Wandering Eyes

Coming off a highly successful Pegasus World Cup Day at Gulfstream, which handled $47.3 million, $3.4 million more than last year, the 1/ST Racing team will now set its sights on creating a similar afternoon of racing at Santa Anita. 1/ST Racing CEO Belinda Stronach announced on NBC's broadcast of the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. that a day similar to the Pegasus is being created for Santa Anita and will be held Sept. 28. The event will be called the California Crown and the premier race on the afternoon will be a revamped GI Awesome Again S. The Associated Press reported that the Awesome Again will be restricted to 3-year-olds, which will not be the case. It will remain a race for 3-year-olds and older. 1/ST Racing President Aidan Butler said that the company is looking to include the GII Eddie D. S., run at 6 1/2 furlongs on the downhill turf course, and the GII John Henry Turf Championship S., run at a mile-and-a-quarter on the turf, as part of the California Crown series. Other races traditionally run that weekend at Santa Anita include the GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship S., the GII City of Hope Mile S., the GII Zenyatta S., the GIII Tokyo City Cup and the $100,000 Unzip Me S. The key detail that has yet to be announced is what will the purses for the races be. When announcing Saturday on NBC the formation of the California Crown, 1/ST CEO Belinda Stronach said it would be the richest non-Breeders' Cup Day of racing in the history of Southern California racing. The purse of the 2023 Awesome Again was just $300,000, one tenth the amount given away in the Pegasus. With so much uncertainty in California racing right now, including how simulcasting revenue in the state will be divided up once Golden Gate Fields closes in June, Butler said it's too early to announce purses. “We still have a lot of work out there to figure out what the purses will be,” he said. “There are a lot of decisions that have to be made. We are hoping we can get everything sorted out soon. But we don't want to jump the gun and announce purses when we don't know exactly what is going to happen with the CHRB, with the Northern circuit and with the Southern circuit. There are a lot of things we still have to work on.” As is the case with the Pegasus, the California Crown will be about more than racing. 1/ST has turned Pegasus Day into a party that attracts a younger crowd and many people who are not regular racing fans. “The intent is to create a great experience for anyone who is currently a racing fan and for potential new customers,” Butler said. “There will be entertainment, things to elevate the customer experience. Los Angeles is such a huge market to draw from. People are used to a level of experience at sporting events with lots of entertainment and that's what we will try to replicate. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the Pegasus. It was a really cracking day and people had a lot of fun. We want to do the same at Santa Anita. The good thing about Santa Anita is that it is such a big venue you can create an even bigger day. At Gulfstream, we struggle with how many people we can get in the building. We won't have that issue at Santa Anita.” The post New Details Emerge on California Crown appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Atlantic Six Racing LLC's Book'em Danno (Bucchero) breezed five furlongs in 1:02 Sunday morning at Tampa Bay Downs, the quickest of 12 moves at the distance, and connections have confirmed that they are moving forward with plans to contest the $1.5-million G3 Saudi Derby on the Saudi Cup undercard Saturday, Feb. 24. The work was the first for the New Jersey-bred gelding since a 12 1/2-length victory in the seven-furlong Pasco S. Jan. 13. “It was an easy breeze and he finished well by himself,” part-owner Jay Briscione texted. “We have accepted the invitation [for the Saudi Derby] and we are on track to go.” Following the Pasco, Book'em Danno's third win at stakes level, trainer Derek Ryan told TDN's Bill Finley that he harbored “no Derby dreams,” making the Saudi option–a one-turn, 1600-meter contest, a logical alternative. Briscione said that he and his Atlantic Six partners have been approached about selling Book'em Danno. “We have fielded some offers, there has been interest, but we have not sold any part of him,” Briscione texted. Book'em Danno, whose lone defeat to date was in his juvenile finale in the Nashua S., also a one-turn mile, has amassed earnings to date of $260,625. The post Book’em Danno Breezes, Saudi Derby Confirmed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I wasn't a National Treasure (Quality Road) fan. He got one of the easiest trips you'll ever see in a Triple Crown race when he was allowed to walk on the lead in the GI Preakness S., winning by a head over soft group of challengers. Which is why it came as no surprise that he couldn't so much as finish in the money in any of his next three starts, the GI Belmont S., the GI Travers S. and the GI Awesome Again S. He looked like a horse who had to set the pace to prevail and he didn't find himself on the lead in any of those races. Yes, he turned in a big effort in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile when losing to eventual Horse of the Year Cody's Wish by a nose. But maybe Cody didn't run his best. He never did show an affinity for two turns. And maybe National Treasure's effort was a bit of a fluke. So I didn't like him one bit in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream. As the 5-2 favorite, he was an easy toss. I was wrong. Was I ever. Yes, this was the weakest field ever to assemble for the Pegasus and he did win by only a neck over the hard-trying blue-collar type Senor Buscador (Mineshaft). But take a deeper dive into this race and you'll likely conclude, as I did, that this was a very strong performance from National Treasure, one in which he served notice that he might be on a path to a Horse of the Year title. As soon as the gate opened, both National Treasure and Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) left there with a purpose, to get to the lead. With Hoist the Gold narrowly in front, they battled through early fractions of :23 and :46. For National Treasure, this was supposed to be the worst trip possible. He didn't make the lead and was engaged in a battle that resulted in fast fractions. Trainer Bob Baffert, watching from California, wasn't worried. “I knew there was going to be a hot pace and [Flavien] Prat and I talked about it,” Baffert said. “You can't take his speed away. You can't be worried about one horse. Just let him do his thing and he did. That's why he won.” With about five furlongs to go, Prat made the move that might have won the race for him. He backed off of Hoist the Gold, ever so slightly but enough to give his horse a quick breather. With three furlongs left, Prat called on National Treasure and he responded and went right back at Hoist the Gold. By mid-stretch he had put away Hoist the Gold and had clear sailing to the wire. But then Senor Buscador decided to make a race out of it and closed relentlessly. Another two or three jumps, he probably would have won the race. But National Treasure had enough left to hold him off. “He's very brave,” Prat said of National Treasure. Meanwhile, Hoist the Gold, the winner of the GII Cigar Mile H., was cooked in the stretch. He finished fourth, beaten 11 lengths. Baffert was non-committal when asked about National Treasure's next race, but you have to think that the $20-million G1 Saudi Cup is on his radar. If so, he would meet White Abarrio (Race Day), which would mean an early season showdown between the two best older dirt males in training. With so many top horses being retired at the end of 2023, it looked like there would be very little star power when it came to the older male dirt division this year. Maybe National Treasure can change that. Ryan Moore Does It Again European-based rider Ryan Moore turned in the ride of the day when he guided Auguste Rodin (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) to victory in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. He saved ground every step of the way and burst through the hole that opened up at the top of the stretch when Balladeer (Distorted Humor) drifted ever so slightly off the fence and then held off eventual Eclipse Award winner Up to the Mark (Not This Time). Moore was the reason Auguste Rodin won the race. On Saturday at Gulfstream, he gave a carbon-copy ride to Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) to win the nine-furlong Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. On a horse whose biggest wins had come at a mile-and-a-half, Moore knew he couldn't afford to drop too far off the pace, so he had her positioned in third in the early going. She was third at the top of the stretch on the rail and it looked like Moore had nowhere to go. There never really was a hole, but when Maine Event (Bernardini) came out a half-path or so, Moore burst through the narrow opening and then held off a late bid from I'm Very Busy (Cloud Computing). Just as was the case in the Breeders' Cup, the horse probably doesn't win unless guided to a