A cloud hangs over one of Australia’s best sprinters ahead of this year’s $20 million The Everest.
WILL THIS SUPERSTAR BE THERE ON EVEREST DAY?
Giga Kick and I Wish I Win dominate all early markets on the $20 million The Everest but are they both certain starters?
The mail around town is that the connections of I Wish I Win are demanding too big a slice of the pie and are not finding it easy to interest a slot holder with the percentage breakdown they want.
You have to remember the slot holder’s will now fork out $700,000 each and they are not just in it for fun.
They want a reasonable share of the big purse.
There is another avenue open that would be to lease a slot from the owner.
To do that connections would have to fork out their own $700,000 plus a loading which could be as much as another $500,000.
That makes it a big gamble but one I hear is favoured.
DERBY WINNER LOOKED GOOD BUT HOW GOOD IS THE QUESTION
How good is Kovalica?
I’m pretty good at putting booms on horses myself, but some of the hype handed out about this horse since his dominant Queensland Derby win on Saturday could be a little over the top.
He’s good, but how good?
Let’s look at the half dozen Queensland Derby winners before Saturday, Pinarello, Kukeracha, Mr Quickie, Dark Dream, Ruthven and Eagle Way.
No Hall of Fame contenders is there?
Now let’s look at what Kovalica beat.
Fame ran second, previously a winner of a maiden at Kyneton and a Benchmark 64 race at Moe.
Stroke Of Luck ran third and he has won only once in nine starts.
Against this of course was the arrogant manner of Kovalica’s win and his own record of six wins from nine starts.
James McDonald seemed to think he is pretty good judging by his post race comments and he is in the right stable with Chris Waller.
All in all there are pluses and minuses.
Time will give us the right answer.
By the way there was a concerted betting move on the Peter Moody-trained runner-up Fame in the Derby.
When the final field was declared on Tuesday you could get $71 for a win and $12 for a place easy enough and I know one punter who secured $101 the win.
At jump time he was solid at $10.
WHO WILL BE DANCING WITH THE STARS
Is the Big Dance winner qualified yet?
In five months time, 20 horses will line up over the famous 1600m course at Randwick chasing the big money on offer in the $3 million Big Dance.
There are 28 qualifying races and a last ditch chance three weeks before the big day, named The Wildcard.
To be eligible you need to run first or second in the qualifying races but let’s be fair dinkum if you don’t win a heat you won’t be doing the Cha-Cha.
The TAB currently has the Wagga Gold Cup winner Wicklow on top of the market at $8 in front of Goulburn Cup winner Oscar Zulu and last week’s Gunnedah Cup winner Akasawa at $11.
Eleven races remain to qualify so a good question to ask is the Big Dance winner in the race yet?
The next chance comes in the South Grafton Cup on 9 July followed by Narrandera, Coffs Harbour, Forbes, Murwillumbah, Dubbo, Lismore, Bathurst, Port Macquarie, Coonamble and then the Wild Card.
I say the winner isn’t there yet.
LOOK OUT DAD HERE I COME
Zac Lloyd can ride but without getting ahead of ourselves it wouldn’t surprise if he becomes one of the aces of the future.
His old man Jeff sits in the top 10 jockeys I have seen so without wanting to put more pressure on the young man’s shoulders the future looks bright.
But the elephant in the room is his constant visits to the stewards’ room and the amount of time he is spending on the sidelines through suspensions.
Young Lloyd, following suspensions at Kembla last Tuesday and Randwick on Saturday, has now been rubbed out 10 times this season.
He cannot resume riding until the Randwick meeting on June 24.
Young Lloyd is lucky.
He has all of the right people around him, his dad Jeff, Corey Brown at Racing NSW and Darren Beadman at Godolphin.
He’s a good kid and he will learn.
In a year or two let’s hope we will look back at this run of time on the sidelines and have a big smile.
KIWIS ENJOYING AUSSIE DOLLARS
What have all of these horses in common?
Sharp ‘N’ Smart (Champion Stakes), Manzoice (Victoria Derby), Legarto (Australian Guineas), Prowess (Vinery Stakes), Major Beel (Australian Derby), Pennyweka (Australian Oaks), Affaire A Suivre (SA Australasian Oaks), Dunkel (SA Derby) and Kovalica (Queensland Derby).
They are all Group 1 three-year-old winners in Australia this season and they are all New Zealand bred.
Kovalica was knocked down to Guy Mulcaster/Chris Waller Racing at Karaka in January, 2021 for $110,000 and that is Kiwi dollars not Aussie dollars.
That sort of money at the Australian sales would have got you a night’s accommodation, a couple of beers and a meat pie with sauce.
