IN the latest Racing Victoria News Bulletin, feature the Melbourne Festival of Racing, Caulfield Guineas winner All Too Hard has been entered for the G1 CF Orr Stakes on Saturday.
There is also the daily update on Black Caviar and news of a Brad Rawiller suspension and the Troy Portelli appeal.
All Too Hard heads nominations
Caulfield Guineas winner All Too Hard heads an impressive list of 11 nominations for Saturday’s $400,000 Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m), the first leg of the G1 middle-distance championship.
The Team Hawkes-trained colt is set to make his first racetrack appearance since finishing a narrow runner-up behind Ocean Park in the $3 million Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) in October.
Should the half-brother to champion sprinter Black Caviar wish to add a second Group 1 to his resume, he may go head-to-head with the 10 x Group 1 winner (8 x NZ) King Mufhasa who is nominated to make his debut for new trainer Bruce Wallace.
Other stand out entries include Anthony Freedman’s Doomben Cup victor Mawingo, Railway Stakes winner Mr Moet, the unbeaten Callanish and Mike Moroney’s Wall Street who are all targeting the $1 million bonus available to any horse that can capture all three legs of the G1 middle-distance championship.
Veteran returns from the West
It will not be an easy assignment against boom three-year-old All Too Hard but Mike Moroney's veteran galloper Wall Street, will resume in the Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes Saturday at Caulfield, where a win would have him heading towards the $1 million Tab Bonus for winning the Middle Distance G1 Championship.
''With the trainer receiving 20 per cent of the bonus, I'd love to be there as a live chance after Saturday,'' Moroney said.
An Orr victory would put Wall Street in line for the G1 bonus, because Moroney said the plan with the son of Montjeu would be to proceed through the other two legs of the G1 bonus races, the Group 2 Carlton Draught Peter Young Stakes at Caulfield on February 23 and the Group 1 Darley Australian Cup at Flemington on March 9.
As a winner of four Group 1 races, Wall Street will be one of the better performed runners in the Orr Stakes and Moroney is hopeful that the eight-year-old can put a disappointing trip to Perth late last year behind him.
Playing the numbers
David Hayes will have one runner in each of the divisions of the Group 3 Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Preludes at Caulfield on Saturday, as the countdown continues to Victoria's premier two-year-old event on February 23.
In the colts and geldings Prelude, Hayes will start Fast 'N' Rocking which worked in good style at Flemington this morning.
''I was really pleased with his work this morning,'' Hayes said. ''He went very well and had the better of Bulbula who won the Merson Cooper Stakes on Sandown Classic day.''
Fast 'N' Rocking finished an unlucky fourth at his most recent run behind Dissident in the Blue Diamond Preview two weeks ago, when resuming.
Klishina up to city challenge
When David “Butch” Bourne brings a horse to town, especially a lightly raced one, punters tend to take notice.
This is why it is worth paying particular attention to Bourne’s three-year-old filly Klishina who makes her city debut in the $35,000 D’Urban Handicap (1200m) at Sportingbet Park Sandown on Wednesday.
By Victorian-based stallion Purrealist, Bourne said Klishina was unsuited to the tight track at Benalla last start however the rich Super VOBIS bonuses made the race worth aiming at for connections.
“We’re hunting down the Super VOBIS money on Wednesday ($10,000 worth of bonuses on top of the $35,000 prize money). She was bred for it and these races have really good prize money on offer.”
Rising stars heat caps Duffy treble
Apprentice jockey Jake Duffy capped one his most successful days in the saddle with a maiden heat win in this season’s National Patient Transport Rising Stars series at Benalla on Monday.
The win aboard The Donch in Heat 13 of the series was part of a treble for the young rider who also picked up the day’s opening two events for the all powerful Peter Moody stable.
The jockey, who has also ridden doubles at Ballarat and Hanging Rock in the past fortnight, admitted he had struggled to find form in the latter part of 2012 but said he was in the middle of a purple patch after taking some time to assess his riding.
“I probably just hit a little flat spot a couple of months ago and I’ve probably started to ride properly again and I think the results have shown,” Duffy said. “It’s just been a matter of trying to work out a few little things that you’re doing wrong or maybe you’re thinking about things a little bit too much.”
Today’s Black Caviar bulletin
The good news from the Peter Moody stable this morning was that Black Caviar was still the same colour - one of his stock answers to the relentless question of how the champion sprinter is.
However he was also able to add that Black Caviar had come through her day out at Caulfield on Saturday in great condition.
''She's good. Really enjoyed her trip away, did everything we wanted and hasn't missed a beat since,'' Moody said.
''We're still on track for the Lightning.''
Stewards Inquiry – Brad Rawiller
Racing Victoria (RV) stewards today concluded an inquiry that had been opened after the running of the Windmill AG SV 3Y0 Maiden Plate at Terang yesterday and subsequently adjourned when rider Brad Rawiller was injured in a barrier mishap in the following race.
Further evidence was taken from Linda Meech, rider of Military Officer, and Mr Rawiller, rider of Zimmerman, the winner of the Windmill AG SV 3YO Maiden Plate.
Mr Rawiller pleaded guilty to a charge of careless riding under the provisions of AR137(a) in that near the 200 metres he permitted his mount to shift out when not clear of Military Officer, thereby hampering that colt which was taken out off its rightful course into the running of Sudden Ascent which was also hampered when taken out off its course. The Unexpected and Just Shy which were following were also inconvenienced as a result of this incident.
Mr Rawiller had his licence to ride in races suspended effective immediately and expiring at midnight on 14 February 2013. In arriving at penalty Stewards deemed the incident to be in the mid-range and took into account Mr Rawiller’s guilty plea.
RAD Board Hearing - Troy Portelli
The Racing Appeals and Disciplinary Board will hear the charge laid by Racing Victoria (RV) Stewards under AR 175(q) against licensed trainer Troy Portelli at 11.15am on Monday, 11 February 2013.
The charge relates to an incident that took place following the running of Race 4 at Seymour on Thursday, 24 January 2013 in which the horse Bloodbuzz Ohio, trained by Mr Portelli, broke away from the control of the Clerks of Course.
Mr Portelli has been charged with using abusive and unseemly language on the racetrack and in the vicinity of the general public and using abusive and obscene language towards the two Clerks of Course.
RACING VICTORIA NEWS BULLETIN COMPILED BY SHEENA COFFEY.
