Wandering Eyes

Representatives from Ascot have made star New Zealand mare Imperatriz (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) the top of their wishlist for the Royal Ascot meeting in June next year. Nick Smith, Ascot's Director of Racing and Public Affairs, said he believes Te Akau Racing's crown jewel would be perfect for either the G1 King's Stand S. or the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. “She's showing a lot of consistency and that's what you want with travelling horses,” Smith commented. “A lot of the horses that have one good run and jump on the plane aren't as successful. But you know she's the best horse and she suits all sorts of circumstances. If she maintains her form, as most Australian sprinters do, she'll go to the top of the market.” While Smith also added that he'd briefly spoken to Imperatriz's connections about the possibility, he included that those discussions were at a very early stage. “It's definitely one step at a time but there has been some interest expressed.” The post Imperatriz Tops Royal Ascot Wishlist appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sales of breeding stock are just as much a feature of the final couple of months of the year in Europe as they are in North America. In fact, the European sales have been an important fact of American bloodstock life since the early days of the sport, with many breed-shapers having been recruited in Europe before heading west to make history. Perhaps the most famous graduate of Tattersalls's December Sale remains La Troienne (Fr) (Teddy {Fr}). After a racing career in which, without winning, she notched up some minor placings in both France and England (and, strangely, contested the Poule d'Essai des Poulains) she was sent to the December Sale in 1930 by Marcel Boussac. Bought by Colonel Bradley of Idle Hour Farm in Lexington for 1,250 guineas, she was brought to America, where she became arguably the greatest matriarch the country has ever known. Almost as influential was Rough Shod (GB), bought at the December Sale in 1951 for 3,500 guineas, in foal to My Babu (GB), by Arthur 'Bull' Hancock of Claiborne Farm, where she went on to change the course of bloodstock history, most obviously as third dam and fourth dam respectively of the legendary Northern Dancer horses Nureyev and Sadler's Wells. A similarly significant purchase came in 1952 when Martin Benson, proprietor of Beech House Stud in Newmarket, offered the Hyperion mare Lady Angela (GB), a winning great-great granddaughter of Pretty Polly (Ire) who was in foal to the stud's resident stallion Nearco (Ity). She topped the sale, bought by George Blackwell on behalf of E. P. Taylor of Windfields Farm in Ontario. Taylor came to an agreement with Benson that Lady Angela could visit Nearco again the following spring. She was then exported to Canada, in foal, after that subsequent covering. The resultant foal was born at Windfields. As Nearctic (Can), he went on to make an indelible mark on the Stud Book as the sire of Northern Dancer (Can). It might be asking a bit much to hope that there will be a La Troienne, a Rough Shod or a Lady Angela coming out of the forthcoming round of mares' sales at Goffs in Ireland, at Tattersalls in England and at Arqana in France, three world-class auctions which follow on conveniently one after the other. It could happen, though. What definitely will happen is that some of the fillies and mares sold at the three auctions will go on to breed top-class horses all around the world. Reduction and Dispersals at Goffs Goffs' November Sale kicks things off on Nov. 24, immediately after a four-day foal sale whose catalogue includes over 1,000 lots. Lasting two days, the mares' catalogue is more streamlined but the concentration of quality is intense. There are always some notable offerings at this sale, with recent treats having included a Wildenstein dispersal in 2016. The particular treats this time include a mouth-watering draft offered as a result of the restructuring of the Niarchos family's studs and the dispersal of the stock of Gestut Hony-Hof, over and above the usual drafts from such proven sources of class as Ballylinch Stud, Godolphin, HH Aga Khan Studs and Moyglare Stud. Horses bearing the colours firstly of the late Stavros Niarchos and subsequently of his heirs have been a feature of top-class racing for half a century. In the early days, Stavros Niarchos's champions, such as the aforementioned Nureyev, were bought as yearlings but by the time that the great Miesque (Nureyev) came along in the late 1980s it was very much an owner/breeder enterprise. Numerous champions have borne the family's livery since then and the current on-going restructuring provides a special opportunity for other breeders to tap into the bloodlines which have been developed by this world-class operation over the decades. Goffs November Kicks off Nov. 24 | Goffs Consigned variously by Norelands, Baroda and Kiltinan Castle Studs, the 41 Niarchos fillies and mares form a mouth-watering bunch. Daughters of world-class stallions such as Galileo (Ire), Deep Impact (Jpn), Frankel (GB), Dubawi (Ire), Sea The Stars (Ire) and Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) and boasting suitably exalted coverings, the bunch is made up entirely of blue-bloods and includes the G1 winners Alpha Centauri (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), Alpine Star (Ire) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) and Albigna (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), in foal respectively to Sea The Stars, Frankel and St Mark's Basilica (Fr). A less-heralded landmark at Goffs this year will be the dispersal of the stock of Gestut Hony-Hof, whose 11 mares form part of the Castlebridge Consignment. The nucleus of Gestut Hony-Hof's broodmare band has stemmed from Salve Regina (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) who carried the Hony-Hof colours to victory in the G1 German Oaks in 2002 before finishing second in the G1 German Derby four weeks later. As a full-sister to the German Derby winners Samum (Ger) and Schiaparelli (Ger) as well as to the dam of 2014 German Derby winner Sea The Moon, Salve Regina was a perfect candidate to develop into the great matriarch which she became. The majority of the Hony-Hof mares descend from her, although the best horse whom the stud has bred most recently, 2020 G1 Prix du Cadran heroine Princess Zoe (Ger) (Jukebox Jury {Ire}), comes from another family. Besides Salve Regina's descendants, the draft includes Princess Zoe's half-sister Palace Girl (GB) (Areion {Ger}). Any Godolphin reduction draft is worth making a long journey to inspect. The operation's consignment at Goffs is no exception, with the G1 winners Ambivalent (Ire) (Authorized {Ire}), Lyric Of Light (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) and Be Fabulous (Ger) (Samum {Ger}) being of obvious interest. Ambivalent makes particular appeal as she has already bred a Group 1 winner, being the dam of 2021 Prix Vermeille heroine Teona (Ire), and she becomes of even greater interest as she is currently back in foal to Teona's sire Sea The Stars. Tattersalls Kicks Off Sale With Sceptre Sessions Tattersalls make it easy for would-be buyers to home in on many of the the most obvious prospects in the December Mares' Sale (Dec. 4-7) by highlighting some of the choicest lots in the two 'Sceptre Sessions', which are named after one of the greatest horses ever to pass through the ring at Park Paddocks, Sceptre earning immortality by contesting all five British Classics in 1902 and winning four of them. Sceptre went through Tattersalls's ring as both a sale-topping yearling and as a proven Classic winner. Many Classic heroines have graced the arena since then and another will do so this year as last year's 1,000 Guineas victrix Cachet (GB) (Aclaim {Ire}) will be one of the star lots of the second of the two Sceptre sessions. It is often the case that the ring is subdued immediately before and immediately after a stand-out lot but that won't be the case in this instance. Cachet will be preceded by this year's G2 Lowther S. winner Relief Rally (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) and followed by this year's G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. heroine Rogue Millennium (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}). All three of these starlets provide a reminder that many of the future broodmares on offer still offer plenty of racing potential. Last year one of the best fillies to go through the ring was 1,000 Guineas place-getter Fev Rover (Ire) (Guitaifan {Ire}) and she has illustrated the point perfectly. She is now looking a bargain at the 695,000 guineas which Tracy Farmer paid for her 12 months ago following her wins this season in the G2 Nassau S., G1 Beverly D S. and G1 E. P. Taylor S. Cachet is set to sell during Tattersalls's Sceptre Sessions | Scoop Dyga Other smart fillies straight off the track due to be offered the Sceptre Sessions include the Group 1 winners Lezoo (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}), Prosperous Voyage (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) and Poptronic (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}). The latter comes in particularly good form as