Is any horse capable of stopping Bel Esprit from winning this Saturday’s Melbourne Racing Club AAMI Blue Diamond Stakes-Gr1?

Not according to the latest markets framed by one of the nation’s largest bookmakers, DoubleBet, which has the all-conquering son of Royal Academy a firm $1.20 favourite.

Bel Esprit’s four victories from as many starts have the bookies keeping him tight in the market, while the exciting Tom Hughes Jnr-trained Delago Brom is on the next line of betting at $7.00.

Pillaging, well beaten by Choisir in the Inglis Classic on 19 January, is rated an $8.00 chance, while Cool Trent, a fast-finishing second behind Bel Esprit in the Blue Diamond Prelude, and Brief Embrace — winner of the Preludes’ fillies division — are currently set at $9.00.

Bel Esprit is also rated a $4.00 favourite for the Golden Slipper, ahead of Choisir $6.00, Calaway Gal $10.00 and Chuckle $13.00.

Interestingly, Rod Nicholson of the Sunday Herald Sun points out that favourites have come up short in the last seven Blue Diamonds, with Paint (at $7.50 in 1996) the shortest-priced winner in that period.

Still, has there been one in the last seven as good as Bel Esprit? We’ll know on Saturday!

Inside Racing Online

And what a race the AJC San Miguel Doncaster Handicap-Gr1 on Easter Saturday is shaping up to be.

While there is many a slip between the lip and the cup, particularly in horse racing, the contenders at this stage include Sunline, Northerly, Lonhro, Ha Ha, Crawl, Royal Code, Shogun Lodge, Dash For Cash and Ustinov.

DoubleBet has installed Sunline at $5.00, while Saturday’s Hobartville Stakes-Gr2 winner Lonhro — unbeaten at three-years-old — is a point shy at $6.00. Many claim that Sunline has been thrown in at the weights, allocated just 58kg compared to Lonhro’s 56kg. Ha Ha, who reversed her form with a commanding victory in the Apollo Stakes-Gr2 at Randwick on Saturday, has grabbed the third line of betting at $7.00. She is also well weighted, assigned to carry just 51kg.

It’s interesting to note that DoubleBet has rated Royal Code a $15.00 chance, ahead of Dash For Cash on $17.00.

Dash For Cash continued his meteoric rise with a classy victory in the VRC Cadbury Guineas-Gr1 on Sunday, defeating Royal Code and Ustinov, with the Doncaster now appearing his main autumn mission.

Scott Seamer, who rode both Barkada and Dash For Cash to Group One glory on the weekend, has had a difficult job made easier when it was decided the former would race in the Melbourne Racing Club Futurity Stakes-Gr1 in preference to the Doncaster.

However, the fact that Glen Boss, riding Royal Code, lost his whip at the top of the straight in the Guineas and was only beaten a short margin by Dash For Cash, may have influenced DoubleBet’s decision to rate Royal Code two points clear.

Northerly, beaten one and a quarter lengths by Barkada in the CF Orr Stakes-Gr1 at Caulfield on Saturday, will have to carry 60.5kg in the Doncaster, but appears good value at $25.00.

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The first session of the Magic Millions Adelaide Select Yearling Sale got off to a shaky start yesterday, with the sale following a similar trend to Sydney, the Gold Coast and Karaka by dropping approximately $3,000 on average from last year’s record-breaking auction.

With 155 lots sold at the opening session, the average price reached $37,826 and the gross $5.8 million, but there were concerns when the clearance rate was only 74% by the close of play.

John Foote and Brian Mayfield-Smith shared the buying honours on day one, with both forking out $130,000 for prize youngsters. Foote, whose seven purchases overall totalled $403,000, paid $130,000 for a Desert Prince colt (Lot 204) from a stakeswinning half-sister to the dam of Group One winner Marstic, while Mayfield-Smith considered the full sister to his flying filly Innovation Girl (Lot 217) was equally attractive.

The sale continues today with 198 lots to be auctioned from 11am, while the Summer Session commences tomorrow.

A full summary of the sale will appear in next week’s issue of Inside Racing Online.

Inside Racing Online

A report from US Blood-Horse claims that the Hong Kong Jockey Club may be a notable absentee from the buying bench at this year’s Australian Easter Yearling Sale, "over the issue of X-raying prospective purchases".

William Inglis & Son Ltd, with support from breeders’ organisations, has refused to allow buyers to X-ray horses prior to purchase — a decision that has generated quite a deal of publicity locally, particularly from leading Victorian trainer Rick Hore-Lacy.

According to US Blood-Horse, "The Jockey Club’s stance has received public backing from owners and associations in both Hong Kong and Australia and has proved to be a rather sticky point with Inglis".

