Wandering Eyes

A handsome colt by Ardrossan was one of the keenly sought-after lots on Day 1 of Book 2 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales with Ready To Run Sale vendors Lilywhites Lodge securing the prized target for $155,000. Catalogued as Lot 795, the colt by rising star Ardrossan out of the Per Incanto mare La Donna was prepared by Dave Duley and Jude Latimer’s Landsdowne Park. After a spirited bidding duel, it was Sophia Nolan, bidding while on the phone to husband Derek, who landed the winning blow and the colt is now likely to be seen back at Karaka for November’s Ready To Run Sale. “He’s a strong, well-bodied colt and a beautiful mover. He’s a very attractive horse and there was a lot to like about him,” Nolan said. “He looks like the perfect type to take through to the Ready To Run Sale. He should have good appeal. “I like Ardrossan. He is doing a good job with four stakes winners and another stakes-performer at this early stage, plus the market seems to like them. “I thought there was also a fair bit of Per Incanto in the horse, which the mother was by.” Hanna Örting and Sophia Nolan. Photo: Trish Dunell The Nolans both have a strong background in racing and prepared their first Ready To Run Sale draft in 2019. They have quickly built a good reputation as skilled breakers and pre-trainers, as well as Ready To Run preparers, complementing a small training operation at their South Auckland base near Ardmore. “We have about 60 boxes and our own track and it’s a perfect place for it,” Nolan said. “We had a beautiful Super Seth filly out of Perfect Fit at last year’s Ready To Run Sale who we sold for $525,000. She was just a ready-made racehorse and hopefully she can come out and be a poster-girl. “This is the first horse we have got this week. We had a tried on a couple but they went beyond budget. We maybe went slightly over the price on this one, but we were happy to get him. “There are a couple still on the short-list but we are happy we got the lot we came for. It just broadens the appeal of our draft at the Ready To Run Sale, having a colt like him.” The colt was bred by Dame Lowell Goddard and was one of four offerings by popular Waikato Stud stallion Ardrossan, with Landsdowne Park also selling a colt by the sire out of the Iffraaj mare Exhibit for $100,000 to Wexford Stables. View the full article

It has been a momentous week for Barneswood Farm’s Sarah Green, which kicked off on Saturday with a memorable double at Ellerslie. Green cheered home her pride and joy Desert Lightning to win the inaugural $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m), before putting on her breeding hat to barrack for farm graduate Orchestral, who took out the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) in the following race. “It was such a special night on Saturday, it was unbelievable. We had 46 people with us who had flown up (from Ashburton), it was amazing,” Green said. Green and fellow Barneswood Farm principal Ger Beemsterboer have been active at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National yearling sale in recent years, purchasing fillies under the guidance of trainers Peter and Dawn Williams, with a view to future broodmare careers. However, they had one exception in 2021 when they purchased a Pride Of Dubai colt out of Little Avondale Stud’s draft for $150,000. “We always buy fillies, but we had left the sale that day and had gone over to Waiheke,” Green said. “Peter rang us to see if we were interested in buying a colt. We trust Peter and Dawn implicitly, so we said yes. They have never put us wrong, they have always bought the best of the best.” Their judgment proved to be correct, with that colt being Desert Lightning, who has won five and placed in five of his 16 starts to date, including victories in the Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m), Aotearoa Classic and Gr.2 Avondale Guineas (2100m), supplemented by placings in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) and Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2000m). Green was vocal in her praise for Desert Lightning and said he is finally getting the kudos he deserves. “Turning for home he just went to another gear and that was so exciting to see,” she said. “He is a special horse, and it is really special to see him get the credit that he has deserved.” With Saturday’s victory, Desert Lightning earned a spot in the A$4 million All-Star Mile (1600m) at Caulfield on March 16, and Green said he would take his place in the field all going well after the Gr.1 Trackside Otaki-Maori Classic (1600m) at Otaki next month. “To get the slot to the All-Star Mile is wonderful,” Green said. “I think he will go to the Group One at Otaki and then we will go to the All-Star Mile all going to plan. We will definitely be going to that if he goes.” Green didn’t have long to wait before she was celebrating more success at Ellerslie on Saturday, but this time as the breeder of Karaka Millions 3YO victor Orchestral. “By the time we got out of the presentation room (following Desert Lightning’s win) she (Orchestral) was about 400m from home, and I could hear her name being called out,” Green said. “We started screaming for her and it was unbelievable to see her win.” Orchestral is another New Zealand Bloodstock graduate, but it was Barneswood Farm doing the selling and not buying in 2022, with trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood going to $625,000 to secure the Savabeel filly out of Hanui Farm’s draft. Orchestral is out of Symphonic, who was purchased by Barneswood Farm as a yearling at Karaka for $330,000 and went on to win four races and finish runner-up in the Gr.3 Cuddle Stakes (1600m) for the Williams’ before retiring to the broodmare paddock, where she has quickly become the matriarch of Barneswood’s broodmare band. Barneswood Farm’s broodmare gem Symphonic has a Savabeel filly foal at foot, a full-sister to Orchestral, and is back in-foal to Savabeel. Photo: Supplied “She (Symphonic) was always a tough mare, and she has put that into her foals,” Green said. “I remember not too long-ago Dawn said she would probably be our best broodmare, and think she is absolutely right about that. “We have had a number of good mares on the track but Symphonic has turned out to be one of the best broodmares.” While Green was overjoyed to see a product of her farm take out New Zealand’s richest race on Saturday, she said it doesn’t quite top the feeling of cheering home her own horse. “People always used to say to me ‘wait until you have bred your own’. I never thought it could get more exciting, but it was pretty special seeing something you bred go on and do that on Saturday for the owners and trainers she has now,” Green said. “I still don’t know that it eclipses seeing Desert Lightning racing like that, it is very special, not only for us but our family, who follow him. To get messages from people back in Ashburton who were watching was great.” The excitement didn’t stop on Saturday for Green, who headed to New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka earlier this week to watch Orchestral’s full-brother go through the sale ring as lot 464. Lot 464, the Savabeel full-brother to Orchestral, was purchased out of Haunui Farm’s 2024 NZB Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $310,000 by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Photo: Supplied The Savabeel colt was knocked down to the $310,000 bid of the Hong Kong Jockey Club, and while a little disappointed with the result, given his full-sister’s success over the weekend, Green is excited by the possibility of travelling to Hong Kong to watch him race. Symphonic has a Savabeel filly foal at foot, which will likely be retained, and is back in-foal to Waikato Stud’s Champion stallion. “I want to keep the filly at foot, I have become quite attached to her,” Green said. “My husband has other ideas, so we will see who wins that battle of the wills.” Barneswood Farm has had plenty of high-class fillies over the last decade, and Green is now enjoying watching them enter the next stage of their career as broodmares and seeing their foals go through the sales ring. “We have about seven or eight broodmares at the moment,” she said. “Most of them are here but we also have some over in Australia at Sledmere Stud in the Hunter Valley. “To see them go to the next stage of their career has been great.” “We have got an Exceed and Excel colt out of (Group One winner) Media Sensation that will go through the Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney, so that will be exciting to see.” In the meantime, Green will still be trying to come down from the high of her superb Saturday double. “We will never forget that night for as long as we live,” she said. 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Following a record-breaking Book 1, a quickfire day of selling saw 118 lots go under the hammer at the opening session of NZB’s Karaka 2024 Book 2 Sale. Book 2 has been a happy hunting ground for Karaka Millions contenders over the years, highlighted by this year’s $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO runner-up Pendragon (NZ) (U S Navy Flag), who was a $110,000 purchase by Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Ballymore Stables at Karaka 2022. In fitting fashion, the top lot of today’s session was Lot 790, a half-brother to the Karaka Millions performer by Time Test from the young Pour Moi mare Kerre, also knocked down to Paul Moroney in conjunction with Catheryne Bruggeman and Sears Racing for $220,000. Purchased from the Leanach Lodge draft, Maddysen Sears was elated to secure her ‘pick of the sale’. “We’ve had a lot of luck out of Book 2. We had this colt highlighted from the moment we saw him,” she commented. “We just looked at the athlete in front of us, he looks like a runner and he oozes class. “Hopefully you’ll see him line up for a Karaka Millions in the future,” she added. Lilywhites Lodge secures Lot 795 for $155,000. Established Ready to Run Sale vendors Lilywhites Lodge went to $155,000 to secure Lot 795, a son of emerging sire Ardrossan, offered by Landsdowne Park. Speaking to Sophia Nolan, the plan is to return him to the Karaka sales ring in November. “That’s the plan, he’s a lovely type for it,” she commented. “He will suit many overseas buyers and fit well into the draft we are putting together for the upcoming NZB Ready to Run Sale.” All yearlings purchased at Karaka 2024 are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series, featuring the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO and $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO. Yearlings purchased at the Book 2 Sale who nominate for the Karaka Millions Series are also eligible for the $200,000 Book 2 Bonus, to be won by the first horse across the finish line in the 2026 $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO race. Selling continues on Thursday where lots 801 to 970 get underway from 11am (NZT) at Karaka. To enquire about Passed Lots contact Patrick Cunningham on +64 21 181 5898 or email Patrick.Cunningham@nzb.co.nz, or Andrew Buick on +64 27 555 0640 or email Andrew.Buick@nzb.co.nz. View the full Book 2 results and online catalogue here. Catch the highlights and Lot-by-Lot footage from Book 2 online. Karaka 2024: Book 2, Day One Statistics (at end of selling) 2024 BOOK 2, DAY ONE 2023 BOOK 2, DAY ONE 2022 BOOK 2, DAY ONE 2021 BOOK 2, DAY ONE AGGREGATE $2,652,000 $3,363,500 $2,919,000 $4,151,000 AVERAGE $44,949 $41,525 $36,037 $43,240 MEDIAN $37,500 $32,500 $30,000 $30,000 CLEARANCE 64% 60% 58% 68% CATALOGUED 118 156 164 170 SOLD 59 81 81 96 TOP LOT Lot 790 Time Test – Kerre (Br.C) $220,000 Lot 789 Proisir – Harriet Wilson (G.C) $180,000 Lot 756 Vadamos – Call Me Blondie (Br.C) $180,000 Lot 725 Churchill – Astrid (Ch.F) $200,000 Karaka 2024: Book 2, Day One Top Lots Lot Sire Dam Sex Vendor Purchaser Price 0790 Time Test Kerre Colt Leanach Lodge Ltd Paul Moroney Bloodstock / Catheryne Bruggeman / Sears Racing (Queensland) $220,000 0795 Ardrossan La Donna Colt Landsdowne Park Ltd Lilywhites Lodge Ltd (Auckland) $155,000 0731 Sun City Flippity Lass Filly Westbury Stud Benner Racing Ltd (Manawatu-Whanganui) $130,000 0723 Time Test Fascino Lass Colt HGT Bloodstock Ltd John Foote Bloodstock (Hong Kong) $120,000 0690 Ace High Diggilou Colt Platinum Bloodstock Richardson Racing Stables (Waikato) $100,000 0719 Ardrossan Exhibit Colt Landsdowne Park Ltd Wexford Stables (Waikato) $100,000 0773 Contributer Isle du Cap Filly Mapperley Stud Ltd Topline Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd (Queensland) $100,000 0704 Shocking Edmonton Colt Rich Hill Stud Ballymore Stables / Paul Moroney Bloodstock / Catheryne Bruggeman (Waikato) $85,000 0711 Redwood Encosta de Nacre Filly Westbury Stud Ms R Carter (Auckland) $80,000 0685 Redwood Decimal Filly Westbury Stud Paul Moroney Bloodstock / Catheryne Bruggeman / Sears Racing (Queensland) $75,000 View the full article

