Wandering Eyes

When you think of Lodge Park Stud, horses like Derby winner New Approach and Oaks heroine Was spring to mind. Time to add bullet sprinter Jm Jungle (Bungle Inthejungle) to that illustrious roll of honour with John and Sean Quinn's speedster flying the flag for the famous County Kilkenny nursery with a Group 2 success in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood on Friday. The win represented a career-best for Jm Jungle, who had cut his teeth in handicaps and stakes races before Friday's career-best performance. But that's not to say such a result came as a surprise to his breeders. Damian Burns commented, “He's a bit of a legend. I can remember meeting Richard Knight, who bought the horse off us a yearling, in the May of Jm Jungle's two-year-old career. He said, 'John Quinn tells me, whatever ability he has, he is going to win an awful lot of races.' “That was before the horse ever raced. That's quite the mark of the trainer that he was able to call it. And it is the mark on how himself and his son Sean train the horses, too. They let their horses progress and progress. The horse is so tough, to be fair.” Jm Jungle was sold by Lodge Park Stud to Knight and the Quinns for £46,000 at the 2021 Goffs Premier Yearling Sale. Now a five-year-old, Jm Jungle has amassed almost £500,000 in prize-money and Friday's success suggests there are even bigger days to come from the progressive sprinter. Burns said, “When American Affair won the King's Stand I thought this fella might have a chance of winning a big race. There wasn't much between them when they bumped into each other earlier in the year. The other thing is, fast or slow, the ground doesn't appear to matter to Jm Jungle and of course he had won at Goodwood before. He's just so tough. You can set your clock by him. I am delighted for the horse but I am also delighted for the connections.” Jm Jungle put the cherry on top of what has been a memorable Goodwood Festival for Lodge Park Stud given fellow graduate Principality (Calyx) won there on Thursday. Burns concluded, “It was the second one of the week, which was nice. Jm Jungle's dam, The Shrew (Dansili), is based with my uncle Anthony Phelan [Glashare House Stud] now. She had a Coulsty filly, which Anthony got €18,000 for as a foal. She is in foal to King Of Steel now. The mare was a bit of a slow burn and eventually we got her right with Bungle. It's very important as a consignor to produce these Stakes winners so we're delighted.” The post ‘He’s A Bit Of A Legend’ – Celebration Time For Lodge Park Stud With Jm Jungle appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The group behind the United Football League (UFL), which includes RedBird Capital Partners, FOX, ESPN, Dany Garcia and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has gained a new investor in Thoroughbred owner Mike Repole. The story first appeared in The Athletic. In a statement Thursday, the spring football league said Repole's private equity firm, Impact Capital, “will lead the league's business operations” going forward. A UFL spokesperson declined to specify how much Repole paid for his ownership stake, but he did confirm that the billionaire is one of the league's top three investors. “I think today is the first day of the United Football League,” Repole told Sports Business Journal. “It probably took a couple of years for them to get comfortable and have the right conferences and leagues. I think they learned a lot.” The UFL, formed when the struggling USFL and XFL spring leagues merged in December 2023, faced a 20 percent decline in viewership during its second season, according to league numbers compiled by Sports Business Journal. “The UFL is thrilled to welcome a visionary like Mike Repole to our ownership group,” said UFL President and CEO Russ Brandon in a statement. “Mike's entrepreneurial accomplishments are extraordinary, and his dynamic leadership will immediately elevate the league's business and brand trajectory.” According to the article in The Athletic, game attendance dropped 5 percent from 2024, and was down in seven of the eight cities with UFL teams. St. Louis, the league's strongest market, fueled in part by the Los Angeles Rams's departure from the city, saw a 13 percent drop in attendance this season. Detroit did see attendance increase by a third, however. Individual games, on average, have drawn about 10,000 fans. “The vibe hasn't been to where it should be,” Repole told ESPN on Thursday. “You can hear a pin drop when someone runs 80 yards. That's not so good. Nobody wants to turn on the TV and see 10,000 fans in a 65,000-seat stadium. It's like watching a COVID game.” UFL co-owner Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson | Getty Images) The piece says that Repole also told ESPN the UFL plans to move at least two teams before its next season begins, and that he sees the league's number of teams doubling over the next decade. “We're going to be aggressive as far as being nimble and scrappy and gritty and making aggressive moves,” the head of Repole Stable said. “If by 2035, if we can't have 16 teams, I'm going to consider it a personal failure. This is it. Other leagues didn't have the capital that this league has, didn't have the media giants that this league has, didn't have the entrepreneurs that this team has.” The article said that the new owner confirmed long-simmering rumors that Columbus, Ohio, will be one of the relocation destinations, with games played at the Columbus Crew's stadium. However, he did not say which team will move there or which other new markets are under consideration. The current cities with UFL teams are Arlington, Texas; Birmingham, Ala.; Detroit; Houston; Memphis; San Antonio; St. Louis and Washington D.C., whose team (the DC Defenders) won the 2025 UFL Championship. The Athletic piece reported that both of the UFL's first two seasons had 10-game schedules, but the league has not yet said when the 2026 season will begin. It announced on Tuesday that 26 UFL players who appeared during the 2025 season have since signed NFL contracts, one of its key value propositions to attract potential players. The post Repole Joins UFL As Investor, Promises ‘Aggressive Moves’ Ahead appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The high-class Bountiful and Many Men have been catalogued for the Tattersalls Online Southern Hemisphere Pop-Up Sale to be held in collaboration with Inglis Digital Australia on