Wandering Eyes

Superstar Hong Kong galloper breaks the track record on the way to his 10th Group One success.View the full article

The G1 Saudi Cup hero from a year ago, Senor Buscador, will aim to continue the legacy of his sire Horse of the Year Mineshaft at Lane's End as he stands for $7,500 LFSN, the farm said via a press release on Friday. Bred in Kentucky by Joe R. Peacock, Sr. and Joey Peacock, Jr., Senor Buscador retires from racing with $12,944,427 in earnings and was trained by Todd Fincher. The 7-year-old had shipped last week to Gulfstream Park where he was set to make another start in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Joey Peacock tweeted that after a drill Jan. 19 at Gulfstream his team was not completely satisfied with the way the horse was working. The owner then made the decision to scratch Senor Buscador and make arrangements for him to head to Kentucky to begin his stallion career. Earlier this month, Peacock told TDN that he and Fincher were open to the Saudi Cup champ returning to Riyadh to take on the world's richest race once again. Breaking his maiden at 2 on debut by 2 1/2 lengths, Senor Buscador jumped straight into stakes company winning with what would become his signature style–running from off the pace–the Springboard Mile by 5 3/4 lengths at Remington Park. That effort garnered him a 93 Beyer as a juvenile, the second highest Beyer of any 2-year-old colt at a mile in 2020. Senor Buscador at Gulfstream Park last year | Lauren King His stakes success continued with a win in the GIII Ack Ack Stakes at Churchill Downs. In his first start of 2023, he returned to the winner's circle in the Curribot Handicap, defeating the field by 4 lengths. The homebred also captured the GII San Diego Handicap at Del Mar earning a 101 Beyer. Senor Buscador placed in the GI Awesome Again Stakes and closed out the year with a runner-up finish in the GII Cigar Mile at Aqueduct. Senor Buscador got off to a fast start in 2024 with a close second in the Pegasus World Cup, before traveling to Saudi Arabia where he made a splash winning the $20 million Saudi Cup. Defeating a deep field, he set a new stakes record–1:49.50. The Peacock homebred's next start was in the UAE where he finished third in the G1 Dubai World Cup, contributing to him being the leading North American earner in 2024. He retires with four triple-digit Beyers to his credit–105, 103, 101, abd 101. “We are honored that Senor Buscador will take up residence alongside his sire, Mineshaft, at the Farish family's Lanes End Farm now that he is retired from racing,” said owner and co-breeder Joe Peacock, Jr. “We will support him heavily with mares that we have been purchasing in anticipation of his career at stud. We look forward to breeding and racing the next generation of horses from this important Mineshaft/A.P. Indy sire line.” Out of multiple stakes winner Rose's Desert, Senor Buscador is half to GSW Runaway Ghost (Ghostzapper). Rose's Desert also produced stakes winners Our Iris Rose (Ghostzapper) and Sheriff Brown (Curlin). His sire, Mineshaft, has produced eight Grade I winners including Dialed In, himself a sire of three Grade I winners and 29 black-type winners. Mineshaft closed out 2024 as a top five sire. Senor Buscador will be available for inspection starting Monday, Jan. 27. To schedule an appointment or for more information, please contact Jill McCully or Chris Knehr. The post Saudi Cup Hero Senor Buscador To Stand At Lane’s End For $7500 LFSN appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After living a life celebrated for its extraordinary accomplishments and stunning longevity, James E. "Ted" Bassett III died at his Lexington home Jan. 23. He was 103.View the full article

Career Milestones for Leading Jockeys & Trainers in North AmericaView the full article

The richest horse in the world just padded his earnings with a hefty check from the AED1,850,000 G1 Jebel Hatta over 1800 metres at Meydan on Friday. Hong Kong Horse of the Year ROMANTIC WARRIOR (IRE) (Acclamation {Ire}–Folk Melody {Ire}, by Street Cry {Ire}) delivered a strong final quarter in :22.80 to win going away, overwhelmed frontrunner–and last year's winner–Measured Time (GB) (Frankel {GB}) at the 100-metre mark to win as much the best. That Godolphin runner went amiss 50 metres from home, tossing rider William Buick to the turf. Poker Face (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) ran second with Holloway Boy (GB) (Ulysses {Ire}) third. The time was 1:45.10, the fourth course record on the day. O-Peter Lau Pak Fai; B-Corduff Stud & T J Rooney (Ire); T-Danny Shum; J-James McDonald. Romantic Warrior wins at RacingDubai 23 runs 18 wins Jebel Hatta Hong Kong Cup Queen Elizabeth II Cup Jockey Club Cup Cox Plate Yasuda Kinen HK Gold Cup HK Classic Mile HK Derby Over £18 million in prize money pic.twitter.com/IJqgJYHPgT — Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 24, 2025 The post Romantic Warrior Lives Up To Billing In Jebel Hatta; Measured Time Breaks Down Before Wire appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Previously better known for his inability to finish off his races, WALK OF STARS (GB) (g, 6, Dubawi {Ire}–Sound Reflection, by Street Cry {Ire}) seems to have put those bad habits behind as he well and truly stamped his authority on Friday's G1 Al Maktoum Challenge at Meydan, leading home a 1-2 finish for the Bhupat Seemar yard. Runner-up in last year's G2 Godolphin Mile after looking home free, Walk of Stars was second on seasonal reappearance last time in the Listed Dubai Creek Mile, but was sent straight into the lead last time and made every yard in romping in by better than 11 lengths in the Listed The Entisar over course and distance Dec. 20. Called “a front-runner, but not a runaway” by jockey Tadhg O'Shea, Walk of Stars was ridden forward again and sat in a pace-pressing second to the inside of Saayedd (Malibu Moon) until about midway. Back in front approaching the final 800 metres, the strapping bay was firmly in control turning them in and was always holding stable companion Imperial Emperor (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) in the run to the wire. Facteur Cheval (Ire) (Ribchester {Ire}) was a bit tardy from the stalls in this first spin around the dirt and settled just behind mid-division, absorbing plenty of kickback. Strung up in traffic entering the second turn, Facteur Cheval peeled out in the straight and finished up nicely enough to be third. Walk of Stars is the 190th worldwide winner for Dubawi at the group/graded level and his 60th top-level scorer. Sales history: AED1,200,000 HRA '23 ERAAPR. Lifetime Record: 15-4-4-3. O-Athbah Racing; B-Godolphin; T-Bhupat Seemar. #Dubawi sires his 60th individual G1 winner and the first two home in the Al Maktoum Challenge @RacingDubai! Walk Of Stars storms to his second straight Black Type win https://t.co/hYc6HHTJTT — Darley in Europe (@DarleyEurope) January 24, 2025 The post Walk Of Stars Becomes A 60th Elite-Level Winner for Dubawi in Al Maktoum Challenge appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

