Daily racing news & betting updates – Thursday, 19 November 2020
It’s been a massive 24 hours for the world of horse racing. A statewide lockdown has caused racing do go on a week long hiatus, there was a meeting called off due to the state of the track, there’s a new top sprinter in the world, a jockey has been warned off for six months and the field has been announced for The Gong at Kembla Grange.
Race Meetings Cancelled as SA Goes Into Lockdown
A second wave of Covid-19 has hit South Australia, and the SA government acted quickly to send the entire state into an extreme lockdown. In the process, sporting events have been cancelled, meaning all thoroughbred, greyhound and harness racing competitors will be left without a race over the next six days. The higher ups in the South Australian racing industry are doing their best to secure an exemption for horses to remain in work during the lockdown, but such an outcome seems unlikely at this stage. The thoroughbred meetings at Naracoorte on Friday, Morphettville on Saturday and Clare on Sunday have all been abandoned.
Launceston Abandoned Due To Track Concerns
An eight-race card was set to be run and won on Wednesday night down in Launceston in near perfect conditions. The track was originally rated a Good 4, but stewards opted to conduct another inspection before the first race. In the end, the meeting was abandoned due to holes in the track from where the ground staff had moved the rail. Have you ever heard something so crazy being the cause for an abandoned meeting?
Bivouac On Top Of The World
Some of the world’s best handicappers reviewed Bivouac’s win in the VRC Sprint Classic on the last day of the Flemington Carnival and rated it the same as what they gave Classique Legend in The Everest earlier in the spring. Both runs earned a rating of 125 and have the two horses tied as the best sprinters in the world. Bivouac and Classique Legend are also tied for fourth in the overall horse rankings, as they boast the same number of ranking points as Addeybb and Stradivarius.
Rockett Grounded For Six Months
The North Queensland-based jockey Kerry Rockett was warned off for six months after providing multiple urine substitutions. The already-disqualified hoop had his urine tests returned as the DNA analysis showed it was not his. This penalty will end on May 16, 2021, but it remains to be seen if connections opt to go with the disgraced jockey.
Full Field Set For The Gong at Kembla Grange
A capacity field of 16 will greet the judge on Saturday afternoon for The Gong. The Waterhouse & Bott-trained Dawn Passage has come up a $5 favourite in a wide-open market for the second running of the $1 million feature at Kembla Grange.
Offers Come For Ain’tnodundeel and Allibor
Connections of the aptly named Ain’tnodeeldun have rejected a $2 million offer from Hong Kong after the 3YO colt put together three consecutive wins including the TAB Trophy Stakes on Melbourne Cup Day. The winner of the Sandown Guineas, Allibor, has had offers from Hong Kong in the past 48 hours, and it is yet to be seen what connections wish to do. It’s a bold move by the bidder in Hong Kong, considering the scratching of Aysar left the Group 2 race at Sandown last Saturday as little more than a glorified BM64. Elsewhere, the Linsday Park stable have purchased the rising Queensland star Command’n’conquer and shipped him off to Hong Kong, where he will be trained by David Hayes after winning five of his first seven starts in the Sunshine State.
Thursday racing news & betting tips
Make sure to check out all of our betting previews for today’s racing action, which includes meetings at Beaudesert, Hawkesbury, Moe and Northam. The first race of the day kicks off at 1:30pm AEDT at Moe.