The Magic Millions winner will instead head to Melbourne for the Group One 2010 Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Derby Day, October 30.

Heinrich was disappointed to learn Military Rose would have received 61 kilograms had she decided to nominate the filly for The Rosebud (1200m) at Rosehill on Saturday.

“Sydney have had a few wet tracks lately and I’m convinced she doesn’t handle the wet. That’s why she failed in the Golden Slipper,” Heinrich said.

“The other thing I’m not too happy about is the weight she’d get in Sydney.

“I was told by the handicapper last week she’d get around 61 kilos if we ran her in The Rosebud.”

Military Rose scored a narrow win in a barrier trial over 1000m at the Gold Coast last week and will have another trial at either the Gold Coast or Doomben on August 12 before heading to Melbourne.

The daughter of General Nediym will commence her revised campaign in the Group Two Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on September 4 followed by the Group Three Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley on September 24.

The Group Three Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on October 9 will be her final dress rehearsal for the Coolmore Stud Stakes.

All four events will be run under set weight and penalties conditions and are restricted to three-year-olds.

Meanwhile, Rob Heathcote’s star two-year-old Buffering showed he was on target for the spring with a runaway win in a 900-metre barrier trial at Doomben on Tuesday.

The son of Mossman was having his first hitout since suffering his only defeat in five starts when third to Pressday in the Group Two Champagne Classic (1200m) at Doomben in May.

“He trialled sensationally and had a good blow after winning by more than seven lengths,” Heathcote said.

“He’ll take a lot of improvement as he had four weeks out in the paddock after the Champagne.

“I asked his rider Larry Cassidy to give him a good workout and the good thing about it was he carried steel shoes which adds to the merit of the win.”

Buffering will launch his spring assault in the Group Three San Domenico Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday week.

Cassidy will be on holidays when Buffering resumes and Heathcote has booked Danny Nikolic to ride him at his first Sydney start.

“I’ll reassess what we’re doing with him after he runs in the Up And Coming Stakes (at Randwick on August 21),” Heathcote said.

“He’ll either stay on in Sydney or go to Melbourne for the Coolmore Stud Stakes on Derby Day.”

Heathcote also plans to send stablemate Woorim to Melbourne for a series of races including the Group Two Schweppervesence Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 23.

Woorim returned from a break this week following a hat-trick of victories that culminated in a dashing win in the Listed Glasshouse Handicap at Caloundra on July 3.

“He’s only just come back into work but the good news with him is that he went out at the top of his game and his feet are in great shape,” Heathcote said.

Article by Glenn Davis Aapracing

Boss said he was impressed with the rising four-year-old mare’s effort in defeat when runner-up to Once Were Wild in the AJC Australian Oaks at Randwick at her latest outing in April.

“I was so impressed with her when she got beaten in the AJC Oaks and she’s ticked all the boxes for me,” Boss said.

Boss was also impressed with the daughter of Shamardal’s unbeaten record at Flemington where she has won the Wakeful Stakes, VRC Oaks and the Kewney Stakes.

“Every time she’s turned up at Flemington she’s been brilliant,” he said.

“She’s got the Bart factor so she looks like she’s going to stay.

“So I drove Bart mad as soon as she got beaten. Actually I spoke to him that day.

“I’ve calculated that she’s probably (only) going to get 52(kg) because of the international influx this year.

“A lightish weight, a four-year-old mare, Bart Cummings – she’s going to be hard to beat I hope.”

The Faint Perfume mount became available as Michael Rodd, who rode her at her past seven starts for four wins, is too heavy to ride her in the Cup and is required for the Mark Kavanagh stable for reigning 2009 Melbourne Cup winner Shocking.

If Boss wins the Cup he will join Bobbie Lewis and Harry White who hold the record of riding four Melbourne Cup winners.

Boss is the only jockey to win the Cup three years running, having guided Makybe Diva to victory in 2003-5.

Faint Perfume, the $17 favourite with Eskander’s Betstar, would give Cummings his 13th win in the great race.

Boss combined with Cummings to win his second Cox Plate at Moonee Valley aboard three-year-old colt So You Think last spring having won his first aboard Makybe Diva in 2005.