James E. “Ted” Bassett III, who led Keeneland through historic expansion during his 38-year tenure serving as President, Chairman and Trustee, died Thursday at his home in Lexington. He was 103. So he was not immortal, after all. But those of us privileged to have known James E. Bassett III will know how rare it is not only for human life to stretch to so wide a span but yet to conclude with the emphasis so unequivocally on quality, rather than mere quantity. It began [and ended] in Lexington, aptly for one of the great modern Kentuckians. But while “Ted” Bassett was cherished by our own community as, first and foremost, the presiding spirit of Keeneland, there was no parochial limitation on a personality forged between his own, inborn resources and the furnace of his times. Among many other attributes that might be compressed into the first part of that equation, we could highlight his dynamism, charm and absolute integrity. Throw into the mix an unusual receptivity to both duty and opportunity, and you find a remarkable man summoned to his full potential by the historic energies that made “the American century”. Bassett was always in the front line of his epoch. Literally so, of course, as the Marine who nearly gave his life at what turned out to be barely a quarter of its eventual scope. But he was also in the vanguard of an evolving culture: first as a young salesman, relishing New York City in the postwar boom; then with the Kentucky State Police, at a time when civic strife was bringing the entire country to a momentous crossroads; and finally, in helping our own industry adapt to the expansion of American leisure. His own story, in other words, overlaps with that of the modern nation. And perhaps it will only be to the extent that the same might be said of his character–how far, that is, that we might see Bassett not only as a model citizen, but also as a typical one–that the nation can aspire to a similar longevity in terms of leadership and respect. It is standard, even in obituaries, to refer to the subject only by his surname. But it does go against the grain not to persist with “Mr.” Bassett. Certainly, it was the only address that would ever occur to you, running into him at the Keeneland track kitchen; and its use suggested the very reverse of undue formality. To the end, he remained as upstanding, in his bearing, as he had always been in the values he exuded. And to see such resolute dignity, in so venerable a figure, always gave heart to those of us who bleakly anticipate ageing only as a decline in all the satisfactions of life. If we felt humbled by his example, inclined to stand straighter and enunciate more clearly than usual, then that was not so much to manifest mere deference as affection and gratitude. Yet even he was Master Bassett once. He was born on Oct. 26, 1921, to parents whose respective grandfathers gave the pedigree local distinction: one had been president of the Fayette National Bank, the other a Civil War general who had retired to Lexington to breed horses 50 years previously. When the Fayette closed, during the Depression, Bassett's father found work as superintendent of Greentree Farm and indeed became a vice-president of Keeneland, but young Ted was sent away to school in Connecticut and the closest he ever came to Thoroughbreds in those years was riding a mower at Greentree, at 25 cents an hour, during his school vacations. He was in his final year at Kent School when his only sibling, Brooker, was killed in an automobile accident. It was a savage bereavement, and his parents' marriage did not survive it long. Hard to know for sure, but very possibly Mr. Bassett discovered in this loss some of his trademark determination to live his life to the full. James E. Bassett in Japan, 1944 | courtesy of Keeneland Not that he appeared to set his life at any great premium on the night in April 1942 when, carousing with fellow Yale students at Mory's in New Haven, someone was suddenly inspired to exclaim that they should all join the Marine Corps. With no more ado, they piled into a classmate's Ford convertible and drove straight to New York City to enlist. Fortunately, he was permitted first to complete his degree in History; and he also made the varsity basketball team in his senior year. Entering boot camp on Parris Island, South Carolina, Bassett was exposed to what he remembered as a regime of “uncompromising perdition”. At the same time, however, he felt his confidence and capacities expand and he was fast-tracked to second lieutenant. In January 1945, he shipped to Guadalcanal and was allocated to the Fourth Marines. He was 23, “green as a gourd”, and the coming weeks would either make a man of him–or a corpse. It proved a close-run thing. On Apr. 15, Bassett was leading his platoon at the head of a patrol probing the stealthy and redoubtable Japanese defense of Mount Yaetake on Okinawa. Many times, through the ensuring decades, he would think back to the moment when he was shot through a hand. Had he been saved by the interference of the wind, or maybe by some fortuitous sudden movement? He had been picked out, as an officer, but somehow the sniper had missed head and chest and so failed to add Bassett to 500 losses sustained on that accursed island by the Fourth Marines. As it was, Bassett was wounded again minutes later: a mortar fragment in his knee. But he viewed himself as terribly fortunate. Both were minor wounds that left superficial scarring and did not interfere with the long life he would now embrace with a Purple Heart and Presidential Unit Citation. Bassett recovered in time to join the initial landings on the Japanese mainland, after the armistice, by now promoted to first lieutenant. A striking photograph of this rugged, handsome young soldier, lighting up a cigarette with his helmet chinstrap loose, deservedly made the front page of Stars And Stripes (and the back cover of his autobiography). There's no doubt that the culture of service Bassett absorbed as a Marines officer transformed the rest of his life. In his memoirs, he condensed the Corps ethic as a matter of pride, confidence, enterprise and fraternity: “In my case, at least, the Marine Corps took a nobody and tried its absolute best to make a somebody out of him.” In 1990 Bassett was presented with the Semper Fedelis Award, made to “a former Marine who has exemplified high principles and dedicated service to Country and Corps.” And in 2007 he further received the Department of the Navy Superior Public Service Award. Ever after, Bassett viewed leadership and service as interchangeable concepts. The way to guarantee the loyalty of your men, out there in the front line, was to take care of their interests first. “They were fed first,” he explained, late in life. “They dug their holes first. Before you dug a hole, your men dug in, and you fed them. Because their welfare is absolutely essential to your survival. You take care of the men, they take care of you.” Restored to civilian life, and profiting from his father's Greentree connection, Bassett got his start with a Whitney family business, the Great Northern Paper Company, whose forestry holdings comprised one-ninth of the state of Maine. Bassett traveled up and down the East Coast and into the South selling newsprint, but his base was in New York and his real priority was a courtship. He married Lucy Gay in 1950. How he enjoyed those first years of peace–and all 65 years of his marriage! Together they saw Edith Piaf at the Versailles on East 50th St; they took in each new Rodgers and Hammerstein musical on Broadway; and, though confined to an extremely small apartment on Park Avenue, it was not so small that they felt a butler would be impractical. Nonetheless the newlyweds yearned for their home state and, at 32, Bassett quit the Great Northern. His father was not impressed when Bassett announced that he would be raising livestock and hand-harvesting 20 acres of tobacco. “You've got a Yale education,” he said. “And you're going to trade that in to become a dirt farmer?” But that proved to be a brief experiment, and in 1956 Bassett was persuaded to sample a career in law enforcement, starting as director of driver licensing. His first week in that innocuous post coincided with the school integration crisis of Sturgis, which required the attentions of the National Guard and M-47 tanks. Bassett was perfectly aware that he had been raised to white privilege, and said later that watching that drama unfold changed his outlook. His whole upbringing and education, after all, had taught him that “whatever you got involved in, it wasn't acceptable to be merely a passive participant–you should strive to make a difference.” Bassett was soon promoted and by 1964 was appointed director of the Kentucky State Police. Morale, pay and manpower were all low, and public relations deplorable. Bassett set to work to improve both the self-esteem of his troopers and the trust of the public. When he made a presentation to his men, and invited their questions or comments, there would be silence. But he knew why: the station sergeants and officers were all sitting there, too. He would point: “You. And you. And you.” And he would take them into another room, tell them to be candid. And they poured out their hearts. He told them that they would get more respect: better pay, conditions, training. But they would have to start that process, by earning self-respect. No more slovenliness, no more slouching. “When you walk in, every eye is going to turn on you,” he said. “Now, look the part. Act the part.” Bassett coined the concept of “the thin gray line”–a reference to the color of the troopers' uniform, and the cruisers they drove–that divided the state from lawlessness. He organized billboard posters of smiling troopers above the slogan, “It's My Job To Help You”. There was a lakeside kids' camp and eventually, overcoming much scepticism elsewhere, a law enforcement degree was introduced at what is now the College of Justice and Safety at Eastern Kentucky University. Much of Bassett's impact was not about specific measures, but about ethos. If he saw a State Police vehicle parked on the roadside, he would pull over and walk up with a hand outstretched, introducing himself and congratulating his men on the job they were doing. One trooper told Bassett decades later that he “felt nine feet tall that day”–and, sure enough, had meanwhile been appointed director himself. Bassett had made a vital difference but an impending shift in gubernatorial power was the cue for a new challenge in 1968. He was offered a huge contract by Kentucky Fried Chicken but, happily for our industry, accepted less than one-third of the salary to become assistant to Keeneland president Louis Lee Haggin II. Here was another institution ripe for modernisation, and more professional management. Bassett was under no illusions. As an outsider to the sport, his advent was received by entrenched staff with “subdued resentment”. The sales and racing divisions were still discrete entities, with their own loyalties and fiefdoms. With the state police, Bassett had become accustomed to the clicking of heels; here, at first, even the sternest look would induce little more than a yawn. But restructuring prompted some helpful migration and a transformative period of recruitment. Bassett and The Queen before the 1984 inaugural race in her name | Keeneland The new, integrated Keeneland regime supervised a series of changes that together comprised a revolution: a new sales pavilion in 1969; a new grandstand in 1976; a turf course in 1984, with a royal visit to mark the inauguration of the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup. In the sales ring, meanwhile, there were unprecedented fireworks as competition for yearlings between Coolmore and the Maktoums revolutionized the commercial possibilities of the Bluegrass: in 1981, a Northern Dancer colt set a new world record at $3.5 million; two years later Sheikh Mohammed paid nearly three times as much for another one, at $10.2 million. This was the famous occasion when the seven-digit bid display board reverted to zero, a first $10 million bid having taken the market to a place beyond anyone's wildest imaginings. But those heady excitements were only the apex of a pyramid of services that were held together from the base up. Bassett always put himself in the shoes of the customers. On racedays, he would personally inspect every restroom. On sale days, he would walk through every barn, chatting with consignors and purchasers, checking that everyone had everything they needed. A lightbulb blown, a leaking tap, an error in the catalogue? “Okay, leave that with me–someone will be down right away.” In 1986 Bassett stepped aside to become chairman of the board and was succeeded by Bill Greely, whom he had first hired as assistant back in 1971. If now taking a relative backseat, Bassett remained a seasoned counsellor as Keeneland continued to strive for the right balance between tradition and progress: simulcasting, Sunday racing, as late as 1997 a first track announcer, a magnificent new library. In the meantime, however, others were able to tap into his experience and wisdom. In 1988, Bassett was approached by Will Farish about the possibility of taking the helm at the Breeders' Cup Ltd. As when he arrived at Keeneland, there were people to win over; there were many vested interests, entrenched against change. But he was able to identify with them. As an avowed Establishment figure, after all, this was a new kind of challenge for Bassett, too. At the time, remember, Keeneland still abjured corporate sponsorship. Here was a very different, fledgling enterprise that depended absolutely on a commercial agenda. Once again, then, Bassett's diplomatic skills proved invaluable. Someday, he urged, we will all benefit from short-term sacrifices to make this thing work together. Sure enough, the series had bedded down into the unrivalled climax of the international calendar by the time he stepped down in 1996. Others to enlist Bassett's help during these years included Equibase and the World Series Racing Championship. It was in this latter cause that Bassett presented a trophy at Ascot every July. In 1983, he somehow managed to drop the silverware in transferring it from the hands of the Queen to the Aga Khan. It landed on his big toe and, as the bruising failed to clear up, he mentioned it to his doctor. A dangerous melanoma was diagnosed, the toe promptly amputated, and Bassett liked to credit a moment of excruciating embarrassment for averting far graver misfortune. He was proud to have become familiar with the British monarch, to the extent of taking lunch at Windsor Castle before joining the royal procession to Royal Ascot. And his status, as a dignitary of the Turf, was underlined in 1986 when he was asked at short notice to present the Melbourne Cup, Australian Premier Bob Hawke having refused to wear the requisite top hat and cutaway. But that was Ted Bassett–equally at home with royalty, or a state trooper, or the maintenance crew at Keeneland. An alphabet soup of decorations and awards did not alter him one jot. He always owned to being of conservative stock and upbringing–but if he never needed to be interviewed for a job, nor did he ever want a contract. A word given in his favour would never be betrayed; and his own word was his bond. “I have never been a maverick or a rebel,” he confessed in his memoirs. “I am an establishment person…reflected in the way I talk, in my manner, in my dress, in just about every way I comport myself. But at the same time, I have never been fearful of buying into an environment of change.” He found the perfect complement in his “jewel”, Lucy. She, too, represented the old school: her father was a founding vice-president of the Keeneland Association, a director for 48 years. Her natural elegance extended to a spell, in her youth, as a dancing instructor; and she was a successful breeder, too, from no more than a dozen mares–coming up, most notably, with GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Adoration. What an apt name, to condense their partnership. And it's a word that will also serve, collectively, for how a whole community felt about the man who has been taken from them at last. “I was not a miracle worker,” he said once, looking back at the nettles he had grasped in turn with the police, at Keeneland, at the Breeders' Cup. “It wasn't trying to jam some philosophy down anybody's throat. It was about what they believed they could do to make the organisation work better: the people who were actually doing the work, whose support we needed, whether it was a horse breeder or a trooper on the road. You could not do that by sending out memos and PRs. You had to reach out to them; make it feel like they had a voice. Really, I had no plan for any of these things I did. I wasn't smart enough to have a plan. But what I did have was the Marine Corps thing: 'How do you connect with you men?'” Ted Bassett's Racing Hall Of Fame Indusction, 2019 | Horsephotos Bassett always remembered peering over the crowd in New York to glimpse MacArthur in a passing motorcade. That afternoon he came back from the office to see the General make his famous speech, on the 12-inch black-and-white television back at the apartment. “Old soldiers never die, they just fade away,” MacArthur declared, before memorably describing himself simply as “an old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty.” If “Mr. Bassett” is going to fade away, it will not be before the youngest of his countless friends and admirers have themselves emulated his vitality at a great age. For so long as they, too, retain a strong memory and a sense of honor, then his example will endure for a new generation. There simply isn't space here to record all the formal recognition Bassett received from those he served: his nation, his state, his community. But he needed no honorifics, medals or certificates to feel the devotion of all who knew him. He just needed to take breakfast as usual at the Keeneland track kitchen, and see how people lit up when he spoke with them: friends, strangers, staff. And that's why we can borrow the best epitaph of all from Bassett himself. Every year Bassett's pastor would invite him to read some words of his own composition. This what he would recite: “One gets happiness from peace of mind. One gets peace from what one gives to others. This is where happiness resides: by being a giving person, a generous person, a kind person.” Can't you just hear those rich, measured, husky tones? He would continue: “It is important to have honor, for it is honor that helps you stand by people when they are in trouble or need; it is honor that will help make you a loyal person; it is honor that makes you help people when you are really too busy, when you are really too tired and too distracted, and when no one else will even know or credit you with helping. “Happiness comes not from your head, not from your intelligence, not from your ambitions; it comes from your heart. To emphasize service above self; by embracing the spirit of caring for others, and following the true instincts of your heart will be the pathway to genuine happiness.” If that be so, we can comfort ourselves in our loss by reflecting that Mr. Ted Bassett did not just lead a remarkably long and rich life, but a remarkably happy one. The post Keeneland Icon Ted Bassett Dies At 103 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. 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British racecourses have come together to increase funding for the aftercare of former racehorses through Retraining of Racehorses The new funding model, effective from 1 January 2025, will see each racecourse contribute £270 per fixture, up from £100 per fixture-an increase of 170%. This marks a historic commitment from British racecourses to the wellbeing of horses after their racing careers. The funding boost will directly contribute to RoR's efforts as the lead organisation in aftercare for the British racing industry. With the support of these increased contributions, RoR is poised to meet the ambitious goals outlined in the RoR Strategy 2024-2026, ensuring the continued success and welfare of former racehorses as they transition to new careers. David Catlow, Managing Director of RoR, said, “The increased contributions from British racecourses to RoR is a monumental step forward for the aftercare of former racehorses. This increase reflects the racing industry's growing recognition of the responsibility it holds to its horses, not just during their careers, but for the rest of their lives. “RoR is actively engaging with other major stakeholders to explore how they can also increase their contributions to aftercare. Discussions are ongoing with key partners to secure additional support. It is only through full industry-wide support that the goals outlined in RoR's strategy can be fully realised, benefitting all former racehorses. “While the decision to increase contributions was the result of individual decisions by each racecourse, RoR is grateful to the Racecourse Association (RCA) for its facilitation in helping secure this important boost to the welfare of retired racehorses.” The post British Racecourses Come Together To Increase Contributions To ROR appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ocala Breeders' Sales Company has added 26 supplemental entries to its 2025 Winter Mixed Sale which begins at 11 a.m. ET Jan. 28, according to a press release from the company on Friday. The entries are catalogued as Hips 317-342 and feature short yearlings by Colonel Liam, Galilean, Instagrand, Mystic Guide, Roadster, and Solomini as well as mares in foal to Complexity, Early Voting, and Volatile. Eleven broodmare prospects have been supplemented to the sale, including a 4-year-old half-sister to champion and OBS graduate Kodiak Kowboy and multiple stakes winner Wilbo. The supplemental entries are available online. OBS will again offer internet bidding and buyers may go to the OBS website and register to gain bidding approval, then access the OBS Bidding Screen with their credentials. For complete information on registration and internet bidding click here. Bidding is also now live for the OBSOnline January Horses of Racing Age and Two-Year-Old Sale. Several of the horses will be available for inspection on the OBS sale grounds during the live sale. Bidding will close Jan. 30. Click here to view the sale. The post OBS Adds 26 Horses To January Winter Mixed Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Weatherbys has pledged to continue its sponsorship of the £250,000 Super Sprint at Newbury for another five years. First run under spnsorship of Weatherbys back in 1993, this year's edition will mark the 32nd consecutive running of the race in its current guise. Jordan Coates, Head of Sales at Newbury Racecourse commented, “We are delighted to be continuing our longstanding relationship with Weatherbys as sponsors of the Super Sprint for a further five years. “The Weatherbys Super Sprint is one of our summer highlights here at Newbury and always promises a great day for racegoers with fast and thrilling racing action and a post racing concert. We extend our thanks to Weatherbys for their continued support of Newbury Racecourse.” Nick Craven, Executive Director of Weatherbys added, “Weatherbys sponsor over 100 races each year at every racecourse in Britain but our longest continual sponsorship has been of the Weatherbys Super Sprint at Newbury, and we're delighted to see this continue for at least another five years. “It's a race that was designed to support the smaller owner and less-expensive horse and it has done just that with so many fantastic stories over the more than 30 years of our sponsorship. We're looking forward to being involved in some more great stories over the coming five years.” The post Weatherbys Extends Sponsorship Of Super Sprint At Newbury appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Never tried in stakes company prior to Friday's 1000-metre AED850,000 G2 Blue Point Sprint presented by Longines, WEST ACRE (IRE) (Mehmas {Ire}–Lady Aria {GB}, by Kodiac {GB}) skipped home a good-looking winner. The Michael Blencowe-owned 3-year-old gelding steamed past the pacesetting Ponntos (Ire) (Power {GB}) to win by three lengths. Cover Up (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) split the duo for second. The final time was :55.38, a new course record. A winner of a Newcastle novice last March, he was second at Kempton coming off a break in October and was back on top in another novice at Southwell later that month. In his Meydan debut, he ran second to Symbol Of Honour (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) in a conditions affair over 1200-metres, his turf bow. Sales history: €95,000 Ylg '23 GOFAUG. Lifetime Record: 5-3-2-0. O-Michael Blencowe. B-Tally-Ho Stud. T-George Scott. *1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. 1ST GROUP WIN. “And away he goes!” takes flight in the Group Two @Longines Blue Point Sprint @GScottracing and @CallumSheppy are #DubaiCarnival | #FashionFriday pic.twitter.com/doBF38Jlfh — Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) January 24, 2025 The post Minimum Trip Perfect Plot For Mehmas’s West Acre In Record-Setting G2 Blue Point Sprint appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The 1600-metre AED700,000 G3 Firebreak Stakes presented by Longines was all about last year's explosive G1 Dubai World Cup hero Laurel River (Into Mischief) until the last jump. Instead, it was the evenly racing G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest victor KING GOLD (FR) (Anodin {Ire}-Miss Gandelia {Fr}, by Kingsalsa) who closed resolutely and claimed the winner's laurels. Breaking a step slowly, the Bhupat Seemar-trained Juddmonte runner rushed up to challenge for the advantage and soon held the baton while pushed by Meshtri (Medaglia d'Oro) with King Gold near the tail of the field. Laurel River soon distanced himself from his rivals for much of the race and, at one point carried an eight-length lead in upper stretch. His long break from the races and eager efforts hard on the steel wore him down, evident by the final furlong, with a resolute King Gold spoiling the fairytale comeback right on the line. The margin was a short head, with Wathnan Racing's Cagliostro (Upstart), sandwiched in between the top pair, the same distance back in third. The final time for the mile was 1:36.70. Sales history: 180,000gns RNA '24 TAONOV. Lifetime Record: 44-10-3-7. O-Mme Christian Wingtans & Nicolas Caullery. B-Mme Raymonde Wingtans. T-Nicolas Caullery. Dubai World Cup hero Laurel River chinned on his comeback at Meydan by King Gold @RacingDubai pic.twitter.com/o4e2A5ZXbM — Racing TV (@RacingTV) January 24, 2025 The post Anodin’s King Gold Pips Overzealous Laurel River In Firebreak appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After the Road to the Kentucky Derby series passed through Louisiana last week with the Lecomte Stakes (G3), the next qualifying race moves to Arkansas Jan. 25 when Oaklawn Park stages the Southwest Stakes (G3).View the full article

