Horsing Around: 20/7-26/7

A look into the wonderful week of horse racing to catch you up on all the things you may have missed at home and abroad.

Drama in Perth: But Not That Perth

A bizarre finish to the 4.40pm at Perth in the UK on Tuesday as jockey Nathan Moscrop was suspended for 10 days after failing to pull up his mount after appearing to turn lame over the final fence. 

One of 6 runners the Rebecca Menzies-trained “Im Too Generous” was the sole finisher of the race after all the other runners pulled up throughout the race.

The Ten year old was left to go it alone after the third fence from home and was eased down going over the final two fences with no one left to challenge. It was only on coming over the final fence Moscrop stayed aboard the horse to ride over the finish line despite the horse appearing to struggle after the final jump.

Watch the race here: https://www.racingpost.com/results/41/perth/2020-07-21/760209

North Melbourne’s On The Ball: Pagan Gets First Win As A Trainer

In the first edition of Horsing around we talked about former two time premiership winning trainer Denis Pagan making the transition into the equine training arena.

On July 4th Pagan was granted his training licence and its not taken long for the the former North Melbourne coach to get his first win chalked up in a maiden race at Ladbrokes Park Hillside on Wednesday. 

Pagan had his fourth starter Frankie Two Angels in the Ladbrokes Same Game Multi Handicap over 1300m and he had to work all the way to the line to get the win.

Covered by Racing.com the $7.90 shot was fourth on turning the corner chasing the leaders when he showed an impressive turn of foot on the 200m to close the gap and pull clear in the final 50 metres to beat Rueder, 2nd, Big Day Out, 3rd, and race favourite Melba Storm finishing unplaced in 4th.

https://twitter.com/Racing/status/1285767676246319104

"It's exciting, I was really pleased with the way Lachie (King) rode it and couldn't have been more pleased with the result," Pagan told racing.com.

"It's good, exciting stuff. It keeps you young."

Old Warhorse Breaking New Ground: Champ Criterion Stud Sees First Metro Win

Criterion will be held in high regard for racing fans after running a stellar career ending in 2016. The son of Sebring, will be best remembered for wins in the 2014 running of the Queen Elizabeth and Caulfield Stakes as well as winning the Australian Derby and Rosehill Guineas in 2015. 

Sent to stud in 2016, Criterion stood his first season at $37,750 but with a host of fertility issues meaning his stock dropped with just 19 foals from 110 mares.

The crop is beginning to come good now though with Blaze A Trail being his first winner at Hawkesbury last month and now being followed up with his first metro win with Yardstick for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

Winning jockey Nash Rawiller believes Yardstick won’t be out of place in an early season three-year-old stakes race.

“He’s a ripping colt that’s done everything right so far,” Rawiller told Sky Racing. “Every time he’s stepped out he’s improved a little bit.

“There’s a bit of form in that race, against some race fit horses but his ability has carried him through, had a good blow and should improve a lot from the run.

“Hopefully he can build into the early part of the spring and have a crack at something at Listed or Group level.”

Watch the race replay here: https://racing.racingnsw.com.au/FreeFields/VideoResult.aspx?MeetDate=2020Jul22&VenueCode=MzQxMDg4&RaceNumber=1&MeetingCategory=Professional&VideoFileType=FullReplay

Controversy: Alligator Blood Stripped of Gold Coast Triumph

Queensland trained gelding Alligator blood has been stripped of his win of the 3yo Magic Millions Guineas after returning a positive sample for the banned substance Altrenogest.

Alligator Blood won the race on the day by over 2 lengths taking home a $1.16m return for owners and connections. 

Trainer David Vandyke attended a stewards enquiry on Thursday in a meeting that was held behind closed doors. At the meeting the decision to strip the gelding of the win was upheld and the owners and connections were subsequently stripped of the $1.16m purse for winning the race.

Vandyke was also slapped with a $20,000 fine for presenting a horse with a banned substance whereas owner Allan Endresz who had been vocal in the lead up to Thursday has vowed to continue to fight to clear the geldings name. 

As a result of disqualification of Alligator Blood, Gregory Hickman trained Eleven Eleven will now be promoted to race winner with Exhilarates and Hightail taking 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Three is the Magic Number: Enable wins third King George

Wonder horse Enable chalked up another historic moment overnight when at 3.35pm local time at Ascot she took out a third successive King George under the ride of Frankie Dettori.

The John Gosden trained mare tackled the race with only Aiden O’Brien trained pair Japan and Sovereign the other runners after he withdrew a third runner Anothony Van Dyck. 

It was a largely tactical race with little change in the order throughout. William Buick aboard Sovereign took the lead and looked to build a big advantage with Japan stalking Enable at every turn. Coming into the final straight there was little cause for concern as Enable slashed the 5 length lead and with Dettori turning round to see where Ryan Moore and Japan were in the straight he kicked on to take out the third title.

An emotional Dettori, who timed his attack perfectly to overhaul a tiring Sovereign in the home straight, said: "She's so consistent. She made it look so easy.

"She's six, she's not a spring chicken, so to put on a performance like that is great.

"I love her, she's touched my heart."

You’re a Wizard William: Pike Double Breaks National Record

Western Australia’s William Pike struck twice at Belmont over the weekend to see him break his own record for winners in a single season in Australia. 

Pike went into the meet looking for one win to level his 2018/19 total of 234. It wasn’t until race 5 when he got the score aboard $1.75 favourite Truly Great he managed to equal that tally and then broke the record aboard Inspiration Girl in the eighth. 

It was a popular win for the punters on the day seeing the favourite for the Bob Peters stable being crunched from $2.30 to $1.70 before the jump. 

PIke definitely will have a lot of season highlights to look back on but none more so than gaining double G1 success in the Railway Stakes and $5m All Star Mile at Flemington aboard Regal Power. 

Eye Catching Run: Daughter of American Pharoah Get Strange Win In Japan

Reframe, the daughter of superstar American Pharaoh recorded her first win this week when she took out a very strange victory in Niigata, Japan. 

The 2yo was sent out at 10-1 to take out the Newcomer Mile and seemed to be travelling well when initially landing midfield. 

With Jockey Takuya Kowata aboard Reframe was quickly moved up to take the lead after appearing to lose control with gear issues. It turned out that the saddle for the horse had shifted and Kowata had lost his right footing. 

When entering the straight to real chaos insued as Reframe shifted the width of the track to take up the running on the stand side rail. Despite shifting 50m to the right the horse was able to hold on and take out the race. 

Should the stable be able to get her going straight in running she’ll definitely be one for the future. 

https://twitter.com/LongBallToNoOne/status/1286869786987646976?s=20

Spring Watch: Magical Makes It 6 G1s

One to watch for punters coming into Spring is the Aiden O’Brien trained Magical as the champion runner register a 6th Group 1 success in the Tattersals Gold Cup at the Curragh in Ireland on Sunday. 

Magical had won the race the previous year when beating home the field by 7 lengths and it was a similar margin this time around striding to the front before kicking clear in the straight. 

Winning over 2000m it’ll put the O’Brien star right in the mix for Australian racing should the current situation permit and Betfair have already upheld the 14-1 price for the 5yo Mare to win Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp

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