EVERYONE LOVES JACK

Super performance by horse and trainer last Friday when Kate Loves Jack took out the Custodian Travel Handicap (2200m) at Geelong.
Trained at Eliza Park by Sue Ellis (who also trained Kate Loves Jack’s great granddam, Daria’s Fun – winner of the 1988 Welllington Cup-G1 and four other stakes races), Kate Loves Jack was having only his third run back from an 18 month layoff.
Sue has shown the patience of Job with the 6YO who has now raced on just nine occasions for two wins and a second.

SYNDICATE BUYS INTO ASTRONOMER ROYAL

A syndicate of breeders has purchased a significant interest in ASTRONOMER ROYAL and, as a result, the Classic winning son of Danzig will be re-located to Eliza Park this spring.
“The syndicate has been searching for a well credentialled son of Danzig for some time and with Astronomer Royal’s weanlings selling so well this year, they’re convinced they’ve found the right horse,” Eliza Park CEO Cameron Croucher explained.
At the Easter Broodmare Sale last year, mares in foal to Astronomer Royal sold for $240,000 and $200,000 and buyers have clearly liked the result with weanlings fetching as high as $90,000 – over 10 times service fee – in 2011.
Astronomer Royal has certainly set the tongues wagging with leading agent Paul Guy declaring: “they’re just lovely horses and he’s a really exciting horse for Victoria.”
Damon Gabbedy of Belmont Bloodstock concurs: “I’m very impressed by the Astronomer Royal’s overall … they are a lovely bunch.”
Mark Player, who purchased the $90,000 colt from Chelsey Cry at the recent Great Southern, was equally enthusiastic: “I thought he was the best colt on the ground. A very attractive colt with very good presence.”
The Champion 3YO Male Miler of France, Astronomer Royal won the Longchamp Poule d’Essai des Poulains-G1 (French 2000 Guineas), a distinction he shares with a vast array of influential sires, including – in recent years –  Shamardal.
Also, Astronomer Royal finished close up in the time honoured St James’ Palace Stakes-G1 behind Excellent Art and Duke of Marmalade and ran Europe’s best sprinters to less than a length (after being held up at a vital stage) in the July Cup (1200m).
Out of the stakes winning Easy Goer mare, Sheepscot (who has also produced the Group Two winner Navesink River), Astronomer Royal boasts a tremendous black type family, as would befit a son of the legendary Danzig (197 stakes winners).
“We are very excited to be standing Astronomer Royal which brings our roster to 12 for the 2011 season,” Croucher adds. “Naturally he will be applicable for Eliza Park’s best terms – transferrable free return and no payment of service fee until 31 March 2012 – but due to the late announcement, package deals will also be available.”
Astronomer Royal will stand the 2011 season at a fee of $8,800 and for further information phone David Somers (0428 440 330), Mark Lindsay (0416 334 338) or Phil Marshall (0407 853 782).

DOZEN FOR STATUE

OK, you might not have heard of Lennart Jr Reuterskiold and wouldn’t have a clue as to the turn off to Taby, but Statue of Liberty appears to have a very classy performer in Sweden by the name of Uppercut Action.
Now the winner of eight of his 10 starts, the 3YO colt became Statue of Liberty’s 12th stakes winner on Saturday with an emphatic victory in the Jockeyklubbens Jubileumslopning (try saying that three times quickly with a few Heinekens under your belt!) over 1600m.
Trained by the aforementioned Reuterskiold, Uppercut Action is out of the Diaghlyphard (by Lyphard) mare Pep ‘n Chilli, who boasts a solid European black type family with Group winners in France, Ireland and England.

As for the turn off to Taby, you take the E18 out of Stockholm, turn right into Centralvägen, right onto Grindtorpsvägen, a slight right into Attundavägen, then the first right into Stora Marknadsvägen.

201 WORLD WIDE FOR BEL

Registering yet another double with the victories today of Laudit and Farasi, Bel Esprit statistician, Brian Donohoe, reports that Victoria’s Champion Sire has now posted 201 winners for the season world-wide.
You’d be forgiven for assuming that Black Caviar’s eight wins for 2010/11 would put her at the head of the pack, but this time she’s got to share the accolades with Big Daddy’s Dream who has notched up eight in the Philippines.
Bel Esprit’s wins have been registered in Australia (175 wins, 104 winners), Singapore (6 wins, 3 winners), Hong Kong (1 win), Malaysia (6 wins, 5 winners), Philippines (12 wins, 3 winners) and Macau (1 win).

