Latest news with #KingOfThunder
The Age
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
Kiwi jockey Wiremu Pinn ready for fresh Sydney start after injury woes
'It's been a shame. I would have ridden a lot more winners this season, the way I was riding. I've just had so many injuries and I've had a lot of time off.' His focus was now building connections and momentum in Sydney. 'I'm fit, healthy and ready to go,' he said. 'I want to make a good impression and if I do get the support, hopefully I'll stay for longer. I believe 90 per cent of being a good jockey is riding good horses. It doesn't matter if you're James McDonald or an apprentice who hasn't had a ride before, if you are on a good horse, you are more of a chance to win. 'It's just about getting support, and I'll spread my wings and work hard, and see who wants to give me rides.' Pinn starts his push with Lenape Vibe ($41) in the sixth and Speycaster ($61) in the feature Lord Mayors Cup, both for Waller. He also picked up the ride on Matt Dale-trained Acappella Sun ($19) in the last. 'On these wet tracks, anything can happen,' he said of Speycaster, one of three Waller runners in the listed race. 'I've very competitive and I'll be trying, don't worry about that. Lenape Vibe, it will probably need the run, but the one in the last is probably my best chance. 'I'm looking for a manager, so it's been a bit of a slow start, but I'm sure it will only take that one winner for trainers to see how I ride and hopefully I'll get a few more. Especially with these better riders heading to Queensland for the carnival, there are more opportunities for us young fellas.' Trainer Tom Charlton hopes Derby contender can prove him wrong Randwick trainer Tom Charlton didn't imagine Maison Louis joining main stable hope King Of Thunder as a chance in the Queensland Derby (2400m). That was before the pair hit the line strongly together in third and fourth last start in the group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m). Now Charlton believes Maison Louis could prove him wrong. Charlton, a co-trainer with John O'Shea, will chase his third group 1 win when King Of Thunder ($9.50 Sportsbet) and Maison Louis ($19) tackle the staying test on Saturday at Eagle Farm. King Of Thunder has long been on a path to the race for three-year-olds after finishing a close third in the group 2 Tulloch Stakes and fifth in the group 1 ATC Derby over the Sydney autumn. Maison Louis, though, jumped into consideration off a 1900m benchmark handicap win at Canterbury on April 21, which followed maiden and class 1 wins at Goulburn over 1500m and 1600m. He should hold a forward position under Ben Melham with a draw in gate four. 'King Of Thunder obviously has had a lot more racing experience at this level,' Charlton said. 'He probably seems like the more natural stayer out of the two and Maison Louis, it's all sort of happened in his first campaign. He's taking his racing very well, but we're yet to try him at this trip. 'Off his last run, you'd be very confident that he would handle the distance. I personally thought he was never going to be a strong stayer, so let's hope he can prove me wrong. I thought he was more a 2000m horse, but I guess three-year-olds at this grade, they can probably get a bit more forgiveness at that trip. 'He's just progressed more and more with each race. We gave him a little break after he went to Canterbury, and he's answered all the questions he's been asked.' King Of Thunder (Mark Zahra), third in the Rough Habit, has barrier 14. Charlton and O'Shea also have Candlewick in the group 3 Fred Best Classic (1400m). 'She probably showed a bit of inexperience in the Hawkesbury Guineas [when sixth],' he said. 'Just probably took the wrong option of going inside the eventual winner, and she ended up rolling down off the fence to the inferior ground.'
