TAB South Australian Derby (Group 1)

JOHNNY Allen’s gamble to quarantine for 14 days to cross from Victoria in order to ride at Adelaide’s May carnival was rewarded with his third Group 1 South Australian Derby in five years with his victory on the Irish-bred Russian Camelot last Saturday.

Stuck three-wide over the 2,500-metre trip and positioned last with 600 metres to run, Russian Camelot travelled around the bend seven-wide, cruising into the race like a Marussia.

Bounding clear over the final stages, the colt rewarded favourite backers with a two-length win over the Dalakhani colt Dalasan and the Declaration Of War gelding, and Victoria Derby winner, Warning.

“We’ve had to do something that hasn’t been done before, take him to a Derby against the Australian three-year-olds,” said O’Brien of the northern hemisphere-bred colt whose two leads-in runs were spaced a month apart.

“We were always confident the motor was there, particularly once he got over a bit of ground. It’s weird in Australia, but his father Camelot won the English Derby second-up. We bought the horse from England and bought the training manual with him.”

Consigned by Camas Park Stud, the colt out of Lady Babooshka was bought by Jeremy Brummitt for clients of O’Brien for 120,000 guineas at the 2018 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

“Danny said to ride him like he was the best horse in the race and he was confident if he was close enough on the corner, he would have the better turn of foot,” said Allen. “It panned out that way. He was just the superior horse.”

Despite being subsequently suspended for five meetings for interference early in the Derby, Allen had a belter of a day landing a stakes-winning treble with his Group 1 complimented by the Group 3 SA Sires’ Produce Stakes on Ringbolt, by Dream Ahead, and the Listed Adelaide Guineas on Game Keeper, by Fastnet Rock.

Close cruises to Cup

DECLAN Bates landed last week’s A$225,000 Listed Warrnambool Cup over 2,350 metres with the Lindsay Smith-trained Too Close The Sun, a four-year-old Carlton House gelding. “He was a little bit keen but you’ve got to go with him,” said Bates. “He’s got such a high cruising speed and that’s how he wins it. He gets the rest of them off the bridle early and he stays.”

Too Close The Sun is entered for today’s Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes over 2,800 metres at Flemington with the winner granted ballot exemption from the 2020 Melbourne Cup in November.

NZ racing thrown lifeline

ON Tuesday New Zealand racing minister Winston Peters announced a NZ$72.5 million emergency support package for the New Zealand racing industry which has been shut down since March 23rd.

Peters admitted that the industry was “seriously underestimated” for its economic contribution that amounts to around $1.6 billion annually while supporting around 15,000 full-time racing jobs and close to 60,000 associated jobs.

Peters said: “The racing industry has been hit by the perfect storm of Covid-19 while in a weak financial state and in the midst of a reform programme.

“As a result, there is a genuine risk of insolvency and the industry losing the future gains of its reforms. This is the first step towards a longterm restoration of racing.”

BLACK Caviar’s trainer Peter Moody has returned to the training ranks. He handed in his licence after being embroiled in the cobalt saga that swept through the Melbourne racing scene in March 2016.

Active at the yearling sales this year, Moody had his first runner at Ballarat last Sunday, with the British-bred Shepard, by Sea The Moon winning over 2,000 metres.

“It (a training comeback) was something I had spoken with and joked about with a few mates over a period of time,” reflected Moody. “It got more serious probably around Christmas and New Year. The Magic Millions sales were coming up and I started thinking if I’m going to do it this year I’ve probably got to start organising things and look to have a few young horses on my books.” Moody, formerly based at Caulfield, now trains out of Pakenham.

JAMIE Mott also made his return to race riding on Tuesday winning on Rock The Ring at Sale with his first ride back. Mott endured a broken fibula and tibia in a three-horse fall at Cranbourne in November.