Wandering Eyes

It is very clear how important the Melbourne Cup is within Australia. Observers at Tattersalls last week were left in no doubt of that. A large proportion of the most expensive lots were bought to head Down Under, with the Melbourne Cup repeatedly mentioned as the ultimate target. It is now, though, a major race both within Australasia and internationally, its global appeal having increased dramatically 30 years ago in the 3 minutes 23.43 seconds which it took Vintage Crop (Ire) to take the prize on the first Tuesday in November 1993. That triumphant breakthrough represented the moment when the Cup became a truly global event, but it had been a major landmark both domestically and internationally since the 19th century. The respect which the two words 'Melbourne Cup' generated in the Victorian era was shown by the purchase in 1895 of Carbine (NZ), the highlight of whose 33 wins had been when he had won the Cup in 1890, carrying 10 stone 5lb and giving 53lb to the runner-up. By 1895 Carbine had made a promising start to his stud career and his fame was enough to persuade the Duke of Portland to recruit him, at a price of 13,000 guineas, to stand in England alongside reigning champion sire St. Simon (GB) at Welbeck Abbey Stud in Nottinghamshire. He was a great success there, most notably spawning a three-generation sequence of Derby winners, starting with his son Spearmint (GB) in 1906. The iconic Melbourne Cup | Racingfotos.com A second Melbourne Cup winner followed hot on Carbine's heels when the 1896 winner Newhaven (Aus) headed north after that season's Sydney Autumn Carnival. His part-owner Mr Cooper had bought a seat on the London Stock Exchange so he arranged that Newhaven would come to England with him. The highlight of Newhaven's career in England came when he won the City And Suburban H. at Epsom in 1899, reportedly winning connections £50,000 in bets. Unfortunately, though, he could not follow Carbine into the ranks of British-based stallions as he was not accepted into the (British) General Stud Book because of doubts supposedly held about the identity of his fourth dam. Consequently, he had to return to Australia to begin his stud career. Remarkably, Newhaven was not the greatest Australian horse racing in England during the final years of the 19th century. That honour was held by Merman (Aus). Having ended the Spring Carnival in Melbourne in 1896 by winning the Williamstown Cup, Merman was brought to England, where he was bought by the famous actress Lillie Langtry for 1,600 guineas. Merman became a remarkable trouper in his adopted homeland, ensuring that Australian stayers would be revered worldwide for decades. The highlight of his three wins in his first season in England, 1897, came when he won the Cesarewitch H. at Newmarket. At the same meeting the following season he won the Jockey Club Cup, having run well in the Cambridgeshire H. the previous day and in the Cesarewitch H. the day before that. His toughness and class were also in evidence at Glorious Goodwood the following summer, when he won both the Goodwood Plate and the Goodwood Cup. Age and exertion did not weary him because it turned out that he was saving the best 'til last: in 1900, aged eight, he won the greatest staying prize of them all, the Gold Cup at Ascot. One race which particularly illustrated the strength in depth of Australian horses racing in England at the time was the Epsom Gold Cup (now G1 Coronation Cup) at the Derby Meeting in 1898 when Merman was one of three antipodean imports in the field, alongside Newhaven and the 1896 VRC Newmarket H. winner Maluma (Aus). Furthermore, when Merman contested the Cambridgeshire that autumn, he finished behind the imported winner Georgic (Aus), previously successful in the AJC All-Aged S. at Randwick in 1895. Two-Way Traffic for Top Stayers Red Cadeaux, with Robin Trevor Jones and rider Steven Nicholson, was second in three Cups | Emma Berry It was not all one-way traffic, of course. The Australian Stud Book was built on imports, with such horses differentiated from the colonial-breds by an asterisk printed alongside their names. It was the norm for the Melbourne Cup to be won by a horse with at least one imported parent, but the first winner of the race bred in Europe was Comedy King (GB) (Persimmon {GB}), successful in 1910. Leading Melbourne-based bookmaker Sol Green had gone to England on holiday in 1906 and bought some horses there. One was the Gallinule mare Tragedy Queen (GB), purchased from the Royal Studs, in foal Persimmon. Green left the mare in England but once the resultant foal, Comedy King, had been weaned he was exported to Australia (forging a path subsequently trodden by the Somerset-born three-time Melbourne Cup heroine Makybe Diva). Just as Comedy King took Makybe Diva's route to Melbourne Cup glory nearly a century before the great mare won her three Cups, so did the 1924 winner Backwood (GB) foreshadow the legion of Australian owners, trainers and agents who nowadays shop at Tattersalls with future Melbourne Cups in mind. A dual winner at a mile and a half in England, Backwood was bought by Australian owners E. L. Baillieu and W. Clark for 2,500 guineas in the hope that he would win the Cup in 1923. He disappointed badly that year won 12 months later, trained at Flemington by Richard Bradfield. Hopes were high during the war that the Royal Studs would yield another Melbourne Cup winner, following Comedy King. After three unplaced runs in England for King George VI, the Hyperion horse Helios (GB) was sold to race in Australia. He was shaping up nicely until misadventure struck: he injured himself by over-reaching when pulling up from a track gallop at Flemington, fracturing his near-fore pastern, and had to be retired. The story had a happy ending though, as he became champion sire in 1948/'49 and overall sired the winners of over 1,000 races, with one of his best sons being the 1954 Melbourne Cup winner Wodalla (Aus). The Melbourne Cup naturally began to feature on the international radar more and more as time passed. By the 1980s, improved air-travel and improved communications were making the world a smaller place. Sangster Backs the Cup Robert Sangster's love for Australia meant that the Melbourne Cup came to join the Derby on his list of most coveted prizes. One of the first horses transferred by him from England to Colin Hayes in South Australia was Beldale Ball, whom he had bought out of Michael Jarvis's Newmarket stable in 1979. Beldale Ball thrived under Hayes's care to the extent that he recorded a glorious triumph in the Melbourne Cup in 1980. Sheikh Hamdan Al Maktoum too began to focus on Australian racing, the flames of his enthusiasm fanned by the passion of his manager Angus Gold. At Talaq (Roberto) had carried the Shadwell silks into fourth place in the Derby in 1984 at 250/1 when trained in Newmarket by Harry Thomson Jones; two years later, prepared by Colin Hayes, he won the Melbourne Cup. (The same team would win a second Melbourne Cup in 1994 with Jeune (GB), a Royal Ascot winner bought out of Geoff Wragg's stable specifically to try to win the great race). Within Australia, Lloyd Williams's Melbourne Cup ambitions were continuing to grow. Prominent in the syndicates which raced the Tommy Smith-trained 1981 Cup winner Just A Dash (Aus) and the John Meagher-trained 1985 Cup winner What A Nuisance (NZ), Williams learned the lessons provided by Beldale Ball and At Talaq. Another horse who caught his attention was Natski (Ire), a maiden race winner at Redcar for Luca Cumani in 1987 who, sold to Australia, was trained by Jack Denham to fail by only inches behind Empire Rose (NZ) in the Melbourne Cup the following year. Also in the field that day was Authaal (Ire), trained by Colin Hayes for Sheikh Mohammed. The son of Shergar had previously won the G1 Irish St Leger in 1986 when trained by David O'Brien. Williams sent John