Wandering Eyes

Selections for Blenheim Head to www.tab.co.nz to place your bet! Blenheim Matt Markham Selections Race 1 1.47pm 5 Rosary 1 Manakau Blaze 12 Heartbreak Hotel 8 Volstone Race 2 2.20pm 2 Interrorgator 6 Mariana Trench 5 Frankie 10 Copenhagen Girl Race 3 2.53pm 6 Shannon B 1 Nila Maree 10 Miki Skipper 4 Vesta Race 4 3.18pm 4 Razors Edge 3 Hope For Love 6 Ivona Dadic 1 Avenger Race 5 3.49pm 5 Solemn Son 7 Zsazsa Binx 6 Call Dudley 1 Baffled Race 6 4.16pm 1 Carrera Kahu 9 To Ri Ruby 10 Samvasa 11 Hit The Lights Race 7 4.51pm 13 Tempo Warrior 12 Ebury Street 10 Boudica 1 Teddy The Terror Race 8 5.16pm 3 Tu Tangata 7 Mavis Jones 10 Masterly 2 El Conqueror Race 9 5.45pm 13 Radha 8 Miki’s Courage 10 Tokyo Rose 7 Don Juan Race 10 6.10pm 6 Wild Willow 2 Sideshow Bruce 7 Piccadilly Pete 9 Bryce’s Meddle Race 11 6.47pm 4 Scarlett’s Legacy 1 Flyaway 3 Amalfi 12 The Beach House Race 12 7.14pm 16 High Intensity 14 Judy J 8 Bullit Train 12 Monarch Prince View the full article

A total of 206 horses of all ages have been catalogued for the Fasig-Tipton January Digital Sale, which can be viewed at digital.fasigtipton.com. Bidding has begun and will close on Tuesday, Jan. 21 beginning at 2 p.m. ET. Among the offerings are 70 horses of racing age and racing prospects, in addition to broodmares, broodmare prospects and newly turned yearlings. Among the covering sires represented are Authentic, Complexity, Epicenter, Girvin, Omaha Beach, Tiz the Law, Uncle Mo, and Vekoma. The January Digital Sale will also feature a no-guarantee season to GI Kentucky Derby winner and leading sire Nyquist, who was the sire of no fewer than four indivudual Grade I winners in 2024, including the undefeated likely 2-year-old filly champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies heroine Immersive. “This inaugural January Digital Sale features turnkey opportunities for breeders, owners, and trainers, including a large group of horses of racing age and an exciting no-guarantee season to champion-siring Nyquist,” said Leif Aaron, Fasig-Tipton Director of Digital Sales. “We experienced remarkable growth in our digital platform in 2024, and we're looking forward to building further on that momentum and enthusiasm in 2025.” Offerings are located in Arkansas, California, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, West Virginia, and British Columbia (Canada). The post Bidding Open For Fasig-Tipton January Digital Sale, 206 Horses Catalogued appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Simon Tonge will be the new general manager of Haydock Park Racecourse, The Jockey Club announced on Thursday. He will begin his new role in April of 2025 and succeeds Molly Day, who has left Haydock for a new opportunity in the U.S. Tonge has served as executive director of Bath Racecourse since 2022. Dickon White, regional director at The Jockey Club, said, “We are delighted to welcome Simon to the team at Haydock Park. His leadership and experience make him the ideal person for this role. April is the perfect time for Simon to join us, as it allows him to settle in just ahead of our busy summer season. We're confident that he will make a significant contribution to the racecourse's ongoing success. “I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Molly for her dedication and hard work over the years, in her roles at both Haydock Park and Carlisle Racecourses. She has been an integral part of the team, and we wish her every success in her future endeavours.” Tonge added, “I am thrilled to be joining Haydock Park Racecourse, a venue that holds such a prestigious place in the racing calendar. The opportunity to work at a course that hosts both a Grade 1 fixture over Jumps and a Group 1 fixture on the Flat is incredibly exciting. I look forward to collaborating with the talented team here to continue building on its fantastic reputation.” The post Simon Tonge Appointed New General Manager Of Haydock Park appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The International Forum for the Aftercare of Racehorses (IFAR) has revealed leadership changes that sees Tanguy Courtois and Kristin Werner joining the Steering Committee. Courtois is the Head of Public Affairs for the Fédération Nationale des Courses Hippiques and Werner is the Deputy General Counsel and Director of Industry Initiatives for The Jockey Club in the United States. Werner, who has been an active part of the IFAR Conference Committee for several years, is taking the place of Jim Gagliano, the President and COO of The Jockey Club, who has served on the Steering Committee during a long and dedicated tenure. IFAR Chair Dr Eliot Forbes, who is the also the CEO of the Racing Integrity Board in New Zealand, will continue to serve on the Steering Committee, along with Andrew Chesser, the Director of Business Development for The Jockey Club (U.S.) and Director of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA); Diana Cooper, Director of Charities, Godolphin; and Dr Paull Khan, Secretary-General of the European and Mediterranean Horseracing Federation (EMHF) and a member of the Executive Council of the IFHA. Additionally, Natasha Rose will become Chair of the IFAR Conference Committee beginning in May. The position was previously held by Forbes, who was appointed as the IFAR Chair in 2024. Rose is the Executive Manager, Equestrian Affairs Projects, at The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), which is continuing its longstanding support of IFAR. With Rose's appointment, Dr Bronte Forbes, the Head of Veterinary Regulation at the HKJC, has stepped down from the IFAR Conference Committee after several years of service. Furthermore, Yasuko Sawai, the Charities Coordinator for Godolphin in Japan, will remain on the IFAR Conference Committee going forward. She was a key member of the committee leading into the 2024 IFAR gathering in Sapporo, Japan. “We would like to thank Jim Gagliano and Dr Bronte Forbes for their unwavering support of IFAR, and we look forward to working with our new committee members,” said Dr Eliot Forbes. “As IFAR continues to grow, it is natural that our supporter base grows with it. Meanwhile, the continued involvement of organisations such as The Hong Kong Jockey Club, Godolphin, and the U.S. Jockey Club reflects their confidence in IFAR's vision and their recognition of the success we have achieved. At IFAR, we remain deeply committed to making a meaningful difference for racehorses globally as we continue to expand and strengthen our international network.” The post Tanguy Courtois and Kristin Werner Join IFAR Steering Committee appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Savabeel will join his sire Zabeel and grandsire Sir Tristram in the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. The Waikato Stud-based 23-year-old will be inducted at the 2025 Hall of Fame function in May. Savabeel completed his 20th season at stud late last year and has sired 988 winners to this day. Of those 148 are stakes winners, 99 of them are Group winners and his 35 Group 1 winners have won a total of 58 races at that level. “He's ticking over at around a dozen stakes winners per season, so with decent numbers still coming through there's a good chance he can break Zabeel's record for individual stakes winners,” Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick told racingnews.co.nz. “However you measure his achievements, Savabeel has done a phenomenal job for us and everyone who has supported him – for the whole breeding industry in fact, it would be fair to say.” The post Savabeel Joins The New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Trainer Pat Flynn, the man responsible for nurturing the talents of Designs On Rome (Ire) in Ireland, paid a glowing tribute to the Hong Kong legend who died at the age of 15 in retirement. Designs On Rome won close to €6 million in prize-money throughout a glittering career that spanned six seasons. He was bred by Moyglare Stud in Ireland and was picked up for just €10,500 by Flynn at the Goffs Orby Sale in 2011. “I'll never forget after I bought him, I rang my wife straight away and told her I had bought a champion,” Flynn shared on Thursday. “I called him Designs On Rome because he was by Holy Roman Emperor (Ire), and I thought he was so good, that it would be good to call him after the emperor's son, who had designs on taking over the empire. What he did for me and what he went on to achieve in Hong Kong, I think he grew into that name.” Designs On Rome raced five times for Flynn in Ireland, including when second to Dawn Approach (Ire) in the G1 Vincent O'Brien Stakes at the Curragh, before being sold to Hong Kong. It was with trainer John Moore where his career hit dizzying heights in Hong Kong, with Designs On Rome scooping the Hong Kong Horse Of The Year in 2013/14. Flynn continued, “He had a magnificent life in Hong Kong and was treated like an absolute king in the Home Of Legends. I actually went over to see him race in Hong Kong and it was just awesome. You have to give a big shout out to Moyglare Stud as they bred a wonderful horse. We've trained over 800 winners and had some high-class horses around here but he was up there with the best of them. “I can remember telling John Moore that he was getting one of the best horses that ever came to Hong Kong when we sold him. He probably had a bit of a chuckle to himself but he just turned out to be something special.” The post “He Was A Class Act” – Death Of Retired Hong Kong Legend Designs On Rome At 15 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Edited Press Release Keeneland Library is now presenting the exhibit Of Turf and Stone: Keeneland Through the Ages to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Keeneland Association, which established the race track and became a leader in the Thoroughbred industry. Showcasing photographs and memorabilia tracing the development of Keeneland's grounds, architecture, facilities and innovative industry firsts, the exhibit features photographs curated from Keeneland Library collections and Turf photographers who document today's race meets and events to highlight Keeneland's evolution from 1935 to today. “Racing has had a home in Lexington since the settlement's founding,” Keeneland Library Director Roda Ferraro said. “Keeneland factors into roughly 90 years of the city's rich Thoroughbred industry history dating from the late 1700s, and we are pleased to present this exhibit to coincide with 250LEX celebrations of Lexington's 250th anniversary in 2025.” Developed by Keeneland Library Project Curator Sarah Cantor, Of Turf and Stone: Keeneland Through the Ages explores both the constants and transformations from its founding to today. Keeneland is continuing to build for generations to come as evidenced by the current construction of a three-level Paddock Building set to be completed this fall. The exhibit, which runs through mid-August, is free and open to the public. The post Keeneland Library Explores Evolution of Track In New Exhibit appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Gulfstream Park's likely end as a Thoroughbred facility (TDN Jan. 16) makes clear that our industry as presently structured is simply no longer viable. In a relatively short time, major tracks have closed in New England, Northern California, Illinois and many other formerly vibrant racing venues. Racing is on life support in Southern California, Florida, Delaware, Pennsylvania, etc. and exists almost everywhere else only with the support of non-racing revenues from slots, casinos and state supplements. Instead of embracing innovative ideas to make the sport more attractive to a new generation of racing fans and owners, the focus continues to be on protecting those non-racing revenues. An industry where 80-90% of purse money comes from slots instead of wagering on the core product is simply not viable in the long run. Unless major changes are made in our present non-existent business model, within a few years racing in the US will be limited to Kentucky, Maryland, New York and a few outlier tracks running a few months a year. We as an industry need to get our heads out of the sand and get to work! H. Robb Levinsky is the founder of the New Jersey-based Kenwood Racing LLC The post Letter To The Editor: H. Robb Levinsky appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

