Wandering Eyes

Jockey Club chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges hopes the superstar Kiwi will swap Sydney for Sha Tin sooner rather than laterView the full article

A lawsuit brought by a group of bettors against trainer Bob Baffert is residing in its third venue. Now it's the subject of whether a different judge should be assigned.View the full article

Explore a multitude of captivating racing promotions offered by horse racing bookmakers on Tuesday, February 27. Immerse yourself in the thrill with generous bonus back offers, elevating your betting experience. Delve into these complimentary promotions from top-tier online bookmakers to maximize your betting opportunities. The top Australian racing promotions for February 27, 2024, include: Today’s best horse racing promotions Odds Drift Protector If the price at the jump is bigger than the price that you took, we will pay you out at the bigger odds Eligible customers. T&C’s apply. Login to Bet365 to Claim Promo Place a 4+ leg multi, if one leg fails Bonus Back up to $50 Applies to your first eligible 4+ leg multi each day. Paid in Bonus Cash Picklebet T&Cs apply. Login to PickleBet to Claim Promo BoomBet Daily Race Returns Use your daily Race Returns to back a runner in ANY RACE you want* and if your horse doesn’t win but finishes in the specified positions, you get your stake back as a bonus bet. 18+ Gamble responsibly. Can be used across any race and code unless specified in customer’s BoomBox. Fix odds, win bets only. Max bonus $50. Login to BoomBet to Claim Promo Daily Trifecta Boosts Boost your winnings on Trifectas by 10% with new Daily Trifecta Boosts. Thoroughbreds only. T&Cs apply. Login to UniBet to Claim Promo How does horsebetting.com.au source its racing bonus offers? HorseBetting.com.au meticulously assesses leading Australian horse racing bookmakers, revealing exclusive thoroughbred bonus promotions for February 27, 2024. These ongoing offers underscore the dedication of top horse racing bookmakers. In the realm of horse racing betting, when one bookmaker isn’t featuring a promotion, another is stepping up. Count on HorseBetting.com.au as your go-to source for daily rewarding horse racing bookmaker bonuses. Enhance your value with competitive odds and exclusive promotions tailored for existing customers. Easily access these offers by logging in to each online bookmaker’s platform. For valuable insights into races and horses to optimise your bonus bets, trust HorseBetting’s daily free racing tips. More horse racing promotions View the full article

Horse Racing on Tuesday, February 27 will feature three meetings in Australia. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the top bets and the quaddie numbers for the meeting at Scone. Tuesday Racing Tips – February 27, 2024 Scone Racing Tips As always there a plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans, check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on February 27, 2024 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. More horse racing tips View the full article

Just before the gate load in Saturday's G1 Saudi Cup at the King Abdulaziz Racecourse, if you were an American race fan scouring the circling field looking for the customary light blue and neon green standard carried by Joe Peacock Jr.'s homebred MGSW Senor Buscador (Mineshaft), then you might have been left wondering. The banner wasn't there. That's because jockey Junior Alvarado was sporting royal blue and white aboard the eventual winner. Despite reporting by several Middle Eastern news outlets–namely Arab News and the Saudi Gazette–which either listed Peacock secondarily as the owner, or in the case of latter, totally omitted his name, rest assured, said the San Antonio-based breeder and owner, he is still firmly in control. “I think it was a misunderstanding and probably due to not fully comprehending the nature of the business agreement,” said Peacock, when he was reached by phone on Monday afternoon. “This is a two-race lease for a minority interest in Senor Buscador, and he is, and always will be ours.” It is true that after Senor Buscador arrived for the Saudi Cup under the care of trainer Todd Fincher, Peacock did forge a racing license agreement just before the race on Friday with Saudi businessman Sharaf Mohammed S. Al-Hariri. Peacock says that the terms pertain only to Senor Buscador's time in the Middle East and have nothing to do with breeding rights. The arrangement includes competing in the Saudi Cup and then the opportunity to run in next month's G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse. In exchange for an undisclosed amount, but one which Peacock confirmed was significant, Al-Hariri's stake is strictly based on the horse's winnings. The other portion of the deal gave Al-Harari the right to have his silks borne by jockey Junior Alvarado in both races. “I started to receive all kinds of offers for Buscador when we were invited to go to the Saudi Cup,” the owner explained. “The answer was always 'no thank you' but I understood how important it was to them over there to have their silks in the race, so I thought from a business standpoint, it would be good to mitigate our own risks, hedge our bets, and offer a short-term lease. Owner Joe Peacock Jr. | Horsephotos “I think Sharaf took a gamble, a major risk, and I applaud him for that effort. I am happy that it worked out for him.” After the 6-year-old won on Saturday in Riyadh, there was confusion over why Peacock and his contingent were not allowed to take part in the official trophy presentation. The owner and his supporters were denied access by the Royal Guard to the area where the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, conducted the ceremony. Al-Hariri instead received the Saudi Cup trophy. “I was very disappointed,” admitted Peacock. “I told them I owned the horse, but it wasn't until later that they brought the trophies to us during the press conference. That is the way it goes.” When asked about the news stories put out by the press in Saudi Arabia, he said, “I'm really over it and not going to spend time thinking about it because I know who we are and what it took to get our horse into this position.” As of Monday morning, Senor Buscador arrived safe and sound in Dubai after he was joined by a contingent of other Saudi Cup card participants for the two-hour flight. The logistics were organized shortly after the invitation to come to Saudi Arabia was extended, according to Peacock. Over the next month, Senor Buscador will be housed at Meydan with Fincher assistant Oscar Rojero, who traveled with the horse to Saudi Arabia. Regular workouts will take place, with Fincher making all of the decisions concerning the tab–just as he always does–added the owner. Dubai World Cup Night is scheduled for Saturday, Mar. 30 with Senor Buscador attempting to become the first dual winner of the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup. Hi, SENOR BUSCADOR! ⁦@thesaudicup⁩ winner has arrived in #Dubai! We can't wait to see him at #DWC24 pic.twitter.com/N34FGzgtRY — Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) February 26, 2024 The post Senor Buscador’s Peacock Added Investor Before Saudi Cup, Two-Race Lease In Place Through Dubai World Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saudi Cup (G1) hero Senor Buscador has arrived at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai ahead of his engagement in the $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1) March 30.View the full article

Maiden Watch: Week of Feb. 19-Feb. 25View the full article

Newsells Park Stud's David Porter-Mackrell was named the Employee of the Year at the 2024 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards, sponsored by Godolphin, at an awards ceremony at Ascot Racecourse on Monday. The gala marked the 20th anniversary of the awards, which was attended by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal and hosted by ITV Racing's Ed Chamberlin. The event, celebrating the contribution of racing's workforce to British racing, saw a total of £128,500 in prize money handed out across six categories. With Newsells the last 15 years, head stallion man Porter-Mackrell was nominated by the operation's general manager, Julian Dollar. “David is a richly deserving recipient of the Employee of the Year Award and we are all delighted that somebody with such talent and passion has won,” said Nick Luck, Chair of the judging panel. “The judges were blown away by David during their interviews with him and were left in no doubt that he is an exceptional horseman with a gift for ensuring the stallions at Newsells Park Stud are in the best condition possible, both physically and mentally.” He added, “It is also wonderful to see a member of stud staff win the top prize this evening. Our breeding industry is vital to the overall success of the sport we love and I hope that David's success will encourage more studs to nominate their employees for the 2025 awards.” Joe Saumarez Smith, Chair of the British Horseracing Authority, commented, “This evening's ceremony was a wonderful occasion, made all the more special by the presence of Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal. I am sure she, like I, greatly enjoyed the privilege of spending time with those who do such wonderful work to ensure that thoroughbreds in Britain receive world-class care and attention and I would like to take the opportunity to thank them all.” As a result of his win, David took home £10,000 of prize money, plus an additional £10,000 which will be shared among his colleagues at Newsells Park Stud. Earlier in the ceremony, Porter-Mackrell also won the Stud Staff Award, which itself carried a £5,000 prize along with a £5,000 for his colleagues. The awards were organised by the British Horseracing Authority, in conjunction with media partners Racing Post and Racing TV. The finalists for each category (with winners in bold): David Nicholson Newcomer Award Bethan Nelson (Warren Greatrex) Molly Roberts (Ed Walker) Hollie Wiltshire (Alan King) Leadership Cheryl Armstrong (Charlie Fellowes) Andrew McIntyre (William Haggas) Eamonn O'Donnabhain (Tom Lacey) Rider/Racing Groom Vicki Boyle-Atkins (Richard Phillips) Lyndsey Bull (Ian Williams) Alice Kettlewell (Karl Burke) Stud Staff Noel Challinor (Northmore Stud) Jack Conroy (Chasemore Farm) David Porter-Mackrell (Newsells Park Stud) Dedication Andrea Kelly (Tim Vaughan) Linda Murphy (Rae Guest) Brian Taylor (Luck Greayer Shipping) Community Award Joanne Flaherty (Chelmsford City Racecourse) David Letts (Racing With Pride) Lauren Semple (Police Scotland/Scottish Racing Academy) The post Porter-Mackrell Named Employee of the Year at TIEA Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

