It’s hard keeping the lid on a horse with untapped potential but that’s the best plan of attack with Domination.
The latest son of Vinery Champion All Too Hard to emerge after being given time to mature, he looked every inch a star of the future winning a Balaklava maiden a fortnight ago. Pre-race mail from the McEvoy stable saw him start a $1.28 favourite first-up and he was never in danger on the way to a five-length demolition.
Domination has accepted for the Happy Birthday Jenny Dale Hcp (1000m) at Morphettville on Saturday and has opened an even-money favourite with the corporates. “He was very good breaking through last time and will be hard to beat,” assistant-trainer Calvin McEvoy said on Friday. “But we’ve had plenty of rain this week and it will be a wet track.
“He been going extra well at home, even so, we haven’t planned anything ahead of tomorrow. Let’s see him do the job and then we will step him up in trip.”
The McEvoys also prepare All Too Hard’s last-start Oaklands Plate LR winner Unfair Dismissal and his Werribee debut winner Divanation who is from Melbourne Cup legend Makybe Diva.
All Too Hard finished 2017-18 as Australia’s leading second-season for winners and he was straight out of the blocks this season with the Pat Hyland-trained Annunciate at Geelong on Thursday.
MORE THAN READY can add another new Stakes winner in Canada on Saturday when Maritime Breeze makes her black-type debut in the Shady Well Stakes LR.
Maritime Breeze is a homebred for Benjamin Hutzel and trainer Micheal De Paulo and they won the 2009 Shady Well Stakes (1100m) with her dam Maritime Passion. “The mother was a real good racehorse and she’s been a good broodmare for us and we’re excited about this filly,” said De Paulo. “We thought we would take a chance and run her in a stakes race even though she’s still a maiden.”
Maritime Breeze got off to an unlucky start in her career debut on June 2 at Woodbine when she was bumped at the start and finished fourth, but heads into the Shady Well off an improved third-place effort on June 30. “At her first start, she didn’t break that well and it kind of cost her, but her next race was a real good race – she got beat a couple of necks,” De Paulo recalled. “And she’s trained on well so we’re hoping for a good result.”
More Than Ready also has Uni nominated for the De la Rose Stakes LR at Saratoga. The French-bred mare won the Prix Matchem LR at Maisons-Laffitte before transferring to trainer Chad Brown for a Group 2 victory in the Sands Point Stakes in New York.
Uni is part-owned by Robert LaPenta who also races More Than Ready’s last-start Belmont Derby Gr.1 winner Catholic Boy. He is being set for the Travers Stakes Gr.1 at Saratoga on August 25.
TESTA ROSSA has promising colt Hoges nominated for the Protect Our Industry Hcp (1100m) at Scone next Tuesday. He was a very impressive juvenile winner at the same track on July 23 for local owner-trainer John Ramsay and is bred to make the grade in town.
His dam Superb Lady (Canny Lad) was Group 1 placed in a Flight Stakes and her earlier foals include More Than Ready’s The Shorts Gr.2 winner Fritz’s Princess.
Testa Rossa received further good news out of Perth this week when owner-breeder Bob Peters confirmed Enticing Star would be set for the Winterbottom Stakes Gr.1 at Ascot’s summer carnival.
Now a 5yo mare, Enticing Star is unbeaten in 7 starts and was mooted as a target for The Everest slot-holders before Peters indicated she would be staying in the west for the remainder of this year.
Testa Rossa’s former WA mare Ellicazoom is building up for a Melbourne campaign at Lindsay Park after changing hands for $420,000 at Perth’s Magic Millions Winter Sale in June.
Trainer David Hayes is confident Ellicazoom – a Group 2 runner-up at Caulfield – can make an impact during the spring carnival. “She was already in work when I got back from England last month,” Hayes said. “She has a good race or two in her for sure.”
2018 VINERY STUD STALLION PARADES
Join us for our annual Open Days when all 7 stallions will be paraded.
Saturday 25th August
8:30am breakfast for 9am parade
Sunday 26th August
8:30am breakfast for 9am parade
Our parades run for 30-40 minutes, giving you plenty of time to attend surrounding farms.
All welcome, RSVP is essential.
