Wandering Eyes

Chad Brown's barn includes a lot of fillies and is dominated by turf horses, which makes winning the GI Kentucky Derby more challenging than it is for trainers like Todd Pletcher, Brad Cox and Bob Baffert, who seem to have an almost endless supply of ammunition. The future Hall of Famer has started just seven horses in the Derby and the best he has to show for it is a second-place finish in 2018 with Good Magic (Curlin). But that doesn't mean the right horse won't come his way, and this year may be the year. Brown may have the favorite in Saturday's GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds in 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner), who checks a lot of boxes. Sold for $2.3 million, he was the sales topper at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and has since given every indication that he can compete at the highest level of the sport. He broke his maiden in November at Aqueduct and then ran second in the GII Remsen S., losing by just a nose. The Risen Star will mark his 3-year-old debut. “The Derby, it's one of the few races we haven't won and it's definitely right there at the top of the list,” Brown said. “We have a very diverse group of horses to work with. There's a big split between fillies and colts and within those groups are the turf horses. What it boils down to is we don't have many horses in that division. I have plenty of nice horses to work with. I'm not complaining by any means. Any one would love to have the horses I get sent. Once you start paring them down, to see what dirt colts you have that can run two turns and have ability, well, for us, the group isn't huge. If we end up with two or three horses that are on the trail by the first of the year, we are lucky.” Brown will probably always focus primarily on turf horses, but that obviously didn't bother the Coolmore team. They arrived at the 2022 Saratoga sale eager to spend money. Not only did they buy Sierra Leone, they also paid $1.4 million for Hall of Fame (Gun Runner), who will also start in the Risen Star for trainer Steve Asmussen. If Coolmore continues to support Brown with expensive yearling purchases that will make his chances of winning a Derby all that much easier. “Will Coolmore keep supporting me, I think that has to be determined,” Brown said. “A lot depends on how these relationships unfold and how successful we are or aren't with this particular horse. I've had horses from them in the past. Not many, but nice horses. Minorette (Smart Strike) was one of the first horses they sent me and we won the Belmont Oaks on the turf with her. I've done a lot of business with Coolmore. I have several stallions standing there: Jack Christopher, Practical Joke, Early Voting. I've always had a great business relationship with them and, occasionally, they have sent a horse or two my way. They like to spread things out and use top trainers all over the country. I'm just happy I'm in that group of trainers.” After the maiden win, Brown thought Sierra Leone was ready for a challenge. He entered him in the Remsen, knowing the competition would include Dornoch (Good Magic), the full-brother to 2023 Derby winner Mage. For Sierra Leone, it was on oddly run race. On what was a speed-favoring track, he dropped far back early, trailing the field for most of the way before he started to roll on the far turn and set his sights on Dornoch. Inside the sixteenth pole, he put his head in front of Dornoch and it looked like race was over. But Dornoch came again and came back for the win. “I was a little disappointed,” Brown said. “I thought the second time out he'd show a little more speed. You also have to factor in that sloppy track. He had never been on a track like that and maybe he was caught off guard by that. He was the only horse that day that made up any ground and that's an important thing to note. He really wasn't unlucky. He had every chance to win. He just lost some focus and allowed that other horse, who is a nice horse in his own right, to re-rally on him. I was pleased with the effort though disappointed by the outcome.” Because Sierra Leone appeared to lose his focus in the Remsen in deep stretch, Brown will equip him with blinkers on Saturday. With Brown based in Florida over the winter, the most logical spots for Sierra Leone's return may have been the GIII Holy Bull S. or the GII Fountain of Youth S. But Brown feels that the Gulfstream racing surface is a bad fit for Sierra Leone and that's why he has shipped him to Fair Grounds. “I didn't like the short distance and short stretch of those two races at Gulftstream,” he said. “I had Blazing Sevens (Good Magic) for example. He was a nice horse and nearly won the Preakness, but he ran terrible at Gulfstream. He didn't like the kickback. The kickback at Gulfstream, according to a couple of jockeys I really trust, is that it is a very challenging kickback for a horse to run through. That probably contributes to the appearance that it is a speed-favoring track. Even if they slow the track down, so to speak, it still seems like it's dominated more by front-running horses. I think the kickback has something to do with that. It's just not anything I'm interested in putting this horse through.” The Risen Star will be the first step in what Brown hopes is a progression that will have his horse at his very best come Derby Day. “We decided to use just two preps, which is always risky,” Brown said. “I thought, all things considered, like his running style, I feel like his third race of the year will be his best race. And that is a big if because there is a lot of training and racing to still overcome.” Brown's best two Derby horses have been Good Magic and Zandon (Upstart), who was third in the 2022 Derby. Does Sierra Leone represent his chance yet? “I won't say that he's my best threat yet,” Brown said. “Those two horses were really good horses to take into the race. I'd say he belongs in their group, but he's got a ways to go to get to the point where we know he's going to be one of the first two choices in the Derby. I think he can get there. He has the potential to do it. He's training great and he's the right kind of horse. We are really excited about him.” Brown has a few other horses that could get him to the Derby. Domestic Product (Practical Joke) was second in the Holy Bull. Good Money (Good Magic) broke his maiden at Tampa Bay Downs in his lone start. Tuscan Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) is coming off a maiden win at Gulfstream. But none, at least at this point, compare to Sierra Leone. “When they give you a horse that cost $2.3 million at the sales, yes, there's a little bit more pressure,” Brown said. “The expectations are certainly high, being that he was a sale-topping yearling at the prestigious Saratoga sale, and rightfully so. The expectations should be high.” The post In Sierra Leone, Brown May Have Best Chance Yet to Win a Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Damkena (Fr), a daughter of Kendargent (Fr) in foal to Galiway (GB), took top honours with a bid of €62,000 as the Arqana February Sale drew to a close in Deauville on Wednesday. Offered by Haras de Grandcamp, the eight-year-old mare is a sister to the Group 3 winner Kendam (Fr) who has already produced a Group 3 winner herself on this same cross in Kenway (Fr). The latter is a new recruit to the stallion ranks in Ireland at Coolagown Stud. Sold at lot 266, the mare was bought by Yellow Agency. With 241 horses sold over the two days, which was just one fewer than last year, turnover dropped by 24% to €2,853,000, though the clearance rate remained steady at 78%. Following a quieter second session, the average was down by 23% at €11,722 and the median dropped to €5,000 from €6,500 in 2023. The post Kendargent Mare Tops Final Arqana Session appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“The grey colours, there's a big plan behind all that. Eventually my daughter will take over. I'm doing this for my family when I'm no longer here.” Those