9-year-old stallion Scared Life (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), a multiple graded-stakes winner and third in both the GI Arlington Million and the GI Makers Mark Mile, was represented by his first foal Feb. 21. The colt, out of the mare Fire Assay (Medaglia d'Oro), was born in Kentucky according to War Horse Place. Sacred Life, retired after the 2022 Arlington Million, stands at Kentucky's War Horse Place for $2,000 alongside Hog Creek Hustle (Overanalyze), Rombauer (Twirling Candy) and Smooth Like Straight (Midnight Lute). The post MGSW/MGISP Sacred Life Sires First Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Brad Cox confirmed that FMQ Stables' Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), a brave third in the G1 Saudi Cup after setting bruising fractions up front, has shipped to Dubai and has settled in at Meydan Raceourse. The $45,000 Keeneland January short-yearling turned $240,000 OBS April breezer holds an entry for the G1 Dubai World Cup, where he would face a rematch with the two horses that finished ahead of him last weekend–Senor Buscador (Mineshaft) and Ushba Tesoro (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}). But Cox aid that the tentatively target is the Mar. 30 G2 Godolphin Mile. “We were very proud of his effort and he came out of the race in good order,” trainer Brad Cox said by phone Monday. “So we packed him up, he landed safely in Dubai, and we are leaning towards the Godolphin Mile.” The grey colt saw out nine furlongs well enough to take out last year's GI Pennsylvania Derby, and although well-beaten in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, rebounded with a strong victory in the GIII Louisiana S. to punch his ticket to Riyadh. Hard-sent to the lead in the Saudi Cup, Saudi Crown covered the opening 800 meters in :46.01–with no run-up–and held on stubbornly to be right in the finish. But it will be less distance and not more on Mar. 30. “When you're running against the best horses in the world,” Cox said, “we think that the answer to that question is to run him over a mile.” Among the horses he could face is defending champion Isolate (Mark Valeski), a meritorious sixth in the Saudi Cup. Saudi Crown!! Points The Godolphin Mile @DubaiWorldCup @RacingDubai Let's Goo Champ!! pic.twitter.com/nZW3xiNCVW — FMQ Stables, Inc. (@FMQStables) February 26, 2024 As a result of his outstanding third-place effort behind Japan's Remake (Jpn) (Lani) and top American sprinter Skelly (Practical Joke) in Saturday's G3 Riyadh Dirt Sprint, Pantofel Stable, Adam Wachtel and Gary Barber's Bold Journey (Hard Spun) has been invited to run in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen Mar. 30. The 5-year-old arrived in the Emirates in good order Monday, Wachtel said. “He came out of the race in good order, little bit scraped up, there was a little collision there at the gate, but nothing at all serious,” Wachtel said of the Bill Mott trainee. The New York-bred, who was briefly on the Triple Crown trail in 2022, has found his best form over six furlongs, and won three straight in the Big Apple in late fall and early winter, including the GIII Fall Highweight H. Nov. 24 and the Dec. 30 Gravesend S. He settled well back in the run in the Riyadh Dirt Sprint, as Skelly locked horns with the top Saudi-based sprinter Rebellious Stage (Justify), but came with a solid rally nearer the inside to fill third spot, beaten three lengths for all of it. “We thought if he performed well he might get an invite and that it might make some sense for a couple of reasons: we are already kind of there and we established that he is a serious sprinter,” Wachtel said. “I feel like he's improving and he did us very proud and I think he earned the right to run in a race like [the Golden Shaheen].” Wachtel is looking forward to the opportunity, even if pre-existing commitments will mean he will be in abstentia. Bold Journey and Saudi Crown galloping in Riyadh | Horsephotos “We're pretty excited about it, he seems to be turning into the horse we'd hoped he would,” Wachtel said. “I don't know if he's good enough to do what he just did in Dubai, but we think it's a great move. I hope that at the end of the year, we're in the conversation as one of the best sprinters in the country. Hopefully he'll take to Dubai as he did to Saudi Arabia and he'll come running down the lane.” The Wachtel part-owned and Mott-conditioned Long On Value (Value Plus) missed by a zop in the 2017 G1 Al Quoz Sprint, while Gray Magician (Graydar), also campaigned by Wachtel in partnership, completed a U.S.-bred 1-2 behind Plus Que Parfait (Point of Entry) in the 2019 G2 UAE Derby. Skelly, a game second after making the running last Saturday, is booked on a Chicago-bound flight this coming Thursday and will therefore pass on the Golden Shaheen, trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. “I thought he gave it a great effort. We want to get him back in a winning spot and there is a valuable spot at Oaklawn to do just that,” Asmussen said, likely referring to the $500,000 GIII Count Fleet Sprint H. Apr. 13. “We were very proud of his effort, but we thought it was very important to get him back winning and he's won seven in a row at Oaklawn. If he had won, we would probably have gone on, but he didn't, so we'll bring him back home.” Asmussen indicated that the same two-race sequence in the Middle East in a strong possibility for 2025. Among those also returning to the states are Saudi Cup fourth National Treasure (Quality Road) to point for a summer campaign; narrow Saudi Derby runner-up Book'em Danno (Bucchero), who is reportedly headed to the $600,000 GII Pat Day Mile on the Kentucky Derby undercard May 4; and White Abarrio (Race Day), 10th in the Saudi Cup who has a repeat in the GI Whitney S. as a long-term objective. The post Saudi Crown, Bold Journey On To Dubai, Skelly Back To The States appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tumbarumba and Castle Chaos, separated by a nostril during a dramatic running of the Fred W. Hooper Stakes (G3) on Pegasus World Cup day, renew their rivalry in the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (G2) March 2. View the full article

Three days after a New Jersey federal judge ordered a class-action lawsuit filed in 2021 by a group of bettors against Bob Baffert to be transferred to a federal court in Kentucky, the legal team for the Hall-of-Fame trainer filed a motion seeking the reassignment of the case to a different, specific Kentucky judge who last summer dismissed a similar case against Baffert. Baffert's Feb. 23 filing in United States District Court (Western District of Kentucky) asked for the reassignment based on the following reasoning: “The Plaintiffs in this case are a group of disgruntled gamblers who placed bets on the 2021 [GI] Kentucky Derby and lost. In this action, they attempt to do what courts throughout the country have routinely rejected: they seek to recoup their gambling losses through a myriad of frivolous claims,” the Baffert filing stated. “Plaintiffs initially filed this case in the Central District of California, only to voluntarily dismiss it when threatened with a Motion to Dismiss and Rule 11 sanctions. Plaintiffs then refiled the case in the District of New Jersey and Baffert filed a Motion to Dismiss in New Jersey. “Rather than addressing the merits of Baffert's Motion to Dismiss, the District Court in New Jersey issued an Opinion and Order [on Feb. 20] transferring the case to the Western District of Kentucky,” the filing continued. “One of the primary reasons the Court in New Jersey transferred this case to the Western District of Kentucky is that an almost identical case was previously been decided by the Hon. David J. Hale. In the prior case, Mattera, et al. v. Robert A. Baffert, et al., Judge Hale considered similar claims made by a group of disgruntled gamblers against Baffert involving the same 2021 Kentucky Derby. “In transferring this case to the Western District of Kentucky, the New Jersey Court relied heavily on the fact that Judge Hale had previously considered the similar matter and that judicial economy and the interests of justice 'strongly' favored this case being assigned to him,” the filing continued. “In sum, the District of New Jersey transferred this case to the Western District of Kentucky because it was that Court's determination that this matter should be resolved by the 'same decision-maker' that ruled in the Mattera action. That decision maker is Judge Hale. The Opinion from the New Jersey Court repeatedly cites to the fact that the case at bar involves the same allegations, facts and defendants as the matter previously decided by Judge Hale… “Given that one of the primary reasons that this case was transferred to the Western District of Kentucky was because of Judge Hale's familiarity with the issues in this case, the interests of judicial economy and justice dictate that the matter be reassigned to him,” Baffert's filing concluded. The plaintiffs in the case had yet to file a legal response to Baffert's motion as of 3 p.m. on Feb. 26. The original version of the suit was led by Michael Beychok, the winner of the 2012 National Horseplayers Championship. It was filed four days after Baffert's May 9, 2021, disclosure that Medina Spirit had tested positive for betamethasone after crossing the finish wire first in the Derby. The Beychok-led class-action group of horseplayers alleged they were cheated out of their property by Baffert on the basis that his betamethasone-positive trainee purportedly prevented them from cashing winning tickets on the runner-up. Baffert has not only denied those allegations and asked for the case to be dismissed, but his legal team has also stated in court documents that the plaintiffs have twisted their case so far from reality that their alleged misstatements amount to libel. The Mattera v. Baffert case that got tossed out of court by Hale on July 20, 2023, for failure to state a claim is currently being appealed in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. That suit alleged negligence, breach of contract, and unjust enrichment because the plaintiffs' losing pari-mutuel bets on the 2021 Derby weren't honored as winners. Last week, when transferring the case led by Beychok out of New Jersey, U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz wrote that, “[T]he Western District of Kentucky has already resolved, on the merits, a case that is closely similar to this one…. There are, in short, fundamental similarities between the [Mattera] case and this lawsuit…. Having the same court handle both cases would help ensure that like cases–and these are very much like cases–are treated alike. That is a fundamental goal of our justice system.” The post Baffert Wants Bettors’ Class-Action Suit Reassigned To Judge Who Already Dismissed Similar Case appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association has named the 2023 PA-Bred Award finalists. Winners will be announced during the annual Iroquois Awards held Friday, May 10. Finalists are listed in alphabetical order: Horse of the Year: Angel of Empire (Classic Empire), Caravel (Mizzen Mast), Nimitz Class (Munnings), Neecie Marie (Cross Traffic), Roses For Debra (Liam's Map) and Twisted Ride (Great Notion). Broodmare of the Year: Armony's Angel (To Honor and Serve), Diva's Gold (Tenpins), Essential Rose (Bernardini), Five Diamonds (Flatter), Home Ice (Iam the Iceman), Katarica Disco (Disco Rico) and Zeezee Zoomzoom (Congrats). 2-Year-Old Filly: Aoife's Magic (Smarty Jones), Carmelina (Maximus Mischief), Dancing Spirit (Social Inclusion) and Greavette (Austern {Aus}). 2-Year-Old Colt: Capo (Peace and Justice), Drum Roll Please (Hard Spun), Going Up (Mineshaft), Notice of Action (Hoppertunity) and Uncle Heavy (Social Inclusion). Older Female: Caravel (Mizzen Mast), Disco Ebo (Weigelia), Morning Matcha (Central Banker) and Roses for Debra (Liam's Map). Older Male: Nimitz Class (Munnings), Our Shot (Kantharos), Twisted Ride (Great Notion) and Witty (Great Notion). The full list of finalists can be viewed here. The post PA Horse Breeders Association Names 2023 PA-Bred Award Finalists appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

