Chief Stipe

The Rosehill Guineas has been confirmed as the next target for multiple Group One-winning colt The Autumn Sun. The Chris Waller-trained son of Redoute’s Choice scored a superb come-from-behind win in the Randwick Guineas last Saturday. He has now had eight starts for seven wins, four of them at Group One level, and an unlucky third placing in the Gr. 2 Stan Fox Stakes. “He has come through his victory in the Randwick Guineas without issue and recovered well from the run,” Waller said. “Following discussions between the owners and I yesterday, it has been decided that he will now progress to the Gr. 1 Rosehill Guineas on March 23. “There were various options available for his next run, however it was agreed that stepping up to the untested trip of 2000 metres will open up further race options for him during the autumn.” There have been many calls for a clash with champion mare Winx in the Gr. 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on April 13, but Waller is not yet looking that far ahead. “No decision will be made on any races beyond the Rosehill Guineas as we look to use the race as a distance guide for any future races he may contest in the autumn and beyond,” he said. The Autumn Sun is the $1.80 favourite for the Rosehill Guineas, with New Zealand’s multiple Group One winner Madison County the second favourite at $8. View the full article

It "has no therapeutic place in horse medicine." The science says it does nothing to stop horses bleeding. At that blood level the horse surely would be displaying some adverse symptoms of poisoning. However in the livestock industry Formaldehyde does have a therapeutic place. I guess cows and sheep are substantially different horses. Note they used a "strip test" which is basically using a special type of paper (remember litmus paper at school?) to test for a reagent. It isn't certified as a positive result. A decent defence lawyer would put that one to bed in 10 minutes.

I can see the Headline in the Herald now: Embalming Fluid Used to Treat Sheep and Cattle before Human Consumption

How do you know it was injected? Topical application can enter the bloodstream. Why not use Lasix which is a legitimate treatment if the withholding periods are followed? aka Chris Waller.

Espoir D’Allen produced a scintillating performance to win the Champion Hurdle on the opening day of the famous Cheltenham jumps festival overnight. The Nicky Henderson-trained Buveur D’Air was bidding to join the greats by recording a third successive victory in the race, and Espoir D’Allen lined up very much under the radar. Despite having won each of his three previous starts this season, and eight of his nine since joining trainer Gavin Cromwell, Espoir D’Allen was at 16-to-one. However, there was certainly no fluke about his devastating display. Buveur D’Air fell at the third hurdle while the prolific Apple’s Jade was in trouble some way out. With the way clear, Walsh on Espoir D’Allen engaged overdrive from the home turn to power 15 lengths clear. “It’s brilliant, unbelievable,” Cromwell said. “He’s been winning Grade Threes this year, so to win this is fantastic. “I’m shell-shocked to win anyway, but to win like that – I’m just lost for words. When Buveur D’Air fell, we nearly got brought down. It’s unbelievable, I’m completely lost for words.” While out of luck in the feature event, it was another productive opening day for Irish trainer Willie Mullins as he saddled Klassical Dream to win the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and swiftly followed up with Duc Des Genievres in the Arkle Challenge Trophy. View the full article

Come on this is sensational journalism at its worst. Formaldehyde the main constituent of Formalin is a common treatment for hoof issues. Used on most farms for the treatment of footrot in sheep and cattle. It is a strong antiseptic and a tissue hardener. The latter no doubt assists with the repairing of a horse hoof after injury when the new growth is quite soft. To call it an "embalming fluid" is just sensationalism.

Roger James and Robert Wellwood will consider an autumn Australian mission with exciting mare Rondinella, who produced a highly commendable performance on Group One debut last weekend. The winner of four of her 11 starts, Rondinella was thrown in at the deep end against seven individual Group One winners in Saturday’s Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie. The four-year-old was well and truly up to the challenge, overcoming unfavourable track conditions and multiple instances of interference to finish third behind outstanding mares Melody Belle and Danzdanzdance. “It was a super run, especially in her first Group One start,” Wellwood said. “She didn’t have a lot of luck and was stopped in her tracks at about the 500. But she still really hit the line strongly on a track that didn’t suit her at all. “It was a great performance, and it’s so important for her to have that Group One placing on her pedigree page now. “There might be an opportunity to head to Sydney in the coming weeks. Nothing’s confirmed at this stage, but there’s a few options over there that we could look at.” Carrying the colours of co-breeders and part-owners Haunui Bloodstock, Rondinella is by Ocean Park out of the stakes-winning mare Valpolicella, making her a half-sister to the multiple Group winners Vavasour and Vilanova. Rondinella had also been stakes-placed in her previous start, finishing a close second in the Listed Kaimai Stakes at Matamata. View the full article

