Wandering Eyes

Tickets are now on sale for the Kentucky Derby Museum's exclusive 2024 Derby Season tours and special events, marking the countdown to the 150th Kentucky Derby®–only 100 days away as of Thursday, Jan. 25. The Museum will be hosting special backside tours and Derby events along with opening new exhibits leading up to the first Saturday in May. “Kentucky Derby Museum is proud to unveil this extraordinary lineup of tours, events, and exhibits as we embark on the exciting journey towards Derby 150,” said Kentucky Derby Museum President and CEO Patrick Armstrong. “We invite everyone to be a part of this historic celebration, and with only 100 days left until the big day, now is the perfect time to secure your tickets for an unforgettable Derby Season experience.” Tickets for all events are available here. The post Kentucky Derby Museum Releases Tickets For 2024 Derby Season Tours appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In our walk of life, nothing succeeds like succession. As with any other form of agriculture, a horse farm is not just a business but a legacy sometimes shaped by several generations of rain-or-shine toil and kitchen-table lore. The balance sheet may happen to be in the black, or in the red–but that's just a moment in time. How does one put a price on the decades of patient nurture that have gone into land and bloodlines? Yet there's never any guarantee about the next generation, whether in terms of its enthusiasm or eligibility. And, even if both those are present, there are bound to be sensitivities over the timing and structuring of transition. In this new, occasional series, TDN will visit with people who have experienced such challenges: whether those who hand over a life's work, or those charged with taking it forward; sometimes, we'll hear from both. No better place to start than with Walker Hancock, whose accession as president at storied Claiborne Farm at just 25 was, in this context, just about as conspicuous a transfer of responsibility as you'll ever see. Incredible as it must seem, both to Walker himself and to those originally startled by his precocious promotion, this year he will already complete his first decade at the helm. His father Seth has been duly rewarded for that bold vote of confidence, then, the farm now being in hands still full of youthful vigor and ambition, while far more seasoned than could generally be expected in one of Walker's age. To a degree, of course, the gamble was emboldened by the fact that Seth had been even younger when himself appointed president. At the same time, whatever the similarities, the single factor that most sets their respective situations apart could not be more crucial. For Seth was only elevated so giddily because of the abrupt and premature death of his own father, “Bull” Hancock, such a towering figure in the Bluegrass that people far beyond Claiborne felt that they, too, had in some measure suddenly lost a patriarchal influence. (There was also the incidental drama of Seth's older brother, Arthur, quitting to achieve his own, epic vindication down the road at Stone Farm–and we'll be calling on Arthur and his daughter Lynn later in this series.) So while Seth had to find his feet in the throes of bereavement, not to mention fireworks between his brother and the powerful advisers presiding over the transition, Walker remains blessed to be able to turn to his father for counsel. “Dad had a trial by fire, literally had to figure it out on his own,” he says. “So after he gave me the reins, it was comforting to know that he's still in the background, and that I can always run things by him. I can say, 'Well, I'm not quite sure what to do here,' or 'I can't figure out a mating for this mare, what do you think?' So that's been a luxury for me. He never had that. It definitely takes a little pressure off, makes things a little more comforting, at least when you start out.” That said, just about the first thing Seth was able to do was syndicate a horse called Secretariat. “So he got things figured out pretty quickly,” Walker says with a smile. “Because he had to! I certainly didn't make that kind of a splash. But maybe one day…” The common denominator in all these situations is how a relationship based on parental authority, through years of upbringing, can evolve so that a son or daughter, if only in a professional dimension, has the confidence to say: “Sorry sir, sorry ma'am–but I'm the boss now.” The Hancock Family at Keeneland | Keeneland Photo “We've always got along for the most part, but like anybody, we're going to disagree on some things,” Walker says. “Thankfully, they've been few and far between. When you work with your father, you're younger and sometimes you'll see things differently, which is fine. But I give him credit: especially in the last few years, he's really kind of said, 'You're in charge. If that's what you want to do, go ahead.'” Walker suspects that his father had taken note of equivalent handovers faltering precisely because of inflexibility in the older generation. And that's certainly a delicate challenge, whenever a filial relationship extends into business. As from any parent, growing up you receive instruction and discipline–but suddenly they have to back off and leave you, if necessary, to learn by mistakes. “I think it was hard for me to understand that, at first,” Walker says. “It was like, 'All right, whatever he says, I'm going to do.' Because that's what I've done my whole life. But then there comes a time where you have to say to yourself, 'Well, you're in charge now. You're going to have to stand up to him at some point, if you feel something isn't going right.' But it feels very successful, because we have still managed to maintain that father-son relationship.” There were bumps on the road, for sure: the little test cases. It sounds as though the opening of a visitor center at Claiborne may have been a case in point. “It was kind of a big deal for us, in terms of commercializing a brand that has always been pretty close-knit,” Walker acknowledges. “I just felt like that was really what we needed to do at the time, and my sister [Allison] and I had a plan to make it happen. But whenever Dad and I have gotten a little sideways with one another, at the end of the day I think he can appreciate that I'm just trying to do the best I can, and move the farm forward, and that sometimes it might be a little more progressive or at least different from the way he'd do it.” And, in fairness, Walker stresses that his father always showed due sensitivity to the unique pressures of succession–right back to when he was a kid. It was made perfectly clear that Walker and Allison could chart their own course in life, according to whatever preferences evolved as they grew up. Allison, indeed, never made quite the same connection with horses, albeit remains part of the family operation, heading up the visitor center and merchandising. “Again, I give credit to my dad: he let me find my way,” Walker says. “At an early age he told me, 'If this is something you don't want to do, don't feel any pressure. You don't have to do this. We can sell the farm, whatever. Because if you don't have a passion, there's no sense doing it. If you don't really, truly love it, you're not going to be successful.' And actually because he didn't pressure me, I think that's one of the reasons I gravitated towards it. If he'd been waking me up at five every morning, saying, 'Get to that barn, you got to clean stalls!' I probably would have resented that, or maybe got burned out.” As it was, Walker was able gradually to absorb the enchantment of the Thoroughbred from the environment in which he was growing up. “At the farm, I started at the bottom,” he recalls. “Weeding double fence rows, whatever. At the time we still did a lot of hay and straw, put it in the barns for a couple of summers. I really did work my way up and can now really appreciate the hard work that so many people have to put in. And at least they all know that I did it at one point, as well, so it's like, 'Well, if he did it, I can do it.'” By high school, Walker had recognized that he was not going to make a baseball professional–the single menace he ever admitted to his Claiborne destiny. But even once his heart was set on the family business, his parents made sure he went away to college so that he could encounter people from other walks of life, and sample the kind of Main Street existence he'd be turning down. So he went to the University of Florida, majoring in Animal Sciences. “The idea was that I needed to go away, do something else for four years and figure life out for myself,” Walker explains. “And honestly it was the best thing I ever did. I was able to grow up, make new friends and connections, learn how to deal with uncomfortable positions. You can get stuck in this bubble here in Central Kentucky: you're so used to horses being a part of your life, going to Keeneland in the fall and the spring. And now here were all these people that, if they'd heard of the Kentucky Derby, wanted to know why a horse couldn't run in it twice! So it was really good to be exposed to a different culture.” So while ever grateful for being raised at Claiborne, Walker could become his own person and develop his own perspectives. In the same way, since taking over, he has had to put his own stamp on things while on keeping aboard clients whose own families have a generational relationship with the farm. There literally came a day, for instance, when “Mr. Phipps” told him: “Walker, you need to call me Dinny now!” “It's just another part of the transition,” Walker says with a shrug. “You're