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Horse has progressed ok since that win last Winter Mr Galah. Thought I would let you know this week that IMPERIAL COMMAND did so well in the spring he is attacking the Big Group 1 Maori Mile at Bendigo on this coming Saturday night. won't win it , as the champ Keayang Zahara will do that. .  But since the Win last June IMPERIAL COMMAND trotted to 7 more wins and 6 placings from 18 starts to make Open Class. The Gaths have him going along nicely ok. they are great trotter trainers. Open class may be a bit tough though although he is down to about 1.56 capable now . not quick enough for a Group 1 though. footnote: Kingman the NZ Cup winner down to resume in the Bendigo Cup (the race before the Maori Mile ) on Saturday night. The trotters actually race for 100k. and the Cup only worth $75k this year and reduced to a Group 2 as Victoria Harness runs broke these days.  so the prizemoney is falling away accordingly.    

There was mention of a sales complex being part of the new Waikato training facility so, the shock should be at a minimum.

Knobelas (NZ) (Belardo) gets another crack at Roadcone (NZ) (Almanzor) this Saturday and Michael Kent Jnr is adamant the setting for the rematch is advantageous for his charge. The pair will clash in the $130,000 Henry Byron Moore BM84 Handicap at Flemington. The 1600-metre event will be run three weeks after their stoush over 1500m on the Caulfield Heath track, which Roadcone won narrowly after pinching a break turning for home, and Kent is confident Knobelas can gain revenge. “She’s obviously very progressive; six starts for three wins and three seconds and one more stride and she gobbles up Roadcone last time,” Kent, who trains Knobelas in partnership with Mick Price, said. “Naturally we’re looking forward to the big spacious track of Flemington versus Caulfield Heath, which probably undid her a bit last time. “She looks to be a really nice horse for the future and third-up on Saturday, we should be close to our peak fitness.” Knobelas’ Caulfield Heath effort followed a dominant first-up win over 1400m in benchmark 70 grade at Pakenham, which was her first start since finishing second in the Silver Bowl Final (1600m) at Flemington on July 5. The daughter of Belardo, who will be ridden by Beau Mertens, meets Roadcone 1.5kg better for the last-start defeat and will start from barrier two with Roadcone to spring from gate nine. Also engaged are in-form duo Sneaky Sunrise (The Autumn Sun) and Hiyaam Proud (Pride of Dubai), along with Knobelas’ former stablemate Angland (NZ) (Ace High). Kent is excited about seeing the four-year-old back out to 1600m and would like to think this preparation is a stepping stone to bigger things. “She’s a no-frills horse and gives you no feel at home – I’ve often said it, she’s probably one of the worst trackworkers at home – but you don’t judge how she’s going off a trackwork form,” Kent said. “I don’t think she’s ever won a trial, but she just goes to raceday and when you ask her to quicken, she just goes, vroom, and just launches. “She’s very progressive. We’ve got to be optimistic that we can get some Black Type with her at some point, because she does have such a good record and has got a lot of traits that make a Black Type mare. “She’s got tactical speed, she travels well, relaxes, and then she’s got a big turn of foot at the end.” View the full article

