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It's currently stallion trail season and, following the inaugural National Hunt showcase in Britain and last weekend's Irish Stallion Trail, over the next two days it is the turn of the original. Twenty-one studs across the north-west of France will open their doors on Friday and Saturday for La Route des Etalons, allowing access to 84 stallions from both codes. This is the 17th year of this popular promotional event which is now firmly etched in the diaries of many breeders each year. From Haras d'Etreham close to Bayeux down to Haras du Mesnil near Le Mans, a wide range of historic farms are included on the route, which takes in some fine countryside along the way. It is worth consulting the website for opening hours and show times for each farm. This year all participating studs are open on both Friday and Saturday. A new name on the list is Benoit Jeffroy's Haras de Castillon, which is standing the new stallions Tribalist and Marhaba Ya Sanafi alongside Romanised, Thunder Moon and Texas. The post La Route des Etalons Returns appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New stallion Provocateur (by Into Mischief) has his first foal, a filly out of the winning Cassidy's Reward (Warrior's Reward) who was born on Monday, Jan. 19 at McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, the farm said in a release on Thursday. A multiple-stakes winner and Grade I placed competitor, Provocateur is a full-brother to GSW One Liner and SP Roderick. The McMahon stallion counts as a half-brother 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', & GII Wood Memorial Stakes hero Rodriguez (Authentic). According to the Jockey Club of America, Provocateur covered 44 mares during his inaugural season last year. Cassidy's Reward is half-sister to multiple stakes winner and stakes producer Shine Upon (Congaree) and to GISP Keep the Peace (Touch Gold). Her extended female family includes MGSP Brigand (by Flatter). The post New McMahon Sire Provocateur’s First Foal Is A Filly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Replays from the International Conference for the Health, Safety and Welfare of Jockeys (ICHSWJ) are now available on YouTube. They can be found on the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) YouTube channel. The Performance Medicine in Racing-themed conference was held on December 11-12 in Hong Kong. The two-day conference took an applied, evidence-based approach featuring presentations and panel discussions with leading experts in the field. The 2025 ICHSWJ was organised by the Jockeys Health and Wellbeing Committee of the IFHA and proudly supported by The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC). The post Replays From International Jockeys Conference Available appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

by Renee Geelen/TTR AusNZ Australia's best-credentialled yearlings have been catalogued for the 2026 edition of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, with 472 lots heading through the ring on March 29 and 30. With 11 yearlings by Extreme Choice and the Snitzel colt from champion mare Winx as headline acts, Inglis is equally thrilled about the depth of the catalogue. Across the catalogue, 259 lots (55%) are the progeny of or siblings to stakes winners, with 80 of those being a half-sibling to or out of a Group 1 winner. For the first time in recent years, the catalogue is filly-heavy with 245 fillies and 227 colts, and there are 64 individual stallions with yearlings representing them across the whole 472 lots. Extreme Choice's Sensational Statistics Extreme Choice had only 44 live foals in 2024 and one quarter of them will be available to purchase at the 2026 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. The sire of 17 stakes winners, six at Group 1 level, from just 146 runners will be represented by 11 Easter yearlings. “Something that particularly excites me about the catalogue is that this will be the best group of yearlings ever assembled at a sale by a generational stallion in Extreme Choice,” said Inglis CEO Sebastian Hutch. “He's got 11 yearlings in the sale, all of whom are the progeny of or siblings to black type horses, as far as I know. He's a horse we are particularly proud of as he's a Classic Yearling Sale graduate. In itself, this is one of a number of incredible opportunities at the sale, and it's a particularly pertinent one given his capacity to deliver so frequently what it would appear the market really wants. “He's had three Group 1 winning 2-year-olds from a little over 100 runners. His sons are destined to go to stud. His statistics are just incredible.” Extreme Choice has sired G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Stay Inside, whose oldest runners are currently 2-year-olds, G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Devil Night, and G1 Champagne Stakes winner She's Extreme who also won the G1 Victoria Oaks at three. “Obviously the domestic market is very aware of his merit, but from the point of view of the catalogue appealing to a series of international investors, I think he's a very important feature of the sale.” All of the 11 are out of black type mares, with ten winning stakes races. The filly, Lot 117 is out of Group 1 winner Speak Fondly (Northern Meteor) who is the dam of Listed winner Compelling Truth (I Am Invincible). Of the six colts, Lot 71 is a half-brother to Group 3 winner English Riveria (Deep Field) out of juvenile stakes winner Second Time Lucky (Any Suggestion), while lot 436 is from the family of Jonker and Danewin, out of Group 3 winner Exfactor (Your Song). Born to Be a Stallion Prospect Two years ago, the Inglis sale ring at Riverside was lit up with the mind-blowing sale of Quinceanera (Pierro), the first foal of Champion racemare Winx (Street Cry), who sold for A$10 million. In 2026, Coolmore Stud, who sold both Winx and Quinceanera, will offer Winx's second foal, a colt by Champion Sire Snitzel. “It's an honour to have the opportunity to offer a horse like him. I saw him two weeks ago at Coolmore. He looks really well. He's obviously a 24th of November foal, but he's developing nicely. I know they're happy with them. “He's a very uniquely credentialled horse and we look forward to people seeing him at the sale and hopefully his preparation goes well. Everything's gone to plan with him so far, and hopefully everything goes well with the balance of preparation and people enjoy seeing them at the sale. “He's a horse with the profile to captivate the market.” Winx, who won 37 races including 25 at Group 1 level and was crowned Australian Horse Of The Year on four occasions, is out of juvenile stakes winner Vegas Showgirl (Al Akbar) who has also produced two other stakes winners and the dam of G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint winner Enriched (I Am Invincible). Easter Is about More than One Horse “More generally, the quality of the catalogue is really incredible,” added Hutch. The progeny of 64 different stallions are represented in the sale, with Snitzel leading the crowd with 43 lots, while I Am Invincible has 41 and Zoustar has 35. The breadth of commercially successful stallions with yearlings at Easter also includes stallions like Extreme Choice, Too Darn Hot, Ole Kirk, Wootton Bassett, Home Affairs, Stay Inside, Super Seth, The Autumn Sun, Harry Angel, Per Incanto, Street Boss, Written Tycoon, Toronado, Exceed And Excel, Dundeel, Maurice, Justify, Alabama Express, Castelvecchio, Hellbent, Savabeel, Proisir, Pinatubo, Starspangledbanner, and Satono Aladdin. Internationally recognised stallions like Frankel, Baaeed, Gun Runner, Kingman, Lope de Vega, New Bay and Siyouni all have representatives in the sale. “That's an incredible concentration and quality, and that's before you go into the depth of pedigrees,” he said. “It might be granddaughters of great racemares or half-siblings to great racemares that produced yearlings in the catalogue. “You just have to skim through the catalogue, turning the pages is pretty cool for a bloodstock enthusiast. We all wait to see what's going to be in the green book.” The post Extreme Choice Brings Global Appeal To Inglis Easter appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) seeks public comment on proposed modifications to the Rule Series 5000 (Equine Testing and Investigation Standards) and 7000 (Arbitration Procedures) of its Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) Program by Monday, Feb. 23, the regulator said via a press release on Thursday. The proposed modifications build on HISA's ongoing review of the ADMC Program. In November, HISA distributed for public comment proposed modifications to other Rule Series comprising the ADMC Program (1000, 3000 and 4000). Comments received in response to that request are under review by the ADMC Committee. The proposed updates to Rule Series 5000 and 7000 of the ADMC Program include: Clarification regarding the sample collection process; Introduction of voluntary, non-binding mediation in proceedings before the Arbitral Body; Expanded access for Owners to intervene in cases before the Internal Adjudication Panel. A memorandum summarizing the proposed modifications is available here. A full draft of the proposed revisions in PDF redline format is available here. The redline reflects proposed updates compared to the version currently in effect and approved by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Comments should be sent to HISA Assistant General Counsel Sam Reinhardt at Samuel.Reinhardt@hisaus.org with the subject line “Proposed Rule Modifications–Rule Series 5000 and 7000.” Alternatively, comments may be mailed to HISA at 201 East Main Street, Suite 340, Lexington, KY 40507. Following the expiration of the public comment period, the ADMC Committee, in consultation with the Horseracing Integrity & Welfare Unit, will review and consider all relevant feedback before recommending proposed modifications to the HISA Board. If approved by the HISA Board, the proposed modifications would then be submitted to the FTC. The post HISA Seeks Public Comment On Proposed ADMC Rule Modifications appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

