Wandering Eyes

Former jockey Rachael Blackmore and Jack, Owen and Ivor Anthony will be inducted into the Jump Racing Hall of Fame at Cheltenham this week. The quartet will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame on day one of the November Meeting on Friday, November 14. Blackmore, who retired in May, was the first female to ride a Grand National winner with Minella Times at Aintree. She is also a current ambassador for Cheltenham Racecourse and, with the assist of trainer Henry de Bromhead, was leading rider at the Cheltenham Festival in 2021. Her record at Cheltenham stands at 18 winners with successes in all five of the championship contests. Honeysuckle landed the Champion Hurdle in both 2021 and 2022, with A Plus Tard recording a historic Cheltenham Gold Cup success in 2022. There was also victory in the Ryanair Chase courtesy of Envoi Allen (2023), Queen Mother Champion Chase with Captain Guinness (2024) and Stayers' Hurdle with Bob Olinger (2025). Blackmore won the World Sports Star at the 2021 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. Blackmore said, “Cheltenham is an incredibly special place, it's where I've been lucky enough to experience some of the best days of my life and career. It's a place that holds so many amazing memories for me, from my very first Festival winner, to unforgettable moments with phenomenal horses like Honeysuckle and A Plus Tard. “To be inducted into the Hall of Fame here is a huge honour, being recognised alongside so many of the greats of our sport is something that still feels surreal.” The Anthony brothers won seven Cheltenham Gold Cups between them from 1927-1941. Owen Anthony trained Thrown In (1927), Golden Miller (1936), and Roman Hackle (1940). Jack Anthony struck with Easter Hero in 1929 and 1930. The third Anthony brother, Ivor, trained Morse Code to win in 1938 and Poet Prince landed the prize in 1941. The trio of brothers were also responsible for each training a Champion Hurdle winner – Jack with Brown Tony (1930), Ivor with Chenango (1934) and Owen with Solford (1940). Guy Lavender, CEO at Cheltenham Racecourse, said, “The Hall of Fame celebrates the very best in jump racing and Rachael Blackmore's achievements are on such another level I think it is totally right that she is inducted into it at the first possible opportunity. “The Anthony brothers dominated the Cheltenham Gold Cup's early years as trainers and their seven winners included two of the greatest ever in Easter Hero and Golden Miller. The way in which the contest's stature and prestige grew is in no small part due to their tremendous success.” The post Blackmore And Anthony Brothers Inducted Into Jump Racing Hall Of Fame appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Graded stakes winners Disarm (Gun Runner–Easy Tap, by Tapit) and Confidence Game (Candy Ride {Arg}–Eblouissante, by Bernardini) will take up stud duty at Hidden Lake Farm in Stillwater, New York in 2026, according to Hidden Lake's Chris Bernhard Thursday. The acquisition was brokered by The Stallion Company. Disarm's stud fee is set at $7,500. Confidence Game will stand for $5,000. Both stallions will stand as property of a syndicate, LFSN terms apply. “We are very excited to jump back into the New York Stallion arena with graded stakes-winning millionaire by Gun Runner Disarm and Grade II-winning son of Candy Ride Confidence Game,” Bernhard commented. “Both beautiful colts offer valuable opportunity for breeders in the Empire State. Disarm is the first Gun Runner to stand in New York and to date, his other sons are off to a great start in the sales ring including Gunite, Early Voting, Taiba and Cyberknife. Confidence Game is by Candy Ride, perhaps the most prolific sire of sire in the last decade, siring Gun Runner, Twirling Candy and Vekoma. Confidence Game is the Grade II Derby prep winner of the Rebel Stakes, out of a Bernardini half-sister to [Horse of the Year] Zenyatta. Both horses are graded stakes winners from deep families and poised to enhance the New York-bred program.” Disarm, fourth behind Mage in the 2023 GI Kentucky Derby, is an earner of nearly $1.7 million in a 19-race career during which he has posted five triple digit Beyer numbers. He broke his maiden by 6 1/4 lengths going seven furlongs at Saratoga, won the GIII Matt Winn at Ellis Park, finished second in the GI Travers at Saratoga and GII Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. He was third in two Grade I's at Saratoga, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Whitney, and third in the GIII Lexington at Keeneland. In his latest effort on Sept. 25, the 5-year-old finished second in the GII Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs. On the racetrack, Confidence Game won the GII Rebel and finished third in the GIII Lecomte at Fair Grounds and the Iowa Sprint. The 5-year-old retired with earnings of $823,962. Candy Ride is the sire of nine Champions, 116 black-type winners and earners of more than $160 million. Confidence Game's second dam, Vertigineux, was Broodmare of the Year and dam of Zenyatta, track record-setter and 19-time winner (14 Grade I's). For information, contact Chris Bernhard, Voice/Text: (914) 850-9769 or email at cjbern@hitmail.com. The post Disarm, Confidence Game to Hidden Lake Farm in 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

