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Arqana Session Topper to Alkas Stud
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Nicholson to Retire from Agency After 46 Years
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Week in Review: Belmont Stakes Shift to Saratoga Ignites Debate, but Racing World Won’t Title Off Axis
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Good work, few of mine raring to go today, literally, not in the way I wanted, that's horses. -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
With less than five weeks until the first leg of the 2025/26 Four-Year-Old Classic Series – the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on 1 February – and with the 149th HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on 22 March on the horizon, Karaka graduate Invincible Ibis (Hellbent) is on the march after recently posting his third successive victory. While only relatively new to the Hong Kong scene, Newnham knows what it takes to give the Classic Series a shake after he prepared My Wish to snare last season’s Hong Kong Classic Mile before running second in the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) and the BMW Hong Kong Derby. “You’d say he’d have to be in the top three (favourites for the Hong Kong Classic Mile) at the moment. He’s improved every run and that’s what you need to keep doing,” said Newnham. “I was in a similar position last year with My Wish and he improved all the way through, so we’re hopeful that we can do the same thing this year.” Secured by Newnham for the Ibis Syndicate from the Kilgravin Lodge draft at the 2023 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, Invincible Ibis posted two seconds from as many starts as a three-year-old in his debut season before returning a more mature animal this season. After finishing third on the opening day of the 2025/26 season, Invincible Ibis has reeled off three straight victories culminating in a one-and-three-quarter-length victory under Zac Purton in the Class 3 Poinsettia Handicap (1600m) at Sha Tin on 20 December. It was that most recent victory over a mile that gives Newnham confidence that his son of Hellbent will be competitive deep into the Four-Year-Old series. Settled on the fence behind midfield by Purton, $2.95 chance Invincible Ibis took ground off his rivals on turning before coming off the rail soon after straightening, attacking the gap when it presented and striding clear of his rivals, which included fellow Four-Year-Old Classic Series hopefuls Fortune Boy (NZ) (Contributer) and Dazzling Fit (NZ) (Ribchester). “That was important because as we work through the whole four-year-old series he’s going to have to go past a mile,” said the trainer. “He’s got the right racing pattern for it – he relaxes well during his races so he gives himself every opportunity to finish the race off if he’s conserved energy. “He gives himself every opportunity to run further than a mile. They went fairly steady the other day but he still had to finish the race off. “He looked like he still had more to give over the last 100m, so things are trending in the right direction.” Before trying to emulate the feats of My Wish, who has gone on to be a strong Group 1 performer, Invincible Ibis will have one more chance to add to his mark of 83 when he runs in a Class 3 1600m contest restricted to four-year-olds at Sha Tin on 11 January. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Last Friday was a bittersweet day for White Robe Lodge. The Otago stud farm lost their Group One-producing stallion Ghibellines, but their fortunes quickly took a turn for the better when their young sire Ancient Spirit recorded his first stakes win when his daughter Bobby Mcgee (NZ) (Ancient Spirit) took out the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) down the road at Wingatui. “It was a good result, we thought that filly was above average and she won well,” White Robe Lodge Stud Manager Wayne Stewart said. While saddened by the passing of Ghibellines, the southern horseman is choosing to take a silver lining view to recent events. “It was a sad day what happened before that but there are plenty of good things to look forward to,” he said. A son of champion sire Shamardal and Group One-winning mare Camarilla, Ghibellines was a half-brother to four-time Group One winner Guelph and Dazzler, the dam of triple Group One winner and subsequent Group One-producing sire Bivouac. Ghibellines had just the eight career starts, all at stakes level, with his highlight being victory in the Gr.2 Todman Stakes (1200m), while he also placed in the Gr.2 Danehill Stakes (1200m) and Listed Canonbury Stakes (1100m). He retired to stud at White Robe Lodge where he sired nine stakes winners, including Group One winner Smokin’ Romans. “He consistently left reasonable horses right from the start,” Stewart said. “He left that Dunedin Guineas winner (El Gladiador) in his first crop and most seasons he had multiple winners. “As time went on, they did take a wee bit of time to develop and mature, and today’s market is hard, people want those two and three-year-old winners. He did a good job, he was a good bread and butter sire.” The farm is now looking forward to the future with their two stallions, Ancient Spirit and Alflaila, with the latter having just finished serving his first book of mares. Stewart was buoyed by Ancient Spirit’s stakes-winning result last week, and is hopeful other promising horses from the same crop can build on his momentum. “He has had quite a