Latest news with #Starspangledbanner
News.com.au
21-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Well-credentialed import Bright Stripes to make Australian debut in Benchmark 84 at Sandown
Punters and the Mark Walker stable have something in common when assessing Saturday's Sandown meeting. Neither will have a great idea of how import Bright Stripes will perform in Saturday's Same Race Multi Handicap (1400m). • 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! Bright Stripes's European form is stronger than the Benchmark 84 level at which he will start his Australian campaign after winning a Listed race over a mile in Ireland last May. The son of Caulfield Guineas winner Starspangledbanner has also placed behind one-time Cox Plate favourite Diego Velazquez and multiple stakes winner Mutasarref in Ireland. Walker's Melbourne representative Ben Gleeson said the trans-Tasman operation bought the horse at a tried horse sale last year. • Maskiell's surprise day job selling goldfish during ban 'We bought him as a Listed winner that had performed in many Group races against some promising horses,' Gleeson said. 'A good friend of mine, who's a vet in Europe called Duncan Moir, helped us find him and we bought him from the tried horse sales. 'He'd had plenty of runs as a three-year-old, but he was sound and he had good, clean X-rays so he had a good foundation to purchase and hopefully make the grade out here.' Bright Stripes is one of two imports for the Walker stable to get to the races in Melbourne along with Eagle Angel, who ran fifth at Kilmore on Tuesday. Gleeson said the stable had tempered early expectations for Bright Stripes, who has had three jumpouts leading up to his Australian debut. 'We haven't wanted to rush him. He's had the three jumpouts and performed nicely in all of them,' Gleeson said. 'We're always mindful that it can take 12 months for these horses to settle in. 'There's a lot of questions but he's only trialled three times at Cranbourne so he hasn't left Cranbourne since he got here. 'That's another question mark, how he behaves at the races. 'We've got a lot to learn with him and we've been very level-headed with the owners. 'We're going there on Saturday for an experience and to get a measuring stick on how he compares to his Australian opposition.' Gleeson said Melbourne's weather shifting into winter temperatures has confused Bright Stripes, who would be expecting warmer conditions as per his previous years in England. 'You want them eating and putting on condition but that comes and goes with the changing of the weather,' Gleeson said. 'Typically, at this time of the year, they're going into beautiful 20-degree weather, whereas the last two mornings, it's been zero degrees and they (Bright Stripes and Eagle Angel) don't know what's going on. 'Their coats don't know what's going on and they eat some days but not others, so it's a real learning curve for both them and us.' Apprentice Tom Prebble will ride Bright Stripes fresh from .
RTÉ News
06-05-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
First Instinct battles to victory at Cork
William Haggas was on the scoresheet at Cork as First Instinct toughed it out to land the Listed-class Goffs Irish EBF Polonia Stakes over five and a half furlongs. Chris Hayes was hard at work for much of the race but the 4-1 chance responded well to pressure and hit the front a furlong out before holding off the late challenge of 33-1 shot Town And Country by a head, with fellow outsider Songhai in third and firm favourite Babouche only fourth. A winner at Nottingham and Haydock as a two-year-old last term, First Instinct stepped up on a recent staying-on third behind Electric Storm at Bath over the minimum trip. Hayes said: "I love when Mr Haggas sends horses to Ireland as we have a great strike-rate together and there are never any complications. He was bullish with this filly and thought she had a good chance. "She jumped so fast coming out of the gates that I nearly came off but she got into her stride really quick. I was able to use Seamie (Heffernan, on Grande Marques) as my lead horse and had no worries. Billy (Lee, on Town And Country) was coming quick but I was pulling out more. "I spoke to Tom (Marquand) and he thought the drier ground would suit. Tom said she was fresh for her last run in Bath but she was good as gold today and was very professional. "I'd be happy at today's distance and if ever she comes back here again, I'd like to ride her." Jack Davison is eyeing a trip to Royal Ascot with Oh Cecelia (5-1) following a convincing victory in the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden, which