HISTORY IN THE MAKING

Expect NSW race clubs to be in a frenzy over the next two weeks as they try and lobby Robert Thompson to ride at their upcoming meetings.

Thompson is bearing down on a significant moment in Australian racing history as he is only a dozen winners away from becoming the first Australian jockey to win 4000 races.

It’s an achievement that deserves national media coverage and will provide great exposure for the race club fortunate enough to be hosting the meeting on the day the Cessnock-based veteran makes history.

Racing NSW should put the promotion of The Championships aside for one moment and do all it can to alert the media and public to the significance of Thompson’s feat and the story of his marvelous riding career that began as a 14-year-old as it’s something we are unlikely to ever see again in Australian racing.

Thompson’s career tally rose to 3988 with a treble at the Armidale Cup meeting on Monday. His 4000th winner should come quickly given the frequency of the 55-year-old jockey’s riding commitments at country meetings and his winning strike rate.

PRICE YOUNGSTERS ON SONG

Melbourne trainer Mick Price had to be pleased with the way his Golden Slipper entries performed in barrier trials at Randwick on Monday morning

Price’s three Slipper hopes Jabali, Cornrow and More Radiant were all on their game and took to the clockwise direction without any problems.

Blue Diamond placegetters Jabali and Cornrow contested the same heat with Glen Boss riding Jabali to a smart win in the fastest time of the eight heats over 727m.

Cornrow, ridden by Jim Cassidy, finished third with both colts set to get their first look at the Slipper course on Saturday in the Todman Stakes.

They are safely in the Slipper field but the exciting filly More Radiant need to at least run a place against the Slipper favourites Earthquake and Mossfun in Saturday’s Reisling Stakes to be assured of a start on April 5.

More Radiant beat Earthquake in a barrier trial at Cranbourne before she debuted with a close third over 1000m at Flemington on March 1 and she oozed class breezing to a three lengths win for Glen Boss in her heat on Monday morning.

Jabali clocked 43.2 second in his heat win but More Radiant could have gone faster than her hat win in 43.8.

WATERHOUSE ROLLS THE DICE

Gai Waterhoiuse plans to roll the dice with her Golden Slipper entry Law and send him into the $3.5 million classic at Rosehill on April 5 without another start.

Law, after winning his first two starts including the Breeders Plate in the spring, could not match the filly Mossfun on a wet track at his latest start in the Silver Slipper at Rosehill on March 1.

It means he goes into the Slipper without a race in five weeks, but Waterhouse proved it can be done when she gave Sebring a similar preparation before he won the big race in 2008.

Sebring didn't race for six weeks before he won the Slipper with just one barrier trial in between.

Law is set to trial on Friday at Rosehill.

Meanwhile Waterhouse expects Magic Millions Trophy winner Sweet Idea to rebound strongly in Saturday’s Coolmore Classic from her last start in the Surround Stakes when she lost a plate and was galloped on.

PHAR LAP FOR SOLICIT

Classy Melbourne filly Solicit will dodge Saturday’s G1 Coolmore Classic at Rosehill and to stick to her own age in the G2 Phar Lap Stakes over the same trip of 1500m.

Solicit’s form is first class and will give young Melbourne rider Damian Lane a big opportunity toake an impact on the Sydney carnival.

She takes on the colts in the Phar Lap but she won’t be alone there are 10 other fillies among the entries including four-time G1 winner Guelph facing her crunch race after her two disappointing defeats since resuming.

The fillies will be challenging the history books as only five of their sex have won the Phar Lap since it was introduced in 1971, the last being Shania Dane in 2005.

FAT AL PENALTY

Fat Al, the 2012 Epsom Handicap winner, will be carrying only 1.5kg over the limit if he contests the $3 million Doncaster Mile at Randwick on April 12 despite a 1kg penalty for his return to winning form at Bendigo last Saturday.

Fat Al was penalised 1kg after he carried 58.5kg to win last Saturday’s Golden Mile, his first win since he carried 52kg to win the Epsom in 2012 as an early four-year-old when trained by Gai Waterhouse.

