Latest News

By Brad Gray
At Royal Randwick

Next Time For Nettoyer
Trainer Wendy Roche says that Nettoyer still needs “to learn how to gallop” but the mare looks cherry ripe for further fourth up now.

Both Roche and jockey Rachel King confirmed as much too with King reporting, “It was a really good run again, she just wants 2000m.”

Roche was uncommitted to her next outing next but you’d think the G3 Epona Stakes over 1900m in a fortnight for fillies and mares would be a lovely assignment.

Punters’ Intel reveals Nettoyer, who was left three-wide with no cover for much of the race, covered 1613.9m in the run compared to Karavali’s 1608.5m and The Pinnacle’s 1611.1m. Despite this, Nettoyer still ran the fastest 400-200m split (10.91s) and the second fastest last 200m (11.39s), just 0.01s off the best. Swap the runs with either and Nettoyer wins.

Nettoyer ahead of the opener at @royalrandwick!

$4 with @tabcomau. pic.twitter.com/TTNnLXDTkl

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) March 10, 2018

What A Debut, Sister
It might have been lost in the wash on an action packed day at Royal Randwick but how was the run of Sister Sledge on debut in the Riesling Stakes behind Estijaab!

The run didn’t come as a surprise to Glyn Schoflield.

“I thought she would run really well. She has performed well at home, trialled well and today she raced well,” he said of the $81 chance.

“She just lacked that bit of experience. She had none compared to the rest of them which counts for a lot. She has got a bit more from today and will definitely improve. I know she is arriving late in the piece but she certainly has her share of ability.”

As for what’s next?

“She is not qualified for anything, she has a way to go but I’m sure they’ll find something for her,” Schofield said.

Clapper Makes Shinn Happy
Blake Shinn’s exuberant post-race celebration showed his Canterbury Stakes win meant plenty to him.

“Every Group One is memorable in its own way and I think to do it today for Pat Webster, who puts a lot in the industry, is a reward for him for all the hard work he does behind the scenes,” Shinn said of Webster, who is a loved and respected Racing NSW counsellor and mentor.

Happy Clapper will now head to the George Ryder Stakes setting up a clash with Winx.

“He gave Winx a good run for her money last prep so it’ll be a good rematch again,” Shinn said.

“He is a seven-year-old but is sparingly raced… so there is no reason he couldn’t reach the best form of his career.”

Webster added, “I could get used to this. I am on a roll. Imagine if we had more than six horses!”

“I just hope I haven’t taken too much out of him first up but who cares it is a Group One and he can probably run second now to the great mare and then be a chance in the Doncaster.”

Happy Clapper! 👏 👏 👏 pic.twitter.com/Uj4Ze42an3

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) March 10, 2018

Kementari Brilliant, D’argento Looking For Further
James Cummings’ confidence in Kementari was vindicated with the colt proving a class above in the Randwick Guineas.

“My heart was just pumping before the barriers opened because I did not see how they could beat him today,” Cummings said.

“He’s put them away in a Randwick Guineas in the style of a really high class colt.”

As for D’argento, the wide draw forced the hand of Andrew Adkins, who picked up the ride on the grey colt in place of Hugh Bowman.

“The barrier brought him undone. He got a bit further back than I would have liked and he did plenty of work circling the field,” Adkins said.

It looked like the run of a colt who wants further now so the Rosehill Guineas would certainly be a logical target. Punters' Intel reveals D'argento ran 11.36s, 11.01s and 11.86s home, compared to Kementari's 11.40, 10.96, 11.65. Did he give the feel of a 2000m horse to Adkins?

“Just then he did but only because the speed was genuine. I tried to relax him. He did race that way but by the same token he did have to loop the field,” he said.

Kementari was a class above

What Now For Performer?
“With Performer, it leaves us in an awkward position but not an impossible position,” Chris Waller said after the two-year-old ducked out to dislodge Hugh Bowman in the Todman Stakes.

“We’ll trial him and that will either be the Tuesday before (the Golden Slipper) at Rosehill or the Monday before at Hawkesbury but only if the weather looks threating. It’s not ideal but I respect that he has to trial and we’ll consider putting some blinkers on.”

As for what caused Performer, who is still an $8 chance in the Golden Slipper with TAB, to shift out approaching the 100m mark, Waller wasn’t sure himself.

“He looked like he got a bit of a fright and turned left. Whether something has pinched him or it was his own doing. He was just starting to build momentum,” Waller said.

The son of Exceed And Excel hadn’t showed any signs of it before in his training according to Waller before suggesting to punters to give him the benefit of the doubt when assessing him in the Golden Slipper.

And on Bowman, Waller said, “I saw him straight afterwards and it puts it all into perspective what they do as a job.”

And a note on Winx…
“Hugh galloped her and said 'words can’t describe it'. He’s a man of few words and that’s certainly all I needed to hear,” said Chris Waller.

Look out George Ryder Stakes.

Check out the replays and results for Royal Randwick.