perfect trip by Moore. “Ryan obviously gave her an incredible ride and has done such an incredible job,” winning trainer Aidan O'Brien said. And give credit to the Coolmore team. When so many others find reasons not to run in races, this was Warm Heart's second start after she finished second in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. When it was determined that she was going to have to be in the U.S. anyway so that she could be bred to Justify, they figured why not head a ways down the road and go after the $1-million purse at Gulfstream. The win netted them $531,000. It was the perfect way to end Warm Heart's career. By the way, how did Warm Heart go off at 2.4-1, while Integration (Quality Road) was 1.2-1? Yes, Integration looked like he had a lot of potential, but had never faced older horses in a stakes race and his biggest win came in the GII Hill Prince S. Yes, Warm Heart was a filly facing boys, but her record towered over that of anyone else in the field. She was a two-time Group I winner in Europe and missed by just a neck when second in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf. She should have been the favorite. Eclipse Awards It's always fun to see every year what was the dumbest vote when it comes to the Eclipse Awards. The winner this year goes to the person who voted for Kirstenbosch (Midnight Lute) in the female sprinter category. Kirstenbosch went 2-for-9 on the year and both wins came in Grade III races. That also means that someone voted for her ahead of Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper), won two Grade I's during the year, including the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint, and Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) who was 3-for-3 and based on some speed figures was the fastest horse to race during the year. The post The Week in Review: National Treasure Could Be On His Way to Stardom appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first reported Thunder Moon (Ire) foal was born at Haras de Montaigu during Stallion Route weekend with three additional fillies making an appearance during the last week, announced standing stud Haras de Bouquetot via press release on Sunday. The first, a colt out of Eterea (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr})–herself a winning half-sister to multiple Group-placed Munsef (GB) (Zafonic) and Italian stakes runner Danzaya (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB})–hailing from the extended family of multiple Group 1-placed Hamish McGonagall (GB) (Namid {GB}), brought praise from Haras de Montaigu's Erwan de Chambord. “We are very pleased with this first offspring of Thunder Moon with a maiden mare. He is well-built with good bone, great limb conformation, and a very good temperament so far!” The fillies arrived in Ireland and France–the Irish-bred is a daughter of G2 Prix de Malleret winner Al Wathna (GB) (Nayef) while the French fillies arrived at Mrs. Elisabeth Ribard's Haras de la Cauviniere to SP Sporty Doll (Ity) (Pounced) and at Haras de Bourgeauville for breeder Philip Lybeck, who described her as, “A balanced filly with scope and very elegant, very much in the image of her sire.”. Thunder Moon will stand his second season at stud in 2024 for €6,000 Live Foal. The post First Foals by Thunder Moon Arrive appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Perennial leading jockey Zac Purton fired in a six-timer Sunday at Sha Tin, his best day in 15 months, but he was unable to sweeten the deal in the G1 Centenary Sprint Cup. Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}), the newly crowned world's best sprinter, was the $1.35 jolly to follow up on his victory in the G1 Longines Hong Sprint Dec. 10, but he was slow through the early stages and it ultimately spelled doom, as Derek Leung walked the dog astride Victor the Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}) en route to a $38 boilover. Having defeated the champion sprinter in the traditional opening-day Class 1 feature over Sunday's course and distance back in September–a race run at a snail's pace in wet conditions–Victor the Winner was an on-pace fourth in December's Group 1 contest and was exiting a seventh to Whizz Kid (Aus) (Shalaa {Ire}) in Group 3 company up the 1000-metre straight Jan. 7. Accordingly sent off at rough odds Sunday, Victor the Winner nearly beat the gate and was immediately in front and was able to run leisurely sections in the lead, going the first 400 metres in :24.30 (standard :23.50) with Whizz Kid doing the chasing and Lucky Sweynesse buried back in the latter third of the field. Still traveling supremely easily on the turn, Victor the Winner got the opening 800 metres in :47.25 (standard :45.80), meaning he had plenty left when the real running started and he was never in any sort of danger in the run to the line. Hong Kong Sprint runner-up Lucky With You (Aus) (Artie Schiller) earned another top-level placing in second, while former champion Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}) acquitted himself well in third. Despite a final sectional clocking of a race-fastest :21.98, Lucky Sweynesse could do no better than sixth, beaten 4 1/4 lengths. “It feels great. Thank you for the opportunity from the owner and the trainer,” said homegrown rider Derek Leung, annexing his first Group 1 since guiding Beauty Generation (NZ) in the 2017 Hong Kong Mile. “We drew an outside gate, but we flew out of the gate, so (we) took advantage and just went forward–he was quite relaxed after that and at the 500m, I knew he was going to kick very strong. Very lucky, it was a win.” Winning trainer Danny Shum, who sent Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) to Australia to land the G1 Cox Plate last October, has a potential overseas target in mind for Victor the Winner, namely the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen at Chukyo Mar. 24. “I entered him in Japan over 1200m, so I will see how he pulls up and then decide if I keep him in Hong Kong or send him to Japan in March,” Shum said. “I've considered Japan for a long time, because it's a left-hand turn. In the morning, his left-hand turn is better than his right-hand turn, so we have to give him a chance overseas.” Of the beaten favourite, Purton told South China Morning Post: “He just couldn't get going early and that's his Achilles' heel. Some days he just can't show any gate speed, which was the case today. Once all the horses got their spot, they just slammed on the brakes and he was back in a bad spot. There is not much you can do about it.” Super effort, Derek Leung! That's a first Group 1 since Beauty Generation's 2017 @LONGINES Hong Kong Mile triumph… #SpeedSeries | #HKracing pic.twitter.com/b1W7Rlrwe8 — HKJC Racing (@HKJC_Racing) January 28, 2024 Pedigree Notes: Victor the Winner is the 35th stakes winner and 13th group/graded winner for Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado, now the sire of five elite-level scorers worldwide. Swettenham purchased the stakes-placed Noetic for A$100,000 from the Patinack Farm dispersal in September 2013 and the mare produced her first foal for Adam Sangster about a month later. A half-sister to the dual stakes-placed Starlight Lady (Aus) (Fantastic Light), Noetic is the dam of three winners from five to the races and her most recent produce is a yearling filly by Swettenham's I Am Immortal (Aus), who was purchased for A$5,500 in utero from the 2022 Inglis June Online Sale. The filly was s bought back on a bid of A$150,000 at the Inglis Great Southern Sale last June. According to the Australian Stud Book, Noetic passed away Mar. 2, 2023. Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong CENTENARY SPRINT CUP-G1, HK$13,000,000, Sha Tin, 1-28, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:09.43, gd. 1–VICTOR THE WINNER (AUS), 126, g, 5, by Toronado (Ire) 1st Dam: Noetic (Aus) (SP-Aus), by Cape Cross (Ire) 2nd Dam: Dancing Starlight, by Atticus 3rd Dam: Night and Dreams, by Fappiano 1ST STAKES WIN, 1ST GROUP WIN, 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. (A$180,000 Ylg '20 INGMAR). O-Chu Yun Lau; B-Adam Sangster (Vic); T-Danny Shum; J-Derek Leung; HK$7,280,000. Lifetime Record: 14-7-2-0, HK$19,744,025. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Lucky With You (Aus), 126, g, 6, Artie Schiller–Heredera (Aus), by Northern Meteor (Aus). (A$130,000 Ylg '19 INGMAR). O-Vincent Leung Man Him; B-Emirates Park Pty Ltd (NSW); T-Frankie Lor; J-Andrea Atzeni; HK$2,730,000. 3–Wellington (Aus), 126, g, 7, All Too Hard (Aus)–Mihiri (Aus), by More Than Ready. (A$70,000 Ylg '18 MMGCYS). O-Mr & Mrs Michael Cheng Wing On & Jeffrey Cheng Man Cheong; B-Kia Ora Stud Pty Ltd, David Paradise, Steve McCann (NSW); T-Jamie Richards; J-Hugh Bowman; HK$1,495,000. Margins: 1 3/4, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 37-1, 19-1, 6-1. Also Ran: Son Pak Fu (Aus), Flying Ace (NZ), Lucky Sweynesse (NZ), Taj Dragon (Ire), Whizz Kid (Aus), Packing Treadmill (Aus), Courier Wonder (NZ), Duke Wai (NZ), Sight Success (Aus), Super Wealthy (Aus). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing. The post Victor the Winner Goes All The Way In Centenary Sprint Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

