Wandering Eyes

Trainer Angel Sanchez-Pinero is sanctioned for multiple violations that add up to eight years suspended and $90,000 in fines.View the full article

Group One hope The Dirty Dee will spearhead a strong team at Trentham for Robbie Patterson and unlike a number of trainers, he’s unconcerned about the prospect of rain-affected ground on Saturday. The New Plymouth conditioner is bullish about the chances of his daughter of Derryn in the Gr.3 NZB Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) as she works her way toward the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Ellerslie. “A wet track definitely won’t worry her, and I gave her a good jump-out on Monday and she found the line really strongly and pulled up well,” Patterson said. The Dirty Dee was an impressive debut winner on her home track before she finished runner-up at Trentham in early December. “She was just unlucky and got a knock that cost her winning and she’s done nothing wrong, that’s for sure,” Patterson said. Safely through this weekend, the filly will make her next appearance in the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2100m) on February 7. “She’ll go to Te Rapa and then on to the Oaks, that’s the plan and I may even trial her right-handed which would be ideal ahead of Ellerslie,” Patterson said. Craig Grylls will be aboard The Dirty Dee and will also take the reins on the stable’s other black-type contenders on Saturday, One Bold Cat in the Gr.3 Totara Lodge Trentham Stakes (2100m) and Belles Beau in the Gr.2 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (160m). One Bold Cat bounced back to his best with victory under 58kg in the Listed Marton Cup (2200m) and under the set weights and penalties conditions will drop back a kilo. “He was really good last time and no reason at all why he can’t carry on with it,” Patterson said. “He’s done super well since then and he’s a happy horse.” Belles Beau finished runner-up most recently in the Gr.2 Manawatu Challenge Stakes (1400m) and will relish the step up in distance. “He got home well and he’s screaming out for a mile, the ground will be perfect, so he’ll have everything in his favour if he gets a bit of luck,” Patterson said. Outside of his stakes contenders, he also likes the chances of Belles Fate in the Neteffextpayroll Handicap (1400m). The Iffraaj mare finished an encouraging third when resuming over the course and distance last month and her fortunes will also be guided by Grylls. “She was super the other day fresh-up behind that smart horse (Afternoon Siesta) for John Bary,” Patterson said. “Any easing of the ground won’t worry her at all, and she’s really thrived since that run, she wouldn’t have to improve much to win a race like this.” View the full article

Freddie Time has been Southland trainer Kelvin Tyler’s sole representative in the north over the last couple of months, but the Southland trainer has sent up some reinforcements as he looks to plunder the spoils on offer at Trentham in the coming weeks. “There is a bit of safety in numbers, I have brought some nice horses up,” Tyler said. “They are big and strong fields though, so we certainly aren’t getting ahead of ourselves.” Stakes performer Prince Alby has returned north to target the Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m) at the end of the month, while Indie Ardie and Sight To See are looking to cement their place in the $350,000 Life Direct Remutaka Classic (2100m) at the same meeting. The trio arrived at Otaki last week and Tyler has been pleased with how they have settled in. “I couldn’t be happier with them,” he said. “They have been up here for eight or nine days now and they have just settled in as they normally do up here at Howie and Lorraine’s (Mathews).” They have joined Freddie Time, who has been in great form for Tyler in the Central Districts this season, particularly in the last six weeks where he has won at Otaki before placing in the Gr.3 Manawatu Cup (2300m) and Listed Marton Cup (2200m) at Trentham. He will return to the Upper Hutt track on Saturday to contest the Gr.3 Totara Lodge Trentham Stakes (2100m) before he likely heads for a well-deserved freshen-up. “He has been really good and I thought his gallop on Tuesday morning was outstanding,” Tyler said. “A wet track won’t bother him. He is only a young horse, being four, but he is thriving at the moment and I am sure he will go another good race. “There’s a good