Meagher, accompanied by Pat Carey, to England to find some suitable prospects and they nearly hit the jackpot straightaway when they selected the Aga Khan's Naiyrizi (Ire), bought out of Luca Cumani's stable after winning at Ascot, Windsor and Doncaster in 1988. During the Melbourne Spring Carnival in 1989 Nayrizi won the VATC Herbert Power H. before finishing a close second to Cole Diesel (Aus) in the VATC Caulfield Cup a week later. Williams has, of course, bought many European horses since then and during the current century has won four Cups with European-bred horses, trained either in Australia or Ireland. Ireland's Breakthrough The momentum of interest and competition building, it was only a matter of time before European-trained horses began to contest the Cup. The breakthrough of British-trained horses running in Australasia had come in the late '80s when the G1 Tancred S. in Sydney and the G1 Air New Zealand S. in New Zealand were being promoted as international races. England's two most pioneering trainers, John Dunlop and Clive Brittain, rose to the challenge. The Melbourne Cup had to come next, particularly as it was sponsored by Carlton & United Brewery, which had recently broken into the European market in a major way with the booming worldwide popularity of Foster's Lager. That is exactly what came to pass thirty years ago, on the first Tuesday of November 1993. Two European trainers each sent a horse to Flemington in 1993. From England, Lord Huntingdon (who had trained at Warwick Farm in Sydney for a couple of years in the late '70s) sent the Ascot Gold Cup winner Drum Taps, the mount of Frankie Dettori. From Ireland, Dermot Weld sent the previous year's Cesarewitch H. winner Vintage Crop, ridden by Mick Kinane. This bold challenge was meat and drink for Weld, who had already become the first European trainer to saddle the winner of a US Triple Crown race (Go And Go (Ire) in the 1990 Belmont S.) and the first to win a race at the Hong Kong International Meeting (Additional Risk (Ire) in the 1991 HK Bowl). Drum Taps, ridden by Frankie Dettori, found it hard under top weight of 58.5kg, finishing ninth. But Vintage Crop, carrying 3kg less and feeling at home in the rain which lashed Flemington that afternoon, was sublime. Bearing the colours of Dr Michael Smurfit, Vintage Crop came home three lengths in front of Te Akau Nick (NZ), who had recently become the first Group 1 winner trained by Gai Waterhouse by winning the G1 AJC Metropolitan H. at Randwick. As Mick Kinane brought Vintage Crop back to scale, an emotional Weld delighted the local press corps by reciting lines from A. B. 'Banjo' Paterson's 'A Bush Christening' in the winner's enclosure. It was a very special way for the international racing landscape to be changed forever. European Success Grows Protectionist, the sole German-trained winner of the Melbourne Cup | Emma Berry Since then, raiders from Europe for the Melbourne Cup have become the norm. The first leg of Melbourne's 'Cups Double' has also become a regular target, with Europe's breakthrough in that race coming in 1998 when Ray Cochrane brought the Lady Herries-trained Taufan's Melody (Ire) home in front. Weld and Dr Smurfit won the Melbourne Cup again in 2002 with Media Puzzle. Since then, four other countries have claimed the prize. Japan won it in 2006 with the Katsuhiko Sumii-trained Delta Blues (Jpn). Alain de Royer-Dupre and Mikel Delzangles won it for France in 2010 and '11, courtesy of Americain and Dunaden (Fr). German trainer Andreas Wohler supplied the hero in 2014, Protectionist (Ger). Godolphin won in 2018 with Cross Counter (GB), trained in England by Charlie Appleby. Furthermore, Weld's feat of supplying two winners has been matched by his compatriot Joseph O'Brien, courtesy of Rekindling (Ire) and Twilight Payment (Ire) in 2017 and 2020 respectively, both horses owned by Lloyd Williams.. Any overview of European achievers in the Melbourne Cup wouldn't be complete without mentioning Luca Cumani in dispatches, thanks to a run of narrow defeats, none closer than the pixel or two by which Bauer (GB) was edged out by the Bart Cummings-trained Viewed (Aus) in 2008. Another Newmarket-based trainer to have played a chief supporting role has been Ed Dunlop, whose ultra-genuine charge Red Cadeaux (GB) wrote his name into Cup history as the only horse to finish second in the race three times (in 2011, '13 and '14). Nowadays, Australian owners and trainers seem intent on buying nearly all of the most likely European Cup prospects. Many were in action at Tattersalls last week and the recent domination of major Australian staying races by European-breds does not seem likely to end any time soon. The internationalisation of the Melbourne Cup has been a gradual process with many heroes playing their part. Comedy King and Backwood both made special contributions, but none stand taller than Vintage Crop, Dermot Weld, Mick Kinane and Dr Smurfit. The significance of their breakthrough triumph 30 years ago will live forever as the day on which 'the race which stops a nation' became a race which the world watches. The post The World Now Watches the Race That Stops a Nation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The five days between last Wednesday's pre-entries and Monday's official draw for the Breeders' Cup afford a brief window of opportunity to examine a few subtleties that emerged from the early version of the match-ups for this weekend's championships. The decision by the connections of Practical Move (Practical Joke) to aim for the GI Dirt Mile instead of the GI Classic tops the list. The Classic, which lost Mage (Good Magic) and Geaux Rocket Ride (Candy Ride {Arg}) to illness and injury, respectively, over the weekend, lacks a standout favorite, and you'd have to think Practical Move (4-for-4 at Santa Anita) would have stood a decent shot had he also been pre-entered for that spot. But considering the colt has had only one race (an Oct. 6 allowance romp at a mile) since winning the GI Santa Anita Derby, trainer Tim Yakteen thought it best not to dive into the deeper end of the pool, distance-wise. “Ultimately, it boiled down to we only had the one race, and I wasn't confident in myself that I'd have him ready to go a mile and a quarter,” Yakteen told FanDuel TV's Christina Blacker on Friday. “So we opted for the tougher race of the two,” Yakteen added with a slight laugh. Yakteen was referring to “tough” in the sense that the Dirt Mile will be headed by defending champ Cody's Wish (Curlin), who projects as a formidable favorite. “I think we sort of ran out of time, and I wanted to make sure that we were going to take on a distance that we had already proven ourselves at,” Yakteen continued. “The mile and a quarter was still an unknown, so we'll go the Gun Runner route, go in the [Dirt] Mile, and then hopefully come back in the Classic next year.” Gun Runner, in 2016, ran second in the Dirt Mile when the championships were also held at Santa Anita. In 2017, he won the Classic. But Gun Runner didn't have to deal with a half-year layoff at age three. His connections had opted for the Dirt Mile after competing in the 10-furlong GI Kentucky Derby and then going 1-for-4 in other stakes through the summer. The decision on where to run Practical Move more closely resembles that of Omaha Beach in 2019. In fact, the comparison is strikingly similar. Four years ago, that Richard Mandella trainee won his final Derby prep at nine furlongs (the GI Arkansas Derby). Omaha Beach then was installed as the imposing morning-line favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby, but had to scratch several days before the race with an entrapped epiglottis. It took Omaha Beach six months to get back to the races. Four weeks before the Breeders' Cup, Mandella spotted him in the GI Santa Anita Sprint Championship S. at six furlongs, which he won. Mandella then targeted the Dirt Mile