Wandering Eyes

The TDN's popular annual series 'Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift,' continues today in a conversation with Hinkle Farms co-owner Tom Hinkle. “In determining the matings for our mares, it is a total team effort by my brother Henry, my daughter Anne Archer and me,” said Hinkle. “We work hard to arrive at the best possible mating, at least in our opinions.” SEEKING GABRIELLE (17, Forestry – Seeking Regina, by Seeking the Gold) to be bred to Gun Runner Seeking Gabrielle is the dam of Nyquist. She is a very special mare for us. She produces really attractive foals and they have sold well as yearlings. She just turned 17 and is in great condition, but with her advancing age we really want fillies. She has a newly turned two-year-old filly by Uncle Mo, making her a full-sister to Nyquist. We retained her to race and as a futurebroodmare. Her newly turned yearling is a filly by Curlin and we are considering keeping her too. Seeking Gabrielle is currently pregnant to Constitution and is believed to be carrying a filly. In 2024 we will breed her to Gun Runner. Obviously he is one of the premier sires in the world. If we are fortunate enough to get a filly, we would hope to keep her. If she produces a colt, then we could have a sensational yearling sale prospect. INDIAN BAY (13, Indian Charlie – Buy the Barrel, by E Dubai) to be bred to First Samurai Indian Bay is a filly we bred–having bred and raced her dam Buy the Barrel. Due to an injury as a weanling, we were unable to sell or race Indian Bay. However, she has been a wonderful producer for us, being the dam of Shivaji, a graded stakes winner in Japan, and Tarabi, a stakes winner who is Grade I placed. Both are by First Samurai. She is currently pregnant to Life Is Good. Indian Bay produces lovely foals. We have decided to breed her to First Samurai in 2024. While First Samurai is not viewed as a top-tier commercial stallion, he is a very solid stallion who gets runners and the cross has obviously worked well with Indian Bay. We hope to get a filly and keep her, but if we get a colt we believe he will be an attractive sales prospect because of the affinity Indian Bay has shown for First Samurai. More Than Looks as a yearling at 2021 Keeneland September Sale | Joe DiOrio LADIES' PRIVILEGE (10, Harlan's Holiday – Vanquished, by Empire Maker) to be bred to Flightline We purchased Ladies' Privilege in November of 2019 carrying her first foal by More Than Ready. That foal is More Than Looks, a Grade III winner who ran third in the GII Hall of Fame S. last year. He ran an excellent race in the Breeders' Cup Mile, beaten only two lengths by Master of the Seas (IRE) (Dubawi {Ire}). He is trained by Cherie DeVaux and his connections are really excited about his prospects for 2024. Her newly turned 3-year-old is a colt by Uncle Mo and her just-turned 2-year-old is a $525,000 American Pharoah filly. Her 2023 yearling is a colt by Gun Runner and she is pregnant to Upstart. She will be bred to Flightline in 2024. We think it is a great cross and based on the foals Ladies' Privilege has produced, we are hopeful that the resulting foal will be an excellent physical. STAVE (9, Ghostzapper – Buy the Barrel, by E Dubai) to be bred to Forte We bred and raced Stave. She was the last filly produced from Buy the Barrel, who we also bred and raced. Stave was a stakes placed winner of $285,000. Her first foal is Spirit's Mischief, a $350,000 colt by Into Mischief. He is with Wesley Ward and won as a 2-year-old last fall. He is a fast colt. Stave had no foal in 2022, but she has a 2023 colt by Constitution who we will sell atKeeneland in September. She is currently pregnant to Not This Time and is booked to Forte for 2024. Having previously been bred to three very well-established and proven stallions, we felt like this would be a good time to breed Stave to a younger stallion. Forte is super attractive, was a seriously good racehorse, and his offspring will be sought after when they hit the sales ring. REMEMBERED (14, Sky Mesa – Sister Girl, by Conquistador Cielo) to be bred to Not This Time Remembered is the dam of Bowies Hero (Artie Schiller), a multiple Grade I stakes winner. She is also the dam of Radio Days, a multiple graded stakes placed, winning filly by Gun Runner. Remembered is pregnant to Jackie's Warrior and is booked to Not This Time for 2024. Not This Time has certainly proven himself to be a top-level sire and being a Grade I stakes producer, Remembered deserves to be bred to a top stallion. We believe the cross is excellent and provides a real opportunity to produce a good racehorse who is physically attractive. WIN THE WAR (9, War Front – City Sister, by Carson City) to be bred to Good Magic Win the War's $700,000 Into Mischief colt | EquiSport Photo Win the War is a beautiful mare and is a stakes winner. We purchased her in 2020 when she was pregnant to Curlin. Unfortunately that filly, now named Jane Addams, did not race but will be bred to Practical Joke in 2024. Win the War's second foal was a $700,000 Into Mischief colt sold in September last year. Her 2023 foal is a colt by Quality Road and she is pregnant to Flightline for 2024. Win the War will be bred to Good Magic in 2024. Good Magic has certainly proved himself capable of siring top-level racehorses. We think this is a great physical mating and believe he will add stamina to a speedy pedigree. WEXX (7, Declaration of War – My Rachel, by Horse Chestnut {SAF}) to be bred to Elite Power We bred and raced Wexx and she is the last daughter of My Rachel, who was a wonderful producer for us. My Rachel is now retired. Wexx was a stakes-placed winner. Her first foal, a colt, was a $400,000 Keeneland September yearling last year. She has a gorgeous 2023 Liam's Map filly and is pregnant to Justify for 2024. In 2024 she will be bred to Elite Power. Elite Power was exceptionally talented and is a beautiful physical. We are delighted to have the opportunity to breed to him. ORBOLUTION (9, Orb – My Rachel, by Horse Chestnut {SAF}) to be bred to Omaha Beach Orbolution is a filly we bred and sold as a yearling to StarLadies Racing. She was a 2-year-old stakes winner at Saratoga. Upon retirement, we purchased her from Starlight. Her first foal is a colt by Curlin who sold for $1.1 million at Keeneland in 2022. He has not yet started. She produced a Nyquist colt in 2022 and an Into Mischief filly in 2023. She is currently pregnant to City of Light. She will be bred to Omaha Beach, who certainly got off to a great start with his 2-year-olds in 2023. The female family has a real affinity with War Front and we are very excited to breed her to a War Front son. NEW BOSS (6, Street Boss – Denali Dreamscape, by Corinthian) to be bred to Constitution New Boss is a stakes-winning filly we bred and sold to Barry and Carol Conrad. Her dam, Denali Dreamscape, had gotten off to a great start as a broodmare for us, having produced two stakes horses from her first three foals to race. Unfortunately, Denali Dreamscape died in 2022. Upon New Boss's retirement, we were fortunate enough to be able to buy her from Mr. and Mrs. Conrad. New Boss will be bred to Constitution in 2024. He is certainly a well-established and proven stallion. His 2-year-old crop of 2023 had an exceptional year. Breeding New Boss to a stallion the quality of Constitution gives her a real opportunity to jump start her broodmare career. WHOA NESSIE (9, Square Eddie – Electric Daze, by Gilded Time) to be bred to Nyquist Whoa Nessie is an interesting mare who we purchased in November of 2022 in foal to Union Rags. Her sire Square Eddie, by Smart Strike, has proven to be an extremely useful stallion in California. Electric Daze is also the dam of Edwina E (Square Eddie), making Whoa Nessie a full sister to Edwina E. Edwina E has produced two stakes winners–Slow Down Andy, a Grade I winner of $1,276,600–and Team Merchants. Both are by Nyquist. We purchased Whoa Nessie specifically to breed to Nyquist and she is currently pregnant to him. She is being bred back to Nyquist in 2024. Nyquist had a great 2024 and has proven himself as a quality stallion capable of siring top-level performers. The cross is a proven one and we are excited about the prospects. MADAME DU LAC (19, Lemon Drop Kid – Geisha Girl {GB},by Nashwan) to be bred to Oscar Performance Madame Du Lac is an older mare but she has been a wonderful mare for us, being the dam of multiple Grade I stakes winner Divisidero, who is by Kitten's Joy. Divisidero's first crop of 2-year-olds raced in 2023 and, despite only having limited numbers, they performed well. We are breeding Madame Du Lac to Oscar Performance in 2024. Oscar Performance's first crop has just turned four and he has proven himself to be a very capable stallion, having produced stakes winners on both dirt and turf. The cross has worked well in the past and we hope the mating will result in a filly as we will be very tempted to keep and race her, but if we get a colt he should be a nice sales prospect. The post Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift: Hinkle Farms appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After tumbling from Simply Brilliant and breaking his wrist five years ago, the Frenchman again teams up with Frankie Lor for a far more traditional victory in Happy Valley’s biggest raceView the full article

