Wandering Eyes

Anthony Oppenheimer's Queen Of Thieves (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a homebred full-sister to dual G1 Champion Stakes hero Cracksman (GB), was fresh off a recent third on seasonal return at Newbury and shed maiden status in style with an 11-length tally in Tuesday's Weekend Winners On Sky Sports Racing Maiden Fillies' Stakes at Great Yarmouth. Breaking swiftly and holding sway throughout, the 5-6 favourite was untroubled on the front end and powered ever clear under whipless cajoling inside the final quarter-mile, hitting the line with a wide-margin buffer back to the overmatched Miss Wong (GB) (Study Of Man {Ire}). Queen Of Thieves is the 10th of 11 foals and sixth scorer out of Listed Prix Solitude victrix Rhadegunda (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), herself a half-sister to the dual stakes-placed Halla San (GB) (Halling). Her third dam is G1 1000 Guineas and G1 Sussex Stakes heroine On The House (Fr) (Be My Guest). The March-foaled homebred chestnut is a full-sister to multiple Group 1-winning sire Cracksman (GB) and a half to G3 Solario Stakes-winning sire Fantastic Moon (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) and the unraced 2-year-old colt Royal Warrior (GB) (Palace Pier {GB}). That's more like it! Cracksman's full-sister Queen Of Thieves gets off the mark with a scintillating performance at @GTYarmouthRaces! pic.twitter.com/mbZ2Rx2cQM — At The Races (@AtTheRaces) April 22, 2025 The post Cracksman’s Full Sister Queen Of Thieves Sheds Maiden Status in Style appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Josh Bryan, the former program coordinator for the Taylor Made School of Horsemanship who was currently serving as assistant to Frank Taylor, the Director of New Business Development at Taylor Made Farm, died Tuesday morning from complications from jaw surgery. He was 33 years old. Bryan was born with Goldenhar syndrome, a rare congenital defect that affects the development of the ear, nose, soft palate, lip and mandible usually on one side of the body. He had his first corrective surgery when he was just seven weeks old and went on to endure at least 15 more procedures. Bryan was profiled in the TDN's Road Back series, which tells the stories of the men and women enrolled in the Stable Recovery and the School of Horsemenship, where recovering addicts find support, structure, and meaningful employment. In 2024, he told the TDN's Katie Petrunyak how his childhood was spent going in and out of doctors' offices, and how he lost both of his parents during his college years, leading him to turn to alcohol. “I didn't really feel like I had much to live for after that, which looking back now is total nonsense,” Bryan recalled. “It was a lot of depression and really no sense of purpose. I felt like life really wasn't really worth living anymore.” With the help of Frank Taylor, his second cousin, he got into Shepherd's House, a residential drug treatment center, and then found employment at Rood and Riddle. When Taylor decided to launch Stable Recovery, he asked Bryan to be the program coordinator. Together, they built the School of Horsemanship, and then, together with Christian Countzler, launched Stable Recovery. “I think horses have a really good sense of your feelings emotionally,” he told Petrunyak in 2024. “If you go into a horse's stall nervous, they're going to be rambunctious. If you go into that stall angry, they're going to mess with you and make it worse. I remember some days before my recovery I'd go into the barn hungover with a bad attitude and they'd just eat me alive, bucking and trying to run me over. If you go in there with the right mindset and a clear head, they'll love you to death. If you're having a bad day and you go into a horse's stall and give it a big old hug, it just makes all the difference.” He said that horses didn't care about appearances. “They don't care about if you went to jail or what you look like or where you came from,” he said. “For a long time I wasn't comfortable in my own skin and it took a lot of people and prayer and therapy for me to be okay with it. Sometimes I still don't see myself as a leader, but I've gotten more comfortable with it.” When Frank Taylor transitioned to the role of Director of New Business Development at Taylor Made, Bryan moved into the role as his assistant, traveling to farms and meeting clients together. He said that he saw Taylor as a father figure, a role Taylor embraced. “Josh is basically one of my kids,” added Taylor. “We've always worked well together. It's kind of like we're best friends and I think I'm a mentor or father figure to him. I'm very proud of him. Once he quit drinking and got his life in order and spiritually strong, he's on a path to do great things. Big things.” “He was my right-hand man and was training to be a Thoroughbred advisor,” said Taylor Tuesday. “He was loved by everyone in the industry. He impacted a lot of people. Had a heart of gold. He was dealt a bad hand and played it to perfection. Our hearts are broken.” The post Taylor Made’s Josh Bryan Dies From Surgical Complications appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The finalized dates for The Real Rider Cup (RRC)'s annual charity show jumping competitions have been set for Saturday, June 28 in Lexington, Kentucky and Saturday, Oct. 18 in Fair Hill, Maryland. “We're grateful for the continued enthusiasm and support for our event,” said RRC founder Anita Motion. “The breed has given us all so much and we're honored to give back by supporting a variety of aftercare organizations who are making meaningful impacts on post-racing life for Thoroughbreds. I also want to extend my gratitude to the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill team for this opportunity to increase the reach of our mission.” Mounted on off-track Thoroughbreds and wearing the racing silks of their colleagues, employers, or other connections, participating riders pledge to raise $1,000 for Real Rider Cup beneficiaries and contend a show jumping course, riding for fast, clean rounds. Awards are given for individual and team results, as well as top-earning fundraisers. Thoroughbred riders from across industries are welcome and encouraged. The Lexington leg of the event will return to New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program at its flagship Mereworth Farm facility. The Lexington leg will also include local food trucks, live music and visits with adoptable Thoroughbreds. The Fair Hill leg of the event will remain on the grounds of the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area but will shift in date and be hosted at the Fair Hill Special Event Zone, joining the official schedule of events at the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill to follow the conclusion of the cross-country phase of competition on Oct. 18. For more information, visit www.therealridercup.com. The post Real Rider Cup Dates Set for June 28 in Lexington, Oct. 18 in Fair Hill appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kentucky Derby Week kicks off Saturday night as Churchill Downs opens its 43-day Spring Meet. Kentucky Derby Day features 14 races, including seven stakes contests, with a betting menu that includes six Pick 5s, five Pick 4s and a mandatory payout in the 20-cent Derby City 6 Jackpot. In 2024: The Pick 5 ending in the Kentucky Derby handled $4.4 million and returned $188,958. The Pick 4 ending in the Kentucky Derby handled $3.2 million and paid $18,300. The Derby City 6 Jackpot handled $2.3 million, with a payout of $345,074. Kentucky Oaks Day also delivers a full lineup of wagering with five Pick 5s and four Pick 4s. Two-day bets also begin on Friday, including: The 50-cent Oaks/Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic/Kentucky Derby Pick 3 (2024 handle $686,061; payout $432). The $1 two-day Pick 6 (2024 handle $508,919; payout $81,109), tying together six Grade I races across both days with a mandatory payout and 15% takeout. The races for the two-day Pick 6 will be finalized on entry day (Saturday, Apr. 26), with seven potential Grade I events eligible for inclusion, including Friday's $1 million Fasig-Tipton La Troienne and $1.5 million Longines Kentucky Oaks; and Saturday's $1 million Churchill Downs presented by Ford, $1 million Derby City Distaff presented by Kendall-Jackson Winery, $1 million American Turf, the $1 million Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic and the $5 million Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve Additional wagers for Derby Week include: The $1 minimum Oaks/Derby Double (2024 handle $3 million; payout $118). The 50-cent All Dirt Pick 5 (2024 handle $409,571; payout $87,025). The $3 All 3-Year-Old Pick 3 (2024 handle $359,603; payout $18,207). Superfectas will be offered at a $1 minimum on Oaks and Derby Days and 10 cents on all other days. For the full wagering menu and list of daily post times, click here. The post Wagering Lineup Announced for Kentucky Derby Week appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With three outings already in the books, Des Donovan trainee Alkuwarrior (Ire) (Alkumait {GB}) was the most experienced contender in Tuesday's British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes at Great Yarmouth and his ringcraft was a telling factor as he made all for a narrow victory to become the first winner for his Capital Stud-based sire (by Showcasing {GB}) in the extended five-furlong dash. Alkuwarrior, kin to a yearling colt by Space Traveller (GB), is the seventh of eight foals and fourth scorer produced by a multiple-winning half-sister to five black-type performers headed by G3 Sandown Sprint victor Hoh Mike (Ire) (Intikhab). The March-foaled bay's third dam Peace In The Woods (Ire) (Tap On Wood {Ire}) is an unraced full-sister to the dam of four-time G1 Irish St Leger-winning sire Vinnie Roe (Ire) (Definite Article {GB}). British Stallion Studs EBF Maiden Stakes @GTYarmouthRaces Yarmouth – 2 ans – Maiden – 1044m – 6 Pts Alkuwarrior (m) (Ire) Mason Paetel (Alkumait (Gb) – Elegant Peace (Ire) par Intense Focus (Usa)) D Donovan Mme K. Keane pic.twitter.com/dGNLydvdus — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) April 22, 2025 The post Freshman Sire Alkumait Off the Mark at Great Yarmouth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

