Wandering Eyes

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-bred horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Monday's Observations focuses on what has the makings of an informative card at Chantilly. 14.30 Chantilly, €27,400, Mdn, unraced 2yo, c/g, 9 1/2f (AWT) Christophe Ferland entry SELVO (FR) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), a sibling of G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Queen's Jewel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), is one of several bluebloods in a cast of 13. His opponents include fellow Wertheimer nominee Patriarche (Fr) (St Mark's Basilica {Fr}), who is an Andre Fabre-conditioned son of G1 Prix Jean Romanet second Ame Bleue (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). Fabre also sends forth Juddmonte's Firefall (GB) (Kingman {GB}), who is kin to dual Group 2-winning sire Threat (Ire) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}). Others worthy of note are Jaber Abdullah's Thing For The Hot (Fr) (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who is a son of G1 Preis der Diana (German Oaks) runner-up Djumama (Ire) (Aussie Rules); Antonia Devin's homebred The Legend (Fr) (Telecaster {GB}), who is out of GI E P Taylor Stakes second Golden Legend (Fr) (Doctor Dino {Fr}); and Mohamed Eldubeba's Zakariia (Ire) (Awtaad {Ire}), who is a half-brother to the Group 1-placed duo Bocca Baciata (Ire) (Big Bad Bob {Ire}) and Topeka (Ire) (Whipper). 15.05 Chantilly, €27,400, Mdn, unraced 2yo, f, 9 1/2f (AWT) Juddmonte newcomer GILDED PRIZE (GB) (Frankel {GB}) is a Francis Graffard-trained daughter of GI Flower Bowl Invitational and GI Beverly D Stakes placegetter Grand Jete (GB) (Dansili {GB}). She encounters one dozen rivals, which include Aga Khan Studs representative Dalkola (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}), who is out of a half-sister to G1 Dubai Sheema Classic heroine Dolniya (Fr) (Azamour {Ire}); Christopher Head trainee Asylla (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who is a half-sister to G1 Prix Marcel Boussac second Tasmania (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) out of a half-sister to G1 Melbourne Cup winner Americain (Dynaformer); and Jon and Julia Aisbitt's Camber Sands (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}), who is a daughter of G2 Cape Verdi victrix Pevensey Bay (Ger) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}). The post Sibling of Queen’s Jewel Heads Impressive Cast of Bluebloods at Chantilly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Whisper Hill Farm, Stonestreet and Windancer Farm's Courting (c, 2, Curlin–Cavorting, by Bernardini), a $5-million Keeneland September graduate, glided to a four-length maiden score at Aqueduct Sunday. The 1-9 favorite, making his second lifetime start, was away alertly and was under a snug hold while setting a moderate early tempo. He shrugged off a challenge from longshot Stream It (Tapit) in upper stretch and sailed down the lane to an easy victory. Grittiness (Curlin) closed late for second. The time for the mile was 1:36.03. Courting closed to be fourth after a slow start over this same track and distance in his Sept. 27 debut. The handsome chestnut is a son of Grade I winner Cavorting and a full-brother to Grade I winner Clairiere. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0. O-Whisper Hill Farm, Stonestreet, Windancer Farm. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (Ky). T-Todd Pletcher. COURTING, bought for $5,000,000 as a yearling and full brother to multiple grade 1 winner Clairiere, breaks his maiden in the second race under @ljlmvel for @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/4bdPvVI7iv — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) November 9, 2025 The post $5-Million Courting Graduates at Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Castillon Stallions, Haras de Castillon's new stallion operation, has announced its fees for the 2026 breeding season, with the Group 1 winners Marhaba Ya Sanafi and Tribalist both being introduced at €6,000. Tribalist embarks on his first season at stud as a seven-time Group winner, a tally headlined by his pillar-to-post win in last year's Prix du Moulin de Longchamp, while fellow newcomer Marhaba Ya Sanafi gained his sole success at the top level in the 2023 running of the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. Shares remain available in the Classic-winning son of Muhaarar. Elsewhere, the dual Group 1 scorer Romanised, the sire of the G3 Prix Cleopatre heroine Zia Agnese, will stand for €5,000, along with the G1 National Stakes winner Thunder Moon, who will be represented by his first two-year-old runners in 2026. The roster is completed by Texas, who will command a fee of €3,800 ahead of his first juveniles also gracing racecourses next year, and young National Hunt stallion Magic Dream, who will stand for €3,500. In other news, Castillon Stallions has appointed Enrico Simone Faccarello as head stallion man and nomination sales manager. Faccarello joins the team having gained experience in similar roles across Europe, New Zealand, Kentucky and Australia. Benoît Jeffroy, president of Castillon Stallions, said, “We are delighted to welcome Enrico to Castillon. His international background and knowledge of stallions at the highest level will be key assets in structuring and developing our stud operation.” Faccarello added, “I'm thrilled to join Castillon Stallions for what is an exciting new challenge. This new venture brings together high-class stallions from varied bloodlines, offered on attractive terms for all breeders. The aim is to build, together, a strong and ambitious programme.” The post Marhaba Ya Sanafi and Tribalist Both Introduced at €6,000 in Debut Season for Castillon Stallions appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Kit Gow/TTRAusNZ The catalogue for the 2026 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale has been released, with 1221 lots entered across Book 1 and Book 2, to be offered over five days of selling in January next year. Commencing on Tuesday, January 13, on the same day as the Magic Millions Barrier Draw, Book 1 will run until the Friday's super session, with Book 2 taking place on Sunday, January 18. “We are incredibly proud to present the catalogue for the 2026 Gold Coast Yearling Sale,” said Magic Millions managing director Barry Bowditch. “This sale is firmly established as the best producing auction in the country. No better example (of that) being the six Group 1 winners from the 2024 sale. “From recent legends like Winx, Imperatriz and Alligator Blood to new pin-up performers Apocalyptic, Autumn Boy, Charm Stone, Cool Archie, Ole Dancer and Stefi Magnetica – the Gold Coast Yearling Sale delivers year after year.” From the 2024 sale has emerged the likes of G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Devil Night (Extreme Choice), a A$1.4 million graduate of Kingstar Farm's draft, G1 JJ Atkins Plate winner Cool Archie (Cool Aza Beel), from the draft of Newhaven Park, and Blue Gum Farm-sold G1 Sistema Stakes winner Return To Conquer (Snitzel). The 2026 catalogue features 239 lots from stakes-winning mares, including the offspring of 31 Group 1 winners – the highlights of which include the first yearling out of Snapdancer (Choisir) and the second and last foal from Hungry Heart (Frankel). In addition, there are half, three quarter and full siblings on offer to the likes of G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Manaal (Snitzel), Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), Farnan, Artorius and Stay Inside, as well as this year's top-level stars Sepals (Calyx), Devil Night and Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard). A total of 122 individual sires will be represented, 14 of which will see their first yearlings go through the ring, including nine-time Group 1-winning hero Anamoe, In The Congo, State Of Rest, Sejardan, Top Ranked and Diatonic, plus the Magic Millions Gold Coast Group 1-winning graduates Hitotsu, Ellsberg, Artorius, Jacquinot and Profondo. The catalogue will also have a distinctly international flavour courtesy of two entrants from the first Southern Hemisphere-bred crop of six-time Group 1 winner Baaeed, one by Siyouni and one by Munnings, amongst a number by Northern Hemisphere sires. Bowditch added, “Our team has worked hard in bringing together a catalogue packed with athletic yearlings that we think will give their buyers the ride of their life.” The post Magic Millions Release Jam-Packed Catalogue for 2026 Gold Coast Sale Season Opener appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Appearances by ex-Miss Hong Kong contestant Samantha Ko Hoi-ling and singer Yan Ting headlined the festivities at the 21st edition of the city’s most glamorous lifestyle racing event – Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Day. Punters swathed in pink descended on Sha Tin Racecourse on Sunday, with many flocking to the parade ring to watch singer Ting get the festivities under way shortly before the racing started. Sa Sa also forged a special collaboration with the Hong Kong Design Institute to present a dazzling...View the full article

