"Yeah, bloody oath. Terrific prizemoney," said jockey Danny Nikolic at Caulfield on Saturday about the Inglis Premier (1200m), worth $250,000 ($150,000 to the winner).

"And I'm always happy to ride for Patinack when they want me," Nikolic added. His win was on $3.70 chance Not A Pretender (B f 2, Royal Academy (USA)-Mimes, by Desert King (IRE)), owned by Patinack Farm, and was a bright spot during a tough few days that saw him in strife with stewards for ringing a pro punter during a meeting in January.

 "He's not a very good jumper but he's had plenty of practice during the week," said trainer Mick Price of Old Jack, winner of the Listed Victoria Gold Cup (2000m). Going over a few hurdles during trackwork had the desired effect, with Old Jack (B g 4, Montjeu (IRE)-Ma Danseuse (NZ), by Dance Floor (USA)) racing much better than in his past two starts. And getting the money at $12.

"She's all racehorse." Not too many would disagree with trainer Peter Moody's assessment of Typhoon Tracy, winner of the G1 $500,000 Futurity Stakes (1600m).

"She knows she's the King Mum at home," was winning jockey Luke Nolen's strange comment on Typhoon Tracy (B or br m 4, Red Ransom (USA)-Tracy's Element, by Last Tycoon (IRE)).

"She's got that touch of Sunline about her," added Hong Kong's top jockey Brett Prebble, who chased Typhoon Tracy home on Dao Dao.

WE SAW IT

The prizemoney anomaly at Caulfield was not missed by the "purists" - the Inglis Premier, a race restricted to horses bought at an Inglis sale, offered $250,000; the other "open" 2YO, the Listed  Chairman's Stakes (1100m) was worth $100,000, with $60,000 to the winner, Crystal Lily (B f 2, Stratum-Crystal Snip, by Snippets). Crystal Lily might make up the difference (and more) soon - she is already a very valuable race filly and broodmare for owner David Moodie.

Brett Prebble rode Crystal Lily, so his second meeting in Melbourne in a week provided a result - he did not ride at Sha Tin yesterday because of a delayed suspension, and South African Douglas Whyte sliced two wins from his big lead in the jockeys' premiership. He is up 58-44 against the perennial champion.

With Peter Moody not taking Typhoon Tracy to Hong Kong for the $HK12 million (about $A1.8 million) G1 Champions Mile, which, like the Futurity, is part of the Asian Mile Series, last year's third-placegetter Dao Dao (Br g 6, Shinko Forest (IRE)-Casual Way (NZ), by Casual Lies (USA)) is Australia's sole representative. He is trained by Team Hawkes (father John and sons Michael and Wayne), but Prebble said he was not certain to aboard at Sha Tin on April 25.  .

"I'm not first choice ... probably 'Beady' (Darren Beadman) will get the offer," he said. "If he doesn't, I'm a chance."

Victorian Prebble also is a chance to ride at more Group 1 meetings in Australia this year. "I'm not ringing up for rides and trying to unseat the jocks here," he said. "I'm not doing that at all, but if something pops up and I get offered a nice ride I'll give it consideration now, whereas before I didn't worry about it too much."

Beadman rode Collection to a strong-finishing win in the Group 1 $HK8 million Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin yesterday, and could go to Dubai for the Group 1 Duty Free (1800m) on March 28 with the Peintre Celebre 5YO. He copped a two-meeting suspension - and survived a protest - for causing interference to runner-up Thumbs Up.

Lord Tavistock disappointed in the Futurity at Caulfield, but another Kiwi who has raced in Australia, Mufhasa, added to his Group 1 tally in New Zealand - he won the Fully Fledged Weight-For-Age Classic (1600m) at Otaki. It was the third G1 win for Mufhasa (Br g 5, Pentire (GB)-Sheila Cheval (NZ), by Mi Preferido (USA)), reigning NZ horse of the year. Favourite Wall Street was a disappointing ninth.

AJC Oaks winner Daffodil (B m 4, No Excuse Needed (GB)-Spring (NZ), by O'Reilly (NZ)), who was third, is being set for two Sydney races, the G1 $400,000 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on March 20 and the G1 $2.25 million BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on April 3. Lord Tavistock (B h 4, Montjeu (IRE)-Upstage (GB), by Quest For Fame (GB)) will stay in Australia for the G2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on March 13.

