Wandering Eyes

Edited Press Release Constitution (Tapit–Baffled, by Distorted Humor) will once again lead the WinStar stallion roster when he stands the 2026 season for $110,000 S&N, while Life is Good (Into Mischief–Beach Walk, by Distorted Humor)'s fee for next year has been set at $60,000. WinStar's 2026 stallion roster, which was released Sunday evening, will also include recently retired multiple Grade I winner Patch Adams (Into Mischief–Well Humored, by Distorted Humor), who will stand his initial season at stud for $30,000 S&N; and Straight No Chaser (Speightster–Margarita Friday, by Johannesburg), last year's Eclipse Award champion male sprinter, who is set to defend his title in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 1 and will stand for $10,000 S&N. The fees for Constitution, Straight No Chaser, and Independence Hall are subject to change pending Breeders' Cup results. “Each year brings in a new level of excitement,” said Elliott Walden, president, CEO, and racing manager of WinStar Farm. “This year, we have two new Grade I winners from different sire lines. Constitution has gone from strength to strength from the racetrack to the sales ring and now has several sons turning into excellent sires. He has three horses pointing to the Breeders' Cup at Del Mar and all have a big chance. Life is Good's first 2-year-olds are ready to hit the track in 2026, and he presents a great risk-reward opportunity for breeders. He's bred 566 high-quality mares in his first three crops and offers exceptional value in his fourth season at stud. We're thrilled to welcome a third generation homebred in multiple Grade I winner Patch Adams to our roster for 2026, and he will be joined by Straight No Chaser, an Eclipse Award winner and Breeders' Cup champion, just like his grandsire Speightstown who had a huge impact on the breed. We're trying to offer value at all points of our roster, and our team is eager to help with your mating plans for 2026.” Constitution is the No. 5 General Sire this season with progeny earnings of more than $12 million. His leading runners in 2025 include multiple Grade I winner and leading GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender and chief earner Mindframe, as well as graded winner Parchment Party, who is currently targeting the G1 Melbourne Cup, and GIII Vosburgh Stakes winner Patriot Spirit, who is under consideration for either the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint or GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile. In the sales ring, Constitution has had four yearlings sell for $1 million and others fetching $825,000, $775,000, and $750,000. He is also an emerging sire of sires, already represented by multiple Grade I winner and leading second-crop sire Tiz the Law, as well as WinStar's promising first-crop sire Independence Hall. Life Is Good, a four-time Grade I winner, has had first-crop yearlings sell this year for $1.25 million, $1.025 million, $725,000, and $700,000, and he is one of only two first-crop sires to have a seven-figure yearling at both the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga and Keeneland September sales. Cogburn (Not This Time–In a Jif, by Saintly Look), set a North American record for 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in winning the GI Jaipur S. last year, sizzling the distance in :59.80, registering a 114 Beyer, was bred to 194 mares in his initial season at stud this year. Multiple Grade I winner Country Grammer (Tonalist–Arabian Song, by Forestry), who retired as the third-highest earning North American-bred of all time with earnings of $14.9 million, will have first yearlings in 2026. Nashville (Speightstown–Veronique, by Mizzen Mast), who saw first yearlings sell for up to $425,000 this year, will have his first 2-year-olds in 2026. Timberlake (Into Mischief–Pin Up {Ire}, by Look at Lucky), winner of the GI Champagne S. and GII Rebel S., bred 161 mares in his first book in 2025. GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Two Phil's (Hard Spun–Mia Torri, by General Quarters), a graded stakes-winning juvenile and a multiple graded stakes winner at three, bred 260 mares in his first two books and will have first yearlings in 2026. WinStar stallions with other possible Breeders' Cup starters include Audible, whose daughter Splendora is a possible contender in the GI Filly and Mare Sprint, and Independence Hall, whose first-crop 2-year-old Civil Liberty is possible for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, having finished third in the GI Del Mar Futurity in just his second career start. WinStar's complete 2026 roster is: Constitution, *$110,000; Life Is Good, $60,000; Patch Adams, $30,000; Cogburn, $25,000; Timberlake, $15,000; Nashville, $12,500; Straight No Chaser, *$10,000; Heartland, $10,000; Independence Hall, *$10,000; Audible, $7,500; Take Charge Indy, $7,500; Two Phil's, $7,500; Country Grammer, $5,000; Promises Fulfilled, $2,500. *Fees subject to change after Breeders' Cup. The post At $110k, Constitution Tops WinStar 2026 Stallion Roster appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

6th-Keeneland, $109,588, Msw, 10-12, 3yo/up, f/m, 6f, 1:10.50, ft, 4 3/4 lengths. CUT TO THE CHASE (f, 3, Complexity–Listen to Libby, by Indian Charlie), seen just once prior when finishing fourth after setting the pace on the lawn July 14 at Ellis, again showed the way Sunday but with a much different result. The bay–second choice Sunday at 3-1–emerged from the early fray to briefly chase Contemplate (Hard Spun) before leaving that one in her wake, clocking the first quarter in :22.15. Moving easily, she stayed in front, doing it easily as Victor Espinoza stayed motionless. After registering the half in :45.73, Cut to the Chase sailed to the wire in a hand ride, crossing the line 4 3/4 lengths the best with her ears pricked. Favored firster American Pearl (Gun Runner) finished second. The winner is a half to Chanteline (Majesticperfection), GSW, $594,972; and to Kell Paso (Divine Park), MSW, $244,603. Her dam has a yearling Upstart filly, who sold to Miguel Clement for $160,000 at last month's Keeneland sale, and a 2025 Mage colt. From the same family as GI Hopeful Stakes winner Currency Swap (High Cotton), the mare was bred back to Complexity for a full-sibling to Cut to the Chase for next term. Sales History: $375,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $70,454. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. O-Thomas W. Bachman; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Wesley A. Ward. Victor Espinoza makes his way back to the Keeneland winner's circle as (6) Cut To The Chase soars down the stretch in race 6! (2) American Pearl checks in second and (7) Taverna follows in third. pic.twitter.com/wSy7mKS38v — Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) October 12, 2025 The post Complexity’s Cut to the Chase Collars Keeneland Maiden Convincingly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In a full-circle moment for his trainer, Chris Waller, Autumn Boy maintained a strong family line of Caulfield Guineas (G1) winners when taking out the AU$3 million classic in a top-class display at Caulfield Oct. 11.View the full article

Nysos and stablemate Citizen Bull each worked six furlongs at Santa Anita Park for trainer Bob Baffert Oct. 12, and reigning champion sprinter Straight No Chaser returned to the tab after being beaten in the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (G2).View the full article

