Wandering Eyes

What Hong Kong Champions Day 2024 Where Sha Tin Racecourse – Tai Po Rd, Sha Tin District, Hong Kong When Sunday, April 28, 2024 First Race 12:45pm HKT (2:45pm AEST) Visit Dabble Hong Kong racing returns to Sha Tin on Sunday afternoon, where a bumper 10-race program awaits punters for Champions Day. Three mouth-watering Group 1’s share top billing for the meeting, with the Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m), Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) and Group 1 QEII Cup (2000m) assembling quality gallopers from all over the globe. The rail is in the A position for throughout the entire circuit, and although some heavy rain is forecast across the region, the excellent drainage should have the surface no worse than the Soft range. All the action for Champions Day is scheduled to get underway at 12:45pm local time. Race 1: Class 4 Handicap (2000m) The David Hall-trained Gold Tack is a 15-start maiden heading into the weekend, but his latest effort at Happy Valley on April 17 should have the son of Preferment set to peak. He launched late to miss by less than a length on that occasion, suggesting the five-year-old is ready for a step up in journey. The Sha Tin circuit should be ideal, and when asked for the ultimate effort by Alexis Badel, watch for Gold Tack to make strong inroads to give followers an early winner. Selections: 12 GOLD TACK 4 MISTER DAPPER 6 REACH GOAL 7 SHARPEN BRIGHT Race 2: Class 3 Handicap (1600m) Stunning Peach is an intriguing French import making his Hong Kong debut in Class 3 company and didn’t miss the frame in his five European starts. Since being acquired by the Tony Cruz barn the son of Wootton Basset has caught the eye in all three barrier trials, particularly his most recent piece of work, only being headed in the shadows of the post by Romantic Warrior in a 1600m jump-out at Sha Tin on April 9. He draws to get a soft run from stall two, and with leading hoop Zac Purton aboard, Stunning Peach has the class to get the job done first up. Selections: 1 STUNNING PEACH 7 VOYAGE SAMURAI 8 HELENE WARRIOR 3 STAR MAC Next Best Race 2 – #1 Stunning Peach (2) 3yo Colt | T: Tony Cruz | J: Zac Purton (61kg) Bet with Neds Race 3: Class 4 Handicap (1200m) Lucy In The Sky hammered the line in his most recent start at this course and distance behind King Miles on April 14. He sustained a run down the centre of the course from near last, giving the impression that the son of No Nay Never is ready for a third-up assault. Karis Teetan will need to slot in for cover from barrier eight, but provided he can get an economical run, Lucy In The Sky can go one better in this Class 4 sprint. Selections: 3 LUCY IN THE SKY 1 DIVANO 14 GANGNAM STAR 2 LIFELINE EXPRESS Race 4: Class 4 Handicap (1400m) Rubylot gets out to the 1400m for the first time and should appreciate the step up in trip after chasing gallantly behind Full Credit last start on April 7. He was no match for the winner on that occasion, but finished best of the rest, hitting the line with vigour under Hugh Bowman. He should be able to take a closer sit behind the speed this time, and with James McDonald taking the reins, Rubylot appears perfectly placed to secure his second career victory. Selections: 1 RUBYLOT 4 CIRCUIT FIERY 13 LUCKY FIONN 5 GENEVA Best Bet Race 4 – #1 Rubylot (2) 3yo Gelding | T: David Hayes | J: James McDonald (61kg) Bet with PlayUp Race 5: Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) Victor The Winner returns to Hong Kong after a gritty performance in the Group 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) at Chukyo on March 24. He finished third on that occasion on yielding conditions, fading in the concluding stages. His previous win prior in the Group 1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) was sensational when leading all the way to score, and with a return to his favoured course and distance a major positive, Victor The Winner will look the winner a long way out in the Chairman’s Sprint Prize. Selections: 3 VICTOR THE WINNER 6 HOWDEEPISYOURLOVE 5 INVINCIBLE SAGE 9 MUGEN Chairman’s Sprint Prize Race 5 – #3 Victor The Winner (2) 5yo Gelding | T: Danny Shum | J: Derek Leung (57kg) Bet with Dabble Race 6: Class 3 Handicap (1400m) Formerly known as Pushy, Australian import Top Gun kicks off his Hong Kong campaign in this wide-open Class 3 Handicap. He appeared to have a stack of ability before being transferred to the Frankie Lor barn, with his career highlight to date a runner-up finish in the Listed Dulcify Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on September 30. His trials have set him up to be figuring first-up, and although he needs to overcome barrier 14, Top Gun might simply be too classy for this lot. Selections: 3 TOP GUN 11 KA YING VICTORY 13 SUNLIGHT POWER 7 NORTHERN BEACHES Best Value Race 6 – #3 Top Gun (14) 3yo Gelding | T: Frankie Lor | J: Karis Teetan (58.5kg) Bet with Bet365 Race 7: Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) It could be the last time we see one of Hong Kong’s greatest step out, as Golden Sixty prepares to claim his fourth straight Champions Mile success. He was breathtaking when taking out the Group 1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) on December 10, with the eight-year-old destroying his rivals on his way to secure his tenth Group 1 victory. Age simply doesn’t seem to be wearing him down, and provided he can replicate his latest effort, Golden Sixty can continue to add to his historic resume. Selections: 1 GOLDEN SIXTY 2 VOYAGE BUBBLE 9 GALAXY PATCH 3 BEAUTY ETERNAL Champions Mile Race 7 – #1 Golden Sixty (7) 8yo Gelding | T: Francis Lui | J: Vincent Ho (57kg) Bet with Neds Race 8: Group 1 QEII Cup (2000m) Although Romantic Warrior must be considered the one to beat, the Japanese raider Prognosis warrants plenty of respect. The son of Deep Impact was far from disgraced in a luckless effort in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) on December 10, crowded for room at a crucial stage, still getting within a length of his key rival. He’s since picked up an easy kill at Chukyo in the Group 2 Kinko Sho (2000m) on March 10, clearing out to score by five lengths. It remains to be seen if he can turn the tables, but with the price available with online bookmakers, Prognosis gets the nod. Selections: 4 PROGNOSIS 1 ROMANTIC WARRIOR 11 MASSIVE SOVEREIGN 3 HISHI IGUAZU QEII Cup Race 8 – #4 Prognosis (5) 6yo Horse | T: Mitsumasa Nakauchida | J: Yuga Kawada (57kg) Bet with PlayUp Race 9: Class 2 Handicap (1400m) Get the dartboard out for the penultimate because this one is wide-open. The David Hall-trained Atullibigeal was unsuited to the sit-and-sprint in his most recent outing at Sha Tin on April 14, finishing a modest fifth in the field of seven over 1200m, Getting back to his favoured 1400m journey should be ideal for the son of Street Boss, and with a genuine tempo expected throughout, watch for Atullibigeal to be launching over the top in the concluding stages. Selections: 3 ATULLIBIGEAL 9 OUTGATE 2 THE GOLDEN SCENERY 12 SUPREME LUCKY Race 10: Class 3 Handicap (1200m) The final race is a Class 3 for the sprinters, where the Francis Lui-trained Hasten Delight will be searching for back-to-back wins. The gelding by Star Turn showed a scintillating turn-of-foot, putting his rivals away with 200m left to travel. He appeared to have plenty left in the tank after extending under Hugh Bowman, and provided the lightly raced four-year-old has taken a step forward from that performance, Hasten Delight can send punters home with a winner. Selections: 1 HASTEN DELIGHT 6 GRACIOUS EXPRESS 4 GUSTOSISIMO 8 FULL CREDIT Sha Tin free Sunday quaddie tips Sha Tin quadrella selections Sunday, April 28, 2024 1-2 1-2-3-4-11 2-3-5-6-7-8-9-10-12-13 1-2-3-4-5-6-8 Horse racing tips View the full article