Every few years the Eclipse Award goes to a horse (always a turf horse) who ships in from overseas–usually fresh–and wins a Breeders' Cup race and our designated voters make the horse an American champion. I remember going down to New Orleans 25 years ago to watch the 9-year-old gelding John's Call (Lord At War {Arg})–a people's horse if there ever was–be named champion turf horse after watching him win the Sword Dancer (by nine lengths) and the Man o' War. Unfortunately in the GI Breeder's Cup Turf he got trapped, but was flying to just come up a length short beaten by a French horse who was making his only start in America that year. This was the only stake he ever won–some French stayer named Kalanisi (Ire) (Doyoun {Ire}) was named champion turf horse of America! I wrote a letter after that suggesting that to be an American champion you need to run in America three times that year. It happened again eight years later win when one-time American starter Conduit (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) upset Grade l American-raced Dancing Forever (Rahy). It also happens occasionally in the Filly & Mare Turf–like when the Japanese bred, owned and raced, Loves Only You (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) won by a neck beating the hard-hitting War Like Goddess (English Channel) who was coming off five straight graded stakes wins! This year the voters did it again when the stayer Rebel's Romance (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) won–he didn't even beat the two other nominees. Please NTRA leaders change the rule! –John Stuart, Bluegrass Thoroughbred Services The post Letter To The Editor: The Case Against One Start Euro Raiders At The Eclipse Awards appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Golden Vekoma (Vekoma) stretched out to the metric mile following up on his sound success in the UAE 2000 Guineas Trial over 1400 meters on Jan. 3, wrested command with about a furlong and a half to travel and held off the well-fancied Heart of Honor (Honor A.P.) to take out Friday's G3 UAE 2000 Guineas at Meydan. Drawn 13 in a full field of 16, the bay colt bounced well enough from out wide and took up a position just ahead of midfield as dirt debutant High Season (GB) (New Bay {GB}) took them along at a decent clip up front while chased by the four-start maiden and American import Rafid (Into Mischief). Fifth passing the 800-metre peg, Golden Vekoma was patiently handled in behind a wall of four rounding the turn, was produced five deep entering the straight, eased to the front at the 300 metres and kept on nicely to score by a length and a half. Heart of Honor missed the kick and spotted his rivals valuable real estate down the back. Left with plenty to do approaching the final 400 metres, the Jamie Osborne trainee was taken out to the grandstand side and steamed down the outside to finish a sound second. Royal Favour (GB) (Hard Spun) rounded out the placings. Pedigree Notes: Golden Vekoma becomes the seventh stakes winner and second graded winner for his 2024 leading American freshman sire. The winner's dam, a daughter of the 2005 American champion 2-year-old male Stevie Wonderboy, was purchased by the Sticks Wondergirl Partnership for $60,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale and is the dam of four winners from four to race, including the stakes-winning Midshipman's Dance. Sticks Wondergirl represents the only black-type in the second dam, but the third dam is full of runners that have come through the program of prominent US breeder Ramona Bass. The Grade I-placed third dam is responsible for Choreograph (Dynaformer), whose six winners include MGSW Goliad (War Front), SW Dancing To Town (Speightstown), MSW Welcome Dance (Henny Hughes) and MGSP Fredericksburg (Speightstown). Sticks Wondergirl did not produce a foal in 2023 or 2024 and is due to Tiz the Law for 2025. What. A. Race! gamely denies the fast-finishing HEART OF HONOR in the @Longines UAE 2000 Guineas! @HARMASHRACING | @connorbeasley9 #FashionFriday | #DubaiCarnival pic.twitter.com/6IwAKPirbB — Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) January 24, 2025 The post Golden Vekoma A Strong Winner of the UAE 2000 Guineas appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Group 1-placed sprinter Givemethebeatboys (Ire) will continue his career in Australia after the majority owners in the four-year-old, Bronsan Racing, switched the colt from Jessica Harrington to the stable of Michael Freeman Down Under. Twice a winner at Group 3 level, Givemethebeatboys was purchased by Bronsan Racing for £1.1 million at the Goffs London Sale on the eve of Royal Ascot. He had previously been sourced by Con Marnane, who retains an interest in the colt, for just €11,000 as a yearling. Neil Sands commented, “The decision to send the horse to Australia was one we took our time on–we also weighed up the potential of going to the Middle East. He's a big horse that really likes the top of the ground, as we saw when he was nodding with Group 1 winners over the summer.” Givemethebeatboys has already shown he is in good spirits with himself in Australia after trialling at Rosehill on January 23. Sands continued, “Our friends at De Burgh Equine and James Harron have been very helpful in this move. We are excited to have a horse with trainer Michael Freedman and his first barrier trial was very promising.” Shezanalister takes out her second trial this time in, the @BBakerRacing mare darts up inside import Givemethebeatboys to win the 900m heat at Rosehill with Traffic Warden in third. They ran 55.69. @tabcomau pic.twitter.com/eGlMTIpE0b — Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) January 22, 2025 The post Givemethebeatboys Set To Continue His Career In Australia appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

