Wandering Eyes

After a busy weekend of works, it was a relatively quiet morning for the 20 contenders for Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Monday. Only two Derby horses are expected to have published workouts this week, with Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) and T O Password (Jpn) (Copano Rickey {Jpn}) scheduled to work Tuesday morning. A day before those works, both Japanese runners followed similar routines Monday, warming up in the mile chute for a half-hour before galloping a mile and a half and then returning to the chute to cool down before walking back to the Quarantine Barn. Trainer Brad Cox's Derby trio, GII Louisiana Derby winner Catching Freedom (Constitution), GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. winner Encino (Nyquist), and GI Toyota Blue Grass S. runner-up Just a Touch (Justify) all returned to the track Monday to jog an easy mile following Saturday works. “All three horses exited their works in good shape,” Cox said. “They'll gallop the rest of the week and be ready for Saturday.” Jockey Florent Geroux, who won the 2021 Derby via disqualification aboard Mandaloun (Into Mischief), will be aboard Just a Touch Saturday and was on hand at Churchill to watch the colt train Monday. “I'm really excited about his chances,” said Geroux. “He's light on experience, but he's a very talented colt. I think he's ready to run a big race.” The Chad Brown-trained duo of Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and Domestic Product (Practical Joke) also returned to the track Monday following Saturday works. Both jogged the wrong way once around the Churchill Downs oval during the 7:30 a.m. training period. While Blue Grass winner Sierra Leone has garnered most of the attention, Brown said not to overlook Domestic Product, who will be making his first start in the Derby since winning the Mar. 9 GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. “The horse has really been giving a great appearance here at Churchill, he's really glowing and beaming with energy,” Brown said. “I couldn't be more pleased with both of the Derby colts. Knock on wood they just go into the race this way. Domestic Product, he's a hell of a nice horse. He just looks terrific.” Granpollo Stables' Grand Mo the First (Uncle Mo) galloped two miles t 6:30 under Amel Macias for trainer Victor Barboza Jr. An expected longshot in the Derby, the colt is coming off a distant third-place finish behind likely favorite Fierceness (City of Light) in the GI Curlin Florida Derby, but Barbazo sees a different scenario Saturday. “This time it will be different, a different race,” Barboza said. “The pace will be quicker this time. The last time, nobody fought him. He got away with :24 and :49 and nobody fought him. This will be different.” Ribble Farms, Michael Eisterman, Earl Silver, Kenneth and Dave Fishbein's Honor Marie (Honor Code) galloped 1 1/2 miles at 7:30 a.m. Monday under regular rider Maurilio Garcia. The bay colt, second in the Louisiana Derby, will be the first Derby mount for jockey Ben Curtis. “I came over to North America in November and I never thought I'd be riding in the Kentucky Derby,” said Curtis, a native of Ireland who was riding in Europe. “It's a fantastic opportunity on a horse who I think could show up brilliantly on Derby Day. His stamina is there, his pedigree is there and everything he's shown to this point says he will stay for the 1 1/4-mile. There's question marks on others in the race, but he crosses off a lot of those question marks.” Curtis continued, “He's a very laid back, professional horse. A lot of the good ones are. They know how to keep their cool and use the right energy when it matters when the gates open. The way he goes through a race he likes to warm up into it. He puts himself in the right spots. There's a long stretch here and I think it will suit his running style very well.” Honor Marie won last year's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. under the Twin Spires. The post Derby 150 Countdown: Quiet Morning at Churchill Monday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

