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Wandering Eyes

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  1. Co-trainer and part-owner Darryn Weatherley is taking a glass half full approach ahead of Saturday’s Gr.1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) after he came up with an awkward wide gate for Pier. Luck didn’t go Weatherley’s way at Tuesday’s barrier draw for the Randwick feature, but he remains positive and will put his faith in multiple Group One-winning jockey Ethan Brown to work his magic. “He knows how to steer them, but I didn’t help him by putting my hand in the barrel and coming up with barrier 13 out of 14,” he said. “It’s the biggest worry, but in saying that he’s a big-striding horse and it’s a long run down the back straight. “The hardest one to beat will obviously be the mare (Autumn Glow) and she’s drawn outside us, so at least Ethan can keep an eye on where she’s at. “I would rather him cover a bit of ground and not have a hard luck story, if he gets a fair crack at them then I can’t complain.” Pier tuned up for the Epsom at Rosehill where the son of Proisir finished off well to run third in the Gr.2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m). “I couldn’t be happier with the horse, he’s really bright and we had this race picked out after he won at Eagle Farm (Listed Wayne Wilson, 1600m) back in June,” said Weatherley, who trains in partnership with daughter Briar. “He was super in the Theo Marks, it was very much like the BRC Sprint (Gr.3, 1350m) when he ran third and then won the Wayne Wilson.” Pier had improved with the Rosehill outing, as Weatherly had expected. “He got back and hit the line nicely and I knew he was a bit pretty, he was 552kg leading into that race and I put him on the scales this morning (Wednesday) and he was 542kg,” he said. Pier’s performance in the Epsom will determine the six-year-old’s length of stay in Australia. “Everything depends on Saturday, there are options and if he went really well there’s the King Charles Stakes (Gr.1, 1600m) in a couple of weeks or the Craven Plate (Gr.3, 1800m) in three weeks,” he said. “He also holds a nom for the Cox Plate (Gr.1, 2040m), but that’s pie in the sky stuff at the moment. “He’d have to do something pretty special to warrant putting him on a truck to go to Melbourne to take on Via Sistina and the like.” Weatherley will also be keeping an eye on his home meeting on Saturday where Mali Ston steps out in the Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m). “He’s a stable favourite and his run last time over 1200m at Te Rapa wasn’t a bad one, he got to the line okay,” he said. “I know it’s a good field, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he put his hand up.” View the full article
  2. Leading northern apprentice jockey Triston Moodley is set to return to raceday riding at Avondale next Wednesday, three months after he sustained a head injury at the Waipa trials. The 24-year-old hoop was kicked in the head in the mounting yard at the Te Awamutu track in July and he was airlifted to Waikato Hospital where he underwent surgery to have a plate put in his head. He remained in hospital for a week and he has been pleased with the speed of his recovery. “It (recovery) was pretty quick,” he said. “I got out of hospital after a week and it took me a month to get back on my feet. “Since then, it has been onwards and upwards, I am back to normal and I am back riding track work. I am just getting better and better every day. “I have been keeping fit through my recovery. I spoke with my boss (trainer Danny Walker) this morning and we are planning on sending me to the races next Wednesday. I am looking at taking it easy and having one or two rides a meeting and go from there.” Moodley is eager to return to raceday competition, with his appetite renewed at the Northern Apprentice Awards on Monday night where he received the Milan Park Premier Apprentice Jockey Award. “I didn’t expect it to be honest, I thought Ace (Lawson-Carrooll) got in front of me at the end, but I was very glad to get it,” he said. “When my boss let me know, I was quite chuffed with myself. It was a hard time towards the end of the season, but to get that award, it just means a lot and makes it all worth it.” While it was a tough end to the season, Moodley was pleased with his efforts, with his 52-win haul beating his previous season’s best of 40 wins. He also recorded his first stakes victory aboard the Erin Hocquard-trained Spencer (NZ) (Derryn) in the Gr.3 Spring Sprint (1400m) and defended his title at the apprentice-only day at New Plymouth. “Winning the Group Three on Spencer would be my highlight,” he said. “I rode more than the previous season’s tally, so that is always a goal, to ride more than you did before, and I am glad I achieved that goal. “That was like déjà vu (apprentice-only day). I love New Plymouth, it seems to be one of my luckier tracks. “I appreciate all the support from all the trainers and everyone putting me on their horses. You can’t do it without them, so I am grateful for that.” View the full article
