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Neasham elects for Epsom with Mo’unga
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Bright future tipped for Rue Cler
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Australian targets beckon promising trotter
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Family road trip to pay dividends
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Selections | Gore Today – Thursday
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TAB Great Chase goes west
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Thompson’s ‘one-two’ Derby punch
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Minister reappoints GRV Board pair
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Mahrez makes winning debut
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Alysha Collett gets big league call-up
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Blinkers on Voyage Warrior
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Verry Elleegant Melbourne bound
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Holland to partner Tralee Rose
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Additional Traralgon delay
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Daily Mail: Rambo eyeing victory at Ballarat
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Tutukaka continues march towards VRC Derby
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Turnbull test for Derby winner
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First mile test for Spring Tide
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The Cossack out to defend northern crown
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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
The dual Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year from 2022 and 2024, Free Like a Girl (El Deal–Flashy Prize, by Flashy Bull), was euthanized after a recent trailer accident. The story was first reported on Tuesday, Jan. 13 by the Daily Racing Form. The all-time highest earner in the Pelican state's history with over $2.5-million, Free Like a Girl made 55 starts and got her picture taken on 21 occasions. The $5,500 Equine Sales of Louisiana Yearling Sale grad was owned by Gerald Bruno, Carl Deville, Jerry Caroom and Chasey Deville Pomier, who also trained her. Free Like a Girl ran third in the GIII Iowa Oaks then served as the runner-up in the GIII Charles Town Oaks and GIII Remington Park Oaks during her 3-year-old campaign. Almost exclusively a stakes competitor moving forward, the race mare was incredibly consistent versus state breds as she recorded 18 black-type wins, but she also took on graded company where she was second in the GI Fasig-Tipton La Troienne Stakes at Churchill Downs in 2024 and the runner-up to Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) in the GI Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park in 2025. After a runner-up finish in the Magnolia Stakes at Delta Downs Oct. 11, the 7-year-old was retired and according to the DRF article was set to visit Into Mischief for the 2026 breeding season. By El Deal, Free Like a Girl has an unraced full-brother named Flashy Rich Deal, who was made the $150,000 topper by Landon Jordan of Mansfield Racing during the 2024 Texas Yearling Sale at Lone Star Park. The post Dual Louisiana-Bred Horse Of The Year Free like A Girl Passes Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Bob Duncan, whose career spans better than 50 years at the tracks of the New York Racing Association (NYRA), will be honored with a Special Eclipse Award for Career Excellence during the Resolute Racing Eclipse Award ceremonies at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, on Thursday, Jan. 22. The award recognizes Duncan's horsemanship and his work to foster the human-equine relationship at the starting gate. Duncan, who grew up in Elmont, NY, began working at the NYRA tracks in 1967-1968 and returned from a stint in the U.S. Army in Korea to become an assistant starter under Frank Calvarese. He succeeded Calvarese as head starter in 1993 and remained in that role until his retirement in 2004. He remained a consultant to NYRA and continues to provide his service on a private basis to racing stables. Addressing the issues starting gate crews had with loading horses into the gate, Duncan came to the realization that common practices of using fear and intimidation were counterproductive and counterintuitive. Horses, by and large, were being loaded into the gate, but the process was often a recipe for disaster. “Horses respond to good leadership,” said Duncan. “Once we started communicating in a language that the horses understood, they responded calmly, and their performance improved. By watching horses, you learn how to connect with them; the key is to set aside your ego and any urge to dominate the horse. “They are prey animals, and dominance just doesn't work. We used to think we were heroes just to get the horses into the starting gate, but we didn't realize the price that the horses were paying and, in turn, how it hurt their connections and the sport.” “Bob revolutionized the starting gate process over his 50-year tenure,” said Hall of Fame trainer and eight-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher. “He was the first to introduce more humane, behaviorally informed practices in his running of the gate-schooling and starting-gate program, establishing a model now emulated internationally. He led the charge in urging the industry to use natural horsemanship not only at the gate but throughout all elements of the training, racing, and breeding process.” Duncan's practices began receiving attention both at home and overseas, as his services were solicited by the likes of trainers Aidan O'Brien and Gai Waterhouse in Ireland, Australia. Barbados and other countries. Duncan's methods were well institutionalized in New York. In 2004, there were 6,000 horse