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Is this filly as good as stablemate
Starcraft?
PROMINENT owner, Paul Makin, still basking in the
Group 1 glory enjoyed by Starcraft during the autumn,
is hoping to continue his success with stablemate,
We Can’t Say That, during the Brisbane winter.
Mr Makin bought Starcraft and We Can’t Say
That on the same day at the Karaka Sales in New Zealand,
after detecting an uncanny resemblance between the
pair.
“They were the biggest yearlings at the sale,” Mr
Makin told The Sportsman. “They were both chestnuts,
both had white faces and a pair of white feet – she’s
actually 15kg heavier than Starcraft.
“I loved her when I first laid eyes on her
and actually wanted to call her Takes My Breath Away,
but they (the Registration Board) wouldn’t
let me.
Mr Makin said Starcraft and We Cant’ Say That
were lovers and would be matched up when the time
was right.
Trainer Garry Newham is confident We Can’t
Say That will handle the class rise from a Gold Coast
restricted win a fortnight ago to tomorrow’s
Group 1 Queensland Oaks.
“She’s definitely up to the class,’ he
said. “She’s got a very quick turn of
foot. She’s a massive filly who has the potential
to be anything.
“Six months ago I said she could be as good
as Starcraft and she’s starting to prove that
in her runs. She’s climbing the ladder quicker
and better than he did.”
Can Kylie steal the Queensland Oaks spotlight?
IT seems rather appropriate that on Queensland Oaks
day at Eagle Farm a young lady jockey could steal
the spotlight.
Kylie Cunningham, the 21-year-old apprentice from
the Sunshine Coast, gets the chance to etch her name
in Queensland racing history.
Cunningham will be reunited with Victory Highway
in the $325,000 Group 1 fillies’ classic and
becomes just the fourth female to ride in the Oaks.
It has been a testing few weeks for Kylie and her family since she won on the
daughter of Victory Note over the Doomben mile in early March.
That was when her father, Paddy, who trains the
filly, decided to set out on an Oaks mission with
the plan that Kylie would be the rider during that
campaign.
No other jockey has won on the daughter of Victory
Note during her 16-start career, which has netted
four wins and almost $160,000 in stakes. But there
have been a few hiccups along the way.
Stewards took exception to Kylie’s handling
of the filly when she was beaten a neck by the Gai
Waterhouse-trained Beaujolais in the Doomben Bracelet
in early May.
They charged her with failing to position Victory
Highway to secure the best possible chance. Kylie
admits the six-week suspension she incurred that
day was devastating.
A subsequent appeal was upheld by the First Level
Appeal Committee but although Kylie was free to ride
Victory Highway in the Doomben Roses, dad Paddy did
not want to put her under any more pressure that
week.
Champion jockey Darren Beadman was engaged but Victory
Highway was on her worst behaviour and attempted
a left hand turn going out of the straight. She finished
10th.
Paddy spoke with members of the family, who share
in the ownership of the filly. The answer was predictable.
Kylie would return as the rider for the Oaks.
It will be a fairytale story if Kylie and her gal
were to salute. The pair is certain to carry plenty
of sentimental support.
Beadman fit enough to partner Oaks plunge filly
AAP Racing reports that leading
jockey, Darren Beadman, is confident his troublesome
neck is responding well enough to treatment to enable
him to ride plunge runner, Zumanity, in tomorrow’s
Queensland Oaks.
Beadman aggravated a pinched nerve in his neck,
which forced him to stand down from rides at Randwick
on Wednesday and Hawkesbury on Thursday in an all-out
attempt to overcome the injury.
“I went to the chiropractor last night and
again this morning and it’s improving, which
is a good sign,” Beadman said yesterday.
Zumanity continues to firm in Oaks betting. The
daughter of O’Reilly is second favourite behind
the Gai Waterhouse-trained Winning Belle in prepost
Oaks betting, after as much as 100-1 was available
a fortnight ago.
Beadman was aboard Zumanity when the former Kiwi
filly won at the Kensington circuit on May 18 but
he acknowledges she is facing a major leap to Group
1 level in the Oaks.
“She has to make the jump from 1800 to 2400m
as well, but she’s a typical staying filly
who covers a lot of ground with each stride. A track
like Eagle Farm should suit her and the turn of foot
that she’s got should come into play,” he
said.
Childs chasing Oaks revenge
AAP Racing reports that Greg Childs will be out
to go one better than last year when he partners
the Bruce McLachlan-trained Natural Woman in tomorrow’s
Queensland Oaks.
Last year Childs was controversially beaten on Kiwi
filly, The Jewel, which was runner-up to Zagalia,
when his objection against the winner, alleging interference
in the straight, was dismissed.
“All is forgotten and I’ve moved on
from that,” Childs said. “I’ll
just be trying to go one better on Saturday.”
Childs rode Natural Woman for the first time when
she defeated Charmview and Imana in the Doomben Roses
at her last outing.
A victory on Natural Woman would give the 43-year-old
Childs his fifth Group 1 success for the season and
his 65th overall.