no longer the little kid they saw at the races. You develop more of a client relationship. That was definitely challenging. Thankfully, we have a lot of outstanding clients that have been with us for a long time. But at some point we need to start bringing in some younger people, too–and that's another challenge, finding the right kind of people to keep the farm special while also moving forward.” Bernie Sams and Walker Hancock | Fasig-Tipton Photo Walker feels blessed, in embracing these challenges, by a priceless rapport with Bernie Sams, whose official title as Stallion Seasons and Bloodstock Manager is barely adequate for the deep knowledge and down-to-earth style that guaranteed continuity to all parties: Seth, Walker, the clientele. “He's been unbelievable, awesome,” Walker says. “We've traveled the world together. He's taught me so much and pretty much been a mentor to me. It certainly gave me a little more confidence to have someone like Bernie around, that's been with Claiborne for 20-plus years and understands so well what we do.” He feels similarly indebted to farm manager Bradley Purcell, and also to his aunt, Dell Hancock. “Aunt Dell has also been a tremendous supporter of mine throughout the transition process,” Walker stresses. “She's always there to cheer me up after a bad result in the sales ring or racetrack. Her positivity has helped me persevere through some low times, and I can always count on her to lift me back up and find the bright side of every scenario. “As for Bradley, he's so professional and level-headed that I couldn't do the job without him. I never have to worry about the day-to-day operations, thanks to his knowledge of horses and understanding of the Claiborne brand. I can be away from the farm and know that everything will continue to run smoothly, which is very comforting.” But if some faces and practices stay the same, in other ways even a farm as symbolic as Claiborne must adapt to a changing market. It was striking, for instance, that as many as 171 mares were granted a date with rookie Silver State in 2022. Following the defeat of the proposed 140-mare cap, farms like this one must decide where to strike a balance: should they protect their clients from the inundation of catalogues, the clear risk at more industrial operations? Or should they seek the accountancy advantages of a bigger book, whether in writing a check for a stallion or hiring him out at a milder fee? “Ideally, we'd only breed our stallions to 120 to 140 mares,” Walker says. “But if a bigger book is how we stay competitive in the marketplace, then that's what we'll have to do. It's right by the horse, because you have to give them a chance to succeed. It's right by the clients that support him, and the syndicate members that own shares. I mean, it's probably not what we want. But the market's changing, and while I wish we could be stubborn and stick to our old ways, we'd get left behind. “And I feel like we've found a good balance. We're never going to do over 200, or anything like that, but we probably have to beef our numbers up from what we were doing at 120, 130. It's hard to syndicate a horse if the shareholders know that money will be left on the table because you're not breeding as many mares as they'd get investing in another stallion. So, yeah, it's a changing environment and a difficult one. But I'm sure people had a fit when stallions went from 40 mares to 60, and again when they went to 100. The reality is that we have to keep up, or get left behind.” Walker has not enjoyed missing out on potential new stars for the roster because rival offers were predicated on huge books of mares. “You get beat so many times,” he says. “And it's like, 'Well, do we just keep doing this in the expectation of a different result?' But that's just not going to happen. So you're better off figuring out ways to change things up a little bit and stay competitive. In today's world it's hard to maintain your traditions and your values, with the market forcing your hand. But I do feel like there's a balance and hopefully we have found it.” As things stand, the roster is headed by a venerable stallion in the sunset of his career, War Front. But Walker and his team are certainly sticking to their principles with their younger guns: they have gone back to the Danzig mine for Silver State, for instance, besides two of War Front's own sons, War of Will and now Annapolis. The unusual versatility of War of Will on the racetrack, meanwhile, is underpinned by the kind of deep pedigree that has always been a Claiborne hallmark. In other words, even as Demarchelier (GB) opens lines the other way, this is still a farm that can transcend the Atlantic divide. War Front | Sarah Andrew “We have a lot of unproven young stallions right now,” Walker says. “We're out there to find the next War Front, a horse that can keep carrying the water for us. Again, it's about trying to find a balance. Because it also makes things difficult that people want to sell these horses right after they win their first Grade I. To me, in the long run, that's a losing proposition.” So some old principles will stand. Claiborne will continue to seek wholesome genetic models for replication. But the farm will continue to adapt, too. After all, that's just what Bull Hancock did in his day. “And I'm sure dad did things differently than my grandfather, likewise,” Walker remarks. “When my grandfather died, it was in his will that we had to sell everything. Well, after 10 or 12 years my dad felt, 'You know what? This isn't the way we need to do things.' And Swale came out of the first crop where he kept horses. “It would be awesome if we could just run Claiborne the same way as we did in 1948. But the fact is that the industry has changed, even in the last five years; sometimes it feels like it changes almost from year to year. And you have to be willing to respond. For the old timers, I think they'd say the industry has gone too far by them. Dad is probably glad that I'm in charge now. “I'm a fifth-generation horseman, fourth generation to run the farm. You don't want to let any of your forefathers, grandfathers, fathers down by dropping the ball. So you definitely feel that pressure. Keeping places like this going, through families, is not easy. Hopefully my kids are interested, and their kids too. But with the times changing so rapidly, who knows what the future looks like? All we can do is live in the present, and try to do our best.” The post ‘Succession’: A New TDN Series – Walker Hancock of Claiborne appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin The trainers set to completely dominate Alexandra Park tonight say their biggest gun is ready to fire. If you saw dual Derby winner Merlin at last week’s trials you would agree. The exceptional four-year-old headlines the first Alexandra Park meeting for 2024 as he starts to hone down toward a Sydney campaign that could include the Chariots Of Fire (March 2) and, if he wins that, the A$1million Miracle Mile a week later. Merlin hasn’t raced since winning the NZ Derby at Addington on December 10 but looked super sharp at the trials last Saturday and could spearhead a huge night for trainers Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan. They have reps in six races and while nobody expects them to win them all, they have realistic hopes in them all. Merlin has the raw speed and respect to lead Race 7 and would then would be almost a certainty as he continues this march toward being one of the best pacers in the country. “He just keeps getting better, not that he needs to get much better,” says Scott Phelan. “He was really good on the clock at the trials last week and is ready to win. “We also think Sooner The Better (No.2) is an open class horse so he will go well but he just isn’t as good as Merlin.” The stable also has Mach Shard returning home from three years campaigning in Australia in the same race and while he may find the right races back home this probably isn’t it. The Purdon/Phelan assault starts in Race 4 where Halberg has a class edge on most of his rivals but might need to trot more squarely than he did at the trials last week where a race rival in Dhoni Trouble beat him. The have the promising Jeremiah in race 5 where he meets Iron Brigade, who was brilliant at Cambridge last start and has the draw advantage, which could be crucial all night as most races as over the mobile mile. “He is a really nice horse who we think is a Derby horse, but Iron Brigade might be too,” says Phelan. They again have three runners in Race 6, with two more potential Derby contenders in Better Knuckle Up (6) and Escape Artist (8) as well as luckless mare Artisan (7). “The two three-year-olds are good horses and while there isn’t much between them Better Knuckle Up has the better draw. “But it won’t be an easy race because Throwyaarmsaroundme is going well and might be hard to catch. “Don’t forget about Artisan. She hasn’t had any luck and she can win a race soon.” Kiss is a smart another three-year-old resuming in Race 8 and while she is as good as her rivals she looked flattened toward the back end of last campaign so there could be a reluctance to drive her tough from the outside draw in the small field. She also finds herself in a tricky race with three speedsters inside her, including Akatea who looked ready to win beating Minjee at the trials last Saturday. For all of the talent in their line-up tonight, Phelan says the stable’s best chance after Merlin could well be Ultimate Racy Girl in the last race. “She is a good filly who raced huge against the best fillies last season and she should probably win.” View the full article

