Barrier could prove sticky for Von Hauke
Trainer Cliff Brown and his team have worked hard to get Von Hauke (NZ) (Savabeel) to be a relaxed and manageable racehorse.
In his early years, Von Hauke would want to get his races over and done with early, but with maturity and work the gelding has become more tractable.
But it almost all came undone in a recent Mornington jump-out when Von Hauke was up to his old antics of wanting to rip and tear.
Brown was disappointed to see Von Hauke back to his old tricks, although the Mornington based trainer was heartened by the gelding's last piece of work.
"Briar Stobie rode him in his last bit of work, and he was a bit keen early, but then he came back under her really well," Brown said.
"She said to me, 'I'm worrying about nothing', which was good to hear.
"She knows him back-to-front."
After a closing seventh in the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on September 19, Von Hauke heads back to Caulfield on Saturday for the Gr.1 Toorak Handicap (1600m).
Two starts ago, Von Hauke was placed in the Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm and Brown believes the gelding is capable of winning a big handicap one day.
But Saturday's draw of 11 is a concern.
"The barrier is a bit sticky," Brown said.
"For him, he'll get back, and you have to hope they can make ground, but he's capable of winning one of these races one day.
"He's done nothing wrong, his first-up run was excellent, as were several in it too."
Von Hauke was bred by Waikato Stud and is out of the O’Reilly mare Tiara, who is a granddaughter of the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Royal Tiara. - NZ Racing Desk
Linebacker ready to play ball in Alan Brown Stakes
His claim to fame might arguably be a shock barrier trial win over champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress), but Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth) looks to have found the right set-up to put himself back in the race day winner's stall at Rosehill.
The gelding has had early support from $11 into $6 for Saturday's Gr.3 Alan Brown Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill where he will be chasing his first success since last year's Silver Eagle (1300m).
He won that race off a similar build-up – and after surprisingly relegating Ka Ying Rising to third in a 1000m hit-out at Randwick 11 days earlier.
He will again come into Saturday's race exactly 11 days following another strong trial performance, and while the five-year-old hasn't won for almost a year, he has been competitive in some deep form races.
"His first-up run last time in the Canterbury Stakes, he got beaten a length-and-a-half in what turned out to be a good form race. As was the George Ryder (Stakes)," co-trainer Tom Charlton said.
"He gets in with 55-1/2 (kilos), so he's well weighted against some of those top performers on his best form.
"And his run the other day, he couldn't have done any more. It was a sit and sprint. I think he was the only horse to break 33 (seconds) home, and he can't go much quicker than that."
Linebacker will be second-up at Rosehill following a fourth to fellow Alan Brown Stakes contender General Salute (Russian Revolution) in the Bill Ritchie Handicap (1400m).
He is a stakes winner over Saturday's course and distance, and triumphed at the highest level as a three-year-old when he downed Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot) in the 2025 Gr.1 Randwick Guineas (1600m).
While the Alan Brown has only been elevated to black-type status for the first time this year, it has attracted a strong field with Linebacker one of five Group One winners in the A$1.5 million feature.
"It's an incredible field and if it was a Group One, you wouldn't be saying that's wrong," Charlton said.
"It's a very hot race but if he can get a few things go his way, it wouldn't surprise us (if he won)."
Zac Lloyd has the ride on Linebacker, who comes into barrier eight following three early scratchings.
Bred by GSA Bloodstock, Linebacker was purchased out of Haunui Farm’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $160,000 by O’Shea and Suman Hedge Bloodstock.
He is a son of the English-bred Oasis Dream mare Garden Of Swans, who is a half-sister to the Gr.1 Sandown Eclipse Stakes (2000m) winner and sire Mukhadram. - NZ Racing Desk
War Princess chasing Hastings hat-trick
War Princess (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) will be out to complete a clean sweep of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival when she contests Saturday’s Gr.3 Timberspan Spring Sprint (1400m) at Hastings.
The daughter of U S Navy Flag has made a perfect start to her four-year-old season, winning over 1200m and 1300m at the first two meetings of the carnival for Awapuni trainers Peter and Trent Didham.
“We always planned to go all three days at Hastings, and to get the first two wins was very good,” Trent Didham said.
War Princess enjoyed a productive three-year-old campaign, highlighted by victory in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Trentham and a runner-up finish in the Listed O’Learys Fillies’ Stakes (1200m).
She also finished fourth in the Listed Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) before an interrupted run in the NZB Kiwi (1500m) brought her campaign to a close.
“She has really strengthened up all over and acts accordingly, pulling you all around the place,” Didham said. “She’s a strong mare now.
“The end goal has always been to get more black type with her to increase her value for when she retires.”
With seven wins from just 13 starts, War Princess has proven effective on a range of surfaces and is expected to again race prominently.
“She generally sits on the pace,” Didham said. “She had that one run at Tauranga when she came from behind, but she usually puts herself thereabouts and toughs it out to the end.”
Stablemate Omega Boy (NZ) (Time Test) will also line up in the Spring Sprint, with improvement expected following his unplaced first-up effort in the Gr.3 Metric Mile (1600m) at Trentham.
“He wasn’t really race-ready, and the mile first-up was a big ask,” Didham said.
“He has taken a bit longer to come up and we’ve struggled to get the weight off him.