This day 27th February in horse racing news history From the extensive Horse Betting news archives we present the all the thoroughbred racing action in Australian and overseas racing news in history. Delve in and enjoy our walk back in horse racing time. Horse Racing Tips 12 months ago Sandown Lakeside best bets & quaddie tips | March 1, 2023 Sandown Racecourse will host an eight-race program on Wednesday, and HorseBetting’s Ciaran Jackman presents his best bets and quaddie tips … Read More Horse Racing Tips 12 months ago Wednesday’s Warwick Farm betting tips & quaddie | March 1, 2023 Metropolitan racing heads to Warwick Farm on Wednesday afternoon for a competitive eight-race program. See our best bets and quaddie … Read More Horse Racing Tips 12 months ago Today’s horse racing tips & best bets | February 27, 2023 Horse Racing on Monday, February 27 will feature four meetings in Australia. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found … Read More Horse Racing Tips 12 months ago Gosford racing tips, best odds & quaddie | Tuesday, February 28 Racing heads to Gosford on Tuesday afternoon for a competitive seven-race program commencing at 1:50pm. HB’s Nathan Keven shares his … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 12 months ago Options for Mr Maestro The Andrew Forsman-trained Mr Maestro turned in another strong performance when second to the impressive Pericles in the Group 2 … Read More Hong Kong horse racing news 12 months ago Golden Sixty wins Hong Kong Gold Cup thriller Golden Sixty overhauled Romantic Warrior in a gripping finish to the HK$12 million Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) … Read More Hong Kong horse racing news 12 months ago Super Sunny Sing firms in Derby calculations with Classic Cup win Exultant after sealing a memorable feature double with Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) triumph aboard Super Sunny Sing at Sha … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 2 years ago Pinn keeping his feet on the ground after Group One triumph Apprentice jockey Wiremu Pinn was back at work on Sunday in his boss Daniel Miller’s Matamata stable less than 24 … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 2 years ago Richardson delighted with Defibrillate Matamata trainer Graham Richardson wasn’t expecting too much when he sat down to watch his pride and joy Defibrillate kick … Read More Australia horse racing news 2 years ago Aussies come out on top in the International Jockey Challenge It was one to remember for Australian racing fans, as took out the International Jockey Challenge at The Saudi Cup … Read More Horse Racing Tips 2 years ago Hamilton betting tips, quaddie picks & value bets | February 28 HorseBetting.com.au brings you the Hamilton racing preview for Monday, February 28, with all the top tips, value bets, best odds … Read More Horse Racing Tips 2 years ago Today’s horse racing tips & best bets | February 27, 2022 Four horse racing meetings are scheduled around Australia today. See the top tips, best odds and quaddie selections here at … Read More Australia horse racing news 3 years ago Freedmans Land Maiden Group One Win Under-rated filly Forbidden Love has emerged as an autumn carnival smokey with a brilliant performance to win the Surround Stakes … Read More Australia horse racing news 3 years ago Capriccio Completes Damian Lane Treble In a big day for country-trained horses, Warrnambool filly Capriccio has taken out the Inglis Dash for Daniel Bowman … Read More Australia horse racing news 3 years ago Verry Elleegant Triumphs In Stirring Dual Chris Waller continues to make the Chipping Norton Stakes his own, claiming the race for the ninth time with star … Read More Australia horse racing news 3 years ago Boilover Of Lunar Proportions In Guineas Lunar Fox has become the longest-priced horse to win a Group One race in Melbourne in more than 30 years … Read More Australia horse racing news 3 years ago Sydney Raider Secures All Star Mile Spot Chris Waller gained an All-Star Mile runner when Star Of The Seas won the Blamey Stakes to earn a golden … Read More Australia horse racing news 3 years ago Sweet Win Moves Sargent Filly Into Slipper Four Moves Ahead will go straight into the Golden Slipper without another start after bouncing back from a setback to … Read More Australia horse racing news 3 years ago O’President Reigns Supreme In Skyline Improving two-year-old O’President has dictated from the front to win the Skyline Stakes at Randwick, securing himself a Golden Slipper … Read More Australia horse racing news 3 years ago Tycoon Hums Home And Heads For A Spell John McArdle knows Tycoon Humma’s family inside and out and he thinks the best strategy for the undefeated two-year-old filly … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 3 years ago Te Akau flyer puts rivals to the sword at Matamata Trainer Jamie Richards and the Te Akau Racing team entered Saturday’s Group 3 Waikato Stud Slipper (1200m) on their home … Read More Horse Racing Tips 3 years ago Sunshine Coast betting tips & top odds | Sunday 28/2/2021 HorseBetting.com.au brings you the latest odds, best bets and top quaddie numbers for the Sunshine Coast race meeting on Sunday, … Read More Horse Racing Tips 3 years ago Ballarat racing tips, value bets & best odds | Sunday 28/1/2021 HorseBetting.com.au brings you the best odds, value bets and quaddie selections for the Ballarat race meeting on Sunday, February 28, … Read More Hong Kong horse racing news 3 years ago Charity Fun to test Hong Kong Derby credentials at Sha Tin Karis Teetan is optimistic lightly-raced Charity Fun can advance potential BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) hopes with victory in the … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 3 years ago Stakes test first-up for Mana Nui Matamata trainer Chad Orsmby is looking forward to lining up debutant Mana Nui in the Group 3 Waikato Stud Slipper … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 3 years ago Noble in search of more success at old stomping ground Trainer Lance Noble is shooting for back-to-back winners of the Group 2 J Swap Contractors Ltd Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) … Read More Horse Racing News 3 years ago Punt Drunk : Stacked Saturday Of Group Races, Top Tips & Beers! HorseBetting brings you an exclusive Punt Drunk Daily with Saturday’s betting preview of all the top racing tips around Australia, … Read More Japan horse racing news 4 years ago Japan bans public from race meetings The Japan Racing Association has joined Hong Kong and barred the public from race meetings because of coronavirus … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Blazejowski set for first stakes race test Multiple city winner Blazejowski will step up to stakes level for the first time when he runs in the Group … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Moroney could have chances in two Guineas Mike Moroney will saddle up Alabama Express in the Australian Guineas while Randwick Guineas plans for Harlech will be decided … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Pohutukawa poised to break win drought A brilliant track work gallop has boosted the confidence of James Cummings as Pohutukawa chases an overdue win in the … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Wet track to help Miss Cavallo at Doomben Doomben is likely to remain in the soft range which gives filly Miss Cavallo the hope of an upset in … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Williams puts Soul into Australian Guineas Craig Williams believes the removal of blinkers from Soul Patch will allow the colt to switch off in the Australian … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 4 years ago Pratt’s star stayer shines in Tasmania Seven months on from an accident that could have claimed his life, prominent owner and sponsor Kevin Pratt is back … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Snowdens out to add to Slipper arsenal They already have a Golden Slipper contender in Dame Giselle but trainers Peter and Paul Snowden will look to enhance … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Alligator Blood after first Group 1 in Guineas After a close second in the Caulfield Guineas last spring, Queenslander Alligator Blood will be out to claim his first … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 4 years ago James shoots for sixth Derby win Five-time New Zealand Derby winning-trainer Roger James is refusing to buy into talk that Saturday’s Classic at Ellerslie is down … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Bowman backs Flit in Surround face-off Two of the most exciting fillies in the country, Flit and Funstar, go head to head for the first time … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Eric The Eel to wear blinkers at Doomben Trainer Stuart Kendrick has applied blinkers to Eric The Eel’s race gear as the gelding has his final test for … Read More Australia horse racing news, New Zealand horse racing news 4 years ago Shark circling for first Group 1 win in Aus A long-term strategy could reap major dividends for Te Akau Racing which has assembled a strong team in a bid … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 4 years ago Melody Belle’s sister headed for exalted company One of the most valuable fillies in New Zealand produced a stunning performance at Hawke’s Bay on Wednesday to remain … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Kah to iron out Dalasan quirks in Guineas Having made a trip to Adelaide to ride Dalasan in work, jockey Jamie Kah says she is now better placed … Read More Australia horse racing news, United Kingdom Horse Racing News 4 years ago Big Blue with Cheltenham Festival options Trainer Ciaron Maher will travel to England to watch Big Blue compete at the famous Cheltenham Festival … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Heathcote believes Rothfire has improved Trainer Robert Heathcote believes star two-year-old Rothfire has improved since his last-start easy win as he heads to Doomben … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Prioritise to back up in Members Cup Iron horse Prioritise is likely to back up in the Members Cup at Doomben after winning at Toowoomba … Read More Australia horse racing news 4 years ago Maximum Security favourite for Saudi Cup Trainer Jason Servis is keeping his fingers crossed the decision to travel American star Maximum Security will pay dividends in … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Walker to appeal Sandown suspension A suspension at the midweek meeting at Sandown threatens Michael Walker’s chances of a Group One ride on Brave Smash … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Queen of Diamonds too strong in Lowland Quality three-year-old filly Queen of Diamonds picked up the second stakes win of her career when victorious in the Group … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Smart three-year-olds on show at Sandown Permissive Star has defeated fellow three-year-old No Drama Darci against older horses at Sandown with Stocktaka also showing his wares … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Michael Nolan not shocked by upset win Trainer Michael Nolan is one of the few not totally shocked with Miss Cavallo’s upset win at Doomben … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Eastender wins Group Three Launceston Cup The Barry Campbell-trained Eastender has added to his summer winning streak in Tasmania with victory in the Group Three Launceston … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Sun Patch set to shine in Skyline Stakes Connections of well-related youngster Sun Patch will consider paying the $150,000 late entry fee to run in the Golden Slipper … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Vengeur Masque on target for Auckland Cup Trainer Mike Moroney is sending Vengeur Masque to New Zealand where he hopes the stayer can deliver him a first … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Tavago back from injury in Blamey Stakes After 18 months on the sidelines, 2016 Australian Derby winner Tavago is ready for his racetrack return in the Blamey … Read More Horse Racing Tips 5 years ago Thursday night racing tips: Pakenham betting strategy PAKENHAM hosts Thursday night racing and the team at Horse Betting has taken a look at the full card to … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Mixed fortunes for Lees in barrier draw Group Two winner Miss Fabulass will need to overcome a deep draw if she is to bounce back to form … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Plucky Girl back on track for Doomben Trainer Toby Edmonds is taking time out from preparing Houtzen for her trip to England to oversee Plucky Girl’s return … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Trinder satisfied with inside Guineas draw Trainer Adam Trinder says he is satisfied with the inside barrier draw for Mystic Journey in a capacity field for … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Officials to monitor Flemington forecast The Australian Guineas