Meanwhile, the fairytale continues for Chance Bye, all-the-way winner at $1.75 favourite of the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill for battling trainer Mick Tubman. Chance Bye (B f 2, Snitzel-Rouge Femme, by Red Ransom (USA)), a $15,000 purhase, whose story is becoming Takeover Target-like, has won all three starts and is a $6 favourite for the G1 $3.5 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill on April 4.

The nightmare continues for Manhattan Rain punters, fifth as $2.70 favourite in the G2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m), won by the roughie Monton (B g 3, Catbird-Dynamic Flyer, by Marauding (NZ)). Manhattan Rain (B c 3, Encosta De Lago-Shantha's Choice, by Canny Lad) has a lot of improving to do to get within coo-ee of trainer Gai Waterhouse's ranking of him.

In Perth, promising three-year-old Morant ($2.40 winner of the Challenge Stakes, 1400m) will be aimed at the T.J. Smith Trophy at Ascot on March 13 by trainer Graeme Ballantyne. Saturday's success was significant for jockey William Pike - it was his first city win since returning from his Hong Kong riding stint, although he had showed he was in form with four straight at Bunbury a few days earlier. Pike won another two races later on Tudor Lad ($2.50 favourite).

WE'LL WATCH IT

It's Super Saturday at Flemington, which has the G1 Crown Guineas (1600m), the G1 Australian Cup (2000m) and the G1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m), and the G2 Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) and the G2 Kewney Stakes (1400m) and the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) and the G3 Schweppervescence Trophy (1400m).

Warwick Farm isn't too shabby, either, with the G1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m), the G2 Surround Stakes (1400m), the G3 Liverpool City Cup (1300m) and the G3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m).

Ascot has the G3 WA Champion Fillies' Stakes (1600m). They also race at Eagle Farm and Morphettville.

And Ellerslie has the G1 NZ Derby (2400m). 

Changing the date, switching the distance back to 1400m (it's been 1600m since 2006) and changing the conditions from weight for age to handicap are just some of the "need to fix it" notes being dropped into the suggestion box.

One suggestion is to drop it from the Asian Mile Series - now there's a comment for comment's sake.

But there is no evidence to suggest there is something drastically wrong with the Futurity Stakes, other than the fact that small fields are usual for weight-for-age races and that the brilliant mare Typhoon Tracy has scared away many of her rivals - even those unwilling to go around for the $11,000 paid to horses finishing sixth to 10^th. My question is: do we really want these types of horses cluttering up the Group 1 fields anyway? My answer: certainly not.

Last year Niconero beat six other rivals in a memorable finish to the Futurity, running down Light Fantastic in the last stride; the year before, the same horse beat 11 others.

The unbeaten Reset beat only four rivals in 2004 and Octagonal's brilliant brother Mouawad led home five others in 1997 - both races stick hard in the memory and rate with the best Futurity Stakes that I have witnessed.

Let us just enjoy the whirlwind that is Typhoon Tracy, a wonderful mare heading for the top shelf, or celebrate a horse good enough to beat her ... and leave this historic race alone. 

Starspangledbanner's win in Saturday's Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) at Caulfield was confirmation for his new owners, Coolmore, that they made the right decision investing in their latest stallion prospect.

It the second time that the Australian arm of Coolmore has been able to convince owner John Magnier, based in Ireland, to buy an Australian-bred horse for stud duties without the knowledge that the horse's pedigree and racing performances would make him a suitable prospect for the lucrative shuttle market.

They took the risk with Haradasun (b h 2003, Fusaichi Pegasus (USA)-Circles Of Gold, by Marscay) a couple of years back, and were rewarded when Haradasun won the 2008 Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes (1600m) at Royal Ascot to secure his place on the Tipperary roster.

While Starspangledbanner (ch h 2006, Choisir-Gold Anthem, by Made Of Gold (USA)) was already a commercial stallion prospect after his all-the-way win in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield in the spring, his ability to return in the autumn to win again at the highest level has enhanced his reputation.

The colt's original owners - a syndicate that now races the horse on lease until after the Newmarket Handicap - created post-race scenes normally reserved for a football match, but the boys from Coolmore, Michael Kirwan and Colm Santry, were just as ecstatic. It's always good to get it right when you are spending the boss's money.

