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By Wandering Eyes · Posted
What Ascot races Where Ascot Racecourse – 71 Grandstand Rd, Ascot WA 6104 When Saturday, February 1, 2025 First Race 11:19am AWST Visit Dabble Ascot will host a massive 11-race meeting this Saturday afternoon, with the opening event scheduled to jump at 11:19am AWST. With hot and dry conditions forecast for the rest of the week, expect a Good surface throughout the day. The rail will be in the +7m position for the entire circuit. Best Bet at Ascot: Bonjoy Bonjoy has been impressive in both of her last two victories, claiming the Listed Starstruck Classic by a narrow margin before recording a dominant win over 1500m last start. The Jason Miller-trained mare has compiled a formidable record, with 10 wins and four placings to her name from 17 starts, and she is racing in career-best form. If Clint Johnston-Porter can replicate his ride on Bonjoy from last start against a similar field, she will prove too good once again. Best Bet Race 10 – #3 Bonjoy (6) 5yo Mare | T: Jason Miller | J: Clint Johnston-Porter (56kg) Next Best at Ascot: Stormageddon Although Stormageddon only has two wins from 16 career starts, the Michael Grantham-traned gelding has been racing very well of late, recording three straight placings. Previously, the son of So You Think stormed home from the back of the field over 2100m to finish a narrow second behind stablemate Noteworthy. The +190 with Picklebet isn’t a massive price to find out if Stormageddon can break his run of outs, but if he produces a similar performance, he will prove hard to beat. Next Best Race 6 – #7 Stormageddon (1) 4yo Gelding | T: Michael Grantham | J: Clint Johnston-Porter (55kg) Best Value at Ascot: Ruler Rocket Ruler Rocket has started to find some form this campaign, following two top-four finishes in his previous three starts, with his last start being the best of those. The Bruce Watkins-trained gelding was made to travel three-wide without cover throughout the 1200m journey but still battled on gamely to finish third, beaten 1.1 lengths. With the aid of Brayden Gaerth’s 2kg claim and a class drop for this run, Ruler Rocket gets his best chance to record his first win of the preparation. Best Value Race 7 – #1 Ruler Rocket (9) 5yo Gelding | T: Bruce Watkins | J: Brayden Gaerth (a2) (60.5kg) Saturday quaddie tips for Ascot races Ascot quadrella selections Saturday, February 1, 2025 1-2-3-7 7-8-10 3-4-6 2-3-7-8 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Rich Hill Stud stallion Satono Aladdin has provided the headline acts of Book 2 of Karaka 2025, siring the highest-priced lots on both Wednesday and Thursday. Less than 24 hours after topping the sale with Brighthill Farm’s $260,000 filly out of Sparkling Rose late on Wednesday afternoon, Satono Aladdin took top billing again with two six-figure sales in the final hour of day two. The top price of the second day was $150,000, which John Foote paid to secure Lot 1079. The colt was offered by Libby and Sam Bleakley’s Highden Park and is out of the High Chaparral mare High Esteem. Coming from a renowned family built up by Glenn and Lisa Morton, High Esteem is out of the winning Black Minnaloushe mare Black Bijou, who is a half-sister to the outstanding Prized Gem. Herself a Group One winner on both sides of the Tasman, Prized Gem made just as much impact at stud as the dam of Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) winner and sire Nom Du Jeu, plus Group Two winner Jeu De Cartes and stakes performer Warp Speed. “I thought he was the nicest horse on the grounds,” Foote said. “He had a fair bit of High Chaparral in him, which is always a great thing. So I was pretty happy to get him for that price, actually. He comes from that very good Prized Gem family. “He was bought for David Price and will be going to Victoria and then potentially to Hong Kong. “John Thompson has got a good stallion on his hands with Satono Aladdin. He’s blessed, John. He’s got Proisir, Shocking and Satono and Ace High doing well too, so he’s on fire.” Thursday’s top lot continued a productive couple of days for Foote, who led the buying bench with half a dozen purchases on the opening day of Book 2 on Wednesday. “It’s been a bit tough on the second day actually, we got beaten a few times earlier in the day and then we managed to buy two this afternoon,” he said. “We also bought a Vadamos colt from Haunui (Lot 1030) for $70,000. He has a nice pedigree. He’s probably a horse you wouldn’t expect to buy for Hong Kong, but he was just a very good-looking colt and with a bit of pedigree too.” It was just the latest in a long line of successful Karaka sales for Foote, who has been attending the sale for close to four decades. “I’ve just been told Karaka opened in 1988, and I’ve been here since then,” he said. “Before that, I went to Trentham. “I love Book 2. There’s some really nice horses at the right price. I think it’s a pity there aren’t more. Some of the horses that they take to Australia should be left here. I think they’d do well.” Satono Aladdin’s other high-priced yearling on Thursday afternoon was Lot 1061, a colt out of the five-time winning Denman mare