THEY SAID IT

"She was only beaten just over two lengths last year (in the Melbourne Cup) and I think she's a stronger filly this time around," said famous Irish trainer Dermot Weld after Profound Beauty (B m 2004, Danehill (USA)-Diamond Trim (IRE), by Highest Honor (FR)) beat four others to win the Group 3 Curragh Cup (2800m) at her first start since Australia's great race. The mare is being set for the Cup at Flemington again this year.

 "She ran a cracking race last year," said the man who already has two Cup trophies (Vintage Crop in 1993 and Media Puzzle in 2002). "She came to win a furlong out."

The mare was well-handled in the Cup by Glen Boss, who pre-race had suggested the Irish mare had Makybe Diva qualities - he won the 2003, '04 and '05m Cups on the Diva.

In the end she was not seasoned enough, but managed to fight on and finish fifth, five lengths behind Bart Cummings' 12^th Cup winner, Viewed.

Weld said the Curragh Cup was Profound Beauty's mid-summer target and he said the logical next race would be September's Irish St Leger (2800m), which he has won six times, including four with Vinnie Roe, who had three tries at the Melbourne Cup (fourth to stablemate Media Puzzle in 2002, second in '04 and eighth in '05). 

Asked if the prospect of a hard track would stop Profound Beauty going to Australia, Weld said "good, safe ground" was all that was required. "She doesn't want it as soft as today," he said of the "good to yielding" surface at the Curragh, when Profound Beauty (5-1) held on to beat Alandi (9-4) and Yankee Doodle (7-2). The Luca Cumani-trained Favourite Mad Rush (7-4), seventh in last year's Melbourne Cup, dropped out to finish last in the small field, and was found to be lame. 

Asked if Profound Beauty would have a run in Australia before the Melbourne Cup, Weld said: "I wouldn't rule anything in or out at this stage."

Weld's Rosewall House stable jockey Pat Smullen had the mount at the Curragh and is likely to get first option in Melbourne, although Boss and Damien Oliver, who won on Media Puzzle, can be expected to put up their hands for the mount.

"It's unbelievable to win this race again. When there is expectation, like there was today, it's always tense - but this is marvellous," said champion trainer Aidan O'Brien after winning the main race at the Curragh a the weekend, the Irish Derby (2400m), with Fame And Glory (Johnny Murtagh).

Fame And Glory was the 8-11 favourite and one of six Coolmore runners - the others finished second (Golden Sword, 11-1), fourth (the pacemaker Rockhampton, 200-1), ninth, 10^th and 11^th (last). It was O'Brien's fourth consecutive win in the race and a record seventh overall. Fame And Glory (B c 2006, Montjeu (IRE)-Gryada (GB), by Shirley Heights (GB)) won by five lengths.

If you thought that was a margin, well ... America's racing princess, Rachel Alexandra (B f 2006, Medaglia D'Oro (USA)-Lotta Kim (USA), by Roar (USA)) won the Grade 1 Mother Goose Stakes (1800m) at Belmont in New York by 19 lengths at odds of 1-20 at her first start since her win in the Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the American Triple Crown. Although the weekend win came in a field of three, it prompted this comment from jockey Calvin Borel: "She's ... I don't know, like Secretariat or Seattle Slew, whatever you want to call it. I've never been on one like that in my life."

And another star American mare, the unbeaten Zenyatta (B or br m 2004, Street Cry (IRE)-Vertigineux (USA), by Kris S (USA)) won her 11^th straight  race when she romped home in the $300,000 Vanity Stakes at Hollywood Park in Inglewood. When asked the merits of Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra, Zenyatta's jockey Mike Smith said: "Maybe down the road we can have a little race together."

WE SAW IT

There were no superstars, but plenty of promise was shown at Flemington on Saturday, a little unusual for a mid-winter meet. The Darley youngster Denman (Br c 2, Lonhro-Peach, by Vain) was impressive over 1100m. And Gran Sasso (B g 4, Dehere (USA)-Lady Soffel, by Rubiton), trained by Brian Mayfield-Smith, underlined his straight track prowess (2 wins, 2 placings from five starts) with a win over 1000m in the last. He will back up in the final of the winter sprint series (same track, 200m more) on Saturday.