her most recent run was her best, ie her victory last month in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S. Another recent Group 1 winner in the second Sceptre Session is Teona (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), successful in the G1 Prix Vermeille in 2021 and now offered in foal to Frankel (GB). Via Sistina features particularly prominently in the catalogue as her dam Nigh (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is also on offer, in foal to Too Darn Hot (GB). It would be wrong to focus too much on the Sceptre Sessions, however, as each year one of the highlights of the December Sale is the Juddmonte draft. This will again be the case this year. None of the Juddmonte horses are included in a Sceptre Session, the draft being split into two parts with the first part coming immediately before the first day's Sceptre Session and the second part preceding the Sceptre Session the following evening. Arqana December Gets Underway Dec. 9 It would also be wrong to have exhausted one's budget by the end of the December Sale because following hot on that auction's heels is the Arqana December Sale in France (Dec. 9-12). This invariably provides some superb racing and breeding prospects. Over the years it has proved to be a particularly fruitful source of fillies who have gone on to achieve notable success in the USA. G1 Prix de l'Opera heroine Rougir (Fr) (Territories {Ire}), sold for €3,000,000 in 2021 and subsequently the winner of the G1 E. P. Taylor S. in 2022, is a classic example. The sale is even more notable as a source of broodmares worldwide. Top-level winners in 2023 whose dams came out of this sale include Feed The Flame (GB), Iresine (Fr) and Trueshan (Fr) in France; Sol Oriens (Jpn) in Japan; Via Sistina (Ire) in Ireland; India (Ger) in Germany; and Gold Trip (Fr) in Australia. Obviously appealing mares on offer this year include the 2019 G1 Prix de Diane heroine Channel (Ire) (Nathaniel {Ire}), offered in foal to Wootton Bassett (GB), and 2022 G2 Prix du Muguet winner Sibila Spain (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), offered in foal to Dubawi (Ire). Furthermore, the draft of HH Aga Khan Studs is always a feature of the Arqana December Sale. This consignment is invariably a rich source of notable broodmares for countries all over the world. Another particularly interesting offering in this year's sale is the dispersal of the stock of world-renowned German nursery Gestut Ammerland, the owner/breeder of numerous champions including Hurricane Run (Ire), Lope De Vega (Ire) and Borgia (Ger). A particular treat from that source will come when it offers as consecutive lots Sea The Moon's stakes-winning four-year-old full-sister Sea The Sky (Ger); Lope De Vega's G3-winning Frankel (GB) half-sister Lady Frankel, in foal to New Bay (GB); and Lady Frankel's three-year-old daughter Lightning Lady (Ire) (Kingman {GB}). The post Europe’s Finest Bloodlines On Offer: Three Sales, Three Weeks, Three Countries appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tally-Ho Stud has announced that new recruit Good Guess will stand at €17,500 in 2024 while Mehmas has ben dropped €10,000 to a fee of €50,000. The stud's flagbearer Kodiac, the sire of Good Guess, has also had his fee relaxed from €40,000 to €35,000 for 2024. A statement published on Monday read, “We are delighted to announce that G1 Prix Jean Prat winner Good Guess will stand his first season in 2024 at a fee of €17,500. “A 420,000gns yearling from the family of Classic-winning miler Russian Rhythm, Good Guess retires as the winner of four races highlighted by this season's G1 Prix Jean Prat, in which he defeated G1 winners such as Chaldean, Hi Royal and Meditate. “Good Guess is the first G1-winning son of Kodiac to stud in Britain and Ireland and shares his sire with successful sons such as Ardad, Coulsty, Kodi Bear and Prince Or Lir, all of whom have been represented by G1 performers in the past two seasons.” It continued, “Kodiac himself will stand for €35,000. Now the sire of close to 200 stakes performers, Kodiac enjoyed another excellent year on the track highlighted by the G1 achievements of Good Guess in addition to Relief Rally, his fourth winner of the G2 Lowther Stakes, G2 Minstrel Stakes winner Zarinsk, and the exciting G3 Killavullan Stakes winner Atlantic Coast. “Yearlings by Kodiac sold for up to €430,000. Leading young sire Mehmas will stand for €50,000 following a year highlighted by the top American miler Chez Pierre, winner of the G1 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland, G2 Buena Vista S. winner Quatroelle, and G1 sprinter Believing. Yearlings by Mehmas sold for up to €500,000.” Cotai Glory, already a proven sire of top-notch talent, will remain at €12,500, champion sprinter Starman will stand for €10,000, Persian Force will stand his second season at €8,000 while Inns Of Court has been set at €5,000. Tally-Ho Stud's 2024 Fees MEHMAS: €50,000 KODIAC: €35,000 GOOD GUESS: €17,500 COTAI GLORY: €12,500 STARMAN: €10,000 PERSIAN FORCE: €8,000 INNS OF COURT: €5,000 The post Tally-Ho Introduces Good Guess At €17,500 – Mehmas To Stand At €50,000 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A stellar list of riders–including British representatives Ryan Moore, Hollie Doyle and Tom Marquand–have been assembled for the 2023 LONGINES International Jockeys' Championship (IJC) at Happy Valley on December 6. Moore is no stranger to the LONGINES IJC, having won the event twice, while fellow Englishman Marquand landed the prize 12 months ago. Meanwhile, Doyle knows the circuit in Hong Kong well and finished a joint second in the 2021 edition of the challenge. Reigning Hong Kong Champion Jockey Zac Purton will chase a record fourth LONGINES IJC crown, having won the event in 2017, 2020 and 2021. He is a six-time Hong Kong Champion Jockey and currently leads this season's local standings with 26 wins (as of 11 November). The exciting line-up also includes overseas riders with proven records in Hong Kong–Japan's Yuga Kawada and France's Mickael Barzalona. The LONGINES IJC is the most prestigious jockey challenge in the world and the most lucrative for the winning rider. The four races are worth a combined HK$7.5 million (approx. £780,000) in prize=-money. Meanwhile, a total prize fund of HK$1,000,000 (approx. £105,000) in bonus money for the most successful riders will be split three ways, with the winner set to receive HK$600,000 and second and third HK$250,000 and HK$150,000 respectively. Andrew Harding, the Hong Kong Jockey Club's Executive Director, Racing, said, “The LONGINES International Jockeys' Championship is one of the most exciting and prestigious events in the international racing calendar, and this year is of no exception. We have a spectacular line-up, and in particular I am excited to welcome Bauyrzhan Murzabayev and Rachel King to participate in the event for the first time.” The four-race competition works on a points-based system with 12 points for the win, six points for second place and four points to third. The ranking of each jockey will be determined by the total number of points earned over all four races and the LONGINES IJC champion will be the jockey with the highest accumulated points. The post Moore, Marquand and Doyle Confirmed For Hong Kong Championship appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Overbury Stud has released the fees for its Flat roster, with Ardad (Ire) remaining at £12,500 in 2024 while the fee for Golden Horn (GB) has been increased to £10,000 (from £8,000) on the back of a season in which he was represented by the G2 Queen's Vase winner Gregory (GB) and G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup winner Trawlerman (GB). Golden Horn, who covered 173 mares this spring, stood his first season at Overbury Stud in 2023, having moved from Dalham Hall Stud after his purchase by Jayne McGivern. His fellow new recruit was Caturra (Ire), a son of Mehmas (Ire), who has been cut to £5,000 from an opening fee of £6,500. He covered a book of 110 mares in his first season. Caturra's fellow Flying Childers winner Ardad has 101 juveniles to run in 2024. His current crop of foals numbers 144 and he covered a further 154 mares in 2023, his increased numbers being a result of a successful first crop of runners åwhich included the treble Group 1 winner Perfect Power (Ire). Simon Sweeting, manager of Overbury Stud, said, “We are very lucky to have such popular stallions who are achieving plenty and yet have even more to look forward to. Ardad's young stock from his excellent 2022 book of mares includes many quite outstanding individuals, and so many breeders have bred back to him to get more of the same. These big books he's had really do stand him in great stead. Meanwhile, Golden Horn has had a really tremendous year: nine Stakes winners, five at Group level – he's outperforming many stallions at far higher fees.” The fees for Overbury's other stallions, Jack Hobbs (GB), Frontiersman (GB) and Schiaparelli (Ger), will be set later in the year. The post Fee Increase for Golden Horn appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's second Holiday Giving Campaign will kick off this year on Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, the organization announced on Monday. The