VETS will inspect Warrnambool galloper Judges this week to try and find a reason for his inglorious effort in running last in a restricted $100,000 race at Flemington on Saturday.
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Trainer Daniel Bowman was left disappointed after Judges ran 18 lengths behind the eventual winner Manolo Blahniq in a 1400 metre race.
“I’ve got no explanation for his poor performance,” Bowman said.
“The run was just too bad to be true.
“I’ll get the vets to go over him from head to tail in an attempt to find the problem.
“His last two runs in town have been disappointing after winning well at the Woodford meeting at Warrnambool.
“He appears to have been crook after the float trips to Melbourne.
“He sweated up badly but I just can’t put a finger on the problem.
“I’m just hoping the vets can work it out.”
Bowman may target Judges at the $80,000 Echuca Cup on March 11, if his problems can be sorted out.
Promising sprinter Roddandtodd may run in a restricted race for Bowman under lights at Moonee Valley this Friday night.
Roddandtodd ran fourth in the $250,000 Inglis Dash at Flemington last month on the back of his maiden victory at his third start.
“I’ll be nominating Roddandtodd for Friday night,” he said.
“We’ve given him a good gallop on the training track since his Inglis Dash start. He’s going well.
“We’ll just see how he is later in the week before making a final decision.”
Bowman and fellow Warrnambool trainer Symon Wilde will be among other local trainers who will be at the Classic Yearling Sale in Sydney on Saturday night.
Wilde purchased three yearlings in New Zealand last week.
He parted with $105,000 for a Reliable Man colt, $50,000 for a Jimmy Choux colt and $50,000 for a Tavistock filly.
“I’m really pleased with our purchases in New Zealand,” Wilde said.
“The three of them are nice types.
“It looks like nearly all the shares are gone in the Reliable Man and Jimmy Choux colts but there are still some shares left in the Tavistock filly.
“We’ve left them over in New Zealand to be broken in.
“They will be there for about six months as the climate is a lot better in New Zealand at this time of the year compared to over here.”
Tough versatile galloper Gold Medals is only a few weeks away from making a return to racing for Wilde.
Gold Medals won the Australian Steeplechase and the Terang Cup on the flat last year and Wilde said the eight-year-old will mix jumps and flat racing this year.
“We’ll only give Gold Medals about eight starts in this campaign -much the same as last year,” he said.
“I would say four will be on the flat and four over the jumps.
“Gold Medals has come back into work in great order.
“He’s never been in better order.
“He’s been a marvellous horse for his connections and I’m confident with some luck he will be very competitive again on the flat and over the jumps.”
Gold Medals has won 10 of his 59 starts and earned more than $440,000 in stakemoney for his connections.
Impressive
EXCITING colt Cliff’s Edge looks set for a top autumn carnival for Hawkesdale couple David and Robyn Roache following his impressive first-up victory in the $150,000 Manfred Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday.
Cliff’s Edge was well ridden by Irish born jockey John Allen in defeating Overshare and Muraaqeb in the Group Three race over 1200 metres.
The Roaches are among a large group of owners in Cliff’s Edge who has now won more than $620,000 in stakemoney from his 11 starts.
Trainer Darren Weir has various options open to him over the next few months with Cliff’s Edge including possible starts in the CS Hayes Stakes and the Australian Guineas before a trip to Sydney for a run in the Rosehill Guineas.
Cliff’s Edge stamped himself as a galloper with above average ability with impressive performances last spring.
The highlight was a victory in the $250,000 Norman Robinson Stakes at Caulfield last October.
Northern success
FORMER south-west jockeys Michelle Hagley, Jason Lyon, Stephen Ridler and apprentice hoop Lorelle Crow are key figures in racing in the Northern Territory.
Racing alternates between Alice Springs and Darwin each fortnight at this time of the year.
The group all rode at Alice Springs last Saturday, with many Western District punters following the fortunes of the four jockeys.
Lyon and Ridler booted home winners on the five-race card, while Hagley, Lyon and Ridler also ride in Darwin with success.
Crow, who still claims two kilograms, is based in Alice Springs.
Meanwhile, another former south-west hoop Nigel Seymour is back riding around Rockhampton.
Seymour, who was a gifted horseman, was originally apprenticed in Sydney before moving to Hamilton in the late 1990s.
Seymour has had numerous shifts during his career and one can only hope that he can settle in one place to show his ability in the saddle.
WHO TO FOLLOW
MALASE: failed at his attempt to win three consecutive races but he still ran well to finish in fifth spot on Saturday. He made good ground in the home straight after being well back in the 1400 metre race. May pay to give him another chance.
BEDFORD: liked his win at Caulfield. There’s plenty of upside to this lightly raced four-year-old. He’s won three of four and could win a nice staying race in the future. Stay with him.
KHEZERABAD: nice effort second run back from a spell with a fourth placing over 2000 metres. He will be improved by that outing and should be winning again for Aaron Purcell shortly.
MURAAQEB: resumed with a top effort to run third over 1200 metres. The promising three-year-old lost no supporters with that performance and looks like having a successful autumn.
CRAIG ROBERTSON: underrated jockey who keeps on riding winners from limited opportunities. Robertson put in a great ride on Monaco Countess to win a 1850 metre race at Kyneton on Saturday. The veteran hoop does not get the chances he deserves now because of talented younger jockeys but he still has the ability to keep home winners in tight finishes.