Wandering Eyes

A trio of juveniles from the Mayfield Stables' consignment filled the top three positions during Wednesday's Osarus Breeze-Up Sale at La Teste Racecourse, with a filly by Mehmas (Ire) (lot 41), taking top honours at €80,000 from Mandore International Agency. The March foal is out of Heavenly Bliss (GB) (Intello {Ger}), herself a daughter of G3 Dahlia S. winner and triple Group 1 placegetter Heaven Sent (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), a full-sister to U.S. turf star and dual Grade I winner Megahertz (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Mandore was also the name on the ticket for lot 2, a son of Profitable (Ire), who made €47,000 after bringing €20,000 during the Tattersalls Ireland September Yealing Sale. His granddam is Pomology (Arch), twice successful at group level and second in the G1 Prix Vermeille. The colt's New Approach (Ire) dam Teikei (Ire) is a half-sister to G3 Zetland S. hero Goldspur (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). The third juvenile from Mayfield Stables was a filly (lot 40) by last year's leading first-season sire Blue Point (Ire), who caught the eye of Jean-Claude Rouget and Capucine BDT. Knocked down for €35,000 as a private sale, the filly is from the extended family of Classic winner and sire Camelot (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}). She sold for €27,000 at the 2023 Goffs February Sale. The fourth horse to make €30,000 or above was a filly by Aclaim (Ire) from John Bourke's Hyde Park Stud. The daughter of Impressionable (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) was also a Mandore International acquisition. Her second dam, the Bertolini mare Appealing (Ire), was second in the GII Yellow Ribbon H. and third in the GIII Oak Tree S. Overall, 36 sold (59%) from 61 offered for a gross of €579,000. The average of €16,919 was down 2% from 2023, while the median decreased 13% to €13,000. The post Mehmas Filly Leads Mayfield Trio At Osarus Breeze-Up Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk A brand new series targeted towards lower-rated, older pacers kicks off at Addington tonight. Called the Canterbury Plains Challenge Series, it is designed for 5YO and older pacers rated R35 to R39. Tonight’s first heat (8.56pm) features a capacity 14-strong field. “The idea was first proposed by Addington Raceway and after some analysis, discussion and wrangling we have come up with this,” says Harness Racing New Zealand’s handicapper Andrew Morris, “and so far the concept looks to have been well received.” There will be 10 heats, each worth $12,500, between now and Ashburton on May 12. The series will culminate in a $30,000 final at Addington on May 17. All heats will be run as Preferential Barrier Draw based on earnings in the last five starts. The 10 heats will be held as follows : April 11 Addington April 14 Methven April 18 Addington April 19 Ashburton April 28 Rangiora (two heats) May 1 Addington May 5 Rangiora May 8 Addington May 12 Ashburton Final : May 17 Addington Consolation Final : May 19 Rangiora To be eligible for the final a horse must have had at least one start in a heat of this series, and a minimum of two race starts within the qualification period of April 11 – May 12. All heat winners will automatically qualify for the final as long as they have had a minimum of two totalisator race starts within the qualification period. If a horse wins two heats of this series it will be ineligible to contest any further heats. Points will be as follows : Second Place – 7 points Third – 5 points Fourth – 3 points Fifth – 2 points All other starters 1 point. In the event there is a tie for any position, a countback will be conducted. Other features of tonight’s programme include Race 6, the $25,000 Magness Benrow Sires’ 3YO Fillies Heat 1 (7.26pm) and the IRT Sires’ Stakes 3YO Trotters Prelude (5.56pm). The lineup has five last start winners including the very classy pairing of Empire City and Tyron Eros. They were the 2YO Trotting Filly and Colt/Gelding of the Year in 2023. To see Addington’s fields tonight click here View the full article

West Point Thoroughbreds has appointed Trey Gordon as its new President, while Terry Finley continues as Chief Executive Officer, the racing partnerships company said in a Wednesday release. In his new role, Gordon will work closely with Finley, who remains fully involved in the company's strategic direction and commitment to operating North America's largest public racehorse syndicate. “Trey has been a West Point Partner since 2021 and has an incredible passion for the game,” said Finley. “Our company has grown tremendously over the past several years and with over 130 horses in training and 650 Partners, we see bringing him on board as a natural expansion of our executive team. He is passionate about introducing new people to the sport and helping us execute on the highest level of Partner service. To know Trey is to like Trey, he's personable, kind, and a great ambassador for racing.” A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and Texas Tech University School of Law, Gordon practiced law for 33 years in Fort Worth, Texas. Additionally, he has 17 years of experience as a certified mediator. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, and has been a member of that organization's syndicate for 25 years, serving as chairman in 2020 and 2021. His efforts have helped generate over $80 million for agricultural youth in Texas. “I am honored to join the West Point Thoroughbreds team,” said Gordon. “I've had a wonderful experience as a Partner and this opportunity presented itself organically, combining my passion for racing and decades of experience working with people and organizations. Terry and I share the same values and I look forward to enhancing West Point's reputation as a world leader in racing partnerships.” The post Trey Gordon Named West Point Thoroughbreds President appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The winning mare Julia Augusta (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) (lot 15) topped the Tattersalls Online April Sale when selling to Jimmy Chua for 72,000gns on Wednesday during a sale noted for its record clearance of 76%. Offered by Roger Varian's Carlburg Stables, the 5-year-old mare has won twice–once each on turf and the all-weather–and was fourth in the Listed Snowdrop Fillies' S. at Kempton last Saturday. From the family of Poet's Word (Ire) (Poet's Voice {GB}), she is out of a half-sister to the dam of GIII Chicago S. winner Abby Hatcher (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}). A yearling filly by Mehmas (Ire) (lot 55) came in second on the buyers' sheet when making 45,000gns on the bid of Kingthorn Racing. A half-sister to the G2 Superlative S. and GIII Quick Call S. third Neverland Rock (GB) (No Nay Never), the Baroda Stud-consigned bay is a granddaughter of multiple group winner Jessica's Dream (Ire) (Desert Style {Ire}), herself the dam of G1 Prix Jean Prat hero and Group 1 sire Havana Gold (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}). Another two lots cleared 25,000gns–a yearling son of Admire Moon (Jpn) (lot 58), also from Baroda Stud, caught the eye of R T Goodes at 35,000gns. Rounding out the top four was Laafy (Noble Mission {GB}) (lot 17), who was consigned by Whitewall Stables and brought 27,000gns from Brian Ellison. Padraic Gahan of Baroda Stud, which was the leading vendor at the sale with 13 yearlings sold of 13 offered, said, “We are pleased with our consignment at the Tattersalls Online April Sale. It is great that all 13 of our yearlings sold and we would like to wish their purchasers luck with them be that for re-offering in the Autumn, at the breeze-up sales or on the racecourse. Particular thanks to the teams at Castlebridge, Castlehyde Stud and Ecurie des Monceaux for their assistance in bringing these to the market.” Of the 62 horses offered, 47 were marked as sold for a gross of 427,100gns. The median was 4,200gns and the average was 9,087gns. The post Record Clearance, As Ulysses Mare Tops Tattersalls Online appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

"We're privileged to align the Tattersalls Ireland brand to the Polish St Leger. The Polish racing industry goes from strength to strength, and our graduates are an integral part of raising its profile as a racing nation," Simon Kerins said.View the full article

Mike Ryan's Dilger will kindle plenty of emotion when he goes to the post for the 42nd running of the $400,000 Lexington Stakes (G3) April 13 at Keeneland. View the full article