BEL’S MISS HEADING FOR GUINEAS?

Bolisimo Miss showcased her ability with a dominant win in yesterday’s Eugene Gorman Handicap over 1000m at Flemington.
Bolisimo Miss ran unplaced on debut in January but finished shinsore. A comfortable winner of her maiden at Cranbourne over 1000m earlier this month, the daughter of Bel Esprit came with a telling turn of foot to sprint past her rivals 200m out before going clear to defeat Delegance (Delzao) by a widening two and a quarter lengths.
“She was shin-sore on debut, she lost her head. Nothing went right,” co-trainer Matthew Ellerton said later. “She had six weeks in the paddock and she really thickened. She is not a big filly but she is certainly a compact, powerful girl now. The break did her the world of good.”
“Once she got into clear room, she just quickened like a really
nice filly,” fellow co-trainer Simon Zahra said. “The breaker said she was a Group horse when he broke her in. He might be right. She has to go to the paddock now. She might be a nice Thousand Guineas horse.”
- ANZ Bloodstock News

ELIZA PARK HEADS NORTH(WOOD)

The continued expansion of Eliza Park took another leap forward with the today’s announcement that the stud had added a fifth Victorian property to its portfolio.
The latest acquisition – a dedicated foaling down facility and walk in farm – is based in Northwood Road, Seymour and was formerly known as Newlands Thoroughbreds/Wadham Park.
The new farm will now be known as Eliza Park Northwood and encompasses 470 acres of prime North Eastern Victoria real estate and boasts world class facilities.
“We’re very excited at the opportunity to shift our foaling unit to Eliza Park Northwood as we again expect to foal down some 250 of our clients mares this spring,” Eliza Park CEO Cameron Croucher enthused. “The facilities are ideal and there will be little to no disruption in making the transition.
“Eliza Park Northwood’s close proximity to all the major stud farms will also allow us to walk on clients mares on their behalf and, naturally, we’ll be using our fleet to transport mares to the Kerrie property as well.”
Eliza Park Kerrie will continue to be the hub for stallions, nominations, marketing, administration and a flourishing racing division, while the adjacent property – Eliza Park Nardoo – houses the dry mares and spelling racehorses.
Eliza Park also has two other properties in the North East – Eliza Park Nagambie, dedicated to rearing young horses, and Eliza Park Smithfield, a purpose built farm to house yearlings and weanlings for the operation’s burgeoning sales arm.
“Eliza Park Northwood is an outstanding farm with much of the infrastructure already in place,” Croucher points out. “The manner and speed at which each facet of the organisation is growing, necessitated the move.
“It’s amazing to think that just on a decade ago our stallions covered just 187 mares … 70 of them owned by Eliza Park’s principal, Lee Fleming.
“Last year, our stallions covered 1100 mares.
“The important thing to remember is that Eliza Park’s expansion is purely client driven. It’s paramount that we offer clients a professional and dedicated service for all thoroughbred requirements: adding this property to our portfolio allows specialist facilities for each component of the thoroughbred breeding business.”

BREEDING’S NEW TYCOON

Eliza Park principal, Lee Fleming, is over the moon at the success of two of the leading guns at his Victorian nursery - soon to be Champion First Season Sire Written Tycoon and perennial champ Bel Esprit.
“Written Tycoon (pictured) is doing an outstanding job,” according to Fleming. “He kicked further ahead on the First Season chart last Saturday when Tykook won at Morphettville and Anelene won her second straight at Launceston last week. What’s more, his filly Prestigious Miss – bred by Eliza Park – won easily in New Zealand yesterday.
(For a replay of the Tykook win at Morphettville, click here)
“It’s worth remembering that Written Tycoon is not an expensive horse, standing for just $6,600 the last two seasons and has only been upped to $11,000 for this spring. I doubt there would be too many Champion First Season Sires of the past who have stood so cheaply!
“Maybe he hasn’t got the brand recognition of some of his peers, but he’s a real look and book stallion AND he’s got the ability to upgrade his mares.
“The stallion is an ideal outcross as there is no Danehill or Danzig in him and that’s one of the reasons why we decided to stand him … that and the fact he’s got Vain and Marscay on his female side and was a very fast 2YO.
“This is a great result for Victorian breeding … the last stallion standing in Victoria to take out a national First Season Sires’ title was over 10 years ago.”
Fleming was also keen to point out the great strides two of Eliza Park’s other stallions are making.
“We’re immensely proud to stand horses like Bel Esprit and Statue of Liberty,” Fleming enthuses. “Bel Esprit is obviously lauded as the sire of the world’s best sprinter in Black Caviar, but it should also be remembered that he’s produced over 100 individual winners this season and has huge numbers coming through the ranks. With only five crops of racing age, he’s about to win his fourth straight Victorian Sires’ title.
“As for Statue of Liberty … well, Hay List is arguably the best male sprinter in the world and in any other era, he’s Horse of the Year for sure!
“We must be doing something right …”

