Wandering Eyes

Waikato apprentice jockey Bailey Rogerson has been placed in an induced coma following a race fall at Arawa Park on Sunday. The 24-year-old hoop was riding Mandalo in The Rotorua Club 1950 for her mother Michelle Northcott and was dislodged from her mount near the 400m mark after he clipped heels with In A Pickle. Rogerson was flown to Waikato Hospital where she is being treated for her injuries. “They flew her up last night from Rotorua and she is in the ICU,” Rogerson’s grandfather, Group One-winning trainer Graeme Rogerson, said. “She has got fractures to her skull and neck, and she is an induced coma. “They (doctors) are looking at her all the time. She has got feeling in her arms and legs, which is good news.” Rogerson said Bailey’s parents Michelle Northcott and Gary Rogerson are at her bedside. “We can just hope for the best. She is a very tough girl,” he said. Bailey Rogerson was victorious earlier on the card aboard the Moira and Kieran Murdoch-trained Burnished in the Waitomo Fuels (1400m), the 58th win of her career, and third this season. View the full article

Victory bells have been ringing for Marie Leicester and her family for decades, with Romanoff the latest to hit a Group One note. Leicester bred the Pam Gerard-trained son of Belardo who at Riccarton on Saturday added to an extensive role of honour when he triumphed in the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m). His pedigree is full of top-quality performers, including the outstanding mare Melody Belle, with all stemming from Belle Star. She is the matriarch of a family line that started when she was sent to Foxbridge, then resident at Seton Otway’s Trelawney Stud, by Leicester’s parents James and Annie Sarten in the late 1930s. “I was born in 1938, and Mum and Dad had paid their first service fee in 1937 to Seton for Foxbridge, and I’ve got the receipt framed and hanging up,” Leicester said. “Dad had been lent the mare Belle Star and she didn’t get in foal that year and they sent her back the following year and the resulting foal was Belle Fox and that was the start of the Belle family. “She was the mother of Belle Time, which is the line Romanoff is from, and she was by Summertime. We called that Dad’s family and then he gave the next filly to Mum which was Belle Rosa and that was Mum’s line.” It has, and continues to be, a prolific family that includes 14-time Group One winner Melody Belle and Gr.1 Golden Slipper (1200m) winners Dance Hero and Belle Du Jour. “It’s just been fabulous and the winners keep going on and on, Honey Belle and Star Belle were very good and Tri Belle was a Filly of the Year,” Leicester said. “There were actually two Melody Belles, the Melody Belle I sold as a yearling was the second and Mum had one that won the first or second New Zealand Breeders’ Stakes at Te Aroha. “Mum also won one of the early Matamata Breeders’ Stakes with Kashmir Belle and then I won the Waikato and Counties Cup and Sunline Vase with Annie Higgins. “She was by O’Reilly and Mum was Irish and her maiden name was Annie Higgins, she’s the only of the family that I haven’t put a Belle in the name.” Fast forward to current times and Romanoff, who was sold through Haunui Farm’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale for $70,000 to Ballymore Stables, Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggeman. He is out of the late Stravinsky mare Tsarina Belle, who was a half-sister to Melody Belle’s dam Meleka Belle. “Romanoff was her last foal, and I’ve always reckoned that she was the best-looking mare I ever bred. She was third in the 1000 Guineas and Lance O’Sullivan trained her,” Leicester said. “The family has never stopped giving Mum and Dad and myself so many thrills. I’m still breeding from six mares from the Belle family and they are all at Haunui, the Chitty family have been wonderful.” View the full article

Revera (f, 2, Lexitonian–Decoder, by War Front), second behind 'TDN Rising Star presented by Hagyard' Himika (Curlin) in the Oct. 19 Anoakia Stakes, got the better of that more-fancied rival with a determined victory in the Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar Sunday. Bourbon and Ginger (Bolt d'Oro) set the pace, while tracked by 1-5 favorite Himika, with Revera parked three wide just to their outside through fractions of :22.80 and :45.94. The three fillies turned for home in a line and it was Bourbon and Ginger who blinked first, leaving Revera and Himika to battle head to head to the wire. Revera got the better of her rival late and was inching clear at the wire. Cosmic Heat (Maxfield) was third. Revera is the second stakes winner for her freshman sire (by Speightstown). She opened her career with a runner-up effort behind subsequent graded winner and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Explora (Blame) sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar Aug. 17 before graduating with a 5 1/2-length victory over the same Sept. 6. She contested the pace in the six-furlong Anoakia Stakes before being overtaken and finishing 4 1/4 lengths adrift of Himika. Decoder, a full-sister to Grade I winner Data Link, has a yearling colt by Vino Rosso and was bred to Charge It this year. Lifetime Record: 4-2-2-0. O-Saints or Sinners, Titletown Racing Stable. B-Steven & Brandi Nicholson (Ky). T-John Sadler. #4 REVERA ($11.80) defeated Himika in the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes at @DelMarRacing. The juvenile Lexitonian filly picks up her first stakes win under jockey @Antonio1Fresu for trainer @sadlerracing. pic.twitter.com/wZ7zsG02zL — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) November 17, 2025 The post Lexitonian’s Revera Turns Back Himika in Desi Arnaz appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Regaleira put to rest some doubts with an impressive, off-the-pace victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Kyoto Racecourse Nov. 16.View the full article

By Jonny Turner The Bowl A Bouncer Syndicate took a throw at the stumps and it keeps paying winning dividends. The ownership group enjoyed their second win in three weeks when Bowlem Over produced a strong victory for trainer Robin Swain and driver Matthew Williamson at Winton on Sunday. While he is clearly in brilliant form now, the six-year-old wasn’t at the top of his game through periods earlier this year. When it was clear that something needed investigating, the Bowl A Bouncer Syndicate weighed up their options and decided to do what was best for the horse. “He had a sinus issue and the vets had to go in and make a hole so it could drain,” syndicate member Jason McMath said. “Brendan Bell did the operation and they took 120ml of gunk out.” “There was a 50-50 chance of it working and the thought among the syndicate was that if it didn’t work and he wasn’t able to race at his best then it could still help him if he was retired as a hack.” “We just tried to do the right thing by the horse and luckily it has worked out.” It was Bowlem Over’s rivals who were gasping when he led throughout to score in a slick time of 2-56.8 for 2400m. The victory was the pacer’s seventh of his career with six coming with Williamson in the sulky. The Bowl A Bouncer Syndicate was formed during the 2015 Cricket World Cup and the group has enjoyed plenty of success since. “Bill McDonald got the group together, he’s a great mate of Robin’s and was his neighbour,” McMath said. “We have raced a few horses over the years and most of them have done a pretty good job.” Ownership is just one part of McMath’s interest in harness racing. McMath is a board member of Southern Harness who administer harness racing on behalf of Southland and Otago clubs. The Invercargill accountant is enjoying being able to contribute to the sport in the south. “It is great, it is a busy time of year with plenty of meetings on.” “But I am enjoying it and it gets me more involved in the sport.” McMath has another role in the industry, helping trainer Kirstin Green with her team. “I love that side of it, it is great to get out and be around the animals.” McMath has a share in one of the horses he works with at the Green stable in the highly talented trotter Mor Moonlight. View the full article

