Shinn fires after Gai threatens the sack

MELBOURNE Cup-winning jockey Blake Shinn was threatened with the sack from the all-powerful Gai Waterhouse stable earlier this week, but a victory for the combination in yesterday's group 1 Epsom Handicap at Randwick has managed to heal the rift.

Just moments after Rock Kingdom scored in a tight finish, Waterhouse revealed she was on the cusp of dismissing the former Victorian jockey.

''I spoke to him this week and said unless you pull up your socks, you're out of the team,'' Waterhouse said.

''He spoke with an older man yesterday, very quietly. They went through certain things and you saw the way he sat on the side of that horse coming round the turn, normally he would try and take it on.

''You've got to learn the little points. Blake is such a quick-thinking person he immediately took on what the fellow said to him.''

Shinn said later: ''I've been riding winners for everyone but she thought I could improve, she said it wasn't much but in these big races, you need fine tuning.''

After the race Waterhouse also revealed Rock Kingdom needed blinkers to be a competitive chance.

''I told the owners and I told Blake we would be riding him differently and that he would have blinkers, and it's turned out for the better hasn't it,'' Waterhouse said.

Shinn, previously based in Victoria and who was successful on Viewed in last year's Melbourne Cup, managed to stave off a late challenge from Rangirangdoo.

But drama continued after the race when Rangirangdoo's trainer Chris Waller approached chief steward Ray Murrihy to look at protesting against Shinn on Rock Kingdom.

Waller believed Shinn had contravened the whip rules in the last 200 metres. However Murrihy told Waller Shinn had ridden Rock Kingdom with the whip in backhand motion, which is within the rules.

Rock Kingdom could now head to Melbourne but Waterhouse was not in a position to nominate specific races for the galloper.

Rangirangdoo, who looked certain to win with 200 metres to go, could now be a likely Cox Plate contender.

Rock Kingdom, who firmed from $12 to $10, scored by a half head from Rangirangdoo ($4.80), with Road To Rock a length away third as the $4.60 favourite.

from www.theage.com.au

Race on for Cups glory

THE Spring Racing Carnival is set to inject more than $500 million into Victoria's economy, despite concerns over the global financial crisis.

 With a drop in commercial spending expected at this year's carnival because of tough economic times, Racing Victoria chief Rob Hines remained confident punters would turn out in big numbers.

Last year the carnival generated more than $549 million, with crowds topping 758,000.

"I think it's shaping up to be one of the best spring carnivals for a good number of years," Mr Hines said.

"When people were making their decisions about corporate bookings and the like, they were deep in the middle of the global financial crisis.

"So if we held our own with last year, I'd be absolutely delighted. But I wouldn't be anticipating an increase."

All the stars will again be out for the 50-day carnival, including models Jennifer Hawkins, Miranda Kerr and Megan Gale.For many, the spring spells party time but for others it's all about the racing.

Incorporating 13 metropolitan and 76 country race meetings across Victoria, the carnival, which began on September 30, finishes on Ballarat Cup day, November 18.

This year, $41 million in prize money will be up for grabs.

It includes the Melbourne Cup, which is worth $5.65 million.

The international raiders will be out in force, determined to take the famous Cup from our shores.

Leading the charge will be two-time Melbourne Cup-winning Irish trainer Dermot Weld with his popular mare, Profound Beauty.

English-based Italian trainer Luca Cumani hopes to go one better this year after saddling up the past two second place-getters, Purple Moon in 2007 and Bauer last year in a photo finish.

But the bookies' favourite for both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups is emerging star Vigor, trained at Flemington by Danny O'Brien.

As the big meetings draw closer, a fashion frenzy will engulf Melbourne.

Trish Oliver, the wife of dual Melbourne Cup winning jockey Damien, said bright colours would be popular again this spring.

"For the races, I love bright colours and patterns because it's usually sunny and everyone's in a great mood," Mrs Oliver said.

"It just enhances the crowd and makes the people look like they're having fun.

"Flemington has made it so that you don't have to be a racing expert to enjoy it. It's more of a party scene these days."

from www.heraldsun.com.au

Owner's Australian gamble on Speed Gifted is paying off

A YEAR ago, Speed Gifted was treading water in England, competing in low-grade races, winning twice from eight starts and earning just $45,000 in prizemoney.

After carving through the rain at Randwick on Saturday to win the group 1 Metropolitan, the six-year-old is favourite to win both the Melbourne and Caulfield cups.