Article by mark Ryan Aapracing

Cummings hadn’t been seen on a Sydney racetrack since Golden Slipper day on April 3 but he didn’t waste time training a winner on his return.

The master selected Wednesday’s low-key meeting for his comeback after illness, confident progressive three-year-old Markab would mark the occasion with victory in the Winning Post Restaurant Handicap (1580m).

Markab didn’t let his trainer down, running on down the outside to win by half a length.

“It’s good to be back and I picked the right day to return,” Cummings said.

“I thought this horse was close to a good thing and it turned out to be alright.”

The 82-year-old also showed he had lost none of his sense of humour.

“I thought it would shorten on the tote when people saw me here and it actually drifted. Doesn’t say much for my judgment,” he said.

Cummings spent time in hospital during April and May recovering from pneumonia but said he was feeling good and was glad to be back at the track doing what he knew best.

“Ten kilos I lost,” he said.

“But I feel as good as gold and I had to pick the right day to return.”

The winner of 12 Melbourne Cups and 260 Group One races, Cummings has yet to return to early morning trackwork.

“It’s a bit too cold they (doctors) say, I have to wait until it warms up a bit,” he said.

Blake Shinn won the 2008 Melbourne Cup on the Cummings-trained Viewed and produced a top ride from barrier one on Markab, peeling the lightly-raced son of Galileo to the extreme outside prior to the home turn to let him work home strongly.

“It’s a pretty special win for his (Cummings) first day back,” Shinn said.

“It might give him a bit of a boost looking towards the spring.”

Cummings heads into the new racing season starting next month on the back of an outstanding season when he finished as the country’s leading Group One trainer with seven majors.

They included the 2009 Cox Plate with So You Think, 2009 Caulfield Cup with Viewed, 2009 VRC Oaks with Faint Perfume, Australian Guineas with Rock Classic and 2010 Queensland Derby with Dariana.

The likes of So You Think, Faint Perfume, Dariana and Rock Classic will spearhead Cummings’ spring team this year and are all progressing well.

So You Think, Faint Perfume and Dariana are in Melbourne already while Rock Classic is still in Sydney and trialled at Randwick on Monday.

However, Cummings said he was concerned that four of his horses had suffered leg injuries on the training track at Randwick in recent weeks which could prompt him to send Rock Classic to join the rest of his spring team in Melbourne earlier than first expected.

Article by Mathew Toogood Aapracing

The racing legend was the nation’s leading Group One trainer for the season and earned his nomination from the Australian Trainers’ Association after four of his seven winners at the elite level fell in the months of October and November.

Allez Wonder (Toorak Handicap), Viewed (Caulfield Cup), So You Think (Cox Plate) and Faint Perfume (VRC Oaks) were all headline grabbers for Cummings in the spring.

Other finalists are Mick Price (August/September), David Hayes (December/January), Peter Moody (February/March) and Robert Smerdon (April/May).

The medal is awarded to the most outstanding trainer of the season based on performances on Victorian racetracks and will be announced at the Victorian Thoroughbred Racing Awards on August 8.

The sixth and remaining finalist, the trainer who excels during the months of June and July, will be announced on August 4.

Cummings, 82, won his first Fred Hoysted Medal in 2000 and added a second to his trophy cabinet last year.

Price earned his nomination after an impressive start to the season which culminated with a treble at Caulfield on September 19 which included the Group One Underwood Stakes with Heart Of Dreams.

Hayes, the 2007 Medallist, won selection for a memorable double at Flemington on January 30 when Nicconi captured the opening leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, the Group One Lightning Stakes.

On the same day European import Our Aqaleem, making his Australian debut and having his first run in 2-1/2 years after twice fracturing his pelvis, also won.

Moody was the dominant trainer throughout the 2010 Melbourne Festival of Racing landing a hat-trick of Group One races with Caulfield specialist Typhoon Tracy in the Orr Stakes and Futurity Stakes and Wanted in the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington.

Smerdon earned his nomination after training a record seven winners during the Warrnambool May racing carnival including the Brierly Steeplechase (Some Are Bent) and Galleywood Hurdle (Black And Bent).

During an amazing month Smerdon also landed the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes at Flemington with Persian Star and prepared a treble at Moonee Valley on May 29.

