‘TheBudgie’ out to maintain perfect distance record
Metropolitan fancy Thebudgiesmugla (NZ) (Redwood) is unbeaten in five starts over 2400 metres and he will be out to make it six when he lines up in the Listed Drinkwise Cup (2400m) at Randwick.
The six-year-old was one of the revelations of the off-season, winning three of his four starts between May and July, including the Listed Winter Cup (2400m) at Randwick and the Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m) in Queensland.
With the benefit of a recent fourth to Boniface (Make Believe) over a middle distance, Thebudgiesmugla is expected to be hard to hold out at Randwick.
"He was great first-up and he's five from five at the 2400 and gets 2400 again on Saturday," trainer Bjorn Baker's racing manager, Luke Hilton, said.
"It wasn't always in our mind to run Saturday. We were going to give him a bit of time into the Newcastle Cup, but this race came up, and it looked so good for him we decided to run him.
"He is obviously a bit better with his toe in the ground, but he's putting together some good performances on better ground as well."
Thebudgiesmugla sits on the fourth line of early markets for the Metropolitan (Gr.2, 2400m) as an $11 chance, and is a $2.25 top pick for the Drinkwise Cup.
His biggest challenge might be in the form of stablemate So You Are (So You Think).
The latter is a recent addition to the Baker stable, but there was less than a length between that horse and Thebudgiesmugla in both the Winter and Caloundra Cups, while So You Are beat his barn mate home at their last starts.
However, Hilton suspects the horse affectionately known as "Thebudgie" is open to more improvement of the two.
"So You Are had a little bit more residual fitness than TheBudgie first-up," he said.
"He's going to strip a bit fitter as well, but I'd say TheBudgie has got a bit more improvement to come."
Incredibly, Baker only had his first city winner of the season when Appeared (Justify) was successful at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
The top trainer had endured a luckless start to the new term with 7-1/2 seconds – two of them recorded by speedy filly Blue Door (Stay Inside) in stakes races. - RAS Newswire
Maher fillies meet again in Stakes race at Sandown
The Ciaron Maher stable recently scored a top four finish in a maiden race at Sandown.
Two of that quartet head to a Stakes race at Sandown looking to continue the good run of form for the Maher stable.
Saintly Dancer (NZ) (St Mark's Basilica) and Ghana's Akan (Street Boss), who finished one-two in that maiden contest on August 19, head to the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1300m) on Saturday.
Jack Turnbull, the National Assistant Trainer for Ciaron Maher Racing, said the track conditions may have a say in the outcome on Saturday for the stable's two fillies.
Saintly Dancer appreciated the Soft 7 conditions in her Sandown victory, while Ghana's Akan got through the ground but was not as effective.
"Saintly Dancer is up-and-coming and we don't know her ceiling, a bit like with Ghana's Akan," Turnbull said,
"Saintly Dancer profiles like a horse that will get seven or eight (furlongs – 1400m to 1600m) in time.
"She's more your middle distance, scopey type whereas Ghana's I think will be restricted to 1100m to 1400m this prep.
"She's quite speedy and I don't think either filly will have too many excuses on Saturday, provided the track is OK.
"Ghana's probably doesn't want a boggy track."
The track was rated a Good 4 on Friday morning, although rain is forecast, beginning on Friday evening.
Turnbull said in Ghana's Akan's favour on Saturday was drawing barrier four as against Saintly Dancer who is out in gate 10.
Ghana's Akan has raced six times, for three seconds, and has amassed almost $500,000 in prize money without a win.
"Ghana's has always had improvement this campaign," Turnbull said.
"She's looked rough in the coat coming off the back of winter, but both fillies are very exciting."
Apprentice Jabez Johnstone, who rides exclusively for Maher, will have just his third 'Black Type' Victorian ride when he partners Saintly Dancer on whom he won on at Sandown.
"It's good reward for Jabez to retain the ride in a Black Type race," Turnbull said.
Ethan Brown rides Ghana's Akan.
Saintly Dancer was bred by Llanhennock Trust and sold to First Light Racing for $100,000 at the 2025 Gold Coast Yearling sale. - NZ Racing Desk
Public Attention primed for Crawford’s second-season launch
Brett Crawford sends six runners to the opening meeting of the season at Sha Tin on Sunday (6 September), with five-year-old Public Attention (NZ) (Written Tycoon) looking the most likely to provide early-season success.
With his stable running at maximum capacity from the off, it’s a stark contrast to the beginning of his debut campaign last season, when Crawford began with a half-full yard of transferees and didn’t send six or more runners racing until 20 December.
Crawford spoke this week of his rookie 2025/26 season, when he amassed 28 wins at a strike rate of 7.84%, as being “a big learning curve which I think the yard handled pretty well”.
Public Attention, winner of the 2025 Gr.3 Eskimo Prince Stakes (1200m) at Randwick before moving to Hong Kong in July last year, made a promising start to his own Hong Kong career. He finished second, third and fourth in his first three runs before a failed bid at the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m). After another disappointing outing in a Class 3 sprint, the son of Written Tycoon was transferred from David Hayes’ stable to Crawford’s.
