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Rebel Dane Aiming For A Missile Strike

With an outstanding first-up record, five-year-old Rebel Dane looks set to start one of the favourites in Saturday’s $175,000 Group Two Missile Stakes over 1200m at Randwick on Saturday.

Having won three times fresh from four attempts, including the Group Two Show County Quality over 1200m this time last year, the Gary Portelli-trained stallion prospect will jump from barrier four on Saturday with top class jockey Blake Shinn in the saddle.

Taking on a field of high class runners (click below for form) which includes Group One winners Boban, Laser Hawk, Hawkspur and Kirramosa as well as the upcoming promising runners Messene and Weary, Rebel Dane has been readied for his first up assignment with a pleasing third in a barrier trial on July 25, followed up by a hit out between races at Rosehill last Saturday with Shinn in the saddle.

Rebel Dane Field

A winner of six from 16 starts that includes a stunning victory in the Group One Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) during last year’s Spring Carnival, the son of Danehill stallion California Dane will target the Group One Memsie Stakes (1400m) on the final day of August – a race won in the past by the likes of Atlantic Jewel (2013), So You Think (2010), Weekend Hussler (2008), Miss Finland (2007), El Segundo (2006), Makybe Diva (2005), and Sunline (2000 and 2001).

Best of luck must go to the large group of owners of Rebel Dane, pictured below after one of his earlier wins; Laurel Oak Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Mr J V Murphy, Rdfit Pty Ltd, Mr P M Kite, Mr M W Powell, Mr C J Baker, Pardon, Mr S J Lindley, Mr R H Spee, Simpson-Morgan, Mr T J Gleeson, Mr N A Parbery, Mr G Zivkovic, Mr A N Fitzgerald for Saturday’s race.

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Tuscan Falls Again

Yet to hit the track on race day, Laurel Oak Bloodstock’s now three-year-old Tuscan Falls produced another exciting trial effort on Monday at Rosehill, taking his heat by one-and-a-quarter lengths over the 900m.

Trained by Gary Portelli, the Nicconi gelding has had three trials to date and looks one to watch as we hopefully head to the races with him in the coming weeks – you can read about his previous trial win by clicking here.

Partnered by Tye Angland on Monday, Tuscan Falls went forward after jumping away well from the gates and settled in second place.

Wearing blinkers, Tuscan Falls came up on the outside of the leader who was under pressure and allowed to coast to the line in fine style (pictured below).

As his pedigree does suggest, he looks a smart horse in the making.

A graduate of the Turangga Farm draft at the 2013 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, the Nicconi gelding is the first living foal of the General Nediym mare mare Queen Of The Falls, herself a half-sister to the Group Two -winning, Group One placed Elite Falls, both daughters of the Group Three-winning Danehill mare Niagara Falls.

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First Up Third for Out Of The Night

Back from a spell, and having just turned three, Fastnet Rock colt Out Of The Night travelled to Bairnsdale on August 3 for the 1200m Four’n Twenty Maiden Plate.

With a small field to contest with, the Tony Noonan–trained colt finished third over what many may suggest an unsuitable distance based on pedigree.

Although by Champion Sire Fastnet Rock, Out Of The Night (pictured below with Louis) is the first foal out of the dual Group One Winning New Zealand bred mare Zarita, a winner of the South Australian Derby and South Australian Schweppes Oaks double.

Zarita was one of the best of her age group not only being a dual Group One winner, she was also successful in another five stakes races.

With nine wins from 33 career starts and over $1.6 million in earnings we hope that Out Of The Night can be half as good as his mother – and fingers crossed we are heading that way!

Louis and Out Of The Night

Rock Looks Ready To Roll

Trained by Tony Noonan in Melbourne – our three-year-old filly was sent to Sydney and after a barrier trial at Rosehill Gardens a week back where she finished fourth, Posh Rock headed to Wyong on Tuesday for the Pure Blonde Maiden Plate over 1350m.

Ridden by leading jockey Blake Shinn, Posh Rock settled back in the field with only a few behind her but made her run like a good horse, to narrowly go down, beaten a half-head margin by the Les Bridge-trained Myladyluck.

The first two cleared out from the remainder of the field, with the third placed Crimson Ruby three-and-a-half-lengths way.

Secured from the draft of Newhaven Park at Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Posh Rock (pictured below as a yearling) is a full-sister to the Group One performer We’re Gonna Rock, as well as being related to Group One winners Bluebird The Word and Porto Rocca, who is in turn the dam of Group One Dubai World Cup winner Monterosso.