Gerda was knocked down to Universal Bloodstock for $140,000. He was offered by Seaton Park. Another late highlight of the Book 2 session on Thursday afternoon was Lot 1082, a Shamexpress colt out of the winning High Chaparral mare High Tail It. The colt was offered by Windsor Park Stud and was bought by Patella Bloodstock for $125,000. The four yearlings by Shamexpress offered in Book 2 averaged $97,500 as the exciting Windsor Park Stud stallion continues to make waves. “He is a lovely horse and is very much in the style of Shamexpress,” Windsor Park Stud’s Rodney Schick said. “It’s great that he was purchased by a top young horseman in Nick Kneebone, who is coming back to train in New Zealand. “He is a great coloured horse, with lovely markings and he was a bit of a standout. Shamexpress had only small representation, but statistically is a high-class sire and when you leave a brilliant racehorse like Ka Ying Rising it is a lot easier to sell them.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Next week’s Legends Day at Te Rapa will have a strong international flavour, with Sydney trainers Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald set to tackle the meeting’s two Group One features with a pair of high-profile runners. Promising three-year-old Bosustow is set to tackle the $500,000 Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) following his last start victory in the A$3 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (1400m), while Group One performer Numerian will head into the $700,000 Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) in a fresh state after finishing runner-up in the Gr.2 Ted Van Heemst Stakes (2100m) at Ascot last month. Bosustow is developing a burgeoning record for his connections, which includes Victorian thoroughbred nursery Rosemont Stud, and a Group One victory would go a long way in securing the colt’s stallion career at the farm. His record already boasts placings in the Gr.1 J.J. Atkins (1600m), Gr.2 Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), Listed McKenzie Stakes (1200m), and Listed The Amanda Elliot (1400m), and his trainers would love to add a breakthrough stakes win to his name. “Bosustow was excellent (in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas),” Archibald said. “He has been in good form, and it was nice to deliver on a good day like that at Magic Millions and hopefully he can hold that form and improve a little bit. “Stepping up to Group One company is a big ask but we feel like the horse is going as well as he can, and he will give it a good shot.” The son of Blue Point will continue his association with Australian jockey Josh Parr, who is no stranger to success in New Zealand, partnering Captured By Love to her victory in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November. “Josh Parr has ridden Bosustow in his last couple of races and he has done a really good job, and he was keen to stick with him,” Archibald said. Seasoned campaigner Numerian will cross the Tasman for the first time in a bid to score his Group One win in the Herbie Dyke, and the nine-year-old gelding’s trainers are pleased with his progress ahead of his New Zealand debut. “Numerian is great. He had a jumpout at Pakenham on Tuesday and he is travelling over tonight (Thursday),” Archibald said. “He is in good order, he ran really well in Perth, and the 2000m is just about his sweet spot. He should be fit and ready to go, and we have been really happy with him.” The son of Holy Roman Emperor has been a standout for his connections in his 48 career starts to date, winning seven races, five of those at stakes level, and placing on 10 occasions, including the Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m) and Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m), and has earned nearly A$3 million in prizemoney. Victory in next Saturday’s Herbie Dyke Stakes would tip him over that threshold, and New Zealand’s growing prizemoney, along with the elite-level status of their corresponding races, are the major driving factors for the trip across the Tasman. “The stake money is fantastic in New Zealand,” Archibald said. “There has been a big boost over the past 12 months. We are excited to be part of it and a Group One there for Bosustow could potentially be very valuable on his CV. It is great racing. We were over there for the Karaka Millions raceday, which was fantastic, and we are excited to be a part of it.” Numerian will be partnered for the first time on raceday by visiting British hoop Harry Davies, who has aligned himself with the Neasham/Archibald barn on his stint down under. The 20-year-old jockey has 10 stakes victories to his name already, including a Group Two victory aboard Arabian Dusk in last year’s Duchess of Cambridge Stakes (1200m). “Harry is doing a bit of a stint with us here in Sydney,” Archibald said. “He has got a relationship with the ownership of Numerian and they were keen to put him on. “He is a good young rider. He rode him in his jumpout the other day, so hopefully he gives him a good steer.” While in New Zealand for the meeting, Davies’ rides will be managed by Michael Coleman, who can be contacted on 027 285 