drive will continue through Dec. 31. In addition to raising money, the Holiday Giving Campaign is designed to increase awareness for accredited Thoroughbred aftercare and to raise funds for the accredited organizations. Last year's inaugural campaign raised over $180,000. “Our Thoroughbred horses provide us with so much, and each donation to the campaign goes a long way in supporting a network of 86 accredited organizations,” Jeffrey Bloom, TAA President, said. “Our organizations do an amazing job of taking care of the retired racehorses, so as we prepare for the holiday season, I hope that we can all simplify our gift giving and donate to Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance. Every day the TAA will announce new daily match sponsors with some of the most prominent names in horse racing and each sponsor will match all donations up to a specified amount for his or her day. Match sponsors will be announced daily in various industry publications, the TAA website, social media, and email. Individuals interested in participating in the Holiday Giving Campaign to support accredited Thoroughbred aftercare efforts can visit Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance's website beginning on Giving Tuesday. The post TAA Holiday Giving Campaign Set to Launch Nov. 26 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It may be November but Aidan O'Brien has already whet the appetite for next season by announcing that dual Derby and Breeders' Cup winner Auguste Rodin will stay in training as a four-year-old. Auguste Rodin capped off a brilliant campaign with a sensational success in the Breeders' Cup Turf at Santa Anita under an inspired Ryan Moore just over a week ago. It was viewed by many as the perfect swansong by the coveted son of Deep Impact but, when Auguste Rodin did not feature on the list of stallion fees published by Coolmore recently, tongues were sent wagging. Indeed, O'Brien confirmed on Monday morning that Auguste Rodin's stallion duties will be put on hold for another year, and agreed that the colt was up there with the most exciting older horses ever to stay in training at Ballydoyle. O'Brien told TDN Europe, “We're obviously delighted. The lads had to see that he came back okay from the Breeders' Cup and then they made their decision. It's brilliant for us all, really.” Auguste Rodin has won seven of his 10 starts. Along with his Derby triumphs at Epsom and the Curragh, he also landed the prestigious G1 Irish Champion S. at Leopardstown. All told, Auguste Rodin's Group 1 tally stands at five with promise of more to come. Asked if it was fair to describe Auguste Rodin as one of the most exciting older horses to stay in training at Ballydoyle, O'Brien added, “I think that's right. This is a unique, once-off horse and the lads are very conscious of that. They love racing and, as I said, he's only a once-off and there won't ever be another one like Auguste Rodin. He's very exciting with a view towards next year.” The post ‘We’re Delighted’ – O’Brien Reveals Auguste Rodin To Stay In Training appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) has suspended Harry Bentley for two months for improper conduct. The jockey has been fined HK$300,000 after pleading guilty. In a two-day stewards' inquiry conducted last week, Bentley admitted to breaching rule 155 under the rules of racing in Hong Kong, which relates to misconduct, improper conduct or inappropriate behaviour. The HKJC found that the 31-year-old did engage in improper conduct due to “inappropriate communications in respect to information about horses he had ridden in trackwork, barrier trials or races with persons who were not the registered owners or nominators of such horses, using a private mobile telephone provided by such persons”. The governing body also ruled that Bentley agreed to accept a payment from a person who was not the nominator of a horse in relation to a race he had ridden in, as well as providing false or misleading statements at an interview conducted on October 31. In determining the penalty, the stewards took into consideration Bentley's guilty plea and the nature and circumstances of the breach, including that the evidence established that he did not receive any payment. The stewards also recognised Bentley's personal and professional circumstances at the time of the offence and his unblemished record in relation to similar offences. He is suspended between November 3 and and January 3. The post Harry Bentley Handed Two-Month Ban by HKJC appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 2024 All-Star Mile will be revamped with the aim of ensuring an all-star cast is assembled for Victoria’s premier mile race. For the first time the All-Star Mile will be run two weeks prior to the TAB Australian Cup (2000m) providing a lucrative $7 million weight-for-age double. The only feature race on rotation between Victoria’s metropolitan clubs, the All-Star Mile returns to Caulfield for a second time on Saturday, 16 March 2024. Following a review conducted after this year’s edition, Racing Victoria (RV) has today announced key details around the 2024 All-Star Mile. Central to the announcement is a revised field selection process designed to ensure an optimum field, provide greater certainty to trainers and owners, remove frustrations around the changing composition of the field, and simplify the engagement process. Additionally, the revised structure aligns with RV’s strategy of defining clear pathways to big races, making it easy for racing fans at all knowledge levels to understand and follow. The new look commences this Saturday, 18 November with the $1 million Group 1 Neds Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield announced as the first of an expanded list of All-Star Mile ‘Win and You’re In’ races. An overview of the 2024 All-Star Mile is as follows: 1.The race will be conducted as a weight-for-age mile with prizemoney of $4 million and the maximum field size increased from 15 to 16 starters; 2. Field selection is revised to be a mixture of automatic entry races and wildcards, with a public vote no longer conducted to select the first 10 runners; 3. The retention of Owner Ambassadors for each All-Star to provide everyday Australians with the chance to again experience the thrill of big race ownership; 4. Plans for a simplified competition that provides more everyday Australians the opportunity to participate and potentially share in All-Star Mile glory; 5. The introduction of earlier ‘Win and You’re In’ races to assist trainers in planning, commencing with this weekend’s repositioned Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes; 6. A new partnership that will see New Zealand’s TAB Karaka Millions Raceday host ‘Win and You’re In’ races for the first time; and 7. The $1.5 million TAB Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) and the inaugural $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m, 4YO) on 27 January 2024 at Ellerslie will offer All-Star Mile berths to two of New Zealand’s best horses. “The All-Star Mile has quickly become a must-win race of the Festival of Racing. It is our number one turnover race of the summer and autumn, creating great interest for fans. “Each year we review the All-Star Mile to ensure it is delivering on its key objectives. We’re revamping the 2024 All-Star Mile to provide greater certainty for connections, reduce frustrations around the changing composition of the field, and simplify engagement for fans. “We want to attract the best field possible and ensure the race connects perfectly with the Australian Cup which will be run a fortnight after the All-Star Mile for the first time in 2024. “The new mixture of ‘Win and You’re In’ races and wildcard selections provides greater flexibility in field selection, whist ensuring we retain intrigue around its composition. “We’re excited to introduce ‘Win and You’re In’ races in New Zealand, particularly given the growing engagement of New Zealand fans and punters in our racing. “Fans will still have a say in shaping the field with some input to be sought into wildcard spots through polls and engagement via our digital platforms and broadcast partners. “The Owner Ambassadors have provided some amazing stories in the first five years and we plan on retaining this unique element that brings lucky fans into the inner sanctum and offers a life-changing prize pool. “Details on an Owner Ambassadors competition will follow at a later date, but it is our intention is to make it simple and free for fans to participate.” The current list of 2024 All-Star Mile ‘Win and You’re In’ races is as follows: G1 Neds Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) – Caulfield, 18 November 2023 TAB Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) – Ellerslie, 27 January 2024 Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m, 4YO) – Ellerslie, 27 January 2024 G1 C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) – Caulfield, 10 February 2024 G1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) – Caulfield, 24 February 2024 G1 Howden Australian Guineas (1600m, 3YO) – Flemington, 2 March 2024 G2 TAB Blamey Stakes (1600m) – Flemington, 2 March 2024 An announcement of an eighth ‘Win and You’re In’ race will be made at a later date. View the full article