visits to the gates at NYRA tracks without a serious occurrence at the starting gate. In later years, Duncan worked with the starting gate crew at Churchill Downs and started the 2006 Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby. In 2009, Duncan worked with the Pletcher-trained Quality Road, who was fractious and unruly while being loaded for the start of the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park, and had to be scratched. Following that incident, Duncan got a call from Pletcher. “I came down from Saratoga and schooled him at Belmont Park,” Duncan remembers. “I just took him in the stall with my rope halter and spent 15 minutes with him, moving him back and forth, and connecting with him. He was almost instantly responsive.” In 2010, a calmer Quality Road won four graded stakes races, including Grade I fixtures in the Donn Handicap, Metropolitan Handicap and the Woodward Stakes. Moved upon hearing the news of receiving a Special Eclipse Award, Duncan reflected, “This is not something that normally happens in our discipline. There is so much joy and satisfaction to this process–handling the horses in this way–that it's like winning a little Eclipse Award every morning.” “What began with smaller changes like limiting the use of buggy whips and blindfolds,” continued Pletcher, “turned into a complete overhaul of the current system focusing on bringing in the practices of Monty Roberts, Pat and Linda Parelli, Ray Hunt, and the like, to create calm horses at the gate and build a safer environment for all involved.” The post Legendary Starter Duncan To Receive Special Eclipse For Career Excellence appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Multiple Group 3 heroine Lastotchka anchors the Tattersalls Online January Sale catalogue, which was released on Wednesday. Set for Tuesday, January 20-Wednesday, January 21, the sale features 102 lots comprised of 70 horses in and out of training, 18 broodmares, four yearlings, three breeding rights, three two-year-olds, three stores and a share in young sire and champion sprinter Bradsell (lot 99). Lastotchka, by Myboycharlie and sold as lot 59 by Ronald Rauscher, won the G3 Prix Belle de Nuit and G3 Prix Gladiateur. The seven-year-old mare also won the Listed Prix de Thiberville and is from the family of Arc winner Rail Link. Other lots of note are Willie Mullins's 132 IHRB-rated hurdler and listed-placed Charlus (Churchill) (lot 42); as well as listed-placed hurdler Olympic Man (Martaline) (lot 16), who is a winner over fences and rated 132 over hurdles and 136 by IHRB as a chaser. Listed Tipperary Stakes-placed Fresh Fade (Cotai Glory) (lot 2) will be offered, as will prolific all-weather winner Maris Angel (Harry Angel) (lot 14). Broodmare Hotaugustnight (Camelot) (lot 83) will be put through the ring in foal to Pinatubo. She is a relative of G1 Epsom Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly (Gleneagles). Among the stallion offerings are: a breeding right to Group 1 stallion Space Blues (lot 102), as well as breeding rights in A'Ali (lot 100) and El Caballo (lot 101). The post Lastotchka Headlines Tattersalls Online January Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Jimmy Hyland, the new CEO of Godolphin Ireland, speaks about champion sire Night Of Thunder, new addition Shadow Of Light and more Sweeping statements about the future are usually best left to Nostradamus and the like but Jimmy Hyland, the new man at the helm at Kildangan Stud, has more than one good reason to look out over the horizon and smile. We say new, but Hyland put down 38 good years working for the Maktoum family before taking over as CEO from the outgoing Joe Osborne back in October. Hyland has taken over at a time when Kildangan Stud is abuzz; Night Of Thunder was just crowned the champion sire in Britain and Ireland, Blue Point is threatening to break into that upper echelon – and might just do so in 2026 – while many shrewd judges believe that Ghaiyyath could be on the cusp of something big. When you add that to the fact that dual Group 1-winning juvenile Shadow Of Light has joined the roster for the upcoming breeding season, it's easy to see why Hyland speaks with infectious optimism about what might be in store. “I am heading into my 39th year with the Maktoum family,” he says from his base at Kildangan Stud. “I say the Maktoum family because I worked for the late Sheikh Maktoum at Gainsborough Stud in Kentucky. I also spent some time in Japan – I went there in 1992 with Dancing Brave, so I was probably one of the first Darley employees to have worked in Japan back then. After that, I had the opportunity to manage Thornton Stud (pls add in North Yorkshire, which was leased by Sheikh Mohammed in 1995 and 1996. I came back to Kildangan Stud in 1996 to take over the management of Kildangan Stud and, working closely with Joe Osborne, my role grew from there. With Joe's departure, it's definitely a change as we met every day to discuss and plan things. It worked very well down through the years but I have to embrace change now and I think the future is very bright here at Kildangan Stud.” He added, “With stallions like Night Of Thunder, the champion sire in Britain and Ireland, and Blue Point, who could be in for a huge year, along with Ghaiyyath, a stallion we feel is only going to go from strength to strength, we're in a very good position. On top of that, you have Space Blues, very much the forgotten stallion, first-season sire Naval Crown, who is a fast, sharp horse by Dubawi and Native Trail, whose first foals sold very well last year. “Then we have the older horses, like Teofilo and Raven's Pass, who are doing well in the background and, of course, Shadow Of Light, who is new to the roster here this year. So it's a very strong stallion roster. There's lots to look forward to on the track with potential stallions in Ombudsman, Notable Speech, Opera Ballo and Wise Approach so I think we could be in for