Wandering Eyes

Foaling season is off to a flying start at Taylor Made Farm as they're already up to nearly a dozen foals on the ground. Everything has gone smoothly so far, but a real showstopper came early when they welcomed the first foal by Horse of the Year Flightline. A star-faced bay filly with a bit of chrome on her hind legs, the new arrival is also the first foal out of Grade I winner Juju's Map (Liam's Map). “It's really a blessing to have such a well-bred horse here,” said Frank Taylor. “She's got a great attitude and she is strong and healthy. Everything is going great so far. The mare is by Liam's Map, who is a half-brother to Not This Time. Those are two of the best horses we ever raised, so it's really exciting to have this filly on the farm.” Bred by Fred W. Hertrich III, Juju's Map was a $300,000 Keeneland September purchase for the Albaugh family. She broke her maiden in her second start for Brad Cox and went on to claim the 2021 GI Darley Alcibiades S. and run second to Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. A winner and three times graded stakes placed at three, Juju's Map was sent through the ring at the Keeneland November Sale in 2022, but she RNA'd for $1.9 million and stayed with the Albaugh family. Taylor said the mating of Flightline and Juju's Map produced a good blend of both Grade I-caliber horses. “The filly has the looks of Flightline, but she also has some of the mare,” he explained. “The mating matches up well physically and pedigree-wise, and you're just breeding the best to the best and hoping for the best.” Taylor added that Juju's Map will visit Curlin in 2024. Sara Gordon As for the foal, Taylor hypothesized that for now, it's a coin toss as to whether the youngster would one day see the sales ring or race in the Albaugh silks. The filly's broodmare sire and his family carry a well-known story on just that subject. “We had Liam's Map here as a yearling and the Albaughs really never sold many of their horses,” Taylor recalled. “He was by Unbridled's Song and he was the best yearling on the farm, so we talked them into selling him. He brought $800,000 and we were all very excited about the way he sold until he won the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and they syndicated him for a lot more than $800,000. Then fast forward and Mr. Albaugh was back here and we were showing him the Giant's Causeway colt out of same mare and we said, 'Man, this one could bring maybe $1 million or $2 million.' His response was,' Not this time.'” Not This Time, who was runner-up in the 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile for Dennis Albaugh and his family, stands for $150,000 this year as a fifth-crop sire at Taylor Made and is now embarking on a career as a sire of sires with 3-year-old champion Epicenter beginning his second year at Ashford Stud and MGISW Up to the Mark debuting at Lane's End. Plenty of superbly bred horses will hit the ground at Taylor Made in the coming weeks, but Taylor said there is no denying that having the first foal by a horse like the undefeated Flightline–who stood for $200,000 and covered 152 mares in his debut season–is a special honor. “You dream about these horses become great racehorses and this filly is really bred to go a distance, so maybe someday we'll see her in the Oaks,” he said. “That'd be a dream come true.” The post Taylor Made’s Foaling Season Starts with Flightline’s First Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Spendthrift Farm's Mo Donegal, the classic-winning son of Uncle Mo, sired his first reported foal this week when a colt was born at WinStar Farm in Versailles, the stallion's farm said in a release Friday afternoon. Bred by Alfredo Gastaneta, the bay colt is out of the Declaration of War mare Andavete, a half-sister to 2020 GI Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Mr. Big News (Giant's Causeway) and hailing from the immediate family of champion sire Saint Ballado. “This is a good size colt with good bone and leg underneath him,” said Fernando Macchiavello, agent for Alfredo Gastaneta. “He looks like an Uncle Mo, with that hip and balance and long legs. He has that look to him.” Mo Donegal joined Nyquist as classic-winning sons of leading sire Uncle Mo when he captured his biggest win in the 2022 GI Belmont S. Campaigned by trainer Todd Pletcher and owners Repole Stable and Donegal Racing, Mo Donegal also won the GII Remsen S. at Aqueduct, defeating Grade I winner Zandon (Upstart), and the GII Wood Memorial S. over classic winner Early Voting (Gun Runner). Mo Donegal retired to Spendthrift with earnings of $1,511,800. He bred 186 mares in his first book in 2023 and is set to stand his second season for a fee of $15,000 S&N. For more information about Mo Donegal, please contact Des, Mark, Brian or Daniel at 859-294-0030, or click here. The post Classic Winner Mo Donegal Celebrates A Colt As His First Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Jan. 19 that Stuart S. Janney III will be honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit at the 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards dinner and ceremony Jan. 25 at The Breakers Palm Beach in South Florida.View the full article

The 2023 Longines World Racing Awards will be live streamed beginning at 1:10 p.m. GMT/8:10 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 23. The ceremony, organised by Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), will be held at The Savoy in London. The world's highest-rated horse in the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings (WBRR) and the Longines World's Best Horse Race of the 2023 will be honoured during the programme. This is the 11th edition of the ceremony honouring the Longines WBR and the ninth edition paying tribute to the Longines World's Best Horse Race. Connections of the winners will be presented with a watch and a replica of a trophy of a proud horse head. Also, the Top 100 Group/Grade 1 races will be released from the annual list maintained by the IFHA. For more information on the awards, please visit the IFHA website. The post Longines World Racing Awards Will Be Live Streamed Next Week 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, we take 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–all filllies–including three in a single race at Kyoto as well as Nakayama: Saturday, January 20, 2024 3rd-NKY, ¥11,850,000 ($80k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1200m ROLY GLORY (f, 3, Justify–Roly Poly, by War Front) is the first foal from her dam, winner in England of the G1 Falmouth S. and G1 Sun Chariot S. and the G1 Prix Rothschild in France. Second dam Misty For Me (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) won the 2011 G1 Irish 1000 Guineas and has since gone on to excel in her second career, producing champion and treble Group 1 winner U S Navy Flag (War Front) and Cover Song (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a $2.1-million buyback at Keeneland November last fall. This is also the family of G1 Prix Marcel Boussac heroine Ballydoyle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), whose progeny include the listed-winning Monday (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Group 3 winner Red Riding Hood (Ire) (Justify), one of the sire's 17 worldwide winners at the group/graded level from just the two crops to race. B-Orpendale/Chelston/Wynatt (KY) Sunday, January 21, 2024 2nd-KYO, ¥11,850,000 ($80k), Newcomers, 3yo, 1800m G T SPEED (f, 3, Into Mischief–Iotapa, by Afleet Alex), a $510,000 Keeneland September