Toowoomba trainers Tony and Maddy Sears teamed up with Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Catheryne Bruggeman to purchase the top lot on Day 1 of Book 2 at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales when going to $220,000 to secure a stunning colt by Time Test. Presented by Leanach Lodge, the brown colt enjoyed a significant pedigree update since the catalogue went to print, with his half-brother Pendragon now the winner of the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1600m) and runner-up in the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) for trainers Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard. The father-daughter training combination were in attendance at Karaka for the first-time last year, where they purchased six yearlings, one of whom is the Listed winner Beau Dazzler who finished seventh in last Saturday’s Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), charging through the line late. “We bought a few last year and they look like they’re OK, so we’ve decided to come back and load the gun again and get a few more good ones hopefully,” Tony Sears said. “We waited all day hoping that we could get him for under $250,000, which we have, and I bought him for a client in Australia. “Most people would say that he’s a lovely type of horse and Paul Moroney told us early yesterday that he thought he was one of the picks of the sale in Book 2. We just go along with what he says, he’s never too far wrong.” Sears was able to lean on Moroney and Bruggeman’s knowledge of the family, with the duo having purchased both Pendragon and a Zacinto half-sister last year. The pair are out of the Pour Moi mare Kerre. “Paul said he’s thrown a lot to Sadler’s Wells and he was very keen on him,” Sears said. “He thought he was a great looking colt and we’re looking 12 months ahead when we think he’ll develop into a beautiful animal. “We were active in Book 1 and bought a couple of nice Ocean Parks. We paid a bit of money ($150,000) for one of them and we happened to buy a cheap one ($40,000) yesterday. Maddy and Leigh Sears. Photo: Trish Dunell “We also managed to purchase a Redwood filly ($75,000) this morning, who was another one on our list and now we’ve bought this colt. We’ll see how we go [on Thursday and Friday].” Leanach Lodge Principal Ross Mackay was pleased with the result and said the Time Test colt had been well-admired all week. “We were certainly hoping for that sort of money. His reserve was a fair bit under there but there had been a fair bit of activity, and he was busy all week,” Mackay said. “He behaved like and absolute trooper, he ploughed through his work and was fantastic all week. He is a beautiful colt and it was a dream result getting the pedigree uplift prior to the sale.” The colt was bred by Cambridge horseman Brett McDonald and his partner Tanya Donaldson, who purchased the colt’s dam for just $3,300 from the Valachi Downs Unreserved Reduction Sale via Gavelhouse Plus. “They own the mare and were lucky enough to buy her a couple of years ago,” Mackay said. “They had a good result last year with a Zacinto filly which we sold to Moroneys as well. “They obviously knew what Pendragon was capable of doing and the Zacinto filly had a trial last week and looks pretty smart as well. “This colt was another level again and had that little uplift on the page. He was a perfectly clean colt, lovely x-rays and great scope and was everything we could have dreamed for. “Collectively he was as busy as the whole draft.” Despite the highlight lot, Mackay said it was a buyers’ market with good opportunities to capitalise on the significantly bolstered New Zealand prize-money. “We’ll be selling some horses at value after what we have seen today. We have another 11 to sell over the next few days and we have some quality colts and lovely fillies,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity with the (enhanced) stakes to get behind it and get our mates back into racing. It’s a good opportunity to buy and it looks like people will be buying at value.” View the full article

Trainer Terry Kennedy is hoping the addition of some headgear will help sharpen his promising three-year-old Hakadecree (NZ) (War Decree) for Saturday’s Listed Dunedin City Motors Dunedin Guineas (1500m) at Wingatui. The son of War Decree has impressed in his four starts to date, posting two wins and two runner-up performances, including a last start second to Aberlour in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m). Kennedy was pleased with the result but said he got distracted in the closing stages of the race, which he thinks cost the gelding victory. “He got to the front and gawked around and didn’t concentrate that much, but he still went a good race,” he said. “He has got blinkers on this week so hopefully he concentrates a bit better when he gets there.” Hakadecree has drawn a wide alley of 10 in the 14-horse field, but Kennedy believes he will still be able to find a handy position from that gate. “He has got plenty of gate speed, so he should get across and be out of trouble somewhere, fifth or sixth,” he said. “He is getting better and better each time. He is going to be very competitive.” Kennedy’s plan is to compete in all three southern Guineas races with Hakadecree and is hoping to snare the lion’s share of the prizemoney in the latter two races before potentially sending his charge for a spell. “It is great money – $80,000, $100,000, and Invercargill is $120,000. If everything goes well on Saturday, he will head to Invercargill after that,” Kennedy said. “He is going to be a better horse next year, so I don’t want to overtax him this year.” The Wingatui horseman will also be aiming to gain some black-type with his last start winner Nobellem (NZ) (Belardo) in the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m). “She won nice last start. I know it is a big step up in grade and she hasn’t run over further than 1335m, but the way she won the other day I think she deserves her chance to have a go at trying to get some black-type for her broodmare career,” Kennedy said. “It is always good to support the White Robe Day. Take the top three or four out and they are all pretty even horses.” Kennedy said he will wait and see how Nobellem handles the mile on Saturday before mapping out her future targets. “We will just play it by ear,” he said. “We are not quite sure whether she will get a mile. There is some pretty good racing coming up for her up to 1400m if she doesn’t get the mile, so we will work that out after Saturday.” Kennedy will line-up nine other runners on Saturday, and rates Bourbon Chique (NZ) (Telperion) in the Steve Anderton Memorial 65 1200m and Gordon in the Grand Casino Maiden (1400m) as his two best chances. “I have only had Bourbon Chique for one start and she went a really good race for second,” he said. “I have got a maidener called Gordon who went quite well on debut for fifth, and should be a good chance. The rest are all chances if everything pans out on the day.” Meanwhile, Kennedy was a proud father over the weekend when his jockey daughter Jayla rode her first Melbourne metropolitan winner when victorious aboard Ceerseven (NZ) (Complacent) at The Valley on Saturday, coincidentally beating Brookly Boss, a son of Zoe Brook, who Kennedy trained in New Zealand. “She only just made it but that is where you have got to win, on the line,” Kennedy said. “It was a big thrill for Debbie (wife/mother) and I, she is going really well over there.” View the full article