With the release this week of nominations for the Gr.1 Trackside NZ Derby, the focus intensifies for stamina signs amongst the three-year-old crop ahead of the March 7 Ellerslie classic. Amongst the 90-odd entries for the Derby are the first three placegetters in the first black-type age-group race beyond 1600m, last week’s Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m), Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Oark), Origin Of Love (Snitzel) and Born To Be Royal (King’s Legacy). All three fillies are also entered for the Gr. 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai NZ Oaks (2400m), which for the first time this year will be run at Ellerslie in a month earlier time slot, two weeks before the Derby. Male three-year-olds get their first chance this weekend to be tested at black-type level beyond 1600m in Sunday’s Listed Trackside Gingernuts Salver (2100m) at Ellerslie, with all but one of the 13-strong field – the sole filly, Oaks-nominated Acer (NZ) (Savabeel) – also nominated for the Derby. That includes Day One (Wootton Bassett), a gelding by Wootton Bassett and one of 13 Derby nominations for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. In his second raceday start, Day One was impressive when clearing maiden grade over 1600m at Ellerslie a month ago and he’s expected to be even more effective over Sunday’s longer race, which is dedicated to Te Akau’s 2017 NZ Derby winner Gingernuts. “He’s bred to get the distance and we’re certainly looking forward to seeing him step up in trip, but it’s probably a stronger field than we’ve seen in past runnings and he’s one of a number of strong prospects,” Bergerson said. “He’s a really nice progressive young horse, a big raw type who’s going the right way, so with a view to his chances of making it to the Derby, we’re keen to see how he performs on Sunday.” Day One, an Elsdon Park homebred under the JML Bloodstock banner, is out of Eleonora (NZ), a grand-daughter of Hall of Fame stayer Ethereal (NZ) and herself a middle-distance Group 3 winner on both sides of the Tasman as a three-year-old. The Walker/Bergerson contingent for Ellerslie numbers just four, beginning with Super Seth filly Zaharias (NZ) (Super Seth) in the juvenile race, resuming from a let-up after finishing second in two late spring starts at Riccarton and Trentham. “We don’t know how well that form from her first two starts stacks up,” Bergerson said, “but we’re very happy with her, she’s well drilled and has a handy draw.” Blueblood colt King’s English (Snitzel) takes on city class for the first time after clearing maiden grade with a smart performance at Te Aroha in late November. By Snitzel out of the Gr.1 All Aged Stakes and Doomben 10,000 winner English, King’s English has plenty to live up to, and Bergerson believes his weekend assignment will provide further evidence of his potential. “This looks a sharp enough field too, but he’s a decent sort of colt, he’s drawn to get the right trip, and what he does will give us a line on whether he can go to a race like the Almanzor Trophy back at Ellerslie later in the month.” Dream Of The Moon (All Too Hard) completes the stable contingent in Sunday’s Rating 75 1400m, in which she will carry topweight of 59 kilograms as the only stakes winner in the field. “She had no luck in her first-up run at Ellerslie on Boxing Day after drawing one and getting shuffled back near enough to last,” Bergerson said. “As it was she did well to finish late into fourth, so up to 1400m as well as the improvement she would have taken out of that race, we’re looking for a better result.” With first choice rider Opie Bosson under suspension until Monday, Day One will be ridden by Rory Hutchings, Zaharias by Joe Doyle and King’s English and Dream Of The Moon by Craig Grylls. View the full article

Or, a nice chance for Yuesheng Zhang and Yulong  to ride in and... 🐎

You only have to read as far as paragraph [8]  to understand the core issue. [8] In 2004, the trusts were established to acquire land in Kingseat. BPL and KEL each acquired a neighbouring property and they entered into a joint venture. At present, BPL operates a horse breeding and training facility on both properties, which operates at a loss. Here comes the Real Estate Developers.  Don't be surprised if that wonderful New Zealand Bloodstock facility at Karaka is sold for development sooner or later.

For the third consecutive year, Bruno Schickedanz topped North American owners by victories with his stable accumulating 151 wins from 1,138 starts in 2025. Godolphin reigned supreme, topping the owner charts by earnings for the fifth year.View the full article

