Wandering Eyes

With last year's winner out, two veteran stayers face some up-and-coming 4-year-olds in the May 4 Tenno Sho (Spring) at Kyoto Racecourse.View the full article

California-based trainer Ed Moger Jr. won his 2,000th race May 1 at Churchill Downs when Paynt Ya Later won an allowance optional claiming race by three-quarters of a length at Churchill Downs.View the full article

After playing the waiting game, connections of Baeza are relieved that the colt managed to draw in off the also-eligible list and run in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs May 3.View the full article

With thunderstorms possible after 5 pm, pleasant temperatures greeted the Kentucky Oaks (G1) day crowd arriving the morning of May 2 at Churchill Downs. As the field went to post for the first race, the main track was listed as fast with firm turf. View the full article

1st-Churchill Downs, $122,270, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($125,000), 5-2, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:42.04, ft, 7 lengths. SHRED THE GNAR (f, 3, Into Mischief–Aspen Light, by Bernardini) just missed by a diminishing neck when debuted going six furlongs at Gulfstream Feb. 9 and was more than ready for her stretch out to one mile, wiring a field in Florida by 6 1/2 lengths March 16 to become a 'TDN Rising Star'. Trying two turns for the first time in the Oaks day opener Friday, the 4-5 favorite again flashed early speed from the rail and showed the way around the clubhouse turn with Chasten (Into Mischief) situated just off her flank in second. That pair, clearly the class of the field, opened up through fractions of :23.89 and :47.86 but Shred the Gnar turned for home with plenty left and turned her rival back to lead in a procession by seven lengths. Chasten lasted for second and was a further three lengths clear of Table Flirt (Constitution) in third. Aspen Light, a half-sister to GI Lane's End Breeders' Futurity winner Great Hunter (Aptitude), is also responsible for Shred the Gnar's full-brother in Owendale, MGSW & MGISP, $1,538,435. This is the family of champion 3-year-old filly Stellar Wind (Curlin) who went the way of M.V. Magnier for $6,000,000 at KEENOV in 2017. Aspen Light does not have a 2-year-old this year but reported a filly by Uncle Mo last year and went to Practical Joke for this season. Sales History: $610,000 Ylg '23 FTSAUG. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $128,960. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing LLC; B-Camas Park Stud & Lynch Bages LTD. (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch. Shred the Gnar takes them all the way in the opener on Kentucky Oaks day Luis Saez up for trainer Brian Lynch. pic.twitter.com/qOssxL6bqf — Churchill Downs (@ChurchillDowns) May 2, 2025 The post ‘Rising Star’ Shred The Gnar Romps To Open Oaks Card At Churchill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Three wildcards have been released for next week's Arqana Breeze-Up Sale, which takes place between May 8 and 10 in Deauville. Among the three two-year-olds that have been added to the sale is the Oak Tree Farm-consigned Wootton Bassett colt [lot 194] out of the Listed-placed Materialistic. A grandson of Group winner and Group 1-placed Pongee, the colt hails from the family of Pacifique, Prudenzia, Paix, Magic Wand, Chicquita and Philomene. In addition, a daughter of Lucky Vega (lot 195) will be offered from Bansha House Stables. The well-bred filly is a half-sister to Real Appeal, a dual Group winner, and the black-type Run For Me. Finally, Sherbourne Lodge Stables will offer lot 196, a son of the young American sire Knicks Go, out of a half-sister to Graded winner Super Freaky. The well-bred colt hails from the family of the Classic winner Silver Charm, the winner of the Preakness Stakes, Kentucky Derby and Dubai World Cup. The post Three Well-Bred Wildcards Added To Arqana Breeze-Up Sale Catalogue appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Churchill Downs banned the veteran for two years when his horse Medina Spirit failed a drugs test after winning the 2021 Kentucky Derby.View the full article