During a time where rising costs and a shaky underbelly to the yearling and foal market is causing many producers to rejig their approach to the breeding season, James Cloney certainly did his bit to provide smaller breeders either side of the Irish Sea with some much-needed encouragement when Camille Pissarro (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) entered the Royal Ascot picture by making a winning debut for Aidan O'Brien at Navan last weekend. Sold by the breeder to Coolmore's MV Magnier and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm for 1.25 million gns at the Tattersalls October Book 1 session, Camille Pissarro fulfilled a dream of Cloney's to one day produce a horse that cleared seven-figures in the ring. But the dream is only beginning with Camille Pissarro, a half-brother to Cloney's flagbearer Golden Horde (Ire) (Lethal Force {Ire}), who was bred from bargain buy Entreat (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Subsequent Coventry S. winner River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) won the same maiden that Camille Pissarro picked up on Saturday and Cloney is hoping that his high-profile graduate can follow a similar trajectory. He said, “It's very exciting. Even early doors, the rumours coming out of Ballydoyle was that he is in the top of the juvenile pecking order. It's very hard for that to translate onto the track so you are always cautious with your thoughts. But it was a real relief to see him do it and it's hugely exciting going forward. It's quite unbelievable really because a lot of people wouldn't have thought he would be a real two-year-old type at the sales because he's a big, strong horse but the family has just been really good at producing those two-year-olds.” Cloney added, “If he can be a horse for the future it would be amazing because he's an absolutely stunning horse–very similar to his father Wootton Bassett. He's a faultless specimen.” Cloney's Book 1 achievement was one of the main talking points from the sale. A pharmacist by trade, he keeps just 15 mares along with his father-in-law at their CN Farm in County Kilkenny. The pair acquired Entreat, a Cheveley Park Stud-bred mare, at the July Sale in 2016 through BBA Ireland for just 14,000gns. Her son Golden Horde had already put the pedigree in lights with a G1 Commonwealth Cup victory but clearing a million in the ring was described by Cloney as “a dream” at the time. He recalled, “I think it's still sinking in! It was an unbelievable result. The great thing about horse racing, it allows you to dream about these things the whole time. I was hoping that this horse could be the one to do it. Even taking the mare to Wootton Bassett, it was a pretty big financial gamble for the farm, but when we got a nice colt, we were hoping and dreaming the whole way along. He travelled strong at the sales–anyone who looked at him was keen on him. There was a lot of competition between the Wootton Bassetts at the sale–I think there were 13 others–so, for him to outclass them all, it was something pretty remarkable and thankfully that was reflected in the sales ring.” Cloney has been here before. Not only did Golden Horde fly the flag for the breeder, but fellow Group 1-winning sprinter Dream Of Dreams (Ire) (Dream Ahead) features among his roll of honour, suggesting such results are far from a fluke-regardless of what the modest breeder might try and convince you. “A good dose of luck has been helpful along the way,” he says of his success. “My father-in-law is here every day and respects old farming traditions. We like buying stock with strong damlines. We're not claiming to be any experts but there is a strong focus on damsires here and it is all about the strength in depth of a mare's pedigree, regardless of size or conformation.” Obviously Pivotal ticked a box when snapping up Entreat? “In a big way. Pivotal would have probably been at the top of our list. It's very exciting going forward now because Entreat is in foal to Justify. That was a big risk–not only by sending her to America but financially as well. Thankfully she is in foal on an early cover so hopefully there is more excitement to come. After the sales result, it was nice to be able to go and do something a little bit special. Even before the sale of Camille Pissarro, it was earmarked that we would send the mare to Justify. The stallion has gone from strength to strength and, the morning she arrived, he went on to have winners at the Breeders' Cup. She went to America late last year and the plan is for her to return home here in the coming weeks. We can't wait to have her back here. There is another dream attached to her now. We'll be holding our breath until she returns back to the yard safe and sound.” It begs the question; for a farm that was built on securing value at the sales, is there a temptation to dabble in the higher-end stock, now that the bank balance might allow you to? Cloney explains, “We are still bargain hunting. We added three mares to the broodmare band after selling Camille Pissarro. We bought a Pivotal mare from Cheveley Park, which we stretched the budget to buy at 40,000gns, a Siyouni (Fr) and then one sexier mare called Minoria (GB) [for 115,000gns]. She might not have been for everyone, given she is by Harbour Watch (Ire), but she has already produced a Group 3-placed filly [It's Showtime Baby (GB) (Showcasing {GB})] from her first foal. We know how hard it is to produce black-type horses so, when she did it from her first produce, we said we'd try and buy her. It looks a promising family.” He added, “Selling Camille Pissarro did allow us to reinvest. Sometimes I think we have more imagination than what the market wants so it was nice to be able to get those mares over the winter. In general, the principals will stay the same.” When Dream Of Dreams burst onto the scene, Cloney was at a very different juncture of his life. The breeding business was just getting off the ground and there was a small matter of a wedding to pay for. As it transpired, the farm was forced to sell the dam of the Sir Michael Stoute-trained sprinter. While Cloney acknowledges that there is a different kind of pressure hanging over the operation some years later, he admits to being able to enjoy the emergence of his latest start that bit better. He explained, “We've actually put ourselves under similar pressure. When we produced Dream Of Dreams, we were a little bit tight on grazing ground, so we relocated only a mile away but it meant getting a new farm up and running and putting in new facilities. There was a home found for the Camille Pissarro money very quickly! But we are in a place now where we can breed for a lifetime. It's a top-class area for producing racehorses and that has been proven by a lot of our neighbours here in Kilkenny.” The post Breeder James Cloney Excited By Royal Ascot Prospect Camille Pissarro appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The phrase “we'll never see his or her like again” is poignant, heartfelt, and often not true. To say the all-time greatest in sport has already been and gone traps us in the past. When Frankel won the 2011 2,000 Guineas with radiant ease I called the sports desk of The Observer from the football match I had been sent to cover and urged them to clear the decks for their Newmarket report. “The 2,000 Guineas isn't meant to be won like that,” I told my sports editor. A wonder horse had blazed into racing history and we needed to do it justice. The performance (never mind the result) demanded more than the standard 500-word account. A wise man, my old boss avoided journalism's cardinal sin of under-selling a great story. Painted on the canvas of the following day's Observer was Frankel in his trailblazing pomp. And on that day the first colts' Classic acquired a gold standard for the modern age. Across Frankel's 14 wins (10 at Group 1 level) a taboo was laid down. You could say a horse was good or even great but to compare it to Frankel was heresy. Until, that is, City Of Troy came along. With the usual caveat that the future stud values of these good horses is always a consideration, the connection made between City Of Troy and Frankel by his part-owner Michael Tabor after last year's Dewhurst Stakes was the boldest use of the F-word in the decade or so since Sir Henry Cecil's equine masterpiece retired. “He really is our Frankel,” is the way Tabor put it. The point is that we have to believe an equal or even more illustrious horse may one day come along When you re-watch both races, you see once more why this is the riskiest juxtaposition in town. City Of Troy made all in the Dewhurst Stakes for two-year-olds and surged away in the final furlong. In a Classic, Frankel obliterated the opposition from stride one. Two lines from that 2011 racecourse commentary are immortal. “At halfway Frankel is almost 10 lengths clear!” And… “At the Bushes, Frankel is 15 lengths clear!” Not normal. In fact – barely comprehensible. But be quick if you want to have the pub debate. If City Of Troy wins the Guineas his career path will diverge from Frankel's, rendering a direct comparison obsolete. He has been mentioned as a potential Triple Crown challenger – a quest the team's Camelot narrowly failed to complete in 2012 – while a trip to Saratoga for the Travers Stakes has also been mooted by his trainer. If Frankel's all-time No 1 standing has an exploitable crack, the story of Sea The Stars shows where it is. Two years before Henry Cecil's parting gift to racing, Sea The Stars won the 2,000 Guineas, Derby, Eclipse, International Stakes, Irish Champion Stakes and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, from 8-12 furlongs, from spring to autumn, from England to Ireland to France. In my book Frankel's majesty is unsurpassable. Equally unmoveable is the fact that he never raced beyond an extended mile and a quarter and ran only in England. Sea The Stars displayed greater versatility. City Of Troy may do so too. His pedigree and racing style suggest enough speed to win a Guineas and sufficient stamina to thrive at middle-distance. Frankel's offspring have won races across the distance scale. He, too, might have stayed a mile and a half but was never asked to. Cecil's genius in teaching him to settle was fully tested only in his last two outings, at York and Ascot, on Champions Day. Taboos close off the possibility that anything could be better than the best thing you think you've ever seen. They enshrine the past as unsurpassable and trap a sport in nostalgia. Tennis fans probably thought Borg v McEnroe v Connors would never be beaten. Then along came Federer v Nadal v Djokovic v Murray. Aficionados debated whether Pele or Maradona had set an unmatchable benchmark for football until Messi and Ronaldo came along. Emotion and subjectivity fuel these debates. People form personal allegiances to horses and humans and rush to the barricades to defend them. Often they are not comparing like with like. Pele and Maradona faced the combine harvester tackling of their eras. The legs of Messi and Ronaldo, on the whole, have had greater protection. And so on. To even be having this conversation in the week before the Guineas may seem sacrilegious, presumptuous, vulgar. Frankel did it all. City of Troy still has it all to do. No piece of writing can discredit a journalist quite like a preview. But this isn't a tipping piece on how good City Of Troy is. Nor is it clairvoyance on whether Frankel's hallowed status will survive the year (O'Brien's horse would need to win the Triple Crown in some style to threaten it). The point is that we have to believe an equal or even more illustrious horse may one day come along. Otherwise we're always just venerating the past, rather than living in the present. The post City Of Troy’s Challenge Keeps Us Rooted in the Present appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

