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Jockey Zac Spain has been suspended for a month to take effect immediately after he failed a breath test at Warrnambool on Wednesday.
Spain was stood down immediately from his two rides on the second day of the three-day May Racing Carnival and will not be able to ride at the Thursday meeting after he recorded a reading above the limit set for riders of .02.
Spain had to be replaced by Madison Lloyd on Polanco in the Wangoom Handicap while Damien Thornton took over his ride aboard Exalted Crown in the ninth event.
It is understood that all jockeys that rode at Warrnambool on Wednesday were breath-tested before being permitted to take their mounts.
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Moonee Valley Racing Club won t start finalising its Cox Plate international wish list until Racing Victoria s Melbourne Cup report and recommendations for international competitors is released.
MVRC has long tried to attract some of the best-weight-for-age stars in the world to the Cox Plate and the club is already keeping a close eye on horses that could receive invites.
However, the findings and recommendations from the report, which is due shortly, could impact which horses are likely to fly to Australia for the Spring Carnival.
The report, which has been completed by RV and the Victoria Racing Club, is likely to recommend new requirements that horses must meet before being allowed to compete Down Under in the spring.
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Damian Lane will be watching this year s Japanese Classics from home but hasn t abandoned thoughts of riding in Japan this year.
Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of when Lane rode Salios into second behind Contrail in a memorable G1 Japanese 2000 Guineas (2000m) at Nakayama. The same horses provided the G1 Japanese Derby (2400m) quinella a month later, Lane and Salios again forced to settle for second.
Lane has made three visits to Japan since 2019 and is available to apply for a two-month stint on the JRA circuit during 2021. Japan are still taking foreign visas so I m hopeful of maybe riding there at the end of the year, after our Melbourne Spring Carnival, but it s all ifs and maybes, Lane said.
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Widden Stud has announced dual Group 1 winner Russian Camelot will stand at their Victorian property.
And in a further boost to Victoria’s breeding ranks, he will be joined by talented three-year-old Doubtland.
Russian Camelot, who was retired after his second placing in the All-Star Mile due to a tendon injury, will stand for $22,000.
The northern hemisphere bred star won the Group 1 SAJC Derby at just his fifth race start last year, and then took out the Underwood Stakes in the spring.
He ran third in last year’s Cox Plate behind Sir Dragonet, before taking on the Melbourne Cup.
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The Hong Kong Jockey Club purchased two eye-catching colts for a total outlay of AU$675,000 (approx. HK$3.996 million) at the recent Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
The Club’s highest price purchase was Lot 459, a good-looking son of Savabeel - New Zealand’s six-time Champion Sire - knocked down for AU$400,000. The colt is closely related to Shamexpress, winner of the G1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m), while his sire leads the current Stallion Premiership in New Zealand, and nearly a fortnight ago notched his 22nd individual G1 winner as Mo’unga claimed the Rosehill Guineas (2000m).
Not least, the recent heroics of Probabeel - a three-time G1 winner - has enhanced Savabeel’s tremendous record at stud, while this current Hong Kong racing season he has sired 11 winners including smart debut victor Killer Bee, as well as 38 other top-three finishers.