Wandering Eyes

Godolphin's Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won the Listed HH The Amir Trophy in Qatar before causing a mild surprise over a star-studded field in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic Mar. 30, is scheduled to travel overseas yet again for his next start. “He shipped back to Newmarket a couple of days ago, shipped well, and I think we'll stick with plan A and probably head to Hong Kong for the [May 26 G1 Standard Chartered] Champions and Chater there,” trainer Charlie Appleby told Equidia's Katherine Ford Callier at Deauville Apr. 9. Having won a pair of Group 1s in Germany and the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf in 2022, the homebred endured a string of bad luck when winless last season–including a spill in a race at Saratoga–but hinted at a return to his better form when taking out the Listed Wild Flower S. over the Kempton all-weather in December. The 6-year-old made the majority of the running in the Amir Trophy to win by a convincing three lengths and sat just off a moderate tempo in the Sheema Classic, pouncing late to best Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) by two lengths. “It's a program we put in place before the Sheema Classic,” Appleby said of the trip to Hong Kong. “We know he enjoys his traveling, as long as he's traveling in and out within a certain period, but importantly, he likes that style of track and that style of racing. So that's our plan to go to the Champions and Chater.” Rebel's Romance is likely to come up against Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who has capped off each of his last two seasons in Hong Kong with victories in the Champions and Chater Cup, as well as the dual group-winning Straight Arron (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a meritorious sixth in the Mar. 30 G1 Dubai Turf over an insufficient 1800 metres. The post Rebel’s Romance To Take His Show Back On The Road appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Everybody is searching for that flagbearer. Be it a jockey, trainer or an owner, the hunt for a horse capable of taking in big-race riches, that's the lure Breeze-up consignors are no different. Being associated with good horses is what sustains a business and keeps buyers coming back for more. That's what makes Sunday's Leopardstown maiden winner Ecureuil Secret (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) such an important horse in the career of Ryan Conron. Having put down two big stints working for prominent breeze-up handlers Con Marnane and Thomond O'Mara, Conron has been connected to many top-class horses, but Ecureuil Secret is shaping up to be the first flag-bearer sold through his own Lacka House Stables. After failing to sell at the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale last year, the €22,000 yearling purchase was snapped up privately by trainer Edward O'Grady on behalf of owner Aidan O'Ryan last summer. Afforded time to fill into his fine frame, Ecureuil Secret made his debut in a one-mile maiden at Leopardstown on Sunday, justifying strong support to score in the style of an above-average colt. Conron said, “I have only been consigning under Lacka House Stables since 2020 and, while I have worked with a lot of good horses and sold some nice horses through Knockanglass Stables [Thomond O'Mara] and Eoin McDonagh's Shanaville Stables, Ecureuil Secret is potentially the nicest I've sold under my own banner.” He added, “Edward had an order for a two-year-old and I think he tried and failed to fill that order at the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale. He looked at a couple of Thomond's horses that were going to the July Sale in France and then, afterwards, looked at my lad as well. He liked Ecureuil Secret and asked if I'd work him in his yard that week. “That all went well and we had a deal done a few days later. Edward gave the horse the time that he needed and now he has a very nice colt on his hands-he's potentially a Group horse.” Ecureuil Secret (right): winning at Leopardstown | Racingfotos.com Ecureuil Secret does not hold any fancy entries at this juncture but that might change soon. Described as 'a very nice horse' by O'Grady in his post-race interview, the Wootton Bassett colt is the latest example that smart horses don't have to break the clock at the breeze-up sales. Conron recalled, “He was not your typical breeze-up horse–he was big and raw but he always had a big engine and showed plenty of pace. He was just on the weak side. With that being considered, he couldn't have gone to a better trainer in Edward O'Grady, as he gave him all of the time that he needed.” Ecureuil Secret might be the first horse that Conron is getting deserved recognition for but this is far from his first rodeo. He has been a key cog in the wheels of various big operations and has enjoyed many fine touches before branching out on his own. Explaining his background in the industry, Conron said, “Thomond is married to my aunt, Roisin O'Mara, and they taught me how to ride. They have taught me so much. I rode a lot of good horses for Thomond, including Malc (GB) (Calyx {GB}), who finished second in the Norfolk last year, and I still ride two lots for him every day. “All told, I've been pinhooking and trading breeze-up horses for seven or eight years now. Happy Together (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}) is probably the best horse that I have been associated with up until now. He has won over €3 million in prize-money in Hong Kong. I bought him for £15,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale when it was held at Newmarket during Covid in 2020. Thomond took half of the horse with me and I actually consigned him at Doncaster but he didn't breeze well and we withdrew him. I didn't do so well selling him at Doncaster so Thomond had a go at consigning him at Tattersalls Ireland!” Conron added, “He wasn't ideally-suited to breezing–not every horse is–because he liked to pass horses and never really did it on his own. I met Peter Nolan the night before Goresbridge and, thankfully, he listened to me and came down and looked at the horse the following day. He didn't breeze brilliantly again but, Peter is such a brilliant horseman, he saw enough in the horse and bought him for £24,000 on behalf of Noel Meade. He nailed it.” Nadowessi (Ire) (Sioux Nation), who finished second in a winners' race at Naas before being sold on to America, and rock-solid sprint handicapper Secret Guest (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), are other graduates. Like so many of the young breeze-up handlers who are making a proper go of it in their own right, Conron also speaks highly of his time spent working for Marnane, and credits the Bansha House operator for fast-tracking his progress within the industry. He said, “I spent three or four years working for Con Marnane and had a great time working for him. I rode a lot of nice horses for Con-Sands Of Mali (Fr), Prince Of Lir (Ire), Different League (Fr), Teppal (Fr)-and went out to France when Matthieu Palussiere was looking after his string out there. When you think back now, so many of the staff that Con sent out to France are running their own breeze-up consignment now, so that's hardly a coincidence. You could call him the Jim Bolger of the breeze-up game! “Off the top of my head, you had Stephen Byrne [Knockgraffon], Justin Timmons [Dolmen], Eoin Mc Donagh [Shanaville], Colin Bargary [Drummona House] and Shane 'Rancher' Ryan as well. Con had a brilliant method in place and we all learned a lot there. It helped me realise what a good horse actually feels like and that helps when you are standing outside your own consignment. It seems as though Marnane is indebted to Conron just as much as the latter is to the Bansha boss. “He didn't just ride Different League every day,” Marnane recalls of Conron's input, “he practically trained that filly. Ryan is a special horse man and you'd be proud to see himself and the lads doing so well out on their own.” While becoming bigger and better is the name of the game, Conron explained how his rapid progress came as a surprise even to him at one stage last autumn. However, there is no such thing as a problem in Conron's world, only solutions. He said, “We've nine horses this year but at one point we were a little short of room! My partner Pamela and myself bought a small place near Fethard in Tipperary a couple of years ago. We don't have a gallop yet but we try to improve the place every year. To that extent, we have been relying on the help of our neighbour, Johnny Cummins, who lets us use his gallop.” He continued, “The other little hurdle we had to jump recently was a lack of stables! There were only eight stables when we moved in and, as I said earlier, I buy a couple of horses every year with Eoin McDonagh, but we were both full by the time Book 3 came around. Anyway, Eoin fell in love with a Starspangledbanner (Aus) filly and we couldn't leave her behind. We just couldn't help ourselves. “When I got home, I said that I had no other option to convert the garage into stables. I rang a couple of mates and we had it up in no time. When I started off buying breezers, I did it with Eoin and his aunt, Noleen O'Brien, and they have also been very good to me and gave me a great start. Wherever you go in this game, there are so many people willing to give you a hand, and I'm forever grateful to so many people.” The post ‘He’s Potentially A Group Horse’ – Conron Full Of Hope For Leopardstown Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin's Master of The Seas is out to avenge his former stablemate's defeat, as well as make amends of his own, when he lines up April 12 in the $600,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1T) at Keeneland.View the full article

"We're privileged to align the Tattersalls Ireland brand to the Polish St Leger. The Polish racing industry goes from strength to strength, and our graduates are an integral part of raising its profile as a racing nation." -Simon KerinsView the full article

