It is impossible to say. In theory, yes But the decline overall in the quality of horses racing in NZ clouds it in practice. The list of winners going back pre-2016, contains many of the greatest sprinters ever to race in NZ

While prefacing his remarks by saying that “nothing is set in stone,” Spendthrift Farm General Manager Ned Toffey told the TDN that the main pre-GI Kentucky goal for presumptive 2-year-old champion Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) will likely be the GI Curlin Florida Derby to be run at Gulfstream Park Mar. 28. Spendthrift's other top prospect, Further Ado (Gun Runner), is likely headed to the GI Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Apr. 4. Ted Noffey is trained by Todd Pletcher, who is based in the winter at Palm Beach Downs in Florida. Further Ado, who is trained by Brad Cox, is just up the road at Payson Park. Toffey confirmed that the plan is not to race the two together until possible starts in the Triple Crown races. Named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard', Ted Noffey was 4-for-4 in 2025. The colt's year culminated with a win in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Further Ado took a little longer to develop, but had a breakout 'TDN Rising Star' performance when winning an Oct. 10 maiden at Keeneland by 20 lengths. In what was his third career start, he earned a 93 Beyer number. He followed that win with a 1 3/4-length victory in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs. “This is a very unofficial, but obviously Todd [Pletcher] has been based in South Florida for a long time and I think generally the number one prospect in his barn will take that Florida Derby route,” Toffey said. “That would be the plan. Leading up to that, maybe he will run in the [GII] Fountain of Youth. We'll see how things go as the spring progresses.” Toffey said that the Blue Grass is an obvious target for Further Ado because of how well the colt ran there in his maiden win. “He was just beating maidens, but he ran so well at Keeneland,” Toffey said. “It would make a lot of sense to get him back there for the Blue Grass.” Because Further Ado is based in Florida, Toffey said running in a Derby prep at Tampa Bay Downs is also a possibility. “Obviously, we want to keep them apart , but we'll try to do what we think is best for each horse,” he said. “There are a lot of options. They'll both be in Florida for the winter and we'll go from there. You know this game. As Wayne Hughes used to say, 'You have to have a plan so you can change it.' I wouldn't rule anything out. There are also the Tampa races to consider for Further Ado.” Toffey added that the Spendthrift team will also rely on the feedback they receive from Pletcher and Cox. Further Ado at Keeneland | Coady Media “We will weigh heavily what the trainers are recommending,” he said. “This is a little bit of a different circumstance than normal, but we generally feel like it's important to weigh very heavily anything the trainers are recommending. Those are the guys in the barn with the horses day in and day out. They will be an important part of the decision-making process.” Spendthrift also owns one of the top 3-year-old fillies in Tommy Jo (Into Mischief), who is also a 'TDN Rising Star'. The winner of the GI Spinaway Stakes at Saratoga, she was fifth in the GI NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. She is also trained by Pletcher. Toffey said her next start will come in the GIII Forward Gal Stakes at Gulfstream Jan. 31. “The Forward Gal is a good starting point for her at seven furlongs,” he said. “In going back and looking at her race in the Breeders' Cup and watching that replay several times, I actually feel like she ran an even better race than I originally thought. It was a tough track to come from off the pace on. Speed held so well. When I factored that in, do I think she was going to win? No. But I feel like her race was a little better than I originally gave her credit for.” Toffey acknowledged that the Spendthrift team is excited about what 2026 will bring, especially when it comes to its two potential Derby candidates. “This is huge,” he said. “Quite frankly, our primary business is that breeding shed up there in the middle of the farm. We do a lot of racing and you obviously want to be successful doing that in and of itself.  At the same time, to be able to do it with horses that you've owned and managed is just that much better. I hate to reduce it to money, but there is that reality. “If we can have two really nice horses earn their way into our stud barn, which they already have done, without having to pay millions and millions of dollars to be able to do so it is an added bonus,” he added. “Everyone at Spendthrift loves racing and we're always looking for those top 3-year-old colts. This is very exciting for us.” The post Spendthrift Mulling Plans For Its 3-Year-Old Stars appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Explora, runner-up as the favorite in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar, kicks off her 3-year-old campaign Jan. 3 in the $100,000 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita Park.View the full article

Contenders for spots on Dubai World Cup (G1) night made their case as the World Cup Carnival swung into 2026 at Meydan Racecourse Jan. 2.View the full article

@hesi post covers it... does this race work better at WFA v Hand...