John Connaughton, the hotel owner who bred Group 1 winner Bay City Roller as well as the Group 3 scorer Dunboyne Express, has died almost exactly a year after he was crowned small breeder of the year at the ITBA Awards. He was 93. Connaughton enjoyed a lifetime of success in business and bloodstock. Dunboyne Express was one of the first big names that shot to prominence for the County Westmeath man while Bay City Roller provided Connaughton with a breakthrough Group 1 success as a breeder when landing a top-level triumph for George Scott in Germany last November. Tom Whelan consigned the majority of Connaughton's stock at the sales, including Bay City Roller, who sold for €320,000 at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2023. “He was an absolute gentleman,” Whelan said. “John was a very good breeder and was able to take the rough with the smooth. He was a pleasure to deal with down through the years and enjoyed a lot of success. Most importantly, he was just a gentleman and it was a pleasure to have known him.” Connaughton owned the Bloomfield House Hotel in Mullingar. He was also one of the first people to import the Simmental cattle breed into Ireland over 60 years ago. But it was his achievements in bloodstock that rightly grabbed the headlines when Connaughton was honoured at the ITBA Awards 12 months ago. “It [the award] meant a great lot to me,” Connaughton told TDN Europe in a follow-up interview after the awards. “Any time we bred a good one, it meant a lot to me, but it's not that easy to breed a good one.” A statement released by the Bloomfield House Hotel last week read, “It is with deep sadness that we share the news of John Connaughton's passing, proprietor of Bloomfield House Hotel, Leisure Club and Spa, and beloved father of our colleagues Liz [director] and Julie. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to all the Connaughton family during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they mourn the loss of a much-loved husband, father, grandfather, and friend. May John rest in peace.” The post “Absolute Gentleman” Breeder John Connaughton Dies Aged 93 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Turfway Park Racing & Gaming has canceled its Friday and Saturday live racing programs due to severe winter weather expected in the Florence, Kentucky area, according to a Thursday press release from operator Churchill Downs Inc. Officials from the National Weather Service are calling for wind chill values to dip into the single digits early Friday morning and persist through Saturday, along with the potential for significant snow accumulation. The canceled races from Friday and Saturday will be offered as extras on subsequent race days, including the Wishing Well Stakes. Live racing will continue as scheduled Thursday, with first post set for 5:55 p.m. ET. Winter weather update from @TurfwayPark: Tonight's nine-race card will go on as scheduled. Friday and Saturday's cards have been canceled. The canceled races will be offered as extras on upcoming race days. More: https://t.co/vK2sjPAlkS pic.twitter.com/9yhA1qZe7f — Kevin Kerstein (@HorseRacingKK) January 22, 2026 The post Winter Blast Freezes Weekend Turfway Cards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In the latest installment of 2026 Mating Plans, Anne Archer Hinkle, the co-owner and Director of Operations at Hinkle Farms, discusses the 2026 mating plans for their Paris, Kentucky-based operation. SEEKING GABRIELLE, 19, Forestry – Seeking Regina, by Seeking the Gold. Booked to Twirling Candy Seeking Gabrielle has been a very special mare for us and is the dam of Nyquist. Being 19, we know the number of foals she will have are few. Our hope is to get as many fillies as we can. Twirling Candy with Forestry mares is a proven cross and we believe this mating can result in a great physical, too. Hopefully, we will get a filly and a future broodmare. If we get a colt, Twirling Candy is certainly well received in the marketplace and they run on all surfaces. LADIES' PRIVILEGE, 12, Harlan's Holiday – Vanquished, by Empire Maker. Booked to Justify Ladies' Privilege is the dam of More Than Looks, winner of the 2024 Breeders' Cup Mile. She is booked to Justify, one of the top stallions in the world. Being the dam of a Breeders' Cup winner, this mare deserves to be bred to top stallions. A foal by Justify should be interesting to perspective buyers from all racing jurisdictions. Ladies' Privilege produces beautiful foals and one by Justify should be no exception. NEW BOSS, 8, Street Boss – Denali Dreamscape, by Corinthian. Booked to Gun Runner New Boss is a stakes-winning mare and she won on both dirt and grass. She comes from a deep family. Her dam, Denali Dreamscape, died prematurely, but her three foals to race all exhibited a lot of ability. New Boss has a yearling colt by Constitution and is pregnant to Not This Time for 2026. We want to give her every chance to produce a good horse, and she will be bred to Gun Runner in 2026. INDIAN BAY, 15, Indian Charlie – Buy the Barrel, by E Dubai. Booked to Practical Joke Indian Bay has been a wonderful mare for us, having produced three graded stakes horses and her yearlings have sold exceptionally well. Indian Charlie mares have worked well with both Into Mischief and Practical Joke. Practical Joke sires one quality horse after another. Indian Bay will be bred to him in 2026. WHITE SANDS, 4, Into Mischief – Unicorn Girl, by A.P. Five Hundred. Booked to Not This Time We purchased White Sands in November 2025, pregnant to Not This Time. White Sands was a fast filly, winning her first two starts at two followed by a third in the GIII Best Pal Stakes against colts. We are breeding White Sands back to Not This Time. Although the numbers of foals bred on this cross are limited, to date the cross has produced 25% stakes winners. We think duplicating the mating gives this young mare a great start in her career as a broodmare. BURNING ARCH, 15, Arch – Chili Cat, by Storm Cat. Booked to Tiz The Law Burning Arch is a stakes-producing Arch mare. Arch mares have been wonderful broodmares. Tiz the Law's first two crops have seen excellent performers and we expect this to continue. Tiz the Law offers exceptional value. Burning Arch produces really attractive foals and we are excited about the prospects from this mating. SURFS EDGE, 11, Malibu Moon – Essential Edge, by Storm Cat. Booked to Nyquist Surfs Edge is the dam of the very solid stakes-performing filly Ramsey Pond (Divisidero). Every time you look up, Nyquist produces another stakes horse from an A.P. Indy-line mare. Being by Malibu Moon, Surfs Edge fits the criteria. We are really excited about this mating. We think Nyquist is perfect for this mare. STAVE, 11, Ghostzapper – Buy the Barrel, by E Dubai. Booked to Flightline Filly out of Stave sells for $2 million at the 2025 Keeneland September Sale | Keeneland We raced Stave and we raced her dam, Buy the Barrel. We purchased the third dam, Affordable Price (Drouilly {FR}), in 1995. The family continues to produce runner after runner. Stave's foal of 2024 was a $2 million Not This Time filly, Maranello, purchased by Scott and Cindy Heider. We all have great hopes for her. Stave will be bred to Flightline in 2026. The market loved the Flightlines and there is tremendous anticipation to see