Bomber fires opening shot at Rosehill
The first yearling Richard Litt bought when he was setting up his stable, Lanacaster Bomber has broken a two-year winning drought in Saturday's Midway Handicap (1200m) at Rosehill.
Now a seven-year-old, Lancaster Bomber last tasted success at Canterbury in February 2021 but with 10 minor placings in the interim, he has continued to be a great money-spinner for his owners.
While Litts's career has soared since those early days - he is now a Group 1-winning trainer three times over courtesy of Castelvecchio and Profondo – he has a soft spot for Lancaster Bomber, a modest buy for an amount Litt thought was a fortune at the time.
"I think I paid $30,000, which was a lot of money for me back then," Litt said.
"I remember asking Gerry (Harvey) for vendor finance to buy him because I had no money.
"I sold him very quickly and I was so terrified of Gerry I paid him pretty much in seven days.
"He has been a wonderful horse in our stable, that's for sure."
After a luckless passage when unplaced at Randwick last start, Lancaster Bomber ($7) got the breaks on Saturday and scored comfortably by 1-1/4 lengths over Astero ($10) with another length to Border Control ($6 equal fav).
Cepheus books Doncaster start
Nash Rawiller's decision to take the initiative and lead aboard Cepheus in the Ajax Stakes (1500m) has paid dividends with the horse finding plenty to take out the Group 2 race, earning himself a ballot exemption from the Doncaster Mile.
The import showed promise when he first came to Australia, finishing third to Think It Over in the 2021 Hill Stakes, but shortly after he bowed a tendon and spent 18 months on the sidelines.
Saturday's race was his third start back after two lead-up runs in Brisbane and while it wasn't the plan to lead, Rawiller followed his instincts and went to the front.
"I think I rated him pretty good," Rawiller said.
"He was going to sit three-wide in a muddling ran race, so I thought I'll set my own tempo."
Trainer Matt Dunn confirmed the Doncaster Mile was next on the agenda for Cepheus, although with just 50kg in the Doncaster and exempt from a penalty for his Ajax win, he will need to find a new rider in the Group 1.
Cannonball could bounce into Galaxy
A quick back-up into the Group 1 Galaxy isn't off the cards for Cannonball after his first-up win in Saturday's Maurice McCarten Stakes (1100m).
Having his first start for Peter and Paul Snowden, Cannonball hadn't raced since finishing third to subsequent Everest winner Giga Kick at Flemington in October but his new trainers had the colt's fitness levels up to the mark.
Paul Snowden said they had planned to run Cannonball at Randwick last week but scratched him due to the track conditions and it proved a winning move.
"We had him in at Randwick last week and we got that rain the day before, an inch of rain that took that jar out of the track, which would suit 99.9 per cent of horses but not this bloke," Snowden said.
"We decided to pull the pin and run today and we've come up with the result."
A Listed winner in Melbourne at two, Cannonball scooted around the Rosehill circuit and ran his rivals off their legs, defeating Athelric by 1-1/4 lengths.
Snowden was unsure of their next move but wouldn't rule out a return trip next Saturday for Galaxy over the same course and distance.
"We were supposed to run last week and if he'd capitalised last week at Listed level, we were going to chance our arm and have a throw next Saturday," Snowden said.
"But I don't know. We'll get home and have a look at him."
Haggas does it again
William Haggas trotted out the first of his international raiders at Rosehill and struck an immediate blow with Protagonist stunning his rivals to win the Sky High Stakes (2000m).
The horse only exited quarantine on Saturday morning and headed straight to Rosehill but he took it in his stride, settling just off the speed and surging to the front in the straight before staving off the late bid of Sunshine Rising by a half-head.
Isabella Paul, Haggas' assistant trainer who also accompanied triple Australia Group 1 winner Addeybb on his trips to Sydney, said Protagonist had done an incredible job to produce that performance a fortnight after landing in the country.
"They are only out of quarantine today, so it's a tough ask to do two weeks quarantine after a long flight and come straight out on ground we weren't sure he was going to love and do that," Paul said.
"I'm absolutely delighted with him, what a little star. I'm so excited for what he can do for the rest of the carnival.
"It's great to be back in the winner's enclosure down here."
An Australian Bloodstock purchase, Protagonist has been entered for the Doncaster Mile (1600m) and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) and Paul says Haggas will discuss their options with the six-year-old's owners before deciding which path they follow.
"We'll see how he comes out of this, he's got a few different targets," Paul said.
Quote of the day: ""We had the pin-up girl at the time and she lost her way a little bit but she's done a great job today."- Trainer Chris Waller after Espiona's win in the Coolmore Classic.