Craig “The Whale” Thompson shares his thoughts on Auckland View the full article

A total of $5.030 million will be allotted in 2024 for the Thoroughbred Premier Racing Schedule, marking a new record for purse money offered for the program in Horseshoe Indianapolis history. View the full article

General admission tickets, hospitality offerings and reserved seats for the Belmont S. Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 15, the New York Racing Association announced via press release Thursday. Tickets may be purchased here, with advance pre-sale opportunities available by signing up here. “The 2024 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be a four-day celebration of world class thoroughbred racing at the sport's most historic and exciting venue,” said NYRA President & CEO David O'Rourke. “NYRA is thrilled to be able to host a Triple Crown event at Saratoga Race Course, and we look forward to presenting a memorable edition of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival from June 6-9.” The post Belmont At Saratoga Tickets On Sale Feb. 15 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Canterbury Park racing officials announced Jan. 25 a stakes and overnight handicap schedule spread across the 54-day season, offering opportunities for open-company and Minnesota-bred Thoroughbreds to race on both turf and dirt at various distances. View the full article

A record $5.03 million has been allocated to the 2024 stakes schedule at Horseshoe Indianapolis, a program highlighted by the $300,000 GIII Indiana Derby and the $200,000 GIII Indiana Oaks, each to be contested Saturday, July 6, 2024. Some 42 stakes will be offered over the course of the season, which gets off to a unique beginning on Monday, Apr. 8 to coincide with Total Solar Eclipse Day. The afternoon's features include the appropriately named Dark Side of the Moon and Total Eclipse of the Heart handicaps for Indiana-bred and -sired horses. “We are in the direct line of the total solar eclipse path and thought it was a unique opportunity to offer racing around this phenomena,” explained Eric Halstrom, Vice President and General Manager of Racing. “We have worked closely with our horsemen's organization to provide a full day of racing on such a monumental day, which will not occur in North America again until 2044. We will showcase our older Indiana horses in two handicaps during the racing program and hope to expose our racing product to all whole new group of people expected in our area.” The track will also play host to the Caesars S. and Horseshoe Indianapolis S. for 3-year-old males and fillies, respectively, and are the richest events on the turf in Indiana. “Our Caesars Day has become a great afternoon for us in mid-May,” explained Halstrom. “We have found the perfect spot for these black-type turf events. We have seen some really talented horses in both of these races over the past few years.” Derby and Oaks day is the highlight of the annual calendar and continues to grow in popularity. “The Indiana Derby continues to grow, and we saw the track's first $8-million handle day last season,” added Halstrom. “This program has become a staple on the summer event calendar for local racing fans as well as our national racing audience. With the addition of Indiana premier races on the day, it gives us a full platform to showcase our state's racing program and feature local participants on a day that captures national attention. And last season, we coupled it with two National Horseplayers Championship qualifiers that were well received and brought in a whole new audience for Indiana Derby Day.” The 22nd season of Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse racing continues through Thursday, Nov. 14. The post Record Purse Money For Horseshoe Indianapolis Stakes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Eighty-five years and a number of equine generations ago, Nearco (Ity) embarked on his stud career at Beech House Stud. The year was 1939 and, understandably given the age, a bomb shelter was constructed by order of the stud's owner Martin Benson to protect its most prized resident. Benson had bought the unbeaten Nearco, winner of the Grand Prix de Paris and Derby Italiano, from his breeders Federico Tesio and Mario Incisa della Rochetta for a then-record £60,000 (the equivalent of just over £5 million today). To note that the son of Pharos (GB) became champion sire twice in England is to tell only a fraction of his story. Nearco's influence on the Thoroughbred breed as we know it today has been profound. His son Royal Charger (GB) established a sire-line which includes Hail To Reason and his descendants Halo, Sunday Silence and Deep Impact (Jpn). Another son, Nasrullah (GB), is responsible for several significant branches, including the lines of Bold Ruler, Grey Sovereign (GB), Red God and Never Bend. And then there was Nearco's son Nearctic, the sire of Northern Dancer. Need we say more? A glance at the official IFHA and Longines world rankings released earlier this week attest to Nearco's continuing dominance. The first nine names on the list are all his direct male descendants, and it takes Cody's Wish and Titleholder (Jpn), from the Mr Prospector line and in joint-tenth place, to break that run. In second behind Equinox (Jpn), and the joint-top-rated horse in Europe last year was Mostahdaf (Ire), his rating of 128 placing him on a shared mark with Ace Impact (Ire). Mostahdaf's retirement to the Shadwell stallion roster for 2024 brings a little piece of bloodstock history full circle. Having been based at Nunnery Stud in Thetford for a number of years, Shadwell's collection of British stallions has now returned to Beech House Stud, which was bought by the late Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum in 1990. Mostahdaf now stands in the box once occupied by Nearco, who is buried at the stud and whose name can be found six generations back on the top line of Mostahdaf's pedigree (among other places), through Frankel (GB), Galileo (Ire), Sadler's Wells, Northern Dancer and Nearctic. Those names alone are enough to provide an entrée to the stallion market. How many sires will be advertised in the years to come with the line 'A son of Frankel'? As with all horses, though, that's only one half of the equation. Mostahdaf is a result of Sheikh Hamdan's purchase in 2009 of the Dubawi (Ire) filly Handassa (GB). Bought from her breeder Red House Stud for 100,000gns, she is out of a half-sister to the champion sprinters Goodricke (GB) and Pastoral Pursuits (GB) and earned more black type for the family herself when winning the Listed Garnet S. over a mile for Kevin Prendergast. Nearco being led from his bomb shelter by Ernie Lee in 1941. The photograph is believed to have been taken by Reginald Anscomb Handassa rang the bell with her third foal, Nazeef (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), winner of the G1 Sun Chariot and G1 Falmouth S. during a high-flying career with John Gosden, and it has been pealing loudly once more thanks to the progressive talents of Mostahdaf. “He was the highest-rated Prince of Wales's Stakes winner since since Dubai Millennium back in 2000. He defeated a long list of Group 1 winners and multiple in his two Group 1 wins last year and was a very impressive horse throughout his career,” says Shadwell's Will Wright, whose job it is to encourage breeders to send their mares to the new stallion. That shouldn't be too difficult. The Royal Ascot triumph was followed by victory in the G1 Juddmonte International. In those back-to-back successes, Mostahdaf had first Luxembourg (Ire), Adayar (Ire) and Bay Bridge (GB) in his wake, then Nashwa (GB) and Paddington (GB). His overall record reads 10 wins from 17 starts and almost £2.5 million in career earnings. Moreover, he is an enticing addition to a line-up in Britain which includes the top-rated turf horse in the world in 2022, Baaeed (GB), and fellow Group 1 winner Mohaather (GB), whose first runners will be seen later this year. It is a young line-up of burgeoning promise, and in Ireland the Shadwell team is completed by two more Group 1 winners, Minzaal (Ire) and Awtaad (Ire). Shadwell has also recently 'supplied' Baaeed's highly-credentialed brother Hukum (Ire) to Darley Japan and the treble Group 2 winner Mutasaabeq (GB) to the National Stud. An imposing dark bay stallion, Mostahdaf's wins came between 7f and the 1m4f of the G3 September S. They included two Listed victories at a mile and those crucial Group 1s over 10f and 10.5f. He has the range and scope of a middle-distance horse, with some intriguing sprint elements close up in his family. “That speed, as we know, is important in the modern-day market,” says Wright. “He's got everything. Obviously [there's] Frankel, and the ability to win stakes races over a mile. He won on debut by four lengths over seven furlongs.” Anyone who saw Mostahdaf up close at the races last year as a five-year-old would have seen that he was already showing signs of being interested in the next phase of his career, not that