Wandering Eyes

America's Day at the Races, the acclaimed national telecast produced by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) in partnership with FOX Sports, will provide live coverage of the Cigar Mile Day card from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET on FS2.View the full article

The $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park is a possible target for BBN Racing's Trademark, trainer Vicki Oliver told Churchill Downs publicity.View the full article

There was a rather aptly-named top lot to the final session of the November Breeding Stock Sale as Over The Moon (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) led the way on Saturday with Goffs chief Henry Beeby summing up the trade at Kildare Paddocks this week as “historic”. Over The Moon was sold in foal to Space Blues (Ire) to Ted Naughton for €80,000 from Knocktoran Stud in a week where the Niarchos draft, headlined by record-equalling half-sisters Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), led the way at €6m apiece. The Niarchos draft played a massive role in turnover climbing 147% to €40,734,500 and the average rocketing 126% to €125,337. The median, however, dropped 23% to €18,500 while the clearance rate dropped 5% to 73%. Beeby commented, “The Niarchos Draft was the most keenly anticipated consignment at any sale anywhere in recent years and duly delivered a truly historic day at Goffs yesterday with the highest grossing day in the company's 157 years of business at €39.5 Million. The duo of €6 million top prices equals the highest ever recorded in Ireland which, of course, was set 10 years ago at the same sale when Chicquita headlined the Paulyn Dispersal whilst it also represents the top price at any thoroughbred sale in the world this year. “On behalf of all the team at Goffs, I want to record our supreme thanks to the Niarchos family for entrusting us with such an iconic and blue-blooded group of mares and fillies. It was a huge privilege to handle their sale and we were delighted to welcome a genuinely international group of buyers to Kildare Paddocks with several attending for the first time. The 39 Niarchos lots headlined an amazing day that was backed up by several other world class drafts with the day graphically illustrating that Goffs is the measure of any auction house as it featured a wonderful selection of well-bred thoroughbreds that were sold to some of the biggest names in global bloodstock. That is what Goffs exists to do and I extend our appreciation to every client whether buying or selling and at every level for we always recognise that we are nothing without each horse and the people to buy them.” The Niarchos draft made up roughly two thirds of the entire turnover with just shy of €27m spent on the 39 lots offered by the world-famous racing operation. Beeby added, “Our Breeding Stock Sale followed on from a strong renewal of the Goffs November Foal Sale at which a huge contingent of buyers of all ages and price ranges descended on Co Kildare leading to a vibrant atmosphere throughout and another world leading top price of €700,000. “I commented on Thursday that the good results should not be taken as a totally clean bill of health for the industry and it must be noted that there is a degree of correction in the market especially at the lower level. That was clearly the case today, notwithstanding the statistical advances compared to last year, and breeders may rest assured that Goffs, together with ITM, accept that we can always do more to drive more people to our sales at the commercial level and we will redouble our efforts on their behalf as we head into 2024. “In closing I repeat a very sincere and heartfelt thanks to every client, every groom, all at ITM and all the Goffs team for their hard work and enthusiasm, all of which combined to make November 23 one which will live long in the memory.” The post Beeby Hails ‘Truly Historic’ November Breeding Stock Sale At Goffs appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

