Wandering Eyes

Bellagio Opera ended a year-long win drought with a repeat victory in the Osaka Hai (G1) April 6 at Hanshin Racecourse.View the full article

The $750,000 Wood Memorial (G2) saw its 100th running won by the talented Rodriguez for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert April 5, providing his 10 owners with their third likely contender for the May 3 Kentucky Derby (G1).View the full article

Pleasant Acres Stallions' Leinster got his stallion career off to a quick start April 6 as his 2-year-old filly, Lennilu, took the opening race of Keeneland's spring meet, a 4 1/2-furlong maiden race.View the full article

Journalism rallied to win the Santa Anita Derby (G1) by three-quarters of a length after encountering trouble near the eighth pole. He was forced to check near the three-eighths pole, but quickly regrouped and gamely ran down a stubborn Baeza.View the full article

Saturday's Santa Anita Derby day showed large increases over 2024 with the all sources handle totaling $22,388,003 and wagering on just the marquee race up by nearly 24 per cent, according to a press release by the track. Bolstered by a big turnout from the Derby Day 5K, the on-track attendance came in at 34,312, a seven per cent jump from last season. It was the largest turnout since 2018. Both the all sources handle and on track attendance are expected to finish the Classic Meet Sunday up by noteworthy margins from last year. Mark Glatt, Juan Hernandez Clinch Respective Titles With one day remaining in the Classic Meet, Mark Glatt has claimed the leading trainer title while Juan Hernandez claimed his eighth riding title at Santa Anita. Glatt entered Sunday with 30 wins from 118 starters–a 25% strike rate–and, with Bob Baffert only having three in on the final day, will claim the training crown via a five-win margin over that runner-up. The win here is Glatt's second trainer title at the Great RIP. Juan Hernandez rode 50 winners from 224 mounts (22% win rate), clinching the leading rider title from Flavien Prat in second–who did not have mounts on Sunday–and enjoying a 12-win margin over Umberto Rispoli in third. Hernandez has 10 rides on Sunday and Rispoli has a call on six. This is the eighth jockey title at Santa Anita for Hernandez. Saturday was Hernandez's most lucrative day of the meeting with the rider carrying his momentum to victory in three of five stakes races, including the GII Santa Anita Oaks, GIII Monrovia Stakes, and the Listed Echo Eddie Stakes for three different trainers. The post Santa Anita Derby Handle and Attendance Post Gains; Titles for Classic Meet Awarded appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Journalism (Curlin) has emerged from Saturday's GI Santa Anita Derby victory in good form and as the 2025 GI Kentucky Derby favorite. Having recovered from trouble near the eighth pole and checking near the three-eighths, the son of Classic sire Curlin rallied down the lane to overhaul Baeza (McKinzie) and collect the coveted 100 points to the Derby. The effort garnered a 102 Beyer speed figure. “I thought he showed a lot of poise being down inside,” trainer Michael McCarthy said. “He had to kind of bide his time and wait for a seam to get through. As I said yesterday, he is amenable to whatever Umberto [Rispoli] asks of him.” McCarthy added that Journalism would enjoy 'a couple of easy days' before starting back at the end of the week. With less than four weeks to the first Saturday in May, a timeline for when he will ship to Churchill Downs remains to be determined. “We'll see. We're going to watch the weather and come up with a game plan. We'll get with everybody and see what we think is best for him.” The post Journalism ‘All Good’ After Santa Anita Derby Score appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