Hall of Fame trainer Graeme Rogerson is hoping to see his distinctive red, blue and green colours feature prominently at Te Rapa on both of the next two Saturdays. Team Rogerson will be represented by three runners at the Hamilton track this weekend. Seven days later, unbeaten two-year-old Domain Ace (NZ) (Swiss Ace) will shoot for his second black-type win in a row in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre 2YO Stakes (1400m). “I think we’ve got a nice team in at Te Rapa tomorrow, and then I’m looking forward to running Domain Ace in the stakes race there next weekend,” Rogerson said. “He’s quite an exciting horse, I really like him.” Team Rogerson won last year’s edition of the Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre 2YO Stakes with Solidify (NZ) (Redwood), who kicks off the stable’s Te Rapa contingent this Saturday with a run in the Aon Insurance Brokers 3YO. The Redwood gelding placed in the Gr.2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) in late September. After mixed results through the late spring and summer, he has shown promising signs with placings in both of his last two starts including last Saturday’s Gr.3 Championship Stakes (2100m). “I’m happy with how Solidify is going at the moment,” Rogerson said. “He ran a good, honest race for second in the Championship Stakes the other day. He’s very well and is going into this weekend in good order. He likes Te Rapa, he’s won twice there before, and I’d expect him to be competitive. A bit of the cut out of the track suits him. “I’m not sure whether he’s a true stayer or if he’s better suited to sticking around a mile. We’ll see how he goes this weekend before working out what we do with him next. We could look at the Rotorua Cup (Listed, 2200m) in a couple of weeks, or we could find some more 1600m races like this for him. We’ll see.” Zorro’s Revenge (NZ) (Ferrando) will make the second start of his career in Saturday’s Cambridge Raceway 2YO. A first-crop son of Rogerson’s Group One-performed sprinter Ferrando, Zorro’s Revenge made his debut with a fifth over 1100m at Te Rapa on April 14. “I quite like him,” Rogerson said. “He was wide without cover the other day and did a few things wrong, but he still hit the line well. I’d expect him to improve.” Waikato Stud homebred Savacat (NZ) (Savabeel) will shoot for back-to-back Te Rapa wins in Saturday’s Cambridge Equine Hospital (2400m), having won a Rating 65 event over the same course and distance two wweks ago. “I think she’s a big, strong mare who’s getting better with racing,” Rogerson said. “I just hope the track’s not too wet. If the conditions are similar to the other day, she should be a very good chance again.” Savacat is a well-related daughter of Savabeel and the stakes-winning mare Donna Cattiva (NZ) (Captain Rio), who is a full-sister to Group One winner Il Quello Veloce (NZ). View the full article

Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are heading into Saturday’s meeting at Te Rapa with the fixed-odds favourites for both of the thoroughbred mecca’s traditional flagship races. This meeting was staged by the Cambridge Jockey Club until last year’s merger with the Waikato Racing Club and Waipa Racing Club to form Waikato Thoroughbred Racing. It features both of the black-type races formerly run under the Cambridge name – the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and the Gr.3 Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). James has previously tasted success in both races, winning the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes with Shees Flawless (NZ) (Fully Fledged) in 2015 and teaming up with Wellwood to take out the Travis Stakes in 2022 in a career finale for Group One-winning mare Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux). The Kingsclere Stables team will attempt to replicate that latter result on Saturday with Apostrophe (NZ) (Tavistock), who the TAB rates a $1.75 favourite for what is likely to be her final career start in the Travis Stakes. The daughter of Tavistock was bought by James and Wellwood for $60,000 as a yearling at Karaka in 2019, and she has turned that into more than $228,000 from a 20-start career that has produced six wins and five placings. Apostrophe has enjoyed a career-best campaign as a six-year-old this season. After making a big impression with a Rating 75 victory at Hastings in the spring, she graduated to black-type class with second placings in photo finishes to the Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) and Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (2000m). She stretched out beyond 1600m for the first time in the Gr.3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2100m) at Trentham on April 6, where she finished powerfully from off the pace to win going away by two and a half lengths. “I’d say that there’s every possibility that this will be the last race of her career,” James said. “It was very pleasing to see her get that first Group win last start. All the way through her career, she’s given us the impression that getting up over ground would really suit her, but until this season we haven’t quite got to the point of a campaign with her where we’ve felt she was strong enough. “This time in, her runs over a mile were very promising and she was showing us that she was ready to go further. We finally had the chance to give her that opportunity at Trentham last start, and it was a very convincing win. “Everything has gone to plan with her since then. She doesn’t take much work and is fit and ready for Saturday, where Masa (Hashizume) will ride her again.” James and Wellwood also have strong representation in the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes, where December (NZ) (Shamexpress) is rated the $4.20 favourite and Irish Legacy (I Am Invincible) is fourth favourite at $8. December was a smart winner over 1200m in his first two starts in November, then stepped up to 1400m and finished eighth in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas on Boxing Day. The Shamexpress gelding was an eye-catching sixth behind Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) in the Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) in late January, then returned to the winning groove with a convincing performance at Taupo on March 8. “December’s form is very good generally, and he’s pleased us in the lead-up to this race,” James said. “I think being on the fresh side helps him, and he should be well suited to a track like Te Rapa.” Irish Legacy boasts world-class pedigree credentials, being by superstar sire I Am Invincible out of the multiple Group One-winning Savabeel mare Shillelagh (NZ). She was a dominant debut winner at Taupo in February, beating subsequent three-race winner Billy Lincoln (NZ) (Belardo) by two and a half lengths. Irish Legacy stepped into stakes company with a flying finish for third in the Gr.3 Mufhasa Stakes (1400m) in her second career start, then finished eighth in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m). “The wet track was no friend to Irish Legacy at Trentham last time, but her runs prior to that had been very promising,” James said. “She’s shown a fair amount of ability. Her Achilles heel is that she hasn’t been great out of the barriers. “It’s a strong field on Saturday, so they’ll both need to be at the top of their game.” View the full article