Alain and Gerard Wertheimer's relatively unexposed 3-year-old colt Nitoi (Siyouni {Fr}) had just two prior outings under his belt heading into Friday's Listed Prix de Suresnes and called upon abundant reserves to claim a hard-fought career high in the 10-furlong Prix du Jockey Club trial. The Andre Fabre-trained homebred half-brother to G1 Grosser Preis von Bayern and G1 Hong Kong Vase hero Junko (GB) (Intello {Ger}) broke through in his Sept. 16 debut at this venue and ran second in ParisLongchamp's G3 Prix Noailles on black-type debut and seasonal return last time. Breaking on the lead before accepting a tow in second after the early shuffling, the 9-5 second favourite loomed large going well approaching the quarter-mile marker and came under a forceful drive once hitting the front with 300 metres remaining to stave off the persistent threat of the hitherto undefeated Leffard (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) by a short-neck in game fashion. Juddmonte's G3 Prix La Force placegetter New Ground (GB) (New Bay {GB}) finished 3/4-of-a-length adrift in third. Nitoi is the fifth of six foals and fourth scorer produced by GIII Regret Stakes and GIII Edgewood Stakes placegetter Lady Zuzu (Dynaformer), herself a half-sister to multiple Grade III-winning GI Turf Classic and GI Manhattan Handicap second Optimizer (English Channel). The February-foaled bay is a half-brother to the aforementioned Junko and the hitherto unraced 2-year-old colt Zutzut (Uncle Mo). Lady Zuzu was bred to Justify last year. Tenacious! Andre Fabre's Nitoi – who has an entry in the Prix du Jockey Club – battles to a hard-fought success in the Listed Prix de Suresnes at @fgchantilly… pic.twitter.com/uj42PlWs42 — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) May 2, 2025 Friday, Chantilly, France PRIX DE SURESNES-Listed, €55,000, Chantilly, 5-2, 3yo, 10fT, 2:02.25, g/s. 1–NITOI, 128, c, 3, by Siyouni (Fr) 1st Dam: Lady Zuzu (MGSP-US, $112,615), by Dynaformer 2nd Dam: Indy Pick, by A.P. Indy 3rd Dam: Fantastic Find, by Mr. Prospector 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (KY); T-Andre Fabre; J-Maxime Guyon. €27,500. Lifetime Record: GSP-Fr, 3-2-1-0, €58,500. *1/2 to Junko (GB) (Intello {Ger}), G1SW-Ger & HK, MGSW & G1SP-Fr, $2,430,857. 2–Leffard (Fr), 128, c, 3, Le Havre (Ire)–Let's Misbehave (Ire), by Montjeu (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€150,000 Ylg '23 ARQAUG). O-Gerard Augustin-Normand & Ecurie Antonio Caro; B-Ecurie Haras du Cadran & Ecurie Melanie (FR); T-Jean-Claude Rouget. €11,000. 3–New Ground (GB), 128, c, 3, New Bay (GB)–Gaining (GB), by American Post. O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (GB); T-Henri-Francois Devin. €8,250. Margins: SNK, 3/4, SNK. Odds: 1.80, 6.10, 7.30. Also Ran: Azimpour (Ire), Juwelier (Ire), Nizam (Fr), Chaumiere De Pre (Fr). The post Siyouni’s Nitoi Digs Deep for Stakes Breakthrough at Chantilly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Impressive enough in his two starts to prompt much thought about a crack at the 2,000 Guineas, Juddmonte's Cosmic Year instead went to Newmarket for a gentler education on Friday and duly stayed on track in the Listed King Charles II Stakes. As he had at Sandown in September and at Kempton on his return in April, the Harry Charlton-trained son of Kingman and Passage Of Time travelled with purpose throughout the deep seven-furlong test. When asked by Ryan Moore, the 6-4 favourite settled the contest with a bit in hand inside the final furlong and had 1 1/2 lengths to spare over Marvelman at the line. Harry Charlton gave the lowdown afterwards. “The race didn't pan out exactly how you would have wanted it to, as the two to his right split right. Ryan said he thought they were all going to go that way, but they didn't and he wished he would have followed them as he would have been more impressive if he had that lead to the one pole,” he explained. “He has not handled the dip perfectly, but Ryan liked the way he knuckled down in the final furlong. Barry [Mahon] and Prince Khalid's family have made the right call in that they had three horses that could have run in the 2,000 Guineas–Ryan said he could see why I didn't want to come here for a quick ground 2,000 Guineas.” “Oisin had said this before and Ryan said he would be quite comfortable trying the quicker ground when meeting the rising ground at Ascot,” he added. “We have come here with the view to going to the Irish Guineas. I think the plan will still be to go to Ireland and I think that will suit better. You get a good pace there and you can ride them a bit differently. Whether that leads on to a St James's Palace Stakes, I think that will depend on results, and results of the 2,000 Guineas tomorrow.” Cosmic Year strikes in the Listed King Charles II Stakes for @HarryJCharlton and Ryan Moore @TrustATrader | @NewmarketRace pic.twitter.com/WJ1L7zMguw — Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 2, 2025 Passage Of Time captured the G1 Criterium de Saint-Cloud and G3 Musidora Stakes and was placed in the G1 Nassau Stakes, G1 Prix Vermeille and GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf. This is her third black-type winner, with the former two being Dubawi's multiple Group-winning sire Time Test and Kingman's dual Group winner Tempus. A half to Zamindar's G1 Falmouth Stakes heroine Timepiece, she is also the second dam of Frankel's dual G3 Princess Royal Stakes winner Time Lock and hails from the excellent family of the champion Twice Over and Bated Breath's GI Matriarch Stakes winner Viadera. Her 2-year-old full-brother to Time Test is named Start Of Time. TRUSTATRADER KING CHARLES II STAKES-Listed, £55,000, Newmarket, 5-2, 3yo, 7fT, 1:24.04, gd. 1–COSMIC YEAR (GB), 131, c, 3, by Kingman (GB) 1st Dam: Passage Of Time (GB) (G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Eng, GISP-US, $651,668), by Dansili (GB) 2nd Dam: Clepsydra (GB), by Sadler's Wells 3rd Dam: Quandary, by Blushing Groom (Fr) TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-Juddmonte; B-Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Harry Charlton; J-Ryan Moore. £31,191. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $53,847. *Full to Tempus (GB), GSW-Fr, GSW-Eng, $309,597; 1/2 to Time Test (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), MGSW & G1SP-Eng, MGISP-US, $830,948. 2–Marvelman (Ire), 131, c, 3, Invincible Spirit (Ire)–Varamini (Fr), by Siyouni (Fr). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (140,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT). O-Mr & Mrs R. M. Gorell; B-Gigginstown House Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding. £11,825. 3–Diego Ventura (Ire), 131, c, 3, Mehmas (Ire)–Leoube (Ire), by Kodiac (GB). (€88,000 Ylg '23 GOFOR; €72,000 2yo '24 TATBRU). O-Wathnan Racing; B-Sean Ronan & Caroline Hanly (IRE); T-Hamad Al Jehani. £5,918. Margins: 1HF, 3, HD. Odds: 1.50, 16.00, 7.50. Also Ran: La Botte (GB), Port Light (Ire), Symbol Of Honour (GB), Chancellor (GB), Big Cyril (Ire), Pellitory (GB), The Waco Kid (Ire). The post Onwards And Upwards For Kingman’s Exciting Cosmic Year appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There were four with promising Derby credentials contesting Friday's Listed Newmarket Stakes and ultimately a clear-cut winner in Godolphin's improver Alpine Trail (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}). Sent off the 10-11 favourite for the 10-furlong Blue Riband pointer, the Wolverhampton and Yarmouth winner had it all his own way in front under William Buick and made straightforward work of registering a three-length verdict over the Gosdens' TDN Rising Star and fellow Dubawi, Nebras (GB). Still unbeaten Alpine Trail makes it three from three for Charlie Appleby and @WilliamBuickX in the Listed @Nyetimber Newmarket Stakes @NewmarketRace | @godolphin pic.twitter.com/LNAZjd5hoM — Racing TV (@RacingTV) May 2, 2025 The post Dubawi’s Alpine Trail Puts Down His Derby Marker At Newmarket appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Grande (Curlin) will not make the elongated Churchill Downs starting gate for the GI Kentucky Derby on Saturday because of a foot bruise and was ruled off by the state veterinarians, according to a tweet on X from owner Mike Repole. The runner-up in the GII Wood Memorial Stakes was prepping last week for the Derby at Keeneland before making the trip over to train at Churchill Downs. A $300,000 Keeneland September buy, the 3-year-old was scheduled for post 10 and Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez had the mount who was 20-1 on the morning-line. Repole posted, “Unfortunately, the vets have decided to scratch Grande from tomorrow's Kentucky Derby. He has been battling a slight cracked heel this week which has been improving. To be cautious, Todd X-rayed on Monday and the horse had clean X-rays. On Wednesday, the state vets asked us if we could do a PET scan, and Grande had that yesterday and it was also clean. “He has been training and looking great on the track all week,” the owner said. “The heel has improved throughout the week and it also improved again this morning. Unfortunately the vets told us this morning they were scratching the horse despite the clean diagnostics.” Repole continued by saying that he and his team were mystified as to why Grande was scratched after the colt had such a great week training. “With the race being tomorrow, and Baeza already having drawn into the race, we are also shocked and confused why this decision was made now,” said Repole. “We were given no real explanation why Grande was scratched 36 hours before the race. “We all love these horses and our number one concern is the safety and welfare of these amazing Thoroughbreds,” he said. “That is, and should always be the priority. With all the diagnostics we have taken, the great vets we use, and the experience of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, we are baffled and confused by what criteria vets are using to determine who scratches, who doesn't and when…especially when every diagnostic tells us the horse is safe and sound.” The official Derby scratch time on Friday was 9:00 a.m. ET. The current field for the big race sits at 19 since 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) was forced to exit on Thursday evening. Baeza (McKinzie) has drawn in as the final also-eligible. Unfortunately, the vets have decided to scratch Grande from tomorrow's Kentucky Derby. He has been battling a slight cracked heel this week which has been improving. To be cautious, Todd X-rayed on Monday and the horse had clean X-rays. On Wednesday, the state vets asked us if… — Repole Stable (@RepoleStable) May 2, 2025 The post Grande Has Foot Bruise, Scratched By Vets From Kentucky Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kentucky Derby (G1) victory usually guarantees a stud career for its winner, an impossible future for the gelding Burnham Square. However, connections believe he would've never received the opportunity at America's biggest race without being gelded.View the full article