Tallulah Becza-Levitt was just four years old when her preschool teachers first noticed that she was limping. Her parents took her to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), one of the country's leading pediatric specialists where they received a diagnosis no parent should ever have to hear: neurofibromatosis, an incurable condition in which tumors grow uncontrollably on the body's nerves. Since that day, Becza-Levitt has undergone seven surgeries, each to reduce tumor mass in her leg, where the tumor wraps around the sciatic nerve. “Typically, I go two to five years between surgeries,” she says, sitting outside on a summer day in New Jersey after a riding lesson. “They cut as much as they can without damaging the nerve.” But sometimes, that's not possible. When she was 10, her surgery left her with nerve damage that caused her lower left leg to lag behind the right in development. Her foot drags, and she is unable to push forward with it. In 2025, she required two tumor de-bulking surgeries. “And luckily,” she says, “between the surgeries, I was able to start riding with Nancy.” Nancy Forsyth is the Program Director for Equine Assisted Services at the Allaire Community Farm in Wall, New Jersey, whose mission is to use rescued animals to nurture people with special needs. Her secret weapon is a 21-year-old former racehorse named Fittipaldi. `Fitti,' as she calls him, raced 25 times in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and Forsyth was a small part of his ownership group through the former Horsehats partnerships. As he got older, and slid down racing's ladder, said Forsyth, “he fell into the hands of a not-very-nice trainer at Mountaineer.” She and her son Jason had loved being one of his owners, so they got in the car, drove to Mountaineer, and bought him. “We bought him to save him,” she says. “My son and I had had the time of our lives having a share in Fitti. And he brought us a lot of friends that I still have today.” *** Becza-Levitt aboard Fittipaldi with Nancy Forsyth (right) | Sarah Andrew photo What is the value of movement to your life? Of normalcy to your sense of well-being? Ask anyone who has ever had a handicap that hinders their movement, and they'll tell you it's everything. Becza-Levitt is 24, with a degree in psychology which she hopes to put to use helping children deal with the kind of trauma that comes with being hospitalized with serious conditions like her own. Today, she is standing in line at a farm stand buying some produce for dinner. She wears an AFO brace on her lower leg to keep her foot from dropping, and relies on a crutch to help her get around. “What did you do to your foot?” asks the check-out clerk. It is a question which she endures several times every day, at airports and stores, in restaurants and at parties, as people look at the crutch and assume it is a temporary condition for an otherwise healthy young woman. Sometimes, she tells people it's a soccer or skiing injury. When she is particularly tired, she is apt to reply something like, “shark attack,” before moving along with a friendly smile. “So much,” is her answer today. How do you tell someone that you have just had eight pounds of tumor removed from your leg, and that if you're lucky, it will be another two years before you have to do it again? “I'm happy to talk about it,” she says, but explains that it's difficult for people to hear. “I would love to give a simple answer, but it's not a simple answer and it can be shocking to people. I don't want to put the burden on them to react in a certain way. There's no right way to respond to it.” Out at the riding program, nobody asks, or seems to care. *** “I've been doing this for almost 30 years,” says Forsyth, a PATH-certified therapeutic riding instructor who, along with Fitti, hosts a day-long parade of parents and children for whom riding has been transformational. “This farm is dedicated to using rescued animals to nurture through nature,” she says. “We have a lot of special-needs students here. A lot of them are on the spectrum. A lot of autism. A lot of cerebral palsy. That's our mission. And Fitti was perfect for this. He's laid-back. He's slow. He's perfect in his gait. He's a little short-coupled, so he's not bouncy. A student can do a very nice sitting trot on him, and they can learn to do a posting trot very easily.” Forsyth's son, Jason, himself on the spectrum, helps her with both horses and students. Becza-Levitt started out on one of Forsyth's smaller Haflinger horses, but quickly advanced to riding Fitti when she showed promise. Certified Path instuctor Nancy Forsyth | Sarah Andrew Riding–and horses in general–explained Forsyth, are helpful both physically and mentally to her students. “They get an emotional bond,” she says. “Half of my students would rather pet Fitti than even ride. They really love the horse. Some of them need sensory input. They're feeling the mane, they're petting him. And then on the other hand, you get students who are afraid of horses, but they're here for the physical and cognitive benefits.” In the summer, Forsyth works outside in a large riding ring with letters tacked up at various intervals on the outside fences of the ring. She will ask students to tell her two letters where they want to take their horse. “And that's very difficult,” she says. “It involves planning, and some mapping skills.” Fitti is so trustworthy that many of the students ride him independently, with no one leading him on a shank. Today, Becza-Levitt is on Fitti when a horse in an adjacent paddock breaks through the fencing on the outside of the ring to get at some grass, causing a loud crash. Fitti doesn't flinch, but simply turns his head lazily to see what the commotion is. For Becza-Levitt, being on Fitti's back is the one place where she can move like anyone else. Thoroughbred racehorses are increasingly being used in equine-assisted therapy, prized for their intelligence, and their enjoyment of a job to be done. They work with clients like Forsyth's, along with veterans and other trauma survivors, teens with anxiety, and more. In racing there is a lot of conversation about those jobs they can do in second careers, and where they can find new homes. Sometimes, it's helpful to talk to the people on the other side of the equation, to the people whose lives they change, in order to fully understand the scope of their value. “For someone who's having trouble with their walking, or if they're in a wheelchair, you can put them on the horse and that gait, that motion, sets them on top of the world because they can walk again,” says Forsyth. “They can actually walk again through the motion of the horse.” That is exactly how Becza-Levitt says she feels, explaining that she had tried other sports and walked away frustrated when she was unable to compete like anyone else. “This is a pretty big change for my life,” she says. “I had put myself in a box before this. Being able to ride and getting that experience is such a blessing because I beat myself up for things I can't control. And now I have an outlet that's negating a lot of my life where I've felt like, `okay, I can't do this because it's going to be harder. People are going to look at me weirdly.' There's a freedom that I have never experienced before with being able to do this in the way I want. It's monumental in my life.” “Tallulah is amazing,” says Forsyth. “She loves being here. She loves the idea of being able to do a sport that she could excel at. This is something where she doesn't need to be able to walk perfectly to take her horse around the course, or go to a simple pleasure horse show. Emotionally, she gets a lot of love from Fitti and gives it back to him.” And that, in turn, is a blessing for Forsyth. “I love seeing the results that I can give a student,” she says. “My idea is to leave the student better than I found them. We get them on the horse and as soon as you get halfway around the ring, they