Wandering Eyes

Twain (NZ) (Per Incanto) will be out to replicate the deeds of his dam when he heads to Te Rapa on Saturday to contest the Gr.2 Waikato Stud Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa. His dam, Fleur de Lune, was runner-up in the race in 2011 for trainer Lee Somervell before going one better a year later, and trainer John Bell believes Twain can match that feat. The five-year-old son of Per Incanto hasn’t put a foot wrong so far in his career, winning six and placing in three of his 10 starts to date. After posting two wins at the start of this preparation, Twain was runner-up over 1200m behind Midnight Scandal at Te Rapa earlier this month, and Bell said his gelding has felt the effects of the tough run. “After his last start he was a little bit tired,” Bell said. “He had to go early, which was unfortunate. He was challenged on the outside and he is a very aggressive horse. Vinnie (Colgan, jockey) had to pick him up and carry him over that last stride. “He felt it, but he has kicked back nicely.” Colgan will once again be in the saddle on Saturday, where they will jump from barrier 11. “He gets out of the gates and he will just sit there with a bit of cover, in the first three, four or five,” Bell said. “He (Vinnie) rode him between races in a track gallop the week before and he was very happy with that, and he was upset that he had to go a bit early in the race at Te Rapa. “He is a big race rider, he knows the horse now. The instructions will be – ‘go and do it’.” Bell will head to Te Rapa with three other chances on Saturday, with Muscovado contesting the Ocean Park 2400, Manawa the Chittick Family Wishing Butcha All The Best 1500, and Cleese the Savabeel 2100. “Muscovado was finishing over the top over 1800m at Taupo the other day, so we have done very little with him,” Bell said. “We have got him in a 2400m and Jack (Taplin, apprentice jockey) said you will have pry me off the saddle with a crowbar. We are very happy with him. “Cleese went a little bit wide at Te Rapa and finished fourth (last start), which was encouraging for an old boy. “Manawa was right off the track and very wide the whole way (last start) and hit the front coming into the straight and then petered out. He was fit, but not match fit. “I think the whole four will bring the heart rate up a little.” View the full article

Emotions will run high if war horse Mali Ston (NZ) (El Roca) can go one better in Saturday’s Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa. The eight-year-old will again resume in the Waikato Stud-sponsored feature and trainers Darryn and Briar Weatherley have been delighted with his progress. Bred and raced by Markwood Lodge, Mali Ston has been given a thorough grounding for his return after finishing a first-up second behind Bonny Lass 12 months ago. “He didn’t get all favours, he was completely off the bridle at the 600 and Sam (Weatherley, jockey) said when he got him out into the clear he changed gear and almost won it,” Darryn Weatherley said. “I’m really happy with him and he’s had a couple of quiet trials and has trained on well. “He’s bright and well and he’ll run a nice race fresh. If they get any rain on the day, I’m sure he’ll be very dangerous.” Mali Ston has overcome adversity to continue his career after the son of El Roca suffered a serious injury in 2022. “If there’s any horse that deserves something it’s Mali Ston, he’s been through the wars after he broke his pedal bone and had 18 months off, and we were going to retire if not have to put him down,” Weatherley said. “He’s come back and hasn’t won a race since, but he’s run third in a Thorndon Mile (Gr.1, 1600m) and Group Two seconds. “The connections are just the greatest owners, and we’d love to see him win a nice race.” The stable is also looking forward to the debut performance of well-bred filly Rumours in the Banquo 3YO (1200m). “She’s a sister to Maria Farina and a half-sister to Pier and we think quite a bit of her,” Weatherley said. “She’s trialled well, her work has been really good, and she’s drawn barrier one with Matt Cameron in the saddle, so she’s got a few favours.” Multiple stakes winner Maria Farina has been retired and will visit Windsor Park Stud’s Paddington this spring while Group One winner Pier is making good progress toward his spring campaign. He remained in Queensland to spell following his win in the Listed Wayne Wilson (1600m) at Eagle Farm in June. “He’s in work with Barry Lockwood and I’m going over on Monday, he’ll float to Sydney in the middle of next week and trial on September 4 at Warwick Farm,” Weatherley said. “He’ll have his first run at Rosehill in the Theo Marks (Gr.2, 1300m) on September 13 and, all going well, will go through to the Epsom (Gr.1, 1600m) on October 4. Meanwhile, Group-winning stablemate Arby hasn’t raced since he was fourth in the Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) but is closing in on a return. “He will trial at Te Awamutu on Tuesday, he’s coming up well and we should have some fun with him in the summer Cups,” Weatherley said. View the full article

