Wandering Eyes

The following represents the conclusion of this look at how long-term trends in Thoroughbred racing have evolved to the point where a turnaround may be near in the sport's economic fortunes. To read part I, click here. For part II, click here. Defining Development #6–Blessed are the Survivors As a matter of basic free-market economics, it is possible to view the past 30-plus years of contraction in U.S. races, racing dates, and racetracks as an unfortunate, but necessary adjustment to a changing competitive environment. The Thoroughbred sport, presented to its best advantage, still retains its centuries-old ability to attract, engross, and thrill fans of all ages. The thrill lessens when racing overwhelms even its hardiest followers with too much inferior product. There are some signs that the pattern of downsizing may be within a furlong or two of a sustainable destination. As one favorable trend, take the relationship of the cost of training to the average annual earnings of American Thoroughbreds. In 1988, when racing's contraction was just underway, the average annual cost for keeping one horse in training was generally in the range of $25,000 to $30,000 on major racing circuits, and less so at other tracks. That same year, average racetrack earnings for Thoroughbreds was slightly above $8,000. By 2023, the average annual cost of training had doubled to $50,000 to $60,000 on major circuits, while the average earnings quadrupled to nearly $32,000. In other words, in 1988 racehorse owners could expect to recover on average about one-quarter of the annual costs of training a Thoroughbred. In the current day, owners can expect to recover a bit more than half, while waiting and hoping for the major winner that will cover past losses and take them to the promised land. This favorable trend has happened because available wagering has been concentrated on fewer horses competing in fewer races, enabling purses, supplemented by other forms of gambling, to rise faster than training costs. This pattern of focusing more revenue on fewer races stands to benefit the full range of participants in the industry. The downside is that sound economics in racing now support fewer stakeholders. The upside is that survivors have better chances to stay afloat, and perhaps prosper. Other favorable developments, now ingrained into racing's culture across the country, include ways to increase the sport's appeal to casual fans, and to offer something special to hard-core bettors. Kelso with Eddie Arcaro aboard wins the Brooklyn Handicap | Coglianese For casual fans, grouping a track's best races into special Saturday packages, maybe four or five weeks apart, sends an authentic signal that here is something that shouldn't be missed. Such efforts were never on the radar, nor were they necessary, in the long-ago days of Kelso. Today they have produced some success in increasing overall attendance and pari-mutuel handle. For the hard core, handicapping contests, leading to a national championship for top individual gamblers, provide a way for serious students of the game to test their skills against the best other players. Anyone who has witnessed the final rounds of these contests cannot doubt the intense interest at play. Why not tweak and expand this concept, albeit with lower stakes, to daily events at individual tracks, or combination of tracks? In another promising smaller-scale development, racing has benefitted from numerous partnerships that serve as points of entry to Thoroughbred ownership for casual fans. These owner-fans, particularly in micro-share partnerships, have at times turned out in substantial numbers and wagered enthusiastically enough to boost pari-mutuel pools and lower the odds on 'their' horses. Some also plunge heartily into the parties, hats, and let-the-good-times-roll side of major events. This stuff is irresistible to TV cameras and presents racing in its best light. Now that is good marketing. Elsewhere, there has never been a time in my decades of watching Thoroughbred racing when so many comments, criticisms, and ideas for change have bubbled into the national debate. Long gone are the see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil years of the past. Necessity has produced an array of conferences, forums, panel discussions, letters to editors, and summits, all seeking a better way forward. This kind of ferment can lead to a consensus behind workable ideas and opens doors to acceptance of long-needed change. So which racetracks are most likely to endure and prosper in coming years? Here is a checklist of factors that affect the chances of survival. 1) Sports Competition. How many other top-level professional sports are vying for fans in a track's local market? 2) Gambling Competition. How many casinos and other gambling outlets with no connection to racing exist in the same market? 3) Modern Facilities. How long has it been since a racetrack's physical facilities were updated? 4) Length of Season. Does a track's racing season have a beginning and an end, or is it forced to grind away for too many months through all manner of conditions, good and bad? 5) Real Estate Values. Has a track's real estate value risen to the point where only not-for-profit ownership can resist the chance to cash out? 6) Political Clout. Does horse racing have a productive relationship with its state government? Fixed odds wagering at Monmouth Park | Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO. Each of these six factors is important. The sixth may be the most important. Leaders of racing and breeding organizations deserve full credit in states where governments have come to view the sport as a public-private partnership aimed at saving a job-creating, greenspace-preserving industry. With that as a goal, states are more likely to channel proceeds from other forms of gambling into racing, and adopt tax policies that enable the sport to survive. The struggle does not end there. The continuing challenge is to ensure that racing is more than a ward of the state. To thrive, Thoroughbred horse racing must find ways to consistently offer a fan-friendly, bettor-friendly product in a people-friendly environment. Is that too much to ask? Thus ends the more serious portion of this commentary on racing's economic history and current state of affairs. Now, how about a long-shot suggestion for one way to approach the impending fate of Gulfstream Park. It would be especially useful at this moment if a “Coalition of the Willing” came together to build an investment fund intended, not as a charitable pursuit, but as a profit-making enterprise seeking an acceptable future for Florida racing. A good starting point, amid current property values in South Florida, might be raising (a modest) $50 million a year for five years. Any Coalition with a such a fund could approach Gulfstream's owners with a proposition like this: We'll invest our $50 million annually for five years for an equity position in the track, proportionate to its current real estate value. Then after five or 10 years, all parties will evaluate whether it makes financial sense to continue racing, or sell the property for whatever the market will bear. Turf blur at Gulfstream | Ryan Thompson Such a scheme would allow Gulfstream's owners to take some money off the table, while pondering what comes next. Any eventual sale of the property would also allow a Coalition to share in profits from further increases in property values. Maybe even enough to build a new, appropriately down-sized racetrack elsewhere in the state. That's a plan, but where would a Coalition find the money? Answer: By beginning with contributions from some of the nation's most prominent owners who race horses in the Florida sunshine. This would continue a long tradition of the sport's leading patrons playing key roles in owning racetracks. Think of Joseph E. Widener and Edward R. Bradley at Hialeah and August Belmont Jr. and William Collins Whitney at Belmont Park, in early decades of the 20th century. Following those titans, modern-day exemplars of turf should be good for at least $25 million a year in seed money, wouldn't you think? It is frequently said that the demise of Gulfstream would spread grief among numerous other sectors of the industry, including breeding farms and sales companies far beyond Florida. Why not ask those sectors to contribute their fair share to a rescue plan? The most consistent profit centers in the industry throughout the 21st century have been stallions with extraordinarily large books of mares, and auction companies whose revenue streams continue to flow, despite racing's decline. Now, for some back-of-the-envelope calculations. A plan that would ask stallion masters to contribute proceeds from one season for every 25 mares covered might generate $10-12 million a year. Asking sales companies to chip in one percent of their annual gross revenue could produce another $12-13 million. So, there's the Coalition's $50 million a year. Make no mistake, loss of Gulfstream and the South Florida market, either now or in five or 10 years, would damage the Thoroughbred industry. But it need not mean sudden death for all concerned. Florida has sizable tracts of rural real estate, not far north of mega-metropolitan Orlando and south of Ocala, say along I-75 not so many miles from The Villages' ever-growing retirement community. Has there ever been a more promising assemblage of existing and potential horse racing enthusiasts, with time on their hands? Derby longshot Mine That Bird | Sarah Andrew Any track in such a location could take advantage of the Ocala area's unmatched roster of training centers, thus reducing the need for on-track stables. Its leaders could also negotiate a division of racing dates with Tampa Bay Downs, providing for alternating meetings and avoiding endless drudgery at either track. The odds on this flight of fancy could be longer than a Derby parlay on Mine That Bird (Birdstone) and Rich Strike (Keen Ice). Hapless California might be completely off any odds board. For Florida, there may be a kernel here that could grow if nourished by the right leaders. The Thoroughbred industry has an outsized portion of dreamers, schemers, survivors, salespeople, risk-takers, and savvy investors. Now would be a good time for some of them to have a go at an investment plan like this. Or maybe they already have. –David L. Heckerman, 80, is a native of Southwestern Indiana and 1966 graduate of DePauw University. He spent most of his working years as a writer, editor, and columnist in the newspaper world, and, from 1980-2000, covering Thoroughbred auctions and the economics of racing and breeding at trade magazines based in Lexington, KY. Heckerman now lives in retirement in Evansville, IN and may be reached at davidheckerman@twc.com. The post Why We Are Where We Are, Part III: Blessed Are The Survivors appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The $750,000 GI E.P. Taylor Stakes has been added to the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series as an official “Win and You're In” race, according to a release from Woodbine Entertainment on Thursday morning. The new designation offers the winner an automatic, fees-paid berth into the $2 million GI Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf at the 2025 Breeders' Cup World Championships which is scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at Del Mar. This year, the E.P. Taylor Stakes will be run Aug. 16, sharing the stage with Woodbine's King's Plate. After construction is completed on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course in 2026, the race will move back to its spot on the September calendar, alongside Woodbine's three other Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races. “This is an exciting moment for Woodbine and Canadian racing,” said CEO of Woodbine Entertainment Michael Copeland. “The E.P. Taylor Stakes has long attracted top turf fillies and mares from around the world, and its inclusion in the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series further cements its status as a premier international event.” E. P. Taylor Stakes Woodbine – Groupe 1 – Femelles – 3 ans et plus – 2000m – 5 Pts – 900 000$ Full Count Felicia (Usa) Kazushi Kimura (War Front (Usa) @claibornefarm – Claire de Lune (Ire) par Galileo (Ire)) Kevin Attard @kevin_attard Gold… pic.twitter.com/EUPem67jln — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) September 14, 2024 The post GI E.P. Taylor Stakes At Woodbine Joins Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Fillies from the Aga Khan Studs claimed two of the European Classics last season and both will be covered this spring for the first time. The Oaks winner Ezeliya (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}) is in America to be covered by Justify, while Poules d'Essai des Pouliches victrix Rouhiya (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) will remain among the home team and is to visit Sea The Stars (Ire) at Gilltown Stud. Ezeliya's dam Eziyra (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) will return to Dubawi and Rondonia (Ire) (Raven's Pass), the dam of Rouhiya, who is currently in foal to Sea The Stars, is booked to Frankel (GB). The Juddmonte star is also the intended mate for the Aga Khan Studs' treble Group 1 winner Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal). An announcement of a selection of the operation's matings for 2025 also divulged that Tarnawa's half-sister, the four-time Group 1 winner Tahiyra (Ire) (Siyouni {Fr}), will be covered by Coolmore's Wootton Bassett (GB), while their dam Tarana (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) will visit Too Darn Hot (GB) at Darley's Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket after delivering a foal by Siyouni. Head of the list among stallions based in France, Siyouni is set to cover more than 20 of the Aga Khan Studs broodmare band. These include Azmiyna (Ire), dam of multiple Group 1 winner The Autumn Sun (Aus); Calayana (Ire), dam of Group 2 winner and dual Group 1 runner-up Calandagan (Ire); Group 2 winner Darkaniya (Fr), and Zarkala (Fr), a Frankel daughter of Zarkava (Fr). The maiden mare and Group 2 winner Hanalia (Ire) is also among Siyouni's mates for 2025 along with fellow maidens, Group 3 winner Sumiha (Ire) and stakes winner Ashiyma (Ire). As well as the aforementioned Rouhiya, Sea The Stars will also cover the Aga Khan mares Sicinya (Fr), a young half-sister to Siyouni, and Baiykara (Fr), a Group-winning daughter of Zarak (Fr). Zarak himself, who was second only to his own sire Dubawi by percentage of Group winners to runners in 2024, will cover 15 Aga Khan mares, including Ereviya (Fr), a three-parts sister to treble Group 1 winner Ervedya (Fr); Tasalka (Ire), a half-sister to the dam of multiple Group 1 winners Tarnawa and Tahiyra, and Etneya (Ire), a Group-placed half-sister to the dam of Classic heroine Ezeliya. Also on Zarak's list is the stakes winner and Group 1 runner-up Sagamiyra (Fr); Ebba (Fr), a winning half-sister to Ebaiyra, and Hanakiyya (Ire), the dam of three Group winners including Hanalia. Young Haras de Bonneval stallions Vadeni (Fr) and Erevann (Fr) both received strong support in their first seasons at stud in 2024 and that will continue this year. Erevann -©Zuzanna-Lupa-300x218.jpg" alt="" width="526" height="382" /> Haras de Bonneval | Zuzanna Lupa Vadeni's book will include Group 1 winner Ridasiyna (Fr), whose Churchill (Ire) three-year-old, Ridari (Fr), will make his seasonal debut in the G3 Prix de Fontainebleau. Vadeni will also cover Siyenica (Fr), a Stakes-winning, Group 2-placed half-sister to Siyouni who is already the dam of Group 1 winner Siyarafina (Fr); Dalma (Fr), a Dubawi daughter of G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Dalkala (Fr); Group 3 winner Rehana (Ire), and Kineta (Fr), a winning young mare from the family of High Chaparral (Ire). The G1 Dubai Sheema Classic winner Dolniya (Fr) is among Erevann's second book, along with G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine Vazira (Fr); Zarshana (Ire), a Group-winning half-sister to Zarkava; Group winner and producer Ebiyza (Ire), and Candara (Fr), dam of Group 2 winner Candarliya (Fr) and unbeaten stayer Candelari (Ire), who has recently foaled a Vadeni colt. The post Oaks Winner Ezeliya Visits Justify as Aga Khan Studs Announce Mating Plans appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Pacific Breeze has already showed he has the talent to match both his pedigree and his looks. The colt will bid to build on the encouraging start he has made to his career when he takes aim at Saturday’s Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham. Trained by Steven Cole at Byerley Park, the well-related son of North Pacific finished fourth at Te Aroha on debut before he ventured south to Waverley to open his wining account over 1200m. “He’s a well-bred horse who has showed plenty of ability so far so it’s quite exciting for us,” Cole said. “In his first start he was pretty unlucky when he struck interference and then, after picking himself up, flashed late to be in a photo for third. “Sam (Spratt, jockey) said if she had got the split, she was probably the winner.” Jonathan Riddell took the reins next time out and Pacific Breeze duly accounted for his stablemate Odds And Ends. “It was a good win and he obviously went away for the night and had a go left-handed, which was the reason for going down there and the horse of mine that ran second finished third the other day so there’s a bit of form there,” Cole said. Cole is also confident that Pacific Breeze will have no trouble mastering the step up in trip at Trentham. “When I spoke to Jonathan after the win, he definitely thought he would run the 1400m out strongly,” he said. “Obviously, with two-year-olds you never know how many will get it, but we are confident he will see the distance out and Jonathan will ride him again.” Pacific Breeze was originally passed in for $150,000 at Karaka when offered by Woburn Fam at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. “We liked him and ended up making a deal with Woburn so it’s a good result,” said Cole, whose father David races the colt. Pacific Breeze is the third winner for the Redoute’s Choice mare Auckland Beauty, whose dam Fritz’s Princess won the Gr.2 Shorts Handicap (1100m) and finished runner-up in the Gr.1 Winter Stakes (1400m) and third in the Gr.1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m). “He’s a big, dark black horse with plenty of size and scope about him so he has the looks to match the pedigree,” Cole said. “He’s going to be a better three-year-old, but he’s going the right way at the moment and definitely deserves his place there on Saturday.” Cole also has high hopes for consistent stablemate Chicago Jack in The Oaks Stud Handicap (1200m). “He’s going really well and has been plagued by bad barriers when he’s had to go back or do a bit of work to cross,” he said. “Het gets the one barrier on Saturday and has a very good rider with Michael McNab on, so it looks a nice race for him.” View the full article

