Wandering Eyes

Jay Rooney AUDACIOUS PURSUIT - R4 (1) Has been in consistent form and gets an overdue good draw here Owen Goulding AUDACIOUS PURSUIT - R4 (1) Bumped into a useful sort last start when lashing home and this is easier Trackwork Spy RED SEA - R3 (2) Trialled brilliantly ahead of his local debut and can strike with Purton up Phillip Woo LUCKY WITH YOU - R7 (1) Capable sprinter should map well and can repeat last year' TVB Cup win Shannon (Vincent Wong) SOLID CAR - R8 (4) Ran a close third...View the full article

Utilising new technology, engaging with younger fans and better promotion of racing are crucial to the future of the sport, according to Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges and executive director of racing Andrew Harding. Speaking on the final day of the Asian Racing Conference in Riyadh, Engelbrecht-Bresges and Harding highlighted the key motivators in safeguarding the future of racing. “If there is one message that cuts across all our discussions, it is this: the future of...View the full article

It’s 12 months to the day since Lucky With You ended a long winning drought in The TVB Cup (1,200m) and Luke Ferraris is optimistic history can repeat at Sha Tin on Saturday. Frankie Lor Fu-chuen’s consistent galloper relished dropping back from Group One company to strike in the race last year, before backing it up at his next start to notch back-to-back victories. Last year’s TVB Cup was a Class One but Saturday is an extended Class Two, which will be Lucky With You’s first start in the grade...View the full article

The 41st Asian Racing Conference (ARC) closed in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Thursday night with New Zealand announced as the host of the 42nd ARC in 2028. Mr Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chair, Asian Racing Federation and Chief Executive Officer, The Hong Kong Jockey Club, hailed the Conference in Riyadh as an enduring success which highlighted the sport’s greatest opportunities and also its challenges. Praising the work of the Conference host, the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia and His Royal Highness Prince Bandar bin Khalid Al Faisal, and the ARC Organising Committee, Mr Engelbrecht-Bresges said the ARC’s discussions reiterated the importance of increased collaboration and new technology as key motivators in safeguarding the sport’s future. “If there is one message that cuts across all our discussions, it is this: the future of horse racing is under threat and can only be secured by working together to address the key challenges we face,” Engelbrecht-Bresges said. The ceremony was crowned by the official exchange of the ARC flag to New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing, host of the 42nd ARC in Auckland in 2028. View the full article

Stakes winning juvenile De Armas has been sold to OTI Racing and will soon join the stable of Chris Waller in Sydney. The daughter of Ardrossan won two of her three starts for trainer Johno Benner with her most recent effort being a luckless fourth in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) after enduring a wide passage throughout, yet still savaging the line. A five length winner on debut, De Armas won the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) at her second start before her run in the Karaka Millions. “OTI have been interested in her the whole way through, but post Karaka Millions, we decided to sell her early, simple as that,” Benner said. “She goes to Chris Waller and she will head to Australia on Sunday. “They’ve got to train-on as three-year-olds, but she’s definitely very good and a lovely filly to have around, but money talks at the end of the day. “She’s got a great brain and hopefully she acquits herself really well in Australia.” Benner secured De Armas from the 2025 New Zealand Bloodstock National Online Yearling Sale for just $16,000 when sold by Elsdon Park. Respected bloodstock agent Phill Cataldo was delighted to secure De Armas for successful syndicators OTI. “When you look at her performances, every time she has been out she has shown real brilliance,” Cataldo said. “She had three trials, one before she raced and the other two between runs and blitzed them on all three occasions. “She spaced them on debut, then two months later won easily at Listed level going right handed for the first time. “The rub of the green went against her in the Karaka Millions, covering ground but she was still good enough to run the fastest closing 400m and 200m sectionals, which was a top performance under the circumstances. “To me she is the best two-year-old filly going forward. Her athleticism and scope excites me, as does the physical improvement she has to come. “She’s a class act with a great stride and bombproof temperament. “I see her as an ideal filly for the Princess Series in Sydney in the Spring. No doubt she will run 1600m and possibly further. “She has been magnificently prepared by Johno Benner and now goes to Chris Waller, so from one top trainer to another. I’m sure she will represent OTI and the NZ suffix with distinction.” View the full article

