Two-year-old blue bloods to clash on debut at Sandown on Wednesday
Wednesday's Thoroughbred Club of Australia Handicap at Sandown could be a showdown between a pair of blue blood two-year-olds.
I'mateez, a half-brother to the former superstar sprinter Imperatriz will be up against Samudra, a daughter of Oakleigh Plate winners Snitzel and Pippie.
Bookmakers have the Mark Walker -trained Samudra as an odds-on favourite after three jumpout wins while I'mateez is a $17 chance after improving to win his latest jumpout at Cranbourne on May 12.
Walker's Melbourne representative Ben Gleeson said the stable had been careful with Samudra, who was a $775,000 yearling purchase.
'She's not an out-and-out two-year-old by any means,' Gleeson said.
'When people see her in the parade ring, they'll see she's a big, strong, scopey type of filly that is certainly going to grow.
'She's taken time to mature body-wise and every time she's had a jumpout, we've just given her that bit of extra time.
'We haven't wanted to push her until she showed us she's ready. But we've been really pleased with her jumpouts.'
I'mateez, a son of Golden Slipper winner Capitalist, cost $200,000 as a yearling on the Gold Coast last year.
The colt's trainer Alex Rae said the youngster had plenty of speed but needed to answer questions in the last 100m of the $50,000 contest.
'He certainly heads to the races with a good understanding of what his job is, but what happens when the real pressure goes on late in the race, I'm not sure how he's going to respond,' Rae said.
'He'll jump, he'll run and he's pretty one-dimensional so we're not going to do anything out of the ordinary with him.
'He'll probably lead them up and hopefully he'll be strong late, that's the big question.
'It's going to be a tricky race but I suppose, when you've got a horse with the pedigree that he has, I suppose there's some lofty ambitions internally.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
6 hours ago
- News.com.au
Dubbo previews: Trainer Clint Lundholm aims for fourth Silver Goblet success with promising colt Blue De Beers
Trainer Clint Lundholm is chasing his fourth Silver Goblet with a two-year-old that boasts Golden Slipper winner Pierro as a close family member. Lundholm 's colt, Blue De Beers, is out of a mare named Arabian Diamond. A Lonhro herself like Pierro, both Arabian Diamond and the 2012 Two-Year-Old Triple Crown winner share the English stakes-winner Criquette as their second and third dam respectively. Pierro famously won the Breeders' Plate on debut, now it's up to Blue De Beers to show what he's got when he makes his own debut in one of the Central West's most coveted juvenile features, the Kings Hall Jewellers Showcase Silver Goblet 2YO Handicap (1100m). 'He's a very nice horse,' Lundholm said. It's Tavanasia up along the inside to win the 6th at Wellington! ðŸ'¥ â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 13, 2025 The Form: Complete NSW Racing thoroughbred form, including video replays and all you need to know about every horse, jockey and trainer. Find a winner here! 'He's been set for this race a good while ago. He didn't qualify for the Inglis race at Scone so we ear-tagged this race to target with him. 'He has trialled very well and had another unofficial jumpout after his second trial just to keep him up to the mark and we are really happy with him going to the races. 'I am not too worried about the (outside) draw. 'Over 1100m here at Dubbo, you come around one corner for home anyway so it doesn't concern me too much. 'I don't think it is against him anyway.' Lundholm is represented by five horses across four races and while not enough to reach a certain milestone, a big day could edge him closer. The record shows that Lundholm's present tally of winners at his home circuit is 194. One of the trainer's string looking for their first Dubbo win is Willinga Karisma who aims to snap a sequence of two consecutive seconds when she tackles the Winter Country Classic Qualifier (1300m). 'She had a very tough run last start,' Lundholm explained. 'She got caught wide but was game and stuck on quite well. We've taken the claim this time around, she's got as soft draw, so she does look well-placed.' 🛰ï¸� Starlink speeds away to win in a bit of an upset at @MudgeeRaceClub for @ClintLundholm with @HeavelonVan in the saddle! â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 8, 2024 Willinga Karisma will be joined in her quest in this week's qualifier by the sturdy Stratum Star mare, Avalicous. 'At 1300m first-up, she is probably wanting the run but she has got a soft draw and she makes her own luck,' her trainer said. 'She'll run well but I think she will improve from the run.' Lundholm, meanwhile, aims to play a role in the hotly contested Showcase Benchmark 82 Handicap via the Widden Stud/Peter Frampton-owned and bred Starlink who resumes in the 1000m sprint. 'She was a little bit disappointing early in her preparation last time around and then she came out and pulled off a really impressive win at her last start,' Lundholm said. 