We've never had it so bad, apparently. That of course depends on whether you're a glass-half-full or half-empty kind of person. Mine has been mostly empty so far in 2024, of the good stuff at least, but the swapping of a decent claret for chai tea has not lowered the spirits as much as might have been imagined at the start of January. In fact, optimism levels are running high in this very small corner of Newmarket at present. For a start we have made it through storms Isha and Jocelyn with the loss of only one roof tile and a fence panel. There were no loose horses or fallers, and there has been no ice under the hooves of the fresh horses just back from their winter holidays. These sound like minor considerations, but in a small stable, when the horses who live below and the staff who come in every day to ride them feel like family members, every day that passes without dramatic incident is a good day. Don't get me wrong, I don't skip around every minute of the day being irritatingly upbeat. I have grave concerns over the way racing is heading in some areas, particularly that so many people seem willing to gamble on trading horses but have no interest in racing them. With little acknowledgement of their importance to the Levy, the paltry level of funding for lower-tier races is making it increasingly unsustainable for many of the sport's smaller participants to continue and is in part deterring others to get involved. It is becoming harder not to conclude that there is now no place for the small breeder, the small owner or the small trainer with their lesser horses. That would be a shame. In the long history of sport, fans have deified the very best, and rightly so. We all need a Pele, a Piggott, a Klopp or a Cecil to sprinkle a little magic. But the sporting public also loves an underdog. Only recently, the exploits of Hewick on Boxing Day reminded us of this. And I long to see another horse of the ilk of Sergeant Cecil or Speciosa in the hands of trainers whose talents lack only the supply of horses. For a start, what a story. Fresh faces, a new narrative. And then there's the knock-on effect; the hope brought to others in a similar situation, that encouragement to roll the dice. Racing has always been built on dreams. People come and people go, and new people replace them with that same old dream. Retention is important, of course, and it is hard not to look upon last week's announcement from Andrew and Gemma Brown of Caldwell Construction with anything other than concern. Here are owners who have enjoyed major success, with some exciting young National Hunt prospects on their hands, withdrawing from racing and dispersing their stock, apparently following three recent fatalities among their string. One can sympathise with the Browns while wondering how long jump racing will be tolerated by the general public, particularly in Britain. Among the other issues of the day are prize-money, concerns over Britain and Ireland becoming nurseries for other racing nations with deeper pockets, and the hoovering up of top-class stallion prospects by our friends in Japan. Well, guess what. None of this is new. 'No Racing and no Money as 1968 comes in' ran the cheery headline on the editorial leader in the February 1968 edition of Stud And Stable. Britain was then in the grip of a foot-and-mouth epidemic which had halted racing during the previous December (the same disease later caused the cancellation of the Cheltenham Festival of 2001). Remarkably, the December Sales of 1967 had been permitted to go ahead by the government under strict protocols and they recorded some notable returns despite some epidemic-enforced withdrawals. Sound familiar? Vaguely Noble sold for a record 136,000 guineas, and he was far from the only high-priced lot to fall into the hands of owners from overseas. The gloomy leader stated, “Already supported by racing programmes that justified the payment of high prices, French and American buyers were afforded a field day.” It continued, “Throughout the century, England and Ireland have acted as a storehouse from which to supply the world's Thoroughbred requirements. This year's December Sales raised more dramatically than ever the question of how long we shall be able to go on doing so unless we can increase our prizes and keep the best at home.” These words, written 56 years ago, could so easily have been penned today. Elsewhere in the same magazine there was a short report on the sale of the stallions Larkspur and Hard Ridden to Japan, which began, “Following on from the rather alarming foreign purchases of the top lots at the Newmarket December Sales comes news of the export to Japan of two Derby winners.” Again, this has a familiar ring of recency to it (as did an advertisement in the same edition for Rathduff Stud's promising young stallion by the name of Cracksman). In fact, the only thing that felt a little different in this edition of Stud And Stable from 1968 was a photograph of the packed stands at the Curragh in an advert for the Irish Sweeps Derby which boasted of the higher average prices of yearlings with Irish Derby entries. Just don't tell Patrick Cooper or he might write another letter. Over the years we have had epidemics of the human and bovine variety temporarily halt racing in its tracks. It would have felt catastrophic at the time, and the worry of the months of April and May 2020 in particular is still fresh in the mind. Somehow, though, this industry bounces back, often stronger than ever. Racing limped on, restricted and reduced, through the far graver years of the Second World War. The Derby and the Oaks were run at Newmarket, but at least they took place. It must be said that the influential owner-breeders of the day played a major role in persuading the government that a certain amount of racing must continue for the morale of the people, not to mention the important continuation and testing of the breed on the racecourse. And yet even in those desperate times we find in the Bloodstock Breeders' Review similar buoyancy at the sales, which is quite staggering considering what was taking place in the real world. A report written in the sixth year of war concluded, “Bloodstock Sales in 1944 showed the highest aggregate ever known…The December Sales results alone beat all hitherto established records…The same story is to be recorded regarding the Dublin Sales. All records were surpassed by the results in 1944.” I've lost track of the times I've reported on a “record-breaking” sale over the last decade. Of course the vitality of the bloodstock market should not be confused with the overall health of racing. As stated, an increased number of people treat the sales like the stock market and are not involved beyond that, while plenty of money that changes hand comes from foreign investors. That's not all bad though. We have always needed international interest in our bloodstock market, and the breed itself needs it. Many of those investors hail from countries which are not conducive to the breeding and rearing of horses, and the fact that the green and pleasant lands of Britain and Ireland are ideally suited to that pursuit has not gone unnoticed by those from overseas who have decided to establish their own breeding operations in this part of the world. And yes, to a degree, it is facetious to imply that little has changed. Glancing through those old books and magazines, the most telling difference is that there were once so many small, independent studs that each stood a stallion or two. Now, many have been subsumed by those major investors whose breeding operations have become empires. Whether that is good or bad is almost a moot point. It's different, but we still have the choice of a large range of stallions, with many of the best in the world standing in these isles. None of this means that we can simply think all is well and turn to complacency. Those quickly expanding racing programmes in the Middle East will need more and more horses to meet their demands, at a rate and standard which exceeds the potential of their local breeding industries. In part that is good news for European breeders, but it may well prove detrimental to racing here. A personal gripe is how much owners appear to be encouraged to sell on a horse as soon as it shows a glimmer of talent. Obviously lucrative offers are hard to turn down, and horses can suddenly be lame in the blink of an eye, so this isn't pointing the finger of blame at anyone who has cashed in. But what happened to that dream? Isn't it what drew people in in the first place, the chance to race a top horse? There really is nothing like the thrill of being connected to a winner, whether in a syndicate or as a sole owner-breeder. That's the dream we should be selling, for no get-rich-quick scheme can equal that high. The politics of racing can certainly detract from our enjoyment of the sport if we let it. So it's time to stop doom-scrolling. Put down your phone and get yourself out to a paddock or a racecourse to marvel at the beauty of the Thoroughbred. The start of the Flat turf season is now but two months away and the foaling barns are once again filling up with the stars of the future. If we get it right now and treat these wonderful creatures with the respect they deserve throughout their lives, then there is hope that in another 80 years the bloodstock journalists of the future will be writing about yet more sales records and why the Irish Derby should remain at a mile and a half. The post Cheer Up, It Might Never Happen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Star local jockey could miss four to six weeks after nasty midweek tumble, while Australian rider walks away from incident at Sha Tin on SundayView the full article

