Wandering Eyes

9th-Gulfstream, $77,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 3-9, 3yo, 1m, 1:36.59, ft, 7 1/2 lengths. PRAETOR (c, 3, Into Mischief–Curlin's Approval {MGSW, $654,725}, by Curlin) ran a well-beaten third on debut in the mud at the Spa last August, but he was able to graduate by a neck over the highly-regarded GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth hero Sovereignty (Into Mischief) at the Big A Sept. 27. Given time after a minor injury, the bay returned to work at Chad Brown's Payson base in late January. Slammed at the windows for his 3-year-old unveiling to the tune of 40 cents on the dollar and with first-time Lasix here, Praetor dueled with Bear Claw Necklace (Lord Nelson) out of the chute before assuming a tracking spot to the outside of leader up the backstretch. The favorite snagged the top spot around the far turn and by the top of the lane the chariot was on fire. With Tyler Gaffalione in the irons as he was with the colt's dam, Praetor ran up the score by 7 1/2 lengths to the good over Kinetic Control (Not This Time). “He showed a lot of class as a 2-year-old, and I know Chad [Brown] wanted to continue to race him, but he had a little issue and stopped on him,” said co-owner Phil Hatfield, who operates CHP Racing with his wife Christine. “He got him back going and hopefully he's got enough time to make it to the first weekend in May. It's going to be tight. He beat Sovereignty last year, so it's going to be fun. It'll be interesting to see where he goes. It'll be up to Chad.” Praetor has an older full-sister named Charlottesapproval who was purchased by Live Oak Plantation for $1 million during the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale and sent to trainer Mark Casse. Curlin's Approval–herself based at Gulfstream from 2016-2018 with owner/trainer Happy Alter who bred Praetor with Bridlewood Farm–foaled the winner a full-brother last year. She was sent to Justify for this season. Sales History: $725,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $107,700. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-William H. Lawrence, CHP Racing and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck); B-Bridlewood Farm & Alter's Racing Stables, Inc. (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. #4 PRAETOR ($2.80) shows off winning Race 9 at @GulfstreamPark with @Tyler_Gaff in the saddle for trainer Chad Brown. This 3yo colt by @SpendthriftFarm's Into Mischief is owned by William Lawrence, CHP Racing and @Gainesway Stable. pic.twitter.com/4lCXoB9nBZ — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) March 9, 2025 The post Bread! Praetor Crosses The Optional Claiming Rubicon As Gulfstream Colosseum Roars appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Lonnie Briley said whether Rebel Stakes (G2) winner Coal Battle makes another start before the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1) or not is being left "up to him."View the full article

The excitement building in Virginia around the first-ever spring meet at Colonial Downs will come to a head March 15 as the $500,000 Virginia Derby makes its debut on the Road to the Kentucky Derby.View the full article

In 1976, 23-year-old Trevor Denman took a vacation from his race calling gigs at three tracks in Natal, South Africa, to venture to the United States to see what racing in a different part of the world was like. Because it was January, he left in the middle of a long, hot summer at home, packing only lightweight clothing and traveling in a dapper Palm Beach suit. His wardrobe choices left him ill-prepared for the first several stops on his cross-country tour of America, which happened to be the winter meets at Aqueduct and Latonia (the former name of Turfway), plus breeding farms in Kentucky. “I couldn't believe the temperature,” Denman told Bill Anzer of the Cincinnati Inquirer in what was very likely his first interview in an American newspaper. “Racing in snow is downright chattering. I've never seen a horse race at night, and that was quite surprising, too.” Denman also admitted he had never witnessed a race on dirt (“sand” as he called it). And he was taken aback by seeing betting odds displayed on the tote boards of tracks in the United States, as opposed to the more genteel, all-grass meets in South Africa, which back then showed only the total amount of money bet to win on each horse. If you wanted to know the odds, you learned to compute them yourself. Of Aqueduct, Denman said, “It's a tremendously big track. I found the announcers to be very professional, accurate. However, I also found that American racing is strictly business, not sport.” Later on his itinerary, Denman would visit Santa Anita, where he would find both the climate and the Thoroughbred pageantry more to his liking. He was invited to the racing office, where he immersed himself in learning about how the game was conducted at Southern California's premier track. This was a kid, after all, who had become fascinated with racing from his first visit to a South African track at age six. By 10 he had set his sights on attending South Africa's jockey academy, and as a teenager began exercising horses during morning training as he prepared his application. But the school turned him down because officials believed he would outgrow that vocation. “At that age I thought the next best thing to do in racing would be to become a commentator, or announcer,” Denman would later explain. He went to a friend's flat, which had a view of the racetrack, but was a quarter mile away from the action. Denman called countless races into a tape recorder to practice, and in his own words, started “pestering” track officials for a job. When he was named an assistant announcer at age 18, the move to a proper booth directly above trackside seemed like a piece of cake compared to his far-away perch at the apartment. But Denman's career appetite hungered for a different flavor of cake. By the time the 1980s rolled around, he had a decade of experience and already paid his own way back to the U.S. on several occasions to call races that featured international jockeys at Aqueduct and Bay Meadows. On one such trip in to San Francisco in January 1983, he remembered the friendly reception he had received on his visit to Santa Anita seven years earlier, so he built in a side trip to “The Great RIP” to see if executives there remembered him. They certainly did, and this time Denman was invited to call the last race on a rainy Thursday afternoon. Santa Anita management liked the performance enough that he was given the opportunity for an encore call the next day, too. Night racing at Hollywood Park in 2013 | Horsephotos By the time Denman returned home to South Africa, there was a letter waiting for him. Santa Anita wanted to know if he would come back in October to call the Oak Tree meet, because Alan Buchdahl was giving up the gig to call both Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds at Hollywood Park. The offer included a job as Dave Johnson's assistant during Santa Anita's longer winter/spring season. Denman accepted and never looked back. In the pre-simulcasting era, American announcers called races for on-track audiences, and their calls were generally straightforward recitations of the running order with little elaboration. At some tracks race callers were even forbidden by management to call tight photos (lest the public throw away tickets in the event of a miscall), and at others they were not allowed to use the word “last” when describing the trailing horse, in the belief that saying so over the public-address system would be embarrassing to the slow horse's owner. But Denman's style was far more descriptive, and although not all ears were initially attuned to his calls, Andrew Beyer of the Washington Post took notice. Within two weeks of Denman's starting, one of the most respected turf writers in the country penned a profile of the South African announcer that heralded Denman as doing something that was breaking new ground in announcing, even elevating it to an art form. “Because most Americans have never heard a race called in any other way, the fans at Santa Anita were shocked when the track's fall season opened two weeks ago and they heard a smooth, British-accented voice calling the races like this: 'With a quarter mile to run, Pillager is coming forcefully on the grandstand side and puts his head in front! Full Choke is fighting back gamely, but