Prep season for the GI Kentucky Oaks is over and we have a pretty good idea of who is going to be in the race and which ones are the horses to beat. With three major preps–the GI Ashland S., the GII Santa Anita Oaks and the GIII Gazelle S.–all run over the weekend, there was plenty of movement in our Top 10. But the very solid Tarifa (Bernardini) maintains the top spot for Brad Cox. Here's a look at the latest installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top Ten: 1) TARIFA (f, Bernardini–Kite Beach, by Awesome Again) O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', MGSW, 5-4-0-0, $518,925. Last start: WON Mar. 23 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 150. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 3. Had someone done something spectacular in the GI Ashland S. at Keeneland, 'TDN Rising Star' Tarifa might have been knocked down a peg. It didn't happen that way. Tarifa's stablemate, Impel (Quality Road), who was getting all the hype prior to the Ashland ran third, but does not have enough points to get into the Oaks. There's just no knocks on Tarifa, who is four-for-five lifetime and is riding a three-race winning streak. She faced a tough bunch in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Presented by Fasig-Tipton and prevailed. She's more steady than spectacular, but you know she will show up on Oaks Day for trainer Brad Cox, who will be seeking his third win in this race. 2) LESLIE'S ROSE (f, Into Mischief–Wildwood Rose {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) O-Whisper Hill Farm; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (Ky); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $1,150,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', GISW, 4-3-0-1, $467,800. Last start: WON GI Ashland S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 115. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3 The Ashland was easily the best Oaks prep run so far this year, so you have to give a lot of credit to the winner, 'TDN Rising Star' Leslie's Rose. She was bought by owner Mandy Pope at Keeneland September for $1.15 million and got her career off to a fast start, with two straight wins, including a 9 1/4-length romp in her debut. But she stubbed her toe when third at odds of 3-10 in the GII Davona Dale S. on a day when she had no excuses. The betting public all but gave up on her in the Ashland, sending her off at 9-1. It now looks like she may fulfill her potential after all. Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the race four times and will tie all-time leaders Woody Stephens and Wayne Lukas with a win. 3) THORPEDO ANNA (f, Fast Anna–Sataves, by Uncle Mo) O-Brookdale Racing, Inc., Mark Edwards, Judy B. Hicks & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek); B-Judy Hicks (Ky); T-Kenneth McPeek. Sales history: $40,000 yrl '22 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', GSW, 4-3-1-0, $584,363. Last Start: WON GII Fantasy S., Mar. 30. Kentucky Oaks Points: 105. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. Still another 'TDN Rising Star,' she sold for just $40,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Fall Yearling Sale. Trainer Kenny McPeek has a knack for finding good horses that didn't cost a lot and this is the latest example. She won her first two races by a combined margin of 17 1/2 lengths before finishing second in the GII Golden Rod S. as an odds-on favorite. But she was back at her best when scoring an easy four-length win in the GII Fantasy S. The Fantasy will be her only prep for the Oaks, but there's little doubt that McPeek willl have her tight enough and ready for the Kentucky Oaks. 4) JUST F Y I (f, Justify–Star Act, by Street Cry {Ire}) O/B-George Krikorian (Ky); T-Bill Mott. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Filly, GISW, 4-3-1-0, $1,433,250. Last start: 2nd in GI Ashland S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 90. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. All things considered, she didn't run badly in the Ashland, even if it was her first career defeat. Trainer Bill Mott had to play catch-up after she missed a start in the GII Davona Dale S. with a fever. That meant she had to run well in the Ashland to have enough points to make the Oaks. She had a good trip under Junior Alvarado and looked to be within striking distance at the top of the stretch, but couldn't deliver the knockout punch. Every reason to believe she will run better in the Oaks. 5) POWER SQUEEZE (f, Union Rags–Callmethesqueeze, by Awesome Again) O-Lea Farms, LLC; B-Forging Oaks Farm, LLC (Ky); T-Jorge Delgado. Sales history: $50,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-4-1-0, $337,450. Last start: WON GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, Mar. 30. Kentucky Oaks Points: 120. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. She flew in under the radar when winning the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks at odds of 11-1. It was her fourth straight win and her third straight in stakes company for high-percentage trainer Jorge Delgado. She originally sold for $50,000 at Keeneland September and then for $90,000 at OBS June. Has seemed to get better as the distances have gotten longer and is 2-for-2 around two turns. 6) WHERE'S MY RING (f, Twirling Candy–Mapit, by Tapit) O-Michael McMillan; B-Don Alberto Corporation (Ky); T-Val Brinkerhoff. Sales history: $100,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 8-1-3-1, $202,620. Last start: WON GIII Gazelle S., Apr. 6. Kentucky Oaks Points: 125. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. You have to give trainer Val Brinkerhoff a lot of credit. He could have stayed on the West Coast with this filly, but that would mean facing off against the Baffert monsters in the GII Santa Anita Oaks. So he shipped her across the country to run in the Gazelle at Aqueduct, where the competition would be lacking. In fact, Where's My Ring was a maiden after seven starts coming into the race, but still went off as the 5-2 favorite. The win was more than good enough to get her into the Oaks, but the competition will much tougher than what she faced last Saturday at the Big A. 7) WAYS AND MEANS (f, Practical Joke–Strong Incentive, Warrior's Reward) O/B-Klaravich Stables (Ky); T-Chad Brown. Lifetime Record: GISP, 'TDN Rising Star,' 3-1-2-0, $165,750. Last start: 2nd Mar. 30 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. Is currently 16th on the leader board when it comes to her getting into the Oaks, so trainer Chad Brown is going to have to hope for some defections. But if she gets in, she can absolutely win. After romping by 12 3/4 lengths in her debut, she was second in the GI Spinaway S., but came out of that race with a chip in an ankle. That's why she didn't make her 3-year-old debut until the Mar. 30 GIIGulfstream Park Oaks. She had a tough trip that day, but managed to run second. Every reason to believe she will be better next time out, whether that's in the Oaks or not. 8) OUR PRETTY WOMAN (f, Medaglia d'Oro–Dazzletown, by Speightstown) O-Courtlandt Farms; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC & Godolphin; T-Steve Asmussen. Sales History: $900,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSP, 3-2-1-0, $150,200. Last start: 2nd Mar. 23 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 3. She's 17th on the points list, so is another one who is going to need a break to make it into the Oaks starting gate. Trained by Steve Asmussen, this $900,000 Keeneland yearling purchase won her first two starts and then faced the acid test when meeting Tarifa in the Fair Grounds Oaks. She ran a huge race that day, finishing second, losing by just three-quarters of a length. She's lightly raced and didn't make her debut until Jan. 18 of this year. So there's plenty of room for improvement. 9) WEST OMAHA (f, West Coast–Birthday Bash, by Medaglia d'Oro) O/B-Gary and Mary West (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: SW & MGSP, 6-2-3-1, $369,250. Last Start: 2nd GII Fantasy S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 90. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. After she won the Silverbulletday S. Presented by Fasig-Tipton, she looked like she'd be a major player in this division for Brad Cox. Instead, she ran third in the GIII Honeybee S. and second in the Fantasy S. It looks like the rest of the division has caught up to her and passed her. Will need to improve to contend in the Oaks. 10) LEMON MUFFIN (f, Collected–Pelt, by Canadian Frontier) O-Aaron Sones & Julie Gilbert; B-Mr & Mrs Theodore Kuster & Collected Syndicate (Ky); T-D W Lukas. Sales history: $20,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 7-1-4-0, $324,000. Last Start: 7th GII Fantasy S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. Sometimes the Wayne Lukas-trained horses run their best when it is least expected. Lemon Muffin was terrible in the Fantasy, losing by 10 3/4 lengths. She was a different horse in her prior start when winning the Honeybee by 3 1/2 lengths at odds of 28-1. She was still a maiden at the time and had never gone beyond seven furlongs. But instead of that race vaulting her forward, it seemed to have caused her to take a step in the wrong direction. Will be a big longshot in the Oaks, but you can never throw the cagey Lukas out. The post The Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for April 11 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Superstar rider joins Chief Stipelas Whyte in surpassing 1,700 Hong Kong wins after three victories at city circuitView the full article