  3. Mary Shan will contest the Group 3 Grangewilliam Stud Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) at Hawera on Saturday. (Photo: Kenton Wright/Race Images) Group Two performer Mary Shan will be in search of an elusive stakes victory when she heads south to Hawera on Saturday where she will contest the Group 3 Grangewilliam Stud Breeders’ Stakes (1400m). The five-year-old daughter of Almanzor has placed at stakes level on five occasions, including the Group 2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m), Listed Matamata Cup (1600m) and $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m). This year’s edition of the Matamata Cup is on this weekend, and while Mary Shan has a good record in that race, The Breeders’ Stakes has been in Forsman’s crosshairs for some time, and the Cambridge trainer is looking forward to targeting the race with his mare this weekend. Mary Shan takes good form into the race, having won first-up over 1200m at Wanganui in August, and she has been freshened ahead of Saturday’s assignment. “Mary Shan is training very well. She had a good gallop yesterday (Tuesday) morning and she is spot on heading into it,” Forsman said. “She has drawn well (4) and I think it is a suitable sort of race. Hopefully she can utilise that draw and put herself in the first half of the field, and she should run really well. “It would be nice to make her a stakes winner.” Closer to home, Forsman will head to Matamata on Saturday with a pair of runners, including Privy Garden in the Russell & Yvonne Green Memorial (2000m). “They were just a little sharp for her, those horses at a mile in that company the other day at Trentham,” Forsman said. “Hopefully the step up to 2000m is what she is looking for now.” Stablemate Hard Roca will also line-up in the COMAG LTD 1400. “He has been really good, he just hasn’t had much luck from wide draws,” Forsman said. “I think his run at Ellerslie the other day was great, so I think he will be very competitive again. “He has drawn well (3), I just hope the track isn’t too heavy. He doesn’t mind a bit of a wet track, but we are stepping up to 1400m. If it was to be very testing, that would be my only query.” Meanwhile, Forsman has been pleased with the way Quondo has come through his runner-up performance in last Saturday’s Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Te Rapa. “It was a big effort,” he said. “He got caught three-wide on-speed and I think the on-pace horses did dominate, which helped, I think they controlled that race. I thought he was very brave and he can only improve off a run like that.” The Group 2 James and Annie Sarten Memorial (1400m) at Te Rapa later this month looms as his next obvious target, with a tilt at the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) hanging in the balance. “We will give him a bit of time, he has had a few quiet days since that run,” Forsman said. “At this stage, we will probably go straight to the Sarten back at Te Rapa. “He is still physically getting there. He has got a lot of improvement and we may see the best of him early next year and into autumn. “He has clearly got good ability, and we are hoping to get him through to the Sarten and that will be the line in the sand as to whether we push south or we just give him a little bit of time off.” Horse racing news View the full article
  4. By Adam Hamilton The New Zealand Cup Week spotlight is firmly across the ditch this weekend. The two best pacers in this part of the world, Leap To Fame and Swayzee, continue their preparations for the IRT NZ Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway on Tuesday, November 11 with lead-up runs in Queensland and New South Wales tonight. Leap To Fame returns from a spell at Albion Park at 9.14pm, while Swayzee steps out over 2300m at Menangle at 9.50pm. They will then clash in the $250,000 Group 1 Victoria Cup at Melton on October 18 before heading to NZ to prepare for the Cup. Also at Menangle, underrated Victorian trotter and Brisbane Inter Dominion heat winner Parisian Artiste is favourite to return to winning form in the final event (race eight), a mile trotting race at 12.28am (Sunday morning). He looks on target for tilts at the Renwick Farms Dominion Trot and NZ Trotting Free-For-All in Cup Week. Down at Melton on the same night, Inter Dominion and TAB Trot winner Arcee Phoenix is on the quick back-up after a labouring sixth from a daunting 30m handicap when he resumed at Menangle last Saturday night. Chris Svanosio’s six-year-old moves forward to a 20m handicap and stretches from 2300m to a more suitable 2760m. He will also strip fitter. It will give a much better guide to where he’s at and also be some more valuable standing-start practice again of the Dominion. On the same card, Australia’s two confirmed contenders for the $500,000 Majestic Horse Floats THE ASCENT at Addington on November 14 – Tracy The Jet and Gatesys Gem – step out. Tracy The Jet is a $1.04 favourite to overcome a wide draw (gate seven) and make it five wins from as many starts this campaign in the Group 1 Need For Speed Princess final (12.38am Sunday). Gatesys Gem, who beat Tracy The Jet in the NSW Trotters’ Oaks in May, will return from a spell from an outside draw (gate seven) against older rivals in the third race at Melton (9.57pm). It means a fascinating clash with the untapped Lady Vici, who boasts eight wins from just nine starts. View the full article
  5. Trainer Tony Gollan.(Photo: Scott Barbour/Racing Photos) Champion trainer Tony Gollan has been unveiled as one of four new inductees into the Queensland Racing Hall of Fame. To be held as a part of the Queensland Thoroughbred Awards gala lunch on October 12 at The Star Brisbane, the state’s premier trainer will be inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Michael Pelling (Jockey) and Chief De Beers (Horse). A fourth inductee will also be announced at the awards ceremony. Born and raised in Toowoomba, the son of champion local trainer Darryl Gollan commenced his career at age 20 in 1999, claiming his maiden victory thanks to Carbon Shadow at Clifford Park in July of that year. The trajectory of Gollan’s career changed forever in 2003, with the purchase of a Eureka Stud filly named Temple Spirit, who would go on to win eight races and over $130,000 in prize money for the up-and-coming trainer. However, it was her first two progeny – Temple Of Boom and Spirit Of Boom – that launched the Gollan name into stardom, combining for 20 wins, three Group 1s and more than $4 million in prize money. On the back of his first Group 1 success through Temple Of Boom’s victory in The Galaxy at Randwick in 2012, Tony made the move to Eagle Farm, claiming his first Metropolitan Trainers’ Premiership in the 2013/14 season. In a career that