Ninja makes claim for Everest slot with slashing Missile Stakes win

Ninja put his hand up for an Everest slot and the man who bred Winx, John Camilleri, could be the slot-holder who comes knocking after the four-year-old made a brilliant debut against open company in the group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.

The Farnan gelding, first up in the opening group race of the Sydney season, raced forward under Tommy Berry to sit behind leader Way To The Stars before taking over at the 250m mark and holding off Napoleonic by a length and a quarter. Favourite Angel Capital was third.

Camilleri bred Ninja and retained a stake in the yearling when trainer Michael Freedman bought him for $380,000.

“I said to him earlier in the week, he’s going really well,” Freedman said of Camilleri, who owns Fairway Thoroughbreds.

“He’s not screwed right down for today because hopefully he’s got a decent spring ahead, so we’ll just see what happens.

“I think any trainer with a half-decent sprinter has dreams of getting to the Everest this time of year, but look, why not?”

No horse has yet been locked in officially for the Everest, where defending champion Ka Ying Rising is a $1.50 favourite.

Freedman said the group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick in two weeks could be the next assignment for Ninja. The Randwick trainer hopes to get a first runner in the $20 million Everest (1200m) when the 10th edition is held at Randwick on October 17. He also has Marhoona, which could resume in the Concorde or Moir Stakes, and Apocalyptic, which returns in the Toy Show Quality, in Everest slot calculations.

Ninja’s win was a boost for Freedman’s stable after the loss of ATC Oaks runner-up Profoundly to retirement because of a suspensory ligament injury this week.

“It was a shame because I was really happy with how she was going, but she’ll go off to be a mum now,” Freedman said.

Veteran climbs massive Hill back

The Ciaron Maher team has circled the $2 million Hill Stakes (1900m) as a goal for veteran Eliyass after he completed a comeback from surgery to win the Premier’s Cup Prelude (1800m).

A $26 chance after finishing second last in his Civic Stakes return, the eight-year-old led under apprentice Shannen Llewellyn and was tough late to hold out Matusalem by a long neck. The success could be a sign of things to come for Llewellyn, who is joining the Maher stable on loan from August 17.

Eliyass, back now from surgery to insert screws in both front legs, won the group 3 Premier’s Cup (2000m) in 2024 and will be set for the race again.

“Stepping up to 2000 will only suit him, especially after a run like that, and hopefully there’s bigger targets for him in the spring,” Maher assistant trainer Johann Gerard-Dubord said.

“There’s a lot more to come in terms of fitness and in time, a race like the Hill Stakes … there could be some nice targets for him.”

Messara mare steps up to city class

Scone trainer Paul Messara was not looking too far ahead with promising mare Avista after she carried her impressive country form into a narrow win in her city debut.

The Maurice four-year-old, coming off an effortless benchmark 66 win at Muswellbrook, came down the outside under James McDonald to edge out Mind Ya Bizz ($31) as the $2.25 favourite in the 1400m benchmark 72.

Avista, now with four wins in five starts, is part-owned by former broadcaster Alan Jones, whose criminal trial has dominated headlines this week.

Messara said he would target a similar race for Avista before giving her a spell.

“She’s going to keep improving and over a bit further,” Messara said.

Prime time for Smith mare

Matt Smith is keen to test Prima Bella in black-type company for the first time in two weeks after the in-form mare cruised to victory on Saturday at Randwick.

The six-year-old relished coming off a hot pace in the 1000m benchmark 88 handicap to a score one and a quarter-length win over Amazing Eagle in a class record 56.57 seconds for apprentice Mollie Fitzgerald. The win followed a dead-heat win at Flemington and her Warwick Farm trainer was now eyeing the group 3 Toy Show Quality (1100m) at Randwick.

“While she’s going this way, you can’t stop now, because once she stops, the track firm up and she goes out and we come back for the autumn when they soften up a bit,” Smith said.

Big Dance in frame for Mona Lisa

Warwick Farm trainers Paul and Martha Cave were eyeing the Dubbo Cup on September 27 as a potential Big Dance qualifier for The Mona Lisa after the mare made the jump successfully from Midway grade.

The five-year-old ran down breakaway leader Puntin for a one-and-a half-length win over fellow chaser Leovanni in the benchmark 78 handicap (1600m). It was The Mona Lisa’s fourth win in five attempts at the track and distance.

Martha said gaining black-type success was now the focus with The Mona Lisa, which could target the Dubbo Cup to secure a start in the $3 million Big Dance in November. She said the Angst Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 17 was another option.

Patient approach pays off for Dale

Goulburn trainer Matt Dale hopes comeback sprinter Ready To Rush can join his team pushing for a slot in the $2 million Kosciuszko (1200m) after winning the 1000m class 3 Highway Handicap on Saturday.

The five-year-old mare, having just her fourth career start and first in Highway grade, enjoyed a rails run behind the pace from gate one before Rachel King found the split late in the one-length win.

Dale said there were doubts Ready To Rush ($11) would race again after three knee surgeries, including two to the same knee.

He now hoped Ready To Rush could join So You Pence, Rose Aye and possibly Super Norwest as his Kosciuszko hopes.

“If anyone else had a horse that just won like that, they’d be saying Kosciuszko,” Dale said.

“I wouldn’t have thought so before today, but winners win and we’ll just see. She’ll have to back it up and come up in grade in four weeks’ time and then we’ll make a call. You hope something emerges and she might be that one.”

McFarlane contesting EPO disqualification

Gosford trainer Greg McFarlane is fighting a two-and-a-half-year disqualification for the presence of erythropoietin (EPO) in mare Bremel from an out-of-competition test in February 2025.

Racing NSW stewards announced the penalty late on Friday and that McFarlane had lodged an appeal and been granted a stay of proceedings. EPO, identified by the presence of peptides VYSNFLR and SLTTLLR in Bremel, stimulates bone marrow production of red blood cells.

McFarlane pleaded not guilty to the main charge and another of having a container not labelled properly at his stables. He was fined $300 for the labelling error and $600 for having inaccurate treatment records. McFarlane served a two-year ban in 2013-15 after he was caught stomach-tubing a horse at Rosehill two hours before its race.