PRESTIGIOUS WIN

Leading Kiwi trainer, Roger James, appears to have a nifty filly on his books following the comfortable victory of Prestigious Miss in the Librettist 2YO Challenge Handicap in New Zealand on Wednesday.
Roger has always had a high opinion of the Written Tycoon filly who notched up a trial victory in November before being tipped out until May where she ran a promising fourth on debut.
Bred by Eliza Park and sold to Paul Willetts at the 2009 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, Prestigious Miss is out of the Honor Grades mare Mathematical and is a half sister to the multiple New Zealand Group placed Cassini.

Prestigious Miss (Written Tycoon) as a weanling

TYCOON IS FLYING

Not content with standing the sire of the world’s best racehorse, Bel Esprit and Black Caviar, Victorian nursery Eliza Park Stud is set to lay claim to Australia’s newest Champion First Season Sire, Written Tycoon.
The son of former speed machine Iglesia is poised to become the first Victorian based stallion since then Chatswood Stud resident, Flying Spur (1999/00) to be crowned Australia’s champion freshman.
Up until now, Written Tycoon has needed only 9 runners to accumulate his four winners, aided in no small way high stakes earners, Masthead and Written Consent.
“Even from when the first two-year-olds trials were on, his offspring showed plenty of ability and the next stage was to do it on the track and they’ve certainly done that,’’ Eliza Park Stud’s general manager (operations) David Somers said.
“Written Tycoon (below) has covered big books of mares including his first year at stud so we look forward to seeing a lot more of his runners over the next 12 months. He throws a really nice type with plenty of size and plenty of strength,’’ Somers said, “and one thing about him is that as well as getting some very nice winners they are actually good sales horses as well because they’re such nice types.’’
It’s hard getting one of the roster to Champion First Season honours, but Eliza park boasts a realistic chance of doing it all again when the debut progeny of Wanted hit the track in the 2013/14 season.
Wanted is a son of boom sire Fastnet Rock out of a stakeswinning Snippets mare, Fragmentation.
He was also a grand two-year-old himself winning the AJC Kindergarten Stakes before training on to add the Group 1 VRC Newmarket Handicap.
“Wanted got a lovely book of mares in his first year but is getting even better support and better mares this year. We’re looking forward to seeing his foals, he’s got a very good chance.’’
- Shayne O’Cass, Sportsman

ANELENE RINGS UP WIN FOR TYCOON

Top-class filly Anelene put the finishing touches on a wonderful season for Eliza Park sire Written Tycoon in Launceston last weekend.
Anelene (2f Written Tycoon - Ring Card Girl by Bellotto) scored her second win in a row in the Try A Trifecta 2YO Hcp (1220m) at the TOTE Racing Centre in Mowbray.
Eliza Park isn’t claiming victory just yet but it would appear Written Tycoon has a big enough lead to land the Australian first-season sires’ premiership for 2010-11.
The Lee Freedman trained colt Masthead was instrumental helping him break away from Darley sires Al Valorem and Nadeem and his Tasmanian filly kept the till ticking over at the back end of the season.
Hall of Fame trainer George Blacker is a top judge of horseflesh and he has declared Anelene (below) is a star of the future.  He’s even comparing the filly to his former star Royal Rambo who won 25 races!
Blacker paid $20,000 for the daughter of Written Tycoon at the Inglis Melbourne Autumn yearling sale.  “I had a good look at the catalogue and she caught my eye on looks and breeding,” Blacker said.
From the moment she stepped foot in Blacker’s Longford training complex, he knew she was something special.  “She is a strong, good sized filly and I’m confident she will develop into an Oaks candidate next season.”
Anelene is owned by Blacker and his wife Marlene in partnership with long-time clients Byron Bonney, Bernie Einoder and Tony Pedder.  Her dam Ring Card Girl won at Eagle Farm and she was covered by Shinzig at Eliza Park last year.
Written Tycoon (Iglesia) was a G2 winner of the Todman Slipper at Rosehill and he has also hit the ground running at stud with black-type colts Masthead and Written Consent.
With six weeks of the season remaining, Written Tycoon ($607,150) holds a substantial lead over Ad Valorem ($439,475) for the first-season sires’ title.
- Thoroughbred Express

