Wandering Eyes

By Jonny Turner Winton racegoers may have thought they were dreaming yesterday when they witnessed one of the most staggering performances in Southland harness racing history from Dreams Are Free. After making a mistake behind the mobile and trailing the field by up to ten lengths for much of race 8, the two-year-old tacked near the 500m mark before somehow powering home to win. While he knows more than anyone how good Dreams Are Free is, trainer-driver Nathan Williamson admitted he was like many of those racegoers who were left gobsmacked by the stunning victory. “I was just as surprised as everybody else at how good he went, and certainly with the time they ran, it was the most staggering thing.” “He didn’t feel like they went that quick, but he has certainly got a big motor.” That strong pace set up by the leaders resulted in a 2.55.3 winning time in the 2400m event for Dreams Are Free. The pacer went past the 2400m starting point seconds after the official start of the race, and he was hand-timed to run post-to-post in 2.53.3. The remarkable performance was set up by a surprising gallop behind the gate which may have had punters tearing up their tickets on the hot favourite. Williamson admitted he thought the race might have been over then too, and he didn’t push the pacer too hard to catch the field. “Obviously, he made a mistake behind the gate and that wasn’t ideal.” “He just got himself a little bit keyed up and made a mistake.” “Once he made that mistake, I sort of thought he was probably out of the race.” “He was giving those older horses quite a head start.” “I was just letting him turtle along, and I was thinking that they might back off at some stage and come back to him a little bit quicker than they did.” “But they didn’t; in saying that, he got down to about the 700m, and he was still travelling nice.” “I asked him to quicken up onto the back of them a little bit, and he did that quite easily.” Dreams Are Free had to win yesterday’s race to qualify for the Group One Ace Of Spades event on Grand Prix Day at Addington next month. There, Dreams Are Free will be able to show off his incredible speed and stamina against the best two-year-old pacers in New Zealand. “He had to put a phenomenal performance up to qualify.” “I do think as long as we can get him there and as well as he was today and obviously a mistake-free performance, get him doing it right behind the gate, he’ll be competitive.” Dreams Are Free is raced by Brendan Fahy and the Dreams Are Free Syndicate. The pacer’s half-brother Don’t Stop Dreaming will also be at the Grand Prix meeting, where he will be the hot favourite for the Group One New Zealand Derby. View the full article

In horse racing, performance matters. I am a bloodstock agent and my performance is measured by the winning post. If I don't perform, I no longer have the credibility to earn a living buying racehorses. The Jockey Club was founded “not only to encourage the development of the thoroughbred horse, but to establish racing on such a footing that it may command the interests as well as the confidence and favourable opinion of the public.” I moved to Kentucky to work in the horse business in 2000. Since then: The foal crop has reduced from 35,000 per annum to 17,000. The risk of fatal injuries in America remains significantly greater than other major racing nations. Public confidence in horse racing is alarmingly low; a mere 22% positive public impression. By every measure, our industry leaders have spectacularly failed to perform. So today, I echo the call from Max Hodge for the industry to assume its own control. And I also raise the stakes: Call out the accountability and performance of all industry alphabet groups. Make transparency the new normal so we can start to earn back the favourable opinion of the public. Create a safe environment for horses, jockeys, and employees. It is time for our industry's leaders to be held accountable for their performance. Just like the rest of us. The post Letter to the Editor: Bloodstock Agent Jason Litt appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After the venerable and influential news shows 60 Minutes aired a piece on horse racing last week, people within the industry were understandably upset. The story was ugly, filled with graphic and grisly coverage of horses breaking down, and portrayed racing as a sport where drugs, corruption and horse fatalities had reached the point of being out of control. “Horse racing is an industry where extremely devoted people labor because of one common thing: we all love horses, especially thoroughbred horses,” Denali Stud's Craig Bandoroff wrote to 60 Minutes. “That did not come across in the piece. Granted your story was about our problem but some senses of balance would have been appropriate. I was very disappointed in both the piece and 60 Minutes in general. It makes me question the integrity and balance of the pieces I have seen over these many years.” Bandaroff and everyone else upset by the story had a right to be. The story did lack balance. It told just one side while ignoring the progress that the sport has made to get its problems under control and that most people in the sport are decent people who would never dream of using performance-enhancing drugs on their horses or doing anything that would put them in danger. But to portray this as a hatchet job on horse racing isn't fair either. There really is a lot wrong with this sport and nothing 60 Minutes had to say about horse racing was necessarily inaccurate. Sometimes, it's tough to have to stare at yourself in the mirror. We'll get to that. But first the areas where 60 Minutes took short cuts that allowed them to ignore the other side of the story: The sport has made meaningful progress when it comes to breakdowns. In 2009, the first year the Jockey Club kept statistics, the fatality rate was 2.00 horses per 1,000 starters. In 2022, the number had dropped by 37.5 percent, down to 1.25 horses per 1,000 starters. This didn't happen by accident. The sport worked together to make tracks safer and to keep infirm horses off the track. None of this was ever mentioned. “Why is the only news offered for this sport about tragedy or corruption?” breeder JoAnn Hayden emailed 60 Minutes. “Where were the statistics to show how drastically the fatality numbers have decreased and the protocols that have been implemented for the safety and welfare of our horses and jockeys and their track surfaces?” “I accept that you have the right to present your gruesome facts and sound bites of cheaters and horrific footage of horses breaking down, but you could have acknowledged the honest hardworking people in our industry and left us with HOPE. WE deserve better!” 60 Minutes also led you to believe that Bob Baffert falls into the same category as convicted criminals Jorge Navarro and Jason Servis. While the fact that he has had many medication positives is regrettable, he's never been caught using performance-enhancing drugs. Yet, since Baffert is the sport's most high-profile trainer and has had his share of problems, he was an easy target. “For decades, the sport entirely overseen by state racing commissions has struggled to stop repeat drug violations, notably by the sport's most high-profile trainer, Bob Baffert,” host Cecilia Vega said. She did not mention that most of Baffert's violations are for overages of therapeutic medications. There was also a theme throughout the segment that the use of drugs is what has led to the high rate of breakdowns. There's no doubt that some horses have broken down because the drugs in their systems allowed them to run through pain, but breakdowns and drugs are two separate issues. But 60 Minute's main point-that the sport's drug problems and safety issues are a serious problem-was spot on. Blaming the messenger doesn't help. “Horse racing has reached its moment of reckoning and we wanted to know, can the sport really be reformed or is it too late?” Vega said as she opened the story. There was nothing hyperbolic about this statement. It is the question that hovers ominously over our sport and should have everyone worried about its future. “How long is it going to take to clean this up?” Vega asked HISA CEO Lisa Lazarus. “It will probably take years to be fully confident that we've got a fully clean sport,” she responded. “How big of a problem is doping in horse racing?” Vega asked Jockey Club Chairman Stuart Janney III. “It's a big problem,” he said. “It strikes at the integrity of the sport. It's not good for the horses. There's nothing about it that is acceptable.” In between the interviews with Janney and Lazarus, the audience was told of the 12 deaths surrounding the running of this year's GI Kentucky Derby, that there were two deaths leading up to the Breeders' Cup and that 13 horses died during the Saratoga meet. It delved into the stories of Servis and Navarro and played wiretaps of the two of them discussing their doping routines. It played a particularly sickening excerpt of a wiretapped conversation that caught harness trainer Nick Surick talking about all the horses that Navarro killed and broke down that he “made disappear.” These things happened and by exposing them to the some 9 million people that watch 60 Minutes each week the sport looked terrible and likely inched closer to losing its social license to operate. At least the segment didn't portray the situation as hopeless. It gave time to Janney, Lazarus, FBI agent Shaun Richards and Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural, all of whom expressed the opinion that HISA is a huge improvement over the old way of doing things, when state racing commissions were responsible for drug testing and penalizing violators, and that things are heading in the right direction. This was an exchange between Vega and Janney: Vega: “Can you describe what horse racing regulation has been like in the last 50 years?” Janney: “A failure…and increasingly so.” Vega: “It's gotten worse?” Janney: “It's gotten worse, and quite frankly states have not done their job.” Will HISA usher in the changes we so badly need? Janney obviously thinks so. So far, the results have been mixed, but it's too early in the game to say whether or not it's going to make a real difference or not. The problems are real. Though fewer horses are breaking down, the numbers remain unacceptably high. And every time a trainer winning at 30% moves up a horse by four or five lengths in the first race after a claim, you'd have to have your head buried in the sand to think there isn't something nefarious going on here and that it involves performance-enhancing drugs. Yes, 60 Minutes could have tried harder to have a more balanced report, and maybe that just didn't fit its agenda. Yes, we are doing better. But let's not pretend that our problems aren't serious one that desperately need to be addressed. That was the gist of the 60 Minutes piece, and they didn't get that part wrong. The post What 60 Minutes Got Wrong, and What It Got Right appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In the Aqueduct Sunday opener, Leslie's Rose (Into Mischief–Wildwood Rose (Ire), by Galileo {Ire}) was sharp from start to finish in her debut, which garnered her 'TDN Rising Star' honors for the effort. A 9-2 shot, the Keeneland September grad exited the gate swiftly to set the pace up the backstretch. Despite a brief challenge by Value Area (More Than Ready) and Shoplifting (Into Mischief) around the far turn, when Irad Ortiz pushed the button at the top of the lane, the bay filly responded and just galloped home by multiple lengths. The final running time was 1:16.73. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. Sales History: $1,150,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. O-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC; B-John D. Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock Services; T-Todd Pletcher. #1 Leslie's Rose dazzles on debut in the opener at Aqueduct for trainer Todd Pletcher with @iradortiz aboard! The 2-year-old filly is owned by @whisper_hill. #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/rg4YV3xq8G — TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) November 19, 2023 The post Pin A ‘TDN Rising Star’ On Leslie’s Rose After Strong Maiden Win appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

