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Heading to Royal Randwick on Saturday with two live chances in black type races is always great, and although neither crossed the finish line in front, both ran extremely positive races and highlights what hopefully will be a fruitful campaign for both.

The first of the team to head to the starting gates was our three-year-old Shamardal colt Better Land who was having his second career start, stepping up to the Listed Rosebud over 1200m against a handy line up of runners.

Trained by Peter Moody, the Inglis Easter yearling sale graduate was unfortunately planted three-wide in the run after jumping from the outside gate, but produced a brilliant turn off foot when it mattered to go down by three-quarters-of-a-length to last start winner Scissor Kick – pictured below.

Producing what many considered to be the run of the race, it is interesting to note that 12 month prior, trainer Peter Moody also finished second in the race, also with a horse that jumped from barrier 8. That horse was Dissident, who would go on to win the Group One Randwick Guineas and become a very valuable commodity!

We can all hope that down the track we are in the same situation as our son of Shamardal is extremely well-bred being out of the former high-class juvenile Amelia’s Dream who could have been anything!!!

The very next race of the day saw Rebel Dane start first up in the Group Two Missile Stakes over 1200m with new jockey Blake Shinn in the saddle.

Starting the race favourite, the Gary Portelli-trained Rebel Dane settled mid-field in fourth while the four-year-old mare Sweet Idea got a cosy lead.

When the field headed for home, jockey Blake Shinn produced the now five-year-old to make his run, charging at the leaders to be beaten a long head x long head into third, with promising galloper Messene finishing second to Sweet Idea.

With both horses putting in great runs, all at Laurel Oak Bloodstock are excited to see how they progress during this campaign and fingers crossed we will be reporting about victories at their next starts #onwardsandupwards

Heading back to Wyong after her narrow last start second, our Fastnet Rock mare Posh Rock once again produced a very encouraging run to finish second.

Starting one of the race favourites in the Moneywise Super Funds Maiden over 1350m, the Tony Noonan-trained mare jumped away a little slowly from the inside barriers before jockey James McDonald drove along the rail to sit in third position on the rail behind the leader Crimson Ruby.

With the leader getting a good run in front, when the field turned for home, Crimson Ruby kicked and while Posh Rock continued to make ground on the leader the whole way down the straight, the three kilo weight difference came into play.

Finishing a half-length second, Posh Rock has now recorded back to back second placed efforts and fingers crossed the Magic Millions graduate can go one better next time out as she steps up in trip.

Peter Moody is giving blueblood three-year-old Better Land an early opportunity to prove precisely how good he is.

The champion Melbourne trainer is giving the son of Shamardal and former brilliant filly Amelia’s Dream a crack at the $100,000 Listed The Rosebud (1200m) at just his second start.

The only time the colt has been to the races was for a three-length Sale maiden win in April and while Moody is not convinced he will measure up to the top level, he said he might have struck the right year to have a crack at the early three-year-old features.

“He’s like everyone’s three-year-olds; we’re just hoping they improve sufficiently to measure up to the better grade,” Moody said.

“Probably all of this season’s three-year-old colts are in the same bracket because none of them actually shone at two.

“The two best two-year-old colts (from last season) are maidens – Jabali and Cornrow – so anyone with a three-year-old that they’ve got any opinion of are entitled to have a crack at what is supposedly the better grade.

“Is it six months too soon? Yes, I think it is, but to get seasoned he’s going to be taking on the better class.”

Better Land will tackle a Rosebud field full of horses in a similar boat. None of the field have had any more than three starts and two rivals – John O’Shea-trained favourite Sarajevo and Gai Waterhouse’s Echo Prince – have had just one start for a win in maiden grade.

Inkling, Bold Circle and Scissor Kick are other last-start winners in the race, while the remaining runners – Nayeli and Hero I Am – are also winners.

None of Better Land’s rivals are as well-travelled as the $400,000 purchase from last year’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale (pictured as a yearling).

Sent out to the far east of the state for his debut run and spent the bulk of the winter spelling in Queensland, where he trialled before heading down to Moody’s Randwick stable late last month.

How he performs in The Rosebud, in which he will be ridden from Kerrin McEvoy and start from the outside barrier in the field of eight, will determine future plans but Moody did use last year’s race to launch the campaign of Dissident, who went on to run second to Zoustar in the Group 1 Golden Rose.

“I did a similar thing with Dissident, but bear in mind he was a bit more experienced,” Moody said. “He’d had a couple of runs and ran in a Blue Diamond, so he was more seasoned.

“But this guy is a well-bred colt that I’ve always had a good opinion of.”

The Rosebud is the key support race on an exciting Randwick program that includes a sterling edition of the Missile Stakes.

Boban, Hawkspur, Kirramosa and Weary are among the possible Spring Racing Carnival stars who will launch their campaigns in the event that also contains Group 1 winners Rebel Dane and Laser Hawk and classy types Messene, Sweet Idea and Thump.

Story by Brad Bishop, Racing Victoria

The Sportsman’s Ray Hickson speaks to Rebel Dane’s trainer Gary Portelli about his chances first up in Saturday’s G2 Missile Stakes.

Trainer Gary Portelli admits his star sprinter Rebel Dane could be at a crossroads if he doesn’t finish in the first two, or maybe three, when
he returns at Randwick tomorrow.

The five-year-old looked in for a big autumn and winter when he chased home Lankan Rupee in the TJ Smith Stakes during The Championships but came up winless in three subsequent runs.

Added to that is the surprise defeat in his barrier trial a couple of weeks back that Portelli is hoping was just due to being “a bit fat”.

To read the complete article, click the below image.

Jumping from a maiden victory at Sale to a stakes race at Royal Randwick, three-year-old Shamardal colt Better Land has shown enough to give trainer Peter Moody the confidence he is capable of the massive leap.

Scoring by three lengths as a the race favourite back in April over 1100m at Sale on debut, the colt was immediately put away and sent north to the warm weather in Queensland for a spell.

Sent to Doomben a few weeks back to trial over the 1000m, Better Land showed he had relished the Queensland sun, taking the trial by a neck margin.

After the win trainer Peter Moody told AAP that, “He is a nice horse and he might have a start in Brisbane before we bring him back south. I would be looking at some of the nice three-year-old races for him.”

Since the colt has now headed to a Stakes race, this in itself must suggest the high held opinion of the well-bred colt.

The first foal to race out of the former brilliant two-year-old Amelia’s Dream (Redoute’s Choice), herself an unbeaten winner of the Group Two Silver Slipper (by over six lengths), before injury resulted in retirement, Better Land was purchased from the 2013 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of Edinglassie Stud for $400,000 by Peter Moody Racing.

In what looks a field of up and coming horses, that includes Group Three winner Nayeli, the David Payne Bold Circle as well as last start winners Inkling, Scissor Kick and Echo Prince, Better Land has drawn the outside gate in the field of eight, but will have Kerrin McEvoy in the saddle to work his magic. The final field and the form for the race can be viewed by clicking here.

Laurel Oak Bloodstock wishes our fellow owners; Mr R A Pegum, Laurel Oak Shamrock, Ramsey Pastoral Company Pty Ltd, Mr D J Tamblyn, Mr R S Willis, Mrs J M Tamblyn, Mr D J Tamblyn, R V 8, Mr M R Tudehope, Mr B N E Hastie, Mr M J Forsdick, Mr A N Fitzgerald, Lanista Thoroughbreds, Mr A W Reichard the best of luck for the race in what could be the first leg of winning stakes double for us with Rebel Dane contesting the very next race of the day (click here to read all about it).