instead of the Classic because of concerns over the colt's ability to be ready for a 10-furlong test off that single prep sprint. The Breeders' Cup was also at Santa Anita that year, where Omaha Beach was 2-for-2. He ended up second in the Dirt Mile as the even-money favorite. Practical Move's sophomore season aligns with Omaha Beach's in that he, too, won his final Derby prep at nine furlongs (the Santa Anita Derby). And although he wasn't the morning-line fave for this past May's Kentucky Derby, he was among the top contenders, and also had to scratch just days before the Derby after spiking a temperature. After a similar six-month layoff, like Omaha Beach, his trainer picked a Santa Anita race four weeks out from the Breeders' Cup. And like Omaha Beach, Practical Move won that prep. Now he, too, will try the Dirt Mile instead of the Classic. Practical Move's connections will be hoping the similarities stop there and result in a win, which is something that neither Gun Runner nor Omaha Beach could deliver at Santa Anita after being entered in the shorter (but not necessarily easier) Breeders' Cup spot. Also of note… Undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) figures to be the heaviest favorite on the Friday card of Breeders' Cup races for 2-year-olds. The GI Juvenile Fillies, however, hasn't been kind to the betting public's choice in recent runnings: The chalk has lost six of the last seven editions. Trainer John Ortiz hedged a bit by pre-entering Brightwork (Outwork) in both the Juvenile Fillies and the GI Juvenile Turf Sprint. The thinking was that she's 4-for-4 around one turn on dirt, and the Juvenile Turf Sprint would keep her within her distance comfort zone, even though she's never tried the grass. As of Saturday though, Ortiz said he was leaning toward running on dirt in the two-turn Juvenile Fillies. It wasn't surprising that Ortiz gave Brightwork that dual option. But it did catch the eye how many other trainers of fillies were attracted to the Juvenile Turf Sprint: Fillies (13) actually outnumbered colts and geldings (11) in the pre-entries. The Wine Steward (Vino Rosso) could end up as an overlaid sleeper in the GI Juvenile. Given the betting public's propensity for discounting New York-breds in major, open stakes, he could go off at double-digit odds even though he ran one of the more visually appealing 2-year-old stakes efforts in a losing try. The Oct. 7 GI Breeders' Futurity S. was The Wine Steward's first go around two turns, and he drew the rail while entering the race off a 3-for-3 record. He saved ground, advanced on the pacemakers to lead a quarter-mile out (over a short-stretch configuration), got accosted by the odds-on favorite, Locked (Gun Runner), then gamely snatched back the lead for a sixteenth of a mile in deep stretch before Locked re-rallied to nail The Wine Steward by half a length at the wire. Since The Wine Steward's two moves to the lead happened between chart calling points, they aren't evident in his running line. In addition, that Keeneland stakes was initially clocked in 1:45.06 for 1 1/16 miles, but was subsequently re-adjusted to 1:44.62, boosting every horse's initially assigned Beyer Speed Figure by as many as six points. Speaking of Beyers, I still do a double-take every time I glance at the past performances for defending GI Filly and Mare Sprint victress Goodnight Olive (Ghostzapper). Yes, she really earned a 108 despite being beaten 2 1/2 lengths in the Aug. 26 Ballerina H. at Saratoga when second behind the now-injured Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), who ran a 112. It's not every day that you see a triple-digit Beyer that high in a losing effort, and it's an even rarer accomplishment for a filly or mare. Four weeks ago in this column, I wrote about the devastating late run uncorked by More Than Looks (More Than Ready), who earned a 101 Beyer when throttling the field in the $200,000 Jefferson Cup at Churchill Downs. At that time, the 3-year-old colt's connections indicated they'd likely bypass the Breeders' Cup and instead point toward the Oct. 28 GIII Bryan Station S. at Keeneland, with a late-season goal of shipping west for the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar Dec. 2. Those plans changed Friday when More Than Looks scratched out of Saturday's Bryan Station as the 9-5 morning-line favorite, and instead worked a half-mile with the intent of heading to Santa Anita for the GI Mile once it became clear he wasn't still stuck on the alternates list. This upstart contender for trainer Cherie DeVaux could be getting scary-good at just the right time. Although short on experience, he has the right off-the-tailgate style for a Breeders' Cup race that historically eats up front-runners. Joel Rosario, who was aboard for Friday's work (and previously rode for this colt's maiden-breaking win in the spring) has reportedly committed to the mount in the Mile. The post The Week in Review: On Eve of Breeders’ Cup Entries, Sifting Through Subtleties appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The dual Group 1 winner Shaquille (GB) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) is the first stallion to retire to Steve Parkin's Dullingham Park near Newmarket. The top-rated sprinter in Europe this year, Shaquille was trained by Julie Camacho to win the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot before defeating his elders in the July Cup at Newmarket. The 3-year-old was co-bred by his owner Martin Hughes, who paid tribute to the retiring star, saying, “It was an honour to be associated with such a brilliant horse. To breed him and to race him in my colours, and then to see him develop into a superstar on the track was thrilling. Both of his Group 1 wins were spectacular. I now look forward to partnering with Dullingham Park in his future career as a stallion.” Shaquille is out of the Galileo (Ire) mare Magic (Ire), herself a daughter of Cheveley Park Stud's multiple group-winning sprinter Danehurst (GB) (Danehill). He won seven of his nine career starts, including scoring twice at York as a juvenile and landing the Listed Carnarvon S. at Newbury before his twin Group 1 successes. Steve Parkin, who outlined his plans for Dullingham Park Stud in a TDN interview last month, said, “We are delighted to have been able to secure a horse of Shaquille's ability and potential to stand at our new stallion farm. Julie, Steve and their team have done a terrific job with his racing career and I know that our team will be working hard to ensure that Shaquille is equally successful in his new career as a stallion.” Ollie Fowlston, who was appointed earlier this year to manage Dullingham Park Stud, added, “It is a tribute to the commitment Steve Parkin has shown to the British breeding industry in establishing a new stallion operation on an historic stud that we are able to introduce a stallion of Shaquille's calibre. In addition to his obvious speed and ability, he is a tremendously good-looking horse with a wonderful temperament. We can't wait to show him to breeders from around the world during the Tattersalls December Sales.” Shaquille's trainer Julie Camacho and her husband and assistant trainer Steve Brown said, “Shaquille has taken us to the very highest level and given us some of the most exciting days of our racing lives. We thank Martin for entrusting him to us, and we wish the team at Dullingham Park Stud the best of luck for his stallion career. We look forward to training some of his progeny in years to come.” The post Europe’s Top Sprinter Shaquille a First for Dullingham Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Delgado Sr. announced the morning of Oct. 29 that Kentucky Derby (G1) hero Mage will not be making the trip to California to contest the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) Nov. 4 after presenting with a feverish state in the morning. View the full article

