Garibaldi back in the winners circle, Queensland pushes The Harovian’s All Star bid
Once maligned, Garibaldi is rapidly inching back the credibility he earned as a debut two-year-old and is ready to be tested in stakes grade again after trouncing his Doomben rivals Saturday.
Garibaldi made it three on the bounce against his hapless Class 3 rivals, with his previous losing sequence of 13 becoming a distant memory.
A soft tempo up front made little difference, as Michael Rodd allowed the four-year-old to cruise into the race approaching the turn, put his rivals to the sword and then be throttled down in the last 100m.
Trainer Tony Gollanhad another good day at the track on Saturday. Picture: AAP Image/Albert PerezSource:AAP
A one-time Group 2 placegetter, he’s now three from four since being gelded and trainer Tony Gollan is readying for the bar to be lifted much higher than yesterday’s Class 3 standard with some winter carnival ambitions.
Asked if Garibaldi was up to stakes grade, Rodd said “for sure” adding he’s now doing everything right in his races.
“He used to be a bit difficult I understand, but he was so nice to ride today. He just put his head down and chilled,” Rodd said.
“They went a bit steady, it was a sprint home, but he always had the class on them.
“I got flushed a bit wider than I wanted but he was out of trouble and once he got down the hill and changed legs he really let go.
“I didn’t need to give him a hard hit out. Save something for next time.”
Georgie Cartwright and Bleu Zebra are a winning partnership. Picture: Trackside PhotographySource:The Courier-Mail
Stablemate Bleu Zebra is also likely to be given her chance at bigger targets after making it two on end in the 3YO Fillies Handicap.
Georgie Cartwright has struck up a good affinity with Bleu Zebra, who had been her own worst enemy at times.
Cartwright bounced her out of the gates, the I Am Invincible filly soon found the front, she controlled and had a big enough kick to keep her rivals at bay.
“She can be a little bit of a hard going filly. Early she was keen, but she settled quite well from there. She probably doesn’t want any further than the 1200m,” Cartwright said.
Like Garibaldi, Thursday first up winner Ingear and Friday night’s ultra-impressive debutante Miami Fleiss, Bleu Zebra sports the Black Soil Bloodstock colours. Statistics compiled by the Black Soil team show the colours, which look like an upside down A, but in fact depict a horse’s head, have won 25 of 57 starts.
Gollan said Bleu Zebra would now go for a break before he looks at black type targets through the winter carnival.
The state’s leading trainer rounded out another treble when Socialising arrived in the last few strides to win the Benchmark 90 Handicap.
You Make Me Smile looked to have the race in his keeping before Jim Byrne swooped late on the Gollan mare to snatch the win.
Socialising recorded a faster official time than Garibaldi for the 1200m, as she posted her fifth win in nine starts since being transferred from Victoria.
Like last week’s Magic Millions F & M winner Krone, Socialising races in the colours of Victorian based Sheamus Mills Bloodstock.
It rounded out a winning double for Byrne, who had won earlier on Batangas Entry for Kelly Schweida.
Socialising was well backed in morning trade, but eased from $2.60 to $2.90 closer to the jump, as punters lined up to back You Make Me Smile, who was a $4.50 to $3.40 firmer.
The Harrovian winning at Doomben. Picture: Trackside PhotographySource:The Courier-Mail
THE VERDICT
THE Harrovian was sitting comfortably inside the top five for All Star Mile voting 24 hours in yesterday, but a call to arms for Queenslanders is likely to see him rocket up the charts a little higher yet.
Part-owner and former trainer Stephen Massingham confirmed on Friday the plan to head to Melbourne and run in the $5 million race on March 13.
Senior owner Tom Hedley was guarded about a start earlier in the week in a Radio TAB interview with Steve Hewlett, but a meeting between the key stakeholders on Friday locked in the plan.
“Tom was trying to protect the horse and just worried about the travel,” Massingham said.
“I said to him, at the end of the day, his rating is there, what else are we going to do with him?