Article by Robert Windmill Aapracing

Trainer Mike Moroney said it would be D-day for the six-year-old when he contests Saturday’s Don Abell Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley.

Chase The Sun is on the comeback trail after suffering a bowed tendon in January 2009 and has had a slow build-up this campaign in six runs since March.

His only placing in those outings was at Sandown three starts ago but Moroney said recent track gallops indicated the gelding was about to return to form.

“He is probably going to be at his best on Saturday,” Moroney said.

“It has been a long road back for him but certainly on his work he seems as if he is back to where he was before he bowed his tendon.”

Chase The Sun has won four of his 24 starts but arguably his most memorable performance was his three-quarter length second to Vigor in the Comedy King Handicap (2520m) at Flemington on January 17 last year.

While Vigor trained on last spring to finish a luckless third to Viewed in the Caulfield Cup, Chase The Sun broke down at trackwork and didn’t race again until March this year.

Moroney said Chase The Sun was a promising stayer but was the first to admit he had been disappointing so far this campaign.

He has finished ninth at his last two starts at Flemington and Ballarat.

“Because of the way he is going at trackwork we are giving him one more chance,” Moroney said.

“It is D-day for him.

“His tendon has been good and it is time for him to put his hand up.”

Form runners in Saturday’s event are Figure Of Speech and Crabs, who ran the quinella in the Banjo Paterson Final (2500m) at Flemington on July 10, and Tinamou who has won three of his last five starts at Warrnambool, Sandown and Moonee Valley.

Article by Robert Windmill Aapracing

Impressive debut winner Squamosa will have his first test in Saturday company in the Schweppes Handicap (1400m).

The colt made a good impression when winning by three lengths on debut on Randwick’s Kensington track at a midweek meeting earlier this month.

“I couldn’t be happier with him, he’s really a lovely horse on the way up,” Waterhouse said.

“He’s done everything right and he’ll win again.”

Waterhouse said she was impressed with the way Squamosa put a gap on his rivals when Nash Rawiller asked him to extend in the 1150m maiden win on a heavy track on July 7.

Asked if Squamosa was a horse who could go towards the Golden Rose on August 28, Waterhouse responded: “That’s where we’re heading.”

Waterhouse produced smart two-year-old Crossbow last Saturday when he scored in dominant fashion at Rosehill.

“Both (Squamosa and Crossbow) are rising stars who are coming in at the latter part of this season,” the trainer said when asked to compare the two.

“They have both been plagued by shin-soreness so they were basically a little bit immature and growing.”

Leading Waterhouse’s strong team of rising three-year-olds is Pago Pago Stakes winner Brightexpectations who has geared up for his return in the San Domenico Stakes on August 7 with two trial wins, while Golden Slipper placegetter More Strawberries will have her second barrier trial on Tuesday.

Waterhouse also has big opinions of unraced colts Mutamayez and Memorable Moment who are set to make their debuts in the near future after having their second trials of the campaign at Randwick earlier this week.

Three-year-old gelding Antiguan, meanwhile, will be Waterhouse’s only other representative on a relatively quiet day for the trainer at Randwick.

The last-start Warwick Farm winner was being considered for a start in a 1900m race against older horses at Canterbury on Wednesday but Waterhouse elected to instead run in the Randwick Betting Auditorium Handicap (2000m) against his own age.

“He’s made a bit of a quantum leap,” Waterhouse said.

With both Squamosa and Antiguan within Rawiller’s weight range, it means last weekend’s five-time winner Blake Spriggs will be without a ride for his boss at Randwick.

“He doesn’t have a ride for me on Saturday, I’m leaving him to the other trainers,” Waterhouse said.

“Nash will be riding Saturday, but Blake won’t be on the sideline for long.

“Aren’t we lucky to have such a talented lightweight (Spriggs) and the best rider in Australia (Rawiller) as the heavyweight.”

Rawiller booted home another winning double at Canterbury on Wednesday to virtually clinch his first Sydney jockeys’ premiership.

He is nine ahead of Corey Brown with just four meetings remaining.

Article by Mathew Toogood Aapracing

Waterhouse revealed during a busy barrier trial session at Randwick on Monday that her recent absence from the Melbourne Cup limelight was an unwanted glitch on an otherwise outstanding training career.