Now with Peter Moody, Fat Al has 51.5kg on a 50kg limit in the Doncaster, an attractive weight for a horse who has an Epsom win on his record.

There have been nine winners of the Epsom and Doncaster double (in that order) and it’s noticeable that they were carrying a lot more weight on lower limits in the second leg in those past years.

FAIRYTALE CONTINUES

This season’s fairytale filly Alpha Miss will be out to do it again at Rosehill on Saturday when she takes on the glamour pair Earthquake and Mossfun in the Reisling Stakes.

It’s he big one for Alpha Miss as it will determine if her owners stump up the $150,000 late entry fee required to start her in the Golden Slipper on April 5.

Alpha Miss has won over $211,000 from her three wins in her first four starts and trainer Gary Nickson says she doesn’t necessarily have to win the Reisling to be a late entry for the Slipper.

“If she runs in the first four and gets that prize money plus what she got last week, that should be enough,” said Nickson.

SANGSTER SET FOR SINGAPORE

Kiwi trainer Trent Busuttin is focused on El Roca’s autumn campaign n Sydney at present but he has another topliner gearing up for some big goals once we move on from The Championships.

He has dual G1 winner Sangster in work in New Zealand and says he is about start to a campaign aimed at the $3 million Singapore International Cup at Kranji on May 18.

Busuttin said Sangster was ready to trial and may resume at Te Aroha on April 5 or Ellerslie on April 12.

He said Sangster had been inoculated for racing in Singapore and he is keen to secure an invitation to the SIA Cup, with a 2000m race in Sydney likely to be his lead-up before he travels to Singapore.

KIRRAMOSA RECOVERING

VRC Oaks winner Kirramosa is making steady progress following surgery that ruled her out of the autumn.

Kirramosa had a bone chip removed before Christmas and is now spelling before trainer Joh Sargent brings her back for the spring.

“She was boxed for a month after the operation and then was in a yard for a month,” said Sargent who has last weekend’s NZ Oaks winner Miss Mossman coming t Sydney for the carnival.

“She now out in the paddock. We’ll wait until the spring and aim her at the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.”

Trainer Jason Bridgeman said Costa Viva had enjoyed a five weeks spell and came back to his stable two weeks ago after she pulled up sore after finishing third in the Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham in January.

“We’ll see how she is in another fortnight. If she is 100 per cent we will look at Brisbane. If not she’ll go back to the paddock and we’ll wait for the spring,” Bridgman said.

DUBAI ATTRACTIONS

There will be plenty reasons to sit through Saturday night watching the Dubai World Cup meeting from Meydan.

Peter Snowden’s former stars Long John and Paximadia are among the Godolphin horses set to play a leading role on the world’s richest racing program.

Caulfield Guineas winner Long John and Sandown Guineas winner Paximadia are among the Godolphin entries for the G2 UAE Derby (1900m), one of eight thoroughbred races on the Meydan program more than $24 million.

The pair were transferred to Sheikh Mohammed's Dubai racing stable last year with Long John set to run favourite in the UAE Derby after a dominant win in the UAE 2000 Guineas at his Meydan debut last month.

Other former Snowden Group winners Bello and Complicate are entered for the G1 Golden Shaheen on Saturday night.

The Dubai World Cup field will feature the UK-trained dual Melbourne Cup placegetter Red Cadeaux and Mackinnon Stakes winner Side Glance while Dunaden, winner of the 2012 Caulfield Cup and 2011 Melbourne Cup, runs in the Sheema Classic.

NEW STAR FOR OTI RACINGI

OTI Racing, the group who rival Lloyd Williams as the biggest Australian buyers of European talent, have joined forces with Queensland’s Glenlogan Park Stud to buy lightly raced French stayer Manndawi.

A half brother by Dalakhani to OTI’s best import, the triple G1 winner Manighar,had one win from five starts and a G1 placing in the Grand Prix de Paris.

He is to join UK trainer Ed Dunlop of Red Cadeaux fame with a view to landing in Australia for the spring carnival.