Latest news with #RusticSteel
Herald Sun
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Herald Sun
Scone preview: Time for Lees' gelding to stand up and be counted
Trainer Kris Lees has already won a Big Dance and can take a step towards winning the 2025 edition with Tavi Time and Loch Eagle in the Scone Cup. Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Inaugural Big Dance winning trainer Kris Lees is hoping to fast track one, potentially, two of modern-day string into the 2025 edition via the Listed Scone Cup (1600m) in the nation's thoroughbred capital. The 2021 Scone Cup was Rustic Steel's ticket to the first Tuesday in November, the Ron and Judy Wanless galloper cashing in and earning the honour of distinction of inaugural Big Dance winner. Lees' Scone Cup duo, Tavi Time and Loch Eagle, are at different stages of their respective campaigns ahead of the feature, one of them race-fit, the other kept fresh for the occasion. Tavi Time, the New Zealand-bred son of Tavistock is third-up off a recent 'fading' fifth in the Hawkesbury Cup on a testing Heavy 8 surface. â€' SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) December 26, 2024 'I was happy enough with the horse,' Lees said. 'We probably rode him out of his comfort zone for two reasons; how the track was playing and the alley (nine of 10) so we decided to push forward, sit outside the leader and taking on that hard-fit horse (Punch Lane). 'And to be fair to my horse, I think he likes it probably one or two grades firmer than what it presented so the run was okay under the circumstances. 'You would think, third run, he is ready to run to his best with two conditioning runs under his belt. 'It's a strong race but one I think he can figure in.' Loch Eagle, meanwhile, aims to maintain his compelling fresh record in what will be his first visit to Scone but his 11th run over the mile. In fact, his record at the 1600m stands up against any, or all, of his rivals. 'He's an Ingham winner and he has run in Doncasters and so forth,' Lees said. 'He is starting off straight at his trip but he's trialled up nicely. He always reacts well fresh over shorter course. 'The only other option was to run in the Luskin Star and I just thought 1300m would find him out, he'd be off the bit chasing throughout. 'So at a mile, he gets a chance to travel deep into the race.' Lees is down to saddle-up as many as 14 of his Newcastle residents across the two day carnival. Few of them hold more intrigue and interest than the Irish-born, English-raced gelding Brave Call. Brave Call boasts broodmare sires the ilk of Camelot, Sadler's Wells, Ile de Bourbon and Vaguely Noble that together account for his 2011m Maiden win at Windsor in England. That said, his Newmarket mile placing stands him in good stead when Tommy Berry steers him around in the Kia Ora Class 1 Handicap (1600m). 'He's a nice horse,' Lees said. 'He'll be better for the run. 'He'll be strong late if he can come through them and have a bit of luck.' Lees can end day one of the Scone carnival on a high when the progressive Denman mare strives to build on her tidy resume of three wins and four placings from just 10 runs so far. 'I think she is genuinely city class over the winter,' Lees said. ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Canberra trainer Todd Smart is as confident about Cashbook's prospects in the rich Inglis 2YO Challenge as he was ahead of his 2023 race winner, Love Shuck. That's despite Cashbook's Wagga debut last month where he was backed in from $3.20 to $2.35 yet only managed to beat two others to the line but with substantial excuses. 'He did have a pretty hard run, he was three and four-wide the trip, and he got cardiac arrhythmia out of that as well,' Smart revealed. 'So we decided just to give him an easy week and a couple of gallops into a trial. 'His trial was really good. He never left the bridle and he pulled up well and hasn't missed a beat since. 'I am probably more confident in the horse going into this run than I was at Wagga.' Cashbook is racing for the lion's share of a $200,000 purse in the Inglis 2YO Challenge which is restricted to those bought at the firm's annual HTBA Yearling Sale in 2024. Smart found Cashbook there among Widden Stud's draft, paying $28,000 to take him home to Canberra with a view to returning to the nation's horse capital. 'As soon as you buy a horse at that sale, we buy it thinking that this is the race,' he said. 'We get up (to the sale) most years and we bought Love Shuck and it won a few years ago and I think this horse is a really good chance. 'From the gate, he will just need to go back and find cover and they can finish off at Scone.' Cashbook could be one of the bargains of a lifetime for Smart but even a win in the Inglis 2YO Challenge won't see him overtake Love Shuck in that department. Already a winner of $278,150, Love Shuck was knocked down at the 2022 HTBA Yearling Sale for just $6,000. Smart, meanwhile, will be a participant on day two on the Scone Cup carnival as well when the barnstorming Gerry Harvey-bred descendant of Skating, Straight Fire, contests the TAB Highway on Saturday. Horse Racing Kris Lees looks set for a memorable Scone carnival with numerous chances across the two days including import Brave Call on Friday. BEST BETS, INSIDE MAIL Horse Racing A pair of events has presented Craig Williams with an opportunity to win the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 for the third year in a row.
