Wandering Eyes

A new year is ushered in at Sha Tin on Thursday with the Lucky Start meeting, where we look forward to 11 races including the feature Group Three Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1,400m). Owen Goulding is in the hot seat to provide an extended rundown of his selections. Race 1 – Class Five Tsung Pak Long Handicap (1,600m) Harry’s Hero was unlucky over course and distance three starts ago and has had further excuses since. He has no weight on his back and is drawn in two. Race 2 – Class Four Hillwood...View the full article

Waikato Stud is mourning the loss of champion mare Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed), who has died at the age of 20, leaving behind an enduring legacy on the racetrack and in the breeding barn. By No Excuse Needed, Daffodil was crowned New Zealand’s champion three-year-old of the 2007–08 season and secured three Group One victories during an outstanding racing career. Her influence continued as a broodmare, where she produced several stakes performers, further cementing her importance to the Waikato Stud programme. Her impact was felt as recently as Boxing Day, when her son Cross Tasman (NZ) (Super Seth) prevailed at Randwick. Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick paid tribute to the mare, saying: “Daffodil will be sorely, sorely missed. She gave us some incredible highs, the highlight being the Australian Oaks on a memorable day for WS as we bred three individual Group One winners on the day in Australia, which was quite extraordinary. “Most of all she was just the most beautiful personality, when you walked into her paddock all she wanted to do was hang out with you and give you a cuddle. She was an incredible part of the WS legacy, and the Chittick family, and she will never, ever be forgotten.” Daffodil’s legacy will live on through her daughters, with three of her fillies now part of the Waikato Stud broodmare band. Her final foal, a colt by Noverre, is set to be offered at the Karaka Yearling Sales in January, where he will go through the ring as Lot 371. View the full article