were the words of owner-breeder Steve Parkin in a TDN interview penned in September last year, revealing all about his ambition to stand stallions at Dullingham Park Stud, plus the succession plan which he hopes will guarantee the long-term future of a racing and bloodstock empire he's spent the last two decades building. Five months on and the wheels are now firmly in motion when it comes to Britain's newest stallion operation, so too the immersion of Parkin's eldest child, Fabienne, in everything the business entails. Described by Parkin as “in love with the game”, Fabienne is already no stranger to taking on responsibility when her father's absence demands it, such as on this cold Newmarket morning when she's tasked with accommodating the latest two members of the TDN team to have descended upon Dullingham Park during the Tattersalls February Sale. The state-of-the-art facilities and the new stallions they've recently become home to certainly leave a lasting impression on this first-time visitor, thanks in no small part to the infectious enthusiasm for all of it shown by Fabienne. In this most unforgiving of industries, only time will truly tell whether Fabienne has inherited her father's famed business acumen and work ethic, but the hunger for more success in the familiar all-grey colours of Clipper Logistics has clearly rubbed off in spades if the evidence of this one morning in her company is anything to go by. “I'd love to win a Classic, personally,” Fabienne begins when we start to discuss which races would be top of the bucket list for the Parkin family. “Fallen Angel is second favourite for the 1,000 Guineas which is beyond exciting. The Guineas for me is a huge thing and possibly the race I want to win the most. And York is our home track, so I'd love to win the Juddmonte International or the Nunthorpe. “But I'm as excited for a Southwell maiden winner as I am for winning a race at Royal Ascot or the other big meetings. It's that passion that my family and my father bred into me. They raised me to love my racing and to love my breeding. I'm only young and I'm only starting, but I've got great mentors around me and everyone has been really supportive in helping me learn.” Fabienne briefly looks starstruck when she recounts that renowned owner-breeder Kirsten Rausing is among those who have generously offered guidance or just a sympathetic ear, the pair having crossed paths when Rausing paid a visit to Dullingham Park during the Tattersalls December Sales. At the helm of Lanwades Stud for more than four decades, Rausing knows more than a thing or two about standing stallions and was clearly as keen as the rest of us to cast her eye over the two additions to the Newmarket ranks for 2024, not to mention their impressive new digs. “We purchased Dullingham last year and we've sort of revolutionised it,” Fabienne says of the rapid development. “We've knocked a few things down and we've built a few new stallion boxes and a covering shed. We've turned it into our station down here which is really nice, to have a base in Newmarket and a very exciting new venture as a stallion farm. “We've had a few stallions in Ireland that we've either invested in or raced and then stood at Ballyhane Stud with Joe [Foley]. It's fantastic to now be able to offer the English breeders a service over here. We are English owner-breeders and to support the English market is really exciting for us.” That excitement seems to be reciprocated by breeders who have flocked to see the two stallions on the Dullingham Park roster, headed by Shaquille (GB), who stands for a fee of £15,000 in his first year having taken the sprinting scene by storm in 2023. Trained by Julie Camacho, Shaquille won seven of his nine career starts, notably becoming just the second horse after Muhaarar (GB) to win both the G1 Commonwealth Cup and G1 July Cup as a three-year-old on his way to being crowned Europe's top sprinter at the Cartier Awards. Shaquille is also the highest-rated son of the four-time Group 1 winner Charm Spirit (Ire) who, like Muhaarar, is a grandson of the former Shadwell stalwart Green Desert, with the pair being by Invincible Spirit (Ire) and Oasis Dream (GB), respectively. Ollie Fowlston, quickly settling into his own new role as managing director of Dullingham Park, says of Shaquille, “He's been unbelievably well received. We've got all the right breeders on board that we'd hoped for and they're loving what they see. “He's just a very good-looking horse. He's beautifully balanced and a great walker. He's very correct in front with lovely big feet on him. He's got a lovely head as well, a good shoulder and a lovely wide hip on him. If we can get the first crop of foals looking and walking like him, that will be the first big hurdle jumped.” Shaquille certainly cuts quite the figure as he calmly struts his stuff in the serene surroundings of Dullingham Park, taking everything in his stride and looking anything but the character who threatened to throw away his two Group 1 wins by rearing as the stalls opened, forfeiting several lengths to the rest of the field. Only a horse of immense talent would have been able to overcome such adversity on his way to beating the best sprinters Europe has to offer, the horse of a lifetime for Camacho and partner Steve Brown, as well as owner Martin Hughes, who co-bred the colt out of the unraced Galileo (Ire) mare Magic (Ire), herself a daughter of Cheveley Park Stud's multiple Group-winning sprinter Danehurst (GB) (Danehill). Those closest to Shaquille always maintained that he was the consummate professional to do anything with at home and Fowlston confirms that the colt's temperament has been nothing but an asset since he arrived at Dullingham Park, before going on to consider the adjustment this new venture has been for him following 25 years at Tattersalls. “It's been exceptional how he's settled in really, because we've had so much building work going on and diggers around the place,” Fowlston explains. “He's not batted an eyelid at all and it's like he's lived here for a few years. Funnily enough, the first night he spent on the farm was the first night he'd ever spent away from the Camachos because he was born there as well. “It's very exciting and quite surreal [to have Shaquille at Dullingham Park]. You go up to the stallion yard and when you see Shaquille's head sticking over the door you do have to pinch yourself a little bit. “I'm really enjoying it. It's very different from my previous job at Tattersalls. It's selling but selling in a different capacity. It's been a great help my grounding at Tattersalls and having got to know all the breeders has made life a bit easier.” Having Soldier's Call (GB) join the roster at Dullingham Park should also make Fowlston's life a bit easier. With the speedy son of Showcasing (GB) breeders already have a pretty good idea of what they're going to get as he embarks on his fifth season at an increased fee of £8,500, the first four having come under the supervision of Joe Foley at Ballyhane Stud in Ireland. Bought by Foley for 85,000gns as a yearling, Soldier's Call was a notable success story for the Clippers Logistics team as a two-year-old when he carried the grey silks to a trio of high-profile victories in the G2 Flying Childers S., G3 Prix d'Arenberg and Listed Windsor Castle S., before going on to fill the runner-up spot in the G1 Nunthorpe S. at three. Ranked third among the leading first-crop sires in Europe last year with 26 individual winners, Soldier's Call looks set for another big year in 2024 following a promising start, with a trio of three-year-old maiden winners in Britain already on the board. “Joe's done a great job starting him off,” Fowlston says of Soldiers Call. “He's got big numbers on the ground. I think he's got 105 two-year-olds to run for him this year and I think he's got bigger books to come. We couldn't be more excited and it's something for breeders to look forward to as well. “There's a bit of a gap in the English market for a horse