Nick Bannister will become the next chairman of Racing Welfare on June 12, the organisation announced on Wednesday. Currently chairman of Haydock Park Racecourse since 2020, Bannister will succeed William Barlow, who will be completing his five-year term. Bannister, who first worked for three decades in financial services, also manages the family-owned Coniston Hotel & Spa and its associated estate in the Yorkshire Dales. He has served as chair of The Countryside Alliance Foundation for six years and spent over 10 years as the deputy governor of the Hunt Staff Benefit Society. At one point an amateur jump jockey, Bannister said, “I am very much looking forward to immersing myself in this position and helping Racing Welfare evolve, navigate the challenges ahead and continue the excellent work they do for a cause so close to my heart.” Dawn Goodfellow, chief executive at Racing Welfare said, “Nick's vast background of working in finance will undoubtedly be hugely beneficial. Added to that is his experience of political matters with the Countryside Alliance, which can hopefully serve to further strengthen our relationships with key industry stakeholders.” The post Nick Bannister Will Be Next Racing Welfare Chairman appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2024 edition of the Polish St Leger will be sponsored by Tattersalls, the sales company announced on Wednesday. Held at Warsaw's Służewiec Racecourse, the 1 3/4-mile race on Westminster Day, Aug. 31, joins other Classic sponsorships by Tattersalls including the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and G2 Tattersalls Italian Oaks. Multiple group winner Va Bank (Ire) (Archipenko), a €4,500 Tattersalls Ireland September yearling buy, won the Polish St Leger. In addition, Tattersalls Ireland will sponsor the Nagroda Dakota, a juvenile race over 6 1/2 furlongs, also held on Westminster Day. Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “We are delighted to add the Polish St Leger to the Tattersalls portfolio of Classic sponsorships in Europe. It is an exciting time for Polish racing, with the country staging their first ever internationally recognised listed race in October last year, and Tattersalls and Tattersalls Ireland are thrilled to be involved with the 2024 Westminster Day at Tor Służewiec.” Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said, “Tattersalls Ireland are committed to supporting the markets that support us, and our Polish client base has seen year on year growth over the last few years, making this agreement beneficial to both parties. This partnership will extend our Flat racing sponsorship portfolio, which is headlined by our €250,000 Super Auction Sales Stakes at the Irish Champions Festival.” Westminster Group President Marian Ziburske added, “Opened in 1939, Tor Służewiec in Warsaw is one of the most beautiful and important racecourses in Eastern Europe, and it is fantastic to have Tattersalls join world-class companies such as Dell, Land Rover and Panattoni in sponsoring on our charity raceday. We are very proud to have such a respected partner and look forward to the further development of Polish racing.” The post Tattersalls To Sponsor 2024 Polish St Leger appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A record 11 overseas-based gallopers, including Group 1 winners Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}) from Great Britain and Japan's Mad Cool (Jpn) (Dark Angel {Ire}), are among the 35 total horses invited to participate in the trio of races which comprise FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin Racecourse on Apr. 28. Trained by William Haggas, the globetrotting Dubai Honour pays a third visit to Hong Kong and will look to improve on his performance from 12 months ago, where he was a low-odds third behind the re-opposing, three-peat seeking Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Prognosis (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the richest of the afternoon's events, the HK$28 million (£2.84 million/€3.29 million) G1 FWD QE II Cup. Also among the invitees is recent BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Massive Sovereign (Ire) (No Nay Never). Whereas Dubai Honour was set for a strenuous two-race Australian Group 1 prep last term, he enters this year's contest a much fresher horse, having won Kempton's Listed Magnolia S. by a smooth three-length margin Apr. 1. Dubai Honour was also a respectable fourth in the 2022 G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup over the QE II Cup course and distance. The G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize lost some of its lustre when the world's top-rated sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) was ruled out via injury, and it will be left to last-out G1 Al Quoz Sprint victor California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) to fly the Bauhinia flag. Victor the Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) is also set to make an appearance, having set the pace before finishing a brave third to Mad Cool in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Mar. 23. Trainer George Boughey is set to be represented by his first Hong Kong runner in the 4-year-old filly Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), a dual listed winner in England and victorious in the G3 Prix Texanita at Chantilly in 2023. Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) will try to win the G1 FWD Champions Mile for a record fourth time in what could be his final career appearance. The 8-year-old, a three-time Horse of the Year, will have the services of Vincent Ho as they look for an 11th Group 1 success together. Hong Kong Derby runner-up Galaxy Patch (Aus) (Wandjina {Aus}) drops back to the 1600 metres in a race that has also attracted All-Star Mile winner Obamburumai (Jpn) (Discreet Cat), beaten under three lengths in last weekend's G1 Doncaster Mile H. at Randwick, and Middle Park Racing LX's Brave Emperor (Ire) (Sioux Nation), a stakes winner in no fewer than five different jurisdictions for trainer Archie Watson, including the Listed Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup in Qatar Feb. 17. “FWD Champions Day is one of the most prestigious meetings on the international racing stage and we are delighted to have such a strong group of world-class horses heading to Sha Tin for our spring flagship meeting,” said Andrew Harding, executive director, racing, for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “With eight visitors from Japan and three from Great Britain, the might of Hong Kong's team will be tested in all three feature races.” Selected runners… FWD QEII Cup FWD Champions Mile Chairman's Sprint Prize Sha Tin, 28 Apr | #FWDChampionsDay | #競馬 pic.twitter.com/cSTBZruRej — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 10, 2024 The post Eleven Foreigners To Challenge Home Team On FWD Champions Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Husband-and-wife training team David and Coral Feek are still on cloud nine after Gold Wolf’s (NZ) (Tivaci) victory in the Listed Galilee Series Final (2400m) at Caulfield last Saturday. “I haven’t got bored of watching it yet,” Coral Feek told racing.com’s Tuesdays with Terry. “He’s very exciting … for a stable of our size – we’ve got our owners day coming up on Sunday and on Friday night, when I went to bed after a disappointment at Cranbourne, I wondered what I was going to talk about this coming Sunday – but I think Gold Wolf will just walk up and down the driveway all day!” David Feek joked. The Mornington-based training partnership reflected on Gold Wolf’s career to date and the factors which contributed towards Saturday’s win. “He’s a really nice horse,” David said. “I think he just continued to improve – not so much in fitness, he’s obviously been up for a long time, but each time he goes out, whether it be a jump out or a race, he takes natural improvement – and he still sort of pricked his ears on the line, so hopefully there’s more to come. “He’s tall … he’s got plenty of length, he’s a lightly framed horse. “I think as he gets older, he’ll continue to develop into that frame and as I’ve been saying, whatever he does as a three-year-old, hopefully there’s more to come afterwards. “He’s always been a little bit sort of green – I’ve called him a bit of a wet noodle in the past – when the jockey wants him, he sort of goes left and right and everywhere bar straight on. “You could easily argue that he should’ve won that Tasmanian Derby, but we came back from that, put blinkers on him at Sandown and it went horribly wrong – they went very slow early and he just did things erratically and upside down. “He had a nice trial after that – we took the blinkers off and I think the pleasing thing the other day – it was obviously a very good ride by Neil Farley, but he took some runs and I think the horse showed some good mental maturity, taking the runs he did. “But, as we’ve been saying, hopefully it’s a sign of more to come.” “He’s got good cruising speed – he can sit very comfortably at a nice tempo,” Coral added. The gelding was narrowly beaten in the Tasmanian Derby in February, with Coral noting that the experience of travelling for the 2200-metre contest was of benefit to the horse. “It was really good for this horse, actually, just part of the growing-up process,” Coral said. “It’s obviously quite a long journey to get there, they’re on the ferry for all that time, it’s all a bit different in a new environment, he’s exercised around a different track. “I think all of that, if a horse takes it, which he did – he ate up well whilst he was there – it’s only been a positive thing for him going forward.” The promising three-year-old is a son of Group 1 All Aged Stakes winner Tivaci out of Kiwi mare Gold Spice. “He was very well selected by a good agent we use in New Zealand, Paul Beamish and he was landed on our doorstep for $70,000,” David explained. “Obviously, we’re English, but it just goes to show, you don’t need to head to Europe for these horses – and I should think they’re a fifth of the price.” The Feeks have enjoyed 72 winners in Australia, with the couple hoping that this horse can take their operation to new heights. “I think we have our moments, certainly, where you feel a little bit despondent, but I think that dream of having a good horse, that’s what keeps you getting up in the morning, keeps you going and you know it can happen to anyone,” Coral explained. View the full article

The best advertisement in selling the last few remaining shares of a racehorse is to land a victory. That is what the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr- rained debutant Our Sassy Lady (NZ) (Ocean Park) achieved in taking out the Sportsbet Jockey Watch Plate (1400m) at Sandown on Wednesday. Ridden by Jye Mcneil, Our Sassy Lady ($3.50) held off a late bid from the $2.50 favourite Makdane (Impending) with Autumn Storm (The Autumn Sun) ($4.80) a further three-quarters-of-a-length away third. Kent Jnr revealed post-race that Our Sassy Lady still had some ownership shares available, a filly that is owned by My Racehorse which also shared in the ownership of Etincelle (Grunt) which took out the following race, the IVE> Plate (1200m). A large contingent of the My Racehorse ownership group were on course to welcome back both winners. “I’m rapt for My Racehorse,” Kent Jnr said. “There were still shares available in this filly last week, and after that, I’m sure they will all be gone now. “They do a lot for racing and igniting people’s passion for the sport. People only have to spend a tiny sum and to get a city win on debut, it’s a dream result.” Kent Jnr said Our Sassy Lady would appreciate a step up in distance after her win on Saturday, although she had to do it the tough way. “I know they went steady but it’s never easy to be sitting on the outside of the leader, a short bit in front,” Kent Jnr said. “She did a good job to hold them off late and it’s nice to get one up on Dad (Mick Kent), as he got me last week. “Being a three-year-old filly and whether we can place her right, I’m sure we can find something. “Whether that’s at 1400 metres, or a mile, at filly’s level, that would be nice, but she’s a tough filly and I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t get 2000 metres in time.” View the full article

