Wandering Eyes

The under-tack show for the Ocala Breeders' Sales Company's March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, delayed a day by weather and beset by a strong and persistent headwind when it opened Thursday, nonetheless got off to a fast start when the first horse on track, a colt by Charlatan (hip 176), worked a furlong in :9 4/5. Just a few minutes later, a son of another freshman sire, Maxfield (hip 119), equaled that time and the trio of bullet workers on the day was completed later in the first set by a colt by Maclean's Music (hip 238). Consigned by Torie and Jimbo Gladwell's Top Line Sales, hip 176 is from the first crop of GI Arkansas Derby winner Charlatan (Speightstown) and out of graded-placed Hang a Star (Tapizar). He was bred by Newstead Corp. Top Line Sales also sent out hip 238, who is out of stakes winner Katie's Kiss (Kantharos). The colt was bred by Torie Gladwell, Cincinnati Equine, Borrowdale LLC, Knollwood Farm and Valerie Dailey and was purchased in utero for $75,000 at the 2022 Keeneland November sale. From the first crop of multiple Grade I winner Maxfield (Street Sense), hip 119 is consigned by Wavertree Stables. The bay colt, who was a $75,000 Keeneland September purchase, is out of multiple stakes winner and graded-placed Eyeinthesky (Sky Mesa). “He's always been a really nice horse, hence his positioning in the breeze show today,” said Wavertree's Ciaran Dunne. Wavertree sent out two juveniles by Maxfield to work Thursday. In addition to the bullet worker, the consignment was also represented by a filly (hip 290), who is scheduled to work Friday. “I have two Maxfields and they are both in this sale,” Dunne said. “They are two very different horses. He's very sleek and lean and the filly is a bigger, rangier type. I don't see a lot of Street Sense in him. He's just a beautiful horse.” Dunne admitted conditions were difficult during Thursday's first of what is now a three-day under-tack show. Hip 119 conducted his work into a significant headwind. “I think he breezed in a 17mph headwind that popped up on the screen when he was going,” Dunne said. “And that was pretty typical of the day. It gusted as well, so some of them got a bit of a break and others just got the worst of it. From start to finish, it was a really tough day. But that's no one's fault. It's just the conditions that there were. I am sure that the astute horse buyers will sort through it and pick themselves out a couple who are going to be real value, especially if, as we are expecting, the wind changes and they have a tailwind tomorrow. It will definitely be two completely different racetracks.” A pair of juveniles shared the fastest quarter-mile time of :20 4/5 for the session. First up was hip 19, a filly by Connect (Curlin) out of stakes-placed Catsadiva (Tale of the Cat). The bay filly, purchased for $20,000 at the Fasig-Tipton July sale, is consigned by Hoppel, LLC, agent. Equaling that time later in the session was hip 245, a colt by Fog of War out of stakes-placed Kiss the Lady (Quiet American). The colt, consigned by Omar Ramirez, was purchased by Luis Quevedo for $4,000 at the OBS Winter sale last year and RNA'd for $9,000 at the OBS October sale. The under-tack show continues Friday and Saturday with sessions beginning at 8 a.m. The March sale will be held next Tuesday through Thursday with bidding commencing each day at 11 a.m. The post Battling the Wind, Trio Share Fastest Furlong at OBS Thursday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Chad Brown will have a pair of chancers, err, chances, to repeat in Saturday's GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. 'TDN Rising Star' Chancer McPatrick (McKinzie), a sensational, come-from-behind winner of last year's GI Hopeful Stakes and GI Champagne Stakes, will kick off his sophomore campaign in the 1 1/16-mile Tampa Bay Downs centerpiece, good for 105 points (50-25-15-10-5) on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby. The Flanagan Racing colorbearer suffered his first career defeat finishing a disappointing sixth at a well-backed 2-1 while making his two-turn debut in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar Nov. 1. He will race with first-time blinkers while facing six rivals this weekend. Regular rider Flavien Prat will be aboard the 8-5 morning-line favorite. “I was a little reluctant to make the change because he's got those two Grade I wins without them,” said Brown, who won last year's Tampa Bay Derby with subsequent GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial winner and first-season Coolmore stallion Domestic Product (Practical Joke). “He's overcome a lot in his races and wasn't helping himself with his early position at all. He's been running in spots and has enough raw ability and heart to get up there in time. I kept an open mind this off season about any improvements I could make and we tried him with blinkers recently and I did see him go a little bit better. He was definitely there for the rider the whole way, so we're gonna try it.” Hailing from the first crop of McKinzie, Chancer McPatrick, a $260,000 FTKJUL yearling turned $725,000 OBSAPR breezer (:21), is out of the winning Bernardini mare Bernadreamy, a daughter of GI Darley Alcibiades Stakes heroine and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Dream Empress (Bernstein). “He's done what you'd like to see from two to three, he filled out a bit and looks pretty good,” Brown said. “That said, he was always a pretty advanced horse mentally as a 2-year-old, which also contributed to him having so much early success. He always trained like an older horse.” Brown will also get fellow 'Rising Star' Hill Road (Quality Road)'s 3-year-old season underway in the Tampa Bay Derby. The Amo Racing USA representative was transferred to Brown after rallying smartly for a longshot third over a surface playing quite kindly to speed in the Juvenile. He finished up in a field-best :30.02 that day, reporting home 4 3/4 lengths adrift of the wire-to-wire winner, champion Citizen Bull (Into Mischief). “Him and Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) were really the only two horses that closed effectively all (Breeders' Cup) weekend,” said Brown, who, of course, saddled the latter to a powerful, off-the-pace win in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic as well as a near miss earlier in the year in the Kentucky Derby. “I was quite impressed with that given the track.” Hill Road | Horsephotos Hill Road, a $350,000 KEESEP yearling produced by a stakes-placed, Lemon Drop Kid half-sister to MGISW and promising young sire City of Light (Quality Road), made two prior starts for conditioner Adrian Murray on grass in Ireland, winning impressively on debut at Leopardstown and finishing seventh in the G1 Vincent O'Brien National Stakes at the Curragh. Drawn one to the outside of Chancer McPatrick in post three, Hill Road will also race with first-time blinkers in the Tampa Bay Derby. “(Hill Road) needed some time off as well after the Breeders' Cup,” Brown said. “He's a couple of weeks behind Chancer McPatrick as far as when I could get him on a work schedule, so he's not as fit. I elected to run him in here, because looking at the schedule, I'm not confident I'm gonna have the right kind of allowance or stakes race to serve as a good bridge. Whether he gets to the Derby or a different Triple Crown race, there needs to be some sort of bridge of development for me.” Chancer McPatrick has posted six workouts at Payson Park base since having a “tiny flake” removed from a front ankle, including a four-furlong breeze in :48.80 (4/68) Mar. 1. Hill Road has breezed five times for Brown, most recently covering four furlongs in :49.20 (10/68) Mar. 1. “Him and Chancer, neither of them have as many works that I would want given their 60-day breaks, which is more (time off) than you'd want to give a Derby horse in the off season,” Brown said. “But I want to give these horses a chance to make the Derby without going all in and potentially harming their development. This race at Tampa is a bit of a happy medium. It gives you enough time on paper to make the Derby and still have a chance for them to run really well in the race.” Brown added, “I'd rather go into a race less than 100% fit like this, especially with horses that don't run on the pace, and have the option to go to the Derby or not and still have a horse for the year than to really tighten the screws trying to go for points and make up for lost time. If you fail doing that, not only do you lose the Derby, you lose the year.” Chad Brown | Sarah Andrew The very promising Praetor (Into Mischief), meanwhile, will also make his 3-year-old bow for Brown in a first-level optional claimer going a one-turn mile at Gulfstream Park Sunday. Campaigned in partnership by William H. Lawrence, CHP Racing and Gainesway Stable, the $725,000 KEESEP graduate was featured in these pages following a sneaky good debut third after an eventful start sprinting in the Saratoga mud, then held on to graduate by a neck over Sovereignty (Into Mischief)–yes, the same Sovereignty that everyone is still talking about after his head-turning win in last Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes–going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct. “He's another one, he looked like a very promising Derby prospect and I had to stop on him (last year),” Brown said. “No surgery, but he had an issue and wasn't right. He did beat Sovereignty and had the better of him with the way the track was playing at Aqueduct that day and being loose on the lead. To Sovereignty's credit, he was against everything and it was a close race. It's nice to see that he's coming out of a race with one of the favorites for the Derby right now. I think it's a good spot to start back at a one-turn mile, then go from there to see if he can get around two turns.” Brown added that last year's previously mentioned champion 3-year-old colt Sierra Leone remains on target to return in the GII Oaklawn Handicap Apr. 19. The post Led by Chancer McPatrick, Trio of Talented 3yos Returning for Chad Brown This Weekend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