Waipiro (Ire) (Australia {GB}), who ran sixth in the G1 Derby in the UK earlier this year, sustained a tendon injury to his right foreleg last week and is uncertain to make the Hong Kong Derby in March, trainer John Size told the South China Morning Post. Bred by Shane Molan, the Siu Pak-Kwan runner won the G3 Hampton Court S. after his Derby effort, leading former trainer Ed Walker to describe him as the “perfect horse for the Hong Kong Derby”. “I don't have a plan now because he's got a tendon injury,” Size told the paper regarding the now-gelding. “A tendon's a tendon. The recovery time depends on the horse.” Waipiro's older half-brother Waikuku (Ire) (Harbour Watch {Ire}), a winner of the G1 Stewards' Cup (twice) and G1 Queen's Silver Jubilee Cup, ran second in the HK Derby in 2019. The post Former Derby Runner Waipiro Sustains Tendon Injury In Hong Kong appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It was almost a year ago that Case Clay stepped away from his position at Three Chimneys Farm to focus full-time on his company, Case Clay Thoroughbred Management. With services including bloodstock auction and private purchases, portfolio management and equine insurance, he has stayed busy since going solo. Clay was in Australia for the Inglis Easter Sale this spring to oversee a successful auction for his clients offering yearlings there. They celebrated several lucrative sales, including a Dundeel (NZ) colt out of Kevikki (Aus) (Smart Missile {Aus})–a mare that Clay had purchased privately for the breeding partnership–that sold for A$500,000 out of the Arrowfield consignment to Katsumi Yoshida. He maintains his longstanding relationship with Three Chimneys by working to expand Gun Runner's international presence. In April he took a trip to Japan, visiting farms there to recruit mares for the emerging supersire. Of course he was recently on hand for the domestic yearlings sales as well, representing clients both buying and selling. During Book 1 of Keeneland September, Case Clay Thoroughbred Management purchased a Kingman (GB) filly from the family of Uncle Mo for $625,000. “It's going well,” Clay shared. “I'm really enjoying it and having a lot of fun. The goal is to try and do well for my clients, whether that is advising or buying or selling for them. I feel lucky to be working with some great people and what I'm really liking is the variety of work. It's never the same job from one day to the next.” Clay's next undertaking is one that he admits was never really in the cards for his business until now. At the Keeneland November Sale, he will launch his first consignment. The two-horse lineup features Puca (Big Brown–Boat's Ghost, by Silver Ghost), the dam of GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic), and Grade I-winning millionaire Dalika (Ger) (Pastorius {Ger}–Drawn to Run {Ire}), by Hurricane Run {Ire}). “This was not really in the plans, but when these two mares came along and did well, it became part of the plan,” Clay explained. “I'm lucky to have clients and relationships that have confidence in me to take them to a sale. They were very much a part of this decision and very much a part of me being fortunate enough to sell them.” Puca, in foal to Good Magic | Mathea Kelley Clay's father Robert Clay launched Grandview Equine not long after selling Three Chimneys in 2013. When the partnership bought several shares in Good Magic, they purchased Puca, a stakes-winning half-sister to GISW Finnegans Wake (Powerscourt {GB}), for $475,000. After producing her first foal by Gun Runner the following spring, Puca was sent to Good Magic in his first year at stud. The resulting foal was Mage, who Grandview sold as a yearling for $235,000. Now bound for the Breeders' Cup, the Kentucky Derby winner has additional Grade I placings in the Florida Derby, Preakness S. and Haskell S. “My dad has been floating around since May,” Clay said with a laugh. “It's very exciting for my parents and the partners in Grandview.” At 11 years old, Puca's produce record extends past Mage. That first Gun Runner foal, a filly named Gunning, was retained by Grandview and is twice stakes placed. Her 2-year-old Dornoch, a full-brother to Mage, was second in the Sapling S. in August and just broke his maiden at Keeneland by six and a half lengths for trainer Danny Gargan. Puca's yearling colt by McKinzie sold to Mayberry Farm for $1.2 million at the Keeneland September Sale. “She's three for three with producing blacktype and now has sold a $1.2 million yearling as well,” said Clay. “Her foals are all a little bit different, but one consistency is that they're good-looking horses. They're all commercially-appealing physicals. She's a big, beautiful mare and she's from a good-producing family.” Puca will be offered at Keeneland November in foal to Good Magic. “Who knows what her potential is with what she has already produced?” said Clay. “I can't think of another Derby producer that sold in the same year with this kind of produce record from only three foals to race.” The other mare in the consignment, the German-bred Dalika, represents the scope of Clay's international network. A winner at two in her native country for her breeder Gestüt Ammerland, Dalika caught the eye of Bal Mar Equine's Paul Varga. “Paul and I had talked a lot about buying fillies in Europe and racing them here,” explained Clay. “By good luck, I am friends with Ammerland. He used to board his horses at Three Chimneys back in the day. Crispin de Moubray is a good friend and he managed for Ammerland for many years. I called him and we were able to buy Dalika privately.” Dalika quickly emerged as a turf force on American soil and she was a presence in the Al Stall barn for four years as she amassed four career graded stakes wins highlighted by the 2022 GI Beverly D. S. at Churchill Downs. “She won at seven distances, from five and a half to 11 furlongs,” said Clay. “A track record setter at Churchill Downs and Kentucky Downs, she had 32 starts and retired sounds. She was kind of the dream filly. Al Stall did an amazing job training her. It's one of those things where it was such a lucky circumstance that such a durable mare ended up in Stall's hands.” Dalika is Stall's highest-earning filly with over $1.4 million in earnings. “She is very unique to what we are training in America,” said Stall. “When she was traveling well close to the front end, she was a tough horse to get by. She outlasted the competition and she brought it most of the time. That was the best thing about her. Every time she ran we would just assume that she would come out of the race fine and usually she did. There's a lot to like about this mare with her soundness, heart and reliability.” Dalika, in foal to Flightline | Mathea Kelley Retired from racing at the start of the year, Dalika is now carrying her first foal by 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline. Clay said he believes the 7-year-old's pedigree will offer breeders ample opportunity for success. “You've got breedability with her,” he said. “She's pretty much an outcross anywhere. These German mares are durable and they have produced winners of a lot of races around the world–the Arc, the Melbourne Cup, the King George and Queen Elizabeth, the French Derby and Epsom Derby. For anyone around the world who wants to win a major Classic, the more you look into it, these German mares produce those types.” Clay said he doesn't plan to set expectations for his consignment until the mares are on site. Until then, he will finalize last-minute preparations, take a quick trip to the Breeders' Cup on Friday and then be back in Lexington to ship in for the weekend. “Once you get to the sale you can get a feel for things, so I've left all that until later,” he said. “I plan to treat my customers and the people I deal with right and hopefully the rest takes care of itself.” Clay is quick to say that while he is looking forward to this latest endeavor, he has no plans of expanding his consignment into yearling sales. “Selling mares that are in my camp is vertical integration, so it makes sense,” he said. “Mares are much more straightforward, whether you're buying or selling them. That's what I like about it.” After a 20-year tenure at Three Chimneys, Clay has had a hand in offering many top-selling broodmares and broodmare prospects to the marketplace. One of his most memorable Keeneland November Sales was back in 2004, when MGISW Take Charge Lady (Dehere) was consigned by Three Chimneys and sold for $4.2 million. Clay said he hopes his past experiences serve him well going forward. “I was super lucky to be working for Three Chimneys when there were a lot of these million-dollar plus mares going through,” he said. “Take Charge Lady was a really memorable one, as well as Mizdirection (Mizzen Mast), Composure (Touch Gold) and Life at Ten (Malibu Moon). It's nice to have that experience to pull from and I'm looking forward to getting back in the saddle with these two mares.” The post Clay’s Debut Consignment Features a Powerhouse Pair appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There was a chance beforehand that the Wertheimers' 3-year-old Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}–Dancequest {Ire}, by Dansili {GB}) had an edge over his elders in Sunday's G1 Prix Royal-Oak at