Raise the Bar (c, 2, Maclean's Music–Paschali, by Bernardini) ran to the money for trainer Wesley Ward as the even-money favorite on debut over the sloppy going at Keeneland Wednesday. The rail-drawn Chief Stipelas Scharbauer homebred was hustled to the front beneath John Velazquez, kicked for home under very confident handling and was never seriously asked for run while crossing the wire 2 1/2 lengths clear of Tuxedo Park (Complexity). The final time for 4 1/2 furlongs was :52.17. O/B-Chief Stipelas Scharbauer (TX); T-Wesley Ward. Favored RAISE THE BAR ($4.26) went gate-to-wire under a hand ride to win his first career start in race 2 at Keeneland! Johnny Velazquez was in the irons for trainer Wesley Ward and owner/breeder Chief Stipelas Scharbauer. pic.twitter.com/uzoMq0ZNzK — TVG (@TVG) April 10, 2024 The post Wesley Ward-Trained Maclean’s Music Firster Sharp on Debut at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Racing to School and the Gerald Leigh Charitable Trust have renewed their partnership for an additional two years that will allow the latter to continue assisting young people in hard-to-reach areas, the duo announced on Wednesday. Already in its third year, the partnership has assisted over 600 young people from rural, inner city and deprived areas in 2023. The aim is to expose more young people to free, interactive, and healthy outdoor educational events for schools, staged at a variety of racing venues through the Racing to School experience. John Blake, chief executive of Racing to School, said, “Developing this special partnership with the Gerald Leight Charitable Trust has helped widen our scope to support new beneficiaries, and the racing industry. We are already working alongside other partners with similar objectives, which is very exciting.” The post Gerald Leigh Charitable Trust And Racing To School Renew Partnership appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

