Platinum Racing

Some of our racing friends are having a ball at the moment. It started a couple of Mondays ago when Cowra owner (and great supporter of our stallion Byblos) Les Whilesmith won the maiden at Wellington with Albertminium, a horse that has always shown a good deal of promise.

Albertminium is by Filante and Les has a half brother to Albertminium by Byblos that is currently at the breakers before going into work at Queanbeyan with trainer Tony Sergi.

Then last Sunday week at Queanbeyan Moruya trainer Colbey Hill landed the money with her old horse Conciliatory at big odds. Colbey, who of course, trains Big Red Cat for Platinum Racing has had a lean run out her stable in recent times with a virus and the win was a welcome change of luck.

Last Saturday a mate from Melbourne, Leo Cullen, had his second city winner in Adelaide, when a horse he has shares in Tykook won again. Tykook was ridden by Simon Price for Ararat training team Terry and Karina O'Sullivan and Leo emailed me on Friday expressing a good deal of confidence in the horse's chances.

Also on Saturday Damotime, trained out of our Orange stable by Sylvia Szabo scored a narrow win in the maiden at the non-TAB meeting at Mudgee.

Damotime is owned by a mate of mine Jeremy Pyers and he leased the horse to our racing manager Mick Plummer and a friend of his. The horse has had three starts since arriving in Orange for a win a second and unplaced performance first up.

He goes around again tomorrow in a ratings race at Bathurst.

Glen Alpine landscaper Rob Connors could be set to join the run of luck tomorrow night at Canterbury when a horse he has shares in My Cherie makes her debut in the 1100 metres maiden. She has won a couple of trials and has drawn the inside gate tomorrow night for trainer Chris Waller and will be ridden by Jason Collett.

It will be huge if she can win in town on debut!

MICK GRABS A COUPLE OF BYBLOS':

Queanbeyan trainer Mick Petrovic made the trip down to Kembla today to inspect some of the Byblos two years olds -  and walked away having leased two geldings, one from Nediym mare Absque de neo Nihl and the other from Polka Time.

Mick has long been a fan of the Byblos progeny - and these horses have been broken in and educated and have deverloped quite well - particularly as they did not spend too much of their formative time at the "dog's breakfast" which was Eagle Park Stud in orange operated (if you call it that) by Peter Ward.

Kembla trainer Shane Kember broke in and educated the horses and MIck was very pleased with their confirmation and development.

Hope they win plenty!

CALLENDAR WAS RIGHT:

In his column in the Daily Telegraph last week veteran racing journalist Kenny Callendar was spot on when he said there would be plenty of people relieved that the much mooted Nathan Tinkler/Patinack Farm versus Anthony Cummings contest did not proceed.

I agree with Kenny, but also think it was a bit disappointing it did not proceed - as the outpourings in court would have forced some real changes within the industry.

I suppose it depends which side of the fence you are on!

YOU CAN HEAR THE RUMBLINGS NOW!

There will be some bitchin' and a cussin' if the well fancied imports fill most of the top 10 positions in next Tuesday's Melbourne Cup - and current betting markets indicate that is a distinct possibility.

The response to that is to quote the now (in)famous line of Ma Sheila's "tough titties."

If Australian owners are too dumb to support staying bred yearlings and stallions that have come here - they are simply getting their right whack and they had better get used to it.

But there will be the normal huon cry from the vanquished should the imports take home the major end of the spoils, and from the same people who go to the sales with a canasta pack of owners' telephone numbers they have conned into buying speedy squibs.

I fail to see how they can complain.

BLOODSTOCK AGENT TELLS ME THE GAME IS "TERRIBLE":

I was having a yarn with a well established bloodstock agent the other day on the phone and he tells me the market is currently "terrible".

He was saying that in particular the tried horse market is completely flat and that you "cannot give them away" at the moment.

It could make for a very interesting sales season early in the new year.

BATTLERS HAVING A GREAT TIME:

Apart from the great performances by Sepoy, Black Caviar and the major stables it has been really great to see battlers like Warwick Farm trainer Ron Leemon (Manawanui) and Queanbeyan trainer Neville Layt (Karuta Queen) get among the spoils in Melbourne over the spring carnival.

Let's hope the ride for Leemon and his team of battling owners can continue with Manawanui in Saturday's Gr 1 VRC Derby.