Racing
Newly gelded Tuned on song at Rosehill
A look at some of the other angles from Five Diamonds Day at Rosehill.
Country Champs looms for Lunaite
Paul Snowden has Country Championships aspirations for Saturday's Highway Handicap winner Lunaite and longer-term believes the mare can develop into a stakes-class performer.
Originally prepared in Sydney, Lunaite had her first start for Snowden earlier this year and has now won three of her six appearances for the experienced horseman, who moved to Port Macquarie after splitting with his former training partner and father, Peter, at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The four-year-old will be given another start or two this campaign before Snowden sets his sights on qualifying her for next year's feature at Randwick.
"We'll probably give her another run or so, it depends how she goes," Snowden said.
"If she wins again, we might pull up, give her a little break and aim towards a berth in the Country Championships, the qualifiers for that.
"She is very untapped this filly. She's got a really quick turn of foot when asked and she can build through her gears."
Snowden said Lunaite had some barrier issues before arriving at his stable but he hadn't seen any signs of those and she continued to go from strength to strength.
"They nicknamed her lunatic behind the gates, but I haven't had any trouble with her," he said.
"She is just one that slipped through the cracks.
"Maybe I found her and she found me at the right time."
Planets align for Oakfield Jupiter
Oakfield Jupiter continues to build a handy record, notching her fourth win from five starts in the Midway Handicap (1300m) to put herself in the frame for a Sydney autumn carnival feature.
The four-year-old overcame an awkward draw to score and trainer Damien Lane said there was more upside to come.
"She is just going to keep improving," Lane said.
"I don't know where she ends up but she's a good mare."
Oakfield Jupiter is owned by Bruce Mackenzie, who names all his horses with the 'Oakfield' moniker.
He has been a significant supporter of Lane, who says he might not still be training without that backing.
"He's been with me eight or nine years and I probably wouldn't be doing it without Bruce," he said.
"He gives us some quality horses. He loves his horses. He does a lot of work himself on his farm and it's really good for him and his wife."
Lane will consult with Mackenzie on the best way forward for Oakfield Jupiter with next year's Provincial-Midway Championships on the radar, although the mare's strikerate could dictate whether she lines up with starters restricted to five career wins.
"She'd be a live hope in a race like that and it's obviously worth really good money," Lane said.
"She has won four now so she can only win one more. If you went around again and she won, you'd have to go into a race like that first-up but it's a good problem to have."
Back-up an option for Thebudgiesmugla
Former New Zealander Thebudgiesmugla is a chance to back up in the $300,000 The Beauford at Newcastle after making it two wins in succession with a grinding victory at Rosehill.
Starting a $2.45 favourite, the Bjorn Baker-trained gelding took the length of the straight to wind up but finally got the better of Claim The Crown ($14) to take out the Chandon Handicap (2400m) by a long head.
Stable representative Glen Lobb admitted his confidence started to waver over the final stages and he was relieved to see Thebudgiesmugler get the job done.
"You can only win," Lobb said.
"He took the length of the straight to get to them. I was a little bit worried. At about the hundred, I thought he was going to win then at the fifty I thought, is he going to get there?"
Lobb said Baker would look for another suitable staying race for Thebudgiesmugla and didn't rule out a quick back-up into next Saturday's The Beauford (2300m).
"I don't know, but while he is going like that and if he pulls up well, we're not scared to back them up so it's probably a good hope," he said.
"He is definitely progressive."
Tuned hits right note for first-up win
A gelding procedure has had the desired effect for Tuned, who has given connections an immediate return with a stylish first-up win at Rosehill.
Co-trainer Annabel Archibald said the four-year-old had always been a kind horse but was becoming too heavy as a colt, hence the decision to have him cut.
"He has always had a really good temperament, it was more just the physical things," Archibald said.
"He's quite a big, solid horse and he still is, but less testosterone now he's a gelding. It's just helped him remain that bit more athletic."
Archibald held Tuned in high enough regard to campaign him in Brisbane during the winter where he placed in the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m).
While her immediate goal is to raise his benchmark rating, she hopes to get him back to better company sooner rather than later.
"We wanted to kick him off today and go through the grades, but he's always been a horse we thought is stakes class so hopefully he can keep going through the grades and we can get there with him," she said.
Given a beautiful ride by Tom Sherry, Tuned ($5.50) scored by a length over stablemate Dashing Rupert ($31) with Damien ($6.50) a nose away third.
Quote of the Day: "From the gate he had to work. He showed his class to fight on and just get beat." – Tommy Berry said Five Diamonds favourite Transatlantic was brave in defeat.
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