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Western Australia s COVID-19 scare has potentially thrown the autumn campaigns of All-Star Mile contenders Arcadia Queen and Regal Power into disarray, with both gallopers unable to trial as planned at Belmont on Monday.
The discovery a security guard had returned a positive COVID-19 test resulted in protocols being put into place in Perth on Sunday, forcing Monday s trials to be cancelled along with the closure of Perth s public training tracks.
Owner Bob Peters said on Monday the cancelled trial could impact on the autumn preparations of Arcadia Queen and Regal Power, especially as the training tracks were also closed as a response to the COVID-19 positive.
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Quality galloper Probabeel will kick off her summer campaign in Melbourne on Saturday when she contests the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
The four-year-old Savabeel mare travelled to Australia last week in preparation for a three-race assignment culminating in the $5 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at The Valley on March 13.
Trainer Jamie Richards is pleased with how his charge has settled into her new surroundings as she goes about her work before her campaign opener this weekend. She will be nominated for the 1200 (metre) Group 3 this weekend, which is a nice way to kick her off over there, Richards said.
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ALL STAR WEIGHT TWEAK NOT OFF TABLE
January 28, 2021 1:57 pm
By Matt Stewart, Racing Editor
The weight conditions of the All Star Mile – great for the star runners but a dream crusher for others – are not set in concrete.
Racing Victoria executive general manager Greg Carpenter said there had been consideration to change the conditions of the $5 million race from weight-for-age to set weights and penalties for this year.
“It had been on the table, it has been discussed and the race is always open for various changes to make it even better but it was decided to keep the conditions as they are for now,” Carpenter said.
LONGINES LISTS AN ANNUAL HEAD-SCRATCHER BUT ALSO REVEAL HARD TRUTHS
January 27, 2021 3:22 pm
By Matt Stewart, Racing Editor
If nothing else, the good folk of LONGINES provide us with an excuse to roll our eyes and slam keyboards.
The World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for 2020, determined by the very official-sounding International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, and sponsored by LONGINES, today released its controversial best lists; best horses of 2020, best races of 2020.
Despite the helpful data used to formulate peak win ratings figures/lists, they are still enormously subjective, particularly “best horse.”
Almond Eye and Magical below Nature Strip? Rigggghhht. Every year, anomalies abound.