Global Weekly Review - 29.02.16

Replacing proven G1 horses such as Contributer and Complacent was never going to be easy, but Godolphin trainer John O'Shea has already uncovered a rising star, who is ready to step up to the plate - Hauraki.

As if on cue, the son of Reset ran on well for a solid third in the G1 Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick on Saturday, the very day of the announcement that two of the most reliable top class horses to carry the famous royal blue colours were being retired.

The G1 Cox Plate winner Winx currently sets the standard for weight-for-age racing in Australia, and with a second win this campaign, in the Chipping Norton, the daughter of Street Cry underlined her class and well-being in beating Dibayani by a length and a half.

But Hauraki was seen to great effect, running home well for third, a further length away. It was a run full of promise, and O'Shea is clearly impressed.

"I am really taken by the way Hauraki has been training and racing," the Godolphin trainer said. "He is a much better horse this preparation, and we are pressing ahead with him to races such as G1 Ranvet Stakes and G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes," he added.

With 4 winners in Australia at the weekend, following hard on the heels of a treble at Meydan on Thursday, Godolphin horses are certainly making their presence felt globally.

The two-year-old spotlight in Australia is now firmly on the G1 Golden Slipper, and Godolphin stocks will be assessed more accurately after Saturday's G2 Todman Stakes, in which the highly-regarded Astern flies the royal blue flag, putting his unbeaten record on the line.

The G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield saw a 1-2 for local trainer Mick Price when juveniles Extreme Choice and Flying Artie came home well clear of the chasing pack, who were headed by Zamzam. The first two should both be chances in the Golden Slipper.

Other Australian G1 races were won by sons of Darley stallions - the very talented Turn Me Loose (Iffraaj) took the G1 Futurity Stakes, while Flamberge (Exceed And Excel) landed the G1 Oakleigh Plate.

O'Shea is particularly pleased with Bow Creek, winner of the G2 Peter Young Stakes, and it is no surprise to hear that the Australian Cup is next on the agenda for the English import, followed by a possible crack at either the G1 Doncaster Mile or the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

But the trainer plans to give Bow Creek more practice at the barrier before his next start. "He is missing the 'jump' and you just can't give away a start in those big races and still have a winning chance. So we'll get him some more practice," O'Shea explained.

In America, Kiaran McLaughlin came a step closer to a successful assault on the G1 Kentucky Derby when sending out His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum's Mohaymen to win the G2 Fountain Of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He comfortably defeated Zulu and Fellowship.

In Hong Kong, local 'warrior' Designs On Rome won his second G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin to give trainer John Moore his 11th win in the big local feature. Moore also saddled the trifecta in this latest running as Helene Happy Star finished second and Military Attack third.