Wandering Eyes

In a field of 10, 'TDN Rising Stars' GISW Muth (Good Magic) and GISW Timberlake (Into Mischief) have drawn the seven and two gate spots, respectively, and lead the charge in Oaklawn's feature GI Kentucky Derby prep race, the GI Arkansas Derby. Muth, 8-5 on the morning line, will attempt to give Bob Baffert his fifth win in the contest, but hasn't started since finding the winner's enclosure in the GII San Vicente S. Jan. 6 at Santa Anita. The colt is ineligible for the Derby points and to run in the GI Kentucky Derby owing to Baffert's much talked-about suspension by Churchill Downs. Brad Cox, trainer of Timberlake (9-5 on the morning line), seeks his third consecutive victory in Oaklawn's fourth and final Kentucky Derby points race. Having already claimed the GII Rebel S. at this venue in February, the third offered qualifying race, the son of Into Mischief looks to pad an already sizeable tally here. Also drawn was the field for the GII Fantasy S., a 200-point race for the GI Kentucky Oaks, and Mike Maker's MSW My Mane Squeeze (Audible) has been tapped as the 3-1 program favorite. The New York-bred leads a field which includes the top three finishers of the GIII Honeybee S. in GSW Lemon Muffin (Collected), SW & GSP Tapit Jenallie (Tapit), and SW & GSP West Omaha (West Coast). The post ‘Rising Stars’ Muth, Timberlake Lead Arkansas Derby Field appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Owner-breeder John Fairley said he and his family are "all heartbroken" after his multiple group 1-winner Highfield Princess died March 23 after sustaining an injury in an accident in her stall last week.View the full article

Trainer Penalty S Ross | Non-raceday dated 21 March; possession of permanently banned substance; disqualified 20 March – 19 July inclusive. Dog Penalties GO HELEN | Christchurch 22 March; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. HOMEBUSH SUZIE | Christchurch 22 March; turned in boxes; must complete trial. GOLDSTAR ROMAN | Christchurch 22 March; marring (2nd charge); stood down for 28 days and must complete trial. General Race 5 at Auckland GRC meeting of 24 March was declared a no race after the boxes were slow to open. The post 18-24 March 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Al Basti Equiworld will renew its partnership with York Racecourse and continue sponsoring a trio of group races, the two organisations announced on Sunday. The £180,000 G2 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Dante S. and the £150,000 G2 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Middleton S. will take place on May 16 this year. The £250,000 G2 Al Basti Equiworld, Dubai Gimcrack S. will be held on Aug. 23. Malih Al Basti said, “Our long-standing relationship with York Racecourse has contributed significantly to promoting recognition of our brand within the sport and beyond. I am delighted that we are able to continue our support for these three important races at two of British racing's most exciting Festivals.” Chairman of York Racecourse, Bridget Guerin, added, “Malih Al Basti has been a great supporter of York, so it is wonderful news that his support is set to continue. All three races have a rich heritage with many famous winners and memorable contests, they will continue to thrive under the strong partnership between Al Basti Equiworld and the team at York.” The post Al Basti Equiworld And York Racecourse Continue Sponsorship Partnership appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“Stud Medicine–Back To Basics” is the next event in the Irish Equine Veterinary Association (IEVA) CPD Series and will be held at the Irish National Stud (INS) on Tuesday, Apr. 2 beginning at 11 a.m. CVI points are pending for the lecture, which follows the “Stud Medicine–Following the Evidence” course that took place in February. Veterinarians with expertise in equine stud medicine will present a programme of lectures on a variety of topics including mare management to foaling and foal care. There will also be a panel discussion on career options and planning, a late lunch and a tour of the Irish National Stud and Gardens, weather permitting. To register, please visit the IEVA website. The post IEVA CPD Series Continues With Stud Medicine Programme appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Massive Sovereign, in just his second local start, swept to a dramatic, late-running score in the Hong Kong Derby March 24 at Sha Tin Racecourse.View the full article

The partnership of Three Chimneys Farm, William Lawrence and Walmac Farm went to $1,200,000 to secure CARTUCHO (c, 3, Gun Runner–Malibu Prayer, by Malibu Moon) at the 2022 Keeneland September Sale and were rewarded when their buy graduated on debut Sunday in 'TDN Rising Star' fashion at Tampa. After a slow beginning, the favorite was able to reconnect with the field, sit just off the wall of frontrunners and pounce inside the final furlong to win driven out. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-Three Chimneys Farm, Lawrence, William H. and Walmac Farm; B-Three Chimneys Farm; T-Chad Brown. Sales History: $1,200,000 ylg '22 KEESEP. The post Gun Runner’s Cartucho Graduates In Impressive ‘Rising Star’ Debut At Tampa appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mad Cool (Jpn) (Dark Angel {Ire}–Mad About You {Ire}, by Indian Ridge {Ire}) climbed the Group 1 heights with a head victory in the 1200-metre ¥329,400,000 G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo on Sunday. Namura Clair (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) was runner-up for the second consecutive year, with the duo three lengths ahead of Hong Kong raider and G1 Centenary Sprint Cup scorer Victor The Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) in third. It was a dogfight for pacesetting duties between Mad Cool and Victor The Winner from the bell, with the former conceding the advantage to sit in third on the backstretch as Win Carnelian (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) moved to second. Saving all the ground on the fence while drafting off of Victor The Winner, the 8-1 sixth choice charged through a gap along the inside with 400 metres to travel as the leader drifted toward the centre of the course. The exceedingly deep ground didn't phase the 5-year-old entire, who inched by the determined Hong Kong raider and set sail for the line at the 150-metre point. Gobbling up ground directly behind Mad Cool, Namura Clair was unleashing a furious rally, but she did not hit the front until a stride past the wire. Victor The Winner plugged on to be third. Favoured Lugal (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) raced near the pace, but could not mount a strong challenge at the end and faded to 10th. “I am so glad to have won this race after our narrow defeat last fall [in the Sprinters S.],” said winning jockey Ryusei Sakai. “He broke well and we were in an ideal position, right behind the pace, throughout the trip. I've been riding this horse from early in his career and the connections had been eyeing this race from the beginning, but he still has room for improvement so I look forward to his future as well.” A winner of four of his six starts at three, the bay was third to Namura Clair in the G3 Silk Road S. last January, before taking his first stake, the Listed Shunrai S., at Nakayama in April of 2023. Second by only a nose to Mama Cocha (Jpn) (Kurofune) in the G1 Sprinters S. last October, he signed off his 4-year-old campaign with an eighth in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint on Dec. 10. Sunday marked his 4-year-old bow. Pedigree Notes Mad Cool is the 16th Group 1 winner for his Yeomanstown Stud-based sire, who has 102 stakes winners (59 group winners) on an international scale. Dark Angel covered 166 mares in 2023, and he has three stakes winners out of Indian Ridge mares. G2 July S. hero Alhebayeb (Ire) is his other group/graded winner bred on this cross. The late Indian Ridge has made quite a mark as a broodmare sire, as his daughters have foaled 114 stakes winners to date. A total of 68 group winners are sprinkled among them, with 19 top-level winners following Mad Cool's Takamatsunomiya Kinen tally. The seventh foal and fifth winner for his G3 Gladness S.