“He was meant to run in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but [trainer] Chris Waller got him scanned before the race, and they discovered an issue with his leg.
“It was lucky they discovered something; he could have gone out and run and then broken down.
“So many people put so much work into him to get back to the races. It was great to get him backto the track, and to see him win onSaturday would be absolutely wonderful.
“He would have taken so much confidence out of his last win, and he needs a confident and strong rider on his back, which is what Joao [Moreira] is.”
Woppitt Bloodstock’s colours are purple and white with black seams. Kepitis is still involved with the family’s Ingham racing, which features the famous cerise silks, which will be carried by Fangirl in the group 1 Champions Mile at Flemington tomorrow.
Kepitis, however, will ditch Flemington for the chance to attend Rosehill and watch Lindermann go around.
Lindermann, who was backed to win the Craven Plate last start but loves racing back at his Rosehill home track, could yet be part of the Waller shipment that heads to Perth for the summer racing carnival, along with Democracy Manifest, which could not get a clear crack at his stablemate last start.
As for Winx, Kepitis said the mighty mare was due to give birth to her third foal any day.
She was served by Snitzel. Winx’s first foal, by I am Invincible, was a stillborn, but her second foal, a Pierro filly, is doing well.
Lindermann is $9 in early markets for the Five Diamonds behind Territory Express ($4.80), Yellow Brick, Attrition ($8) and Iknowastar ($8.50).
North England sizzles
Even jockey Tim Clark was surprised by the time North England ran when he appeared to cruise in a trial win ahead of Saturday’s $1million Golden Gift (1100m).
North England was well fancied on debut in the Breeders Plate and did not disappoint when leading before tiring the last 50m to run third behind King Kirk.
North England (left) gets run down in the shadows of the post in the Breeders Plate.Credit: Getty Images
The short break has done him wonders as he returned to run a sizzling 45.84 seconds over the 800m at Hawkesbury a couple of weeks ago. It was half a second quicker than the other trials over the same distance that morning, which in racing terms is the equivalent of about three lengths.
“He seemed to do it so comfortably the other day, and he ran good time, even though he felt like he had more to offer,” Clark said.
“He ran good time in his trial before the Breeders Plate as well. He’s a colt who has really good ability. There were high expectations in the Breeders, and he was only narrowly beaten.
“He didn’t let anyone down with the performance he put in.
“Heading into Saturday, it’s such a big advantage to have the experience of a race start.”
Clark has been on the back of a few of his Golden Gift rivals, including debut winner Icarian Dream for Ciaron Maher and North England stablemate Chicama in both his trials.
Of the five winners of the Golden Gift, four have gone on to run in the Golden Slipper in the autumn including Shangri La Express (2023), Barber (2022), Sejardan (2021) and Dame Giselle (2019). The 2020 winner, Sneaky Five, was given a lengthy spell the following autumn.
Clark also hops aboard Major Beel in the $$2 million feature Five Diamonds with the horse creating headlines for upsetting the owner of Pride Of Jenni in the King Charles III Stakes last start.
Major Beel started $101 and provided some nuisance value in the early stages, with Tony Ottobre later asking stewards if “the tactics were designed to particularly impede the chances of Pride Of Jenni?” Major Beel weakened to finish second last.
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“He’s had a great preparation, and although he’s had a few hard runs, it doesn’t seem to have affected him at all. He still looks fantastic and seems to be thriving,” Clark said. “Stepping up to 1800m will assist him, and he should get a nice run up on the speed.
“He’s just an honest horse. He’s had a bit of time between runs, and because he is a fit horse, he hasn’t had to do much since that race.
“What he has done has been at to the standard he was at before that race, and when he ran good races in the Seven Stakes and Epsom.”
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