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What Australian Cup Day 2025 Where Flemington Racecourse – Melbourne, Victoria When Saturday, March 29, 2025 First Race 12:15pm AEDT Visit Dabble For the final time this autumn, Group 1 racing heads to Flemington Racecourse on Saturday afternoon, where the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) headlines the 10-race program. Despite the slight chance of a shower forecast for race day, the surface is expected to remain a Good 4 throughout the meeting, with the rail returning to its true position the entire circuit. The first race is set to jump at 12:15pm AEDT. Race 1: TAB We’re On (1100m) Nunthorpe is set to resume from a six-month spell, and despite resuming at a distance short of her best, the mare’s brilliance will have her in this for a long way. The five-year-old mare will need a genuine tempo over the 1100m down the Flemington straight, but with Written Blight and Lovero set to run this at a genuine clip, the race sets up perfectly for Nunthorpe to unleash a strong turn of foot down the grandstand side of the straight. Selections: 4 NUNTHORPE 1 A LITTLE DEEP 2 BOSSY NIC 7 WRITTEN BLIGH Best Value Race 1 – #4 Nunthorpe (10) 5yo Mare | T: Peter Moody & Katherine Coleman | J: Linda Meech (54kg) Race 2: VOBIS Gold Plate (1400m) Prestige Ole was a strong Ballarat 1200m winner on March 7, and as the Ole Kirk juvenile steps up to the 1400m, he looks just as hard to hold out. The David Brideoake & Matt Jenkins-trained colt settled in the second half of the field on that day, but with a strong turn of foot, was able to overhail his rivals in the shadows of the winning post. He’s drawn perfectly in barrier two under Ben Allen, and with the run of the race and with a similar finish, Prestige Ole should prove too good once more. Selections: 1 PRESTIGE OLE 2 ZORB 7 POLISH PLAYGIRL 6 GRINZINGER TUNDRA Race 3: Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) Befuddle was only run down in the shadows of the winning post during The Showdown (1200m) last time out and looms as the one to beat in the 2025 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes. The two-year-old colt has drawn perfectly for a juvenile race down the straight, with most of these youngsters looking to find the inside rail in run as a bit of a guiding stick. Jye McNeil will have him bounding along out in front, and with race experience on his side, Befuddle will take some catching. Selections: 1 BEFUDDLE 3 EETEEDEE 2 EDEN ROSE 5 ENCHANTED BY Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes Race 3 – #1 Befuddle (1) 2yo Filly | T: John Sadler | J: Jye McNeil (56kg) Race 4: VOBIS Gold Reef (1600m) Storm Season could not have been any more impressive when breaking her maiden first-up from a spell at Pakenham on March 13 over 1400m. The three-year-old filly produced a stunning turn of foot inside the final 250m and made up plenty of ground when nabbing Comanche Miss on the line. The step up to the mile second-up looks ideal, and with the length of the Flemington straight to build through her gears, Storm Seaosn has the finishing burst to overhaul her rivals again. Selections: 9 STORM SEASON 1 NDOLA 2 ATHANATOS 4 CAVITY BAY Race 5: Curragh Handicap (1600m) In a race full of non-winners, Enxuto brings winning form to this 1600m affair, which could prove to be the difference. The five-year-old gelding launched late to run down Capper Thirtynine over 1400m last time out, with the win even more impressive considering he did not see clear air in the home straight until the 300m mark. Luke Currie will have the son of Lean Mean Machine midfield with cover once again, and with a similar finish, there is no reason why Enxuto cannot bring up a fourth straight win. Selections: 10 ENXUTO 11 HELLSING 2 NUGGET 1 MUNHAMEK Race 6: Listed ATA/Bob Hoysted Handicap (1000m) Oak Hill was breathtaking when winning the 55 Second Challenge Final (955m) at Moonee Valley on March 7, and based on his campaign so far, he only needs to handle the straight to be winning again. The son of Per Incanto didn’t see clear air until the final 50m last time out but launched late to grab Shirshov right on the line. With four wins from five starts to his name at the 1000m, he is clearly a distance specialist, and with plenty of speed engaged, Oak Hill will be flashing down the outside late and hopefully salute at a nice price with . Selections: 12 OAK HILL 9 MIDWEST 8 PISANELLO 1 OSCAR’S FORTUNE ATA/Bob Hoysted Handicap Race 6 – #12 Oak Hill (12) 4yo Gelding | T: Glen Thompson | J: Daniel Stackhouse (54kg) Race 7: Listed HKJC World Pool Sprint Classic (1100m) Alabama Lass will make her Australian debut in the $500,000 Listed HKJC World Pool Sprint Classic, and if she brings anything close to what she has produced in New Zealand, she will take some catching. With five wins and three second through eight career starts, the three-year-old filly comes to Flemington on the back of a 5.3 lengths romp in the Group 3 Kings Plate (1200m) when beating home Group 1 winner Crocetti. She will be doing as she pleases out in front, and as long as she handles the Flemington straight, her high-cruising speed should bring plenty of these undone. Selections: 6 ALABAMA LASS 13 AMELITA 1 FIRST SETTLER 15 VESTAS Next Best Race 7 – #6 Alabama Lass (4) 3yo Filly | T: Ken & Bev Kelso | J: Craig Williams (57kg) Race 8: Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m) Seven Group 1 winners are amongst the field for the 2025 Australian Cup, where Pride Of Jenni dominates the market with horse racing bookmakers. Can the front-running marvel add another win at the highest level? Or should punters be looking elsewhere in Saturday’s feature? Click here for our full preview of the 2025 Group 1 Australian Cup Race 9: Listed Roy Higgins (2600m) Win and you are in to the Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) later in the year, that is what Deakin will be chasing when he looks add a third win from his last two starts. The five-year-old gelding spaced his rivals by 5.5 lengths in the Listed Torney Night Cup (2500m) at Moonee Valley on February 21, and despite being five weeks between runs, he simply looks a class above his rivals in the staying feature of the day. Drawn in barrier three, Daniel Stackhouse will have the son of Australia settled up on speed, and when asked to quicken on the home turn, Deakin should be kicking clear of his rivals and booking a spot in the big race on the first Tuesday in November. Selections: 3 DEAKIN 7 GARACHICO 9 BERKSHIRE BREEZE 11 WALTHAM Best Bet Race 9 – #3 Deakin (3) 5yo Gelding | T: Phillip Stokes | J: Daniel Stackhouse (57kg) Race 10: Glorious Goodwood Handicap (1100m) The last event of the day is a “dartboard job” where a winning case could be made for five or six and runners and you could still be wrong. Sunset Dreaming gets the verdict first-up from a six-month spell following a nice trial in preperation for this when finishing a head off the classy Globe. The four-year-old mare has a win and a second from two fresh runs and brings some strong form lines to the closer from last spring. Jamie Melham with have her stalking the speed throughout, and as long as a gap appears at the right time, Sunset Dreaming will be fighting out the finish. Selections: 13 SUNSET DREAMING 8 WALLENDA 1 MYTEMPTATION 9 WOLFY Saturday quaddie tips for Flemington Flemington quadrella selections Saturday, March 29, 2025 1-6-13-15 4-6-7-8 3-7-9 1-8-9-12-13 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Pacific Breeze will contest Saturday’s Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Pacific Breeze has already shown he has the talent to match both his pedigree and his looks. The colt will bid to build on the encouraging start he has made to his career when he takes aim at Saturday’s Group 1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham. Trained by Steven Cole at Byerley Park, the well-related son of North Pacific finished fourth at Te Aroha on debut before he ventured south to Waverley to open his wining account over 1200m. “He’s a well-bred horse who has shown plenty of ability so far, so it’s quite exciting for us,” Cole said. “In his first start he was pretty unlucky when he struck interference and then, after picking himself up, flashed late to be in a photo for third. “Sam (Spratt, jockey) said if she had got the split, she was probably the winner.” Jonathan Riddell took the reins next time out, and Pacific Breeze duly accounted for his stablemate, Odds And Ends. “It was a good win, and he obviously went away for the night and had a go left-handed, which was the reason for going down there, and the horse of mine that ran second finished third the other day, so there’s a bit of form there,” Cole said. Cole is also confident that Pacific Breeze will have no trouble mastering the step up in trip at Trentham. “When I spoke to Jonathan after the win, he definitely thought he would run the 1400m out strongly,” he said. “Obviously, with two-year-olds, you never know how many will get it, but we are confident he will see the distance out and Jonathan will ride him again.” Pacific Breeze was originally passed in for $150,000 at Karaka when offered by Woburn Fam at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale. “We liked him and ended up making a deal with Woburn, so it’s a good result,” said Cole, whose father, David, races the colt. Pacific Breeze is the third winner for the Redoute’s Choice mare Auckland Beauty, whose dam, Fritz’s Princess, won the Group 2 Shorts Handicap (1100m) and finished runner-up in the Group 1 Winter Stakes (1400m) and third in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m). “He’s a big, dark black horse with plenty of size and scope about him, so he has the looks to match the pedigree,” Cole said. “He’s going to be a better three-year-old, but he’s going the right way at the moment and definitely deserves his place there on Saturday.” Cole also has high hopes for consistent stablemate Chicago Jack in the Oaks Stud Handicap (1200m). “He’s going really well and has been plagued by bad barriers when he’s had to go back or do a bit of work to cross,” he said. “Het gets the one barrier on Saturday and has a very good rider with Michael McNab on, so it looks like a nice race for him.” Horse racing news View the full article