Pillager has got his measure and he's drawing away in the final hundred.' “This was the voice of Trevor Denman, and after he had been on the job for only a few days, Santa Anita fans were already swapping stories of his more memorable calls,” Beyer wrote. “A race caller who tries to interpret what is happening on the track may be a novelty to most Americans, but the style is common in other countries and is second nature to the 31-year-old Denman.” Denman would effortlessly pick up far-turn moves long before they appeared evident. He would employ colorful language to describe not only long-shot upsets in the making, but favorites who weren't getting the job done. He incorporated previously unheard-of comments regarding the body language of jockeys, and would point out how horses were traveling based on the positioning of their ears. “I believe my ace card is that I understand racing,” Denman told Beyer 42 years ago. “If a horse is in tenth place but he's running well, I say that the jockey has got a good hold on him. If a horse is in front but he's laboring, I may know that he's finished. So I say it. I owe it to people to pass on what I know.” By the end of that 1983 Oak Tree meet, the Los Angeles Times was already chronicling lists of what its turf journalists called “Denmanisms.” Decades later, generations of racegoers now know those unique and original phrasings as the one-of-a-kind announcer's “greatest hits” soundtrack. From his understated “And away they go!” start call to horses “scraping the paint” with an inside run at the fence, fans were treated to Denman creating a verbal picture on a stream-of-consciousness aural canvas that stretched only a minute or two. Rivals far behind a runaway leader “would need to sprout wings to catch” those big-margin winners, and when frontrunners appeared especially strong, Denman let bettors know it was as if those horses had “just jumped in at the quarter pole.” When deep closers zeroed in with a visually impressive late-race kick they were “coming like an express train,” which might lead to a directive from Denman for bettors to “go to the windows and queue up to collect” on such sure things. In that 1983 profile, Beyer even got Denman to explain the origin of what would later come to be one of his most famous phrases, the “moving like a winner” articulation that often featured Denman drawing out the word “mooooving,” accentuating it to underscore how smoothly a horse was accelerating. Denman traced that turn of phrase to the Durban July Handicap, South Africa's highest-profile race. In the 1978 edition of that Group I stakes, a fan favorite named Politician was running sixth in a field of 18 with three furlongs to go. Denman could sense the horse was just starting to unwind with plenty left in the tank, so he punctuated his call by telling the crowd, “Politician is moving like a winner!” Trevor Denman (standing), Mike Smith (left), Gary Stevens (right) | Benoit As Beyer put it, “As soon as the words had escaped his lips, he wondered why he had done something so audacious.” But when Politician did, indeed, rally to win, Denman told Beyer, “That really put me on the map.” Even with the initial favorable press, Santa Anita didn't really know what the public's long-term reaction would be to the novelty of a South African voice. The track's assistant general manager at the time, Alan Balch, estimated to Beyer that “the reaction is 80% favorable.” But, Balch added, making a prediction that would turn out to be prophetic, “Before he's finished, Trevor is going to have a big impact on the whole style of American race-calling.” Denman's magnetic persona–both on and off the microphone–soon allowed him to build up an impressive résumé of announcing gigs. Within 10 months he was calling the races at Del Mar, and he later branched out to Golden Gate Fields and Maryland. By the 1990s Denman was the primary voice at every stop on the SoCal circuit, including Hollywood and the Fairplex fair. But his passion for the sport extended beyond “hollering horses.” After building up enough gravitas with a decade of American race calling and national TV commentary, Denman decided to start speaking up about issues in the industry that had bothered him for quite some time. In June of 1993, Denman told Bill Finley, who now writes for TDN but at the time was covering racing for the New York Daily News, that the American version of the sport was too cruel with regard to the overuse of the whip and that there was lax veterinary oversight about running sore horses. “If we do everything possible to protect the horses, it's ethically correct,” Denman told Finley. “But we're not, and that's where this sport falls down.” Denman's outspoken opinions got picked up by numerous other media outlets, and he repeated and elaborated upon his criticisms in the months that followed. In what is now generally perceived as a less-enlightened era for our game, Denman's words both stung and carried clout. The controversy followed Denman to Remington Park in February 1994, where he had been invited to call races as part of a “Racing's Greatest Voices” promotion featuring guest announcers. In a profile by Jerry Shottenkirk of the Daily Oklahoman 1994, Denman put it on record that even though did not want himself to be considered “an animal rights activist,” reform needed to happen. “Let me tell you something right now–animal 'rights' is just a dirty word,” Denman said 31 years ago. “It's been so twisted out of all proportion that the moment you put the word 'rights' in there, you become a fanatic. They say, 'Oh, we can't listen to him, he's a fanatic.' “I'd rather say that I'm just compassionate towards animals,” Denman asserted. “When I first came here, I couldn't believe it. But there was nothing I could do. So I waited until I was secure enough that I felt I could make a statement.” The controversy eventually died down to the point where it is now largely forgotten today. Yet Denman's speaking up did, in fact, after bring about mid-1990s rule modifications in California about jockeys not being allowed to hit horses that weren't responding to whipping. His opinions also factored into that state's attempts some 30 years ago to change the structure of whips from being “medieval” (Denman's word) to forerunners of today's more cushioned and humane foam-based crops that have since become the standard in America. Denman continued to epitomize SoCal racing into the 21st Century, and he went on to become the voice of the Breeders' Cup from 2006 through 2011. But as the decades wore on he gradually cut back his day-to-day recalling duties to the point where the Del Mar summer meet was his lone remaining mainstay. When he announced his retirement from Del Mar last Thursday at age 72, the move was not exactly a surprise. You could even backfit an argument that Denman knew in September that his final call would be his last. He emphasized the last stretch run he called at Del Mar by intoning that the mare in front was “mooooving like a winner.” Over the weekend tributes have poured in about Denman's legacy and his influence on subsequent generations of race callers. And of course, many of those articles recited his litany of “greatest hits.” But Denman's appeal and success extended far beyond those favorite stock phrases. None of them really would have worked on their own if he hadn't crafted an overall style that was layered with charisma and a deep respect for the sport. Denman's tone was distinctive yet chatty; his South African accent exotic yet approachable, lending an air of importance to even mundane tasks like reciting program changes or alerting the public to stewards' inquiries. Over 42 years in America, Denman worked hard to establish himself as a master of cadence and inflection, building in-race narratives that, as per one of his own favorite descriptors, simply “exuded class.” The post Week in Review: Elevating Race Calling to an Art Form, Denman’s Contributions Extend Beyond Famous Phrases appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I have been personally committed to fighting the decoupling legislation that is under consideration in Florida and wanted to update you on this effort. My goal and hope have been to ensure that our voices–as horse owners, horse breeders, horse trainers and horse lovers–are truly heard throughout Tallahassee this legislative session. The main mission is to unite and strengthen all the different groups–new and old–across the