Wandering Eyes

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE — By Monday, it was noticeably quieter around the sales pavilion. The weekenders had packed their bags and many of the Brits had started to make their way back across the Channel, heading north for the promise of four days of top-class racing at York. But, where it mattered, things were still pretty lively, and if you run an auction house, the only action you really want to see is in the ring. By lunchtime on the final day, six horses costing more than a million euros each had been added to the sale ledger – only two seven-figure lots had been logged throughout Saturday and Sunday. Suddenly, it was game on: a new record top price and a boost all round to the statistics. After what can best be described as an underwhelming August Sale at Arqana in 2024, this year the pace picked up and, in so doing, set new records for top price, average and turnover. It did take a while to hit stride but that was largely owing to the fact that, in an alphabetical catalogue, the offspring of the dams beginning with the letter P were scheduled to sell on Monday. The queen of the P section has for some time been Prudenzia. She's 20 now, but her advancing years have done nothing to deter the buyers of her stock; instead her runners have pushed up the prices of those who follow. Ever since Prudenzia's first foal Chicquita graced the ring in Deauville 14 years ago, the mare has provided something of a gold rush for Ecurie des Monceaux, who originally owned the daughter of Dansili with with her co-breeder Lady O'Reilly. That celebrated owner-breeder died two years ago, just as the August Sale was concluded, and she would doubtless be proud to see Monceaux continuing on its successful path, having played such an important role as a key partner in its evolution. For the 14th consecutive year, Monceaux was the leading consignor at the August Sale. A tip of the hat must also go to Haras des Capucines and Haras de Montaigu for providing the two most expensive colts of the sale – a €2.3m son of Wootton Bassett and a €2.25m Frankel colt. The latter, bred by Aliette Forien, is from the family of Rotina (Crystal Glitters), which also produced the 2017 Derby winner Wings Of Eagles (Pour Moi), a half-brother to the colt's dam Orendina (Siyouni). One can only imagine what bidding duels there may be when we get to Book 1 of the October Sale, but there were plenty of tasters at Arqana, where Godolphin, Coolmore and Amo Racing were the top three buyers, spending more than €17.5m between them on 16 yearlings. Amo Racing did not play at Arqana last year but Kia Joorabchian and his partners helped to supercharge the atmosphere in Newmarket when taking on Sheikh Mohammed for leading buyer honours at Tattersalls. The wide range of visitors to the sale – beyond Europe, there were buyers from America, Australia, Japan, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, China and Hong Kong – will doubtless have been grateful for the earlier finishes thanks to a smaller number catalogued for the evening sessions and an early start time of 11am for the Monday session. After all, half the charm of coming to Deauville is being able to sample some of the town's excellent restaurants. On that subject, there has been an apparent swing of custom away from the traditional gastronomic epicentre of Le Drakkar, with the nearby Les Planches and L'Instiution appearing to be the major beneficiaries from a change of focus for some. With the V.2 Sale still to come in Deauville on Wednesday, the European yearling sale season has started in far more ebullient fashion than last year. Prior to this week, there had been references to the strong trade in Saratoga. While this wasn't on a par with that extraordinary sale, this was still a strong return for Arqana and sets an encouraging tone as the focus switches to the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale and start of the action in Britain in just over a week's time. Prudenzia's August progeny sales: 2011 CHICQUITA (Montjeu) €600,000 – G1W 2012 Sinnamary (Galileo) €1,100,000 – winner, TDN Rising Star 2013 Truth (Galileo) €1,000,000 – placed 2014 Craven's Legend (Invincible Spirit) €1,100,000 – 2x winner 2016 MAGIC WAND (Galileo) €1,400,000 – G1W, 4x winner 2017 Je Ne Regrette Rien (Galileo) €950,000 – G3P, 2x winner 2018 Enemy (Muhaarar) €420,000 – G3P, 5x winner 2019 PHILOMENE (Dubawi) €1,625,000 – G3W, 2x winner, TDN Rising Star 2020 Gulliver's Travels (Galileo) €2,000,000, 2x winner 2024 Diamond Necklace (St Mark's Basilica) €1,700,000 – winner, TDN Rising Star 2025 Night Of Thunder filly €3,000,000 Total: €14,895,000 The post Arqana Reflections: P is for Prudenzia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When Andrew Schwarz and his sister Wendy Schwarz-Gilder decided to turn their longstanding enthusiasm for the Turf into a deeper commitment, in 2017, the option that best matched their outlook was a modest breeding program. If that meant taking their time, patiently building each page, so be it. All they knew was that they wanted to work with others of a similar disposition: people who gave time to each other, and to their horses. Schwarz, after all, is a real estate developer in New Orleans. “And in real estate, five years is nothing,” he says. “Everything takes forever. So I think I have the personality for doing things long-term. And, breeding, you measure everything in years, not months. From the time you select the stud to the time you actually have something hitting the racetrack, it's three full years. So, yes, you've got to be patient. And we don't have endless funds. So the idea was to build carefully; put together maybe 10 mares over, let's call it, a 10- or 15-year period.” On those terms, however, something has gone badly askew with their nascent operation. It has become an overnight success, threatening instant dividends. A nice problem to have, clearly. And, true to his temperate principles, Schwarz fully expects bumps in the road ahead. But there's no denying that they landed running when paying $275,000 for an unraced daughter of Blame named Spanish Star, only their second mare, at the 2020 Keeneland November Sale. Wendy Schwarz-Gilder with her brother Andrew Schwarz | courtesy of Andrew Schwarz She was six, in foal to Arrogate, and her value had rocketed since being fished out of the equivalent sale three years previously (by that remarkable prospector, Tommy Wente of St. Simon Place) for just $1,500–her half-brother Sir Winston (Awesome Again) having the previous year won the GI Belmont Stakes. “She's absolutely perfect, physically, if there's such a thing in a racehorse,” Schwarz says. “Just an outstanding specimen, and we had a good feeling already for Blame mares. Our concept was to get quality by concentrating on the physical, and the family. You can't have everything, so we concentrate more on those than on race record. And in those terms, she was a standout.” But while in no hurry, they found that things started to happen quickly. Spanish Star's first yearling, a son of Trappe Shot, sold for just $21,000 a few weeks previously, and was beaten only at the Breeders' Cup in his first five starts, winning three stakes. One Timer has since added a Grade II on turf. Meanwhile, Spanish Star's Arrogate foal turned out to be a filly, and Schwarz and his sister decided to retain her for their program. They named her Just Basking, and sent her to Ian Wilkes. Last summer she romped in the Iowa Oaks, earning a crack at the GI Alabama Stakes where she was beaten barely a length into third. “I always said, when we decided on more of a breeding operation, that I had only one goal for the racetrack,” Schwarz says. “And that was someday to have a filly in the Alabama. My mother's family is from Vermont and we would go down to Saratoga every year. And, like everyone else, we fell in love with