Group One contender Too Sweet (outside) having an exhibition gallop with Bradman at Waverley. Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North) Central Districts filly Too Sweet was all the rage ahead of January’s $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), but now she seems to be the forgotten horse of the juvenile ranks, set to start as an outsider in Saturday’s Group 1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham. “I think she is the forgotten horse, she has drifted from $6 to about $21, so it’s incredible really,” trainer Roydon Bergerson said. “She is the only horse in the race that has beaten La Dorada, and she beat her fair and square in the Eclipse (Group 2, 1200m).” Purchased by part-owner Chris Rutten out of Phoenix Park’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 Yearling Sale draft for $50,000, Too Sweet began her career with a bang, winning on debut over 900m at Trentham and doubling her win tally two races later when taking out the Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. She started a $5 third favourite for the Karaka Millions 2YO but had a luckless run from her outside barrier and finished 11th. The taxing run told on the daughter of Satono Aladdin, who has enjoyed a freshen-up ahead of her first elite-level target this weekend. “It is a big ask, she hasn’t raced for a couple of months,” Bergerson said. “She had a tough run in the Karaka Millions, which wasn’t ideal. She got stuck back and stuck wide. She challenged on the turn, but she just had too much work to do. “She was a bit tired after the race. We were going to go to the Sistema (Group 1, 1200m) but it had just taken too much out of her, and we got her home and freshened her up. “She went out to Chris Rutten’s for a little bit of a break, and then she came back, and I gave her one gallop, and we took her to the Waipuk trials, where she just got beaten by Peter Didham’s filly (War Princess). “We gave her another couple of gallops, and she trialled against the older horses and went super the other day at Foxton and ended up on the fence in behind the leaders and didn’t let her head go at all. She galloped in between races at Waverley with Bradman (last week) and on a Heavy track she still ran home in 47, so it was good work. “She had her final hit-out and galloped really well on the course proper here (Awapuni) on Tuesday morning. “We did the same programme with Wolverine, and it nearly came off.” Too Sweet has been plagued by bad draws, and this weekend is no exception, with jockey Masa Hashizume having to overcome the outside barrier in the field of 13. “She has just been plagued by bad draws. She drew eight of eight in the Eclipse, she drew 14 of 14 in the Karaka Millions, and now she has drawn 13 of 13 in the Sires’,” Bergerson said. “We are just going to have to come up with some plan with Masa and see how the track plays. The track might be tired on the inside, so it might work to her advantage; we don’t know. We will probably know halfway through the day and where the speed is coming from. “It is going to be a really interesting race and a tidy field; there are a lot of chances.” Bergerson hasn’t ruled out an Australian campaign with his filly; however, he said Saturday will more than likely be her last run for the season. “This will probably be her grand final, but you never know,” he said. “If she comes out and bolts in you would have to look at something else, whether it be Sydney or Brisbane. You just have to leave that until after the race.” Earlier on the card, stablemate Bradman will be out to defend his crown in the Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Handicap (1400m). The seven-year-old gelding will be first-up and Bergerson is rapt with his condition. “He is coming up really well, I couldn’t be happier with him,” he said. “He has finally matured, it has taken him seven years, but he looks like a little weapon now. “He had a quiet trial the other day, just to get a bit more condition off him. He had an exhibition gallop as well last week at Waverley with Too Sweet just to get more fitness into his legs.” While pleased with his charge, Bergerson said he is hoping to see a bit of moisture about ahead of the weekend. “I was hoping for a bit of rain around for the race. I will just wait to see how firm the track comes up, if it’s too firm he probably won’t run,” he said. “He has got a really good jockey (Ryan Elliot) and a good draw (4), and if the fire is out of the track, he will run a cheeky race. “I think he is in for a really successful winter.” Stablemate Town Cryer will also be shooting for stakes success in the Group 2 City Of Palmerston North Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m) The seven-year-old daughter of Tavistock placed in the Group 1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) in her last outing at Trentham in January before posting two unplaced results at Ellerslie, and Bergerson is hoping a return to Trentham will be favourable for his mare. “I am very happy with her,” he said. “She hasn’t had much luck this season. She went very well the other day (seventh in Group 1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, 1600m), she kept coming to the line. In her last two starts at Auckland have both been really strong to the line. “We can’t wait to get her up over ground. We intended to go to the Bonecrusher (Group 1, 2000m) but she had a foot issue, and we missed the run in the Otaki-Maori race (Group 1, 1600m), hence why we stayed at the mile for the fillies and mares. “I think she is a really good, genuine chance.” Rounding out Bergerson’s Trentham representation will be Charlotte’s Way in the Herrick Perry Memorial 1400. “She is a drop back horse from 75 rating back to 65, so I thought I would give the owners a shot at $65,000, which is probably better than going around for $18,500,” Bergerson said. “She is a quirky mare, she has probably jumped 100 pony fences this week. Her work on Tuesday morning was tip-top on the course proper. “She has got a good jockey (Elliot) and a good draw (3), so hopefully she can put her hand up.” Horse racing news View the full article