Thoroughbred industry supporting Florida racing and breeding. While we seek to defeat the decoupling bills, we must protect the industry and its significant impact on Florida's agricultural community. The Thoroughbred industry provides over 34.000 jobs and makes up over $3.5 billion dollars in Florida's economy. And this is not just a Florida issue. The domino effect will impact racing in every jurisdiction nationwide. We should all be seeking to keep these jobs and this money in Florida! I personally engaged in the services of the Gray Robinson P.A, in the hopes that their amazing team of attorneys and government advisors will represent OUR interests in Tallahassee. Gray Robinson's team is also working together with other lobbyists and advisors hired by different organizations within the sport. I cannot begin to tell you how impressed I've been with the wonderful team at Gray Robinson working with me – for all of us. The team includes: Dean Cannon. President and Chief Executive Director of Gray Robinson firm, former member of the Florida House of Representatives. George T. Levesque. Former general counsel to the Florida House of Representatives, former general counsel of the Florida Senate. Larry Cretul. Marion County Commissioner, Florida House of Representatives, former Speaker of the House. Jason L. Unger. Former Special Counsel to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Joseph R. Salzverg. Seasoned lobbyist with over a decade of experience in Florida's political arenas. We are opposing this legislation from multiple perspectives to ensure our story is heard and the Florida legislators know the complex history of the topic and the importance of Thoroughbred racing and breeding to the State of Florida. This job is not easy, and politics can be complicated. Regardless, horsewomen and horsemen must seek continual improvements now and in the future. We must be strong; we must be united, and we must improve. We have a moral obligation for the young generation of horsewoman and horseman that have love and passion for the sport, we cannot allow DECOUPLING to extinguish the spirit and soul of those young people while crushing a valuable industry that has supported Florida for over a century. Thanks for all your encouragement and support and do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions and ideas. I am asking everyone to participate and assist in this effort. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions. CarloVaccarezza@Gmail.com or (561) 714-6019. Sincerely, Carlo E. Vaccarezza The post Letter to the Editor: Update on Decoupling appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The reigning Horse of the Year 'TDN Rising Star' MGISW Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) has emerged from her tour de force in Saturday's GII Azeri Stakes, and is on track for an anticipated start in the GI Apple Blossom Apr. 12 at Oaklawn Park. Having emerged from her seasonal bow in said local prep for the Grade I marquee race for older fillies and mares, she will return to Fair Grounds early this week where trainer Kenny McPeek said she will train this month and 'maybe' into April before returning to Oaklawn for the Apple Blossom. “She came out of it perfect–absolutely perfect. She'll leave Monday or Tuesday,” reported Ray Bryner, who oversees McPeek's Oaklawn division. McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. both said they were impressed with how Thorpedo Anna handled herself before the race, include the delay at the starting gate. The only other time she had ever broken from the rail was the 2024 GI Travers Stakes, where she lost by a diminishing head after “brushing with the near-side stall”, according to the official race chart. “I think the biggest thing is, we were worried about how she left the gate,” McPeek said. “She left it clean. We've done some extra gate schooling. I think the most impressive thing is that she seems so much more composed the older she's gotten.” “If you recall last year, she was kind of nervous in the post parade, a little washy, got wet. She seems to have left that behind and I think that's a good thing, right, although it was much cooler [on Saturday]. But any time a horse gets washed out, too nervous, then you concern yourself. But she doesn't seem to be doing it anymore.” “She's an amazing filly,” Hernandez said after contributing his own praise to the newest dimension the Horse of the Year offered. Coal Battle's Plans Remain Pending Fan-favorite GSW Coal Battle (Coal Front) is under consideration for the $1.5-million GI Arkansas Derby Mar. 29 as well as the $1.25-million GI Blue Grass Stakes Apr. 5, but the plans remaining pending, his trainer Lonnie Briley said Sunday morning. “I'm going to leave it up to him,” Briley said. “If he's ready to run, we'll probably run here [at Oaklawn]. If he's not, I'll wait for the Derby. I mean, they've got some tough horses out there right now, making all these preps and stuff.” Coal Battle has secured his spot with a victory Feb. 23 in the GII Rebel Stakes and the Listed Smarty Jones Stakes, and currently sits atop the Derby leaderboard with 70 points. The post Thorpedo Anna in Good Order, On Track for Apple Blossom Showcase appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna emerged in good order from her victory in the $400,000 Azeri Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park March 8 and is scheduled to return to Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots early this week.View the full article

Trainer Tom Morley reports that 'TDN Rising Star' SW & GISP Donegal Momentum (Uncle Mo) has exited his Mar. 6 seasonal bow at Fair Grounds in good form and that the connections have started mapping out a potential path through his 2025 campaign. Listing off plans which include a start in Keeneland's GI Maker's Mark Mile, the GIII Poker Stakes at the Spa, and the GI Fourstardave Stakes over the summer, Morely says it is not out of the wheelhouse that his charge might be running in a seven-furlong graded stakes in New York on the dirt. “I think his ceiling is a mile and a sixteenth. I think he gets a mile well on grass,” Morley said. “However, there's a very real possibility that at some point he will run in a seven-furlong graded stakes in New York on the dirt. He's got a lovely pedigree and if he was to go to stud, a graded win on the dirt would be a big play on his resume. It's something Jerry [Crawford] and I have discussed multiple times.” Since his debut in May last year on the main track, one which earned him the stamp of approval from the TDN, Donegal Momentum steadily improved until he eventually found himself in the winners' enclosure at the Belmont Big A meet by route of the Listed Gio Ponti Stakes in early October. He'd won for the first time on the grass the race prior in August when he defeated an allowance optional claiming field at Saratoga. The Uncle Mo colt gave a good showing against elite company in the GI Hollywood Derby at Del Mar in late November, which ended up his last race before going on his layoff. “We had a go at seeing if he would get nine furlongs and went to California to do that as we felt that the ground might have gone against him in New York,” Morley said. “[The winner] Formidable Man came back to win the [GI Frank E.] Kilroe at the weekend and Mike McCarthy said to me before the Derby that, 'I'm only scared of your horse really. I think this is the best turf horse I've had in my barn.' That was an indication that we were running in what was an above average Hollywood Derby, in my opinion.” Morley says Donegal Momentum will return to New York to train towards the aforementioned Maker's Mark Mile Apr. 11 at Keeneland. The post ‘Rising Star’ Donegal Momentum Exits Return Well, Points to Maker’s Mark Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With a combined 273 workouts on the main and training track Sunday morning at Santa Anita, the noteworthy moves came from some of the biggest runners, namely 'TDN Rising Star' GSW & GISP Getaway Car (Curlin), GISW Raging Torrent (Maximus Mischief), and 'TDN Rising Star' MGSW Nysos (Nyquist). Entered in Saturday's GIII Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs, Getaway Car worked three furlongs in :36.60 for Bob Baffert, and was the 13th fastest of 17 at the distance. His stablemates Nysos and GSW Fort Bragg (Tapit) also took to the main track, both working five furlongs. The former drilled in 1-minute flat and was ranked eighth