Stephen Autridge is in the enviable position of having a pair of well-performed three-year-olds in his stable and, if all goes to plan, they will give him a strong hand in the autumn fillies’ feature at Trentham. The Matamata trainer has Livid Sky (NZ) (Proisir) and Still Bangon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) tracking toward the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) on March 16 and he has confidence in their ability to see out the trip. “I think they will both run the mile and a-half and after Ellerslie (last Sunday), a few fillies stepped up and a few didn’t and may not be going to the Oaks, so it could be a bit wider open,” Autridge said. To continue her preparation, Livid Sky will head south this week for a crack at Saturday’s Listed Grangewilliam Stud Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth with the booking of Craig Grylls another plus for the daughter of Proisir. “She’s come a long way after a few problems with her in the early days, she was immature,” Autridge said. “Mentally and physically, she has turned the corner and we keep her to a set pattern. We don’t change anything because she doesn’t like change and she handles everything well now.” Livid Sky broke her maiden in the spring and in her last three appearances has matched up encouragingly in strong age group company. The filly finished third in the Gr.3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m), fourth in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and then made a good fist of her middle-distance debut when third in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2050m). “It was a good run last start and I think she is going to continue improving,” Autridge said. “She’s the first Proisir I’ve had and she has come on in leaps and bounds and, looking at the sale results, everyone else wants one so it’s good to have her.” Rich Hill Stud’s champion sire produced the Book 1 Sale-topper with the Hallmark Stud-offered sister to star performer Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) selling for $1.6 million. Safely through the weekend, Livid Sky is likely to have one more outing before the Oaks while stablemate Still Bangon will target Saturday week’s Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) ahead of her Trentham grand final. “She will go around at Te Rapa and she has been going terrific,” Autridge said. Still Bangon has won twice from nine appearances and is another to have shed her maiden status before quickly proving her quality in stakes company. The daughter of Proisir’s hot stallion associate Satono Aladdin triumphed in the Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and then came from last to finish third in the Sir Patrick Hogan. View the full article

What Sunshine Coast Races Where Sunshine Coast Turf Club – 170 Pierce Ave, Caloundra QLD 4551 When Friday, February 2, 2024 First Race 6:08pm AEST Visit Dabble A seven-race night meeting awaits punters at the Sunshine Coast this Friday night. Although the track was rated a Heavy 10 at the time of acceptances, we anticipate the track improving into the Soft range by Friday evening, with no rain on the forecast for Thursday and Friday. The rail will be pushed out to the +6m position for the entire circuit, with the opening race set to jump at 6:08pm AEST. Best Bet at Sunshine Coast: Termagant On debut, the Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted-trained Termagant was beaten as an odds-on favourite at Ipswich on January 13. From a wide barrier, this three-year-old filly was made to travel wide and eventually came around the home turn five horses of the fence, before letting down with a blistering turn of foot to run home into second place behind Runaround Sue. With the benefit of race experience and a good showing first-up, this daughter of Deep Field will appreciate the step up in trip to 1000m on Friday. With even luck, Termagant should be breaking her maiden in style. Best Bet Race 2 – #3 Termagant (3) 3yo Filly | T: Steven O’Dea & Matthew Hoysted | J: Justin Huxtable (58.5kg) Bet with Picklebet Next Best at Sunshine Coast: Shamrock Lu Shamrock Lu produced an impressive finish when first-up at Ipswich over 1100m on January 13, where the Tony Gollan-trained gelding flashed home down the outside and just missed in a tight photo finish with Win Burn. Going into this race second-up (5:2-1-0) and dropping back to 1000m at the Sunshine Coast appears to be a recipe for success. This son of Hallowed Crown has a very good record at the track and trip (4:3-1-0), and if he can replicate a similar performance to his third-place finish in tougher grade three starts back, we expect him to play a prominent role in the finish. Next Best Race 5 – #5 Shamrock Lu (9) 6yo Gelding | T: Tony Gollan | J: Angela Jones (60.5kg) Bet with PlayUp Best Value at Sunshine Coast: High Plateau After three runs for his new trainer, Simon Foster, High Plateau is still searching for his first win in Queensland. However, this Benchmark 58 Handicap over 1000m looks to be the ideal race for him to break through for his first victory since being transferred from James Cummings. Two starts back, this son of Lonhro settled worse than midfield and ran home nicely behind Invinovich at this track and trip in a Class 3 contest. With the benefit of Emily Lang’s 1.5kg claim and a good barrier (2), High Plateau should be able to settle midfield, appreciate the hot speed, and run on strong in the final 300m. Best Value Race 4 – #2 High Plateau (2) 5yo Gelding | T: Simon Foster | J: Emily Lang (a1.5) (62kg) Bet with Neds Friday quaddie tips for the Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast quadrella selections Friday, February 2, 2024 2-3-7-12 5-6-8-15 1-2-10-12-16 2-3-8-13 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

Star Patrol ridden by Ben Melham winning the 2023 Gilgai Stakes. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Clinton McDonald has decided to put on hold plans to send his sprinter Star Patrol to the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint (1200m) in Dubai on March 30. Despite an impressive season where the five-year-old gelding clinched victories in both the Group 2 Bobbie Lewis Quality (1200m) and Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m), his performance waned with a last-place finish in the Group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington in November. “I wasn’t 100 percent happy with him, so we’ve elected to give him a little break and let everything settle down,” McDonald explained to Racing.com. He elaborated, “There’s nothing untoward with him other than he didn’t spell well and that affected how he returned to work as it didn’t really gel. “In a nutshell, he wasn’t quite at his best, so I’m going to give him a break and when he’s ready he can return to work.” “I’ll be guided by the horse. They don’t get a long time from the spring to the autumn, plus he had a virus after the Champions Sprint. That busy time flattened him a little bit and he just didn’t do as well as I was hoping. He needs some time off, which could be for a short period, and then we could look at the Queensland and Adelaide Carnivals with him.” Star Patrol is listed as a $51 chance in futures markets with top horse racing bookmakers for The Everest (1200m) in October. More horse racing news View the full article

Attrition returned in Geelong barrier trial on Tuesday. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) Mitchell Freedman, the trainer of Attrition, the recent winner of the Toorak Handicap (1600m), is gearing up the four-year-old entire for more success at the highest level. Attrition recently underwent a trial at Geelong and earned commendation from jockey Beau Mertens, who rode him to victory in his last race. “Great to be back on him,” Mertens said of Attrition. “Unfortunately, he had the setback going towards the Golden Eagle, had to give it a miss, but Mitch [Freedman] has obviously done the right thing by him and put him out and given him that time to get over it because he’s come back and not had any issues. “I think he’ll improve even more this prep, I think he’s aimed at the Futurity first-up, he’s a horse that’s going well. “He’s seemed to come back super, he’s jumped out well this morning, Mitch gave me a call earlier and said he’s not up to doing much today, just a bit of maintenance work on him. “I was pretty quiet on him, he took me through the trial … I think he’ll take a stack of improvement out of that. “He’s got a lot of confidence and a lot of natural ability, he wants to get out there and do things so that will take him a long way this prep.” Attrition is a +1400 chance in the Futurity Stakes futures market with online bookmakers. More horse racing news View the full article