it. So, knowing that we were only ever going to be racing fillies, for me the ultimate filly race isn't the Kentucky Oaks. Having seen so many, through the years, it was the Alabama. And amazingly enough, it happened–and she ran really well, might have had a shot with a little better racing luck.” The dream will duly have to be upgraded, to winning next time. Just Basking herself, incidentally, is on her way back after a setback, with the Keeneland fall meet a potential target. But meanwhile Saratoga has this summer yielded another great day. Kilwin working at the Spa | Sarah Andrew After delivering Just Basking, Spanish Star was sent for her first cover as a Schwarz-Gilder mare to Twirling Candy. The resulting filly was sold to BBN Racing at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale and went on to win her first two starts as a juvenile, both on turf: an Ellis Park maiden and then the Untapable Stakes at Kentucky Downs. And this summer she has reached new heights, adding a black-type prize on dirt at Churchill and now the GI Test Stakes. For her name, of course, is Kilwin–and her Grade I update will make Hip 518, Spanish Star's daughter by Flightline, one of the potential stars of the forthcoming September Sale. “It's been amazing,” Schwarz marvels. “First One Timer comes to life. Then the filly we kept runs in the Alabama; and the one we sold wins the Test. Obviously we're glad Kilwin is doing so well, we can only keep so many and she's working for the mare all the time. Now we have the Flightline. Of course, for a breeder, there's always a Plan B. Ian Wilkes went out to look at her, a couple months ago, and he certainly wants us to hold onto her! He'd be setting a very high reserve. We'll have to see. But she's really beautiful, a May foal so still growing, but she has everything you'd want in a yearling.” With a Cody's Wish filly on the ground, Spanish Star has naturally been sent back to Twirling Candy. “You can see that we've been trying to strike a balance between known quantities and then some of the new stallions that tend to sell well,” Schwarz explains. “It's part of the strategy, to do a bit of both. But we think Twirling Candy tremendous value, for a stallion doing what he is, and all being well we will end up with a sibling to Kilwin.” In these and all other decisions, Schwarz emphasizes his debt to Pope McLean Jr. and his family at Crestwood, who host the entire operation from foaling to consignment. Meeting McClean was unmistakably a pivotal moment in the evolution of this program–and it was also one of apt provenance. “My sister and I grew up going to the Fair Grounds,” Schwarz explains. “We also had a farm in Mississippi, growing up, so one way or another we were always around horses. But I always loved that saying: 'When you go to the racetrack for the first time, you see one of two things: you either see animals running in circles, or you see something else.' And my sister and I have always just seen something else. Twirling Candy | Lane's End “Anyway, Pope's wife is from New Orleans. I knew her brothers and sisters, and we had friends of friends in town. So that's how Pope and I crossed paths, and we hit it off immediately. Everyone knows what Crestwood is about: they're horse people, quality people, family people. And it was the same, natural fit with Ian as trainer. He and his wife had long been friends with my sister. And again, we're talking about a real horseman. So you can see the combination of horsemen, friends and family. I guess that's kind of our secret sauce. We're all friends, a lot of us are family–and we're all horsemen at heart.” With all that in mind, there is zero danger of Schwarz getting ahead of himself. The program still only comprises four mares, with Just Basking eventually to join them. The only one acquired before Spanish Star was All Night Party, a half-sister–actually by One Timer's sire Trappe Shot–to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Ria Antonia (Rockport Harbor). She has made short work of her $180,000 tag at the 2017 November Sale, banking $400,000 apiece for fillies by Liam's Map and Omaha Beach at consecutive September Sales. Her daughter by More Than Ready has meanwhile been retained to breed. Most recently, meanwhile, Hurley (Mucho Macho Man)–a modest runner out of dual Grade II winner Rite Moment (Vicar)–cleared her $150,000 cost at the 2022 November Sale at the first attempt: the Ghostzapper colt she was carrying in utero realized $285,000 last September. So it is not just Spanish Star who has been piling coal into the engine. On the face of it, it might seem paradoxical that a program predicated on such restrained principles, by no means immune from sentiment, should be firing on all cylinders commercially. But maybe there's a lesson there for those who are in rather more of a hurry. “We'd been talking about wanting to do something like this for so many years,” Schwarz reflects. “So when we finally got the opportunity, we've been so lucky that the whole family feels part of it also. My sister and I might be the ones out front, making decisions, but everyone gets involved: my daughters, our other siblings, our parents, our in-laws. It's one big family operation, and it couldn't be more rewarding.” Pope McLean Jr. | Sarah Andrew Sure enough, while unable to make it to Saratoga, the Test still proved a memorable occasion for the clan. “We had other family events that weekend so couldn't go,” Schwarz says. “But the entire family watched it at our lake house in Wisconsin, I think there were 15 of us. And of course, we thought the race was over after one second [when Kilwin stumbled leaving the gate], so we were all disappointed that we'd made such a big deal about it. And then of course the screaming and yelling, as Kilwin comes down the stretch, was crazy.” It all dovetails: the connection is not just between families, but between upbringings. “I think family's always been very important and I hope that is what we're all about,” Schwarz says. “We never thought there was anything unusual about a brother and sister doing this together, until people started telling us so. But it certainly does make everything more special. It's no coincidence that we've ended up with Pope and his family operation. These are people with integrity. People who are realistic and patient. That doesn't mean the pace has to be slow. But we've surrounded ourselves with the best horsemen in the business, who can gradually help us build–without ever putting anything ahead of the horse. “It's already more than I could ever have asked for. I guess sometimes if you put yourself in the right place, you can get a little lucky. And even though we've had early success, we're trying to keep everything under wraps and stay focused on our strategy. Again, Pope and I are eye-to-eye on that. No-one's trying to do anything overnight. When we started, I gave Pope a little business plan, just a page, and the first bullet point was: family fun. So, in those terms, we've certainly exceeded anything I could have hoped for. It's just a dream come true.” The post Breeder Spotlight, Presented By Keeneland: All About Family For Kilwin’s Breeders appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry DEAUVILLE, FRANCE – Shattering a record set a decade ago, a Night Of Thunder colt out of the Ecurie des Monceaux blue hen Prudenzia (Dansili) was sold for €3 million to Amo Racing and was one of six seven-figure transactions on the final day of the Arqana August. There were eight across the sale as a whole. Such a lively last session ensured that the figures were well beyond those of a relatively quiet edition of the sale in 2024. The €266,576 average was not only up by 22% on last year but represented an all-time record as did the €57,847,000 turnover which was up by 18% on last year. The clearance rate rested at 80% which was up by 2% on last year while