After the Group 1 Newmarket (1200m) at Flemington on March 6, Starspangledbanner will travel to Ireland to trainer Aidan O'Brien at Ballydoyle and is likely to be prepared for one or both of the Group 1 sprints - the King's Stand Stakes (1000m) and the Golden Jubilee Stakes (1200m) (races his sire Choisir won in 2003) - during the Royal Ascot carnival, although the colt is proven at 1600m, so O'Brien could set him for the Queen Anne.

A Group 1 win in England, Ireland or France will see the horse emerge as a lucrative shuttle stallion, which suits Coolmore's strategy - they are money men and it doesn't make financial sense to have a stallion resting in his paddock when he could be shuttling to another breeding season in another hemisphere. The till needs to tick, constantly - as it has with Choisir. (Choisir has covered full books in both hemispheres since he retired in 2003, although he is being rested from this shuttle after his Australian spring when he covered 227 mares at a fee of $35,750 (plus GST).

You get the impression that success of the purchase of Starspangledbanner is important for another reason - how else will Coolmore Australia source new stallions for their Hunter Valley property other than buy them in Australia as yearlings or off the track.

With Danehill gone, Coolmore Ireland's success is incumbent around their Sadler's Wells sons Montjeu and Galileo, both outstanding sires and the stallions who have supplied Coolmore Ireland with their big Group 1 wins in the last two years.

Despite their great successes in Europe, Australian breeders will be less inclined to support sons of Galileo and Montjeu. Both stallions have shuttled in the past with mixed results and support - Galileo has been a distinct disappointment (perhaps tempered by the potential of recent Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes winner Linton), whereas Montjeu has done well from his New Zealand base, but his sons are stayers and not on the Australian breeder's agenda.

It must be a worry for Coolmore's Australian division, which has ridden on the back of the success of the wonderful Danehill for the last 15 or so years. The decision to send Fastnet Rock to Ireland for the 2010 breeding season is an important move by Coolmore, and obviously, in part, in a hope that this outstanding young sire will have an impact from a hand-picked private book of 60 select mares and provide appealing stallions for the southern hemisphere market.

Starspangledbanner is a beautiful colt with an attractive speed pedigree - with a double dose of the great Star Kingdom (4x6) - and he fits the mould of the modern Australian sprinter-miler as stallion. The next step is to see if the horse named after an American anthem can jig to an Irish tune.

Footnote: Starspangledbanner and Haradasun are closely related. Starspangledbanner's granddam Northern Song (ch m 1992, Vain-Olympic Aim (NZ), by Zamazaan (FR)) is a half-sister to Circles Of Gold (ch m 1991, by Marscay), the dam of Haradasun and his champion half-brother Elvstroem (by Danehill (USA)).

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Viking Ruler (b h 1998, Danehill (USA)-Tristalove (NZ), by Sir Tristram (IRE)) will transfer this week from Sir Patrick Hogan's Cambridge Stud, Cambridge (NZ), to stand at Robert Thompson's historic Mornmoot Stud, near Whittlesea, only 20kms north of Melbourne.

Thompson said Viking Ruler will be welcome in his new home by taking up residency in the same stallion box that housed Mornmoot's most famous stallion Century, who died, aged 25, in 1994. Century was crowned Australia's leading sire in the 1978/79 season - he is the last Victorian-based stallion to achieve the feat.

Viking Ruler won the 2001 Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes (2000m) at Randwick - his only win in nine starts - although he also finished second in the 2001 Group 2 AAMI Vase (2040m) at Moonee Valley and the 2002 Group 2 Royal Sovereign Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm before injury halted his career.

The stallion has been a resident of Cambridge Stud at Cambridge, New Zealand, since he retired in 2003. It was a fitting place for the stallion to start his stud career as his dam Tristalove (b m 1990, ex- Our Diamond Lover) was bred by Sir Patrick. She is a Group 1-winning granddaughter of the famous stud's champion broodmare Eight Carat (GB) (by Pieces Of Eight (GB)).

Let's be fair dinkum, Hogan is not letting go of Viking Ruler because he's a huge commercial success, as the stallion's recent Karaka yearling sales results - he averaged only $NZ16,000 from 10 yearlings sold (20 offered) - suggest he's lost his appeal.