his sometimes-noisy intent stopped him compiling his best season on the track. At Beech House in the weak January sunshine, his behaviour is more lamblike. In fact, he is the very picture of relaxed contentment as he stands placidly, his footing being adjusted here and there for the camera by his skilful handler Chris Constantine. The young Shadwell team, both equine and human, looks to have settled into the new surroundings very happily after crossing the border from Norfolk back to Suffolk. Wright says, “To have the stallions standing at Beech House is great and has put us back in the heart of Newmarket. It's very exciting to position ourselves in the home of horse racing, and to have our stallions here makes them far more accessible to breeders visiting the sales, etc. “The move to Beech House is very exciting for all concerned. Obviously this is a stud of great history, being home to past greats Crepello and St Paddy. The list goes on, but obviously Nearco is the headline name here.” The former presence of the Derby winners Crepello (GB) and St Paddy (GB) hark back to the days of Beech House Stud being owned by their breeder Sir Victor Sassoon. Crepello, too, has a link to Tesio being a son of another of the trainer-breeder's great horses, Donatello (Fr), as does Ribero, another former Beech House stallion and an Irish Derby and St Leger-winning son of Tesio's masterpiece Ribot (GB). As a final thought, it is worth reflecting on a bloodstock 'Sliding Doors' moment as recounted by Tesio's friend and business partner Mario Inciso della Rochetta in his book 'The Tesios as I Knew Them'. Incisa tells how Nearco's dam Nogara had been an intended mate for Lord Derby's Fairway (GB), a match carefully plotted by Tesio in the hope that the sizeable Fairway could add substance to the small mare, and his stamina enhance her sprinting race record. A change of stud manager at Woodlands Stud to a new man who had no knowledge of Tesio, meant that Nogara was turned down for Fairway. The mare was thus rerouted to France and Fairway's full-brother Pharos (GB), who was described by Incisa as being physically more compact than his brother. He wrote that Tesio was in despair. That lasted only until the weanling Nearco started to boss his paddock mates at Olgiata, as he would later do to his rivals on the racecourse. The rest, as they say, is history, and it is a rich one at that. Some six and seven generations removed from Nearco and his appearance at Beech House Stud, three of his many male-line descendants are at his former home and in the early throes of being able to establish their own importance in the bloodstock world. Will they be modern-day influencers of the breed? Time will tell. But what we do know for sure is that the consequences of Martin Benson's measures to ensure that the less-than-friendly bombs of the Second World War did not fall on Nearco have been far-reaching indeed. The post In the Footsteps of Nearco, a New Chapter Begins at Beech House appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Edited Press Release Submissions to participate in the 2024 Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade on Friday, May 3 are now open. The launch of the Survivors Parade submissions coincides with the milestone mark of 100 days until the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve on Saturday, May 4. This year's Parade will honor 150 Breast and Ovarian cancer survivors and fighters with tickets for the selected recipient and a guest to attend the 150th Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 3, and include an unforgettable march on the historic track at Churchill Downs. Those who have overcome or are battling a breast or ovarian cancer diagnosis who have never participated in the Oaks Survivors Parade are encouraged to submit their story at www.KentuckyDerby.com/Survivors-Parade until Tuesday, Feb. 20. Those who wish to nominate a potential participant for consideration are encouraged to share the submission link directly with the candidate so that they may submit the relevant qualifying information. For the 16th Survivors Parade, Churchill Downs will support and recognize the meaningful work of two beneficiary organizations that provide critical services and care to underserved women across the region who may lack access to breast care screenings: Derby Divas in partnership with the Norton Cancer Institute Breast Health Program; and Horses and Hope in affiliation with the Kentucky Cancer Program that provides breast cancer screening, education and treatment referral among Kentucky's signature horse industry workers and others who lack access to health services. The Kentucky Oaks charitable initiative has raised more than $1 million to drive breast and ovarian health awareness and life-saving interventions over the past 15 years. The 2024 Survivors Parade participants will be chosen randomly rather than by public vote to optimize equal opportunity and consideration. Winners will be announced Monday, Feb. 26. In addition to a call for submissions, fans are encouraged to join the effort to raise money to support breast and ovarian health by donating to the Kentucky Oaks charitable partners at www.kentuckyderby.com/survivors. The post Submissions For 2024 Kentucky Oaks Survivors Parade Open appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A jockey coaching programme that will see five qualified jockey coaches provide mentoring and specialised skills coaching across a range of subject areas to support and enhance the career development of all licensed jockeys in Ireland was launched by Horse Racing Ireland (HRI)'s equuip on Thursday. All five jockey coaches are former riders. The coaches and their regions are as follows: Nina Carberry (Meath and North regions), Paddy Flood and Niall McCullagh (East and Midlands regions), Robbie Moran (South region), and Derek O'Connor (Western region). Former champion jockey Barry Geraghty, who is a qualified life coach, will support the jockey coaches and is also a jockey liaison coach. Funded by equuip, the jockey coaches will also assist in implementing continuing professional development (CPD). Jockeys at all levels in Ireland will be required to obtain a minimum of five sessions per year with their jockey coach, as well as five CPD points from engaging in any jockey pathway serves. Carol Nolan, director of people and equuip at HRI, said, “The jockey coaching programme underscores the importance Horse Racing Ireland places on the welfare and progression of its professional athletes. By investing in sound coaching practices and providing structure to continuing professional development, HRI's equuip aims to create a conducive environment for jockeys to flourish in their careers, promoting excellence, resilience and longevity within the sport.” For more information on the jockey coaching programme, please visit the equuip website. The post Jockey Coaching Programme Launched By Equuip appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Tokyo Racecourse: Saturday, January 27, 2024 4th-TOK, ¥14,880,000 ($101k), Allowance, 3yo, 1600m SONIC STAR (c, 3, Into Mischief–Carolina Bertie, by Speightstown), a $300,000 Keeneland September purchase by Katsumi Yoshida, was a handy winner of his 1800-meter debut at Hanshin Sept. 24 and was last seen finishing 11th behind the talented Amante Bianco (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) in the Cattleya S., the first race on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, going this course and distance Nov. 25. The dark bay is out of an unraced daughter of Bashful Bertie (Quiet American), a full-sister to MGSW Allamerican Bertie and the dam of US MGISW turf star Beach Patrol (Lemon Drop Kid), who now stands in Japan. B-Nancy C Shuford (KY) Sunday, January 28, 2024 11th-TOK, Negishi S.-G3, ¥76m ($516k), 3yo/up, 1400m PARAIBA TOURMALINE (f, 4, Malibu Moon–Private Jet, by Smart Strike) won two of her first three tries at a mile over this surface to begin her career prior to taking the Listed Kanto Oaks over an extended mile and a quarter (2100m) at NAR Kawasaki last June. She was not beaten far in two subsequent tries at stakes level and cuts back to the shortest distance of her career for this first go in group company. Stonestreet acquired the filly's dam, a full-sister to two-time Eclipse Award winner Lookin At Lucky and a half to MGSW Kensei (Mr. Greeley) and GSW 'TDN Rising Star' Shahama (Munnings), for $360,000 in foal to Constitution at Keeneland November in 2016. Paraiba Tourmaline was led out unsold on a bid of $70,000 at Keeneland September in 2021, but fetched $450,000 from Katsumi Yoshida at the OBS March Sale the following spring. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings (KY) The post Malibu Moon Filly Makes Group Debut at HQ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Newgrange will seek his fourth graded stakes victory at Santa Anita Park when he tackles seven others in the Jan. 27 San Pasqual Stakes (G2). It would also be the 5-year-old's second consecutive San Pasqual win.View the full article