the median was by €30,000 to €170,000. It was bloodstock agent Alex Elliott who signed for the record-breaking top lot on behalf of Kia Joorabchian's Amo Racing, which famously took the yearling market in Europe by storm last year and continued that momentum in a big way at Arqana this week. “For somebody like Kia, we're trying to create a dynasty, I suppose, and you've got to start with those types of horses,” Elliott explained after eclipsing the previous record of €2.6m that was set by John Ferguson at this sale for this filly's close relation Parabellum. Elliott continued, “If she never races, she's a collector's item. It's a well-used term but she is a collector's item. She's got a great body for a filly out of a mare of that age and her sister [Diamond Necklace] was a TDN Rising Star last week. The mare is still doing it, even though she is a good age. We've bought into one of the greatest families there is. She doesn't take much explaining. We'll take her home but I'd imagine she'll be one for Kevin Philippart de Foy at Freemason Lodge.” Elliott went on to sign for a Lope De Vega colt for €850,000 from Haras du Cadran before topping out Amo Racing's spend at €4.95 million on another Night Of Thunder filly – this time from Etreham – for €900,000 and a €200,000 Wootton Bassett colt from Haras de la Louviere. Speaking after landing the Lope De Vega, Elliott provided some insight into Amo Racing's buying strategy, and said, “You wouldn't describe Almanzor as being an elite stallion but the mare [Queen Trezy] is by him and she was a very good racemare. It's a wonderful pedigree and I just thought he had a must have sticker on him. Thank God Kia was brave, I love that colt.” Asked if had ever witnessed a stronger edition of the August Yearling Sale at Arqana, Elliott responded, “No, but that's the game we're in. The top is very thin but, when you are there, it's very strong. There are a lot of players who want to be there. The way the business is gone, it's all about the elite. It's all about the top. And when you want to get a horse at that level, you are going to have to pay for them. There are some superpowers in the game right now. You'd worry about the middle and the bottom as there is not a lot there. But if you want to be in the top, you've got to put the head down and that's what everyone is doing. There's no point fighting soft. You've got to fight hard.” Godolphin End Sale As Leading Buyers Anthony Stroud hinted that the majority of Godolphin's business would be done on Monday and, true to his word, the powerhouse bloodstock agent set raised the temperature almost single-handedly when spending €4.25 million on two separate lots within the space of just a few minutes early on in the session. Godolphin spent €5,950,000 on five yearlings on Monday, bringing the total outlay at the August Sale to €8,050,000 for eight lots. The day three spending spree was kick-started by a €2.35 million Frankel colt from the family of Derby winner Wings Of Eagles and consigned by Haras de Montaigu. “The horses today are strong,” Stroud rightly summed up. “There are a number of horses who should sell very well. I think today is the strongest day. A very good easy-moving horse, he has good conformation and is obviously by Frankel out of a Siyouni mare, which is a good cross. He was one of our picks of the day. It's like everything else – your first impression [of a horse] is what counts. Without doubt.” Asked if the Frankel colt could be a potential Derby horse in time, he replied, “We're all dreaming about that. That's why we're here and that's why our boss does this. We're wanting to get to that level, winning those races – the Derbys, the Arcs and whatever.” Both Juddmonte and Ed Sackville, bidding on behalf of Simon Sadler, were involved in the running for the Frankel colt, with the latter filling the runner-up spot. Stroud continued, “He [Simon Sadler] very kindly gave me a lift to the taxi yesterday. I didn't know who he was. We had a very pleasant conversation but I didn't realise we would be bidding against each other quite so early in the morning!” The dam of the Frankel colt, Orendina (Siyouni), is understood to have a Kingman foal at foot and is back in foal to the Juddmonte stallion. Haras de Montaigu's Sybille Gibson said, “He comes from an incredible family. We were expecting something big, but not this big, definitely. This is beyond dreams. This is absolutely incredible.” No sooner had Stroud finished his debrief with the media, he followed up with buying a Dubawi filly out of Group 3 winner Paix (Muhaarar) for €2 million. A series of timely updates surely contributed to that sum given the Dubawi filly's brother Parachutiste won a Listed race at Clairefontaine on Saturday. On top of that, Skydance, the two-year-old half-sister by Night Of Thunder, filled the placings in a Group 2 and Group 3 respectively this season. “Dubawi has been an extraordinary stallion for our organisation,” Stroud said. “It's rare to see fillies of such quality come up for sale, so you have to seize the opportunity. We're very lucky to have him.” 'Best Day In The Business' For Rimaud Credit to William Rimaud, farm manager at Haras de la Perelle, as he predicted big things for his Camelot colt [191] in the TDN consignor Q&A during the build-up to this sale. But selling the horse for a cool €1.2 million to Coolmore exceeded the 33-year-old's wildest aspirations for the homebred. Rimaud, who is the son of Georges, former boss of the French division of the Aga Khan Studs, was left visibly shaking with emotion following the seven-figure sale which he said represented his greatest day in the bloodstock business by far. Speaking from the restaurant behind the rostrum at Arqana, where Rimaud sprinted to in order to embrace his Haras de la Perelle bosses, he beamed, “It's great, it's awesome! The TDN kind of wrote it already this week! It feels amazing. We always knew he was nice and thought he would do well but, man, this is the top price for me and it just feels good.” He continued, “It feels like the job was well done and hopefully the horse will do great. There is no reason he won't. We really thought he'd do well but we didn't think we could get more than a million for a Camelot. I don't know if many Camelots have sold for that price before or not. It's definitely my best day in the game. By far. We will try to have more of these days in the future, for sure.” MV Magnier signed for the Camelot colt, from the family of Pensee Du Jour, who is by the same sire, alongside White Birch Farm and commented, “He's a lovely horse and it seems like Camelot does pretty well with mares from the Giant's Causeway line. “He's having a very good year again this year and we have a couple of very good two-year-olds by him in Ballydoyle. Godolphin ran a good horse by him there the other day too [Del Maro], so the stallion's flying. He's very capable of getting a good horse so let's hope this fella is one of them.” Talking Points Kieran Lalor admitted to banging his head against a brick wall on some of the millionaire lots earlier in the session. But good things come to those who wait and Lalor, bidding on behalf of Al Shira'aa Racing from his favourite spot in the restaurant behind the rostrum, went to €1.2 million for a Monceaux-consigned Wootton Bassett half-sister to Listed winner and Group 2-placed Audubon Park (Dubawi). Lalor said, “Wootton Bassett is the best sire in the world at the moment. He's on a roll. It's a family we love and obviously Rumi is at the bottom of the page. She's a real Classic-looking filly and hopefully our luck can continue with Monceaux. She was one on our shortlist today and we tried hard on the Dubawi filly and the Zarak half-sister to Vespertilio earlier. They obviously made plenty of money and I'm delighted for them. Business has been good today. This is only the mare's third foal so there's plenty