by Keely Mckitterick/TTR AusNZ Following the sale of the AU$10 million Winx (Aus) filly and his announcement to step back from full-time duties at the end of the year, Jonathan D'Arcy, Inglis's general manager of bloodstock operations, spoke with TTR AusNZ. A few days after Jonathan D'Arcy, Inglis's general manager of bloodstock operations and auctioneer, made headlines for knocking down the Pierro (Aus) x Winx filly for a staggering AU$10 million to Woppitt Bloodstock, he took the time to sit down with The Thoroughbred Report for a Q&A session. While there was news of D'Arcy's retirement, he was quick to clarify that he would only be stepping back from his full-time role at Inglis. However, he plans to remain involved as part of the bloodstock inspection team and will continue his duties as an auctioneer. D'Arcy told TTR AusNZ, “I'm stepping back from a full-time position, but I'll certainly still be around. I will be playing a role in inspecting yearlings with the team in August and September and I'll be in the auction box for as long as they [Inglis] want to keep me.” Keely: Jonathan, could you provide readers with some insight into how your career in the breeding and racing industry began? D'Arcy: Certainly, I am going back a long time, probably before you were born, but I grew up in Brisbane and I was always interested in the thoroughbred industry. During my school holidays, I'd go and work on a stud farm or I'd go down to Eagle Farm Racecourse and help out a couple of trainers down there. My mum was a tipster on the radio and had a column in the paper tipping horses, so there was always an interest there and after finishing school I worked for a couple of properties and then to the Agricultural College in Victoria, and as part of that course I ended up doing some experience with Inglis in 1986. After that work experience I was fortunate enough that John and Reg Inglis offered me a position in the pedigree team. At that stage we wrote pedigrees, they weren't generated by computers, so we wrote all of them. At that stage I certainly wasn't thinking I was going to become an auctioneer. I just enjoyed being around the horses and loved the pedigree side of the business. I was learning a lot, as you do working for a company like Inglis. A couple of years later Reg Inglis asked me and Vin Cox if we'd like to have a go at auctioning. We both took up the offer, I kept going with it and Vin decided he'd go down more of a sales path where he became a successful bloodstock agent before embarking on his very successful management career. I stayed with auctioneering because I enjoyed it so much. I've been lucky enough to see the world as a company representative and it's been a very enjoyable career to this date. Keely: How do you ready yourself for an auction? Do you plan out your approach in advance, or do you prefer to improvise and go with the flow? D'Arcy: Every auction is different, and obviously a sale like the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale there's a lot more work that goes into having a think about how you can promote these horses you're selling. Most auctions we take 90 seconds to 2 1/2 minutes to sell a horse. So, there's not an awful lot you can say, you just make sure you're up to date with the pedigree and what the stallion's latest racetrack results are. We get all the information on the successful nicks and crosses, but all the buying bench is so well versed in all this information. They don't really want to hear a lot about pedigrees–it's all in the catalogue and so they really want an efficient auctioneering service that can get the horses bought and sold in a good time. I think we're actually selling a bit faster these days just to get through the large number of lots that we've got on our selling days. But overall, I don't think we want to bore people with extra statistics or pedigree information. You just got to be up to date with anything that might help or make a difference when the final bids are called for. Keely: Throughout your extensive and successful career, who have been some of your influences and sources of inspiration? D'Arcy: I've been fortunate to be around a lot of successful people in this industry. Early days, I was learning from the auctioneers that were present at the company. So, that was Reg Inglis, John Inglis and Jamie Inglis. Down the track we took over Dalgety Bloodstock in Victoria, and that meant that we had the services of Peter Heageny. Peter was certainly someone who I learned a lot of auctioneering skills from. We also worked with Simon Vivian. I spent a lot of time listening to other auctioneers and I was lucky enough to follow Damien Cooley, who's a very successful real estate auctioneer. I followed him around for several months just learning how he sold houses. I was lucky enough to do a real estate auction for his company. An inspiration has been Neville Begg. I am very fortunate to have developed a strong friendship with Neville. Obviously, he's been a successful trainer in Australia for many years. When he went to Hong Kong, I was lucky to stay with Neville and his wife on several occasions. Neville remained a very close friend and someone I learned a lot about horses from. I've spent time with many successful bloodstock agents like Kieran Moore and John Foote. There's too many to name. You learn from everyone you're around, and it's an industry that you keep learning. You're still learning to this very day and that's what makes it interesting. It's an industry where a lot of people get involved and a lot of people do share their knowledge with you. I think that's great for young people coming up through the business that you can learn from all these different people that we've got within the industry. Keely: What is your favourite aspect of your role? D'Arcy: At Inglis, we have a great bloodstock team. We've got about 10 people in the bloodstock team, so we talk to each other a lot. We have meetings almost weekly where we talk about some of the things we need to do, whether it's for a digital sale or whether it's recruiting buyers to certain sales. Sometimes it's about what we need to do to attract yearlings or attract mares for the Chairman's Sale. So, there's always something different happening throughout the year. The most enjoyable part to me is the auctioneering. I love it because I think we can make a difference to the returns for our clients, and I love the theatre of it. I love the fact every sale is different. When you're calling bids at a million dollars and seeing the emotion on both purchasers' and vendors' faces, that's a great kick. It's great to play a very small part in a successful sale. Because the breeders have spent up to 18 months, two years, breeding the mare to get the foal and then foal to a Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale or a Inglis HTBA Sale or Classic or Premier–to get the result for them that they dream of that's very important for not only myself but all the people in the company. Keely: Apart from the Winx filly, could you share some of your other career highlights? D'Arcy: I was lucky enough to sell a mare called Samantha Miss (Aus). She was put through as a racing and breeding prospect as a 4-year-old mare. She'd won the VRC Oaks and was probably one of the highest profile race mares to be sold that year. Samantha Miss sold for AU$3.85 million – that was a great thrill. I was also fortunate enough to sell Makybe Diva (GB)'s Galileo (Ire) colt at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale when it was held at Newmarket many years ago. Once again, that was not dissimilar to what we saw play out this week, there was a lot of mainstream media attention there. Makybe Diva having won the Melbourne Cup on three occasions and a Cox Plate. There was a lot of international interest, the colt made AU$1.7 million. That was exciting but some of the biggest thrills you get are selling horses for AU$100,000 when the client thought it was worth AU$40,000 or selling a horse for AU$80,000 when they thought they were struggling to get AU$20,000. That gives you as much thrill as selling the high-priced horses. Sometimes a result like that keeps that breeder in the game. It means they can breed the mare again the following year. So, I think it's very important, and it's not a cliché but every horse we offer is important. We would like to think that we're giving every horse the same opportunity to maximise its sale price through our auctioneering team. Keely: Could you share some of your funniest or most cherished memories from your career? D'Arcy: I can remember when I was a bit younger and I was actually taking bids in the Newmarket ring, which many people will remember had quite a lot of residential housing around it and a school and hospital across the road. I can't recall if it was a Inglis Classic Sale or an Easter Sale but my wife and I lived across the road and we had a young beagle puppy called Jackson. Anyway, I had my back to the auctioneer and was looking at the clients under the tree taking bids and there was a commotion and I turned around and here was this beagle puppy racing straight towards me! It was quite a hilarious moment. I'm sure there would be a lot of other funny moments around the sales. You get people who are surprised at what their horses are making, absolutely gobsmacked and wonderful things like that. We sold a colt for a vendor from New Zealand one day, who thought the horse was going to make AU$400,000- AU$500,000 and they ended up making well over that mark, selling for AU$1.5 million. So, that was a bit of fun. You share a lot of jokes and camaraderie with the clients. Many of the people who attend the sales have been attending them for a very long time, you can always have a laugh with them about certain things that happen in the sale ring. Keely: What positive changes or innovations have you observed in the industry, and are there any aspects you'd like to see improved or altered? D'Arcy: I suppose the innovations are the way computers are used these days. The statistics are up to date and you can get the ratings that are put out after every meeting. I think that's certainly a tool that many people use now when they're buying horses or if they're trading horses to Hong Kong, those ratings are something that have become very Prior to the introduction of computers – analytics, statistics, ratings was very much a personal opinion but now it's solid data behind why horses are bought and sold. One of the biggest changes with the selling of bloodstock/livestock has been the introduction of digital sales. We've been lucky at Inglis to play a role in that. We're turning over AU$90 to AU$95 million a year in digital sales. But that's made it a very liquid market so you don't have to wait three or four months to sell a horse or even prior to this it wasn't really possible to sell a five or 10 per cent share in a horse. Now you've got a sale every two weeks. So, it's almost like the stock market, like a trading floor of a stock market and I think that has changed the way people look at trading bloodstock. We have horses that one year they're sold as a yearling for AU$400,000 and they have a couple of starts and the syndicate might decide that they're not exactly going to make a stallion, so they're traded for say AU$200,000. That horse might win a couple of races for that owner and then maybe nine months later they're traded again for AU$90,000 because they need to continue their racing in an easier jurisdiction. Some of these horses have been traded three, four, five times in their lives and at each time it's important for the owners to be able to conduct that trading. I think the fact we've developed a trading platform that assists everyone. The second part, I think the industry is now much more focused on welfare and the importance of displaying to the world that we care about these horses, not only during their racing careers but their post racing careers. While there's still more that can be done and needs to be done, I think everyone is now thinking in the right direction. There isn't just financial support but also having a think about how we look after these horses once they are retired. So, I feel that was something that was very much required and it's been a rocky road to get to that point. Keely: Is there a particular stallion that holds a special place in your heart over the years? D'Arcy: I was fortunate enough to be around when Danehill was really in full stride. I can remember looking at his fist crop and they sold okay but when they started racing it was quickly understood that he was a breed shaper stallion. Danehill was getting colts and fillies, his sons were going off to stud and were successful – the likes of Danzero (Aus), Flying Spur (Aus), Redoute's Choice (Aus), Fastnet Rock (Aus). The fact that we were able to sell Danehills for something like 12 years, the incredible popularity of the stallion and the success they had. Many of them were sold through our Easter Yearling Sale, it was just a great time to be involved. I remember Danehills regularly making a million dollars, two million and he never had any sex bias. It's