Notable black-type performances in both New Zealand and Australia on ANZAC Day may have set the tone for a big trans-Tasman weekend for Andrew Forsman. The Cambridge trainer won Thursday’s Listed ANZAC Mile (1600m) at Otaki with Mr Mojo Risin’ (NZ) (Deep Field), then finished third in the Listed ANZAC Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington with promising two-year-old Yaldi (NZ). The son of Ardrossan had been a two-length winner at Pukekohe in his only previous start. “It was a really good day yesterday and I’m very happy with how the team’s going at the moment,” Forsman said. “I’ll have a chat with the Jomara Bloodstock team about where we go next with Mr Mojo Risin’. There’s not a whole lot of options coming up for him in New Zealand, so we might look at taking him back to Australia. “Yaldi will fly back home to New Zealand next week. It was very much a hit-and-run mission for that one race yesterday, and I think it served its purpose really well.” At Te Rapa on Saturday, Forsman will be represented by Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor) and Koheroa (I Am Invincible) in the Gr.3 Inglis Sales Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), followed by White Noise (NZ) (El Roca), Saint Bathans (Maurice) and Devastate (NZ) (Vadamos) in the rescheduled Gr.3 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m). Later in the afternoon, last-start Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) runner-up Positivity (NZ) (Almanzor) will contest the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville. The Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes will be the first appearance in almost three months for Mary Shan, whose four-length maiden win in October was followed by a string of quality performances against elite three-year-old company. The daughter of Almanzor finished second in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), fifth in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), second in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m), fourth in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) and a last-start fifth in the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m). “She’s had a nice few weeks in the paddock and has come back in really good order,” Forsman said. “She hasn’t trialled, but she went well in a recent exhibition gallop. “We’ve always been treating this race as mainly just a run to get her going, and I think the wide draw (gate 16) is going to make it very hard for her over 1200m. She’s clearly going to have to get back from there. If the track is playing evenly, hopefully she can make a bit of a run at them in the straight. “There’s a thought of taking her to Brisbane after this, but no decisions have been made on that yet. We’ll work out a plan once we’ve got this resuming run out of the way.” Koheroa has been green in his four-start career so far, but was a stylish maiden winner at Tauranga in January and was narrowly beaten by Platinum Attack (Santos) in his most recent start at Trentham on April 6. “He’s been doing a few things wrong but has plenty of ability,” Forsman said. “He’s still big and raw. He’ll get his head around things with a bit more racing. That’s partly why we’ve been keeping him to 1200m so far. With a decent tempo on, he’s got a better chance to relax in the running. “He’s certainly got the ability to be right in the finish on Saturday if he gets a bit of luck and does things right.” The Easter Handicap was meant to be run at Ellerslie last Saturday, but the meeting was abandoned after a horse slipped in the previous race on the card. The Easter was relocated to Te Rapa, where White Noise has previously been a winner while Saint Bathans and Devastate have both placed. “They’ve all performed at the course previously, although in Saint Bathans’ case, it was back when he was a younger horse,” Forsman said. “I probably would have preferred the race to be run right-handed at Ellerslie for him. “Devastate has the ability to put himself on the speed and he should be pretty comfortable around Te Rapa. White Noise has won there before, albeit on a more rain-affected track than he’s likely to strike this weekend. “I think this little bit of rain that we’re getting in the Waikato today should be a help for all three of them, and they’re all in good order.” Forsman also gave a glowing report about Positivity’s build-up to the Oaks in Adelaide. “Everything’s gone great with her,” he said. “She left Flemington last night and arrived in Adelaide this morning,” he said. “It’s not easy coming out of an Oaks preparation at home with some hard racing, then dropping back to 2000m for a Group One race in Australia like this. But she seems to be thriving and handling everything really well at this stage.” View the full article

HONG KONG, CHINA — Follow this, if you will. A filly bred in America and purchased for a very reasonable sum as a yearling is exported to Ireland, punches above her weight at the races and is sold to Australia for her second career. A few years after her arrival, she is covered there by a notable successful Northern Hemisphere shuttle stallion, makes trips through the sales ring in Australia and New Zealand and goes on to become arguably the best animal to ever look through a bridle in Hong Kong. The bloodstock world really is a small place, isn't it? Most everyone has followed the career of Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), who makes what could be the final start of a history-making career in Sunday's G1 FWD Champions Mile at Sha Tin Racecourse. Fewer would be aware that his dam Gaudeamus (Distorted Humor), bred in Kentucky by Manganaro LLC, was nurtured through the early portion of her career by the legendary Jim Bolger, who acquired the daughter of the stakes-placed Leo's Lucky Lady–herself by 1977 American Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew–for just $60,000 through the late Richard Galpin's Newmarket International agency at the 2005 Keeneland September Sale in Lexington. “Well, it was purely pedigree first,” Bolger explained earlier this week when asked what attracted him to the filly, whose sire has been represented just two years earlier by GI Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide from his first crop to race. Indeed, there was plenty to recommend the filly's catalogue page from a European perspective. Gaudeamus's granddam was Konafa (Damascus), runner-up in the G1 One Thousand Guineas in 1976, who excelled in the breeding shed, accounting for Proskona (Mr Prospector), winner of group races in France and Italy; Keos (Riverman), a three-time group scorer and thrice placed in Group 1 company in France as well as a Group 2 winner in Germany; and, perhaps most significantly, Korveya (Riverman), a Group 3 victress in France and later the dam of Group 1 winners Bosra Sham (Woodman, champion), Hector Protector (Woodman, champion) and Shanghai (Procida). Korveya would go on to top the 1998 Keeneland November Sale on a bid of then-record $7 million while carrying to Woodman. “I got somebody to look at her and the report was good, so we decided to go ahead with it,” Bolger said of Gaudeamus. “As they say, she ticked all the boxes and she was a very good-looking mare. She had just about everything. There's nothing you would want to change about her. And she had a temperament to go with all the physical characteristics. We were happy with the price.” Gaudeamus (Gow-day-AH-mus), which loosely translated means 'let us rejoice,' was a quick study, Bolger said. “Well, we had her broken when she got home around sometime in October, and by January she was well muscled up and she looked like one that could be early,” he explained. “If memory serves, we ran her early in May and she won first time out.” Gaudeamus carried Kevin Manning to a one-length debut win over 19 other rivals going six furlongs in yielding ground at Naas in May 2006 and won a listed stakes over seven at the Curragh at the end of June. A close fourth in the G3 Anglesey S. in her first try at group level, she defeated Dimenticata (Ire) (Danetime {Aus}) for a career high in the G2 Debutante S. at Leopardstown. The latter would go on to finish runner-up to the Bolger-conditioned Finsceal Beo (Ire) (Mr Greeley) in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas the following spring, with Gaudeamus well down the field in eighth in the penultimate start of her career. “I never really got her where I wanted to get her to as a 3-year-old,” Bolger said. “She didn't manage to win as a 3-year-old, but we felt she'd done plenty as a 2-year-old.” Taking Money Off The Table As successful a breeder as he is a trainer, Bolger could easily have retained Gaudeamus for his broodmare band, but ultimately decided to let her go for reasons 'purely financial.' “When you're getting battered every day by billionaires, somebody like me has to generate some revenue,” he reasoned. After a fair bit of back and forth, Bolger struck a deal with Sheamus Mills, a young bloodstock agent from Australia. Mills said that the mare's appeal was very clear. “I've always been a big fan of Distorted Humor as a broodmare sire influence–in fact that whole Forty Niner sire line holds interest for me,” Mills explained. “He had a good influence on the Australian market from fairly limited exposure [as a shuttle stallion]. “Combine that with Gaudeamus being a Group 2-winning 2-year-old and she was a fairly obvious one for the Australian market who love speed and precocity.” And talk about making your mark. Gaudeamus was Mills's very first purchase after going out on his own. “I was ahead of the times as there was little interest in importing racing prospects in those days–something that became so commonplace shortly after I returned to Australia,” Mills said. Jim and Jackie Bolger | Racingfotos Bolger recollected: “He [Mills] just came looking for her. We eventually agreed on the price. I think it was a little protracted, but it worked out in the end. And certainly worked out for him, and I was delighted for her.” Bolger reported that the deal was done for €500,000, and he had every confidence that Gaudeamus could become a significant broodmare. He said: “She was the ideal type. As I said, you couldn't find fault with her. Her 2-year-old race record was good enough for any broodmare prospect.” Gaudeamus was bred to Pivotal (GB) to Southern Hemisphere time prior to her export to Australia. Having produced the listed-placed Igitur (Aus) (Helmet {Aus}) from her first few foals, Gaudeamus was purchased by Josh Hutchins Bloodstock for A$160,000 (US$123,776) at the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in foal to Medaglia d'Oro. She was led out unsold on a bid of A$75,000 at the same auction two years later, a decision that will be judged once and for all by the Australian bloodstock community in a month's time. That's when Gaudeamus, in foal to dual Group 1 winner Home Affairs (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) (lot 761), and her yearling filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) (lot 586) go under the hammer as part of the unreserved dispersal of the Hutchins family's Element Hill at the National Broodmare Sale on Australia's Gold Coast. Golden Sixty has carried the pedigree further afield, as he was hammered down for A$120,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale before being resold for NZ$300,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale in 2017, where he was purchased by his current trainer Francis Lui for owner Stanley Chan. Twenty-six wins, including 10 at Group 1 level, and US$21 million in prize money later, the end–apparently–is near. Bolger, Mills Living Vicariously For his part, Bolger downplays the role he has played in the career of Golden Sixty. “It wasn't just me,” he said. “I'm always conscious when somebody comes up with a good racehorse, that there are probably hundreds of people involved all down the years, and with one of them it might not be, as it turns out, at that particular time. So just about anybody who has a hand in making or causing such an animal to be born in the first place has a huge part in it. That's the nature of the business.” Added Mills: “It's been a lot of fun watching Golden Sixty develop. The main feeling is one of nostalgia, as Jim Bolger made me work hard to get that deal done and I'll always be grateful to my client Bob Scarborough for setting me on my path, as I think I was down to my last 10 or 20 quid when the news came through the deal was done!” Bolger had the final word. “Well, I'd like to say well done to everybody involved, both in Australia and Hong Kong. Obviously, they've managed Golden Sixty brilliantly. That's no mean achievement.” The post Golden Sixty A True Global Sensation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hong Kong Derby runner-up faces his toughest test yet in Sunday’s HK$22 million contest: ‘He’s been very impressive over every distance’View the full article