Group One-winning trainer Andrew Campbell. Photo: Angelique Bridson Group One-winning trainer Andrew Campbell is set to return to the training ranks when he heads to Trentham on Saturday to line-up debutant Croupier in The Oaks Stud 1200. “It has been quite a few years now since I last had a runner, so it’s quite exciting,” Campbell said. “I love it (training) and doing nothing gets quite boring; there are only so many fish you can catch out this way.” The respected horseman transitioned into a career as a bloodstock agent three years ago; however, he didn’t find it to his liking, so at the start of the season, he elected to make a return to training. “I started doing a bit of bloodstock work, and we moved back down the line,” he said. “It wasn’t for me; you have to be a special person to sell horses, and it took me two or three years to work out that I didn’t enjoy it at all. “I love going to the yearling sales, but buying them off the track was too tough for me; I didn’t like it.” Formerly based in the Wairarapa and subsequently Cambridge, Campbell moved back to his home region after he ceased training but ultimately moved to the other side of the Tararua Range after falling in love with the Kapiti Coast. “We moved back to the Wairarapa, and it just wasn’t the same as it was when we left,” he said. “We came over to the Kapiti Coast for a holiday and fell in love with it and bought a lovely place in Peka Peka, which is 10 minutes down the road from the Otaki track (where Campbell now trains). “I have 10 boxes and 10 yards; that’s the maximum I am going to do. I have three in work at the moment, which is an even better number; I love it.” Campbell is enjoying being back training, and while he admits to missing Cambridge, he is pleased to be training out of Otaki. “I love Otaki, but I love Cambridge as well, it was good fun with great people, I enjoyed it up there,” he said. “This (Otaki) is like having your own private training track, it is very quiet, and they have great facilities.” Campbell experienced his biggest moments in racing training for prominent owner Tommy Heptinstall, and he has reunited with the real estate mogul and his group of owners. “I love the horses and I am mucking around now with a couple for Tommy (Heptinstall) and the boys, which is great, they are a good bunch,” Campbell said. The first runner to step out for the reunited group will be three-year-old gelding Croupier, who will make his debut at Trentham this weekend. Purchased out of Beaufort Downs’ 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by Heptinstall and Campbell for $160,000, the son of Ace High has yet to be bested in his jump-outs and trials, but Campbell said he faces a stiff task against some staunch opposition first-up. “He was down to run at Tauherenikau on Sunday, but they obviously canned it,” Campbell said. “We have got to a point where we have got to get him going. It is a bloody tough field on Saturday, with some really good horses in there. “We think he goes alright but it will be a big telling point on Saturday. It is hard to see him winning that race with the good horses in it at his first start, but he is not the worst chance. “He has had a couple of jump-outs, which he has won, and he won that (1000m) trial at Foxton reasonably well. He did a few things wrong, but he is one of those big, dopey horses that will only get better with time.” Campbell said Saturday’s performance will dictate the remainder of his preparation. “We haven’t worked out a plan as yet, but if he went super, we would head for the stars,” he said. Campbell and Heptinstall were active at the Karaka yearling sales earlier this year, and Campbell is excited about the prospects of his young team. “We bought five at the sales this year and I have got a couple out spelling,” he said. “We will have 10 horses to work with, which is a great number.” Croupier has been installed a $12 winning chance for Saturday by TAB bookmakers behind Group Three performer I’m All In ($2.50) and stakes winner Super Photon ($2.60). Horse racing news View the full article