of 86 that morning. Nysos has not started since February 2024, and this move was his sixth work since Jan. 30. The latter came in at 1:00.40 (19/86). Raging Torrent breezed six panels for his Sunday morning move in 1:12.20 for trainer Chief Stipe O'Neill. He is next slated for the GII Godolphin Mile Mar. 30 at Meydan Racecourse in Dubai. His stablemate GISW Mixto (Good Magic) went five furlongs in :59.40 (2/86) as he prepares for an expected start in the G1 Dubai World Cup. The post Getaway Car, Raging Torrent, Nysos Headline ‘Massive’ Sunday Work Tab at Santa Anita appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Kazushi Kimura is set to make his return and will begin riding horses during morning training toward the end of next week, Santa Anita revealed via press release Sunday afternoon. Sidelined for more than two months after suffering a lower leg injury in a starting gate incident back in mid-January, his agent Brian Beach said Kimura will begin getting on horses for morning works next week and will return for the new condition book that runs through the end of the Classic Meet Apr. 6. “He's a really hard worker and has been diligent in his physical therapy,” Beach said. “He's doing everything known to man trying to get back.” After Kimura's injury to his left ankle, Beach says doctors put two screws into it and that the jockey flew to Costa Rica last week for stem cell therapy. The injury was initially not expected to cost him much time, but persistent swelling and other issues led to a longer recovery. At the time of his injury, Kimura was third in earnings and fourth in wins among jockeys at the Classic meet. He was onboard for several graded victories including notably the GI La Brea Stakes aboard GISW Kopion (Omaha Beach) for trainer Richard Mandella. “It's been tough. He was riding a lot of good horses,” said Beach. The post Kazushi Kimura Set to Return March 21 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Driver Penalties J Darby | Waikato Bay of Plenty 4 March; use of whip; suspended 5 March – 4 April inclusive. N Balle | Waikato Bay of Plenty 4 March; use of whip; suspended 5-14 March inclusive. M Holbrough | Oamaru 5 March; shifted into passing lane in home straight; suspended 10-15 March inclusive. S Clarke | Westport 7 March; careless driving; suspended 10-19 March inclusive. P Nairn | Westport 7 March; use of whip; suspended 8-14 March inclusive. M Williamson | Northern Southland 8 March; use of whip; fined $250. K Tomlinson | Reefton 9 March; started from incorrect position; fined $400. Trainer Penalty B Negus | Westport 7 March; incorrect gear; fined $100. Horse Penalties SKEE PRINCESS | Waikato Bay of Plenty 4 March; high heart rate and slow recovery; veterinary clearance required. IDEAL CRUNCH | Waikato Bay of Plenty 4 March; swollen epiglottis; veterinary clearance required. WAVEWATCHER | Oamaru 5 March; high heart rate and slow recovery; veterinary clearance required. FRANCO HOFFMAN | Westport 7 March; atrial fibrillation; veterinary clearance including ECG required. AMALFI | Reefton 9 March; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. TITIAN FRANCO | Reefton 9 March; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. NIGHT LIFE | Reefton 9 March; broke in running; must complete trial. DESTINY DANCE | Reefton 9 March; broke at start; must complete standing start trial. Protests WHAT’S UP THE HILL | Auckland 7 March; incorrect gait home straight; disqualified from 4th. OPAWA PEAK | Westport 7 March; denied a fair start; declared a non-runner. The post 3-9 March 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Nicola Currie has put her encouraging run of form down to a three-month winter sabbatical but admitted to having almost called it a day after managing a meagre six winners from 126 rides last year. Since returning to the saddle in February, Currie has already partnered five winners from 26 rides and is operating at an impressive 19 per cent strike rate. It's a long way from the massive 81 winners the Scottish-born rider achieved in 2018 but the 31-year-old explained how the combination of stepping away from the sport she loves for three months during the winter and enlisting the help of a sports psychologist has provided her with a new lease of life. Speaking about how she went from 81 winners to just six in the space of six seasons, Currie said, “I rode out my claim pretty quickly and it was all going very well for me but then I got the Jamie Osborne job, which was brilliant at the time, but obviously Saffie [Osborne] started to get going and the job was no longer there for me as blood is thicker than water. “So I was back freelance again and I just couldn't get the ball rolling. I became really sour, wasn't riding out as much as I should have been, got quite heavy and I just needed to change something. This is not the kind of job where you get into the car to drive three hours for one ride if your heart isn't in it. Because already before you've even left, you don't want to go, and that's no frame of mind to be in. Every week that went by, I was hoping for a winner that might get me going but it just didn't happen. The reality was that I just wasn't putting in the work and I wasn't in the right frame of mind. I needed to step back from it all, which is what I did.” It can be hard to see the wood from the trees at times. Stepping off that hamster wheel and seeing things for what they are takes strength. For Currie, she was willing to give up what small contacts she had been left with in an effort to step away and look at things objectively. Her own family implored her to call it a day. For a long time, it seemed to be the most likely option but, on the advice of retired jockey Colm O'Donoghue, she spent some time riding out in Ireland for Donnacha O'Brien, where she is said to have reignited her spark to continue. “I needed to do something,” she recalls. “Taking the time out was the best thing I could have done and, actually, I probably should have done it a year sooner. I had to ask myself, 'did I really want to do this anymore?' I thought that I didn't and, for the first month off, I went back home to the Isle Of Arran and I didn't even watch a race. Within two months, I was watching racing every day. I got the bug back when I went riding out for Donnacha O'Brien for a month. It was good to have a change of scenery and I had a lot of fun whilst getting my fitness levels back up. I came back to England in February and I have had my head down ever since.” Followers of the all-weather will have noticed Currie to be plying her trade as well if not better than ever over the past few weeks. She has ridden winners for her old boss Osborne as well as Ollie Sangster and Andrew Balding, for whom she rides out regularly. Attaching herself to some of the bigger yards is the very opposite approach to what Currie took last year. And that, the jockey believes, was one of the rocks that she perished on. “It's funny, I spoke at length with my agent around this time last year and we both decided that the best thing to do for me was to ride out for as many smaller trainers as I could. But that didn't work. I just couldn't get any momentum going because I had no backing from anybody. I was just clutching at straws every day for spares.” She added, “Honestly, [a tally of six winners in the season] it was really disheartening. You can't make a living unless you're getting at least 10 rides a week and are riding winners. My family were actually pushing me to call it a day and, to be honest, that actually spurred me on further to say, 'no, no, I will get this ball rolling again.' “But I won't lie, I did come close to calling it a day. Ollie Sangster was very good to me last year so I do a couple of days with him now and I also ride out for Andrew Balding. I absolutely love this job. It's the greatest thing in the world when you are busy and I feel I am in a completely different place since I've come back.” That mindset was already tested last Wednesday when the debutant John T (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), the only horse that Currie had been declared to ride at Kempton, refused to enter the stalls. Such a wasted effort would have been a lot harder to brush off a year ago. But Curries says she is finding it a whole pile easier to take the rough with the smooth since her return. “When you have a few winners, you ride with confidence and your riding becomes so much better. What happened at Kempton the