Scone previews: Boutique fare on offer in nation's horse capital

News.com.au

2 days ago

Trainer Greg Hickman is on the hunt for a double in the Nation's thoroughbred capital on Monday with horses designed by two of the industry's most successful, and longest serving, boutique breeders.
First of the pair out of the blocks is the two-year-old filly Vincetio who was born and raised at lush 'Ruane' at Menangle in the Camden district southwest of Sydney.
Vincetio was retained by her breeder John Baxter who is best remembered as the owner/breeder of the crack filly With Me whose seven stakes-wins included back to back Moir Stakes, the extinct Brambles Classic and Gosford Slipper, as well as the race now known as the Robert Sangster Stakes.
Of course, With Me's most memorable, nay, unforgettable win, came in the 1991 Oakleigh Plate when and where she ran 1.02:80 seconds to beat Paklani and Joanne despite jumping from barrier 18 of 18.
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Baxter sent With Me to Canny Lad (the horse she finished runner-up to in the 1991 Golden Slipper) in her first season at stud, resulting in Jack and Bob Ingham's Galaxy and Doomben 10,000 winner Accomplice.
As for Vincetio, consecutive trials wins at Warwick Farm and Rosehill set a cautiously optimistic tone in the camp ahead of her debut on the Kensington track on June 25.
The daughter of Golden Rose winner Astern raced in behind the speed but faded in the straight to clock in with only one behind her in what was a surprisingly underwhelming effort, even to those who know her best.
'I haven't got a clue,'' Hickman said.
'I just think the occasion might have got to her. She looks a nice quiet filly but if you change her from her box to another box, she does get very upset.
'So I am hoping that's what it was and she's done well at home (since).'
Vincetio will have a stablemate to keep her company on the trip from Warwick Farm to Scone on Monday from her four-year-old stablemate Annoint.
This royally-related gelding was also bred by one of the sport's most successful breeders and racehorse owners namely John Muir.
Annoint was one of 103 foals that sprung from The Autumn Sun's first crop that arrived in the 2022 spring.
The then colt was part of Muir's Milburn Creek draft at the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where he was knocked down to Hickman for $100,000.
Annoint was the first foal of his dam, Bishop's Pond, who managed six wins from 1600m to 2200m in the USA.
Included among them were Listed features in the bordering States of Maryland and Delaware, both by five and a half lengths.
Bishop's Pond is a one of only six daughters in Australia sired by the two-times American Horse of the Year Curlin whose 2025 stud fee is US$225,000 despite him turning 20 at the start of the year.
And while Annoint is still circa $30,000 short of paying for himself, he is getting there, albeit in instalments.
'He's a horse, to put it nicely, [that] is only average,'' Hickman said.
'If we put him through the sales, we wouldn't get $5000 for him but he won that last start.
'He doesn't mind the sting out of the ground, hence why we are keeping in work in winter time.
'The only negative is that he has been up a while but he is a happy horse and he's done well since his last start.'
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Piper happy to pay up for Cheap Gas at Scone
Mudgee trainer Derek Piper will load stablemates and siblings Hannah's Bridge and Cheap Gas onto the float on Monday for the two-hour trip to Scone.
The pair account for exactly half of Piper's in-work string at present, both horses foaled out of one of his former residents, Talk Is Cheap.
'We raced the mare in partnership with some friends of ours,'' Piper said.
'She only won the one race, she was never the soundest horses in the world but she had a bit of ability but we never really saw the best of her really.'
Talk Is Cheap's lone salute came at Orange on April 8 in 2016 when ridden by Jake Pracey-Holmes.
'JPH' will ride Talk is Cheap's daughter Hannah's Bridge at Scone on Monday as was the case when she made her eye-catching debut at Dubbo on June 29.
Piper's filly was set a task prior to the race having been dealt barrier 14 of 14.
Still with only one other horse behind her on the turn, Hannah's Bridge finished sixth, beaten a diminishing four-lengths.
'I thought from that outside gate that she was good,'' Piper said.
'She's drawn well on Monday so hopefully she can repeat that sort of run
'We'll certainly ride her with the aim of being closer for sure. Hopefully Jake will have her just in behind the speed somewhere.
'I don't think Monday's race is any harder (than the Super Maiden at Dubbo) although there are quite a few Newcastle horses in the race so you wouldn't know what comes out of them.'
Hannah's Bridge's four-year-old brother Cheap Gas meanwhile is on a quest for his third career win when he steps out in the Clive Duddy Memorial Benchmark 66 Handicap (1200m).
Piper's cleverly-named son of Santos has struck form this preparation, deemed as unlucky at Coonamble in June and rock solid in his subsequent start at Tamworth in July.
'He did get a bit of an interrupted run there at Coonamble,'' Piper explained.
'Then at Tamworth, Aaron (Bullock) said he made up good ground that day on a track that no horses were making ground all day.
'He was quite happy with the run apart from the sluggish start.
'He's got winkers for the first time on Monday so hopefully that might just sharpen him up out of the barriers a little bit and he can possie-up a bit handier as well.'