A Super Saturday of racing

Legacy Bound in strong return 

Robbie Griffiths has set an ambitious path for Legacy Bound that he hopes will end up in Group 1 glory in Adelaide. 

Legacy Bound took out the TAB We’re On (1100m) to open his autumn campaign with Griffiths hoping to be back at Flemington on March 28 for the Listed VRC Sprint Classic (1100m), a race that carries $500,000 in prize money. 

After that contest, Legacy Bound will be Adelaide bound for the John Hawkes Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville on April 25 and the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) two weeks later. 

Legacy Bound is no stranger to racing in Adelaide having won the Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville last April. 

Griffiths was impressed with Legacy Bound’s victory. 

“Knowing he was first-up, I thought he really knuckled down like a class horse, and it was a better win than it was first-up last time,” Griffiths said. 

“He's got a four-race program and we’ll keep him sprinting. It just works out easier. 

“He's never shown a real liking for soft ground and some of the Group 1’s in Sydney, like the All Aged and those sorts of races, it can be wet, so we're looking at a four-race sprint program to be compete in over in Adelaide, and he's already been to Adelaide and won in the Breeders’ there.” 

Golden Slipper for Medicinal 

Medicinal has earned herself a potential shot at the Golden Slipper after her victory in the Group 3 Ottawa Stakes (1000m). 

The Lindsay Park stable of Ben, Will and J D Hayes and the Godolphin team had contemplated running the daughter of Brazen Beau next Saturday in The Showdown (1200m) at Caulfield. 

However, they reasoned victory in a Stakes race would be both beneficial for gaining a start in the Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21 and also for her future as a broodmare. 

“She eats and she does everything right,” Ben Hayes said. 

“She's a very straightforward two-year-old and in an open Slipper this year she'll be right in it and can run very well.” 

Hayes said Medicinal had shown significant improvement from her debut at Caulfield in a Blue Diamond Prelude to an easy Ballarat maiden win and then success up the straight at Flemington. 

“The Ballarat win she did a lot wrong and still won by a big margin, where today she jumped straight to the front, she looked to be really travelling the whole way and just late she was having a bit of a look around,” Hayes said. 

“The stable has always had a very high opinion of her and it’s really nice to get a Group Three for Godolphin.” 

Lucky finally for Scheelite 

Luck has finally gone the way of Scheelite with his all-the-way victory in the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m). 

The Ken and Kasey Keys-trained galloper was a tragedy beaten in the Cranbourne Cup last November and resumed last month with a fifth-place finish over 1400m at Flemington when softened up early. 

Craig Newitt rated Scheelite at the head of affairs to perfection and he gave a solid kick inside the final 300m. 

“It just all fell into place,” Kasey Keys said. 

“I thought his first up run was super, because we always know he gets better second up, and his work at home has been tremendous, haven’t been able to fault him. 

“I thought he looked super comfortable in the run, his ears were pricked, he was just playing along, he was in his good little own space. 

“It's a huge thrill. It means an awful lot as we've only got a small team, but when you get one like this, who promises the world, it's just taken a while for it to happen.” 

Keys said she would like to get Scheelite to Sydney for Group 1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on April 4. 

“We'll let the dust settle and see how we go from there,” Keys said. 

Spring appeal for Sass Appeal 

Trainer Danny O’Brien will resist the temptation of heading to Sydney with Sass Appeal after her third straight win at Flemington. 

Sass Appeal added the Group 2 Kewney Stakes (1600m) to her record on Saturday under a perfectly judged ride by Jordan Childs. 

Childs allowed Sass Appeal to roll forward from her widest draw and track the leader Pillow Fight before putting that filly to sword with 300m to run, running out a 2-3/4 length winner.

In her first preparation, Sass Appeal has now won her past four starts and O’Brien is keen to give the filly a break to concentrate on the spring. 

“Often with the three-year-old fillies you want to make hay while the sun shines against their own age, and sex, and make the best of what you’ve got before they turn four,” O’Brien said. 

“But I think this horse will measure up to the older horses. With that in mind, she’s had a five start prep and I’m keen to give her a break and see her back here in the spring.” 

O’Brien said the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington during Melbourne Cup appeals. 

“The handicap races like the Sir Rupert Clarke and the Toorak Handicap are good options for her on the way through as well,” he said. 

Grinzinger Heart goes all-the-way 

Wangaratta-based horseman Ben Brisbourne has registered his biggest victory with Grinzinger Heart leading throughout to claim the Group 2 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). 

The victory by the daughter of Toronado was Brisbourne’s first at Stakes level after taking out his training licence in 2018. 

Grinzinger Heart was well-rated in front by Craig Williams and held off a late bid from the $1.65 favourite Zambales to win by a short-half-head. 

“We've always liked the filly, and we were happy to have a go at the stars and bring her down here,” Brisbourne said. 

“She’s a nice, beautiful filly and I just said to Craig before he went out, I think she's grown an inch in the last two weeks. 

“Craig got it right. He sat on this filly five weeks ago now in a jump-out or trial at Caulfield and he told me he was going to win the Oaks on it in the spring.  

