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- Training great Dave O’Sullivan passes away
  
  By Murray Fish · Posted 9 minutes ago
  
  As a photographer, he was always easy to deal with. A life well lived!
- Shopping Spree Continues: John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock Buys $450k Co-Toppers at Keeneland April
  
  By Wandering Eyes · Posted 35 minutes ago
  
  Led by matching $450,000 co-toppers Dana's Beauty (Not This Time) and Cheval de Guerre (Caravaggio), John Stewart's Resolute Bloodstock purchased four lots for a total of $1.172 million at Keeneland's April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale on Friday, held following the final race of the Spring Meet. Resolute was the sale's leading buyer. For the single-session auction, Keeneland sold 54 horses for $3,940,000, for an average of $72,963 and a median of $38,500. With sales of $1.544 million for 16 horses, ELiTE was the sale's leading consignor. Keeneland sold 67 horses through the ring for $6,743,000, good for an average of $100,642 and a median of $70,000, at last year's auction. “We were specifically looking for some (Royal) Ascot horses and we picked up a couple broodmare prospects that can continue to race,” Stewart said. “Keeneland always has great horses here, so it's a lot of good fun.” The 6-year-old mare Dana's Beauty, previously owned by Magic Oaks and trained by Joe Sharp, won Turfway Park's Latonia S. Mar. 23 over Friday's GIII Bewitch S. heroine Chop Chop (City of Light). She is out of the winning City Zip mare City Siren and from the family of GI Preakness S. winner and sire Cloud Computing and GISW Halo America. Sporting a career record of 37-8-4-8 and earnings of $428,167, Dana's Beauty was consigned by ELiTE, agent, as Hip 99. “Her pedigree works really well in our system,” said Gavin O'Connor, who signed the ticket. “(Resolute's) John (Stewart) himself loved the horse. She won nicely last time out. The long-range plans are to send her to (trainer) Mike Maker and try to just place her right. We'll probably start her fresh as a broodmare next year.” The 2-year-old colt Cheval de Guerre flashed sharp early speed and just got beat by a neck in his 5 1/2-furlong unveiling over the Keeneland turf Thursday. The first foal out of the winning Declaration of War mare Champagne Diet, he is from the family of GISWs Memories of Silver and Winter Memories. The $22,000 KEESEP yearling was campaigned by owner/trainer Eddie Kenneally and Richard Seale. The sale's final offering, he was consigned by Kenneally Racing, agent, as Hip 135. “I'm not really surprised. I was expecting a good number for the horse,” said consignor and trainer Eddie Kenneally. “He did everything right, but was a little unlucky not to have won. He ran a good race. We had some good people on him and we're delighted to get it done. We've had a good little run with this horse in a short period of time.” After making a huge splash at the yearling and breeding stock sales in 2023, Stewart purchased the former Shadwell Stud property in Midway, Kentucky to launch Resolute Farm. Stewart spent $8.425 million on 13 yearlings at last year's Keeneland September sale and returned to the fall breeding stock sales at Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland where he once again opened his check book, purchasing 11 mares and weanlings for a total of $17.35 million. The list included the two-time GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint winner Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), who brought $6 million at Fasig-Tipton November. Save the Trees (Preservationist), who stormed down the Keeneland stretch to win his career debut for the Estate of Brereton C. Jones and trainer Wayne Mackey Apr. 19, sold for $335,000 to trainer Mike Maker. Consigned by Airdrie Stud, agent, as Hip 131, the 3-year-old gelding is out of the stakes-placed Forestry mare Canopy Lane. He was previously a $23,000 KEESEP yearling. “We liked him from day one, so we came here to buy him,” Maker said. “We were at the races the day he broke his maiden; we were impressed by that. We tried to pursue him after that, but were unsuccessful, so we came here tonight to get him.” Meah/Loyd Bloodstock, agent, paid $310,000 for 3-year-old filly Watchtower (Demarchelier {GB}), who is unbeaten in two races this year. ELiTE, agent for Peter Brant's White Birch Farm, consigned Watchtower (Hip 79), who is out of the stakes-placed Exchange Rate mare Zloty and from the family of GSW & GISP Teeth of the Dog. “She will go to California to (trainer) Richard Baltas,” David Meah said. “We've had a lot of success together buying horses all over the world. She's a filly who will really fit California racing. She is tailor made for the Del Mar Oaks and the American Oaks. We were pleasantly surprised with the price.” The post Shopping Spree Continues: John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock Buys $450k Co-Toppers at Keeneland April appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
- “Havtime” horses set to shine at Winton
  