SIS (Sports Information Services) will carry over 500 races annually from Spain as part of its live racing offering, having extended its agreement with Spanish horse racing organisation Asociación de Hipodromos Españoles for a further three years. Meetings staged at six of Spain's leading racecourses will continue to be broadcast by SIS, specifically at Hipódromo de La Zarzuela, Dos Hermanas, San Sebastian, Sanlúcar, Pineda and Son Pardo Y Manacor. Key contests in the 90-meeting calendar include the Gran Premio de Madrid and San Sebastian Gold Cup. This is the latest agreement struck by SIS who recently announced the addition of premium fixtures from Korea and Poland. Conall McSorley, head of racing at SIS, said, “The Spanish market is very important to SIS and horse racing from across the country has been an integral part of our live racing offering as it has grown in quality. “To renew our agreement for a further three years underlines how much we value the top-class racing throughout the year and is consistent with our mission to bring operators and their customers the widest range of betting opportunities from around the world.” Rafael Marquez Ojea, president of the Asociación de Hipodromos Españoles, said, “Since 2019, SIS has been an invaluable partner in taking our races to new audiences worldwide. Extending our partnership with SIS made strategic sense as we look to further strengthen our presence within the global betting industry and ensure greater visibility for our compelling schedule of races.” The post SIS Agrees Long-Term Extension Of Spanish Horse Racing Coverage appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tom Pedulla is interviewing prominent owners, trainers, and jockeys as they travel the Road to the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday, May 4, at Churchill Downs.View the full article