On the road to Oaklawn Park from his barn at Fair Grounds, Kenny McPeek seemed like a man without a care in the world when reached by phone in his car. And why should he? His Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) will begin her 4-year-old year in the GII Azeri Stakes at Oaklawn and since last seen in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff she has not missed a step. “If she's every bit as good as she was as a 3-year-old I think we'd be satisfied,” McPeek said. “I don't know how much better you can get her from three to four. She's ultra special, as we all know. She's done everything right this winter. She's made an easy transition from three to four. We gave her a couple of months at our Magdalena Farm. Then she was able to train in Florida, some more in Louisiana and now she's going to run in Arkansas.” McPeek is known for taking chances with his horses and accepting challenges most trainers would not. But that won't be the case in the Azeri. Beyond Thorpedo Anna, it's a pretty weak field. Grade III winners Wild Bout Hilary (Midnight Lute) and Recharge (Gun Runner) are the only other higher level winners in the field. Thorpedo Anna is 2-5 in the morning line. “I thought it was a pretty conservative spot to bring her back in,” McPeek said. “She's only run against older horses one time. She's fond of the Oaklawn strip. We have a division there and, of course, the purse is a good one, $400,000. This race should propel her into the Apple Blossom, if all goes smoothly.” While McPeek is relatively certain that the Apr. 12 running of the GI Apple Blossom Handicap will be next, he hasn't totally ruled out an appearance in the G1 Dubai World Cup Apr. 5. “I haven't closed the door on going to the Dubai World Cup,” he said. “If she went out there and won by some silly amount and was ultra impressive, maybe I would be enticed. We've done all the vaccinations and checked in with the shipping companies. We haven't declined the invitation, but if you asked me today, we would probably go to the Apple Blossom.” Once the spring is in the books, McPeek will consider the GI La Troienne Stakes at Churchill along with the many stakes races for older fillies run in New York. “We'd like to stack her resume and her earnings,” he said. “You can't assume anything. You've got to hope she stays healthy. At this point everything we've asked her to do she done. That's been her modus operandi. She's just a lovely filly to be around.” Thorpedo Anna outside of Fierceness in the Travers | Sarha Andrew McPeek tried the GI DK Travers Stakes last year and Thorpedo Anna lost by a head to the top 3-year-old colt Fierceness (City of Light). Though she was beaten perhaps more so than in any other race, the Travers is what vaulted her to the Horse of the Year title. McPeek has made no decisions yet so far as whether or not she will try males again this year. “It's too far away to think about running against colts,” he said. “Maybe at the end of the year. Let's see how her season goes. I'm not going to rush her into running against colts. We've got a lovely filly on our hands. Let's get through the spring and we can start worrying about some of those things in the summer. In this business you can't count your chickens before they've hatched. If you do you will be humbled real quick.” After winning the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff and Horse of the Year, there's not a whole lot left for Thorpedo Anna to achieve. McPeek said the primary goal will be winning again at the Breeders' Cup. “I'd love to think she can win another Breeders Cup race, whether it's the Distaff or the Classic. That would be an ultimate year-end goal,” he said. And after the Breeders' Cup she may not be done. McPeek said the ownership group is seriously considering running Thorpedo Anna as a 5-year-old. “We have not ruled out running her next year,” he said. “If you think about it, she is by a modest stallion, Fast Anna. We assume people aren't going to throw money at that at the sales. The fact she was a modest yearling, it's hard to say what she would bring at auction, so we might be more inclined to keep her and race her next year. “I don't know in the long run if we would sell her,” McPeek said. “The partnership group has not had any notion to sell. We have had a lot of big offers. Its enticing, but at the same time this is the kind of horse where you really want to enjoy having her. We'll let her take us on this fantastic ride she has taken us on, and see how long it's going to last.” The post Thorpedo Anna Raring To Go For 4-year-old Debut In Azeri appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Friday sees an unusual double-header with Westport getting underway at 1.56pm and an eight race card at Alexandra Park at 5.42pm. Sam Ottley returns to Patterson Park after her heroics there in December while Duchess Megxit, the 3YO Pacing Filly of the Year, starts a new campaign up north. Duchess Megxit returns after tough week for top trainer By Michael Guerin Training legend Barry Purdon is hoping this weekend goes better than last and he has two of his stable stars with opportunities to put a smile back on his face. The Hall of Famer had to watch his best horse Merlin miss making tomorrow’s Miracle Mile after a horror show of a prelude at Menangle last Saturday where he caused a false start and then paced a dazzling first 400m sectional before understandably fading out of the placings. The night wasn’t a total write off for Purdon and training partner Scott Phelan as their under-rated pacer Sooner The Bettor qualified for the Miracle Mile with a prelude third, putting him in the red hot thriller at 11.45pm (NZ time) tomorrow night. But while that gives him an opportunity to match or even go better than last year when Sooner The Bettor finished second to Leap To Fame, Purdon isn’t able to be at Menangle as he is in hospital. He is having complications after having a hip replaced so needed to go back in for another operation last week. “It hasn’t been a lot of fun but luckily we have good staff and of course Scott is over there (Sydney) with those horses,” says Purdon. The stable were going to back Merlin up in a 2300m free-for-all tomorrow night, a race he actually won last year, but they have pulled the pin and will instead bring him home to prepare for his defence of the Cambridge slot race now known as The Race by Betcha. “But we are still very happy to have Sooner The Bettor in the Miracle Mile. It is a great race that means a lot to us and he has a good draw so we think he will go well.” Closer to home the stable will also launch the new season for their outstanding mare Duchess Megxit when she returns in the main pace at Alexandra Park tonight, the Warren Mathieson 60th Birthday Mobile Pace. Duchess Megxit was our best three-year-old pacing filly last season and will be given her first shot at the superstars of pacing on April 4 as she too is being aimed at the Race by Betcha, taking on Merlin and Leap To Fame. That could ensure she draws the ace under the slot race conditions but while tonight’s field is much weaker than what she will face in a month she faces the tricky barrier in the 1700m mobile. Duchess Megxit (R5, No.7) wasn’t asked to show her best at the Pukekohe trials last week and while she opened the $1.90 favourite for tonight’s sprint she was quickly backed into $1.65. “It won’t be easy as she tends to be driven for speed and that will probably be the case this week,” said Purdon. “And she will improve with the run. “We also have Invisible in that race and he has been going well.” Ohoka Connor is a pivotal rival tonight as he was heavily backed last week even though his trainer warned he could be a run short. That proved to be the case but he will strip a lot fitter and his $6.50 opening price for tonight was an over-correction. Tonight’s black type trot named in honour of I Can Doosit sees Kyvalley Hotspur try to overcome a 30m handicap over 2200m, never easy at The Park, especially with plenty of good beginners in the race. If he can get the right drag into the race the backmarker can still win so the $2.50 the TAB bookies opened him at was fair and soon became $2.10. Ottley returns to Coast with new mission By Mike Love Sam Ottley returns to the track where she created history today, with a number of good each way chances on Westport’s 11 race card at Patterson Park. She had five winners on Boxing Day to claim a history-making 100 wins for 2024, the first time a female driver had done so in a 12 month season in this country. Today will see two $20,000 features as well as plenty of interest around the four Team Teal races. “It was great they got so many noms and were able to split the races. It’s great for the cause,” said Ottley. Team Teal, HRNZ’s annual campaign to raise funds for ovarian cancer research, started on February 1 and finishes in just over a week, on March 16. Ottley suggests Martha Stuart ($4.60FF) in Race 6, the TRT Builders Team Teal Trot over 2600m will be a leading chance. “She was good last start. She gets into the race well having won eight races. She should be a good top three show. There’s a couple there that go okay but she should be right in it.” Race 7, the Jennian Homes Team Teal Pace over 2000m will see Francent strive for her third win from just five starts. Ottley says the Vincent mare will notice the rise in class but should hold her own in what is a deep field. “She’s only had a few starts. But she goes alright. The grass shouldn’t worry her. She just needs to get a good run. Her last win at Methven was really good.” Tempo Warrior lines up in Race 9, the $20,000 Buller Chartered Accountants Kawatiri Handicap Pace over 2600m (6.28pm) and will offer more of the same for punters. “He’s got great manners to put himself in the right spots. The draw is a little bit tricky. Hopefully we get a good run through early. He should run a good race.” Nellie Doyle ($3.80FF) in Race 10, the $20,000 Happy Birthday Pauline Rogers and Murray Acklin Handicap Trot over 2600m (7.04pm) will be a stern test for the six-year-old mare. “She’s done everything right to date. It’s a bit of a step up. She’s racing really good and hopefully she can keep the good form up.” Ottley’s other drives are : Race two – Moa Mojito ($41.00FF) Race four – Amalfi ($20.00FF) Race five – Franco Hoffman ($26.00FF) Race eight – Art’s Mischief ($17.00FF) Race eleven – Rapid Response ($10.00FF) Race one gets underway at 1:56pm, while the two features will go at 6:28pm and 7:04pm. View the full article

Race 3 WATER SERVICES NZ 1400m RUE DE RIVOLI (R Hutchings) – Te Akau Racing Manager Mr. R Trumper advised Stewards, the stable was satisfied with the post-race condition of the mare, however, has now been retired as a racing proposition from their stable. The post Racing Taupo @ Taupo, Wednesday 26 February 2025 appeared first on RIB. View the full article

