Wandering Eyes

In an attempt to tell some of the sport’s best behind-the-scenes stories in the lead-up to racing’s pinnacle championship race, Breeders’ Cup Ltd. has started compiling video footage for season two of “ALL IN: The Road to the Classic,” a six-part documentary series that will air on both network television and on various digital platforms. As part of the preparation for the series, which is being shot and edited by celebrity chef and racehorse owner Bobby Flay’s Rock Shrimp Productions, Breeders’ Cup officials are putting out a request for owners and trainers of GI Classic contenders to help by making themselves available for pre- and post-race interviews that go a bit beyond the usual “quick hit” footage that accompanies the major graded stakes leading up to the Nov. 2 championship. “We follow horses, owners, trainers–anyone connected who is on the road to the Classic,” said Peter Rotondo, the vice president for media and entertainment at the Breeders’ Cup. “Basically we try to showcase parts of the game that people can’t see on our live broadcasts because we don’t have enough time. We try to go behind the scenes, much like the way the National Hockey League does with its ‘Quest for the Stanley Cup’ series.” The production team will be at all of the NBC or NBCSN televised “Win and You’re In” races that pertain to the Classic category, including this weekend at Saratoga Race Course for the GI Whitney S. “ALL IN” debuted on the Facebook Watch platform last year, and a similar digital rollout is being planned for this year’s airings of the half-hour segments. In a new twist for this season, the series will also be televised in Europe, and the first four “ALL IN” episodes will also be shown in the U.S. by NBCSN. “The bottom line is, we’re trying to let potential Classic participants know that we’re shooting, and if they do hear from us, we’re putting out a plea for them to cooperate,” Rotondo said. “We want to show off all the characters here, and we just need a little time and patience from owners and trainers to help us tell the story. Because without their participation, we can’t be successful. “A typical request would be on a Friday morning before the race, we come to the barn, do some behind-the-scenes stuff, and maybe grab an owner or trainer for a half-hour interview,” Rotondo continued. “Then on race day, we maybe mic them up for the race itself, schedule a couple of quick interviews beforehand and afterward, and also watch the race with them. “And for the winners of these Classic division races, we might want to follow the owners a bit afterward away from the track to get a glimpse of what they do in their ‘real lives’–what they do for a living, what their life at home is like, whether they’re a billionaire or a bunch of smaller-scale guys involved in a syndicate.” Rotondo said early response from participants has been helpful. “Once participants know what were aiming for, they want to see us tell these good stories,” Rotondo said. “And with the Breeders’ Cup funding it, we assure participants that it’s going to be super-positive while still showing the drama behind the scenes and all the cool moments that happen along the way to the Classic.” The post Breeders’ Cup Asks for Help in Shooting Classic Docuseries appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The British training ranks will gain another new face from October when James Ferguson launches his training career from the historic St Gatien Stables in Newmarket. He will be following in successful footsteps when he moves to the yard just off Warren Hill as his predecessor and landlord is Charlie Fellowes, whose career really took off from that base before he moved to the former Luca Cumani-owned Bedford House Stables earlier this year. “It’s been a lucky yard for Charlie and it’s been a lucky yard for many years before that. I think it’s the perfect place to start from,” said Ferguson from the Goffs UK Sale at Doncaster on Tuesday. “I have 36 boxes and a few owners lined up. I also have a few orders for yearlings so we’re here to see how it goes. We will be looking to buy some yearlings and also some horses in training as I think it would be good to start with half and half.” Ferguson is being assisted in his search for equine blood by his father John, a former trainer himself and one of a number of that profession to have been instrumental in his son’s racing experience to date. James Ferguson worked as a pupil assistant to Sir Mark Prescott for two year before assisting Charlie Appleby at Godolphin’s Moulton Paddocks and then completing stints with Brian Meehan at Manton and Jessica Harrington in Ireland. “My focus will be on the Flat but I have a dual licence and I would love the opportunity to train the odd jumper if one came my way,” said the 29-year-old who has also ridden successfully as an amateur over jumps. “I have just spent nine months with Jessica Harrington and she is brilliant. With Charlie [Appleby] I had the opportunity to go down to Australia and work with some really fantastic horses and we had a fair bit of success down there. Although I had worked with Lee Freedman before down in Australia that gave me the added international experience, as it were.” He continued, “Jessie is a remarkable woman and Brian has been a very successful international trainer. I’ve been very lucky to experience the best of everything in the people that I’ve been worked for. Obviously dad trained at Bloomfields and I rode a lot for him. I used to come out of university to ride work on Wednesday mornings. “Working for Sir Mark Prescott was more like a starting school than a finishing school. He’s a great man to learn from. He has very exacting standards and he’s very aware that everything he does he is about teaching. He takes pride in the fact that he trains people as well as horses. You don’t