Wandering Eyes

What Morphettville Parks Races Where Morphettville Racecourse – 79 Morphett Rd, Morphettville SA 5043 When Saturday, December 2, 2023 First Race 11:47am ACDT Visit Dabble Saturday racing in South Australia heads to the Parks track at Morphettville for a 10-race meeting that kicks off at 11:47am local time. Despite there being no black-type events on the card, competitive fields are the theme of the day. With consistent rain in Adelaide throughout the week, the track is rated a Soft 7, but with a friendly forecast ahead of the meeting, the surface should be improving throughout the day. The rail is out 9m from the 1000m to the winning post and then out 6m the remainder. Best Bet at Morphettville: Lights Of Broadway Lights Of Broadway strung together a couple of smart victories before an average effort as favourite over 2028m on November 4. She gets a favourable setup in this 1950m affair, with Covered Call, Night Cruiser and Don’t Dismiss all looking to set the pace. The slight query is that she is yet to win in six goes on rain-affected ground, but with three placings under her belt, Lights Of Broadway should be able to run over the top of her rivals on Saturday. Best Bet Race 3 – #4 Lights Of Broadway (6) 5yo Mare | T: Andrew Gluyas | J: Jason Holder (57kg) +160 with Picklebet Next Best at Morphettville: Anjopin The Sue & Jason Jaensch-trained Anjopin has been impressive this campaign. He was beaten by the barest of margins at the Morphettville Parks 1400m on November 11, and now he gets his chance to go one better at the track and trip. He is proven on firmer going and wet ground, so the conditions should not be too much of an issue for the son of Danbird. If Margaret Collett can have him jump cleanly from barrier 13, he looks the logical leader and should prove hard to run down. Next Best Race 9 – #1 Anjopin (12) 5yo Gelding | T: Sue & Jason Jaensch | J: Margaret Collett (a3) (63kg) +290 with Neds Best Value at Morphettville: Secret War An improving track is a must for Secret War, but based on his win at Moonee Valley on November 17, the speedy galloper will take some running down in the final event of the day. The eight-year-old gelding managed to dictate terms perfectly on that night and put 1.3 lengths on arguably a tougher field than this. He will need to overcome barrier 13, but if Kayla Crowther can get him across the front of the field without spending too many tickets, Secret War will look to break his rivals’ hearts. Best Value Race 10 – #5 Secret War (13) 8yo Gelding | T: Gary & Nichole Searle & Brianna Callanan | J: Kayla Crowther (58.5kg) +900 with Dabble Saturday quaddie tips for Morphettville Morphettville quadrella selections Saturday, December 2, 2023 4-5-9-10-11 1-3-4-6-8 1-2 1-3-5-9 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

There has been a massive injection of stakes money to the racing calendar this year and Matamata trainer Wayne Hillis is keen to get his hands on some of it. Part of that prizemoney boost are five inaugural innovation races around the country, with the first of those, the $350,000 Remutaka Classic (2100m), set to be run at Trentham on Wellington Cup Day – January 20, 2024. The race is open to all 0-1 win horses as at August 1, 2023, with trainers having six ballot exempt races to target in order to gain an automatic spot in the lucrative race. The first of those was held at Riccarton earlier this month, with the Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong-trained Iffididit the first to gain a berth. Hillis will attempt to gain the second berth when he lines-up in-form mare Complicate in the Wanganui Racehorse Owners Association 1600 at Wanganui on Saturday. Hillis has given the four-year-old mare time to fill into her big frame and his patience is starting to pay off, with the daughter of Complacent have finished runner-up in her two starts this preparation. “I had her as my Oaks horse last year but she was too weak and that is when I had to back off,” he said. “I gave her a small prep over winter up at Ruakaka but she was still a bit weak, so I turned her out again and she has really thrived since and has come of age. She looks really good this time in. “They have been nice runs this prep and I was hoping to step up to 2000m but this (race) fits in well to go to the Remutaka Classic, and if you win it you are exempt from the ballot. “It is a brilliant initiative and things seem to be on the way up at the moment – stakes are increasing and it is all looking good.” Complicate will have the benefit of apprentice jockey Ciel Butler’s three-kilogram claim when she jumps from barrier nine on Saturday, and TAB bookmakers have rated her a $5.50 second favourite behind Yellow Jersey at $5. Hillis is looking forward to stepping his mare up over more ground and believes the 2100m distance of the Remutaka Classic will be ideal. “She will step up after his run and she doesn’t need much racing, so I’ll fit in one or two more races after this one,” he said. Hillis is also targeting the Remutaka Classic with stablemate Text Regrets who will line-up in the Loaders Wanganui 2040 on Saturday prior to targeting another ballot exempt race over 2100m at Trentham on December 16. “He will be heading for the same race,” he said. “There is another ballot exempt race at Wellington in a couple of weeks time that he will likely head to. “He is a lot smaller than her but he has always wanted distance. He hasn’t had many runs and when he stepped up in distance is when he ran third and then won.” There are four other innovation races on the calendar, including: $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) – to be run at Ellerslie on January 27, 2024 $350,000 Sir Patrick Hogan Karāpiro Classic (1600m) – to be run at Te Rapa on February 10, 2024 $350,000 Rangitoto Classic (1500m) – to be run at Ellerslie on March 2, 2024 $350,000 Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) – to be run at Riccarton on April 13, 2024 View the full article

