Royal Ascot - Australian horses

G

Grand Armee

At the Start
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Apr 23, 2005
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Only three being sent this year, and definitely not our strongest by a long stretch. They are:

* Gold Trail. A 5yo chestnut gelding by Hussonet out of Trail of Gold. He won his maiden Group 1 race in the time honoured Railway Stakes in New Zealand over the summer. He has also won the Group 2 Shorts at Randwick over 6f and a Listed race. Gold Trail is trained by Gary and Troy Portelli in partnership. The brothers are based out of Warwick Farm in the western suburbs of Sydney. Together they have trained several top horses, including Australian Oaks winner, Rena's Lady, as well as Marwin Gold, Before Too Long, Something Anything, Perfect Crime and Down the Wicket. Gold Trail is their horse to date.

Gold Trail has started 25 times, for 7 wins and 9 placings, accumulating over $600,00 in prizemoney. He has a win ratio of 28% and placing ratio of 64%.

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Photo of Gold Trail courtesy of Dynamic Syndications.

* Alverta. A 6yo chestnut mare by Flying Spur out of Grilse. She broke through for her first Group 1 win over the current autumn in Sydney, by taking out the Coolmore Classic for the fillies and mares. Alverta has always taken on the best in Australia, and will most likely be remembered as the mare that took on Takeover Target in 2007/2008 in Sydney, where she ran him to with a nose of victory in the Listed Razor Sharp Quality over 6f. Her trainer is Paul Messara, the son of one of the world's leading studmasters, John Messara (of Redoute's Choice, Zabeel and Danehill fame). Alverta is his first Group 1 winner, and he has had one of his most successful seasons to date. Having produced the top 2yo Beneteau to Group 3 victory.

Alverta has started 35 times, for 8 wins and 12 placings. She has a win ratio of 22.9% and place chance of 57.81%. Her stakes are just under $1 million.

Interestingly Alverta failed to get in foal last spring to leading sire Charge Forward, so was sent back to Paul Messara to train!

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Photo of Alverta courtesy of Stallions Australia.

* Nicconi. A 4yo bay stallion by Bianconi out of Nicola Lass. He is one of Australia's better sprinters, and is the half brother to the former brilliant galloper, Niconero.
Nicconi is a 2 X Group 1 winner in Australia, who has built up a strong reputation first up, having started 5 times for 4 victories and a third placing.
He is trained by the world renowned David Hayes, and his main aim in Britain is the King Stand's Stakes first up, to cement his reputation as a duel hemisphere stallion.

Nicconi has raced 15 times, for 6 wins and 4 placings. He has a 40% win chance, and 66.7% place ratio.

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Photo of Nicconi courtesy of The Age newspaper.
 
GA what do you know about the two new boys at Godolphin? Both look nice types, Forensics & Cayman Cools.
 
Forensics is the Golden Slipper from 2007, and went on to be quite a good horse as she got older. In Australia she won over AUD$3.5 million in prizemoney, and had three Group 1 victories to her name. To be honest I am surprised she is still racing and going around because she is 6, and has not been in decent form since early 2009.

Cayman (Cools) raced in Australia as Caymans, and was definitely the underrated of the horses sent to Godolphin from Darley. To be honest I don't think we actually saw the best of this horse, because he only started 9 times. But he did manage a Group 2 win in the Sandown Guineas. He was highly competitive as an autumn 3yo, and I am sure he would have been a top handicapping miler here. I do wish he and hope for him to be successful in Europe.
 
Don't forget Starspangledbanner and Denman have been bought by Coolmore and Godolphin though. Both look hot prospects for the sprints.
 
Given your April Fool I thought you might reply to that Kriz! :D

In all seriousness three year old sprinter Denman has been bought and transferred over here. Does anyone know the rules when he runs in the UK? Do they have to change his name, given he shares his name with 'our' Denman?

He would be a very good prospect for RA. They tried to turn him into a miler at the end of his campaign but he is a six furlong horse.
 
Presumably he'll have the AUS suffix..

Love it: "quite a good horse as she got older" "3 Grp 1 victories to her name"

Er, I reckon three Grp 1's makes her better than 'quite good' !!:lol:
 
NICCONI looks the size of a barge in that shot! Is he really that much of a chubster, GA? What is it with you Aussies producing these CHOISIR-style bulls? :lol: I'm surprised that hefty horses cope with your heat and firm going.
 
I like Nicconi Kri, he is a lovely horse, yes a big chunk of a thing, but brilliant on his day. First up almost unbeaten, and over 1000m literally a good thing. They are putting blinkers on him first up, which I think could either a be a great thing, or the biggest mistake of their lives.

Denman, I am still not convinced with him. They tried him as a miler in both the Caulfield and Australian Guineas, but he failed both times. Whether he gets the mile trip is one thing, but they were his grand finals and by all accounts, he looked a good thing well beaten both times.
 
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Nicconi winning the Group 1 Lightning Stakes over 1000m at Flemington on 30th January 2010 - Photo courtesy of Getty Images

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Nicconi winning the Group 3 Ian McEwen Trophy over 1000m at Moonee Valley in the spring of 2009 - Photo courtesy of Lindsay Park
 
Wow - even more powerful-looking in those shots. He's almost got a double bum, like Songsheet's Belgian Blue cattle! (Or British Blue - either way, they've got the most enormous backsides.) Handsome, fit-looking beastie, GA. Great pix.
 
Interesting changes in tack: top pic, heavy webbing girth, no breast girth. Middle pic: thin elastic girth, restraining breast girth. Third pic: as per top pic. Then a change in bits: plain D-ring snaffle top pic, then a short-shank snaffle.

Memo to trainers: don't forget the breast girth when you use elastic girths! Enough saddles have slipped recently without them.
 
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David Hayes always changes the breast plates on the horses, like Gai Waterhouse changes her hat every race day!

Most horses in Australia wear them. Personally I prefer them on, for safety reasons. But then again one of the horses I strapped once actually "choked" because the plate pulled back. He came back coughing like there was no tomorrow.
 
Was just watching some youtube videos for Starspangledbanner and hard not to be very impressed with Nicconi in the Lightning Stakes. Does anyone know where I can get a link to Starspangledbanner's last run, the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington on March 6th?
 
It might be hard to find one DJ. That was the day the races were cancelled after 5 events, and lightning and thunder rolled in on course at Flemington. I tried googling and youtubing it, but to no avail. :( Not sure otherwise.
 
I was actually down at Living Legends in January on the weekend of the 16th and 17th.

Silent Witness, being the absolute gentleman he always is and will be, walked half way across his paddock, to have a pat and kiss.
 
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