other night, that was quite a light weight for me to do and, when he wouldn't go into the stalls, it was a bummer. Had that been last year, it would have fried me for a few days. You deal with the bad days like that an awful lot better when you are riding winners and in a good frame of mind.” She added, “It's one thing I have been very conscious of, my mindset, and it's something I got some counselling on last year through the PJA. There are more bad days than good days in racing, we all know that, but I suppose I felt I was only having bad days and I wasn't coping with them well enough. Speaking with someone taught me the importance of keeping the right mentality as a sportsperson and it has really helped me a lot. “Not many people want to admit that they see a sports psychologist. Maybe they feel you've just got to be mentally tough enough and that's it. But the reality is that not everyone is and, if it helps me deal with the bad days and to further my career, I am happy to utilise it and I would encourage anybody else out there to do the same.” The post Nicola Currie Puts Hot Run Of Form Down To Winter Sabbatical appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Yeguada Centurion homebred Tito Mo Cen (Ire) (Uncle Mo–Raven's Lady {GB}, by Raven's Pass) attained 'TDN Rising Star' status when delivering a blistering seven-furlong triumph over 9 1/2 furlongs at Chantilly last month and continued on the upgrade with a dominant performance back at the same venue in Sunday's Listed Prix Maurice Caillault. The Victoria Head trainee was sent forward to assume control after breaking in fifth. Holding sway at an even pace throughout, the 23-10 joint-favourite was bustled along once into the home straight and kept on strongly under mild urging inside the final quarter-mile to easily hold the hitherto unbeaten Curragh Camp (Fr) (Romanised {Ire}) by 1 1/2 lengths. “He is a very impressive colt physically, he is mentally strong and his forte is his high cruising speed,” commented Head. “On his first run, I wondered how he would react when challenged and he found another gear. It was the same today and that is certainly the mark of a good horse. He loves the surface, but he has never been trained on grass yet and we will have to see how he does then. I think on good or fast it should not prove a problem. He is entered in the [G3] Prix La Force at Longchamp, but his next target is not definite yet and will be decided in time.” Pedigree Notes Tito Mo Cen is the second foal and 'TDN Rising Star' produced by G2 Goldene Peitsche and G3 Summer Stakes victrix Raven's Lady (GB) (Raven's Pass), the first being multiple Group 1-placed G1 Prix de la Foret heroine Ramatuelle (Justify). The March-foaled homebred's illustrious half-sister was knocked down to M V Magnier for $5.1m at last year's Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November sale. The winner is also kin to the unraced 2-year-old colt Mr Lope Cen (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Raven's Lady is out of an unraced half-sister to G1 Prix d'Ispahan-winning sire Best Of The Bests (Ire) (Machiavellian), G2 Dante Stakes third Dunhill Star (Ire) (Danehill) and the dam of dual Group 3-winning G1 Melbourne Cup runner-up Prince Of Arran (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}). Tito Mo Cen's third dam, G3 Fred Darling Stakes victrix Sueboog (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), is a half-sister to the dam of G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Prix Jean Prat runner-up Shaanmer (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) and stakes-winning GI Garden City Breeders' Cup Handicap second Nordican Inch (GB) (Inchinor {GB}). Prix Maurice Caillault @fgchantilly Chantilly – Listed – 3 ans – 1800m – 8 Pts – 55 000 € Tito Mo Cen (m) (Ire) Stephane Pasquier @pasquito60 Curragh Camp Al Aali (Uncle Mo (Usa) – Raven's Lady (Gb) par Raven's Pass (Usa)) Victoria Head… pic.twitter.com/Cku59X8dzG — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) March 9, 2025 Sunday, Chantilly, France PRIX MAURICE CAILLAULT-Listed, €55,000, Chantilly, 3-9, 3yo, 9f (AWT), 1:51.26, st. 1–TITO MO CEN (IRE), 126, c, 3, by Uncle Mo 1st Dam: Raven's Lady (GB) (GSW-Eng & Ger, $238,499), by Raven's Pass 2nd Dam: Pivotal Lady (GB), by Pivotal (GB) 3rd Dam: Sueboog (Ire), by Darshaan (GB) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O/B-Yeguada Centurion SLU (IRE); T-Victoria Head; J-Stephane Pasquier. €27,500. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €41,000. *1/2 to Ramatuelle (Justify), G1SW-Fr & MG1SP-Eng, $641,762. 2–Curragh Camp (Fr), 126, c, 3, Romanised (Ire)–Delinda (Fr), by Sea The Stars (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€52,000 Ylg '23 ARQOCT). O-Robert Ng; B-SCEA Haras de Gratte Panche, Michel Dardenne, Samy Torgeman & Mohsen Ben Hamouda (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €11,000. 3–Al Aali (Fr), 126, c, 3, City Light (Fr)–La Zubia (GB), by Montjeu (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€38,000 Ylg '23 ARQOCT). O-Fal Stud SAS, GL Racing, Remy Dupuy-Naulot & Lucie Pontoir; B-SNIG Elevage (FR); T-Lucie Pontoir. €8,250. Margins: 1HF, 3, 3/4. Odds: 2.30, 2.30, 28.00. Also Ran: Ghawar (Ire), Stormy Donald (Fr), Fly Half (Fr), Extrapol (Ire). DNF: Hohenschwangau (Fr). The post TDN Rising Star Tito Mo Cen Makes Stakes Breakthrough at Chantilly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jockey bags first successes since horror fall on February 9 with wins on roughie The Auspicious and first-starter Mount Everest.View the full article

Robert Dennis already has the leader in the Southern Cups Bonus Series in Loftys Gift, but it was another member of his stable, Sacred Dream (NZ) (Sacred Falls), who took out the penultimate race on Sunday, the Caldwell Contracting Wyndham Cup (2000m). Loftys Gift won last Saturday’s Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) at Wingatui, and in her absence at Gore, that gave other runners an opportunity to gain points before she returns for the Riverton Cup (2147m) next month. Ascot Park-based Dennis had Sacred Dream, Vino Valentino and Stolen Magic engaged in the feature, with the latter starting a $6 favourite over Prince Alby ($6.50) and Sacred Dream ($7). From the inside draw, Sacred Dream started well in the hands of Akshay Balloo, settling three-back on the fence as Stolen Magic took up the front-running role. Stolen Magic maintained a solid tempo along the back straight before the field began to compress, with Sacred Dream coming off the fence to follow the back of an improving Proserve. On straightening, the pair started to fight out the finish, with Sacred Dream getting the better of Proserve at 50m and pulling clear to score by two lengths. Prince Alby, who had been last through the mid-stages, charged home into third position. Balloo has been riding in career-best form, earning a winning double on Wednesday at Riccarton Park before partnering both Sacred Dream and He’s Tiketiboo to victories at the Gore meeting. “She (Sacred Dream) is a very genuine little filly, there is nothing bad about her,” he said. “She jumped well, put herself in the race quite sensibly and she relaxed beautifully. “She was just waiting for me to give her the next instruction, and halfway through the race, I saw Tina (Comignaghi, jockey of Proserve) was making her run, so it was perfect timing to take her back and use that all the way into the straight. “I got into the straight and asked her the question, and her ears went back and she’s powered through the line. “A big thank you to everyone that is supporting me, I wouldn’t be here without them. I’ve had my hiccups here and there through injury, but fingers crossed I’m catching a bit of momentum going forward. I don’t know how long this will last knowing the racing game, but I’m going to make the most of it. “We’ll see what’s next for me down the road.” Dennis was rapt with the result, particularly for the large ownership group who had raced the daughter of Sacred Falls since she joined his stable in late 2023. “It’s massive, I used to work a lot of horses out at Wyndham when I was training at the Dennis Brothers barn, so it’s nice to win this,” he said. “There’s about 60-odd owners in this horse and a big thank you to John Newman who stayed in the ownership group and leased her down to us. “She’s only going to get better into next season too, she’s getting a little bit stronger all the time as she gets older and continues to improve. She was a bit unlucky in the Invercargill Cup, Sam Wynne (jockey) said she was basically outridden and today there was no bad luck going her way. “She’s been up a while, but the logical next step is the Riverton Cup. We’ll just get her home and go from there.” The victory was Sacred Dream’s fifth in 30 starts, having recorded wins from 1200m up to 2000m. During her time in the care of Cambridge trainer Andrew Forsman, the mare had also finished fourth in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) and fifth in the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m). Bred by Newman, she was the final foal out of an unraced Dream Well mare Dream Lass, who also produced Group Three performer Dreamcatcher. Lofty’s Gift still sits comfortably atop of the Southern Cups Bonus Series with eight points, followed by Sacred Dream, Smooth Operator, Noble Knight and In Vegas, all on 5. The Riverton Cup is the all-important event, with double points on offer to the first four placegetters. At the completion of the series, a $50,000 bonus will be awarded to the winning owners. View the full article