The trainers of Derby winner Major Beel (NZ) (Savabeel) have employed a little equine psychology in order to reinvigorate the Group One winner for his Sydney Cup bid. Disinterested in his training at the start of the preparation, Major Beel was sent to Melbourne for a change of scenery, and a major shake-up of his routine. Rather than build his fitness in shorter races, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott opted for a series of 2400-metre barrier trials over the hurdles, and the signs have been positive they have had the desired effect. “I felt he was going through the motions a bit at the start of the campaign,” Bott said. “He had a different lead-up prior to his run in the Roy Higgins, he had a few trials over the hurdles to keep him switched on and to give him a good grounding. “It was moreso to try to change the routine for him, which off his last run looks to have worked to an extent.” After resuming with a sound midfield effort in the Pakenham Cup (2500m), Major Beel showed improvement to finish fourth in the Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) last start. Back in town for Saturday’s Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick, last year’s ATC Australian Derby winner rounded out his preparations with a more conventional course proper workout during the Breakfast With The Stars trackwork session on Tuesday. While the horse is untested beyond 2600 metres, Bott says he won’t be found lacking on the score of fitness. “Two-miles, his first attempt at that is a bit of an unknown,” Bott said. “But he’s had a really good grounding and we’ve done as much as we can to get those miles into his legs in Melbourne.” View the full article

An investigation is set to commence tomorrow morning (Thursday) into the abandonment of Ellerslie’s Wednesday meeting as a result of safety concerns following a slip on the venues newly installed StrathAyr track. A decision was made to abandon the mid-week meeting following senior jockey Opie Bosson’s report of his horse, The Storyteller, slipping near the crossing following race three, which the Stephen Marsh-trained gelding won. “Following race two we had concerns raised by a few of the jockeys in regards to the surface around the home turn,” Stipendiary Steward Lauren Selvakumaran said. “We convened a meeting with those jockeys and on the films it wasn’t apparent that there was any concern. At that time, they (jockeys) also agreed with that and were happy to keep riding. “Post race three, concerns were raised again. We convened a meeting with jockeys, club officials, Stewards and NZTR (New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing) representatives in which Mr Bosson outlined he slipped near the crossing, so we went and had a look at the track and identified a slip mark where Mr Bosson had stated it had happened. We also drove around to the 450m mark and observed a few marks around that area. “We weren’t satisfied with the surface being safe to continue.” Selvakumaran said the idea of moving the rail was floated, but it was decided that wasn’t feasible given the time it would take. “The rail was out 10m today which was the first time the rail has been at that position, so that may have played a part,” she said. “It was suggested a possible rail move, but we just don’t have the time for that as it would take five-plus hours, so we would run out of daylight.” Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Paul Wilcox was disappointed in the outcome and said the Club is working hard with relevant parties to rectify the issue. “Naturally we are disappointed in relation to having an abandonment. We pride ourselves on doing things right, so we let ourselves down when this happens,” Wilcox said. There were initial reports of horses slipping on Karaka Millions night in January, just the second meeting on the new surface, however, there have been no reports of such issues in subsequent meetings at the venue until Wednesday. “From what we can ascertain, it is the same issue where the grass is matted and joins the sand profile, which is causing the slipperiness. We thought we had that under control and we obviously didn’t,” Wilcox said. “All of those races subsequent to Karaka Millions night have been run without issue and all the jockeys have been happy with the surface. Today with the rail out 10m, which is ground that hasn’t been raced on, it has caused the same issue we experienced on Karaka Millions night.” The track is set to undergo further renovation over winter, however, Wilcox said the club will meet with NZTR and StrathAyr representatives on Thursday morning to discuss the issue and work out a plan to try and rectify the issue ahead of their next meeting in 10 days’ time. “After the last race meeting here (this season), which is the 25th of May, it (StrathAyr track) will get a heavy renovation and that will be focussing on removing that matting to ensure going forward that that can’t cause any issues. This time next year, it will be settled and hopefully racing perfectly,” Wilcox said. “We have had a discussion with NZTR and we have got another meeting with them in the morning to work out a plan of attack so that we can have the confidence of our jockeys, owners, trainers and punters in our surface.” NZTR chief operating officer Darin Balcombe feels for the participants affected by Wednesday’s abandonment and said the three parties will be working hard on Thursday to identify a remedy. “We had a quick catch-up late this afternoon on the abandonment. We are going to meet again tomorrow morning and we have got StrathAyr coming over from Australia,” Balcombe said. “We are going to have a look at what we can do going forward into next week and whether it is still viable to run that meeting next Saturday. “We have got to do better. We can’t have these issues coming up and we have got to make sure that we get these fixes and make sure the tracks are improving. “I am pretty gutted for the owners that would have gone to the course today and had to go home again without a race. I really feel for them.“We will work through the issues and come up with a plan going forward and we will get that out to the industry at some stage tomorrow.” View the full article

Khadime winning on debut at Sandown on Wednesday. Photo: Scott Barbour/Racing Photos Victorian trainer Dominic Sutton has made a strong start to his training career highlighted by a pair of two-year-olds sourced from New Zealand. Talented Super Seth gelding Feroce has notched victories at Pakenham and Caulfield for the emerging trainer, who also saddled impressive debutant Khadime at Sandown on Wednesday. A daughter of Star Turn, Khadime was a strong all-the-way winner under Billy Egan. The youngster travelled like the winner a long way from home and dashed clear in the home straight to score by 2.5 lengths. “She has been very professional from Day One. She has come over to us from New Zealand well-handled from the farm that prepped her up (for the Ready To Run Sale) and she has been a lovely filly to deal with. She’s very straight forward and she has got a good bit of ability to go with it,” Sutton said. “I have to go back and have a good look at the calendar. It was all about heading to the races first-up to see what she could do. Now she has ticked that box (of winning) we can have a look at some nice races for her.” Stackhouse had ridden the filly in her jump-outs and said Sutton had placed her ideally to break maiden ranks with plenty more to come. “She travelled so well, and I made sure she got around that (final) corner nicely and balanced up,” Stackhouse said. “I always had a lot of horse there. I felt like if she got challenged, she would really fight again and she still felt really lost as well, given it was her first time at the races. She has got a lot of improvement to come.” Sutton arrived in Australia from the UK as a 19-year-old and initially worked for leading trainer Chris Waller before taking up a role as foreman for Leon and Troy Corstens, where he quickly progressed into the position of assistant trainer. After nearly six years with Team Corstens, Sutton branched out on his own and sent out his first runner last month. He now has three wins of the board from eight starts, with Khadime and Feroce the flag-bearers. Khadime was purchased by Sutton Racing in conjunction with McKeever Bloodstock from last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale for $200,000 from the draft of Eion and Megan Kemp’s Kilgravin Lodge. “She was just a beautiful physical,” Sutton said. “She was a big strong strapping filly who walked out when we looked at her and we initially thought she was a colt, which is always a good initial feeling to have when you see a horse. “She also put a really nice breeze together. She looked quite raw and quite green in her breeze up and we just felt she would be a nice horse to have in the stable.” Horse racing news View the full article