really realise it quite so much as you’re going along—it’s not until you start your next job that you realise all that he’s taught you and how prepared you are because of the experience of working for him.” With Ferguson senior having set up Avenue Bloodstock with Mark McStay since leaving Godolphin, he is taking a keen interest in ensuring that his son assembles a decent team of horses with which to start the next stage of his career. James said, “Dad is definitely going to be a big part of the team. It’s a family operation really. One day my brother might come and join me as well, and luckily I have lot of people very close to me in the industry. You do need a lot of good people around you to make it work.” Ferguson is not the only new young trainer to be patrolling the sales yards at Doncaster. George Boughey sent out his second winner, Cotton Club (Ire) (Amadeus Wolf {Ire}), at Bath on Tuesday, and Richard Hannon’a former assistant Tom Ward is set to be represented by his first runner, Ricochet (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), at Kempton today (Wednesday). Both men are friends of Ferguson, who is looking forward to joining them officially when his yard opens for business. He said, “The wonderful thing about this industry is that it is quite a small bubble of people even though it is a big industry. All of my best mates—Tom Ward, George Scott, George Boughey, Ed Crisford—we’re all going to be training at the same time and in a way it’s great for us all to be doing it together as we will have each other for support. We will all look after each other because we are all very good friends.” Ferguson, who looks forward to welcoming his first horses to St Gatien in October, added, “We will be busy at the horses-in-training sale and it will all go on from there. It’s lovely to come back to my roots and to be in Newmarket. I looked everywhere—I didn’t have my heart set on a particular place but I am very happy to be in Newmarket and I appreciate that it is a very good place to start.” The post James Ferguson Joins The Training Ranks appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Keeneland April Two-Year-Olds in Training and Horses of Racing Age Sale, will return for 2020 and will be held Apr. 7 next year. This year’s sale produced GI TVG Pacific Classic hero Higher Power (Medaglia d’Oro) and Ginger Punch S. winner Supercommittee (The Factor). “The April Sale continues to enhance its rich history of producing top-quality ‘Saturday horses,’ ” Keeneland Vice President of Racing and Sales Bob Elliston said. “We thank our consignors and buyers, who showed their support for this year’s return of the April Sale with strong participation. We look forward to building on its success next year.” Keeneland reinstated the April Sale in 2019 following a four-year hiatus. During the single-session sale, 67 horses sold for $6,083,500, for an average of $90,799 and a median of $40,000. Topping the sale at $1.3 million was Miss Tapirado (Tapit), a 2-year-old daughter of Grade I winner My Conquestadory. The post Keeneland April Sale to Return in 2020 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tuggle (Point of Entry) tries the surface he was originally intended for in Wednesday’s GIII With Anticipation S. on the lawn at Saratoga. Entered in a turf sprint for his debut at Belmont June 21, the bay stayed in when the race came off the grass and onto a sloppy main track. The decision proved prudent as he wired the field to earn his diploma. Staying on the main track next out, he finished third in the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 10 and will get to try his hand at turf here, the surface over which his young sire did his best running. Our Country (Constitution) already has grass experience, closing to be fourth to the re-opposing Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid) on debut over course-and-distance July 13 and returning to earn his diploma over the same trip here Aug. 3. The July 13 tet was Field Pass’s second start after finishing second first time out in a Churchill Downs turf sprint June 21. Todd Pletcher saddles a juvenile who is still looking to secure his diploma in Eagerly (American Pharoah). The Michael Tabor colorbearer closed from well back to finish a close third over this course and distance July 27. The post Tuggle Looks to Transfer His Form to Turf in With Anticipation appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When he looks down his shedrow these days, trainer Jeremiah Englehart certainly sees a different caliber of horse than he did when he got his start in the sport. The affable 42-year-old son of Finger Lakes stalwart Chris Englehart scored a breakout victory in the 2013 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies with Ria Antonia (Rockport Harbor), and now he’s got a crop of approximately 52 mostly six-figure juveniles who have been making serious noise this spring and summer. He’s had eight 2-year-old graduates on the NYRA circuit thus far in 2019, including a pair of stakes winners in ‘TDN Rising Star‘-earning Astoria S. heroine Maryanorginger (Strong Mandate) and Stillwater S. winner My Italian Rabbi (Competitive Edge), both for Al Gold’s Gold Square LLC. On Wednesday Englehart will saddle Tuggle (Point of Entry) for NFL Hall of Famer Bill Parcells‘s August Dawn Farm in the GII With Anticipation S. at Saratoga. A debut winner over subsequently stakes-placed Montauk Daddy (Daddy Long Legs) in a rained-off Belmont sprint June 21, the $160,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga buy was third last time in the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 10. This will be his first turf and two-turn attempt, but being by MGISW grass runner Point of Entry and out of a well-bred Phipps mare who was all turf, it’s hard not to expect a step forward with the