Karaka 2026 marked the 100th National Yearling Sale in New Zealand, and it was one for the record books. After an action-packed refreshed format, results have been accumulated from the Book 1, Book 2 and inaugural Karaka Summer Sale sessions, that took place from 25 – 29 January. The new condensed sale format saw several records being surpassed and increases across all key sale indicators. With 79 less horses catalogued, turnover was up almost $10 million on last year, with returns to consignors and breeders totalling over $96 million. Increases were also seen across the combined average of $127,774 (11%), $85,000 median (6%) and clearance rate of 83%, showcasing the strength across the entire Sale and at all levels of the market. The second day of Book 1 saw the Sale-topping Lot 513, a colt by Sword of State out of Las Brisas, purchased for $1.1 million by Mr Sanxiong Gao and Ciaron Maher Bloodstock from Cambridge Stud, who fittingly claimed their 34th Leading Vendor title at the close of selling. The momentous occasion saw a record attendance with hotel bookings overflowing with guests keen to return to Karaka. The buying bench from Australia was particularly strong, with an increase of almost $12 million in total spend. While the competition was tough, the support from domestic trainers was felt all the way from Southland to Northland. There was also participation from Hong Kong, China, USA, UK, Ireland, Netherlands, South Africa and further afield. Kicking off the week, a spectacular night of racing was witnessed on the eve of Karaka 2026. Queensland trainer Liam Birchley was on top of the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) mountain again after Dream Roca (NZ) (El Roca) triumphed, a $75,000 buy from Westbury Stud’s Book 2 draft. While visitors were treated to something special when Well Written (Written Tycoon), who was bought for $80,000 by Stephen Marsh Racing and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock from Brighthill Farm’s draft in the 2024 National Online Yearling Sale, blew her rivals off the track in the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO. NZB’s Managing Director Andrew Seabrook commented on the final results. “It was one of the best weeks at Karaka in a very long time, with both buyers and vendors very happy.” “To increase our turnover by 11% despite having a smaller number of horses offered is phenomenal, and an important boost for our industry. “It was great to see the Australian spend was up significantly, particularly during Book 2 thanks to having those horses on the ground earlier for inspections,” he added. “There were some great pinhook results especially through the Book 2 and the Summer Sale, which should give people confidence to enter the weanling market in just a few months’ time. “I’m really proud of how we acknowledged the milestone of the National Yearling Sale for the wider industry, it was very special to be a part of. “Our thanks go out to the vendors, buyers, underbidders and the thousands in attendance who all combined to make the 100th National Yearling Sale one to remember.” View the full article

Cambridge mare Imprevu will be seeking to shed her bridesmaid tag when she heads to Matamata on Saturday to contest the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m). For the second successive year, the daughter of Wrote finished runner-up on Karaka Millions night, finishing behind Moschino in the Jo Giles Stakes (1400m) after being runner-up to Konasana in last year’s Gr.2 Westbury Classic (1400m). They join her growing list of placings, including the Gr.3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) and Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m), and trainer Janenne Dalley is keen to buck that trend this weekend. Dalley is pleased with Imprevu in the lead-up to the Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes, but the wet weather forecast remains her biggest quandary. “Everything is going to plan, so I just hope the rain isn’t going to be too much,” she said. While concerned about the forecast, Dalley said it could aid their chances from their wide gate of 11 in the 13-horse field. “She will be out of trouble there and won’t be locked up on the fence,” she said. “At that time of day (race six), if we do get a bit of rain, I don’t think it is going to hurt her.” With regular rider Tayla Mitchell currently suspended, Imprevu will be reunited with apprentice jockey Hayley Hassman, who has ridden her on three prior occasions, and Dalley would love it if she could win on her mare. “Tayla does a lot of the track work on her but she is suspended,” Dalley said. “Tayla and Elen (Nicholas) have won on her, so it would be nice if Hayley can win on her as well.” Following Saturday, Imprevu is set to head to Ellerslie on Champions Day where she will be seeking redemption in the Gr.2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Classic (1400m), formerly known as the Westbury Classic. On that card last year the seven-year-old mare was unplaced in the Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), and Dalley hasn’t ruled out heading south to tackle the mile feature at its new home of Trentham next month. “We have tried her over a mile three times and she hasn’t really liked it,” she said. “It may be on the cards, but we will just get through tomorrow and Champions Day.” Imprevu is currently a 26-1 outsider with the TAB for the Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes, but Dalley is confident her mare can belie those odds this weekend. “She is in a good headspace, we are happy with her and I am sure Hayley will be perfect on her,” Dalley said. “We will try and get a good result with her tomorrow.” View the full article

