Wandering Eyes

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Guineas, Aidan O'Brien has just one contender in the unbeaten triple top-level-winning daughter of Frankel, having withdrawn his other three entries including Bedtime Story and Exactly, and her meeting with the Charlie Appleby-trained G1 Fillies' Mile-winning daughter of Night Of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

By Adam Hamilton Greg Sugars will be honoured in a variety of ways, including a race named in his honour, at Melton in Victoria on Saturday night. Sugars’ wife, Jess Tubbs, trains three of the nine runners in the Vale Greg Sugars Free-For-All (Race 5). Australia’s premier driver, James Herbertson, has jetted back from a working holiday in the US and will drive favourite, Rocknroll Hammer, in the race. Trailblazing female Kerryn Manning will drive veteran former Kiwi pacer Triple Eight for Tubbs, while Craig Demmler will be aboard former Auckland Cup winner Better Eclipse. Drivers will compete in black armbands at the meeting. Between races four and five, a tribute ceremony will be held at Melton. There will also be a pause in the Menangle meeting in Sydney so that ceremony can be simulcast on that track’s big screen. The ceremony will see Greg’s colours and other items of significance placed on a shrine at the winning post. All participating drivers will form a guard of honour around it. Sugars, 40, died in his sleep last Sunday while in Sydney campaigning horses. The harness racing world has been rocked and in mourning since. Tributes have poured in from all around the world, including Sweden where Sugars raced Just Believe in 2023, and the US. He was almost as well loved and admired in NZ as in Australia, given his many friends and great racetrack success. Herbertson said he “wasn’t in the right headspace” to stay in the US. “I needed to get back home and support Jess (Tubbs),” he said. “I’m not sure how long I’m back for, I’ll play it by ear.” Herbertson, like so many others, is awaiting details of Sugars’ funeral and memorial service, which will be held at Melton on a non-raceday. Tubbs said a date has yet to be finalised for the funeral. Sugars had a Hall of Fame record with over 4000 wins, including 71 at Group 1 level. View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk Palmerston North is not the most convenient place to get to for Crystal Hackett but the effort last night was certainly worth it. The Auckland-based junior driver won four races on the seven race card at Manawatu with Ragnar Lothbrok, Kenny Hill, Colin McBride and Skys Legacy. “A few of them just stuck their heads out at the right time and they all tried really hard so it was a good night,” says Hackett. So which one was the most satisfying? “All of them,” Hackett says without hesitation. “I thought beforehand I had a nice book and that I could get one or two wins so to get four was great.” “They’d all been racing well and deserved it.” Ragnar Lothbrok’s win in Race 1, the Andrew and Lyn Neal Stables Mobile, was arguably Hackett’s best drive of the night. Drawn two, the favourite was three and then four back the fence and looking in real trouble a lap from home. But at around the 600 metre mark the gaps opened and Hackett made her move three wide. Ragnar Lothbrok was not going to be denied, beating a game Call Security by half a length. “The race certainly didn’t pan out the way I thought it would,” says Hackett, “he’s only a little fella but he toughed it out.” Named after a Viking hero, it was Ragnar Lothbrok’s second win in 13 starts. It was the second time that Hackett’s had four wins at one meeting, replicating her efforts with Run Forest Run, Pixie, Claude and Ilsas Son at Cambridge in July 2023. It was also good reward for the time and effort needed to get to Palmerston North. Hackett usually flies down from Auckland at lunchtime on the day of the meeting and then gets a lift home after the meeting with fellow driver Emily Johnson and her father. “It’s six hours from Palmy to my place – I got home about two this morning,” says Hackett. The hard work though is certainly paying off. “I got 43 wins last year and I set myself a target of 50 this year and I am already at 32 so things are going really good.” View the full article