more to come.” The millionaire lots just kept on coming and Lordship Stud, signing under One Agency, went to €1.1 million on a Zarak half-sister to Group 1-placed Vespertilio (Night Of Thunder) from Monceaux. Lot 205 is out of a full-sister to Prudenzia and is therefore from the family of Magic Wand and Chicquita. Lordship Stud's Tom Harris said, “She's going to go to Francis Graffard. It's an amazing family, beautifully cultivated by our good friend Henri Bozo. Over time we've been looking to buy something from this family and we loved this filly. We're delighted to get her. We've been partners with Monceaux for many years, they do a fantastic job.” Owner-breeder Craig Bernick got stuck in at Arqana and came home with three long-term broodmare prospects through bloodstock agent Hubie de Burgh for a combined €1.26 million. The most expensive of the trio came on Monday when the buying team came down on a Siyouni filly from Monceaux at €750,000. De Burgh commented, “The prize-money and the bonuses are so good in France that the obvious place for this filly to be trained is France and she will go to Francis Graffard. Craig is right in his view that, when you try to buy mares at public auction in December, it's impossible. Your only chance is to buy the fillies from the big families as yearlings and, if they are good enough to become stakes fillies, you have something that you couldn't buy in December. We're playing the long game.” Baaeed put in a pretty solid debut performance at the European yearling sale circuit with four lots selling for a total €1.53 million and an average of €382,500. Frankel ended the sale as the undisputed top dog with three horses selling for the highest average of €1,033,333, however, Wootton Bassett was the only stallion who managed to have two yearlings clear seven figures. Anyone who wanted to view the Monceaux draft over the past few days at Arqana needed to book a time slot in advance. That's how popular and how busy Henri Bozo's horses have become and it showed once again in the results with Monceaux ending the sale as by far the most successful vendor with 36 lots sold for €17,455,000. You've got to say that Bozo's loyalty to Arqana has been paid off in spades this week. Despite the record trade, many breeze-up handlers managed to get up and running for the season. Brendan Holland, Johnny Hassett, Ellie Whitaker, Mark Grant and Cormac Farrell were just some of the names who managed to get in on the action. Farrell was the busiest and spent €365,000 on three lots, including a filly and a colt by Night Of Thunder. There were a couple of good pinhooking results on Monday, notably with lot 266, a Havana Grey filly who was transformed from a 58,000gns foal to a €145,000 yearling and lot 300, a Churchill filly who more or less doubled her money at €55,000. Such results are not to be sniffed at but it wasn't exactly smooth sailing for pinhookers on the whole this week and the swashbuckling results were few and far between. The post Amo Racing Smashes Arqana August Sale Record On €3m Night Of Thunder Filly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

DEAUVILLE, FRANCE–Americans' plans for the Arqana sale were understandably shaken up when U.S. President Donald Trump made good on his threat to impose tariffs on the European Union and others in early August, meaning that French-bred horses purchased here-like all French products imported to America–would be subject to a 15% surcharge when they are brought back into America. Several buyers are deciding to break, train and race their horses in Europe instead, while others will brave the fee and come back to the U.S. On the final day of the strong Arqana August sale, we took a poll of American buyers to see who would stay and who would go. Justin Casse picked up lot 30, a Wootton Bassett colt for €300,000; and lot 138, a Sea the Moon colt for€105,000. Neither will come to America; both will go into training with Joseph O'Brien in Ireland. Deuce Greathouse is also leaning towards keeping his Mehmas (lot 38, €120,000) here to race. She was purchased for a new group of American buyers. Ben Gowans purchased lot 56, an Acclamation filly for €240,000 and lot 139, a St. Mark's Basilica colt for €180,000, both for owner Mark Grier. “They are going back to America,” he said. “Arnaud Delacour will train them.” The pair had an Arqana-to-America success at Saratoga last week when a filly they bought here for €340,000 in 2023, Evershed (Churchill) ran second in the GI Saratoga Oaks. “I'm very happy with the horses we bought,” said Gowans. “I think we fell in a sweet spot in the area we were shopping. The top end has obviously been exceptionally strong and it has brought the numbers up, but I think there was plenty of opportunity to buy very nice horses this week for a reasonable amount of money.” Ramiro Restrepo's Marquee Bloodstock struck for just one, lot 147, a Baaeed filly out of out of a Night of Thunder Listed-placed mare from the Moanmore Stables consignment, and while he came away from the sale happy with what he got, he said that we would not be seeing her in America. “She was the most Baaeed-looking Baaeed in the sale,” said Restrepo. “She will definitely be staying in France. We are so, so thrilled. My clients and partners are over the moon.” As Mike Repole revealed on Sunday, his Dubawi filly will be headed to Italy to train at Endo Botti's training centre in Pisa, where she will be broken and pre-trained by Botti. She joins a trio of homebred colts who Repole sent over to Italy on Sunday as well. They include a yearling by Masar ex Ickworth by Shamardal; Bolt d'OroMo ex Shopping by Uncle Mo; and Kendargent exTempel by Deep Impact. Repole is the son of two Italian immigrants, and grew up in Middle Village in Queens, New York. He said that he takes one trip a year to Italy and joked that the horses would give him an excuse to go more often. Botti trains at his Endo Botti Galoppo stable in Pisa in conjunction with Cristiana Brivio, whose great-grandfather built the facility in the early 1900s. It boasts a private training track. On the final day of the sale, Repole also picked up lot 242, a Night Of Thunder filly, for €300,000. As of late Monday, plans for the filly were still undetermined. Repole's agents on the ground, Solis/Litt Bloodstock, also signed for lot 192, a filly by Wootton Bassett for €250,000 who will stay in Europe. She was purchased for the American outfit LNJ Bloodstock, and will be sent to Christopher Head. Kenny McPeek picked up a trio of fillies, all of which will eventually end up in America, and McPeek made it clear that this wouldn't be his last trip to Arqana. “This is I think the fourth time I've attended this sale,” said McPeek. “It's a great trip and I invite all of my clients to come, and I had several take me up on it this year.” Those included Mystik Dan co-owners Lance Gasaway and his wife B.J. “Historically, I've bought eight yearlings here, and I have three stakes winners from them. This year, we knocked down three fillies, a Wootton Bassett (lot 63, for €160,000), a Zarak (176, for €110,000), and a Showcasing (lot 114, for €220,000). All of these horses will be raced in America. We may pre-train here and then send them to the United States later, and they're probably going to be Magdalena Racing partnerships. So we'll give some people out there an opportunity to buy into them. I'm strictly a yearling buyer. I love coming to this sale. I'll attend Tattersalls (October) and Goffs, and obviously Keeneland (September) and Fasig-Tipton (October) and that will wrap up my sales season.” Mike Akers went to €300,000 to get lot 182, No Nay Never filly, for Bregman Family Racing, and she will head back to the U.S., according to Alex Bregman, the third baseman for the Boston Red Sox who is having one of the best years of his career playing for his new team.Texting from Massachusetts where