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Australia: Waller Presents An Oaks Sextet

Chris Waller will unleash an arsenal of six fillies as he chases the Queensland Derby-Oaks double this Friday night at Brisbane's Eagle Farm Racecourse. Tune-in to TVG or stream on the new Sky Racing World App (First Post: 9:29 p.m. ET / 6:29 p.m. PT).

After Chris Waller captured last week's Group 1 Queensland Derby with Kukeracha (spoiling Explosive Jack's bid for a fourth derby win), the master conditioner set his sights on Friday night's G1 Oaks. Regardless of how many G1 trophies Waller accumulates – his current total is a whopping 126 – he will forever be synonymous with the storied career of Winx. The Queensland Oaks was the first of Winx's 25 G1 successes and the second win in her unforgettable streak of 33. The 1 3/8 miles of the Queensland Oaks was also the longest distance at which the great mare was victorious and Waller has won the race twice since. In search of a fourth Queensland Oaks, he will pack the same numerical punch that saw him train six of the first eight finishers in last week's Derby.

The Waller sextet is led by Grace and Harmony (5-1), who enjoyed a change of fortune at the post position draw (three). The filly was given a “negative” ride, tactically, from a wide alley when sixth as favorite two weeks ago in The Roses, the key local prep which has produced 12 of the last 20 Queensland Oaks winners. Waller still won The Roses with 15-1 shot Only Words, who is about half those odds (7-1) this Friday and has a wide gate with which to contend. Splitting that pair in wagering is Charms Star (6-1), who was third in The Roses in her Australian debut after placing in the New Zealand Oaks. Waller is also represented by Easifar and Signora Nera (each 16-1) and 100-1 shot Ruru.

For all the headlines that Chris Waller naturally generates, he doesn't train the Oaks favorite. Future book wagering had been headed by Duais, who lost favoritism to Bargain as a result of the post position draw. The pair bring strong formlines from the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival: Duais led a 1-2 finish in a G2 race, then a 2-3 finish in the G1 Australian Oaks during The Championships at Randwick. Duais could become the first G1 winner in the fledgling career of a fourth-generation trainer with royal racing bloodlines. Edward Cummings, 35, is a brother of James (Godolphin's private trainer in Australia), son of Anthony (with whom Edward trained in partnership before going solo in 2019), grandson of Bart (trainer of a record 12 Melbourne Cup winners) and great-grandson of Jim (who trained the 1950 Melbourne Cup winner). Edward named his stables Myrtle Lodge in honor of a horse that Jim Cummings rode to victory in 1910 before taking out the training license that would launch a great racing dynasty. Bart Cummings, the “Cups King,” had a checkered history with the Queensland Oaks, winning it only once (in 1987) and saddling the favorite in 2010, Dariana, who sensationally had her head in an adjacent stall when the gates opened and took no part.

Edward Cummings is forthright in his conviction that Duais is “the benchmark 3-year-old staying filly,” rating her second in the Australian Oaks the best performance in the race. He has elected to train Duais up to this Friday night's assignment, giving his filly an unusually long (by Australian standards) seven weeks between runs. After riding Duais in a May 13 trial (training race), jockey Hugh Bowman said, “Just go straight to the Oaks. She is in a great frame of mind and is a natural staying filly.” However, after drawing post 12 in the 14-horse field, Duais (5-1) was displaced for favoritism by Bargain (7-2). The well-named daughter of Shopaholic is trained by an in-form Mark Newnham, who saddled Spirit Ridge to win a G3race last week. Bargain has raced since the Australian Oaks, finishing second in The Roses.

Queensland's “Winter Racing Carnival” continues next Friday night with a tantalizing card, whose two G1 races might be overshadowed by the sport's newest star contesting a new race. Zaaki has exited his record-breaking G1 Doomben Cup win in excellent order and will line up in the Q22, a new event that currently carries G2 status but boasts an alluring $1.2 million purse. Zaaki, whose opposition is likely to include the aforementioned Spirit Ridge, promises to be a massive drawcard on a day that features the G1 Stradbroke Handicap at seven furlongs and the G1 J.J. Atkins Stakes at a mile for 2-year-olds.

The Eagle Farm card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:29 p.m. ET / 6:29 p.m. PT) alongside cards from Rosehill, Newcastle and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Wrona's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington, and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Wrona also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.