According to the Encyclopedia Britanica, a self-fulfilling prophecy is the “process through which an originally false expectation leads to its own confirmation.” Horse racing's self-fulfilling prophesy appears to be the belief that only a select few trainers are capable of eliciting from the sport's finest Thoroughbred athletes their optimum talent. This notion reached an absurd low last month when a commentator for the UK's Racing Post argued that owners in possession of the best steeplechasers in England and Ireland should essentially have their heads examined for sending their horses to any trainer other than Nicky Henderson or Willie Mullins. “Not all trainers are equal. It's a hard thing to be good at and it's so easy for things to go wrong, so if you have a good horse I can see why you would want to go anywhere else,” the argument went. Henderson and Mullins are among the lucky few beneficiaries of the entrenchment of top jumping talent among fewer hands. How entrenched? At the 2023 Cheltenham festival–Britain's Breeders' Cup of jump racing–Mullins won an almost unfathomable 10 of the 28 races on offer. One trainer annexing more than a third of one meet's races. Think about that for a moment. It didn't used to be like this. Go back a decade or so, and the winner's roster at Cheltenham fielded a much more eclectic list of names. Apparently during the intervening years, all other trainers not named Henderson and Mullins have forgotten how to train a good racehorse, either in one sudden case of collective amnesia or gradually, bit by bit, until one morning they woke up barely able to differentiate a frog from a fetlock. Mares and foals | Horsephotos The consolidation of top horses among fewer hands has been a narrative over here on U.S. shores for a long time. Top bloodstock has always gravitated towards certain stables. But when racehorses were plentiful, the assignations of owners had less consequence. There were enough good horses to give enough of the sport's lesser–but equally capable–lights a chance to burnish the main stage. But with the foal crop having halved over the past 25 years (from 34,728 in 2000 to 17,200 last year), the industry should no longer be so narrow-minded about apportioning out its equine talent. There just aren't the horses anymore. The training ranks have suffered massive declines, too. If attrition has a habit of weeding out the weak, what this suggests is that among the remaining players is a higher concentration than ever before of talented operators. If more good horses were stabled among a wider array of these good barns, therefore, just imagine what a boon that would be across the board–from the trainers to the horses to the sport's ledgers. Here it needs to be noted that the nation's mega-stables grew to dominance through sheer professionalism. Spend any time in one of these barns and you'll find yourself immersed in the gleaming mechanics of a well-oiled machine, peopled by some of the most talented riders, grooms, foremen and farriers to lay hand on horse. The thing is, the more training becomes a big numbers game, big-race success becomes less an indicator of true merit than it does the markings of a skewed system weighted to favor the few. Indeed, a strong argument can be made that it takes a set of rarer skills and imagination to navigate a horse to a big win when your barn is only 20 horses strong than it does when you've 100+ horses at your disposal, and one injured star can be replaced by two-dozen more waiting in the wings. “Nobody can make a slow horse run–they have to be given opportunities [with good horses],” said John Sadler, who, since the 1970s, has built a consistently successful career founded on reward for good work. “It's the same for a jock. You can't tell anything about a jock until they're given the chance to show you what they're made of.” Are enough of racing's best and brightest trainers getting those opportunities? Sure doesn't seem like it. Last week, Jonathan Thomas told the TDN he was down to just 19 horses–the smallest he's been “by far”–even after a rash of big wins in California, an eight-year run of 20 graded stakes victories, and a Catholic Boy for good measure. Dan Blacker has executed arguably one of the finest training performances in recent years shepherding Straight No Chaser (Speightstown)–a fast horse with a fragile chassis–to big race glory in Saudi Arabia and in the Breeders' Cup. Asked after Straight No Chaser's Breeders' Cup and Eclipse Award successes, Blacker said he had received no new horses or owners on the back of these exploits. “I've proved I can compete with the top guy on the dirt. Just need a little more help from the big owners,” he wrote in a text. Jena Antonucci | Sarah Andrew Trainer Jena Antonucci has fared a little better since winning the Belmont and Travers Stakes with Arcangelo (Arrogate). “We're working in that direction,” she said, when asked if that success has translated into more good horses under her care. Antonucci mainly credits that to the work she has done in recent years building an audience to her astute ideas on training and running a business. “Arcangelo opened the door on conversations and opportunities that weren't there before because people got to look behind the curtain,” she said. Yet Antonucci hasn't enjoyed a graded stakes win since August of 2023. And her articulate and thoughtful PR blitz in the aftermath of Arcangelo's successes–which did a yeoman's task of elevating the sport–is quickly fading into the past. Which leads to another needed outcome from this equation–the benefit to the horse. Many horses clearly thrive in a mega-stable environment. They fit that regime the way certain soldiers do a military regiment. They like the consistency. The continuity. The hard work thrown at them with clockwork regularity. But for every horse that flourishes under this routine, how many get lost in it? The flighty, nervous sort that goes off her feed like a change of the wind. The timid sort easily soured if disappointed too often of a morning. The well-bred colt pushed to the margins by his more precocious stablemates. There's only so much individual attention you can afford a horse when you have a small army to get out before the track closes. And logic suggests that plenty of mega-stable horses could do better under the watchful eye of a hungry, talented trainer with more time for each horse in their care. The time to study and deconstruct idiosyncrasies. The time to swap things around if something's not working. Think of what this would look like on big race days. Fuller fields carded. More trainers competing. More handle generated. Bigger purses offered. The alternative is to keep doing what we're doing. No wonder fans are checking out. Even Willie Mullins's son admits the Cheltenham festival is losing luster under a lop-sided playing field. “It was an incredible week and I felt great pride at Willie making 100 [festival wins], but I do feel embarrassment at our success too,” jockey Patrick Mullins wrote, after the 2024 festival, when the stable won eight of the 27 races on offer. “Cheltenham shouldn't really be like this and the winners before felt different. Better. Maybe you shouldn't say that. Maybe you can't say that. But it's the truth.” Horse racing is in an existential crisis, or so we're told. A portion of the public is actively urging for its demise. Venal track owners looking to cash in on valuable real estate holdings. It can be easy to feel helpless in the face of such assaults. But who gets to train what is something the industry has agency over, can do something about, and about which the results could have a quick and profound impact. As powerful syndicates have replaced the individual ownerships and traditional breed-to-race farms, this isn't going to be easy. Too often now, narrow commercial interests have become the northern star. But for those really desiring to see this sport thrive, grow and prosper–including the agents and managers making inventory decisions on behalf of many powerful groups–why not give more thoughtful consideration than ever before to where your horses would best thrive. Think outside the box. Better still, why not call up some of the sport's brightest underused talents and hear what they have to say about it themselves. The post Op/Ed: Are So Few Really Capable Of Training The Good Horses? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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2023 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) hero Master of The Seas has been retired. The gelding's owner/breeder, Godolphin, revealed the news on the social media platform X March 6.View the full article

2nd-GP, 50K, Msw, 3yo, (S), 1mT, 1:25 p.m. Purchased for $650,000 at FTSAUG in 2023, Florida-bred OUR SOUPER HERO (War of Will) was his sire's priciest yearling from that debut crop. Owned by Live Oak Plantation, the colt, who will face fellow Florida-breds Friday, is a half to both GSW/MGISP Pappacap (Gun Runner) and GSW Boppy O (Bolt d'Oro). First dam Pappascat, herself graded stakes placed, boasts a perfect four-for-four record for runners to winners. Debuting on the turf for trainer Mark Casse, Our Souper Hero gets Dylan Davis aboard. TJCIS PPS Hip 124, #FloridaBred colt by War of Will o/o Pappascat, by Scat Daddy. Half-brother to G2 Best Pal-winner Pappacap & G3-winner Boppy O. consigned by Summerfield @FasigTiptonCo #FasigSaratoga Watch “124” on #Vimeo https://t.co/NMBWUNSEcw pic.twitter.com/nNYgwQdKGl — FTBOA (@florida_horse) August 5, 2023 The post Friday Insights: Priciest War Of Will Yearling Gets Turf Debut At Gulfstream appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mark Fahey speaks about potential stable star Tina's Indian – plus a lively outsider for the trainer at the Cheltenham Festival Trainer Mark Fahey has revealed that he is dreaming of Royal Ascot for potential stable star Tina's Indian (Ire) (Calyx {GB})-but first, the man who is widely regarded as one of the sharpest young trainers in Ireland is taking aim at the Cheltenham Festival with the battle-hardened hurdler Flicker Of Hope (Fr) (Buck's Boum {Fr}), and is quietly confident of hitting the back of the net. Flicker Of Hope will represent the self-proclaimed 'smaller trainer's' first runner at the Cheltenham Festival when the four-time winner lines out for the Albert Bartlett Novices' Hurdle, for which the six-year-old can be backed at odds of 14-1. The dream, according to Fahey, is to finish in the money. “It's my first ever runner at the Cheltenham Festival,” he said. “Everyone keeps telling me that Flicker Of Hope has the right profile for the Albert Bartlett–he has had 10 runs over hurdles, which is nearly unheard of for a novice. He is hardened over the trip and has major handicap experience which should stand to him in a race like the Albert Bartlett.” Fahey added, “He jumps, he travels and he doesn't seem to stop so we're looking forward to getting over there and hopefully he can put up a big performance. It would be a dream to get placed and walk back into the winner's enclosure with him. And I think he has a chance of doing that. I really do.” Fahey has already bettered last season's tally of six winners over jumps and currently sits on 11. The upward trajectory of his County Kildare stable has been mirrored on the Flat, where last year's domestic haul stood at a career-high 13. None of those winners were more exciting than Curragh maiden scorer Tina's Indian, who is on course to make his seasonal return in the Gladness Stakes back