Wednesday 6th August to Thursday 7th August. Full details of the sale which will take place on the Tattersalls Online website are now available to view at www.tattersallsonline.com. Highclere Thoroughbred Racing will consign the Listed-placed filly Bountiful (Zoustar). With appeal as a racing and breeding prospect, the three-year-old is out of the Group 2 May Hill Stakes winner and Group 1 Fillies' Mile fourth Rich Legacy, from the family of German Champion siblings Boreal and Borgia. She is being offered with an official BHA rating of 94. Many Men, consigned by Jim Boyle Racing, boasts a Timeform rating of 95 following his most recent success in a two-mile handicap at Ascot last week. Katherine Sheridan, Tattersalls Online Sales Manager commented, “Tattersalls Online is pleased to continue its unique partnership with Inglis Digital, following the success of the inaugural Southern Hemisphere Session in December last year. The aim of this pioneering initiative is to expand on the opportunities available to vendors and purchasers in the global thoroughbred marketplace. This sale has been strategically timed to align with upcoming racing carnivals in the southern hemisphere and we are delighted to be taking a collaborative approach to presenting these horses to the widest possible audience.” Inglis Bloodstock Sales Manager and European Representative Harry Bailey added, “I have seen Bountiful and she makes obvious appeal to an Australasian audience. She is good looking with some quality form and good depth of pedigree. Zoustar is a champion stallion now and a likely champion broodmare sire of the future, so it makes sense that his daughters would be well sought after.” “Our first Digital Sale collaboration with Tattersalls in December worked particularly well and these two horses provide an excellent opportunity to leverage our respective networks to the benefit of the vendors.” Bidding in the Tattersalls Online Southern Hemisphere Pop-Up Sale will commence from 11am on Wednesday 6th August and will close from 11am Thursday 7th August on the Tattersalls Online website at www.tattersallsonline.com. The post Bountiful And Many Men Head Tattersalls Online Southern Hemisphere Pop-Up Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

John Quinn seems perennially capable of producing a sprinter to make a mark in Pattern company and in partnership with son Sean he pulled off the feat again on Friday with Jm Jungle (Bungle Inthejungle) in Goodwood's feature G2 King George Qatar Stakes. A proven lover of downhill tracks, Epsom's Dash Handicap winner was in his element far side under Jason Hart and asserted from the furlong pole to hold the fillies She's Quality (Acclamation) and Time For Sandals (Sands Of Mali) by a neck and half a length respectively. “He's probably not so good going uphill, but we don't have to worry about that so much,” Sean said of the 14-1 shot, who adds to the yard's tally here having supplied Liberty Beach to win the 2019 Molecomb and Highfield Princess to capture this two years ago. “He's just a good horse and he had form with American Affair earlier in the year. Jason said after York last time that he'd love to ride him in the Nunthorpe, where they go lickety-split and we won't have far to go to run there.” The sprint kings strike again Jm Jungle lands the King George Qatar Stakes for the @johnquinnracing team – they just love Goodwood! @Qatar_Racing | @jasonhart13 pic.twitter.com/FayWSwsksX — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 1, 2025 Friday, Goodwood, Britain KING GEORGE QATAR STAKES-G2, £317,000, Goodwood, 8-1, 3yo/up, 5fT, :57.57, g/s. 1–JM JUNGLE (IRE), 130, g, 5, by Bungle Inthejungle (GB) 1st Dam: The Shrew (GB) (MSP-Eng), by Dansili (GB) 2nd Dam: Whazzat (GB), by Daylami (Ire) 3rd Dam: Wosaita (GB), by Generous (Ire) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. (£46,000 Ylg '21 GOFFUK). O-MPS Racing Ltd & The Ayrshire Tradesmen; B-Lodge Park Stud; T-John & Sean Quinn; J-Jason Hart. £179,771. Lifetime Record: 37-6-6-8, $607,119. Werk Nick Rating: D. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–She's Quality (Ire), 127, f, 4, Acclamation (GB)–Quality Time (Ire), by Exceed And Excel (Aus). (€195,000 Ylg '22 GOFOR). O-Aristia Park Bloodstock & Partners; B-Rathbarry Stud; T-Jack Davison. £68,155. 3–Time For Sandals (Ire), 129, f, 3, Sands of Mali (Fr)–Days Of Summer (Ire), by Bachelor Duke. (€35,000 Ylg '23 TATIRY). O-D Bevan & Mrs D Bevan; B-Ballyhane; T-Harry Eustace. £34,109. Margins: NK, HF, 1. Odds: 14.00, 9.00, 3.33. Also Ran: Frost At Dawn, Big Mojo (Ire), Night Raider (Ire), Asfoora (Aus), Kerdos (Ire), Spartan Arrow (Ire), Khaadem (Ire), Town And Country (Ire). DNF: Clarendon House (GB). Scratched: Manaccan (GB), Celandine (GB). The post Another Big Sprint For The Quinns As Slalom Lover Jm Jungle Takes The King George, Nunthorpe Next appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo and Niigata Racecourses: Saturday, August 2, 2025 8th-CKO, ¥29,890,000 ($203k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1200m T O ELVIS (c, 3, Volatile–Stopshoppingdebbie, by Curlin), a good third to the very talented Natural Rise (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) in the Cattleya Stakes (allowance) at Tokyo back in November, was the easy five-length winner in one-win allowance company at the end of March going this distance (SC 9, see below) and is favored to go back-to-back off the four-month freshening. The colt's eight-time stakes-winning dam, also responsible for SW & GISP Generous Tipper (Street Sense), is a half-sister to five winners, including fellow Pacific Northwest standout Smarty Deb (Smart Strike). Ryusei Sakai has the mount for 'T O' trainer Daisuke Takayanagi. O-Tomoya Ozasa; B-Jeff & Melissa Prunzik (KY); T-Daisuke Takayanagi Sunday, August 3, 2025 2nd-NII, ¥14,250,000 ($96k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1800m SUMMER MADNESS (c, 2, Good Magic–Nefferkitty, by Kitten's Joy), bought back for $115,000 at Keeneland November in 2023, fetched $150,000 at the same auction house's September Sale last fall and was hammered down to Hideyuki Mori for owner Susumu Fujita after breezing in :9 4/5 (see below) at this year's OBS March Sale. The colt's dam, a $30,000 purchase carrying this colt at KEENOV in 2022, is a daughter of Australian Group 3 scorer Thyme For Roses (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}), herself the dam of GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes heroine Zeitlos (Curlin) and of Natural Rights (Constitution), a maiden winner at Horseshoe Indianapolis June 14. O-Susumu Fujita; B-Three Times A Charm & Chesapeake Farm (KY); T-Hideyuki Mori The post Nicely Bred Good Magic Colt Debuts Long at Niigata appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Irish trainer Jessica Harrington says that the likely pace setup of the Grade I Saratoga Derby Invitational Stakes and the prospect of keeping Hotazhell (Too Darn Hot) to his own age group were contributing factors to making the trip across the Atlantic Ocean with her stable star. One of the best juveniles in Europe last year, Hotazhell landed the G1 Futurity Trophy Stakes. However, he has raced only twice this campaign and was forced to sidestep the French 2,000 Guineas due to unsuitably quick ground. Both of Hotazhell's efforts this year, when third to Field Of Gold in the Irish 2,000 Guineas at the Curragh and when not beaten far against his elders in the Coral-Eclipse, suggest he remains a pretty serious prospect and he is as short as 13-8 with some firms to double his Group 1 tally at Saratoga on Saturday evening under regular rider Shane Foley. “The nearer you get to a race, the worse your nerves seem to become but we're very happy with Hotazhell and we are looking forward to the race,” Harrington said on Friday. “We had a lot of rain here yesterday in Saratoga – it rained all day – so it's going to be lovely conditions for him.” Speaking on the reasoning behind travelling to the United States rather than taking in targets closer to home, the trainer said, “This race fitted in nicely and we thought it was a good idea to come over here and take on three-year-olds as opposed to taking on the older horses in the Juddmonte or wherever else.” She added, “It just seemed to fit into our programme well before we brought him back to have an autumn programme in Europe. Races like the Irish Champion Stakes, Arc Weekend and even the British Champions Stakes could be on his radar towards the second half of the year.” Hotazhell is owned by the American-based Bonnie and Tommy Hamilton of Silverton Hill Farm, who enjoyed huge success with Harrington over a decade back with another Group 1 scorer in Pathfork, winner of the National Stakes at the Curragh in 2010. The Hamiltons are proving to be lucky owners for the Harringtons and hopes are high that Hotazhell can continue what is proving to be a fruitful relationship. Bonnie Hamilton said, “I am always really confident in Hotazhell because he just lays it down. Sometimes it's enough and sometimes it's not. His will to win got him across the wire in his Group 1. I always have a lot of confidence because he shows up every time and is a very sound horse.” If successful, Harrington will be emulating fellow Irish trainer Joseph O'Brien, who won the Saratoga Derby in 2021 with his globetrotting star State Of Rest. Fellow European trainer Charlie Appleby also features on the roll of honour, having won the race in 2022 with Nations Pride, and Harrington is quietly confident that Hotazhell can justify the trip. She said, “All things considered, we have been happy enough with how his year has gone. He has run solid races to finish third in the Irish 2,000 Guineas before running well in the Coral-Eclipse, which wasn't really run to suit as they didn't go quick enough for him. I'm hoping that there will be a pretty quick pace on over here and that would really suit us.” She concluded, “I went through the race in detail with a few people last night. Graham Motion's horse [Test Score] has good, solid form and he could be hard to beat. But there is not a bad horse in the race and it will be hard to win. I'm actually quite glad we're not drawn down the fence and, in stall seven, we're out a little bit and at least then you can go where you want to go. We're really looking forward to it.” The post Harrington Confident That Saratoga Derby Test Will Suit Stable Star Hotazhell appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Friday's G3 Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood was shorn of the Godolphin duo Opera Ballo and Spectacular View, and it was the former's Listed Sir Henry Cecil Stakes vanquished Seagulls Eleven (Galileo) who stepped forward to claim a stakes breakthrough in his eighth attempt at black-type level. Last term's G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes third and G1 Dewhurst Stakes fourth led on sufferance through the early strides, but soon warmed to his frontrunning role. Coming under pressure when threatened approaching the quarter-mile marker, the 11-4 third favourite refused to surrender his advantage and kept on in resolute fashion under a late drive to hold Diego Ventura (Mehmas) by 3/4-of-a-length. King Of Cities (Dubawi) was a half-length back in third, while TDN Rising Star Cosmic Year (Kingman) was all dressed up with nowhere to go along the fence inside the final quarter-mile and finished 1 1/4 lengths adrift in fourth. A win for the seagulls! Seagulls Eleven, owned by some @OfficialBHAFC players, wins a messy edition of the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes for team @hpalmerracing and @themichaelowen. pic.twitter.com/R3L1sIl4cz — Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 1, 2025 The post Seagulls Eleven Makes All for Thoroughbred Triumph at Goodwood appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Challenge, presented by GaineswayView the full article

The Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association will hold an industry forum designed to help breeders take their business to the next level. The event, which is titled Thoroughbred 360, will be held alongside the Irish Equine Centre and is set to take place at the Newpark Hotel, County Kilkenny, on September 10 between 12pm and 4pm. Although this is a free event, anyone interested in attending is required to register via email to Hannah Marks. Her email address is hmarks@itba.ie. A press release issued by the ITBA read, “Join us for an inspiring and interactive day designed by breeders, for breeders. Thoroughbred360 puts you right at the centre of the conversation – connecting passionate professionals from across the sectors to share insights, spark new ideas, and explore every stage of the mare and foal journey.” It added, “This dynamic event promises valuable opportunities to connect with industry professionals and practical advice for anyone seeking to boost