chance he will have a freshen-up after this for two or three weeks and maybe get him back in the autumn for some nice races.” He will be joined in Saturday’s contest by Prince Alby, who ran fourth in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton in November before finishing last over 2200m at Wingatui on Boxing Day, and Tyler said the Trentham Stakes was his sole option as a lead-in race to the Wellington Cup. “With the programme changes there is just no lead-up for the stayers into the Wellington Cup, so they have got to run in a stakes race,” Tyler said. “It’s lucky the rain has come otherwise they would just go too fast for a lot of these stayers.” Tyler has been pleased with the progression of Sight To See and Indie Ardie, with both mares set to tackle Saturday’s Hardy Trade Supply Co 2200 ahead of the Remutaka Classic. “They are two handy wee mares on their way up,” Tyler said. “They have a decent amount of ability and hopefully everything goes well and we can get them into the Remutaka, which is a great race for their rating. “They are genuine horses, they try hard and you always know you are going to get the best out of them. “It is a big field, so they are going to need a bit of luck.” Closer to home, Tyler will be represented by a trio of runners at Wingatui on Saturday, including Mamaea in the Skevingtons Waikouaiti Open 2200, last-start winner Fourofus in the ODT Southern Mile 65 1600 and Flash Roca in the ODT Southern Mile 75 1600. “They are quite well placed in those races, but they are strong fields,” Tyler said. “The horses are all well and the best chance of mine there could be Fourofus.” View the full article

Ready to Run Sale graduate Speed Dragon (NZ) (Darci Brahma) delivered a milestone moment for his trainer Francis Lui with a spectacular come-from-behind victory in the A$4.2m Group Three January Cup (1800m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday. Speed Dragon, who was passed in at the 2021 Ready to Run Sale, has now had 16 starts in Hong Kong for four wins, a placing and HK$9.8m in stakes – the equivalent of more than NZ$2.1m, which is over 10 times his reserve at the Ready to Run Sale. The six-year-old’s stunning finish from the back of the 12-horse field in Wednesday’s January Sprint brought up 1000 wins in Hong Kong for Lui, who became only the sixth trainer to ever reach that milestone in Hong Kong. Lui identified the 10-time Group One-winning Ready to Run Sale graduate Golden Sixty (Medaglia d’Oro) as an obvious career highlight. “I feel very happy,” he said. “It’s a big number and it’s not easy. Golden Sixty is special, but every winner to me is very important and for the owners.” Speed Dragon was ridden to his half-length January Cup success by Lyle Hewitson, who was hugely impressed by his mount’s turn of foot. “I’m really happy that I could get it done,” he said. “I’ve been touched off in a few Group races and most of them were for Francis too, so to get the nose in front in such good fashion tonight, I’m thoroughly enjoying it. “I got shuffled back to last on the turn but thankfully that was the section where they picked up the speed and I got a track into it and he quickened so well. I had to wait for the gap, and before it had any chance to close, he was through and he won with authority. “So it was full of merit and he’s a horse that is just thriving here.” Speed Dragon was bred by The Oaks Stud. He was offered by Kiltannon Stables at the 2021 Ready to Run Sale but failed to meet his reserve. Initially named Keenasabean and retained to race in The Oaks Stud’s white and blue colours, he was a maiden winner at Te Rapa in December 2022 and ran fourth in the Group Two Auckland Guineas (1600m) behind subsequent multiple Group One winners Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) and Waitak (NZ) (Proisir). View the full article

Please click to read the advisory on positive samples linked to plant exposure The post RIB Advisory – Positive samples linked to plant exposure appeared first on Racing Integrity Board. View the full article