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Australia: Zaaki Seeking Group 1 Goodness

One of the strongest fields to ever contest the Group 1 Doomben Cup is headed by a pair of English expats – equine and human – who are rapidly rising to prominence Down Under. Six-year-old Zaaki (9-5) sits on the cusp of a first G1 success this Friday night, two months after his 30-year-old trainer, Annabel Neasham, achieved the feat.

Despite having no experience of horse racing growing up, Annabel Neasham had horse history in England through show jumping, point-to-point, and eventing. She came to Australia on a working vacation with legendary Sydney trainer Gai Waterhouse, expecting to stay no more than a year. However, Neasham was subsequently hired as assistant trainer to the formidable partnership of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. Amid her four-year stint with Maher and Eustace, she took time out to compete in the Mongol Derby, a 625-mile endurance race on horseback across the Mongolian steppe. Through monsoon rain, fog and heat, while subsisting for six days on cereal bars and purified water, Neasham won.

In the middle of 2020, ready for another challenge, Neasham branched out on her own. She won with her first runner and, with the support of prominent owner Aquis Farm, acquired several horses from champion trainer Chris Waller. In her first year of training, Mo'unga gave Neasham a G1 victory in the Rosehill Guineas during Sydney's recent “Autumn Racing Carnival.” Now, she is playing a major role in Queensland's “Winter Carnival” with her latest star performer, Zaaki.

The gelded son of the late Leroidesanimaux achieved modest success in England, but has thrived in Australia under Neasham's tutelage. After a pair of promising performances in Sydney, Zaaki demolished a quality field in the G2 Hollindale Stakes at the Gold Coast. Among the Hollindale vanquished who are trying again in the Doomben Cup is Melody Belle (16-1), who will shoot for an incredible 15th G1 victory in her career swan song. However, Zaaki's stiffest opposition is expected from Sir Dragonet and Mugatoo (each at 4-1), who finished first and fourth respectively in last October's Cox Plate. Most recently, they were just behind the placegetters in last month's memorable Queen Elizabeth Stakes showdown between Addeyb and Verry Elleegant.

Curiously, only three favorites have won the Doomben Cup in the past two decades. Should Zaaki buck that trend, both he and his trainer will embody the Arabic meaning of his name: one who increases in growth and goodness.

Friday night's nine-race Doomben card includes several supporting stakes named for famous Queenslanders. The fourth and fifth races honor trailblazing jockeys Darby McCarthy and Pam O'Neill. McCarthy, who died last year at 76, was an Indigenous Australian who rose from the humblest of beginnings in Outback Queensland to become one of the nation's top riders of the 1960s. He won more than 1,000 races in Australia, England, and France.

O'Neill campaigned for more than a decade before being granted a license – in 1979, at the age of 34 – as Australia's first female jockey. Her career tally of more than 400 winners includes several during a month-long stint in Japan. Australia now boasts a world-high ratio of female-to-male jockeys. Jamie Kah is the star of Melbourne's riding colony, while Rachel King is third in the Sydney standings.

Race 6 is named for the ultimate “horse for a course.” Chief de Beers recorded minor placings at multiple tracks during his 51-start career in the 1990s – but every one of his 20 victories came at Doomben. Upon retirement, he served for a decade on the Queensland Police Force, receiving a prestigious Blue Cross Medal for his service to the force and community. Chief de Beers died last year at Living Legends Farm, aged 28.

The Doomben card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (first post: 9:34 p.m. ET / 6:34 p.m. PT) alongside cards from Rosehill, Newcastle and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to livestreaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Wrona's vast U.S. experience includes race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the international simulcast network. Wrona also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.

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Australia: Eduardo To Hit Top Gear In ‘Queensland Winter Carnival’

Eduardo, the world's third-highest ranked racehorse, is the headline act this Friday night in Australia, as the “Queensland Winter Carnival” hits top gear at Doomben Racecourse. Eduardo will line up in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 over six furlongs which will be broadcast live on TVG and available to stream on the new Sky Racing World App (First Post: 9:38 p.m. ET / 6:38 p.m. PT).

Just as America's best eastern stables head south to Florida for the winter, Australia's focus shifts to its northeastern state of Queensland during the Southern Hemisphere winter. In fact, Florida and Queensland share the moniker “Sunshine State.” Queensland's capital, Brisbane, is Australia's third-largest city and my hometown. Its two racetracks, Doomben and Eagle Farm, are across the street from each other and will hold a Group One race six of the next seven weeks.

