Wandering Eyes

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5. NU WHAT'S NEW, CD, 9/13, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 84 (2nd) (c, 3, by Munnings–Heavenly Scat, by Scat Daddy) O-Doubledown Stables. B-BlackRidge Stables (Ky). T-James Divito. J-Walter Rodriguez. On paper and in mutuels, this former Taylor Made-sold weanling was in a different hemisphere than Subito (below) and some others Saturday, and it looked that way at the quarter pole when he was still 7 lengths behind and seemingly going nowhere. Then something ignited, and he stormed up the inside to barely miss catching Subito while blowing past him on the gallop-out. He tried two turns before with a poor outcome, but that was on grass – now he's a gelding with perhaps better focus. 4. SUBITO, CD, 9/13, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 84 (c, 3, by Speightstown–Uno Duo, by Macho Uno) O/B-Juddmonte (Ky). T-Bill Mott. J-Jaime Torres. The half-brother to Juddmonte's Grade I winner Obligatory made this list for his July 4 debut, when he recorded an 85 Beyer despite blowing a 2 1/2-length lead in the final furlong. He opened up again at the eighth pole in his second start and just held on to edge onrushing Nu What's Nu (above). He also changed leads for the stretch run, something he didn't do first time out. 3. GIN'S BEACH ROAD, CD, 9/14, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-84 (f, 3, by Quality Road–Yellow Agate, by Gemologist) O-Live Oak Plantation. B-China Horse Club (Ky). T-Mark Casse. J-Jose Ortiz. Her full-brother Agate Road won the Grade II Pilgrim Stakes on turf but was equally good on dirt. Based on early returns, Gin's Beach Road looks to prefer dirt: she rebounded strongly after a lackluster grass effort at Saratoga to win this by 5 1/4 lengths. Mike Repole and Vinny Viola bought Agate Road for $650k as a yearling; Charlotte Weber paid $650k for this filly at Saratoga from the Taylor Made Sales consignment. 2. ON THE LEVEL, DEL, 9/11, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-84 (c, 3, by Classic Empire–Siena Grace, by More than Ready) O-Three Diamonds Farm. B-Carole I. Fernandez (Ky). T-Keri Brion. J-Jaime Rodriguez. The Wykoff family's Three Diamonds Farm has had numerous successes with long-distance turf runners trained by Mike Maker. But they've also won with Fair Hill-based Brion, former assistant to the late Jonathan Sheppard who has saddled nine Grade I steeplechase winners and now is emphasizing flat racing. On the Level was an unlucky debut loser at Laurel last November then returned to the work tab in July and redeemed himself nicely with blinkers last week at Delaware. 1. SPUN DMC, CD, 9/12, 6 furlongs (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure- 85 (c, 2, by Spun to Run–Critic's Choice, by Smart Strike) O-UPcountryfarm and Randy Morse. B-Charles Kidder and Nancy Cole (Ky). T-Randy Morse. J-Jane Elliott. Ollie Besinger's UPcountry Farm in West Dundee, IL, is best known for fresh eggs. But Besinger has also boarded horses and dabbled in racehorse ownership for 20 years. He has never owned a stakes runner, but that might change after the debut of 2-year-old Spun DMC, who attended the pace three-wide then kicked clear in a swift 1:09.76. Spun DMC was bought for a modest $95k earlier this year, but his second dam is two-time Grade I-winning millionaire Starrer. The post Five Fastest Maidens, Presented By Taylor Made: Sept. 8-14 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Maiden Watch: Week of Sept. 8-14View the full article

The Princess Rooney Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park has seen its grade and purse gradually reduced since it was moved from Calder Race Course a dozen years ago, but the race has experienced a renaissance in its impact on the female sprint divisionView the full article

At the Santa Anita autumn meet, which opens Sept. 26, seven coveted Breeders' Cup bids will be on the line as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.View the full article

An all-sources handle of $13,026,804 (All figures CA$) ranks the 2025 edition among the top-five Woodbine Mile day handles. The Woodbine Mile Stakes (G1T) generated $2.1 million in wagering, a 23% increase from the 2024 race. View the full article

Division (Kingman), an 800,000gns Book 1 graduate and G1 Middle Park Stakes entry who notched a three-length success at Haydock earlier in the month, broke well and was positioned on the front end racing under a seven-pound penalty in this TDN-sponsored heat. In command through halfway, the 2-7 lock was shaken up soon after passing the quarter-mile pole and ridden out in the closing stages to prevail by 2 1/4 lengths from Shahik (Showcasing). “I was pleased with him and that's another step in the right direction, but he again showed inexperience late on,” said James Doyle. “He dived out to his right, but it's pretty windy and it was lonely for him out there. He's a pacey horse, he's bred to be quick and he's got some fancy entries. Whether or not he's up to it at this stage of his career, we'll see.” Division, the fourth of five foals, is one of three scorers from as many runners out of stakes-winning G3 Summer Stakes third Pepita (Sir Prancealot), herself a half-sister to stakes-winning G1 Criterium International third Redolent (Redback), G3 Albany Stakes third Illaunglass (Red Clubs) and Listed Empress Stakes runner-up Ursulina (Kodiac). Descendants of the March-foaled bay's second dam Esterlina (Highest Honor) include G1 Flying Five Stakes runner-up Son Of Rest (Pivotal) and G2 Gimcrack Stakes second Johannes Brahms (Siyouni). He is a full-brother to 2024 G2 Lowther Stakes winner Celandine and kin to a yearling filly by Starspangledbanner. 1st-Great Yarmouth, £11,900, Nov, 9-16, 2yo, 6f 3yT, 1:12.92, g/s. DIVISION (GB) (c, 2, Kingman {GB}–Pepita {Ire} {SW & GSP-Eng}, by Sir Prancealot {Ire}) Sales history: 800,000gns Ylg '24 TATOCT. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $19,783. O-Wathnan Racing; B-Rockcliffe Stud; T-William Haggas. Thoroughbred Daily News EBF Novice Stakes @GTYarmouthRaces Yarmouth – Classe 4 – 2 ans – 1209m – 9 Pts – 11 706 £ Division (m) (Gb) James Doyle (Kingman (Gb) @JuddmonteFarms – Pepita (Ire) par Sir Prancealot (Ire)) W J Haggas @WilliamHaggas… pic.twitter.com/3q2cTYd6QI — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) September 16, 2025 The post Wathnan’s Division Takes Thoroughbred Daily News Novice at Yarmouth appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ragtime and Echo Sound—second and sixth, respectively, in the Aug. 2 Test Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course—meet again Sept. 20 in the Dogwood Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs.View the full article