A new Rowe Cup champion will be crowned at Alexandra Park tonight. The $200,000 feature has three trotting millionaires in Oscar Bonavena, Muscle Mountain and Queen Elida all vying for more Group 1 glory, but none of the 12 horses that will line up at 9.28pm have won it before. Since the first Rowe Cup in 1918, there have been an elite group to have won it multiple times. The great Lyell Creek is the only trotter to have won three times and two-time winners include Sundees Son (2019-2021), I Can Doosit (2011-12), Single Cash (1968-69) and Pohutukawa (1962-63). Before them there was Fantom, who came from royal pacing stock, and won the most prestigious northern trotting race in 1943 and 1944. The story of Fantom and Harry Styles By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk After disappointing at his early attempts to be pacer, Fantom (U Scott – Fantine) was given away by his trainer Roy Berry as a hack to an old bloke who just happened to be called Harry Styles. He was the clerk of the course at Hutt Park (and clearly had no idea his name would later be associated with a 21st century pop icon) It’s been reported that Styles worked out that Fantom could trot and to help him improve his technique he put logs down at intervals and made the horse trot over them. This account has been questioned over the years (but it makes a good story). The decision was made for the horse to go back to Berry who trained at Yaldhurst in Christchurch. Fantom’s owner Sid Kelly died in 1943 having seen him win one race, at Trentham. His horses were then sold and Fantom was bought by John McKenzie, of Roydon Lodge fame. McKenzie of course was well acquainted with the stock of U Scott – he brought the star stallion out to New Zealand from North America. McKenzie’s private trainer George Noble then went about developing a champion. At the time Noble said “he was a light framed little fellow, about 15.2 hands, a nice bay colour and a very safe trottr.” “He had a very peculiar way of going in his preliminary – he sort of shuffled along – but once you clicked him up it was a different story.” In December that year he won the Rowe Cup in 4:35.4 beating Echoist (Leo Berkett) and Steel King by a length. It was a rare Rowe Cup success for such a young horse with the only other previous three-year-old winner being Garner in 1932. He repeated that success a year later coming off 24 yards to again beat Steel King and Forewarned by a short head in 4:33.2. Such was his longevity and ability that Fantom trotted a world record 4:16 for two miles (3200m) first up as a 10-year-old! He had four starts as a 11-year-old before being retired as the winner of 13 races from94 starts stretched over nine seasons. Among his 13 wins were the NZ Trotting Stakes the Dominion Handicap, and a qualifying heat of the Inter-Dominions. He also won over two miles against good class pacers at Auckland. “He was, without a doubt, the gamest horse I ever sat behind,” said Noble. View the full article

What Sha Tin Races Where Sha Tin Racecourse – Tai Po Rd, Sha Tin District, Hong Kong When Sunday, May 4, 2025 First Race 12:30pm HKT (2:30pm AEST) Visit Dabble The Group 3 Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2400m) headlines a bumper 11-part program at Hong Kong’s Sha Tin Racecourse this Sunday. The rail moves out to the B course, and although some rainfall is forecast in the lead-up, it should have no effect on the initial Good 4 rating. The action at Sha Tin is scheduled to get underway at 12:30pm HKT. Queen Mother Memorial Cup Tip: Bundle Award A select field of six line up in the 2025 Queen Mother Memorial Cup, with the John Size-trained Bundle Award set for a peak performance. The son of Shamus Award didn’t have much luck at a crucial stage last time out, held up behind a wall of horse when trying to get clear running. The 2400m must be considered a query, but as the staying journey poses some questions for most of this field, Bundle Award should get every chance to secure a stakes victory. Queen Mother Memorial Cup Race 8 – #4 Bundle Award (2) 4yo Gelding | T: John Size | J: Zac Purton (56kg) Best Bet at Sha Tin: Crossborderpegasus Crossborderpegasus would be undefeated heading into start four were it not for a torrid run in transit last time out. The son of Rich Enuff was forced to sit three wide without cover on that occasion but showed plenty of fight to be narrowly headed in the shadows of the post. Zac Purton gets legged aboard from gate 10, and whether he elects to lead or take a sit, it simply shouldn’t matter with Crossborderpegasus oozing class amongst this lot. Best Bet Race 5 – #2 Crossborderpegasus (10) 3yo Gelding | T: John Size | J: Zac Purton (57.5kg) Next Best at Sha Tin: Spirit Of Peace You won’t witness a better run in defeat than what Spirit Of Peace produced at Sha Tin on March 23. The Harry Angel gelding bombed the start and was tailed off by five lengths in the early stages, circling the entire field to somehow get within two lengths of Sky Deep. He’s had three trials to get his barrier manners in check, and provided he can leave with them this time around, Spirit Of Peace should be rattling home at a good price with Dabble. Next Best Race 9 – #1 Spirit Of Peace (12) 4yo Gelding | T: John Size | J: Brenton Avdulla (61kg) Best Value at Sha Tin: Shamus Storm The David Hayes-trained Shamus Storm has been mixing his form this season, producing two minor placings in his three starts. He caught the eye when sliding up the inside running rail to finish third behind key rival Mr Cool on April 6 and gets a 2.5kg swing in the weights after that half-length defeat. Zac Purton takes the reins from gate four and should get a tactical advantage over the likely favourite with horse racing bookmakers, and provided he can sprint taking closer order, Shamus Storm should be right in this. Best Value Race 7 – #6 Shamus Storm (4) 3yo Gelding | T: David Hayes | J: Zac Purton (59kg) Sha Tin Sunday quaddie tips – 4/5/2025 Sha Tin quadrella selections Sunday, May 4, 2025 3-4-6 1-4-5-8 2-3-6-7-9 1-2-7-8-9 Horse racing tips View the full article