They were heading up the driveway of a famous horseman when old Joe Taylor turned to young Tommy Eastham. “Hey,” he said. “This guy can be a little cranky. So if you've any questions, just wait until we get out.” Tommy nodded. “Okay Joe.” They'd only got to the third yearling when suddenly Taylor was bringing him into the conversation. “What d'you think about that one, big fella?” Tommy didn't know what to say: all he could remember was being told to keep his mouth shut. “Well Daddy Joe,” he admitted. “He wouldn't be my favorite.” Taylor came straight back. “You don't know what you're talking about.” Tommy shrugged. “You're probably right,” he said. But then Taylor gestured to their host and said, “He doesn't know what he's talking about.” Tommy was puzzled. Where was he going with this? “And nor do I,” Taylor continued. “So: find the best in the horse. Because you don't know, I don't know, nobody ever knows.” All these years later, like so many of his mentor's lessons, this one sticks in Tommy's memory. It's part of what makes him look forward with undiminished enthusiasm to every new sales cycle. For some, no doubt, the perennial demands of the circuit gradually corrode the passion. Yet Tommy and his wife Wyndee, 22 years after founding their sales agency, maintain a pristine fulfilment in their vocation. As such, it felt apt last year that Legacy Bloodstock should have sent the very first yearling of the crop into the ring, a Maxfield colt sold for $220,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July Sale. This time round they fielded Hip 2, a $120,000 colt from the debut crop of Cyberknife. In each case, the consignors eagerly renewed their role as conduit for the intrigue and enthusiasm that together drive the market. For just like Taylor said, the mystery always abides. “What he said was very, very true,” Tommy says. “I feel like I can sell a wide variety of horses because I know that I don't know; that, in the end, only God knows.” That said, one of his principal responsibilities is to evaluate each horse, to read the shows and the state of trade before recommending a reserve. “Having that bit of market savvy, it's kind of like placing horses for a trainer,” he says. “Expectation management. We try to be realistic. I remember one of the first horses I sold for Dr. David Richardson wasn't one of the best. So I was trying to let him down a little bit gently. And he said, 'Thomas. I'm a doctor. I've delivered a lot of bad news in my life. If you tell me what I need to know, then we've a chance of making a good decision. If you try to protect my feelings, we probably won't.'” “Doc” was always one of his favorites. And that approach, over the years, has just come to feel right for the kind of clients drawn to Legacy. “I don't like tension,” Tommy says. “And I don't like disappointing people. So if we see a commercial penalty coming, we're going to be up front about it. Now, we can all miss those sometimes. But we've sold enough horses that 99 percent of the time we can identify, and early, what we need to concentrate on.” Wyndee and Tommy Eastham | Sue Finley That candor is the direct road to trust–and, for a consignor, trust is indispensable to your dealings either side of the fence. If you want repeat business, people need to depend on your word. “It's like high school,” Tommy agrees. “Every day you go down the hallway, it'll be the same guys. So you better take care of them. As a consignor, it's not the sellers that are hard to find. It's about getting people to come by your barn and trust you enough to buy horses from you. That's the true test of what you're doing.” That can boil down to basic diplomacies: knowing, for instance, which guy will (or won't) remain chilled during the heat of a big sale, with horses being shown left and right, and everyone obliged to wait their turn. And actually that personal connection explains a Legacy trademark commitment: not to stretch numbers, because that might stretch service. “Our business plan has always been to be selective on the people we represent,” Tommy emphasizes. “Because we always want to be the ones selling a horse, not somebody we hired.” That philosophy has found favor with longstanding clients from Spendthrift to such programs as those operated by Bob Austin, for whom they sold Girvin, or Scott Pierce. “One of the things I'm proudest about is that we've maintained relationships for a long time,” Tommy notes. “Some of our clients have been with us 20 years, becoming good friends. Of course, that loyalty they've shown does bring a certain amount of responsibility. But then personality-wise, too, I think certain people just fit with us and like the way we do things. We all have to go through obstacles and challenges, and we like people that can handle things in a classy, strategic way.” It all happens very quickly, after all. Typically, a horse enters their care barely half a week ahead of entering the ring, hardly time to turn a duckling into a cygnet. “But the good thing is that we generally get out on the farms once a month, ahead of the sales, and get to know them a little that way,” Wyndee says. “You're talking to the people who raised them, and they'll tell you their personalities, little bits and pieces that we can take away with us. “But horses can be very different when they get to the sale. So we're fortunate to have a great team of horsemen working with us, a lot of them very experienced. They're calm and patient, not rushing in there grabbing horses. Especially when it gets really stressful, with lots of shows going on, I think that makes a huge difference.” Wyndee Eastham grew up in racing | Sue Finley Wyndee has lifelong experience herself, as daughter of a trainer in Frank Carter. “My dad was a little older by the time I came along, so slowing down a little as I was growing up,” she recalls. “But he would do the Oaklawn circuit and go down to Florida and come back here [to Keeneland]. I loved coming to the track. I'd wake up early and sneak into his truck so that I could hang out the backside, maybe hotwalk a couple. “And it just became a natural progression. I saw the romance and magic in horses at a very young age. They fascinated me from the very beginning. It was almost like God meant me to do it.” “Happy horses sell good,” Tommy declares. “And their body language counts. If you've a horse that you can get in, make comfortable and confident, they're going to show that out on the show ring. And the really good ones, they take care of themselves in the barn–whether you call that intelligence, or just a nervous system handling pressure. But I've sold a lot of really good horses that had significant commercial penalties, too.” Of course, one of the challenges of this business is that labor and other costs are the same for a $1,000 horse as for a $1-million horse. (“And sometimes there's a little more pressure on the cheaper horse!” Wyndee notes.) It was ever thus, but the big change has been the growing timidity produced by vetting. “There's always going to be a sorting method,” Tommy acknowledges. “But I feel the vetting has gotten really, really tough. If I could have a dollar for every time I took a large penalty, because of vetting, on one that turned out to be a really good runner, I'd be a very wealthy man. We probably sold 300 last year, but I don't think there was one that had all its radiographs clean with everybody.” It is obviously a market increasingly oriented to perceived “commercial” sires, too, but the best buyers get past both those barriers. “Kenny [McPeek] is not a sire snob,” Tommy says. “And he can read a vet sheet. He uses vet information as a tool, not as 'pass' or 'fail.' And I've seen Mike Ryan spend a long time on a horse with obvious conformational penalties. And he'll say, 'Tommy, good sale horses come in one size. Good racehorses come in all shapes and sizes.'” 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames | Lauren King In fairness, their latest star graduate ticked all the conventional boxes. 'TDN Rising Star' River Thames (Maclean's Music), sold for $200,000 at Saratoga a couple of years ago, was beaten a neck in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes and a length in the GI Blue Grass Stakes. “When we saw him on the farm, he just had a presence about him,” Wyndee says. “Very confident in himself, had a really nice walk, just did everything that we asked him to do.” “He went through the whole rigors of Saratoga and I don't think he lost a pound from the day we shipped him to the day we shipped out,” Tommy says. “Just enjoyed the whole thing: enjoyed people, enjoyed the activity, wasn't intimidated by the horses there. Sometimes Saratoga can sort them out, they can get really tight. But he was a man. Those kind, they're just class.” But horses of every stamp, the Easthams insist, are owed the same standards. “Doesn't matter if we're hoping for $3,000 or $3 million, we feel a responsibility to get that horse in the correct position,” Tommy says. “Because you know those horses with value will have a good quality of life, but animals that don't might not. So we always try to get them in the right hands. “Some people see an eyeball. Wyndee and I were always blessed enough to have seen that window into their soul. And when you hit a home run for a family that doesn't just say, 'Oh, that's nice,' but, 'Oh, now we can get the tractor fixed…' That fills your heart. Because you know you made a difference in their life. There's a lot of effort for everybody, lot of sweat and tears. It's truly a labor of love. There's so many ups and downs that it just has to touch your soul before you can do it. But when it does, it's incredible. So the horse has given us a beautiful life.” The post New Sales Season a Labor of Love for Legacy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Five of the six fillies that will line up Aug. 23 for the Lake Placid Stakes (G2T) at Saratoga Race Course will be looking to win their first graded stakes race, with May Day Ready the lone 3-year-old to have broken through at that level.View the full article

