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Widden Stud announced on Thursday the death of Bel Esprit, the retired sire of the global phenomenon that was Black Caviar. He was 26. “Bel Esprit has left a real legacy that will extend well beyond his passing and it has been a privilege to have him in our care,” said Widden Stud's Adam Henry. The son of Royal Academy won his first five starts, culminating with victory in the 2002 G1 Blue Diamond. He followed that up with a sixth-place finish in the G1 Golden Slipper, before returning as a three-year-old with two further stakes victories. He added three Group 1 placings in the spring, then placed in the G1 Newmarket Handicap before winning the G1 Stradbroke Handicap at the end of his three-year-old campaign. Retired to stud in 2003, Bel Esprit sired 28 stakes winners, led by the unbeaten champion mare Black Caviar, as well as her fellow top-level winners Bel Mer and Bel Sprinter. As a damsire, he has 24 stakes winners, led by champion first-season sire Ole Kirk, Hong Kong Group 1 winner Beauty Generation (Road To Rock) and Group 1 winner Costa Viva (Encosta De Lago). He retired from stud duties in 2022. The post Bel Esprit, Sire of Black Caviar, Dies at 26 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Caspar Fownes looks to have another smart prospect on his hands after Papaya Brose made a stylish debut in the third section of the Class Four Fat Choi Handicap (1,200m) to propel the trainer to the top of the championship. Fownes was not in attendance, but his son Ronan enjoyed some easy viewing at Sha Tin as the Zousain galloper travelled kindly towards the back of the pack under Hugh Bowman. The pair made rapid headway when unleashed in the straight, powering down the centre of the track to...View the full article

Francis Lui Kin-wai was left drawing comparisons to the mighty Golden Sixty after Hot Delight maintained his unbeaten record in sparkling fashion at Sha Tin’s Lunar New Year meeting on Thursday. A dominant winner on debut over course and distance last month, Lui was very upbeat about the Too Darn Hot galloper on the day and it seems that glowing report was more than warranted as he dazzled again in the first section of the Class Three Yue Yee Handicap (1,200m). The in-form 67-year-old is no...View the full article

By Jonny Turner  They’ve made their mark again on the national yearling sales, and now Stonewall Stud will be out to conquer Cromwell. Trainers Steve and Amanda Telfer bring three horses south just a couple of days after their team set a new Australasian record for purchasing a trotting yearling. A filly by star North American stallion Walner from Egee Money was purchased by the powerful stable for $290,000. The blueblood squaregaiter is among 12 yearlings Stonewall Stud bought out of the Christchurch sales ring on Wednesday, following their purchase of four in Auckland on Monday. It will be back to the business of racing when the Stonewall team head to Cromwell’s meeting on Friday, following a winning double at Addington on Thursday night with Sonofamistery and Get Seaside Lucky, both driven by Tim Williams.  Their three-strong squad includes Stumpy Blackler, who heads south after only going down narrowly in his last two starts. “I think he would be the best winning chance of the three,” Amanda Telfer said. “His last two runs have been good and they have been in handy enough maiden fields at Nelson and Addington.” “He’s had a wee bit of a freshen up and I have been happy with his work.” The Telfer stable will bring Premier Arden south for her first start on the Cromwell grass. The filly will start from barrier 1 for driver Nikita Burton, who handles all three of the Stonewall runners. While Premier Arden has the trial form and the talent to justify the short odds she will start at, there is a slight query over her ringcraft. “I do expect her to hold her position out of the gate early.” “Her trials have been quite good, she is a progressive filly who has improved quite a bit this time in.” “Her ringcraft isn’t quite there yet, that might be against her.” “It is her first start, but if she can handle everything she’d be a nice chance.” Mystic Magic rates the outsider of the Stonewall team, largely because she will have to start from the unruly. Regan Todd also made his mark at the national yearling sales on Friday. The trainer purchased several yearlings with leading owners Philip and Glenys Kennard. He will also turn his attention back to racing at Cromwell on Friday when Now Watch Me will attempt to continue the strong start he’s made to his career. The pacer will start at short odds after winning and running second in his first two starts at Nelson last month. “He’s has been ticking over since Nelson, he had a trial and I was quite happy with it.” “They ran along at a solid clip and he wasn’t knocked around.” “First time on the grass is an unknown, but he is forward enough to go a nice race. Now Watch Me will link up with Wilson House in a heat of the Revell Douglas Memorial Series for junior drivers. View the full article

Tony Cruz unveiled ambitious plans for Stunning Peach after the high-profile import snapped a 621-day winning drought in Thursday’s Class Two Year Of The Horse Cup (1,600m) at Sha Tin. Winless since his lone Hong Kong success in June 2024, the dual Group One placegetter produced a tough performance to outlast Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) hopeful Top Dragon and provide jockey Angus Chung Yik-lai with a much-needed boost. Sent off a $5.9 chance, Stunning Peach relished his light weight of 116lb to...View the full article

So,in the last fortnight hrnz have programmed and run 2 2year old races at addington. So they cut the stake of the race 2 weeks ago due to such a small field. . well,tonights race,had even less,only 3 starters and they left the stake the same.. essentially,the winner of the 3 horse race earned $2750 more than the winner of the 4 horse race. why,because thats the way hrnz progrmmed it to be.they said the stake is based on the number of acceptors,not the number of starters. and you see,that of course means any trainer could essentially accept with a horse that they have no intention of starting, to make sure HRNZ pay out the higher stake.you can't blame any trainer for simply being too clever for hrnz.Mind you that doesn't seem too hard the way they programmed it. So what was going on with the stipes not giving the dalgety trained Roger That any stand down. surely,for the sake of tranparency the stipes should have told people what the exceptional circumstances were which meant he got off with no penalty . Don't they know that Dalgety,after roger that won 2 weeks ago,had reported on his website that roger that was not going to run tonight and was going out for a short break. So whats going on there.Can't the stipes work out that people may ask questions why they decided roger that wasn't to get a scratching penalty?We can giess why,but maybe thats why they are saying. Hrnz really don't seem too clever sometimes.

Eating  humble  pie cobber 

By chance when we did  a trip to the deep south for a Riverton and then a meeting at Ascot Park last year,  in a 6 way chat, all Life Member types!!!    His name came up! heads dropped,  what happen, or perhaps the way it all played out was not the Southern way..

won a nice mile race at Trentham, D Browne on? then backed up for a place in the G1?   a nice grey did he get to 20 wins! I have some nice shots of him winning at Riccarton!