their success in the Irish thoroughbred sector.” The post ITBA To Host Industry Forum Designed To Help Breeders With Their Business appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tattersalls has increased the prize money for next year's Somerville Auction Stakes and October Auction Stakes to £200,000 apiece. The increase doubles the value of the Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes and is a £50,000 increase in the prize fund of the Tattersalls October Auction Stakes. Both races are open to any yearling offered at the Tattersalls Somerville Yearling Sale, the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Book 3 or the Tattersalls Autumn Yearling Sale, or for horses withdrawn from any of those sales and subsequently offered at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale. The £200,000 Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes will be run over six furlongs at Newmarket's July Course on 22nd August, 2026 with the £200,000 Tattersalls October Auction Stakes following over seven furlongs on Newmarket's Rowley Mile six weeks later on 3rd October, 2026. The notable double has been completed on two occasions to date by 26,000 guineas purchase Woodhay Wonder in 2023 and 15,500 guineas purchase Amichi in 2022, both earning in excess of £135,000 for their exploits. The prize money increase will offer even greater opportunities for purchasers at Tattersalls yearling sales to win significant prize money, in addition to the lucrative £25,000 Tattersalls October Book 1 Bonus scheme for all yearlings purchased at Book 1 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale which has awarded £9,620,000 to the owners of its 410 winners to date. Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony said, “Our commitment to rewarding owners in as many innovative ways as we can has resulted in over £10,000,000 in bonus prize money being paid out by Tattersalls in the last ten years, along with our sponsorships of three european Classics, two further Group 1s and seven Group and Listed races, as well as the lucrative programme of high-value developmental races. The increase to £200,000 for both the Tattersalls Somerville Auction Stakes and the Tattersalls October Yearling Stakes provides an opportunity for owners to run for substantial prize money and will further enhance the appeal of both sales.” The post Tattersalls Somerville And October Auction Stakes Races Increased to £200,000 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Whirl made quick work of torrential conditions at Glorious Goodwood to win the Group One Nassau Stakes (2,000m) in impressive fashion on Wednesday. Biblical rain, thanks to a heavy thunderstorm, saw racegoers cowering indoors before the race, and the Nassau itself was delayed for 10 minutes with lightning in the area. None of that – including a flag start due to safety concerns – fazed Aidan O’Brien’s $1.7 favourite, who went straight to the lead under Ryan Moore and was never seriously...View the full article

Thurles, Ireland's only privately-owned racecourse, is to close with immediate effect. The first ever recorded race meeting at the County Tipperary circuit took place in 1732 and has been in the hands of the Molony family since the early 1900s. The late Pierce Molony took over the running of Thurles from his father Doctor Paddy Molony in 1974, but Pierce's widow Riona released a statement confirming the family's decision to retire from racing. She said, “It has been an honour and a privilege for our family to have run Thurles Racecourse, and I am officially announcing our retirement today. “We are very proud of the immense contribution our family has made to racing and we are most grateful to our extended racecourse family, our dedicated staff, generous sponsors, loyal patrons and the wider racing community for all your support. “Horse racing is part of the fabric of our family, and we have been very fortunate to have made so many great friends within the industry over the years. My family and I look forward to going racing with you again, as spectators.” Although Thurles is fully licenced to race until December 31 and is scheduled to stage 11 fixtures in the 2025/26 Irish racing calendar, the Molony family have no plans to continue racing. Riona Molony added, “Since my beloved husband Pierce passed away in 2015, with the help of our four daughters Patricia, Helen, Ann Marie and Kate and our wonderful staff, we've managed to keep the show on the road and I know he would be very proud of us for that. “The girls all have their own families, careers and lives to live. Ever increasing industry demands and the cost of doing business has also been a major factor. “We're going to enjoy this time together and relax now the decision is made and the news is out before we consider our options.” The post Shock As Thurles Racecourse Closes Its Doors With Immediate Effect appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Race 6 UZA BUS HANDICAP 1100m WAIHAHA FALLS (E Sole) – Co-trainer Ms. L Zydenbos advised Stewards, the stable was satisfied with the post-race condition of the gelding, however, WAIHAHA FALLS has now been retired from racing. The post Levin Racing Club @ Otaki Racecourse, Saturday 26 July 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 3 PETER & JESS BROSNAN HURDLE 3100m JERRICOOP (J Parker) – Trainer Mr. H Wilson advised Stewards, he was satisfied with the post-race condition of JERRICOOP, and it is the intention to continue his preparation. Race 6 TE AROHA VETERINARY SERVICES TE AROHA CUP OPEN STEEPLECHASE 3500m SMUG (M Roustoby) – Trainer Mr. C Wood reported to Stewards, that SMUG underwent blood tests on Monday, 28 July, with no abnormalities detected. C Wood further advised that it is his intention to carry on with the gelding’s current preparation. The post Racing Te Aroha @ Te Aroha, Sunday 27 July 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 4 PROPERTY BROKERS TAUMARUNUI 3YO 1400m GINA ROSA (H Hassman) – Trainer Ms. M Falconer advised Stewards, she was satisfied with the post-race condition of GINA ROSA, and it is her intention to continue with the filly’s current preparation. ILLUMINATED MISS (A Strawbridge) – Trainer Ms. K McQuade reported to Stewards, that the filly received a three-day course of anti-inflammatory treatment post-race and underwent chiropractic treatment for general soreness on Thursday 31 July. K McQuade further advised that ILLUMINATED MISS has not