5th-KEE, $110K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 3:08 p.m. ET. Sprinting over the main track is first timer MIDNIGHT MYTH (More Than Ready). The filly's ticket was taken home by Kerri Radcliffe for $550,000 at the Keeneland September Sale. Out of GII Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes heroine Fioretti (Bernardini), the Jose D'Angelo trainee hails from an extended female family which includes GISW Fault (Blame). TJCIS PPS 1st-KEE, $90K, Msw, 2yo, 4 1/2f, 1:00 p.m. ET. More first-crop sires will have their initial runners exit the Keeneland chute, as the 'baby races' continue on Monday. Monster and Chatterfield represent Leinster–who was on the receiving end of his first winner on Sunday–and Maxfield, respectively. TJCIS PPS The post Monday Insights: More Than Ready Filly Goes For D’Angelo At Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Dane McLeod/Renee Geelen/TTR AusNZ The 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale saw fireworks on Day 1, with 10 standout yearlings reaching the coveted A$1 million mark, as eager buyers vied for their next star runner, fiercely competing to secure the finest offerings in the market. Lot 158 – Home Affairs (Aus) x Shout The Bar (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) (colt) – A$3,000,000 Adrian Bott, Gai Waterhouse and Kestrel Thoroughbreds stepped up in a big way on Day 1 of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, opening the wallet to secure the first foal of Coolmore Stud's dual Group 1 winner Shout The Bar for A$3 million–the highest price of the sale so far. There was plenty of anticipation surrounding the Home Affairs colt, particularly given his dam was a A$2.7 million purchase by Tom Magnier at the 2022 Inglis Chairman's Sale. Sent to exciting first-season sire Home Affairs for her maiden mating, Shout The Bar has produced a headline act from the outset. Shout The Bar was a top-class mare in her own right, winning both the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes and the G1 Empire Rose Stakes. She hails from the same family as dual Group 1 winner Rangirangdoo (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) and the classy New Zealand three-year-old filly Satinka (NZ) (Stravinsky). Bott was full of praise for the colt and they are very familiar with the family. He said, “We knew the dam well, Shout The Bar–we trained her. She was an immense talent, incredibly tough horse, had a great constitution and a great mindset for racing. He looked very much in that mould, carried all those good qualities. Home Affairs was a star as well. As an individual himself, he was a lovely type.” When asked about the colt's temperament and how he paraded through the sale week, Bott was equally impressed. He added, “That really attracted us to him. We want to see him featuring early in the two-year-old races. He looks like he has plenty of scope and class to keep carrying on throughout his career. Obviously he was always a well-credentialled lot and was always going to be well sought after. He was on our radar for a long time.” Since producing this headline-making colt, Shout The Bar missed to Justify and I Am Invincible (Aus) in 2023 and was most recently covered by Justify again last year–this time to Southern Hemisphere time in America. At A Glance Ten yearlings broke the million-dollar barrier on Day 1 of the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale (compared to four on Day 1 last year) led by Lot 158 who made $3 million to the bid of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, and Kestrel Thoroughbreds near the end of the day. The Home Affairs (Aus) colt from Group 1 winner Shout The Bar (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) was sold by Coolmore Stud. The first day of selling benefited from the smaller, more selective catalogue with both the average and median up on 2024, however, the clearance rate was down from 82 per cent in 2024 at 79 per cent in 2025. Vendors gained in 2025 with the average price moving to A$488,798 (up from A$373,415 for Day 1 in 2024), while the median on the first day rose to A$375,000 (up from A$300,000 in 2024). With less lots catalogued on Day 1 of 2025 compared to 2024, the gross for the first session was slightly down at A$63,055,000 for 129 lots sold. Day 1 2024 saw 183 lots sell for a gross of A$68,335,000. The leading buyer by gross on the first day was Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, and Kestrel Thoroughbreds who bought seven yearlings for A$5.4 million at an average of A$776,400. They also purchased the most horses on Day 1, with Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock purchasing four, a figure matched by Shane McGrath Bloodstock and Clinton McDonald Racing. B2B Thoroughbreds purchased three lots in their own name and another in partnership. Arrowfield Stud was the leading vendor on the first day selling 16 yearlings for A$10.48 million, with Coolmore Stud coming in second selling 13 yearlings for A$9 million. Coolmore led on average at A$714,000. The top 10 lots were spread across seven different stallions, but it was no surprise to see Snitzel (Aus) as the leading stallion with two of the top three sales. On Day 1, 12 of his progeny sold for A$9 million at an impressive average of A$822,000, while I Am Invincible (Aus) was close behind with nine yearlings sold for an average of A$739,000. At the end of Day 1, first season sire Home Affairs (Aus) has the impressive achievement of having had the sale topper at both Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2025. With the sale topping yearling, Home Affairs (Aus) leads the first season sires after the first day with nine lots sold for A$4.7 million, averaging A$528,000. Lot 76 – Snitzel (Aus) x Ms Bad Behavior (Blame) (colt) – A$2,700,000 It was a long and spirited bidding duel with interest from all corners, but Coolmore Stud's Tom Magnier proved too strong, securing the standout Snitzel full brother to Switzerland (Aus) for A$2.7 million. Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott were the underbidders. The colt was one of two horses on Sunday to surpass the A$2 million mark. Consigned by Arrowfield Stud, Lot 76 is out of the Canadian-bred mare Ms Bad Behavior, a daughter of Blame who was imported to Australia by Arrowfield almost five years ago. She has quickly established herself as an elite broodmare, with her first foal being Switzerland–a A$1.5 million graduate of this sale in 2023. He's since become a star on the track, headlined by a career-defining victory in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, alongside multiple Group 2 wins, and is now set to join the Coolmore roster later this year. It's an impressive pedigree. Ms Bad Behavior was a dual stakes winner in America, claiming the G3 Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Stakes and the Listed China Doll Stakes at Santa Anita. She was also multiple times Group and stakes-placed, and finished fourth in the G1 Del Mar Oaks. The second dam, Cumulonimble (Stormy Atlantic), was a stakes winner in her own right, while Ms Bad Behavior is a half-sister to American stakes winners Blessed Truly (Souper Speedy) and One Bad Boy (Twirling Candy). A full brother to Switzerland, Lot 76 (Snitzel x Ms Bad Behavior) from the @ArrowfieldStud draft sells for $2.7 million!!! Congratulations to @CoolmoreAus and @cwallerracing! What an exciting prospect. #InglisEaster pic.twitter.com/0MivL2nCem — Inglis (@inglis_sales) April 6, 2025 “We have had a lot of luck buying horses at this sale from Arrowfield,” said Magnier. “They have done a great job with their horses again and they're smart breeders. “We're obviously very excited that Switzerland will be going to stud this year. A lot of people have been enquiring about him going to stud at the moment. “He [Lot 76] was a lovely type. As I said, those Messaras know how to do it, so we have to go where you find oil drilled before. He is very much like his brother. He has a lot of quality and hopefully he can win a couple of races–he will be a very exciting horse.” Magnier added, “When there's a nice horse, all the good people are on them and it sometimes gives you the confidence to kick on as well. We are delighted the horse will go to Chris [Waller] and we will go from there.” Ms Bad Behavior has visited Snitzel every year since retiring to stud. Following this colt, she has produced another full brother and was served again by him last spring. Lot 16 – Snitzel (Aus) x La Mexicana (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) (colt) – A$1,700,000 It didn't take long for the first million-dollar yearling of the sale, with Lot 16, a strong Snitzel colt, being knocked down for A$1.7 million to James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership, Tony Fung Colts, and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing. Offered by Segenhoe Stud, the colt is the first foal out of the talented race filly La Mexicana, a daughter of I Am Invincible who was a six-time winner on the track, including victories in the G3 Kevin Hayes Stakes and the Listed William Crockett Stakes. La Mexicana is out of Cailin Miss (Aus) (Domesday {Aus}), herself a winner of the Listed Oaklands Plate as a juvenile. She has produced four foals to race–all of