surface switch. “All along, I thought he’d be a little more turfy–he runs with some high action–but after his first race came off the turf and he won that, the Saratoga Special was up next, so it made sense to run,” Englehart said. “But I think it’s the right time to give him a shot on the turf.” Englehart and Parcells teamed up last year to take the GIII Pilgrim S. on the Belmont grass with juvenile colt Forty Under (Uncle Mo), and they’ll also unveil New York-bred Moonachie (Central Banker) earlier on Wednesday’s card. “Coach has a nice New York-bred who’s in on Wednesday,” Englehart said. “He’s shown some talent in a couple of works in the morning.” Englehart also plans to enter a pair of fillies in Sunday’s GI Spinaway S.: New York-bred debut romper and ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Risky Mischief (Into Mischief), who was a $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Yearlings purchase for Jeff Drown; and July 19 second-out graduate Sweet Kisses (Carpe Diem), a $290,000 FTKOCT long list of partners. “Both have been training very well,” the conditioner said. “Risky Mischief has probably been my most professional 2-year-old as far as how she handles her business. She’s been very workmanlike all spring and summer long and has done everything I’ve asked her to do. Sweet Kisses has been a little bit more of a project, back to when she was at Webb Carroll Training Center. She’s always had a lot of speed, but getting her to harness it and figure out gears has taken a little bit longer than we thought. She’s coming around now at the right time.” Englehart nominated one colt, Parcells’s two-time runner-up Three Technique (Mr Speaker), to the GI Runhappy Hopeful S., but he’ll instead point the $180,000 Fasig-Tipton July grad to a maiden special weight this weekend. That’s not to say he isn’t extremely high on the colt, however, who has gone favored in both of his prior efforts and earned a solid 83 Beyer Speed Figure last out. “As of right now, he could be my most talented 2-year-old,” Englehart said. “I think he wants further and he just hasn’t had a chance to show what he can do yet. In those shorter races, he didn’t get best of trips, and he’s still learning. I’d love to see him pick it up this time and get a win. I thought about running in the Hopeful because I knew who was going to be in there–you never know who’s going to show up in a maiden special weight at Saratoga.” Englehart says being so well-stocked has allowed he and his clients to be extra patient in giving young horses time when they need it. “I have some others that we’ve given some time off to to let them develop–they’ll probably be ready more towards Belmont,” he said. “It’s nice having a larger crop of 2-year-olds this year because you can just shut some down when you have to. At some point they’re going to get to the races–you just don’t want to press them. You’d much rather see them have a career than overdo it when they’re young.” The aforementioned Maryanorginger, a $190,000 FTKJUL buy who overcame tons of trouble to turn heads on debut in the Astoria, is just starting back up after a setback and is expected to return to the races around October. “She had a stress fracture in a hind ankle,” Englehart revealed. “We just found it by chance–she had some cellulitis and we took X-rays just to be sure and we found the stress fracture and decided to give her some time.” Englehart estimates he has approximately 15-20 more babies than he had last year, and credits Webb Carroll Training Center owner and trainer Travis Durr, among several other early training outfits, with helping him build up and improve his stock. Englehart and Durr have shopped the sales together for the past three years or so. “I rely a lot on Travis picking out horses,” he said. “If he likes one and I don’t or vice versa, we kind of stay away from those. We seem to just gravitate to the same ones these days. Before it was having champagne tastes on a Bud Light budget, and there you’d have to take some things into consideration and be forgiving whether it be pedigree or conformation. Now, being able to go after some of those nicer horses, the biggest thing is you need them to turn into racehorses and successful ones at that. When you get up to the $300,000, $400,000 or $500,000 range, you need to make sure that the owners are going to be able to recoup their investment. They know it’s not always going to work out, but you want to make sure you have a nice horse and develop that horse the right way.” Englehart noted, “My clients are also allowing me to partner them up for certain types of horses, which a lot of people seem to be doing now, and it helps to be able to go after certain horses.” Englehart employed that tactic at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred Yearling sale earlier this month to secure that auction’s second topper, a $500,000 filly by Outwork consigned by Denali Stud as hip 495. The well-pedigreed bay was acquired by a partnership that includes Anna Seitz’s It’s All About the Girl Racing, Gold Square and Durr. “For us, she was just a filly who had that look,” Englehart said. “She had a beautiful top line to her, a great walk, nice strong hip. Her shoulder angle was really nice. She just had everything we look for. Usually, between the two of us we can walk up to one and almost right away say, ‘Oh man–here’s the horse right here.’ We look for certain things, and it’s just the eye test. One thing that I’ve talked to Coach Parcells about is how similar finding football players who are athletes and horses who are as athletes can be. You try to find horses, or players, who remind you of other good horses you’ve had in the past. I think that’s why you see guys like Bob Baffert go to sales and, not only does he have a great team buying his horses, but he sees these other good horses–Chad [Brown], Todd [Pletcher], they’ve seen so many good ones before and they have a type.” Englehart and Durr purchased a total of seven head at the New York-bred sale for a combined $1,030,000–from the $500,000 Outwork filly down to a $10,000 filly by another freshman son of Uncle Mo in Laoban. While Englehart is certainly hoping to take home the hardware in the With Anticipation, a win by one of his competitors wouldn’t be the world result either–George Weaver trainee Our Country (Constitution) is a half-brother to the Outwork filly. “Well, I’d definitely like to win the race,” he chuckled. “The same thing happened to me in the [July 28 GII] Amsterdam. I was running Wendell Fong (Flat Out), but Sweet Kisses, who I own a piece of, is a half to [romping winner] Shancelot (Shanghai Bobby). So, as much as I wanted to win that race, I was still happy to see what Shancelot did to help increase the value of Sweet Kisses.” After Saratoga ends, Englehart will head down to Lexington for Keeneland September. He’s finally graduated to the big leagues, so to speak: “I’m going to head down for Book 1 for the first time this year.” he said. “I’ll probably stay for nine or 10 days and then come back home. I help coach my boys in football, and I don’t want to miss too much football.” The post Englehart’s Stock Continues to Rise appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The Team Valor International green and red silks have long been a familiar sight on the European turf, and they have been carried in recent years by the likes of Euro Charline (GB) (Myboycharlie {Ire}), Capla Temptress (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), Panama Hat (GB) (Medicean {GB}) and Devant (Fr) (Showcasing {GB}) as well as Axana (Ger) (Solider Hollow {GB}), a Group 3 winner in Germany last month. Team Valor’s British roster this year also includes a pair of ascending 3-year-old stayers in Spanish Mission (GB) (Noble Mission {GB}) and Technician (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). While both hold entries for the St Leger, they will be split for their next starts, with Spanish Mission set to head to Belmont Park in New York for the inaugural $1-million Jockey Club Derby on Sept. 7-news first reported by Racing Post on Tuesday–and Technician lining up in the Leger at Doncaster the following weekend. Team Valor’s Barry Irwin said the decision on where to place each colt was straightforward. “Spanish Mission wants it firm and Technician wants it soft,” he said. “We put them both in the St Leger and I also told [the New York Racing Association’s] Martin Panza that I wanted him to keep an eye on both horses and as we got closer to the race we’d make a decision. As things stand now we want to run Spanish Mission in the race at Belmont because he likes it firm, and we’re hoping like hell it rains in England so we can have a bit of a shot with Technician in the St Leger.” Spanish Mission is trained by David Simcock and owned by Team Valor in partnership with fellow American Earle Mack. He was bred by St Elias Stable and was a $125,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Barry Lynch before being bought back for 60,000gns at last year’s Craven Breeze-Up sale. Team Valor and Mack purchased him privately after he broke his maiden at second asking going 2000 metres at Chelmsford last November. He won the 2600 metre G3 Bahrain Trophy S. at Newmarket on July 11 and was third in the Aug. 1 G3 Gordon S. dropped down a furlong at Goodwood. Spanish Mission is from the first crop of Noble Mission, and would be looking to provide his sire with a 3-year-old big-race double after Code of Honor won last weekend’s GI Travers S. The Jockey Club Derby is the third and final race of NYRA’s new Turf Trinity series for 3-year-old colts, with each leg worth $1-million. “Spanish Mission, the jockey [Jamie Spencer] keeps saying that he’s got stamina, the farther he goes the better he’ll be, but don’t think of him as being distance-limited,” Irwin said. “When he won on him the last time he said if this race was 10 furlongs, he’d have won anyway. He’s a pretty versatile horse.” Technician was bred by Barronstown Stud and bought by Dermot Farrington for €40,000 at Goffs Orby. He made his first two starts for owner David Caddy and trainer Martyn Meade before Team Valor purchased him privately, leaving him with Meade. Technician earned his first black-type win in the Listed Prix Ridgway at ParisLongchamp in June, and after a tame sixth in the Gordon at Goodwood he put it all together to win the G3 Geoffrey Freer S. over a soft 2700 metres at Newbury on Aug. 17. “Technician has talent, but he’s an in-and-outer,” Irwin said. “The in-and-out respect of it is because we tried him on some tracks that didn’t suit him and the ground wasn’t to his liking. I wouldn’t say he’s a clumsy or awkward horse, but he needs that confidence in his footing. When he ran at Goodwood [in the Gordon], with the camber of the course, he’d stop, start, stop. The next race was over a relatively flat surface on a galloping track on soft turf and it all came together and he showed what he could do.” Meade added of Technician, “It was a fantastic run at Newbury, and I was very pleased with how he did it. The second horse [Morando] came to him and there was plenty of opportunity for him to chuck it in, but he really battled on well, which was great to see.” Of the Leger, for which Technician is around 20-1, Meade added, “It will be a huge ask–he’ll need to improve quite a lot from the run at Newbury–but if you’re not in you can’t win and hopefully there’ll be a bit of cut in the ground because that will suit him.” Irwin admitted he is not one to think too far ahead with racehorses, but said the holy grail for stayers in Australia would be a dream for both horses. “I’m not one of these long-term strategists, I just think it’s very