does everyone that is involved with her.”
SIR Delius, who raced as just Delius in France, had his first start since running eighth in last year’s Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winning the Group 3 Chairman’s Handicap on debut in Australia.
Having sold for 1.3 million guineas at the 2024 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, the sale-topper, now trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, won drawing away in a 12-horse field over Doomben’s 2,000 metres on Saturday.
“He’s a real quality individual,” said Adrian Bott. “He’d shown that previously and you could see the quality in him in the yard today. It was great to see him put it all together and he’s only going to improve from here off the back of that experience.
“He’s still well short of his best distance, and you saw how strong he was through the line. He’s bred to get over much further and his form in Europe suggests that as well.
“He was always purchased as a Melbourne Cup prospect.”
The four-year-old Frankel colt, sent out in the red at $1.80, defeated the Puissance De Lune gelding Floating and the Almanzor gelding Manzoice.
THE Staphanos four-year-old filly Basilinna has earned a ballot-free entry to the 2025 Melbourne Cup.
Contesting the Listed Andrew Ramsden over 2,800 metres, Basilinna hit the front at the top of the Flemington straight and held on to win in style. She saluted by a length and a half in the soft conditions to defeat a pair of Irish-bred horses, the Gleneagles gelding Glentaneous and the Frankel gelding Fernao.
“I never thought I would ever have a runner. That’s a massive thing for our stable, we’re a tiny stable, and I can’t believe it,” said Emma-Lee Browne, who trains in partnership with her husband David.
“It’s just so hard to get a horse that runs it out and does it well. But she’s a horse who, if she got conditions on the day, she could be competitive. Today, she was travelling the whole way and, when she got to the front, she probably got there a bit early because she was travelling so good.
“The other horses may have a better turn of foot on firmer ground, but it comes back her way on soft ground. She’s been Oaks-placed and she’s a real gutsy, staying mare.”
TE Akau Racing, their Victorian satellite stable firmly established at Cranbourne, took out the quinella in the $80,000 Two Rivers Steeplechase at Casterton last Sunday.
The Mark Walker-trained pair of The Mighty Spar with Steven Pateman up and Prismatic with Will Gordon were too good for their rivals, even having to be wary of a kangaroo on the course as they negotiated the live hedges of Casterton.
“That was fantastic, so much fun,” said Steven Pateman. “He’s a really cool little horse. First time out the back, there was a big kangaroo and I couldn’t stop staring at it! Then Custom Of The Sea and Tommy Ryan’s horse (Aquileon) sort of jumped underneath me. I was like, ‘snap out of it – it’s just a kangaroo’, I was on a Kiwi, I’ve seen plenty of roos, but he hasn’t.”
Jackson winners
Wicklow-born Shane Jackson was also amongst the winners at Casterton. Having won the $50,000 Open Hurdle over 3,500 metres with Highland Blaze, Jackson then took out the feature flat race of the day, the $50,000 Casterton Cup with Flying Basil.
“He’s a beautiful horse, you’d love to have a stable full of him, he wears his heart on his sleeve,” said Jackson.
“This horse is going places. It wasn’t long ago I was ringing the handicapper to get his rating dropped to 58, so I could sneak him into a 0-58. And here we are winning a Casterton Cup after a couple of other Cups along the way. Great result and great for the connections as well.”
Flying Basil had also won the Naracoorte Cup and the Hanging Rock Cup. The latter is possibly Australia’s most picturesque racetrack. Movie fans may recall the 1975 Peter Weir film Picnic at Hanging Rock. The rock overlooks the racetrack.
ROBBIE Dolan has been invited to ride in this year’s Shergar Cup at Ascot in August.
The Melbourne Cup-winning jockey will ride on the Ireland and Great Britain team, which will be captained by Holly Doyle, as the six-race series moves away from a ladies-only format.
“It’s a cool event to be part of and it is an honour to be invited to do it,” said Dolan.
“Racing, it is one of those games where, if you can ride a horse, you can find a job anywhere in the world, but it can definitely also tie you down to one place for a very long period of time, so it is an honour to get the opportunity to ride overseas, particularly at such a famous track like Royal Ascot.
“I haven’t ridden in the UK since 2016. It is going to be great to get back to ride there, and then I’ll duck home to Ireland for a couple of weeks to see my family,” continued Dolan.
“It is so far, far away from home that, if you get the opportunity to get so close to home, you must go back and see your family and friends, you have to.
“So, it’s all going to be a great trip all around.”