A number of fees for the most exciting sires in Australia and New Zealand have been announced with Windsor Park Stud, which has enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Coolmore Stud, saying that dual Derby winner Auguste Rodin (Ire) will be well-supported by Southern Hemisphere breeders. Auguste Rodin heads the stallion roster at NZ$30,000 while fellow Coolmore shuttler Paddington (Fr) will stand at NZ$35,000, the same fee he was introduced at in 2024 at Windsor Park. Rodney Schick, stud master at Windsor Park, commented on Auguste Rodin, “World class racehorse, he's in the same mould as High Chaparral, nearly identical race record, wonderful European galloper and he's been massively supported by breeders. It's very, very exciting and it's great to have him.” A new chapter has also begun at Darley Australia, with Godolphin's champion two-year-old colt Broadsiding (Aus), a son of Too Darn Hot (GB), joining the roster at Kelvinside. The Australasian breeding community was understandably excited when news broke earlier this month that Too Darn Hot (GB), Champion First-Season Sire in Australia and the sire of 10 stakes winners in the Southern Hemisphere, would be returning Down Under this breeding season. The reception has been similar for his son Broadsiding, a winner of two Group 1s as a juvenile and a further two Group 1s this season, as well as a range of highly commendable placings at the top level. “We announced the fees this morning and the phones have literally not stopped,” Darley's Head of Stallions Alastair Pulford said yesterday. “Not just for me, but for the whole sales and nominations team. He's [Broadsiding] almost full in one day. I don't think we've ever had such a positive reaction to a first-season sire. It's been fantastic.” Too Darn Hot's fee has been set at $275,000 while new recruit Broadsiding will stand for $66,000. Other stallions of note include Anamoe (Aus) at $110,000, Harry Angel (Ire) at $66,000, Pinatubo (Ire) at $38,500, Native Trail (GB) at $27,500 and Victor Ludorum (GB) at $11,000. Meanwhile, leading first-season sire Down Under Ole Kirk (Aus) will headline the six-strong stallion roster at Vinery Stud this year. His fee has almost doubled to $99,000 after an outstanding year on the track and in the sales ring. Currently leading the first season sires' championship in Australia by number of winners and earnings, the son of Champion Sire Written Tycoon has enjoyed three stakes winners to date. Vinery Stud's General Manager Peter Orton said, “Due to demand, Ole Kirk has gone up in fee. He has a perfect pedigree and offers a complete outcross for breeders throughout the heavy presence of Danehill in most pedigrees. The way Ole Kirk raced, we are looking to his late two-year-olds and spring three-year-olds to dominate. What he has done to date is a bonus and I think the best is yet to come.” The post ‘Massive Support’ From Southern Hemisphere Breeders For Auguste Rodin appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sam Agars BEAUTY ALLIANCE - R9 (3) Loves the course and distance and can return to the winners' list here Jay Rooney BEAUTY ALLIANCE - R9 (3) Looks perfectly placed back at the C&D of two strong wins Trackwork Spy HORSEPOWER - R8 (1) Looks hard to beat reuniting with Zac Purton tonight Phillip Woo LUCKY GENERATIONS - R1 (4) Can break through with a clean trip Shannon (Vincent Wong) KINGLY DEMEANOR - R2 (3) Drops into Class Five and should get back to winning ways from gate one Racing Post Online JUMBO TREASURE - R5 (1) Showed a good turn of foot to win over 1200m at Sha Tin last start and can repeat Tom Wood BEAUTY ALLIANCE - R9 (3) Strong wins prior to racing in the Derby, recent trial was under a holdView the full article