It is an extraordinary turnaround, and Speed Gifted is now the talk of Australian racing - much to the delight of trainer Lee Freedman and jockey Dwayne Dunn.

Even Racing Victoria Limited's Greg Carpenter admitted yesterday that Speed Gifted was a very difficult horse to weight for this year's cups.

''It was really hard to get a grip on him as his form in the UK was only very, very average, but [when] he won first-up at Flemington you knew there was more to this horse than met the eye,'' Carpenter said.

Carpenter this morning can ease the mind of Speed Gifted's French owner by giving the horse a substantial penalty for both cups, thereby guaranteeing him a start.

Speed Gifted was yesterday floated back to Melbourne where Freedman will plan his assault on the Caulfield Cup.

''I spoke to Corey Brown last night and he was very, very enthusiastic about the horse's performance at Randwick,'' said Freedman yesterday.

''Not only did he think he had the race won a long way out but he believes that if the horse hadn't stargazed and continually looked at the crowd with 200 metres to go he could have probably won by another five lengths.

''He's got that extra something, he can stay and he's got a good turn of foot at the end of his races - the exact make-up you want coming into a Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup.''

Late on Saturday afternoon while Sydney was being saturated by torrential rain, renowned racing manager Duncan Grimley was placing a call to England.

For racing managers this call was the exception to the rule. It wasn't to report news of a cracked cannon bone or a wind problem, but to speak with friend and fellow racing manager Patrick Cooper, who was inspecting yearlings at the saleyards.

Some months ago, Cooper contacted Grimley regarding two horses owned by his major client, Jean Marc Charmat, a French businessman who was sending the horses to Australia and wanted Grimley to manage them.

One of them was Speed Gifted.

''I got hold of Patrick and told him the good news that we looked like making the Caulfield Cup and even the Melbourne Cup, but we'll know more on Monday when the handicapper hands out a penalty,'' he said.

Cooper immediately contacted Charmat in Paris to tell him the good news. ''He rang me back and [told me] Charmat was totally speechless at what Speed Gifted had achieved,'' he said.

''I think gauging from that he'll be in Melbourne for the Caulfield Cup perhaps, or even the Melbourne Cup, but all round it's been a very satisfying result.''

Charmat had become frustrated at the lack of success and the time it was taking Speed Gifted to recognise his true ability after he had paid $A200,000 for the horse at the yearling sales in England in 2005.

''The horse wasn't doing much, according to Patrick Cooper,'' Grimley said. ''Of course, trainers in England give horses so much more time than [in] Australia, but it didn't seem to be working. I think they just wanted another avenue for the horse to realise its potential.''

Freedman was in England gathering a team of stayers and Cooper and Charmat decided to send two horses. The other one went amiss.

Grimley said that Speed Gifted's remarkable improvement had come as a surprise to connections. ''We thought plan A would be to win the Naturalism [Stakes at Caulfield] and he would have overcome all of the hurdles about getting into the Caulfield Cup,'' he said.

''But once he drew off the track his chances dwindled, but he still showed plenty of heart to finish where he did.''

from www.theage.com.au

Munsef targets Melbourne Cup win

English racehorse Munsef will attempt to become only the third European winner of the Melbourne Cup next month.

Worcestershire trainer Ian Williams is to spend £50,000 on sending Munsef to Australia's biggest horse race.

Munsef is currently in quarantine at Newmarket before he flies out to Melbourne for the race in November.

"It's fantastic, like being in the Olympics," Williams told BBC Midlands Today. "To have a runner is very satisfying."

More than 100,000 spectators attend Melbourne Cup day at Flemington Park and it is a public holiday in parts of Australia.

Only two European horses have ever won the race, Vintage Crop in 1993 and Media Puzzle in 2002.

It will cost Alvechurch-based Williams £50,000 to send Munsef to the race but the prize money is £1.7m for the winner and even 10th place pays £60,000.

"It is a huge punt but the horse merits his chance to go and we are delighted to take him," said Williams.

"Munsef was going through the sales at Doncaster in May but the top offer was only £10,000.

"He was retained by the owner and sent to me at Alvechurch. Ever since then it has been a bit of a whirlwind but the wind is still blowing so we will keep whirling."

"Munsef is a lovely horse," said groom Dawn Oxley. "He's very quiet and laidback. He has the odd bite at you now and again but nothing major."

from news.bbc.co.uk