meeting is set to proceed in its original timeslot with a top of 36 degrees forecast, but … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 5 years ago From Dubai to the Derby for Cosgrove Caulfield Cup-winning jockey Pat Cosgrave will make a flying visit to Auckland this weekend to partner the Chris Waller-trained Nobu … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Injured Dittman out for four weeks In-form jockey Luke Dittman needs treatment for a back injury which will put him out of action for around a … Read More Ireland horse racing news 5 years ago Elliott sextet dominates Flyingbolt contenders Gordon Elliott is responsible for six of the 11 entries for the Coral Flyingbolt Novice Chase at Navan on Saturday … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Inside draw for Mystic Journey in Guineas A full field of 16 plus one emergency has been declared for the Australian Guineas with Mystic Journey drawing barrier … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago Six rivals for Winx in Chipping Norton Winx will have six rivals in the Group One Chipping Norton Stakes with the Pat Webster-trained Happy Clapper the only … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 5 years ago Guineas tilt hangs in the balance for Emily Margaret A trip north to contest the Group 2 Norwood Family Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham beckons for stakes-winning filly Emily … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 5 years ago Pakistan Star to O’Sullivan, handler looks to continue upturn at Happy Valley Paul O’Sullivan moved off the foot of the trainer standings when Planet Star won at Sha Tin on Sunday, the … Read More Australia horse racing news 5 years ago NZ mare Melody Belle to stay at home New Zealand mare Melody Belle will stay at home rather than take up any offer of a wild card to … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Liam Birchley cannot start horses in NSW Brisbane trainer Liam Birchley has been barred from starting horses in NSW pending the hearing of serious charges laid by … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago RV to review cobalt judgment Racing Victoria will review the judgment in the cobalt case against trainers Mark Kavanagh and Danny O’Brien with the pair … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Moore in awe of Winx as comeback looms Rosehill trainer Gary Moore is relishing the opportunity to start his first runner against champion Winx in the Chipping Norton … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Chautauqua heads Newmarket Hcp weights Weights have been released for the Newmarket Handicap with Chautauqua given 58kg while defending champion Redkirk Warrior has 57.5kg … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Adelaide race likely for Etah James The Matt Cumani-trained Etah James is nominated for the Roy Higgins Quality at Flemington but is likely to head to … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Kavanagh and O’Brien fined over cobalt Melbourne trainers Mark Kavanagh and Danny O’Brien have been fined in the long-running cobalt case … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Melody Belle seeks boost against Alizee Co-trainer Jamie Richards is hoping for a good barrier to help Melody Belle in her second clash with top filly … Read More Horse Racing Tips 6 years ago Launceston Cup tips & form for Wednesday, February 28 Tasmania is hosting quality racing this Wednesday, with the Group 3 Launceston Cup (2400m) the headline event. There’s a huge … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Chautauqua refuses to jump in trial Chautauqua has refused to leave the stalls in two consecutive barrier trials at Randwick … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Two Guineas hopefuls for Busuttin, Young Co-trainer Trent Busuttin favours Main Stage as the stable’s leading Australian Guineas chance from a good barrier draw in the … Read More Horse Racing Tips 6 years ago Bendigo tips & full form for Wednesday, February 28 BENDIGO is hosting Wednesday’s twilight meet in Victoria and we’re looking forward to what’s on offer. There’s eight races on … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Affogato faces daunting introduction Warwick Farm trainer Wendy Roche will send out her first two-year-old for the season when Affogato runs at Rosehill … Read More Horse Racing Tips 6 years ago Rosehill tips & full form for Wednesday, February 28 ROSEHILL returns this Wednesday as the Sydney track hosts a strong eight race card. We’re looking forward to what the … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Mr Marbellouz to be tested at 1200m Brilliant last-start winner Mr Marbellouz gets his chance to win his first race at 1200 metres at Doomben … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 6 years ago Group One-winning colt Sydney-bound Age Of Fire’s Sydney campaign has been confirmed and he will head across the Tasman next week. The Fastnet Rock … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 6 years ago Satherley receives anniversary bonus aboard Show The World Cambridge jockey Lynsey Satherley received a bonus wedding anniversary present when she rode Show The World to win the Listed … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Favourites draw wide in Australian Guineas A field of 16 plus two emergencies has been declared for the Group One Australian Guineas at Flemington with Cliff’s … Read More New Zealand horse racing news 6 years ago Alamosa progeny on a roll, could beat incredible 2017 earnings The progeny of Wellfield Lodge stallion Alamosa are firing on all cylinders. The multiple Group One-winning son of O’Reilly has … Read More Market Movers 6 years ago Sale market movers for Tuesday, February 27 AFTER the cancellation of Nowra Sale is the only meeting on Tuesday, which means the punters aren’t spoiled for options … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Blake Shinn suspension reduced Jockey Blake Shinn has had a suspension halved on appeal and will be back for the Coolmore Classic meeting … Read More Australia horse racing news 6 years ago Antonion Giuseppe to race in Singapore Group One placegetter Antonio Giuseppe has been sold to do his future racing in Singapore … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Chautauqua favourite for Canterbury Stakes Star sprinter Chautauqua is the favourite in opening markets on the Canterbury Stakes as he prepares to step up to … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Jukebox nominated for Slipper lead-up Trainer Ciaron Maher says the Todman Stakes and Black Opal Stakes are now options for Jukebox who was scratched from … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Former racing boss takes action over leak The former Racing Victoria boss investigated over a leak in a cobalt inquiry is taking legal action to have findings … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago The Quarterback passes barrier test The Quarterback is a step closer to a start in the Newmarket Handicap after passing a barrier test at Cranbourne … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Qld trainer to face NSW cobalt inquiry Queensland trainer Kent Fleming faces an inquiry in NSW over an elevated cobalt level found in a horse he raced … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Catchy set for Golden Slipper after stellar Blue Diamond win UNBEATEN two-year-old Catchy looks set to compete in the Group One Golden Slipper Stakes at Rosehill after taking out Saturday’s … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Michael Walker to have surgery on back Jockey Michael Walker is set to have keyhole surgery on his back and is expected to be out of the … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Flemington preference for Land Of Plenty Land Of Plenty is likely to be a dual acceptor for the Australian Guineas and Randwick Guineas because of his … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Colt sets Premier Sale record in Victoria The record price for a yearling at Melbourne’s Inglis Premier Sale has been smashed with a half-brother to The Quarterback … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Buchanan prepares triple-threat for Tuesday races at Hawkesbury WYONG trainer Kristen Buchanan will head down the M1 towards Hawkesbury on Tuesday with three chances of landing in the … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Prebble to ride Attention in Aust Guineas Brett Prebble has been booked to ride Attention in the Group One Australian Guineas at Flemington … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Maher looking towards Slipper with Jukebox Trainer Ciaron Maher says the Todman Stakes and Black Opal Stakes are now options for Jukebox who was scratched from … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Rudy set for another Sydney campaign Much-travelled Gold Coast gelding Rudy is set to have a barrier trial ahead of another visit to Sydney … Read More Australia horse racing news, Horse Racing Tips 7 years ago Wednesday racing at Sandown with form and free tips, February 29 SANDOWN hosts an eight-race card this Wednesday and we have form and free tips for every race. Betting on the … Read More Hong Kong horse racing news, Horse Racing News 7 years ago Helene Paragon scores emotional win in Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup Emotions were raw at Sha Tin on Sunday after Helene Paragon battled past stablemate and crowd favourite Able Friend to … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Chautauqua entered for Canterbury Stakes Champion sprinter Chautauqua heads the entries for the Group One Canterbury Stakes at Randwick … Read More Hong Kong horse racing news, Horse Racing News 7 years ago Bowman salutes as Werther bags HK Gold Cup again Hong Kong’s reigning Horse of the Year Werther maintained his perfect record over the Sha Tin 2000m with a gutsy … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Menari scores easy barrier trial win Menari has shown no ill effects from a cut lip to win a barrier trial at Rosehill and get his … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago New CEO search for Sunshine Coast The Sunshine Coast Turf Club has begun an extensive search to find a replacement for long serving chief executive Mick … Read More Australia horse racing news, Horse Racing News 7 years ago Glyn Schofield preparing for Guineas assault with Prized Icon QUALITY colt Prized Icon is searching for a group one in three consecutive campaigns and jockey Glyn Schofield is happy … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Berry, Bowman ride G1 winners in Hong Kong Sydney jockeys Tommy Berry and Hugh Bowman have claimed the two Group One races at Sha Tin … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago Leading jockey to miss Cheltenham Leading jumps jockey Barry Geraghty will miss the Cheltenham Festival because of injuries suffered in a fall at Kempton Park … Read More Horse Racing News 7 years ago English jockey Baker injured at St Moritz English jockey George Baker has been hospitalised after a fall on the frozen track at St Moritz … Read More Horse Racing News 8 years ago Saturday racing news – Mick Price scores Blue Diamond quinella THEY were the two most talked-about horses going into the race and stablemates Extreme Choice and Flying Artie didn’t disappoint … Read More Horse Racing News 8 years ago Winx continues stellar run with Chipping Norton Stakes win HER trainer says Winx is no different from any other horse – except for the last 200m of any race … Read More Horse Racing News 8 years ago Racing shorts: Turn Me Loose posts second Aussie G1 win Turn Me Loose has posted his second Australian Group One victory, holding his rivals at bay to win the Futurity … Read More Horse Racing News 8 years ago Turn Me Loose and Opie Bosson set eyes on Cox Plate The Australian owners of Turn Me Loose have long-held ambitions to win the Cox Plate. The New Zealand-trained Turn Me … Read More Horse Racing News 8 years ago Gelagotis says Mourinho on track for Australian Cup Manny Gelagotis says Mourinho’s third in the Peter Young Stakes justifies him putting his “head on the block”. Gelagotis has … Read More Horse Racing News 8 years ago Damien Oliver sings praises of Bow Creek after Peter Young win Champion jockey Damien Oliver has given Bow Creek a glowing report after the imported galloper produced a spirited finish to … Read More Horse Racing News 8 years ago Solicit notches up first win of latest campaign Solicit has claimed the first win of her latest campaign but has been forced to run a track record to … Read More Horse Racing News 8 years ago Brazen tactics make for cracking early pace in first at Randwick Brazen tactics by two jockeys has turned the opening race at Randwick into a serious test of stamina with the … Read More Horse Racing News 8 years ago Richard Johnson runaway leader on way to record Richard Johnson has become just the third jockey to notch a double century of winners during a National Hunt season … Read More View the full article