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By Jordyn Bublitz Emily Johnson is gearing up for a busy night at her home track tonight. She’ll take the reins behind four runners at Cambridge Raceway, with two drives for her employer Sean McCaffrey, and one each for Todd Mitchell and Craig Sharpe. Her first engagement of the night comes in Race 1, the Wednesday Quiz Night At The Clubhouse Handicap Trot, where she partners the promising three-year-old trotter Ya Eejit Ya. The gelding finds himself in a slightly easier field after a solid fifth at Alexandra Park, where he was doing his best work late after being held up in traffic. Back on his home track, where he scored a win two starts ago, Johnson is optimistic. “He’s been working good, there’s nothing to suggest he won’t run a good race but the 2700m trip could be a bit of a question mark for him,” she said. “I thought he was really good last start, he probably blew out a little at the end but overall, he ran well.” Later in the evening, Johnson will drive debutante Blinx in Race 2 – the Pie Night In The Skyline Lounge Aug 28th Mobile Pace. The two-year-old filly by Raging Bull is a first starter from the McCaffrey barn and has the advantage of barrier one on debut. “She’s been doing everything right at home, she’s been working good enough to suggest she has what it takes, but first up we’ll just be looking for a soft run and a bit of education,” Johnson said. In Race 3, the Tardina Stud – Here For The Horse Mobile Pace, Johnson teams up with Auctioneer, trained by Todd Mitchell. Bred to trot but now racing as a pacer, the son of Orlando Vici comes into the race after a luckless run at Alexandra Park. Despite drawing on the second row tonight, Johnson sees potential upside in the position. “It probably suits him to be out of the early burn, so the draw should work in his favour,” she explained. “Last start he looked to run a good last half, he’ll likely need the speed on tonight, he’s got a short sharp sprint.” Rounding out her night, Johnson will guide seasoned campaigner Proviseur in Race 5, the Gobble & Go At The Stables Mobile Pace, for trainer Craig Sharpe. The 10-year-old son of Auckland Reactor ran a bold fifth at Cambridge last week, charging home after settling well back. “He’s been racing super, Craig’s got him in a really good spot. He’s always thereabouts, he does need the race run to suit but recently he’s been hitting the line really well,” she said. “This field does look a little tough for him though.” While all four drives have their merits, Johnson rates Ya Eejit Ya as her best chance of the night. With a return to his home track and a more suitable class, he looks poised for a strong showing. His odds reflect that – he’s currently a $1.80 favourite. View the full article

