A flying visit to Sydney paid dividends for Greg Eurell when Hosting won the TAB. COM.AU Handicap at Rosehill.

The gelding only arrived in Sydney at 4 am Friday, 32 hours later he wins and another 29 hours he is back on the float heading for his stable at Cranbourne.

Hosting, by Host, had the form to win as he had scored first up at Sandown and there was strong support at Rosehill where he started a pronounced favourite.

He is in the Epsom, but it would be doubtful if he gets a run, as he is well down in the weights, the race is in three weeks, he will hardly get a chance to improve his ratings.

Hosting provided his sire Host with a second winner for the week, when Tuff Host led all the way at Mornington.

About this time last year, at the very same racetrack, Mornington, two unraced three year old colts, Hosting and Philippi, won at their first start, both were by Host, and what an impression they created.

The phones began ringing as if there was no tomorrow, breeders wanted to book their mares to the South American import.

Twelve months down the track it was not quite a repeat of last year but still a positive result for Swettneham, when Tuff Host led all the way to win the opening race, a Maiden Handicap.

There is quite a local flavour about the win as the gelding was bred, raced and trained, on the Mornington Peninsula.

Tuff Host was bred by Tony and Julie Biddle, they race the gelding under the name of Coronation Investments, he is in the stable of former champion jumps jockey, Brett Scott.

The gelding began well, with jockey, Luke Currie, allowing him to bowl along in the lead, when seriously challenged on the home turn he was expected to give up, except he kept on going to the delight of those that supported him.

Tuff Host is by Host, out of Coronationprincess, by Strategic, with four Golden Slipper Stakes winners appearing in her pedigree to the fourth remove.

Tony and Julie have put together a nicely bred group of stud matrons; they have studied their bloodlines carefully, as you become aware of the breeding characteristics of your mares, an advantage when it comes time to mate them.

Tuff Host an all the way winner

Sydney trained colt, Charlie Boy, earned Group status on Saturday at Flemington when he scored an emphatic win in the Danehill Stakes.

He did have a busy autumn schedule contesting all the major two year old races in Sydney, whilst he didn’t win the races he was set for, he never disgraced himself.

With the benefit of a break since his last start in the Champagne Stakes, at the end of the Sydney Carnival in April, he has returned to racing with a vengeance.

His first up win in the Danehill Stakes was a sign he will be a serious spring contender on what he has shown to date.

He came from last, at one stage he even had half the field in front of him with 200 metres to run, yet won by three quarters of a length going away.

That was a great Guineas trial; the straight six is equal to 1600 metres around a turn at any time.

An $80,000 purchase at the Magic Millions Sales he is a colt that obviously required just a little bit of time, he did enough in his first preparation to suggest improvement would be there this time around.

No rider has been engaged for the Guineas at this stage, Michael Rodd would like to stick with the colt, he was impressed with the win believing there is still improvement in the horse, however, no decisions can made at present as he has a strong allegiance to the highly successful Mark Kavanagh stable.

The filly Gregers coming off two recent wins at Moonee Valley was sent out favourite at $4.80, she finished fifth but looked all at sea down the straight track.

Charlie Boy - A Group winner for Vinery

Long John will firm sharply for the Caulfield Guineas after his win in the Henry Bucks Best Dressed Stakes at Flemington.

The lightly raced gelding is coming good at the right time, as his performance at headquarters indicated, and there is further improvement to come.

His spring mission is the Guineas and he is right on track to play a dominant role, with the additional two hundred metres not likely to bother him unduly.

Long John reached the lead near the clock tower, powering home to win by two and a half lengths, his stable mate, San Diego, was seen to be running on in third place.

He could be the likely improver having his first run this time in since March, he was running on well and shaping up as a possible staying type.

The Snowden yard generally has a strong armament at this time of the year to target the major races, with Long John and San Diego among the principle players.

Long John looks the pick of the two, he was quite explosive when Steven Arnold let him down, plus he is a genuine Flemington horse.

The big disappointment in the race was the favourite Cauthen, he came over quickly from the outside gate to sit second for much of the journey behind the leader I Am Titanium.

After starting favourite he gave nothing in the straight, he only beat two horses home in what was a dismal performance, he pulled up well with no excuses offered for the poor run.

Long John - An impressive winner 

Melbourne Cup favourite, Puissance De Lune, lost no admirers after his narrow defeat at the hands of the Sydneysider Foreteller, in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington yesterday.

No excuses for the defeat were offered, nor should there have been, he was ridden exactly as he was when winning the Peter Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield.

The horse looked a picture of fitness when he entered the paddock, his condition couldn’t be faltered, a credit to his trainer Darren Weir.

Glen Boss had him two horses off the fence at the 800 metres marker; he was working into the race nicely as the field reached the top of the straight.

He didn’t ping immediately, he appeared to labour for a few strides, once he regained full momentum again he looked to have the race at his mercy.

Except Boss was not aware that Foreteller, who had trailed him for most of the race, was now casting a prominent shadow, with Craig Newitt riding for dear life and the margin was closing rapidly.

Foreteller defeating Puissance De Lune

Newitt rode a great race; he obviously had a game plan and carried it out to the letter, the winning margin a half head.

Foreteller, a winner of 10 races from 33 starts, increased his stakes earnings to excess of $1.26 million resulting from the win.

It was a red letter day for gelding’s trainer Chris Waller, winning a weight for age two state double as Hawkspur won the Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick.

The win was a huge thrill for Justine Hailes, the capable Flemington stable manager for Chris Waller.

Foreteller arrived from Sydney on Wednesday with the report that he was flying, obviously that was ignored as he did not move from his opening quote of $15.

Moudre turned in a great run to finish third, he came from 12^th on the home turn and will be greatly improved by the run, he was first up since November, while the run of Ethiopia will do him no harm either, his first appearance since the Doncaster Handicap in the autumn.

It is hard to get any line on Sea Moon after he stumbled out of the starting gate, he merely followed the field.

Foreteller returning to scale