Platinum Racing

Trainer Kerry Parker and his band of patient owners are in for the ride of their lives this week as we head towards next weekend's Gr 1 Doncaster Hcp (1600m) with their promising galloper Brilliant Light.

His win in yesterday's Doncaster Prelude at Randwick had exempted from the ballot in next week's feature and the connections have already secured 400/1 about the horse pre-post.

A winner of five of his last six starts, his only defeat coming at the hands of Walking Or Dancing in the Cameron Hcp at Newcastle when he finished second, the son of Fantastic Light was super-impressive yesterday.

I hope for Kerry and his clients that the dream stays alive and they are whooping it up at Randwick next Saturday.

The horse has deserved his ticket to the big dance, as do the owners, as the horse has had a myriad of problems throughout his early career and they have been extremely patient with the horse.

PATINACK PULLS OUT OF INGLIS SALE:

Nathan Tinkler's gargantuan Patinack Farm operation dropped a bombshell today when it announced that it was pulling all 60 mares it had entered for the Inglis Classic broodmare sale this week - citing the "softness" in the market for the reason.

The withdrawl of the Patinack draft will leave a big hole in the catalgoe of some 600 mares.

Tinkler is, however right. The market is not just soft - it is like quicksand at the moment - and I would think that there will be further disappointment for many of the breeders with mares - many in foal to leading stallions - that may bring very little this week.

DOUBLE FOR LYNDA AT NOWRA:

Moruya trainer Lynda Bundy had a big day out at Nowra today with a winning double - Navaho Trail (Grant Buckley) and Moorings Zed (Shaun Guymer).

Lynda is the wife of former jockey Ron Bundy and I have known both her and Ron for more years than I care to remember.

I was pleased to see them land today's double.

PLATINUM PARTNER WINS RIGHT TO RUN IN PENRITH:

Stuart Ayres, a partner with us in Nextanix, trained for us by Kerry Parker, was missing in action from yesterday's Randwick Derby meeting as he had other pressing engagements - contesting the Liberal Party pre-selection to stand for Penrith in this year's Federal election.

Stu won the pre-selection "like Might and Power" as he said in a text to me yesterday afternoon. Stu defeated his opponent in the final ballot 51-31,

Stu is the partner of Senator Marise Payne (who is also in the ownership of Nextanix) and Stu and Marise are currently in the process of building their dream home out in the back blocks in the district.

Just wish Stu had stood for pre-selection in a State seat and joined O'Farrell's front bench as Racing Minister after the State election - we need a racing man in the State Parliament.

EASTER LUNACY!

Racing NSW, Events NSW, and the major race clubs have created a right royal mess by setting firm dates for the Sydney Autumn Carnival.

Next year Derby Day will now be run on Easter Saturday and now we are going to have a rotating feature race meeting on Easter Saturday.

I am not surprised that this lot tinkered with something that wasn't broken. Easter Saturday has been Doncaster Day "forever" and the setting of dates to prevent Sydney from having a "floating" autumn carnival was just too dumb for words.

VICTORIANS HAVING A PICNIC:

Victorian horses are enjoying a monster carnival so far. Littorio won the BMW, Typhoon Tracy won the Queen Of The Turf and Crystal Lily the Golden Slipper and of course yesterday Yosei won the Sires Produce.

And, it may not be over. Of course, Typhoon Tracy takes on the Doncaster next week, Littorio is set to run in the Sydney Cup, Valdemoro and Speedy Natalie look outstanding Oaks chances, so the Victorian trainers are really reaping the benefit of the new carnival structure which minimises Sydney overlapping with the Victorian autumn carnival.

McCOY COMPLETES THE BOOK:

Champion UK jumps rider, Tony McCoy, the most winning jockey in National Hunt Racing history, put the final seal on his career yesterday when he won the Grand National at Aintree on board Don't Push it for legendary jumps trainer Jonjo O'Neill, also giving that trainer his first win the National.

"I am being a wuss here but winning the National means everything to me," McCoy said in tears after the race - an event he had contested 14 times previously without success.

