Kingston Classic Wins Again

Our seven year old gelding Kingston Classic brought up his second win in this campaign when turning yesterdays 1800m open handicap at Albany into a one horse affair winning by over 2 lengths. It was a mere training gallop for KC and the further they went the further he bounded away from them. Trainer Steve Wolfe now has his sights on the Esperance, Mt Barker and Albany Cups treble to be run over the next month or so! CONGRATULATIONS go to all members of the Belhus Racing Stables' "Cups King" syndicate on their success!

Girl in a Storm Wins at Ascot

Girl In A Storm chalked up the fifth win of her career when she won at Ascot last week on Magic Millions Day. By the ill-fated Champion Western Australian stallion sensation Metal Storm, the mare is steadily improving her value as a potential broodmare with each preparation. Trainer Michael Pateman has done an excellent job with Girl In A Storm, despite her being an unpredictable, and often dangerous horse to ride. It's not generally known, but in her career, she's easily put at least 6 people into hospital, and has thrown a rider at least 20, maybe 30 times or more!

I've really enjoyed working with Michael since giving him Girl In A Storm, and as a reward I've given him our Bletchley Park filly which I purchased at the yearling sales last week to prepare for the Magic Millions/Karrakatta Plate double this time next year...By the way, Michael is currently second on the WA Trainers premiership. The filly can be viewed on our website at www.belhusracing.com.au, and just a couple of shares remain in her.

- Peter Morley

It's Marasco Time

Boom WA Galloper Marasco heads to Caulfield tomorrow to take on all challenges in the St George Stakes over 1800m. Many consider the step up in distance could be a stumbling block for Marasco, but trainer Fred Kersley is training him to run out a strong 2000m in the Australian Cup next month and tomorrows step up from 1400m to 1800m shouldn't pose too great a problem for the brilliant son of Scenic. There's some tough opposition in the race and Pompeii Ruler and Gai Waterhouse's Aqua D'amore will be there if there's a chink in his armour!

- Peter Morley

Horses to Follow

There's some top racing action right around the country over the weekend. Check out the sensational looking black colt Hoystar with D. Beadman on board in race 2 at Rosehill, and get on Apache Cat with G. Boss atop when the pair go around in the Carlyon Cup at Caulfield. On Sunday, Gai's got four going to Gosford for their big meeting, and she fancies her chances with Master Magic in the Gosford Guineas. He's never missed a place at any of his seven lifetime starts and should be a good each way bet for you.

A West Aussie for Royal Ascot

WA's Champion sprinter Miss Andretti won the Group 1 Australia Stakes in a hand canter at Moonee Valley on Saturday. The powerhouse mare won her second Group 1 race in a fortnight and is now on course for overseas riches.

Currently entered for both Australia's Gr1 Newmarket Handicap & Dubai's Gr1 Golden Shaheen during March, trainer Lee Freedman has the luxury of choice. Following Saturday's win, Lee warned the only certainty in her future campaign is a trip to England in June for Royal Ascot's Gr2 King's Stand Stakes (5 furlongs) & Gr1 Golden Jubilee Stakes (6 furlongs): the 3rd & 4th legs of the 2007 Global Sprint Challenge. Freedman confirmed: "We're keeping her in those races (Newmarket & Golden Shaheen) but we're not guaranteeing we're going anywhere other than to England, because there's a lot of things to be considered in the meantime." I bet there'll be a few West Aussies who make the trip with her too! The question is, what will they look like in top hat and tails?

Girl in a Storm Wins at Ascot

On a lesser note, but certainly more of a thrill because she's ours, Girl in a Storm won the fifth race of her career when successful at Ascot last Wednesday. It was a close finish with Champion hoop Paul Harvey having to use all of his vigour and experience to lift her over the line. It was a big week for our syndicate, because in addition to winning with Girl In A Storm, they also sold two horses at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale in Perth, a Bletchley Park colt for $90,000 and and a Right Wing colt for $16,000!
- Peter Morley

Magic Millions Yearling Sales Buy

On a personal basis, I went to last weeks sales and decided to go for quality rather than quantity. I managed to secure what I thought were the best colt and the best filly by Champion Western Australian stallion Bletchley Park. We've got a huge opinion of the stock of Bletchley Park. For a start, we won the Group 1 WA Derby with our chestnut colt Hot Jules, and have a couple of smart BP's in the stable right now. Champion jock Paul Harvey has described Arranbrae as a potential superstar, and trainer Paul Jordan has big wraps on Kilindini who went shin-sore at his only start in a race. Paul is setting him for the WA Guineas-such is the high opinion he has of the horse.