There are doubtless decisions still to be made and deals to be struck for this year's matings with many breeders taking to the roads since the start of this new year for both the official stallion trails and informal stud visits. For this last part in our series on value sires for 2025 it is worth restating that value is very much subjective and depends on a number of different factors, including whether the buyer of the nomination is breeding to race or to sell. This final chapter, for stallions advertised at less than €10,000, covers a broad spectrum of names but let's start with an old favourite, Bated Breath (GB), who is now back where he started in 2013 at £8,000 and just over half his fee of two years ago. Now 18, the Juddmonte homebred is simply a dependable selection: a fast, well-bred horse who has received a reasonably consistent level of support though his 12 seasons to date. When it comes to stakes winners, his fillies outnumber the colts 18 to eight and it would be no surprise to see him make some inroads as a broodmare sire in years to come, just as his sire Dansili (GB) did. There was encouragement to be drawn from the start made by Newsells Park Stud resident Without Parole (GB) with his first runners in 2024. From that first crop of 52 foals, 36 have made it to the racecourse and there have been 13 winners to date. They include the black-type performers Sea To Sky (Ire) and Fiery Lucy (GB), who was three lengths behind Lake Victoria (Ire) when fourth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf after being beaten by only a neck in a Group 3 at the Curragh. We can expect to see more from the offspring of this son of Frankel (GB) in 2025 and his fee remains at a reasonable £8,000. Make Believe (GB) started with a bang when producing the top-class and durable Mishriff (Ire) in his first crop and, while he is yet to come up with another of that calibre, he is a stallion steadily compiling a decent portfolio from relatively small crops in his second, third and fourth years (58, 45 and 56 foals respectively). He's a balanced individual, easy on the eye, and he was responsible for seven new stakes winners in 2024. The Ballylinch Stud sire is worth examining more closely, especially at his lowest fee yet of €8,000. We featured news of Bearstone Stud in Monday's TDN and it is worth reiterating that Dream Ahead, one of the farm's three stallions, has his first crop of British-conceived two-year-olds on the track this year. As that implies, the son of Diktat (GB), a rare representative of the Godolphin Arabian line remaining at stud, has done the rounds a bit and stood in Ireland at Ballylinch and in France at Haras de Grandcamp before settling in Shropshire. He is the perfect fit for Bearstone, which has tended to cut its cloth on the speedier side of things. With four Group 1 winners to his name, he remains worthy of support at £6,500, and don't bet against him coming up with another good sprinter. First Runners in 2025 Alkumait (GB), the half-brother to 2,000 Guineas hero Chaldean (GB), will attempt to keep his family in the spotlight when his first two-year-olds hit the track this year. The son of Showcasing (GB) was a decent juvenile himself and won the G2 Mill Reef Stakes for Shadwell and Marcus Tregoning but failed to shine beyond that. He's down to €3,000 at Capital Stud this year, from €5,000, and has 59 two-year-olds to run for him. Another stallion whose offspring may be quick out of the blocks is Mickley Stud's Ubettabelieveit (Ire). By Kodiac (GB), the G2 Flying Childers winner remains at £5,000 and has 80 youngsters to go into bat for him this season. First-Crop Yearlings Using a stallion at this stage of his career means that any foal born next year comes in the season of the sire's first runners and, if you have a foal to sell, you will either look a genius or be friendless come November. It's one of the great unknowable aspects of the business. You may well have a decent chance with Perfect Power (Ire), who has been the standout performer to date for his sire Ardad (Ire) and, if the clamour for his first foals was anything to go by, there are plenty banking on the fact that he will make a similarly smart start to his own stud career. He was tough and brilliant at two, winning four of his seven outings that year, including the G2 Norfolk Stakes, G1 Prix Morny and G1 Middle Park. That record alone would have been enough to see him whisked off to stud there and then but, thankfully, he was back at three to win the G3 Greenham Stakes first up. Demonstrating perfectly the reasoning behind the formation of the G1 Commonwealth Cup, Perfect Power posted a game performance in the 2,000 Guineas, finishing seventh of the 15 starters over a trip just beyond his reach. But back at Ascot, in his sprinting comfort zone, he added a third Group 1 to his CV. His fee this year of £7,500 is half that of his first year, and it is enticing set against the £42,427 average (£31,500 median) for his 27 foals sold at the end of 2024. Overbury Stud, which launched the career of the above-mentioned Ardad, now has another young stallion of similar ilk in its midst in his fellow Flying Childers winner Caturra (Ire). There is now little uncertainty as to the merits of his sire Mehmas (Ire) – and, let's face it, not many people would have been able to predict his prowess at the equivalent stage in Mehmas's career. The quest is now on to see which of his sons will show similar merit and there is a growing cohort of them at stud. Last December, Caturra's first foals caught the eye of a number of 'judges' (you know who you are) who, anecdotally, deemed them to look like fairly precocious types, as one might expect. Caturra's own juvenile season included three wins from eight starts for Clive Cox, as early as May and including that Group 2 at Doncaster. He ran another seven times at three and, though winless that year, bagged another two group placings. He's at £5,000, having opened at £6,500, and he too could be one to side with this year. It is harder to find classy middle-distance types in this bracket – though of course there's nothing to stop Flat breeders from using any of those who are marketed as jumps stallions. One who falls into that category at the National Hunt-aligned Haras de la Hetraie is Mare Australis (Ire), who is available at €4,500. If you're in France this weekend for the Route des Etalons try to make time to get across to Pascal Noue's establishment as this gorgeous liver chestnut is worth a look (plus, last time TDN paid a visit on this open weekend, Hetraie was offering delicious crepes to visitors). The winner of the G1 Prix Ganay and G2 Prix de Chantilly in the livery of his breeder Gestut Schlenderhan, this son of Australia (GB) should be capable of siring Flat stayers and jumpers alike. First Foals Imminent All the excitement at Sumbe this year surrounds Charyn (Ire) but don't forget the stud's other son of Dark Angel (Ire). There's something rather bonny about Angel Bleu (Fr) but to say that almost does him a disservice. He's solid, and of a slightly neater stamp than Charyn, and what a terrific racehorse he was for Marc Chan and Ralph Beckett. At two, he won at every distance up to a mile, beginning his career over the minimum trip on April 9 and ending that season in October with back-to-back Group 1 wins in the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere and Criterium International, having also won the G2 Vintage Stakes. His three runs at three could have meant that he was written down as a top two-year-old who didn't really train on, but that was refuted by his return at four to win Haydock's Spring Trophy and the G2 Celebration Mile. With some pretty stellar names close up in his pedigree, there's a lot to like about Angel Bleu at €8,000. Similar comments apply to the Aga Khan Studs' Erevann (Fr), who is also at €8,000 in his second season. As a son of Dubawi (Ire) out of a top-class racemare, in his case the Classic winner Ervedya (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}), he has naturally drawn comparisons with his stud-mate Zarak (Fr). The latter will be a hard act to follow but Erevann won't fail for a lack of support. With 168 mares in his first book he was second only to Ace Impact (Ire) among the newcomers in France last year. Also about to embark on his second covering season in France is the G1 Champion Stakes winner Bay Bridge (GB). A sizeable and good-looking son of New Bay (GB), he is at Haras du Mesnil, where he will have been backed by a decent number of the Devin family's home mares among others, and is sensibly priced at €6,000. New to the Scene Staying in France temporarily, Haras de Beaumont has had a new stallion in each of its first three seasons in existence, and Sealiway (Fr) and Ace Impact (Ire) have been the busiest freshmen in their respective years. It would not be a surprise to see Puchkine (Fr) follow suit, and not just because Mathieu Alex is one of the most gifted salesmen on the scene. It is a shame we didn't see a bit more of Puchkine on the track as his victory in the G1 Prix Jean Prat left quite an impression. Alain Jathiere's homebred son of Starspangledbanner (Aus) had flown a little under the radar to that point but he had won both his starts at two and picked up some listed black type before being tried in the Poule d'Essai des Poulains. He starts at €8,500. The team at Ballyhane Stud must have been pleased with the start made by Sands Of Mali (Fr), who had 21 winners from 48 first-crop runners in 2024, including the Listed winners Ellaria Sand (GB) and Ain't Nobody (Ire). He has been at €5,000 in the last three seasons and is currently listed as private, and he has a new friend in the Ballyhane stallion yard in Sakheer (Ire). By the late Zoffany (Ire), Sakheer was the easy winner of the G2 Mill Reef Stakes for Roger Varian and KHK Racing just over a fortnight after he broke his maiden by six lengths at Haydock. Ireland is not short of new stallions this year, unlike Britain, but Sakheer will almost certainly have plenty of backers at €6,500. Movers It is easy to lose track of stallions so here's a reminder of two to have left Britain to stand in Ireland in the last year or so. Mayson (GB), who spent 11 years at Cheveley Park Stud, is now in his second year with Oak Lodge Stud. A July Cup winner who has sired a July Cup (and King's Stand) winner, he is available at €4,250. Meanwhile, Gordon Doyle has now taken charge of former National Stud and Manton Park stallion Advertise (GB) at his Knockmullen House Stud. Doyle's sensible and honest appraisal of the treble Group 1 winner is worth reading here. The son of Showcasing (GB) is now available for €5,000 having been priced at £25,000 in his first three years. Value Sires Podium GOLD Perfect Power, Darley, £7,500 Yes, it's a risky year to use him, but that market confidence should roll over and he is now very reasonably priced. SILVER Angel Bleu, Sumbe, €8,000 Don't you forget about me, as Jim Kerr once sang. Charyn may be shiny and new but Angel Bleu was also a highly talented racehorse with a strong pedigree who should not be overlooked at this price. BRONZE Make Believe, Ballylinch Stud, €8,000 In the quiet achiever category, he too offers value at this lower fee. In case you missed the earlier parts of our Value Sires series for 2025, they are available here: Part I: €50,000 and up Part II: €20,000 to €49,999 Part III: €10,000 to €19,999 The post Value Sires Part IV: The Power to Succeed appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Wexford Stables’ red-hot form across a stable of talented three-year-olds in recent months has built widespread anticipation over which of their talented stars would emerge to represent the Matamata barn in the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m). Training partners Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have ended speculation, making the decisive move to select hugely promising galloper Checkmate (NZ) to fill their slot in the inaugural running of the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race. Checkmate has made a big impression in just five appearances to the races, notching three victories including the Listed Armacup 3YO Stakes (1500m) and an open three-year-old 1500m last Sunday at Ellerslie. “Checkmate is a horse that gets around Ellerslie, which is important. He’s won at the trip and just ticked a lot of boxes,” Lance O’Sullivan said. “He should acquit himself well, we’re happy with him and his condition, although he’ll have another run before then. We’re still undecided where (he will race next), we have a couple of options to work through, but the horse will tell us what he needs. “He’s a nice horse for the race and one of many chances,” he said. A former Champion Jockey and multiple Group One-winning trainer, O’Sullivan is looking forward to seeing what the NZB Kiwi does for an industry he has spent most of his life immersed in, and more importantly, having the Wexford brand play a major role. “It’s exciting to have the biggest prizemoney in the Southern hemisphere for three-year-olds, who would’ve thought that would happen?” O’Sullivan said. “It’s great for the industry, it’s new and creates a lot of interest. “It’s important for Wexford, we wanted to be a part of the big dance and to have two horses in the race, it’s fantastic.” The O’Sullivan and Scott partnership already has Sought After (NZ) in the feature under Waikato Stud’s slot, while fellow three-year-old stable performers including Sethito (NZ), Hankee Alpha (NZ), Prosegur (NZ) and Cheaha (AUS) also feature in futures markets for the race. O’Sullivan hopes others in the stable will get their opportunity now that the son of Mongolian Khan has been locked in. “That was one of the reasons why we went early,” he said. “We have some nice horses there and we felt it was best to state who we were going to take in case anyone else had any interest in the others. “It’s nice to be able to produce horses that warrant running in the big event. It’s going to be a very exciting day.” Owned and bred by Okaharau Station, Checkmate currently holds equal favouritism for the NZB Kiwi at $8, alongside Australian-trained Evaporate (NZ) and star colt Savaglee (NZ). Other confirmed runners for the race include Damask Rose (NZ) (Te Akau Racing), Domain Ace (NZ) (Canterbury Jockey Club), Evaporate (TAB) and Sought After (Waikato Stud). The NZB Kiwi will be run on Champions Day on 8 March at Ellerslie Racecourse. View the full article