What SA Derby Day Where Morphettville Racecourse – 79 Morphett Rd, Morphettville SA 5043 When Saturday, May 3, 2025 First Race 11:52am ACST Visit Dabble The Group 1 South Australian Derby (2500m) is the feature event on a quality nine-race program at Morphettville this Saturday. A perfect autumn day is forecast for race day, and with clear skies set to grace Adelaide in the lead-up, the Good 4 track rating alongside the rail being out 2m, means there will be no excuses for fancied runners. The first event on SA Derby Day 2025 is set to commence at 11:52am ACST. SA Derby Tip: Lavalier Lavalier may be a one-time winner from 11 starts, but the way the son of Microphone hit the line last time out in the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes (2000m) suggests the trip will suit him down to the ground in the 2025 SA Derby. He took a while to build through his gears over the 2000m, but his final 200m was as good as it gets. Jamie Melham will need a touch of luck early to not be caught wide, but if she can slot this bloke in midfield, Lavalier will be the one to beat. SA Derby Race 8 – #8 Lavalier (15) 3yo Gelding | T: James Cummings | J: Jamie Melham (56.5kg) Best Bet at Morphettville: Albertville Clinton McDonald seems to have a smart one on his hands, with Albertville winning his first two starts with his new trainer. The son of Ilovethiscity won on hands and heels at Mornington on April 6, while his on-speed win first-up at Kyneton showed a tactical versatility that should offset the draw in barrier 10. Wherever Jamie Melham looks to settle him, Albertville has a class edge on his rivals and should prove far too good. Best Bet Race 2 – #5 Albertville (10) 3yo Gelding | T: Clinton McDonald | J: Jamie Melham (60kg) Next Best at Morphettville: Savagery Vibe Savagery Vibe returned a winner at Pakenham over 1000m, and despite only getting the job done by the barest of margins, she looks poised to go on with the job. The Brutal filly arguably should have won by much more, but she did plenty wrong when laying in under pressure in the final furlong. Mark Zahra sticks on board, and as long as her race-day manners have improved, Savagery Vibe should be winning again. Next Best Race 3 – #3 Savagery Vibe (7) 3yo Filly | T: Nick Ryan | J: Mark Zahra (61kg) Best Value at Morphettville: Esternay Esternay has been impressive in her last two starts at 1400m, winning with a touch of class from a rearward position and sprouting wings late. The three-year-old filly produced some of the best closing sectionals on the ANZAC Day card at Flemington, and with a repeat performance on Saturday, she will give the Adelaide Guineas (1600m) a shake at a price with horse racing bookmakers. If Blake Shinn has her in clear air on the home turn, the turn of foot Esternay possesses will be too much for her rivals. Best Value Race 7 – #11 Esternay (12) 3yo Filly | T: Mark Walker | J: Blake Shinn (55.5kg) Saturday quaddie tips for Morphettville Morphettville quadrella selections Saturday, May 3, 2025 1-2-3 1-3-8-9-11 1-2-3-4-7-8 2-4-6-13-16 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Making a determined bid inside the final furlong, Los Melli's Sarawak Rim wore down the favored Martana to win the 1 1/4-mile Gran Premio Criadores (G1) on dirt at Hipodromo de Palermo May 1 in Buenos Aires.View the full article

The $1 million Turf Classic Stakes (G1T) promises a field of 11 talented runners. But because many of those runners are looking for consistency, the morning-line favorite is listed at a healthy 4-1. View the full article

Not long after scratching Rodriguez from the Kentucky Derby (G1), Bob Baffert picked up his first stakes win at Churchill Downs since his suspension from the track came to a close with Fort Bragg in the St. Matthews Overnight Stakes May 1.View the full article