Group One performer Perfect Scenario has been retired following his unplaced run in the Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) at Riccarton last week. The eight-year-old son of Iffraaj has been a stable stalwart for Te Akau Racing’s southern base at Riccarton Park over the last couple of seasons and retires the winner of 11 of his 59 starts, with $570,000 in earnings. He was purchased by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis out of Woburn Farm’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $165,000 and has given his syndicate members some great memories over the last few years. He started his career out of Te Akau’s Matamata base as a juvenile where he placed on debut. He returned as a three-year-old where he won his maiden first-up and doubled his tally at his next start before placing in the Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) later that season. He headed to the South Island as a five-year-old where he thrived, winning back-to-back editions of the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight-For-Age (1600m) before finishing second in this year’s running. He also placed in the Listed Timaru Stakes (1400m), Gr.3 TAB Mile (1600m) and Gr.1 Mufhasa Classic (1600m), and was fourth in a Gr.1 Otaki-Maori Weight For Age Classic (1600m). Mark Walker, who trained Perfect Scenario in partnership with Sam Bergerson, said he was a key figure in their Riccarton barn and quickly became a stable favourite. “He was a great servant of the stable and so consistent year in and year out,” he said. “He became such a favourite of the stable and in particular he loved racing from our stable in the South Island where he had a great affinity with the tracks at Wingatui and Riccarton. “To have him retire as sound as the day he first arrived at the stables is great testament to all the staff that worked with him over the years. “He’ll have a really happy retirement and make into a lovely show horse.” Part-owner Michael Ormsby has fond memories racing Perfect Scenario and said he now deserves a great retirement. “He won 11 races and deserves every accolade he gets regarding his retirement,” Ormsby said. “He was a special racehorse and loved by everyone at the stables. He was honest to a tee, and after giving all his owners so many thrills I think it’s a good time to retire him while he’s sound and happy. “He’s too good a horse to continue racing when he’s probably just past his best now and especially when he’s carrying top weights because of the Group races he won. “He’s been a wonderful horse and everyone loved him. They’re special horses, the ones like Perfect Scenario.” View the full article

At a retirement ceremony for Churchill Downs' all-time winningest horse Nov. 16, owner and breeder Fred Schwartz reflected on the 'unexpected' journey Bango took them on.View the full article

In introducing the 2025 Thoroughbred Club of America's Honor Guest, Case Clay traced his father Robert Clay's success to a willingness to bet on himself throughout his life.View the full article

Regaleira answered some questions with an impressive, off-the-pace victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Kyoto Racecourse Nov. 16.View the full article

Woodbine Entertainment cancelled the remainder of the live racing program Nov. 16 at Woodbine Racetrack following Race 3 due to high winds. The Lake Ontario Stakes and Ashbridges Bay Stakes originally scheduled for Sunday will now take place Nov. 21.View the full article

Trainer Ciaron Maher and jockey Ethan Brown described Jimmysstar as a matured "ultimate professional" after the gelding cruised to his third elite success—all of them landed this year—in the C.F. Orr Stakes (G1) Nov. 15.View the full article