8th-CD, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 4:18 p.m. Expectations are understandably high for HALL OF FAME (Gun Runner) who brought a top-six price as a yearling at last year's Saratoga Sale with a final bid of $1.4m from Coolmore's M.V. Magnier. Unraced dam Flag Day, from the family of GSW Lady Diby (Grand Slam) and MGISW Diversify (Bellamy Road), also dropped Hall of Fame's yearling full-brother who RNA'd for $725,000 as a yearling at the same Saratoga Sale earlier this year. Racing for Steve Asmussen, Hall of Fame put up a best-of-12 work two back going five furlongs in :59 4/5 (1/12). Lined up outside, Riverwalk (More Than Ready) is a Godolphin homebred out of a half to G1SW White Moonstone (Dynaformer) and from the family of MGSW/GISP Independence Hall (Constitution). TJCIS PPS 12th-CD, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, 7 1/2f, 6:18 p.m. Closing out the card and the Fall meet at Churchill, Victorious (Into Mischief) debuts for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and LNJ Foxwoods for trainer Mike McCarthy. The daughter of the leading general sire brought $800,000 as a FTKJUL yearling, is a half to GSW Leggs Galore (Bayern) and out of a full-sister to MGSW Conveyance (Indian Charlie). The 3-year-old tuned up with a four-furlong gate drill in 47 2/5 (2/69) Nov. 18 and picks up Jose Ortiz. TJCIS PPS The post Sunday Insights: Pricey Maidens Kick Off Churchill Closing Day appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Rider Penalties O Bosson | Rotorua 21 November; careless riding; suspended 30 November – 8 December inclusive. A Lawson-Carroll | Rotorua 21 November; careless riding; suspended 26 November – 8 December inclusive. H McNeill | Rotorua 21 November; medical clearance required. A Lawson-Carroll | Auckland 25 November; use of whip; fined $500. A Lawson-Carroll | Auckland 25 November; careless riding; suspended 9-21 December inclusive. M McNab | Auckland 25 November; careless riding; suspended 30 November – 8 December inclusive. R Elliot | Auckland 25 November; careless riding; suspended 1-7 December inclusive. A Goindasamy | Auckland 25 November; misconduct; fined $750. L Douglas | Wanganui 25 November; failed to make weight; fined $100. L Allpress | Wanganui 25 November; misconduct; fined $300. Trainer Penalties M Walker | Non-raceday dated 22 November; breach of One Clear Day Rule; fined $7,200 and costs totalling $6,000. A Meadows | Wanganui 25 November; late rider declaration; fined $100. L Latta | Wanganui 25 November; late rider declaration; fined $50. Horse Penalty DUSTY ROAD | Wanganui 25 November; lame; veterinary clearance required. Protest BELLE OF THE BALL | North Canterbury 1 October 2022; had substance administered in breach of One Clear Day Rule; disqualified from 1st. The post 20-26 November 2023 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Star Fortress in the Cardinal S. beneath the Twin Spires on Thanksgiving. Graded Glory For Star Fortress John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Services' Star Fortress (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) won the GIII Cardinal S. on Thanksgiving at Churchill Downs (video). The daughter of G3 Sirenia S. third Lady Aquitaine (El Prado {Ire}), who was a 130,000gns Tattersalls December foal buy by Tanya Gunther and twice listed placed in England for trainer Ralph Beckett, was making her first start in America. From the family of G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Roderic O'Connor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the great granddaughter of G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Durtal (Ire) (Lyphard) is a half-sister to G2 Gimcrack S. winner Lake Forest (GB) (No Nay Never) and two other stakes winners. Bred by Saraha Group, Eurowest and Sunderland Holdings, Star Fortress has a yearling half-sister by Bated Breath (GB). Gilltown Stud resident Sea The Stars is responsible for 18 winners from 38 (47%) runners in North America. His septet of stakes winners (18%) in that jurisdiction are anchored by GII Fort Marcy S. winner and GI Manhattan S. runner-up Ottoman Fleet (GB). STAR FORTRESS (IRE) ($14.68), under @luissaezpty, exploded down the lane, destroying the field in the $300,000 Cardinal Stakes (G3) at @ChurchillDowns for trainer @reredevaux! pic.twitter.com/37ucWDOxWN — TVG (@TVG) November 23, 2023 Aqueduct Success For Cityscape Filly Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Michael Kisber's Chili Flag (Fr) (Cityscape {GB}) won her first stakes in the Forever Together S. at Aqueduct last weekend for trainer Chad Brown (video). Bred by Finanza Locale Consulting SRL, the chestnut failed to sell as a foal, but made €140,000 as a horse-of-racing-age last autumn at Arqana when picked up by Mandore International Agency for these connections after running second in the Listed Prix Saraca in nine French starts for Alain Jathiere and Gerard Augustin-Normand and trainer Maurizio Guarnieri. The half-sister to the stakes-placed Flers (Fr) (Dream Ahead) is out of Flag Day (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), herself a daughter of influential matron and European champion Blue Duster (Danzig). Selkirk horse Cityscape has two winners and stakes winners from three runners in the U.S. Chili Flag joins GII John C. Mabee S. heroine Avenue De France (Fr) in the latter category. Make that FOUR wins for @iradortiz! CHILI FLAG takes him all the way in the Forever Together Stakes for Chad Brown! pic.twitter.com/kSF8Rom50Z — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) November 19, 2023 Neon Lights Spins A Winning Tale At Del Mar Profitable (Ire) gelding Neon Lights (Ire) graduated sprinting at Del Mar for Les Blake and trainer Steve Knapp last weekend (video). The Ringfort Stud-bred bay, who made 10,000gns as a yearling and was a €25,000 buy-back at the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Sale, made one start at Dundalk in January for Leidiana Marques and trainer Willie Browne before traveling to the U.S. for these new connections. The third foal and second winner for his winning dam Ponty Royale (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB}), Neon Lights's latest half-siblings are 2-year-old colt Invincible Royale (Ire) (Inns Of Court {Ire}), a yearling filly by Shaman (Ire) and a weanling colt by Nando Parrado (GB). This is the extended family of Group 3 winner Cold Case (GB) (Showcasing {GB}). From just seven starters, Darley stallion Profitable has sired a trio of U.S. winners. Worldwide, nine of his progeny have won stakes, including a quartet of group stakes. It was lights out for NEON LIGHTS (IRE) ($5.00) in @DelMarRacing race 3. Flavien Prat gave a perfect ride for trainer Steve Knapp. The Pick 6 starts now at Del Mar! Get your ticket in on the @FDSportsbook: https://t.co/l04xHpQPmQ pic.twitter.com/Hqfi9RcWwS — TVG (@TVG) November 18, 2023 The post Making Waves: A Castle In The Sky appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Live coverage of the Cigar Mile Day card at NYRA's Aqueduct Racetrack, featuring four stakes worth $1.2 million in combined purse money, will air Saturday, Dec. 2 from 11:30 a.m.–5 p.m. ET on FOX Sports's FS2, as part of a special America's Day at the Races broadcast featuring two stakes from Caymanas Park in Jamaica. The Big A program is headlined by the GII Cigar Mile H. and is supported by the GIII Go for Wand S. Also featured are a pair of Grade II races, including qualifiers offering 10-5-3-2-1 points to the top-five finishers for the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks in the Remsen S. for juveniles and the Demoiselle S. for juvenile fillies, respectively. The broadcast will include a pair of graded events from Caymanas Park in Portmore, Jamaica. The G1 Mouttet Mile Invitational and the G3 Chairman's Plate Invitational will be paired with races from the Cigar Mile Day card to form Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5. The America's Day at the Races broadcast team will include host Greg Wolf with analysis and handicapping at the Big A from Maggie Wolfendale, Acacia Courtney, Jonathon Kinchen, Sara Elbadwi and Richard Migliore. Onsite commentary and insights from Andy Serling alongside Rajiv Maragh will also be a part of the broadcast in Jamaica. The post FS2 To Cover Aqueduct’s Cigar Mile Day, Racing From Jamaica appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Can a white horse win the Kentucky Derby in its 150th running? Amante Bianco took a first step toward achieving that goal with a victory Nov. 25 in the Cattleya Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse, first race in the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby."View the full article

Can a white horse win the Kentucky Derby in its 150th running? Amante Bianco took a first step toward achieving that goal with a victory Nov. 25 in the Cattleya Stakes at Tokyo Racecourse, first race in the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby."View the full article