ParisLongchamp, but few would have imagined how great his advantage was as he proved in a different class with a vintage display. Always happy at the head of affairs under Maxime Guyon, the Christophe Ferland-trained homebred started to draw clear from the top of the straight and despite wandering around was so far in front inside the last 100 metres that he was able to be eased for a 7 1/2-length success. Skazino (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}) was next best behind the 100-30 favourite, with Tashkhan (Ire) (Born To Sea {Ire}) 3/4 of a length away in third. Annihilated them! Double Major delivers a remarkable performance to win the Group 1 Prix Royal-Oak at @paris_longchamp… pic.twitter.com/rrJoi6LBUe — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) October 29, 2023 The post Royal Oak Glory For Daiwa Major’s Double Major appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There had been hints that reigning Japanese Horse of the Year Equinox (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) was not your average champion, most especially with his geared-down tour-de-force in the desert in March, but the Silk Racing Company's colourbearer was in a zip code all his own with his course-record breaking performance in defence of his G1 Tenno Sho (Autumn) title at Tokyo on Sunday. He covered the 2000-metre trip over a firm Tokyo course in 1:55.20, 0.9 seconds faster than the previous record. Carrying a rating of 129 on the Longines World's Best Racehorse Rankings making him the world's highest-rated racehorse since demolishing a classy international field in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan, the blaze-faced dark bay became only the third horse to win back-to-back Tenno Shos. Notable sire Symboli Kris S. (Jpn) (Kris S.) first accomplished that feat in 2002 and 2003, and he was followed by fellow Silk Racing representative and Japanese Horse of the Year Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) in 2019 and 2020. He defeated the closing Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), a half-brother to GI Belmont winner and Grade I sire Palace Malice (Curlin) and a winner of the 3200-metre G1 Tenno Sho (Spring), by 2 1/2 lengths. It was another quarter-length back to Prognosis (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in third. The latter, a winner of the G2 Sapporo Kinen in the lead up to this contest, was second to Saturday's G1 Cox Plate victor and Hong Kong's leading middle-distance horse Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Cup in April. Bet down to 30 cents on the dollar, Equinox jumped well and secured an ideal tracking position in third, as Jack d'Or (Jpn) (Maurice {Jpn}) set out hard on the steel while tracked by Gaia Force (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}). The field was well spread out, with the frontrunner covering the first 800 metres in :46.30, 1000 metres in :57.70, and the 1200-metres in 1:09.10. It was, however, an unsustainable tempo, and Jack d'Or abruptly threw in the towel with a quarter mile to run after covering the 1600 metres in 1:32.10. Gaia Force briefly seized the advantage with a looming Equinox making his run three deep, but the grey had attended too closely to the hot pace and folded 100 metres later. Equinox steamed home with a pair of sub-12 second 200 metre splits, getting his final 400 metres in :23.10 to win as he pleased. Justin Palace made a brave run from well off the pace, but it was too little too late to catch the champ. “First of all, I am relieved to have been able to show the world, which I know was watching how the race favorite would run, that he is indeed a deserving colt to be named the highest rated colt,” said regular rider Christophe Lemaire. “He's not exactly what you call a horse with incredible speed but he was able to keep up with today's rapid pace and get into another gear at the end–but I was actually surprised when I realized that we had won in a record. “He is a versatile horse that can run from any position, stay calm during the race and make use of his speed at the finish. He can also run at longer distances such as when he won the Arima Kinen, so although there was much pressure coming into such a prestigious race as race favorite, I was confident knowing what he is capable of.” A crowd of 77,870 attended the Tenno Sho, including the Japanese Emperor Naruhito and the Empress Masako. Never worse than second in his nine lifetime starts, Equinox was unbeaten at two with his season-ending victory in the G2 Hai Nisai S. Second in the G1 Satsuki Sho (Japanese 2000 Guineas) and G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby) in his first two outings at three, he has yet to taste defeat since October of 2022. All five of his victories beginning with last October's Tenno Sho (Autumn) have occurred at Group 1 level. After taking the 2400-metre Arima Kinen (Grand Prix) in December, the Dubai Sheema Classic went his way this March. The Takarazuka Kinen was secured narrowly in June, his final start until Sunday's stirring effort. Pedigree Notes The Japanese Champion 3-Year-Old Colt of 2022, Equinox is one of seven stakes winners for his Shadai Stallion Station-based sire. Kitasan Black, who was a dual Japanese Horse of the Year in 2016/2017 with seven career Group 1 wins including the 2017 Tenno Sho (Autumn), also has the G1 Satsuki Sho hero Sol Oriens (Jpn) to his credit and three other group winners. Equinox, a half-brother to G3 Radio Nikkei Sho winner Weiss Meteor (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), is the third foal of his dam, the G3 Mermaid S. heroine Chateau Blanche (Jpn) (King Halo {Jpn}), who also raced for Silk Racing. She has a 3-year-old filly by Just A Way (Jpn), a juvenile filly named Garza Blanca (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) and a full-sister to the winner born this year. Out of the winning Blancherie (Jpn) (Tony Bin {Ire}), his dam is from the extended family of sires G3 Prix de la Jonchere winner Bellypha (Ire) (Lyphard), G1 Premio Ernesto Ayulo Pardo victor Run And Deliver (Danzig), and G2 Prix Eugene Adam hero Bellman (Fr) (Riverman). Sunday, Tokyo, Japan TENNO SHO (AUTUMN)-G1, ¥421,420,000, Tokyo, 10-29, 3yo/up, 2000mT, *1:55.20 (NCR), fm. 1–EQUINOX (JPN), 128, c, 4, by Kitasan Black (Jpn) 1st Dam: Chateau Blanche (Jpn) (GSW-Jpn, $1,096,970), by King Halo (Jpn) 2nd Dam: Blancherie (Jpn), by Tony Bin (Ire) 3rd Dam: Maison Blanche (Jpn), by Alleged O-Silk Racing; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Tetsuya Kimura; J-Christophe Lemaire. ¥222,394,000. Lifetime Record: HotY- Jpn, Ch. 3yo Colt-Jpn, G1SW-UAE, 9-7-2-0, $12,558,118. *1/2 to Weiss Meteor (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), GSW-Jpn, $820,531. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Justin Palace (Jpn), 128, c, 4, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Palace Rumor, by Royal Anthem. (¥190,000,000 Ylg '20 JRHAJUL). O-Masahiro Miki; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥88,684,000. 3–Prognosis (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Velda (GB), by Observatory. O-Shadai Race Horse; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); ¥55,342,000. Margins: 2HF, 1/4, HD. Odds: 0.30, 34.10, 10.40. Also Ran: Danon Beluga (Jpn), Gaia Force (Jpn), Admire Hadar (Jpn), Do Deuce (Jpn), Echt (Jpn), Hishi Iguazu (Jpn), North Bridge (Jpn), Jack d'Or (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. THE TENNO SHO(AUTUMN)(G1) 2000m – 421,420,000 Yen Tokyo Equinox (JPN) (4C Kitasan Black – Chateau Blanche, by King Kamehameha) J : Christophe Lemaire T : Tetsuya Kimura O : Silk Racing Co., Ltd. B : Northern Farmpic.twitter.com/UGAVB5BfAM — (@WorldRacing1) October 29, 2023 The post Equinox Obliterates Tokyo Course Record In Tenno Sho appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) has been ruled out of the GI Breeders' Cup Classic by trainer Gustavo Delgado. Delgado made the announcement Sunday on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “We are sorry to announce that we have decided to cancel Mage's trip to California. He presented a feverish state this morning and we have noticed symptoms of loss of appetite. Given the proximity to the race we feel that it is best for the horse to skip the Classic.” Delgado wrote that prior to this setback, Mage had been doing well while preparing for the Breeders' Cup at the Thoroughbred Center in Lexington. “We were very enthusiastic about the condition that the horse was going through, and despite how disappointed we feel right now, we are confident in a speedy recovery.” he wrote. Mage will stand at Airdrie Stud upon his retirement. Based on Delgado's tweet, it was not clear whether or not Mage will continue racing. “We will update you on upcoming racing plans once things are completely back to normal,” he wrote. After winning the Derby, Mage finished third in the GI Preakness S. and second in the GI Haskell S. In his most recent start, he finished seventh, beaten 15 lengths in the GI Travers S. The post Mage Out of Breeders’ Cup Classic appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Champion jockey snaps losing streak with victory aboard Turin Mascot and completes quadruple with success on Seasons Wit in Sunday’s Class Two featureView the full article