This week, we debut a new feature: who were the five fastest maidens to race in North America last week, as measured by the Beyer Speed figures? We count them down. SWEET SCORECARD, IND 4/16 – 5 ½ furlongs Beyer Speed Figure: 84 (f, 3, Vekoma-Sweet Halory, by Hold Me Back) O-514 Racing LLC, B-Glenn Sorgenstein WC Racing Inc; T-Tim Eggleston, J-J. D. Ramos Not sure what's the most interesting aspect: that she was 8/1 in the program but hammered down to 1/2 favoritism, that she had been outrun by an average of 12 ¼ lengths in three previous starts yet cruised home here by 15 ½, that she obliterated her previous career-high Beyer by 40 points, or that no one put up $12,500 to claim the Vekoma filly even though she was such a white-hot favorite on the board. She didn't beat much, but did it emphatically. VIBE, GP 4/19- 1 mile Beyer Speed Figure: 85 (c, 3, Into Mischief-Nonna Mia, by Empire Maker) O-Repole Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, CJ Stables, Woodford Racing, Lane's End Racing and Patrick K. McGee, B-Repole Stable, T-Todd Pletcher, J-Emisael Jaramillo At $3 million, Vibe was 2023 Keeneland September's sale topper-and the third-highest-priced yearling of that year. A setback at Saratoga last summer fouled up the Kentucky Derby dream, and he was well-beaten when he finally got to the races in March. But extra distance and a new set of blinkers was the right prescription for his second start, and suddenly the vibes are positive again. CLICQUOT, KEE 4/17- about 7 furlongs Beyer Speed Figure: 86 (f, 3, Quality Road-Royal Obsession, by Tapit) O-X-Men Racing IV, Madaket Stables and SF Racing, B-Don Alberto, T-Brendan Walsh, J-Irad Ortiz Jr. A scorching pace didn't help her when 6th at even-money in her debut at Gulfstream, but the Veuve was flowing after this 6-length frontrunning romp. And she didn't seem to appreciate Irad's lefthanded whacks, so she might be smart, too. She's another potentially good one bred by Don Alberto, which is seemingly everywhere nowadays. STRATEGIC FOCUS, AQU 4/19 – 1 mile Beyer Speed Figure: 90 (c, 3, Gun Runner-Curlin's Mistress, by Curlin) O-Klaravich Stables, B-Alter's Racing Stables, Inc., T-Chad Brown, J-Dylan Davis Is Seth Klarman ever going to run out of cool investment names? This first-timer was next-last on the backstretch and widest around the turn- never a good recipe for dirt success-but still outkicked a strong field that included entrymate Duration. Here's a nice parlay: breeder Happy Alter bought the 4th dam for $500 at OBS in 1994 and sold Strategic Focus at Keeneland for $500,000. NEVADA BEACH, SA 4/19 – 1 mile Beyer Speed Figure: 90 (c, 3, Omaha Beach-Morrow Cove, by Yes It's True) O-Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, B-Paul Tackett Revocable Trust, Phil Tackett Estate & Christy Tackett, T-Bob Baffert, J-Juan Hernandez Let's see…a 3-year-old wins sharply on debut and runs a big Beyer, you check the PPs, and yep, it's another Baffert. In fact, this was the 30th maiden graduate sent out by Baffert from his Class of 2022, and more may be in the pipeline. Nevada Beach ran down pacesetter Rank, who probably deserved to win since in his 11 starts he has also come up against Journalism, Citizen Bull, Rodriguez, Baeza, Gaming and Getaway Car, some more than once. The post The Five Fastest Maidens For the Week of April 14-20 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

2nd-Keeneland, $90k, MSW, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, post time: 1:32 p.m. Repole Stable's homebred Nonna's Love (Caravaggio) makes her first trip to the post for trainer Todd Pletcher. Out of Nonna Bella (Stay Thirsty), the gray filly is a half-sister to 2023 Eclipse champion juvenile and multiple Grade I winner Fierceness (City of Light) and to graded winner Mentee (City of Light). Wesley Ward saddles morning-line favorite Gracie's Delight (American Pharoah) on behalf of For the People Racing Stable. TJCIS PPs The post Wednesday’s Racing Insights: Half-Sister to Fierceness Debuts at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sent off the outsider of the seven contesting Tuesday's Listed Blue Riband Trial, Abdulla Al Mansoori's Sea Scout (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) belied odds of 40-1 to conquer Epsom's unique terrain. Helping to press the early pace under Harry Davies, the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Lingfield novice winner had first run on Ballydoyle's 9-4 second favourite Trinity College (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and that counted as he hit the line with a head to spare, with 3 1/2 lengths back to Mirabeau (GB) (Territories {Ire}) in third. The heavily-supported 6-4 favourite Devil's Advocate (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) was disappointing in sixth. 40/1 outsider wins! Sea Scout digs deep to land the Listed @Betfred Blue Riband Trial under Harry Davies for Simon & Ed Crisford @EpsomRacecourse pic.twitter.com/JqMEsNwwLG — Racing TV (@RacingTV) April 22, 2025 The post The Crisfords Win The Blue Riband Trial With Sea The Stars’ Sea Scout appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

If Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress) or Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), or both, win their respective races on FWD Champions Day at Sha Tin on Sunday, celebrations will erupt worldwide. The Australian Hayes family is front and centre saddling these key contenders for the HK$22 million Gr.1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize and HK$24 million Gr.1 FWD Champions Mile (1600m), respectively, but their cheers are likely to be matched by those of breeders and consigners 9,500km away from Hong Kong in New Zealand. For a small country, New Zealand has consistently punched above its weight for well over 80 years, breeding and trading high-class racehorses. If you want to go back even further, the greatest of them all, Phar Lap, was foaled at Timaru on the South Island in 1926. Ka Ying Rising was foaled at Windsor Park Stud, near Cambridge, in the Waikato in 2020. He is a gelded son of Shamexpress, the winner of Flemington’s famous Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m), and best of his progeny by some way. The four-year-old’s record stands at 12 wins from 14 starts and he will be aiming for his 12th consecutive win on Sunday. His only defeats were both second placings. He hasn’t been beaten since 12 February last year. His success has had a marked impact on New Zealand racing and breeding, and sparked the resurgence of Shamexpress as a stallion, reports Mike Moran, Marketing Manager at Windsor Park Stud. “Ka Ying Rising is a special, special horse. David Hayes is in awe of him. It’s great for the stallion. And it’s great for the New Zealand industry in general, who are excited by him,” Moran said. “Australia is renowned for its world-class sprinters but New Zealand has produced Aerovelocity (NZ) (Pins), Lucky Sweynesse (NZ) (Sweynesse) and now Ka Ying Rising. It’s fantastic for us because it’s an amazing place to breed horses, and the Hong Kong buyers know that. “They keep coming, and will continue to do so off the back of what this guy has done. Ka Ying Rising was the first horse bred by Fraser Auret, a trainer from Manawatu. He (Ka Ying Rising) was conceived and foaled at Windsor Park.” Shamexpress had lost traction with breeders, his number of mares diminishing significantly five years ago. “Then he got Lim’s Saltoro, who won the Triple Crown in Singapore and is now with Dan Meagher in Melbourne, as well as Maracana and Grinzinger Belle, who have won good races for Danny O’Brien. “All those horses came along together. Shamexpress is popular again now, he’s fashionable, particularly his colts. They are sought-after and have been bringing good money at the sales,” Moran said. Mr Brightside galloped on the turf on Tuesday morning. Photo: Hong Kong Jockey Club Mr Brightside is another New Zealand success story, though he had only one run there for an unlucky fifth in a Matamata maiden over 1400m. Bred by Bay of Plenty real estate agent Ray Johnson in conjunction with his late wife Martha, he had been bought at an on-line auction by his trainer Ralph Manning for NZ$7,750 before later being sold on to the Hayes family’s racing operation Lindsay Park in Australia. Mr Brightside is by Bullbars, a Group Three winner at Flemington, out of the Darley mare Accessories, making him a half-brother to Helmet and Epaulette. Mr Brightside is the only elite class horse sired by the unheralded Bullbars, who left Highview Stud to join the stallion roster at Orange Court Stud, South Australia, where he reportedly died before the start of the 2023 covering season. A win for either Ka Ying Rising or Mr Brightside would also mark another New Zealand-bred champion to triumph for the Hayes family. The roll of honour is impressive – Dulcify (trained by Colin Hayes), Zabeel (Colin, then David Hayes), Mr Brightside (Ben, JD & Will Hayes) and Ka Ying Rising (David Hayes). View the full article