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER View the full article

Just a handful of days after her passing from colic, Ecurie des Monceaux's star broodmare Starlet's Sister (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) came up with her fourth group winner, the now two-for-two Shin Emperor (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), who won the G3 Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nisai S. at Kyoto on Saturday. The chestnut full-brother to G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe hero Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) was made the 5-2 pick by the Kyoto faithful, but his task was not made easier when he made a slight hop at the break and was outfooted early for speed with the majority of the 14-strong field in front of him in this 2000-metre contest. Kazu Gorty's (Jpn) (Al Ain {Jpn}) loped along on the front end, covering the first 800 metres in :46.80, and was left to his own devices for the majority of the backstretch run. Under a canny Joao Moreira, Shin Emperor had improved his position willingly to midfield through 1200 metres in 1:11.90. His forward progression stalled later on the final turn however, as he desperately needed a gap with 400 metres remaining, but none appeared. Moreira tried to shift deeper out into the course for the stretch run, but was shut off again. Fortunately, a hole opened inside the furlong grounds, and Shin Emperor drove through, before displaying plenty of late dash to win by a half-length. Prelude City (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}), who came from midfield, closed strongly to take second, a nose in front of Satono Strasse (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}), who had perched nearer the pace, in third. The win was part of a four-timer on the card for Joao 'Magic Man' Moreira, who told Net Keiba, “We could not position ourselves in the ideal place and it was slow-paced. I was able to guide him in the way he can stay focused and not be too keen to run. That paid off and was able to race nicely in the second half of the race.” He added, “He is from a family of the Arc winner and I can see why he is good. He won in a style which only high-class horses can do.” A three-length winner of his Tokyo unveiling earlier this month, the colt was making his debut in Pattern company. Pedigree Notes Shin Emperor, a €2.1 million Arqana August purchase–and 2022 sale topper–by trainer Yoshito Yahagi, is the 74th stakes winner and 40th group winner for his sire, who stands under The Aga Khan Studs' banner at Haras de Bonneval. Placed on the racecourse, Starlet's Sister delivered three straight group winners, beginning with Eclipse champion Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) as her first foal. That six-time Grade I winner was also a group winner in France and second in the 2017 Prix de Diane. Her second produce, My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}), won a Group 3 in France, before taking a pair of American Grade III races and also placing three times at the highest level there, including a second in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly And Mare Turf in 2021 behind the Yahagi-trained Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), three years after her elder sister won it for Peter Brant. Brant also campaigned My Sister Nat, and he paid €340,000 at the Arqana August Sale for Shin Emperor's full-brother Sottsass. That colt won the 2019 G1 Prix du Jockey Club and would later win the Arc in 2020 before being retired to Coolmore Stud for stallion duty. Thanks to her earlier foals' exploits, the yearling prices for Starlet's Sister's progeny rose appreciably, with her 2017 Charm Spirit (GB) gelding Radiant Child (Ire) making €400,000, and her 2018 Fastnet Rock (Aus) colt, the winner Parliament (GB), hammering for €700,000. Queen of them all was €2.5-million 2019 Dubawi (Ire) filly Pure Dignity (GB), and she too has won in the colours of Victorous Racing and KHK Racing. Monceaux retained Starlet's Sister's winning juvenile filly Snowpark (Fr), a full-sister to Pure Dignity, and her final foal, a yearling colt by Siyouni, was also retained after injuring himself in his paddock earlier this year. This is the extended family of stakes winner Anabaa's Creation (Ire) (Anabaa), herself placed in both the GI Clement L. Hirsch S. and the G1 Prix Saint-Alary. Saturday, Kyoto, Japan RADIO NIKKEI HAI KYOTO NISAI S.-G3, ¥63,310,000, Kyoto, 11-25, 2yo, 2000mT, 1:59.80, fm. 1–SHIN EMPEROR (FR), 123, c, 2, Siyouni (Fr) 1st Dam: Starlet's Sister (Ire), by Galileo (Ire) 2nd Dam: Premiere Creation (Fr), by Green Tune 3rd Dam: Allwaki, by Miswaki 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. (€2,100,000 Ylg '22 ARQAUG). O-Susumu Fujita; B-Ecurie Des Monceaux (Fr); T-Yoshito Yahagi; J-Joao Moreira; ¥33,497,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, ¥40,697,000. *1/2 to Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), Ch. Turf Female-US, MGISW-US, GSW & G1SP-Fr, $3,786,003; My Sister Nat (Fr) (Acclamation {GB}), GSW-Fr, MGSW & MGISP-US, $1,165,672; and a full to Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 11-14f, Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 11- 14f, Hwt. 3yo-Fr at 9 1/2-11f; Hwt. Older Horse-Fr at 11-14f; Hwt. Older Horse-Fr at 9 1/2-11f; MG1SW-Fr, $4,166,375. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Prelude City (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Harbinger (GB)–Somnia City (Jpn), by Meisho Samson (Jpn). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Yushun Horse Club; B-Kataoka Farm (Jpn); ¥13,142,000. 3–Satono Strasse (Jpn), 123, c, 2, Just a Way (Jpn)–Wonder of Lips (Ger), by Champs Elysees (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (¥47,000,000 Wlg '21 JRHAJUL). O-Hajime Satomi; B-Oiwake Farm (Jpn); ¥8,371,000. Margins: HF, NS, HD. Odds: 2.70, 35.60, 5.80. Also Ran: Danon Decile (Jpn), Keep Calm (Jpn), Di Speranza (Jpn), Allnatt (Jpn), Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn), Ho O Purosangue (Jpn), Kazu Gortys (Jpn), Gamble Room (Jpn), Power Hall (Jpn), Lucullan Feast (Jpn), Cosmo Esmeralda (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. G3 2000m Kyoto 2YO Stakes full replay: Win by 2c SHIN EMPEROR under Joao Moreira 1.59.8 Full to Arc winner SOTTSASS Now 2 for 2 and loving the rock hard JRA tracks !#JRA pic.twitter.com/lXu45kpDmw — Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) November 25, 2023 The post Another Group Winner For The Late Starlet’s Sister As Shin Emperor Reigns In Japan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Carrying the recognizable colors of Silk Racing and leading jockey Christophe Lemaire–the same pairing that will be represented by Equinox (Jpn) in Sunday's G1 Japan Cup–the white 2-year-old colt Amante Bianco (Jpn) (Henny Hughes) found clear sailing two furlongs from home and ran out a 3/4-length winner of Saturday's $206,819 Cattleya S. at Tokyo Racecourse. The 1600-meter allowance is the first leg on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, and the winner earned 10 points towards a start in the Run for the Roses. Amante Bianco, a debut winner going 1400 meters over this course June 17 and an allowance third going this trip Oct. 14, was equipped with cheek pieces for the first time and broke a half-step slow before advancing to sit in midfield while taking a fair bit of kickback for the opening 1000 meters. Traveling nicely in hand on the turn, the 7-2 third choice was eased off heels and into the clear at the quarter pole while racing on his incorrect lead, but once switching his legs 200 meters out, he finished with good determination to account for pace-pressing longshot George Tesoro (Jpn) (Best Warrior) and the fast-finishing Godolphin homebred Unquenchable (Jpn) (Discreet Cat). Final time for the 1600 meters on a fast track was a solid 1:37.5 (see below, SC 6). A son of three-time stakes winner Yukichan (Jpn) (Kurofune), Amante Bianco is a half-brother to the dam of six-time group winner Meikei Yell (Jpn) (Mikki Isle {Jpn}, who most recently competed in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. Yukichan is herself a half-sister to the dam of the recently retired treble Group 1 winner Sodashi (Jpn) (Kurofune), champion of her generation in 2020 and 2021, and her full-sister Mama Cocha (Jpn), last-out winner of the G1 Sprinters S. Yuikchan's full-sister Marshmallow (Jpn) is responsible for two-time GSW Hayayakko (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}). Yukichan also has a yearling filly by Drefong–sire of the last two winners of the Cattleya S.–and a weanling filly by champion dirt horse Le Vent Se Leve (Jpn). がんばれ#アマンテビアンコ pic.twitter.com/48A9IaQgGv — NY (@NY_horseracing) November 25, 2023 The post White Horse Amante Bianco Strikes First On Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sunday's top tips from the SCMP analystsView the full article