Last seen completing the exacta for her sire in a Sept. 10 allowance at Kentucky Downs, Time to Dazzle (f, 4, Not This Time–Staria, by Unbridled's Song) went from last to first in a rousing rendition of the $400,000 GII Franklin Stakes Sunday at Keeneland. As In Our Time (Not This Time)–who headed that Sept. 10 exacta–set a blazing pace up front while vying early with Luna Louska (Compexity), throwing down quarters of :20.65 and :43.65, Time to Dazzle bided her time at the rear. She dove to the rail in the stretch, found another gear, and left the rest in her wake, getting the 5 1/2 furlongs on turf in 1:02.09. In Our Time held for second, while Pondering (Hard Spun) finished third. The Franklin marked Time to Dazzle's second graded win following the GIII Ontario Colleen Stakes at Woodbine in 2024. TIME TO DAZZLE ($8.06) squeezes through on the rail to get the win in the $400,000 Franklin Stakes (G2) at @keenelandracing. The daughter of Not This Time was ridden by @jose93_ortiz and trained by @markecasse. pic.twitter.com/UFoViMPTgY — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 12, 2025 Sunday, Keeneland FRANKLIN S.-GII, $390,950, Keeneland, 10-12, 3yo/up, f/m, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.09, fm. 1–TIME TO DAZZLE, 121, f, 4, by Not This Time 1st Dam: Staria, by Unbridled's Song 2nd Dam: Starboard Tack, by Seattle Slew 3rd Dam: Hangin On a Star, by Vice Regent ($310,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Tracy Farmer; B-Rodney Orr (KY); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $241,800. Lifetime Record: 14-4-2-1, $682,877. *1/2 to Sir Genghis (Tale of the Cat), MSW, $523,052. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–In Our Time, 121, f, 4, Not This Time–Laura's Pleasure, by Cactus Ridge. ($325,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $9,000 RNA 3yo '24 KEEJAN). O-Resolute Racing and Miller Racing LLC; B-Brian Kahn (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. $78,000. 3–Pondering, 118, f, 3, Hard Spun–Always Thinking, by Street Sense. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh. $39,000. Margins: 3 1/4, HD, NK. Odds: 3.03, 5.66, 6.75. Also Ran: Pipsy (Ire), Cart Girl Sam, Won Happy Mama, Luna Louska. Scratched: Future Is Now, Lady Crush. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. The post Not This Time’s Time to Dazzle Does Just That at Keeneland in Franklin Win appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Baoma Corp's Nysos (Nyquist) worked six furlongs in 1:11.20 (1/4) Sunday at Santa Anita and remains on track for the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, according to trainer Bob Baffert. “Very happy with the work,” Baffert said. The 4-year-old Nysos, whose lone loss to date is a narrow runner-up effort behind Mindframe in the GI Churchill Downs Stakes in May, is coming off wins in the GIII Triple Bend Stakes and GII San Diego Handicap. Shortly after that work, Baffert sent out Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) to work the same distance in 1:11.80 (2/4). Last year's champion juvenile, coming off a 5 1/2-length victory in the Aug. 31 Shared Belief Stakes, is also aiming for the Dirt Mile. Baffert also sent out 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Boyd (Violence) out to work Sunday at Santa Anita. In his first work since romping in his Sept. 7 unveiling, the 2-year-old went three furlongs in :37.60 (16/20). He is being aimed at the Nov. 16 GIII Bob Hope Stakes at Del Mar, according to Baffert. Boyd | Horsephotos Also working at Santa Anita Sunday ahead of the Breeders' Cup, Straight No Chaser (Speighster) worked four furlongs in :47.20 (1/69) as he prepares for a defense of his title in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint. “He worked really well,” trainer Dan Blacker said. “We're on target for the Breeders' Cup [Sprint].” Straight No Chaser finished third as the favorite in the Sept. 28 GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship last time out. Motorious (GB) (Muhaarar {GB}), preparing for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint, blitzed five furlongs on the synthetic training track in :58.60 (1/19) for trainer Phil D'Amato. The 7-year-old gelding, who was a narrowly beaten second in last year's Turf Sprint, most recently won the GIII Green Flash Stakes via disqualification Aug. 30 at Del Mar. The post Nysos, Citizen Bull Work for Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Entering Oct. 11 with 10,997 career wins, Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen pulled off a hat trick at Remington Park to become the first North American trainer to win 11,000 races.View the full article