at Irish racing's HQ. Fahey said, “The dream is still alive with him! Our plan is to go for the Gladness Stakes at the Curragh and, basically, I am a small trainer and I don't have lots of black-type horses on the Flat so how we run in the Gladness will dictate where we go for the rest of the year. I don't have horses rated 100 that we can get a gauge off so we won't know how good Tina's Indian is until we put him in a Listed race. The dream is Royal Ascot. That would be the ultimate. He's definitely the best Flat horse I've ever had in my yard.” He added, “Shane Foley and Ronan Whelan are a great help to me. They ride horses of this calibre the whole time so it's brilliant to have their feedback. We're hopeful that Tina's Indian can be competitive in those kinds of races this season. We don't know where the ceiling is with him. He's a gorgeous, big horse-he's 17 hh. That's what took us so long with him.” Fahey continued, “You need good owners, good staff and nice horses and at the moment I have all three. I have great staff and great family and friends around me. The owners are great, too-they just let me get on with things and do what I have to do. I am lucky that I have been able to get my hands on some good horses. There's a big element of luck in getting Tina's Indian as well because he didn't sell as a yearling and, after he won at the Curragh, there were loads of offers on the table.” He concluded, “Fair play to Con Harrington and James Hughes, who own him, as they said they'd rather roll the dice on the track with him. Now, don't get me wrong, we were blown away by the offers–it was a lot of money–but Con and James are sporting fellas and we're all fairly excited about what could be in store. They are dreaming just as much as I am with Tina's Indian, but they understand the game better than anyone and know that the bubble could burst fairly lively! But he's definitely the best Flat horse I've ever had anything to do with and we're looking forward to finding out more about him in the Gladness.” The post ‘The Dream Is Royal Ascot – He’s The Best Flat Horse I’ve Ever Had’ appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Multiple Grade I winner Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) has been retired from racing, Godophin announced on X. The homebred signed off with a tally in the GI Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland for trainer Charlie Appleby last April. “He had an exceptional career, winning a G2 on just his second start and retired a three-time G1 winner after victories in the Woodbine Mile, @BreedersCup Mile and the Maker's Mark Mile,” Godolphin posted. “Master Of The Seas will now enjoy his retirement back at Kildangan Stud and become a flagbearer for the Godolphin Lifetime Care programme.” A winner of the G2 Superlative Stakes at two, the G3 Craven Stakes winner was runner-up in the G1 2000 Guineas in 2021 and third in that autumn's G2 Joel Stakes. Kept in training at four, he added the G3 Earl of Sefton Stakes, his only start that year. Successful in the winter and sprint of 2023 at Meydan, he added the G2 Zabeel Mile and was third in the G1 Jebel Hatta, before claiming the G2 Summer Mile Stakes that July. Transferred to North America, the bay landed his first top-level victory in the Woodbine Mile and was second by only a nose in the GI Turf Mile later that year before winning the GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Santa Anita that November in his penultimate start. The son of stakes winner and G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches second Firth Of Lorne (Ire) (Danehill) retires with a record of 17-9-3-2 and $2,520,582 in earnings. Master Of The Seas is a half-brother to stakes winner and G1 St James's Palace Stakes second Latharnach (Iffraaj {GB}) and group winner and multiple Group 1 producer Falls Of Lora (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}). The post Triple Grade I Winner Master Of The Seas Retired appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

2023 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) hero Master of The Seas has been retired. The gelding's owner/breeder, Godolphin, revealed the news on the social media platform X on March 6.View the full article

After 40 years on the mic, predominantly at Santa Anita and Del Mar, but also for a time as the voice of the Breeders' Cup and Triple Crown races, track announcer Trevor Denman has announced his retirement. “This is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made,” Denman said. “But my soul is telling me that now is the time.” Denman, 72, began calling races in 1971 in his native South Africa and came to America in time to assume racecalling duties at Santa Anita in 1983. At one point, his voice was heard at all of the tracks on the Southern California circuit, including Hollywood Park and the Fairplex meeting. He was the voice of Santa Anita until 2015 and he was atop the Del Mar grandstand each summer bar one since 1984. Known for his uncanny ability to pick up winning moves at a very early juncture and for phrases such as “moving like a winner” and “they'd have to sprout wings,” Denman's story-telling style as opposed to the straight recitation of positions in running, revolutionized how horse racing was heard in the United States. Among Denman's most celebrated calls are the epic stretch battle in the 1989 GI Preakness Stakes between arch-rivals Sunday Silence and Easy Goer and, while serving as the voice of the Breeders' Cup, the 2010 GI Breeders' Cup Classic. With Zenyatta bearing down on Blame in an attempt to close her career with a perfect record from 20 starts, the tension in Denman's stretch call was palpable as Zenyatta closed from as many as 15 lengths behind to drop a head decision. “We knew this would eventually come with Trevor, and now it is here,” added Del Mar CEO Joe Harper. “We've been so lucky to have the best in the business in our booth for all these years, and now all we can do is wish him and his wife Robin the very best on their road ahead.” In 2020 with the country in the throes of COVID, Denman stood down from his duties at the so-called Bing Crosby meeting at Del Mar in November, electing to spend the time with his wife Robin on his 500-acre farm in Minnesota. Larry Collmus has been in the booth in the fall for the last five years and has been named Denman's full-time replacement. Collmus, 58, has called races all over the world, beginning at the Birmingham Turf Club at the age of 20. He was at the mic for American Pharoah's run to the Triple Crown in 2015 and has been the voice of the Breeders' Cup since 2012. “I grew up listening to Trevor and have loved his unforgettable calls for decades,” Collmus said. “It is an absolute honor to follow him at Del Mar. Calling the races there in the fall the last five years has been a great experience and I'm thrilled to be the new full-time voice of Del Mar.” Added Del Mar President Josh Rubenstein: “Del Mar racing fans have been so fortunate to have Trevor as the announcer here and we're excited that someone of Larry's stature and experience can succeed him. Just as we've been lucky to have Trevor in the booth all these years, we're lucky now to have Larry here.” The post Legendary Racecaller Trevor Denman Announces Retirement appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Horse racing is under siege–not by its own reality, but by a story we are failing to control. Worst-case scenarios aren't just seen as common; they've become the rule in the public's mind. The New York Times, among others, understands this well. So they don't report on horse racing; they frame it. Their stories don't inform, they indict. They take exceptions and present them as norms, controversy as the foundation, and outliers as the rule. And when that kind of misinformation dominates, it's not just the media to blame. It's us, for letting them tell our story in the first place. The gap between perception and reality is a chasm. When people believe the extreme, they stop seeing the truth altogether. We handed the microphone to those who know the least, and in doing so, we let misinformation spread unchecked. But the public doesn't see what we see. They don't see the groom arriving at 4 a.m., long before the sun is up, to check on a horse before their first sip of coffee. They don't see the breeder out in the ice and snow, inspecting fences while their mares rest safely in warm barns. They don't hear from the owner who has spent years investing in a horse, only for it to be vet scratched from the biggest race of its life. They don't witness the quiet moments of care, the sacrifices, the relentless dedication, the changes in policy and work being done to protect our equine athletes, and the huge private investment that funds the industry, generates jobs and drives the economies of many significant communities. Instead, they see viral headlines, cherry-picked statistics, and the worst of the worst framed as if it happens every day and by everyone. Horse racing is far from perfect, and to survive, its business model must evolve. That's a reality no industry or business escapes. I've seen the best of this sport and plenty of the worst. There are extraordinary horsemen and women who live and breathe horse welfare, who put their horses first in ways the public never sees. And there are bad actors too–the drug cheats, the irresponsible, the ones who treat horses as nothing more than a means to an end. As an industry, we have a long way to go–starting with ensuring that both horse and human welfare isn't just a box to tick, but a non-negotiable standard. However, no industry is immune to bad actors or public scrutiny. We don't judge all professional athletes by the handful who cheat. We don't assume every dog breeder runs a puppy mill. We don't abandon social media because some platforms mishandle data and privacy. Yet in racing, negative stories have shaped the public's perception, unfair reporting has too often gone unchallenged and our positive progress is left untold. The antidote is consistent transparency. It's the only way to track real progress, arm ourselves with facts, and improve. It gives us measurable benchmarks–whether it is medication disclosure, racehorse retirement tracking, or horse fatalities in both racing and training–so we can prove where things are getting better, and address where it is not. Transparency provides researchers with vital data to drive industry-wide advancements. And critically, it disarms misinformation. When an industry isn't talking, people assume it has something to hide. That's why sensational headlines do so much damage – because we are only just starting to fill the space with facts about progress. Owning our narrative isn't just about reputation. It forces us to be better. And even more, it forces us to come together. Not only are we not telling the