Ayrton prevailed in a thrilling finish in the Listed John Dillon Stakes (1400m). Photo: Bruno Cannatelli Following his impressive victory in the Listed John Dillon Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield, where he extended his remarkable record to six wins from seven starts at the track, Ayrton is now set to target the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) on February 10. Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, the trainers of the six-year-old, expressed their confidence in his Caulfield prowess. “He just loves Caulfield, I don’t know what it is, Caulfield, Ayrton and Jamie Kah is a good recipe,” Kent Jnr told Racing.com. Reflecting on Ayrton’s previous performance in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m), where he finished sixth, Kent Jnr mentioned, “We had him a bit fresh to be fair and wasn’t totally wound up, so there’s improvement to come off that break in Perth.” Regarding the upcoming challenge, Kent Jnr stated, “We are going to nominate him for the C.F. Orr, he’s not as good as Mr Brightside of course but why wouldn’t you have a look at that race, he loves that course and distance.” Ayrton is currently listed as a +2500 chance with leading horse racing bookmakers for the prestigious Group 1 CF Orr Stakes. More horse racing news View the full article

Loft is edging closer to a raceday return. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Racing Photos) JD Hayes expressed satisfaction with Loft, a one-time Melbourne Cup contender, following his third-place finish in a 1000-metre trial at Geelong yesterday. Loft is on the path to recovery after sustaining a tendon injury just days before his Australian debut in the 2022 Melbourne Cup (3200m). Undergoing rehabilitation with Lee Evison, Loft is set for a comeback, with an eye on the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) in April and the Melbourne Cup as a long-term goal. “I was really happy with that. He showed enough speed for a horse that the minimum distance that he won over before is 2800 [metres], so he’s very much just building in the right direction,” Hayes said of his trial. “He was clean in the wind, and he didn’t look like he wanted to stop past the line either. So, he got a big pass mark. “We’ll give him a couple of runs well short of his distance to make sure he is rock-hard fit and then hopefully he will end up in the Sydney Cup. “The main goal with him is still the Melbourne Cup; that was what he was bought for, so this is very much preparing him for that.” Loft is a +5000 chance in the Sydney Cup futures market with online bookmakers. More horse racing news View the full article

Wrote To Arataki ridden by Jamie Kah returns to the mounting yard after winning the 2023 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes at Sandown. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Racing Photos) Trainer Matt Williams, based in Warrnambool, is eyeing another triumph with his prized mare Wrote To Arataki in this Saturday’s Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes (1200m), aiming to replicate last year’s success in the same race. “She’s coming off that short break where she went pretty deep into the spring, so there’s not a lot of turnaround time there, so there’s a bit of natural fitness still under her belt,” Williams told Racing.com. “She’s just had the one trial so there should be a bit of improvement to come. Last week she had a little jump-out at Warrnambool and came through that well and she had a gallop on the grass this morning and all reports she came through that well, so she should be there to take her spot.” With optimism in his tone, Williams conveyed his confidence in Wrote To Arataki’s readiness for the upcoming Group 3 assignment on Saturday at Caulfield. Wrote To Arataki is a +210 favourite with top horse racing bookmakers for the Group 3 Geoffrey Bellmaine Stakes. More horse racing news View the full article

Thomas Stockdale returns to the mounting yard on Primal Spirit (NZ) after winning a Maiden Plate at Benalla Racecourse on January 30, 2024. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Primal Spirit, a Charm Spirit gelding and half-brother to the late Group 1 victor I’m Thunderstruck, marked a successful debut at Benalla yesterday. Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, who also handled I’m Thunderstruck, the three-year-old by Charm Spirit started as the +170 favourite and finished strongly to secure victory by a nose over the +10000 outsider Grisbi’s Pal. Replay of Primal Spirit’s win at Benalla Winning jockey Thomas Stockdale shared his surprise, stating, “I wasn’t expecting him to finish so strongly. “It’s good to see him put a win up on the board, and once he learns his caper, he is going to be an even better horse. “When they went to steady, he was a bit reactive, but I think that’s going to come with experience.” Primal Spirit was acquired for $240,000 by Mick Price and Ace Bloodstock at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. More horse racing news View the full article

Hakadecree will contest the Listed Dunedin Guineas (1500m) at Wingatui on Saturday. Photo: Monica Toretto Trainer Terry Kennedy is hoping the addition of some headgear will help sharpen his promising three-year-old Hakadecree for Saturday’s Listed Dunedin Guineas (1500m) at Wingatui. The son of War Decree has impressed in his four starts to date, posting two wins and two runner-up performances, including a last start second to Aberlour in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m). Kennedy was pleased with the result but said he got distracted in the closing stages of the race, which he thinks cost the gelding victory. “He got to the front and gawked around and didn’t concentrate that much, but he still went a good race,” he said. “He has got blinkers on this week so hopefully he concentrates a bit better when he gets there.” Hakadecree has drawn a wide alley of 10 in the 14-horse field, but Kennedy believes he will still be able to find a handy position from that gate. “He has got plenty of gate speed, so he should get across and be out of trouble somewhere, fifth or sixth,” he said. “He is getting better and better each time. He is going to be very competitive.” Kennedy’s plan is to compete in all three southern Guineas races with Hakadecree and is hoping to snare the lion’s share of the prizemoney in the latter two races before potentially sending his charge for a spell. “It is great money – $80,000, $100,000, and Invercargill is $120,000. If everything goes well on Saturday, he will head to Invercargill after that,” Kennedy said. “He is going to be a better horse next year, so I don’t want to overtax him this year.” The Wingatui horseman will also be aiming to gain some black-type with his last start winner Nobellem in the Group 3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m). “She won nice last start. I know it is a big step up in grade and she hasn’t run over further than 1335m, but the way she won the other day I think she deserves her chance to have a go at trying to get some black-type for her broodmare career,” Kennedy said. “It is always good to support the White Robe Day. Take the top three or four out and they are all pretty even horses.” Kennedy said he will wait and see how Nobellem handles the mile on Saturday before mapping out her future targets. “We will just play it by ear,” he said. “We are not quite sure whether she will get a mile. There is some pretty good racing coming up for her up to 1400m if she doesn’t get the mile, so we will work that out after Saturday.” Kennedy will line-up nine other runners on Saturday, and rates Bourbon Chique in the Steve Anderton Memorial 65 1200m and Gordon in the Grand Casino Maiden (1400m) as his two best chances. “I have only had Bourbon Chique for one start and she went a really good race for second,” he said. “I have got a maidener called Gordon who went quite well on debut for fifth, and should be a good chance. The rest are all chances if everything pans out on the day.” Meanwhile, Kennedy was a proud father over the weekend when his jockey daughter Jayla rode her first Melbourne metropolitan winner when victorious aboard Ceerseven at The Valley on Saturday, coincidentally beating Brookly Boss, a son of Zoe Brook, who Kennedy trained in New Zealand. “She only just made it but that is where you have got to win, on the line,” Kennedy said. “It was a big thrill for Debbie (wife/mother) and I, she is going really well over there.” More horse racing news View the full article

