Wandering Eyes

A year after the retirement of 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline, trainer John Sadler has another exciting older stakes horse in his barn, this one coming to him from Argentina.View the full article

From an altitude of 10,000 feet, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)'s mandated goal is a simple two-pronged affair. Uniformity in welfare and safety. Uniformity in drug testing. Over the past few months, the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU)–HISA's enforcement arm–has made several announcements that have peeled the curtain back on just how difficult the second part of that equation will be to accomplish. Internal reviews of the six HIWU-contracted laboratories uncovered different limits of detection in blood for diabetes drug Metformin and for benzoylecgonine (BZE), a metabolite of cocaine. In the case of Metformin, all the positives originated from just the one lab. After dropping several cases against trainers for Metformin and BZE positives, HIWU explained that it had subsequently harmonized its “testing sensitivity” in blood across the six labs for these two substances, and that it would repeat the harmonization process for other drugs, including banned substances of which there are listed well over a thousand. “There are an awful lot of substances out there that we need to sort through, and we won't sort through them until they're actually identified by a laboratory,” said HIWU chief of science, Mary Scollay, at a recent HISA town hall. “But we are committed to harmonizing across laboratories in fairness to stakeholders.” Scollay then added this coda: “It's important to realize that the lack of harmonization across laboratories has existed for decades.” For those who have watched drug testing evolve in the sport over the years, Scollay's words hardly came as a shot from the dark. One of the key drivers of federal regulation of horse racing was to eliminate the crap-shoot nature of drug testing under a state-by-state system. But under HISA, why haven't these differences been ironed out? The answer involves a bracing plunge into the opaque waters of drug testing, where clear answers can be as easy to retrieve as Excalibur from its stone, and where arcane terminology is used interchangeably depending upon the person talking. But it turns out that a variety of issues–from different testing equipment to different testing methodologies to different sets of staff interpreting the results–have all played a part in leading the sport to where it finds itself now. HIWU has “testing specifications” for more than 300 “core” analytes–most of them controlled medications but some banned substances–to which all HIWU-contracted laboratories are required to test. “Beyond those analytes, HIWU has asked each laboratory to utilize the broadest scope of analysis available to them,” wrote Scollay, in response to a list of questions. Outside of those 300 or so core analytes, therefore, testing variability from facility to facility means the six HIWU-contracted labs are screening for different numbers of substances, and have varying abilities to screen for the same substances, according to drug testing experts. In other words, the same sample sent to two different laboratories could result in two different sets of results. Furthermore, as HIWU–which was built by Drug Free Sports International–continues to work through a laborious “lab harmonization” process, what are the implications for the horsemen and women facing potentially life-changing sanctions for banned substance violations? And how can stakeholders be assured that newly established harmonized limits adequately factor in the risk of inadvertent contamination, especially those banned substances ubiquitously used by humans? “It would be one thing if this was just a fine and a ten-days [ban],” said Cynthia Cole, former director of the University of Florida's (UF) laboratory. No contractual agreement was reached between the UF lab and HISA. In different equine anti-doping cases, Cole has both provided testimony for HIWU, and prepared opinions for trainers defending themselves. “But these bans, these are career ending for people,” Cole added. “I just feel really strongly that the bar should be very high, and that there should be no doubt that there was a violation.” History “Incredulity and disbelief ran neck and neck, but outrage outstripped them both at Santa Anita Saturday as horsemen reacted angrily to the latest drug scandal to rock thoroughbred racing.” The above paragraph, which reads as though plucked from a story from recent years, instead originates from a 1989 LA Times article, when a spate of cocaine positives had entangled several trainers, including leading lights like Wayne Lukas and Laz Barrera. The reason given for the sudden rash of cocaine positives? That Truesdail Laboratories, the drug testing laboratory used at the time by the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB), had started to use more sophisticated equipment to analyze the samples. According to one official at the time, the “improvements in testing” had suddenly increased the sensitivity of the equipment “10-fold.” In other words, new state-of-the-art instruments were detecting substances in blood and urine at previously unachievable levels. Some said at the time the levels were so small as to be inconsequential–a refrain that has turned into a steady drumbeat in the intervening years. “The increased sensitivity in drug testing has resulted in a number of things being called positives that never would have been called before,” said Eric Hamelback, chief executive officer of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, speaking at the 2019 National HBPA Convention. The same drumbeat has reverberated around other equine sports, as well. Nearly 20 years ago, one Irish veterinarian who had administered a “mild sedative” to the high-level show jumper, Landliebe, one-month prior to a failed drug test subsequently issued a public statement evoking “amazement” that traces of the drug could still be found in a horse's system after that time. On a practical front, drug testing has evolved in an attempt to keep up with an ever more sophisticated array of performance enhancing drugs and doping methods. In human sports at least, regulators don't appear to be winning that war, for there remains quite a lag-time between new drugs coming onto the scene and reliable ways to test for them. But advances in testing sensitivity has also had the effect of widening the gap between possibility and practice from one lab to the next. For it turns out there exists a complicated set of issues that weigh into testing variability between facilities. The instruments used to analyze samples, the way tests are prepared for sampling, the types of tests run, the substances being tested for, staffing expertise, ongoing research into the detection of emerging substances and a slew of other issues all play a part. Just Why Are Labs Different? In pre-HISA days, individual state commissions contracted their drug testing programs out to individual laboratories. And though most states followed the Association of Racing Commissioners International's (ARCI) model rules, it still left a lot of contractual wriggle room around things like the scope and type of testing performed, what specific matrices–blood or urine, for example–were being tested, and so on. At the end of the day, however, the relative accuracy and breadth of each drug testing program can–like so many things in life–be distilled down to money. Funding for the drug testing program, for one. And funding to keep the laboratories at the cutting edge of science. “In a lot of cases, the determining factor in those contracts was price, with the low bidder winning the work,” said Richard Sams, an expert in racing chemistry and toxicology. Sams is also a former lab director currently advising several defendants in cases against HIWU. “Low-bidding often meant limited testing, and oftentimes, not very high quality testing,” Sams added. Take Joe Gorajec's term as executive director of the Indiana Horse Racing Commission. Back in 2015, he organized for blood samples taken from harness and Quarter horses to be sent to the California-based Truesdail Laboratory–the Commission's official lab at the time-and to two audit laboratories: LGC in Kentucky, and Industrial Laboratories in Colorado. Gorajec's actions led to the Indiana racing commission severing ties with Truesdail after it failed to detect in three samples high levels of commonly used corticosteroids that the other two laboratories detected. Under HISA, of course, the regulatory dynamic in drug testing has changed. But horse racing has swapped out a patchwork quilt of different rules for a patchwork quilt of different labs. Though a single entity now contracts out a set of testing requirements to six different laboratories, the fact that no two labs are created equal remains a thorn in the side of testing uniformity. And experts single out two primary reasons why. One concerns the instruments used to analyze the samples. In a recent presentation at the Global Symposium on Racing in Arizona, Scollay compared the situation to the use of different ovens from kitchen to kitchen. This is where the specter of poor funding continues to loom large. “Some of the laboratories have brand new instruments–state of the art,” said Cole. “Other laboratories, not so much.” Historically well-funded laboratories like UC Davis's “Maddy Lab” in California and the University of Kentucky's Equine Analytical Chemistry Laboratory have “a lot of new equipment and a lot of very well-trained chemists and technicians,” said Cole. When it comes to HIWU-contracted laboratories like the Ohio Department of Agriculture's Analytical Toxicology Laboratory, and the Animal Forensic Toxicology Laboratory at the University of Illinois-Chicago, “these are smaller laboratories with generally older equipment,” Cole said. “Over the years, they've adapted to what they've been asked to do, and they've developed their own methods of testing and confirmation methods, and they're not the same,” said Cole. To get a gauge on just how crucial funding can be, a top-of-range liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry system can retail around the $750k mark. And these machines can have a shelf-life of only around a decade, give or take a few years, due to ongoing technological advances. The other key area concerns drug testing extraction methods. This is the process by which the substance or analyte is removed from the blood or urine to be examined under an instrument like a mass spectrometer. There are all sorts of different extraction processes for different analytes, and each of these processes can be “substantially different” depending on the lab, Sams said. “The fraction of the drug that's present in the sample that gets removed by the process can vary considerably from one lab to the next,” said Sams. Horse racing is far from the only sport confronting these sorts of problems. Just take this 2022 paper, in which three Norwegian researchers focus on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)'s approach to drug testing in human athletics. “Some laboratories are capable of detecting lower concentrations of prohibited substances than other laboratories, simply because the laboratories may use different equipment and/or test methods,” the researchers write. HIWU'S Approach If lab variability has been a decades-long problem ensnaring all professional sports, not just horse racing, why has it become a lightning rod under HISA? One of HISA's most compelling selling points has been the advent of a level playing field comprising the same drug testing rules and a stable of accredited laboratories “testing for the same banned and controlled medicines at the same level,” as HISA CEO, Lisa Lazarus, put it in September of this year. But for the reasons already identified, the goal of a completely fair drug testing playing field for all participants–no matter their location in the country and no matter where a sample is sent-is a major challenge when dealing with multiple laboratories. The more labs needing to be unified in their capabilities, equipment and approaches, the more complex and expensive the problem. For U.S. horse racing, the crux of this issue primarily surrounds HISA's lengthy list of banned substances–those substances, in other words, beyond the more than 300 core analytes that HIWU's six labs can test for reliably. Banned substances are not supposed to be detected in a horse's system at any point, racing or training. As such, violations for these substances come with the heaviest penalties under HISA, including a potential two-year ban for the trainer. No trifling matter, therefore. Unlike most controlled substances under HISA–those with set thresholds and screening limits–banned substances under HISA are being tested to limits of detection, which is the lowest concentration of a substance that can be identified by a laboratory. And different labs can have different limits of detection for the same substances. That's if they're testing for them at all. As Cole puts it, “I think the really difficult issue has come up with the banned substances, which is where they basically have said, 'if it's there at all, it should be called.' That's been a problem because you can have a laboratory that's very, very good at finding [a banned substance], and then another lab where their ability to detect [a banned substance] isn't as good.” When asked about this aspect of the drug testing program, Lazarus wrote in emailed answers to questions that “it is important to remember that all samples at any given racetrack go to the same Laboratory,” so lab variability is not a problem within the same “races and meets.” It's unclear just how many banned substances for which HIWU has set harmonized limits of detection. Nor will the specific limits be made public, once established. “HISA/HIWU cannot comment on the number of Banned Substances that have a harmonized Limit of Detection,” wrote Scollay. “Since Banned Substances should never be in a horse, laboratory testing specifications for them are not published.” Another key question is this: Exactly how many substances is each lab routinely screening for? According to one state regulator–who asked to remain anonymous–the most proficient HIWU-contracted laboratories are screening for around double the number of substances as some other HIWU-contracted labs. Scollay didn't deny the claim, but explained how beyond the more than the 300 “core” analytes, “HIWU cannot speak to the overall capabilities of each lab.” She added, however, that a key part of the harmonization process is the “collaboration and sharing of information” between labs. Human Drugs Which leads to the issue of those banned substances which are commonly found in everyday life, like legitimately prescribed human drugs. What process is the agency using to ensure that the harmonized limits of detection weigh the possibility of intentional misuse of a banned drug in a racehorse against the threat of inadvertent contamination? In her written responses, Scollay explained that the agency uses any or all of the following criteria to set “relevant, effective, and achievable” harmonized limits of detection in banned drugs: 1–A survey of the laboratories to determine their current capabilities to detect the substance. 2–Conducting a review of the science surrounding the substance to determine illicit use in human and equine sports, or its effects in other mammalian species. 