While the win of Banker’s Choice (NZ) (Mongolian Khan) at Moonee Valley recently may have got under the guard of punters, it wasn’t totally unexpected by the gelding’s trainers. Prepared by Mike Moroney and Glen Thompson, Banker’s Choice registered his first win in just over two years when successful on December 28 and will chase back-to-back wins in the TAB Australian Cup Race Day 29 March (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday. “It was good to see him win again,” Thompson said. “We had been really happy with him at home. All the way through he had been working well, and we had been expecting him to run better, but he had been a little disappointing. “Even last prep he raced well without winning. He ran third in a Toorak and his form had been good, but just this prep he had been disappointing. “It was good to see him bounce back last start and hopefully it gives him a little bit of confidence going forward.” Banker’s Choice had been winless since taking out the Listed Ballarat Cup (2000m) in December 2022, accounting for Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel), but had been placed in Stakes company in between those victories. Consequently, Banker’s Choice paid the price for that consistency being forced to run in races that were potentially outside his class range. Having raced in Stakes races through the spring, without success, Banker’s Choice dropped to benchmark 100 grade with his win at Moonee Valley last time, the same grade he’s racing in on Saturday, which sees the gelding lining up against Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) placegtter Okita Soushi. “For this time of year, it’s quite a strong race, but at his best, he can mix it with the best of them,” Thompson said. “I suppose he’s been a victim of his own good form in some respect because he’s just kept that high benchmark rating. “It’s hard once they get up there, they don’t drop too quickly, but we’re not the only ones having to deal with it. “It can be frustrating. No one is out to try and play games, but you’re only doing harm by the owners’ in not dropping them a little bit faster than they do. “It would give every horse a chance because a lot of horses get to that high benchmark where it makes it a little tricky and hard to win, so often they just need to be in that one grade lower. “Hopefully that win last time gives him that little bit of confidence and we can see him win again.” View the full article

Katie Margarson will join The Jockey Club as a trainee clerk of the course next month. Having served as the longtime assistant to multiple Group race-winning trainer and father George Margarson at Graham Lodge Stables in Newmarket, in recent years Katie has broadened her experience in the racing industry by working as an assistant to the clerk of the course on race days at Goodwood and by working as a presenter for Ladbrokes. In her new role as a trainee clerk of the course, Margarson will be working at Huntingdon and Newmarket racecourses, reporting to The Jockey Club's head of racing in the East region, Andrew Morris, who is clerk of the course at both venues. Margarson said, “I am thrilled to be joining The Jockey Club as a trainee clerk of the course on February 10th. “I have wide-ranging experience right across the racing industry and am used to dealing with a wide range of stakeholders, so I hope my new role should play to my strengths. “Having been based in Newmarket for many years I am especially pleased that I will now spend a significant part of my time working at the town's two world-famous racecourses.” The post Katie Margarson Joins The Jockey Club as Trainee Clerk of the Course appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By Michael Guerin If last month’s Alexandra Park Group 1 form stacks up as it should at Cambridge on Friday night then One More Moment is the mare to beat in the $50,000 Dunstan Waikato Breeders Trot at Cambridge. The race continues the new wave of support for trotting fillies and mares, coming off the back of the $100,000 Queen Of Diamonds at Alexandra Park last month. One More Moment caused a huge upset winning that Group 1 for young trainer Zev Meredith but proved that was no fluke when finishing fourth in the far stronger National Trot on New Years Eve, beating by Muscle Mountain, Kyvalley Hotspur and Oscar Bonavena. Any one of that trio would be backed as if unbeatable in tonight’s race and just as importantly rivals tonight American Muscle and Virginia Clowers finished behind One More Moment in that race off level marks yet have to concede her a start tonight. “I was thrilled with her fourth in that race and it showed that she is up to the open class horses,” says Meredith, who will return to drive the mare himself tonight. “She actually got held up a bit across the bend that night and was making ground on Oscar late, even if he did do a lot of work after his early break. “I gave her a few days off after that and she has come back great. Her work five days was as good as she has ever worked.” It is a big, even field tonight but One More Moment’s two efforts last month suggest she is the horse to beat albeit Meredith has one reservation. “I don’t love the fact she is drawn one on the 20m mark because she could get locked away but with it being over 2700m even if she does there should be a gap later. “So I think she has to be hard to beat.” The favourite is Belle Neige, who also had a big December at The Park, winning twice including trotting a 1:56.6 mile to win her Golden Gait final and was even better downing stablemate Halberg over tonight’s 2700m distance last start in a slick 3:27.9. If she repeats that sort of time tonight she will be hard in a race with plenty of depth. The other best race of the night is the fourth heat of Provincial Pacers series (Race 7) which has plenty of gate speed and brings together recent winners from Alex Park, Cambridge and Manawatu. View the full article