Trainer Ari Herbertson lost a civil rape case and will owe the unnamed plaintiff $9 million, according to an email from Diane Rames, law office administrator at the Oakland firm Gwilliam Ivary Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer, APC. According to the firm's email, Jane Doe was attending live racing at Golden Gate on Jan. 12, 2019 when she was drugged and raped by Herbertson. The latter was first criminally prosecuted and plead no contest to a lesser charge of assault with a deadly weapon. He was sentenced to one-year incarceration and two years' probation in that case before Alameda County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Brand ruled in the civil case Jan. 17. The civil action alleged various torts related to the rape. Judge Brand awarded the defendant $3 million in general damages and $6 million in punitive damages. “I commend Jane Doe for pursuing her civil case,” said attorney Randall Strauss of Gwilliam Ivary Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer, who represented the plaintiff throughout her civil case. “She was viciously and violently attacked, yet she was unafraid to pursue her attacker in court. Her bravery helps send a message that our society will not tolerate sexual battery and will work to seek justice for victims of sexual abuse.” According to equineline.com, Herbertson trained from 2016-21 and compiled a record of 134 wins from 447 starts. Click to see a copy of the court order. The post Golden Gate Trainer Ruled Against in Rape Case appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Livid Sky will contest the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Stephen Autridge is in the enviable position of having a pair of well-performed three-year-olds in his stable and, if all goes to plan, they will give him a strong hand in the autumn fillies’ feature at Trentham. The Matamata trainer has Livid Sky and Still Bangon tracking toward the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) on March 16 and he has confidence in their ability to see out the trip. “I think they will both run the mile and a-half and after Ellerslie (last Sunday), a few fillies stepped up and a few didn’t and may not be going to the Oaks, so it could be a bit wider open,” Autridge said. To continue her preparation, Livid Sky will head south this week for a crack at Saturday’s Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth with the booking of Craig Grylls another plus for the daughter of Proisir. “She’s come a long way after a few problems with her in the early days, she was immature,” Autridge said. “Mentally and physically, she has turned the corner and we keep her to a set pattern. We don’t change anything because she doesn’t like change and she handles everything well now.” Livid Sky broke her maiden in the spring and in her last three appearances has matched up encouragingly in strong age group company. The filly finished third in the Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m), fourth in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and then made a good fist of her middle-distance debut when third in the Group 2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2050m). “It was a good run last start and I think she is going to continue improving,” Autridge said. “She’s the first Proisir I’ve had and she has come on in leaps and bounds and, looking at the sale results, everyone else wants one so it’s good to have her.” Safely through the weekend, Livid Sky is likely to have one more outing before the Oaks while stablemate Still Bangon will target Saturday week’s Group 2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) ahead of her Trentham grand final. “She will go around at Te Rapa and she has been going terrific,” Autridge said. Still Bangon has won twice from nine appearances and is another to have shed her maiden status before quickly proving her quality in stakes company. The daughter of Proisir’s hot stallion associate Satono Aladdin triumphed in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and then came from last to finish third in the Sir Patrick Hogan. More horse racing news View the full article

Karis Teetan has 40 wins this season. Karis Teetan believes Star Mac can measure up in the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m) this Sunday at Sha Tin. The lowest rated runner in the race on 64 and without a win from four starts in Hong Kong, Star Mac has the joint-least experience among the entries, however, continues to showcase an electrifying late burst which has returned two fast-finishing third placings in Class 3. “I am really happy to be riding him. I think he’s an improving horse, I think he is improving with each run – it’s not a big field,” Teetan said. Helios Express tops the entries on a towering mark of 102, while the rest rate 74 or above in the Hong Kong Classic Mile, the first leg of the HK$52 million Four-Year-Old Classic Series which also features the HK$13 million Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) on March 3 and HK$26 million 147th Hong Kong Derby (2000m) on March 24. “I think he’s one of those who can surprise. The race is wide open if you take out Helios Express. He’s happy wearing cheek pieces and I am happy to be on him,” Teetan said. Star Mac won once in Australia pre-import, scoring at Seymour over 1400m as a two-year-old. He’s now trained by David Hayes in Hong Kong, who won Sunday’s contest in 1999 with Resfa and in 2001 with Charming City. More horse racing news View the full article

Horse Racing on Wednesday, January 31 will feature four meetings in Australia. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and provided free quaddie tips for the meetings at Randwick-Kensington, Sandown and Happy Valley (HK). Wednesday Horse Racing Tips – January 31, 2024 Randwick-Kensington Racing Tips Sandown Racing Tips Sha Tin (HK) Racing Tips Best Horse Racing Bets For January 31, 2024 Place these horse racing bets in a multi for $150.06 odds return: Wednesday, January 31, 2024 Randwick-Kensington – Race 4 #5 Ironton Randwick-Kensington – Race 7 #5 Hanau Sandown – Race 1 #5 Limburg Sandown – Race 6 #11 The Devil In Her | 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 January 31, 2024 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. More horse racing tips View the full article

On Wednesday, January 31, various horse racing bookmakers have unveiled their racing promotions, featuring a range of enticing bonus back offers for horse racing enthusiasts. The top Australian racing promotions for January 31, 2024, include: Today’s best horse racing promotions Sandown All Races – Same Race Multi 3+ Leg Bonus Back if 1 leg fails Place a 3+ leg Same Race Multi bet on any race at Sandown this Wednesday and if 1 leg of your multi fails, get up to $50 back in Bonus Cash. Available from approximately 8:30am local track time on race day. Neds T&Cs apply. Login to Neds to Claim Promo Randwick Races 1-4: 2nd or 3rd Bonus Back up to $50 Back a runner in races 1-4 at Randwick this Wednesday and if it runs 2nd or 3rd get up to $50 in Bonus Cash. Fixed Win bets only. Neds T&Cs apply. Login to Neds to Claim Promo Odds Drift Protector If the price at the jump is bigger than the price that you took, we will pay you out at the bigger odds Eligible customers. T&C’s apply. Login to Bet365 to Claim Promo Sandown Races 5-8: 25% Boosted Winnings 25% Boosted Winnings in Bonus Cash. Max bonus $250. First bet only (including SRM). Paid in bonus cash. Must use available balance. Picklebet T&Cs apply. Login to PickleBet to Claim Promo 10 Again!! Get 10% Boosted Winnings paid in BONUS CASH. Max bonus $100. First bet only (including SRM) at Ascot, Mount Gambier, Randwick-Kensington & Te Rapa. Paid in bonus cash. Must use available balance. Picklebet T&Cs apply. Login to PickleBet to Claim Promo BoomBet Daily Race Returns Use your daily Race Returns to back a runner in ANY RACE you want* and if your horse doesn’t win but finishes in the specified positions, you get your stake back as a bonus bet. 18+ Gamble responsibly. Can be used across any race and code unless specified in customer’s BoomBox. Fix odds, win bets only. Max bonus $50. Login to BoomBet to Claim Promo DAILY TRIFECTA BOOSTS Boost your winnings by 10% with our new Trifecta boosts T&Cs apply. Login to UniBet to Claim Promo Bonus Back 2nd or 3rd R1-3 at Randwick-Kensington & Sandown Auto-applied in Bet Slip. Promotional limits apply. Min 6 runners. Fixed Odds only. T&Cs apply. Login to UniBet to Claim Promo How does horsebetting.com.au source its racing bonus offers? HorseBetting.com.au has meticulously assessed the premier horse racing bookmakers in Australia, revealing exclusive bonus promotions and specials tailored for thoroughbred enthusiasts on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. These horse racing promotions are a regular feature, exemplifying the unwavering commitment of Australia’s leading horse racing bookmakers. If one bookmaker happens to lack a promotion on a given day, rest assured that another is stepping up with enticing offers within the realm of gallops. For your daily dose of the most lucrative horse racing bookmaker bonuses, HorseBetting.com.au stands as the ultimate destination. Maximise the value of your punting endeavours with bookie bonuses boasting the most competitive horse racing odds for every race. It’s crucial to emphasise that these thoroughbred racing promotions are exclusively designed for existing customers. To access these special promotions and claim the bookmaker’s offers, log in to each online bookmaker’s platform. For those seeking races and horses to leverage their horse betting bookmaker bonus bets, HorseBetting provides a valuable resource with its daily free racing tips. Stay well-informed, adopt strategic approaches, and enhance your overall horse racing experience by capitalising on these exclusive promotions. More horse racing promotions View the full article

2021 Melbourne Cup champion Verry Elleegant. One of Australian racing’s most popular modern-day champions Verry Elleegant will have a Group 1 race permanently named in her honour at the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. The Group 1 $1 million Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) will be run at Royal Randwick on Saturday March 2, replacing in name the Chipping Norton Stakes. Verry Elleegant won the race named in her honour twice at Royal Randwick in 2021 and 2022 during a stellar career which included eleven victories at Group 1 level, eight on Australian Turf Club tracks. Trained by Sydney’s 13-time premiership winner Chris Waller, Verry Elleegant also won a Caulfield Cup (2020) and Melbourne Cup (2021) and in a 40-start career won 16 races and total prizemoney of $14.9 million. She retired from racing in 2022 and in coming weeks is due to give birth to her first foal sired by famed northern hemisphere stallion Sea The Stars. Australian Turf Club Chairman Peter McGauran said Verry Elleegant deserved a Group 1 race named in her honour. “Verry Elleegant ranks amongst the greatest champions we were privileged to watch in Sydney in recent decades,” Mr McGauran said. “Her versatility across all tracks, distances and right through her entire racing career saw her win a host of Group 1 races from 1400m to 3200m. “The ATC is delighted to make this announcement in naming a Group 1 race in her honour especially as she continues her remarkable life with the imminent arrival of her first foal.” Verry Elleegant’s managing owner Brae Sokolski said he and fellow owners were forever grateful for the deeds of the champion thoroughbred. “We are truly humbled to have this illustrious Group 1 race named in honour of our magnificent mare,” Mr Sokolski said. “As significant as Verry Elleegant’s achievements were, her legacy will not be measured in races won or prizemoney amassed but in the sheer joy she bought her legion of fans, and her indomitable will to win that was an inspiration to us all. “I sincerely thank Peter McGauran and the ATC Board and look forward to many future champions being added to the honour roll of the Verry Elleegant Stakes.” More horse racing news View the full article