Don Valpredo is to Cal-breds what tungsten is to steel. “I absolutely love the training industry and the breeding industry here,” said Vapredo, 85, over the phone from Bakersfield. “In fact, I'm sitting here today with the Stallion Register on my lap, trying to find the right mix for my broodmares.” When Valpredo hasn't been producing Cal-breds–along with John Harris, he's responsible for 1994 California Horse of the Year, Soviet Problem–he's sought to popularize them through multiple warmed seats on multiple industry boards over multiple decades. They even named a race after Valpredo, on the day he helped build to eulogize those sturdy Cal-breds he's so fond of–the Don Valpredo California Cup Sprint S., scheduled to go off again this Saturday, Cal Cup Day. The winner of his race last year was a swanky chestnut rocket with hints of a Sequoia redwood in his coat by the name of The Chosen Vron (Vronsky). You might have heard of him. Lots have, thanks to a roundhouse of a campaign last year. “Eric Kruljac has done a magnificent job with The Chosen Vron–he's one tough hombre,” said the scion of a family of growers, about trainer and horse, respectively. “The training methods and the attention he's got in Kruljac's barn all add to the horse's tremendous success,” Valpredo added, before focusing his tribute. “He's an Arizona cowboy horseman, and they know how to take their time.” Eric Kruljac | Benoit The patient cowboy is pretty sweet on his runner, too. “He's smart and he's competitive and he's got some talent,” said Kruljac, laying down the gauntlet early for understatement of the year–though in fairness, the trainer appeared to be merely warming to the task. “He's got a lot of heart,” Kruljac added. “Just been a blessing for me to go into the barn and see him of a morning. He's just so cool to be around. He's all class.” Much better. Indeed, it was this race–the California Cup Sprint S.–which launched The Chosen Vron's 2023 campaign, showcasing just how classy a sprinter he was becoming, along with his increasing flair for the dramatic. A show-boater with a lust for the camera. In last year's race, The Chosen Vron just held off by a whisker a fast-finishing Big City Lights (Mr. Big). Next up was a Sunday stroll in the Tiznow S. Then it was back to slugging it out against Kings River Knight (Acclamation) in the Sensational Star S, before showing his rivals another clean set of hooves in the Thor's Echo S. Making it seven wins in a row, the Thor's Echo recalibrated The Chosen Vron's horizons, for he was then pointed towards his highest summit yet in the G1 Bing Crosby S. at Del Mar–a race he claimed his own after a dogfight involving runner-up Anarchist (Distorted Humor) and Dr. Schivel (Violence), himself a two-time G1 winner. Kruljac, unsurprisingly, recalls the race in terms that all but mention cherries and icing. “Well, he had to check hard along the rail and he gave up two, three lengths. And for him to dig in and come back and win the way he did was just awesome–and in grade one company no less,” said Kruljac, recalling how The Chosen Vron was on the losing end of a mid-pack skirmish heading into the turn. “Just watching him rally that last eighth of a mile and just will his way into the winner's circle,” Kruljac added, “it was the most exciting race of my career, for sure.” Next up was the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Santa Anita. And though the race ended the horse's win-streak–he finished a never threatening fifth–there were excuses. “I think I was too soft on him going into it and he just lacked a little sharpness. I think I backed off him too much after the Bing Crosby,” said Kruljac. After the Breeders' Cup, however, so full of vim and vigor was The Chosen Vron, the trainer sent him back down the salt-mines just two weeks later, in the Cary Grant S. at Del Mar. He turned out the kind of effortlessly cool performance deserving of the race's namesake. “I looked and saw the Cary Grant. I said, 'what the heck?' And he fired a huge race,” said Kruljac. Previously, Kruljac had said about his stable star that he needed time between his races to flourish. Six weeks or more. Does the Cary Grant indicate an athlete still on the improve, one hardening into an even tougher husked antagonist? “I think he's probably at a peak, but you never know. He's not a big horse, but extremely athletic and what's the word I'm looking for? He's just got great hinges on him. When he reaches out, he just covers so much ground so easily,” said Kruljac. Jockey Hector Berrios aboard The Chosen Vron | Benoit “Once he figured it out, he's just pretty much been pushbutton–just a great horse to be around in the morning in the barn and just all class,” Kruljac added. “He's a gelding, so that might make him a little easier, but it certainly hasn't cost him anything in his racing.” Given the tumult that California racing finds itself–the impending closure of Golden Gate Fields and the shellacking that will surely have on the state breeding industry–it's probably fair to say that for fans of the good ol' honest Cal-bred, The Chosen Vron has become something of a white knight. Or perhaps more accurately, a Saint Jude-type, inspiring perseverance in difficult times. At the very least, The Chosen Vron–who Kruljac co-owns with Sondereker Racing, Robert S. Fetkin and Richard Thornburg–has tinged this 70-year-old's career with the sanguine glow of a glorious Indian Summer. Kruljac has six horses in training, five of them at Los Alamitos, with The Chosen Vron stabled at Santa Anita, under the charge of Herlindo Garcia, Kruljac's foreman. Before The Chosen Vron began his ascent through the ranks, Kruljac was down on horses–so much so, he considered retirement, perhaps to help his son, Ian, with his training operation. “I was thinking, 'this might be the last year,' so that I could be semi-retired in some form. But once he started running like he did, of course I had to stay in until he goes to pasture somewhere,” said Kruljac. But is the future of Kruljac's training career really as inextricably linked with The Chosen Vron's? Might be smart to hold your bets for now. One of the other five horses he has in training is the 3-year-old Clubhouse Bride (Clubhouse Ride), who made it two-for-two at Santa Anita on New Year's Day. “We came back off of only three weeks from her debut,” said Kruljac, about a filly he calls “really well-made, balanced, beautiful and classy.” “I was concerned when I saw the track, how deep they're keeping it,” he said, of Santa Anita. “Sure enough, she got pretty tired. But once that horse came to her, she dug in and finished the job. We're really excited about her.” He also has four or five 2-year-olds coming in, including a “beautiful Clubhouse Ride” half-sister to The Chosen Vron. “She's not named yet,” he said. “I don't really press on them hard early. I'd look at the earliest she would be ready to run by Del Mar or maybe in the fall. I think as a breeder, you just learn to be more patient and just enjoy the process.” Ah yes, patience–far easier to execute on paper than in practice. Into his fourth decade with a license, however, Kruljac appears to have found a rich trade-route in this noble quality. “The very first time or two that we breezed him after we gelded him, I knew if the horse stayed sound that he was going to be more than a maiden claimer for sure,” said Kruljac. “Though I'm not going to say I would know what he was going to win.” The Chosen Vron | Benoit But towards the end of his 3-year-old season–and with four stake wins already under his belt, including two GIIIs–The Chosen Vron's year was cut short with a niggling problem behind. “We had to back off, and so we did. He had some OCD [Osteochondrosis] in a stifle, and we sent him to the right doctor up in Alamo Pintado [Equine Medical Center],” said Kruljac, singling out the work of surgeon, Carter Judy. “We owe him big time.” The Chosen Vron returned to action the August of his 4-year-old season. Since then, his resume has been a blueprint of carefully calibrated restraint. Which means that now, heading into this Saturday's race, The Chosen Vron “is very sharp in his gallops and workouts, so I'm very confident he's going to run a big race,” said Kruljac. “He's burning fire and ready to roll.” As for the broader agenda for this year–provided all goes to plan this Saturday and beyond–probably a similar run of races to last year, said Kruljac, including another Del Mar waltz with Bing. What about a potential return to the Breeders' Cup? “Oh, absolutely. And the fact that it would be at Del Mar is another plus,” he said. “So yes, we're hopeful he comes back firing like he did last year, and with a better outcome.” One notable absentee from Santa Anita this weekend will be the man whose race bears his name–he'll be watching at home confined to a cast, nursing a broken patellar. Turns out his hinges aren't quite as sturdy as The Chosen Vron's. “I can outlive it, it's just that I've got to give it time,” said Valpredo, whose convalescence appears driven by the promise of a return to the track. “I'm so looking forward to it–you have no idea.” Valpredo has a personal interest–though several times removed–in the Kruljac runner. His “dear old friend” Elwood “Buddy” Johnson initially stood The Chosen Vron's sire, Vronsky, at his Old English Rancho farm, near Sanger, Central California. “He was an underrated stallion,” said Valpredo, about Vronsky, who passed away in 2021. “But I've got a couple fillies by him, and I'm anxious to see them run also.” The post The Chosen Vron Back For More This Weekend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A colt by Extreme Choice (Aus) (lot 349), nicknamed “Jack” in honour of the late Jack de Bromhead, brought A$1.6 million on the bid of James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership during the second day of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Jack de Bromhead was a son of leading Irish NH trainer Henry de Bromhead who died in a pony racing accident at the age of 13 in 2022. The colt, bred by Kia Ora Stud racing manager Luke Wilkinson who also was involved in the purchase of his sire and dam, is out of Wanted Lady (Aus) (Wanted {Aus}). “We met young Jack de Bromhead at Jessica Harrington's place and spent a week with him,” breeder Luke Wilkinson told The Thoroughbred Report AusNZ of his 'life-changing' yearling and the reason behind his nickname. “I said to my wife that this kid was an absolute star and no matter what he did in life he was going to be good at it. “That's why this horse got the name Jack. He's been a special horse to me and every time I think of this horse I think of young Jack de Bromhead. He was a great kid.” “I purchased Extreme Choice and then got a lifetime breeding right, so he changed my career,” added Wilkinson. “I've always supported him and when he was subfertile I sent extra mares to help him, which nearly killed me financially. “This mare was injured when I bought her off some stable clients when I worked for Mick Price, I think I paid around $9,000 for her. As soon as this horse was born Peter Orton said to me straight away within 10 minutes that this was a cracking colt, then everyone from Vinery seemed to ring me to say the same thing. “This is life changing. I've got a young daughter who wants to go further in her equestrian career and now I'll be able to put a deposit on a farm and help her. It means a lot.” The post Seven-Figure Extreme Choice Colt ‘Life-Changing’ For Luke Wilkinson, As He Honours Jack De Bromhead appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Interlinked (NZ) will have to concede weight to his fellow three-year-olds over 2000m at Flemington on Saturday as the unbeaten son of Savabeel aims to make it three wins from three starts. Trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young who purchased him out of Ohukia Lodge’s 2022 Ready To Run draft, the OTI racing gelding is certainly bred to stay and proved too strong when beating the older horses at Caulfield in a benchmark 64 over 1600m at just his second outing. “Got to carry a bit of weight, there’s not too many horses that go from a maiden and win a 64 against older horses, it’s always hard to do, he did that, narrowly but impressively,” co-trainer Trent Busuttin said. The stable has opted to keep recently graduated senior jockey Thomas Stockdale aboard rather than claim, meaning Interlinked will concede between 2.5 and 5.5 kilograms to his rivals in Saturday’s benchmark 70. “He probably looks the one to beat on Saturday but he’s got to carry 60 kilos, he’s got the penalty for having two wins so he’s got to give the others in the race a bit of weight so if he can win with 60 kilos I’d say he’s a decent horse,” Busuttin said. A win on Saturday could potentially inspire the stable to aim up at a Derby, with both the ATC and SA varieties in the Autumn to look forward to, but the stable are happy just taking things one run at a time with a horse they believed always had staying promise. “We liked him but you never know until you get to the races, he’s shown enough at home, always thought he’s a nice staying horse but until they do it, you’ve got to prove it… we’ve always liked him.” Interlinked opened second favourite for Saturday’s contest at $3.60 after drawing barrier three behind the Andrew Bobbin trained Girls Girls Girls (Fiorente) at $2.80. View the full article