Posh Rock (2)

With an impressive pedigree, the filly is clearly one to watch on the track as her residual broodmare value will increase if she continues to perform.

Congratulations to the owners and at this stage it is likely she will head to a similar style of race to break her maiden in the coming weeks.

Consistency plus…

While winning is everyone’s ultimate goal, finishing second is better than finishing third and our rising four-year-old War Pass gelding Warinda finished an agonisingly close short neck second – his third successive second place, and sixth overall.

Racing at Moruya in the Moruya Panel And Paint Class Two over 1300m on a Dead rated track, Warinda, who started the race favourite settled back in the field and just failed by a whisker to defeat Pendragon three-year-old Dragon Affair.

Having had 11 starts to date for eight top three finishes, the connections of the Keith Dryden-trained galloper can’t complain, but we are all excited to see him cross the line in front in the coming weeks.

Having never finished further back that fifth in all of his runs so far, Warinda was secured from the draft of Widden Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale back in 2012 and is fifth runner and winner out of the Woodman mare Tolinda, herself a half-sister to South Africa’s Champion Two-year-old Male Tytola (Last Tycoon), both out of the dual Group Three-winning, Group One placed Tolanda.

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Tuscan Trials In Style

While most at the Warwick Farm barrier trials on Friday were expecting Rebel Dane to set tongues wagging, it was in fact his stablemate Tuscan Falls that produced the goods.

The veteran of only one prior trial – back in October where he finished third, two-year-old Nicconi gelding Tuscan Falls impressed all at Warwick F arm with a very impressive performance in his trial.

Jumping from the middle of the line in Heat 11 over the 800m, jockey Brenton Avdulla hunted him forward to take the lead. Sporting a pair of blinkers, the gelding maintained his lead of about a length until the home turn.

As they came wide when teh field rounded the home turn, Avdulla asked his mount for more, and he really extended to take the heat by an impressive three length margin from the Clarry Conners-trained He’s A Given.

Secured at the 2013 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 473 from the draft of Turangga Farm, Tuscan Falls (pictured below as a yearling) is the first living foal out of the winning General Nediym mare Queen Of The Falls, herself a half-sister to the Group Two -winning, Group One placed Elite Falls, both daughters of the Group Three-winning Danehill mare Niagara Falls.

Tuscan Falls

Trainer Gary Portelli was suitably impressed by the rising three-year-old and will wait to see how he pulls up before he decides on which direction to take.

Earlier in the day, Laurel Oak Bloodstock’s Group One winner Rebel Dane was in action, contesting Heat 7 over 800m.

Ridden by Hugh Bowman, Rebel Dane settled out wide in a mid-field position during the run. Pulled even wider on the turn, he worked home well to take third, beaten a head x half head by Celtic Prince and Dear Demi with the beaten brigade including Laser Hawk, Bull Point, Tougher Than Ever and My Kingdom of Fife.

After the trial Portelli was pleased with the effort but stated on Twitter that “he pulled up really big and that he had only had one decent gallop since Stradbroke Handicap.”

With Portelli also indicating that since Rebel Dane is older, he requires more work to get fit.

In what was a great day at the trials for the Laurel Oak Bloodstock horses, we really look forward to the coming weeks and months of the Spring Carnival when we see these two, plus a host of other runners head to the track!

Moody predicts bright Spring for Better Land

Part-owned by the Laurel Oak Shamrock (Mgr: L J Mihalyka, Ramsey Pastoral Company Pty Ltd (Mgr: S B Ramsey) Syndicate, trainer Peter Moody is expecting a bright Spring Carnival from the lightly raced Better Land after the Shamardal colt was an impressive Doomben barrier trial winner on Tuesday.

Risinng three year old Better Land and stablemate Dissident have been spelling in Queensland and both pleased Moody with their barrier trial efforts.

Leading Brisbane jockey Michael Cahill rode both the Moody runners and gave good reports following their respective outings.

While Dissident ran second to the Steve O’Dea trained Itchintowin in the 1000m Open trial, Better Land proved too strong for the Toby Edmonds trained two year old Life At Sea in their 1000m trial.

Moody has high hopes for Better Land and expects him to perform well against the top class three year old during the Spring Carnival.

“He is a nice horse and he might have a start in Brisbane before we bring him back south. I would be looking at some of the nice three-year-old races for him,” Moody told AAP.

Better Land Winning

As Moody does with a lot of his youngsters, he takes them to the country tracks of Victoria to let them gain some experience and confident and more times than not they return home with a win next to their names.

Better Land was no exception and at his only race start was able to record a comfortable three lengths win on a heavy track in an 1100m Sale Maiden on April 6 before heading for a Winter spell in Queensland.