The Road: sponsored by Gainesway and Darby Dan FarmView the full article

Having each won the Kentucky Derby via disqualification, trainers Bill Mott and Brad Cox are each hoping the 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby goes down as the year they see their runners finish the 1 1/4-mile classic in front. View the full article

Field Of Gold carries trainer’s hopes of a first victory in Group One feature, which will be simulcast by the Jockey Club.View the full article

In what is teed up to be a potentially stellar renewal of Newmarket's G1 Betfred 1,000 Guineas on Sunday, Godolphin's TDN Rising Star Desert Flower and Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Lake Victoria head a cast of ten. As in the 2,000 Guineas, Aidan O'Brien has just one contender in the unbeaten triple top-level-winning daughter of Frankel, having withdrawn his other three entries including Bedtime Story and Exactly, and her meeting with the Charlie Appleby-trained G1 Fillies' Mile-winning daughter of Night Of Thunder is one to relish. Other notables include another Frankel special in Juddmonte's exciting Red Letter, Victorious Racing's G3 Fred Darling Stakes winner Duty First and Al Shaqab Racing's daughter of Too Darn Hot, Simmering who was second to Lake Victoria in last year's G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes. The latter's trainer Ollie Sangster also has Flight, a daughter of Siyouni, and the remainder are made up of Andrew Balding's Remaat, Jack Channon's Hey Boo, Ralph Beckett's Chantilly Lace and Saeed bin Suroor's Elwateen. The post Desert Flower Lake Victoria 1,000 Guineas Clash Is On appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Moira and Kieran Murdoch will be represented by a pair of promising mares at Te Rapa on Saturday, and both are half-sisters to Group One winners. The mother-daughter training partnership will saddle Cambridge Stud’s last-start winner Andorra (NZ) (Pierro) in the TAB Racing Club (2100m). Just over half an hour later, Butterscotch (NZ) (Preferment) will line up for her first raceday start for owner-breeder Joan Egan in the Cure Kids (1400m). Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay paid $450,000 to buy Andorra from Book 1 of Karaka 2022. She is by Pierro out of the Stravinsky mare Pica Pica, which makes her a half-sister to Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) winner Signify (NZ) (Perfectly) and Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) runner-up El Sicario. Another half-sibling, the three-year-old filly Komocean (NZ) (Ocean Park), made a big impression this season with two wins from three starts for New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock. Andorra has had four starts so far, beginning with a seventh on debut over 1400m at Te Aroha in December. She followed that up with a third over 1400m at Tauranga and a fourth over 1600m at Te Aroha, then left maiden ranks with a hard-fought victory over 1600m at Tauranga on March 30. “She looked quite promising in that last-start win and has certainly gone the right way since then,” Moira Murdoch said. “We’re very pleased with her. It will be interesting to see how she goes stepping up to 2100m tomorrow. We think she’s a nice, relaxed mare who should be able to cope with that extra distance. “We probably won’t do a lot more with her in this preparation after this race. We’ve had an awful lot of rain in the last few weeks and we’re running out of suitable tracks for her.” The Murdoch stable is forming a successful association with Cambridge Stud. They also train the Lindsays’ homebred mare Bella Waters (NZ) (Sacred Falls), whose 14-start career has so far produced four wins including the Gr.2 Tauranga Stakes (1600m) and Listed Rotorua Cup (2200m). Murdoch also provided a favourable report about Butterscotch ahead of Saturday’s raceday debut. The four-year-old is by Preferment out of the Distant View mare Bunyah, which makes her a half-sister to Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) winner Sword Of Osman (NZ) (Savabeel). Butterscotch finished second in an 1100m trial at Ellerslie on April 3. “She trialled up very nicely at Ellerslie a few weeks ago,” Murdoch said. “We were going to trial her again at Counties on Tuesday, but she was eliminated because of the numbers they had trialling there that day. So she’s debuting at Te Rapa instead. “Her wide draw isn’t going to make it easy tomorrow, but she’s a very genuine mare. Whatever she does in this first start, we’re confident that she’s going to take plenty of improvement.” View the full article

