Wandering Eyes

Superstar filly Velocious cemented herself atop the country’s two-year-old ranks with a tenacious victory in Saturday’s Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. Velocious burst onto the juvenile scene on debut at Te Rapa in November, the daughter of Written Tycoon swiftly collecting black-type honours in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) at the following start. Her sole defeat in a dazzling five-start career came on heavy track conditions in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m), a performance rectified in spades when she delivered trainer Stephen Marsh with a triumphant Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) victory. Cambridge-based Marsh, alongside syndication group Go Racing entered Saturday’s two-year-old feature hoping to repeat a slice of personal history, after the partnership claimed the Karaka Million-Sistema Stakes double with Ruud Awakening in 2013. In the hands of regular rider Sam Spratt, Velocious exploded from barrier four as a $1.60 TAB tote- favourite, settling outside the pacemaker Poetic Champion. Previously unbeaten in four starts, Captured By Love was touted as the key danger to Velocious, but the Te Akau Racing filly was forced back and three-wide early in the eight-horse affair. As Poetic Champion began to angle wider rounding the home turn, Spratt urged Velocious into the lead and she exploded clear at the 150m, an advantage too great for Archaic Smile and Captured By Love to reel in as the classy fillies scorched home to fill the minor placings. Marsh admitted to a few nerves prior to the race and was delighted to have claimed his second-straight Sistema crown, after winning last year’s edition with Ulanova after Tokyo Tycoon was disqualified for a swab irregularity. “That feels great. She’s a great filly, a Karaka Million winner, and now she’s a Group One winner. That just tops it all off,” he said. “I was nervous coming into today, a lot more gee’d up than for the Karaka Million, but I’m just happy it’s done and dusted and she’s got it. “I was very comfortable, I thought Sam rode the horse perfectly. I told her to watch out for Poetic Champion, it could run out, and we were always going to nurse her to about the 200m, but when he started to run out, she had to push the button a bit early. “She was just a sitting duck in the last little bit, she sprinted hard and she’s got a great turn of foot. She’s probably ridden better taking a sit, but Sam rode her perfectly, for today.” Velocious returns to the winners enclosure. Photo: Trish Dunell Marsh had elected to give Velocious a brief freshen-up following the Karaka Millions, a comfortable trial win at Cambridge in late February proving the ideal lead-in. “You can’t run in every race, we peaked her for the Karaka Million and we wanted to give her a freshen up. She had the one quiet trial at Cambridge, that was all she needed, and today just showed that,” he said. “You just can’t beat this feeling.” Champion Kiwi-expat hoop James McDonald took the ride aboard Velocious in the Karaka Millions 2YO, and Spratt, ever the consummate professional, was thrilled to re-partner with the filly on Saturday. “That was just awesome, I’ve had a bit of luck on the horse so it was great to get across the line for them (Marsh, Go Racing),” she said. “It’s part of the game, if you’re playing rugby and Richie McCaw is in your position you’re going to be on the sideline, so I had a sneaking suspicion right from the word go that it was going to be like that (Karaka Millions). “They looked after me and put me back on now, so as I said, it’s just part and parcel.” Spratt became the first female jockey in the 21st century to win the Sistema Stakes, and it hadn’t all been smooth sailing through the running. “Poetic Champion was trying to run off a little bit, I think he (Per-Anders Graberg, jockey) was having a bit of trouble. I didn’t have much of an option, I had to kick-up, so he didn’t get too much of a length on us, otherwise it would’ve just run me off,” she said. “It panned out roughly how I wanted, but that wasn’t helping the scenario. “She just does as much as she needs to, I think if they (Archaic Smile and Captured By Love) came up, she would’ve dug again. It was a good run. “Any Group One is awesome, everyone wants one, and each is worth it.” Out of the Snitzel mare Parmalove, Velocious has now earned $917,750 for the Go Racing Burrata Syndicate, after Albert Bosma purchased the filly out of Inglewood Stud’s Book 1 draft at Karaka 2023 for $190,000. View the full article

Luckless in feature races in her two previous starts, Eternal Flame turned things around and collected a deserved first black-type victory in Saturday’s A$200,000 Gr.3 Matron Stakes (1600m) at Flemington. The New Zealand-bred daughter of Sacred Falls was already a three-time winner, but her previous appearances at stakes level had produced a sixth in the Gr.2 Angus Armanasco Stakes (1400m), sixth in the Gr.2 Kewney Stakes (1600m), fifth in the Listed Black Pearl Stakes (1200m), fifth in the Gr.3 Frances Tressady Stakes (1400m) and a last-start fourth in the Gr.3 Mannerism Stakes (1400m), with plenty of hard-luck stories along the way. Saturday was finally her day. Eternal Flame settled in the back half of the field in the early stages of the race, then slid forward into a handier position in fourth and one off the rail. Running By burst to the lead and kicked clear with 200m remaining, but Eternal Flame gradually wore her down and passed her in the final 50m to score by half a length. “I rode her neutral out of the gates, but a spot presented itself a bit closer so I ended up rolling forward and taking it up,” jockey Damian Lane said. “I thought the tempo was good throughout, which was ideal for us. “Running By left me off the bridle early in the run home, and I wasn’t sure if she was going to pick her up. But to her credit her last 100m were her best and she got the job done. “She’s just taken leaps and bounds in this preparation. She’s really strengthened and is a different animal. Hopefully this isn’t the ceiling for her and she can reach a higher bar again.” From 11 starts, Eternal Flame has now had four wins and a second placing. The Michael Kent-trained four-year-old has earned A$273,200 in stakes. “We’ve had a great ride with this filly,” part-owner Craig Williams said. “She’s been so unlucky in a number of races. She might have had a few people knocking her after her last couple, but she proved herself today. “Mick picked her out of the Ready to Run Sale in New Zealand a couple of years ago, and he took his time with her, as he does with all his horses. I think she’ll be even better as a five-year-old next year. She’s great to be involved with.” Kent was represented at Flemington on Saturday by Nikki Burke. “I was happy with where she was placed in the run, although I’d probably expected her to be a pair or two further back,” she said. “Coming into the straight, I thought she was going to win easily, but then the leader really kicked and she was left flat-footed for a couple of strides. But then she was very strong late and she really deserved a Group win. She arguably should have won her last two. “I think we might give her a freshen-up now and maybe look at something in Adelaide in May.” Eternal Flame was bred by Hoofbeat Ltd and is one of five winners from seven named foals out of the Savabeel mare Suriyan. Herself a winner over 1200m, Suriyan is a three-quarter-sister to the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) winner and Waikato Stud stallion Noverre. Suriyan’s other foals include the multiple placegetter Tres Rapide, who is the dam of Group Three winner Kinane. Offered by Kilmore Farm at the 2021 Ready to Run Sale at Karaka, Eternal Flame was bought by Phill Cataldo Bloodstock for $260,000. View the full article