Former champion trainer saddles the winners of the final three races on the city circuit’s only daytime programme this seasonView the full article

History-making galloper pulls up well from monumental Moonee Valley performance and will fly back to Hong Kong on MondayView the full article

By Adam Hamilton Look out Akuta. That’s what many were saying at Menangle after Australia’s leading New Zealand Cup contender Swayzee blitzed his rivals again over the weekend. Swayzee stretched his unbeaten record for Jason Grimson to eight races when he worked to the front and roared away from his rivals to beat stablemate Nerano by 10.1m. Driver Cam Hart looked to have plenty left in the tank and he blazed a 1min52.6sec last mile of the 2400m, including closing splits of 54.4 and 27.3sec. “That’s how he felt in the trial the other day, so sharp,” Hart said. “He’s come back better since his break after the Blacks A Fake win. He’s just doing things easier and his point-to-point speed is better.” It capped an important week for Swayzee, having also stepped well in a standing-start trial at Menangle last Wednesday. Hart is adamant the stand won’t be an issue at Addington on November 14. The NZ TAB cut Swayzee’s Cup odds from $5 into $4.20 after his standing-start trial. He firmed again from $4.20 into $3.20 after yesterday’s powerhouse win. Akuta is the $2 favourite. In contrast, fellow NZ Cup hopeful Spirit Of St Louis looked very disappointing behind Swayzee. He worked early to find the lead then took a sit on Swayzee, but was struggling rounding the home bend and weakened late to finish 16.1m from the winner in fourth spot. His NZ Cup odds eased from $17 to $31. Swayzee and Spirit Of St Louis are booked to fly to NZ on November 5. View the full article

By Adam Hamilton Kiwi filly High Step kept up a family tradition in the $50,000 Group 2 Redwood Classic at Maryborough. Her dam, High Gait, won Australia’s most prestigious juvenile trotting classic in 2015. While Mark Purdon trained and drove High Gait to victory, Greg Sugars took the reins for Purdon and his son, Nathan, yesterday. The was effectively over after 100m when High Step began very quickly from the standing start and ran to the lead, while main dangers Kyvalley Michael and Maoris Mac both made early mistakes and lost all hope. It was an armchair drive for Sugars, who just nursed High Step to an eight metre win in a 2min3.5sec mile rate for the 2190m feature. It capped a terrific Aussie raid where she raced five times for four wins, a second and banked over $50,000. It was Mark Purdon’s third Redwood win, having also scored with Daenerys Targaryen in 2013. Earlier, Kiwi three-year-old filly Shez Bella narrowly but impressively won the Gold Bracelet with Dylan Ferguson, who co-trains with Graeme Rogerson, taking the reins. Shez Bella began well, but couldn’t lead from a wide draw, so took the trail behind leader and main danger Shesawish before nabbing her late to win by a neck in a slick 27.4sec closing quarter. Ferguson and Rogerson had Lovemeto tackle the $75,000 Group 1 Victoria Trotters’ Derby as a $2.50 later in the day, but he ran well below his best after spending some midrace petrol to find the lead. Lovemeto was gone before the home turn and tired to finish 28.7m from the winner in sixth spot. The Derby was won by Queensland raider Not As Promised, who continued a fairytale season for his driver Nathan Dawson. The 28-year-old Dawson, who recently won the Australian Drivers’ Championship in Tasmania, is almost 100 wins clear of his nearest rival in the Australian Driving Premiership this season. View the full article

Five years is a long time to hang onto Melbourne Cup regret, but New Zealand trainer Allan Sharrock thinks he might get the chance this spring to bury the past. Earlier this week Sharrock was busily crunching the Melbourne Cup numbers with his last-start Gr.1 Livamol Classic winner Ladies Man (NZ) (Zed) precariously poised at 34th in order just two weeks out from the race. The math suggested the horse can score a Cup run, with the six-year-old landing in Melbourne on Wednesday and if Ladies Man is as good a stayer as he thinks, he might be able to erase the bitter pill of 2018 when Sharrock admits to making an administration blunder. “The same people that own this horse had the half-sister Ladies First (NZ) (Dylan Thomas), who won the Auckland Cup and I forgot to accept (for the Melbourne Cup) and it rained on the day and I felt very sick,” Sharrock said. “It’s different over here as once you nominated, unless you withdraw, you’re in right the way through to the big day, but over there you have to keep accepting. “In the horse are my longtime owners the Stanleys, they have raced a host of Group horses with me and the O’Learys, who had Who Shot Thebarman (NZ) (Yamanin Vital), who ran in three or four Melbourne Cups.” Ladies First had won six of her 10 races on a Heavy track and while it wasn’t quite Heavy when Cross Counter won in 2018 (Soft 7 upgraded to Soft 6), Sharrock figures she would have been well suited in the conditions. Instead, Ladies First ran fifth in the Hotham Handicap (2500m) on the Saturday on a Good 3 track and was standing in her box on Tuesday as the rain came down. Sharrock said Ladies First’s history gave him a good indication of Ladies Man’s chances in this year’s Melbourne Cup. “I think he’s better,” he said. “He’s got more of a turn of foot. She was an off-track mare to show her best, but he doesn’t need a wet track. He’s a clean-actioned horse and a good track doesn’t worry me. “He’s a hardy, tough horse but he can over-race a tad so that run will take a bit of a tug off him for Tuesday, so I don’t see a problem with it. Bart (Cummings) used it quite often with a bit of success. “He should have won the Auckland Cup and conditions and an inside run didn’t help him in the Wellington Cup, so even though he hasn’t won over the two miles, the trip is not a concern at all.” Ladies Man is on the minimum weight of 50kg in the Melbourne Cup and leapt to 34th on the ballot order following his win in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) at Hastings. View the full article

Per Incanto gelding Asif (NZ) (Per Incanto) got his second win in four starts in Singapore when overcoming the favourite Akhtar with ease in a Class 3 race (1200) on Saturday. It probably did not look that easy when the Steven Burridge-trained gelding was ridden hard over the final furlong by jockey Manoel Nunes at his last-ditch attempt to run down Akhtar, who was backing up after an easy win in a Class 4 sprint race last Saturday. Akhtar, who led all the way, hung on for dear life on the rails as Asif gained momentum steadily, but he only managed to stick his neck out in the last 50m before eventually prevailing by half-a-length on the line. Akhtar lost no marks in second while Energy Baby (NZ) (Rich Enuff) sprinted home late to finish another three parts of a length away in third. Nunes, who rode Asif to his first win in a Class 4 race (1200m) on the turf at his second start in Singapore, was confident of a second win from the five-year-old despite having to play catch-up in the straight. “He’s a very straightforward horse. I can ride him wherever he’s happy,” said the four-time Singapore champion jockey, who is well on his way to a fifth title on 83 wins after he also pulled off a double earlier. “He can go over longer to 1400m. He’s a very smart horse and he can settle well in races.” Burridge, who took out the opening race, was glad to get another win for owner, Mansoor Gandhi from the Al-Arabiya Stable. Makin was the first winner that celebrated the new partnership between Burridge and the Al-Arabiya Stable last Saturday. They transferred seven horses, including Asif and Makin, from trainer Michael Clements to Burridge about three weeks ago. “Since he came over, he’s done well and eaten well. He’s also put on a bit of weight (498kgs, 20kgs up from previous race weight) but I thought he needed it,” said the veteran conditioner of Asif, whose name meant “forgiveness” in Arabic. “I was happy with the way he trialled. He’s done everything right and hopefully, he trains on. “Maybe he can get a bit more distance, probably over the 1400m next. It can be either the Polytrack or the turf now that he’s won on both. “Thanks to the owner for giving me this opportunity to train him.” Gandhi, who welcomed Asif at the winner’s circle with Burridge, praised Burridge and his staff too. “Steven and his team has done a good job. They’re committed. Good job from the horse and the rider too,” he said. Asif was bred by Little Avondale Stud who offered him at the 2020 Karaka Book 1 Sale then sold by Riversley Park at the Ready To Run Sale where he was purchased by Mulcaster Bloodstock. Known as Sacrimony when prepared by premier Sydney trainer Chris Waller, Asif boasted two wins in Australia. With two wins and two placings from four starts at Kranji thus far, he has collected over S$80,000 in prizemoney for his the Al-Arabiya Stable. Other New Zealand bred winners in Singapore on Saturday include Zygarde (NZ) (Atlante) & Win Win (NZ) (Per Incanto). View the full article