partaken in any exercise this week, however, will look to resume light work next week. I PARK (A Lawson-Carroll) – Trainer Ms. L Brennan reported to Stewards, that I PARK was treated with anti-inflammatory medication post-race and underwent chiropractic treatment for general body soreness on Sunday 27 July. L Brennan further advised the gelding was given a few days break and has since returned to light work. GRACETHEACE (R Goyaram) – Trainer Mr. G Opie advised Stewards, that the filly received a course of anti-inflammatory medication post-race and was examined by the veterinarian on Tuesday 29 July, with no abnormalities being detected. GRACETHEACE is expected to return to light work next week. The post Taumarunui Racing Club @ Te Rapa, Saturday 26 July 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 3 CAMBRIDGE EQUINE HOSPITAL MAAT FINAL 1300m HAKUSHU (M McNab) – Trainer Mr. S Marsh reported to Stewards, he was satisfied with the post-race condition of the gelding, however, HASUSHU has now been sent for a spell. The post Waikato Thoroughbred Racing @ Cambridge Synthetic, Wednesday 23 July 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 7 PREZZY CARD RATING 65 2200m ARDOUR (K Kwo) – Trainer Ms. S Wynne reported to Stewards, that the mare was treated with medication post-race and she was satisfied with ARDOUR’S recovery. S Wynne further advised that she may look to nominate the mare for the Canterbury JC meeting on Wednesday 6 August. The post Canterbury Park Jockey Club @ Riccarton Park, Thursday 24 July 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Race 2 – DRUMMOND & ETHERIDGE 2200m CAPTAIN OUMUAMUA (B Murray) – Trainer Ms. J Land advised Stewards, that the gelding underwent a veterinary examination on Monday 21 July, which included x-rays of the left hock. These revealed the presence of bone spurs. As a result, CAPTAIN OUMUAMUA has now been retired from racing. The post Oamaru Jockey Club @ Oamaru – Sunday, 20 July 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

It’s been a whirlwind last few years for Maija Vance, and the former jockey is taking the next step in that journey after joining her partner, Josh King, in a training partnership this week. Vance won 94 races in the saddle in New Zealand before she was involved in a well-publicised race fall in 2018, where she suffered several injuries, including damaging her spinal cord. Doctors feared she wouldn’t be able to walk again, but after intense rehabilitation, she was able to defy those odds, and 18 months later she hiked to the top of Mount Maunganui in a fundraising effort for the CatWalk Trust. Vance, the daughter of trainers Bob and Jenny Vance, continued to tick up the milestones in the next few years, returning to the saddle and eventually riding track work, and is now commencing life as a trainer. “I didn’t want to (train) and then I met Josh, and we started to work together,” Vance said. “He had quite a lot of success in Queensland, he was private trainer for one of the big studs there. “Josh started training over here and I started helping him, and it has gone from there. He said ‘you might as well put your name down as the trainer as well’. It’s not something that I planned on doing, it just happened.” The newly formed partnership had their first runner at Cambridge on Wednesday, and while their first attempt wasn’t successful, they are hoping to rectify that when they head to Ruakaka on Saturday with Bad Education, who will contest the Marsden Cove Dental 1300. “I think he is a good chance,” Vance said. “His first start when we got him, he ran 26 lengths last, so he has improved a lot. We have put in a lot of work to improve him with his body work and his mind, and he is feeling so good at the moment. “He ran really well at Ruakaka when he ran third. They weren’t making any ground that day and he made up a lot of ground and ran really well. The next time we went back there it was the wettest I have ever seen Ruakaka. He tried hard but it was just too wet for him. “He had won on Soft and Heavy tracks in Australia, but their Heavy isn’t anything like our Heavy. We are excited to see him on a slightly better track on Saturday.” Vance is looking forward to having her parents present on Saturday, with the Ardmore Lodge trainers being represented in the A1 Homes Bream Bay Stayers 2100 by Double Take. “It is a good thing they are not in the same race. I just think they are sensational trainers, and I would rather not run into them in a race,” Vance said. “Mum and Dad are just such amazing horse people and I have spent most of my life around them and their stable. I have learnt so much from them and they just prioritise the horse and keep the horse happy and healthy.” King and Vance currently have eight horses in work, many of whom were sourced from Australia, and Vance said she gets a kick out of seeing them enjoy the change of environment in New Zealand. “We are getting a few horses from Australia and most of them have been trained at the big tracks,” Vance said. “They are being boxed 24/7, so it is really cool when they come here because we have got them out in paddocks all day and big walk-in/walk-out boxes, and on the weekends, we will load them up and take them to the beach. “It is really cool to see them spark up, especially the older horses.” While horses and racing are two of Vance’s main passions, content creation is her other love. The 34-year-old has achieved plenty of success in that space, accruing nearly one million followers on Tiktok, and she is enjoying sharing her racing journey with her audience. “It is cool that there are that many people that care about what I am doing,” she said. “I do a lot of racing content on our racing page, and I have been posting a lot of that to my normal page as well. “A lot of my followers are equestrian people because I post a lot of equestrian content. It is cool that so many of those people are now seeing what we are doing in the racing stable and how well the horses are treated. “It is cool that there are people who weren’t interested in racing before that are now following our horses and watching them race. “I don’t think people realise what goes into training and how much effort we put into keeping the horses happy. We will just take the horses to the beach for a sunrise ride, go hacking along the beach and swim them. It is cool to show people how much effort we put into them.” There are plenty of exciting developments in the stable heading into the new season, with King and Vance in the process of trying to purchase the property they train from in Cambridge. “We are looking at buying the property where we are renting, which is a massive property with 22 paddocks and 32 boxes,” Vance said. “Then we can expand as much as we want to.” While Vance was potentially looking at a life in a wheelchair several years ago, she is glad she defied the odds and is loving her life with horses. “Being upright is a win for me,” she said. “I just feel so lucky that I am able to handle the horses, ride a few quiet ones and help out as much as I can.” View the full article