While Viking Ruler has sired a disappointing three Stakes-winners from his five crops of racing age - the multiple Group winner and Group 1 placed Red Ruler, Bart Cummings' good sprinter and Group 2 winner Kroner and the 2009 Group 1 Queensland Derby winner Court Ruler - he will get a different type of mare in Australia, and it just might suit him.

It's true that Cambridge gave the good-looking horse his chance, but it is likely the dour mares he received in New Zealand didn't nick with this horse, who was a bit one-paced himself. Back in Australia, where the Danehill blood is supreme, Viking Ruler will get mares with speedier pedigrees, especially those with Star Kingdom blood - a proven nick to Danehill - as well as more mares linking to different sons of Northern Dancer than Danehill's sire Danzig.

Viking Ruler's younger brother Kempinsky, who also stands in Victoria at Independent Stallions, Nagambie, is starting to leave a few winners as his stock mature as 3YOs. Trainer Mick Price has a good opinion of his recent city-winning son of Kempinsky, No Vacancy (br g 2006, ex Lucid Dream (NZ), by Bassenthwaite (GB)), who trounced Guru Bob over 1200m at Moonee Valley on February 2, and Guru Bob followed up by finishing runner-up to star colt Denman in last Saturday's Group 2 D'Urban Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

Thompson has good client support at Mornmoot, where he stands the stallions Happy Giggle (by Rory's Jester), Fomalhaut (Spinning World) and El Cumbres (Hussonet). Thompson claims he has 15 bookings to Viking Ruler at a pre-Easter fee of only $5500 (inc. GST) and his targets will be owners of broodmares looking to breed to race; a good tactic in Victoria as there is a wealth of breeders not involved in the commercial yearling sale side of the industry.

For instance, Makybe Diva's sire Desert King, also by Danehill, is getting good support under at similar criteria at Bombora Downs, Bittern, on the Mornington Peninsula. In the last four seasons Desert King has covered books of 130, 130, 84 and 73 (2009) at a fee of $9900, yet despite that he doesn't have a yearling in next week's Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, which suggests that those breeding to him are wanting to retain the offspring to race.

The best bets are in races two and five, and we've found eachway value in race seven.

To find out what our form analyst is tipping CLICK HERE

Brett Prebble had an ordinary day on his old home turf when winless in five rides at Caulfield on Saturday, but he made up for it with four wins, including a Group 1 on the world's best sprinter Sacred Kingdom, back on his home turf of the past half-dozen years, Sha Tin, in Hong Kong yesterday.

Prebble (32), Victoria's champion rider in 1999-2000 and 2000-01, filled in for the suspended Glen Boss and finished second (Floramour), third (Irish Lights) 10th (Changingoftheguard and Evidentia) and fifth (Eagle Falls).

In Hong Hong, Prebble widened his lead in the jockeys' premiership to 14 - 56-42 against perennial champion Douglas Whyte, who missed yesterday's meeting because of suspension. Ironically, two of Prebble's wins were for Australian trainer John Size, for whom Whyte rides.

The Australian-bred Sacred Kingdom (b g 6, Encosta De Lago-Courtroom Sweetie, by Zeditave) was the win that counted most. The sprinter was devastatingly effective in the Chairman's Sprint Prize (1200m) after appearing to be boxed in early in the straight.

Prebble said he had no fears when behind horses. "I had him pretty much where I wanted," he said. Nor when he hit the front. "It's real amazing. I can really feel he's just waiting - he's got no more to run down so he just takes care of himself."

It was Sacred Kingdom's 15th win from 23 starts, taking his earnings to more than $HK37 million (about $A5.5 million). The race was the second leg of the Hong Kong Speed Series, and connections have to decide whether he will run for a $HK2 million bonus in the third leg, the Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) on March 14, or go to Japan for the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) at Chukyo Racecourse, Nagoya, on March 28.

In May, he might go to Singapore for the G1 KrisFlyer (1200m) at Kranji, and a clash with Singapore's boom sprinter Rocket Man - the score is 1-0 in Sacred Kingdom's favour after his win last year.