By Michael Guerin John Dunn has a warning for punters expecting more premiership heroics from the country’s top stable this year. Because while the Robert and Jenna Dunn stable have a big hand in the feature race at Blenheim on Friday, stable No.1 driver John says their start to the new year could be a lot quieter than some punters expect. “Even though we just won the premiership the last few months we have had plenty of bad luck,” he told HRNZ. “We have had some horses get injured like Charlie Brown, who has got a knee issue and some of the good trotters have needed a break for niggly problems. “Sundees Sister is just coming back in and she could be a good horse for us but we won’t be having a big booming start to the year.” The Dunn stable also has horses who are victims of their own earlier success, evidenced by the feature race today, the $15,000 Dennis Denuto Marlborough Cup Prelude. The stable have three starters but Whos Delight and Bryce’s Meddle are on 30m handicaps over the 2400m while course specialist Double Time is off 20m. “It is making it really hard these handicaps,” says Dunn. “These days when even lower grade horses step and run so fast when you are off 20m it can be impossible to win and we have two horses off 30m here, which is really, really hard to overcome. “We all know they can still win if they have luck and maybe the leaders go slower but sometimes in these races it actually becomes impossible. “And that makes it really hard on the horses as you don’t want them doing that every week.” While Double Time won this race and the Cup two days later at this meeting last year, Dunn says pressed for the stable’s best chance it would still probably be Whos Delight. “He was okay the other day at Nelson but we all know he is a pretty good horse at his best. “But as I said, the way the handicaps are if they step and run off the front line he could be chasing all the way as it is only 2400m.” There is good depth to the race, with a case to be made for almost any of the 10 starters. The meeting sees a good mixture of horses extending their grass track campaigns from The Coast three weeks ago through to more Canterbury type horses, a prime example being the main trot, the $15,000 Seddon Shield Series Trot. Again it is 2400m so the chances of backmarkers like Masterley and Eurokash will depend on the tactics of those on the front line and how hard they want to run. Two horses who could start the day better for the Dunns early on are Volstone, a trotter with plenty to learn but who should be better for recent experince in race 1. And Copenhagen Girl in Race 2 shouldn’t be a maiden for long but does cop a second line draw over 1850m mobile. View the full article

There are eight horse racing meetings set for Australia on Friday, January 17. Our racing analysts here at horsebetting.com.au have found you the best bets and the quaddie numbers for Gold Coast, Canterbury and Pakenham. Friday’s Free Horse Racing Tips – January 17, 2025 Gold Coast Racing Tips Canterbury Racing Tips Pakenham Racing Tips As always, there are plenty of promotions available for Australian racing fans. Check out all the top online bookmakers to see what daily promotions they have. If you are looking for a new bookmaker for the horse racing taking place on January 17, 2025 check out our guide to the best online racing betting sites. Neds Code GETON 1 Take It To The Neds Level Neds Only orange bookie! Check Out Neds Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit today. “GETON is not a bonus code. Neds does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. Full terms. BlondeBet Signup Code GETON 2 Punters Prefer Blondes BlondeBet Blonde Boosts – Elevate your prices! Join BlondeBet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. WHAT ARE YOU REALLY GAMBLING WITH? full terms. 3 Next Gen Racing Betting Picklebet Top 4 Betting. Extra Place. Every Race. Join Picklebet Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. What are you really gambling with? Full terms. Recommended! 4 It Pays To Play PlayUp Aussie-owned horse racing specialists! Check Out PlayUp Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Full terms. Dabble Signup Code AUSRACING 5 Say Hey to the social bet! Dabble You Better Believe It Join Dabble Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. THINK. IS THIS A BET YOU REALLY WANT TO PLACE? Full terms. Bet365 Signup Code GETON 6 Never Ordinary Bet365 World Favourite! Visit Bet365 Review 18+ Gamble Responsibly. GETON is not a bonus code. bet365 does not offer bonus codes in Australia and this referral code does not grant access to offers. What’s gambling really costing you? Full terms. Horse racing tips View the full article

What Ascot races Where Ascot Racecourse – 71 Grandstand Rd, Ascot WA 6104 When Saturday, January 18, 2025 First Race 1:04pm AWST Visit Dabble Ascot will host a very competitive nine-race meeting this Saturday afternoon. With perfect summer weather forecast in the lead-up, the track is expected to remain in the Good range after being rated as a Good 4 at the time of acceptances. The rail will be in the +3m position for the entire circuit, with the first race scheduled to jump at 1:04pm AWST. Best Bet at Ascot: Rocking Society Although two of his three wins have been by narrow margins, Rocking Society has been racing in career-best form this preparation. The Jason Miller-trained gelding brought up the hat-trick with a narrow victory over Alskan at this track over 2200m on January 4. Drawing barrier three and dropping back to 2100m are two positives for Rocking Society, and with even luck, he should record his fourth straight victory. Best Bet Race 5 – #2 Rocking Society (3) 4yo Gelding | T: Jason Miller | J: Lucy Fiore (60kg) +100 with Neds Next Best at Ascot: Bonjoy Jason Miller and Clint Johnston-Porter will combine with Bonjoy for the sixth straight start, coming off a narrow victory in the Listed Jungle Dawn Classic on December 14. The four-week freshen for this daughter of Maschino should only be seen as a positive, and now that she returns in a weaker grade, the +250 on offer with PlayUp looks like a great price. Expect Johnston-Porter to settle Bonjoy towards the back of the field before getting her out to the middle of the track to let down with a strong finish. Next Best Race 8 – #4 Bonjoy (6) 5yo Mare | T: Jason Miller | J: Clint Johnston-Porter (58kg) +250 with PlayUp Best Value at Ascot: Starring Knight Another galloper who enters Saturday’s meeting on a win streak is the Daniel & Ben Pearce-trained Starring Knight, who has won his last two starts at Geraldton. The son of Shooting To Win has proven too strong for his rivals in recent runs, winning by two lengths over 1213m and just under a length over 1400m. From barrier two, Starring Knight can settle in the one-one position and receive a perfect run throughout. Best Value Race 7 – #8 Starring Knight (2) 6yo Gelding | T: Daniel & Ben Pearce | J: Shaun O’Donnell (57kg) +1200 with BlondeBet Saturday quaddie tips for Ascot races Ascot quadrella selections Saturday, January 18, 2025 2-5-7-10 1-4-6-8 1-4-6 5-6-9 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article