Al Shira'aa Racing have been announced as the new sponsors of the race previously known as the Cornelscourt S., won in 2023 by the classy Zarinsk (GB) (Kodiac {GB}). The G3 Al Shira'aa Racing 'Mutamakina' S., run over a mile for three-year-old fillies, will be held at Leopardstown Racecourse on Sunday, May 12. The race will be named after Al Shira'aa's high-class racemare Mutamakina (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). A Listed winner and Group 2-placed when trained in France by Carlos Laffon-Parias, Mutamakina later moved across the Atlantic to Christophe Clement for whom she won four races, including the GI E. P. Taylor S. at Woodbine. Mutamakina now resides at Al Shira'aa's Meadow Court Stud in County Kildare, where she has a two-month-old foal at foot by Wootton Bassett (GB). Kieran Lalor, Al Shira'aa Racing's general manager, said, “It is an exciting opportunity to partner up with Leopardstown for this important Group 3 race over eight furlongs for fillies. We have enjoyed great success on course at Leopardstown, highlighted last year with Ocean Jewel and Atlantic Coast both winning Group 3 races. “Mutamakina was a very important racemare for us and even more so now as a broodmare. We are delighted to recognise her talent and importance to us by adding her name to this race.” Tim Husbands, Tim Husbands, CEO of Leopardstown Racecourse, added, “We are delighted to welcome Al Shira'aa Racing as the sponsor of the Al Shira'aa Racing 'Mutamakina' Stakes. Al Shira'aa Racing's pursuit of excellence through their racing and stud operation has been exciting to watch since taking over Meadow Court Stud in 2016. “Al Shira'aa's investment in the stud places it amongst some of the finest in Ireland. Their continued investment into the industry shows their commitment to Irish Racing.” The post Al Shira’aa Racing Sponsor Group 3 On Derby Trials Day At Leopardstown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The eight-day Los Angeles County Fair meet at Los Alamitos, which runs from June 22 through July 7, will include three stakes races. Leading the trio is the $200,000 GII Great Lady M S., which will be run July 6. The 6 1/2-furlong race is for fillies and mares and was won a year ago by Eda (Munnings). The $100,000 Los Alamitos Derby will be run June 29 and the $100,000 Bertrando S. for 3-year-olds and up bred or sired in California will be run June 22. Racing will be conducted Saturday through Sunday the first two weeks (June 22-23 and June 29-30) of the Los Angeles meet and then Thursday through Sunday (July 4-7) the final week. Post time will be 1 p.m. The post Great Lady M Tops Los Alamitos Meet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Following Monday's confirmation stage, City Of Troy (Justify) remains the standout name among 14 colts who have stood their ground for Saturday's G1 Qipco 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket. Unbeaten in three starts as a two-year-old, G1 Dewhurst S. winner City Of Troy is the odds-on favourite to provide trainer Aidan O'Brien with a record-extending 11th success in the first British Classic of the season. O'Brien also has G1 National S. winner Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) still engaged, plus G2 Champions Juvenile S. hero Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and G2 Coventry S. winner River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), although there remains a high likelihood that City Of Troy will be the sole runner from Ballydoyle. G1 Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere winner Rosallion (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) and Ghostwriter (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who won the G2 Royal Lodge S. over the same course and distance as the 2,000 Guineas last September, spearhead the home challenge, along with a pair of unexposed all-weather graduates in Night Raider (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). “He's a lovely animal and, whatever he does on Saturday, he's going to keep improving through the year,” trainer Karl Burke said of Night Raider. “He's got a lot of scope and I'm sure he's a Group 1 horse in the making. “I don't think I've seen a horse work better up the Polytrack in Middleham in the 23 years we've been here. He's just got an awfully high cruising speed and he can quicken off it as well. Clifford Lee rode him for the first time in a long time this morning and he said it's like driving a car with 10 gears–every time you time you move on him he goes forward. “I'm really looking forward to seeing him run and there's no real pressure with him. There's a few horses with bigger reputations than him going into it and hopefully we can burst a few balloons.” Notable Speech is set to be the only runner for trainer Charlie Appleby, who has decided not to confirm his G1 Futurity Trophy winner Ancient Wisdom {Fr}) (Dubawi {Ire}) as he seeks a second victory in the 2,000 Guineas after that of Coroebus (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in 2022. Bucanero Fuerte (GB) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who won the G1 Phoenix S. as a juvenile, was another notable absentee at the five-day entry stage. In Sunday's G1 Qipco 1,000 Guineas, G2 Duchess Of Cambridge S. winner Persian Dreamer (Calyx {GB}) and Paddy Twomey's highly regarded One Look (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) failed to appear among 20 fillies still in contention on Monday. Richard Fahey's Pretty Crystal (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has been supplemented at a cost of £30,000, setting up a rematch with the filly who chased her home in the G3 Nell Gwyn S. earlier this month, Dance Sequence (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Appleby is also responsible for Meydan Listed winner Cinderella's Dream (GB) (Shamardal), but Dance Sequence looks to be the stable's first string, behind only Group 1-winning juveniles Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the ante-post betting. Fillies' Mile winner Ylang Ylang is sure to have plenty of supporters for the Ballydoyle team which is seeking an eighth win in the 1,000 Guineas, but Burke is unflinching in his belief in Fallen Angel, who ended a productive two-year-old campaign with victory in the Moyglare Stud S. at the Curragh when Ylang Ylang was down the field. “I think they've got us to beat, I really do,” said Burke. “I know Ballydoyle will give you plenty of excuses for Ylang Ylang's defeat in the Moyglare, but she's got nine or 10 lengths to make up on us. “Obviously Charlie's filly [Dance Sequence] got beat the other day and that form doesn't look strong enough to win a Guineas. I'm sure Charlie's horse will improve, but on all known form I think we deserve to be favourite. Fallen Angel is very versatile ground-wise, anything from soft to good to firm would suit–I think the ground will be perfect whatever it is.” The post City Of Troy Stars Among 14 In 2,000 Guineas; Fallen Angel One Of 20 In Fillies’ Equivalent appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Were you at the Rowley Mile on October 17, 2014? Those autumn meetings are always special, and that particular Group 1 race day saw Belardo (Ire) beat Kodi Bear (Ire) in the Dubai Dewhurst S. some 35 minutes after what now looks to have been a rather special running of the Dubai Fillies' Mile. If you were there that day you can reflect on the fact that you saw the dams of this weekend's favourites for the Qipco 2,000 Guineas and Qipco 1,000 Guineas finish first and second in the Fillies' Mile. Coolmore's Together Forever (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was already a half-sister to a Group 1 winner in Lord Shanakill (Speightstown) when she lined up to claim her own top-level win. Four years later her confusingly named full-sister Forever Together (Ire) would triumph in the Oaks. Now, Together Forever is in danger of becoming better known as the mother of the colt whose return is hotly anticipated on Saturday: City Of Troy (Justify). Her runner-up at Newmarket, by half a length, was the G2 May Hill S. winner Agnes Stewart (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) in the colours of Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics. Last September Agnes Stewart's daughter Fallen Angel (Ire) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) became Parkin's first homebred Group 1 winner when landing the Moyglare Stud S. On Saturday, she has an excellent chance of becoming his first Classic winner, though challenging her for 1,000 Guineas favouritism is the most recent Fillies' Mile winner, Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Adding further credence to that contest of a decade ago is the third-placed Winters Moon (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}). She didn't achieve much on the track thereafter but her celebrity is ensured as the dam of Godolphin's dual Group 1-winning juvenile Earthlight (Ire) (Shamardal), whose first runners are emerging this season. Then in fourth there was Rockliffe Stud's Marsh Hawk (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). Her daughter Trillium (GB) (No Nay Never) claimed the G2 Flying Childers S. of 2022, narrowly beating the subsequent G1 Prix de l'Abbaye winner The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}). When the British Champions Series was launched, Newmarket's major October meeting was shuffled around a bit and rebranded as Future Champions Day. Clearly it is a label which is applicable not just for that particular generation, but also for those in the decades to follow. The post Snapshot: Fillies’ Mile, 2014 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day and the connections of 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish, along with the three artists behind the “Brushes and Bronze” exhibition, will be on hand for the show's finale at the Louisville Thoroughbred Society May 1. The trio of acclaimed equine artists–portrait painter Jaime Corum, impressionist painter Lisa Palombo and sculptor Jocelyn Russell–will be joined by Day, winner of the 1992 GI Kentucky Derby, Kelly and Leslie Dorman–the parents of Cody's Wish's namesake Cody Dorman–and Danny Mulvihill of Godolphin's Gainsborough Farm; and Theresa Collins, great-granddaughter of Rosa Hoots, who 100 years ago became the first woman to both own and breed a Kentucky Derby winner, 1924 champion Black Gold. The May 1 event will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at LTS, located at 209 E. Main St. in Louisville. The event is open to the public with free admission, but space will be limited so pre-registration is recommended. Click here to register. Proceeds from live paintings and bourbon bottle customizations will benefit the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). The post Pat Day, Connections of Cody’s Wish at Louisville Thoroughbred Society Exhibit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) have reported increased attendances at Irish horse racing fixtures in the past year, in part due to growing engagement with younger fans. According to research conducted by the Red C Horse Racing Ireland Tracker, involving over 1,000 interviews between February 8-14, 45% of people aged 18 to 34 attended a race day in 2023, up from 40% the previous year. Other notable results were as follows: 46% of 18-34s are interested in attending future horse racing fixtures – an increase of 13% 38% of 18-34s plan to attend more horse racing fixtures than last year – an increase of 11% 30% of 18-34s declared an interest in horse racing – an increase of 5% 47% of sports fans are interested in horse racing As part of their strategy to engage the 18-34 demographic, HRI became the first sporting body in Ireland to launch WhatsApp as a platform for conversational selling in 2023. To date 3,562 people have registered, with an average open rate of 93%. HRI also activated its first live Tik Tok campaign at this year's Cheltenham festival. This involved a live stream from the gallops each morning hosted by Bernard Jackman and Fran Berry, interviewing jockeys, trainers and stable staff, giving followers a behind the scenes look at the biggest week in the National Hunt calendar. This partnership proved extremely popular, with 1.9 million unique viewers and 3.6 million video views across the week. Launched in March 2022, HRI'S Tik Tok channel now has over 46,000 followers, over 60% of whom are between 18-34. Aileen Goatley, HRI's head of marketing, said, “We're thrilled to see the continued growth in positive sentiment towards the sport amongst the 18-34 age group; it tells us that our targeted communications are resonating. “We have seen the impact across multiple festivals over the past year where this younger audience are attending regularly and enjoying the full race day experience. This is vital for us as ultimately the long-term sustainability of the sport is secured by attracting younger fans and ensuring they have a positive engagement with the sport and the race day experience. “This is a very engaged audience who want to know more about the sport and the work that goes on behind the scenes to deliver a race day, so it gives us a great opportunity to tell the stories of the people in the industry which supports over 30,000 jobs and is worth over €2.46bn to the Irish economy.” The post Horse Racing Ireland Growing Engagement With Younger Fans appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Te Akau Racing's 10-time Group 1 winner, Imperatriz (Aus), will be offered virtually at the 2024 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale on Tuesday, May 28. Trained by Jamie Richards at the beginning of her career before Mark Walker took over in Matamata, Imperatriz won 19 of her 27 starts, with the last of her 10 Group 1 victories coming at Moonee Valley in March when she won the William Reid S. for the second year in succession. She then finished a close-up fourth in the G1 TJ Smith S. at Randwick earlier this month on what would prove to be her final start. David Ellis CNZM bought Imperatriz for A$360,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and Te Akau's principal felt it was fitting that the daughter of I Am Invincible (Aus) should be offered as a broodmore prospect at Magic Millions, though she will remain at the picturesque Te Akau Stud in New Zealand while the sale unfolds on the Gold Coast in Queensland. “Ultimately we decided that she was sold as a yearling at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale–that's where we would go to sell her as a breeding prospect,” Ellis explained. “When people see her, she'll sell herself. She's as beautiful looking a mare as you'd ever see and she's already let down into a beautiful broodmare. It is hard to believe just how good Imperatriz looks.” On the decision to sell Imperatriz virtually, Ellis added, “We just thought that if people are interested in her they will be over to see her. It wasn't necessary to bring her over, and for GST reasons. “There were no problems with travel, as we all know she's a great traveller, so there was no reason why she shouldn't travel. She's sound as anything but it wasn't necessary and Magic Millions are going to do it all online and her live cast for the sale.” Barry Bowditch, managing director of Magic Millions, added, “It's hugely exciting for Magic Millions. The team here are buzzing about the news; to have been allowed the opportunity by Te Akau Racing, David Ellis and Karyn Fenton-Ellis to sell Imperatriz is massive. “I believe she's the most highly credentialed mare to go to auction in my time in the industry. She holds the highest rating in the world for a mare right now. With 10 Group 1 wins and sired by our Champion Sire I Am Invincible, Imperatriz ticks every box. “I expect interest from all corners of the globe and history could be made here on the Gold Coast from a broodmare-selling perspective.” The post World-Class Sprinter Imperatriz To Be Sold Virtually At Magic Millions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