like him. Breeders can come here and they know that he'll start off a young mare. He'll get a good winner and you can go to the sales and get well paid if you have a nice one by him. “He's going down very well at the moment and already he's had the three three-year-old winners this year. He'll no doubt have early two-year-old winners on the turf when the season starts and we'll be taking bookings I'm sure right up until mid-May.” Dorothy Lawrence (GB) was one of the flagbearers for Soldier's Call's first crop of juveniles last year, producing her best effort when beaten just a short head in the G3 Dick Poole Fillies' Stakes at Salisbury. She should be competitive in more good races for the Clippers Logistics team in 2024 if training on as well as her sire did. As for fellow homebred and Karl Burke trainee Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), she will be tasked with trying to deliver on Fabienne's dream of winning a Classic when, all being well, she lines up in the 1,000 Guineas at Newmarket on Sunday, May 5. The form of her victory in last year's G1 Moyglare Stud S. would appear to put her in there with a leading chance, already having provided that memorable day at the Curragh which carried extra significance for the whole Parkin family. “It really does,” Fabienne agrees when it's suggested to her that it means more to win any race with a homebred. “When you see your foals born at home and then they go on to be successful on the racetrack, it's beyond exciting. “We had Fallen Angel last year who obviously won the Moyglare and there was a lovely story behind that with us breeding her and then losing the dam. That was very poignant and moving. “I think we're lucky really. You have to have a bit of luck in this industry, as much as you can try and be clever about what you do. We're a very young operation in terms of our breeding and we've already been so successful. To have already bred Dramatised and Fallen Angel from the farm at home is really exciting.” G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Temple S. winner Dramatised is now a member of the broodmare band which reportedly numbers around 30 at the Parkin family home in Yorkshire, the 300-acre Branton Court Stud near Harrogate, plus another 50-60 in Ireland. The hope is that Fallen Angel will one day follow in the footsteps of her late dam, Agnes Stewart (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}), by joining those ranks, even better if she does so as a Classic winner. As for the four remaining empty stallion boxes at Dullingham Park, Fabienne confesses that she has already earmarked one for Night Of Thunder (Ire) colt Flight Plan (GB), who fittingly won last year's G2 Dullingham Park S. at Leopardstown and has the potential to make up into an even better four-year-old in 2024. However, it's Foley who gets the last word–not unusual, I'm told–when it comes to the biggest and brightest prospects for the Clipper Logistics team this year, providing the inside track in his role as bloodstock advisor to the Parkin family. “Who's he?” Foley asks when the name Night Raider (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) is put to him during our conversation at the February Sale, briefly threatening to throw this interviewer off the scent of the nine-length Southwell winner before the twinkle in his eye reveals there is a big opinion there waiting to be unleashed. “I remember buying him as a foal, I thought he was the best foal I'd ever bought,” he soon delivers. “He was always a beautiful horse and he's always impressed the people who were around him. He's a big horse at 16.1hh and he's out of a Shamardal mare, out of a Dubai Millennium mare. There's a lot of Dubai Millennium in him. “He doesn't look like his half-brother [G3 Palace House S. winner Far Above] at all. He'd lead you to think that there's a lot of speed in the pedigree, but it's a very classy family. He looks like a miler, he gallops like a miler and he wasn't stopping when he won at Southwell. “Danny [Tudhope, jockey] adores him, he thinks he's a really high-class horse. He's just won a December maiden, so he has an awful lot to prove, but on our team he's the horse with the most potential. “We're very excited to see what he does, but we've been disappointed in the past–we're hoping for the best and expecting the worst,” he adds, betraying the same boundless optimism as Fabienne but the experience to know better. The post Enthusiasm In The Air as Dullingham Park Embarks on First Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bahraini group winner Spirit Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}) has been confirmed for the 2100-metre $2-million G2 Neom Turf Cup on the Saudi Cup undercard on Saturday, Feb. 24. Owned by the partnership of Done/Ferguson/Mason, the gelding won the G3 Strensall S. last August before taking the G2 Bahrain International Trophy two starts later in November. Given some time off, he made his 7-year-old bow in the G1 Jebel Hatta at Meydan on Jan. 26, running on to be fourth behind Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}). “I was delighted to get that run in Dubai into him,” said trainer Richard Fahey. “We were pleased with the run and we were probably just drawn a little bit wide–hopefully the run will put him 100% right for Saudi. “We're going to run in the Neom. I was keen to go for the big one there [Saudi Cup], but I just felt nine furlongs on the dirt would be sharp enough for him. He's a horse I would probably want to go a mile and a half in Saudi rather than a sharp nine, if that makes sense.” “Barring problems I'm sure his owners are very keen,” continued Fahey. “Peter Done and Ged Mason are both very keen and Sir Alex is keen as well, so it looks like they are booking and barring problems I would say they will probably be there. “We certainly enjoyed Bahrain and anything now is a bonus, but we're expecting him to run a big race in Saudi.” The post Spirit Dancer Confirmed For Neom Turf Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Goffs Yorton Sale will not take place in 2024, and will instead return on Sept. 4, 2025, Goffs and Yorton's David Futter confirmed on Wednesday. The decision was made by Futter, who felt that although the quality of horses at Yorton was up to its usual high standard, the quantity did not justify the sale taking place this year. Yorton's aim is to assemble roughly 50 quality lots in time for the 2025 edition. Futter said, “It has not been an easy decision to suspend the sale for 2024 but we feel it is in the best interests of the event given we don't have the numbers of horses required to ask potential buyers to make their way to Wales. We are grateful to Goffs for bringing their professionalism and sharing in our enthusiasm for this venture and together we have worked hard to establish a sale with a reputation for quality and performance. We still strongly believe in starting horses earlier and in producing 2-year-olds and will keep offering Yorton graduates, just in a different location in 2024. We will maintain our focus on sourcing a quality line-up of horses and look forward to working with Goffs and welcoming everyone back to Yorton in 2025.” Goffs UK Managing Director Tim Kent added, “With its first Grade 1 winner coming in 2023 courtesy of Inthepocket (GB) (Blue Bresil {Fr}), many outstanding pinhooking results for store and point-to-point buyers, and a new record top price set last year with a No Risk At All (Fr) 2-year-old selling for £165,000, the sale is performing in all sectors and it's a credit to David and the Yorton team. We too look forward to seeing the sale return to the calendar in 2025 and working with Yorton to produce another successful sale.” The post Goffs Yorton Sale Suspended For One Year Until 2025 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Maureen Mullins, the mother of perennial champion trainer Willie and Irish racing's great matriarch, died the morning of Feb. 14 at the age of 94 following a short illness.View the full article