With the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m) in their sights, Te Akau Racing were thrilled to see a classy staying performance by Ascend The Throne (NZ) (Savabeel) to break maidens at Matamata on Wednesday. Ascend The Throne indicated a step-up in distance would be well-suited after two creditable performances to date, first in his debut over 1300m, and last start when coming from last to finish fifth over 1600m at Te Rapa. Stepping up to the 2000m on his home track, the son of Savabeel was given a patient trip midfield under Opie Bosson, the experienced hoop only placing pressure on the three-year-old nearing the home turn when Holy Orange made a break on the remainder of the field. Once asked for an extra effort at the 300m, Ascend The Throne wore down the leader effortlessly and stormed through the line to score by a length-and-a-half, rewarding the red-hot $1.60 TAB tote favouritism. Mark Walker, who trains the gelding in partnership with Sam Bergerson, had hoped to see a performance justifying a campaign towards the Derby, which will now continue with the Gr.2 Legacy Lodge Waikato Guineas (2000m) on January 31. “It was a really nice staying performance at his first time over ground, and he’ll now prepare for the Waikato Guineas,” he said. “He’s taken a little time to mature, but there’s further improvement to come and he’s going to make into a really nice staying horse as a four and five-year-old. But, we still think he’s a realistic chance of making the New Zealand Derby this year.” TAB Bookmakers were swift in reacting to the gelding’s victory, shortening him to $16 on the Futures market for the Derby, which will be held at Ellerslie on March 2. Ascend The Throne was a $575,000 purchase out of Milan Park’s Book 1 draft at the 2022 National Yearling Sales at Karaka by David Ellis, who had rated the gelding highly as a yearling. “We rated him one of the best Savabeel colts of the sale. We loved him,” Ellis said. View the full article

Twelve sires will be on show in Doncaster during the Goffs UK January Sale on Tuesday, January 23 for the TBA National Hunt Stallion Showcase. The stallions will be available for viewing between 9am and 3pm. Ascot Gold Cup winner Subjectivist (GB) is new to Alne Park Stud this year and he will be joined at Doncaster by his stud-mates Dink (Fr), Ocovango (GB) and Midnights Legacy (GB). Also in attendance will be Ito (Ger), who is about to undertake his second season at Yorton Farm, and his fellow recent recruit Postponed (Ire). Capri (Ire) is new to Britain and Willow Wood Farm for this season, and he is one of three St Leger winners who will be returning to Doncaster, along with Logician (GB) and Kingston Hill (GB). Completing the line-up are Telescope (Ire) and Dragon Dancer (GB). “We look forward to welcoming breeding and bloodstock enthusiasts to this ever-popular event in the TBA hospitality space,” said TBA National Hunt Committee chairman Simon Cox. “We are thankful to Goffs and the participating stallion studs for their ongoing support of this important event for National Hunt breeders.” Grace Skelton of Alne Park Stud added, “Getting a new stallion like Subjectivist in front of breeders is vitally important and this event provides a well-timed opportunity to do this.” A nomination to each of the stallions which have been submitted to the 2024 Elite NH Mares' Scheme and those on show at the sale have been donated by their owners for an online silent auction between January 19 and 25. Funds raised will support the TBA's National Hunt activities in 2024. The TBA will also be holding its annual Flat stallion parade at Tattersalls on February 1. The post Line-Up Confirmed for TBA NH Stallion Showcase appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Breeder, agent and syndicate manager Luke Lillingston of Mount Coote Stud is next in line to face the questions. What are your goals for 2024? Trying to figure out opportunities that will arise from the downturn in the bloodstock market, while trying to keep our heads above water. Give us a horse to follow… Dragon Leader (Ire) (El Kabeir) did us proud in 2023 winning over £300,000 as a two-year-old and should give his Kennet Valley owners plenty more fun. And a young person in the industry to keep an eye on… Charlie Dee works with me in Lillingston Bloodstock and is steadily building a good reputation both at home and around the world which will stand him in good stead for a bright future. Who do you think will be champion first-season sire in 2024? Hello Youmzain (Fr). And the best value stallion in Ireland, England, and France? Naval Crown (GB), Mosthadaf (Ire) and Vadeni (Fr). Your best buy/sale of 2023? I was excited to buy True Scarlet (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) at the Tattersalls December sales as her half-sister Shuwari (Ire) (New Bay {GB}) was second in the G1 Fillies' Mile and could be a contender for the 1,000 Guineas. On the yearling front I couldn't pick one but I think the group of five yearlings we bought for Kennett Valley are the most exciting ever. The best yearling/weanling you saw at the 2023 sales (that someone else bought)? The St Mark's Basilica (Fr) filly out of Talent (GB), bought by Jill Lamb, was a deserving sale-topper at Tattersalls, and I believe still good value at 575,000gns. Who is or was the perfect Thoroughbred? We have been and are all very lucky to witness the almighty Frankel (GB). Biggest professional regret? Not taking the opportunity to buy and bring back Sir Prancealot (Ire) from America to Ireland. He would have been an excellent sire for small breeders looking to afford a proven stallion. If you could be someone else in the industry for a day who would it be, and why? Nick Luck, but I might need four days to get through what he regularly achieves in one. His work rate is quite extraordinary. The post In the Hot Seat: Luke Lillingston appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sarah Lynam has been forced to press pause on her training career after a number of serious falls and concussions has left her with no other option but to take time out from the profession in order to recuperate fully. Daughter of Eddie Lynam, who earned the nickname of 'Fast Eddie' through his handling of superstar sprinters Sole Power (GB), Slade Power (Ire) and more, Sarah took out her licence in 2017 and sent out 12 winners from the same Dunshaughlin base as her father. Winning a valuable Curragh handicap with Additional (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), owned by her uncle John Lynam, was put forward as a career highlight by Sarah, whose handling of Tyrconnell (Ire) (Bated Breath {GB}) and Juyush (GB) (Frankel {GB}) also earned plenty of plaudits. Lynam said, “I don't really want to stop. I've had a good few concussions over the years and in 2023 alone I had three. I haven't been able to take time off to let the brain heal and, basically, I can't heal properly unless I take time out. A smaller operation like mine, I have to work all day every day in order to keep the whole thing going. I don't mind doing it but the neurologist told me that perhaps I should think about taking some time out. “I am lucky that I have the facilities here and Horse Racing Ireland have told me that the licence can lie dormant for up to three years should I decide to take it back out. I would have liked to have achieved more, and I hope I will still, but it's just been difficult recently.” Additional bagged a €25,000 handicap at the Curragh on just his second start for Lynam while Juyush racked up a three-timer at Dundalk in the winter of 2020 and climbed 24lbs in the process. Stable stalwart Tyrconnell also flourished under the Lynam banner by winning six times at Dundalk and Laytown respectively. Nevertheless, Lynam says she feels as though she still has unfinished business as a trainer and is not ruling out a return to the game in time. She said, “I'm proud of what I did but nothing I did captured the imagination. Horses like Additional and Juyush, I got them from other yards and managed to sweeten them up a bit. Juyush won three-in-a-row and Additional won a premier handicap on his second start for me. It's a pity they didn't get a bit more attention at the time and I was hoping they might bring more people into the yard. “I was always hoping to entice more young people to come and work for me because I had worked in so many other yards and had an idea of the kind of boss I wanted to be and the kind of atmosphere I wanted to create but it has been very hard to attract staff. It's understandable, a lot of the stable staff want to work in the bigger yards.” She added, “Most of the time I have had the licence, I have been working by myself and that couldn't continue after I had the concussions. I suppose it's just taken its toll. I feel like I am still well able to do the job and it's still a huge passion of mine. It's going to be hard to see the horses on Dad's side of the yard but I will be keeping a close eye on them all and my owners have been very understanding about it.” The post ‘It’s Taken Its Toll’ – Sarah Lynam Forced To Press Pause On Training Career appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Event rider Monica Spencer has always been a big fan of Thoroughbreds due to their speed, stamina and willingness which makes them great sport horse prospects. Her current stable star Artist has these traits in spades and the Taupo-based horsewoman has been named on the long list to represent New Zealand in the 2024 Paris Olympics Eventing Team with the 12-year-old Thoroughbred gelding. By Guillotine, ‘Max’ was bred by Windsor Park Stud and is out of the Group Two placed Volksraad mare Maxamore. He first caught Monica’s eye when making his competition debut and she approached his then owner Polly Schewerdt to find out more about the striking bay who made an instant impression. “I spotted Max at his first show when he was a four-year-old,” Spencer explained. “Polly had purchased him from EventStars as a three-year-old and his conformation and movement really stood out to me. “I approached Polly and she let me have a ride on him and it was love at first sight. I bought him soon after.” Spencer and Max were quick to strike up a successful partnership and they moved their way through the grades. Max was awarded the NZTBA Ready Teddy Trophy for best performed Thoroughbred at the Matamata Horse Trials in 2022 and the duo went on that year to make their debut for the New Zealand team at the FEI Eventing World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy. “He’s always been a bit of a quiet achiever,” Spencer said. “He has been winning at every level on the way up the grades and he’s been an absolute pleasure to produce. “He isn’t naturally brave and it melts my heart the things this horse will do with complete trust in me.” While most Kiwi eventers follow the well-paved path to England to further their careers, Spencer opted to head to America last year as she felt it offered a better opportunity to develop her brand with the opportunities available. It was no easy feat to get to the United States with Spencer and Max first flying to Australia before boarding a cargo plane and spending 37 hours in transit before touching down in Chicago. They then trucked for 15 hours to Pennsylvania. After acclimatising at some low-key dressage and showjumping events they stepped up and contested the Plantation Field International CCI4*-S, finishing fourth after battling the elements while Tropical Storm Ophelia raged on. Of the 39 entries only six completed the event, a testament to the duo’s determination and skill. They then headed to the Maryland 5 Star in October when they finished seventh after a dazzling display on the cross-country course gaining them a firm fan base. Spencer then flew home to New Zealand to compete her Taupo-based team of horses at the early Summer events while Max was left to enjoy some down time while spelling in Virginia. Spencer will return this month and join Max in Florida and continue to work their way towards selection for the Olympic team. She will have an additional three horses travel from New Zealand to join her in February. “Paris has been in our sights for the last two years and we have been working towards selection since the world championships in Pratoni,” Spencer said. “I hope to put in some good performances early this year and keep training hard so we can be at the top of our game and ready for selection. Spencer has a strong affinity with Thoroughbreds having produced them throughout her career and believes horses like Max will drive demand for thoroughbreds as sport horses both in both New Zealand and abroad. “I have had lots of good Thoroughbreds over the years and I’m a huge fan of the breed,” she said. “I love their speed, their stamina and how trainable they are. Thoroughbreds that move well and are good jumpers really are the ultimate event horse. They are a pleasure to produce and it’s incredible how they take to a completely new career. “I think it’s awesome for the racing industry to have Thoroughbreds at the top of the sport. The fact that they can do eventing among other disciplines as a second career shows how versatile Thoroughbreds are. “I’ve had so many people overseas admire Max and question me with great interest about New Zealand Thoroughbreds and how to source them.” The Paris team is named in late June and Spencer has the silver fern firmly in her sights. Till then she and Max will keep doing what they do best and hope further solid performances gain them a spot on the Olympic squad. View the full article

