China is likely to become a dominant player in the thoroughbred racing industry within a decade.

Plans are in place for the first race meeting to be held this year on the 20th of September, with the running of the $US 1 million Tianjin National Cup.

An auction, initially of 80 horses, is planned with the horses being prepared in Australia and transported out to Tianjin, the fourth most populated city in China with 14.5 million residents.

Former C E O of the Melbourne Racing Club, Warren Brown, has been appointed as Chief Development Officer.  

Punters seemed to take a set against the majority of runners in the Second Heat of the Winter Championship, with only a minimal amount of business done on the race.

The winner, Streets Away, wound up starting favourite at $ 7, which was his opening quote.

He just got there in the nick of time after another top ride from Jamie Mott; he timed his run to the letter.

Trainer, Darren Weir, was proved wrong, he thought the gelding might have needed another run, but didn’t mind being wrong.

Streets Away will now go into the final of the Championship, should a wet track arise those conditions will not bother him.

Any chance that Hollowlea may have had were dashed after he blew the start, he ran on fairly to finish fifth.

The run of the race was turned in by Hawks Bay; he was running on well from mid-field to finish third.

He is on track for another trip to Darwin for the Cup, he has won it twice, he would create history in the top end if he can win it again.

Loot ‘N’ Run made the early running with Le Remas, having to come over from a wide barrier position, he still looked a chance in the straight, but failed to run on, he may go on now to the Golden Topaz at Swan Hill.

Streets Away just gets there

Vain Queen has earned a break now after her impressive win in the Trevor Clarke Handicap.

She has done it all on just one preparation and goes to the paddock with the perfect score of winning three from three.

Betting suggested it was a one horse race, she opened favourite and continued to shorten right up to post time.

The win would have provided a good tonic for trainer John Sadler, he was laid up at home with the flu, the filly was saddled up by James King.

Vain Queen always looked to have control of the race; she jumped well from the gate and appeared to have the situation in hand, as she travelled up the centre of the course.

Once her rider, Tom Sadler, popped the question she answered immediately, there was no hesitation; she breezed away to a comfortable win.

She looks sure to win a Black Type race, it is just a matter of when, she had a bit on those in the Trevor Clark Handicap.

Vain Queen is by Artie Schiller, he sired another double yesterday with Daytona Grey, winning at Morphettville.

Outside of the winner, La Tikka Rosa ran a huge race; she never appeared on the scene until the race was almost over.

Recent winner, Formidable, showed up for a while, but didn’t run on as well as she had previously at Flemington, where she won on Anzac Day.

Vain Queen - Winning as she liked

The benefit of a prior run may have been the deciding factor in the result of the Victorian Carbine Club Plate at Flemington.

With the aid of experience, after finishing third at Sandown, Menage A Charge led her rivals a merry dance, leading from barrier to box.

Whilst she was shortening stride when the post was reached, she just fell in, to the delight of those that backed her into favourite.

The filly has not been short of a few problems, mainly barrier manners, having been cured with the innovation of the barrier blanket and patience.

She was a cheap filly out of the Magic Millions Sales at $27,000, and a good return now having earned $51,000 in stakes to date.

The win continued the consistent run of the success of the training partnership of Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra, in particular with fillies.

Calcatta, a recent winner in Adelaide, out of the Robert Smerdon yard, finished gamely, she should not be long from winning here.

Miss Steele caught the eye in the paddock, an attractive grey filly, there was quite some support there, she opened up second favourite.

She may have finished closer had she received a clear passage in the straight; she is not far off winning a race.

Menage A Charge winning to the delight of her supporters

Sam Kavanagh, (son of Mark), is a man on a mission, and if determination means anything, he is already half way there.

On Saturday last he trained his first winner in Melbourne, and it could be his last for a while, as he is off to Sydney to set up a training base at Rosehill.

After just 14 months in Adelaide, he trained his first winner at Morphettville when Meshmaker defeated a handy field.

At Rosehill he will be locking horns in pretty strong company with Chris Waller, Gerald Ryan and Tim Martin.

He produced a better that average horse at Caulfield in the imported gelding, Midsummer Sun, he careered away for the easiest of wins after having won in Adelaide

Midsummer Sun winning easily.

The gelding is much better than those met at “The Heath”, after travelling mid field for much of the race, Glen Boss had him well positioned when they came to the final bend.

It was then just a matter of how far after that, he soon gave the opposition a short back and sides.

Sam Kavanagh was pretty pleased with the win of Midsummer Sun, there will be some homework to do, whether he pushes off to Brisbane for the Cup, or is spelled and come up for the Melbourne spring .

Sam Kavanagh