has netted more than 2,000 victories, Gollan is now an eight-time Group 1-winning trainer, with both ‘Boom Brothers’, Vega One, Krone, Jonker and Antino having delivered him the ultimate success across his glittering career. In recent years, Gollan has re-written the record books in Queensland, setting a new benchmark for statewide wins in 2022/23 with 194 victories, as well as a metropolitan record (147) in 2023/24. In the season just gone, Gollan claimed his 12th straight Metropolitan Trainers’ Premiership, and looks poised to claim continue his stranglehold on the Jim Atkins Trainer of the Year Award at this year’s ceremony. “I never expected this, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame at this stage of my career,” Gollan said. “To be alongside trainers like Jim Atkins, who was my hero growing up, it means an awful lot to me. “I don’t feel like I’m anywhere near done yet and still have a fair bit of my story to be written.” Gollan will be joined in the Queensland Racing Hall of Fame by one of the state’s most iconic horses and cult figures – Chief De Beers. Chief De Beers will forever be remembered as the ‘King of Doomben’, where he claimed all 20 of his career wins. He won the Group 1 Doomben 10,000 in 1995 and 1998, as well as 10 other black-type races at the course. ‘The Chief’ was twice placed in Group 1 races at Eagle Farm and also placed at Flemington, Caulfield, Moonee Valley and the Gold Coast, but Doomben remained the only track where he tasted success. In retirement, he continued to flourish as a mounted police horse for the Queensland Mounted Police, where his decade-long service mirrored his racing tenure – distinguished and decorated. In the months prior to his sad passing in 2020, Chief De Beers was honoured with the prestigious Blue Cross Medal for his service as a member of the Queensland Police, and his community engagement with Living Legends. Finally, Michael Pelling is the latest hoop to be inducted into the Queensland Racing Hall of Fame. Born and raised in the far north of the state, Pelling’s glittering career in the saddle began under the guidance of fellow Hall of Fame inductee Pat Duff. Pelling also enjoyed great success with another legendary local trainer in Jim Atkins, headlined by their Group 1 QTC Derby success with Mr Cromwell. The same horse also gave Pelling his one and only ride in a Melbourne Cup in 1981, finishing eighth to Kingston Town. The four-time Group 1-winner retired from the saddle in 2005 with more than 1,500 career wins and four Metropolitan Jockeys’ Premierships. In retirement, Mick remained connected to the racing industry, patenting the now famous Pelling Pacifier, used across the world. “I was very surprised to find out I was being inducted into the Hall of Fame,” Pelling said. “I never thought I was in that calibre of Mick Dittman or Glen Boss who went to ride in Sydney and Melbourne, whilst I always stayed based in Queensland. “I had the opportunities to go ride interstate if I wanted to take them but ultimately, I always thought I would be happiest here at home. “I grew up on a farm and was always around animals; I loved horses and I guess the horses loved me.” View the full article
  6. Leading northern apprentice jockey Triston Moodley. (Photo: Peter Rubery/Race Images Palmerston North) Leading northern apprentice jockey Triston Moodley is set to return to raceday riding at Avondale next Wednesday, three months after he sustained a head injury at the Waipa trials. The 24-year-old hoop was kicked in the head in the mounting yard at the Te Awamutu track in July and he was airlifted to Waikato Hospital where he underwent surgery to have a plate put in his head. He remained in hospital for a week and he has been pleased with the speed of his recovery. “It (recovery) was pretty quick,” he said. “I got out of hospital after a week and it took me a month to get back on my feet. “Since then, it has been onwards and upwards, I am back to normal and I am back riding track work. I am just getting better and better every day. “I have been keeping fit through my recovery. I spoke with my boss (trainer Danny Walker) this morning and we are planning on sending me to the races next Wednesday. I am looking at taking it easy and having one or two rides a meeting and go from there.” Moodley is eager to return to raceday competition, with his appetite renewed at the Northern Apprentice Awards on Monday night where he received the Milan Park Premier Apprentice Jockey Award. “I didn’t expect it to be honest, I thought Ace (Lawson-Carroll) got in front of me at the end, but I was very glad to get it,” he said. “When my boss let me know, I was quite chuffed with myself. It was a hard time towards the end of the season, but to get that award, it just means a lot and makes it all worth it.” While it was a tough end to the season, Moodley was pleased with his efforts, with his 52-win haul beating his previous season’s best of 40 wins. He also recorded his first stakes victory aboard the Erin Hocquard-trained Spencer in the Group 3 Spring Sprint (1400m) and defended his title at the apprentice-only day at New Plymouth. “Winning the Group Three on Spencer would be my highlight,” he said. “I rode more than the previous season’s tally, so that is always a goal, to ride more than you did before, and I am glad I achieved that goal. “That was like déjà vu (apprentice-only day). I love New Plymouth, it seems to be one of my luckier tracks. “I appreciate all the support from all the trainers and everyone putting me on their horses. You can’t do it without them, so I am grateful for that.” Horse racing news View the full article
  7. Sha Tin hosts another feature day this public holiday Wednesday, with the Group Three National Day Cup (1,000m) the highlight of the season’s seventh meeting. There are 10 races on the card and Sam Agars is in the hot seat to provide an extended rundown of his selections. Race 1 – Class Five Shenyang Handicap (1,400m) Tsuen Wan Glory has been working well since a solid late-August trial and he looks the one to beat if apprentice Britney Wong Po-ni can find the front from gate 12. Race 2 – Class...View the full article