“He got the job done.” Hardly a ringing post-race endorsement from jockey Zac Purton after champion Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse {Aus}) snapped a baby two-race skid in Sunday's G2 BOCHK Private Banking Jockey Club Sprint at Sha Tin. But a win is a win is a win, as he became the first horse since Gold-Fun (Ire) (Le Vie dei Colori {GB}) in 2015 to take the race under the five-pound penalty assigned to Group 1 winners. He'll next look to win his first G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint after finishing a very unlucky sixth at odds-on last December. Never the quickest into stride, the 5-year-old was under a busy ride early as Victor the Winner (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}), who enjoyed a 20-pound pull in the weights when defeating the champ in the featured Class 1 on opening day of the season Sept. 10, enjoyed a reasonably soft time of things up front. Steered out wide for the drive, Lucky Sweynesse had aim on the pacesetter, but needed the length of the straight to finally claw past, scoring by a short head. Wellington (Aus) (All Too Hard {Aus}), last year's international Sprint winner and having his first run for Jamie Richards and first since finishing down the field when well-backed in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. at Royal Ascot, ran meritoriously in third. “He's sort of getting back to his best,” Purton added. “He's not quite there yet but he took another step in the right direction today and he's going to need to be better next time.” Among those pointing for the Hong Kong Sprint are Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), who became a four-time Group 1 winner in the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye, and Aesop's Fables (Ire) (No Nay Never), a latest third in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint after finishing third in the Abbaye. Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong BOCHK PRIVATE BANKING JOCKEY CLUB SPRINT-G2, HK$5,350,000, Sha Tin, 11-19, 3yo/up, 1200mT, 1:08.42, gd. 1–LUCKY SWEYNESSE (NZ), 128, g, 5, by Sweynesse (Aus) 1st Dam: Madonna Mia (NZ) (SW-NZ, $134,764), by Red Clubs (Ire) 2nd Dam: Hill of Hope (Aus), by Danehill 3rd Dam: Macozie (Aus), by Marscay (Aus) (NZ$90,000 2yo '20 NZBRTR). O-Cheng Ming Leung, Cheng Yu Ting, Cheng Mei Mei & Cheng Yu Wai; B-P L Dombroski, Explosive Breeding Ltd & S A Sharrock; T-Manfred Man; J-Zac Purton; HK$2,996,000. Lifetime Record: Ch. Sprinter & MG1SW-HK, 20-14-4-1, HK$56,008,900. *Full to Signora Nera (NZ), G1SP-Aus, $145,027. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Victor the Winner (Aus), 123, g, 5, Toronado (Ire)–Noetic (Aus), by Cape Cross (Ire). (A$180,000 Ylg '20 INGMAR). O-Chu Yun Lau; B-A Sangster (Vic); T-Danny Shum; J-Karis Teetan; HK$1,123,500. 3–Wellington (Aus), 128, g, 7, All Too Hard (Aus)–Mihiri (Aus), by More Than Ready. (A$70,000 Ylg '18 MMGCYS). O-Mr & Mrs Michael Cheng Wing On & Jeffrey Cheng Man Cheong; B-Kia Ora Stud Pty Ltd, David Paradise, Steve McCann (NSW); T-Jamie Richards; J-Alexis Badel; HK$615,250. Margins: NK, 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 3-10, 9-1, 51-10. Also Ran: Sight Success (Aus), Fantastic Treasure (Aus), Duke Wai (NZ), Super Wealthy (Aus). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing. A 'Beauty'-ful Quinella in the Jockey Club Mile California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) was the piping-hot $1.70 (7-10) favourite when the gates flew back for Sunday's G2 BOCHK Private Wealth Jockey Club Mile, but he called it a day at the 200-meter point, and Beauty Eternal (Aus) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and Beauty Joy (Aus) (Sebring {Aus}) were left to settle things, with the former just lasting for a Purton race-to-race double. The defending G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile winner, California Spangle jumped alertly, but was made to work a bit for it early, as Healthy Happy (Aus) (Zoustar {Aus}) kicked up at the fence to prevent him from securing the inside as the sectional times were well inside standard. Last year's BMW Hong Kong Derby winner Voyage Bubble (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) went up outside to apply the pressure entering the final half-mile, and Purton had Beauty Eternal in his slipstream, with Beauty Joy last. Eased out to deliver his challenge outside Voyage Bubble at the top of the straight, Beauty Eternal–carrying the Beauty Generation (NZ) colours–looked like he might run away from them, but Derek Leung, who needed to resort to slaps down the neck of Beauty Joy with his hand after his whip went flying, kept after his mount and just missed in a tight photo. “It's probably the first time he's had to dig deep when something has come at him like that and find and he'll take some confidence out of it,” said Purton, also the regular rider of Beauty Generation. John Size, who won four on the program including a landmark 1,500th in Hong Kong, said: “They went a decent tempo and he came into the race nicely. He had no horse to run at and he was there to get shot down. To his credit, he was able to kick and win the race. He probably learned a bit more about racing today.” Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong BOCHK PRIVATE WEALTH JOCKEY CLUB MILE-G2, HK$5,350,000, Sha Tin, 11-19, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:33.04, gd. 1–BEAUTY ETERNAL (AUS), 123, g, 5, by Starspangledbanner (Aus) 1st Dam: Ithacan Queen (NZ), by Savabeel (Aus) 2nd Dam: Bering Island (Ire), by Bering (GB) 3rd Dam: Wiener Wald, by Woodman (A$90,000 Ylg '20 INGFEB). O-Patrick Kwok Ho Chuen; B-P Raftopoulous (Vic); T-John Size; J-Zac Purton; HK$2,996,000. Lifetime Record: 12-8-1-3, HK$18,157,825. *1/2 to Love Sensation (Aus) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), GSP-Aus, $170,606. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Beauty Joy (Aus), 123, g, 7, Sebring (Aus)–Impressive Jeuney (Aus), by Jeune (GB). O-Eleanor Kwok Law Kwai Chun & Patrick Kwok Ho Chuen; B-Impressive Racing Pty Ltd (WA); T-Derek Leung; J-Tony Cruz; HK$1,123,500. 3–Voyage Bubble (Aus), 123, g, 5, Deep Field (Aus)–Raheights (Aus), by Rahy. (A$380,000 Ylg '20 INGFEB). O-Sunshine and Moonlight Syndicate; B-Torryburn Stud (NSW); T-Ricky Yiu; J-Alexis Badel; HK$615,250. Margins: SHD, 4HF, NK. Odds: 3-2, 10-1, 9-1. Also Ran: California Spangle (Ire), Healthy Happy (Aus). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing. 'Arron' Validates Fownes's Confidence in JC Cup Trainer Caspar Fownes has long been of the opinion that Straight Arron (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was capable of achieving a rating in the vicinity of 120 in Hong Kong, a number that would put him among the top three middle-distance runners locally. His current mark of 106 is set for a significant hike after a visually impressive victory in a slowly run renewal of the G2 BOCHK Jockey Club Cup. Second-last out of the straight for the first time, Straight Arron raced in the company of champion stayer Russian Emperor (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) at the tail as Money Catcher (NZ) (Ferlax {NZ}) did his thing up front. When Glorious Dragon (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) went for an early run 1300 metres out in an attempt to inject some pace into an otherwise paceless affair, Vincent Ho followed suit aboard Straight Arron to race just behind centerfield into the final half-mile. Pulled out and around Glorious Dragon with 500 metres to travel, Straight Arron came five wide into the straight and motored past soft-trip favourite Sword Point (Aus) (American Pharoah) for a breakthrough Hong Kong success. A Group 3 winner in Australia for Chris Waller, Straight Arron still has plenty to find with the likes of Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}), whom he'll face in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup in three weeks' time. At a minimum, Fownes is pleased with the current trajectory. “This horse is a quality animal and he's just getting to where he should be now,” said Fownes. “That was a good result for us and it gives us a chance to get into the big race, which is always tough against the top stayers in the world.” Straight Arron is a second pattern winner in Hong Kong and one of 122 such winners worldwide for Fastnet Rock. Sunday, Sha Tin, Hong Kong BOCHK JOCKEY CLUB CUP-G2, HK$5,350,000, Sha Tin, 11-19, 3yo/up, 2000mT, 2:01.84 gd. 1–STRAIGHT ARRON (AUS), 123, g, 5, by Fastnet Rock (Aus) 1st Dam: Imperial Lass (NZ) (MSP-Aus), by Tavistock (NZ) 2nd Dam: Tricia Ann (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ) 3rd Dam: My Tricia (NZ), by Hermes (GB) (A$270,000 Ylg '20 INGEAS). O-Karen Lo Ki Yan; B-Torryburn Stud (NSW); T-Caspar Fownes; J-Vincent Ho; HK$2,996,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Aus, 16-6-1-1, HK$.12,762,270. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Sword Point (Aus), 123, g, 5, American Pharoah–Jazz Song (Aus), by Fastnet Rock (Aus). (A$750,000 Ylg '20 MMGCYS). O-Li Chi Pong; B-Morning Rise Stud (Vic); T-Frankie Lor; J-Zac Purton; HK$1,123,500. 3–Money Catcher (NZ), 123, g, 6, Ferlax (NZ)–Warren's Sister (NZ), by Savabeel (Aus). (NZ$13,000 Wlg '19 NZBMAY; NZ$60,000 2yo '19 NZBRTR). O-The Sunflower Syndicate; B-Haunui Bloodstock Ltd; T-Frankie Lor; J-Derek Leung; HK$615,250. Margins: 3/4, NK, NO. Odds: 47-10, 13-10, 33-5. Also Ran: Nimble Nimbus (NZ), Senor Toba (Aus), La City Blanche (Arg), Five G Patch (Ire), Russian Emperor (Ire), Glorious Dragon (Ire). Click for the HKJC chart, PPs and sectional timing. The post Lucky Sweynesse Back To Winning Ways In Jockey Club Sprint appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Top pinhookers John Foley, Kitty Fitzpatrick and Luke Coen have shared some of the dos and don'ts ahead of the eagerly-anticipated Goffs November Foal Sale where some of the sharpest minds in the game will battle it out for over 1,000 lots throughout the four days. Coen has not been in this game as long as Foley or Fitzpatrick but he proved age can be no barrier to turning major pinhooking profit when an Invincible Spirit (Ire) filly that he sourced for just €23,000 at this sale last year rocked into 115,000gns at Book 3 at Tattersalls. Asked if he had come back down to earth, the 24-year-old, who said he'd be using some of the profits to renovate a house he bought along with his partner Charlotte, quipped, “There's no two ways about it-you're always trying to find the next one.” That Invincible Spirit filly, who was sourced to go into training with Joseph O'Brien, was reported to have boasted one of the most attractive walks of any yearling on offer at Book 3 by some shrewd judges. That would tally, given it's a good-walking horse that Coen searches out above anything else when sourcing young talent. Explaining his approach, he said, “They have to walk. I find it hard to look past that if they don't. Now, the Invincible Spirit filly set the bar fairly high-she's some walk. Listen, she was a bit of a gamble as well being a May foal, but she just had a huge walk.” Foley and Fitzpatrick have been associated with many top-notchers and they've also weathered the odd storm or two. It's fair to say that Foley, who operates under the banner of Ballyvolane Stud, had a rather contrasting start to his pinhooking career to Coen. But it didn't stop the 40-year-old. Far from it in fact. He explained, “When I left college, I bought a couple of foals. I was very green at the time but one of them made money and the other didn't. I put the money back in and have been building for almost 20 years to where we are now. “There was about five years in a row at the start when I lost money and I was very lucky to be able to stay at it. I got a great education in those few years about what not to buy. I lost plenty of money and made plenty of mistakes but that was the best education I could ever have gotten.” Foley added, “It's not a simple game. We breed a few as well so we have a good mix between the homebreds and the ones we buy. Nobody gets it right all the time; some of the best judges out there, they can lose money on a lot of their pinhooks. It's a game of numbers. Some will work and more won't. The ones who don't, you just hope your losses are small and, for the ones that do, you hope the gain is big. You're not going to win on them all. If you think you are, you are in for a rude awakening.” Fitzpatrick runs Loughmore Stables along with her husband and well-known bookmaker Daragh. Loughmore has produced plenty of high-class horses over both codes, including the 2017 G2 Norfolk S. winner Santry (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), and the Limerick native explained her approach. Kitty Fitzpatrick | Tattersalls She said, “There is a type we go after. We like a good-bodied, good-moving horse. They have to be pretty correct and have a good shape. We also like to buy something that looks as though it will come to hand early enough. Then for some of the later sales, we could buy something that could take a bit more time, but always looking for something with a bit of strength, size and action. If you have that, you can get away with plenty.” There may be over 1,000 foals on offer at Goffs, but Foley and Coen explained how they will trawl through the barns in search of that diamond in the rough. Fitzpatrick operates slightly differently. She said, “We look at a lot of foals but we don't look at them all. There are certain sires we mightn't be too keen on if we haven't had much luck with them in the past. We might leave foals by them off the list. We'd look at all the first-season sires to get our eye in but we wouldn't look at stock out of older mares, either. If the pedigree was very bad, we'd leave those off the list as well. There's no set rules to it but we definitely look at the catalogue beforehand and, while we look at a lot, we don't look at everything.” Foley's Ballyvolane Stud has produced at least one Group performer for each of the past eight years or so. Sir Busker (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), Maljoom (Ire) (Caravaggio) and Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}) have been either pinhooked or bred by Foley and he's of the opinion that there's no substitute for hard work in achieving such results. He said, “I try to look at as many foals as I can get through in a day. I don't spend too long looking at them. You have to be polite to people but you know very quickly if you like a foal or not and, if you don't, there's no point in wasting anyone's time. I always try and think who might buy this horse off me as a yearling or where can I sell it. I try to think what it could make as a yearling and work my valuations off that. Invariably, I have the foals undervalued and, like everyone else, I struggle to buy the nice ones. Maybe my valuations are a little bit lower than what they should be but that's because I'm a pessimist by nature. I'm always looking at as many as I can and buying as good as I can for as little as I have to.” Foley added, “Everyone is after the same type of horse. You are looking for a horse with a good shape and a nice outlook. Take this week for example, ninety per cent of people will be on the same horses. But there's touches to be had at every level. You can moan about how difficult it is and be as pessimistic as you want but, the bottom line is, there are touches to be had at every level if you are willing to do leg work.” Coen agrees that there is no better way to train your eye than getting out there and rolling up your sleeves. A nephew of the well-known trainer Andrew Slattery, Coen's life has been a soundtrack to horses, but nobody could accuse him of not making the most of his upbringing. Luke Coen: has enjoyed a dream start to his pinhooking career | Tattersalls He said, “As much as having people who are willing to help you, the best way to learn is to have a look at a couple of hundred foals a day yourself. That will get your eye in and you will learn pretty quickly what you like and what you don't. Then you can follow them through to a yearling and on the racetrack if you can't afford them, which a lot of young people can't.” He added, “I'm never afraid to buy a chancy one that some people wouldn't have liked. A lot of people would have binned the Invincible Spirit filly because of her pedigree. When you're buying foals, there's three things you need to be thinking; in an ideal world you buy the model, then it's pedigree and lastly it's the sire. But, when you're dealing with a small budget, you have to forgive one of those things at times. The model can never be the one that you forgive, in my opinion anyway.” He added, “I would look at a lot of foals. I worked for Rob Tierney