a big year.” It is a lazy assumption that an outfit as big as Darley is guaranteed any amount of success by virtue of the fact it plays home to some of the best bloodlines in the business. There is no reliable guide as to what way the pendulum can swing in this great game. Therefore, there is a genuine appreciation when the extensive work that goes on behind the scenes pays off. “The Godolphin operation in Ireland comprises eight farms and 4,700 acres,” Hyland explains. “We've 200 staff members depending on the time of year and we've about 500 horses under our care at any given time. So there's plenty going on here all year round and there's no downtime. It's challenging, but I love the challenge and this is a really exciting time of year because, in January, you have the newborn foals and every newborn foal is a blank canvas. When they are born, you are thinking, 'this could be the next big one.' That's the exciting part of this job; watching those young foals develop on the farms here, then going through the yearling prep and on to their trainers before, one day, possibly returning here to either stand as a stallion or join the broodmare band. We get great satisfaction out of that. Like, that big weekend in May, when we had the four Group 1 winners – Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby winners Good Cheer and Sovereignty along with 1,000 and 2,000 Guineas winners Desert Flower and Ruling Court – was just amazing. Desert Flower was born and raised here on the Irish studs so that was particularly special. Godolphin is a global team, but the Irish operation plays a huge role in that success and it's amazing to be a part of that winning team with Desert Flower along with Trawlerman and Rebel's Romance as well. We set the bar very high for ourselves every year and if we don't get four or five Group 1-winning graduates, we're disappointed.” Jimmy Hyland | Tattersalls He added, “As you walk through the entrance of the office here, you will see on either side of the walls that we have 102 brass name plates dedicated to all of the Group 1-winning graduates that the Irish farms have produced. I have been here so long at Kildangan Stud, that I can remember practically all of them, including Dubawi's mother, Zomaradah (Deploy), along with Dubawi himself and his own sire, Dubai Millennium. So we've had generations of the Dubai Millennium sire line), along with Dubawi, Night Of Thunder and all of the sons coming through. Obviously you have the influence of Shamardal as well. To have Dubawi and Shamardal racing in the same year as three-year-olds and then to have both of them join our European roster, it's a bit like buses; you wait for one to come along and then two arrive. To get two of that standard, we were just very fortunate because they have been breed-shapers. Even Cape Cross, who is also on that wall, left a massive legacy through Sea The Stars and Golden Horn and he is proving influential as a broodmare sire as well. So I have been very fortunate to have worked and been associated with some amazing horses. It's been a fantastic journey so far.” There are, of course, headaches and teething problems when anyone assumes a new role. For Hyland, his biggest headache has been bittersweet in that the popularity of champion sire Night Of Thunder, who will stand for €200,000 in 2026, means that Darley have been forced to turn a lot of good breeders away. Hyland explained, “Night Of Thunder is obviously hugely popular. Unfortunately, with the demise of Wootton Bassett, it added to our headache here with more people wanting to use Night Of Thunder. We are using him quite extensively ourselves, which meant there were less slots available to the public market, so it has been a balancing act trying to look after the people who have been good to the horse and trying to secure the best mares for the stallion. Some people normally got two but then two became one and, in some cases, one didn't become any and a lot of people are on a waiting list. It has been a huge challenge and, if, say, Notable Speech had retired, it would have been a huge help to have another option with that Dubawi bloodline. Obviously, we have Shadow Of Light, which has been helpful, but the decision was made to keep Notable Speech and Ombudsman in training this year, and it was probably the right decision because both of them probably have unfinished business. That's what His Highness Sheikh Mohammed enjoys, watching those high-class horses competing. We can look forward to them retiring at the end of this year. But as I said earlier, the Night Of Thunders of this world don't come along very often. He's an extraordinary stallion.” What's most exciting for Hyland, who very evidently treats his role here as much more than just a job, is that the best is yet to come. He admits that, while his day-to-day role hasn't changed drastically since he stepped in as CEO, he shared that has had to learn to delegate more. He still spends his mornings inspecting stock on any one of the eight different farms. The philosophy there, according to Hyland, is that he would rather spot a problem – be that making changes to body condition, feed, farriery or exercise – before it arises. He quantifies that hands-on approach by stating the team has “one shot” at producing potential champions. He is also big on land management and speaks passionately about adopting a sustainable approach to how Godolphin runs its farms. Be that the introduction of solar panels, their extensive composting system, rainwater harvesting and even the creation of their own beehives as well as extensive rewilding projects, it's an admirable and responsible approach. Hyland grew up within walking distance of Kildangan Stud. A nephew of the late Pat and Hugh Hyland of Oghill House Stud, he spent many summers and weekends cutting his teeth at that famous nursery. This is a passion project as much as anything else for a man who says “it was in the blood” when