Trenchant has earned a break

Trenchant is the most impressive two year old colt we have seen during the winter, winning two races, both at Flemington

Saturday signalled he may have had enough for the present, and 1600 metres might be as far as he likes it.

Futura, a maiden, laid the gauntlet down to him in the straight, in defence of the favourite he showed a ton of courage and with strong riding from Craig Williams he scored by a nose.

“The plan is likely to be a freshen up,” and John O’Shea will make a decision from there later into the spring .

His sire, Medaglia D’oro, did win the Travers Stakes Group 1 at Saratoga over 2000 metres, horses with Derby aspirations in mind are just coming into work now.

Among the very few horses that raced through the winter and carried into the Spring was Phoibos, he was by Helios, he won the Caulfield Guineas and several weight for age races for Pat Quinlan, and ridden by Scobie Breasley.

Trenchant defeating Futura at Flemington

Premiership Too Close To Call

The jockey’s premiership is really warming up, with the decision likely to go down to the wire, with more interest centring on the jockeys rather than the horses, which is a rarity.

When racing commenced at Flemington on Saturday, Craig Williams was trailing Dwayne Dunn by 5 wins, the issue changed very quickly when Williams rode 5 winners and Dunn 1 win that has narrowed the margin down to 1 win in favour of Dunn, the battle is on again at Moonee Valley on Wednesday.

The last jockey to ride 5 winners in a day at Flemington was Greg Childs; he rode 5 winners from 5 rides in January, in 1992.

Apprentices Title is also close, Dylan Nunn is on 32 wins, with Michael Dee 29 wins, neither rode a winner at Flemington on Saturday.

Five winners for Craig

Winners Keep Rolling In For Weir

Sure you need good horses to win races but if you don’t have good management skills, the wheels would soon fall off the operation.

With 120 horses in work at Ballarat, soon another 100 when additions are completed to a stable extension at Warrnambool.

The training facilities at his disposal are second to none, horses that may be a bit jaded get the change of environment working among the sand dunes and a freshen up at the beach, works wonders.

Ballarat has excellent facilities, the best in Australia, the uphill straight track is a winner, it reduces a lot of wear and tear on a horse’s forelegs.

Weir has lot of skills when it comes to training, he makes a study of every horse, he knows every horse and their habits, and never short in complimenting his staff, he realizes they are the main stay to his vast operation.

Last Tuesday he had 77 horses trialling at Donald, roughly 100 kilometres from Ballarat, imagine the organising that would take, saddling them all up, not to mention the various types of gear certain horses have to wear, and he never misses a beat.

Darren Weir

Double For Von Costa De Hero

How unusual for a sire that won just the one race, sired a winning double at Flemington on Saturday.

Von Costa De Hero, he may have just missed that little edge that could have seen him being the best colt out in his season.

He won the Sires Produce Stakes Group 2 as a two year old, and ran Sebring to a nose in the Golden Slipper Stakes, and placed in both the Caulfield and Australian Guineas.

With just the one win from 19 starts, yet he paid his way earning $1,124,450, with a little bit of luck that could have been much more.

Lord Von Costa could easily assist his sire further as there is quite a lot to like about him; he has been placed twice at Flemington and placed twice at Randwick.

There was money about for him on Saturday and he should get to a mile as he was finishing on very strongly, a little extra distance should suit him.  

Lord Von Costa is trained at Flemington by Stephen Brown, he is putting a nice team of horses together since coming down from Darwin.

Stephen Brown trainer of Lord Von Costa