Forums

In the first instance they need to maintain it properly - contrary to popular belief they are NOT low maintenance tracks.  They need grooming everyday and water management. Unless the maintenance is being done correctly the surface will under perform and probably degrade quicker than it should.  There may be a need to vary to the mix i.e. the ratios and types of fibres and waxes to match local conditions.  I would imagine the Riccarton AWT has a different composition to the Cambridge one.

Taking command on the second turn, Carl Spackler opened up on the competition and cruised to a comfortable victory over Integration in the $650,000 Maker's Mark Mile Stakes (G1T) April 11 at Keeneland.View the full article

9th-Oaklawn, $131,000, Alw (NW1$6MX)/Opt. Clm ($62,500), 4-11, 4yo/up, 6f, 1:09.27, ft, 5 1/4 lengths. SKELLY (g, 6, Practical Joke–Adande, by Bwana Charlie) ran a hole in the wind–much to the delight of the local crowd–en route to a supremely confident seasonal bow here against outclassed optional claiming rivals. Leaving the blocks like a rocket and immediately establishing control, Skelly rolled through splits of :21.96 and a half in :44.75 as he built up a sizeable margin entering the homestretch. In a position where the rest would need to produce a miracle to catch him on a 9 1/2-length advantage, the 1-5 favorite coasted home to score easily in a final time of 1:09.27. SW & GSP Run Classic (Runhappy) valiantly held on to second. Off since finishing 10th in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint last November, the Steve Asmussen trainee has been first or second in 18 of his 20 lifetime starts. In 2024, he won or placed seven times from eight starts, and had five triple-digit Beyers to show for it including when he was runner-up in the GI Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap at Saratoga July 27. The gelding took his show to the international stage in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia Feb. 24 and ran second to Japan's multiple group winner Remake (Jpn) (Lani). At one point between his 2023 and 2024 campaigns, Skelly had built up a seven-race win streak, which was snapped in that aforementioned heartbreaker at King Abdulaziz Racecourse.   Skelly is one of two surviving foals for Adande from six covers prior to 2022; three were stillborn and she missed in '22 when visiting City of Light. She has since had better luck with a juvenile filly by Silver State named Adande's Legacy to her credit as well as a yearling colt by Authentic. The dam is a half-sister to GSW & GISP Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) and MGSW & GISP Isotherm (Lohnro {Aus}). One of her half-sisters is the dam of MSW & GISP The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso). Sales history: $250,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL; $350,000 RNA 2yo '21 FTFMAR. Lifetime Record: MGSW & GISP, GSP-KSA, 20-11-7-0, $1,855,763. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Red Lane Thoroughbreds LLC; B-H. Allen Poindexter (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. The post Oaklawn’s ‘King of Speed’ Skelly Returns to the Races in Style appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Winning any races with your mates is one of horse racing’s great joys. Winning a Group 1 is even more special. Two long-time friends combined both into the same first when We Walk By Faith stormed to victory in the Taylor Mile at Alexandra Park on Friday night.  The NZ Derby winner is trained by Hayden Cullen and wife Amanda and was driven by Matthew White, with Hayden and Matty having known each other since they were 16-year-old lads growing up in Cambridge.  But remarkably this was definitely their biggest win together because it is their only win together. Of any sort.  “I don’t think Matty has driven a winner for me before,” says Cullen.  “In fact, I don’t think he has even driven a horse for me in a race.  “I don’t really know why. We have been great mates since we were 16 and he is a very good driver.  “So to share this tonight is very cool.”  For the second year running after the Mach Shard’s stunner last season a horse has come from near last to win the Taylor Mile and paid huge money, We Walk By Faith getting out to $35 with the bookies. He was good in his last two starts, the City of Auckland Free-For-All and off a handicap in a Country Cups race he couldn’t win at Cambridge last week.  “Missing the big race last week when so many other horses had a hard run probably did us no harm,” says Cullen.  “But it was still a big win and a great drive by Matty.” Cullen is now also a believer in the “Menangle Boost” the lift in performance many horses get after racing at Menangle, something he has seen twice in the last month with feature race wins like last night and Don’t Stop Dreaming in the City of Auckland. “Luke McCarthy told me in Sydney it would happen, this horse would be better when he went home,” said Cullen.  “I think he is going to get better yet and maybe reach his peak in six months as he love it when the speed is on in races.” Like most Derby winners We Walk By Faith should end up a Cups horse but before then he will join stablemate Don’t Stop Dreaming in the Messenger on April 25 while longer term he is eligible for the A$2.1million Eureka in Sydney being Australian-bred.  The win continued a great autumn for the Cullens who have now become one of the leading strike rate stables in the country albeit without wanting to get too big.   Republican Party was a huge second after appearing to strike the winner’s sulky wheel at the 400m while Rakero Rocket was strong in third and Merlin luckless in fourth after finding a mid-pack gap in the home straight about 5cm too narrow to sneak through.  His trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan and driver Zachary Butcher needed no such luck in the $75,000 NZBS Harness Million Trot as Meant To Be started this season where he left off in 2024.  The big fella worked straight around the field to lead after 600m and easily held stablemate Higher Power in a performance that makes it hard to see him beaten in the Northern Trotting Derby in two weeks.  The night’s other trotting feature saw a cunning Ben Hope drive give him the biggest win of his training career when Muscle Mountain won the Lyell Creek Trot.  Hope only started training with father Greg last week so last night’s Group 2 was their most important win together and the young man earned it by being brave enough to hand the lead away on the hot favourite with a lap to go.  Muscle Mountain had led and had Queen Elida on his back so Hope opted to let Not As Promised stroll past him at the bell, putting Queen Elida three back but giving himself the passing lane.  It was a gutsy move but one that paid off and will leave Muscle Mountain with juice in the tank and feeling good for the two big races ahead so Hope’s daring may yet pay more dividends. View the full article

