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Minella Racing's Minella Academy (Sea The Moon) was knocked down for £370,000 during the Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale at Newbury on Saturday. Sold as lot 6 to Harold Kirk and Willie Mullins, the three-year-old won his hurdle debut at Cork by eight lengths earlier this month. His granddam, Last Second (Alzao), won the G2 Sun Chariot Stakes, G2 Nassau Stakes and G3 Park Stakes and was second in the G1 Coronation Stakes. At stud, she left 10 winners from 15 foals, among them multiple top-level winner and French Classic winner and sire Aussie Rules. Also breaking the £200,000 mark was Red Acres Max (Maxios) (lot 2) from Moate Stable. Tom Malone shelled out £240,000 for the four-year-old gelding. A debut point-to-point winner at Dromahane, Red Acres Max counts NH stakes winners Ballyburn (Flemensfirth), Noble Endeavor (Flemensfirth) and Churchfield Sunset (Wings Of Eagles) under his great granddam. In 2025, 17 sold from 18 lots offered (94%) for a gross of £1,944,000 (+29%). The average rose 6% to £114,353 and the median was £80,000 (-6%). Overall, seven lots met or exceeded the six-figure mark. Goffs UK managing director Tim Kent said, “Today marked the third edition of this sale which is held in partnership with Newbury Racecourse and it was great to achieve a 94% clearance rate, a rise in the sale average and another big price at the venue with Minella Academy selling for £370,000. He is the third horse to sell for £300,000 at this venue following the top price of £320,000 last year and Un Temps Pour Tout who set the record back in 2013 when selling for £450,000. “We have been very busy over the last three days with all the major owners and trainers viewing the horses and we would like to extend our thanks to the PTP handlers who have supported this sale once again. We would also like to extend our thanks to the Newbury Executive for their continued support of this sale, and of course to our purchasers who we wish the very best of luck. We now turn our attention to the Goffs December NH Sale which will offer a superb catalogue of NH foals & breeding stock on 8 – 10 December.” The post Minella Academy Brings £370k From Kirk And Mullins At Goffs Coral Gold Cup Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Greg Foley, a fixture on the Churchill Downs backside for better than 40 years, was represented by his 500th winner beneath the Twin Spires when No Time Left (Not This Time) broke her maiden at third asking at odds of 8-1 Saturday afternoon. A career-long inhabitant of Barn 11 at the Louisville oval, Foley is now tied for eighth on the track's all-time wins list with Bernie Flint. “Churchill Downs has always been home,” said Foley, whose first win at the track came on Apr. 27, 1981 with Sky Light Princess. “To win 500 races here is really special. It's a credit to all the horses, owners and people around me who've made it possible.” Foley has sent out nearly 10,000 starters to date for 1,577 winners and has amassed stable earnings of over $42 million. His best runners include MGSW Sconsin (Include) and GI Kentucky Derby runners Major Fed (Ghostzapper) and O Besos (Orb). He recently won the first Grade I of his career when Troubleshooting (Not This Time) took out the Frankin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs. He joins an elite list of trainers near the top of the leaderboard, which is headed by Steve Asmussen's 992 wins. He is followed by Dale Romans (827), Bill Mott (795), Kenny McPeek (592), Tom Amoss (585), Mike Maker (564) and D. Wayne Lukas (562). Foley and Flint are tied in eighth with 500 wins apiece, just ahead of Brad Cox with 497. “I don't think I'll ever get as many wins as Steve (Asmussen),” Foley joked. “Maybe I can get to Lukas. There are some really good trainers on this list.” The post Foley Sends Out 500th Churchill Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Wrong.  There are promotions - constantly actually.  Seems you wear the same shadez as @Huey .

Doesn't you "making a living" rely on others losing?

Satono Voyage set sail on a voyage that could find him at Churchill Downs in May with a victory Nov. 29 in the first leg of the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.View the full article

Perhaps but it's time that NZTR and the RIB demanded consistency. I have no problem NZTR and/or the RIB pointing the bone when required but they need to be consistent. For example does Trentham have an exemption to not gallop horses prior to race one?  Just because they don't have any available?   I swear I've been to two abandoned meetings in the last two years earlier enough in the morning to notice that no horses were galloped.  Perhaps if they had galloped horses they may have had time to do some remedial work!! Isn't the protocol essential to ensuring that the track is safe BEFORE the first race commences?

So you've got nothing.  All bullshit and bluster....and you wonder why an increasing number of people who really care are getting pissed off with the GOMP's.