-winning dam, Mad Cool was purchased for €225,000 out of the Goffs November Foal Sale in 2019 by Katsumi Yoshida. He is a half-brother to G3 Silver Flash S. third A Ma Chere (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), the winning 4-year-old gelding Partisan Hero (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}) and the 3-year-old filly Campari Soda (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}), who has yet to race. Besides her Gladness win, Mad About You was placed four times at the highest level in Ireland and France. Her dam Irresistible Jewel (Ire) (Danehill) won both the G2 Ribblesdale S. and G3 Blandford S. and was also placed in the G1 Prix de l'Opera. At stud, she foaled fellow G2 Ribblesdale S. heroine and G1 Irish Oaks third Princess Highway to the cover of Street Cry (Ire), as well as G1 Irish St. Leger winner Royal Diamond (Ire) (King's Best). Mad Cool is also kin to G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}). Sunday, Chukyo, Japan TAKAMATSUNOMIYA KINEN-G1, ¥329,400,000, Chukyo, 3-24, 4yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.90, sf. 1–MAD COOL (IRE), 128, h, 5, Dark Angel (Ire) 1st Dam: Mad About You (Ire) (GSW & MG1SP-Ire, G1SP-Fr, $495,023), by Indian Ridge (Ire) 2nd Dam: Irresistible Jewel (Ire), by Danehill 3rd Dam: In Anticipation (Ire), by Sadler's Wells 1ST GROUP WIN. 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (€225,000 Wlg '19 GOFNOV). O-Sunday Racing; B-Moyglare Stud Farm Ltd (Ire); T-Manabu Ikezoe; J-Ryusei Sakai; ¥173,780,000. Lifetime Record: 12-6-1-3, ¥333,466,000. *1/2 to A Ma Chere (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), GSP-Ire. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Namura Clair (Jpn), 123, m, 5, Mikki Isle (Jpn)–Sun Queen, by Storm Cat. O-Mutsuhiro Namura; B-Tanikawa Farm (Jpn); ¥69,080,000. 3–Victor The Winner (Aus), 128, h, 8, Toronado (Ire)–Noetic (Aus), by Cape Cross (Ire). (A$180,000 Ylg '20 INGMAR). O-Yun Lau Chu; B-Mr. A Sangster (Aus); ¥43,540,000. Margins: HD, 3, 1HF. Odds: 8.60, 4.40, 8.60. Also ran: Win Caernelian (Jpn), Lotus Land, Toshin Macau (Jpn), Big Caesar (Jpn), Mama Cocha (Jpn), Meikei Yell (Jpn), Lugal (Jpn), Divina (Jpn), Win Marvel (Jpn), Schwarz Kaiser (Ire), So Dazzling (Jpn), Mozu Meimei (Jpn), Matenro Orion (Jpn), Champagne Color (Jpn), T M Spada (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. Tooth and nail as MAD COOL hangs on to beat NAMURA CLAIR in the G1 1200m Takamatsunomiya Kinen on a boggy Chukyo They ran 1.08.9 somehow, a very tough test #JRA pic.twitter.com/JCilmynhBo — Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) March 24, 2024 The post Dark Angel’s Mad Cool Denies Namura Clair In Takamatsunomiya Kinen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — It has been a circuitous first three decades of life for Pat Comerford, from big city Melbourne to Alice Springs smack dab in the middle of Australia and from studying in Central Missouri to New Zealand to the bright lights of Dubai. At age 28, Comerford iis set to call his first Dubai World Cup meeting, having cut his teeth on the mic in the Northern Territories almost by accident. Called up into a similar role at the Singapore Turf Club–a job that has proved fertile ground for significant advancement into bigger and more glamorous Comerford was selected last fall as the racecaller at the tracks of the Emirates Racing Association. That not only includes sprawling Meydan Racecourse, but also Jebel Ali, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Comerford graciously took time out of his frenetic schedule to field some questions from TDN Senior Contributing Editor Alan Carasso ahead of Saturday's Dubai World Cup meeting. TDN: How did you become interested in Thoroughbred racing? Pat Comerford: Grew up the northwest of Melbourne five minutes from Moonee Valley and 10 minutes from Flemington. Fair to say nine of every 10 people around that area loves a punt. My family weren't involved in racing, just avid racegoers and we loved heading to the races at a young age, especially throughout Melbourne Cup week. I turn 29 this year so I'd say I've been following it the best part of 20 years. TDN: What got you into commentating? PC: It's not the usual entry to it. I always had a love for broadcasting and was involved in radio from a young age. After returning to Melbourne following a brief stint at the Missouri School Of Journalism, I graduated back in Australia and got a job in Alice Springs doing breakfast radio. By chance in one of the most remote towns in Australia, the commentator of over 10 years at the Alice Springs Turf Club departed in late 2017 and they were in need of a commentator for the 30-35 meetings each year. I'd never done it before, but being one of the radio presenters in town and heading to the track all the time, they probably thought it was something I could learn. After a few weeks with some help from the outgoing commentator Shane Green, I was calling around the country most weeks and that was my entry in commentating, it was a rough start believe me. TDN: Australia is home to so many outstanding racecallers. Is there any one of them that you have sort of imitated or that has had a profound impact on you? PC: Adam Olszanski in my early time in Alice was a great help, he also spent time as a young commentator flying up to Alice Springs to get opportunities. Ric McIntosh was also a great help. In recent times, for both racing and sports commentary advice, Matthew Hill has been a wealth of knowledge and a person I can call a friend. Always free for a call and happy to lend a hand to the young blokes in the game. TDN: How would you describe your style? PC: It's a certainly a very Australian style that's for sure. I like to think with my time overseas, I have been able to keep some of the Aussie elements, but also continue adding international elements as I've gone on. A commentator I idolized as a younger person was David Raphael when he called in Hong Kong. He was proof that you can get excited, be a bold and loud voice but also do it with elegance. I've only be calling just over six years, but if I could get to his level and master that style of calling in the near future, I'll be doing well. TDN: Talk about your experience in Singapore. PC: Singapore was my first full time overseas calling opportunity, having only called part time during my couple years in New Zealand. Thousands of trials helped me fine tune many things that I never got the experience to do in central Australia and when Nick Child departed to Hong Kong, the Singapore job became available. George Simon, who was the last caller at Bukit Timah and first caller at Kranji was a great mentor during my time in NZ and was a big help in putting me forward for the role. I called my first 6-7 months behind closed doors [due to COVID], but to say it wasn't a massive opportunity would be ridiculous. Getting a chance to start commentating domestic group features allowed me to start putting my name out there and if it wasn't for the chance they gave me, I wouldn't be here in Dubai today. TDN: Commentating in Singapore been something of a conduit to bigger and better positions elsewhere. Ed Sadler, Brett Davis, Tom Wood, Nick Child, as you pointed out, and one of your predecessors at the ERA, Craig Evans. How did that experience prepare you for this grander stage? PC: To even be in the line of succession with some of those names is crazy for me to even fathom. There has been some world-class callers come out of Singapore and although I wouldn't class myself anywhere near that bracket yet, all of them I'd say would agree that Singapore certainly improves you as a caller. I personally felt that the