Byerley Park trainers Bruce Wallace and Grant Cooksley produced their promising contingent of juveniles to an impressive quinella in the Ellerslie Events 2YO 1100 at Pukekohe on Saturday. In a compact field of six, the Wallace/Cooksley stable presented half of the two-year-old field and managed to fill the first two placings with So Naïve (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) and Toruk Makto (NZ) (Eminent) respectively. A son of U S Navy Flag, So Naïve jumped from the inside draw and was hustled to hold the pacemaking position under apprentice Ace Lawson-Carroll, while stablemate Toruk Makto began alongside race-favourite Take The Crown, who briefly bucked and became detached from the remainder of the field early. The long-striding So Naïve travelled boldly in front throughout and despite racing greenly in the home straight, the colt showed a strong turn-of-foot to score by a length-and-a-quarter from a fast-closing Toruk Makto and Joe Doyle. “He was a wee bit slower out than I thought he would be, but we got there easy enough and got some nice sectionals out in front,” Lawson-Carroll said. “He was very strong, very forward and will be a nice horse to watch in the future.” So Naïve was a $37,500 purchase for Wallace Thoroughbreds out of Kilgravin Lodge’s Book 2 draft at the 2023 Karaka Yearling Sales, while Eminent colt Toruk Makto was secured for $28,000 out of Brighthill Farm. View the full article

Underrated staying mare Eulogy Show (NZ) (Highly Recommended) has enhanced her prospects of getting a start in the Gr.3 Martin Collins New Zealand Cup (3200m) next month with an unflinching effort to take out the NZB Airfreight Road To Jericho (3000m) at Riccarton. The six-year-old mare had finished fourth in the same race twelve months earlier and showed she loves the longer distance events as she sat outside the early pace before taking control at the 600m. Expertly rated by Sam Wynne, the Centaine Spittles-trained daughter of Highly Recommended never shirked her task when tackled by race favourite Prismatic in the run home, extending her margin to just on a length at the winning post to register her third career victory. Sam Wynne celebrates Eulogy Show’s victory in the NZB Road To The Jericho (3000m) at Riccarton. Photo: Race Images South Spittles was thrilled with the effort and was quick to praise Wynne for her ride. “Sam rated her perfectly and that certainly helped get the win,” Spittles said. “She (Eulogy Show) is very tough once she gets to the front, she just loves it there and Sam got her to drop the bit and relax and she had plenty of fight in the run home. “She seems a little stronger this time in and we know she goes best once she gets out to a middle distance and beyond. She ran second on Cup Day last year over 2600m so we know she can handle a good track and she likes it when things get tough.” Spittles admitted the mare holds a soft spot in her heart and she would dearly love to see her gain a start in the New Zealand Cup as she believes she will lap up the two-mile journey with a light weight on her back. “She really is a funny wee thing at times,” she said. “When she is a home she loves to buck and kick and race around her paddock when you feed her. “At the track though she is all business and we would dearly like to sneak her into the Cup as that has been her goal all the way through. A daughter of unraced Stravinsky mare Every Cloud, Eulogy Show comes from an extended family with plenty of staying prowess including dual Group One winner Showella and Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner Showcause, who also won twice at Group Two level. View the full article

Exciting mare It’s Business Time (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) extended her winning sequence to five with another star turn in Saturday’s Coupland’s Bakeries Mile Trial (1400m) at Riccarton. A late developer whose early career was held up by injury, It’s Business Time began her rise through the grades with back-to-back wins in February and March to close out her four-year-old season. She resumed with another two sprint victories in Rating 75 grade at Riccarton in September, and on Saturday she stretched out over 1400m, stepped up into open company and delivered the same result. The daughter of Turn Me Loose jumped well from gate two in the hands of jockey Sam Weatherley, and she settled nicely in a midfield position for most of the race. It’s Business Time appeared to be full of running coming up to the home turn, but got squeezed back and then was surrounded with nowhere to go. A gap appeared with 300m remaining and It’s Business Time immediately quickened, dashing through to take a clear lead. There was a late scare as the lightly raced Watch Out flashed home, but It’s Business Time had enough up her sleeve to hold on by a long head. The third-placed Lightning Jack finished two and a quarter lengths behind the impressive first pair. Bred and part-owned by Windsor Park Stud, It’s Business Time has now had nine starts for six wins, two placings and $155,670 in stakes. Her Riccarton heroics were part of a super Saturday for Te Akau Racing trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, who also won the Gr.1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) in Melbourne with Imperatriz and saddled Cognito to score at Pukekohe. “It was good effort after getting shuffled back inside the 600m, and she hit the line so strongly,” Walker said. It’s Business Time has tightened her hold on favouritism for the Gr.3 Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton on November 15, dropping from $3 to $2.40. Diss Is Dramatic is the second favourite at $4.80, with fellow Saturday winner Desert Lightning at $8. It’s Business Time became the 50th winner in New Zealand this season for the all-conquering Te Akau operation. “After a record-breaking last season (203 wins), it’s incredible to think that the stable is slightly ahead of that pace again with 50 wins before the end of October,” Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis said. “We’ve got such great staff across the board at our stables in Matamata, Riccarton, Victoria and Singapore, and it’s a credit to Mark and Sam, our racing manager Reece Trumper, assistant trainer Nicole Shailer, and Hunter Durrant (managing the South Island stable), that we can provide our owners with top-quality people to look after the horses. “We’ve had a great association with the Schick family at Windsor Park Stud, and it’s a thrill to be training this very promising mare for Rodney (Schick) and his friends.” View the full article