them perform in 2026. Stave produces beautiful foals, and if the Flightlines run like the look, the resultant foal could be really special. SOUGHT, 4, Uncle Mo – Seeking Gabrielle, by Forestry. Booked to Vekoma Sought is an unraced daughter of Seeking Gabrielle and is a full-sister to Nyquist. She was injured as a yearling and, therefore, did not race. She is currently carrying her first foal by Constitution and is booked to Vekoma for 2026. Vekoma has given every indication of being a top stallion in the making and was the number one first and second-crop stallion. He has already shown an affinity for Indian Charlie mares. It is certainly reasonable to think he will cross well with Uncle Mo mares, too. NU PI LAMBDA, 9, City Zip – Giulio's Jewel, by Speightstown. Booked to Constitution Nu Pi Lambda is a half-sister to Deterministic (Liam's Map), a horse we bred, and she was a winner in Southern California of over $174,000. She is pregnant to Liam's Map, the sire of Deterministic, and is carrying her first foal. Nu Pi Lambda is booked to Constitution, a top-class stallion, and similar matings have resulted in numerous stakes winners. The 2026 mating and the expected 2026 foal should help Nu Pi Lambda get off to a great start as a broodmare. TIZ AN EDVENTURE, 8, Tiznow – Triune, by E Dubai. Booked to Mindframe We are breeding Tiz an Edventure to Mindframe, an extremely good-looking son of Constitution who has been well received with his first book of mares. Constitution works exceptionally well with Tiznow mares, and we hope to replicate that with this mating. Tiz an Edventure is an extremely good-looking mare and we think a mating to Mindframe should produce a beautiful foal. WIN THE WAR, 11, War Front – City Sister, by Carson City. Booked to Mindframe Tapit and his sons have shown an affinity for War Front mares. We are trying to repeat this and also really like the physical associated with this mating. We expect Mindframe to sire leggy foals with scope, and believe he has a great chance to be a top stallion. WHOA NESSIE, 11, Square Eddie – Electric Daze, by Gilded Time. Booked by Omaha Beach This mare is booked to Omaha Beach, who is certainly proving himself to be a top-class sire. This is a similar cross as Desert Gate, by Omaha Beach, who is on the Derby trail. Whoa Nessie has produced exceptionally nice foals for us, and we believe she has the potential to be a stakes-producing mare. All the Omaha Beach horses we have bred have been outstanding physically and we expect this to be the case with the resultant foal. The post 2026 Mating Plans: Hinkle Farms appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Magnitude (Not This Time), a game winner over older horses in his sophomore finale in the GII Clark S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 28, will make his next start in the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup. Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will also be well-represented by 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Obliteration (Violence) in the $1.5-million G3 Saudi Derby on the undercard. Both races will be held at King Abdulaziz Racetrack in Riyadh Feb. 14. “We're very excited to have both of them go,” Asmussen said. “The Saudi Cup and the Saudi Derby–definitely something we want to be a part of. Feel great about the two horses.” Asmussen added, “Jose (Ortiz)'s riding Magnitude and Joel (Rosario)'s riding Obliteration. Fortunate to keep the same riders who they've won with recently.” Forced to miss the Triple Crown series after exiting his sensational GII Fasig-Tipton Risen Star S. victory with an ankle chip, Magnitude resumed his sophomore campaign with a blowout win in the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows July 5. A well-beaten third behind soon-to-be-crowned Horse of the Year Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI DraftKings Travers S. at Saratoga Aug. 23, he showed a new dimension with a very good closing second in the GI Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Sept. 20. Magnitude defeated G1 Dubai World Cup winner Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) by a half length as the 2-1 favorite in the Clark. He earned a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure in his aforementioned front-running tour-de-force victory at 43-1 in the Risen Star. The Winchell Thoroughbreds colorbearer, a $310,000 Keeneland November weanling turned $450,000 Keeneland September yearling, has breezed five times for Asmussen at Fair Grounds this winter, most recently firing a five-furlong bullet in 1:00.20 (1/17) Jan. 19. “We're full of hope,” Asmussen said. “The horse has run some extremely good times and put it all together in the Clark. He is training exceptionally well, as is expected of him right now.” The versatile Obliteration, a runaway winner of Saratoga's GIII Sanford S. at second asking July 5 and a respectable fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar Oct. 31, began the New Year in style with a 7 1/2-length win despite stumbling at the break in the six-furlong Renaissance S. at Oaklawn Park Jan. 3. He also finished second in last term's GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 2, Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint S. Aug. 31 and Indian Summer S. at Keeneland Oct. 5. The latter two were run on grass. Campaigned in partnership by Leland Ackerley Racing, James Sherwood, Jode Shupe and John Cilia, the $200,000 OBS March breezer worked five furlongs in 1:01.80 (6/23) at Fair Grounds Jan. 18. The 1600-meter (about one mile) Saudi Derby will be Obliteration's first attempt beyond 6 1/2 furlongs. “He's got a tremendous amount of talent,” Asmussen said. “Just really appreciate his personality. He's run in the Breeders' Cup (at Del Mar), at Kentucky Downs, at Saratoga, etc. He's got quite a bit of travel and experience at a very good level. He's capable of running very fast. It is a great opportunity.” Following the arrest of disgraced former trainer Jason Servis and subsequent demotion of Maximum Security, the Asmussen-trained Midnight Bisou was placed first via disqualification in the 2020 Saudi Cup. Asmussen also saddled the ill-fated Midnight Bourbon to a third-place finish in the 2022 renewal and Cowan to a second-place finish in the 2021 Saudi Derby. “International racing and being able to compete at this level is what I dreamed about from having a brother that won the Arc,” said Asmussen, who won the 2008 G1 Dubai World Cup with the legendary Curlin. “I love being a part of it.” Asmussen added that the Middle East-bound duo of Magnitude and Obliteration will fly out of Miami on Feb. 2. The post Asmussen Has Magnitude, Obliteration Booked for Saudi appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A big week for Ka Ying Rising is poised to get even bigger as the world’s best sprinter chases a record-equalling 17th straight win in Sunday’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) at Sha Tin. Fresh from being crowned Timeform’s Horse of the Year and the joint second-best horse in the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, the David Hayes-trained superstar will bid to equal Silent Witness’ Hong Kong record of consecutive victories on the weekend. Hayes said Ka Ying Rising remains in peak...View the full article