Te Akau Racing will be tackling plenty of feature targets over the coming days, but one of their more interesting runners will appear on the undercard at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Four-year-old entire Espionage will make his debut for the stable after previously being trained in Australia by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, for whom he won two of his eight starts, including the Gr.3 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate (1000m) and Gr.3 Kindergarten Stakes (1100m), and placed in the Gr.2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m). Bred by Westbury Stud principal Gerry Harvery, through his Australian operation Baramul Stud, Espionage was purchased by James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership for A$1 million out of the 2023 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale. Global thoroughbred giant Coolmore, along with several partners including Sir Peter Vela, purchased an interest in the son of Zoustar last season, and he has been unplaced in his subsequent four starts. Coolmore elected to send him to New Zealand in October to be trained by Te Akau’s Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, for whom he has made pleasing progress, including placing in his 1100m Group and Listed trial at Matamata a fortnight ago. He has particularly made a big impression on Bergerson, who is looking forward to the entire stepping out at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day in the SkyCity 1200, albeit with an unsuitable barrier draw of 13. “He is a very interesting runner,” Bergerson said. “Unfortunately, he has drawn the outside, which doesn’t make it easy over 1200m. “But he is a lovely animal, he is beautifully put together. His temperament will hold him in great stead, he is so laid back you wouldn’t even know he is a colt. He loves his work and he is a real pleasure to have around. “We were happy enough with his trial, he has been very straightforward here at home, he is a lovely horse to do anything with. “I am very grateful for the Coolmore team sending him over. We are looking forward to tomorrow with him, he is just going to need a lot of luck from the draw.” Te Akau trainers Sam Bergerson (left) and Mark Walker. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) With a view to securing his stud career, Bergerson is eyeing elite-level targets with his stable newcomer following Thursday’s run, with the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m) at Ellerslie on Karaka Millions night the first target in the crosshairs. “Hopefully he can run well and we can head to the Railway with him,” Bergerson said. “That is the initial plan and then we can work it out from there.” While Bergerson is looking forward to Espionage making his New Zealand debut, he is also excited about the prospects of several of his team earlier in the day. The stable will have a two-pronged attack in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) courtesy of Origin Of Love and Born To Be Royal. Origin Of Love was runner-up to War Princess in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Trentham earlier this month and will be looking to go one better on Thursday. “It has come up a pretty even field, but like a lot of them, you don’t know whether they are going to get the 2000m,” Bergerson said. “She is a good, tough filly that is really thriving off her racing and is getting better and better each start. We are really looking forward to it, she has got a nice gate (3), with Gryllsy (Craig Grylls, jockey) on, she ticks a lot of boxes. Born To Be Royal was also runner-up last start over a mile at Matamata and Bergerson is looking forward to testing the Group Two performer in stakes company once again. “We would have loved to have won last start, she was a little bit stiff, but she is tracking the right way and we think the step up to 2000m suits,” he said. “We have had this circled in the calendar for a while and it is a really good opportunity at some more black-type for her. She has a nice gate (5) and Opie (Bosson, jockey) onboard certainly helps.” The stable will also have dual representation in the Gr.2 SkyCity Eclipse Stakes (1200m) with Sword Of Stars and Kinnaird. Sword Of Stars has finished runner-up in both of his starts to date, while Kinnaird won on debut over 1100m at Otaki last month. “They are two really nice horses with two different profiles,” Bergerson said. “Sword Of Stars has run a couple of nice placings and has had a raceday start at Ellerslie, which will hold her in good stead. Blinkers go on as well and barrier one is certainly going to help. “Kinnaird has done nothing wrong since Otaki. He has had a quiet week and he has built in really nicely. He had a gallop at Ellerslie last Monday to tick him over. He is a lovely colt but has got a bit of a sticky gate (7), which hopefully we can get midfield one off. “Those two up the top (Harvey Wallbanger and Incandescent) are going to be hard to beat, but we are really happy with both of ours.” Impressive debut winner Drops Of God will kick-off the meeting for Te Akau in the TAB 1200, where she will be on trial for a tilt at stakes level later in the month. “Drops Of God was really impressive on debut,” Bergerson said. “She is a really sharp filly who has done nothing wrong since that win. “It is hard for the three-year-old fillies against the older horses in 65 grade, but we certainly believe she deserves her chance. “She went up with Kinnaird (to Ellerslie) and had a gallop last Monday and has been really good since as well. I am really pleased with her. “If she were to run well we could potentially look at something like the Almanzor Trophy (Gr.3, 1200m).” Te Akau will also be represented by Towering Vision in the Eagle Technology 1600. “It has come up quite a strong race and he has got a bit of a sticky gate (8),” Bergerson said. “He has gotten fitter with each run, and his work has been good leading in and he has Opie aboard, who knows him really well.” View the full article

Stephen Marsh can make a strong case for each of his top-flight contenders at Trentham on Saturday. The Cambridge trainer will be represented by the in-form trio of Ardalio, Tardelli and To Cap It All in the Gr.1 TAB Telegraph (1200m), a race he won in 2024 with Mercurial. “They are really difficult to split, Ardalio is a proven, sharp sprinter but with a sticky draw (11), while blinkers will go on Tardelli and he’s a very good colt,” Marsh said. “To Cap It All is the up and comer with a good gate (5) and she hasn’t had a lot of luck of late,” Marsh said. Ardrossan’s daughter Ardalio has won four of her eight starts, including a most recent victory in the Gr.3 Counties Bowl (1100m) and has since been kept ticking over with a quiet trial. “She’s a high-quality mare and put a very good field away last time out, she’s going super,” Marsh said. Tardelli has been brought back in distance to give the son of I Am Invincible every chance to boost his future stallion value. “At the start of the campaign, we thought he was a miler but we’ve changed tack and think he’s a better 1200-1400m horse,” Marsh said. “That’s why we have identified the Telegraph, it’s aways been a hard 1200m so this could be his race. Eight isn’t a bad draw for him and gives him a bit of room to move.” To Cap It All has finished runner-up in three of her last four appearances and the Capitalist filly is also proven on the course, having won last season’s Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) on debut. “She’s got the draw to get a smother and obviously likes the chute,” Marsh said. “She’s got a great turn of foot, and if she can be ridden a little bit conservatively then I think she can be right in it.” Of the stable’s stakes runners at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, Gr.2 Rich Hill Stud Mile (1600m) candidate Queen Zou is expected to be their best chance of success. “All her runs this time in have been really good and she gets in with 53kg,” Marsh said. “It’s not a full field and you can make a case for the majority of them, but our girl is going great.” Nest Egg hasn’t troubled the scorer for a while, but there was enough in his last effort to suggest he could be a hope at longer odds to turn his fortunes around in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m). The seven-year-old most recently finished sixth in the Gr.3 Waikato Cup (2400m). “He was pretty good and he may be getting a bit long in the tooth, but he’s certainly not out of it,” Marsh said. Meanwhile, Ace High filly Savina will relish a rise in distance when she tackles the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m). “She has had no luck at all and the step up in trip is perfect for her. It will test a few of those other fillies getting up over a bit of ground for the first time,” Marsh said. View the full article