  By Wandering Eyes · Posted 2 hours ago
  
  By Jonny Turner What should happen at Winton on Saturday is no guarantee. That’s hardly news for any harness racing tragic or casual follower ahead of Captainshavtime approaching her second career start. The two-year-old impressed in her debut on the same track earlier this month when running third in Group 2 company behind the highly talented Captains Mistress. That looks incredible form to bring to a maiden assignment and while trainer Brett Gray is hopeful his filly can run up to her form, he isn’t thinking Captainshavtime is a past the post proposition. “She is a lovely filly and it was a nice run first up,” Gray said. “She probably just lacked having the racing the two that beat her home had, but she went nice.” “It is a different ball game racing the older horses, it’s not easy for a two-year-old filly.” “But her work this week has been good and she has a good draw (3) to work with.” Gray rates another ‘havtime’ horse as one of the stronger hopes among the big team he starts at Saturday’s Wairio meeting. Wehavtime meets an even line up of maidens after taking on stronger fields in the past. “He’s a good chance, I think he is one of our better chances on Saturday,” Gray said. Joes Rock will have her finale for the Gray stable in race 8 at Winton ahead of her upcoming move to the North Island. The four-year-old moves into grade racing after racing in mares events throughout summer and autumn. “She has been a great mare for us,” Gray said. “Her last start was a little bit disappointing but the three horses that went forward early all finished in behind them in that race.” “It is drop back for her, but in saying that there are still some handy horses in it.” Gray stablemates Hayley Jaccka and Stillyourshot clash in race 9 on Saturday and both are rated eachway chances. “Stillyourshot looks a good eachway chance, he just needs a bit of luck from one on the second row.” “Hayley Jaccka has a tough draw (8) but she has a bit of upside to her, she should be running on pretty well.” Two ‘Jaccka’ horses also step out for the Gray team at Winton on Saturday. “Connie Jaccka has the ability to go a handy race, it is just a matter of which Connie Jaccka turns up on the day.” “Jaccka Bayliss has been improving and if he keeps doing that he won’t far away.” View the full article
- Record Blue Grass Day Handle Highlights Keeneland Meet
  
  By Wandering Eyes · Posted 2 hours ago
  
  Keeneland's spring meet concluded April 26 with all-sources wagering exceeding $218 million, the third-highest handle in track history.View the full article
- Training great Dave O’Sullivan passes away
  
  By Wandering Eyes · Posted 2 hours ago
  
  The racing industry is mourning the death of training great Dave O’Sullivan, 90, following his passing on Friday. David John O’Sullivan, OBE and New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame member, first made his mark as a jockey before increasing weight forced his hand to take up training in 1961. From humble beginnings he established Wexford Stables as a force throughout New Zealand, in Australia and as far afield as Japan where he and his sons – training partner Paul and stable jockey Lance – were to share in the crowning glory of victory with Hall of Fame racemare Horlicks in the 1989 Japan Cup. Tough times shared with his wife Marie and backed by a fastidious approach exemplified by the O’Sullivan motto “Even if a horse isn’t the best in the race, it should still look the best”, he forged an outstanding career underlined by 1,877 wins by the time he retired in 1998. O’Sullivan’s first major win was the 1973 Hawke’s Bay Guineas with Oopik, who was to add the 1976 Sydney Cup, the first of many major wins in Australia. Countless notable performers both at home and in Australia included Hall of Fame sprinter Mr Tiz, Waverley Star, Surfers Paradise, Shivaree, Blue Denim and Miltak. Known universally by his initials DJ, he won his first trainer’s premiership with 62 wins in the 1978-79 season and added another 11 titles in partnership with his son Paul, who was to become the first New Zealander to be granted a licence by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. O’Sullivan and his champion jockey son Lance were honoured for their respective achievements as inaugural New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame inductees in 2006, and were joined by Paul and the O’Sullivan-mentored Mike Moroney in the 2023 Hall Of Fame inductees’ draft. Fellow Hall of Fame trainer Jim Gibbs, a contemporary of O’Sullivan during his many years training in Matamata, is one of many paying tribute to the much-admired trainer. “DJ got his licence about 18 months before me and although we were both very competitive, we became good friends,” Gibbs said. “He was an outstanding horseman with a huge work ethic and attention to detail, and he can take credit for raising the bar for the rest of us. “He dragged me up to improve and I have to say I was lucky to be training in the same era.” Having celebrated his 90th birthday late last year, O’Sullivan’s health deteriorated recently and he passed away at his Matamata home in the company of family members. “Dad would be the first to admit he had a wonderful life,” his son Lance said. “He was a world-class horse trainer and highly competitive, but most of all for us, he was a wonderful family man. “He worked hard and expected others to as well, but he was always very fair. I would describe him as one of the last living legends of the old school.” O’Sullivan’s funeral will be held at 11:30am this coming Thursday, May 2, at the Church of the Holy Angels in Matamata. View the full article
Topics
- 5
  
  Pertab DQ
  
  Huey · Started Thursday at 07:48 PM
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  Awapuni Synthetic Meeting and Track Update. Are they doing an Ellerslie?
  
  Chief Stipe · Started Yesterday at 01:46 AM
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  The New Calendar
  
  Doomed · Started Wednesday at 10:33 PM
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  Matamata Doyen Dave O'Sullivan has passed.
  
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  The Anti-Te Akau Thread aka the Anti-Syndicators Thread.
  
  Chief Stipe · Started April 20

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