Racing shorts: William Buick’s hit and run mission to Sydney
Globetrotting Godolphin jockey William Buick comes to Sydney for Chipping Norton Stakes day on the back of a Group Two win in Dubai.
Buick is being flown in for five rides at Randwick on Saturday for Godolphin’s Australian trainer John O’Shea.
His book includes Magic Hurricane, the Group One Metropolitan winner who takes on Winx in the Chipping Norton Stakes.
Buick won the Zabeel Mile at Meydan on Thursday (Friday AEDT) aboard the Charlie Appleby-trained Safety Check.
He claimed a winning treble on the night, also steering the Kiaran McLaughlin-trained Marking to win the sprint and the Appleby-trained Baccarat in the final race.
Almoonquith to make return to track
Almoonqith begins his Sydney Cup campaign against weight-for-age opposition at Caulfield.
The Lindsay Park-trained former European lines up alongside stablemates He Or She and Rising Romance in the Peter Young Stakes on Saturday.
Almoonqith hasn’t raced since winning the Sandown Cup over 3200 metres in November after finishing with the tail-enders in the Melbourne Cup won by Prince Of Penzance.
Co-trainer David Hayes said the Sydney Cup on April 9 was the autumn target for Almoonqith.
To be ridden by Damian Lane, Almoonqith is a $15 chance for his first run back.
He Or She is the best fancied of the Lindsay Park trio at $8 with Rising Romance at $9.
Godolphin’s Bow Creek, an unlucky first-up runner in the C F Orr Stakes, is the $3.90 favourite for Saturday’s Group Two race.
Daniel Meagher to return to Singapore
Daniel Meagher will return to Singapore where he has been granted a trainer’s licence.
Meagher spent 11 years in Singapore working with his father, Melbourne Cup winning trainer John, and brothers Chris and Paul.
The Meagher training team has been based at Eagle Farm since returning to Australia in 2011 after preparing 577 winners in Singapore, 29 at Group level.
Besides riding trackwork, Daniel Meagher was also a travelling foreman for the stable when it sent horses to Dubai.
Also gaining stables in Singapore is London-born James Peters who for the past three years has been assistant trainer to Michael Freedman.
An active buyer at recent sales on the Gold Coast and in New Zealand, Freedman has returned to Australia where he has set up stables at Rosehill.
Peters brought the Freedman-trained three-year-old Super One to Australia last year.