Edited Press Release Notable Speech (GB) (Dubawi {Ire})'s impressive victory in the GI Rogers Woodbine Mile highlighted a strong Turf Champions Day for Woodbine Entertainment. Turf Champions Day featured three Breeders' Cup Challenge Series “Win and You're In” races. An all-sources handle of $13,026,804 ranks the 2025 edition among the top-five Woodbine Mile day handles. The Woodbine Mile generated $2.1 million in wagering, a 23 percent increase from the 2024 race. Among the other wagering highlights was a 64% increase in the GI Johnnie Walker Natalma S. ($1,688,101 vs 1,030,495), a 43% increase in handle for the GI bet365 Summer S. ($2,088,730 vs $1,455,862), and a record Pick-5 pool of $631,211. “Turf Champions Day is one of the most important showcases of our world-class racing program, and this year's results reflect the strength and excitement of the product we are delivering in partnership with our racing community,” said Michael Copeland, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “From strong wagering and international participation to the success of our new global wagers, we are proud to see Woodbine firmly positioned on the international racing stage. I want to thank our horse racing community, fans, and customers whose support and passion continue to elevate this event and the sport of horse racing in Canada.” The post Turf Champions Day Generates Strong Numbers at Woodbine appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Few trainers emerged from the Irish Champions Festival happier than trainer John O'Donoghue who, despite drawing a blank with his only runner across the two-day meeting, walked out of the Curragh racecourse on Sunday in little doubt over the talent his stable star It's A Heartbeat is blessed with. The lightly-raced Too Darn Hot filly could not have been more impressive in swatting away the Johnny Murtagh-trained Shaool by almost four lengths when last seen in a handicap at that track last month. Shaool paid a handsome compliment to It's A Heartbeat by streaking clear of her rivals in the Northfields Handicap at the Irish Champions Festival and now O'Donoghue is rightly dreaming of Group races with a filly he labels as the most talented horse he has had through his hands. “We hold her in pretty high regard,” he explained. “We had her in the Prix Turenne at Saint-Cloud, which turned out to be a pretty hot race with Best Secret and Gethin turning up, and then we decided to sidestep the Irish Champions Festival [where It's A Heartbeat held an entry in the Group 3 CMG Group Stakes]. Looking at her profile, she posted a lovely debut before recording back-to-back wins and I'd love to nail in a Listed win with her now. We're trying to pick our spot and it's likely that we will go for the Group 3 Princess Royal Stakes at Newmarket in two weeks' time.” O'Donoghue added, “I'd love to see her on the Rowley Mile – I think a track like that would bring out the best in her. She'll have some big targets next year. It's all about her four-year-old year as she has a big frame and she is just a bit timely. She's filling out nicely now and is really round and solid. Look, she's just the type of horse that any young trainer like myself would love to have and hopefully she can put us on the map. She's very good and we hold her in the highest of regard. She's certainly the best I have trained.” O'Donoghue and his wife Jodi took over at Currabeg Stables, which will forever be associated with John Oxx and the legendary horses he trained there, back in 2022. The pair enjoyed four winners in that debut season – and came agonisingly close to a dream result in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot when Pearling Path was cruelly denied in the dying strides – but O'Donoghue openly admits to being forced to 'sharpen up' and 'streamline' the operation in recent times. John O'Donoghue: “If we can hit the nail on the head with It's A Heartbeat, it might get us moving up the ladder.” | Tattersalls There has been a shift towards quality runners, which is reflected in the stats given the stable has had just 44 runners domestically this term but has already equaled last year's tally of six wins. O'Donoghue is also operating at an impressive 14% strike rate but, what is more impressive is the fact the stable boasts a 29 per cent winners-to-runners strike-rate. Put simply, O'Donoghue does not rock up to the races for the sake of it. O'Donoghue, who has spent time working with Jamie Osborne, Oxx and David O'Meara, said, “We have three years under our belt and this is season four. Starting off, we said yes to everything and we got in as many as we could and trained absolutely everything, regardless of ability. Over the past two years, we have really streamlined towards the horses that will work in Ireland because there isn't a gap for the middle-to-lower tier horses in this country – A, to run them and B, to make them into a valuable commodity. So we have decided to cut back on numbers and aim higher with regards to quality. We are probably down a bit on runners but our strike-rate is up there in the teens. We've a few that will be dropping into handicaps and we want to push on with those now as well. But the main focus has been on preserving our record with two-year-olds. We've only run four of them and three of those have won. That's the sort of streamlined approach of knowing what we have, placing them right and moving them on when the time is right that we have gravitated towards. We've just sharpened up a bit.” O'Donoghue is a part of the select cohort of trainers who hit the sales hard in search of next year's winners. He has picked up a yearling apiece from the August Sale at Arqana and the Goffs UK Premier Yearling Sale and says he hopes to be busy at the upcoming Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale and the Goffs Orby Sale as well. He explained, “As you can imagine, most of our orders would be for Tattersalls Ireland or Goffs Orby horses as a lot of Irish buyers would prefer to buy in Euro. In saying that, we have been sent a horse from the Arqana August Sale and we picked up an Ardad yearling from Donny, which has always been a lucky place for us. In our first year training, we had Pearling Path, who was sourced by Oliver St Lawrence on behalf of Fawzi Nass at Donny. He nearly pulled off the miracle result in season one when only narrowly beaten in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot so we have always been fond of that sale with a view towards summer two-year-olds. We hope to buy four or five horses between Tattersalls Ireland and the Orby. I'm not sure how the orders will stack up come the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale at Newmarket but we will be there fighting for the good horses.” He added, “We're traders as well. We hold onto plenty of equity in these horses in order to get horses and owners into the yard. Putting it bluntly, we can get fairly exposed around this time of year but look, we're young, and we need to fill the yard here. But to be honest, sourcing the horses is every bit as important as it is training them.” Next week's sale at Tattersalls Ireland represents the first yearling sale in Ireland this autumn. It comes hot on the heels of what was red-hot trade at the Goffs Premier Yearling Sale and the Somerville Sale at Tattersalls and, even on an international front, Keeneland has been ablaze this past fortnight with telephone numbers being paid for the big-ticket lots. It is something of an oddity that, while the yearling market has apparently never been in a healthier position, the private market for form horses has slowed up to a certain degree in recent times. O'Donoghue has navigated that private market as well as anyone in his short time as a trainer in Ireland, highlighted by the job he did with Zaphod (Zarak), who was sold to continue his career in Australia following a fine third in the Group 3 Eyrefield Stakes at Leopardstown. However, he admitted that the private sale market has become more select, and even shared that recent juvenile scorer L L Koulsty (Coulsty) remains on the market following her Cork success. Jodi O'Donoghue | Tattersalls He commented, “I can remember a time when nearly the first four from a maiden from somewhere like Dundalk would nearly be traded. Not so much anymore. There are cases where horses win maidens and even winners' races and they still don't get moved on. There is such a criteria that needs to be filled and it's not just performance on the track. For example, you have to be big enough, heavy enough and obviously sound enough to get traded on now. And sometimes you can tick all of those boxes but you don't get a good Timeform rating or the form