  8. Pier will contest Saturday’s Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick. (Photo: Kenton Wright/Race Images) Co-trainer and part-owner Darryn Weatherley is taking a glass-half-full approach ahead of Saturday’s Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) after he came up with an awkward wide gate for Pier. Luck didn’t go Weatherley’s way at Tuesday’s barrier draw for the Randwick feature, but he remains positive and will put his faith in multiple Group One-winning jockey Ethan Brown to work his magic. “He knows how to steer them, but I didn’t help him by putting my hand in the barrel and coming up with barrier 13 out of 14,” he said. “It’s the biggest worry, but in saying that he’s a big-striding horse and it’s a long run down the back straight. “The hardest one to beat will obviously be the mare (Autumn Glow) and she’s drawn outside us, so at least Ethan can keep an eye on where she’s at. “I would rather him cover a bit of ground and not have a hard luck story, if he gets a fair crack at them then I can’t complain.” Pier tuned up for the Epsom at Rosehill, where the son of Proisir finished off well to run third in the Group 2 Theo Marks Stakes (1300m). “I couldn’t be happier with the horse, he’s really bright and we had this race picked out after he won at Eagle Farm (Listed Wayne Wilson, 1600m) back in June,” said Weatherley, who trains in partnership with daughter Briar. “He was super in the Theo Marks, it was very much like the BRC Sprint (Group 3, 1350m) when he ran third and then won the Wayne Wilson.” Pier had improved with the Rosehill outing, as Weatherly had expected. “He got back and hit the line nicely and I knew he was a bit pretty, he was 552kg leading into that race and I put him on the scales this morning (Wednesday) and he was 542kg,” he said. Pier’s performance in the Epsom will determine the six-year-old’s length of stay in Australia. “Everything depends on Saturday, there are options and if he went really well there’s the King Charles Stakes (Group 1, 1600m) in a couple of weeks or the Craven Plate (Group 3, 1800m) in three weeks,” he said. “He also holds a nom for the Cox Plate (Group 1, 2040m), but that’s pie in the sky stuff at the moment. “He’d have to do something pretty special to warrant putting him on a truck to go to Melbourne to take on Via Sistina and the like.” Weatherley will also be keeping an eye on his home meeting on Saturday where Mali Ston steps out in the Listed Matamata Cup (1600m). “He’s a stable favourite and his run last time over 1200m at Te Rapa wasn’t a bad one, he got to the line okay,” he said. “I know it’s a good field, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he put his hand up.” Horse racing news View the full article
  9. A micro syndicate is set for the ride of their lives with their charge Out Of The Blue winning at Riccarton on Saturday. Photo: Race Images South Te Akau Racing marketing manager Julia-Rose Hayes has had plenty of success syndicating horses selected by her father, David Ellis, and that has continued with her latest project. Hayes has been a key part of New Zealand’s leading stable, operated by her parents David Ellis and Karyn Fenton-Ellis, for several years and she has taken pride in the handful of syndicates she has formed. Her two biggest success stories have been syndicating Group One winner On The Bubbles and Group One performer Wild Night, and she is hoping she has found another in Out Of The Blue, who won on debut over 800m at Riccarton last Saturday. More: How to bet on NZ racing The two-year-old gelding’s dam, Cornflower Blue, is a former member of the stable, for whom she won the Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) and placed in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), Group 2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) and Listed Mufhasa Sakes (1300m). Upon retirement, she began her new career as a broodmare at Waikato Stud, who offered her second colt by Tivaci through their New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft at Karaka earlier this year where he caught the eye of Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, who secured him with a final bid of $60,000. Hayes had gone to her parents prior to the sale proposing to put together a syndicate targeted towards younger people, and Ellis thought his Karaka purchase was ideal for her needs. “It was at the stage where there were a lot of micro-syndication popping up and I put a proposal to David and Karyn asking would they be interested if we offered shares from one percent, and they said yes,” Hayes said. “It was targeted at young people who want to meet new people and have a share in hopefully a good racehorse, which it looks like we have got. “A lot of people (syndicate members) came through our website because we have got the capability to buy online, through promotion and friends of friends.” Hayes was rapt when Ellis put forward Out Of The Blue as her syndicate horse, with Hayes having a connection to his dam as well. “I did this punting competition with about 10 guys and I was the only female,” Hayes said. “Cornflower Blue was my bet one year and she ran third at Ellerslie. “She was such a good mare to us and in this punting competition we ended up earning about $28,000 that we split. “It was great when I saw we had bought the Cornflower Blue, and David and Mark (Walker, co-trainer) were like ‘this is the one for you’. It was pretty exciting as I feel I have a connection with the horse.” Hayes’ vision duly came to life and the Te Akau Tangerine Army Racing Partnership 1 was formed, and syndicate members were quickly rewarded when Out Of The Blue won on debut at Riccarton just eight months on. “It was