Neasham and Archibald get wedding party started with stakes double
By Craig Kerry
Their wedding, The Invitation and twin cups were in the thoughts of co-trainers Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald after they scored a stakes double at Randwick on Saturday.
The couple, who get married on Thursday, secured front-running group 3 wins with Lilac and Bois D’argent on the final program of the Sydney autumn carnival.
Annabel Neasham speaks with jockey Ethan Brown after Bois D’argent’s win.Credit: Getty Images
The $2 million The Invitation (1400m) appeared a target for Lilac after she capped a consistent campaign with victory in the James HB Carr Stakes (1400m) for three-year-old fillies.
Lilac ($3.60) had finished top four in her three group-level fillies races this time in without a win, but broke through with a front-running ride from James McDonald on Saturday.
The daughter of Justify, already a listed winner in Melbourne, beat the fast-finishing More Territories by a long neck and will likely go for a spell before returning for spring targets.
“It was so deserved, she’s been brilliant all preparation, there and thereabouts, running great races,” Neasham said.
James McDonald rides Lilac to victory in the James H B Carr Stakes.Credit: Getty Images
“I thought she ran a gallant race two weeks ago and we were keen to end the prep on this run, and we were just happy we could get James on. He rated her perfectly, cuddled her to the top of the rise and she was very tough late.”
She said the Invitation, a mares and fillies race at Randwick on October, was among many options for Lilac in the spring.
Eight-year-old Bois D’argent then repeated the dose two races later, leading all the way to win the JRA Plate (2000m) by two and third lengths under Ethan Brown. Hezashocka and New Endeavour filled the minors.
“He’s a beautiful horse, but I don’t think he’s won since the Doomben Cup last year,” Neasham said of Bois D’argent.
“Last prep, he didn’t come up at all, so we abandoned ship and put him away, and he’s come up really well. His first-up run behind Pride Of Jenni was quite big. I thought he ran OK last start, he was just a bit fresh in the run, but today I thought Ethan rode him beautifully, rated him perfectly.”
Brown later claimed the group 1 All Aged Stakes with Ciaron Maher-trained Jimmysstar.
Neasham said a Doomben Cup defence was on the cards for Bois D’Argent.
“Whether we go straight there, or go via the Hollindale, we’ll just see how he is, but Queensland is certainly on the radar,” she said.
Colt opens up Derby shot
Trainer Adrian Bott was eyeing the Queensland Derby with Shangri La Spring after the Castelvecchio colt bounced back from a disappointing Carbine Club Stakes (1600m) run to take out the Frank Packer Plate (2000m) at Randwick.
A $16 Sportsbet chance on Saturday after leading and fading to finish fourth in the Carbine, Shangri La Spring had an easier time in front under Tim Clark and kicked clear of odds-on favourite Swiftfalcon before holding off Firm Agreement by three-quarters of a length. Swiftfalcon, which changed tactics under Tyler Schiller to race forward in second spot, weakened to come fourth.
Bott hoped to stretch Shangri La Spring out to 2400m for the Queensland Derby at Eagle Farm on May 31.
“I wanted to try to get him here into the ATC Derby,” Bott said.
“We gave him a short turnaround off the back of his winter campaign and just thought we would give him that option. But it’s just taken a bit longer to get him fit to where we wanted, so we thought Carbine-Frank Packer was a better program, then we can aim up if we tick those boxes.
Shangri La Spring wins on Saturday.Credit: Getty Images
The race started late after a mix-up with saddle cloths between No.3 Plymouth (jockey Mark Zahra) and No.5 Tenbury Wells (Jason Collett) was spotted and corrected.
Joe Pride-trained, Jamie Melham-ridden Mazu claimed the other group 3 of the day, the Hall Mark Stakes, beating stablemate Coal Crusher by a length and a quarter. Pride said Mazu would likely race on to the Queensland winter carnival.
“He’s a weight-for-age winner, he’s a Doomben 10,000 winner,” Pride said.
“The sprinters probably aren’t at that elite level this year so we’ll probably freshen him up and give him a couple of targets in Brisbane.”
Despite a busy day in the stewards room, only Tommy Berry copped a suspension. He was given a six-meeting penalty for his ride on Fugitiva in the first. Already suspended until May 1, Berry will now be back for the Coast meeting at Gosford on May 10.
Hickman buy Bjorn again
Warwick Farm trainer Greg Hickman quipped that Glounthaune was “Bjorn again” after he snared a Midway Handicap win with the six-year-old Irish-bred gelding at Randwick on Saturday.
Glounthaune nosed out Mailata in the 1400m benchmark 72 to put Hickman and co-owner Paul Rolfe well in front after they bought the former Bjorn Baker-trained galloper for $30,000 online last October.
It was Glounthaune’s first win in four starts for Hickman, after three unplaced runs at Rosehill.
“I bought it off Bjorn, and they reckoned I wouldn’t be able to improve it, but he’s Bjorn again,” Hickman said.
“I always thought he was a Randwick horse. He’s a lovely old horse and we just worked out that he wasn’t a stayer. His best distance is probably 1400, 1600.”
Gibbons weighs in for comeback win
Dylan Gibbons was relieved after pushing pick-up ride Ballinderry Sal to victory a kilogram over for Scone trainer Rod Northam in the Highway Handicap at Randwick.
It was Gibbons’ first Saturday city winner since returning last month from four and a half months out following shoulder surgery. He was allowed to ride Ballinderry Sal a kilogram over, at 55kg, after getting the late call-up on the emergency. His only other ride on the day was in the first at 56.5kg.
Ballinderry Sal, a $31 chance, overhauled Win The Day late by a short neck.
“I feel good,” Gibbons said.
“I was a bit worried because when I picked this up, I’d have to ride a kilo over because I enjoyed the Easter Show a bit too much yesterday, so when we got close, I had to make sure I got the job done.”