David Menuisier says that he is convinced his star mare Tamfana, who is one of the prize lots in the upcoming Sceptre Sessions of the Tattersalls December Mares Sale, is as good as ever. Tamfana landed a memorable Group 1 triumph in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket last year and, ahead of the Sceptre Sessions, her trainer recalled how he realised she was something out of the ordinary from a very early stage in her career. He said, “The way she won her maiden at Kempton followed by her Group 3 in France [as a two-year-old], we had our Christmas party shortly afterwards and I put my neck on the line by saying that she was the best filly that I have ever trained. Obviously, I was drunk, but I wasn't far off being right on that one!” Reflecting on Tamfana's glittering career is bittersweet for Menuisier. For all that she has created some spellbinding memories for her owners Quantum Leap Racing, there was an unlucky fourth in the 1,000 Guineas, where Tamfana was beaten just a length behind Elmalka when denied a clear passage. Menuisier said, “Honestly, the 1,000 Guineas, I was extremely confident because she went to that race off the back of a really good prep. I was really confident. It's a shame she didn't have a clear run because I am sure that she would have won. That was bittersweet because it makes all the difference. Had she won the 1,000 Guineas, it would have been fantastic for the owners and myself, as it would have been my first Classic in the UK. It's still a bit sore when we talk about it. You never really get over those things until you win one I suppose! If there was one positive to take from that fine effort in defeat it was the fact that Tamfana proved herself as a bona fide Group 1 horse in the making. She confirmed that when storming to Group 1 Sun Chariot Stakes glory at Newmarket later that season. “She always showed a lot of class – she was third in the Prix de Diane and fourth in the Grand Prix de Paris,” Menuisier said. “Going to the Sun Chariot, we were pretty confident that she would win but she had been quite unlucky throughout the season. It was just a massive relief when she won. It was like watching the race in slow motion, really. Just sheer elation.” On plans for the future, Menuisier has little doubt in his mind that the four-year-old can be as good if not better than ever next year. He said, “I do believe she is as good as ever. Her first run of the season was absolutely fantastic, running second in the Sandown Mile, which is always a strong race. We beat some of the best milers in Europe that day. In the Lockinge, nothing went right and she actually got struck into that day. She lost her stride and I felt the ground was a little bit too quick for her that day. Because the ground was so quick during the summer, we decided to give her a break during the summer and bring her back in the autumn on what I thought would be good ground. The softish ground did not come until October and we were forced to run in the Prix de l'Opera straight away. That was a hard thing to do but she nearly pulled it off. She then produced a massive run in the QEII at Ascot as well.” Menuisier added, “I know the filly really well and she ran well from a mile to a-mile-and-a-half and from good-to-firm to heavy ground because she's a real racehorse. She doesn't know what defeat means and gives her best all the time. And I know that she is as good as ever.” The post Group 1 Winner Tamfana ‘As Good As Ever’ And Set To Star At Sceptre Sessions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Buyers from Hong Kong and mainland China were an unstoppable force on the second day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale at Karaka on Thursday. Picking up where they left off at the end of Wednesday’s opening session, Hong Kong and Chinese buyers combined to purchase 57 horses on Thursday for a total of more than $13 million. That haul included all of Thursday’s four highest-priced lots, including a sale-topping colt by Zoustar out of the stakes-winning Hussonet mare Hijack Hussy. Offered by Kit Brooks’ KB Bloodstock as Lot 374, the colt was bought by prolific purchaser Kin Man Yeung for $825,000. “Mr Yeung has a very nice Zoustar in Hong Kong (Patch Of Theta) who’s placed at Group level, so he was looking for another Zoustar and he loved this one,” bloodstock agent Willie Leung said. “He looks big and strong and is an early type, so it is likely that we’ll bring him to Hong Kong early.” The sale-topping colt was one of 16 purchases for Yeung, who took leading buyer honours at the Ready to Run Sale for the third year in a row. He spent a total of $3.57 million across Wednesday and Thursday. Mr & Mrs Wong Kwun Keong, Mr & Mrs Yeung Kin Man and Mr & Mrs Manfred Man at Karaka this week Photo: Angelique Bridson “Mr Yeung enjoys the sale very much, because the first year we got two winners and they have won nine races, which was a good result,” Leung said. “And last year we bought more and we already are about to bring 10 new horses to Hong Kong. He wanted to stock up a little bit more and then pick the quality ones to go to Hong Kong for racing.” Yeung’s first leading buyer title came in 2023, when he bought 12 horses for a total of $2.46 million. He followed that up with 24 purchases last year for $4.99 million. James Cummings paid $775,000 on Thursday for Lot 371, a Written Tycoon colt from the Prima Park draft. The colt is a half-brother to My Whisper, the winner of the Gr.3 Tesio Stakes (1600m), Gr.3 Summoned Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) and placegetter in the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m). Lot 371, a colt by Written Tycoon purchased by James Cummings for $775,000 Photo: Angelique Bridson This week marked the first visit to Karaka in close to a decade for Cummings, who is building ammunition as he prepares to join Hong Kong’s training ranks for the 2026-27 season. Cummings came away from the sale with three purchases for a total of $1.43 million. As well as his $775,000 Written Tycoon colt, he also bought a Bivouac gelding for $425,000 and an Exceedance gelding for $230,000. “I haven’t been here since early 2017, so it’s good to be back and seeing some familiar faces,” said Cummings, who won over 50 Group One races during an eight-year tenure as Godolphin’s head trainer in Australia. “This is a very good sale. It’s a good set-up and there’s lots of clients here from Hong Kong. It’s definitely a hunting ground, and a happy one at that, for good quality Hong Kong gallopers.” Shijiazhuang Hongtao Horse Breeding went to $700,000 to secure Trelawney Stud’s Per Incanto colt that was catalogued as Lot 398, while Hongwei Chen paid the same price for Lot 283, BMD Bloodstock’s colt by Hello Youmzain out of Cool Tart. That strong Hong Kong and Chinese market underpinned an enormously successful sale, which achieved an aggregate of over $41 million for the first time in the Ready to Run Sale’s history. Hong Kong buyers alone accounted for more than $17 million of that amount. View the full article

Back-to-back lots through the Karaka sale ring on Thursday’s second day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale produced unprecedented results for a pair of Kiwi sires. Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain hit a new high when Lot 283, a colt out of the Zabeel mare Cool Tart, was knocked down to Hongwei Chen for $700,000. The colt was offered by Barry Donoghue’s BMD Bloodstock. It was a new record price not only for Hello Youmzain but also for Donoghue, continuing a remarkable spring in which he also bred his first Group One winner with Globe in Caulfield’s Might And Power Stakes (2000m). “Today’s result with the Hello Youmzain colt was an enormous thrill and very special,” Donoghue said. “We knew we were going into the sale with a really nice horse and we were expecting him to be popular. But we had a reserve of only $150,000, and whatever happened beyond that was a bonus. We couldn’t be happier.” BMD Bloodstock offered 16 horses across the two days of the Ready to Run Sale, selling 14 of them for a total of $2.69 million and an average price of $192,500. Hello Youmzain, whose yearlings have sold for up to $425,000, was New Zealand’s leading first-season sire in 2024-25 and has sired 16 winners to date from his first southern hemisphere crop including three-time Listed winner Platinum Diamond and fellow stakes-winning filly Lucy In The Sky. Lot 285, a colt by Armory fetched $625,000 to the bid of Cameron Cooke and Busuttin Racing Photo: Angelique Bridson With Lot 284 withdrawn, the very next two-year-old through the ring on Thursday morning was Lot 285 – Ohukia Lodge’s colt from the first crop of Mapperley Stud stallion Armory out of the stakes-winning Golan mare Cora Lynn. The half-brother to nine-race winner and Gr.3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) placegetter Weona Smartone was a $625,000 purchase by Cameron Cooke and Busuttin Racing. Armory ran second behind Russian Camelot in the 2020 edition of the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) before retiring to Mapperley in 2022. The Galileo stallion’s first runner, Silhouette, won the Fusion Electrical 2YO (900m) at Trentham on October 26. “As an individual, this colt was one of our picks of the sale,” Trent Busuttin said. “He was always going to be expensive, but you’ve got to buy the ones you like. Cameron Cooke selected him for one of his clients, and we’re lucky enough to get to train him. “Armory has already had a winner. It’s always good to buy off New Zealand farms and support the New Zealand stallions.” View the full article

Buyers from Hong Kong and mainland China were an unstoppable force on the second day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale at Karaka on Thursday. Picking up where they left off at the end of Wednesday’s opening session, Hong Kong and Chinese buyers combined to purchase 57 horses on Thursday for a total of more than $13 million. That haul included all of Thursday’s four highest-priced lots, including a sale-topping colt by Zoustar out of the stakes-winning Hussonet mare Hijack Hussy. Offered by Kit Brooks’ KB Bloodstock as Lot 374, the colt was bought by prolific purchaser Kin Man Yeung for $825,000. “Mr Yeung has a very nice Zoustar in Hong Kong (Patch Of Theta) who’s placed at Group level, so he was looking for another Zoustar and he loved this one,” bloodstock agent Willie Leung said. “He looks big and strong and is an early type, so it is likely that we’ll bring him to Hong Kong early.” The sale-topping colt was one of 16 purchases for Yeung, who took leading buyer honours at the Ready to Run Sale for the third year in a row. He spent a total of $3.57 million across Wednesday and Thursday. Mr & Mrs Wong Kwun Keong, Mr & Mrs Yeung Kin Man and Mr & Mrs Manfred Man at Karaka this week Photo: Angelique Bridson “Mr Yeung enjoys the sale very much, because the first year we got two winners and they have won nine races, which was a good result,” Leung said. “And last year we bought more and we already are about to bring 10 new horses to Hong Kong. He wanted to stock up a little bit more and then pick the quality ones to go to Hong Kong for racing.” Yeung’s first leading buyer title came in 2023, when he bought 12 horses for a total of $2.46 million. He followed that up with 24 purchases last year for $4.99 million. James Cummings paid $775,000 on Thursday for Lot 371, a Written Tycoon colt from the Prima Park draft. The colt is a half-brother to My Whisper, the winner of the Gr.3 Tesio Stakes (1600m), Gr.3 Summoned Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) and placegetter in the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m). Lot 371, a colt by Written Tycoon purchased by James Cummings for $775,000 Photo: Angelique Bridson This week marked the first visit to Karaka in close to a decade for Cummings, who is building ammunition as he prepares to join Hong Kong’s training ranks for the 2026-27 season. Cummings came away from the sale with three purchases for a total of $1.43 million. As well as his $775,000 Written Tycoon colt, he also bought a Bivouac gelding for $425,000 and an Exceedance gelding for $230,000. “I haven’t been here since early 2017, so it’s good to be back and seeing some familiar faces,” said Cummings, who won over 50 Group One races during an eight-year tenure as Godolphin’s head trainer in Australia. “This is a very good sale. It’s a good set-up and there’s lots of clients here from Hong Kong. It’s definitely a hunting ground, and a happy one at that, for good quality Hong Kong gallopers.” Shijiazhuang Hongtao Horse Breeding went to $700,000 to secure Trelawney Stud’s Per Incanto colt that was catalogued as Lot 398, while Hongwei Chen paid the same price for Lot 283, BMD Bloodstock’s colt by Hello Youmzain out of Cool Tart. That strong Hong Kong and Chinese market underpinned an enormously successful sale, which achieved an aggregate of over $41 million for the first time in the Ready to Run Sale’s history. Hong Kong buyers alone accounted for more than $17 million of that amount. View the full article