asked about how he first got into the industry. “It's a way of life,” he elaborates about his career path. “The days are long and there are plenty of disappointments but, when you produce that big horse, the likes of Desert Flower last year, that's the reward. In actual fact, the past three 1,000 Guineas winners – Desert Flower, Elmalka and Mawj – were all raised here. That gives us a great boost. Winning a Group 1 is great but, winning a Classic, that's the icing on the cake. Our goals haven't really changed down through the years. Our main goal is to produce high-class racehorses for His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and his family, but with regards to our stallion operation, the aim is to stand top-class stallions. That's our business. All of our young stock here are so well-bred, they all have the potential to be champions.” He added, “The game has been good to me. I grew up locally and Oghill House Stud would have been the home place. My late uncles Pat and Hugh Hyland, I learned a lot from them and spent a lot of my weekends and summers there when I was growing up. My cousin, Royston Murphy, spent a lot of time there as well and, along with his wife Catriona, they own and run Sledmere Stud in Australia. My brother Ray works for Godolphin Ireland and he manages three of the farms in Kildare while our other cousin Johnny [Hyland] has taken over the reins at Oghill and is doing a great job. So it's in the blood. I have two sons working in the industry. Conor is working for the Irish National Stud and he is very happy there – he loves his job and they have been very good to him. Then we have Eoin, who works with Richard Pugh and the race planning team at Horse Racing Ireland and he is really enjoying his role there as well. Thankfully, my youngest son Lorcan is in his last year in college where he is studying computer science. Otherwise, the conversation at the dinner table would have been very equine-focused! My poor wife, Esther, who is a qualified nurse, already puts up with enough equine talk as it is! But on a serious note, I am very proud of them all and it's great to see them enjoying what they are doing.” Kildangan Stud is something of an extended family of Hyland's and he speaks passionately about opening its doors to the public during the ITM Stallion Trail, an initiative that this outfit has backed from the get-go, on Friday and Saturday. Shadow Of Light: new for 2026 | Racingfotos.com He said, “I think the Stallion Trail has multiple functions. A lot of clients come through our doors during the Stallion Trail because they are able to make a weekend of it and that's when some people are making their final decisions with regards to breeding plans. We also get some foreign visitors, the majority of which comes from the UK and France, as well as general racing fans, so it's something we have always put a huge emphasis into and we like to get behind it. We always do a good bit of business over the course of the two days and we find it is an excellent way to showcase multiple stallions in a short space of time.” Champion juvenile Shadow Of Light, who has been introduced to the roster at €17,500, is sure to command plenty of attention over the course of the two days. He is understood to have a solid booking of mares to date and Hyland is confident that he will receive a strong opening book this year. He concluded, “The Night Of Thunders and the Blue Points of this world are the easiest to fill. They are the most popular, the most successful and the most expensive. They fill on their own. The stallion that you are trying to make, from the middle to lower end of the market, is very competitive. Fortunately for us, Shadow Of Light was a great racehorse. To win the Middle Park and the Dewhurst, he's only the third horse in over a century to do that. The pedigree that he has, it's what the Irish breeder loves as it's full of precocity. He's a very good-looking horse to go with his race record and he is probably a little bit more leg for that family. He is very well made and very athletic. Anyone who has seen him, likes him and his bookings have been very positive over the last number of weeks. Our nominations team – Eamon Moloney, Anthony O'Donnell and Tom Fogarty – are doing a great job and we have had a good flow of people coming to see him.” The new dawn is an exciting one. The post Jimmy Hyland: ‘The Future Is Very Bright At Kildangan Stud’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Jockey Frankie Dettori has been unable to pay his £765,000 tax debt after his various companies were liquidated, according to a report on msn.com. The legendary jockey declared bankruptcy last March. Companies House published an update to the liquidation of Frankie Dettori Limited and Newmarket Activities Limited, which showed there were no funds to repay the debt. Dettori owes £765,000 to HMRC as of last October and an additional £6,391 to a car leasing company. Once the costs to liquidate his businesses are added in, the debt total is £888,799. The latest report read, “Assuming that realisations and expenses are as anticipated, it is not expected that there will be a return to unsecured creditors due to insufficient funds. This is subject to change based on the final outcome of our investigations.” Dettori will be released from his bankruptcy on March 17, 2026. His name first came up in a legal battle with HMRC over his anonymity after using a “tax avoidance scheme” in December of 2024. His career voluntarily ended in Britain in October of 2023 and, instead of retiring, he moved to California to continue riding. Dettori, who is currently riding in South America after retiring from U.S. racing after the Breeders' Cup, will become the new Amo Racing global brand ambassador in the coming days. The post Dettori Unable To Pay £765k In Taxes After Asset Liquidation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
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