After torrential rains hammered much of the west coast on Saturday, outside of a rogue scattered shower or two moving through the area Sunday, the weather and the conditions improved enough to proceed with Del Mar's nine-race card. Racing Saturday was cancelled in anticipation of the heavy rains that blew through Del Mar, flooding the parking lots and portions of the backside stable area. Work crews were busy Sunday morning cleaning up the facility. While the backside was wet and soggy, no major flood issues were reported. Ponds had formed in the areas between the barns, however, shed rows were spared and the horses and their stalls remained dry. “We're fine,” trainer Bob Hess said outside his barn Sunday morning. “It flooded outside some of the older barns but here is okay.” Berms, which had been built up around some barns to prevent flooding, proved successful. With the main track closed, horses with their riders walked the shed rows or other paths around the barn area while horse trailers could be seen dropping off horses throughout the morning. According to Del Mar Track Superintendent Dennis Moore, rain gauges showed an inch and a half of rain fell on the area beginning Friday afternoon. The track was sealed following the races on Friday and remained sealed through much of Sunday morning. By 11 a.m. the tractors were out with harrows opening up the track. “I waited until I felt comfortable that we're not going to get anymore showers,” Moore said. He added that 11 o'clock was the latest they could hold off. Turf racing was cancelled for Sunday at Del Mar. The post Racing Resumes at Del Mar Sunday as Storm Moves East appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The vet scratch is a baked-in component of the sport. It isn't going away. But is there a way to make the system better, more efficient? On the one hand is the regulatory vet world, arguing that criticism of their vital role is not only damaging to the sport but often misleading (the latter argument they back up with statistical support). On the other hand are the trainers and owners on the receiving end of a vet scratch decision who feel that too many sound horses are getting caught up in a system that doesn't effectively account for the subjectivity involved with identifying lameness, and subtle lameness especially. There's no one way to diagnose a lame horse. There's no one way to read a scan. With that in mind, there are some, both regulator and the regulated alike, who believe they can improve the system without jeopardizing horse welfare. One of those people is bloodstock agent David Igordo, a member of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act's Anti-Doping and Medication Control (ADMC) horsemen's advisory committee. In this Q&A, Ingordo talks about possible changes to the way horses are monitored in the lead up to big events, ideas to improve transparency for the betting public, and a possible code of conduct. The following has been edited for clarity and brevity. TDN: What are your main takeaways from the White Abarrio vet scratch situation? DI: I want it to be clear I'm not passing judgment on the connections or the regulatory vets. My observations as a horseman were that White Abarrio was being looked at quite a bit throughout the week, and I don't think it was fair to the connections or the sport or the gamblers to have the horse get out there and then get scratched. I have regulatory vets tell me, 'trust me, David, the horse needed to be scratched.' Okay, I take their word. But the thing is, if there were concerns about running the horse throughout the week, all the parties should have just made the tough decision to scratch him before he ever got to the track. TDN: What can be done to ensure a similar situation doesn't happen again? DI: We need to sit down and look at our big days and [make sure] the Kentucky Derbies and the Breeders' Cups don't sneak up on our industry. We shouldn't be putting the horses and their connections through this scrutiny the week of the Derby or the week of the Breeders' Cup. My proposed solution is we need to start this much further out. Let's get all the proper people in a room and let's come up with a 'Best Practices' protocol to evaluate these horses prior to them even getting entered in the race-come up with something that can really give us confidence we're putting the soundest horses out there. TDN: Can you point to some examples? DI: Sure. The Melbourne Cup that just was completed. In my position on the ADMC, I'm lucky to deal with a very intelligent regulatory vet from Australia. He's in charge of the team for the Melbourne Cup inspections. These inspections don't start the week of the race-they start quite a bit out. We need to take something like they do for the Melbourne Cup, which is a much longer window of inspection and communicate any extra kind of diagnostics that need to be done. Not everything they do might suit us here in the U.S. and whatever protocols are put in place need to be customized to our racing here to find a sweet spot of horse safety and allowing horses and their connections to compete. Some of these things are very definitive. With a PET scan or a CT scan or whatever, it makes it easy for the trainer, his attending vets and his owners to understand, 'my horse isn't going to compete in this race for this reason.' TDN: In short, a clear set of additional veterinary protocols for everyone to follow over a much longer timeframe leading up to these big events. DI: And a clear set of expectations for the trainers, the attending vets and the owners of these horses. TDN: Now, in fairness, regulatory vets have access to a horse's regulatory exam history from all around the country. But these are primarily written records. Do you think video diagnostic aid (like the Sleip app) should be woven into this whole regulatory system? A video can reveal a whole lot more than a set of written notes can. DI: That Sleip app is a great tool. The trainers I know who work with it on a regular basis talk about integrating it into their training regime. I've spoken to Mark Casse–he's a proponent of it. From the regulatory side, it would be a great help when horses move from different jurisdictions. It would help the regulatory vet in say, New York, see what the regulatory vet in Kentucky saw–see if he's getting better, he's getting worse or if he stays the same. We're looking for that consistency and something like the Sleip app could be a great tool. TDN: The regulatory vet world argues that the process works, and they point to compelling statistical evidence that horses who are scratched for unsoundness are notably more likely to face extended periods of time off than non-scratched horses. They typically take longer to get back on the work tab and to the races. A significant number simply never make it back. DI: I've heard the regulatory vets make these comments. Now, I can only look at the population of horses that I'm intimately involved with to speak accurately. And at one point in Cherie's [DeVaux, Ingordo's wife] barn, the horses that were vet scratches the morning of the race typically got back to the races within 45 days of the day they were scratched at the level they were entered at, or, in some cases, a higher level than they were scratched at. I can also tell you that a lot of our vet scratches were because the horse probably had a bad day or out of an abundance of caution by the regulatory vet. And the ones that did not come back, some might've been fillies we were going to retire anyway, or there was a reason they were retired that wasn't necessarily on soundness. That's why I believe we should take into account each trainer's individual records. Just like if you have a driver's license and you have no speeding tickets or no accidents in your car, your insurance is different, right? In the insurance world, the healthier and better you are as a person, the lower your insurance rates are. So how does that pertain to this? I think with all the statistics [HISA] has out there on things like this, I think the horsemen and women that have best practices shouldn't necessarily be treated the same as people that maybe are not as thorough. TDN: A program to incentivize 'Best Practices' behavior, in other words? DI: We jog all our horses up. Cherie and her assistants look at these horses. Our vet then comes to look at them. So, there are two sets of eyes inspecting a horse in the programs I'm involved with intimately. That's before the regulatory vet comes. There are things that could happen when the reg vet sees it. But if you have a trainer that you trust and a vet that's competent, and they're saying, 'look, we don't see it per se. It could be a foot. It could be this. It could be that.' Well, maybe have a different avenue than putting it on a vets' list. If the reg' vet can honestly say, 'I think this horse is at risk of a catastrophic injury or could really hurt itself,' then by all means they need to say 'no, you're on a vet list.' The regulatory vets have an awesome responsibility every day. I respect the job they have and what their purpose is. But there should be some way with this rating system idea we're talking about to make it an easier process for the horsemen that still protects the horse. Sometimes it's very difficult to get off the vets' list because of timing, because of several things. I think we need to look at that part of it to make it fairer for the horse, the horsemen, and still be thorough from a welfare standpoint. TDN: Now, as a former exercise rider, I can think of dozens of times where trainers (who undoubtedly are under a lot of pressure) didn't react well to news that something's wrong with a horse. I don't think there's one reg vet who hasn't encountered the same reaction. Everything you've outlined so far comes back to the idea of better communication. DI: 100% that's what needs to happen. Look, I'm not going to say that I have never had disparaging words for a regulatory vet because I have, with horses I own or I'm involved with. That needs to stop. There needs to be more meeting in the middle at times. The communication between the parties and respect between the parties needs to improve. There does need to be some kind of code of conduct that the trainers and the vets adhere to. Again, I'm guilty of being upset with the vets and saying things to them that are out of frustration because I don't agree with them. But there's got to be a code of conduct that would be very helpful to everybody involved. TDN: When it comes to communication, it's not just between the vets and the horsemen. One of the key issues many folks have concerns alerting the general public in a timely and transparent manner about the reasons behind a vet scratch, especially those that occur post-parade. Do you have any ideas about that? DI: I think that is a very important thing to be transparent about. I don't know why there's not [a uniform system already in place]. This is important to do for respect to our gambling component of the game and to show respect for the betting public. When a football player is injured, they'll come on and say, 'Peyton Manning was hurt on that play. And they're looking at his ankle and he's out indefinitely.' That's it. End of story. TDN: One regulatory vet I spoke with suggested having an on-call spokesperson relay this information on big race days, and one of the stewards do it on the lesser race days. Similarly, some tracks make the reasons for a vet scratch available on Equibase but that's far from a uniform approach. This reg vet thinks Equibase should have this info recorded on Equibase as standard protocol. Do you think both ideas would help? DI: I love the idea of having a spokesperson that's articulate and media trained do that. I think it's fantastic and I think they should bolster that person's visibility. I think any information on horses that we think is pertinent ought to be put on Equibase. When they just put on Equibase, 'unsound,' that's an improper word to use. Unsound is a very strong word. So, put scratched and the reason versus just 'unsound.' TDN: Okay, you're king for the day. What's the first few thing you do to start fixing the system? DI: When you say king, just on this subject or… TDN: No, no, no. You're not touching anything else but this. DI: I'm a big fan of the sit down, like the old mob movies. But you have to bring all the players in the room and everybody has to talk sensibly to one another. I'm not just talking about the Breeders' Cup or the executives from the racing commissions or the racetracks. They are definitely part of it. But you have to have practicing veterinarians with great practical veterinary experience involved. And then you've got to get the horsemen in, the trainers with the most experience in dealing with this. The horsemen at times haven't been well represented in the creation of HISA's regulatory body. Get the smart kids in the room together, roll their sleeves up and figure out something that will work. It's not going to be perfect ever, but we need to work on it. The post David Ingordo Q and A on Vet Scratches appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The sixth race Wednesday at Churchill Downs was, on the surface, rather unremarkable. It was just a $30,000 maiden claimer for 2-year-olds, normally the type of race where even the winner usually doesn't amount to much. But the race turned out to be one of the most remarkable and heartwarming stories of the year. You probably know prominent owner John Stewart and his family and their work to save horses from slaughter. But 99 times out of 100 those horses never race. Instead, they are given to a safe home and, sometimes, retrained for a second career. That almost happened to Awesome Hawaiian (Awesome Bet), but the Stewarts, and particularly Stewart's daughter Sarah, refused to give up on him. They were determined to give him, and two other horses they rescued, a chance. And it paid off. Originally purchased for $1,000 at the 2024 Breeders Sales of Louisiana as a yearling, Awesome Hawaiian wound up in a feedlot in Bastrop, Louisiana only two days later and a Facebook post said that if someone did not pay “bail” money to rescue him he, and the two other horses, would be sent to a Mexican slaughterhouse. There are no equine slaughterhouses in the U.S. “Most of our rescues we find through Facebook,” Sarah Stewart said. “Mainly, though, it's through the perseverance of the fans who are watching out for these horses. With Awesome Hawaiian what happened is I had someone messaging us about these three thoroughbred yearlings. At the time, when I had first seen that post the countdown until they were shipped to Mexico was like a week. I thought someone would take those horses. They came straight from the sale and it would be fine. Nothing happened and then we heard no one has saved them and that they're going to be shipped to the slaughterhouse the next day.” Stewart stepped in and bought all three horses. Combined, they sold for $3,000 at the yearling sale, and she said she was able to buy the trio “for just a little more than $3,000.” She did it because she has a good heart, but never did she expect that any of them would go on to accomplish something on the racetrack. That just doesn't happen with horses caught up in the slaughter pipeline. But there was something different about Awesome Hawaiian. “Our trainer, Will Walden, said that what this horse lacks in talent he makes up for in heart,” she said. “He comes to train every single day and that he's ready to work. He wants this.' Sent off at 3-5 (more on that later), Awesome Hawaiian won by two lengths under Irad Ortiz Jr. Someone was paying attention. He was claimed by trainer Joe Sharp and owner Larry Romero. “It was a such a cool feeling to know we gave this horse a second shot and he came out here and showed what he can do,” said Chelsey Stewart, the CEO of the Stewart's Resolute Racing. She is John Stewart's wife and Sarah Stewart's stepmother. “He proved something to all the doubters. We hate that he got claimed. But we've talked to new owner and to Joe Sharp and we know they will do right by the horse. We also offered to take him back if racing doesn't work out. They were very kind about that. “No, I never thought this was possible. We were honestly expecting him to get beat in that race. We were just all thrilled that he had made it to the racetrack. We were all out there with our Awesome Hawaiian sweatshirts on and were just thrilled to be there. We were floored that he actually won. We got just as excited over winning that race as we did when we won the Grade I stakes (the Diana S.) with Excellent Truth at Saratoga. To us, he has proven himself to the Thoroughbred industry that he has value.” While this turned out to be a feel-good story, the Awesome Hawaiian saga sheds light on one of the uglier parts of the sport, that there are still way too many thoroughbreds that are sent to slaughter. If not for the Stewarts, that no doubt would have happened to Awesome Hawaiian. The three horses saved by the Stewarts were among 11 purchased by Steve Nalls at the Louisiana sale. He paid as little as $700 for one and $1,100 for another. Eight of the horses were bought for $1,000. The TDN was unable to find any contact information on Nalls. According to the AI Website gemini.google. com, this is his story: “A Steve Nalls from Sparkman, Arkansas, has been identified as a buyer and potential seller of horses and mules. He has purchased Thoroughbred horses at sales, sometimes for low prices, and these horses have subsequently appeared on social media pages for resale to a “bail pen” at escalated prices, under threat of shipping to slaughter. This practice is controversial within the Thoroughbred industry, though he reportedly agrees to release the horses' registration papers to those who buy them from the pen. He has also been listed as a consignor/seller of mules and horses at various auctions.” The feed lot where Awesome Hawaiian wound up has a Facebook page and goes by the name North Louisiana Equine Transport & Feed Lot. On its Facebook page, there are references to horses that are in Bastrop and will be sent to slaughter if not bailed out. However, Sarah Stewart has no ill feelings toward the Bastrop operation. “I know with a lot of these kill pens you never really know what their intentions are,” she said. “But the place I got them from, I told Chelsey they really do care. They somehow intervene with these trucks of horses that are going to go to Mexico and they ask people, 'do you want to try to find homes for them?' Honestly, I don't think they make too much of a profit off of this.” As for the other two horses, it was determined that they had no viable future as racehorses, but they will be retrained so that they can have a second career, likely as pleasure or trail horses. But the Stewarts wanted to give all three a chance to prove themselves. “I had mentioned it to my dad that it would be cool if we could include these yearlings into our regular yearling program to see if they could go on and we could go forward with them,” Sarah Stewart said. “He said that, if we are going to do this, we should give them the same shot as everyone else. They're going to have a good trainer, they are going to WinStar to be broke, they are going to be seen by the same veterinarians. The mind set was we were not going to treat them like they're just some rescue horses we got for $1,000. We are going to treat them the same as Puca's yearling and all the rest. They will all get the same shot. “Everybody kept telling me that Awesome Hawaiian had no talent. At one point they almost didn't move forward with him. I said, 'Dad that's the yearling rescue we are talking about. Remember we wanted to give him a real chance.' He said, 'Sorry, I forgot about that. Let's move forward with him.' He went to training with Will Walden. What made a big difference is that Will believed in him as well.” Eventually, even John Stewart was convinced. Chelsey Stewart said the reason the horse went off at such low odds was that Stewart put out a tweet telling his followers to bet on him and asked his employees at his MiddleGround Capital to do the same. “He thought it would be really neat if the horse went off as the favorite,” Sarah Stewart said. His career is now in the hands of Sharp. “Now, we couldn't buy him back for double what he was claimed for,” Chelsey Stewart said. “All of a sudden he went from nothing to six figures. It's crazy. Such a cool story.” The new owner, Romero, specializes in Louisiana-breds and will send Awesome Hawaiian to Sharp's division at the Fair Grounds. “I think he got claimed by a good stable and a good owner,” Sarah Stewart said. “We immediately got in contact with them and told them the story and said we would love to buy him back. They were saying we really want this horse. They know his story and thought it was awesome and want to race him at the Fair Grounds. They were just as into it as we were.” A future stakes winner in Louisiana-bred company at the Fair Grounds? Why not? This is a survivor, a horse who has already beaten the longest odds possible. “I had no idea the story about this horse,” Sharp said. “We obviously go to the Fair Grounds for the wintertime and he is a Louisiana-bred. That made him appealing. He had some good works and had all his conditions left. I was able to able to logon to the Kentuckybred.org website and watch a couple of his work videos and his breeze videos were really impressive. It just seemed like a logical horse considering where we go geographically. We haven't really decided where we'll run him next. He hasn't even gone back to the track for us yet since we just claimed him. Based on the way he won first time out I think he's capable of winning a first-level allowance race against state breds at the Fair Grounds. I spoke to Will Walden and he had all positive things to say about the horse and how he trains. It's a great story. My wife [Rosie Napravnik] and I are involved in horse rescue, so it's a great story. It's a neat story to be a part of. He sure is an easy horse to cheer for.” The post Horse Goes From Kill Pen to Winner’s Circle at Churchill Downs: The Story of Awesome Hawaiian appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Regaleira answered some questions with an impressive, off-the-pace victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G1) at Kyoto Racecourse Nov. 16.View the full article