No common thread connected the 14 fatalities during racing and training last summer at Saratoga Race Course, but a Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority investigation found several risk factors that likely contributed to the breakdowns.View the full article

The catalogue for the first of this year's European two-year-old sales is now online, with 180 lots catalogued for the Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale set to be sold on April 16 and 17. With the high-class dual Group 1 winner Vandeek (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) as its poster boy for last year, the Craven sale has been represented by some notable graduates in recent seasons, including the Classic winners Native Trail (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and Cachet (Ire) (Aclaim {Ire}). The latter's half-brother by Mehmas (Ire) is among those on offer this year. Plenty of other well-bred horses are contained in this year's book which boasts half-siblings to 29 Group or Listed winners, induing another Mehmas colt who is a half-brother to the G2 Coventry S. winner River Tiber (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}). Also included is a Siyouni (Fr) half-brother to Grade III-winning sire Demarchelier (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who is out of a sister to Group 1 winners Yesterday (Ire) and Quarter Moon (Ire). As already referenced in a recent TDN feature on the members of the final crop of multiple champion sire Galileo (Ire), last year's sale-topping consignor, Glending Stables, will offer a Galileo three-parts brother to Listed winner Hidden Dimples (GB) (Frankel {GB}). All 180 horses in the catalogue are eligible for the £250,000 Tattersalls Royal Ascot/Group 1 Bonus. The scheme offers a £125,000 bonus for the first Craven Breeze-up winner of any of the six two-year-old races at the Royal Meeting and an additional £125,000 bonus to the first Craven Breeze-up winner of any of the 15 European Group 1 races open to two-year-olds. Commenting on the catalogue, Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “The Tattersalls Craven Breeze-up Sale's market leading status was reinforced again in 2023 with another exceptional year on the racecourse following the Craven Classic double of Native Trail and Cachet in 2022. The £125,000 Tattersalls Craven Group 1 Bonus was won for the second time in three years by Vandeek, whose two spectacular Group 1 victories saw him crowned the highest rated British trained two-year-old, following in the footsteps of European Champion Two-Year-Old Native Trail. The sale produced more Group and Listed winners in 2023 than any other European breeze-up sale, and the unrivalled racecourse results are testament to the outstanding quality that Europe's leading breeze-up consignors offer year after year. Their support has again resulted in a catalogue with quality in abundance, which combined with unrivalled bonuses on offer makes the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale a compelling prospect for both domestic and overseas buyers.” Horses in the sale will breeze on Newmarket's Rowley Mile Racecourse on Monday, April 15 starting from 9.30am. The sale will take place at Park Paddocks after racing on Tuesday and Wednesday. The post Half-Brother to Classic Heroine Cachet Among Select Tattersalls Craven Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

