First QLD trainer to prepare 100 metro winners in a season Champion Brisbane trainer Tony Gollan bought up his ton in style last weekend with a winning treble. Gollan headed to Doomben with 98.5 metropolitan winners last Saturday and got to tripe figures in style courtesy of a treble with Howwonderfullifeis, The Actuary and Say Haya. Ontrack is a strong supporter of the Gollan stable and has his seventh consecutive metropolitan title in the bag. He sits fourth on the list of Brisbane premiership wins behind Bruce McLachlan (16), Fred Best (14), and George Anderson (10). The 101.5 metropolitan wins is a new record and eclipses the record of 90 wins Gollan set two seasons ago. Thanks to a winning treble at Ipswich on Wednesday, he has had 145.5 winners on all tracks this season putting him sixth on the Australian trainers’ premiership. Gollan is now 7 winners short of Ben Currie’s record of 152 winners on all Queensland tracks set in 2017-18 and he has a great chance of setting a new benchmark this season. He is averaging nearly three winners a week and has six weeks to the end of the season. The Actuary gave Gollan his 49th Listed race winner and his 62nd black-type win, which includes three Group Ones.
Riding on the Gollan wave is stable apprentice Baylee Nothdurft who brought up 100 winners for the season with his treble on stable winners at Ipswich on Wednesday. Last season Baylee Nothdurft rode 66 winners and his riding has improved this season to an extent that he’s been able to bridge that sometimes difficult gap between being a claiming apprentice to riding against senior riders without any claim. He’s leading the jockeys and apprentices premierships in Brisbane and looks odds-on to take both this season. Triple Crown winner off to a flyer for Coolmore The Triple Crown winner American Pharoah turns heads when paraded at Coolmore Stud and he’s now got more than good looks to rely on. American Pharoah shuttles between Kentucky and the Hunter Valley and he will stand his fourth season at Coolmore this spring at a fee of $55,000. While his first Australian offspring won’t race until the new season his Northern Hemisphere career couldn’t have got away to a better start. American Pharoah’s first crop now includes 19 stakes horses and seven stakes winners and he now has sired 40 individual winners and 30 placegetters. Sweet Melania is the best filly to date from American Pharoah’s first crop, and last weekend won a Group 3 race at Belmont to record three wins and four placings (including Group I Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last November) from seven starts. It’s been a big few days for American Pharoah with four stakes horses in four days, the most recent coming in Japan with undefeated colt Café Pharoah winning the Group III Unicorn Stakes (1600m) by five easy lengths and setting a new stakes record in the process.
American Pharoah’s Group One placed son Monarch Of Egypt finished a close second in the Group Three Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot earlier in the week and Turned Aside finish second in Saturday’s Sir Cat Stakes at Belmont Park. Café Pharoah is trained by Noriyuki Hori and ridden by Australian jockey Damian Lane and has won three from three. A half-brother to US Group winners Regal Glory and Night Prowler, Café Pharoah is one of seven stakes-winners for his sire and is from good producing Group II winner Mary’s Follies, a daughter of champion sire More than Ready. Australian breeders will find it interesting that American Pharoah has now had two runners from daughters of More than Ready with both being stakes-winners, the other being his Group II Breeders Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Four Wheel Drive. The Ontrack Hunter Valley Horse and Wine Tour offers participants the opportunity to see two Triple Crown winners as Justify also shuttles to Coolmore. “It’s probably going to be a once in a lifetime chance to see two Triple Crown winners standing side by side on an Australian stud,” said Ontrack’s Grant Morgan. “This will be the fourth Ontrack tour party to get a look at American Pharoah and every year the party members are taken by his athletic looks and striking physique. “Buyers at the Australian yearling sales have been taken with his progeny and Hunter Valley tour members get the chance in October to see for themselves why American Pharoah is making headlines around the world,” said Grant Morgan. OnTrack Hunter Valley Tour has new appeal for Drive marketBy Grant MorganIt might be back to the future for many Australians as the old fashioned 'Road Trip' is back on the menu in the wake of the corona virus. The Hunter Valley has long been a popular destination for Sydneysiders seeking a quick getaway. But expect those further afield to be flocking to the Hunter Valley as travel restrictions ease. The Hunter Valley is the scene for our annual OnTrack Horse & Wine Tour, held each