Latest news with #Tattersall'sTiara
New Paper
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Paper
McDonald aims to equal record with Tiara crown
BRISBANE New Zealand jockey James McDonald will bid to equal Australia's national riding record that has stood for 45 years. Based in Sydney, McDonald has a final chance to equal the riding record for most number of Group 1 wins in a season, when he combines with Firestorm in the A$700,000 (S$580,000) Group 1 Tattersall's Tiara (1,400m) at Eagle Farm on June 28. The 2024 Longines World's Best Jockey has claimed 15 Group 1 races in the 2024-25 racing season. If he wins the Tattersall's Tiara - the final Group 1 race of the season -he will equal the feat of 16 Group 1 wins achieved by champion jockey Malcolm Johnston in 1979-80. Firestorm remains a 16-5 favourite despite drawing barrier 19, and will be one of four runners for Sydney premier trainer Chris Waller, along with Olentia, Konasana and emergency acceptor Gumdrops. Assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth believes the Satono Aladdin mare has the right profile for the race and just needs a genuine speed to produce her best. "She has got exceptional form behind Lady Shenandoah in the Coolmore (Classic) and then in the Doncaster Mile. They just didn't go quick enough for her. She needs a bit of tempo on," he said. "Her first-up run the other day was brilliant. It wasn't a very hard run so she has bounced through that. "She went to the farm for a couple of days and came back and she has done really well." Firestorm won the Group 2 Millie Fox Stakes (1,300m) and beat all but stablemate Lady Shenandoah in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1,500m), before her unplaced run in the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1,600m). She finished third to Tattersall's Tiara rival Floozie in the Group 2 Dane Ripper Stakes (1,300m) last start. Duckworth expects McDonald to be hungry, not only to equal Johnston's record, but also to ensure his afternoon is worthwhile. "James is only riding three on the day, so he is going to have to make them all count," quipped Duckworth. Zoustar mare Olentia ran a disappointing 10th in the Dane Ripper Stakes, but Duckworth has put a line through that. "She is a better horse than that," he said. Konasana ran fourth in two New Zealand Group 1 races, the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes (1,600m) and the Otaki-Maori Classic (1,600m), earlier this year and connections are keen to have another throw at the stumps. "She was unlucky not to win a Group 1 in New Zealand, so she is on the hunt for that elusive race," said Duckworth of the Dundeel mare. SKY RACING WORLD
New Paper
4 days ago
- Sport
- New Paper
Belle Of the ball's last dance
BRISBANE Fresh from his Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap triumph, Tim Clark has set his sights on another Queensland feature. An opportunity to link with the fresh horse on the scene has convinced the leading Sydney jockey to pin his final Group 1 hopes of the season on Victorian-trained mare Grinzinger Belle in the $700,000 (S$580,000) Group 1 Tattersall's Tiara (1,400m) at Eagle Farm on June 28. Clark, who won his second Stradbroke Handicap (1,600m) two weeks ago aboard War Machine (first was Alligator Blood in 2022), has never ridden Grinzinger Belle in a race. But, having assessed her form, he is warming to the Shamexpress four-year-old having the right profile for the final major of the 2024-25 Australian racing term. "My manager was keen. He had a look at the potential make-up of the field and she is the fresh horse on the scene," said Clark. "The mares that have been racing up there have been taking turns a bit and there isn't a lot between them, so we looked outside the square a bit." A four-time winner at Group level in Victoria, Grinzinger Belle was given a freshen-up, after finishing midfield in Fangirl's Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1,600m) at Randwick on April 12. Before that, she had led throughout to comfortably claim the Group 2 Sunline Stakes (1,600m) at Moonee Valley on March 22, and she is a two-time winner over the 1,400m Tattersall's Tiara journey. She also has a good record fresh and Clark expects her on-pace racing style to be advantageous. "A few of the mares' races up there have lacked a bit of speed and she is one who is going to make her own luck," he said. "She likes to run along and break a field up. Hopefully we can end the season with another Group 1." Prepared by Danny O'Brien - who also trained her sire Shamexpress - Grinzinger Belle is a 10-1 chance in pre-nomination markets, with the Chris Waller-trained Firestorm a 5-2 favourite. While the Tattersall's Tiara will be the Australian season's last dance as the last Group 1 held, another horse, Headley Grange, is being aimed at the A$3 million Big Dance (1,600m) on Melbourne Cup day. The model of consistency made a successful transition to stakes company in the Listed Civic Stakes (1,400m) at Randwick on June 21 when ridden by Jason Collett, with an eighth win from 18 starts. The Exosphere four-year-old also boasts five seconds and two thirds, having now scored at his last two starts for trainer Joe Pride. He last won the Singapore Pools Handicap (1,300m), a Benchmark 94 race at Randwick on June 7. "Nice to see him step up to that higher grade today," said the Warwick Farm handler. "That's never easy to do in a high-pressure race with plenty of opposition. "He's come back particularly well this preparation and we will go to the South Grafton Cup next. We will try and qualify him for one of the 'Dances'." Pride was just a bit wary of the gelding's propensity to become agitated in the mounting enclosure pre-race. Trailing the strong tempo, Headley Grange ($11) peeled around the leaders in the straight. He dug deep to score by ½-length over the fast-finishingWelwal (Tommy Berry) and Astero (Andrew Adkins) another 3/4 length away in third. To combat that, the trainer was granted permission from stewards to have Collett legged up just before the field went to the track and the tactic paid dividends. "That's what was needed and it worked. He stayed relaxed," said Collett. The Sydney-based Kiwi hoop rode in red-hot form on that day, bagging a hat-trick of wins, with the two others coming aboard Callistemon and Lulumon. SKY RACING WORLD