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British rider pleads guilty to ‘inappropriate communications, agreeing to accept a payment and providing false or misleading statements’View the full article

Rachel King and Bauyrzhan Murzabayev will make their debuts in the prestigious competition, while Zac Purton again leads the Hong Kong contingentView the full article

Warrnambool trainer happy his star mare missed clash with Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai). There is no such thing as a well-timed foot abscess, but Matthew Williams has taken positives from the one that kept Wrote To Arataki (NZ) (Wrote) out of the Gr.1 Empires Rose Stakes (1600m). The Warrnambool trainer discovered the abscess in the 48 hours leading up to the $1 million event at Flemington on November 4, which was to be not only her first start at Group One level but first run over 1600 metres. The Empire Rose Stakes was won in dashing style by Pride Of Jenni, who followed it up with victory in last Saturday’s Gr.1 Champions Stakes (1600m), leaving Williams relieved his last-start Group Two winner was not part of the chasing pack. Wrote To Arataki will instead chase a maiden Group One win in this Saturday’s $1.5 million Gr.1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield. “I think the mile race would have been very hard for her the other day, chasing Pride Of Jenni,” Williams said. “Potentially she would have been one of the ones trying to cart the field up, so I wasn’t too disappointed that we missed that and we now get to stay at 1400.” Williams toyed with the idea of starting the daughter of Wrote at Flemington, but past experience told him it would have been a wasted run. “It was just a little abscess in her heel, it was pretty minor and it was 50/50 whether we could have run her, but every time I’ve done that it’s never worked out,” Williams said. “When they’ve had an abscess, under race pressure it just seems to tell.” Wrote To Arataki’s work since has Williams convinced she is holding together well enough to make it back-to-back wins at the scene of her Gr.2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m) victory on October 21. “She galloped on the Tuesday after (the Empire Rose Stakes) and felt fine and she worked again on the treadmill on Saturday morning,” he said. Wrote To Arataki is one of 27 nominations for the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, which will be run for the first time in a November timeslot. Buenos Noches (Supido) and I Am Me (I Am Invincible), runners up to Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) at that Kiwi star’s last two Group One wins, are also among the entries, as are Magic Time (Hellbent), Munhamek (Dark Angel), Osipenko (NZ) (Pierro), Skew Wiff (NZ) (Savabeel), Buffalo River (Noble Mission) and Chris Waller’s Japanese recruit Lauda Sion (Real Impact). View the full article

Pride of Jenni did something last week that hasn’t been achieved in nearly a quarter of a century – record a Group One double during Melbourne Cup Week – and breeders Brent and Cherry Taylor of Trelawney Stud couldn’t be prouder. Rogan Josh was the last horse to record the feat with his Mackinnon Stakes – Melbourne Cup double in 1999, with Empire Rose scoring the same double 11 years prior. It was only fitting then for Pride Of Jenni to kick-off her Group One double with victory in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Derby Day following a daring front-running ride from Declan Bates. The pair adopted similar tactics seven days later in the Gr.1 Champions Mile (1600m) to etch their name in the history books. “It is going to be hard to replicate that given the traditional path Rogan Josh and Empire Rose was the Mackinnon into the Cup, which has disappeared,” Brent Taylor said. “It was a fair old effort to run faster times one Saturday to the next, which is a brilliant training feat.” The daring tactics adopted last week had proven costly before, however, the Taylors were delighted to see them finally pay off. “We have seen her do this two or three times before and get nailed on the line. She was beaten in two other Group Ones in a similar sort of fashion where she has gone out and just got run over,” Taylor said. “This time round Ciaron and David have got her in sparkling form and everyone was on the same page and she pulled their pants down twice in a row. “When she has beaten the best milers in Australia with Mr Brightside, Fangirl, and Alligator Blood. They don’t get much better than those guys,” Cherry Taylor added. Bred by the Taylors at their Cambridge farm, the decision was made to offer her for sale as a yearling in Australia, and while they weren’t overjoyed with the A$100,000 purchase price, they have been buoyed by her feats on the track in the resulting years. “She was a really good-looking filly and we decided to take her across to the Classic Sale as that sale had been so successful the year before,” Brent Taylor said. “We were happy to sell her but were disappointed with the price because we thought she was a really good filly. “She is out of a really good race mare (Sancerre) who unfortunately didn’t represent that in her results. She went to Australia to run in the Oaks. We sent her up there and she won two races and was second favourite for the Oaks and turned out she couldn’t see out the trip. She turned out to be more of a sprinting mare. “It is a family we have had for a long time and it is a family we have had a lot of success with. A lot of good fillies and mares have raced out of that family, and she is another one of that line that has been truly successful and we are proud of her.” Pride Of Jenni is the first foal out of Sancerre, but the Taylors haven’t had the best of luck with the mare. “She (Pride of Jenni) is a six-year-old, so we have had a bit of bad luck,” Taylor said. “We had an I Am Invincible that was sold for good money and he ended up being put down at the breakers after breaking a pedal bone. She (Sancerre) then lost her next foal, so she is a little way between drinks. Her next foal is a three-year-old called Awatere and then we have kept the (Per Incanto) filly. “She is in-foal to Hello Youmzain. He is a stallion we invested in. He is a very good cut of a stallion, he represents that Danehill sire line that has done well down here.” The Taylors are looking forward to New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales next year where they are set to meet Pride Of Jenni’s owners. “Tony and Lynne Ottobre are coming across to Karaka so we look forward to seeing them in New Zealand to try and find another one,” Brent Taylor said. Meanwhile, the Taylors were celebrating more success over the weekend, with farm graduate Lim’s Kosciuszko winning Saturday’s S$1 million Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) at Kranji. With the victory, the son of Kermadec entered his name in the history books, with no other horse winning Singapore feature races, regarded locally as Group Ones, over as wide a range of distances as Lim’s Kosciuszko’s 1200 to 2000m. “He is just a superstar,” Cherry Taylor said. “To have done what he has done and to win at the top-level over all those different distances is huge.” View the full article

Rex Cochrane will forever be remembered as an outstanding horseman and one of the racing industry’s true gentlemen. The champion trainer recently passed away at the age of 93 and following his hugely successful career had retired in 1994 to Alexandra with his late wife Betty. The highly respected Cochrane was based for decades at Gore and won the New Zealand Trainers’ Premiership in 1969/70 (55 winners), 70/71 (54) and the 71/72 (53) seasons. He was the first trainer to send out 1000 winners, reaching that historic mark in 1980 when Palimony was victorious at Waimate, and that year was also named as the country’s Racing Personality of the Year. Cochrane’s achievements were recognised in 2014 when he was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Fellow trainer, Hall of Famer and friend Brian Anderton said Cochrane was a remarkable horseman, who always conducted himself impeccably. “I knew Rex for a long, long time and he was one of nature’s gentlemen and a magnificent trainer,” he said. “He was the first to get to 1000 winners, but apart from that he was a guy that never had horses bought for him. “He tried the mares, whether they were any good or not, and then sent them home and their foals later came back to him. “He won races with a lot of horses that weren’t well bred, he just got the best out of all of them.” Cochrane was initially apprenticed as a 14-year-old to his father Jim and rode 34 winners on the flat, over fences and in saddle trots before increasing weight took its toll. He subsequently entered into a training partnership with his father and on his passing in 1957 began his record-breaking solo career that amassed 1486 winners. Dual Great Autumn Handicap winner Court Belle, 16-time winner Yipp’s Secret were among Cochrane’s flagship gallopers while Connie Lawn, successful in the South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes and South Island Filly of the Year Double D’ Or were also top performers. Cogitation and Ocean Guard were two of his most versatile performers with the former winning the Riverton Cup, New Zealand Grand National Hurdles and New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase. Ocean Guard triumphed in the Riverton Cup, Great Western Steeples and New Zealand Grand National Hurdles. Cochrane was also a great mentor and over the years guided the careers of 14 apprentices, among them the multiple Group One winner Jim Collett and Steve Allan, who won the New Zealand Cup on the Anderton-trained Watallan. He is survived by daughters Robyn, who with husband and former All Black Bevan Wilson has furthered the Cochrane family racing heritage with marked success as owners and trainers, and Judith, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. View the full article