say how they love it. They like the motion. And it just…leaves them better.” Forsyth says she would like for Fittipaldi to be an ambassador for all former racehorses, to show how valuable they can be in their post-racing lives. Becza-Levitt, who used to be afraid of horses, is sold. “When I am on the horse, I feel free, because I don't have to use a crutch or a brace,” she says. “The horse is moving how I tell him to move. That's sort of a crazy concept for me, because for 20 years, I have had to figure it out a little differently. I never would have imagined the autonomy you get when you do something like this. To me, this feels like what walking should feel like. And it's a great feeling to do it with another being. It just reinforces what great animals horses are and the benefits they can provide for every type of human. I think it is really special. Very, very special.” The post Former Racehorse Fittipaldi Brings Movement Back to a Young Woman’s Life appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Luke Morris is well known for being one of the hardest-working members of the weighing-room but the Group 1-winning jockey has also been busily expanding his knowledge of other facets of the racing industry. With his partner Molly Nash-Steer, Morris became a breeder in the aftermath of Alpinista's victory in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and he is currently combining his responsibilities as Sir Mark Prescott's stable jockey with preparinging foals for the forthcoming December Sale at Tattersalls. “I was always engrossed and wanted to be a jockey from the age of six or seven. I was a racing fanatic and it evolved from following them as racehorses to developing an interest in the bloodstock side,” he explains over a cup of tea at the couple's property just outside Newmarket. It's a quick cuppa, as Morris must be on the road to the evening meeting some 250 miles north at Newcastle in half an hour. He has already ridden work for Sir Mark this morning before returning to help walk the foals. Nash-Steer adds, “He's mucked out and has been poo-picking as well.” She isn't exactly idle either. As well as having two mares and two foals at home, she also has two hunters and, even more importantly, the couple's two small children, Henry and Violet, to look after. The foals heading to the sale in a fortnight's time are both colts, one by Study Of Man out of the stakes-producing mare Clara Luna (Muhtathir), and the other by Soldier's Call from a hugely successful family which Morris has come to know well through his riding days. “I'm probably a bit boring and don't have too many hobbies, so I love studying pedigrees and I always said to myself that if I rode a Group 1 winner that I would buy a mare,” he says. “You soon realise that winning one or two Abbayes or a few Group 1s in Germany doesn't quite cut it to buy a commercial mare, but then Alpinista winning the Arc provided the opportunity to buy a mare that would hopefully be commercial. “After we bought Clara Luna, we then added to her with a mare of Miss Rausing's, Alinstante, so we're up to two now, but you soon find out the harsh reality of being a small breeder and how tough it is in this landscape.” Morris has rare inside knowledge of Alinstante, a 12-year-old Archipenko half-sister to the Listed winner Allada (Sea The Moon) who hails from a different branch of Kirsten Rausing's Alruccaba family to Alpinista. He rode her in seven of her nine races, and was victorious on three of those occasions. “I was attracted to her as she's from the 'AL' family, which has been hugely influential in my career,” he notes. “We had her at Sir Mark's and she won three of her first four races, so she was precocious and she got to a rating of 91, but she had quite a bad injury in a Group 3 in France so I felt she was a black-type filly that never really had a chance to achieve it. At the time we had her unraced Study Of Man two-year-old at Sir Mark's called Immediate Effect and I thought he was pretty good, so there were a few things that I liked about her. “We were on holiday when she was going through the sale and when we landed I went straight to Newcastle and was bidding on the online platform for her. Immediate Effect went on to be rated 89 and was a multiple winner, so it's been great.” Morris and Nash Steer mid-foal prep | Emma Berry Morris adds of Alinstante's Soldier's Call foal, “He's bred on a similar cross to that which produced Bradsell – an Archipenko mare to a son of Showcasing – and he's a good-walking colt, so fingers crossed he can wash his face at least.” The unraced Clara Luna was bought from Arqana in 2022 on Morris's behalf by Joseph Burke when carrying to Sea The Moon. Her latest offering is by Study Of Man and Morris admits to their bloodstock interests being “Lanwades heavy”. He says, “I've been with Sir Mark for 13 or 14 years and obviously have ridden numerous winners for Miss Rausing. I get to see a lot of the Study Of Man horses, so I know their traits and I think he's a very underrated stallion that's hopefully still on the up. Kalpana has obviously highlighted his talents and we were delighted to be able to to use him for Clara Luna.” Morris and Nash-Steer say that they are grateful for guidance given in their fledgling breeding pursuits by the Swinburn family at Genesis Green Stud, where the mares are foaled, and by Sophie Buckley of Culworth Grounds and Polly Bonnor of Saracen Horse Feeds. “We spoke to a few people and we sold our first foal we bred through Sophie Buckley, so she gave us a few pointers on the prep, and everyone, including our farrier and vet, has been so helpful,” says Nash-Steer. “We've gradually stepped up the foals' prep and they are hand-walking now for 30 minutes. They've both been very straightforward and we try and keep up a particular routine where they'll walk around the paddock a couple of days, then around the lunge pen and on the road, so they're very much ready for any environment . Hopefully that will set them up ready for the sales.” At Tattersalls, the foals will be under the care of Chloe Battam of Consign Ltd. “Chloe is actually Violet's godmother so we thought we'd send them to the girls to consign for us,” Nash Steer adds. They have just one foal on the way for next year, with Alinstante currently carrying to Shaquille. ” I wanted to try a little bit of speed on the pedigree and when we went to see him we were blown away by how much of a good-looking horse he is,” says Morris, who adds that he finds having the mares and foals a good way to “de-stress away from racing”. “Most people probably think I'm mad wanting to have horses at home and ride thousands of them every year but we love it, and it's a great upbringing for the children.” Morris, who is currently just shy of riding a century of winners in Britain in 2025 – a benchmark he has passed in 13 previous years – returned to the happy hunting ground of Germany on Saturday for one last spin with another Heath House stalwart, Tiffany (Farhh), in the G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern, a race he won four years ago aboard Alpinista. Tiffany, who was second in the race as she was last year, also has a date at the Tattersalls December Sales. “Sir Mark's been wonderful at finding these races for these these well-bred fillies,” he says. ” Tiffany has been a great filly for Elite Racing and for Heath House and it's her last run before the Sceptre Sale.” And for Morris, no matter how big the occasion, the day job is far easier than his sideline. “The sales make me far more nervous than race-riding,” he admits. “To a degree you are in control of your own fate when you're riding but with this there is no telling what will happen, and with the foals we feel a bit like they're our children.” The post ‘I Said if I Rode a Group 1 Winner I Would Buy a Mare’: Luke Morris on the Delights of Breeding and Foal Prep appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

