Latest news with #Benchmark78Handicap
News.com.au
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Rising apprentice Anna Roper preparing for big day at Rosehill Gardens
Anna Roper is eager to make the most of her opportunities at Rosehill Gardens and expects Spywire to be hard to beat with even luck on Saturday. Roper has a handy book across the 10-event card with the Ciaron Maher -trained Spywire headlining the bunch in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1200m). Spywire is the $2.70 favourite to score his first win since debut preparation as a two-year-old but wasn't far away first-up with Roper aboard. The son of Trapeze Artist only got clear air halfway down the Rosehill straight before just missing behind form sprinter King's Secret. 'Spywire was a tad unlucky first-up but also peaked on his run late,' Roper said. 'The team went into that run thinking he would take improvement off it and I think he certainly will, he was wirey in the coat. 'I think he will take massive improvement. He will need a little bit of luck from a tricky barrier. 'He is a horse that I don't know if you can push or pull too much. You have to let him flow in his rhythm so as long as he gets some luck he should be very competitive.' Pony Soprano has been the subject of a substantial betting move with the Robert Agnew -trained galloper shortening from $19 into $6.50 for the TAB Highway Class 2 Handicap (1100m). Roper kicks her day off on the country galloper and sees the son of Thronum as a great winning chance. Pony Soprano has won two of his five starts already and Roper has piloted the three-year-old in both of his lead-up trials. 'He is a lightly-raced galloper but he targeted those Country Championships races with him and it just showed how much of an opinion he had of him,' Roper said. 'His trials have been really good. He is two from two first-up so if he is going as well as we think he is, he should be very competitive in a Highway. 'I think he is a nice horse.' Roper is excited to reconnect with the Annabel and Rob Archibald -trained Don't Forget Jack ($6.50) after helping the gelding to a first-up victory at Hawkesbury. The son of Headwater was slowly away second-up when the pair combined and never feature but has since finished first and second at Rosehill Gardens. 'He missed the kick that day at Rosehill but seems to be jumping better,' Roper said. 'As long as he gets the start right from barrier one, that's probably the concern. 'But he seems to be very consistent this preparation and Annabel is doing a great job with him. 'He is getting better and better with every run.' It will be the first time Roper pilots John O'Shea and Tom Charlton' s Good Banter ($4.40 favourite). The daughter of Tavistock scored a drought-breaking success at the same venue last start over 2000m and steps over a mile and a half this weekend. 'Good Banter gets back up to the 2400m,' Roper said. 'I have never ridden the horse but the win was good last start so hopefully that adds a bit of confidence and she can go on with it.' Roper has 22½ metropolitan wins and only sits behind Braith Nock (40 wins) and Molly Bourke (24 wins) on the Sydney apprentices premiership. Stables have been making the most of Roper's 2kg claim in the winter months with the apprentice set to ride for seven different trainers on the weekend. She also rides Ringarosa (race 6), South Of India (race eight) and War Eternal (race 10). 'I have had terrific support in town from so many different stables,' Roper said. 'They have all been so consistent and I couldn't be more thankful for it. 'Obviously you have to keep showing up and doing the job when they put you on but it's great to have that sort of support and I am excited for Saturday and if everything goes to plan it will be a good day.'
New Paper
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New Paper
Pools' Pride and joy in Sydney
Sydney racing was the latest international venue to honour Singapore Pools at one of its metropolitan meetings on June 7. The Singapore gaming company has been regularly named after races from around countries where it offers horse racing wagering in the last two years. After Korea Racing Authority, Hong Kong Jockey Club, 4Racing of South Africa and Perth Racing, Tabcorp was the next to host Pools' delegation at Royal Randwick. The Pools team comprised board member Lee Kwok Cheong, who was accompanied by his wife Sachiko Tamamura, chief product officer Simon Leong and senior manager (product content) Steven Tan. "Singapore Pools is pleased to partner with Tabcorp to bring more variety and quality racing content to our customers," said Leong. "With Tabcorp's extensive simulcast rights across Australia and key global racing jurisdictions, this collaboration enables us to deliver a richer and more exciting racing experience for fans in Singapore." As per custom, a race was picked to commemorate the collaboration. The ninth event on the card of 10, the A$160,000 (S$134,000) BM94 (1,300m) was named the Singapore Pools Handicap. "We would also like to thank Tabcorp for naming a race in honour of Singapore Pools," added Leong. "It is a gesture that affirms the strong and long-standing partnership between our organisations." The race was not without its fair share of drama when favourite Whinchat bombed the start. As Whinchat has won all his six races by leading, backers knew they had burned their fingers. Jockey Jay Ford tried to salvage the situation by restraining Whinchat at the rear instead of playing catch-up with the early pace, but it was to no avail. He beat one home. With the main threat out, $16 second-elect Headley Grange won. Under jockey Adam Hyeronimus, the Exosphere four-year-old dashed to the line a slashing 3/4-length winner from outsiders Green Shadows (Braith Nock) and Dark Glitter (Molly Bourke) to knock in his seventh career win. The win also brought up the middle pin of a treble for trainer Joseph Pride, who sensationally swept the last three races on the card. Earlier, the Warwick Farm handler took the A$200,000 Listed Bob Charley Stakes (1,100m) with $9 favourite In Flight (Ford). Not content with a running double, Team Pride recombined with Hyeronimus in the last, a Benchmark 78 Handicap (1,000m), to wrap up the day in style with Storm The Ramparts ($15). Up north at Eagle Farm in Brisbane, Pride had less joy with his sole runner at the Queensland riches, Lekvarte, who was well beaten by Adiella in the Magic Millions National Classic (1,400m). The three rained-off Group 1 races from last weekend went to an assortment of squads. The Chris Waller-trained Joliestar (James McDonald, $8) was the only favourite to salute, nabbing Zarastro late in the A$1 million Kingsford Smith Cup (1,300m). You Wahng (Tommy Berry) then won the A$700,000 Queensland Oaks (2,200m) at $114 for trainer Kris Lees. Maison Louis (Ryan Maloney, $194) sent more favourite backers licking their wounds in the A$1 million Queensland Derby (2,400m) by beating better-fancied stablemate King Of Thunder (Mark Zahra) for a John O'Shea and Tom Carlton quinella. manyan@