Centennial Farms' Donald V. Little, Jr. has been named president of the Belmont Child Care Association, Inc. (BCCA) Board of Directors, a position long held by Libby Imperio, who is stepping down, according to a release from the organization. Imperio's new role will be as immediate past president and advisor to the executive committee. Imperio has been a part of the BCCA board since 2009 and was named president in 2014. A vital part of BCCA and a champion of the backstretch community, she was responsible for several innovative means of supporting backstretch workers, including a college scholarship program which is awarded annually at the Anna House graduation. Under her tenure, the BCCA added a Women's Literacy Program and went from providing annual Christmas gifts for 50 families to 300 families. “My 12 years as president have brought with it so much success and growth to BCCA, and I will be forever grateful for all the support I received from the BCCA board, BCCA staff, and most importantly, the donors for what we have accomplished together,” said Imperio. Little has served on the BCCA board since 2016 and as vice president since 2019. President and co-owner of Centennial Farms since 1990, Little is also Chairman of the United States Polo Association (USPA) Club and holds a number of other equine-related positions. “When I was asked to become president of such an outstanding and important organization for the children and families of the New York Thoroughbred racing backstretch community, it was an easy yes! I am honored to serve and will do my best to help BCCA thrive,” said Little. Learn more about the BCCA at belmontchildcare.org. The post Little to Succeed Imperio at Belmont Child Care Association appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Friday, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, post time: 21:00, CAPE VERDI SPONSORED BY AZIZI DEVELOPMENTS-G2, AED850,000, 4yo/up, SH 3yo, f/m, 1600mT Field: Quid Pro Quo (SAF) (Lance {SAF}), Dubai Treasure (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), Miss Of Change (Fr) (King Of Change {GB}), Capitana Bling (Ire) (Invincible Army {Ire}), Dubai Beach (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}), Riyabovka (Fr) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). TDN Analysis: Saeed bin Suroor is always dangerous with a Godolphin runner, and in Listed Boadicea Stakes heroine Dubai Treasure, he could be heard from in Friday's Cape Verdi. Fellow Godolphin trainer Charlie Appleby sends out Meydan handicap runner-up Dubai Beach. Team Valor's dual South African Grade 1 heroine Quid Pro Quo makes her desert bow, as does Swedish listed victress Capitana Bling. Click here for the complete field. The post Black-Type Analysis: Godolphin Duo Versus Quid Pro Quo In Cape Verdi appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New York's Rockridge Stud has welcomed the first foal by Chewing Gum, a hard-knocking son of Candy Ride (Arg) with 35 starts under his belt and wins including the GII Joe Hernandez Stakes at Santa Anita. His additional four black-type placings include a runner-up performance in the GI Jaipur Stakes to Casa Creed. Chewing Gum's first foal is a filly born Jan. 14 out of Hatta's Appeal (Miracle Man), a winning mare who hails from the extended family of Dayjur and Maplejinsky. Chewing Gum will stand for a private fee at Rockridge in 2026. The post Chewing Gum’s First Foal is a Filly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard Senza Parole (Gun Runner) made light work of six overmatched rivals in what was most assuredly a prep for a return to stakes competition over the coming weeks. The 4-5 favorite was off alertly from the two hole and was allowed to find her footing before creeping closer midway up the backstretch. Kept well out into the track while clocking the pacesetters, Senza Parole went from the fence into the three path in the blink of an eye at the five-sixteenths and the race was all but parceled up. Edging towards the front under a hold turning into the lane, the chestnut went farther clear with each stride to crush. Named a 'Rising Star' when thumping Saratoga maidens in the summer of 2024, Senza Parole was a comebacking second off a 366-day absence at the Spa Aug. 24, was fifth in the GII Gallant Bloom Stakes and gutted out a narrow allowance victory sprinting at Aqueduct Nov. 13. The form of that event was flattered when runner-up Grammy Girl (Mastery) returned to take the Willa On the Move Stakes at Laurel. Senza Parole is the lone starter out of a daughter of three-time graded winner Sacristy (Pulpit), herself the dam of SW & GSP Catiche (Arrogate) and SW & GISP Flor de la Mar (Tiznow). Sacristy's half-sister Mozu Superflare (Speightstown) earned better than $3.7 million in Japan, including a victory–via DQ–in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen. Senza Parole has a 3-year-old half-sister named Senza Piu (Good Magic) and a yearling half-sister by Tacitus. Her dam is due to produce a full-sibling to Senza Parole this season. 