By Michael Guerin A horse who started the season a maiden almost cost trainer Tim Trathen his voice in the richest race at Addington on Friday night. Nellie Doyle has gone from maidens to winner of the $52,500 Future Wealth Sires’ Stakes Classic in the space of three months and 1 day, giving Trathen the richest win of his training career.  “I haven’t yelled that loud in a while,” says the West Melton trainer.  “We won the Invercargill Cup with Dadndave a few years ago but it wasn’t worth as much as this so this is a huge thrill.   “Blair drove her beautiful and she won with the plugs still in.”  While Trathen trains Nellie Doyle he says plenty of credit needs to go to former trainer Kim Nyhan.  “Kim had her for a long time and broke her in and did a wonderful job with her.  “She had her on a lease but broke her wrist so asked me to take her and then she started to show us a bit and I had a few mates who wanted in on a nice horse.  “So we managed to buy her and Kim got looked after and so we owe her for doing such a good job with her manners.” Trathen took Nellie Doyle back to his old stomping ground of Nelson at the start of the year and she won both days and he hasn’t been scared to travel her to gain experience, popping over to the West Coast a few starts ago.  With each trip, each race, she has learned and got better and judging by the quality of horse she beat last night at just her 13th start she will edge her way closer to the highest grades as 2025 progresses.  The win will have been popular in the Addington stabling block, Trathen well-liked and known by everybody.  When Nellie Doyle is eventually retired she has some breeding to back up her broodmare credentials, being out of five-race winner Perfect For Now, herself out of the high-class mare Look, from the famous Smith/Doyle/Pope family breed.  While it was the richest win of Trathen’s career it was just another night of big-race domination from Orange.   His Nellie Doyle drive was perfect but his win earlier on General Jen required even more tatctical nous as he went from possibly being trapped three back at the bell to racing to the lead and in the process trapping key rivals Captain Mistress three back in a brilliantly aware piece of driving.  General Jen ended up being way too good in the $42,500 Magness Benrow Semi Final and she may have earned herself a crack at the Northern Oaks while Captains Mistress should remain on that path as she lost no fans in second.  In between those two drives Orange produced a no-panic response when trapped parked on a hot speed to still eventually get Vessem home a narrow winner of the main pace.  The 1980m mobile was turned into a 1:55 mile rate way by Beach Ball and Nathan Williamson, with the last 800m in 58.4 but final 400m in 30.2 telling the story of a great spectacle View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Saturday's Observations features a full-brother to Coolmore stallion Blackbeard (Ire). 2.20 Curragh, Cond, €22,000, 2yo, 5fT CHARLES DARWIN (IRE) (No Nay Never) is the fourth foal out of the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes fourth Muirin (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}), whose son Blackbeard (Ire) carried all before him for Ballydoyle in 2022 when taking the G1 Middle Park Stakes and G1 Prix Morny. Aidan O'Brien is keen to double up in 2-year-old races so far in 2025 and his other runner Neolithic (Ire) (Sioux Nation) is a half-brother to the G1 Fillies' Mile third Bright Diamond (Ire) (El Kabeir), who earned TDN Rising Star status with a nine-length win on her debut. Heading the opposition is Moyglare Stud's homebred colt Evening Blues (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), a Ger Lyons-trained relative of the G1 Irish 1,000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).   1.15 Curragh, Mdn, €20,000, 2yo, 6fT EXTRAVAGANT (IRE) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is the first string of a Ballydoyle pair in the maiden used by the stable to launch No Nay Never's subsequent Group 1-winning siblings Little Big Bear (Ire) and Whistlejacket (Ire) as well as the eventual G3 Killavullan Stakes scorer Glounthaune (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) since 2021. Starting early for a half-brother to horse Sea The Stars's high-class middle-distance performer Cloth Of Stars (Ire), the €300,000 Goffs Orby Book 1 graduate encounters a Jim Bolger homebred in Lonradh (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}), a half-sister to his G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes-winning sire Verbal Dexterity (Ire).   3.45 Newbury, Mdn, £22,500, 3yo, 8f 7yT CROWN OF OAKS (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) is an eyecatching entry from William Haggas in the maiden he won 12 months ago with Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and in 2022 with My Prospero (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). Serious notebook material with the way he finished off when third on his debut over seven furlongs at Newmarket in October, the Tony Bloom and Ian McAleavy-owned son of the prolific stakes producer Forest Crown (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}) from Car Colston Hall Stud's excellent family of Wiener Wald (Woodman), he is set to be a warm order in a maiden stacked with similarly promising types. They include Cayton Park Stud's John and Thady Gosden-trained King Of Narnia (GB) (Kingman {GB}), another son of a quality producer in the GII Lake Placid Stakes winner and GI Garden City Stakes-placed Sharp Susan (Touch Gold), while one of the newcomers is Valmont and Ballylinch Stud's Spanish Train (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a Paul and Oliver Cole-trained half-brother to the 2023 G1 Futurity Trophy hero Ancient Wisdom (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) who runs in the opening G3 John Porter Stakes. The post Ballydoyle Unveil Blackbeard’s Brother At The Curragh appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