“Hopefully, back to 1400 metres on a better track will see him finish off well late.”
Meanwhile, fellow stablemate Shameless Star (NZ) (Shmaexpress), a four-time winning daughter of Shamexpress who shares the same ownership as War Princess, is progressing well towards a return to racing.
“She’s back in the barn and might head to the trials in three or four weeks,” Didham said. - NZ Racing Desk
Walsh hoping to score some bling at Ashburton
Riccarton trainer David Walsh will take a strong line-up to Ashburton on Saturday, including stakes-performed colt Cool As Bling (NZ) (Hello Youmzain), who will be seeking further black-type in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m).
While still a maiden, the son of Hello Youmzain has shown plenty of promise to date, placing in four of his five starts, including runner-up behind Zafar in last season’s Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m).
Cool As Bling, who holds a nomination for next month’s Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), pleased with his first-up placing over 1400m at Riccarton a fortnight ago, and Walsh has been happy with his progression.
“He has improved a bit with the run and I am quite happy with him,” Walsh said. “He has got a good gate (1), so I hope he gets a nice trip in behind a few. He has always been crying out for more distance, so it should suit him.
“I went out and had a look at the track yesterday and they have put plenty of water on it, so that is good.
“He is nominated for the 2000 Guineas, so he will be needing to show something tomorrow.”
Stablemate Toa Haka (NZ) (Iffraaj) is also on a path towards New Zealand Cup Week next month, where he is nominated for the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m), and he will take his next step towards the feature when he lines-up in the McCrea Painters & Decorators Ashburton Cup (1600m).
“He is still on the improve,” Walsh said. “His coat is a little bit behind and is probably the most backward of any horse in the stable. They will just come right when they are ready.
“He is working well and had plenty of miles in his legs, he just needs another run or two to get him towards the TAB Mile. He is up in the weights but gets a couple off, which is a bit of a help. He is coming along well and whatever he does he will improve with the run again.”
Walsh is also hopeful of a bold showing from Graeme John (NZ) (Per Incanto) in the GD Jones Salute (1200m), where he will carry just 51kg with the assistance of apprentice jockey Tom Wigram’s three-kilogram claim.
“51 kilos makes a big difference,” Walsh said. “But it is a strong field and there are some good horses in there. With these open races, every race is like a Listed race, it will be the same horses running in the Stewards’ (Listed, 1200m) come Cup Week.
“He is a go forward horse, but there is a bit of speed in that race. I would like to see him get a sit in behind a couple, if possible, he has done the donkeywork quite a lot. He has won from behind before so it would be nice if it was a true run race and got a sit in behind.”
Walsh will have a two-pronged attack in the Cochranes Of Canterbury (1400m) courtesy of debut winner Stortford Lodge and Dorothea (NZ) (Proisir), who has placed in her last two outings.
“Stortford Lodge went really well,” Walsh said. “It wasn’t a very strong field that she beat, so she has got to step up for this one. She has got a tricky draw (13), so you have just got to hope for the best.
“Dorothea has improved further and has done really well. Fourth run up she should be peaking. She has got a bit of an average draw (9), but she likes to go forward and race up near the pace. I expect her to run really well.”
Stablemate Phazed (NZ) (Zed) was victorious second-up in the Agraforum Growing Innovation (1400m) on Riccarton’s synthetic track last month, having returned from a 12-month hiatus, and Walsh is looking forward to testing the former Australian on the grass for the second time.
“She comes off a poly win,” Walsh said. “We have only ever given her one run on the grass and that was a year ago and she wasn’t quite right after it.
“She had a kissing spine operation and that’s why she had so long out, but she has come back well, she is nice and bright. She has got a bit of a tricky draw (10), but she is a very genuine mare, she tries hard and hopefully she gets a reasonable run so she can show what she can do on the grass.”
Rounding out Walsh’s seven-strong Ashburton team will be debutant Kemosabe (NZ) (Derryn) in the Agraforum Comcat (1400m)
“He is a nice horse,” Walsh said. “He works well enough to be competitive if he does things reasonably okay.”
Meanwhile, Walsh said stakes performer Zelia (Fierce Impact) is back in full work following a spate of bad luck.
A promising juvenile, Zelia won two and placed in two of her five starts as a two-year-old, including runner-up in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton in April last year.
“She has had a lot of bad luck,” Walsh said of the now four-year-old mare. “She came into work last winter after a break following her two-year-old year and was good and then went lame - she had a fractured pedal bone, which took a long time to come right, so we have given her extra time.
“She basically had six months in a box and then she was out in the paddock for three or four months. She came back into work and then got kicked by another horse in the paddock, which was another bit of a hold up, but she is back in full work now.
“She has had a long time off, so she will have a good steady build-up and maybe look to be racing in the new year sometime.
“She is sound and has grown and filled out quite a bit, she is quite a decent-sized horse. The time hasn’t hurt her, but hopefully things go right and all her bad luck is behind her.” - Joshua Smith
NZ Racing Desk
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New Zealand Bloodstock
🎥 Did you see?
The anticipation is building as the first progeny of our star mare Probabeel edge closer to their racetrack debuts.This week, Azorbeel (3YO filly by Almanzor) and Bizarrebeel (2YO filly by Snitzel) both had their second trials at Matamata as they continue preparations for their first starts.We can’t wait to see the next generation in action.