of the maiden takes a knock. So it's become very, very tricky. Everything seems to have become tighter and harder to push through compared to years gone by anyway.” Fortunately for O'Donoghue, stable star It's A Heartbeat is not in the shop window, which means he can dream not only about Newmarket but what may also be in store for the lightly-raced filly next year as well. It's A Heartbeat is owned by Sven Hanson, who has enjoyed considerable success in the bloodstock world and even supplied Sir Michael Stoute with a breakthrough Oaks victory courtesy of 1978 scorer Fair Salinia. The breeder of Reliable Man among other high-class performers, Hanson took notice of O'Donoghue after Pearling Path, a horse he bred under the Fair Salinia Ltd banner, went so close to that Chesham Stakes success in the young trainer's debut season at Currabeg Stables. It has proved a good fit for the owner given he used to have horses with Oxx, who remains a mentor to O'Donoghue at a stable made famous by horses like Sea The Stars, Sinndar, Ridgewood Pearl and more. “He [Hanson] knew the stable and was thinking of having a few more horses in training than he usually does so thankfully he picked a young trainer. It has given us the little injection of quality that, hopefully if we can hit the nail on the head with It's A Heartbeat, it might get us moving up the ladder.” The post O’Donoghue Plotting Breakthrough Group Win With ‘Best I’ve Trained’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fresh off a game effort to win the G2 Park Hill Stakes at Doncaster, Santorini Star (Golden Horn) will target the G1 Prix de Royallieu on Arc weekend, revealed co-owner Tony Bloom's racing manager Sean Graham. The Bloom and Ian McAleavy runner is searching for a first Group 1 triumph and will be routed accordingly. A consistent sort with six wins from 10 lifetime starts, the William Haggas trainee won a Goodwood handicap in May before running fourth in the Listed Pontefract Castle Fillies' Stakes in June and she filled that spot again in the G3 Stanerra Stakes at Fairyhouse a month later. Back on track over a 2m 1/2f handicap at York in August, she withstood the prolonged challenge of Consent (Lope De Vega) in the Park Hill. “Her next race will be the Prix de Royallieu, which is a mile and six on the Saturday of Arc weekend,” Graham said. “I'd say that is probably her last run this year as well. “I suppose she will be brought back next year with the view of trying to win a Group 1. The Prix de Royallieu is a Group 1, but even if she wins that, she'll still be back next year. That's because she didn't run until the October of her three-year-old career, so she's pretty lightly raced and she's open to plenty of improvement. The programme for staying fillies is quite good and there's plenty of opportunity to pick up more black type.” Regarding next year's campaign, he added, “Even races like the Irish St Leger might be on the radar as that's a mile and six. I don't think we will pigeon hole her and just run her at a mile and six because there's probably not enough races at that distance, so she will have races at two miles as well.” The post Park Hill Star Bound For The Royallieu appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I met Stuart in 1994 when we worked together for Ben P. Walden Jr. at Vinery. Stuart was the broodmare manager, and I was selling seasons to the Vinery stallions. Stuart managed the 150-plus broodmare band which encompassed multiple farms. Stuart was also a farrier; he trimmed all the broodmares which added another layer of responsibility. I quickly learned that Stuart was a tireless hard worker with these responsibilities. Over the years I followed Stuart's professional journey to Watercress, Payson Stud and Taylor Made admiring his accomplishments along the way. Stuart was a mentor to a lot of our young people in our industry as we have read this week. He was also a mentor to someone older. I would call Stuart and get his opinion on a value of a broodmare or a stallion for a mating. He was always willing to help and gave great advice. He never asked for anything in return and was always your biggest cheerleader to succeed. This fall, when Stuart started treatments for his illness, he did it his way. When he started the clinical trial at Sarah Cannon Research Institute, he approached it like he did everything in his life. He worked hard to gather all the information he could about the treatment so he would better understand what was before him. He was determined to beat the odds. He wanted to spend as much time as he could with Drew, Alexa and his two grandchildren whom he dearly loved. He never complained, he never said “Why me”, he just buckled down and went to work to beat the odds. It was a sad day when I received the call from Josie telling me that Stuart had passed. I shed more than a few tears because I had lost a dear friend. Stuart touched a lot of lives and made an impact on our industry and life. To honor Stuart's legacy, we should take a page out of his handbook, mentor others, be respectful, smile, laugh, enjoy good food and life. Remember to live the day we are in as there is no guarantee for tomorrow. I love you, brother. The post Letter To The Editor: Stu Story #13 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Notable Speech at Woodbine. Dubawi Classic Winner Shines At Woodbine Godolphin homebred Notable Speech arrived late on the scene to take the GI Rogers Woodbine Mile for Charlie Appleby on September 13 (video). The son of Dubawi won the G1 2,000 Guineas last year and defeated older milers in the G1 Sussex Stakes. He is a son of the group-placed Swift Rose (Invincible Spirit), herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner Desert Wisdom (Dubawi) and to Frankel's GI Natalma Stakes winner Wild Beauty. He has a half-sister to come in juvenile Moonlit Rose (Pinatubo) and a yearling full-sister. Darley's Dubawi has sired 47 winners from 90 runners (52%) in the U.S. and Canada. Notable Speech is his 26th stakes winner and 11th Grade I winner to strike there. Besilu Homebred Graduates In New York Besilu Stables' Noble Dynasty (Kingman) graduated at second asking during the Belmont at the Big A meeting on Saturday (video). Trained by Bill Mott, the homebred juvenile colt is out of Delta's Royalty (Galileo). Second on debut, the maternal grandson of triple Eclipse Award earner Royal Delta (Empire Maker) is a half-brother to the yearling filly Royal Victoria (Into Mischief) and a weanling filly by Gun Runner. Royal Delta, a GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner, was acquired by Ben Leon's Besilu Stables for $8.5 million to top the 2011 Keeneland November Sale. Delta's Royalty is the only foal out of her champion dam, who died from foaling complications after producing her. Juddmonte's Kingman counts Noble Dynasty as his 49th winner from 84 to race in North America (58%). Domestic Spending is his best there, with a tally in the GI Manhattan Stakes, and he is supported by eight additional stakes winners. Repeat Winners No Show Sammy Jo (Lope De Vega) is now a two-time winner of Laurel Park's All Along Stakes after her victory on September 13 (video). Racing for Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stables, the five-year-old mare–second in the 2024 GIII Long Island Stakes–is trained by Graham Motion. The post Making Waves: Guineas Scorer Adds Woodbine Mile To His Haul appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Three grade 1-winning 3-year-old fillies—Scottish Lassie, La Cara, and Good Cheer—have another opportunity for top-level stakes glory when they compete Sept. 20 at Parx Racing in the $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1).View the full article

