Wandering Eyes

In one of his first public appearances since becoming chair of the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) in September, Lord Allen admitted that there is no “single silver bullet” to ease the significant challenges facing the sport. In a question-and-answer session with broadcaster Lydia Hislop following the 254th Gimcrack Dinner at York racecourse, Lord Allen, whose appointment to the BHA was announced in November 2024, spoke of his desire for the BHA to be a “world-leading authority”. Addressing a gathering of around 200 guests on Tuesday evening, he said, “I used that time to go out and meet a lot of people, whether it was stable staff, jockeys, trainers, owners, whatever. And therefore, although I've only been in the job probably just two and a half months, I think I've listened a lot, because I think we do need to have change. I met 120 people face to face before I joined and what they all said is they were incredibly passionate about the sport.” Retention and welfare of horses, increasing the number of people betting on racing and attending race meetings, telling racing's stories, and the pooling of race day data are all items high on Lord Allen's strategy for change and improvement in British racing, as is the need to boost the sport's coffers. “The truth is we need more money. Collectively, whether it's prize-money, whether it's investment in the sport, we need more money,” he said. None of this comes as news to anyone who has been involved in the sport for a while, as almost all of the guests at the Gimcrack Dinner have been. Reaction from various trainers at the event ranged from calling for exactly the kind of collaborative approach Lord Allen seeks to one of quiet despair that this has all been said before with little subsequent change to the status quo. Change does seem to be afoot, however, in that Lord Allen is adamant that the BHA board must be populated by independent members not tied to a particular sector of the industry. “Change needs to happen at the top,” he said. “And one of the issues I looked at over that 12-month period was why weren't we making the changes? And that was because we had well-intentioned people who were on the board, but they were representing a particular part of the organisation – you're there to represent owners, you're there to represent the licenced personnel, you're there to represent racecourses. And sometimes what happened in that process is that we got to lowest common denominator decision-making.” While admitting that he would not be creating a “brand-new strategy”, Lord Allen presented an overview of areas which need attention. “I do have five Cs,” he said, referring to racing's need to convene, collaborate, coordinate, commercialise and communicate. “I think we could do a lot more if we were much, much more collaborative. The other thing I don't think we do well is communicate. We don't explain our sport to the punters. The thing that surprised me was the C that I found missing was the consumer – the people who pay our wages, who come and turn up and support us. We don't spend enough time thinking about what they want. I come from a consumer and commercial background. We need to do that much, much more. “And then also communicate with government. I think we've had a good start. When I got involved, I thought the [potential rise in] racing tax had a 10 to 20% chance of being avoided. But what really impressed me was literally my first day, being in Westminster and seeing the whole sector stand shoulder to shoulder. And that's what you need to do to influence government.” He continued, “That was a start but it's only the beginning. We need to have a three-year strategic relationship with government that says 'this is what we're going to do'. The other thing we need to do is we need to have a much better relationship with the bookmakers. They are our principal funders.” The BHA's stance during its 'Axe the Tax' campaign in the lead-up to the Budget on November 26 has angered the bookmaking sector which faces hikes in gaming tax that it claims will have a knock-on financial impact for racing. “It's often easy to find differences, but what we're trying to do is find more common cause,” Lord Allen said. “The other thing I think where we are aligned with bookmakers is the black economy. And what I mean by that is the £80 billion globally that goes offshore, that's unregulated. The Treasury gets no money out of it. We get nothing out of it. And I think we can build common cause on that.” Hislop questioned Lord Allen's comments about the potential to become more commercial, given that the BHA has little to sell. “We don't have the assets,” he admitted in response. “We have 200 fixtures out of 1,500 fixtures. I think there's a number of things that we can do in terms of packaging those assets, packaging those rights. And that's why I want a range of people joining our board that have a range of skills. And one of them would be somebody who actually understands rights and rights management. And somebody who would be what I'd call a digital native who actually understands what TikTok is and speaks to a different generation. I also would like somebody who has financial commercial capabilities. I also want somebody to join the board who actually understands the bookmakers' models, which are all different, to actually help us. How do we collectively create more revenue in working in partnership?” This, among others, is a question that will remain unanswered for now, and Hislop, in closing the 25-minute session, pressed the need for those answers to be forthcoming. She said, “I think everyone in the room probably feels that with so many challenges facing the sport, that there is a huge sense of urgency in terms of moving forward, so we look forward to those actions.” The post ‘Change Needs to Happen at the Top’: BHA Chair Lord Allen Addresses Gimcrack Dinner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Turfway Park Synthetic Championships consist of four $250,000 races, two 6-furlong events and two at a mile, all on Turfway's Tapeta surface Dec. 13.View the full article