On the Sunshine Coast, the superior mudder Reggie (B/br m 8, Germano (GB)-Crackastar (NZ), by Star Way (GB)) won the $200,000 Listed Caloundra Cup (2400m). It was a brave effort by the mare and a smart one by jockey Jim Byrne, who got the $5 favourite going about 1200m out and had the race won all the way up the wet straight. Reggie appears to be loving her racing, although she was bought to go to stud - Victorians Terry Henderson and Simon O'Donnell, of OTI, paid $240,000 for her at the Magic Millions broodmare sale early in June. With the prospect of another wet track, trainer Peter Moody might be might be tempted to give her one more run, in the $150,000 Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) on July 16. The Caloundra meeting was a hybrid - they raced in daylight and under lights, and on turf and on the cushion (all-weather) track. That broodmare sale has been a good investment thus far, with last week's Group 1 Winter Stakes winner, Russeting, also a graduate of the sale.

Young Caulfield trainer Luke Oliver, who took wet-tracker Scenic Scene to Sydney to win on June 20, won with Elmore (B g 5, Testa Rossa-Razero, by Danzero) at Morphettville on Saturday. Oliver  (32) is building a reputation of winning with cast-offs at home, and now he is striking away.

Flemington-based Hall Of Fame trainer David Hayes has had many winning interstate raids, the latest at Belmont in Perth on Saturday when Journey (ch f 3, Jeune (GB)-Hasty Jest, by Rory's Jester) won the $75,000 Listed Belmont Oaks (2000m).
Journey at only her fifth race start, and off a Moe maiden win, was perfectly, and patiently, ridden by Brad Parnham to beat the locals Tsarinsky and Jewelled.

WE'LL WATCH IT

There's still a month of racing left in the 2008-09 season, but Hugh Bowman has sealed the Sydney jockeys' premiership - he has 86 wins to Corey Brown's 76, and Brown plans to take a break after next weekend. Peter Snowden's Saturday treble reduced Gai Waterhouse's lead in the trainers' race to 2.5 (78.5-76), and Darley's man is shortening at each meeting through sheer weight of numbers  - at Randwick tomorrow, he has four runners, Gai has one.

In Melbourne, Damien Oliver (65) rode a double and put his nose back in front of Craig Williams (64) on Saturday and he had a win of sorts from today's appeal against a careless riding suspension - he had his sentence halved and can resume at Flemington on Saturday. But with Ollie planning a July break, Williams remains favourite to make it four premierships on end. Lee Freedman (64) and David Hayes (62) didn't add to their Melbourne tallies in the trainers' race.

Darley's No. 1 rider, Kerrin McEvoy, third on the Sydney premiership, had a treble, giving him 58.5 city wins for the season and a career total of 999 - he was hoping win No. 1000 could come as early as today when, at Gunnedah, about 450km north-west of Sydney,  he rode Star Spangled and Illude, but both ran second. They were the first Australian runners for former English trainer Mark Wallace, who is based at Warwick Farm. McEvoy rode for Wallace in England. The jockey shouldn't have to wait long for his 1000th - he has seven rides at Randwick tomorrow, including four for Snowden.

In Hong Kong there remains a question mark on its champion trainer as the season winds up at Sha Tin on Wednesday.  Caspar Fownes (65), John Moore (63) and John Size (61) all had one win at Sha Tin yesterday, when Brett Prebble rode four winners, Darren Beadman one and Zac Purton one. Western Australia's champion Willie Pike, 0-22 after three meetings in Hong Kong, is hoping for a winner in his preview stint before starting full-time in the new season in September.

Flemington has a top-notch winter meeting coming up on Saturday, although the jumpers no longer race there.  The VRC has: the Listed $200,000 CRV Winter Championship (1600m); the $150,000 All Victorian Sprint Series Final (1200m); the $150,000 Banjo Paterson Series Final (2500m); and two $100,000 series finals for 3YOs over 1200m.

Eagle Farm has the Listed Ascot Handicap (1200m) and Rosehill the Listed Civic Stakes (1400m). They also race at Belmont and Morphettville.

In the UK, the spotlight is on Sandown where the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes (2000m) will be run.