He's not just back, he might be even better than he was last year. 'TDN Rising Star' Carl Spackler (Ire) (h, 5, Lope de Vega {Ire})–Zindaya, by More Than Ready), a back-to-back Grade I winner last year before an uncharacteristic off-the-board finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile, unleashed a scintillating turn of foot in his 5-year-old debut at Keeneland Friday, capturing the $650,000 GI Maker's Mark Mile Stakes by four or five widening lengths. It was GIII Tampa Bay runner-up Northern Invader (Collected) who set the :23.67 and :48.06 pace while Carl Spackler bided his time in fourth on the outside. Flavien Prat gave the e Five Racing Thoroughbreds runner his cue on the turn and the popular chestnut ranged up in full flight while several paths wide and quickly opened up a daylight lead in the stretch. There was no catching the 4-5 favorite as 3-1 second choice Integration (Quality Road), most recently second in the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf, chased him home and last year's GI Belmont Derby winner Trikari (Oscar Performance) got up for third. Among Carl Spackler's six lifetime graded wins was a victory over this course in October when he captured the GI Coolmore Turf Mile Stakes. He covered the eight furlongs in Friday's Maker's Mark over a good course in 1:36.56. O-e Five Racing Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Fifth Avenue Bloodstock (Ire); T-Chad Brown; J-Flavien Prat. Friday, Keeneland MAKER'S MARK MILE S.-GI, $552,013, Keeneland, 4-11, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:36.56, gd. 1–CARL SPACKLER (IRE), 123, h, 5, by Lope de Vega (Ire)             1st Dam: Zindaya (GSW, $567,240),                         by More Than Ready             2nd Dam: Aristocratic Lady, by Kris S.             3rd Dam: American Dynasty, by Quiet American 'TDN Rising Star'. (350,000gns RNA Ylg '21 TATOCT). O-e Five Racing Thoroughbreds LLC; B-Fifth Avenue Bloodstock (IRE); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Flavien Prat. $302,250. Lifetime Record: 12-8-1-0, $1,910,725. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Integration, 123, h, 5, Quality Road–Harmonize, by Scat Daddy. ($700,000 Ylg '21 FTSAUG). O-West Point Thoroughbreds and Woodford Racing LLC; B-Larkin Armstrong (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $126,750. 3–Trikari, 123, c, 4, Oscar Performance–Dynamic Holiday, by Harlan's Holiday. ($9,000 Ylg '22 KEEJAN; $27,500 Ylg '22 OBSOCT). O-Amerman Racing LLC; B-Michael A Slezak & Amy Boll (KY); T-H. Graham Motion. $63,375. Margins: 4 1/4, 1HF, HD. Odds: 0.83, 3.10, 6.34. Also Ran: Northern Invader, Grand Aspen, Funtastic Again, Silent Heart. Scratched: Santorini, Seminole Chief. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post He’s Back! Carl Spackler Wins Maker’s Mark Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Who's the starter in Southland?

Assuming they've got the grass sorted, I wonder if they will now fix/re-surface the synthetic?