Wandering Eyes

Spring is in the air at last and with it came the first of several Jean-Claude Rouget Classic hopefuls at Toulouse on Wednesday evening. Step forward the unbeaten Alain Jathiere homebred Puchkine (Fr) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}–Vadyska {Ire}, by So You Think {NZ}), whose Prix Torrestrella tour de force created an exciting opening verse to the Pau-based maestro's 2024 address. “It's going to be a long season”, he quipped in his post-race analysis on the Equidia channel, but if this impressive new TDN Rising Star is anything to go by it will be another highly profitable one. Puchkine, whose juvenile campaign consisted of successful forays to La Teste, this track and Pau, was re-entering the scene in a five-runner affair over a mile and was keen anchored last of the quintet by Jean-Bernard Eyquem early. Quickening out wide to take control 300 metres from the line, the 2-5 favourite who holds entries in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains and G1 Prix du Jockey Club drew away in impressive fashion to extend his tally by 3 1/2 lengths from Denisjonh (Fr) (Born To Sea {Ire}). Rouget was on hand to witness the display and told Equidia, “He was fresh, but also a little bit tense, so this is encouraging. It wouldn't have been a big deal if he had been beaten today, because he was making his comeback. It's going to be a long season. The goal is to run the Poule d'Essai and before that, he will run the [Apr. 21 Listed] Prix Aymeri de Mauléon, as we can't let him go two months without racing. He has a lot of speed and I don't think he'll stay 2100 metres.” Puchkine, who becomes the fifth TDN Rising Star for Starspangledbanner alongside the G1 Cheveley Park S. runner-up Flotus (Ire), is out of an unraced half-sister to the Listed Diana-Trial winner Romina Power (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}). She is a daughter of Rockatella (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), who was a listed winner placed three times in pattern races including the G3 Prix de Lieurey. Descended from Meon Valley's great Reprocolor (GB) (Jimmy Reppin {GB}), whose latest flagbearer was last year's G3 Hoppings S. winner and G1 Nassau S. runner-up Zeyaadah (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), she is also responsible for the listed-placed filly Slevka (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}). Her 2-year-old colt by Fas (Ire) is named Zvokokiev (Fr). 4th-Toulouse, €30,000, Cond, 3-20, 3yo, 8fT, 1:37.60, sf. PUCHKINE (FR), c, 3, by Starspangledbanner (Aus) 1st Dam: Vadyska (Ire), by So You Think (NZ) 2nd Dam: Rockatella (Ire), by Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) 3rd Dam: Patrimony (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB) Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0, €53,500. O/B-Alain Jathiere (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Et de 4 pour Puchkine ! Le pensionnaire de Jean-Claude Rouget s'adjuge le Prix Torrestrella (Classe 1) à Toulouse et reste invaincu en compétition : 4 courses – 4 victoires. Poulain à suivre, engagé dans la Poule d'Essai des Poulains et le Prix du Jockey Club. pic.twitter.com/yT5FoVLWrj — Equidia (@equidia) March 20, 2024 The post Starspangledbanner’s Puchkine A New TDN Rising Star appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ahead of a March 21 racing dates showdown, 1/ST Racing executive Craig Fravel penned a letter to the CHRB saying the track operator would conduct "an analysis of alternative uses" for Santa Anita Park if racing is authorized at Pleasanton this fall.View the full article

Full of Run Racing II and Madaket Stables' Alpine Princess ships into Turfway Park with the hopes of solidifying herself as a legit contender for the May 3 Kentucky Oaks (G1) in the March 23 $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks.View the full article

While Saturday ushers in the new turf season in Britain, there are almost as many European horses nominated to run at Rosehill in Sydney that same day. In the G1 Ranvet S., six of the seven runners were bred in either Britain, Ireland or France, and they include two seven-figure purchases made by Yulong Investments last December. Group 1-winning mares Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who was bought for 2.7 million gns at Tattersalls, and Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a €4.025 million Arqana purchase, are now trained respectively by Chris Waller and Anthony and Sam Freedman. They are set to go head to head in the 2,000-metre contest which also features Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a former dual Listed winner in Ireland, French Listed winner Bois d'Argent (GB) (Toronado {Ire}), Military Mission (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), and Zeyrek (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Nine of the last 12 runnings of the race have been won by a horse bred in Europe. Waller, who saddles both Via Sistina and Buckaroo for the A$1 million race, told Australia's Sky Racing World that he has been following the example set by his British counterpart William Haggas, who has twice won the Ranvet, with Addeybb (Ire) and Dubai Honour (Ire). He said of Via Sistina, the winner of the G1 Pretty Polly S. and runner-up to King Of Steel in the G1 Champion S. for George Boughey last year, “We prepared her in Newmarket, I kept a close eye on what Mr Haggas has done with a few of his horses which have beaten Verry Elleegant a number of times. He just gets it right every year. Firstly he brings the right horse. Secondly he prepares them well and thirdly they cope with the trip. So she looks like she's that type of horse.” Waller added, “She's thrived the last two weeks. She's just going on the right path forward and I've been impressed with her.” Some familiar names also make the cut for Saturday's 19-strong G1 George Ryder S. The 2022 Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up New Energy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), whose move from Sheila Lavery to Ciaron Maher last year was not without controversy, makes his second start for Maher after finishing second in the G3 Liverpool City Cup at Randwick on his Australian debut. He is set to face the former John and Thady Gosden trainee Mighty Ulysses (GB), the winner of last season's G3 Sovereign S. at Salisbury who is now trained by Annabel Neasham. The Irish Listed winner Cosmic Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who changed hands for 100,000gns at Tattersalls last October, is also in the line-up along with Cepheus (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Unspoken (Ire) (Territories {Ire}). The G3 N E Manion Cup, run over 2,400 metres, is another race in which the European imports have dominated over the last decade. Haggas won the race with Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in 2020 and this year fields Post Impressionist (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who is now owned by Lloyd Williams. He is up against last year's Listed Feilden S. winner Canberra Legend (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who is another to have joined the Waller stable. Another expensive Yulong acquisition to now be under the care of Sydney's champion trainer is Gan Teorainn (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who is an interesting entrant for the G3 Epona S. Bought from Boherguy Stud for 1 million gns in 2022 after finishing runner-up to Blue Rose Cen (Ire) in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, she subsequently finished third in the G3 Lexus Archer S. at Flemington last November. The post Yulong’s Via Sistina and Place Du Carrousel to Clash in G1 Ranvet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Unbeaten Juddmonte homebred and 'TDN Rising Star' Impel (Quality Road), favored at 