CARONDELET FARM

By AAP

(SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA) – Trainer Chris Waller will wait until later in the week to decide whether Alexander Of Hales travels from Sydney to Queensland for the Caloundra Cup.

Alexander Of Hales has also been entered for Saturday’s Winter Cup on his home track at Rosehill.

Both races are over 2400 metres but rain in Sydney over the past week means Rosehill is still likely to be soft.

There were 19 entries for the Caloundra Cup including Phaze Action, winner of the Andrew Ramsden (3200m) at Flemington last month.

Phaze Action is trained in partnership by Bevan Laming and his son Richard who operate stables on the Gold Coast and at Cranbourne in Victoria.

The Queensland Cup on Saturday week is also on the agenda for Phaze Action.

The feature sprint at Saturday’s Sunshine Coast meeting has been renamed the Bruce McLachlan Memorial Glasshouse Handicap (1400m) after the champion trainer who died earlier this month.

There were 31 entries for the Glasshouse including In Rehearsal from the McLachlan stable, now run by Bruce’s son Jason.

Grand campaigner Mitanni, who staved off retirement with his win in the Eye Liner Stakes at the Ipswich meeting, was also among the Glasshouse entries along with Mr Baritone, winner of the 2008 Stradbroke Handicap and fourth this year.

The Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) has attracted 29 entries including Apparitions and Dorf Command from the Clarry Conners stable.

Dorf Command won the Listed Gai Waterhouse (1450m) at Ipswich on June 13, the same day Apparitions booked her trip north with victory at Rosehill.

Dorf Command raced in Saturday’s Group One Winter Stakes finishing 14th, 4-1/4 lengths from the winner Russeting.

By Racing & Sports

(SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA) – Set Alight, a French Group winner imported to Australia as a stallion prospect who was waylaid in the midst of the Equine Influenza outbread, displayed an extraordinary turn of foot in shattering the track record at Grafton on Tuesday (February 10).

Now under the care of Gordon Yorke at Coffs Harbour, the well-bred son of Hennessy scored an easy win in the the Robbor Pty Ltd Open Hcp with Scott Thurlow in the saddle in a scintillating time of 1:22.15 for 1409m to set a new track record. 

What makes his effort even more impressive was the fact he shaved a full quarter of a second off the 1400m record while covering nine additional metres.

After breaking from the outside barrier, Thurlow found himself hung out extremely wide left with his only decision to either take the horse back or press on.  Fortunately for the connections of Set Alight, the veteran hoop asked his mount to accelerate and was able to secure a good position in third – some 5 lengths off dueling leaders.

Set Alight cruised himself up to the leaders and when asked by Thurlow, the six-year-old entire quicken away from the field for an easy win and a new track record.

Making his resurrection even more interesting is that Set Alight currently has six live foals on the ground after finding himself marooned on a Queensland farm with movement of mares halted during the EI crisis.

“We’re trying to get him back to Group status and now the Group 3 Healey Stakes Brisbane during the winter carnival is the target.” comment Yorke who now has two wins under his care (the first at 1200m at Coffs Harbour on January 11).

The no-nonsense conditioner comment, “It is starting to get exciting with this horse.”

By Australian Associated Press

(SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA) – Set Alight, a French Group winner imported to Australia as a stallion prospect, continues his racetrack rejuvenation at Grafton on Tuesday.

The six-year-old, now under the care of Gordon Yorke at Coffs Harbour, tackles the Robbor Pty Ltd Open Hcp (1409m) with Scott Thurlow in the saddle.

Set Alight managed to serve just nine mares in Australia before the crippling equine influenza outbreak put paid to his immediate prospects in the breeding barn.

The owners decided to put him back into work with Marianne Thexton on the Gold Coast but he failed to fire in two runs and the decision was made to send him to Yorke.

“He went dismally, had some problems and Marianne and the owners asked me if I would take him on,” Yorke said.

“They knew of my work with stallions. I’ve got the trick with them – laser treatment.

“The laser is magic to patch up injured horses. Lasers are the key, not drugs.

“That’s my forte.

“We’re trying to get him back to Group status and all going well, I’m trying to have him ready for the Healey Stakes Brisbane during the winter carnival.

“It’s been a matter of getting him right again, getting his confidence back.

“He’s starting to come into form.

“All going well he can get back to the breeding barn. He’s well bred and there is a place for him.”

Yorke’s methods reaped success at Set Alight’s second start from his new stable when he won over 1200m at Coffs Harbour on January 11.