Noble Knight has ventured to Southland just once before, winning last year’s Invercargill Gold Cup (2600m), and he will be out to keep his 100 percent strike rate intact in the region when he heads to Ascot Park on Saturday to defend his crown in the Olphert Contracting LTD-sponsored event. The Prebbleton gelding heads into the race in good form, having won the Marlborough Cup (2000m) at Riccarton last month after finishing runner-up in the Waikouaiti Cup (2200m) at Wingatui a week prior. “It was a good win last start and his work has been good, so I am pretty happy with him,” trainer and part-owner Sandy Cunningham said. The eight-year-old son of Ghibelline’s has been lumbered with topweight of 60kg, but will get some weight relief courtesy of apprentice jockey Floor Moerman’s three-kilogram claim, and he will jump from barrier three. “He has drawn well and being top weight, it is nice being able to claim a little bit too with Floor,” Cunningham said. “She gets on with the horse, so that is really good.” Bred by White Robe Lodge’s Wayne and Karen Stewart, Noble Knight will reunite with the Otago couple on his way south as Cunningham makes a pitstop at the renowned thoroughbred nursery on her way to Invercargill. “I am very spoilt because I get to stop and camp at White Robe Lodge overnight, so I will stop there and take them down the next day,” Cunningham said. “The trip down there is long enough, so it breaks the trip up.” All going to plan post-Saturday, Noble Knight will head to Wingatui in a fortnight where he will attempt to score an elusive stakes victory in the Listed Positive Signs + Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m), a race he placed in two years ago. “I’ll have another go at the Dunedin Gold Cup, which is going to be a wee bit of a tougher task,” Cunningham said. Noble Knight will be joined on the float trip south by stablemate Watson, who will be seeking a breakthrough win in the Heineken Maiden (1600m). “His work has been better than his races, so he has been a wee bit disappointing,” Cunningham said. “He has drawn well (2) so fingers-crossed he goes a bit better. He has a hood on for the first time, so it might wake him up a little bit.” Noble Knight currently heads the market for the Invercargill Gold Cup, alongside Smooth Operator, at $3.50, while Watson is rated an $11 winning hope with TAB bookmakers for his contest. View the full article

Kris Shailer won the Gr.3 Matamata Slipper (1200m) four years ago with Alabama Gold when training in partnership with Stephen Autridge, and this year he is hoping to win it in a solo capacity. Shailer now heads Waikato Stud’s Courtza Park operation where he trains a small race team for the farm on top of his primary commitments of breaking in and pre-training. He has a near faultless record in that role, recording three wins and a runner-up result from just four starts this term, and he said he is loving being back at the races. “I am pretty lucky,” he said. “To have four runners in the last month for three winners and a second is unheard of, but I am very grateful to the team here for giving me them to train.” Banquo two-year-old gelding Justin Case is responsible for one of those victories, after finishing runner-up on debut, and he will get his first tilt at stakes level when he lines-up in the Fairview-sponsored Matamata Slipper this weekend. “He has come through that last run well and his work on Tuesday morning was great, he just worked on his own but was running times the rest of them were running on the course proper,” Shailer said. “I am really happy with him. “I won this race in partnership with Stephen Autridge a few years back with Alabama Gold, it will be great to have a runner in my own name and in the Waikato Stud colours.” Justin Case has drawn the outside gate in the seven-horse field and will be ridden by Samantha Collett. All going to plan after Saturday, Justin Case will likely test his talent in a couple of looming elite-level events. “There is the Sistema (Gr.1, 1200m) in a couple of weeks and he is nominated for the Manawatu Sires’ (Gr.1, 1400m),” Shailer said. “But we will just get through Saturday and make a plan after that.” Stablemate Convinced is also set for a tilt at black-type following her debut victory at Matamata last month, while promising gelding Magice has returned to work after overcoming a virus late last year. “Convinced has bounced through her first-up run and she is going to head to the Uncle Remus (Gr.3, 1400m) next week,” Shailer said. “Magice had a virus a while back and he had a good month in the paddock. He is over that now and has been back in work for four weeks and I am really happy with him.” View the full article