The 35-year-old produces a front-running masterclass in the Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) to snare his first top-level success since 2017View the full article

Reigning champion jockey dominates Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) undercard with his most prolific day in the saddle since October 2022View the full article

By Jonny Turner Sally Lindenny staked her claim as being the bargain buy of the spring and summer with her victory in the feature trot on Riverton Cup Day. Yesterday, the trotter made it win number four for trainer-driver Kirstin Green when bagging yet another win on a grass track. The mare has either been in the first three placings, or she has galloped out of contention in her 15 starts since joining the Green stable in September. Sally Lindenny could have added another mistake to her ledger in the Aparima Handicap Trot, but instead her manners allowed her to bank another cheque for owner Murray Swain. “She just loves the grass, and when she misses away it’s always when there are horses in front of her,” Green said. “She just gets a bit claustrophobic, and today she did the same; she bounded out but then just came down trotting and away she went.” “She was really good.” Swain purchased Sally Lindenny on the standardbred.gavelhouse.com platform after she had campaigned in Canterbury for several seasons. Swain wanted a prospective broodmare and he raced the trotter from Green’s stable in the hope she could win enough to pay her breeding costs. But Sally Lindenny has exceeded those expectations by returning more than ten times her purchase price of $3000. “It is amazing actually, I wasn’t expecting it,” Swain said. “I thought we could maybe win a race to pay her service fee and because that’s what I bought her for – to breed her.” Swain has trained plenty of winners in his own right, but these days he is more than happy to take a backseat by helping out behind the scenes at the Green stable. “Kirstin went away on holiday and needed somebody to look after the team, so instead of dispersing them out, a mate told me to come down.” “I came down and gave her a hand and quite enjoyed it.” “I had a bit of a spell for a while, but I sort of haven’t left, really.” Got You Covered took top honours as the Riverton Cup returned to the Riverton Racecourse on Sunday. The pacer made a good beginning for fill-in driver Brent Barclay, who soon found the lead in the 2800m staying test. Barclay didn’t have to ask Got You Covered for a serious effort as he ran to a deserved win for trainers Brent and Tim White. View the full article