Dual Group One-winning New Zealand three-year-old Madison County will step up to 2000 metres for his next start in the Rosehill Guineas on March 23. The Pins gelding, who won the New Zealand 2000 Guineas in November and the Levin Classic in January, finished fourth in last week’s Randwick Guineas in his Australian debut. He made up a significant amount of ground in the straight, with his times for the last 800 metres (45.82 seconds) and 600 metres (34.13) being only marginally slower than the acclaimed winner The Autumn Sun. Making Madison County’s performance even more meritorious, it was his first start for six weeks and he had missed work while connections waited for a Hong Kong sale that eventually fell through. “It was a huge run in the Randwick Guineas,” co-trainer Andrew Forsman said. “We couldn’t be happier with how he acquitted himself – especially given he hadn’t raced for so long, and he was up against some high-quality horses who had more recent racing under their belt. “Hopefully he can improve further on that run and then run out a strong 2000 metres in the Guineas. He’s come through Saturday really well and is thriving over there. When I got over to Sydney and saw him before the race, I couldn’t believe how good he looked.” Australian bookmakers took notice of Madison County’s performance, promoting him to second favouritism for the Rosehill Guineas at $8. The Autumn Sun towers over the market at $1.80, with no other runner in single figures. View the full article

Cullenburn is one of a large team of horses trainer Brendon Hill will step out this week. Photo: Race Images. He has got his biggest racing team in a long time this weekend, but winning will not be everything for trainer Brendon Hill. The North Canterbury horseman will line up eight runners over the course of two meetings on Friday and Saturday with teams at both Addington on Friday night and then Wyndham on Saturday and with some pretty serious horse flesh in the arsenal, he’s hopeful of some success. But he’ll be just as happy to see a couple of his stable stars get through their resuming runs with no problems. The first of those comes on Friday night when the striking Cullenburn kicks back into action and begins his preparations for the Superstars Championship in a fortnight and his trainer was pretty straight up and down when it came to how he thinks he’ll fair. “You’d like to think he’ll be pretty hard to beat,” Hill said. “He races well in a fresh state and with some of the goals we’ve got for the rest of the season, I’d expect him to go close.” Win, lose or draw on Friday night, Cullenburn will miss next week’s premier meeting with Hill keen to keep his races well spread with the Superstars his main initial aim and then potentially a trip to Auckland to tackle the age group features there. “He’ll tell us, but that’s the plan – he goes better when his races are spread out so we’re going to miss next week and then go straight into the Superstars. “Then we’ll know exactly where we are at going forward.” Cullenburn will be joined at Addington by Cullens Bet, Koromiko Eyre and Double O Heaven, the latter two of which give Korbyn Newman good chances at his first driving success. On Saturday at Wyndham, it will be all eyes on the return of the very smart Flying Mister Ideal who is taking on the intermediate grade pacers in the Wyndham Cup. “It’s a big ask, but I wouldn’t have him there if I didn’t think he could win it. “He’s obviously going to improve with the run but he’s a pretty smart horse – the trip away and the 3200m are going to be good challenges for him.” Ricky May will head south to drive the Hill team for the meeting which includes handy maidens Luvtahavtime, Philadelphia Freedom and the promising Donegal Art Chokin. With 11 wins and 27 placings from 90 starters, Hill’s season is tracking nicely with five months of the season remaining. He’s on track to get somewhere near his season best tally of 26 wins which he set back in 2011. “I’ve only got 15 horses in work, so we’re getting most of them out and about this weekend.” View the full article