David Eustace thinks a return to 1,400m can be the catalyst for Light Years Charm as he looks to get back on track in the Group Three Chinese Club Challenge Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin on Thursday. One of Eustace’s stable stars, the six-time winner – including one success pre-import in Australia – scored over the course and distance at Class Two level on his second run of his current campaign. That was his fifth win over the Sha Tin 1,400m trip and after drawing wide and failing to see out 1,600m in...View the full article

Jockey Orlando Mojica rode Charles Garvey's Logical Myth to victory in the fourth race at Turf Paradise Dec. 30 for the 3,000th win of his career.View the full article

Spendthrift Farm's blue-blooded homebred Tamara, a talented filly who has battled physical problems since winning the 2023 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1), has been retired.View the full article

Bob Ehalt, for America's Best Racing, handicaps the field of nine 3-year-olds entered in the Jan. 1 race at Oaklawn Park.View the full article

Jamie Ness, who will finish 2025 as the season's leading trainer by wins, will begin a seven-day suspension Dec. 31 for a controlled medication violation.View the full article

This week's racing on radio, television, and streaming schedule compiled by America's Best Racing.View the full article

Bob Ehalt, for America's Best Racing, handicaps the field of nine 3-year-olds entered in the Jan. 1 race at Oaklawn Park.View the full article