fantastic, and I am so excited for the syndicate,” Hayes said. With his $14,000 winner’s cheque, Out Of The Blue has put himself firmly in contention for January’s Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie. His debut win is a positive sign for Hayes, whose former syndicate horse On The Bubbles (a $90,000 Karaka purchase by Ellis) also won on debut as a juvenile before going on to win the Karaka Millions 2YO and Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), and she is hoping Out Of The Blue can go on to reach the same lofty heights. “Isn’t it quite funny that it’s OOTB (Out Of The Blue)? We used to call On The Bubbles, OTB, so maybe we have On The Bubbles II,” Hayes quipped. “All things going well, it looks like we are going to have a hell of a night at the Karaka Millions. We are going to ride the wave and enjoy it.” Hayes is looking forward to socialising with the syndicate in the months ahead leading into the Karaka Millions, with a number of events in the pipeline. “Everyone involved in the syndicate are so keen to meet new people and that’s what makes this really exciting, we are celebrating it all together, but we have yet to catch-up,” she said. “We are going to have an event before the end of the year. If we make the Karaka Millions, we will have an event on Karaka Millions night as well. “The social aspect is really fun and being able to meet new people. I love people and I thrive on socialising and most people in the industry feel the same and that is why we love the industry, as well as the horses. When you get success on a racecourse, there is nothing that tastes as good as that.” View the full article
  10. Check out the great racing offers available from horse racing bookmakers on Wednesday, October 1. Enjoy bonus back deals and other promotions to boost your betting experience. Explore these specials from top online bookmakers and get more value from your bets. Top Australian racing promotions for October 1, 2025, include: Today’s horse racing promotions 25% Winnings Boost! – Sandown-Hillside Get 25% Boosted Winnings paid in BONUS CASH. Fixed win only. First eligible bet per race. Must apply Promotion in bet slip. Cash bet only. Max Bonus $250. Eligible customers only Login to Picklebet to Claim Promo Rosehill Races 1-6 | Bet Back Run 2nd Activate your Bet Back Tool in your Betslip on Races 1-6 at Rosehill this Wednesday and if your runner comes 2nd or 3rd, get up $50 back as Bonus Cash.Bet Back Tool is only available to use on the day of race & must be activated on bet placement on Fixed Win bets, and on races with 5 or more runners. T&Cs apply. Neds T&Cs Apply. Login to Neds to Claim Promo Blonde Boosts! Elevate your prices! BlondeBet T&C’s Apply. Eligible Customers Only. Login to BlondeBet to Claim Promo Sandown & Sha Tin (HK) | Same Race Multi Bonus Back Place a 3+ leg Same Race Multi bet on any race at Sandown and Sha Tin (HK) this Wednesday and if 1 leg of your multi fails, get up to $50 back in Bonus Cash.Applies to first resulted 3+ leg multi with one losing leg. Available from approx. 8:30am local track time on race day. Availability dependent on field size. T&Cs apply. Neds T&Cs apply. Login to Neds to Claim Promo Sandown & Rosehill R1-3 | Wednesday Bonus Back 2nd or 3rd Available from 12:00AM AEST. Auto-applied in Bet Slip. Promotional limits apply. Min 6 runners. Fixed odds only. Check your vault for eligibility. Login to Unibet to Claim Promo Bet Back! Sandown Races 1-3 If your runner finishes 2nd or 3rd at Sandown, get your stake back 50% as cash up to $25. Eligible Customers Only. PlayUp T&Cs Apply. Login to PlayUp to Claim Promo 10% Winnings Boost! – Geraldton, Rosehill & Sha Tin Get 10% Boosted Winnings paid in BONUS CASH. First eligible bet per race. Must apply Promotion in betslip. Cash bets only. Max bonus $100. T&C’s apply. View Terms Eligible customers only Login to Picklebet to Claim Promo Bet Boost | Wednesday Thoroughbred Meetings Get a bet boost on thoroughbred races around Australia on Wednesday. Eligible customers. Login to Bet365 to Claim Promo Wednesday Uplift ALL RACES at Sha Tin Available from 1:00AM AEST Wednesday. Fixed odds win bets only. Limits may apply. Check your vault for eligibility. Login to Unibet to Claim Promo Owners Bonus – Win a bet on your horse & receive an extra 15% winnings in cash Max Payout $2000. Account holder must be registered as an official owner of the nominated horse. Fixed odds win bets on Australian thoroughbred races only. Excludes boosted, multi, live and bonus bets. PlayUp T&Cs apply. Login to PlayUp to Claim Promo Odds Drift Protector | If Your Horse Drifts, You Get The Bigger Price Only available on Australian Horse Racing Fixed Price Win bets placed from 8am AET the day of the race. Eligible customers. Login to Bet365 to Claim Promo Copycash – Get Copied. Get Paid. Get paid $0.10 every time someone uses Copy Bet to copy your bets. Eligible Customers Only. Login to Dabble to Claim Promo How does horsebetting.com.au find these racing offers? HorseBetting.com.au reviews Australia’s top horse racing bookmakers to share the best thoroughbred promotions for October 1, 2025. Bookmakers are always competing, so if one doesn’t have a deal, another usually does. Rely on HorseBetting.com.au for daily racing bonuses and betting specials. Get better value with competitive odds and offers for existing customers. Just log in to your betting account to see what’s available. For extra help picking winners and using your bonuses wisely, check out our daily free racing tips. View all horse racing promotions View the full article
  11. Most of the field for the Oct. 3 Jessamine Stakes (G2T) was last seen at Kentucky Downs, but the morning-line pick, Time to Dream, brings her undefeated record from Saratoga.View the full article
  12. The road back to racing has been a long one for Tamara. Now the Spendthrift Farm homebred will try to make it a return worth waiting for in the Oct. 4 Chillingworth Stakes.View the full article