7-1 in last weekend's lone Kentucky Oaks Future Wager pool, is being aimed to make her stakes debut in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. on opening day at Keeneland Apr. 5. “Brad is saying that he wants to go to the Ashland with her next, which she would have to do and perform well there to get to the Oaks,” Juddmonte USA General Manager Garrett O'Rourke said. Brad, of course, is two-time GI Kentucky Oaks-winning trainer Brad Cox (Monomoy Girl 2018 & Shedaresthedevil 2020). “If things don't go right, there's no pressure to keep moving forward,” O'Rourke continued. “If they do go right, well, it sets her up, you know? We'll see what happens.” Betting on the Kentucky Oaks Future Wager totaled $69,717 ($48,334 in the win pool and $21,384 in exactas). Last year's champion 2-year-old filly Just F Y I (Justify), unraced since capping her perfect season with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita, closed as the second choice at 8-1. Just F Y I was scratched due to a fever just hours before what was to be her much-anticipated 3-year-old debut for Bill Mott in the GII Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream Mar. 2. “Obviously, look, I was a little surprised that's the way people bet it,” O'Rourke said. “It puts the pressure on when I saw that she was favored.” O'Rourke added with a big laugh, “Also, remember, it wasn't a huge pool, so it only would've taken one or two of Brad's exercise boys to just put a few bets on her and ruin the price for the rest of us.” Impel earned her 'Rising Star' badge with a visually impressive debut victory at a generous 7-2 sprinting at Fair Grounds Jan. 1. She aced her two-turn test with an explosive stalk-and-pounce 8 1/2-length victory in a deep optional claimer going 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park Mar. 3. She earned a 91 Beyer Speed Figure in the latter. Impel returned to the worktab with a four-furlong breeze in :49.80 (52/74) at Fair Grounds Mar. 15. Impel's leading sire Quality Road is responsible for 15 Grade I winners worldwide, including 2017 Kentucky Oaks heroine Abel Tasman. Juddmonte acquired Impel's Claiborne Farm-bred and stakes-winning dam/GII Gallant Bloom H. runner-up Your Love (Flatter) for $480,000 out of the ELiTE consignment on behalf of the late Paul P. Pompa, Jr. and WinStar Farm at the 2019 Keeneland November sale. Your Love, a half-sister to GSW & MGISP Well Monied (Maria's Mon); GSW & GISP Happy American (Runhappy); MSW & GSP Jimmy Simms (Lost Soldier); and a full-sister to GSW & GISP Economic Model, is also responsible for a yearling filly by Curlin. After losing her pregnancy to Not This Time this year, Your Love recently checked back in foal to the promising young Taylor Made stallion, per O'Rourke. Impel is her first foal. “She's come along beautifully,” O'Rourke said of Impel. “She's a lovely, big scopey filly. The well-bred ones that look good are the ones that are supposed to be good. It's nice when they are. I guess there was always a doubt in the back of mind about her staying. Her mother was a sprinter and the Quality Roads can go both ways. She was so impressive when she broke her maiden and also when she went the two turns so readily.” O'Rourke concluded, “But from here on in, she's gonna have to step it up to be confident that she's an Oaks winner.” The @juddmontefarms homebred #5 Impel stretches out and romps to stay perfect in R4 at Oaklawn Park for trainer @bradcoxracing with @christiantorr64 aboard! A bright future ahead for this 3YO filly! You can add her to your TwinSpires #StableAlerts! #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/xyjJS3FYeq — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) March 3, 2024 The post Kentucky Oaks Future Wager Favorite Impel Pointing for Ashland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The catalogue for the Wanamaker's March Sale catalogue can now be viewed on the company's website, wanamakers.com. The online auction includes offerings of yearlings, horses of racing age, open broodmares and stallion seasons. Highlights of the catalogue include: the 5-year-old Break Things (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), the Maryland-bred 3-year-old filly Big Wanda (Mendelssohn); and a Louisiana-bred yearling colt from the second crop of Aurelias Maximus. Bidding will open at 8 a.m. ET Mar. 28, with the first listing set to close at 5 p.m. Subsequent listings will close in three-minute increments. Detailed information on the buying process can be found at wanamakers.com/buy. The post Wanamaker’s March Catalogue Online appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will be on-site at Turfway Park for the Jeff Ruby Steaks card Saturday. The Kentucky track will honor the TAA with a named race, race six, which has a post time of 3:13 p.m. Following the conclusion of the race, a presentation will be made to the winning connections, which will include a TAA blanket and gift bag with branded merchandise. “Turfway Park is excited to welcome back Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance for our Jeff Ruby Steaks Day,” said Turfway director of racing and racing secretary Tyler Picklesimer. “Raising awareness for accredited aftercare is crucial for the longevity and safety of horse racing.” The post TAA On Site at Turfway for Jeff Ruby Steaks Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The catalogue for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training is now available online at the company's website, obssales.com. A total of 1,207 juveniles have been catalogued for the four-day sale, which will be held Apr. 16-19. Bidding begins at 10:30 a.m. for each session. The auction's under-tack show will be held Apr. 7-13, beginning each day at 8 a.m. Recent graduates of the Spring sale include Grade I winners Arabian Knight (Uncle Mo), Arabian Lion (Justify), Du Jour (Temple City); Practical Move (Practical Joke); Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming); and Carson's Run (Cupid). OBS will again offer online bidding during the Spring sale. Buyers will be register for online bidding on the OBS website. For complete information on registration and online bidding, click here. The post OBS Spring Sale Catalogue Online appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ryan Moore would have faced a straightforward decision to ride Opera Singer (Justify) in the 1,000 Guineas had Ballydoyle arrived at Newmarket with a full strength squad, according to Aidan O'Brien, who hopes Ylang Ylang (GB) (Frankel {GB}) can prove an able deputy to the runaway Prix Marcel Boussac winner on May 5 . O'Brien revealed on Monday that Opera Singer was unlikely to make the 1,000 Guineas after suffering a minor setback which resulted in Ylang Ylang's odds tumbling from 8-1 into as short as 7-2 in places. Speaking at a Ballydoyle media morning on Wednesday, he all but ruled the filly out of Newmarket. While O'Brien described himself as a big fan of the G1 Fillies' Mile heroine Ylang Ylang, he remains in little doubt over the pecking order in the three-year-old fillies' brigade. Asked if Moore would have faced a difficult decision if Opera Singer and Ylang Ylang were to line out against each other at Newmarket, O'Brien said, “I don't think so. If Opera Singer was going to make the Guineas, I don't think it would have been a difficult choice for Ryan. She [Opera Singer] is very good. What she did in the Boussac…she's another Justify, set her off in front and follow her if you want. “The other filly [Ylang Ylang] is very good but you have to take your time with her. That's what makes the Justifys so good, they are so uncomplicated. He added on Ylang Ylang, “I like her a lot. She did very well to do what she did because everything went wrong with her the third day–she was too keen. She had to come back to Newmarket and relax but then to go back and