Zizzis winning on Caulfield Cup Day – she could be one of four runners by Sizzling in the $2 million Magic Millions Guineas!!! 

Firstly, happy birthday to my son Vincent who turns 26 today. He’s good fun to have around and I’m sure he is excited to have Resinite running today at Coffs Harbour. Vince and I have a small interest in Resinite who won well last start.

I was surprised by the adverse reaction from some quarters to the three new races announced during the week by Racing NSW CEO Peter V’Landys. The races known at the $7.5 million Golden Eagle for 4yo’s run on 2 November 2019 at Rosehill, the $1 million Bondi Stakes for 3yo’s over 1600m on 26 October at Randwick and the $1 million Golden Gift for 2yo’s over 1100m at Rosehill.

These races will be run on three big days during the Spring and coincide with three of Melbourne’s biggest days during their carnival. I look at these races lifting the profile of the Sydney Spring Carnival which languished for so many years and seemed to be over before it started.

When ‘The Everest’ was announced in March last year I supported it as a terrific initiative and it has proven to be a great winner. I was sceptical of it being run on Caulfield Guineas Day but this year I

was at Caulfield and having the wonderful Caulfield meeting complimented with a much better meeting in Sydney than we have been used to made for a great day. I’m certain the turnover on the two meetings would have exceeded the same meetings in previous years. As owners this is great for us because without increased wagering on our races there won’t be any increases in stakes money.

Almost 20 years ago Bill Mitchell and I sat down to discuss the state of racing in NSW and it was in a pretty bad way falling behind Victoria in every regard. The outcome of our discussions was that we decided to move from Randwick to Melbourne and set up our main stable there. This was a huge decision. We were keen to get 60 boxes at Flemington where Bill had established a successful satellite stable. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a stable available and we ended up moving into the complex at Caulfield to be vacated by Lee Freedman who was moving to a private complex on the Mornington Peninsular.

Victoria continued to go ahead for many reasons due of the strong returns to the industry generated by the Spring Carnival, but this wasn’t the only factor. The physical size of Victoria makes it easier for trainers to target races at almost any meeting and this also kept the field sizes up with well-known trainers running horses at most meetings with wagering being quite strong.

NSW continued to fumble along but with John Messara’s as Chairman and Peter V’Landys as CEO they managed to right the ship and today, we have both NSW and Victoria in very strong positions. The competition between the two big states is good as long as the stakes money on offer is sustainable.

This is great for all participants and our industry is growing with record numbers being reported in almost every facet of racing in NSW and Victoria. We do need for these increases to pass through to the smaller jurisdictions. Their contribution to the big picture is vitally important.

I suggest that rather than being negative about the new races and $9.5 million in stakes money that comes with them we start to embrace and understand we are lucky to be working in a dynamic and progressive era for Australian racing. I’d love to have a 4yo good enough to run for the $7.5 million on offer in the ‘Golden Eagle’. Perhaps we have!!!

Here is a brief summary of the major races to be run each Saturday of the 2019 Spring Carnival in Sydney.

7 September 2019 Royal Randwick Chelmsford Stakes Weight for Age

14 September 2019 Rosehill Gardens Run to the Rose 3YOs SW

21 September 2019 Royal Randwick George Main Stakes Weight for Age

28 September 2019 Rosehill Gardens Golden Rose 3YOs SW

5 October 2019 Royal Randwick Epsom Hcp Handicap

12 October 2019 Royal Randwick Spring Champion Stakes 3YOs SW

19 October 2019 Royal Randwick The TAB Everest Weight for Age

26 October 2019 Royal Randwick Bondi Stakes 3YOs SW

2 November 2019 Rosehill Gardens The Golden Eagle 4YOs SW

9 November 2019 Rosehill Gardens Golden Gift 2YOs SW

Magic Millions

It is less than four weeks until the commencement of the 2019 Magic Millions Carnival. I head to the Hunter Valley tomorrow to continue inspections of the big drafts up there. I’m really warming to the sale with a lot of investors money likely to be soaked up by the progeny of I Am Invincible, Snitzel and Fastnet Rock. It never ceases to amaze me how people get completely focused on a pedigree page rather than the horse it represents.