Promising New Zealand-bred Von Hauke took his career to new heights with his first black-type victory in Saturday’s A$200,000 Gr.3 Furphy Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m) at Flemington. The Savabeel gelding had made only one previous appearance in stakes company, finishing fifth in the Listed Paris Lane Stakes (1400m) over the same course and distance back in October. But the four-year-old had caught the eye with a strong finish in his resuming run over 1100m at Caulfield on February 24, giving trainer Cliff Brown the confidence to raise the bar on Saturday. Von Hauke rose to the occasion with an impressive come-from-behind win. Von Hauke was ridden by Craig Williams, who settled him in fourth among a small field of just six. The hot favourite Amenable enjoyed a comfortable time in front and looked hard to catch when he kicked at the home turn, but Williams unleashed Von Hauke down the centre of the track and he clawed his way up alongside Amenable and pipped him in a tight finish. “This race ended up being a small, select field,” Williams said. “It was my first ride on the horse, but Cliff’s instructions were simple – just ride him and don’t dig him up. He has had a tendency to over-race and take control of the rider. “They put the right amount of work into him and he travelled sweetly for me and then responded nicely in the straight. On the strength of that performance, they’re going to have a lot of fun with this horse.” From 11 starts, Von Hauke has now recorded three wins and five placings, earning A$268,075 for his owners Brave Pastoral Co Pty Ltd and Imperial Racing Stable. “He’s a lovely horse,” Brown said. “Today was significant because he showed that he can relax. “He ran over 1100m last time, he learned a lot there and his sectionals were incredible. He was thrown in at the deep end today, but we did that for a reason and 1400m was a good distance for him second-up. “We’ll probably go to a mile next. I think he’s a horse with good upside.” Von Hauke became the 144th individual stakes winner for champion Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel, who has had a big week with the heroics of Orchestral in last Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Certainly in the Gr.3 Mufhasa Stakes (1400m). Von Hauke was bred by Waikato Stud and is out of the O’Reilly mare Tiara, who is a granddaughter of the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Royal Tiara. Von Hauke is now the best of three winners from four foals to race from Tiara, who produced a Super Seth colt in 2021, a Tivaci filly in 2022 and a Tivaci colt last spring. Offered by Stonehouse Thoroughbreds at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Von Hauke was bought by Cliff Brown Racing for A$190,000. View the full article

Bidding to add to an impressive collection of Hong Kong feature wins this season, James McDonald is wary of emerging threats to Lucky Sweynesse as the world’s top-rated sprinter attempts to win a second successive HK$13 million Gr.1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday (10 March). McDonald reunites with Manfred Man’s speedster for the first time since the pair’s 2023 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup triumph as the New Zealander shapes to add to Hong Kong Group One races – the 2023 Gr.1 LONGINES Hong Kong Cup (2000m) and 2024 Gr.1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) on Romantic Warrior and the 2024 Gr.1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) on Voyage Bubble – he has already secured this season. The New Zealander is excited to be aboard Lucky Sweynesse, who is unbeaten at the course and distance from three starts. “He’s (Lucky Sweynesse) a champion sprinter and he’s as good as you can get. Obviously, last season he was great and he’s been a slow build this year, but I wouldn’t swap him for anything that’s for sure,” McDonald said. “He was very good last year (in the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup). He beat a very in-form California Spangle who was flying. He did a good job and ran it out strongly.” Lucky Sweynesse, who has drawn barrier eight, will again face California Spangle as well as Beauty Eternal, Beauty Joy, Lucky With You, Healthy Happy, Taj Dragon, Son Pak Fu, Red Lion and Galaxy Patch. McDonald is respectful of all Sunday’s competitors, but has identified Beauty Eternal and Taj Dragon as likely dangers as Lucky Sweynesse attempts to rebound after a last-start sixth to Victor The Winner in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup (1200m) on 28 January. “It was the worst run of his career last start, but he’s a serious horse on his day and he’s unbeaten over 1400m,” McDonald said. “It’s a bit of a different kettle of fish because it’s over 1400m rather than six furlongs, but I’m pretty hopeful of our chance this time around. “Zac’s on Beauty Eternal, so he must have a massive chance. Taj Dragon is also going super at the minute and he may be able to come up another notch.” McDonald has five other mounts on Sunday – Seizing The Moment and Golden Rise for John Size, Danny Shum’s Packing Prospect, Champion Dragon for Tony Cruz and Giddy Up for Jamie Richards. Sunday’s (10 March) 10-race card at Sha Tin starts with the Class 5 Hau Wong Handicap (1800m) at 1pm. View the full article

Five-time Group One placegetter Young Werther earned himself another shot at the elite level with a dominant front-running performance in Saturday’s A$200,000 TAB Australian Cup Prelude (1800m) at Flemington. The New Zealand-bred son of Tavistock is well used to performing on the biggest stage, having finished second in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) and Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and third in the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m), Turnbull Stakes and Champion Stakes (2000m). The six-year-old was clearly the highest-rated runner in Saturday’s field at 106, but he got in at level weights under the set weights and penalties conditions of the race. Young Werther was sent out as a $2.35 favourite and proceeded to dominate the race from the front. Rider Damian Lane urged him forward out of the gate and took up a leading position that he never looked in any danger of surrendering. Young Werther kicked hard in the straight and opened up a winning margin of two and a half lengths. “He was great today,” Lane said. “I’ve ridden this horse many times now, and this is the first time I’ve been able to win on him. In my defence, his winning strike rate isn’t great, but he’s always raced well at a high level. “He really got in well at the weights today, and I was able to take luck out of the equation and ride him like the best horse.” From 29 starts, Young Werther has now recorded four wins and 11 placings, earning more than A$1.89 million in stakes. Trainer Danny O’Brien will now give Young Werther another shot at the big time in the Gr.1 Australian Cup (2000m) at Flemington on March 30. “He’s been in tremendous form since the start of spring, really,” O’Brien said. “You can’t find a bad run, and he’s run against the best all the way through his career. “His third start was in the Derby here, where he ran third, and he was beaten by a half-head in the Australian Derby at Randwick later that season. Here he is, still presenting as a six-year-old and still running really well. “A three-week gap into the Australian Cup now is perfect, and 2000m at Flemington suits him really well. We thought he was unlucky not to win the Champions Stakes over that course and distance in the spring. It would be nice to see him pick up a good Group One.” Young Werther was purchased out of Cambridge Stud’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by O’Brien, in partnership with Aquis Farm, for $140,000. Out of the winning Fastnet Rock mare Romantic Time, Young Werther is a half-brother to this season’s stakes-winning three-year-old filly About Time, along with stakes placegetter Romantic Lady. View the full article

Passive Aggressive ridden by Jordan Childs takes out the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Randwick. Photo: Racing NSW After almost a full calendar year off the scene and a brief stint as a broodmare, Passive Aggressive (+700) has made a triumphant return to racing, claiming back-to-back victories in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) at Randwick on Saturday. The Grahame Begg-trained mare won this race impressively last year, before finding Group 1 company in the TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) too testing and was retired shortly after being unable to make an impact in the Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville on May 6 of 2023. She was unable to get into foal while standing as a broodmare, and the decision was made to return to racing, paying dividends on Saturday as she has quickly returned to form. It was a patience steer aboard the daughter of Fastnet Rock, with Jordan Childs sliding across to find a mid-field position one horse off the rail throughout the 1000m journey, as Zapateo (+1800) found herself in an unfamiliar front-running role. Aft Cabin (+500) and Remarque (+400) got into lovely positions behind the speed, while the race favourite Private Eye (+120) was slightly slow away, with Nash Rawiller making the decision to take him towards the rear of the field. Passive Aggressive rounded up her rivals with relative ease with 200m to go, while Aft Cabin never got clear running between gallopers. Zapateo held her ground nicely to find the minor money, while Remarque rounded out the top four, with Private Eye unsighted in the concluding stages. It was all about the winner in the end, as Passive Aggressive bounded away to score, making it back-to-back wins in the Challenge Stakes, suggesting there is still more to come from the five-year-old mare. 2024 Challenge Stakes Replay – Passive Aggressive Stable representative Jack Lake was on course on behalf of the Grahame Begg team and praised his mare after a tough time at the breeding barn. “Since day one she’s always been a class horse,” said Lake. “It was disappointing when she had to be retired and when she couldn’t get in foal and she came back into work, she’s just been terrific since she’s come back in. “After having almost a year off we probably thought she could have been very vulnerable late but she was very gallant to the line. So it was very impressive. “She’s a bit of a cranky mare at times, so the fitter she gets, the more wound up she gets and becomes more of a bit of a typical mare, sort of thing. “But we’re just rapt to have her back and I don’t think she could have been any more impressive there.” Jordan Childs was delighted with the win and also spoke post-race about a change of tactics with the way the race unfolded before stating her claims to a possible Group 1 tilt in the autumn. “It’s a bit different to last year, we went a bit conservative today,” said Childs. “It wasn’t originally the plan but she just didn’t begin as well as what she usually could so I went to Plan B and just took her nice and quiet. When I was travelling into the straight she gave me a really unreal feel once I pressed that button. She was just too good for them. “She’s strengthened up a lot and she has come back a proper horse this time in, so I’m very looking forward to what the future holds.” Passive Aggressive is now a +2500 chance with online bookmakers for the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) on April 6. Horse racing news View the full article