The battle to save a small town racing club - from its own national body Stewart Sowman-Lund November 29, 2025     Levin racecourse has been labelled ‘surplus’ by the national racing body and faces closure.BRUCE MACKAY / The Post https://bitofayarn.com A quiet rural racecourse primarily used for training has become the centre of a looming showdown, as locals accuse the national racing body of gearing up for an asset grab. Stewart Sowman-Lund reports. “It’s location, location, location. We’re right next to the shit ponds, then we’ve got the [dog] pound,” said Michael Kay. “So, you know, basically - between the smell of shit and dogs barking all night - it’s not really that attractive.”  Kay is talking about the Levin Racecourse. And he’s speaking tongue in cheek with his description of the land, because, as a member of the Levin Racing Club committee, he’s actually deeply passionate about it. Tucked on the outskirts of the Horowhenua town, about an hour north of Wellington, Levin Racecourse is no longer used for commercial racing but remains an in-demand training track.v In fact, one of the world’s top rated racehorses and fastest sprinter - Ka Ying Rising - was bred in Marton and trialled in Levin. On the strength of its performance at a jumpout day in Levin, the then-unraced three-year-old was sold and has since raked in career winnings of more than $23 million. Despite this, there’s concern from those in the club - and trainers that rely on it - that the facility could be taken from them. Under a provision of the 2020 Racing Industry Act, the national horse-racing body, NZ Thoroughbred Racing, has the ability to take control of any asset it deems surplus. It’s part of a nationwide strategy to consolidate the racing industry and improve profitability. Levin is squarely in the crosshairs, club members say, though what would happen to the site is another story. It was a question from The Post about whether the racecourse could become housing that prompted Kay to note its location next to the “shit ponds”. He doesn’t know what NZTR might do with the land if it gets hold of it, though he questions what appetite developers would have to build there. Levin Racing Club member Michael Kay is worried what might happen to the racecourse.BRUCE MACKAY / The Post The issue first arose in April this year, after the chief executive of NZTR, Matt Ballesty, wrote to the Levin Racing Club to confirm the governing body had identified the racecourse as a “surplus venue”. I n its letter, obtained by The Post, NZTR requested to enter into negotiations over the land, though noted that if the club refused to negotiate or a deal could not be reached then NZTR could go straight to the Minister for Racing and recommend it happen anyway. A s talks are ongoing, NZTR told The Post it wouldn’t provide any comment “at this time”. S ince those discussions commenced, the club has engaged a lawyer in an effort to stall NZTR’s moves. I t’s also hoping the Racing Minister, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters, might stand in the way.  " We are sort of his voting base,” said Kay of Peters. “It creates a precedent, really, … [that] the big incorporated society at the top could go and gobble up all the little ones. It'd be quite sad.” An NZTR takeover would require Peters’ consent as Racing Minister. He declined an interview, with a spokesperson describing it as an “operational matter” for NZTR and suggesting it was too premature to discuss. “A minister wouldn’t get involved unless the matter could not be resolved between the club and NZTR,” they said. “The first step in the process is NZTR needs to formally declare that the club is surplus to requirements.” Committee members have spoken, fearing the worst for the racecourse.BRUCE MACKAY / The Post Kay and fellow committee members have spoken out because they fear the worst for their beloved racecourse. “It's not surplus now, and we would argue that it's at least not going to be surplus for the next 20 years,” said Kay. “They're trying to take what they thought might be an easy beat and then go have a crack at some of the other ones that are a bit harder. So we're David taking on Goliath.” Club president Sean Hawkins said it had been difficult to get answers out of NZTR about why it might want the land. “We're trying to work with them, but there's just no working with them,” said Hawkins, calling it “scary” that land could be "forcibly" confiscated in 2025. “It sounds like they just want to take our track, take the money and run. And the problem we have is that racing down this way is in just such disorder. It's not funny. We want to ensure that whatever happens, the right thing's done down here. We're just not getting anywhere.” Trainers Kevin Myers (L) and Fraser Auret with club president Shawn Hawkins (R).BRUCE MACKAY / The Post The issue dominated talk at the club’s annual general meeting last weekend. Minutes from the meeting show the club has been seeking answers from NZTR over its plans for the racecourse, but that the national body was “unable to say that in the event of a takeover whether they would sell [the club’s] land immediately, retain it, lease it [or] where proceeds of sale might land.” Oliver Bau, the Levin club’s vice president, reckons he might be the youngest racing club official in the country at the age of just 22. Five generations of his family have been involved in the racing industry. “My main motivation for our club and for our racecourse is to spearhead and champion the efforts that previous pioneers … have done for the industry,” he said. “Our racecourse … has been in community hands for well over 100 years. It was gifted to the community and the racing public by one of the pioneers of the Levin township, and so it has been a community gem for a very long period of time.” Most of NZTR’s focus to date has been on commercial race tracks. The landmark Messara report