A victory in the Jan. 27 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) propelled National Treasure into first place in the initial National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Thoroughbred Poll.View the full article

Trainer Mike Lauer is now a month past serving what he believes was an unjust 75-day suspension because a Thoroughbred under his care at Horseshoe Indianapolis tested positive last summer for metformin, a drug used to treat diabetes in people. With more 20 million patients taking it, metformin ranks as the nation's third-most-prescribed human medicine, according to the consumer healthcare website Healthgrades. Before Lauer's case made it to an official arbitration hearing, the 72-year-old conditioner with five decades of licensure was able to present enough evidence to the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU) for the agency to conclude that the likely source of the metformin was “unintentional contamination” by a groom who had ingested his doctor-ordered blood sugar-regulating tablet at lunch, then touched the mouth of Mowins (Mohaymen) while fitting the gelding with a bit and bridle for an Aug. 5 race. But even though that negotiated HIWU resolution stated that “Mr. Lauer's degree of fault is in the light range” and that he “fulfilled his personal responsibility to be knowledgeable of the Anti-Doping and Medication Control Program and to inform all personnel associated with the care, treatment, training, or racing of his Covered Horses,” the evidence was only enough to reduce–not eliminate–Lauer's potential penalties of a two-year suspension and $25,000 fine, which are HIWU's standard sanctions for banned substances. The “banned” category is the most serious class of drug offences under Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) rules. Those substances are considered the most harmful and egregious, and are never supposed to show up in tests on any covered Thoroughbred. Lauer and his wife, Penny, detailed to TDN how they spent $45,838 over a five-month span trying to clear Lauer's name and keep his training business afloat while fighting the ruling, which ended up with a $2,600 fine in addition to the 2 1/2-month suspension. But, the Lauers said, they can't calculate the direct costs of the logistical headaches they endured while trying to temporarily disperse a 50-horse racing stable among five new trainers for the time that Mike was ineligible to compete. Nor, the Lauers added, does the financial outlay take into account the lost income from Mike's being unable to ply his trade, purse money from two of Mowins's races that had to be forfeited, or the credibility blow the ruling inflicted upon the outfit's reputation. They also aren't sure that their groom was even the correct source of the metformin positive, even though the groom came forward and volunteered the timetable of events that Mike Lauer agreed to when signing his “case resolution without a hearing/final decision” document. Lauer told HIWU investigators that he, too, takes metformin as prescribed by a doctor, although he said he had not touched Mowins anywhere near the gelding's face in the week before the positive test. The Lauers also said they paid $1,100 to have testing done on the Shelbyville, Indiana, water source that supplies the track's stable area, and it revealed traces of metformin. Mowins | Coady As a trainer since 1976 with an 11.7% win rate from 9,988 starts that is not suggestive of performance-enhancing drug use, Lauer's stock in 2023 was spread across three divisions stabled in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana, and his entrants ranged from a horse who ran third in the GI Man o' War S. at Belmont Park to lower-end claimers who routinely competed at Belterra Park. Lauer has only three previous medication violations listed against him on The Jockey Club's online rulings database. All were for penalty category C (the lowest level of severity) infractions that occurred in races in 2009 and 2018 (twice). They resulted in fines of $250, $1,000, and $1,500 as per then-in-effect racing commission standards in Kentucky and Indiana, plus a 10-day suspension for the latter positive because it was his second violation within a one-year period. Lauer said he's doing the best he can to put HIWU's bureaucratic rodeo behind him while focusing forward now that he's permitted to train again. But it seems every time he tries to clear his mind of the ordeal, some little reminder of it pops up to skewer him anew. Like a couple weeks back when Lauer was attending a horse auction, and an industry acquaintance approached him and said by way of greeting, “Well, I see they caught ya!” Lauer ignored the wiseguy's remark. Still, the stigma of it stung. “You get little cracks like that,” Lauer said. “But we lost clients. We lost a ton of money, and I mean a ton. And we went through a ton of aggravation. My life's not back to normal, and I don't know when it will be.” Penny Lauer, a part-owner of Mowins, the gelding whose urinalysis came back positive for metformin after he ran third at 21-1 odds in an allowance sprint, put it this way: “Just the fact that Mike's name was plastered all over having a positive test, people take that info and run with it. Everybody thinks you're cheating. We had to change so many things [for horses owned by Penny and other longtime clients] to be able to run, and pay people that we wouldn't normally had to pay if Mike was able [to train]. We did nothing wrong, yet took a big hit for it. Metformin is not cheating. We didn't put it there. It was just there.” Penny Lauer continued: “There are so many people that touch and care for a horse every day, and even more people on a race day, that a trainer, no matter how much care you take with safe protocol, it is impossible to even know what you come into contact with. “If you want to believe what HIWU laid out regarding the probability of where this metformin came from, we are talking about possibly a dusting from a pill, on the hands of the groom that transferred it to the bit that the groom put in the horse's mouth, and the horse eventually peed out, and [was] not [detected in tests of] blood,” Penny Lauer said. “And you think this actually made a difference in the performance of this horse?” Penny Lauer asked rhetorically. “Ridiculous!” And confusing. The Lauers said that even after hiring an attorney and having their own back-and-forths with HIWU, plus a pre-conference call with an arbitrator, and after speaking to scores of veterinarians, stewards, and racing commission officials in an effort to seek supporting information to bolster their case, they still don't have a clear understanding of why metformin is considered a purported performance-enhancer. Nor do the Lauers know why the diabetes drug's presence in a horse carries such draconian penalties. They also said they have no clue as to why the five positive tests for metformin since HIWU took over the sport's drug testing in May 2023 have resulted in widely varying outcomes. In October, two trainers–Javier Morzan of the mid-Atlantic region and the New Mexico-based Guadalupe Munoz, Jr.–had metformin charges against them withdrawn after an internal HIWU review of its six accredited laboratories discovered different limits of detection in blood for metformin, a problem that HIWU officials said has since rectified by harmonizing those detection values across all labs. In November, Angel J. Castillo Sanchez, a conditioner based in the mid-Atlantic, resolved a metformin positive in one of his trainees by signing an “admission of rule violation and acceptance of consequences” agreement with HIWU that resulted in an 18-month suspension and $12,500 fine. In December, Anthony Farrior, the leading trainer at Charles Town, had charges from a metformin positive triggered at Laurel Park dropped. He had requested testing of the split sample, but HIWU determined the specimen's volume was “insufficient for analysis,” so the complaint was withdrawn. Another metformin positive from June has yet to be resolved by HIWU. Trainer Jonathan Wong remains under provisional suspension in a case involving a test from a maiden-breaking filly at Indiana Grand. Jonathan Wong | Benoit Wong, too, faces up to a two-year suspension and a $25,000 fine. He has publicly disclosed that he has a valid metformin prescription to control his own diabetes. Despite being out of work since July 2 while his case makes its way through the system, Wong told TDN back in August he had “zero problems” with the concept of HISA, and that its oversight was “much needed.” But, added Wong, “when you're completely not awarded any opportunities from day one until your hearing, that's pretty much being charged as guilty until proven innocent. I feel like I've been locked up and had the key thrown away.” Perspective is Everything Widening the lens, the metformin positives can be grouped into a broader issue that involves other drugs ingested by people whose residues sometimes show up in equine drug tests. Some of those substances, like methamphetamines and cocaine, are drugs of human abuse with a low likelihood of having been intentionally administered to enhance a horse's performance. But because of their illegal and dangerous nature, they are in the “banned” category. For example, there are currently five pending methamphetamine violations awaiting adjudication by HIWU. Five others have already been ruled upon, all from horses in the stable of Prairie Meadows trainer Dick Clark, who admitted the violations and accepted the consequences of being ruled off for 90 months and a $62,500 fine, the largest penalties on record since the inception of HIWU. Lauer told TDN he believes HIWU is going after easier human-drug contamination targets rather than rooting out true horse dopers. His belief is that anxiety over getting caught for something that is essentially out of one's control is causing innocent horse trainers to get out of the business. “I wish HIWU would catch somebody,” Lauer said. “All they're catching is [the equivalent of] parking tickets. That's all they're passing out, and they're just crucifying trainers for things like metformin and meth.” TDN emailed Lisa Lazarus, the chief executive officer for the HISA Authority, asking if she'd answer several overarching questions: Is this the way HIWU and HISA are really supposed to work? Are the Authority and HIWU comfortable with the idea that trainers–even some