News

All Too Hard heads nominations

4th Feb 2013

Racing Victoria - by Ben Asgari - Monday, 4 February 2013

Caulfield Guineas winner All Too Hard heads an impressive list of 11 nominations for Saturday’s $400,000 Sportingbet C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m), the first leg of the G1 middle-distance championship.

The Team Hawkes-trained colt is set to make his first racetrack appearance since finishing a narrow runner-up behind Ocean Park in the $3 million Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) in October.

Should the half-brother to champion sprinter Black Caviar wish to add a second Group 1 to his resume, he may go head-to-head with the 10 x Group 1 winner (8 x NZ) King Mufhasa who is nominated to make his debut for new trainer Bruce Wallace.

Other stand out entries include the quartet of Anthony Freedman’s Doomben Cup victor Mawingo, Railway Stakes winner Mr Moet, the exciting unbeaten Callanish and Mike Moroney’s Wall Street who are all targeting the $1 million bonus available to any horse that can capture all three legs of the G1 middle-distance championship.

Another highlight on an outstanding nine race program promises to be the $220,000 Group 2 Hyland Race Colours Autumn Stakes (1400m) for the three-year-old’s which boasts a quality list of 15 entries.

November’s Victoria Derby quinella of Fiveandahalfstar and Super Cool immediately capture attention among a list that also includes Bart Cummings’ Carbine Club Stakes winner Lunar Rise, the Peter Gelagotis-trained Hvasstan, Mick Kent’s unbeaten Philippi and the Team Williams-trained Wales who hasn’t been since his impressive debut victory in the Listed Blue Sapphire Stakes last April.

Former Hong Kong champion Good Ba Ba heads 13 nominations in the $150,000 Group 3 Herald Sun Carlyon Cup (1600m) with the three-time Hong Kong Mile (1600m) winner set to have his first start over his pet 1600m distance since joining Rick Hore-Lacy’s Caulfield stables.

Fellow high-profile imports Prairie Star and Foreteller have also been entered, with both likely to use the Carlyon Cup as a launching pad to the $1 million Darley Australian Cup (2000m) in March.

Peter Moody’s honest sprinter Golden Archer headlines 14 entries in the $150,000 Group 3 Schweppes Rubiton Stakes (1100m) with the gelding one of three nominations alongside Pat Hyland’s Shanghai Warrior and the Andrew Sawden-trained Big Buddie entered in the $1 million Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m).

The Blue Diamond picture looks set to become clearer on Saturday with the two $150,000 Patinack Farm Blue Diamond Preludes (1100m).

Preview winner Dissident heads a list of 12 nominations in the colts and geldings edition which also includes the unlucky third placegetter Thermal Current as well as the Gai Waterhouse-trained Marseille Roulette, while the Darley pair of Guelph and Montsegur lead 11 entries in the fillies version.

Other highlights on the card include the $150,000 Group 3 Programmed Property Services Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) for the mares as well as the $120,000 Listed Kevin Hayes Stakes (1200m) for the fillies.

Click here to view the full list of nominations for Caulfield’s Orr Stakes program on Saturday