do what she did in the Fillies' Mile, you'd have to like her a lot. “She could get a mile and a half as she's out of a Shamardal mare, so there's every chance she could, and the way she likes to be ridden will help her. “Opera Singer is cantering but missed a few weeks, so I imagine the Irish 1,000 Guineas would be the earliest we'll see her. We'd just have to rush her too much otherwise. The year is long.” Group 3 winner Content (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is another filly that O'Brien holds in high regard with a view towards some of the fillies' Classics. He said, “Content was impressive last year, she had a lovely run first time but then went to Ascot and lost her way, we had to slow her down and get her to relax. “She won at the Curragh and came home very well [in fourth] in the Breeders' Cup. She could be a very nice filly, you just have to take your time with her, as she has plenty of speed.” The post ‘I Like Her A Lot’ – O’Brien Says Ylang Ylang An Able 1,000 Guineas Deputy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Brad Cox said March 19 that Timberlake will return to Oaklawn Park for the $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1), with stablemate West Omaha headed to the $750,000 Fantasy Stakes (G2).View the full article

Group 2 winner Rogue Millennium (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), a winner of the Duke of Cambridge S. and second in the G1 Matron S. last term for Tom Clover, is an “exciting prospect” for 2024, according to new trainer Joseph O'Brien. Formerly owned by the Rogues Gallery, who picked her up for 35,000gns at the Tattersalls Mare December Sale as an unraced 2-year-old in 2021, the now-5-year-old mare was fifth in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. on QIPCO Champions Day last out in October. She was knocked down for 1.65 million gns at that same sale in December, with Lanigan/Durcan agent on the ticket on behalf of Heider Family Stables. “She gives the impression that she'll always appreciate better ground and she shows plenty of pace,” said O'Brien. “We won't be shy about travelling her and have a long list of potential options for her in America where we think the style of racing will suit her. She's a very exciting prospect to have in the yard.” O'Brien also had updates on several other stable stars, among them G2 Blandford S. winner Lumiere Rock (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}). A good third to Blue Rose Cen (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}) in the G1 Prix de l'Opera last October, she was not disgraced in the colours of Michael O'Flynn when sixth to Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf a month later in California. The G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup in May is first on her assignment sheet this term. “She had a busy campaign last season, but never let us down and kept improving,” said O'Brien. “We all got a real thrill from her win in the Blandford S., and it was great that her owner Michael O'Flynn was there on the day to enjoy it with us. “We are looking at the Tattersalls Gold Cup as an early-season target and will drive on from there.” Group 1-winning juvenile Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), a winner of the 2022 G1 National S., enjoyed a brief campaign at three in 2023. Second in the G3 International S. at the beginning of July, he filled that spot again in the wake of undefeated G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) in the G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano in August. The 4-year-old entire is also pleasing O'Brien, and has been handed French targets, including the G1 Prix Ganay in April. O'Brien said, “We are delighted with him. He was always a tall, rangy horse and has filled out into a magnificent athlete now. “We were very sweet on him for the Irish Champion S., but a little issue the day before meant we couldn't run. Everything has gone very smoothly with him this preparation and we are steadily stepping up his work. “We are working him towards the Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp in late April. Longer term, I could see him stepping up to a mile and a half. “He won a Group 1 over seven furlongs as a 2-year-old and has never looked short of pace, but he has the most lovely, relaxed way of going and it will give him a great chance to carry his pace over further if we ask him to. I'd be very hopeful he can win another Group 1.” The post Rogue Millennium “Exciting Prospect” For Joseph O’Brien appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

2022 Melbourne Cup (G1) winner Gold Trip's racing career is in jeopardy after he suffered a tendon injury ruling him out of action until at least June.View the full article

After selling for 2.7 million guineas at last year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale, group 1 winner Via Sistina prepares for a start in the March 23 Ranvet Stakes (G1) at Rosehill.View the full article

A deal that Del Mar has made with a titan of Computer Assisted Wagering (CAW) provides a rare glimpse into the tremendous sway that individual players can wield over track and racing officials, the potentially lopsided economic ramifications of such deals, and the tremendous pressures that California executives are under with competing jurisdictions that enjoy purse subsidies not available in the Golden State. It also turns a spotlight onto a world largely hidden from the public eye-one that industry leaders are generally loathe to discuss publicly, and in which just a few anonymous gamblers can have an outsized impact on the financial fitness or ill-health of the sport. Last year, Del Mar continued a deal with a player identified as Elite 17 that saw them enjoy a noticeably more favorable rate of play than other high-volume players that wager through the CAW platform, Elite Turf Club, according to detailed wagering reports obtained by the TDN, background conversations with racing officials and figures within the CAW world, along with publicly available data. At the enormous volumes CAW at which gamblers play, such deals can give individual players a significant financial edge. The result was that this one player constituted nearly 47% of Elite Turf Club's total handle on Del Mar last year, according to the reports. Two years prior, Elite 17's play had constituted just over 36% of Elite Turf Club's total handle on Del Mar, according to publicly available California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) data. At the same time, the amount of money another Elite Turf Club player (Elite 2) wagered on the track dropped off by over $32 million between 2021 and 2023, the reports show-from around $45 million in 2021 to around $13 million last year. In 2021, Elite 2's play came to just over 27% of Elite Turf Club's total handle on Del Mar. Last year, that number had dropped to around 12%. According to multiple sources familiar with the situation, Elite 2 received a deal similar to Elite 17 in prior years at Del Mar, but not last year. An individual familiar with the situation-who spoke as a “California racing source” on condition of anonymity-said that, prior to the track's 2023 summer meet, Elite 2 declined such a deal, which would have necessitated paying a “substantial seven-figure up-front payment.” Del Mar Thoroughbred Club | Horsephotos When asked if Elite 2 had changed their mind about the deal after the summer meet was underway, the source declined to answer, citing concerns about proprietary business information. “But you can't make an up-front payment after the meet has started,” the source added. Such arrangements have served as a pre-payment on host fees to be split between the track and the purse account, sources say. The deals that Del Mar has struck with Elite Turf Club players over the years, while hardly an anomaly