Poll results from leading horses after week 34 of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Thoroughbred Poll are unchanged.View the full article

Sponsored by Pedigrees360. How timely, that the first starting points for the 2026 Classics should be offered at Churchill even as the big spenders were driving each other to record heights up the road at Keeneland in their quest for a horse for 2027. Admittedly Saturday's initial rehearsals offered alternatives to those who cannot spend millions at the September Sale. One winner was out of a homebred Cowboy Cal mare, admittedly using a stallion who banked 12 seven-figure sales at Keeneland; while the other was a $20,000 discovery, inevitably by Kenny McPeek, at Fasig-Tipton last October. And both also showed that if all else fails, you just double down on Giant's Causeway. There was, in fact, remarkable symmetry between the crosses that produced the GIII Iroquois and GIII Pocahontas Stakes winners. For both Spice Runner (Gun Runner) and Taken by the Wind (Rock Your World) are by sons of Candy Ride (Arg) out of mares by a son of Giant's Causeway (Cowboy Cal/First Samurai). Moreover Giant's Causeway also lurks just behind the respective sires, Gun Runner's dam and Rock Your World's granddam both being daughters. But events over the Atlantic, the same day, invite us to view even this double duplication of Giant's Causeway as primarily extending the legacy of his dam, Mariah's Storm (Rahy), who also surfaced as granddam of Classic winner Scandinavia (Justify). We'll have more to say about that horse below. But let's first renew our admiration for a mare who duly formed the mutual bedrock between two emerging American juveniles and the winner of one of the English Turf's most venerable prizes. The first thing that always tickles me about Mariah's Storm is that her family is entwined with that of another great producer in Hasili (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) by Itsabet (Heliopolis {GB}), as fourth and fifth dam respectively. Itsabet was the first stakes winner to carry the silks of Harry Isaacs, whose Brookfield Farm initially cultivated both these branches. It was when they had respectively entered other hands, however, that both happened to be seeded by the same redoubtable influence: Mariah's Storm herself and Hasili's dam are both out of Roberto mares. Roberto's sire Hail to Reason, incidentally, is also behind the sire of Mariah's Storm, Rahy, who was out of a mare by his son Halo. Her other strong flavor is Nasrullah (GB), three of whose sons funnel into the page: the Red God line is extended through his grandson Rahy; Nashua is damsire of Roberto; while Bold Ruler's son Chieftain gave us the granddam. It was yet another Nasrullah line, through Nasram, that led to Olympio–whose owner-breeder Verne Winchell supported him, at stud, with the $27,000 purchase of a weanling filly he named Classic Olympio. She went on a roll at Santa Anita as a juvenile (won her maiden by seven, then two stakes) before twice placing at Grade II level, and later produced a couple of stakes winners for the program including Simplify (Pulpit) in a dirt sprint at Saratoga. It was also round one turn at the Spa, but on grass, that Simplify's daughter by Cowboy Cal, Simple Surprise, won the Bolton Landing Stakes on her second start. That earned Simple Surprise a place in the debut book of the Winchells' magnificent Gun Runner. The result was Gunite, who helped to put his sire on the map over three Saratoga summers: GI Hopeful/GII Amsterdam/GI Forego. If that was instructive of Gun Runner's prowess, then let's acknowledge that Gunite's first three dams were all stakes winners. And the functionality of a match, one way or another, has now been corroborated by his brother Spice Runner. Apparently this colt is rather bigger than Gunite, and he's certainly already shown greater hunger for distance. But don't forget that Cowboy Cal spent almost his entire career on turf and synthetics; nor that Simple Surprise also operated on grass. Whatever his younger brother can still achieve, with Giant's Causeway top and bottom, Europeans prospectors should not just move on from Gunite as a trademark dirt sprinter. But that takes me into familiar territory… Spice Runner | Coady Media Staying Power Not 'Just' Stamina And that's because we need to ask where exactly G1 St Leger winner Scandinavia gets his relentless running power. With a dam by Galileo (Ire), not to mention a third dam by Roberto, it would seem pretty obvious. Scandinavia's mother, Fabulous (Ire), is one of four fillies out of Mariah's Storm by her “second husband.” On the retirement of Storm Cat, who had given her seven foals including Giant's Causeway and the famous producer You'resothrilling, she had a brief fling with Sadler's Wells before moving in with his son Galileo. But when You'resothrilling was similarly married to Galileo, his famously sturdy influence could not suppress the speed and precocity of Storm Cat, which she had herself deployed winning two Group sprints. Their three Group 1 winners were either Classic milers, or top juveniles, or both. That, of course, may be largely down to Storm Cat. But meanwhile the principal distinction to date for a full-sister to Fabulous, Butterflies (Ire), is as granddam of reputedly the fastest of the current juvenile crop at Ballydoyle, Albert Einstein (Ire) (Wottoon Bassett {GB}). Remember that Mariah's Storm was by Rahy, whose brand is primarily about dashers such as Serena's Song or Noverre. This is not the kind of dour terrain where Galileo has found his real sloggers–and we should not, therefore, overlook the staying power potentially contributed to Scandinavia, already a winner against his seniors in the G1 Goodwood Cup over two miles, by his sire. Fabulous has already had one elite winner by a Triple Crown winner in Above The Curve (American Pharoah), who largely operated at 10 furlongs. But her son by Justify has shown an absolutely bottomless capacity to maintain a gallop, prominent throughout before stemming all challenges both at Goodwood and again over 14.5 furlongs last Saturday. Now clearly it was sufficiently startling that a son of Scat Daddy (and grandson of Johannesburg) could complete his historic assignment in the GI Belmont Stakes. Nor would any conventional reading find much help in Justify's damsire Ghostzapper, who memorably had to stretch his own speed at the Breeders' Cup. But that's the whole point. Just as breeders (especially in Europe) culpably conflate precocity with speed, so they tend to confuse “run” with mere stamina. Class is an elusive concept but one of the most coherent signposts is the ability to carry speed; to set off fast, and keep going. I'm convinced that the gene pool in Europe, having been invigorated by all that Northern Dancer blood, suffered from the wilful neglect of dirt lines for a generation before Justify was given his opportunity by the reliably far-sighted John Magnier. Justify has responded virtually overnight, providing English Classic winners across the distance spectrum, via Ruling Court, City Of Troy and now Scandanavia; not to mention flyers like Ramatuelle, collared on the line in a Group 1 juvenile sprint and runaway winner of the G1 Prix de la Foret over 7f. During all those years when Magnier's program was dominating Epsom through Galileo and Montjeu (Ire), hardly anyone–including rivals similarly engaged either side of the water–applied the lessons of the dynasty represented by both those horses. None of the most potent American sires of recent times, whether Into Mischief or Tapit or Curlin, has been meaningfully tried in Europe. Not that Europeans are alone in their myopia. Remarkably, not one among