Riding on the crest of a wave, Jerry Chau Chun-lok is excited to represent Hong Kong on the international stage again when he rides Self Improvement in Saturday night’s Group Two Riyadh Dirt Sprint (1,200m). With eight wins from just 25 rides in February, Chau heads to Saudi Arabia in elite form after taking the lead in the Tony Cruz Award and jumping to fourth on the jockeys’ championship standings. The 25-year-old’s strong campaign kicked off in style when he booted home Self Improvement in...View the full article

John Shirreffs, who trained Zenyatta to a Hall of Fame career and saddled Giacomo to win the 2005 Kentucky Derby (G1), died in his sleep Feb. 12 at his home in Arcadia, Calif. He was 80.View the full article

Jockey Manny Franco booted home six winners Thursday on Aqueduct's nine-race card, including three consecutive victories to close the day. The six wins pushed his winter meet win total to 25, which leads the current jockey standings. “My agent [John Panagot] is the best, doing a terrific job,” said Franco said. “Every day, he tries to get the best mounts possible. I'm happy to have him on my side. I'm thankful for these opportunities.” Franco kicked off the day with a win aboard Sea Vista (Street Sense) in a 6 1/2-furlong maiden in Race 1, then captured Race 3, a six-furlong claimer, with Kadena (Ghostzapper). He also won Race 5 with Mathea (Tacitus) in a one-turn mile maiden for New York-breds and Race 7, a 6 1/2-furlong claimer, with Top Player (Mitole). He then closed out the card with wins in Race 8, a nine-furlong state-bred allowance, with Otherpeoplesmoney (Central Banker) and in Race 9, a seven-furlong maiden auction optional claimer, with Hot Gossip (Curlin). “I want to thank God first,” said Franco. “Also, thank you to all the trainers, the owners, for always giving me their trust. All year round, I just try to deliver out there. When I have the horse, when I got horse under me, I'm going to make it happen. That's my job.” The post Six Wins for Franco at Aqueduct Thursday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A trainer built equal parts brilliant and idiosyncratic, John Shirreffs passed away quietly in his sleep overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning. He was 80 years old. He leaves behind the kind of record unmatched by all but a select few. At the summit of Shirreffs's mammoth achievements was of course Zenyatta–elegant and imperious, who between 2007 and 2010 achieved the near impossible: 19 straight wins and 13 Grade I victories including back-to-back Breeders' Cup crowns, one of them a Classic. Zenyatta was just denied an exquisite send-off in the Breeders' Cup Classic of 2010, her customary late charge customarily irresistible–irresistible to all but Blame, who derailed history by a head. The deflated echoes from the tens of thousands at Churchill Downs that day could have filled an airship. But Zenyatta was just one of so many superlative runners who performed under the Shirreffs banner down through the decades, each of them nurtured along by a trainer who did things his way. And his was a potent brew of patience, individual care and a horseman's eye that was more of an X-ray into the souls of the horses that walked past him at his barn each day. A Marine Corps veteran of Vietnam, Shirreffs cut his teeth as a horseman in the jutting mountain cathedrals of Northern California's Grass Valley at the sprawling Loma Rica Horse Ranch, where the transatlantic phenom Noor would later be interred. He started out on his own in 1976, beginning a career that would see him train nearly 600 winners and earn some $58 million. There were plenty of good ones. Shirreffs trained an upset winner of the Kentucky Derby, Giacomo, in 2005. In 2009, he conditioned a companion Breeders' Cup winner to Zenyatta, Life Is Sweet in the Breeders' Cup Ladies Classic. He could train the precocious sorts who came to the boil early. But he was especially adept with the late-bloomers and the quirky sorts who had a way of navigating the world as differently as their trainer. He could do it because he could read a horse the way an accountant reads the ledgers. “The industry has lost one of the most amazing trainers ever,” said jockey Mike Smith, who enjoyed so many great days with Shirreffs. He rode Zenyatta in 17 of her 20 races. “Not only was he great horseman; he was a great man. Boy, he was, whew… it's hard. He meant everything to me, man, not just in my career but in my personal life. We were very, very close,” said Smith. “He was big John, man,” Smith added, of the six-foot plus trainer. “I'm just thinking about his whole crew. I just can't imagine his barn and what they're going through right now. He meant so much to them as well, you know,” he said. For Shirreffs, “the horse came first,” said Smith. “He'd get inside their heads, you know. He just knew things that a lot of other people didn't. He'd try different things, work with them until it worked, give them all the time that they need for it to work. He was just really great at that.” In 2021, Shirreffs gave a glimpse into this thinking for a series of articles in the TDN. He talked about his one-eyed Grade I winner Hard Not to Love, a nervous filly. He put a mirror in her stall to help with her field of vision. “It made all the world of difference,” he said at the time. John Shirreffs with his Derby winner Giacomo in 2005 | Horsephotos He talked about Morning Line, a top-class runner on the East Coast who had lost his way completely. After the horse arrived at the Shirreffs barn in California, it was back to basics. First, the driving reins. Then a rider with the driving reins–a performance that necessitated a relay race, where the more athletic members of the Shirreffs's team would be situated around the track, ready to be handed the driving reins from their rubber-legged counterparts. “Pretty soon, it got to the point where we just started him with the driving reins, and then the rider would let go of them and carry on like usual,” said Shirreffs. On his first start for Shirreffs, Morning Line won the GII Mervyn LeRoy Handicap at Hollywood Park, and two starts later, finished third in the GI Triple Bend Handicap. Shirreffs approached his craft by burying into the horse's psyche, encapsulated so perfectly when he discussed what he termed the “bio-rhythm” of a horse. This is the idea that a racehorse can be brought to peak performance only when they're mentally, physically and emotionally in balance. “You have to figure out how to get things flowing together,” Shirreffs explained at the time. “So, when they're physically at their peak they might not be mentally at their peak because you've