Town Cryer (NZ) (Tavistock) may be the form horse in Saturday’s Gr.3 Dixon & Dunlop Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at Trentham, but the mare’s stablemate Sindacato (NZ) (Per Incanto) may pose as her biggest challenge. Prepared by Awapuni trainer Roydon Bergerson, Town Cryer claimed a career-best victory in the Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in October, and has maintained solid form through her campaign, including a seventh in the Gr.1 TAB Classic (1600m), though she was scorched out of the gates in the false start. A daring front-running ride aboard the daughter of Tavistock last-start in the Taupo Cup (2000m) was almost executed to perfection by Opie Bosson, the mare only being caught in the final bounds by Mehzebeen- (NZ) (Almanzor), who carried six kilograms less. “I’m very happy with her season so far, the Wellington race (TAB Classic) was a bit of a debacle, but she got over that,” Bergerson said. “She ran super in the Taupo Cup, Opie gave her every chance, she fought hard and I think the weight just told in the last 50m. I’m really pleased with how she came through the race, and she worked really well on Tuesday. “She’s not giving the field as much as she was at Taupo, she gave the winner six kilograms there, so I’m pleased with 57.5kg on Saturday.” Bergerson had originally planned to set Town Cryer for the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) on February 6, however, the mare indicated she preferred otherwise at their Awapuni base. “We were planning to go straight towards the Wairarapa Breeders’ but she bucked off Bruce Herd, her trackwork rider, the other morning so he said she’s ready to go back to the races now,” he said. “She loves Wellington and she races well there, the speed in the race won’t help her much but she doesn’t have to lead so she’ll end up in a good position with a great jockey on.” Town Cryer will once again be in the capable hands of Bosson out of barrier 11, while stablemate Sindacato will jump from the ace draw under Lisa Allpress. Only lightly-raced for his eight years, Sindacato has been in fine form this campaign, and was game in carrying the 59.5kg topweight to third behind Snazzytavi (NZ) (Tavistock) in the Stella Artois Championship Final (1500m) at Pukekohe on Boxing Day. “Opie said after the race that if he’d drawn an alley, he didn’t think they would’ve beaten him,” Bergerson said. “He hit the line strong with a big weight, and he’s trained on very well. His condition is amazing, and his trackwork has gone up a level since he’s come back from Auckland, hence why we’re trying this race. I couldn’t be happier with him.” Though Town Cryer is the likely-favoured runner of Bergerson’s pair, he insisted the son of Per Incanto would be anything but playing second fiddle to his stablemate on Saturday. “He’ll push the mare, there’s not much between them in the way they’re working,” he said. “In an ideal world, Town Cryer would’ve drawn one and he would’ve drawn 11, but he should be up in the first half-dozen on the fence. I’m not sure if she’ll (Town Cryer) lead, Sergio likes to go forward and a few others so I’ll leave that up to Opie. She likes to be in her own rhythm and quicken up when she can, but Sindicato won’t be giving her too many lengths of a head start.” The punters have been in agreeance with Bergerson’s confidence early, with Sindacato shortening from $9 to $7.50 on the TAB Fixed Odds, while Town Cryer currently shares the top of an even market at $6 with Sumi (NZ) (Altante). Though Sindacato holds a nomination for next Saturday’s Gr.1 Harcourts Thorndon Mile (1600m), Bergerson indicated the Anniversary would be a likely final lead-in to the Gr.3 Taranaki Cup (1800m) on February 3 at New Plymouth. Before chasing the spoils at Trentham, Bergerson will have a sole representative at Wanganui on Thursday when a fast improving La Bella Grande (NZ) (Per Incanto) contests the Whanganui Chronicle Maiden F&M 1340. The daughter of Per Incanto showed her promise last start with a game runner-up finish behind Waitui Rose at Trentham under Allpress, who retains the ride. “She should run really well tomorrow. We planned to run her at Hastings but had a bit of a sore stomach on Friday, so we took her out but she’s back on track now,” Bergerson said. “Lisa gave her a quiet gallop on Tuesday morning and said she felt 100 percent, so we’ll push on.” As her name suggests, La Bella Grande has a notably large stature, and Bergerson has allowed the five-year-old to mature slowly with just the four raceday appearances to date. “She’s 17 hands and hasn’t quite filled into her frame yet,” he said. “We’ve taken our time and Sam (Williams, breeder and part-owner) and the syndicate have been very patient with her, which has been a blessing. She’s still yet to hit her straps, the autumn will be her best time I think.” View the full article

Zabmanzor (NZ) (Almanzor) made a bold statement in his last journey down to the Central Districts, and Roger James is hoping for a repeat performance when the colt contests Saturday’s Gr.1 Cambridge Stud Levin Classic (1600m). The son of Almanzor built to an eye-catching entrance to the winner’s circle at Tauranga in November and followed suit in his maiden black-type test with a four-length demolition in the Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki. James, who trains in partnership with Robert Wellwood, elected to step Zabmanzor back in distance by design in the Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m), where he finished sixth in a competitive contest claimed by Pendragon (NZ) (U S Navy Flag). “He has progressed well since he raced last time,” James told TAB NZ. “A lot of people may have thought he looked a bit ordinary last start, but we did do a funny thing in bringing him back to 1400m to use as a preparatory race for the Levin Classic. “He’ll be spot on for Saturday. He ran a nice 1400m this morning (Tuesday), he looked good doing it and pulled up well afterwards.” The time-honoured Trentham feature will run for the first occasion on its reallocated January date, a move that could see a highly decorated trainer in James collect his elusive Levin Classic crown. As expected, a classy line-up of three-year-olds has assembled with visitors from North and South joining the CD hopefuls, something James is wary of when considering the form of Zabmanzor’s Otaki victory. “We’d always liked him, and it was nice to see him do that (at Otaki). The strength of the field there may not have been wonderful, but when they win like he did, it usually indicates they’re above average,” he said. “It’s probably a case of how the competition will measure up, because it will be a lot hotter. But, I’m not embarrassed to be putting him on a float and taking him down, I think he can be competitive.” Kingsclere Stables have nominated Zabmanzor for several majors this season, including the Gr.1 Trackside New Zealand Derby (2400m), and a potential challenge against older company in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), though neither are a certainty at this stage. “He’s never really impressed me as a Derby-type horse, but at this stage of the season with a three-year-old, you keep your options open,” he said. In a market favouring his female counterparts, Zabmanzor currently lies a $5.50 third-favourite on the TAB Fixed Odds, behind Northern-based fillies Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor) ($4.00) and Quintessa (NZ) (Shamus Award) ($4.50). View the full article

Stakes performer Imwonderfultonight (I Am Invincible) will head to Trentham with fresh legs on Saturday to tackle elite-level company for the first time in the Gr.1 JR & N Berkett Telegraph (1200m). The five-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible has been a revelation for young trainer Sam Mynott, having won two of her four starts for the Waikato horsewoman, and was runner-up at her last start in the Listed Stewards Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton in November. Earmarked for the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day, those plans were foiled with a foot abscess and the decision was made to target the Wellington sprint feature instead. “She missed the Railway, but she feels really good and she is going into Saturday with fresh legs, I am happy with that,” Mynott told TAB NZ. “She had a tiny foot abscess, and it was just a bit niggly. We thought we might get her there (Railway) but Monday morning I wasn’t 100 percent happy with her so we decided to save her for another day. “It was just a case of getting the blowout to come out, which happened last week. She has been happy, working well and the farrier is happy, and I am happy.” Mynott admits to being slightly nervous heading into her first Group One as a trainer, but said she is treating it just like any other race. “There have been plenty of sleepless nights and I have been pacing the box a little bit,” she said. “I am trying to not change anything. At the end of the day, it is a race and you can’t overdo it. “It feels like there is a lot of pressure but Rod (Schick, co-owner) and Ben (Kwok, co-owner) have been super supportive. They supported my decision not to run in the Railway and come to the Telegraph instead. “It is all systems go and we are doing everything to get her there in the best shape possible. “I think she deserves her place in the field. Her runs at Riccarton were full of merit, she was probably a little unlucky on both of those days. “The form around her is good, she can run the times and I think she can be competitive. “She is a genuine mare inside and out. She has got a beautiful nature and she knows when it is race time. She can be a bit full of herself, but she hasn’t got a nasty bone in her body. “I adore her, she is just a lovely mare.” Imwonderfultonight is currently a $14 winning prospect with TAB bookmakers, with Dragon Leap (Pierro) heading the market at $3. View the full article