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – A year ago, trainer Chad Brown thought he had his best chance ever when he ran 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in the $1.25-million GI Travers Stakes. The best he could do as the 8-5 favorite was a third-place finish. Brown accepted the verdict and vowed that he would keep trying to win the Midsummer Derby, a race he grew up with. The 46-year-old Brown grew up in the shadow of Saratoga Race Course, in nearby Mechanicville, so, of course, the Travers is the race for him. When the Travers is run for the 156th time on Saturday, Brown will be represented but the expectations aren't nearly as high as they were a year ago. He will send the lightly raced 'TDN Rising Star' Strategic Focus (Gun Runner) to the starting gate for the 1 1/4-mile race. Owned by Seth Klarman's Klaravich Stables Inc., Strategic Focus is the 6-1 third choice on the morning line in the five-horse field. The favorite is the imposing Sovereignty (Into Mischief), who is 2-5. “I am taking a shot,” Brown said in his office at the Oklahoma Training Track. “I am not going in with any expectations like I am going to win the race, but I am going in with a horse that I think is far better than his last race.” That last race was the Curlin, where Strategic Focus finished third as the 3-5 favorite behind stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie), who is running Saturday in the seven-furlong, $500,000 GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial Stakes. At the top of the stretch in the Curlin, it looked like Strategic Focus and jockey Flavien Prat were going to win for fun, but he ended up a half-length behind Chancer McPatrick. “I believe he pulled himself up last time due to inexperience,” said Brown, who will equip Strategic Focus with blinkers for the Travers. “I believe this horse has a lot of ability. I loved him in the Curlin. I'm not saying he is good enough to compete with Sovereignty, but I am saying there is more there.” Strategic Focus, a $500,000 purchase at the 2023 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, did not race as a 2-year-old. He broke his maiden at Aqueduct in April and then won a first-level allowance at Saratoga on June 6 but was disqualified and placed second. White Abarrio Staying Put to Run in Jockey Club Gold Cup The final decision is in. White Abarrio (Race Day) will stay in Saratoga to run in the $1-million GI Jockey Club Gold Cup on Aug. 31. White Abarrio Tuesday morning at the Spa | Sarah Andrew “We want to stay here and take on the best,” trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said on the soggy Saratoga backstretch Wednesday morning. “And we think he is the best.” White Abarrio, owned by Gary Barber, C Two Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable LLC, was originally being pointed to a trip West, to run in the $1-million GI Pacific Classic at Del Mar on Aug. 30. “When that statement (from co-owner Mark Cornett of C Two Racing) came out, California was the front runner, 100 percent,” Joseph said. “The horse sold us to stay here. The ownership group decided (Tuesday) that he was going to run here.” Joseph said that White Abarrio, who is scheduled to work Thursday morning, is doing very well and that was one of the reasons the decision was made to stay home. The other was that it is easier to run out of his own stall rather to fly cross country. White Abarrio finished fourth in the GI Whitney Stakes on Aug. 2. By staying for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, he will be facing the likes of Whitney winner Sierra Leone and 'TDN Rising Star' Mindframe (Constitution), two of the top-ranked older horses in the country. The Pacific Classic is expected to attract the Bob Baffert-trained 'TDN Rising Star' Nysos (Nyquist), who has won two of three this year, including the GII San Diego Handicap in his last start. Another possible starter is 3-year-old Journalism (Curlin), who won the GI Preakness Stakes and was second in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Belmont Stakes. Joseph said he will have to get a new rider for White Abarrio. Irad Ortiz, Jr., who has ridden the 6-year-old gray in his last 10 starts, is committed to ride Mindframe in the Jockey Club Gold Cup. “I have thoughts, but I am going to keep those to myself,” Joseph said. White Abarrio has two wins in four starts this year, the biggest being the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park on Mar. 29. He has finished fourth in last two starts, the other being the GI Met Mile, also at Saratoga, on June 7. “The horse is giving me the right signs,” Joseph said. “We feel like he is going to run his best (in the Jockey Club Gold Cup). Is his best going to be good enough? You never know. Another horse might run a better best.” The ultimate goal for White Abarrio is the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 2, a race he won at Santa Anita in 2023. Joseph said that sometime after the Jockey Club Gold Cup, he will send White Abarrio back to his home base in Florida and ship to California from there. Brightwork Back Where She Does Her Best Work The first two starts of the year would not instill confidence to anyone who is a fan of the 4-year-old filly Brightwork (Outwork). But those two races weren't at Saratoga. The next one is. Brightwork in one of her recent Saratoga works | Sarah Andrew Brightwork, trained by John Ortiz, loves it at the Spa. She has won all three of her starts at Saratoga, all of them graded stakes, including the GI Spinaway when she was a 2-year-old. Last year, she won the GIII Prioress here. She will try to keep her perfect Saratoga record intact when she runs in the $500,000 GI Ballerina at seven furlongs. “I don't know, but she usually blossoms here,” Ortiz said Wednesday morning at his barn on the Saratoga backstretch. “Whether it's the Saratoga air or the track or the track kitchen sitting next to our barn … she just has really sparked since we got here. It has shown up in all her workouts.” Brightwork has had five works since arriving in Saratoga in mid-July. “We had no plans on running her in the Ballerina,” Ortiz said. “What we were initially trying to do was to train her and get her back to her old self. She has gained a ton of weight, and she is brighter and sharper than she was in Kentucky.” In her first two starts this year, she was fourth in the GIII Winning Colors and eighth in the GII Chicago, both at Churchill Downs. The Winning Colors was her first start since October. “We tried to make the Winning Colors right off the farm,” Ortiz said. “I think sometimes you are chasing a spot more than getting a horse ready for the right race. We were burning up too many calories to catch up to her fitness and it showed. She was just not happy. Now, she is back to herself. She is happy and, honestly, there is nothing better than running a happy horse.” Brightwork, owned by WSS Racing, is 15-1 on the Ballerina morning line. She will be ridden by Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez for the first time. “I think she will be,” Ortiz said when asked if he thought Brightwork would be overlooked, “but she always has been. Look at all her races. She has never really been the favorite when she has won and that's okay. It's not about favoritism or numbers. It's about knowing your horse and when to run her.” The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Brown Taking a Travers Shot with Strategic Focus appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Skippylongstocking bids to become the first three-peat winner of the Charles Town Classic Stakes (G2) when the 6-year-old competes in the $1 million race the evening of Aug. 22.View the full article

6th-Saratoga, $90,000, (S), Msw, 8-20, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f (off turf), 1:04.58, sy, 3 lengths. CELTIC DAWN (f, 2, Honest Mischief–Tapa Liath, by Paddy O'Prado) was meant for the grass here but wound up rained off onto a sloppy main track for her debut facing fellow New York-breds. Caught inside from her rail gate, the 6-1 shot had to work to get position and was shuffled back while in tight at the half-mile pole. Fanned out from fourth to bid wide into the stretch, she had plenty of late run left and closed nicely to take over from late leader Midtown Mischief (Honest Mischief) and win by three lengths with Hot Currency (Central Banker) getting home second. Following the race, Celtic Dawn returned to the winner's circle lame in the left front and was vanned off to Rood & Riddle for further examination according to a release from NYRA. Tapa Liath has not reported a foal since Celtic Dawn in 2023 but was sent back to Honest Mischief for a full-sibling in 2026. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $49,500. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O/B-Blue Devil Racing Stable (NY); T-Carlos F. Martin. Per NYRA Veterinary Department, Celtic Dawn, winner of R6 @TheNYRA, returned lame left front & will be transported via equine ambulance to Rood & Riddle for further evaluation. — Keith-TripleDeadHeat (@TripleDeadHeat) August 20, 2025 The post Celtic Dawn Best In NY State-Bred Maiden But Vanned Off Post-Race appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Favored Ombudsman stamped his authority on the middle-distance division with a commanding performance in the Aug. 20 Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) at York Racecourse, reversing his Coral-Eclipse (G1) form with Delacroix. View the full article

R and H Stable's dual graded stakes-winning New York-bred Mo Plex continues to train forwardly for his upcoming outing in the $1 million Pennsylvania Derby (G1), a 1 1/8-mile dirt route Sept. 20 at Parx Racing.View the full article

Speed figures play an essential role in helping horsemen find the right races for their runners. Yet races are not always won on paper.View the full article