a rare thing to see in a stallion – the term is a breed shaper and I've only seen a couple of breed shaper stallions in my lifetime. Danehill was probably the greatest one and to have the opportunity to his progeny for an extended period of time was certainly a great highlight of mine. Keely: Do you consider the sale of the Pierro x Winx filly to be the pinnacle of your career? D'Arcy: I suppose a lot of people will because it got all the publicity, and it was certainly probably the most highly anticipated moment of my career. I just hoped everything would play out well. I was pleased that there was competition, I would have loved to have had a few other people to jump in. However, I know people were trying to have a bid at AU$3 million, AU$4 million and AU$5 million. People have spoken to me afterwards saying we tried to get in but it was just too fast. I was just delighted to be able to play a very, very small role in what was a great story. The marketing team here and the way buyers were recruited did a massive job. I think the whole story captured the imagination of the Australian public and the thoroughbred industry around the world – that was great. As an auctioneer we sell a lot of horses every year but it's been very enjoyable being part of this sale and it's very fresh in my mind. It's an easy one to remember because there's just been so much written about it and a lot of video content. It was just a thrill to be involved and I'm pleased that it played out well for everyone. Fingers crossed the filly can go on and continue the legacy that Winx has laid down. Keely: Has the reality of selling a yearling filly for AU$10 million fully set in for you? D'Arcy: I practised selling her for about a month before the sale, not every day, but if I was driving for half-n-hour or every couple of days and in my mind she never made AU$10 million. When practising I'd be taking bids of AU$200,000 or AU$250,000 but to be taking bids of a million and a million and a half, that wasn't something I considered was ever a possibility of occurring. I don't think any auctioneer in the world would have imagined they'd be calling bids of that magnitude in such quick succession as how it played out. Personally, I really didn't think she would be making that sort of money. When you think about it the highest-priced yearling ever sold was a colt at US$13 million and it was a long, long time ago. The Australian record for a filly was AU$2.6 million, and I thought she'd be making somewhere around AU$5 million because of the interest. At AU$10 million, it is still sinking in for a lot of us. Just a magic moment to be involved in and a horse's worth is determined by what two people are willing to pay. Debbie Kepitis had a part ownership of the filly, but she had to pay an awful lot of money to buy out her partners. It was a unique opportunity to buy the daughter of arguably the greatest racehorse we've ever seen in this country. Keely: What would you name the Pierro x Winx filly? D'Arcy: I quite like a name called An A Nod. Three words, a wink and a nod. Sort of something like that. There's an old saying, a nod and a wink. So, that's why I think An A Nod. But I'm sure smarter people than I will come up with a very suitable name for her. The post ‘In My Mind, She Never Made AU$10 Million’: Jonathan D’Arcy And A Lifetime Of Sales appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin's Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won the Listed HH The Amir Trophy in Qatar before causing a mild surprise over a star-studded field in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic Mar. 30, is scheduled to travel overseas yet again for his next start. “He shipped back to Newmarket a couple of days ago, shipped well, and I think we'll stick with plan A and probably head to Hong Kong for the [May 26 G1 Standard Chartered] Champions and Chater there,” trainer Charlie Appleby told Equidia's Katherine Ford Callier at Deauville Apr. 9. Having won a pair of Group 1s in Germany and the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf in 2022, the homebred endured a string of bad luck when winless last season–including a spill in a race at Saratoga–but hinted at a return to his better form when taking out the Listed Wild Flower S. over the Kempton all-weather in December. The 6-year-old made the majority of the running in the Amir Trophy to win by a convincing three lengths and sat just off a moderate tempo in the Sheema Classic, pouncing late to best Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) by two lengths. “It's a program we put in place before the Sheema Classic,” Appleby said of the trip to Hong Kong. “We know he enjoys his traveling, as long as he's traveling in and out within a certain period, but importantly, he likes that style of track and that style of racing. So that's our plan to go to the Champions and Chater.” Rebel's Romance is likely to come up against Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who has capped off each of his last two seasons in Hong Kong with victories in the Champions and Chater Cup, as well as the dual group-winning Straight Arron (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a meritorious sixth in the Mar. 30 G1 Dubai Turf over an insufficient 1800 metres. The post Rebel’s Romance To Take His Show Back On The Road appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Everybody is searching for that flagbearer. Be it a jockey, trainer or an owner, the hunt for a horse capable of taking in big-race riches, that's the lure Breeze-up consignors are no different. Being associated with good horses is what sustains a business and keeps buyers coming back for more. That's what makes Sunday's Leopardstown maiden winner Ecureuil Secret (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) such an important horse in the career of Ryan Conron. Having put down two big stints working for prominent breeze-up handlers Con Marnane and Thomond O'Mara, Conron has been connected to many top-class horses, but Ecureuil Secret is shaping up to be the first flag-bearer sold through his own Lacka House Stables. After failing to sell at the Arqana May Breeze-Up Sale last year, the €22,000 yearling purchase was snapped up privately by trainer Edward O'Grady on behalf of owner Aidan O'Ryan last summer. Afforded time to fill into his fine frame, Ecureuil Secret made his debut in a one-mile maiden at Leopardstown on Sunday, justifying strong support to score in the style of an above-average colt. Conron said, “I have only been consigning under Lacka House Stables since 2020 and, while I have worked with a lot of good horses and sold some nice horses through Knockanglass Stables [Thomond O'Mara] and Eoin McDonagh's Shanaville Stables, Ecureuil Secret is potentially the nicest I've sold under my own banner.” He added, “Edward had an order for a two-year-old and I think he tried and failed to fill that order at the Tattersalls Ireland Breeze-Up Sale. He looked at a couple of Thomond's horses that were going to the July Sale in France and then, afterwards, looked at my lad as well. He liked Ecureuil Secret and asked if I'd work him in his yard that week. “That all went well and we had a deal done a few days later. Edward gave the horse the time that he needed and now he has a very nice colt on his hands-he's potentially a Group horse.” Ecureuil Secret (right): winning at Leopardstown | Racingfotos.com Ecureuil Secret does not hold any fancy entries at this juncture but that might change soon. Described as 'a very nice horse' by O'Grady in his post-race interview, the Wootton Bassett colt is the latest example that smart horses don't have to break the clock at the breeze-up sales. Conron recalled, “He was not your typical breeze-up horse–he was big and raw but he always had a big engine and showed plenty of pace. He was just on the weak side. With that being considered, he couldn't have gone to a better trainer in Edward O'Grady, as he gave him all of the time that he needed.” Ecureuil Secret might be the first horse that Conron is getting deserved recognition for but this is far from his first rodeo. He has been a key cog in the wheels of various big operations and has enjoyed many fine touches before branching out on his own. Explaining his background in the industry, Conron said, “Thomond is married to my aunt, Roisin O'Mara, and they taught me how to ride. They have taught me so much. I rode a lot of good horses for Thomond, including Malc (GB) (Calyx {GB}), who finished second in the Norfolk last year, and I still ride two lots for him every day. “All told, I've been pinhooking and trading breeze-up horses for seven or eight years now. Happy Together (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}) is probably the best horse that I have been associated with up until now. He has won over €3 million in prize-money in Hong Kong. I bought him for £15,000 at the Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale when it was held at Newmarket during Covid in 2020. Thomond took half of the horse with me and I actually consigned him at Doncaster but he didn't breeze well and we withdrew him. I didn't do so well selling him at Doncaster so Thomond had a go at consigning him at Tattersalls Ireland!” Conron added, “He wasn't ideally-suited to breezing–not every horse is–because he liked to pass horses and never really did it on his own. I met Peter Nolan the night before Goresbridge and, thankfully, he listened to me and came down and looked at the horse the following day. He didn't breeze brilliantly again but, Peter is such a brilliant horseman, he saw enough in the horse and bought him for £24,000 on behalf of Noel Meade. He nailed it.” Nadowessi (Ire) (Sioux Nation), who finished second in a winners' race at Naas before being sold on to America, and rock-solid sprint handicapper Secret Guest (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}), are other graduates. Like so many of the young breeze-up handlers who are making a proper go of it in their own right, Conron also speaks highly of his time spent working for Marnane, and credits the Bansha House operator for fast-tracking his progress within the industry. He said, “I spent three or four years working for Con Marnane and had a great time working for him. I rode a lot of nice horses for Con-Sands Of Mali (Fr), Prince Of Lir (Ire), Different League (Fr), Teppal (Fr)-and went out to France when Matthieu Palussiere was looking after his string out there. When you think back now, so many of the staff that Con sent out to France are running their own breeze-up consignment now, so that's hardly a coincidence. You could call him the Jim Bolger of the breeze-up game! “Off the top of my head, you had Stephen Byrne [Knockgraffon], Justin Timmons [Dolmen], Eoin Mc Donagh [Shanaville], Colin Bargary [Drummona House] and Shane 'Rancher' Ryan as well. Con had a brilliant method in place and we all learned a lot there. It helped me realise what a good horse actually feels like and that helps when you are standing outside your own consignment. It seems as though Marnane is indebted to Conron just as much as the latter is to the Bansha boss. “He didn't just ride Different League every day,” Marnane recalls of Conron's input, “he practically trained that filly. Ryan is a special horse man and you'd be proud to see himself and the lads doing so well out on their own.” While becoming bigger and better is the name of the game, Conron explained how his rapid progress came as a surprise even to him at one stage last autumn. However, there is no such thing as a problem in Conron's world, only solutions. He said, “We've nine horses this year but at one point we were a little short of room! My partner Pamela and myself bought a small place near Fethard in Tipperary a couple of years ago. We don't have a gallop yet but we try to improve the place every year. To that extent, we have been relying on the help of our neighbour, Johnny Cummins, who lets us use his gallop.” He continued, “The other little hurdle we had to jump recently was a lack of stables! There were only eight stables when we moved in and, as I said earlier, I buy a couple of horses every year with Eoin McDonagh, but we were both full by the time Book 3 came around. Anyway, Eoin fell in love with a Starspangledbanner (Aus) filly and we couldn't leave her behind. We just couldn't help ourselves. “When I got home, I said that I had no other option to convert the garage into stables. I rang a couple of mates and we had it up in no time. When I started off buying breezers, I did it with Eoin and his aunt, Noleen O'Brien, and they have also been very good to me and gave me a great start. Wherever you go in this game, there are so many people willing to give you a hand, and I'm forever grateful to so many people.” The post ‘He’s Potentially A Group Horse’ – Conron Full Of Hope For Leopardstown Winner appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Godolphin's Master of The Seas is out to avenge his former stablemate's defeat, as well as make amends of his own, when he lines up April 12 in the $600,000 Maker's Mark Mile (G1T) at Keeneland.View the full article