The New York Racing Association has canceled live racing following Race 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 16 due to high winds currently impacting the New York City metropolitan area.View the full article

Live racing at Aqueduct has been cancelled following Race 2 on Sunday due to high winds currently impacting the New York City metropolitan area, according to a New York Racing Association, Inc. release. The National Weather Service forecast calls for sustained high winds and gusts in excess of 40 mph. The GIII Pebbles Stakes, which will be run at 1 1/16-miles on the outer turf, and the Forever Together Stakes will be brought back on Sunday, Nov. 2. Entries to be taken on Wednesday, Nov. 19. Aqueduct Racetrack will remain open for simulcasting and wagering is also available via www.NYRABets.com. Live racing is slated to resume Thursday at Aqueduct with a nine-race card. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern. The post Live Racing at Aqueduct Cancelled Sunday Due to High Winds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Last year's Arima Kinen heroine Regaleira returned to winning ways in Sunday's Queen Elizabeth II Cup at Kyoto, justifying short odds with the minimum of fuss to register the third top-level success of her career. Trained by Tetsuya Kimura for owners Sunday Racing, Regaleira and jockey Keita Tosaki travelled wide in mid-division through the early stages of this 2,200-metre contest and still had plenty of ground to make up on long-time leader Erika Express (Epiphaneia) as the 16 runners entered the home straight. Paradis Reine (Kizuna), who finished one place behind Erika Express when third in last month's G1 Shuka Sho, was the first to collar her old foe inside the final two furlongs, but Regaleira soon emerged as a big danger out wide on the track. Produced to lead with 50 metres to run, the daughter of Suave Richard quickly asserted from there to win by a length and three-quarters in a new record time for the Group 1 first run over this distance back in 1996. Paradis Reine fared best of the three-year-old challengers in filling the runner-up spot, with another length back to Lilac (Orfevre), who edged out Lynx Tip (Kitasan Black) by a head in claiming the final podium position. “I'm truly delighted to have won with Regaleira again,” said Tosaki. “I'm both happy and relieved that we were able to live up to everyone's expectations as the race favourite. “The stable staff told me how good her condition was and I could feel it too when I rode her. She was calm during the post parade and jumped out of the gate on her own. “The condition of the inner track wasn't very good, so I made sure that we didn't get stuck there. She responded well in the stretch. I'm confident that she'll do even better from here.” The Arima Kinen, which takes place at Nakayama on Sunday, December 28, is likely to be next port of call for Regaleira as she tries to become the first horse to win consecutive editions of that Group 1 since Symboli Kris S (2002 and 2003). Last year, she earned a slice of history as the first three-year-old filly to win the Arima Kinen for 64 years. Now a top-level winner at two, three and four, having also won Nakayama's Hopeful Stakes as a juvenile, Regaleira's return to action this year was delayed by injury, but she proved that she retained all of her ability when returning to Nakayama to win September's G2 Sankei Sho All Comers. G1 2200m QEII for F&Ms Won by the classy 4yo filly 7. REGALEIRA (Suave Richard X Roca (Harbinger) under Keita Tosaki Her 3rd G1 win, first against fillies and mars Defends her Arima Kinen crown next#JRA pic.twitter.com/E7fcz3rV5r — Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) November 16, 2025 Pedigree Notes Regaleira, a member of the first crop of the G1 Japan Cup and G1 Osaka Hai hero Suave Richard, is out of the winning Harbinger mare Roca, who achieved her career high when finishing third in the G3 Daily Hai Queen Cup. She is the dam of three winners from four runners, with the others including the six-year-old Douradores (Duramente), who completed a remarkable one-two for the mare when chasing home Regaleira in the Sankei Sho All Comers. Roca, in turn, is out of the Dance in the Dark mare Land's Edge, a half-sister to none other than Deep Impact, the Japanese Triple Crown winner who quickly rose to become one of the world's most influential stallions. Land's Edge also features as the second dam of the G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) hero Urban Chic (Suave Richard) through her daughter Edgy Style (Harbinger), as well as last year's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1,000 Guineas) scorer Stellenbosch (Epiphaneia) through another daughter in Bloukrans (Rulership). Stellenbosch featured among Regaleira's opposition in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup but could finish only tenth. Both Deep Impact and Land's Edge are out of the blue hen Wind In Her Hair (Alzao), herself a Group 1 winner in Germany and runner-up in the Oaks at Epsom. Sunday, Kyoto, Japan QUEEN ELIZABETH II CUP-G1, ¥252,980,000, Kyoto, 11-16, 3yo/up, f, 2200mT, 2:11.00, fm. 1–REGALEIRA (JPN), 123, f, 4, by Suave Richard (Jpn) 1st Dam: Roca (Jpn) (GSP-Jpn, $240,719), by Harbinger (GB) 2nd Dam: Land's Edge (Jpn), by Dance in the Dark (Jpn) 3rd Dam: Wind in Her Hair (Ire), by Alzao O-Sunday Racing; B-Northern Farm; T-Tetsuya Kimura; J-Keita Tosaki; ¥133,486,000. Lifetime Record: 11-5-0-1, ¥835,637,000. *1/2 to Douradores (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}), MGSP-Jpn, $1,244,438. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Paradis Reine (Jpn), 119, f, 3, Kizuna (Jpn)–Paradise Garden, by Closing Argument. O-Makio Okada; B-Okada Stud; ¥52,996,000. 3–Lilac (Jpn), 123, m, 6, Orfevre (Jpn)–Viva Bouquet (Jpn), by King Kamehameha (Jpn). O-Seiichi Serizawa; B-Kineusu Farm; ¥33,4980,000. Margins: 1 3/4, 1, HD. Odds: 2.30, 10.00, 32.70. Also Ran: Lynx Tip (Jpn), Coconuts Brown (Jpn), Sekitoba East (Jpn), Safira (Jpn), Vermicelles (Jpn), Verehrung (Jpn), Stellenbosch (Jpn), Bond Girl (Jpn), Erika Express (Jpn), Shinryokuka (Jpn), Kelly Fled Ask (Jpn), Kana Tape (Jpn), Aurora X (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post Regaleira Warms Up for Arima Kinen Repeat Bid with Group 1 Strike at Kyoto appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Pinhookers have their say on the market ahead of the November Foal Sale at Goffs Philipp Stauffenberg, Fearghal Hogan, Roger O'Callaghan and more have weighed in on what many pinhookers have described as being one of the trickiest yearling sale seasons in recent times and outlined how they will be approaching next week's Goffs November Foal Sale. Pinhookers definitely didn't have it easy at the yearling sales this year, yet the first chapters of some of the most spinetingling stories of life-changing profits were written at a sale that has produced Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Field Of Gold, Group 1-winning juvenile Power Blue and ante-post Derby favourite Pierre Bonnard in the past couple of years alone. And who could forget the teenage pinhooking syndicate behind the 450,000gns Minzaal filly that lit up Book 2 at Tattersalls this year? Along with brothers Jack (17) and Max Galway (13), Fionn White (16) sourced that filly at Goffs for €85,000 the previous November. Then there was Fergal Hogan, who enjoyed his best day in the business when a St Mark's Basilica colt that he bought for €120,000 at Goffs sold for 800,000gns to Amo Racing during Book 1 at Tattersalls. There are countless other examples of pinhookers young and old striking oil with their Goffs November Foal Sale purchases. The St Mark's Basilica and Minzaal foals were genuinely life-changing results for their connections and, when you consider that Power Blue and Pierre Bonnard were reoffered at the yearling sales, it goes some way to explaining the allure behind shopping at Goffs for pinhookers and end-users alike. However, even after masterminding one of the most impressive pinhooks of the entire year, Hogan, like many other people in his sphere, says he will be refining his approach to buying foals after negotiating what he describes to be an “increasingly unpredictable” yearling market. “To get the proper money, you need to be buying the expensive foals but, after looking at the results of the yearling sales this year, I don't know if that is the right approach or not,” he explained. “I got lucky with my St Mark's Basilica but I was only treading water with the rest of my pinhooks. I had six altogether and, while I didn't lose a lot of money on the other five, I found the yearling market very difficult this year on the whole.” Why? “I'd say the foals were just too expensive last year,” he replied. “You have lads queuing out the door to buy foals but, when you bring that horse to the yearling sales, you might only have one person to buy it. That's the reality of the game right now. A lot of the time, you are paying the yearling price on these foals but then the hope is that one of them will ring a bell, which, fortunately for me, happened this year with the St Mark's Basilica. And that's what keeps lads going; the dream of landing that big touch that will pay for all of the bad years.” On plans for the November Foal Sale at Goffs, which Hogan labelled as being “the most important week” of his year, he added, “I am probably going to concentrate almost entirely on the middle market. I might forgive a sire to a degree but the dam will have to have produced a few winners and the physical will need to be very good. That's the way I'm going to play it. Between all of the foal sales, I hope to buy 10, but I have to say I absolutely love this sale at Goffs. It's without doubt the most important week of my year and I have always been very lucky at this sale. The quality of the foal is always good here and it's good for the market to have so many pinhookers that turn up to Goffs year in, year out. As a pinhooker, I always try to get value, but the breeder also deserves to get paid and there are few better places to sell a foal than at Goffs.” At first glance, the figures for all of the major yearling sales in Europe look good. Take Book 1 at Tattersalls as an example; despite trade being selective and all of the key figures taking a slight dip, 70% of the 152 pinhooks offered throughout