acquisition by J S Company, is out of a winner of the GI Vanity S. and GI Clement L. Hirsch S. who was also third to Untapable (Tapit) in the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff before selling to China Horse Club for $2.8 million at the Keeneland November Sale a few days later. Iotapa is closely related to SW/GSP Saintly Joan (Northern Afleet), the dam of recent Louisiana Champions Day Turf winner Behemah Star (Star Guitar). B-CHC Inc (KY) KEA LAULE'A (f, 3, Quality Road–Hard Not to Like, by Hard Spun), a half-sister to GSP 'TDN Rising Star' Faustin (Curlin), is out of a dam who starred on the grass, with a victory in the 2014 GI Jenny Wiley S. for Hillsbrook Farms and Michael Matz before being purchased by Speedway Stables for $1.5 million at that year's KEENOV sale. Kept in training at age six, Hard Not to Like added the GI Gamely S. and GI Diana S. and was knocked down to DATTT Stable for $2.2 million at KEENOV in 2015. The deeper female family includes the MGSW marathon dirt horse Lone Rock (Majestic Warrior) and GSW Gerrymander (Into Mischief). Kea Laule'a was hammered down to North Hills for $500,000 as a KEESEP yearling. B-DATTT Farm LLC (KY) JAMILA NOOR (f, 3, Uncle Mo–Layla Noor, by Midnight Lute) is out of a Grade II-placed daughter of SW & MGSP Senada (Pulpit) who was purchased by Shadai Farm for $660,000 with this filly in utero at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. Senada's half-brother Arthur's Tale (Bernardini) was runner-up in the 2011 GI Wood Memorial S., and this is also the family of SW/MGSP Gingham (Quality Road) and SW Blackadder (Quality Road). Layla Noor was bred to American Pharoah in 2021 and exported to Japan, where she produced a filly by American Pharoah the following season. B-Shadai Farm (KY) The post Debuting Fillies To The Fore This Weekend in Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The catalogue for the Arqana February Mixed Sale on February 13-14 was released by the sale company on Friday. Featuring 363 horses comprised of horses-in-training on the Flat and over jumps, broodmares, maidens, 2-year-olds and yearlings, with eight wildcards still to be announced, sessions will begin at 11 a.m. daily. The Arqana February Sale, which last year sold the G2 Prix du Petite Couvert winner and G1 Prix de l'Abbaye-placed Air De Valse (Fr) (Mesnil des Aigles {Fr}) as a broodmare prospect, this year offers a trio of fillies-in-training who achieved black type in 2023, including Haras de la Beauvoisiniere's Pepete (Fr) (Attendu {Fr}) (lot 1), listed-placed as a 2-year-old and from the family of the multiple Group 1 winner Peintre Celebre (Nureyev); Princess Child (Fr) (Dariyan {Fr}) (lot 6), last seen filling the runner-up spot in a listed race at Saint-Cloud in November and out of a half-sister to the G3 Prix la Force winner Chilean (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}); and Vasda (Ire) (Shalaa {Ire}) (lot 10), listed-placed at Milan in September and a half-sister to four black-type winners, including G3 Prix d'Aumale winner Rocques (Fr) (Lawman {Fr}) and listed winner Mea Domina (Fr) (Pivotal {GB}). The Wertheimer et Frere homebred Adeliade (Ire) (Australia {GB}) (lot 79), a winner at two and out of a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Solow (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), is another name to note among the fillies-in-training, while the broodmares in foal include the listed winner Rolleville (Fr) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) (lot 163), offered carrying her first foal by Sioux Nation, and the Group 3-placed Lady Paname (Fr) (Soldier of Fortune {Ire}) (lot 251) in foal to Masked Marvel (GB), both offered from Haras de Maulepaire. Several regally-bred individuals also feature among the fillies out of training and should attract plenty of interest from breeders as potential broodmare prospects. They are headed by two unraced daughters of Group 1 winners in Chesska (GB) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) (lot 160), out of Wertheimer et Frere's G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Queen's Jewel (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), and the Aga Khan Studs' Manshina (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) (lot 338), a daughter of the three-time Group 1 winner Mandesha (Fr) (Desert Style {Ire}). The post Plenty Of Diversity In Arqana February Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The National Thoroughbred Racing Association announced Jan. 19 that Stuart S. Janney III will be honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit at the 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards Dinner and Ceremony Jan. 25 at The Breakers Palm Beach in South Florida.View the full article

1st-SA, $65K, Msw, 3yo, 6 1/2f, 3:30 p.m. A pair of pricey Bob Baffert stablemates make their anticipated debuts Saturday to open the card at Santa Anita. NORMANDY LANDING (Gun Runner), out of a daughter of MGISW and Kentucky Oaks heroine Flute (Seattle Slew), brought $1,050,000 from the 'Avengers' as a yearling at Keeneland. Dam Perfect Flute, who has already produced this runner's winning full-sibling, is herself a half to GSW/MGISP Filimbi (Mizzen Mast) and to the dams of GSW Current (Curlin) and GISW Weep No More (Mineshaft). He'll break outside of stablemate Maymun (Frosted), a successful pinhook who brought a top-five price of $900,000 from Zedan Racing Stables at last year's OBS April sale after selling for just $50,000 as a yearling at Keeneland the year prior. The son of Frosted seems to have plenty of speed, tuning up for this debut with a best-of-65 drill Jan. 13 (four furlongs in :47). Attempting to split the pair is second-time starter Mc Vay (Constitution), a $1.25m FTSAUG yearling himself who ran greenly in his Del Mar debut behind Wine Me Up (Vino Rosso) Sept. 2. He removes the blinkers in this spot for trainer John Shirreffs. TJCIS PPS 11th-GP, $89K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 5:05 p.m. On the East Coast, Coinvest (City of Light) brings yet another million-dollar price tag on the day for Todd Pletcher and the partnership of Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable and West Point Thoroughbreds. The $1.1m KEESEP grad will seek to emulate the success of his half-siblings including MGSW/MGISP Wit (Practical Joke) and GSW Barkley (Munnings). Opposing him is $600,000 KEESEP yearling and stablemate Linesman (Uncle Mo) along with Peter Brant's European invader Zapata (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) for trainer Chad Brown. TJCIS PPS 5th-FG, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 3:00 p.m. Kicking off Lecomte day at the Fair Grounds, Kentucky West Racing homebred Saint Damasus (Justify) debuts for trainer Kenneth McPeek. The colt is a half to GI Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational winner Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway). He'll face second-time starter Hall of Fame (Gun Runner), a $1.4m FTSAUG yearling who ran second as the beaten favorite in his Churchill debut Nov. 26 for Steve Asmussen. TJCIS PPS 6th-FG, $60K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:30 p.m. Yes Indeed (Bolt d'Oro) debuts for Cherie DeVaux and Laul Stables after bringing $850,000 at OBS April last Spring. Her dam's first foal, she was a $350,000 yearling who impressed after breezing in :10. TJCIS PPS 8th-FG, $60K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 4:30 p.m. In the final maiden special weight of the day at Fair Grounds, Exploration (Curlin) starts for a lengthy partnership led by Spendthrift Farm. The $900,000 KEESEP yearling is out of a half to GISW Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song), who went on to produce GIII New Kent County Virginia Derby winner Capensis (Tapit). This is also the family of GI NetJets King's Bishop S. winner Visionaire (Grand Slam), GSW Scarlet Fusion (Curlin) and GSW/MGISP Scarlet Strike (Smart Strike). He'll face Godolphin homebred Cornishman (Curlin), a son of GSW/MGISP Penwith (Bernardini). Second dam Composure (Touch Gold), purchased by Godolphin for $3.6m out of KEENOV in 2003, is also responsible for MGISP Centring (A.P. Indy) and GISP Tranquil Manner (A.P. Indy) along with the dam of MGSW Shared Sense (Street Sense). TJCIS PPS The post Saturday Insights: Baffert Stablemates Star At Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It was a stirring game of jockeyship, as Mickael Barzalona and SILVER LADY (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}–Lumiere {GB}, by Shamardal) fended off the finishing rush of William Buick and English Rose (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) to win by a measured neck in the G2 Cape Verdi Presented by DP World CGG at Meydan on Friday. The Godolphin runners are both trained by Charlie Appleby. The duo had closed on stablemate Shining Jewel (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) who had set the pace for much of the race until midstretch. The final time for the AED850,000 1600-metre race on grass was 1:34.57. Silver Lady strikes gold in the Group Two Cape Verdi Presented by DP World GCC!@godolphin stablemate English Rose gave it everything, but Charlie Appleby's filly was just too good Appleby was winning this for a FIFTH time in the last six years … #DubaiCarnival pic.twitter.com/odwzyjINaj — Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) January 19, 2024 The post Godolphin Exacta In Cape Verdi, As Silver Lady The Latest Stakes Winner For Sea The Stars appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Jockey Club of America Chairman Stuart S. Janney III will be honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit at the 53rd Annual Eclipse Awards Dinner and Ceremony at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida on Thursday, Jan. 25, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) said in a Friday release. “The Eclipse Award of Merit is the Thoroughbred industry's highest honor, bestowed upon an individual who has displayed a lifetime of achievement in service to the sport,” reads the press release from the NTRA. “Janney's decades of involvement and leadership within the sport of Thoroughbred racing has bettered the sport for future generations.” “I am honored to have been chosen for the Eclipse Award of Merit and sincerely thank those who selected me,” said Janney. “This sport, and its future, have always been my top priority, and I am appreciative of the support of so many who have joined us on the journey to improve Thoroughbred racing and breeding for generations to come.” As an owner and breeder, Janney has campaigned numerous top-class horses, including homebred graded stakes winners Coronado's Quest (Forty Niner), winner of the GI Haskell S. and GI Travers S. in 1998, Air Support (Smart Strike), Celestial City (Uncle Mo), Data Link (War Front), Hymn Book (Arch), Ironicus (Distorted Humor), Norumbega (Tiznow) and On Leave (War Front). Janney, in partnership with the Phipps Stable, was co-owner and co-breeder of 2013 GI Kentucky Derby winner Orb (Malibu Moon) as well as GISW Carriage Trail (Giant's Causeway). Born into a Maryland racing family, Janney was raised with an appreciation of the sport through his parents and grandparents. The former, Stuart and Barbara Janney, bred and owned the Eclipse Award-winning champion and Hall of Fame inductee Ruffian. In the 1990s, the younger Janney began owning and breeding Thoroughbreds on his own and has continued to do so for more than three decades. Janney's reach and influence extends well beyond the winner's circle into many of Thoroughbred racing's most important organizations. Janney has been a member of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association since 1992, serving as chairman from 1997 to 2001 and having served multiple terms on the board of trustees. He also served as a board member of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association from 1992 to 1997 and president of the Maryland Million Ltd. from 1994 to 1997. He was appointed by Maryland Governor Parris Glendening in 1999 to chair the Maryland Commission to Study Ways to Improve the Financial Viability of the Racing Industry. Additionally, Janney served on the board of Keeneland from 1998 to 2015. He currently serves on the board of The New York Racing Association, Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, Equibase Company and BloodHorse LLC. Stuart Janney | Scoop-Dyga “Stuart Janney's career has been that of dedication and service to both the horse and the entirety of the Thoroughbred racing industry,” said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. “The Eclipse Award of Merit is in appreciation for all his efforts. Stuart's leadership, commitment, and passion for this industry is unquestionable and I thank him for all his work.” “I offer my sincerest congratulations to Stuart Janney on being honored with the Eclipse Award of Merit,” said trainer Shug McGaughey, who has worked with Janney for decades. “I've trained horses for Stuart since 1988, and he has been an excellent client for me, always putting the welfare of his horses and the people who work with them first. As The Jockey Club chairman for the past decade, Stuart has my admiration for taking on the tough and often unpopular issues that we, as a sport, must face. I know it hasn't always been easy for him, but time and again I've seen him guided only by his principles: do the right thing for the horse.” “Finally, I am proud to call Stuart my friend, and I wish he and his family my thanks for entrusting his horses with me for so many years,” said McGaughey. As chairman of The Jockey Club since 2015, Janney has played a pivotal role in initiatives such as the creation of the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and the passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA). Under his leadership, 5 Stones intelligence was engaged to investigate horse racing, resulting in federal prosecutions and significant penalties. Janney previously chaired The Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Safety Committee, making numerous recommendations for industry improvements. Before his racing involvement, Janney had a career in the federal government, practiced law, and served as a managing director at Alex Brown & Sons. He is chairman emeritus of Bessemer Trust Company and is involved in various organizations, including serving on the board of King Ranch Inc. Janney, a graduate of the University of North Carolina and the University of Maryland School of Law, is married with two children and resides in Butler, Maryland. The post Jockey Club Chairman Stuart Janney To Receive Eclipse Award Of Merit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