track taught me patience, especially long course racing on the turf. The run in at Kranji on the long course feels like it goes forever and so much can unfold in that 600m+. It was the first place where furlong splits and pace was an important element to focus on and include. Having started on the dirt in the Northern Territory where everything is full bore from the get-go, to calling on very heavy tracks in New Zealand, Singapore gave me great experience to understanding who was getting the best run and allowing those predictions to paint a better picture on what was to potentially unfold in the later stages of the race. TDN: I would be remiss if I didn't ask you for your thoughts on the sad demise of racing in Singapore. PC: It is truly devastating that as of October, racing in Singapore will no longer exist. I am truly honored that I got the chance to call there, it is a world-class facility that will unfortunately go to waste. Like many racing fans, we all have so many great memories watching many international champions win at Kranji and it will be missed. TDN: How daunting a task has it been calling the tracks of the ERA, Meydan especially, and how tricky has it been adapting to calling the Purebred Arabians? PC: Meydan I found the easiest transition. Everything apart from the straight racing was very similar to Singapore. You are quite far away from the course, sitting up high in a big grandstand, so it was quite an easy one to adapt to. The other tracks however were a challenge at first. Many require you to use the vision screens at certain points because you physically cannot see them through the glasses. Add to that the different style of names which from a recall perspective, took a little while to stick in the brain right away. The process is much easier now but you still get an interesting one every now and then. It certainly keeps you on your toes. TDN: How have you grown into the role since your appointment? PC: I'd like to think that I have seen further improvement in my calling this season. I'd like to hope that those listening on have enjoyed the races so far this season. It's a bit of a different sound to what they have heard in Dubai previously. All I can hope is that I can match the class of my predecessors who have called here in the past, some great callers have held this position and I certainly don't take the position for granted, I'm very lucky to be in this spot. TDN: Of all the races on World Cup night, is there a single race or a horse in particular you are most looking forward to seeing/calling? PC: I'd say I'm tied for that. Hard to split the Auguste Rodin v Liberty Island battle in the Sheema and Kabirkhan in the Dubai World Cup. The Sheema once again is a very deep race and should be a great contest. As for Kabirkhan, if he can get the win for Kazakhstan and Doug Watson, it would be an amazing story. The post TDN Q & A: Emirates Racing Authority Commentator Pat Comerford appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mad Cool took the short way around to win the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (G1) March 24 at Chukyo Racecourse, getting a leg up on year-end sprint division honors.View the full article

Sunday's TRM Equine Nutrition Race at Naas looked an intriguing contest, with four winners lined up including one who was group 1-placed at two. At the end, there was one who was in total command and that was the filly Purple Lily (Ire) (Calyx {GB}–Boca Raton {Ire}, by Approve {Ire}) who flashed distinct Classic potential to earn TDN Rising Star status. Racing for Alan O'Flynn's Zinlo Syndicate, the Paddy Twomey-trained Tatts Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up sensation had made an instant impression when off the mark in an often-informative Galway maiden in August. On only her second start, the 10-11 favourite was able to master Ballyodyle's G1 Criterium International third Portland (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the Johnny Murtagh-trained course-and-distance maiden winner Chicago Critic (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and make light of the testing conditions. “She's a nice filly and she had wintered well. She has size and scope and is a strong filly. We just gave her the one run after the breeze-ups last year and she was good,” Twomey said. “I like her, the horses have done loads of cantering but they haven't done much fast work. I thought she was a nice filly and when you are taking on a 108-rated colt you are asking them a question and she did it well.” Content to let the two class colts of the race go on from the outset, Billy Lee asked the question of Purple Lily heading to two out and she responded gamely to subdue them soon after. At the line, she had put three lengths between her and the solid yardstick Portland, with another 4 1/4 lengths back to Chicago Critic in third. “We might look at a Guineas trial here and go for an Irish Guineas,” her trainer added. “I think Newmarket would come at her a bit quick and I think we'll take our time–Billy [Lee] says something like the [G1] Pretty Polly might suit her. Hopefully we have a good year with her.” Calyx's third TDN Rising Star, including last year's G2 Duchess of Cambridge S. winner Persian Dreamer, Purple Lily is the third foal out of Boca Raton, a half-sister to the G1 Irish Oaks third and G3 Lancashire Oaks runner-up Lady's Secret (Ire) (Alzao). She also has a 2-year-old full-brother to the winner named Cataluyna (Ire) and a yearling filly by Cotai Glory (GB). 2nd-Naas, €17,500, Cond, 3-24, 3yo, 8fT, 1:52.84, hy. PURPLE LILY (IRE), f, 3, by Calyx (GB) 1st Dam: Boca Raton (Ire), by Approve (Ire) 2nd Dam: Kaaba (GB), by Darshaan (GB) 3rd Dam: Konigsalpen (Ger), by Priamos (Ger) Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $24,352. O-Zinlo Syndicate; B-Mr B O'Neill (IRE); T-Paddy Twomey. *€17,500 Wlg '21 GOFNO1; €24,000 Ylg '22 TATIRY; €155,000 2yo '23 TATGOR. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. She's good! Purple Lily justifies 1,000 Guineas entries by going clear of the 108-rated Portland to make it two wins from as many starts. Next stop, Newmarket?@paddytwomey | @wjlee24786 pic.twitter.com/ClKZrHkxq9 — Racing TV (@RacingTV) March 24, 2024 The post Calyx’s Purple Lily A New TDN Rising Star appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Chan Kam Hung's Massive Sovereign (Ire) (No Nay Never–Sweet Charity {Fr}, by Myboycharlie {Ire}) continued his Hong Kong progression in stirring fashion with a come-from-behind victory under Zac Purton in the HK$26,000,000 BMW Hong Kong Derby at Sha Tin on Sunday. The time of 1:59.85 was a new record for the race since the distance was changed to 2000 metres in 2000, with Massive Sovereign bettering the mark of Hong Kong phenom Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro)'s 2:00.15 set in 2020. The winner's neck defeat of the Group 1-placed Galaxy Patch (Aus) (Wandjina {Aus}) also marked a one-three finish for horses bred and formerly trained in Ireland, as G3 Gallinule S. second Ka Ying Generation (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), ran third by three-quarters of a length. Once the gates flew, 39-1 longshot Ka Ying Generation, with Andrea Atzeni at the controls, hustled up to anchor the vanguard, with Purton's mount second to last through the first 400 metres in :25.53. The pace quickened from there, with the first 800 metres covered in :49.45, but the 17-5 shot was keen to do more, just to the outside of favoured Helios Express (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}), who had scooped the first two legs of the 4-Year-Old Classic series. That duo soon reached the main body of the field, while Ka Ying Generation continued on by his lonesome at halfway. Atzeni gave his mount a nudge and soon opened up four lengths on his rivals on the final bend. By the 300-metre mark, he was six lengths clear, and it was not immediately apparent that any of his foes had the requisite turn of foot