them winners. “He's a lovely colt, the whole team just loved him,” said Harron. “He was one of the picks of the whole sale for us. He's a very forward horse and comes off one of the best nurseries in Segenhoe. He just paraded like a really good, forward, willing horse all week which really drew us all in. “She [La Mexicana] was really talented. I think she was probably even better than her record suggests–she was a really good mare. Snitzel needs no introduction, he just keeps doing it and doing it. He's broken all the records and sired the Slipper winner a few weeks ago.” La Mexicana has had an annual date with Snitzel and has since produced a weanling full sister to this colt. She was served again by the Champion stallion last spring in October. What an incredible result for @SegenhoeGroup! @jmeharron and @TFI_Racehorses goes to $1.7 million to secure this (Snitzel x La Mexicana) colt! Congratulations to those involved! #InglisEaster pic.twitter.com/ShzxQusHM7 — Inglis (@inglis_sales) April 6, 2025 Lot 155 – Extreme Choice (Aus) x Shadow (Aus) (Medaglia d'Oro) (colt) – A$1,700,000 Following the continued success of Extreme Choice, it came as no surprise that Lot 155 was highly sought-after. The striking and attractive grey colt, offered by Coolmore Stud, ultimately went the way of B2B Thoroughbreds after they were able secure him for A$1.7 million. This colt is the third foal out of the unraced Medaglia d'Oro mare Shadow, a full sister to the stakes-placed Geist (Aus). His third dam is none other than the brilliant sprinter Virage De Fortune (Aus) (Anabaa), a dual Group 1 winner and the champion three-year-old filly of the 2005/06 season. Riccardo Surace Jnr, co-director of B2B Thoroughbreds, said, “The B2B team thought that he was the best yearling we have seen in the last 10 years. We were stoked to get him. He was lovely and had great quality. He was a real athlete and moved so freely. “Hopefully he can become a future stallion. It is a low chance, but we hope it can happen. When asked about the sire Extreme Choice and the plans for this exciting colt, Surace added, “He can produce a Golden Slipper winner or a Melbourne Cup winner; he's versatile. “Chris Waller will train him. He will get broken in straight away and then later this year he will enter the Chris Waller system.” Shadow has not produced a weanling since this colt, but was most recently served by Pierro (Aus) last spring. The post Shout The Bar’s First Foal by Home Affairs Sells for A$3 million at Inglis appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Saturday's Wood Memorial Day card generated record-breaking wagering as the all-sources tally came in at $23,250,478 for the 13-race program, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced via press release. The 2025 figure, on a day highlighted by 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) running them off their feet in Centenary edition of the GII Wood Memorial, eclipses the precious record of $21,601,673 established back in 2013 when Verrazano (More Than Ready) took home the top prize. The other contests on Saturday's card were the GIII Distaff Stakes won by Irish Maxima (Maximus Mischief); GIII Gazelle Stakes carrying Kentucky Oaks points which went to Ballerina d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro); and the GII Carter Stakes won by Crazy Mason (Coal Front). Live racing at Aqueduct resumes Sunday with a 10-race card co-headlined by the Listed Haynesfield and Biogio's Rose Stakes. First post is 1:10 p.m. eastern. The post Wood Memorial Day Generated Record-Breaking Wagering appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The goal of the Kentucky Derby points system should be to make sure the 20 best 3-year olds in the sport make it into the field. Churchill Downs has tweaked the system a couple of times over the years and the changes, for the most part, have been well received. It's a different story this year. Churchill has tweaked the system so that in any race with five horses or fewer the horses receive fewer points than races with six or more horses. The rule is clearly aimed at Santa Anita, where getting fields of six horses or more in its Derby prep races has been a chore. And, who knows, might this be another way to penalize Bob Baffert, whose Derby hopefuls often wind up in races with short fields? This year's GI Santa Anita Derby drew a field of only five, but many were calling it the best prep race run so far this year. Nonetheless, the points structure was reduced by 25%, with the winner getting 75 points for the victory and the runner-up 37.5 points. That was not a problem for Journalism (Curlin), who had more than enough points to get into the Derby before winning the Santa Anita Derby. The horse that was penalized was Baeza (McKinzie). A half brother to 2023 GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) and 2024 GI Belmont winner Dornoch (Good Magic), he ran a bang-up race in the Santa Anita Derby to finish just three-quarters of a length behind Journalism. With further improvement, he could be a major factor in the Derby, and he belongs in the race. But because he got only 37.5 points for finishing second and not 50, he's on the outside looking when it comes to the Derby. With 50 points he'd be a shoo-in the make the race, but right now he sits in 23rd place. There will no doubt be a number of defections before the race, so he'll probably get in. But there's no reason why he should have to sweat things out. There are horse sitting ahead of him that are clearly inferior. The other problem is that California trainers have been throwing horses into the stakes that, on paper, have no shot, but their presence contributes to the number of points awarded. John Shirreffs did just that when entering the maiden Westwood (Authentic), a stablemate of Baeza, in the Santa Anita Derby. He actually ran third, ahead of the disappointing Baffert due of Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) and Barnes (Into Mischief), who were last and next to last. Small fields or not, the California preps, year after year, have turned out to include several Derby-worthy horses. Never was that more evident than on Saturday when Rodriguez (Authentic) shipped in from California for Baffert and won the GII Wood Memorial. This is the same Rodriguez who was third, beaten 11 1/4 lengths by Journalism, in the GII San Felipe S. His victory in the Wood proved how strong the California contingent is. Awarding fewer points in the Santa Anita Derby than in races like the Wood Memorial and the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks S., doesn't make any sense, and isn't fair. Just go back to the old system, where field size didn't matter. Churchill broke what didn't need fixing. Mike Smith is returning to the Kentucky Derby with a live shot in Rodriguez | Sarah Andrew “Big Money” Mike Smith Has His Derby Horse It will be good to see Mike Smith back in the Derby this year. He won Saturday's Wood Memorial aboard Rodriguez. Should that colt make the Derby, it will be Smith's 29th career Derby mount. He has won the race only twice. He had his first Derby mount 41 years ago when riding Pine Circle to a sixth-place finish in the 1984 Derby. Now 59, he was 18 at the time. No other jockey has come close to ring in the Derby over a span of 41 years. Bill Shoemaker is next with his Derby mounts coming over a period of 36 years Smith has not had a Derby mount since Taiba (Gun Runner) in 2022. Watch Out for Yedsit Hazlewood Yedsit Hazlewood is still a 10-pound bug boy and is just starting out, but the 17-year-old is already being compared to some of the other top apprentices that have come out of Maryland. He failed to win with his first 12 mounts, but won two races on Friday's card at Laurel and two more on Saturday. “This kid is from Panama,” said trainer and retired jockey Jose Corrales, who has been mentoring the teenager. “He's been in [jockey] school in Panama, and he's been at the racetrack since he was nine years old. He's got so much talent. I'm thinking he's going to be one of the Ortiz kids in the future. Now, he's ready. I'm putting him on all my horses. I got [him] an agent [John DiNatale], and he's got a chance to ride for everybody. He's got the perfect size, the weight, and that's the main thing.” They Don't Make Them Like They Used To While short fields continue to be a problem for the sport, it's not so much that we don't have enough horses–it's that we don't have enough horses that can run even six or seven times a year. According to the Jockey Club Fact Book, the average starts per runner in 2024 was 5.86. Go all the way back 50 years ago to 1975 and that number was 10.23. The average field size in 2024 was 7.39. In 1975 it was 8.82. I've never bought into the premise that horses are more fragile than they used to be. The problem lies with the trainers, who are petrified to run their horses back within two or three weeks. How do we break this pattern? The only solution is to convince trainers that the more often they run their horses, the more money they can make for their owners and themselves. Too many, though, have drank the Kool-Aid. The post Week In Review: On Kentucky Derby Points System, It’s Not Producing Intended Results appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