The spelling paddock is beckoning New Zealand-bred mare Atishu following her sensational win in the Gr.1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday. The victory capped a stellar week for the Chris Waller-trained six-year-old, who finished runner-up to fellow Kiwi-bred Pride Of Jenni in the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) a week prior. Champions Day has been a lucrative day for Atishu and New Zealand-based syndicator Go Racing, with the daughter of Savabeel having won the Gr.2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) a year prior. “She is phenomenal,” Go Racing principal Albert Bosma said. “She has always had rare ability and an amazing turn of foot that very few horses can match. “She loves Flemington and races so well there. She is effective at a mile or 2000m, but 2000m just opens up a whole lot of options for her.” With the victory, Atishu has now extended her record to nine wins and 12 placings from 39 starts, including victories in the Gr.1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) and Champions Stakes. There are a plethora of options available to Atishu, and Bosma said he will discuss those with Waller this week before a plan is made, however, he is leaning towards the spelling paddock with his mare in the immediate future. “Without speaking to Chris, my initial thoughts would be to spell now,” Bosma said. “I think the Australian Cup at the end of March at Flemington would be a logical target – it is 2000m, it is weight-for-age, and it’s a Group One at Flemington. Two weeks later you have got the Queen Elizabeth. “In my mind that is the path to follow but I will have a chat with Chris over the next day or so and we will map it out.” Bosma purchased Atishu out of Waikato Stud’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $260,000. Earlier on Saturday, Go Racing we celebrating the debut win of Velocious in the Virtual Print Design & Branding 2YO (1000m) at Te Rapa. Stakes targets now await the daughter of Written Tycoon, with the Karka Million 2YO (1200m) the main target for the filly who was purchased out of Inglewood Stud’s draft at Karaka earlier this year for $190,000. “She is a very talented filly. We knew she had all the ability but a wide barrier (8) on debut we thought would make it hard for her to win from a ringcraft perspective. “I think it was a pretty handy field and she was a good winner. If they had gone further, she would have won by more. “She will learn a lot from that. You could see she was still a little bit green and didn’t know how to quite stretch out in the straight when she hit the front. She will only improve off that. “At this early stage, we are thinking of heading to the Wakefield (Gr.2, 1200m) at Trentham with her. A well-bred filly to try and get some black-type as a two-year-old is important. “Post that, we will just assess whether she needs another run, or just a gallop at Ellerslie if that is where the Karaka Million will be held, before going there.” While still coming down from the high of a Group One win from the weekend, Bosma is looking forward to racing at Riccarton this week where his Go Racing silks will be well-represented in Wednesday’s Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m). The Lisa Latta-trained Diss Is Dramatic and the Stephen Marsh-trained Gee Cee both take winning form into the race, but Bosma said it will be a tough ask to beat favourite It’s Business Time. “Diss Is Dramatic is a Group Three winner over a mile at Riccarton,” Bosma said. “The draw is okay for her at eight. She has improved since her Thompson (Gr.3, 1600m) win (last start). It’s Business Time is a $2 favourite and the horse to beat, but she will run very well, it looks a good race for her. “Gee Cee is flying. He won last start and should have won the start before, he just couldn’t get out. He unfortunately has got a wider draw in 14 and that makes things difficult. He will probably have to go back in the field and get some cover. That is how he won last start, he got back and roared home. “He will see out the mile. He will have a soft first half, so he should have plenty in the tank coming into that long straight and should finish off strongly.” View the full article

Faith, Ella, Cherry, and Brent Taylor of Trelawney Stud. Photo: Trish Dunell Pride of Jenni did something last week that hasn’t been achieved in nearly a quarter of a century – record a Group 1 double during Melbourne Cup Week – and breeders Brent and Cherry Taylor of Trelawney Stud couldn’t be prouder. Rogan Josh was the last horse to record the feat with his Mackinnon Stakes – Melbourne Cup double in 1999, with Empire Rose scoring the same double 11 years prior. It was only fitting then for Pride Of Jenni to kick-off her Group One double with victory in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington on Derby Day following a daring front-running ride from Declan Bates. The pair adopted similar tactics seven days later in the Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) to etch their name in the history books. “It is going to be hard to replicate that given the traditional path Rogan Josh and Empire Rose was the Mackinnon into the Cup, which has disappeared,” Brent Taylor said. “It was a fair old effort to run faster times one Saturday to the next, which is a brilliant training feat.” The daring tactics adopted last week had proven costly before, however, the Taylors were delighted to see them finally pay off. “We have seen her do this two or three times before and get nailed on the line. She was beaten in two other Group Ones in a similar sort of fashion where she has gone out and just got run over,” Taylor said. “This time round Ciaron and David have got her in sparkling form and everyone was on the same page and she pulled their pants down twice in a row. “When she has beaten the best milers in Australia with Mr Brightside, Fangirl, and Alligator Blood. They don’t get much better than those guys,” Cherry Taylor added. Bred by the Taylors at their Cambridge farm, the decision was made to offer her for sale as a yearling in Australia, and while they weren’t overjoyed with the A$100,000 purchase price, they have been buoyed by her feats on the track in the resulting years. “She was a really good-looking filly and we decided to take her across to the Classic Sale as that sale had been so successful the year before,” Brent Taylor said. “We were happy to sell her but were disappointed with the price because we thought she was a really good filly. “She is out of a really good race mare (Sancerre) who unfortunately didn’t represent that in her results. She went to Australia to run in the Oaks. We sent her up there and she won two races and was second favourite for the Oaks and turned out she couldn’t see out the trip. She turned out to be more of a sprinting mare. “It is a family we have had for a long time and it is a family we have had a lot of success with. A lot of good fillies and mares have raced out of that family, and she is another one of that line that has been truly successful and we are proud of her.” Pride Of Jenni is the first foal out of Sancerre, but the Taylors haven’t had the best of luck with the mare. “She (Pride of Jenni) is a six-year-old, so we have had a bit of bad luck,” Taylor said. “We had an I Am Invincible that was sold for good money and he ended up being put down at the breakers after breaking a pedal bone. She (Sancerre) then lost her next foal, so she is a little way between drinks. Her next foal is a three-year-old called Awatere and then we have kept the (Per Incanto) filly. “She is in-foal to Hello Youmzain. He is a stallion we invested in. He is a very good cut of a stallion, he represents that Danehill sire line that has done well down here.” The Taylors are looking forward to New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sales next year where they are set to meet Pride Of Jenni’s owners. “Tony and Lynne Ottobre are coming across to Karaka so we look forward to seeing them in New Zealand to try and find another one,” Brent Taylor said. Meanwhile, the Taylors were celebrating more success over the weekend, with farm graduate Lim’s Kosciuszko winning Saturday’s S$1 million Singapore Gold Cup (2000m) at Kranji. With the victory, the son of Kermadec entered his name in the history books, with no other horse winning Singapore feature races, regarded locally as Group Ones, over as wide a range of distances as Lim’s Kosciuszko’s 1200 to 2000m. “He is just a superstar,” Cherry Taylor said. “To have done what he has done and to win at the top-level over all those different distances is huge.” More racing news View the full article