The colt we purchased by Bletchley Park from Lots of Secrets is a full brother to the outstanding juvenile Secret Vault winner of his first 3 starts, and is from a stellar black type family which includes amongst others, the Group 1 Railways Stakes winner Covertly.

I think it's really important to buy horses from families that just keep on producing winner after winner after winner-and this is certainly one of them.

This colt has a strong sprinters pedigree and should run like the wind in anything up to a mile. He's a very athletic young horse and once again, appears to be a nice Guineas prospect-a race we've won before with Devilish Dealer. The colt will be trained at Ascot by Paul Jordan.

The filly I purchased by Bletchley Park from Lady Baleen is just electric. She's a real jump and run two year old type and is just the type of horse we're likely to be bring back this time next year to have a crack at the $250,000 Magic Millions 2yo race-followed by the Karrakatta Plate. She's a 3/4 sister to the exciting Baleen Magic who has run 3rd and 1st at her only two starts, (won at Ascot last Saturday week), and of course, being a filly with two GROUP 1 winners close up in her pedigree, she'll have plenty of residual value as a potential broodmare when we've finished racing her. The filly will be trained at Lark hill by Michael Pateman.

Both yearlings are nigh on impossible to fault from a conformation point of view. Their outstanding physiques are backed up by black type pedigrees, and both have been reared by leading vendors who feed the best from the time the youngsters are weaned from their mothers.

Both the colt and filly will be sold into 10 share syndicates at a price to be released later this week.

- Peter Morley

Two to Follow

Verglas two year old Paris Ritz was a shade unlucky at Ascot on Saturday. I know the stable have a big opinion of her, and only the inside barrier and a lack of race experience stopped her from winning on debut. It'll definite pay to follow this one. Our own horse Kingston Classic ran a bottler for third in the last event on Saturday. He'll now chase the feature events in the Southern region and will be extremely difficult to beat in the Esperance, Mt Barker and Albany Cups.

This is the Race of the Weekend

The best race of the weekend from a racing spectacle point of view, (because the real best one is where you back the winner!), is the CF Orr Stakes at Caulfield on Saturday. A star-studded field will contest this year’s race over the 1400 metres at Caulfield, a race synonymous with class. Past winners include Elvstroem, Lonhro, Redoute’s Choice, Saintly and many other quality gallopers. The top chances include last start winner El Segundo, the hardy galloper Pompei Ruler, the class filly Miss Finland (who'll love the WFA conditions of this race), and WA's latest boom galloper, Marasco (pictured). Whilst he may not win tomorrow, Melbournians will get a look at the awesome untapped ability of this Scenic gelding and it's certain that he'll be doing his best work on the line. The WFA conditions may not suit him tomorrow, but he'll pay to follow at his next few starts...Pete's tip-the Champion (and she is) filly Miss Finland. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing, DON'T MISS this terrific race tomorrow!

Introducing the Intelligent Punter

Take a look at the new website- The Intelligent Punter. It's a website that has been designed and developed to give you the edge over the average punter. Professional thoroughbred racing analysts bring you full pre-race analysis including speed maps for metropolitan meetings and suggested bets. Suggested investments are available every day for all tracks. Post-race analysis and articles of interest are also available.

The Intelligent Punter is holding an Autumn Virtual Stable Competition with over $5000 in prizes to be won. Entry is free for registered members with entries closing by midnight on Friday 23rd February 2007. Registration is free and as a registered member you will be able to access all areas of the web site for free until 15th April 2007. This free period allows you to assess the benefits of joining as a paid member of the Intelligent Punter web site. As a subscriber to this newsletter the Intelligent Punter is offering you an extra free month of access until 15th May 2007. To take up this offer it is important on registering to fill in the “Promo Code” field with the letters “belhus“

Increase your punting IQ at www.intelligentpunter.com.au

Where Have all the Skinny Kids Gone?