KILLENARD, Ireland – By daybreak on Monday the last few revellers were leaving the bar at The Heritage while those – admittedly few – of a more disciplined nature started to consider breakfast. Heads were hurting but hearts were still soaring after an evening celebrating all that is great about the Irish bloodstock industry. And it was a truly great night, but one which naturally started on a sombre note as the gathered guests bowed their heads in a few moments of silence to reflect on the passing of the ITBA chief executive Una Tormey last month at the age of only 41. It wasn't the only part of the evening to bring a lump to the throat. The Next Generation Award was presented a little later on to Amy Marnane, who is the embodiment of unbridled enthusiasm, just like her dad, Con. He was there of course, eyes welling with pride, along with Amy's sister Olivia and members of the extended Marnane family. The one absentee was Con's wife Theresa, who died in December and, like Tormey, is much missed by her many friends in the business and beyond. By 2am in the hotel bar, Con and Amy were taking turns on the microphone, and if her endeavours in the bloodstock world ever fail her (they won't) Amy could easily fall back on a career as a singer. It was a night of celebration, and people who know Con Marnane even only in passing, will realise that he takes that approach to life on most days. The recent months will surely have been tough on the family without Theresa in their midst, but there is no better way to honour her memory than by continuing to live life to the full. On Sunday night she would have been especially proud of her eldest daughter, who is a shining example to all young people coming into this industry. “She was a sponge to soak up information. By five or six she knew every horse by their sire and dam,” said Con in the tribute video to Amy before adding with a grin, “I'm not really surprised…She learnt from the best.” The best was what Sunday night was all about. From the top jumps prospects, many of whom will return to the Cheltenham Festival in a fortnight's time, to the potential breed-shapers of the future on the Flat, Ireland's equine stars and the people who made them were duly celebrated. “We are delighted to have Minister Pippa Hackett join us again for this year's awards and we thank her and her government colleagues for their continued support,” said ITBA Chairman Cathy Grassick in her opening address. “We are honoured tonight to recognise the outstanding achievement of Irish-bred horses, both Flat and National Hunt, during 2023. This is our opportunity to celebrate their outstanding successes in a year which Irish thoroughbred talent was on display to a global audience once more. It is also an opportunity to acknowledge those who have made a lifelong contribution to Irish thoroughbred breeding and our people awards are well deserved and a testament to the wonderful people we have working in our industry.” Willie Austin, who will forever be associated with the brilliant, prolific jumper Danoli (Ire), claimed the Small Breeder Award for the year in which Danoli's relative Blazing Khal (Ire) heaped more glory on the family with victory in the G2 Boyne Hurdle. We will hear more from David Bowe in tomorrow's edition of the TDN after the Littleton Stud manager was given the Wild Geese Award, which is annually handed out to an Irishman or woman who has forged a successful career in the bloodstock industry beyond Ireland's shores. Bill Dwan summed up what many people feel about Bowe when he said, “He's an absolute gentleman. I don't know anyone in the business who has a bad word to say about him. It's not ever about David; it's about the horses, it's about Jeff [Smith, Littleton Stud owner].” Stitch-up of the year goes to the ITBA's awards organising committee, who managed to pull the wool over Leo Powell's eyes. For many years Powell, the former editor of the Irish Field, has been the compere on awards night. This year he was told that the recipient of the Special Contribution award had been kept top secret, and indeed it had been, to the degree that Powell had no idea that the award was coming his way until he was hijacked on stage, expecting to read out someone else's name. The warmth of feeling for Powell within the racing and breeding industry was summed up beautifully by Jacqueline Norris in another of the heartwarming videos that the ITBA team does so well. “He's incredibly interested in the people that make up this business. He's kind, he's considerate, he thinks about people,” she said. “Leo Powell is pure class.” There was also widespread approval for this year's inductees to the ITBA Hall of Fame. Referred to regularly as a “power couple”, the husband-and-wife team behind Tinnakill House, Dermot Cantillon and Meta Osborne, are the worthy new names on that illustrious roll of honour, which also includes Meta's late father, John Osborne. Their great friend Alan Byrne paid tribute to the couple, with plenty of leg-pulling in his humorous address. He said, “What a team, what a partnership: in business and in life. I'm in awe of what they do, and also the skills they bring to their partnership: expertise in pedigrees, conformation judgement, strategic thinking, commercial nous, rigour and an unwavering commitment to hard work – and, look, Dermot brings something to the partnership as well. “Above all, I would say that Dermot is an enthusiast. With Dermot, the glass isn't just half full, there's about to be so much liquid in evidence that more glasses need to be bought as quickly as possible. He loves the life and he loves the game.” In almost 20 years at Tinnakill House, the couple has bred four Group 1 winners in Casamento (Ire), Alexander Goldrun (Ire), Red Evie (Ire) and, most recently, State Of Rest (Ire). Byrne also highlighted the time and devotion they have committed to the industry above and beyond their own farm and in many roles, including Cantillon's chairmanship of Naas racecourse and Osborne's stint as senior steward of the Turf Club, as well as their encouragement of young people starting off in the business. “They only ever want the best for the Thoroughbred industry in Ireland,” added John P Byrne. As Leo Powell conducted an interview on stage with the 'wild goose' David Bowe, who was clearly choked with emotion at being honoured by his peers and countrymen, he asked Bowe for one parting piece of advice for young folk keen on getting involved in the bloodstock business. “Immerse yourself in it, get involved in it and stick with it,” offered Bowe. They are words that can just as well apply to racing and breeding, or indeed the ITBA Awards evening. Don't go there thinking that you will be able to get an early night. Roll with the emotion, sing, dance and enjoy everything that is worth celebrating about this wonderful life. ITBA National Breeding & Racing Awards Winners Chaser of the Year 2023 Shishkin, Breeder: CJ & EB Bennett Hurdler of the Year 2023 Marine Nationale, Breeder: JB Bloodstock National Hunt Race Mare 2023 Marie's Rock, Breeder: Dan Breen Young National Hunt Horse 2023 A Dream To Share, Breeder: Brucetown Farms Small Breeder 2023 William Austin Two-year-old Filly of the Year 2023 Porta Fortuna, Breeder: Whisperview Trading Ltd Two-year-old Colt of the Year 2023 Henry Longfellow, Breeder: Coolmore Three-year-old Filly of the Year 2023 Mawj, Breeder: Godolphin Three-year-old Colt of the Year 2023 Auguste Rodin, Breeder: Coolmore Older Horse 2023 Mostahdaf, Breeder: Shadwell Estate Next Generation Award 2023 Amy Marnane Wild Geese Award 2023 David Bowe Contribution to the Industry 2023 Leo Powell Hall of Fame 2023 Dermot Cantillon and Meta Osborne The post Lauding the Best in the Business on a Night of Sheer Emotion appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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The Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) on Thursday released the report covering its investigation of the rash of fatalities that occurred during the 2023 Saratoga meet. The report found some factors that may have contributed to the fatalities, while also concluding that there was no link that covered all 14 deaths. “This report concludes that there are a multitude of risk factors that likely contributed to the fatalities during the 2023 Meet. These findings will drive HISA's data collection, recommended racetrack practices and regulatory scheme going forward.” the report concluded. HISA examined several factors, including the racetrack surfaces, the potential impact of weather, the veterinary histories of the horses that broke down and the necropsy reports that were done following their deaths, the exercise history of each horse and a review of any potential HISA rule violations that may have contributed to the injuries. The closest HISA came to pointing a finger at one particular factor was its conclusion that weather may have played a role. It was a particularly wet meet at Saratoga with 11.03 inches of rain coming down during the racing season. In 2022, 7.76 inches of rain fell. “…the significantly increased rainfall during the 2023 Meet compared to previous years cannot be overlooked and available data suggests that the rainfall could have played a role in the increased risk of fatal injury during the 2023 Meet,” the report read. “HISA is working cooperatively with the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory to collect and analyze additional track surface data to better understand the effects of weather on racetrack maintenance.” Three of the 11 horses that suffered fatal musculoskeletal injuries received corticosteroid injections in the affected joint within 30 days of racing. HISA is in the process of trying to change its rules regarding corticosteroids so that they cannot be injected into a horse within 30 days of it racing. HISA also discovered that there may be red flags associated with horses who undergo an excessive amount of exercise. “…an analysis of the exercise histories of the deceased horses showed that horses having participated in more frequent high intensity exercise and furlongs were 2.5 times more likely than the control group to be injured.” The report also found that one of the horses that suffered a fatal injury was on the veterinarians list as unsound at the time of the injury. Two others had previously spent time on the vets list. Following the report, NYRA Vice President for Communications Pat McKenna issued a statement, which read: “Continuously improving equine safety is a fundamental responsibility shared among racetrack operators, regulators, trainers, breeders and owners. HISA's review of the 2023 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course enhances our understanding of the myriad factors that may contribute to injuries sustained during training or racing.” “To prevent serious injuries before they happen, NYRA is embracing science and technology to provide veterinarians and trainers with the tools necessary to identify underlying conditions and further reduce the frequency of equine injuries. Beyond the adoption of biometric wearables and artificial intelligence, NYRA is working with the University of Kentucky and Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory to expand our understanding of how weather conditions impact racetrack performance. Ensuring the safety of horses and jockeys competing on the NYRA circuit is our highest priority, and we thank HISA for investing the time and resources to develop an informative review of the 2023 summer meet.” The post HISA Review Finds A Multitude of Factors Contributed to Saratoga Fatalities appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this TDN series, we curry lessons and wise counsel from veteran Californian figures who, like gold nuggets panned from the Tuolomne River in the High Sierras, have unearthed career riches on arguably the toughest circuit in the States. The series started with John Shirreffs and Art Sherman, and continues here with Eddie Truman, who announced his retirement last month. The land around Mulvane, Kansas, has been flattened as though by some colossal steamroller, and the vast, leafy battalions of maize and wheat and sorghum stretch outwards on and on until the horizon appears to meet another universe entirely. “Imagine what's out here,” it seems to say (this is the Bible Belt after all). “Go on, take a look.” But before you do, it's best to go equipped with a few basic life lessons. “I don't know who taught my dad or how he figured it out or what, but we would re-break horses from these other farms around us. Everybody else would get a horse and then ruin them,” said Eddie Truman, when asked where the foundation stones of his long training career were cemented. He then laid out a formula for how the Truman family successfully rehabilitated those four-legged delinquents on their little Kansas farm. These would have been the years of chrome fenders, subway vents straddled by platinum blonds, and the distant shadow of “Ike” Eisenhower. “We had a small corral and we would start totally over with them all. We would start lunging then driving them,” said Truman. “By the time we got on them, they were responding to the bit, and he [dad] taught us that you correct them hard and fast, but then let them go and say, 'hey, we'll give you another chance.' “We didn't buck-break them out or anything like that. This is where dad had the edge–our horses never bucked. No. As soon as we got them out of the pen, we'd take them out in a plowed field. It was deep stuff, so they couldn't do too much. But it really taught us, all of us, to be kind, gentle hands, and to let horses relax–correct them, but then give them a chance. It was good.” Good for horse. Good for rider. “We learned some really valuable horsemanship that way,” said Truman. In a neatly ironed plaid shirt and navy-blue jeans, the recently retired trainer cut a relaxed silhouette on a warm early February morning outside the Starbucks in Sierra Madre, a sedate little town just north of Santa Anita, where the treasure lies in the view itself–the painterly backdrop provided by the San Gabriel Mountains that could have been stolen from the set of a John Huston spaghetti Western. If Mulvane opens out, Sierra Madre leans in. One place easy to leave, the other easier to stay. And Truman has lived in and around Sierra Madre since the 1970s. At 77, he's as wirily trim as a bantamweight boxer. Thank a lifetime in the saddle–peddle-bike and horse–for that, amid a near 50-year training career defined not so much by the usual barometers of success (Kentucky Derby garland, a laundry list of graded stakes wins), as by a more indeterminate metric, and one that, as a result, is perhaps more readily brushed aside. Especially in an age that covets above all else the religion of certainty. Sure, he's trained plenty of winners–763 of them, to be exact. “But to see a horse get good and see them just develop, get confidence, that was really fantastic to me–more so than even having a real nice horse that just goes out there and wins every time or runs hard every time,” said Truman, acknowledging what many regard a strength of his approach to training–the prospector's gift for panning gold from grit. “Maybe they weren't great horses, but they would go out there and perform for you.” Indeed, two of Truman's most accomplished works are horses that joined him half-made. Go West Marie had shown just fair form on the East Coast before joining the Truman stable halfway through 2014. Under his watch, the daughter of Western Fame won four stakes races and was just a length away from winning the 2015 GIII Las Cienegas S. He got the best out of Fairy King's son, Casino King, an Irish import who showed up time after time in some ferocious bouts on the turf, including a clear second behind triple Grade I winner Bienamado (Bien Bien) one June at Hollywood Park, a second-place finish in a Grade II at Woodbine and a stakes victory at Remington Park. But those wayward types, they were the ones Truman really could got a tune out of. “I would not actually search them out,” he explained. “But if I liked their form and I saw they were like that, I figured they could be better. Yeah. That would be one thing that I didn't mind at all. “A lot of times the reason horses are acting up or not performing is because they're hurting. That's a lot of it–something's wrong,” Truman added. “You need to get them happy. Try to get them sound and get them happy again. And then just patience. Patience with horses I think comes down to mainly repetition.” Ah yes, repetition–10,000 hours of it to make a genius, or so says Malcolm Gladwell. To illustrate, Truman recalled how one of his last trainees arrived with a pre-existing phobia, one especially ill-suited to the low-drooping lids of Santa Anita's backstretch barns. “They couldn't get her under the shedrow. She didn't want to go in the stall–she was scared of it,” he explained, cutting a cross with a hand. “Nope.” Carefully, persistently, Truman and his team successfully weaned the filly from her neurosis. “After about three weeks, she's going in pretty good. And after about a month, month and a half, she's like a normal horse walking in,” said Truman. “It just shows that time and patience are the key to horsemanship.” True to his days on the Mulvane flats, Truman preferred to meet challenges posed by his equine Rubik's Cubes hands-on. That he was an accomplished rider didn't hurt. Even into his sixties, Truman could be seen of a morning bobbing on horseback around Del Mar and Santa Anita (sometimes in shorts, to the consternation of anyone with skin on their knees). Truman's racing teeth were cut out on the dusty country roads of Kansas and Oklahoma, back then the epicenter of Quarter Horse match racing. As it was being laid out, Interstate 35, which cut a slice up through the spine of the country, proved a useful trial-ground. “I'm getting on these Quarter Horses and they're flipping over, rearing up in the gate. I'm 11 years old. I weighed like 80 pounds or something, 85 pounds wet through. Oh, man–it was years before I was real comfortable in the gate. “When you think about kids now, they would've locked up our parents. They would have hauled them away in handcuffs. But hey, that's the way it was.” Truman rode his first winner aged 12, on a Thoroughbred going half a mile. At 16, he followed into the professional ranks his brother, Jerry, already an established jockey. Truman was contracted to the owner of the Chicago Blackhawks. “They were kind of a gambling outfit, but [trainer] Paul [Kelly] was really a good horseman, very well respected.” So much so, Truman was leading rider one year at Sportsman Park. When the scales became too much of an enemy, he took a year or two jumping from role to role–exercise rider, veterinarian's assistant, patrol judge–to eventually becoming private trainer to an owner called David Kelly in Detroit [no relation to Paul]. “I knew basic horsemanship and being a jockey and understanding the fitness of a horse, the way he's traveling. I was pretty good at that. But still, I hadn't really paid that much attention to the legs before then. I didn't really have the whole thing about training down pat. But I did take really good care of my horses.” Less than a year in, Kelly's business empire went belly up. Truman was cut loose once more, flinging open the doors to what proved his “Eat, Pray, Love” years. He headed to Europe with little itinerary and even less luggage. “I was just bumming around, traveling all over, just trying to decide what I wanted to do,” said Truman. Six months later he was back in the States, headed west to Bay Meadows for a paddock judge position, then south to Santa Anita, exercise riding for a claiming trainer making his name as an unusually astute conditioner of the Thoroughbred racehorse. “Most of the time it would be all about less,” said Truman, when asked what abiding lessons he took from his time working for Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel. “Most of the time we'd just jog them. Pretty simple. That's what I often did, too, as a trainer,” Truman added. “Though I maybe carried that too far. I was too conservative sometimes. But he just kind of knew where horses were at, and which horses to go on with more. “We had some horses you'd think were pretty sore. He'd say, 'go work him.' I would say, 'man, Bobby.' But he just knew. 