Rex Cochrane, the first trainer to reach 1000 wins in New Zealand, has passed away. Photo: Tayler Strong Rex Cochrane will forever be remembered as an outstanding horseman and one of the racing industry’s true gentlemen. The champion trainer recently passed away at the age of 93 and following his hugely successful career had retired in 1994 to Alexandra with his late wife Betty. The highly respected Cochrane was based for decades at Gore and won the New Zealand Trainers’ Premiership in 1969/70 (55 winners), 70/71 (54) and the 71/72 (53) seasons. He was the first trainer to send out 1000 winners, reaching that historic mark in 1980 when Palimony was victorious at Waimate, and that year was also named as the country’s Racing Personality of the Year. Cochrane’s achievements were recognised in 2014 when he was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Fellow trainer, Hall of Famer and friend Brian Anderton said Cochrane was a remarkable horseman, who always conducted himself impeccably. “I knew Rex for a long, long time and he was one of nature’s gentlemen and a magnificent trainer,” he said. “He was the first to get to 1000 winners, but apart from that he was a guy that never had horses bought for him. “He tried the mares, whether they were any good or not, and then sent them home and their foals later came back to him. “He won races with a lot of horses that weren’t well bred, he just got the best out of all of them.” Cochrane was initially apprenticed as a 14-year-old to his father Jim and rode 34 winners on the flat, over fences and in saddle trots before increasing weight took its toll. He subsequently entered into a training partnership with his father and on his passing in 1957 began his record-breaking solo career that amassed 1486 winners. Dual Great Autumn Handicap winner Court Belle, 16-time winner Yipp’s Secret were among Cochrane’s flagship gallopers while Connie Lawn, successful in the South Island Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes and South Island Filly of the Year Double D’ Or were also top performers. Cogitation and Ocean Guard were two of his most versatile performers with the former winning the Riverton Cup, New Zealand Grand National Hurdles and New Zealand Grand National Steeplechase. Ocean Guard triumphed in the Riverton Cup, Great Western Steeples and New Zealand Grand National Hurdles. Cochrane was also a great mentor and over the years guided the careers of 14 apprentices, among them the multiple Group One winner Jim Collett and Steve Allan, who won the New Zealand Cup on the Anderton-trained Watallan. He is survived by daughters Robyn, who with husband and former All Black Bevan Wilson has furthered the Cochrane family racing heritage with marked success as owners and trainers, and Judith, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. More racing news View the full article

Atishu ridden by James McDonald wins the VRC Champions Stakes at Flemington. (Photo by Pat Scala/Racing Photos) The spelling paddock is beckoning New Zealand-bred mare Atishu following her sensational win in the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday. The victory capped a stellar week for the Chris Waller-trained six-year-old, who finished runner-up to fellow Kiwi-bred Pride Of Jenni in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) a week prior. Champions Day has been a lucrative day for Atishu and New Zealand-based syndicator Go Racing, with the daughter of Savabeel having won the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes (2000m) a year prior. “She is phenomenal,” Go Racing principal Albert Bosma said. “She has always had rare ability and an amazing turn of foot that very few horses can match. “She loves Flemington and races so well there. She is effective at a mile or 2000m, but 2000m just opens up a whole lot of options for her.” With the victory, Atishu has now extended her record to nine wins and 12 placings from 39 starts, including victories in the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) and Champions Stakes. There are a plethora of options available to Atishu, and Bosma said he will discuss those with Waller this week before a plan is made, however, he is leaning towards the spelling paddock with his mare in the immediate future. “Without speaking to Chris, my initial thoughts would be to spell now,” Bosma said. “I think the Australian Cup at the end of March at Flemington would be a logical target – it is 2000m, it is weight-for-age, and it’s a Group One at Flemington. Two weeks later you have got the Queen Elizabeth. “In my mind that is the path to follow but I will have a chat with Chris over the next day or so and we will map it out.” Bosma purchased Atishu out of Waikato Stud’s 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft for $260,000. Earlier on Saturday, Go Racing we celebrating the debut win of Velocious in the Virtual Print Design & Branding 2YO (1000m) at Te Rapa. Stakes targets now await the daughter of Written Tycoon, with the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) the main target for the filly who was purchased out of Inglewood Stud’s draft at Karaka earlier this year for $190,000. “She is a very talented filly. We knew she had all the ability but a wide barrier (8) on debut we thought would make it hard for her to win from a ringcraft perspective. “I think it was a pretty handy field and she was a good winner. If they had gone further, she would have won by more. “She will learn a lot from that. You could see she was still a little bit green and didn’t know how to quite stretch out in the straight when she hit the front. She will only improve off that. “At this early stage, we are thinking of heading to the Wakefield (Group 2, 1200m) at Trentham with her. A well-bred filly to try and get some black-type as a two-year-old is important. “Post that, we will just assess whether she needs another run, or just a gallop at Ellerslie if that is where the Karaka Million will be held, before going there.” While still coming down from the high of a Group One win from the weekend, Bosma is looking forward to racing at Riccarton this week where his Go Racing silks will be well-represented in Wednesday’s Group 3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m). The Lisa Latta-trained Diss Is Dramatic and the Stephen Marsh-trained Gee Cee both take winning form into the race, but Bosma said it will be a tough ask to beat favourite It’s Business Time. “Diss Is Dramatic is a Group Three winner over a mile at Riccarton,” Bosma said. “The draw is okay for her at eight. She has improved since her Thompson (Group 3, 1600m) win (last start). It’s Business Time is a $2 favourite and the horse to beat, but she will run very well, it looks a good race for her. “Gee Cee is flying. He won last start and should have won the start before, he just couldn’t get out. He unfortunately has got a wider draw in 14 and that makes things difficult. He will probably have to go back in the field and get some cover. That is how he won last start, he got back and roared home. “He will see out the mile. He will have a soft first half, so he should have plenty in the tank coming into that long straight and should finish off strongly.” More racing news View the full article

What Happy Valley Races Where Happy Valley Racecourse – Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley, Hong Kong When Wednesday, November 15, 2023 First Race 6:40pm HKT (9:40pm AEDT) Visit Dabble Hong Kong racing heads back to the city circuit on Wednesday evening as Happy Valley Racecourse gets set to host a massive nine-race program. The rail moves to the B position throughout the entire circuit, and with perfect conditions in the lead-up, we should be racing on a pristine Good 4 track. The opening race is set to get underway at 6:40pm HKT (9:40pm AEDT). Best Bet: Humble Star Humble Star has had three starts for three minor placings this preparation. The son of Star Witness was unable to chase down a dominant leader at this course and distance on November 1 as Majestic Knight bolted clear of his rivals. Humble Star was the best of those behind, and we’re confident Zac Purton will elect to be much more positive on the Pierre Ng-trained gelding this time. He has the chance to slot into the one-one position, and from there it should be a case of ‘how far’. Best Bet Race 2 – #4 Humble Star (6) 5yo Gelding | T: Pierre Ng | J: Zac Purton (55kg) Bet with Unibet Next Best: Tomodachi Kokoroe Tomodachi Kokoroe broke his maiden in stylish fashion last start in Class 4 company and gets a similar setup to make it back-to-back wins. He went on to score by 3.5 lengths on that occasion, leading throughout the 1200m contest. The handicapper didn’t miss him, however, slapping him with 10 rating points as he rejoins Class 3 company. Expect similar front-running tactics to offset the 58.5kg that Tomodachi Kokoroe will need to carry to victory. Next Best Race 8 – #4 Tomodachi Kokoroe (1) 5yo Gelding | T: David Hayes | J: Zac Purton (58.5kg) Bet with Bet365 Best Value: Judy’s Great Judy’s Great has done enough at the barrier trials to suggest he’s worth a look on debut. The Danny Shum-trained gelding has impressed in all four of his jump-outs, particularly his latest on October 31 when just headed on the wire. Zac Purton took the reins in all those trials, which is a strong guide as Judy’s Great heads into race-day conditions. Andrea Atzeni gets the appointment for Wednesday, and we should be getting an each-way price with online bookmakers. Best Value Race 6 – #6 Judy’s Great (6) 3yo Gelding | T: Danny Shum | J: Andrea Atzeni (57.5kg) Bet with Betfair Wednesday Hong Kong quaddie tips Happy Valley quadrella selections Wednesday, November 15, 2023 1-3-4-6-9 4-8-9 1-3-4-5-7 1-4-6-9-11 More horse racing tips View the full article