After finding one too strong in both the Hong Kong Sprint and Centenary Sprint Cup, Lucky With You bids to go one better in Sunday’s Group OneView the full article

Chris Waller has emerged as a major Golden Slipper contender after his exciting colt Switzerland powered to victory in the Todman Stakes at Randwick. 2024 Todman Stakes winner Switzerland heads into the $4.92 Golden Slipper undefeated. Photo: Steve Hart. This win puts jockey James McDonald in a difficult position, as he must choose between Switzerland and Storm Boy, the winner of last week’s Skyline Stakes, for the $4.92 million Group 1 in a fortnight at Rosehill Gardens. Switzerland, a son of Snitzel, remained undefeated with a flawless display in his first attempt at Group company. Ridden perfectly by McDonald in the Todman Stakes over 1200m, he stalked the leader Straight Charge before surging past the beaten favourite in the final stages. “It makes things a bit easier knowing you’re on target,” said Waller after the race. “He improved from his last run and relished the step up in distance. “This was a strong field, and hopefully it translates into good form for the Slipper in two weeks.” Switzerland’s victory has seen him shorten significantly in all-in Golden Slipper betting, moving into second favouritism at $6 through Ladbrokes. However, Storm Boy remains the clear pre-field favourite at $2.40. Following the race, McDonald hinted that he might favour Switzerland on Slipper Day. “He’s a proper little racehorse,” he said. “He surprised me today with his authority in the finish. He’s definitely the one to beat in the Slipper.” The Golden Slipper promises to be an exciting race, with Waller boasting a strong chance at back-to-back victories after his 2023 victory with Shinzo. Only Farnan (2020) has achieved the Todman Stakes – Golden Slipper double in recent years, and the racing world will be watching closely to see if Switzerland can emulate that feat. 2024 Todman Stakes Results Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price 1 6 SWITZERLAND Chris Waller James McDonald 4 55.5kg $3.60 2 3 STRAIGHT CHARGE Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 0.91L 1 55.5kg $2.80F 3 1 SHANGRI LA EXPRESS Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Regan Bayliss 2.12L 2 55.5kg $14 4 4 BODYGUARD Peter & Paul Snowden Tommy Berry 2.7L 7 55.5kg $8.50 5 5 ESPIONAGE Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Nash Rawiller 3.68L 8 55.5kg (cd 56kg) $4 6 8 GETAFIX John O’Shea Jason Collett 8.82L 5 55.5kg $19 7 10 VERLANDER Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes Jordan Childs 9.07L 3 55.5kg $81 8 7 ALL INCLUSIVE David Vandyke Ryan Maloney 13.26L 6 55.5kg $26 2 ODINSON Ciaron Maher Tom Marquand 0 9 FULL METAL JACKET Gary Portelli Zac Lloyd (a) 0 Table Credit: Racing Australia. This page and the written content within it were partially generated using AI or automated technology and edited and verified by our editorial team. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au. The post Waller’s Switzerland Stakes 2024 Golden Slipper Claim with Dominant Todman Win appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

A thrilling Newmarket Handicap unfolded at Flemington on Saturday, with Godolphin‘s Cylinder emerging as the surprise winner under a masterful ride by Jamie Kah. 2024 Newmarket Handicap winner Cylinder was big running down the favourite to salute for the Godolphin stable off a gun Jamie Kah ride. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos. Just a year after missing the winning ride on In Secret due to a fall, Kah found redemption aboard the three-year-old colt. Cylinder, overlooked by punters at $11, bounced back from a second-place finish to Imperatriz in the Lightning Stakes to claim his first Group 1 victory. Despite carrying the weight advantage (51.5kg), Cylinder defied odds and stormed home down the outside lane in the final stages. He secured a dominant 1.25-length victory over the heavily favoured nine-time Group 1 winning New Zealand mare Imperatriz (burdened by the top weight of 58kg), who faded slightly after leading early. The race also delivered a fairy tale ending for Kah. The win came a year after her horrific fall in the VRC Sires’, a race she won this year aboard Godolphin’s Traffic Warden. Following the victory, Kah expressed her emotions, acknowledging the contrasting fortunes of the past year. Adding another layer of significance, Cylinder’s win came in the same week his sire, Exceed And Excel who won the Newmarket 20 years ago, was retired from stud. Trainer James Cummings highlighted the special connection, emphasising Cylinder’s potential as a future champion stallion. The victory also marked the inaugural awarding of the Dean Holland Trophy, honouring the late jockey who rode In Secret last year as a late call up before tragically passing away in a race fall the following month. While Cylinder’s next race remains undecided, the TJ Smith Stakes at Randwick on April 6th is a potential target. He is currently priced at $13 in pre-field betting through Ladbrokes. Meanwhile, the gallant Imperatriz sets her sights on a title defence in the William Reid Stakes at The Valley on March 23rd. Despite the Newmarket defeat, she remains the overwhelming favourite at $1.50 in all-in markets back to weight-for-age. 2024 Newmarket Handicap Result Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price 1 14 CYLINDER James Cummings Ms Jamie Kah 11 51.5kg $11 2 1 IMPERATRIZ Mark Walker Opie Bosson 1.25L 3 58kg $2.80F 3 7 THE ASTROLOGIST Leon & Troy Corstens Declan Bates 1.55L 12 52.5kg $101 4 8 BENEDETTA Jason Warren Harry Coffey 1.65L 9 52kg $18 5 2 BELLA NIPOTINA Ciaron Maher Craig Williams 1.85L 4 55.5kg $15 6 6 MAGIC TIME Grahame Begg Michael Dee 2.25L 10 53kg $5 7 12 SGHIRRIPA Shane & Cassie Oxlade Craig Newitt 3.5L 6 52kg $11 8 5 RUTHLESS DAME (NZ) Ciaron Maher Damian Lane 3.6L 2 53.5kg $26 9 3 BUENOS NOCHES Matthew Smith Blake Shinn 4.35L 7 55.5kg $5 10 10 MASTER FAY Chad Ormsby Dean Yendall 11.35L 8 52kg $26 11 13 SKEW WIFF (NZ) Mark Walker Ms Celine Gaudray (a) 16.85L 5 52kg $61 12 9 IT’SOURTIME Danny O’Brien Ms Linda Meech 18.6L 1 52kg $81 4 ESPIONA Chris Waller Jye McNeil 0 11 REY MAGNERIO Robbie Griffiths & Mathew de Kock Daniel Moor 0 Table Credit: Racing Australia. This page and the written content within it were partially generated using AI or automated technology and edited and verified by our editorial team. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au. The post Jamie Kah Steers Cylinder to Upset Victory in Emotional 2024 Newmarket Handicap Result appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