5212. Archibald said it will just be a hit-and-run mission for the pair at this stage but hasn’t ruled out targeting further New Zealand options. “At the moment, we are just targeting those races, but we will see how we go,” he said. “If they ran well and a few other opportunities present themselves, then there would be no reason not to push on, but at the moment they are very much going for those two.” Meanwhile, the stable was active at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Book 1 Yearling Sale at Karaka earlier this week where they secured a handful of yearlings for a total spend of $555,000. “We went over there to try and buy some typical New Zealand types that can come back and target our Oaks and Derbys over here,” Archibald said. “We like buying from New Zealand, we have had good success with some of the horses in the past, and we are really pleased with the purchases we made.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Classy mare Pearl Of Alsace (NZ) (Tavistock) will have an opportunity to get back in the winning groove at New Plymouth on Saturday, tackling the Gr.3 Denis Wheeler Earthmoving Taranaki Cup (1800m). Earlier in her career, Pearl Of Alsace was near-unstoppable winning six of her first nine starts, including the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m), and a Group One placing in the Livamol Classic (2050m). The daughter of Tavistock had just 13 appearances on the board entering her six-year-old term, where aside from a narrow second in the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m), she hasn’t been in her typical firing form, albeit competing consistently at the top level including a close-up finish in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m). Shaune Ritchie, who trains Pearl Of Alsace in partnership with Colm Murray, believes his mare will benefit from a number of factors in Saturday’s contest. “Her form on paper doesn’t read that well, but she’s been racing in the elite company at Group One level and this is a significant drop back,” he said. “I think the set weights and penalties really suits her. “She started off her career as a fantastic mare who didn’t know how to how to lose, but this prep, she’s probably been about 10 percent below her best, which is enough to be punished at that Group One level. I think the drop back to Group Three, stepping up to 1800m and getting weight off horses that she is certainly as good as will be an advantage. “If they are getting that little bit of rain that is forecast, that will only aid her chances even more. “From gate four, she’s going to be extremely hard to beat, but we just want to get her back winning again. I’m pretty sure that when she does, she’ll get her confidence back.” Pearl Of Alsace had initially scanned in foal earlier this season, but then came back negative on the second scan, meaning the stable is able to race her until she heads to the broodmare paddock at the end of the season. “She’ll be off to the broodmare paddock next year, but fortunately for us, it leaves a few more doors open for Sir Peter (Vela, owner) and the stable to gain some more black-type with her, such as on Saturday,” Ritchie said. Joining Pearl Of Alsace on the journey south will be Eye Candy (NZ) (Darci Brahma), a three-year-old filly contesting a competitive Listed Grangewilliam Stud Oaks Prelude (1800m). Eye Candy collected her maiden comfortably at Ruakaka in December, but had little favours when finishing back in the field in the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) last start. “She didn’t have a lot of luck in the race, she was trailing the leader and tried to poke out through the inside, where the leader lay around a little bit,” Ritchie said. “It was a bit of an inconclusive run. “This is a hot Oaks Prelude field, probably the strongest this Taranaki race has come up in some time, it sits really well in the calendar. It’ll give us a good guide as to whether we press on to an Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) prep or not, she’s indicated that we think she’ll get over ground, but she’s got to prove that to us and the 1800m is that niche area for her. “We need to see if we’re worthy of pressing on, which this race will tell us.” Closer to their Cambridge base, Ritchie and Murray will be represented in the Gr.3 Colin Jillings 2YO Classic (1200m) at Ellerslie by debutant Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma). While Ritchie acknowledged the stiff challenge presented by hot-favourite Return To Conquer, he sees the race as a chance for his filly, owned by The Oaks Stud, to gain some valuable early stakes credentials. “The favourite looks clearly the best horse in the race and probably only bad luck will beat him,” he said. “Normally, neither myself or Rick (Williams, The Oaks Stud General Manager) would run a horse in a Group Three at their first start, it’s usually a recipe for disaster. But this filly has shown us a tonne of talent, her trial was extremely impressive coming from last at Matamata and showing some serious determination to get home and win. “I’m not suggesting she can beat the favourite, but it’s very inviting if she even runs second or third