What Ballarat Races Where Ballarat Turf Club – 240 Kennedys Rd, Miners Rest VIC 3352 When Sunday, April 28, 2024 First Race 1:15pm AEST Visit Dabble Sunday racing in Victoria heads to the Ballarat Turf Club, where an eight-race meeting is set for decision. A clear day is forecast, and despite the track coming up a Soft 5 at the time of acceptances, the meeting looks set to be held on a Good 4 deck. The rail sticks to its true position, with the first race jumping at 1:15pm AEST. Best Bet at Ballarat: Mantua Mantua was the definition of a good thing beaten at Pakenham on April 4. He was held up for a run for most of the home straight, but once the Fastnet Rock progeny found clear air inside the final furlong, he was savaging the line to suggest he should have won. Barrier eight should mean he will see clear air whenever Ethan Brown presses the button, and once at top speed, Mantua should prove too hard to hold out. Best Bet Race 7 – #4 Mantua (8) 3yo Gelding | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Ethan Brown (57.5kg) +170 with Bet365 Next Best at Ballarat: Le Messager The Andrew Noblet-trained Le Messager has finished second in both of his last two starts but gets his chance to bring up a long overdue triumph in the Ballarat quaddie opener. The five-year-old gelding has been narrowly defeated when racing up on speed and finding one better over 1400m at this track. Billy Egan will have the son of Headwater settled outside the lead from barrier 10, and with race fitness on his side and a touch of form, Le Messager looks a great play. Next Best Race 5 – #1 Le Messager (10) 5yo Gelding | T: Andrew Noblet | J: Billy Egan (59kg) +360 with Picklebet Next Best Again at Ballarat: Halo Phenomena Despite taking on odds-on favourite Signor Bill, Godolphin’s Halo Phenomena looks a good play at the price on offer with horse racing bookmakers. The James Cummings-trained colt will have a tactical advantage over his key rival, with the son of Exceed And Excel likely to be in the leading division. He was only gunned down late at Geelong when leading, but considering he comes to this third-up, Halo Phemoena should prove too hard to run down in the opener. Next Best Again Race 1 – #2 Halo Phenomena (8) 2yo Colt | T: James Cummings | J: Declan Bates (58kg) +250 with Neds Ballarat Sunday quaddie tips Ballarat quadrella selections Sunday, April 28, 2024 1-3-6 1-6-9-12 2-4 2-4-5-7-10 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Australian jockey continues his strong association with Japan in Sunday’s three Group Ones at Sha TinView the full article

What The Archer Day 2024 Where Callaghan Park Racecourse – Reaney St, North Rockhampton QLD 4701 When Sunday, April 28, 2024 First Race 12:12pm AEST Visit Dabble The $775,000 Archer will headline the eight-race card at Rockhampton as the Central Queensland Amateur Racing Club hosts its marquee raceday this Sunday. Although the track was rated a Soft 5 at the time of acceptances, it is expected that the surface will improve into the Good range before the meeting begins, with a perfect weather forecast in the leadup. The rail will be in the +2.5m position for the entire circuit, with the opening race set to jump at 12:45pm AEST. The Archer Tip: Better Get Set Better Get Set will return from a 15-week spell in the feature event on the program as the Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted-trained galloper seeks to record a valuable win at Rockhampton first-up. The stable has chosen to engage Tommy Berry, which should be seen as a big push for this daughter of Better Than Ready, who appears to be going well after two nice barrier trials in the leadup to her return. From barrier six, Berry should be able to settle in behind the speed, and with even luck, Better Get Set will be one of the strongest late in the piece. The Archer Race 7 – #11 Better Get Set (6) 6yo Mare | T: Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted | J: Tommy Berry (57kg) Bet with Unibet Best Bet at Rockhampton: Fighting Commando Fighting Commando will return to his home track, seeking back-to-back wins after the Ricky Vale-trained galloper led every step of the way to claim victory over 1500m at this track last start. This son of Fighting Sun received all the favours at the front of the field as Ashley Butler allowed the gelding to run the race at a sedate tempo. From barrier three, Butler will be able to push forward, and if no one wants to take him on, Fighting Commando can take control and attempt to replicate his most recent win. Best Bet Race 2 – #1 Fighting Commando (3) 7yo Gelding | T: Ricky Vale | J: Ashley Butler (60kg) Bet with Neds Next Best at Rockhampton: Honkytonk Diva Seeking a hat-trick of wins, Honkytonk Diva will compete in The Fitzroy over 1300m coming off two strong wins over 1100m first and second-up for this preparation. The Clinton Taylor-trained mare has won most of her races over 1200m or further, so after two wins over the shorter distances, it appears that this girl is in top form this time in. Justin Stanley has ridden this daughter of Under The Louvre twice for two wins, and with him retaining the ride, it is expected that he will give Honkytonk Diva every chance to win again. Next Best Race 6 – #13 Honkytonk Diva (10) 4yo Mare | T: Clinton Taylor | J: Justin Stanley (54kg) Bet with Dabble Sunday quaddie tips for Rockhampton races Rockhampton quadrella selections Sunday, April 28, 2024 1-3-8-13-14 1-4-6-13 1-3-11 2-4-14-15 More horse racing tips View the full article