THE 100 CLUB

Bel Esprit notched up the ton on the long weekend when first, Saint Esprit scored in NSW on Saturday, then Bolisimo Miss made it 101 individual winners for 2010/11 by winning at Cranbourne.
Breednet had this to say about Eliza Park’s breeding shed star: with seasonal earnings of $6.2 million, Bel Esprit is having his best ever season with his flagship performer Black Caviar leading the way in his very first century of winners.
A dual Group One winning son of Royal Academy, Bel Esprit has some massive foal crops coming through with 198 live foals born in 2008 (now 2YOs) and 180 born in 2010, so expect him to be a force to be reckoned with on the general sires list over the next few years.

HEAR THAT SOUND?

He’s not as famous as his big brother yet, but punters who saw his debut win at Gosford on Thursday will want to stick with him.
He is 3YO gelding, Sound of the Ocean, a half-brother by Encosta de Lago’s sire son Delzao to dual Group One winner Hay List (left).
Another homebred for the Davenport family prepared by John McNair, Sound of the Ocean has been given plenty of time to mature and looked a promising horse in the making after opening his winning account in the 1100m maiden under Diego Lima.
Despite racing greenly all the way up the straight, Sound of the Ocean found the line strongly in the last 100m to snatch a narrow short head win.
The gelding is the second winner for the Is it True (USA) mare Sing Hallelujah, who has a weanling full brother to Hay List in the pipeline and is due to foal to his sire Statue of Liberty again this spring.
- Breednet

PRESSDAY TO STAND AT ELIZA IN ‘12

As announced by Shayne O’Cass in the Sportsman on Friday, exciting Domesday colt – Pressday – will stand at Eliza Park from 2012.

Group One winner Pressday will stand alongside the sires of world champion sprinters Black Caviar and Hay List at Eliza Park Stud, but not before he completes a potentially lucrative spring campaign.
One of the nation’s leading stud farms, Eliza Park has announced that wider ownership under an exclusive syndication deal would be offered in the multiple Group winning sprinter/miler.
“Eliza Park is establishing a 50 share syndicate which will race and breed from the horse, with shareholders offered the rare opportunity to take part in the remainder of the colt's exciting career,” Eliza Park CEO Cameron Croucher explained.
Pressday will remain under the guidance of Sydney’s leading trainer Chris Waller who purchased the colt at the 2009 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Waller intends to aim the son of Domesday at the Epsom Handicap and Cox Plate in the spring and the Doncaster Handicap next autumn.
“This means if the horse wins both or either of the Epsom/Cox Plate double or his Doncaster target, his obvious increase in value as a stallion prospect will not affect those who have secured their shareholding prior,” Croucher said.
Waller is forecasting a big time ahead for the colt: “I’m confident Pressday will perform well during the spring with some exciting races ahead, which will certainly enhance his stallion prospects when he retires to Eliza Park Stud next year,” Waller said.
“On pure ability there is not a horse in the stable that can match Pressday. A combination of bad luck and lack of maturity held him back as a three-year-old ... but nothing will hold him back as a four-year-old.”
Win, lose or draw Pressday boasts an array of positive attributes that should appeal to breeders and buyers down the track.
Firstly he is the best son or daughter of his sire Domesday who is partly responsible for studmaster demand for Red Ransom sons.
Domesday originally stood for just $5,000 at Darley Cootamundra, but due to his status as a ‘pre-potent upgrader’, it has been announced that he will now stand at a fee of $22,000.
A truly striking colt, Pressday is an especially well-credentialed thoroughbred through his distaff-line.
His dam, Kaaptive Empress, is a daughter of the multiple Group One winning Sir Tristram grandson, Kaaptive Edition, and has a number of stakeswinners locally and in the USA on the page.
“Furthermore, Pressday represents a complete outcross to the dominant Danehill bloodline with the Red Ransom/Danehill cross working particularly well,” Croucher summarises. “The Danehill outcross is just another of the reasons why we’re excited to be standing 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver this season.”