It was perhaps inevitable once he had attained multiple champion status as a stallion, that Savabeel should join his sire Zabeel and grandsire Sir Tristram in the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Completing a sequence that is unique in this country, the Waikato Stud-based 23-year-old will be inducted at the 2025 Hall of Fame function in Hamilton in May, 11 years after his own sire was inducted and 17 years after the breed-shaping stallion who founded the dynasty half a century ago. Sir Tristram was an inspired choice by Hall of Fame breeder Sir Patrick Hogan as Cambridge Stud’s foundation stallion in 1976. As a stallion the Irish-bred son of Sir Ivor was to far outstrip his moderate racing record and write a new chapter in New Zealand and Australian breeding. Similarly, Hogan got it completely right in 1991 when he selected the Australian Guineas winner Zabeel as Sir Tristram’s heir apparent, and in turn Waikato Stud’s Garry and Mark Chittick could not have made a better choice in 2005 than Zabeel’s Cox Plate-winning son Savabeel. With a race record of three wins that also included the Gr. 1 AJC Spring Champion Stakes and his dam the New Zealand Oaks winner Savannah Success, Savabeel was always going to have a premium on his head. When he joined a roster that included the champion home-bred O’Reilly and Australian Guineas winner Pins, he didn’t come cheaply with a syndicated price tag of $10 million and an introductory fee of $35,000. That investment has been more than repaid as Savabeel has gone on to dominate New Zealand stallion ranks through the opening decades of the 21st Century. Just last Saturday at Trentham, his three-year-old son Savaglee had his first start since winning the Gr. 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas in November and recorded another easy win in the Gr. 2 Levin Classic In the next race on the Trentham card, Savabeel’s five-year-old daughter Provence became his 35th Group One winner with her victory in the Thorndon Mile. Statistical analysis is unavoidable in comparing the three key players in this remarkable stallion dynasty. The final crop of Sir Tristram’s 1,264 foals sired across 21 breeding seasons were born in 1997, and from an exact 1,000 who raced, 686 were winners, 130 at stakes level and 45 of them at Group One. Zabeel’s 23 seasons at stud up to 2013 resulted in 1,896 foals, of which 1,525 raced and 1,112 won races. Of that total 166 became stakes winners and on the score of individual Group One winners he bettered Sir Tristram by one with 46. In the case of Savabeel, who completed his 20th season at stud late last year, his tally is still running. Up until his 2022 crop comprising a total of 1,752 foals, 1,346 have raced and 988 are the winners to date of 3,118 races. Of those 148 are stakes winners, 99 of them are Group winners and his 35 Group One winners have won a total of 58 races at that level. “He’s ticking over at around a dozen stakes winners per season, so with decent numbers still coming through there’s a good chance he can break Zabeel’s record for individual stakes winners,” says Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick. “How ever you measure his achievements, Savabeel has done a phenomenal job for us and everyone who has supported him – for the whole breeding industry in fact, it would be fair to say.” Stories of chance and good fortune abound in the horse world and Savabeel’s path to Waikato Stud is one of those, dating back to the latter stages of his three-year-old season, as Chittick recalled. “I had inspected him couple of times when he was in training with Graeme Rogerson – the first time in Melbourne after he had won the Cox Plate and finished second in the VRC Derby, then again in the autumn at Rogie’s Randwick stable. “He was a very good-looking horse with obvious performance and pedigree, although we knew he would be on a lot of studs’ watch-list. Then late one afternoon back home I got a call from Bruce Perry to tell me that there was a deal taking shape on Savabeel. “My comment to Bruce was there’d be a fair bit of money involved and he responded ‘Yeah, they’re talking $10 million’. Savabeel and handler Ryan Figgins Photo: Trish Dunell “Doing our sums and broken down into 50 shares, that would be $200,000 per share, which translated to a service fee of $35,000. We would take half the horse, Bruce said Lib (Petagna) would be in and he was confident other breeders would be keen as well. “The first call I made was to Garry,” Chittick continued, “with the intention of getting him to ring Rogie for a heads-up on how we might be able to make it happen. It became almost comical when he explained to me he was in a bit of bind, as Nelson and Megan Schick (of rival stud Windsor Park) were Garry and Mary’s dinner guests, so I told him he’d better go outside and make the call. “Rogie’s first comment to Garry was that he thought the money might have been a bit much for us, which is why he hadn’t touched base in the first place, but when he said he could vouch for 25 per cent with the likes of (part-owner) Max Whitby staying in, we realised we could do it. “It was quite incredible how it all came about – Garry got back to me and said it’s your turn to get off your backside and on the phone, so after calling just about everyone I could think of who might be interested, we had him syndicated within 24 hours.” Not only was $10 million a clear record for a stallion going to stud in New Zealand, but the syndication conditions were also a first. Standard syndications allowed shareholders two service nominations per share during each of a stallion’s introductory years, then one per share thereafter. However the Savabeel deal was for a lifetime right to two services per year, something that sweetened the deal for prospective investors. A primary intention of the two-service clause is to underwrite a stallion’s book with shareholders’ mares, but that still wasn’t sufficient to guarantee Savabeel’s numbers at a crucial stage in his stud career. “He got off to a good start with books between 120 and 130 in his first three or four years, then the demand dropped right off, partly due to a certain impatience for his early runners to perform, plus the economy was still bogged down in the GFC. “That was only temporary though – he got his first stakes winner, Queen Sabeel, in the last two-year-old stakes race of the 2008-09 season (the Northland Breeders’ Stakes), he got his first Group One win with another first crop member, Scarlett Lady, in the Queensland Oaks, and that spring from his second crop Sangster won the VRC Derby.” Such was the impact of that burst of form and further headlines, in the space of 12 months Savabeel’s book more than doubled from a career-low 85 mares in 2010 to 190. He was away and hasn’t looked back since, complete with his fee climbing incrementally to eventually land in triple figures. Graeme Rogerson’s history with Savabeel is longer than anyone’s, dating back to his purchase of the Success Express filly who became known as Savannah Success. On the track she won eight races, headed by the Gr. 1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham and Gr. 1 Ansett Australia (Vinery) Stakes at Rosehill. “She was a lovely filly, all class,” the Hall of Fame trainer recalls. “I raced her with Jon Haseler (of Queensland’s Glenlogan Park Stud) and when we put her to stud I bought Jon out. Her first foal was a colt by Danehill and then she had the Zabeel colt who made her famous. “I sold the mare to Gerry Harvey in-foal to Danehill and with Savabeel at foot, and I liked him so much I formed a partnership that included Max Whitby and we bought him back for $400,000 at the Magic Millions Sale.” At the time Rogerson was operating stables on both sides of the Tasman and Savabeel was to do all his racing in Australia, winning on debut over 1000m at Randwick as a late summer two-year-old and finishing third that autumn in the Gr. 1 Champagne Stakes behind champion juvenile Dance Hero. After three placings at the start of his three-year-old campaign, he won the Gr. 1 Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m at Randwick and three weeks later took on the older horses for victory over Fields Of Omagh and Starcraft in the W S Cox Plate. He backed up a week later to finish second to Plastered in the VRC Derby. Savabeel’s final campaign began with a second placing to Elvstroem in the Gr. 1 CF Orr Stakes, but after failing to recapture his best form he was retired as a rising four-year-old. “We had four or five different parties wanting to buy him, but all credit to Garry and Mark for pulling the deal together and giving him such a fantastic opportunity,” Rogerson says. “He’s been a great horse from day one, I love going across to Waikato Stud to make a fuss of him and it’s been such a privilege to train so many good horses by him. “I bred another two mares to him this year, Max (Whitby), who raced his first Group One winner Scarlett Lady, has stuck with him all these years too, it’s been fantastic.” Mark Chittick speaks with similar awe of the champion stallion, in particular his range if success from Group One-winning two-year-olds to classic and cups winners. “That’s the amazing thing about him, how he can throw horses that win at all ages and at such a range of distances. With devoted stallion grooms like Dave O’Leary and now Ryan Figgins caring for him over the years, he’s had an ideal existence, which includes keeping in trim on the treadmill we put in specially for him when he was about 17 years old. “Sons of his like Cool Aza Beel and Embellish have taken no time to prove themselves at stud and our young horse by him, Noverre, has kicked off with some excellent results just last week at the Magic Millions. “No two ways about it, he’s a legend – that will be his legacy.” *The 2025 NZ Racing Hall of Fame Induction Dinner is scheduled for Sunday May 11 at SkyCity, Hamilton. For further information and tickets go to www.racinghalloffame.co.nz– Dennis Ryan, Raceform View the full article