there in Mountarmstrong and he would have always gone by the rule of a mare having a minimum of a fifty per cent strike-rate. That would be one of the things I'd go by. I'd never buy a foal out of an older mare, either. I think for the yearling market, the buyers seem to like a younger pedigree, be that a younger sire or a younger mare.” There are no set rules to making this game pay. Lucky, as what a boring little world-and market-we would have if that was the case. According to Foley, however, there is no substitution for a bit of intuition, while strength in numbers is a major help to those operating on a larger scale. Foley said, “I try to buy somewhere between 10 and 15 foals in a year. We have a few mares ourselves and we only have 30 boxes for yearlings. I kind of do my own thing. I'm normally on my own or I might have one person with me. We don't have a big team. At Goffs, I'll start at one end and just try and get through the barns as quickly as I can. “We normally have a pretty big list after first looks because we try to be as forgiving as possible. We try and have a second look then and whittle the list down a little more. The ones we like, we follow them in.” He added, “If it feels right and we think there's value there, we try to buy them and if they're not, we don't. A lot more will get left behind then we buy and I don't follow them to see if people made money out of them or to see who was right and who was wrong. You just have to work on your own intuition.” The post A Pinhooker’s Paradise – What Are The Big Names Looking For At Goffs? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ryan Moore, third in a hit-and-run mission aboard Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in Friday's G2 Bahrain International Trophy for his boss Aidan O'Brien, was stood down from the remainder of his Sunday rides at Kyoto after suffering a back injury in a spill in the second race on the program. That left the connections of Carrot Farm's Namur (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) in need of a jockey and with all the other Japanese big guns understandably already spoken for, they landed on journeyman Kota Fujioka, 13th in the jockeys' premiership, but not in the same league as Moore. It all proved to be of little consequence, as Fujioka found all the gaps at the right time and produced the 4-year-old filly in the dying strides to take out the G1 Mile Championship S. Drawn widest in 16, the field's only female participant was likely to go back no matter her barrier, so that a hop at the break was unlikely to be too damaging. Allowed to find her stride at the tail of the field in the presence of favoured Schnell Meister (Ger) (Kingman {GB})–who played up twice in the gate–Namur and Fujioka were content to save their best for last, as international dual-surface group winner Bathrat Leon (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn} found the front after the opening 200 metres. In a good rhythm and still in no hurry down the side of the track, Namur was more or less the back marker with plenty to do as Bathrat Leon turned them into the straight. While Schnell Meister was atypically flat-footed at that stage, Namur was anything but that, weaving her way through into contention while appearing to try to savage Red Mon Reve (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) to her outside at the 200-metre marker. Able to sustain her stinging rally, Namur flashed home to provide the Carrot Farm syndicate with its first Mile Championship victory since 2008. Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}), ground-saving and about midfield for the first half of the race, found a split four off the inside at the 300 metres and looked home, only to be swamped late, while Justin Cafe (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) ran on well for third at odds. The winner covered her final 600m in a race-best :33 flat. Schnell Meister finished a never-nearer seventh, while defending champ and second pick Serifos (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}), wide the trip, loomed a threat inside the final furlong, but peaked on his run and came home eighth. “The break didn't go very smoothly, but she was in good rhythm once settling into the race and responded well, so I knew we could get a good run as long as I did my job of getting her into a good spot at the straight,” said Fujioka, winning just his second Group 1 on the JRA. “From there she really showed her strength.” Third in last year's G1 Yushun Himba and second in the G1 Shuka Sho, Namur was seventh to Songline (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the G1 Victoria Mile in May and 16th to that foe in the G1 Yasuda Kinen the following month. She hinted at a return to her best form with a 1 1/4-length defeat of Red Mon Reve in the 1600-metre G2 Fuji S. at headquarters Oct. 21. As for Moore, his injuries have been deemed not serious and he is expected to take up his ride aboard defending champion Vela Azul (Jpn) (Eishin Flash {Jpn}) in next Sunday's G1 Japan Cup. The filly NAMUR looked best on parade imo SERIFOS, RED MON REVE, SCHNELL MEISTER, SOUL RUSH also looked great.#JRA pic.twitter.com/ex7Slkdv8B — Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) November 19, 2023 Pedigree Notes: Namur is the sixth Group 1 winner for the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. romper Harbinger, who is also responsible for 2017 Mile Championship hero Persian Knight (Jpn) as well as the redoubtable Deirdre (Jpn), victorious in the G1 Nassau S. on her world travels in 2019. Namur is possessed of a pedigree which has also grown international legs over the past few seasons. The bay is one of four winners from four to race out of her Group 3-placed dam, whose 3-year-old daughter Ravel (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) was a winner at Group 2 level at two and was fourth to Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) in this year's G1 Yushun Himba. Sambre et Meuse's 2-year-old filly Arsenaal (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}) was a debut winner going 1600 metres on turf at Tokyo Nov. 11. Sambre et Meuse was produced by Vite Marcher, the dam of 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff upsetter Marche Lorraine (Jpn) (Orfevre {Jpn}), the multiple listed winner Badenweiler (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}) and the 2-year-old colt Marcha Real (Jpn) (Real Impact {Jpn}), a Kyoto maiden winner Nov. 11. Third dam Kyoei March won the 1997 Oka Sho and was second to Taiki Shuttle (Devil's Bag) in the Mile Championship later that season. Sambre et Meuse is also the dam of a yearling filly by US champion Bricks and Mortar (Giant's Causeway) but was barren to Harbinger for 2023. Sunday, Kyoto, Japan MILE CHAMPIONSHIP-G1, ¥346,800,000, Kyoto, 11-19, 3yo/up, 1600mT, 1:32.50, gd/fm. 1–NAMUR (JPN), 123, f, 4, by Harbinger (GB) 1st Dam: Sambre et Meuse (Jpn) (GSP-Jpn, $732,441), by Daiwa Major (Jpn) 2nd Dam: Vite Marcher (Jpn), by French Deputy 3rd Dam: Kyoei March (Jpn), by Dancing Brave 1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Carrot Farm; B- Northern Farm; T-Tomokazu Takano; J-Kota Fujioka; ¥183,360,000. Lifetime Record: 13-5-2-1, ¥436,551,000. *1/2 to Westerwald (Jpn) (Novellist {Ire}), GSP-Jpn, $761,865; and Ravel (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, $417,217. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Soul Rush (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Rulership (Jpn)–Broad Street (Jpn), by Agnes Tachyon (Jpn). O-Tatsue Ishikawa; B- Shimokobe Farm; ¥72,960,000. 3–Justin Cafe (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Epiphaneia (Jpn)–Casino Boogie (Jpn), by Workforce (GB). O-Masahiro Miki; B-Shadai Farm; ¥45,480,000. Margins: NK, HF, 3/4. Odds: 16.30, 4.80, 26.50. Also Ran: Elton Barows (Jpn), Danon the Kid (Jpn), Elusive Panther (Jpn), Schnell Meister (Ger), Serifos (Jpn), Red Mon Reve(Jpn), Eeyan(Jpn), Be Astonished (Jpn), So Valiant (Jpn), Danon Scorpion (Jpn), Matenro Orion (Jpn), Bathlat Leon (Jpn), Selberg (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart. The post No Moore For Namur? No Problem In Mile Championship appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Australian jockey further entrenches himself in the Hong Kong riding ranks with by far his most prolific day in the cityView the full article