BARGAIN CLOSE TO HOME WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT
Of course I’m talking tongue in cheek, you don’t have to go to New Zealand to get a good cheapie, Saturday’s other Group 1 winner Think About It cost his owner Jamie Walter of Proven Thoroughbreds just $70,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale in 2020.
Think About It now has the fabulous record of eight wins from nine starts and Joe Pride will make sure there are plenty more wins.
Pride is a master trainer and Think About It is now challenging Private Eye for the No. 1 stall in his barn as the grand old campaigner Eduardo starts to look for a lush retirement paddock.
It is well documented Pride learnt his craft under John Size at Randwick and he learnt well.
He has done a superb job with Think About It which is now favourite for Queensland’s premier race, Saturday week’s $3 million Stradbroke Handicap.
BOTT OFFERS SOUND ADVICE – STRADDIE THE TARGET
Adrian Bott is not a smart alec trainer who tries to mislead the media.
He is a hell of nice young man as honest as they come and his injection into Gai Waterhouse’s Tulloch Lodge Stables has been the big success story of the past five or six years.
It was interesting knowing this to hear Bott interviewed pre-race on Saturday and him giving a bit of a “slow” for Converge in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup.
Bott said the horse would be hard to beat, but he pointed out 1300m was short of his best and he would be much better suited under handicap conditions in the Stradbroke at his next run.
On that advice I didn‘t back him and I confess to pulling his tail as he rattled home along the inside to go down narrowly to Think About It.
The Stradbroke here we come.
YOUNG STAR SET TO JOIN ELITE CLUB
Reece Jones looks like joining the elite group of jockeys who outride their claiming allowance before finishing their apprenticeship.
By my reckoning he has just three city wins to go.
Jones followed his brilliant treble at Rosehill the previous week with a double at Randwick on Saturday on Mirra View and Conscript.
As I have stated previously with his light weight, Jones is going to have an excellent future in the racing game.
KATSU – THE ART OF FORGIVENESS
I stubbed my toe in the punting business on Saturday when I fell into the short odds Katsu in the Bel Esprit Stakes at Sandown.
I was happy with my investment until the last 100 metres when the three-year-old did not dash away and was obviously oblivious to my shouting and screaming.
He showed fight but went down narrowly to Pintoff and Starry Legend and the bookies did not pay out.
On the face of it Katsu was a little disappointing, but after a couple of night’s sleep I am willing to forgive him.
He has still won four from seven and I am sure Grahame Begg will find some more races for him.
UNWANTED LOVE AFFAIR
Channel Seven broadcast racing from Randwick, Eagle Farm and Sandown last weekend showcasing the racing message to a new audience on free to air television.
It’s not a new concept as TVN did similar but it’s certainly a new racing audience to harness and build on.
The Channel 7 coverage is a professional slick machine and although it’s not directed at die hard racing fans and rusted on punters like me or those likely reading this column it’s an important service for racing and its continued growth.
But the love affair Seven has with racing nowadays would not have happened if the former CEO Tim Worner of Seven West Media wasn’t a racing tragic and staunch believer.
Worner chased racing through his love and knowing it was something he and Seven could build on but at every level at the broadcaster Worner faced opposition from those who thought he was letting his love of racing dictate good business sense.
Racing certainly owes the former CEO a drink or two.
UUUUUUMMMMMMMMM
* One of racing’s biggest stars in the training ranks recently knocked back the opportunity to train a highly promising horse convincing the owners to stick with the horses original trainer. This trainer gets knocked for being successful often by weak people and they wouldn’t realise this situation has happened previously.
* Big mail around town the next Chairman of Racing Victoria is the man many believe should have been there years ago. He’s got skin in the game, not just as an owner but importantly he is punter first and foremost. His twitter handle has always created debate whether it is about a horse or the industry.
BLACKBOOKER – A WIN IS COMING
TUTTA LA VITA – I am well aware you have probably already put this filly’s name in your blackbook but I just wanted to make sure. Wow what a performance at Canterbury last week from a filly that looked underdone and will appreciate more ground. She was finding the line two to their one the final 100m. She might just be heading for a better grade.
LITTLE BAIA – The lightly raced filly resumed at Bathurst on Thursday and although beaten she was gallant indicating her maiden victory is close. Bjorn Baker will find a kill for her so keep her under guard.
TWO AYE – Her maiden win was an easy watch for her followers at Goulburn on Friday and I don’t think her next victory will be far away. It was a restricted country maiden but her acceleration was that of a horse capable of winning again quickly.
THE RACKETEER – This Kiwi three-year-old won’t be competing against the topliners but I am sure he will pay his way. At his second Aussie start on Wednesday at Doomben only a 15 out of 10 ride by Ben Thompson cost him victory. He was fighting back on the line and if he can find a track with some give in it, he will be even better suited.