Quick Accession to top hope for Inglis Millennium after dominant win

Accession may not have run the fastest sectionals but he was still the most visually impressive winner at Rosehill Gardens last Saturday.

The promising two-year-old colt from the Chris Waller stable toyed with his rivals, racing clear to win by more than four lengths and recording a final 600m sectional of 33.8sec.

It was a dominant effort in which Accession accelerated away from his rivals without being unduly pressured.

A striking black colt, Accession firmed into equal favouritism at $4.50 with Catch Me for the $2 million Inglis Millennium at Warwick Farm on February 9.

But with Catch Me an unlikely starter in the Inglis Millennium because the filly is already in Melbourne and being aimed at the Blue Diamond Stakes, Accession has the Warwick Farm race at his mercy unless Espaaniyah takes her place in the field.

Espaaniyah, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, won her only start at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day last spring very easily and looked very sharp when winning a Randwick barrier trial under a tight hold last week.

Bott said a decision on whether to aim Espaaniyah at the Inglis Millennium could be made on Tuesday morning.

“We want to see how Espaaniyah gallops (Tuesday) morning and then a decision will be made whether to trial her again at Randwick on Thursday or have her resume in a 1000m race at Randwick next Saturday,’’ Bott said.

“If she was going to run in the Inglis Millennium she needs to race this Saturday as we would not want to send her first-up to Warwick Farm.’’

In the countdown to the autumn carnival, there are some important barrier trials at Warwick Farm on Tuesday, with D’Argento, Fiesta, Levendi, Lanciato and Avilius clashing in a 800m heat.

Other potential carnival contenders at the trials tomorrow include the unbeaten trio of promising mare Girl Tuesday and crack two-year-olds Time To Reign and Intrepidacious, plus Nakeeta Jane, Brimham Rocks, Egg Tart and Etymology.

The barrier trial session at Newcastle on Tuesday is also loaded with top-class gallopers, including Le Romain, Gem Song, Frankely Awesome, Reginae, El Dorado Dreaming, Serene Miss, Miss Fabulass, Spring Charlie and Golden Tycoon.

WINX’S TRUE COLOURS SHINING THROUGH

So You Win’s jockey Brenton Avdulla wore the colours of Winx’s owner Peter Tighe in his easy Rosehill win.

Tighe and his fellow part-owners Debbie Kepitis and Richard Treweeke will be hoping the win is a portent of things to come, with Winx in line to become the first Australian racehorse to be named undisputed world champion at the Longines World’s Best Racehorse event in London on Thursday morning (AEDT).

English duo Enable and Cracksman, unbeaten US triple crown winner Justify, American champ Accelerate and Japan’s Almond Eye are the rivals to Winx for world racing’s most coveted award.

SYNDICATION A WINNING RIDE FOR OWNERSHIP
The racing industry, which boasts record prizemoney levels, is booming in most states and enticing more people into racehorse ownership.

In fact, Australians own racehorses at a greater level per head of population than anywhere else in the world.

Syndications make racehorse ownership more affordable for most people and the latest figures show there were more than 82,000 registered owners last season.

There are nearly 6000 syndicates in operation, including high-profile businesses such as Triple Crown (of Redzel fame), Star Thoroughbreds, Darby Racing, Prime Thoroughbreds and Dynamic Syndications, and they provide a pathway for everyday Australians to get into racehorse ownership.

SHINN, ADKINS RETURN TO THE RANKS
Sydney’s riding ranks are already the strongest in the nation but they are about to become even more competitive when Blake Shinn and Andrew Adkins return to the saddle this weekend.

Shinn will strip at 55.5kg for his long-awaited return to race riding at the Royal Randwick meeting on Australia Day.

Shinn hasn’t ridden in races since seriously injuring his neck in a barrier trial fall last August but he has been back at trackwork and competing in barrier trials for the past two weeks.

Adkins has spent a month on the sidelines recovering from pericarditis — inflammation of the sac-like tissue that surrounds the heart — but has made a complete recovery and returned to trackwork last week.

There are also reports that an expatriate jockey currently riding in Hong Kong will announce as early as Monday an imminent return to Sydney.

SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO BRAVE COMBATANTS
Racing is an innately dangerous sport and jockeys put their lives at risk every time they ride either in a race or at trackwork.

Sadly, 938 jockeys have lost their lives in racing-related incidents since the first race meeting was held in this country more than 200 years ago.

Author John Payne has spent eight years researching each of these fatalities and written a compelling book titled Their Last Ride, which honours the memory of those jockeys who tragically lost their life riding a racehorse.

The book can be sourced at www.thelastride.com.au.