among tracks nationally, nonetheless raises questions about the best approach to managing CAW play in a state where purse revenues are generated solely through betting. If purses fuel the sport, getting this equation right is an imperative. Are deals between tracks and individual CAW players, therefore, a sustainable approach for growing the sport in California? Is CAW play now so vital to the economics of horse racing that every step must be taken to maximize their business? Or should California's tracks be much more focused on incentivizing play from the average punters who generally contribute the biggest slice to purses, rather than pandering to the whales of the betting seas? While it's difficult to know exactly how such deals might have impacted Del Mar's purse account revenues, the bare numbers illustrate a track facing tough economic headwinds, with serious implications for the horsemen and women in the state. Purses last fall at Del Mar were reduced by over 10% due to a purse account overpayment reportedly to the tune of $2.1 million. All-source handle at the track's flagship summer meet declined nearly 11% from 2022 to 2023, according to the DRF. Wagering through Elite Turf Club on the track's product has declined from around $167 million in 2021 to around $113 million last year, according to the CHRB. “As a track with no subsidies from alternative forms of gaming that depends exclusively on handle for purse generation, promoting handle from all segments of the betting market is very important to us. On an annual basis we sit down with the [Thoroughbred Owners of California] TOC to both establish purse levels and to discuss how we best promote wagering on our simulcast signal,” wrote Del Mar Thoroughbred Club president, Josh Rubinstein, in response to a series of questions. Before the start of each meet in California, the tracks present the TOC with a list of individual host fees charged to each location that receives its simulcast signal. For that track's meet to proceed, the TOC must first sign this document. “We are proud of our racing product, which has been well-received for the last several years, and confident that our host fees are fair and competitive with other major race tracks. We will continue to work with our partners to balance pricing considerations with the overall demands of the wagering markets,” Rubinstein added. How takeout is divided from CAW play BACKGROUND ON RATES AND REBATES The debate around CAW players typically surrounds the major edge they wield over regular gamblers thanks to their use of sophisticated wagering technologies and the attractive rates and rebates offered to them-inducements not available to the average punter. When “rates” are mentioned, what is meant are “host fees.” This is a charge wagering outlets pay to track operators for the contractual right to import a simulcast signal. A wagering outlet could be another racetrack, an ADW platform (like FanDuel), or a CAW platform (like Elite Turf Club). Experts say that CAW host fees for the premium tracks typically vary between 6% and 8%. After breeders' premiums and other minor deductions have been removed, host fees are roughly split 50/50 between the track and the purse account in California. The entities that pay the lowest host fee, therefore-like CAW players-contribute the lowest per-dollar amount to purses. At the same time, proponents of CAW argue how these inducements are warranted due to the vast amounts these players inject into the betting pools. The amount CAW players are “rebated” can be broadly calculated with this simple equation: Rebate = Takeout minus host fee (plus any other associated minor fees). The smaller the host fee and the larger the takeout, then the bigger the rebate. Let's use the 20% blended takeout rate among the pools. And let's say the host fee (plus other associated fees) that the CAW player pays comes to 7%. The rebated discount for the CAW players, therefore, could be a maximum 13% on every dollar wagered. Experts recently told the TDN that the most successful CAW players can consistently win at an average rate of around 92%. At that win rate, a 13% rebate (for example) would see the player enjoy a 5% profit margin. According to wagering reports reviewed by the TDN, that win rate is an undercount. These reports show how Elite Turf Club players can win at an average rate in excess of 105%, even before their rebate from Elite is factored in. At this rate, the profit margin would be much better than many investment accounts. It's also important to note how the numerical monikers given to Elite Turf Club players-a company majority owned by The Stronach Group (TSG)-don't relate to just one person. These players employ a team of potentially dozens of people, including mathematical wizards who create sophisticated computer algorithms capable of analyzing the betting markets for exploitable weaknesses, as well as individuals who place the bets for them. Insiders consulted for this story describe how these teams of experts can, over time, deduce through the betting markets and through other data sources if rival CAW players receive more favorable rates. Given the money at stake, the competition can be cutthroat. ELITE 17'S DEAL As CAW play has grown exponentially in recent years, track operators have cut deals like that between Del Mar and Elite 17 to attract their business. And the amount these gamblers wager is often so huge, just one player can make up a significant portion of a track's overall handle. In 2019, when the renowned gambler “Dr. Nick” stopped wagering on Australian racing reportedly due to increased taxes on bookmakers, his exit was projected to trigger a 6% drop in turnover on racing across the board. Multiple sources for this story said that Elite 17 and Elite 2 were both well-known Australian gamblers. Scott Daruty | Horsephotos Scott Daruty, president of both TSG's Monarch Content Management and of the Elite Turf Club, declined to confirm or deny their identities, citing confidentiality agreements. According to detailed reports obtained by the TDN, Elite 17 wagered more than $650 million on U.S. racing through Elite Turf Club alone last year. In 2021, Elite 17 wagered roughly $60 million on Del Mar's product, according to the CHRB. Last year, Elite 17 wagered some $53 million. Last summer at Del Mar, the amount Elite 17 wagered was roughly 10% of the total handle at Del Mar, using the DRF's all-source handle figures as a baseline. These numbers don't account for Elite 17's potential play on horse racing through other methods such as fixed-odds providers and exchange options like Betfair in other countries, or on other sports. Some CAW players also have accounts with different CAW platforms like Velocity, owned by Churchill Downs, which enables wagering on tracks whose simulcast signals are managed by Churchill. At the same time, multiple sources say individual deals are still fairly prevalent among smaller tracks struggling financially, but that they're now unusual among the nation's top-tier tracks. According to wagering reports reviewed by the TDN, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) offered the same host fee to Elite Turf Club players at Saratoga last year, irrespective of the betting pool. This included Elite 17. The host fee NYRA charged was slightly lower than Del Mar charged the same CAW players (outside of Elite 17), these reports show. “NYRA cannot responsibly comment or opine on information never provided to our organization,” wrote NYRA spokesperson, Pat McKenna, in response to questions about the wagering reports. The TDN provided to NYRA an overview of the figures in the reports but not the raw data. NYRA's data was independently verified for the TDN. NYRA is a minority owner in Elite Turf Club. McKenna did, however, stress the steps the organization has taken to manage CAW play, including barring