1st-Keeneland, $72,968, Msw, 4-6, 2yo, f, 4 1/2f, :52.32, sy, 1 length. LENNILU (f, 2, Leinster–Lulu's Pom Pom, by Pomeroy) got her freshman sire off to a rapid start with a debut victory at Keeneland Sunday. Sent off at 5-2, the gray filly was hustled out of the gate before sitting a stalking trip under energetic handling from Luis Saez as Kadabra (Good Magic) set the pace. Lennilu tipped out a path at the top of the lane, closed determinedly to overtake Kadabra late and pulled away to score by one length. Leinster (Majestic Warrior) was a four-time graded stakes winner and finished third in the 2020 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint for the partnership of Amy Dunne, Brenda Miley, Westrock Stables and Jean Wilkinson. Lennilu was a $23,000 OBSWIN purchase last year. Lulu's Pom Pom, a half-sister to multiple graded winner Disco Partner (Disco Rico), was bred to Magic on Tap last year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $34,115. O-Amy E. Dunne; B-Helen & Joseph Barbazon (FL); T-Patrick L. Biancone. #5 LENNILU ($7.50) notches the first win for her sire Leinster (@PASStallions) with a victory in the opener at @KeenelandRacing. The juvenile filly was piloted by @luissaezpty for Patrick Biancone. @Andie_Biancone pic.twitter.com/3OBjGhc75F — FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 6, 2025 The post Lennilu Gets Freshman Leinster Off the Mark at Keeneland appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Bellagio Opera (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) earned a slice of history at Hanshin on Sunday as the five-year-old became the first back-to-back winner of the G1 Osaka Hai, blitzing his 14 rivals in a time of 1:56.20–a new course record for the 2,000-metre distance to boot. Trained by Hiroyuki Uemura, Bellagio Opera was a narrow winner of last year's Osaka Hai but failed to add to his tally in three subsequent starts at the top level in 2024, finishing third in the Takarazuka Kinen, sixth in the Tenno Sho (Autumn) and fourth in the Arima Kinen. He faced another strong field in the defence of his Hanshin crown on Sunday, including the first two from last month's G2 Nakayama Kinen, where Sixpence (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) set a new course record for the 1,800-metre trip when beating Ecoro Walz (Jpn) (Black Tide {Jpn}) by a nose, with Saturday's G1 Dubai Turf hero Soul Rush (Jpn) (Rulership {Jpn}) back in third. Sixpence was the first choice of punters in his quest for a first Group 1 victory, ahead of Bellagio Opera and last year's G1 Oka Sho winner Stellenbosch (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}), a stable-mate of the favourite and having her first start since finishing third in the G1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in December. Sixpence and Bellagio Opera raced together through the first part of the contest, handily placed in third and fourth, respectively, with Desierto (Jpn) (Drefong) taking the field along at a strong gallop, around five lengths clear of Ho O Biscuits (Jpn) (Mind Your Biscuits) in second. Those positions remained largely unchanged until Desierto began to paddle early in the straight, with Kazuo Yokoyama opting to switch Bellagio Opera off the heels of Ho O Biscuits to guarantee a clear run. From there he produced a telling burst to take control entering the final furlong, always doing enough as Lord del Rey (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) stayed on well from mid-division to reduce the deficit to a length at the line. Lord del Rey was a Group 2 winner on his previous start at Chukyo, as was Kyoto scorer Yoho Lake (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who finished as well as any to snatch third from Ecoro Walz in the final strides, with Ho O Biscuits, Justin Palace (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Sixpence all close-up behind them in a bunched finish for the minor honours. Stellenbosch beat only two home in 13th. “As always, he broke remarkably,” Yokoyama said of Bellagio Opera, who became only the second dual winner of the Osaka Hai after Sunrise Pegasus (Jpn), who was successful in 2002 and 2005. “I expected a fast pace, but being able to sit in an ideal position and the horse finding his rhythm were definitely the key factors in today's win. Just as last year, I'm full of gratitude. Although the horse hasn't been able to show his true form since last year's victory, I'm hoping that this will mark a new start for him and that he'll be able to demonstrate that he still has a lot of potential.” 【 Osaka Hai (G1), Hanshin, 2000m, 4yo&up, approx US$ 4.61m】 Winner: Bellagio Opera(JPN) J: Kazuo Yokoyama T: Hiroyuki Uemura Sire: Lord Kanaloa Dam: Air Routine#大阪杯 は、#ベラジオオペラ が優勝！！ pic.twitter.com/x2dgAmlDDN — JRA World Racing (@JRA_WorldRacing) April 6, 2025 Pedigree Notes Bellagio Opera, who fetched ¥48,510,000 at the Chiba Thoroughbred Sale of 2-Year-Olds, is one of three winners from four runners out of the winning Harbinger (GB) mare Air Routine (Jpn), a half-sister to the G3 Hakodate Kinen hero Air Anthem (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S) and the G2 Spring Stakes third Satono Helios (Jpn) (Epiphaneia {Jpn}). Air Routine is also responsible for an as-yet unnamed three-year-old colt by Just A Way (Jpn). Bellagio Opera's third dam is the Listed winner Air Deja Vu (Jpn) (Northern Taste), a half-sister to the Japanese champion three-year-old colt Air Shakur (Jpn) (Sunday Silence). His second dam was one of 10 winners produced by Air Deja Vu, with the others including the multiple Listed scorers Air Shady (Jpn) and Air Messiah (Jpn), both full siblings by Sunday Silence. Sunday, Hanshin, Japan OSAKA HAI-G1, ¥574,620,000, Hanshin, 4-6, 4yo/up, 2000mT, 1:56.20 (NTR), fm. 1–BELLAGIO OPERA (JPN), 128, h, 5, by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) 1st Dam: Air Routine (Jpn), by Harbinger (GB) 2nd Dam : Air Magdalene (Jpn), by Sunday Silence 3rd Dam: Air Deja Vu (Jpn), by Northern Taste (¥48,510,000 2yo '22 CHIBAT). O-Shorai Hayashida; B-Shadai Farm (Jpn); T-Hiroyuki Uemura; J-Kazuo Yokoyama; ¥303,234,000. Lifetime Record: 12-6-1-1, ¥823,702,000. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Lord del Rey (Jpn), 128, h, 5, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)–Delfino (Jpn), by Heart's Cry (Jpn). 1ST GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-Lord Horse Club; B-K. I. Farm (Jpn); ¥120,94,000. 3–Yoho Lake (Jpn), 128, h, 7, Deep Impact (Jpn)–Crow Canyon (Jpn), by French Deputy. O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥75,464,000. Margins: 1, 1, NS. Odds: 5.10, 6.50, 13.60. Also Ran: Ecoro Walz (Jpn), Ho O Biscuits (Jpn), Justin Palace (Jpn), Sixpence (Jpn), Boldog Hos (Jpn), Cosmo Kuranda (Jpn), Sol Oriens (Jpn), Ravel (Jpn), Karate (Jpn), Stellenbosch (Jpn), Desierto (Jpn), Al Naseem (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart & video. The post New Course Record as Bellagio Opera Goes Back-To-Back in the Osaka Hai appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Sent off the 1-2 favourite for Sunday's G2 Prix d'Harcourt, Wathnan Racing's progressive Map Of Stars (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) delivered in style to provide the red-hot Francis-Henri Graffard stable with a ParisLongchamp four-timer. Waited with in fourth early, the G3 Prix Exbury winner was sent to the front approaching the furlong pole by James Doyle and forged clear of Horizon Dore (Fr) (Dabirsim {Fr}) to record a 2 1/2-length success. Map of Stars (J. W. Doyle – @GraffardRacing) se montre le plus fort dans le Prix d'Harcourt (Gr.2) à @paris_longchamp Horizon Doré (P. Cottier) Certain Lad (J. Channon) pic.twitter.com/HJ6GutiUPd — Equidia (@equidia) April 6, 2025 Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France PRIX D'HARCOURT-G2, €130,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-6, 4yo/up, 10fT, 2:05.20, gd. 1–MAP OF STARS (GB), 126, c, 4, by Sea The Stars (Ire) 1st Dam: Bateel (Ire) (G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Eng, $741,001), by Dubawi (Ire) 2nd Dam: Attractive Crown, by Chief's Crown 3rd Dam: Attirance (Fr), by Crowned Prince O-Wathnan Racing; B-Al Asayl France (GB); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-James Doyle. €74,100. Lifetime Record: 6-5-0-0, €202,100. *1/2 to Tajlina (GB) (Kingman {GB}), GSW-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Horizon Dore (Fr), 126, g, 5, Dabirsim (Fr)–Sweet Alabama (Fr), by Enrique (GB). (€45,000 Ylg '21 ARAUG). O-Gousserie Racing, Ecurie du Sud, Ecurie Gribomont, Chantal Becq, Daniel Dumoulin & Michel Delaunay; B-Mme Chantal Becq (FR); T-Patrice Cottier. €28,600. 3–Certain Lad (GB), 126, g, 9, Clodovil (Ire)–Chelsey Jayne (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). (13,000gns Ylg '17 TAOCT; 170,000gns RNA 3yo '19 TATAHI). O-Christopher Richard Hirst; B-Barry Walters (GB); T-Jack Channon. €13,650. Margins: 2HF, 1, 1HF. Odds: 0.50, 3.40, 5.90. Also Ran: Birr Castle (Fr), Daring Prince (GB). The post Graffard Hot Streak Continues As Sea The Stars’ Map Of Stars Takes The Prix d’Harcourt For Wathnan appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Keeping it simple on the 6-5 favourite Mandanaba (Fr) (Ghaiyyath (Ire), Mickael Barzalona allowed the exciting Francis-Henri Graffard-trained homebred to roll from the front and capture Sunday's G3 Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux at ParisLongchamp. Sufficiently impressive on her debut at Chantilly in November to earn TDN Rising Star status, Princess Zahra Aga Khan's daughter of her triple group 1 winner Mandesha (Fr) (Desert Style {Ire}) dominated throughout and despite the game effort of Juddmonte's Listed Prix la Camargo winner Flaming Stone (GB) (Kingman {GB}) maintained the momentum to score by 3/4 of a length, with a respectable 3 1/2-length margin back to White Birch Farm's G3 Prix des Reservoirs scorer Gezora (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) in third. Mandanaba (@mickaelbarzalon) triomphe dans l'Al Shira'aa Racing Prix Vanteaux (Gr.3) à @paris_longchamp et conserve son invincibilité. La pouliche de @GraffardRacing est engagée dans l'Emirates Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (11 mai) et dans le Prix de Diane @Longines (15… pic.twitter.com/Q4ry1eChaT — Equidia (@equidia) April 6, 2025 Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France AL SHIRA'AA RACING PRIX VANTEAUX-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-6, 3yo, f, 9fT, 1:49.89, gd. 1–MANDANABA (FR), 126, f, 3, by Ghaiyyath (Ire) 1st Dam: Mandesha (Fr) (MG1SW-Fr & G1SP-Eng, $974,461), by Desert Style (Ire) 2nd Dam: Mandalara (Ire), by Lahib 3rd Dam: Madiriya (Ire), by Diesis (GB) TDN Rising Star. 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Princess Zahra Aga Khan (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard; J-Mickael Barzalona. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €55,000. *1/2 to Mandour (Smart Strike), SW-Eng & G1SP-Fr, $198,499. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Flaming Stone (GB), 126, f, 3, Kingman (GB)–Burning Rules (Ire), by Aussie Rules. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. (425,000gns Wlg '22 TATFOA). O-Juddmonte; B-Mrs Anita Wigan & Juddmonte Farms Ltd (GB); T-Henri-Francois Devin. €16,000. 3–Gezora (Fr), 126, f, 3, Almanzor (Fr)–Germance, by Silver Hawk. O-White Birch Farm; B-Haras d'Etreham (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €12,000. Margins: 3/4, 3HF, 3. Odds: 1.20, 3.50, 2.00. Also Ran: Wassail, Blown By The Wind (Fr), Premonition (Fr). The post Ghaiyyath’s Mandanaba Wins The Vanteaux For Zahra Aga Khan And Graffard appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Let go at 8-1 for Sunday's G3 Prix la Force at ParisLongchamp despite his trainer Andre Fabre holding the record of eight successes in the Prix du Jockey Club trial, Godolphin's Cualificar (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) emerged front and centre to extend that tally. Off the mark over 10 furlongs at Saint-Cloud last month, the son of the 2015 Oaks heroine Qualify (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) followed the early pace and had first run on The Aga Khan's Studs' 6-4 favourite Azimpour (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) to score by a neck. Juddmonte's New Ground (GB) (New Bay {GB}) was 3/4 of a length way in third. Cualificar (@pouchinalexis / @godolphin) repousse les attaques de ses adversaires dans le Prix La Force (Gr.3) à @paris_longchamp Le poulain d'André Fabre est engagé dans le Qatar Prix du Jockey Club, le 1er juin à Chantilly. pic.twitter.com/ryldDdbLpp — Equidia (@equidia) April 6, 2025 Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France PRIX LA FORCE-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-6, 3yo, c/g, 9fT, 1:50.02, gd. 1–CUALIFICAR (GB), 128, c, 3, by Lope De Vega (Ire) 1st Dam: Qualify (Ire) (G1SW-Eng & GSW-Ire, $485,356), by Fastnet Rock (Aus) 2nd Dam: Perihelion (Ire), by Galileo (Ire) 3rd Dam: Medicosma, by The Minstrel 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Godolphin (GB); T-Andre Fabre; J-Alexis Pouchin. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-1, €63,500. *1/2 to Swing Vote (GB) (Shamardal), GSW-UAE, $198,861. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. 2–Azimpour (Ire), 128, c, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Azmiyna (Ire), by Galileo (Ire). 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O-Suc. H H The Aga Khan; B-H H The Aga Khan's Studs SC (FR); T-Francis-Henri Graffard. €16,000. 3–New Ground (GB), 128, c, 3, New Bay (GB)–Gaining (GB), by American Post. 1ST BLACK TYPE; 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. O/B-Juddmonte Farms Inc (GB); T-Henri-Francois Devin. €12,000. Margins: NK, 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 8.10, 1.50, 6.70. Also Ran: Dreamliner (Fr), Nizam (Fr), Reach The Sky (Fr), Waka Waka (Fr). The post Fabre Extends Force Record With Lope De Vega’s Cualificar appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Veteran handler returns from Dubai World Cup night to land a brace, including the Class Two feature with classy five-year-old.View the full article