Back-to-back lots through the Karaka sale ring on Thursday’s second day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale produced unprecedented results for a pair of Kiwi sires. Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain hit a new high when Lot 283, a colt out of the Zabeel mare Cool Tart, was knocked down to Hongwei Chen for $700,000. The colt was offered by Barry Donoghue’s BMD Bloodstock. It was a new record price not only for Hello Youmzain but also for Donoghue, continuing a remarkable spring in which he also bred his first Group One winner with Globe in Caulfield’s Might And Power Stakes (2000m). “Today’s result with the Hello Youmzain colt was an enormous thrill and very special,” Donoghue said. “We knew we were going into the sale with a really nice horse and we were expecting him to be popular. But we had a reserve of only $150,000, and whatever happened beyond that was a bonus. We couldn’t be happier.” BMD Bloodstock offered 16 horses across the two days of the Ready to Run Sale, selling 14 of them for a total of $2.69 million and an average price of $192,500. Hello Youmzain, whose yearlings have sold for up to $425,000, was New Zealand’s leading first-season sire in 2024-25 and has sired 16 winners to date from his first southern hemisphere crop including three-time Listed winner Platinum Diamond and fellow stakes-winning filly Lucy In The Sky. Lot 285, a colt by Armory fetched $625,000 to the bid of Cameron Cooke and Busuttin Racing Photo: Angelique Bridson With Lot 284 withdrawn, the very next two-year-old through the ring on Thursday morning was Lot 285 – Ohukia Lodge’s colt from the first crop of Mapperley Stud stallion Armory out of the stakes-winning Golan mare Cora Lynn. The half-brother to nine-race winner and Gr.3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) placegetter Weona Smartone was a $625,000 purchase by Cameron Cooke and Busuttin Racing. Armory ran second behind Russian Camelot in the 2020 edition of the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) before retiring to Mapperley in 2022. The Galileo stallion’s first runner, Silhouette, won the Fusion Electrical 2YO (900m) at Trentham on October 26. “As an individual, this colt was one of our picks of the sale,” Trent Busuttin said. “He was always going to be expensive, but you’ve got to buy the ones you like. Cameron Cooke selected him for one of his clients, and we’re lucky enough to get to train him. “Armory has already had a winner. It’s always good to buy off New Zealand farms and support the New Zealand stallions.” View the full article

Buyers from Hong Kong and mainland China were an unstoppable force on the second day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale at Karaka on Thursday. Picking up where they left off at the end of Wednesday’s opening session, Hong Kong and Chinese buyers combined to purchase 57 horses on Thursday for a total of more than $13 million. That haul included all of Thursday’s four highest-priced lots, including a sale-topping colt by Zoustar out of the stakes-winning Hussonet mare Hijack Hussy. Offered by Kit Brooks’ KB Bloodstock as Lot 374, the colt was bought by prolific purchaser Kin Man Yeung for $825,000. “Mr Yeung has a very nice Zoustar in Hong Kong (Patch Of Theta) who’s placed at Group level, so he was looking for another Zoustar and he loved this one,” bloodstock agent Willie Leung said. “He looks big and strong and is an early type, so it is likely that we’ll bring him to Hong Kong early.” The sale-topping colt was one of 16 purchases for Yeung, who took leading buyer honours at the Ready to Run Sale for the third year in a row. He spent a total of $3.57 million across Wednesday and Thursday. Mr & Mrs Wong Kwun Keong, Mr & Mrs Yeung Kin Man and Mr & Mrs Manfred Man at Karaka this week Photo: Angelique Bridson “Mr Yeung enjoys the sale very much, because the first year we got two winners and they have won nine races, which was a good result,” Leung said. “And last year we bought more and we already are about to bring 10 new horses to Hong Kong. He wanted to stock up a little bit more and then pick the quality ones to go to Hong Kong for racing.” Yeung’s first leading buyer title came in 2023, when he bought 12 horses for a total of $2.46 million. He followed that up with 24 purchases last year for $4.99 million. James Cummings paid $775,000 on Thursday for Lot 371, a Written Tycoon colt from the Prima Park draft. The colt is a half-brother to My Whisper, the winner of the Gr.3 Tesio Stakes (1600m), Gr.3 Summoned Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) and placegetter in the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m). Lot 371, a colt by Written Tycoon purchased by James Cummings for $775,000 Photo: Angelique Bridson This week marked the first visit to Karaka in close to a decade for Cummings, who is building ammunition as he prepares to join Hong Kong’s training ranks for the 2026-27 season. Cummings came away from the sale with three purchases for a total of $1.43 million. As well as his $775,000 Written Tycoon colt, he also bought a Bivouac gelding for $425,000 and an Exceedance gelding for $230,000. “I haven’t been here since early 2017, so it’s good to be back and seeing some familiar faces,” said Cummings, who won over 50 Group One races during an eight-year tenure as Godolphin’s head trainer in Australia. “This is a very good sale. It’s a good set-up and there’s lots of clients here from Hong Kong. It’s definitely a hunting ground, and a happy one at that, for good quality Hong Kong gallopers.” Shijiazhuang Hongtao Horse Breeding went to $700,000 to secure Trelawney Stud’s Per Incanto colt that was catalogued as Lot 398, while Hongwei Chen paid the same price for Lot 283, BMD Bloodstock’s colt by Hello Youmzain out of Cool Tart. That strong Hong Kong and Chinese market underpinned an enormously successful sale, which achieved an aggregate of over $41 million for the first time in the Ready to Run Sale’s history. Hong Kong buyers alone accounted for more than $17 million of that amount. View the full article