Apostrophe will contest the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Race Images Palmerston North Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood are heading into Saturday’s meeting at Te Rapa with the fixed-odds favourites for both of the thoroughbred mecca’s traditional flagship races. This meeting was staged by the Cambridge Jockey Club until last year’s merger with the Waikato Racing Club and Waipa Racing Club to form Waikato Thoroughbred Racing. It features both of the black-type races formerly run under the Cambridge name – the Group 2 Travis Stakes (2000m) and the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). James has previously tasted success in both races, winning the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes with Shees Flawless in 2015 and teaming up with Wellwood to take out the Travis Stakes in 2022 in a career finale for Group One-winning mare Two Illicit. The Kingsclere Stables team will attempt to replicate that latter result on Saturday with Apostrophe, who horse racing betting sites rate as a -133.33 favourite for what is likely to be her final career start in the Travis Stakes. The daughter of Tavistock was bought by James and Wellwood for $60,000 as a yearling at Karaka in 2019, and she has turned that into more than $228,000 from a 20-start career that has produced six wins and five placings. Apostrophe has enjoyed a career-best campaign as a six-year-old this season. After making a big impression with a Rating 75 victory at Hastings in the spring, she graduated to black-type class with second placings in photo finishes to the Group 3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) and Group 3 Cuddle Stakes (2000m). She stretched out beyond 1600m for the first time in the Group 3 Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2100m) at Trentham on April 6, where she finished powerfully from off the pace to win going away by two and a half lengths. “I’d say that there’s every possibility that this will be the last race of her career,” James said. “It was very pleasing to see her get that first Group win last start. All the way through her career, she’s given us the impression that getting up over ground would really suit her, but until this season we haven’t quite got to the point of a campaign with her where we’ve felt she was strong enough. “This time in, her runs over a mile were very promising and she was showing us that she was ready to go further. We finally had the chance to give her that opportunity at Trentham last start, and it was a very convincing win. “Everything has gone to plan with her since then. She doesn’t take much work and is fit and ready for Saturday, where Masa (Hashizume) will ride her again.” James and Wellwood also have strong representation in the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes, where December is rated the +320 favourite and Irish Legacy is fourth favourite at +700. December was a smart winner over 1200m in his first two starts in November, then stepped up to 1400m and finished eighth in the Group 2 Auckland Guineas on Boxing Day. The Shamexpress gelding was an eye-catching sixth behind Crocetti in the Group 3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m) in late January, then returned to the winning groove with a convincing performance at Taupo on March 8. “December’s form is very good generally, and he’s pleased us in the lead-up to this race,” James said. “I think being on the fresh side helps him, and he should be well suited to a track like Te Rapa.” Irish Legacy boasts world-class pedigree credentials, being by superstar sire I Am Invincible out of the multiple Group One-winning Savabeel mare Shillelagh. She was a dominant debut winner at Taupo in February, beating subsequent three-race winner Billy Lincoln by two and a half lengths. Irish Legacy stepped into stakes company with a flying finish for third in the Group 3 Mufhasa Stakes (1400m) in her second career start, then finished eighth in the Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m). “The wet track was no friend to Irish Legacy at Trentham last time, but her runs prior to that had been very promising,” James said. “She’s shown a fair amount of ability. Her Achilles heel is that she hasn’t been great out of the barriers. “It’s a strong field on Saturday, so they’ll both need to be at the top of their game.” Horse racing news View the full article

Positivity will contest the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Notable black-type performances in both New Zealand and Australia on ANZAC Day may have set the tone for a big trans-Tasman weekend for Andrew Forsman. The Cambridge trainer won Thursday’s Listed ANZAC Mile (1600m) at Otaki with Mr Mojo Risin’, then finished third in the Listed ANZAC Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington with promising two-year-old Yaldi. The son of Ardrossan had been a two-length winner at Pukekohe in his only previous start. “It was a really good day yesterday and I’m very happy with how the team’s going at the moment,” Forsman said. “I’ll have a chat with the Jomara Bloodstock team about where we go next with Mr Mojo Risin’. There’s not a whole lot of options coming up for him in New Zealand, so we might look at taking him back to Australia. “Yaldi will fly back home to New Zealand next week. It was very much a hit-and-run mission for that one race yesterday, and I think it served its purpose really well.” At Te Rapa on Saturday, Forsman will be represented by Mary Shan and Koheroa in the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), followed by White Noise, Saint Bathans and Devastate in the rescheduled Group 3 Manco Easter Handicap (1600m). Later in the afternoon, last-start Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) runner-up Positivity will contest the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville. The Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes will be the first appearance in almost three months for Mary Shan, whose four-length maiden win in October was followed by a string of quality performances against elite three-year-old company. The daughter of Almanzor finished second in the Group 2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), fifth in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), second in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m), fourth in the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) and a last-start fifth in the Group 2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m). “She’s had a nice few weeks in the paddock and has come back in really good order,” Forsman said. “She hasn’t trialled, but she went well in a recent exhibition gallop. “We’ve always been treating this race as mainly just a run to get her going, and I think the wide draw (gate 16) is going to make it very hard for her over 1200m. She’s clearly going to have to get back from there. If the track is playing evenly, hopefully she can make a bit of a run at them in the straight. “There’s a thought of taking her to Brisbane after this, but no decisions have been made on that yet. We’ll work out a plan once we’ve got this resuming run out of the way.” Koheroa has been green in his four-start career so far, but was a stylish maiden winner at Tauranga in January and was narrowly beaten by Platinum Attack in his most recent start at Trentham on April 6. “He’s been doing a few things wrong but has plenty of ability,” Forsman said. “He’s still big and raw. He’ll get his head around things with a bit more racing. That’s partly why we’ve been keeping him to 1200m so far. With a decent tempo on, he’s got a better chance to relax in the running. “He’s certainly got the ability to be right in the finish on Saturday if he gets a bit of luck and does things right.” The Easter Handicap was meant to be run at Ellerslie last Saturday, but the meeting was abandoned after a horse slipped in the previous race on the card. The Easter was relocated to Te Rapa, where White Noise has previously been a winner while Saint Bathans and Devastate have both placed. “They’ve all performed at the course previously, although in Saint Bathans’ case, it was back when he was a younger horse,” Forsman said. “I probably would have preferred the race to be run right-handed at Ellerslie for him. “Devastate has the ability to put himself on the speed and he should be pretty comfortable around Te Rapa. White Noise has won there before, albeit on a more rain-affected track than he’s likely to strike this weekend. “I think this little bit of rain that we’re getting in the Waikato today should be a help for all three of them, and they’re all in good order.” Forsman also gave a glowing report about Positivity’s build-up to the Oaks in Adelaide. “Everything’s gone great with her,” he said. “She left Flemington last night and arrived in Adelaide this morning,” he said. “It’s not easy coming out of an Oaks preparation at home with some hard racing, then dropping back to 2000m for a Group One race in Australia like this. But she seems to be thriving and handling everything really well at this stage.” Horse racing news View the full article

Last year was the first time since 2018 that the Land of the Rising Sun had a presence at one of Sha Tin’s marquee meeting without tasting successView the full article

