The Championships - Short Takes

Protectionist; Craig Williams; Dal Cielo; Alpine Eagle; Rising Romance; John Wheeler; Skating; Red Cadeaux; Adelaide

BMW NEXT FOR PROTECTIONST

Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist has arrived back in Newcastle after his two unplaced runs in Melbourne.

Trainer Kris Lees says Protectionist is still on track to run in the $1.5 million BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on Saturday week en route to the $1.5 million Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick on April 11 but a riding change is in the wind.

Craig Williams rode Protectionist in his Melbourne starts, but trainer Kris Lees said a rider for the next two G1 assignments had not been confirmed.

"The horse came through the Australian Cup last Saturday and the trip home well," Lees said.

"I wasn't disappointed with either of his two runs in Melbourne. He doesn't appear to be a weight-for-age horse over the shorter courses - he is a genuine two-miler.

"At this stage, we're likely to go on to the Sydney Cup, and the BMW over the 2400m will be a good lead-up."

Lees has been pleased with Lucia Valentina's work at Broadmeadow in preparation for Saturday's $500,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill.

"She seems to race a bit flat second-up, but the 2000m is going to suit her,” he said.

WILLIAMS ANSWERS HK CALL

While Craig Williams awaits advice about whether he is required for Protectionist in his Sydney races he has accepted an offer to ride at the Sha Tin meeting in Hong Kong on March 29.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club is facing a shortage of jockeys on March 29 due to the number of riders who will be absent due to commitments at the Dubai World Cup meeting on the night of March 28.

Some are scheduled to arrive back in Hong Kong from Dubai late on Sunday morning but the HKJC has covered the bases by arranging for Williams to ride at the meeting.

The HKJC currently has only 15 riders available for fields of 12, a situation that forced Hong Kong stewards to defer the start of a suspension imposed on champion rider Joao Moreira last Sunday. The suspension doesn’t start until April 12, the deferment stretching the normal five-meeting maximum allowed under local rules.

Moreira will begin his suspension the day after he rides Dominant runs in the Sydney Cup at Randwick on April 11.

Moreira wanted to start his suspension immediately but chief steward Kim Kelly said only exceptional circumstances would allow a rider to begin a suspension before the next race meeting.

"The current shortage of jockeys meant that if Moreira were to withdraw, it would leave the Jockey Club with a problem at the midweek fixture,” Kelly said.

KIWI COMING FOR THE SIRES

Classy Kiwi two-year-old Dal Cielo is set to add some New Zealand spice to the $1 million Inglis Sires Produce Stakes at Randwick on April 4.

Dal Cielo went to the top of the juvenile class in NZ withy his last start win in the G1 Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie for his second win in four starts.

Dal Cielo is yet another G1 star for the powerful Murray Baker/Andrew Forsman team. They already have NZ Derby winner Mongolian Khan in town for Saturday’s Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas and he will be joined at Warwick Farm by Dal Cielo next Monday.

Opie Bosson, here this weekend for the ride on Mongolian Khan but too rarely seen in Australia, will also be riding Dal Cielo in the Sires Produce.

Blue Diamond Stake winner Pride Of Dubai is ticking over nicely towards the Sires Produce with a hitout in a barrier trial at Warwick Farm on March 27 on his agenda.

SPELL FOR ALPINE EAGLE

Exciting three-year-old prospect Alpine Eagle won’t be seen again until next season.

Alpine Eagle returned to Tony McEvoy’s South Australian stable after his second to Wandjina in the G1 Australian Guineas at Flemington on March 7 with the intention of being prepared for the South Australian Derby.

However McEvoy reported the Melbourne campaign that saw Alpine Eagle back up in the Guineas a week after his amazing Caulfield in the Autumn Classic had taken its toll on the three-year-old and he will require a spell.

LOGAN DID HER HOMEWORK

The set weight and penalties conditions of the Hertz Epona Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday are very much in favour of the crack Kiwi mare Rising Romance.

Rising Romance has an official handicap rating of 110, a massive 18 points above her closest Epona Stakes rival Sabor A Triunfo (90),

Yet under the Epona weight conditions G1 winner Rising Romance and the import Sabor A Triunfo share the topweight of 59kg when there would be a considerable gap between them under handicap conditions – and even more to the rest of the field!.