The turn of the year always prompts us to look both forward and back, along with Janus, the god of two faces for whom January is named. And that provides a perfect context for Goal Oriented (Not This Time), graduate of a farm with an unrivalled past-and one that has dynamically reimagined its future. On the one hand, the GI Malibu Stakes winner stands for continuity and heritage. Co-bred and raised by the oldest continuously operative Thoroughbred farm in the Bluegrass, he extends one of its most patiently cultivated families. At the same time, his emergence accelerates a regeneration that has already produced a fourth Kentucky Derby winner nourished on the limestone of Runnymede Farm, a model for anyone striving to meet the commercial demands of today with land, bloodlines and lore inherited from master horsemen of the past. Goal Oriented is the latest blossom of a family tree rooted in Kazadancoa (Fr) (Green Dancer), in whom the late Catesby W. Clay bought a stake as a 3-year-old in 1981. Her sister The Dancer (Fr) had been placed in the Oaks at Epsom the previous year, and their dam was half-sister to Runaway Bride (GB), dam of Blushing Groom (Fr). (How nice, whenever people take pleasure and care in the naming of what would prove to be significant horses: Blushing Groom by Red God out of Runaway Bride, herself by Wild Risk out of Aimee.) The Dancer, incidentally, has since united this family with that of the top Japanese stallion, King Kamehameha (Jpn), as third dam. Kazadancoa, who won once in France before her export to the United States, had made a tepid start as a broodmare when Clay bought out his partners at the 1989 Keeneland January Sale, at $30,000. That proved one of the best decisions of his long life. For a start, Kazadancoa produced three graded stakes winners of her own, including one that broke the 6.5f track record at Hollywood Park and another who herself produced a Grade II winner. But what really made Kazadancoa's reputation as a matriarch was the legacy of two daughters who respectively achieved little or nothing on the track. An unraced daughter of Wavering Monarch became dam of five-time graded stakes winner/GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Tejano Run (Tejano), and another Grade II winner besides; granddam of elite juvenile winners either side of the water, in Spring in the Air (Spring At Last) and Palace Episode (Machiavellian); and third dam of another, Sweet Loretta (Tapit), besides two Group scorers in Europe, notably the Classic-placed Laughing Lashes (Mr. Greeley). And then there was Kazadancoa's final foal, a daughter of Saint Ballado delivered in 2000. Named Sacre Coeur, she won a turf maiden in a curtailed career and had just been covered by Divine Park when her dam died in 2011, at the venerable age of 33. Shortly after Sacre Coeur was confirmed in foal, her sophomore daughter by Afleet Alex, Bizzy Caroline, got on a roll: after breaking her maiden at the Keeneland spring meet, she won a Churchill allowance by seven lengths, and then the GIII Regret Stakes. Though she subsequently fell a little short in Grade I company, she added the GIII Mint Julep Stakes back at Churchill the following year. Bizzy Caroline's talent helped her half-sister by Divine Park realize $160,000 as a yearling. That service would soon be reciprocated in spectacular fashion, with the younger sibling turning out to be none other than turf champion Lady Eli, winner of five Grade Is. With that upgrade behind her, an Uncle Mo filly out of Bizzy Caroline made $1.1 million at the 2018 September Sale. Unfortunately that filly never made the track, and nor were any of the mare's other foals setting the world alight. But the Runnymede team had clocked Not This Time's strong start and, with his fee still only $40,000, chose him for Bizzy Caroline's 2021 cover. The resulting colt rode the Not This Time wave, realizing $425,000 at the September Sale-and his name, of course, is Goal Oriented. After playing only a supporting player around two turns, his success in a dirt sprint helps to confirm the versatility of a sire whose recent accomplishments on turf would have made him very eligible to draw out the abundant chlorophyll in this family. And Runnymede, likewise, has cosmopolitan reach. Certainly the farm's affinity with Europe has not diminished since Brutus Clay, extending his family's stewardship into a fourth generation, hired the energetic Frenchman Romain Malhouitre as general manager in 2013. By that stage it had become clear that Runnymede would have to adapt again, as it has done so often since 1867. The genetic roses were pruned; a bunch of new clients were engaged, including Grandview Equine and a Big Brown mare named Mage; and partnerships cultivated with Haras d'Etreham. The dividends at the sales have become conspicuous, but every transaction remains underpinned by a trust that reflects unchanging standards of probity and horsemanship. These, far more than mere acreage and bloodstock, were the most prized legacies of Catesby Clay, who died in 2024 at 101. How proud he would be, to see that the decency, modesty and intelligence ingrained into his son-who operates Runnymede on behalf of seven siblings-can hold out so productively against the challenges of this ruthless commercial era. As a result, an old-school farm with a medieval name has struck a perfect balance to become one of the most goal-oriented forces of the 21st Century Bluegrass. The Law and the Profits One of the first signs that Tiz the Law was going to put legs into his stock was the pinhook that transformed a $30,000 daughter from his debut crop, sold at Saratoga's New York-bred sale in 2023, into a $600,000 2-year-old. That filly proved fairly slow-burning, needing five attempts to break her maiden, but has now amply vindicated her purchase as La Brea Stakes winner Usha. Usha | Horsephotos That Grade I breakthrough sets a perfect seal on Tiz the Law's consolidation with his first sophomores, and will duly reassure the owners of the 274 mares who last spring made him the busiest stallion in the land. If that felt like a startling overreaction to a bright start by his first juveniles, it certainly revealed him to have found a persuasive commercial niche. His fee for 2026 remains $30,000, incidentally, after his third crop of yearlings retailed at a median $90,000. Tiz the Law would appear to deserve plenty of credit for moving Usha's page up in the world, albeit her dam Animal Appeal (Leroisdesanimaux {Brz}) was a fairly talented turf sprinter. She, too, took a little time to get her act together-claimed for $25,000 when third on debut-but got on a roll as a 4-year-old, emphatic winner of allowance races at Belmont and Saratoga before running third in a stakes at the Spa. All six of her named siblings made the racetrack, and five were multiple winners if at an ordinary level. As so often happens, however, the breeders of Usha discarded her dam (acquired for $35,000 on her retirement) at what has turned out to be the turning point. Animal Appeal was sold to Rachid Brothers for just $9,000 at the 2023 Saratoga Fall Sale-halfway through the pinhook cycle that would transform the value of the daughter sold in the same ring three months previously. (The mare appears to have meanwhile been exported to Saudi Arabia.) A tough break, for sure, but the fact is that cautionary tales of this kind can end up costing small breeders a lot of money. They tempt us to hang on, just in case a mare's drift into mediocrity is lucratively reversed the moment we give up. In the vast majority of cases, however, we end up throwing good money after bad. Fighting His Corner with Honor If it's hard enough to get your head around Tiz the Law's book last spring, then how about the total of 19 who dignified Honor A.P.with a visit? It was with due nervousness that we last week awarded him silver on our “Podium” for four-figure stallions in our ongoing series on Value Sires for 2026. You might think that Honor A.P. has enough on his plate, without that additional curse. But he responded immediately, and heroically, with two black-type winners last Saturday: Counting Stars in the Year End Stakes at Oaklawn, and Hollywood Import in the Heft Stakes at Laurel. His second crop of juveniles, which also includes Bashford Manor Stakes winner Romeo, has laid down an impressive marker given that they should thrive with maturity and a second turn. His first sophomores meanwhile include Grade II winner Margie's Intention and the sidelined A.P. Kid, who won the Pennine Ridge Stakes at Saratoga by six lengths. In total Honor A.P. has eight stakes winners from just 94 career starters, compared with 12 from 165 for Tiz the Law, and nine from 186 for another soaraway rival in McKinzie. When the tide recedes so far, so quickly, it's hard to turn things round. But this perennially underrated horse, in his second career as in his first, has the class-whether in physique, pedigree or performance-to reward those who keep the faith at an insulting fee of just $7,500. The post Breeding Digest: An Old Farm Oriented to New Goals appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Volume 19 of IFHA Quarterly, the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities' newsletter produced in partnership with the Japan Racing Association, is online.View the full article