to run him down. Purton, who won his first HK Derby with Luger (Aus) (Choisir {Aus}) in 2015, was undeterred and steered Massive Sovereign through traffic and he soon had the game-but-tiring frontrunner dead to rights. Unleashing a brilliant closing kick, the eventual winner hit the front four strides from the line, and fend off the rush of Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup second Galaxy Patch to his outside. Ka Ying Generation clung grimly on to complete the trifecta. The winner covered his final 600 metres in a sharp :33.84, while the first three home all broke the two-minute mark for the 2000 metre distance. Helios Express's bid flattened in the final stages and he finished eighth. “It's very exciting,” said former Hong Kong champion trainer Dennis Yip, who was winning his first HK Derby. “I think the Derby for me is more important than the championship [in 2012/13]…but this one for my life is the big one. “He's a very special horse with a very good mind. The last 200m I was very nervous but I rely on Zac. He is the champion jockey in Hong Kong and everything was good with the horse. “This horse, the first day he arrived in Hong Kong, he [Purton] sent me the video [of Massive Sovereign winning at Leopardstown] and told me he thought he was a nice horse and asked me if he could ride him.” “I didn't really have a horse for the Derby until this bloke won so, like when I won on Luger, it was a late pick-up ride into the race,” said Purton. “I feel extremely honoured and privileged to have found such a horse to win it. To win the race itself, it's the most prestigious race in Hong Kong and I've had a frustrating run in this race and a frustrating season, so it's nice to get another big one–and probably the biggest one among the local races overall.” A winner of a Dundalk all-weather affair at third asking last April, Broadhurst, as he was known prior to his arrival in Hong Kong, ran second in a Naas handicap later that spring for the Coolmore partners and trainer Aidan O'Brien. Originally a €620,000 Goffs Orby yearling, he was gelded after winning a Leopardstown handicap in September, and changed hands privately before making a striking debut at Sha Tin over this course and distance under Purton on Mar. 3 (video). The G1 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Sha Tin over this distance on Apr. 28 is next in the cards for Massive Sovereign. “I've already entered him for [the FWD QEII Cup] at the end of April,” Yip added. “I will see how the horse pulls up. If he's good and he improves, I will go this way. I'm very happy, it's amazing for my life. What a memory.” Pedigree Notes Coolmore Stud's No Nay Never now has 58 stakes winners (34 group) worldwide to his name, while Massive Sovereign is his first stakes winner in Hong Kong. Need I Say More (Aus), racing as Spirited Express in Hong Kong, ran third in the G3 HKJC Premier Plate. A winner of the 2013 G1 Prix Morny, the son of Scat Daddy bred 190 mares in 2023. From the same family as French stakes winner Aktoria (Fr) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), herself the dam of multiple group winner Greenland (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Sweet Charity won the Listed Prix de Liancourt and was third in the GII Santa Ana S. in America. At stud, she has visited No Nay Never exclusively, with Massive Sovereign her first foal and first stakes winner. His 3-year-old full-sister Love Comedy (Ire), a €75,000 Goffs Orby yearling, is a winner in Japan. Juvenile filly Boxie (Ire) has yet to race, while Sweet Charity has another yearling full-sister to the HK Derby winner still to come. Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong BMW HONG KONG DERBY-Listed, HK$26,000,000, Sha Tin, 3-24, NH/SH 4yo, 2000mT, 1:59.85, gd/fm. 1–MASSIVE SOVEREIGN (IRE), 126, g, 4, by No Nay Never 1st Dam: Sweet Charity (Fr) (SW-Fr & GSP-US, $170,312), by Myboycharlie (Ire) 2nd Dam: Sapfo (Fr), by Peintre Celebre 3rd Dam: Granadilla (GB), by Zafonic 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€620,000 Ylg '21 GOFSEP). O-Chan Kam Hung. B-Lynch Bages, Ltd. & Summerhill Bloodstock. T-Dennis Yip. J-Zac Purton. HK$14,560,000. Lifetime Record: 7-4-2-0, HK$16,570,382. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Galaxy Patch (Aus), 126, g, 4, Wandjina (Aus)–Voltara (Aus), by More Than Ready. (A$50,000 Ylg '21 MMLMAR). O-Yeung King Man. B-Summerset Park Stud (SA). T-Pierre Ng. HK$5,460,000. 3–Ka Ying Generation (Ire), 126, g, 4, Churchill (Ire)–War Goddess (Ire), by Champs Elysees (GB). O-Happy Ka Ying Syndicate. B-Whisperview Trading, Ltd. (Ire). T-Pierre Ng. HK$2,990,000. Margins: NK, 3/4, 3. Odds: 3.40, 6.20, 39.00. Also Ran: Chill Chibi (NZ), Unbelievable, Chancheng Glory, Speed Dragon (NZ), Helios Express (Aus), Helene Feeling (Ire), Star Mac (Aus), Elliptical (Aus), Ensued, Simple Hedge (Aus), Beauty Crescent (Ire). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing. ' ! MASSIVE SOVEREIGN sets a new race record for the Hong Kong Derby at 1:59.85, eclipsing GOLDEN SIXTY's 2:00.15 Watch both races side by side along with Mark McNamara's call of this year's epic Derby @HKJC_Racing | #HKRacing | #HKDerby pic.twitter.com/72HmYvdHK2 — World Horse Racing (@WHR) March 24, 2024 The post No Nay Never Gelding Becomes Hong Kong Derby Royalty appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Italian jockey admits he thought he had the city’s most prestigious race ‘in the bag’ after taking off aboard $40 chance Ka Ying GenerationView the full article

Trainers John and Sean Quinn have been dealt a cruel blow with the news that stable star Highfield Princess has died after suffering “an inoperable fracture”. Highfield Princess took the Quinn stable an an extraordinary journey, winning 14 of her 39 career starts and earning close to £2 million in prize-money for her owner-breeder John Fairley. She tasted Group 1 success four times and mixed it with some of the fastest horses in the world. However, the Prix de l'Abbaye, Nunthorpe, Flying Five and Prix Maurice de Gheest scorer could not be saved after suffering an accident in her stable. A statement released by the Quinn team on Sunday morning read, “She suffered an inoperable fracture following an accident in her stable and, although over the past week she fought with the same extraordinary spirit she showed on the racecourse, last night lost her battle for life. We would like to thank Jonathan Anderson and the team at Rainbow Equine Hospital, who did everything possible to help the Princess and keep her comfortable.” John Quinn added, “Highfield Princess took us all on the most remarkable journey. She possessed Group 1 ability but also a Group 1 attitude. Whether it was a routine canter or a big sprint race around the world she put one hundred per cent effort into what she did. I am grateful for all that she did for herself and for our team. We will miss her more than words can say.” The post Heartbreak For Quinn Yard As Highfield Princess Dies After Accident In Stable appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Veteran trainer’s first BMW Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) success ‘more important’ than his 2012-13 title triumphView the full article

Australian rider ends streak of placings in city’s most prestigious race, lifting the rising star to victory in a heart-stopping finishView the full article

Five-year-old speedster becomes the first overseas raider to place in a Japan Racing Association Group One since Werther in 2018View the full article