earned her a €50,000 Goffs bonus. The daughter of Starspangledbanner built on a close second at the Curragh by pulling nicely clear under James Ryan to beat odds-on favourite Rogue Legend by a length and a half. The trainer said: "That was super and she is a good filly. "I ran her the first day (of the season) on heavy ground, where she was just touched off and performed so well just on ability. She is a fast filly who wants today's fast ground to show her speed and gears. "I thought she won cosily enough at the line and would benefit from a stronger pace. "We have two runs now and I would love to have a filly for Royal Ascot. She wants fast ground, she is fast and is improving, so we will consider the Queen Mary Stakes." City Of Memphis (8-13 favourite) made a big impression when powering home for Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee in the Annual Membership Available Maiden on her racecourse debut. A €370,000 purchase in May last year, the three-year-old did not reach the track as a juvenile but started to make up for lost time with a comfortable success at 8-13. Twomey said: "We bought her off Katie Walsh at the breeze-ups last year and just waited with her. We haven't looked much but she has plenty of ability and everything she does, she does with ease. "We were confident coming here that she would run a good race and I'm delighted she has won. "When you go to the breeze-up sale, you pay your money and take your chance, but we've been lucky with Alan (O'Flynn, owner). He asked me to buy him fillies in the past few years and we got Purple Lily the first year and now this one, so he has two nice fillies. "We'll take her home now and aim to go up the grades, hoping to get black type."
The Herald Scotland
06-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
First Instinct proves the right one for Haggas at Cork
A winner at Nottingham and Haydock as a two-year-old last term, First Instinct stepped up on a recent staying-on third behind Electric Storm at Bath over the minimum trip. Hayes said: 'I love when Mr Haggas sends horses to Ireland as we have a great strike-rate together and there are never any complications. He was bullish with this filly and thought she had a good chance. 'She jumped so fast coming out of the gates that I nearly came off but she got into her stride really quick. I was able to use Seamie (Heffernan, on Grande Marques) as my lead horse and had no worries. Billy (Lee, on Town And Country) was coming quick but I was pulling out more. 'I spoke to Tom (Marquand) and he thought the drier ground would suit. Tom said she was fresh for her last run in Bath but she was good as gold today and was very professional. 'I'd be happy at today's distance and if ever she comes back here again, I'd like to ride her.' Jack Davison is eyeing a trip to Royal Ascot with Oh Cecelia (5-1) following a convincing victory in the Irish EBF Auction Series Maiden, which earned her a €50,000 Goffs bonus. The daughter of Starspangledbanner built on a close second at the Curragh by pulling nicely clear under James Ryan to beat odds-on favourite Rogue Legend by a length and a half. The trainer said: 'That was super and she is a good filly. 'I ran her the first day (of the season) on heavy ground, where she was just touched off and performed so well just on ability. She is a fast filly who wants today's fast ground to show her speed and gears. 'I thought she won cosily enough at the line and would benefit from a stronger pace. 'We have two runs now and I would love to have a filly for Royal Ascot. She wants fast ground, she is fast and is improving, so we will consider the Queen Mary Stakes.' City Of Memphis (8-13 favourite) made a big impression when powering home for Paddy Twomey and Billy Lee in the Annual Membership Available Maiden on her racecourse debut. A €370,000 purchase in May last year, the three-year-old did not reach the track as a juvenile but started to make up for lost time with a comfortable success at 8-13. Twomey said: 'We bought her off Katie Walsh at the breeze-ups last year and just waited with her. We haven't looked much but she has plenty of ability and everything she does, she does with ease. 'We were confident coming here that she would run a good race and I'm delighted she has won. 'When you go to the breeze-up sale, you pay your money and take your chance, but we've been lucky with Alan (O'Flynn, owner). He asked me to buy him fillies in the past few years and we got Purple Lily the first year and now this one, so he has two nice fillies. 'We'll take her home now and aim to go up the grades, hoping to get black type.'