Canterbury Park announces a pre-paid starter Incentive program designed to entice trainers to race their Thoroughbreds at the Shakopee, Minn. track this summer. The summer meet runs May 18 through Sept. 28.View the full article

Carlos Laffon-Parias, the first Spanish trainer to win the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, announced on Wednesday that he will retire from training at the end of the year. Based in Chantilly, Laffon-Parias is best known as the trainer of Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}), who caused an upset when beating leading Japanese hope Orfevre (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) in the 2012 running of Europe's premier middle-distance race. He also won the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac on the same card with Silasol (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), while the likes of Laverock (Ire) (Octagonal {NZ}), Falco (Pivotal {GB}), and Recoletos (Fr) (Whipper) also struck at the top level during a training career in France spanning more than three decades. In 2023, Laffon-Parias saddled two new Group 1 winners, including Prix de la Foret heroine Kelina (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) who, the trainer confirmed, will race on as a four-year-old as he prepares to embark on his final season. Explaining his decision to retire, Laffon-Parias told the Nick Lucky Daily Podcast, “The last three years I've talked with my wife regarding the decision to stop and go back home [to Spain]. My sons are now working and have left the house, so it's time for me and my wife to change our lives. “I'm healthy, I'll be 61 next month. I think when you're healthy is the right time to do it. I've worked all my life from Monday to Sunday and I want to do other things rather than to work 11 months a year, every single day. I think it's the right time to do it, otherwise it might be too late. “I see a lot of trainers finish their careers because they haven't got any more horses to train or they have financial problems. I want to stop and I don't need much to live with. We've got a house already in the south of Spain, I'm going to sell my yard, and this is enough for me and my wife.” Laffon-Parias added of Kelina, “The Wertheimer Brothers have decided to keep her in training and she's a very sound filly. There isn't a race for her until May 1, the Prix du Muguet. That is a Group 2 and then there is Royal Ascot or the Falmouth. There is nothing before. We could run in the Lockinge against the colts, but I would prefer to take more time. There are a lot of races for her, but nothing before the middle of the year. The post Laffon-Parias To Retire At The End Of 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Pennsylvania-bred Angel of Empire, the 2023 Arkansas Derby (G1) winner, is the top Midlantic-bred of last year, narrowly foiling Caravel's bid to become the second-ever repeat winner of the top Midlantic-bred crown.View the full article