Switzerland ridden by James McDonald takes out the Group 2 Todman Stakes at Randwick. Photo: Racing NSW Switzerland (+260) has taken out the Group 2 Todman Stakes to remain undefeated after claiming victory in the main lead-up race for colts for the Golden Slipper, giving James McDonald two live chances in the prestigious two-year-old race in a few weeks. The Chris Waller-trained colt made it three wins from as many starts and after jumping as the second favourite with online bookmakers, behind only Straight Charge (+180), the son of Snitzel proved too strong at the end of 1200m. Straight Charge led the field at a good clip and set the race up for a runner to run on strong from midfield, and that is exactly what the winner did, thanks to a calm and perfectly timed ride from McDonald. The leader was able to hold on for second place and Shangri La Express (+1200) got into clear air late to run home into third place behind the top two. After McDonald rode Storm Boy to victory last weekend, we wait to see who Coolmore chooses to ride their undefeated runners in the Golden Slipper, as their leading rider, Ryan Moore, will make the trip to Australia to ride one of the two colts. 2024 Todman Stakes Replay – Switzerland Chris Waller was on course to speak about the win post-race. “It makes the next two weeks that little bit easier to know you’re on target. For a coach, it makes it a little bit easier,” Waller said. “If you’re running second and thirds you’re scratching your head and wondering, what do I have to do to get a bit of improvement out of a horse. “What I will be doing for the next two weeks is keeping things simple. “Today’s field was as good a field as I’ve seen leading into a Slipper for a while and hopefully the form stacks up in two weeks’ time. “He has kept improving with each run and putting on a bit of weight, strengthening up nicely and enjoying himself, which is the most important thing for any horse. “I’m very lucky to be training for so many great owners, including Coomore. The beauty of that is they’re well organised and they’ll make their decision.” James McDonald was very complimentary of the winner and he believes Switzerland is the one to beat in a few weeks. “He’s a proper little racehorse. He just turns up and does his job,” McDonald said of the winner. “There’s no riff-raff with him. He’s so economical, he’s got the best attitude and that takes him a long way. “He surprised me today. I thought that was an extremely good field and he won with a bit of authority in the end. “I felt like I was really building to my top level right at the end, so he sustained a great gallop. And he’s definitely the one to beat in the Slipper.” He just keeps turning up. The other one (Storm Boy) is completely different. “He’s a big beast of a colt and he’s got so much character and enthusiasm about everything. “This one, he’s a racehorse. He gets out there and does it.” Switzerland is a +500 chance in futures markets for the Golden Slipper with online horse racing sites. Horse racing news View the full article

Eternal Flame (NZ) ridden by Damian Lane wins the Matron Stakes at Flemington Racecourse on March 09, 2024 in Flemington, Australia. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Eternal Flame (+320) has finally received some luck for the this campaign as she claimed the Group 3 Matron Stakes in the final event at Flemington. Damian Lane gave the four-year-old mare a prefect ride from barrier nine, getting her into a nice spot behind the speed before allowing the daughter of Sacred Falls to work through her gears in the final 300m. After Running By (+380) took over from the tiring leader, the Mick Kent-trained mare starting to lay in slightly but when Lane switched the whip into his left hand, she straightened and let down with a very strong finish to win the 1600m contest. Running By was very good and finished second in her just her second run in Group 3 grade, while Foxy Cleopatra (+450) produced another solid run from the back of the field to claim another placing this preparation. 2024 Matron Stakes Replay – Eternal Flame Mick Kent was on track to speak about the win post-race. “She’s been very stiff. I didn’t want to be here because I thought we’d have black type by now and we might have gone to Sydney,” Kent said. “We were desperate to get it and she possibly should have won three stakes races by now. “We like her a lot and she’s still got a bit more to come. “We might ease up on her and head to the spring now. “She’s still got two or three inches to grow and these mares get better with age.” After riding Young Werther to victory earlier in the day, Damian Lane brought up a riding double after his win on Eternal Flame. “We were mindful that we didn’t want to work forward at the mile into the breeze so I came out neutral and a spot presented itself so I ended up rolling forward and taking up that spot. “We went out with an open mindset and it was great that that was able to eventuate and we were able to have a prominent role. “I thought the tempo was good throughout and I thought that was ideal but Running By left me off the bridle there on straightening and I was unsure whether I was going to be able to pick up and reel them in. “To her credit her last 150 metres was her best.” Horse racing news View the full article

Von Hauke (NZ) ridden by Craig Williams wins the Furphy Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap at Flemington Racecourse on March 09, 2024 in Flemington, Australia. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Craig Williams and Cliff Brown have combined with Von Hauke (+700) to take out the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap at Flemington, which gave Williams his fifth victory in the race in the last 13 years. The son of Savabeel appeared to be disappointing to the eye last start but the four-year-old gelding ran appreciated the rise in distance to 1400m and savaged the line late to claim victory. The race favourite Amenable (-125) led the field from the barriers and beat all bar the winner, as he began to tire in the final 100m after doing all of the hard work into the strong wind. Savannah Cloud (+290) faded out of the race in the concluding stages to finish third after settling outside the leader, leaving the top two to fight the race out, gapping the rest of the field by 2.5 lengths on the line. 2024 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap Replay – Von Hauke Cliff Brown was very pleased with the win of Von Hauke post-race. “He’s a lovely horse. Today was really significant,” Brown said of the winner. “He actually relaxed. He was a little keen on the bridle early, but then he relaxed. “It was significant his last start, back to the 1100, he wanted to get running, he came back and had he learnt a lot. “His sectionals last start were incredible. You throw them into the deep end for a reason. “This is a good distance second-up and we’ll go to the mile next time.” Craig Williams picked up his first win in the race that he has owned in recent times, and he spoke post-race. “Cliff’s instructions were pretty simple for the horse today; just ride him and don’t dig him because he overraces and takes control,” Williams explained. “I was very fortunate from his first-up run, he’s had a very good time in between and the right amount of work into him which made it really easy. “He was nice and relaxed, he didn’t get too keen. “He seems to change legs through the run but most importantly he wasn’t aggressive and usually takes control of the rider so I was very fortunate that he was well prepared for today.” Horse racing news View the full article

Erno’s Cube ridden by Jason Collet gets his head down in the 2024 Reisling Stakes Ciaron Maher & Jason Collett have combined with Erno’s Cube (+260) to secure victory in the Group 2 (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday. The two-year-old proved too good for her fellow fillies in what is considered one of the strongest lead-up races for the girls before heading to the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) in a fortnight. It was a perfectly timed steer by Collett, who elected to sit back for cover throughout the middle stages of the race, while drifting bookmaker favourite Too Darn Lizzie (+210) utilised her early speed to lead early. James McDonald got the eventual runner-up Silmarillion (+360) into a lovely stalking position in the one-on-one throughout, while the Anthony Cummings-trained Extreme Diva (+650) was locked up with nowhere to go when the whips were cracking. Silmarillion looked to have them all covered with 200m left to travel, but Too Darn Lizzie was in for the fight, as Erno’s Cube launched late to spoil both their parties, getting the head down where it mattered most. 2024 Reisling Stakes Replay – Erno’s Cube Stable representative Johann Gerard-Bubord was on course to discuss the win, and the Golden Slipper seems to be their next likely target. “She is still improving physically, mentally still doing plenty wrong” said Gerrard-Bubord. “From that gate, it was always going to be a bit tricky. “She didn’t help herself early, once she got a bit of cover, she dropped the bridle, and it was a good effort to be able to quicken and get her nose in front.” “We will see how she comes through it first. Obviously, the Slipper is always tempting, but the boys seem to be better than the fillies this year. “She’d gone two weeks from the Silver Slipper, so the right thing to do would be to give her a bit of time and go to the Percy Sykes, but we’ll see how she comes through it. It’s a discussion to have, also now she is a Group Two winner.” Jason Collett was delighted with the victory and gave full credit to the stable before discussing her Slipper chances. “Credit to the stable and Ciaron (Maher),” said Collet. “This is a big effort by them. She was there for the first set of trials, first two-year-old race, she’s just been in the training set-up the whole time, this is a big day for us today with her a Group Two winner. “She’s a work in progress as we’ve been saying. She’s still a work in progress. “She just needs to do things right and when she does it like that, when she relaxes through the middle then she can finish it off. “She’s qualified now, so she’ll be worth a crack. She’s in form and although she still does a few things wrong, you’ll get a good tempo in the Slipper so probably won’t have to worry about that head coming up on me early.” Erno’s Cube is currently listed as a +2500 chance with Neds bookmaker for the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) on March 23. Horse racing news View the full article

