Saturday Spotlight
Horse #1 Cosmonova (Rosehill R3 #7)
TRAINER: Joe Pride
RACE: BM72 1200m
A three-time winner as a filly in the recently finished 23/24 racing season, this now-crowned mare is slowly starting to put it all together on race day.
Impeccably bred by Zoustar (Northern Meteor) out of the Nicconi mare Time Awaits, Cosmonova has always had big wraps on her.
A $220,000 Inglis Premier purchase for Proven Thoroughbreds / Pride Racing from the Milburn Creek draft, Cosmonova is the second foal of Group 3 winning Nicconi mare Time Awaits, whose first foal is Magic Time.
Magic Time has already proven Time Awaits’ prodigy are the real deal, securing dual Group 1 winner status.
While Cosmonova hasn’t reached those heights yet, her recent efforts have been full of merit.
Her last start win under a big weight of 59kg was a true indication of her ability when getting back onto a firmer surface at Canterbury.
Joe Pride and connections will be hoping for a repeat effort this Saturday when she steps up to BM72 grade.
Regular rider Reece Jones maintains the ride and from the soft barrier draw, she should get the run of the race on the leader’s back.
There are no doubts they will have black-type aspirations with her and granted she stays healthy, her career trajectory looks promising.
Look for a bold effort this Saturday as she races through to the early spring.
Horse #2 Warparty (Flemington R1, #4)
TRAINER: Shane Nichols
RACE: BM70 1410m
It was a scintillating last-start performance from this son of Yarraman Park’s Hellbent (I Am Invincible), demolishing his rivals by 5.5 lengths at Seymour.
He appreciated the weaker grade and the drop back in distance to 1300 metres when leading from barrier to post under Jordan Childs.
Trainer Shane Nichols was rapt with the performance after some moderate efforts in open grade and has had no reservations about sending him back to town here.
Warparty was a $100,000 purchase from Vinery Stud and the third winner from three foals to race from Tremezzina (Not A Single Doubt).
Tremezzina was a metro-winning half-sister to stakes-winner Testamezzo (Testa Rossa).
For this Saturday, Warparty tackles a very open field with form lines arriving from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.
The soft draw opens a range of possibilities, but with Childs retaining the ride it should be a rinse and repeat effort.
Find the front, control the tempo and kick strongly on the bend.
These try-and-catch-me tactics can be heartbreaking for the rest of the field and with fitness on his side he looks set to peak fifth up.
Horse #3 Boom Torque (Doomben R7 #3)
TRAINER: Matt Dunn
RACE: 1050m Hcp
This now five-year-old gelding put his name in lights last preparation, continuing his rapid rise through the grades for trainer Matt Dunn.
This included a win in the $1 million Racing Queensland Magic Millions QTIS Open (1300m).
He was dominant, beating some well-known names such as Rothfire (Rothesay), Better Get Set (Better Than Ready) and Chinny Boom (Spirit Of Boom) even with the ideal tactics not going to plan on race day.
He continued to perform after that peak effort and was unlucky not to take out The Gold Jewel over 1400 metres at his last preparation run.
He has since been given a nice spell and has put the writing on the wall for his return with two dominant trial wins.
Regular rider James Ormann takes the reins and from barrier 7 should slot him in midfield with cover.
If the gaps open he will be flying at his rivals late over the 1050m dash.
Purchased for $50,000 out of the Glenlogan Park draft at the 2021 Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, he changed hands and joined Dunn’s stable in mid-2023.
He has won five from eight starts for Dunn and looks to bounce off his successes from last preparation and go even better in the 24/25 racing season.
See more of Luke Hovhanesian at https://thegreattipoff.com/tipster/luke-hovhanesian/tips