Three of the top four finishers from the March 1 Honey Fox Stakes (G3T) will square off again in the $750,000 Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T) May 3 at Churchill Downs. Special Wan, winner of the Honey Fox, is primed to win her second race of 2025.View the full article

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Andrew Campbell has had plenty of success in Australia, highlighted by his former Group One-winning stars Tavistock (NZ) (Montjeu) and Werther (NZ) (Tavistock), and this month he is hoping Croupier (NZ) (Ace High) can add his name to that honour roll. The Otaki trainer has struck gold with his first horse to the races since deciding to return to the training ranks earlier this season, and he thought enough of the son of Ace High to test his talent across the Tasman. Croupier has won two of his three career starts to date, with his ticket across the Tasman secured with a smart victory over a mile at Ellerslie last start. It’s been a long journey to Queensland, with no direct flights from Auckland, and Campbell has broken up the trip with a week-long stay in Sydney. “We flew to Sydney and stayed at Craig Ritchie’s and he has done super, he has probably done too well,” Campbell said. “He has been at Craig Ritchie’s for a week and he is just a different horse. They always say the trip away makes a horse, and I certainly think it has made him. “We are at Paul Shailer’s (Gold Coast), he has got a great set-up, it’s very nice.” Croupier was a dual acceptor at Eagle Farm’s meeting on Saturday, and Campbell has strategically opted to contest the BRC Members Class 3 Plate (1600m) over the Gr.2 Queensland Guineas (1600m). “It was a hard call because we made both races, but we were thinking if he goes a good race in the Guineas but doesn’t get any points, we are going to miss out on the next two races, the Rough Habit Plate (Gr.3, 2000m) and Derby (Gr.1, 2400m),” Campbell said. “We thought we would play it safe and hopefully he can win that race, and he will be up to going for the next two races. It is still good money, it is worth A$75,000, so that can’t be sneezed at.” Campbell was pleased with Croupier’s final piece of work on Thursday and expects a bold showing on Saturday, where he will be ridden by former New Zealand jockey Mark Du Plessis. “We gave him a good, hard gallop (on Thursday morning), and he probably needed it. He looks amazing, I couldn’t be happier,” Campbell said. “He (Du Plessis) rode for us back when he was riding in New Zealand, he rode Werther in the early days,” Campbell said. “It is always good to have that Kiwi connection.” Campbell is enjoying his time campaigning in Australia once more, and he is looking forward to spending plenty of time in Queensland over the next month. “I love it, it’s what you get up in the morning for,” he said. “It’s exciting times.” View the full article

Classy, tenacious and mega-durable mare Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) is set to be offered in a special sale launching next week on Gavelhouse Plus. The daughter of Super Easy was raced by her breeder Sandy Moore in partnership with Brent and Wendy Cooper and their Social Racing Starting Gates Syndicate. She was trained by Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall through a 26-race career that produced eight wins, eight placings and $774,950 in stakes. Bonny Lass was a five-time Group winner, headed by the Group One BCD Group Sprint (1400m). She backed that up with another four placings at Group One level. “She was an absolutely amazing horse for her big group of owners,” Brent Cooper said. “Mark Baker at Hallmark Stud researched it and found that only two mares in New Zealand history won Group races at every age from two to six – Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) and Bonny Lass. “The great Sunline (NZ) (Desert Sun) was a Listed winner as a two-year-old from only a handful of starts, so we might be splitting hairs a little bit there. But even so, winning Group races in four consecutive seasons puts Bonny Lass in an incredibly exclusive club.” Bonny Lass burst on the scene as a two-year-old with wins in her first two starts including the Group Two Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), followed by placings in the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). In her three-year-old season, Bonny Lass won three races including the Group Three Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), along with a third behind Group One winners On The Bubbles (Brazen Beau) and I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Listed Mufhasa Stakes (1400m), plus a fourth in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). Bonny Lass won the Group Three Sweynesse Stakes (1215m) as a four-year-old, then returned at five for luckless placings in the Group One Sistema Railway (1200m) and Telegraph (1200m). She had her deserved moment in the sun in the BCD Group Sprint at Te Rapa in February, where she edged out the previously unbeaten three-year-old Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) by a long head. A six-start campaign as a six-year-old was headed by a superb first-up win in the Group Two Foxbridge Plate (1200m) at Te Rapa last August, beating the likes of Skew Wiff (NZ) (Savabeel), Waitak (NZ) (Proisir), Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh), Puntura (NZ) (Vespa) and Sacred Satono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin). But out of all of those outstanding performances against top-flight opposition, Cooper has no doubt which performance sits at the top of the pile. “Her Group One win at Te Rapa was such a special day for all of us,” he said. “I’m good friends with Daniel Nakhle, whose horse Crocetti was defeated for the first time in his career when he ran second that day. He gave all of us his congratulations and said he was delighted for Bonny, and that if anyone had to beat Crocetti in that race, he was glad it was her. “He said no horse in New Zealand deserved to win a Group One race more than Bonny Lass, and we heard those sentiments from quite a few people that day. It was an outstanding win and an obvious career highlight.” Bonny Lass is one of three winners from five foals to race out of Posh Bec (NZ) (Le Bec Fin), who herself won three races and placed in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). Posh Bec is also the dam of Clark Kent (NZ) (Super Easy), who placed in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m), while her half-brother Time To Celebrate (NZ) (Per Incanto) placed at Group Two level in Hong Kong. Cooper believes Bonny Lass has the attributes to be a quality broodmare. “Another of her most memorable performances was in the Railway, where she was almost knocked over in the straight but somehow managed to pick herself up and finish second,” he said. “If she can pass any of that bravery and tenacity on to her progeny, she’ll be an outstanding broodmare.” The sale of Bonny Lass will run on Gavelhouse Plus from 10am (NZT) on Wednesday 7th May to 7pm (NZT) Thursday 15th May. View the full article