Back-to-back lots through the Karaka sale ring on Thursday’s second day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale produced unprecedented results for a pair of Kiwi sires. Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain hit a new high when Lot 283, a colt out of the Zabeel mare Cool Tart, was knocked down to Hongwei Chen for $700,000. The colt was offered by Barry Donoghue’s BMD Bloodstock. It was a new record price not only for Hello Youmzain but also for Donoghue, continuing a remarkable spring in which he also bred his first Group One winner with Globe in Caulfield’s Might And Power Stakes (2000m). “Today’s result with the Hello Youmzain colt was an enormous thrill and very special,” Donoghue said. “We knew we were going into the sale with a really nice horse and we were expecting him to be popular. But we had a reserve of only $150,000, and whatever happened beyond that was a bonus. We couldn’t be happier.” BMD Bloodstock offered 16 horses across the two days of the Ready to Run Sale, selling 14 of them for a total of $2.69 million and an average price of $192,500. Hello Youmzain, whose yearlings have sold for up to $425,000, was New Zealand’s leading first-season sire in 2024-25 and has sired 16 winners to date from his first southern hemisphere crop including three-time Listed winner Platinum Diamond and fellow stakes-winning filly Lucy In The Sky. Lot 285, a colt by Armory fetched $625,000 to the bid of Cameron Cooke and Busuttin Racing Photo: Angelique Bridson With Lot 284 withdrawn, the very next two-year-old through the ring on Thursday morning was Lot 285 – Ohukia Lodge’s colt from the first crop of Mapperley Stud stallion Armory out of the stakes-winning Golan mare Cora Lynn. The half-brother to nine-race winner and Gr.3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) placegetter Weona Smartone was a $625,000 purchase by Cameron Cooke and Busuttin Racing. Armory ran second behind Russian Camelot in the 2020 edition of the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) before retiring to Mapperley in 2022. The Galileo stallion’s first runner, Silhouette, won the Fusion Electrical 2YO (900m) at Trentham on October 26. “As an individual, this colt was one of our picks of the sale,” Trent Busuttin said. “He was always going to be expensive, but you’ve got to buy the ones you like. Cameron Cooke selected him for one of his clients, and we’re lucky enough to get to train him. “Armory has already had a winner. It’s always good to buy off New Zealand farms and support the New Zealand stallions.” View the full article

Buyers from Hong Kong and mainland China were an unstoppable force on the second day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale at Karaka on Thursday. Picking up where they left off at the end of Wednesday’s opening session, Hong Kong and Chinese buyers combined to purchase 57 horses on Thursday for a total of more than $13 million. That haul included all of Thursday’s four highest-priced lots, including a sale-topping colt by Zoustar out of the stakes-winning Hussonet mare Hijack Hussy. Offered by Kit Brooks’ KB Bloodstock as Lot 374, the colt was bought by prolific purchaser Kin Man Yeung for $825,000. “Mr Yeung has a very nice Zoustar in Hong Kong (Patch Of Theta) who’s placed at Group level, so he was looking for another Zoustar and he loved this one,” bloodstock agent Willie Leung said. “He looks big and strong and is an early type, so it is likely that we’ll bring him to Hong Kong early.” The sale-topping colt was one of 16 purchases for Yeung, who took leading buyer honours at the Ready to Run Sale for the third year in a row. He spent a total of $3.57 million across Wednesday and Thursday. Mr & Mrs Wong Kwun Keong, Mr & Mrs Yeung Kin Man and Mr & Mrs Manfred Man at Karaka this week Photo: Angelique Bridson “Mr Yeung enjoys the sale very much, because the first year we got two winners and they have won nine races, which was a good result,” Leung said. “And last year we bought more and we already are about to bring 10 new horses to Hong Kong. He wanted to stock up a little bit more and then pick the quality ones to go to Hong Kong for racing.” Yeung’s first leading buyer title came in 2023, when he bought 12 horses for a total of $2.46 million. He followed that up with 24 purchases last year for $4.99 million. James Cummings paid $775,000 on Thursday for Lot 371, a Written Tycoon colt from the Prima Park draft. The colt is a half-brother to My Whisper, the winner of the Gr.3 Tesio Stakes (1600m), Gr.3 Summoned Stakes (1600m) and Gr.3 Auraria Stakes (1800m) and placegetter in the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m). Lot 371, a colt by Written Tycoon purchased by James Cummings for $775,000 Photo: Angelique Bridson This week marked the first visit to Karaka in close to a decade for Cummings, who is building ammunition as he prepares to join Hong Kong’s training ranks for the 2026-27 season. Cummings came away from the sale with three purchases for a total of $1.43 million. As well as his $775,000 Written Tycoon colt, he also bought a Bivouac gelding for $425,000 and an Exceedance gelding for $230,000. “I haven’t been here since early 2017, so it’s good to be back and seeing some familiar faces,” said Cummings, who won over 50 Group One races during an eight-year tenure as Godolphin’s head trainer in Australia. “This is a very good sale. It’s a good set-up and there’s lots of clients here from Hong Kong. It’s definitely a hunting ground, and a happy one at that, for good quality Hong Kong gallopers.” Shijiazhuang Hongtao Horse Breeding went to $700,000 to secure Trelawney Stud’s Per Incanto colt that was catalogued as Lot 398, while Hongwei Chen paid the same price for Lot 283, BMD Bloodstock’s colt by Hello Youmzain out of Cool Tart. That strong Hong Kong and Chinese market underpinned an enormously successful sale, which achieved an aggregate of over $41 million for the first time in the Ready to Run Sale’s history. Hong Kong buyers alone accounted for more than $17 million of that amount. View the full article

Back-to-back lots through the Karaka sale ring on Thursday’s second day of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale produced unprecedented results for a pair of Kiwi sires. Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain hit a new high when Lot 283, a colt out of the Zabeel mare Cool Tart, was knocked down to Hongwei Chen for $700,000. The colt was offered by Barry Donoghue’s BMD Bloodstock. It was a new record price not only for Hello Youmzain but also for Donoghue, continuing a remarkable spring in which he also bred his first Group One winner with Globe in Caulfield’s Might And Power Stakes (2000m). “Today’s result with the Hello Youmzain colt was an enormous thrill and very special,” Donoghue said. “We knew we were going into the sale with a really nice horse and we were expecting him to be popular. But we had a reserve of only $150,000, and whatever happened beyond that was a bonus. We couldn’t be happier.” BMD Bloodstock offered 16 horses across the two days of the Ready to Run Sale, selling 14 of them for a total of $2.69 million and an average price of $192,500. Hello Youmzain, whose yearlings have sold for up to $425,000, was New Zealand’s leading first-season sire in 2024-25 and has sired 16 winners to date from his first southern hemisphere crop including three-time Listed winner Platinum Diamond and fellow stakes-winning filly Lucy In The Sky. Lot 285, a colt by Armory fetched $625,000 to the bid of Cameron Cooke and Busuttin Racing Photo: Angelique Bridson With Lot 284 withdrawn, the very next two-year-old through the ring on Thursday morning was Lot 285 – Ohukia Lodge’s colt from the first crop of Mapperley Stud stallion Armory out of the stakes-winning Golan mare Cora Lynn. The half-brother to nine-race winner and Gr.3 Sydney Stakes (1200m) placegetter Weona Smartone was a $625,000 purchase by Cameron Cooke and Busuttin Racing. Armory ran second behind Russian Camelot in the 2020 edition of the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) before retiring to Mapperley in 2022. The Galileo stallion’s first runner, Silhouette, won the Fusion Electrical 2YO (900m) at Trentham on October 26. “As an individual, this colt was one of our picks of the sale,” Trent Busuttin said. “He was always going to be expensive, but you’ve got to buy the ones you like. Cameron Cooke selected him for one of his clients, and we’re lucky enough to get to train him. “Armory has already had a winner. It’s always good to buy off New Zealand farms and support the New Zealand stallions.” View the full article