Imwonderfultonight will contest Saturday’s Group 1 Telegraph Handicap (1200m) at Trentham. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Stakes performer Imwonderfultonight will head to Trentham with fresh legs on Saturday to tackle elite-level company for the first time in the Group 1 Telegraph (1200m). The five-year-old daughter of I Am Invincible has been a revelation for young trainer Sam Mynott, having won two of her four starts for the Waikato horsewoman, and was runner-up at her last start in the Listed Stewards Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton in November. Earmarked for the Group 1 Railway (1200m) at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day, those plans were foiled with a foot abscess and the decision was made to target the Wellington sprint feature instead. “She missed the Railway, but she feels really good and she is going into Saturday with fresh legs, I am happy with that,” Mynott told TAB NZ. “She had a tiny foot abscess, and it was just a bit niggly. We thought we might get her there (Railway) but Monday morning I wasn’t 100 percent happy with her so we decided to save her for another day. “It was just a case of getting the blowout to come out, which happened last week. She has been happy, working well and the farrier is happy, and I am happy.” Mynott admits to being slightly nervous heading into her first Group 1 as a trainer, but said she is treating it just like any other race. “There have been plenty of sleepless nights and I have been pacing the box a little bit,” she said. “I am trying to not change anything. At the end of the day, it is a race and you can’t overdo it. “It feels like there is a lot of pressure but Rod (Schick, co-owner) and Ben (Kwok, co-owner) have been super supportive. They supported my decision not to run in the Railway and come to the Telegraph instead. “It is all systems go and we are doing everything to get her there in the best shape possible. “I think she deserves her place in the field. Her runs at Riccarton were full of merit, she was probably a little unlucky on both of those days. “The form around her is good, she can run the times and I think she can be competitive. “She is a genuine mare inside and out. She has got a beautiful nature and she knows when it is race time. She can be a bit full of herself, but she hasn’t got a nasty bone in her body. “I adore her, she is just a lovely mare.” Imwonderfultonight is currently a $14 winning prospect with online bookmakers, with Dragon Leap heading the market at $3. More horse racing news View the full article

Zabmanzor will contest the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham on Saturday. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Zabmanzor made a bold statement in his last journey down to the Central Districts, and Roger James is hoping for a repeat performance when the colt contests Saturday’s Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m). The son of Almanzor built to an eye-catching entrance to the winner’s circle at Tauranga in November and followed suit in his maiden black-type test with a four-length demolition in the Group 3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki. James, who trains in partnership with Robert Wellwood, elected to step Zabmanzor back in distance by design in the Group 2 Auckland Guineas (1400m), where he finished sixth in a competitive contest claimed by Pendragon. “He has progressed well since he raced last time,” James told TAB NZ. “A lot of people may have thought he looked a bit ordinary last start, but we did do a funny thing in bringing him back to 1400m to use as a preparatory race for the Levin Classic. “He’ll be spot on for Saturday. He ran a nice 1400m this morning (Tuesday), he looked good doing it and pulled up well afterwards.” The time-honoured Trentham feature will run for the first occasion on its reallocated January date, a move that could see a highly decorated trainer in James collect his elusive Levin Classic crown. As expected, a classy line-up of three-year-olds has assembled with visitors from North and South joining the CD hopefuls, something James is wary of when considering the form of Zabmanzor’s Otaki victory. “We’d always liked him, and it was nice to see him do that (at Otaki). The strength of the field there may not have been wonderful, but when they win like he did, it usually indicates they’re above average,” he said. “It’s probably a case of how the competition will measure up, because it will be a lot hotter. But, I’m not embarrassed to be putting him on a float and taking him down, I think he can be competitive.” Kingsclere Stables have nominated Zabmanzor for several majors this season, including the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), and a potential challenge against older company in the Group 1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), though neither are a certainty at this stage. “He’s never really impressed me as a Derby-type horse, but at this stage of the season with a three-year-old, you keep your options open,” he said. In a market favouring his female counterparts, Zabmanzor currently lies a $5.50 third-favourite with online bookmakers, behind Northern-based fillies Mary Shan ($4.00) and Quintessa ($4.50). More horse racing news View the full article

Dragon Leap will contest the Group 1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham on Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott will on Saturday bid to complete a premier sprinting double with Dragon Leap expected to be ideally suited at Trentham in his quest for top-flight honours in the Group 1 Telegraph (1200m). The Matamata trainers bagged the opening leg at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day following Waitaki’s dashing Group 1 Railway (1200m) victory, with his stablemate fourth and with a genuine excuse for not finishing closer. “We were really pleased with his effort and, with the trouble we’ve had with his feet through his career, we knew losing a shoe would affect his performance,” Scott said. “Opie (Bosson) said he lost a strong gallop in the last 150 yards. We’re not saying it cost him winning the race, but it certainly affected him. “When they lose a shoe like that you always worry that they may feel it for a day or two, but with the shoe back on the following morning he hasn’t missed a beat.” The stable is also confident that Dragon Leap will improve with the outing, his first appearance since finishing runner-up in the Group 1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) in the spring. “We believe the run has brought him on and we’ve just ticked him over and in the wee bit of work he has done, he has looked really enthusiastic,” Scott said. “He comes in better at the weights in the Telegraph than he did in the Railway and we’ve always had a belief that the Telegraph will suit his style of racing. “It’s a high-pressure race and they go a true gallop, so we think he’ll run it out really strongly.” Meanwhile, Waitak will make his next appearance in the Group 1 BCD Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on February 10. “He races so well fresh and the quick back-up into the Telegraph wouldn’t have suited him and he races well at Te Rapa,” Scott said. “He came through New Year’s Day well and he’s in a good place.” The stable also has Geriatrix primed for Saturday’s Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) following his run for fourth last time out in the Group 3 Wellington Stakes (1600m). “We went to Otaki with high hopes and walked away knowing a bit more about the horse and we will certainly look to ride him a little quieter,” Scott said. “We might have had him a fraction close and the way the race was run it was set up for the backmarkers. He’s had a wee gap between runs, but he turned in a really good piece of work on Monday. “He’s a really focussed colt and believe he’s got the ability to be competitive in these sorts of races with the right run.” Bramco Granite & Marble Premier (1600m) contender Cornwallis will complete the travelling party to Trentham and is considered a strong each-way prospect. “He’s been racing well and two starts back he lacked a bit of luck. He couldn’t get any momentum going at Tauranga and then at Matamata he got back in a slowly run race and pressed on well for third,” Scott said. Wexford Stables also has a number of representatives at Tauranga on Friday with Neighbourhood, Monday Melody and Jaffira among their leading prospects. Neighbourhood will bid to go one better in the Ray White Greerton (1400m) following a bold run for second when resuming at Matamata. “We couldn’t have been more pleased with his first-up performance, he really dashed at the line and is working well. He’s a horse that has benefitted from a patient approach and certainly one of our best chances,” Scott said. Monday Melody will drop back in grade from an unplaced run in the Group 2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) in the Proudly Ray White (1600m), in which he will be opposed by Jaffira. “Monday Melody is going a bit better than it may look and he will be stepping up in trip, which he is bred to run,” Scott said. “He’s out of a Frankel mare and goes back to a stout New Zealand family and even though he’s by Snitzel, he’ll be more competitive over the mile. “Jaffira ran well at Pukekohe and Opie (Bosson) was pretty happy with him and he’s improved with recent racing.” More horse racing news View the full article

Russian Fable winning at Reefton on Tuesday. Photo: Race Images South Russian Fable was set to head to the spelling paddock following her last start fifth placing at Greymouth, but trainer Nayton Mitchell was pleased he made the decision to have one final roll of the dice with his mare. The West Melton horseman elected to back her up in the Greg Daly Real Estate/Birchfield Ross Mining (1400m) at Reefton on Tuesday and she rewarded him with her sixth victory and the second in Mitchell’s career. She jumped well and jockey Yogesh Atchamah was able to find the one-one with his mare. She enjoyed an economical passage until Atchamah asked her to improved at the 600m mark and Russian Fable sat three-wide outside June Bug and leader Wild Rover. June Bug began to tire, leaving Russian Fable and Wild Rover to fight it out in the straight, with the former getting the better of her rival in the closing stages to win by a neck. Mitchell was delighted to get the win, particularly for owner and fellow trainer Andrew Carston. “We were really stoked to get the win,” Mitchell said. “We set her up for the Miss Scenicland Stakes (1500m) at Greymouth where she did try hard but the track conditions just got to her. “She was going to go to the paddock after that but we decided to give her one more run. “Andrew is a big supporter of the stable, so it was great to get the win for him.” Russian Fable will now head for her planned spell before returning to racing closer to winter for the polytrack season. “She has been running really honestly but she just gets out-classed at this time of the year, so she is going to go in the paddock now and have a rest until the poly,” Mitchell said. “She won a couple on the poly in the second half of last season, so we will aim her for those races.” A former international showjumper, Mitchell has a family background in racing and said it was always on the cards to work in the industry following years in the sport horse world. “I went over to Ireland and competed for New Zealand over there and then came back to New Zealand and did the young rider series,” he said. “I moved to Palmerston North and had a sales business there for two years and then moved down to Christchurch and did the showjumpers for another year or two before the racehorses took over. “We had a team of 10 showjumpers going around the circuit, mostly young horses doing the age-group series, and specialised in buying, producing and selling young showjumpers. “I have always done trackwork and my family is quite involved with racing so I knew one day I would end up doing it.” Mitchell currently has a dozen thoroughbreds in work and is looking to add some younger members to his team when he heads to Karaka later this month for New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale. “We will be at Karaka and hopefully buy a couple of yearlings,” he said. “I have an owner or two who want to buy a young one, so it will be great to have some younger horses to work with over the coming years.” More horse racing news View the full article