“I sat there and watched the race last year without a runner and I said to myself ‘it won’t happen again’,” she said.

Waterhouse hasn’t had a Melbourne Cup starter since Mr Celebrity beat one horse home in 2005.

It’s a major anomaly for a trainer who almost enjoyed instant success in the race when her rugged New Zealand-bred stayer Te Akau Nick was runner-up in Vintage Crop’s historic 1993 triumph.

After another second placing with Nothin’ Leica Dane two years later, it appeared it would only be a matter of time before Waterhouse went one better.

Yet for one of Australia’s biggest stables, it seems remarkable that Tulloch Lodge has been represented just five times since Nothin’ Leica Dane finished fifth in the 1996 edition.

As Herculian Prince and Descarado impressed with their public returns at Randwick, Waterhouse said stayers were at the forefront of her stable’s spring plans – just in time for the 150th renewal of the Melbourne Cup 2010.

“I went through a period where I found staying-bred horses were hard to sell,” she said.

“My clients just weren’t interested.

“But this year I made an executive decision to buy a dozen yearlings in New Zealand – colts and fillies – who would get over ground.”

In tried ex-New Zealanders like Herculian Prince and Descarado, Waterhouse has gone retro.

Much of her early success after being licensed in 1992 came on the back of no-nonsense New Zealand horses who thrived on a conditioning program made famous by her father Tommy Smith.

Herculian Prince, who was unbeaten through the Sydney autumn, beat another stablemate who hails from across the Tasman Sea, Two For Tea, and the stable’s weight-for-age star Theseo in a 1200-metre heat.

Descarado, runner-up to Shoot Out in this year’s AJC Australian Derby, came from well off the pace in his 1200-metre hit-out to finish third behind Cannonball, the former United States sprinter now racing out of the Waterhouse yard.

“Herculian Prince and Descarado will be two of about six horses I am aiming at the Melbourne Cup this year,” Waterhouse said.

Article by Warwick Barr Aapracing

Williams, who hasn’t ridden in Melbourne since Anzac Day, rode 12 winners in Japan over two months including the Group One Tenno Sho aboard Jaguar Mail at Kyoto in May on just his second day of riding.

The 33-year-old said owner Cultism Yoshida, who raced 2006 Melbourne Cup winner Delta Blues, was very keen for Jaguar Mail to run in the 2010 Melbourne Cup this year.

Williams will be the rider of the Japanese stayer if quarantine facilities in Japan are approved by Australian officials in time for their horses to travel here.

That process is due to take place this week.

Japanese horses have not been allowed to enter Australia since strict quarantine conditions were imposed on the country after an equine influenza outbreak in 2007.

“I rode a winner nearly every meeting. The racing is really tough but it was good experience and I rode out at a few of the training centres and a couple of the farms,” Williams said.

“I was lucky enough to get invited to go to Hokkaido and go to Northern Farm and Shadai Farm.

“At Northern Farm I rode out on two of their gallops including an under cover gallop.

“And I saw some of their stallions including Deep Impact, Jaguar Mail’s sire Jungle Pocket, Zenno Rob Roy, Falbrav and Manhattan Cafe.”

Williams, who came back to ride the Tony Noonan-trained Ortensia in the Stradbroke Hcp at Eagle Farm on June 12, will go back to Japan for a one-month stint from late November until late December.

He has five rides at Sandown on Wednesday, including two for the Mick Kent stable and has been booked for rides by Kent and Caulfield trainer Luke Oliver for Moonee Valley.

Williams arrived back two weeks ago on Tuesday and last week rode trackwork for the Kent stable and for his family at Cranbourne.

“I’ve got a pretty good grounding of fitness and this will be a nice way to kick off and get through the winter and then look forward to the spring,” he said.

Williams has won the past four Melbourne jockeys’ premierships – dead heating with Damien Oliver last season – and the past four Scobie Breasley Medals.

Since splitting with the David Hayes stable last October, Williams has been freelancing and has ridden 41 winners in Melbourne this season, placing him fifth behind Luke Nolen (56 wins) who has his first premiership wrapped up with just four meetings to go.

Article by Mark Ryan Aapracing

Typhoon Tracy, who has won 10 of her 14 starts including five Group One races, will resume in the Group Two Memsie Stakes (1400m) on her home track at Caulfield on August 28.