Set Alight was a last start fourth, beaten 1.7 lengths, behind She Belongs To Us over 1200m at Port Macquarie on January 29.

“He walked out of the barriers and stormed home under 58 kilos,” Yorke said.

“His work’s been good since.

“Provided the track isn’t too hard he’s a good chance at Grafton.”

Yorke will also saddle up Tintaldra (race four), De Coubertin (race five), Prince Cashe (race seven)and Makiling (race nine).

By Barretts Sales Company

(LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA) – Breed to MUD ROUTE (2009 Stud Fee: $2,500) for a $100 tax-deductible contribution to CARMA.

The buyers and sellers of all broodmares passing through the sales ring (sold or unsold) will eligible to secure a 2009 breeding season to MUD ROUTE, California’s 2008 Leading Sire of 2yo by Average Earnings Per Runner by simply making a $100 donation to CARMA (California Retirement Management Account) which was formed to help Thoroughbred rehabilitation and retirement facilities that care for and retrain horses whose careers have ended after competing in the state. 

In addition, Barrett’s and Carondelet Farm (owner of Mud Route) will both match the $100 donation for a total $300 contribution to CARMA.

Advantages to Breeders: 

• Conserve cash-flow in uncertain economic times and breed to a leading California sire
• $100 contribution to CARMA is tax-deductible
• Your generosity is tripled to $300 by Barretts and Carondelet Farm 

There are five ways to take advantage of the unique opportunity: 

• Contact Rick Taylor (Special T Thoroughbreds) onsite at the January 26 sale
• Contact Bill Baker at Barretts at 909-629-3099
• Contact Rick Taylor at Special T Thoroughbreds) 951-303-0313 (office) or 951-218-1198 (mobile)
• Simply enclose a $100 check made out to CARMA when settling your invoicing with Barretts

Gordon Yorke

Story by Nathan Exelby

(BRSIBANE, AUSTRALIA) – Set Alight, an imported US-bred son of Hennessy, notched one of racing’s rare feats on Sunday, when winning the Open handicap at Coffs Harbour.

Nothing out of the ordinary about that – but the fact the now six-year-old stallion has live foals on the ground from an ill-fated season at stud in 2007, puts him in rarefied company.

Set Alight arrived in Australia in 2007 following a career that netted a Group 3 win as a juvenile in France.

The stallion was also a Listed runner-up in France.

Boasting a rock solid pedigree to back up his race performance, Set Alight was brought to Australia and a deal was done to stand him at Queensland’s Willowbend Stud, where he would stand for a fee of $5500.

But the timing could not have been worse, as it coincided with the equine influenza outbreak, with Willowbend being one of the most severely affected farms.

Set Alight was afforded only a handful of mares, from which came six live foals.

The decision was taken to put him back into work in mid-2008.

The early signs were not encouraging, with two rank failures, but a switch of stables to Gordon Yorke has sparked vast improvement at his latest two outings.

Sunday’s win came in the slick time of 1:9.45 for the 1200m and the astute Yorke has told connections he expects the entire to now measure up to stronger races.

Set Alight’s dam, the stakes placed Proflare, has been an outstanding producer, with her 11 individual winners including six stakes winners.

These are headed by the US Grade 2 winning G1 placed True Flare (by Capote), who in turn is the dam of three individual Graded Stakes winners, headed by the Santa Anita G1 winner Latent Heat (Maria’s Mon).

Proflare’s other stakes winners are G2 winner Apple Of Kent (Kris S), G3 winners Capital Secret (Capote) and War Zone (Danzig) and Listed winner River Flare (Riverman).

Set Alight’s win on Sunday puts him in rare company as an Open handicap winner with progeny already on the ground.

A recent example of a horse going to stud and then being put back into work was Platinum Scissors, who won a G2 Hollindale Cup in 2005 after serving 41 mares in the 2004 breeding season.

However, at the time of his win, no Platinum Scissors foals were on the ground.

From that crop came just eight live foals and Redoute’s Choice’s full-brother has been limited to small books ever since in the hope of increasing his fertility.

To date, the dual G1 winner has 47 live foals in four crops and he covered another 16 mares during the 2008 breeding season.

By Racing & Sports

(MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA) – Danny O’Brien has plenty to look forward to again this spring and one of the reasons comes in the form of new acquisition Alexander Of Hales who will be part of the trainer’s team heading to the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

Previously with master Irish trainer Aidan O’Brien, Alexander Of Hales joined the Flemington-based O’Brien team earlier this year.

“He was purchased by a group to bring out here to race and obviously as a stallion prospect as well,” Danny O’Brien said.