3–Assessing the threat level of the substance. “I.e., the potential for that substance to be present in the horse's environment beyond the control of the trainer,” Scollay wrote. Scollay wrote that HISA and HIWU also consult the international community on testing specifications, “and consider their controls on Banned Substances and Controlled Medications that are not regulated by Screening Limits or Thresholds.” A feature of the new regulatory environment is the potential for trainers to be provisionally suspended for banned drug positives while they await a hearing. In Jonathon Wong's case, for example, the trainer has been provisionally suspended since the start of August for a June 1 Metformin positive. What happens if one of the six HIWU-contracted labs detects a new banned substance without a harmonized limit of detection? How will the cases be handled while the harmonization process takes place? “The actions taken will depend on the specific circumstances of the case with an emphasis on fairness to all racing participants,” wrote Scollay. International Community International regulators like the British Horseracing Authority avoid the issue of lab variability by using only using one primary facility to test their samples in their jurisdiction. But how do other international jurisdictions handle substances with no established international threshold, residue or screening limits? In Europe, at least, the answer sounds familiar. The European Horserace Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC) considers some substances to be prohibited-at-all-times, as is the case with anabolic steroids and other anabolic agents. For these substances, European laboratories generally work to the lowest concentrations their confirmatory analysis procedures allow. But the EHSLC also maintains an evolving list of substances that have “target sensitivities”–in other words, agreed-upon screening concentrations similar in effect to HIWU's “harmonized limits of detection,” said Clive Pearce, an internationally renowned animal sports medication and doping control expert. To generate this list, the EHSLC's veterinarians, analytical chemists, pharmacologists, and racing administrators work together to select substances whose presence in a racehorse's blood or urine sample would be of particular concern. What are these concerns? That such substances are, for example, unlicensed veterinary products, routinely used human medicines, or environmental and plant-based contaminants, Pearce explained. The “sensitivities” agreed upon for each substance reflect the concentrations considered to have the potential to affect a racehorse's performance or to compromise its welfare. More broadly, for all substances subject to the EHSLC's process for achieving drug screening harmonization, the most important consideration is that all its laboratories are able to routinely deliver the same level of detection, said Pearce. According to Pearce, the list of substances with “target sensitivities”–drug substances and their major metabolites in both blood plasma and urine–total about 150. At the symposium in Arizona, Scollay explained that there are now new “open lines of communication” between HIWU and the EHSLC. Why can't the EHSLC simply share all relevant information on substances with “target sensitivities” with HIWU, therefore? It turns out it's not that simple. “The international community's research and laboratory testing specifications are confidential,” Scollay wrote. “International jurisdictions limit their information dissemination due to potentially compromising their own anti-doping and medication control programs.” Other experts consulted for this story were more specific. They explained that the litigious nature of U.S. horse racing can make international jurisdictions wary of sharing with their American counterparts sensitive information that might be publicly divulged during a case. If all boats can't be lifted by readily shared information across international borders, how else then to make the program here better, quicker? Solutions Gorajec is all in on federal oversight of racing. He played an instrumental part in getting HISA passed in Washington. But he said he has his reservations about the current drug testing program. “This shouldn't be an issue at this juncture,” said Gorajec, highlighting the documented problems associated with uniformly detecting BZE, the cocaine metabolite long on regulators' radars. “They had a couple, three years to get their arms around this. Cocaine has been around for decades.” HIWU-contracted labs must be accredited with an international standards organization and with the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium (RMTC), the latter of which handles an external quality assurance program, which includes single- and double-blind testing of the six labs. HIWU officials are also putting together another accreditation program to “build on the foundations” of the international and RMTC accreditation systems as the agency “moves testing laboratories towards harmonization of methodologies and sensitivities across the spectrum of Prohibited Substances.” What would help, Gorajec said, would be to significantly raise accreditation standards to whittle down the number of HIWU-contracted labs to just the most proficient. “That should have already been done,” he said. When asked about Gorajec's comments, Lazarus wrote that HIWU will evaluate the contracted laboratories on a regular basis, “and if a Laboratory does not meet HIWU's performance criteria, it will not be continued in the program.” Cole suggested for HIWU to establish an oversight committee-possibly populated by a chemist, a veterinary pharmacologist and an industry figure-to review new or unusual findings and make recommendations as to whether they should be pursued. “They are trying to fix the plane while it is in the air,” said Cole, about the work HIWU officials are doing to fix the problem of lab variability. “But they are trying.” According to Ed Martin, president of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI)–another key industry figure not shy of voicing his concerns and frustrations with the federal law–HIWU should convene a long meeting between the various lab directors with the sole purpose of reaching an agreement as to what the “point of regulatory action” is on a list of some of the more commonly called substances. “It would seem to me, the best way to insulate themselves from legal challenges would be to get that done sooner rather than later,” Martin added. In response to Martin's suggestion, Scollay wrote that HIWU conducts weekly meetings with the directors of its contracted laboratories. “There have been multiple discussions regarding strategies to achieve harmonization,” she wrote. “All the directors are committed to this goal, but all parties recognize that time is needed to reach it. In short, meetings are already happening on a weekly basis.” When asked about her overall thoughts as to the harmonization process, Lazarus wrote that she was “absolutely thrilled” at the progress made in the time given. “The discrepancies amongst states under the prior system were significant, so to be where we are at such an early stage is a major benefit to the industry,” wrote Lazarus. “These adjustments have all been to the benefit of horsemen. Prior to HISA, this level of transparency did not exist at the Laboratory level.” As racing continues to grapple with the practical and legal conundrums posed by lab variability, stakeholders can seek cold comfort from the fact they are not alone. The Norwegian researchers critical of WADA's drug testing program zero in on the testing of “so-called non-threshold substances” for accusations of subjectivity. “These tests lack objective and quantifiable decision limits that undisputedly resolve whether test results should be interpreted as positive or negative,” they write. The lack of “clearly defined criteria for doping tests,” the researchers added, “carries a great risk of punishing innocent athletes and undermines the fight against doping in international sports.” Sound familiar? The post Drug Testing Under HISA: When Uniformity and Variability Collide appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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The New York State Thoroughbred Breeding & Development Fund Corporation (the Fund) Board of Directors' unanimously approved a motion during its Dec. 12 meeting to increase the breeder award rates for all New York-breds, the organization announced Tuesday. The increase, which covers all New York breds competing in the state beginning Jan. 1, was approved by the Fund board due to projected revenue increases expected in the upcoming season. An increased hold-back rate from 10-15% will also be implemented to ensure the Fund can payout awards up to the new advertised rates. The new breeder's awards rate schedule for New York-breds in 2024: 2024 New York-Bred Program Breeder Awards New York-Sired* '24 Award (% Earned) 2023 Rate First Place 40% 30% Second Place 20% 15% Third Place 10% 15% Cap per Award $40,000 $40,000 Non-New York-Sired* '24 Award (% Earned) 2023 Rate First Place 20% 15% Second Place 10% 7.5% Third Place 5% 7.5% Cap per Award $20,000 $20,000 “These bigger better bonuses reward breeders for creating quality race horses,” said Tracy Egan. “Board Chairman Brian O'Dwyer encouraged the Board to find away to get award money out the door to award earners as quickly as possible and by hiking breeder awards, we will do that.” The Fund pays breeder, owner and stallion awards across six pay periods a year: Jan-Feb, Mar-April, May-June, July-August, Sept.-October, November-December. In conjunction with the these higher awards, 15% will be held back each period, however, are expected to be paid back at the conclusion of the fiscal year. For more information, visit www.nybreds.com. The post NY-Bred Breeding Award Rate Increased for 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Romantic Warrior (GB) (Acclamation {GB}) , who successfully defended his title in a thrilling renewal of the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin Dec. 10, will be given a short break before building back up in time for an appearance in the G1 City Hong Kong Gold Cup Feb. 25. The not-unexpected decision means the 5-year-old will sidestep a clash with Longines Hong Kong Mile winner and three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) in the G1 Stewards' Cup over 1600 metres Jan. 21. Romantic Warrior's nose defeat of a never-say-die Luxembourg (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) came just 43 days after his landmark victory in the G1 W. S. Cox Plate in Melbourne, and trainer Danny Shum is focused on not squeezing the lemon dry. “He looks great, but I feel he will be a little bit tired because it was a hard run, both two races were very hard. He'll have a short break now,” Shum said. “He'll have enough time to recover if we go to the Gold Cup next–2000 metres is his trip, I think that's a better idea. He's easy to train but he won both of those two races with his fighting heart, he uses a lot of energy. I have to look after him because he uses himself a lot, it's better to give him a bit of a break and go again.” Romantic Warrior has six wins from seven starts over the Sha Tin 2000 metres, his lone blemish coming when beaten by Golden Sixty in last year's Gold Cup. With earnings of nearly HK$120 million, Romantic Warrior is just the third horse to surpass HK$100 million, along with Golden Sixty and Beauty Generation (NZ) (Road to Rock {Aus}). The post Romantic Warrior To Skip Stewards’ Cup, HK Gold Cup Next appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Dean Reeves, the owner of recently disqualified Brick Ambush (Laoban), issued a statement Tuesday, following the Gaming Commission's decision to not allow appeals relating to last Saturday's Great White Way S. at Aqueduct. The statement read: “After receipt of the letter from the NY Gaming commission and further discussion with our attorney Drew Mollica, our trainer Danny Gargan, Patti and I have decided to not to pursue any further action regarding the disqualification of Brick Ambush in the 9th race at Aqueduct on Dec. 16th, 2023. We maintain our belief that Brick Ambush caused no interference in the race, however, we recognize that all owners who enter a race must adhere to the rules of racing in the State of New York, However it is our hope that by shining light on this unfortunate disqualification we, in someway, help to improve our industry moving forward for the betterment of all of us who love this sport, not only owners, trainers, and jockeys, but those who wager as well. Patti and I have enjoyed racing in New York, and we value our relationship with everyone at NYRA. We would like to thank the racing community for all their support and encouragement as a result of this disqualification.” The post Reeves Responds to Gaming Commission’s Appeals Dismissal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Betty Spaghetti will be looking to continue her impressive run of form at Ashburton on Wednesday. Photo: Race Images South Betty Spaghetti’s impressive run of form during her spring preparation has connections focusing on northern targets for the four-year-old. The Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong-trained mare has been unbeaten in her last three appearances and will step out at Ashburton on Wednesday to warm up for sterner challenges. Betty Spaghetti has been freshened since her last victory and Samantha Wynne will be reunited with the daughter of Stratum Star when she makes her open grade debut. “She is a really handy mare and every question we’ve popped at her she has answered it,” Furlong said. “She has been going so well and has had a freshen-up after Cup Week and the aim is to get her up to Wellington on January 13. She’ll run at Ashburton just to make sure everything is in order.” The Group 3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) is the first goal with others to follow, depending on her performance. Connections will also consider a crack at the Remutaka Classic ($350,000, 2100m) the following Saturday at Trentham while another more lucrative option lies further afield. “She’s got a nomination for the Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic ($1 million, 1600m) at Ellerslie,” Furlong said. “We’ll just see how she goes on the first day at Wellington, it’s a bit wait and see at the moment as to how far we go.” Betty Spaghetti broke her maiden last season and then performed well in stronger company, finishing runner-up behind subsequent Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner Romancing The Moon in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m). She subsequently finished in behind the major players at Listed level in the NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) and the Warstep Stakes (2000m) to round off her three-year-old campaign. “She is very consistent, tries hard and is very tough. She’s got the right attitude for it,” Furlong said. The stable has also been pleased with the progress of Tommy Shelby ahead of the Tivaci gelding’s debut at Ashburton. “He’s had a couple of trials and had a jump-out at Ashburton on the grass in preparation and we do like him. We’ll get a line on him on Wednesday,” Furlong said. Barnmate Pierrogrine will step out and a line can be put through his most recent unplaced run at Riccarton where his chances were extinguished by a riderless horse. “He was put out of contention so it didn’t really end on a good note, we’ve freshened him and it’s a starting pint for him,” Furlong said. The stable’s representation will be completed by Mister Goldie, who also had little luck last time out, and Kudos De Sothys, who resumes off a break. More horse racing news View the full article