Most with a story to tell regale audience and bystander around the dinner table or the campfire or at the bar. More disciplined souls sit at the typewriter to memorialize it in print. But what possesses someone to then take that memoir and distill it into a screenplay, fundraise a small retirement account for a movie of that screenplay that you'll direct yourself before premiering the finished product in a packed Los Angeles movie theater for a collection of SoCal racing glitterati? “The summer of my first year in college [in Pasadena], I worked for the carnival. The last place we were at was Great Falls, Montana. I was going to go home after that. I had some money from working the summer. “But instead of just getting a plane ticket or a bus ticket, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to buy a horse and I'm going to bring the horse back,” laughs Tom Knust, the 78-year-old horse racing multi-hyphenate (and current jock's agent to Antonio Fresu), as he pinpoints a character trait driving his 30-year odyssey to film his war-torn experiences with Vietnam. The morning's late at Santa Anita's otherwise empty Clockers' Corner, and the rowdy din of the tractors provide a fitting backing track. “I paid like $600 for the horse. But when I came to pick it up, I found it was too expensive to send back,” Knust remembers. “So, I bought an old horse trailer for like a hundred bucks. I had to reboard and fix it up. And then I bought a car for like $400.” The old jalopy was thirstier than a desert cactus–Knust had to stop every 50 miles to quench the steaming radiator from dozens of water bags strapped to the outside. There were other bumps along the way. A late stop at Salt Lake City saw the horse get loose and pull a Houdini. Knust found her the next morning grazing in a football field. A young Tom Knust | courtesy Tom Knust The whole trip took more than three days. By the time he got back to his sister's house in Arcadia, it was two in the morning. “Well, I'm not going to wake her up. So, I just put the horse in the backyard, closed the gate and went to sleep in my car. The next morning, my niece goes to my sister, 'There's a horse in the backyard.' My sister says, 'There's not a horse. You're dreaming.' She looks out the window. There's a horse grazing on their lawn,” recalls Knust. “Stupid stuff like that, that I don't have to do, but I just get my mindset on something and then I just have to do it,” he says. “You know, it's the way I've been all my life.” The latest demonstration of this innate stubborn streak is the movie Shadow War, which Knust recently played to a packed theater in Pasadena, attended by a healthy cross-section of race-trackers–jockeys and trainers and TV presenters and bloodstock agents, some of them actors in the film. A standing ovation ensued. The movie cuts back and forth between the formative years of Knust's life, from his childhood growing up under the shadow of his alcoholic grandfather to the dreams and ideologies that led to his deployment to Vietnam, and then his convalescence after a head shot during combat left him temporarily paralyzed. “My grandfather was an alcoholic, but he would tell me all these stories about all these adventures. And when I was a kid, that's what I wanted to do, go to all these places and have more adventures than him,” said Knust. “My grandfather had instilled in me so much that I was invincible. And I did think I was invincible. So, when I got shot, that's the thing that shocked me the most. That I could get hurt,” says Knust. “The guy they put next to me [in hospital] was in one of those rotating beds. He had screws in his head and his feet, and they'd have to rotate him and stuff. He would moan all day long and sleep at night. I hated it because I could never sleep. “Finally, I got used to it, and then I got friendly with the guy. Before, I couldn't hear what he was saying. But this time I could hear him saying he didn't want to die. “I told him about my spiritual experience and that I felt there was something else besides what we have here. Then, when I woke up the next morning, he had died,” Knust recalls. “I thought to myself, 'Maybe what I said to him helped,' because he was really at peace and he wasn't so much afraid anymore.” An earlier draft of Knust's screenplay, that he'd adapted from his memoir, apparently knocked for a short while around the executive desks of movie studio MGM. “They had optioned the script and they said they were going to do something with it. But nothing happened. I don't think MGM was really that serious. And then they gave me the option back,” says Knust. For the next 25 years, the script went through several shapeshifts, some of it by pedigreed storytellers. This includes, said Knust, racehorse owner Jim Wilson, who produced Dances with Wolves during a long collaborative career with Kevin Costner. David Milch, the doyen of prestige TV (think Deadwood and Luck), and once a piece of the Santa Anita furniture, similarly pulled out his red pen. “One time he came in my office and he sat there for like 30 minutes and rewrote some stuff,” says Knust. “Then he said, 'I can't do it legally because I'm on contract. But if I did it for you, that would've cost you about $150,000.'” After pulling together around $100,000, it was time for Knust to start filming. Which is when he leant on familiar faces, like trainer Carla Gaines' roly-poly dog, Prince Bama, now immortalized among cinema's greatest canine matinee idols courtesy of a haunting character arc to rival Newman in Cool Hand Luke. To recreate combat in Vietnam, Knust decamped to Ventura County's Lake Piru, part of owner-breeder Tim Cohen's sprawling Rancho Temescal. Bloodstock agent Steve Rothblum (clearly channeling his inner Brando) played the dissolute grandfather. For the mother of his younger self, Knust turned to XBTV on-air talent Millie Ball, who provides the film's beating heart. Ball only got the call up the night before filming, the original actress having bailed last minute. “I asked, 'How many lines do I have?' He said, 'Oh, don't worry, it's only a few lines. A few scenes. Usual thing,'” Ball recalls of the casting call. “I got there the next day and it was basically a whole day of filming with about six, seven scenes and a whole lot of lines. But we got through it, and I actually really enjoyed doing it.” Ball is no acting neophyte, but she hasn't flexed that muscle for years. And when she did, it was as a stunt performer primarily. “I thought it had a good message,” says Ball, of why she signed on. “You go to war, bad shit happens, and you come back and you've got to make the best of it, but you've got to stand proud having fought for your country.” It took about a year-and-a-half to organize, film, and then edit the movie. Knust hopes to sell it, once he can secure the rights to some of the music woven through a playlist that includes the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Doors. For the film's premier, Knust hired out the Ice House theater in Pasadena. Trainer Richard Mandella was there. “I thought it was just terrific,” says Mandella. “I think it's a film that anybody would enjoy. I just wish it would have gone further and talked about the career he ended up having.” Indeed, throughout Knust's artistic ventures–which includes other books and a script in development–he has shied away from his long involvement in the sport. Having returned from Vietnam and still recovering from his injuries, Knust walked hots for trainer Joe Dunn. He took his own license out for a short while. “The good thing is they don't keep records from when I trained, so, nobody knows what my record is,” he says, leaning heavy on the self-depreciation. He's been a clerk and a placing judge. An assistant handicapper and a racing secretary. But his longest stint has been as a jock's agent for the likes of Corey Nakatani, Kent Desormeaux, Richard Migliore, Kevin Krigger, David Cohen, Abel Cedillo, Victor Espinoza, and Jose Valdivia, Jr. He represented Patrick Valenzuela on four different occasions. One of those times, Valenzuela had one of his drug-fueled meltdowns. “I told him, 'The California Horse Racing Board's going to come and test you. If they test you, you're not going to ever be able to ride again.' So, I took him to a rehab in Pasadena and he was there for all of three months. He gave permission to the doctor to talk to me about his progress and everything. “I'd go to Del Mar–I'd picked up Nakatani by then. On Mondays and Tuesdays, I'd come back here. The doctor at the end of the three months told me 99.9% he'd do crystal meth again. He said, 'Absolutely will.' And sure enough, he did do it again,” says Knust. The 63-year-old jockey recently applied for his riding license. He was knocked back. But the hearing officer hinted Valenzuela could reapply in 2026. “Knowing him, he'll apply again,” says Knust. “If anybody can do it, he can do it.” Determined to finish what he started no matter what? Sounds an awful lot like his former agent. The post From Agent to the Arthouse, Knust’s Cinematic Dream Becomes Reality appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Steve Asmussen became the first trainer to win 11,000 races in North American when Beau Soleil won the eighth race at Remington Park Saturday night. Asmussen's night at Remington Park began with two quick victories in the second and third races, putting him at 10,999 North American wins before Beau Soleil clinched the milestone victory in the eighth race. The trainer's son, Erik Asmussen, rode all three winners. “I'm extremely proud and grateful to a lot of great help, great owners and great horses,” Asmussen said. Asmussen has won an unprecedented 19 training titles at Remington Park, with an all-time leading 1,331 total victories in Oklahoma City. Now with 29 wins for the current season, Asmussen leads Robertino Diodoro by seven in the standings, in search for a 20th seasonal title. The current Remington meeting concludes Dec. 20. The post Asmussen First Trainer to 11,000 North American Wins appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

