The Hunter winner Vilana will look for group 1 glory in the Winterbottom Stakes in Perth if trainer James Cummings is happy with him on Monday.
The Hallowed Crown four-year-old has won two million-dollar races during the Sydney spring — the Silver Eagle and The Hunter — and Godolphin want to take the opportunity to strike while Vilana is in form.
Nash Rawiller gets the best out of Vilana to win The Hunter at Newcastle on Saturday.Credit:Getty
“He ran down a Golden Rose winner in In The Congo on Saturday and there is a group 1 there for him in Perth,” Cummings said. “He has to be on the plane on Monday, so it is a quick turnaround, but when you have a horse like him in form it’s good time to give him a chance at a group 1.
“He is an entire and it would be a good chance for him to get a group 1 profile looking to the future.”
Vilana will join Godolphin stablemates Kementari, Paulele and Cascadian on the plane with Winterbottom favourite Rothfire and The Astrologist also leaving Sydney on Monday.
Chris Waller is sending Minsk Moment for the Winterbottom Stakes, while Yonkers will have a crack at Saturday’s Railway Stakes and the Northerly Stakes.
Spring Stakes needs a move to get back to its former glory
There is a lot of talk about what races should be upgraded when the Australian Pattern Committee meets, The Everest and the Golden Eagle topping the list, but their first thought should be keeping stakes races at a level befitting their status.
Newcastle’s Spring Stakes needs a change of date to return to its former glory. The group 3 was won on Saturday by promising filly Pierossa, who only seven days before had broken her maiden.
It is a race lost at the end of a long spring, but it used to be a staging point for great spring three-year-olds. Coronation Day, Clangalang and Lotteria, to name just three, were among those to make a name for themselves when the race was run on the Newcastle Cup program.
The carnival has changed since those days, but there is a date which would make it a place for rising stars to shine once again.
1992 George Main Stakes Coronation Day is just one of a storied list of Spring Stakes alumni.Credit:Barry Chapman
Newcastle holds a meeting on Everest day, which already draws a good crowd. The group 3 mile would give it a feature and be perfectly placed to lead into the Callander-Presnell and Spring Champions Stakes at Randwick a week later.
It would make it a proper group 3 contest once again, not one in name only.
NSW invests in mechanical horses
Racing NSW has made a significant investment in the future of its riding ranks by purchasing three mechanical horses for apprentices and jockeys to use from next month.
The mechanical horses are due to be delivered to Randwick, Warwick Farm and Newcastle before Christmas. They will be available to all jockeys but are intended to be used for the training of apprentices by Racing NSW jockeys coach Corey Brown.
“They are a good training device for all jockeys and to have them at three different tracks will help,” Brown said.
“We are looking to also put a gym in at Randwick to help jockeys with their riding fitness.”
Freedmans look to take Kembla feature double
Richard and Will Freedman will look for the big double at Kembla Grange’s standalone meeting with On The Lead in The Warra and Love Tap in The Gong on Saturday.
Love Tap won the greys race on Melbourne Cup day in a return to winning form and the Kembla mile should suit him.
Love Tap takes out the Subzero at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.Credit:Racing Photos
“It is not always the strongest race at the Flemington carnival, but he did it well. We were always looking at this race for him because he has won at Kembla before,” Will Freedman said.
“He likes the track and should be able to get out roll in front.”
There is certainly an attraction to the $300,000 The Warra for On The Lead, who found the line well on Melbourne Cup day at Randwick when third to Key Largo.
“We have kept him a little fresh, so he will be sharp enough at the 1000m,” Freedman said. “He took a bit of benefit from the first-up run and these are types of races we try to pick out for him away from carnival time.”
Parker looks to keep Gong at Kembla
Kerry Parker believes Hope In Your Heart has the right form to make it back-to-back hometown winners of The Gong at Kembla Grange on Saturday.
The four-year-old mare was a game fourth in the Golden Eagle, which is a similar form line to last year’s Gong winner Count De Rupee.
“Luke and Rob [Price] showed it was the way to go into The Gong last year with Count De Rupee and I think her run in the Golden Eagle was just about as good as his 12 months ago,” Parker said. “I just wanted to see how she came through that run, but she is bouncing and it would be good if we could keep the big money here again.
“I came close with Think It Over, when he was third two years ago, but I think it is a much stronger race now, so she will need to be at the top of her game.”
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