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Leading jockeys Mark Du Plessis and Leith Innes will return to business at Avondale next Wednesday.
Du Plessis, who has been riding in Hong Kong, has an early engagement for the Bruce Wallace-trained Sierra Beel while Innes, who has been sidelined by injury, has been booked by Tony Pike for Domarco.
Group 1 Dinner On July 25
The Waikato Branch of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association will host their annual Cathay Pacific Group 1 Awards Dinner at SkyCity, Hamilton on July 25.
The function will acknowledge the Group One successes of 15 Waikato-bred horses during the 2013-14 racing season.
To be hosted by racing journalist and Trackside presenter Aidan Rodley and Auckland Racing Club’s Racing Director Andrew (Butch) Castles, a highlight of the night will be the crowning of the Cathay Pacific Horse of the Year, an honour previously bestowed on horses the calibre of Octagonal, Might and Power, Vengeance of Rain and Ocean Park.
The Mills Reef Personality of the Year, the Mary Lynn Ryan Young Achiever of the Year and BNZ Quiet Achiever will also be announced.
Flights to London and Hong Kong, flying Cathay Pacific, will be auctioned along with a 12-course Food By Design Cocktail Party for eight people, a three hour trout fishing charter for eight people with Chris Jolly Outdoors and a $5000 Trackside advertising package. In addition to the live auction a silent auction will be run throughout the evening.
Tickets are available at $160 per person or $1400 for a table of ten, to order contact Lisa Dunbar nztbawaikatob@gmail.com.
Coup Ay Tee Tipped As Upset Hope
Chris Waller favours a New Zealand-bred to keep him on an unlikely course for a record-breaking season in the $A100,000 Winter Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.
Danske’s son Coup Ay Tee will be joined by Tromso, Tougher Than Ever and Hidden Kisses in the Listed race as he takes aim at his Sydney record of 167-1/2 winners set in 2012-2013.After racing at Warwick Farm on Wednesday, Waller had 154-1/2 winners with four meetings remaining.
By default, Waller is leaning toward Coup Ay Tee ($16) as his best chance of causing an upset.
“He’s not far away from his best form and he’s got a good draw for a change,” he said.
“It would be nice to see a slow track, even dead so there’s a few ticks getting next to his name.”
Coup Ay Tee is a Hawkesbury Gold Cup winner, but he has raced just below the top level for most of his career while earning a more than respectable $A500,000 in stakes.
Stokes Gives Kiwi-Bred Melbourne Chance
Phillip Stokes is convinced the time is right to give Eclair Samba his chance in Melbourne.
The Morphettville conditioner has his first Adelaide trainers’ premiership wrapped up and he also hopes to add to his tally of winners across the border at Flemington Saturday.
Stakes victories by Eclair Big Bang, Hucklebuck and Molto Bene have highlighted Stokes’s five Melbourne wins during 2013-14 and Stokes said Eclair Samba deserved his chance interstate.
The four-year-old will tackle the $A100,000 Ascot Racecourse Handicap (2000m) at Flemington tomorrow.
A New Zealand-bred by Ekraar, Eclair Samba has five wins from 11 starts in South Australia, including a last-start victory over 2014m on heavy ground at Morphettville two weeks ago.
“He hit form last start and he seems to hold it for two or three runs and wet tracks are not a problem for him,” Stokes said.
“He’s down in the weights so I thought it would be a good time to send him over before he gets up in the rating points. Obviously this is harder than Adelaide but we’ll give him his chance.”
Derby Winner Unable To Shuttle This Season
The 2011 Epsom Derby winner Pour Moi will unfortunately not shuttle to Windsor Park Stud for the upcoming Southern Hemisphere breeding season.
While in quarantine in Newmarket, England, Pour Moi developed a problem and he will not travel to New Zealand on veterinary advice. He is expected to return to Coolmore, Ireland, in the near future.
"While it is disappointing news for Windsor Park and our industry, the welfare of the stallion is paramount and we look forward to his return next season,” Windsor Park studmaster Rodney Schick said.
The classic winning son of champion sire Montjeu proved popular with Southern Hemisphere breeders during his first two seasons and was the leading freshman sire of weanlings at the recent sales.
Grand Excess Brings Back Memories
The win of the Peter Moody-trained Grand Excess at Geelong this week brought back memories of the great racemare Grand Archway, who won four Group One races from 1200m to 2500m.
Grand Archway was trained throughout her career by Graeme Rogerson to win nine of her 22 starts and was the Australia’s champion 3YO of 1998-99.
Among the ownership was Grand Archway’s current owner Eric Watson, whose bloodstock vehicle Watson Bloodstock Ltd races Grand Excess.
Lengthy Ban For Parkes
Johnathon Parkes copped a six week suspension on Thursday after his mount Absolutely Sacred was disqualified from victory at Hastings.
Interference about 300 metres from the finish of the Manawatu Sound Service Sprint resulted in Darby Shaw losing rider Mick Dee and Parkes pleaded guilty to a charge of reckless riding.
His suspension comes into force after Saturday and will end on August 30.