Emphatic last-start winner Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj) will lead the Wexford Stables charge at Te Rapa on Saturday where she will step into stakes company, contesting the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial 3YO (1500m). The daughter of Iffraaj showed promise early in her first two raceday appearances and justified her $2 favouritism last start when cruising home by 4-1/2 lengths under little encouragement from Niranjan Parmar, who retains the ride on Saturday. “We’re confident she’ll run the trip and should be strong in the finish, so we’re hopeful for a good performance,” said Andrew Scott, who trains in partnership with Lance O’Sullivan. “She’s certainly got to step up again on Saturday. She’s just been lacking confidence as well but she’s starting to find rhythm in her racing, which gives her more turn-of-foot at the end. “She’s back on a track where she performed well last start, Parmar knows her well now and the draw gives her a big aid.” The daughter of Iffraaj leads the TAB market for the three-year-old feature, with About Time (NZ) (American Phaoroah) on the second line of betting at $5.50. Scott is looking forward to commencing talented gelding Waitak’s (NZ) (Proisir) new campaign in the Ag Build 1300 as he returns from a spell after a strong three-year-old season. A Group One-placed juvenile, the son of Proisir was victorious in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) at the Te Rapa meeting last season before being dual Group Two-placed and recording a game fifth in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) as a three-year-old. Scott and O’Sullivan opted to test his abilities across the ditch with a four-race stint over the Queensland Winter Carnival where a mixed bag of results included a commendable seventh in the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m) behind Kiwi-bred Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park). “He had quite a lengthy three-year-old preparation so we gave him quite a decent break, hence why he’s just getting going now,” Scott said. “He’s had two exercise trials and we’ve been very pleased with both. He’s worked well since and he’s certainly a more solid individual now being a year older. “We couldn’t be more pleased with how he is heading into a new campaign and whilst 1300m might be a bit sharp and short of his best trip, he should sprint well on the fresh side.” Waitak’s Te Rapa assignment is a qualifying race for the Stella Artois 1500 Championship on Boxing Day, where the four-year-old holds a nomination alongside a loftier target in the Gr.1 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m) at Trentham in January. “He’s in the early part of his preparation so we’ll just take it race-by-race, but with the good prizemoney over summer he should have a really good campaign ahead,” Scott said. “We’re just really looking forward to getting him going on the weekend.” Among Wexford’s four other runners at Te Rapa is another promising three-year-old in Tanganyika (NZ) (Ace High) who will contest the Lodge Real Estate 1400 after recording his maiden victory on debut at Taupo under Parmar. “He had a lovely trip in his debut there and he’s drawn favourably again, which is good with an inexperienced horse,” Scott said. “He’s another Ace High that has shown good ability, he’s gone the right way in his coat and condition post his debut and he should run well again. “He’s a really nice, athletic horse that should get over a good mile. Once he’s got a bit more experience and confidence, he’s got the makings of a really nice horse.” View the full article

Chill Chibi (NZ) (Wrote) took another significant step towards the HK$26 million BMW Hong Kong Derby (2000m) in March after Danny Shum’s talented young stayer overpowered older rivals to win the Class 3 Dunnottar Castle Handicap (1800m) at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. With four wins and a narrow second from five starts, Chill Chibi has emerged as a leading contender for the lucrative 2024 Four-Year-Old Classic Series, which features the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on 4 February, the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on 3 March and the BMW Hong Kong Derby on 24 March. Shum confirmed Chill Chibi would continue towards the blue-riband contest after the Wrote gelding fanned to the outside of the 10-horse field and charging from last approaching the turn to win arrogantly under Jerry Chau. “He’s a nice horse and he’s getting better day by day. Even though he carried top weight (133lb), I was still confident he could win the race,” Shum said. “I can enter him (next) over 2000m at Sha Tin or run him in a 1650m Class 2 at Happy Valley. After that, we’ll give him a bit of a break and go straight to the Derby. I will talk to Jerry tomorrow morning and decide which one is the best for him.” Asked if the four-year-old was the best horse he had ridden, Chau said: “I think so, he’s got potential. He’s a fantastic horse, he’s got a good heart and every time he fights for me. “The early stages (tonight), he can’t catch up with the pace but when I started to ask him to go – I didn’t want to get into a traffic jam – and he showed his talent.” Chill Chibi was purchased as a yearling out of Highview’s 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 draft for $80,000 when knocked down to Bryce and Ginger Tankard of Waikato Bloodstock on behalf of the owner. He is out of three-time winning Danroad mare My Amazing Cool and hails from the family of Wrote’s Group Three winning daughter Best Seller (NZ) as well as Group One winners Celebrity Queen (Redoute’s Choice) and Dreamaway (More Than Ready). View the full article