The Tuesday evening of Craven Week in Newmarket was notable not only for the buoyant trade at Park Paddocks during the first session of Tattersalls' Craven Breeze-Up Sale but also for a fascinating lecture given to Newmarket's Local History Society, which meets on the third Tuesday of every month. Titled 'The History of Veterinary Practice in Newmarket', this talk was given by Richard Greenwood MRCVS, who, prior to his retirement, was one of the world's (never mind just Newmarket's) most respected veterinary surgeons, esteemed internationally as a senior partner in the town's oldest veterinary practice. Now called Newmarket Equine Hospital (NEH), the practice is still thought of by many as Greenwood, Ellis & Partners. Just as it is easy nowadays to forget how recently it was that the supposedly essential assistance of computers, mobile phones and the internet first intruded into our lives, so one can easily overlook how rapidly the veterinary world has evolved in the past few decades. Richard's personal and anecdotal stroll along the passages of time provided both a fascinating reminder of how things were and a series of logical explanations as to how and why they became as they are now. We know that racing and training horses have been part of the fabric of Newmarket at least since early in the 17th century. So integral are vets to many modern training stables that it is easy to assume that there have always been veterinary surgeons here. Not so, as was made clear by an observation made in 1831 which has become part of local folklore: “No veterinary surgeon has been able to make a living in Newmarket”. In an era in which betting was all-important and in which any piece of information about a horse's fitness, soundness or health was a closely guarded secret, it was generally felt that any benefit which a vet might bring to a stable would be outweighed by the drawbacks of granting access to anyone who did not have to be there. Vets did, of course, already exist by that time. The London Veterinary College was established in 1792 and a similar college was founded in Edinburgh. No veterinary surgeon, however, was able to gain a foothold in Newmarket until 1841, when one was able to start a practice thanks to an alliance with a profession which was already flourishing in the town: farriery. A farrier called Barrow had a forge in the High Street in March House and his brother set up a veterinary practice, the original fore-runner of NEH, on the same property. March House remained the base for this veterinary practice until 2008 when Greenwood, Ellis & Partners (as the practice had eventually evolved into) moved out of town into a purpose-built property by the July Course roundabout, with both the new property and the practice being given the name Newmarket Equine Hospital. A major boost to the status of veterinary surgeons took place shortly after the Second World War with the passing of the Veterinary Surgeons Act in 1948, which made it law that only a qualified veterinary surgeon (as opposed to one of the 'practitioners', of which there were many at that time) could perform acts of surgery on or dispense drugs for animals. This consolidated the position within Newmarket of what was at the time the town's only veterinary practice. Wartime Influence During the 20th century, some of the most notable figures from the history of veterinary science joined the practice: Frank Potts in 1901, William Livock in 1911, Brayley Reynolds in 1924, Harvey Leader in 1930, Fred Day in 1945 and Peter Rossdale in 1955. Unlike today, when academic instruction is considered all-important in most professions, these men learned much of their skill the hard way, often during wars. For Brayley Reynolds in the First World War and Bob Crowhurst in the Second, hard facts of life and death, of survival or otherwise for both humans and animals, were learned more emphatically than could be the case in any classroom. As Richard Greenwood drily put it, Bob Crowhurst's time running a wartime military veterinary hospital in Italy when the only drug available to treat the sick and injured horses was salt water ensured that he “learned the benefit of conservative treatment”. Nowadays, Newmarket's vets tend to specialise in either racing or breeding work, simply because there is a requirement for so much of both types. Previously, however, the town's vets would need to be masters of both subjects. Fred Day, for instance, is a legend within local racing folklore (and just ask Sir Mark Prescott if you need confirmation of that) but long-term his greatest influence has been felt on the studs, both locally and internationally, because it was he who first fully worked out the exact cycling timetable of broodmares, knowledge of which is crucial to the big-book practices of modern stallion management. Having joined the practice in 1955, Peter Rossdale, apparently disappointed not to be offered a partnership, left in 1959 and set up a rival practice only a short way down the street, at the Beaufort Cottage property in which Dick Perryman had trained Airborne to win the Derby in 1946. This was a massive disruption of the status quo but by this time there was enough work provided by the stables and studs in and around the town to allow two practices to thrive. Peter Rossdale's new practice was further strengthened in 1961 when Michael Hunt joined him but Reynolds House's position was consolidated during the next few years by the arrival of Don Simpson in 1962, Robin McEnery in 1964, David Ellis in 1968 and Richard Greenwood in 1970. The arrival of Greenwood took the number of vets in the town to ten, split between two practices. How times change! Now there are three practices (subsequent to the arrival in the early years of this century of Baker McVeigh) with a total of over 100 vets, supported by a small army of support staff. Several factors have come together to mean that there is indeed demand for what one could now describe as a 'veterinary industry' in Newmarket. Modern-day Newmarket vets have state-of-the-art facilities | Emma Berry Since the Second World War, Newmarket has become an ever greater national and international focus for equine veterinary matters. In 1946 the Equine Research Station at Balaton Lodge was established (which subsequently became the Animal Health Trust at Kentford). Its importance was emphasised in 1972 when Mill Reef's broken leg was healed thanks to the pioneering surgery of Jim Roberts. Further consolidation of the area's veterinary reputation came in 1953 with the establishment of the Cambridge University Veterinary School, with strong links being established between that and the practices in the town. The arrival of the National Stud (from its previous bases in Dorset and Sussex) in 1966 triggered an ever-increasing focus on Newmarket within the national bloodstock landscape, particularly as regards the standing of stallions. Tattersalls' consolidation in Newmarket further strengthened the town's veterinary position, not least because sales generate a lot of veterinary work. Another factor which increased demand for veterinary services was a national rather than local issue. In 1977 Britain was hit by an outbreak of contagious equine metritis, a consequence of which was the introduction of the Code of Practice which has meant a slew of compulsory swab tests for breeding stock. All this is good business for vets and explains why NEH and Rossdales now have their own (busy) laboratories. Dr 'Twink' Allen's Equine Fertility Unit pioneered the scanning of mares which has led to much more precision about covering times and dates, allowing stallions' books to be increased from not much more than 40 to the better part of 200. The use of X-rays, MRI scans, endoscopes and arthroscopic surgery are all innovations which were developed by vets in Newmarket, with the pioneering work on keyhole intra-articular surgery done with the help of David Dandy, a surgeon from the nearby Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge. Nowadays we take all these things for granted, in just the same way that we do with computers and mobile phones. But, as Richard Greenwood has reminded us, it is only recently that these mighty veterinary oaks have become facts of everyday bloodstock life and it is from tiny acorns that they have developed. The post Greenwood’s Fascinating Trip Down Veterinary Memory Lane appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Stephen Marsh believes Kiwi galloper’s preparation for Champions Day has not been impacted by a minor setback.View the full article

Bjorn Baker‘s remarkable sprinter Overpass is poised to make history as the clear $2.20 favourite with Ladbrokes, aiming to become the sole three-time winner of the $5 million The Quokka (1200m) at Ascot this Saturday from barrier 10 of 13. Having conquered the first two editions from gates eight and six respectively, the now six-year-old […] The post The Quokka 2025 Field & Betting Update: Overpass Favourite for 3rd Win appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

Jimmysstar (NZ) (Per Incanto) may not run again this season, with connections still to decide on the best path to take into a potentially mouth-watering spring clash with Hong Kong star Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress). While further Group One conquests in Brisbane this winter are being considered for last Saturday’s Gr.1 All Aged Stakes winner, managing part-owner Ozzie Kheir said on Tuesday he feels it may be best for the horse to take his spell and to reset for a likely shot at October’s The Everest. “It is obviously really tempting to keep him going, so we’re leaving the door open for a race like the Kingsford-Smith, but my preference, at this stage, is to put him away and get him ready for The Everest,” Kheir said on Tuesday. “I’m convinced we haven’t seen the best of him yet as the penny has just dropped with him and there is a feeling that he’s done his job this time in. “He seems to have come of age this preparation and he’s still so lightly raced, so he’s in a great position to come back even better in the spring. “The Everest came into the conversation after he won the Oakleigh Plate first-up and Saturday’s win certainly did nothing to change our mind. “He’s gone from a bit of a hero to a villain to a star, so it’s been some sort of ride with him.” Jimmysstar was purchased out of New Zealand after just three runs in the spring of 2023 and he immediately made an impression with easy Benchmark wins at Bendigo, Cranbourne and Caulfield, before a string of four upset losses – three of them as odds-on favourite – last autumn. He performed well in the spring before appearing this autumn as a much-improved horse with Gr.1 wins in the Oakleigh Plate and All Aged supported by luckless Gr.1 efforts in the William Reid Stakes (third) and T.J. Smith Stakes (fourth). If he was to start again this season, Kheir indicated the A$1 million Kingsford-Smith Cup (1300m) – to be run at Eagle Farm under weight-for-age conditions on May 31 – is the most likely race. Kheir has enjoyed a great season to date, being part-owner of seven Gr.1 winners. It is a way off his best season in 2021-22 when he was part-owner of 11 Gr.1 winners such as Verry Elleegant, Incentivise and Sir Dragonet, but Kheir said he is delighted with the results. “We came into the new season hoping we could contend for a few Group 1s and hopefully win one or two, so to have seven is a great result,” he said. Of trainer Ciaron Maher’s 10 Gr.1 winners this season, Kheir and his partners have supplied five of them in the shape of Jimmysstar (two), Light Infantry Man (two) and Gringotts. Kheir’s other Gr.1 wins were with Buckaroo in the Underwood Stakes and Leica Lucy in the New Zealand Oaks. Buckaroo and the returning Soulcombe remain Kheir’s final chances for further G1 success this season, with the pair aiming up at the Gr.2 Hollindale Stakes (1800m) on the Gold Coast on May 10, followed by the Gr.1 Doomben Cup (2000m) at Eagle Farm two weeks later. View the full article