Shaun Fannin has spent plenty of time in the winner’s circle during the Grand National Festival of Racing, and this year’s carnival presents an entirely new challenge for the Awapuni horseman. One of the country’s top jumps jockeys for the better part of a decade, Fannin has won each of the four jumping features at Riccarton on numerous occasions, including two of the last three editions of the Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge Koral Steeplechase (4250m) with West Coast. Fannin relishes the opportunity to tackle the picturesque circuit each year in August, and he’s got extra motivation this time around with his own horse, rising star Jesko. “Riccarton is a beautiful track to ride on, it’s nice and open with some really nice live fences,” he said. “The atmosphere on course down there is great, National Day always has a great big crowd and so does the Winter Cup, so that gets the adrenaline pumping, as well as a great horse to ride. “Those things combined make it a pretty special place.” A comfortable winner of the Manawatu Steeplechase (4000m) and Wellington Steeplechase (4900m) this campaign, Jesko has earned his short-priced favouritism for the feature and next weekend’s Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge 150th Grand National Steeplechase (5600m). Entering just his third season training in partnership with wife Hazel Fannin, that feat is not lost on the 29-year-old. “We haven’t been training for very long, so to have a leading chance in big races like these is very special for us,” he said. “Hopefully we can get a good result.” After his Trentham successes, Jesko returned to the flat at Waverley and gave a sight in Rating 75 grade, finishing second to Dancin In The Dark despite a wide trip. “I was really happy with him, it didn’t really go to plan being out three-wide the whole way, but he stuck on very well considering,” Fannin said. “We didn’t have to do too much with him this week to keep him up to the mark after that. “He travelled down on Tuesday morning with Hazel and by all accounts he’s very bright, he’s pretty headstrong so nothing seems to knock him too much.” As for much of the Koral field, the main target comes seven days later in the National, and Fannin is keeping that in mind as Jesko navigates the circuit for the first time. “You want to see them going through the line strongly at the finish, but in Jesko’s case, it’s his first time being down there, and it’s always a bit different for a horse,” he said. “Riccarton is very open with big fences, so I’m prepared for him to have a look at a couple, but as long as his jumping improves as the race goes on and he finishes it off nicely, we’ll be more than happy with that heading into the National. “He usually jumps away quite quickly and at home he can be quite aggressive, he’s not quite so aggressive on raceday, but it’s just how he likes to go. “Ideally he’s probably better with something to follow, but at the same time, he likes to get along at his own speed and if there’s no speed in the race, he’ll probably end up in front. “I see he’s drawn one on Saturday, so I think I’ll try and use that by having him up there at the first couple of fences.” View the full article

Young speed merchant Love The Sort will be on trial on Saturday for a return visit to Ruakaka for an early black-type opportunity. She will make her three-year-old debut in the Ben & Nola Wortelboer Memorial (1100m) for trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray, with an eye on a sterner challenge. “I don’t think she’ll stay, I think she’s too fast and that being the case another race that looks on the agenda, providing she performs well, is the Northland Breeders’ Stakes (Gr.3, 1200m) in two weeks,” Ritchie said. “She’ll go back up for that if she proves she’s worthy of a spot by either winning on Saturday or going very, very close.” Love The Sort made the perfect start to her career on her home all-weather track in mid-June when she proved too swift over 970m for her older opposition. “She’s very, very fast and going into that race on the poly without a trial it was a comfortable place for her to go, but she didn’t jump that quickly,” Ritchie said. “She mustered very well to get over to the fence with a light weight and always had the race under control.” While naturally chasing another winning result, Ritchie said it may have to be achieved in a different manner. “This will be a different kettle of fish, she’s drawn six out of seven and I know that doesn’t sound so bad, but there’s a ton of speed in it so she just might not get her own way. “If that’s the case, it might be an opportunity to educate her, but we’ll leave that decision until we see how she jumps. “It will be interesting, and the other thing is that she hasn’t been right-handed before. “We’ve galloped her that way a few times and she needs that experience with a lot of the nicer three-year-old fillies’ races over the short trips coming up are at Ellerslie.” Love The Sort is a daughter of Tassort and the Written Tycoon mare Siyaadeh and the speedy family of Gr.1 Galaxy Handicap (1200m) winner Snowland. She was purchased out of breeder Emirates Park’s draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Ritchie for A$42,500. “When we take our horses to Queensland during the winter we use the Gold Coast Turf Club and you’ve basically got to walk past the sale yard from the apartment we stay in to get to the racecourse,” he said. “You see quite a few yearlings coming on and off the floats and walking around, racing’s a social game and the stud boys are there and a few breeders you train for and often a few owners come over as well. “We tend to go out and have a bit of lunch with them all at the sale yard, it’s not a normal thing for us to buy off Magic Millions, but I saw this filly and loved her. “I thought she would bring a fair bit more and was in our bracket. I didn’t go there specifically to buy a horse, having said that, occasionally you see a little gem that you like and she was within range.” View the full article