It was perhaps inevitable once he had attained multiple champion status as a stallion, that Savabeel should join his sire Zabeel and grandsire Sir Tristram in the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Completing a sequence that is unique in this country, the Waikato Stud-based 23-year-old will be inducted at the 2025 Hall of Fame function in Hamilton in May, 11 years after his own sire was inducted and 17 years after the breed-shaping stallion who founded the dynasty half a century ago. Sir Tristram was an inspired choice by Hall of Fame breeder Sir Patrick Hogan as Cambridge Stud’s foundation stallion in 1976. As a stallion the Irish-bred son of Sir Ivor was to far outstrip his moderate racing record and write a new chapter in New Zealand and Australian breeding. Similarly, Hogan got it completely right in 1991 when he selected the Australian Guineas winner Zabeel as Sir Tristram’s heir apparent, and in turn Waikato Stud’s Garry and Mark Chittick could not have made a better choice in 2005 than Zabeel’s Cox Plate-winning son Savabeel. With a race record of three wins that also included the Gr. 1 AJC Spring Champion Stakes and his dam the New Zealand Oaks winner Savannah Success, Savabeel was always going to have a premium on his head. When he joined a roster that included the champion home-bred O’Reilly and Australian Guineas winner Pins, he didn’t come cheaply with a syndicated price tag of $10 million and an introductory fee of $35,000. That investment has been more than repaid as Savabeel has gone on to dominate New Zealand stallion ranks through the opening decades of the 21st Century. Just last Saturday at Trentham, his three-year-old son Savaglee had his first start since winning the Gr. 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas in November and recorded another easy win in the Gr. 2 Levin Classic In the next race on the Trentham card, Savabeel’s five-year-old daughter Provence became his 35th Group One winner with her victory in the Thorndon Mile. Statistical analysis is unavoidable in comparing the three key players in this remarkable stallion dynasty. The final crop of Sir Tristram’s 1,264 foals sired across 21 breeding seasons were born in 1997, and from an exact 1,000 who raced, 686 were winners, 130 at stakes level and 45 of them at Group One. Zabeel’s 23 seasons at stud up to 2013 resulted in 1,896 foals, of which 1,525 raced and 1,112 won races. Of that total 166 became stakes winners and on the score of individual Group One winners he bettered Sir Tristram by one with 46. In the case of Savabeel, who completed his 20th season at stud late last year, his tally is still running. Up until his 2022 crop comprising a total of 1,752 foals, 1,346 have raced and 988 are the winners to date of 3,118 races. Of those 148 are stakes winners, 99 of them are Group winners and his 35 Group One winners have won a total of 58 races at that level. “He’s ticking over at around a dozen stakes winners per season, so with decent numbers still coming through there’s a good chance he can break Zabeel’s record for individual stakes winners,” says Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick. “How ever you measure his achievements, Savabeel has done a phenomenal job for us and everyone who has supported him – for the whole breeding industry in fact, it would be fair to say.” Stories of chance and good fortune abound in the horse world and Savabeel’s path to Waikato Stud is one of those, dating back to the latter stages of his three-year-old season, as Chittick recalled. “I had inspected him couple of times when he was in training with Graeme Rogerson – the first time in Melbourne after he had won the Cox Plate and finished second in the VRC Derby, then again in the autumn at Rogie’s Randwick stable. “He was a very good-looking horse with obvious performance and pedigree, although we knew he would be on a lot of studs’ watch-list. Then late one afternoon back home I got a call from Bruce Perry to tell me that there was a deal taking shape on Savabeel. “My comment to Bruce was there’d be a fair bit of money involved and he responded ‘Yeah, they’re talking $10 million’. Savabeel and handler Ryan Figgins Photo: Trish Dunell “Doing our sums and broken down into 50 shares, that would be $200,000 per share, which translated to a service fee of $35,000. We would take half the horse, Bruce said Lib (Petagna) would be in and he was confident other breeders would be keen as well. “The first call I made was to Garry,” Chittick continued, “with the intention of getting him to ring Rogie for a heads-up on how we might be able to make it happen. It became almost comical when he explained to me he was in a bit of bind, as Nelson and Megan Schick (of rival stud Windsor Park) were Garry and Mary’s dinner guests, so I told him he’d better go outside and make the call. “Rogie’s first comment to Garry was that he thought the money might have been a bit much for us, which is why he hadn’t touched base in the first place, but when he said he could vouch for 25 per cent with the likes of (part-owner) Max Whitby staying in, we realised we could do it. “It was quite incredible how it all came about – Garry got back to me and said it’s your turn to get off your backside and on the phone, so after calling just about everyone I could think of who might be interested, we had him syndicated within 24 hours.” Not only was $10 million a clear record for a stallion going to stud in New Zealand, but the syndication conditions were also a first. Standard syndications allowed shareholders two service nominations per share during each of a stallion’s introductory years, then one per share thereafter. However the Savabeel deal was for a lifetime right to two services per year, something that sweetened the deal for prospective investors. A primary intention of the two-service clause is to underwrite a stallion’s book with shareholders’ mares, but that still wasn’t sufficient to guarantee Savabeel’s numbers at a crucial stage in his stud career. “He got off to a good start with books between 120 and 130 in his first three or four years, then the demand dropped right off, partly due to a certain impatience for his early runners to perform, plus the economy was still bogged down in the GFC. “That was only temporary though – he got his first stakes winner, Queen Sabeel, in the last two-year-old stakes race of the 2008-09 season (the Northland Breeders’ Stakes), he got his first Group One win with another first crop member, Scarlett Lady, in the Queensland Oaks, and that spring from his second crop Sangster won the VRC Derby.” Such was the impact of that burst of form and further headlines, in the space of 12 months Savabeel’s book more than doubled from a career-low 85 mares in 2010 to 190. He was away and hasn’t looked back since, complete with his fee climbing incrementally to eventually land in triple figures. Graeme Rogerson’s history with Savabeel is longer than anyone’s, dating back to his purchase of the Success Express filly who became known as Savannah Success. On the track she won eight races, headed by the Gr. 1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham and Gr. 1 Ansett Australia (Vinery) Stakes at Rosehill. “She was a lovely filly, all class,” the Hall of Fame trainer recalls. “I raced her with Jon Haseler (of Queensland’s Glenlogan Park Stud) and when we put her to stud I bought Jon out. Her first foal was a colt by Danehill and then she had the Zabeel colt who made her famous. “I sold the mare to Gerry Harvey in-foal to Danehill and with Savabeel at foot, and I liked him so much I formed a partnership that included Max Whitby and we bought him back for $400,000 at the Magic Millions Sale.” At the time Rogerson was operating stables on both sides of the Tasman and Savabeel was to do all his racing in Australia, winning on debut over 1000m at Randwick as a late summer two-year-old and finishing third that autumn in the Gr. 1 Champagne Stakes behind champion juvenile Dance Hero. After three placings at the start of his three-year-old campaign, he won the Gr. 1 Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m at Randwick and three weeks later took on the older horses for victory over Fields Of Omagh and Starcraft in the W S Cox Plate. He backed up a week later to finish second to Plastered in the VRC Derby. Savabeel’s final campaign began with a second placing to Elvstroem in the Gr. 1 CF Orr Stakes, but after failing to recapture his best form he was retired as a rising four-year-old. “We had four or five different parties wanting to buy him, but all credit to Garry and Mark for pulling the deal together and giving him such a fantastic opportunity,” Rogerson says. “He’s been a great horse from day one, I love going across to Waikato Stud to make a fuss of him and it’s been such a privilege to train so many good horses by him. “I bred another two mares to him this year, Max (Whitby), who raced his first Group One winner Scarlett Lady, has stuck with him all these years too, it’s been fantastic.” Mark Chittick speaks with similar awe of the champion stallion, in particular his range if success from Group One-winning two-year-olds to classic and cups winners. “That’s the amazing thing about him, how he can throw horses that win at all ages and at such a range of distances. With devoted stallion grooms like Dave O’Leary and now Ryan Figgins caring for him over the years, he’s had an ideal existence, which includes keeping in trim on the treadmill we put in specially for him when he was about 17 years old. “Sons of his like Cool Aza Beel and Embellish have taken no time to prove themselves at stud and our young horse by him, Noverre, has kicked off with some excellent results just last week at the Magic Millions. “No two ways about it, he’s a legend – that will be his legacy.” *The 2025 NZ Racing Hall of Fame Induction Dinner is scheduled for Sunday May 11 at SkyCity, Hamilton. For further information and tickets go to www.racinghalloffame.co.nz– Dennis Ryan, Raceform View the full article