difficult,” he said. “With both of them, though, we feel very lucky because they’re horses that look like they’re going to get better with age, and the long-range hope for both of them would be the Melbourne Cup.” The post Team Valor Splitting Staying Colts appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Wertheimer homebred Polydream (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}-Polygreen {Fr}, by Green Tune) has been retired from racing to join her owner/breeders’ broodmare band. Polydream bested subsequent six-time Group 1 winner Laurens (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) in the 2017 G3 Prix du Calvados in her second start at two, and was second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac. She collected the G3 Prix du Palais-Royal the following year at three before coming out best of 20 in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. She made it a fourth pattern-race win in this year’s G3 Prix de la Porte Maillot on July 4, and bowed out with a seventh-place finish, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}), in this year’s Prix Maurice de Gheest on Aug. 4. “She’s gone to stud, back to her owners,” said trainer Freddy Head. “She was a very good filly. It’s too early to say which stallion she will go to.” The post Polydream Retired appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Global political turmoil appears to be having no ill affect on the Japanese sales industry, if the results of the Hokkaido Summer Sale are anything to go by. The four-day sale on Aug. 19 to 22 saw a 17.11% increase in gross and the overall sale well outperformed the 2018 edition. The four-day gross was ¥4,937,652,000 (US$46,581,622/€42,058,919/£38,046,744), with a clearance rate of 71.8%. The average of ¥5,748,139 (US$54,227/€48,956/£44,291) and the median of ¥4,536,000 (US$42,792/€38,633/£34,945) saw a 15.88% and 5% increase, respectively, over the previous year. On-site participation was high each day, with satellite parking areas being utilized to handle overflow. The sale topper, lot 640, was a Rulership (Jpn) colt out of the Special Week (Jpn) mare Admire Kagura (Jpn). He was purchased by Equine Racing for ¥29,160,000 (US$275,094/€248,292/£224,648). The highest-priced filly of the week was lot 289, a Sinister Minister daughter of the Deep Impact (Jpn) mare You Are Mine (Jpn) who was purchased by Yoshizawa Stables for ¥21,600,000 (US$203,773/€183,920/£166,389). Yoshizawa Stables is run by Katsumi Yoshizawa, who campaigned Master Fencer (Jpn) in the American Triple Crown this year. The two reigning kings of the sale were the late South Vigorous, who sold 27 of his 29 lots for a gross of ¥230,040,000 (US$2,170,188/€1,959,020/£1,772,052) and Sinister Minister, who sold 28 of his 29 lots for ¥209,304,000 (US$1,974,566/€1,782,432/£1,612,147). Each had a top lot that hammered down at ¥21,600,000 (US$203,773/€183,920/£166,389), and their averages were ¥8,520,000 (US$80,377/€72,549/£65,624) and ¥7,475,142 (US$70,520/€63,652/£57,532), respectively. Both stallions produce highly reliable dirt runners in Japan. Two first-crop sons of the late King Kamehameha (Jpn), Leontes (Jpn) and Lovely Day (Jpn), both did quite well at Japan’s largest yearling auction, selling 30 and 32 lots, respectively, and grossing ¥207,360,000 (US$1,956,226/€1,765,804/£1,595,935) and ¥171,612,000 (US$1,618,981/€1,461,386/£1,321,180), respectively. Five stallions averaged over ¥10-million yen during the sale, and the overall leader was Rulership (Jpn) who had his 11 lots average ¥11,781,818 (US$111,149/€100,322/£90,704). First-crop sire Maurice (Jpn) was the runner-up with his four lots averaging ¥11,475,000 (US$108,254/€97,709/£88,331). Kizuna (Jpn), who ruled the last Hokkaido sale, proved just as popular at the Summer Sale selling all 17 lots with an average of ¥10,882,588 (US$102,665/€92,649/£83,771). First-crop sire Duramente (Jpn) sold nine lots averaging ¥10,296,000 (US$97,132/€87,655/£79,227). The next sale in Hokkaido will be the September Sale on Sept. 17 and 18. The post Figures Up At Hokkaido Summer Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Blake Shinn had plenty of time to think while lying in hospital nursing a broken neck but only in his wildest dreams did he believe he would be beginning his Hong Kong career little more than 12 months later.The 31-year-old admits he is lucky just to be alive after a fall at Randwick during a barrier trial in August last year and is on top of the world as he prepares for his eight rides at Sunday’s season opener.“I was very lucky not to die and very lucky not to be a quadriplegic,” Shinn said… View the full article

As Jerry Hollendorfer seeks judicial intervention to enable him to stable and race his horses at Golden Gate Fields, court filings make clear the arguments both sides are setting forth. Tangled among the various legal arguments are The Stronach Group’s (TSG) charges against the trainer’s professional ethics, while Hollendorfer’s team question the veracity of those assertions, as well as TSG’s own managerial competency. Back in June, Santa Anita management told the trainer to remove his horses from TSG-owned facility, along with some 60 horses from Golden Gate Fields. The action was taken after four Hollendorfer-trained horses were catastrophically injured at Santa Anita during a six-month period, along with two at Golden Gate since November of last year. During this time, Hollendorfer has had no formal regulatory ruling against him. The hearing was originally scheduled for last Friday at the Alameda County Superior Court, but the judge postponed it until Friday Aug. 30 for more time to read the extensive court filings. The judge also gave both sides a week to file additional briefs. The California Thoroughbred Trainers (CTT) are co-plaintiffs alongside Hollendorfer. According to CTT