Time has been a friend to a once-erratic Bradman, who will have just celebrated his eighth birthday when he tackles Saturday’s Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations 128th Winter Cup (1600m) at Riccarton Park. The son of Pins and champion broodmare Baggy Green, Bradman was a frequent in the stewards report through his early years on the track, but perseverance paid off for trainer Roydon Bergerson when as a six-year-old, Bradman had his best-ever season collecting a stakes victory and over $146,000. “He was mentally insecure, you go back through his history and in about 90 percent of his races, he was in the stipes report for doing something silly,” Bergerson said. “He would get his head up and try to run off, one day he actually tried to duck off in the birdcage when he had a race there one day. “He’s a real character.” Bergerson is able to look back on that period with a sense of satisfaction, with Bradman now an ultra-consistent galloper contesting the Riccarton feature for the second time, having finished a narrow third to Jay Bee Gee last year. His form has been hard to fault through this winter, having placed or won at each start, including coming out on top at Trentham in June in the Whyte Handicap (1600m). Bergerson opted to head back to the trials in between times, where jockey Bruno Queiroz gave him the tick of approval. “He needed it, he had a decent, long blow,” he said. “Bruno was really happy with him though, he said he felt really good. “He came and galloped him on the course proper on Tuesday morning here (at Awapuni), and he said he was really strong, and he’s pulled up super. “He has travelled really well. All systems go now I hope.” A slightly unexpected inclusion of Belardo Boy has come to the benefit of Bradman, who will now carry 58kg instead of the topweight. “He would’ve been lumping the 60 kilos, so two kilos off will certainly help,” Bergerson said. “I think there’s only been one horse to win it on 60 kilos and that was Nashville, and he was a Group One horse. “He’s not an overly big horse, but he’s strong and tries hard.” Bergerson is no stranger to success in the south, having won the Winter Cup two years in a row with Karla Bruni, a galloper he draws comparisons with Bradman. “We set her for the race each year and everything came off, except the jockey kept getting off and we had to find jockeys over the last few days,” he said. “She seemed to like having a left-handed jockey more than a right, she was a quirky little mare and was quite difficult to ride some days – a bit like him. “But it was a real buzz because some great friends of mine raced her with me, that being Opie Bosson, Craig Sheridan, and Paul Humphries. She took us on a great ride, it was good fun.” Bergerson’s attention will return to his home track of Awapuni on Sunday, where Charlotte’s Way will take on a class field in the $100,000 Japac Homes Polytrack Championship (1400m). The Pentire mare will carry a featherlight 51kg under apprentice Elle Sole, and Bergerson is hoping that can assist her barrier woes of late. “Kelly (Myers, jockey) thought she was a bit unlucky the other day, she got a bit tight and she doesn’t like being on the inside, she’s got to be in clear air,” he said. “She’s won a couple on the poly, but she’ll need a lot of luck, this is a stronger field than she’s been running against. She hasn’t been jumping out of the gates and putting herself there, so if she can get out with Elle Sole on and no weight, that would help. “She likes to free-wheel out in front or sit outside the leader, so if she can get that position, hopefully she can hang on. But she will be a roughie. “It’s a $100,000 race on your back doorstep, so we can’t turn it down.” View the full article

Earlier in the year, Bevan and Robyn Wilson mapped out a plan for three of their talented gallopers to tackle Saturday’s Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations Winter Cup (1600m), and despite a few challenges, the trio will each take their place in the Riccarton showpiece. Well-known for training and racing their homebred horses, the Ashburton couple have had their best season since Robyn joined the partnership in 2018, training 10 winners and 12 placegetters from just 45 starters. Royal Valour, Lord Darci and Victorian Charm have all contributed to that amount, with the former having defeated his stablemates last start in the Oamaru Cup (1600m), who finished fourth and sixth respectively. The Wilsons had a task of watching all three in the race but were satisfied with each of their efforts. “We were very pleased with him (Royal Valour), his preparation going into the race had gone really well and he raced accordingly, and was well ridden,” Bevan Wilson said. “He won quite well I thought. “It was a bit hard watching all three of them at a time and Victorian Charm disappeared on me a bit on the corner, but Kylie (Williams, jockey) wasn’t disappointed with his run. She said that she got in the wrong place at one stage and was held up a little bit, and when she did make a run, Royal Valour probably beat him to a gap and he lost his momentum. “We were really pleased with him, he was plugging away well at the line and only two lengths from the winner.” Victorian Charm had missed an abandoned race at Ashburton in the lead-up, while facing a trial of his own was Lord Darci, a common theme for the gelding since he won the Winter Cup three years ago. “At the time, he was a four-year-old, so we thought it might’ve been a bit early for him, but we thought we might as well have a go,” Wilson said. “As it’s turned out, it was probably a good idea because he’s been in the wars a bit since. “He’s had a couple of career-threatening injuries, mainly self-inflicted, because he’s a bit of a fidget. He’s not very settled travelling on the float and he didn’t enjoy being tied up either. “He was inclined to kick the inside of his hocks while standing, which we think caused an infection in his joint. Things were looking a bit grim for a while there, but fortunately he’s come through that, and then it was on to the next thing.” The Wilsons were rapt to have their stable star back in winning form immediately when resuming this year in June, but he was back to his old tricks following