Tom Hamm, who previously served in a leadership role as the Taylor Made Sales Agency's farm manager, will be returning to Taylor Made. His new role will be as a Thoroughbred Advisor, with an emphasis on the growing Digital Sales marketplace. “Tom has remained close with our team since his successful tenure as our Farm Manager several years ago,” said Mark Taylor, President and CEO of Taylor Made. “We believe the time is right to bring in a new Team Member to add more focus on Digital Sales. Our approach brings great value and a higher net return to our customers through our aggressive promotion of Digital Sales horses. Based on our long-time relationship with Tom, we know he will make us even stronger, as we continue to innovate and deliver exceptional service to our customers.” Tom Hamm added, “I'm excited for the opportunity to plug my existing clients into the resources of Taylor Made and for joining a Team that I have always respected and worked well with.” The post Tom Hamm to Rejoin Taylor Made as Thoroughbred Advisor appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Beginning next month, the New York Racing Association plans to throttle computer-assisted wagering at one minute until post, limiting these high-volume teams to the same six bets per second ceiling that applies to retail customers.View the full article

This week on the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland, get ready for a special Best of 2025 episode. Throughout the year, people from all corners of the industry joined us on the show as the Gainesway Guest of the Week to provide candid conversations and insights. In this episode, we roll out the highlight reel of the most compelling interviews of 2025, bringing back the voices and moments that defined the season. This week listeners will hear from: Griffin Johnson: The popular social media star and entrepreneur discusses his surprising involvement in Thoroughbred ownership and his unique approach to the sport ahead of Sandman (Tapit)'s bid in the GI Kentucky Derby. Junior Alvarado: Following his win aboard Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the GI Belmont Stakes, the Eclipse Award-winning jockey provides candid insight into his biggest wins and the challenges of competing at the highest level. Terry Bradshaw: The legendary NFL Hall of Famer and sports commentator shares his passion for racing, his experience as an owner, and his views on the current state of the game. Tribute to D. Wayne Lukas: A moving collection of testimonials featuring multiple industry figures like Todd Pletcher, Kiaran McLaughlin and Jerry Bailey paying tribute to the enduring legacy of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas. The TDN Writers' Room is also sponsored by the PHBA, the KTOB, 1/ST TV and West Point Thoroughbreds. Click here for the audio-only version of the show or watch below: The post TDN Writers’ Room: Best of 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In-form miler Gringotts has history against him in The Ingham. Already needing to set a modern-day weight-carrying record to win the $2 million The Ingham, favourite Gringotts will now have to do it from the outside barrier. The Ciaron Maher-trained five-year-old has come up with gate 24 in the capacity field of 20 plus four emergencies, adding a fresh layer of difficulty to his task of lumping topweight of 61kg, eight kilos over the minimum. The last horse to successfully carry a comparable impost was Monton, who won the 2011 renewal with 58kg. Despite the draw, Gringotts remains a $3.80 top pick and has been unstoppable carting similar weights at his past two starts when he has captured the Big Dance and The Gong, both over a mile. His presence is regarded as a blessing and a curse by connections of rival runner and defending The Ingham (1600m) titleholder, Robusto. The Bjorn Baker-trained gelding carried 59.5kg when seventh in the Festival Stakes (1500m) last start but with Gringotts so high in the handicaps, Robusto drops to 54kg on Saturday. “The best part about him (Gringott’s) being there is he’s pushing the weights down a little bit,” Baker’s racing manager, Luke Hilton said. “I think weight pulled Robusto up a bit the other day. “He was a little bit flat, but he was going from 1300 to 1500 and now he is going from 1500 to 1600, and he’s third-up. “He is ready to run a peak.” Robusto won last year’s The Ingham from barrier four and has gate six on Saturday, while stablemate Amor Victorious has drawn three. However, the latter’s chances could hinge on track conditions as his best form is on ground rated a soft 5 and better, and rain and storms have been forecast for Sydney during the backend of the week. Amor Victorious finished unplaced on a heavy surface in The Gong and Hilton felt it brought him undone. “He doesn’t like a really heavy track. He gets through it softish, but it just got too heavy for him the other day,” he said. “He took good benefit out of it, he’s had the two runs now and we are still really pleased with him. Back on a drier surface he could definitely measure up.” View the full article