legal representative Darrell Vienna, the backbone of their argument surrounds the 2018-2019 race-meet agreement that the CTT and the Pacific Racing Association entered into in November of last year. “I think the most important issue before the court during this ex-parte application is whether there is a breach of contract, and that contract is the race meet agreement,” Vienna told the TDN. “There has been a clear breach of the contract, and that is, they have excluded a person without the consent of the CTT. They never asked for the consent, and at this point, it has never been given.” In an additional filing Friday, TSG argues that the plaintiffs “simply” aren’t entitled to a preliminary injunction. “No injunction is necessary to preserve the status quo, as the status quo is that Hollendorfer is not presently stabling, training or racing his horses at Golden Gate Fields,” writes attorney Richard Specter. Nevertheless, the TSG’s initial court filings lay out arguments of a much more personal nature. In them, company representatives and an official veterinarian advance a series of claims that question the ethical approach of Hollendorfer’s operation. What appears the most damning testimony comes from California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) official veterinarian Dana Stead, who writes that on the morning of May 18 of this year, jockey Rafael Bejarano worked the Hollendorfer-trained Blackjackcat five furlongs, after which the horse pulled up lame on its left front. According to Stead, Bejarano alerted him of the incident, and the following morning—the day the horse was entered to race—Stead examined Blackjackcat at Hollendorfer’s barn, where the trainer’s assistant Dan Ward was overseeing operations. Stead said he found the horse to be a “3 on a scale of 5 lame at the jog” on the right front leg. “I asked Dan Ward why Mr. Hollendorfer had entered the horse in this condition, and Ward’s response was ‘he was much worse yesterday, we were hoping that if we could get him right by the race, great, if not, we’d scratch,'” said Stead’s filing. “They were working on the hopeful assumption that the horse had just ‘hit himself in the work.'” According to Stead, CHRB official veterinarian Tim Grande examined the horse on May 23, and found swelling in the leg. As a result, the horse was scratched, and an ultrasound was ordered which revealed a “20% core lesion to the superficial digital flexor tendon,” Stead claims. “In my opinion, Blackjackcat never should never have been entered to race following that May 18 workout.” Hollendorfer’s team filed Friday a number of supporting declarations by respected veterinarians, trainers, jockeys and owners—including Art Sherman, Doug O’Neill, and owners Terry Finley and Frank Stronach—that attest to the Hall-of-Famer’s character and his professional record. In his own filing, Hollendorfer disputes the various claims made against him, saying there were “incorrect or false representations in all,” including Stead’s. Hollendorfer paints a picture whereby Stead had agreed with Blackjackcat’s treatment plan, and that no diagnostic tests had been conducted prior to the horse being scratched “because doing so would require the horse be tranquilized, and all were concerned that might lead to a ‘positive test,'” if the horse competed. “On August 8, 2019, I spoke with Dr. Dana Stead while at Del Mar,” Hollendorfer writes. “At that time, Dr. Stead advised me that at no time did he feel me or my barn had attempted to hide any injury to Blackjackcat or do something unprofessional or unsafe with the horse.” Hollendorfer further claims that “Dr. Stead stated that he was aware throughout the week that the horse remained in training and that I and my barn would not object to Blackjactcat being scratched if there were any concerns about the horse’s condition later in the week.” In his filing, Stead also claims that he had been informed “by the official veterinarian’s secretary” of a “disturbing conversation” that person had overheard “involving Mr. Hollendorfer’s barn.” According to Stead, the substance of this alleged conversation involved one of Hollenderfer’s personal veterinarians being coerced into signing a pre-workout slip to remove a horse from the veterinarian’s list. “Specifically,” Stead claims in the filing, “Dan Ward, Hollendoerfer’s assistant, advised this personal veterinarian that they needed to sign the form, or else the Hollendorfer barn would find another veterinary practice that would be willing to do so. The veterinarian signed the above mentioned form and submitted it to the official veterinarian; however noted in the comments that they felt the horse was not sound to perform said workout. In my opinion, this is an improper practice by the Hollendoerfer barn, and is not consistent with honest and safe practices in the horse racing industry.” Jennifer Finley, one of Hollendorfer’s regular veterinarians at Santa Anita, argues that it was TSG who had pressured Hollendorfer to take actions that weren’t in the best interests of horse welfare. “An example of his concern was highlighted recently when Santa Anita officials pressurized him to allow them to purchase an injured horse, rather than to permit me to humanely euthanize the horse,” she writes. “To his credit, Jerry did not give in to those representatives because he made clear that he wanted to do what was humane and right for an obvious critically injured horse, regardless of the consequences he would eventually face from Santa Anita officials,” Finley adds. In her 34-page declaration, Dionne Benson, TSG’s Chief Veterinary Officer, claims that two Hollendorfer-trained horses catastrophically injured—Kochees and American Currency—had pre-existing injuries that should have been detected sooner. Specifically, her filing states, “In my opinion, Kochees would have likely shown