TATTERSALLS, ENGLAND – Mick Murphy has dedicated his lifetime's craft towards producing a horse good enough to win a Group 1 and, when his Longways Stables graduate Gewan (Night Of Thunder) crossed the line in front in Saturday's Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket, he and his wife Sarah were nowhere near the hubbub and celebration that rang out around the racecourse. Instead, Murphy was back at Park Paddocks searching for his next big-name star ahead of the Book 2 session of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. It is almost a year to the day since Murphy sourced Gewan at Book 2 and, to say his breakthrough at Group 1 level was a timely one would be a massive understatement. Far beyond the wild celebrations at Newmarket racecourse, Gewan provided the Longways team with a lift in their spirits after Sarah's well-documented health scare. Speaking from the Solario cafe at Tattersalls on the eve of Book 2, Murphy said, “I was back here inspecting the horses when Gewan won. Sarah was toying with the idea of coming over but Flora Of Bermuda, another graduate of ours, is her pride and joy, and she runs on Champions Day at Ascot next Saturday, so she decided that she would go to that instead. So our first Group 1 winner and neither of us were there! It's actually funny, I rang her straight away after the Dewhurst and she was watching the race on a delayed feed. She was about a minute behind but I don't think she minded me ruining the surprise to tell her that the horse had won. It was just an unbelievable buzz.” He added, “It was very special. Especially for Sarah, who has had a tough time of it for the past two years now, so Saturday provided her with a huge lift. The treatment has been going well but it has been a challenging 24 or 25 months now. That's why you could say Gewan was well-timed. It provided us with a major boost. It really is a massive thing for us. We've been lucky to have sold two Royal Ascot winners and have had multiple horses placed in Group 1s. We even had Le Brivido, who was beaten a short head in a French 2,000 Guineas. So to get that breakthrough Group 1, it means the world to us.” Not only was Gewan a hugely important winner for Longways Stables, but it was one that was collectively fist-pumped by the breeze-up community. Gewan provided that sphere with a one-three in the Dewhurst, given the third-placed Distant Storm was bought and sold by prominent breeze-up handler Cormac Farrell, and Murphy says the result will serve as a timely reminder of how strong that business has become. He said, “The past few years have been unbelievable. The quality of the horses that are being bought to go breezing now is frightening. I've said it several times before now but, when I first got into breezing, we were essentially second-hand car dealers. We trained what the trainers didn't want. Essentially, that was the role of the breeze-up men and women – to pick up the slack. Even in the past couple of years, the whole thing has gone to another level. It's gone so professional. But trying to buy horses to go breezing isn't easy, either. The market this year has been unbelievably strong. We were very lucky that we made a good living out of the chancier horses but, now, you need sire-power. I am a big believer in sire-power.” And Gewan has that all-important sire-power. By Night Of Thunder, who can seemingly do no wrong at present, the grey is out of a Stakes-placed mare in Grey Mystere (Lethal Force). Murphy went to 100,000gns to secure Gewan from Overbury Stud here 12 months ago. Recalling him as a yearling, he said, “I loved him physically, but thought he was quite raw. At the end of the day, though, he was by Night Of Thunder out of a Stakes mare. It is well-documented now that he had a small issue with one of his knees. My vet, Rob Dallas, was very happy with him and gave me the confidence to take a chance on him. Obviously, plenty of others didn't. Whether it is breeze-up horses or horses-in-training, a comment on knees or stifles will frighten a lot of people. I can remember when I was only starting out in this game, [vet] John Halley told me that. But I loved the horse and I took the chance on him. It wasn't anything majorly clever given his pedigree. Unfortunately, the buyers weren't as forgiving of him at the breeze-ups and we didn't make any money on him. Okay, I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I knew he was a Group 1 horse, but I knew he was well above standard. Thankfully, Billy Jackson-Stops listened.” Gewan was led out of the ring unsold initially at the Arqana Breeze-Up Sale. However, Jackson-Stops saw something that a lot of buyers didn't in the colt. And, crucially, he took Murphy at his word that this was a promising colt in the making. A deal was done and Jackson-Stops bought Gewan on behalf of Rabban Racing for what now looks to be a snip at €80,000. “He didn't blow the clock off but his stride analysis and his biometrics were off the charts,” Murphy explained. “The track at Deauville, it suits a really fast horse – you are only off the bend and you are into the straight and then there is a relatively quick pull-up. The Craven at Newmarket would have suited him better, as it proved yesterday, but because he was so raw, we gave him the time and waited for France. We did right by the horse. We probably didn't do right by ourselves with regards to getting well-paid for him, but we did right by the horse, and the horse is always number one. Billy was using the Pythia system last year at the breeze-ups and it was he who told me that Gewan scored unbelievably well on that. In fairness to Billy, he took a chance on the horse and it has worked out for him so I am absolutely delighted for him.” Gewan was sold privately by Rabban Racing to Chinese billionaire Yuesheng Zhang after the colt landed the G3 Acomb Stakes at York. Murphy wouldn't be human if he didn't wish his eye and judgement was better rewarded at the breeze-up sales but admitted to feeling overwhelming joy at Gewan fulfilling his potential. He said, “Obviously, we buy these horses for resale but our ultimate goal is to produce good horses. Whether you are a yearling or breeze-up consignor, I think that is the main aim. A Group 1-producing consignor, that's where you want to get to. It has taken us a while to get there but it was worth the wait.” Attention now turns to Book 2 where the goal is a simple one. Unearth the next Gewan. “My shortlist is a longlist,” Murphy joked. “There are a lot of nice horses here. But then again, there are a lot of people here so I am expecting trade to be strong. It's a sale I have been very lucky at before and we'll be trying hard again. I always try to buy two or three horses at Book 1 but we managed to buy five here last week – including two Night Of Thunder fillies – so it was definitely workable. So I bought five and I probably underbid six or seven as well. The pedigrees may not be as strong at Book 2 but, having got around to see the majority of the horses, the physicals are extremely strong. There are some very smart-looking horses here.” The post ‘My Shortlist Is A Longlist’ – Longways On The Hunt For Next Gewan At Book 2 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