Zac Purton has high hopes Patch Of Stars can continue his impressive progression when the talented four-year-old tackles Saturday’s Class Two Lukfook Jewellery Cup (1,200m) at Sha Tin. The Manfred Man Ka-leung-trained gelding has risen from a mark of 50 to 86 on his past six starts, which have yielded four victories and a close second. Fresh from a second-up success in the Class Three Lek Yuen Handicap (1,200m) last start, Patch Of Stars will be tested in Class Two company for the first time...View the full article

Robson Aguiar will send out his first runners as a licenced trainer in Ireland at Dundalk on Friday night but poured cold water on any prospects of a dream debut double under the lights with Square Necker and Bryant, both of whom are owned by Amo Racing. The Brazilian native has taken over officially from Adrian Murray, who has sent out a number of Amo's most important winners from the same Mullingar-based stable, and stresses that 'nothing has changed only whose name the horses are running under'. His first runner, Square Necker, is an unexposed three-year-old colt by Zarak and he will be partnered by Colin Keane in the 1m2f maiden. He boasts an obvious chance on form given he placed on his only start for Ralph Beckett in a Doncaster maiden won by the now 104-rated Bedouin Prince. “I was packing in the licence a good few years ago and Robson sat me down and we had a long talk. He told me that he'd help make it work for me and, by Jesus, he did,” – Adrian Murray Bryant will represent connections in the following 1m2f handicap, for which Wayne Lordan has been booked to ride. Both horses, according to the trainer, are expected to come on from the experience. Aguiar said, “It's good to get started and hopefully they run well. They are in good form but they will probably need the run. I think they will run well but it will not surprise me if they need the run.” He added, “Bryant is a nice horse. He wants at least a-mile-and-half and I have a race for him in two weeks back up at Dundalk over two miles. If he does not win on Friday, he will go to that because he looks like a horse who needs a step up in trip. Square Necker is kind of the same. He needs at least a-mile-and-a-half. But both horses are in good form and I am happy. I think they will run well.” Murray was the official licence holder for Amo Racing's breakthrough Group 1 success with Bucanero Fuerte in the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh in 2023, Power Blue's triumph in the same race this year and many more memorable successes. All told, Murray sent out three Group 1 winners and a Royal Ascot scorer from Aguiar's base, with that latest top-level success coming with Arizona Blaze in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh. Aguiar confirmed that Murray would remain an integral part of the operation going forward. He explained, “It is the same thing – the only thing that has changed is that the horses will run in my name. Adrian and I are very close. He has helped me when I needed him and I have helped him when he needed me. We will continue to do that and he is a big part of our team.” On plans for the rest of the winter, the trainer added, “I am more concentrated on the babies coming through for next year but we have a few nice horses to run on the all-weather for the rest of the year. We also have a few two-year-olds who need a run so we are looking forward to getting them out over the next few weeks at Dundalk. Valiant Force could run at Dundalk in a couple of weeks, Carolina Jetstream is there and there are a couple of others we could qualify for the all-weather finals over the winter. Last year, we had 14 winners over the winter and hopefully we can stay busy over the next few months.” The handover comes completely with Murray's blessing, with the County Westmeath native stating that, without an intervention from Aguiar, he would have given up training “a long time ago.” Murray said, “Robson has been a great pal of mine for years and we've had a great working relationship together. I wish him even better luck than I have had with them! I have had three Group 1 winners and a Royal Ascot winner in the past few years and that is all down to Robson. Without him, it wouldn't have been possible. “Only for Robson, I wouldn't be still training. I would be long gone. I was packing in the licence a good few years ago and he sat me down and we had a long talk. He told me that he'd help make it work for me and, by Jesus, he did. I've been all over the world – places I could never have dreamed of – all because of Robson. I have had a lot of Brazilian people around my place down through the years and they are just brilliant people – great family people and great horse people. The one thing with Robson is, he always has big expectations, but he makes it work. Some lads can come up with big ideas but Robson can make it work. And another thing, he's absolutely gifted at buying a horse. I am not retiring. I will be staying on in the background with Robson and I will continue to train myself, but I will be concentrating more on the National Hunt side of things.” Asked to put forward a highlight from his time in the spotlight, he concluded, “We've had some brilliant days together but I think Bucanero Fuerte winning his first Group 1 for Amo would have to be right up there because I love that horse. It was probably a toss-up between that and Valiant Force winning at Royal Ascot. They were two brilliant days that I will never forget.” The post Robson Aguiar Excited To Get Started With First Runners As A Trainer At Dundalk On Friday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After cutting his teeth as a cadet steward for the Hong Kong Jockey Club, Joseph Chan Nim-him has relished the hands-on nature of his first season as a British Horseracing Authority (BHA) stipendiary steward. The first Hong Kong-trained steward to branch out and work in another major racing jurisdiction, Chan has been plying his trade in the United Kingdom since March this year. “After more than six years as a cadet stipe at the Jockey Club, I wanted to see some more horse racing around the...View the full article

With options including the Big Dogs and the Aussie Assault, the TAB has released some key betting information for Addington’s huge Show Day meeting tomorrow. The meeting, starting at 2.09pm, features four Group 1s as well as the two $500,000 3YO slot races, THE ASCENT and THE VELOCITY. The TAB will guarantee $10,000 First 4s on all 13 races with a guaranteed $50,000 Late Quaddie, starting on Race 9, the AZAP Electrical Trotting Free For All at 7.09pm. Beyond that there are many other ways to tackle one of the biggest days of the year. For instance the Box Seat Boost has Tracy The Jet at $2.70 in THE ASCENT, as compared to her fixed odds price of $1.95 while in THE VELOCITY a seemingly generous $2.70 is being offered for a Marketplace – Got The Chocolates quinella. The Aussie Assault is currently paying $4 for trans-Tasman stars Leap To Fame and Jilliby Ballerini to take out the Pacing-Trotting Free For All double. That compares with Jilliby Ballerini at $1.95FF and Leap To Fame at $1.60FF (or $2.80 in a multi). Then there are other options including the Big Dogs where punters can choose their “winner” from five contenders in both the Pacing and Trotting Free For Alls, and a wide range of Head to Head markets. Boosts for the day will be found under Futures: Racing Futures | TAB while all other markets, including Early Crows will be at Extras: Racing Extras | TAB. *Prices accurate at time of publication but subject to change. View the full article

One of three horses saved from a feedlot by Resolute Racing last year, Awesome Hawaiian's debut victory at Churchill Downs Nov. 12 was a win for rescue horses.View the full article

After a solid effort in a race such as the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1T) in mid-October, it's not unusual for the connections to give that 3-year-old filly some time off to prepare for the following year's campaign. View the full article