In Ireland, Turf Club chief executive Denis Egan "expressed serious concern at the decline in the number of apprentices coming into racing, a development that could have serious long-term implications for the sport," ITC figures for 2006 reveal "the number of licences issued to apprentice riders slumped by 13%, leaving Ireland with its smallest-ever pool of future stars" & Egan declared: "The decline is a serious concern. There has been a 63% decline in the number of apprentices signed on by trainers since 2004, with only 10 indentured in 2006." And Egan warned: "This is not a surprise in view of the statistics presented in our body-weights study with regard to the increase in the body weights of teenagers."

Over the past 30 years, the average weight of teenagers joining the Irish Racing Academy & Centre Of Excellence in Kildare "has increased by a massive 30 pounds". Falling numbers is also a worry in Britain "where the Horseracing Authority has noted a year-on-year drop in apprentice numbers from 147 in 2002 to 128 in 2005".

Australia has the same problem too and my tip is that within 10-15 years, there will be more female jockeys than male jockeys!

Another Champ From WA

Outstanding West Australian mare Miss Andretti wrote a new chapter in her remarkable career when leaving her eight talented rivals for dead in the Group One VRC Lightning Stakes, the first Australian Group One event of 2007.The Lee Freedman trained five year-old was simply breathtaking over the last 100 metres of the race when she idled up to the leaders and then accelerated in lethal fashion to put the issue beyond doubt, eventually winning by a length and a half in track record time of 57.22.

A track specialist, Miss Andretti now holds the course record at Moonee Valley for 1200 and 1000 metres and became racing’s newest millionaire on Saturday, the $300,000 purse for first prize boosting her earnings to $1.2 million, amassed from 14 wins and five placings over 22 starts.

In breeding terms, Miss Andretti is somewhat of an anomaly, a world class sprinting mare that has emerged from a non Black Type family and her sire Ihtiram (IRE) pretty much unheard of until her emergence.

Born and bred in Western Australia where she did her early racing, Miss Andretti was sent to Lee Freedman after Ultra Tune boss Sean Buckley purchased a controlling share with her original owner/trainer David Mueller also retaining an interest. She is the first foal of unraced Peggie’s Bid, a daughter of Sydney Cup winner and highly successful WA based sire Marooned (GB), notable as the broodmare sire of champion three year-old filly of a few seasons back in Special Harmony, also trained by Lee Freedman.

Her sire Ihtiram (IRE) is a blue-blooded son of Royal Academy who won a Listed race over ten furlongs in England and was sent to Australia by Shadwell for a possible Cups campaign with Peter Hayes. The only Cup he ended up winning was the Benalla Cup and he was duly retired to Western Australia to stand at Ray Cochrane’s Wayandah Stud where he covered just 15 mares in his first book after suffering from severe travel sickness.

In subsequent seasons Ihtiram (IRE) has fared marginally better and then in 2005 following the arrival of Miss Andretti he covered 83 mares and did 93 last year which is his biggest book to date. Despite his modest race performance Ihtiram (IRE) is the real deal in terms of pedigree, a half-brother to four other stakes-winners including Group One winner Second Empire (IRE) who is a pretty handy sire himself. His stakes-placed dam Welsh Love is a half-sister to legendary producer Flame of Tara, a European version of our own Eight Carat (GB).The success of Miss Andretti gives hope to all smaller breeders aspiring to produce a champion without the assistance of top dollar service fees and commercially accepted mares.

- Peter Morley

Kingston Classic Returns to the Winners Circle

The old stager Kingston Classic bounced back to the winners circle at Mt Barker last Thursday when he took out a 2000m event by 2 lengths.

Now trained by Steve Wolfe at Albany, Kingston Classic has relished the change to beach training, and this shows in his form. From three starts down in the Great Southern region, he's been in the placings each time and obviously the competition he's facing down there isn't so strong either. He's bound for the Albany Cup in March but may also look at the AHA Cup at Bunbury later this month-a race in which he's previously run second (beaten a short head) previously!
- Peter Morley

Marasco Lands in Melbourne

Another potential champ for WA..