For a PDF, videos and product disclosure statement on Pressday, please phone Mark Lindsay on 0416 334 338.

ONE FOR THE TRUE BELIEVERS …

Living proof that nice guys don’t always finish last, take a gander at Bart Sinclair’s report in Sunday’s Courier Mail.

Pore over the names of the winning trainers at Eagle Farm on Oaks Day and spot the standout.
Plonked in the middle of Mike Moroney, Rob Heathcote, Tony Noonan, Gerald Ryan, Graeme Rogerson, Matthew Smith and John O’Shea etc. is Craig Stott.
I’d wager not too many at the Oaks knew anything of Stott’s background before he landed some nice bets on Mystical Grey in the Spear Chief Handicap.
Stott explained he and wife Barbara moved to the Sunshine Coast late last year to live a peaceful life in retirement and play a lot of golf.
But the obvious passion they shared in racing and breeding did not abate with their change of scenery.
Stott has held a licence in Victoria where he ran a sheep and cattle property and dabbled with training his own horses at Oaklands Junction, not far from the Melbourne airport.
Mystical Grey is the only horse he has in work at the Sunshine Coast but soon the grey's half-sister will be going into work to double the stable size.
The Stotts bred Mystical Grey, a gelding from the Snaadee mare Mysterieux.
“Unfortunately Mysterieux died foaling last year,” Barbara Stott revealed while her husband was tending to the strapper’s duties with his winner.
Seeing hobby enthusiasts successful on a major carnival day is good for the industry.
It gives hope to every person who gets out of bed pre-dawn every morning and does the hard yakka, that the little guy in this business can have his moment in the sun.

OF CAVIAR IN BLACK

Rupert McCall is a genius: an accomplished author and poet, he's right on the money with his latest wordsmithing effort about the magic of Caviar.


I filled my plate with Phar Lap; put some Bernborough on the side
My champagne glass was Rising Fast in toasting Tulloch’s ride
I lapped up Manikato and I craved for Kingston Town
I dined on Might and Power as I drank the Diva down
A Saintly slice of Sunline had the most immortal flavour
Octagonal with Northerly, the taste could not be braver
But then they served another course on racing’s mighty track
They served a dish of Caviar, of Caviar in Black
And her texture was colossal as the magic was digested
Her jet black spots emblazoned on a rider, salmon-crested
There was something in my stomach that I’d never had before
A feeling unforgettable that came out with a roar!
My mind flashed back to Phar Lap in the day of the depression
It suddenly occurred to me - she’d made the same impression
And the shiver was electric as it galloped down my back
When I saw the speed of Caviar, of Caviar in Black
And behind her and aboard her were the diamonds in the rough
A horseman from Wyandra who was made of solid stuff
And a pilot from Manangatang with hands and heels like wings
You wake up one cold morning and behold, the new day brings!
It brings a dawn so powerful – an appetite so strong
The punters thought they’d seen it all… but then she came along
You spy a humble hurricane and hear the lightning crack
And you know that it’s the Caviar, the Caviar in Black
And I want to be beside her when she hurtles down the aisle
I have to tell my grandkids how she made a poor man smile
How she made me feel a rich man in my hey day, in my prime
It needs to start, instinctively, with ‘once upon a time’
Horses have that special way of making us feel free
Despite their proud connections, they belong to you and me
And that’s an epic quality she never seemed to lack
It’s a simple twist of Caviar, of Caviar in Black
I ventured to the racecourse just to see her in the flesh
Expectation, history and inspiration mesh
And they culminate in something that reverberates with pride
In the undulating beauty of her mesmerizing stride
For beyond the sacred stopwatch that defines her famous place
The telling of the story lives on every person’s face
And the day will overwhelm me when I cast my memory back
Just to say I saw the Caviar, the Caviar in Black.

BELECONI ‘TRAINS’ ON

Bel Esprit blogger, Brian Donohoe, has a good turn of phrase and happily reported that “the Bel Esprit trained rolled through Adelaide yesterday with Beleconi posting an exciting victory in the Reliance Petroleum Handicap at Morphettville”, although given the name of the race, we thought he might have added “with plenty left in the tank”.
Brian, as always, maintains the Bel Esprit Winners Club blog page with gusto and reveals that Beleconi – who has now won five of his 12 outings – also holds the class and weight carrying records for 1500m at Gawler.
Originally purchased and raced twice by Gai Waterhouse, Beleconi – out of the Diana Anceschi’s Snippets mare Bocconi – is now trained by Philip Stokes who has saddled up the 4YO for each of his wins.