Following a deluge of rain in Canterbury over the last 48-hours, with both Christchurch City and Selwyn District entering a state of emergency, Riccarton’s Saturday meeting has been transferred to its synthetic track. “The (Canterbury Jockey) Club and the RIB (Racing Integrity Board) inspected the (turf) track post the abandonment of the races (Riccarton synthetic) yesterday and it was water-logged,” New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) chief operating officer Darin Balcombe said. “We had trainers ringing up from the bottom of the South Island that were going to leave home first thing the next (Friday) morning, so we thought a prudent decision needed to be made that afternoon. “To guarantee the meeting to go ahead, it (transfer to synthetic track) was the only decision given they had record rainfall in Christchurch and there was a state of emergency in various places. The track had surface water and was very water-logged. “If we had gone ahead on the turf track on Saturday, in all likelihood you may have only got through one or two races, especially after the track was used last week as well. To guarantee the race meeting to go ahead, it was definitely the best decision.” With the Listed Berkley Stud Champagne Stakes (1200m) scheduled for the meeting, the New Zealand Pattern Committee (NZPC) convened to decide whether it maintained its Listed status with the surface change. NZPC chairman Matthew Goodson said the committee ultimately decided that the race would retain its status, citing several examples from multiple international jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom, where the 2019 running of the Gr.1 Futurity Trophy Stakes (1600m) was transferred to Newcastle’s artificial surface following the abandonment of racing at Doncaster. “The meeting has been transferred to the artificial (track) and we have decided that the race will retain its Listed status on this occasion, but that in no way sets a precedent for the future,” Goodson said. “The issue was that there was extreme rainfall, so the transfer of the race to an alternative turf surface just wasn’t possible. Taking that into account, and also being mindful that there have been some global precedents of races being transferred from the turf to the artificial and keeping their status, we decided on this occasion that it would (maintain its Listed status). “You see it all of the time in the US where meetings get transferred from the turf to the dirt, and there was the running of the 2019 Group One Futurity in the UK, which was moved to a synthetic surface at Newcastle because of the massive amount of rain, and it retained its status.” Local trainer Anna Furlong was disappointed with the decision to transfer Saturday’s meeting to Riccarton’s polytrack and has elected to scratch her entire team, leaving just four runners in the Avon City Ford Easter Cup (1600m). “The rain was always coming, the fields were strong, and people travelled to be here because the track was going to be wet, and we have got our wet trackers,” Furlong said. “We all feel like the decision was so hastily made. I think we would all feel differently if it was going to be unsafe, but come tomorrow there’s going to be absolutely no danger, the horses are just going to be running very slowly. We run in the winter on a lot worse tracks than it will be. “It’s disappointing. I am scratching my whole team, we are not going to risk our horses to run on the polytrack.” Riverton trainer Kelvin Tyler shared Furlong’s frustration and he has followed suit, scratching all but one of his contenders on Saturday. “Everyone nominated to run on the grass track, if we wanted to run on the artificial track we would have raced yesterday (Thursday),” Tyler said. “I am certainly not going to risk my young horses on the artificial track. “I walked across it (Riccarton grass track) today (Friday) by the crossing, so I didn’t have a look at the whole track obviously, and it’s Heavy, but it will dry up and the surface water will be gone, and it will be a Heavy track.” Master Marko remains his only representative at Riccarton on Saturday, and the six-year-old gelding is set to take his place in the Avon City Ford Easter Cup (1600m). “Master Marko has won on the poly in Australia, but I wouldn’t risk the other ones,” Tyler said. “He seems to be the same every day, he enjoys what he is doing, but he will probably go out for a spell after this. He has had a big enough year. There is good money up for grabs and it is going to be a smaller field.” Tyler had three contenders set to run in the Champagne Stakes, while Freddie Time was going to have one final run ahead of his looming Queensland campaign, but Tyler said the meeting transfer has curtailed one plan and thrown a cat among the pigeons for the other. “They (Champagne Stakes contenders) left to go home this (Friday) morning,” Tyler said. “I reckon it (transfer) has cost me $4,000. It’s costing people a lot of money. “Freddie Time kind of needed this (run), so we have got another curve ball. We will just have to adapt and go to plan B or C. He flies out on Tuesday (for Australia), so I don’t have time to trial him. This race was going to work out quite nicely.” Furlong said a number of her stable’s topliners will now head for a spell following an anticlimactic end to their season. “There isn’t a race for Iffididit for a month, and Betty Spaghetti and Quintabelle are going to have to be turned out, and it just leaves the end of the season for them uncapped,” she said. Tyler would have liked to have seen the meeting transferred to Timaru on Saturday or postponed to Riccarton’s grass track early next week. “In my opinion, Timaru is a pretty good surface down here and they didn’t have much rain, or they could have run it on Monday (on Riccarton’s grass track),” he said. “If you left it a day or two, you could have races on it.” Furlong would also have liked to have seen the meeting postponed to next week, or the utilisation of both the synthetic and turf tracks on Saturday. “They could have either run the good races on the turf and the lower races on the poly, or run on the turf on the Wednesday. There was no consultation,” she said. “There’s going to be about four horses running around in the Easter Cup, it’s a bit crazy.” Balcombe said transferring the meeting to Riccarton’s synthetic track was the only viable option, adding that situations such as the one presented this week is the reason why the three synthetic tracks at Cambridge, Awapuni and Riccarton were installed. “It (Riccarton grass track) is very water-logged, so you wouldn’t have been able to guarantee that it would have been alright to go on Sunday, you would have to go further out than that,” Balcombe said. “Losing a race on Saturday is a major for the industry, given it is our highest turnover day, so you really do need racedays on the Saturdays. “Trying to transfer a meeting like that to another club, when their track isn’t ready and in the current situation (state of emergency), wouldn’t have been a viable option. “A lot of the reason behind these synthetic tracks was for them to be available to transfer these meetings when they are in doubt. We have done it in the past, we have transferred a Tauranga (grass) meeting to Cambridge (synthetic). “It is not quite as easy in the Waikato when you are transferring to a completely different course, but when you have got the course right there (at Riccarton) it is very simple.” One trainer who is backing the move to the polytrack is local horseman Michael Pitman, who is set to line-up all but one of his runners on Saturday. “It was the only option they had,” said Pitman, who trains in partnership with his son Matthew. “I have spoken to a couple of jockeys that rode (on the polytrack on Thursday) and they said the track was really good. “The surface will be at its very best tomorrow I reckon. I am not a huge fan of the polytrack outside of when it’s got rain on it, but I think it is a fantastic track with rain on it, which it’s had. “We don’t trial many horses on it, we don’t race many horses on it either, except when it has got moisture. “We have got horses that love the poly, and we have got horses that hate it, and there is only one way to find out – to line-up. “We have got some nice horses throughout the day tomorrow. I probably won’t run Airpark Hustler, but that is not a reflection of the track, but rather where he drew (1).” Pitman said his confidence in the synthetic surface was enhanced during his time campaigning Group One winner Enzo’s Lad in Britain. “When I was in England with Enzo’s Lad, I spent a lot of time one day talking with John Gosden (trainer), and his good mare (Enable) that won two Prix De L’Arc De Triomphes (Gr.1, 2400m), he used to kick-off her campaign having one or two runs on the polytrack,” he said. Meanwhile, Balcombe said RACE and NZTR have erred on the side of caution with Awapuni following its ANZAC Day abandonment after a slip in the opening race, and the recently refurbished track will undergo remedial work prior to its previously scheduled May 17 meeting, which will now take place at Trentham, with Awapuni given time to bed in over the winter months in preparation for spring racing. “We had maintenance scheduled post the 17th, so we have brought forward that maintenance, that involves coring and some sand going into the profile, just due to the close proximity of that May 17th meeting,” Balcombe said. “To go through the return to racing protocols and to push the track to get back there (for the May 17 meeting), we wouldn’t have been able to do the work we wanted to do. “We want the track to be the best it can possibly be in the spring, so if we get the work done now it gives us more time leading into the spring to ensure it is 110 percent.” View the full article