It was perhaps inevitable once he had attained multiple champion status as a stallion, that Savabeel should join his sire Zabeel and grandsire Sir Tristram in the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame. Completing a sequence that is unique in this country, the Waikato Stud-based 23-year-old will be inducted at the 2025 Hall of Fame function in Hamilton in May, 11 years after his own sire was inducted and 17 years after the breed-shaping stallion who founded the dynasty half a century ago. Sir Tristram was an inspired choice by Hall of Fame breeder Sir Patrick Hogan as Cambridge Stud’s foundation stallion in 1976. As a stallion the Irish-bred son of Sir Ivor was to far outstrip his moderate racing record and write a new chapter in New Zealand and Australian breeding. Similarly, Hogan got it completely right in 1991 when he selected the Australian Guineas winner Zabeel as Sir Tristram’s heir apparent, and in turn Waikato Stud’s Garry and Mark Chittick could not have made a better choice in 2005 than Zabeel’s Cox Plate-winning son Savabeel. With a race record of three wins that also included the Gr. 1 AJC Spring Champion Stakes and his dam the New Zealand Oaks winner Savannah Success, Savabeel was always going to have a premium on his head. When he joined a roster that included the champion home-bred O’Reilly and Australian Guineas winner Pins, he didn’t come cheaply with a syndicated price tag of $10 million and an introductory fee of $35,000. That investment has been more than repaid as Savabeel has gone on to dominate New Zealand stallion ranks through the opening decades of the 21st Century. Just last Saturday at Trentham, his three-year-old son Savaglee had his first start since winning the Gr. 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas in November and recorded another easy win in the Gr. 2 Levin Classic In the next race on the Trentham card, Savabeel’s five-year-old daughter Provence became his 35th Group One winner with her victory in the Thorndon Mile. Statistical analysis is unavoidable in comparing the three key players in this remarkable stallion dynasty. The final crop of Sir Tristram’s 1,264 foals sired across 21 breeding seasons were born in 1997, and from an exact 1,000 who raced, 686 were winners, 130 at stakes level and 45 of them at Group One. Zabeel’s 23 seasons at stud up to 2013 resulted in 1,896 foals, of which 1,525 raced and 1,112 won races. Of that total 166 became stakes winners and on the score of individual Group One winners he bettered Sir Tristram by one with 46. In the case of Savabeel, who completed his 20th season at stud late last year, his tally is still running. Up until his 2022 crop comprising a total of 1,752 foals, 1,346 have raced and 988 are the winners to date of 3,118 races. Of those 148 are stakes winners, 99 of them are Group winners and his 35 Group One winners have won a total of 58 races at that level. “He’s ticking over at around a dozen stakes winners per season, so with decent numbers still coming through there’s a good chance he can break Zabeel’s record for individual stakes winners,” says Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick. “How ever you measure his achievements, Savabeel has done a phenomenal job for us and everyone who has supported him – for the whole breeding industry in fact, it would be fair to say.” Stories of chance and good fortune abound in the horse world and Savabeel’s path to Waikato Stud is one of those, dating back to the latter stages of his three-year-old season, as Chittick recalled. “I had inspected him couple of times when he was in training with Graeme Rogerson – the first time in Melbourne after he had won the Cox Plate and finished second in the VRC Derby, then again in the autumn at Rogie’s Randwick stable. “He was a very good-looking horse with obvious performance and pedigree, although we knew he would be on a lot of studs’ watch-list. Then late one afternoon back home I got a call from Bruce Perry to tell me that there was a deal taking shape on Savabeel. “My comment to Bruce was there’d be a fair bit of money involved and he responded ‘Yeah, they’re talking $10 million’. Savabeel and handler Ryan Figgins Photo: Trish Dunell “Doing our sums and broken down into 50 shares, that would be $200,000 per share, which translated to a service fee of $35,000. We would take half the horse, Bruce said Lib (Petagna) would be in and he was confident other breeders would be keen as well. “The first call I made was to Garry,” Chittick continued, “with the intention of getting him to ring Rogie for a heads-up on how we might be able to make it happen. It became almost comical when he explained to me he was in a bit of bind, as Nelson and Megan Schick (of rival stud Windsor Park) were Garry and Mary’s dinner guests, so I told him he’d better go outside and make the call. “Rogie’s first comment to Garry was that he thought the money might have been a bit much for us, which is why he hadn’t touched base in the first place, but when he said he could vouch for 25 per cent with the likes of (part-owner) Max Whitby staying in, we realised we could do it. “It was quite incredible how it all came about – Garry got back to me and said it’s your turn to get off your backside and on the phone, so after calling just about everyone I could think of who might be interested, we had him syndicated within 24 hours.” Not only was $10 million a clear record for a stallion going to stud in New Zealand, but the syndication conditions were also a first. Standard syndications allowed shareholders two service nominations per share during each of a stallion’s introductory years, then one per share thereafter. However the Savabeel deal was for a lifetime right to two services per year, something that sweetened the deal for prospective investors. A primary intention of the two-service clause is to underwrite a stallion’s book with shareholders’ mares, but that still wasn’t sufficient to guarantee Savabeel’s numbers at a crucial stage in his stud career. “He got off to a good start with books between 120 and 130 in his first three or four years, then the demand dropped right off, partly due to a certain impatience for his early runners to perform, plus the economy was still bogged down in the GFC. “That was only temporary though – he got his first stakes winner, Queen Sabeel, in the last two-year-old stakes race of the 2008-09 season (the Northland Breeders’ Stakes), he got his first Group One win with another first crop member, Scarlett Lady, in the Queensland Oaks, and that spring from his second crop Sangster won the VRC Derby.” Such was the impact of that burst of form and further headlines, in the space of 12 months Savabeel’s book more than doubled from a career-low 85 mares in 2010 to 190. He was away and hasn’t looked back since, complete with his fee climbing incrementally to eventually land in triple figures. Graeme Rogerson’s history with Savabeel is longer than anyone’s, dating back to his purchase of the Success Express filly who became known as Savannah Success. On the track she won eight races, headed by the Gr. 1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham and Gr. 1 Ansett Australia (Vinery) Stakes at Rosehill. “She was a lovely filly, all class,” the Hall of Fame trainer recalls. “I raced her with Jon Haseler (of Queensland’s Glenlogan Park Stud) and when we put her to stud I bought Jon out. Her first foal was a colt by Danehill and then she had the Zabeel colt who made her famous. “I sold the mare to Gerry Harvey in-foal to Danehill and with Savabeel at foot, and I liked him so much I formed a partnership that included Max Whitby and we bought him back for $400,000 at the Magic Millions Sale.” At the time Rogerson was operating stables on both sides of the Tasman and Savabeel was to do all his racing in Australia, winning on debut over 1000m at Randwick as a late summer two-year-old and finishing third that autumn in the Gr. 1 Champagne Stakes behind champion juvenile Dance Hero. After three placings at the start of his three-year-old campaign, he won the Gr. 1 Spring Champion Stakes over 2000m at Randwick and three weeks later took on the older horses for victory over Fields Of Omagh and Starcraft in the W S Cox Plate. He backed up a week later to finish second to Plastered in the VRC Derby. Savabeel’s final campaign began with a second placing to Elvstroem in the Gr. 1 CF Orr Stakes, but after failing to recapture his best form he was retired as a rising four-year-old. “We had four or five different parties wanting to buy him, but all credit to Garry and Mark for pulling the deal together and giving him such a fantastic opportunity,” Rogerson says. “He’s been a great horse from day one, I love going across to Waikato Stud to make a fuss of him and it’s been such a privilege to train so many good horses by him. “I bred another two mares to him this year, Max (Whitby), who raced his first Group One winner Scarlett Lady, has stuck with him all these years too, it’s been fantastic.” Mark Chittick speaks with similar awe of the champion stallion, in particular his range if success from Group One-winning two-year-olds to classic and cups winners. “That’s the amazing thing about him, how he can throw horses that win at all ages and at such a range of distances. With devoted stallion grooms like Dave O’Leary and now Ryan Figgins caring for him over the years, he’s had an ideal existence, which includes keeping in trim on the treadmill we put in specially for him when he was about 17 years old. “Sons of his like Cool Aza Beel and Embellish have taken no time to prove themselves at stud and our young horse by him, Noverre, has kicked off with some excellent results just last week at the Magic Millions. “No two ways about it, he’s a legend – that will be his legacy.” *The 2025 NZ Racing Hall of Fame Induction Dinner is scheduled for Sunday May 11 at SkyCity, Hamilton. For further information and tickets go to www.racinghalloffame.co.nz– Dennis Ryan, Raceform View the full article

Swedish jockey Annie Lindahl has swiftly made her mark on the New Zealand racing scene, guiding home her first winner at Riccarton Park on Wednesday. Having just her seventh ride in the country, Lindahl partnered the John Blackadder-trained Quick Story in the Racecourse Hotel and Motor Lodge Rating 65 (2000m) at the midweek meeting, the mare rated a $30 hope despite a close-up second at her most recent start. From barrier eight, Lindahl found the one-one position aboard Quick Story and with plenty to offer in the home straight, the daughter of What’s The Story kicked away to win by two lengths to Devil In Disguise. “To get a winner down here is huge for me, now I’m keen to get many more,” Lindahl said. “That winning feeling is what we all are racing for. “I thought the horse had a chance after her last race, I’d watched the replay and she ran really well. The plan was to sit in behind the leaders and she broke well from the gates, so we ended up where we wanted to be. “The race went really smoothly all the way from there, she was travelling well into the straight and when I pushed the button, she really fired off and finished strongly. “It was nice to sit on a horse that was so well prepared, it was a pleasant job to do and great to get over the line first.” An accomplished rider partnering over 160 winners, the 27-year-old has plied her trade in a number of European countries, as well as time spent in the United States of America. “I started pony racing, then I got picked up by a trainer asking if I wanted to be an apprentice,” she said. “I started my apprenticeship in 2015 with Hans Adielsson while I was still in high school, I’ve had support from many different trainers since then, but he really got me started. “Hans and Walter Buick helped me get to Todd Pletcher’s in America, I went there to get more experience during the winter when there isn’t much racing back home. “I did three winters there and got on some very nice horses, I learnt a lot. I got to ride a race for Todd which was amazing.” Lindahl had seen a glimpse of New Zealand racing through fellow Swede Ulrika Holmquist, and a connection to sisters Hanna Orting and Sophia Nolan gave her the opportunity to experience the industry herself. “I knew Hanna Orting, she’s also from Sweden, so I got in touch with her and asked if there was a possibility of coming over here and finding a job,” she said. “She got me in touch with her sister Sophia and Derek, then I got a working holiday visa, booked my ticket and came over here. “I’ve also seen Ulrika has been here before and she was here last year, so I’ve seen a bit of New Zealand racing on social media. “I’ve been here for two months and I’m really enjoying it, it’s nice to be in a warm place and see the sun while it’s winter back home.” Lindahl has travelled around plenty of the Kiwi countryside in that time, riding in the far north at Ruakaka, before being a part of the iconic Kumara Gold Nuggets meeting on the West Coast of the South Island. “It’s a new experience of racing for me, New Zealand has both smaller and bigger tracks and you need to adjust for everything,” she said. “On the smaller tracks, it’s quite speedy, and out on the big tracks, they seem to wait a bit more. “The riding is more competitive down here, they ride a bit tighter, and you have to ride smarter. Back home, you can get away with small things that you probably wouldn’t down here. “Everyone has been very welcoming, which makes it easier to like a new place.” The Swedish racing circuit will recommence in April and Lindahl is hoping to make the most of her time in New Zealand before returning to her homeland. “The season at home starts in April, so I’m planning to stay until around the end of February and early March,” she said. “I haven’t booked a ticket home yet, so I’m not completely set on a date. “I really just want to experience as much as I can and grow as a rider, learning more things and get better. I always want to be better, I think there is always something new to learn and I’m always keen to learn more. That’s my main goal.” Connor Harrison will be managing Lindahl’s rides during her New Zealand stint, he can be contacted at 021 276 8067. View the full article