4th-Meydan, AED300,000, Cond., 1-19, 3yo, f, 1600m, 1:38.40, ft. MANAMA GOLD (f, 3, Star Guitar–Charged Cotton, by Dehere), already a 2 1/2-length winner in her unveiling over this Meydan strip going 1400 metres on Dec. 22, doubled her tally with an imperious 9 1/4-length victory in the Cocoa Beach S. Presented By Jebel Ali Port over a mile there on Friday, good for a 'TDN Rising Star' badge. The Victorious runner, trained by Fawzi Nass, raced in between rivals on the front end from the chute and dropped back for a breather rounding the bend as fellow front-runner Lahfaty (Mitole) asserted while pressed by Frost At Dawn (Frosted). Adrie de Vries urged his mount to quicken at the head of the straight and she duly obliged with a strong turn of foot. The chestnut zipped past the leading duo and strode clear to win with authority. Sales history: $100,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $200,000 2yo '23 OBSSPR. Lifetime record: 2-2-0-0, AED306,000. O-Victorius. B-Brittlyn, Inc. (LA). T-Fawzi Nass. @AbdullaNass_ 's unbeaten daughter of Star Guitar dominates the Cocoa Beach Stakes Presented by Jebel Ali Port Make no mistake, this is a proper filly #DubaiCarnival pic.twitter.com/UB0Yh7OL0R — Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) January 19, 2024 The post Star Guitar Filly Gets The Gold At Meydan En Route To ‘TDN Rising Star’ Honours appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A three-year strategy covering the years from 2024-2026 was launched by charity Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) on Friday. The strategy gives the vision for the future of the organisation and a road map to achieving its goals with an eye to expanding RoR's charitable work in the area of aftercare of former racehorses, now and in the future. To view the strategy, please visit the RoR website. David Catlow, managing director of RoR, said, “Our strategy is ambitious, but it comes at a time of real need. RoR now requires the full support of the industry and the commitment of the funding required to build on our core activities and maximise our impact. “Our welfare and support work is embedded through our strategy. Concurrently, increasing the demand for former racehorses, educational initiatives, traceability and building the RoR community are vital components aimed at proactively addressing potential welfare issues.” The post Multi-Year Strategy Unveiled By Charity Retraining Of Racehorses appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

New long-term media rights extensions were completed between Chelmsford City Racecourse, Sports Information Services (SIS) and Racecourse Media Group (RMG), with the course becoming a member racecourse of RMG. All betting and media rights across retail and digital channels are covered under the agreement, with racing continuing to be shown on the Racing TV channel and in betting shops via the SIS service. The Coursetrack system will also be utilised in order to provide live, in-race timing information at the Essex course, which is set to become the first venue in Britain to stage both turf and all-weather racing under floodlights. Substantial capital improvements are also planned, including an £85-million multipurpose grandstand. Director of racing, Neil Graham said, “We are looking forward to working closely with SIS and RMG to strengthen our existing racing programme and to work on new initiatives. These deals give us the certainty by supporting ambitions for the racecourse to be bolder and more ambitious in its plans going forward.” The post Chelmsford Signs Media Rights Extension, Becomes RMG Member appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Blood will out, so they say, and in the case of Onesto (Ire) this is certainly true. The most cursory glance at his pedigree gives you two of the most talked about and revered racehorses of the modern era – his sire Frankel (GB) and broodmare sire Sea The Stars (Ire). But it pretty much goes without saying when it comes to Frankel's offspring that there's an awful lot more going on as you take a closer look at his page. Bred by American-based Adam Bowden of Diamond Creek Farm, Onesto could just as easily have appeared in the Juddmonte studbook. In fact, just one generation back his family does just that. His dam Onshore (GB) was sold to Bowden by Juddmonte as a three-year-old for 320,000gns. “Her pedigree was the huge draw for me,” Bowden said in a TDN interview back in 2022. It is easy to see why. Onshore is a daughter of Kalima (GB) (Kahyasi {GB}), who is a full-sister to the celebrated Hasili (GB), dam of the stallions Dansili (GB), Champs Elysees (GB) and Cacique (GB) as well as the top racemares Banks Hill (GB), Intercontinental (GB) and Heat Haze (GB). He added, “We had circled the mare and my agent Mike Akers went to see her and said, 'well if you're willing to spend what it takes to buy her, then I think she is the type of filly that we want.' And it worked out.” Indeed it did. Onesto was stopping the clock even before his first race, with an eye-catching breeze in Ocala, Florida which sent agent Hubert Guy running almost as fast to ensure that he could assemble a syndicate to buy and race Onesto. That team, which contributed to him being bought for $535,000, consisted of the former champion trotting trainer, driver and breeder Jean-Etienne Dubois, his father Jean-Pierre-Joseph Dubois, Ecurie Hunter Valley, Ecurie Billon, Onesto's trainer Fabrice Chappet and Guy himself. Crucially, too, Haras d'Etreham was involved from the start and now, after a Group 1-winning career, that is where Onesto finds himself as he embarks on his second career as a stallion. Nicolas de Chambure of Haras d'Etreham recalls, “We got a funny phone call from Hubert Guy after he breezed, and he said that he saw something special from a horse that was not meant to do what he did that early in his career, and because of his breeding. And he said he had a lot of faith in the horse since he saw him breeze. So it was mainly him and Jean-Etienne Dubois at the time that put a syndicate together. And we participated because we agreed that we saw something a bit different, a bit special. And that's how it all started.” Having returned to Europe to begin his training at Chappet's Chantilly yard, the chestnut colt made his winning debut over a mile at Chantilly that September. “Onesto got a Rising Star from the TDN when he won first time out,” de Chambure says. “He arrived in Chantilly in June with Fabrice Chappet. Fabrice was taking his time with him. He didn't want to rush him into into fast work too early, but you know, the more he was doing with him, the more he was seeing things that the breeze-up suggested. And it was excitement and relief and a bit of a mix when he won so well in a very good maiden in Chantilly. And the way he did it, with that great turn of foot. The dream was really alive then.” A below-par run when eighth in the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau on his first start at three may have felt like a setback at the time, but Onesto soon put that behind him when winning another important Classic trial, the G2 Prix Greffulhe, on his next start three weeks later. His wide draw in gate 14 did not help his chances in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club, in which Onesto was fifth behind Vadeni (Fr) but he again bounced back, this time for his first start in the colours of his new part-owner Gerard Augustin-Normand in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris. Following that first success at the top level, Onesto returned to the land of his birth to run a fine second to Luxembourg (Ire) in the G1 Irish Champion S., with Vadeni just behind him that time. “His career has been [a mixture of] great results and unlucky moments as well. He got some bad draws, sometimes it was the wrong ground,” says de Chambure in reference to the heavy conditions the horse