The six-furlong race over Woodbine's all-weather track will put the value of experience to the test. All but one of the five fillies and mares have raced at least 14 times. The other just three.View the full article

The undefeated Nysos, a colt dubbed trainer Bob Baffert's next big star after his scintillating three-race win streak, returns to action for the first time in 15 months in the $1 million Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) May 3.View the full article

As you review the entries for the marquee races this weekend at Churchill Downs, namely the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks on Friday and the GI Kentucky Derby on Saturday, you'll notice a common name listed among the connections: Brereton C. Jones. Though many outside of the Thoroughbred industry will recognize the name as that of the former governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, for those within it, it's one that evokes immense pride and gratitude for a man who was a true stalwart of the sport. Sadly, Brereton–the founder and master of Airdrie Stud alongside his wife, Libby–passed away Sept. 18, 2023 at the age of 84 following a lengthy illness. But his legacy, one he curated through years of intuitive breeding decisions amongst a standout broodmare band, lives on through his son, Bret Jones, and his family. This weekend, Airdrie Stud is proudly represented by three Classic contenders in the form of Kentucky Derby entrants Publisher (American Pharoah), bred and co-owned by the Estate of Brereton C. Jones, and Chunk of Gold (Preservationist), bred by Brereton C. Jones; and Kentucky Oaks contender Fondly (Upstart), also bred by Brereton C. Jones. Publisher (right) stretches his legs at Churchill | Sara Gordon All raised together on the farm in Midway, Ky., as part of the same foal crop in 2022, each Airdrie-bred was sold as a yearling: Publisher for $600,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, Fondly for $50,000 at the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale, and Chunk of Gold for $2,500, also at the Kentucky Fall Sale. When it comes to the colts, Bret acknowledges the two opposite ends of the spectrum they represent. “Publisher was a very obvious horse from the day he was born. Just a beautiful foal. We really thought, honestly, he was as good a yearling as we had ever raised, or certainly as long as [General Manager] Ben [Hanley] and I have been around. That's why we took him to Saratoga, which we hadn't done in about 50 years, because we just thought he was deserving of that sort of marketing and thought it would be a way to show the farm was trying a few different things,” said Jones. “Ron Moquett loved the colt and bought him on behalf of Gus King, and we pretty much begged to stay in for a piece because we really thought he had a chance to be very special. Gus was very kind and let us partner with him. “At the other end of the spectrum is Chunk of Gold, who literally spent two days trying to climb out of his stall at the Fasig-Tipton October Sale. He was tough. I feel like with horses like that, it can go one of two ways: they won't be able to handle training at all or they'll be such tough, competitive horses that they'll want to go out there and beat your backside. And I'm thankful [the latter] that seems to be the horse that he is.” Though Bret is immensely proud of all of Airdrie's connections amongst the Kentucky Derby weekend entries, there is a special place in his heart for Publisher as he is the first foal out of the farm's star mare, Indian Pride (Proud Citizen). Earning a 'TDN Rising Star' on debut for trainer Chad Brown in the summer of 2019 as a 3-year-old, she went on to finish third in the GII Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland that fall, before returning as a 4-year-old to dominate an allowance at Belmont Park and later securing her first stakes victory in Saratoga's Shine Again Stakes. Despite her career being cut short due to a bout of colic while training up to the 2020 GI Ballerina Handicap at Saratoga, which led to her retirement after four starts, Indian Pride had more than proven the high caliber of racehorse that she was. “I really do think that Indian Pride was as talented as any horse that we ever put in training. She didn't get to fully show it because she got very sick as a 2-year-old and then got sick again as a 3-year-old. At the time, you're devastated when you can't make a race like [the