This Friday night, the G1 Doomben 10,000 is the seventh on a nine-race card. The six furlong weight-for-age event features late-blooming sprint star Eduardo (7-5 favorite). While always hinting at top-level ability, Eduardo was sporadically raced through his 6-year-old season, winning 4 of 13 starts. Since transferring to trainer Joe Pride, the gelding's 7-year-old season has yielded a pair of G2 victories and a G1 triumph from seven outings. His performances during the recent Sydney Autumn Carnival – which included breaking Randwick's five furlong track record in the G1 Galaxy – earned Eduardo his lofty ranking from the International Federation of Racing Authorities. Eduardo hasn't raced for five weeks, but Pride kept him ticking over with a trial (training race) win last Friday in Sydney, before embarking on the 580-mile van ride north to Brisbane.

Eduardo's opposition will include an enormously popular horse named The Harrovian (17-1), who has compiled an astonishing 16:14-2-0 record in Queensland since the beginning of 2019. Most of The Harrovian's exploits have been at lesser quality tracks in the far north of the state, but he won a pair of listed stakes races in Brisbane to cap an 11-race win streak that endeared him to fans statewide. While Eduardo and The Harrovian are both 7-year-old geldings, connections of two prospective stallions would love to notch a G1 win to enhance the commercial value of Wild Ruler (7-2) and Splintex (8-1). Wild Ruler, the lone 3-year-old, is coming off a G2 win during the Sydney Autumn Carnival, while 4-year-old Splintex is a last-start G3 Sydney winner.

The latter's trainer, Mark Newnham, would have been elated after drawing the rail, having earlier stated that “It doesn't matter if it's a Group One or a maiden, post positions going six furlongs at Doomben are vital … one to eight would be ideal.”

Godolphin's chances took a hit when their $5 million earner Trekking (6-1) drew gate 10.

Post positions weren't always as significant in six furlong races at Doomben. Apart from the Melbourne Cup, Flemington Racecourse is famous for its straight six furlong course. Modern-day racing fans – even in Brisbane – would be largely unaware that Doomben once had a “Straight Six” course. The Doomben 10,000 was inaugurated in 1933 as the Doomben Newmarket, and its first nine runnings were down the straight course. In 1942, the land was taken by eminent domain to become part of the neighboring Brisbane Airport. The race's name was changed in 1946 to reflect its purse money (in British pounds), which made the Doomben 10,000 the richest sprint race in Australia. That amount would be currently equivalent to US $590,000; the 2021 Doomben 10,000 field will compete for a purse of US $780,000.

Outside of Friday night's four Group races, great interest surrounds the return to action of Love Tap in Race 3. In the span of four races last year, the 3-year-old son of Tapit went from a debut win at an obscure “country” track to a G3 victory at Sydney's Rosehill Racecourse. An injury in January sidelined Love Tap from the Sydney Autumn Carnival, but the gray gelding is now set to appear for the first time since his only defeat, when well fancied in his Group One debut seven months ago.

The Doomben card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:38 p.m. ET / 6:38 p.m. PT) alongside cards from Rosehill, Kembla Grange and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Wrona's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Wrona also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.

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Australia: Addeybb, Verry Elleegant Rivalry Heats Up On Day Two Of The Championships At Randwick

Day Two of “The Championships” at Randwick promises to deliver some unforgettable racing theater, as one of the sport's greatest international rivalries reaches its climax in the $4 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1). Sky Racing World's racing expert Jason Witham will be trackside at Randwick for live crosses to the TVG broadcast (First Post: 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT).

English stayer Addeybb first visited Australia in March of 2020, engaging top Australian mare Verry Elleegant in an exhilarating edition of the Ranvet Stakes. Addeybb fought back to win after being headed, then more easily had Verry Elleegant's measure in the Queen Elizabeth. Combat was renewed in this year's Ranvet (watch replay), when a similar stirring, stretch-long duel ensued. Verry Elleegant turned the tables and now looks to even the score in Friday night's eagerly anticipated Queen Elizabeth Stakes at 1 1/4 miles.

Horse racing is replete with storied rivalries – many American fans would vote for Affirmed-Alydar as the greatest – but how many involve older horses of both sexes with an international element? My mind went to repeat European Breeders' Cup champions Miesque and Goldikova as possible protagonists, but neither mare had a regular American adversary.