Thursday's top tips from the Post's racing teamView the full article

The Fayette Alliance will release two new research studies that analyze the remaining land inside of the Urban Services Boundary in Lexington, Kentucky at an open meeting March 5. “Grow Smart: Land Use Analysis and Recommendations” and “Lexington-Fayette County Housing Growth Analysis” will be presented on Tuesday, March 5 at 5:30 p.m. in Lexington's Central Library Branch's Farish Theatre, 140 E. Main Street in Lexington. Expanding development outside of the Urban Service Boundary–the circle around the downtown area of Lexington–has been a contentious issue for years in the city as some fight to preserve Lexington's historic horse farms while others argue that some need to be developed in order to accommodate a growing population. The research studies will be presented and released at an event titled “Mapped: Analyzing Land and Housing Trends in Lexington. ” Attendees will hear from two different urban planning and land-use experts: Stan Harvey–Director of Urban Planning and Design at Lord Aeck Sargent, and Geoff Koski–President of KB Advisory Group, a real estate and economic development advisory firm. The first presentation, titled “Grow Smart: Land Use Analysis and Recommendations,” will provide a detailed map of the land we have left within the Urban Services Boundary and its current zoning and acreage. The second presentation, titled “Lexington-Fayette County Housing Growth Analysis,” will focus on how the community might most efficiently utilize our land and reshape development patterns to better accommodate a growing population. Fayette Alliance is a nonprofit dedicated to achieving smart, sustainable, and equitable growth in Lexington-Fayette County through land-use advocacy, education, and research, The post Research on Remaining Land Inside Lexington’s USB to be Presented March 5 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 Whisper Hill Farm's Mandy Pope. Shedaresthedevil, 7, Daredevil—Starship Warpspeed, by Congrats. To be bred to Into Mischief. When we planned Shedaresthedevil's first mating, we chose Gun Runner because we loved the physical match and we also liked the Storm Cat and A.P Indy in her pedigree for him. She foaled January 29th, and the filly is everything that we had hoped and dreamed she could be! She is a big, strong chestnut filly with great bone, a big hip and tons of quality! For 2024, she is going to Into Mischief . Shedaresthedevil's size and scope will match up well with Into Mischief, we believe. And I think we may already have Gun Runner penciled in for 2025! Songbird, 11, Medaglia d'Oro—Ivanavinalot, by West Acre. To be bred to Gun Runner. 2023 was a great year for Songbird and everyone connected to her, as she was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame! Currently, she is in foal to Gun Runner and is going back to Gun Runner. We think her high cruising speed will complement his, as some of his best runners are out of mares with speed. We also think Gun Runner will add a bit of scope and stretch to the foals, which would be a nice addition. We have retained some fillies out of Songbird as future broodmares, and her first colt (by Curlin) sold for $1 million dollars this past September, so this mare has a lot in the pipeline. I'll Take Charge, 12, Indian Charlie—Take Charge Lady, by Dehere. 2024 mating undecided. We bought her as a yearling ($2.2 million, Keeneland September), and with her amazing pedigree we always hoped and planned for her to be a long-term broodmare play. Thankfully she has fulfilled her destiny, producing GII winner and GI-placed Charge It for us, as well as selling a $1.7 million yearling (by into Mischief) this past September. She is in foal to Into Mischief on a late cover, so we have decided to see the foal and decide on her future mating at that time, with the main options being Tapit, Into Mischief, or Gun Runner. Graceful Princess, 8, Tapit—Havre de Grace, by Saint Liam. To be bred to Curlin. She is an important mare to us, being a Grade III winner out of Havre De Grace, who was so special to me. She is in foal to Gun Runner, and that was an easy choice with the success of Tapit mares and Gun Runner. he is scheduled to go to Curlin for 2024, both on the physical match being excellent, and the fact that he's done well with Tapit mares also, producing the likes of Cody's Wish. Magical World, 14, Distorted Humor—Pleasant Home, by Seeking the Gold. To be bred to Good Magic. Magical World is a mare we own in partnership with Three Chimneys Farm, and she was rested last season after having a late May foal. She is going to Good Magic for 2024, mainly because we all really liked the physical match there, since she should give plenty of size and substance to the equation. On the pedigree angle, the cross gives a 4×4 double to Danzig, which we found in three of his graded runners so far, including Kentucky Derby winner Mage. Hard Not To Love, 8, Hard Spun—Loving Vindicaton, by Vindication. To be bred to Tapit. We own this mare in partnership with Gainesway Farm. She is in foal to Curlin and is going to Tapit in 2024. As you know we love Tapit, and the only person who loves Tapit more is Antony Beck, so it was an easy choice! She also has a lovely Tapit yearling filly, which made the decision even easier. Tap Gun, 9, Tapit—Quiet Giant, by Giant's Causeway. To be bred to Justify. As a half-sister to Gun Runner, she was another of those long-term broodmare plays when we bought her as a yearling. She is in foal to Quality Road and is booked to Justify for 2024. She is a mare who really appreciates a robust stallion who can throw some size like Quality Road and Justify can do. She has a lovely Quality Road yearling filly. Wicked Whisper, 7, Liam's Map—Zayanna, by Bernardini. To be bred Curlin. What we loved about this mare when we purchased her was how precocious she was as a race filly. She won first out at Saratoga and followed it up by winning the G1 Frizette. She is in foal to Gun Runner and scheduled to go back to Curlin for 2024. She has a very powerful and racy Curlin yearling filly, and the cross is doing well, especially with Eclipse award winning Idiomatic putting an exclamation point on it! She is a lovely mare who we have high hopes for. The post Mating Plans, Presented by Spendthrift: Whisper Hill Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Maureen Mullins, Irish racing's great matriarch and the mother of the champion trainer Willie Mullins, has died at the age of 94 following a short illness. Wife of the late Paddy Mullins, a multiple champion handler who managed the career of the great Dawn Run before passing away aged 91 in 2010, Maureen leaves an incredible legacy behind her. She had four sons and a daughter-trainers Tom, Willie and Tony along with George and daughter Sandra-who have gone on to make the Mullins name a dominant force in Irish racing and beyond. The remarkable tradition has been continued through Maureen's grandchildren, with Willie's son Patrick becoming the record-breaking Irish champion amateur, Tony's son Danny scooping multiple Grade 1s in the saddle and George's son Emmet, who also partnered many big-race winners as a rider, emulating his uncle Willie's achievements in winning the Grand National as a trainer with Noble Yeats in 2022. Six years previously, it was Tom's son David who partnered the Mouse Morris-trained Rule The World to win the Aintree showpiece. On Tuesday, another one of her grandchildren, Charlie, led home a one-two-three for Willie in the bumper at Thurles. Maureen was an ever-present figure on an Irish racecourse and was in attendance at her local track Gowran Park for its flagship Thyestes Chase fixture on January 25 where she was on hand to officially open the new weighroom. At the Horse Racing Ireland Awards in 2016, she was presented with the Contribution to the Industry Award. Willie commented at the time, “That was unexpected, and great for her and for everyone in the family. She enjoys her racing, enjoys life, and has an interest in everyone's horses–mine, Tony's, Tom's–and the careers of Danny, David and Patrick. It's a lot to keep her occupied.” She was also a winning rider herself, steering Razzo Forte to glory in a female riders' event at Gowran Park in 1982, a race which her daughter also rode in. She was involved as an owner and breeder down the years, with Kilcruit a recent feather in her cap having won the Grade 1 Punchestown bumper following his sale having initially raced in her colours. Funeral details have yet to be announced. The post One Of Irish Racing’s Most Beloved Figures Maureen Mullins Dies Aged 94 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

While many of his sprinting rivals are set for a racing return in Saturday’s Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) down the Flemington straight, I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) is slowly and quietly building out of the limelight at Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman’s Pakenham base. Not seen publicly since running a gallant second in The Everest at Randwick last October, the five-year-old gelding has no race target this autumn, with his entire campaign to be shaped around being in pristine nick for another crack at the lucrative slot race in October. “He’s in good order, he’s probably ready to have his first gallop of the prep next week, been building well, been doing a lot of work on the back track here at Pakenham over the last month or so and he’s coming to hand nicely,” Moody said. “We gave him a nice break because he hadn’t had one since he’d been over here in Australia and he really enjoyed that time away, long, slow build-up. “When and where we kick him off, I’m not sure, but that’s the beauty of owning and managing them yourself, you can make those decisions and have no outside pressure. “Haven’t even mapped anything out, the William Reid is towards the end of March, the T.J. Smith is early April – plenty of races for him so we’ll just let him guide a path. “That’s (Everest) his sole target, whether he has two, three, four runs, whatever between now and then, the Everest – we want to be there in October.” A Golden Eagle winner over 1500m, Moody admits he still isn’t sure exactly what I Wish I Win’s best distance is but says he feels obliged to stick to sprinting trips, at least for the time being. “I think he’d go good up at a mile but when they’re putting up $20 million for 1200m, you aim it at 1200m don’t you?” Moody joked. “It’s easy and enjoyable because he’s owned by a mate of mine and myself and there’s no outward pressure, like I say, so that does make it very easy. “When we say we sit back and let the horse dictate his path, that’s what we do.” View the full article