Autumn Angel ridden by Mark Zahra wins the TAB Kewney Stakes at Flemington Racecourse on March 09, 2024 in Flemington, Australia. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) After a luckless run last start, Autumn Angel (+360) has taken out the Group 2 Kewney Stakes at Flemington, thanks to smart ride by Mark Zahra. The Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman-trained filly settled midfield and received a good smother before she began to make her run under a vigorous ride from Zahra, as she hit the front with 250m to go. After putting the stablemate Mollynickers (+290) in a pocket upon straightening, the daughter of The Autumn Sun lengthened nicely and appeared to have the race within her keeping at 200m mark, but the swoopers were coming. Along with the stablemate, Basalinna (+2200) started to challenge the leader but the strength of Zahra in the final 50m helped the filly hold on and claim a valuable win over a distance that is slightly short of her best. On a personal note for Zahra, he has claimed the last two editions of the Kewney Stakes, after partnering Revolutionary Miss to victory in the race 12 months ago. 2024 Kewney Stakes Replay – Autumn Angel Katherine Coleman represented the winning stable and spoke about the victory after the race. “I’m shaking. That was amazing. She’s a really special filly,” Coleman said of the winner. “We’ve had a big opinion of her. Last start didn’t go to plan at all but to come through and to run like that, she’s really something special. “She’s a very tough girl. She gives us a bit of a hard time at home every now and again but when they’re tough like that on race day you don’t mind it. “It was a fantastic ride from Mark Zahra. He produced her at the right time. She was able to build momentum and roll into it. There are good things in store for this girl. “There’s plenty of options for her at this this time of year. An Australasian Oaks, you wouldn’t go past that. Then in Sydney as well.” Mark Zahra was very pleased with the win, and he spoke post-race. “It is too hot to be riding horses today,” Zahra said of the conditions. “She hit the front, she’s a 2000-metre horse, and I felt when she got to the front she was hitting a flat spot. “I just needed (the whip in) the left quickly and when I pulled it through the rein I was riding it out and shit was going everywhere. “Eventually my whip went and I was able to keep the momentum going. “She was strong to the line and it was a good win. “When I got to the front, I got there, and she wasn’t quickening really good. Even going to the gates I thought she’s a 2000-metre horse. “The Vinery should be no problem. She’s got a lot more upside.” Autumn Angel is +1400 chance in futures markets for the Vinery Stud Stakes with online bookmakers. Horse racing news View the full article

Ciaron Maher‘s Erno’s Cube displayed both determination and experience to claim a narrow victory in the 2024 Reisling Stakes at Randwick. Erno’s Cube will be considered for the Group 1 Golden Slipper after her 2024 Reisling Stakes win in Sydney. Photo: Steve Hart. The Rubick filly, the most seasoned competitor in the field, overcame early challenges to surge past rivals in the closing stages. Jockey Jason Collett rode Erno’s Cube from an awkward position towards the back of the pack. Despite the extra effort required to find a running lane, Erno’s Cube unleashed a powerful late run wider out, edging out Godolphin’s Silmarillion for the win. Race favourite Too Darn Lizzie, fresh off her Magic Millions Fillies Debut victory in January, led for much of the race but ultimately settled for third despite showing plenty of fight. “She is still improving physically, mentally still doing plenty wrong. From that gate it was always going to be a bit tricky,” stable rep Johann Gerard-Bubord told the media post-win. “She didn’t help herself early, once she got a bit of cover she dropped the bridle and it was a good effort to be able to quicken and get her nose in front.” Erno’s Cube, who previously finished fourth in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic and third in the Silver Slipper Stakes, has now solidified her credentials as a contender on the big stage. This win has sparked discussions about a potential tilt at the Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on March 23rd. A victory in the Golden Slipper would see Erno’s Cube emulate Estijaab, the last filly to achieve the Reisling Stakes – Golden Slipper double (2018). Her pre-field Golden Slipper odds have significantly shortened from $51 to $34 at Ladbrokes following her impressive performance. However, connections may also opt for a Randwick target during The Championships in April. The Group 2 Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) is a potential alternative with a million dollars up for grabs, with Erno’s Cube currently priced at $11 in pre-field betting at Ladbrokes. “We will see how she comes through it first. Obviously, the Slipper is always tempting but the boys seem to be better than the fillies this year,” Gerard-Bubord said. “She’d gone two weeks from the Silver Slipper, so the right thing to do would be to give her a bit of time and go to the Percy Sykes, but we’ll see how she comes through it. “It’s a discussion to have also now she is a Group Two winner. “She has been going for a long time, she’s had a little freshen between races but she seems to handle her racing very well.” Erno’s Cube’s fighting spirit and closing speed have made her a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming juvenile features. The racing world will be watching closely to see which path her connections choose. 2024 Reisling Stakes Results Finish No. Horse Trainer Jockey Margin Bar. Weight Penalty Starting Price 1 2 ERNO’S CUBE Ciaron Maher Jason Collett 8 55.5kg $3.70 2 8 SILMARILLION James Cummings James McDonald 0.14L 2 55.5kg $4.60 3 1 TOO DARN LIZZIE Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 0.34L 3 55.5kg $3.10F 4 5 MISS BUSSLINGER Kris Lees Dylan Gibbons (a) 1.95L 7 55.5kg $20 5 6 EXTREME DIVA Anthony Cummings Chad Schofield 2.1L 1 55.5kg $8 6 9 MIC DROP Todd Howlett Tommy Berry 2.27L 6 55.5kg $26 7 4 NYMPHADORA Stephen O’Halloran Tom Sherry 3.54L 4 55.5kg $19 8 7 REASONABLE POINT Ben Brisbourne Sam Clipperton 3.86L 5 55.5kg $10 3 CASTANYA Annabel Neasham Zac Lloyd (a) 0 Table Credit: Racing Australia. This page and the written content within it were partially generated using AI or automated technology and edited and verified by our editorial team. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au. The post Erno’s Cube Scores Gritty Reisling Stakes Win, Golden Slipper Ambitions Emerge appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