Here To Shock is trained by Ben, Will and JD Hayes – who provide the only three runners backing up from the inaugural edition of the $1 million slot race. They will also saddle up last year’s runner-up Arkansaw Kid and 2024 fifth placegetter Roll On High, who is also owned by Slade Bloodstock and was previously trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman. The presence of Private Eye casts a huge shadow over the event and he is $2.25 favourite with Sportsbet. Slade quipped the best chance of Private Eye’s rivals beating him would involve his float breaking down. Here To Shock hadn’t been over-taxed in terms of starts and that had led to him racing at his peak later in life. From the moment Here To Shock began racing he showed talent, but he was his own worst enemy according to Slade, as he didn’t want to settle in his race. After he started his career with Brent Stanley, he was transferred to Lindsay Park and Slade said it was Ben Hayes’ intuition which helped turn his career around. “He was also maturing but Ben suggested earmuffs and that played a big role in settling him down,” Slade said. Slade pointed out that Here To Shock netted $2 million prizemoney as a seven-year-old gelding last season. Here To Shock became his syndication group’s third Group 1 winner when he was successful in the Waikato Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa in February this year. “In ability, he’s behind the other pair of Group 1 winners Alinghi and Moment Of Change, but he’s a bit unique; they didn’t win $2 million in a season,” he said. “The key to him is that he’s a fairly lightly raced for an eight-year-old having only had 42 starts whereas most horses that age have had a lot more. We’ve never really had any dramas with him.” Here To Shock started his 2025 spring campaign with a first-up third to Private Eye in the G2 P.B. Lawrence Stakes at Caulfield but he had three unplaced runs before he led throughout to win the Testa Rossa Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield at his latest start. Here To Shock also competed against Private Eye in the Moonga Stakes over 1400m at Caulfield two starts ago, finishing sixth behind him. Slade said Here To Shock’s form is better than it looks as ratings-wise he is running up to his best, but he is carrying more weight. “If you look at his times and ratings he ran up to his usual mark, but he was in races he couldn’t win with the weight he was carrying,” he said. “He was in form but he also didn’t look good in the coat; he was one of those horses which didn’t come up in the spring. I looked at him at Lindsay Park the other day and his coat is magnificent and I think he’s coming into his own.” Slade pointed out that Here To Shock will again have to carry a kilogram more weight than Private Eye, making his task harder. “Private Eye had a year in the wilderness and we had a great year so we’re paying the price for that,” he said. “How are we going to beat him? I’m not sure. He might get caught in traffic. “Last time against him we didn’t lead, which even his jockey Mick Dee said was the wrong thing to do. The other day Mark (Zahra) summed the race up the other day and used the catch-me-if-you-can tactics. Here To Shock can take a sit these days, but he is also capable of setting a fast rolling tempo, which could be the case with Daniel Stackhouse riding him on Saturday. Stackhouse rode Here To Shock in last year’s The Supernova, when he sat second behind the front-runner Buffalo River in the run and then defied the challenge of his stablemate Arkansaw Kid in the closing stages of the race. Here To Shock will follow the same path to New Zealand for the Waikato Sprint (1400m), which will be run at Te Rapa on February 7. Here To Shock has Cavallo Park Stud’s slot in The Supernova, while Roll On High has Yulong’s. View the full article