2025 Listed Goldmarket winner Golden Boom. Photo: Darren Winningham Golden Boom showcased his blistering early speed and gritty determination to clinch the Goldmarket Handicap (1100m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday night. The five-year-old gelding, trained by Tony Gollan and ridden by Ryan Maloney, overcame a significant weight disadvantage to hold off a late surge from Tiger Shark and claim the Listed feature by a narrow margin. Jumping swiftly from barrier 12, the $3.50 bookmaker favourite quickly established his position at the head of the field, dictating the tempo with Maloney ensuring the gelding remained composed on the rain-affected Soft 6 track. Tiger Shark, under Bailey Wheeler, loomed dangerously in the final stages after covering extra ground but fell just short, while stablemate All That Pizzazz rounded out the placings in third. Gold Coast Goldmarket Handicap Replay – Golden Boom https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Gold-Coast-2025-Listed-Goldmarket-24012025-Golden-Boom-Tony-Gollan-Ryan-Maloney.mp4 The victory, Golden Boom’s seventh from 18 starts, highlighted his class and resilience despite carrying 59kg. Post-race, trainer Tony Gollan praised the gelding’s effort and adaptability, noting the impact of the rain on their original race plan. “We had to adjust after the rain came, but he was quick, tough, and stuck on well. He’s a really good horse, and this win shows his quality,” Gollan said. Jockey Ryan Maloney echoed the sentiment, emphasising Golden Boom’s toughness. “He flew out of the gates and took control. Even with the weight disadvantage, he fought hard when Tiger Shark challenged. It was a well-deserved win,” Maloney remarked. The win marks another milestone for Gollan, who has now claimed the Goldmarket title four times in the last five years. The trainer hinted at a potential southern campaign for Golden Boom, possibly targeting short-course sprints over 1,000-1,100m, given his exceptional speed and stamina. However, Gollan stated that no plans were set in stone. Horse racing news View the full article