Ballerina] because I really think she was deserving to be a Grade I winner,” said Jones. Chunk of Gold with Ethan West | Sara Gordon “Her dam, Ms. Cornstalk, got us two champions in Canada in Biofuel and Tu Endie Wei. That family goes way back with dad. When I was just a kid, I can remember Dansil running in the [1989] Kentucky Derby and he was a horse that dad had bred from that family. Hopefully we continue to add to what's already a pretty special page for us.” When it comes to Publisher, the colt actually represents Airdrie on both sides of the pedigree as a son of American Pharoah, whose dam Littleprincessemma (Yankee Gentleman) was bred and sold by Airdrie. For Bret, the pairing of Indian Pride with the 2015 Triple Crown winner and Horse of the Year was a no-brainer. “We are a very simple people. The thinking [behind that] was breed the most talented horse that we've ever raced to the most talented horse we've ever seen. We thought she was the right type to take to Pharoah. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, but it sure worked with him because he's an absolutely beautiful colt.” Publisher has yet to break his maiden in seven tries, but has certainly shown the wherewithal to do so at the highest level. He's shown improvement in each start this season, most recently finishing a valiant second-place finish to Sandman (Tapit) in the March 29 GI Arkansas Derby. “[Steve] told us early on, 'Look, this is a very talented horse but he's really got to strengthen up right now. He's just a little bit physically immature, so we're not going to push him too hard,' with the thought we could have a very good 3-year-old. Obviously, that progression has worked out just as Steve thought that it could. His last race was his best race and hopefully his next race is even better,” said Jones. Indian Pride, the dam of Publisher; Play for Gold (Cairo Prince), the dam of Chunk of Gold; and Lifetime Memory (Istan), the dam of Fondly, all represent generations upon generations of families handcrafted by Bret's father. Though all three of their Classic contenders sold for a range of prices as yearlings, Bret sees those sale results serve as a testament to what Airdrie does best: breeding a quality horse for clients at every level to find and enjoy success with on the track. “[Multiple graded stakes winner] My Boy Jack is from Chunk of Gold's family. We sold him to Keith Desormeaux, who always does great buying inexpensive horses from us and doing exceptional things with them. I think he was a $20,000 yearling, and Chunk of Gold was a $2,500 yearling, so cumulatively $22,500 will get you two spots in the starting gate at the Kentucky Derby,” said Jones. Fondly works for her big day in the Oaks | Sara Gordon And when it comes to the Kentucky Derby, there's something to be said for the smile that alights Bret's face when he talks about Mage (Good Magic), winner of the 2023 Kentucky Derby, who joined Airdrie's stallion roster last season and has first foals on the ground this year. “That was a big deal for the farm. We had never stood a Kentucky Derby winner and we signed the deal for Mage the day after dad passed, so there was pretty amazing timing involved in all of that. The hope is that he can be an important one around here for a long time,” said Jones. Riding alongside Bret as he drives through Airdrie's main farm and the sister properties throughout Versailles while visiting the horses that graze upon the storied pastures, it's as if you're physically thumbing through each chapter of the poignant story that Brereton authored himself over the decades. And when it comes to the continuation of Airdrie's story, it's clear that there's no one more fitting than Brereton's son to hold that pen and put it to paper. “I think about dad every day and I will be thinking about him even more on that first Saturday in May. Watching his grandkids that the walk over will be very emotional, but that's the amazing thing about horse racing. Horse racing in itself is incredible, but when you can share it with the people you love, that is what makes it the greatest in the world.” When the connections make the walk over to the Churchill Downs paddock ahead of Saturday's featured race, as the Jones family accompanies their contender Publisher, there is no doubt that Brereton will be there with them too. The post The Jones Legacy Lives On Beneath The Twin Spires appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article