What Rosehill Races Where Rosehill Gardens Racecourse – James Ruse Dr, Rosehill NSW 2142 When Wednesday, November 15, 2023 First Race 2pm AEDT Visit Dabble Rosehill Gardens is the destination for NSW metropolitan racing on Wednesday afternoon, with a competitive seven-race program lined up. The rail moves out +7m the entire circuit, so we’ll be favouring gallopers ridden to hold a position on-speed. With promising weather expected in the lead-up, expect a Good 4 surface when the first race jumps at 2pm AEDT. Best Bet: Fleetwood Fleetwood produced an eye-catching return on the Kensington circuit at Randwick on October 25, but he had to settle for second place after running into an airborne Gustosisimo. The son of Encryption weaved a passage from last under Zac Lloyd and got within two lengths of the winner, powering through the line to suggest an extra 100m would be ideal. James McDonald hops back in the saddle for this second-up effort, and with a much more economical run expected from gate one, Fleetwood should outclass his opposition. Best Bet Race 3 – #2 Fleetwood (1) 3yo Colt | T: James Cummings | J: James McDonald (60kg) Bet with Betfair Next Bet: Storm Boy The opening race on the program will have eight debutants seeking first-up success. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Storm Boy has been sensational in winning two jump-outs, with the latest a 5.7-length demolition of his rivals at Warwick Farm on November 8. He led in both trials, and if he can do the same on debut, Storm Boy will be hard to chase down. Next Best Race 1 – #4 Storm Boy (2) 2yo Colt | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Tim Clark (58kg) Bet with Neds Next Best Again: Molly Nails Molly Nails continues to perform consistently and should be rewarded with victory on Wednesday. She had no luck last time out at Randwick’s Kensington track on October 25, getting crowded for room at a crucial stage and almost losing jockey Jay Ford in the process. We’re more than forgiving of that effort, and with Hannah Williams taking the ride and claiming 3kg, Molly Nails should be right in this. Next Best Again Race 4 – #2 Molly Nails (5) 6yo Mare | T: Matthew Dale | J: Hannah Williams (a3kg) (59.5kg) Bet with Bet365 Rosehill quaddie tips – Wednesday, November 15 Rosehill quadrella selections Wednesday, November 15, 2023 1-2-5 1-2-3-6-7-8 4-7-8-11-13 1-2-3-6-10 More horse racing tips View the full article

Jamie Kah has given evidence on the first day of her “white powder” hearing before the Victorian Racing Tribunal. View the full article

The CBS news program “60 Minutes,” which aired Sunday evening included a segment that covered horse racing's worst problems, horses breaking down and dying and the use of performance-enhancing drugs on horses. 60 Minutes often reaches as many as 12 million viewers. The segment was hosted by correspondent Cecilia Vega. Though the program gave ample time to Jockey Club Chairman Stuart Janney III, Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority CEO Lisa Lazarus, Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural, and others who have been working to solve the problems, it left no doubt that the sport has pressing issues that if left unsolved threaten its existence. “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. What followed was a recantation of the rash of fatalities that surrounded the GI Kentucky Derby and other major events, which included graphic footage of horses dying on the track. “People who are not in your world see this headline of more than a dozen dead horses and they think, `what is going on in that industry?'” Vega asked Lazarus. “My response is that HISA is here now and we're going to address it,” she said. She continued: “There's clearly a problem that needs to be addressed and now we have some tools to fight it. We really owe it to those trainers who have spent their lives in this sport who have an incredible amount of integrity to get rid of those who tarnish this sport.” It was not hard to get industry leaders to admit that doping is a major issue that has yet to be brought under control. “(Doping) is a big problem,” Janney said. “It strikes at the integrity of the sport. There's nothing about it that is acceptable.” Asked how the sport can clean itself up, Janney replied: “You put people away. You send them out of the sport and some of them go to jail.” That very process began in March of 2020 when more than 33 veterinarians, trainers and drug distributors were charged by the Justice Department for using and manufacturing performance-enhancing drugs. “The FBI said this led to broken legs, cardiac issues and in some cases death,” Vega said. The show played wiretaps of conversations between convicted trainer Jorge Navarro and a another trainer in which Navarro bragged about how the drugs he was using made his horses run faster. “I (expletive) gave it to this horse and this horse (expletive) galloped. He galloped,” Navarro said to the unidentified trainer. “Amino acids?” the other trainer asked. “Yeah, some amino acid injectable. Small bottle,” Navarro replied. They also played wiretaps from harness trainer Nick Surick in which he spoke of how he was put in charge of disposing of horses that Navarro had killed. The FBI was assisted by 5 Stones Intelligence, which was hired by The Jockey Club and Meadowlands owner Jeff Gural. Janney said 5 Stones was told to not be afraid to go after the biggest names in the sport, like Navarro and Servis. “I said I'm not interested in you going in an finding a relatively unimportant person working in someone's barn who has made a bet they shouldn't have made or has done something immaterial to what we're talking about,” he said. “I want you to go after the important people that I think are corrupting the sport.” Before they were arrested, Servis and Navarro were clearly worried they could be caught and that the penalties could ruin their careers. A wiretap caught them saying the following: Servis: We can't do it in broad daylight, we got to do it like…” Navarro: “I know. I'll keep it at my…I'll keep…I'll keep it in my car. I ain't worried about that.” Servis: What about, what I am-I don't want people to see that (expletive). We are dead. We are dead.” Shaun Richards, who was the lead FBI agent on the case that nabbed Navarro, Jason Servis and others, spoke a hopeful note, that the progress made with the arrests has put investigators, HISA and others on the right trail. ” We're right where we need to be,” he said. “We have a really good subject identified and we are getting fantastic evidence.” Vega asked Lazarus “How long will it take to clean this up?” “It will probably take years to be truly confident that we've got a fully clean sport,” she said. The post 60 Minutes Airs Expose On Horse Racing Doping appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