encountered in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe of 2022. “But, you know, every time things went his way, he showed how good he was, with that turn of foot, and that he was a true Group 1 horse and Group 1 winner. “The Grand Prix de Paris is becoming one of the main race days in France of the year because it's Bastille Day, so there is a big concert and a lot of people at the races and a great atmosphere. He beat a really good field that day.” Remaining in training as a four-year-old, Onesto warmed up with a fourth-place finish over a mile in the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and also took third, beaten just a length and three-quarters when making his second appearance in the Arc last season. De Chambure continues, “In France you have to have that tactical speed to quicken and that's his main attribute, I think. His last 600 metres in the Arc were amazing and he was only beaten a head for second. His last 200 metres were the quickest of the race.” Onesto's team of owners, a number of whom are also noted breeders, remains fully behind him at stud. “It was good because there were some new owners in the game, so it was great for them. There were some older people that have been involved in racing all their life. So it was a good mix,” de Chambure adds. “All of the people that were involved in his career are staying involved for his stallion career. And you know, he's got such a good pedigree, he could really make it as a stallion, and the journey continues because the group is the same. We've opened the horse for syndication but they all stayed involved at a level in the horse.” Haras d'Etreham's long history of standing stallions includes the recent extraordinary turnaround of Wootton Bassett (GB), from a one-time €4,000 sire to his eventual sale to Coolmore and his current place as the joint-second-most expensive stallion in Europe. It would be no easy feat to emulate that story but de Chambure feels confident that Onesto has enough qualities to at least pique breeders' interest at this crucial early stage. “When you talk to breeders, you feel that the last few years, some good horses have done it coming from lighter pedigrees and it was more the racing and the [horse's] sire that were important,” he says. “Then a horse like Onesto retires, coming from one of the best Juddmonte families. And suddenly, breeders come to us and say they're so excited about this horse because he's so well bred. So it is very important to breeders, and it gives him credit. It gives him, I think, more chance than just another horse.” Onesto's next test comes when the doors of the Haras d'Etreham stallion unit are thrown wide to welcome visitors during this weekend Route des Etalons. He's bound to be busy, but de Chambure is not worried about him coping with the extra attention. He says, “He's travelled the world. He's been to Japan, he's been to to America, he's been to the breeze-ups in Florida. So, you know, he's got a great mind and he has settled really well here.” The post On Paper, On Course, Onesto Had Plenty in his Favour appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Turfway Park also canceled racing Jan. 19-20, and Oaklawn Park Jan. 19-21 due to harsh winter weather.View the full article

The Maryland Jockey Club has cancelled Friday's races at Laurel Park after a winter storm dropped several inches of snow across Northern and Central Maryland, the club said in a release early Friday morning. Dangerous driving conditions has also caused simulcast wagering to be cancelled at both Laurel and Pimlico Race Course. The Saturday card with a 10-race program, including four stakes highlighted by the $100,000 What A Summer and $100,000 Fire Plug, will start at noon ET. Several tracks, including Oaklawn Park and Turfway Park, were forced to cancel their weekend programs due to inclement weather. The post Laurel Cancels Friday’s Program, Back Saturday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Exciting young sires A'Ali (Ire), Caturra (Ire) and Stradivarius (Ire) will feature among the galaxy of stars on show at the 2024 Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Flat Stallion Parade at Tattersalls in Newmarket on Thursday, February 1. The parade is typically limited to first- and second-year stallions, but breeders will have a wider range of sires to view this year with the invitation being extended to those whose advertised fee sits at £15,000 or less. Breeders who purchase a nomination will also be entered into a free prize draw thanks to a new incentive launched by Tattersalls in support of the parade, giving them the chance to win one of five complimentary foal entries at the 2025 December Foal Sale. To be entered into the prize draw, breeders need to sign a service contract for one of the stallions within 24 hours of the parade. All of the stallions can be viewed from 11 a.m. in the sales ring, as well as in the Left Yard and Terrace Yard after the parade hosted by racing broadcaster Gina Bryce and Shirley Anderson-Jolag of Tattersalls. Along with A'Ali, Caturra and Stradivarius, the stallion show will also feature El Caballo (GB), Lope Y Fernandez (Ire), Midnight Sands, Mutasaabeq (GB), Soldier's Call (GB), Twilight Son (GB) and Ulysses (Ire). Tattersalls Associate Director and TBA Trustee, Matt Prior said, “We are delighted to be once again supporting the TBA Flat Stallion Parade and the revised format along with the new incentive scheme we are offering alongside the TBA will hopefully encourage breeders to come along and purchase a nomination.” TBA Chief Executive, Claire Sheppard added, “It is important for us to continuously enhance what we do to support the British thoroughbred breeding industry, especially at this current time. The Flat Stallion parade is a key event which offers a great opportunity to promote an array of British-based stallions to breeders and to suit all mares and budgets. We are very grateful to all those studs bringing stallions along as well as Tattersalls for their ongoing support of the event.” The post Stradivarius And A’Ali Among Star Names On Show At TBA Stallion Parade appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Punt Drunk is back for another year, and boy oh boy, hasn’t 2024 begun with a bit of a bang! The Magic Millions Carnival continues to grow, the good horses are starting to reappear at the trials, and the beers are going down as well as ever! Here’s to a winning 2024. Ottobre ‘gags’ Maher & Eustace and Declan Bates Tony Ottobre (middle) celebrating with Declan Bates after (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Racing Photos) Alright, this is not exactly a headline we expected to see on our bingo card for 2024. It isn’t in a kinky way either that prominent owner Tony Ottobre has “gagged” his trainers and jockeys, but more making a stance. Ottobre, known for owning the ‘Jenni’ horses typically racing in Victoria, has banned jockeys and trainers caring for his horses from talking to Racing.com while Racing Victoria chief executive Andrew Jones is still in charge. It ties back to the GoFund Me page that Ottobre set up for the late Dean Holland in April last year, with Ottobre contributing $100,000 of his own money to kickstart the fund. It is believed that one of Jones’ management team reached out to Ottobre with the suggestion of putting the large amount of money into a trust fund for Holland’s family. However, Ottobre was adamant that the funds would go directly to Dean’s family. Racing Victoria has denied any wrongdoing, but with the ongoing dispute, there may be no post-race interviews with jockey or trainer if Pride Of Jenni goes on to win the Victorian showcase race of their autumn carnival, the All Star Mile. Zac Lloyd needs a fresh start Kalapour ridden by Zac Lloyd on the way to the barriers prior to the running of the 2023 Melbourne Cup at Flemington. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Suspensions and Zac Lloyd are starting to become more of a certainty than Winx. The young-gun hoop continues to find himself in trouble with RacingNSW stewards, and on Saturday he picked up yet another suspension. Since moving to Sydney in May 2022, Lloyd has been suspended on more than 13 occasions and risks missing some key rides for Godolphin during the spring. Apprenticed through Godolphin, Zac is no doubt one of, if not the best, apprentice in the country, but he is a walking suspension at the moment. Could a change-up be what he needs? Should Cummings send his energetic hoop to Melbourne for the autumn? Learn from a different jockey’s room, they do say a change is as good as holiday… Lloyd currently sits fifth on the NSW Metro Jockey Premiership table, having ridden 28 winners in town since August 1, 2023. About Punt Drunk Welcome to Punt Drunk – our weekly column covering all the latest horse racing and punting controversies, dramas and headline news. Have a story or gripe or issue that just grinds your gears? Just hit us up in the comments or contact us page and our jaded, punt hardened Punt Drunk staff will give it the Punt Drunk treatment it deserves. Don’t expect pleasantries or typical racing media fanboy gloss from Punt Drunk – we’re on the punt and we don’t have time to bullshit; the next is about to jump… If you have any stories that you want our Punt Drunk Team to cover or just want to say G’day send us a message on: More horse racing news View the full article

Fancy yourself as a starter at Alexandra Park or would you like a job with the Racing Integrity Board, either in the North Island or in the south? For more details click here View the full article

Howie Mathews dared to dream of competing in this year’s $300,000 Gr.3 NZCIS Wellington Cup (3200m) with Weneedashock, and while that plan didn’t come to fruition, the talented gelding has ended up qualifying for a race on the undercard worth $50,000 more in prizemoney. The $350,000 The Oaks Stud Remutaka Classic (1600m), a race eligible for horses that have won one or fewer races as at the start of the season, will have its inaugural running at Trentham on Saturday, and Mathews is delighted to have snuck into the field. Weneedashock’s last start win at Wanganui put him 15th in order of entry for the race capped to 14 runners, and he found himself sneaking into the race late in the week following the scratchings of Iffididit and Mehzebeen. “I did an early nomination for the Wellington Cup with that horse, but unfortunately, he had a couple of hiccups,” Mathews said. “He raced at Wellington and went poorly and pulled up sore after it in the middle of December. I was really worried about him, and it took nearly two weeks for a bruise to come out. “He was about 95 percent right and I ran him at Otaki. He didn’t get much of a run and lost his chance in the race. He progressively got better and better, so I thought I would have a throw at the stumps and go around Wanganui and if he pulled through that well and won, I would pay up in the Remutaka. “He raced extremely well at Wanganui and his sectionals were amazing, two or three seconds faster than the other staying races on the day. It prompted me to chuck him in as a nomination and see what happens.” Mathews has now found himself in the rich innovation race and can’t believe his luck. “It is pretty exciting stuff. It’s amazing prizemoney for that class of horse,” Mathews said. “He was a gavelhouse buy and he has been a blessing to Lorraine (wife) and I. He has just kept performing all the time. When he is on song, he is a tough customer. “I feel very fortunate to be in the race, it is a bit of a dream really. We knew we had an outside of chance (of making the field) but when I went through the horses that had qualified for it and knew were going for it, I thought if we got into the top 20 we would be quite rapt. To be number 15 and to get in is a bit of a dream come true. I have only got one in work, so it is quite a thrill.” Weneedashock will carry topweight of 61kg, alongside Jon Ol Rocco and Sir Albert, and jump from barrier four with jockey Elen Nicholas aboard. “He jumps on the pace and he likes to run forward, so that gate suits us fine,” Mathews said. “Every time he got back midfield on the fence things just don’t go right for him. If he can jump and hold the outside ones out and take up a nice early position, I think he will be a good runner’s chance.” Mathews said the introduction of the innovation races has been a great concept and gives the smaller trainers a big carrot to aim for. “The small guys in racing are the backbone of racing. Let’s take our hats off to the big teams and the people who go to the sale and pay the big money, but there are a lot of small people, like myself, that can now get a chance,” he said. “It could be a gamechanger for some people and they could be at the sales next week with $50,000 to buy a nice horse, so everyone can get a bit. “I have never looked like winning lotto, but being in a race like this and having a chance is great. It would be a life changer for Lorraine and I.” View the full article

While all eyes were on Molly Bloom on Boxing Day at Pukekohe, stablemate Grail Seeker put on a performance worthy of near-favouritism in Saturday’s Gr.3 New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham. Grail Seeker has established a solid record in her brief career to date, with five top-four finishes in as many starts, including a runner-up finish in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) before a game third behind her Group One-winning stablemate in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day. The daughter of Iffraaj will be the sole Wexford Stables representative in the feature fillies’ event on Wellington Cup Day, and co-trainer Andrew Scott is hopeful she will have her time in the spotlight. “She certainly brings a strong form line, and her work leading into this race has been the best of her preparation thus far,” he said. “We’re hopeful she can produce a strong performance, she’s a lovely filly with a good bit of scope, and she’s travelled down well. “Obviously Molly Bloom has been there, done it, and won well, but this filly is still growing in confidence. Every race she’s gotten that little bit better, and we’re hoping that will be reflected on Saturday.” Scott’s faith in the filly has been shared with punters, who have punted Grail Seeker from $4.80 into $3.60 on the TAB Fixed Odds, snapping at the heels of a key racerival in Sudbina at $3.30. Joe Doyle, who has been a frequent figure in Wexford’s success this season, retains the ride aboard Grail Seeker, while he will also partner the promising Tanganyika at Pukekohe on Sunday. Tanganyika will contest a competitive Join The BGP Punters Club Via TAB.CO.NZ 1400, a first step into open three-year-old company after two victories were accompanied by a third placing behind subsequent winners Snazzytavi and Fortunate Son. Lance O’Sullivan, who co-trains the Ace High gelding in partnership with Scott, has been impressed with the gelding’s progression over his three raceday appearances. “This is certainly his toughest assignment to date, but he just keeps stepping up and has done a really good job. He’s a really nice, progressive horse,” he said. “He’s still pretty immature, so we’re just taking it one race at a time with him. When he’s gone as far as he wants to this preparation, we’ll give him a let-up.” Later on the eight-race card at Pukekohe, O’Sullivan had difficulty in separating Neighbourhood and Sharp Dressed Man in the Ellerslie Events 1400, the latter having shown significant improvement last-start to break maiden status at just his second attempt. “There’s not a lot between them. Neighbourhood will be helped by the inside gate (1), and any easing in the ground would be a great assist to him,” he said. “Sharp Dressed Man has just had the two runs to date and has to learn to do things a little bit better, but he certainly shows he has above-average ability.” View the full article

