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Ranting back on track ahead of Group Two test; Alfa Oro retired; Foal education seminars; Foal education seminars

Ranting back on track ahead of Group Two test

Trainers Leon and Troy Corstens believe they have Ranting back to his best ahead of the Gr.2 Tobin Bronze Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on Saturday.

The Group Three winner finished ninth in the Gr.2 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) first-up in February before sustaining an injury when running eighth in the Listed Incognitus Stakes (1100m) at Flemington last month.

Troy Corstens said the New Zealand-bred colt will take plenty of improvement out of his weekend assignment, but he believes they have him in fine fettle after a pleasing trial earlier in the week.

"He is going to take a bit of fitness out of this," Corstens told RSN927. "He does have improvement in him but he is well and truly back on track and I am really looking forward to seeing how he goes on Saturday.

"He pulled a muscle really badly in his back, down the straight, and he ran terrible (last start). It was the worst run he has put in and we knew there had to be something wrong.

"He trialled really well at the start of the week."

The Zoustar colt will jump from barrier six with Craig Williams aboard and Corstens said he is at his most lethal when he can find some cover.

"If he can get a little bit of cover that would be ideal," he said. "He has got an explosive turn of foot when he does settle and relax.

"Sometimes he can over-race a bit and I wouldn't want to see him doing that on Saturday."

While Ranting has multiple Group placings, Corstens believes he is an elite-level horse and is eyeing the Gr.1 Goodwood (1200m) with the colt at Morphettville in a fortnight.

"We think he is (a Group One horse), that is the way we are heading with him anyway," Corstens said. "If we didn't think he was a Group One horse we probably would have gelded him by now."

Ranting will head into Saturday with a slight gear change.

"We had the crossover on him and he didn't really like that so we will just leave the tongue-tie on and that will do him," Corstens said.

Alfa Oro retired

The racing career of talented five-year-old Alfa Oro has come to an end.

Purchased by trainer Matt Laurie out of Regal Farm's 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale draft for $240,000, Alfa Oro went on to win six of his 11 starts for his connections, and placed on three other occasions.

The son of Bachelor Duke showed plenty of early promise, winning first-up as a juvenile at Pakenham before finishing runner-up in his only other start as a two-year-old.

He was touted as a potential Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) candidate before a life-threatening trackwork injury intervened.

"It was just a routine piece of track work," Laurie said. "He suffered a spiral fracture in a front leg and had some major surgery with a steel plate and 12 screws inserted.

"We were fortunate he was able to be saved."

Alfa Oro missed his entire three-year-old season and after a 20-month absence from racing a runner-up finish at Pakenham in April last year preceded five victories.

"I must admit at his first run back I had a bit of a tear in my eye after running second at Pakenham," Laurie said.

While he had three further starts, the decision was made after his fifth-placing at Caulfield last Saturday to retire the gelding.

"He has given us some amazing thrills after winning five races in succession, including victories at Flemington, Caulfield, and Moonee Valley," Laurie said.

"He retires with a big motor that unfortunately his body won't allow us to see."

Foal education seminars

So You Think, Preferment, Jimmy Choux and Norzita are just some of the Group One winning graduates to complete the Foal NZ foundation behaviour programme.

Next month Foal NZ will hold two 30 minute lecture sessions prior to the New Zealand Bloodstock weanling sale, explaining the benefits of their scientifically-proven training methods.

Established in 2003, Foal NZ have continued to develop their processes, keeping their methods in line with up-to-date research to establish foundation behaviours that give each foal the best chance possible to become a successful racehorse.

They are globally recognised for their work in foal behaviour and have completed over 24,000 training sessions, injury-free, at some of the biggest stud farms in New Zealand.

Foal NZ co-founder Leigh Wills will present the lectures, to be held in the Phar Lap room at New Zealand Bloodstock's Karaka complex on Thursday May 13th at 4.30pm and Friday May 14th at 8.30am.