What Alice Springs Races Where Pioneer Park Racecourse – Stuart Highway, Connellan NT 0870 When Saturday, March 29, 2025 First Race 2:01pm ACST Visit Dabble Day 3 of the Alice Springs Cup Carnival is the last chance to impress before the $110,000 Alice Springs Cup (2000m) and $100,000 Pioneer Sprint (1200m) next weekend. The middle-distance runners square off over 1600m, and the sprinters clash over 1200m at weight-for-age level. A total of 66 runners have accepted for the seven-event program. The heatwave conditions have passed, with light showers gracing the Red Centre and come Saturday the forecast is for sunny weather and a top temperature of 28C. It will be a good dirt surface and the rail will once again be in the true position. Chief Minister’s Cup tip: Hasseltoff Hasseltoff has impressed since arriving from Adelaide with two wins over 1600m in five-horse fields. Lumping 61kg, the eight-year-old gelding was a $2.60 second favourite on February 22 before hitting the front at the 1100m and sealing a comfortable win. Next start on March 8, the son of Toorak Toff – a $1.55 favourite with horse racing bookmakers – hit the front at the home turn before saluting by 5.8 lengths and breaking the track record (1.32.68). Hasseltoff won three of his last four starts in SA before heading to the Red Centre, and if he is anywhere near his best, he should be winning. Chief Minister’s Cup Race 7 – #5 Hasseltoff (5) 8yo Gelding | T: Dick Leech | J: Hannah Le Blanc (59kg) Best Bet at Alice Springs: Grinzinger Lass Second in last Saturday’s NT Guineas (1600m), Grinzinger Lass – with an extra 1.5kg this week – faces fellow three-year-olds yet again in a race that has attracted five starters. It wasn’t smooth sailing for the filly in the Guineas, where she failed to settle at the 1200m before striking trouble at the home turn. The daughter of Shalaa finished 1.3 lengths adrift of the fast-finishing The Men Went Home. A close second over 1200m on February 22 was followed by a convincing win over 1400m on March 8, and with better racing manners, Grinzinger Lass will take some beating. Best Bet Race 2 – #2 Grinzinger Lass (5) 3yo Filly | T: Ray Viney | J: Brendon Newport (57kg) Best Value at Alice Springs: Black Zous Black Zous is due after four straight seconds from 1100-1400m. The son of Zoustar was far from disgraced each time, as Zesty Spice, Hellivit, Altar Boy and Pompeii Empire are decent opposition. The six-year-old gelding disappointed during last year’s Darwin Carnival before posting two seconds at Kununurra in August. Black Zous saluted over 1000m in December and was third over 1200m in January before his current run of seconds. Black Zous opened at $9.50 with horse racing betting sites, which looks like great value if he brings his A-game. Best Value Race 4 – #4 Black Zous (6) 6yo Gelding | T: Kerry Petrick | J: Paul Denton (59.5kg) Saturday Alice Springs quaddie tips – 29/3/2025 Alice Springs quadrella selections Saturday, March 29, 2025 1-3-4-6-7 2-3-6 2-5-6 4-5-6 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Just over a year after joining Yulong Investments, Vin Cox has announced that he is set to depart the operation following differences in opinion on strategic direction and values. Cox took over as General Manager, overseeing all global operations for Yuesheng Zhang's Yulong outfit from mid-November, 2023. However, the former Managing Director of Godolphin Australia released a statement on Thursday stating that he had handed in his six-months' notice. “I want to thank the exceptional team and clients I have had the privilege to work with. I do not want to make any further comment,” the statement read. The news comes after Yulong announced it had acquired Dullingham Park stallions Shaquille and Soldier's Call less than a fortnight ago. However, while Yulong stated it had secured a deal for the stallions that used to stand under Steve Parkin's Clipper Logistics banner, the operation's European representative Paul Curran declined to comment on whether Yulong had bought Dullingham Park Stud. Meanwhile in Australia, Cox has seen Yulong become a powerhouse operation in the racing and breeding ranks. Yulong's rise to the top has been sugarcoated by Via Sistina's Cox Plate triumph in 2024. Under Cox's guidance, Yulong sourced the eight-time Group 1 winner at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale for 2.7 million gns shortly after he joined the team in 2023. When appointing Cox, Yuesheng Zhang said, “Vin's impeccable track record and vast experience in bloodstock make him an invaluable addition to lead Yulong. We are excited about the new chapter this heralds for our operations. Together, we aim to solidify our position as a leading player in the global industry.” The Chinese billionaire is yet to release a statement on Cox's departure. The post Shockwaves Down Under As Vin Cox Announces He Is To Leave Yulong appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Back from seven weeks on the sidelines with a fractured toe, the seven-time champion jockey jumps aboard the talented galloper for the first time.View the full article

War Princess will contest Saturday’s Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). Photo: Jack McKenzie (Race Images Palmerston North) Peter Didham and his owners can take a good deal of satisfaction from their dual representation in Saturday’s feature event at Trentham, regardless of the outcome. The Awapuni trainer and connections have the unbeaten War Princess and the promising Shameless Star to do battle in the Group 1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). The stablemates were purchased as early prospects, and for both to be competing at the elite level this weekend is a sound reflection on the selection process. “I’ve got a great bunch of owners, and we got together and identified that Entain had put some decent stake money up,” Didham said. “We went and bought a couple of horses that we hoped would make two- and three-year-olds, and now we’ve got two runners in the Sires’ Produce, so we’re really excited.” The fillies are raced by Ian Middleton’s Exempt Bloodstock and Chelsea Connections Ltd, also Auckland-based, with Palmerston North couple Brendon and Debbie Hart. A daughter of U S Navy Flag, War Princess was secured for $77,500 out of Haunui Farm’s draft at New Zealand Bloodstocks National Yearling Sale while Shameless Star was offered by Woburn Farm and bought for $55,000. War Princess goes into the Sires’ Produce with the form on the board following two comfortable front-running victories. “I’m really happy with her and she galloped 1000m here (on Tuesday) on the new grass track and I thought she was excellent,” Didham said. “It’s a huge jump from winning at Tauherenikau and Wanganui to taking on a big 1400m at Wellington. “It’s only her third run and there’s a question whether she’s seasoned enough, but she deserves a go. War Princess is a half-sister to juvenile winner and Karaka Millions placegetter Appellant. “She’s a funny horse, she’s not brilliant on the track but she won a jump-out, a trial and a race and then a trial and another race,” Didham said. “She has just kept finding each time, so we haven’t really tested her too much to know what we’ve got. She is an easy-going filly and good to train, she’s lovely.” Shamexpress youngster Shameless Star, from the family of Group 1 Otaki Maori WFA Stakes (1400m) winner Star Satire, has finished fourth in both of her outings. “She’s my favourite horse in the stable, but she’s probably a year away, and I think you will see her running around in some nice three-year-old fillies’ races,” Didham said. “She is just a bit lighter, and the experience will do her good. “I don’t think she will be far away, but I think her time will come next season.” Didham will also be represented in the Group 2 Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m) by the enigmatic Savabeel mare Manifique. “She is a frustrating horse and seems to go a ripper of a race and then a very average one and then another ripper,” Didham said. “I’ve just been battling this year to get on top of why she’s not performing like she can, she’s not far off it and her work has been great. “The vet has been over her two or three times and we can’t find anything, she’s had everything x-rayed and her teeth done, so hopefully we will have the real Manifique on Saturday.” Horse racing news View the full article

La Dorada will contest Saturday’s Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images) Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson will present nearly a third of the field in Saturday’s Group 1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), vying for a seventh title in the last eight years with their all-conquering juveniles. Te Akau’s glamour girl Melody Belle commenced their string of dominance in the $550,000 feature back in 2017, with the likes of Avantage and On The Bubbles taking the crown in the following years. Each of that trio also was victorious in the $1 million Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), a feat completed this year by Sires’ Produce favourite La Dorada. The Super Seth filly backed up her Millions performance swiftly when taking out the Group 2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), and as a leading hope in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) earlier this month, she was ruled out on race morning with a spiked temperature. On the back foot, Walker and Bergerson have taken an alternative route with La Dorada but are confident she is ready to take on the elite-level feature at Trentham. “We’re playing a bit of catch up now, she’s had two exhibition gallops at Tauranga and again at Matamata last Sunday to keep her up to the mark,” Bergerson said. “She’s had a bit of time between runs and up to 1400m is the query, but she’s very bright and well at home now. Thankfully, she bounced through that spiked temperature after a couple of days and we think we’ve got her on track.” La Dorada is the current market leader at $2.50, with her less-experienced stablemate Hostility next at $10. Hostility, a $1.65 million son of I Am Invincible, narrowly missed winning his debut, going down to Tajana at Matamata. “I was proud of his effort… the winner is a pretty nice horse and it’s a good form line heading into Saturday,” said Bergerson. He’s improved from the raceday experience and worked well at Matamata with Born To Be Royal. “He’s obviously got the least experience of the field, but we think he’s talented enough to be a strong each-way chance.” Born To Be Royal, third behind La Dorada at Matamata, is considered a promising filly. “She doesn’t carry a lot of condition… but she’s a real horse for the future and we think the big, roomy track at Trentham will really suit her, as well as the step up to 1400m.” To Bravery Born, who placed third in the Matamata Slipper, completes the Te Akau quartet. “He was very fresh without a lead-up before the Karaka Million… we’ve kept him fresh for Saturday. He’s done very well at home… He probably needs to improve off the Slipper effort, but he’s very bright at home.” Walker and Bergerson tailor each horse’s prep individually. “They’re all coming from different form-lines… we think they are going there in tip-top order.” Horse racing news View the full article

Leading into the 2025 breeding season we reflect on the volume of mares covered by a stallion with 10+ mares in 2024. View the full article

Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) may not be mentioned in the same breath as some of Chris Waller’s champions past and present, but the mare is far from a spent force on the racetrack. The seven-year-old will be chasing a third Group 1 win at Flemington and her fourth in total when she lines up in the Australian Cup at Flemington on Saturday. The same age as Pride Of Jenni and Deny Knowledge who have both improved as they have aged, Atishu also fits into that category. Atishu registered her third Group 1 win last spring when successful in the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) at Flemington before chasing home her stablemate Via Sistina in the Champions Stakes (2000m) a week later. A year prior, Atishu has finished second in the Empire Rose before winning the Champions Stakes. With two runs under the belt this campaign, her latest being a closing fifth in the Group 1 All-Star Mile (1600m) on March 8, Waller’s assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth said Atishu would relish the extra trip on Saturday. “Her runs have been good and it’s well documented that she gets better the deeper she gets into a preparation,” Duckworth said. “She always carries plenty of condition and her best runs are usually on the quick back-up. “She’s coming here off the back of a three-week gap, so we’ve made a conscious effort that she’s trimmed up a little bit fitter and a little bit lighter and not carrying as much condition as she does so well between runs.” The All-Star Mile was run at a slow tempo with the pace increasing from the home turn, which did not suit Atishu who was outsprinted. However, the mare did work to the line solidly to finish fifth, just under three-and-a-half lengths from the winner Tom Kitten. Duckworth expects Saturday’s contest, with Pride Of Jenni and Deny Knowledge engaged, to be run more truly which may assist the Waller-trained mare. “In terms of race shape, she’s instantly in the back-half, regardless of Pride Of Jenni and Deny Knowledge being in there,” Duckworth said. “But the hot tempo should allow her to cruise into it and she loves Flemington, so there’s a lot to like about it, but it’s a seriously good Group 1 contest.” Duckworth said the stable was keeping an open mind as to where Atishu may head following Saturday’s outing. The Group 1 Queen Of The Turf (1600m) at Randwick on April 12, a race Atishu won in 2023, is a possibility, as is the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on the same day. “If she was to beat them all on Saturday, there’s no reason why she can’t go into the Queen Elizabeth,” Duckworth said. “But we’ll get through Saturday and then work out where we head.” View the full article

Central Districts filly Too Sweet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) was all the rage ahead of January’s Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), but now she seems to be the forgotten horse of the juvenile ranks, set to start as an outsider in Saturday’s Gr.1 Courtesy Ford Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Trentham. “I think she is the forgotten horse, she has drifted from $6 to about $21, so it’s incredible really,” trainer Roydon Bergerson said. “She is the only horse in the race that has beaten La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth), and she beat her fair and square in the Eclipse (Gr.2, 1200m).” Purchased by part-owner Chris Rutten out of Phoenix Park’s 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 Yearling Sale draft for $50,000, Too Sweet began her career with a bang, winning on debut over 900m at Trentham, and doubled her win tally two races later when taking out the Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. She started a $5 third favourite for the Karaka Millions 2YO but had a luckless run from her outside barrier and finished 11th. The taxing run told on the daughter of Satono Aladdin, who has enjoyed a freshen-up ahead of her first elite-level target this weekend. “It is a big ask, she hasn’t raced for a couple of months,” Bergerson said. “She had a tough run in the Karaka Millions, which wasn’t ideal. She got stuck back and stuck wide. She challenged on the turn, but she just had too much work to do. “She was a bit tired after the race. We were going to go to the Sistema (Gr.1, 1200m) but it had just taken too much out of her and we got her home and freshened her up. “She went out to Chris Rutten’s for a little bit of a break and then she came back, and I gave her one gallop and we took her to the Waipuk trials were she just got beaten by Peter Didham’s filly (War Princess). “We gave her another couple of gallops and she trialled against the older horses and went super the other day at Foxton and ended up on the fence in behind the leaders, and didn’t let her head go at all. She galloped in-between races at Waverley with Bradman (NZ) (Pins) (last week) and on a Heavy track she still ran home in 47, so it was good work. “She had her final hit-out and galloped really well on the course proper here (Awapuni) on Tuesday morning. “We did the same programme with Wolverine and it nearly came off.” Too Sweet has been plagued by bad draws, and this weekend is no exception, with jockey Masa Hashizume having to overcome the outside barrier in the field of 13. “She has just been plagued by bad draws. She drew eight of eight in the Eclipse, she drew 14 of 14 in the Karaka Millions, and now she has drawn 13 of 13 in the Sires’,” Bergerson said. “We are just going to have to come up with some plan with Masa and see how the track plays. The track might be tired on the inside so it might work to her advantage, we don’t know. We will probably know halfway through the day and where the speed is coming from. “It is going to be a really interesting race and a tidy field, there are a lot of chances.” Bergerson hasn’t ruled out an Australian campaign with his filly, however, he said Saturday will more than likely be her last run for the season. “This will probably be her grand final, but you never know,” he said. “If she comes out and bolts in you would have to look at something else, whether it be Sydney or Brisbane. You just have to leave that until after the race.” Earlier on the card, stablemate Bradman will be out to defend his crown in the Listed Bramco Granite & Marble Flying Handicap (1400m). The seven-year-old gelding will be first-up and Bergerson is rapt with his condition. “He is coming up really well, I couldn’t be happier with him,” he said. “He has finally matured, it has taken him seven years, but he looks like a little weapon now. “He had a quiet trial the other day, just to get a bit more condition off him. He had an exhibition gallop as well last week at Waverley with Too Sweet just to get more fitness into his legs.” While pleased with his charge, Bergerson said he is hoping to see a bit of moisture about ahead of the weekend. “I was hoping for a bit of rain around for the race. I will just wait to see how firm the track comes up, if it’s too firm he probably won’t run,” he said. “He has got a really good jockey (Ryan Elliot) and a good draw (4), and if the fire is out of the track, he will run a cheeky race. “I think he is in for a really successful winter.” Stablemate Town Cryer will also be shooting for stakes success in the Gr.2 City Of Palmerston North Awapuni Gold Cup (2100m The seven-year-old daughter of Tavistock (NZ) (Tavistock) placed in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile (1600m) in her last outing at Trentham in January before posting two unplaced results at Ellerslie, and Bergerson is hoping a return to Trentham will be favourable for his mare. “I am very happy with her,” he said. “She hasn’t had much luck this season. She went very well the other day (seventh in Gr.1 New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, 1600m), she kept coming to the line. In her last two starts at Auckland have both been really strong to the line. “We can’t wait to get her up over ground. We intended to go to the Bonecrusher (Gr.1, 2000m) but she had a foot issue, and we missed the run in the Otaki-Maori race (Gr.1, 1600m), hence why we stayed at the mile for the fillies and mares. “I think she is a really good, genuine chance.” Rounding out Bergerson’s Trentham representation will be Charlotte’s Way (NZ) (Pentire) in the Herrick Perry Memorial 1400. “She is a drop back horse from 75 rating back to 65, so I thought I would give the owners a shot at $65,000, which is probably better than going around for $18,500,” Bergerson said. “She is a quirky mare, she has probably jumped 100 pony fences this week. Her work on Tuesday morning was tip-top on the course proper. “She has got a good jockey (Elliot) and a good draw (3), so hopefully she can put her hand up.” View the full article

Classy New Zealand filly Alabama Lass has conquered racing right and left-handed, now she must take to straight racing at her Australian debut. Alabama Lass has arrived in Melbourne to contest the Listed HKJC World Pool Sprint Classic (1200m) at Flemington on Saturday after showing her ability in New Zealand. Trainers Ken and Bev Kelso are no strangers to travelling horses to Australia having won the Group 1 Australian Guineas in 2023 with Legarto (NZ) (Prosir) while stablemate Levante (NZ) (Proisir) was also productive on an earlier excursion to Flemington. Alabama Lass has won five of her eight starts to date, finishing second on three occasions, two of which were in Group 1 contests, a cause of frustration for Ken Kelso. He said wet tracks had played a hand in bringing about Alabama Lass’ downfall, firstly in the Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton and then in the Railway Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. “We stretched her out to a mile at Riccarton and she’ll probably never go another mile in her life, but we did that as it’s the only Group 1 three-year-old fillies race in New Zealand,” Kelso said. “Unfortunately, it rained quite a bit in the morning, and it was slow by the time she raced. “Then in the Railway, we were a bit unlucky. It stayed fine all through Karaka Day and then the rain came about an hour before our race. “She was very brave on both of those rain affected tracks. She deserved to fold up in the Guineas over a mile, but she kept on going and if she had not met those, she may have well been unbeaten as a three-year-old.” Alabama Lass returned to form with an imposing victory in the Group 3 King’s Plate (1200m) at Ellerslie on March 8 where she turned the tables on Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto) from their meeting in the Railway Stakes. Crocetti was on Wednesday announced as Entain New Zealand’s representative in the $4 million slot race The Quokka (1200m) at Ascot next month. “She won impressively that day,” Kelso said. “Luckily, we got a good track, and she won well, so after that we’ve decided to roll the dice and have a go at Flemington.” Kelso admits it will be a different test on Saturday, racing down the straight for the first time. But the Kelso’s are leaving nothing to chance, engaging Craig Williams for the ride. “She has to adapt to the straight,” Kelso said. “It’s a different scenario, so that is why we’ve elected to go with an Australian jockey in Craig Williams as he knows how to ride the straight. “She doesn’t have to lead. Earlier, if something had taken her on, she was able to take a sit. She’s pretty tractable, she’s not a mad tearaway that has to lead from the front.” View the full article