The team at Waikato Stud is gearing up for an exciting few weeks, both on the racetrack and in the sale ring. The familiar white, blue and green colours of the Waikato Stud racing team are set to feature prominently in two brand-new $350,000 races, starting at Trentham on Saturday, while a typically deep draft of 82 yearlings will represent the internationally renowned nursery during Book 1 of Karaka 2024 from January 28 to 30. The exciting summer period kicks off on Wellington Cup Day with the inaugural running of the $350,000 The Oaks Stud Remutaka Classic (2100m). One of eight lucrative new races added to the New Zealand calendar this season with the increased funding that came from the TAB-Entain strategic partnership, the race is restricted to horses with no more than one win to their name before midnight on July 31 last year. Waikato Stud’s Nereus is a $3.60 favourite for the Remutaka Classic. The four-year-old Savabeel gelding is a full-brother to multiple Group One winner Savvy Coup and has had five starts to date for three wins and two placings. Trained by Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray, Nereus heads into Saturday’s race on the back of a dominant victory over the same distance at Hastings on New Year’s Eve. In another three weeks’ time, Waikato Stud will likely be represented by Certainly in the inaugural $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karapiro Classic (1600m) at Te Rapa on February 10. That race is restricted to horses that were maidens on July 31, and Certainly will bring Group One form into the race after her big finish from last for a close sixth in last Saturday’s Levin Classic (1600m). “It’s very exciting to have a live chance in that new initiative race at Trentham this weekend,” Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick said. “Nereus is a promising horse and it’s great to be involved. We’re hoping he’ll run well. “After that, we’ve got Certainly potentially going to the next of those new races at Te Rapa. These are exciting races to be able to target with horses that are on their way through the grades, and it just shows the effect that Entain is having on our industry.” In between those two $350,000 races, Waikato Stud will consign its class of 2024 during the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales at Karaka. Chittick is upbeat in the lead-up to the sale, buoyed by strong results with the stud’s boutique draft on the Gold Coast earlier this month. Waikato Stud offered eight yearlings in that sale, selling seven of them for a total of A$2.41 million and an average price of A$344,286. Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis secured two Savabeel yearlings for A$400,000 and A$375,000, while the stud’s yearlings by exciting young sire Super Seth fetched A$470,000, A$360,000 and A$225,000. “Our horses were really well received over on the Gold Coast, which was very pleasing,” Chittick said. “The sires that we stand all sold very well. It was a really encouraging result and has given us a bit of momentum leading into Karaka. “Once again we’re selling quite a large draft at Karaka this year, and it’s good to have a broad mixture of horses for buyers to choose from. There are obviously some really nice horses there, and a good representation for all of our sires that have progeny old enough. “We’ve been through our whole draft with people who have come to have a look at them, and it’s left me thinking I’m much happier to be in the position of breeding and selling these horses rather than choosing which ones to buy. I’d hate to have the job of going through them all and picking out one horse that’s going to win a Group One, and from our point of view, that’s a good way for it to be.” Waikato Stud will sell 20 yearlings by their super-sire Savabeel, along with 21 by Super Seth, who has sired two early winners in his first crop of two-year-olds including the Group Two-placed Poetic Champion. “There’s always huge demand for Savabeel, but I’ve been really encouraged by the interest in Super Seth,” Chittick said. “When we were over in Australia, all the trainers there who have them in their stable were telling us how rapt they are with them. They’re good movers and great to work with. The buyers certainly chased them on the Gold Coast, and we’re hoping for more of the same at Karaka.” View the full article

Proven black-type performer Illicit Dreams has bounced back from a failed Group One mission over 1600m and brings last-start winning form into Saturday’s Listed Liquorland Gore Guineas (1335m). Illicit Dreams won the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old last May, then kicked off her three-year-old spring with two second placings including in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m). But the step up to a mile in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas proved to be a bridge too far, beating just one runner home and finishing almost 16 lengths behind the winner Molly Bloom. Father-daughter training duo Kenny Rae and Krystal Williams freshened the Vancouver filly after that Riccarton classic, then kicked her off again in a Rating 75 over 1100m at Greymouth on January 3. Illicit Dreams was sent out as a $2.80 favourite and raced right up to expectations, winning impressively by more than a length. “It might not have been the strongest field that she beat, but it was pretty pleasing to see her get back on track,” Rae said. “I’m back up in Ruakaka now, so I’m getting everything second-hand, but all the reports on Illicit Dreams have been really good. Dani (Danika Wilson, apprentice jockey) said her gallop this week was outstanding. “I think her best distance at the moment is probably somewhere between 1200m and 1400m, so the 1335m of the Guineas at Gore this weekend should be ideal. She won over 1300m at Ruakaka last season, and she also placed against older horses in a Rating 75 over 1400m at Ashburton in the spring. “This looks like a really nice race for her on Saturday, as long as the weather doesn’t get too bad.” Gore’s track was rated a Good4 on Friday morning, with occasional rain in the forecast. The TAB rates Illicit Dreams a $4.20 equal favourite alongside Hakadecree. Rae and Williams will also saddle The Buffer in the MLT Gore Cup (2000m) and Follow Your Dreams in the AON Insurance Brokers (1200m). They are both coming out of the Reefton Cup (1400m) on January 9, where Follow Your Dreams won and The Buffer finished third. “I’m a bit surprised that The Buffer is favourite for the Gore Cup,” Rae said. “I’m not sure he’s a genuine 2000m horse. He won the Cromwell Cup (2030m) last season, but Michael McNab rode him that day and told us that he didn’t think he was a real stayer. “He was disappointing in the Kumara Gold Nuggets (1810m), but bounced back well in the Reefton Cup. He was super fit when he won the Nuggets last year, but he might have been a bit short on fitness this time around and just needed one more run. He was very good at Reefton. “Follow Your Dreams won well last start and is dropping back to 1200m here. He and The Buffer are both the type of horse that if you place them in the right races, you’re going to pick up prize-money. The only other option for them was the Timaru Stakes (Listed, 1400m) next week, which is a black-type race with no apprentice allowances, so I thought we’d be better off here. “The other horse we’ve got down there is Patsys Lass for Eamonn Green. She’s flying since she got down there. I wouldn’t be surprised if she won again on Saturday.” Last-start winner Patsys Lass will line up in the Rex Cochrane Memorial (1800m). She will be ridden by Danika Wilson, who will also be aboard Illicit Dreams and The Buffer. View the full article