the three days at Park Paddocks made a profit. Not so bad. However, among the 30% that failed to make a profit or in some cases sell at all, 37 of those pinhooks had been purchased for six figures as foals. Ouch. Trade was fairly good at Book 1 of the Orby Sale, with 64% of the 118 pinhooks leaving a profit behind, but there weren't as many expensive pinhooks at that sale and only a handful of those failed to hit the target, most notably a €550,000 Night Of Thunder colt that was bought back at €625,000. Meanwhile, at Book 2 at Tattersalls, 54% of the 192 pinhooks that sold in the ring made profit. Some of the game's biggest pinhookers are still feeling the hurt from what has clearly been a year of selectivity. One unnamed consignor joked that they would be best served putting in a gallop to cater for all of the yearlings they brought home from the sales this year while another massive name within the industry, who again chose to remain anonymous, said that they had been forced to completely reevaluate their approach to the foal sales this year after being left high and dry with a handful of expensive pinhooks. “I'm going to whistle a tune on those expensive foals this year,” the leading pinhooker said. “Instead, I'm going to do something I haven't done in a good few years, which is go and try to buy the €20,000 foal to bring back to Fairyhouse to try to get €40,000. Now, that's not really worth doing, but I'm going to go back to my bread and butter rather than competing for the expensive Blue Points or Night Of Thunders. Playing on those expensive foals just isn't really adding up anymore.” Stauffenberg was hit as hard, if not harder, than any other pinhooker this year. Of the 18 yearlings he prepped on his farm in Germany, he sold just six of those in the ring. When it came to his own pinhooks, there were some crippling losses and he only got out by the skin of his teeth on a €440,000 Night Of Thunder colt, who left hardly any meaningful profit behind him when selling for 475,000gns at Book 1 at Tattersalls to Karl and Kelly Burke. Reflecting on the market this year, he said, “Looking at all of the figures, I felt the level at which trade dropped off was extremely high. You either got overloaded, or else you fell down all of the ladders because there was nobody there to pick you up somewhere in the middle. Let's say, if you didn't make the 500,000gns or more bracket, your horse who you think is worth 150,000gns to 200,000gns was making only 80,000gns because there was nobody there to pick up the pieces. I need to look into the figures more but it felt that the people who thought Book 2 at Tattersalls was going to be too strong, they got their shopping done at Tattersalls Ireland and other sales. These buyers were missing at Book 2 because they had filled their orders and maybe even overpaid at previous sales compared to what they would have had to pay at Book 2. But, you know, who could have predicted that?” Stauffenberg is not alone in putting on record his feeling of a shrinking buying bench, certainly at the top level. O'Callaghan, who enjoyed a pretty good year on the whole with his pinhooks and Tally-Ho Stud homebreds, simply said, “the reality is that there are very few buyers with a lot of money to spend.” Meanwhile, Peter Kelly, who reported his year as being “very patchy,” had a unique way of summarising how the art of pinhooking has morphed into one big game of Russian roulette. He said, “This whole pinhooking game has become a bit like pass the parcel and, when the music stops, you are left holding a very expensive box. I have nine yearlings that are going into training next year. I always run a few but I've never been left with that many before. It's become incredibly sire-driven and the end-users would look at 150 Mehmases rather than buy the best horse by a cheaper stallion. It's something to think about going forward and I'll be very selective at Goffs.” O'Callaghan said that “fellas probably got a bit excited at the foal sales last year,” and pointed to the fact that Yulong also played in the foal market, “without really showing up at the yearling sales this year.” Stauffenberg goes a step further than O'Callaghan by admitting, not only did he get excited at the foal sales, his discipline went out the window. He said, “I was not disciplined enough. I got a little bit carried away by the good race results we had on the track and maybe spent too much on foals. This year, I got really badly punished with my sires that weren't on the top lists. You know, I made quite a bold statement when I said, of my nine pinhooks, I would make a bet that 50 per cent of them were black-type horses. But still, I could not sell them. I always said that, if your horse is nice, you might not hit the bullseye but normally you will sell pretty well no matter what stallion you are by. However, if the theme of this year's yearling sales continues, I will have to change my view.” He continued, “What is the way forward? Will I be positive and try to find a route, or do I be negative and say to myself, 'it has become too dangerous?' It is hard to say what is playing safe anymore. Okay, pinhooking has always been a bit of a risky thing, but it has become even more risky now than in previous years. The sexy sire thing and the whole polarisation of the market has made things completely unpredictable. I always said that I might not make the biggest money with my pinhooks, but I got away with bringing nice physicals to the market. I think that is changing. Nowadays, it seems as though the physical does not help you if you are not by the popular stallion. If you are breeding, it is even more difficult. But if you don't do business, you can't move forward. Sitting on your hands and doing nothing might be safe in one way but then you don't have any ammunition to go to the sales or the racecourse. You cannot move forward by choosing that route.” Asked what way he would be playing the foal sales, Stauffenberg added, “That is a very difficult question and I can't answer that today without the benefit of seeing the horses at Goffs yet. Obviously I try to analyse my mistakes and I can't just blame the market. Going into the yearling sales, I felt I had a good bunch of horses but, in hindsight, there were a few mistakes. So, going forward, I will be quite disciplined in my buying.” Moments Of Magic Fuel Future Investments Hannah Wall | Goffs Put simply, there has never been so far to fall for a pinhooker. However, just once in a while, the yearling sales can produce the odd spark or crackle of magic that makes the process all worthwhile. One such story came deep into Book 2 at Tattersalls this year when Wall, along with Charlie Vigors's young sons Harry and Oliver, turned 72,000gns into 260,000gns on a colt by Perfect Power. Through her association with Tweenhills Stud, Wall has navigated her way through many profitable pinhooks but described that memorable result with the Vigors family as “truly humbling” and revealed the team will be on the ground at Goffs next week searching for a foal to reinvest in. She explained, “I have to say, we didn't go into the foal sales planning to do that. I have known the boys and Charlie for a long time and we just fell upon the same horse in the back ring. David [Redvers] and I had a chat and we realised we weren't going to be able to afford the horse on our own individual budget so it was going to be a case of buying him together. We were delighted to do that and thankfully it worked out well. “I have to say, the whole thing has really been quite humbling. You just couldn't have written it. I was delighted for the boys and hopefully that will set them up to pinhook a few more. Hopefully we can pinhook a couple this year.” Wall added, “The really lovely thing was, after we sold the horse to Shadwell, David went into the Green Room at Tattersalls and bought some champagne and we had a drink with Angus [Gold] and all of the Hillwood team. The two boys were outside doing an interview with Tattersalls and, when they came into the Green Room, they received a massive cheer. There was nothing staged about it – literally everyone in the room stood up and cheered for them. I have to say, that was the moment that really got me. To see those boys share that moment after everything they had been through, it was really quite special.” Therein lies the power of a pinhook. The post ‘I Love The Foal Sale At Goffs – It’s The Most Important Week Of My Year’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Bad news for New Zealand’s best trotting fillies comes as a bonus for the boys heading to Friday’s $200,000 NZ Trotting Derby at Addington. Because trainer Jess Tubbs has decided to target the Oaks with last Friday’s $500,000 Ascent winner Tracy The Jet. The outstanding filly made a mess of her rivals of both sexes when leading throughout in Friday’s slot race and is the TAB Futures favourite for both the Trotting Oaks and Derby back at Addington this Friday. But Tubbs says Tracy The Jet will revert to her own sex in the Oaks as a red hot favourite. “I thought about both races but the only real reason we would have gone to the Derby was because it is worth more money,” says Tubbs. “And I don’t want to let money be the reason I make decisions on where she races.” The Oaks is also 1980m mobile while the Derby would have meant stepping up to 2600m mobile. That probably wouldn’t have been enough to stop the big powerful filly but the race will also be the last of a hugely successful campaign. “She will be ready for the paddock after the Oaks but, in saying that, she has come through last Friday great.” Tracy The Jet heading to the Oaks will see Meant To Be as a short priced favourite for the Trotting Derby, with his co-trainer Barry Purdon confirming both he and Higher Power will head to the trotting classic. “Meant To Be just had no luck on Friday but he will be ready to go and the step up to 2600m should really suit him,” says Purdon. The Purdon/Phelan stable star Merlin will return to Auckland after two strong performances in the NZ Cup and Free-For-All last week and be set for the Auckland Cup on New Year’s Eve, along with stablemate Sooner The Bettor. But stablemate Better Knuckle Up, who was a huge fourth in the New Zealand Cup coming from last, will head to the Christian Cullen at Addington on Friday, taking on Cup winner Kingman. View the full article