John Size’s import makes the most of his last opportunity to gain a start in city’s most prestigious race with impressive triumph.View the full article

This week at Cheltenham, Tim Gredley will be taking time out from one type of horse to turn his attention to another. The owner, breeder and leading showjumper has recently returned from Abu Dhabi, where he was second in the Grand Prix, but sport horses will take a backseat temporarily as we he focuses on the Thoroughbreds. “We've had a lot going on with the showjumpers so it's nice to come back and see the racehorses – that's what I love the most really,” says Gredley, who, along with his father Bill, owns Newmarket's Stetchworth and Middle Park Studs. He continues, “I think we're very proud that all the runners we have at Cheltenham are homebreds and they are all very tough horses.” The Gredleys are better known through their association with the Flat. They own last year's Derby runner-up Ambiente Friendly (Ire), bought from his breeder Sheikha Fatima bint Hazza bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Al Shira'aa Farms, who herself has strong ties to the showjumping world. Over the years, Bill Gredley has raced such luminaries as Group 1 winners Environment Friend (GB), User Friendly (GB) and Big Orange (GB), but the family has enjoyed increasing success with runners over jumps in recent years. “This wasn't the plan when we started but it just shows that when you are breeding horses there is always a plan for a horse even if it wasn't the one you started with,” Gredley admits. Allmankind (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) gave the family a taste of the National Hunt big time when winning at Grade 1 level over hurdles and fences when trained by Dan Skelton. “Allmankind started the idea some years ago and we've been quite selective with the horses,” Gredley continues. “We've kept them all and it's been a really good journey. We probably could have sold them all at a certain point but I would rather be giving an interview at the racetrack than at the sale ring, that's for sure. “They are probably worth more money now than they were a year ago – yes, we've had to pay training fees but it has added value to a lot of the horses and their families as well.” The Gredleys' principal trainer James Owen could be set for an exciting week at Prestbury Park, with Burdett Road (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}) now confirmed for the G1 Unibet Champion Hurdle and his half-brother East India Dock (GB) (Golden Horn {GB}) on course for the G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle. The siblings have won consecutive runnings of the G2 Triumph Trial Juvenile Hurdle at Cheltenham's November meeting and, while Burdett Road missed out on the Triumph itself last year, he has subsequently won the Listed Godolphin Stakes at Newmarket and this season's G3 Greatwood Hurdle to add to his Royal Ascot victory of 2023, making him the perfect dual-purpose campaigner. His younger brother, however, may now remain in the National Hunt sphere despite his Flat rating of 90 achieved when trained by James Fanshawe. East India Dock heads for the G1 JCB Triumph Hurdle | Racingfotos “East India Dock is probably one we will keep over hurdles as he absolutely loves his jumping but the others will be having a rest and then having a Flat campaign – Burdett Road included,” Gredley says. Their dam Diamond Bangle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was one of the mares to visit Shadwell's Mostahdaf (Ire) in his first season at stud in 2024 and she has a Planteur (Ire) two-year-old colt and yearling filly by Palace Pier (GB) on the way through. Her current three-year-old, Dullingham (GB) (Harry Angel {Ire}), is also with Owen. At one stage, the Gredleys looked set to have two pairs of siblings in action at the Festival but Opec (GB), the four-year-old full-sister to Allmankind, has been retired to the paddocks after winning the Listed Coral Fillies' Juvenile Hurdle at Newbury in November. She is set to visit Golden Horn at Overbury Stud. Her brother, however, now nine, makes a surprise return to Cheltenham for the St James's Place Fox Hunters' Chase. He is now trained by Owen's wife, Jenny, a vet who also has a string of point-to-pointers. “Allmankind is in great order,” Gredley reports. “He won his last two point-to-points and he seems to have had a new lease of life, perhaps just dropping back in class, and now that he is relaxing he seems to stay the trip really nicely. It's going to be a tough race for sure but he's not been in better form for a long time. “It was this time last year that he was in my field retired but we gave him another chance and those tough horses love doing what they do.” While Gredley says that he is “not getting carried away” about their Cheltenham chances despite the excitement of heading west with a decent quintet of runners, he is champing at the bit for the start of the turf season in Newmarket. Tim Gredley, second left, with Burdett Road and James Owen, second right | Racingfotos “I can't wait for the Flat,” he says. “I'm not an optimistic person normally but I just went through the Flat horses this morning with James and I don't think we've ever had as strong a squad of Flat horses as we have coming into this year, and 90 per cent of them are homebreds, too.” Among them is the G2 Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes winner Wimbledon Hawkeye (GB), one of the stars from the first crop of Kameko who followed that win at HQ by finishing third in the G1 Futurity Trophy behind Hotazhell (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Delacroix (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). “Wimbledon Hawkeye has actually come to hand a lot quicker than perhaps we were thinking and the plan will probably be to run him in the Guineas now, but the Derby is obviously his main aim,” he adds. “We have a nice bunch of three-year-olds this year, including a very nice filly called Trad Jazz (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}). She seems quite smart so we might try to run her in the 1,000 Guineas. Dad bought her from Luca Cumani and, typical Dad, he likes those more backward types that other people sometimes don't have the patience for. James was really patient with her last year and I'm glad he was as she's really come on over the winter.” Owen has also now taken over the training of Ambiente Friendly, who was placed both at Epsom and in the Irish Derby after winning the Lingfield Derby Trial for Fanshawe. Gredley says, “He's come back from his break better than we could have hoped and I'm really excited about him for this season. He could be an ever better horse this year, all going well. Everybody is excited about him.” The adrenaline levels will be running pretty high then, especially during the Festival. “I won't be relaxed for sure,” says Gredley. “I think I find the watching worse than riding, because it's out of my control. But we're in great hands with James, and with Sammy Twiston-Davies riding a couple of them. It's always reassuring when you've got a good team of people around you.” The rising profile of Owen, a former amateur jockey who previously trained point-to-pointers and Arabs and was assistant trainer to John Ferguson, owes plenty to the support of the Gredley family. Their association goes back some years, as Gredley explains. “When I gave up showjumping the first time and I wanted to do some point-to-pointing – which I was dreadful at – James was always doing our pre-training, so I knew of him well. Then when I was riding out in the morning that's when you really get to see the trainer at their work, and I just said to Dad one day that I thought he would be a really good fit. Luckily everybody agreed, and so far so good.” He adds, “It's great because the horses still go in to him for pre-training and, a bit like sending your kids off to boarding school, it's good to feel that they're in good hands.” The post Gredley: ‘I’d Rather Give an Interview at the Racetrack than the Sale Ring’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Champion galloper not expected to chase a fourth straight Group One QE II Cup win despite a change in quarantine protocols between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.View the full article