What Moonee Valley Races Where Moonee Valley Racecourse – 1 McPherson St, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 When Friday, December 1, 2023 First Race 6:15pm AEDT Visit Dabble The first Victorian night meeting of the summer arrives with an eight-race card set for decision at Moonee Valley on Friday evening. Persistent rain is forecast for Melbourne on Thursday and Friday, meaning the Soft 5 rating at the time of acceptances could end up moving closer to the Heavy range come race one. The rail comes out to the 2m mark for the entire track, with the action getting underway at 6:15pm AEDT. Best Bet at Moonee Valley: Kailash Kailash ran into a smart one in Cadmus last time out over 2040m at The Valley, and he stays at the track and trip. The six-year-old gelding has not tasted success in nine months, but the son of Mastercraftsman has been in decent enough form to suggest a race like this in well within his grasp. Rhys McLeod will have the six-year-old settled midfield with cover in what should be a genuinely run race. With even luck, it is hard to see how Kailash’s rivals deny him. Best Bet Race 6 – #4 Kailash (4) 6yo Gelding | T: Nick Ryan | J: Rhys McLeod (60.5kg) +250 with Picklebet Next Best at Moonee Valley: The Genius The Danny O’Brien-trained The Genius has returned in fine form and was unlucky when running behind Cadmus and Kailash last start. The four-year-old gelding looks to be a stayer on the up, and on his first look at 2500m, he is only going to appreciate the rise in trip. From barrier two, Damian Lane will need to be at his best, as this guy tends to be a touch tardy from the barriers. However, if he doesn’t give his rivals too big of a start, The Genius will be hard to beat. Next Best Race 3 – #2 The Genius (2) 4yo Gelding | T: Danny O’Brien | J: Damian Lane (61kg) +210 with Dabble Next Best Again at Moonee Valley: Lady Of Savoy Matt Laurie’s Lady Of Savoy has returned with consecutive runner-up efforts and looks to have found the right race to break maiden ranks. At both starts this time in, the Tivaci filly has only been nabbed late at 1200m, beaten a combined half-length in the process. From barrier 12, Beau Mertens will take the bay filly towards the front, where the pair can dictate terms throughout. As long as she does not get trapped wide, Lady Of Savoy should be ready to strike third-up. Next Best Again Race 1 – #11 Lady Of Savoy (12) 3yo Filly | T: Matt Laurie | J: Beau Mertens (56kg) +210 with Bet365 Friday quaddie tips for Moonee Valley races Moonee Valley quadrella selections Friday, December 1, 2023 1-2-4-5 4-8 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-10 1-2-6 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

Jerry Chau guides Chill Chibi to an impressive triumph. Chill Chibi took another significant step towards the HK$26 million Hong Kong Derby (2000m) in March after Danny Shum’s talented young stayer overpowered older rivals at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. With four wins and a narrow second from five starts, Chill Chibi has emerged as a leading contender for the lucrative 2024 Four-Year-Old Classic Series, which features the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) on February 4, the Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on March 3 and the BMW Hong Kong Derby on March 24. Shum, who tasted Hong Kong Derby success with Romantic Warrior in 2022, confirmed Chill Chibi would continue towards the blue-riband contest after the Wrote gelding fanned to the outside of the 10-horse field and charging from last approaching the turn to win arrogantly under Jerry Chau. “He’s a nice horse and he’s getting better day by day. Even though he carried top weight (133lb), I was still confident he could win the race,” Shum said. “I can enter him (next) over 2000m at Sha Tin or run him in a 1650m Class 2 at Happy Valley. After that, we’ll give him a bit of a break and go straight to the Derby. I will talk to Jerry tomorrow morning and decide which one is the best for him.” Asked if the four-year-old was the best horse he had ridden, Chau said: “I think so, he’s got potential. He’s a fantastic horse, he’s got a good heart and every time he fights for me. “The early stages (tonight), he can’t catch up with the pace but when I started to ask him to go – I didn’t want to get into a traffic jam – and he showed his talent.” Chau completed the card in memorable fashion when Son Pak Fu surged along the fence to eclipse a hot field for Benno Yung. Posting his sixth victory over Happy Valley’s 1200m course, Son Pak Fu (124lb) accelerated sharply from the home turn – clocking 22.50s over the final 400m – to defeat Majestic Knight (118lb) and Howdeepisyourlove (134lb). Pierre Ng extended his remarkable start to the season with Humble Star’s success under Zac Purton to give the stable a phenomenal 15 winners across the past eight meetings and 27 for the season – nine clear of Douglas Whyte, Francis Lui, Shum and Caspar Fownes, who all have 16 victories. “We’re getting them rolling and the horses are running brilliantly at the moment,” said Ng, who has saddled 11 of his winners this term at Happy Valley. Whyte has also made a strong opening to the campaign and the 13-time Hong Kong champion jockey continued an impressive strike rate by combining with South African compatriot Keagan De Melo, who piloted Wonder Years to victory. Alexis Badel and Ricky Yiu teamed with Watch Buddy, a talented Rothesay four-year-old who now has two wins at the course and distance. “It worked out pretty well, obviously the draw (barrier one) was important. He was carrying plenty of weight (133lb) and there was pace in the race so I was travelling comfortably on the inside and it was pretty straight-forward,” Badel said. “We just had to quicken and sustain the effort and he was pretty good.” Angus Chung continued his strong run of form at Happy Valley when Manfred Man’s Happy Horse won. With 18 wins this season, Chung sits in fourth place behind Zac Purton (32), Karis Teetan (21) and Hugh Bowman (21), having slotted 11 victories this season at Happy Valley, where he has posted winners at the past four meetings. Yung posted his sixth win of the season – and the first leg of a double – when Turtle Again cruised to an easy victory under Derek Leung before John Size and Brenton Avdulla posted their fifth winner of the season in tandem with Act Of Faith’s success. More horse racing news View the full article