After a couple of months away from the track, he returned in better form, delivering two third-place finishes and a fourth under Karis Teetan.
“I think he’s improved a lot,” Crawford said. “He certainly seems to be more focused on his work.
“At the back end of the season, his first two or three runs were soon after gelding. So I think he’s had time to get over that and mature. We’re expecting a good season from him.”
On Sunday, the five-year-old lines up in the card-closing Class 3 Battery Handicap over 1200m, a distance where he has returned his best result in Hong Kong (second). Crawford was buoyed by Public Attention’s showing in a 30 August 1000m barrier trial, where he finished second, making progress behind a runaway Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress).
“It was a good start for him with a nice barrier trial,” said Crawford of Public Attention, who will again be ridden by Teetan. “I think it’s enough to bring him on a lot for Sunday.
“He’s dropping down in class now, from Class 2 to Class 3, so I think he’ll run a very good race,” the South African added.
Public Attention was bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan. He is the first foal out of the twice-winning Commands mare Legramor, whose dam Katie Lee made New Zealand racing history with her unprecedented double in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m).
He was bought by Tom Magnier for $160,000 from Carlaw Park’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2023.
Crawford’s charge will find himself up against a highly progressive sort in Francis Lui’s Gold Patch (NZ) (Ardrossan).
The Ardrossan gelding scored three victories in the first four races of his career last season, and begins his four-year-old campaign with a confident Vincent Ho in the saddle following an impressive showing in a 25 August barrier trial.
“He did well last season,” Ho said. “I think the summer will have improved him. This morning (3 September) he felt good, so I think he should have a chance.
“In the race, if it looks like they will go, he’ll go wherever is comfy. He’s shown good early speed, and we should just let the race pan out. It doesn’t really matter; as long as we have a smooth run, I think he should perform well.” - HKJC
She’s No Saint picture perfect for Sunline Vase
It is often said that a picture paints a thousand words, and one in particular has been speaking volumes to Ruakaka trainer Michelle Bradley as she prepares She’s No Saint (Prague) for the Gr.3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.
“I took a video for the clients yesterday and she was standing perfectly still so I took a photo at the same time,” Bradley said. “I haven’t gone back to look at the photo of her as a yearling and compared the two, but I have sat back and looked at that photo over the last couple of days and I have thought ‘geez, she is developing into a lovely filly’.
“I think she is not far from being fully grown now, she has just got to fill out. You hear of these mares, like Well Written, and I haven’t seen her in person this time back, but it sounds like she has really filled out and matured. That is what this filly has to do now. She has put all her weight over spelling time into growing up. It is just time for her to start growing out and getting stronger, which will happen in time.”
The daughter of Prague is coming of age this preparation, winning her last three starts, including an eye-catching 3-3/4 length victory in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at her home track last month.
“I wasn’t really expecting her to jump out and get it cruisy like she did (last start),” Bradley said. “It was really good to see.”
Bradley said She’s No Saint has come through that run well and she is looking forward to lining her up at Ellerslie on Saturday.
“She has been down to the beach for a bit of a paddle and she seems to be quite happy in herself,” she said. “I am looking forward to it.”
She’s No Saint has drawn the ace barrier this weekend, and while not overly enamoured with it initially, Bradley has warmed to the inside gate as the week has progressed.
“When I first saw it I was in two minds,” she said. “The more I think about it now I am actually quite happy with it. It does give us some options.
“As you head them over ground, I would like her to get a bit of cover, but that is later on. For tomorrow, we will see how the first six races are panning out and how they are racing on the day, how the rail is playing, and go from there.
“There might be a few that jump and want to run, and I don’t want to get her to be in a fighting battle for the lead.”
She’s No Saint has race fitness on her side and Bradley said that could be telling late in the piece on Saturday.
“Some of these horses have only had the one run back and some of them haven’t even had a run back, they have only had trials,” she said. “I have had a couple of races under my belt, but they have been spaced out. I am pretty confident.”
The Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November remains the goal for She’s No Saint, but Bradley said her performance in next month’s Gr.2 Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie will decide whether she continues on that path.
“A Group One is everyone’s ultimate goal, but we have got to get the trip,” Bradley said. “We will get through tomorrow and depending on how we go, 1400m will be the next step. As I have said to the owners, as long as we are competitive over 1400m, then we will carry on.”
Bradley is also looking forward to lining up Iridescent (NZ) (Wyndspelle) in the MyRacehorse 1300.
The daughter of Wyndspelle has won two of her four starts over winter, but will have to overcome her wide alley of 14 on Saturday.
“It (draw) is not ideal, but I am happy with her,” Bradley said. “It is not unusual for her to have a bad barrier draw, and she has got back and rattled on home. She is pretty versatile like that. There is not much you can do about it. We will just see how she jumps and leave it up to George (Rooke, jockey)." - Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith
New Zealand Bloodstock