Ocean Billy following his win in the Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m). Photo: Trish Dunell It’s been a tough couple of years for Group One-winning stayer Ocean Billy and breeder-owner-trainer Bill Pomare, but the tide is turning and the son of Ocean Park is set to resume racing at Te Rapa on Saturday. The Rotorua pair were sent on a whirlwind trip following the now eight-year-old’s victory in the 2021 Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m), with Pomare setting his sights on fulfilling a lifelong dream and chasing Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) success. He subsequently entrusted Ocean Billy to the care of leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller who campaigned him in Melbourne later that spring where he finished ninth in the Group 1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) and 23rd in the Melbourne Cup. While unsuccessful, Pomare enjoyed fulfilling his dream of competing in a Melbourne Cup, but the wheels would soon come off further Australian aspirations when Ocean Billy sustained a tendon injury in Sydney last February. The gelding returned to New Zealand after initial treatment in Australia and underwent several months of rehab before an unsuccessful two-race campaign late last year. Pomare elected to give his pride and joy a lengthy spell and he has enjoyed his year-long hiatus from racing, which will come to an end this Saturday. “I am looking forward to it. It has definitely been a long wait, but everything seems to be pretty spot on at the moment,” Pomare said. “He had bowed a tendon in Australia. We brought him home and the tendon went back to a spot I was happy with, so we started working him. He was doing everything fine, but we probably kicked off a bit early. We kicked off when the tracks were still wet, which wasn’t a good move because with a tendon that is repairing, the last thing you need is a wet track. “He struck those wet tracks, which antagonised the tendon again, so I turned him right out and gave him a good spell. He had a lot of care and attention and was in a hill paddock. “We have got several rolling hills on our property and I think climbing up and down those hills are as good as anything (for rehabilitation). The farrier is attending to his feet to support his tendons better and his feet look good. He used to have a fair bit of toe on him, but we got that taken back so he rolls over a bit easier. Things like that have probably helped him to stay sound and be happy in his work. “The tendon has come really well and hardened up and we have had a trial and a few decent hit-outs and things seem to be really good with him.” Pomare said Ocean Billy has developed a lot of size and strength in his period away from racing. “He is quite a different horse. He is a heck of a lot stronger and he has really bulked up,” Pomare said. “He spends a lot of time rearing and bucking around the paddock. We knew he felt pretty good, we just had to control it all, keep him in one piece and get him through it. He has done that well. He is certainly acting like his old self, but he is carrying quite a lot of bulk now, he is a solid horse.” In his first-up assignment, Ocean Billy has been lumbered with 62kg, so Pomare has engaged four-kilogram claiming apprentice jockey Ngakau Hailey to ease his load. “He needs this and the mile is probably ideal for him,” Pomare said. “I will use a four-kilo claimer on him and take as much weight off his back as I can. 62kg is not a good weight to be putting on him but he is a big, strong horse and for the first couple of races we will look after him a bit as far as weight goes and hopefully they don’t hit us as hard (with weight) the whole way through.” Pomare has his eyes on the Group 2 Auckland Cup (3200m) at Ellerslie in March, and while it doesn’t hold the elite-level status it did when won by Ocean Billy two years ago, he would dearly love to win it again. “We have got to start and get him running so we can get him ready for those staying races,” he said. “The Auckland Cup is the main target. He goes pretty well up that way and the new track should suit him because he likes a better track.” Pomare is also looking forward to next month’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sales at Karaka where he will offer Ocean Billy’s full brother through Waikato Stud’s draft, who will go through the ring as lot 669. “Annabel Neasham bought his full-brother this year (for $140,000) and I have his other full-brother going to the sales next month,” Pomare said. “He is a very nice-looking colt. “He (Ocean Billy) has got a half-brother by Noverre who is a beautiful colt. She (Cool Storm, dam) does leave nice foals. We are going to have one more shot at getting her in-foal this year, she is going to Super Seth.” More horse racing news View the full article