Caspar Fownes’ stable star is bound for next month’s HK$36 million Group One contest after winning Sunday’s Group Two event over 2,000m at Sha TinView the full article

Cheng Yu-tung describes next month’s Group One international race as ‘our mission’ after his family’s superstar wins the Group Two dash in consecutive yearsView the full article

These are challenging times for British punters. If you win too much, your bookmaker could shut you down. If you lose too much, the state might send Big Brother in. This pincer of control and interference in online betting is weirdly at odds with the UK's economic culture, which favours deregulation and free markets – often to society's cost. The way power works, you will hear a lot more about the Gambling Commission's proposed affordability checks than you will bookmaking conglomerates restricting how much punters can stake – and the sums they can win. Arbitrary bookmaking 'limits' drive successful punters to distraction. Turned away from one betting window, they're on an eternal trudge to find another. We've all heard stories of gamblers wanting to place £500 on a horse and being told they can have only £50 at the advertised price. Laissez-faire would be a generous description of how mass-market sports betting is controlled. But affordability checks? The world is up in arms. The roots of the outrage are twofold. Punters, bureaucrats and the Racing Post (an uber-campaigner against the Gambling Commission's plans) are right to point out that all of us gamble every day, on stocks and shares, mortgage rate changes, savings account returns, the National Lottery, Premium Bonds and any number of monetary judgment calls. In all cases those markets are 'regulated,' but government taps on the shoulder are rare. Yet, in horserace betting, the UK government, via the Gambling Commission, has developed a curiously fierce interest in vulnerable citizens, while also laying waste to many of the public services on which people on low incomes depend. Personal freedom aside, this is where the industry's panic spikes – the realisation that affordability checks will undermine a funding system that was never fit for purpose Media outlets like to call this the Nanny State. But under modern Conservatism, the nanny was fired years ago. Britain is an economic free-for-all. In the original white paper on gambling, though, we encounter language redolent of the country's wrecked social contract. It proposes intervention “if a customer's gambling is likely to be unaffordable and harmful” and identifies three types of risk: “binge gambling, significant unaffordable losses over time, and financially vulnerable customers”. Who knew compassion still had a say in Westminster? Racing, though, sees only illogicality, arbitrary intervention, and great harm to something that's already up against it: the sport's business model, the transfer of breadcrumbs from the betting industry to the racing game that supplies its 'product.' Personal freedom aside, this is where the industry's panic spikes – the realisation that affordability checks will undermine a funding system that was never fit for purpose. It was the Jockey Club who, in the 1960s, missed the chance to set up a totalisator system to guarantee a fair return to the sport. Instead, they opened the door to a predatory bookmaking industry. Six decades later, it falls to Nevin Truesdale, the current, impressive head of the Jockey Club, to fix his name to a petition demanding a change in the Gambling Commission's thinking. The petition calls the plans “inappropriate and discriminatory.” The word “catastrophic” is frequently used to describe the damage to racing's finances – £250 million over five years, it is claimed, if punters resort to black markets or abandon betting on racing altogether. Never has the sport mobilised so furiously against an external threat. Many racing folk would seemingly rather invite an Epsom-invading animal rights protestor round for tea than the Gambling Commission, who claim that only 3% of online betting accounts will be subject to 'frictionless' affordability checks on their online accounts, with only 0.3% facing the more stringent monitoring. A £125 loss over a 30-day period looks to the racing industry however like a pitifully low starting point for the gambling police to go in. The Culture secretary Lucy Frazer told the Racing Post: “This government is not in the business of telling people how they can and can't spend their money. But we know, for some, gambling leads to a dangerous cycle of addiction that can feel impossible to escape. We have a duty of care to those at the greatest risk of devastating and life-changing financial losses.” Yet racing says only 2.8% of punters meet the threshold of problem gambling. The many are being restricted, they say, to protect the very few. Late last week, the anti-Gambling Commission petition had attracted 85,000 signatures. A social media debate ensued (when does it not?) Some called it a show of strength. Others saw it as a faltering quest to reach the 100,000 signatures needed to force a Parliamentary debate; almost as proof of apathy. My feeling is that the proposed government constraints defy logic and misunderstand horserace betting and bettors. They are also a cop out, because they dodge the need to tackle the main culprit – the betting industry, the siren on the rocks, with its tsunami advertising and simultaneous 'limits' on winnings. As for racing's panic around the cost of these proposals, consider the most salient statistics of all. In the UK 0.6% of betting turnover is returned to racing. In Ireland – 1.5%; in France 8.6%, America 14.5% and Japan 16.6%. British racing's business model is the flaw that “affordability checks” threaten to exacerbate. Then again, that horse has already bolted. The post Affordability Checks Expose Flaw in British Racing’s Business Model appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Master trainer joins John Moore in reaching the remarkable milestone, remembering some of the best gallopers of his 22-year careerView the full article