Horse Racing on Thursday, November 30 will feature four meetings in Australia. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the top bets and the quaddie numbers for the meeting at Geelong. Thursday Racing Tips – November 30, 2023 Geelong Racing Tips Best Horse Racing Bets For November 30, 2023 Place these horse racing bets in a multi for $20.13 odds return: Thursday, November 30, 2023 Coffs Harbour Race 6 – #5 The Extreme Cat Geelong Race 8 – #9 Mahrez Mackay Race 4 – #4 He’s The One Otaki Race 2 – #2 Smokeshow | Copy this bet straight to your betslip As always there a plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans, check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on November 30, 2023 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. More horse racing tips View the full article

Online bookmakers have released their racing promotions for Thursday, November 30, including several great bonus back offers. The top Australian racing promotions for November 30, 2023, include: Today’s best horse racing promotions Have A Crack At JMac Guaranteed best odds on all James McDonald ridden Hong Kong runners. Eligible clients only. Offer available between 24/11/2023 to 1/1/2024, General PlayUp T&C’s apply. Login to PlayUp to Claim Promo Caulfield Saturday – Odds Surge Activate Odds Surge for bigger odds in ALL RACES at Caulfield this Saturday. One bet per race. Max Bet $100. Ladbrokes T&C’s apply. Login to Ladbrokes to Claim Promo How does horsebetting.com.au source its racing bonus offers? HorseBetting has reviewed the top horse racing bookmakers in Australia and has unveiled exclusive thoroughbred bonus promotions and specials for Thursday, November 30, 2023. These horse racing promotions persist almost daily, showcasing the commitment of Australia’s top horse racing bookmakers. If one bookmaker lacks a promotion, rest assured that another is presenting enticing promotional offers in the realm of gallops. HorseBetting.com.au is your go-to source for the most lucrative horse racing bookmaker bonuses every day. Gain the most value out of your punting endeavours with bookie bonuses with the most competitive horse racing odds available for each race. It’s imperative to note that these thoroughbred racing promotion offers cater exclusively to existing customers. Accessing these special promotions and claiming the bookmaker’s offers requires logging in to each online bookmaker’s platform. For those seeking races and horses to leverage their horse betting bookmaker bonus bets, HorseBetting offers a valuable resource with its daily free racing tips. Stay informed, stay strategic, and make the most of your horse racing experience with these exclusive promotions. More horse racing promotions View the full article

After chasing likely champion Just F Y I in her last two starts, Life Talk faces easier in the $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes (G1) Dec. 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack.View the full article

The "Ring the Bell" program is a joint initiative between the Run for the Ribbons aftercare organization and Tampa Bay Downs.View the full article