What Warrnambool May Racing Carnival Day 2 Where Warrnambool Racing Club – 2-64 Grafton Rd, Warrnambool VIC 3280 When Wednesday, May 1, 2024 First Race 11:20am AEST Visit Dabble The Listed Wangoom Handicap (1200m) headlines a 10-race program on the second day of the 2024 Warrnambool May Racing Carnival. As expected, the track is improving with each passing day, although it will likely remain in the Soft range on Wednesday. The rail will stay in its true position, with the action from the ‘Bool commencing at 11:20am AEST. Wangoom Handicap Tip: Senegalia Senegalia has strung together consecutive victories at Flemington and Bendigo thanks to a strong turn of foot. This is her toughest test to date, but she brings the right form. The five-year-old mare will likely need a touch of luck from barrier 10 under Celine Gaudray, but if the pair can avoid getting trapped three wide with no cover, Senegalia has the class to win the Wangoom Handicap. Wangoom Handicap Race 8 – #9 Senegalia (10) 5yo Mare | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Celine Gaudray (54kg) Bet with Picklebet Best Bet at Warrnambool: Duke Of Bedford Duke Of Bedford spaced his rivals at Ballarat over 3250m on April 7. Having stalked the speed throughout, he managed to put his rivals away with relative ease inside the final furlong. The five-year-old gelding will be up on speed again, and once the pressure goes on approaching the home turn, Duke Of Bedford will exert his class on his rivals late. Best Bet Race 4 – #2 Duke Of Bedford (11) 5yo Gelding | T: Andrew Bobbin | J: Tom Ryan (70kg) Bet with Picklebet Next Best at Warrnambool: Jabbawockeez Jabbawockeez was massive in defeat first-up at Caulfield on April 6 when gunned down late over 1400m. With a second-up win to his name already, the son of Redwood appears primed to strike in the Warrnambool finale. Daniel Stackhouse will have Jabbawockeez settled towards the rear of the field, but armed with a strong turn of foot and an ability to handle soft decks, he looks too hard to hold out. Next Best Race 10 – #9 Jabbawockeez (14) 5yo Gelding | T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes | J: Daniel Stackhouse (60kg) Bet with Dabble Next Best Again at Warrnambool: Engeline With two runner-up performances in three runs to begin this campaign, the Nick Ryan-trained Engeline looks set to go one better this time. Everything the Make Believe mare has produced in her career suggests she will relish the step up to 1700m for the first time. Barrier 11 is offset by her desire to run on from the back, and with a genuine tempo expected, the race sets up perfectly for Engeline to blouse her rivals. Next Best Again Race 2 – #12 Engeline (11) 4yo Mare | T: Nick Ryan | J: Rhys McLeod (57.5kg) Bet with Neds Warrnambool races quaddie tips – 1/5/2024 Warrnambool quadrella selections Wednesday, May 1, 2024 1-7-8-10 1-2-5-9-12-13-16 2-5-6-10-13 3-9 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

What Happy Valley Races Where Happy Valley Racecourse – Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley, Hong Kong When Wednesday, May 1, 2024 First Race 6:40pm HKT (8:40pm AEST) Visit Dabble Hong Kong racing returns to the bright lights of Happy Valley Racecourse on Wednesday evening for a competitive nine-race program. The rail moves back to the A position, and although this would usually mean a fair track throughout the night, heavy rain across the region may prove the telling factor as the surface deteriorates. The opening event is scheduled to get underway at 6:40pm local time. Best Bet: Simply Maverick Simply Maverick was sensational at this course and distance on April 10, launching a late challenge to miss by a nostril. You can argue the son of Sebring should have won on that occasion, only managing to slot in for cover in the middle stages. He should be able to gain a more economical run from barrier seven this time, and with leading hoop Zac Purton electing to stick aboard, Simply Maverick appears primed to go one better in this Class 3 contest. Best Bet Race 8 – #4 Simply Maverick (7) 4yo Gelding | T: Ricky Yiu | J: Zac Purton (59.5kg) Bet with Bet365 Next Best: Volcanic Spark Volcanic Spark ventures to Happy Valley for the first time on the back of a solid performance at Sha Tin on April 7. After appealing to hit a flat spot with 400m left to travel, he let down with a blistering turn of foot from the 200m marker. The Happy Valley circuit should help the Ricky Yiu-trained gelding slingshot off the bend when the whips are cracking, and provided he can handle the testing conditions, Volcanic Spark should figure in the finish. Next Best Race 2 – #3 Volcanic Spark (7) 4yo Gelding | T: Ricky Yiu | J: Harry Bentley (60.5kg) Bet with Bet365 Best Value: Embraces Embraces impressed at the Happy Valley barrier trials on April 19. He was ridden with cover throughout the journey before being niggled along by Jerry Chau, holding his position comfortably while most of his rivals were ridden out to the wire. Watch for Chau to be a bit more aggressive and slot into the one-one from barrier five, and if he can gain a economical run in transit, Embraces should give followers at sight at an each-way price with online bookmakers. Best Value Race 4 – #4 Embraces (5) 3YOG 3yo Gelding | T: Jamie Richards | J: Jerry Chau (a1kg) (57.5kg) Bet with Bet365 Happy Valley quadrella selections Wednesday, May 1, 2024 2-3-4-9-10 3-6-11 1-3-4-7 1-2-3-10-11 Horse racing tips View the full article