his team will play the Baltimore Orioles tonight, he said, “Her plans are to come to the United States and join our team of fillies and hopefully be a broodmare for us one day after a great career on the track.” Akers said that kind of positive attitude is a trademark of Bregman's, and he continues to shop globally to build a broodmare band with the aim of being in the business a long time. Bregman currently has seven broodmares, six of which are in foal. He will sell yearlings at Keeneland September. “We have had good luck over there,” said Akers, pointing out the purchase of No Nay Mets at this sale in 2022 for €180,000. They resold him less than a year later for £800,000 at Goffs London after he won the Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes at Gulfstream in his debut, earning a Royal Ascot berth. On the field or in the sales ring, Bregman shows a tenacity that even a tariff can't hold down, as did Americans across the board at the sale. Time and again, the market's resilience has been tested-whether it be by a global pandemic or a global tax–but in the end, the buyers have found a way to continue to do what they love. Said Akers, “It's really fun to see guys like that have success in our business.” The post Americans at Arqana: Should I Stay Or Should I Go Now? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 41st Asian Racing Conference (ARC) will be held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in February alongside the Saudi Cup meeting. The theme will be “Honouring Tradition – Shaping The Future” and the Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) and the Asian Racing Federation (ARF) will welcome international delegates from February 9-14 at the Crowne Plaza Riyadh RDC Hotel & Convention Centre. Delegates will be able to attend the 2026 G1 Saudi Cup on February 14. The ARC Business Programme will feature a number of plenary sessions designed to address current and emerging challenges and opportunities for racing from Tuesday, February 10 to Thursday, February 12. Early bird tickets for the ARC are priced at $1,200 and available until October 16. For more information on the ARC, please visit the ARC website and for details on the 2026 Saudi Cup, go to the JCSA website. The post Asian Racing Conference Set For Riyadh In February appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

John Sheridan has been appointed the new general manager of Fairyhouse Racecourse, Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) announced on Monday. Previously part of Vodofone Ireland where he was a commercial lead for the consumer prepay division, Sheridan also worked with Ladbrokes International's Betdaq. Sheridan was most recently the marketing manager of Showjumping Ireland for the last five years. Paul Dermody, CEO of HRI Racecourses, said, “I am delighted to welcome John Sheridan to the role of general manager at Fairyhouse Racecourse. John joins us at an exciting time for the racecourse team with interest in our flagship festivals increasing and an ever-growing list of race day and non-race day events demonstrating the popularity and appeal of the venue. “John will lead our engagement with the local community, commercial partners, tenants and industry stakeholders to drive Fairyhouse Racecourse on in a collaborative and sustainable way.” The post John Sheridan Named New General Manager Of Fairyhouse appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Group 1 winner Power Blue is aiming toward the seven-furlong G1 Goffs Vincent O'Brien National Stakes next month, according to trainer Adrian Murray. The son of Space Blues ran second in the G3 Marble Hill Stakes in May before a fifth-place run at Royal Ascot in the G2 Coventry Stakes. Back in the frame with a third in the G2 Railway Stakes to True Love (No Nay Never) at the Curragh in July, the colt defeated that filly in the Phoenix Stakes earlier this month. “I'm looking forward to the National Stakes with Power Blue and stepping up a furlong might even suit him better,” said Murray, who confirmed that Group 1 scorer Bucanero Fuerte (Wootton Bassett) will run on the same card in the G1 Flying Five Stakes after his win in the G3 Phoenix Sprint. “You would have to be looking at him being a possible Guineas horse and he would be entitled to be entered for those races. “It will all depend on how he progresses from two to three but he's done nothing but improve and he's always been competitive, even when he has been beaten. Win or lose, he always shows up on the day and he ran a blinder the other day. “His form is top-drawer stuff and he's proving he's a top-drawer horse.” The post Power Blue Handed National Test appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Surprise G1 Sussex Stakes hero Qirat (Showcasing) has been supplemented for the G1 Sky Bet City Of York Stakes this coming Saturday. The Juddmonte runner, supplemented for £40,000, will face the rerouted multiple Group 1 winner Rosallion (Blue Point) in the newly promoted Group 1. Trained by Ralph Beckett, Qirat was 150-1 in the Sussex. “It looks the right race for him and Ralph felt strongly about it,” said Barry Mahon, racing manager for Juddmonte. “The owners are happy to go along with it, he showed plenty of pace in the Sussex and while a mile is his optimum, I don't think he'll have any problem dropping back to seven.” Rosallion lost out in a photo to Qirat in the Sussex and joined the City Of York field due to a small training setback. Mahon said, “It looks like we could meet Rosallion again and we know he's a top-class horse, but he obviously had a little issue last week which stopped him from running in France. We're looking forward to taking him on again and hopefully we'll be able to maintain our position from Goodwood.” Others signed on to the City Of York include Group 3 winner Seagulls Eleven (Galileo Gold), who was also supplemented; Andrew Balding's Never So Brave (No Nay Never), a winner of the G2 Summer Mile; and G3 Prix Paul de Moussac hero Maranoa Charlie (Wootton Bassett) for trainer Christopher Head. The 13-horse field includes the 2024 G1 Locking Stakes hero Audience (Iffraaj) for John and Thady Gosden. On the City of York undercard a dozen horses go forward for the G3 Sky Bet Strensall Stakes, among them Harry Charlton's King's Gambit (Saxon Warrior), who was third in the Listed Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot in June. Andrew Balding's Fox Legacy (Lope De Vega) is entered, as is Charlie Appleby's First Conquest (Teofilo), who won the G3 Dubai Millennium Stakes at Meydan in January. The post Qirat Supplemented To Take On Rosallion At York appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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Hollie Doyle's tenure as retained rider for Imad Al Sagar's Blue Diamond Stud has ended. Champion jockey Oisin Murphy will become the new first-call rider for the operation. The best runner ridden by Doyle in the Al Sagar silks was undoubtedly the G1 Prix de Diane-winning Nashwa (Frankel), who also landed top-flight scores in the Nassau Stakes and Falmouth Stakes with Doyle aboard. Said Al Sagar's racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe, “We're keen to stress that we have had a fantastic relationship with Hollie throughout, and we hope that will continue for many years to come in different forms. “There are, however, moments when it is time for a change and Imad felt this was the right time to move on. We will now use Oisin, when available, in the absence of Hollie.” The post Oisin Murphy Replaces Hollie Doyle As Retained Rider For Imad Al Sagar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The mare who never misses, Prudenzia once again had her name in lights at Arqana as her daughter by Night Of Thunder (lot 206) shot straight to the top of the leader board after being bought for €3 million by Amo Racing from Ecurie des