Christophe Lemaire has identified Embroidery as his best chance of tasting a first Longines Hong Kong International Races (HKIR) success since his win aboard Pride in the 2006 Group One Hong Kong Cup (2,000m). One of the leading hopes in a jam-packed Group One Hong Kong Mile, three-year-old filly Embroidery is coming off a stunning year that featured victories in two of the three legs of the Japanese Triple Tiara – the Group One Oka Sho (1,600m) and Group One Shuka Sho (2,000m). “Embroidery is...View the full article

Ryan Moore is hoping Satono Reve can put his best foot forward once again and give the “exceptional” Ka Ying Rising something to think about in the Group One Longines Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. The Noriyuki Hori-trained star is a Group One winner in his own right, landing the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1,200m) at Chukyo in March. Either side of that run, he has felt the wrath of world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising, finishing third in last year’s Hong Kong Sprint and second in...View the full article

Promising filly Places To Be’s first two cracks at black-type didn’t go to plan, but trainer Kelly Van Dyk is hoping to get her preparation back on track in the Wentwood Grange 3YO (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. The three-year-old daughter of Hello Youmzain was impressive when winning by four lengths on debut at Taupo in September but ran out on the turn when looking ominous in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie in October. She took up her customary front-running role in the Listed The O’Leary’s Fillies Stakes (1340m) last start but faded late to finish fifth. Van Dyk, who bred and races the filly in partnership with Ben Kwok, and bloodstock agent Bevan Smith, was happy enough with the run and expects to see plenty of improvement when dropping back to 1200m this weekend. “I am really happy with her. She came through her last run really well at Wanganui. I just think she peaked on her run there,” she said. “It was a few weeks between runs since Ellerslie, where we had a bit of a mishap there where she ran off (around the last bend). I just wanted to get her confidence back, back left-handed, and we were happy with her performance. I think back to the 1200m will be ideal on Saturday.” Places To Be has drawn the outside gate in the eight-horse field, but Van Dyk said they don’t intend to deviate from her racing pattern. “Matt Cameron will be riding her and he has been riding her in her trials,” Van Dyk said. “She does like to go forward, but we certainly won’t be going all out for the lead. If there are other horses that want to take her on, they can, we won’t be getting into a war for the front. “She jumps very well out of the gate and naturally she does want to go forward, and that is where she is happiest. We will be leaving it up to Matt, but ideally we won’t be changing tactics too much, but on the other hand, we won’t be fighting for the lead.” Van Dyk has yet to nail down a summer plan for Places To Be, but said depending on how her filly performs this weekend, she could even head to the paddock for a break. “We will see how she goes on Saturday before we make any firm plans. She could go to the paddock after that,” she said. Stablemate Hit ‘n’ Run will head to Tauranga a day prior, where she has also drawn the outside barrier in the Rob Pinny Maiden 1200. While disappointed in the barrier draw, Van Dyk is hoping a few gear changes will help her mare find some form. “We haven’t had a good few days with barrier draws,” she said. “We have made a few key gear changes with her and would like to see a big improvement. “We think we have sorted out her breathing issues in her races where we thought she was holding her breath a little bit. A tongue-tie and noseband go on, so that will be key to her hopefully improving off her poor form to date. “She is a very good trackworker and she certainly worked the house down on Tuesday. We will be expecting her to show us something this time.” Van Dyk is also busy preparing nine yearlings for next month’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, where she is hoping to build on the strong momentum of last month’s Ready to Run Sale, with the highlight being selling a Written Tycoon colt to James Cummings for $775,000. “We are excited to present another yearling draft off the back of a very successful Ready to Run Sale,” she said. “We have got a really nice draft of nine horses. We have got some beautiful fillies in there. We have got a Per Incanto filly (lot 366) that we will sell on behalf of Duncan Fell, who I think is top-class. “We have also got a Satono Aladdin filly (lot 321) that we pinhooked, and she is a very nice filly as well. “We have got some very nice horses, and I think they should be popular.” View the full article