CAW play in the Pick 6, Late Pick 5, and Cross Country Pick 5 pools, and requiring CAW players to place win bets on its races no later than two minutes to post. California has also taken similar steps to moderate CAW play. Since Santa Anita's 2022 fall meet, the win pool has been closed to CAW players one-minute to post, or else they must also pay a surcharge of around 3.5% on top of their normal rate if they want to bet to the close of the win-pool. Last year, Del Mar followed suit. Both tracks have also reverted to the traditional Pick 6. When it comes to Del Mar's deal with Elite 17, the agreement was incumbent upon the player making a substantial payment at the start of the meet, according to multiple sources. Once that up-front payment was made, Elite 17 paid a host fee almost half of that for other Elite Turf Club players, wagering reports show. But multiple sources familiar with the situation explained how factoring in the up-front payment, Elite 17 paid a host fee on Del Mar's product last year around a percentage point or so lower than the other CAW players. At the volume CAW gamblers play, just one percentage point difference in host fee can mean a significant edge for one CAW player over all others, along with possible residual effects on all other participants in the betting pools in terms of late odds movement. Bill Nader | Horsephotos TOC president and CEO Bill Nader explained that deals involving up-front payments incentivize the player to maximize the amount they wager on the track's product. “For example, if the player bets over a certain threshold, the player benefits from a high-volume discount. If the player does not reach that wagering threshold, the effective rate would be higher than other CAW players,” wrote Nader. But could the deal that Del Mar struck with Elite 17 have prompted other CAW players-and Elite 2 in particular-to have curbed their play at the track last year? The California racing source said that other CAW players were offered similar terms to Elite 17 last year. However, it should be noted that the other CAW players that wager through Elite Turf Club on Del Mar didn't bet to nearly the same volume as Elite 17 last year, and that Elite 2 was the only Elite Turf Club player to wager in the region of Elite 17's handle in 2021. The California racing source also noted how CAW play is closely aligned with overall handle on a track's product, and that declines in total handle would invariably lead to decreases in CAW play. “It's hard for us to say with any certainty why player A or B may have reduced his or her volume of play,” the source said. “The best source for that is the player themself.” The TDN reached out to a representative of the player believed to be Elite 2, who declined to discuss the situation. Here, it should be noted that at least one Elite Turf Club player increased their play between 2021 and 2023. This was Elite 10, who wagered $4.9 million in 2021 and $6.7 million in 2023 on Del Mar's product. The TDN does not have access to data showing individual CAW handle on Del Mar's product in 2022. That was the year the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) stopped making such data publicly available. Even so, California remains more transparent than other jurisdictions about what CAW data it makes publicly available. Another wrinkle in this story is how Del Mar boasts an attractive wagering product with good field sizes and an impressive safety record. With that in mind, was the deal the right one to strike? “With the benefit of hindsight, it has been the wrong deal for over 10 years and this is why we need a market correction,” wrote Nader, in response to a series of questions. “We represent the owners and purses are paid to owners, trainers, and jockeys, and there is room for improvement. This is what the TOC hired me to do.” When asked why the TOC approved the deal last year, Nader wrote how 2023 “was my first full year with the TOC and we needed time to work with our Board members and others, notably the tracks, to voice our reservations and allow for a period of adjustment. This entire exercise has been a work in progress.” WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW? The issue of shrinking purse revenues amid declining economic benchmarks couldn't be a more pressing issue in California right now, where the industry attempts to piece together a revised racing framework in the wake of Golden Gate's impending closure in June. At the end of the day, therefore, those arguably most impacted by decisions around managing CAW play are the industry stakeholders attempting to eke out a living from the sport. When asked for comment on the story, the California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT) wrote in a prepared statement how, “based on Del Mar's representations and the TOC's confirmation of how the purse account there has been managed, we can only say we're disturbed and confused. In January of 2021, at a CTT Board meeting, we attempted to question TOC leadership at the time about how purse levels were being funded, and were angrily rebuked by those in charge.” At that point in time, Greg Avioli was TOC president. “Since purses are the lifeblood of our sport, and are fueled by the public's interest and its confidence in the integrity of pari-mutuel betting, the apparent lack of transparency we're hearing about now has to be remedied immediately,” the CTT added. Scott Chaney | courtesy of the CHRB According to CHRB executive director, Scott Chaney, the agency is “keenly aware of the questions, importance and interest surrounding CAWs and plans to place the topic on our meeting agenda in the next month or so.” Chaney added how “the concepts of purse accounts and structure are also vitally important to racing in California, therefore in order promote understanding and transparency, we are in the process of amending our race meet license application to include additional questions in this area.” All of which leads to this question: Will Elite 17 be offered the same deal this year? “No. Negotiations are ongoing across the entire customer sector,” wrote Nader. “High-volume players will agree that two key deliverables to make their business models more attractive are access and liquidity to commingled pools,” added Nader. “Our racetrack partners should also understand the collective upside and if everyone can take a step back and look at this thing holistically, we can work it out.” The post Computer Assisted Wagering: Anatomy Of A Deal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Aidan O'Brien is busy preparing for what could turn out to be one of his boldest ever campaigns at Ballydoyle with plans in place for City Of Troy (Justify) to tackle the 2,000 Guineas and the Derby followed by an audacious tilt at the Travers S. on the dirt at Saratoga later this summer. Meanwhile, dual Derby and Breeders' Cup hero Auguste Rodin (Deep Impact {Jpn}), arguably the most important older horse to have been kept in training at Ballydoyle for many years, is set to get his campaign underway in next week's Dubai Sheema Classic. Described by joint-owner Michael Tabor as “our Frankel” after he slammed his Dewhurst rivals last term, City Of Troy heads the Guineas and Derby betting at odds of 4-6 and 2-1 respectively. With so much on the line for a horse who has commanded such praise, O'Brien could be forgiven for feeling the pressure. The truth couldn't be further from the case. Speaking at a media morning at Ballydoyle on Wednesday, O'Brien said, “I don't feel pressure at all. All we can do is our best and whatever will be will be. But he [City Of Troy] looks a bit different at the moment anyway.” O'Brien added, “He has always been very special. He always looked a bit different-even from the time we worked him to when he ran in his maiden. All you can do is just keep turning up and running and see what