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Class prevails at Rotorua; Derby hope to kick off three-year-old campaign; Time Test yearlings on show; Racing NSW opens border to some Vic horses
Class prevails at Rotorua
Multiple trials winner Babylon Berlin made a winning debut at Rotorua on Wednesday in the MacMillan Accountants 3yo (1100m).
Sent out the $1.30 favourite, Babylon Berlin bounced straight to the lead under jockey Sam Collett and never looked in danger, going on to defeat a small pool of rivals, with Chopper Reed just over four lengths away in second.
"Sam said she won purely on class and she hated the track," Foote said.
"I was happy to get it over and done with. I decided to start today because we have got other targets and I needed some (rating) points and I knew she was good enough.
"Conditions certainly weren't ideal but we got the job done."
"The Gold Trail Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) is the race that we are targeting. We don't know if she is a 1000 Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) horse or not, but I will certainly be nominating her for it and see how she comes through the next race or two."
Derby hope to kick off three-year-old campaign
Track conditions will dictate where talented three-year-old Albarado heads this week.
The Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young-trained son of Savabeel holds nominations for Mornington on Thursday and for the Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday, with Busuttin leaning towards the weekday run if conditions suit.
"I'm just waiting to see how this track comes back at Mornington," he said. "I'd prefer to run him at Mornington, it is a Heavy10, if it could get back to a Heavy8 then he runs at Mornington.
"He probably doesn't need to be taking on the sharper colts at this stage of his prep."
A debut winner as a juvenile at Ballarat in May, Alabarado then finished runner up to the unbeaten Cherry Tortoni at Flemington in June. His next start will launch his three-year-old campaign with the Busuttin-Young stable holding Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) aspirations for the promising colt.
"He is a big, strong impressive horse," Busuttin said. "He obviously beat the Godolphin horse (Alcyone) and ran second to the boom horse of Paddy Payne's (Cherry Tortoni).
"I think once he gets up over 2000m he will be a serious three-year-old."
Albarado was a $140,000 purchase as yearling out of Rich Hill Stud's 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 draft.
Among Busuttin's other upcoming runners is Tavistock five-year-old gelding Tavirun who will line up at Caulfield this weekend.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Tavirun over 2400m," Busuttin said. "It wasn't a great ride last start. He probably should have won.
"I think he is one for one at 2400m at Caulfield and I think he will be very hard to beat."
Time Test yearlings on show
Yearlings by Little Avondale Stud's exciting young stallion Time Test will parade to the public on Friday at 2pm at the Masterton-based stud farm.
Time Test, who has been back in the country a little over a fortnight, will also be on show, along with Per Incanto and Nadeem.
Interest in Time Test, a son of outstanding sire Dubawi, has been strong since his debut season in 2018 and continues off the back of his sire's results and the quality of Time Test's first foals.
"I knew the appeal of Dubawi when we bought into Time Test but it was too early to know how he'd go as a sire of sires," Little Avondale's Sam Williams said.
"Early on there was Makfi but now with Night of Thunder's results and some other young sons of Dubawi hitting their straps as stallions, the timings been perfect, especially with his first crop (Time Test's) going to the sales this summer."
Time Test's book of 130 mares is almost closed ahead of the forthcoming breeding season.
"He stamps his foals," Williams said. "They're all consistent in colour, have great bone and are very athletic. He's left them very physical especially through the hind quarter, a typical Dubawi trait."
Visitors are welcome to stay on after the parade for a barbecue and refreshments. To assist with preparations and COVID-19 restrictions those wishing to attend are asked to pre-register via office@lastud.co.nz
Racing NSW opens border to some Vic horses
Restrictions over the movement of horses travelling from regional Victoria into NSW have been eased but the ban on horses from Melbourne remains.
Racing NSW announced on Wednesday that it was initiating phase one of the lifting of restrictions on advice from biosecurity experts.
However, protocols surrounding the travel of horses across the border will be strict and thoroughbreds entering the state from Victoria will require prior approval from NSW racing officials.
Horses will be required to go directly to an off-course spelling or pre-training property for at least 48 hours before being allowed on a NSW racetrack or in a licensed stable.
With Melbourne still under stage four lockdown restrictions, the ban on metropolitan horses travelling into NSW remains.
Racing NSW says it will continue to monitor the number of COVID-19 cases in Victoria before determining when restrictions can be lifted further.
The ban on horses from Melbourne entering NSW has impacted the early spring carnival races with many Sydney trainers reluctant to send their horses south because they are unable to return.