truth about our industry and thereby failing to control the narrative, but we have also failed to convene a unifying voice to collaboratively and proactively speak our industry's truth. We have failed to defend ourselves. Take a look at other major sporting industries (NFL, NBA, MLB). A public attack to their sport would garner a swift and strategic response from its leadership–a leadership body that is convened to represent the entire industry's best interest. We have seen Roger Goodell grab the mic when the public perceptions of football waned due to sports-related concussions. We witnessed NBA Commissioner Adam Silver face multiple public scandals head-on since his tenure begun… remember, the Donald Sterling saga? There he was responding swiftly with transparency and unification. Many people now posture those defining moments as ones that revitalized those sports. And it's not just in the sports industry. Healthcare, education, financial services–just look to other sectors that have demonstrated models of how to represent an industry in a moment of crisis. They are prepared and they are willing to counter any attack with unification and transparency. They respond in a manner that exemplifies, “The we is greater than the me.” So why not us? I say it can be us. It needs to be us. And there has never been a time like now to unify the industry. Because here's the thing: horse racing is worth defending. Not just for those of us in the game today, but for the generations to come. Let's start demonstrating a new stride in how we gather together, how we speak about our industry and how defend this sport we cherish because it celebrates the horses we love. We want our young people running toward the sport, not from it. We want them applying for Godolphin Flying Start. Joining Amplify's programs. Promoting Horse Country tours to their peers. We want them seeing an industry that unifies in the face of adversity; and one that is comfortable speaking its truths. That's what Light Up Racing is calling for right now. We have been diligently meeting with leaders from across the industry – 17 organizations to date–talking about the need to come together and identify not only where we can collaborate in programming but also gauge reception for a unifying voice. We have been asking for support to continue our educational efforts in making sure that when people talk about horse racing, they're getting the full picture. The challenges, yes. But also the progress. We've been talking about galvanizing a marketing campaign to elevate the grassroots voice in our industry; BUT to do it all together. Collaboratively with other entities' marketing efforts. And with a single intent–manage the narrative. And the numbers speak for themselves: 2.5 million video views, 32,000 website visitors, 1,500 LUR members, all achieved in the first 60 days. We are responding quickly when there's previously been a void. We acknowledge that the work isn't easy, and it won't be solved overnight. But the alternative–silence, retreat, and letting others define us–is unacceptable. It's all of our responsibilities. Most often, people do not know what to do in the face of adversity, so they do nothing. It's okay to not know what to do, but it is not okay to do nothing. Reach out to us at Light Up Racing (hello@lightupracing.com) and let's talk about how you can be part of this movement. We need you. It's time to take back the narrative, together. If we don't, someone else will. So, let's give it a major crack. Vicky Leonard is the owner and managing director of the advertising agency Kick Collective and TTR in Australia, and the founder of Light Up Racing. The post Letter To The Editor: Racing’s Future Is Being Decided. Are We In The Room Together? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

System seems to work pretty well. Donato Lanni buys their standout for Amr Zedan, and on they go: win their Grade Is, make another ton of money at stud. In 2022, it was the $2.3- million Uncle Mo colt we now know as Hill 'n' Dale stallion and 'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Knight; a year later, it was a $2-million son of Good Magic, 'Rising Star' Muth, meanwhile underway at Gainesway. With horses, however, there's always something you could do to make things even better. Last year Zedan called Jimbo Gladwell with the obvious question: which single horse should he pick from the Top Line consignment this time? Jimbo recalls his answer with a chuckle. “Well, you need to change your way of thinking,” he told Zedan. “Because you did the same thing with Arabian Knight. Only wanted one out of the consignment. You know what that did? Cost us both the Breeders' Cup Classic. And the Breeders' Cup Mile!” Zedan could be forgiven if baffled by that response. But had you watched the 2023 Classic through the same lens as Jimbo and wife Torie, you would have discovered extra vexation in the way Arabian Knight was harried by Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming). For both horses had learned their trade with the Gladwells, before being offered at OBS April the previous year. So if Zedan had also bought Saudi Crown, who cost $250,000, he would not only have had yet another Grade I winner but could also have kept the pair apart–and so, in Jimbo's view anyway, permitted them to channel their energies to win two different races at Santa Anita that day. Okay, so that's a deliberately mischievous hypothesis. Nobody can know how things might have played out in that parallel world. But a less contestable conclusion (especially when you remember that GI Kentucky Derby runner-up Two Phil's {Hard Spun} also prepped with the same consignment) is that none of the big spenders, Zedan or anyone else, should hesitate to double down if shortlisting a Top Line 2-year-old back at OBS for the forthcoming March Sale. For this has become one of the most progressive such operations in Florida, leading the next generation in competing with the more seasoned brands–and aptly so, too, Jimbo's father having been a pioneer in this whole sector. Jimmy [Sr.] remains a valued contributor to what is very much a family operation, but Top Line is unmistakably consolidating a hard-earned niche of its own. So when Torie declares their March consignment “the best we've ever had, for sure,” that's a matter of relief as well as pride. If it's their best offering yet, so it should be–having also been their most expensive to assemble. When first switching from weanling pinhooks, around 15 years ago, Jimbo and Torie had a bare handful of horses and zero margin for error. But each new breakthrough has fed the next: Zedan himself, for instance, had already found a Grade I winner here in 2020, when Gary Young purchased future 'TDN Rising Star' Princess Noor (Not This Time) for $1.35 million. (“I love her,” says Torie. “Every time you showed that filly, she'd stop and lift her head and look off into the distance. She has such a big, pretty eye, you really couldn't fault her.”) Now, by plowing back their winnings, they have both quantity and quality: 25 or 30 yearlings of their own, besides maybe twice as many for clients. Princess Noor at OBS in 2020 | Photos By Z “When we started out, we were investing everything we had,” Jimbo recalls. “It was a real high-wire act. One casualty, and it's a disaster. But as you get more financially stable, it does become a little easier to swallow the bad luck. “When you come down the barn and look at these horses now, there's some real quality on the end of the shank. Five or six years ago, the most expensive of maybe 50 head would have been around $100,000. But then a couple of our partners decided to get into pinhooking in a big way, and spent $200,000 to $400,000 on about 10 yearlings. So now we had some better quality to showcase what we could do. And that just opened the door for people wanting to do more business with us. This year we probably have 20 or 30 in the barn that cost $200,000-plus. So hopefully, we should stack up pretty good.” If the standards of stock have risen, that's only a matter of resources. The selection process has remained as exacting throughout. “We're very picky,” Torie emphasizes. “Our whole team–Jimbo's mom and dad, brother and sister–goes up and shortlists together. Those yearlings have to make everybody's list, not one or two. But if they do, most of the time we'll end up buying them.” They do also have clients and partners who do their own shopping. “So it's definitely a group effort,” Jimbo stresses. “A lot of our successes have been about some really sharp guys that we partner with. We're just the tip of the spear.” Unsurprisingly, they often find themselves bidding against others on a parallel quest–people they view as peers rather than rivals. (Six, indeed, are neighbors at the training center outside Williston.) In fact, they will almost feel alarmed if none of the usual faces are ringside. “The people that have made it in this business have done so because they figured out what works,” Jimbo remarks. “And there's attrition: you don't see 50 pinhookers that have been doing it 30 years. So when you walk in there, if you're not up against one or two of those guys–Ciaran Dunne, Eddie Woods, Niall Brennan, Nick de Meric, Barry Eisaman–you're maybe in the wrong spot. It was the same buying weanlings. I had a rule back then: if I've gone one bid past Brian Graves, I'm stopping.” By now, however, the Gladwells can increasingly measure horses against models that have previously worked for their own program. And, in terms of individual mechanics, their priority is always speed. Torie Gladwell with father-in-law Jimmy | Photos By Z “So we're looking for a strong hind leg, big gaskin, good hip,” Torie says. “And just a really well-balanced horse. We don't buy real big. The average-sized horses hold up a little better for these early sales. Most of our top horses haven't had that real big walk. Sometimes the big, loose-walking horses aren't the real fast ones. They have that pretty stride, but they're just not snappy-footed.” “And we look from the bottom of the market to the top,” adds Jimbo. “We still have guys that buy a horse every year for $50,000 or $75,000. When they come to us for a nice horse, we need some product in our barn that will fit them too. Still quality athletes, but maybe by lesser sires. We haven't got away from those, but just don't have as many as we used to.” If ever a partner sends him a catalogue shortlist, Jimbo candidly bins it. Even Muth, for instance, had a pretty thin page. “But when we saw him, we were all like, 'That's the one we're buying today,'” Torie recalls. “If you look at his angles, his shoulder and hips and forearms and gaskins, he's just a very balanced, fluid individual. Very sound mentally, too. He was just so trainable.” In recent years, prospectors have become mercilessly oriented to the clock. The