High-class filly Barnavara, last seen winning the G1 Prix de l'Opera at ParisLongchamp, is set to go under the hammer at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale. She will be consigned by Baroda Stud and will feature as part of the fourth edition of the Sceptre Sessions, which take place on Monday, December 1 and Tuesday, December 2. Trained by Jessica Harrington for Alpha Racing, Barnavara has gone from strength to strength since gaining her first black-type victory in June's Listed Kooyonga Stakes at Navan. The daughter of Calyx has been beaten just once in four subsequent starts, notably winning the G3 Jannah Rose Stakes at Naas and G2 Blandford Stakes at the Curragh, before beating See The Fire by a short neck to make the breakthrough at the top level on Arc weekend. Altogether Barnavara will be offered at Park Paddocks as the winner of five of her 13 starts, having also made a successful debut at the Curragh in May last year. She went on to finish placed in three Group races as a two-year-old, including when returning to the Curragh to take third in the G2 Debutante Stakes. “The rules of the syndicate are that the horses are sold no later than the end of their three-year-old careers,” said Patrick Cooper of BBA Ireland, who bought Barnavara for €70,000 at Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale. “She is a big filly, standing a good 16.2HH, so what she has achieved this early in her career is remarkable. She won her maiden in May of her two-year-old year and has run another dozen times since. She has a great constitution and an attitude to die for. She just doesn't lie down.” He continued, “Barnavara is named after the farm where Mum grew up in Cork. She is one of two nonagenarians in the syndicate, most of whom are intending to come to the sales. The genteel rabble that are the owners had the day of their racing lives at Longchamp. This is a great group of people. “Alpha Racing has been going for eight years now and we have pretty much given everyone back the share price every year. Hopefully, this year's group might do a little better than that. We have a core that has been in since the beginning and others come and go depending on circumstances. We will be sorry to see her go, but we are stocking up for next year and the bills need paying. The sale will be her last race for us and we are expecting a large turnout.” Bred by Andriy Milovanov and Viktor Tymoshenko, Barnavara is one of three winners from as many runners out of the Kentucky Dynamite mare Alfea who, in turn, is out of a half-sister to the G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis – Bayerisches Zuchtrennen hero Danceteria (Redoute's Choice). The third dam, the G3 Grand Prix des Provinces scorer Bal De La Rose, is a half-sister to the dual Classic-winning sire Lope De Vega. Tattersalls chairman Edmond Mahony added, “Barnavara is a filly of exceptional talent and looks to be a filly who is only going to get better and she will undoubtedly be one of the highlights of the Sceptre Sessions at this year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale. She joins a growing list of stellar fillies that will be offered at Europe's leading breeding stock sale and it is a privilege to be asked to offer her at one of the most eargerly anticipated events of the global bloodstock sales calendar this year.” The post Prix de l’Opera Heroine Barnavara Joins A-List Cast for the Tattersalls December Mares Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief–No Joke, by Distorted Humor) will join the stallion roster at Coolmore America's Ashford Stud in 2026 following his final start in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, the farm said in a press release early on Sunday morning. As a juvenile, Citizen Bull won on debut at Del Mar for trainer Bob Baffert who pitched him straight into the GI Del Mar Futurity–a race he finished third. Subsequent starts at the Grade I level yieled victories in the American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita and in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar. For his efforts, the colt was voted the country's top 2-year-old colt, which made him his sire's ninth champion. Citizen Bull's 3-year-old campaign included a score in the GIII Robert B. Lewis Stakes in Arcadia and a 5 1/2-length win in the Shared Belief Stakes at the seaside oval Aug. 31. “The only Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male by Into Mischief, Citizen Bull will make a fantastic addition to our roster,” said Ashford Stud's Dermot Ryan. “He is from that very potent Into Mischief-Distorted Humor cross that has already given us the proven Grade I sire Practical Joke, and hails from the family of up-and-coming young Ashford sire Tiz The Law.” Following his Shared Belief Stakes success, trainer Bob Baffert said that, “He was back to a distance he really loves. The Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile is where we will be pointing… You saw the champion Citizen Bull today.” A stud fee for Citizen Bull will be announced in due course. The post Champion Citizen Bull To Stud At Coolmore America For 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Darius Racing and Michael Motschmann's G3 Zufunfts-Rennen victor Gostam (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), Germany's highest-rated juvenile, lined up as the 2-5 favourite for Sunday's G3 Wettstar Preis des Winterfavoriten at Cologne and justified cramped odds with a scintillating five-length triumph in the one-mile contest. He becomes the third winner of Germany's premier juvenile event for conditioner Andreas Wohler, who struck with Darius Racing's subsequent G1 Deutsches Derby hero Isfahan (Lord Of England) in 2015 and with the Gestut Fahrhof-bred Langtang (Campanologist) in 2016. Gostam was slick from the gates and held an early advantage, before being headed by Nitaro (Oasis Dream) approaching the halfway mark. Regaining control with 500 metres remaining, he rolled around in front as the pack threatened and thundered clear once engaging turbo to easily overpower Lommi (Churchill) by daylight. https://t.co/SkWDOMrCGX – Preis des Winterfavoriten (GR3) over 1600m at Cologne 2yo – Group Race – 155.000€ GOSTAM c by SAXON WARRIOR LOMMI c by CHURCHILL DALYAN c by ROMANISED Darius Racing & M. Motschmann Andreas Wöhler Eduardo Pedroza Stiftung Gestüt… pic.twitter.com/bFGdxFy0Y5 — Deutscher Galopp (@DeutscherGalopp) October 12, 2025 Pedigree Notes Gostam, one of his sire's eight pattern-race winners, is one of two black-type scorers out of the stakes-winning Goiania (Oasis Dream), herself kin to the stakes-winning Geminiano (Wootton Bassett), Wolf Country (Dubawi) and Gualana (Pivotal) as well as Listed Bayerischer Fliegerpreis third Guavia (Invincible Spirit). Guavia, in turn, is the dam of multiple Group-placed G2 German 2000 Guineas and G3 Premio Parioli (Italian 2000 Guineas) third Ghorgan (Study Of Man) and the stakes-placed Goin' (Nathaniel). The January-foaled bay, whose second dam is G3 Frankfurter Stutenpreis victrix Goathemala (Black Sam Bellamy), is a half-brother to the stakes-winning GIII Regret Stakes third Gavea (Gleneagles) and a yearling colt by Blackbeard. Sunday, Cologne, Germany WETTSTAR.DE – PREIS DES WINTERFAVORITEN-G3, €155,000, Cologne, 10-12, 2yo, 8fT, 1:38.38, sf. 1–GOSTAM (GER), 128, c, 2, by Saxon Warrior (Jpn) 1st Dam: Goiania (GB) (SW-Ger), by Oasis Dream (GB) 2nd Dam: Goathemala (Ger), by Black Sam Bellamy (Ire) 3rd Dam: Global World (Ger), by Big Shuffle (€58,000 Ylg '24 BBAGS). O-Darius Racing & Michael Motschmann; B-Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof; T-Andreas Wohler; J-Eduardo Pedroza. €85,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, €126,000. *1/2 to Gavea (Ger) (Gleneagles {Ire}), SW & GSP-US, $224,632. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigreex. 2–Lommi (Ire), 128, c, 2, Churchill (Ire)–La Sabara (GB), by Sabiango (Ger). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€78,000 Ylg '24 ARQOCT). O-Eckhard Sauren; B-Randolph Peters; T-Henk Grewe. €31,000. 3–Dalyan (Fr), 128, c, 2, Romanised (Ire)–Dalakania (Ire), by Dalakhani (Ire). 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (€42,000 Ylg '24 ARQOCT). O-Denis Cengiz; B-SAS Haute Vallee & Mme Charlotte Hutchinson; T-Henk Grewe. €20,500. Margins: 5, 2, 3/4. Odds: 0.40, 5.70, 30.10. Also Ran: Somi (Ire), Spezialist (Ger), Next Emerald (Ger), Guevara (Ger), Nitaro (GB). The post Saxon Warrior’s Gostam Goes Three For Three With Scintillating Winterfavoriten Triumph appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