Prebble will ride him, but he has missed the big rides coming up in Hong Kong on Fair Trade despite winning the Chinese New Year Cup (1400m) on him first up on February 16. Connections will fly Shane Dye from Mauritius to ride the very promising Fair Trade (b g 4, Danewin-Villa Igea, by Papal Power (USA)), who was 2-2 for Mick Kent in Melbourne before joining Caspar Fownes' stable in Hong Kong, where he also is 2-2. Dye, who rode in Hong Kong for many years, has been booked for the G1 Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) on Sunday and the G1 Mercedes-Benz Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on March 14.

Oh, there was a sting in the tail for Prebble yesterday – a two-meeting suspension.

While on Hong Kong, Darren Beadman finally got that win - at Sha Tin last Tuesday, when Yummy Spirits won at the last of his nine rides for the day and with his losing streak at 64.  Nine rides yesterday produced four placings.

We saw jockey Dwayne Dunn on TVN before the first race at Caulfield on Saturday, and what he said made a lot of sense. He threw out a tip for his "roughie" in the second, Electromotive, who won at $26 after better odds were bet. He said his other ride, Tootsie, was a big chance in the last, and she won at $4.60, again after better odds were offered. And he said how disappointing it was not to have had a ride in the G1 Blue Diamond, which has been his race over the past few years - he won four on end from 2005-2008, and was third last year. If Lee Freedman, for whom Dunn is now stable rider, doesn't have a Diamond contender again next year surely someone will snap up Dunn.

THEY SAID IT

"I wouldn't think It was Luke's prettiest performance," said trainer Peter Moody after Luke Nolen, Moody's stable rider, set filly Set For Fame ($2.50 favourite) a tough task before winning the G2 Angus Armansco Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.

"That question will be answered next start," said trainer Peter Snowden when asked if G2 D'Urban Stakes winner Denman ($1.26 favourite) would get a "mile". Next start is on Super Saturday (March 6), when the Australian Guineas (1600m) is one of three Group 1s, at Flemington.

We can't wait to see if Moody goes ahead with the plan to put Set To Fame against Snowden's super colt - Denman's one blemish as a three-year-old was over 1600m. Both were ultra-impressive in winning on Saturday, Denman (br c 3, Lonhro-Peach, by Vain) cruising and Set For Fame (b or br f 3, Reset-Northpoint, by Dehere (USA)) making light of a wide and tough run. Moody said on Saturday that he believes most of the "colts at the top of the Guineas market are suspect at 1600m".

"He was just fit enough," said trainer Mick Price after Rightfully Yours, hard ridden by Craig Newitt, came again to beat Road To Rock (who wasn't just fit enough) by a short head in the G3 Rokk Ebony Carlyon Cup (1400m) at Caulfield. Rightfully Yours (b g 5, Show A Heart-Academy Of Dreams, by Royal Academy (USA)) started $2.70 favourite. Three races later Rightfully Yours' four-year-old brother Heart Of Dreams ($2.45 favourite) could not run down $21 chance La Rocket (ch g 5, Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE)- La Bella Dama (NZ), by Desert Sun (GB)) in the G2 Pure Blonde St George Stakes (1800m). Punters were disappointed, but not La Rocket's connections, a small but noisy group in the mounting yard celebrating Tylden-based Wadham Park's Group-race breakthrough.

Their celebrations, however, were miniscule compared to the two lots of G1 winners, bulging groups of connections of Star Witness (Blue Diamond) and Starspangledbanner (Oakleigh Plate). They added oomph to the meeting, and that's great to see, but with that oomph comes a warning - it's fun on the "people side" of the mounting yard barrier; it's dangerous on the "horse side".

WE'LL WATCH IT

Moonee Valley on Friday night has the G2 MV Fillies Classic (1600m), but Caulfield on Saturday has the headline act, the G1 Futurity Stakes (1600m), the first leg of the Asian Mile Series that moves on to Dubai, Hong Kong and Japan. Caulfield also has the G2 Autumn Classic (1800m) for 3YOs.

Rosehill has the G2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m), the G2 Hobartville Stakes (1400m) and the G3 Millie Fox Quality Stakes (1300m). Morphettville has the G3 Boag's Draught Stakes (2600m) and the G3 Marsh Breeders' Stakes (1200m).  They also race at Eagle Farm and Ascot.