Gladwells don't disparage that. Eventually, after all, these animals ultimately enter a starting gate for no other purpose than to determine which can run fastest. It's just that with such high stakes, the stress of funneling months of work into barely 10 seconds is immense. “People want a system, they want something that decides for them,” Jimbo says. “So it's not just the clock anymore. You've got to do everything. And actually you can take a guy off the street that doesn't know a thing about horses, and if he takes the top 20 on stride length, and then correlates those to the top of the gallop-out sheets, he probably will end up with the same 10 or so horses that a real horseman can see, without all that stuff. “But the difference is that when Bob Baffert watches these horses, and then comes to the barn, he knows what LeBron James looks like, what D. Wade looks like. The other guys, with their systems, may end up with a similar list but what they won't really know is when to say, 'All right, we're going to give $3 million for this one if we have to.' Whereas when Bob walks off, he can say, 'Okay, we're buying that one.' Because he knows that for every 10 like that, he'll have a great chance of two Grade I winners.” It is when a horse fails to show its true merit, in those fleeting 10 seconds, that relationships become key. If your word has been borne out in the past, you will be trusted again. And that can cut both ways: when people want to engage, the Gladwells will as readily caution that a fast breezer is actually tough to train as they will urge the merits of one that for some reason underperforms on the day. Sometimes they have even committed to taking a horse back, should some concern not be resolved, as a guarantee of good faith. Once, in fact, they welcomed home a filly that had been sold privately–and were rewarded with a seven-figure surplus when she went through the ring soon after. But if people can trust your word, that's also because you know exactly where you stand with a horse. The Gladwells repeatedly stress the importance of their crew, above all the riders. “It really makes our job easier when they know what they're doing and what the end goal is,” Jimbo says. “So many people buy these horses and don't know where they're at. They need to see how fast horses can go, so they work them, and then they work them faster. Our goal is to build them up and peak right at the sale. We have such a track record, buying them and then using those building blocks, that if we feel a horse stands out, well, I can guarantee you: if they're well on the day, they're going to be fast. “Some of those horses you see going nine-and-four, they give everything they have and there's nothing left when they've galloped out. When people come back to our barn, we want them to see a big, beautiful horse: not to count every rib of a greyhound, raw-boned and gutted, looking like it just ran its last race. People need to see something they can mold, a piece of clay. So all we're trying to do is let a natural athlete show off.” Mostly, however, the Gladwells feel only respect for a fraternity that pulls together. “We're all rooting for each other because we want the whole business to thrive,” Jimbo says. “Every $1 million dollar horse that comes out of the 2-year-old sales, man, I'm hoping it's a graded stakes winner. Because that helps everybody.” Within this tight community, however, there's an even tighter sense of family. As already noted, Jimbo's family have always played a big role in Top Line–but just the same holds true of Torie's side, above all parents Randy and Teri Burns. “They've always been supportive of my crazy love for horses, allowing me to attend an out-of-state college and take my show horse along with me,” Torie remembers gratefully. “Being from Missouri, none of us knew much about Thoroughbreds. But we showed Arabian horses, who have a similar mindset, so it was an easy switch for me. My mom and dad really enjoy helping at the 2-year-old sales, beautifying the consignment, running cards, etc. They're huge supporters and even own a handful of broodmares with us, selling the produce where we see fit.” Torie also appreciates the involvement of her aunt and uncle, Janice and Steve Geeding. “They have gone from small investors to large ones in the past few years, just rolling what they make back in every season,” she says. “They still live in Missouri but enjoy the thrill of the sales and getting to meet so many amazing people along the way. People back in my small hometown think what we do for a living is a fairytale, if a very stressful one!” And it's true, of course: this game is a notorious roller coaster. Even when all the scouting and patient groundwork condenses to that priceless bullet breeze, you can't be complacent. “You have to hold your breath until they shoot the X-rays,” Jimbo says. “Every time that machine beeps, it feels like somebody's shooting at you. One year our two best horses came back with chips. One chipped both ankles, the other a knee. You've been hyped up all year, they do everything they were supposed to–and then don't get through it.” And, of course, there's no longstop. If things do go wrong, they tend to be left holding the baby: an unscheduled horse in training, an unscheduled broodmare. “You can buy the best horses in the world, but you'll still need some racing luck,” Jimbo says. “Still need some God on your side to get through all the trials those horses face every day. But it's an exciting lifestyle. That's what I always tell people, to share that dynamic of what these horses do for us. “They take us all over, and we get to do it as family. I have friends with great jobs and great lives. But what we do, to them, is just a fairytale. Sure, it can give you the lowest of lows, as well. But when it's good, there's nothing like it.” The post OBS Shoppers Glad To Return To This Well appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Craig Bernick's Audubon Park (Fr) (Dubawi {Ire}–Right Hand {GB}, by Lope De Vega {Ire}) delivered a stunning late burst to notch a four-length debut score going 9 1/2 furlongs atop Chantilly's synthetic surface last month and repeated the dose upped to 10 furlongs on the turf with a perfect G1 Prix de Diane audition in Thursday's Listed Prix Rose de Mai at Saint-Cloud. The well-backed 3-5 favourite was smartly into stride from the inside stall and settled into a smooth rhythm behind the leaders in third until slipping to fourth at halfway. Caught in a pocket and short of breathing space in early straight, she eased to the front along the far-side rail with 350 metres remaining and powered clear under mild urging inside the final furlong to easily outclass Kiamba (Ire) (Australia {GB}) by four lengths. “Audubon Park is a very good-looking and gifted filly,” beamed trainer Francis Graffard. “We gave her all the time she needed last season and we get the reward now. I have high hopes for some fillies that showed great things last year and I feel she is right there with them. There was a question mark about the surface, it was very holding, but she handled it beautifully. I left it to Christophe [Soumillon] to ride her as he wished and when she found the gap on the inside the race was over. She has gained more experience with that, which is want you want with horses destined to run in the top races. The target is obviously the [G1] Prix de Diane, but I think one more start before then will be enough. We will probably pass the [Mar. 29 G3 Prix] Penelope and look for something else.” Audubon Park is the first of three foals out of a half-sister to four black-type performers headed by G1 Prix Vermeille winner and G1 Prix de Diane second Left Hand (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and dual Group-winning G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and G1 Prix Vermeille runner-up Aventure (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). Descendants of the February-foaled bay's G2 Prix de Royallieu-winning second dam Balladeuse (Fr) (Singspiel {Ire}) also include G1 Prix Jean Romanet third Romanciere (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and G1 Prix du Jockey Club runner-up First Look (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Balladeuse is a half-sister to G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud victrix Plumania (GB) (Anabaa) and to the stakes-placed dam of dual G1 Prix Royal-Oak hero Double Major (Ire) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}). Audubon Park is kin to the unraced 2-year-old filly Yimmna (Fr) (Siyouni {Ire}) and a yearling filly by Wootton Bassett (GB). Sans Forcer , Belle Impression , @soumillon toujours en feu avec les 3 ans….. Prix Rose De Mai Saint Cloud – Listed – Pouliches – 3 ans – 2000m – Lourd (4.6) – 8 Pts – 55 000 € Audubon Park (f) (Fr) Christophe Soumillon @CSoumillon (Dubawi (Gb)… pic.twitter.com/ibPLHqd6dl — French and International Horse Racing (@Vincenzo0612) March 6, 2025 Thursday, Saint-Cloud, France PRIX ROSE DE MAI-Listed, €55,000, Saint-Cloud, 3-6, 3yo, f, 10fT, 2:18.45, hy. 1–AUDUBON PARK (FR), 125, f, 3, by Dubawi (Ire) 1st Dam: Right Hand (GB), by Lope De Vega (Ire) 2nd Dam: Balladeuse (Fr), by Singspiel (Ire) 3rd Dam: Featherquest (GB), by Rainbow Quest 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€390,000 Ylg '23 ARQAUG). O-Craig Bernick; B-Ecurie des Monceaux, Langlais Bloodstock, Noir et Or Elevage SA & Christopher Richard Hirst (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Christophe Soumillon. €27,500. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €41,000. 2–Kiamba (Ire), 125, f, 3, Australia (GB)–Kikonga (GB), by Danehill Dancer (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Mme Aoileann Garavaglia-Drion & Meridian International SARL; B-Macha Bloodstock & Meridian International SARL (IRE); T-Mario Baratti. €11,000. 3–Soccer Sister (Ire), 125, f, 3, Havana Gold (Ire)–Soccer Mom (Ger), by Monsun (Ger). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (€42,000 Ylg '23 ARQOCT). O-Eckhard Sauren; B-Haras du Mont Dit Mont (IRE); T-Christophe Ferland. €8,250. Margins: 4, 2HF, 3. Odds: 0.60, 8.30, 18.00. Also Ran: Defully (Fr), Out Of Africa (Fr), Mistress (GB), Essex (Fr), Blast The Dream (GB). The post Dubawi’s Audubon Park Remains Perfect After Rose de Mai Test, Will Target Prix de Diane appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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The National Stud in Newmarket has reopened its doors for guided tours for the season. Through Discover Newmarket, visitors can visit the 500-acre site in the heart of Britain's racing and breeding community with a chance to meet the mares, foals and four resident stallions, including the great stayer Stradivarius (Ire) and new arrival Bradsell (GB). Living legends such as Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Lord Windermere (Ire) and top sprinter The Tin Man (GB) are also spending their retirement at the stud. Tours run from March to October every Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday. Private and group tours can be arranged on a date and time to suit for a one-off additional fee of £50 and the usual price per person (adults £16.50, children £5). Discover Newmarket also runs tours which incorporate a morning on the town's famous gallops along with a visit to the National Stud. The post The National Stud Reopens to Visitors for 2025 Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There are five horse racing meetings set for Australia on Friday, March 7. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and the quaddie numbers for Newcastle and Moonee Valley. Friday’s Free Horse Racing Tips – March 7, 2025 Newcastle Racing Tips Moonee Valley Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on March 7, 2025 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit today. “GETON is not a bonus code. Neds does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms. BlondeBet Signup Code GETON 2 Punters Prefer Blondes BlondeBet Blonde Boosts – Elevate your prices! Join BlondeBet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GAMBLING WITH? full terms. Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 3 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble You Better Believe It Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Recommended! 4 Next Gen Racing Betting Picklebet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. 5 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Bet365 Signup Code GETON 6 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. Horse racing tips View the full article

It has been almost a year since Ayrton (NZ) (Iffraaj) last raced, but after a long and steady build-up the gelding is set to run at Flemington. Ayrton lines up in the Group 3 Shaftesbury Avenue Handicap (1400m) on Saturday having not raced since finishing seventh in last year’s edition of the All-Star Mile which was held at Caulfield. The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained galloper was in work and being prepared for a spring campaign last year but did not come up as expected and was turned out for a break. Kent Jnr said the extended break had done Ayrton the world of good and the gelding’s work and jump-outs suggest he still has the zest to be a racehorse. “He just didn’t come up last preparation,” Kent Jnr said. “He was sound all the way through the preparation, and we got him to the trial stage, but he wasn’t giving his riders the feel that he was going to run well. “We had a good look at him and decided to give him a long break. “He’s had a long, steady build up and it’s pleasing to say that he’s a completely different horse to last preparation.” Ayrton has only had the 24 career starts, winning eight times with a further four placings. A rising eight-year-old Kent Jnr said it was all up to Ayrton as to how far he goes this preparation. “Being an older horse, we’re mindful that it’s all up to him,” Kent Jnr said. “We won’t force the issue, if he wants to do it, he’ll show us. “Both his jump-outs have been very good. He was in a hot heat last time and worked home well. “He had a big blow, so whilst he’s got an extremely good first-up record, he’s an older horse now, and he’s in better races and it’s 12 months since his last start. “We think he’ll massively improve with the run, but I’m looking forward to seeing him back. “It’s a race, at his best, that is certainly within his grasp, but we haven’t asked to see a heap at home, so we’ll see how he’s going on race day.” View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk As first wins go Nikita Burton’s was about as easy as they get. “It was such a thrill,” the 18-year-old said after Seaside Rose cruised to victory in yesterday’s Placemakers Mobile Pace at Oamaru. Driving for her employers Steve and Amanda Telfer, Burton went forward with the four-year-old mare to sit parked. The combo stayed there throughout before clearing out to a two length win, ahead of fast finishing Classie Linc. “This is a performance,” said commentator Craig Rail, “without cover over 2600 metres she jogs in.” “It’s hard to describe the feeling,” says Burton, “but I looked around (at the finish) and there was no-one there.” It was the mare’s fifth win in 26 starts and Burton’s first in 12 race day drives. It was Seaside Rose’s southern debut after racing previously at Alexandra Park, Cambridge and Hawera. “I’d only driven her once in work, she only arrived here nine days ago,” says Burton. Burton’s always been around horses and racing, with her father Neil being a long-time hobby trainer and driver from Mid Canterbury. She got a full time job at Stonewall just over a year ago after working there during the holidays. Before her breakthrough win her previous best finishes were two seconds with Ultimate Counsel. Since the win the teenager’s had many messages from well-wishers. “There have been lots of them … everyone’s been very supportive.” “I just want to thank Mandy and Steve (Telfer) for putting me on and trusting me, I can’t thank them enough.” View the full article

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By Jonny Turner Delightful Peg may have snuck under punters’ guards when winning the first heat of 2025’s Macca Lodge and Nevele R Stud Southern Oaks series at Oamaru yesterday. Trainer Brad Mowbray now has the luxury of being able to time his run into Group 2 final of the long-running championship after his filly sustained a big run win in a dead-heat victory. Fellow Canterbury horseman Mark Jones is in the same sweet spot after Selsey Anne charged home wide out to level with Delightful Peg right on the winning post. When Delightful Peg lines up in the Southern Oaks Final next month it will hardly be new territory for the three-year-old. Despite clashing with smart fillies like One For Jay, Spicey Crunch, Winelight and General Jen throughout her short career, Delightful Peg was let go at juicy $16 odds at Oamaru yesterday. “She has raced the good ones right the way through and she hasn’t had all the luck in the world,” Mowbray said. “In her last start at Winton she got left parked in a five-horse field.” “She has always had the ability there but she has gone through phases of doing a few things wrong.” “So it was good to see her get a result like that today.” Mowbray has aimed high with Delightful Peg because of the opinion he has had of the filly. Driver Matthew Williamson not only gave the pacer a winning trip in transit yesterday, he also gave her early education at his base at Oamaru racecourse. “Matty broke her in and gave her a good report,” Mowbray said. “We have always had a good opinion of her which is why she has raced some of the better ones.” Delightful Peg was purchased at the National Yearling Sales in Christchurch by her trainer’s mother-in-law Jenny Knight. Knight races Delightful Peg with Mowbray and her daughter, Melanie. Williamson was also in the winner’s circle as a trainer at his home track yesterday, producing Jordan Anne to win the Nat Kinzett Memorial Handicap Trot. The brilliantly consistent mare capitalised on a sweet trip in the trail to score for junior driver Hayden Douglas. The victory was the first for his new boss after Douglas moved to Oamaru to take up a position with the Williamson stable recently. The combination of Jordan Anne, Williamson and Douglas was also successful at Winton last month, before the junior driver made the shift back to his hometown from Invercargill. View the full article

What Alice Springs Races Where Pioneer Park Racecourse – Stuart Highway, Connellan, NT, 0870 When Saturday, March 8, 2025 First Race 10:39am ACST Visit Dabble The final meeting in the Red Centre before the start of the Alice Springs Cup Carnival next weekend sees 60 horses on deck for a highly competitive seven-event program on Saturday. A host of runners eyeing the Alice Springs Cup (2000m), Pioneer Sprint (1200m) and NT Guineas (1600m) will feature at Pioneer Park. The heatwave continues with 40C the forecast for Alice Springs on Saturday, and subsequently it will once again be an early start with the first race jumping at 10:39am ACST. It will be a good dirt surface and the rail will be in the true position. Best Bet at Alice Springs: Isolyfe Isolyfe steps back in grade and in distance after a last start fifth in a field of five behind Vinnie’s Spirit over 1600m at 0-70 level on February 15. Getting to an early lead, the six-year-old gelding attempted to continue from where he left off the previous week when he obliterated 0-64 opposition by 12.8 lengths. The son of I Am Invincible boasts two wins, two seconds, and two thirds from nine starts in the Red Centre. Sonja Logan is back on board after piloting Isolyfe to that sensational win on February 8. Best Bet Race 6 – #2 Isolyfe (1) 6yo Gelding | T: Ray Viney | J: Sonja Logan (60kg) Next Best at Alice Springs: Hasseltoff Terry Gillett’s Great Buy and Vinnie’s Spirit won’t lie down, but it’s hard to overlook Hasseltoff after his impressive debut win at Pioneer Park in a BM66 over 1600m on February 22. Having won at Morphettville over 1600m at BM78 in January, the eight-year-old gelding settled fourth and hit the front at the 1100m before holding command en route to victory by two lengths. The son of Toorak Toff looks hard to beat on Saturday, with Alice Springs Cup Carnival features awaiting. Next Best Race 4 – #2 Hasseltoff (2) 8yo Gelding | T: Dick Leech | J: Hannah Le Blanc (a2) (58.5kg) Best Value at Alice Springs: Hurn Court Hurn Court faces quality opposition in a serious hit-out before the Pioneer Sprint (1200m) on April 5 and is more than a serious chance, after being denied a certain victory over 1000m in 0-76 grade on February 22. After a three-month spell, the seven-year-old gelding settled fourth before finishing strongly along the rails. The son of Outreach was then shut out at the 150m and was forced three deep before coming fourth by 0.7 lengths. The early $5 quote with online bookmakers is appealing. Best Value Race 2 – #5 Hurn Court (4) 7yo Gelding | T: Terry Gillett | J: Dakota Gillett (a1.5) (59.5kg) Saturday quaddie tips for Alice Springs Alice Springs quadrella selections Saturday, March 8, 2025 1-2-3 1-3-4-5-6 2-8-9-10 1-2-3-4-5 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