Romantic Warrior is a 12-time winner from 17 starts. Trainer Danny Shum will give Romantic Warrior a short break with a view to returning in the Group 1 Hong Kong Gold Cup (2000m) on February 25, 2024 at Sha Tin, opting against a potential rematch with Golden Sixty in the Group 1 Stewards’ Cup (1600m) on January 21. Displaying trademark tenacity to win a second straight Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) on December 10 at the Hong Kong International Races, Romantic Warrior pulled out all of the stops that day, exactly one start – or only 43 days – after doing the same successfully in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2040m), a challenging overseas conquest, which also required arduous travel, quarantine and acclimatisation. “He looks great but I feel he will be a little bit tired because it was a hard run, both two races were very hard. He’ll have a short break now,” Shum said. “He’ll have enough time to recover if we go to the Gold Cup next – 2000 metres is his trip, I think that’s a better idea.” A graduate of the Hong Kong International Sale, Romantic Warrior will target a sixth Group 1 in the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup. He finished second to Golden Sixty in last year’s renewal. “He’s easy to train but he won both of those two races with his fighting heart, he uses a lot of energy. I have to look after him because he uses himself a lot, it’s better to give him a bit of a break and go again,” Shum said. Narrow victory in the HK$36 million Hong Kong Cup saw Romantic Warrior lift his earnings to HK$119.79 million. In doing so, he became the third horse to reach HK$100 million after Golden Sixty (HK$165.85 million) and Beauty Generation (HK$106 million). “I feel he always tries his best. I think he’s reached his best but he’s good enough and he uses everything. He always tries and never gives up, he is such a tough horse,” Shum said. Romantic Warrior was bought for HK$4.8 million by owner Peter Lau. Shum indicates the five-year-old will remain at Sha Tin instead of shipping to Conghua. “He is always sound, he’s very gentle, he’s a good ride, he has a good temperament, he can eat and he always tries – he’s very easy to look after. He stays at Sha Tin – he always remains in my sight,” Shum said. Romantic Warrior’s record includes wins in the 2022 Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600m), 2022 Hong Kong Derby (2000m) as well as a pair of Group 1 QEII Cup (2000m) scores in 2022 and 2023. Seeking a fifth straight win to further preserve his standing as a leading 2024 Four-Year-Old Classic Series player, Chill Chibi (123lb) will face seven rivals at Happy Valley on Wednesday night (20 December) when he makes his Class 2 debut in the Saturn Handicap (1650m). Placed second in the DBS x Manulife Million Challenge on 45 points – victory, second, third or fourth place sees Chill Chibi leapfrog Humble Star into first, while the competition – carrying a first prize bonus to owners of HK$1 million – closes on 21 February next year. “He’s got talent, he’s a super horse. It’s amazing that he has won four times from five starts and he’s improving, at this stage, he keeps coming and coming but how much improvement there is still to come, I don’t know,” Shum said. The New Zealand-bred has won three times in Class 3. Last start he rounded the field impressively to secure a first win over 1800m, adding to his three triumphs over tomorrow night’s course and distance. Chill Chibi is yet to race at Sha Tin and Shum expects his first attempt will come in the Hong Kong Classic Mile on February 4 – the first leg of the HK$52 million Four-Year-Old Classic Series. “The big question is that he has only raced at Happy Valley. He’s never raced at Sha Tin, so that’s a question mark. After this race he will go straight to the Hong Kong Classic Mile. “I want to keep him a little bit fresh and race over 1600 metres and see how he goes. Then he’ll go over 1800 metres and 2000 metres,” Shum said. The Hong Kong Classic Cup (1800m) is the second leg of the three-race Four-Year-Old Classic Series, while the Hong Kong Derby on 24 March rounds out the competition. Only Golden Sixty (2020) and Rapper Dragon (2017) have won all three legs. More horse racing news View the full article