GI Preakness Stakes winner War of Will (War Front) will relocate from Claiborne Farm to New York's Rockridge Stud for 2026, the farm announced Sunday. “We are honored to have this opportunity with Gary [Barber] on another stallion and thrilled to have Claiborne dipping a toe into the NY market,” said President of Rockridge Lere Visagie. Barber added, “I am very much looking forward to supporting War of Will in the lucrative New York breeding program. With the new Belmont facility coming online with three surfaces, I know War of Will can provide many opportunities for my mares and stable to become a large part of the New York Program.” Claiborne Farm will continue to be a shareholder in the stallion's new syndicate at Rockridge, as will many of the original shareholders from Kentucky. Walker Hancock, president of Claiborne Farm is optimistic that War of Will can continue to provide results in New York. “War of Will is a classic winner on dirt and a Grade I winner on turf,” Hancock said. “The new facility at Belmont will provide a continuation of the success we have already seen on all three surfaces, and we are very excited to be a part of this new chapter.” The post War Of Will To Stand At New York’s Rockridge Stud In 2026 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When Seth Klarman stretched for a yearling filly by Nyquist at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale, he paid $460,000, which trainer Chad Brown said was, “at the top end of what he goes for for yearlings.” That filly, Randomized, went on to earn four times that amount on the track and now figures to be one of the star attractions at the November 3 Fasig-Tipton Night of the Stars when she sells as hip 137 in the EliTE consignment. “She was one of our top picks at the sale,” recalled Brown. “She's an excellent physical and she really looked like a high-quality prospect.” She proved to be just that, going on to be a dual Grade I winner and a model of consistency, hitting the board in 11 of 15 starts. She won the GI Alabama Stakes and the GII Beldame at three, the GI Ogden Phipps at four, and the GIII Molly Pitcher at five. She was second by a half-length to champion Idiomatic in the Breeders' Cup Distaff at three after a prolonged battle to the wire. She won all of her races on the front end, including the Alabama, where she lay down fast fractions and just kept on going, which Brown called her most impressive on-track moment. “For her medium, unassuming stature–at least in height-for her to go out there and set a very fast pace and continue on and carry it a mile and a quarter showed her versatility,” said Brown. Randomized came into the Alabama off a win at a mile in the Wilton Stakes at Saratoga. “Coming off a race where she ran just a mile, within a month's time to win at Saratoga going all the way up to a mile a quarter, I think really speaks to her versatility, her overall ability to carry her speed over a large range of distance and to win such a prestigious as the Alabama, not only for a racehorse but for a future broodmare.” Fasig-Tipton President and CEO Boyd Browning said that that consistency, along with her speed and durability, would likely prove to be an attractive package for many breeders. “One of the things that jumps out to me about Randomized is her consistency and durability as a racehorse,” said Browning. “She's running in top competition as a graded stakes winner as a three-year-old, as a four-year-old, and as a five-year-old. The other thing that really jumps out at you about Randomized is her speed. This mare is really fast, and she carried that speed a mile and a quarter in the Alabama. That combination of speed and durability, and the ability to carry that speed along a distance are really two of the attributes people are looking for in a broodmare.” It doesn't hurt her chances that her sire Nyquist is on an incredible hot streak in 2025. He has had 10 Grade I horses in this year, more than any other stallion, and has sired three $1 million yearlings and three $1 million two-year-olds this year in the sales ring. His top runners of 2025 include the undefeated Cavalieri, headed toward the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff; Johannes, headed to the Breeders' Cup Mile; $1.7 million earner Immersive; GI Summer S. Winner Argos; GI Del Mar Oaks winner Velocity; and graded stakes winners Nysos, Crimson Advocate, Tenma and Gosger. “When we look at stallions that continue to be on the rise and continue to shine, Nyquist certainly has to be in that category,” said Browning, “not only as a stallion, but also as a potential influence as a broodmare sire. He's Uncle Mo's leading son at stud thus far. We all know what kind of influence Uncle Mo has had as a broodmare sire, and there's every reason to think that those same trends and traits would continue on. And Randomized is going to get an opportunity to be a special mare. She's going to be bred to top stallions wherever she happens to land, whoever happens to buy her. She's going be presented with some of the best stallions in the world for many years to come. And you know the future for her is extremely bright.” Browning points out the depth under her second dam, where three millionaires are found, demonstrating, he says, “how consistent of performance at the highest levels this family is producing.” Brown agreed. “I can see Randomized appealing internationally, to any of the top American breeders or to anyone else in the world,” he said. “Anyone who wants to have that dream about breeding a Classic horse, a Derby contender, a Breeders' Cup Classic contender, a Dubai World Cup contender, a Saudi Cup contender–you're looking at mile-and-eighth to mile-and-a-quarter dirt races where you'd like to have some speed. And she certainly provides one half of that equation.” A Classic-distance stallion combined with her speed could be the secret sauce, says Brown. “Randomized is the perfect match to breed with classic-distance stallions, either very proven stallions, or exciting stallions who will be hitting the market soon who have been performing at classic distances.” As he says those words, Sierra Leone passes behind him in the walking ring, cooling out after his morning exercise. Brown turns to watch him go by and laughs out loud at the obvious implication. But then he's reminded that after four years of having her around the barn, his time with her is coming to an end. “When I sell these high-end broodmare prospects at the Night of the Stars, it's always a very bittersweet moment for me personally and for our team,” he says. “To make it into that sale and to be one of the major headliners, it takes a very special, unique, rare horse to be one of the tiny percentiles it takes to be there. It's a very proud moment. But it's also a bit daunting to know you have to replace her and it's not easy to do.” But, he says, his loss is someone's gain. “To find a very fast broodmare who ran exclusively on the dirt at a high level is a rare find and I think she's going to be a very rare piece in somebody's broodmare collection.” The post Nothing Arbitrary About It: Randomized Set to Shine on Night of the Stars appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tomodachi Kokoroe will be set on a course towards December’s Group One Hong Kong Sprint (1,200m) after the red-hot speedster pulled off a gutsy victory at Sha Tin on Sunday. While the seven-year-old’s last-start success in a time of 1:07.76 featured more than a flash of brilliance, the gelding was forced to dig deep to make it two wins on the trot. Set the task of carrying 133lb from gate 11 in the Class Two Shing Mun Handicap (1,200m), Tomodachi Kokoroe was caught three wide without cover for...View the full article