Town Cryer will be one of two runners for Roydon Bergerson in Saturday’s Group 3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at Trentham. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Town Cryer may be the form horse in Saturday’s Group 3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) at Trentham, but the mare’s stablemate Sindicato may pose as her biggest challenge. Prepared by Awapuni trainer Roydon Bergerson, Town Cryer claimed a career-best victory in the Group 3 Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) in October, and has maintained solid form through her campaign, including a seventh in the Group 1 TAB Classic (1600m), though she was scorched out of the gates in the false start. A daring front-running ride aboard the daughter of Tavistock last-start in the Taupo Cup (2000m) was almost executed to perfection by Opie Bosson, the mare only being caught in the final bounds by Mehzebeen, who carried six kilograms less. “I’m very happy with her season so far, the Wellington race (TAB Classic) was a bit of a debacle, but she got over that,” Bergerson said. “She ran super in the Taupo Cup, Opie gave her every chance, she fought hard and I think the weight just told in the last 50m. I’m really pleased with how she came through the race, and she worked really well on Tuesday. “She’s not giving the field as much as she was at Taupo, she gave the winner six kilograms there, so I’m pleased with 57.5kg on Saturday.” Bergerson had originally planned to set Town Cryer for the Listed Wairarapa Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m) on February 6, however, the mare indicated she preferred otherwise at their Awapuni base. “We were planning to go straight towards the Wairarapa Breeders’ but she bucked off Bruce Herd, her trackwork rider, the other morning so he said she’s ready to go back to the races now,” he said. “She loves Wellington and she races well there, the speed in the race won’t help her much but she doesn’t have to lead so she’ll end up in a good position with a great jockey on.” Town Cryer will once again be in the capable hands of Bosson out of barrier 11, while stablemate Sindicato will jump from the ace draw under Lisa Allpress. Only lightly-raced for his eight years, Sindicato has been in fine form this campaign, and was game in carrying the 59.5kg topweight to third behind Snazzytavi in the Stella Artois Championship Final (1500m) at Pukekohe on Boxing Day. “Opie said after the race that if he’d drawn an alley, he didn’t think they would’ve beaten him,” Bergerson said. “He hit the line strong with a big weight, and he’s trained on very well. His condition is amazing, and his trackwork has gone up a level since he’s come back from Auckland, hence why we’re trying this race. I couldn’t be happier with him.” Though Town Cryer is the likely-favoured runner of Bergerson’s pair, he insisted the son of Per Incanto would be anything but playing second fiddle to his stablemate on Saturday. “He’ll push the mare, there’s not much between them in the way they’re working,” he said. “In an ideal world, Town Cryer would’ve drawn one and he would’ve drawn 11, but he should be up in the first half-dozen on the fence. “I’m not sure if she’ll (Town Cryer) lead, Sergio likes to go forward and a few others so I’ll leave that up to Opie. She likes to be in her own rhythm and quicken up when she can, but Sindicato won’t be giving her too many lengths of a head start.” The punters have been in agreeance with Bergerson’s confidence early, with Sindicato shortening from $9 to $7.50 with online bookmakers, while Town Cryer currently shares the top of an even market at $6 with Sumi. Though Sindicato holds a nomination for next Saturday’s Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m), Bergerson indicated the Anniversary would be a likely final lead-in to the Group 3 Taranaki Cup (1800m) on February 3 at New Plymouth. Before chasing the spoils at Trentham, Bergerson will have a sole representative at Wanganui on Thursday when a fast improving La Bella Grande contests the Whanganui Chronicle Maiden F&M 1340. The daughter of Per Incanto showed her promise last start with a game runner-up finish behind Waitui Rose at Trentham under Allpress, who retains the ride. “She should run really well tomorrow. We planned to run her at Hastings but had a bit of a sore stomach on Friday, so we took her out but she’s back on track now,” Bergerson said. “Lisa gave her a quiet gallop on Tuesday morning and said she felt 100 percent, so we’ll push on.” As her name suggests, La Bella Grande has a notably large stature, and Bergerson has allowed the five-year-old to mature slowly with just the four raceday appearances to date. “She’s 17 hands and hasn’t quite filled into her frame yet,” he said. “We’ve taken our time and Sam (Williams, breeder and part-owner) and the syndicate have been very patient with her, which has been a blessing. She’s still yet to hit her straps, the autumn will be her best time I think.” More horse racing news View the full article

What Magic Millions 3YO Guineas 2024 Where Gold Coast Turf Club – Racecourse Dr, Bundall QLD 4217 When Saturday, January 13, 2024 Prizemoney $3,000,000 Distance 1400m Conditions Restricted Listed 2023 winner Fashion Legend (14) | T: Richard & Will Freedman | J: Joshau Parr (57kg) Visit Dabble The 24th edition of the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas will co-headline the massive 11-race card at the Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon. With eight of the 18 runners being last-start winners, this year’s edition of the Guineas sets up to be one of the better contests that we have seen in some time. Seven of the last eight editions of the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas have been won by colts and geldings, and as there are only six fillies in the final field this year, the boys are expected to continue their dominance. 2024 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas odds Chris Waller’s lone runner in the 3YO Guineas has opened as a marginal favourite with online bookmakers at +400 in a wide-open betting race. Last-start Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate winner, Cifrado, sits on the second line of betting with the undefeated John O’Shea-trained Sydney Bowler at +450. After claiming the Listed Gold Edition Plate in her most recent start, Abounding (+700) from the Robert Heathcote yard rounds out the runners under double figures. 2024 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas speed map Most of the speed influences in the Guineas have drawn wide barriers, so we expect that the first 100m will be the charge of the light brigade, with the likes of The King, Royal Tribute, Infatuation, Sydney Bowler and Zouphoria wanting to settle on-speed. Due to the number of on speed runners, Chrysaor, Sovereign Fund and Abounding can settle midfield without doing a lot of work from middle to inside barriers. Cifrado, Trifling and Sunset Dreaming will drop out to the rear of the field and appreciate the hot tempo. Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2024 Magic Millions 3YO Guineas. Magic Millions 3YO Guineas 2024 preview & form The lethal combination of Chris Waller and James McDonald will join forces when Chrysaor competes in the Magic Millions 3YO Guineas, where the colt will be attempting to go one better than his last start second in the Group 3 Vo Rogue Plate. Although this son of Better Than Ready was fresh from a nine-week spell in the Vo Rogue at Doomben, he was very good when running home from the back of the field, only to be nabbed by a fit Cifrado in the final 50m. This guy won the Group 2 Callander-Presnell over 1600m in his only start during the spring and has multiple Group-level placings to his name. From barrier eight, McDonald should be able to settle midfield off the rail and get a nice cart into the race on the home turn before letting down with a strong finish. Cifrado defeated our top tip in their most recent meeting when he recorded a deserving victory at his fourth start this preparation. The Rex Lipp-trained gelding raced against open-age horses in his first two starts before dropping back to three-year-old grade in his last two. This son of Encryption won back-to-back Group 2 contests as a two-year-old when he claimed the Spirit Of Boom Classic and the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes. There is no doubt that any of our top tips can win the Guineas as they bring the best form lines, but they are very hard to split at the top of the market and deserve to be the favoured runners in this race. Royal Tribute is coming off the back of a gutsy win in the Listed Gosford Guineas first-up, where the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained colt picked himself up off the canvas to defeat Infatuation over 1200m. This son of Snitzel is lightly raced compared to most of his rivals in the 3YO Guineas, with only five race starts under his belt. With Adam Hyeronimus in the saddle, this colt is expected to push forward from barrier 11 and get involved in the speed battle in the early stages. If Royal Tribute can settle in the first four and get a good trail, don’t be surprised if he runs a cheeky race and fills a place. The second of the two Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained runners in our top four is Zouphoria, who is coming through the same form line as Chrysaor and Cifrado. This filly led the Vo Rogue Plate field until the 150m mark, where she started to struggle in the concluding stages and faded slightly to finish fifth, beaten 1.8 lengths. From barrier six, Tim Clark should be able to push forward, settle alongside his stablemate in the first four and give a good sight with even luck. Magic Millions 3YO Guineas 2024 selections & best bets Selections: 2 CHRYSAOR 1 CIFRADO 4 ROYAL TRIBUTE 17 ZOUPHORIA $100 betting strategy $50 Win Chrysaor (#2) @ +400 with Neds $50 Win Cifrado (#1) @ +450 with Dabble More horse racing tips View the full article

What Gosford Races Where The Entertainment Grounds – 4 Racecourse Rd, West Gosford NSW 2250 When Friday, January 12, 2024 First Race 3:05pm AEDT Visit Dabble Provincial racing heads to the central coast of NSW on Friday afternoon as Gosford gets set to host a quickfire seven-race program. The twilight meeting is scheduled to get underway at 3:05pm local time, and with some scattered showers predicted in the lead-up, we’ll be eyeing off the possibility of a downgrade from the Good 4 surface currently listed at the time of writing. The rail is out +3m between 1100m-300m, while the remainder sits in the true position. Best Bet at Gosford: Ekeler A change of tactics secured maiden victory for Ekeler last start at Canterbury on December 15, as the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace barn gave instructions to lead. Dylan Gibbons obliged, sending the son of More Than Ready straight to the front and was able to bolt clear of his rivals by a half-length. It was a favourable night to be ridden on speed, but it was a promising showing by the three-year-old, and with this Class 1 contest lacking depth, we see no reason why Ekeler can’t chalk up back-to-back wins in the penultimate. Best Bet Race 6 – #1 Ekeler (5) 3yo Colt | T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | J: Andrew Gibbons (59.5kg) Bet with Picklebet Next Best at Gosford: Community Community only found one better at Gosford on December 31 and closed off stylishly over 1600m. He got back to last on that occasion, but powered through the line to suggest getting to the 1900m on Friday will be a major benefit to his chances. Gate one should allow Keagan Latham to hold a position somewhere mid-field with cover, and when the race goes on, watch for Community to be making strong inroads, provided the breaks fall his way in the straight. Next Best Race 3 – #3 Community (1) 4yo Gelding | T: Kim Waugh | J: Keagan Latham (59kg) Bet with Bet365 Next Best Again at Gosford: Merry Mac Boy Merry Mac Boy will need to bounce back from a Heavy track failure at Warwick Farm on December 20. The gelding by I Am Invincible didn’t go a yard in the bottomless conditions last start, however, his form prior to that effort should hold this guy in good stead for this BM64 contest. He’s drawn poorly in barrier nine, but with a positive steer and 3kg claim courtesy of apprentice hoop Zac Waddick to aid him on his journey, Merry Mac Boy may prove too classy regardless. Next Best Again Race 4 – #1 Merry Mac Boy (9) 4yo Gelding | T: Joseph Pride | J: Zac Waddick (a3kg) (61kg) Bet with Neds Gosford Friday quaddie tips – 12/1/2024 Gosford quadrella selections Friday, January 12, 2024 1-5-10 3-4-6-7-9-11-12-13-14 1-2 3-4-5 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