all those million-dollar babies at Keeneland was by Justify, albeit a $975,000 filly fell only one bid short. If his local market perseveres in this neglect, maybe Justify should someday court the respect he deserves with a stint in Tipperary. Taken by the Wind | Coady Media Numbers Help Catch The Wind Pocahontas winner Taken by the Wind represents a stakes breakthrough for a stallion launched with the usual commercial stampede in 2022. Rock Your World could trade on the efforts of Gun Runner and Twirling Candy in promoting Gun Runner as sire of sires. After all, he's out of a mare by Empire Maker, half-brother to Twirling Candy's damsire Chester House; and, as noted earlier, his granddam is by Gun Runner's damsire Giant's Causeway. And actually his third dam is by Olympio, securing a second such mention this week after filling the same slot for Spice Runner. All those first three dams having been smart runners, Rock Your World started with no fewer than 219 mares at $10,000. Nearly as predictably, by last year he had slipped to 53 and was duly cut to $5,000 this spring. Taken by the Wind is out of a First Samurai mare who won under a $7,500 tag and has hitherto done little more than might be expected from cheap covers, with the exception of Running Memories (Bahamian Squall), an eight-time winner narrowly beaten in a sprint stakes on turf. There's no black type at all under the second dam, but she's a Saint Ballado sibling to four graded stakes winners out of a Mr. Prospector mare. One of those, moreover, subsequently became dam of triple Grade I winner Society Selection (Coronado's Quest). Taken by the Wind is among nine winners from 35 starters for Rock Your World, but as always we'll need to monitor ratios–rather than mere aggregates–as he proceeds from here. The early pace in the freshman table is set by Spendthrift neighbor Yaupon, whose debut book of 242 mares was exceeded that year only by Gun Runner. His 15 winners from 45 starters include two at black-type level, something hitherto matched only by Beau Liam. The post Breeding Digest: Mariah’s Giant Legacy appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Two yearlings owned by Ann Hayes, who suffered serious injuries when she was trampled by a horse last week, will sell in the final days of the Keeneland September Sale. Both are consigned by Blake-Albina Thoroughbred Services. Hip 3492, from the first crop of Greatest Honour, is the first foal of the More Than Ready mare Willing, from the family of GISWs Constitution, Awesome Humor, and Surfer. The filly is in Barn 32 and sells Thursday. Hip 4593 is a filly by Flameaway out of Differentiate (Include), sells on the final day of the sale, Saturday, and will be in Barn 3. Hayes, a longtime member of the Thoroughbred industry, suffered severe head trauma in the incident and is being cared for in the intensive care unit of the University of Kentucky medical center. Amy Nave has started a fundraiser for Hayes on GoFundMe.com, which reads: “Her family has been by her side, day, and night, facing an extended period of recovery for Ann. The financial burden of ongoing medical bills, and the costs associated with her rehabilitation are significant and we are hoping to ease this stress, so Ann can focus on healing. Ann's influence in the Thoroughbred Community is profound. She has raised and raced her own horses, worked for multiple farms and race tracks, and serves on boards, such as the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Manager's Club. She has been passionate about mentoring young people entering the horse industry through her work with Amplify, BCTC equine, Asbury, and Midway Colleges. For the past decade, she has been a vital part of WinStar Farm, where her compassion led her to the role of Employee Liaison. Ann personally welcomes every new employee and oversees the Stable Recovery program, always putting others first and making them feel valued. Everyone who has met Ann has felt her deep love for people and horses. Now it's our turn to show how much we care for her. Her impact on our community cannot be overestimated and any support will help her and her family through this challenging time.” Click here to see the fundraiser or to donate. The post Two Ann Hayes Yearlings To Sell At Keeneland September appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sam Agars HONEST WITNESS - R5 (4) Did everything but win last season and has trialled nicely ahead of this race Jay Rooney VULCANUS - R6 (6) Can repeat his last-start win off the back of an impressive trial Owen Goulding VULCANUS - R6 (6) Thrashed his rivals in this grade on his last start and can reappear with a win Phillip Woo SILVER SPURS - R1 (2) Has always promised plenty and gets a golden chance to deliver in Class Five Shannon (Vincent Wong) HONEST WITNESS - R5 (4) Looks to have...View the full article

Fasig-Tipton has catalogued 280 entries for its upcoming Saratoga Fall Mixed sale, the company announced Tuesday. The sale will run Tuesday, October 14 in Saratoga Springs, New York, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Humphrey S. Finney Pavilion. “Saratoga Fall is New York's breeding stock sale,” said Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning. “There are nearly 230 weanlings catalogued, by top sires both nationally and within New York. There is also a quality group of broodmares in foal on attractive covers.” The company noted that, beginning in 2026, New York-breds will race for equal purse money as open company horses on the NYRA circuit. “With purse parity beginning next year, the New York-bred program will go from strength-to-strength,” noted Browning. “New York-bred weanlings offered at Saratoga Fall will be eligible to compete for these higher purses when they reach the track as two-year-olds. The same applies to foals carried by mares catalogued in this sale. Now is the time to get involved in New York–the future is bright.” The catalogue may now be viewed online and will also be available via the equineline sales catalogue app. Print catalogues will be available by September 18. The post Fasig-Tipton Catalogues 280 Hips For Saratoga Fall Mixed Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Daryz is said to be a likely runner in next month's G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, having bounced back to form with a narrow defeat in Sunday's G3 Prix du Prince d'Orange at the same course. Trained by Francis-Henri Graffard, the son of Sea The Stars gained his fourth success from as many starts when winning June's G2 Prix Eugene Adam at Saint-Cloud, before forfeiting his unbeaten record with a no-show in the G1 Juddmonte International at York. With connections at a loss to explain that below-par display, Daryz was given another opportunity to show what he can do at the weekend and his short-head defeat to Japanese raider Croix Du Nord (Kitasan Black) was certainly a big step back in the right direction. “We wanted to see him run again as things didn't go right at York and we didn't know what to think of it afterwards,” said Nemone Routh, racing manager for Daryz's owner-breeder, the Aga Khan Studs. “We were very happy on Sunday. He had an outside draw, so we were keen for him to find cover as he was a bit keen early on at York, but he settled well. He seemed to handle the really soft ground well, which was pleasing to see. “He quickened up really well and was probably a bit unlucky as he just had to come round the Japanese horse who was hanging a bit. Their jockey got a few days for overuse of the whip as well. So, really Daryz only had a furlong where he was in the clear. He really picked up and just failed to get there, so we were very happy with the run.” Daryz is available to back at around 20/1 for the Arc and Routh confirmed that it's likely to be all systems go for a tilt at Europe's premier middle-distance prize. She added, “We'll see how he comes out of the race but, if he takes it well, then I think we'll probably take our chance in the Arc. We'd hope the ground wouldn't be any softer than the other day as, while it was very soft, it wasn't extreme. “He's only ever run over 10 furlongs but, apart from the race at York, he's always finished his races off well and everything in his pedigree would say he'll get the trip [a mile and a half]. The only reason he hasn't run over it before is he has been keen in his races. I don't think it will be a problem. “He's a lovely horse and he's still learning really. He was a very backward two-year-old and has done a lot in a short space of time. He's always been a horse we thought would be better at four.” The post Daryz Back in the Arc Picture Despite Weekend Defeat appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