LEXINGTON, KY – The two-session Book 3 section of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock sale concluded Sunday evening with figures well off the corresponding section from the 2022 auction. During sessions at Keeneland Saturday and Sunday, 494 horses grossed $30,888,000 for an average of $62,526 and a median of $50,000. The average is down 22.1% from the 2022 Book 3, while the median declined 16.7%. There were 15 horses to sell for $200,000 or over during the two sessions, down from 25 a year ago. “It is quiet,” Sarah Sutherland of Indian Creek said of the market Sunday at Keeneland. “But I don't think it's unfair. Obviously, we are seeing a little bit of a correction, but I think if you are willing to accept that and adjust how you're valuing horses, there are plenty of people here to buy them and you can get them sold. Obviously, the top is the top and it's always strong, but we've been very realistic with our reserves and we've had no trouble selling horses.” Indian Creek sold the top-priced weanling of Sunday's session when a colt by Maxfield sold for $240,000 to Avocet Bloodstock. KatieRich Farms was responsible for the session's top mare when Dixiana Farms paid $270,000 for Taking Aim (Trappe Shot). Taylor Made Sales Agency was the leading consignor at Sunday's session and continued to lead through five sessions of the auction with 148 head sold for $20,714,500. “I've read a lot in the press–and it's fact–that the mares are down and the buy-back rate has been up,” said Taylor Made's Mark Taylor. “But just on the days that I've been selling, like today and the second day of Book 2, I actually thought the market was pretty fair. If you bring up anything with any quality–we just sold a mare for $250,000–there is money there.” During Saturday's session of the November sale, Peter O'Callaghan, annually a major buyer of weanlings, lamented a lack of quality foals on offer at the auction. “I do agree with what Peter O'Callaghan was saying, that, for us internally, we had fewer foals,” Taylor said. “I think there are fewer really high-quality foals on offer and a lot of the pinhookers that are here want quality. So if you are trying to get a $20,000 foal moved, there doesn't seem to be a big crowd around looking for it. Now, if you have one that is a legitimate $150,000 foal, everybody is gonig to follow it up and you might get $225,000.” Taylor said he saw some evidence that breeders are holding on to their best foals while hoping for a home run at the yearling sales next fall. “The market is polarized at the yearling sales also,” Taylor said. “So you might get $750,000 for a [yearling] that you have raised for $350,000 before the sale. A lot of these breeders don't want to give up that opportunity. So they are keeping the one that they can sell next year for all the money and they are going to move along some of the ones that they know there is no huge home run on the end of it. They would rather cull those out and cut expenses and keep those gold nuggets hoping to cash them in next September or at Saratoga or wherever it is.” Taylor continued, “At the beginning of the day in session 2.2, a lot people were saying the sky is falling. There is definitely an adjustment going on cheaper mares, but I think the market for anything with quality is actually pretty solid.” The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. Dixiana Aims True at Keeneland Sunday Taking Aim (Trappe Shot) (hip 1735), a half-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile winner Tapizar (Tapit), will be relocating from Larry Doyle's KatieRich Farms to Dixiana Farms after selling for $270,000 Sunday at Keeneland. “She looked like a nice mare,” said Dixiana Farm Manager Robert Tillyer. “She produced a graded-stakes placed horse and it's a nice family, so we took a shot with her.” Of the mare's price tag, Tillyer said, “It seems like the quality is a little down for mares. It's hard to find nice ones and she seemed like the obvious one.” KatieRich purchased the mare for $200,000 at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton February sale. Her first foal, the now-3-year-old Taking Candy (Twirling Candy), won the GII Saranac S. this year. She also has 2-year-old filly by Into Mischief, Rascality, who sold for $190,000 at last year's Fasig-Tipton October Sale. The mare sold Sunday in foal to sprint champion Jackie's Warrior. “I think she might have been a diamond in the rough here,” said KatieRich manager George Barnes. “We thought she had a lot of quality and she might stand out here pretty well in Book 3, which proved to be the case. She has a lot of upside. Her first foal is graded-stakes placed and still has his 4-year-old year ahead of him. We've only gotten later foals–two May foals and an April foal–out of her, so I think if the buyers get an early foal out of her, they will do very well commercially.” KatieRich, which is currently home to some 26 mares, is in the midst of a reduction, according to Barnes. “Everybody asks why we are selling her and it's just a reduction and trying to get income into the farm,” he said. “We've slowly been reducing over the last couple of years, so we will plan to foal out 26 mares next year.” Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds Charms Them The Guffey family's Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, which sold Holiday Soiree (Harlan's Holiday) (hip 23), the dam of recent GII Raven Run S. winner Vahva (Gun Runner) for $300,000 during Book 1, restocked Sunday at Keeneland, going to $250,000 to acquire Charmingly (Curlin) (hip 1845) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. Out of Goldfield (Yes It's True), the unraced 3-year-old is a half-sister to Grade I winner Complexity (Maclean's Music) and a full-sister to graded winner Valadorna (Curlin). She sold in foal to Maclean's Music. “She is bred on a similar cross to Complexity and she is a full-sister to that great Curlin mare,” Codee Guffey said of the mare's appeal. The family also purchased Arrifana (Curlin) (hip 183) for $450,000 Wednesday at Keeneland and came back later in Sunday's session to acquire Easy on the Sugar (Frosted) (hip 1888) for $155,000. While the operation parted with Holiday Soiree, it is taking home Lemon Belle (Lemon Drop Kid) (hip 249), the dam of GIII Gotham S. winner Raise Cain (Violence), who RNA'd for $485,000 Wednesday. “We keep 15 mares, that's kind of the number that we want,” Guffey said. “We are trying to keep a boutique broodmare band.” Of the market, Guffey said, “I think for the better mares, you are having to step up and pay for them. But there is not a lot of middle. It seems like the top end does really well and that's all there is.” Hip 1528 | Keeneland Photo Maxfield Colt in Demand at Keeneland A colt from the first crop of Maxfield (hip 1528) went to the front of the weanling class at Keeneland Sunday when selling for $240,000 to Bill Betz's Avocet Bloodstock. Bred by Bob Edwards's Fifth Avenue Bloodstock, the weanling is out of In It for the Gold (Speightstown), who is a daughter of Grade I placed All Due Respect (Value Plus). He was consigned by Indian Creek. “That was fantastic,” Indian Creek's Sarah Sutherland said of the result. “We knew coming over that he was one of the better foals that we had in on the day. We've loved him from the very beginning on the farm. I think the Maxfield cross with the Speightstown mare worked really, really beautifully. He had a lovely way about him and great balance. And his movement was really effortless. I think all of the activity at the barn was evidenced in the result.” Winner of the 2021 GI Clark S., Maxfield stands at Darley for $35,000. In addition to hip 1528, he was also represented at Keeneland this week by a $300,000 colt (hip 724). The stallion has had six sell at Keeneland for an average of $164,500. Of the weanlings she has seen from Maxfield's first crop, Sutherland said, “We have a handful of the Maxfields at home. And we like them a lot. He's done well with mares that we bred where we had to stretch them out and get a little bit of scope and leg. Hopefully, we have more results like this when we bring them to the market next year.” DuBois on the Board at Keeneland French bloodstock agent Louis DuBois has been scouring the grounds at Keeneland this week searching for precocious-looking weanlings for trainer Wesley Ward. DuBois was outbid on a Curlin colt (hip 233) earlier in the week, but got his weanling Sunday when bidding $200,000 to secure a colt by McKinzie (hip 1738) from the Gainesway consignment. “I've been working with Wesley for a while now at the sales,” DuBois said. “I've been looking at all the horses on the grounds–mainly the foals. I am looking at the pedigrees and the physicals that [Ward] is looking for–early and speedy looking to make them an early 2-year-old. So I've been looking at a lot of them.” DuBois, who was supporting Ward at the European yearling sales over the summer, admitted the team just missed out on its favorite weanling of the November sale. “I sent [Ward] a short list–a very short list–every day,” DuBois said. “Our favorite of the sale so far was the Curlin colt who sold for $600,000. Our last bid was $500,000, but we had to let him go. Our second favorite came up today, the beautiful McKinzie colt from Gainesway. He was an outstanding-looking horse. He had a great walk and a great physical. He looks fast. Wesley told me when they look like a yearling, that's a good sign. So he was exactly what we were looking for. I knew when I showed him to Wesley, that we would not leave the sale without him. I am very happy that we secured him.” Born into a racing family, horses have taken DuBois around the world. “My family have been closely involved in racing as owners or trainers,” DuBois said. “My dad is a blacksmith, so all my life I've been around horses. I started riding at a young age doing all kind of thing in horses–show jumping–and I quickly turned to Thoroughbreds.” DuBois has worked in the sales industry in New Zealand and spent time in Dubai with trainer Charley Appleby before moving to the U.S. to work with Ward. The Frenchman will be continuing his search for precocious-looking weanlings at the European sales in the coming weeks. “Now our eyes are on the catalogues in Europe for the weanlings,” he said. “We will go to Tattersalls and Arqana and look for a couple to bring back to the U.S.” DuBois plans to spend time in the winter with Ward in Florida. “I will come up for the sales and spend a couple of months in Florida in the winter,” DuBois said. “And then wherever [Ward] needs me, mostly in Europe, with the Ascot contenders–fingers crossed. But the sales keep me busy. That's my focus now. So far, Wesley has been very helpful. So thanks to him and let's see how it goes.” The post Book 3 Concludes With Numbers Down At Keeneland November appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Although it's been five years since Shamrock Rose's stunning Breeders' Cup upset, her dam Slew's Quality is very much keeping the Facklers in the limelight with her daughter Loyalty's recent victory in the Nov. 11 Bessarabian Stakes (G2).View the full article