“She's a Group 2 winner now, so there's only one way to go.” 

Tom Kitten lands second All-Star Mile 

Tom Kitten has become the first horse to go back-to-back in the All-Star Mile after scoring a thrilling win at Flemington. 

The Godolphin galloper won last year’s edition, the first at Group 1 level, when prepared by James Cummings while Saturday’s victory came after a stable change at the beginning of the season when transferred into the care of Anthony and Sam Freedman.

Sam Freedman described Tom Kitten as a remarkable galloper after a spring campaign that went awry after the gelding was a late scratching at the barriers in the Memsie Stakes. 

“He’s been to the top for a long time, and we’ve been blessed to get him into the stable in the last eight or nine months,” Freedman said. 

“We were disappointed with the spring we had with him. We felt he was going well, but we were chasing our tail, but this prep, I don’t know what it is. 

“Sometimes you are a victim when horses change yards. They go onto a different feed, a few changes can happen pretty quickly. 

“He’s now in a nice routine at Pinecliff, gets out into a paddock during the day. 

“He’s a remarkable horse and turns up every time. 

While the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) on March 28 would seem the logical next step for Tom Kitten, Freedman said the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on April 4 may be the preferred option. 

“I feel he’s best fresh at a mile,” Freedman said. 

“We might see him in the Doncaster more likely than the Australian Cup. 

“He might grind away late like he wants the 2000 metres, but he likes a strong tempo where he can sit back and stalk them. 

“We’ll have a chat as he’s also entered in Dubai and Hong Kong, so there’s plenty of options for him. 

Ahha Ahha has last laugh

According to trainer Clinton McDonald, the bridesmaid became the bride as Ahha Ahha scored a tough victory in the Group 3 Matron Stakes (1600m).

Despite having her first start at black type level, the daughter of Starspangledbanner was sent out a $6.50 chance under Ben Melham, who positioned the four-year-old mare closer to the speed than usual which ultimately proved the difference.

McDonald said there was nothing to lose and plenty to gain from testing Ahha Ahha at Group level after strong runs in benchmark grade this time in.

“I sort of looked at Paradise City of Peter Moody's when it won that group race, and I thought, there's not much between these mares,” McDonald said.

“They take it in turns. If you can get the right run in transit, you're a chance.”

Having proved a tricky mare to train, McDonald was glad to prove Melham wrong, with the jockey struggling to get along with her earlier in her career. 

“I think Ben hated her and used to say, 'I don't want to ride her and say awful things about her', I think Ahha Ahha used to listen to him.”

“So they didn't get along early days. Ben told me she’d never win a race in town and it's good to prove him wrong.”

‘Froggy’ lands fourth Newmarket victory 

Jockey Craig ‘Froggy’ Newitt has turned back the clock when he guided Sydney visitor Caballus to victory in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington. 

Saturday’s win in the famous sprint down the Flemington straight 1200m course was Newitt’s first at Group 1 level since 2016 when Extreme Choice won the Moir Stakes at Moonee Valley. 

Newitt said he was quite emotional at landing his first win at the highest level after a long absence. 

“It’s been a while, but I’ve been sitting equal leader on the most amount of Newmarket wins, probably the most historic races in Australia at the moment, apart from the Melbourne Cup, especially for sprinting,” Newitt said. 

“To be the most winningest rider, I’m very honoured. 

“I probably opened him up a little bit earlier than what I said to the connections before the race, just so that I could get the buffer on the favourite, because I knew he'd be coming somewhere, but this bloke just held his gallop. 

Luke Hilton, the racing manager for trainer Baker said the decision to geld Caballus was the making of the sprinter. 

“Bjorn has done an amazing job with him and Darby (Racing) who picked him up as an on-line purchase,” Hilton said. 

“He did a good job as a colt, but he wasn’t performing to his level, so we gelded him, gave him time and he’s gone from strength to strength with each preparation. 

“The more Bjorn has been able to work with him, the better he’s got and he’s really improved over the last six months and he’s a Group 1 winner now. 

“It’s a great achievement by the team.” 

Derby options for Arcora

Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young will plot a path towards the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) with Arcora, who beat the older horses convincingly in the Australian Cup Prelude (2000m).

Assigned 53kg, Lachlan Neindorf rolled along in front aboard the colt and had plenty left in the tank, going on to win by ¾ of a length.

Having gone agonisingly close to winning the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) in the Spring when second to Observer, the stable will now plot a path towards Sydney with two possible Group One targets.

“I think we’ll probably go to the Rosehill Guineas, we’ve got the Alistair Clark at Caulfield and then into a Derby but you’ve also got the option of the Tulloch the week before which has a great record going into a Derby,” Natalie Young said. 

A rolling gallop and staying trips are the key to Arcora, who won the Byerley Handicap (1800m) as a two-year-old.

“The horse has just got the biggest stride length, and that's just the asset that he's got,” Young said.

“He just keeps finding. He doesn't really quicken much, but he's just got a massive stride length, and with 53 kilos on his back, he's just made it look like they’re standing still there for a little bit.”