is going to happen, but he does work very differently [to anything else]. “Horses are working in very bad ground at the moment-it's deep. He shouldn't like that at all but he is just powering through it. We hope to get him to Naas on Sunday after racing. They'll all work together-him, Henry Longfellow (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), they'll all go together over seven or seven-and-a-half furlongs. The plan is to go straight to the Guineas with City Of Troy. “If that went well, then he could go for the Derby, and if that went well, there's a chance he could go to Saratoga for the Travers Stakes. That's very possible if things go well and it will be interesting.” O'Brien is no stranger to running top-class horses on the dirt. Johannesburg famously won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 2001 while Galileo (Ire), George Washington (Ire), Henrythenavigator and Duke Of Marmalade (Ire) are some of the more established names to have tackled the Breeders' Cup Classic, albeit the latter pair's efforts came on the Pro-Ride surface at Santa Anita in 2008. Mendelssohn came closest to delivering O'Brien and the Coolmore team a breakthrough success in the Travers when second to Catholic Boy in the 2018 edition of the race. However, City Of Troy would rank as by far the most high-profile colt that connections have pointed towards the Travers, with O'Brien putting his confidence behind last year's European Champion Two-Year-Old's ability to handle the surface on breeding. Speaking about the reasoning behind such ambitious campaigning, he explained, “It's just to expose him, really. Obviously he's by Justify, which makes Justify very exciting for us because he should be able to do dirt as easily as he does grass. That's what makes him unique, really. “Every one of those Justifys are the same. They are long-striding and big horses. They are scopey and very genuine. They are all happy to go forward and you can't go hard enough in their races. It's going to be very exciting.” O'Brien added, “He's done very well over the winter. He's a medium-sized horse to look at, but when you stand into him he's much bigger than you think he is, which is the sign of a very well-proportioned horse. It will be exciting. “When John [Magnier] and the lads are thinking like that, they are not afraid to push him out there and see what he is able to do. If it went well in the Guineas, we're happy to step up to a mile and a half in the Derby and then you could come back to a mile and a quarter on the dirt at Saratoga.” City Of Troy is likely to be O'Brien's sole runner in the Guineas while targets for Henry Longfellow, Diego Velazquez (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), River Tiber and Unquestionable (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) will be decided after they work at Naas this weekend. O'Brien said, “I'd imagine if City Of Troy goes to the Guineas, he'll go himself. River Tiber always worked very well. He wasn't right in Deauville or in the Middle Park-he wasn't one hundred per cent, so there's a good chance there's more to come from him. I think he's a miler-he's fast. I couldn't see him getting much further. “Unquestionable could go for the French Guineas. He's done very well. He'll go to Naas on Sunday to work and he could go for a trial in France before going back for the Guineas. He could be a French Derby horse. He's not as quick as the others, so he could get a bit further. “When we went to America with them last year, River Tiber was five lengths better than the winner. He's not rated that way, but if you put the two of them together, that is what will happen.” O'Brien added, “Henry Longfellow could stretch out but he looks like a miler the way he's going, so how much further he'd get, I'm not sure. He could be a French Derby horse, as could Diego Velazquez-he might be more that than a Guineas horse, but he'll go with them [to Naas] as well, so it will be interesting.” Asked for an under-the-radar three-year-old colt to follow for the campaign, O'Brien put forward Grosvenor Square (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), winner of the G3 Eyrefield S. at Leopardstown last term and no bigger than 20-1 for the Derby. “Grosvenor Square could be a very interesting horse,” he said. “I think he'd have no problem with better ground. He's not a heavy-framed horse, he's a good mover. He'll go for a Derby trial.” City Of Troy is not the only horse that O'Brien is exploring the idea of running on dirt this season as Dubai-bound Auguste Rodin could tackle the surface at some point this year. More immediately, races like the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh and the Prince Of Wales's S. at Royal Ascot will come under consideration for the four-year-old after Meydan. O'Brien concluded, “Auguste Rodin has another bit of work to do before he goes on Saturday, but everything looks good at the moment. It's his first run of the year but we're very happy with him. “The plan was he goes there, then he could go to the Curragh for the Tattersalls Gold Cup and then Ascot for the Prince of Wales's. “After that, we could have a look at a dirt race with him. We'll see how that goes. He could go to Saratoga as well. His season will be split in two really, with a busy first half and then a break. As a rule, Deep Impacts are mainly turf horses, but we were surprised how well he worked on the dirt at the Breeders' Cup-he floated over it. He has an unusual action, so it will be interesting to see.” The post O’Brien Has Saratoga Aim For Guineas And Derby Favourite City Of Troy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's Timberlake (Into Mischief), winner of the Feb. 24 GII Rebel S., will return to Oaklawn Park for the Mar. 30 GI Arkansas Derby, trainer Brad Cox confirmed Wednesday. “I like the timing,” Cox said. “Obviously, he has the experience there now, that one run under him. I kind of thought the Rebel was the spot when we were getting started. At the beginning of the winter, we thought the Rebel was the spot. It worked out.” Timberlake worked five furlongs in 1:02.00 (18/30) at Cox's Fair Grounds base last Friday. The colt won last year's GI Champagne S. and second in the GI Hopeful S. The Rebel was his first start since finishing fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Cox has won the last two renewals of the Arkansas Derby, with Cyberknife (Gun Runner) in 2022 and Angel of Empire (Pioneerof the Nile) in 2023. He could become the first trainer to win the race in three straight years. Other horses pointing to the Arkansas Derby include Mystik Dan (Goldencents), Liberal Arts (Arrogate), Just Steel (Justify) and Time for Truth (Omaha Beach). The post Timberlake Confirmed for Arkansas Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