to gain that Group Three placing. We would be delighted with that because obviously that’s black-type for the family which The Oaks Stud have retained.” Ritchie has had a busy week at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales in search of their next string of talent, and after purchasing six yearlings across Book 1 and 2, he is rapt with their purchases. “We’re known to be staying trainers and we want to move that tag a little bit by finding something that can run a little bit earlier,” he said. “We were very keen on the Super Seth filly (lot 655), we think she’s a beautiful mover. The St Mark’s Basilica (lot 269) is our Guineas-Derby colt, he’s clearly the classiest horse we’ve bought, but both the Savabeel and the Super Seth filly, who is out of a Savabeel mare, are going to have residual value and I think we shopped well with all of them. “We’re extremely happy with how little we paid for the quality of horse we got, and with the stake money, I think these horses will be even harder to buy next year, because of the further confidence from Entain making it viable for us to go and spend some money, and knowing we can win it back, which is here to stay for at least the next three years.” An active buyer at several international sales, Ritchie commended the Karaka atmosphere and how it reflects across the remainder of the industry. “I’ve been to Tattersalls, Inglis, and Magic Millions on the Gold Coast, and there is no better complex for inspecting horses than Karaka,” he said. “Seeing the horses walking and the arena itself, the entire thing is second to none. “Having Karaka, then Ellerslie as a world-class racetrack, and the stakes from Entain, all three of those things have really pushed us into international waters, particularly shown by World Pool coming on board for our feature races. “We are able to buy yearlings confidently and promote them properly. It all starts at Karaka, and without Peter and Philip Vela creating this complex in the first place, it wouldn’t be possible.” View the full article -
By Wandering Eyes · Posted
Byerley Park trainers Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley will have a three-pronged attack in Saturday’s Listed Fulton Family Stakes (1500m), including a couple of leading lights for Champions Day at the Auckland track on March 8. Exciting stayer Son of Sun (NZ) (Tavistock) and Melbourne Cup runner Trust In You (NZ) (Sweynesse) are being set for the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at the feature meeting, and will use Saturday as a starting point for their shot at New Zealand’s most coveted two-mile race. Both horses have been freshened since their last outings at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, where Son of Sun was victorious in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) and Trust In You was sixth in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m), and Cooksley is hoping to see solid performances from the pair this weekend. “Son of Sun had a break after New Year’s Day for 10 to 12 days and he is coming on quite well,” Cooksley said. “He will run a good race and then he will head to the Avondale Cup (Gr.3, 2400m) and then the Auckland Cup. He should run the two miles, he is a nice, relaxed stayer. “Trust In You goes the same way to the Cup. It was a really good run in the Rich Hill Mile, they went pretty slow, and he has got home really well. The only thing with the Auckland Cup is maybe the two miles, but in the Avondale Cup he will be right there.” The stable’s trio of runners in the Fulton Family Stakes will be completed by former Hong Kong galloper Meaningful Star. The eight-year-old gelding is well accustomed to Ellerslie, with all four of his New Zealand starts taking place on the StrathAyr track, scoring two victories, including the Listed Great Northern Challenge Stakes (1600m) in November. The son of Pivotal has also been freshened since his ninth-placed run in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic (2000m) on Boxing Day, and Cooksley is hoping he can return to form this weekend. “It was a good run (last start),” Cooksley said. “He got caught three and four deep the whole way in a slowly run race. He sprinted home well but just gave them too much ground over 2000m. “There are some nice 2000m races coming up, so we will just see how he goes on Saturday and work from there.” The stable will be represented in the undercard by He’s Classic (NZ) (Rageese) in the Trelawney Stud 1600. “He has been a bit unlucky in his last two or three runs,” Cooksley said. “He hasn’t had the best of runs but he has done well, and up to a mile will suit him a bit better.” Prior to heading to Ellerslie on Saturday, the stable will head to Te Rapa’s meeting on Friday with just the one runner – Staphanos Queen (NZ) (Staphanos) in the Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic Qualifier (1600m). The four-year-old daughter of Staphanos has placed in two of her five starts to date and Cooksley is hoping for a breakthrough win on Saturday. “She has got a nice draw (2) and should be right there in the finish,” he said. View the full article
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