lameness after his last workout, which should have been observed by the trainer and triggered a request to have a veterinarian diagnose the source of the lameness. Mr. Hollendorfer failed to do so, and instead entered Kochees in a race, leading to his demise.” In TSG’s initial filing, there’s also repeated mention of a meeting on June 22, the day American Currency was fatally injured, between TSG representatives and Hollendorfer in which was allegedly discussed the trainer’s recent equine fatalities. TSG COO, Tim Ritvo, writes in his filing how “Mr. Hollendorfer was given ample opportunity to state his case, but was unable to provide satisfactory answers,” which led to Hollendorfer’s exclusion from Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields. Hollendorfer disputes the substance of that meeting. “That meeting lasted little more than five minutes,” Hollendorfer writes, adding that he wasn’t given the opportunity to explain his training and safety methods, nor the circumstances surrounding the equine fatalities. “Mr. Ritvo began the meeting by apologizing, saying ‘It hurts me to have to do this, but [TSG President] Belinda Stronach wants you out,'” after which he was given 72 hours to remove his horses from TSG’s California facilities, Hollendorfer writes. Furthermore, Kim Kuhlmann—one of Hollendorfer’s regular veterinarians in Northern California—disputes Benson’s claim that it would have been possible to identify Kochees’s pre-existing injuries. “I find that opinion to be unfounded and incorrect, given that I am told she never actually, personally examined that horse or had reason to have contemporaneous personal knowledge of the horse’s health and condition,” Kuhlmann writes. In another twist, Frank Stronach, who’s currently embroiled in a bitter legal dispute with his daughter, Belinda, over control of TSG, adds fuel to the fire with his own declaration that takes square aim at the competency of Santa Anita management. Included is a letter Stronach wrote to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, which is currently investigating the equine fatalities at Santa Anita. TSG, Stronach writes, “chose to maximize profits instead of investing in measures that would have enhanced safety. By doing so, management at The Stronach Group inflicted incredible damage on the reputation of the horse industry. Their failure to take action has resulted in the needless deaths of numerous racehorses and has shaken the public trust in the sport of horse racing.” The post Prior To Hollendorfer Hearing Friday, Both Sides Lay Out Case appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Marine Treasure takes softer approach this Friday View the full article

Updates on Stewards' follow-ups to Friday and Sunday meetings View the full article

Moloney keen to renew Kranji experience next year View the full article

The Texas Summer Yearling and Mixed Sale held Monday at Lone Star Park concluded with gains in average and gross receipts. The sale was sponsored by the Texas Thoroughbred Association and Lone Star Park. In the yearling session, 42 of 65 head sold for a total of $506,000, which was an increase of 22.1% from last year, when 44 of 82 sold for $414,300. This year’s average came in at $12,048, up 28% from last year’s $9,416. The median this year dropped to $5,000 from $7,750. Buybacks at this year’s sale were 35.4% compared to 46.3% last year. “Even with a smaller catalog this year, it’s encouraging that we were able to increase the gross sales along with a big surge in the average,” said Tim Boyce, sales director. Hip 61, a Louisiana-bred colt by Shanghai Bobby, topped the sale after commanding a $115,000 bid from Summer Grove Farm. The yearling was consigned by Clear Creek Stud LLC, agent. The post Texas Yearling Sale Records Gains in Average, Gross appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Two of the biggest names in the training ranks are teaming up. Michael House and Steven Reid have agreed to terms that will see the latter train the former’s northern team. Ten horses moved from Kumeu to Pukekohe on Saturday and there is a promise of many more to come. House, who finished third on the trainer’s premiership last season with 98 winners, says his plan is to have upwards of 30 horses trained in Auckland by the new year. “I’m committing myself to this move and I felt the best way to do that, to give myself the best chance, was putting the right staff in place to make it work,” he told HRNZ. House initially set up in Kumeu earlier this year and had Neil Munro taking care of the team before he returned to Christchurch recently to train his own horses. “When Neil came home, I sat down and thought about it how I could do it best. “I wanted to get one of the best guys and after a phone call to gauge Steven’s interest, I was on a plane the next day to have lunch with him. “It’s played out over a month and we signed off on it over the weekend.” House has rented out a recently-vacated stable at Franklin Park and says he expects it to become a key part of a huge strategy he will roll out this season. “It was either pull stumps and come home when Neil did or think about a bigger picture.” Kimberley Blakemore will take on the role as stable manager, leaving Reid to simply train the horses around his own team and that was part of the appeal for him. “I don’t work a big team, which I’m actually quite happy about because I have Star Galleria and some nice young stock coming through.” said Reid. “But early on in my career I used to buy a lot of horses from the South Island and loved doing different things with them to see if I could get the best out of them. “So, to be able to do that again is a little bit exciting. “Kim can run the barn; I will just jump in the cart and train them and that suits me fine.” Among the team Reid received over the weekend were Delightful