Sandown

C F Orr Stakes (Group 1)

JACQUINOT was second over the line but got the result in the stewards’ room to take out the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes at Sandown on Saturday.

With Gentleman Roy attempting to lead all the way in the 1,400-metre contest, Mark Zahra’s mount shifted out under pressure in the final 100 metres, enough for Jacquinot’s rider Damien Lane to pursue a protest having failed by a short half-head on the line to win outright. The amended result saw the Golden Rose winner Jacquinot, by Rubick, add a second Group 1 to his record, the So You Think gelding Gentleman Roy demoted to second with third across the line going to the Siyouni gelding Nugget.

“I did say to Antony Thompson (Widden Stud owner) before the protest was announced, I said ‘you’ve got this going for about $10,000 each service fee’, so that is what it means to him,” said Jacquinot’s co-trainer Mick Price.

“He’s a stud colt and that now gives him two Group 1s and that’s very important. It was severe interference and it is the stewards’ job to measure the margin lost in the interference and if the margin lost in the interference is greater than the margin of the race. The margin of the race was a short head so there’s no set formula or correct answer but that’s the opinion and that’s the refereeing.”

Randwick

THE Justify filly Learning To Fly, did just that on her AUD$900,000 Inglis Easter purchase price, remaining undefeated to take out the $2 million Inglis Millennium over Randwick’s 1,100 metres and boost herself to the top of the charts for the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes on March 18th.

Avoiding the scrimmage that saw Tom Marquand’s mount hit the deck at the 300-metre mark, Learning To Fly swooped down the middle of the track to blaze past the four to her inside and win by a neck. Filling the placings were a pair of I Am Invincible fillies, Blanc De Blanc and Kundalini.

“She’s a filly I’ve loved since the first day I sat on her and I knew she was a top class horse,” said jockey Chad Scofield. “Today we had a wide run and at the top of the straight I thought we could run into third or fourth because I had so much work to do, but she just kept picking up and picking up.

“She’s got a dynamic turn of foot as we saw today. She’s a beautiful horse you can do anything with. The world is her oyster.”

Trained by Annabel Neasham and raced by a Coolmore syndicate that includes Kia Ora Stud, Learning To Fly was reared at Coolmore before offered as part of their Australian Easter Yearling Sale draft.

RESUMING in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at Randwick, the Godolphin-owned Anamoe sounded a warning for his rivals. In a draw-away win, the Street Cry colt defeated a pair of Chris Waller fillies, Hinged, by Worthy Cause, and Fangirl by Sebring.

“Anamoe just comes back better again, a mature horse,” observed trainer James Cummings. “James McDonald made it look absolutely painless, allowed him to use his ability to be prominent in these weight-for-age races and he was terrific. I’m very proud of Anamoe and it’s great for the team to have the big horse back. There‘s a lot we can look forward to this autumn.”

TOM Marquand has had to rule out a trip to Qatar for the Amir Sword Festival after sustaining a heavy fall at Randwick on Saturday in the final 300 metres of the Inglis Millennium aboard Annabel Neasham-trained Dorothy Gaill.

“He is still very sore in his shoulder, he understandably has some bruising but has no breaks. He is back at home and resting,” said Marquand’s local agent Shaun Flaherty.

Marquand had already posted three winners for Neasham, a double at Canterbury Friday night followed by the first at Randwick.

“I’m pretty sore, I can’t lie,” said Marquand on Monday. “I’ve had a CT scan on it and that was clear but something is not right so I’m having an MRI (Tuesday) to properly delve into it. I’ve had injuries I’ve pushed through before but this doesn’t feel right. I wouldn’t be doing anyone any justice if I was going out and getting on a horse.”

The Stewards have opened an inquiry.

Te Rapa

Herbie Dyke Stakes (Group 1)

ON just his second start this campaign, star Kiwi three-year-old Sharp ‘N’ Smart has taken down a quality field to win the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes over 2,000 metres at Te Rapa.

Ridden by Ryan Elliot for co-trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson, the Redwood gelding was forced three wide without cover in the run. Biding his time, Elliot got to work on straightening as Sharp ‘N’ Smart’s superior staying capacity shone through in the closing stages to post a one-length win over the Contributer mare Campionessa with a further two lengths to the Vanbrugh gelding Wild Night in third.

Good horse

“When he learns to be a racehorse I think I’ve got a good horse,” said Rogerson who has had his fair share over the journey. “I think he’s a freak as he can run 600 metres in 33 seconds and he still gives when you ask him. I think next Spring you could see a real good horse. I’d love to take him to Hong Kong, but it is the New Zealand Derby next and then the Australian Derby.” Sharp ‘N’ Smart was a NZ$55,000 purchase from Book 2 at Karaka 2021, before passing-in for $90,000 at the NZ Ready to Run the same year.

BCD Group Sprint (Group 1)

IMPERATRIZ is bound for Australian shores after an impressive Group 1 BCD Sprint win over Te Rapa’s 1,400 metres on Saturday.

Despite being shadowed in the closing stages by the riderless Mustang Valley, Imperatriz was far too slick across the final furlong, posting her fourth Group 1 win by defeating the All Too Hard mare Babylon Berlin, with last year’s winner, and three-time Group 1 victor, Levante, by Proisir, in third.

“She was never going to get beaten as I felt like I was in a race by myself with no one near me or around me,” said Opie Bosson of the four-year-old I Am Invincible filly.

“She just went through her gears and she is awesome to sit on. It was a very good field, but when she is on her A-game there is not much that can beat her.”

Bought by Te Akau’s David Ellis for A$360,000 at the 2020 Gold Coast Magic Millions Imperatriz will now target the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington, which was won by another Kiwi mare last year in Roch ‘n’ Horse.

“We think she deserves a chance of going to an elite race while we have got her in such great form,” said trainer Mark Walker. “Even if she runs third, that on the page would add significant value to her.

“She has pulled up well and has gone to the water treadmill for the rest of the week and then we will get her back and concentrate on having her as well as we can for the 11th of March.”