Last season’s champion two-year-old Avantage is on the brink of a raceday return after winning her 1000-metre trial heat at Avondale today. The Group One-winning daughter of Fastnet Rock did enough to get the better of pacemaker Starman to win by a head, with a further five lengths back to stablemate Icebomb. “I thought she trialled nicely,” trainer Jamie Richards said. “She’s a filly that doesn’t over exert herself unless she really has to. “I thought they both (Avantage and Starman) quickened up well and got away from the rest of the field. I was pleased with how her action looked.” Richards wants to see how Avantage pulls up after her run, but indicated she will likely join stablemate Probabeel in Sydney for her autumn campaign. “We will be looking at Sydney, but I’d just like to have a look at her in the next couple of days to see how she’s come through the run before confirming that,” he said. Avantage hasn’t been sighted on raceday since winning the Gr. 3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes at Hastings in September, with a bone scan identifying a muscular issue after the race. Purchased for $210,000 out of The Oaks Stud’s 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale by Te Akau principal David Ellis, Avantage has won six of her seven starts, with her only defeat coming in the Gr. 1 Sistema Stakes last year when she was runner-up to stablemate Sword of Osman. Meanwhile, Group Two winner Our Abbadean pleased Richards with her five-length trial win over 1200 metres earlier in the day at Avondale. Richards said the six-year-old benefited from the addition of blinkers and she will now be set for the Gr. 1 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Te Aroha next month. “She trialled well. She doesn’t do a lot when she doesn’t have the blinkers on,” Richards said. “We trialled her with the blinkers on today to make her do something, with a view of running in the Breeders’ Stakes at Te Aroha fresh-up, that has been the plan for a little while.” View the full article

British-based Irish jockey Oisin Murphy will make a flying visit to Sydney to ride Loving Gaby in the Golden Slipper for owners Phoenix Thoroughbreds. The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained filly finished sixth as equal favourite in last month’s Blue Diamond Stakes. She was entered in Saturday’s Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill, but will instead run in a barrier trial at Randwick on Thursday. Sam Clipperton will ride her in the trial with Murphy booked for the A$3.5 million Slipper on Saturday week. Murphy spent three months in Melbourne five years ago as an 18-year-old apprentice and has gone on to become a world-recognised rider. He formed a successful association with last season’s champion European three-year-old Roaring Lion. He has since visited Melbourne more than once and rode Godolphin’s Benbatl to run second to Winx in the Cox Plate. “Obviously I’ve spent some time in Melbourne but this will be my first trip up to Sydney,” Murphy told Sky Sports Radio. “I ride a lot for Phoenix Thoroughbreds. They have horses in America, Australia and Europe and I rode a Royal Ascot winner for them last year.” Loving Gaby is on the fourth line of the Slipper market at $11 behind Tenley and Yes Yes Yes, who share top billing at $6, and Microphone at $8. Phoenix Thoroughbreds was established by Dubai-based businessman Amer Abdulaziz and has extensive breeding interests as well as their racing stock. Free Of Debt, third in the Blue Diamond, will also run in a 740-metre trial at Randwick on Thursday. Dwayne Dunn will fly up from Melbourne for the trial and also ride the colt in the Slipper. Trained by Chris Bieg in Adelaide, Free Of Debt, who races in the Aquis Farm colours, will have to be paid up as a late entry for the Slipper. View the full article

Matamata Race Scratchings R1: R2: 2 R3: 9 R4: 7 R5: 1,2,8 R6: 1 R7: R8: 7,9 R9: TAB Meeting #2 with the first of 9 races starting at 12:50pm Doubles: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Trebles: 1-2-3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9 Quaddies: 2-3-4-5, 6-7-8-9 Pick 6: Starts on race 4 with a $25,000 Guaranteed Pool Track conditions: Dead […] Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Matamata Race Scratchings R1: R2: 2 R3: 9 R4: 7 R5: 1,2,8 R6: 1 R7: R8: 7,9 R9: TAB Meeting #2 with the first of 9 races starting at 12:50pm Doubles: 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Trebles: 1-2-3, 4-5-6, 7-8-9 Quaddies: 2-3-4-5, 6-7-8-9 Pick 6: Starts on race 4 with a $25,000 Guaranteed Pool Track conditions: Dead […] Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

The sale of untapped three-year-old Sword In Stone has been confirmed and he will do his future racing in Hong Kong. The Redwood gelding has been the subject of keen overseas interest since finishing third in last month’s Waikato Guineas and subsequently being balloted out of the New Zealand Derby field. Under the training of Cambridge-based Lauren Brennan, Sword In Stone had just three starts for a debut second and a 1600-metre maiden win ahead of his Te Rapa placing. He was owned by Singapore-based Englishman Paul Hickman, who had a decision to make between redirecting to the Queensland winter carnival or taking a seven-figure offer from a leading Hong Kong stable. “Understandably Mr Hickman along with the rest of us was disappointed to miss a start in the Derby, so when the money was offered he made the decision to sell,” Hickman’s bloodstock manager Garry Carvell told www.theinformant.co.nz this afternoon. Sword In Stone is scheduled to travel to Hong Kong in May and he will be prepared with a view to the Hong Kong Derby next March. View the full article