Wexford Stables partners Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have plenty to look forward to this weekend with a mix of proven and fresh talent engaged on the Waikato Cup programme at Te Rapa. After finishing a luckless second in last year’s Gr. 3 SKYCITY Waikato Cup (2400m), Sassy Lass is primed to go one better despite a formline that on the surface might not suggest as much. “Her Counties Cup run this year was actually better than last year, she only got going late and finished less than a length and a half from the winner,” Scott said. “We’re well pleased with her work since and she’s had a better build-up than last year, when she was coming out of a winter campaign. “This time in we’ve been able to space her races as we’ve wanted to and she’s peaking at the right time, so we’ll be looking for a strong effort from her.” The Staphanos mare, who gets into Saturday’s staying feature on the 53kg minimum, will have a change of rider with Masa Hashizume back in the saddle for the first time since last year’s Counties Cup. Checkmate will contest the Gr. 3 J Swap Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) The Okaharau Station colours will also be carried on Saturday by Checkmate, one of three Wexford Stables runners in the Gr. 3 J Swap Sprint (1400m). The talented four-year-old will be resuming from a short break, stablemate Lux Libertas will be having her first start since June, while Smart Love brings an impeccable formline after winning her only three starts this campaign as well as her last start as a three-year-old. “After his run in the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) we decided spring was coming a bit too soon for Checkmate, so we put him aside and he’s come back looking much better,” Scott said. “He had a lovely trial at Taupo last month, he’s been working well since and he’s there now with a good bit of condition hopefully ready for a big campaign. “Lux Libertas has had the one trial where we didn’t ask her to do a lot and she’s coming into this nice and fresh. She loves Te Rapa and while most of form has been on deeper tracks, we expect that at least to begin with she’ll cope with this better ground. “Smart Love has worked up to this level with some impressive form coming through the grades, so she deserves her chance at a good race. “Her Tuesday work indicated she’s as well as she has been heading into her earlier races and we expect another good run from her.” Smart Love requires one scratching to gain a start in the J Swap Sprint, while she is also an acceptor for the Rating 75 1500m on the Te Rapa undercard. Balancing Wexford’s proven contingent are two juvenile debutants in Saturday’s DJ Bloodstock 2YO, Noverre filly Firebird and Alabama Express filly Dashing Dixie. “We haven’t raced many of our two-year-olds over the past couple of years, but these two fillies have shown us enough to say they should be given the opportunity,” Scott said. “Firebird put in a beautiful trial at Te Awamutu and impresses us as a filly with early speed. “Her mother is a half-sister to (star two-year-old) Ruud Awakening, so we’re thinking the family genetics may have come through to her. “We bought Dashing Dixie to look to race at two and so far she’s lived up to those hopes. She has looked natural and willing in her two trials and going by her training she’s also ready to run well.” The Wexford contingent also includes Tristar, having her first start since finishing fourth in stakes company during the winter and primed to run well in Saturday’s Rating 75 1200m. “She’s a young mare with her share of ability and should sprint well fresh after two lead-up trials,” Scott said. “In the same race I’munstoppable is dropping back in grade and it will be good to see her back left-handed on a track she likes, plus she’ll be helped by a claim with Hayley Hassman engaged.” View the full article