October. We base ourselves in the heart of Wine Country at the cosy Mercure Hunter Valley Gardens, Pokolbin Valley. Staged over 4 nights, we take in guided private tours of the leading farms including Coolmore Stud, Arrowfield Stud, Darley, Newgate Farm, Yarraman Park and Vinery Stud. Our tour also features top food and wine. We dine at the newly established 'The Wood' restaurant at the brand new Brokenwood Wines Cellar Door. We also take the fabulous atmosphere of a Hunter Valley favourite, The Cellar Restaurant. Whilst we include plenty of free time for our guests to explore Pokolbin, there is so much to see in this fabulous region, 4 nights just wont cut it. I suggest extending our tour and creating your own itinerary to cap off a memorable trip. If you love your golf, I suggest your throw the clubs in the car too. Pokolbin boasts three fabulous courses in Cypress Lakes, The Vintage & The Hunter Valley Country Club. When you think you taken in all the wine and food you can handle in Pokolbin, how about a sea change in nearby Port Stephens ? Just over an hours drive from Pokolbin are the idylic coastal townships of Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay. I can think of nothing better than joining up a stay in Pokolbin, with some rest and respite in beautiful Port Stephens. An absolute road trip delight. Pokolbin Valley is located around 2 hours from Sydney. For those venturing from Melbourne its about 10 hours drive time, whilst Brisbane motorists need to set aside around 9 hours. Needless to say there are numerous townships along the highways to refuel and recharge, and explore parts of Australia that perhaps you've never seen before. We'll have a wine waiting for you when you arrive ! Talented sprinters back in work with Team Edmonds Ontrack’s talented sprinters Dream Master and Invincore are back for new campaigns. The consistent gallopers have both enjoyed good spells and are shaping up nicely in new preparations for Toby and Trent Edmonds on the Gold Coast. Dream Master is arguably one of the most consistent sprinters in South East Queensland and has now won 6 of his 28 starts. But his form since transferring from Chris Waller’s Sydney stable to the Gold Coast has been amazing. In 26 Queensland runs he’s won 6 times and been in the first four 15 times. His last preparation saw him win at Doomben and run seven placings. Dream Master’s last run was at Eagle Farm in February and he was sent to Trevor Bailey at Waverley Park for a spell before undertaking pre-training with Greg Bennett at Fenwick Farm, Canungra. He’s working nicely for Edmonds Racing and is now a week or two from a barrier trial which will give a guide as to when he’s ready to return to the races. Invincore was also sent to the paddock around the same time as Dream Master and he went for a spell after a bold run for third in a Saturday race at the Sunshine Coast. The son of I Am Invincible has had 7 starts for 3 wins and 1 placing and he returns to racing as a gelding. Invincore was also spelled at Waverley Park and pre-trained by Greg Bennett and he returned to the Edmonds stable this week and the aim will be to get a Saturday metro win this campaign. Rich Hill Stud shuttler shows promise for New Zealand Rich Hill Stud is always a winner on the Ontrack New Zealand Horse and Wine Tour and the stud looks to have struck gold with freshman stallion Vadamos (by Monsun). Owned and operated by John Thompson, Rich Hill has long been one of New Zealand’s leading nurseries and Pentire, sire of Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance, is one of many top horses to stand there. The stud is now home to shuttle sire Vadamos, who secured his first win as a sire when Sa Pala Umbrossa won on debut over 1200m at Chilivani, in Italy, on Monday. “Rich Hill is usually the first stud farm we visit on the New Zealand tour and it’s a beautiful property with fabulous established trees and gardens and a laid back environment,” said Ontrack’s Grant Morgan. “The farm probably sums up the Kiwi way of life and explains why they produce so many good horses capable of getting over ground over there. “John Thompson and Karl Mihaljevich are always wonderful hosts and our tour guests get a real feel for the natural environment that Kiwi breeders operate in when they visit Rich Hill. “It’s a pretty good stallion roster at Rich Hill with established horse Shocking being supported by some promising young horses in Vadamos, Proisir, Satono Aladin and Ace High. “All of our tour members have been highly impressed by the way Vadamos has transitioned from a racehorse following a short campaign in Melbourne in 2016 to a stallion, and it’s great that he’s off the mark with his first European crop,” said Grant Morgan. Vadamos had an illustrious career on the track, having won the Group One Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (1600m), and four other Black Type races from 1600 to 2400 metres.