Neville Parnham has finally won his maiden Group 1 Railway Stakes on Saturday afternoon, with his four-year-old gelding Bustler (+800) taking out the 2023 edition ahead of Alsephina (+240) and Dom To Shoot (+2200). With 27 winners out of the last 64 Railway Stakes being won by four-year-olds, Bustler has improved that record to 28, after he ran away from the field in the final 200m. After jumping from barrier two, Steven Parnham let the son of Playing God balance up and find a position behind the leaders off the rails. As expected, Marocchino (+2000) and Massimo (+4000) took up the lead with Comfort Me (+1400) settling outside of them in the breeze and ran the race at a solid tempo. However, as the field turned the final time into the home straight, Parnham got onto the back of Comfort Me peeled off his back at the 300m mark to stake his claim. When Parnham went for his mount, he gave an almighty kick and took over at the 200m mark before continuing to race clear from the fast-finishing Alsephina and Dom To Shoot who flew down the outside to finish in the placings. 2023 Railway Stakes Replay – Bustler | T: Neville Parnham | J: Steven Parnham After claiming both the WA Guineas and Railway Stakes, Neville Parnham spoke post-race about the wins of Zipaway and Bustler. “It’s been a fantastic day, and I couldn’t do it without the team behind me,” Parnham said. “It’s been a plan that has all come together and it has all happened on the one day. “This is one of the best days that I’ve had. “The Railway Stakes has alluded me throughout my 40-year career, but it was one race that I just wanted to tick off, as I think it’s probably one of our most prestigious, if not the most prestigious race. “Steve (Parnham) pulled out an 11 out of 10 ride and was able to get him out into the moving line and pounce when he wanted to. “Zipaway is a really nice horse, and he has a nice future. “He has the ability to go to the next level. “Earlier this year, I thought that this horse (Zipaway) was a good horse and he had a good two-year-old prep. “I was very confident that he was going to win the race (WA Guineas) without being too confident or cheeky. “Zipaway most certainly will go there (Northerly Stakes) as long as he pulls up well. “Bustler, we will have a think about The Gold Rush, but the way he is going, we would be silly not to have a go because he is trending like a horse that will get 1800 (metres) this year. Bustler is now a $10 chance in both the Northerly Stakes and The Gold Rush futures markets with online bookmakers. More horse racing news View the full article

With a rail-skimming ride aboard Campionessa in the Gr.2 Dunstan Horsefeeds Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), comeback jockey Matt Cameron completed a feature double at Pukekohe on Saturday that marked his best day back in the saddle. Cameron is a two-time winner of the New Zealand jockeys’ premiership and has ridden more than 1450 winners in a high-quality riding career. However, he has spent a large part of the last three years on the sidelines during a tumultuous period of his life. The 37-year-old has returned to the senior riding ranks in recent weeks and has quickly got back to doing what he does best, already notching up 10 wins from fewer than 100 rides. He celebrated the first black-type success of his revived career aboard Maria Farina in last Saturday’s Listed Stewards’ Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton, but that was little more than a curtain-raiser for what he did on Saturday. Cameron guided One Bold Cat to a superb come-from-behind win in the Gr.3 Counties Cup (2100m), then produced an even better ride 35 minutes later to win the Breeders’ Stakes with Campionessa. In a race that was thrown upside down by a slow start by favourite Our Alley Cat, followed by a muddling tempo upfront, Cameron settled Campionessa in a midfield position along the rail. A gap opened at the home turn and Cameron drove her through it, hitting the front with just over 100m remaining and turning back the challenges of Faraglioni and Malt Time to win by a long neck. “It’s super,” Cameron said. “It feels great to be back doing this after a tough couple of years, and results like this are massive. “It was good enough to get the Listed win last week and the Group Three earlier today, let alone to come out and win this race. It’s extra special that this win is for a stable that’s been amazing for me over the years. “I was lucky enough to be the second pick to jump on this one today, with Opie (Bosson) choosing the stablemate. I’ll take what I can get at the moment, and I’m loving it. “My horse is very good on her day. She jumped nicely, and Mark (Walker, co-trainer) told me she goes well fresh and on good ground. She’s a proven horse and she stuck on very strongly today.” It was the eighth win of a 25-start career for Campionessa, who has banked more than $577,000 for the Te Akau Campionessa Syndicate. The daughter of Contributer was bred by Mapperley Stud’s Simms Davison and was bought for A$60,000 by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis as a yearling on the Gold Coast in 2019. Campionessa stepped into stakes class last season with victories in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) and Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2500m), along with placings in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and Gr.1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2050m). The six-year-old resumed with a fifth placing on the opening day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival, then was freshened after finishing second-last in the Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) in late September. “Things didn’t quite go right for her during the carnival at Hastings, so we just gave her a bit of a freshen up,” Walker said. “I’d say the ride probably won the race today. Matt gave her a perfect run and she got all favours. It’s great to have a quality rider like him back in the senior ranks. “We thought about trialling this mare during the week instead of running in this race, but I thought she’d come on more with a run than from going around at the trials, and I also felt the field wasn’t quite as strong as I’ve seen for this race in other years. It’s worked out well and she got it done today. “She’ll probably go to the Cal Isuzu Stakes (Gr.2, 1600m) at Te Rapa next, and then on to the Zabeel Classic (Gr.1, 2050m) back here on Boxing Day. “She’s a good, honest mare, and she might be one of those mares that get so much better when they come into the warmer summer period.” View the full article

Neville and Steven Parnham have combined with Zipaway (+550) to take out the Group 2 WA Guineas at Ascot on Saturday afternoon, conquering the same feat as his sire Playing God, who won the same race in 2010 for the same combination. After running fourth in the Listed Fairetha Stakes last start, Neville Parnham said that his gelding was going to be might hard to beat in the WA Guineas next start and he has been proven right, thanks to a great steer by his son, Steven. Zipaway jumped well from the barrier and settled a lot closer to the speed than his previous starts; however, it didn’t matter, as Parnham went for his mount at the top of the home straight and kicked clear to put up a two-length lead on the rest of the field. Although the odds-on favourite Super Smink (-117.65) and A Lot Of Good Men (+2000) flashed home from the back of the field, there wasn’t a worry if you were on the leader, as he held the challengers at bay in the final 100m to record an impressive victory. 2023 WA Guineas Replay – Zipaway | T: Neville Parnham | J: Steven Parnham After the win, Neville Parnham took his record to five winners in the WA Guineas. Zipaway joins Royal Retrieve (2001), Playing God (2010), Rommel (2014) and War Saint (2019) as runners from the Parnham stable that have won the Guineas. Steven Parnham had won the Guineas on Playing God and Rommel for his father and they combined once again for their third victory together in the feature three-year-old contest at Ascot. Zipaway is now a $13 chance in the Group 1 Northerly Stakes futures markets with online bookmakers. More horse racing news View the full article