Day One of Karaka 2024’s Book 1 Sale reflected ongoing industry positivity with several records broken and key sale indicators increasing. At the close of trade for the opening session, the aggregate reached a Day One record of $30,725,500 while the average reached a record $195,704, a 37% and 22% increase respectively on last year. The highlight of the day came early, when Lot 21, a full-sister to the superstar mare Prowess (NZ) (Proisir x Donna Marie) was knocked down to Peter Moody for $1.6 million, the highest price recorded for a filly sold at Karaka. “She’s an absolute princess,” commented Moody. “She is a full-sister to a Group One winner, which is a bonus. She was the one we wanted and we are so glad to get her.” The second highest-priced lot of the day came when Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster combined to secure Lot 144 for $900,000. A daughter of Rich Hill Stud’s hot young sire Satono Aladdin out of O’Reilly mare Inthespotlight. “We identified her quite early. We got blown out of the water on Lot 21, so we knew we’d be going after this filly,” commented Mulcaster. “Breeders are realising that quality fillies in Australia are expensive and hard to get so those putting them to the market are reaping the rewards.” The Chris Waller Racing and Guy Mulcaster combination was one of the strongest international buyers of the day, securing six lots for a total $2.7 million. But it was Karaka kingpin, Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis who came out on top, spending $3.4 million across 14 lots on the first day. NZB Managing Director Andrew Seabrook was encouraged by the strong results. “It was an amazing Sale today, turning over $30 million, we’ve never done that in any day’s trading at Karaka.” “That is up seven and a half million on last year’s figures and the average is up about thirty thousand, so a really pleasing day. “For the vendors, everyone has been rewarded from Barn A to Barn I, buyers are finding their horses from all corners.” Selling continues on Monday for Day Two of Book 1, where lots 241 – 480 will go through the ring from 10am (NZT) at Karaka. Karaka 2024: Book 1, Day One Statistics (at end of selling) 2024 BOOK 1, DAY ONE 2023 BOOK 1, DAY ONE 2022 BOOK 1, DAY ONE 2021 BOOK 1, DAY ONE AGGREGATE $30,725,500 $22,420,000 $20,042,500 $17,047,500 AVERAGE $195,704 $160,143 $159,067 $130,134 MEDIAN $150,000 $147,500 $125,000 $100,000 CLEARANCE 73% 73% 69% 73% CATALOGUED 240 220 220 200 SOLD 157 140 126 131 TOP LOT Lot 21 Proisir – Donna Marie (Ch.F) $1,600,000 Lot 59 Savabeel – Bayrock (B.C) $625,000 Lot 161 Savabeel – Chandelier (B.C) $1,000,000 Lot 94 Zoustar – Scintillula (B.F) $800,000 Karaka 2024: Book 1, Day One Top Lots (at end of selling) LOT SIRE DAM SEX VENDOR PURCHASER PRICE 21 Proisir Donna Marie Filly Hallmark Stud Moody Racing (Victoria) $1,600,000 144 Satono Aladdin Inthespotlight Filly Rich Hill Stud Chris Waller / Mulcaster Bloodstock (New South Wales) $900,000 55 Zoustar Evalina Colt Elsdon Park Jamie Richards / Andrew Williams Bloodstock (Hong Kong) $725,000 146 Super Seth Irion Colt Pencarrow Stud Patella Bloodstock (New South Wales) $700,000 210 Kingman Marsden Cross Colt Pencarrow Stud The Hong Kong Jockey Club (Hong Kong) $650,000 62 Justify Fair Isle Filly Pencarrow Stud Chris Waller / Mulcaster Bloodstock (New South Wales) $550,000 224 I Am Invincible Midnight Revels Colt Highline Thoroughbreds Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) (Te Akau) $510,000 142 Wootton Bassett Influencer Colt Haunui Farm Chris Waller / Mulcaster Bloodstock (New South Wales) $500,000 237 Savabeel Miss Opulence Colt Riversley Park Ltd Group 1 Bloodstock Pty Ltd (Victoria) $460,000 117 Savabeel Happily Colt Waikato Stud Ltd Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ) (Wellington) $450,000 View the full article

A staggering jump in turnover has propelled the TAB Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie on Saturday to new heights, with $9.5 million wagered on the meeting – the most on any New Zealand meeting spanning back to at least 1998. The mammoth figure is $2m more than the previous highest meeting on record, the 2022 New Zealand Trotting Cup meeting ($7.5m) but Saturday’s record total was achieved in just six races, less than half that of the Trotting Cup meeting (13 races). Year-on year-turnover for the TAB Karaka Millions was up 66%, and the TAB Karaka Millions 3YO – the final race on Saturday’s card – set a new record for the most wagered on a single New Zealand race with turnover of $2.6m, eclipsing the $2.1m wagered on the 2022 NZ Trotting Cup. Average turnover by race was almost $1.6m. Cameron Rodger, the Managing Director – New Zealand for Entain Australia and New Zealand, the operators of TAB, said Saturday’s meeting was a phenomenal result built on a lot of hard work over the past year. “The energy at Ellerslie yesterday and these figures gives us so much cause for confidence as we continue to work with the great people in racing to supercharge the industry,” Cameron Rodger said. “This is a brilliant way to kick off the week of yearling sales at the New Zealand Bloodstock sale complex at Karaka and provides further impetus for the industry after the launch of The NZB Kiwi slot race and a revamped summer racing calendar earlier this week.” More than 48,000 TAB customers placed a bet on Saturday’s meeting, up from 36,000 last year, 35,000 in 2022 and 30,000 in 2021. “Word is certainly spreading that racing is back in a big way, and that’s reflected in more of our customers wanting to be part of the action,” Cameron Rodger said. Previous highest turnover meetings $7.5m – 2022 NZ Trotting Cup – 13 races $7.4m – 2023 NZ Cup, Riccarton – 12 races $7.1m – 2007 NZ Trotting Cup – 12 races $6.9m – 2023 NZ Trotting Cup – 12 races $6.7m – 2021 Ellerslie NY Day – 10 races Turnover for the past three Karaka Millions meetings $5.7m (2023) $5.5m (2022) $5.0m (2021) View the full article

A colt by exciting European stallion Kingman attracted plenty of attention during his time in the sale ring at Karaka on Sunday, where he fetched a winning bid of $650,000 from Boomer Bloodstock principal Craig Rounsefell on behalf of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Consigned from the Pencarrow Stud draft as Lot 210, the son of the European Group One winner is out of the Irish mare Marsden Cross who comes from a family that includes outstanding cross-continent Group One performer, Mother Earth. Kingman has already garnered success from a limited number of runners in Australia including Gr.1 VRC Oaks (2500m) winner Zardozi and Gr.1 JJ Atkins (1600m) winner King Colorado. Boomer Bloodstock principal Craig Rounsefell. Photo: Trish Dunell “He was one of my main targets at this sale on type,” Rounsefell said. “Obviously Kingman’s a fast young stallion over in Europe and there’s no reason why he’s not going to do well in Hong Kong. “This horse had a great temperament and he is a rock-solid horse from a good farm. “On type, he’s just a smashing horse I thought. It’s around about where we had him (price). We had a go at a few others earlier at lower prices that we missed out on, but he was our top pick of the day and one of our top picks of the sale.” Rounsefell confirmed he was keen to add further lots in the coming days. “There’s some different families and different stallions over here that we’re looking at, and across a whole range of budgets,” he said. “We’ve got a good shortlist after vetting, so we’ll see how we go. It’s been a fairly strong sale today, so it’s good to put that one (Lot 210) on the board.” View the full article

Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis once again lead the buyers charge at Karaka on Day One of the National Yearling Sale series with an impressive array of youngsters finding their way into the shopping cart of the King of Karaka. Ellis outlaid $3.4million for 14 individuals with Lot 224, an I Am Invincible youngster from the Highline Thoroughbreds draft topping the list as he outlaid $510,000 for the colt’s new owners, Brendan and Jo Lindsay of Cambridge Stud. Ellis was pleased with his results for the day. “We’ve bought 14 yearlings all together,” he said. “We came here very bullish as we thought the quality was as good as its been for many years, and we wanted to buy yearlings to win all these big new races that we have in New Zealand. “It’s the most exciting time to be part of New Zealand racing, with what the New Zealand government’s doing, what Entain’s doing and what New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing is doing. “It’s a combination, they’re all working really well together, and it’s exciting for somebody that’s been in the industry for a lifetime. “I’ve waited for this to happen and it’s not just happening, it’s happening big time, and there’s more good news still to come. “It’s just great to see everybody working together and to see prizemoney go to a level where owners get a serious return.” Lot 224 leaves the ring after selling for $510,000 to David Ellis. Photo: Trish Dunell Ellis was delighted to secure the I Am Invincible colt for the Lindsays, who have enjoyed considerable success with Te Akau Racing through the deeds of champion mare Probabeel, Group One winner Kahma Lass and the promising filly Zourion. “I bought him for Brendan and Jo Lindsay as they wanted me to buy them what I thought was the best colt in the sale,” he said. “We selected him and we thought he was great buying for an I Am Invincible colt. “I think most people would agree that’s one stallion we can train the progeny of (referring to champion sprinter Imperatriz amongst others). “I think he (Brendan) would like a nice I Am Invincible colt to stand at Cambridge Stud and we’ll certainly be supporting him. “He’s a very athletic colt, I thought that he’d be out and about at Christmas time, and could be a lovely Sires’ Produce colt, then make a really nice stallion at stud one day with his pedigree.” Ellis was also pleased to secure Lot 227, a Snitzel colt from the Curraghmore draft who is closely related to former Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) winner Kahma Lass. “I thought that he (Lot 227) was an absolutely outstanding buy,” he said. “I won’t tell you what I thought he would make and what I was prepared to pay, that wouldn’t be fair on the vendor, but he was very good buying, for sure.” Whilst he was happy with his results Ellis also admitted not everything went his way. “I went to NZ$1 million for a client in Australia on that early filly (Lot 21 by Proisir) and never really felt confident, so it’s been a great day of selling here at New Zealand Bloodstock, and the whole company, everybody that works here should be very proud of what they’ve put on today.” Day Two of the Book 1 Sale gets underway on Monday at 10am. View the full article

A day of milestones for the progeny of Rich Hill Stud based stallions Proisir and Satono Aladdin was one of the major highlights on the first day of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka. Lot 21, the full sister to dual Group One winner Prowess, a daughter of Proisir, fetched the highest price ever paid for the fairer sex at Karaka when knocked down to the $1.6million bid of Victorian trainer Peter Moody from breeder Hallmark Stud’s Book 1 draft. Later it was the turn of the son of Deep Impact in Satono Aladdin to achieve his highest ever sale price at auction in Australasia when Bloodstock Agent Guy Mulcaster and leading Australian trainer Chris Waller combined to secure Lot 144, a filly from O’Reilly mare Inthespotlight, from the Rich Hill Stud draft for $900,000. Stud principal John Thompson sported a beaming smile as he accepted congratulations immediately after the sale. “That is the highest price for Satono and the most we have ever sold a filly for at Karaka,” Thompson said. “We had our suspicions she would sell well as up until this morning she had had 144 parades and she never turned a hair the whole time. “People were coming back repeatedly as they loved her, she has a lovely temperament, beautiful walk and just looks like a racehorse. “This filly is not from his (Satono Aladdin’s) biggest crop but he has had full books of 170 mares in the last two seasons so there is many more to come.” The filly is a half-sister to Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) placegetter Japanese Emperor while Group One winners Metal Bender and Amarelinha also feature in the extended pedigree which Thompson believes was another of the many factors that attracted buyers. “A Group One performer like Japanese Emperor in her pedigree really helped her along and she is also a quality animal,” he said. “She belongs to my accountant Hayden Dillon and another good client in Trevor Luke. Trevor raced Alamosa and his health isn’t the best at the moment and this will be a big boost for him. “She is also going to a fantastic trainer in Chris (Waller) and as a studmaster that is where you want to see your horses going as you know they will get every possible chance. “On the evidence so far, this has been a very good sale and is just what the vendors needed. Sales like this one and the Proisir filly earlier are just life changing. “This mare has a Satono colt at foot and is back in foal to him so we are hopeful the family is going to go from strength to strength.” Mulcaster had also been involved as an underbidder on the $1.6million Proisir filly and was pleased to secure the Satono Aladdin after missing out to Peter Moody earlier. “We had a real good go at the sister to Prowess and making $1.6million just stretched us too far, so we’re delighted to secure this filly,” he said. “Her full brother (Japanese Emperor) is obviously a decent horse, his run in the Guineas was good and this filly looks a very good type and we are happy to have got her. “It was a solid sort of day today although we take it step by step as we are type buyers rather than pedigree as we just want to buy the best horses with Karaka being very good to us.” View the full article