Ellerslie’s meeting on Wednesday was abandoned after The Storyteller (outside) slipped near the crossing following his win. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) An investigation is set to commence tomorrow morning (Thursday) into the abandonment of Wednesday’s meeting at Ellerslie as a result of safety concerns following a slip on the venues newly installed StrathAyr track. A decision was made to abandon the mid-week meeting following senior jockey Opie Bosson’s report of his horse, The Storyteller, slipping near the crossing following race three, which the Stephen Marsh-trained gelding won. “Following race two we had concerns raised by a few of the jockeys in regards to the surface around the home turn,” Stipendiary Steward Lauren Selvakumaran said. “We convened a meeting with those jockeys and on the films it wasn’t apparent that there was any concern. At that time, they (jockeys) also agreed with that and were happy to keep riding. “Post race three, concerns were raised again. We convened a meeting with jockeys, club officials, Stewards and NZTR (New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing) representatives in which Mr Bosson outlined he slipped near the crossing, so we went and had a look at the track and identified a slip mark where Mr Bosson had stated it had happened. We also drove around to the 450m mark and observed a few marks around that area. “We weren’t satisfied with the surface being safe to continue.” Selvakumaran said the idea of moving the rail was floated, but it was decided that wasn’t feasible given the time it would take. “The rail was out 10m today which was the first time the rail has been at that position, so that may have played a part,” she said. “It was suggested a possible rail move, but we just don’t have the time for that as it would take five-plus hours, so we would run out of daylight.” Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Paul Wilcox was disappointed in the outcome and said the Club is working hard with relevant parties to rectify the issue. “Naturally we are disappointed in relation to having an abandonment. We pride ourselves on doing things right, so we let ourselves down when this happens,” Wilcox said. There were initial reports of horses slipping on Karaka Millions night in January, just the second meeting on the new surface, however, there have been no reports of such issues in subsequent meetings at the venue until Wednesday. “From what we can ascertain, it is the same issue where the grass is matted and joins the sand profile, which is causing the slipperiness. We thought we had that under control and we obviously didn’t,” Wilcox said. “All of those races subsequent to Karaka Millions night have been run without issue and all the jockeys have been happy with the surface. Today with the rail out 10m, which is ground that hasn’t been raced on, it has caused the same issue we experienced on Karaka Millions night.” The track is set to undergo further renovation over winter, however, Wilcox said the club will meet with NZTR and StrathAyr representatives on Thursday morning to discuss the issue and work out a plan to try and rectify the issue ahead of their next meeting in 10 days’ time. “After the last race meeting here (this season), which is the 25th of May, it (StrathAyr track) will get a heavy renovation and that will be focussing on removing that matting to ensure going forward that that can’t cause any issues. This time next year, it will be settled and hopefully racing perfectly,” Wilcox said. “We have had a discussion with NZTR and we have got another meeting with them in the morning to work out a plan of attack so that we can have the confidence of our jockeys, owners, trainers and punters in our surface.” NZTR chief operating officer Darin Balcombe feels for the participants affected by Wednesday’s abandonment and said the three parties will be working hard on Thursday to identify a remedy. “We had a quick catch-up late this afternoon on the abandonment. We are going to meet again tomorrow morning and we have got StrathAyr coming over from Australia,” Balcombe said. “We are going to have a look at what we can do going forward into next week and whether it is still viable to run that meeting next Saturday. “We have got to do better. We can’t have these issues coming up and we have got to make sure that we get these fixes and make sure the tracks are improving. “I am pretty gutted for the owners that would have gone to the course today and had to go home again without a race. I really feel for them. “We will work through the issues and come up with a plan going forward and we will get that out to the industry at some stage tomorrow.” Horse racing news View the full article

What Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2024 Where Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 When Saturday, April 13, 2024 Prizemoney $5,000,000 Distance 2000m Status Group 1 Conditions Weight For Age 2023 winner Dubai Honour (2) | T: William Haggas | J: Tom Marquand (59kg) Visit Dabble The time-honoured Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) headlines a bumper 10-race program at Randwick on Saturday afternoon for Day 2 of The Championships. A quality field of 11 is set to line up for one of Australia’s greatest weight-for-age features, with form-lines converging from across the nation attempting to claim the $5 million prize. Can Via Sistina bag back-to-back wins after making a mess of her rivals in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m)? Or is there an upset brewing? QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES 2024 ODDS After giving her rivals a galloping lesson in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill on March 23, it comes as no shock online bookmakers have installed the Chris Waller-trained Via Sisitina as +130 favourite for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Pride Of Jenni was brave finishing runner-up in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) and is firm on the second line of betting at +300. Godolphin’s Cascadian (+800) proved victorious in the same race and rounds out the chances at single digits, while Place Du Carrousel (+1200) and Ceolwulf (+1600) are bound to have admirers at the double-figure odds. 2024 QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES 2024 SPEED MAP The Ciaron Maher-trained Pride Of Jenni jumps from barrier three and will look to have things all her own way up on speed. Ceolwulf (1) has been ridden conservatively in the past, however, as the only three-year-old engaged with 55kg on his back, Jason Collett will attempt to hold a position from the inside draw. Buckaroo (2) should be slotting into the one-one, while stable companion Via Sistina (5) will be trying to get into a nice rhythm behind the speed under James McDonald. Mr Brightside (11) will need to be positive from the awkward draw as he seeks to drop in for cover, leaving the likes of Place Du Carrousel (8), Atishu (9), and Lindermann (10) retreating to the rear of the field. Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2024 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES 2024 PREVIEW & FORM There is simply no going past Via Sistina in the 2024 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Although the margin reads 1.3 lengths in the Ranvet, it doesn’t tell the full story of how easily she got the job done. The daughter of Fastnet Rock circled the field from last as James McDonald rode her hands-and-heels to the wire, stamping her authority on Australian debut for the Chris Waller barn. She is proven in all conditions, and provided she finds a mid-field sit with cover throughout the journey, Via Sistina must be considered the one to beat in the Randwick weight-for-age classic. The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Place Du Carrousel finished runner-up in the Group 1 Ranvet and did enough to suggest she can close off best of the rest. She was asked to sprint off a crawling tempo, and it didn’t suit the European import. She sustained a long run to the home bend before knocking up first-up from a lengthy layoff. The mare will take major benefit from that effort, so watch for Place Du Carrousel to match motors at some stage and secure a Yulong ownership quinella. Pride Of Jenni will look the winner a long way out, just as she did in the Australian Cup at Flemington on March 30. Declan Bates knows the six-year-old mare so well and will ride her with confidence as she attempts to make every post a winner. The only reservation is the clockwise way of going, with two goes at Randwick without finishing in the money; however, with how she’s travelling this campaign, Pride Of Jenni is extremely hard to knock. The nine-year-old marvel Cascadian warrants plenty of respect as well. He continues to defy his age with a blistering turn-of-foot, which helped him secure victory in the Australian Cup. He’ll be getting the last crack at them in the shadows of the post, and career win number 13 would come as no shock. 2024 QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES SELECTIONS & BEST BETS Selections: 8 VIA SISTINA 10 PLACE DU CARROUSEL 7 PRIDE OF JENNI 2 CASCADIAN $100 betting strategy $100 win #8 Via Sistina @ +130 with Bet365 2024 Queen Elizabeth Stakes Final Field 1. Mr Brightside (11) T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes J: Craig Williams W: 59kg F: 5211x Age: 6YO Color: Bay Sex: Gelding Sire: Bullbars Dam: Lilahjay (NZ) +850 +145 2. Cascadian (6) T: James Cummings J: Ben Melham W: 59kg F: 1349x Age: 9YO Color: Chestnut Sex: Gelding Sire: New Approach (IRE) Dam: Falls of Lora (IRE) +750 +130 3. Buckaroo (2) T: Chris Waller J: Blake Shinn W: 59kg F: 535×5 Age: 5YO Color: Bay Sex: Horse Sire: Fastnet Rock Dam: Roheryn (IRE) +1900 +300 4. Lindermann (10) T: Chris Waller J: Tim Clark W: 59kg F: 0136x Age: 4YO Color: Brown Sex: Gelding Sire: Lonhro Dam: Self Esteem +2500 +380 5. Kovalica (7) T: Chris Waller J: Nash Rawiller W: 59kg F: 904×0 Age: 4YO Color: Bay Sex: Gelding Sire: Ocean Park (NZ) Dam: Vitesse (NZ) +1900 +300 6. Zeyrek (4) T: Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes J: Joshua Parr W: 59kg F: 269×0 Age: 7YO Color: Bay Sex: Gelding Sire: Sea The Stars (IRE) Dam: Zerkaza (IRE) +10000 +1500 7. Pride Of Jenni (3) T: Ciaron Maher J: Declan Bates W: 57kg F: 212×1 Age: 6YO Color: Bay Sex: Mare Sire: Pride of Dubai Dam: Sancerre (NZ) +320 -166.67 8. Via Sistina (5) T: Chris Waller J: James McDonald W: 57kg F: 1x2x2 Age: 6YO Color: Bay Sex: Mare Sire: Fastnet Rock Dam: Nigh (IRE) +120 -384.62 9. Atishu (9) T: Chris Waller J: Tom Marquand W: 57kg F: 318×1 Age: 6YO Color: Brown Sex: Mare Sire: Savabeel Dam: Posy (NZ) SCR SCR 10. Place Du Carrousel (8) T: Anthony & Sam Freedman J: Tommy Berry W: 57kg F: 2x011x Age: 5YO Color: Bay Sex: Mare Sire: Lope de Vega (IRE) Dam: Traffic Jam (IRE) +1000 +170 11. Ceolwulf (1) T: Joseph Pride J: Jason Collett W: 55.5kg F: 2266x Age: 3YO Color: Brown Sex: Colt Sire: Tavistock (NZ) Dam: Las Brisas (GB) +1600 +260 Horse racing tips View the full article