I keen to try and beat them with one!

I was just marking his card!

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Next week’s historic National Yearling Sale at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka complex will include many tales from the past century of annual thoroughbred auctions. As a precursor to that banter, RaceForm spoke to four veteran vendors – Brian Anderton, Buzz Williams, Ron Chitty and Garry Chittick – for their memories of an event that has been such a part of their lives. The oldest member of the octogenarian quartet, rising 89-year-old Brian Anderton, is also the most travelled in sending his annual draft to market from White Robe Lodge, Mosgiel. The Otago nursery was established 70 years ago by the man known as BJ while still in his teens, overlapping into his successful jockey, then training career. Over the decades Anderton operated White Robe in partnership with his late wife Lorraine, standing successive champion stallions in Mellay and Noble Bijou from the 1970s through to the 1990s. Now managed by their daughter Karen and her husband Wayne Stewart, White Robe continues to lead the way in South Island breeding and contribute despite its relative isolation from the mainstream industry. “My first National Sale was more than 60 years ago when I took a Castle Donnington colt up to Trentham,” Anderton recalls. “I passed him in and then sold him later to an Aussie buyer. “I learnt a lot on those trips from people involved with the big studs up in the North Island. Fred Archer from Ra Ora Stud, Jack Lindsay who stood Count Rendered up at Matamata, Gordon Mitchell from the Manawatu, Norm Hawthorne from Hawke’s Bay – they were all experienced horsemen and happy to share their knowledge.” The trek north to Wellington involved a stopover in Christchurch, another at Blenheim before boarding the Cook Strait ferry and completed with the short run from the Wellington terminal up to Trentham. The Upper Hutt sales venue was operated in partnership by stock and station agents Wright, Stephenson & Co and Pyne, Gould, Guinness on Wellington Racing Club property. The sale grounds were adjacent to the perimeter of the Trentham course proper at the top of the home straight, with the sale neatly slotted between the three days of the late-January Cup carnival. “In the early years we made a bit of a picnic of it,” Anderton said. “Lorraine would tow the caravan up to Wellington for us to sleep in and we would put up an awning where we would have our meals and gather in the evenings. “I remember one year when Jimmy Pankhurst slept in a pup tent beside the caravan the night before riding my mother’s mare Powley to win the big mile (1982 George Adams Handicap).” One of the merits of the Trentham sale format integrated with a landmark carnival was the way it brought together major players who made up the whole, both domestic and international. “It worked very well having the races across the week and the sales in between,” says Garry Chittick, who originally sold under the Thornton Park banner before acquiring Waikato Stud. “Everyone gathered at Trentham, staying in accommodation nearby or in the city and the whole community was connected. Raceday gave you the chance to connect with people and that led to talking business and arranging inspections back at the sale grounds.” Chittick grew up in the Hutt Valley but was a young farmer in the Wairarapa by the time he began to delve into thoroughbred breeding. That led to the establishment of Thornton Park Stud near Masterton before relocating to John Mitchell’s former Santa Rosa Stud property at Longburn, on the outskirts of Palmerston North. “The first auction I took yearlings to was the Waikato Sale at Claudelands in the mid-70s, which back then was held a week or so before Trentham. It wasn’t what you would call a successful venture, but my initial ambition was to be a farmer with a horse or two, so you could say my breeding exploits back then were at best semi-commercial.” At his original base Chittick was exposed to other Wairarapa breeders, the most notable being the Williams brothers Tom and Richie (Buzz), whose parents Alister and Nancy were renowned for their breeding exploits with cattle, sheep and horses on the family’s Te Parae property. Te Parae Stud’s first notable thoroughbred stallion was Sabaean, followed by Agricola and Oncidium. The nursery was also renowned for its female lines headed by Sunbride, an English-bred mare selected by Nancy and whose achievements as a broodmare were to earn induction to the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Buzz Williams’ first memories of the National Sale date back to his early teens and in time include a milestone day in the Trentham sale-ring. “I was 14 in 1956 when I led my first yearling through the ring, a filly by Sabaean from Waters of Lethe, and nearly 20 years later I was on the lead when history was made with the first $100,000 yearling to be sold in New Zealand.” That was at the 1974 Trentham sale when the Oncidium colt from Sunbride’s daughter Bridesmaid was knocked down at the breakthrough figure, and later in the day another by Oncidium, a colt from Chantal offered by Lorraine Jameson’s Cardoness Stud, fetched the same price. “When the gavel came down on the Bridesmaid colt the auditorium erupted and there I was holding onto the horse, doing my best to control him,” Williams added. “I swear it was another two hours before I could finally put him back in his box – that’s how long it took for the media and all the cameras to record the historic event. “Sadly, Dad had died in 1971, but Mother, who had been the driving force behind the thoroughbred side of Te Parae from the time they were married, was there to enjoy the occasion. She was very proud of what she and the old man had achieved.” No overview of the National Sale would be complete without the inclusion of thoroughbred breeding icon Sir Patrick Hogan. Amongst many well qualified to comment on the founder of Cambridge Stud is Haunui Farm’s Ron Chitty. “In the early 70s my parents had just bought Karayar as Haunui’s foundation stallion and they went on a trip to a dispersal sale in Queensland led by Dave Clarkson and Kel Cameron looking for broodmare prospects. “When they arrived home Dad said, ‘I met a young man on the trip who really impressed me. I think he’s the future, his name is Patrick Hogan.’ Anyway, he appointed Patrick to Karayar’s syndicate management committee and as it transpired, Dad died unexpectedly and I had to step up from the farming operation Carolyn and I were running out at Pukekawa. “Dad was right in his summation of Patrick; he was an immense help to me at a time I really needed someone to advise me. One of the first things I did was visit Patrick and Justine down in Cambridge, when they were still at the family’s Fencourt Stud. “I remember meeting them at their cottage, seeing two raincoats and two pair of gumboots in the back porch, and they took me across to Bruntwood to show me the block of land they were in the process of buying. ‘This is where we are going to set up our own stud,’ Patrick said. “Sure enough, Sir Tristram took up duties there in 1976 and the rest, you could say, is history. From my early days at Trentham I had observed Ra Ora become the first vendor to set up a tent for hospitality and put their staff in uniforms, and of course there were others following suit and lifting their game too. “But it was Patrick who took marketing and presentation to another level with such outstanding results off the back of Sir Tristram and then Zabeel – and for that the entire breeding industry will be eternally grateful.” Sir Tristram featured in a notable result for Haunui Farm at the penultimate Trentham sale in 1986, when on behalf of long-time client Annie Sarten, the colt out of Kashmir Belle topped the bidding at $750,000, an event that Chitty recounts with humour. “He was four lots from the end, but we knew he was on a lot of buyers’ lists, including a Malaysian contingent led by Teh Choon Beng. One of them was a lady known to us as Mrs Tan, who turned out to be the purchaser, as after the horse had been knocked down she turned up at the office with a large brown bag and proceeded to hand over the full amount in cash!” For some years through this period there had been persistent suggestions that the National Sale should move north given various changing dynamics that included the increasing concentration of the thoroughbred breeding population in the Waikato and changing expectations from the increasingly international buying bench. Such talk gained real traction in the 1980s, which the selling agents began to take notice of when it was even suggested that if there was no mood for change, an offshore sales company would be invited to make it happen. Thus a site at Karaka adjacent to the Southern Motorway was selected to become the new National Sale venue and the Wrightson team led by managing director Michael Floyd went to work. Being a prominent vendor close at hand, Ron Chitty became involved as the project evolved. “Michael did a fantastic job, he travelled the world garnering the best ideas from other sales venues and what eventuated in 1988 is without doubt the best sale complex in the world.” Meanwhile, Garry and Mary Chittick, with their son Mark beginning to take on more responsibility, remained in Palmerston North where Thornton Park had become home to the smart Australian-bred sprinter Centaine. “In the first half of the 1970s the lower North Island had lost three very good stallions in quick succession – Pakistan, Oncidium and Sobig – and not long after that Three Legs as well, so that did have an impact,” Chittick recalls. “In the end it became inevitable there would be a move north, but for us it didn’t mean we would naturally follow suit. It wasn’t until the early 1990s when the dairy company next door approached us to buy the farm to take care of their waste liquid, and at the same time Waikato Stud went into receivership and we were in a position to buy it, that we made the move north.” When the decision was made to relocate the National Sale, Chittick and Buzz Williams requested a meeting with Wrightson chairman Sir Ron Trotter in the hope of negotiating some sort of compensation for South Island vendors who would be most affected by the longer travel distances. “No-one had any option but to run with the idea, but we did feel for the South Islanders and we asked Ron Trotter if they would consider a travel subsidy, but that never happened,” Williams said. For his part during the consultation period, Brian Anderton recalls being just one of two who voted against the move north, but inevitably was unable to stand in the way of industry progress. “It became a much longer journey by road and sea, and one year we actually flew the horses out of Dunedin by Bristol Freighter, but that didn’t last. We’ve sold a lot of very good horses at the National Sale over the years, and even though our numbers aren’t big these days, it’s still important to us for White Robe to have a presence at Karaka.” For Buzz and Susie Williams and their son Sam, who with his wife Dame Catriona now operate under the Little Avondale banner buoyed by their outstanding sire Per Incanto, the former short trip over the Remutakas to the Upper Hutt is now something quite different, but they’ve fully embraced Karaka and what it has to offer. “Lots has changed over the years, the amount of assistance buyers now have with scopes, x-rays and whatnot,” says Williams. “Back in the day guys like Bart and Tommy just looked at the horse and saw it for what it was, but it’s a whole lot different now. “Feed is a lot different too, what with all the premixed formulas that everyone depends on now – old buggers like me still remember that beautiful aroma of boiled barley and linseed. “No matter where the sale is held though, it will always be a wonderful occasion for everyone to get together and enjoy it for what it is. You could hardly wish for a better venue than Karaka to do business, socialise and talk horses.” To which Garry Chittick fully concurs, including the role that New Zealand Bloodstock has played since becoming the selling agent in 1996, bringing a truly global buying bench to Karaka as it targets key markets. His overview includes witnessing a third generation coming through at Waikato Stud, but the future comes with a caveat. That involves sourcing the right stallions to replace the likes of personal flagbearers Centaine, O’Reilly and Savabeel, while also not forgetting others that have shared such a vital load through the decades of National Yearling Sales. “It has become the responsibility of an ever-decreasing few and that genuinely concerns me,” he says. “It’s crucial for the viability of not just our annual sale but our entire industry that we continue to find the means to invest in stallions that will take us into the future.” Notwithstanding, he’ll quietly enjoy the challenge of Waikato regaining its title as leading vendor, just as Haunui, now led by Mark and Sara Chitty, will look within for another to emulate last year’s sale-topper that enabled the farm’s first Karaka premiership, or that previous leading vendors Cambridge Stud and Curraghmore may have the wherewithal in their drafts to bid for further honours. No matter how this historic sale plays out, one sure bet in a game riddled with the unknown is that the list of champions sourced over the past century from the National Yearling Sale will be added to by those as-yet unidentified members of the class of 2026. View the full article