One of the cult heroes of New Zealand racing has passed away with news coming through that former Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) winner and successful stallion Jimmy Choux (NZ) (Thorn Park) was humanely euthanised earlier in the week. The multiple Group One winner was the standout story of racing in New Zealand during the 2011 calendar year where he captured four Group One titles and went within a length of a fifth when finishing runner-up to Pinker Pinker in the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m) of that year. His accomplishments for owners and breeders Richard and Liz Wood put fledgling trainer John Bary and former jumps jockey turned flat rider Jonathan Riddell on the map, with Bary quick to pay tribute to his mate and stable star. “We got the news from his home at Rosalee Park Stud in Western Australia on Tuesday that he had to be humanely euthanized as he was suffering from nose cancer,” Bary said. “It certainly brought back some very special memories as he was such a lovely horse, a great character and he put a novice trainer and battling former jumps jockey on the map. “The support he had from the general public was quite amazing as they really seemed to take him to heart and he returned that affection by trying his heart out every time we lined him up. “He wasn’t a natural talent but he had a big heart and big brain which meant he did things that a lot of horses couldn’t do. It would be great to have a few more like him in the stable.” Bary nominated his 2011 New Zealand Derby win as one of his fondest memories and was philosophical about the lowlight which was the narrow defeat in the Cox Plate later that year. “He gave me my first stakes victory when he won the Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham (Gr.2, 1200m) and then in his three-year-old season he won the Derby which was worth $2.2million at the time, which was just enormous for us all. “He went close to becoming the first horse to complete the Triple Crown at Hastings as he finished runner up in the Makfi Challenge Stakes (Gr.1, 1400m) before winning the next two legs,” he said. “We took him to Australia for the Cox Plate and he went so close to winning that day. “Jonathan rode a ten out of ten race that day and we got beaten by an eleven out of eleven effort by Craig Williams on Pinker Pinker.” Following his successful racetrack career Jimmy Choux found his way to Rich Hill Stud at Walton in the Waikato where he produced Group One winners The Bostonian and Two Illicit amongst his five individual stakes winners. “Jimmy was with us for eight seasons after his racetrack career,” Rich Hill principal John Thompson said. “He was an easy horse to promote as he had such a following and he left some very nice horses without quite reaching the heights we wanted him to. “He had The Bostonian and Two Illicit but was probably a very good bread and butter stallion and it is sad to hear about his demise as he was a lovely horse to have around the farm. “The breeders here didn’t want to support him in the end but he found a lovely home in West Australia.” Jimmy Choux won twelve of his 26 starts and more than $3.6million during his career on the track and produced 141 individual winners from his time at stud. View the full article

Waikato Stud resident stallion Super Seth was amongst the major highlight results on Day One of the National Yearling Sales series at Karaka when Patella Bloodstock’s Mike Kneebone outlaid $700,000 for a colt consigned as Lot 146 from the Pencarrow Stud draft. Out of the stakes placed Danroad mare Irion, the colt is a half-brother to the stakes winning mares Zourion and Pearl of Alsace. Irion is the daughter of Group Two winner Dopff with outstanding gallopers Octapussy, Pussy Willow, Valpolicella and Vilanova in his extended pedigree. Acting on behalf of Hong Kong clients, Kneebone was determined to secure the colt from the moment he saw him. “We’re really excited as when I first got over to New Zealand last Saturday as soon as I saw him come out of the box I was very keen on him,” Kneebone said. “I thought he was going to be around that $400,000 to $500,000 mark, but my people were really strong on him and said, ‘if you like him, keep going’.” Kneebone and the colt’s new owners will let the dust settle before making any decisions on his future. “So, we’re not in any rush with him. We will send him out to the farm to be broken in and then decide on a trainer as we go forward,” he said. “We haven’t really thought about that too much at this stage. We wanted to get a colt and we were looking for one who probably had a stallion’s pedigree. “If you’re lucky enough to get one to win a Group One race or go on to be a very, very good racehorse, we felt he had that pedigree to go with the quality and as you can see, the mare produces a really nice type. “We thought that (Group One win) might be in Australia but since the announcements from Entain and all the positiveness in New Zealand, that’s all of a sudden a big possibility for us now and that’s one of the reasons why we’re not discounting New Zealand for his initial racing.” Kneebone was also complimentary about the progeny of former Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) winner Super Seth who currently has his first crop of two-year-olds on the track in New Zealand and Australia. “I think he’s one of those sires on the rise,” he said. “He’s had good sales all the way through, all the really good judges have bought them previously and I just think he’s got a really nice line of horses again this year. “That’s always the risk, a sire that’s up and coming like that, but with the backing of Waikato Stud, he’s a good punt.” View the full article

Ex-pat Kiwi Jamie Richards made his presence felt early in the piece on Day One at Karaka as he and Bloodstock Agent Andrew Williams went to $725,000 to purchase Lot 55, a Zoustar colt from the I Am Invincible mare Evalina consigned from the Elsdon Park draft. Richards, who is back in New Zealand for the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale with fiancé Danielle and new baby Spencer, and Williams had already outlaid $275,000 for a Fastnet Rock colt (Lot 9) offered by Woburn Farm and had to fight off some spirited competition to secure the striking Zoustar youngster. He is the first foal of Listed Levin Stakes (1200m) winner Evalina, who also finished third behind Julius and Winter Bride in the 2020 Gr.1 Railway (1200m) and hails from a family that includes Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) winner Singing The Blues and Gr.1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) winner Referral. Richards was attracted by the physical presence of the colt who is likely to stay in New Zealand for his early education and racing. “It’s great to be back home in New Zealand and this colt looks like a real runner, out of a champion sire and from a stakes winning mare who is also by a champion sire (I Am Invincible),” he said. “Just a real running type of horse who we have bought for some good Hong Kong clients. “We’re not 100 percent sure what we will do with him but it is likely he will stay here and hopefully be aimed towards the Karaka Million (2YO, 1200m) although at some stage he will make his way up to Hong Kong. “He was the one we were keen to be really strong on although we had to see off the boss and thankfully, we were able to get it done.” Richards was referring to his former mentor, Te Akau Racing boss David Ellis, who was the underbidder on the colt. Richards learnt his craft at Te Akau Racing and headed the National Trainers Premiership on three separate occasions for the Matamata operation and once in partnership with Stephen Autridge before making his way to train in Hong Kong in 2022. He has made a successful fist of his time so far in Hong Kong with 35 winners in his first season and is currently sitting 12th of the Trainers ladder with 16 wins for the 2023/2024 season. “We are ticking along okay (in Hong Kong) as we try and build up a bit of momentum,” Richards said. “We have a stable full of young horses and it is a very challenging environment but very rewarding. “It is also good to come home and see the confidence that is building in New Zealand racing as sitting back and watching what is going on from Hong Kong, it appears to be very exciting. “It is great to see the buzz as it is good for the Industry.” Richards advised the Zoustar colt would go to his father Paul’s stable for his early education before any further plans for his future were made. View the full article