Leading into the 2025 breeding season we reflect on the volume of mares covered by a stallion with 10+ mares in 2024. View the full article

The decision to back-up Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock) in the Neville Sellwood Stakes is part of a bigger campaign picture as Joe Pride looks to give his star galloper the best possible grounding for his ultimate goal. Having identified the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) as the race they want to win, Pride says Saturday’s Rosehill assignment is the logical next step. “This just looked like the obvious race,” Pride said. “The Doncaster (Mile) was also on the cards but the only trouble with the Doncaster is it would mean him backing up into the Queen Elizabeth. “The decision that I’ve had to make is, what race do we think we’re the best chance of winning? And I’ve come up with the Queen Elziabeth. To do that, giving him two weeks into it is the smart play.” Pride was forced into a campaign pivot when Ceolwulf suffered a leg abrasion that ruled him out of a scheduled clash with Via Sistina in the Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m). It necessitated bringing him back in distance to 1300m for the Canterbury Stakes where Ceolwulf finished an encouraging fifth, before an outstanding and narrow third behind Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto) and Fangirl in last weekend’s George Ryder Stakes (1600m). “Because we missed a run, I was left back tracking a little bit and having to give him a (Canterbury Stakes) run that didn’t really matter, but that he had to have,” Pride said. “After last Saturday, I think the horse is very much back on track.” Pride will also have a strong hand in the Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) with Coal Crusher, Mazu and Dragonstone. All three are genuine Group-class sprinters on their day but having scratched Mazu from The Galaxy last week, he is warming to the gelding as his top seed. “I would think it is Mazu’s best opportunity this preparation,” Pride said. “Coal Crusher is probably still a run away. “You could say Dragonstone was disappointing last week (in The Galaxy) but he drew a bad barrier on a hard track. He’s got a soft draw this week, probably a wet track and he is a good back-up horse.” View the full article

Group One-winning trainer Andrew Campbell is set to return to the training ranks when he heads to Trentham on Saturday to line-up debutant Croupier (NZ) (Ace High) in The Oaks Stud 1200. “It has been quite a few years now since I last had a runner, so it’s quite exciting,” Campbell said. “I love it (training) and doing nothing gets quite boring, there are only so many fish you can catch out this way.” The respected horseman transitioned into a career as a bloodstock agent three years ago, however, he didn’t find it to his liking, so at the start of the season elected to make a return to training. “I started doing a bit of bloodstock work and we moved back down the line,” he said. “It wasn’t for me, you have got to be a special person to sell horses and it took me two or three years to work out that I didn’t enjoy it at all. “I love going to the yearling sales but buying them off the track was too tough for me, I didn’t like it.” Formerly based in the Wairarapa, and subsequently Cambridge, Campbell moved back to his home region after he ceased training but ultimately moved to the other side of the Tararua Range after falling in love with the Kapiti Coast. “We moved back to the Wairarapa and it just wasn’t the same as it was when we left,” he said. “We came over to the Kapiti Coast for a holiday and fell in love with it and bought a lovely place in Peka Peka, which is 10 minutes down the road from the Otaki track (where Campbell now trains). “I have got 10 boxes and 10 yards, that’s the maximum I am going to do. I have got three in work at the moment, which is an even better number, I love it.” Campbell is enjoying being back training, and while he admits to missing Cambridge, he is pleased to be training out of Otaki. “I love Otaki, but I love Cambridge as well, it was good fun with great people, I enjoyed it up there,” he said. “This (Otaki) is like having your own private training track, it is very quiet, and they have great facilities.” Campbell experienced his biggest moments in racing training for prominent owner Tommy Heptinstall, and he has reunited with the real estate mogul and his group of owners. “I love the horses and I am mucking around now with a couple for Tommy (Heptinstall) and the boys, which is great, they are a good bunch,” Campbell said. The first runner to step out for the reunited group will be three-year-old gelding Croupier, who will make his debut at Trentham this weekend. Purchased out of Beaufort Downs’ 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 1 Yearling Sale draft by Heptinstall and Campbell for $160,000, the son of Ace High has yet to be bested in his jump-outs and trials, but Campbell said he faces a stiff task against some staunch opposition first-up. “He was down to run at Tauherenikau on Sunday, but they obviously canned it,” Campbell said. “We have got to a point where we have got to get him going. It is a bloody tough field on Saturday, with some really good horses in there. “We think he goes alright but it will be a big telling point on Saturday. It is hard to see him winning that race with the good horses in it at his first start, but he is not the worst chance. “He has had a couple of jump-outs, which he has won, and he won that (1000m) trial at Foxton reasonably well. He did a few things wrong, but he is one of those big, dopey horses that will only get better with time.” Campbell said Saturday’s performance will dictate the remainder of his preparation. “We haven’t worked out a plan as yet, but if he went super, we would head for the stars,” he said. Campbell and Heptinstall were active at the Karaka yearling sales earlier this year, and Campbell is excited about the prospects of his young team. “We bought five at the sales this year and I have got a couple out spelling,” he said. “We will have 10 horses to work with, which is a great number.” Croupier has been installed a $12 winning chance for Saturday by TAB bookmakers behind Group Three performer I’m All In ($2.50) and stakes winner Super Photon ($2.60). View the full article

Gosford cancelled due to safety concerns. The Gosford Race Club‘s meeting on Thursday, March 27, 2025, was abandoned after Race 4 due to safety concerns. The decision followed an incident where a horse slipped on the home turn during the fourth race. Subsequently, stewards and senior riders conducted a track inspection and deemed the surface unsafe for further racing, leading to the cancellation of the remaining events. The day’s schedule, known as the Master Builders Association Race Day, was set to feature an eight-race card. The meeting commenced under fine weather conditions, with the track initially rated as a Soft 5. However, following Race 1, the track was downgraded to a Soft 6 at 2:00 PM. Horse racing news View the full article

What Ascot races Where Ascot Racecourse – 71 Grandstand Rd, Ascot WA 6104 When Saturday, March 29, 2025 First Race 12:29pm AWST Visit Dabble The Supremacy Stakes and Rock Magic Stakes will headline the nine-race card at Ascot on Saturday afternoon. The track is expected to remain in the Good range after being rated as a Good 4 at the time of acceptances. The rail will be pushed out to the +5m position for the entire circuit, with the first race set to jump at 12:29pm AWST. Supremacy Stakes tip: Yes Queen Yes Queen was quickly put away after claiming a dominant victory on debut at this track and trip, and she will return from an 18-week spell in the Supremacy Stakes. The Dion Luciani-trained filly has been given two barrier trials in readiness for this first-up start, where she was victorious in both. From barrier eight, William Pike will push forward and find the front, and if she gets there easily, they will struggle to run down the odds-on favourite with BlondeBet. Supremacy Stakes Race 7 – #1 Yes Queen (8) 2yo Filly | T: Dion Luciani | J: William Pike (56.5kg) Rock Magic Stakes tip: Jokers Grin Jokers Grin was very good last preparation, recording two wins and a second from three starts, and off those performances, he has earned a crack at Stakes grade. The Bernie Miller-trained gelding possesses a blistering turn of foot, and his barrier trials showed that he has returned in fine form. If Patrick Carbery can settle Jokers Grin off the fence and stay out of trouble, he will be storming home in the concluding stages. Rock Magic Stakes Race 8 – #10 Jokers Grin (8) 4yo Gelding | T: Bernie Miller | J: Patrick Carbery (55kg) Best Bet at Ascot: Trio William Pike will be seeking his first win aboard Trio after the Grant & Alana Williams-trained gelding flew home from the back of the field to finish second over 1400m. Pike has ridden the son of Maschino three times for two placings, and after getting so close over a shorter trip last start, look for him to give this guy every chance to go one better. Now that he rises to 1600m and strikes a race with good speed, Trio just needs to maintain his form to win. Best Bet Race 9 – #15 Trio (9) 4yo Gelding | T: Grant & Alana Williams | J: William Pike (54kg) Next Best at Ascot: Amaroo Star Amaroo Star recorded back-to-back wins at this track and trip on March 19, as the Simon Miller-trained gelding made the step up from Maiden grade to open-age company. Lucy Fiore allowed the son of Sessions to settle three-wide outside the leaders before taking over early in the home straight to run away with victory. From barrier three, Fiore can settle Amaroo Star behind the leaders and attempt to replicate her winning ride from last start. Next Best Race 2 – #6 Amaroo Star (3) 3yo Gelding | T: Simon Miller | J: Lucy Fiore (56kg) Saturday quaddie tips for Ascot races Ascot quadrella selections Saturday, March 29, 2025 4-6-8-11 1-5-6 1-2-10 2-4-15 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