Alice Springs trainer Rene Taylor (right) enjoying a day at the races at Pioneer Park with her late grandmother Emmie Wehr, a legendary racing figure in the Northern Territory. Alice Springs trainer Rene Taylor is recovering from surgery in Adelaide following a back injury sustained when dislodged from a horse on Monday morning. Taylor was working a horse along the banks of the Todd River behind the stable block located along the back straight at the Pioneer Park racecourse when she came to grief. Most trainers utilise that particular area on a regular basis where horses can either walk, trot or canter. “Rene was riding one of her horses along the bank alongside the Todd River and unfortunately suffered a fall,” Thoroughbred Racing Northern Territory chief executive Andrew O’Toole said. “She wasn’t working in the dry river bed area as such. “I’m aware of where Rene would have been riding the horse – knowing what I know it can be a pretty hard area. “Not sure of the circumstances around the accident, but whatever has happened she suffered the injury having landed on her behind or lower back. “Thankfully there were a number of trainers and others in the vicinity. ”A couple of ambulances arrived pretty smartly, but she was in a deal of pain. “They took her off to Alice Springs Hospital, but they then had to fly her to Adelaide because she had a compression fracture of her L1 (lumbar vertebrae) in her lower back. “From what I understand it was pretty close to her spinal cord and obviously they had to take all precautions. “Surgeons operated Monday night and it finished around 1am on Tuesday, but it went well. “They’ve been able to repair the injury thanks to modern technology. “They also inserted rods, pins and screws into her back to stabilise the injury, and the surgeons were very pleased with the procedure. “I understand Rene was sitting up the next morning with plaster over the scar where they operated, as well as a drain in that area.” Taylor doesn’t have a big team, she currently has only got three horses in work – Tycoons Dior, Midnight Hustle and Piccadilly Hero. She is the grand-daughter of the late Emmie Wehr, Australia’s first Indigenous female horse trainer, who was an institution in the Red Centre for well over 50 years many years before passing away in 2021 aged 83. Taylor debuted as a trainer, a profession that is basically a hobby, in June 2020 and had her first win with the mare Golden Ripples at Pioneer Park in August last year. Tycoons Dior, fifth over 1100m at 0-58 level on the Alice Springs program on November 11, was Taylor’s only other winner when the mare saluted in January. “At the moment Rene is out of action, it will now be a period where there will be a great deal of recuperation and recovery required,” O’Toole added. “Pretty nasty, but it could have been a lot worse from what I understand. “The indications are that it was a very near thing to possibly becoming a paraplegic, so it’s bad news and good news I suppose you could say. “Rene will be out for a period of time and her three horses are now in the care of fellow trainers Lisa Whittle and Carrol Hunter. “I understand they want to run one next week in Rene’s name. “I’m not sure when she will return to Alice Springs, but obviously there’s quite a deal of rehabilitation ahead to get the injury right.” According to O’Toole, it hasn’t taken long for the Alice Springs racing community to rally and provide support for Taylor, who does have a fulltime job away from the track. “That’s correct, the Alice Springs Turf Club is on the job there and they even named a race in Rene’s honour at the meeting on Saturday,” he said. “I think they were also looking into the possibility of setting up a GoFundMe fundraising page to aid in her expenses. “Of course she won’t be able to work for a period of time, so hopefully they will be able to set that up and no doubt the industry will look to contribute towards that, as will the parent body. “Any assistance we can provide for Rene we will.” More horse racing news View the full article

Sacred Satono overpowers Babylon Berlin to score in the Group 3 Counties Bowl (1100m) at Pukekohe. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) In a contest largely focussed on glamour mare Babylon Berlin, talented entire Sacred Satono made the most of his six-kilogram weight advantage to storm home in the Group 3 Counties Bowl (1100m) on Saturday at Pukekohe. Prepared by the Byerley Park-based partnership of Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley, Sacred Satono was among the four runners carrying the minimum of 53kg, while race-favourite Babylon Berlin and in-form sprinter Johny Johny received a 59kg impost in the $150,000 feature. As anticipated, Johny Johny took up the front-running role under Jim Chung and set a strong tempo early, while Sacred Satono worked into more prominent position midfield from barrier five in a compact six-horse field. An experienced Michael McNab contained the son of Satono Aladdin within striking distance of Babylon Berlin into the home turn, and the sway in the weights was telling in the closing stages as he stormed over the top of a gallant race-favourite to score by three-quarters-of-a-length. Group One-winning Te Akau mare Romancing The Moon produced a classy effort in a distance previously short of her best in third, a head clear of Jodelin Gal. 2023 Group 3 Counties Bowl Replay – Sacred Satono | T: Bruce Wallace & Grant Cooksley | J: Michael McNab “It was a very good win, he tries very hard and stuck his head out at the right time,” Cooksley said. “I thought he would be very hard to beat off his work, he’s been working well.” The four-year-old was beaten less than a length in last year’s edition of the Counties Bowl behind Letzbeglam, where he then went on to produce a first black-type victory in the Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m). Two strong performances this preparation, including a comfortable win over 1200m at Te Rapa, saw Cooksley send Sacred Satono across the Tasman to contest the A$1 million Silver Eagle at Randwick, where he produced a strong effort to finish midfield less than three lengths off the victor. “He’s grown up a lot, he had a very hard run in that race but went very well in it so we’ve bought him back here to see what he does,” Cooksley said. “We were very happy (coming into today), he will improve with that run as well.” McNab was rewarded for his loyalty to Sacred Satono in recent months, after electing to travel to Australia to partner with him in the Silver Eagle, bypassing the ride aboard eventual winner Ladies Man in the Group 1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings. The two-time Champion hoop revealed post-race he was also given the choice between the stallion and Babylon Berlin for the feature at Pukekohe, and reaped the benefits of his decision. “I’m rapt with that,” McNab said. “I’ve been asking for a long time for the blinkers to go on him and we got them on today, I thought he’d be a bit more aggressive than what he was but he’s such an old gentleman he just lobbed. When I needed him he was there for me. “I’ve obviously stuck with this horse, I had the choice of riding him or Ladies Man and I went to Australia to ride him, so for him to come back and win today gives me a really good thrill. “I don’t regret it, obviously missing out on a Group One isn’t great but the experience and exposure I got that day was unbelievable. To go and ride him, who I think will win a Group One eventually, I don’t regret it.” Sacred Satono will more than likely contest race-rival Babylon Berlin next in the Group 1 Sistema Railway (1200m) on New Year’s Day, where the mare will have the benefit of returning to set weights and penalties, allowing her to carry just 54.5kg. Despite the weight returning to more equal terms in the Railway, McNab has faith Sacred Satono can continue to match his Group One-proven counterpart. “I think he can, I think he’s one of the better horses in New Zealand going around so I don’t see why he couldn’t.” Following Saturday’s race, Babylon Berlin remained a warm $2.80 favourite for the Railway with horse racing bookmakers, while Sacred Satono shortened to $4.80 and Romancing The Moon into $16. Purchased by Wallace Thoroughbreds for just $34,000 out of Book 2 in the 2021 National Yearling Sales at Karaka, Sacred Satono has proved a valuable investment producing almost $350,000 in stakes from 18 career starts. More horse racing news View the full article