Apprentice jockeys are not supposed to win stakes races, let alone a $1-million race that is among the most coveted prizes in Canadian racing. But that's exactly what 20-year-old Pietro Moran, who has been dubbed “The Baby-Faced Bandit,” did last week, winning the King's Plate at Woodbine aboard the Kevin Attard-trained Mansetti (Collected). Moran, who is also the leading rider at Woodbine, has had quite the year. To discuss the King's Plate, his future, what it's like to ride against his father, David Moran, and other topics, Moran joined this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. He was this week's Gainesway Guest of the Week. “I never would have thought that I'd get a King's Plate opportunity my first full year,” said Moran, who finished fourth in the 2024 King's Plate aboard Pierre (Tapiture) for Attard. “Im just so thankful for the opportunity. Obviously, Kevin Attard has been a huge supporter of my career and he got me started. And he's given me countless opportunities. My first ride in the Plate was a big opportunity and now I've had my first King's Plate winner in just my second year. I wouldn't be here without (Attard). I still can't believe it. To win the biggest race in Canada…I'm just still flying high.” Moran said there was never a time when he didn't want to be a jockey. “I think that even before I could walk or talk I wanted to be a jockey,” Moran said. “I always wanted to ride horses and be a jockey and I could never see myself doing anything else. I was always just so into the game and watching my dad ride. I was always working towards getting to ride races and slowly it became a reality.” Moran is a lock to be named champion apprentice in Canada and the favorite to win the Eclipse Award as the leading apprentice in North America. He's hoping there will be many more accolades to come. “I would love to be somewhere in the States,” he said when asked where he hoped to be in five years. “Obviously, my dream is to be able to ride in all the big races, the graded stakes. I'd like to be able to get on really good horses every year and ride in races like the Derby and the Breeders' Cup. That's the goal.” The “Fastest Horse of the Week” was She Feels Pretty (Karakontie {Jpn}, who got a 104 Beyer figure when winning the GI E.P. Taylor Stakes at Woodbine. The Fastest Horse of the Week segment is sponsored by WinStar. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by 1/ST TV, the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders' Association, the KTOB and XBTV.com, the team of Zoe Cadman, Bill Finley and Randy Moss reviewed the E.P. Taylor and the win by Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GI Alabama Stakes at Saratoga, which pushed her to the head of the class when it comes to the Eclipse Award race. Saturday's card at Saratoga, which is topped by the GI Travers and four other Grade I stakes, was a major topic of conversation. Can they beat Sovereignty (Into Mischief) in the Travers? The team doesn't see that happening. Click for the either the audio or video version of the podcast. The post The ‘Baby-Faced’ Bandit Pietro Moran Joins the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Minnie Hauk faces just three rivals at York Aug. 21 in her quest to secure a group 1 Oaks treble and emulate high-class Ballydoyle predecessors Alexandrova (2006) and Snowfall (2021).View the full article

Holding a 3-for-4 record at Saratoga Race Course, Book'em Danno looks to stay on top of his game Aug. 23 in the $500,000 Forego Stakes (G1).View the full article