“She’s going to have a slightly different program this year because I gave her a couple of extra weeks to get her over that virus in Sydney,” trainer Peter Moody said.

Typhoon Tracy had won four successive Group One races before finishing 14th as favourite to Rangirangdoo in the Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April 17.

The mare was galloped on in the Doncaster but apart from that Moody felt she wasn’t at her top because of a virus.

“Last year I ran her in the Liston and went three weeks into the Makybe Diva Stakes,” Moody said.

“This year she’ll resume in the Memsie and go two weeks into the Dato Tan Chin Nam and then I’ll play it by ear from there.”

Typhoon Tracy ran third to Predatory Pricer in last year’s Liston before being beaten a nose when runner-up to Vigor in the Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.

She then ran eighth to Heart Of Dreams in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield before starting a run of five straight victories in the Group Two Tristarc Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Typhoon Tracy then won the Myer Classic (1600m) at Flemington before being spelled.

She returned in the autumn to claim the C F Orr Stakes (1400m) and Futurity Stakes (1600m) at Caulfield as well as the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1500m) at Rosehill.

Meanwhile, unbeaten stablemate Black Caviar returns to Peter Clarke’s Willow Wood Equicentre at Murchison in central Victoria on Monday to begin her spring carnival build-up.

“She’s had a month off which was always planned to avoid that wet period in September so that we can have her back Caulfield Cup week for the Schillaci or the Caulfield Sprint and then Flemington and maybe Perth,” Moody said.

The filly, a dual Group Two winner, hasn’t raced since taking out the Australia Stakes (1200m) when first-up at Moonee Valley on January 22.

Her preparation came to an end soon after because of a leg injury.

Last September she strained a chest muscle during her win in the Group Two Danehill Stakes (1200m) at Flemington and had to miss the rest of the spring.

Article by Mark Ryan Aapracing

Since splitting with the Gai Waterhouse stable earlier this year to become a free agent, Shinn has developed a successful association with Hinchinbrook’s trainer Gerald Ryan, including a Group One victory on Melito in the TJ Smith Stakes.

“Blake will ride Hinchinbrook in the barrier trial on Tuesday,” Ryan said.

“He has committed to ride him this spring.

“The plan is for Hinchinbrook to kick off in the Starlight Stakes on August 14 and after that we’ll decide whether to go to the 2010 Golden Rose.

“The 1400 metres might come a bit soon but we’ll see how he comes through his first start.”

The Starlight Stakes (1100m) is on the same day as the Run To The Rose over 1300 metres, two weeks before the first Group One race of the season which takes place at Hinchinbrook’s home track, Rosehill.

Shinn also has a winning association with Hinchinbrook’s stablemate Rothesay, claiming two races aboard the rising four-year-old during the recent Brisbane carnival, including the Queensland Guineas.

“Rothesay has had a three-week break and is back in work,” Ryan said.

“He will run first-up in the Theo Marks Stakes and we’ll go from there.”

The Group Two Theo Marks Stakes (1400m) is at Rosehill on September 11.

Both Hinchinbrook and Rothesay are by Group One-winning sprinter Fastnet Rock but Ryan does not believe they are restricted to the shorter distances.

Rothesay handled the 1600 metres of the Queensland Guineas with ease while Hinchinbrook ran third in the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) when ridden by Damien Oliver after his Golden Slipper fourth with Darren Beadman aboard.

However, stablemate Melito has proved she is a superior sprinter with her autumn-winter campaign which netted the Group One Winter Stakes (1400m) at Eagle Farm in addition to her TJ Smith victory.

In between those wins, she racked up minor placings in four Group One races, the All Aged Stakes, the BTC Cup, the Doomben 10,000 and the Stradbroke Handicap.

Melito was tested as a stayer last spring but was eased out of the VRC Oaks due to Corey Brown’s concerns over her health.

“She will have just the two starts this spring,” Ryan said.

“She will run in the Australia Stakes (formerly Moir Stakes) on Cox Plate day at Moonee Valley and then the Patinack Classic on the last day of the 2010 Melbourne Cup carnival, both over 1200 metres.

“She is still in the spelling paddock and doing very well.”

Article by Caryl Williamson Aapracing