few three-year-old runners and we always thought his best would be in the autumn, so it is always really nice to get spring horses,” he said. “He has never covered big books of mares, but he has had good quality books of mares. He has got a good chance. “He has had quite a few placegetters lately that have been a bit unlucky so hopefully they turn into winners now.” That next win could come at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day where his promising daughter Fly Zenno (NZ) (Ancient Spirit) will line-up in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m). Bred by Stewart and his wife Karen, Fly Zenno was offered through White Robe Lodge’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 Yearling Sale draft where she was purchased by Conor and Sarah Fahy, under their Kawa Park banner, for $30,000. She showed promise when runner-up over a mile at Ellerslie earlier this month and Stewart said she will be ideally suited to the step-up to 2000m on Thursday. “She is bred to get a trip. She is from a lovely family,” Stewart said of the half-sister to stakes winner New York Minute. “I know they have always thought that she could be an Oaks type of filly, so it would be good to head that way. 2000m should suit her really well.” White Robe Lodge will head to Karaka next month with two yearlings in New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 2 Sale, including 579, an Ancient Spirit colt out of stakes winner Ortem Fire, a half-sister to Group Three winner Inferno, the dam of Smokin’ Romans. View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Shaun and Emma Clotworthy are hoping a couple of their runners can bounce back from subpar showings at Ellerslie on Boxing Day when they return to the Auckland track on New Year’s Day. Six-year-old gelding Aftermath (NZ) (Rock ‘N Pop) has been a model of consistency for most of his preparation, posting a series of fourth placings, including in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) and Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m), before securing black-type when third in last month’s Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m). Injury ruled him out of the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m) earlier this month, but he resumed in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day where he beat just the one runner home in the nine-horse field. His trainers have been pleased with the way he has come through the race and they are looking forward to getting him back to handicap conditions on Thursday in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m), where he will carry 53kg. “He had a little bit of an issue, a slight muscle twinge, before the Waikato Cup so he missed a bit of work,” Shaun Clotworthy said. “It (Zabeel Classic) was a very strange run race. If you took into account he finished just under three-lengths away from El Vencedor and Waitak, it wasn’t too bad under weight-for-age conditions. “I wasn’t totally disappointed in his run. He has been at the beach after the race and he had an easy bit of work yesterday (Monday) and he seems nice and bright. “I expect him to improve and obviously under handicap conditions he is a lot better.” Aftermath has drawn barrier 10 and will be ridden by Joe Doyle. “Joe can just see how he jumps and get him across,” Clotworthy said. “He did relax the other day, even off that slow pace, which I was pleased with. He can get in a habit of going quite fierce. Hopefully he can get him into a nice rhythm.” Stablemate Pulsatilla (NZ) (Redwood) will also be looking to bounce back to form when she contests the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m). The three-year-old daughter of Redwood won the Listed Trevor & Coralie Eagle Memorial 3YO (1500m) impressively last month before disappointing when seventh in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day. The filly has been mixing her form, and Clotworthy is hoping the step up to 2000m can help her return to her winning ways. “She was a touch disappointing in the Eight Carat,” he said. “She looked like she was going to come into the race and then she battled on a bit. She may just be looking for the 2000m already.” On the undercard, the stable will also be represented by Espadas (Ace High) in the TAB 1200 and Jack Crabb (NZ) (Redwood) in the Horizon by SkyCity 1600. “It was disappointing on Boxing Day having to late scratch (Espadas) after pulling his shoe off. He is a big, strong horse and a good galloper. He has drawn the outside (13), but he will still start and we are happy with him. He is a good animal on his day. “Jack Crabb has drawn a nice barrier (1) and has blinkers on for the first time. His work was good the other morning, it is a good stake and he will take his place, he is there to win.” Meanwhile, Clotworthy said he and his fellow $4 million NZB Kiwi (1500m) slot holder syndicate members are still in search of their representative ahead of the March feature. “We are still looking,” he said. “We haven’t secured anything yet but we have got a couple of irons in the fire, so we will just see what happens over this next week of racing. There is still a bit of time, so we are not in a panic yet. “The first year was great and it has been a great experience and all of our crew have really enjoyed it. It is just trying to find the right horse.” View the full article -
Everyone at Kurow will be breathing a sigh of relief, done and dusted, bet that happens more often than night.
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