Monceaux. “It's a well-used term but she is a collector's item,” said Alex Elliott after signing the ticket on the new owner's behalf. “She's got a great body for a filly out of a mare of that age and her sister [Diamond Necklace] was a TDN Rising Star last week. The mare is still doing it, even though she is a good age. We've bought into one of the greatest families there is.” Prudenzia, now 20, is the dam of five black-type horses led by G1 Irish Oaks winner Chicquita (Montjeu) and G1 Mackinnon Stakes winner Magic Wand (Galileo), both of whom are now stakes producers themselves. Her two-year-old Diamond Necklace (St Mark's Basilica) topped last year's August Sale at €1.7m – a price which has already been surpassed by four yearlings at Arqana so far this year. The post Prudenzia Lights Up Arqana Ring Again Via €3m Night Of Thunder Colt For Amo Racing appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Coolmore's G1 Eclipse hero Delacroix (Dubawi) will renew rivalry with Godolphin's Sandown runner-up Ombudsman (Night Of Thunder) and is one of six runners booked for Wednesday's G1 Juddmonte International Stakes at York after three of nine overnight contenders were scratched from the extended 10-furlong contest at Monday morning's declaration stage. The former will attempt to provide Aidan O'Brien with a record-extending eighth renewal from stall three, while Ombudsman bids to regain the winning thread from stall five. Godolphin is also represented by the Andre Fabre-trained £85,000 supplementary entry Birr Castle (Cloth Of Stars), who will act as Ombudsman's pacemaker under Robert Havlin from stall six. Danox Company's Shogo Yasuda-trained G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Darby) hero Danon Decile (Epiphaneia), who was last seen accounting for this contest's 2024 runner-up Calandagan (Gleneagles) and Rebel's Romance (Dubawi) in May's G1 Dubai Sheema Classic, is the latest of Japan's midsummer raiding party on deck and will depart from stall four with veteran rider Keita Tosaki in the plate. The Aga Khan Studs' G2 Prix Eugene Adam victor Daryz (Sea The Stars), representing Francis Graffard, will bid to go one better than his aforementioned stablemate Calandagan and has been allocated stall one. Mickael Barzalona once again takes the ride. May's course-and-distance G2 Middleton Stakes victrix See The Fire (Sea The Stars), drawn in stall two, will become the first distaffer to prevail since her dam Arabian Queen (Dubawi) delivered a 50-1 shock in 2015. Dual Derby hero Lambourn (Australia), who instead targets Wednesday's G2 Great Voltigeur, G1 Irish Oaks heroine Whirl (Wootton Bassett) and G1 Prince Of Wales's runner-up Anmaat (Awtaad), are the three absentees. The post Delacroix and Ombudsman Renew Rivalry in York’s G1 Juddmonte International; Six Declared for Wednesday Feature appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In a continued flurry of high-priced activity in the ring at Arqana, the third seven-figure yearling of the morning session was knocked down at €1.2 million to MV Magnier and White Birch Farm. The colt by Camelot (lot 191) is out of the winning Lope De Vega mare Peinture Secret and was consigned by Haras de la Perelle as lot 191. His dam is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner Pensee Du Jour, who is also by Camelot, and to Group 3 winner Canvassed. The third dam Peinture Bleue produced the record-breaking Arc winner and sire Peintre Celebre. The post Coolmore and White Birch Pay €1.2m for Perelle’s Camelot Colt appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There have been some good recent updates for the family of Paix (Muhaarar) and her Dubawi yearling (lot 181) provided another, albeit in the ring, when selling for €2 million to Anthony Stroud during the final session of the Arqana August Sale. It was the second seven-figure yearling signed for in a matter of minutes by the agent, who was acting on behalf of Godolphin, after the purchase of Haras de Montaigu's Frankel colt for €2.25 million. The Dubawi filly was offered by Ecurie des Monceaux and is a three-parts-sister to the Group 3-placed juvenile Skydance (Night Of Thunder). Her first two dams are both Group 3 winners and the further family includes Prudenzia, the dam of Group 1 winners Chicquita and Magic Wand. She is the fourth million-plus yearling of the sale so far. The post Godophin Strike Again For €2m Dubawi Filly at Arqana appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It didn't take long for the action to heat up again during the final session of Arqana's August Sale, with Anthony Stroud going to €2.25 million to secure a colt by Frankel from the Haras de Montaigu draft on behalf of Godolphin. Offered as lot 178, the colt is out of Orendina, a Listed-winning half-sister to the Derby winner Wings Of Eagles (Pour Moi), and was bred by Aliette Forien. The post Montaigu’s Frankel Colt Sells For €2.25m to Godolphin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Trustees of Stable to Stirrup have decided it’s time to close the paddock gate for the last time. The Trust would like to thank everyone for their support over the last six years while we’ve supported the industry to get to a more robust, sustainable rehoming and life after racing environment. To see the official release click here View the full article

Specially-made merchandise for the up-coming World Driving Championship is now available for purchase. Ten drivers from all the globe, including our very own Blair Orange, will compete in 20 heats at Kaikoura, Addington, Cambridge and Winton in November. It will be the first time that this country has been the sole host of the event. The final heat (and the crowning of the world champion) will be held on racing’s biggest stage, IRT New Zealand Cup day at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11. A range of merchandise has been produced to mark WDC25. It includes pins, caps, hoodies and T shirts. The range available is: Tee Shirt Polo Hoodie Vest Pin Cap Colours for the tops are grey and navy while the caps are white. To check out the range and other related news go to the World Driving Championship’s dedicated website : wdc25.nz Any merchandise can either be posted or picked up from HRNZ’s offices in Christchurch. View the full article

Applications are now open for anyone wanting to get involved in Addington Raceway’s two Show Day slot races. The two $500,000 races – the Majestic Horsefloats LP The Ascent and the Hill, Lee and Scott The Velocity – will both be held on Friday, November 15. The process to find slot-holders for the two Listed races started last month with the 20 involved in last year’s races given the first option to get involved this year as well. “There’s been strong interest and great support from last year’s slot-holders,” says Slot race Club co-ordinator Greg O’Connor. “Not surprisingly we have fielded a number of calls from Australia as they have realised they can be part of Cup Week and then race in either the Derby or Oaks for either gait the following week. This makes it a very attractive proposition.” Last year gun Australian trotter Keayang Zahara dominated the first ever running of The Ascent while Better Knuckle Up took out the Velocity. The process now shifts to Stage 2. It’s for people not involved last year who want to purchase a slot this year. “Slot races are still new ground for many but with The Race by betcha and the TAB Trot at Cambridge and with last year’s races at Addington people are getting a better understanding how they work,” says O’Connor. Applications for both The Ascent and The Velocity can be made until Friday, August 29 at 4pm. “This follows the same timeline as last year giving everybody a fair opportunity of being part of this unique experience.” For anyone wanting more information on purchasing a slot this year email greg@addington.co.nz View the full article