Schwarz ridden by Blake Shinn winning the Group 2 Australia Stakes at Moonee Valley. (Photo by Brett Holburt/Racing Photos) Schwarz demonstrated his brilliance with a dominant performance in the Group 2 Australia Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley, showcasing his readiness for a tilt at Group 1 success. Guided by Blake Shinn, the four-year-old son of Zoustar led from start to finish, securing a decisive two-length victory over Steparty, with Apache Song a further 0.25 lengths back in third. Breaking cleanly from the outside barrier, Schwarz displayed his natural speed to surge forward and assume control of the race. Shinn expertly guided the colt in front, and as they approached the home turn, Schwarz extended his lead, putting the race to bed with an explosive turn of foot. The field chased gamely, but Schwarz was in a class of his own, completing the 1200 metres in 1:10.46 with the top horse racing bookmakers offering $4.40. Group 2 Australia Stakes Replay – Schwarz https://horsebetting.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Moonee-Valley-2025-Group-2-Australia-Stakes-24012025-Schwarz-John-OShea-Tom-Charlton-Blake-Shinn.mp4 Speaking after the race, co-trainer Tom Charlton praised Schwarz’s professionalism and ability. “He’s always been a horse with a lot of ability and class,” Charlton said. “When he gets into a rhythm like he did tonight, he’s a very determined horse. Blake summed it up perfectly—he got the horse into a great rhythm, and he just kept extending. It’s a pleasing first-up run, and we’re excited about what’s ahead.” Jockey Blake Shinn, who recorded a double on the night, highlighted Schwarz’s growing maturity. “He was great tonight. He went into the barriers like an old open handicapper, jumped well, and was all business,” Shinn said. “I just rode him with trust, and he was fit and ready to go. When he got to the front, he relaxed beautifully and showed his true ability.” Schwarz’s victory marked his fifth win from ten starts, elevating his career earnings to over $700,000. Charlton confirmed that the C.F. Orr Stakes (1400m) is the logical next step for the colt, which Neds Bookmaker is currently offering $8 after the impressive win. “He’s proven at 1400 metres, and we believe he’s ready to take the step up to Group 1 level,” Charlton said. “It’s an exciting time for the team and his connections.” The race also showcased strong runs from the runner-up, Steparty, who charged home late in his first Group 2 sprint, and Apache Song, who continued to impress with a competitive effort against quality opposition. However, the night belonged to Schwarz, whose dominant display solidified his status as a rising star in the sprinting ranks and a potential stallion prospect. Horse racing news View the full article