Pre-post favourite Affirmative Action will have to overcome a wide gate and a lighter than intended preparation in his shared bid to defend the stable’s title in Saturday’s Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m). Trainer Pam Gerard prepared Savaglee to romp home in last season’s Al Basti Equiworld Dubai-sponsored Classic at Riccarton and will be double-handed in her attempt to go back-to-back in the age group feature. While Affirmative Action boasts the higher profile, barnmate Romanoff has also come into serious contention following two sound lead-up efforts. Their southern flight was delayed a day and they landed in Christchurch on Thursday morning without incident and in tip-top order. “They both travelled well, so we’re happy they got there safe and sound and they’re both in good form,” Gerard said. Affirmative Action will jump from barrier 15 under regular rider George Rooke and won the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) from the outside barrier two runs back before further success at Ellerslie. “He doesn’t know much different with a wide gate, so if we don’t tell him he won’t know,” Gerard said. “I’m still learning a bit about him really, it’s hard to get a line on him as he’s such a laid-back fellow that you might think hasn’t got any more in the tank, but George (Rooke, jockey) assures me there’s plenty left. “He just jumps and puts himself there in his races and completely buttons off.” The son of Yes Yes Yes has won two of his three starts, and in an ideal world, would have had one more outing ahead of Riccarton. “I would have liked to have got another run under his belt going into the Guineas, but it just wasn’t available to us so we’ve done the best we can and hopefully it’s good enough,” Gerard said. Belardo gelding Romanoff was a juvenile winner last term and opened his three-year-old campaign when third on a heavy track at Rotorua. He then showed his versatility with another placing behind race rivals Swiss Prince and To Cap It All on top of the ground in the Gr.2 James & Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m). “He’s very well and he’ll get the mile, no trouble at all,” Gerard said. “His run at Tauranga was amazing, he was the only horse to make up ground from behind all day, and he wasn’t far off them. “He is quite under-estimated, and he’s done nothing wrong at all this time in. “He’s very light and nimble and is walking on air at the moment, he’s absolutely flying.” View the full article

Shaune Ritchie hopes his decision to bypass the fillies’ feature at Riccarton with Tajana will pay off on Saturday when she takes on the boys in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m). The daughter of Darci Brahma has been one of the best in her age group this spring, winning the Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) and Gr.3 Sunline Vase (1400m) before finishing third in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) to Well Written. While the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) had been on Ritchie’s radar for Tajana, he and training partner Colm Murray opted to avoid running against Well Written last Saturday and that was justified when she bolted in over the mile. “I think the decision to run her against the colts was justified by the emphatic way that Well Written buried them in the 1000 Guineas,” Ritchie said. “I very much doubt we would’ve been able to beat her especially from the draw she had in the race. “We compare ourselves with Lollapalooza who ran a good second, so I think we’ve made the right call to take on the colts. “In saying that, we’re walking into the unknown with the colts.” To be ridden on this occasion by Craig Grylls, Tajana will have side winkers on for the first time when she jumps from barrier three. “We’re adding side winkers to sharpen up that turn of foot that she’s got, it would be nice if she could race a little bit handier, but the Riccarton straight allows you to be able to relax back in the field,” Ritchie said. “There are a lot of options for Craig Grylls to take, he had a good feel of her at Ellerslie on Melbourne Cup Day in an exhibition gallop and he was thoroughly impressed with her. George (Rooke) has elected to ride the colt (Affirmative Action) which we respect, but I don’t think we’ve lost anything in getting a genuine Group One jockey in Craig Grylls on. “She is in superb order, I doubt we could’ve presented her in better condition for what is her grand final and she’s going to take all sorts of beating on Saturday. I believe you’ll see the best presented order of Tajana on Saturday, she’s as well as we can get her and I think you’ll find a peak performance come out. “She’s done all her fast work at home and she’ll just have a quiet canter at Riccarton on Friday morning. She’ll be ready to rock and roll on Saturday.” Ritchie’s attention will also be on Tauranga on Saturday, where multiple Group winner Nereus resumes in the Happy Hire Cup (1400m). “He’s carrying a lot more condition than he has at any point in time, he’s never been an overly big or gross horse, he’s always been relatively athletic,” Ritchie said. “He has run cheeky races fresh, he’s run third in an Open 1400m much to our surprise last preparation so with a stronger version of himself, he can go a cheeky sort of race here. “We’re getting three kilos off with Sam McNab as well because the 60 kilos is an impost. “He’s been a great flagbearer for the stable and his best trips are around that 2000 to 2400m mark, so his main targets will be some of those summer cups.” Ritchie is hoping to see an improved effort second-up from Alaskan in the Devan Plastics 1600 after the mare disappointed in her resuming run, having finished sixth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) last term. “She’s the sort of horse that we thought could be a New Zealand Cup (Gr.3, 3200m) hope this time last year, the wet tracks have hindered her program as they have done for a lot of them this spring but having said that, her trials and first up run were sub-standard at best,” he said. “We just backed off her a bit and took our time and she seems to be working on the training tracks with a lot more willingness, so she’ll be an interesting runner. She certainly hasn’t missed any work, but she appears to have turned the corner, she certainly needs to improve on that first up run as we are looking for more from her. “If she does return to that late three-year-old form we expect her to get through the grades over ground, but we need to see a vast improvement from that run which was some time ago.” View the full article

In his first day riding in races since a Sept. 21 fall sent him to the hospital, jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. won an allowance optional claiming race aboard Sir Greylind at Churchill Downs Nov. 12.View the full article