What Bendigo Races Where Bendigo Jockey Club – Heinz St, White Hills VIC 3550 When Wednesday, September 17, 2025 First Race 1:10pm AEST Visit Dabble The Bendigo Jockey Club hosts a competitive eight-race meeting this Wednesday afternoon. Despite the track being rated a Good 4 at the time of acceptances, showers forecast on Tuesday should mean the card will be held on a Soft 5. The rail sticks in its true position, with the Bendigo races on September 17 commencing at 1:10pm AEST. Best Bet at Bendigo: Trembles Trembles had excuses at Caulfield on June 28 before heading for a spell, but prior to that she saluted at Sandown in a strong form race which has produced four subsequent winners. A similar level of output should be too good for this BM66. Mark Zahra will look to cross the field from barrier nine and dictate proceedings; from there, she will be hard to run down in the penultimate. Best Bet Race 7 – #8 Trembles (9) 4yo Mare | T: Anthony & Sam Freedman | J: Mark Zahra (59kg) Next Best at Bendigo: Ferocious Frankie Ferocious Me was competitive in defeat at Moonee Valley behind Cherish Me over 1200m, going down by only two lengths in a much tougher race than this midweek BM64. He draws to do no work from barrier four, and stepping up to 1300m should suit. If Blake Shinn can find clear air at the top of the straight, Ferocious Frankie looks to have enough class to overhaul the leaders and bring up a second career win at start three. Next Best Race 2 – #6 Ferocious Frankie (4) 3yo Filly | T: Trent Busuttin & Natalie Young | J: Blake Shinn (57.5kg) Best Value at Bendigo: Keep It Real Keep It Real caught the eye when finishing strongly into second at Wangaratta over 1100m last time out. Despite staying at the trip, he looks suited in a field where the exposed form is nothing special and the unraced brigade don’t appear to offer a lot. Daniel Stackhouse can have him settled in a perfect stalking position from barrier two, and if the gaps appear at the right time, Keep It Real should prove hard to hold out. Best Value Race 3 – #6 Keep It Real (2) 3yo Gelding | T: Anthony & Sam Freedman | J: Daniel Stackhouse (57kg) Wednesday quaddie tips for Bendigo Bendigo quadrella selections Wednesday, September 17, 2025 3-4-6-7 2-3-4-5-6 8-11-13 4-6-8-14 Horse racing tips View the full article

What Happy Valley Races Where Happy Valley Racecourse – Wong Nai Chung Rd, Happy Valley, Hong Kong When Wednesday, September 17, 2025 First Race 7:10pm HKT (9:10pm AEST) Visit Dabble Hong Kong racing continues at Happy Valley this Wednesday evening, with a competitive eight-part program set for decision. The rail moves out to the B course, and although thunderstorms are predicted to hit the track on Tuesday, it should have plenty of time to dry out courtesy of warm conditions forecast on race-day. Check out HorseBetting.com.au’s best bets for the Happy Valley races on September 17, 2025. Best Bet at Happy Valley: Honest Witness Honest Witness looked to be improving towards the backend of last season when posting back-to-back minor placings. The son of Written By appears to be resuming in superb order after saluting in a barrier trial on the Sha Tin all-weather circuit on September 3. He maps to stalk the speed from gate six, and provided Zac Purton has no issues slotting in for cover, Honest Witness can finally shirk the maiden tag at start six. Best Bet Race 5 – #4 Honest Witness (6) 4yo Gelding | T: David Hayes | J: Zac Purton (57.5kg) Next Best at Happy Valley: Lo Rider The Caspar Fownes-trained Lo Rider was rock solid in his debut Hong Kong campaign despite failing to post a win in his seven starts. The Irish import managed a fourth-place finish in the Hong Kong Derby (2000m) two runs back, then was luckless when held up behind a fall of horses chasing home Light Years Charm at Sha Tin on July 1. He draws to do no work from barrier one as he tackles Happy Valley for the first time, and with 1650m seemingly a perfect trip, Lo Rider gets a terrific opportunity to claim his Hong Kong maiden in the finale. Next Best Race 8 – #10 Lo Rider (1) 5yo Gelding | T: Caspar Fownes | J: Harry Bentley (55kg) Best Value at Happy Valley: Supreme Agility Supreme Agility caught the eye chasing home S J Tourbillon at this course and distance on July 16 and looks to be doing his best work in Class 4. The six-year-old has now placed twice in three starts since dropping back in grade, and he didn’t seem to be hampered when lugging the 61kg last time out. With a genuine tempo expected in this 1800m contest, it should set up perfectly for Supreme Agility to be flashing home down the centre of track at a good each-way price with horse racing bookmakers. Best Value Race 3 – #2 Supreme Agility (9) 6yo Gelding | T: Pierre Ng | J: James Orman (59kg) Wednesday quaddie tips for Happy Valley Happy Valley quadrella selections Wednesday, September 17, 2025 1-4 2-3-4-6-9 1-4-7-8-11 1-2-6-7-10-11 Horse racing tips View the full article

What Canterbury Races Where Canterbury Park Racecourse – King St, Canterbury NSW 2193 When Wednesday, September 17, 2025 First Race 1:35pm AEST Visit Dabble Canterbury Park is the destination for midweek racing in Sydney on Wednesday, with a competitive seven-race meeting scheduled. Warm conditions and no rain are forecast this week, meaning the track should be a Good 4 despite being a Soft 5 at the time of acceptances. The rail comes out 6m for the entire circuit, with the first race set to jump at 1:35pm AEST. Best Bet at Canterbury: Hidden Motive Hidden Motive went to the paddock following a smart victory at Randwick victory on June 7, closing out an autumn campaign where he was more than competitive in tougher assignments than this midweek BM72. Braith Nock will use his 2kg claim to his advantage and have the son of Capitalist close to the speed throughout. With a swift turn of foot, Hidden Motive should prove too slick for his rivals over 1100m. Best Bet Race 5 – #5 Hidden Motive (3) 3yo Colt | T: Nathan Doyle | J: Braith Nock (a2) (58kg) Next Best at Canterbury: Our Queen Based on a couple of handy trial victories, Our Queen looks ready to strike on her Sydney debut. The former Victorian seems to be a natural front-runner, so barrier one around the Canterbury 1250m should be ideal. The Night Of Thunder mare has won both of her fresh assignments, and despite being short of her best trip, Our Queen should prove too hard to run down in the finale. Next Best Race 7 – #11 Our Queen (1) 5yo Mare | T: Bjorn Baker | J: Tim Clark (57kg) Best Value at Canterbury: Benevac Benevac was only gunned down late when returning from a six-month spell at Gosford last time out, just peaking on his run inside the final 100m. Canterbury should suit him a bit better considering how beneficial