Cylinder ridden by Jamie Kah wins the Newmarket Handicap at Flemington. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) For the third time in the last five years, Godolphin has taken out the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap with their three-year-old colt Cylinder (+900) joining Bivouac and In Secret by claiming the time-honoured contest. After not being able to ride In Secret in the race last year, Jamie Kah has returned 12 months later to claim the race that she rightfully would have won if she didn’t suffer her terrible fall in the Sires’ Produce Stakes. Cylinder, a son of Exceed And Excel, settled midfield from his outside barrier and followed the group of runners that ran up the outside fence before exploding with a blistering turn of foot to challenge the leaders at the 300m mark. In the leading division on the inside was Imperatriz (+170) and Magic Time (+450), but they couldn’t go with the colt in the final 100m, as he pulled clear from the rest of the field late. Although Imperatriz didn’t win, she was very good with the big weight to finish second, ahead of The Astrologist (+10000) in third place. 2024 Newmarket Handicap Replay – Cylinder Representing the stable once again, Nacim Delmi spoke about his first Group 1 victory since taking over as the Victorian foreman. “It is massive. Obviously there is a big team behind us and we’ve always believed in the horse,” Delmi said. “He came to the races today and we knew he was bang on and ready to go. He delivered. “We added a tongue tie on the horse as he had a bad habit at the stables but early on as a two-year-old he had an accident in the barriers and broke his jaw. “He’s always been a little bit tricky with his mouth and we wanted to try that on. Jamie came and galloped him on Tuesday and when she came back she was like, ‘he was awesome’. “We were very confident today.” Jamie Kah was understandably emotional after the win and she spoke post-race. “I thought I was a tough person but I’m not today. Even (winning) the last race was massive for me, to get through that and have it behind me,” Kah said. “This is for Dean Holland. I couldn’t imagine anyone riding that horse as well as he did last year and I felt so happy that I gave him the opportunity to win the Newmarket. “Hopefully he is watching down on us today. I can’t believe that happened. “Obviously it was a horrible day for me last year but I’m so happy that Dean got to win on that horse. “He was an amazing person. “Today has been amazing and for Godolphin, they have always supported me. “Last year I didn’t get the opportunity to win the Newmarket for them but Dean Holland did which is great. “It is great to get over last year and start again and I don’t think any day will top today.” Cylinder is a +1200 chance in futures markets for the TJ Smith Stakes with online horse racing betting sites. Horse racing news View the full article

Superstar Kiwi hunts for fourth elite-level victory in Hong Kong this season aboard Sunday’s Group One Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (1,400m) favouriteView the full article

Traffic Warden ridden by Jamie Kah wins the Sires’ Produce Stakes at Flemington. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) After suffering a horrible fall in the same race 12 months ago, Jamie Kah has experienced a completely different result in the Group 2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes in 2024, as she guided Traffic Warden (+400) to an all-the-way win at Flemington. The James Cummings-trained colt jumped well from the wide barrier, took up the lead and ran the race to suit himself, before kicking clear at the top of the home straight to put up a significant margin by the 200m mark. The son of Street Boss produced a cracking run from the back of the field in the Blue Diamond Stakes last start and was always going to appreciate the rise in trip to 1400m in the Sires’. The race favourite and heavily backed Rue De Royale (+270) was one of the better runs in defeat as he snuck up the inside rail to finish second, ahead of Bosustow (+600) who ran third in his first run in Melbourne. However, all the honours went to the winner and Jamie Kah, winning by an official margin of 1.75 lengths on the line. 2024 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes Replay – Traffic Warden Nacim Delmi was on course to represent the Godolphin stable and spoke of the win post-race. “We never asked her to lead but if the horse were to bounce well than to make the most of it,” Demli said of the tactics. “He bounced very quickly and she got to the front very easily and we were quite happy with that. “His run in the Blue Diamond was a lot better than what the result says. He was very strong late looking for the 1400 (metres). “Credit to Jamie as well. 12 months ago she had terrible luck so it is good to see her ride the winner. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you see him in Sydney in a couple of weeks time.” Jamie Kah brought up a riding double with the victory on Traffic Warden, and she was clearly emotional post-race. “James said the option was up to me if I wanted to go forward or go back and to make up my mind when I jumped,” Kah said. “That was the best thing in the end because he jumped too well and I thought ‘beautiful’, so I could slide across and he got there so easily. “He was entitled to stop late because he did a bit of work but he was so tough. I helped because he’s so tractable, he came back to me and jumped well. “It makes our job easy when you ride beautiful horses like this from Godolphin. “A much better result (than last year).” Traffic Warden is a +2500 chance in futures markets for the Golden Slipper with online bookmakers. Horse racing news View the full article