SUNLAND PARK, New Mexico–Todd Fincher cuts an easy path along the apron through the Sunday crowd at Sunland Park, giving nods and an occasional smile as he goes. It's closing day at the track and a homebred owned by Kirk and Judy Robison from his shedrow just won the Island Fashion S. Sporting his standard duds, including a ball cap, creased jeans and shades, Fincher has his modular phone slung on his belt, ready to be drawn from its holster. “Busy,” replies the New-Mexico based trainer when asked about how it's all going. “It's just been such a non-stop crazy time, but coming back to Sunland Park, this is my bread and butter.” Fincher returned only a week ago from his second Middle East junket which capped Senor Buscador's (Mineshaft) successful two-race sojourn to that part of the world. Unless you have resided under an igneous rock, then you know that Joey Peacock's 6-year-old stalwart won the G1 Saudi Cup and then finished third in the G1 Dubai World Cup. “The experience was great and even though the result in Dubai wasn't what we wanted, everyone was incredibly welcoming,” he said. “Even in a race as big as that one was, I don't get disappointed because at least 75 percent of the time you are going to lose in racing, so getting down like I used to serves no purpose whatsoever.” Don't misinterpret Fincher's words because he wanted Buscador to win the World Cup. He wants to win them all and badly. Feigning disappointment is his prosaic outlook shining through. You have to have this kind of attitude, which hails from a special place inside and comes from a host of life experiences. Like a character out of an Ace Reid Cowpoke cartoon, the horseman has a thin build which is a reminder that he used to ride for a living. The mental toughness he developed in the saddle while breaking young horses and as a New Mexico jockey some 30 years ago has served him well, especially in a business like conditioning. Todd Fincher (left) with Only One America in the Island Fashion S. | Coady Photography “I'd win three races riding and think I was on top,” he said. “And then that would dry up and I would get really, really down on myself, so you can't do that. It's a humbling sport with so many factors out of your control. You always have to be thankful for wins like Buscador delivered and he is not done yet, we hope.” Fincher confirmed that Senor Buscador has arrived safely at Peacefield Farm in Temecula, California and will be given several weeks off before a new training cycle could start. “Just like always, we are going to let him tell us,” he said. “I think the GII Pat O'Brien S. could be possible, we'll see, and then long term, the GI Breeders' Cup Classic.” Two years ago at Del Mar, Buscador finished third in the O'Brien to Laurel River (Into Mischief), who ran away with this year's Dubai World Cup. While the Saudi Cup champ gets a break, his trainer will be doing nothing of the sort. With Sunland complete, Fincher's stable shifts to SunRay Park up in Farmington, New Mexico, but he loaded up a trailer bound for Hot Springs, Arkansas to start this week. “We have a couple that I am taking to Oaklawn and I will be there all week,” he said. “I don't like hauling them this far, but it is going to be good to run against competition like this.” Fincher is entering Perfect Dude (Majesticperfection)–who shifted from Vann Belvoir over to him in February–in Saturday's GIII Count Fleet S. It's a race which will feature Skelly (Practical Joke), who is making his first U.S. start since the gelding ran second in the G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint in Saudi Arabia. Making the some 900-mile trip to Oaklawn for the GI Apple Blossom S. is Flying Connection (Nyquist). Last year, the filly won the Island Fashion S. and then netted the Sunland Park Oaks, which earned her a spot in the starting gate for the GI Kentucky Oaks. She ran a game sixth in defeat that Friday. “Perfect Dude is a fairly new acquisition, but I can tell he has a ton of talent and he is really quick out of the gate,” said Fincher. “I think Flying Connection has developed a real tactical advantage and she has really come far since last year when she just went straight to the front all the time.” Flying Connection is co-owned by Brad King, Randy Andrews, Chris Coleman, Jim Cone, Suzanne Kirby and Lee Lewis, which is the same group who invested in another Fincher-trained runner, Olivia Twist (Mshawish). Incidentally, King, Andrews, Cone and Lewis are a part of MSW Candy Aisle (Gun Runner), who was ninth in Oaklawn's GII Fantasy S. Mar. 30, and who Fincher will possibly send to the Valley of the Vapors S. Apr. 20. A half-sister to MGSW/MGISP Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), Olivia Twist already made the trip to Hot Springs to join Candy Aisle and put in a six-panel work over the weekend. According to her trainer, the 4-year-old could be ready for the April 27 running of the Dig A Diamond S., but for now Fincher is taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to her next start. Olivia Twist working with Cristian Torres aboard at Oaklawn | courtesy of Robert Yates “She raced a ton starting as a 2-year-old,” he said. “I really think she needed a good rest and got it during the second half of last year. I really like the way she carries her weight and she's developed over the winter, she has continued to be aggressive in the mornings, so we'll see if that continues to translate to the afternoons.” Olivia Twist started eight times from when she broke her maiden at Remington Park late in her juvenile year through last summer at Del Mar. The biggest puzzle for Fincher is to figure out what distance she wants. “That will come,” he said. In the interim, Todd Fincher has plenty more puzzles to solve as Saudi Arabia and Dubai are now firmly in the rearview mirror. The road to Oaklawn beckons, and that means it is an opportunity to develop some more bread and butter. The post Fincher Back To ‘Bread & Butter’ After Dubai, Oaklawn Road Beckons appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Alice Springs apprentice Ianish Luximon, bound for Darwin on Friday for heats of the National Apprentice Race Series, celebrating with Greg Aldam from Throroughbred Racing NT following his win aboard Jayce Buckley’s Truevinsky in a NARS heat in Perth on April 3. Northern Territory is currently second in the National Apprentice Race Series with the Darwin Turf Club hosting the fourth leg at Fannie Bay on Friday. Top End-based Jade Hampson represents the NT and she is the only local apprentice who can earn points in Heats 7 and 8 against Queensland, SA, WA and Tasmania riders. Hampson, victorious in a Fannie Bay heat before dead-heating for first in a Melbourne heat last year, replaces Darwin’s in-form Emma Lines, who was suspended following Alice Springs Cup Day on Sunday. Hampson (28) was last season’s leading NT apprentice from Alice Springs’ Dakota Gillett (27), NT’s NARS representative in Darwin in 2023, and Lines (25). Gillett, who rode a treble at Pioneer Park on Saturday, picked up six points at Murray Bridge (March 20) with a fourth and 10th. Fellow Red Centre apprentice Lek Maloney, who escaped injury after being dislodged from his mount in Alice on Saturday, secured seven points at Hobart (March 24) with a fifth and sixth. Alice Springs’ Ianish Luximon returned to Perth (April 3) and saluted on Jayce Buckley’s Truevinsky before coming fourth on Gold Merits. After debuting at Eagle Farm last year, Hampson returns to Brisbane for the final leg at Doomben (April 17). Hampson has been drawn to ride Tayarn Halter’s The Stifmeister, a last start winner, and Phil Cole’s Whitten on Friday. Gillett, Maloney and Luximon will be on deck as well, while Hampson squares off against Jade Doyle (SA), Brooke Johnson (Queensland), Chole Wells (Tas) and Rosie Mahony (WA) for NARS points. South Australia (33 points) leads the way from the NT (23), Tasmania (21), WA (11) and Queensland (8). Luximon, from Mauritius, who had 31 rides during the Alice Springs Cup Carnival for a win, eight seconds and eight thirds, supports the NARS and was chuffed with his Perth success. “We’re coming second, that’s great for NT racing,” Luximon said. “In Perth, I spoke to my mates Keshaw Dhurun and Laqdar Ramoly from Mauritius. “Keshaw rode Truevinksy and Laqdar rode Gold Merits, they gave me advice, tips and replays on each horse. “I walked the track with WA jockey coaches John Claite, he’s from Mauritius too, and Peter Hall. “It was once again a great experience, I also rode better horses this year compared to last year. “I must thank Andrew O’Toole, who picked me to go to Perth, and Greg Aldam, who was in Perth, from Thoroughbred Racing NT. “I’m riding Rising Fire for Garry Lefoe and Chris Pollard’s Red Aric in Darwin on Friday. “I think it will be hard to beat Jade’s horse The Stifmeister, and although I don’t know a lot about Red Aric he won last start at $101.” For Luximon, the Alice Springs Cup Carnival was enjoyable and also frustrating. “Too many seconds and thirds last weekend,” he laughed. “I had 11 rides on Sprint Day and Cup Day – four seconds and three thirds. “I had great support from Kym Healy, as well as fellow trainers Kevin Lamprecht and Will Savage.” Horse racing news View the full article