7th-Gulfstream, $71,360, Alw (C), Opt. Clm ($62,500), 1-15, 4yo/up, f/m, 1m, 1:38.01, gd, 7 1/4 lengths. SENZA PAROLE (f, 4, Gun Runner–Senza Te, by Street Cry {Ire}) Sales history: $120,000 RNA Ylg '23 KEESEP; $240,000 RNA 2yo '24 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $178,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Don Alberto Stable; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Chad C Brown. Senza Parole and @iradortiz in front in race 7 for trainer Chad Brown. #GulfstreamPark #ChampionshipMeet pic.twitter.com/OE2N3GFWhx — Gulfstream Park (@GulfstreamPark) January 15, 2026 The post Gun Runner ‘Rising Star’ ‘Senz’-ational On Seasonal Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

John Velazquez, who served as chairman of the Jockeys' Guild for more than 20 years and as co-chair with Mike Smith since 2018, will be stepping down from that role. However, Velazquez will remain actively involved with the Guild as a board member. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk What a story it will be if Typhoon Tere could pull off a victory at Blenheim today. Incredibly, the nine-year-old son of Washington VC is having just his second race day start, over five years after his debut at Addington. Then (July 24, 2020) he was trained by Ken Barron. Now he is under the care of Jason and Ian Thomas. Recent years have had their challenges. “At one stage he cracked a pastern and had to be boxed for a while,” says Jason Thomas. That was well before he arrived at their Charing Cross stables in Canterbury. “We have had him about eight or nine months.” Not that he wasn’t exactly in tip top shape when he arrived. “He was a big boy!” laughs Thomas, “we had him on rations for a bit with plenty of dry hay.” Over the months they have gradually worked him into shape. “We’ve got him to the point where he is as good as we can get him and we just hope to keep him sound.” Initially the plan was for Typhoon Tere to resume at Motukarara on December 29. “But he got a virus so we pulled him out,” says Thomas. They then looked around for a suitable grass track meeting and decided on Blenheim. “We thought that after a five year break we couldn’t take him to Addington where they’d run a (1)57-58 mile,” says Thomas, “we need to take our time.” In December Typhoon Tere definitely showed he still has some ability, winning at the Ashburton trials when he came off the back of subsequent Nelson winner Shanky’s Shot. “He went really nice that day” says Thomas. Today he’ll line up in Race 3, the Event Rent Marlborough Mobile Pace (3.17pm). On the back of his trials form he opened a $2.70 favourite. The gelding’s owner Lance Proffit and his “new” trainers will have everything crossed that their patience and hard work will get its reward. View the full article

Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's annual Off to the Races online benefit auction opens Thursday, Jan. 22 at 10 a.m. ET and closes Friday, Jan. 30 at 10 p.m. ET, it was announced Thursday. The online auction provides a chance to bid on 20 VIP racing experience packages, granting access to major race days at renowned racetracks across North America in 2026. “We are thrilled to open the fifth annual edition of the Off to the Races VIP auction,” said Emily Dresen, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, Director of Fundraising & Events. “We can't wait to share these opportunities with race fans and industry participants-there is something for everyone! Thanks to our generous donors, we have the unique opportunity to celebrate the sport of horse racing and provide critical funding to support Thoroughbred aftercare.” Visit thoroughbredaftercare.org/offtotheraces to view and bid on all VIP experiences. The post Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance’s Off to the Races Auction Begins January 22 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Since the death of Ian Balding, we have been reflecting on treasured memories not only of the highly respected trainer but also of one of Kingsclere's greatest patrons, Paul Mellon. It was fitting, therefore, that Andrew Balding should have won at Newcastle last Friday with Level Look, who was bred by Emma Balding