Intervarsity. Photo: BradleyPhotos Intervarsity booked her place in the Country Championships Final at Randwick with a determined victory in the $150,000 Tamworth Qualifier (1400m) on Sunday, March 9. The Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich-trained mare, ridden by Donovan Dillon, was forced to race wide but proved too strong late, securing a career-defining win. The four-year-old daughter of Mikki Isle was caught three wide early but maintained a strong rhythm, settling just behind the speed. As the field swung for home, Intervarsity surged to the front, fending off Lisztomania, who loomed as a threat down the outside. Despite doing it tough, Intervarsity found plenty late, crossing the line 0.93 lengths ahead of Lisztomania at $6.50 odds with the top online bookmakers, with Hellcibell finishing third. Tamworth Country Championships Qualifier Replay – Intervarsity https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Tamworth-2025-Country-Championships-Qualifier-09032025-Intervarsity-Paul-Messara-Leah-Gavranich-Donovan-Dillon.mp4 Co-trainer Paul Messara was delighted with the filly’s resilience. “She was caught wide but relaxed beautifully, and Donovan just let her build momentum. She’s a big-striding filly and tough when it matters. This was the race we set her for, and she’s come through it perfectly,” Messara said. Jockey Donovan Dillon was thrilled to land the biggest victory of his Australian career, having put in extensive race study before the event. “I’d been going over this race for a week and a half, and it mapped exactly as I hoped. I didn’t see a huge amount of speed, and when things slackened at the 600m, I let her slide into it. She took an awkward stride in the straight, but once she balanced up, she just powered away,” Dillon said. Now boasting four wins from seven starts, Intervarsity has earned her shot at the $1 million Country Championships Final at Randwick on April 6. The stable will now ease her workload leading into the grand final, with Messara confirming she will go straight into the big race without another run, with currently having her priced at $7. Lisztomania fought hard for second, while Hellcibell held on for third after racing prominently throughout. The $1.90 favourite, Know Thyself, finished fifth after struggling to quicken off a moderate tempo. Horse racing news View the full article

Palmetto. Photo: Bradley Photos Palmetto delivered a gritty front-running performance to claim the Listed Canberra Cup (2000m) on Sunday, March 9, holding off a fast-finishing Matusalem to secure victory for trainer John Sargent and jockey Tim Clark. The six-year-old gelding, who had been knocking on the door all preparation, found the front early from a wide gate and dictated the tempo throughout. Despite the sustained challenge from Matusalem in the closing stages, Palmetto dug deep to prevail by 0.11 lengths at $3.90 odds with the top online bookmakers. Jumping cleanly, Palmetto had to do some work to cross the field but settled into a rhythm with Touristic and Redstone Well, last year’s runner-up, getting ideal positions just off the pace. As the field approached the final turn, Clark began to lift the tempo, with Redstone Well peeling out to challenge and Matusalem unleashing a strong run from midfield. At the 200m, Palmetto was still in front, with Redstone Well and Gear Up looming as dangers before Matusalem launched late. However, Palmetto had enough in reserve, clinging to victory in a thrilling finish. 2025 Listed Canberra Cup Race Replay – Palmetto https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Canberra-2025-Listed-Canberra-Cup-09032025-Palmetto-John-Sargent-Tim-Clark.mp4 For Clark, it was his fifth Canberra Cup win, adding to previous victories aboard Hippopus (2016), Dark Eyes (2017), Summe dour (2020), and Sacramento (2021). “He had to do it the hard way from the wide gate with the top weight, but he was just too tough in the end. He gave a great kick and held on well,” Clark said post-race. “He’s been racing well all prep, so it’s good to see him get a deserved win.” The Chris Waller-trained Matusalem was enormous in defeat, flashing home late and arguably unlucky after being held up for a run at a crucial stage. favourite, had every chance but couldn’t match the finishing bursts of the first two, finishing 0.44 lengths away in third. With eight career wins and $1,530,129 in prizemoney, Palmetto has proven to be a genuine competitor at this level. Sargent will now assess his next move, with options in both Sydney’s autumn carnival and further staying races on the horizon. Horse racing news View the full article

Red Phantom (IRE) ridden by Jake Duffy wins the Moama Bowling Club Echuca Cup at Echuca Racecourse on March 09, 2025 in Echuca, Australia. (Photo by Jay Town/Racing Photos) Red Phantom caused an upset in the Echuca Cup (1400m) on Sunday, March 9, edging out stablemate Capper Thirtynine to give trainer Nick Ryan a quinella in the feature event. Sent out at $21 with the online bookmakers, Red Phantom controlled the race from the front under Jake Duffy, proving too tough late to deny Capper Thirtynine, who loomed as the likely winner at the 200m mark. Jumping cleanly from barrier four, Red Phantom took up the lead early, with Capper Thirtynine settling just behind alongside Rhinoceros and Modown. Duffy dictated a steady tempo, keeping his mount comfortable while the more fancied Capper Thirtynine was asked to edge closer as they approached the bend. At the 250m, Capper Thirtynine hit the front, seemingly set for victory, but Red Phantom found another gear, fighting back on the inside to regain the lead in the final strides, scoring by 0.2 lengths. 2025 Echuca Cup Race Replay – Red Phantom https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Echuca-2025-Echuca-Cup-09032025-Red-Phantom-Nick-Ryan-Jake-Duffy.mp4 Nick Ryan was delighted with the performance, noting that Red Phantom had been set for the race. “He was targeted for this race, while Capper was on the backup. He’s always been a handy horse, and today, things fell into place. It looked like Capper was going to get him, but he fought back and got the job done.” For jockey Jake Duffy, it was a significant victory, having ridden Red Phantom in previous races and learning from past mistakes. “I feel like I got it wrong last time I rode him, but today, I was able to put him in the race early, keep him switched on, and he was tough when it counted. In the last 50m, he really stuck his head out and fought hard.” The victory marks Red Phantom’s fifth career win and boosts his earnings to $229,950. While Capper Thirtynine again had to settle for second, Modown and Prince Eric rounded out the minor placings. Ryan will now assess Red Phantom’s next move but was thrilled with the result. “It’s great to get a win like this for his owners. He’s been lightly raced but always shown ability, and it’s good to see him deliver on a big day like today.” The Echuca Cup quinella for Ryan capped off another strong training performance, proving once again why his stable continues to thrive in feature country cups. Horse racing news View the full article