it has been to be up on speed in recent times, which should offset the wide draw. With Tim Clark sticking, Benevac is poised to run a bold race at a nice price with horse racing bookmakers. Best Value Race 1 – #2 Benevac (12) 3yo Gelding | T: Ciaron Maher | J: Tim Clark (57kg) Wednesday quaddie tips for Canterbury Canterbury quadrella selections Wednesday, September 17, 2025 1-2-4-5-7 5-6 4-7-10-11 11-12 Horse racing tips View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk As he vies for a record-equaling third IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup win with Swayzee, Cameron Hart is a man in form right now. The 26-year-old, who steered Swayzee to back to back wins in this country’s biggest race in 2023 and 2024, had a personal best six wins at Menangle in Sydney on Saturday night. “It’s pretty crazy,” he said after his record haul. “It’s a big thrill to get six and for three different trainers who have all been big supporters of mine week in week out so it’s great to get a result for them.” Four of Hart’s winners were trained by old mate Jason Grimson. They were Miki Cohen, Our Sweet Delight, Tuapeka Lou and Hi Manameisjeff. The other winners were Alta William trained by his cousin Chris Judd and the Darren Binskin-trained Our Sadie Kay after a protest. Previously Hart’s personal best was five winners at the same meeting. He did that on four occasions. Saturday night’s performance equalled the six won at the new Menangle track by brothers Todd and Luke McCarthy in 2019 and 2020. In November Hart will again partner with grand old stayer Swayzee in the New Zealand Cup at Addington Raceway. If he wins it again he’ll be just the fourth horse to win three New Zealand Cups in a row, joining Indianapolis (1934-36), False Step (1958-60) and Terror To Love (2011-13). Swayzee is currently a $5 second favourite on the TAB Futures market, with half brother, the superstar that is Leap To Fame at $1.60. And Renwick Farms Dominion Trot contender Arcee Phoenix has shown some encouraging form at a trial at Bendigo in country Victoria this week. The Chris Svanosio-trained six-year-old won the trial, beating another Kiwi-bound trotter in Parisian Artiste. Both are nominated for the Dominion. It reverses the result of a trial last week at Melton. Arcee Phoenix will make his fourth trip to this side of the Tasman in November. The winner of the TAB Trot at Cambridge in April he is currently a $4.20 equal second favourite with Bet N Win, just behind Oscar Bonavena ($4). View the full article

Since his early twenties Raymond Connors has balanced farm life with training a team of racehorses, and his record in major races indicates the latter is far from a second pursuit. Growing up on a dairy farm in Whangaehu, Connors’ family had interest in racing, but as a young teenager he never could have envisioned himself as a jockey. By chance, Connors made a farm-related visit to a nearby property, owned by Kevin Myers and Angela Illston, and not long after he was working for the Turakina couple full-time. “I’d grown up on the farm and was around horses, but it wasn’t until Kevin moved from Hawera to Turakina that I got involved in racing,” Connors said. “Initially, I went over there to get some milk for the calves but then started helping him in the mornings before I went to school. I was probably around 15. “I was always keen on racing, but I never thought I would be a jockey, so Kevin and Angela really got me going. Without them I probably wouldn’t have gone down that track, but once I started jumping, I just got keener and keener. “I ended up leaving school and worked for Kevin on the dairy farm for two or three years, then I would go and help him with the horses.” Having had experience riding on the farm, Connors learned the ropes of trackwork riding and progressed onto his first amateur race on the flat, with his first winner, Say Go, coming under a month later. “I rode a couple of amateur races first, Kevin put me on some of his horses and I think I won on my second ride,” he said. “My parents always had horses, raced the odd one here and there, so once I got involved, we bought a couple of horses and they turned out to be quite handy jumpers.” ‘Handy’ is an understatement, with the two horses, purchased out of Brian and Lorraine Andertons White Robe Lodge, turning out to be Among Thieves and Our Jonty. In the care of Myers, Among Thieves got Connors on the board in the jumping ranks and won seven races in total, while Our Jonty gave Connors his biggest thrill in the saddle, winning the 1998 Great Northern Steeplechase. “Our Jonty was only little, but he loved good ground and he was a very good stayer,” Connors said. “Ian Jones started off training him and he won a flat race, but after he was looking a bit limited on the flat, we started jumping him and turned out to be a good horse – he taught me to ride. “After he won the Northern, Kevin took him over for the Grand National in Australia, so I got to ride around Flemington a couple of times. He wasn’t quite good enough, I think he ran fifth, but it was a great experience.” As well as an insight into the Australian scene, Connors got an opportunity to travel to Europe with Myers, riding the stable’s jumpers in Italy. “I went over to Italy for a couple of months with Kevin, he took a few horses and I rode a few winners,” he said. “The jumping there was very similar, it was an amazing course at Milano and a very professional system. They had more amateur races too, jumping is pretty big in Europe. “I didn’t ride for the money, I just really loved it and it’s a real thrill. Being with Kevin helped and riding at a good stable. I fell off here and there, but I was fortunate not to have any bad injuries.” Through this period, Connors had started to prepare a couple of his own horses from the farm at Whangaehu, and while he enjoyed balancing riding and training for a while, the latter came to the forefront after the 2003 jumping season. “Once I won the Northern, I carried on riding for a bit longer, but I was having to watch the weight a bit to ride,” he said. “After my time at Kevin’s, I came home and did the cows here, and I started training half a dozen horses myself. “I ended up only really riding the horses that I trained or owned, I didn’t ride many outside horses. Eventually, I was pretty busy with training, so I thought I’d let the other guys do it. “I thought I might come back, but once the next season rolled around I just didn’t get around to getting the weight down and getting race day fit. It was putting that effort in to lose ten kilos or so, and I felt like I’d achieved what I wanted too riding-wise.” Focussing solely on training, it wasn’t long before Connors came across a serious talent in the form of King Johny. The son of Seasoned Star finished third to the formidable Xcellent in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), taking Connors on his Australian debut in the training role when third in the Gr.2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) and fourth in the Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m). “He was a very good horse, probably one of the better ones I’ve trained really, he ran third in the New Zealand Derby and fourth in the Australian Derby,” Connors said. “He ended up getting injured and he didn’t achieve what he probably could’ve done.” A couple of years later, Connors would unveil another star, but this time, it would be in the jumping caper. That horse went by the name of Hypnotize (NZ) (Yamanin Vital), an unassuming gelding who would develop a love affair with the Ellerslie hill, delivering Connors with three Great Northern Steeplechase crowns and three Pakuranga Hunt Cups in four years. Connors looked fondly