By Michael Guerin The early favourite for Friday night’s Allied Security Maurice Holmes Vase at Addington will miss the race. Alta Meteor would have been perfectly placed in the Group 3 after beating many of his race rivals off a 30m handicap when returning to racing at Addington 11 days ago. But co-trainer Steve Telfer says a minor issue will keep Alta Meteor from taking his place in this Friday’s automatic qualifier for the IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup, which has a maximum back mark of 10m. “He came through that win well but a few days later he picked up a bug,” explains Telfer. “It was nothing too serious but he needed antibiotics and missed a bit of work. “We could have pushed him to get him ready for this week but we didn’t need to. “So he will head to the races in two weeks instead. That is the beauty of having him up and running early, this won’t affect his New Zealand Cup preparation at all.” The Maurice Holmes is set to see those who finished behind Alta Meteor last start including Franco Marek, American Me and Mo’unga return for another crack this Friday while an interesting open class newcomer in the nominations is Bazooka for trainer Steven Reid. View the full article

By Michael Guerin New Zealand’s best performed pacer of 2025 is going to keep us waiting. Because Republican Party may not be seen back on the racetrack until October. Co-trainer Cran Dalgety revealed the surprising plan to HRNZ today, saying the Auckland Cup and multiple Group 1 winner is on a three-race preparation for the $1m IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup on Tuesday, November 11. “He has come up great and looks fantastic,” says Dalgety. “But he is still about three weeks away from trialing. “We are looking at starting back at the races in early October and then heading to the Flying Stakes at Ashburton. “We can then probably have one more run before the Cup and then it is all on.” Dalgety says the slightly later return has come about for two reasons. “The open class season for these really top horses is so busy these days once they are up and running there really is no break. “Once he goes to the Cup he can head to the Free-For-All, Invercargill Cup, Auckland Cup and then there are a whole lot of big races in Victoria before the Miracle Mile carnival. “Then it is back here for the Race by Betcha and the Alexandra Park races. “I am not saying he will head to all those races but he has the option to so we’d rather not go too early.” Dalgety says he and wife Chrissie have the luxury of a three-race prep for the New Zealand Cup because Republican Party is now an open class veteran. “He doesn’t need to learn or adapt to it any more. He knows what it is all about so he can slide straight back into it. “But it is very exciting the options a horse like him has these days.” The Dalgetys were also stoked to win the first New Zealand harness race for the TAB Racing Club at Addington last Friday when Eun Sogno won on debut. Eun Sogno roughly translates to “a dream” in Italian, with the juvenile a son of former great filly One Dream. “We were surprised not because we didn’t think he had the ability but because there were a couple of really nice horses in there we thought might be more advanced. “So to beat them the way he did with some pretty fast closing sectionals suggest he has a bright future.” View the full article

By Adam Hamilton Old pacing marvel Max Delight could add to the powerhouse Aussie raid on this year’s IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup. Trainer David Aiken admits the race is a “bucket lister” and knows Max Delight could be his last chance to have a runner on the second Tuesday in November at Addington. Despite age, nine-year-old Max Delight is racing in career-best form. He equalled his PB with a blistering 1min48.8sec mile win at Menangle on Saturday night. Just a week earlier, he won in 1min48.9sec. Those are his only two starts since charging home from a hopeless position for fifth behind Leap To Fame in the Brisbane Inter Dominion final at Albion Park on July 19. Max Delight, who boasts 37 lifetime wins and almost $1.5 million, has won six of his starts this season with another seven placings. The gelding is a credit to Aiken, given he broke down after finishing third in the 2020 Chariots Of Fire and didn’t race for almost a year. “The NZ Cup is a race you dream of having a runner in. Yes, we’ve talked about it and it’s a possibility,” Aiken said. But first, Aiken has sights set on more Group 1 glory in the $150,000 Len Smith Mile at Menangle on September 6. Judging by his recent form, Max Delight will be as hard to beat as anything. Especially with Australasia’s three best pacers, Leap To Fame, Swayzee and Don Hugo, will miss the Len Smith. In contrast to so many of his runs when he has led or done the work, Max Delight enjoyed a cosy three pegs run for driver Will Rixon last night. But the son of Bettor’s Delight still had to smash the clock with his closing splits to win. He ran his own last half in 52.9sec and a closing quarter of 26.4sec to rundown the high-class leader Captains Knock. Max Delight will face the likes of classy Queensland stablemates Speak Truth, who ran second in the Inter Dominion final and Sure Thing Captain in the Len Smith. Last year’s winner and $2million-plus earner Catch A Wave is also being set for the race. Australia’s best mare, Eye Keep Smiling, will be on trial for a Len Smith start when she returns to racing at Menangle next Saturday night. Meanwhile, Leap To Fame is slated for an October 4 racetrack return as he prepares for the $250,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup on October 18 and Melton and then the NZ Cup. Dual NZ Cup winner Swayzee will return to racing next month after a long spell and he prepares for clashes with Leap To Fame in both the Victoria and NZ Cups. View the full article

By Jonny Turner Korbyn Newman’s return to the winner’s circle at Oamaru on Sunday was a special moment for his entire family. Captain Cool shrugged off his mid-race work to score a highly impressive first-up win for the trainer, with Tim Williams in the sulky. The three-year-old is raced by Newman’s uncle Mark and the estate of his late father Greg, who passed away in December of last year. Captain Cool was having his first start since then, and his outstanding victory delivered a moment for the Newman family to cherish. “The family is absolutely rapt with it being Dad’s horse,” Newman said. “Mum made the trip down to watch him today, too, so it was a pretty special win.” Captain Cool was purchased by the Newmans at the 2023 yearling sales and went on to have two starts at Nelson early this year. The three-year-old showed he was ready to fire at Oamaru on Sunday with two nice trials. “He is a pretty nice horse but he is still learning, and he’s taken a bit of working out,” Newman said. “He is a big horse and he should only keep getting better, really.” Captain Cool is Newman’s first winner from his new base at Yaldhurst. The horseman previously trained at Woodend Beach while working for the Robert and Jenna Dunn stable. After a brief stint in Australia, Newman now works for Regan Todd. That means he trains his team while working with Todd’s star horses like Marketplace. “I think Regan said I could drive Marketplace on race day, but I could’ve heard him wrong,” Newman quipped. “I have had a couple of drives behind him in work and he’s obviously a really nice horse.” “It is great being at Regan’s, he’s helped me with Captain Cool.” Newman isn’t likely to be seen driving Marketplace, Captain Cool or any other horses in the immediate future. The horseman isn’t planning on jumping in the sulky any time soon, despite having 80 New Zealand winners to his name. “I am not out there enough, you have to be out there all the time, so I thought I would take a bit of a step back from driving at the moment.” “Tim is out there nearly every race and he knows what to do, so I am happy to have him on.” Williams was in fine driving form at Oamaru on Sunday, reining home a treble of winners. After his win with Captain Cool, the reinsman guided Bar Louie to victory in the Kurow Cup before taking out Sunday’s finale with Riptide. View the full article