Purchasing some 50 yearlings annually around the world, the HKJC indicated, according to the report, that "it will take its business elsewhere unless the dispute is resolved before this year's sale from 2–4 April".

The report also quoted the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s director of racing, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, who stated: "I respect Inglis’ right to make a business decision, but there are other sales and we will also look at buying privately before yearlings go to the sales."

However, the report adds that Reg Inglis, Inglis’ managing director, said there was still time to come to an agreement.

"We don't see this as a take-it-or-leave-it situation; we are always willing to continue discussions," Inglis told the South China Morning Post. "The HKJC has been an important buyer here for many years and we would love to see the Club buying again this year."

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The victory of Encosta de Lago colt Milkshake in Saturday’s Magic Millions Adelaide 2YO Classic generated the odd email.

Webmaster and breeder Jason Singh reveals that he and a few friends own Milkshake’s dam Bourbazam Lass — a Kendor mare from the family of Omnicorp, Pharostan and Suavity — and sold the colt through Trevor Gluck’s Tremon Thoroughbreds at last year’s Adelaide Magic Millions.

After the colt was purchased for $20,000 by Colin Little, Jason and a couple of his mates couldn’t resist the urge to take a share when Milkshake was syndicated.

Email number two — this one from Tanya Fullarton of Racing Victoria’s Racehorse Ownership department — points out that Milkshake was a ‘Share Market’ horse, promoted in the April 2001 issue of Inside Racing and, in response to the advert, three people invested in the syndicate.

So congratulations all round — it just goes to show you don’t have to be a ‘multi’ to get a good horse.

PS: Jason adds that Bourbazam Lass produced a Hurricane Sky foal last spring and is in foal to Perugino. He also reckons Bourbazam Lass is likely to go back to Encosta de Lago this season. Surprise, surprise.

Inside Racing Online

Seems they have a bit of rivalry going in South Australia, where three horses have filled the placings in successive stakes races at Cheltenham, a fortnight apart.

In the Tokyo City Cup-Gr3 over 1,463m on 2 February, Border Time — carrying 59kg — defeated Real Time (53.5kg) by one and a quarter lengths, with Exalted Lad (51.5kg) a further three quarters astern in third spot.

Meanwhile, in the CS Hayes Memorial Cup last Saturday, Border Time — this time allocated 59kg — defeated Real Time (55.5kg) and Exalted Lad (53kg), who deadheated for second, by one and three quarter lengths.

Interestingly, not one of the trio started favourite in either race. Border Time was a 5–1 pick for both events, while Real Time firmed from 8–1 in the Tokyo City Cup to 3–1 for the Memorial.

Can’t wait for the next time they all meet.

Inside Racing Online

Respected industry figure David Chester has been appointed Managing Drector of Magic Millions Bloodstock.

A constant at Magic Millions since it kicked off trading in 1986, Chester became General Manager in 1995 and replaces Don Hancock in the MD’s role.

Hancock will remain as a Director of MM and as its international director responsible for the company’s sales in Hong Kong, Japan, China, USA, Europe and South Africa.

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An interesting aside to last week’s announcement that Lindsay Park would hold a Classic Collection Sale on 30 April was David Hayes’ revelation in the Australian that the stud is planning on expanding its stallion roster from two to six.

The once-powerful South Australian breeding industry declined in the 1990s, when many of the state’s stallions either died or were ‘poached’ and Hayes’ announcement would be a welcome boost to broodmare owners.

Currently standing Jeune and Fraar, Lindsay Park was home to upwards of 10 stallions in the late eighties, including the likes of Godswalk, Without Fear, At Talaq, Arch Sculptor, Estaminet, Habituate and Salmon Leap.

Chances are you’ll find reference to quite a number of them in the Classic Collection Sale catalogue, which will offer 130 broodmares and 80 weanlings.

Magic Millions, conducting the sale on Lindsay Park’s behalf, proudly announced: "Leading broodmare sires Marscay, Danehill, Zabeel, Bluebird, Rory’s Jester and Sir Tristram will be represented at the sale with mares in foal to a variety of sires including Danehill, Desert King, Fusaichi Pegasus, Danehill Dancer, King of Kings, Desert King, Flying Spur, Danzero, Agnes World and King’s Best. Collingrove Stud's Marju — one of Hong Kong's leading sires — has 15 mares in foal to him on offer."

The enormity of Lindsay Park’s achievements — 59 trainers’ premierships in Victoria and South Australia — underscores the quality of thoroughbred produced on the famous Angaston ‘patch’.

Catalogues will be available in mid-March.

Inside Racing Online