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE – Less than a fortnight after Power Blue provided Space Blues with a breakthrough Group 1 success by producing a gritty performance from the front to land the Phoenix Stakes at the Curragh, the Darley stallion supplied the top lot of the Arqana August V2 Yearling Sale on Wednesday when Ghislain Bozo of Meridian International went to €110,000 to secure a colt by the first-season sire from Haras de l'Hotellerie. Records were broken during the August Yearling Sale here in Deauville and the 86% clearance rate for the V2 session – which was the highest posted since 2014 [91%] – illustrated the hunger for horses at every level here in France. However, while the clearance rate was up by 6% on last year, the €28,048 average was down by 16% on last year and the €3,817,500 aggregate was down by 16%. The median dropped by €2,000 to €25,000. Bozo has been buying at every level of the market over the past few days and the Space Blues colt represented the 14th individual horse that he signed for between the two sales. He commented, “A very nice colt by Space Blues, who is a sire we like a lot. This colt has a bit of class being out of a Wootton Bassett mare. He looks precocious and he cost more than we would have expected but sometimes you have to pay more for the horses you really like. Let's hope he is good now and then we can be proved right. “He is quite a small but correct horse and he has a bit of class and is well put together. He comes from a very good breeding operation and we bought him on behalf of a French-based owner. We haven't decided what trainer we will go to yet.” Speaking about the market in general here in Arqana over the past week or so, Bozo continued, “We bought 14 horses in total and it was a very busy week for us. The sale was very good and I think there were some very good horses here. It was very diverse at the top end with lots of different buyers. Maybe day one of the August Sale was a bit patchy but things picked up quite a bit thereafter.” Fantastic Sale For Briere's Fairway Consignment For the second year running, the Fairway Consignment enjoyed a memorable V2 Session, highlighted by the sale of a €100,000 Ten Sovereigns filly to Khaled Salami of KGS Bloodstock. That filly looked sure to provide Fairway boss Charles Briere with his second V2 sale-topper in as many years, following on from the €115,000 achieved for a Starspangledbanner colt in 2024, but he was knocked off his perch late in the day by the €110,000 Space Blues colt. But it was Briere's Fairway Consignment that ended V2 as the leading vendor with nine lots sold for a combined €412,000, vindicating the young consignor's decision to target this sale in a big way. Briere said, “A very good sale. I wasn't expecting €100,000 for the Ten Sovereigns filly at all. We bought the dam, Invaluable, for 68,000gns at Tattersalls a couple of years ago. She has a Little Big Bear foal at foot and is in foal to Vandeek. We're delighted with the Kendargent [sold for €70,000 to Oceanic Bloodstock] as well so we're delighted.” He added, “We didn't have any top horses in the August Yearling Sale but we sold a St Mark's Basilica filly for €300,000. We like to target the V2 session with horses we think can make anywhere between €50,000 and €100,000 and we've been lucky here. You need a good model and a good stallion for this sale – something with a bit of speed. If you have a mature horse, there is a bit of money around for them.” Khaled Salami of KGS Bloodstock ended the sale as leading buyer with four lots bought for a combined sum of €295,000. Speaking after signing for the Ten Sovereigns filly, who is a sister to Listed-placed Indispensable, Salami said, “She's a nice filly. Physically, she is good and she walks very well and her sister is a black-type performer. This is why we wanted to buy her. She will join the stud and enjoy some rest before joining Hedi Ghabri's training. We hope she will be as talented as her sister.” Talking points Arqana president Olivier Delloye explained to TDN Europe on the eve of V2 how the selection team here placed precocity and speed at the top of their list when assembling the catalogue. The idea is good in principle but was always going to be hard to execute. Michel Zerolo, director at Capucines, which ended the August Yearling Sale as the second-most successful consignment after selling more than €6 million worth of yearlings, said he believes that there is still room for improvement with the V2 format. Under his bloodstock agency banner of Oceanic Bloodstock, Zerolo purchased one of the fastest-looking horses in the sale in lot 309, a €70,000 Kendargent colt that looked as though he'd run through a brick wall. Speaking about that purchase and the overall format of this sale, he said, “The Kendargent colt is for a partnership that wanted to buy precocious, speedy two-year-old types and he will join Christopher Head. The goal of this sale was to attract sharp, early horses. Whether it has been attained or not, I am not sure. I am not sure that France breeds enough of those types of horses and the Irish are not going to bring those horses to sell here. We're sort of in between two stools. There are only so many faster types to go around but the idea is good. Just maybe we are in the wrong country.” The fast-looking horses with commercial appeal really stood out and Roger Marley had to see off a host of well-known breeze-up handlers to secure lot 417, a Starspangledbanner colt for €90,000. One of the results of the breeze-up season began at this sale when Roderic Kavanagh's recent winner Zanthos (Sioux Nation), who he purchased for €48,000 here 12 months ago, sold for €1 million to Anthony Stroud on behalf of KHK Racing at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. Marley had already left the sale on Wednesday but relied on Paul Murphy of C&C transport to get the job done. Speaking from home, Marley said, “We looked at 20 horses yesterday and then narrowed that down to four on second looks. Then we narrowed it down to two and one of those failed the vert so we were left with only him on the list. So he was a standout for us. He has French premiums – he could go to the Craven, Doncaster or even back to France. He is a very solid lump of a horse and looked like he would take a bit of graft. That's why I really liked him.” The Starspangledbanner was bred by the late Lady O'Reilly and is out of a winning Siyouni mare who is a sister to three different black-type performers, including dual Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Calvados Blues. Marley wasn't the only breeze-up handler to get on the scoresheet and, on quick glance, it appears as though at least 10 horses were bought out of the V2 session for that discipline alone with Tally-Ho Stud, Willie Browne, Ana Calder, Con Marnane and Matthew White all featuring. One of the nicest horses in the sale was a De Treville filly who went the way of trainer Nicolas Perret for €72,000. De Treville has not had a huge amount of runners in Britain and Ireland but he is responsible for Gregarina, who won the Group 3 Athasi Stakes for Joseph O'Brien last year and earned a career-high rating of 103. Lot 436 was consigned by Haras de Ombreville and her full-sister Sy Ly is already a winner for Jean-Claude Rouget this year. Perret simply said of his acquisition, “My wife really liked this filly and she came within budget so it was nice to get her.” De Treville moved this year to Longford House Stud, where he stands for just €2,500. We had an opportunity to catch the first glimpse of the progeny of a few young stallions this week, including Haras de Beaumont's Champion Stakes winner Sealiway. It has been a pretty respectable start from him. John Hammond bought a colt by the young stallion for €60,000 at the August Sale while 10 sold for an average of €32,100 on Wednesday with a filly by the stallion selling for €90,000. Haras de Beaumont's stud manager Mathieu Alex said, “This week has obviously been one of the first very important steps for Sealiway and we are very pleased. We have seen some very nice models by him this week and he has been popular with the French and international buyers so it's very exciting.” Coolmore's Blackbeard has made a bright start with his yearlings. A filly by the Prix Morny and Middle Park Stakes winner sold for €100,000 during the August Sale while one made €95,000 during the V2 Sale. Doubtless there will be bigger and better things to come for Blackbeard at the yearling sales in Britain and Ireland over the coming weeks. Buy of the day Lot 375, an Ebro River filly consigned by Antoine Bellanger's Arcadia Elevage outfit, is understood to be off to Irish-based trainer Ado McGuinness and could well be one for tracker as she looks a rocket of all rockets. Bought by BBA Ireland for €30,000, the daughter of the first-season sire Ebro River is out a Listed-placed Choisir mare. Choisir is the damsire of top-class horses like Winter, Create Force and Persuasive and this filly looks a proper bullet who will give her connections plenty of fun. Zanthos was the buy of the day at this sale last year so no pressure, Ado. Thought for the day De Treville is surely worth a second look at a fee of just €2,500. A Group-placed son of Oasis Dream out of top-class mare Dar Re Mi, he is a half-brother to Too Darn Hot and has proved he can get high-class horses. In fact, De Treville has had four stakes performers from just 64 individual runners and two more have been fourth in Group races so he's clearly a stallion who has done well with what he has been sent and arguably could do even better with more support. If there is another takeaway from Wednesday's V2 session it is that there is still a demand for the progeny of Ten Sovereigns despite the fact he has been sold to continue his stallion career in Turkey. The post Space Blues Colt Tops V2 Sale At Arqana As Middle Market Holds Up appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bounced around early in the La Troienne Stakes (G1), leading to the worst loss of her career, Thorpedo Anna has a chance to turn the tables Aug. 23 in the $500,000 Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course against the rivals who beat her.View the full article

The Jonathan Sheppard Handicap (NSA-1), initially scheduled for Aug. 20, has been postponed until Aug. 27 due to weather conditions at Saratoga Race Course.View the full article

When Scylla enters the starting gate for the $500,000 Ballerina Stakes (G1), the 5-year-old daughter of Tapit will be looking to follow in the footsteps of her dam, Close Hatches, by becoming a grade 1 winner at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