David Eustace will look at testing Light Years Charm in Group company again after the progressive galloper dug deep to claim a fighting win in Sunday’s Class Two Santa Monica Handicap (1,400m) at Sha Tin. Dropping in grade after an unlucky seventh behind My Wish in the Group Three Celebration Cup (1,400m), Light Years Charm relished a frenetic speed set by Beauty Crescent and Drombeg Banner to record his fifth win from 11 local starts. Zac Purton settled the $3.75 favourite in midfield and he...View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Only a disaster can stop Canada’s James MacDonald from winning his second World Driving Championship title at Addington Raceway on Tuesday. In Sunday’s heats at Winton the Netherlands’ Jaap van Rijn was the individual star with three wins from the day’s four heats to climb from eighth to third overall, behind MacDonald and Australian Gary Hall junior. Van Rijn’s wins came with Shezza Vinnie in Heat 16, Jordan Anne in heat 18 and in the last heat of the day with Mouton Cadet. He has 140 points. New Zealand’s Blair Orange is fourth on 131 points. The best he can now finish is third. The day’s other heat at Winton was taken out by Frenchman Pierre Vercruysse with Airwaves. MacDonald accrued crucial points throughout the day including two seconds with Sherwood Maggie and Xerion and has a 15 point buffer heading into the 20th and final heat at Addington on IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup day. He has 164 points, with Hall next on 149. For MacDonald not to claim the title Hall would have to win on Tuesday and MacDonald would have to finish last. MacDonald won his first and only WDC on home soil in 2017. On Tuesday both are driving 31-to-one outsiders Alotoftrouble (MacDonald) and Peaknmonkey (Hall). The WDC leaderboard (after 19 of 20 heats) is : James MacDonald (Canada) 164 Gary Hall junior (Australia) 149 Jaap van Rijn (Netherlands) 140 Blair Orange (New Zealand) 131 Mats Djuse (Sweden) 125 Pierre Vercurysse (France) 117 Michael Nimczyk (Germany) 113 Brett Beckwith (USA) 103 Giampaolo Minnucci (Italy) 95 Santtu Raitala (Finland) 95 The final heat will be Race 3 at Addington on Tuesday (12.54pm). View the full article

