“I would say it’s the Golden Eagle, but if it’s not the Golden Eagle, it will be the Empire Rose.”
Briasa, Jimmysstar on rise to Everest
Briasa and Jimmysstar showed they were on song for the challenge of taking on Ka Ying Rising in the Everest, as Private Harry’s hopes took a potentially fatal blow after pulling up lame in the group 2 Premiere Stakes (1200m).
A $2.20 favourite in the $1 million lead-up at Randwick, Briasa raced in the one-one before surging to the front at the 150m mark and holding off Jimmysstar late by three-quarters of a length. Mazu hung on for third after setting the pace ahead of Private Harry, which faded to fifth.
Private Harry, the first to gain a slot into the $20 million race at Randwick on October 18, was on notice after a disappointing run when fifth first-up in the Shorts. He was reported to be two-fifths lame after Saturday’s race. It came on a day when Inglis selected Yulong-owned Magic Time to fill its Everest slot after the loss of Skybird to injury.
For Team Hawkes and jockey Tyler Schiller, it was full steam ahead to the showpiece race with Briasa.
“I’ve always been excited, it’s not a one-horse race, it never has been,” co-trainer Michael Hawkes said of the Everest.
Tyler Schiller wins on Briesa on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
“We’ve been lucky enough to have another great horse [Chautauqua] we’ve travelled, and I know how hard it can be, so for Ka Ying Rising, everything needs to go right. He’s in our backyard now.
“There’s horses in there that can win, and this is one of them.”
Ciaron Maher-trained Jimmysstar rattled home in 32.48 seconds for the last 600m.
Dolan back in Cup frame
Robbie Dolan picked up a Melbourne Cup contender, the week in which his defending champion bowed out, after Royal Supremacy powered to victory in the group 1 Metropolitan (2400m).
The Maher-trained stayer, a $7.50 chance after finishing second in the Newcastle Cup, was given a gun run by Dolan, who took him to the front at the 150m mark on the way to a three-quarter-length win over favourite Soul Of Spain.
“He’s probably the strongest horse I’ve ever ridden,” Dolan said.
“With just so much natural ability, and if he just learns to relax and do it right, he could be a proper little weight-for-age horse.”
This week, Knight’s Choice, which Dolan took to victory in the Cup last year, was ruled out of a defence because of a case of strangles at his stables. Maher said the Cup was now the target for Royal Supremacy.
“It’s funny how things work out,” Dolan said.
Apocalyptic in ‘rare air’
Michael Freedman says he has never been more excited about a horse, after Apocalyptic capped a Princess Series treble with a dominant group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) victory.
Stuck three wide early from an awkward draw in seven, jockey Tommy Berry allowed Reflect to cross Apocalyptic into the lead before taking up a position on her outside. Berry asked the $1.55 favourite for an effort at the 300m and she quickly took over to score a one and a quarter-length win over Within The Law.
The Furious (1200m), Tea Rose (1400m) and Flight Stakes treble followed an aborted two-year-old campaign for Apocalyptic, which was second on debut in December before Freedman opted for a spell because of a foot abscess.
Tommy Berry rides Apocalyptic to victory.Credit: Getty Images
Asked the last horse he had been this excited about, Freedman said: “I haven’t been.”
“I think it’s quite rare to see horses that can come out in there first four starts … she was unlucky her first-up as a December as a two-year-old, then go group 2, group 2, group 1. It’s pretty rare air.”
As for her next target, Freedman said: “Obviously, the Thousand Guineas in Melbourne is a possibility. The Empire Rose at Flemington on Derby Day is another possibility, or going to the paddock.”
Freedman on the money with colt
Freedman was leaning towards giving $1 million colt Incognito a break before targeting the Magic Millions and autumn next year after he delivered an “extra special” Breeders’ Plate (1000m) victory with Berry aboard.
A son of Stay Inside, which Berry won the 2021 Golden Slipper on for Michael and Richard Freedman, was well backed late into $4.80 (Sportsbet) for the two-year-old colts and geldings group 3. He came from back in the field to lead at the 150m before holding off I’m Ya Huckleberry by a short neck. Revengeance was a neck away third.
Incognito opened as an $11 Golden Slipper favourite ahead of the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained I’m Ya Huckleberry ($13), Shiki and Revengeance ($15). Shiki won the fillies feature on Saturday, the group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m), by a half-head from Screen Icon.
“These horses have got to be up basically from the middle of winter almost to get ready for this, so I’m a big fan of giving them a bit of a break,” Freedman said.
“He’s got a great turn of foot, which is what his father had, that was one of his really good traits.”
Colt strikes blow for Pride
Joe Pride was weighing up a run in the Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) or Callander-Presnell (1600m) at Randwick in three weeks for Attica after he gave him a first stakes winner with Godolphin.
The Lonhro colt, which won on debut at home for the Warwick Farm trainer, bounced back with the addition of blinkers from a second-up loss at Kembla to score a two-length victory in the listed Dulcify Stakes (1600m) with a barnstorming finish.
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“They looked after me, they gave me some bloody good horses,” Pride said of his Godolphin-owned stock.
Pride ruled out a Derby campaign for Attica was eyeing the group 2 Callander-Presnell.
“It’s a development thing with him, you’d like to think he could go to a Spring Champion and win, but you’d like to think that’s not the best race he’s going to win anyway, so what’s the best thing for his development?” he said.