Cheltenham Festival-winning jockey Nick Scholfield has announced his retirement from race-riding and is set to join the training ranks next season. In a career which spanned nearly two decades and brought 680 winners, Scholfield enjoyed four victories at the top level, in addition to his three triumphs on the biggest stage of all at Prestbury Park. “As a child, all I ever wanted to do was become a jockey, following in my father's footsteps,” said Scholfield. “I feel incredibly privileged to have ridden professionally and shared the weighing room with some amazing jockeys over the years. “I would like to extend my thanks and express my deep gratitude to so many people who have helped me over the years–the owners, trainers, stable staff, my agents and sponsors. “They have all supported me throughout my career, many of whom have been with me since my early days as a 7lb claimer. I'm excited for the next chapter as a trainer!” Melodic Rendezvous (2013 Tolworth Hurdle), Irving (2015 Fighting Fifth Hurdle), Adrien Du Pont (2016 Finale Juvenile Hurdle) and San Benedeto (2017 Maghull Novices' Chase) were the four horses who provided Scholfield with a taste of success at the top level, while his breakthrough victory at the Cheltenham Festival came in 2014 when the remarkable Hunt Ball won the Listed Pulteney Land Investments Novices' Handicap Chase from a BHA mark of 142. That was his seventh win of the campaign, the first of which had been achieved from a mark of just 69. “He was an absolute gentleman,” the rider said of Hunt Ball. “Every time I rode him, I believed we'd win.” Scholfield's best season numerically came in 2012/13 when he partnered 66 winners in Britain, while his final victory in the saddle came aboard Hot Rod Lincoln in a handicap chase at Uttoxeter on February 8. Monbeg Genius was unable to provide the rider with a fairytale finish when pulled up in Saturday's Grand National at Aintree. The post Cheltenham Festival-Winning Jockey Nick Scholfield Announces Retirement appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Mauritian jockey fires in a much-needed treble aboard Top Throne, Good Luck Babe and Mr Cool.View the full article