What Bunbury Cup Day 2025 Where Bunbury Racecourse – Brittain Rd, Bunbury WA 6230 When Saturday, March 8, 2025 First Race 12:19pm AWST Visit Dabble Bunbury will host its marquee raceday this Saturday afternoon, with the first of nine races scheduled to jump at 12:19pm AWST. The track was rated as a Good 4 at the time of acceptances, and with warm weather forecast in the lead-up to the meeting, it is expected that rating will hold up throughout the day. The rail will be in the +3m position for the entire circuit. Bunbury Cup tip: Antique Miss Antique Miss defeated a similar field to what she will face in the Listed Bunbury Cup when the Michael Grantham-trained mare proved the superior stayer in over 1800m at Ascot last start. The daughter of Domesday settled behind the speed before being flushed out three-wide before the home turn. Considering how strong her finishing burst was after covering more ground than the placegetters, Antique Miss will prove hard to beat again with a better run in transit. Bunbury Cup Race 8 – #3 Antique Miss (11) 5yo Mare | T: Michael Grantham | J: Chris Parnham (56kg) Bunbury Stakes tip: Ice Pick Nick Ice Pick Nick was set too much of a task in the Listed Pinjarra Classic last start, as he had to make up over 10 lengths on Snowdome in the final 400m of the race. The Stefan Vahala-trained gelding let down with a blistering turn of foot to finish fourth, only beaten by 1.9 lengths on the line. From barrier one, Shaun O’Donnell can settle much closer to the speed, peel off the leaders heels on the turn, and bounce back with a win in the Bunbury Stakes. Bunbury Stakes Race 7 – #7 Ice Pick Nick (1) 6yo Gelding | T: Stefan Vahala | J: Shaun O’Donnell (54kg) Best Bet at Bunbury: Just Saint James After failing to bring up a hat-trick of wins at Pinjarra last start, Just Saint James will seek a return to the winners stall in his first start at Bunbury. The Rob Gulberti-trained gelding was a little unlucky when finishing second behind Rocking Gem previously, but now that he rises to 1200m again, conditions will suit him much better. Chris Parnham will settle his mount near the rear of the field before releasing the brakes at the 400m mark to let Just Saint James finish off strongly. Best Bet Race 4 – #4 Just Saint James (6) 4yo Gelding | T: Rob Gulberti | J: Chris Parnham (57kg) Next Best at Bunbury: Scorpion Ruler Scorpion Ruler owns a strong record at Bunbury (3:2-0-1), and the Joshua Krispyn-trained galloper will seek to maintain that in his fourth start of this preparation. The son of Universal Ruler was a dominant winner at Mount Barker two starts back before being run over late at Ascot in his most recent run. From barrier two, Holly Watson will be able to dictate from the front of the field and give Scorpion Ruler every chance to bounce back. Next Best Race 6 – #6 Scorpion Ruler (2) 4yo Mare | T: Joshua Krispyn | J: Holly Watson (56.5kg) Quaddie tips for Bunbury Cup Day 2025 Bunbury quadrella selections Saturday, March 8, 2025 2-5-6 1-3-7-8 3-5-6-13-14 1-5 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

What Randwick Guineas Day 2025 Where Royal Randwick Racecourse When Saturday, March 8, 2025 First Race 12:20pm AEDT Visit Dabble Group 1 action returns to Royal Randwick on Saturday afternoon, with a bumper 10-race program set for decision. The three-year-olds take centre stage in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m), while the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) has attracted a quality field of 12 set to do battle for the $750,000 prize. The rail moves out +3m the entire circuit for the meeting, and although the track is rated a Good 4 at the time of acceptances, consistent rainfall should have punters anticipating a downgrade into the Soft range at some stage. 2025 Randwick Guineas Day is scheduled to get underway at 12:20pm local time. Race 1: BM72 Midway Handicap (1600m) Hell’s Itch gets the nod in the opening event and represents good each-way value with horse racing bookmakers. The son of Hellbent was tradesman like through the line behind Rush Attack at Rosehill on February 22, with the five-year-old doing his best work in the final furlong. Gate one should allow Alysha Collett to take closer order, and with this guy’s best form usually coming third-up in the campaign, watch for Hell’s Itch to be rattling home at the big odds. Selections: 8 HELL’S ITCH 12 BERNEN WIN 7 POCKETING 4 RUSH ATTACK Best Value Race 1 – #8 Hell’s Itch (1) 5yo Gelding | T: John Thompson | J: Alysha Collett (55kg) Race 2: Listed Fireball Stakes (1100m) The James Cummings-trained Zeitung is one of the better bets on the Randwick card as she returns from a 112-day spell. She was around the mark in all the three-year-old filly features in the spring, most notably taking out the Group 3 Vanity (1400m) at Flemington on November 2. She’s trialled like a bomb heading into this first-up target, and with the daughter of Exceed And Excel likely to have no issues with the sting out of the ground, watch for Zeitung to be flashing late at a good price with BlondeBet. Selections: 3 ZEITUNG 1 PERSPIRATION 5 ENRICHED 4 YOSHINOBU Best Bet Race 2 – #3 Zeitung (7) 3yo Filly | T: James Cummings | J: Zac Lloyd (56.5kg) Race 3: Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) Temtped returns to Sydney after a luckless outing in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on February 22. The daughter of Street Boss had zero luck throughout the journey, only seeing daylight in the final 200m when it was all over. Expect James McDonald to drag back towards the rear of the field in search of cover from barrier 11, however, with this impressive filly set to get the last crack at her rivals, Tempted may simply prove too classy for the girls in this year’s edition of the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m). Selections: 3 TEMPTED 2 INKARUNA 5 WISNIERSKA 7 TUPAKARA Reisling Stakes Race 3 – #3 Tempted (11) 2yo Filly | T: James Cummings | J: James McDonald (55.5kg) Race 4: Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) It’s the boys turn to step out in the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m), where the Chris Waller-trained Wodeton goes in search of redemption after suffering a 2.4-legnth defeat in the Group 2 Silver Slipper Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill on February 22. The Wootton Bassett colt had plenty of excuses on that occasion, sitting back and wide throughout the journey, and still had the audacity to lengthen in the concluding stages. Expect James McDonald to land near the one-one from gate five, and provided he can reproduce his debut peak, Wodeton should justify the short price with Picklebet. Selections: 5 WODETON 6 ALEPPO PINE 3 TYCOON STAR 1 NORTH ENGLAND Todman Stakes Race 4 – #5 Wodeton (5) 2yo Colt | T: Chris Waller | J: James McDonald (55.5kg) Race 5: Group 3 Aspiration Quality (1600m) Mare Of Mt Buller got a pass mark returning at this course and distance on February 8, hitting the line well behind the in-form Point And Shoot. The effort had plenty of merit returning from a 119-day spell, with the daughter of Dundeel forced to lug top weight in BM78 company. This contest is much tougher on paper; however, with the sting out of the ground and 54kg on her back, Mare Of Mt Buller fits in nicely and appears to be a live chance in this year’s Group 3 Aspiration Quality (1600m). Selections: 3 MARE OF MT BULLER 7 IT’S A KNOCKOUT 1 HINGED 5 WINGS OF DESIRE Aspiration Quality Race 5 – #3 Mare Of Mt Buller (9) 4yo Mare | T: Chris Waller | J: Jason Collett (54kg) Race 6: Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m) Kimochi returns after claiming the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) in the spring, and although the 1000m may be short of her best trip, she must be considered one of the major chances in the Group 2 Challenge Stakes (1000m). She has never missed the frame first-up across five starts and impressed when saluting fresh in the Group 3 Toy Show Quality (1100m) on August 24. She maps to get a stalking run from barrier five, and with her key rivals lacking consistency, Kimochi gets the verdict in the Challenge Stakes. Selections: 10 KIMOCHI 3 KALLOS 1 MAZU 8 GIVEMETHEBEATBOYS Challenge Stakes Race 6 – #10 Kimochi (5) 4yo Mare | T: Gary Portelli | J: Nash Rawiller (56.5kg) Race 7: Group 1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) The three-year-olds take centre stage in the $1 million Randwick Guineas, where it’s all one-way traffic in betting for the Godolphin colt Broadsiding. The Hobartville winner is all the rage at $1.60, while Swiftfalcon ($4.00) is the best back runner to turn the tables. Can Broadsiding justify the short quote? Or is there an upset brewing in the 2025 Randwick Guineas. Click here for our full preview of the 2025 Randwick Guineas Race 8: Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) Stefi Magnetica couldn’t have been more impressive last preparation despite failing to record a victory across her four starts. She was luckless in the Golden Eagle (1500m) before taking on the older horses in the Group 1 Champions Mile (1600m) at Flemington on November 9, matching motors with the best middle distance horses Australia has to offer. She returns on the back of two smart barrier trials, and although the 1300m could prove testing first-up from a spell, the $8.00 available with Neds for Stefi Magnetica is too big to ignore in the 2025 Canterbury Stakes. Selections: 11 STEFI MAGNETICA 9 SUNSHINE IN PARIS 1 CEOLWULF 12 SWITZERLAND Canterbury Stakes Race 8 – #11 Stefi Magnetica (7) 4yo Mare | T: Bjorn Baker | J: Zac Lloyd (57kg) Race 9: Listed Randwick City Stakes (2000m) There’s a sense of timing about Kinesiology third-up into the campaign after a much-improved effort at Rosehill on February 22. The European import was doing his best work late after checking off heels at a crucial stage, with the lightly raced four-year-old slowly starting to extend in the final furlong. The extra 100m should be ideal, and provided Zac Lloyd can navigate a spot from stall 14, Kinesiology will prove hard to hold out in the Randwick City Stakes. Selections: 14 KINESIOLOGY 17 ALALCANCE 7 ZECHARIAH 2 ATHABASCAN Next Best Race 9 – #14 Kinesiology (14) 4yo Horse | T: Chris Waller | J: Zac Lloyd (53.5kg) Race 10: Group 3 Wenona Girl Quality (1200m) Clear Thinking produced a gallant runner-up effort at this course and distance in the Group 3 Triscay Stakes (1200m) on February 15 and is unfortunate not to remain undefeated. The Dubawi mare circled the entire field on that occasion and lost no admirers as she rounded them all up bar Inhibitions, with barrier nine of nine proving costly. Zac Lloyd will attempt to find a mid-field position with cover this time around, and provided the breaks fall her way, the $5.00 about Clear Thinking in the Group 3 Wenona Girl Quality (1200m) is a cracking bet to end proceedings on Randwick Guineas Day. Selections: 10 CLEAR THINKING 4 COMMEMORATIVE 2 ARCTIC GLAMOUR 13 OUTBACK MISS Wenona Girl Quality Race 10 – #10 Clear Thinking (9) 5yo Mare | T: Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich | J: Zac Lloyd (53kg) Randwick Guineas Day quaddie tips for Randwick Randwick quadrella selections Saturday, March 8, 2025 1-3-9 1-4-9-10-11-12 2-3-4-7-8-14-17 2-4-10 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article