"We're privileged to align the Tattersalls Ireland brand to the Polish St Leger. The Polish racing industry goes from strength to strength, and our graduates are an integral part of raising its profile as a racing nation." -Simon KerinsView the full article

Prep season for the GI Kentucky Oaks is over and we have a pretty good idea of who is going to be in the race and which ones are the horses to beat. With three major preps–the GI Ashland S., the GII Santa Anita Oaks and the GIII Gazelle S.–all run over the weekend, there was plenty of movement in our Top 10. But the very solid Tarifa (Bernardini) maintains the top spot for Brad Cox. Here's a look at the latest installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top Ten: 1) TARIFA (f, Bernardini–Kite Beach, by Awesome Again) O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', MGSW, 5-4-0-0, $518,925. Last start: WON Mar. 23 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 150. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 3. Had someone done something spectacular in the GI Ashland S. at Keeneland, 'TDN Rising Star' Tarifa might have been knocked down a peg. It didn't happen that way. Tarifa's stablemate, Impel (Quality Road), who was getting all the hype prior to the Ashland ran third, but does not have enough points to get into the Oaks. There's just no knocks on Tarifa, who is four-for-five lifetime and is riding a three-race winning streak. She faced a tough bunch in the GII Fair Grounds Oaks Presented by Fasig-Tipton and prevailed. She's more steady than spectacular, but you know she will show up on Oaks Day for trainer Brad Cox, who will be seeking his third win in this race. 2) LESLIE'S ROSE (f, Into Mischief–Wildwood Rose {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}) O-Whisper Hill Farm; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services (Ky); T-Todd Pletcher. Sales history: $1,150,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', GISW, 4-3-0-1, $467,800. Last start: WON GI Ashland S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 115. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3 The Ashland was easily the best Oaks prep run so far this year, so you have to give a lot of credit to the winner, 'TDN Rising Star' Leslie's Rose. She was bought by owner Mandy Pope at Keeneland September for $1.15 million and got her career off to a fast start, with two straight wins, including a 9 1/4-length romp in her debut. But she stubbed her toe when third at odds of 3-10 in the GII Davona Dale S. on a day when she had no excuses. The betting public all but gave up on her in the Ashland, sending her off at 9-1. It now looks like she may fulfill her potential after all. Trainer Todd Pletcher has won the race four times and will tie all-time leaders Woody Stephens and Wayne Lukas with a win. 3) THORPEDO ANNA (f, Fast Anna–Sataves, by Uncle Mo) O-Brookdale Racing, Inc., Mark Edwards, Judy B. Hicks & Magdalena Racing (Sherri McPeek); B-Judy Hicks (Ky); T-Kenneth McPeek. Sales history: $40,000 yrl '22 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 'TDN Rising Star', GSW, 4-3-1-0, $584,363. Last Start: WON GII Fantasy S., Mar. 30. Kentucky Oaks Points: 105. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. Still another 'TDN Rising Star,' she sold for just $40,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Fall Yearling Sale. Trainer Kenny McPeek has a knack for finding good horses that didn't cost a lot and this is the latest example. She won her first two races by a combined margin of 17 1/2 lengths before finishing second in the GII Golden Rod S. as an odds-on favorite. But she was back at her best when scoring an easy four-length win in the GII Fantasy S. The Fantasy will be her only prep for the Oaks, but there's little doubt that McPeek willl have her tight enough and ready for the Kentucky Oaks. 4) JUST F Y I (f, Justify–Star Act, by Street Cry {Ire}) O/B-George Krikorian (Ky); T-Bill Mott. Lifetime Record: Ch. 2yo Filly, GISW, 4-3-1-0, $1,433,250. Last start: 2nd in GI Ashland S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 90. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. All things considered, she didn't run badly in the Ashland, even if it was her first career defeat. Trainer Bill Mott had to play catch-up after she missed a start in the GII Davona Dale S. with a fever. That meant she had to run well in the Ashland to have enough points to make the Oaks. She had a good trip under Junior Alvarado and looked to be within striking distance at the top of the stretch, but couldn't deliver the knockout punch. Every reason to believe she will run better in the Oaks. 5) POWER SQUEEZE (f, Union Rags–Callmethesqueeze, by Awesome Again) O-Lea Farms, LLC; B-Forging Oaks Farm, LLC (Ky); T-Jorge Delgado. Sales history: $50,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $90,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 6-4-1-0, $337,450. Last start: WON GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, Mar. 30. Kentucky Oaks Points: 120. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. She flew in under the radar when winning the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks at odds of 11-1. It was her fourth straight win and her third straight in stakes company for high-percentage trainer Jorge Delgado. She originally sold for $50,000 at Keeneland September and then for $90,000 at OBS June. Has seemed to get better as the distances have gotten longer and is 2-for-2 around two turns. 6) WHERE'S MY RING (f, Twirling Candy–Mapit, by Tapit) O-Michael McMillan; B-Don Alberto Corporation (Ky); T-Val Brinkerhoff. Sales history: $100,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSW, 8-1-3-1, $202,620. Last start: WON GIII Gazelle S., Apr. 6. Kentucky Oaks Points: 125. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. You have to give trainer Val Brinkerhoff a lot of credit. He could have stayed on the West Coast with this filly, but that would mean facing off against the Baffert monsters in the GII Santa Anita Oaks. So he shipped her across the country to run in the Gazelle at Aqueduct, where the competition would be lacking. In fact, Where's My Ring was a maiden after seven starts coming into the race, but still went off as the 5-2 favorite. The win was more than good enough to get her into the Oaks, but the competition will much tougher than what she faced last Saturday at the Big A. 7) WAYS AND MEANS (f, Practical Joke–Strong Incentive, Warrior's Reward) O/B-Klaravich Stables (Ky); T-Chad Brown. Lifetime Record: GISP, 'TDN Rising Star,' 3-1-2-0, $165,750. Last start: 2nd Mar. 30 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. Is currently 16th on the leader board when it comes to her getting into the Oaks, so trainer Chad Brown is going to have to hope for some defections. But if she gets in, she can absolutely win. After romping by 12 3/4 lengths in her debut, she was second in the GI Spinaway S., but came out of that race with a chip in an ankle. That's why she didn't make her 3-year-old debut until the Mar. 30 GIIGulfstream Park Oaks. She had a tough trip that day, but managed to run second. Every reason to believe she will be better next time out, whether that's in the Oaks or not. 8) OUR PRETTY WOMAN (f, Medaglia d'Oro–Dazzletown, by Speightstown) O-Courtlandt Farms; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC & Godolphin; T-Steve Asmussen. Sales History: $900,000 yrl '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: GSP, 3-2-1-0, $150,200. Last start: 2nd Mar. 23 GII Fair Grounds Oaks. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, CD, May 3. She's 17th on the points list, so is another one who is going to need a break to make it into the Oaks starting gate. Trained by Steve Asmussen, this $900,000 Keeneland yearling purchase won her first two starts and then faced the acid test when meeting Tarifa in the Fair Grounds Oaks. She ran a huge race that day, finishing second, losing by just three-quarters of a length. She's lightly raced and didn't make her debut until Jan. 18 of this year. So there's plenty of room for improvement. 9) WEST OMAHA (f, West Coast–Birthday Bash, by Medaglia d'Oro) O/B-Gary and Mary West (Ky); T-Brad Cox. Lifetime Record: SW & MGSP, 6-2-3-1, $369,250. Last Start: 2nd GII Fantasy S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 90. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. After she won the Silverbulletday S. Presented by Fasig-Tipton, she looked like she'd be a major player in this division for Brad Cox. Instead, she ran third in the GIII Honeybee S. and second in the Fantasy S. It looks like the rest of the division has caught up to her and passed her. Will need to improve to contend in the Oaks. 10) LEMON MUFFIN (f, Collected–Pelt, by Canadian Frontier) O-Aaron Sones & Julie Gilbert; B-Mr & Mrs Theodore Kuster & Collected Syndicate (Ky); T-D W Lukas. Sales history: $20,000 yrl '22 KEESEP; $140,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: GSW, 7-1-4-0, $324,000. Last Start: 7th GII Fantasy S. Kentucky Oaks Points: 50. Next Start: GI Kentucky Oaks, May 3. Sometimes the Wayne Lukas-trained horses run their best when it is least expected. Lemon Muffin was terrible in the Fantasy, losing by 10 3/4 lengths. She was a different horse in her prior start when winning the Honeybee by 3 1/2 lengths at odds of 28-1. She was still a maiden at the time and had never gone beyond seven furlongs. But instead of that race vaulting her forward, it seemed to have caused her to take a step in the wrong direction. Will be a big longshot in the Oaks, but you can never throw the cagey Lukas out. The post The Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for April 11 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Superstar rider joins Chief Stipelas Whyte in surpassing 1,700 Hong Kong wins after three victories at city circuitView the full article