at Kingsclere Stud and is raced by the Kingsclere Racing Club, whose horses keep the famous black and gold Mellon silks alive. On a much grander scale, another fitting recent result was that of the General Sires' Championship of Great Britain and Ireland for 2025, in which both the new champion sire (Night Of Thunder) and the runner-up (Wootton Bassett) hail from families developed by Mellon. Continuity was a keystone of Paul Mellon's racing enterprise. The decades passed and he continued to enjoy success with the same families, equine and human. That too is the theme at Kingsclere Stud and Level Look is a classic example. His sixth dam Anippe (Aggressor) was among the two-year-olds trained at Kingsclere by Ian Balding in his second season as the licence-holder, 1965, during which year she won at Salisbury and Newbury. In 1968 she visited the first top-class horse whom Balding trained, Paul Mellon's home-bred 1964 Coventry and Dewhurst Stakes winner Silly Season. The result of that mating was Level Look's fifth dam Siliciana, who was trained by Balding to win the Lincoln Handicap in 1973. All the mares along the line from there to Little Look were trained at Kingsclere, as were all their sires except Little Look's maternal grandsire Intello. (The other stallions who contributed were Mill Reef, Selkirk, Dashing Blade and, most recently, Little Look's sire Passing Glance). Paul Mellon's connection with Kingsclere's human family dates back even farther. He began owning horses in England early in 1936 when sending Drinmore Lad, winner of the Camden Steeplechase Cup in Virginia, to the Wroughton stable owned by the widow of the Hon. Aubrey Hastings, on the suggestion of his compatriot and friend Ambrose Clark. The trainer there was Ivor Anthony, who had taken over the licence after Hastings had died in 1929 and who had subsequently sent out Mrs Clark's Kellsboro' Jack to win the Grand National in 1933. Mellon was welcomed at Wroughton by Mrs Hastings and her family, which included her teenaged son Peter, who was still at school at the time. The plan had been that Drinmore Lad would contest the Grand National. Early betting markets had him disputing favouritism with the mighty Golden Miller, who by this time was trained by Ivor Anthony's brother Owen at Letcombe Bassett, having left Basil Briscoe's Exning stable at the end of the 1934/'35 season. However, Drinmore Lad ran poorly in his lead-up race and didn't contest the great race (in which Golden Miller, who had just won his fifth Cheltenham Gold Cup, fell at the first fence). Drinmore Lad ended up never running in a Grand National but Mellon's love of England and its racing, both National Hunt and Flat, meant that plenty of other big races in Britain would feature his famous silks. There was, incidentally, a nice post-script to Drinmore Lad's tale when, 30 years later, Mellon owned a young National Hunt horse who looked so like him that he named him Drinny's Double. Trained by Bob Turnell, Drinny's Double carried Mellon's colours to victory in the Two-Mile Champion Chase at two consecutive Cheltenham Festivals, in 1967 and '68. Peter (whose surname became Hastings-Bass in 1954 to comply with a stipulation in the will of his maternal uncle, Sir William Bass) reached adulthood in time to serve in the Welsh Guards during the war, after which he acted as assistant to Ivor Anthony for six years before taking over the Wroughton stable. Mellon was a staunchly supportive patron from the outset. In 1953 Peter moved to Kingsclere, which he had bought from Evan Williams. The latter had ridden the Ivor Anthony-trained Royal Mail to victory in the Grand National in 1937 before starting to train at Kingsclere, whence he sent out Supreme Court to win the inaugural King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot, whose value of £25,000 made it the most valuable race ever run in Britain at that time. Peter Hastings-Bass quickly became one of Britain's leading trainers. One notable result came when he provided Mellon with his first major victory in England courtesy of his home-bred American colt Midsummer Night in the Cambridgeshire Handicap in 1960. Three years later, the trainer enjoyed further success with another of Mellon's American home-breds when Secret Step, a four-year-old daughter of Native Dancer, won the July Cup at Newmarket and the King George Stakes at Goodwood. Tragically, Peter Hastings-Bass died of cancer in June 1964, aged