Driver Penalties B Williamson | NZ Metropolitan 14 November; eased the pace; suspended 20-26 November inclusive. G Telfer | Ashburton 16 November; medical clearance required. T Chmiel | Ashburton 16 November; use of whip; suspended 17-26 November inclusive. C Hart | NZ Metropolitan 14 November (heard NZ Metropolitan 17 November); use of whip; suspended 18-24 November inclusive and fined $2,500. R May | NZ Metropolitan 17 November; careless driving; suspended 18 November – 3 December inclusive. B Butt | NZ Metropolitan 17 November; use of whip; suspended 18-26 November inclusive and fined $175. K Green | NZ Metropolitan 17 November; careless driving; suspended 20 November – 8 December inclusive. R Close | NZ Metropolitan 17 November; out of position at start; fined $100. Trainer Penalties B McIntyre | Ashburton 16 November; late to present runner onto track; fined $100. P Williamson | Ashburton 16 November; failed to affix bandage so as not to come adrift; fined $100. Horse Penalties CHEDDAR ON FIRE | Manawatu 13 November; late scratching on veterinary advice; veterinary clearance required. GIFT CARD | NZ Metropolitan 14 November; entrapped epiglottis; veterinary clearance required. TRUE CONFESSIONS | NZ Metropolitan 14 November; uncomfortable in action; veterinary clearance required. MACANDREW AVIATOR | NZ Metropolitan 14 November; lame; veterinary clearance required. BRIANNA | Ashburton 16 November; displayed unsatisfactory manners prior to start; must complete standing start trial. PARAMOUNT LADY | Ashburton 16 November; broke at start; must complete mobile start trial. MUSCLYNN | Ashburton 16 November; late scratching on veterinary advice; veterinary clearance required. MANDALAY BAY | NZ Metropolitan 17 November; broke in running; must complete trial. MUSCLE MOUNTAIN | NZ Metropolitan 17 November; atrial fibrillation; veterinary clearance including ECG required and must complete trial. MATAI HARRY | Winton 19 November; lame; veterinary clearance required. Protests MOSSDALE BEN | NZ Metropolitan 14 November; lapped on; relegated from 5th to 6th. ELIZABETH HILL | NZ Metropolitan 14 November; denied a fair start; declared a non-runner. BRIANNA | Ashburton 16 November; late scratching after displaying unsatisfactory manners prior to start; declared a non-runner. TEETAN | Ashburton 16 November; denied a fair start; declared a non-runner. BILL BOOTIT | Winton 19 November; excessive galloping in home straight; disqualified from 4th. The post 13-19 November 2023 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Rider Penalties M Cameron | Whangarei 14 November; medical clearance required. S Weatherley | Canterbury 11 November (heard Canterbury 15 November); use of whip; fined $2,775. D Bothamley | Canterbury 15 November; careless riding; suspended 23 November – 3 December inclusive. S Wynne | Canterbury 15 November; careless riding; suspended 23 November – 1 December inclusive. D Wilson | Canterbury 15 November; careless riding; suspended 25 November – 1 December inclusive. V Colgan | Canterbury 15 November; use of whip; suspended 26 November – 8 December inclusive. S Weatherley | Canterbury 18 November; careless riding; suspended 23 November – 1 December inclusive. K Asano | Canterbury 18 November; careless riding; suspended 26 November – 15 December inclusive and fined $2,300. S Wynne | Canterbury 18 November; use of whip; fined $500. W Kennedy | Waipukurau 19 November; medical clearance required. Trainer Penalties D Wiles | Whangarei 14 November; incorrect gear; fined $50. M & M Pitman | Canterbury 15 November; late rider declaration; fined $50. J Mahoney | Tauranga 18 November; late rider declaration; fined $50. C Cole | Tauranga 18 November; late rider declaration; fined $50. A Carston | Canterbury 18 November; incorrect gear; fined $50. T Rae | Canterbury 18 November; incorrect gear; fined $50. Horse Penalties ROMANTIC COMBO | Canterbury 15 November; lame; veterinary clearance required. CATALINA BAY | Canterbury 15 November; lame; veterinary clearance required. RUSSIAN ROULETTE | Canterbury 18 November; general soreness; veterinary clearance required. BURITZ | Canterbury 18 November; tendon injury; veterinary clearance required. The post 13-19 November 2023 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Trainer/Handler Penalties M Hamilton | Southland 15 November; failed to retrieve runner; fined $50. S McInerney | Non-raceday dated 17 November; failed to be free of prohibited substance; disqualified 10 May 2023 – 9 May 2026 inclusive. Dog Penalty CLAWS IN LULU | Christchurch 16 November; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. The post 13-19 November 2023 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Progressive galloper Uderzo (NZ) (Vadamos) made the best possible start to a new campaign when he powered through the heavy underfoot conditions at Tauranga to claim a comfortable victory in the Tauranga Hardware Plumbing Handicap (1200m). Carrying topweight of 59.5kgs, the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained gelding had warmed up for his season opener with a handy effort for second behind quality sprinting mare Babylon Berlin over 900m at the Te Rapa trials last month. Rider Masa Hashizume had the son of Vadamos away well to settle in a handy position behind pacemaker Kiva Han and made his move to join issue approaching the home bend. Uderzo was simply cruising as he went past Kiva Han and shot clear to win handsomely from Gwen’s Daughter and Butterfield who both finished on resolutely wider on the track. O’Sullivan was at Riccarton putting the final touches on Gr.1 Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) candidates Molly Bloom and Grande Gallo but had managed to catch the Tauranga action to witness the victory. “He (Uderzo) is a horse that has always had ability but has taken a while to put it all together,” O’Sullivan said. “It was nice to see him settle a lot better today and he ended up in a good spot where he could bide his time to make a challenge. “He got through the ground but we have always thought he is better on a firm surface so that was a handy win.” O’Sullivan and Scott will sit down early in the week to discuss where to go now with the five-year-old as a likely rating rise will take him out of the Rating 75 grade. “We had debated on whether to run him today but there wasn’t a suitable race for at least another three weeks so we pushed the button and it proved the right decision,” he said. “We will have to see where he is rated now as he will probably go to the open grade with that win. “He has such a high cruising speed that we do think he is going to be best at 1400m so that is what we will be looking at over the next few starts.” Purchased by Wexford Stables for $125,000 out of Rich Hill Stud’s 2020 Book1 draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, Uderzo has now won four of his 11 starts and over $111,000 in prizemoney. Out of the Pentire mare Etosha Lass, his extended family includes brilliant Australian sprinter and successful stallion Canny Lad who took out the 1990 Gr.1 Golden Slipper (1200m) along with a host of notable Australian Group One winners including Camarena, Canny Lass, Guelph and Sepoy. View the full article