By Michael Guerin The new superpower of one of New Zealand’s elite stables could help them end the season as our leading money makers at Alexandra Park today. While there are two Group 1s tonight, the $250,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup (7.35pm) and $100,000 Peter Breckon Memorial National Trot (6.25pm), most of the national harness racing premierships are already decided. Team Telfer had the trainers premiership won six months ago and put an exclamation mark on that when they broke the national record with win 169 for the season at Westport on Sunday. The driver’s premiership will again prove an easy win for Blair Orange in the year he joined the elite 3000 domestic wins club alongside Tony Herlihy, Maurice McKendry and Ricky May. The junior drivers premiership is closer but Wilson House is poised to win his first title. He heads into today with a four win lead over defending champion Carter Dalgety , 94 wins to 90. But another, less official, title could be won tonight, that of the biggest stakes earning stable for the season, with Robert and Jenna Dunn just $6000 behind Team Telfer heading to Alexandra Park. Neither have super strong teams in today but if Team Dunn are to win the stakes premiership their best chance will come from their growing strength: trotting power. Robert Dunn has been one of New Zealand’s most talented trainers for over 40 years and trained his 2200th domestic winner on Monday but it is only in the last decade he has excelled with trotters, headlined by the brilliant Sundees Son. Since that marvel stomped over the New Zealand trotting scene for three wonderful seasons a few years ago, the Dunns’ trotting stocks have continued to strengthen. They head into today on 109 wins for the season with 44 of those coming with trotters, a record for the Robert and Jenna’s partnership or any other version of the Dunn dynasty over the decades. That makes them our second most successful stable in trotting races this season, 10 behind Michelle Wallis and Bernie Hackett, who almost exclusively train trotters and have 54 trotting wins. If Team Dunn is to top the prize money table for the season it will have to come through Mighty Logan, or less likely stablemate Ya Right Darl, in the $100,000 National Trot. “We love having so many good trotters and this looks an ideal race for Mighty Logan,” says John Dunn, the stable’s No.1 driver and unofficial third training partner. “He has been going great races and gets the draw to lead this time and he will take a lot of beating.” John admits three-year-old filly Ya Rite Darl’s entry against many of our open class stars tonight is a “throw at the stumps” but with nothing to lose. “She is up here, in good form and she will end up racing these horses at some stage next season so she might as well go around and see where she stands.” Ya Rite Darl will be driven by John and Jenna’s son Jacob, one of the finds of the 2025 season, and while it hard to see how she can win tonight her performance could be a pointer to the future of open class trotting as some of our wonderful veterans near the end of their careers. If either of that pair win tonight then the Dunns should end 2025 as our highest money-winning stable. While the enigmatic Oscar Bonavena is an obvious danger in the National another newcomer to the open ranks in Hillbilly Blues could test Mighty Logan because while he is still a work in progress he has the motor of a top trotter. To see the field for the National Trot click here View the full article