Quality New Zealand galloper El Vencedor (NZ) (Shocking), continued his preparations for the prestigious HK$28 million Gr.1 FWD Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2000m) at Sha Tin this Sunday, with a solid workout on Hong Kong’s all-weather track on Tuesday morning. “He is striding out nicely,” trainer Stephen Marsh said. “He’ll have a good hit-out on the turf on Thursday (24 April) with Zac (Purton). And that will do him.” El Vencedor’s journey to Hong Kong hasn’t been without challenges. Shortly after arrival, the son of Shocking experienced a minor setback with a hind hoof abscess. However, Marsh remains optimistic, stating that the issue has been resolved and the horse is back on track. The gelding’s recent form has been nothing short of impressive, boasting three consecutive Group One victories: the Herbie Dyke Stakes, Otaki-Maori WFA Classic, and the Bonecrusher New Zealand Stakes. These performances have earned him a spot among the world’s elite, ranking equal 10th in the latest LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. El Vencedor’s adaptability on the track has been a significant asset. “The last four races he has led, he has trailed, he has sat in the one-one and has sat outside the leader and he has done a bit of everything,” Marsh noted. El Vencedor will face a formidable lineup in the FWD QEII Cup, including Goliath, Liberty Island, Prognosis, and Hong Kong Derby hero Cap Ferrat. View the full article

Go Racing’s smart three-year-old Maison Louis (NZ) (Super Seth) is being aimed toward the Gr.1 Queensland Derby (2400m) on May 31 following his win in the TAB Handicap (1900m) at Canterbury on Monday. Jumping from barrier three, Maison Louis maintained a midfield position one off the rail, until the 300m mark when he was peeled four-wide, running down the leader, Existential Bob, to win by three-quarters of a length in comfortable fashion. The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained son of Super Seth has now had three wins, and a second and a fifth placing, from five career starts. “He was really good yesterday picking up another win,” O’Shea said. “He’s developing into a lovely middle-distance horse, and he’s got a great appetite for racing. “Being that they’re only three once we’re going to give him the opportunity to run in a stakes race. We’ll take him to Queensland to run in the Rough Habit Plate (Gr.3, 2000m) on May 17 which is a lead up to the Queensland Derby.” Jockey Andrew Adkins, who has been onboard in all his races, also has a good opinion of the Pencarrow Stud-bred gelding. “He’s kept doing the right things,” he said. “He came through his last win really well and he had a beautiful run in transit today and he’s showed what he can do lately. “I just love the way he puts them away and goes past them and leaves them, he doesn’t wait around, he doesn’t grind to the line, he sprints, and he knows where he is in the races which is the sign of a smart horse.” By last season’s Champion First Season Sire, Super Seth who stands at Waikato Stud, Maison Louis was purchased from Pencarrow Stud’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Book 1 draft for $250,000. He is out of the Listed Matamata Cup winner Cote D’Or, who is from the famous Pencarrow family of Ethereal, Grant Echezeaux, Darci Brahma and Howard Be Thy Name. View the full article

Momentum continues to build for Emma-Lee and David Browne this season, with the husband-and-wife training partnership looking forward to running promising types across multiple states in the days and weeks ahead. One contender likely to line up for the stable on Friday is NZ$90,000 2024 NZB Karaka Book 1 purchase Just Kick (NZ) (Staphanos), who is being aimed towards the Listed Anzac Day Stakes (1400m) at Flemington. The daughter of Staphanos impressed on debut when finishing second to Saluted at Pakenham under Craig Williams, with the team tempted to try and aim for black-type level at her second start. “(We were) very, very happy with her first up run,” said Emma-Lee Browne. “She’s a nice filly, so a little shot at black type with her in her first preparation is quite tempting. “It does look like quite a sharp field and there’s a few nice horses in there, so she’ll probably have to bring her ‘A-game’, but her work on Saturday morning was exceptional, so we’re pretty happy going forward. “I think the long straight at Flemington will really suit her. She did take a little while to get into stride the other day, but I thought she was really chasing that last bit.” Three-year-old gelding Garnacho (NZ) (Ace High) is another who will race this week, with nominations in both Victoria and South Australia and a decision on where he’ll accept and run still to be decided. “He is quite a hot horse, being by Ace High, he can get a little above himself, so that’s why we’re wanting to run him this weekend,” Browne said. “I think this weekend will give us a good picture of whether we can stretch him out to a Derby trip, or of course we can drop him back to that mile trip. “He’s come back in really well this time and I think from what we saw early days, he definitely has a lot of potential.” View the full article