Nick Bannister will become the next chairman of Racing Welfare on June 12, the organisation announced on Wednesday. Currently chairman of Haydock Park Racecourse since 2020, Bannister will succeed William Barlow, who will be completing his five-year term. Bannister, who first worked for three decades in financial services, also manages the family-owned Coniston Hotel & Spa and its associated estate in the Yorkshire Dales. He has served as chair of The Countryside Alliance Foundation for six years and spent over 10 years as the deputy governor of the Hunt Staff Benefit Society. At one point an amateur jump jockey, Bannister said, “I am very much looking forward to immersing myself in this position and helping Racing Welfare evolve, navigate the challenges ahead and continue the excellent work they do for a cause so close to my heart.” Dawn Goodfellow, chief executive at Racing Welfare said, “Nick's vast background of working in finance will undoubtedly be hugely beneficial. Added to that is his experience of political matters with the Countryside Alliance, which can hopefully serve to further strengthen our relationships with key industry stakeholders.” The post Nick Bannister Will Be Next Racing Welfare Chairman appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2024 edition of the Polish St Leger will be sponsored by Tattersalls, the sales company announced on Wednesday. Held at Warsaw's Służewiec Racecourse, the 1 3/4-mile race on Westminster Day, Aug. 31, joins other Classic sponsorships by Tattersalls including the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, G1 Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas and G2 Tattersalls Italian Oaks. Multiple group winner Va Bank (Ire) (Archipenko), a €4,500 Tattersalls Ireland September yearling buy, won the Polish St Leger. In addition, Tattersalls Ireland will sponsor the Nagroda Dakota, a juvenile race over 6 1/2 furlongs, also held on Westminster Day. Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “We are delighted to add the Polish St Leger to the Tattersalls portfolio of Classic sponsorships in Europe. It is an exciting time for Polish racing, with the country staging their first ever internationally recognised listed race in October last year, and Tattersalls and Tattersalls Ireland are thrilled to be involved with the 2024 Westminster Day at Tor Służewiec.” Tattersalls Ireland CEO Simon Kerins said, “Tattersalls Ireland are committed to supporting the markets that support us, and our Polish client base has seen year on year growth over the last few years, making this agreement beneficial to both parties. This partnership will extend our Flat racing sponsorship portfolio, which is headlined by our €250,000 Super Auction Sales Stakes at the Irish Champions Festival.” Westminster Group President Marian Ziburske added, “Opened in 1939, Tor Służewiec in Warsaw is one of the most beautiful and important racecourses in Eastern Europe, and it is fantastic to have Tattersalls join world-class companies such as Dell, Land Rover and Panattoni in sponsoring on our charity raceday. We are very proud to have such a respected partner and look forward to the further development of Polish racing.” The post Tattersalls To Sponsor 2024 Polish St Leger appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A record 11 overseas-based gallopers, including Group 1 winners Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride of Dubai {Aus}) from Great Britain and Japan's Mad Cool (Jpn) (Dark Angel {Ire}), are among the 35 total horses invited to participate in the trio of races which comprise FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin Racecourse on Apr. 28. Trained by William Haggas, the globetrotting Dubai Honour pays a third visit to Hong Kong and will look to improve on his performance from 12 months ago, where he was a low-odds third behind the re-opposing, three-peat seeking Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) and Prognosis (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the richest of the afternoon's events, the HK$28 million (£2.84 million/€3.29 million) G1 FWD QE II Cup. Also among the invitees is recent BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Massive Sovereign (Ire) (No Nay Never). Whereas Dubai Honour was set for a strenuous two-race Australian Group 1 prep last term, he enters this year's contest a much fresher horse, having won Kempton's Listed Magnolia S. by a smooth three-length margin Apr. 1. Dubai Honour was also a respectable fourth in the 2022 G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup over the QE II Cup course and distance. The G1 Chairman's Sprint Prize lost some of its lustre when the world's top-rated sprinter Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) was ruled out via injury, and it will be left to last-out G1 Al Quoz Sprint victor California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) to fly the Bauhinia flag. Victor the Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) is also set to make an appearance, having set the pace before finishing a brave third to Mad Cool in the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Mar. 23. Trainer George Boughey is set to be represented by his first Hong Kong runner in the 4-year-old filly Believing (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), a dual listed winner in England and victorious in the G3 Prix Texanita at Chantilly in 2023. Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) will try to win the G1 FWD Champions Mile for a record fourth time in what could be his final career appearance. The 8-year-old, a three-time Horse of the Year, will have the services of Vincent Ho as they look for an 11th Group 1 success together. Hong Kong Derby runner-up Galaxy Patch (Aus) (Wandjina {Aus}) drops back to the 1600 metres in a race that has also attracted All-Star Mile winner Obamburumai (Jpn) (Discreet Cat), beaten under three lengths in last weekend's G1 Doncaster Mile H. at Randwick, and Middle Park Racing LX's Brave Emperor (Ire) (Sioux Nation), a stakes winner in no fewer than five different jurisdictions for trainer Archie Watson, including the Listed Irish Thoroughbred Marketing Cup in Qatar Feb. 17. “FWD Champions Day is one of the most prestigious meetings on the international racing stage and we are delighted to have such a strong group of world-class horses heading to Sha Tin for our spring flagship meeting,” said Andrew Harding, executive director, racing, for the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “With eight visitors from Japan and three from Great Britain, the might of Hong Kong's team will be tested in all three feature races.” Selected runners… FWD QEII Cup FWD Champions Mile Chairman's Sprint Prize Sha Tin, 28 Apr | #FWDChampionsDay | #競馬 pic.twitter.com/cSTBZruRej — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) April 10, 2024 The post Eleven Foreigners To Challenge Home Team On FWD Champions Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Husband-and-wife training team David and Coral Feek are still on cloud nine after Gold Wolf’s (NZ) (Tivaci) victory in the Listed Galilee Series Final (2400m) at Caulfield last Saturday. “I haven’t got bored of watching it yet,” Coral Feek told racing.com’s Tuesdays with Terry. “He’s very exciting … for a stable of our size – we’ve got our owners day coming up on Sunday and on Friday night, when I went to bed after a disappointment at Cranbourne, I wondered what I was going to talk about this coming Sunday – but I think Gold Wolf will just walk up and down the driveway all day!” David Feek joked. The Mornington-based training partnership reflected on Gold Wolf’s career to date and the factors which contributed towards Saturday’s win. “He’s a really nice horse,” David said. “I think he just continued to improve – not so much in fitness, he’s obviously been up for a long time, but each time he goes out, whether it be a jump out or a race, he takes natural improvement – and he still sort of pricked his ears on the line, so hopefully there’s more to come. “He’s tall … he’s got plenty of length, he’s a lightly framed horse. “I think as he gets older, he’ll continue to develop into that frame and as I’ve been saying, whatever he does as a three-year-old, hopefully there’s more to come afterwards. “He’s always been a little bit sort of green – I’ve called him a bit of a wet noodle in the past – when the jockey wants him, he sort of goes left and right and everywhere bar straight on. “You could easily argue that he should’ve won that Tasmanian Derby, but we came back from that, put blinkers on him at Sandown and it went horribly wrong – they went very slow early and he just did things erratically and upside down. “He had a nice trial after that – we took the blinkers off and I think the pleasing thing the other day – it was obviously a very good ride by Neil Farley, but he took some runs and I think the horse showed some good mental maturity, taking the runs he did. “But, as we’ve been saying, hopefully it’s a sign of more to come.” “He’s got good cruising speed – he can sit very comfortably at a nice tempo,” Coral added. The gelding was narrowly beaten in the Tasmanian Derby in February, with Coral noting that the experience of travelling for the 2200-metre contest was of benefit to the horse. “It was really good for this horse, actually, just part of the growing-up process,” Coral said. “It’s obviously quite a long journey to get there, they’re on the ferry for all that time, it’s all a bit different in a new environment, he’s exercised around a different track. “I think all of that, if a horse takes it, which he did – he ate up well whilst he was there – it’s only been a positive thing for him going forward.” The promising three-year-old is a son of Group 1 All Aged Stakes winner Tivaci out of Kiwi mare Gold Spice. “He was very well selected by a good agent we use in New Zealand, Paul Beamish and he was landed on our doorstep for $70,000,” David explained. “Obviously, we’re English, but it just goes to show, you don’t need to head to Europe for these horses – and I should think they’re a fifth of the price.” The Feeks have enjoyed 72 winners in Australia, with the couple hoping that this horse can take their operation to new heights. “I think we have our moments, certainly, where you feel a little bit despondent, but I think that dream of having a good horse, that’s what keeps you getting up in the morning, keeps you going and you know it can happen to anyone,” Coral explained. View the full article

The best advertisement in selling the last few remaining shares of a racehorse is to land a victory. That is what the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr- rained debutant Our Sassy Lady (NZ) (Ocean Park) achieved in taking out the Sportsbet Jockey Watch Plate (1400m) at Sandown on Wednesday. Ridden by Jye Mcneil, Our Sassy Lady ($3.50) held off a late bid from the $2.50 favourite Makdane (Impending) with Autumn Storm (The Autumn Sun) ($4.80) a further three-quarters-of-a-length away third. Kent Jnr revealed post-race that Our Sassy Lady still had some ownership shares available, a filly that is owned by My Racehorse which also shared in the ownership of Etincelle (Grunt) which took out the following race, the IVE> Plate (1200m). A large contingent of the My Racehorse ownership group were on course to welcome back both winners. “I’m rapt for My Racehorse,” Kent Jnr said. “There were still shares available in this filly last week, and after that, I’m sure they will all be gone now. “They do a lot for racing and igniting people’s passion for the sport. People only have to spend a tiny sum and to get a city win on debut, it’s a dream result.” Kent Jnr said Our Sassy Lady would appreciate a step up in distance after her win on Saturday, although she had to do it the tough way. “I know they went steady but it’s never easy to be sitting on the outside of the leader, a short bit in front,” Kent Jnr said. “She did a good job to hold them off late and it’s nice to get one up on Dad (Mick Kent), as he got me last week. “Being a three-year-old filly and whether we can place her right, I’m sure we can find something. “Whether that’s at 1400 metres, or a mile, at filly’s level, that would be nice, but she’s a tough filly and I wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t get 2000 metres in time.” View the full article

