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    • Unbeaten two-year-old colt Warwoven (Sword of State) will be back at the races for the first time since the beginning of January when he lines up in the Gr.2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday for trainer Bjorn Baker. An impressive winner of his first two starts, Warwoven was hot favourite for the Magic Millions 2YO (1200m) but was deemed unfit to start on raceday morning. “Any athlete going to any sports competition, there is always a fine line between being 100 percent healthy but doing the work to get there,” Baker said. “We were very comfortable with him running but the Racing Queensland vets and stewards weren’t and that is that grey area, that is that fine line. “I’m happy to report that he couldn’t be moving any better at the moment and we’re thrilled with how he has done. It is character building this game. You have got to take the good with the bad and those are the rules. We look forward, not back.” The son of promising Cambridge Stud stallion Sword Of State remains $6 favourite for the Gr.1 Golden Slipper (1200m) on March 21 despite his absence from the track and he resumes on Saturday without a trial. “He’s been kept up to the mark, he didn’t lose a lot of residual fitness,’’ Baker said. “He was ready to go only about five or six weeks ago. He’s had a few good gallops and I’m happy with him.” With rain forecast on Saturday at Randwick, Baker said he is hopeful Warwoven will get through any rain-affected conditions from barrier one. “On his pedigree, he is a good chance to get through the track being out of a good Makfi mare,” Baker said. “On the Tuesday before the Magic Millions, he actually galloped really well on a track with a fair bit of give. “I suppose barrier one is the quickest way home, but whether that’s a positive or a negative, you don’t really know until raceday. “There is a bit of pressure and a few nerves, but after his gallop on Tuesday and last week, I couldn’t be happier with him. “He’s a good sized laidback horse with a great attitude, and he has that natural speed, so he can probably put himself right there. “If he does have to get out and they are fanning across, he will be able to do that too. I think with his speed ability, he should be able to create space and that will be key, on what could be a demanding track.” Warwoven is likely to head straight to the Golden Slipper pending a good run on Saturday, with stablemate Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) having to win next week’s Gr.2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Randwick to force his way in. An impressive trial winner earlier in the week, Paradoxium is 75th in the order of entry for the Slipper. “Warwoven is in the Slipper already, whereas Paradoxium won a Magic Millions race at Wyong and the prizemoney doesn’t count towards the Golden Slipper,” Baker said. “He is going to have to win next week more than likely to make the Golden Slipper. “They’re both very exciting and in terms of which one is better, I guess time will tell. “My gut feeling is that Paradoxium will be better over the shorter trips and Warwoven possibly over a touch longer. The question is where is that line. Is it at 1200m, is it under or is it beyond. I’d love to see them in a Slipper against each other at 1200m.” View the full article
    • Joe Pride concedes Ceolwulf probably can’t beat Autumn Glow this weekend – unless Randwick is hit with a deluge of rain. Sydney’s weather will determine if Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) has any chance of toppling glamour mare Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) in the Verry Elleegant Stakes at Randwick, according to his trainer Joseph Pride. Autumn Glow is a prohibitive $1.30 favourite to extend her unbeaten sequence to 10 on Saturday, and Pride concedes it’s a deserved quote. His one caveat is if the upper end of the wide-ranging prediction of rain falls, declaring Ceolwulf some hope to upset the apple cart if the track becomes significantly wet. “I’m not even thinking about winning chances because honestly, if that mare shows up with what she did the other day, you’re probably not going to beat her at this stage of the preparation for us, with no blinkers and so early on,” Pride said. “His best chance of running really well would be if the track is wet, so I’ve got my eye on that. “That’s probably what punters want to hear from me, ‘is there a chance your horse could win? Well yes, but it would have to be wet, I would think’.” There is some relief for Pride in the simple fact Ceolwulf is lining up at Randwick. He missed the Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) last year due to a setback, and two weeks ago his autumn looked over when he returned to scale with blood in his nostrils following the Apollo Stakes (1400m), a condition that usually incurs an automatic three-month ban. However, a subsequent scope showed no traces of blood in Ceolwulf’s lungs or throat, and it was surmised the horse didn’t suffer an internal bleed but rather something akin to a burst blood vessel in his nose. Stewards gave him the green light to continue his preparation, and Pride said the horse hadn’t missed a beat. “As soon as I scoped him, I felt like he was entitled to be here, but going back to two weeks ago when I saw him post-race, it is a massive relief,” Pride said. “He didn’t miss a walk. He missed nothing.” Ceolwulf has won three races over the Randwick mile, all at Group 1 level, but given he improves deeper into his campaign, Pride will be happy if he finishes in the first few on Saturday. “Hopefully the first four or five and I’ll be happy. That will be box ticked going forward and I’ll know that he is on track. But I’m very happy with him.” View the full article