The 2025-2027 Godolphin Flying Start trainees arrived at Kildangan Stud on Monday, Aug. 18 to commence their two-year scholarship within the thoroughbred industry. The class comprises trainees from six different nationalities, including Spain, Morocco, India, Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. The week of Aug. 24, the students will commence ICT and Communications training and their Equine Anatomy and Physiology module at University College Dublin. “We welcomed our 23rd Godolphin Flying Start class to Kildangan Stud this week,” said Godolphin Flying Start Executive Director, Clodagh Kavanagh. “They will follow in the footsteps of the 248 alumni of the programme through Ireland, England, USA, Australia and Dubai experiencing the thoroughbred industry and learning as much as they can. As scholarship recipients, they are expected to be advocates for the programme and the industry, having a positive impact on those around them.” Jamie O'Connor from County Dublin and Emma Hunter from County Cork are the team leaders for the first Irish phase. “We are both grateful and delighted to be commencing Godolphin Flying Start,” O'Connor and Hunter said in a joint statement. “The opportunity it provides is truly extraordinary; the chance to learn from global industry leaders, further our academic development and our experience in the thoroughbred industry. We have really enjoyed our first few days in Kildangan and can't wait to see what's in store for us over the next two years.” The 2025 – 2027 trainees: Luke O'Neill, Ireland Saad Saidi, Morocco Kitty Ashby, UK Tara Carroll, Ireland Adrian Redondo, Spain Jamie O'Connor, Ireland Mageswar Periasamy Vishakan, India Harry Winnard, UK Emma Dillon, Ireland Callum Jeffries, New Zealand Raphael McCall, UK Emma Hunter, Ireland The post 2025-2027 Godolphin Flying Start Roster Arrives at Kildangan Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit's (HIWU) “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 08/18/2025 Licensee: Anna Meah, trainer Penalty: A written Reprimand (per 9/26/23 HISA Guidance). Admission. Explainer: Vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (Gastrogard)—a Class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Trouble Ahead on 7/9/25. Date: 08/15/2025 Licensee: Agustin Gonzalez Jr., trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on August 16, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horses' Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. The following treated as one violation. Admission. Explainer: Medication violations for the presence of Lidocaine—a Class B controlled substance—in samples taken from C V Ronin Legacy, who finished second at Horseshoe Indianapolis on 6/19/25; from Skippinjustice, who finished second at Horseshoe Indianapolis on 6/24/25; and from Money War, who finished second in the William Garrett H. at Horseshoe Indianapolis on 7/4/25. Date: 08/15/2025 Licensee: Timothy Murphy, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horses' Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000 ($500 for each Controlled Medication Substance); imposition of 3 Penalty Points (1.5 Penalty Points for each Controlled Medication Substance). The following treated as one violation. Admission. Explainer: Medication violations for the presence of Phenylbutazone and Methocarbamol—both Class C controlled substances—in a sample taken from More Vino, who finished second at Finger Lakes on 5/12/25; and for the presence of Methocarbamol—a Class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Tacony Road, who won the George W. Barker Stakes at Finger Lakes on 5/26/25. Date: 08/15/2025 Licensee: Timothy Murphy, trainer Penalty: 7-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on August 16, 2025; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone—a Class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Lookin' Super, who finished fourth at Finger Lakes on 6/9/25. Pending ADMC Violations 08/20/2025, Michael Sabine, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—a Class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Flattery's Music, who finished second at Finger Lakes on 7/22/25. 08/20/2025, Kay Cooper, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone—a Class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Precise Timing, who won the Kent Stakes at Emerald Downs on 7/20/25. 08/20/2025, Jose Roberto Gonzalez, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Testosterone—a banned substance—in a sample taken from Ol' McClintock, who finished third at Horseshoe Indianapolis on 4/22/25. 08/15/2025, Tomas Medina, trainer: Pending medication violation for the use or attempted use of a Class C controlled substance on Night Kiss during the race period dated 7/5/25. Night Kiss did not make a start that day. 08/15/2025, Sergio Morfin, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—a Class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Lady Dosia, who finished sixth at Santa Anita on 6/12/25. 08/15/2025, William Robert Bailes, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone—a Class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Next Girl, who finished second at Laurel Park on 6/6/25. 08/14/2025, Ilias Tapsas, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine—a Class B controlled substance—in a sample taken from Modern Midas on 7/7/25. 08/14/2025, Jesus Nunez, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone—a Class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Erebus, who finished second at Los Alamitos on 7/6/25. 08/14/2025, Steve Asmussen, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Omeprazole (Gastrogard)—a Class C controlled substance—in a sample taken from Jackman on 6/20/25. 08/14/2025, Tianna Richardville, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methamphetamine—a banned substance—in a sample taken from R Guy Max, who finished third at Horseshoe Indianapolis on 5/15/25. Violations of Crop Rule Horseshoe Indianapolis Marcelino Pedroza – violation date August 14; $250 fine, one-day suspension The post National Regulatory Rulings, Aug. 14-20 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2026 G1 WS Cox Plate will be held at Flemington while Moonee Valley undergoes renovation, according to a joint release by Racing Victoria and the Moonee Valley Racing Club on Wednesday. “We believe that Flemington is the best location to maximise attendance, wagering and engagement with the meeting and we have confidence in the VRC's ability to present a high-quality track for Ladbrokes Cox Plate Day and the four-day Melbourne Cup Carnival that follows,” said RV CEO Aaron Morrison. “We thank the MVRC for their work in exploring various options for the 2026 Ladbrokes Cox Plate in light of The Valley's redevelopment and for tabling an informative recommendation for our board to consider and ultimately endorse. We thank all clubs and commercial partners that were involved in submitting bids to the MVRC and congratulate the VRC and their partners on a successful bid.” Moonee Valley is scheduled to re-open mid-2027 in time to host the 2027 Cox Plate. The post Flemington to Host 2026 G1 Cox Plate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