While Saturday ushers in the new turf season in Britain, there are almost as many European horses nominated to run at Rosehill in Sydney that same day. In the G1 Ranvet S., six of the seven runners were bred in either Britain, Ireland or France, and they include two seven-figure purchases made by Yulong Investments last December. Group 1-winning mares Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who was bought for 2.7 million gns at Tattersalls, and Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a €4.025 million Arqana purchase, are now trained respectively by Chris Waller and Anthony and Sam Freedman. They are set to go head to head in the 2,000-metre contest which also features Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a former dual Listed winner in Ireland, French Listed winner Bois d'Argent (GB) (Toronado {Ire}), Military Mission (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), and Zeyrek (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Nine of the last 12 runnings of the race have been won by a horse bred in Europe. Waller, who saddles both Via Sistina and Buckaroo for the A$1 million race, told Australia's Sky Racing World that he has been following the example set by his British counterpart William Haggas, who has twice won the Ranvet, with Addeybb (Ire) and Dubai Honour (Ire). He said of Via Sistina, the winner of the G1 Pretty Polly S. and runner-up to King Of Steel in the G1 Champion S. for George Boughey last year, “We prepared her in Newmarket, I kept a close eye on what Mr Haggas has done with a few of his horses which have beaten Verry Elleegant a number of times. He just gets it right every year. Firstly he brings the right horse. Secondly he prepares them well and thirdly they cope with the trip. So she looks like she's that type of horse.” Waller added, “She's thrived the last two weeks. She's just going on the right path forward and I've been impressed with her.” Some familiar names also make the cut for Saturday's 19-strong G1 George Ryder S. The 2022 Irish 2,000 Guineas runner-up New Energy (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), whose move from Sheila Lavery to Ciaron Maher last year was not without controversy, makes his second start for Maher after finishing second in the G3 Liverpool City Cup at Randwick on his Australian debut. He is set to face the former John and Thady Gosden trainee Mighty Ulysses (GB), the winner of last season's G3 Sovereign S. at Salisbury who is now trained by Annabel Neasham. The Irish Listed winner Cosmic Vega (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who changed hands for 100,000gns at Tattersalls last October, is also in the line-up along with Cepheus (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Unspoken (Ire) (Territories {Ire}). The G3 N E Manion Cup, run over 2,400 metres, is another race in which the European imports have dominated over the last decade. Haggas won the race with Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in 2020 and this year fields Post Impressionist (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), who is now owned by Lloyd Williams. He is up against last year's Listed Feilden S. winner Canberra Legend (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who is another to have joined the Waller stable. Another expensive Yulong acquisition to now be under the care of Sydney's champion trainer is Gan Teorainn (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who is an interesting entrant for the G3 Epona S. Bought from Boherguy Stud for 1 million gns in 2022 after finishing runner-up to Blue Rose Cen (Ire) in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac, she subsequently finished third in the G3 Lexus Archer S. at Flemington last November. The post Yulong’s Via Sistina and Place Du Carrousel to Clash in G1 Ranvet appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The March 23 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on the Turfway Park all-weather course offers enough "Road to the Kentucky Derby" points to ensure the winner, and maybe the runner-up, a spot in the big race and there's no shortage of takers for that offer.View the full article

Veteran handler prepares dominant city circuit winner ahead of Hong Kong Derby and Japan Group One tiltsView the full article

1/ST Racing, the owners of Santa Anita, have threatened to close or sell the “Great RIP,” making the threats on the eve of a critical meeting of the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) in which the future of racing in the northern half of the state will be decided. Santa Anita has been calling for racing to shut down in the North, which, it believes, will help strengthen racing at Santa Anita and the other Southern California tracks. The story was first reported by John Cherwa in the Los Angeles Times. With 1/ST set to close Golden Gate Fields on June 9, the future of Northern California racing is very much up in the air. Hoping to save racing in that part of the state, Pleasanton, a fair track, will ask the CHRB to approve a 10-week meeting that would run from Oct. 19 to Dec. 15. If those dates are approved, it may complicate Santa Anita's efforts to reallocate revenue from simulcasting that is currently split between the northern and southern tracks. 1/ST is backing legislation that would reallocate simulcast money from Northern California to Southern California in the event that racing ceases to exist in the northern portion of the state. Santa Anita believes it needs the extra simulcast money to make racing viable in its part of the state. Additionally, Santa Anita is hoping that with Golden Gate shutting down, many horsemen from that area will relocate to Santa Anita. If that happens, Santa Anita management believes it can add a fourth day to its weekly racing schedule and will be able to card races with bigger fields. On Tuesday, Craig Fravel, the executive vice-chairman of 1/ST Racing and Gaming, sent a three-page letter to the CHRB, urging the Board not allocate the extra dates being sought by tracks that are members of the California Authority of Racing Fairs (CARF). Fravel contended that if racing is approved at the CARF tracks “an analysis of alternatives for Santa Anita and San Luis Rey (training center) will be undertaken in short order. As noted, the current financial model and required capital expense make no sense and the consolidation of operations as discussed last year and at the January Board meeting is the only alternative that has been presented.” Fravel also wrote that over the last five years Santa Anita has incurred operating losses in excess of $31 million while investing over $32 million in capital projects. “The current model is simply unsustainable,” Fravel wrote. Fravel also contended that the proposals being floated by the CARF tracks “is lacking in so much detail that it is difficult to understand what has been done over the last eight months and even more difficult to understand how the Board can be asked to put the entire thoroughbred industry in the state at risk by allocating dates on the basis of speculation.” Fravel also said that allocating dates to the CARF tracks will lead to immediate purse cuts at Santa Anita and planned capital projects will be re-evaluated. The post 1/ST Racing Says It May Sell Or Close Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Former Newmarket-based jockey Stefano Cherchi has been hospitalised in Australia following a mid-race fall at Canberra on Wednesday. Racing was delayed while the 23-year-old was treated on the track for a head injury and internal bleeding before being taken to hospital. His mount, Hasime (Aus), trained by Robert Quinn, fell during the third race, bringing down two other runners whose riders, Shaun Guymer and Jeff Penza, both walked back to the weighing-room. None of the horses are believed to have been seriously injured. In a post on Twitter, the NSW Jockeys Association said, “Stefano has been transported to Canberra Hospital, where doctors will assess the full extent of the injuries.” Born in Italy, Cherchi moved to England as a teenager and had his first ride there aboard Casina Di Notte (Ire) in August 2018. He partnered 106 winners in the intervening seasons before relocating to Australia at the beginning of this year. The majority of his rides in the UK were for his former boss and countryman Marco Botti, who said on social media, “The whole yard is saddened by the news this morning. Stefano has sustained serious injuries in a race fall in Australia. Thoughts and prayers and with [Stefano] and his family.” The post Stefano Cherchi Injured in Australian Race Fall appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Group 1 winners Regional (GB) (Territories {Ire}) and Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) head 12 European entries for the FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on April 28. A strong international challenge