Moody was also happy with the effort of Dissident who will head back to Sydney and then Melbourne with his ultimate goal being the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 25.

“Michael Cahill rode him in the trial and he was also happy with the way he went,” Moody said.

“His ultimate goal will be the Cox Plate in October.”

News from Mark Mazzaglia, Horseracing.com.au

Rebel Dane’s sister to debut at Canterbury

Rebel Dane is set to trial at Warwick Farm on Friday and his little sister will make her debut at Canterbury on Wednesday.

It is an exciting week for the connections and while trainer Gary Portelli is pleased with Texardini, he feels it would be a pleasant surprise if she can emulate her older brother and win first-up over 1250m.

“Texardini is certainly not as sharp as him (Rebel Dane), she is a horse who I think will get better over longer distances, but not many are as quick as him,” Portelli said.

“She has her fair share of ability but I would like to see her step up in distance before we got any confidence about her.

“She gives me the impression she unwinds more than let down quickly.

“She will get back at Canterbury and probably need a bit of luck, we are hoping to see her striking through the line strong and once she steps up I’d imagine she would be more of a winning hope.”

Tommy Berry has been booked to ride Texardini in race two at Canterbury.

Rebel Dane has had a little freshen since his seventh in the Stradbroke Handicap and is due to resume in the Missile Stakes at Royal Randwick on August 9.

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Following a sharp gallop on Tuesday morning, Rebel Dane (pictured above) will trial at Warwick Farm on Friday with Hugh Bowman to ride.

“He had a gallop this morning, he ran half a mile in 49 seconds, he ran home his last 600m in 12.5, 11.2, 11.2 on the grass by himself,” Portelli said.

“He hasn’t lost any speed that is for sure.

“Hugh Bowman will ride him in the trial and I’m hoping he can stick on for the Missile Stakes and the Memsie Stakes.

“Basically I need a jockey who will commit to both races and hopefully once he rides him on Friday he will be happy to be aboard.

“He will have the two runs and then a little freshen up, and no doubt we will look at the Manikato again.

“He is the type of horse who is explosive for his first two runs.

“No doubt we will want to have a crack down the straight, and so we will have a go at the VRC Sprint Classic, which is a $1 million race.”

Maybe not Joy, but clearly Excitement

Having broken her maiden last time out over 1200m at Wyong, out Lonhro filly Supreme Joy was sent straight back to town by trainer Joe Pride to contest Race 5: Ladbrokes.com.au Handicap over 1200m on Saturday at Rosehill Gardens.

Starting one of the outsiders in the field, jockey Tim Clark gave the filly a very good run, and when the it was time to get her mind on the job she seemed to take a little to make her run, but she then knuckled down and came with a strong run late along the inside to take third, beaten two lengths by the Gerald Ryan-trained Runaway Star with the Bjorn Baker-trained Coolring in second.

With seven placed efforts from nine starts to date, the Laurel Oak Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Mr P J Duggan, Mr A F Hackett, Mr P L Nottage, Mr R Ward A M, Mr T A Brown, Mr B Carlstein, Mr E H Crethar, Mr M K Graham, Mrs A M Mcgrath, Mr A I Grant-Taylor, Mrs N L Grant-Taylor, Mr G A Pointon, Mrs A Blewman, Mr N Macdonald, Mr K Macdonald, Mr P T Grady, Mr W R Hayden, Mr W A Chalker-owned filly showed she clearly has the ability to perform at Saturday level and we look forward to another showing when she next heads to the races.

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Warinda Runs Well Again

War Pass filly Warinda, a graduate from the 2012 Inglis Classic Sale, recorded her seventh top three finish from her ten career starts to date, finishing a narrow neck second over 1200m on a cold and windy Canberra race day last Friday.

Racing on a Heavy 10 surface, the Keith Dryden-trained filly, has been in consistent form of late with her last three efforts resulting in a third and two narrow second placed efforts, both over the 1200m.

Raced by Laurel Oak Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Mr D A Jeffery, Mrs C J Jeffery, Mr D J Caldwell, Mr W M Seay Jnr., Mr R A Wise, Mr D Emmerick, Mr K J Hudson, Mr P W Hickey, Mrs A M Hickey, Redbank North Pty Ltd, Mr S Cottle, Ms L A Hanrahan, Mr D J Ulrich, Mr P Hart, Mrs J S Murray, Mr G J Luton, Mr B L Luton, Mr M Duncan, Mr G N Hargraves, the filly is out of the Woodman mare Tolinda, herself a daughter of the dual Group Three winner Tolanda.

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