who were initially supportive of HISA–are expressing legitimate fear over getting their lives derailed by accidental contaminations? Lazarus agreed to a phone interview to discuss the situation. Over the course of about 35 minutes one morning last week, she gave her perspectives on metformin, inadvertent contamination cases, and the evolution of her agency. Opponents of HISA might not like some of what she said. But give Lazarus credit: This sort of back-and-forth dialogue about real-life concerns over medication control policies had been notoriously difficult for TDN (and other media outlets) to engage in with racing commission personnel prior HIWU's advent, back when those agencies controlled the nation's drug testing under state-by-state rules. (Disclaimer: Because Lauer opted not to give permission for Lazarus to speak to TDN about any aspects of his case that haven't already been made public via HISA and HIWU documents, Lazarus was unable to go too deeply into specifics about Lauer's negotiated settlement.) And before Lazarus would tackle any general questions, she wanted to get a few points on the record for perspective and background. She asserted that HISA and HIWU are not tone-deaf to industry complaints, and she said there is evidence to show that the agencies have been proposing new policies when they realize the original ones aren't working the way they were intended to. Those changes, Lazarus said, have included altering how provisional suspensions for likely inadvertent contaminations get reported, providing ombudsman assistance and pro-bono legal resources for trainers who can't afford to hire a lawyer, and a renewed focus on getting racetracks to clean up receiving barns and other common areas where horses might be subject to environmental contamination. Lisa Lazarus | The Jockey Club photo Lazarus also stressed that while catching alleged cheaters and keeping them from getting an illegal edge is a main concern for HISA and HIWU, the agencies are also mandated to focus on horse welfare, which drives some of the reasoning on how substances that are generally considered human drugs of abuse are handled. “Somebody who's on meth shouldn't be walking a 1,200-pound animal around the backside,” Lazarus said, underscoring the obvious safety hazard that scenario presents. “Horses shouldn't have to be exposed to drugs that the trainers and grooms are taking,” Lazarus explained. “There should be some degree of care, even if it's not obviously anywhere near the culpability of an intentional administration to get a performance advantage. “Trainers tell me all the time that they treat their horses better than they treat their children,” Lazarus said. “Well, you wouldn't let your child be exposed to meth. And so it's a professionalization that we're trying to achieve and we think is important.” Lazarus continued: “I don't doubt that you have trainers that share with you the concerns that you've raised. And we try to be really responsive to those and to show empathy and engage, and where we need to make changes, we do. “But I've also had so many trainers call me and say that for the first time, they feel like they have a chance when they compete, that they don't feel like they have to use substances or compete with somebody else's pharmacy,” Lazarus said. “I've also heard anecdotally that there are a number of horsemen that had artificially high win percentages that have now been normalized,” Lazarus said. “The most objective thing in the universe, in my view, is you take a sample from the horse, it goes to the lab, and it comes back positive or negative,” Lazarus said, defending HIWU's methodology. “There's no subjectivity in that. There's no judgment. We can only be governed by that,” Lazarus said. “Otherwise you get into this–what I think was a problem with the state racing commissions–'Who's a good guy/who's a bad guy? He had a clean record/He didn't have a clean record.' “We can't operate like that, because you lose all credibility,” Lazarus said. “You're not objective. One of the best things about HIWU is that they're a totally objective organization. They don't have local relationships. They don't know, most of the time, who these trainers are. The sample, the positive test, is always adjudicated the same way.” The Fault Continuum Still, Lazarus said, HISA and HIWU have recognized that changes are needed with regard to human-drug positives that are likely caused by contamination, and she said the agencies have responded by proposing fault-based rule changes that are expected to be approved by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). At the same time, Lazarus added, HIWU is holding off on adjudicating exposure cases for human drugs of abuse until the FTC makes a decision on the proposed rule tweaks. “In that sense, trainers have been able to benefit from what we expect to be these new relaxed rules without having to wait for the FTC to approve them,” Lazarus said. “We're going to continue to try to bring in ideas like that, to lessen the burden [on trainers] and to help us really identify what needs to be addressed and to take care of what doesn't need to be addressed… “Our new system is all about fault,” Lazarus continued at a different point in the interview. “And when you have a high degree of fault, you'll have a higher penalty. When you have a low degree of fault you'll have a much lower penalty.” But while those changes will, in theory, mitigate positive tests from illegal street drugs like methamphetamines and cocaine, the new standards won't apply to a commonly prescribed diabetes pill like metformin. Why not? “We look at [metformin] as a potential risk, so we don't put it in that category,” Lazarus said. “We do have intelligence that metformin is being used intentionally to enhance performance.” HISA and HIWU aren't obligated to disclose the exact nature of such intelligence. That would be akin to handing over their enforcement playbook to alleged dopers, the reasoning goes. When asked specifically what metformin might do to make a horse run faster, Lazarus said she believed it might be able to improve endurance. She later had a HISA staffer email supporting information that stated metformin “does impact glucose metabolism, so it could have an effect on overall performance.” Those views aren't widely shared by everybody, though, and published research on metformin's alleged role as a performance-enhancer (in either humans or horses) is not definitive. In human athletics, metformin is not prohibited by either the World Anti-Doping Agency or the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Anecdotally, some bodybuilders take it because they believe it helps them appear more “cut” in terms of reduced body fat, which has led to misperceptions that it can build muscle. Other broad claims contend that metformin can reduce inflammation or provide anti-aging benefits in people. In U.S. horse racing, metformin has been listed as a Class 2/Penalty Category B drug under the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) classification system since 2018. A mid-level designation, Class 2 drugs are defined by ARCI as substances “that have a high potential to affect performance, but less of a potential than drugs in Class 1. These drugs are 1) not generally accepted as therapeutic agents in racing horses, or 2) they are therapeutic agents that have a high potential for abuse.” But are the positive tests for metformin being triggered more by coincidental contaminations or by intentional administrations? The winter 2023-24 issue of The Horsemen's Journal contained a “Fact or Fiction” article that touched on veterinary perspectives of the five recent HIWU positives for metformin. The article stated that “Metformin is so ubiquitous in the environment that it can be found in drinking water whenever it is looked for, including at the racetrack [Horseshoe Indianapolis] where two of the violations were found. Metformin use is so common in humans that many studies have been conducted to determine if it has an effect on athletic performance, and the overall conclusion of those studies is that the only measurable effect is increased perception of exertion. This effect would detract from performance rather than enhance it.” Lazarus said that HIWU's methodologies for metformin testing are designed to screen out accidental contaminations and to differentiate them from intentional administration. “I'm not saying that every horse that tests positive for metformin is an intentional abuse,” Lazarus explained. “Obviously, there are very innocent explanations, and there are explanations where that fault continuum should be in the [trainer's] favor. I'm just saying that there are situations where it is being used to enhance performance, and that's where we have to be more careful about it than we might have to with meth or cocaine… “The level at which the laboratories have agreed to call metformin a positive, in their view, sort of rules out inadvertent exposures,” Lazarus said. “It doesn't necessarily rule out someone putting their hand in the horse's mouth after they take metformin. But it's intended to really limit it to either a gross negligence or an intentional situation… “Mr. Lauer's [test on Mowins] wasn't one of them, because it was obviously above [the limit for a positive],” Lazarus said. Lazarus dismissed the contention that metformin in a water supply can cause a violation. “It's not possible to get a positive test through metformin in the water,” Lazarus said. “The [testing] level that we have excludes the possibility.” That's why achieving harmonization on testing levels at laboratories is so crucial for HISA and HIWU, Lazarus said. “We're harmonized on more than 300 [substance levels] right now,” Lazarus said. “But obviously, some substances that are prohibited have never been detected. So they have to be detected first for the labs to agree on a level of detection. So there is some degree of that that is always going to be ongoing, as science tries to catch up with the very small percentage of the industry than might be trying to use substances nefariously for gain. There's always a risk that those folks are sometimes a little bit ahead of the labs… “However, because the system is based on fault, if you do come, like Mr. Lauer did, with an explanation, and that explanation is credited, then obviously you are going to get a more lenient sanction,” Lazarus said. “So in [Lauer's] case, his suspension was 2 1/2 months out of a potential of 24 months,” Lazarus said. “And his fine was about 10% of the maximum fine. So that just shows how HIWU viewed his fault on that continuum.” 