back on those efforts, which were made even more impressive considering Hypnotize contested the Northern five times in a row, recording placings in his other attempts. “He was just so tough, very similar to Our Jonty, who probably wasn’t far behind him really (ability-wise),” he said. “The difference between them was that Hypnotize could handle the really heavy tracks. “He loved Ellerslie and going over the hill, there weren’t many with that stamina to keep going. He wasn’t the greatest jumper, but he had an amazing ability to stay. “We targeted that race for him each year, but they’ve got to be sound and have a bit of luck along the way. Some horses don’t have that luck, but he was a very sound horse and we were lucky enough to get there each time. “He was such a genuine horse.” Forever etched in jumps racing history, Hypnotize retired with 13 wins and 9 placings to his name, accumulating just shy of $380,000 for Connors and his father Mark, who shared the spoils with the son of Yamanin Vital. “Initially, I had to have a share in the horses to ride them, and they’ve all been family horses since then really,” he said. “We all work as a team, he lets me do what I want to do and is the number one supporter. “We can’t go too far wrong.” Seven years later, Connors returned to Ellerslie with another progeny of Yamanin Vital in Wise Men Say (NZ) (Yamanin Vital), who developed a similar affinity with the course. He took out the McGregor Grant Steeplechase earlier in the season, and after playing second fiddle to Amanood Lad in the lead-up to the Great Northern of 2017, he took the top spot in seriously trying conditions, crossing the line after nine and half minutes. Wise Men Say missed the feature in the following season and hadn’t produced his best when shooting for a second crown in 2019, but a gun ride from Shaun Fannin made lightning strike twice, bringing his earnings near the $340,000 mark. “It was pretty wet that day (2017), they were lucky to even have the races, but this horse loved the heavy ground,” Connors said. “He was a nice big horse with good stamina and a nice jump, so it all came together. “I probably wasn’t as confident coming into the second Northern win, he wasn’t going as well, but Shaun Fannin rode him and got him out in front, and used his staying and jumping ability. “He helped the horse win that day, he rode him positively and he proved to be the best horse. He needed that sort of ride, he’d just been following them around a little bit.” Winning five Northerns is no easy feat as a trainer, but Connors said that nothing can quite compare to being on board. “It was a great thrill each time (with Hypnotize and Wise Men Say), but riding is definitely the pinnacle, you can’t beat that feeling and I’ll never forget it,” he said. “In saying that, a lot more probably goes into the training side, it takes a lot of time and effort to get them there and try and win. “Winning any race is a thrill, even in a maiden, so winning those big ones keeps you going, it keeps you motivated.” During his time with Myers, Connors forged close friendship with fellow hoop Isaac Lupton, who was in the saddle for much of those ‘big ones’. “I met Isaac while I was working at Kevin’s, he came and worked there for a bit, so we’ve been good friends for a long time,” Connors said. “He was still riding when I gave up and we seemed to click, we had a lot of luck together. “He was a very good jockey and the main rider that I had, but other than that, I would really put on any jockey that I could get. I try not to be too fussy, and when you’ve got a good horse, the better jockeys come to you. “Racing probably got him away from the farm a bit, and the same for me, it’s been good like that. It gets you away and doing something different, like another interest.” Amongst his success over fences, Connors has hoisted a number of New Zealand’s most prestigious flat racing trophies, including two editions of the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) and a Gr.2 Wellington Cup (3200m) with Blood Brotha. He completed the trio of two-mile features this year on Champions Day, winning the $600,000 Gr.2 Auckland Cup (3200m) with Trav (NZ) (Almanzor), a homebred by Almanzor. “We try them all on the flat first and usually target the horses that are bred to stay,” he said. “Blood Brotha took a while to get going and initially I didn’t think he would stay, but it wasn’t until he got over a bit of ground that he actually started winning. He was a great horse, we went to Australia with him too and he ran well. “We bred Trav and he won a race as a two-year-old, so he’d always showed ability. (The Auckland Cup) was one of those races that we hoped he’d run well, we weren’t expecting to win, but we had the horse as fit as we could and Masa (Hashizume) rode him very well. “We were just out the back, but when we went up in the stands for the race, there was a big crowd and it was an awesome win. It was great to be a part of a big day like that. “We might take him over to Australia and see how he measures up. We’re probably dreaming, but we would like to give him the opportunity to get to a Melbourne Cup. “We know he can get the distance so that’s a big help.” A common theme throughout Connors’ top representatives has been their southern bloodlines, an association that goes right back to those the two original jumpers. “All of the good horses we’ve had are from White Robe or from the family, with those southern pedigrees,” he said. “When I was still in school, Dad went down and brought Our Jonty and Among Thieves from there, and we’ve been friends ever since. “We bought a lot of horses off them and a couple of fillies, who we are breeding from ourselves now. The breeding side is hard, as is any part of racing really, but we’ve had a bit of luck. We bred Trav and Prince Oz, who ended up down south with Neill Ridley and he won six in a row down there, and he won the Stewards (Stakes, Gr.3) twice. “We go for the best (stallions) we can afford, we look at the newer stallions and support White Robe with their stallions as well. We try to go for the flavour of the month, anything that looks promising, but it doesn’t always mean they’re good. “We’re trying to cut back a little bit as I’ve got six mares here now, which is too many. Two or three would be enough, I’m getting a bit older now, so it’s getting a bit harder. “I don’t mind waiting, I like the staying types and breeding those Derby-Cups types of horses. There’s not much science to it though, it’s a lot of luck.” While his riding career may have come to a close over two decades ago, Connors still rides trackwork and schools his jumpers at Bulls Racecourse, which he purchased to train out of privately. “I was training on the farm at Whangaehu, then a few years ago now, we bought Bulls Racecourse,” he said. “I’ve got a few horses kicking around the track there and it’s worked out pretty well. “I learnt a lot from Kevin and Angela, and from there, I just have learned as I’ve gone along. In training, you never stop learning, the horses will tell you in a lot of ways. “We mainly work on the sand track in the winter, so it’s not too much upkeep, and I’ve got staff helping me out down there. I usually do the cows here first then head down to do the horses, then they’ll feed them up in the afternoon. “I don’t like to count them, but we’re working about 15 down there at the moment, I’ve got a couple of jumps jockeys helping me out which has been good. There are three or four that we’re trying to get jumping, and the rest are flat horses that may jump one day. “We do all aspects of the job, we’re weaning foals off the mares, doing yearlings, breaking in, so we get to know the horses very well.” View the full article