Fituese could be the leader of the talent-winning pack
The Scone meeting may have been held at Rosehill on Saturday, but it has still become a showcase for the future - and there were plenty of horses to note in a black book.
Over the next month, Scone Guineas winner Dawn Passage, Luskin Star victor Ranier and unbeaten two-year-old Macroura will all strut their stuff in the two group 1s still to be staged at the Brisbane winter carnival.
Fituese takes the Denise's Joy Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday.Credit:Getty
But the best of the lot may be Fituese, the promising filly with the Denise’s Joy Stakes now under her belt. She might only have one more run this preparation when, in three weeks at Randwick, she contests the Bob Charley Stakes (formerly the June Stakes).
“I think we can take on the older sprinters with her because she will get a good pull in the weights and nothing fazes her,” Prime Thoroughbreds’ Joe O’Neill said. “She is in the Stradbroke but we can wait to go to that level in the spring. There is plenty of time with her, now she has a black-type win.
“We’ll stay in Sydney and look after her because she is very good, as everyone is seeing.”
The lure of Brisbane is not as strong for many stables due to the difficulties with the Queensland border being closed and an inability to send staff north to look after their horses. Similarly, Sydney jockeys will not ride the carnival because of Queensland health rules.
OWNERS EN ROUTE BACK TO TRACK
Racing NSW is eager to start getting owners back to the races but will follow government advice as it moves towards catering for more people at the track.
The next reassessment of lockdown rules will occur in a couple of weeks, and the governing body has started to plan for owners to be able to watch their horse live, with May 30 looming as the likely date to open the gates.
That would constitute the next step towards a return of punters at the races, though will likely be limited during the first couple of phases of Covid-19 comeback, with an aim of big crowds in time for October's showcase meetings The Everest and Golden Eagle.
DUGGAN DOING IT TOUGH
There is nothing like the sickening feeling of watching Jenny Duggan's fall at Scone on Friday, which came as a sobering reminder that jockeys put their lives on the line in every race.
Duggan is fortunately recovering in John Hunter Hospital, but the list of fractures hints at the impact on landing as she came down the straight – a shattered right shoulder, small break in her left wrist and right heel and a neck fracture, as well as a broken nose.
Duggan does not need surgery on her neck but will be in a neck brace for the next two months.
“That’s all for now I hope! [in regard to the injuries] Thanks again for all your concern. Back before you know it,” Duggan posted on Instagram on Sunday.
'ROY & HG' IN CRAZY DATE WITH STEWARDS
There is an interesting battle brewing between Racing NSW stewards and the Racing Rant podcast, who call themselves the ‘Roy & HG’ of racing commentary.
Glenn Pollett and Marc Lambourne were charged with conduct detrimental to the interests of racing, following a complaint over their comments on April 20 suggesting premiership-leading jockey James McDonald had bet on his own rides. Stewards opened an inquiry and found the rules stipulated the remarks must be sanctioned.
In another twist, Lambourne last week formally lodged his own written complaint with Racing NSW questiong whether the inquiry followed principles of natural justice and procedural fairness. He listed as possible witnesses chief steward Marc Van Gestel, McDonald's manager Mark Guest, Katelyn Mallyon, McDonald’s partner, NSW Jockeys Association chief executive Tony Crisafi and Racing NSW itself.
Lambourne described Racing Rant as “unplanned, unscripted and spontaneous”, adding that a transcript could not have measured the tongue-in-cheek tone of some of the comments.
“We consider ourselves (as do our followers) as the ‘Roy & HG’ of racing commentary;” he noted in the complaint.