During an evening celebrating excellence in North American Thoroughbred racing, a star filly, as expected, was the culminating focus of attention at the 54th annual Resolute Racing Eclipse Awards ceremony Jan. 23 at The Breakers Palm Beach.View the full article

Trainers Robert Wellwood and Roger James will be out to continue their stranglehold on the Karaka Millions 3YO at Ellerslie on Saturday. The partners have trained the past two winners of the race, with Prowess (NZ) (Proisir) saluting in 2023 and Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) blowing rivals away in the 2024 edition. This year, they saddle up undefeated gelding Dealt With (NZ) (Ace High) in the rich feature. The son of Ace High has made an immediate impression, winning the first two starts of his career, but faces his biggest test to date in Saturday’s NZ$1.5 million race. Dealt With heads into the race on the back of a six-day turnaround and whether he handles it is the major cloud over his head, Wellwood said. “We are pretty proud to have won the race the last two years with horses we have purchased. We only have 45 in work, we only buy small numbers here,” Wellwood said. “To be able to try and retain our crown (is a thrill). We’ve had to be patient with him for one reason or another. He’s unbeaten, he’s had two runs, he shows a lot of ability. “He is backing up six days after his last run which, obviously, ideally you’d have a little bit longer.” While Dealt With has the same star quality as Prowess and Orchestral, Wellwood believes he’s a slightly different profile to them. “They had a little bit more experience under their belt. They were probably horses we thought would get 2000m post that,” he said. “He’s more a sprinter/miler type rather than carrying on to a 2000-metre race, a Derby. Hopefully if we can tick off this one, we will go to The Kiwi and win the two richest races in New Zealand.” Meanwhile, Orchestral will also contest the 1600-metre Aotearoa Classic, where she is a $2.45 favourite. The dual Group 1 winner was most recently seen on Australian shores during the spring, where she finished sixth in the Toorak Handicap and last in the Empire Rose Stakes. “The key to her is being up to a mile and back to set weights,” Wellwood said. “She’s had a good break, come back in lovely order. Her work on Tuesday morning was very good. “We see no reason why she can’t find her form of old.” View the full article