By Adam Hamilton As if facing Ladies In Red wasn’t a big enough challenge, buzz Kiwi mare Aardies Express will have to overcome a horror draw in Saturday night’s $200,000 Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Mile at Menangle. The barrier draw totally reshaped betting on Australia’s biggest mares’ race with Ladies In Red firming from $2.50 to $1.65 after landing gate two, while Aardies Express drifted from $2.50 to $3.40 from out wide in gate 11. She’ll start from nine if the emergencies come out. Ladies In Red’s driver David Moran knows the importance of the draw. “I was sweating on it, don’t worry about that,” he said. “How could you not be impressed with Aardies Express’ win the other night. She was super impressive. “I hoped to draw inside her and we’ve done even better than that. Two is pretty much ideal and having her out wide is another big advantage to us. “We’ll go out hard and at worst be right on the speed and in the first few. Ideally, I can keep pushing forward and get the lead. That’s where I’d love to be. “I guess that will depend on how much speed there is outside me and how hard they want to come out.” Despite Ladies In Red now being a six-year-old, Moran insists she is at least as good as ever through a career of 32 starts for 25 wins and over $1 million, including seven Group 1 wins. “She might be the best she’s ever been,” he said. “That might sound a big call, but Emma (Stewart) and Clayton (Tonkin) have been really excited about her at home and she felt absolutely awesome winning last start. “That’s as good as she’s felt, so strong and with all her speed.” Ladies In Red’s stablemate Treachery has been backed from $14 into $8 from gate three and many believe she will be the early leader. Moran’s “Plan A” will be to push forward and try to be first to get to Treachery and take the lead. Another former Kiwi Illavabubbles has gate one, but is unlikely to have enough speed to hold the likes of Treachery early. Aardies Express, who blasted a 1min48.9sec mile to win from the death on debut in Aussie, will have to do plenty of work again from such a wide draw. Trainer Jack Trainor confirmed he would definitely drive her over stablemates Manhattan (gate 10) and defending champion Braeview Kelly (five). Ladies In Red is part of a potentially huge night for Stewart and Tonkin. They also have dominant NSW Oaks favourite Very Pretty, who won her heat by 17.5m in blistering time last Saturday night. “We’ll all learn a lot from that, too,” driver Mark Pitt said. “She touched the sulky a few times which got her fired-up and had to let her go a bit quicker than we planned, but she still felt great on the line.” Very Pretty, unbeaten in seven starts, is $1.35 from gate six in the Oaks, ahead of Millwood Bliss (gate two, $4.80) and Lux Aeterna (eight, $6). View the full article

Former northerners Loftys Gift and Medina are starting to leave their mark in the south, with the pair securing a winning double for trainer Robert Dennis at Wingatui on Sunday. Medina was just having her third start for Dennis in the Liquorland Mosgiel 65 1400m, having previously been trained by his former employer Andrew Forsman in Cambridge. The American Pharoah mare jumped away well but couldn’t find the front and was parked out three-wide for much of the race. She finally found the parked position outside Choux Macher with 600m to go and showed her tenacity down the straight when going head-to-head with her rival, and got the bob at the post to win by half a head. Dennis knew the four-year-old was better than her two previous midfield finishes for him and was pleased to see her fulfil her potential on Sunday. “I know this horse well from the Forsman Stable and I know that she has got good ability,” he said. “She has had a couple of unlucky runs in her first and second starts for me. “Donovan (Cooper, jockey) certainly took luck out of the equation. It was very tough to sit three-wide on speed and fight off what I think is a handy enough horse in Choux Macher.” Later on the card Dennis secured the double courtesy of Loftys Gift in the Otago Daily Times 65 2200m. Previously trained in Cambridge by Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray, the five-year-old mare has now had three starts for Dennis for two wins. The daughter of Ghibellines was set to race in Christchurch last week, but Dennis was pleased he held off and targeted Sunday’s Wingatui meeting instead. “She was entered at Riccarton last week and I thought she would go a good race there, but we opted to wait another week and it paid dividends,” he said. “It was a good effort back in the field and it was a great finish from her, which was good to see.” Dennis has been pleased with what he has seen from Loftys Gift in the last couple of months and believes she can quickly add to her win tally. “I haven’t had her for too long, it would be only 10 weeks, and we have only given her three starts,” he said. “She won the start after backing up two days later, so she seems pretty tough and versatile. “I haven’t mapped out a plan for her yet. She is up in grade now and it becomes a little trickier to find the right race. She handles a wet track so she should be going through into the winter a bit. I think she has a bright future.” With Southland racing set to go into winter hibernation, Ascot Park-based Dennis said travelling to Otago or Canterbury proves no concern. “The last meeting in Southland is the 12th of May so we will have to travel up to Otago and Canterbury, but it is par for the course,” he said. “I have gone through the calendar and there are enough options there to justify racing horses through the winter.” Dennis was also pleased to pick up a runner-up result at the meeting with the Waikato Stud-bred and raced Missoni in the Grand Casino Maiden 1600m. “She is very nice filly by Ocean Park who has come a long way this prep,” he said. “She is going out for a spell now and I think she will do a good job for us and the Waikato team next season.” Meanwhile, looking ahead to weekend racing, Dennis will make the trek north to Riccarton on Saturday with a pair of runners, headlined by impressive last start winner Great Time in the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m). “She has ticked along very nicely since her five-length win at Riverton. I think she is a very smart horse and all is well with her,” Dennis said. “Sacred Dream will drop back to 1800m from 2600m last time. I think she should be very competitive.” View the full article

Ruakaka’s drier climate will play a key role in winter racing in the coming months, and local trainer Kenny Rae is looking forward to competing on his home turf at this Wednesday’s meeting. “Most of our horses will be racing up here for the next three or four months, there’s nothing better than racing on your home track. No travelling for the horses and saves costs for the owners,” he said. Rae, who trains in partnership with daughter Krystal Williams, operates the stable’s northern base and among his mid-week contingent is a promising type in Bealey Valley. The Shamexpress filly has produced a second and third-placed efforts from as many starts and will step out in the Windsor Park Stud silks when contesting the Entain – NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1200m). “She’s been racing very well, her first start we used as a trial and she went well. She’s a lovely filly, probably six months away from her peak, but very level-headed,” Rae said. “She’ll be out the back with that draw (12) in the running and she probably needs 1400m, but she jars up, so we’ve taken it very quietly with her. At this stage we’ll just leave her at 1200m.” Stablemate Surf Queen is eligible for the lucrative Pearl Series bonus in the maiden fillies’ and mares’ event and will have Craig Grylls in the saddle. “Surf Queen is a bit of an enigma, she won a trial at Ruakaka by about seven-and-a-half lengths and last-start I put down to the rock-hard track at Pukekohe. Her past two runs on wetter tracks were good,” Rae said. “The track’s good at the moment and they are watering it, but we would like a bit of rain for her.” Mischief Managed, a placegetter behind Pennyweka in last season’s Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m), will strike her favoured course on Wednesday in the Rating 65 event over 2100m. “She’s at her peak now and was similar at this time of the year as a three-year-old where she ran third in the Oaks. To be fair though, aside from the winner it wasn’t an overly strong field for a Group One,” Rae said. “But, on her work, she should win on Wednesday. She doesn’t love a rock-hard track either, but the track is in lovely order, the track manager should be given a 10/10 for the way it’s going.” Formerly the perennial bridesmaid, Dancing Dream was straight into the winner’s circle in a fresh-state last-start and has finished in the first three at each of her eight starts at Ruakaka. Most notably was the Contributer filly’s second placing behind subsequent Group One winner Crocetti in the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). “She’s been placed over 1400m, but she’s been placed at just about any distance. She was just about the best maidener in the country until she won, she finished second behind Crocetti at Ruakaka. We just need more stakes races to be run here for her,” Rae quipped. “She’s done very well since her win, I was going to run her at Te Rapa in the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) but Jasmine (Fawcett, jockey) and I decided to go to for the easier option in a 1400m with a home track advantage. “Heart Of Alladin will line-up in that race as well and he was disappointing last-start at Matamata, both times he’s gone there he’s hung and not finished off. “He pulled up well and we’ve taken the gear off this time, he is a horse with ability and goes okay at Ruakaka. He’s just created his own bad luck at the races.” Completing Rae’s Ruakaka runners is Tide And Time in the other Rating 65 1400m event sponsored by Porthouse Bar & Eatery, who will have their filly Porthouse Lady running in the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton Park on Saturday. “Tide And Time has had about 10 days off and we’ve bought her back in, she’s working well and looking good. She went no good on a wet track at Tauranga and Sam Weatherley (jockey) blamed himself the start before and told me he was too patient on her,” Rae said. “The 1400m may test her in a fresh state, and I’ll blame myself if it does.” After his local meeting, Rae will travel to Christchurch where Williams handles the South Island-based runners, and juvenile Porthouse Lady is one of several engaged at Riccarton over the weekend, as well as jumping prospect Leitrim Lad (trained by Eamonn Green). “We just sent Eamonn’s horse Leitrim Lad down to Riccarton for some open handicap races, then he’ll be getting ready for his jumping career. It’s good down there too, once the horses are there, they don’t have to go far to get to the races,” Rae said. Stable stalwart The Buffer will also feature in the Avon City Ford Easter Cup (1600m), after he collected an 11th career success at Timaru last Thursday. “I can only take credit on paper for his win, but I shouldn’t, he’s Krystal’s horse. He’ll be in the open mile there on Saturday,” Rae said. View the full article