We've been waiting so long for the proper Flat to start that it seems almost criminal to veer straight off the other side of the world, but there was plenty of interest for breeders from this side at Rosehill in Sydney on Saturday morning. One person who managed to stay awake past 2am to watch the highly impressive last-to-first romp of Post Impressionist (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) in the G3 N E Manion Cup was his breeder Henrietta Egan, who is based at Corduff Stud with her husband David. Now five, Post Impressionist is the first foal of Island Remede (GB) (Medicean {GB}), who was bought by Egan from the Tattersalls December Mares Sale for 43,000gns. Already a winner for Ed Dunlop, she was put back into training with Henry de Bromhead the following season as a five-year-old and went on to be placed twice in Listed races at Leopardstown and Cork as well as winning over hurdles at Limerick. That National Hunt form didn't deter Shadwell from giving 260,000gns for her Teofilo colt at the yearling sales. “I was gibbering wreck when he sold as a yearling to Shadwell and this horse has taken me on the most extraordinary journey,” Egan told TDN on Saturday morning. “We had dreams of winning the Mares' Hurdle at Cheltenham, which was a bit crackers. David is great mates with Henry and we had big dreams of having fun with her, and we did. She ran at Leopardstown first time out and finished third in a Listed race and I think that was the first black type on the Flat for Henry.” Egan's association with Island Remede stretches back further than the sale ring at Tattersalls, however, to before she was even born. “I was riding out for Ed Dunlop when she was in training with him, and weirdly I worked for her breeder Ian Quy, who had two mares, and I did the nomination for her, so we have a very long story,” she says. “I'm slightly gobsmacked really. David had a foal last night. I was out to a birthday party and David had to stay behind to watch the mare. I came back to find David fast asleep and it was about one o'clock so I thought I'd pour myself a gin and tonic and try to stay awake for the race. I was screaming downstairs watching this horse and I ran upstairs and couldn't wake my husband who was out for the count. The foaling season is so exhausting, but this is why we do it. It's what dreams are made of.” Later in the day, Island Remede's three-year-old filly Cabrera (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) ran a promising fourth on debut at Newcastle for Egan and Hot To Trot Racing. The mare is in foal to Cracksman (GB), carrying another filly, and will be sent to Native Trail (GB) this season. There is likely to be more early-morning screaming in the Egan household this spring as Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), who was bred by Corduff Stud and Tim Rooney, will be seeking his seventh Group 1 win when he lines up for the FWD QEII Cup on Sha Tin's Champions Day. As well as his wins in Hong Kong, the six-year-old also won last year's Cox Plate, and there could be more Group 1 success on the cards in Australia for Corduff Stud with Post Impressionist, now owned by Lloyd Williams, likely to head next for the Sydney Cup. “With Romantic Warrior being such a success for the farm as well, it's just such a cool year,” Egan said. “I'm thrilled for David. He works so hard. Good stuff like this just makes it worthwhile.” She added that Romantic Warrior's dam Folk Melody (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}) has a New Bay (GB) yearling colt but no foal this year. She is booked to Havana Grey (GB). Haggas Gives Waller a Lead Australian trainers must dread seeing the name William Haggas among the nominations for runners for Sydney's Autumn Carnival. His raids down under have shown him to be the ultimate target trainer and Post Impressionist gave Haggas his third win in the N E Manion Cup in the last five years after Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in 2020 and Favorite Moon (Ger) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) 12 months later. In 2020, while all of European racing was shuttered by Covid, Haggas sent out Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) to give us all something to cheer about when he won the G1 Ranvet and G1 Queen Elizabeth S., and that lovely old warrior returned the following year to tussle with Chris Waller's super mare Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}), finishing second to her in the Ranvet before winning his second Queen Elizabeth. Last year, Haggas pulled off that same Group 1 double with Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) while Protagonist (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) pitched in to take the G3 Sky High S. Frustratingly for all involved with Dubai Honour, a setback ruled him out of a return to Sydney, but that news will doubtless have come as a relief to Waller. He told Sky Racing World last week that he had taken a leaf out of the Haggas playbook in his training of Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who joined his team after being sold for 2.7 million gns last December at Tattersalls, having won the G1 Pretty Polly S. for George Boughey and owner Rebecca Hillen.”We prepared her in Newmarket, I kept a close eye on what Mr Haggas has done with a few of his horses which have beaten Verry Elleegant a number of times,” Waller said. “He just gets it right every year.” Waller is not exactly a novice himself when it comes to winning Group 1 races. Born in New Zealand, he has been champion trainer in Sydney every year since the 2010/11 season. But it is a mark of his professionalism that he continues to look and learn, and his approach paid off handsomely when Via Sistina landed the Ranvet on her Australian debut. The five-year-old now races in the colours of Yulong Investments, who also own the Ranvet runner-up Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), another expensive December purchase, bought for €4.025 million at Arqana. The European-bred trifecta was brought up by another Waller trainee, Buckaroo (GB), who was bred by The Roheryn Partnership at Tweenhills on that same productive Fastnet Rock-Galileo cross as Via Sistina. It was a banner day at Rosehill for the Yulong team, whose stallions Written Tycoon (Aus) and Pierata (Aus) were responsible for the first two home in the G1 Golden Slipper, Lady Of Camelot (Aus) and Coleman (Aus). Another of the team's stallions, Grunt (NZ), sired the G1 George Ryder S. winner Veight (Aus), who was bred and sold by Yulong as a yearling. A Different Egan Let's return closer to home where another David Egan, this one the jockey, was in the spotlight on Saturday as turf racing commenced at Doncaster. Egan's major breakthrough came when, as retained rider to Prince AA Faisal, he rode the Prince's homebred Mishriff (Ire) to victory in the Saudi Cup, Dubai Sheema Classic and Juddmonte International. Signed by Amo Racing in December, Egan has grabbed that new opportunity with both hands. He won the first Irish two-year-old race of the season last Monday aboard Arizona Blaze (GB) (Sergei Prokofiev) on the Curragh, where he grew up, and then delivered Mr Professor (Ire) (Profitable {Ire}) to win the Lincoln at 33/1. He will be itching to hop aboard the Amo Racing star King Of Steel (Wootton Bassett {GB}), who was seen on Newmarket Heath in Saturday morning's sunshine looking a picture of health amid Roger Varian's string under Raul da Silva. Varian himself got off to a perfect start by saddling the first winner of the British turf season, Charyn (Ire), who bowled home in the Listed Doncaster Mile. He certainly should have won as he did as the son of Dark Angel (Ire), who was bred by Guy O'Callaghan at Grangemore Stud, is a classy individual and looks to have improved again physically over the winter. A Group 2 winner at two for Nurlan Bizakov, Charyn was fourth in the Irish 2,000 Guineas and third in both the St James's Palace and Sussex S. last year. If he continues to run as well as he looked on Saturday, he could well rival King Of Steel for the title of the best grey at Carlburg Stables and edge his way onto Bizakov's burgeoning roster of Sumbe stallions for next year, alongside the aforementioned Mishriff. Less than 24 hours later, Charyn's sire Dark Angel was in the spotlight with a rare winner in Japan, and this one at the highest level. Mad Cool (Ire), bred by