Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou eye big wins with Facile and A Lot More Love

Trainer Gerald Ryan’s promising filly Facile has the opportunity to prove she is a legitimate Golden Slipper contender when she takes on a talented field of two-year-olds in the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

“We have probably seen the Golden Slipper winner already this season but we just don’t know which one it is yet,” said Ryan who trains in partnership with Sterling Alexiou.

“They seem to be a good crop of two-year-olds this season and I think there is a group of about 10 of them which are looking like they are good chances for the Golden Slipper.

“I would put Facile in that category, she is up there with them, but we will know a lot more after Saturday.”

Facile is at $8 in latest TAB Fixed Odds betting for the Inglis Millennium behind Learning To Fly at $2.90 favouritism.

The result of the Inglis Millennium is likely to have an impact on early betting for the $5 million Golden Slipper where Learning To Fly is also at the top of betting at $6 ahead of unbeaten duo Don Corleone and Skirt The Law at $8.

Don Corleone is also sporting silks at Saturday’s Randwick meeting when he lines up in the $150,000 Pierro Plate.

Facile, a $34 chance in early Golden Slipper betting, has only been to the races once previously, finishing a close second to Saltaire in the Inglis Nursery back in December.

It is indicative of the strength of the Inglis Millennium field that Saltaire is rated only a rated at $21 in overnight betting primarily due to the filly’s outside barrier (17).

In contrast, Facile has the rails gate and has the speed to take full advantage of her inside draw.

Facile, a $420,000 Easter Yearling Sale graduate, goes to the Inglis Millennium after an impressive recent barrier trial when a close second at Warwick Farm two weeks.

“We are happy with Facile, she was good in the trial when ridden ‘quiet’,” Ryan said.

“She has a lot of natural ability and all going well we will probably go to the Sweet Embrace Stakes next.”

Ryan and Alexiou are only taking two runners to the Randwick meeting but they are chasing a feature race double with A Lot More Love lining up in the Group 2 $250,000 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m).

A Lot More Love was one of the most improved three-year-old fillies in training last spring as she followed her maiden win at Newcastle by making the quantum leap to stakes level look easy by taking out the Listed Reginald Allen Quality.

She then stepped out in the Group 2 Callander-Presnell and ran a competitive third behind top three-year-olds Golden Mile and Communist.

“The Light Fingers Stakes is a very good race,” Ryan conceded.

“But A Lot More Love spelled well, her trial was good the other day, and we think she has improved form the spring but she needs to because this is as good a three-year-old fillies race as you will get.”

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Facile is among five juveniles racing in the Inglis Millennium who are competing for a $400,000 Inglis Pink Bonus on top of the $2 million race prizemoney.

The owners of the first horse to finish between Facile, Arkansaw Kid, The Player, Lazzago and Chevron, will win the $400,000 bonus.

The quintet will be easy to spot in the Inglis Millennium as they will be carrying pink saddlecloths.

Although the Inglis Millennium is restricted to Inglis yearling sale graduates, a portion of the race winner’s prizemoney, $82,500, can be used for Golden Slipper qualification.

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Mo’Unga hasn’t won for 18 months but he is set to make his presence felt in the Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

The Annabel Neasham-trained Mo’Unga has a very good first-up record of three wins (and two placings) from six attempts including his most recent win in the Group 1 Winx Stakes over the Randwick 1400m course.

Neasham has given Mo’Unga two barrier trials to prepare for the Apollo Stakes and an exhibition gallop between races last week when he worked brilliantly even though he wasn’t wearing blinkers which are a staple for him on race day.

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Fireburn, winner of the Golden Slipper last season, is chasing a rare feature race double when she resumes in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m).

Forensics (2008) remains the only Golden Slipper winner to return and win the Light Fingers Stakes the following season.

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Trainers Ben and JD Hayes are relying on Mr Brightside and Gentleman Roy to continue a family tradition on the Group 1 $750,000 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) at Sandown.

Their father, David Hayes, trained three Orr Stakes winners with Planet Ruler (1991), Primacy (1994) and Jeune (1995), and their grandfather, the late Colin Hayes won the weight-for-age sprint four times, most recently with At Talaq in 1987.

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Godolphin trainer James Cummings believes unbeaten colt Barber will benefit from being sent to Melbourne to resume in the Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Sandown on Saturday.

“The trip away will be good for Barber,” Cummings said. “He should appreciate Sandown but to be honest I would have targeted the Blue Diamond if it was at Caulfield this year as well.

“Barber can keep building his record and if I feel he needs another run before the Golden Sipper I could look at the Pago Pago Stakes.

“But the Blue Diamond is three weeks before the Golden Slipper so that bookends those two Group 1 races.

“Our colt, who has a fast pedigree, can have a good crack at the Blue Diamond before coming back for the Golden Slipper.”

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The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Some People Callme, who is taking on Barber in the Blue Diamond Prelude, is cleverly named after a famous song.

The clue to the two-year-old’s name comes from the opening lines from The Steve Miller Band’s hit single from 1973, “The Joker”:

“Some people call me the space cowboy, yeah

“Some call me the gangster of love

“Some people call me Maurice”

Juvenile colt Some People Callme is a son of Japanese champion and Arrowfield Stud’s leading sire, Maurice.

5 years ago

Hall of Famer Chris Waller decided against running champion mare Winx first-up in the Apollo Stakes when regular jockey Hugh Bowman was suspended but the trainer still won the Randwick weight-for-age race with Endless Drama edging out Global Glamour on the line. The James Cummings-trained Alizee was impressive winning the Light Fingers Stakes. Hartnell, a stablemate of Alizee, was finished fast to win the Orr Stakes at Caulfield.

10 years ago

The Paul Murray-trained Alma’s Fury relished the heavy track conditions and finished fast under Blake Shinn to defeat Tougher Than Ever in the Apollo Stakes. Bennetta, ridden by James McDonald, was too good for Ichihara in the Light Fingers Stakes. The Team Hawkes-trained All Too Hard, the half-brother to unbeaten super sprinter Black Caviar, defeated older horses first-up with a brilliant Orr Stakes win.

20 years ago

Champion Lonhro, trained by John Hawkes and ridden by Darren Beadman, was imperious when he raced away from Hoeberg to win the Apollo Stakes by a widening margin of more than three lengths. Only Glory was in career best form scoring her third win in four starts that summer in the Light Fingers Stakes but she never won another race. Yell, a stablemate of Lonhro, became the fifth consecutive three-year-old to win the Orr Stakes.