One Bold Cat proves his staying class in the Group 3 Counties Cup (2100m) at Pukekohe on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) One Bold Cat took his promising career to a new level in Saturday’s Group 3 Counties Cup (2100m) at Pukekohe, delivering a third feature prize of the month for Robbie Patterson. The in-form New Plymouth trainer had previously saddled One Bold Cat to win the $80,000 Feilding Gold Cup (2100m) at Trentham on November 4, followed by an all-the-way triumph with Puntura in the $250,000 Group 3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton on November 15. One Bold Cat arrived at Pukekohe on Saturday as the winner of six of his 11 career starts, but the $170,000 feature was the first time his talents had been tested against quality stayers such as Group winners Aquacade, Aromatic and Dionysus. But the five-year-old rose to the occasion, swooping from the back of the field in the hands of jockey Matt Cameron and bursting into contention at the 300m mark. Aromatic matched him every step of the way, and it developed into a desperate two-horse tussle to the finish. But One Bold Cat responded to everything Aromatic threw at him and kept lifting, edging ahead to win by half a length. Aromatic finished two lengths in front of the third-placed Dionysus, with topweight Aquacade another three lengths away in third. 2023 Group 3 Counties Cup Replay – One Bold Cat | T: Robbie Patterson | J: Matt Cameron Racing in the colours of co-breeder and part-owner Eddie Bourke, One Bold Cat has now won seven of his 12 starts and $212,785 in prize-money. “Eddie puts a lot into the business and is a huge supporter of mine, so this is just awesome,” Patterson said. “It’s been a big month, winning the Feilding Cup, the Coupland’s and now the Counties Cup. “I’m so proud of this horse. I’ve had him ever since he was born, so this is huge. He came from last and ran past some good horses today, and he doesn’t even really know what he’s doing yet. He’s a serious horse. “This will definitely boost his confidence. He’s never really been in a dogfight like that before. It was good to see him really flatten out and keep trying hard, and that’s what good horses do. He’s obviously a good horse.” It was an enormously satisfying result for Bourke, who not only bred and races One Bold Cat but also owns a significant share in the gelding’s under-rated sire The Bold One. “It’s a real thrill for me,” Bourke said. “It’s great to come up here and have a go with the big boys, as Robbie calls them. We think this horse is pretty smart, and I hope he’s shown a few people today what The Bold One’s progeny can do. “Robbie’s a phenomenal guy. He’s a really good trainer, takes great care of his horses, and the best part about him is you enjoy his company and he’s always positive. He can turn a bad day into a good day. This is a good day. “We’ve got another pretty smart The Bold One in Robbie’s stable, Mary Louise, so it’s pretty exciting.” Adding to the Taranaki flavour of Saturday’s result is Cameron, who served his apprenticeship under fellow New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock. “It’s a great Taranaki result, and I’m happy to get the job done today for Robbie and the owner,” Cameron said. “Gryllsy (Craig Grylls) usually rides this horse and has a good bond with him, but with him suspended, I was lucky enough to pick up the ride today. The horse changed legs in the straight and found another gear, he was pretty impressive.” More horse racing news View the full article

Campionessa strides to victory with Matt Cameron aboard in the Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) With a rail-skimming ride aboard Campionessa in the Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1400m), comeback jockey Matt Cameron completed a feature double at Pukekohe on Saturday that marked his best day back in the saddle. Cameron is a two-time winner of the New Zealand jockeys’ premiership and has ridden more than 1450 winners in a high-quality riding career. However, he has spent a large part of the last three years on the sidelines during a tumultuous period of his life. The 37-year-old has returned to the senior riding ranks in recent weeks and has quickly got back to doing what he does best, already notching up 10 wins from fewer than 100 rides. He celebrated the first black-type success of his revived career aboard Maria Farina in last Saturday’s Listed Stewards’ Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton, but that was little more than a curtain-raiser for what he did on Saturday. Cameron guided One Bold Cat to a superb come-from-behind win in the Group 3 Counties Cup (2100m), then produced an even better ride 35 minutes later to win the Breeders’ Stakes with Campionessa. In a race that was thrown upside down by a slow start by favourite Our Alley Cat, followed by a muddling tempo upfront, Cameron settled Campionessa in a midfield position along the rail. A gap opened at the home turn and Cameron drove her through it, hitting the front with just over 100m remaining and turning back the challenges of Faraglioni and Malt Time to win by a long neck. 2023 Group 2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes Replay – Campionessa | T: Mark Walker & Sam Bergerson | J: Matt Cameron “It’s super,” Cameron said. “It feels great to be back doing this after a tough couple of years, and results like this are massive. “It was good enough to get the Listed win last week and the Group Three earlier today, let alone to come out and win this race. It’s extra special that this win is for a stable that’s been amazing for me over the years. “I was lucky enough to be the second pick to jump on this one today, with Opie (Bosson) choosing the stablemate. I’ll take what I can get at the moment, and I’m loving it. “My horse is very good on her day. She jumped nicely, and Mark (Walker, co-trainer) told me she goes well fresh and on good ground. She’s a proven horse and she stuck on very strongly today.” It was the eighth win of a 25-start career for Campionessa, who has banked more than $577,000 for the Te Akau Campionessa Syndicate. The daughter of Contributer was bred by Mapperley Stud’s Simms Davison and was bought for A$60,000 by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis as a yearling on the Gold Coast in 2019. Campionessa stepped into stakes class last season with victories in the Group 2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) and Listed Metropolitan Trophy (2500m), along with placings in the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) and Group 1 Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes (2050m). The six-year-old resumed with a fifth placing on the opening day of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival, then was freshened after finishing second-last in the Group 1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) in late September. “Things didn’t quite go right for her during the carnival at Hastings, so we just gave her a bit of a freshen up,” Walker said. “I’d say the ride probably won the race today. Matt gave her a perfect run and she got all favours. It’s great to have a quality rider like him back in the senior ranks. “We thought about trialling this mare during the week instead of running in this race, but I thought she’d come on more with a run than from going around at the trials, and I also felt the field wasn’t quite as strong as I’ve seen for this race in other years. It’s worked out well and she got it done today. “She’ll probably go to the Cal Isuzu Stakes (Group 2, 1600m) at Te Rapa next, and then on to the Zabeel Classic (Group 1, 2050m) back here on Boxing Day. “She’s a good, honest mare, and she might be one of those mares that get so much better when they come into the warmer summer period.” More horse racing news View the full article