“There’s some wonderful horses going to be in the race and we’re not going there thinking he can win, but if you can go there and run well in a $5 Million race, it doesn’t get much better than that.
“Us blokes, we will never get another horse good enough to run in a Group 1, let alone an All Star Mile.”
(L-R) The Harrovian’s part-owner and former trainer Stephen Massingham and owner Tom Hedley. Picture: Trackside PhotographySource:The Courier-Mail
News that The Harrovian would be able to fly to Melbourne eased Hedley’s concerns and the plan has now been set in stone, with the Futurity Stakes on February 20 the lead-up.
Last week Brisbane Broncos and Queensland Maroons star Corey Oates threw his support behind Team Harrovian and urged fellow Queenslanders to do the same.
“He’s the only Queensland horse nominated for the race and as Queenslanders we should all get behind him,” Oates said.
“Hopefully he gets into the race. I’m planning on him being number one vote (getter).”
Oates said The Harrovian’s winning streak is not dissimilar to some of the miracles the Queensland Maroons have pulled off over the years, including last November’s State of Origin series.
“He doesn’t give up. On his last race, watching that race was unbelievable,” Oates said. “A lot of people thought he was gone. He’s a winner. That’s the Queensland spirit and we do it when all the odds are against us.”
Dual Group 1 winner Behemoth was heading voting yesterday afternoon from Arcadia Queen, Greysful Glamour, Verry Elleegant and The Harrovian.
Rounding out the top 10 are Russian Camelot, Mr Quickie, Still A Star, Probabeel and Crosshaven.
Broncos star Corey Oates with trainer Toby Edmonds and The Harrovian. Picture: Michael McInallySource:The Courier-Mail
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Star filly Isotope has the Darby Munro Stakes on Golden Slipper day pencilled in as her return to racing after coming up unscathed from her mishap in last week’s Magic Millions Guineas.
Trainer Tony Gollan has no fears if the tracks are a little softer in Sydney during the autumn and is lining up the Group 2 $500,000 Arrowfield Sprint (Royal Sovereign Stakes) on April 10 as a target and barometer of where the filly sits in the pecking order of Australian three-year-olds.
Stablemate Jonker could also have a run in Sydney, possibly the Group 1 The Galaxy, before heading home for the Doomben 10,000 in May.
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For a horse who had just bounced back into the winning circle, Batangas Entry had some tough love from Kelly Schweida and Jim Byrne post victory.
“He’s such a big dopey baby,” Byrne said, before revealing the three-year-old “tried to do a U-turn” on him at one stage.
“He just floated the whole way. He floated out of the barriers, he floated in behind them and then he floated all the way up the straight. I think he might be a much better chaser.”
Schweida said Batangas Entry hasn’t filled out yet and he’s convinced there’s more in the tank than what’s been shown to date, despite him having a margin to spare yesterday.
“He’s not yet showing me in a race what he can do at home,” Schweida said.
“I still don’t think he’s there yet. He’s still raw-boned and I think you will see a better horse in six months.”
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Punters are having a tough time working out Dissolution.
Sure, he doesn’t win out of turn, but he’s pretty consistent and he’s now won three of his past eight for Vandyke and those who have stuck by him would be a long way in front.
He notched his third win for Vandyke yesterday, SP-ing at $18, having won three starts earlier as a $21 chance and before that at $5.
Vandyke instructed Mark Du Plessis to stay out of trouble and allow Dissolution plenty of time to wind up.
He carried out the plan perfectly and Dissolution had a head of steam up when he collared the ever consistent North Afrika inside the 100m.
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A huge roar went up when Roman Aureus and Desert Lord crossed the line in the last, but it was unclear as to which camp the cheer belonged.
Brian Wakefield revealed it was the Roman Aureus crew, but the slow motion replay had a few in the team a little unsure.
“I might have gone the early crow. Then when (I saw) the slow mo I thought shit … it’s a deceiving angle in that stand,” Wakefield said.
Originally published asGollan guiding Garibaldi back up the grades
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