Spring Carnival News Briefs - October 25

Zac Purton; Joao Moreira; Curren Mirotic; Wicklow Brave; Extreme Choice; Rising Romance; Abbey Marie; Egyptian Symbol; Nurse Kitchen; Spright; Humidor.

• Hong Kong stars Zac Purton and Joao Moreira will be in big demand at Flemington on Saturday.

The pair missed the WS Cox Plate meeting due to extreme typhoon weather in Hong Kong over the weekend, a situation that saw the Hong Kong Jockey Club veto their trips to Australia for fear the weather would stop them from returning to ride at Sha Tin on Sunday.

Purton has been confirmed as the Victoria Derby rider of crack Kiwi three-year-old Sacred Elixir after Damian Lane rode the three-year-old in his strong win at Moonee Valley last Saturday.

It’s a blow for Lane after riding Scared Elixir in his last three Melbourne starts but Purton had the call for the Derby after winning the G1 JJ Atkins on the gelding in Brisbane in June.

Purton’s other early bookings for Saturday include Good Project for Chris Waller in the G1 Cantala Stakes.

Moreira is expected to have as many as six rides on Saturday’s program including Wine Bush in the Derby, Mackintosh (Cantala Stakes), Derryn (Coolmore Stud Stakes) and Danish Twist (Myer Classic).

Moreira will fly to Melbourne early to partner his Melbourne Cup ride Heartbreak City in a gallop at Werribee on Friday.

Chad Schofield is also coming from Hong Kong for the ride on Seaburge in the Cantala Stakes.

• It seems Japanese stayer Curren Mirotic has hit his straps at Werribee in a positive boost to his Melbourne Cup chances.

The high class stayer has impressed in his work and more importantly has pleased his support team that includes Northern Farm chief veterinary surgeon Dr Tomonori Tsuda.

His gallop at Werribee on Monday was one of the best seen from the big contingent of overseas Cup horses as he got right away from his stablemate in a strong workout typical of the Japanese training.

Curren Mirotic’s owner Katsumi Yoshida instructed Dr Tsuda to travel to Australia to ensure the stayer is in the best of health for his assault on the Melbourne Cup.

Yoshida raced Delta Blues, the first Japanese horse to win the Melbourne Cup in 2006.

Tommy Berry is booked to ride Curren Mirotic in the Melbourne Cup and will travel to Werribee on Friday to ride the stayer in another serious workout.

• Irish stayer Wicklow Brave also stepped up his Melbourne Cup preparation with a strong gallop at Werribee on Monday.

Wicklow Brave has continued his impressive in his build-up. On Monday he galloped two laps of the polytrack at Werribee in his strongest work since his arrival.

Wicklow Brave is trained by Willie Mullins, the astute Irtish trainer who has alreadfy shown he has come to grips with preparing his stayers for Australian conditions with Simenon finishing fourth in the 2013 Melbourne Cup and a second last year with Max Dynamite.

Wicklow Brave, while having performed over jumps in Ireland, has excellent credentials having defeated Order Of St George in the G1 Irish St Leger (2800m) at the Curragh on September 11.

• Rick Jamieson’s Gilgai Farm, breeders of Black Caviar and Jameka, has purchased a share in Melbourne’s top colt Extreme Choice ahead of his bid for a third G1 win at Flemington on Saturday.

Extreme Choice is aiming to add the Coolmore Stud Stakes to his G1 wins in the Blue Diamond Stakes and Moir Stakes.

Extreme Choice is to stand at Newgate Farm when he finishes racing with Jamieson securing a share in the Not A Single Doubt colt to ensure he has priority access to the classy stud prospect with his mares.

Other shareholders in Extreme Choice include China Horse Club, Newgate Farm, Aquis Farm, Matthew Sandblom and SF Bloodstock.

• Classy G1 winner Rising Romance has been freshened for a return to her own sex in the $500,000 Myer Classic at Flemington on Saturday.

The 2014 Australian Oaks winner has not won since an Ellerslie victory in February of 2015 but it’s worth considering some pertinent facts that suggest she could be a big player on Saturday.

Since she won the Oaks at Randwick in April of 2014 Rising Romance has raced 23 times with 18 of those starts in G1 races for six placings.

Significantly none her G1 starts have been in events restricted to her own sex. The only times she did contest races restricted to fillies and mares she finished second in the G3 Epson Stakes at Rosehill and fourth in the G2 Stocks Stakes a month ago when having her first ever start at Moonee Valley.

Her record shows she is best on big tracks like Flemington where her G1 form includes placings in the Australian Cup, Mackinnon Stakes and Makybe Diva Stakes.

The six-year-old was set to be served this spring by Written Tycoon but has not been covered as expected.

• Unbeaten Group One winner Abbey Marie is set to make a belated start to her spring program in Saturday’s Myer Classic at Flemington.

Abbey Marie won all three starts in her first preparation last season including the G1 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville in May before she spelled.

However all has not gone well for the 4YO as she was placed under veterinary care for a month when spelling after contracting a severe infection.

She spent a prolonged time in the paddock and since returning to work has been hampered by wet tracks that forced her to miss several trials, leaving trainer Mick Kent behind schedule with her preparation.

“We’ve been held up with three trials called off on her. She’s had a jump out but she’s done enough work,” Kent said.

Kent said the Myer Classic will be her only spring start before she is prepared for the Sydney carnival in the autumn.

• Egyptian Symbol, the impressive first-up winner of the G3 Nivison at the Randwick carnival, is set to have her first Melbourne start at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.

Trainer Bjorn Baker has Egyptian Symbol slated for the G3 Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) where she may have a return clash with Artistry, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained mare she beat at Randwick.

• Nurse Kitchen, the impressive Moonee Valley winner bred and raced by retired trainer Peter Moody, has been spelled.

Trainer David Brideoake said the Savabeel filly, who has raced only three times for two wins, will be set for the G1 Australasian Oaks in Adelaide next preparation.

• Hawkesbury trainer Garry Frazer will dodge the top colts in Saturday’s Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington and save his quality filly Spright for the Listed Red Roses Stakes (1200m).

Spright stepped up from her maiden win at Rosehill last month to beat a strong field of colts in the Listed Brian Crowley Stakes at Randwick on October 15.

• Rising Kiwi star Humidor will make his Australian debut in the G1 Cantala Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.

Humidor’s co-trainers John Benner and Hollie Wynyard are treating his Melbourne excursion as a grounding for some big plans next year.

"The main reason is for the experience. Hopefully the trip turns a boy into a man," said Benner.

"We want to be back in Australia next year for the Australian Cup and the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups."

Humidor has won four of his nine starts and has already risen to G1 company at home with a last start second in the G1 Livamol Classic at Hastings.

• Popular Tasmanian star The Cleaner will join the list of retired thoroughbreds at Melbourne's Living Legends.

The former Tasmanian Horse of the Year, known affectionately as the Lion of Longford, will spend the next six months in the company of legends Might And Power, Brew and Doriemus.

The Cleaner, the first Tasmanian-trained starter in a WS Cox Plate in 2014, won successive editions of the G2 Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes at Moonee Valley in 2014 and 2015 and was G1 placed in the Underwood Stakes and Emirates Stakes.

A crowd favourite due to his bold front-running style reminiscent of the Queensland great Vo Rogue, The Cleaner won 19 of his 58 starts and $1.346 million.