Darwin’s in-form apprentice Emma Lines is all smiles after sealing victory on the Phil Cole-trained Turnstar at Fannie Bay on Saturday. Picture: Caroline Camilleri (Darwin Photography Professionals) Emma Lines’ star continues to shine in Darwin after yet another winning double at Fannie Bay on Saturday. The apprentice booted four-year-old gelding Lord Fenrir (+450) home in a 1300m maiden before five-year-old gelding Turnstar (+340 fav) triumphed over 1100m at 0-58 level for trainer Phil Cole. Since returning from Queensland’s Simpson Desert Racing Carnival in late August-early September, where she rode for Cole at Betoota, Birdsville, and Bedourie, the teenager has featured at four Darwin race meetings for nine wins. A treble on September 23, Lines’ first day back at Darwin since Cup Day on August 7, was followed by winning doubles in three October meetings. The 17-year-old, who managed three wins over two days at Birdsville before landing a double at Bedourie, is now leaving her mark in the Top End and Country jockeys’ premiership. With 12 wins this season, Lines is second behind four-time champion jockey Jarrod Todd (15). To finish third behind Todd and Sonja Logan in the 2022/23 premiership with 21 wins was outstanding considering she only debuted last December. Lines, who won her first race in her first race start on Cole’s Looking For You, picked up the leading apprentice trophy at the Top End Racing Awards in September. Injuries suffered in two falls sidelined Lines, but it proved no deterrent, and in July she won the $75,000 Darwin Guineas (1600m) on Cole’s gelding Tubthumper on Day 1 of the Darwin Cup Carnival. On Darwin Cup Day, Lines partnered Equal Balance to success for SA trainer Kym Healy and ended the Carnival with seven wins. With six Alice Springs wins and success on Katherine Cup Day in August, it has been an extraordinary ride for the affable teenager, but a suspension incurred at Bedourie denied her the opportunity to ride at Winton before the Cole party farewelled Queensland. In general, Lines’ record of 44 wins and 58 minor placings from 208 starts typifies her consistency. Lord Fenrir, with three minor placings in five Darwin starts, was never far away on Saturday after settling fourth along the rails before swinging wide at the 400m in his pursuit of the leaders. A patient Lines eventually released the handbrake, with the son of Hellbent overpowering his rivals over the final 200m to seal victory by 2.5 lengths from Ella Clarke’s Gunshot Glitter (+115 Betfair fav) and Chris Pollard’s No Rain No Flowers (+1300), who shared the lead at the 350m at the top of the straight. Turnstar, a +1200 quote during the week, received late support in a very open contest despite having not raced since July and duly delivered, with Lines producing a ride that mirrored her effort on Lord Fenrir. Settling fourth on the fence, a gap appeared along the rails once negotiating the final corner, and Turnstar pounced to kick clear at the 200m before saluting by 1.6 lengths from Ella Clarke’s Pop Magic (+450) and Gary Clarke’s Henestrosa (+400). For the son of Star Turn, it was his first win since March and only his third win in 22 starts for Cole. It was a mixed day for two odds-on favourites, with Chris Nash’s Son Of Bileski (-153.85) prevailing over 1600m (0–70) and Gary Clarke’s Change Is Coming (-222.22) succumbing over 1000m (0-64). Son Of Bileski (Mark Pegus), a seven-year-old gelding, was aiming for three straight wins this month and settled fourth before unwinding at the 500m. In the home straight, the son of Dissident, backing up after wins over 1300m in BM54 and 0-64 class – swooped, and at the 200m it was all over with the former NZ, Victoria and SA galloper winning by 4.5 lengths from Gary Clarke’s Influential Jack (+320) and Peter Stennett’s New Enterprise (+400). Change Is Coming had had four previous Darwin starts, and on the two occasions he won, he got to the front before winning by 10.5 and 8.1 lengths, but in the other two races, he finished fourth and third when challenged out in front. On Saturday, the four-year-old gelding had to sit three wide of Tayarn Halter stablemates Pocket Pistol (+550), who held the fence, and Madame Romanov as the trio battled for early supremacy. Pocket Pistol (Paul Shiers), who has raced in Queensland, NSW, and WA, didn’t buckle when Change Is Coming applied the heat at the 500m before finally sealing victory in Darwin at the ninth attempt by 0.69 lengths, with Cole’s Exceedingly Magic (+290) three lengths away in third place. It was the second NT win for the son of Exceed And Excel, a seven-year-old gelding, since debuting for the Halter stable in January after having success in Katherine in August over 1100m (0-58). Gary Clarke’s four-year-old gelding Doc O’Connor (Todd), a +160 bookmaker favourite, sealed his third straight win and made it five wins from seven Darwin starts with a narrow win over stablemate Mr Cashman ($3.20) over 1000m (BM76). Doc O’Connor, nominated for the Three-Year-Old of the Year prize at the Top End Racing Awards, returned after winning the Simone Montgomerie Lightning (1000m) on Darwin Cup Day and set a cracking pace after grabbing the early lead. Cole’s Star Magnum (+190) and Mr Cashman were in hot pursuit, but once entering the home straight, Doc O’Connor was three lengths clear at the 300m before the four-year-old gelding got the staggers. Mr Cashman finished strongly along the fence to get within 0.13 lengths of Doc O’Connor, while third-placed Star Magnum was 2.5 lengths adrift, and it was no surprise that the son of Lonhro hit the wall before sneaking home after clocking 56.31. The track record for the 1000m is 56.07, set by the Gary Clarke-trained I’m Too Hot in the 2019 Simone Montgomerie Lightning. ALL racing news View the full article

Midnight Lute gave a masterclass in devastating closing speed in his back-to-back Breeders' Cup Sprint wins, with his 4 3/4-length score in 2007 an eye-popping performance visually and his 1:07.08 time in 2008 still holding the Sprint record. Veteran yearling-to-juvenile reseller Eddie Woods broke the champion, who was a $290,000 RNA at OBS March in 2005 as a 2-year-old. “He was a wonderfully big, good-looking black horse,” said Woods. “Tom McGreevy bought him to pinhook him to OBS. It's shameful to say for a champion sprinter, but he didn't work quick enough. If you look at his style of running, he sashayed out of the gate. He had no early speed at all. “He was always good-looking and he turned into a big, handsome horse with crazy finishing speed. His Breeders' Cup at Monmouth in the slop was one of the best races I've seen.” Midnight Lute (2003 dark bay or brown horse, Real Quiet–Candytuft, by Dehere) Lifetime record: Ch. sprinter, MGISW, 13-6-3-1, $2,690,600 Breeders' Cup connections: B-Tom Evans, Macon Wilmil Eq, & Marjac Fm (KY); O-Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Weitman Performances, LLC; T-Bob Baffert; J-Garrett Gomez. Current location: Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa, Paris, Ky. The post Catching Up with 2007-08 Breeders’ Cup Sprint Winner Midnight Lute appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Xigera's best self was revealed when switched back to dirt last month and she confirmed that move was the right one Oct. 28 with a dominant win in the Mother Goose Stakes (G2) on the final Saturday of the Belmont at the Big A meet. View the full article

In his early races, Everso Mischievous had a frustrating habit of living up to name. Today, he showed poise and determination in facing older rivals and registering a half-length victory in $300,000 Forty Niner Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Racetrack. View the full article

Keeneland on Oct. 28 closed a successful Fall Meet, which featured spectacular Thoroughbred racing from the sport's best horses and riders, enthusiastic crowds, idyllic fall weather, and a slate of popular special events.View the full article

Keeneland closed its 2023 Fall Meet on a high note Saturday. The meet produced total all-sources wagering of $201.7 million, the second-highest Fall Meet handle and fourth-highest handle in Keeneland history. “The Fall Meet was terrific from start to finish, and we are thankful for the strong support of our participants, fans and community,” Keeneland President and CEO Shannon Arvin said. “It was rewarding to see crowds line the rail through the very last race every day, savoring all the excitement this season had to offer. And with the recent announcement of our new Paddock Building and Saddling Paddock enhancements, we look forward to offering even more unique experiences for our guests in the future.” All-sources wagering (not including whole-card simulcasting at Keeneland) for the 17-day Fall Meet, held Oct. 6-28, totaled $201,739,442, down 3.43% from last year's record Fall Meet of $208,907,655. On-track wagering of $16,266,007 marked an increase of 5.96% from last year's $15,351,232. Average daily purses of $1,135,604 during the Fall Meet attracted fields that averaged 9.1 starters per race. Jockeys Tyler Gaffalione and Luis Saez, who finished 1-2 in the rider standings during this year's Spring Meet, also battled for top honors this Fall with Gaffalione securing the lead on closing day for his fourth Fall Meet title and seventh overall. Trainer Brad Cox earned his fourth consecutive Fall Meet training title and fifth overall while Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Godolphin and Richard Rigney's Rigney Racing tied for leading owner with four wins each. The post Keeneland Wraps 2023 Fall Meet With Near Record Handle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article