Trainer Cliff Brown is banking on a trip to Caulfield to determine the direction he takes with Rogan (NZ) (Super Seth) in coming months. Rogan runs in the Evergreen Turf Handicap (2000m) on Saturday with hopes a forward performance may lead to a trip north to Brisbane for the gelding for some bigger races. The three-year-old, by Super Seth, is a half-brother to Von Hauke (NZ) (Savabeel) who has proven himself adept at trips between 1100m to 1600m, whereas Rogan is showing promise over more ground. An older half-brother, Savvy Crown (NZ) (Savabeel), held winning form between 1450m and 2100m. Rogan was placed over 1200m at Mornington in October last year but was not seen at his best until stepped up to 1600m when successful in a Kilmore maiden on April 5. At his latest outing at Cranbourne on April 18, Rogan closed off well over 2025m when fourth to Hurricane Georgie who two starts earlier had chased home Benagil and Athanatos, both last start Stakes winners in Adelaide, in the VOBIS Guineas at Caulfield. Brown concedes Saturday’s draw at Caulfield is not ideal, but it will give the Mornington-based horseman an idea as to where Rogan may head. Saturday’s race is the same race Brown used with Yaphet in 2022 before that gelding went on to run second in the Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) at Morphettville the following week. Brown expects Rogan to step out further in trip as he continues to mature. “He’s a genuine staying horse,” Brown said. “He’d have to improve to warrant a trip to Brisbane, but if he happened to win, for sure, he’d be straight up there, but we’d need to see him do it.” While the Brisbane Carnival is enticing, Saturday’s race forms part of the Mahogany Challenge, a series over races over 2000m and above for three-year-olds. View the full article