It is no secret the Australian Stock Market has had a correction and the housing market in general has cooled in most states. I see these two factors along with the buyer focus on a small group of sires likely to throw up plenty of good buying opportunities. We are fortunate to have many very good young sires in Australia.

I am planning to purchase four yearlings. These will go to Kris Lees, John Thompson, Patrick Payne and Darren Weir.

I am heading to the Gold Coast on 5 January to finalise my lists and to get the yearlings I like vetted out.

At this stage our runners at Magic Millions race day on 12 January are likely to be:

Zizzis - $2 million Magic Millions Guineas for 3yo’s,

Husson Eagle - $1 million Magic Millions Cup,

Not Surprising - $250,000 Magic Millions Country Cup, and

Addocarr - $250,000 Magic Millions Maiden.

Unfortunately, Serriano who looked so promising in her barrier trials has pulled up slightly shin sore and won’t be progressing towards the Two Years Old Classic.

It is still a great effort to have four runners. Hopefully, we can add to the eight Magic Millions winners we have been fortunate enough to syndicate since 2010 when Hidden Wonder gave us our first win.

On The Track

We have plenty happening at present. Resinite steps up from maiden company today at Coffs Harbour in a $30,000 Class 1 race. It will be interesting to see how he handles the 1600m trip. He is likely to head for a spell after today’s race.

Not Surprising resumes tomorrow at Scone. She needs to have two runs in country races before the Magic Millions Country Cup to qualify. This isn’t an ideal race for her, but it will put one of these qualifying races behind us. She was very good in the Country Cup last year and with any luck should have won the race. Andrew Gibbons rides which is a big plus.

Nzuri Mwali is being aimed at Taree on Monday. She was very good on debut. Hopefully she draws a decent gate. These three horses are trained by Kris Lees who is having another stellar season. He is just ½ a win behind the powerful Godolphin team on the National Trainers’ Premiership.

We kick off some of our summer team this weekend with Husson Eagle, Hussy’s Glow and Casa De Lago resuming for Patrick Payne. Each of these three will be improved by the run. Husson Eagle has been targeted at the Magic Millions Cup for some time with Patrick planning his preparation to peak on that important day. Hussy’s Glow main aim for the summer is to run in the Vamos Stakes in Launceston and Casa De Lago may benefit from a wet summer if the weather predictions prove correct.

Patrick will also step out Invincible Al at Flemington on Saturday. He is probably the most consistent sprinter in Melbourne and surely another win can’t be far off. The results Patrick produces for us are

exceptional. For example, there four horses have won 20 races and $1,675,298 in stakes money. They cost just $169,500 to purchase for a $42,375 average purchase price.

In other news Our Long Sali is set to resume back at Launceston on Wednesday night and has an ambitious summer program ahead of her. Darren Weir is looking to place Golden Script to advantage and won’t run her until she draws a decent gate. She didn’t have much go her way over the carnival after impressively winning her first run back. Barrier draws are so important.

It may pay to keep a close watch on the appeals hearing by the trainers and their staffs in the ‘Aquanita’ case which is currently before VCAT. It could make for very interesting reading. I’m surprised the biggest player has decided not to appear at the appeal hearing. It seems it got hot in the kitchen yesterday as one of the appellants was being cross examined.

The increases in stakes money announced by RVL which take affect from January are great news.

Yearling Syndications

Thank you for your support this year. I have completed syndicating all our promotions. I will be informing you as I purchase the yearlings at the Magic Millions through this site. Our owners get first crack at the yearlings we purchase.

We are in a strong position having already syndicated four 2017 yearlings which really puts us on a good footing. I’m very bullish about a couple of the ‘new’ sires. Our studs are strongly supporting the locally bred sprinter / milers which is the recipe that has worked here for so long. If any of our owners have a particular yearling you would like me to inspect please forward through its breeding and which sale it will be sold at.

Husson Eagle returning after winning the $1 million Magic Millions Sprint 2015!!!

Good luck to him in 2018!!!