Odds & Sods
The Age
Tuesday October 27, 2009
FLEMINGTON trainer Danny O'Brien is looking to continue his success with lightly raced but beautifully bred staying three-year-olds when filly Stealth Cat makes her debut in the $30,000 Oaks Trial (2200 metres) at Bendigo tomorrow.Stealth Cat is by Cox Plate winner So You Think's sire High Chaparral out of staying mare The Mighty Lions, and cost $300,000 at the New Zealand premier sale last year.This spring, O'Brien has won with Victoria Derby candidate Rockferry over 2200 metres at Geelong at just his second start. A full brother to former New Zealand Derby winner Xcellent, by Pentire out of Excelo, he was purchased in NZ for $550,000.Just a week ago, Zabell filly Reveal The Goddess, who cost $320,000, won by five lengths over 2400 metres at Bendigo at his second start."We buy stayers to run in staying races and we look to have a few promising ones coming through," O'Brien said yesterday.Williams back in townCRAIG Williams, the recently deposed stable jockey for David Hayes, has gained the ride on lightweight Melbourne Cup hope Leica Ding (below, winning the Geelong Cup).While only 26th in the order of entry for the big race, the Geelong Cup winner looks certain to force her way into the race when final acceptors are taken on Saturday afternoon .Williams has already gained the attention of outside stables having being booked to ride Cox Plate winner So You Think in the Mackinnon Stakes and Our Heir Apparent in the Victoria Derby.Bendigo upset by VRC rebuffIT IS believed the Bendigo Jockey Club remains a little miffed at its treatment from racing's heavyweight after its application earlier this year to run tomorrow's $151,000 Bendigo Cup over it's usual distance was refused.Bendigo took the date left by the Werribee Racing Club in the understanding that the race would remain a 2400-metre race and therefore a qualifying race for the Melbourne Cup.It is understood that the Victoria Racing Club intervened as it feared it would detract from the club's Lexus Stakes at Flemington on Saturday, which is the last hope for lowly ranked stayers to grab a Melbourne Cup spot.The Bendigo Cup, which at 2200 metres is 100 metres short of a Melbourne Cup qualifying distance, was shifted from eight days after the Melbourne Cup to six days before with a view to making it relevant to the Melbourne Cup, much in the same way as the Geelong Cup is seven days earlier.A field of 16 plus three emergencies accepted yesterday for the tomorrow's race. At the top of the weights are two Kiwis who are fully qualified Melbourne Cup runners €” Capecover (27th in order) and Gallions Reach (25th).Evans inquiry]EMERGING apprentice rider Brent Evans has been called to a stewards' inquiry this afternoon after it was confirmed that a banned substance was found in his urine sample taken at Pakenham races on September 29.Welcome backGODOLPHIN foreman Tommy Strang has obviously been well drilled in not admitting to anything. At yesterday's Melbourne Cup Carnival launch, when asked about Frankie Dettori riding in the Cup, Strang said that it had not been confirmed, but, reading between the lines, Dettori is definitely coming to ride Kirklees. It will be his first Cup ride since Geordieland in 2006.
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