Source :- THE AGE NEWS
Trainer Mick Price lauded the tenacity of Guest House and skill of jockey Zac Lloyd after they broke the track record and a 35-year hoodoo for Golden Slipper winners in the San Domenico Stakes with a rail-bending run at Rosehill.
Lloyd produced a masterclass on the Home Affairs colt, a $30 million aquisition for Coolmore, when he found the back of leader and favourite Blue Door after jumping well from gate seven of eight in the 1100m group 3 for three-year-olds.
Guest House raced fiercely at times, then was stuck behind Blue Door before Lloyd squeezed up the inside near the 200m mark, pushing in the rail, before powering to a length and a quarter win in 1:02:41. It bettered Westicaro’s 2007 track record of 1:02:51 and Home Affairs’ class standard of 1:02:64.
He became the first Slipper winner to take out the San Domenico since Tierce in 1991. Blue Door and Music Time filled the placings.
Price, who trains in partnership with Michael Kent jnr, believed Guest House could be vulnerable at 1100m first-up as he worked to have him peak in the group 1 Golden Rose (1400m), Everest (1200m) and Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m).
He said it was an amazing win and it appeared Guest House had improved from his Slipper victory. Guest House now looks destined to fill Coolmore’s slot in the $20 million Everest on October 17. He was in from $17 to $13 for the Everest.
“Track record, overraced fresh a little bit and had to bustle his way through an opening that wasn’t there,” he said. “One thing about these great colts is tenacity and I’ve just got to love his tenacity. And there should be more to come. I’ve allowed for it.”
He was also full of praise of Lloyd, who had a treble on Saturday with victories on Aethelwulf and Althoff.
“Zac just owns these races, doesn’t he?” Price said of Lloyd’s bold ride. “I said, look, as long as the horse is running on, I’ll be happy. The race sets up for the favourite, no doubt about that.
“When he came out here, I actually didn’t give him any instructions. I know what I want and asked him what he thinks, and he said one of two things will happen. He bounces, I’m going with him, and if he takes 50-60 metres to get going, I’ll ride a race.
“If I hear the right thing, I don’t need to fear, and I heard the right thing.”
Plagiarism rewrites spring story
Trainer Adrian Bott was daring to dream of a Golden Rose shot with Plagiarism after he broke his maiden with a front-running win in the group 3 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m).
Back as a gelding after falling short of a Golden Slipper spot in the autumn, the son of Written By improved off a strong first-up effort over same trip when third to hold out Genesis Runner on Saturday by three-quarters of a length for jockey Regan Bayliss.
It was an overdue victory for Plagiarism, which was third on debut in the $1 million Golden Gift but then unplaced in his next three starts in two-year-old stakes races.
Bott, who trains in partnership with Gai Waterhouse, said he could set his sights higher now to the group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) with Plagiarism after the breakthrough.
“Why not?” Bott said of targeting the September 26 feature at Rosehill. “It’s probably his sweet spot getting out to 1400m. Originally, I had him going through that [listed] Tapp-Craig, [group 2] Callander-Presnell path, just being a gelding chasing the prizemoney there. And we thought he might just be that step below the top colts and three-year-olds.
“Last prep we chased all those Slipper races and it just wasn’t happening for him.”
He said the September 12 Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m) could be next start for Plagiarism.
Smith stayer makes Metropolitan statement
Trainer Matt Smith believes Aethelwulf will be a “pretty serious horse” next preparation as he weighs up a start in the Metropolitan after an arrogant win on debut in Saturday grade at Rosehill.
Sent around a $1.35 favourite after a five-length win over 1800m at Canterbury, the four-year-old strode to the lead in the 2000m benchmark 78 handicap at the 300m and cruised to a two and a quarter-length victory from Anthracite under a hands-and-heels ride from Lloyd.
Smith said Aethelwulf, now with four wins in five starts this campaign, would likely next run in the group 3 Newcastle Cup (2300m) on September 18 before possibly going to the newly demoted group 2 $750,000 Metropolitan (2400m) on October 3 at Randwick. Aethelwulf was in from $15 to equal $6 favourite for the Metropolitan.
“You hope they are going to do that, but you don’t know,” Smith said.
“So we’ll just keep stepping him up in grade and see where we end up, but next time in he’s going to be a pretty serious horse because he’s still pretty green. He’s still doing plenty wrong.”
Smith has had a patient approach with Aethelwulf, which had just one run in his first preparation before a virus struck, and he was wary of pushing him too far this campaign.
Mr Miller’s name on the Epsom rise
Chris Waller-trained Mr Miller looked set for Epsom Handicap qualifiers after coasting to a three-length win at Rosehill on Saturday.
A $1.90 favourite after an easy first-up win at Warwick Farm, the four-year-old justified the confidence of the Waller camp, which had marked him as a lightweight Epsom hope, making the most of a dream run under Tommy Berry to take out the 1500m benchmark 78 to go to three victories in five starts. It was part of a treble for Berry, who also won on Transcend and Zalique.
Mr Miller, with a benchmark of 75 before the win, was $26 into $11 on Saturday for the $1.5 million Epsom (1600m) at Randwick on October 3. Waller stable representative Darren Beadman said Mr Miller would likely head to an Epsom qualifier, which include the Cameron and Bill Ritchie Handicaps and the Shannon Stakes, to ensure he makes the field.
Althoff later won the 1500m benchmark 100 handicap by a length to give Waller a double and another potential Epsom runner.
At Caulfield, Waller won the group 1 Memsie Stakes with Beiwacht.
Oaks beckons for Payne filly
Rosehill trainer David Payne was eyeing the group 3 Gloaming Stakes (1800m) next for VRC Oaks hope Proxima Dea after she made it a hat-trick of wins to start her career.
The Tarzino filly ($4) was made to work all the way to the line to catch breakaway leader Doradus ($3.40) by a short head in the 1800m benchmark 72 Midway Handicap.
A $300,000 yearling buy for Ciaron Maher on behalf of clients, Proxima Dea came to Payne after six months with the leading Victorian trainer. Payne was mapping out a path to the November 5 VRC Oaks, where Proxima Dea was into $8 (TAB) equal favouritism with Miss Chanel.
“I have got to give her a couple of lead ups,” Payne said. “I’ll give her 10 days out, then maybe the Gloaming.”
Transcend puts hearts in mouths again
Randwick trainer Michael Freedman said he was pleased to be heading to the winners’ bar instead of the stewards’ room after Transcend gave him more stress at Rosehill.
The wayward four-year-old lifted to hold out Glasgow Lass by a short-half head in the 1500m benchmark 78 for fillies and mares after the pair looked to have come together near the line. Two weeks earlier at the track, Transcend edged out Mind Ya Bizz before losing on protest after she shifted in badly and made contact with the runner-up just before the line.
This time the contact and movement was minimal and no protest was lodged, much to Freedman’s relief. He said Transcend took a step in the right direction with the addition of winkers and earmuffs and she could progress again to stakes grade in time.
“We tried her over 2000m in the Adrian Knox and she probably didn’t run that right out,” Freedman said.
“I think anything up to a mile and maybe a touch further. “She’s still eligible for some nice benchmark races, so I don’t think we’d throw her too much in the deep end, and So You Think’s do tend to get better as they get older.”