Whit Beckman has been the assistant to two of the top trainers in the country, but this past week, he landed the first graded stakes win of his own career when Honor Marie (Honor Code) won the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club S. at Churchill. Beckman was the Green Group Guest of the Week on this week's TDN Writers' Room Podcast presented by Keeneland. “Going into it, I was fairly confident we were going to see that new dimension of him being able to really close, and kind of find his stride. Some of those one-turn races you could see kind of takes a while to get himself kind of geared up. Fortunately, in that first start, everything kind of worked out. He got there that second start on a real sloppy track. It was just some tough conditions. But he still ran a really legitimate race. And I mean, going into this prior to it, I wasn't worried.” Honor Marie, a $40,000 KEESEP yearling, was a debut winner of a restricted maiden special weight at Churchill Downs Sept. 29. He was second to Otto the Conqueror (Street Sense) in an optional claimer in the slop at Churchill Downs Oct. 29, and was making his two-turn debut in the Kentucky Jockey Club. He will now head to Fair Grounds to prepare for his 3-year-old career. “He's done everything right to this point,” said Whitman. “He's a young horse, a May foal. So him early on, he just had some maturity things and just kind of a rawness about him. We needed a little bit more time to get him going. But now that he's starting to kind of figure things out on the mental side, we've always known the physical side was there. At this point, the way he won, the way the gallop-out went, he could go on to be a very legitimate horse.” Whitman discusses what he learned from Brown and Pletcher–but doesn't give away any secrets–and also talks about his stint in Saudi Arabia. Elsewhere on the podcast, which is also sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, West Point Thoroughbreds, Kentucky-breds, WinStar Farm and XBTV.com, Randy Moss and Zoe Cadman reviewed the slate of Thanksgiving weekend's races, discuss this weekend coming up, and talk about Bill Finley's interview with Stuart Janney about the 60 Minutes broadcast in Wednesday's TDN. To listen to the audio version of the podcast, click here. To watch the video version, click here. The post Trainer Whit Beckman Talks Honor Marie on the TDN Writers’ Room appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As one of the nation's premier winter racing destinations, Gulfstream Park annually attracts some of the best 3-year-olds in training as they prepare and compete with the Triple Crown series in mind.View the full article

The Joseph D'Angelo-trained Bentornato looks primed to become the 11th juvenile to sweep the colt and gelding division when he faces six other rivals in the $300,000, 1 1/16-mile In Reality Stakes Dec. 2 at Gulfstream Park.View the full article

Bucking negative trends seen elsewhere, total wagering in Kentucky is up 4.2% this year through Nov. 25 compared to the corresponding date in 2022, a track executive told the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund Advisory Committee Nov. 29.View the full article

By Jonny Turner Sagwitch added to his grand racetrack record when he ran to his 14th career win for trainer Syd Breen at Ascot Park on Wednesday. The nine-year-old relished the sprint conditions of race 9 to score another victory in his eighth season on the track. And the smile on Breen’s face after Sagwitch drove through along the inner to score for driver Mark Hurrell said it all. “I’m as proud as punch, he’s been a good old mate,” Breen said. Sagwitch has been with Breen throughout his 132-start career, and there is no doubt about who is number one among the trainer’s team. “He will sign out to you every morning, I can see his box from the kitchen window,” Breen said. “He is the first one to be fed each day and night, he’s just a real good old mate.” “He gets a bit bossy, but he is pretty easy to deal with.” For a horse that has been around as long as he has, Sagwitch isn’t slowing down. Some minor running repairs recently helped the horse rack up the fourth win of his nine-year-old season. “He had his joints treated last month, just because of a little bit of wear and tear.” “So, that was his first start since then.” “The tracks are so hard and fast these days – they get a bit of wear and tear, but he has never had an unsound day in his life.” Though Sagwitch didn’t look to be travelling like a sure winner on the home turn, he rallied strongly under driver Hurrell’s urgings to score. “He felt like his youthful old self; he was under a hard drive, but it is the first time in a very long time he has picked himself up and got going,” Hurrell said. Sagwitch is raced by Breen alongside Paul Matheson and wife Nancy of Wanaka. Matheson’s brother Shane was also in the winner’s circle at Ascot Park on Wednesday, as the trainer and part-owner of Abadabadoo. The trotter continued her excellent recent run of form when taking out race 3. View the full article