By Jordyn Bublitz Tracy Cadwallader has never made any secret of how much The Big Bang means to her, and at Palmerston North on Thursday the lightly raced gelding rewarded her patience in memorable fashion. The four-year-old son of Sweet Lou stepped up in the Join The Turbos Syndicate Mobile Pace, scoring the first win of his career in only his second race day appearance. The victory was particularly special for Cadwallader, who not only trains The Big Bang but also bred him. “I foaled him myself, he’s been with me since the day his eyes opened,” she said, “he’s got a gorgeous nature, the best of any horse I’ve ever come across.” Cadwallader has taken her time getting the gelding to the races, choosing to wait until his four-year-old season before stepping him out. “He’s not a very big horse, and he’s just a bit immature in his brain, I don’t like to rush my horses and he needed the time.” The meeting was part of the two-day Palmerston North programme, with The Big Bang making his raceday debut on Monday. That first outing didn’t go quite to script, with the gelding finishing sixth after getting things wrong heading into the final lap. Cadwallader wasn’t surprised. “It’s hard work trying to get a horse to the races down here. They can be really green because there’s not a lot of horses and often we don’t get to work with company. I had a funny feeling a few things were going to go wrong on debut, he’d never been around that many horses. He got checked and then just blew apart.” Second-up on Thursday, he showed what he was capable of. Drawn two off the mobile, driver Michael Hay used the gelding’s natural speed to roll to the top before settling into a rhythm. Despite racing greenly, he travelled strongly enough in front to control the tempo and never looked like folding, holding his rivals at bay and winning by a length with Hay barely having to chase him. Even with the result well in hand, Cadwallader admitted she was a nervous spectator. “It was scary even watching him, shying at all of the shadows, I almost couldn’t watch, I nearly had a heart attack,” she laughed. For Cadwallader, the biggest reward is seeing her horses develop the right way. “He’s got a tonne of ability, for me it’s less about winning, I’m always more concerned with both horse and driver getting around in one piece. It is always a bonus when they do everything right and get the win. He’s still doing a lot wrong, and he’ll learn more the more he races.” With natural speed, heart, and now a confidence-boosting win under his belt, The Big Bang will look to step out again at the next Palmerston North meeting. View the full article