What Gosford Races Where The Entertainment Grounds – 4 Racecourse Rd, West Gosford NSW 2250 When Thursday, December 21, 2023 First Race 1:15pm AEDT Visit Dabble NSW racing heads to Gosford on Thursday afternoon, with a competitive seven-race program set for decision. The rail moves out +3m for the meeting, and with scattered showers predicted in the lead-up, the track should fall somewhere in the Soft range. The opening event is set to get underway at 1:15pm local time. Best Bet: Costa Smeralda Costa Smeralda has not been seen since her sensational debut victory on September 28 at Wyong, where she travelled outside the leader and bolted clear when asked for the ultimate effort. The Ciaron Maher & David Eustace barn has not put any official work into their filly since, and although she has been off the scene for 83 days, we are convinced she is ready to produce first-up. Best Bet Race 6 – #10 Costa Smeralda (13) 3yo Filly | T: Ciaron Maher & David Eustace | J: Tyler Schiller (55kg) Bet with Neds Next Best: Restonica Restonica was luckless on resumption at Newcastle on December 2 and should have finished much closer than the 2.8-length margin may suggest. He jumped well from barrier seven but was unable to hold a position throughout the 1200m contest, being forced to chase from near last when turning for home. He never shirked the task, however, and his strong closing sectionals suggest Restonica should improve second-up. Next Best Race 2 – #4 Restonica (8) 3yo Colt | T: James Cummings | J: Tyler Schiller (57.5kg) Bet with Bet365 Next Best Again: The Extreme Cat The Extreme Cat made a successful debut for the Nathan Doyle stable at Coffs Harbour on November 30. It was a brave performance considering the position in transit, as the son of Extreme Choice sustained a three-wide run to score by 2.5 lengths. He makes a step up in trip and grade in this 1200m Class 1 contest, but based on what we saw first-up, The Extreme Cat should prove hard to beat. Next Best Again Race 5 – #1 The Extreme Cat (2) 4yo Gelding | T: Nathan Doyle | J: Ashley Morgan (59kg) Bet with PlayUp Gosford Thursday quaddie tips – 21/12/2023 Gosford quadrella selections Thursday, December 21, 2023 2-5-6-10 1-6-8 1-3-10-11 1-2-5-6-8 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