“He arrived here in April and we’re looking forward to running him in the spring.

“He’s had a good, long build up. He spent the first couple of months down at Kelvin Bourke’s (at Drysdale on the Bellarine Peninsula) and he’s been back here at Flemington for six weeks.

“He trialled here on Friday and I’ll run him first up in the Liston.”

The Group Two Liston Stakes (1400m) is run at Caulfield on August 16.

The Danehill entire was a nine-length runner-up to former stablemate Soldier Of Fortune, with another former stablemate Eagle Mountain third in the Irish Derby (2414m) at the Curragh on July 1 last year.

Soldier Of Fortune went on to win the Coronation Cup (2424m) at Epsom last month, while Eagle Mountain, who was runner-up in the 2007 English Derby, was also runner-up in the Emirates Championship (2012m) at Newmarket last October.

Alexander Of Hales, who is out of the Sadler’s Wells mare Legend Maker, has raced six times for two wins and three placings, his best win being in the Group Three Gallinule Stakes (2012m) at the Curragh in May last year.

Caulfield Cup winner Master O’Reilly will resume in the Group Two Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on September 6, while Caulfield Cup runner-up Douro Valley will go first up into the Group Two Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on August 30.

Bagot Handicap winner Gallopin and stable newcomer Lords Ransom will kick off in the 1600m handicap at Caulfield on August 16.

Lords Ransom, raced by Peters Investments Pty Ltd Syndicate, won seven of his 10 starts in Western Australia for trainer Adam Durrant including the 2007 Belmont Classic (2200m) and the 2008 Bunbury Cup (2200m) and Pinjarra Cup (2400m), each at Listed level.

Villain, who ran ninth over 1400m when second up at Caulfield, could also be Cups bound if he returns to his form of last spring.

He won the Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington, ran third in the Norman Robinson Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield and fourth in the Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.

O’Brien said the colt had a virus in the autumn which led to him going to the spelling paddock after a first-up failure.

From AAP

(SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA) – Fresh from celebrating his first Group One win in the Doncaster Handicap, trainer Chris Waller returns to Randwick with Honor In War who he believes is a great hope of giving the stable its second major race in a week.

Waller said Honor In War was primed to make amends for his George Ryder flop in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) and put another significant trophy in the cabinet after Triple Honour’s Doncaster victory.

Honor In War was all at sea on the heavy Rosehill track in the George Ryder (1500m) on April 19 when he finished last to star Melbourne galloper Weekend Hussler.

“He’s been faultless in his preparation and I wouldn’t worry about his form because he’ll be a new horse turning up on a firmer track that’s for sure, if he does get a dead track he’ll be very hard to beat,” Waller said.

The Randwick surface was upgraded from slow to dead for Wednesday’s AJC Australian Oaks meeting and with no rain forecast over the next couple of days Waller could get the track he’s looking for.

“The more it (track) keeps improving, the better his chances get, it’s a good field but he’s got plenty of class and will be right in the mix,” Waller said.

Honor In War is a Group One winner in America but his most significant victory since coming to Australia almost 20 months ago has been his Group Two Villiers Handicap triumph in January.

That came in the stewards’ room after international sprint star Takeover Target was first past the post before losing the race on protest.

“He’s due for a change of luck too, if you look at his run in the Chipping Norton two starts back he was very unlucky,” Waller said.

Honor In War copped a bump and almost fell rounding the home turn in the Chipping Norton in March and lost all momentum with Darren Beadman giving him an easy time in the straight.

The outstanding Queen Elizabeth field features AJC Australian Derby winner Nom Du jeu, BMW winner Tuesday Joy, Thousand Guineas winner Serious Speed and weight-for-age heavyweight Desert War who is having his last race.

Desert War has been one of Sydney’s most popular gallopers for several seasons but trainer Gai Waterhouse and owners Gooree Stud believe the time is right to retire him.

The frontrunning gelding is a six-time winner at the top level and will be lining up in his fourth Queen Elizabeth (2000m) after finishing seventh in 2005 and 2006 before a brilliant all-the-way win last year.

“Obviously it will be a good race but there are a few horses in it coming back in distance like Tuesday Joy and Nom Du Jeu,” Waller said.

“And the smaller field (10) should ensure that the best horse wins the race and I’m confident with Nash Rawiller on board, he’ll have him just off the speed and give him every chance.”

Waller said Double Dare was a doubtful starter in Saturday’s All-Aged Stakes (1400m) and would most likely be saved for the BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben on Saturday week.