Happy Together makes it two in a row. Alexis Badel is confident Happy Together has the qualities to contend strongly in the HK$4.075 million Chevalier Cup (1600m) at Sha Tin on Sunday when Frankie Lor’s talented gelding bids to extend impressive progress. Unbeaten in two runs since joining Lor’s stable after the departure of his former trainer Richard Gibson, Happy Together has risen to a rating of 85 after starting the season as a 73-rater with successive victories in Class 3 and Class 2. “It will be interesting to see how he (Happy Together) can compete against these higher-class horses who can quicken very fast – they’re able to do very fast sectionals – so I think it’s a real test and if he can keep up with those horses, it is a very good sign,” Badel said. “I always believed that he is a quality horse and he proved already a while ago and the horse has continued to improve and he keeps doing what I thought he is capable of. The horse is pretty simple, he’s very versatile, he’s a very handy horse so hopefully I can put him in the right spot and he can hit the line.” Happy Together will start from barrier two with only 115lb and will face 10 rivals headed by another regular Badel mount Red Lion (135lb) as well as Circuit Stellar (134lb), Running Glory (134lb), Telecom Fighters (133lb), Super Sunny Sing (130lb), The Golden Scenery (125lb), Bourbonaire (124lb), Spirited Express (123lb), Atullibigeal (118lb) and The Best Peach (118lb). With three wins and two seconds from nine starts over Sha Tin’s 1600m course, Happy Together’s development has impressed Badel. “He’s doing everything correctly so far, so I’m very pleased with him. His handicap situation is very favourable in this race, he’s a quality horse,” the Frenchman said. Andrea Atzeni believes Danny Shum’s decision to unleash Packing Bole on Sha Tin’s dirt track will continue to pay off. “He was very impressive last start. It was obviously his first run on the All Weather (but) we were actually very confident going into the race because he had trialled well,” Atzeni said reflecting on the bay’s three and three-quarter length romp on 25 October. “He had obviously won on the grass before but the switch back to the All Weather seemed to really suit him and he was very impressive last time. Obviously, he goes up in the handicap (12lb to 128lb) but he couldn’t have done it any easier – he’s in good form.” Keen to continue the form which landed him a Hong Kong career-high quartet last Sunday, Brenton Avdulla hopes Red Desert can press for successive victories. Winless in 33 starts since his previous success in April, 2021, Red Desert posted a drought-breaking triumph under Avdulla on October 25. “It was a good result for him. He had been knocking on the door for a long, long time and he was down right on that mark (124lb) where you expected him to win and he was able to get the job done. He’s come through and he’s trialled well in between and I’m looking forward to getting back on him. “John has got him in really good order and he loves these conditions – 1200 (metres), dirt – he just goes up a little bit in weight (131lb) but I don’t think it will slow him down too much. He’s going to get his chance to jump, travel on the speed and run well again.” More horse racing news View the full article

Tom Marquand celebrates his win aboard Winning Dragon. There are very few examples in same-sport relationships where it is hard to decide which one is the higher achiever. In an all-time sense it might be Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf from tennis but when it comes to the present day, Tom Marquand and Hollie Doyle form a power couple to rival any other. Married last year, Doyle and Marquand are a polite and unassuming pair who have captured attention of the racing world through their exploits. For both, the next stop will be Hong Kong. The 25-year-old Marquand has already earned the moniker ‘Aussie Tom’ for some successful stints Down Under, notably winning three of the last four renewals of the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) aboard Addeybb and Dubai Honour. Doyle, 27, has broken countless records with perhaps the most significant being when becoming the first female jockey to land a major European Classic as she steered Nashwa home in the French Oaks (Group 1 Prix de Diane, 2100m). Step-by-step they’ve matched each other, both even riding exactly 91 winners to finish joint-second behind William Buick in the 2022 British Flat Racing Championship. Then, by a strange coincidence, they had to convalesce from injury together at the start of this year, Marquand dislocating his shoulder at Randwick in Australia and Doyle damaging her elbow from a fall at Wolverhampton. “We will be in rehab and recuperation together and be a right pair, so at least we’ve got two arms between us,” Marquand joked in an interview back in February. It wasn’t long before they were both back in the winning groove. A seventh and eighth career Group 1 arrived for Doyle, through her main backer Archie Watson’s Bradsell in the Group 1 King’s Stand Stakes (1000m) at Royal Ascot before another strike on her long-time ally Trueshan in the Group 1 Prix du Cadran (4000m) at Longchamp, while Marquand earned the richest praise for his tactical front-running masterclass on Quickthorn at Goodwood. Only in the last month, once the British season was over, Marquand won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (1000m) at Santa Anita aboard Big Evs and then jetted to Australia, where Doyle rode in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington. They headed immediately to Japan, where the winners have followed for both of them, and will be making a brief stop off in Hong Kong for the International Jockeys’ Championship at Happy Valley on December 6. “I’m sure I can probably speak for both of us to say that we’re both absolutely thrilled to have been invited back to compete in such a prestigious event,” Marquand said from Japan. “It’s just fantastic to be competing on the world stage against some of the world’s best jockeys in a great atmosphere and we’re honoured that The Hong Kong Jockey Club have invited us back to try to take home the trophy again.” Marquand’s reference to the trophy is from his appearance at last year’s contest, and he had been in a four-way tie for second during the 2021 renewal while Doyle was the first female rider to win a leg on her first visit in 2020 and has also made the overall podium on two occasions to date. Marquand adds with typical understatement: “Obviously we’ve both had a good bit of luck in the competition over the last few years so hopefully we’ll have a bit more this time around.” More horse racing news View the full article