Treasurethe Moment is the dominant favourite in the 2025 Vinery Stud Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday, with Matt Laurie‘s filly aiming for her seventh consecutive victory. The VRC Oaks champion has maintained her impressive form this autumn, securing back-to-back Group 2 wins leading up to the $750,000 Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) on Tancred […] The post Treasurethe Moment Dominates 2025 Vinery Stud Stakes Field & Odds appeared first on HorseRacing.com.au. View the full article

What Tancred Stakes Day 2025 Where Rosehill Gardens Racecourse When Saturday, March 29, 2025 First Race 12:30pm AEDT Visit Dabble Group 1 action returns to Rosehill Gardens on Saturday afternoon for a third consecutive weekend, with the Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) and Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) sharing top billing on a massive 10-part program. The rail moves out +6m the entire circuit this time around, and with the track rated a Soft 5 at the time of acceptances, and more significant rainfall forecast in the lead-up, punters can expect a genuine Heavy deck come race-day. 2025 Tancred Stakes Day is scheduled to get underway at 12:30pm local time. Race 1: BM72 Midway Handicap (1300m) Mahogany Girl goes in search of a hat-trick of wins in the opening event and represents good each-way value with horse racing bookmakers. The six-year-old mare has been sensational in her two wins this time in and particularly caught the eye in her latest effort at Hawkesbury on March 8, fending off the late challenge of Well Timed as she made every post a winner. She looks to be a new horse this preparation, and although she must lug 60.5kg to victory, Mahogany Girl only needs to hold her form to be fighting out the finish in the opener. Selections: 1 MAHOGANY GIRL 7 GLOUNTHUANE 3 SUPER BRIGHT 4 SO GOOD SO COOL Race 2: Group 3 Baillieu (1400m) The Group 3 Baillieu (1400m) is restricted for the two-year-olds, where the Brad Widdup-trained Savvy Hallie gets the verdict at a good price with . The daughter of Hellbent is winless heading into start three but has had clear excuses to kick-off the campaign, bombing the start in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) before surging in the final furlong to get within 4.3 lengths of Tempted. The same form produced the 2025 Golden Slipper winner, Marhoona, and with Savvy Hallie set to relish stepping out to 1400m, watch for her to be flashing over the top in the Baillieu. Selections: 10 SAVVY HALLIE 2 NEPOTISM 5 TUPAKARA 3 SANCTIFIED Baillieu Race 2 – #10 Savvy Hallie (5) 2yo Filly | T: Brad Widdup | J: Jay Ford (54kg) Race 3: Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) The Group 2 Tulloch Stakes (2000m) will help shape the Group 1 ATC Derby (2400m) picture as the Tony Pike-trained Golden Century makes the trip across the Tasman. The son of Pierro was far from disgraced in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m) at Ellerslie on March 8, closing to within 2.5 lengths of Willydoit in what turned out to be a slowly run affair. The sting out of the ground only bolsters his chances leading into the weekend, and with a few of these key rivals questionable over the 2000m, Golden Century should have no issues outstaying them in the testing conditions. Selections: 2 GOLDEN CENTURY 5 CONFETTI GARDEN 4 KING OF THUNDER 3 MUSTANG MORGAN Tulloch Stakes Race 3 – #2 Golden Century (11) 3yo Gelding | T: Tony Pike | J: Nash Rawiller (56kg) Race 4: Group 2 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) Ceolwulf looks supremely placed in the Group 2 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2000m) on the one-week backup. He closed into third in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m) last Saturday, with only Gringotts and Fangirl getting the upper hand in a slowly run race. The son of Tavistock should be peaking fourth-up over the 2000m, and if the Joseph Pride-trained gelding wants to be considered a major player in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) against the likes of Via Sistina, Ceolwulf must put this lot away and justify the short price. Selections: 1 CEOLWULF 14 OUR GOLD HOPE 6 POST IMPRESSIONIST 4 ZARAKEM Next Best Race 4 – #1 Ceolwulf (10) 4yo Gelding | T: Joseph Pride | J: Chad Schofield (59.5kg) Race 5: Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m) The fillies & mares step out in the Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1500m), where the Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich-trained Clear Thinking can return to her brilliant best. She couldn’t match motors with the likes of Commemorative in the Group 3 Wenona Girl Quality (1200m) at Randwick on March 8, but never shirked the task after hitting a flat spot from the 400m to 200m pole. Getting out to the 1500m should be ideal, and with the Dubawi mare yet to taste defeat on wet ground, expect Clear Thinking to be right in this at a good price with . Selections: 12 CLEAR THINKING 4 SCARLET OAK 15 SNOW IN MAY 2 PULCHRITUDINOUS Emancipation Stakes Race 5 – #12 Clear Thinking (4) 5yo Mare | T: Paul Messara Leah Gavranich | J: Tom Sherry (54kg) Race 6: Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) It’s safe to say Treasurethe Moment will be anchoring plenty of multi’s across the nation as she gears up for more Group 1 glory in the 2025 Vinery Stud Stakes. She’s returned in superb order after claiming the Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) in the spring, securing back-to-back wins in stylish fashion to kick-off the autumn campaign. The Sydney way of going is the only query heading into this, and although punters need to stomach the short price with online betting sites, it’s hard to see Treasurethe Moment coming undone in this small field of nine. Selections: 1 TREASURETHE MOMENT 2 MOVIN OUT 5 DECLICHY BOULEVARD 4 REAL CLASS Best Bet Race 6 – #1 Treasurethe Moment (5) 3yo Filly | T: Matt Laurie | J: Damien Lane (56kg) Race 7: Group 3 Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) The Group 3 Star Kingdom Stakes (1200m) sets up as the toughest race to dissect on the Rosehill card, however, Ostraka appears well placed returning from Melbourne. The son of Pariah was tested in Group 1 company in back-to-back starts, and didn’t have much go his way after leading them out at a strong clip in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 8. His run in the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate (1100m) had plenty of merit prior to that failure, and with Ostraka well suited back to the Sydney way of going, expect him to bounce back third-up. Selections: 7 OSTRAKA 2 MAZU 13 ESPIONAGE 15 GENERAL SALUTE Star Kingdom Stakes Race 7 – #7 Ostraka (8) 4yo Gelding | T: Annabel Neasham & Rob Archibald | J: Jason Collett (56.5kg) Race 8: Group 1 Tancred Stakes (2400m) It’s hard to knock Dubai Honour as the two-time Australian Group 1 winner returns to our shores. The William Haggas-trained gelding continues to race well into his seven-year-old season, and with more luck in the Group 1 Hong Kong Vase (2400m), could’ve added another international Group 1 win to the resume. Last time he came to Australia he lapped them in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) before dismantling Anamoe in the 2023 Queen Elizabeth, and if he can replicate those performances again, he must be considered the one to beat in the Tancred Stakes. Selections: 1 DUBAI HONOUR 13 LA CRIQUE 2 VAUBAN 4 DUKE DE SESSA Tancred Stakes Race 8 – #1 Dubai Honour (4) 7yo Gelding | T: William Haggas | J: Tom Marquand (59kg) Race 9: Group 3 Doncaster Prelude (1500m) New Endeavour caught the eye first-up at this course and distance in the Group 2 Ajax Stakes (1500m) on March 15. The New Bay gelding was slow away on that occasion and got too far back turning for home, slicing between rivals as he closed to within 2.7 lengths of Iowna Merc. Rachel King should have the five-year-old within striking distance second-up, and with his best figures generally coming at start two of the preparation, New Endeavour can book his ticket to the Group 1 Doncaster Mile (1600m). Selections: 6 NEW ENDEAVOUR 5 ENCAP 11 GREBENI 1 JUST FOLK Doncaster Prelude Race 9 – #6 New Endeavour (1) 5yo Gelding | T: Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | J: Rachel King (56kg) Race 10: BM88 Handicap (1400m) A stack of dual acceptors has the last race a bit of a mystery, however, Rhapsody Chic represents good each-way value as he returns from a 182-day spell. The son of Sacred Falls boasts a terrific first-up record and has never missed the frame across four starts, with two wins and two more minor placings to his name. He’s never been beaten on Heavy decks either and although Tommy Berry needs to overcome barrier 16, Rhapsody Chic warrants respect at the $15 in the Rosehill finale. Selections: 9 RHAPSODY CHIC 11 BOJANGLES 6 LES VAMPIRES 13 WELL TIMED Best Value Race 10 – #9 Rhapsody Chic (16) 5yo Gelding | T: Anthony & Sam Freedman | J: Tommy Berry (57.5kg) Tancred Stakes Day quaddie tips for Rosehill Rosehill quadrella selections Saturday, March 29, 2025 2-7-11-13-15 1-2-4-13-14 1-4-5-6-8-11 3-4-6-8-9-11-13 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article