Adorabeel (89) and Intimate Moment (87) had the next highest handicap ratings but they receive only 3kg from Rising Romance on Saturday, while the bulk of the field with much lower ratings carry the limit of 54kg.

Trainer Donna Logan certainly did her homework by selecting the Epona for Rising Romance instead of her original plan to run in the munch tougher Ranvet Stakes at weight-for-age on Saturday.

Al credit to her planning – it just doesn’t take into account the great uncertainty of racing!

Rising Romance landed in Sydney on Wednesday night with stablemate Volkstok’n’barrell and will have James McDonald back in the saddle on Saturday.

McDonald’s record on Rising Romance includes a win in the ATC Oaks and a second in the Caulfield Cup.

WHEELER TEAM SET FOR OAKBANK

Easter at Oakbank is a tradition but it wouldn’t be the same without the presence of popular Kiwi trainer John Wheeler and his team of jumpers.

Wheeler has been attending Oakbank carnivals for over 20 years and in that time has attained legendary status by winning every feature jumping race multiple times including an amazing nine wins in the Great Eastern Steeplechase.

He will be back this year with a five-horse team led by Tobouggie Nights, who won the Von Doussa-Great Eastern double in 2012, another previous Oakbank winner Seeking The Silver and Riviera Star, who fell in last year’s Great Eastern.

Wheeler has a unique training regime that prepares his horses for the testing Oakbank events. They have been given long workouts though the Tarata Hills near his Taranaki stable and last week they contested the annual beach races at Castle Point in Wairarapa, where each horse had two starts on the program.

Each of Wheeler’s Oakbank team still has a start in flat race to come before they leave for South Australia. You can bet there won’t be any fitter horses at Oakbank.

SKATING LEGACY LIVES ON

The death in New Zealand this week of the grand mare Skating coincided with the anniversary of her G1 win in the Coolmore Classic (then run as the Winfield Classic) as a 3YO filly at Rosehill in 1993.

Skating died at the age of 25, having followed her outstanding racing career for Graeme Rogerson with a long and successful career as a broodmare.

Skating, a daughter of Melbourne Cup winner At Talaq, went to win the 1993 Doncaster Handicap at Randwick before going to stud.

Her stakeswinning progeny include the successful sire Murtajill but she can achieve even greater breeding recognition at Rosehill this weekend as she is the grandam of the Golden Slipper favourite Vancouver.

BUSY MORNING AT CANTERBURY

Global traveller Red Cadeaux arrived in Sydney for the first time on Wednesday and will be the centre of attention at a media call at the Canterbury quarantine centre on Thursday morning.

He has joined Hong Kong stayer Dominant and the four Japanese stars at Canterbury with all six of the internationals in Sydney for The Championships stepping out on Thursday.

Yasutoshi Ikee, the Japanese trainer of To The World, World Ace and Tosen Stardom, will also be at Canterbury to oversee their work.

Ikee won the training premiership in Japan in 2012 and has been in the top five Japanese trainers for the past five years.

He is best known internationally as the trainer of Orfevre, Japan’s 2011 Horse of the Year and winner of their Triple Crown

WALLER RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

It’s fair to say Chris Waller is facing a real challenge to have Cox Plate winner Adelaide perform at his best first-up over 2000m in the $4 million Longines Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 11.

Adelaide’s flat barrier trial and exhibition gallops have not been encouraging but Waller would have been heartened by the report he received from Ryan Moore after the UK champion was reunited with the import in a track gallop on Tuesday.

It was Ryan’s report after Adelaide was beaten in a gallop by Waller’s top mare Catkins on Tuesday that put an end to plans to start the Cox Plate winner in Saturday’s George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill.

Coolmore racing manager James Bester said Ryan was delighted by the feel Adelaide gave him in the gallop and had advised that the entire did not need a race before the Queen Elizabeth.

"Ryan was delighted with his gallop. Adelaide is a naturally clean winded horse and the George Ryder would have just been a preparatory race and he doesn't need it,” Bester said.

Moore will still be an attraction at Rosehill on Saturday where he has been booked for Kermadec in the George Ryder and Odyssey Moon in the Golden Slipper.