'Happy' or 'Hell'? Lauer steadfastly believes he was wronged by HIWU and HISA, while Lazarus firmly asserts the systems at those agencies worked exactly the way they were intended to. Surely, there must be a middle-ground perspective. TDN sought out Alan Foreman, who is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading racing law and equine attorneys, to see what he had to say on the subject. In September 2023, Foreman, the chairman and chief executive officer of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, agreed to serve as an impartial go-between, or ombudsman, on behalf of HISA, HIWU, and horsemen. In this role, he provides confidential advice and assistance at no cost to trainers, owners and other HISA-covered persons, while communicating feedback to the agencies about how they can improve their programs. When Foreman took the job, he pledged to donate all compensation paid by both sides to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Alan Foreman | Horsephotos This means Foreman is usually the first person trainers contact when HIWU notifies them of an alleged infraction. Lauer sought him out, and he said they spoke for several hours when Lauer first learned of the ruling against him. But in keeping with his obligations as an ombudsman, Foreman told TDN he would not be able to discuss Lauer's case in detail because of confidentiality requirements. However, one of the first general points Foreman made about Lauer's case that he said should be heartening to horsemen is that Lauer was able to resolve his charge without having to go through with the full-blown hearing process. “Up until now, it's required a trainer to go through the expense and the difficulty of prevailing in an arbitration,” Foreman said. “There are changes in the pipeline,” Foreman said. “We've been discussing this and pushing for these changes for some time. There is a change presently that has been submitted by HISA to the FTC with respect to the drugs of illicit human use that would give to HIWU the discretion to resolve those cases, and they can do so by concluding that it is more likely than not that the positive was the result of contamination. 'Inadvertent exposure' is the term I like to use, as opposed to an intentional administration. “So if HIWU is satisfied that the positive test was not the result of an intentional administration, the penalty is now reduced to a maximum of 60 days, and that can be mitigated down based on facts and circumstances. And assuming the FTC approves these changes, that would allow HISA and HIWU to resolve this with the trainer short of having to go to arbitration,” Foreman said. “It would be handled similarly to the way racing commissions handled them before HISA and HIWU went into effect,” Foreman said. “And that was a part of the system that was not broken, and did not need fixing. I think there was satisfaction that the racing commissions were correctly handling those kinds of cases. And the handling was, if a positive test was reported, obviously the horse was disqualified because it had a drug in its system. But the trainer penalty was substantially mitigated. “In many jurisdictions, the trainer was not penalized,” Foreman said. “The disqualification of the horse was deemed to be a sufficient penalty. Some jurisdictions may have imposed a fine or a short suspension. But nothing like the drastic penalties that are being imposed now, which can be career-ending [for] something that a trainer probably could not have prevented.” Foreman continued: “This area of contamination seems to be the most vexing area. My own personal observation, at least based upon the calls that I get, is that the number of banned substance violations has substantially decreased. I'm not seeing that many, at least [for] those where trainers are calling me, or I need to refer people out to attorneys. That seems to have calmed down. What has surprised me [is] I thought that there would be a large number of positive tests in the controlled substance area, the therapeutic medications, because we were going to screening limits, because we were going to international standards. “We were, in many respects, backing out the withdrawal time, or the time within which a drug should be administered to a horse, to 72 hours, as opposed to previously, with the non-steroidals, we had gone from 24 to 48 hours. But that hasn't materialized. There have not been a substantial number–at least compared to prior [findings from] HISA and HIWU–of positives as a result of the new system. Which to me is a very positive indication for the industry,” Foreman said. “The horsemen have been adjusting to the new system, and it's working,” Foreman said. “That doesn't mean that horsemen aren't scared to death when they see these contamination violations and they're concerned about what is happening to these trainers. At least we're attempting to get that under control. And when I say we, I'm certainly trying to do it on behalf of the industry. I don't work for HISA. I don't work for HIWU. But they have been listening. I think they've been coming to grips with the problems they created here. I think they're hearing the outcry from the industry and they are adapting to it… “So slowly but surely, changes are taking place,” Foreman summed up. “That's what I've been advocating for.” Lazarus, in her separate interview, corroborated Foreman's observation that the banned substance violations are decreasing. “When we first launched the program, about 40% of the positives were for banned substances, what we would categorize as doping,” Lazarus said. “That has completely dropped, [so] I think that has had a genuinely important impact. There are also a number of investigations that are ongoing that I believe are going to have a very positive impact. “[HIWU is] only seven months in, so I need a little bit more time to bring some of these things to fruition,” Lazarus said. “But I really believe that this is a strong, fair, balanced, effective program. And we're going to have to continually tweak and evaluate and be open to feedback. But I think overall, I am very happy with where we've stood on that balance.” However, when asked if she concurred with Foreman that the contamination positives were the “most vexing” part of the system, Lazarus had a different take. “I think what happens a lot is when one horseman gets concerned about something, and they speak about it on the backside, it becomes almost like an epidemic of concern,” Lazarus said. “And so that is probably the most difficult thing for us to deal with generally, is some of the misinformation, and some of the, kind of, 'fear-mongering' that I think is sometimes intended by our detractors. “I think when we're at the year mark, there's going to be a fair amount of comfort with where we are,” Lazarus said. “I think if you ask any trainer, they will tell you that on the [controlled] medication side our program is fair and balanced and working. I haven't heard a single complaint about the medication program. The adjustment is the severity and the different system on the doping side. And I think that's important for the evolution of the industry and for us to get to a point where we're protecting the clean trainers. “That's what it's all about, right? Protecting the trainers who are competing fairly, and also who have systems in place to avoid some of the mismanagement of medication or inadvertent exposure,” Lazarus said. “We're going to get better at that, and I think over time trainers are going to feel more comfortable with what they have in place and that the risks to them are very low, and that if they do have an inadvertent exposure, that we'll treat it fairly.” As a way of wrapping up the conversation, TDN proposed an analogy to Lazarus: Would it be fair and accurate to say that in any large enforcement endeavor like an anti-doping control program, there are going to be growing pains as the system gets rolled out, and even if the agencies make corrections along the way, it's inevitable that there are going to be some trainers–like Mike Lauer–who end up being collateral damage as the result of HISA and HIWU's evolving methods of enforcement? Lazarus didn't buy that line of reasoning. “I don't consider him 'collateral damage,'” Lazarus said. “I think he actually received very fair sanctions under the circumstances. Under the previous state racing commissions, fault was never a consideration. It was a pure, strict liability thing [and] the consequences were extreme without any opportunity to defend…. “Mr. Lauer settled his case. That was his choice. He did not have to do that, but he decided to settle his case, and that was the resolution that he was happy to accept,” Lazarus said. “Happy” is not how Lauer would describe the ending to his five-month ordeal with HISA and HIWU. “Hell” was the adjective he chose. “They were going to drag me out,” Lauer said, noting that even though his case never reached an actual hearing, he still got invoiced $13,700 for having initiated the arbitration process. After submitting all his supporting documentation by the first weekend of December, Lauer said the attorney for HIWU “wanted to try and make a deal, and if we couldn't, he was going to ask for more time to submit his brief so the hearing [date] would have to be reset.” Lauer said HIWU's initial offer of a $4,000 fine and 120-day suspension was “not acceptable” to him. The next offer was the $2,600 fine and 75 days with time served, which was to end his suspension by Dec 25, 2023. Essentially, Lauer said, he accepted that settlement just to get his life back. “My attorney said this is the best deal you're going to get without going to the hearing and a possible appeal and all that,” Lauer said. “Plus the money, and the extra time, and you have no idea if you're going to win or lose.” Now that he's back in action, what's Lauer's takeaway message for other trainers who might find themselves in the crosshairs of HISA and HIWU over a metformin positive? “Their whole operation is very intimidating,” Lauer said. “And it's aimed to be intimidating.” The post A Diabetes Drug’s Outsized, Contested Role in Horse Racing’s Anti-Doping Crusade appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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