Magic Millions 2YO Classic contender Arabian Summer. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Trainer Calvin McEvoy expressed optimism about Arabian Summer’s chances in Saturday’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic, emphasising the perceived advantages of the middle draw in barrier nine. McEvoy, who trains in partnership with his father Tony, acknowledged the initial preference for a draw between one to five but found contentment in the outcome. “I’m happy with it, we wanted to draw probably one to five I think as it played out, the favourite’s drawn one outside us in ten. “She’s very versatile, she’ll be positive and she’ll hopefully be in the first four or five with some cover, and I think it’s a really good barrier,” McEvoy remarked. Arabian Summer, known for her speed, triumphed in the Ballarat Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1000m) in December and demonstrated adaptability by handling the rise in distance during her Gold Pearl victory last week. McEvoy and connections remain confident that the daughter of Too Darn Hot can tackle the additional 100 metres on Saturday. “Early on in her career we probably had her pegged as just a speed, 1000-metre filly but her last two starts she’s shown that she’s versatile, she’ll run out a strong, definitely 1100 and I think with a nice run she’ll certainly run the 12 out so I’m very happy with her,” McEvoy affirmed. Arabian Summer will be partnered by Harry Coffey in the feature event on the 11-race card at the Gold Coast and is currently rated a +600 with top horse racing betting sites. More horse racing news View the full article

Follow Your Dreams (inside) winning the Reefton Cup (1400m) on Tuesday. Photo: Race Images South Follow Your Dreams has been absent from the winner’s circle for the last 12 months, but he broke that drought, almost to the day, when victorious in the Reefton Cup (1400m) on Tuesday. The son of Contributer settled to the rear of the pack for jockey Corey Campbell in the West Coast of New Zealand feature as Diamond Girl set her customary blistering pace up front, opening up several margins on the main pack. Campbell pushed his charge forward at the 900m mark to sit parked in the main bunch as they continued to hunt down the pacemaker. They caught the leader with 150m to go and Follow Your Dreams entered a dogfight with Tap ‘n’ Go down the straight, eventually getting the better of his foe to win by a long neck, while stablemate The Buffer ran home well to finish a further 2-1/4 lengths back in third in the hands of stable apprentice Danika Wilson. “Both of the horses went well,” said Krystal Williams, who trains in partnership with her father Ken Rae. “Follow Your Dreams was more forward than the other one and it was nice to see him get a win again because he has been out of the winner’s circle for quite a while. “I thought over the last few runs Follow Your Dreams has been really close to picking up that win. The horse he is this time in is a lot better than he was over the winter, we have just been waiting for it to happen.” Williams was a little disappointed in The Buffer’s result, but was proud of her charge nonetheless. “His run wasn’t as good as it could have been. He came a bit wide on the home bend, but he has battled on for third like he always does, he is a tough little warhorse,” she said. Follow Your Dreams is now on a path towards the $350,000 Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) at Riccarton on April 13. “We brought Follow Your Dreams down to the South Island stable for that mile race later in the year for South Island horses only,” Williams said. “That is something we are going to work towards, but whether or not we get him there I don’t know.” The stable also picked up two further placings on the undercard courtesy of Berbizier and The Roaring Tiger. “Berbizier and The Roaring Tiger both went well today. They were quite fast-run races so it was hope for the best and see what we could do,” Williams said. Williams has enjoyed the West Coast hospitality and said she looks forward to heading to the holiday carnival every year. “This is about my 11th year now (coming to the West Coast),” she said. “We have made some very good friends with the locals and we catch-up with them every time we come back. We have made new owners from each time we have come over. We always have a great time and the kids all really enjoy it.” More horse racing news View the full article

What 2024 Magic Millions 2YO Classic Where Gold Coast Turf Club – Racecourse Dr, Bundall QLD 4217 When Saturday, January 13, 2024 Prizemoney $3,000,000 Distance 1200m Conditions Restricted Listed 2023 winner Skirt The Law (2) | T: Tony Gollan | J: Ryan Maloney (55kg) Visit Dabble The 38th edition of the Magic Million 2YO Classic will co-headline the massive 11-race card at the Gold Coast on Saturday afternoon. With rain forecast to fall in the Gold Coast area every day in the lead up to Magic Millions Day, many are curious to see what condition the track will be in on Saturday. After Skirt The Law claimed the 2023 edition of the race, she became the sixth filly in the last seven years to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. A full field of 16 runners is set to compete over 1200m, with only four maidens set to take their place in the $3 million race. 2024 Magic Millions 2YO Classic odds The top two runners in racebook order also sit at the top of the market for the 2024 Magic Millions 2YO Classic, with Storm Boy from the Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott stable marked as the +140 favourite, ahead of the Ciaron Maher & David Eustace-trained Spywire (+400). On the third line of betting is Highness (+550) from the Michael Freedman yard, closely followed by the Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained Arabian Summer (+600). 2024 Magic Millions 2YO Classic speed map Much like most two-year-old races, there is an abundance of speed in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Storm Boy, Spywire and Arabian Summer will push forward from outside barriers, while Highness and Wolfgang are expected to make them work for the lead as they jump from inside gates. Any number of runners could settle midfield and towards the back of the field, but Parkour, Territory Ash and Poster Girl are the horses that are most likely to be swooping down the outside from the back. Continue reading for HorseBetting’s top selections and $100 betting strategy for the 2024 Magic Millions 2YO Classic. Magic Millions 2YO Classic 2024 preview & form Arabian Summer has won her last two starts at Ballarat and the Gold Coast, which saw her climb to the top of the prize money-earning list for the 2YO Classic. The Tony & Calvin McEvoy-trained filly was a dominant winner in her two victories, with her last start performance being the best of her career to date. This daughter of Too Darn Hot raced in the Gold Pearl 2YO Fillies over 1100m, and even though she had to give her rivals 2kg, this girl booted away from the field with 250m to go and went on to win by 2.3 lengths. From barrier nine, Harry Coffey will be able to follow the race favourite across the field and settle in behind the speed. If Arabian Summer doesn’t get posted wide and settles in the first six, she will get every chance to continue the filly dominance in this race. The race favourite and number one saddlecloth, Storm Boy, is one of the two undefeated runners in this year’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic. The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained colt has been dominant at both starts to date, with his last start 2.4-length victory in the Group 3 B.J. McLachlan Stakes cementing his spot at the top of the market in this contest. This son of Justify will push forward from barrier 10 to settle on-speed, where he should find the front with company and ensure the race is run at a solid tempo. If the track is very wet and Storm Boy has to do a lot of work to find the front, it could make him vulnerable in the final 200m. James Cummings will only have one runner in the 2YO Classic, as Parkour will take his place in the $3 million feature. This two-year-old colt was an eye-catching runner on debut when flying home from the back of the field to finish second behind Arabian Summer at Ballarat, before dominating a small field at Randwick last start. This son of Extreme Choice has drawn very wide in barrier 17, which leaves Jamie Kah with only one option, get back and run on. Parkour appears to have the ability to run over the top of her rivals if the race is run at a strong tempo, but he may get too far back from the horrible gate. If Spywire were to win the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, it would give his trainers Ciaron Maher & David Eustace their third win in the race in the last five years. Although this colt hasn’t finished outside the top two in his three starts, drawing barrier 12 has hindered his chances slightly because he is expected to be a key speed influence in this race. If this son of Trapeze Artist is slow away, like last start, James McDonald will have to be at his very best to get him into a forward position without using too much gas in the early stages of the race. Magic Millions 2YO Classic 2024 selections & best bets Selections: 8 ARABIAN SUMMER 1 STORM BOY 3 PARKOUR 2 SPYWIRE $100 betting strategy $100 Win Arabian Summer (#8) @ +600 with Neds More horse racing tips View the full article

Happy Together continues to advance this season. Alexis Badel is hoping to time it right aboard the rapidly rising Happy Together in Wednesday night’s Group 3 January Cup Handicap (1800m). Amid a sparkling season with three wins from four starts, Happy Together continues to up the ante, enough so to warrant his shot at Happy Valley’s sole Group race with Badel confident he has found the key to unlocking even more success for the five-year-old. “I learnt from my mistake two starts ago at Sha Tin. You need to preserve his turn of foot and you have to be a bit more patient – I didn’t make the same mistake twice and it was a good win last start,” Badel said. “He’s doing very well and he keeps improving.” Trained by Frankie Lor, Happy Together will carry 115lb tomorrow. He most recently won a quality Class 2 at Happy Valley last month – his only race at the city circuit. “To his credit, he has a good turn of foot. He can quicken well and he trialled well at Happy Valley when he was younger, so I was confident he was going to run a good race last time, as long as he could relax for me,” Badel said. Check out HorseBetting’s Happy Valley preview here. Happy Together tackles the Valley’s 1800m trip for the first time in the January Cup, while five-year-old’s boast a strong record with 13 wins in the race since it was first staged in 1999, including five out of the last six renewals. “I’d prefer a good tempo – it’s easier for me. There’s no doubt he’s a nice horse and he’s in good form carrying no weight,” Badel said. Happy Together meets Encountered (135lb), Money Catcher (134lb), Sword Point (126lb), Telecom Fighters (124lb), Tourbillon Diamond (118lb), Champion Dragon (117lb), Helene Feeling (115lb), Nimble Nimbus (115lb), Rising From Ashes (115lb), La City Blanche (115lb) and Berlin Tango (115lb) in the January Cup. Lor and Badel combined to win the 2019 running with Simply Brilliant, who carried 114lb. Happy Together is one of three runners in the race for Lor, who also saddles Money Catcher and Sword Point. “He’s good but this time he’ll carry 134 pounds,” Lor said of Money Catcher, who won the 2023 January Cup. Sword Point was Group 2-placed two runs ago and pairs with Hugh Bowman this week. “He’s good, I put Hugh Bowman on for last week’s gallop – he was happy,” Lor said. La City Blanche contests his second Group 3 in Hong Kong in the January Cup. He finished third in November’s HK$4.2 million Group 3 Sa Sa Ladies’ Purse Handicap (1800m). Karis Teetan will partner the bay – who has won once over 1800m at Happy Valley – from barrier one for Tony Cruz. “He goes in with a light weight and he’s won at Happy Valley before. Last start he ran into some really big horses. I think going into the race with a light weight that he has a chance – he’s run well at the Valley before,” Teetan said. “If he gets the right run this week, then he’ll get his chance.” Badel rides another swift improver at the city circuit. The Frenchman gets the leg-up on Healthy Healthy for trainer Pierre Ng. “He had a light weight last time but he’s the type of horse who is big enough to carry the weight, it isn’t a bother. He looks well and he’s recovered from his last run,” Ng said. More horse racing news View the full article