Promising three-year-old Leroy Brown (NZ) (Ace High) sang a winning tune at Tauranga on Saturday as he broke his maiden status despite attempting to throw the victory away with some wayward home straight actions. The Steven Ralph-trained son of Ace High spent most of the last 300m of the 1400m contest staring at the outside rail after veering hard left rounding the home bend under apprentice rider Gareth Lahoud. Lahoud stayed calm as he balanced his mount up for a final effort and finished strongly to snatch victory by half a length from Charmer and Tossuforit who stayed much closer to the inside of the Soft5 rated track. Ralph has plenty of faith in the ability of his charge who he believes has the potential to be a contender for higher honours as he matures. “We’ve always rated him as a good horse and run him the open grade three-year-old races as we think he is up to that level,” Ralph said. “Last time at Hastings he ran fourth after being pushed off the track and before that at Pukekohe he spent most of the race gawking around at everything around him. “We just need to get the brain right as he has plenty of ability and I think just needs more racing as experience will do him the world of good. “Gareth did the right thing, didn’t panic and when he got him going, he told me there was plenty left in the tank at the finish.” Ralph said the phone had been ringing for weeks with offers from prospective buyers however at present owner Keith Parsons, a retired Hamilton businessman, was happy to reject the advances as he sets his sights on a Group One prize. “The phone has been hot and I expect that will increase after today,” Ralph said. “I’ve talked it over with his owner and he is keen to retain the horse as he has always had a desire to win the Derby (Gr.1, 2400m) and we think this is a horse who could give him a real shot at it. “The Derby is not until March so there is plenty of water to go under the bridge before then, but I think when this guy learns what it is all about you will see a pretty smart galloper.” Bred and raced by Parsons under his Parsons Bloodstock banner, Leroy Brown is out of the Savabeel mare Zizi and is the younger sibling of race winners Mersey Beat and Don’t Look Ethel. He comes from an extended family with a strong European flavour including French Group One middle distance winners Agent Double and Air De Cour. View the full article

Riversley Park are set to offer another bumper Ready To Run Sale draft at Karaka next week. The Waikato farm will have 38 juveniles go under the hammer and farm principal Sam Beatson is looking forward to seeing how his draft are received by the international buying bench. Farm graduates have performed to a high standard internationally, particularly in Hong Kong where Golden Sixty has put Riversley Park on the map. Purchased by trainer Francis Lui out of Riversley Park’s 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale draft for $300,000, Golden Sixty has gone on to win 25 races in Honk Kong, including nine at Group One level, on his way to being crowned Hong Kong Horse of the Year for the last three seasons. Riversley Park graduates have continued to leave their mark in Hong Kong and Beatson is hoping that translates to sales interest at Karaka next week. “Golden Sixty has been phenomenal. You can’t ask for much more. He is a once in a lifetime horse and to produce a horse like that is great, especially being rated the world’s best and still racing,” Beatson said. “The longevity they are getting out of him is huge. It is a testament to this sale with the longevity the horses can train on for.” Lot 32 & Lot 289 getting ready to breeze up at Te Rapa. Photo: Trish Dunell While upbeat about Hong Kong, the looming closure of the Singapore Turf Club has brought an unknown variable into the sale, with Beatson unsure how their absence will affect the middle market. “It sounds like the Hong Kong market is going to be quite strong,” Beatson said. “We get winners most weeks. We had a couple of Per Incantos win a few in a row up there (in Hong Kong) over the last few weeks. “But we are going into a bit of the unknown with how much the (absence of the) Singapore market is going to affect us because they are normally quite strong at this sale. “The top end is going to be fine, just like in any other year, but just how much we miss Singapore is going to be interesting with those middle market horses.” Beatson remains upbeat about the sale and is pleased with the quality of two-year-olds he has in his draft. “We have got a real forward range of horses, like we do each year,” he said. “We have a really nice All Too Hard gelding (lot 289) that has had a bit of interest, as well as the Russian Revolution (lot 360) and two Zoustars (lots 190 and 203). “We have got a few first season sires in there as well, including a gelding by Dubious (lot 32). “We have got a real variety and I am looking forward to next week.” View the full article