Raymond Connors hoisted the Wellington Cup aloft in 2013 following Blood Brotha’s win, and this year he is hoping he can get his hands on the silverware once more. Traditionally a two-mile test, Blood Brotha’s victory came in one of the seven editions of the race conducted over 2400m before it returned to its customary 3200m distance, and winning the iconic race in front of a sizeable Trentham crowd was a memorable one for the Bulls farmer. “It was a good day, there wasn’t much in it, but he managed to get across the line first,” Connors said. “It’s good to say that you have won it. “It was a big day, there were a lot of people there and hopefully it will be another big crowd this year. Normally Wellington Cup Day gets a good crowd.” Blood Brotha was a standout stayer for Connors, with the son of Danzighill recording seven other victories and earned more than $600,000 in prizemoney, including two editions of the Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m), Gr.3 Metropolitan Trophy (2500m), and placed in the Gr.2 Chairman’s Quality (2600m), Gr.2 Avondale Gold Cup (2400m), Metropolitan Trophy, Listed New Zealand St Leger (2500m), and was fourth in the Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m). “He took us to Aussie where we raced him in the Sydney Cup. He was a good horse and we had a lot of fun with him,” Connors said. “He wasn’t that far away in the Chairmans and was probably unlucky not to win that, and then he ran fair (for fourth) in the Sydney Cup. I was hoping he would go a bit better, but at least he was competitive, and he paid his way. It is good to be able to take a horse over for a race like that. “We retired him on the farm, he’s still here but is starting to show his age (19) a bit now.” Heading into this year’s edition of the Gr.3 NZ Campus Of Innovation & Sport Wellington Cup (3200m), Connors is more hopeful than confident with his contender Trav, who is rated a $23 winning chance with TAB bookmakers. The five-year-old son of Almanzor will be tested for the first time over two miles this weekend, where he will carry the 53kg minimum with veteran hoop Lisa Allpress in the saddle. “It is good to have another runner in it,” Connors said. “He has been a little bit disappointing but hopefully the extra distance will help. He has been getting back in his races, so I don’t know what to make of him to be honest. “Lisa was happy with him last time. He is fit enough and if he is any good, he should run well. “It’s a question mark as to whether he will get the distance. The way he races you would say he will, but you don’t know. “There are a few handy ones there, but anyone can win it.” The market is headed by Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) runner Interpretation, with the Ciaron Maher-trained gelding at a $3.20 win quote with TAB bookmakers following his fresh-up runner-up result in the Listed Bagot Handicap (2800m) at Flemington on New Year’s Day. Trav will be joined on the float trip to Trentham by stablemate Our Daymo, who will be chasing the $350,000 purse on offer in the Race With Te Akau Remutaka Classic (2100m). “He’s fit and ready to go,” Connors said. “He does like a bit of ease in the ground, but he should run well, he is pretty honest.” Connors said it is nice to be competing for $750,000 in prizemoney in the two races on Saturday, and he is hoping one of his representatives can cause an upset and secure the lion’s share of the spoils on offer. “It is nice to have horses in a couple of good races like that,” he said. View the full article

What Eagle Farm Races Where Eagle Farm Racecourse – 230 Lancaster Rd, Ascot QLD 4007 When Saturday, January 18, 2025 First Race 12:13pm AEST Visit Dabble Brisbane Racing Club will host a 10-race card at Eagle Farm this Saturday afternoon. The track was rated as a Soft 5 at the time of acceptances, and with some rain forecast in the lead-up to the meeting, expect a genuine Soft surface throughout the day. The rail will be in the +1m position for the entire circuit, with the opening race scheduled to jump at 12:13pm AEST. Best Bet at Eagle Farm: Provance Provance has gone from breaking his maiden to winning a Class 2 Handicap at Ipswich in his second racing preparation, and he looks to be a talented galloper. The David Vandyke-trained colt settled behind the leader over 1200m before taking over on the home turn to career away with a dominant 2.7-length win. With a lot of speed expected in this contest, Vlad Duric can settle Provance in the box seat from barrier three and receive the run of the race. Best Bet Race 7 – #3 Provance (3) 3yo Colt | T: David Vandyke | J: Vlad Duric (59.5kg) +250 with Dabble Next Best at Eagle Farm: The Inflictor Following two strong wins that included his victory in the $300,000 Gateway, The Inflictor had to settle for second place over 1200m at the Sunshine Coast in his most recent run. The Craig Cousins-trained gelding travelled three-wide for the entire trip without cover but still had the tenacity to battle on gamely. Now that the son of Under The Louvre rises to 1400m again, The Inflictor can settle in the first six and find a back to follow around the home turn before letting down with a strong finish. Next Best Race 9 – #8 The Inflictor (6) 4yo Gelding | T: Craig Cousins | J: Cejay Graham (55.5kg) +550 with Neds Best Value at Eagle Farm: Streak Of Winning The aptly named Streak Of Winning is yet to face defeat from two career starts, following back-to-back victories at the Sunshine Coast over 1000m and 1200m. The son of Spieth is a lightly raced four-year-old gelding, and even though he is still learning, the Stuart Kendrick-trained galloper has produced two impressive wins. Kyle Wilson-Taylor has chosen to stick with the up-and-coming sprinter, and if they can get into a forward position with cover from barrier 13, Streak Of Winning can bring up a hat-trick at +1600 with the top Australian bookmakers. Best Value Race 6 – #11 Streak Of Winning (13) 4yo Gelding | T: Stuart Kendrick | J: Kyle Wilson-Taylor (58.5kg) +1600 with Picklebet Saturday’s quaddie tips for Eagle Farm races Eagle Farm quadrella selections Saturday, January 18, 2025 2-3-14 2-3-5-6 4-8-9-16 3-8-9-10-13-16 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip More horse racing tips View the full article

Superstar jockey returns to Sha Tin on Sunday before heading to Dubai for Romantic Warrior’s assault on the Group One Jebel Hatta (1,800m).View the full article

Trainer will tick off another little milestone in his career in the city when he saddles up Victor The Winner this Sunday.View the full article

What Flemington Races Where Flemington Racecourse – Melbourne, Victoria When Saturday, January 18, 2025 First Race 12:15pm AEDT Visit Dabble For a second straight Saturday, metropolitan racing in Melbourne heads to Flemington, where a 10-race meeting is set down for decision. Despite their being no black-type races on the program, plenty of key runners are set to grace the track with autumn Group races on the horizon. The rail comes out 9m the entire circuit on a track rated a Good 4, with the first race set to jump at 12:15pm AEDT. Best Bet at Flemington: Samangu Samangu has strung together three smart victories to begin this campaign, including last time at Pakenham when falling in over 1200m. The trip clearly saw her out late, so the step back to the 1100m looks ideal for the Written By mare. This is her first look up the Flemington straight, but in a sprint that lacks any other speed influences, the race looks perfectly set up for Craig Williams to dictate terms and have Samangu’s rivals chasing her from barrier to box. Best Bet Race 4 – #5 Samangu (5) 4yo Mare | T: Grahame Begg | J: Craig Williams (58kg) +190 with Neds Next Best at Flemington: Wiggum There is no doubt that Wiggum should have won over the 1200m at this track last Saturday, and on the quick backup, should be going one better in similar company. The son of Rich Enuff was crucially held up for a run until the 200m mark, but once clear, exploded late, only to go down by a head to Shesallshenanigans. Blake Shinn takes over from apprentice Taylor Johnstone, and from barrier four looks to gain an ideal run in transit behind the lead. With even luck this time around, Wiggum should be winning. Next Best Race 6 – #8 Wiggum (4) 4yo Gelding | T: Travis Doudle | J: Blake Shinn (57kg) +340 with BlondeBet Best Value at Flemington: The Western Front The Western Front simply got too far back to feature in the finish over 1800m at his first look at Flemington, but with that experience under his belt, he looks a great each-way play with Picklebet in the last. The son of War Decree had strung together a couple of nice victories at Geelong and is poised to bounce back to form. If Daniel Stackhouse can have this guy settled midfield with a touch of cover, The Western Front should be close enough to unleash a winning burst down the heart of the track. Best Value Race 10 – #17 The Western Front (9) 4yo Gelding | T: Ben, Will & JD Hayes | J: Daniel Stackhouse (58kg) +1200 with Picklebet Saturday’s quaddie tips for Flemington Flemington quadrella selections Saturday, January 18, 2025 1-2-3-7 3-10-13-15 4-6-7-8-12 5-8-12-14-16-17 | Copy this bet straight to your betslip Horse racing tips View the full article