A huge crowd flocked to Waipukurau on Sunday as the Central Hawke’s Bay course hosted its first race meeting in six years, and Tauranga visitor Enright (NZ) (Power) emphatically broke a drought of his own in the DMAK Electrical Waipukurau Cup (2100m). The $35,000 country feature was the first win since October of 2022 for Enright, who has now had 43 starts for four wins, 13 placings and $179,300 in prize-money. He is trained by Stuart Manning, who co-bred and part-owns the Power gelding along with Kaye Durrant. The capacity crowd was treated to an exciting spectacle as the Cup field charged into the back straight at a frenetic pace. My Alibi, Duncan Creek and Tukituki all pressed forward and piled on the pressure, sapping their energy in the process and fading out of contention by the point of the home turn. Enright and in-form comeback jockey Erin Leighton had taken up a midfield position behind that early action, racing three wide but with cover. When the leaders began to tire coming down to the outside, Enright swept up around them and soon took command. He drew away down the straight, winning by two and a quarter lengths from Danjuro and the brave topweight Sailor Jack. “It was a bloody awesome day,” said Leighton, who also picked up a second win on Sunday’s card aboard Pepeha (NZ) (Darci Brahma). She has now won seven races this spring in a remarkable return following an injury-enforced absence of three years. “It was honestly one of the coolest days I’ve experienced on a New Zealand racetrack. It was incredibly well run. I think Kirsty Lawrence sold the place out, and they were all having a great time. She also provided plenty of iceblocks for the jockeys, which we appreciated! It was an amazing day, and to win the Cup was icing on the cake and a real thrill. “We had a terrible draw. We ended up caught three wide, but I managed to get a bit of cover. It started to get a bit scruffy inside me from the half-mile, they were bunching up and I was hearing a bit of shouting. That was when I decided to hook out, and he just trotted past them and went on to win easily. I thought it was a hugely impressive performance.” Enright is a son of the Zabeel mare Katy O’Beel, who herself won three races. Her dam Katy Keen was a star performer for Manning and Durrant between 2007 and 2010, winning 10 races and almost $500,000 in stakes headed by the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m), Gr.3 Rotorua Cup (2170m), Listed Manawatu Breeders’ Stakes (2000m) and Listed New Zealand St Leger (2500m). The Waipukurau Cup was the fifth leg of the inaugural Prezzy Card Northern Country Cups Bonus Series. A new initiative from New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) and the Taupo Racing Club, the Northern Country Cups Series will see seven Country Cups staged across the North Island from October to December, with horses earning points for top-four finishes and required to contest at least three races, including the $100,000 Harcourts Taupo Cup (2000m). Sponsored by leading prepaid gift provider Prezzy Card, the series is designed to encourage participation, create a competitive narrative between regional racedays, and culminate in a high-stakes finale on Harcourts Taupo Cup Day on December 28. The Harcourts Taupo Cup itself has received a $15,000 stakes uplift from last season. The series began with Pacheco’s victory in the Poverty Bay Turf Club Cup (2600m) at Taupo on October 10 and Agera’s Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) success on October 17. The third leg was the Waverley Cup (2200m) on October 19, which was won by Just Charlie, and then Agera scored his second win of the series in the Feilding Cup (2050m) on November 1. View the full article

Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) may be heading off for his summer break, but rival camps could soon have another headache to deal with as his younger brother goes public for the first time on Monday. In’kantosstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) is also trained by Ciaron Maher and is listed for his first jumpout at Cranbourne over 800 metres on Monday morning to begin a much-awaited racing career on the back of Jimmysstar’s incredible two years of racing in Australia. “Jimmy’s going out and he’s playing tag-team with his little brother In’kantosstar,” part-owner Ozzie Kheir said on Sunday. “We’re very much looking forward to seeing what he can do. It’s of course unlikely he could reach the heights of his brother, but he’s coming along nicely.” The group went to $260,000 to secure Jimmysstar’s younger brother at the 2024 Sydney Easter Yearling sales. The timing was certainly on their side as the still-emerging Jimmysstar was only twice listed-race placed at the time of the sale. The six-year-old is now a three-time Gr.1 winner with more than $6.6 million in earnings. Kheir said that while Jimmysstar’s autumn campaign was still at the discussion stage, there was a chance the horse could rise in distance to 1600 metres at some stage in the autumn before a likely second tilt at The Everest over 1200 metres at his following spring campaign. View the full article

Te Akau Racing collected a race-to-race double at Tauranga on Saturday, including a highly satisfying return to winning form by When Stars Align (NZ) (Zoustar) in the Stonewood Homes 1200. A well-related son of Zoustar bought by David Ellis for $400,000 as a yearling at Karaka in 2023, When Stars Align showed bright promise in the early stages of his career. He was a debut winner at Trentham as a two-year-old, then contested the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) in only his second start. He returned at three to place behind star colt Savaglee at Taupo, followed by a third in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton. But he pulled up lame when finishing at the tail of the field in Savaglee’s Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), prompting trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson to send him for a spell and have him gelded. On Saturday, on the anniversary of that 2000 Guineas disappointment, When Stars Align was right back at the peak of his powers. Sent straight to the lead by jockey Corentin Berge, When Stars Align dominated the $40,000 Rating 65 sprint from the front and kicked away in the straight to win by a length and a half. “It’s great to see him back in the winner’s circle,” Walker said. “It’s not that he’s lacked ability, but it took a bit of time after he was gelded to return to form and the owners have been really patient with him. “Winning his first run back as a four-year-old is a good sign and hopefully he will gain confidence from the win and he can go on to a higher level.” In the very next race on the card, stablemate Charmrose (NZ) (Charm Spirit) repeated the dose with a front-running victory of her own in the Tauranga Hardware & Plumbing 1200. The daughter of Charm Spirit was a last-start winner of a Rating 65 sprint at Ellerslie on October 18, and she stepped up to Rating 75 grade on Saturday and went back-to-back. Bred and raced by Dave and Nicky Hurst, Charmrose has now had 11 starts for three wins, five placings and $93,705 in stakes. “It was another really good win by the mare and good to keep the winning streak going for Dave and Nicky,” Walker said. “She was very well rated in front by Wiremu (Pinn) and she’s come of age as an older mare. She can be a handful in track work, but our riders have got her well under control and she’s in great form.” Ellis noted that the Hursts are long-standing clients of the Te Akau stable. “Dave and Nicky have been such loyal supporters of Te Akau for many years and they’ve bred a really up-and-coming mare in Charmrose,” he said. “The first syndicate they came into was King’s Chapel, who won the equivalent race that is now the Karaka Millions (1200m), the 2000 Guineas (1600m), Telegraph (1200m), three Group One races, and was New Zealand Horse of the Year before standing at stud. “They were also in one of our champion two-year-olds, Maroofity, who also won three Group One races, and Costa Viva who won the 1000 Guineas (1600m) and was named New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year.” View the full article

Classy mare Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor) has black-type targets on her agenda after bouncing back to winning form in Saturday’s Happy Hire Cup (1400m) at Tauranga. The daughter of Almanzor was close up in elite three-year-old competition two seasons ago, finishing second in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and Eight Carat Classic (1600m), fourth in the Gr.1 Levin Classic (1600m) and fifth in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). She added another two black-type placings to her record in last season’s Listed Aotearoa Classic (1600m) and Matamata Cup (1600m). Mary Shan kicked off her current season with a bold first-up victory at Wanganui on August 30, hinting that her five-year-old season might be her best yet. But she was brought undone by a testing Hawera track in her second-up assignment in the Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), beating only one runner home as the $3 favourite. Trainer Andrew Forsman was hoping to get Mary Shan back on track in Saturday’s $50,000 open handicap on a Soft5 surface at Tauranga, and he got exactly what he was looking for. Ridden by Wiremu Pinn, Mary Shan settled into a good rhythm in fourth along the rail. When the front-running Leroy Brown rolled off the fence at the top of the home straight, Pinn and Mary Shan needed no second invitation. They dashed through and quickly took command, kicking away to win by a length and a half from Gospodin, You Say D’Orsay and Leroy Brown. “It was really good to see her bounce back yesterday,” Forsman said. “She obviously got tripped up by a very heavy track at Hawera the start before. She won very nicely at Tauranga to get the campaign back on track, and hopefully it’ll give her a bit of a confidence boost. “I don’t really have any firm plans in mind for her from here, but it’s all going to be about trying to add black-type to her pedigree page. There’s a few nice options coming up. “She could potentially back up for the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.2, 1400m) at Pukekohe next Saturday, although there’s the prospect of some rain around, so we won’t rush into a decision on that. “We could wait until the following Saturday, where there’s a nice set weights and penalties race at Ellerslie (Gr.3 Great Northern Challenge Stakes, 1600m). And then we head into December, where races like the Cal Isuzu (Gr.2, 1600m) might really suit her. So there’s a few races that we can choose from, and we’ll just take things as they come and pick out what suits her best.” Forsman Racing paid $180,000 to buy Mary Shan from Prima Park’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2022. She has now won four of her 21 starts and placed in another six, earning $413,290 for owners Jackie Rogers and Gerald Shand. View the full article