There was a familiar theme to develop at Park Paddocks on Wednesday as, for the second time in the space of 24 hours, the progeny of Havana Grey (GB) dominated at the December Foal Sale with a colt by the Whitsbury Manor Stud-based stallion fetching 250,000gns to unknown entity Rumstar Bloodstock. A brother to G3 Cornwallis S. winner Rumstar (GB), lot 638 was one of two foals by the sire to clear six figures on the day, with five more foals by Havana Grey selling for at least 80,000gns. Whitsbury's Ed Harper commented on the top lot, “Funnily enough, we sold a Havana Grey colt for 250,000gns on the second day last year. He went and made 600,000gns at Book 1 [to Godolphin] so hopefully history will repeat itself. “We wanted him to be the star lot on this day and it turned out that way. You never know when you make the entry, though, and that feels like a long time ago now.” Not only is the colt a brother to a black-type performer but the top lot is out of the seven-time winner Stellarta (GB) (Sakhee's Secret {GB}), who amassed over £100,000 in prize-money and reached a rating of 95 in her pomp. That sale went some way in raising the temperature after what was described by many key stakeholders as a challenging opening day to the sale on Tuesday when all of the key figures took a hit. Trade solidified on Wednesday with the clearance rate standing at a much healthier 81% with 202 foals selling from a possible 250. The aggregate was down 12% to 8,307,450gns while the median and average fell by 3% respectively to 31,000gns and 41,126gns. Cracking Result For McCracken Family With 165k Blue Point What do Craig McCracken and Aidan O'Brien have in common? They both take to the phone to celebrate every major success with their mothers. The hammer had barely fallen on McCracken Farms' Blue Point (Ire) filly at 165,000gns and Craig was on to his mother Hazel to share the good news. “She's very happy and it's a family-run thing,” McCracken said. “We foal them and do everything with them ourselves. As the fella says, there's no I in team.” Teamwork makes the dreamwork and there was an element of fairytale to the sale of the Blue Point given the dam, Roseau City (GB) (Cityscape {GB}), was bought for just 4,000gns here in 2018. It was Barry Mahon, signing under the banner of Goodwill Bloodstock, who landed the Blue Point filly shortly after another foal by the sire was knocked down to Grangemore Stud from Hawes Stud in Ireland for 170,000gns. Speaking about the Darley stallion, who recorded his 50th individual winner recently, McCracken said, “She is the first Blue Point we have had but, anyone we have asked the opinion of, they have told us she was a lovely specimen of the stallion the whole way through. She has a lovely walk, great attitude, scoped very well and had great x-rays. “At our level, you always have to take a risk on unproven stallions but, with Blue Point, it was a calculated risk. He's a multiple Group 1 winner, a beautiful horse and has the Shamardal influence as well. What Blue Point has done, with his 50th individual winner the other day, is amazing.” McCracken Farms went on to sell a Sioux Nation half-brother to smart performer Panic Alarm (Ire) (Kuroshio {Aus}) for 155,000gns to Tally-Ho Stud. That result was sandwiched between a 68,000gns Mehmas (Ire) filly and a Ghaiyyath (Ire) filly who made 40,000gns bringing the total haul to 428,000gns on four foals sold. Commenting on trade, McCracken said, “You have to respect and appreciate that, a lot of the buyers this week, they have to re offer these horses as yearlings. For those guys, they're trying to predict what will be in fashion nine or 10 months down the line, and that's not easy. “Having done yearlings ourselves before, we know how difficult it is. The other thing is, we've been on an upward curve for the past 10 years, so there's going to have to be some readjustment, isn't there?” Asked if he has noticed a change to how breeders are operating in recent times, he added, “There's no doubt that, in the past two or three years, there's been a big change. If you can produce the good-looking horse and be by the right sire, then you're okay. Sire power is dominating at the minute and we're feeling that more than ever. Is it a bit like the National Hunt? You could probably only name four or five National Hunt sires who seem the top the big sales. We're going down that line a little. “We're very lucky to have bred Best Solution and El Bodagan. We also bred Facteur Cheval and Panic Alarm has been quite good for us as well. We still have the dam of Factor Cheval and she has a Sottsass (Fr) foal and is in foal to Wootton Bassett. This is a great result.” 'We Wanted Speed And We Got A Bullet' The progeny of Blue Point filled the third and fourth-highest prices paid on Wednesday. Along with McCracken Farms' 165,000gns filly, a colt consigned by Hawes Stud in Ireland, played a star role at 170,000gns to Grangemore Stud. It marked a memorable five minutes or so for the farm as Hawes Stud also sold a Space Blues (Ire) filly directly after the Blue Point to Woodstock for 75,000gns. The stud's Michael Gaffney said, “We are over the moon. It is a very fast family. We went to Blue Point, who we adored when we saw him, to get speed, and we got a bullet. He's gone to a a fantastic farm.” On the market, he added, “It has been sticky but, if you have quality, it really sells. We sold a Space Blues filly after the Blue Point and we got 75,000gns from Julie Woods. Again, we are really happy about that. It was a fantastic five minutes. A real surprise.” 'Frighteningly-Polarised' – Stanly Voices Concern For Smaller Breeders The final foal from the Ogden family dispersal, a Too Darn Hot (GB) colt from the family of Islington, sold for 185,000gns to Guy O'Callaghan of Grangemore Stud. He was offered by New England Stud, whose Peter Stanley used the opportunity to address some of his fears surrounding the future of smaller breeders in Britain following on from a tough day of trade at Tattersalls on Tuesday where the clearance rate dipped to 59%. Trade was much stronger on Wednesday, with the Too Darn Hot one of 12 foals to hit six figures, but Stanley voiced major concerns for the smaller breeders struggling to make the game pay. He said, “It's frighteningly-polarised. That's fine, but the trouble is, it's going to knock a lot of small people and small breeders out of the game. I'm really sad about it because it's so important and the whole fun of racing is people playing at every level. “What we saw yesterday was a bloodbath for people lower down the scale. It's really sad. Small breeders don't mind losing a little bit of money but, if you're only getting a thousand or fifteen hundred quid, it's humiliating. It's just not nice.” He added, “You've got to have a chance and we saw something that was very frightening. The stallion market is just so polarised at the moment. The expensive stallions are the ones we all want to go to and use. All breeders are working for the stallion masters” The Too Darn Hot colt, out of the Oasis Dream mare Canonbury, herself a daughter of the champion three-year-old Islington, was one of two foals bought by O'Callaghan on the day with the Grangemore outfit also snapping up a Blue Point colt for 170,000gns. The Too Darn Hot colt's dam will also be offered under the hammer at the December Mares Sale at Tattersalls next week. Stanley commented, “Obviously, the Ogdens have enjoyed their racing for so many years and things are changing, so it was lovely to end up with a really lovely one by Too Darn Hot and there has been a couple of updates recently. “It is the most wonderful family with Islington in there. The class of Too Darn Hot, who is looking very exciting, I can only think he will be even better with his three-year-olds than his two-year-olds. He was an obvious one to make good money. We have mares next week–we've got her mother selling here next week. Hopefully that will help her mother!” Kingman Colt Bought To Race In France It wasn't just the pinhookers who were out in force as French farm Haras de Meautry got in on the action at Tattersalls on Wednesday by landing a Kingman (GB) colt through farm director Nick Bell. The January-born first foal out of Group 3 winner Liberty London (Ger) (Maxios {GB}) was bred by Gestut Hof Ittlingen and consigned by Newsells Park Stud. “He has been bought by Haras de Meautry for Edouard de Rothschild,” Bell said. “He will be kept to go into training and, hopefully, will go to Andre Fabre in two years' time. That's the plan. “We always buy a couple of foals every year and there was not one for us this year in France. It is a thing we do every year so we can compare them to the foals we have at home, and we think we get a bit better value as a foal than buying as a yearling.” He added on the colt, “A nice, good-looking, good-walking foal and out of a good race mare. “She won from three to five and she has run in good company all the time, that was a big thing for us, she was obviously tough. As he was a first foal, too, it probably worked in our favour as there is nothing for the pinhookers to come through. That was the sort of price we had in mind. I told Edouard he would cost from 150,000gns to 200,000gns.” Buy of the day Eddie O'Leary kept things simple by signing for one of the best-walking foals in the sale in lot 713, a colt by first-season sire Mohaather (GB) for 72,000gns. The Mohaather colt was consigned by Silfield Bloodstock and, a striking dark bay, he caught the attention of many good judges with WH Bloodstock and Alex Elliott involved in the bidding. But it was O'Leary's Lynn Lodge Stud who won out, signing for the colt out of a sister to a black-type winner who has already produced a black-type horse in Mubtasimah (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}). It could look a shrewd investment come the yearling sales next year. The post Temperatures Rise At Tattersalls As Havana Grey Colt Fetches 250k appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Hall of Fame and champion jockey John Velazquez says he is returning to his "second home." After spending the past two winters riding primarily in California, he will return to South Florida to ride at Gulfstream Park's Championship Meet.View the full article