Studmaster Mark Baker looked more than a little stunned in the aftermath of a lifetime dream being achieved early on the first day of Book 1 of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka on Sunday. Baker has just seen the full sister by Proisir to outstanding racemare Prowess knocked down to a $1.6 million bid by leading Victorian trainer Peter Moody to set a new record for the female sex at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, eclipsing the $1.45 million set by the Zabeel-Marquise filly sold at Karaka in 2001. “We’ve never sold a $1 million yearling in our lives although we’ve dreamt of it,” Baker said. “This is just massive and we were lucky we had some real heavyweights bidding on her. “This would be massive for a big farm let alone one like us and all from a mare we bought for just $20,000 and off an $11,000 service fee that Proisir stood for that year.” Baker was referring to their Don Eduardo mare Donna Marie, the dam of Prowess who fetched $230,000 at Karaka in 2021 before going on to be a multiple Group One winner. She won more than $1.34 million from the Roger James and Robert Wellwood stable before having her racing career cut short due to a hoof injury. Her racetrack performances certainly added plenty of interest to her full sister that was consigned by Hallmark as Lot 21, with a full auditorium witnessing a fierce three-way bidding duel between respected international buyers Moody, and Bloodstock Agents Shamus Mills and Guy Mulcaster. “We own a share in Proisir and this is great for the farm, great for the mare and also for all the staff at home who put their heart and soul into preparing these horses for sale,” Baker said. “This is great for Dad (Denny) as well and is a long way from selling them for $1000 at Claudelands back in the 1980’s like he did. “From the moment she was born we knew we had a special filly on our hands and that was even before Prowess kicked up and did what she did. “She has always had a great action, a great brain and it was really a matter of getting her here in one piece. “We might have a short and sharp celebration tonight and then maybe a bit more after the sales are finished as we still have a fair few left to sell.” Moody was quick to outline the qualities he saw in the filly after his interest was piqued when working his way through the sales catalogue. “This is a big dive into the ocean, but she is a bloody nice filly,” Moody said. “Obviously a lot of people were on her and she paraded well and presented herself well all week. “She is a full to a Group One winner so she has that residual ticket following her racing career and when you see what Proisir has done with six individual Group One winners in a season it was a very strong attraction. “I would have loved to have bought her for $800,000 but for a special filly like this you have to go beyond, especially when you look at the catalogue and see her as a full sister to a superstar (Prowess) who I thought would have won the Cox Plate (Gr.1, 2040m) last year before things went against her. “It’s seldom you come to a sale and see a filly like this who is arguably a better type than the sister, although only time will tell with her. “It was a grind to get her but thankfully we came out on top.” Moody advised she will go straight back to his base in Victoria and expected to see her getting more serious about her racetrack aspirations in twelve months’ time. View the full article

Te Akau stablemates Angel Wings (outer) and Superbly Written fight out the finish. Photo: Race Images South After reaching the 99 mark on Wednesday at Matamata, Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson were swift in recording their 100th domestic winner for the 2023/24 season early at Riccarton’s Saturday meeting. The powerhouse Te Akau stable has surpassed the 100 mark for the past five seasons on the bounce, initially with former trainer Jamie Richards at the helm, before Walker returned from Singapore in 2022/23 and rewrote the history books in amassing a record total of 203 winners, as well as the fastest to a century. Sam Bergerson joined Walker in partnership this season, and from the stable’s 523 starters, now has three Group One, four Group Two, three Group Three and three Listed winners to his credit with an overall strike rate of 5.2. Te Akau principal David Ellis credited the pair alongside the remainder of their staff at both Matamata and Riccarton Park bases, the latter producing the 100th victor in Angel Wings, who was guided by former Te Akau apprentice Joe Kamaruddin, ahead of stablemate Superbly Written. “What a great achievement by Mark and Sam to reach 100 wins in such a quick time again this season, and it’s hugely rewarding to everyone involved; staff, owners, and for Karyn (Fenton-Ellis) and me too,” Ellis said. “Everyone that works for Te Akau gives 110%, and without that type of commitment, you just can’t get these sorts of results.” Te Akau Racing established its first Trans-Tasman stable at Cranbourne earlier this season, with champion mare Imperatriz’s three Group Ones headlining nine victories from their Australian-based representatives. “(The 100 wins) have included 18 stakes winners between New Zealand and Australia, and we’ve got some nice black-type chances coming up through the summer and autumn in both countries,” Ellis said. More horse racing news View the full article

Akrotiri headed home a New Zealand-bred trifecta at Moonee Valley. Photo: Bruno Cannatelli Up-and-comer Akrotiri passed his first staying test with flying colours at Moonee Valley on Saturday, heading a New Zealand-bred trifecta. Akrotiri jumped well from the starting gates and jockey Celine Gaudray allowed the Tarzino gelding to stride forward, taking the lead turning out of the straight on the first occasion. He dictated terms from there and kicked hard before turning for home, putting himself out of reach of Interlinked and Miss Tarzy. Trained by Cindy Alderson at Cranbourne, Akrotiri has now had six starts for three wins and $124,350 in stakes. “Cindy gave me a lot of confidence before I hopped on today,” Gaudray said. “She thought he’d run a good race, and she just wanted me to keep it smooth. He’s a big-striding horse, so I just let him find his rhythm. He was too strong in the end. “He’s very inexperienced. He didn’t handle the corner that well today, but he’ll take good improvement from this and there’ll be no problems going further.” Alderson was always confident that the step up beyond 1600m would bring Akrotiri into his element. “He’s a good young stayer,” he said. “Blinkers were off for the first time today. Celine did a great job getting him out of the barriers and giving him a perfect run. “He’s a big, long, lanky horse. He can’t really accelerate when he’s caught back behind them on the fence in a stop-start race, but today, with free running and a well-judged ride from Celine, he went really well. “It was good to see him relaxing and striding along so nicely today. I’ve got no doubt he’ll do 2400m, and maybe he can even go further than that. Who knows?” More horse racing news View the full article

Staying at Santa Anita Park for the San Pasqual Stakes (G2) instead of going to Florida for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) may put Newgrange in a good position to make his next start abroad, possibly in the Dubai World Cup (G1).View the full article

Kaleem Shah's Bellamore finally breaks through at the graded stakes level with a gutsy performance in the 1 1/16-mile $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3) at Sam Houston Race Park Jan. 27.View the full article

Kaleem Shah's Bellamore finally broke through at the top level with a gutsy performance in the 1 1/16-mile $300,000 Houston Ladies Classic Stakes (G3) at Sam Houston Race Park Jan. 27.View the full article

Warm Heart made her final career race one to remember as she defeated males and lowered the Gulfstream Park course record in winning the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) Jan. 27.View the full article