Stan Tsaikos after winning the Alice Springs Cup (2000m) on Venting for trainer Kerry Petrick at Pioneer Park on Sunday. Picture: Nikki Westover Photography Now that the dust has settled, the Alice Springs Turf Club’s revamped five-day Cup Carnival has received positive feedback. For the first time, the $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) and $110,000 Alice Springs Cup (2000m) were programmed on Saturday and Sunday. In the past, Saturday hosted Sprint Day and Monday staged Cup Day, and in recent years, both races were on Sunday. Day 4 was on Friday for a few years, while there was never a Day 1 feature until the $35,000 St Patrick’s Day Cup (1600m) was introduced. The $50,000 NT Guineas (1600m) is the Day 2 feature, while the $40,000 Chief Minister’s Cup (1600m) is the Day 3 feature. “The Saturday and Sunday back up, Carnival starting a month earlier, Easter the week before, and school holidays starting — it was all going to be new,” ASTC general manager Tony McGovern said. “We ended up with solid crowds on Saturday and Sunday. “There was a good vibe, and most patrons were happy with all the provisions.” Cup Day was previously the first Monday and then the first Sunday in May, and hot weather was the concern in bringing the Carnival forward. It also meant that horses would unlikely race twice on the final weekend, but in turn, every horse in town competed on Saturday or Sunday. “It’s early days, but I don’t think you try something new one year and then just say, let’s start again,” McGovern said. “I think you’ve got to give it a couple of years, but we did have a couple of smallish fields at the end. “If we can come up with new innovations and make a few tweaks to the format, I’d be happy if the crowds next year improved by 20 percent. “The debrief will happen over the next three to four weeks; we’ll also have a new committee at the end of April.” It was a learning curve for McGovern, who started his new role in January, and apart from the rain that washed out the NT Guineas – which was Ladies Day – before being switched to a Wednesday (March 27), he couldn’t fault the Carnival and praised the efforts of track, grounds, and office staff. NT trainer Kerry Petrick won her third Alice Springs Cup with Venting (Stan Tsaikos), while Strathalbyn trainer Kym Healy won his first Pioneer Sprint with Mathematics (Paul Denton). Alice Springs apprentice Dakota Gillett, back home after a stint in SA, and Darwin jockey Aaron Sweeney had three wins on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Healy (9) and Top End apprentice Emma Lines (6) were the leading trainer and jockey during Carnival. One other Cup Day highlight was the emotional win by Terry Gillett’s five-year-old mare Dakota Lee, ridden by daughter Dakota, who was having her first Pioneer Park start since April 2022. After seven Alice Springs wins from as many starts, Dakota Lee developed claustrophobia and spent time in Victoria to rectify the problem. The mare returned to racing in February, finishing ninth over 1000m at Moonee Valley for trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy. Horse racing news View the full article

What Darwin Races Where Fannie Bay Racecourse – Dick Ward Dr, Fannie Bay NT 0820 When Friday, April 12, 2024 First Race 2:37pm ACST Visit Dabble NT racing returns to the tropical north with the Darwin Turf Club hosting two heats of the National Apprentice Race Series. There are five races on the menu with 35 horses accepting in total, and no doubt the apprentices will receive plenty of exposure. It hasn’t rained all week in the Top End, and Friday’s forecast is for cloudy conditions with a slight chance of rain and a top temperature of 34C. The rail will be in the true position and it will be a good dirt surface at Fannie Bay. BEST BET: SIAKAM Siakam has had six starts over 1200m at Fannie Bay for two wins and four seconds. He was second over the trip on February 23 in a BM73 after returning from a six-month spell, and again on March 16 over 1300m in open company. Siakam’s one and only start over 1100m, which he faces here, was in Alice Springs in April 2022 when ninth after a five-month hiatus. The gelding boasts a far better record over 1300m and 1600m, but he should have too much class for his four other rivals. Best Bet Race 2 – #1 Siakam (3) 6yo Gelding | T: Gary Clarke | J: Jarrod Todd (58kg) Bet with Unibet NEXT BEST: SPACESHIP He has not raced since December, but Spaceship saluted in a 900m Fannie Bay trial on March 19 in preparation for his Top End debut. The son of Invader had two wins at Doomben under Robert Heathcote: a first-up triumph in a 1200m maiden last June, then another in July over 1350m. In his only other appearance in Brisbane before relocating to Darwin, the four-year-old gelding was third over 1200m in Class 2 company at Eagle Farm. Next Best Race 5 – #1 Spaceship (8) 4yo Gelding | T: Gary Clarke | J: Rosie Mahony (a3) (62.5kg) Bet with Neds BEST VALUE: THE STIFMEISTER Despite winning his last two starts, The Stifmeister was not on the top line of betting with online bookmakers in early markets. Returning on the first day of autumn, the son of Lonhro stormed home for a narrow win over 1200m before going back-to-back with victory over 1300m on March 16. The Stifmeister had 16 starts for Sunshine Coast-based trainer Stuart Kendrick for one win, one second and two thirds. Best Value Race 3 – #1 The Stifmeister (1) 5yo Gelding | T: Tayarn Halter | J: Jade Hampson (a1.5) (61.5kg) Bet with Bet365 Friday Darwin quaddie tips – 12/4/2024 Darwin quadrella selections Friday, April 12, 2024 1-4-5 1-2-3 2-3-4-5-6 1-3-6-8 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Dubai Honour, Obamburumai and Mad Cool among 11 internationals to feature in the fields for April 28’s showcase meetingView the full article

Trainer Ciaron Maher is tipped to claim the coveted 2024 Sydney Cup trophy this Saturday with his in-form stayer Circle of Fire. Circle Of Fire on the quick back-up heads 2024 Sydney Cup betting this weekend at Randwick. Photo: Steve Hart. The import is poised for a quick back-up into the prestigious two-mile race. The Group 1 $2 million Schweppes Sydney Cup (3200m) is one of four elite features on Day 2 of The Championships at Royal Randwick. This year’s edition boasts a competitive field of seventeen horses, with Circle of Fire leading the charge at $4.80 through Ladbrokes. While facing a wide barrier draw (number fifteen), Circle of Fire has the stamina and tactical nous to overcome it. He comes into the race on a seven-day turnaround after a dominant victory in the Group 2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m) on a wet track last weekend. This marked his first Australian victory, and he now sets his sights on achieving the Chairman’s Quality – Sydney Cup double, a feat last accomplished by The Offer in 2014. Circle of Fire carries a slightly lighter weight (51.5kg) compared to last week’s race. This weight adjustment, coupled with his current fitness, makes him a favourite for many punters. Maher boasts another contender in the race: Ashrun, currently the second elect at $5.50. Drawn in barrier twelve with Craig Williams in the saddle, Ashrun has been performing well throughout the autumn. Following a string of impressive runs, he captured the Pakenham Cup two back with a hefty 58kg before a strong showing in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill, finishing third to Kalapour. With a slight distance increase and a reduced weight (55.5kg), Ashrun has the potential to push for victory. The reigning Tancred Stakes winner, Kalapour, also returns for the Sydney Cup, carrying between 54kg and 52.5kg with apprentice jockey Dylan Gibbons aboard. This seven-year-old boasts a history of success at Randwick and has already secured a Group 1 victory this year at an unexpected price. At $8.50, he offers intriguing value for a potential Tancred Stakes – Sydney Cup double. John O’Shea‘s Athabascan, who finished a close fourth in the Tancred Stakes, is another contender to watch at $9.50. Other notable entries include Chris Waller‘s Manzoice ($18), Phillip Stokes‘ evergreen ten-year-old Amade ($14), and the in-form Serpentine ($11) from the Waterhouse/Bott stable. The 2024 Sydney Cup is set to run as Race 7 at Randwick on Saturday (3:15 PM AEST). 2024 Sydney Cup Field No Last 10 Horse Trainer Jockey Barrier Weight Probable Weight Penalty Hcp Rating 1 014101×356 MILITARY MISSION (IRE) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Adam Hyeronimus 17 56.5kg 108 2 528451×001 MAHRAJAAN (USA) Shaune Ritchie & Colm Murray Tom Marquand 16 56kg 2.0kg 107 3 0x7624x413 ASHRUN (FR) Ciaron Maher Craig Williams 12 55.5kg 1.5kg 107 4 x11x2x7706 LOFT (GER) Ben, Will & JD Hayes Blake Shinn 7 55.5kg 101 5 0194×07365 STOCKMAN (NZ) Joseph Pride Reece Jones 8 55kg 101 6 000651×868 SELINO (GB) Chris Waller Tommy Berry 9 54.5kg 102 7 L73310x021 KALAPOUR (IRE) Kris Lees Dylan Gibbons (a) 6 54kg 52.5kg 110 8 9x24305x11 SERPENTINE (IRE) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Tim Clark 4 53.5kg 1.5kg 107 9 0x95154234 AMADE (IRE) Phillip Stokes Michael Dee 5 53kg 101 10 911872×644 ATHABASCAN (FR) John O’Shea Tyler Schiller 11 52kg 103 11 0x800x8852 MANZOICE Chris Waller Zac Lloyd (a) 1 51.5kg 50kg 98 12 1x2343x441 CIRCLE OF FIRE (GB) Ciaron Maher Andrea Atzeni 15 51.5kg 96 13 x242111626 GLENTANEOUS (IRE) Anthony & Sam Freedman Ms Jamie Kah 2 51.5kg 96 14 1x02609x74 MAJOR BEEL (NZ) Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Louis Beuzelin 3 51.5kg 96 15 3236145×23 MOSTLY CLOUDY (IRE) Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young Ms Rachel King 14 51.5kg 94 16 0004235287 TORRENS Marc Chevalier Ms Jenny Duggan 13 51.5kg 94 17 0x7059x004 SO DAZZLING (NZ) John Sargent Jay Ford 10 51.5kg 87 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 Maher Aims for Sydney Cup 2024 Double with Circle of Fire appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

