Racing briefs - March 19

Cooksley rides double
Veteran New Zealand rider Grant Cooksley has introduced himself to Brisbane racing with a winning double at Eagle Farm on Saturday. Cooksley won the Canadian Club Handicap (1800m) on the Pat Duff-trained Duel Show before scoring aboard Karanja for Beaudesert trainer Mark Palmer in the Yatala Pies Handicap (1200m). Cooksley has decided to relocate to Queensland but is undecided where he'll be based. Cooksley first considered leaving his homeland six months ago after speaking to several close friends. "I'm still enjoying riding and for the time being I'm just staying here with a friend."

Devoted to duty
A London-based stablehand has won £1 million ($1.9 million) on a $96 multi-bet. But Conor Murphy reported for work at Nicky Henderson's yard yesterday, despite his new riches. Henderson sent out six winners at the Festival meeting last week with 31-year-old Murphy having backed five of those in a multi-bet made last November. Henderson said the team was delighted at his good fortune. "He's in work this morning. He is one of the linchpins here. He's the most lovely man though, a fantastic guy and very quiet."

Hat-trick for Gottino
Former New Zealand galloper Gottino maintained his unbeaten record since being bought by Ballarat trainer Ken Moore when he won the Fitzpatrick's Home Hardware Hcp (1600m) at Bendigo on Saturday. Moore has only one horse in work at a time. He said his son, Melbourne bloodstock agent Shane, negotiated a deal with Brent Gillovic of Highview Stud in New Zealand to buy the 4-year-old Johar gelding who had won two races from 13 starts. Gottino completed a winning hat-trick for Moore having won a Ballarat 0-58 (1400m) when resuming on February 24 and a Bendigo 0-68 (1600m) on March 4.

Trentham Pick6 struck
The Pick6 at Trentham on Saturday Guns At Five (4), Floria (7), Between The Beats (6), Artistic (2), Eight Schillings (2) and Fromelles (9) paid $32,467.50. There were 1.54 winning units.

Slipper falling off
Former Golden Slipper favourite Raceway has eased further after his defeat by Ashokan at Randwick on Saturday. While Raceway drifted to $11, Ashokan firmed from $101 to $26 after the qualifying win with trainer John O'Shea looking forward to possibly having three Slipper runners. Black Opal runner-up Faustus will run in next week's Todman Stakes along with stablemate Shalford, a Skyline scratching due to the wet track at Randwick. "Ashokan is a lovely free-running horse," O'Shea said.

Cassidy doubles up
It was a case of deja vu for trainer John Thompson and jockey Jim Cassidy as the pair combined to win the Randwick City Stakes for the second year in a row in almost identical circumstances on Saturday. In 2011, Cassidy produced a rails-hugging ride on a wet track to get Saint Encosta home in the 2000m listed race and a year later Maules Creek was the victor. While Nash Rawiller went wide on the track with race leader Herculian Prince ($4.20 fav), Cassidy took the short way home on Maules Creek ($7.50) to prevail by three-quarters of a length. The Wagga Cup in May is a possible target for Maules Creek.

Waller hopes high
Sydney's premier trainer Chris Waller looks set to figure in his first Golden Slipper after Jade Marauder's barnstorming victory in Saturday's group three Sweet Embrace Stakes. Jade Marauder's last-to-first victory in wet conditions at Randwick earned the talented filly a ballot exemption for the A$3.5 million event to be run at Rosehill on April 7. "We'll just keep her in cotton wool now," Waller said. Sydney's leading jockey Hugh Bowman never panicked on the daughter of Fastnet Rock and when the gaps appeared in the final 200m, Jade Marauder ($3.70) powered home to overhaul the Gai Waterhouse-trained Valerio ($26) by a long neck. Kyria ($10) also worked home nicely on the slow track to finish third.

Last waltz for punters
Tough and honest mare Dance With Her may race at the Sydney autumn carnival after a shock first-up win in the A$125,000 Golden Mile at Bendigo on Saturday. Trained in partnership by David Brideoake and David Feek at Mornington, Dance With Her hadn't raced since last spring when 13th in the Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at Flemington. The 5-year-old daughter of Al Maher drifted from her opening quote of $51 to start at $71. "She's a tough, genuine mare who absolutely adores racing," Feek said. "We'll see how she pulls up and she'll probably go to the Pakenham Cup. I wouldn't rule out her going to Sydney considering how effective she is on wet tracks."

Trainer also stunned
Rose Of Peace started at triple figure odds at Randwick on Saturday but it didn't stop the mare from causing a huge boilover in the Wenona Girl Quality. Not even trainer Gary Portelli gave Rose Of Peace ($101) a realistic hope of winning the 1200m event for fillies and mares but was left pleasantly surprised as the mare chimed in on the outside in the straight to deny Quidnunc ($21) by half a neck with the same margin to the favourite Alberton Park ($4.20) in third place. "She didn't really have any ticks in the boxes," Portelli said.

Agencies