2005 June | Australia Melbourne Cup and Racing News

New South Wales galloper Portland Singa claimed the Brisbane Cup at Eagle Farm yesterday.

Jockey Larry Cassidy rode the mare home to take the honours ahead of Shamrock Shore and Regal Punch. Pantani ran fourth, followed by pre-race favourites Zingam and County Tyrone in fifth
and sixth respectively.

The $500,000 Brisbane Cup win was a third for trainer Neville McBurnery.

Diva to return for Cox Plate

Diva, who has recently returned from a stint in Japan and has been spelling at Freedman’s Rye property in Victoria, will be aimed at the 2040m Cox Plate in October at her third run from spell.

While Freedman hasn’t yet confirmed where the seven-year-old mare and dual Mebourne Cup winner will run first-up, it is widely tipped to be the Feehan Stakes at Moonee Valley in September. Makybe Diva was narrowly beaten in the stakes last year by Delzao.

Freedman will also start recent International Cup winner Mummify in the Cox Plate.

The 35-yr-old King has dumped 2 kilos in the last fortnight to be assured of a start in Queensland’s only $1 million race next week. It is the lightest King has been for nearly a decade, but is a testament to his belief that the ride is worth it - he personally stands to gain at least $35,000 if Ballet Society can hold off her rivals.

Immediately after last month’s BTC Sprint at Doomben, King got serious about his regime to reduce his body weight to 51. In Queensland races jockeys are not allowed to ride half a kilogram overweight as they can in Victoria and NSW. King is also certain his mount is the horse to beat and, as King has 49 group 1 winners to his name, he sees tomorrow’s race as a big chance to notch a milestone.

The elite jockey first partnered a winner at the master level as a 20-year-old when he rode Gamine to victory in the 1990 South Australian Oaks for former Flemington trainer John Meagher. That began a golden period for the young rider - the next season, he teamed with Bart Cummings’ freakish mare Let’s Elope, and rode her to wins in the Caulfield Cup, Mackinnon Stakes, Melbourne Cup and an Australian Cup. King then turned much of his attention to the overeas market, especially in Hong
Kong.

Ballet Society was coming off a 10-week break at the BTC Sprint after she dislodged her rider at Morphettville when contesting the group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes. King feels she was vulnerable last month than she will prove on Monday.

King has won the Stradbroke twice - first in 1993 for Bart Cummings when three-year-old colt Never Undercharge came from a wide gate to score. King won again three years later riding Lee Freedman’s galloper Danasinga.

King is not the only rider in the Stradbroke to have tasted multiple success in the race, and, like King, both Chris Munce and Dan Nikolic were this week keen to talk up their chances of a third success.

Nikolic aims to draw on the experience gained in his last 2 wins with Show A Heart in 2002 and Thorn Park last year. He will team with his winning ride at the Doncaster Handicap, Patezza.

Munce, too, is confident of a third success to accompany his wins on Dane Ripper (1997) and Landsighting (2000) when he takes the ride on last season’s juvenile triple crown winner, Dance Hero.

The questioning is believed to be related to the finding of approximately AUD$20,000 at Taylor’s beach side bungalow.

Taylor informed the ICAC that his father-in-law (who left Mauritius just after the sixth meeting) gave part of the money to him as gift, but he couldn’t explain the origins of the rest of the money.

The ICAC is now investigating further, seeking information or evidence from other jockeys that could help them.

Taylor is seeking to return home to Queensland but an ‘objection to departure’ has been lodged by the ICAC although no charges have yet been laid.

Taylor stood down from his rides last weekend and had intended to return to trackwork yesterday, but was advised by his trainer Ramapatee Gujadhur that he wouldn’t let him work his horses as long as the inquiry continues.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club has granted Sydney rider Chris Munce a three-month riding contract.

The Melbourne Cup winning jockey said the invitation had come as a shock after applying to the club several months ago.

Fellow Sydney rider Corey Brown was granted a three-month extension of his Jockey Club licence while Brett Prebble was granted a six-month extension and Michael Rodd three-months for next season.

Globe trotting Victorian jockey Craig Williams will be returning to Australia when the current season ends after missing out on a contract extension. Williams, who is currently out suspended has ridden in Hong Kong for the past three seasons.

Connections of American stayer Kitten’s Joy, the winner of eight of his 12 starts - two in Group I races - have confirmed his camp is targetting Australia’s greatest race.

The reigning US turf horse of the year has won $US1.7million ($2.25m) and is being lined up for a trip to Melbourne after taking on Europe’s best in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in Paris in early October.

Four-year-old Joy is trained in Kentucky by Dale Romans, also a winner this year with Roses at the Dubai World Cup in May. Romans confirmed yesterday that owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey had enter discussions with Victorian racing and were keen for Kitten Joy to become the first US-trained race horse to win the prestigious Cup.

The Group II Firecracker Breeders’ Cup at Churchill Downs on July 4 will begin Kitten Joy’s return to the turf after a brief spell. He will then target the Arlington Million in early August before heading abroad for the 2400m Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp.

Racing Victoria will send an entourage to watch Kitten’s return in the firecracker. The Ramsays have previously said that as well as the lure of one of the world’s greatest races, they had shuttle-sire aspirations for Kitten’s Joy and believed a Group I win in the southern hemisphere would enhance their horse’s value.

Ken Ramsey is one of the most colourful figures in US racing and a genuine rags-to-riches tale. Born into humble circumstances he grew up with horses and eventually progressed to a career in real estate. In the 1980s he decided to gamble everything he’d made on mobile phone start-up companies and became a multi-millionaire virtually overnight.

He now spends his time at his Kentucky breeding estate indulging his passion for horses.

Ramsey has amassed an impressive record. Last year alone he started horses on 361 occasions in the US for 84 wins, 63 seconds and 42 thirds. The total prizemoney was $US5.85m, which was almost doubled when Roses won the Dubai World Cup in May.

This year’s race marks the 75th anniversary of Phar Lap’s 1930 Cup win.

The AJC Derby winner and leading contender for three-year-old of the year honours was a certain to go into this weekend’s derby at hot favourite after his impressive deeds this autumn in Sydney - earning almost $2 million despite narrowly missing the autumn triple crown.

Trainer Allan Denham said yesterday that an X-ray had shown that the injury was minor but it meant the horse needed an operation.

“It is a bit devastating”, said part-owner and breeder Geoff White. “Allan flexed his legs on Sunday and it didn’t look too good. It’s not too serious, but it’s enough for him not to race.”

Eremein began his impressive autumn season as an unlucky runner-up (beaten a half-neck) behind Jymcarew in the Canterbury Guineas before winning the Rosehill Guineas and AJC Derby. A six-week spell followed, then Eremein strolled away with the Queensland Guineas before last Saturday being nosed out by Lloyd Williams’ Zabeel gelding Activation in the Rough Habit Plate. Activation, as expected, was missing yesterday from the derby’s first declarations.

In what is shaping as the most interesting category, Eremein is one of several youngsters who could snatch the honours for three-year-old of the season. He is joined in the category by Victoria Derby winner Plastered and sprint stars Alinghi and Fastnet Rock.

Running at Sandown today are three horses who can stake their claims for the Queensland Derby when they contest the Reveille Handicap (2100m). Alto Adige, Cusp and Force Nine were among 32 horses paid up for at first acceptances yesterday.

Other contenders to sign up yesterday included Peter Moody’s Precious Future, and Physique, trained by Robert Smerdon.