Impendabelle will contest the Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Impendabelle proved herself at the highest-level last campaign, and the talented filly is poised to strike in a fresh state in Saturday’s Group 3 Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa. The daughter of Impending undoubtedly brings the most outstanding form to the three-year-old feature, having won the Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) as a two-year-old, and holding that form this season with a Group 2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) crown, and a pair of Group One placings in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Levin Classic (1600m). A deserved month in the spelling paddock followed the filly’s midfield-finish in the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) in January, and she will have the services of an in-form Michael McNab when resuming on Saturday. “She’s looking fantastic after a month in the paddock, she’s been pretty unlucky not to win a Group One this season, but she’s been very consistent,” Pike said. “I’m very happy with how she’s come back, and she has drawn well (1), although 1200m may be a touch short of her best, from that gate she should be hard to beat.” With softer tracks looming, the filly’s immediate plans are weather-dependant, however, Pike indicated she may be set for the Group 3 Rotorua Stakes (1400m) at Arawa Park on May 11. “A lot will depend on how track conditions hold here, we may go to the Rotorua fillies and mares weight for age race two weeks later, should she run well on Saturday,” he said. Horse racing news View the full article

Peter Didham was left scratching his head following Danjuro’s poor showing in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m) at Trentham earlier this month, and has decided to go back to the drawing board with the talented three-year-old. Stewards placed a warning against the gelding for his racing manners following his last start antics, with the son of Saxon Warrior racing greenly entering the first bend and over-raced throughout, eventually finishing last in the 12-horse field. “We don’t know what happened at Wellington, he had been working well,” Didham said. “Wiremu Pinn (jockey) thinks he may have shied at the big screen and ran off in that first bend and then over-raced and did everything wrong. “He had a jumpout 10 days ago and went really nicely.” Didham is hoping Danjuro can regain his confidence when he heads to Wanganui on Saturday where he will contest the Wanganui Motors 1600. “Wellington threw everything out the window, so we are just starting again,” Didham said. “He has got plenty of ability, but he is a raw horse and has got a bit to learn. It is just doing the right thing by the horse. “He will be ridden quietly and just try and get his confidence back.” Stablemate Havarti is in a purple patch of form, having won and placed in two of his last three starts, and will be looking to end his preparation on a high in the Wanganui-Taranaki Racehorse Owners Association 1200. “He has been racing really well and tries hard,” Didham said. “It will probably be this run and then a spell, but it is a reasonably strong field.” Didham’s Wanganui representation will be rounded out by Fashion Icon in the Commdives NZ 3YO 1340, and he thinks she is his best chance of the day. “I am really happy with her,” he said. “She has been working really well and probably meets lesser company than what she did last start. She was a bit unlucky last start, so I expect a real forward showing from her. “We were thinking of going to the Cambridge Breeders’ (Gr.3, 1200m) with her, but when we saw the field and we didn’t have a rider, we just went back to plan B, which was Wanganui. She should be my best runner tomorrow. “She has got a lot of talent, so she will be put away for the winter very shortly.” Both Fashion Icon and Danjuro lead the TAB markets for their respective races at $3.60 and $4.20, while Havarti is on the second line of betting in his contest at $6 behind the Kevin Gray-trained Idyllic at $4.80. View the full article

Riverton horsewoman Kelly Shearing will head north to Wingatui on Sunday with a trio of runners, headlined by last start winner In Vogue (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) in the Otago Daily Times 65 2200m. Formerly trained in Cambridge by Stephen Marsh, the four-year-old daughter of Turn Me Loose came into Shearing’s care earlier this year and has had three starts in the south, culminating with a dominant three-length victory over 2200m at Ascot Park earlier this month. “It was a nice win last start and she has come on from that as well,” Shearing said. Shearing, who shares in the ownership of the mare, has been impressed with what she has shown to date and is thankful to Marsh’s assistant trainer Rhys Mildon for putting her onto the mare. “I had a bit to do with the foreman (Rhys Mildon) at (Stephen) Marsh’s barn. He is mostly up north, but he gives me a message when they have a nice one which isn’t going as good up there,” Shearing said. “He offered me her about a year ago. She ran a couple of nice fifths up there and I thought she would go pretty well down here, and she has.” Shearing will utilise the two-kilogram claim of northern apprentice jockey Bailey Rogerson this weekend, and is hopeful for some rain ahead of Sunday, with the track rated a Good4 on Friday morning. “I don’t want the track to get any firmer for her just because she has had foot problems, and I would hate for it to upset her again,” she said. “It will be good to have Bailey on her with her claim, and with the scratching she comes into one. “I think she is my best of the day, she is feeling super well and she should get forward from there (ace barrier), which she likes.” She will be joined in her race by new stablemate Choux In (NZ) (Jimmy Choux), while last start runner-up Choux Macher (NZ) (Jimmy Choux), who is also raced by The Roaring Hoarse Syndicate, will be out to go one better in the Liquorland Mosgiel 65 1400m. “I haven’t had her (Choux In) too long,” Shearing said. “She is enjoying working on the beach at the moment, so hopefully that changes her up a wee bit. I got Choux Macher from the same stable, so hopefully she takes his tune. “She has got ability and I think she might even be better over the shorter distances. We will make that assessment after I have had her for a little bit longer and I am looking forward to getting a line on her on Sunday. “I like Choux Macher, he always tries hard. I don’t know about the Good track for him, but he will try his best and he should be up there. He is working really well. “The inside draw is perfect for him and hopefully he can be a bit handier this time. “Don Nicholson (The Roaring Hoarse Syndicate manager) has been good to me, he has had horses with me for quite a long time. I used to just pre-train them and they would go to Stephen Blair-Edie, but he is just leaving them with me now, so that is nice.” Shearing is in her second season of training after several years working for a number of South Island trainers, and she is enjoying running her own barn. “We used to live across the road from the racecourse and I used to go as a kid to feed up for Rebecca Black. That sparked my interest in racing, but it wasn’t until after school that I really go into it,” she said. “I got a job out of school for Bruce Tapper. I was there for five years and I moved up to Timaru for a year when he moved up there, but I didn’t want to stay up there so I came back home. “I ended up going to Terri Rae’s in Christchurch and I was there until COVID. I then came home and worked for Kelvin (Tyler) and now I just do my own thing. “I am working about 12 at the moment, a lot of them are babies and pre-trainers.” From a sport horse and showing background, Shearing still keeps her hand in that pursuit and even shows some of her upcoming racing team. “I did a lot of showing and I still do it now,” she said. “I have got about three ponies, a two-year-old, and I ride horses for Allie Harper in Winton. “We got a few Champions at the latest New Zealand Ag Show. We were Champion Performance Sport horse, and he was reserve adult warmblood. That was really cool, it was his first year, he is only four. “I took a Jon Snow two-year-old, who I not long broke in and he is obviously going to race, to a show the other day as an in-hand for something different, and he won both of his classes. “I really enjoy showing and it is good to do something different and have a change from racing.” View the full article

Lane's End's Honor A. P. was represented by his first winner April 25 when Dancing Porky won the fifth race at Turf Paradise in his second career start. View the full article

Horse racing on Friday, April 26, will feature five meetings in Australia. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the top bets and the quaddie numbers for the meetings at Cranbourne and Tamworth. Friday Racing Tips – April 26, 2024 Cranbourne Racing Tips Tamworth Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on April 26, 2024 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you prepared to lose today? Full terms. 2 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 3 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble Have a Dabble with friends! Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Recommended! Bet365 Signup Code GETON 4 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. 5 Next Gen Racing Betting PickleBet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. 6 Bet With A Boom BoomBet Daily Racing Promotions – Login to view! Join Boombet Review 18+ Gamble responsibly. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place. Full terms. Horse racing tips View the full article

