Autumn Glow connections weigh up rich options
Ciaron Maher wanted to weigh up the options for the three-year-old filly, who was tempted by the Godolphin outfit after securing a maiden group 1 victory over the brave Savvy Hallie in the Circumferential Stakes (1400m).
Tempted, a four-time group 2 winner and Everest runner-up, was the $1.60 favorite for her age and sex on Saturday but was pushed to her limits by leader Savvy Hallie in an epic battle to prevail by a long head in the final 150 metres.
Maher was eyeing the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) against clear opposition as the grand finale at the start of the season.
“It’s great to seal the Group 1 win with him,” Maher said.
“He came second to the best sprinter in the world so you would hope he could do that but he was so excited.
“They have options now. I thought so at first [the TJ Smith Stakes] “That would be the plan, but I’ll sit down with the team and ask them and we’ll work on it.”
Savvy Hallie’s trainer Brad Widdup was proud of his mare and wasn’t sure what was next for her, but he nearly eliminated TJ Smith.
“Godolphin beat me again in group 1… every time,” Widdup said with a smile.
“Anyway, he tried hard, it was great.”
The slipper picture is not clearer
Chris Waller considered a spell in Campione D’Italia after “doing everything wrong” during his seven-time debut in the Lonhro Plate.
The trainer was rewarded for staying on course on Saturday; The $500,000 Snitzel colt edged his stablemate Central European by a nose to win the group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) by a $41 shot, sealing his place in the $5 million Golden Slipper on March 21.
“We didn’t back down after doing everything wrong. We knew his talent,” Waller said.
“We stuck to our guns and went back to the trials. A team of good athletes at home were trying to ease him in. He’s a gentle horse but he’s also competitive, so when the barriers open he wants to be first into the turn and we have to teach him to get to the winning point first. We’re getting there.”
He got there on Saturday, thanks in part to an interrupted run in the fast-finishing Central European debut. Central European was $18 for Slipper before the run and had entered the second favoritism at $9. But he will need to earn a place in the field via the Pago Pago Stakes in two weeks. Campione D’Italia went from $51 to $15. Favorite Warwoven finished fourth in a half-distance ride and was first in the Slipper at $6.
Earlier in the mares’ Sweet Embrace (1200m) jockey Zac Lloyd said Spicy Miss gave him the feel of a Slipper horse after overcoming a tough draw to win to confirm his claim in the main event.
Booked to ride Guest House on the Slipper, Lloyd put the Ciaron Maher-trained Spicy Miss on By Choice’s outside leader from the seventh gate of eighth and held off late to hold off Screen Icon by a short neck in a collected finish.
Before her first win, Spicy Miss was fifth in the Slipper standings ($226,375), following seconds in the Gold Gift and Lonhro Plaka.
“I just think his mentality and desire to win will take him a long way,” Lloyd said.
“He’s very good off the machine, he does everything right, so in a high-pressure race like the Golden Slipper that will really help him.”
Maher believes Spicy Miss will “reproduce a similar improvement” at Slipper, where it went from $34 to $18.
Stewards questioned James McDonald twice about his riding and the performance of favorite Pembrey, who finished in fifth place, a length and a half behind the winner. McDonald was asked why he wasn’t pushing for the leadership. He said he chose to sit behind leader By Choice after starting better. Gollan defended the trip and said he had not bound McDonald to any instructions, and Pembrey unfortunately remained in his pocket.
King Of Roseau, trained by Peter Snowden, won the group 3 Liverpool City Cup, the last feature of the day.
Portelli’s eyes turned to Coolmore.
Warwick Farm trainer Gary Portelli was considering the group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) with the $30,000 purchase of Verona Rose after claiming victory in the group 2 Guy Walter Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
Verona Rose, a $5 chance in the mare named in honor of the former Warwick Farm trainer, was given a great ride by Craig Williams to beat favorite Manaal by three quarters of a length.
“I got a little emotional a minute ago, I saw Wendy Walter there,” Portelli said.
“I said, ‘Don’t look at me, I’m going to start crying,’ because I’m a sensitive old man.
“Guy was a great friend to all of us at Warwick Farm and he is missed very much.
“When I first bought him we were aiming for an Oaks, we thought he had the pedigree to run two miles, but he is very smart.
“I think Coolmore should be pretty competitive in terms of weights.”
Inglis loses Winx colt at Easter sale
Winx’s first foal, a son of reigning champion stallion Snitzel, has been withdrawn from next month’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale due to a mishap.
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Inglis released a statement on Saturday announcing the loss of the Easter sales headline bill. The foal was expected to attract great interest after Pierro’s mare, Winx’s first live foal, was purchased by part owner Debbie Kepitis for $10 million at the 2023 sale.
Part owner Peter Tighe said: “The welfare of our beautiful foal is of the utmost importance to us and the vet’s advice is that he will need some time to properly recover from the adversity he has suffered.”
“We will give him all the time he needs. He is in good hands with the Coolmore team and we look forward to his racing career once he is fully recovered.”