Attack working ‘phenomenal’ but history paints outside gate in Telegraph a killer By Barry Lichter • 31 December 2025 Fixed odds $3.10 Tomodachi $6.50 Ardalio $7 Crocetti $10 Platinum Attack, Tardelli, First Five, Grail Seeker $13 Navigator $23 Master Fay, To Cap It All $31 Spencer $51 Slipper Island $61 Our Echo, Lhasa, Party Rocking   History tells co-owner Neville McAlister that Platinum Attack is right up against it from the outside gate of 15 in Saturday’s $550,000 TAB Telegraph. Since 2000 only one horse has won the big Trentham sprint from the extreme outside barrier, when Guiseppina and James McDonald jumped from 18 in 2012. And only six of the last 26 winners (23%) have drawn outside gate 10. The fact that 13 winners (50%) have started from the six inside gates is enough to reinforce McAlister’s point that horses near the inside rail have that much of an advantage, covering many fewer metres in the running. “In the history of races down the 1200 metre chute the odds are well stacked against him,” says McAlister. “He’s up to the field but the draw makes it extremely tough. The best we can expect is for him to be five or six wide.” Exactly that happened in last year’s Telegraph when Platinum Attack started from the outside gate of 11 and lost his cover across the junction when shunted wide, sprinting hard but only managing to get within 4.6 lengths of winner Grail Seeker. Platinum Attack’s lead-up campaign this time has not been without hitches, a freak hail storm in Christchurch seeing him late scratched from the Stewards when the track turned heavy. And trainer Lisa Latta opted not to take the horse to his scheduled jumpout on December 23 because of an unsuitably wet track. “That’s of no consequence though. He would only have been there for a strong gallop, which he can do at home. “He’s a big trackworker, better going in fresh, and best with his races well spaced.” Platinum Attack’s only race since the Riccarton cup meeting came at Otaki on November 30 when his home stretch burst in the Levin Stakes had commentator Justin Evans agog. Freight train Last in the running and still there 500 metres out, he was shunted six wide on the turn and was still with the tailenders 200 metres out when he turned into a freight train. Platinum Attack clocked the fastest sectionals over the last 800 (44.37), 600 (33.13), 400 (22.29) and 200 (11.24) to get within half a neck of winner Azeezle. The fact he carried 59.5kg that day underlines McAlister’s belief that the weight-for-age conditions of Saturday’s sprint won’t unduly affect him, despite meeting much higher rated horses at level weights. “He’s a big, strong horse who’s proved he can carry weight.” McAlister, rather, is keeping an eye on the changing weather forecast. “Rain on the day would be a major for him - he can’t get home on a wet track - but I don’t think there’s much in the forecast, and it should be a soft 5 or even a good 4 by the time he races.” Latta reports Platinum Attack, who is co-owned by Lincoln Farms’ John and Lynne Street, is in great order for the race. “He couldn’t be looking any better and his work has been phenomenal. He is right where he needs to be to win a race like this. “We’re going to need some luck from the draw but Craig Grylls knows him well now and I thought that, on paper, he is certainly one of the better horses in the race. “Crocetti and Tomodachi look to be the testing material but, if he gets clear air at the right time, he will finish with a big run.” What the stats reveal Platinum Attack survives a statistical predictor, being a five-year-old, the most successful age group of Telegraph winners since 2000. Five-year-olds account for 14 winners, the next most successful age being four-year-olds and six-year-olds with four each. The five-year-olds this year include Platinum Attack, Crocetti, Tomodachi, Grail Seeker, First Five and Party Rocking. Grail Seeker has history on her side too with three horses notching back-to-back wins in the last eight years - Enzo’s Lad (2018-19), Avantage (2020-21) and Levante (2022-23). Levante claims the fastest time at 1:06.18, claimed to be an unofficial world record.

Colonial Downs racing secretary Dan Bork has released the condition book for the 2026 three-day spring meeting which runs from Thursday, Mar. 12 through Saturday, Mar. 14, the track said via a release on Friday. The meet is highlighted by the $500,000 Virginia Derby and $250,000 Virginia Oaks Mar. 14, which are points races on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” and “Road to the Kentucky Oaks,” respectively. Click here for access. The post Colonial Downs Spring Meet Condition Book Released appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin LLC, who campaigned 13 North American graded stakes winners during 2025, including dual classic winner Sovereignty (Into Mischief), set a single-season record in earnings as the leading owner for the fifth consecutive year, and Irad Ortiz, Jr., established a single-season record as the leading jockey by earnings according to final year-end statistics released by Equibase Company on Friday. Godolphin–with 104 North American wins from 448 starts–amassed record earnings of $22,395,556, surpassing their previous mark of $20.2 million set in 2024. When including earnings from the Dubai and Saudi Cup days, Godolphin's earnings for the year were $23,355,556. In a tight battle between Ortiz and Flavien Prat, the former maintained the narrowest of margin in the final days to finish the year on top with earnings of $40,497,847, less than $2,000 ahead of Prat's total of $40,496,178. Both riders became the first to surpass $40 million in earnings. Ortiz reached the winner's circle 351 times from 1,631 mounts in 2025, while Prat won 310 races from 1,256 mounts. Brad Cox ended the year on top as the leading trainer by earnings, which was his first title since 2023 and marked the conditioner's third overall. Cox sent out the winners of 277 races from 394 starters with 1,068 starts for earnings of $30,255,435. Some of the leading horses also were the top earners from their respective foal crops. The leading earners by foaling year from the past five years were Ted Noffey (Into Mischief, 2023 foal crop), Sovereignty (2022 foal crop), Sierra Leone (Gun Runner, 2021 foal crop), National Treasure (Quality Road, 2020 foal crop) and White Abarrio (Race Day, 2019 foal crop). The post Owner Godolphin, Jockey Ortiz Jr., Set Single-Season Earnings Records appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Will there be much of a a crowd  at Trentham today ? Isn't this the Marton date moved from Awapuni, and if so when would the main race be if Awapuni was on today?