Latest news with #Group2KarrakattaPlate
New Paper
08-05-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
Sires to reward luckless Deltason
PERTH It has not been the smoothest of preparations for Deltason, but trainer Meryl Hayley thinks it can end on a positive note when her promising juvenile tackles the final big race of the two-year-old season at Ascot on May 10. After a late scratching in the Perth Stakes (1,100m), Deltason missed out on a run in the Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1,200m) on April 26 by narrowly missing the cut for prize money criteria. But the talented two-year-old can regroup in the A$200,000 (S$167,000) Group 3 WA Sires Produce Stakes (1,400m). Deltason goes into the final run of his campaign in winning form after breaking his maiden status in dominant fashion on April 30, kicking clear and drawing away to win by 3¼ lengths when stepping up over 1,400m. Since making his debut in March, the son of I'm All The Talk always appeared to be a horse looking for more ground than 1,000m, and ticking the 1,400m box last start has given Hayley a sharp confidence boost. "We were really looking forward to the 1,400m," said Hayley in an interview to TABradio. "Like everyone else, we knew he would get the trip and it was good to get him across the line to be honest. "We were just praying there were no more barrier disasters with the horse. "He's been to the races a couple of times and not managed to get around. "Every time he goes in the gates and comes out of them, we're happy. "Obviously we earmarked the Karrakatta and Sires with him but we just dipped out not having that run in the Perth Stakes. "We'll never know and it's upwards and onwards. We just had to change tack through the prep and take a different route, and we still made it." Deltason has drawn wide in the Sires, barrier seven of nine, but Hayley is not fussed. "He'll obviously settle a couple of pairs back like he did last start and hopefully he'll be hitting the line," said the trainer from Gingin, a town 65km north of Perth. "He's fit as a fiddle, it's a matter of keeping him mentally happy." Laqdar Ramoly, who finished third on Kosta's Crown in the 2022 Sires, has ridden Deltason at all his four starts and maintains the association. The Perth-based Mauritian jockey has yet to boast any Group silverware among his haul of 341 wins in seven years of riding in Western Australia. He does have four Listed wins to his resume, three of them coming in the Beaufine Sprint, including two aboard Nerodio (2021 and 2022), arguably the best horse he has ridden thus far. It remains to be seen whether Deltason can knock Nerodio off that status on May 10, but Ramoly certainly sees no foibles in Hayley's ward. "He's a very mature horse, very intelligent. You can do whatever you want with him, put him on pace, put him back," Ramoly said. "He's still a bit green when he hits the front, but he's definitely a good horse for the future." If Deltason wins, Ramoly would become the second Mauritian jockey in 33 years to win the Sires. Bellal Wachill pulled off the feat in 1993 with Starbaleta. Incidentally, the lime green, white spots, yellow sleeves and caps would not be at their first hurrah in the Perth 2YO classic either. Motion Pictures saluted for the Northern Thoroughbreds outfit run by Don Hammarquist in the 2010 renewal, and was trained by the now-retired David Casey, younger brother of Sean, who helms a leading training partnership with son Jake these days. Hayley, who herself is chasing a first Sires, says win, lose or draw, Deltason will enjoy a good break following the Sires, but is looking forward to his return later in the year as a three-year-old. Backed by Ramoly's assessment, she is confident he will measure up in major races including the Group 2 WA Guineas (1,600m) on Nov 22. "Absolutely, even Laqdar says the further the better," said Hayley when asked about the tougher assignments down the road. "He's such a quiet horse that settles really well. He's never been flighty or over-races. "After Saturday he'll go for a long break, and we'll bring him back for some of the feature races as a three-year-old." If there are any threats to Deltason in the Sires, Hayley said that they are the Luke Fernie-trained Just Too Fly, runner-up in the Perth Stakes and Karrakatta Plate, and Fila Mia for trainer Jayce Buckley. RACING WA
New Paper
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New Paper
Talkanco, Yes Queen rematch
PERTH Yes Queen and Talkanco will renew hostilities for a third occasion when they clash in the A$500,000 (S$419,000) Group 2 Karrakatta Plate (1,200m) for two-year-olds at Ascot on April 26. In the space of a couple of months, the classy juveniles have built up a fierce rivalry and small margins have split the pair in their three encounters. Besides exiting the starting gates side by side, Yes Queen and Talkanco are separated by small margins in Karrakatta Plate betting. Yes Queen struck the first blow for Dion Luciani's yard last November, defeating Talkanco by 1.4 lengths when making her debut in the Crystal Slipper Stakes (1,100m). Prepared by brothers Dan and Ben Pearce, Talkanco squared the ledger at their most recent clash when holding out Yes Queen by a half-head in the Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1,100m) on April 12. In their middle meeting in March, Yes Queen and Talkanco finished second and third respectively behind Luana Miss in the Listed Supremacy Stakes (1,100m). The Pearce brothers are thrilled to be in genuine contention for a second Karrakatta Plate victory, after Dig Deep was too good for his rivals in 2019. Talkanco has been a worthy Karrakatta Plate contender this season, earning a cheque every time he has gone around, with two wins and two placings from four outings. Dan Pearce said the I'm All The Talk filly had come through the Gimcrack Stakes in great fettle. She ran through the line strongly to hold out Yes Queen, who was coming hard late. "She came through the run really well," he said. "I am wondering if Yes Queen came that hard, it might have caught her a bit by surprise. "I think our filly went with her late, through the line and past the line. It'll be interesting to see if they come with their runs together. "I couldn't be happier with our girl and she's where she needs to be fitness-wise. I wouldn't be swopping her and hopefully, she can peak on grand final day." Talkanco will be joined in the Karrakatta Plate by stablemate, Perfectly Proper, giving the Pearce stable a potent double chance. Perfectly Proper's hopes were dulled after drawing off the track, but Dan Pearce said the Pierata filly was desperately unlucky not to crack her maiden status last start in the Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic (1,200m) in February. She came with a flourish to run a narrow second to Do I Feel Lucky but could easily have reversed the result if she had a clear run passing the 200m. Despite starting from the widest gate, Dan Pearce expects her to be a competitive force. "She was a bit unlucky, the gap just tightened as she was about to come through," he said. "She had a little setback, so comes here first-up, but went fresh into the Magic Millions and obviously went enormous there. "Barrier really hurts, but if she can be finishing off like in the Magic Millions, she will play a part." Perfectly Proper comes out of barrier 16 and will be ridden by Clint Johnston-Porter while Talkanco has barrier five for Brad Parnham and Yes Queen is drawn in six for William Pike. The race starts at 3pm, Singapore time. SKY RACING WORLD