Daily Telegraph
29-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Canterbury, Ballina previews: Mark Minervini keen to make an Impact
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Newcastle trainer Mark Minervini is enjoying a purple patch of form with his team with six winners from his last 15 starters and heads to Sydney optimistic about the chances of Bonjour Madame and Star Impact. Bonjour Madame has made rapid progress to find herself in midweek company at just her fourth start after an encouraging debut third at Taree on February 25 before winning her next two starts impressively. She to Taree with an all-the-way maiden win before stepping up to a Benchmark 64 at Wyong and proving too good for Broadway Follies and Reducio. 'She impressed me the other day with her win and she was well ridden by Braith Nock,' said Minervini. 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 elected to take the sit behind the first two and when she sprinted in the straight, I thought she was pretty good for a filly only having her third race start and who still have a bit of improvement in her. 'It was a decent step up in grade to go to a provincial Benchmark 64 at Wyong.' The three-year-old steps out in the Benchmark 64 Handicap (1200m) where she has 57.5kg with Tim Clark to ride. 'One of the reasons we booked Tim is because he is such a great on pace rider and the other is how well he rides at Canterbury,' Minervini said. 'I'm not too concerned by the heavy track, he two wins were on the soft and she was very good. 'My only little query is barrier 7. I'm hoping for another scratching or two from the race. 'If she is as strong through the line as she has been, then you would think she would have to be in the finish.' Stablemate Star Impact is the outsider of the field in the Benchmark 78 Handicap (1550m) but Minervini expects her to be very competitive. The six-year-old had no luck when slow away at Wyong over 1350m first-up before an improved run stepping up to 1600m when a length-and-a-half fifth to Fiftyfivechevy at Newcastle on April 12. 'I thought stepping up from 1350m to a mile second-up, she was there at the top of the straight to be right in the finish but her condition just gave out the last 100m or so,' he said. 'She has taken good benefit out of that and I expect her to go there just about at her peak. 'I think she gets in very well at the weights with 52.5kg after Molly's (Bourke) claim. 'The heavy track won't bother her, she really appreciates the sting out of the ground, especially as she has gotten older. 'While she hasn't won on town, she has always acquitted herself well and has placed a couple of times including a Midway last year and she never been as well weighted as she is this week. 'It wouldn't surprise me at all if she shook the life out of this race.' Meanwhile, trainers Robert and Luke Price have elected to bring Island Dec back in grade and distance hoping she can get a confidence boosting win in the Benchmark 72 (1100m). The three-year-old scored a first-up win at Canterbury before contesting the Group 1 Surround Stakes and Group 3 P.J. Bell Stakes at her last two starts. 'Back in grade and back to 1100m to help her get the little one per centres right,' said Luke Price. 'I just want to teach her to settle better early in her races and finish off stronger. 'This is a good chance to help her do that and get her benchmark points up and get her confidence up.' ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Trainer Paul Shailer advised to be forgiving of the last start failure of Guarded Optimist and expects the gelding to bounce in a big way when he crosses the border. Guarded Optimist was back from $3.80 into $3.10 favourite but only beat three home when eighth behind San Jose Boy over 1800m in a Benchmark 58 at the Gold Coast on April 11. 'It wasn't ideal. The track was playing in favour of leaders or those up on the speed and he just got back in the ruck where it was impossible to make ground,' said Shailer. 'It was a bit of forgive run, he has come through it really well thought and this looks his race to lose really. The four-year-old drops back in grade and steps up slightly in distance when he contests the Class 1 and Maiden Plate at set weight over 1915m with Dylan Turner on board from barrier 2. Turner rode the gelding when a length second behind Sacred Bull in an 1800m Class 1 at the Gold Coast on February 22 before Michael Rodd partnered him to a length second behind Ferino over the same distance in the same grade at Eagle Farm on March 12. Those performances definitely put him right in contention here. 'From a soft gate, he should get a nice run in a race that lacks a fair bit of depth so he looks really well suited,' Shailer said. 'I'm sure he will be very hard to beat.' Guarded Optimist has already proven to be a bargain buy for his owners including Newington Farm who purchased him as a tried horse on Inglis Digital last September for $2,250. He was originally sold as a yearling at Karaka for $150,000 and then again at the NZB Ready To Run Sale for the same amount in 2022. He is by Almanzor who won the French Derby (2100m) as well as the Irish Champion Stakes and Champion Stakes at Ascot and is from a daughter Hurricane Run who won the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and Irish Derby among his four Group 1 victories. 'He was an ex-Freedman (Anthony and Sam) from Victoria who won his first start then lost a bit of form after that. 'He looks like a horse that is we can stretch him out over a bit of a trip, he might be able to win a few races.'