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Kiwi jockey Wiremu Pinn ready for fresh Sydney start after injury woes
'It's been a shame. I would have ridden a lot more winners this season, the way I was riding. I've just had so many injuries and I've had a lot of time off.' His focus was now building connections and momentum in Sydney. 'I'm fit, healthy and ready to go,' he said. 'I want to make a good impression and if I do get the support, hopefully I'll stay for longer. I believe 90 per cent of being a good jockey is riding good horses. It doesn't matter if you're James McDonald or an apprentice who hasn't had a ride before, if you are on a good horse, you are more of a chance to win. 'It's just about getting support, and I'll spread my wings and work hard, and see who wants to give me rides.' Pinn starts his push with Lenape Vibe ($41) in the sixth and Speycaster ($61) in the feature Lord Mayors Cup, both for Waller. He also picked up the ride on Matt Dale-trained Acappella Sun ($19) in the last. 'On these wet tracks, anything can happen,' he said of Speycaster, one of three Waller runners in the listed race. 'I've very competitive and I'll be trying, don't worry about that. Lenape Vibe, it will probably need the run, but the one in the last is probably my best chance. 'I'm looking for a manager, so it's been a bit of a slow start, but I'm sure it will only take that one winner for trainers to see how I ride and hopefully I'll get a few more. Especially with these better riders heading to Queensland for the carnival, there are more opportunities for us young fellas.' Trainer Tom Charlton hopes Derby contender can prove him wrong Randwick trainer Tom Charlton didn't imagine Maison Louis joining main stable hope King Of Thunder as a chance in the Queensland Derby (2400m). That was before the pair hit the line strongly together in third and fourth last start in the group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m). Now Charlton believes Maison Louis could prove him wrong. Charlton, a co-trainer with John O'Shea, will chase his third group 1 win when King Of Thunder ($9.50 Sportsbet) and Maison Louis ($19) tackle the staying test on Saturday at Eagle Farm. King Of Thunder has long been on a path to the race for three-year-olds after finishing a close third in the group 2 Tulloch Stakes and fifth in the group 1 ATC Derby over the Sydney autumn. Maison Louis, though, jumped into consideration off a 1900m benchmark handicap win at Canterbury on April 21, which followed maiden and class 1 wins at Goulburn over 1500m and 1600m. He should hold a forward position under Ben Melham with a draw in gate four. 'King Of Thunder obviously has had a lot more racing experience at this level,' Charlton said. 'He probably seems like the more natural stayer out of the two and Maison Louis, it's all sort of happened in his first campaign. He's taking his racing very well, but we're yet to try him at this trip. 'Off his last run, you'd be very confident that he would handle the distance. I personally thought he was never going to be a strong stayer, so let's hope he can prove me wrong. I thought he was more a 2000m horse, but I guess three-year-olds at this grade, they can probably get a bit more forgiveness at that trip. 'He's just progressed more and more with each race. We gave him a little break after he went to Canterbury, and he's answered all the questions he's been asked.' King Of Thunder (Mark Zahra), third in the Rough Habit, has barrier 14. Charlton and O'Shea also have Candlewick in the group 3 Fred Best Classic (1400m). 'She probably showed a bit of inexperience in the Hawkesbury Guineas [when sixth],' he said. 'Just probably took the wrong option of going inside the eventual winner, and she ended up rolling down off the fence to the inferior ground.'
New Paper
27-05-2025
- Sport
- New Paper
King Of Thunder can rule in Derby
BRISBANE A wet track may have thwarted the finishing power of King Of Thunder in his last start, but his connections are hoping a drier surface will enable the horse to show his true colours in the A$1 million (S$834,000) Group 1 Queensland Derby (2,400m) at Eagle Farm on May 31. Trained by John O'Shea and Tom Charlton, King Of Thunder - a Tivaci three-year-old gelding - finished third to the Chris Waller-trained Imperialist in heavy conditions at his final lead-up run in the Group 3 Rough Habit Plate (2,000m) at Doomben on May 17. Ridden by Mark Zahra, the two-time winner came off his midfield position and began to knuckle down to the task at the 250m. He chased Imperialist, who had shot to the lead under Tommy Berry, but could manage to finish only within less than two lengths off the winner. Deep Focus (Michael Rodd) ended a touch better than him on the outside to beat him to second place by ¼ length. While co-trainer Charlton, son of the successful British trainer Roger Charlton, was contented with King Of Thunder's run, he thought the bay galloper was not at his best on the rain-affected surface. "It looked like he was coming to make his challenge and just worked away to the line," he said. "He shows a few more gears than that normally. The comment from the rider (Zahra) was he just got slightly dulled given the conditions. "We were delighted with him the other day. He didn't love that ground and he's probably looking for a bit more of a test, which he will get on Saturday." Fine weather is forecast in Brisbane this week and King Of Thunder will arrive at Eagle Farm well-seasoned, as the classic race at the Brisbane Winter Carnival will be the third Derby he has contested. King Of Thunder finished seventh to Goldrush Guru in the Group 1 Victorian Derby (2,500m) at Flemington on Nov 2, 2024. He then ran fifth behind Aeliana in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2,400m) during the Autumn Carnival at Randwick on April 5. King Of Thunder's connections are hoping the Queensland Derby will be a case of "third-time lucky" for their ward. "He has been running really well in all these Derby races and has a likeable profile going into it," said Charlton. King Of Thunder remains a 5-1 Derby favourite, while stablemate Hurstville Zagreb has drifted from odds of 10-1 to 14-1 after the Divine Prophet three-year-old was beaten into third behind Let's Fly in the Benchmark 72 Handicap (1,800m) at Randwick on May 24. The Richard and Will Freedman-trained Let's Fly is being considered for a Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2,200m) tilt. Co-trainer Will has confirmed they will see how the Flying Artie filly comes through the race, before deciding whether to pay the late entry fee for the three-time winner to run. The Queensland Oaks will be held at Eagle Farm on June 7. SKY RACING WORLD