Regency Happy Star, Good Luck Babe and the brown-lamped Sea Sapphire deliver British handler a maiden three-timer in the city.View the full article

Dan Meagher is pondering a first-up Group One tilt with Singapore pin-ups Lim’s Kosciuszko (Kermadec) and Lim’s Saltoro (NZ) (Shamexpress). The gallopers, who boast 12 Gr.1 wins in Singapore between them, have returned with Meagher to Australia and are in work at his Pakenham base. Both are slated to trial at Caulfield on Thursday, after which the trainer will make a call about whether either horse travels to Adelaide for next month’s A$1 million Gr.1 Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville. A combination of the set-weights-and-penalties conditions of the race, as well as the way Singapore Gr.1 races are classed under Australian handicapping conditions, means both horses will likely carry between 55kg and 56kg. “The race I’m looking at is The Goodwood,” Meagher said. “Both horses, Lim’s Kosciuszko and Lim’s Saltoro, have had one trial each and they’ll have another trial at Caulfield on Thursday. “The plan is to have a third trial two-and-a-half weeks later and that fits in well because it’s 10 days before The Goodwood. “I’m under no illusions that I don’t know where they are going to fit in Australia and it’s going to be a pretty solid race, just looking at the futures markets. “I spoke to the handicapper and it was quite interesting – I know it’s Singapore form but Lim’s Kosciuszko did race internationally and he had an international rating but it looks like he’ll carry around 55.5kg, which isn’t too bad for a horse that’s won $4 million. “He’s won 10 Group One races in Singapore but they are classed as Listed races here, so I think he gets in really well. “Lim’s Saltoro is a multiple Gr.1 winner in Singapore as well but again, they are classed differently here so I think he gets in with about 55kg.” While both horses established themselves as the standout gallopers in their respective generations in Singapore, Meagher is happy to reserve judgement on how they will measure up in Australia until after their first racing campaigns. Trelawney Stud bred Lim’s Kosciuszko, now seven, won 10 Gr.1 races from 1200m to 2000m and was crowned Singapore’s Champion Racehorse on multiple occasions. Meagher is bullish that the younger Lim’s Saltoro, a five-year-old who won Singapore’s Triple Crown culminating in the Gr.1 Derby last year, still has some of his best racing ahead of him. “I might be aiming a bit high for their first starts but it does work in very well from a timing perspective,” he said. “I definitely think Saltoro has got the ability and he’s a progressive horse so I’ve got no doubt he can be a good horse here. “Twelve months ago, Kosciuszko would have been right in that Group level for sure but he’s a bit older now and he hasn’t raced for six months so I don’t know. “They don’t lose their ability, but you don’t get faster as you get older.” View the full article