of 2018 proposed sweeping changes for the racing industry, including reducing the number of racetracks from 48 to 28. As The Post has previously reported, Auckland’s Avondale Racecourse is in the firing line, facing its own possible closure and redevelopment for housing. Meanwhile, in 2020, Stratford Racing Club in Taranaki deregistered itself from NZTR in an effort to protect its racecourse from being sold - a move the national body said was unlikely to be legally enforceable. Levin wasn’t mentioned as a candidate for consolidation in the Messara report. Despite this, the threat of the racecourse closing had “lingered” over the club for decades, “arguably perpetually”, Bau said. “I think most people are just wanting to just get on with things and just be able to live their life, train their horses, carry on with what they do.” Hawkins believed that Levin, as a training track, was a surprising target for NZTR and the national body might be overestimating any windfall. Left to right: Committee member Michael Kay, National MP Suze Redmayne, club president Shawn Hawkins and vice president Oliver Bau.BRUCE MACKAY / The Post “I think NZTR thought that Levin was a little gold mine because it's right beside the town. We'd tried to tell them that that's not the case, and we sent them a valuation,” said Hawkins. “They didn't agree with the valuation… they were thinking it's worth tens of millions. It's closer to three or four.” Horse trainer Kevin Myers said locals in the industry relied on Levin and was worried where they would go if the track disappeared, citing ongoing issues at Palmerston North’s Awapuni track. “Every fortnight, they have jumpouts [at Levin], and there's always 15 to 27 heats every time,” he said. “Where are they going to put all those trainers? Most of them don't have their own properties. Where are they going to set them up?” He also questioned what NZTR was doing with any money it had made from surplus venues. “Every time they've sold something, the money’s just diminished.” The local MPs for both Ōtaki, the constituency which covers the course, and neighbouring Rangitikei have both expressed concern for the racing club. Suze Redmayne, the National MP for Rangitikei, said a number of trainers in her electorate used the Levin race track and were “very unhappy” about its possible closure. “The facility is popular amongst trainers due to its central location,” she said. Tim Costley, MP for Ōtaki, said he was waiting for the full facts but was worried about the consequences of a closure. “It sounds concerning. I haven't heard from NZTR about this yet, so I don't know what exactly their proposal is, but from what I've heard from the local racing club, it does sound concerning from their perspective, and I'm keen to support them. He would be “very happy” to speak to NZTR in his capacity as local MP, and said it was “certainly” on his to-do list. Horowhenua mayor Bernie Wanden said the local council would also advocate for the racecourse’s survival, describing the track as a “signature facility” for the rural township. He was critical of NZTR for swooping in on a small town. “I think this is typical [of a] national organisation imposing themselves on a local organisation who have different aspirations in terms of what they each want to do,” Wanden said. “I don't think there's been enough conversation … around working together in terms of trying to find a solution that may help both.” Levin Racecourse is a “signature facility” for the rural township, says the local mayor.BRUCE MACKAY / The Post The Levin Racing Club had positively contributed to the local community, said Wanden, including selling land to allow for new infrastructure. “They've done a lot of good work in terms of being part of the community and making sure that they’re not only looking after their own interests, but looking after the community's interest. “And that would be sad if that got lost just because of a strategic direction that the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing industry wanted to take.” Club president Hawkins said there are issues with the sustainability of the wider horse racing industry, but that the Levin club was comparatively self-sufficient. “We’ve done pretty well with our asset,” he said. While “everyone else seems to be in financial trouble”, noting ongoing closures at other race facilities in the lower North Island, Levin had excess money in the bank to the tune of about $2 million. He wondered if that had made the venue a “target” for the national body. At the end of the day, he’s worried about what the track’s closure could mean for the people who rely on it. Trainers “winning all the millions” won’t be the ones most affected, he said, comparing Levin Racecourse to a local rugby club. “We're the real grassroots of the whole show, really.”   Stewart Sowman-Lund Stewart.SowmanLund@stuff.co.nz Stewart Sowman-Lund is a senior reporter covering politics, pop culture and Auckland issues.

With a spring in his step down the lane, Boyd (Violence–A Taste of Red, by Street Boss) fired his best shot in the Ed Brown Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday and netted his first black-type. Named a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' after his first career race at Del Mar in early September, the colt was heavily-favored at odds of 3-5 here. Boyd allowed Gallivant (Into Mischief) to win the first jump, but the 2-year-old was able to cruise down the lane to score by three lengths in the end. Big Dom (McKinzie) was the runner-up. The final running time was 1:15.58. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0. Sales History: $82,000 '23 FTKNOV; $280,000 '24 ; $1.05-million '25 EASMAY. O-Zedan Racing Stables LLC; B-Nasser Omihira (KY); T-Bob Baffert. The post ‘TDN Rising Star’ Boyd Shines In Ed Brown Under Twin Spires appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article