also includes 25 potential runners from Japan, eight from Australia and three from the UAE, while there are 41 locally-trained entries. Regional, now six, gave his trainer Ed Bethell a first Group 1 success in last year's Haydock Sprint Cup and he has been entered for the G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize, with prize-money totalling approximately £2.2 million. His fellow British-trained horses Annaf (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}), Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Frost At Dawn (Frosted) are also entered. The William Haggas-trained Dubai Honour, a dual Group 1 winner in Australia, would be returning for a third run in Hong Kong. He was fourth in the 2021 G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup and third last year in the G1 FWD QEII Cup, which this time around is worth approximately £2.8 million. Haggas has also entered Maljoom (Ire) (Caravaggio) for the G1 FWD Champions Mile, which could also feature Middleham Park Racing's globetrotting Brave Emperor (Ire) (Sioux Nation), trained by Archie Watson, and Fort Payne (Fr) (Rio De La Plata) for French trainer Nicolas Caullery. Three of the winners of last December's Hong Kong International Races – Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro), Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) – hold entries for the meeting, along with Japan's Fillies' Triple Crown winner Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) and Godolphin's Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}), winner of the G1 Jebel Hatta in January. “We are excited by the spread and quality of international entries among the nominations for FWD Champions Day,” said Andrew Harding, executive director of racing for the Hong Kong Jockey Cub. “The potential return of Golden Sixty in the FWD Champions Mile after his stunning Longines Hong Kong Mile performance in December, along with Romantic Warrior in the FWD QEII Cup and Lucky Sweynesse in the Chairman's Sprint Prize, lays the foundation for another wonderful staging of our spring flagship meeting. “We are delighted at the support we have received from overseas owners and trainers in Japan, England, France, Ireland, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, with the number of entries across our three Group 1 features rising from 71 last season to 89 this year.” The post Strong European Challenge for Hong Kong’s Champions Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Globe’s (NZ) (Charm Spirit) racetrack return looks firmly on track after resuming with an impressive jumpout performance at Cranbourne on Monday morning. A winner of his first four starts before suffering from cardiac arrhythmia in his only spring appearance in the Feehan Stakes, Globe strolled home to win the 1000-metre heat by four lengths, clocking 58.84 seconds under Mark Zahra. “This morning was a bit of a look-see to see where he is at and he was perfect,” said Mick Price, who trains in partnership with Michael Kent Jnr. “He had a good spell and had some good pre-training and he is a good colour and not too fat, so I think he will come up super.” Price said Globe will trial again, possibly next Monday, before his first racetrack appearance in more than six months for Roll the Dice Racing. “I haven’t got a specific target for him, I just want to be careful with him,” Price explained. “I am not sure if he goes to Sydney, but he is still a 90-rater, so I think we will just enjoy winning. “He will have had a long time (out), so I don’t really want to be chucking him in the deep end. “His potential has not been unearthed yet, so I am not sure what level he attains but somewhere between a mile and 2000 metres will be him.” View the full article

Warrnambool trainer Aaron Purcell will keep Farag (NZ) (Sacred Falls) to the flat for the immediate future after the New Zealand-bred gelding recorded a strong staying win at Sandown. Farag added the Sportsbet Make It Look Easy Handicap (3000m) on Wednesday to his record of four wins from five starts since joining the stable of Purcell after 14 starts in New Zealand. Giving Damian Lane a second win in the first three races on Wednesday, Farag ($4.20) scored a widening 3-¾ length win. Purcell said the Listed Sandown Cup (3200m) in June could be a race that Farag is geared towards before embarking on a potential jumping career. The Sandown Cup has been rescheduled this year from its traditional November date. Faraq started his winning spree with a Geelong maiden win in January while he won at Bendigo and Warrnambool in the lead up to Wednesday’s success. “He’s a really good stayer. He’s got a great set of lungs, a good heart in him, a really good action,” Purcell said. “He’s a lean horse, so we don’t do a lot with him at home as there’s not a lot there, but he loves his racing. He loves galloping and loves being here in Australia.” Purcell said he hopes to return to Sandown on April 1 for another 3000m contest, this time at benchmark 78 level, before setting his sights higher. “There’s another won of these races here on Monday week and if we can do well in that again, then we may have to lift the bar again,” Purcell said. “They’ve transferred the Sandown Cup to June, so that might be a long-range plan, but we’ll see how many races we can tick off along the way. “He’s been jumping a fair bit, and he jumps pretty good, but he won’t be jumping until later in the season, or even next season.” Lane was forced to jog back to scale post-race after Farag dumped the jockey before entering the mounting yard. “I was walking back just a little bit too relaxed,” Lane said. “I don’t know what he saw, but he shied at something, and I embarrassingly landed on my backside as we were walking back.” View the full article

Plans are underway to take Dolphin Skin (NZ) (Telperion) to Adelaide for their upcoming Carnival, but for the time being the filly will be kept in Melbourne. The Leon and Troy Corstens-trained filly was entered for the Listed Clare Lindop Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville on Saturday, but instead she will stay in Melbourne to contest the Gr.3 Alexandra Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley. Troy Corstens said running the filly at home on Saturday will give the stable a better indication of where she sits against those that are likely to be in Adelaide later in the Carnival. Dolphin Skin had a gallop at The Valley on Tuesday morning and acquitted herself well giving Corstens that added belief of staying in Melbourne was the right thing to do. Plans after Saturday are to travel to Adelaide for the Gr.3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) at Morphettville on April 13 and then the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) two weeks later. “If she runs really well on Saturday, we’ll be going over for the Auraria Stakes and the Australasian Oaks,” Corstens said. “I figured I don’t really want to be going over three times and she got around Moonee Valley nicely on Tuesday morning. “If she runs really well, it gives you confidence that you can go over for the Auraria and then she can stay over for the other race.” Dolphin Skin showed her potential as a late two-year-old winning the Listed Taj Rossi Series Final (1600m) at Flemington last July which prompted the team to set the filly on a path towards the VRC Oaks (2500m) last spring. But the filly failed to come up and was sent for a break, returning to win first-up over 1400m at Sandown last month. “She was good first-up and that’s what she showed us in her first preparation,” Corstens said. “We brought her back for an Oaks prep, but she’d been up too long and needed a break, so it was good to see her back the other day. “You only get one shot at a VRC Oaks, and it didn’t work, but we could also end up in Queensland if she’s going well enough.” View the full article