The Melbourne Racing Club and Swettenham Stud have again joined forces to present the Swettenham Stud Summer Championship for the second year.

Last year series proved highly successful at a time when racing can be a little flat, between the spring and the autumn.

Commencing on Boxing Day the series, comprising of 10 heats, will culminate on February the second, with the final of $100,000, plus free service to the highly regarded sire, Master of Design, the only son of Redoute’s Choice to win at weight for age.

The lofty prize comes in addition to the substantial prize money offered throughout the series, with 10 of the 11 races incorporating at least $80,000 in prize money, with three of the races offering $100,000 or more.

Races in the series range in distances of 1300 metres to 1600 metres, from 0-78 rating to Listed level.

The winner of the Summer Championship will be determined by the horse that accumulates the most points throughout the series.

The inaugural Swettenham Stud Summer Championship was won by Over Quota, his connections were rewarded with a free service, of a mare of their choice, to the brilliant imported sprinter Equiano, whose oldest progeny are foals .  

After a hearing, lasting five and a half weeks, Mr. Justice Robertson, in the Federal Court, dismissed the challenge of those in favour of artificial insemination being introduced into Thoroughbred Breeding Industry.

Finally common sense has prevailed and the status quo will be maintained, this could have had serious ramifications had the decision been upheld.

Breeders can now breathe a sigh of relief, the decision means so much to the entire industry, our Australian bred horses will continue to be accepted right throughout the world.

Whilst some changes may be necessary eventually, artificial insemination was not one of them.

Vibrant Rouge looks as if she will get further than the 1200metres of the Big Picture Group Handicap, after coming from last to win impressively.

That was her second city win having won at Moonee Valley last month, and while she can maintain that form she can win again in this preparation, she has the score on the board with three wins from four outings.

The lightly raced four year old mare, trained at Geelong, showed great acceleration, she picked the leaders up with ease, it was just a matter of her retaining her present form to win again over the holiday period.

The win was a well earned result for the father and son combination of trainer, Glenn Thornton and rider Damian, a talented apprentice with a big future in racing.

Vibrant Rouge is by Written Tycoon, a consistent sire of winners, with his oldest progeny four year olds, he formerly stood at Eliza Park but has since been moved to Queensland after the Eliza Group acquired Newgate Farm.

The move was made to bolster the stallion strength on the new venture in Queensland for one season, but whether the handsome sire will return back to Victoria is yet to be decided.

Vibrant Rouge winning under Damian Thornton 

Werribee’s woes continue with the appalling response with entries received for their Cup meeting yesterday.

It is obvious the Cup fixture has yet to find its right niche since the quarantine station was relocated from Sandown to Werribee; this was the savour for the course, but at what expense?

Previously Werribee had been too hot to handle, claims that there was no money available to reconstruct the course, but the tooth fairy was located when the quarantine centre had to be moved.

The race club has suffered since they lost their prime date to Bendigo, no spring racing at Werribee any longer, the Cup meeting was put back to March, now it has gone to December, and what a disaster!

Final entries were very disappointing, a total of 82 horses narrowed down to 64 runners after scratchings, with average starters per race 7.1, and only three races on a nine race program with each way betting.

That is no way to attract people to go racing, it acts in reverse, they stay away, and that can become habit forming.

Mabsam was on her best behaviour at Flemington, whilst slow to begin again, she turned a negative into a positive, winning the Aktrapid Nursing Agency Handicap over 1620 metres, which allowed for the placement of the inside rail.

She has often proved her own worst enemy by being slow to begin on occasions, running a sequence of seconds, that could have easily been wins, she has finished second six times from 13 starts, that has proved frustrating.

It looked as if she may be up to her old tricks again on Saturday, this time Chad Schofield didn’t bustle her, he allowed the mare to find her rhythm before applying any pressure, and it worked.

Secret Liaison was looking for her third win, in as many starts, when she raced clear in the final 200 metres, looking all over a winner until Mabsam and Chad Schofield appeared on the scene.

The win was a first for Chad Schofield at Flemington, he has ridden winners at all the other city tracks but until Saturday headquarters has escaped him.

Trainer, David Hayes, will be looking for a Black Type race in the autumn for Mabsam, one that would suit the mare and escalate her paddock value as a breeding proposition.

Mabsam about to claim Secret Liaison