Brett Crawford’s “fairy tale” start to his Hong Kong training career continued when Encountered flashed home to recapture the Group Three Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse (1,800m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. The Churchill galloper had been winless in 18 runs after winning the race in 2023 for David Hall and signs of a revival last year were limited, including a midfield finish in this race 12 months ago. He switched stables into Crawford’s care ahead of this season and after a pair of promising runs in Class Two...View the full article

After a typical slow start to the season and 87 runners without a victory, John Size made an emphatic return to the winners’ enclosure with a treble at Sha Tin on Sunday. The 13-time champion Hong Kong trainer managed just two wins and a frustrating 19 placings from the first 18 meetings of the season, before he struck with Sight Hermoso, Ka Ying Power and the impressive Szeryng on Sunday. “Normally, as you’ve probably read 1,000 times, we have slow starts to seasons but as long as we get going...View the full article

The autumn campaign of Champions Mile winner Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) is likely to have a major bearing on whether trainer Joe Pride puts the Cox Plate, to be run at Flemington, firmly on his stable star’s 2026 spring agenda. Pride is looking to give Ceolwulf another chance to prove his effectiveness at 2000m next autumn as his biggest wins to date have been his four Gr.1 successes over 1600m, which include back-to-back King Charles III Stakes at Randwick and Saturday’s Champions Mile in his first visit to Melbourne. Speaking on Sunday morning on SEN’s Correct Weight program after Ceolwulf’s stirring heavy track win at Flemington on Saturday, Pride indicated a goal for next campaign would certainly be to see whether Ceolwulf can also prove himself at the elite level over 2000m. “And I’m open to the fact that that may not be the case,” Pride told SEN. “I’m not blinded by the fact that he’s a good horse and he’ll just be able to do that. He has run some great races at 2000m – he’s run second in a Rosehill Guineas – but I think it’s fair to say his best performances so far have been in fast-run miles. And I guess what I’d be banking on there, to help us do this, as he gets a bit older and now that he’s wearing the blinkers that he’s able to adapt to some muddling tempos that he may get in those 2000m races.” Ceolwulf’s most recent attempt in a 2000m feature was a fifth placing to Via Sistina in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes last autumn. That race again shapes as one likely option during the autumn. Speaking about that possibility of giving Ceolwulf his chance to win a Cox Plate next spring, Pride has a quandary given Ceolwulf has been dominant in the past two King Charles III Stakes. “Look, it’s going to be difficult because we’ve got the King Charles and unless those dates are going to change next year, the King Charles being the week before is the fly in the ointment there for me,” Pride said. “But the autumn is going to basically decide whether we should be targeting the Cox Plate. Now if he’s good at 2000m but not great, I think I’d have to have rocks in my head not aiming him at the King Charles again. But that’s something that will be determined by his autumn campaign.” What has also buoyed Pride, in regard to future options for Ceolwulf, is how the five-year-old handled his first interstate trip to win the Champions Mile. View the full article

Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman and jockey Craig Grylls proved a potent combination at Tauherenikau on Sunday, claiming three of the eight races across the afternoon. Both were coming off the back of successful Saturday meetings, Forsman taking the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint (1200m) at Pukekohe with Force Of Nature (NZ) (Savabeel) while Grylls rode a winning double at Riccarton including the Listed Pegasus Stakes (1000m) aboard Platinum Attack (Santos). Combining in the Central Districts, the pair took the first of their winning treble with Lassified (Stay Inside) in the LA Stud 2YO (1000m). A filly by Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside, Lassified had shown promise at the trials and started favourite in a compact field of juveniles, utilising her inside draw and good gate speed to find the lead in the OTI silks. She travelled well throughout and kicked clear on straightening, holding a game Vahvay at bay in the closing stages to score by a long neck, more than three lengths clear of the third placegetter Tifosi. “She’s a game little filly, we really like her,” Forsman’s Racing Manager Joe Walker said. “She’s a real professional. “She jumped, used the rail and looked the winner then just wanted to do things wrong. I think she’s tough, she’s got a good attitude for it and plenty of upside. “We’ll get her home and reassess things now, but we’re very happy to kick off with that.” Their winning roll continued into the Lamb Peters Print MDN (1000m) with Nedelin (NZ) (Spirit Of Boom), a Cambridge Stud homebred having his second start after finishing fifth in a strong maiden at Te Aroha won by Avantaggia. Grylls found a good position off the fence in midfield but had to come wide turning for home, giving pacemaker Falcrests Belle a decent headstart. Nedelin was inclined to lay in all the way up the straight but his class prevailed, coming over the top late to pip a fast-closing Alcaraz by a neck, with Falcrests Belle holding on for third. “It’s a big thrill (to win for Cambridge Stud),” Walker said. “He did a lot wrong, but he tracked a decent speed, seemed to relax well and went Craig needed him most in that last furlong he put in. “He does little in his work by himself to be honest, but he saves his best for trials and races. He’s competitive, he wants to be there and wants to do it.” Forsman and Grylls prevailed in another tight finish to the Wrights Cabins and Construction R75 (1600m), with Privy Garden (So You Think) holding on by the barest of margins. The mare was dropping back in distance being taken on and fading over 2100m at Trentham, having finished fourth in the Gr.3 Metric Mile (1600m) in the previous start. She led throughout on Sunday and looked to have it sealed in the straight, before a late rush from Manzor Blue and Diomedes forced a photo finish. The result favoured the daughter of So You Think, earning a fifth win in 21 attempts and bringing her career earnings over $102,000 for the China Horse Club. “That was an interesting last 100, she’d shaken them off and I thought she’d stolen a winning margin, but then just wanted to knock off the job,” Walker said. “She’s better with a bit of sting out of the ground, she’s an autumn horse and we thought coming here today and dropping back to a mile, she’d be a very nice chance.” View the full article

Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth) has been sent for a spell after a spring campaign that didn’t go to script. For the second year in succession, spring plans haven’t gone to plan for high-class galloper Linebacker, but his trainers remain adamant he will return bigger and better in the autumn. The Randwick Guineas winner was being prepared for a tilt at the Epsom Handicap – Golden Eagle double but when a minor injury setback ruled him out of the former, trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton found themselves on the backfoot. While Linebacker showed his class to land a consolation win in the Silver Eagle (1300m), his rejigged lead-up to the Golden Eagle (1500m) proved costly and he battled to the line for seventh behind star mare Autumn Glow. “It ended up being a testing 1500 and the preparation we were dealt as a result of the setback didn’t set him up well for that. We had wanted to come into it off the mile,” Charlton said. “It was a messy race, tricky circumstances in the sense of the ground being quite choppy on the day. “He got further back than we would have liked to see and everything that could go wrong did and then he got shut out of a gap up the straight.” It followed a forgettable spring 12 months earlier when the then-colt, who had been Group 1-placed at two, turned in a couple of inglorious performances that resulted in him being gelded. The procedure had the desired effect and Linebacker returned in the autumn to capture the Randwick Guineas and finish a luckless eighth in the Doncaster Mile (1600m), a race again likely to be on his carnival radar next year. “He will go for a break now and come back in the autumn. I’m confident he can be a pretty good horse for us,” Charlton said. “Maybe a Canterbury Stakes, a George Ryder (Stakes), Doncaster and then we will learn what his best distance might be.” View the full article

Otaki galloper Driftin (NZ) (Merchant Navy) picked up her first win in more than two years when causing an upset in the Challenge Carterton R75 (1000m) at Tauherenikau on Sunday. The five-year-old by Merchant Navy had been a winner on the Cambridge Synthetic in September 2023 but was unplaced in her following six starts, after which she was purchased for $5,000 through gavelhouse.com by part-owner Andre Wallace. It was more than a year later that she stepped out at the Foxton trials in late October and put the writing on the wall with a smart win, albeit on far different surface to the Good 4 on offer at Tauherenikau. Racing out of her grade, Driftin closed the $22 outsider in a small field and jockey Bruno Queiroz ensured she utilised the inside gate early booting up inside of the favourite Debbi Harri. After travelling well in front, Driftin got the better of her chestnut counterpart turning for home and kicked clear at the 200m, maintaining a strong gallop to win comfortably by a length with Debbi Harri closing well late into second. Her trainer, Group One-winning jockey Buddy Lammas, had viewed the race as another trial for his mare but couldn’t have been happier to get the result. “We gave her a trial and we thought we would come here today being a small field,” he said. “I know she was out of her grade but 1000m on a good track was all she needed so we thought we’d give her a crack and see what happened. “I thought she would go well but I said to the boys that we would use it as a trial being out of her grade, but you never know, we like to win trials too.” Out of the Cape Blanco mare Backless, Driftin had been a work in progress for Lammas since she was entrusted in his care by Wallace and fellow owners Robert Galvin and Tyson Saunders. “They bought her off Gavelhouse and she had a year off out in the paddock, she came in and out with a few little issues but we’ve got her right now and she’s happy to be here,” Lammas said. View the full article

The revamped Spring Carnival programming, which sees the Gr.1 C F Orr Stakes (1400m) run at Caulfield this Saturday, is perfect for Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) according to his trainer Ciaron Maher. Fresh off a dominant win in the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m), Jimmysstar has returned to Melbourne in fine fettle. “He’s super. He’s in career best form,” Maher said. Already a three-time winner at 1400m, and a winner over 1500m at his second Australian start, Maher believes Jimmysstar will relish the extra 100m in Saturday’s weight-for-age contest. “He’s just a good horse, right in that rich vein of form,” Maher said. “If the Everest wasn’t there, he probably has his first run at 1200 (metres) and then goes to 1400 and into his sweet spot.” “But you can see what he did when he went to 1300 last start and he’ll be better again at 1400.” Usually known a horse that gets back in his races, Jimmysstar has shown the ability to settle closer, notably when racing just off the speed in The Everest when a game third to Ka Ying Rising. “He did lead here one day at Flemington, but at 1300 he can travel a bit closer and at 14 (hundred) he’ll travel even easier,” Maher said. Jimmysstar will be the stable’s only representative in Saturday’s Group One with regular jockey Ethan Brown to ride. The six-year-old gelding, who has amassed over $6 million in prize money, is second favourite at $2.80 in early markets behind Angel Capital at $2.50, who caught the eye when closing strongly for sixth in The Everest. View the full article

Join Guy Heveldt, Emily Murphy and Jayne Ivil as they dissect the racing from day 1 of Cup week from Riccarton as well as Pukekohe & Flemington. Weigh In, November 9 View the full article

Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) has emerged from his unplaced Champions Mile run without any issues, but racing’s popular warhorse is likely heading for a spell. Co-trainer Ben Hayes said on Sunday morning that the weight-for-age star had eaten up and trotted up without problems on Sunday after concerns raised by jockey Craig Williams to Racing Victoria stewards after the race that his action felt “uncomfortable” and he feared there may be something amiss with the horse. “He’s all fine,” Hayes said. “He’s pulled up with no problem. I just think the very, very heavy track and the strong tempo was a bit too much for him on Saturday. “He’s eaten up and he actually trotted up really well. He probably hadn’t seen a heavy track like that since he won his second Doncaster, and he was a young horse then.” The winner of nearly $19 million in stakes was sent out the well-backed $2.90 favourite for the $3 million race, but he finished out of the placings after losing his action in the run to the line. Hayes conceded that Pride Of Jenni’s front-running tactics had proven difficult for Mr Brightside. “Pride Of Jenni, her racing style doesn’t really suit our horse, but that’s racing,” he said. The options remaining for Mr Brightside in 2025 are backing-up into next Saturday’s G1 Orr Stakes at Caulfield or heading to Perth for the $1.5 million Gold Rush next month. “We’ll just see how he is, but it (spell) is probably likely,” he said. “No decision made as he has a Perth option and we were thinking of a backing-up (in the Orr), but on that run you wouldn’t.” View the full article