What Adelaide Cup Day 2024 Where Morphettville Racecourse – 79 Morphett Rd, Morphettville, SA 5043 When Saturday, February 24, 2023 First Race 12:30pm ACDT Visit Dabble The Group 2 Adelaide Cup (3200m) headlines a stacked nine-race meeting at Morphettville Racecourse on Monday afternoon. Sweltering conditions are forecast for the ‘City of Churches’ with an early start likely, despite the scheduled commencement of 12:30pm ACDT. Perfect track conditions will greet punters, with the track a Good 4 and the rail in its true position the entire circuit. Adelaide Cup Tip: Yellowbrick Road Having won the traditional lead-up, the Group 3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m), Patrick Kearney’s Yellowbrick Road goes on top in the Group 2 Adelaide Cup. Having stalked the lead throughout on that day, the five-year-old gelding booted up under the leaders on the home turn and kept kicking when putting just under a length on Adelaide Cup favourite The Map. He meets The Map at equal weights this time around after giving him a 0.5kg advantage when they last met. Jye McNeil will look to hold a prominent spot throughout, and if he can land a nice spot without using up too many carrots from barrier 11, Yellowbrick Road looks a stayer we can back with confidence in the $350,000 feature. Adelaide Cup Race 7 – #7 Yellowbrick Road (11) 7yo Gelding | T: Patrick Kearney | J: Jye McNeil (53kg) +700 with Playup Best Bet at Morphettville: Boognish Returning from a five-month spell, Boognish looks to have found the right race to break a long run of outs. The four-year-old mare hasn’t won since her debut almost 12 months ago but her runs during the spring suggest she is the one to beat here. The Sooboog mare warmed up with a smart Gawler trial victory in the lead-up to her return and from the middle barrier draws to take a sit just off the speed. With a swift turn of foot, there is no reason why Boognish should not be winning. Best Bet Race 3 – #4 Boognish (6) 4yo Mare | T: Will Clarken & Niki O’Shea | J: Jamie Kah (55.5kg) +135 with Picklebet Next Best at Morphettville: Mintulee Mintulee is on the quick backup after winning comfortably on the Parks track at Morphettville on March 2 when sprinting home the best in similar company. The three-year-old filly, known as a natural leader, to a sit just off the speed and overpowered her rivals late to show a touch of versatility. Alana Livesey sticks on board, claiming 2kg, and with just 56kg on her back, Mintuelee will most likely take up the running with little to no early speed drawn underneath her from barrier five. With favourable conditions, Mintulee can run her rivals ragged in the second. Next Best Race 2 – #6 Mintulee (5) 3yo Filly | T: Ryan Balfour | J: Alana Livesey (a2) (58kg) +300 with Dabble Best Value at Morphettville: Wonderful Rayray Wonderful Rayray was having his first start for Matthew Sayers after a year-long absence from the track on March 2, and despite weakening to finish third after leading the field up, he can bounce back to the winners stall on Monday. Having won his two starts in Queensland in smart fashion, it is easy to expect the Barbados progeny will take great benefit from that first-up effort. Damian Lane will roll forward and look to take up the running, and as long as the pair can find the rail with relative ease, Wonderful Rayray will take some catching in the finale. Best Value Race 9 – #9 Wonderful Rayray (10) 5yo Gelding | T: Matthew Seyers | J: Damian Lane (60kg) +1100 with Neds Saturday quaddie tips for Morphettville Morphettville quadrella selections Saturday, February 24, 2023 4-5-6-8-9 1-3-4-6-7 2-4-5-6-9 3-4-8-9-14 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Even though he won the 2019 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, no one was ready to declare that Storm the Court (Court Vision) was a star in the making. After all, he was 45-1 that day at Santa Anita and the field for that year's Juvenile was one of the weakest in the history of the race. But nobody could have predicted what was to become for that year's 2-year-old male champion, an epic losing streak that has lasted now for more than four years and 20 races. Storm the Court will be out to put an end to the futility Saturday at Gulfstream Park in the Silks Run S., but he is 20-1 in the morning line for a race that brought together a surprisingly deep field. Expectations are that the Silks Run will be the 21st straight loss for the now 7-year-old horse. “The race came up super tough,” said his trainer Bill Morey. Storm the Court won his debut on Aug. 10, 2019, for trainer Peter Eurton. He lost his rider in his next start, the GI Del Mar Futurity, and then was third in the GI American Pharoah S. Ridden by Flavien Prat, he won the Juvenile in a game effort in which he outfought Anneau d'Or (Medaglia d'Oro). Since then absolutely nothing has gone right. “A lot of it has to do with fact he matured a lot earlier than most horses do,” Eurton said. “In the Breeders' Cup he was in the right place at the right time. The rest of the horses caught up to him.” Storm the Court's 3-year-old campaign coincided with the pandemic, which pushed the GI Kentucky Derby back to Sept. 5. He lost all five of his starts leading up to the Derby, but ran creditably when third in the GIII Ohio Derby and second in the GIII La Jolla H. In the Derby, he finished sixth, beaten nine lengths. That was sixth straight loss, and it would only get worse. Being that the horse was an Eclipse Award champion and a Grade I winner, the owners looked into turning him into a stallion, but the response from the breeding farms was lukewarm at best. “There was some talk about turning him into a stallion back when he was four,” Eurton said. “But it didn't happen. His pedigree, it's just not there.” His five-year-old season ended with a 12 3/4-length drubbing in the GIII Tokyo City S. That would be his last start for Eurton. “The owners thought the horse would be better off back East and would have more opportunities there,” Eurton said. He was sent to Tom Amoss and made two starts for him, the last of which resulted in a 23-length loss in an allowance race at Churchill in September. The ownership group then decided to make another change and sent the horse to Morey. The new trainer hasn't gotten him to the winner's circle in three tries, but at least Storm the Court has been competitive. He's had three starts for the new outfit, all of them in allowance sprints on the grass. He finished third at Horseshoe Indianapolis and then second in consecutive races at Tampa Bay Downs. “I had some other horses for the ownership group and they called me and asked what I doing for the winter,” Morey said. “When I told them I'd be racing at Turfway and Tampa, they thought Tampa might be a good place to get him reinvigorated and back on his game. That was the idea. It just seemed like the horse was obviously stale with what he was doing so we decided to try something drastically different. So far, it has worked to some extent. We haven't gotten to the winner's circle yet, but we seem to have him going pretty good. We're training him to be a sprinter rather than continuing to train him to be a router. I have trained him to sprint. I am assuming that the trainers who had him before me were all training him for routes.” Morey is optimistic he can break the losing streak, but understands that it probably won't happen Saturday. Storm the Court is running against horses who are considerably faster than him on the Beyer scale, including Big Invasion (Declaration of War), who was second in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. “In this game you take chances,” Morey said. “There wasn't an allowance at five furlongs on the grass at Tampa for the foreseeable future. An on-the board-performance in a race as tough as this would almost feel like we had broken the losing streak. This looks like a tough spot. Maybe we'll get lucky and hit the board or maybe win. If not, hopefully we'll get him into the winner's circle the next time.” At Santa Anita, Eurton will be watching. He hasn't had the horse for a year and a half, but will always have the memories of his win in the Breeders' Cup. “I would love to see him win a race. One hundred percent,” he said. “There will always be a soft spot in my heart for this horse.” The post Fifty Months And Twenty Races Later, Storm The Court Looking To Get Back To Winner’s Circle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

What Ballarat Races Where Ballarat Turf Club – 240 Kennedys Rd, Miners Rest VIC 3352 When Monday, March 11, 2024 First Race 12:10pm AEDT Visit Dabble Public holiday racing in Victoria heads to Ballarat on Monday afternoon for a stacked nine-race meeting. Hot weather is forecast for the day, so an early start to the day is likely, with a track rated a Good 4, and the rail out 3m the entire circuit. At the time of acceptances, racing is scheduled to commence at 12:10pm AEDT. Best Bet at Ballarat: Rheinberg Rheinberg strung together four wins in an unbeaten campaign during the spring, and if he is anywhere close to that level on Monday, he should prove too classy for his rivals. The five-year-old gelding beat handy types like Chorlton Lane and Dashing, and looks to be a horse going places as he rises through the grades. From barrier one, Rheinberg will stalk the speed throughout under Mick Dee, and with even luck in the home straight, Rheinberg should just be winning first-up from a spell. Best Bet Race 8 – #2 Rheinberg (1) 5yo Gelding | T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes | J: Michael Dee (60kg) +130 with Bet365 Next Best at Ballarat: Porter The Danny O’Brien-trained Porter looks to have found the right race to break maiden ranks, despite a slightly poor run when first-up at Bendigo. The three-year-old was having his first start as a gelding, but was forced to travel three wide with no cover and ultimately faded late inside the final 100m. He chased home some handy types during his initial campaign without success, but gets his chance at Ballarat. Billy Egan will look to land him in the one-one, and with even luck, Porter can sprint clear of his rivals. Next Best Race 5 – #4 Porter (7) 3yo Gelding | T: Danny O’Brien | J: Billy Egan (58kg) +300 with Picklebet Best Value at Ballarat: Chosen Legend Unless an emergency gains a start, the Archie Alexander-trained Chosen Legend is the only juvenile with race experience in Monday’s two-year-old event. The Extreme Choice filly chased home Bold Bastille and Hayasugi when finishing third in October at Moonee Valley, beaten 4.5 lengths. She started favourite in that race, suggesting she has a stack of talent we haven’t seen yet. From barrier 12, Declan Bates will look to roll forward and hold a prominent spot, and if she does not use up too many tickets within the first furlong, Chosen Legend looks a great play at a nice price with horse racing bookmakers. Best Value Race 2 – #8 Chosen Legend (12) 2yo Filly | T: Archie Alexander | J: Declan Bates (56kg) +900 with Neds Ballarat Monday quaddie tips Ballarat quadrella selections Monday, March 11, 2024 6-9-13-14 3-7-8 2-3 1-2-3-4-6-7 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