5. LONESOME ROAD, LRL, 12/26-7th, 6 furlongs (video) Beyer Speed Figure- 93 (g, 3, by Maclean's Music-Walk of Stars, by Street Sense) O-Estate of R Larry Johnson. B-R Larry Johnson (Va). T-Michael Trombetta. J-Mychel Sanchez. The now-4-year-old gelding took a massive leap forward when Trombetta shifted him from grass to dirt, scoring by a widening 8 ½ lengths as the latest success from the breeding program of late Maryland-based owner/breeder Larry Johnson. Lonesome Road traces back four generations to Johnson's foundation mare Ran's Chick through her daughter Special Kell–the same family tree progression that has also produced graded stakes stars Mindframe and Future Is Now.   4. SALVATION, AQU, 12/4-2nd, 1 mile (video) Beyer Speed Figure- 94 (2nd) (g, 3, by Palace Malice-Lovely Rate, by Exchange Rate) O-Robert Bruno. B-Three Chimneys Farm (Ky). T-Linda Rice. J-Jose Lezcano. Based on numbers, he can rightfully be called a $45,000 bargain from the Fasig-Tipton October Taylor Made consignment even though he remains a maiden after eight starts (which have included five runnerup finishes). This was his seventh race and his second straight 94 Beyer, coming on the heels of his 2nd in November behind Life and Times. However, after this effort he ran back Dec. 28 at Aqueduct and finished a disappointing 4th with an 80 Beyer.   3. IRON HONOR, AQU, 12/13-3rd, 6 furlongs (video) Beyer Speed Figure- 95 (c, 2, by Nyquist-Orencia, by Blame) O-St. Elias Stable, William Lawrence and Cathi Glassman. B-Mike and Pat Freeny (Va). T-Chad Brown. J-Manny Franco. Despite his lofty debut Beyer, when a Brown first-timer is 5/1 fourth choice in a seven-horse field in December at Aqueduct, it's a safe bet the barn didn't consider him at the head of the class. Iron Honor had a string of mostly mediocre breezes, but there was nothing mediocre about the way he ran down talented Crossingthechannel, a next-out winner in New York (and another bred by Larry Johnson). He was a $230,000 Taylor Made Keeneland January graduate, who went on to sell for $475,000 in September.   2. D'CODE, OP, 12/14-4th, 6 furlongs (video) Beyer Speed Figure- 99 (c, 2, by Speightstown-Dos Vinos, by Twirling Candy) D'code | Coady Media O/B-Tom R. Durant (Ky). T-Ray Ashford Jr. J-Cristian Torres. Longtime owner Tom Durant is a self-made billionaire who was once (and maybe still is) America's No. 1 Chevrolet dealer. The Texan has had numerous stakes winners over the years, including millionaire Silver Dust, Wooden Phone and Awesome Humor, and bred $1.6 million earner Tejano Twist.  But Durant has never had a youngster earn a debut 99 Beyer, a performance that has put 8 ½-length winner D'Code on the map for the Jan. 31 Southwest Stakes (Gr III).     1.TIME TO WIN, AQU, 12/4-2nd, 1 mile (video) Beyer Speed Figure- 103 (r, 3, by Not This Time-Nagamble, by Flatter) O-Spendthrift Farm, William Lawrence, Big Easy Racing, Titletown Racing Stables, Winners Win, Golconda Stable, Ali Goodrich and Mark Parkinson. B-Fred Hertrich III. T-Chad Brown. J-Flavien Prat. Time to Win becomes our first three-timer in Five Fastest Maidens. He made the list for his debut runnerup finish Sept. 1 at Saratoga with an 87 Beyer, regressed slightly in his next 2nd-place finish at BAQ, then bounced back with a 94 Beyer in November finishing 3rd behind Life and Times and Salvation (see above). In his fourth start, the half-brother to Grade I winner Juju's Map put it all together, storming off by 5 ½ lengths to soar into triple-digit Beyerland and please his many owners. He was a $650,000 Taylor Made September grad, by their stallion Not This Time.     The post The Five Fastest Maidens, Presented By Taylor Made: Dec. 1 – Jan. 4 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first two reported foals for Gainesway Farm's MGSW Charge It (by Tapit) were born Jan. 5, with one arriving at the Brogden family's Machmer Hall in Paris, Kentucky, and the other being delivered at Darby Dan Farm outside of Lexington, Kentucky, the stallion outfit said via a Tuesday release. Machmer Hall oversaw the arrival of a bay colt, the first foal out of SP Six Sense (Violence). A half-sister to SW Xanthique (Into Mischief), out of the GSP mare Qualia (Saarland), Six Sense was a $105,000 purchase at the 2025 Keeneland November sale with a Charge It colt in utero. “The colt is healthy and doing great,” said Machmer Hall's Carrie Brogden. “He is the first of three Charge It babies expected here at Machmer Hall this year. When I first laid eyes on this beautiful stallion, I knew we had to have a share in him. We are delighted to support him with multiple mares in 2025, 2026, and beyond.” At Darby Dan Farm, the Ghostzapper mare Overt had a filly for breeder Healthy Wood Co. Ltd. This is the third foal out of Overt, a daughter of GSW Antipathy (A.P. Indy) and from the immediate family of Grade I winners, Scat Daddy (Johannesburg) and Likeable Style (Nijinsky II). A son of cornerstone Gainesway sire Tapit, Charge It was a Mandy Pope Whisper Hill Farm homebred under the care of trainer Todd Pletcher. The gray's 3-year-old campaign was highlighted by an eye-popping 23-length victory in the GIII Dwyer Stakes, where he earned a career-best 111 Beyer figure. At four, Charge It had another dominant victory with a 4 3/4 length win in the GII Suburban Stakes. In the race, his 106 Beyer tied for the highest figure at the classic distance in 2023. Charge It hails from one of the modern stud book's most prominent families. He is bred on the same cross as Horse of the Year, Flightline being out of the Indian Charlie mare, I'll Take Charge, herself a $2.2-million yearling. His second dam is the MGISW & Broodmare of the Year, Take Charge Lady (Dehere), who is the dam of champion Will Take Charge (Unbridled's Song), plus GISWs Take Charge Indy (A.P. Indy) and As Time Goes By (American Pharoah). She is also the granddam of champion Take Charge Brandi (Giant's Causeway) and GISW Omaha Beach (War Front). In his debut season at stud, Charge It covered 235 mares–fifth most of any North American stallion. In 2026, the Gainesway sire will stand for an advertised fee of $12,500. The post Gainesway’s Charge It Welcomes First Foals At Machmer Hall, Darby Dan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article