With the Christmas period around the corner, the racing in the southern states is starting to cool off, but it is only heating up in the Sunshine State as the Magic Millions Carnival approaches. Many online bookmakers offer a blackbook punting tool, and in this week’s edition of The Follow Files, we have found three runners from last Saturday’s races that we suggest you add into yours. Eagle Farm Track rating: Soft 5 (Soft 6 after R8) Rail position: +2m entire circuit Race 8: Listed Gold Edition Plate (1200m) | Time: 1:10.88 Horse to follow: Show Me Mercy (3rd) Show Me Mercy from the Stuart Kendrick stable competed in the toughest race of his five-start career and ran into third place, only beaten by 0.25 lengths. After settling midfield, Michael Rodd chose to make a run out wide but couldn’t make up the ground on the leading pair in the final 100m. However, this son of Astern was first-up, competing in Listed grade for the first time, and racing over 1200m for the second time, so to say he will take a lot of out the run would be an understatement. When to bet: As a Magic Millions purchase, Show Me Mercy is on a Magic Millions 3YO Guineas path. We may see this gelding before Magic Millions Day on January 13 if Kendrick believes he needs another run to secure his place in the target race. Wherever this guy goes next, we will be backing him. Caulfield Track rating: Soft 4 (Good 3 after R6) Rail position: +10m entire circuit Race 9: 3YO & Up Handicap (1400m) | Time: 1:22.03 Horse to follow: Bermadez (2nd) Bermadez has started his preparation with consecutive second-place finishes, beaten by Pascero on both occasions. Last start, this seven-year-old gelding ran home from the back of the field and was the best of the backmarkers in the race. The son of Tavistock has recorded five of his career wins on rain-affected tracks, so for him to clock the second-fastest 400m and 200m sections of the meeting on a Good track suggests he is going as well as ever. When to bet: Bermadez has two solid runs at 1400m under his belt, so Moroney may opt to step him up to 1600m third-up. Two of his six wins have come at Flemington, so the Benchmark 84 Handicap over 1600m there on January 13 ticks all the boxes for this guy. Race 10: Benchmark 84 Handicap (1200m) | Time: 1:08.47 Horse to follow: Kin (2nd) In her second start this preparation, Kin from the Godolphin stable was sent around as a well-backed favourite in the last race at Caulfield. Unfortunately, due to her get-back-and-run-on racing pattern, the four-year-old mare was well out of her ground and gave herself too much work to do in the final 300m. Although the James Cummings-trained mare finished second, she clocked the fastest 200m sectionals from the 1000m to the 200m mark for the entire meeting. When to bet: Kin has raced over 1100m and 1200m so far this campaign, and it appears unlikely she will get out over any further. The Listed Black Pearl Stakes for fillies and mares at Geelong on January 7 looks like a potential black-type target in the off-season. Top horse racing sites for blackbook features Latest horse racing tips View the full article

The Thoroughbred Racing Industry is today mourning the loss of Mr Alan ‘Jock’ Gollogly who passed away overnight following a long illness, aged 72. “Jock Gollogly was a unique character who was well known and respected throughout the industry,” said Racing NSW’s Chief Executive, Mr Peter V’landys AM. “You would not find a more passionate racing person who possessed a fantastic sense of humour and was a master storyteller. “Alan’s passing is a great loss as he touched so many with his sincerity and compassion. We send our sincere condolences to his family and many friends.” Alan ‘Jock’ Gollogly hailed from Queensland and was the son of a successful jockey of the same name who also carried a similar nickname. After finishing five years boarding at Nudgee College in 1968, he was apprenticed to his grandfather Fred Best who won 17 Brisbane Trainers’ Premierships and was an Australian Hall of Fame inductee. Alan went on to have a very successful career in the saddle in Queensland winning the 1970-71 Brisbane Apprentices’ Premiership and riding Bengalla Lad to victory in the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in 1972. In 1975, Alan spent eight months in Hong Kong with George Moore then the following year ventured to the popular Grafton Carnival where he rode several winners for the big betting stable of Hunter Kilner. It was there that trainer Eric Sandford convinced Alan to base himself in Newcastle for a onemonth trial and he never left the city. Gollogly didn’t mind travelling and rode the winner of the Port Moresby Cup in between winning jockeys’ premierships at Newcastle. In later years Alan was involved in the media with stints at the Newcastle Herald, Prime TV, Sky Racing Radio and was a reporter for a local radio station. His last gig was the official track clocker for top Newcastle trainer Kris Lees after being made redundant as clocker for the Sportsman in 2020. He told John Tapp recently: “I’m at the track at 4:30 each morning – Kris Lees starts working 100-plus horses between 5:30am and 8am and I clock the lot.” Australian Turf Club will name a race in Mr Gollogly’s honour at Royal Randwick this Saturday. Mr Alan ‘Jock’ Gollogly is survived by long-time partner Lindsay. More horse racing news View the full article

Cranbourne Turf Club. (Photo by George Sal/Racing Photos) The racing scene in south-east Victoria is about to undergo a transformation with the merger of Cranbourne Turf Club (CTC) and Pakenham Racing Club (PRC). This merging of the two clubs, approved by their members on Monday evening, has been hailed as a game changer by Andrew Jones, Chief Executive of Racing Victoria (RV) and Scott Whiteman, Chief Executive of Country Racing Victoria (CRV). “We commend Cranbourne Turf Club and Pakenham Racing Club members for approving this merger,” said Jones. “The combined club offers members two tracks for the price of one. Trainers can realise a future where more facilities and options are available to them. “And club leaders can drive economies of scale across racing, training, customer services, commercial operations, finance, administration, gaming and property. “Everyone is a winner today. “This is an historic moment for Victorian racing and one that solidifies Melbourne’s south-east Super Club as a racing and training powerhouse. Whiteman also acknowledged the role played by Racing Victoria, led by Andrew Jones and his team, in making this dream a reality. “This is a great outcome for Victorian racing, and we are delighted that the members have endorsed the merger of the two clubs,” said Whiteman. “It has been tremendous to work closely with each club as they have grown to become a Super Club in Melbourne’s south-east. “Whilst we have long held a dream that these clubs could merge into a powerhouse, it would not have been possible without the support and awareness of the long-term benefits from Racing Victoria, headed by Andrew Jones, his management team and the Board. “Everyone involved with the Cranbourne and Pakenham Racing Clubs should feel proud today.” The club will have a portfolio organising more than 60 race meetings annually across three tracks: Cranbourne, Pakenham Turf and Pakenham Synthetic. All these tracks are equipped for night racing. With its ability to accommodate over 1,500 horses in training and contributing to 30% of all starters in Victoria, this club is poised to become a powerhouse in the industry. This consolidation is expected to bring about cost savings and benefits for all parties involved. As the Cranbourne Turf Club (CTC) and Pakenham Racing Club (PRC) diligently navigate through the processes, the future of racing in Melbourne’s south-east looks promising. The direct collaboration between the Super Club and Racing Victoria (RV) on matters related to funding, operations, and programming will further enhance the region’s racing landscape. This significant merger represents a chapter for racing that cements Melbourne’s south-east as a top-tier destination for both horse racing and training. More horse racing news View the full article

Horse Racing on Tuesday, December 19 will feature two meetings in Australia. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the top bets and the quaddie numbers for the meeting at Terang. Tuesday Racing Tips – December 19, 2023 Terang Racing Tips Best Horse Racing Bets For December 19, 2023 Place these horse racing bets in a multi for $29.80 odds return: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Terang – Race 7 #3 Deeling Aces Terang – Race 4 #14 Rebellious Hope Scone – Race 6 #6 Bangetta Scone – Race 7 #11 Leopardi | Copy this bet straight to your betslip As always there a plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans, check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on December 19, 2023 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. More horse racing tips View the full article