Robert Dennis is heading to Riccarton on Saturday on the brink of a career milestone, but the change in surface for the 10-race card has put the Ascot Park trainer in unknown territory. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing statistics credit Dennis with 99 winners from 814 career runners. His hopes of a 100th winner on Saturday rest with Sacred Dream (NZ) (Sacred Falls) in the Hornby Club Founders Cup (2200m), Miss Layla (NZ) (Burgundy) in the Avon City Ford Easter Cup (1600m), Azilee Star (NZ) (Tivaci) in the Listed Berkley Stud Chapagne Stakes (1200m) and The Cluster (NZ) (Ghibellines) in the Riccarton Park Function Centre Rating 75 (2100m). “We’ve had three second placings since we hit 99, so it would be nice to crack three figures,” Dennis said. “I’m not too sure whether it’s going to happen tomorrow, but it’ll come and it’ll be a good milestone for the stable when it does.” Torrential rain in Canterbury over the last few days has forced Saturday’s meeting to be switched to the Riccarton synthetic track – a surface none of the four Dennis-trained runners have raced on before. “There’s definitely a bit of guesswork involved there,” Dennis said. “Sacred Dream had a couple of trials on the synthetic track at Cambridge earlier in her career and handled it okay, but we have no real indication apart from that. “We have previously won on the synthetic track with horses that haven’t raced or trialled on it before, so they can take to it quickly. That gives us a little bit of encouragement.” Sacred Dream is backing up from last Saturday’s Riccarton meeting, where she fought hard for a second placing over 2600m. She was beaten by one length in that race by Malfy Rosa (NZ) (Burgundy). Both horses are back for a rematch in the Founders Cup. Sacred Dream had a 60.5kg topweight last week, which dropped to 56.5kg with Teddy Ladouceur’s claim. The daughter of Sacred Falls will carry 55.5kg this time and will be ridden by Samantha Wynne. “It was a good run last Saturday, and she drops in weight this time and has a senior rider on board,” Dennis said. “She’s fit and well. She’s coming to the end of her campaign now, but she stayed in Christchurch after last Saturday and has had a good week here. Hopefully she has one more good run in her in this preparation.” Miss Layla steps up in class for the Easter Cup, having scored an impressive last-start Rating 75 win at her home track on April 6. “That was a very good win and she did it the tough way,” Dennis said. “She was wide with no cover the whole way, but was dominant in the end and never really gave the others a look in. “This is obviously a step up in class, but it appears the field has fallen away with the switch to the synthetic. Spacing her races out seems to work well with this mare.” Two-year-old Tivaci filly Azilee Star will line up for the third race of her career in the Champagne Stakes. She was doing her best work late when seventh over 1100m on debut, then improved markedly for a strong-finishing fourth over the same distance at Riverton on April 19. “She’s probably one I would have preferred to see on a wet and testing turf track and going down the chute,” Dennis said. “She would have handled it, while it might have tripped up a few of the others. “But she’s an improving filly and this is a black-type race worth $80,000. We might as well give her this opportunity just before the end of her campaign.” The Cluster’s last appearance was in the $350,000 TAB Southern Alps Challenge (1600m) on April 12, where he blew the start but recovered well to finish a close eighth. “He’s often his own worst enemy and lets himself down at the jump,” Dennis said. “He ended up five or six lengths behind the second-last horse in the Southern Alps, but got to within three lengths of the winner at the finish, so it was a massive run in the end. “He’s a seven-year-old now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a better horse again next season. It’ll be interesting to see how he goes on the synthetic. He’ll be wearing the visor blinkers instead of normal blinkers.” View the full article

Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have already trained more winners this season than any other year in their partnership, and Saturday’s Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa could deliver another milestone for the Wexford Stables team. O’Sullivan and Scott sit in third place on the New Zealand trainers’ premiership with 68 wins this season. Recent victories by Varjak (NZ) (Contributer) at Matamata on April 17 and Reptak (NZ) (Shocking) at Ellerslie two days later have broken new ground for the partnership, whose previous best total was 66 wins set in 2023-24. That 2023-24 season produced another career-best for the pair with nine wins at Group or Listed level, headed by Group One victories by Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Waitak (NZ) (Proisir) in the Sistema Railway (1200m). Now O’Sullivan and Scott are closing in on that mark as well. Waitak’s win in last month’s Gr.2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2000m) lifted them to eight black-type wins in the current season. They have an opportunity to equal their personal best in Saturday’s $80,000 two-year-old feature at Te Rapa, where they will be represented by Do You Just. Fourth and seventh in two spring appearances, the So You Think colt made a promising return to action this autumn with a second placing over 1100m at Te Rapa on April 13. He finished strongly out of the pack and was beaten by only a short head by Bulgari (NZ) (Hello Youmzain). “He’s a colt that we’ve always had a lot of time for, and I think that last-start second placing was a much better indicator of the ability that he’s got,” Scott said. “He’s improving all the time and growing in experience and confidence. “He’s gone the right way since his last run and has been working very well. Time will be his friend and he will continue to get better. The step up to 1400m on Saturday certainly looks like it will be right up his alley, and we think this race is a lovely chance for him to have a crack at some black type as an autumn two-year-old.” O’Sullivan and Scott may also consider stretching Do You Just out to 1600m for another Listed feature later in the month. “The Champagne Stakes is coming up at Ellerslie in a couple of weeks’ time,” Scott said. “If he was to perform well on Saturday, we’d give a bit of consideration to carrying on and having a shot at that race as well.” Do You Just is part of an eight-horse contingent at Te Rapa on Saturday for the Wexford team, who will also saddle Uderzo (NZ) (Vadamos), Little Bit Of Love (NZ) (Time Test) and Mosinvader (NZ) (Vadamos) in the Prezzy Card Mile (1600m). That open handicap has received a stake increase to $60,000 due to the inconvenience caused to northern stables by the abandonment of last weekend’s Awapuni meeting featuring the Listed Anzac Mile (1600m). Uderzo brings strong last-start form into Saturday’s event. The son of Vadamos produced an eye-catching finish for fourth in the Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie on April 19, clocking the fastest last 800m, 600m and 400m in the race and finishing less than three-quarters of a length behind Doctor Askar (NZ) (Derryn), Tardelli and Electron (NZ) (Turn Me Loose). “It was a fantastic run in the Easter,” Scott said. “His sectionals were very good and he made ground well through the middle. He’s lacked a bit of luck this season and is overdue a win. Stepping from Group company back down to an open handicap, he should be a good chance this weekend. He goes well at Te Rapa and is holding up well to this campaign.” Little Bit Of Love finished a creditable eighth in the Easter, only 2.6 lengths from the winner, and has won three of his six starts at Te Rapa. “He loves the joint, and any rain will bring him into this race even more,” Scott said. “He got very wide in the Easter but kept pressing on. Back left-handed at his favourite track, we’d expect him to be very competitive.” Mosinvader has gone winless in four starts this time in but has performed well in every race. He resumed with a fourth over 1400m at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, then hit a new career high with a third placing behind Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) and Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor) in the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m). His two starts since then have produced second placings behind Desert Mystic (NZ) (Satono Aladdin)and Electron. In his only previous start at Te Rapa, Mosinvader was a second placegetter in last season’s Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m). “He’s another one who’s lacked a bit of luck this time in,” Scott said. “His last run for second was really solid. He will only keep getting better with time. We’ve deliberately given him a light four-year-old season, knowing that next year will be his best. Being back left-handed suits and he’s a nice lightweight chance.” View the full article

Race 7 KEVIN MYERS STABLES 1200m CHARMROSE (A Lawson-Carroll) – Te Akau Racing Manager Mr. R Trumper advised Stewards, the stable is satisfied with the recovery of the CHARMROSE, and it is their intention to carry on with her preparation. The post Wanganui Jockey Club @ Wanganui, Sunday 27 April 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 2 POLYTRACK RACING SEASON STARTS 1 MAY MAIDEN 1400m LADY MARMAC (L Hemi) – Trainer Ms. A McLeod reported to Stewards, she was satisfied with the post-race condition of the filly, however, LADY MARMAC will have a short freshen-up prior to resuming its preparation. The post Canterbury Jockey Club @ Riccarton Park, Saturday 26 April 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 6 WINDSOR PARK STUD CAMBRIDGE BREEDERS’ STAKES 3YO 1200 (G3) VELOCIOUS (W Pinn) – Trainer Mr. S Marsh advised Stewards, he was satisfied with the post-race condition of VELOCIOUS, and it is his intention to carry on with her preparation, where he may look to nominate VELOCIOUS for the Auckland TR meeting on Saturday 17 May. The post Waikato Thoroughbred Racing @ Te Rapa, Saturday 26 April 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 6 HORIZON BY SKYCITY MAIDEN 1400m THE MAUKU EXPRESS (T Moodley) – Trainer Ms. C Cameron reported to Stewards, the filly has been retired. The post Auckland Thoroughbred Racing @ Pukekohe Park, Wednesday 23 April 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article