NO. 7 FOR BELLETRIST

Clearly one of Bel Esprit’s most underrated performers is the Queensland mare, Belletrist, who notched up her seventh win on Friday and providing her sire with yet another daily double.
Winner of seven races and over 100k, the Troy Hall trained Belletrist won four races at the Sunshine Coast in 2010 and was back to her best over the 1200m, leading throughout to score by almost three lengths.
Out of the Roman Prince mare, Lady Nickelli, Belletrist was bred by Canungra Pastoral Company in Queensland and is another shining example of the success that interstate breeders – utilising their home town incentive schemes – are having with Eliza Park stallions.

STRIKE ME, THAT’S QUICK!

Thoroughbred Breeders Victoria (TBV) was quick off the mark on Friday, sending out a press release within minutes of Strike The Tiger’s record breaking run at Geelong.
The Bel Esprit 3YO – who won his first three starts in Tasmania including the Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes at two – became the first horse to break the 58 second barrier for 1000m on Geelong’s Thoroughtrack.
Veteran jockey, Steven King, had nothing but praise for the Bel Esprit youngster: “He’s a speed horse and that’s just what he did!”
Strike The Tiger – along with a number of other top notch performers – was bred in Tassie by long-time Eliza Park supporters Dr Vu Van Tu and Amanda Lockett.

MOUNTAIN TO MUHAMMAD?

Naturally, there’s much speculation as to the spring plans for Black Caviar and after earlier intimating that the ‘world’ can come to the mighty mare, trainer Peter Moody may just go hunting scalps in Japan and Hong Kong. The Herald Sun’s Matt Stewart reports.

Key drawcard Black Caviar may be a virtual no-show in Melbourne this spring, with connections considering a trip to Japan and Hong Kong.
Trainer Peter Moody said last night he had asked Black Caviar’s owners for their spring wish list, and close to the top was the 2 October Sprinters Stakes in Japan and the 11 December Hong Kong International Sprint, both over 1200m.
“She is the best racehorse in the world, and the world is one of the options,” Moody said.
He said if the international trip was locked in, Black Caviar would have just one Melbourne run, first-up in the 1000m McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 10.
“We are keeping all our options open and the owners have indicated to me they’d like serious thought to be given to the Japan and Hong Kong races, with a long-term priority given to Royal Ascot next year,” Moody said.
Moody admitted the owners were “a bit miffed” the Victoria Racing Club had offered overseas rivals, such as Singapore’s Rocket Man, a $600,000 Global Sprint Challenge bonus for the 1200m Patinack Farm Classic at Flemington in November, while Black Caviar was eligible for just prizemoney.
The owners were slightly put out that “our horse, who has already won two Global Sprint Challenge races, was not eligible”, he said.
Rocket Man, winner of last month’s KrisFlyer Sprint in Singapore, is a likely Patinack starter in what has been touted as the year’s biggest showdown.
Moody said he had nothing to fear from Rocket Man in the Patinack: “There isn’t a horse on the planet capable of beating Black Caviar up to a mile,” he said.
First prize for the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama is $1.2 million, the same as the prizemoney-plus-bonus haul in front of Rocket Man if he can win the Patinack.
If Moody opts to stay home, Black Caviar could have six spring starts: the McEwen, Manikato Stakes, Schillaci Stakes, Moir Stakes, Patinack Farm and Winterbottom Stakes in Perth.
Other options include a first attempt at 1600m against her own sex in the Myer Classic and a tilt at the 1600m Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot next year, rather than the sprints.

ISN’T YOUR RESPONSE A RESPONSE?

Virtual FormGuide has conducted an online Facebook poll among its readers to ascertain which is the better racehorse: Hay List or Rocket Man?
Not surprisingly, particularly given that most respondents are likely to reside a fair way south of Kranji racecourse, Hay List ‘won’ convincingly … 60% to 20% (with 20% sitting on the fence).
Still, the lack of suspense relating to the verdict from such a poll, was clearly countered by one of the comments: “Too stupid a question to dignify with response!”