Leonard Stewart celebrated a winning double on Sunday from the comforts of his home in Timaru, with Miss Miranda (NZ) (Time Test) and Vague (NZ) (Tobique) collecting each of the open handicaps at Ascot Park. The pair were Stewart’s only runners at the meeting, with Miss Miranda taking her place in the Editor’s Cut Sports Bar Handicap (1200m) off the back of a narrow defeat to Tikki at Gore last month. The daughter of Time Test showed her customary early speed, finding the lead under Samantha Wynne and running along at a strong tempo. Cruising into the home turn, it was going to take a big effort to run Miss Miranda down and her rivals were no match, the mare holding off the late-closing Industrialist and Rochello to win by three quarters of a length. “I think she was in the right place, in the right field, with the right rider,” Stewart said. “As long as the ground was reasonable, she was going to be tough. She can really run along and she does things right, and Sam seems to get along very well with her.” Bred by Daniel and Elias Nahkle, Miss Miranda has put together a tidy record, with four wins and four minor placings from 16 appearances for owners Hoofbeat Ltd. “We’re just going to let her cruise along and mature a bit more, I’ll try to pick out nice races for her,” Stewart said. “You go to Riccarton now and there are some very good horses up there.” Two races later, Stewart and Wynne were back in the winner’s circle with evergreen mare Vague, who caused an upset winning the Ascot Sports Bar Handicap (2225m) as an outsider of the field. The nine-year-old was coming off a sixth placing in the Wyndham Cup (2000m) and was initially taken back in Sunday’s contest, before Wynne found her position in the trail of Lovelock who had the field walking along the back stretch. The race turned into a sit and sprint as they approached the home corner and Vague swept into contention, fending off the challenge of race-favourite Complicate to draw clear in the closing stages by over two lengths. Once the tempo slowed, Stewart had been quietly confident that his mare would come right into play and he was rapt with the result. “I started to laugh and I thought Sam might’ve fallen off laughing when the pace slackened and she was able to give her that breather,” he said. “They were playing right into her hands. “She let the brakes go and once you turn for home with a bit of a break at Invercargill, they are hard to catch. “She’s not happy in very heavy ground, so we’ll just take it as the ground conditions suit going forward, with suitable racing.” A mare by Tobique, Vague is raced by Stewart’s granddaughter Lacy, who was on course at Ascot Park while the 92-year-old recovered from recent illness. “I’ve just come out of hospital the other day, so I’m watching from home,” he said. “The girls will have a nice drive home.” View the full article

A technical video fault meant very few got to see Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) jumpout at Flemington last Friday morning, but co-trainer Will Hayes was happy to confirm the 800-metre test was a worthy exercise with a view to racing in Hong Kong later this month. “We’re really happy,” Hayes said at Caulfield on Saturday. “It was just a shame there was a technical fault in the trial so no one else got to see it. “It was a classic first trial (800m) for us. Craig (Williams) just fell on his neck and was beautiful in behind and just worked through his gears to the line and finished second. We were really happy how he came out of it. “He’ll have a second, more serious trial next Friday, and then off the back of that we’ll assess if we are going to go to Hong Kong, but that is still the plan.” Mr Brightside is entered for the Gr.1 Champions Mile at Sha Tin on April 27, which looms as a big day for the Hayes family. On the same card, the Hayes boys’ father David will saddle the world’s best sprinter Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress), who last month made it 11 wins in a row in Hong Kong. Hayes said if Mr Brightside comes through his next jumpout in the same order, he will be on the plane to Hong Kong just three days later. “We’d fly out Monday after the Friday trial,” he explained. “Everything is all organised to go. “Dad’s got Ka Ying Rising aimed at the 1200 (Chairman’s Sprint Prize). If everything goes to plan, it should be a good Sunday dinner.” View the full article

