Adelaide visitor, Nearest To Pin, had a bit on the locals when he put paid to the opposition in the All Victorian Sprint Series Final, at Flemington, on Saturday.

The gelding was racing close to the pace all way, he was there close enough if good enough, he was right there at the clock tower where the business end of the race begins.

He has made the trip twice to Melbourne in recent weeks, he was not far away in either race, yet obviously didn’t appeal to punters who let him out at $13.

Vain Queen was undoubtedly the preferred favourite, and on form was entitled to be, she dealt punters a cruel blow when she ran unplaced at odds on.

She appeared to be handy early although Corsica Lad was making sure she was not going to get it easy, he kept along side of her for much of the trip.

Nearest To Pin is jointly trained by Leon McDonald and Andrew Gluyas, who made the trip over with the gelding.

Whilst he has never rated among our best sprinters he has proved a good money spinner, earning prize money in 16 of his 23 starts.

We have not seen the last of Nearest To Pin, he will show up again when a suitable race comes along for him over here.

Nearest To Pin wins at Flemington

No room for a Derby winner

Robbie Laing is not being rushed with offers from studs to stand his Derby winner, Polanski, as a sire.

No worthwhile stud has shown any interest, and not likely to, the simple facts are no one wants to stand a Derby winner.

More recent Derby winners, Blackfriars and Helenus, proved successful sires when located to Western Australia, each received opportunites that would never have happened in Victoria.

No one wanted Blevic either; he would have withered on the vine unless he was taken up by Peter and Brian Toole at Kambula Stud, in South Australia, where he proved a stud success.

Manfred, winner of the classic in 1925, was among the most successful sires to have won a Derby, in fact he won both the AJC and VRC Derbies.

At stud he sired the crack New Zealand performer Red Manfred, as well as Cardinal, The Trump, Manrico, Mildura and Manolive, plus numerous good producing mares, at Leslie Aldridge’s Kismet Park Sunbury.

New Zealand Bloodstock

New Zealand Bloodstock are conducting their Winter Mixed Bloodstock Sale on the 1^st of August with 129 lots to be offered.

Broodmares make up the bulk of the catalogue with a number of younger mares that not been covered.

Lot 105 yearling filly is an interesting lot; she is by Shocking from a daughter of Pins, from the same family that produced the Cox Plate winner Ocean Park.

Arrowfield’s Statistics Book

The Arrowfield Statistic Book arrived on my desk this morning, I was quite impressed, good stuff really, similar in some respects to what John Gains of Gainsway published when he stood 47 sires at his Kentucky Stud.

This is a great step forward, we can never have too much information in this industry, provided it is the facts, people get tired of glossy advertising, it is nothing more than wild speculation which means very little, it is results that count.

Brothers In For Big Pay Day

The Wood brothers, Ian, Paul and Graeme, are in for a big pay day if their noble steed, GottaTake Care, can prevail and win the Grand National Hurdle at Sportingbet Park (Sandown) on Sunday.

First prize for the 3900 metres of the race is $126,750, however, as the winner of the Melbourne Racing Club’s Jumps Racing Bonus series, the Galleywood, and the Australian Hurdle, the gelding qualifies for an additional $300,000 if he wins on Sunday.

Gotta Take Care has the steadier of 71 kgs, however, he has earned it, in his current form he is going to take a ton of beating.

Colts with Similar Form

Vuelta and Zebulon both have similar form going into Taj Rossi Series at Flemington tomorrow; each is a last start winner at headquarters.

Prior to their Flemington wins each had finished second at Werribee in races that were too short and each was disappointed for a run at a vital stage.

Tomorrow they meet on an equal playing field, Zebulon is drawn a little further out but that should not bother him unduly, each will get the 1600 metres as their Flemington wins were over 1400 metres and both were running on.

Zebulon was the more impressive last time out and is favoured to win, this looks to be an interesting race.

Lord of the Sky was elevated to a new level in winning the Sir John Monash Stakes at weight for age.

To the delight of those that supported him they could have thought Christmas had arrived when the colt drifted from $2.30 overnight to start at $2.70 in a field of nine runners, and he was the only last start winner in the field.

These early weight for age speed tests are got up for those with winning form and can get up and run, and that is the type of horse Lord Of The Sky is, brilliant over a short course.

Robbie Laing did his homework well, he knew this was the horse, and there are not many horses about that could threaten him at this time of the year.

Lord Of The Sky - A brilliant winner

When the starter gave the signal it was if Lord Of The Sky had been catapulted out of the gate, he had never had it so easy; he was simply coasting at the head of affairs.

Whats next on the agenda? The Bletchingly Stakes in two weeks over 1200 metres should not be any problem, and possibly the Memsie Stakes at 1400 metres, both at Caulfield, that could be enough for the present.

Lord Of The Sky is by Danerich, among the most consistent sires in the state, yet seldom receives the credits he is entitled to, this season he has had 123 starters for 62 winners, a winning percentage of 50.4.

Dwayne Dunn satisfied with the win

Adelaide visitor, Thiamandi, proved a class above the locals when she turned in an impressive performance in winning The Cove Hotel Handicap.

This is not the first time she has crossed the border to take out the spoils; she was a previous winner at Moonee Valley back in November.

Normally her racing pattern is to lead, this was one occasion when she was beaten for pace by Maroon Bay, and didn’t reach the lead until heads were turned for home.

Once she reached the lead that was the end of the penny section, she bolted away to win impressively by two lengths, ridden well by Adelaide rider, Joe Bowditch.

 Thiamandi winning at vCaulfield

Thiamandi is prepared by Lloyd Kennewell at Morphettville; the plan is to press on to the Lightning Stakes in Adelaide, over 1000 metres, on the 26^th of this month.

Kennewell is not ruling out another trip to Melbourne but most likely not until the 955 metres series commences with the night meetings staged at Moonee Valley.

The filly has proved a bargain; she was purchased for $9,000 as a yearling and has since returned over $220,000 in prize money for her owner.

She is Street Boss, a son of Street Cry, he won seven of his 10 of races on the U S west coast including the Group 1 Bing Crosby Handicap at the now defunct Del Mar course, setting a 1200 metres record of 1.08.67

.A deserving pat from Lloyd Kennewell

Royal Snitzel showed her rivals the way home after snatching a winning break on the home turn in the Ascend Sales Trophies Handicap at Caulfield.

She was right on the pace for the entire trip and began to get busy at the top of straight when the early leader, Berlutti, started to shorten stride.

The winner had the form on a rain affected track, she was a previous winner at Donald and the punters didn’t miss her, they got each way for their money.

There was quite a bit of form in the race with four last start winners engaged, however, it was left to Royal Snitzel to maintain her unbeaten record intact.

After what had looked an easy win at Werribee, Zeletto was sent out favourite, he looked as if he was going to win a couple of times in the straight but his run just petered out.

Mick Price was more than satisfied with the win of his filly Royal Snitzel, pointing out she had stargazed about a bit when she won at Donald, gaining great benefit from that win.

The result proved a quinella for the sire Snitzel, while Tan Tat Sun, a first starter also by him, was working into the race well over the concluding stages. 

Royal Snitzel gives them the slip