Mr Mojo Risin’ winning the Listed Anzac Mile (1600m) at Otaki on Thursday. Photo: Race Images Palmerston North Cambridge raider Mr Mojo Risin’ capitalised on a dream rail run to capture his first stakes victory when he claimed the Listed Anzac Mile (1600m) at Otaki. Carrying the distinctive green colours of his breeders and owners, the Carter family under their Jomara Bloodstock banner, the four-year-old son of Deep Field had suggested he was ready to take the step up in class when powering home to win over 1400m in rating 75 company at the venue earlier in the month. Senior rider Joe Doyle took over from apprentice Triston Moodley for the feature event on Anzac Day and soon had the Andrew Forsman-trained runner trucking along nicely in the trail behind surprise pacemaker Dark Destroyer. Things started to go awry for Doyle approaching the turn as Dark Destroyer felt the pinch and dropped back in his lap just as race favourite Islington Lass swooped into contention wider out. The native Irishman didn’t panic and as soon as the inside run presented itself he shot Mr Mojo Risin’ through and he sprinted clear to hold out Islington Lass by half a length with Lightning Jack running on gamely for third. John Carter wasn’t on track for the race but was a keen spectator on television and was rapt to see the horse put his best foot forward. “Andrew was pretty confident before the race but we thought he would have had more in his favour with a little more moisture in the track,” Carter said. “The Good4 rating was a concern but in the end he didn’t seem to mind and he dashed away in the closing stages. “He was stakes placed early on but has needed some time to mature and that has been really beneficial as he looks a much stronger horse now. “We will be guided by Andrew on where he goes next but with the tracks softening here now there will be options. He knows how to travel as he has been back and forwards to Australia so maybe something in Queensland or in Victoria will be a consideration as well.” Horse racing news View the full article

Qali Al Farrasha will contest the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Te Akau Racing’s Mark Walker was busy packing on Thursday morning as he readied himself for a trip to Adelaide to link up with a five-strong arsenal from the team’s Cranbourne base that will contest most of the major events at Morphettville on Saturday. The quintet is headed by Qali Al Farrasha in the day’s feature event, the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) along with Skew Wiff in the other elite event, the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m). Also representing the stable on the day will be Group One winner Campionessa who will contest the Group 2 Queen Of The South Stakes (1600m), Zourion in the Group 2 Tobin Bronze Stakes (1200m) and Sans Doute shooting for five wins in a row in the Group 3 John Hawkes Stakes (1100m). Walker knows the strength and depth of the fields on the day will make winning a challenging prospect, but he is confident each runner will acquit themselves well. “It is a great day of racing and the added prizemoney on offer has really added a lot of interest to the fields that have been assembled,” Walker said. “Most of our horses will be having their last starts for the season and I am expecting them all to run well despite not having a lot of luck with our barrier draws in some races.” Walker was referring to Qali Al Farrasha who has drawn the extreme outside in barrier 19 (reduced to 16 with scratchings) in the Oaks while Campionessa also fared poorly drawing barrier 12 of 18. “Qali Al Farrasha is having her first run in Australia after finishing third in the New Zealand Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) in March,” he said. “She has travelled over well and has worked nicely but we certainly copped the visitors draw in this one. “We are just going to have to take our medicine and go back at the start and see how things unfold from there. “Mick (Michael) Dee has the ride so she will get every opportunity and it will be very interesting as to how the New Zealand fillies go in the race as both Pulchritudinous and Positivity are in the field and they are the two that beat us home at Trentham. “The Kiwi three-year-olds generally measure up very well at this time of the year in Australia and we are hopeful that is how it plays out again. “Skew Wiff has been mixing her form of late but in strong fields and she strikes another one on Saturday. “Her last race wasn’t that bad as she was travelling well and the rider went to the outside for a run where if he had stayed put he would have got the gap on the inner. That is easy to say in hindsight but if she performs like we know she can, she will be a chance. “She will have this race then head back home to Waikato Stud for a nice spell.” Walker also found plenty of positives for his other three runners on the day. “Sans Doute has been working extremely well and she is shooting for five in a row,” he said. “This is a step up and a new challenge as her wins have come at Flemington, but she has the advantage of being just half a kilogram off the minimum for the race. “She will then head to the spelling paddock and we are excited about her for next season. “Campionessa has a lot of weight on her back (59.5kgs) but she has earned it as a Group One winner and she has enhanced her reputation over here with what she has done. “She will head home for a break in New Zealand after Saturday as well. “Zourion is likely to just have this start before we put her away for a spell. “She chipped a fetlock in the Thousand Guineas (Group 1, 1600m) back in November and got plenty of time off to recover. “She goes well fresh and has had a couple of jumpouts to get ready, so we are hopeful.” Horse racing news View the full article

Ahuriri dashes to a comfortable victory in the Listed VRC St Leger (2800m). Photo: Reg Ryan (Racing Photos) Cambridge Stud stallion Almanzor played a starring role at Flemington on Anzac Day, siring the quinella in the $200,000 Listed VRC St Leger (2800m) with his three-year-old daughters Ahuriri and Alma Rise. Ahuriri became only the ninth filly to win the VRC St Leger since 1930, and the first since fellow Kiwi-bred filly Exceptionally back in 2010. Both Ahuriri and Alma Rise were rated among the favourites for Thursday’s staying test, with Alma Rise just shading her rival for favouritism at +230 with online bookmakers after showing real promise with a win and a second in her only two previous appearances. Alma Rose enjoyed a comfortable run in second on the outside of the front-running Ganbare, who was allowed to set a sedate speed out in front. Ahuriri settled in fifth and one off the fence, well within striking distance all the way around the Flemington circuit. Alma Rose cruised up alongside the leader at the top of the straight and clearly had him covered, but then Damian Lane angled Ahuriri out to the centre of the track and sent her into full flight. She bounded to the lead and went clear, opening up an impressive winning margin of two and a quarter lengths over Alma Rise. It was the second win of an eight-start career for the Chris Waller-trained Ahuriri, who has also collected three minor placings and has banked $173,125 in stakes. She was stepping down in class on Thursday, having finished eighth in the Group 3 Adrian Knox Stakes (2000m) in her previous start. “It all clicked into place for her,” Lane said. “It was obviously great placement by Chris Waller and his team. You can always be confident, when you throw your leg over these horses, that they’re fit and well. She was that and she handled herself really well. “I was mindful that the two to beat would probably sit first and second in the run. I thought the leader may go a more genuine tempo, but I didn’t want to be giving too big a head start. I was able to get into a great position, only two or three lengths off the speed. That really helped me get into the race from the corner, and her turn of foot was just way too good. “She’s got real stamina. She’s not very big, but she’s got a lot of heart and that’ll take her a long way.” Horse racing news View the full article