By Michael Guerin When one of our greatest ever horse trainers says has no doubts Merlin can handle the 3200m of tonight’s $250,000 Trillian Trust Auckland Cup you have to listen. But as confident as Barry Purdon is in the most favoured of his three reps in tonight’s Group 1 at Alexandra Park, he also admits the enormity of the challenge they face in beating favourite Republican Party. Barry Purdon has trained eight Auckland Cup winners, his first an incredible 47 years ago with Sole Command. He and training partner Scott Phelan not only have Merlin but Sooner The Bettor and Better Knuckle Up in tonight’s eight-horse Cup, with Merlin looking clearly the best of their chances after a strong spring was backed up by a last-start win. But as good as their $1.7million earner is, the pot on Merlin is that he can’t stay 3200m with the same potency he shows in sprint races. That might be a little misguided considering Merlin has had three starts over 3200m for a second, third and fourth all at Group 1 level. He was an average fourth by his standards in the New Zealand Cup last year, a close second with superior performance to winner Republican Party in the Auckland Cup last New Year’s Eve and then was third, and first Kiwi home, in the New Zealand Cup last month, coming from behind Republican Party, who finished sixth after leading. When you take that record into account and the fact Merlin has beaten Republican Party home in seven of their 12 clashes you might wonder why Republican Party is $1.40 tonight and Merlin is $4.80. There are two main reasons. Republican Party has been the dominant pacer in New Zealand for most of 2025, his defeats usually coming at the hands of Aussies superstars Leap To Fame or Kingman. And the other big tick Republican Party has is three Group 1 wins over 3200m to Merlin’s none. Purdon agrees Republican Party is the horse to beat tonight but doesn’t that has anything to do with the distance. “Republican Party has been in the zone for much of the year so he will be hard to get past,” admits Purdon. “But I don’t believe Merlin struggles with 3200m. He has won Derbys over 2600m and 2700m both mobile starts and he was very good in this race last year and beat Republican Party home in the New Zealand Cup.” One of the reasons the two pacers are viewed differently at the moment is that Merlin was so good as a younger horse and won the $1million slot race at four but hasn’t been as dominant in the last 18 months. Whereas Republican Party used to be the brave battler, often behind a race rival tonight in Akuta during his all-powerful younger days, but the Republican Party of the last 15 moths is stronger, faster and almost more arrogant. The reality is whichever of the pair steps quicker from their front line draws tonight can probably lead and intimidate any potential challengers, a scenario Purdon admits he likes the sound of. While that might suit Merlin, put Republican Party in front with no pressure and on his top 10 performances in the last 15 months he should win. Which is where it gets tricky for punters. For all the undoubted class of their rivals, one of the pair should win but it is hard to take $1.40 for Republican Party. That price should drift to some where between $1.50 and $1.70, which might be more palatable for punters but too late for multi bettors. That may motivate some to take the $4.80 for Merlin, or even his $1.85 quote to finish Top2 while others may search for place value, perhaps the best being Better Knuckle Up after his huge NZ Cup fourth and with Tony Herlihy driving. The question mark horse is Akuta, who won this Cup when it was held in May two years ago but needs to find two lengths or more on his recent form to challenge the two favourites today. To see tonight’s Trillion Trust Auckland Cup field click here View the full article