Graeme Rogerson doesn’t need go too far back in the archive to know Mark Zahra is a big-race rider. A quick look at the 2023 Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup is enough to confirm that. And it’s what led the champion trainer and his wife Debbie to book the superstar hoop as they look to plot the downfall of $1.45 favourite Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) in Saturday’s Aotearoa Classic. Zahra will partner star galloper Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood) in the 1600-metre contest, with the pair set to jump from barrier two. “Mark is, I think, a great big-race rider and I think he’ll suit the horse,” Rogerson said. “I think he’ll run very well the horse, whether he beats that filly (I’m not sure).” So how can the Rogersons and Zahra cause a boilover at Ellerslie on Saturday? It seems he’s happy to take advice from just about anyone. “Have you got an idea how I can beat the favourite? You better tell me,” Rogerson joked with journalists at Wednesday night’s barrier draw. “You think I should lead or go back? I think tactics will win the race. “Ryan Elliot come and worked him on Tuesday and I respect Ryan and he thinks he’ll be very competitive.” Regardless of Saturday’s result, Rogerson said he is excited to step Sharp ‘N’ Smart back up in distance with a trip to Australia planned. He was runner-up in the 2022 Victoria Derby and finished fourth in the ATC Derby, with a win in the NZ Derby wedged in between. “He’s got real strong but he’s had a lot of issues,” Rogerson said. “He got that bacterial virus. My wife’s done a great job getting him back. “We are looking at maybe the Tancred and maybe even the Sydney Cup or otherwise running in the Queen Elizabeth, depending on what happens here. But it’ll definitely be in Australia.” View the full article

Leading New Zealand trainer Lance O’Sullivan is oozing confidence with Karaka Millions 3YO favourite Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High). The talented daughter of Ace High will be ridden by star Victorian jockey Blake Shinn from barrier 10. Shinn has ridden Molly Bloom before, flying over to New Zealand to ride her when she won on Boxing Day. A fascinating side battle between star Australian-based jockeys looms in the 3YO race, with well-backed second favourite Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) ($3.80 Ladbrokes) to be ridden by James McDonald from barrier one. “We are pretty happy. I think for a filly like Molly Bloom, drawn out, gate 10, certainly I’d prefer to draw there as opposed to (being) in,” O’Sullivan said. “She’s one of those fillies that likes a little bit of room and she’s certainly going to get a chance from there.” O’Sullivan said he was hopeful his successful association with Shinn could continue in Saturday’s rich race. “Blake, he’s ridden for us successfully in the past when he’s been here in New Zealand and he also won the Chairman’s Handicap for us in Sydney,” O’Sullivan said. “So we’ve had a good association with Blake and of course, as you guys know better than what I do, but he’s a gun jock in Australia and he’s ridden all around the world and he’s ridden around the world successfully.” View the full article

The Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable is banking on a return to Caulfield being a winning formula for Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj). The six-year-old runs in the Listed John Dillion Stakes (1400m) at his favourite track on Friday. Ayrton has raced at Caulfield on six occasions, registering five wins, four of which have been over Friday’s journey. The only time Ayrton has faced defeat at Caulfield was in the Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) on November 18 after which he headed to Perth where he finished 11th to Munhamek (Dark Angel) in the Gr. Damien Oliver Gold Rush (1400m) at Ascot on December 16. “He had a luckless trip to Perth,” Kent Jnr said. “He loves the 1400 metres at Caulfield where he is virtually unbeaten but for a luckless run in the Sir Rupert Clarke last year and he seems to be in good order for Friday’s contest.” Jamie Kah, who has ridden Ayrton in three of his five Caulfield wins, returns to the saddle on Friday for the first time since running second to I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes at Sandown in September 2022. View the full article

There is plenty of excitement surrounding Saturday’s TAB Karaka Millions meeting at Ellerslie, and standout three-year-old Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) is expected to kick the night off with a bang when he lines-up in the opening race of the six-race card, the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m). The Danny Walker and Arron Tata-trained gelding has yet to taste defeat in his six starts to date, including giving breeder-owner Daniel Nakhle his first Group One win when taking out the New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November. The son of Zacinto will put his record to the test this weekend, with TAB bookmakers favouring him to continue his winning ways, setting him as a red-hot $1.30 favourite. However, he will be met by stern opposition, including the undefeated Stephen Marsh-trained filly Merchant Queen (Merchant Navy), who has shortened into $5.50, while $10 third favourite Just A Floozie (NZ) (I Am Invincible) beat subsequent Group One winner Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) and Group Three performer Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) in her only start to date. Crocetti has been freshened since his elite-level triumph and his conditioners have been pleased with his progress ahead of his first assignment of the year. “He had three weeks off after Riccarton,” Walker said. “He has been working really well, he had a gallop between races last Sunday at Ellerslie, and he went well and is happy. “It was nice to go around Ellerslie before Saturday, and the races were on as well, so he got the feel of it. “It’s exciting to have a horse in on Karaka Millions night, it is going to be a huge night.” Crocetti will carry 60kg from gate three on Saturday and will have the services of in-form hoop Warren Kennedy. “We have drawn three so it’s nice and handy and we can do what we like from there,” Walker said. All going to plan after Saturday, Crocetti will head to Te Rapa a fortnight later to have a crack at weight-for-age level for the first time in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m). “Hopefully after Saturday is the BCD Sprint and then we will have to sit down and decide whether he goes to the paddock or we have a look at what else is left for him,” Walker said. The Walker/Tata barn take winning form into the weekend after stable runner Sayan (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) broke through for his maiden victory in The Boltholder 2000 at Matamata on Wednesday. It was a welcome result for the four-year-old son of Mongolian Khan, who was having his 13th raceday start, and Walker believes he has a bright future over ground. “He is a nice staying horse I reckon, he just hasn’t had all the luck in the world and has had a few little injuries,” Walker said. “He won really nice yesterday and back over distance might be just his go.” View the full article