The Craig Ivil-trained Princess Elly was a popular figure at Wanganui racecourse last Saturday when she rewarded punters when taking out the Spooner Toy & Hood Ltd 1600. The four-year-old mare had been very consistent in her previous six outings and was duly backed into $3.50 favouritism for Saturday’s contest, which she comfortably won by a length over Champagne Sunday. Ivil shared punters’ optimism and was pleased with his mare’s performance. “She ran well,” he said. “She has really only had a couple of bad runs – one was when she had a really hard track at Riccarton and the other was when she got interfered with at Wanganui last start. “She has always shown a bit, we have taken our time with her and let her develop.” Bred by Waikato Stud, Princess Elly was purchased by part-owner Mary Colman for $2,300 out of Bella Vinci Limited’s 2021 Gavelhouse Plus National Online Yearling Sale draft, and she has proven to be a shrewd investment. “Mary Colman used to be heavily involved in the trotting and used to be the President of the Kapiti Coast Harness Racing Club,” Ivil said. “She races Princess Elly with my son’s partner Emma.” The duo have plenty to look forward to with their mare, however, Ivil said the daughter of Sacred Falls will shortly head for a spell before returning in the spring with a view to competing over further ground. “She will have a couple of more runs and then she will have a break over winter. We will find a (rating) 75 for her somewhere and see how we go. She will then get ready for the spring,” he said. “The further the better with her. The Zabeel will kick in with time, she is just not quite strong enough yet. She will run a mile and a half uphill. “We will poke our way along and see where we end up. She will definitely win races over ground in some form of grade.” Ivil is also enjoying having his daughter, former Racing.com presenter Jayne Ivil, back in New Zealand with her partner Brad Taylor and their children Pippa and Luke. “We have got five of them (grandchildren) now and one on the way,” Ivil said. “It will be good that they can grown up together and be around each other.” View the full article

Trainer Debbie Sweeney has her sights set on the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival with her exciting gelding Chattahoochee following his pleasing runner-up performance behind Snazzytavi in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Te Rapa. The five-year-old son of Reliable Man was having his first tilt at stakes level, having won six of his previous 12 raceday starts. “It was a really good run, but he was just met by a better horse on the day, the other horse (Snazzytavi) was very smart,” Sweeney said. “He tried really hard and I am very happy. “It was a reasonable field, so it was good to see him measure up against that class. He is only very lightly tried, he has had 13 starts and only been unplaced three times.” Chattahoochee will now likely have one more run before heading for a spell in preparation for what could be a big spring. “He will probably have another run in three weeks at Counties, there is an Open 1500m, and then he will probably head to the paddock,” Sweeney said. “I would say we will target the Hawke’s Bay Carnival with him. He is still a very green horse and keeps on improving, and his racing manners are getting better every time. “I have got a lot of confidence going forward that he is going to measure up against the better ones.” Earlier on the Te Rapa card, stablemate Kiwi Man was victorious in the Cambridge Equine Hospital 2400 under stable apprentice Ngakau Hailey. “He is an out-and-out stayer. He has been hard to place with trying to get the right distances for him,” Sweeney said. “I am not too sure what we are going to do with him, whether he will have another run or go to the paddock, we will just see how he is in the next couple of days. “We are possibly looking at the Rotorua Cup (Listed, 2200m) but more than likely he will go out. He has been in work for a long time so probably needs to have a break before we get him back towards the end of winter and getting him ready for spring time. “I would like to see him in a couple of the Cups races next year because he can stay all day.” A day prior, Hailey was also in the saddle when the Sweeney-trained Ranger broke his winning drought in the Mount Maunganui RSA 1600. “It was good to see Ranger back in winning form. I think it has been 3.5 years since he last won a race,” Sweeney said. “We were more than likely going to retire him if he didn’t go well on Friday, so it was good that he got the job done. “It was nice that Ngakau rode him as well because when Ngakau first started riding he rode him a fair bit. “He tried really hard and hopefully he can sneak another one in there somewhere.” View the full article