Harry Bentley will press pause on his holiday to ride Spicy Marg in Friday’s Group One Nunthorpe Stakes (1,000m) at York. The 33-year-old was back in the UK after a 31-winner campaign in Hong Kong last season but has received an unexpected call-up for one of the feature races of this week’s Ebor Festival at York. The Nunthorpe commonly sees the younger horses take on their elders and Spicy Marg, just a two-year-old, will carry a tiny weight as she bids to become the first two-year-old since...View the full article

Emily Farr was a tired but happy rider at Woodville on Sunday after she recorded her 100th win in the saddle in New Zealand. The 34-year-old hoop had been back in the country for just over 24 hours when hopping aboard the Lydia Pickford-trained Keepz Occurring for the NZ Farmers (3000m), and she showed no signs of jet lag when guiding her charge to a 2-3/4 length victory. “I was super stoked,” Farr said. “It is something that I have wanted to do for a while, and to get it yesterday after being at home (Wales) with my Mum for the last couple of days was really good.” Farr didn’t have to wait long before she was back in the winner’s circle, riding The Bambino to victory in the following race – the Foleys Transport Waipukurau (3000m). Farr was rapt to bring up her 100-win milestone, but said it was a whirlwind weekend to try and make it to the meeting after arriving in Auckland from Europe the day before. “I arrived in Auckland at 4:30am on Saturday morning. I came home to Matamata for an hour and then flew down to Wellington,” she said. “I hadn’t ridden a horse for two-and-a-half weeks, so I was a bit like a sassy filly who had just had a freshen-up for 10 days.” Farr said she enjoyed her time in Europe, where she attended a wedding and visited her mother back in the United Kingdon, and Farr said her mum was the first person on the phone to congratulate her following her success on Sunday. “I couldn’t go all the way for a wedding in Cyprus and not go and visit Mum,” Farr said. “Even though I was only there for six days, it was good for her to know how passionate I still am about my job and New Zealand. “She rang me up before the races and she rang me up after. She was very happy and very proud. She knew Dad would have been, so it was great.” Reflecting on her milestone, Farr is appreciative of the support she has received throughout her career, and the relationships she has been able to build during her time in New Zealand. “Ralph Manning always supported me when I was an apprentice, as well as Mr (Graeme) Rogerson,” she said. “I have had a lot of success with John Wheeler and I picked up a few for Paul Nelson. To keep those kinds of connections right through my career is something that I am proud of.” Of Farr’s 100 wins in New Zealand, she said one meeting stands out in particular, while she has taken great satisfaction in convincing owners and trainers to try their horses over fences and rewarding them with early success. “I rode four winners in a day at Te Aroha, which is one of my biggest highlights,” she said. “Most of my hurdle winners have been first starters. I get a lot of satisfaction out of teaching them and convincing the owners and trainers that they can be jumpers, be successful, and go on with their career. “It (jumping) gives another string to their bow. I quite like it that it gives those horses another career.” While Farr has had success on the flat and over fences, jumping is where her passion lies and she is looking forward to enhancing her record in that discipline in years to come. “Mum and Dad were both amateur champion jumps jockeys in the UK, so it (jumping) is something that I have been brought up with,” she said. “Jumps racing has always been a passion for me and I find the time and effort that is put into those horses just makes a great community. “I just love it, it is a thrill you can’t get anywhere else.” View the full article

Group One performer Meritable quenched his thirst after a four year winning drought when victorious in the VS Equine Dannevirke (1200m) at Woodville on Sunday. The seven-year-old son of Snitzel performed with distinction as a three-year-old for former trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, winning one and finishing runner-up in three of his five starts in New Zealand, including second placings in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (1400m). He subsequently continued his racing career in Australia where he ran fourth in the Gr.3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) before transferring to the care of Sydney trainer Annabel Neasham. He was then offered for sale in Inglis Digital’s 2023 September Online Sale where he attracted the attention of New Zealand owner Colin Wightman, who bought the entire for A$80,000. Joining the stable of Mark Minervini, Meritable finished runner-up in the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill before being retired to stud in New Zealand last year, however, Wightman elected to try his charge on the track once more and earlier this year entrusted him to the care of Hastings trainers Mick Brown and Sue Thompson-Brown. He pleased his new handlers with his four runs before his breakthrough victory at Woodville, his first in nearly four years. “It’s been a long time between drinks,” Brown said. “We were a bit suspect of whether he would go on the ground (Heavy10), but we were happy with his trial, and he went well.” Elite-level targets are once again on the cards for Meritable following the win, with the seven-year-old nominated for the Gr.1 Proisir Plate (1400m) and Gr.1 Howden Insurance Mile (1600m) next month. “We put him in and we said to Colin that he had to win (on Sunday), which he did,” Brown said. “Whether he gets in or not is another matter, but we will aim him for them. If he doesn’t get in, we will find another race for him.” Brown is looking forward to returning north with Meritable and said the addition of blinkers have been a great assist. “We took him up to Ellerslie last season and he was a bit unlucky when he ran (fourth) in that 1400m Open Handicap race,” he said. “We have put the blinkers back on him, which I don’t think he has worn for a few years. He always wore blinkers as a three-year-old.” Brown is enjoying having the Group One performer in his barn, with his placid demeanour making him an instant stable favourite. “He is just a big stable pet, you wouldn’t think he was a seven-year-old entire,” Brown said. Meanwhile, stakes performer Fancy Like Lass is set to return to the stable in the coming weeks, with a stakes target at Riccarton over New Zealand Cup Week in the crosshairs. “Fancy Like Lace is being pre-trained down at the beach and she will come to us at the end of the month,” Brown said. “Hopefully she comes back bigger and stronger. “We wouldn’t mind taking her down south for that 1000m race (Listed Donaldson Brown Pegasus Stakes) at Riccarton in November.” The Hellbent mare had her first tilt at stakes level at Trentham in March, where she ran third in the Listed Lightning Handicap (1200m), and while pleased with her performance in the race, Brown believes she is better suited to shorter trips. “We wanted to get a bit of black-type with her and she deserved it,” Brown said. “She has had plenty of problems, but hopefully she is over them now. “We will keep her to those sprints because I don’t think she gets a true 1200m down that dogleg at Wellington, I think she is better over 1000m and 1100m, or going around the bend over 1200m.” View the full article