By Craig Kerry
Newcastle trainer Kris Lees was looking to the Golden Slipper – the race his father, Max, famously won with Luskin Star in 1977 – after Rivellino powered to a half-length win in the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m) on Saturday at Randwick.
The Too Darn Hot-Intrinsic colt, a $180,000 yearling buy, raced wide with cover from a start in gate 13 under James McDonald before coming down the outside to grab the $1.15m prize by a half-length to Within The Law.
Rivellino powers to victory in the Inglis Millennium on Saturday at Randwick.Credit: Getty Images
It was a second win at Randwick in two career starts for Rivellino, which was into $26 from $51 with TAB for the $5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) on March 22.
Lees said he could see Rivellino in the Slipper but was keeping his options open. The Todman and Skyline Stakes in early March could be his next target.
“Is he a Slipper horse? He might be more a Sires’ horse, I don’t know. We’ll just take it all in and see where they all sit,” Lees said.
“He trialled OK his first trial, but we thought there was more to give, then we put the blinkers on for that second trial and he jumped out of the ground, and he just kept going the right way.
“I was really confident pre-barrier draw, dented, then probably the more you digested it, he was going to be in the second half, it mightn’t have been the worst draw. Then you are relying on a nice ride, which he got.”
The rich win in the colours of the Throsby family also had sentimental value for Lees.
“Edward [Throsby] is a very good mate of mine,” he said.
“They are the family colours of course and have been carried by some nice horses over the years.
“My first-ever runner was in those colours, back in the ’90s at Newcastle, so they go back a long way.”
Lees trained Rivellino’s dam, Intrinsic, and bought the colt with Bahen Bloodstock.
Price-Kent yard grabs Attention
Victorian trainer Mick Price was eyeing the Hobartville Stakes and Randwick Guineas for Public Attention after he struck the first major blow for his satellite stable on Saturday.
Public Attention, with Chad Schofield aboard, wore down Linebacker over the final 100m to take out the group 3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) for three-year-old by a length for Price and co-trainer Micheal Kent jnr at Randwick.
The training team established 16 boxes, overseen by Ben Elam, at Rosehill late last year. Public Attention’s effort gave him and the Kent-Price Sydney-based team a first stakes win.
“The boys are doing a great job there,” Kent said.
“I’ve got good riders there and Ben Elam is doing a fantastic job.”
Kent was looking to even bigger targets after the Written Tycoon colt.
“Last preparation we were just nursing a bit of shin soreness with him,” he said.
“This preparation he has sailed through as a bigger, physically stronger specimen, and we just saw the benefit of that today.”
Listed win softens blow
Bellazaine will likely chase more black type in the group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes on March 1 at Randwick after she scored a consolation win for connections on Saturday in the listed Lonhro Plate (1000m).
The Gai Waterhouse- and Adrian Bott-trained filly was first emergency for the $2 million Inglis Millennium but did not get the scratching she needed.
At her second start after finishing seventh from a wide gate in the Gimcrack Stakes, Bellazaine raced outside leader and stablemate Anarchist before taking over at the 300m mark and holding off Godolphin’s Beiwacht by half a length.
“That’s certainly some consolation for the owners,” Bott said.
“There’s some important black type and residual value for it, and importantly some prizemoney to count towards the Golden Slipper.
“She’s come back a stronger and more seasoned filly and she can certainly put her hand up for one of those fillies lead-up races, potentially a race like the Sweet Embrace.”
Bellazaine was in from $101 to $34 for the Slipper.
Baker stays red hot
The summer of Bjorn Baker continued with another city treble for the Warwick Farm trainer on Saturday.
Favourites Point And Shoot and Shezanalister powered to easy wins in their benchmark 78 and 94 assignments respectively, before Highlights won the mile handicap at $17. It gave Baker 17 winners from his past 48 starters, and 47 victories in town for the season, just past the halfway mark. He had 46 city wins overall in the previous season.
Baker predicted a stakes win in the future for promising Blue Point three-year-old Point And Shoot, which cruised to a two-and-a-half-length victory to back up his five-and-a-half-length demolition at the track two weeks ago.
Via Sistina right on track
Top Sydney trainer Chris Waller declared superstar Via Sistina physically and mentally ready for her first-up assignment in next week’s group 2 Apollo Stakes at Randwick after an exhibition gallop on the track on Saturday.
The seven-year-old mare, a four-time group 1 winner in the spring, worked between races under James McDonald to add to her two trials this time in. Stablemates Fangirl, Atishu, Declichy Boulevard and Lady Shenandoah also had solo hit-outs on Saturday, as did Godolphin pair Broadsiding and Golden Mile.
Waller said Fangirl and Atishu will also resume in the Apollo Stakes, along with stablemate Lindermann. Olentia and Joliestar will also run first-up next Saturday at Randwick, in the Expressway Stakes.
He said Lady Shenandoah, Declichy Boulevard and potentially Lazurra would run next Saturday in the group 2 Light Fingers Stakes.
Gain for Payne with Lisztomania
Todd Payne will head to the Country Championships confidently with Lisztomania after he delivered the Inverell trainer a first Highway Handicap win on Saturday at Randwick.
Premier jockey James McDonald, in a rare Highway Handicap ride, took the resuming six-year-old down the centre of the track and drive him to a close win over Exit Fee. It was Lisztomania’s fifth start for Payne, since coming from Aiden St Vincent, and first win in more than two years.
Payne said Lisztomania would be his sole contender for the Country Championship Hunter and North-West heat at Tamworth on March 9.
“He’s been a lovely horse at home, just unlucky all last prep,” Payne said.
“We only had the four runs, but it’s an eight-hour drive down here. Paddock, then today and he goes good fresh, so that was always the plan.
“I’d love a stable full of him. I’ve got four out of the same mare.”