10 times the UK's leading jumps jockey - McCoy has done it all. The win of Don't Push It severely battered English bookmakers, being heavily backed from 25/1 to 10/1.

40 horses lined up in the National, 14 finished - but all fallen horses and jockeys escaped injury.

WALSH BREAKS ARM:

Top flight UK jumps jockey Ruby Walsh will miss the ride on champion jumper Denman in the Scottish Grand National following a fall in the Aintree Hurdle on Friday in which he fractured his arm.

Walsh was leading on Celestial Halo with three jumps to complete when the horse fell and he was kicked by a following runner, fracturing his arm in two places.

DOUGLAS THREE BEHIND BRETT - BUT NOW FOR HIS SUSPENSION:

As we predicted in this column last week Douglas Whyte "blew" his advantage of a free kick against Aussie jockey Breet Prebble as they vie for the title of leading rider in Hong Kong.

Prebble, who at one stage led the premiership by 17 wins, is now only three wins ahead of Whyte following Whyte's treble at Shatin yesterday. But Prebble was suspended for winning the Golden Slipper on Crystal Lily which means he now misses three meetings in Hong Kong.

This was a golden opportunity for Whyte, who then blew it big time in two successive meetings. He was suspended for two meetings following last Sunday's feature race for interference and again at Happy Valley on Wednesday night incurred another two meeting suspension.

It is going to go right down to the wire now the championship.

Aussie trainer John Size appears certain to add yet another Hong Kong trainer's title to his resume - his sixth in the last eight years.

Aussie jockey Zac Purton also had a winning treble at yesterday's meeting.

DYE AND SPITERI YET TO GET OFF THE MARK:

Last season's leading rider Shane Dye is having difficulty getting off the mark after just three meeting in Mauritius this season - remaining winless to date.

Melbourne jockey Aaron Spiteri who is also now based in Mauritius is also winless.

ZENYATTA JUST STELLAR:

Despite a severe prizemoney cut and the absence of Rachel Alexander, wonder mare Zenyatta added the gr 1 Apple Blossom to her record in America yesterday.

This absolute superstar has now won 16 from 16 - including 10 at Gr 1 level!

There is not one superlative that can be added to this freak racehorse's accolades. She is simply something else.

CALLOW, PENGELLY AND AUSTIN SCORE IN MALAYSIA:

Victorian jockey Noel Callow landed two winners at today's Selangor meeting in Malaysia- the second of a two day meeting.

Callow won on Worth The Wait for trainer B.T. Lim and Grand Army for former jockey Richard Lines.

Callow was joined in the winner's circle today by Queensland jockey Brad Pengelly, who scored on Night Shadow for South African trainer Kevin Coetzee.

At yesterday's meeting Aaron Austin, an Aussie with a have saddle will travel attitude, also rode a winner, Admiral Zheng. Aaron started his apprenticeship in Victoria before going to Perth than back to Victoria where he hit some turbulence and trouble from the stewards.

It is good to see he has got his career back on track.

HONG KONG A VICTIM OF ITS OWN SUCCESS:

There was a period of time when jockeys were falling over themselves to get into Hong Kong. It now appears the exact opposite is happening and last year's World Cup winning jockey Aaron Gryder was the latest to ask the HK Jockey Club to release him from his contract this week.

Hong Kong now has the situation where there are two less jockeys than trainers. The future for "club jockeys" (those not attached to major stables) in Hong Kong has become very much harder with jockeys like Douglas Whyte, Brett Prebble, Jeff Lloyd, Weichong Marwing, Matt Chadwick and Zac Purton virtually garnering all the "loose" rides.

Darren Beadman of course is contracted to the John Moore stable.

This year we have seen the departure of French riders Johan Victoire and Gerald Mosse, Gryder has now left to return to the US and this week German rider Andreas Suborics was admitted to hospital for surgery after suffering severe headaches and he will be sidelined for a month.

Several Australian jockeys have recently turned down the offer to go to Hong Kong - as they just do not see how they can "crack" it into the top echelon of riders over there due to the entrenched position of several of the leading freelance riders there.