  13. The Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association announces that stakes purses for Louisiana Champions Day Stakes at Fair Grounds in December and Louisiana Premier Night at Delta Downs in February are increasing by a total of $250,000.View the full article
  14. TIMONIUM, MD – The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale produced strong returns at the Maryland State Fairgrounds Tuesday, with numbers up across the board from its 2024 renewal. In all, 161 yearlings grossed $4,978,100, while the average of $30,920 rose 30.4% from a year ago and the median increased 33.3% to $20,000. A year ago, 180 horses sold for $4,267,700. The average was $23,709 and the median was $15,000. “The results were very strong today,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. “I think it demonstrates that there is a viable and legitimate market here in the Midlantic region for people to bring a quality horse to. I thought we had more buyers here than we had horses. There was more money here than we had horses that could fill those orders. A lot of people went home without buying a horse.” With 36 horses reported not sold, the buy-back rate Tuesday was 19.3%. It was 28.3% a year ago. David Scanlon made the day's highest bid when going to $370,000 to acquire a colt by Nyquist from Becky Davis's consignment. The sale topper was one of seven to bring six figures at the auction, up from six in 2024. “For decades, this location has been as reliable and consistent a marketplace as there is in the United States,” Browning said. “And that was evident again today. There was a great cross-section of participation from pinhookers, to local trainers, to owners that race throughout the region. It was very encouraging today.” With the Maryland racing circuit in transition as Pimlico Race Course is demolished ahead of a rebuild and the expected closure of Laurel Park, the catalogue for the Midlantic Fall sale has fallen over the last several years. From 526 head in 2022, the catalogue fell to 412 in 2023, 284 in 2024 and 225 this year. “We know this is a region in transition, but I think the nice thing is that there were a lot of positives to take out of the sale today,” Browning said. “Hopefully it's something we can build on going forward and it gives people some confidence to breed horses and to bring a quality horse here to sell next year and beyond.” Browning continued, “This gives us some evidence to go recruit. There were some horses who came out of this region who sold at other markets in 2025 because of some concern or trepidation. There are some horses that traditionally have come to this market from other states who may not have come this year because of that same kind of trepidation. We can look those men and women in the eye and say, 'You might have made a mistake in 2025. We hope you will come back in 2026 and we will all work together and hopefully grow the marketplace and continue to offer a viable product for buyers and sellers alike.'” The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall sale also featured the company's first female auctioneer, when Camille Booker, a third-generation auctioneer, took the microphone Tuesday. “She sold today because she is a qualified professional,” Browning said. “I think anybody that was in this crowd or watching on the internet said that's a quality professional who happens to be a female. She got in the auction stand because she's a professional and she did a professional job today. And I think the reaction from our buyers and sellers was overwhelmingly positive.” 'They Weren't Going to Let Me Steal One Two Years in a Row': Another Midlantic Nyquist Colt for Scanlon Dave Scanlon walked out of last year's Midlantic Fall sale with a son of Nyquist acquired for $150,000 who subsequently brought $1 million at this year's OBS March sale. The Ocala horseman had to work considerably harder to take home a son of the GI Kentucky Derby winner Tuesday in Timonium, ultimately going to $370,000 to obtain hip 18 from Becky Davis's consignment. Hip 18 c. NYQUIST o/o Lookin Dynamic sells for $370,000 at Midlantic Fall Yearlings! Congrats to the connections: B: Scanlon Training & Sales C: Becky Davis, agt Br: Bowman & Higgins Stable, R. Larry Johnson & RDM Racing Stable (MD)#FasigMD #MDbred @MarylandTB… pic.twitter.com/W2lzo5eSrb — Fasig-Tipton (@FasigTiptonCo) September 30, 2025 “We obviously had huge success with a Nyquist colt here last year,” Scanlon said. “This was the same breeder, same consignor. We were hoping coming in here that he was a beautiful horse. We got here and we were really happy. He's a great walker, he had good scope to him. And he is by Nyquist.” Bred by Bowman & Higgins Stable, the late R. Larry Johnson, and RDM Racing Stable, the dark bay colt is the first foal out of multiple stakes placed Lookin Dynamic (Lookin at Lucky), a half-sister to stakes winner and multiple graded placed Another Broad (Include) and multiple stakes winner Dynamic Strike (Smart Strike). Following a strong renewal of the Keeneland September sale, Scanlon admitted he was prepared to have plenty of competition at the Midlantic sale. “I see more people here this year,” Scanlon said. “I know people didn't get horses [at Keeneland]. We didn't get as many as we hoped to get. So we knew we had to go strong here. I do think there is a huge carry over from Keeneland. I knew coming in here, if this horse is nice, they are not going to let me steal one two years in a row.” Scanlon is perennially active at the Midlantic sale and said he likes the product on offer at the Maryland auction. “I feel like you have to be a real pinhooker here,” he said. “They are not ready made. They are raised right here in Maryland, out in a field and raised properly. And you get in here and they might be a little bit hairy, maybe a little raw, but they train up and they do really well. They are raised good, so