Few trainers would attempt to claim three victories with one horse in seven days over New Zealand Cup Week, let alone be successful, but John Wheeler isn’t like every other trainer. The Taranaki horseman saddled five-year-old gelding Lord Donovan (NZ) (Lord) on the opening day of the carnival last Saturday in a maiden over 1200m, where he scorched home by eight lengths in a sit-and-steer performance for jockey Kate Hercock. Backing up on Wednesday as a red-hot $1.70 favourite, the son of Lord carried 60.5kg when stepping out to 1400m in the Special Conditions Maiden, and was just as convincing scoring by three lengths to present an opportunity for a rare Cup Week treble on the final day. Remaining at the 1400m distance, Lord Donovan was tasked the 60kg equal top-weight, the extreme outside barrier, and race-day fatigue when lining up in the Vernon & Vazey Truck Parts Premier on Saturday when attempting to complete the hat-trick. Hercock positioned the gelding midfield and three-wide with cover through the running from the 16 draw, with a strong tempo set up-front by Our Clarry and jockey Tina Comignaghi. In a fashion that the Riccarton Park crowd became accustomed to through the week, Lord Donovan pulled clear from the remainder of the field at the 200m to contest Our Clarry as a roar erupted from his 15,000-strong audience. The past two performances began to take their toll in the final 50m, but his tough qualities shone through when responding to Hercock’s urgings to score by a long neck to a fast-closing Mormaire, front-runner Our Clarry gallant in third. Lord Donovan with trainer John Wheeler. Photo: Race Images South A delighted Wheeler was equally complimentary of the horse and Hercock’s efforts through the week, after producing a training effort unlikely to be repeated in the near future. “It was a pretty good effort winning three in a row, a lot of people wouldn’t attempt it but if you do what everyone else does you can’t win, can you,” Wheeler said. “The crowd was with him, it was a super run and I’m really proud of the horse. It’s unbelievable. “She (Hercock) gave him the best ride you could ever do from that barrier. She was three-wide with cover, came out at the right time and did everything right. 10 out of 10.” Lord Donovan was the only foal sired by Lord before his passing in 2017, with Stratford trainer Dean Dravitski breeding the gelding out of his Keeper mare Eyesonella. Wheeler purchased a major share in the ownership of Lord Donovan after originally identifying him as a jumping prospect. “I’ve got a major share in him, I bought him really for a jumper, so if there’s any 1200m jumping race he’d be in them,” he quipped. Central Districts-based Hercock had admitted Lord Donovan’s impressive turn-of-foot on the opening day to be ‘a bit unexpected’ in a post-race interview, but gave full credit the horse’s heart after pulling off the hat-trick on Saturday. “Full credit to the horse today, he was all heart,” she said. “He jumped okay, we ended up in a nice spot but he didn’t travel as nicely as he normally does. We got trucking before the corner, turned for home and made a bit of room to get out. “Halfway down the straight he was dead on his feet, from the 100m he’s wandered around a lot because he was tired but he’s all heart, you can’t take it away from the horse today. “It probably won’t happen to me again but who knows, I’m along for the ride and Mr Wheeler has been good to me, looked after me and stuck with me through thick and thin. “Also to the staff at home who do the hard yards, I train so I know what goes into these horses.” Lord Donovan has now recorded three wins and a further seven minor placings from 17 starts, his Cup Week spectacle increasing his stakes to nearly $90,000 for connections. View the full article

It would take a perfect trip for Flag Of Honour to win the Nov. 18 Kennedy Road Stakes (G2) and Kazushi Kimura delivered an absolute masterpiece, saving ground throughout and coming up the rail before holding off Ice Chocolat by a nose. View the full article

Recency took a backseat to speed in the $295,000 Chilukki Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs. Despite being unraced since fourth in the May 6 Derby City Distaff (G1), Hot and Sultry quickly made the time off a non-issue in recording an easy win.View the full article

Nothing Like You needed every inch of the seaside stretch to catch the Peter Eurton-trained Tambo and take the $100,000 Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar Nov. 18.View the full article

Work All Week (City Zip), upset winner of the 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Sprint and that year's champion sprinter, died at Old Friends in Georgetown, Kentucky, Monday, Nov. 13. According to Old Friends equine veterinarian Dr. Bryan Waldridge, the 14-year-old suffered a fatal paddock accident. A full necropsy is pending. Bred in Illinois by Richard and Karen Papiese's Midwest Thoroughbreds, the likeable chestnut was trained throughout his career by the late Roger Brueggemann. During the summer of 2013, Work All Week embarked on an eight-race winning streak that included open-company stakes victories in the Hot Springs S. at Oaklawn and in the Iowa Sprint H. at Prairie Meadows. He was upset in an Illinois-bred stakes in the summer of 2014, but bounced back to validate favoritism in the GIII Phoenix S. at Keeneland ahead of a half-length victory in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita, joining Buck's Boy as the only Breeders' Cup winners bred in the Land of Lincoln. As a 6-year-old in 2015, Work All Week added the Byrd Memorial S. at Mountaineer Park and was third to Runhappy (Super Saver) in defense of his title in the Phoenix. Over the next five years, Work All Week became a stable pony before the Papieses donated him to Old Friends for his retirement. “Even though I bet on second place finisher, Secret Circle, in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Sprint, I fell in love with Work All Week and his owners, Richard and Karen Papiese, who supported him and his pal, The Pizza Man, ever since they arrived at Old Friends,” said Old Friends President and Founder Michael Blowen. The post Champion Sprinter Work All Week Passes Away appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Gino Severini winning the Group 2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Veteran galloper Gino Severini capped off some consistent form of late with a determined performance to take out the Group 2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) on Saturday. In the hands of Central Districts rider Chris Dell the 10-year-old son of Fastnet Rock travelled comfortably on the Heavy 9 track surface which had started the day as a Slow 5 but deteriorated with persistent rain throughout the day. Dell settled the Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley-trained runner midfield on the rail before improving through on the inner to take control of proceedings approaching the home turn. Gino Severini and Devastate matched motors early in the run home before Dell pushed his mount clear and he bolted away to win by more than four lengths from Devastate, with Brando back in third. The Tauranga track has proved a happy hunting ground for the horse as he has never finished out of the money in four starts and registered his last victory in the Group 2 Japan Trophy (1600m) on a similar track surface back in March 2022. Cooksley was delighted to welcome the stable favourite back to the winners’ enclosure although he admitted he wasn’t that sure before the race how he would perform in the ground. “He doesn’t really like it when it is heavy and the only two wins he has had on that type of track have now both been here at Tauranga,” Cooksley said. “Chris said he just travelled so well all the way and he was pretty confident of a win a long way out. “He is a pretty remarkable horse and despite his age he is still as keen as ever and enjoying his racing. “A mile is his pet distance so we will look around for races like that as I think he has a couple more wins in him. “He goes well at this time of the year and there are some nice options coming up over the next month or so for him.” Raced by Wallace and members of the Wallace family, Gino Severini has now won eight of his 60 starts and over $527,000 in prizemoney. Three of those wins have come at stakes level while he also finished third in the 2021 Group 1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m). More horse racing news View the full article

Toesonthenose is well ahead of his rivals when winning at Newcastle. Photo: bradleyphotos.com.au The John Sargent-trained Toesonthenose scored the fifth victory of his career when running out a strong winner at the Newcastle feature meeting on Saturday. Carrying topweight of 59kgs, the son of Ocean Park was three back on the fence rounding the home bend but cruised past his rivals to score by just over two lengths under a perfect Nash Rawiller ride. Sargent has a lot of time for the galloper, who is raced by Tricolours Racing & Syndications and has now won A$246,460 in prizemoney from 18 starts. “He’s a very promising stayer. He just hasn’t had things go his own way,” Sargent said. “He should go on with it now and get over further.” “Tricolours have been great supporters. This guy was with Mark Newnham and came to me last season (when Newnham relocated to Hong Kong). Toesonthenose is a graduate of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale, where he was sold by Kilgravin Lodge for $50,000 to James Moss of Tricolours Racing. While Sargent won’t be in attendance at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale in person, which commences on Wednesday, he has made arrangements to be represented. “It has been a terrific sale over the years and hopefully I will be purchasing,” he said. Sargent was still ruing a wide draw of barrier 18 in the A$500,000 Four Pillars (1500m) at Toesonthenose’ previous start when sixth. “If he had of drawn a decent gate in the Four Pillars last start, he would have won,” Sargent said. “He will go over 2000m now in a couple of weeks at Randwick and he should just keep improving. “In the autumn you will see an even better horse. He will get better with time. There is nothing wrong with the Ocean Parks.” More horse racing news View the full article