'Don't worry about it. Go ahead.' And nine times out of 10, it would work out. But I was always scared to death to do that.” Given the stock in the Frankel barn at the time, it figures that the old racing adage, “keep yourself in the best possible company and your horses in the worst,” was another useful tool that Truman took with him when he eventually set up on his own. “When I started, we got lucky. We claimed a horse that won like six out of nine races. Claimed another one that won four out of five. We would run them where they belonged. Run them up north,” said Truman. “That was one of my favorite games: Claim a horse here [Santa Anita, Hollywood Park] while they were in jail, run them up north, win, come back here, run them for what I claimed them for–I'd already won a race with them–and go on. You build up their confidence. Confidence–it's a big thing. People don't understand that. “Around the barn the next day–maybe the horse gets it from the people being happy, who knows–but that horse is different when he wins than when he loses. He's different. He has more confidence. He might be tired, but he's stronger. And man, get him to win a couple races, they're tough. They'll lay their body back for you. You run a horse over its head too many times, it doesn't matter where you put them, they run just the same.” Training, of course, is anything but a solitary pursuit. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it would take a census to count the number of hands that have touched, brushed, ridden, prodded, picked and shod any horse along its route to the winner's circle. Frankel, it seems, had particular ideas about what that village should resemble. So does his protege. “If [Frankel] saw a groom wasn't handling a horse a certain way, I think he'd be more inclined just to get rid of the groom instead of taking the horse away from him,” said Truman. “I kept one old guy with me for about 25 years,” Truman added. “He'd fight with everybody. Cranky? Oh, man. He'd want to get his horses out first. He'd get up at 2:30 in the morning. We'd start at six. Oh man, what a pain. But he loved his horses. Loved his horses. A good horseman. That's a big deal.” Truman wears the cheerful veneer of your friendly neighborhood postman. He tosses the phrase “oh, man” into the conversation like a frisbee. Breezy optimism suggests he's figured out the pursuit of happiness. But all this personability hides an examining mind–one clearly not shy of turning inwards. Truman admits he's glad he's not starting out a trainer in today's racing ecosystem. For one, he said, the era of the super trainer has led to the lopsided distribution of horses concentrated among fewer and fewer hands. Good horses especially. “When I came out here, every barn you walked under, it didn't matter if they had six horses, they had 12 horses, they had 32 horses, every barn had a big horse. Every barn. And that's what I'm talking about when I talk about the distribution. Every barn had a big horse. And now here we are,” said Truman, arguing that California should reinstitute the 32-stall limit per-trainer at each licensed racetrack. “I really think it's ruined racing,” he said. “I think it hurts everybody.” He also sees the multi-faceted roles of a modern trainer–data analyst, PR guru, TV personality, navigator of bureaucracies–as an evolution that takes the job further and further away from its core tenets of horsemanship and animal husbandry. “If you're a trainer, you might have a problem if you don't have a college education,” he said. “Why is that? You need to talk to these people, the owners, the media. You need to post stuff, take pictures of the horses, send them videos of workouts. And so, I think the game's changed. It's definitely evolved into one more focused on the owners, so that the training of the horses is secondary. “Another thing that I learned later on is that all this stuff we do is meaningless if the horse isn't able to run,” Truman added. “Maybe the odd horse, you can do this or that a little different. But hey, everybody's feeding the same. They're basically training about the same. The horse has got to be able to run. And so don't worry about all this other stuff.” In stripping the game of some of its starry romanticism, Truman lays out a case for balancing his professional and personal lives, not letting the two intermingle. No social gatherings at the barn. No long evening fireside chats on the telephone, all shop talk with the owners. No busman's holidays, families in toe. “Charlie [Whittingham]'s favorite saying was, 'owners are like mushrooms. Just feed them shit and keep them in the dark.' But Bobby was the opposite. He would say, 'don't come to the barn, I don't want to talk to you. Don't bother me. I'll see you at the races,'” said Truman, who said his approach hued closer to his old mentor's. “I didn't want people bothering me at night either–I wanted to spend time with my family. So that's what I chose–that's the road I chose. I said, 'I'm going to enjoy spending time with my daughter and my family. Put my life first and the horses second.' That's the choice I made.” Does he regret that approach now? “Hey, I would have loved to have had a horse for the Derby and this and that. But again, that was my own fault, too. I didn't capitalize on the communication with people, with owners.” Truman recalled the time Ed Friendly, a heavy-hitting California owner-breeder, approached a mutual friend with the offer of sending a squad of horses Truman's way. “I gave him my phone number,” Truman recalled. “[Friendly] says, 'now, is this your home number?' I said, 'no, I don't give out my home number. I don't want anybody to call me at night.'” Friendly was unimpressed. “He told my friend afterwards, 'who does he think he is? I'm going to give him some horses and he doesn't want me calling him?'” The Friendly horses remained strangers. As the hot February sun reached its midday zenith, the conversation turned to the legacies of long-passed California trainers–names, institutions that pepper the history books and old Daily Racing Forms, but have slipped from our everyday lexicon, lost amongst the detritus of lives lived in haste. “I wonder, if you were to walk out here today and ask most of the trainers who Charlie Whittingham is, how many would have a clue? I think they would say, 'oh yeah, he used to be a trainer.' But how many would know why he was a good trainer?” Truman asked, before listing other dusty names. Buster Millerick. Robert “Red” McDaniel. “Now go out there and see if they know who they are.” Truman paused, interrupted by passers-by who recognized him, wished him well in his retirement. When they strolled on, Truman quietly gathered his thoughts. “You never know if it would've worked out anyway,” he said, eventually, still lingering on past chances. “But I wanted to spend time with my family. So, that's the road I chose,” he added. “And I never really regretted my choice that way.” The post Eddie Truman: No Regrets on the Road He Chose appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The TDN's popular annual series 'Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift,' continues today in a conversation with Erin Sharkey of Harper Ridge Thoroughbreds. “We have been working on upgrading our bloodstock over the last several years with a focus on good-running mares that might not have a Kentucky commercial pedigree up front, but still have the ability to create excellent racehorses and future stallion prospects. If you look at the current stallions in Kentucky, you will see that around half are out of mares with non -commercial Kentucky sires. My personal opinion is that it is time to shift focus back to creating sound-running horses that also appeal to buyers in the ring. We have always focused on what our babies will be doing at three, five, 10 and 15 years old-creating a sound horse that can be utilized in many different fields, not just racing. That being said, we at Harper Ridge Thoroughbreds have shifted our focus partly away from True Nicks and have started utilizing the G1 Goldmine match more. For us personally, I feel like G1 gives you a more complete deep dive, if you will, into the overall pedigree-putting a lot of emphasis on mom's side and how the overall group of horses in the pedigree perform when crossed. Most of our mares' current pregnancies and upcoming breedings match this.” RICH IMAGE (7, Imaging-Richetta, by Polished Numbers) to be bred to Gunite. We have had this mare from the beginning of her breeding career. Every foal has just gotten nicer and nicer. She throws excellent balance and size. Her first foal by Maximum Security is currently in training with Eric Reed. We have her Tiz the Law yearling filly, who is phenomenal. Anxiously awaiting her Early Voting this year and going to Gunite was a no-brainer. He is beautiful. Retired sound and moves like a well-oiled machine. Gun Runner is really hot right now and the cross was excellent. This female family is really taking off with Ruby Nell (Bolt d'Oro) now a graded stakes winner. APPEALING WAY (10, Tizway-Turkappeal, by Turkoman) to be bred to Annapolis. This is another mare we have had since the beginning of her breeding career. She is currently in foal to Mandaloun. She had her first foal last year by Complexity. This is a deep family with a lot of black-type. Older pedigree, but produced sound horses. She is a half-sister to Grade III winner Pink Champagne (Awesome Again) and most of the siblings were excellent runners. She crosses well with Annapolis. He was a winner at two, three and four. He's from a great dirt family but won on turf. I think he will be versatile. It was a G1 Goldmine cross. Navy Sword will visit Goldencents in 2024 | Coady photo SAFFRON GIRL (7, Tapizar-Mattie Camp, by Forest Camp) to be bred to Speaker's Corner. We are breeding Saffron Beach to Speaker's Corner. This is a big, tall mare. Lots of leg. Her first foal by Spun to Run was well put together and nicely balanced. We then bred her to Speaker's Corner because it was off the charts both on G1 and TrueNicks. We are currently waiting for that foal to come and breeding her back to him seemed like a sensible idea. Speaker's Corner won some excellent races, had some excellent Beyer figures and raced into his 4-year-old year. I'm excited to see the foal coming this year. We have had this mare up for sale but she's such a nice mare that its really been a back and forth of not wanting to let her go. She has a lot to offer and is a fan favorite at the barn. MONEY INTHE STARRS (8, Abraaj–Our Monstarr, by Demons Begone) to be bred to Yaupon. This is a nice mare. I sent her to the sale this year and she got overlooked. I was happy to take her home. She was a stakes winner on the track and clinched Champion 2-year-old filly in Washington. She is currently in foal to Epicenter and I'm counting the days. Yaupon was well received at the sales and physically he matches her very well. Her pedigree isn't really seen here in Kentucky so its hard to find a great cross for her on paper, so for this mare we are going in a different direction than our other mares. We really liked what she produced with the Knicks Go filly she had last year and are pretty confident with what she will throw in upcoming years. Her mother was an excellent horse and Demons Begone horses are hardy runners. NAVY SWORD (7, Bodemeister-Wooden Nickel, by Divine Park) to be bred to Goldencents. This is a nice mare. She ran well in her company. She was a stakes winner of almost $200,000. We ran her G1 report and she really crossed well with Into Mischief sons. Goldencents is proven and is dependable to get you a good runner. This is a mare we are looking forward to having for many years and feel like we are starting her strong with a reliable sire. DELIGHTFUL DREAMER (7, Animal Kingdom-Age of Silver, by Silver Deputy) to be bred to Jimmy Creed. This is a mare I had been trying to get for a while. I lost her on a shake last year and was lucky enough to be able to get her this year when she retired. This is a nice family. Mom has proven to be quite fruitful on the blacktype scale. Since Distorted Humor works so well with this family we decided Jimmy Creed was an excellent choice for a first foal. He is also reliable, tried and true. Her mom produced some excellent horses on the Distorted Humor cross so we are hopeful she can do the same. PENDOLINO (8, Honorable Dillon-Wonzit, by Tizow) to be bred to Yaupon. We got this mare in New York. She was a hard-knocking mare who won over $200,000. She comes from the immediate family of Naughty Gal (Into Mischief). She's currently due any minute to Rock Your World. Again with Yaupon, he was a great runner, his foals have been very well received at the sales and physically, he matches her well. She has been a dream at the farm and we are excited to see what this family continues to produce. The post Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Harper Ridge Thoroughbreds appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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What Happy Valley Races Where Happy Valley Racecourse – Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley, Hong Kong When Wednesday, February 28, 2024 First Race 6:40pm HKT (9:40pm AEDT) Visit Dabble Hong Kong racing returns to Happy Valley on Wednesday evening for a bumper nine-race program. The rail is back in the A position for the meeting, and with no rain predicted to hinder the Good 4 surface, it should be a fair track throughout the night. The opening race is scheduled to get underway at 6:40pm local time. Best Bet: Beauty Infinity Beauty Infinity launched late at Happy Valley on February 7 and just missed out on his second career win. The son of Toronado just got a pair or two further back in transit than Zac Purton would’ve liked but was the only danger as Super Joy N Fun fought off the four-year-old gelding. The John Size barn has this guy ticking over beautifully in his debut campaign, and with the way he has been closing in his four starts to date, Beauty Infinity gives the impression he is simply better than Class 4 company. Best Bet Race 8 – #1 Beauty Infinity (7) 4yo Gelding | T: John Size | J: Zac Purton (61kg) Bet with Bet365 Next Best: Raging Blizzard Raging Blizzard has been a beaten favourite at this course and distance in back-to-back starts. The gelding by Per Incanto has been a shade disappointing in those efforts, attempting to sit outside the leader on both occasions to be found out late. He seems like a galloper that races better when slotted in for cover, and with a change of tactics this time around, hopefully Raging Blizzard can repay the faith for those that stick with this progressive four-year-old. Next Best Race 5 – #5 Raging Blizzard (5) 4yo Gelding | T: John Size | J: Zac Purton (57kg) Bet with Unibet Next Best Again: Super Joy N Fun Super Joy N Fun was ultra-impressive in his Hong Kong debut on February 2. He was ridden forward under Jerry Chau and cruised to the front before being asked for the ultimate effort turning for home. The Benno Yung-trained gelding obliged, putting a three-length margin on his rivals before Beauty Infinity produced a barnstorming finish. Super Joy N Fun only needs to deliver something similar on Wednesday to make it back-to-back wins. Next Best Again Race 6 – #2 Super Joy N Fun (7) 3yo Gelding | T: Benno Yung | J: Jerry Chau (a1kg) (60.5kg) Bet with Neds Hong Kong quaddie tips – Happy Valley Happy Valley quadrella selections Wednesday, February 28, 2024 1-2-3-5-9 2-3-4-7-9 2-3-5-7-8 1 Horse racing tips View the full article