Untapped four-year-old Smart Love (NZ) (Savabeel) continued her stunning rise through the grades with a dominant display in the opener at Pukekohe Park on Saturday. The daughter of Savabeel had been unbeaten in her last three starts, one of those coming at the end of a brief three-year-old campaign and the latter pair this preparation. Smart Love earned red-hot $1.40 favouritism in the Majestic Horse Floats 1300 and justified that price, aided by a perfect steer from regular rider Masa Hashizume. She jumped positively from the inside draw but had no intention of leading, allowing Central Districts visitor Vibration to cross over and set a strong tempo. Smart Love was full of running when she came away from the rail turning for home, drawing level with Vibration under a hold and cruising clear at the 200m, putting a good margin on her rivals to win with ears pricked from second-elect First Dance. There was no hiding Hashizume’s excitement post-race, indicating that he and trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott had high hopes for the mare last term. “She’s top class this mare,” he said. “Lance told me to have no plan, just jump and decide. She jumped well, I thought Marshy’s horse (Miss Rockette) would go forward more but she was coming back a bit and there was a strong pace. I could pop off and she’s a strong mare, I can make any gap. She was just travelling too well. “It was unfortunate last season, we thought she could get to the Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) and those good three-year-old races, but I think the break has done her well. “At three, we thought she was going to be a 2000m-plus horse, but now she’s big and strong, she can run a good race at 1300-1400m.” Scott echoed those sentiments and is excited for what’s the come for the mare over a big summer of racing. “It was good to see a nice bit of speed in the race, they got a good gallop going and it helped her find her rhythm,” he said. “She managed to peel away from the fence turning in and utilise the beautiful long straight here at Pukekohe and gallop to the line strong. “There are a lot of options for her, it would be nice to chime into a handicap somewhere and come in the bottom half (of the weights), then we can work towards something bigger and brighter through the later part of the summer. “She’ll dictate her form and the way she’s winning at the moment, hopefully she can get to a good race.” Bred by Waikato Stud and owned by Chittick Investments, Smart Love earned her fourth win in just six starts in the race, with two runner-up finishes in the other two attempts earning just over $90,000. The Waikato Stud silks were to the fore again later in the card aboard blue-blooded four-year-old Magice (NZ) (Savabeel). Having his first start in 17 months, which was further delayed when he was late-scratched at the gates last month at Te Aroha, Magice made up for lost time with an eye-catching last-to-first victory under Ryan Elliot. Trained by Kris Shailer, Magice is a full-brother to Group One winner Noverre, a son of Savabeel now in his fourth season standing at Waikato Stud. View the full article

Wolfie's Dynaghost shares similarities with his graded stakes-winning millionaire half-brother, Sadler's Joy but running style isn't one of them.View the full article