Electron returned to winning form over a mile at Otaki last-start, and owner-trainer Sam Mynott is hoping she can repeat that result at Te Rapa on Saturday in the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m). The five-year-old daughter of Turn Me Loose had been struggling to find form this preparation, but Mynott put her first few subpar runs down to the wet spring. “We didn’t get the preparation we wanted with the weather over the spring, and she was probably running in races quite unsuitable for her,” Mynott said. “She finally got a suitable race, and she was fit from those other runs and it was great to see her get back on top.” Mynott has been pleased with the way she has progressed since that win and is hopeful of adding more black-type to her record, with Electron having already placed in the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) earlier this year. “She came through that run really well, she seems to love a trip away,” Mynott said. “She is a very good eater, so that is never an issue. She has just ticked over and she should improve off that run last time. “She has got a beautiful draw (4), it is nice to get that for a change. It is quite a small field, so I would say she will probably land somewhere near the front and hopefully she is there in the finish.” Following Saturday, Mynott is looking at a couple of Trentham miles with her charge. “We could follow the same path with the Cuddle Stakes and the Easter, and she does hold a nomination for the Group Two mile (Thorndon) at Trentham,” she said. “There are plenty of options around for her.” Mynott will also be represented at Te Rapa by a fresh Joejoeccini in the Dunstan Horsefeeeds Stayers Championship Qualifier (2200m), while Miss Madridista will need the assistance of a few scratchings to make the final field for the Pathways – The Immigration Specialists 1200. “Joejoeccini went to the paddock for a couple of weeks and had a little freshen-up and he has come back a happier, stronger horse,” Mynott said. “He is going really well and hopefully he puts in a good showing. “It is quite frustrating (with Miss Madridista). She is at an awkward rating (68) that makes it quite hard getting a start somewhere. I am really happy with her, she is going super, and if she does make the field, that one draw should be perfect for her.” A day prior at Tauranga, Linkin Park will tackle the Icon Security 1300, while promising three-year-old Sicarius is set to make his debut in the Commerce Lane Chambers Maiden 1400, however, he could be saved for another day after drawing barrier 11. “Linkin Park is going really well, he is due a win,” Mynott said. “It looks a fair enough field and we have freshened him up a little bit. He ran well at Tauranga last start, so hopefully he can keep his nose in front this time. “Sicarius is a lovely gelding, he has shown enough in his trials. He will probably get up over a bit of ground, maybe up to the mile. He tries really hard and he wants to do it, and that is the main thing. “He has drawn a bit sticky so we will just see what happens and we may save him for another day.” Meanwhile, Mynott will head to Ellerslie on Thursday with Classic Champagne and Adlerian, who will both contest the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1400m). “I am happy with both of them,” Mynott said. “Classic Champagne will kick back off. I thought her trial at Waipa was super. We expect to see her settling back and running home strong. She has improved a lot since last season. “Adlerian just blew out a bit and needed the run at Taranaki (last start). It is a nice draw (3) for her, so she will probably go forward, and the 1400m should suit tomorrow.” View the full article

Zac Purton and Hugh Bowman are the most popular picks to win Wednesday night’s Longines Hong Kong International Jockeys’ Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley, but it looks to be a wide-open affair according to the Post’s tipsters and the betting market. Three-time IJC victor Purton and Bowman each got the nod from two of the Post’s tipsters, with the latter sharing $6.5 favouritism with Joao Moreira and the former close behind at $7.5. In what many rate as one of the best IJC line-ups ever...View the full article

The Group One Longines Hong Kong Cup (2,000m) has been hit by another withdrawal, with trainer David Eustace confirming Massive Sovereign will not run in Sunday’s HK$40 million contest after suffering a leg injury. After Japanese raider Lord Del Rey came out of the race with lameness on Tuesday, the scratching of last year’s Hong Kong Derby winner reduces the field for the city’s richest race to just seven runners. The last time the Cup was contested by such a small field was way back in 2007,...View the full article

Beginning next month, the New York Racing Association plans to throttle computer-assisted wagering at one minute until post, limiting these high-volume teams to the same six bets per second ceiling that applies to retail customers.View the full article