The two Godolphin runners in the inaugural A$5 million All-Star Mile at Flemington have drawn contrasting barriers in the field of 14 plus four emergencies. The favourite for Saturday’s race, Alizee, is drawn to start from barrier 12 while her stablemate Hartnell will jump from two. Happy Clapper, who made a race of it last start with champion Winx in the Chipping Norton Stakes at Randwick, will jump from barrier nine with the top-vote getter in the public poll, South Australian galloper Balf’s Choice, to start from gate three. View the full article

Luvaluva is on target for next month’s Gr. 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Te Aroha. John Sargent is on target to send one Group One prospect across the Tasman from Australia, while he has received a filly from New Zealand for a possible Sydney Group One mission. The former Kiwi trainer is setting Luvaluva for the Gr. 1 Fiber Fresh New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Te Aroha on April 6 and a newcomer to his Randwick stable is House Of Cartier, whose major assignment will be the Gr. 1 Australian Oaks at Randwick on April 13. House Of Cartier, a daughter of Alamosa and the multiple Group One winner Shez Sinsational, had six starts for Pukekohe trainer Nigel Tiley for a win and three placings. Her win came over 1400 metres at Pukekohe in December and she then stepped up to two black-type events, finishing second to Pinmedown in the Gr. 2 Eight Carat Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day then fourth to Imelda Mary in the Gr. 2 Royal Stakes six days later. She was then freshened and ran fifth over 1200 metres behind She’s A Thief at Ellerslie last month. “She came over here about eight or nine days ago,’’ Sargent said. ‘’She has settled in well and had an easy gallop on Saturday morning. “She will go to the Kembla Grange Classic (Group Three, 1600m) on Friday and Brenton Avdulla will ride her. The plan is to get her to the Oaks. She’s not nominated, but if she goes well at Kembla Grange then again in the Vinery Stakes (Group One, 2000m, March 30) we’ll pay the late nomination. “There are some good fillies over here, but will they get 2400 metres? That’s the big question. She looks as though she’ll have no trouble staying the distance.’’ While awaiting House Of Cartier’s Australian debut, Sargent has been pleased with the progress of Luvaluva, particularly her second-up run at Randwick last Saturday when she finished runner-up to Nettoyer in the Gr. 3 Aspiration Quality. “She was three wide in the open and fought the others off, then Blake Shinn came off her back on the winner and beat her,” Sargent said. “Her run proved to me she’s back where she was at her best. She’ll have a trial in two weeks, either at Gosford or Warwick Farm, then go over for the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes. It should be a good race for her and is a softer option than the Coolmore Classic (Group One, 1500m) here. “After Te Aroha she can have a week in the paddock in New Zealand then be set for Queensland. She’ll go for the Hollindale Stakes and the Doomben Cup.” The Gr.2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) is at the Gold Coast on May 4 and the Gr. 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) is at Doomben a fortnight later. Luvaluva, a daughter of Mastercraftsman, won the 2017 Gr. 2 Wakeful Stakes at Flemington before finishing fourth in the Gr. 1 VRC Oaks. She also won last year’s Gr. 3 Kembla Grange Classic and Adrian Knox Stakes. “We want to win a Group One with her,” Sargent said. “Hopefully we can do it at Te Aroha. The big, roomy course should suit her.” Sargent believes he could also have another few potential Group One competitors over the Sydney carnival, including Crystal Falls, a Medaglia D’Oro filly who will be on trial for the Golden Slipper on March 23 when she contests the Gr. 3 Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday. “She ran third in a very strong two-year-old race on debut at Rosehill. It was one of the strongest two-year-old fields we’ve had,” he said. Sargent also has Home Made, a dual winning son of High Chaparral, as an outside chance to get to the Gr. 1 Australian Derby at Randwick on April 6 and Miss Moana, a one-race winner by Uncle Mo, still in contention for the Australian Oaks at Randwick a week later. “They’d both have to go very well in their next starts to press on,’’ Sargent said. View the full article