David Hayes is confident Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) remains in peak form as the world’s highest-rated sprinter chases history in the HK$13 million G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (25 January). Unbeaten in 16 starts since 12 February, 2024, Ka Ying Rising will equal Silent Witness’ record for a Hong Kong-trained horse of 17 victories in a row if he eclipses six rivals in this weekend’s Group 1 double-header, which also features Romantic Warrior’s clash with Voyage Bubble in the HK$13 million G1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m). Acclaimed last week as Timeform Horse of the Year (2025) as well as being acknowledged this week as both the world’s premier sprinter and joint second-best horse in the 2025 LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, Ka Ying Rising has won 17 of 19 starts, including six at Group 1 level. Hayes is adamant Ka Ying Rising, who broke his own Sha Tin 1200m track record in the 2025 Centenary Sprint Cup with a winning time of 1m 07.20s, has not regressed since his devastating G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) triumph in December. “Last start was probably his best win and he seems no worse and what’s so special about him is that he just keeps putting up consistent ratings that are exceptional. Everything tells me that he’s the same,” Hayes said. “I would say (his form is) very similar. It’s hard to say better, isn’t it?” A dual Hong Kong champion trainer, Hayes said he never expected to have a horse capable of threatening Silent Witness’ record, which has stood since 2005. “I never thought that would happen but it’s looking very realistic and if trackwork and trials are any guide, he’s (Ka Ying Rising) held his form and it’s exciting for the weekend,” Hayes said. Ka Ying Rising will jump from barrier four under Zac Purton, while Hayes will also be represented by Tomodachi Kokoroe (Harry Bentley) against Helios Express (Hugh Bowman), Fast Network (James McDonald), Raging Blizzard (Brenton Avdulla), Beauty Waves (Matthew Chadwick) and Lucky With You (Luke Ferraris). “Tomodachi Kokoroe needs to improve. He was fantastic until he got up to the upper class and then when he got into the Group 1s, he struggled. But he’s healthy and well and I’m hoping he can run a place,” Hayes said. Thirteen-time Hong Kong champion trainer John Size is represented in the Centenary Sprint Cup by Raging Blizzard, who ran second to Ka Ying Rising in the LONGINES Hong Kong Sprint, while Helios Express was fifth in the same race. “I don’t think there’s much between them at this stage of their careers; it just depends on the circumstances of the race, the tempo and the track conditions of the day to split them,” Size said. “Raging Blizzard ran a big race on international day to finish second and Helios Express has been consistent, too.” Size will pit 2025 G1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) winner Red Lion against Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble in the Stewards’ Cup, which is the first leg of the Triple Crown. To jump from barrier one under Hugh Bowman, Red Lion ran third to Voyage Bubble and Soul Rush in the G1 LONGINES Hong Kong Mile (1600m) on 14 December. “You never know what can happen on a racetrack and that’s how we live but, as we know, he’s beaten the great horse (Voyage Bubble) once and that was a good example that on any given day, something can work in your favour,” Size said. “His run on international day was near his best and he’s fit and well.” Last season’s Triple Crown winner Voyage Bubble will start from barrier six in his bid to win a third consecutive Stewards’ Cup, while Romantic Warrior will jump from gate seven. Apart from fellow Group 1 winners Red Lion and Lucky Sweynesse, the decorated pair will also face Beauty Joy, Galaxy Patch, Straight Arron, My Wish and Sunlight Power. “The horses are fine and I’m expecting them all to run their usual races. They’ve been in very good shape and they’ve been racing well on the track, too,” Size said. “They all ran well on international day and now they’ve had some time to recuperate, I think they’re ready to run very well again. “I can’t ask for anything more from them in their preparation, but you also can’t expect too much when you’re racing three champions like Ka Ying Rising, Voyage Bubble and Romantic Warrior. It could all go according to plan, or there could be an upset – you never know until they cross the line.” Sunday’s (25 January) 11-race Sha Tin meeting starts with the Class 4 Peniaphobia Handicap (1000m) at 12.30pm. View the full article

Cambridge Stud are under no illusions about the task ahead of Silver Wedding (Zoustar) at Ellerslie on Saturday, with connections hoping she has one more peak performance to come. The Ciaron Maher-trained four-year-old will tackle the Gr.3 Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) ahead of a spell. “There wasn’t any obvious black-type races in Brisbane or Sydney and this one was on the radar, so we brought her over and win, lose or draw she’ll have four weeks at the farm at Karaka and then go back to Sydney,” Cambridge’s chief executive Henry Plumptre said. “It’s hard to line-up the form, she’s an improving type with a good turn of foot and she’s a Zoustar and they can keep improving. “She’s showed good progress against weaker opposition, it is quite a strong race with depth and that’s the difference. “We just hope that improvement she showed in Brisbane might keep going for one more run.” Silver Wedding broke her maiden in Sydney last year before she was sent inter-state where she flourished. “She’s been a work in progress for Ciaron and we’ve been deliberately quite strategic where she’s been placed,” Plumptre said. “That’s why she went up to Brisbane to try and find some metropolitan races she could win and get her confidence up, as she has been quite an anxious type. “She put two together up there and should have won a third and we were looking around for some black type to run in before she went to the paddock for a spell.” Silver Wedding was successful at Doomben and Eagle Farm and then finished runner-up at the latter venue last time out in early January. Cambridge Stud’s colours will also be carried by the Tony Pike-trained Lucy In The Sky (Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy, 1200m) and stablemate Argo in the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO Classic (1600m). Lucy In The Sky won the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) last season before she was put aside and was unplaced when resuming at Ellerslie earlier this month. “I think she might possibly be needed to be ridden a little bit cold rather than trying to lead them up,” Plumptre said. “As you step up in that three-year-old stakes class, it gets increasingly difficult to lead all the way.” She is by the stud’s champion 2024/25 freshman sire Hello Youmzain, who will also be represented in the farm-sponsored event by the unbeaten Drops Of God, Bulgari, Cream Tart and first emergency Places To Be. “He’s had a stack of winners, 100 from his first two crops and all we need now is the big one to crack the ceiling,” Plumptre said. Meanwhile, Argo won two on the bounce before he handled a rise in class admirably to finish third in the Gr.2 Levin Classic (1400m) at Trentham. The farm will also hold a strong hand in the opening event, the HKJC World Pool Jo Giles Stakes (1400m) with the in-form duo of the Lance Noble-prepared Frostfair and Cody Cole’s Power Of Three to go head-to-head. View the full article