Mick Price and Michael Kent Junior’s gigantic galloper Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit) could head to the Cox Plate following his upset win in the Gr.1 Might And Power Stakes on Saturday. Price told Racing.com on Sunday morning that he’d had discussions with the ownership group about running Globe in the weight for age championship event on October 25, which would require them to pay a late entry fee. “It’s a $200,000 pay up, they pay $100,000 down to eighth and it would be a small field,” Price said. “I’m not sure when I have to make that pay up, but if he has a good seven to 10 days, why wouldn’t you?” Globe is no stranger to The Valley, having finished a close up second there at his first-up run this preparation. “He only just got beaten at Moonee Valley in a 1500m race there,” Price said. “I think those big horses, once they get to 2000m around there, they handle it better than a bustling little 1500m race. I’ve got no troubles about him getting around Moonee Valley. “If the horse is physically well, it’s a handball in.” Globe is at $18 in Sportsbet’s market for the Cox Plate. View the full article

Promising colt Yamato Satona (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) made an impressive start to his racing career at Arawa Park on Sunday, kicking off a winning treble for his trainers Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott. Racing in the colours of harness racing legend Barry Purdon, who owns the colt alongside his wife Katrina and Dean Shannon, Yamato Satona had shown promise through the trials and closed second-favourite in the Green Light Insurance Brokers (1400m). Guided by Joe Doyle, the colt was green early in the running but eventually settled to find cover three-wide in midfield. One of the outsiders in Kenwood House burst to the lead at the 150m, but all eyes were on Yamato Satona, who came from near last on the corner to scorch home and take the opener by a long neck. “We were really pleased, he settled in well, stayed the 1400m and for an inexperienced young horse to quicken in the manner he did, we couldn’t be happier,” Scott said. “He’s put in a performance that suggests he has good levels of ability and where we go to from here, we’ll let the dust settle over the next few days. “Hopefully he has a good summer ahead of him, as his experience levels increase, his confidence will come with it and once he gets out to a mile, he’s certainly going to have a successful season.” A son of Satono Aladdin, Yamato Satona was a $250,000 purchase from the draft of Rich Hill Stud at the Karaka Yearling Sales last year, and holds a nomination for the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) through New Zealand Cup Week. The stable collected their second win of the meeting courtesy of Sicillian (NZ) (Magna Grecia), lightly-raced four-year-old mare resuming in a new campaign. Contesting the Arawa Park Hotel Rotorua (1400m), the mare travelled well and was too strong late, delivering a first New Zealand victory for French hoop Corentin Berge. “We’ve had to be patient with her, she trialled well and her work suggested that she was going to put in a really strong performance,” Scott said. “It was pleasing to see this today with another year on her. She showed glimpses of that promise at three, but now at four, there’s a bit of physical improvement there and she’s another one, through the summer months, can crack on.” Arguably the performance of the feature meeting came in the final event, with Smart Love (NZ) (Savabeel) blowing away her Rating 75 rivals with serious authority in the Campbell Infrastructure (1400m). Another with limited starts to her name, Smart Love won dominantly first-up at Te Rapa and backed up that effort up in grade, cruising into contention and passing a game Big Wave to win with plenty in hand. Scott believes the best is yet to come for the daughter of Savabeel, who was having just her fifth start on Sunday with her record now including three wins and two seconds. “We were super excited about her performance, she settled in well, came out to the middle of the track and really stretched out,” he said. “It looks like she can run a little further and she’s another that we hope has a strong summer in front of her. “She’s only getting better with more experience and confidence, she’s a mare that we’ve always hoped would get to a high level of racing and the manner she’s won today certainly suggests that.” View the full article

It seemed as though it would be only a matter of time before Twain (NZ) (Per Incanto) added a stakes victory to his name and the rising star did just that at Rotorua on Sunday, powering late to take out the Gr.3 Sweynesse Stakes (1215m). A winner in his debut last July, the John Bell-trained gelding has never finished out of the first four in 12 starts, including six victories and a fourth placing when starting favourite in the Gr.2 Foxbridge Plate (1200m). He continued to improve out of that performance to finish second under a big weight to Midnight Edition at Te Rapa last start, and back at weight-for-age conditions, he was right in contention in the $140,000 contest closing third-favourite to the latter and Grail Seeker. In the hands of regular rider Vinnie Colgan, Twain picked the start beautifully and came out running, eventually finding cover off the fence outside of Whiskey ‘N Roses. Midnight Edition worked from an outside draw to take over at the 800m and was travelling on the home turn, as was Glamour Tycoon, and the pair went to war early in the straight. Just as the mare looked to have the edge over Midnight Edition, he came kicking back, but hunting them down was Twain, who showed his classy turn of foot to storm over the top and score by a neck. Midnight Edition claimed his second Group placing in the runner-up spot, while Glamour Tycoon added further black-type to her page in third. The result was very satisfying for Bell, having carefully managed the talented son of Per Incanto through his career. “It’s great for myself, the owners and the guys working with me in the stables, it’s pretty gratifying for the team,” he said. “A lot of work has gone into him, he’s had a few issues that we’ve worked around successfully so it’s a nice result. “I had him a little underdone in the Foxbridge, he ran fourth and had a good blow afterwards, so we learned from that. “He was absolutely brilliant today and Vinnie Colgan rode him superbly, it was a true, professional ride. He rode him exactly to plan and the horse responded, Twain is an amazing athlete and both rider and horse deserved the win.” A lightly-raced five-year-old, Bell believes Twain will continue to improve with maturity on his side, but is keeping his options open with future targets. “He’s such a professional, he’ll keep going forward from here,” he said. “We’ll try to keep him happy and place him in the right races, where we’ll hope to get positive results. “We’ll let him have a relax and see what’s about, there’s no panic.” Bred by his owner Elizabeth Martin, Twain is out of top mare Fleur de Lune, who won the Gr.1 Railway (1200m) during her decorated racing career. The gelding has now earned Martin just shy of $248,000, with seven wins to his credit. View the full article