by Jessica Martini & Stefanie Grimm LEXINGTON, KY – During a session dominated for much of the day by the short yearlings, the supplemented broodmare Sebago Lake (Tapit) jumped to the lead in the final hips when selling for $700,000 to Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Overall, through two days of the four-day auction, 430 head have grossed $31,596,700 for an average of $73,481 and a median of $30,500. With continued strength at the top of the market, the Book 1 average dipped just 3.39% from a year ago, but the median is down 23.75%. “It started off very healthy,” Keeneland's Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said of Tuesday's session. “Through the day, there were some spots where it got a little slower, but it ended up really strong. Again, quality was to the fore. You saw some of those young mares, bred to some exciting new stallions were selling extremely well. Farms are reloading again. We saw the same pattern that we saw yesterday.” The two-day buy-back rate is 27.97%. It was 26.92% a year ago. Three short yearlings sold for $400,000 or over during Tuesday's session, with a colt by Not This Time and a filly by Candy Ride (Arg) sharing the day's top price of $430,000. “Foals that were by the right stallions, had the right physicals, vetted, there was a very strong, competitive environment for them,” Lacy said. “There is a lot of confidence out there. Speaking to the sellers, they felt like it was a really good market. The buyers found it to be very competitive to try to buy the stock they were interested in. I don't think it's inflated at all, I don't think it's depressed in any way. I think it feels like a very healthy, fair environment. If you bring the right stock to market, you are going to get rewarded for it. Today was just a continuation of the momentum we saw yesterday.” With 424 head catalogued for Tuesday's session, only 275 went through the ring. “It's sort of a factor of the time of year we are in,” Keeneland's Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach said of the large number of outs. “It's a time of year when weanlings-into-yearlings are changing a lot. They don't always vet the way people intend them to vet and they are happy to wait until September in some cases. We did have more outs than we were expecting. They kind of came in early, though, so going into yesterday, we already had a lot of outs, and more than we would have had last year, and we had a couple dozen more during the session.” With close to 130 outs coming Monday evening, and not during Tuesday's session, Lacy said the scratches might not reflect a lack of interest from would-be buyers. “A lot of people don't have to sell,” Lacy said. “If they have something they think is in sort of an awkward stage or if they are sitting on an update, if there is something active in the family potentially, they hit pause. That's the time of year we are in. People weren't scratching, necessarily, for lack of action. They were scratching a little earlier for various reasons. It didn't feel in any way that there was concern from sellers.” “We ended very, very strongly here this evening. Young mares coming off the track or in foal to some exciting young stallions were very much in demand.” @ScottFDTV discusses the results of day two at @keenelandsales January with Tony Lacy and Cormac Breathnach. pic.twitter.com/X6pR53JRdu — TVG (@TVG) January 9, 2024 Breathnach admitted the decrease in median during the January sale's two-session Book 1 could be a reflection of the polarization of the market. “The average is fairly close [to the 2023 figure],” Breathnach said. “The median is down 20+% and that's what we watch. That maybe reflects some of the polarization in the market. The top of it is doing well, keeping the average up, but there is some selectivity in the middle to lower levels. It might reflect what brings a premium and what is tougher to sell.” The Keeneland January sale continues through Thursday with sessions beginning daily at 10 a.m. Sebago Lake a Late Highlight at Keeneland Sebago Lake (Tapit) (hip 831), in foal to Justify, sparked a bidding battle late in Tuesday's second session of the Keeneland January sale when selling for $700,000 to the phone bid of Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm. Hip 831 in the ring | Keeneland The 5-year-old mare, a half-sister to graded winner Family Way (Uncle Mo) and from the family of Caravaggio, was well beaten in a pair of racetrack appearances in September of 2021 for her co-breeder, Adam Bowden's Diamond Creek Farm. Eaton Sales consigned the gray mare to the sale on behalf of Diamond Creek. “She was probably one of the best mares in the sale, in my opinion,” said Eaton's Reiley McDonald. “She's a beautiful mare in foal to the right horse. She's by Tapit and looks like a Tapit. And I also think it helped that there is limited supply at the upper level.” Sebago Lake, whose first foal is now a short yearling colt by Uncle Mo, was a supplemental entry to the auction. “I think it was a late decision just to put her in,” McDonald said. “She was the real thing and that's why she sold well. They didn't pay too much and everybody came out of it with a win.” @JessMartiniTDN Pugh Strikes for Not This Time Colt Peter Pugh went to $430,000 to acquire a short yearling by Not This Time (hip 685) from the Warrendale Sales consignment Tuesday at Keeneland. “All of the top people were on the horse coming up here,” said Warrendale's Hunter Simms. “He was very well received. We are honored to sell a horse like that and wish the connections the best of luck.” Simms continued, “The horse was very straightforward. Good bone on him, very correct, walked well. He was a very nice horse.” Bred by Petaluma Bloodstock, the bay colt is out of Dalsaros (Unbridled's Song), a daughter of Grade I winner Ask the Moon (Malibu Moon). Bloodstock agent Kerri Radcliffe signed the ticket at $325,000 to acquire Dalsaros, in foal to City of Light, at the 2020 Keeneland November sale. The in utero City of Light colt went on to sell for $300,000 at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton November sale. The mare's Tiz the Law filly sold for $300,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. Of the colt's placement in the January sale, Simms explained, “There were a lot of foals in November and we figured he would stand out here. He is probably the second-highest priced foal that is going to sell at this sale, so we always try to concentrate on placement with horses and finding the right sale and finding the right book to put them in. Whether it's November, January, February, wherever, we try to find the right spot where they will stand out.” Peter Pugh | Keeneland After initial confusion about who had actually purchased the colt, who had already been led out of the ring, bidding was opened again and ended at $430,000 with Pugh, signing under the Cherry Knoll Farm banner, as the winning bidder. “It's always confusing,” Simms said. “There are a lot of people in every doorway and every nook and cranny and trying to be secretive. And it happens. They opened it back up and we were able to get $430,000, which is a nice price for that horse. It all worked out in the end.” @JessMartiniTDN Candy Ride Filly to Stewart John Stewart, active at the top level at the auctions last fall, got back into action at Keeneland Tuesday, purchasing a short yearling by Candy Ride (Arg) (hip 497) for $430,000 under his operation's new name, Resolute Bloodstock. The filly was consigned by Stone Farm. “She was absolutely stunning,” said Stewart's advisor Gavin O'Connor. “She had great size. She just ticked all the boxes for a Candy Ride, especially being a May foal. She was balanced with great conformation and she was squeaky clean. Just a high quality, classy filly. We will probably keep her and play the long game with her. She screams race horse. She is just a fabulous filly.” The chestnut filly is out of Rags Pauline (Union Rags), a half-sister to graded winner Keen Pauline (Pulpit). “She came up here and showed great,” said Stone Farm's Lynn Hancock. “She didn't turn a hair and was very popular. She has a great walk and moved well and showed well. I think she got all the right people on her.” Rags Pauline, with the filly in utero, sold for $80,000 to Jack Hirsch at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton December Digital sale. The yearling was bred by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Spearmaco. “A client of ours bought her,” Hancock said of Rags Pauline. “I haven't spoken to them yet, but I assume they are happy. It's hard not to be happy with that result.” Lynn Hancock | Keeneland The 8-year-old broodmare was bred back to Army Mule last year. Through two sessions of the four-day auction, Resolute Bloodstock has purchased seven horses for $905,000. In addition to hip 497, the operation acquired stakes-placed 4-year-old filly Smokie Eyes (Nyquist) (hip 134) for $140,000 and Indian Mound (Medaglia d'Oro) (hip 768) for $250,000. O'Connor said the move of horses into Stewart's new farm in Midway was well under way. “So far, so good,” he said. “We are over there now. Some of the big girls are over there–[newly acquired broodmares] Puca, Pizza Bianca, and Lenni Girl–and we have a few more coming there this week. We have eight babies over there as well. So we are slowly transitioning the stock from where they are at the moment and getting established.” @JessMartiniTDN O'Callaghan Goes to $400,000 for Justify Colt A strong opening bid of $275,000 from the back wasn't enough to scare off P B Bloodstock and Jenny O'Callaghan, who went to $400,000 to purchase Hip 594, the only yearling son of Justify in the sale. “He's a beautiful horse from the first time we saw him at the barn,” said O'Callaghan. “We knew we had to have him–he was our star horse for the day.” Hip 594 | Keeneland The colt, bred in Kentucky by Justice Stables, is a half to GSP Conquest Babayaga (Uncle Mo) and to SP Sorrentina Lemon (Lemon Drop Kid) and out of a half-sister to Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Neligee (Northern Afleet). “He's by Justify who is an exceptional stallion on turf, dirt, with colts and fillies. We're hoping there will be a big market for him next year. That's the most expensive horse that we bought but we have full confidence in the stallion and he's just a natural horse that possesses so much natural athletic ability. We'll bring him back [to Keeneland] again as a yearling next year.” @SGrimmTDN Music Street Brings $210,000 Off Falls City Second Music Street (Street Sense) (hip 449) brought a final bid of $210,000 from Blanco Bloodstock early in the session Tuesday at the Keeneland January Horses of all Ages Sale, capping a racing career for Kim Valerio who initially bought the mare as a yearling at Keeneland in 2020. Campaigned for Valerio along with partners Prakash Sham Masand and Grandview Equine, Music Street finished her career with a second to Xigera (Nyquist) in the GIII Falls City S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 23. “I love Street Sense and I love [second dam] Xtra Heat,” said Valerio on buying the filly as a yearling. “And she's so pretty. She's such a sweetheart. It's bittersweet really, I didn't want to sell her but I had partners and she's turning five. But I just love her and I'm super happy with where she's going. They take great care of their mares.” After earning over $295,000 on the track, Music Street sold as a broodmare prospect only to Blanco Bloodstock Tuesday. @SGrimmTDN The post $700,000 Sebago Lake Charges Keeneland January Tuesday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article