The Ciaron Maher stable is in no rush to get Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) to the big league despite the former New Zealand galloper holding an All-Star Mile wildcard. As part of his program to the All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield on March 16, Jimmysstar is set to run in the Listed The Elms Handicap (1400m) at Flemington on Saturday. Jack Turnbull, assistant trainer for Maher based at Cranbourne, said Jimmysstar was a work in progress, and would continue to use his rating in lesser races to build the gelding’s profile. Jimmysstar is unbeaten in three Australian starts, graduating from a benchmark 70 victory at Bendigo last November to a Class 3 win at Cranbourne, later that month, before returning to claim a Caulfield win in a benchmark 84 race on February 3. Following that win, Jimmysstar was given an All-Star Mile wildcard by Racing Victoria which Turnbull said had become the gelding’s aim. “We’re going to use Saturday’s race, in which he has a light weight, as a stepping stone into the All-Star Mile,” Turnbull said. “We’re one run at a time. I know he’s got an All-Star Mile wildcard, but he has to go out there and do it again on Saturday, but he helps himself in that he can lob anywhere in the run, he’s got gears. “He can be back, midfield, he can push forward if there’s no speed and that’s the beauty of a horse like Jimmysstar.” Since arriving at the Cranbourne stable of Maher, Jimmysstar has been given extensive work in an effort to get him to relax. He arrived from New Zealand with two wins under belt and had been extremely well cared for and prepared by his previous trainer Guy Lowry, but just needed a few minor chinks ironed out. “He was very sound and readymade, but he was a little hot mentally,” Turnbull said. “In the time he’s been with us, he’s really come around. “He’s spent his whole time at Cranbourne. He does a lot of his work in the sandhills, does a bit of treadmill work and in between runs will go to Fulmen Park. “We’ve done little things like that to manage him in the barn, but the longer he’s been in training the wiser he gets. “I guess like any good racehorse, the more exposure they get, the better they get.” Craig Williams, who scored on Jimmysstar at Cranbourne, takes over on Saturday as the 54kg he has been allotted is outside the weight range of Blake Shinn who has ridden the gelding in his other two Australian wins. View the full article

Veteran trainer saddles up last-start winners Nicconi County and Noble Pursuit among his seven runners at the city circuitView the full article

Bonny Lass (inside) winning the Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa last Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Newly-crowned Group 1 winner Bonny Lass will continue her campaign in New Zealand after the mare’s Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) triumph last Saturday. Victory in the BCD Group Sprint came after luckless runs for second and third in the Group 1 Railway (1200m) and Group 1 Telegraph (1200m) respectively, her consistent form being rewarded at last at Te Rapa with a tough front-running performance, holding off the previously unbeaten three-year-old Crocetti. Graham Richardson, who trains the daughter of Super Easy in partnership with Rogan Norvall, had contemplated a tilt at the time-honoured Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 9, but as the dust settled, opted for a feature closer to their Matamata base. “She went out to JK Farm for a few days in the paddock, she’ll be back in the stable tomorrow (Thursday),” he said. “Then we’ve decided she’ll run in the King’s Plate, so at this stage she won’t be going to Australia.” Bonny Lass will be seeking redemption of sorts in the Group 3 King’s Plate (1200m) on Derby Day (March 2) at Ellerslie, after being late scratched behind the barriers in last year’s edition, held at Te Rapa. Horse racing news View the full article

Crocetti pictured with trainers Danny Walker (left) and Arron Tata, and breeder-owner Daniel Nakhle following his Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas (1600m) win. Photo: Race Images South A line has been ruled through an Australian autumn campaign for Crocetti, with the son of Zacinto heading to the spelling paddock after a standout three-year-old term. Trainers Danny Walker and Arron Tata were contemplating heading to Melbourne next month with the Group One winner but have elected to call time on his season following his runner-up effort behind Bonny Lass in last Saturday’s Group 1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa. “We did look at the Australian Guineas (Group 1, 1600m) and then I thought maybe the Newmarket (Group 1, 1200m) with 53kg on his back was quite appealing as well, but we have decided to send him to the paddock for a spell,” Walker said. “He is 100 percent and has pulled up really well, but I just felt he peaked on Saturday, and he has had seven runs as a three-year-old. “He can have a good spell now and prepare for a four-year-old campaign.” Bred and raced by Daniel Nakhle, Crocetti won his sole start as a juvenile before returning as a three-year-old where he was undefeated in his six starts against his own age group, including the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Group 2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m), Group 3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m), and Group 3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). He was then tested at weight-for-age for the first time last Saturday, and put in a gutsy performance to finish second behind Bonny Lass. “He has done us proud, and he tried his guts out the other day,” Walker said. Looking back fondly on a satisfying season with Crocetti, Walker said he will start planning his spring campaign in the coming months, with a high likelihood of heading straight across the Tasman with his charge. “It is all up in the air, but it comes down to weather and track conditions here, especially in the spring,” he said. “I will sit down in the next couple of months and do my homework. If it is going to be too wet here, then he will probably go straight to Australia. We will just see how he comes up and how the weather plays.” Horse racing news View the full article

Newly-crowned Group One winner Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) will continue her campaign in New Zealand after the mare’s Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) triumph last Saturday. Victory in the BCD Group Sprint came after luckless runs for second and third in the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) and Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) respectively, her consistent form being rewarded at last at Te Rapa with a tough front-running performance, holding off the previously unbeaten three-year-old Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto). Graham Richardson, who trains the daughter of Super Easy in partnership with Rogan Norvall, had contemplated a tilt at the time-honoured Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 9, but as the dust settled, opted for a feature closer to their Matamata base. “She went out to JK Farm for a few days in the paddock, she’ll be back in the stable tomorrow (Thursday),” he said. “Then we’ve decided she’ll run in the King’s Plate, so at this stage she won’t be going to Australia.” Bonny Lass will be seeking redemption of sorts in the Gr.3 Haunui Farm King’s Plate (1200m) on Derby Day (March 2) at Ellerslie, after being late scratched behind the barriers in last year’s edition, held at Te Rapa. View the full article

Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young are following a familiar path back to their homeland with the New Zealand-bred Interlinked (NZ) (Savabeel) in the hope of completing unfinished Classic business. The expatriate Kiwi trainers will be represented by Savabeel’s son in the Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Guineas (2100m) at Ellerslie on Saturday as a lead into next month’s Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m). “He flies out tonight (Wednesday) and as long as the plane makes it okay, then he’ll be running,” Busuttin said. They went close to a successful hit-and-run Derby mission from their Cranbourne base in 2017 when Rising Red (NZ), by Redwood, finished runner-up to Gingernuts (NZ) (Iffraaj) and this time have taken the option of a lead-up run for Interlinked. “It’s just the way it has fallen. He wasn’t racing in the spring and was running at Christmas time and he looked like a 2000-2400m horse,” Busuttin said. “It’s still a while away until the Derby in Sydney so it worked in nicely and it’s no different from bringing a horse from New Zealand to Australia to race. “It’s all very straight forward and he’s fit and ready so we may as well have a go. If he runs well, then he’ll obviously stay on for the New Zealand Derby.” Interlinked was bred by Waikato Stud and purchased by Busuttin and OTI Racing, whose colours were carried into fourth placing in last year’s Derby by last Saturday’s Te Rapa winer Mark Twain (NZ) (Shocking), out of Ohukia Lodge’s 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale draft for $100,000. He is a son of the Pins mare Daisy Chain (NZ), who is a half-sister to the three-time Group One winner Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed), with Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) and Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls) other elite level inners on his pedigree page. Interlinked will be ridden in Saturday’s Guineas by Sam Weatherley. “We’ll take it from there with Sam booked for the one ride and work everything else out after that,” Busuttin said. “He’s by the right sire and is a tough, solid horse. I don’t know how much class he’s got, but he can certainly stay, so that’s not much of a concern. “Without looking into it too deeply, just watching the Waikato Guineas (Gr.2, 2000m) they looked an even bunch of three-year-olds without there being a stand-out. “I see Roger James has accepted with his filly (Orchestral) on Saturday, so I presume she’ll be a pretty short-priced favourite.” Interlinked was unbeaten in his first two appearances at Kilmore and Caulfield before he ran fourth when stepped up to 2000m at Flemington and a last-start runner-up finish over 2040m at The Valley. “He won his first two starts well and wasn’t ridden that well at his third and then he was good against the older horses,” Busuttin said. “He didn’t really get around the Valley 100 percent so the bigger track will certainly suit him. “He has drawn well and we’ll see where he sits in the mix of things on Saturday.” View the full article

Taranaki trainer Robbie Patterson is looking forward to heading north to Ellerslie with Mary Lousie (NZ) (The Bold One) and Nom De Plume (NZ) (El Roca) this weekend after they pleased in their 1200m trial at Foxton on Tuesday. The pair will be looking to continue their good run of form when they contest the Gr.2 Eagle Technology Avondale Cup (2400m). “They are going to the Avondale Cup on Saturday, so they had a really quiet trial,” Patterson said. “Craig (Grylls) was very happy with Mary Louise and Mereana Hudson was rapt with Nom De Plume. I am very happy going forward.” Mary Louise placed in the Gr.3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day before scoring a popular victory in the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham last month. Her ultimate aim is next month’s Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie and Patterson said it will be good to give the five-year-old mare a look around the Auckland track ahead of the two-mile feature. “On Saturday Ciel Butler is going to ride her because the minimum is 52kg. She will ride her cold and give her a look at Ellerslie before the Auckland Cup, which is the big goal with Mary Louise,” Patterson said. “The two miles suits her big time, she is so dour.” Nom De Plume has also been in pleasing form for the stable and takes a last start fourth placing in the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m) into Saturday. Meanwhile, last start Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) hero Puntura (NZ) (Vespa) also featured at the Foxton trials, winning his 1000m heat. Next week’s Gr.1 Trackside Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) beckons the son of Vespa before a potential trip north to Ellerslie next month to chase the $500,000 Summer Series Bonus on offer, culminating in the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2100m). “He trialled up really nice. Craig was very happy with him, so he is going forward to that Group One on Saturday-week,” Patterson said. “He will end up in the Bonecrusher if all goes well at Otaki because he does have nine points (in the summer series), so that is still an option. “He will jump out again next Monday after our races and he will be peaking for that mile.” Prior to the weekend, Patterson will head to his home meeting at New Plymouth on Friday with just the one runner – The Chopper (NZ) (The Bold One) in the Crowded House Maiden (1600m). The four-year-old son of The Bold One was runner-up last start over 1600m at Trentham and Patterson believes his charge is capable of going one better on Friday. “He is a full to The Underbelly, who won last week,” he said. “He is a very progressive horse. I can see him being a nice stayer next season. I will be disappointed if he doesn’t go a top race on Friday.” View the full article

Entries for NZB’s 2024 National Online Yearling Sale are now open, with the Sale set to be held on Gavelhouse Plus. The catalogue will be available to view online from Wednesday 3 April, with bidding set to open on Friday 12 April and close from 6pm (NZT) on Wednesday 17 April. A significant benefit of the digital catalogue is that all lots offered in the National Online Yearling Sale are eligible to be nominated for the lucrative Karaka Millions Series. Just nine short months after they make their virtual sale-ring debut, graduates of the online sale can compete for a share in the 2025 $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), followed by the 2026 $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). Graduates of the relatively new sale have already had multiple successes on the racetrack, with the inaugural 2021 sale graduates already claiming a 44% winners to runners strike rate, including stakes performers such as Bolshoi Star (NZ) (Russian Revolution) and Karaka Millions contender Time Ruler (NZ) (Time Test). “The Sale offers breeders and vendors a cost-effective and straight-forward opportunity to sell their yearlings to a wide audience,” commented NZB Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones. “In its third year, it has already proven to be a great source of genuine racehorses and the attraction for buyers is only strengthened by the Karaka Millions Series eligibility.” Entries for the 2024 National Online Yearling Sale are open now and will close Wednesday 20 March. To enter the Sale, visit NZB’s online portal at portal.nzb.co.nz or for enquiries contact NZB’s Bloodstock Administrator Mary Jane Harvey by calling +64 9 393 9832 or emailing MaryJane.Harvey@nzb.co.nz. Following normal Sale protocol, the National Online Yearling Sale will continue to be run under NZB Terms and Conditions. For more information about the Sale, contact NZB Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email Kane.jones@nzb.co.nz. View the full article