Kylie Williams is hoping she will have plenty to celebrate when she is sunning herself in Rarotonga on Sunday. The Canterbury hoop will head to Ellerslie on Saturday for just the third time in her three-decade career where she will ride the Andrew Carston-trained Miss Ziggy in the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). The meeting will also present Williams with another opportunity to ride alongside her Australian-based son Logan Bates, who is crossing the Tasman to partner the Cindy Alderson-trained Jigsaw in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m). He has also picked up rides on In Haste in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m), Moxie in the Gr.3 Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m), She’s No Saint in the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), and Moschino in the HKJC World Pool Jo Giles Stakes (1400m). Williams, who recorded her 1,000th win in the saddle last September, realised a long-held dream when competing against Bates on the opening day of the New Zealand Cup Carnival at Riccarton in November, and while she thought it was a one and done affair before her impending retirement, she is excited to get another opportunity, this time on New Zealand racing’s biggest stage. “Andrew asked me to go up (to ride Miss Ziggy at Ellerslie) a couple of weeks ago and after she went a good race he asked me if I wanted to ride her on Karaka Millions night,” Williams said. “I had planned to ride at Riccarton that day, but I will go and ride her, which is pretty cool. “Logan is coming over to ride Jigsaw, so it has worked out well and hopefully he can win on him in the Railway.” Bates has accrued a handy record on the seven-year-old gelding, riding him to victory in his last three starts, including the Gr.2 McEwen Stakes (1200m) and A$1 million Meteorite (1200m). While looking forward to watching her son compete in a Group One on home soil, Williams’ primary focus will be riding Miss Ziggy in their $1.5 million feature, and she is confident of a bold showing after she partnered the Brazen Beau filly to a runner-up result at the Auckland track earlier this month. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she goes a big race,” she said. “We know the track doesn’t get too heavy at Ellerslie, which is a bonus because I don’t know if she would like that. “Andrew is happy with her, so we just need a bit of luck.” It will be just the third time Williams has ridden at Ellerslie, but she said she now has a good feel for the track and believes it will favour her filly this weekend. “I have ridden there twice before – once was in the Auckland Cup (Gr.2, 3200m, on Waisake) and then Ziggy the other day,” she said. “I have had a couple of runs around there now and Ziggy seems to like going that way, so she makes my job easier.” Meanwhile, Williams will be keeping a close eye on her home meeting at Riccarton on Saturday where she will put on her training hat and line-up Leonard in the Riccarton Park Function Centre Maiden (1400m). “Leonard is having his first run in six months,” Williams said. “He probably should have raced sooner but he got injured, so I have just taken my time with him. If he was racing later in the day I probably would have scratched him because we have had a bit of rain down here. “He has drawn well (2) and I think Daniel (Bothamley, jockey) will suit him. He will probably need the run, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes a cheeky race, he is working well and he looks good. “I have done my job and now it is up to Daniel and Leonard.” Williams has been training a small team off-and-on for nearly 20 years and she said she enjoys that side of the industry. “I have always liked doing one or two, just as a different challenge and it gives you a different perspective,” she said. With her jockey hat back on, Williams is looking forward to competing at the Karaka Millions meeting for the first time and is hoping to join in the festivities if the results go her family’s way this weekend. “I have to wait until 7pm to have my ride, so I won’t get to enjoy the other side of it much, but if Logan wins the Group One in the last there might be celebrating after that,” she said. “There might be a hangover on the plane.” View the full article