The trainers of Derby winner Major Beel (NZ) (Savabeel) have employed a little equine psychology in order to reinvigorate the Group One winner for his Sydney Cup bid. Disinterested in his training at the start of the preparation, Major Beel was sent to Melbourne for a change of scenery, and a major shake-up of his routine. Rather than build his fitness in shorter races, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott opted for a series of 2400-metre barrier trials over the hurdles, and the signs have been positive they have had the desired effect. “I felt he was going through the motions a bit at the start of the campaign,” Bott said. “He had a different lead-up prior to his run in the Roy Higgins, he had a few trials over the hurdles to keep him switched on and to give him a good grounding. “It was moreso to try to change the routine for him, which off his last run looks to have worked to an extent.” After resuming with a sound midfield effort in the Pakenham Cup (2500m), Major Beel showed improvement to finish fourth in the Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) last start. Back in town for Saturday’s Sydney Cup (3200m) at Randwick, last year’s ATC Australian Derby winner rounded out his preparations with a more conventional course proper workout during the Breakfast With The Stars trackwork session on Tuesday. While the horse is untested beyond 2600 metres, Bott says he won’t be found lacking on the score of fitness. “Two-miles, his first attempt at that is a bit of an unknown,” Bott said. “But he’s had a really good grounding and we’ve done as much as we can to get those miles into his legs in Melbourne.” View the full article

An investigation is set to commence tomorrow morning (Thursday) into the abandonment of Ellerslie’s Wednesday meeting as a result of safety concerns following a slip on the venues newly installed StrathAyr track. A decision was made to abandon the mid-week meeting following senior jockey Opie Bosson’s report of his horse, The Storyteller, slipping near the crossing following race three, which the Stephen Marsh-trained gelding won. “Following race two we had concerns raised by a few of the jockeys in regards to the surface around the home turn,” Stipendiary Steward Lauren Selvakumaran said. “We convened a meeting with those jockeys and on the films it wasn’t apparent that there was any concern. At that time, they (jockeys) also agreed with that and were happy to keep riding. “Post race three, concerns were raised again. We convened a meeting with jockeys, club officials, Stewards and NZTR (New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing) representatives in which Mr Bosson outlined he slipped near the crossing, so we went and had a look at the track and identified a slip mark where Mr Bosson had stated it had happened. We also drove around to the 450m mark and observed a few marks around that area. “We weren’t satisfied with the surface being safe to continue.” Selvakumaran said the idea of moving the rail was floated, but it was decided that wasn’t feasible given the time it would take. “The rail was out 10m today which was the first time the rail has been at that position, so that may have played a part,” she said. “It was suggested a possible rail move, but we just don’t have the time for that as it would take five-plus hours, so we would run out of daylight.” Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Paul Wilcox was disappointed in the outcome and said the Club is working hard with relevant parties to rectify the issue. “Naturally we are disappointed in relation to having an abandonment. We pride ourselves on doing things right, so we let ourselves down when this happens,” Wilcox said. There were initial reports of horses slipping on Karaka Millions night in January, just the second meeting on the new surface, however, there have been no reports of such issues in subsequent meetings at the venue until Wednesday. “From what we can ascertain, it is the same issue where the grass is matted and joins the sand profile, which is causing the slipperiness. We thought we had that under control and we obviously didn’t,” Wilcox said. “All of those races subsequent to Karaka Millions night have been run without issue and all the jockeys have been happy with the surface. Today with the rail out 10m, which is ground that hasn’t been raced on, it has caused the same issue we experienced on Karaka Millions night.” The track is set to undergo further renovation over winter, however, Wilcox said the club will meet with NZTR and StrathAyr representatives on Thursday morning to discuss the issue and work out a plan to try and rectify the issue ahead of their next meeting in 10 days’ time. “After the last race meeting here (this season), which is the 25th of May, it (StrathAyr track) will get a heavy renovation and that will be focussing on removing that matting to ensure going forward that that can’t cause any issues. This time next year, it will be settled and hopefully racing perfectly,” Wilcox said. “We have had a discussion with NZTR and we have got another meeting with them in the morning to work out a plan of attack so that we can have the confidence of our jockeys, owners, trainers and punters in our surface.” NZTR chief operating officer Darin Balcombe feels for the participants affected by Wednesday’s abandonment and said the three parties will be working hard on Thursday to identify a remedy. “We had a quick catch-up late this afternoon on the abandonment. We are going to meet again tomorrow morning and we have got StrathAyr coming over from Australia,” Balcombe said. “We are going to have a look at what we can do going forward into next week and whether it is still viable to run that meeting next Saturday. “We have got to do better. We can’t have these issues coming up and we have got to make sure that we get these fixes and make sure the tracks are improving. “I am pretty gutted for the owners that would have gone to the course today and had to go home again without a race. I really feel for them.“We will work through the issues and come up with a plan going forward and we will get that out to the industry at some stage tomorrow.” View the full article

Khadime winning on debut at Sandown on Wednesday. Photo: Scott Barbour/Racing Photos Victorian trainer Dominic Sutton has made a strong start to his training career highlighted by a pair of two-year-olds sourced from New Zealand. Talented Super Seth gelding Feroce has notched victories at Pakenham and Caulfield for the emerging trainer, who also saddled impressive debutant Khadime at Sandown on Wednesday. A daughter of Star Turn, Khadime was a strong all-the-way winner under Billy Egan. The youngster travelled like the winner a long way from home and dashed clear in the home straight to score by 2.5 lengths. “She has been very professional from Day One. She has come over to us from New Zealand well-handled from the farm that prepped her up (for the Ready To Run Sale) and she has been a lovely filly to deal with. She’s very straight forward and she has got a good bit of ability to go with it,” Sutton said. “I have to go back and have a good look at the calendar. It was all about heading to the races first-up to see what she could do. Now she has ticked that box (of winning) we can have a look at some nice races for her.” Stackhouse had ridden the filly in her jump-outs and said Sutton had placed her ideally to break maiden ranks with plenty more to come. “She travelled so well, and I made sure she got around that (final) corner nicely and balanced up,” Stackhouse said. “I always had a lot of horse there. I felt like if she got challenged, she would really fight again and she still felt really lost as well, given it was her first time at the races. She has got a lot of improvement to come.” Sutton arrived in Australia from the UK as a 19-year-old and initially worked for leading trainer Chris Waller before taking up a role as foreman for Leon and Troy Corstens, where he quickly progressed into the position of assistant trainer. After nearly six years with Team Corstens, Sutton branched out on his own and sent out his first runner last month. He now has three wins of the board from eight starts, with Khadime and Feroce the flag-bearers. Khadime was purchased by Sutton Racing in conjunction with McKeever Bloodstock from last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale for $200,000 from the draft of Eion and Megan Kemp’s Kilgravin Lodge. “She was just a beautiful physical,” Sutton said. “She was a big strong strapping filly who walked out when we looked at her and we initially thought she was a colt, which is always a good initial feeling to have when you see a horse. “She also put a really nice breeze together. She looked quite raw and quite green in her breeze up and we just felt she would be a nice horse to have in the stable.” Horse racing news View the full article