A day after the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale closed with new records in the average and median prices, there were more headlines made Wednesday afternoon when recent GIII Forty Niner Stakes winner Bishops Bay (Uncle Mo–Catch My Drift, by Pioneerof the Nile) was knocked down to bloodstock agent Pedro Lanz, agent for Saudi Arabia's KAZ Stables, for a record $1.3 million in the first 30 minutes of trade during the auction house's standalone Horses of Racing Age Sale. The previous Keeneland HORA Sale record was the $1 million paid for the 2-year-old colt Extortion (Into Mischief) in 2022. The HORA sale is in its fourth year as a separate auction. The 5-year-old entire was one of three horses to sell for better than a half-million dollars during a 3 1/2-hour session where 108 horses changed hands for $10,455,000, an increase of 21.39% over last year. The average of $96,806 represented a gain of 18.01%, while the median price of $40,000 declined by 20%. Twenty horses were reported as not sold (15.63%), a slight uptick numerically and on a percentage basis from 2024, when 14 horses (11.76%) failed to find new homes. In the aftermath of booming results from its September Yearling Sale and again over the course of the eight days of trade during the breeding stock sale, Wednesday's results gave sales officials even more to crow about. “This was a strong finish to a remarkable sales season,” Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said. “Setting a record for top price in this format is very satisfying and reflects an ongoing demand for quality, race-ready horses as we move into a new season. “The momentum we've seen throughout the year carried right through to the end, and we are grateful to all the buyers and sellers whose participation and confidence make success like this possible.” Next up on the Keeneland sales docket is the 2026 January Horses of All Ages Sale which begins Jan. 12. Saudi Cup The Target For Bishops Bay Beyond any shadow of a doubt, the launching of the Saudi Cup in 2020 has dramatically altered the trajectory of horses-of-racing-age sales in Central Kentucky and further afield. With that in mind, bloodstock professionals representing ownership interests in Saudi Arabia and in the Gulf countries at large have been understandably more aggressive with their spend, willing to invest top dollar with the lure of a potential high-six, seven-, or in the case of the main event, eight-figure payday over the winter months in the desert. Bishops Bay is the latest to tick the necessary boxes, according to Lanz. “All year,” the agent told Keeneland media when asked how long the 5-year-old has been on his radar. “That's a typical horse that can work for us. I was watching the replays and I recommended this horse because he is a very honest horse: 12 starts, eight wins, three seconds. It's a very honest horse and I think he will be fine.” Bred by WinStar Farm and sold for $450,000 as a Keeneland September yearling in 2021, the bay was trained by Brad Cox for a partnership headed by Spendthrift Farm, won his first two starts as a 3-year-old and transitioned into stakes company, finishing runner-up to future champion Arcangelo (Arrogate) in the GIII Peter Pan Stakes and second to Two Phil's in the GIII Ohio Derby. Restricted to a single appearance at four, Bishops Bay has won five of his seven outings this season, including the GIII Westchester Stakes and GIII Salvator Mile in addition to the Forty Niner on Nov. 2. Bishops Bay has amassed a record of 8-3-0 from 12 starts to date for earnings of $702,800. The other partners in Bishops Bay include Steve Landers, Marty Schwartz, Michael Dubb, Ten Strike Racing, Jim Bakke, Titletown Racing, Kueber Racing, Big Easy Racing, Rick Kanter, Michael Caruso and WinStar. Bidding on Bishops Bay was fractionally slow to develop through the early stages, with incremental lobs of $10,000 and $15,000 ushering Bishops Bay into the $400,000 range. It picked up–dramatically so–once a $450,000 bid was upped by $50,000, and it progressed in $25,000 chunks through the $1-million mark before the competition bowed out on Lanz's $1.3-million salvo. Bloodstock agent Chad Schumer was the immediate underbidder. “Pedro was sitting right across from me and poor E. C. [46-year Keeneland bid spotter E. C. Larkin] was going back and forth, I felt sorry for him,” Schumer said anecdotally. Bishops Bay will race on under Cox's care into a 6-year-old campaign that could end up in a start in the world's richest race, should all go according to plan. “We have the [GII] Cigar Mile [at Aqueduct on Dec. 6],” Lanz said. “We will talk to Brad Cox and that's a possibility. We have the option to continue training the horse in quarantine for the Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia, not confirmed yet. “If we win the [G3] King's Cup (Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup) against local-trained horses, we have a pass. We qualify. If we win the Cigar Mile and we get a nice high rating, that's another way. We have to receive an invitation from the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia.” Rattle N Roll (Connect) won the 2025 King's Cup ahead of a fourth to Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the Saudi Cup. The 2026 King's Cup, an internationally recognized Group 3 contest, is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 17, four weeks ahead of the Saudi Cup on Feb. 14 over the same course and 1800-meter distance. Lanz wasn't entirely surprised that a bidding war ensued. “Well, that's what usually happens when we have the Middle East fighting for the same horse,” he said. “He was, for me, the best horse–two turns, long distance horse. We (had) to be ready.” In an ironic twist, Bishops Bay is a half-brother to Strava (Into Mischief), who topped the racing-age section in 2021 when it was still folded into the breeding stock sale. The winning bid of $825,000 was made by the late Louisville head basketball coach Denny Crum. 'Rising StaRRR' World Record Also Off To Middle East Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi's Dubai-based RRR Racing went to $900,000 to acquire 'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard World Record (Gun Runner–Marwa {GB}, by Exceed and Excel {Aus}) as Wednesday's Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale neared its conclusion in Lexington. “I thought he sold well, that's kind of where we had him pegged, from $500,000 to $1 million,” said WinStar Farm's Elliott Walden, who raced the colt in partnership with BBN Racing. “He had 12 vets and was very popular.” Consigned by ELiTE Sales, agent, the bay colt was bred by Runnymede Farm LLC, Falguieres Bloodstock, Gestut Zur Kuste AG, et. al. and was originally a $410,000 purchase as a weanling out of the 2021 Keeneland November Sale. Trained by Rodolphe Brisset, World Record was named a 'Rising Star' when graduating by open lengths at second asking at three and two starts later, ran his rivals off their feet in the GII Amsterdam Stakes at Saratoga, scoring by 6 3/4 lengths. World Record | Keeneland photo An impressive allowance winner at Churchill Downs during Derby week this past May, the bay was second in the GIII Aristides Stakes and third in the GI Bing Crosby Stakes this season. His career record stands at 11-4-1-4 for earnings of $504,540. “I think there was quite a bit of interest in this horse from the Middle East,” said Ed Prosser, who signed the ticket on behalf of RRR Racing. “Bhupat Seemar, who will train him in Dubai, asked me to bid on him. He rang me earlier. He had seen the catalog and was interested in a few and this was one of them. He is always on the lookout for horses in America. There are some people from Saudi Arabia and the (Persian) Gulf region who are interested in this horse and this sale. They did their homework and they liked him. He looks like he will be a good horse for the races in Dubai.” Among RRR Racing's best horses to date are Isolate (Mark Valeski), winner of the G2 Godolphin Mile; Clapton (Brethren), victorious in the 2023 GIII Lukas Classic Stakes and Group 1-placed in Dubai; G3 UAE Oaks heroine Rayya (Tiz Wonderful); and Mufasa (Chi) (Practical Joke), twice a winner at Grade III level in this country at the back end of 2024 and acquired thereafter by RRR. The WinStar stallion barn contains some of the country's most fashionably bred sires by top sires-of-sires, but one thing it is 'missing' is a son of the white-hot Gun Runner. The sale of World Record boiled down to a business decision, Walden said. “We've had discussions about him over the years and there are great opportunities to run in those races in Saudi and Dubai. I think he's a good fit for them,” Walden said. “For us–and typical of what we've sold in this sale–we felt he just missed the mark on being a stallion in Kentucky at this point and that's why he was for sale,” he added. “It's not at all that he's a bad horse or that we were trying to unload him. Hopefully he'll go on and do good things there and prove us wrong. We've sold horses like him in the past who have gone on and done well. There are also a lot of sprint sons of Gun Runner in Kentucky.” WinStar has had previous success with horses offered through the Keeneland horses-of-racing-age sale. In 2006, the farm sold Spring At Last (Silver Deputy) to Paul Reddam for $675,000 and the Chief Stipe O'Neill trainee would go on to win the 2007 G2 Godolphin Mile and 2008 GI Donn Handicap before returning to cover mares at WinStar. Another 'ELiTE' Day at the Office Brad Weisbord and Liz Crow's EliTE agency was the leading consignor by gross at the Horses of Racing Age Sale, realizing turnover of $5,370,000 for 41 horses sold. Some 40% of those gross receipts were due to Bishops Bay and World Record, and Weisbord was duly pleased as he prepared to depart Lexington. “They way exceeded expectations,” he said. “Bishops Bay is the end of a terrific partnership with Spendthrift and WinStar bred the horses and stayed in. The reserve was just a fraction of that. “Anytime you bring these sorts of horses to the marketplace, both Bishops Bay and World Record, you're going to get paid. The opportunities to buy these sorts of horses are rare, so when they come about, especially right ahead of the racing carnivals there in Saudi and Dubai, you're going to get paid. The owners were rewarded. We're just grateful that the Spendthrift guys and the WinStar guys are part of our team.” The post ‘A Strong Finish To A Remarkable Sales Season’: Bishops Bay Tops Keeneland HORA Sale on Record $1.3m Bid appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A colt foal by Authorized changed hands for a sale-topping €170,000 during the third and final day of the Tattersalls Ireland November NH Sale. Sold as lot 622 to Darragh McCarthy of Capital Stud, it is the highest price paid for a foal at this sale since 2007, and the Louis Vambeck-bred is now the joint second-most expensive foal ever sold at the sale. The Ballyreddin Stud-consigned colt is out of the Kayf Tara mare Izzy Du Berlais and is a half-brother to four winners, including Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Six Figures (Harzand). “It is hard to try and buy a stallion, so we decided that we will have to try and make our own,” explained McCarthy, who also stands Authorized. “We figured out that we will have to go and buy them as younger horses; foals, yearlings and two-year-olds. “All the right people were on him, we paid more than we were hoping, but he is a serious individual with an unbelievable pedigree – he comes from the famous Berlais family, and we could not leave without him. We didn't think we would have to give that type of money, or anything near it, and I'm shocked we had to give that. “The physical is hard to fault, he's a beautiful walker, and I thought he was the best stallion prospect I saw all week. He is the whole package.” Second on the buyers' sheet was lot 750, also a son of Authorized, who was snapped up by Yvonne Kiely and her husband Brian. The highest price paid for a broodmare was €50,000 for Harrisburg (Ire) (Authorized), a full-sister to Grade 2 winner Goshen. She caught the eye of Kevin Hassett. She is in foal to Luxembourg. Statistically, both the average of €20,043 (+22%) and the median of €15,000 (+38%) were new records. The gross was €9,199,500 (+17%) for 459 sold (66%). Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said, “Prior to this year's November National Hunt Sale, we were hopeful of a good solid few days what with a small reduction in numbers catalogued compared with last year, however this week's trade was significantly better than we ever imagined. “The joint second highest price ever paid for a foal, combined with record figures for one-day trade on day two, were some of the highlights from an excellent three days' trade at the November National Hunt Sale. “The top price of €170,000, achieved by a Ballyreddin Stud consigned foal represents the highest price paid for a foal at the November National Hunt Sale since 2007. It follows on from Ballyreddin's successful Derby Sale earlier this year, where the consignor sold the top priced store sold in 2025. The total turnover has surpassed recent years, with both the average and the median showing the strong gains. This is a hugely encouraging outcome and fitting to see the year out after a record-breaking Derby Sale. “While we had a more compressed catalogue this year, the focus on quality was rewarded with a notably higher clearance rate, demonstrating the depth of demand for the right horses. “The National Hunt market has undoubtedly become more selective, as we witnessed on occasions this week, however, it was particularly encouraging to see 11 different sires represented among the top 20 lots, giving breeders confidence that buyers are still willing to look beyond the obvious and reward quality across a broad spectrum. “We are extremely grateful to our vendors who entrusted us with such a strong selection of quality foals. The calibre of pedigree and individual on offer was reflected in the higher-priced lots, and it is thanks to their continued support that we can deliver these outstanding results. We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the many purchasers who turned out in force once again from the UK and on the domestic front, and we look forward to following the progress of this year's foals, many of whom will no doubt reappear at the Derby Sale which continues to be the destination of choice for National Hunt pinhookers. “A big thank you to our partners in Irish Thoroughbred Marketing who work alongside us in promoting the sale and are a constant support for our visitors prior to and whilst at the sale.” The post Authorized Foals Popular As Records Tumble At November NH Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