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program celebrated a successful Giving Tuesday, raising over $40,000 for their mission to rehab, retrain, and rehome retired racehorses. Churchill Downs Incorporated, alongside their nine racetrack properties, pledged to match the first $20,000 raised by New Vocations in support of both Thoroughbred and Standardbred aftercare. Over 100 supporters in the equestrian and racing communities rallied together in support of New Vocations' aftercare program. “It was really great to see support come in from so many of our adopters and supporters along with many new contributors via our social media communities,” said Anna Ford, New Vocations Thoroughbred Program Director. “We are very grateful for Churchill Downs Incorporated's match as it was a huge help and definitely jump started the campaign. The funds raised will go towards the day-to-day costs associated with caring for the over 150 horses currently in our program.” The post Over $40,000 Raised to Support New Vocations on Giving Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Multiple group winner Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) will stand for an unchanged fee of €4,000 at Haras du Mesnil in 2024, Jour de Galop reported on Wednesday. A winner of the G2 Dante S. at three, he added the G3 La Coupe and G2 Grand Prix de Deauville at four and entered stud at Mesnil in 2021. A half-brother to two-time group winner and multiple Group 1-placed Al Suhail (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), his eldest foals are yearlings. Telecaster, out of the G1 Irish Oaks and G1 Oaks second Shirocco Star (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) bred 73 mares this season. The post 2024 Fee For Haras du Mesnil’s Telecaster Announced appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA)'s annual Toys for Tots day of giving will take place on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The event is a longtime holiday tradition at the Big A held annually on Cigar Mile Day and offered in partnership with the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation. Founded in 1947, Toys for Tots collects and distributes new, unwrapped toys to local children in need each holiday season. Fans in attendance on Saturday can find donation boxes located at the Turf and Field entrance and the Clubhouse lobby. As part of its support of the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation, NYRA is making a financial contribution to the organization. Toys for Tots is also supported by generous contributions from the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and Thoroughbred owner Harold Lerner. “NYTHA applauds the Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation for all they do to support children in our communities,” said NYTHA President Joe Appelbaum. “New York's horsemen take pride in giving generously each and every year.” Lerner agreed, calling his support of Toys for Toys a way of making the holidays more meaningful for everyone. “Toys for Tots is an incredible organization that supports countless children and families here in New York,” Lerner said. “It is an honor to be able to support their important work, and I thank NYRA for once again committing to a day of giving. It's our goal to make kids smile, especially at this time of year, and we want to reach as many children as possible.” The post Toys for Tots Day of Giving to be held Saturday at Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin Trainer Steve Telfer thinks he can still win tonight’s $25,000 Franklin Pacers Country Cup even without his first choice starter. Telfer was to line up Aardie’s Express in the 2700m standing start but after she only travelled home from Christchurch last week he decided to give her more time to recover. “So she will go to a mares race next week and the Queen Of Hearts the following week,” he says of tonight’s key scratching. That still leaves Team Telfer with Fernleigh Cash (20m) and Allamericanlover off the 35m backmark in the competitive Cup and Telfer says he favours the latter. “Fernleigh Cash was good at Cambridge last start and can win but I think Allamerican Lover is our better chance,” he told HRNZ. “She has been working really well and she is such a fast beginner I think she will make up plenty of her handicap early so while it won’t be an easy race to win I think she can do it.” Add in the likes of Miki Shan, Simply Sam, Artisan, Don’tstopmenow and Bach, returning to the north, and the Cup provides punters with a good challenge. The race starts a busy feature-race weekend for Team Telfer, with their good fillies entered at Addington tomorrow and then Ohoka Connor to start favourite in the Methven 4 Square Green Mile on Sunday. “We preferred that as his lead-up to the Derby rather than taking on the other three-year-olds at Addington,” said Telfer. “It is only a mile and he can have a good run and it should set him up nicely for next week.” Ohoka Connor and the Addington three-year-old starters aren’t the only Derby contenders for Grand Prix warming up this weekend with Lovemeto preparing for the NZ Trotting Derby in the Trotter’s Cup at Alexandra Park tonight. He was well beaten in a frenetic Victoria Trotting Derby last start but looks way too good for most he meets tonight if he produces his best over 2700m standing start in the small field. View the full article