Moyglare Stud and sold to Katsumi Yoshida as a foal at Goffs for €225,000, landed the GI Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo for Sunday Racing Co and trainer Manabu Ikezoe. The five-year-old, who became the 16th Group/Grade 1 winner for Dark Angel, was beaten by a nose in the GI The Sprinters S. last October and is from one of the families which has underpinned the success of Moyglare Stud over a number of generations. His dam Mad About You (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) won the G3 Gladness S. and was runner-up in the both the Irish 1,000 Guineas and G1 Pretty Polly S. in the hands of Pat Smullen, and she is a half-sister to the G2 Ribblesdale S. winner Princess Highway (Street Cry {Ire}) and G1 Irish St Leger winner Royal Diamond (Ire) (King's Best). Keep An Eye On Cunha Profitable, who is now at stud in Turkey, was represented on Saturday by the Lincoln winner Mr Professor, while another son of Invincible Spirit (Ire), Territories (Ire) provided South African trainer Dylan Cunha with his first win in the Brocklesby. Cunha, a former airline pilot and also a Grade 1-winning trainer in his homeland, set up in Newmarket two years ago. His string has grown significantly for this season and, since William Jarvis ceased training, he is now occupying Phantom House Stables, having started out in the bottom yard there with a handful of horses. Cunha, who spent some of his early years working in Newmarket for Robert Armstrong, certainly knows how to get one ready, and the game Zminiature (GB) battled his way home in heavy ground at Doncaster to take the first British two-year-old race of the season for owner-breeder Jonathan Sarkar and family, who have supported the trainer since his return. There is an abundance of early races in an expanded spring programme for two-year-olds in Britain. The William Hill EBF Brocklesby S. kicked off the series of High-Value Development races and was worth £40,000, as is the the British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden at Chelmsford on Good Friday. They are two of 16 juvenile races that will be run in the UK before we even get to the Craven meeting on April 16. No Escaping Scat Daddy The vaunted Storm Boy (Aus) may have had to settle for third in the Golden Slipper, but we are guaranteed to be hearing plenty about his sire Justify this season as the likes of City Of Troy, Ramatuelle and Opera Singer swing back into action. In the meantime two other sons of Scat Daddy are off the mark with their first winners in these very early days of the European juvenile programme. Sergei Prokofiev supplied Arizona Blaze to win at the Curragh's opening day, as mentioned above, while on Saturday at La Teste de Buch, Sweet Chop became the first winner for his sire, the G2 Railway S. winner Van Beethoven, who stands at Karwin Farm. The only other freshman to have sired a winner in Europe is New Approach's son Hey Gaman (GB), who was beaten a neck when second to Olmedo (Fr) in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and now stands at Haras du Taillis. His son Eagle Gate (Fr) won in Marseille on Wednesday. Vive Les Turistes France has led the way on the Flat front in the last few weeks and the country's racing administrators are celebrating the fact that 2023 saw a 17% increase in attendance figures across French racecourses, including trotting tracks. This certainly bucks the trend being seen in other countries. There has been an early TDN Rising Star among the French ranks in the three-year-old Puchkine (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}), who remains unbeaten in four starts for Jean-Claude Rouget after landing the Prix Torrestrella at Toulouse on Wednesday. While he is on course for the Poule d'Essai des Poulains, his fellow Rising Star of the same day, Clipper Logistics' Night Raider (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is on course for the 2,000 Guineas after keeping a clean sheet with an emphatic win at Southwell for Karl Burke. Also at Toulouse, Dancing Queen (Fr), from the penultimate crop of Le Havre (Ire), enhanced the Classic dream of her trainer Fabrice Vermeulen when winning the mile maiden on Saturday. She carries the colours of Haras du Logis Saint Germain, which won the Poule d'Essai des Poucliches of 2020 with Dream And Do (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}). Unlike that filly, Dancing Queen is not a homebred as she was bred by Peter Savill, for the former BHB chairman who has recently returned to the forefront of British racing politics, if not in an official capacity. Another who had gone into the notebook last October when winning the Prix de Saint-Desir on debut was the Wertheimers' Bright Picture (Fr) (Intello {Ger}). He has done nothing but confirm that good impression with two further wins, the latest in the Listed Prix Francois Mathet on March 16. As a gelding, he cannot be aimed at the Classics but he is clearly highly regarded, and our colleagues at Jour de Galop dubbed him 'the next Junko' after his stakes victory at Saint-Cloud. That is high praise indeed, and we will see the G1 Hong Kong Vase winner Junko (GB), another son of Intello, at Meydan in Saturday's tantalising G1 Dubai Sheema Classic. While Junko was bred by Wertheimer et Frere, Bright Picture is a rare sales purchase, bought from his breeder John Carrington for €72,000 at the Arqana October Yearling Sale. The brothers' support of their stallion Intello also led to the purchase of Pao Alto (Fr), who went on to win the G3 Prix La Force among his five victories. Thinking of Stefano Cherchi We end his column with a heavy heart while, at the time of writing, Stefano Cherchi remains in a serious condition in hospital in Canberra, Australia. The 23-year-old jockey sustained serious head and internal injuries when his mount Hasime (Aus) fell, bringing down two other horses, at Canberra's meeting last Wednesday. An enormously popular figure in Newmarket, where he served his apprenticeship with Marco Botti, Cherchi is originally from Sardinia. He remains in the thoughts of his many friends throughout the racing world. The post Seven Days: A Good Week If Your Name is Egan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sabah Ace (NZ) (Swiss Ace) secured his spot in the lucrative 4yo series with his first win in nine months in the S$50,000 Class 4 1400m race under a gun ride by jockey Vlad Duric. After jumping from gate one, Sabah Ace stalked the speed and sailed past in the straight to win easily by three-and-a-quarter lengths on the line. Previously a four-time winner in races over 1100m and 1200m, Sabah Ace has now won five races in 12 starts and amassed closed to S$170,000 for connections. The Gerry Harvey bred son of Swiss Ace was sold by Westbury Stud at the 2021 Ready To Run Sale for $50,000 to trainer David Kok. It was good news for connections and fans as Sabah Ace had not won since his last win nine months ago in a Class 3 race (1200m), but some Kranji racegoers were probably more concerned with news of his winning partner Duric returning to Australia on Sunday. It was definitely not a case of bidding Kranji farewell for good but the four-time Singapore champion jockey, who hit his 700th milestone win atop Pacific Spirit for Kok last Sunday, will be commuting between Singapore and Brisbane for the rest of Kranji’s racing season. “Things are still being worked out, but I’ll be based in Brisbane. I’ll ride there on Saturdays but I’ll also fly back for some of the Sunday meetings here.” Duric and Kok, who also became a trainer in his own rights in 2009, have combined for several wins in the past 15 years and Sabah Ace would unlikely be their last fruitful partnership in the remaining six months before Singapore racing draws the curtain. Speaking about Sabah Ace, Duric reckoned the longer trip and fast pace suited the Royal Sabah Turf Club Stable-owned gelding. “He’s better going up to the 1400m. It was perfect for us when the pair went fast in front,” he said. Kok echoed the same sentiments and now that Sabah Ace has proved himself with a win on the 1400m, the Singaporean handler was even more assured of running him in the Silver Bowl (1400m) on 9 June and the Stewards’ Cup (1600m) on 30 June at his four-year-old campaign. “They went crazy in front and 1400m suited him better,” said Kok. “We aim for the 4YO races, but the (Singapore) Derby (1800) would still depend on how he runs.” Of the three feature races opened only to four-year-olds, Singapore Derby will be run three weeks after the Stewards’ Cup. View the full article

Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and J D Hayes cannot ask much more of Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars). The gelding is the winner of 16 races and almost A$13 million in prize money and has put the Lindsay Park stable and their own names out in the racing world as trainers of Group One winners. But Ben Hayes said there was one glaring omission from Mr Brightside’s CV, a Group One victory at 2000 metres. Hayes hopes that will be rectified on Saturday in the Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington. Mr Brightside was denied a win in the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley last spring, a defeat that still grates Hayes. “He’s probably a Cox Plate winner if that race was 2000, instead of 2040 metres,” Hayes said. “So, if we could tick off a Group One at 2000 metres, I would be very happy.” Hayes said Mr Brightside had recovered well from his second-place finish to Pride Of Jenni in the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield on March 16. The gelding staged a big performance that day, coming from back in the field to run the Ciaron Maher-trained mare to two lengths. Craig Williams was criticised in some circles for his ride, but the jockey retains the ride in the Australian Cup as they bid to square the ledger with Pride Of Jenni. The mare holds a two-one advantage over Mr Brightside after scoring in the Gr.1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington last spring while Mr Brightside took the honours in the Gr.1 Orr Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield last month. Mr Brightside returned to Lindsay Park’s property at Euroa after his All-Star Mile defeat and is in perfect health. “With the ride Craig gave him, he’s come through it fantastic,” Hayes said. “You could not be happier with how he came through the race going towards the Australian Cup. “It was the perfect run. “We took him back to the farm. He loves going out into the paddock, especially at this time of year. “He’s ready to run well.” View the full article

Trelawney Stud bred Singapore Horse of the Year Lim’s Kosciuszko (Kermadec) overcame a troubled preparation to get his 18th career win in the S$100,000 Kranji Stakes A race (1200m) on Saturday. Granted it was a drop in class for him after his hit-and-run assignment in the Gr.1 Hong Kong Mile (1600m) at Sha Tin racecourse last December, an overstay with quarantine issues after his second overseas mission had serious repercussions for his upcoming races. Sent out as the expected hot favourite, Lim’s Kosciuszko (Marc Lerner) jumped well from barrier two before being eased out of the early speed battle to find a perfect sit three-back with cover. Taking no chances in what looked more like a barrier trial for the champion horse than a race, Lerner was happy to move into contention five wide on the bend, while outsider Kharisma sat even wider. Renzo made his move in the straight to make it a virtual line of six at the 275m. Meanwhile, although Lim’s Kosciuszko was given a crack or two to keep his mind on the job at the furlong post, he looked the winner a long way from home. Given it was well-documented that he was using this race as a stepping stone to bigger races in the upcoming months, his one-and-a-half length win over a brave Kharisma was outstanding. The winning time was a solid 1 min 10.87secs for the 1200m on the Polytrack. With that 18th win the prizemoney won by the six-year-old son of Kermadec has ballooned to over S$2.5 million for the Lim’s Stable. Winning trainer Daniel Meagher was ecstatic to see Lim’s Kosciuszko back winning but more importantly, was just happy his star galloper got the run under his belt after his recent troubles. “That was terrific after what he had been through,” said the Australian conditioner. “I don’t need to go on about that quarantine issues after Hong Kong, but he (Lim’s Kosciuszko) weighed in at 485kgs today and that’s the heaviest (weight) he has ever raced at. “So we knew he wasn’t near his best fitness-wise and as I said before the race; win, lose or draw, we just wanted him to get through the race okay as he will benefit from the run regardless. “Marc rode him perfectly. I didn’t give him any instructions except to stay out of the deep sand (on the inside) and he (Lerner) was never going to hurt him. “A couple of smacks (whips) kept his mind on the job and he won so well. “He had a blow after and we expected that, but I just left the stables and he looked to have come through in really good shape. Hopefully he’s the same tomorrow. “He’s tough.” Lerner was also in awe of what Lim’s Kosciuszko was able to do after a limited preparation. “To do what he (Lim’s Kosciuszko) did today was incredible,” said Lerner, who won back-to-back for Meagher in the $50,000 Class 4 Division 1 race (1100m) on Grand Avante. “The quarantine took so much out of him and he only started to get back to himself two or three weeks ago. People don’t know that. “So Daniel and I knew he needed this run and would improve. “But as soon as I was legged up on him, I knew he was on his game. He knew he was at the races. “He jumped well and settled beautifully under me. To be honest, he put himself into the race and I only had to tell him when to go. “Again, we didn’t care if he won or lost but he’s the champ(ion) and he showed why today. “The work behind the scenes to get him here today was important too. The farriers did a great job, so did everyone in the stable. “Maybe (Lim’s Kosciuszko) staying in Singapore was a blessing because people get to watch him in some big races. They love him and he will keep the place (Kranji) vibrant to the end.” Bred by Brent and Cherry Taylor’s Trelawney Stud, Lim’s Kosciuszko was passed in at the New Zealand Bloodstock Sales and then sold privately after winning his first and only trial in New Zealand when under the care of Clayton Chipperfield. View the full article

Stephen Marsh is trekking a familiar path with owner Lib Petagna in search of South Island black-type success for promising filly Nikaia (NZ) (Ardrossan), a plan that commenced in ideal fashion on Saturday at Riccarton Park. Cambridge-based Marsh sent Petagna’s talented filly Luella Cristina (Snitzel) to his Riccarton satellite barn for the Autumn last season, after her third-place finish in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m). The regally-bred daughter of Snitzel went on to finish runner-up in both the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) and Listed NZB Warstep Stakes (2000m), earning her the 2022-23 Southern Filly Of The Year crown. Nikaia, a three-year-old daughter of Ardrossan, recorded her maiden victory at Otaki in December after knocking on the door in previous starts, however faced a tough run in her first major test when finishing at the tail of the field in the Levin Classic. Marsh subsequently sent the filly for a freshen-up with a light trial at Cambridge in late February preceding a trip south to join the in-form trainer’s South Island contingent, with her first start coming in a competitive Peterson’s Jewellers Ladies Bracelet Three-Year-Old (1400m) on Saturday. In the hands of Northern hoop Tegan Newman, Nikaia found a comfortable position just better than midfield, as last-start winner Contemplation Bay set a strong tempo at the top. The filly travelled strongly into contention but needed every metre of the