A line has been ruled through an Australian autumn campaign for Crocetti (NZ), with the son of Zacinto heading to the spelling paddock after a standout three-year-old term. Trainers Danny Walker and Arron Tata were contemplating heading to Melbourne next month with the Group One winner but have elected to call time on his season following his runner-up effort behind Bonny Lass in last Saturday’s Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa. “We did look at the Australian Guineas (Gr.1, 1600m) and then I thought maybe the Newmarket (Gr.1, 1200m) with 53kg on his back was quite appealing as well, but we have decided to send him to the paddock for a spell,” Walker said. “He is 100 percent and has pulled up really well, but I just felt he peaked on Saturday, and he has had seven runs as a three-year-old. “He can have a good spell now and prepare for a four-year-old campaign.” Bred and raced by Daniel Nakhle, Crocetti won his sole start as a juvenile before returning as a three-year-old where he was undefeated in his six starts against his own age group, including the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m), Gr.3 Almanzor Trophy (1200m), and Gr.3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m). He was then tested at weight-for-age for the first time last Saturday, and put in a gutsy performance to finish second behind Bonny Lass. “He has done us proud, and he tried his guts out the other day,” Walker said. Looking back fondly on a satisfying season with Crocetti, Walker said he will start planning his spring campaign in the coming months, with a high likelihood of heading straight across the Tasman with his charge. “It is all up in the air, but it comes down to weather and track conditions here, especially in the spring,” he said. “I will sit down in the next couple of months and do my homework. If it is going to be too wet here, then he will probably go straight to Australia. We will just see how he comes up and how the weather plays.” Meanwhile, Walker is enjoying breaking in the six yearlings he purchased at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale, including two colts from Book 1. Under his Brookby Stables banner, Walker went to $170,000 to purchase lot 605, the Sweynesse colt out of Group Three performer Bella Court, and $210,000 to purchase lot 126, the Zed colt out of a half-sister to the dam of Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) winner Verry Elleegant. “The Sweynesse is a lovely colt, we are breaking him in at the moment,” Walker said. “The Zed is a nice horse. I have never looked at a Zed yearling before but a client of ours wanted me to have a look at him. He could pass for a Savabeel, he is a really lovely colt.” View the full article

Long-standing New Plymouth thoroughbred identity John Wheeler will don an extra hat at his local meeting this week to mark a memorable milestone. He will have half a-dozen runners in action on Friday, including the progressive Lord Donovan (NZ) (Lord), and will also be part of Taranaki Racing’s 150th Jubilee Celebrations. Wheeler will be centre stage with his close friend, former New Zealand Test cricketing great John Wright, at an 11.30am luncheon to kick off the festivities ahead of the seven-race card. “John will be the guest speaker and I’ll be questioning him, he’s been a mate of mine for about 50 years, so I’ve got a bit on him,” Wheeler said. “It will be a bit of fun and he’s a good bloke and loves his racing so it’s an opportune time to get him here and makes him do some work.” The day will also feature a jockeys’ series to raise funds for breast and prostate cancer with Taranaki Racing to add to the donations through the luncheon and racecourse entry. Invited jockeys will give two selections from their book of rides and Taranaki Racing will place $10 each way on their chosen mounts, with the earnings given to their relevant charity. The rider with the highest dividend at the conclusion of the meeting will be crowned the leading jockey. Meanwhile, the Wheeler-trained Lord Donovan will make his first appearance since he triumphed on all three days of the New Zealand Cup carnival when he steps out in the HTL Group Handicap (1200m). “He’s had a good break and he’s going along well. I’m pretty happy with him and he’ll be very competitive,” Wheeler said. “I want to see how he measures up to better class, I haven’t got anything in mind for him yet and we’ll just see what happens on Friday.” Stablemate Herbert (NZ) (Sweet Orange) has gone close to breaking through on several occasions and Wheeler is bullish about his chances in the Signright Maiden (2000m). “He’s a pretty good horse, but he does a lot wrong to be fair and is his own worst enemy,” he said. “He gawks around when he gets to the front, he’s not a silly horse, just a laid-back dude.” Herbert holds a nomination for the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) and Wheeler is hoping for a show of stamina on his home track. “I think the 2000m on Friday will answer some questions. The mile and a-half may stretch him, but he has got a fair bit of stoutness in his pedigree,” he said. Wheeler will also be represented by Tsunami (NZ) (Ocean Park) and Tranzed (NZ) (Zed) in the Landmark City of New Plymouth Cup (1800m), Zivjeli (NZ) (Shocking) in the Peninsular Beachfront Resort Mooloolaba (1400m) and Pucci (NZ) (Puccini) in the Crowded House Maiden (1600m). “Tsunami is just coming up and going well and so is Tranzed, it will be interesting to see if he measures up to Rating 65 class,” he said. “Zivjeli has had a break and is just coming up and might need a couple of runs to get back to its best.” Tsunami is moving up in trip after a resuming sprint outing while Tranzed was a last-start maiden success on the course while Pucci was a debut sixth earlier this month and is another stepping up in distance. View the full article

Mary Louise returns victorious following last month’s Group 3 Wellington Cup (3200m). Photo: Race Images Taranaki trainer Robbie Patterson is looking forward to heading north to Ellerslie with Mary Lousie and Nom De Plume this weekend after they pleased in their 1200m trial at Foxton on Tuesday. The pair will be looking to continue their good run of form when they contest the Group 2 Avondale Cup (2400m). “They are going to the Avondale Cup on Saturday, so they had a really quiet trial,” Patterson said. “Craig (Grylls) was very happy with Mary Louise and Mereana Hudson was rapt with Nom De Plume. I am very happy going forward.” Mary Louise placed in the Group 3 Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day before scoring a popular victory in the Group 3 Wellington Cup (3200m) at Trentham last month. Her ultimate aim is next month’s Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie and Patterson said it will be good to give the five-year-old mare a look around the Auckland track ahead of the two-mile feature. “On Saturday Ciel Butler is going to ride her because the minimum is 52kg. She will ride her cold and give her a look at Ellerslie before the Auckland Cup, which is the big goal with Mary Louise,” Patterson said. “The two miles suits her big time, she is so dour.” Nom De Plume has also been in pleasing form for the stable and takes a last start fourth placing in the Group 3 Trentham Stakes (2100m) into Saturday. Meanwhile, last start Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) hero Puntura also featured at the Foxton trials, winning his 1000m heat. Next week’s Group 1 Otaki-Maori WFA Classic (1600m) beckons the son of Vespa before a potential trip north to Ellerslie next month to chase the $500,000 Summer Series Bonus on offer, culminating in the Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2100m). “He trialled up really nice. Craig was very happy with him, so he is going forward to that Group One on Saturday-week,” Patterson said. “He will end up in the Bonecrusher if all goes well at Otaki because he does have nine points (in the summer series), so that is still an option. “He will jump out again next Monday after our races and he will be peaking for that mile.” Prior to the weekend, Patterson will head to his home meeting at New Plymouth on Friday with just the one runner – The Chopper in the Crowded House Maiden (1600m). The four-year-old son of The Bold One was runner-up last start over 1600m at Trentham and Patterson believes his charge is capable of going one better on Friday. “He is a full to The Underbelly, who won last week,” he said. “He is a very progressive horse. I can see him being a nice stayer next season. I will be disappointed if he doesn’t go a top race on Friday.” Horse racing news View the full article