California Spangle wins the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint. Hong Kong’s challenging spring weather rather than barrier position is the only concern Tony Cruz has for his highly-fancied California Spangle in Sunday’s (April 28) HK$22 million Group 1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m) at Sha Tin. California Spangle, who won his past two starts at the highest level, continues to reinvent himself as a sprinter after taking out the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) in Dubai at his most recent start. After California Spangle was allocated barrier seven in the 11-horse at Thursday’s barrier draw ceremony at Sha Tin, Cruz said he had no problem with the six-year-old gelding’s gate. Cruz has one runner in each of the three feature races and they will all be ridden by Brenton Avdulla. Cruz will also saddle Beauty Joy (barrier four) in the Group 1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m) and Five G Patch (barrier eight) in the Group 1 FWD QEII Cup (2000m). Cruz said he didn’t have any complaints with the barriers, but said California Spangle had never raced on a wet track. “We will have to see but I am not very confident and I prefer a good track,” Cruz said. “You have got to know where you are because (on) a good track, we all know he can perform and we don’t want a wet track to gamble on.” Despite not wanting to encounter a rain-affected surface, Cruz remains confident the Sha Tin surface will dry out significantly for Sunday’s racing. “This track really is amazing compared to any track in the world,” he said. “No matter how much rain there is, it can turn out to be a very good track, still.” With Japanese raider Mad Cool and Hong Kong’s Victor The Winner – both also Group 1 winners – also front-running horses like California Spangle, it shapes as an intriguing battle. Cruz said Victor The Winner and California Spangle were probably the two fastest front-runners in the race but would be challenged by Mad Cool, who won the Group 1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen (1200m) on a rain sodden Chukyo Racecourse in Japan at his last start. Victor The Winner finished third after leading. After starting as a sprinter and then running second to Romantic Warrior as a four-year-old in the Hong Kong Derby (2000m), California Spangle won over 1600m at Group 1 level. His victory at 1200m in Dubai was his first return to the distance in 18 starts and two years. “From the very beginning he held records in the sprint races of 1000m and 1200m (for Griffins) in Hong Kong and then we stepped him up to run at a mile (1600m),” Cruz said. “He is a real sprinter-miler. When we didn’t get success at the mile, I thought in the end I think we should race back in the sprint races because we don’t want to clash with Golden Sixty any more. We were lucky to beat him once because of the barrier draw and the way he was going. “He has had natural speed all his life and sprinting is really his distance.” Cruz said that despite Mad Cool drawing out in barrier 11, he rates him as the biggest challenge. Horse racing news View the full article

Pricilla Schaefer, exercise rider for Danny Gargan, gets to ride two Kentucky Derby contenders each morning in Dornoch and Society Man.View the full article

5th-Turf Paradise, $30,000, Msw, 4-25, 2yo, 5f, :59.17, ft, 1 1/4 lengths. DANCING PORKY (c, 2, Honor A. P.–Morning Dance, by Broken Vow) recorded the first worldwide winner for his Lane's End freshman sire Honor A.P. (by Honor Code), who has 80 foals of racing age to his credit. The juvenile, who debuted at Turf Paradise and finished third Apr. 11, was sent off as the 1-2 choice here. Though the colt started slowly, around the far turn he got into gear. Driving down the lane, Dancing Porky crossed the line by 1 1/4 lengths over Just Trust Me (Bodexpress). The winner's dam is responsible for a yearling by Lexitonian and she was bred to West Coast for this season. Sales History: $6,000 Ylg '23 FTCAYR. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $21,300. Click for the Equibase.com chart. O-Gordiano Racing Stable and Silva, Jose Luna; B-H & E Ranch (KY); T-Jose Luna Silva. The post Freshman Sire Honor A.P. Gets His First Winner At Turf Paradise appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Daily Racing Form (DRF) writer Dan Illman has been named recipient of the 2024 Old Hilltop Award for covering Thoroughbred racing with excellence and distinction and will be honored May 16 at Pimlico's Alibi Breakfast in the buildup to the GI Preakness S. “I am very honored to receive the Old Hilltop Award from the Maryland Jockey Club,” said Illman, who also serves as executive producer for DRF's video productions. “I fell in love with racing the first time I went to Belmont Park as a child, snuck the Daily Racing Form into my high school classes, and am very grateful to live my dream by covering the sport each day. The last few years of reporting on the Mid-Atlantic region, especially Maryland racing, have been the most rewarding of my career.” For more information and tickets for the Alibi Breakfast, an institution at Pimlico since the 1930s, click here. The post Dan Illman to Receive Old Hilltop Award at Alibi Breakfast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Keeneland will host its April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale following Friday's 10-race card on closing day of the Spring Meet. The fledgling auction will begin at 6:30 p.m. ET. Keeneland's final race will go off at approximately 5:09 p.m. ET. A total of 134 horses–and still growing–have been catalogued to the one-day sale. “It's an exciting sale,” Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said earlier this week. “It's kind of a celebration of the end of our race meet and it also kicks off Derby week. This is only the second time that we've held it right after the race meet on closing day. It creates a really positive atmosphere. We'll have live music before and after the sale and we'll also have Grey Goose cocktails and sandwiches from Drake's, a local restaurant. We really liked the vibe that we created two years ago. Last year, we had to pivot to a Sunday sale because OBS's schedule had changed.” Breathnach continued, “Currently, there are about 85 horses in the sale, it's a moving number. It will be right down to the last minute with the number of horses that will go through the ring, but that's right in line with where we were the last two years. We take a lot of pride in selling horses that have run well or won at the meet. Hopefully, we'll have a lot of energy. We've had a lot of people talk about the sale and ask or confirm if we were doing it going back to as early as the turn of the year. We're excited to see how it unfolds.” Highlights from the catalogue include: the 3-year-old gelding Save the Trees (Preservationist) (Hip 131, consigned by Airdrie Stud, agent), an impressive come-from-behind debut winner for the Estate of Brereton C. Jones and trainer Wayne Mackey at Keeneland Apr. 19; the streaking 4-year-old ridgling Uncle Jake (Uncle Mo) (Hip 119, consigned by Vaccarezza Racing, agent), who made it three straight wins with a Keeneland allowance tally for JKX Racing and Vaccarezza Racing LLC at Keeneland Apr. 11; the 3-year-old filly Watchtower (Demarchelier {GB}) (Hip 79, consigned by ELiTE, agent for White Birch Farm), who is unbeaten in two races this year on turf for Peter Brant and Chad Brown at Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs; 2023 GII Alysheba S. winner Smile Happy (Runhappy) (Hip 57, consigned by Gainesway, Agent II); 2022 GII Suburban S. winner Dynamic One (Union Rags) (Hip 101, consigned by Highgate Sales, Agent V); and MGSW & MGISP Wit (Practical Joke) (Hip 124, consigned by Gainesway, Agent XV as a stallion prospect). Last year's sale was topped by then 2-year-old Commissioner Dan (Commissioner), who brought $500,000 from Pedro Lanz, bidding on behalf of the Saudi Arabia-based KAS Stable, following a debut win at Keeneland. Keeneland sold 67 horses through the ring for $6,743,000, good for an average of $100,642 and a median of $70,000, at last year's auction. Recent graduates of the April Sale include: Carmel Road (Quality Road) ($260,000 '23 KEEAPR), winner of the 2024 King Faisal Cup in Saudi Arabia; 2023 GIII John B. Connally Turf Cup S. winner Scarlet Fusion (Curlin) ($110,000 '22 KEEAPR); and last weekend's Danger's Hour S. winner Spirit of St Louis (Medaglia d'Oro) ($280,000 '23 KEEAPR). “There's really a market for ready-made animals,” Breathnach said. “The claim box has been popular and busy the whole meet. There are a lot of people that are looking for horses that are ready to go on with. We've had a lot of support and interest from Saudi Arabia and they'll be live and active again. They like dirt horses and hopefully we have some of what they want.” The post Keeneland’s April Selected Horses of Racing Age Sale Follows Friday’s Closing Day Card appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article