straight to run down the gallant leader, Nikaia prevailing by a nose to kick off her southern stakes quest in style. Marsh was thrilled with the filly’s performance, indicating her next start would be back at Riccarton Park in three weeks’ time, in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m). “I thought she was really good, she hasn’t raced for a long time, and had just the one quiet trial after a long trip down there,” he said. “She’s settled really well in Christchurch, we’ve just got a small stable with twelve boxes, it a nice, quiet environment for her. “She’d probably just come to the end of her campaign in the Levin Classic, after running some really solid races beforehand, so we expected her to be very competitive. “She’ll run in the fillies’ mile in three weeks’ time, and she’ll only improve further from today onto her next assignments. We’re very happy going forward, it would be great to get some black-type with her.” Out of the unraced mare Femme Britannia, Nikaia is a half-sister to Group Three-winner Choice. Nikaia was bred by the Dewar Partnership, consisting of owners Petagna, bloodstock agent Bruce Perry and wife Anna, David and Nicki Wilson, Max Brown, and Tony Joyce. The lightly-tried filly has now recorded two victories and a minor placing from five race-day starts, accumulating $35,985 in stakes. View the full article

After spending most of the afternoon tossing up whether or not to scratch Complicate (NZ) (Complacent) from Saturday’s Snow Williams Bayleys Country (1600m) at Tauranga, Matamata trainer Wayne Hillis decided to roll the dice and was richly rewarded. The Tauranga track was rated Soft5 at the beginning of Saturday’s eight-race card, but an afternoon of miserable weather sent it all the way down to Heavy10 by the time Complicate headed to the start for the final race of the day. Hillis admitted that he was far from confident that Complicate would handle the testing conditions, but he decided to take the plunge after half a dozen late scratchings reduced the $40,000 race to a field of just six. “I was pretty worried about the track,” Hillis said. “I thought long and hard about scratching her, but the longer I waited, the more the field fell away with all of those other scratchings coming out. In the end, I’m glad we stayed in. “She’d had only one previous run on a heavy track in her career, which was at Hastings earlier this year (a sixth placing over 2100m on January 6). Normally she’s quick out of the gates and takes up a handy position, but she missed the jump that day and dropped right out the back before making up a bit of ground at the end. So it was a run that was quite hard to get a line on, but it made me think that maybe she might get through rain-affected ground okay.” Saturday’s performance certainly proved that point. Complicate was ridden by Tayla Mitchell and broke sharply from the starting gates, then took up a position on the outside of the front-running He’s Classic. Mitchell pushed the button at the home turn and Complicate took command, clearing out down the straight to win by three lengths over He’s Classic and Rosetown Princess. “It was good to see her get that win, she deserved it after having a fair bit of bad luck through this campaign,” Hillis said. “We aren’t thinking too far ahead for now, it was just a matter of going one race at a time and hoping to turn her luck around a little bit and get a result. It’s great that we’ve done that.” Complicate has now had 16 starts for two wins, six placings and $63,640 in stakes. View the full article

Michael and Matthew Pitman will consider options on both sides of the Tasman with their rising stable star Mystic Park (NZ) (Ocean Park), who faced his toughest test to date at Riccarton on Saturday and passed with flying colours. The local four-year-old stepped into open class for the first time in the Johnny Fresh Darfield & Yaldhurst Open Sprint (1400m), and he was sent out as a red-hot $1.50 favourite after showing real X-factor in his rapid rise through the grades this season. Mystic Park kicked off his campaign with a four-length win in Rating 65 company on New Zealand 2000 Guineas Day in November, then may have struggled with the quick back-up when unplaced on New Zealand Cup Day a week later. The Ocean Park gelding returned to his winning groove in his next appearance at Timaru on December 28, followed by a close second to Madam Dubai after a three-wide run on January 27. Mystic Park carried 60kg to a stunning four-length romp in a 1400m Rating 75 on February 10, prompting the Pitmans to raise the bar again for Saturday’s open handicap over the same course and distance. Once again, Mystic Park was well and truly up to the task. Caught three wide in the early stages of the race, jockey Tina Comignaghi decided to slide forward and take up a position on the outside of the front-running Tradition. Mystic Park travelled well up to the turn and hit the lead at the top of the straight, but he faced challenges on both flanks as horses lined up six-wide across the track. Mystic Park found another gear and edged ahead, beating the well-performed Perfect Scenario by three-quarters of a length and stopping the clock at a quick 1:21.69. Mystic Park has now had nine starts for five wins, three placings and $120,920 in stakes, having been bought by the Pitman stable for $40,000 as a yearling at Karaka in 2021. His victory in the TAB Southern Alps Golden Ticket (1400m) two starts ago secured him a spot in the field for the inaugural $350,000 TAB Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) on April 13, although Michael Pitman warned that he may not be a certain starter in that lucrative innovation race restricted to South Island-based stables. “You’d say that it’s the obvious race to target, but it is going to depend on how much weight he gets,” he said. “We won’t go there just for the sake of it if it’s not the right thing to do for the horse. It’s worth $350,000, but there’s plenty of races worth that and much more in Australia, and I have no doubt he could go over there and be competitive. There are million-dollar races in Brisbane that he could run in during their winter carnival. So, we’ll wait and see where his rating ends up and then make a plan. “He’s a fantastic horse, and not only because he’s got such exciting ability, but he’s also just a lovely horse to do anything with. We’re thrilled to have him. “Before he even raced I told the owners I thought he was a Group horse and potentially a Group One horse. There’s obviously quite a few steps that a horse has to take to get to that level, but he’s managed every step so far and done it easily. “He’s won five out of nine now and has it all in front of him. This was only his second start beyond 1200m today, he’s won both times, and he’s bred to go over further – he’s out of a Dubawi mare, which makes him pretty rare in New Zealand. I think his owners have a lot to look forward to with him.” View the full article

Rider Penalties K Joyce | Auckland 20 March; use of whip; fined $500. N Downs | Auckland 20 March; use of whip; fined $500. C Campbell | Hororata 23 March; celebratory gesture prior to winning post; fined $300. Horse Penalties SHAWSHANK | Auckland 20 March; late scratching after failing to load; must complete trial. CHEVAL BOUTIQUE | Auckland 20 March; lame; veterinary clearance required. WITHEEZE | Auckland 20 March; late scratching after failing to load; must complete trial. SUNSET BOULEVARD | Taranaki 22 March; late scratching after dislodging rider enroute to start; must complete trial. HOARD THE BOURBON | Tauranga 23 March; lame; veterinary clearance required. RUN BABY RUN | Hororata 23 March; bled; stood down for 3 months and veterinary clearance required. REDEMPTION | Hororata 23 March; late scratching after failing to load; must complete trial. IT’S THE VIBE | Hororata 23 March; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. The post 18-24 March 2024 appeared first on RIB. View the full article