News.com.au
21-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
South Australian Derby winner Femminile to have new owners for Queensland Derby
It's not often that a Group 1-winning filly is sold just four days before a shot at back-to-back majors but that's exactly the scenario with Queensland Derby contender Femminile. The three-year-old filly is expected to have new owners when she lines up in the $1m feature at Eagle Farm next Saturday in a field that her trainer Phillip Stokes believes is the strongest in many years. 'That's quite unique, although they do it quite a bit overseas,' Stokes said of the impending sale. 'So basically someone will have the chance to buy the horse that's going to run in a Derby four days later. It's quite a good carrot, I suppose.' Femminile held off the challenge of South Australian Derby (2500m) favourite Statuario to win this month's Group 1 at Morphettville by three-quarters of a length at odds of $19. The three-year-old filly is an $11 chance to salute in the Queensland Derby (2400m) behind favourite King Of Thunder ($6), Belle Detelle ($8) and Statuario ($8). The John O'Shea and Tom Charlton-trained gelding King Of Thunder finished third in the Rough Habit Plate (2000m) at Doomben last weekend, the traditional lead-up race to the Queensland Derby, while Chris Waller's filly Belle Detelle was sixth on a heavy track. 'I think it's not a bad Derby this year,' said Stokes, who won the 2019 Queensland Derby with Mr Quickie. 'I just think it looks stronger than previous years from what I've seen. 'We bring winning form, we don't mind wet tracks and we've got (jockey) Blake Shinn, they're our positives.' Stokes said he was encouraged by last year's formlines when the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr-trained gelding Warmonger finished runner-up in the SA Derby and then emphatically won the Queensland Derby four weeks later. 'The formula seems OK,' he said. Shinn rode Warmonger last year and he will be back to defend his crown on Femminile, the daughter of Dundeel. Stokes said Ethan Brown would ride his other two runners on Derby Day – last-start Group 3 Cummings Stakes winner Regal Azmon and Stay Focused, which triumphed in the Listed Nitschke Stakes (1400m) in Adelaide on April 5. Stokes was hoping for a heavy track for the Queensland Derby given that Femminile 'sprouted wings' on a bog surface at Morphettville in her maiden win in June last year but he is unlikely to get his wish because the sun is finally shining in Brisbane this week.
Daily Telegraph
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Telegraph
Doomben 10,000 and Queensland Derby favourites trial on Monday at Randwick
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Trainers John O'Shea and Tom Charlton will tune up some of their Queensland Winter Carnival big guns at Monday's set of Royal Randwick barrier trials. Leading the way will be smart sprinter Schwarz which is being prepared for a crack at the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 and he is the standout performer at Monday's rescheduled set of trials. The four-year-old entire will feature in a 1050m heat of the session with champion jockey James McDonald booked to ride. A date with Saturday week's Group 1 $1.5 million Doomben 10,000 (1200m) at Doomben will follow if all goes to plan for the son of star stallion Zoustar. O'Shea and Charlton are eager to chase back-to-back majors with Schwarz, the $4 favourite in the Doomben 10,000, after snaring a stallion making Group 1 win last start in the William Reid Stakes at The Valley. 'After his William Reid win we gave him a little freshen up and he responded really well,' Charlton said. 'We know we can prepare him to run well fresh. *Sunny Coast barrier blunder frustrates trainers 'The way he runs his races, we get him fit but fresh at the same time into that Doomben 10,000. 'I guess we are following a similar path with him to what we did in the William Reid so he seems in good order and we are happy with him.' Schwarz has already been named as the new headliner on Rosemont Stud's stallion roster for this year's breeding season however the fee for the four-year-old is still to be announced. He will be retired after the Queensland Winter Carnival. 'This is definitely his last preparation and we will get through the 10,000, which is obviously a race that we are keen to target,' Charlton said. 'No plans have been made beyond that run but ideally he will be off to stud this season.' Schwarz will be joined in Queensland by talented stablemate King Of Thunder, which will contest a 1200m trial on Monday morning, also with McDonald aboard. King Of Thunder finished fifth behind Aeliana in the Group 1 Australian Derby on the first day of The Championships at Royal Randwick last month and he is being targeted Queensland edition of the three-year-old feature. 'King Of Thunder is similar, he had a little freshen up and all being well we will head to the Rough Habit into that Queensland Derby,' Charlton said. 'At this stage that's the plan for him.' King Of Thunder shares $8 equal favouritism for the Queensland Derby with stablemate Maison Louis and last Saturday's Queensland Guineas winner Depth Of Character. The Queensland Derby is on May 31. Originally published as Doomben 10,000 favourite Schwarz set to trial at Royal Randwick on Monday alongside stablemate King Of Thunder