Readers' Up!, a free program designed to expand learning opportunities and bring the experience of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame into a classroom setting, has been launched by the museum. The program will offer free copies of equine-related literature to schools throughout the U.S. for use in their English Language Arts curriculum. Stewart's Shops is sponsoring the program. Representatives of the Museum will visit participating schools in person or virtually with items and artifacts relating to the books the students are provided. The program sets out to develop a passion for reading at the youth level by providing a tangible, historical backdrop to connect students to Thoroughbred racing in a new and unique way. There are no costs for participating schools. “The Museum is committed to inclusive and accessible education, and a big part of that is removing as many barriers to entry as we can,” said Matt Reichel, the National Museum of Racing's Educator. “We recognize that some schools may lack the time or resources to visit us, so we've decided to bring elements of the Museum experience to them. Readers Up! is a remarkable program that both encourages reading and connects students with our sport in new and unique ways. We are ecstatic to share this initiative with our local community and with schools throughout the country and we are thankful to Stewart's Shops for sponsoring the program.” The post Readers’ Up! Program Launched By NMRHOF appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mike Cheung's reigning champion Hong Kong stayer Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will not take part in Sunday week's G1 Longines Hong Kong Vase (2400mT), South China Morning Post reported Wednesday. The 6-year-old, who gave trainer Douglas Whyte his first victory on foreign soil when taking out last year's Listed HH The Amir Trophy in Qatar before successfully defending his title in the G1 Standard Champions and Chater Cup in May, will miss the Vase owing to an unspecified veterinary issue, SCMP reported. Winner of the 2020 G3 Hampton Court S., Russian Emperor ran a blinder to just miss in the 2021 BMW Hong Kong Derby and took a yielding-turf renewal of the G1 Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup for his first win at the top level in February 2022. He validated 21-10 favouritism when winning the first of his two Champions and Chater Cups that May. He made two starts in Dubai following his Qatar success for a highly creditable fifth in the G1 Jebel Hatta S. ahead of an eighth to Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) in the G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic. He finished down the field in a pair of Group 2 build-up races this season. The withdrawal of Russian Emperor leaves a prospective field of 11 for the Vase, topped by 2022 Sheema Classic hero and recent GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf third Shahryar (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and the Andre Fabre-trained G1 Grosser Preis von Baden winner Junko (GB) (Intello {Ger}). The post Russian Emperor Out of Longines Hong Kong Vase appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With the Kentucky Derby (G1) still 23 weeks away, the pari-mutuel field of "All Other Colts and Geldings from the 2021 Foal Crop" closed as the 6-5 favorite in Pool 2 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager.View the full article

The Joseph D'Angelo-trained Bentornato looks primed to become the 11th juvenile to sweep the colt and gelding division when he faces six other rivals in the $300,000, 1 1/16-mile In Reality Stakes Dec. 2 at Gulfstream Park.View the full article