they train up nice and they turn out nice.” When the Midlantic auction house holds its 2-year-olds in training sale next May, it will only be with untimed works. Scanlon said the change won't impact his shopping this fall. “I still think they are going to go down there at a pretty good clip,” Scanlon said. “I am for it. I think what it does is it makes everybody do their homework a little bit more. I am a big fan of the whip rule–I think we need to improve perception and I think that's going to help with the whip rule. I think it was a great deal last year. Even though we were kind of forced to do it that way, I loved it. I thought the response was pretty good. I applaud Boyd [Browning] and Fasig-Tipton for doing that. I think it was a great move and I hope it catches on.” Maryland Move Pays for Kiernan, Nothing But Net Owen Kiernan, who transferred his breeding operation from New York to Maryland five years ago, acquired the mare Logic of Absurdity (Bodemeister), in foal to Corniche, for $30,000 at the 2023 Keeneland November sale. The mare's Corniche filly (hip 17) rewarded the purchase Tuesday in Timonium when selling for $200,000 to Robert Lambe. The yearling was consigned by Northview Stallion Station. Owen Kiernan (in blue) | Fasig-Tipton “To be honest with you, I was finding it kind of hard to find horses at that sale,” Kiernan recalled of the 2023 Keeneland sale. “I just saw her going through and I talked with Mick Moore and I pulled the trigger on her and I got her. It was kind of lucky. It was one of those situations where you are getting a little punchy. But, you know, sometimes it works out okay.” Logic of Absurdity is a half-sister to Grade I winner Stormy Lucy (Stormy Atlantic). With no foal reported in 2025, the 11-year-old mare was bred back to Endorsed this spring. “She really bloomed in the last few months,” Owen said of the yearling. “I wasn't really that excited about her in the early part of the year and then she really came on. This sale later in September helped her a lot.” Of the yearling's price tag Tuesday, Kiernan admitted, 'I felt like $75,000 maybe, conservatively, was in my mind before the Keeneland sales. But then Corniche started to establish a good amount of top horses.” Corniche had 43 yearlings sell at the Keeneland September sale for an average of $203,651. The Coolmore stallion, who stood this past season for $15,000, was also represented by the top-priced lot at last week's Fasig-Tipton California Fall Yearlings Sale when a filly by the juvenile champion sold for $250,000. Kiernan said he has a broodmare band of some 10 head at his Tullynally Farm. The Irishman offered five homebred yearlings in Timonium Tuesday and all but one were purchased in utero at prices from $30,000 to $4,500. “There is a shortage of mares here in Maryland,” Kiernan said of his decision to relocate from New York five years ago. “I'm trying to promote the market and get a little niche, having something that will sell without paying a lot of money.” The post $370K Nyquist Colt Tops ‘Strong’ Renewal of Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Fall Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
  15. A field of 12 fillies will vie for a spot in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) at Del Mar in the 1 1/16-mile Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) Oct. 4 at Aqueduct Racetrack.View the full article
  16. Hopeful Stakes (G1) winner Ted Noffey will look to extend his brilliance to Kentucky and around two turns when he routes for the first time in the $650,000 Breeders' Futurity (G1) going 1 1/16 miles Oct. 4 at Keeneland.View the full article
  17. Louisiana Downs concluded its Thoroughbred racing season with a strong finish, reporting a 16% increase in all-sources handle.View the full article
  18. Trainer Bob Baffert is training Bottle of Rouge up to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), but two of her stablemates, including likely favorite Explora, will try to join her via the $200,000 Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) Oct. 4 at Santa Anita Park.View the full article
  19. The 55th annual Eclipse Awards will return to Florida in 2026 and will once again be held at The Breakers Palm Beach, with the ceremony to be held Thursday, Jan. 22, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), Daily Racing Form (DRF), and the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters (NTWAB) announced Tuesday. “We are ecstatic to return to The Breakers Palm Beach for our fourth year in a row,” said NTRA President and CEO Tom Rooney. “Celebrating the success of racing's human and equine champions is the highlight of the year, and The Breakers continues to be the perfect venue to bring the industry together to showcase the best our sport has to offer.” Voting for the Eclipse Awards takes place at the end of the year and is conducted by the NTRA, DRF, the NTWAB, and Equibase field personnel. The post 55th Eclipse Awards Location, Date Set appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
  20. Cheveley Park Stud's Estrange will take her place in the G1 Qatar Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe lineup, according to trainer David O'Meara. The grey daughter of Night Of Thunder thrives under soft conditions and the change of rain has increased leading up to Arc Weekend. “She's going to take her chance in the Arc,” said O'Meara. “The weather forecast looks favourable and in the last couple of days quite a bit of rain has appeared in the forecast. We're very much looking forward to it. “To win an Arc would mean everything. It's an iconic race and to have a runner in it, and one who hopefully has a competitive chance, is great for us.” A winner of the Listed John Musker Fillies' Stakes at York last September, she won the Listed Gillies Fillies' Stakes in November and added the G3 Lester Piggott Fillies Stakes at Haydock in May. Successful in July's G2 Lancashire Oaks, Estrange was 3 1/2 lengths off of one of the leading Arc fancies in Minnie Hauk (Frankel) in the G1 Yorkshire Oaks. “It's highly likely Minnie Hauk will be supplemented tomorrow and she beat us well at York, but I'm hoping the softer conditions might get us a bit closer,” added O'Meara. “Whether we can reverse the form, I don't know, Minnie Hauk could be an outstanding filly and is a dual Classic winner so we're under no illusions. But the softening ground I'm hoping will get us nearer or give us a chance of overturning her.” The post ‘It’s An Iconic Race’: Estrange Will Take Her Chance In The Arc With Rain In The Forecast appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
