RACING Victoria has confirmed the return to racing at Yarra Valley on Saturday after an absence of more than two years.
In the daily news bulletin there are also reports that trainer Danny O'Brien has been cleared in the tests results from swabs taken on Saturday night of his Flemington runners and there is an update from Peter Moody on plans for Black Caviar.
Yarra Valley back on track
Racing Victoria has today confirmed racing will resume at Yarra Valley after a 26 month hiatus on Sunday, 17 February following the successful conduct of official trials at the track today.
Racing Victoria (RV) stewards and the Victorian Jockeys Association (VJA) have given the racing surface their tick of approval after more than 60 horses competed in 12 trials.
The official trials were the culmination of an expansive return to racing program for the track and jockeys attending this morning’s trials, including Craig Williams, Dwayne Dunn and Katelyn Mallyon, offered positive reports.
Test results no concern
Blood samples taken from runners Kutchinsky and The New Boy prior to their respective races at Flemington on Saturday, and again at the stable of trainer Danny O’Brien after racing, have been analysed for TC02 levels.
The test results raised no concern for Racing Victoria (RV) stewards and the matter is now closed.
RV appreciates Danny O’Brien’s cooperation in this matter and a review of testing procedures on the day will be undertaken.
Black Caviar bulletin
Peter Moody has elected to keep all options open for his unbeaten mare Black Caviar, by electing to put in a nomination for the 2013 Newmarket Handicap, a race she won in 2011 carrying 58kg.
The trainer also had some tongue in cheek advice for Neil Jennings who has the job of handicapping Australia's premier sprint race.
''In the world rankings (announced last week) she went down from her rating the year before so she'd have to drop in weight for the Newmarket this year wouldn't she?'' Moody said.
Moody’s new Queen
She might not be in the same league as her illustrious stablemate Black Caviar but Peter Moody is hopeful that Karuta Queen, a new addition to his stable can measure up to Group 1 company in the $400,000 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield on the 23rd of February.
''She's a nice filly and has settled in really well since she got here,'' Moody said. ''She did plenty of work on the water walker before getting here and is ready for her first gallop in the morning.''
A brilliant two-year-old, Karuta Queen won her four starts including the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic, before running down the track in the 2011 Golden Slipper won by Sepoy.
While she is a newcomer to the Moody yard, Karuta Queen is certainly no stranger to the Melbourne racing scene having had four starts in Victoria for her former trainer Neville Layt.
Sama ready for Festival
A brief Spring cameo was disappointing but a good spring spell may prove to be the tonic that will see 2012 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Samaready return to her best form, over the 2013 Melbourne Festival of Racing.
Apart from her Diamond win, Samaready also finished a game third as favourite in the Golden Slipper behind Pierro and Snitzerland, that being her only unplaced start as a two-year-old.
As a result she was rated the equal third best two-year-old in Australasia last season with a rating of 112, finishing behind only Pierro on 118 and All Too Hard on 113.
However she was sent to the paddock after just one spring outing, when finishing a well beaten fourth in the listed Quezette Stakes at Caulfield last August.
Diamond favourites head entries
Miracles Of Life and Diamond Glow, two fillies right at the pointy end of the TAB’s early Blue Diamond Market, head an impressive list of 12 nominations for the $120,000 Listed Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Fillies Preview (1000m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Unbeaten in two starts in Adelaide, including an impressive nine-length last start win at Morphettville, the Daniel Clarken-trained Miracles Of Life is the current $7 Blue Diamond favourite despite the fact she hasn’t even been nominated for the $1 million two-year-old feature.
Gold Carat winner Diamond Glow, who is at $21 for the Blue Diamond despite also not being nominated, is one of three Peter Moody-trained entries for Saturday including impressive Ballarat winner Mystical Miss and interesting Northern Meteor first starter Bells A Ringing.
Other key nominations include the David Hayes duo of Merson Cooper Stakes victor Bulbula and Mount Zero, as well as an interesting pair of first starters from the astute Mick Price stable who took out last year’s race with debutant Malasun.
Pinwheel heads Valley noms
Evergreen sprinter Pinwheel headlines a list of nine nominations for the $220,000 Group 2 Essendon Mazda Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
Trainer Peter Snowden said the two-time Group 2 Warwick Stakes (1400m) champion who boasts twelve career wins and more than $1 million in prize money could possibly stay in Melbourne for races like the Group 1 Orr and Futurity Stakes depending on how he fared on Friday.
“He’s got plenty of options but whether he stays in Melbourne for races like the Orr and Futurity will all depend on Friday,” Snowden said.
Should the now seven-year-old son of Lonhro wish to add Friday’s Australia Stakes to his impressive resume, he may have to contend with the likes of Anthony Freedman’s First Command, the Mark Kavanagh-trained Christmas Stakes winner Undeniably, as well as Brendan McCarthy’s Zedi Knight who finished runner-up behind Black Caviar in last year’s edition.
RACING VICTORIA NEWS BULLETIN COMPILED BY SHEENA COFFEY.