Stephen Marsh is no stranger to Karaka Millions success, and the Cambridge trainer believes his team for the 2025 edition at Ellerslie on Saturday could be his best yet. Marsh is a two-time winner of the Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) with Ruud Awakening (2013) and Velocious (2024). He has no runners in the juvenile showpiece this year, but will instead saddle nine runners across the other five feature races. “In terms of numbers and depth, this has to be the best team we’ve taken into Karaka Millions night,” Marsh said. “I’m really happy with our runners. “These are the days that you want to be well represented. It’s just going to be a brilliant night’s racing. I can’t wait and I think we’ve got some very nice chances through the card.” According to the TAB markets, the best of those is Bourbon Empress (NZ) (Proisir), who holds $4.40 second favouritism behind Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) ($2.50) for the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m). Bourbon Empress began the season as a one-win horse and with a rating of 63. Her seven starts as a four-year-old have produced three wins, three placings and more than $270,000 in stakes, culminating in a last-start victory in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. “She’s come a hell of a long way in this preparation and just hasn’t put a foot wrong all the way through,” Marsh said. “Her last win was great and she’s trialled really nicely since. “She’s got a bit of a sticky gate (12), and there’s an absolutely outstanding horse among her opposition tomorrow in Orchestral. But she really has come of age as a four-year-old and we think she can run well.” Marsh’s second Aotearoa Classic runner is Imperial Empress (NZ) (Satono Aladdin), who was a winner at Ellerslie in October and hasn’t had all favours in four subsequent appearances. “She hasn’t had a lot go her way, and she’s also been a bit green and new and done things wrong,” Marsh said. “The blinkers go on tomorrow and she’s drawn well (gate two). I’ve always thought she had above average ability. She just needs to put it all together. If she does that tomorrow, it wouldn’t surprise me to see her pick up some of the money.” Marsh has three runners in the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m), headed by the $4.80 second favourite Bourbon Proof. The son of Justify was a $130,000 purchase by Stephen Marsh Racing and Dylan Johnson Bloodstock from Book 1 of Karaka 2023. He picked up two second placings in November, including behind the highly talented Checkmate in the Listed Armacup 3YO Stakes (1500m) at Ellerslie. Bourbon Proof stepped down to maiden company on December 20 at Matamata and romped to victory by almost three lengths. Runner-up Bella Montagna went on to place in the Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m), while the third-placed Mustang Morgan won the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) in his next start. “Bourbon Proof is going super,” Marsh said. “His last win was very good, and his previous runs had a huge amount of merit too. He’s trialled nicely leading into this. “He’s the sharpest of our trio, while Kiwi Skyhawk (NZ) (Contributer) and Balsan (NZ) (Ocean Park) are more your Derby style of horses. But they’re both going really well too and warrant their place in the field. When you have horses with their level of ability, you’d be silly not to run them in a $1.5 million race.” Group One winner Mercurial (NZ) (Burgundy) tackles an elite sprinting line-up in the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m). “His run two starts ago was great,” Marsh said. “He then went down to try to defend his title in the Telegraph (Gr.1, 1200m), and I thought he performed decently there. He just stumbled at the start and got back and wide, so it didn’t really go right for him. It was a race to forget, really. “This is the best sprint field I’ve seen in a long time, so he’s probably going to need to be at the absolute top of his game and then some.” The remainder of Marsh’s team will line up in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m). Last-start Ellerslie placegetter Ardalio (NZ) (Ardrossan) has the strongest support at $10, with She’s Untouchable at $18 and I’m All In (NZ) (Zoustar) at $20. “We had four entered originally, but Fillygizalook won’t run,” Marsh said. “The other three are all going well. They’re nice horses and in good form. “They’re coming up against a brilliant field of three-year-old sprinters, but I don’t think they’re out of their depth.” View the full article

Standout middle-distance mare Snazzytavi (NZ) (Tavistock) is set to shoot for a Group One treble after pleasing her connections at Thursday’s Pukekohe trials. Racing in the colours of Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, the daughter of Tavistock has won four of her five starts this season including top-flight triumphs in the Livamol Classic (2040m) at Te Rapa in October and the Zabeel Classic (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. She also won the Gr.2 Cal Isuzu Stakes (1600m) in early December. Snazzytavi’s next assignment is the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on February 8, for which the TAB rates her a red-hot favourite at $1.70. She is unbeaten in five starts at the Hamilton course. Trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall kept the five-year-old up to the mark with a hitout over 1300m at Pukekohe on Thursday, in which she finished second behind Short Shorts. “I was delighted with that trial,” Richardson said. “We just wanted to give her a nice, quiet trial. I was very happy with the way she went, and even happier with how she pulled up. We’re right on target for the Herbie Dyke, which can’t come soon enough.” In the meantime, Richardson and Norvall will saddle two runners during the star-studded Karaka Millions twilight meeting at Ellerslie on Saturday. Group One-winning mare Bonny Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) will contest the Gr.1 Sistema Railway (1200m), attempting to go one better than a luckless second when the northern sprint feature was run at Pukekohe on New Year’s Day last year. Bonny Lass was a last-start sixth in the Gr.1 Telegraph (1200m) at Trentham, with Richardson rating her performance much better than it might look on paper. “I thought that was a top run,” he said. “She was in the worst part of the track but stuck on really well, while others in the same part of the track faded out of it. We were very proud of her. She’s come through it in great order and we couldn’t be happier with her.” Richardson and Norvall’s other Ellerslie runner is Romilly in the $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m). The daughter of So You Think produced an enormous finish from last to run third in the Listed O’Learys Fillies’ Stakes (1340m) at Wanganui on November 30, finishing only a length behind next-start Gr.2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) winner Hitabell. But in the Eight Carat itself, Romilly raced three wide without cover and faded to finish ninth. “Her run at Wanganui was absolutely huge,” Richardson said. “She had no luck on Boxing Day and we’re trying to forget she even went around. “We’ve been happy with the horse since then. It’s a very even field on Saturday. She’s got a tricky draw again (gate nine), so we’ll just have to hope for some better luck in the running.” View the full article

Andrew Forsman has a key hope to add another $1.5 million TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) trophy to his cabinet at Ellerslie on Saturday. In 2021, Forsman and his former training partner Murray Baker won the race with formidable three-year-old Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls), downing another class galloper in Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel). On Saturday, Forsman will chase the title with a pair of runners, the first of those being Gr.2 Auckland Guineas (1400m) winner Yaldi (NZ) (Ardrossan). The son of Ardrossan is a stakes performer in Australia and a key contender in the lucrative contest, currently sitting fourth favourite at $6.50. “He’s very well, he’s improving all the time and mentally I think he gets better every time he turns up to the races,” Forsman said. “I think he is (a big player), it’s just going to be dependent on tempo as much as anything. Up to the mile is the question mark, but if it’s strongly run and he’s got horses to chase, he’ll run well. “The mile for Yaldi is a question mark, but on ability, he’s well up to winning.” Forsman’s other representative is up-and-comer Retrostar (NZ) (Vespa), who is dropping back from an eighth placed finish in the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) a fortnight ago. “He worked very hard early at Ellerslie in that first 600m,” Forsman said. “I think back in trip, if it’s truly run, he can just take a position in behind the speed. He’s certainly capable, he’s a two-win horse and if he runs up to his best form and things go for him, he’s a top five or six chance.” Group Two performing-mare Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor) will chase a big prize of her own in the $1 million Elsdon Park Aotearoa Classic (1600m). The daughter of Almanzor was luckless in the Gr.2 Rich Hill Mile (1600m) last start at Ellerslie, a contest won by race-rival Bourbon Empress (NZ) (Proisir). “She didn’t have much luck at all (in the Rich Hill), but she’s come through it great and we’ve kept her ticking over,” Forsman said. “Once she’s up and racing, she’s not a hard horse to keep fit and we hope again, it’s a truly run race and she gets her chance. “She’s performed at a high level before, obviously if Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) is at her best she’ll be hard to beat, but outside of that, I think it’s very open.” Forsman’s evening will kick off earlier with Kitty Flash (NZ) (Ace High) taking on the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m). The talented filly is dropping back from a second placing in the Gr.2 Levin Classic (1400m), with a factor in play being the NZB Kiwi Bonus eligibility of the race, worth an additional $600,000 to the winner of both the $3.5 million feature and the Almanzor Trophy. “We’re looking forward to what’s going to suit her best,” he said. “Ultimately, she’s probably a 1400m horse, but looking ahead to what races there were, we thought that if she was competitive in this or was able to win, she is Kiwi bonus eligible, which was something to consider. “I think there is another run for her before the Kiwi if she was to go down that path, but I think she is probably a 1400m horse, maybe a miler on a good track. “She hasn’t done much at all, she’s just had a quiet gallop by herself on Tuesday morning and that’ll be about it. “I’d like to see her settle off them a bit and hopefully she chases them hard, she’s run well at the track.” View the full article

