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Ringo close to resuming; QE Stakes for Kiwi mare; Autopsy findings revealed.
Ringo close to resuming
New Zealand-owned galloper Ringo may make his first appearance from his new Melbourne quarters on Saturday.The brother to the Group One winner Planet Rock has been nominated by Mick Price for an $A80,000 handicap over 1400 metres at Flemington.
Ringo, who races in the Wellfield Lodge colours, won five times for Mike Breslin and remained in Australia after a three-start Victorian campaign for the Awapuni trainer.The five-year-old ran fifth in the Winter Championship Final, after a lead-up second in the prelude, and was then galloped on when fourth at Flemington in July.
QE Stakes for Kiwi mareThe $A4 million Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) will be Lucia Valentina’s prime target in the autumn.
Trainer Kris Lees has yet to confirm the path the New Zealand-owned and bred mare will take toward the Randwick feature.The Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes winner and Gr.1 Caulfield Cup placegetter is back in pre-training for her autumn campaign and is now also a stablemate of this year’s Gr.1 Melbourne Cup winner Protectionist.
Autopsy findings revealedRacing Victoria has realised the autopsy report on Japanese stayer Admire Rakti, who died after trailing the field home in the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup.
"Following an extensive post-mortem examination and investigation we are of the opinion that Admire Rakti died of acute cardiac failure as a result of a cardiac arrhythmia that can be attributed to natural causes,” RV’s Head of Equine Welfare and Veterinary Services said Dr Brian Stewart said."We did find uncommon changes in Admire Rakti’s kidney, which required additional analysis and review by kidney experts. It was ultimately determined that those changes can be attributed to natural causes.
"This death has been categorised as a sudden death which are thankfully very uncommon in Victorian thoroughbred racing with the recorded incidence 0.007 percent of an average 43,500 starts each season.”