Tom Goff of Blandford Bloodstock has an intriguing dinner party guest list and is up next for our questionnaire. Proudest moment of 2023? Pride is best avoided in the racing game! Having said that, watching Emily Upjohn (GB) run a very close second to Paddington (GB) in the G1 Eclipse Stakes was a great event to be just a small part of. The filly, who we bought as a yearling for 60,000gns, had already won the G1 Coronation Cup brilliantly on her previous start. She was giving Paddington 7lbs and went down by just half a length. Gathered in a packed winner's enclosure at Sandown afterwards, you could feel an electric atmosphere. She had been beaten by a top-class colt who was really on the top of his game, but she lost nothing in defeat. Hopefully she might go one better this year… What is your biggest ambition for the new year? Stay healthy and be lucky. Give us one horse to follow and why? I watched a horse of Godolphin's called Arabian Crown (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) win the G3 Zetland Stakes at Newmarket last October. William Buick set some pretty fierce fractions on him and he looked a very good horse to me. He's 12-1 for the Derby. And a young person in the industry to keep an eye on… Harry Eustace is a young trainer in Newmarket who really impresses me. With luck on his side, he has a big future ahead of him. Who do you think will be champion first-season sire this year? Pinatubo (Ire) is a very obvious selection but, looking to the future, I've seen some very good stock by St Mark's Basilica (Fr). And the best value stallion in Europe? Sioux Nation at Coolmore. He's standing for €27,500 and is going great guns. I love him. What's the one horse you wish you'd bought in 2023? The Blue Point (Ire) half-brother to Battaash (Ire) and The Antarctic (Ire) at Tattersalls October Book 1, offered by Paul McCartan's Ballyphilip Stud. He made 1.5m guineas and was bought by Godolphin. A stunning yearling out of a fabulous mare by a very exiting young sire from a great hotel: what more do you want? Biggest regret? Not playing enough golf. Biggest influence on your career? John Gosden, who puts up with some rather long short-lists compiled by me at the yearling sales. John has an enviable work ethic and is obviously a brilliant trainer, not unlike Major Dick Hern, who I worked for over 30 years ago, who was also an amazing horseman. Tim Richards, who is an absolute gentleman and a very talented writer, who I worked with when I was Newmarket correspondent for the Racing Post many moons ago. Tim taught me the art of discretion and I recall that, in the days before the internet, a quite significant stallion had passed away prematurely. Unsure how to play the story, I rang Tim to ask his advice. “Oh, I'd sit on that for a day or two, Old Boy,” he said. “No point in rocking the boat over that.” Superb advice – but not something that would happen these days! If you could sit down for dinner with three people (dead or alive) who would they be and why? President John F Kennedy, Queen Elizabeth I and William Shakespeare. The post In the Hot Seat: Tom Goff appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jockey Club stewards confirm only that the 33-year-old was assessed on Thursday and ‘is in a stable condition and will undertake further tests’View the full article

Courier Wonder steps out for the first time since July in Sunday’s Group One Centenary Sprint Cup (1,200m) at Sha TinView the full article

Favoured fillies Velocious (Written Tycoon) and Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) have strengthened their status as headline acts for Saturday’s $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) after drawing neighbouring midfield gates for the 17th running of the lucrative juvenile feature. In a spectacular barrier draw beamed on to Auckland’s Sky Tower on Wednesday night, Velocious landed gate seven and Bellatrix Star gate six. With the emergency Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) drawing the inside barrier, the favoured pair will both move in by one gate if there are no scratchings. Velocious is trained by Stephen Marsh for syndicators Go Racing. The same combination teamed up to win this race in 2013 with Ruud Awakening (Bernardini). Go Racing paid $190,000 to buy Velocious from the draft of breeders Inglewood Stud at Karaka 2023, and she has had three starts for two stylish wins, a Group Two placing and $106,500 in stakes. Bellatrix Star was offered by Phoenix Park at Karaka 2023, where she was bought for $80,000 by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis in partnership with Fortuna Racing. Ellis and Fortuna joined forces to win this race with the great Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) in 2017. That started an extraordinary streak of Karaka Millions-winning two-year-olds bought by Ellis at Karaka, which now stands at seven in succession – Melody Belle, Avantage (Fastnet Rock), Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel), Cool Aza Beel (NZ) (Savabeel), On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau), Dynastic (NZ) (Almanzor) and Tokyo Tycoon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin). Bellatrix Star has strong credentials to join that honour roll, recording two wins and two placings from four starts to date including an impressive last-start success in the Group Two Eclipse Stakes (1200m). Bellatrix Star heads a five-strong team in this year’s race for Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. They also have a potential X-factor colt in Cool ‘N’ Fast (NZ) (Savabeel), who is a full-brother to the 2020 Karaka Millions 2YO winner Cool Aza Beel and was a bold winner on Boxing Day in his only start to date. He has drawn gate four and will be ridden by five-time Karaka Millions 2YO winner Opie Bosson. When Stars Align (NZ) (Zoustar) and Damask Rose also boast perfect one-from-one records and are drawn gates nine and one respectively. Te Akau’s other runner is Maracatu (NZ) (Ardrossan), whose three-start career has produced a win, a second and a fourth and who has drawn 11. Beau Dazzler (NZ) (Ardrossan) was a Listed winner in Brisbane last month and will attempt to join Sister Havana (NZ) (General Nediym), Ockham’s Razor (NZ) (Any Suggestion) and Hardline (NZ) (Showcasing) as the fourth Australian-trained winner of this race. But he will need a slice of luck from gate 14. If the emergency Damask Rose is scratched, the speedy Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel) will start from the inside gate. Notably, gates one and 14 have produced the most winners in Karaka Millions 2YO history with three each (a success rate of 18.75%). The TAB Karaka Millions 2YO will be run as Race 4 on the action-packed six-race programme at Ellerslie on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 6.04pm. 2024 Final Field: TOTAL STAKES NUMBER BARRIER DRAW NAME BREEDING TRAINER JOCKEY SALE PRICE VENDOR PURCHASER $147,150 1 14 Beau Dazzler B. C Ardrossan x Pwerfect Tony & Maddysen Sears Robbie Dolan Book 2 $85,000 Mapperley Stud Ltd Paul Moroney B/stock / Catheryne Bruggeman / Sears Racing $63,000 2 8 So Naive Br. C U S Navy Flag x Altai Rose B Wallace & G Cooksley Joe Doyle Book 2 $37,500 Kilgravin Lodge Wallace T/breds $56,650 3 15 Poetic Champion Ch. G Super Seth x Regally Blonde Tony Pike Craig Grylls Book 1 $80,000 Haunui Farm $46,000 4 4 Cool ‘n’ Fast Br. C Savabeel x Cool ‘n’ Sassy Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Opie Bosson Book 1 $340,000 Hallmark Stud DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) $32,950 5 2 Savaglee B. G Savabeel x Glee M Moroney & P Gerard Mark Zahra Book 1 $400,000 Waikato Stud Ltd The Oaks Stud $24,700 6 11 Maracatu B. G Ardrossan x Cortado Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Blake Shinn Book 1 $190,000 Mapperley Stud Ltd DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) $23,000 7 9 When Stars Align B. C Zoustar x Shenandoah Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Michael McNab Book 1 $400,000 Wentwood Grange DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) $22,200 8 12 Full Force B. G Cosmic Force x Jawhara J Benner & H Wynyard Ryan Elliot Book 1 $135,000 Kilgravin Lodge Benner Racing $12,075 9 5 Force of Law B. C War Decree x Back Date M Moroney & P Gerard Matthew Cameron Book 2 $50,000 Inglewood Stud Ballymore Stables / Paul Moroney B/stock / Catheryne Bruggeman $167,700 10 6 Bellatrix Star B. F Star Witness x Alana’s Party Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Warren Kennedy Book 1 $80,000 Phoenix Park DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) / Fortuna Racing $106,500 11 7 Velocious Ch. F Written Tycoon x Parmalove Stephen Marsh James McDonald Book 1 $190,000 Inglewood Stud Go Racing $19,760 12 13 Sunrise B. F Charm Spirit x Daily at Dawn John Bary Wiremu Pinn Book 2 $30,000 Windsor Park Stud TFI / John Bary $17,600 13 10 Macaluso B. F Savabeel x Chiaretta Andrew Forsman Masa Hashizume Book 1 $600,000 Elsdon Park Forsman Racing / Andrew Williams B/stock / Bevan Smith B/stock $13,300 14 3 Hard Attack Br. F All Too Hard x Vitriolic Attack Steven Cole Sam Spratt Book 1 $100,000 Westbury Stud Steven Cole Racing $10,360 15 (B1) 1 Damask Rose B. F Savabeel x Sombreuil Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson Book 1 $200,000 Milan Park DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) View the full article