The son of Monsun was finished fourth in the 2016 Gr 1 Cox Plate and the Gr 1 Emirates Stakes at Flemington. Vadamos’ first crop led the way at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale earlier this year with 31 of his yearlings selling for a total of $3.1 million in the Book 1 and 2 sessions, at an average of $101,550, crowning him as the leading first season sire by average. His top price at Karaka was the $330,000 paid by Paul and Michael Moroney for a colt out of the Pivotal mare Surooh from the Vilachi Downs draft. He will return to Rich Hill Stud this coming breeding season where he will stand for a fee of $15,000 Yes Yes Yes joins American Pharoah, Justify and Pride of Dubai Coolmore Stud is always a highlight on the Ontrack Hunter Valley Horse and Wine Tour and this year will be no exception. One of the world’s thoroughbred breeding powerhouses, Coolmore will offer a lineup of stallions in 2020 that are truly mouth-watering for breeding enthusiasts. The US Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify will be the headline acts but the stud is also home to Australia’s champion first season sire in Pride of Dubai and also features brilliant sprinter Yes Yes Yes in his first stud season. Yes Yes Yes joins his handsome father Rubick on the Coolmore roster. This seasons Everest winner, Yes Yes Yes (by Rubick) may prove a trailblazer for other three year-olds to chase the rich sprint contest held each October. Last weeks Group 1 JJ Atkins winner Rothfire is among the rising three-olds now being targeted at the 2020 Everest. Perhaps the most promising emerging sire in Australia is Pride of Dubai. A brilliant winner of the Group One Caulfield Guineas, Pride of Dubai has made a scorching start to his stud career with nine individual winners so far this season, including the Black Type winner Tanker and stakes placed Dubai Star. Last weekend he provided the quinella in the open juvenile event at Randwick when his colt Achiever raced away for an easy win over another Pride of Dubai colt in Street Dancer. Along with his exposed runners, Pride Of Dubai has some promising unraced two-year-olds waiting in the wings. One is the promising colt Long Weekend, a home-bred for Ontrack’s good friend Bert Vieira and family members. Long Weekend is trained by Gary Portelli, as were his stakes-winning siblings I’m All the Talk and Straturbo, and during a recent Warwick Farm trial was never off the bridle when racing clear to win his 740 metre heat on the synthetic track. Based on his soft 6.3 length trial win, Long Weekend shapes as another winner for Pride Of Dubai. Dubai Station to target Gr 1 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot Royal Ascot holds bittersweet memories for Brazen Beau but the time honoured carnival might provide the stallion with a fantastic result later this month. Brazen Beau’s last start in Ontrack’s all gold colours was in the Group One Diamond Jubilee when he was run down late after racing the entire 1200 metres on his own after drawing the outside gate. Brazen Beau is making his own headlines now that he’s at stud and next Friday his three year-old son Dubai Station has a shot at Royal Ascot redemption when he runs in the Group One Commonwealth Cup over the 1200 metre trip. Dubai Station became Brazen Beau’s first European-bred Group winner when he scored in the Group Three Pavillion Stakes at Newcastle. The Karl Burke-trained colt was a quick juvenile in 2019, winning over five furlongs at Haydock in June before running third in the G2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot later that month. A return trip to the Royal meeting next Friday looks likely for the six-furlong G1 Commonwealth Cup. Bred by Hall Of Fame Stud, Dubai Station is the first foal of the Iffraaj mare Princess Guest, who is a half-sister to Stakes-winning sprinter Imperial Guest. “He’s a very good horse, he shows us that on the gallops at home as he does a lot of his work with Lord Of The Lodge and probably has a better turn of foot than him,” said trainer Karl Burke.