YORK, UK — What a day, or perhaps that should be, oh, what a Night. Fresh from providing the €3m top lot at Arqana on Monday, Night Of Thunder was by Wednesday ruling the Knavesmire, courtesy of his sons Ombudsman and Gewan. In Ombudsman, Godolphin and the Gosdens have the classic late improver, who set about his racing in the middle of last season and burst onto the Group 1 scene in impressive fashion at Royal Ascot. The narrowest of defeats in the Eclipse next time out did little to dent his allure and now the four-year-old colt has added to his résumé the Juddmonte International, the race which last year was judged to be the best in the world. Spend enough time at the sales and you might be fooled into believing that it's all about the money. Perhaps it is for some and, sure, it's what keeps the breeding world going round, but when a breeder, however commercial his mind may be, has just witnessed a horse he foaled and reared putting his name into serious contention for Horse of the Year honours, there is no doubting that this here, on the racecourse, is the only thing that matters. James Hanly was absent from Royal Ascot, briefly ducking out of father-of-the-bride duties at his daughter's Greek wedding to answer the phone to that pesky Brian Sheerin, looking for a quote or two on Ombudsman's Prince of Wales's Stakes victory. But the breeder made sure he was at the Knavesmire for the rematch with Delacroix, and there was no doubting the emotion in his voice when it came to trying to put words to what he had just witnessed. The drama of Ombudsman's runaway pacemaker Birr Castle was almost all too much for Hanly, as he saw the other Godolphin colt turn into the straight a country mile clear of the chasing pack. “Jesus, I thought we were beaten, and a pal of mine said, 'Well, these things happen.' I was walking away and they told me to come back,” he said. “That was the thrill of a lifetime. I just…I'm speechless.” Gathering his composure alongside Anthony Stroud, who bought Ombudsman for Godolphin, Hanly added, “But they [John and Thady Gosden] have just done such a good job in bringing him on slowly. They give them time. That's everything.” Stroud and Hanly go way back, and they often breed horses together in partnership with Trevor Stewart. Indeed, the trio could be represented in Thursday's Yorkshire Oaks by yet another Night Of Thunder improver, the four-year-old filly Estrange. Her appearance, however, will depend on a late decision over whether there is enough give in the ground. On the more precocious side is Gewan, the grey son of Night Of Thunder who is now two-for-two after winning the G3 Tattersalls Acomb Stakes in pleasingly determined fashion for Andrew Balding and Al Rabban Racing. The colt was bred by Overbury Stallions and Dukes Stud from the Lethal Force mare Grey Mystere, a juvenile winner herself in France. Gewan was bought at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale – the same sale from which Ombudsman had graduated two years earlier – for 100,000gns by Mick Murphy and Sarah O'Connell of Longways Stables. Acomb Stakes winner Gewan | Emma Berry Overbury Stud's Simon Sweeting, who owns a number of mares in partnership with Charlie Wyatt of Dukes Stud, said, “We bought Grey Mystere in France and she was in foal to Too Darn Hot. Then we sent her to Night Of Thunder and we got what we thought was a lovely colt but his x-rays weren't great, which is why he didn't make a tremendous amount of money last year. He went to the breeze-ups and then Andrew [Balding] bought him privately through Billy Jackson-Stops. But we always thought he was a lovely horse and we are delighted with what he has done this year.” Sweeting added, “The mare then had a Ghaiyyath colt last year which died over in Ireland, and she then had a late covering to Native Trail, so had a late foal by him, and she is empty this year. Typical story for a breeder – up and down – but we will be able to find a nice early covering for her next year.” For good measure, Night Of Thunder also had the third home in the Acomb, the €1.9m Arqana breezer Distant Storm, who had won on debut at Newmarket last month. These results follow a successful Saturday for the Darley stallion, when the Aga Khan Studs' Zahraan won the G3 Royal Whip Stakes at the Curragh and More Thunder took the G2 Hungerford Stakes at Newbury. Last Friday, the Sheikh Mohammed Obaid homebred Bow Echo earned a TDN Rising Star with an eye-catching debut victory at Newbury. Night Of Thunder is also the sire of this year's 1,000 Guineas winner Desert Flower, while in America he is responsible for the Grade 1-winning distaffers Choisya and Dynamic Pricing. The post ‘Thrill of a Lifetime’: Hanly Savours Moment as Ombudsman Storms the Knavesmire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ricky Gonzalez won the second grade 1 of his riding career Aug. 16 in guiding Velocity to an upset victory in the Del Mar Oaks (G1T). A panel of racing experts voted Gonzalez Jockey of the Week for Aug. 11-17.View the full article

For a long while in Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International Stakes, it looked as if we would have another pacemaker summer shock but ultimately the class of Godolphin's Prince of Wales's Stakes winner Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) told once again and common sense prevailed on the Knavesmire. Blessed with the best acceleration of the sextet, the Gosdens' 7-4 favourite was the first to claw back the operation's rabbit Birr Castle (Cloth Of Stars), who was proverbially in another district under Rab Havlin turning for home, and register a 3 1/2-length defeat of his Eclipse conqueror Delacroix (Dubawi). He was the only other runner able to get by the Andre Fabre-trained pacemaker, with half a length the margin between them at the line. “The idea was to run the pacemaker and the way he was going to be used would be determined by the way the race went,” William Buick said. “To be honest, Rab [Havlin] got the fractions spot-on on a proper Stakes horse, so I was thinking 'this is dangerous' and I had to cut the deficit myself. He then went again, which is a hard thing to do, but he has a great mind and is amazing. He's a beautiful horse to ride and we couldn't believe he got beaten in the Eclipse, but today he put it right.” John Gosden added, “Andre [Fabre] had said, if I lend you the horse make sure its like Goodwood! I thought it was dangerous two out, but all's well that end's well and our horse went into overdrive. This settles the Eclipse form and the obvious race is the Irish Champion–he is in the Arc, but I won't want to run on heavy ground as it would blunt his turn of foot. He's got tactical speed and the mile-and-a-half at Del Mar could work.” “It was a mess really,” Aidan O'Brien said of the runner-up. “When he sat in they started going slower and slower and he was in a pocket and the rest was history. We think he likes high-tempo races and hopefully this won't happen at Leopardstown.” Ombudsman strikes in a remarkable £1.3m Juddmonte International! @yorkracecourse pic.twitter.com/7Sr7ELnnQs — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 20, 2025 The post Gosden Hails Ombudsman’s ‘Overdrive’ As Juddmonte International Tactics Threaten To Implode appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article