Andrew Forsman has fond memories from the annual Karaka Millions meeting, and he is hoping to record some more when he heads to Ellerslie on Saturday for the blockbuster twilight event. The trans-Tasman trainer won the 2021 edition of the TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) with Aegon, a horse he raced with the Zame Partnership, and trained in partnership with his mentor Murray Baker. Now training in a solo capacity, Forsman will be seeking to double his tally in the $1.5 million feature this weekend where he will have a two-pronged attack courtesy of Fat Cat (Written Tycoon) and Chilling Out (NZ) (Savabeel). Chilling Out has won her last two starts, after placing on debut at Arawa Park last month, and while she is one of the lighter raced three-year-olds in the field, Forsman believes she will be able to measure up to her more fancied rivals this weekend. “She has been quite exciting right from the start,” he said. “I remember when she won a trial on the polytrack, she looked smart and everything she has done from then she has really kept improving. “Being a Savabeel, that is what they tend to do, and you feel like she has got the class to be very competitive.” Fat Cat has won one of his eight starts to date and Forsman said the Written Tycoon gelding is a work in progress. “Fat Cat is a horse we are still trying to figure out what he actually wants to be or do,” he said. “He is taking a lot of time to mature. “I thought his run was full of merit last start at Ellerslie (when fifth behind Chilling Out), he didn’t have many favours and the plan from a wide draw (9) will be to put him in the race a little bit more on the weekend. “I am sure he is the sort of horse that is going to keep improving.” Forsman will also be represented in the $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) by Stromlinien. By Almanzor and out of stakes winner Santa Catarina, Stromlinien was purchased by Forsman, in partnership with Andrew Williams, out of Elsdon Park’s Karaka yearling sale draft last year for $450,000, and Forsman said she is starting to live up to that price tag. She won on debut at Ellerslie earlier this month after having just one prior trial, and Forsman believes she has the capability of being competitive on Saturday where she will jump from barrier nine with premiership-leading hoop Craig Grylls aboard. “She is a lovely filly that we have always liked,” Forsman said. “We had to pay a fair bit of money to secure her at the yearling sales last year, but she looks classy and she has done everything to live up to that since we have had her in the stable. “She was very professional (on debut) off only ever having one quiet trial and I think she will take good improvement for that experience. She will need to, she goes up against a stronger field again on Saturday. If she gets the right run I think she will run very well.” Forsman’s other stakes contenders on the six-race card include Yaldi and Hinekaha in the $1.04 million Gr.3 Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m). Yaldi has a good record at Ellerslie, winning the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m), and while he heads into the weekend in solid form, distance remains Forsman’s only query. “We know he is a very capable galloper,” Forsman said. “I think a mile is right at the very limit of his capabilities but he has drawn (2) to get every chance to run the trip out and if he can do that I am sure he will be there at the finish.” Hinekaha has won her last three starts, culminating in last month’s Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) at Te Rapa, and while pleased with his mare in the lead-up to Saturday’s contest, Forsman is concerned about competing on a right-handed track. “She keeps getting better-and-better,” he said. “She has drawn (4) to get a nice enough run, but Ellerslie is a bit of a concern for her, it’s a track she has never really seemed that comfortable getting around. “I think we have never quite seen the best of her there, and she just seems to be a bit happier left-handed, but it is the right race and you only get one chance as a four-year-old to run in a race like this and I think on class she will be competitive.” Forsman will kick-off the meeting with in-form mare Mary Shan, who will be seeking to continue the strong run for her owners Gerald Shand and Jackie Rogers, who tasted Group One success earlier this month with First Five. Mary Shan has been in a similar rich vein of form, having won three of her four starts this season, including the Gr.3 Northern Challenge Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie in November. She has been freshened since that run and trialled at Ellerslie earlier this month ahead of tackling Saturday’s HKJC World Pool Jo Giles Stakes (1400m), where Forsman believes she will be better placed under set weights and penalties conditions. “She had a little freshen-up after winning at a mile,” Forsman said. “She paid the penalty in the handicap for winning that race, so we have had to change tack a little bit. “We were lining up Rich Hill Miles (Gr.2,1600m) and Thorndon Miles (Gr.2,1600m) but given where she is now in the ratings, I think in races like this at set weights she is going to be much better off. “Back to 1400m might be a touch of a concern but she has drawn nicely (2) and should get every chance.” Forsman will also be chasing stakes success earlier in the day at New Plymouth where last-start winner Single Red will carry OTI Racing’s silks in the Listed Grangewilliam Stud Oaks Prelude (1800m). Meanwhile, Group One performer Positivity has returned to New Zealand from Forsman’s Flemington barn. The Ben Kwok-raced mare has been campaigning in Australia since her runner-up performance in the 2024 edition of the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), where she was victorious in the Gr.3 SA Fillies Classic (2500m) and Gr.3 Naturalism Stakes (2000m). She has struggled to find form in recent times and she has returned home where she will likely resume in the Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m) at Ellerslie next Saturday. “We are hoping to kick her off at Ellerslie next Saturday,” Forsman said. “We wanted to get a trial into her before then but the weather has just been horrendous, so she almost certainly won’t have a trial tomorrow (Friday) at Matamata, which is a bit of a shame. “She will go into that run needing it, but we need to make a start with her. We don’t have any real grand plans, we just want to get a run into her and then decide what her path will be.” View the full article

Champion trainer Chris Waller might not have to look too far or wait too long to fill the giant void left by the retiring great Via Sistina after giving stablemate Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) a glowing assessment ahead of her autumn return. Aeliana has only had the one trial this year to prepare her for the autumn, but her part-owner Denise Martin of Star Thoroughbreds, said the trainer had spoken of his optimism for Aeliana’s upcoming campaign after noting a significant change in the four-year-old mare following her summer break. “Chris said he feels this preparation, she has returned as he hoped she would have in the spring,” Martin told Racing.com. “Chris has indicated a number of times in our conversations that she has returned better than ever. “He wasn’t always comfortable with her coat and her weight and overall appearance in the spring. He hoped that she would have returned with a few more kilos and this time she has. “She is really well. Coat is good and she is carrying very good condition.” Aeliana played second fiddle to her older stablemate Via Sistina in the spring as Waller’s initial fears that maturity may hold her back slightly in her early four-year-old season, came to fruition. Aeliana may well take the autumn path that Via Sistina has trodden in recent seasons and that Winx also took during her autumn campaigns each year. “I would imagine Chris would look at races that Via Sistina went to last year,” Martin said. “One of Chris’ great strengths is his ability to find the right race at the right time and I am sure he will with Aeliana.” Her campaign therefore could start with the G2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on February 14 before the G1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on February 28. Next would be the G1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 21 before finishing off with the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick on April 11. Martin said the presence of unbeaten mare Autumn Glow meant that options are being kept open for either mare to come for the Australian Cup at Flemington in late March to potentially avoid clashing with each other. The Apollo Stakes at Randwick is still three weeks’ away and Martin said in that time, Aeliana will have another trial next Tuesday before a possible exhibition gallop at the races before her return. The potential autumn plan means that it is unlikely that Aeliana will get to 2400 metres or beyond as a spring or autumn four-year-old despite her comfortable ATC Derby (2400m) victory as a late three-year-old last year. Martin said it was likely the 2026 Caulfield Cup (2400m) will be the aim for a fully-matured Aeliana next spring. View the full article

I wonder how long an education period they think will be required?

It's already in the hands of MPI, other relevant Ministers and shadow Ministers.

Despite facing a monumental task against Romantic Warrior and Voyage Bubble, Derek Leung Ka-chun feels the time is right to test Lucky Sweynesse at a mile in Sunday’s Group One Stewards’ Cup at Sha Tin. With Hong Kong’s feature sprints dominated by the all-conquering Ka Ying Rising, Lucky Sweynesse’s connections opted for a different path in a bid to add to his outstanding record of 16 wins from 30 starts. However, the Manfred Man Ka-leung-trained gelding’s distance test won’t be any easier when...View the full article

Yes. Won't be a good start to your field quality argument if they are in the mix.

Take the Aussies out and still very good fields. The Aussie horses are 2nd and 3rd tier horses anyway

Was never going to. It is fine and blustery today and tomorrow in Auckland so that track should come back to a G4