trained them really hard, but mentally they're tired or emotionally they're off–you know, upset about being pushed so hard. He continued, “So, you're going to have to lose a little bit of conditioning maybe to bring them up mentally and emotionally, right? It's always: How close you can get everything? “That's the one great thing about campaigning a horse, because when they're campaigning, they're conditioning–they're physically staying at a pretty high level. And as they campaign, and as they get used to the rigors of racing and training, mentally they're getting stronger, too. And then, if there's some sort of pleasure involved–some sort of reward for the horse–then they're emotionally getting better,” he explained. Shirreffs with his most famous charge, Zenyatta | Sarah Andrew In a statement, Santa Anita wrote that it “joins the racing community in mourning the sudden passing of trainer John Shirreffs. He was a fixture at Santa Anita Park throughout his career and his legacy as a caring horsemen will remain embedded in the fabric of our history. “Every horse who races at Santa Anita must first pass by the statue of John's greatest trainee, the wonderful mare Zenyatta. While John's victories were plentiful and prestigious, what he accomplished with Zenyatta in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic was a masterpiece and deservedly was voted as the top moment in Santa Anita Park's 90 years. “Our deepest condolences are extended to John's wife, Dottie, and his family, including those horsemen and women who worked closely with John for so many years. May his memory be a blessing.” Breeders' Cup also released a statement Thursday evening mourning the loss: “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of John Shirreffs, whose grace, humility, and skillful horsemanship left an indelible mark on our great sport. “Beyond his three victories at the Breeders' Cup World Championships–with Life Is Sweet in the 2009 Breeders' Cup Distaff and with Zenyatta in both the 2008 Breeders' Cup Distaff and her historic 2009 Breeders' Cup Classic–John was widely respected for his integrity, patience, and steadfast commitment to the care and development of his horses. “Campaigning Zenyatta to a Hall of Fame career, he never failed to make the great racemare accessible to her fans, promoting the sport to thousands across the nation and around the world. He understood the responsibility that comes with greatness and embraced the opportunity to share it, helping broaden racing's audience and inspire a new generation of fans. “Our heartfelt condolences are with his family, team, and friends.” Shirreffs is survived by his wife, Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, sister Anita Shirreffs, stepson David Ingordo (Cherie DeVaux), and step-granddaughter Reagan Ingordo. The post Training Great John Shirreffs Passes Away at 80 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Unbeaten filly Lara Antipova will head Te Akau’s assault on their home track two-year-old features on Saturday. Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson’s speed demon has been untested in either of her appearances and will face her sternest test in the Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Ltd Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). Meanwhile, stablemates Kinnaird and Out Of The Blue will fly the stable flag in the Gr.3 Fairview Matamata Slipper (1200m) following unplaced runs in the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m). Lara Antipova romped home by eight lengths in her Te Aroha debut and was again untested to take top honours in the Gr.2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Trentham. “She’s in great form and has freshened really well since Wellington,” Bergerson said. “She had an exhibition gallop last week at Tauranga and worked well on the course proper at Matamata this week, she’s in really good order. “The weather forecast is a bit of a query, there’s no good things in racing and there’s some talented fillies there, but she has been faultless so far.” All going well, Lara Antipova is most likely to target next month’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). “We’ll get through Saturday and hopefully press on to Ellerslie and then we’ll have a team talk after that to see what’s next,” Bergerson said. Opie Bosson will partner Lara Antipova and will also ride Kinnaird, who won on debut at Otaki before landing the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m), but the bubble burst when he tailed the field home in the Karaka Millions. “He was disappointing, a few things didn’t go his way and he threw his toys out of the cot,” Bergerson said. “It’s a smaller field and although he has won at Ellerslie, he did a lot wrong in the Eclipse and he might be a bit better going this way around. “We can’t fault him and his work has been good this week.” Out Of The Blue was undefeated in two spring starts at Riccarton before he was third in the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) and a last-start seventh. “He was really good in the Millions, he ran the fastest last 800 and 600m after he blew the start from a bad gate,” Bergerson said. “In a smaller field on his home track, we certainly don’t think he’s out of it.” They will have three runners in the Listed Lisa Chittick Champagne Stakes (1400m), including the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) placegetter and last-start Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) winner Belle Cheval. “She’s the up and comer and we always had this race pencilled in as a nice stepping stone to The NZB Kiwi (1500m),” Bergerson said. “She’s really talented and keeps improving so it will be exciting, with the forecast the only query.” Stablemates Captured by Love and My Lips Are Sealed will complete the Te Akau challenge. “Captured By Love has been freshened since Te Rapa (Gr.3 J Swap Sprint, 1400m) where she got a long way back and was never really in it,” Bergerson said. “She’s had a couple of exhibition gallops and we can’t fault her at home while My Lips Are Sealed had a disappointing spring. “She ran a really good race (third) in this last year behind Legarto and typically finds form this time of the year, so we’re hoping she can bounce back and rediscover her zest.” The other stakes contender is What You Wish For, who will defend his title in the Listed Matamata Veterinary Services Kaimai Stakes (2000m). “He’s in really good form and Wolfgang puts him in at a suitable weight and he’s absolutely bouncing around the place,” Bergerson said. “He’s looking to win it again and we can’t see any reason why he can’t.” View the full article