Goldie’s Chance (NZ) (Iffraaji) was luckless at her latest appearance and a return to her home track on Saturday will present her with the ideal stage to turn her fortunes around. The daughter of Iffraaj will head a two-pronged attack on the Listed Speight’s Timaru Stakes (1200m) for trainer Anna Furlong with former northerner Tanzanite Rose (NZ) (Burgundy) also in contention. Goldie’s Chance was runner-up on the course three runs back in an open handicap and then finished a sound third in the Gr.3 Canterbury Breeders’ Stakes (1400m) before she headed to Wingatui on Boxing Day. The patiently handled five-year-old jumped awkwardly before striking further trouble in the running and regathered herself to work home for fourth. “It was a sticky watch, but she wound up nicely and hit the line well,” Furlong said. “Hopefully we get a bit more in her favour this time and she’s in great order.” Goldie’s Chance has drawn the inside gate and will be reunited with Tina Comignaghi, who has previously won on the mare. They get the nod from Furlong as her best hope in the event, although Tanzanite Rose can be a player if things go her way from barrier four. “She is best ridden back, even when she gets a good draw you can’t really use it with her and she has to be ridden cold,” she said. “She is a lovely mare, it’s just her style and it would have been ideal to draw out and then run home.” Formerly trained by Robbie Patterson, Tanzanite Rose got home strongly for third last time out after twice being held up for a run. “She was unlucky at Kurow and had been huge the start before for fourth in the Breeders’ Stakes,” Furlong said. Diego Montes de Oca will partner the daughter of Burgundy, whose is a five-time winner. Furlong will also have the in-form pair of Tommy Shelby (NZ) (Tivaci) and Quintabelle (NZ) (Embellish) in the ODT Southern Mile Qualifier Rating 75 (1600m). The former has been untested to win his last two starts while Quintabelle also bolted in at her most recent appearance. “Tommy Shelby has really cottoned on to it and a couple of good draws have helped him to not get so far back,” Furlong said. “He was pretty explosive last start and is on the back-up to try and get some more points for the ODT Final. “Quintabelle has always showed plenty and was pretty phenomenal coming from so far back last time, it’s the same with her to get some more points for that final.” The stable’s representation is completed by the genuine Iffididit (NZ) (Iffraaj) in the Woodbourne Tavern & Motels Bottle-O Renwick Marlborough Cup (2000m) and Second Chance (NZ) (Ghibellines) in the Inglewood Stud at Karaka 2025 (1400m). “Iffididit is against a nice line-up stepping into the big company, but he tries really hard and he’ll appreciate coming back from 2200 to 2000m,” Furlong said. Second Chance was a debut winner at Ashburton last month before her manners let her down when unplaced at Riccarton. “She panicked and over-raced badly so hopefully she can get one off and get a nicer run with the ear covers on to help her relax, she’s inexperienced and needs to learn her craft,” Furlong said. View the full article

Hollie Wynyard knows what it takes to win a $1 million TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m), and on Saturday at Ellerslie she’ll be vying for her first crown as a solo trainer with Toretto (NZ) (Ardrossan) and Sierra Leone (NZ) (Sun City). Back in 2014, Wynyard played an instrumental role in the triumph of Vespa, who was trained by Johno Benner. The pair subsequently trained in partnership for a number of years, and in that period, won the inaugural running of the $1.5 million Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) with Scott Base. As of August last year, Benner announced he was taking a hiatus from training, entrusting Cambridge-based Wynyard with their talented contingent, which included the two promising juveniles, who will run for the million-dollar prize on Saturday night. The first of her duo is Toretto, who finished second to race-rivals To Bravery Born (NZ) (Snitzel) and La Dorada (NZ) (Super Seth) in his early efforts. The son of Ardrossan put himself firmly into the conversation when downing In Haste at Ellerslie in late November, with his final lead-in a creditable run for fourth in the Gr.2 Eclipse Stakes (1200m). “He’s flying, he’s improved all the way through his prep and he’s going the right way,” Wynyard said. “Drawing barrier one, you can’t get much better than that.” His stablemate Sierra Leone also had luck at the barrier draw, the Sun City filly set to jump from gate four. She has made a good impression in her three career starts, finishing second to boom colt Return To Conquer in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m) and motoring home into third behind Remala on Boxing Day. “She’s a very natural two-year-old and finds it all very easy,” Wynyard said. “Hopefully she can jump away and be a little bit handier, sitting just in behind them. “It was almost surreal (the barrier draws), you always expect the worst and when it comes up like that, it’s a little bit out the gate. It was a bit of a relief off the shoulders and hopefully everything can go right on Saturday.” Each of Wynyard’s contenders were selected out of the 2024 Karaka Yearling Sales by Benner, who outlaid $130,000 for Sierra Leone and $165,000 for Toretto, each purchased with the intention of making the feature 12 months later. “It’s great, there is a lot of work that goes into these young horses to get them ready for these days, which is what they were bought for,” Wynyard said. “It’s a pretty big achievement to get them here. “I’m so happy for the owners and Johno who bought them, it’s a massive team effort.” Ryan Elliot and George Rooke will retain the rides aboard Toretto and Sierra Leone respectively. Wynyard’s stable will also be represented in the Gr.3 Cambridge Stud Almanzor Trophy (1200m) by newcomer and proven filly Archaic Smile. The daughter of Saxon Warrior won the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) and was runner-up in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) during her juvenile term, while in the care of Tony Pike. She hasn’t been seen on race-day since late October, where she finished back in the field in the Gr.2 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). “She had an exhibition gallop at Ellerslie a couple of weeks ago, she’s come up super,” Wynyard said. “She came to me in lovely order from Tony Pike, so we’ve just carried on with what Tony’s done. “She’s drawn a bit of an ugly gate (13), so she’ll probably get back in the running, I’m just hoping to see her running home strong and hopefully improve to 1400 after this.” View the full article