Latest news with #JackTurnbull
News.com.au
15 hours ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Ciaron Maher colt Oyster Lane has speed to make winning debut at Caulfield
Oyster Lane has the speed to make up for inexperience on Saturday at Caulfield in the 1000m 2YO Handicap. The smooth-moving Blue Point colt, trained by Ciaron Maher, is a $4.60 equal second favourite with last start winner Hello Romeo. Sonofkirk, placed third on debut behind the smart Miss Ole and Espana, is the $3.90 favourite. Jockey John Allen has completed most of the education work on Oyster Lane, including three trials. 'He looks like a nice progressive horse, shown plenty at the trials,' Allen said. 'I suppose he's got to go and do it race day now. 'A little bit unknown but fairly hopeful he can run well.' Oyster Lane was spelled after placing second in his first trial at Cranbourne last February. The $80,000 Karaka yearling won a trial at Ballarat last month and repeated the effort with a strong 800m Cranbourne hit-out on June 16. • Carly Thomas can enjoy day to Remember at Caulfield Allen gave Oyster Lane a squeeze at Cranbourne and the colt responded in kind, stretched out nicely to put a margin on the opposition. 'He's always naturally gone quite well but he seems to have improved with every trial,' Allen said. 'He's got to take the next step at the races… I took him off the bridle to teach him a little bit. 'He does feel like a nice horse… he feels pretty sharp.' Assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said Oyster Lane has progressed nicely and benefited from the recent Cranbourne experience. 'He's done nothing wrong in his education,' Turnbull said. 'He trialled down at Cranbourne to have a look down there, a trip away, and he went pretty well … he was at Ballarat but being a colt he gets a bit lairy. 'We shifted him around, which is great we're able to do that with our facilities, I think that trip away really brought him on. 'Johnny kept him up to the task to the line, hence the margin in the trial, which wasn't the plan but (Allen) said post trial he felt to be better educated he wanted to keep him up to the mark.' Allen has four rides at Caulfield on Saturday, including Flamin' Romans (race 5), Earlswood (R8) and Running By (R9). Maher-trained Running By, an $8 chance, has drawn poorly in barrier 14 but should be ready to peak third-up. 'She's building towards running a nice race I reckon,' Allen said. 'I haven't ridden her yet this prep but I've galloped her, I reckon she came back in good condition so it might've taken those couple of runs to top her off.' Earlswood, trained by Gavin Bedggood, is expected to be competitive also in the 2000m Quality Handicap.
News.com.au
22-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
European Group 1 winner Sammarco set for Australian debut with Ciaron Maher at Sandown
European stayer Sammarco, a multiple Group 1 winner in Germany, is set to become a Melbourne winter fixture with potential spring ambitions. The 2022 German Derby winner, now trained by Ciaron Maher, banked more than $1m prizemoney through 18 starts in Europe, including solid stakes performances in France and Italy. Sammarco could in time follow in the hoofsteps of Maher stablemates past and present, including Berkshire Breeze, Floating Artist, Grand Promenade and Persan to parlay winter into spring. 'Ciaron has done it plenty of times with those types of horses going back three, four, five years,' assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said. 'He's an interesting horse, (99 rating) is reasonable, it's going to be interesting how that German form ties in. 'We've had some of our riders on him and Ethan (Brown) had a sit on him recently and said he gave him a feel, that's what you want to hear. 'He's definitely one of those staying horses that could do anything, especially this time of year … you know he's got the stamina, he's just got to get the first half right.' • Brad Waters' Sandown Hillside Saturday tips, analysis The opposition could be too slick on Saturday for Sammarco in the 1800m Benchmark 100 but the six-year-old is expected to be 'doing his best work late'. 'He'll want the run naturally (first-up) but it's just the right race to kick him off in,' Turnbull said. 'Our plan is to pick through winter, he'll probably go through the Banjo Paterson Series and then all being well you're at the doorstep of spring (race) fit. 'He will be regulation four to five weeks every run, emulating that European style … he's not young, he's seasoned and we can't reinvent the wheel running every two weeks.' Sammarco arrived in Australia last year but needed the time to settle into conditions. 'We moved him from Ballarat from Cranbourne, had him barefoot for a long time,' Turnbull said. 'He's going quite well, last time (initial preparation) we thought he was going OK but once we got to the stage of racing him we thought we better just put him away.' Sammarco is $17 on Saturday. Turnbull will also saddle Sayedaty Sadaty, an $8.50 chance, for Maher in the race. Sayedaty Sadaty was gelded after racing too fiercely in the Caulfield Cup last year, finished third last. He resumed in a 1600m at Flemington in March but 'knocked a joint' in the run and dropped out. 'We think he will get to being like a Future History, Duke De Sessa-style of horse, he will be rolling forward when he's fit between 10 and 12 furlongs (2000m-2200m), a very nice horse,' Turnbull said. 'Again 1800m is bottom of his trip but this horse does have a bit of speed, where he lands is going to be interesting (from barrier one) because I don't think we want to drag him out of the race.'