The team review Day One of the Championships where the Kiwi’s were again to the fore. Plus, we review the domestic action and look forward to Awapuni returning. Weigh In, April 6 View the full article

Talented galloper Duncan Creek (NZ) (Super Easy) showed his prowess over ground at Wanganui on Saturday, giving Patrick Campbell the confidence to press on to the Listed Valley D’Vine Restaurant Hawke’s Bay Cup (2200m) in a weeks’ time. A previous winner over 1200m and 1400m, Duncan Creek looked right at home last start in his first attempt over the middle-distance trip, finishing third behind Orlov and Tshiebwe. Stepping back to Rating 75 company, he was allocated the 61kg topweight, with two kilograms of relief courtesy of Jim Chung’s claim. Contesting the Palamountains Nutrition (2050m), the quirky gelding was up to his usual tricks in the gates, kicking out and was fortunate to still get away on even terms with the remainder of the field. Ears pricked, he went straight to the lead and settled in a comfortable rhythm ahead of Lincoln Star. The challengers began to swarm at the top of the straight, but Duncan Creek had plenty left to offer, holding off Lincoln Star at the post to score by three quarters of a length. Campbell was rapt with the performance, despite the pre-race antics which he has come to expect from his charge. “It was only his second start beyond a mile and he went very well at his first attempt, also at Wanganui, but he over-raced a bit in the early running,” Campbell said. “Yesterday, there didn’t appear to be a lot of speed in the race other than himself, so we elected to let him bowl along. “It was pleasing the way that he ran the distance out and the way he settled in front, so hopefully that turns his outlook around because he’s been a bit wayward all the way through. “He’s done that at virtually every race start, there’s always some sort of procedure in the gates. I think it was on cup day at Trentham, he actually reared in the gates which he’d never done before and missed the start by about six lengths. “Other than that, he just kicks out, it’s his game and it’s a very bad habit that he’s got. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to rectify that.” After pulling up well, the son of Super Easy is likely to make the journey from Hastings to Trentham next Saturday, with the $120,000 feature in his sights. “It’s probably a bridge too far, but he’s come through the race overnight very well and he’s out in the paddock, so he’ll freshen up nicely,” Campbell said. “All going well, we’ll certainly look towards the Hawke’s Bay Cup next week. “The race would be much better suited to this horse run at Otaki over 2100, instead of Wellington over 2200, but we’re playing musical chairs with where meetings are held at the moment. “The fact that he’s stepped up over ground and handled it so well, he’s earned the right to be in it, so we’ll give it our best shot.” The Wanganui success boosted Duncan Creek’s earnings above $216,000, with four wins and 12 minor placings from 42 starts. Bred and raced by Alex Smith, Duncan Creek is out of a King’s Chapel mare Classic Blonde. View the full article

Champion harness racing trainer Mark Purdon turned his talents to the galloping code on Saturday at Ellerslie, winning his first thoroughbred race with Buster Shaw (NZ) (War Decree). With over 2600 victories to his name preparing standardbreds, Purdon took on a new challenge in mid-2023, stepping into the thoroughbred industry in the South Island, before moving to his new base at Matamata. Among his first runners was Buster Shaw, a four-year-old by War Decree who narrowly missed scoring during New Zealand Cup Week in 2023, and had been lightly-raced since then with Saturday’s TAB 1600 just his eighth start. Well-related galloper Wind Rush was the odds-on favourite for the maiden contest at $1.60, while Buster Shaw flew under the radar, starting a $17 hope in the hands of Jasmine Fawcett. Wind Rush led from the outset and set a solid tempo, while Buster Shaw found a comfortable position off the rail in fourth. The favourite clung on to the lead for majority of the straight but a swarm of horses were hunting him down, with Buster Shaw coming out on top in a blanket finish where the first five home were separated by half a length. Fresh off a successful evening at the Night Of Champions in Cambridge on Friday, Purdon was thrilled to get on the board in his new venture. “He had a little bit of time between races, but he’s certainly tightened up from then to now and he’s got the job done,” he said. “I don’t get too excited because I’m still learning, but I’ve had a lot of help from some of the trainers there (at Matamata). I must make mention of Andrew Scott and Lance (O’Sullivan), they’ve been really good to me. “It’s been a help in preparing him.” Purdon races Buster Shaw alongside co-breeder Kerry Shaw, one of two gallopers he has in work. “I’ve just got two, if I was younger I would (have more horses) but I’ve left my run a bit late,” he said. “I’m enjoying my hobby. “He was given to me by Kerry Shaw who is a good friend, he encouraged me and there were times where I wasn’t sure whether I should be thanking him or cursing him, but he was really the turning point that got me involved. “We’ve had a fun journey so far.” Training in partnership with his son Nathan, Purdon had prepared and driven two winners at Cambridge’s feature meeting in Andretti and Without You, while Chase A Dream finished a gallant second behind superstar pacer Leap To Fame in the $1 million The Race By Betcha. Purdon reflected positively on the evening, despite his top-class trotter Oscar Bonavena galloping away his chances in the $600,000 TAB Trot. “I’ve run a great race and been beaten by the best horse in Australasia (Leap To Fame), he probably could be the best horse in the world,” he said. “For a young horse (Chase A Dream) coming out of two and three-year-old racing to take on the older horses like that, I was very proud of him. “We won a couple on the night, Oscar was the one that let us down and he could’ve been here today the way he went. It was a great night and great for the industry.” View the full article