The third of four under-tack previews ahead of next week's Ocala Breeders Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds In Training took place Friday, a session that produced the overall bullet times for both one-furlong and quarter-mile breezes. Wednesday's opening breeze-ups were topped by a trio of horses that stopped clock in :9 4/5 for an eighth of a mile, a time that was matched by no fewer than 15 juveniles on Thursday. Those numbers were lowered Friday by a pair of horses, a Wavertree Stables Inc.-consigned filly (hip 448) from the first crop of Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) and a colt (hip 529) by fellow freshman sire Tiz the Law (Constitution) consigned by Hartley/DeRenzo Thoroughbreds. Each covered an eighth of a mile in :9 3/5. Laying Down the 'Law' Randy Hartley went to $375,000 for the Tiz the Law colt from the Woods Edge Farm draft at Keeneland September, but only after a not-so-subtle push from his client Rich Mendez. “At $350,000, honestly, I was done, but Rich goes, 'one more time,' because Tiz the Law was like his favorite horse,” Hartley explained. “So I did and we got him. $350,000 was kind of our number, but we loved him so much we stretched a little more because we were trying to find the best one there.” The approach to the September sale was fairly straight-forward. “We went to that sale to try to find the best Tiz the Law at the sale and we found him in Book 1,” Hartley said. “Peter O'Callaghan had him and he might have had other horses sell for more in Book 1, but I thought this colt was the best physical he had in that book. We stretched on him because we thought that Tiz the Law was such a great racehorse, we love Constitution too, but they're harder to buy. But we felt like we if had one of the best Tiz the Laws in the 2-year-old market that the people that respected Tiz the Law would be trying to buy something that they like.” Just a May 9 foal, the colt is a son of the Grade III-placed Our Majesty (Majesticpefection), herself a half-sister to a pair of black-type winners. Sun Bloodstock purchased Our Majesty for $375,000 in foal to Tapit at Keeneland November in 2019 and sold the Tiz the Law colt to Vanny Investments for $140,000 at Keeneland January in 2023. Hartley was duly please with what he saw on the track Friday. “He's quick and he kept going, some people had him in :19 and change galloping out,” he said. “He's a May baby. I don't push mine hard, he's even still a little chunky. I try to get my horses here sound and I feel like if I train them good, they'll give me everything they've got. Once they show me that they can take off and go, from there it's about fitness. We're super proud of him. He's only 22 months old, but he looks like a 3-year-old.” The noted reseller believes there is a good buzz about the first crop of the 2020 GI Belmont S. hero. “We only had this one and he's been our man the whole time. I would definitely buy some more,” he said. “When I see Tiz the Laws bringing $200,000 in January, that tells me that people are liking the way they're training. People are not going to buy them if they're not hearing that buzz. We thought a lot of this colt all season.” Kight High On Justify Colt If the Tiz the Law colt didn't exactly represent a 'bargain' price, Hoby Kight felt like the $100,000 that he gave at Keeneland September for a Justify colt from the consignment of Joe Pickerell's Pick View LLC certainly was. The Jan. 23 foal (hip 539) was bred in New York by Chester and Mary Broman. “He was big and beautiful and he's got some pedigree,” Kight explained. “And Dr. Broman raises a really good horse, [Sequel Bloodstock's] Becky [Thomas] does a phenomenal job. He had a cut on his back leg on his pastern and his leg was still swollen from the cut. A lot of short-listers, they cut that horse and never get to see him and that's the sort of stuff I prey on. It's stuff that won't bother them and gets better, it was an old scar and was still kind of fresh. But everything else was there–beautiful horse, all the right angles. And Justify really heated up too, so everything went my way.” Bred in New York by Chester and Mary Broman, the bay is a son of two-time stakes winner and Grade III-placed Pauseforthecause (Giant's Causeway) Hip 539 was one of two to breeze a quarter in :20.2 Friday. “I thought he worked lights out,” Kight said of the colt, who already stands 16.2 in his estimation. “Joe has done a remarkable job with him. Joe thought he was going to be sub-:21 the way he'd been training, so he was pretty optimistic.” Hip 539 | Photos By Z McCrocklin At Both Ends of the Speed Spectrum Tom McCrocklin consigns the afternoon's other :20.2 breezer, a filly by Munnings–Miss Majestic (Majestic Warrior) (hip 453), which he is offering on behalf of Florida breeder Peter Mirabelli. “She's a beautiful filly, a great mover and she just does everything so smoothly,” he said. “I generally work my horses a quarter-mile just because I think makes for a more composed breed. I am not trying to disparage anyone else, but I find sometimes that the furlong breezes can end up being pretty frenetic. When people see me breeze one that isn't a quarter mile, they tend to raise an eyebrow.” McCrocklin is also consigning a handful of the 40 2-year-olds in training that are being sold as part of the dispersal from the late Bob Lothenbach, who are just galloping through the stretch. “I don't think it will be looked upon with skepticism or negatively,” McCrocklin said of the strategy to not ask the horses for any serious effort. “Mr, Lothenbach built and ran a high-class stable. The estate requested that none of the horses breeze, so we are just honoring their wishes, but I don't think it will negatively impact the horses or the way they sell.” The final under-tack preview is set for Saturday morning beginning at 8 a.m. The March Sale begins Tuesday, Mar. 12 and runs for three days, with bidding beginning each day at 11 a.m. ET. For more, visit www.obssales.com. The post Action Remains Fast and Furious During OBSMAR Under-Tack Show appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Grade 1 winner Locked, who entered 2024 as one of the leading prospects for the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs, is off the Derby trail with a minor ligament injury in his left knee, according to co-owner Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.View the full article

Locked (Gun Runner), the winner of the last year's GI Breeders' Futurity, has come down with a knee injury that will prevent him from running in the upcoming Triple Crown races. The injury is not considered career-threatening. The news of his injury was first reported by David Grening of the Daily Racing Form. Aron Wellman, the managing partner of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, the co-owners of Locked, described the injury as “a very minor ligament fray in the upper part of the left knee.” Locked was first expected to make his 3-year-old debut in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs, but missed that race due to a fever. Plan B was to run in last Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream but he was scratched by trainer Todd Pletcher, who was concerned with the way the colt trained the morning of that race. “The morning of the Fountain of Youth, he didn't train like he normally does,” Wellman said. “He had trained exceptionably well in the weeks leading up to they Fountain of Youth. It was just that morning. It's a tribute to Todd's sharpness and his team for picking up on it. Any other trainer, he probably would have run. With Todd's attention to detail we weren't comfortable sending him over for the Fountain of Youth.” On Monday, the colt was sent to Dr. John Madison in Ocala, who detected the injury. “We trained him the day after the Fountain of Youth and he was better, but considering his profile and importance we decided not to take any chances,” Wellman said. “We sent him to Ocala and thanks to the state-of-the-art technology that exists now, they found the problem. No surgery will be required. He just needs time to let it reattach and heal, which is unfortunate because we're off the Classic trail. At the same time, we're thankful to Todd and his team for detecting it early enough so that this horse will still have a future. We're thankful to the vets up in Ocala, including Dr. Madison, who ran him through a body of tests. In the grand scheme of things we were fortunate because they are now able to detect injuries like the one he had. That couldn't have been done in the past. Thanks to state of the art technology, we've identified a minor ligament injury in Locked's left knee. Sadly, the Derby Dream is over, but thankfully @PletcherRacing caught the issue early and Locked will come back strong. The horse always comes first! #BelieveBig pic.twitter.com/o0ArPyPEd6 — Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (@EclipseTBP) March 8, 2024 Wellman said the goal now will be to make the major 3-year-old races run in the summer, including the GI Travers S. at Saratoga. After winning the Breeders' Futurity, Locked ran third in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. The Fountain of Youth was to be his 3-year-old debut. “Anybody who is in this game is in it with the dream of having a legitimate contender for the Kentucky Derby and the Classics,” Wellman said. “Locked fit that profile to a tee. We've been fortunate enough to have some legitimate Derby contenders in the past. I was fortunate to be part of the team with Animal Kingdom and Team Valor and we had some other horses who ran respectably in the race. But I don't know that we ever had a horse before who came into their sophomore season with the credentials and the profile that Locked had. We were really confident and had huge convictions that we had the right type of horse to really be effective in the Kentucky Derby at a mile and a quarter. Absolutely, this is a punch in the gut.” The post Due To Knee Injury, Locked Will Miss Triple Crown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sweet Azteca is coming off a 12-length romp, while Adare Manor, a four-time graded winner in 2023, is making her 2024 debut in the Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita Park.View the full article