Online bookmakers have released their racing promotions for Tuesday, December 19, including several great bonus back offers. The top Australian racing promotions for December 19, 2023, include: Today’s best horse racing promotions This Tuesday check out your Neds Toolbox. In your Neds Toolbox you will find Bet Backs, Price Boosts, Back Ups and much more. Neds T&Cs apply. Login to Neds to Claim Promo 10% Boosted Winnings for ALL Races at Scone & Terang Get 10% Boosted Winnings paid in BONUS CASH up to $100 (including SRM). First fixed win bet only. Paid in bonus cash. T&Cs apply. Login to PickleBet to Claim Promo BoomBet Daily Race Returns Use your daily Race Returns to back a runner in ANY RACE you want* and if your horse doesn’t win but finishes in the specified positions, you get your stake back as a bonus bet. 18+ Gamble responsibly. Can be used across any race and code unless specified in customer’s BoomBox. Fix odds, win bets only. Max bonus $50. Login to BoomBet to Claim Promo How does horsebetting.com.au source its racing bonus offers? HorseBetting has reviewed the top horse racing bookmakers in Australia and has unveiled exclusive thoroughbred bonus promotions and specials for Tuesday, December 19, 2023. These horse racing promotions persist almost daily, showcasing the commitment of Australia’s top horse racing bookmakers. If one bookmaker lacks a promotion, rest assured that another is presenting enticing promotional offers in the realm of gallops. HorseBetting.com.au is your go-to source for the most lucrative horse racing bookmaker bonuses every day. Gain the most value out of your punting endeavours with bookie bonuses with the most competitive horse racing odds available for each race. It’s imperative to note that these thoroughbred racing promotion offers cater exclusively to existing customers. Accessing these special promotions and claiming the bookmaker’s offers requires logging in to each online bookmaker’s platform. For those seeking races and horses to leverage their horse betting bookmaker bonus bets, HorseBetting offers a valuable resource with its daily free racing tips. Stay informed, stay strategic, and make the most of your horse racing experience with these exclusive promotions. More horse racing promotions View the full article

Premier Racedays, an undertaking by British Racing to market and promote racing's best racedays, will launch with the New Year's Day fixture at Cheltenham, the first of some 170 such programs to be staged in 2024. Premier Racedays is part of a two-year series of changes with the aim of growing British racing by 'increasing engagement among new and existing customers, improving revenues across all areas of the industry, promoting investment in the sport through the recruitment and retention of owners, and encouraging the best horses to be bred, trained and raced in Britain.' Premier Racedays will be supported by marketing and promotional suppoer, racecourse marketing spend and plans for a national promotional campaign, pending the submission of an application to the Horserace Betting Levy Board in line with the body's funding criteria. Premier Racedays through 2024 will also see the introduction of innovation in the fan experience on an ongoing basis, for those attending on racecourses, betting, and watching on broadcast. Over 90% of Premier Racedays are to be broadcast across ITV and encompass the majority of racing's best and most popular racedays. The key areas of innovation include customer promotion, broadcast innovation, customer experience, a digital content strategy, promotion of horse racing's equine and human athletes and betting, to offer a variety of incentives around Premier Racedays. Significant work is also in development to improve the ownership experience both on and off-course, with initiatives to be rolled out in 2024. “British racing's stakeholders unanimously agreed the way to grow our sport is to better showcase and sell our best racing. The pilot of Premier Racedays is the start of this process,” said Joe Saumarez Smith, chair of the British Horseracing Authority. “Due to the way that our sport is structured, the first priority for the sport was to put the building blocks in place in the form of the changes to the fixture list and race programme and secure the improved funding of prize money. There is little point trying to sell Premier Racedays if the product is not, in fact, Premier. “I am grateful to everyone who has been involved in the ongoing development of these plans, including those directly involved in the sport and our partners in broadcast, the media and betting”. The post Premier Racedays To Kick Off at Cheltenham Jan. 1 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York division of the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America administers in immeasurable ways to the needs of the tight-knit community of backstretch workers at New York Racing Association tracks.View the full article

Trainers with fewer than 20 horses in their stables are eligible to earn points as their horses compete in overnight races at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trainers with the highest points can earn bonuses after the sprint meet ends.View the full article

A share in Haras de Colleville stallion Galiway (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) was purchased by the Broadhurst Agency's Laurent Benoit for €160,000 to be the top-priced offering during Arqana's final online sale of the year Tuesday, Dec. 19. The rising 13-year-old is the sire of 14 black-type winners, eight at group level, including G1 Champion S. and G1 Prix Jean Luc Lagardere hero Sealiway (Fr) and Sunway (Fr), victorious in the G1 Criterium International. Galiway is also the sire of Vauban (Fr), a Group 3 winner on the flat and a jumps horse of considerable talent. A share in Sealiway, whose first foals are due next season, was knocked down to France Turf International for €56,000, while a breeding right in Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}), sire of G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Ace Impact (Ire), was sold to Ladyswood Stud for €50,000. Following over 200 bids, seven of the eight breeding rights and stallion shares were sold for a total of €383,000 (outside of the sealed bid). The post Galiway Share Tops Final Arqana Online Sale For 2023 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Aidan O'Brien's dual top-level American turf winner Bolshoi Ballet has been retired from racing and will stand under the Coolmore National Hunt banner at The Beeches Stud.View the full article

Jockey Manny Franco has won three NYRA circuit meet titles this year and is closing in on a fourth with a lead in the Aqueduct fall meet standings. View the full article