O’Sullivan Honkers-bound
after Brisbane
TOP New Zealand trainer, Paul O’Sullivan,
has some unfinished business in Brisbane before leaving
to start a contract in Hong Kong.
O’Sullivan has little-known Vouvray engaged
in tomorrow’s G1 Queensland Oaks and promising
Falkirk in the G2 QTC Cup.
“ Vouvray is a Zabeel filly and stays pretty
well,” he told the Sydney Morning Herald. “She
has done very well over there although it's been
an interrupted preparation because she didn't make
the field for a lead-up race.
“ I missed a run, ended up going to the trials,
but she is going well and we've got Chris Munce,
who won the [Queensland] Oaks on a Zabeel filly [Zagalia]
last year.”
Falkirk arrived in Queensland with a glowing reputation,
having won four from four, but the colt has been
beaten twice. O'Sullivan reckoned the three-year-old
was having trouble coping with the right-handed way
of going.
“ He's a bit like a footballer trying to kick
a ball with his left foot when he is right-footed,” he
said. “He'll get it with a bit of practice
but he'll always be more comfortable going the other
way round. In saying that, the recent experience
should help.”
Falkirk needs to win tomorrow’s QTC Cup to
secure ballot-free entry and a start in the $1 million
Stradbroke a week later. “He only just got
beat last Saturday and, let's face it, he arrived
over there having only had the four starts,” O'Sullivan
said.
As for the future, O'Sullivan heads to Hong Kong
next week knowing that brother, Lance, will take
over the training operation in New Zealand. He is
under no illusions about what lies ahead.
“ The biggest challenge is adapting the training
method to suit the environment,” he said. “But
there'll be no worries at all, we'll be OK.”
Lonhro big drawcard on Oaks
day
CHAMPION galloper, Lohnro, will make his final public
appearance at tomorrow’s Joe Richards Menswear
Queensland Oaks day meeting at Eagle Farm.
Owner Bob Ingham agreed to a special request from
the Queensland Turf Club to parade the recently retired
Lohnro between races.
Mr Ingham was inundated with requests for Lonhro
to appear at racetracks in three states but agreed
to just the Eagle Farm farewell because of the great
friendship that he and his late brother, Jack, have
built with Eagle Farm officials over more than 30
years.
“A couple of days after he parades at Eagle
Farm he will be at Woodlands Stud,” trainer
John Hawkes said.
QTC marketing manager, Todd Spry, said Lonhro caps
and giveaways will be provided at the track and racegoers
will be able to purchase memorabilia. “There
will be a sea of cerise around the Farm that day,” Spry
said.
$1 million offer on backburner
until after Sires
AAP Racing reports that Gold Coast trainer, Trevor
Whittington, has placed a million dollar offer for
Golden Fox on the backburner to concentrate on a
Group 1 win in tomorrow’s Borelli Clothing
Sires Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm.
A $2,000 yearling purchase, Golden Fox was the subject
of the huge offer following his win in the Champagne
Classic at Doomben a fortnight ago.
“There’s been a lot of talk about selling
him for a million dollars but the owners have said
they’ll sort all that out after the Sires and
not beforehand,” Whittington said.
“I’m not going to the races on Saturday
thinking I’m about to lose the horse. I’ll
be going there excited about having a runner with
a great chance in a Group 1 race.”
In an ominous warning for rivals of Golden Fox,
Whittington has declared the gelding will be at his
peak tomorrow.
“You saw what he did to them at Doomben and
I can assure you he’ll be going into this race
every bit as good. He’s done enormous this
week and I couldn’t be happier with him.”
Whittington declared Ken Russell Classic winner,
Midnight City, the main danger to Golden Fox.
Lamond gets chance to qualify
for the Stradbroke
THE Sydney Morning Herald reports that before plotting
a spring path for dual G1 winning filly, Regimental
Gal, trainer Shaun Dwyer hopes to snare a last-ditch
Stradbroke berth with Lamond.
A four-year-old gelding with a sound record, Lamond
is among a group of sprinters, including Kiwi speedster
Falkirk, Proudly Agro and Algorithm, chasing a win
in the QTC Cup to help force their way into the Stradbroke
field.
Of the nine runners in the $200,000 sprint, only
topweight Bomber Bill and the John Hawkes-trained
Legally Bay seem assured of a start in the $1 million
race at Eagle Farm tomorrow week.
Dwyer began the Brisbane winter carnival hoping
Regimental Gal would be his Stradbroke spearhead.
However, the filly was sent for a spell after finishing
third in the Richmond Grove BTC Cup last month.
So Lamond now carries the stable’s hopes. “The
jury is still out on him,” Dwyer said. “It’s
just a matter of putting him in (the Stradbroke)
and seeing if he can handle the step up. He has matured
a lot more this campaign and his first-up run was
very good.”
Lamond scored an impressive comeback win at the
Gold Coast on Prime Minister’s Cup day. Dwyer
pointed out that Lamond,which carried 60kg that day,
drops nine kilos to 51kg for the QTC Cup.
QUEENSLAND Racing carnival news – Compiled
by John Lingard.
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