only 44. Jockey Club rules did not permit his widow Priscilla to take over, so the license at Kingsclere passed to his 25-year-old assistant Ian Balding. Five years later, Balding married Peter and Priscilla's daughter Emma; two years after that, owner/breeder and trainer secured the biggest prize of them all when Mill Reef won the Derby. And now in 2026, 55 years after Mill Reef's superb three-year-old campaign and 90 years after Mellon made the acquaintance of Peter Hastings and his mother, we have just seen Mellon's colours carried to victory by a horse who has both Silly Season and Mill Reef in his pedigree, who was bred by Emma's Kingsclere Stud and is trained by Andrew. Long-running sagas of friendship don't come much better than that. Level Look's victory at Newcastle, of course, was not at a high level, unlike many of the triumphs during 2025 of the sons and daughters of Night Of Thunder and Wootton Bassett. Fittingly, one of the best contributors to Night Of Thunder's championship season was the Balding-trained Dewhurst winner Gewan. Mellon would have enjoyed that but, in truth, he would have appreciated all of the success enjoyed by both Night Of Thunder and Wootton Bassett. Both stallions have Mellon's Rokeby Farm in Virginia etched firmly in their pedigrees, each descending from one of his best mares. Night Of Thunder's family came to Europe in the autumn of 1979 when his fifth dam Leap Lively (Nijinsky) was one of the yearlings who left Rokeby Farm and headed across the Atlantic to Kingsclere. Ten years previously Mill Reef had made the same journey. She proved to be a very good filly, winning the G2 Fillies' Mile at Ascot as a juvenile in record time and finishing third in the following year's Oaks. She returned to Rokeby and in 1983 was one of the first mares to visit the Star Kingdom-line stallion Green Forest (Shecky Greene) who had been a champion miler in France the previous year. The resultant filly was tiny but had the heart of a lion. Trained by Ian Balding, Forest Flower gave Mellon two of his happiest days in the game. She won three major races as a two-year-old including, most appropriately, the G2 Mill Reef Stakes. The following year she galloped to even greater glory in the Irish 1,000 Guineas. Forest Flower bred nothing as special as she herself had been, despite visiting leading stallions on both sides of the Atlantic including Mr. Prospector and Shirley Heights. She also visited (in 1991) Mill Reef's Derby- and St Leger-winning son Reference Point, a magnificent racehorse who was disappointing at stud. The filly which that mating produced, Hertford Castle, turned out to be one of the most modest horses ever to carry Mellon's silks, cutting no ice at all in three maiden races in 1994. Consequently, she did not gain a place in Mellon's broodmare band. However, at stud she produced two listed-placed winners including Night Of Thunder's granddam Quiet Storm (Desert Prince). Sent to Galileo in 2005, Quiet Storm produced Forest Storm who, trained by Jim Bolger for Miss A. H. Marshall, emulated her dam by winning a maiden race and finishing second in listed company. Those were good achievements by Forest Storm but have been totally eclipsed by her greatest feat, producing a Dubawi colt in 2011 who stands proud as a 2,000 Guineas winner and now the Champion Sire of Britain and Ireland. Wootton Bassett comes from a family which garnered even greater honours for Rokeby. Mellon bought his fifth dam Blue Banner (War Admiral) as a yearling in 1953, on the advice of his original jumps trainer Jack Skinner, and she became a multiple stakes winner and then a terrific broodmare. In the short term she bred several stakes winners, but long term it was her unraced daughter Key Bridge who proved most significant. A daughter of Princequillo (who was also responsible for Mill Reef's dam Milan Mill), Key Bridge is notable not just as the fourth dam of Wootton Bassett but also as dam of two of the best horses ever raced by Rokeby Stable. Key Bridge's first star was Fort Marcy (Amerigo), an outstanding turf horse who won 21 races including the Washington DC International (which in the pre-Breeders' Cup days was easily the most significant turf race in North America) in both 1967 and 1970. In the latter year he was the Daily Racing Form's Horse of the Year. Nearly as great was Key To The Mint (Graustark). Despite not contesting the Kentucky Derby and then finishing only