A return to a proven buying formula may once again deliver the ultimate reward for Albert Bosma’s Go Racing syndication company. He will bid to roll back the years with trainer Stephen Marsh with Velocious in the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie on Saturday after they combined to win the juvenile feature with Ruud Awakening in 2013. Written Tycoon filly Velocious is the current $3 favourite after her debut victory at Te Rapa followed by success in the Listed Challenge Stakes (1100m) at Counties, and she finished a last-start third in the Gr.3 Eclipse Stakes (1200m). The precocious youngster will also have premier rider James McDonald to guide her fortunes from gate seven. “Its quite funny really, Ruud Awakening drew the same barrier so here’s hoping,” Bosma said. “Velocious has ticked every box coming through, peaking at the right time and we’re happy with the draw. “After she won the stakes race, we gave her a little freshen-up and she went into the Eclipse with quite a bit left in the tank, improvement wise, still to come. “We’ve got the right jockey, arguably the world’s best, so we haven’t got anything to complain about.” With more recent stakes money increases, particularly in age group racing, Bosma and his team made a conscious decision to change their buying tack at Karaka and Velocious is a result of that. “In the last few years, we have been very much focussing on the Australian middle distance racing and we’ve had a lot of success with that,” Bosma said. “We haven’t bought a horse for the Karaka Million in probably seven years because that wasn’t our model. “It was only last year when we could see changes coming and looked in our crystal ball and said we needed to buy a couple of horses to try and get to the Karaka Millions. “We came up with Velocious and we had another one trial midweek, Pinky Pie, that we think is pretty smart. She hasn’t got to the race, but we’ve got one in and it’s the favourite.” Velocious was purchased out of breeder Inglewood Stud’s draft last year at Karaka for $190,000. “We really liked her, she’s a gorgeous filly and she was a touch long and that might have been why some people looked at her and thought she might not make a two-year-old,” Bosma said. “She’s by Written Tycoon, a source of speed, out of a Snitzel mare that won a couple in Australia and a key to her was that she’s got a half-sister called Mozzarella. “She had terrible legs and Inglewood Stud retained her, but she managed to win a couple of races in the spring as a two-year-old, so that said to us that this is a two-year-old family and one of the reasons we bought her.” Bosma and associate Matt Allnutt are this week casting their eyes over future prospects ahead of the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. “We will be looking for some fast horses for the Karaka Millions and the new races and buying middle distance horses for Australia as well, we’ll be buying for both markets.” Among Go Racing’s Australian success stories has been Skyman, who won four times at Listed level and earned more than A$1 million during his time with Chris Waller. He is now in Marsh’s care to target the inaugural summer series, which offers bonus purses of $650,000 with the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and the Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) on Skyman’s program. He finished fifth in his New Zealand debut under expatriate Kiwi jockey Daniel Stackhouse in the series opener, the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham last weekend. “The track deteriorated and that didn’t suit him, Daniel said he would have been right in it otherwise,” Bosma said. “He has come through the race well and it was his first run for a couple of months, so he has improved and will go to the Herbie Dyke.” View the full article