Michael Costa may be a new name to some European readers, but he is not new to success. The Australian trainer has switched his home of Surfers Paradise for the stunning views of the Dubai skyline. A life-changing move, both personally and professionally, he flew his wife Melanie and four children 12,000km across the Indian Ocean and for the last 18 months has been based at Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum's private stable of Jebel Ali. It must be said that he has made an eye-catching start: with 19 wins from 60 runs so far this season, Costa is currently the leading trainer in the region. He is set to saddle five runners at Meydan's meeting this Friday. Head-hunted by the sheikh's racing manager Mohamed Al Shehhi, he is highly respected in his homeland. In the words of Australian Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller, “Michael Costa gets improvement out of any horse he's given.” Costa previously studied Equine Acupuncture and spent time as a steward before starting training the hard way from scratch. Famed for having an enviable strike-rate, he was also known for getting the best from his team and placing his horses well. His stable star, Phobetor (Aus) (Dream Ahead), won the 2021 G2 Missile S., a highlight to Costa's CV and the perfect way to end that chapter of his career. The move to a different country has reshaped the trainer's professional trajectory. When based at the Gold Coast, Costa primarily purchased from horses-in-training sales to sweeten horses up for improvement via a change of scenery before strategically placing them for syndicate ownership. Going from mostly syndicating to now working exclusively for Sheikh Ahmed, much adapting has taken place. Expanding from six afternoon staff to 76 full-time staff members is just one difference that illustrates the magnitude of training for such a prominent owner. He says, “The fact that we've hit the ground running this season is all due to the staff's determination and positive outlook over the summer which has put us in this position of the horses performing so well. “Being a trainer in Australia you have to wear many hats: you're selling, you're marketing, you're doing all these things, whereas in this role you're more usually pointing the people in the right direction and the hard work is done by the staff. We've got a great team.” Costa continues, “The biggest hurdle that trainers have to face in Australia, and I'm sure it's the same in other parts of the world, is owners' communication, accounts and staffing issues, and those three things are now completely lacking in my role. My role is about finding the best horses that we can and getting the greatest outlook, as well as managing my team. “I treat this operation as if it still my own business. We're not going crazy at the sales. We've only purchased one horse in Book 1 so far. The rest has all been below the average and just buying good physicals, and that filters through to how we operate, with no excess, and with efficiency. “I'm still in the mode of running my own business as I did in Australia, but I'm just very lucky that I don't have to spend as much time on chasing accounts and those sorts of things. That puts me in a very lucky position to do what most trainers get involved in it to do, and that's because they love the horse. So I've managed to get back close to the horse and now I go home smelling like a horse and that's what it all about.” For Costa, last year was very much a fact-finding mission. He had to get to know all the horses for starters, as well as his new facilities, from dirt tracks, to the traits in the European pedigrees of some of his horses. Costa and his team found their feet quickly and managed to bring 13 winners home, which was more than the previous four seasons combined for the Jebel Ali stable. This injection of fresh ambition, along with significant investment in horseflesh, is all part of Sheikh Ahmed's rejuvenation of Jebel Ali. Plans include a new grandstand along with using more of the desert land that surrounds the racecourse and training stables to better effect, including planting more trees. The revival mission is well underway and starting to reap rewards. As a modern-day trainer with global ambitions, Costa has every corner covered when it comes to recruiting horses, from buying yearlings and having agents in a variety of countries looking out for any early potential and sourcing exciting prospects such as Mawthog (NZ) (Echoes Of Heaven {Aus}), who was noticed when winning a trial at Ruakaka. Another is Homebrew (Street Sense), a lightly-raced listed winner in the US for Brad Cox, while Carolina Reaper (NZ) (Vespa {NZ}) won a Group 3 at Pukekohe Park in New Zealand. These are just three examples that were all privately purchased, and they have joined a good mix of battle-hardened older horses who know the walks of Jebel Ali well. Then there are the annual picks from Sheikh Ahmed's European-based horses who bring strong form. This year they include Newbury maiden winner Lajooje (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) and last year's G2 Vintage S. winner Marbaan (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). As the temperatures rose for the UAE summer, Costa conducted an international shopping spree, starting from the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in Sydney to the United States for the breeze-ups and horses-in-training sales. A number of trainers in Dubai have more horses than he does. Jebel Ali holds 70, and of those boxes is home to a past successful homebred in Morshdi (GB) (Slip Anchor {GB}), who is now 25 and long retired. He was quite the jet-setter back in his prime, taking the G1 Derby Italiano before finishing second to Galileo (Ire) in the G1 Irish Derby. Costa's attention to detail has prompted some major upgrades to facilities at Jebel Ali. The changes include grass pens, an equine swimming pool, two treadmills, a spa, plus an arena with some poles and jumps, which can be hugely beneficial to the horse's mind with getting them to think and use themselves in a completely different way than when galloping around a track. Costa was temporarily joined by his fellow Australian, jockey James Orman, who flew over to kick the first six winners home before Irishman Ben Coen took over as retained first jockey for the season. “The season we are in now is about getting back Dubai dominance,” he says. “Once our yearlings come in and start to filter through for year three and onwards we will start to look at travelling horses more abroad. With the way that the two-year-olds have hit the track so far and the way we are rebuilding in the stable from the ground up, the two-year-olds turning three will be the best opportunity for our horses to travel, so we are just getting into the crunch time now of coming into the better races, and we will know shortly what will travel.” So if all goes to plan, we could be seeing more of Michael Costa and his team on the world stage. He continues, “Initially the first season I was just looking at what the other successful trainers in the UAE were doing, and their approach was a lot of form horses and a lot of breeze-up horses. What I wanted to do was ask the question – you get all these internationals arrive, and while we do get some UAE horses who are competitive on the big night, it is dominated a lot by the international horses, and there are not a lot of UAE horses who travel. So the question I asked myself was, 'Why is this?' The simple answer we came up with was that we've got to be buying the same horses that Chad Brown is buying, or William Haggas is buying, or the prominent trainers. “His Highness's approach was to go to buy yearlings of varying types from Australian speed to European stamina to the dirt horses. Ultimately we just look for an athletic horse and a fast horse, and we've got the beauty of running on the dirt or the turf. Ultimately we want a fast horse first, and if they win a Group 1 on the turf we're not going to be worried, or if they win a Group 1 on the dirt then that's great as well. I've spent some time with a few very good agents in the US, and everyone has their own idea of what makes a good dirt horse, but I think you can over-complicate it. You're just looking for an athletic horse and if you start there then the rest should fall into place.” The post Costa Living the Dream After Switch from Australia to Dubai appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bolshoi Ballet (Ire), the dual Grade I-winning son of Galileo (Ire) and Alta Anna (Fr) (Anabaa), has been retired from racing to join Coolmore's National roster. He will stand at the McCarthy family's The Beeches Stud in Co Waterford. Having been named a 'TDN Rising Star' when breaking his maiden at Leopardstown at two, Bolshoi Ballet, bred by Lynch Bages and Rhinestone Bloodstock, then emulated his sire, as well as Yeats (Ire) and High Chaparral (Ire), when winning both the G3 Ballysax S. and G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial the next season. Following a seventh-place finish in the Derby at Epsom, he bounced back to win the GI Belmont Derby, earning the highest Beyer Speed Figure of any turf horse in North America last year. He closed out his career with another Grade I success at Saratoga, recording an easy win in the Sword Dancer S. this August. “Bolshoi Ballet is an exceptional looker and walker, extremely genuine and clean-winded,” said his trainer Aidan O'Brien. “He had the class to win a Grade I over a mile and a quarter and also stayed a mile and a half well.” Robert McCarthy of The Beeches Stud added, “I was very taken with Bolshoi Ballet when we went to see him at Ballydoyle earlier in the year. He's a super-looking horse with real presence about him, a great colour, plenty of size and a very good walk. I have no doubt that breeders will be impressed when they come to see him.” Bolshoi Ballet's fee will be announced in the coming days. The post Bolshoi Ballet Retires to The Beeches Stud appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As 2023 draws to a close, the TDN is asking industry members to name their favorite moment of the year. Send yours to suefinley@thetdn.com. There are so many great moments from 2023. It really is hard to choose. I would say that from a “Taylor Made” perspective it has to be selling the highest-priced yearling in North America. The Curlin colt out of the legendary Beholder was raised and prepped beautifully by the team at Spendthrift. Having the opportunity to represent Spendthrift on a horse of that quality was a blessing for our whole Team! The post What Was Your Favorite Moment of 2023: Mark Taylor appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

As 2023 comes to a close, we're looking forward to starting fresh in 2024. For me, the end of the year often brings with it time for personal reflection. I think about what went well, what didn't, and where I can do better in the future.View the full article

Wednesday's top tips from the Post's analystsView the full article