the race. “We were thrilled with his win at Dunedin, but a day or so later, he started stiffening up in the paddock and that’s likely happened on the float as well,” he said. “We had been really happy with how he travelled, but obviously he must’ve done something. “That’s been a setback as far as this race goes, missing a couple of races, but as it turned out, the Ashburton race didn’t happen anyway. “A positive to take out of it is that he hasn’t earned any more rating points, so he gets in pretty well at the weights (54.5kg), obviously with Belardo Boy taking most of the weight.” Looking back on the preparation, it has been far from smooth sailing, and Wilson can hardly believe they’ll saddle all three on Saturday. “Their work has been virtually identical since Oamaru, they had a couple of quiet days and then we got back into it, they’ve had one decent workout since then, which went well enough,” he said. “It’s a bit unbelievable to us, it is hard to get a horse to any race meeting, so to have three of them there and the other in the open sprint, it’s a bit of a feat in itself. “We just hope they can put their best foot forward on the day, that would make it even better.” Their representative in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Open (1200m) will be Victor Rouge, a half-brother to both Lord Darci and Victorian Charm. The quirky galloper won on both Saturdays at last year’s Grand National carnival, defying the Wilsons initial thought about the straight chute. “He likes a bit of room, we spent a couple of years avoiding the Riccarton straight because we were trying to get him to settle in his races, but we ran out of options and it turns out that he quite likes it,” he said. “He raced really well there over this week last year, so we hope he can do the same thing again. He’s in open company now, so it won’t be as easy, but he’ll be there with a chance.” The son of Burgundy will be partnered by apprentice jockey Yogesh Atchamah, who was in the saddle when he finished a close-up fourth in the same event at Oamaru. “He relaxed nicely for the young fella (Atchamah) and we were pleased with his effort,” Wilson said. “We thought with a run like that, he would be hard to beat, but he came out off the track a bit and the first two shot through on the fence, which is just how racing in the winter goes sometimes. “It’s certainly a help with the weights, but also we’ve been lucky to get apprentices that listen to what we’re looking for and they’ve done a good job. We’ve been lucky to have them, it’s just a shame that Hayley (Hassman) is missing out at the moment too. “She had an injury before Oamaru, or she would’ve been on one of our horses, and she’s now unavailable for this week too.” View the full article

Kelvin Tyler will be represented by young and old at the Grand National opener on Saturday at Riccarton Park, including a pair of promising juveniles stepping out at three for the first time. The aptly-named Four The Moment and Fourofus will go head-to-head in the Christchurch Casino 30th South Island Awards – 12 September Three-Year-Old (1200m), both appearing off a spell after they quinellaed the Excellency Stakes (1100m) in April on their home course of Riverton. Only a nose could split them on that occasion and Tyler expects a similar margin on Saturday, albeit with one to have the upper hand in the future. “There wasn’t much between them there, but Four The Moment is top shelf, he’s one of the better horses I’ve ever had,” he said. “I didn’t really want the rain to come with him as he’s still got a bit of improvement to come, but going forward, I think he’ll go right through the grades quickly. “Fourofus is a neat wee horse, he tries hard and the wet track won’t bother him. He’s probably looking for a bit more ground in time, but he’s a bit more forward than Four The Moment so I can’t really split them on Saturday.” A son of Proisir, Four The Moment was bred by Tyler, his wife Vanessa, brother Allan and sister-in-law Marie. Fourofus, a Tivaci gelding, is also raced by the extended family, having been purchased for just $5,000 as a weanling. “We bred Four The Moment with my brother and sister-in-law, so we go horse for horse with their colours (blue and white) and our colours (pink and white),” Tyler said. “I don’t mind whose colours they wear, as long as the cheque comes in.” In his more experienced contingent heading north is King Of The Castle, a nine-year-old Australian stakes performer who looked to be back on track when closing for fifth in an open sprint at Oamaru. King Of The Castle, alongside stablemates Vamos and Albatross, will take their place in the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations 128th Winter Cup (1600m) – a race Tyler won exactly a decade ago with Timy Tyler. “He (King Of The Castle) is a different horse this time in, I think he’s just taken a little bit to adjust to our New Zealand way of training,” Tyler said. “I can’t fault him, his work is really good. “He’d probably prefer a better track, I was hoping it would stay around a (soft) 7, so that would be the only question mark there. “Vamos at that awkward rating of 78, so he’s either got to carry a tonne of weight in a 75, or the bottom of the opens. He’s another that I can’t fault, he tries hard and deserves his chance. “His work has been outstanding, so he’d be a good smoky. “Albatross was very disappointing at Oamaru, but she does struggle in those puggy tracks. A wet, loose track would help her. “She’s a runner’s chance, they let you down a couple of times and you lose a bit of faith but she seems bright and happy, so we’ve got to take it on trust.” Tyler elected to bypass the feature with Master Marko, instead focussing on the open 1400m contest that he won 12 months ago during the carnival. But, after seeing a smaller field in the Speight’s Summit Ultra On Tap Open (1200m), he took the opportunity to give the Contributer gelding a hit out on the grass. “I wasn’t going to run him on Saturday, but with the smaller field, I thought he could use the gallop, instead of galloping on the poly track and risk hurting him,” Tyler said. “He’s not really a 1200m horse, he’s more of a miler, but he wasn’t quite forward enough to go to the Winter Cup so I thought I would look after him and run over 1400 on the last day. “He’s a tough horse and he won’t need to do much during the week, that’s the plan.” View the full article

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