Fashion Icon will be looking to turn the tables on Sudbina when the pair meet in the Gr.3 New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday. Sudbina just got the better of Fashion Icon in the closing stages of their 1400m contest at Hastings earlier this month to win by a half-length, and the TAB market for the fillies feature on Saturday reflects that result, with Sudbina a $3.30 favourite ahead of Grail Seeker at $3.60, with Fashion Icon on the third line of betting at $6.50. Trainer Peter Didham was pleased with Fashion Icon’s run and believes it could have been a different result on a firmer surface. “It was a good run, but we did all of the donkey work,” he said. “Like Michael (McNab, jockey) said, if the track had been a little better, she would have sprinted away a bit quicker, Sudbina came out in the better part of going and got us late.” The daughter of U S Navy Flag will be tested at stakes level, and over a mile, for the first time this weekend, and Didham is confident of a bold showing despite it being her seventh start this preparation. “She will stretch out to a mile and it’s her seventh start, which isn’t a worry, it’s exciting to have her in there and she will let me know when she has had enough,” he said. “She has worked well, she has done well in every start, and has never let us down. She is a really exciting filly, she just tries so hard. “She deserves her place on Saturday and have a go at some black-type. We are lucky to lease a nice filly off Kylie Bax, so it would be good to get them some black-type.” Didham will wait and see the outcome of Saturday’s race before making any future plans but highlighted the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) at Trentham in March as a potential target. “We just don’t know her level yet,” he said. “There are a few options, including the Wellington Guineas, but she has been up a while and deserves a break shortly. “I think next year we are going to have a really exciting mare. This is only her first prep with all of these races. She is not over-raced, her races have been well-spaced, but she just tries hard and is an experienced racehorse.” Fashion Icon will be ridden by Australian-based jockey Daniel Stackhouse, and Didham is excited to have secured the talented hoop for five of his six runners on Saturday. “It is always good to get good jockeys on,” he said. “We are fortunate to get him on, especially when McNab and Opie (Bosson) are out this week. I have got him for five, so I am pretty lucky. His manager rang up and said he was coming over so I grabbed him for as many as I could.” Danjuro is Didham’s only horse Stackhouse hasn’t been engaged for, with Wiremu Pinn set to take the ride on the gelding in the Rydges Wellington Airport Premier (1200m), with Stackhouse set to ride stablemate Voice Over. “It is probably a bit short for him (Danjuro),” Didham said. “He is one of my best horses, I really like him. It is hard to get a line on him, he is just an average track worker but on raceday he turns up. “It will be good to get a line on him on Saturday and see where we are going after that.” Didham is also excited about lining up Wal in the Countdown To TAB Karaka Millions 27 January Premier (1400m), who will race in front of a large contingent of his owners at the premier meeting. “I think Wal is a really lovely horse racing out of his grade. He was green at Tauherenikau and this will make him a better horse,” Didham said. “A lot of his owners live in Wellington, so they can come out on Wellington Cup Day and watch their horse race. I expect him to run well, but I think he will be really hard to beat at Wanganui in three weeks’ time.” View the full article

Waisake has had his share of ups and downs in the Gr.3 NZ Campus of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m), but the Taranaki nine-year-old is set to step out as favourite for the 2024 edition of the famous two-miler at Trentham on Saturday. The Zed gelding had his first taste of the Wellington Cup back in 2021, where a supreme staying performance carried him to a commanding victory. He returned to defend his crown 12 months later, and he looked to have it at his mercy after a dominant lead-up victory in the Gr.3 Trentham Stakes (2100m) on the opening day of the carnival. However, the $2 pre-post favourite was a shock withdrawal days out from the race and spent the next 10 months on the sidelines with a tendon injury. Waisake returned for the 2023 edition of the Cup last year, but was tripped up by a Heavy10 track and finished 10th. Trainer and part-owner Allan Sharrock believes he has Waisake on track for another shot at the $300,000 feature this weekend. “It’s been a long and up-and-down road for him in this race over the years,” Sharrock said. “But we don’t think we could have him any better this time around, so now we’re just holding our breath with the weather and hoping the track won’t be too bad.” The Trentham track was rated a Soft6 on Friday morning, with showers forecast for later in the day and the possibility of occasional rain on Cup Day. Waisake produced an eye-catching Cup trial in last Saturday’s Trentham Stakes, launching a huge late run from second-last in the field of 14. He made up more than a dozen lengths and finished a close third behind Times Ticking and Sagunto. “That was an outstanding run,” Sharrock said. “He ran the fastest last 800m, 600m, 400m and 200m in the race. “I’ve tried to time it to have him peaking for the Cup this weekend, and it’s looking like it might work out that way. But we’ll see what happens on Saturday.” Waisake will be ridden by Matt Cameron and was on Friday rated a $3.80 favourite. Fellow Taranaki runner Mary Louise was the second favourite at $5.50, with last-start Listed Marton Cup (2200m) winner Canheroc the only other runner in single figures at $6.50. Sharrock will also be represented by two promising mares on Saturday’s supporting programme. Alexandra Quick takes a one-start, one-win record into the Farewell Tony Lee Premier (1200m), while Terra Preta will make her third career start in the Countdown to TAB Karaka Millions 27 January Premier (1400m) after finishing third and first in her two previous appearances. “They’re both very tidy mares who won in good style when they were last presented,” Sharrock said. “The blinkers will go on Alexandra Quick, whose gallop on Tuesday was huge. I couldn’t be happier with her. “The other mare has drawn out a bit, but she’s pretty tractable and Spratty (Sam Spratt) is a good judge of pace, so I’d imagine she’ll go forward. They should both be nice chances.” View the full article