Windsor Park have announced their 2025 stallion fees. Leading European 2YO and Champion 3YO Auguste Rodin, the latest addition to their stallion roster, is oversubscribed at an introductory fee of $30,000+gst. A six-time Group One winner, including at two, Auguste Rodin trained on to become a Champion 3YO, winning both the English and Irish Derby’s. His Group One victories at three also included Weight-For-Age wins against older horses in the Irish Champion Stakes and Breeders’ Cup Turf to become the only 3YO in history to secure these four championship Group One races in his classic year. Following his record-breaking classic season Auguste Rodin added the Group One Royal Ascot Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at four to his spectacular CV. Hailing from the final crop of 11-time Champion Sire and global influence Deep Impact, Auguste Rodin’s female line is no less esteemed with his first three dams all being Group One performers at less than a mile. Like Auguste Rodin, fellow Ballydoyle superstar Paddington will shuttle to Windsor Park Stud again from Coolmore, Ireland for his second Southern Hemisphere season. Paddington proved an instant hit with breeders in 2024 covering a full book with in excess 100 mares being tested in foal. The brilliant miling son of Siyouni and four-times Gr.1 winner is again oversubscribed at an unchanged fee of $35,000+gst. Windsor Park’s highly successful sire Shamexpress has enjoyed a breakout season in 2025 with his Hong Kong-based son Ka Ying Rising, the world’s highest ranked sprinter leading the way. The brilliant Ka Ying Rising has swept all before him in the dominion with a raft of world-class winning performances including three at the elite Group One level. As well, Shamexpress’ tally of stakes winners this season has been bolstered by Group winning racemares Grinzinger Belle and Blue Sky At Night together with the success of leading Singaporean stakes winner Lims Saltoro. Accordingly, Shamexpress will stand in 2025 for a fee of $20,000+gst. Commencing his third season at Windsor Park is the very popular Profondo, a handsome, Gr.1 winning son of Deep Impact and Redoute’s Choice’s precocious 2YO Group winning daughter Honesty Prevails. A $1.9 million sales-topping yearling, Profondo has proved extremely popular with breeders serving in excess of 350 mares in his first two seasons at stud. Profondo has an impressive first crop of foals to represent him and will stand again for a fee of $17,500+gst in 2025. The same fee of $17,500+gst applies to Champion Miler Circus Maximus who will record his fifth season at Windsor Park in 2025. With a 2YO Group One performer already in his first, 2024, European crop and with his first Australasian 2YO’s impressing at both the trials and on raceday, the signs are ominous for this dual Royal Ascot winning miler. Heading his first 2YO’S to race in Australasia are unbeaten Australian filly Ha’penny Hatch who has bagged a brace of metropolitan wins and is slated to start in Listed company this weekend while his other performers include metro-placed Rufus, Towering Vision, Miss Parker and recent debut placegetter Engine of War who are all marching towards their 3YO season in progressive form. Proven stallions Vanbrugh and Turn Me Loose round out Windsor Park’s 2025 stallion lineup. Encosta De Lago’s Gr.1 winning son Vanbrugh has fashioned a successful career with an excellent stakeswinners to runners strike rate of 5.6% from limited representation. An outstanding physical individual who is dominant for producing great types Vanbrugh is set to be represented by his first sizeable crop, now rising 3YO’s, next season. His top-class Group One performers, Mustang Valley and Wild Night, trained on from two years to be performing at the top level as five and six-year-olds and with his yearlings selling to $130,000 at Karaka Vanbrugh will stand in 2025 for a fee of $7,500+gst which will be the same fee afforded his barnmate, fellow successful sire Turn Me Loose. Turn Me Loose continually sires smart winners week in, week out and this season alone has sired 52 individual winners of 70 races and in excess of $2.6 million in prizemoney. 2025 leading southern 3YO filly Loose Sally is the latest stakes winner for Turn Me Loose who has sired Australian stakes winners (She’s) Licketysplit, Prix De Turn and Ancient Girl to go with his tally of New Zealand stakes winners. Turn Me Loose, whose yearlings have sold to $230,000, will be available to breeders in 2025 for a fee of $7,500+gst. View the full article

Group One-winning mare Loire (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) passed away over the weekend following a paddock accident. Bred by Trelawney Stud, Loire was by Champion sire Redoute’s Choice and out of Traditionally mare Syrah, a half-sister to Group One winner Vouvray, the grandam of multiple Group One winner and Australian Horse of the Year Pride Of Jenni. Loire was retained by Trelawney’s Brent and Cherry Taylor and entrusted to the care of Cambridge trainer Tony Pike, for whom she won two and placed in five of her 16 starts, and accrued nearly $250,000 in prizemoney. She won at just her second start over 1300m at Hastings as a juvenile before returning as three-year-old where she carried Trelawney’s silks to victory in the Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and placings in the Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2100m), Gr.2 David and Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (2000m), Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m), Gr.3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m). She failed to add to her record as a four-year-old and was retired to stud where she produced a Frankel filly and a Frankel colt, with the latter offered at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale earlier this month where he was purchased by leading Australian trainer Ciaron Maher for A$500,000. Loire was a farm favourite and the Taylors said she will be sorely missed. “She was a wonderful, kind and loving mare who was loved by everyone who had anything to do with her,” Cherry Taylor said. “She was a great type from a wonderful family, the same family as Pride of Jenni. She was a Group One winner of the (New Zealand) 1000 Guineas and sister to another Group One winner (A Touch Of Ruby). “She also went to Frankel twice and produced a filly, which is a two-year-old called Folle Blanche, who is in work now with Tony Pike. “She had a great Frankel yearling colt this year, bought by Ciaron Maher, who has kindly let us buy a share in him to race.” View the full article

Former Singapore stars Lims Kosciuszko and Lims Saltoro may be Stradbroke Hcp bound in June. Trainer Dan Meagher says Saltoro has him quite excited. Dan Meagher 22.04.25 – Racing HQ with Steve Hewlett – Apple Podcasts View the full article