“We knew we had a horse but he had a few niggles last year and we had to iron them out in the winter, just cleaning up a couple of joints, but he’s given us no problems since. “It’s great for the owner (Ahmad Alshaikh) because he nearly sold him but we persuaded him to keep him. “He showed plenty early last year and wouldn’t want the ground too soft, it was slow enough today so we’ll go to Ascot and hope for fast ground in the Commonwealth and he’ll go with a chance. “He might get seven furlongs but he’s got too much speed for a mile,” said Burke. Brazen Beau, who is standing his sixth season at Northwood Park in Victoria at a fee of $49,500, has now sired four Group winners worldwide. His three that were Victorian-bred have all won this season including G2 Sandown Guineas heroine Pretty Brazen and G2 Stan Fox winner Colada. He's sired 33 individual winners in Australia, including Ontrack’s promising filly Brazen Gem who has won three of six starts for trainer Bjorn Baker. She scored a hat-trick of wins before heading to Sydney mid-week company and running a brave sixth in spite of being in the worst going on a soft Kensington track. Plans for Brazen Gem are being finalised but she will either run in Sydney next week or head north for a run at Doomben where there are two suitable races over 1100 or 1200 metres. Last start winner returns to favourite track Ontrack’s high-class sprinter Tavisan returns to his favourite track at Moonee Valley on Saturday. The son of Tavistock is down to return to Moonee Valley in the 1200 metres Open Handicap and he heads to the races off a spectacular return to winning form at Caulfield. Tavisan scored his fifth win when defying the day’s racing pattern at Caulfield when he was the only leader to win on a day when a strong headwind proved the demise of most on pace horses. Tavisan has drawn perfectly in gate five and will again have the services of talented jockey Ben Melham at the Valley. Melham has ridden Tavisan in seven races for three wins and two placings. “Ben is our preferred rider in Victoria and he showed his skills when winning that last race at Caulfield,” said Ontrack Thoroughbreds Grant Morgan. “He made sure the horse enjoyed a couple of easy furlongs into that strong wind at Caulfield and then he allowed the horse to slide out to the middle of the track turning for home and found the lane where the horses were winning. “The return to Moonee Valley will also suit the horse as he’s run four times on the track for a win and two placings, all over tomorrow’s distance. “The 1200 metres trip is as far as he wants but around Moonee Valley is probably a lot easier than many other tracks and he always seems to give his best at the track and distance,” said Grant Morgan. Perhaps one of Tavisan's best career performances was when runner up in the Listed Mitchell McKenzie Stakes over the 1200m journey at Moonee Valley. The winner on that occasion was subsequent Group 1 winner and now stallion, Brutal. Trainers Mick Price and Michael Kent Junior are happy with the horse’s progress since his Caulfield win and they given him plenty of variety to keep him keen.
Mick Price said Tavisan jarred up a bit after the Caulfield win so the stable took measures to allow him to recover. “He went to the farm and had a week on the water walker following that win and then we’ve brought him back to Caulfield this week and he’s had a couple of nice gallops to ensure his fitness is up to the mark,” said Mick Price. “Just to mix things up we took him out to Sandown on Wednesday morning for a nice gallop on the course proper and he worked very well. “He’s a fit and happy horse and we think he gets his chance to win again,” said Mick Price. Always On Show will enjoy a break in the Queensland Winter Ontrack’s highly promising filly Always On Show is on a break after a fantastic first preparation. The good looking daughter of Showcasing will spell in South East Queensland over winter after running a luckless eight in the Listed Bill Carter Stakes at Doomben. It was her third run of the preparation and she was beaten by under two and a half lengths after getting no room in the straight. Earlier she began her career with a game second against older horses in a Newcastle maiden and she was also a close-up fourth in the Group 3 Ken Russell Memorial at the Gold Coast. “It was a terrific start to her career and not many horses go to the races off their first preparation and to run so well in Black Type races was a tremendous indication of her ability,” said Ontrack’s Grant Morgan.