Western Australia's latest boom galloper Marasco has landed safe and sound in Melbourne on his way to a run in the Group 1 Australian Cup. Trainer Fred Kersley has plans to run Marasco first up in Melbourne this Saturday in the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes against a star studded line up of high quality horses.

At Caulfield trackwork this morning, Marasco worked from the 1000 metres at even-time and picked up pace to run the last 600 metres in 36 seconds and the last 400 metres in 25 seconds. “The times were nothing out of the box, but the work was excellent,” track rider and Kersley stable foreman Paul Dyson said.

A winner at six of his last seven starts, Marasco's followers will get the opportunity to secure a decent price on their horse as he lines up against some of Australia's best! One has to remember that this Saturdays isn't Marasco's main goal, but it'll certainly tell us all where he's at in relation to the other top liners who have already proven themselves at the elite Group 1 level.

- Peter Morley

What This Country Needs is a Good "Lifestyle" Racing Show!

One of the main points of discussion at the recently concluded 31st Asian Racing Conference held in Dubai, was the need for the sport of horse racing, (let’s call it the sport-not the industry; not the business) the sport- to reach out to a new, younger audience.

We who earn our living from the sport all know that racing for the main, has an ageing customer base. Other forms of entertainment clearly do not. Think lotto, casinos, aussie rules, the rapid emergence of soccer, etc…

Without a doubt, free-to-air television is the best way to get racing into the minds of people-both young and old. For example, who would have thought that a Melbourne gardener could become one of Australia’s most well known faces? But Don Burke did it when he almost single handedly got everyone out into their gardens after watching “Burke’s Backyard”. And what of the of the checkered cloth cap-the humble, everyday vet, Dr Harry Cooper with his phenomenally successful “Harry’s Practice”? If we didn't have a dog, cat, budgie or goldfish before Harry came along-our kids certainly made sure that we do now! And then of course, there’s the cooking shows that have been around forever, together with a growing proliferation of holiday and handyman shows etc.

What Australia desperately needs is a weekly, prime time half or one hour lifestyle show centred on racing.

Take a look at what has happened to snooker, darts and golf once they were properly promoted on the small screen. The former used to be a game played by old men in hazy, smoke filled billiard saloons. Darts was played with a pint in hand at your local pub and rarely anywhere else, and golf was largely misunderstood. Nowadays however, with the advent of TV, their heroes are heroes too-and most of them have become very wealthy as a result of it! More household names than you can poke a stick at-all stars-all millionaires, but most importantly, all household names and all bringing their talent and personalities into the homes of millions-thereby creating a BOOM in their chosen sport.

The good news is that racing is half way there. We get excellent coverage on the pay TV Channels-but to really get into the homes of millions across the country, and to give the programme ultimate credibility, it needs to be on free-to-air in prime time. Four days of the year for the VRC carnival is simply not enough.

So, racing needs a white knight. Surely one of the major commercial channels has enough nouse to create a weekly lifestyle programme centred on the sport of horse racing? Surely they can create new identities that can become household names-just as those over paid carpenters and handymen have become? And surely, they can make even bigger stars of the real heroes that those of us in the game go to see in the well groomed flesh week after week? The horses. Just the mention of the words Makybe Diva, Northerly, Marasco, Takeover Target, Choisir, Danehill or Phar Lap, are almost guaranteed to make the hairs on the back of your neck bristle to attention. Blood rushes to flush and warm your cheeks. We know the feeling all too well, now millions more need to feel it too.

There are hundreds and hundreds of subjects and interesting stories that such a programme could flood suburbia with. Race clubs, syndication companies and the like would clamour to advertise and provide promotional products to give away on the show. That’s what’ll get the rusty turnstiles clicking over a little faster. A visual reminder that racing is a sport that everyone can participate in and enjoy-even as a spectator-and all-if necessary for free.

All it needs is a push. The vision is there, the money is there-all it needs now is the right people to step up to the plate

- Peter Morley