third in the Preakness and fourth in the Belmont, Key To The Mint ended 1972 voted American's Champion Three-Year-Old Colt thanks to a slew of stakes victories including Grade I triumphs in the Whitney, Travers and Woodward Stakes and the Suburban Handicap. Mellon subsequently bred several good horses by him including Java Gold (a three-time US Grade I winner) and Gold And Ivory, winner of three Group 1 races in Europe. Key Bridge's foals also included maiden winner Gliding By (Tom Rolfe), who produced two stakes winners trained by Ian Balding: Clare Bridge (Little Current), who won the Masaka Stakes at Kempton and the Gilltown Stud Stakes at the Curragh, and Song Of Sixpence (The Minstrel), the winner of 10 races including the Winter Hill Stakes at Windsor. Another daughter, Susquehanna Days (Chief's Crown), was less talented but scored at Warwick and Nottingham before being sold by Mellon at Tattersalls' December Sale in 1993 for 16,500gns. She now holds the considerably greater distinction of being the granddam of Wootton Bassett. One of the great gentlemen of the turf, Paul Mellon died in 1999 at the age of 91, but it seems as if his legacy will live forever. The post Mellon’s Great Legacy Encompasses Kingsclere And The Sires’ Championship appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Irish Thoroughbred Marketing boss Charles O'Neill has reported that the five new stallion sons of the late Wootton Bassett – Coolmore's Classic winners Henri Matisse and Camille Pisarro, Tally-Ho Stud's Maranoa Charlie, Rathbarry Stud newbie Unquestionable and Capital Stud's Topgear – are proving to be “a huge draw” for breeders and racing fans embarking on the two-day Stallion Trail, which kicks on Friday morning. Interest in the initiative, which began back in 2015, was also described by O'Neill to be “stronger than ever” with a number of foreign visitors expected to join the loyal cohort of racing fans on the Trail over the next two days. O'Neill said, “We're thrilled by the uptake and, more importantly, how the stud farms have really got behind the initiative. The stud farms have embraced the idea and, only for them, it wouldn't be possible. The first running of the Stallion Trail was back in 2015 and, in year three or four, interest did start to dwindle a little. However, the interest and the enthusiasm for the Stallion Trail from breeders and general racing fans is unbelievable, really. I would go as far as saying it is stronger than ever.” He added, “I think a big factor in that has to be down to the amount of new stallions that are retiring to Irish studs in recent years. And do you know what? The Wootton Bassett factor is proving to be a massive draw for this year's renewal. We have five new stallions by Wootton Bassett and, every second person I talk to, they tell me that they can't wait to get around to see them all. Racing fans love to see good horses, be that on the racecourse or when they retire to stud, so fingers crossed everyone has an enjoyable weekend.” The ITM Stallion Trail is not a parochial event, either. O'Neill reports that, along with the strong cohort of Irish breeders and racing fans, a good number of international visitors will be in attendance over the weekend. He concluded, “We have people from England, France and even Hungary who have come over for the tour. There will be plenty of international visitors on the Trail and I have actually been surprised just how busy the stud farms have been even before the Stallion Trail has kicked off. I'm kicking off the tour myself at nine o'clock in Tally-Ho Stud and I can't wait. There is actually a television crew coming over from France and they start filming at Tally-Ho and we will finish off at Ballyhane Stud before the ITM Mark O'Hanlon Memorial Quiz at The Lord Bagenal Inn in Leighlinbridge, County Carlow. Mark was with us for the first year of the Trail so it's going to be a big thing for us tomorrow night. It's 10 years since his passing and he was a great guy so we will be remembering him this weekend.” The post ‘The Wootton Bassett Factor Is Proving To Be A Huge Draw To The Stallion Trail’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Dec. 20 Gun Runner Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots proved closely matched. A month later on Jan. 17, the next leg of the stakes series for current 3-year-olds there, the $250,000 Lecomte Stakes (G3), appears equally competitive.View the full article