Victorian trainer Dominic Sutton has made a strong start to his training career highlighted by a pair of two-year-olds sourced from New Zealand. Talented Super Seth gelding Feroce has notched victories at Pakenham and Caulfield for the emerging trainer, who also saddled impressive debutant Khadime at Sandown on Wednesday. A daughter of Star Turn, Khadime was a strong all-the-way winner of the Sportsbet Bet With Mates Handicap (1200m) under Daniel Stackhouse. The youngster travelled like the winner a long way from home and dashed clear in the home straight to score by two and a half lengths. “She has been very professional from Day One. She has come over to us from New Zealand well-handled from the farm that prepped her up (for the Ready To Run Sale) and she has been a lovely filly to deal with. She’s very straight forward and she has got a good bit of ability to go with it,” Sutton said. “I have to go back and have a good look at the calendar. It was all about heading to the races first-up to see what she could do. Now she has ticked that box (of winning) we can have a look at some nice races for her.” Stackhouse had ridden the filly in her jump-outs and said Sutton had placed her ideally to break maiden ranks with plenty more to come. “She travelled so well, and I made sure she got around that (final) corner nicely and balanced up,” Stackhouse said. “I always had a lot of horse there. I felt like if she got challenged, she would really fight again and she still felt really lost as well, given it was her first time at the races. She has got a lot of improvement to come.” Dominic Sutton pictured with last Saturday’s winner Feroce and jockey Billy Egan Photo: Reg Ryan/Racing Photos Sutton arrived in Australia from the UK as a 19-year-old and initially worked for leading trainer Chris Waller before taking up a role as foreman for Leon and Troy Corstens, where he quickly progressed into the position of assistant trainer. After nearly six years with Team Corstens, Sutton branched out on his own and sent out his first runner last month. He now has three wins of the board from eight starts, with Khadime and Feroce the flag-bearers. Khadime was purchased by Sutton Racing in conjunction with McKeever Bloodstock from last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale for $200,000 from the draft of Eion and Megan Kemp’s Kilgravin Lodge. “She was just a beautiful physical,” Sutton said. “She was a big strong strapping filly who walked out when we looked at her and we initially thought she was a colt, which is always a good initial feeling to have when you see a horse. “She also put a really nice breeze together. She looked quite raw and quite green in her breeze up and we just felt she would be a nice horse to have in the stable.” Sutton and McKeever Bloodstock also went to $160,000 to secure last Saturday’s Caulfield winner Feroce from the same sale and vendor. View the full article

Two of Wexford Stables’ star gallopers have taken the next step towards respective Australian features in the coming weeks. Glamour filly Molly Bloom appeared at the Pukekohe trials on Tuesday ahead of a tilt at the upcoming Queensland Carnival, and was under a strong hold by Masa Hashizume throughout the 1300m heat, finishing a narrow second. “We were really pleased with her. She was a bit above herself in the parade, being away from the races for a while, but a very quiet trial will bring her nerve rate down and condition on,” said Andrew Scott, who trains in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan. An outstanding winner of the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in November, the daughter of Ace High collected subsequent victories in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2000m). Now under the majority ownership of Australian Ozzie Kheir, Molly Bloom is set for a career across the ditch, but will first represent Wexford in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) on May 11. “There’s still a fair bit of improvement still to come and she’ll head back to the Te Awamutu trials on the 23rd,” Scott said. “We will let her stride out a bit more possibly over further distance to improve her fitness levels, and that should top her off before her trip to Brisbane.” Ten days out from The Quokka (1200m), Waitak has landed safely in Perth with Wexford representative and former jockey Erin Leighton, as the Group One-winning sprinter prepares to contest the A$5 million slot race on April 20. “Erin Leighton has taken him over, she’s a very experienced horsewoman. He went for a quiet trot and canter this morning, and she said he’s felt strong and well within himself,” Scott said. “He’s settled in well, drunk well, and has been straight into his appetite.” A son of Proisir, Waitak burst onto the sprinting stage this year with a sensational performance in the Gr.1 Railway (1200m), after a three-year-old season that included a trip to Brisbane for the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m). “This time last year he travelled to Brisbane and he certainly handles the travel well,” Scott said. “The main thing we focus on is recovery from travel, he lost 14kgs over the trip, but put 6 of those back on in the last 24 hours. We just let him find his feet, familiar with his new surroundings, and his condition will guide us through the next 10 days. “He was a fit horse before he left, so it’s a matter of maintaining a good healthy condition and keeping an eye on his temperature. He’s in a good place. “We may look to give him a stretch of his legs next week ahead of Saturday’s race.” Waitak will race under the Trackside Media/Perth Racing slot in The Quokka, and will partner with Queensland-based hoop Kyle Wilson-Taylor, who rode three-year-old stablemate Grail Seeker to victory in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) last month. View the full article

Riverton trainer Ebony Turner had intended on having a two-pronged attack in Saturday’s Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton, but she is happy to just have the sole representative in Caffeinated (NZ) (Belardo) following the recent sale of her stable star Drakaina (NZ) (Ace High). Turner purchased the daughter of Ace High as an untried two-year-old off breeder The Oaks Stud on gavelhouse.com for just $3,000, and the now bargain buy has put her former owner-trainer on the map. Drakaina won two of her five starts for Turner, including the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui last month after finishing runner-up in the Listed Dunedin Guineas (1500m) at the same track a month prior. Turner fielded plenty of calls from prospective buyers following the victory and a deal was brokered, with the filly set to continue her racing career in Western Australia. “It was incredible the win she had at Dunedin and then to be approached by the bloodstock agents and get it over the line to send her over to Bob Peters in Perth was pretty exciting stuff,” Turner said. “It was sad at the same time because she is part of the family, but at the end of the day it is a business and you can’t turn down that sort of money when you have got a horse of that calibre that people are wanting to have a go with. “She holds a special place in my heart forever.” While her stable is now down one exciting filly, Turner is looking forward to giving another in Caffeinated her opportunity to shine this weekend. “I have always rated Caffeinated pretty highly so I thought I would give her a chance at getting some black-type,” Turner said. Caffeinated put in a pleasing performance to break through for her maiden victory two starts back before she put in a sub-par unplaced run on an unsuitable Heavy10 track at Riverton. “Her win was incredible, she just got the perfect trip and flew home. I was really pleased with that,” Turner said. “Unfortunately, at Riverton she didn’t handle the track conditions at all, so we have just put a line through that race. “She has come through the run really well, her work at home has been exceptional, and she looks incredible – she is thriving and she is eating everything. “It will be quite interesting to see how she fronts up against those classy fillies and it will give us a good gauge on how she will go in her four-year-old season.” This week will be Caffeinated’s longest trip from home, however, it doesn’t pose any concern for Turner. “She is a good traveller. She is a wee professional and not a lot worries her,” she said. “I am not too concerned about that (travel) and we are heading up tomorrow (Thursday) so she can have a nice, easy day on Friday before she races on Saturday. It is good to see that she is later on in the afternoon too, so I am sure she will bounce back from the travel no worries.” Caffeinated has drawn barrier seven and will be ridden by Krishna Mudhoo. “I am really happy with the draw,” Turner said. “I was a bit concerned if she were to draw wide, what we would do from there. From seven she can hopefully get a nice, soft run three or four off the leader and get some clean air down the straight, and hopefully it all works out for her.” Caffeinated joined Turner’s care at the same time as Drakaina, and she is hoping she too can become a stakes winner this weekend. “She is on lease from Haunui Farm,” Turner said. “I got her on lease and then I ended up buying Drakaina on the next Gavelhouse auction so they could come down together and have a travel buddy. It worked out very well.” Saturday will likely be Caffeinated’s last of the season and Turner is excited about her prospects as a four-year-old. “I think she will go out for a spell after Saturday,” she said. “She has had a pretty big prep and she hasn’t done anything wrong, so I think she deserves a wee freshen and we will go from there.” Stablemate The Advisor (NZ) (Zacinto) will join Caffeinated on the float trip north following her pleasing runner-up result at Ascot Park on Sunday, and will contest the Angus “Schawsey” Schaw 30th Fizzer Rating 65. “The Advisor raced so well at Invercargill the other day that she got herself a ticket to come as a travel buddy and have a crack at some bigger money up at Riccarton,” Turner said. “She has drawn very wide (21), which is unfortunate, she is going to need a lot of luck from there. “There is about 40ml of rain forecast for Thursday and Friday up there. I am hoping that comes as I see the track is a Good3 at the moment (Wednesday morning), which I don’t think she will appreciate that much. “If the rain comes and she gets a nice, soft run I think she will be competitive. But it is going to be a big task for her on Saturday.” View the full article