Cambridge Last start winner Qiji Express and stablemate Power O’Hata were the pick of the mornings work at Cambridge this morning. Galloping on the plough, Qiji Express edged ahead of Power O’Hata at the completion of 1200m in 1:17.2, sprinting the final 600m in 36.8. Queen Of Diamonds, Clementina and Rubera, three Baker/Forsman runners in […] Want to read this content? For free user content sign up here Free Online Content View our subscription options and get behind The Informant paywall Already a member? Login here View the full article

After upstaging the older horses to win the star-studded Newmarket Handicap, three-year-old filly Sunlight is set to chase elite weight-for-age wins this autumn, and her trainer Tony McEvoy believes Sunlight is still getting better. Sunlight claimed her second Group One win, and first against older horses, when she led all the way in Saturday’s A$1.25 million Newmarket at Flemington, holding off Osborne Bulls and Brave Smash and a host of other quality sprinters. McEvoy was using the Newmarket as a guide whether Sunlight should be aimed at the A$2.5 million TJ Smith Stakes in Sydney next month or the Adelaide carnival’s Robert Sangster Stakes for fillies and mares and The Goodwood. The strength of Sunlight’s Newmarket win has the trainer targeting the TJ Smith with another weight-for-age Group One race on the radar before the race at Randwick. “Scarily, there’s a lot more to come,” McEvoy told RSN927. “She’s getting better, I believe. So we’ll probably look at the William Reid as the path to get her to the TJ Smith in Sydney.” The William Reid (1200m) is on March 22 at Moonee Valley in Melbourne while the TJ Smith (1200m) is on April 6. Sunlight stepped up to weight-for-age company earlier this season when a luckless seventh in the Manikato Stakes at Moonee Valley, eight days before she won the Gr. 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes for three-year-olds at Flemington. Her Newmarket win took her record to nine wins from 14 starts with another four placings. View the full article

Group One-winning jockey Rachel King has undergone surgery on her collarbone after being injured in a fall at Tamworth. King was one of three of the five riders involved in Sunday’s incident to need an operation. Her boyfriend, fellow jockey Blake Spriggs, said on Twitter yesterday evening the surgery had gone well. “I just spoke with @RachelK11 ‘s surgeon and he is very happy with how the operation went. Rachel is now in recovery and I expect to speak with her soon. I want to thank everyone for their messages of support.” Spriggs said. Greg Ryan’s mount Son Of A Dun appeared to go amiss midway through Sunday’s 1400-metre race with four horses then suffering interference. Ryan suffered a mild concussion in the incident was discharged from Tamworth Hospital on Sunday night. The Australian Jockeys’ Association said Josh Adams had lower lumber spine fractures that appeared stable but he may need to be transferred to Newcastle. View the full article

Rule Number(s): 869(2)(a) and Use of Whip RegulationsThis charge arises from the running of race 7, the 2019 Woodlands Stud Northern Derby (Mobile Pace) 2700m, (Group 1). Chief Stipendiary Steward Mr Ydgren filed an information alleging Licensed Open Horsewoman; Ms N Rasmussen breached Rule 869(2) in that she used her whip driving ULTIMATE SNIPER in breach ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 870 (5)Following the running of Race 10, the Buller R&E/ New World Westport Handicap Trot, an information instigating a protest was filed by Stipendiary Steward, Mr S Wallis, against NO FEARS, driven by Mr D Morrison, placed 4th by the judge, in that NO FEARS broke in the final stages and was lapped on by 5th ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(2)Following the running of race 9, Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (Group 1), an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 638(2). The Informant, Mr Oatham, alleged that Ms Collett made a celebratory gesture prior to the winning post when riding GLORY DAYS. Ms Collett said that she understood the Rule and ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 638(1)(d)Following the running of race 8, Bonecrusher NZ Stakes (Group 1), an Information was filed pursuant to Rule 638 (1)(d). The Informant, Mr Oatham, alleged that Mr Cameron permitted his mount VIN DE DANCE to shift out near the 1100 metres making contact with RONDINELLA which was forced wide and hampered. ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article

Rule Number(s): 632Following the running of Race 6, Laser Te Puke 1200, Mr J Oatham, lodged an Information requesting a ruling in relation to Rule 632 to establish whether STRATOCASTER received a fair start. Rule 632 provides “If, in the opinion of the Judicial Committee, a horse which does not finish in the first three ... (Feed generated with FetchRSS)View the full article