News.com.au
11-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Trainer Paul Messara keen to get Big Dance winner Know Thyself into the Big Dance
Trainer Paul Messara believes Know Thyself is an ideal $3 million Big Dance contender and plans to decide early in the week if The Coast winner will get his chance to qualify via Friday's Listed $200,000 Scone Cup (1600m). Know Thyself scored his fourth straight victory and second feature success this preparation with a sustained performance to prevail in the $500,000 The Coast at Gosford on Saturday. The son of The Autumn Son also captured the $1 million Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick last month. Messara, who trains alongside Leah Gavranich, is open to backing him up six days after his The Coast win on home turf at Scone. 'We will know a bit more midweek and see if there is much bounce in his legs and take it from there,' Messara said. 'That (The Big Dance) would be a lovely race for him to run in, it's perfect for him really. 'It might not be this preparation because he has done a great job already with four wins in a row but we will just see how he comes through.' Know Thyself makes it four on the trot and wins The Coast! ðŸ'¥ @AshMorgan6 | @Paulmessara | @LGavranich — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 10, 2025 The Kris Lees-trained Rustic Steel successfully backed up from his The Coast victory in 2022 and captured the Scone Cup before going on to salute in the inaugural Big Dance later in the same year. Know Thyself's victory in The Coast provided the ratings boost needed to guarantee him a start in the Scone Cup. Messara plans to nominate Know Thyself for Scone on Monday before making a decision. Meanwhile, trainer Mack Griffith will set his sets on the second leg of a country feature hat-trick when his speedster Compelling Truth contests Saturday's Listed $200,000 Ortensia Stakes (1100m). Compelling Truth took out the $200,000 Wagga Town Plate earlier this month for the biggest victory of his career and will be hunting a winning hat-trick at Scone's two-day carnival. Both the Listed $200,000 Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) and Ortensia Stakes were options at Scone. 'He is going to be nominated for both races but I am thinking the 1100m on the big long Scone straight will be the better race for him,' Griffith said. ' Braith Nock will ride. 'He went back to the farm for a few days after his win at Wagga which is his normal routine and he's done really well. 'We will see where he ends up (in terms of a Kosciuszko) but more short term we are looking at this and then a Ramornie with him.' The Listed Ramornie Handicap is held at Grafton in July.
Daily Telegraph
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Telegraph
'It's perfect for him really': Know Thyself's ideal target
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Trainer Paul Messara believes Know Thyself is an ideal $3 million Big Dance contender and plans to decide early in the week if The Coast winner will get his chance to qualify via Friday's Listed $200,000 Scone Cup (1600m). Know Thyself scored his fourth straight victory and second feature success this preparation with a sustained performance to prevail in the $500,000 The Coast at Gosford on Saturday. • 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! The son of The Autumn Son also captured the $1 million Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick last month. Messara, who trains alongside Leah Gavranich, is open to backing him up six days after his The Coast win on home turf at Scone. 'We will know a bit more midweek and see if there is much bounce in his legs and take it from there,' Messara said. 'That (The Big Dance) would be a lovely race for him to run in, it's perfect for him really. 'It might not be this preparation because he has done a great job already with four wins in a row but we will just see how he comes through.' READ: Dream team to continue as Shinn makes tough suspension call The Kris Lees-trained Rustic Steel successfully backed up from his The Coast victory in 2022 and captured the Scone Cup before going on to salute in the inaugural Big Dance later in the same year. Know Thyself's victory in The Coast provided the ratings boost needed to guarantee him a start in the Scone Cup. Messara plans to nominate Know Thyself for Scone on Monday before making a decision. Meanwhile, trainer Mack Griffith will set his sets on the second leg of a country feature hat-trick when his speedster Compelling Truth contests Saturday's Listed $200,000 Ortensia Stakes (1100m). Compelling Truth is also headed for Scone. Picture: Bradley Photos Compelling Truth took out the $200,000 Wagga Town Plate earlier this month for the biggest victory of his career and will be hunting a winning hat-trick at Scone's two-day carnival. Both the Listed $200,000 Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) and Ortensia Stakes were options at Scone. 'He is going to be nominated for both races but I am thinking the 1100m on the big long Scone straight will be the better race for him,' Griffith said. 'Braith Nock will ride. 'He went back to the farm for a few days after his win at Wagga which is his normal routine and he's done really well. 'We will see where he ends up (in terms of a Kosciuszko) but more short term we are looking at this and then a Ramornie with him.' The Listed Ramornie Handicap is held at Grafton in July. Originally published as Trainer Paul Messara keen to get Big Dance winner Know Thyself into the Big Dance