Tony Cruz capped off a superb week for his stable with a fantastic Sha Tin double on Sunday to keep pace in the trainers’ premiership. The legendary trainer ran riot at Happy Valley on Wednesday by securing a treble and was in no mood to slow down at Sha Tin, with He Was You winning the opening Class Five Chai Wan Kok Handicap (1,200m). It was an all-the-way success for the Angus Chung Yik-lai-ridden five-year-old, who got off the mark at the ninth attempt by a cosy two lengths. Things got even...View the full article

David Hayes has emphatically dismissed rumours suggesting Ka Ying Rising is in doubt for Saturday’s The Everest (1,200m), calling it the “biggest load of c**p I’ve ever been involved in”. The rumour mill ran wild on social media on Sunday, with many speculating the world’s best sprinter might not run in the A$20 million (HK$100 million) sprint at Randwick in Sydney. Long the hot favourite for the world’s richest race on turf, Ka Ying Rising drifted considerably in Australian fixed-odds markets...View the full article

Talented stayer What A Charma (NZ) (Jimmy Choux) brought his heavy track form onto an improving surface at Rotorua on Sunday when claiming the major spoils in the $80,000 Staphanos Classic (1950m). The eight-year-old by Jimmy Choux found career-best form through the winter and early spring, winning the Kiwifruit Cup (2100m) in June before a string of solid performances in open grade, including a last-start third behind Diamond Jak on Matamata Cup Day. The inclusion of class mare Val Di Zoldo meant much of the Staphanos field were compressed down to 54kg, including What A Charma, who closed an $11 hope after the scratchings of favoured runners Bozo and Bosch. In the hands of Lynsey Satherley, What A Charma got over to the rail swiftly from an inside draw and settled midfield, finding a good rhythm while Opera Belle and Electric Time contested the early lead. The first pair had the field strung right out along the back straight, Satherley remaining patient on her charge before coming out to avoid traffic on the home turn. One of the favourites in Rosetown Princess swept up to take the lead at the 200m but Gigi and What A Charma were surging down the centre of the track, the latter just having the edge late to kick clear by half a length. His trainer and co-owner Mark Irwin was rapt with the performance, particularly considering the track came back to a Soft7 through the day. “He’s a lovely old horse and he always tries, that’s the main thing,” Irwin said. “Lynsey did a great job on him today. “He went pretty well last start so I thought I’d back him up, he’s won here at Rotorua before. He loves his work and was as good as he’s ever been this week so we thought we were in for a bit of a show if it was wet. “It dried up a bit but he grew another leg today.” Bred by Chouxmaani Investments Ltd, What A Charma was purchased for $15,000 by Charma Heights at the Karaka May Sale in 2018 from the draft of Seaton Park. Raced by Irwin and Cynthia and Craig Horn, the gelding has now won over $173,000 with five wins in 35 starts. “I’m friends with Darrell Hollinshead and he’s a Hollinshead breed, and he always thought he would take time,” Irwin said. “We’ve given him that time and it’s been a good thing.” View the full article

Join Guy Heveldt, Emily Bosson and Aidan Rodley as they look back at the racing week including the Barneswood Farm Stakes from Ashburton, Group 1 glory at Caulfield and even the champ Ka Ying Rising arriving at Randwick. Weigh In, October 12 View the full article

Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) favourite Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) warmed up for her next feature assignment with an exhibition gallop between races at Taupo on Friday. The Darci Brahma filly has had two starts as a three-year-old this season for two Group Three victories, capturing the Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka on August 16 and the Sunline Vase (1400m) at Ellerslie on September 20. Cambridge trainers Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray are building her towards next Saturday’s Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie, which will be her final lead-up for the 1000 Guineas three weeks later. The TAB rates Tajana a $3.50 chance for the Riccarton classic, sharing favouritism with Lollapalooza. “I was delighted with her gallop at Taupo on Friday, it was exactly what we were hoping for,” Ritchie said. “With four weeks between races, we decided not to trial her with this unfortunate run of wet tracks we’ve been having for trial meetings. We thought a day out at Taupo would just tighten her up that little bit to have her ready to go in the Soliloquy next Saturday. “We weren’t chasing time, but she dragged George Rooke down the straight and past the finish line. Even when she was cantering back, George had a bit of trouble easing her up. She went past the birdcage and up the straight a little bit. It shows she hasn’t lost any of her eagerness to run. “We think she’s all set for the Soliloquy, while still leaving that 10 percent of further improvement up our sleeve leading into the 1000 Guineas. That’s the right race for her and her grand final for this preparation. With three weeks and a flight in between times, we think she’ll be right where we want her to be.” Tajana is now likely to be the only 1000 Guineas representative for the Ritchie-Murray stable, with impressive last-start Te Rapa winner Transcend (So You Think) set to do her future racing in Australia. With the TAB Racing Club’s disbandment, Transcend has been purchased by MyRacehorse and will be transferred into the stable of Michael Freedman. “The MyRacehorse team has bought her and she’ll be flying out on Monday,” Ritchie said. “We’ll just wait to make sure she gets on the plane before withdrawing her from the 1000 Guineas. “It’s a shame to see a talented filly like her go, but she’s been a good flagbearer for the stable. “We understand that MyRacehorse will increasingly introduce themselves into New Zealand racing in time, which has to be a positive for our racing domestically – especially if it keeps classy fillies like Transcend in this country in the future.” Meanwhile, classy four-year-old Tuxedo (NZ) (Tivaci) has gone out for a spell before being set for the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on January 24. The Tivaci gelding won last season’s Gr.2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) and Gr.3 Wellington Stakes (1600m) and finished second in the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). He stepped up to Group One weight-for-age level this spring and was beaten by 2.9 lengths when seventh in the Proisir Plate (1600m), then crossed the line 3.2 lengths behind the winner Waitak when sixth in the Howden Insurance Mile (1600m). “He’s gone for a break,” Ritchie said. “We thought he was a touch unlucky in both of those weight-for-age races. In saying that, against that level of opposition, he probably needed absolutely everything to go his way in order for him to be competitive. “We just thought pushing on for another spring Group One race over 2040m in the Livamol would be foolish. So he’ll have three weeks out now, and then we’ll prepare him for the Aotearoa Classic with a couple of lead-up runs. “It’s a mile, against his own age, for $1 million at Ellerslie, so it really looks like the best race for him this season. Further down the track, I think he’ll develop into a real weight-for-age horse. “Horses like El Vencedor and Waitak have shown that these geldings often only reach their peak as weight-for-age performers when they’re five or six years old. If we’re patient with Tuxedo, I’m hoping it might be a similar story with him.” View the full article

Always a consistent runner in the 3-year-old turf filly circuit, Lush Lips broke through for a signature victory in the $665,300 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland Oct. 11.View the full article