With Your Blessing powered to a commanding win. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au John Thompson’s concerns about heavy track conditions were quickly extinguished by With Your Blessing at Kembla Grange on Saturday, powering to a commanding front-running win. The New Zealand-bred son of Vadamos had begun his five-year-old season with two promising placings at Randwick and Rosehill in October and November. He was sent out as a $3.80 favourite on Saturday, but Thompson admitted he was unsure what to expect in significantly rain-affected footing. “I wasn’t sure that he’d get through the ground today,” he said. “He’d been good on soft in the past, but we really weren’t sure about heavy. “But I was very confident that the horse had improved from his second-up run into today, so that performance was very good to see. The blinkers have really done the trick and switched him on. He began very well and we were pretty confident a long way from home.” Positively ridden by Josh Parr, With Your Blessing broke sharply from the gates, went forward and dominated the race from there. He never gave the chasers a look in, kicking hard down the straight and winning by four and a half lengths. “That was impressive,” Parr said. “He found the front quite comfortably today. With the blinkers on, he pricked his ears and just went a comfortable gallop the whole way. “I was confident that he’d be hard to run down from that position if he showed the turn of foot that he has, and he certainly did that.” Saturday’s win was the fourth career victory for With Your Blessing, who had performed with credit in strong company as a two-year-old with a fourth in the Group 3 Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) and a fifth in the Group 3 Baillieu Handicap (1400m). With Your Blessing was bred by the Hawkins family’s Llanhennock Trust and is by Vadamos out of the Darci Brahma mare Super Trouper. Herself a five-race winner from a 28-start career in the Llanhennock colours, Super Trouper is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Lim’s Dashing. With Your Blessing is the best of three foals to race so far for Super Trouper, who is also the dam of the three-time Australian placegetter Super Alana. Super Trouper has since produced the unraced three-year-old Vadamos gelding Vaidisimo, and she has a yearling filly by Ole Kirk. She was served by State Of Rest this spring. With Your Blessing was bought for A$70,000 in Sydney as a yearling. Along with his four wins, the gelding has also recorded seven placings and has earned A$283,780 in stakes. More horse racing news View the full article

King Of The Castle put in tenacious performance at Kembla Grange. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au With trainer and part-owner Joe Pride watching on from afar, New Zealand-bred gelding King Of The Castle took his career earnings past A$500,000 with a typically tenacious performance at Kembla Grange. The seven-year-old son of Castledale has now had a total of 25 starts for seven wins, six placings and A$508,946 in prize-money. King Of The Castle went into Saturday’s race with gallant fourth placings under his belt from both of his previous two starts, including the A$3 million The Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick on November 7. But the gutsy gelding was not entirely at home on firm tracks in both of those two races, and he relished the return to rain-affected ground at Kembla Grange. Rider Josh Parr settled King Of The Castle in fourth place on Saturday, a wide margin behind the leading trio. He dragged the chasing pack up behind those rivals coming up to the home turn, then lengthened stride and finished over the top of the leaders down the straight to score by half a length. “He can be a bit of a funny horse, you can never really know if you have him,” Parr said. “I wasn’t quite sure how he was going to come up under me when those leaders accelerated off the front. But I gave him a couple of slaps on the shoulder, just to see if there’d be a response there, and there was. “By the time we passed the 300, he was really getting through his gears and I was feeling pretty confident.” Pride and his family are currently on holiday in Japan, but the Warwick Farm trainer was represented at Kembla Grange by racing manager Orla Pearl. “They’re most definitely watching, no need to worry about that,” Pearl said. “I’ve had comments all day, so they’re definitely watching. “This horse was backing up from Newcastle last Saturday, and Josh said before he went out today that he loves riding Joe’s horses on the back-up. “This horse is usually a little bit quirky, but today he was so relaxed. I said to his strapper that I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but it was obviously a good thing. “We just wanted to see him on a softer track, because he just wasn’t quite stretching out on the hard ground.” Bred by Ravelston Stud, King Of The Castle began his career with Riverton trainer Kelvin Tyler, for whom he won three races. Tyler and wife Vanessa still share in the ownership of the now seven-year-old, who has won a further four races for Pride from 14 starts in Australia. More horse racing news View the full article

Detonator Jack powers away with The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au With a spectacular performance in The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange on Saturday, Detonator Jack delivered a second consecutive New Zealand-bred victory in the A$1 million race. The Gong was introduced in 2019 and had previously been won by the Kiwi-bred Group One performer Riodini 12 months ago. Detonator Jack was among the favourites to follow suit, having run strong placings in the A$1 million Five Diamonds Prelude (1500m) and A$2 million Five Diamonds (1800m) in his two previous runs. The five-year-old was sent out as a $4.60 chance on Saturday and produced a breathtaking performance. Ridden by expat New Zealand jockey Jason Collett, Detonator Jack settled in the second half of the field but began to creep closer coming down the side of the track. By the time he reached the home turn, Detonator Jack had moved up into fourth and was poised to pounce. Collett pushed the button in the straight and Detonator Jack exploded, bounding clear and winning by two and a quarter lengths. The largely New Zealand-owned Loch Eagle crossed the line in second place, with Kiwi-bred Osipenko third. “We were in a lovely spot, and I think the blinkers definitely helped him today,” Collett said. “When I needed him to be there, he was there. The softer ground was probably a bit of an advantage too. “I thought I got there a bit soon, it’s a long straight, but he’s a powerful horse and he had enough left in the tank. That acceleration would have looked pretty impressive, and it felt good too.” Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, Detonator Jack has now had 15 starts for six wins, seven placings and A$1.3 million in stakes. “This horse has been in really good form and our team have done a super job with him,” Maher said. “He hit that little flat spot last start, so coming back in trip today, we thought it might be an ideal time to put blinkers on. “He just travelled so sweet. I was pretty confident throughout the race. Jason gave him a great ride. We didn’t have to tell him much, he knows the horse pretty well. “This horse has always threatened to win a big one, and he’s gone pretty close in his last couple. It’s been a fantastic preparation. “I think we’ll go to the Ballarat Cup (Listed, 2000m) in a couple of weeks. A lot of the owners are Ballarat locals, so hopefully he can carry on this form there. But it was an unbelievable effort today.” Bred by Craig Dunphy and his wife Steph, Detonator Jack is a son of the late Jakkalberry and the No Excuse Needed mare Red Delicious, who is also the dam of the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner Madison County. Detonator Jack races for Darren Dance’s Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock. Dance was involved in the ownership of the international top-flight winner and Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) placegetter Jakkalberry, who retired as the foundation sire at Luigi Muollo’s Novara Park in 2014, but sadly succumbed to an intestinal infection four years later. Dance has understandably kept a close watch on the progeny of the Storming Home stallion and when opportunity knocked in the form of Detonator Jack he sealed the deal, subsequently syndicating the gelding and remaining in the ownership. “I raced Jakkalberry and he was sold to Luigi after he finished racing and I was always keen to race some of his progeny,” he said. “I got a phone call out of the blue from Mike Rennie and said he had been out to dinner with a mate of his (Cambridge horseman Mark Brooks) and he had a Jakkalberry that he owned half of with his partner. “He broke it in and reckoned it had a bit of x-factor. I looked up the pedigree and ended up buying it off his word.” Rennie, now Waikato Stud’s Business Manager, had previously recommended Yogi to Dance and the Raise The Flag gelding went on to win eight races, including a brace at Listed level. “I’ve known Mike for a long time and dealt with him when he was working with Michael Wallace as an agent and we became quite good friends,” Dance said. More horse racing news View the full article