  21. TIMONIUM, MD – Camille Booker, who first made her presence known in the Thoroughbred industry as a bidspotter at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May sale in 2023, became the first woman to auctioneer for the sales company when she took to the rostrum Tuesday at the Midlantic Fall Yearlings Sale in Timonium. While it may have been a first for Fasig-Tipton, it was far from a first sale for Booker, a third-generation auctioneer from Washington. “It was fun. It was great,” Booker said in between stints on the stand Tuesday. “I think it took a little bit to understand some of the little differences that are at a horse sale versus other events that I work at. But once I processed all of that, it went smoothly.” Booker's roots in auctioneering go back to her grandparents and father, who started Booker Auction Company in Washington in 1980. “That was where I got my start,” Booker said. “I went to auction school when I was 16. My brother, dad, and I run the Booker Auction Company now. We primarily sell heavy agricultural equipment, construction trucks and trailers. Still to this day, that is what we do full time back at home. So, I have to give a shout out to my team back home because they are still holding down the fort when I am here.” Booker won the International Auctioneer Championship in Orlando in 2011 and soon began diversifying her auctioneering portfolio. “I started doing contract work shortly after I won the International Auctioneer Championship in 2011,” she said. “That gave me the opportunity to start traveling and working with other auctioneers. I have been blessed to work at car sales with Barrett-Jackson and then started working here [at Fasig-Tipton] a couple of years ago. And I have done some fundraisers internationally with different companies.” Asked what the biggest difference she's encountered in her move to the horse sales, Booker smiled and said, “You can't say, 'Sold.' If you've been doing this your whole life and you always sell out, making that transition of not saying sold is definitely not easy.” Regardless of what she is selling, Booker said she has one constant goal. “The biggest thing is you want people to trust you,” she said. “Buyers and sellers. I think that takes a little bit for them to get comfortable with my chant, as well as my style. But most importantly, I want them to feel reassured that, 'Hey, she sees us.' And at the same time the sellers are happy with what they are receiving out of it, too.” Booker sees her role as a facilitator in a vital process for both sides of the ledger. “At home, we deal with retirements or estates or bankruptcies and I always tell people, while we sell equipment for a living, I always feel like for most of the people, we are helping make a transition,” she said. “So a lot of times you are helping them through that process. At a car sale, they are bidding on a car that is maybe their dream car or a childhood favorite. So being part of that is pretty exciting.” Of her newest challenge, Booker said, “I am still learning with the Thoroughbred market. It's very transactional, I feel. It's amazing the dollar amount these horses continue to bring. But I know there are so many stories behind each horse. It still fascinates me how the sales line up. How one just takes off based off his dam and sire. It still intrigues me.” Booker Auction Company already has its fourth generation lined up. “My son, who is 15, is an auctioneer,” Booker said. “He just had a sale Sunday. I worked the ring for him as the bid assistant. That's a great way to get him started.” Booker's future appearances at Fasig-Tipton are still to be determined. “I had on my calendar always to come back to work the floor, at least, at the November sale,” she said. “We will see where this one takes me. It has to fit in my schedule because there is a lot going on at home. And we will see what they thought of all of it, as well.” The post For Camille Booker, A Fasig-Tipton Auctioneering First Years In The Making appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
  22. The catalogue for the Arqana Arc Sale on Saturday evening has grown by four after several more wildcards were added on Tuesday evening. Leading the way is G3 Kolner Sprint Trophy hero Shootout (Areion) (lot 25) from the yard of Henk Grewe. A half-brother to multiple Group 1-winning Deutsches Derby hero Sammarco (Camelot), he is joined by the juvenile winner Seneque (Zarak) (lot 45) from the family of Group 1 winners Temida (Oratorio) and Midships (Mizzen Mast). Over jumps, 3000-metre winner Lascar D'Airy (Motivator) (lot 20) and lot 47, the placed Max D'Airy (Storm The Stars) complete the wildcards. The post Wildcard Quartet Featuring Group Winner Shootout Added To Arc Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article
  23. A pair of Belmont Stakes (G1) competitors highlight the field of seven for the Jockey Club Derby Invitational Stakes (G2T) Oct. 4 on the inner turf at Aqueduct Racetrack. View the full article
  24. Compiled by America's Best Racing, a media schedule for one of the busiest and most exciting weeks in horse racing.View the full article
  25. Maiden Watch: Week of Sept. 22-28View the full article
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