“The plan is to send her to Waverley Park near the Gold Coast for a spell and she will enjoy a nice break with the sun on her back. “We have always anticipated that she would be best suited with time and that’s certainly what she has shown us this time in. “With the experience of her first race preparation with trainer Kris Lees and the natural improvement you can expect with extra time and maturity, there’s every reason to be bullish about her prospects at three.” Always On Show is a full-sister to talented New Zealand stayer Intrigue who was a Group 2 placegetter in the Group 2 Championship Stakes over 2000 metres as a three-year-old. She raced in Australia as Our Intrigue last winter and was a winner over 2200 metres at the Sunshine Coast before being unplaced in the Group One Queensland Oaks. Trainer Kris Lees said Always On Show heads to spell after an excellent preparation. “She was very good at Doomben and we know that she’s a filly that will get over ground in time. “It’s now time to give her a spell in the Queensland sun and I think we will have a very nice three-year-old filly next season,” said Kris Lees. Talented rider rewarded with Stradbroke ride It was great to see jockey Tegan Harrison doing what she does best at the Sunshine Coast last Friday night – riding winners. Tegan returned to the saddle after a terrible race fall at Doomben last October. She suffered multiple injuries fracturing five vertebrae, her sternum and ribs as well as suffering a concussion when her mount was one of several to fall. Tegan is one of Ontrack’s go-to jockeys in Queensland and in recent times, together with Michael Cahill, Ryan Maloney and Ronnie Stewart. Like all riders, they have had their share of injuries. Michael Cahill recently had an extended break after breaking a foot, Ryan Maloney also suffered significant injuries last year whilst Ronnie Stewart is preparing to return to racing after surgery on a back complaint. It never hurts to stop sometimes and remember the risks all jockeys take when they head out to ride our horses in trackwork, trials and race days. Tegan Harrison worked long and hard to recover from her injuries and it was great to see her rewarded with a win on her first night back. She’s a very good jockey and her love for the horse is unquestionable so Ontrack salutes Tegan and wishes her every success for the future. It would be great to see her rewarded for all the hard work when she takes the ride on Bam’s On Fire for Melbourne trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace in tomorrow’s Group One Stradbroke Handicap. Ben Melham brings the best out of talented speedster Ontrack’s smart sprinter Tavisan overcame a strong track bias to score a convincing sprint win at Caulfield. The son of Tavistock proved too slick for his rivals in the 1100 metres Le Pines Handicap, leading all the way on a day when on pace horses were disadvantaged by a strong headwind. Tavisan was the only leader to win on the nine race programme and his win came mainly as a result of an intelligent ride by Ben Melham. “The strong wind certainly stopped all the other leaders on the day but Ben used the horse conservatively in the early stages and then scouted out wide turning for home and found the part of the track where the other winners had come from,” said Ontrack Thoroughbreds’ Managing Director Grant Morgan. “Ben is our preferred rider in Victoria and he certainly vindicated our decision to reunite him with Tavisan. “His record on the horse is proof of how well he knows Tavisan - having ridden him seven times for three wins and two placings,” said Grant Morgan. Tavisan is prepared on the Caulfield track by Mick Price and Michael Kent Junior and the partners were bullish about the horse’s chances pre-race. “The biggest problem with this horse has been getting him fit,” Price said. “Fitness isn’t usually a problem with him but he’s a burly horse and he’s taken a while to get fit. I can’t do anything other than to use the races to get him fit. “He’s just a strongly built gelding and I think today you saw the benefit of a nice ride but we have some race fitness for the first time this preparation,” said Mick Price. Plans are to contest a 1200 metres race at Moonee Valley in a fortnight and Tavisan will get his chance over the winter in open handicaps. The horse races well at Moonee Valley with four starts there producing a win and two placings, one of them when he had Brutal fully extended to beat him by a neck in the Listed McKenzie Stakes at three. Bred in New Zealand, Tavisan was purchased out of the Hallmark Stud draft at the 2017 Karaka Premier Sale by Grant Morgan for $135,000. He has now won five times for earnings of $326,351. Congratulations to our owners: Ontrack Thoroughbreds No 1 Syndicate, Phoenix Thoroughbreds, Adrian Abrecht, Jim Lagos, Lewis Prince, Eric Newsome, David Worthley, Vin Harink, Mark Snowden, Mark Ostermeyer, Neil Evison, Mark Horn, Lisa Saxton, Bebe Mawer. |
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