'Then she had a little bit of an injury and went to the paddock. 'She's returned in great shape. She seems to be nice and sound.' Lundholm and Kody Nestor combine twice starting with Blue De Beers in the Silver Goblet, followed by Macchina Volante in the Benchmark 82 Handicap (1400m). This will be Nestor's first ride on the horse whose name translates into 'flying machine'. 'He finds conditions to suit,' said Lundholm. 'He will run a good race, he'll be honest. 'We're setting him for some for the county west cups coming over the winter.' â– â– â– â– â– Local gelding Cumnock's days as a Highway participant will come to an end if he can topple his rivals, all of them with significantly higher benchmark ratings, in the hotly contested sprint. The Brett Thompson -trained, Bob Slack-Smith-bred five-year-old was saved a near 800km round trip this weekend when dealt with the almost impossible predicament of fifth emergency (and barrier 21) for Saturday's Highway at Randwick. Instead, Cumnock, the horse with a thoroughly misleading Benchmark Rating of 60, takes on a couple of 77 raters in the Fardells Showcase Benchmark 82 Handicap (1000m) at his home ground. 'I don't know why he is so low in the benchmarks because it's not like he has been an inconsistent horse,' Thompson said. WOW! 🤯 How did Clear Thinking get there? @zaclloydx looked to be in a world of trouble on the short-priced favourite, but once clear she attacked the line to take the @tabcomau Highway! @PaulMessara @ArrowfieldStud â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 6, 2024 'Anyway, I'm not whinging. There's times when you want to be low in the benchmarks and times when you want to be higher.' Cumnock was successful in gaining a start in consecutive Highways in July last year, finishing fourth to Clear Thinking and Tanglewood in one and a fifth to Lonhro's Queen in the other. Cumnock will be ridden by champion country jockey Mathew Cahill who is also tasked with the quest of helping the tough and reliable filly Sorrento Palace snap a sequence of three straight second placings. 'She is going super,' Thompson reported. 'She's just been drawing terrible gates so we've been scratching, scratching, scratching trying to wait until she draws a gate and she's drawn a gate now so we've just to hope she can do the job for us which I think she can.' Thompson combines with inaugural Country Championships Final winning jockey Mitchell Bell in the Country Classic Qualifier for the boys where Hammering Away seeks to nail his third career win. The well-bred chestnut boasts some deep form having mixed and matched with some above-average types on the way through including Rothgate whom he stretched to a neck last spring. 'He is a horse that always tries,' Thompson said. 'I thought it was a pretty good to run there first-up at Parkes the other day. 'I think the extra ground will help him, we have got a good jockey on, he's a good each-way bet.'
7NEWS
27-05-2025
- 7NEWS
NSW Premier Chris Minns not happy as members vote against Rosehill racecourse proposal
Australian Turf Club members have rejected a proposal to sell Rosehill racecourse – the home of Sydney's traditionally most famous race, the Golden Slipper – at an extraordinary general meeting held at Randwick on Tuesday. Conducted by in-person voting, online voting and also by post, 56.1% of members voted 'no' to the ATC committee's plan to sell Rosehill for $5 billion with the funds to be received over 15 years from the New South Wales government to then use the site for housing development. 'While the resolution will not proceed, the robust debate and considered views expressed throughout the process has put us in good stead for our next phase of strategic planning and development,' ATC chairman Peter McGauran said. 'With the vote behind us, the club's focus is firmly on the future - one that honours our proud heritage while continuing to evolve and grow. 'Our priorities remain enhancing our tracks and welfare systems, growing participation through deeper community engagement, and continually improving the raceday experience for members and visitors. 'We will also continue to explore opportunities to diversify the revenue streams our racecourses and assets generate to reduce the reliance on wagering.' Horse racing has been held at Rosehill since 1888. It is unclear whether proposed redevelopments of Warwick Farm racecourse which was dependent on the windfall had the 'yes' vote been successful has any future prospects of proceeding through any other funding mechanism. NSW Premier Chris Minns said a 'golden opportunity' had 'slipped through our fingers'. 'I'm obviously disappointed by the decision of ATC members, I'm not going to lie. 'I think this would have been a great opportunity for Sydney, and the fact that it's not going to be realised, is obviously disappointing,' he said. 'The truth of the matter is, it feels like the closeness of the result makes it more difficult to take, not easier.' Minns said the government wold accept the ruled out a forcible acquisition of the racecourse, saying he would honour the result.