Electron (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) recorded her second Group Three placing in three starts when third in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Easter Handicap (1600m) at Ellerslie, and will look to end her season on a high at Te Rapa this weekend. Owner-trainer Sam Mynott bought her for just $1,000 off gavelhouse.com two years ago and Electron has more than repaid that outlay, with Saturday’s result bringing her record to four wins and four placings from 14 starts, with earnings nearing $110,000. “She is certainly worth more than I paid for her,” Mynott quipped. The Cambridge horsewoman was duly pleased with Saturday’s result and said the daughter of Turn Me Loose has come through the race well. “She has been eating up and she is just out in the paddock at the moment. She seems bright and happy,” Mynott said. “She just keeps putting her hand up and stepping up. It is quite amazing what she has achieved this season. I am super grateful to have her. She is just an honest mare with a big heart. “She is only four and hopefully next season she can come back bigger and stronger and even pick-up a black-type win.” That black-type win could come as soon as this Saturday, with Electron entered for the Gr.2 Travis Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa. “As long as she keeps eating and seems happy, we will head there and then she will go out for a spell,” Mynott said. “If there is any doubt, she will go straight to the spelling paddock.” Electron was bred by stable client Ben Kwok, whose colours may be carried on Saturday by stablemate Miss Madridista (NZ) (Shamexpress) in the Gr.3 Windsor Park Stud Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), with the filly needing a couple of withdrawals to make the 14-horse field. “She is a nice filly and she is going to be an even better four-year-old,” Mynott said. “She has had a freshen-up and has been feeling really well so we thought we would have a go. “She might be balloted at the moment, but we will just see what happens. If she gets a start, we will definitely go there.” Earlier in the week, Mynott has the one runner entered for Pukekohe on Wednesday, however, that will likely change if the current Heavy10 track doesn’t improve. Three-year-old filly Urvashi (NZ) (Wyndspelle) is set to make her debut in the Sistema 1200, but may be saved for the spring, with Mynott loathe to kick-off her career on heavy footing. “Hopefully the track comes in a little bit,” she said. “We probably won’t start on a heavy track. We might just put her away and get her back in for the spring. “She is a nice filly and with a bit of time I think she will be quite a smart prospect for next season.” View the full article

Kelvin Tyler couldn’t have wished for his local Easter holiday meeting to have gone any better, and he now has high hopes one of his success stories can make his mark much further afield. The Riverton trainer saddled a quartet of winners on Saturday and followed up on Monday with another brace, including Freddie Time (NZ) (Time Test), who is bound for the Queensland winter carnival. Tyler is currently making travel plans for Time Test’s promising son, who put away his older Rating 75 rivals with ease over 1400m for the second win of his seven-start career. “I’ve had it pencilled in for a couple of weeks, so we’ll have a crack at some of the better races over there,” he said. “It’s a long way from Riverton to Brisbane, but he’s showed he’s capable of competing, so we’ll give him his chance.” Tyler will shoot for the stars, putting his faith in the three-year-old’s depths of stamina to realise a dream. “We’ll aim for the Queensland Derby (Gr.1, 2400m), I’ve got no doubt he’ll stay the distance,” he said. Tyler has yet to lock in a lead-up program to the classic and whether he follows the traditional path of the Gr.3 Rough Habit Plate (2000m) on May 17 into the Derby a fortnight later. “We could go a softer way, there’s a nice race at Ipswich as an option but we’ll see how he travels over there and settles in,” he said. On that score, Tyler is confident Freddie Time will cope admirably with the travel, having already had a trip away to Trentham. He was unplaced in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) and then stepped up to run fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m) and only 1.3 lengths off the winner Kiwi Skyhawk, who also won Saturday’s Gr.3 Championship Stakes (2100m). “Nothing really seems to worry him, and he’ll be the only one going over,” Tyler said. Freddie Time was originally bound for Karaka as part of Clearview Park Stud’s draft to New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale. “He failed a scope, and I’ve had a few horses off the owner, Mike McSweeney, and he rang me about 15 months ago and offered him to me,” Tyler said. “We broke him in and everything seemed to be fine, so we just carried on and he’s developed into a really good racehorse. We’ve got a gentleman’s agreement and lease him at this stage.” Tyler knows the family well and trained Freddie Time’s half-brother Timy Tyler (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) to win nine races, including the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m). “I had another half-brother called Our Boy Scotty and he was a good horse but broke down early in his career,” Tyler said. View the full article

Australian jockey has high hopes for Tony Cruz’s galloper and a promising three-year-old at the city circuit.View the full article

What Happy Valley Races Where Happy Valley Racecourse – Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley, Hong Kong When Wednesday, April 23, 2025 First Race 6:40pm HKT (8:40pm AEST) Visit Dabble Happy Valley Racecourse is the destination for Hong Kong racing on Wednesday evening, with a bumper nine-part program set for decision. The rail is in the C position for the meeting, and although some rainfall is forecast leading into race-day, it shouldn’t affect the Good 4 rating at the time of acceptances. The opening event is scheduled to get underway at 6:40pm HKT. . Best Bet at Happy Valley: King Of Fighters King Of Fighters appeared to be on the brink of securing a maiden victory in his latest outing at this course and distance on April 2 but was forced to do too much work early before fading out of the contest. He warrants forgiving despite going under as the short-priced favourite with horse racing bookmakers and gets every chance to repay the faith from barrier three. Zac Purton gets legged aboard and should amble into the one-one throughout, and provided King Of Fighters can replicate his peak from two starts back, this guy will prove hard to hold out. Best Bet Race 7 – #5 King Of Fighters (3) 4yo Gelding | T: Tony Cruz | J: Zac Purton (56kg) Next Best at Happy Valley: All’s Well All’s Well caught the eye debuting at Happy Valley on April 2, getting back towards the rear of the field before being held up behind a wall of horses at a crucial stages. The son of Frosted was climbing all over the back of them as Ben Thompson went searching for a run, however, the breaks never fell his way and would settle for a mid-field finish. Gate three should allow Thompson to take closer order, and provided he can unleash with a strong turn-of-speed, All’s Well should end well for those taking the good price with . Next Best Race 4 – #6 All’s Well (3) 3yo Gelding | T: Dennis Yip | J: Ben Thompson (59kg) Best Value at Happy Valley: Draco The Ricky Yiu-trained Draco hasn’t been beaten far across his four starts this season and appears to be building to a win as he returns to his favoured Happy Valley circuit. He was far from disgraced chasing home South Star in his most recent outing at Sha Tin March 30; however, seemed to hit a flat spot at the end of 1400m. Back in trip should be ideal in this Class 4 contest, and with a genuine tempo allowing him to smoke the pipe in behind, watch for Draco to be steaming over the top at a good each-way price with . Best Value Race 5 – #12 Draco (8) 4yo Gelding | T: Ricky Yiu | J: Andrea Atzeni (54kg) Wednesday quaddie tips for Happy Valley Happy Valley quadrella selections April 23, 2025 1-2-5-11 1-3-5-9 1-3-7-9-10 2-3-4-7-8 Horse racing tips View the full article