It will be a sentimental sale for Wentwood Grange at Karaka this year, with brothers Sean, Leigh, and Dean offering the final foal out of the mare that kicked everything off for the trio. Leigh Valley was the first horse the brothers raced together, and she gave them a great introduction to the sport, winning five of her 18 starts, including the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m). They retained the daughter of Bianconi and bred some nice horses out of the mare, including Valley Girl, who won the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), and placed in the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) for trainers Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs. The brothers hold fond memories of the mare and are feeling nostalgic as they offer her Proisir colt through their New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft as lot 187. “Leigh Valley was the first horse Dean, Leigh and I got involved in 20-odd years ago,” Sean Hawkins said. “She went on to win a Group Three and she left a Group One winner in Valley Girl. “This is her very last foal. We went to Proisir to get the Danehill Dancer, the same as Valley Girl. We were hoping for a filly that we could retain and breed from, but she gave us a colt. He is a really good-looking colt, and it is very special for us to offer her very last one at Karaka.” Wentwood Grange will also offer a colt out of Valley Girl by The Autumn Sun, who will go through the sale ring as lot 505. “The Autumn Sun is just starting to hit his straps,” Hawkins said. “We have done the mating twice and the first one, Usk Valley, has had three starts for two placings and looks very promising. Hopefully there will be an update there in the future. She has certainly shown that she has got a bit of ability.” Hawkins is also looking forward to offering lot 280, the filly out of their Group Two winner Our Abbadean, from the first crop of Cambridge Stud shuttle stallion Hello Youmzain. “She is a ripper. She is a good mover with a lovely, deep girth, a beautiful head on her, and she is very well balanced,” he said. “We have got two Hello Youmzains in the draft and we are really happy with both.” Manzoice became the first Group One winner for fellow Cambridge Stud shuttler Almanzor when he took out the 2022 edition of the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m), and Wentwood Grange are excited to offer his full-sister (lot 654) through their draft. “Stephanie Hole, the breeder of Manzoice, has bred a full-sister and we are lucky that she is offering her up for sale. It is nice to have such a well-credentialed filly in the draft,” Hawkins said. Hawkins is also excited about the prospects of lot 399, the Circus Maximus half-brother to Group One winner Licketysplit. “He is a fantastic mover, he has got a massive overstep. He is probably the best mover in our draft,” he said. “He is beautifully balanced.” Wentwood Grange are offering 30 yearlings through their Book 1 draft by a variety of stallions, and Hawkins is buoyed by the level of enthusiasm at Karaka ahead of the sale, which kicks off at 10am on Sunday. “We have got a wide variety of stallions. One of the benefits of not having our own stallion is that we can pick and choose the stallions for our mares, and that gives us a nice diverse range,” Hawkins said. “The (stakes and NZB Kiwi slot race) announcements made earlier this week have been outstanding. Domestically there is a bit more chatter and excitement. The Australians have had it for a long time, but the way New Zealand horses have performed in Australia over the last 12 to 18 months has brought them over in their droves by the look of it. “It is nice to see plenty of people floating about and the horses seem to be coming out of their boxes quite a lot, so we can’t ask for much more than that.” View the full article

Trainers Ken and Bev Kelso couldn’t be happier with heir glamour mare Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) ahead of Saturday’s inaugural running of the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m). The Group One winner returned in superb fashion at Ellerslie earlier this month when taking out the Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic Preview (1400m) by two lengths over Saturday race rivals Sacred Satono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) and Sharp ‘N’ Smart (NZ) (Redwood), and she has continued to please her handlers in her work. “She has really thrived since Ellerslie, she has thrived the whole preparation really,” Ken Kelso told TAB NZ. “She has done everything right this prep and I couldn’t be happier with her condition going into the race. All you need is a bit of luck.” Kelso has trained many topliners over his long training career and rates the daughter of Proisir at the top of that list. “I think she is probably the best, and that is a big call when you have Levante and going way back to Love Dance, Xanadu, and many more,” he said. “She has certainly got those attributes that make a great horse – she has got a great temperament, she is a good eater, and everything about her is what you look for in a horse.” Legarto carries the colours of part-owner Philip Brown, who was delighted when he saw gate seven beamed against the Auckland Sky Tower alongside his mare’s name at the barrier draw function on Wednesday night. “It’s absolutely ideal,” he said. “Catherine (wife) asked me when we were driving up what I would like to draw, and I said seven or eight will be perfect. It is a terrific draw and I think even Ken will be pleased. “She is in a great space and Ken and Bev do an amazing job. She will acquit herself very well on Saturday. “It’s exciting, but she has still got to win the race.” It wasn’t only Brown who was beaming at the barrier function, with punters also in a buoyant mood after TAB bookmakers announced they were paying out on futures bets on Legarto in the Aotearoa Classic. “We made the decision to pay Legarto out in the futures books in the Aotearoa Classic,” TAB bookmaker Thad Taylor said. “We have had a good look at the field and we thought this would be a nice promotion to get onboard with. “It is never a one-horse race, funnier things have happened, but we thought for the evening, for the promotion, for the event, and for the horse, we would pay Legarto out in futures. She was boosted in those markets as well, so all those bets are in TAB customers’ accounts now.” While shooting to claim the lion’s share in Saturday’s $1 million feature, Legarto will also be aiming to put herself in a good position to claim the $500,000 Summer Series Bonus on offer by Entain and New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing. The series kicked off in last Saturday’s Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) where Puntura claimed top honours, and the maximum nine points on offer to contribute towards his series total. The Aotearoa Classic is the second leg of the series, with horses having had to have contested either of the first two series races to be eligible for the winning bonus, before progressing on to the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on February 10 and Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on March 9. At the conclusion of the series, the horse with the highest points will earn a $500,000 bonus for their connections, with the runner-up earning $100,000, and the third placegetter taking home $50,000. View the full article

Proven stayer Mahrajaan (Kitten’s Joy) will open his quest for another major distance title when he returns to action at Trentham on Saturday. The Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray-trained import will make his first appearance in the Happy 80th Birthday Jeff Berkett Handicap (1600m) since he claimed top honours in the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) at Riccarton. While first-up fireworks aren’t expected from Mahrajaan, the American-bred six-year-old has pleased his connections in his lead-up work. “Each preparation he has got better and better and I don’t think we’ve had him in better order than we’ve got him right now,” Ritchie said. “He looks outstanding and we’re very happy with the condition he’s carrying.” To be ridden by apprentice Lily Sutherland, Mahrajaan will step out at Trentham on his way toward a crack at the Gr.2 Barfoot & Thompson Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie on March 9. “We’re probably pleased in hindsight that we didn’t go to the Wellington Cup (Gr.3, 3200m) because he doesn’t handle wet ground and the slow track wouldn’t have suited him at all,” Ritchie said. “He had three weeks off after Riccarton and the goal is the Auckland Cup and this is a nice lead-up run, he’ll get back and hit the line well. “It will set him up nicely for the Avondale Cup (Gr.2, 2400m) and then three weeks to the Auckland Cup.” There is also a possibility that Mahrajaan could travel further afield this campaign. “The reason we have gone for this program is that it opens up the chance to perhaps get to the Brisbane Cup (Gr.2, 3200m) with a couple of runs beforehand,” Ritchie said. A son of Kitten’s Joy, Mahrajaan was a three-time winner in England before he was purchased for 75,000 guineas at the Tattersall’s Horses In Training Sale. “The owners had the faith in me to go and buy him there and the first prep he looked slow, and it didn’t look that great,” Ritchie said. “We always said he needed to go over further, but we didn’t know for sure, so once he put it together and got over the trips he needed, he showed what he’s got. “We believe he’s improved four to six lengths off the New Zealand Cup, and he needs to, the Auckland Cup will be a stronger race and we’re aware of that.” The stable also has the promising Nepheti (NZ) in the Adopt A Greyhound @ greymates.co.nz (1600m), although the daughter of Charm Spirit isn’t certain to make the trip south. “She’s really progressive, although there is rain predicted on the day and that would be a question mark and I’d be reluctant to run her if rain is still forecast,” Ritchie said. “She may be reserved for the Taranaki three-year-old fillies’ race (Listed Oaks Prelude, 1800m) next week.” Nepheti finished runner-up on debut at Hastings and returned there to break her maiden in style and is on a path toward the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m), a race Ritchie has previously won with Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle), Artistic (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and Keep The Peace (NZ) (Keeper). “That will be her target and we realise how hard it would be to win coming off a maiden race at this stage of the year,” he said. “The fillies we have won the Oaks with have gone through the usual series of races so it won’t be easy, but she will stay, and I think Trentham will really suit her.” View the full article