Curraghmore celebrated widespread success at the weekend with winners in three countries and highlighted by the domestic stakes of rising star Snazzytavi. Farm principal Gordon Cunningham bred and sold the gifted daughter of the late Tavistock who ended her campaign with an effortless victory in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie. Trained by Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall for Cambridge Stud, Snazzytavi has gone for a break with five wins and four placings, including a third in the Listed Wairarapa Breeders’ Stakes (1600m), from 10 appearances. Curraghmore graduate Lucy In The Sky was also successful on the Group One undercard in Hong Kong on Sunday evening while Sir Grace continued his impressive progress in Queensland. Snazzytavi is out of the Zabeel mare Ritzy Lady, who won six races including the Listed New Zealand St Leger (2500m) and finished runner-up in the Gr.2 Counties Cup (2100m). “Roger James originally bought her (for A$340,000, Inglis Easter Sale) as a yearling for Mark and Jack Maronde, who raced her and they had some very good horses like La Sizeranne,” Cunningham said. “The Marondes were winding down when I bought Ritzy Lady. It was a family that I was very familiar with going back to my Waikato Stud days. “Thum’s Lil Sister (the third dam) was a mare imported from America who produced a very good filly by Pompeii Court called Clever Zoe.” She won the Listed Debutante Stakes (1000m) and finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Lightning Stakes (1000m). Ritzy Lady was subsequently sold and Snazzytavi was also to have gone to auction at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale before a forced change of plan. “She was broken in and had all her development work at Jamie and Chanel Beatson’s Ohukia Lodge and I had her entered in the breeze-up sale at Karaka, she was progressing nicely but came up with a foot abscess,” Cunningham said. “I was happy to put her into work and she won a trial nicely for Graham and Rogan as a two-year-old and I came to an arrangement with Brendan Lindsay for him to buy her. “She has been brilliantly trained and I’m thrilled that she’s proved to be such a good horse for Cambridge Stud, she looks very progressive and hopefully can go to another level.” Meanwhile, No Nay Never three-year-old Lucy In The Sky opened his account at Sha Tin with victory over 1200 metres in just his third appearance from Me Tsui’s stable. He was purchased out of Curraghmore’s 2022 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $60,000 and is a son of the Exceed And Excel mare Spiced, a half-sister to Gr.3 Manfred Stakes (1200m) winner Brave Mead. The lightly raced Sir Grace rounded off a top weekend for the farm when he won his third race on the bounce from five starts for local trainer Warwick Satherley with victory over 1600m at Rockhampton on Sunday. The Cunningham-bred son of Turn Me Loose was a $34,000 NZB National Online Yearling Sale purchase and is out of the Sir Percy mare Lady Grace, a granddaughter of multiple Group winner Frenetic. Lady Grace has a yearling filly by Eminent and is back in foal to him after producing a daughter of Armory last season. View the full article

What Canterbury Races Where Canterbury Park Racecourse – King St, Canterbury NSW 2193 When Wednesday, May 1, 2024 First Race 12:10pm AEST Visit Dabble Sydney’s Canterbury Park Racecourse is set to host a competitive eight-race program this Wednesday. The rail is out +3m for the entire circuit, and with the forecast suggesting scattered showers, punters should anticipate a Soft surface. Racing is set to get underway at 12:10pm AEST. Best Bet at Canterbury: Eraantyva The Chris Waller barn has taken its time with Eraantyva, who makes her debut in this 1100m maiden contest. The daughter of Zoustar has been to the trials on five occasions, with the latest piece of work catching the eye at Rosehill on April 23. Expect James McDonald to drag back towards the rear of the field from stall eight, but once asked for the ultimate effort, watch for Eraantyva to be rattling home. Best Bet Race 2 – #2 Eraantyva (8) 3yo Filly | T: Chris Waller | J: James McDonald (56kg) Bet with Bet365 Next Best at Canterbury: Kings Valley Kings Valley showed plenty on his Australian debut at this course and distance on April 17, sustaining a long run from near-last to finish in the minor money. Barrier three should allow Tommy Berry to sit much closer throughout the journey this time. If he can show a similar turn of foot when the whips are cracking, Kings Valley will go close to picking up his first victory. Next Best Race 4 – #1 Kings Valley (3) 3yo Colt | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Tommy Berry (58.5kg) Bet with Neds Next Best Again at Canterbury: Jewellery Jewellery returns from a 426-day spell and finds a winnable BM72 contest for the fillies and mares. The daughter of Lonhro was a two-time winner last preparation before taking on the older horses in a BM68 at Warwick Farm, where she was narrowly defeated by a half-length. She has plenty of untapped ability, and with strong barrier trials giving the impression she’s returned in excellent order, Jewellery should be right in this. Next Best Again Race 6 – #4 Jewellery (2) 4yo Mare | T: James Cummings | J: James McDonald (60kg) Bet with Picklebet Wednesday quaddie tips for Canterbury races Canterbury Park quadrella selections Wednesday, May 1, 2024 1-2-6-9-10 3-4-7-8-9 4-5-7-14-15 1-2-4-5 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips
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Goodwood-bound Johnny Rocker. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Emerging sprinter Johnny Rocker is set to make another bid for top-tier glory this season, as the Group 1 William Reid Stakes (1200m) runner-up gears up to take on the $1 million Group 1 Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 11. “He galloped this morning (Saturday) and was really good,” affirmed the colt’s trainer Nick Ryan to Racing.com following the triumph of his mare Belle Savoir in the $175,000 Vobis Gold Mile (1600m). “He’ll jump out on the course proper (at Flemington) on Friday and then run in The Goodwood. Very happy with how he’s come through (the TJ Smith).” Ryan also confirmed the booking of Rhys McLeod, who piloted Johnny Rocker in the William Reid, for the Goodwood ride, despite the four-year-old carrying just 54.5 kilograms. “He’s been working hard to get down (to the weight) and he’ll be right,” assured Ryan regarding McLeod’s preparation for the task. Horse racing news View the full article

Greg Hickman, trainer based at Warwick Farm, has disclosed that Private Legacy will bypass Saturday’s Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville, opting instead to aim for the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) during the Queensland winter carnival. The progeny of The Autumn Sun narrowly missed out on victory against Vibrant Sun in Saturday’s Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m), falling short by the slimmest of margins. “When you set them for those races and they run a great race like she did you have to be happy,” Hickman conveyed to Racing.com. “When you’ve been in the game as long as I have you know it’s all a part of it, I’ve been beaten closer than that before. “She’ll come home and go to Queensland. We’re going to have a go at the Queensland Oaks. “There isn’t a lot of time really between now and then so we will give her some TLC and she’ll head up for a lead-in run.” Horse racing news View the full article

Berkeley Square ridden by Craig Williams winning the Group 2 Moonee Valley Vase in 2022. (Photo by Reg Ryan/Racing Photos) Berkeley Square, victor of Saturday’s Vobis Gold Heath (2000m), may be eying a potential tilt at the $500,000 Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes (2800m) at Flemington on May 16, contingent upon a strong performance in his forthcoming start. Trainer Dan O’Sullivan disclosed plans for the four-year-old progeny of Territories, indicating his participation in either a Benchmark 100 event covering 2000m at Caulfield next Saturday or the Group 3 Port Adelaide Cup (2500m) at Morphettville, also slated for the same day. “I will probably throw in a nomination for the Benchmark 100 over 2000 metres at Caulfield next Saturday and also in Adelaide in the 2500-metre race, which could open up an option (for the Ramsden) two weeks later,” O’Sullivan conveyed to Racing.com. “He’d have to come through the week really well but if he does, it’s (Adelaide) a chance and we’d have to see what happens from there.” Horse racing news View the full article