Last-start winners M Unicorn and Sugar Sugar spearhead King of the Valley’s team of seven runners on Wednesday nightView the full article

What Sandown Hillside Races Where Sandown Racecourse – 591-659 Princes Hwy, Springvale VIC 3171 When Wednesday, February 28, 2024 First Race 3:40pm AEDT Visit Dabble Metropolitan racing in Victoria returns to Sandown’s Hillside track this Wednesday afternoon. The weather promises a delightful summer’s day, with expectations of a Good 4 track at the outset, possibly improving as the day progresses. The rail remains in its true position, with racing scheduled to commence at 3:40pm AEDT. Best Bet at Sandown: Et Tu Brute Et Tu Brute was only beaten by 4.2 lengths in the Group 3 CS Hayes Stakes (1400m) on February 17 at Flemington. Prior to that run, the three-year-old gelding returned with a dominant 1300m win on the Lakeside track at Sandown, and a repeat of that effort should be enough as he steps up to the mile third-up. With a strong finishing burst, Et Tu Brute should have no issue in disposing of this lot. Best Bet Race 3 – #2 Et Tu Brute (2) 3yo Gelding | T: Anthony & Sam Freedman | J: Damian Lane (59.5kg) Bet with Neds Next Best at Sandown: Hazel Baby Ciaron Maher’s Hazel Baby was a dominant Moonee Valley BM64 winner on February 9. When the gap appeared on the rail turning for home, the Toronado mare produced a slick turn of foot to go on and win by just over a length. She meets a similar field at Sandown and, from barrier two under Jamie Kah, draws to gain every favour in running. With the long straight on the Hillside track, the gap will eventually come — and when it does, look for Hazel Baby to charge through it. Next Best Race 7 – #4 Hazel Baby (2) 4yo Mare | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Jamie Kah (60.5kg) Bet with Playup Best Value at Sandown: Kodiak With three wins and six seconds from 10 starts, the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Kodiak looks more than up to this grade as he faces his toughest yet. He is a natural frontrunner, and from barrier three, Mick Dee should have no issue in finding the rail and dictating terms throughout. With six weeks between runs, and an easy lead expected, Kodiak will look like the winner at some point and has what it takes to fend off his rivals late. Best Value Race 8 – #13 Kodiak (3) 4yo Gelding | T: Anthony & Sam Freedman | J: Mick Dee (59.5kg) Bet with Picklebet Sandown Hillside Wednesday quaddie tips – 28/2/2024 Sandown quadrella selections Wednesday, February 28, 2024 2-4-5-6 1-2-4-10 3-4-10 1-9-10-13 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Harlow Rocks announced herself into the Oaks equation last-start behind Molly Bloom, and won’t have the star filly to contend with in Wednesday’s Gr.2 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings. Under the care of Cambridge conditioner Tony Pike, Harlow Rocks was a gallant pacemaker in the Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) on February 10, holding off her more favoured rivals, bar Molly Bloom, at the Te Rapa finishing post. The daughter of Roc De Cambes will line-up in the Hawke’s Bay fillies’ feature with Ryan Elliot retaining the ride, and Pike is hopeful of a confident display as a final prelude to the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 16. “She keeps improving in each run as she gets further into her preparation, and it’s certainly no disgrace to be beaten by Molly Bloom, she ran second in a high-class field of fillies,” he said. “She looks to be a strong staying filly, she’s trained on well and hopefully she can perform well as a final lead-up to the Oaks. “The barrier (13) is a bit sticky, but she’ll roll forward from that gate and take up a handy position. She’s usually quite sharp out so whether she takes the lead or sits outside the leader, we’ll leave that up to Ryan.” Joining Harlow Rocks will be stablemate Sign Of Peace, the Preferment filly stepping into black-type company after four top-three finishes in as many attempts, including breaking maidens over 1400m in mid-January. “She’s a staying filly that will have her first time over a middle-distance trip, but she’s always suggested that she’d prefer the staying distances,” Pike said. “This is a big jump in class for her, but she’s trained on well. This will determine whether she presses onto the Oaks or not.” Pike found success in last year’s Lowland with Val Di Zoldo, and his pair currently sit as $8 (Harlow Rocks) and $21 (Sign Of Peace) chances on the TAB Fixed Odds to go back-to-back. Unbeaten in two classy raceday performances, Witz End will headline a competitive group of undercard chances for Pike at Hastings, when contesting the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance 3YO (1300m). Sam Weatherley earned praise for a positive front-running ride on the son of Savabeel at Trentham, winning form that was franked with runner-up Terra Preta finding success at her next start, and third placegetter Hasstobeawinner narrowly falling short in the $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m). “He’s a very progressive three-year-old, I’ve got a lot of time for him,” Pike said. “He’s stepping up to the open three-year-old race, but he won the special conditions maiden at Wellington with reasonable ease, so he’s a horse I think is well up to stakes company this preparation. “We’ll be using this race as a lead-in for the Wellington Guineas (Gr.2, 1400m) on Oaks Day.” Weatherley will remain on board, while Per-Anders Graberg will partner stablemate Cannon Hill in the same event, with the Ardrossan gelding an impressive winner during the Spring Carnival. “He performed in some decent three-year-old races last preparation, he’s been gelded since and trialled up nicely. He’ll run a cheeky race in a fresh state,” Pike said. Dimaggio has established an impeccable track record at Hastings, with each of his three career successes coming on the Central Districts course, and the Almanzor four-year-old will target a fourth in the Hawke’s Bay Racing Function Centre Handicap (1400m). “He loves Hawke’s Bay, he’s won three races there and he’s in really good form at the moment, he was probably unlucky not to win at Te Rapa last start,” Pike said. “If he gets a bit of luck from another tricky draw (11), he’ll be hard to beat again.” Pike also favours the chances of the recently gelded Lanikai in the Linden Estate Winery Maiden, while stablemate Maldini also will return in a fresh state for the 1400m event. “Lanikai is a horse we really like as a staying three-year-old going forward. We decided to geld him since his last run, he was just doing a fair bit wrong in his races, but I think he could go to quite a good level this preparation,” he said. “Even though the 1400m will be well short of his best, I think he’ll be extremely hard to beat from a good gate. “Maldini didn’t really come up last preparation, but he’s going a lot better this time in and with a good draw, he’s definitely got the ability to clear maidens.” View the full article