    • Te Akau Racing will head to Wingatui’s Classics Day on Saturday in full force, including stable jockey Opie Bosson, who will fly south to ride several of their leading contenders at the lucrative meeting. “It is a great day to have runners and good live chances, especially with the money on offer,” Te Akau Racing assistant trainer Hunter Durrant, who heads their Riccarton barn, said. “It will be great having Opie down here, it always makes a difference.” Bosson, who recently recorded his 100th Group One win in the saddle, will partner four Te Akau runners on the 10-race card, including the in-form Insatiable (NZ) (All Too Hard) in the Happy Retirement Wayne Stevens (1200m). The six-year-old gelding placed in three consecutive races, including the Listed Stewards Stakes (1200m), before breaking through for an elusive victory in the Banks Peninsula Cup (1100m) earlier this month. “He is always thereabouts and it was good to see him get one there last time,” Durrant said. “His work on the course proper at Riccarton on Tuesday was really good, he looks outstanding, he is probably one of the better-looking horses in the barn, so I am really confident with him.” He will be met in his race by stablemate Trobriand (Kermadec), who will be seeking to recapture form under Central Districts hoop Bruno Queiroz. “He needs to recapture some form, but we are confident he can,” Durrant said. “His work has been good and he is a happy horse, but he does need to find a bit there.” Bosson will also ride promising juvenile Never Too Much (NZ) (Rubick) in the KB Contractors (1100m), Purple Prose (NZ) (Embellish) in the Speights (1600m), and Stonybreck (Tavistock) in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m). “Never Too Much has trialled really well up north,” Durrant said. “His recent trial was really nice. He has fitted into the programme here at Riccarton like an older horse, he does everything right. All he wants to do is work, eat and sleep. His work has been extremely sharp. “It looks an ideal race on paper for Purple Prose. He has been thereabouts and looking at that race I think he is a really nice chance. “Stonybreck was only fair there at Wingatui last time. We have changed things up, including some jumping, just to get him thinking about things. If he can recapture some of that form he had in the spring he will definitely be right in the mix.” The stable has several other stakes contenders, including last-start winner Perlino (NZ) (Super Seth) in the Listed Property Brokers – Ray Kean Dunedin Guineas (1600m). “Perlino is a lovely filly by Super Seth that has come down and has done everything right,” Durrant said. “We expected her to run well at Riccarton last start, but probably not win in the fashion that she did. It was pretty convincing. “She has trained on better than she was before, so that is a really good sign going forward.” Court Of Appeal (NZ) (Eminent) also takes last start winning form into the Listed Positive Signs + Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m), where she will be joined by stablemate Elegant Lady (NZ) (Highly Recommended). “They both ran last week at Riccarton, so it is only a 10-day back-up, but they have definitely handled it well,” Durrant said. “Court Of Appeal won very well and Bruno thought that if it was on a Good track at Riccarton she would have won by more. “Elegant Lady has had a wee while between runs, so she has improved off that Riccarton run and her work since then has been super. “It is nice going into one of the biggest days in racing down here with two really nice chances.” Te Akau’s final runner on the card will be juvenile filly Elysienne (NZ) (Sword Of State), who will join Never Too Much in the KB Contractors (1100m), where she will jump from the ace barrier with Courtney Barnes aboard. “Elysienne is a lovely filly,” Durrant said. “She has been down here a while now and has had that start (fourth on debut over 800m at Riccarton last month). “We scratched her from a Heavy track at Riccarton last week. It will be good to see her on a Good track.” View the full article
    • Lance Robinson won the Listed Property Brokers – Ray Kean Dunedin Guineas (1600m) seven years ago with Air Max (NZ) (Nadeem) and he believes he has the right horse to double his tally in the race when he heads to Wingatui on Saturday. The Riccarton trainer will head south with his Group Three performer Alottago (NZ) (Tagaloa), who like many of his counterparts has had an interrupted preparation due to the abandonment of the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) earlier this month. The son of Tagaloa subsequently had his first-up run at Ashburton last week, where he finished fifth over 1200m, and Robinson has been pleased with his progress heading into the Dunedin Guineas. “That’s just the name of the game (Gore Guineas abandonment),” Robinson said. “He missed that run so we had to go to Plan B and go to that 1200m race the other day, which wasn’t really ideal, but we had to go somewhere to get a run into him. “He has done everything right since his run the other day. He had a bit of a run along this (Thursday) morning and his work was excellent. He is right up to the mark.” Alottago will jump from barrier 14 and will be ridden by northern hoop Joe Doyle, who is still riding the high of winning the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) aboard Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park) last weekend. “I am not too worried about the barrier,” Robinson said. “He can get a bit of room out there and Joe is a good rider, and he will get him a bit of cover and he can make his own plans from out there. I would rather be out there with a little bit of room than cladded up on the fence behind slow horses.” TAB bookmakers share Robinson’s optimism, installing Alottago a $4.50 favourite for the Guineas ahead of Luna Capella (NZ) (Tivaci) and Perlino (NZ) (Super Seth) at $5.50. Alottago will be joined on the float trip south by stablemate Eight Pence (NZ) (Swiss Ace), who will be chasing the $200,000 purse on offer in the ODT Southern Mile Final (1600m). The Swiss Ace gelding has won three of his last five starts, including over a mile last week at Ashburton, and will jump from barrier five, with apprentice jockey Kendra Bakker’s two-kilogram claim bringing his impost down to 54kg. “He has done nothing wrong, he just keeps stepping up,” Robinson said. “He deserves a crack at the race. “He has done well since Ashburton and I am really happy with him. He is only going to be carrying 54 kilos and he races up on speed a bit, so he will get his chance. “I am sure he will be very competitive. They will know he is there.” Local hope Loose Sally (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) heads the TAB’s market for the Southern Mile Final at $4, with Eight Pence labelled a $10 winning hope. View the full article
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