Woodbine RoundupView the full article

Spendthrift Farm's Kopion (Omaha Beach–Galloping Ami, by Victory Gallop), who posted three Beyer Speed Figures in excess of 107 in a season which included a blowout victory in the GI Derby City Distaff Stakes, has been retired, according to a report from the Daily Racing Form. Bred by Ivan Dalos's Tall Oaks Farm, Kopion was a $270,000 Keeneland September yearling and won a pair of stakes over seven furlongs at three, a 5 3/4-length success in the GIII Santa Ynez Stakes and a 2 3/4-length score at odds of 37-1 in the GI La Brea Stakes. After defeating Hope Road (Quality Road) in the GII Santa Monica Stakes in February, good for a 110 Beyer, she repeated the dose in the Derby City Distaff, scoring by three lengths and earning a 109 Beyer Speed Figure. Runner-up in the GII Great Lady M. Stakes in July, she rounded out the exacta in the GI Clement L. Hirsch Stakes behind Seismic Beauty (Uncle Mo) (107 Beyer). She was last seen finishing fifth against the boys in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov. 1. “She came out of the race fine, but they're going to breed her,” trainer Richard Mandella told DRF. Mandella told the Form that Kopion would ship to Santa Anita from Del Mar on Sunday before flying to Kentucky on Tuesday. A half-sister to Sovereign Award winner Amis Gizmo (Giant Gizmo), GSW Ami's Flatter (Flatter) and SW Aragorn Ami (Aragorn {Ire}), Kopion retires with a record of 5-3-0 from 10 starts and earnings of $1,204,700. The post Report: Dual Grade I WInner Kopion Retired appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale concluded its two-day Book 3 Saturday, already surpassing the total gross of the 2024 sale with still three days remaining in Lexington, KY. Through five days, the gross for 1,125 horses sold through the ring is up 31.54% from the same period last year when 1,055 horses sold for $163,353,500. Average price rose 23.25% from $154,837 to $190,996. The median of $130,000 increased 36.84% from last year's $95,000. On Saturday, Keeneland sold 259 horses through the ring for $25,328,500, a 29.55% jump from the fifth day last year when 255 horses grossed $19,551,500. The average of $97,793 was 27.55% higher than $76,673 in 2024, while the median rose 41.67% from $60,000 to $85,000. Faris Breeding spent $930,000 on six horses to lead all buyers during the session while Gainesway led consignors Saturday with sales of $3,807,000 for 37 horses. Bringing a final bid of $400,000, the session was topped by Way too Sexy (Flatter) (hip 1482), a 4-year-old mare consigned Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, Agent. Placed in a maiden special weight race at Santa Anita in January for Bob Baffert and the Three Amigos, Way too Sexy was then retired and covered by successful second-crop sire McKinzie for 2026. Out of a SW/MGSP first dam in Ready to Confess, herself a daughter of GI Frizette Stakes winner Confessional, she is a half to a stakes winner in No Confession (Into Mischief). “[You rarely have] the chance to get into those kinds of families, an old Pin Oak family,” said Cary Bloodstock's Andrew Cary who signed the ticket on behalf of Coteau Grove Farms. “You always try and buy the best looking [horses] you can. I think that's always most important in the racing and breeding game. She was purchased by Peter O'Callaghan as a weanling and then Bob Baffert and Donato Lanni as a yearling so it's pretty hard to get past that. She had talent too [on the track]. It didn't all come together for her but she did place in maiden special weight and ability. Then she has a beautiful pedigree with some great names. The second dam was a Grade I winner. Her mother was a graded stakes winner. Flatter should continue to be a good broodmare sire. He's already got Taiba and Nakatomi and I think there's a lot more to come. And she was just absolutely gorgeous.” Andrew Cary signs the ticket for Way too Sexy | Keeneland McKinzie, second only to Vekoma in the second-crop stallion race, has sired the likes of Baeza, Scottish Lassie and Chancer McPatrick. “He's has done extremely well starting off,” Cary said of the covering sire. “He looks like a stallion with a great future ahead of him. His weanlings in the sale have been very well received and he's had several Grade I winners with more to come I would think. I admired him as a race horse. I thought he was tremendously talented and durable to do what he did for ages two through five. You just don't see that.” Louisiana-based Coteau Grove Farm will send their newest broodmare back to Wit, a son of Practical Joke who retired last year to stud through a partnership between Whispering Oaks and Coteau Grove Farms. “She'll go back to Louisiana,” Cary said. “We're building a national-caliber broodmare band there with the likes of Tumbarumba's mother and Margie's Intention's mother. So hopefully this one will follow in their footsteps and will be a great producer for us for the long run. She'll likely to go Wit next year. We're supporting him heavily and want to give him every chance. She crosses with him well and it would be great if we can develop him into a leading stallion for us. Plus it's always nice to reload with some younger blood when you can every year. It keeps the broodmare band refreshed and when you get a chance to add quality like this, in a great-looking mare, you've got to step up.” Cary continued the trend Saturday of buyers competing to great lengths to bring home their desired horses, saying: “The sale [in general] has been incredibly strong. Really from day one. It's been very hard to buy. We've only bought two mares. We were the underbidder on the top two mares in foal Friday. It's great to see a healthy market. And the weanling market has been terrific as well. I think people feel good about the racing game and the breeding game.” Hip 1541, a son of Vekoma | Keeneland The top weanling of the day was a son of Vekoma (hip 1541) hammered down to Brian Graves's En Fuego Stables for $375,000. Bred in Kentucky by Aymen Moftah Inkeep, the colt was consigned by Columbiana Farm. “[I liked] everything really,” Graves, who also serves as the General Manager at Gainesway, said of the colt. “I thought he was one of the best weanlings here today if not the best and I had my mind made up this morning when I came up to the sale. [The price] did get a little stronger than I thought. I [initially] said a number and then I went past that number because I had my mind made up. I don't know what exactly it was about the horse that made me feel that way, but I just had to have him.” By leading second-crop sire Vekoma, he is out of an unraced Nyquist half-sister to GI Xpressbet Florida Derby runner up State of Honor (To Honor and Serve). “Vekoma is doing great,” Graves said. “For any second-crop stallion to surpass $11,000,000 in earnings means that he must be a special stallion in the making. Hopefully [his foals] perform that way next year and hopefully it comes with some Grade I winners. I was excited that [his stud fee] was $100,000 this year. It gives me a chance to do well later.” And as for the state of the market? Graves needed few words to describe what buyers are experiencing in Lexington. “[The market is] absolutely savage.” The November Sale continues Sunday and runs through Tuesday with all sessions beginning at 10 a.m. The post Keeneland November Surges Past 2024 Total As Book 3 Ends appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As trainer Chad Brown and Klaravich Stables owner Seth Klarman formulate plans for their 2026 stable, a very nice option popped into place in the dirt older filly and mare category. View the full article

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Every Vote Counts in New York. Third Start The Charm For Pinatubo Filly Klaravich Stables' Every Vote Counts (Pinatubo) strolled to a 1 1/4-length victory during the Belmont at the Big A meeting on November 2 (video). Trained by Chad Brown and bred by The Sparkle Roll Partnership, she was making her third start. A 220,000gns Tattersalls October yearling, the daughter of G2 Ribblesdale Stakes-placed Sparkle Roll (Kingman) has yearling and weanling half-sisters by Kameko. Sparkle Roll is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Wings Of Eagles. Darley stallion Pinatubo, priced at £17,500 next year, has sired 63 winners from 127 runners worldwide with his first two crops. Four of his progeny are stakes winners, with his flagbearer G2 Prix de Malleret heroine Qilin Queen. Strictly in the U.S., the son of Shamardal is responsible for six winners from seven starters (86%). His GIII With Anticipation Stakes third Cavallo Bay is his best there. Repeat Winner Three Diamonds Farm's Bunratty Manor (No Nay Never) returned to the winner's circle in a Churchill Downs affair for trainer Rusty Arnold on November 6 (video). The daughter of Sapphire Ring (Galileo) was winning for the second time in seven starts. Fresh off a career high when third in the GIII Waya Stakes on this circuit in October, Alluring Angel (Fastnet Rock) earned a graded win of her own in the GIII Long Island Stakes on November 8 (video). The five-year-old mare is owned by Lawrence Goichman and trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott. The Big Con (Dark Angel), who is owned by Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Tony Weintraub and Brandon Dalinka, captured the GIII Grey Stakes at Woodbine for trainer Miguel Clement (video). The full-brother to U.S. graded winner Heredia was taking his first stakes victory. Klaravich Stables' Growth Trajectory (Lope De Vega) won for the second time in three starts in New York on November 2 (video). The relative of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Aunt Pearl (Lope De Vega) is trained by Chad Brown. The post Making Waves: Vote Carries The Day In New York appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article