Herald Sun
26-05-2025
- Herald Sun
Rosehill sale vote: Australian Turf Club meeting reveals result
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. To sell or not to sell, that is the question. The Australian Turf Club's proposal to sell Rosehill Gardens racecourse for a reported $5 billion to make way for 25,000 new homes will be determined by the club's 11,000-plus members on Tuesday. This is a defining moment for Sydney and NSW racing. It is up to the members to decide the fate of Rosehill, the home of the Golden Slipper. Rosehill is a historic venue and all the greats of Australian racing like Phar Lap, Tulloch, Bernborough, Todman, Vain, Luskin Star, Manikato, Kingston Town, Octagonal, Lonhro, Makybe Diva and Winx won major races there. But only 12,111 attended the Golden Slipper earlier this year and less than 100,000 people came to Rosehill meetings during the 2023-24 season. This is a disturbing decline in race day crowds given 191,671 came through the turnstiles in 2012-13. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! So, if this issue is not burdensome enough already for members, they also have to work out what is fact or fiction from what has been a very robust and often heated debate from proponents of the Yes and No votes. There have been so many claims and counterclaims from both sides of the argument that it has become increasingly difficult to work out what is right or wrong. ATC chairman Peter McGauran has said if members vote to sell Rosehill it will secure the future of Sydney racing. 'We believe it is the biggest and most important decision in the history of the club,'' McGauran said. 'It will make us the most financially secure race club in the world.'' Marhoona (green and white silks) wins the 2025 Golden Slipper at Rosehill. Picture: Bradley Photos • ATC tees off on Penrith golf course plan for new track in Sydney's west But Hall of Fame trainer Gai Waterhouse has led the charge against the sale, urging members to vote 'No'. 'Members still have no definitive proposal of any sort to justify a sale,'' Waterhouse wrote on social media earlier this month. 'Warwick Farm is unsuitable, there is no supporting evidence to say a track can be built, and if 'yes' wins then voting members lose all control of Rosehill. We may as well throw our betting tickets away.'' The Daily Telegraph, however, recently revealed Waterhouse has not attended a Rosehill meeting in five years and is more often seen at Melbourne race tracks. ATC expects at least half of the club's membership base of nearly 11,500 to vote on the issue. The 'no' vote is favourite with the Save Rosehill group having the support of many leading industry participants. But if members vote in favour of selling Rosehill, the land will be used to build 25,000 new homes while ATC has unveiled plans to redevelop Warwick Farm and build a new training facility near Penrith which has the potential to also to be a Group 1 racetrack. The $5 billion sale price is a one-off and is dependent on a decision being made in time for the NSW Government to build a new Metro station to service the homes that would be built on the racecourse land. In an endeavour to provide some clarity for those members still trying to decide how they will vote on Tuesday, this is a snapshot of the most pressing issues concerning the Rosehill sale proposal. 1: What does selling Rosehill mean for Sydney racing? If Rosehill is sold, ATC has stipulated racing will continue at the track until at least 2031. During this period, $800 million will be spent on transforming Warwick Farm, $520 million on upgrading stabling facilities and other infrastructure at Royal Randwick, and another $520 million allocated to building the training centre at Penrith. In total, $1.9 million will be spent on various infrastructure projects with the remaining $3 billion invested into a Future Fund. 2: Is the $5 billion guaranteed if Rosehill is sold? The resolution to sell Rosehill ensures that the deal will only proceed if the State Government agrees to pay ATC a net of $5 billion. Payment will be secured through a legally binding contract with the NSW Government, which will provide a mechanism to safeguard payment. 3: Who will have control of the funds? The ATC owns Rosehill Gardens and has stipulated it will retain complete legal and financial control over every dollar if the sale goes ahead. Racing NSW has provided written confirmation to the ATC that it will not seek to recover any of the net $5 billion in sale proceeds. 4: Is Warwick Farm a suitable and viable alternative to Rosehill? Under the ATC masterplan, Warwick Farm will undergo an $800 million transformation, including flood proofing, and a completely new racetrack and grandstand. At 87 hectares, it is vastly larger than Rosehill Gardens (60 hectares). 5: Is there a transition plan for trainers if Rosehill is sold? This is one of the most difficult aspects of the sale proposal as any potential sale of Rosehill and rebuild of Warwick Farm will directly impact trainers and their stable staff. ATC has vowed to work individually with all trainers on transition plans with the consultation period to last at least 12 months. No trainers at either Warwick Farm or Rosehill Gardens will be relocated for at least two years and the new Racing Advisory Board is there to provide advice and input on transition plans. 6: ATC's loyalty program for members The ATC is planning to introduce a loyalty program for members funded by proceeds from the proposed sale. Critics have described as a 'gimmick or bribe' while the club is hoping to use the program to increase club membership and what have been poor race-day attendances. The Loyalty program will provide free annual membership fees for five years, free annual membership for life for those members who already have been at the club for 20 or more years, and $1000 per annum food and beverage credits for five years. Originally published as Defining moment for racing in Sydney and NSW as Rosehill sale vote revealed by Australian Turf Club
