INGLIS VOBIS GOLD YEARLING SALE

April 19 & 20 Commencing at Noon & 11am
325 Lots with a of supplementary of 37 Lots.

INGLIS BROOD MARE & WEANLING SALE

May 3--- 4---5 --- 6 (Newmarket) Commencing 10.30am
388 Lots Weanlings 204 Lots Broodmares

INGLIS CLASSIC YEARLING SALE

May 8 Commencing 11am (Newmarket 94 Lots

NEW ZEALAND BLOODSTOCK

National Sale Karaka
May 11--- 12 --- 13 commencing 11am each day.
349 Lots weanlings, 24 Lots two year olds, 5 Lots unraced.
181 brood mares 2 stallion shares.

INGLIS SCONE YEARLING SALE

Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association
May 17 White Park Scone Commencing 10.30 am
209 Lots on offer from leading studs

MAGIC MILLIONS SALES

Gold Coast Commencing 10 am each day
May 24—25—430 Weanlings
May 27—28—29 –31 --848 Mares
June 2 – 3--- 4 ---632 Yearlings
June -5 Racehorses to be Confirmed

Bel Show, described by his trainer, Henry Dwyer, as mentally immature, has learnt a lot since finishing eighth in his recent start at Bendigo and powering home at Flemington to win in runaway fashion.

He was friendless in the market place; obviously he has caught a lot by surprise, including his connections who were not complaining.

It will now be back to the drawing board for Henry Dwyer, the gelding is lightly raced having just the six starts for three wins, Saturday was his first city win

Bel Show defeating We've Got This

He looks the dead set sprinter, he came from a long way back in the field, and certainly has a sprinters pedigree being by Bel Esprit from Vegas Show by Keltrice.

Another winner for Bel Esprit, he is getting plenty of winners but not the recognition that he so richly deserves.

There are plenty of imports about that are not within a bull’s roar of him, the second highest progeny earning sire ever to stand in Victoria, yet hardly rates a mention.

Sold for $9,000, something wrong with his hock, it didn’t stop him from winning a Blue Diamond Stakes or a Doomben Ten Thousand, sired the best sprinter in the world in Black Cavair.

Henry Dwyer with Michelle  Payne

Decision time, whether it will be the St Leger, at Flemington, or the South Australian Derby, at Morphettville, that is the call Nigel Blakiston has to make concerning Flemington winner Manapine.

On pedigree alone he could not have won either race, however, that has all changed with his dogged performance in winning over 2500 metres at Flemington.

This is one time when pedigree had no influence over the result, nothing more than sheer ability and the will to win.

Whichever race is chosen for Manapine you can forget all about pedigree, and the distance will not be a problem after Saturday.

His trainer, Nigel Blakiston, is a master with stayers, he treats them as a challenge, he has that knack of getting the best out of a horse with staying potential.

Sprinters often come to hand quickly, the stayer is a different proposition, it’s all about time and patience, and sometimes plenty of it to get the end result.

After arriving from England, where he had previous experience Blakiston joined the master, Bart Cummings, where he looked after the dual Cups winner, Let’s Elope .

He prepared the useful stayer, Let’s Make Adeal, a grandson of Let’s Elope, for Dennis Marks who raced the great mare

Manapine defeating Oncidium Ruler

Tom Hughes is no stranger to the rocky road of racing that so many have travelled with sheer perseverance, plus the continued support of his staunch owner, Alan Whittenbury, he was on cloud nine at Flemington Saturday after the win of Black Vanquish.

It was smiles all around, almost a family affair with Whittenbuty who raced several horses, over many years, trained by Tom Hughes senior.

There was strong overnight support for Black Vanquish that saw him start a pronounced favourite, in preference to My Poppette, a previous winner.

The winner was bred by his owner, who retains a couple of mares, preferring to race the progeny rather than sell them.

Black Vanquish wins in a breeze

Black Vanquish’s only previous start was unplaced in the Blue Diamond Prelude, a race in which his dam, Ponton Flyer, won in 2000, and finished second in the Blue Diamond, going on then to win the Group 2 Kewney Stakes as a three year old.

The stable has just a small team of about half a dozen in work at present, there are advantages to a small team, all the horses receive the personal supervision of the trainer.

Black Vanquish has had a freshen up since his only previous run, he stripped a fit horse and never looked like being beaten in the run.

Needless to say Tom Hughes has got a wrap on the jet black colt, describing him as a lovely horse with a definite future.

The best of mates, Alan and Tom

Jockey Claims Riding Fee

Nickolas Hall has approached Racing NSW Stewards lodging a claim for a winning or losing riding fee for To The World (Jpn), claiming he held a firm engagement to ride the horse in the $4 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes next Saturday.

Stewards will make a ruling on Hall’s claim after interviewing the connections of To The World.

Owner Confident

Rupert Legh, part owner of Chautauqua, left Flemington racecourse on Super Saturday with a zip in his step, claiming the gelding would win the T J Smith Stakes.

However, it would have looked a bit too close for comfort; Lord Of The Sky seemed to have the race in his keeping, until the very last stride, a case of so close but so far away.

Randwick turned out to be a case of horses for courses, those that could handle it and those that couldn’t.

They Raced At Bourke

Bourke was the country racing venue out in Western New South Wales on Sunday, racing in opposition to Royal Randwick.

While it is fashionable for the ladies to dress up in their finery, high heels are not recommended, most get bogged in the sand.

The outback, an experience you never forget, no one complains out there it’s all a fun day, a reason to have a good time.

While the race fields were a bit light on, and so were the pockets when the odds on favourite, Gobo, bit the dust in a field of three.

The meeting consisted of 38 starters spread over six races, Tim Phillips and Ricky Blewitt each rode doubles.

Dual Derbies

Mongolian Khan equalled the feat of Bonecrusher in winning the New Zealand Derby, and the Australian Derby; he will follow the same path as Phar Lap into the Melbourne Cup.

Dual Derby winners were quite common when the Sydney Derby and the Melbourne Derby were decided three weeks apart

The Victoria Racing Club retained its original date, the Australian Jockey Club transferred to the autumn during the change of dates, the AJC version was not run in 1978.

Manfred set the scene for what became quite common, but not before he almost threw the AJC Derby away refusing to move until the field had covered almost 100 metres.

The decade to follow saw no fewer than five colts win both Derbies, Hall Mark, Theo, Talking, Nuffield and Reading, geldings were barred after Johnnie Jason won in 1931.

Both Silver Sharp and Royal Sovereign each won three Derbies, Flemington, Randwick and Eagle Farm, in that order.