For 2026, Maryland's racing calendar will look more or less like this year's schedule after the Maryland Racing Commission on Wednesday approved a slate of 120 dates for Laurel Park. That's the same number of racing days that the non-profit Maryland Jockey Club had been awarded for this season, with the only difference being that in 2025, six programs were run at Pimlico Race Course as part of the GI Preakness Stakes meet. Pimlico has since been demolished and is being rebuilt with the goal of all commercial-track Thoroughbred racing in Maryland shifting to the new Baltimore venue by 2027, at which time racing will cease at Laurel. Laurel's management submitted a request of specific racing dates and post times to the commission for only the early portion of '26. After racing concludes this year at Laurel Dec. 31, the track will take a brief break before the '26 season opens Jan. 9 with racing through the end of that month on Fridays and Saturdays with 12:00 (Eastern) post times. In February and March Laurel will add Sundays to make a three-day racing week. Chris Merz, the commission's executive director, told TDN in an email after the meeting that the expected summer break and the exact race dates around it in the spring and fall would likely not be finalized until March or April. The Timonium Fair applied for 10 dates covering Aug. 27-Sept. 13, although Merz said at the meeting that “they will likely run seven of those days,” which is consistent with the fair's applications in previous years. Fair Hill, which conducted its first race meet in six years this past August, was granted eight dates of racing. “Stakeholders are going to work together to get specified dates,” Merz said. Fair Hill's card in '25 consisted of six pari-mutuel flat races on the turf. But according to a Nov. 2 story in The Racing Biz, the event's organizers have discussed re-introducing steeplechase racing, possibly over Memorial Day weekend in '26. The post Laurel to Anchor Maryland Circuit in ’26 with Same Template of 120 Dates appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Friday, Bahrain Turf Club, Kingdom of Bahrain, post time: 19:40, BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL TROPHY-G2, $1,000,000, 3yo/up, 2000mT Field: Bright Picture (Fr) (Intello {Ger}), Calif (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), Galen (GB) (Gleneagles {Ire}), Lion's Pride (GB) (Roaring Lion), Military Order (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), Persica (Ire) (New Bay {GB}), Royal Champion (Ire) (Shamardal), Pride Of Arras (Ire) (New Bay {GB}). TDN Analysis: With the withdrawal of Group 1 winner Tornado Alert (Too Darn Hot), Godolphin only has the G3 Winter Derby scorer Military Order set to start for Charlie Appleby in this lucrative contest. However, he is not a lock, as there are plenty of worthy challengers gunning for this Group 2 prize and Karl Burke's G2 York Stakes scorer and G1 Irish Champion Stakes third Royal Champion is signed on here. Andre Fabre will saddle G2 Prix Eugene Adam hero Bright Picture. That luminary ran third to First Look (Lope De Vega), with subsequent G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern hero Bay City Roller (New Bay) second, in the G2 Prix Dollar on Arc weekend. Group 1 winner Calif is hoping to finally find the winner's circle after a fruitless hunt this term, and the Gosdens have entered multiple listed winner Lion's Pride. The blowout winner of the Listed Godolphin Stakes at Newmarket in September could break his group duck in style on Friday. Representing the three-year-old brigade is G2 Dante Stakes/G2 Great Voltigeur Stakes victor Pride Of Arras for Ralph Beckett. Click here for the complete field. The post Black-Type Analysis: Godolphin’s Military Order Looms In Bahrain International Trophy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Jason Lee is trying to look on the bright side of the one that got away. That was Tuesday’s Renwick Farms Dominion with Jilliby Ballerini after the Australian mare was a good thing beaten in almost a case of friendly fire. Lee drove the perfect race early to secure the trail behind fellow Victorian trotter Arcee Phoenix and a lap from home couldn’t believe his luck. It soon changed. Queensland trotter Gus attacked down the back straight and Arcee Phoenix picked a bad day to have a bad day, as he stopped like he was shot at the 600m and carted Jilliby Ballerini back through the field before she regathered herself to run a brave fourth. “I was pretty gutted because it had all gone so well early and you wouldn’t think old Arcee would let you down,” says Lee. “It was just one of those things, he had an off day and it costs us as well.” If there is a silver lining to that cloud is it Jilliby Ballerini never got to be fully extended after Lee’s corners-cutting early has seen her handle her first 3200m start well so she heads to the more suitable 1980m mobile of Friday’s Azap Electrical NZ Trotting Free-For-All a happy horse rather than in recovery mode. “You would think this race will suit her better,” says Lee. “She has come through Tuesday well so she should get her chance on Friday.” Jilliby Ballerini should be able to follow potential early leader Muscle Mountain across to get handy or even lead today and she will take a power of beating but her opening $1.75 quote looks a bit skinny. Bet N Win, who started from the second line on Tuesday, and the other hard luck stories Mighty Logan and Oscar Bonavena can all win but perhaps the most surprising price in the market belongs to Tuesday’s Dominion winner Gus. He was stunning with more left at the end on Tuesday and there is no reason he can’t win again so his $8.50 final field price looks enticing. View the full article