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Summing up: Oak Day

Summing up: Oak Day

CUP KING IS ON THE WAY AGAIN

Robbie Dolan’s Melbourne Cup whirlwind saw him land at Ipswich on Thursday.

The jockey who stunned the nation with his winning ride on Knight’s Choice arrived at the Queensland meeting less than 24 hours after riding a duet with global megastar Ronan Keating.

Even after winning the Melbourne Cup, Dolan’s work ethic cannot be questioned!

LAM ON THE PATH OF RECOVERY

Talented student Ivy Lam will return to Hong Kong this weekend to continue her recovery from a nasty fall in South Australia.

The young rider was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital from Gawler last month after the horse she was riding, Jacob’s Gate, faltered.

Trainer Gordon Richards provided an update on Lahm, saying she has “a few months” of recovery ahead of her.

He said Lam dreams of getting back in the saddle once her body heals.

“Mentally she’s fine. Her back hurts a little bit,” Richards said.

“She will return to rehab when she returns to Hong Kong.”

RETIRED FLEMINGTON SPECIALIST

It was fitting that Griffiths-de Kock used Cup week to announce Halvorsen’s departure.

Five of the talented sprinter’s nine career wins have come at Flemington, with two of them during Cup week.

The nine-year-old also finished second in the Group 1 Goodwood. He won connections worth just over $1.2 million in prize money.

GREAT FUTURE FOR THE PATH TO THE STARS

Jockey Nash Rawiller predicts the Way To The Stars speedster will have more Stakes wins to come.

The Matt Smith-trained Gallop was too good for his rivals in the straight, leading an outside group en route to victory in the Listed Century Stakes.

Rawiller said Way To The Stars has a bright future ahead of it.

“He’s a horse I put a lot of time into and I’m confident I’ll win a good race on him one day,” Rawiller said.

“From day one he showed signs that he could be on par with the great sprinters. On his day he can be, especially in the 1000m. He’s still learning his craft. He’s still doing it a little wrong. we felt awkward for the last 100 metres.”

KEYS DO NOT HURRY WITH THE MIST.

Ken Keys will be in no rush to support Bon Mistres on the trip following her hard-fought maiden race win at Flemington at Ox Day.

The daughter of Bon Hoffa fought off a fast-finishing Lake Vostok to give her fan favorites the best start.

“She did great. It was probably left there a little earlier. She held her own, obviously the second horse was pretty brave, but I thought she was pretty good,” Keys said.

“I looked and there are a couple of options (in the pipeline). I don’t think we’ll be in a hurry (at 2000m) to get there. I think it might just level off at 1,800.”

Winning jockey Zac Spain said he was thrilled to take the Cup Week win in front of his family.

“It’s exciting. My brother and my partner are here too, so it’s really exciting to get a winner at the Melbourne Cup Carnival,” he said.

“At the age of three she was in good shape. Returning as a four-year-old mare, she has definitely matured and plumpered.

“I have always been confident going into today. She beat Changing Colors fairly at her last start and when that horse came out it gave me even more confidence. Ken and Casey do an amazing job with the team of horses they have and to get them a win on the board is a huge thrill.”

Danell records breeding success on Melbourne Cup day

Acclaimed New Zealand racing photographer Trish Danell had a day to remember on Tuesday as he documented success as a breeder at racing’s biggest stage at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day.

After a busy day at Ellerslie races, Danell was able to watch Fancify win the G3 The Hong Kong Jockey Club Stakes (1400m) in the hands of Joe Bowditch for trainer Michael Hickmott.

Dunell raced the daughter of Niagara until recently before selling her to a Hickmott client, and although she was disappointed not to enjoy success as an owner, breeding a stakes winner on Melbourne Cup Day is something she has never will forget.

“I don’t have her anymore and it’s a little sad, but I still have her mom (Laced Up) and she’s due to have a foal at Ocean Park next week,” Danell said.

“I’ve never raced at Flemington on Cup Day, so this is an achievement, not to mention winning a black type race.”

Danelle bred Fancify out of the Keeninsky mare Laced Up, which she purchased for NZ$5,000 from the Lime Country Thoroughbreds New Zealand Thoroughbred Sales Project in 2014.

Danell was a shareholder in first-year sire Lime Country Niagara, was looking for mares to send to a G2 winner and was placed in Laced Up by farm executives Greg and Joe Griffin.

“Laced Up was on the job and only had two starts,” Danell said. “She was a half-sister to Jimmy Shue and then Miss Wilson came along and won a Group 1 too, so she’s a half-sister to two Group 1 horses.

“I have to thank Joe and Greg (Griffin) because they put me on it.”

Danell said Laced Up is a quirky mare, but fortunately Fancify did not inherit that family trait.

“She (Lace) is kind of a trickster, she’s quite antisocial and hard to catch. She lives on Haunui Farm and they know her well,” Danell said.

“She (Fancify) looked really good. She was with Elon Kelly, won a trial and beat a horse (Rockburn) who ended up racing the (New Zealand) Derby (2400m) for John Bary.

“She was always an angel to do things with, she was just wonderful.”

Via LOVERACING.NZ News Service