In discussing the matter with decorated author and history buff, Jay Privman, a similarity came to light: Privman suggested Estrapade and Theatrical. Both began their careers in Europe, but Estrapade was firmly ensconced in Charlie Whittingham's barn when she encountered the Dermot Weld-trained Theatrical in the 1986 Arlington Million. The pair raced as an entry, due to Allen Paulson's common ownership, but Theatrical saw little of Estrapade as the mare streaked to a brilliant win. They became better acquainted as Estrapade topped an exacta finish in the Oak Tree Invitational, by which time Theatrical had been transferred to Bobby Frankel. Theatrical then led a 2-3 finish (behind Manila) in the Breeders' Cup Turf, before leveling the head-to-head score as the pair ran 3rd and 6th in the Hollywood Turf Cup. That proved to be Estrapade's final race, and she was subsequently crowned America's Champion Female Turf Horse of 1986. An equivalent honor awaited Theatrical, who would become America's Champion Male Turf Horse of 1987 (following yet another trainer change – this time to a young Bill Mott).

Having to sift through 35 years of history to uncover an analogous rivalry makes it easy to realize the uniqueness of what Addeybb and Verry Elleegant are currently providing global racing fans. Seven-year-old Addeybb didn't reach the peak of his powers until last season, which he capped by winning the G1 Champion Stakes at Ascot to earn a tie for 3rd in the Global Thoroughbred Rankings. Verry Elleegant has reeled off five Group One wins as a 5-year-old and is the presumptive Australian Horse of the Year for the 2020/21 season. Appropriately, the pair share Queen Elizabeth favoritism (at 8-5) and will occupy adjoining stalls in Randwick's starting gate.

The example of Estrapade and Theatrical amounted to one exacta finish. Verry Elleegant and Addeybb are already 3-for-3 in that category, which surely makes this rivalry unrivaled.

Addeyb's trainer, William Haggas, hopes to be shooting for a Group One double in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, after Favorite Moon contests the preceding race, the $2 million Sydney Cup. The lightly raced 4-year-old won his Australian debut three weeks ago at 1 1/2 miles, and will be tested at two miles in just his 10th career start. Like Addeybb, Favorite Moon shares favoritism with a mare he raced last start. Realm of Flowers put forth an outstanding effort to get within a neck of Favorite Moon off a wide trip, and is proven at the Sydney Cup's marathon distance. The pair are co-favorites at 5-1, an example of the tremendous wagering value to be enjoyed in Australian racing.

Another Group One stamina test is carded on Friday night, as 3-year-old fillies contest the $1 million Australian Oaks at 1 1/2 miles. Harmony Rose (5-2) tries to reverse a narrow loss to Hungry Heart (4-1) in a G1 race two weeks ago. Montefilia (3-1) is on an even quicker turnaround, after finishing 4th as favorite in last week's Australian Derby. Amarelinha (5-1) is a scary new face, bringing a 7:5-2-0 record from New Zealand, where she most recently won the NZ Oaks. Regardless of who appears in the winner's circle following Friday night's Australian Oaks, connections will be hoping their filly can emulate the career of 2019 Oaks winner, Verry Elleegant. Owners of the runner-up can also take heart, as the 2015 Australian Oaks was the final defeat experienced by Winx. Incredibly, the last of Winx's world-famous streak of 33 victories occurred on the corresponding day four years later, when she won her third consecutive Queen Elizabeth Stakes on the same card as Verry Elleegant's Australian Oaks. “The Championships,” indeed.

The Randwick card will be broadcast live on TVG this Friday night (First Post: 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT) alongside cards from Eagle Farm, Kembla Grange and Gold Coast. All races will be live-streamed in HD on the new Sky Racing World App, skyracingworld.com and major ADW platforms such as TVG, TwinSpires, Xpressbet, NYRABets, WatchandWager, HPIbet, and AmWager. Wagering is also available via these ADW platforms. Fans can get free access to live-streaming, past performances and expert picks on all races at skyracingworld.com.

A native of Brisbane, Australia, Michael Wrona has called races in six countries. Michael's vast U.S. experience includes; race calling at Los Alamitos, Hollywood Park, Arlington and Santa Anita, calling the 2000 Preakness on a national radio network and the 2016 Breeders' Cup on the International simulcast network. Michael also performed a race call voiceover for a Seinfeld episode called The Subway.

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