Deekay ridden by John Allen wins the Bet365 VOBIS Gold Eldorado at Echuca Racecourse on March 09, 2025 in Echuca, Australia. (Photo by Jay Town/Racing Photos) Deekay showed his trademark tenacity to secure the 2025 Gold Eldorado (1200m) on Sunday, March 9, at Echuca. Trained by Anthony Chibnall and ridden by John Allen, the gelding prevailed in a thrilling finish, edging out Shesallshenanigans in the final strides. Jumping a touch slowly from barrier two, Deekay settled midfield while Sir Davy and Highland George set a genuine tempo up front. Shesallshenanigans, the main danger in the market, travelled well behind them, while Allen bided his time aboard Deekay, waiting for the right moment to strike. Turning for home, Shesallshenanigans loomed ominously and hit the front at the 300m mark, but Deekay quickly shifted into top gear. The two favourites went stride for stride down the straight in an enthralling battle, with Deekay lunging late to get the verdict by 0.2 lengths as the $1.75 favourite with the top online bookmaker. Echuca Gold Eldorado Race Replay – Deekay https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Echuca-2025-Gold-Eldorado-09032025-Deekay-Anthony-Chibnall-Jon-Allen.mp4 Allen was full of praise for the five-year-old’s fighting qualities. “He’s a tough, old horse and very genuine. I knew if we could have the last crack at her, he’d really knuckle down late. I tried to hold him up as long as I could because he doesn’t always put them away when he hits the front, but once I got stuck into him, he really found the line.” Trainer Anthony Chibnall spoke about the emotional connection to Deekay, with part-owner Wendy attending the races for the first time since her late husband Leon, who helped purchase the gelding, passed away. “Leon picked him out at the sales, and it’s just special to have Wendy here today to see him win. He’s been a great horse for us, and to get back-to-back wins in this race is just fantastic.” With five wins and over $541,300 in prize money, Deekay has been a consistent performer for connections. Chibnall hinted that bigger targets could be on the horizon, with the VOBIS Gold series providing lucrative options. “The VOBIS Gold bonuses make it a no-brainer to target these races. We paid $75,000 for him, and he’s won over $450,000, so he’s been a great investment. We’ll see how he pulls up, but there are plenty of good races ahead for him.” Horse racing news View the full article

Rider Penalties R Jaun | Amberley 5 March; medical clearance required. G Rooke | Waverley 6 March; careless riding; suspended 16-23 March inclusive. B Rogerson | Waverley 6 March; medical clearance required (subsequently received on 7 March). N Parmar | Waverley 6 March; medical clearance required (subsequently received on 7 March). T Moodley | Te Aroha 7 March; careless riding; suspended 13-21 March inclusive. D Moor | Auckland 8 March; use of whip; fined $5,000. H Grace | Taranaki 8 March; unreasonably slowing the pace; suspended 16-26 March inclusive. H Grace | Taranaki 8 March; use of whip; fined $600. T Newman | Taranaki 8 March; medical clearance required. Trainer Penalty B & R Foote | Auckland 8 March; incorrect gear; fined $50. Horse Penalties RETAIL THERAPY | Amberley 5 March; refused to leave barriers; must complete trial. KINDRED SPIRIT | Amberley 5 March; late scratching after rearing over in the mounting yard; must complete trial. WHOSHE’S BOY | Te Aroha 7 March; unsatisfactory performance; veterinary clearance required and must complete trial. ARKADUS | Te Aroha 7 March; lame; veterinary clearance required. OUT OF EXILE | Te Aroha 7 March; lame; veterinary clearance required. COGNOSCENTI | Te Aroha 7 March; cardiac arrhythmia; veterinary clearance required. HENRY ROBIN | Te Aroha 7 March; lame; veterinary clearance required. BONIFLEUR | Auckland 8 March; mucus in trachea; veterinary clearance required. SHOCKABELLA | Auckland 8 March; late scratching after becoming fractious in barrier; must complete trial. LEGARTO | Auckland 8 March; cardiac arrhythmia; veterinary clearance required. NEST EGG | Auckland 8 March; lame; veterinary clearance required. ICE COLD GOLD | Wyndham 9 March; late scratching after rearing prior to start; must complete trial. THE PIRANHA | Wyndham 9 March; unsatisfactory performance; must complete trial. THREE NINETY | Wyndham 9 March; tendon injury; veterinary clearance required. Protest HIGH PINS | Amberley 5 March; rider weighed in light; disqualified from 11th. The post 3-9 March 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

Guy, Emily & Jayne look back on a landmark day in New Zealand racing in this 90 minute special. They are joined by Reece Trump from Te Akau to talk about bringing up the Group 1 century for the team as well as Damask Rose taking out The NZB Kiwi. Shaun Clotworthy also reflects on Willydoit’s emphatic victory in the Derby. So much racing action, so little time. Weigh In – Champions Day Special View the full article

Cambridge Stud-owned sprinting mare Joliestar (Zoustar) proved she is among the best of Australia’s sprinters with an outstanding performance to win Saturday’s A$1.5 million Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington. A regally-bred daughter of Zoustar, Joliestar was purchased for $950,000 by Brendan and Jo Lindsay at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and had already proven herself worthy of that price tag, winning the A$1.5 million Gr.1 Thousand Guineas (1600m) as a three-year-old. Joliestar’s only other start at three was a victory in the Gr.2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m), before returning at four to win the Gr.3 Show County Quality (1200m) and earn herself a slot in the A$20 million The Everest. She went on to finish seventh in the Everest and the A$10 million Golden Eagle (1500m), and after resuming for third in the Gr.2 Expressway Stakes (1200m) last month, her connections and trainer Chris Waller opted to head to Melbourne for the time-honoured feature. The decision turned out to be a masterstroke, with Joliestar jumping cleanly from a middle barrier and finding cover behind Espionage in the early stages. The mare had a wall of horses in front of her at the 300m, but class hoop Damian Lane weaved his way through the pack and once she was in the clear, she never looked in doubt, charging clear from Headwall by over a length. Cambridge Stud’s CEO Henry Plumptre was thrilled with the victory, particularly when reflecting back on the spring period. “We made a conscious decision to have a look at Melbourne for her,” he said. “We thought about it in the spring and looking at the way she won yesterday, we probably should’ve taken her down there after the Everest for the Champions Sprint (Gr.1, 1200m), instead of staying for the Golden Eagle. “We kicked her off in Sydney this time around, she ran well enough to suggest she could run really well in a Newmarket. We were a little bit worried about the weight, she carried 56 kilos which is quite a lot of weight for a mare, but she trialled up the straight 10 days before the race and did so very well. “I think when she’s well and on her game, and she can get the cover that she needs in a race, she can be explosive and that’s pretty much what happened yesterday. “They ran a very good time and the only question you had at the clock tower was whether she was going to get out, but with a top pilot on board in Damian Lane, she did and she put them away in a matter of metres.” Following the race, there was some conversation around the possibility of Joliestar travelling to Royal Ascot, but Plumptre indicated that was unlikely. “It’s a long way to go to Ascot and I’m sure she could run really well there, but it would be difficult to get her back to Australia and have her competitive the following year,” he said. “By then, she’ll be a six-year-old before you really get her going again. If we keep her between Sydney and Melbourne, there’s so much racing for a good sprinting mare like her. “She may have another crack at the Everest, and that wouldn’t be possible if we went to Ascot.” The success has increased Joliestar’s career earnings above A$3.6 million with five victories in 12 starts, a record Plumptre hoped for when Cambridge Stud outlaid nearly seven figures to secure her. “We had several reasons why we went to $950,000 for her, and that’s based on a ratings system which is pretty accurate,” he said. “The higher the rating, the more likely they are to be good. “She was a gorgeous type, she was a complete stand-out. Earlier on in 2018, we had missed Probabeel at the sales as underbidders and David Ellis bought her, then we bought her after the sale. She was similar, a great type with great pedigree and a high rating. “You don’t always get it right, but it’s great when it does happen.” View the full article