Ellerslie’s meeting on Wednesday was abandoned after The Storyteller (outside) slipped near the crossing following his win. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) An investigation is set to commence tomorrow morning (Thursday) into the abandonment of Wednesday’s meeting at Ellerslie as a result of safety concerns following a slip on the venues newly installed StrathAyr track. A decision was made to abandon the mid-week meeting following senior jockey Opie Bosson’s report of his horse, The Storyteller, slipping near the crossing following race three, which the Stephen Marsh-trained gelding won. “Following race two we had concerns raised by a few of the jockeys in regards to the surface around the home turn,” Stipendiary Steward Lauren Selvakumaran said. “We convened a meeting with those jockeys and on the films it wasn’t apparent that there was any concern. At that time, they (jockeys) also agreed with that and were happy to keep riding. “Post race three, concerns were raised again. We convened a meeting with jockeys, club officials, Stewards and NZTR (New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing) representatives in which Mr Bosson outlined he slipped near the crossing, so we went and had a look at the track and identified a slip mark where Mr Bosson had stated it had happened. We also drove around to the 450m mark and observed a few marks around that area. “We weren’t satisfied with the surface being safe to continue.” Selvakumaran said the idea of moving the rail was floated, but it was decided that wasn’t feasible given the time it would take. “The rail was out 10m today which was the first time the rail has been at that position, so that may have played a part,” she said. “It was suggested a possible rail move, but we just don’t have the time for that as it would take five-plus hours, so we would run out of daylight.” Auckland Thoroughbred Racing chief executive Paul Wilcox was disappointed in the outcome and said the Club is working hard with relevant parties to rectify the issue. “Naturally we are disappointed in relation to having an abandonment. We pride ourselves on doing things right, so we let ourselves down when this happens,” Wilcox said. There were initial reports of horses slipping on Karaka Millions night in January, just the second meeting on the new surface, however, there have been no reports of such issues in subsequent meetings at the venue until Wednesday. “From what we can ascertain, it is the same issue where the grass is matted and joins the sand profile, which is causing the slipperiness. We thought we had that under control and we obviously didn’t,” Wilcox said. “All of those races subsequent to Karaka Millions night have been run without issue and all the jockeys have been happy with the surface. Today with the rail out 10m, which is ground that hasn’t been raced on, it has caused the same issue we experienced on Karaka Millions night.” The track is set to undergo further renovation over winter, however, Wilcox said the club will meet with NZTR and StrathAyr representatives on Thursday morning to discuss the issue and work out a plan to try and rectify the issue ahead of their next meeting in 10 days’ time. “After the last race meeting here (this season), which is the 25th of May, it (StrathAyr track) will get a heavy renovation and that will be focussing on removing that matting to ensure going forward that that can’t cause any issues. This time next year, it will be settled and hopefully racing perfectly,” Wilcox said. “We have had a discussion with NZTR and we have got another meeting with them in the morning to work out a plan of attack so that we can have the confidence of our jockeys, owners, trainers and punters in our surface.” NZTR chief operating officer Darin Balcombe feels for the participants affected by Wednesday’s abandonment and said the three parties will be working hard on Thursday to identify a remedy. “We had a quick catch-up late this afternoon on the abandonment. We are going to meet again tomorrow morning and we have got StrathAyr coming over from Australia,” Balcombe said. “We are going to have a look at what we can do going forward into next week and whether it is still viable to run that meeting next Saturday. “We have got to do better. We can’t have these issues coming up and we have got to make sure that we get these fixes and make sure the tracks are improving. “I am pretty gutted for the owners that would have gone to the course today and had to go home again without a race. I really feel for them. “We will work through the issues and come up with a plan going forward and we will get that out to the industry at some stage tomorrow.” Horse racing news View the full article

What Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2024 Where Royal Randwick Racecourse – Alison Rd, Randwick NSW 2031 When Saturday, April 13, 2024 Prizemoney $5,000,000 Distance 2000m Status Group 1 Conditions Weight For Age 2023 winner Dubai Honour (2) | T: William Haggas | J: Tom Marquand (59kg) Visit Dabble The time-honoured Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) headlines a bumper 10-race program at Randwick on Saturday afternoon for Day 2 of The Championships. A quality field of 11 is set to line up for one of Australia’s greatest weight-for-age features, with form-lines converging from across the nation attempting to claim the $5 million prize. Can Via Sistina bag back-to-back wins after making a mess of her rivals in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m)? Or is there an upset brewing? QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES 2024 ODDS After giving her rivals a galloping lesson in the Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill on March 23, it comes as no shock online bookmakers have installed the Chris Waller-trained Via Sisitina as +130 favourite for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Pride Of Jenni was brave finishing runner-up in the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) and is firm on the second line of betting at +300. Godolphin’s Cascadian (+800) proved victorious in the same race and rounds out the chances at single digits, while Place Du Carrousel (+1200) and Ceolwulf (+1600) are bound to have admirers at the double-figure odds. 2024 QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES 2024 SPEED MAP The Ciaron Maher-trained Pride Of Jenni jumps from barrier three and will look to have things all her own way up on speed. Ceolwulf (1) has been ridden conservatively in the past, however, as the only three-year-old engaged with 55kg on his back, Jason Collett will attempt to hold a position from the inside draw. Buckaroo (2) should be slotting into the one-one, while stable companion Via Sistina (5) will be trying to get into a nice rhythm behind the speed under James McDonald. Mr Brightside (11) will need to be positive from the awkward draw as he seeks to drop in for cover, leaving the likes of Place Du Carrousel (8), Atishu (9), and Lindermann (10) retreating to the rear of the field. Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2024 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES 2024 PREVIEW & FORM There is simply no going past Via Sistina in the 2024 Queen Elizabeth Stakes. Although the margin reads 1.3 lengths in the Ranvet, it doesn’t tell the full story of how easily she got the job done. The daughter of Fastnet Rock circled the field from last as James McDonald rode her hands-and-heels to the wire, stamping her authority on Australian debut for the Chris Waller barn. She is proven in all conditions, and provided she finds a mid-field sit with cover throughout the journey, Via Sistina must be considered the one to beat in the Randwick weight-for-age classic. The Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Place Du Carrousel finished runner-up in the Group 1 Ranvet and did enough to suggest she can close off best of the rest. She was asked to sprint off a crawling tempo, and it didn’t suit the European import. She sustained a long run to the home bend before knocking up first-up from a lengthy layoff. The mare will take major benefit from that effort, so watch for Place Du Carrousel to match motors at some stage and secure a Yulong ownership quinella. Pride Of Jenni will look the winner a long way out, just as she did in the Australian Cup at Flemington on March 30. Declan Bates knows the six-year-old mare so well and will ride her with confidence as she attempts to make every post a winner. The only reservation is the clockwise way of going, with two goes at Randwick without finishing in the money; however, with how she’s travelling this campaign, Pride Of Jenni is extremely hard to knock. The nine-year-old marvel Cascadian warrants plenty of respect as well. He continues to defy his age with a blistering turn-of-foot, which helped him secure victory in the Australian Cup. He’ll be getting the last crack at them in the shadows of the post, and career win number 13 would come as no shock. 2024 QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES SELECTIONS & BEST BETS Selections: 8 VIA SISTINA 10 PLACE DU CARROUSEL 7 PRIDE OF JENNI 2 CASCADIAN $100 betting strategy $100 win #8 Via Sistina @ +130 with Bet365 2024 Queen Elizabeth Stakes Final Field 1. Mr Brightside (11) T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes J: Craig Williams W: 59kg F: 5211x Age: 6YO Color: Bay Sex: Gelding Sire: Bullbars Dam: Lilahjay (NZ) +850 +145 2. Cascadian (6) T: James Cummings J: Ben Melham W: 59kg F: 1349x Age: 9YO Color: Chestnut Sex: Gelding Sire: New Approach (IRE) Dam: Falls of Lora (IRE) +750 +130 3. Buckaroo (2) T: Chris Waller J: Blake Shinn W: 59kg F: 535×5 Age: 5YO Color: Bay Sex: Horse Sire: Fastnet Rock Dam: Roheryn (IRE) +1900 +300 4. Lindermann (10) T: Chris Waller J: Tim Clark W: 59kg F: 0136x Age: 4YO Color: Brown Sex: Gelding Sire: Lonhro Dam: Self Esteem +2500 +380 5. Kovalica (7) T: Chris Waller J: Nash Rawiller W: 59kg F: 904×0 Age: 4YO Color: Bay Sex: Gelding Sire: Ocean Park (NZ) Dam: Vitesse (NZ) +1900 +300 6. Zeyrek (4) T: Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes J: Joshua Parr W: 59kg F: 269×0 Age: 7YO Color: Bay Sex: Gelding Sire: Sea The Stars (IRE) Dam: Zerkaza (IRE) +10000 +1500 7. Pride Of Jenni (3) T: Ciaron Maher J: Declan Bates W: 57kg F: 212×1 Age: 6YO Color: Bay Sex: Mare Sire: Pride of Dubai Dam: Sancerre (NZ) +320 -166.67 8. Via Sistina (5) T: Chris Waller J: James McDonald W: 57kg F: 1x2x2 Age: 6YO Color: Bay Sex: Mare Sire: Fastnet Rock Dam: Nigh (IRE) +120 -384.62 9. Atishu (9) T: Chris Waller J: Tom Marquand W: 57kg F: 318×1 Age: 6YO Color: Brown Sex: Mare Sire: Savabeel Dam: Posy (NZ) SCR SCR 10. Place Du Carrousel (8) T: Anthony & Sam Freedman J: Tommy Berry W: 57kg F: 2x011x Age: 5YO Color: Bay Sex: Mare Sire: Lope de Vega (IRE) Dam: Traffic Jam (IRE) +1000 +170 11. Ceolwulf (1) T: Joseph Pride J: Jason Collett W: 55.5kg F: 2266x Age: 3YO Color: Brown Sex: Colt Sire: Tavistock (NZ) Dam: Las Brisas (GB) +1600 +260 Horse racing tips View the full article