During a spring campaign in which she pushed Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) first-up, beat all bar Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) second-up, and contested a Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m), Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) never quite pleased trainer Chris Waller. While she put in some exciting performances on the track, the champion horseman admitted she never looked the part. “She ate well through the spring, her bloods were good, but she never looked well,” Waller said. “She looked light.” The fact Aeliana’s appearance was having no bearing on her appetite or her form led Waller to the conclusion she was still growing. With the benefit of time and a break in the paddock, she has returned around 15kg heavier, and much more pleasing to the eye. “I’m much happier. She’s perfect,” he said. “She will be very hard to beat on Saturday, as we saw first-up in the Winx (Stakes) last spring. She almost beat Via (Sistina). “As long as we didn’t overtax her. That’s my only fear, but there was no sign of it. We pulled up after the Cox Plate, and she was a bit unlucky there.” Aeliana will be among a six-strong contingent for the stable in Saturday’s Gr.2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, along with exciting mare Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun), and hardy gelding Lindermann (Lonhro). That trio is considered the stables main chances, with Waller expecting Wootton Verni (Wotton Bassett), Soul Of Spain (Phoenix Of Spain) and River Of Stars (Sea The Stars) to all benefit from the hit-out. Autumn Glow is an odds-on favourite with Aeliana and Lindermann third and fourth market picks respectively, the latter returning from one of his best campaigns in the spring when he won three of his five starts. Waller warned punters not to underestimate Lindermann, especially with bold jockey Nash Rawiller on board. “He’s pretty forward because first and second-up is his chance to beat the better ones,” Waller said. “You’ve got Nash on, there’s always a Nash factor. He can always pull something out of his hat.” – RAS Newswire View the full article