Major, Warloch, Shillelagh, Mogul and a newcomer to the north, Changearound. “I said to Michael that I would like to take a few weeks to step them back from racing and spend a little bit of time on them to get to know them all.” The plan will be for House to continue his highly-successful Manawatu raids and then many horses will continue on to Reid and Blakemore in Auckland. He won’t outright admit it, but 100 winners and a trainer’s premiership are seemingly goals for him this season. “To win a premiership with low level horses, you probably need 100 of them and they all win a race. “I guess it’s very possible with the strategy we are developing but I’m not hanging my hat on it. “The kids have been on at me about it though, and that’s a motivator. “When I was a kid, there were paddocks full of horses waiting to come in to training at every stable. “That’s not the case anymore and that will be the biggest hurdle to overcome – a lack of available horses. “But I’m only limited by own imagination and I think we’ve shown in the past few seasons that anything is possible if you have the right staff in place.” View the full article

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22.3″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.22.3″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Article Test” _builder_version=”3.22.4″] Two of the biggest names in the training ranks are teaming up. Michael House and Steven Reid have agreed to terms that will see the latter train the former’s northern team. Ten horses moved from Kumeu to Pukekohe on Saturday and there is a promise of many more to come. House, who finished third on the trainer’s premiership last season with 98 winners, says his plan is to have upwards of 30 horses trained in Auckland by the new year. “I’m committing myself to this move and I felt the best way to do that, to give myself the best chance, was putting the right staff in place to make it work,” he told HRNZ. House initially set up in Kumeu earlier this year and had Neil Munro taking care of the team before he returned to Christchurch recently to train his own horses. “When Neil came home, I sat down and thought about it how I could do it best. “I wanted to get one of the best guys and after a phone call to gauge Steven’s interest, I was on a plane the next day to have lunch with him. “It’s played out over a month and we signed off on it over the weekend.” House has rented out a recently-vacated stable at Franklin Park and says he expects it to become a key part of a huge strategy he will roll out this season. “It was either pull stumps and come home when Neil did or think about a bigger picture.” Kimberley Blakemore will take on the role as stable manager, leaving Reid to simply train the horses around his own team and that was part of the appeal for him. “I don’t work a big team, which I’m actually quite happy about because I have Star Galleria and some nice young stock coming through.” said Reid. “But early on in my career I used to buy a lot of horses from the South Island and loved doing different things with them to see if I could get the best out of them. “So, to be able to do that again is a little bit exciting. “Kim can run the barn; I will just jump in the cart and train them and that suits me fine.” Among the team Reid received over the weekend were Delightful Major, Warloch, Shillelagh, Mogul and a newcomer to the north, Changearound. “I said to Michael that I would like to take a few weeks to step them back from racing and spend a little bit of time on them to get to know them all.” The plan will be for House to continue his highly-successful Manawatu raids and then many horses will continue on to Reid and Blakemore in Auckland. He won’t outright admit it, but 100 winners and a trainer’s premiership are seemingly goals for him this season. “To win a premiership with low level horses, you probably need 100 of them and they all win a race. “I guess it’s very possible with the strategy we are developing but I’m not hanging my hat on it. “The kids have been on at me about it though, and that’s a motivator. “When I was a kid, there were paddocks full of horses waiting to come in to training at every stable. “That’s not the case anymore and that will be the biggest hurdle to overcome – a lack of available horses. “But I’m only limited by own imagination and I think we’ve shown in the past few seasons that anything is possible if you have the right staff in place.” [/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section] The post Top trainers to team up appeared first on BOAY Racing News. View the full article

Sacred Capital winning the Macau Gold Cup (1800m) on Sunday. Raffles Racing’s New Zealand-bred Sacred Capital has quickly stamped himself as the star of Macau Racing, with the son of O’Reilly winning Sunday’s M$800,000 (NZ$155,000) Macau Gold Cup (1800m) in effortless fashion in testing conditions. The five-year-old has won six of his eight starts in Macau for trainer Joe Lau, having landed the M$2.6 million Macau Derby (1800m) at his previous start and the good-looking gelding is noted for his versatility, being able to adapt to different running styles and track conditions. Sacred Capital started a well-fancied $1.90 favourite and was ridden to victory by Peter Ho. “It was a big win, that’s for sure, and he is just a great horse. It’s easy to train horses like him,” Lau told Harry Troy of the Macau Jockey Club. It was the typical modest reply that you’d expect from Lau, but the truth is it has not all been plain sailing for Sacred Capital who through an abscess on his hoof had to miss both the Derby Trial (1500m), and the Macau Guineas (1500m) the main lead up races to the Derby. “Yes he had some issues but fortunately we were able to get his hoof right even though it was a bit of a rush to get him fit for the Derby,” Lau said. “It’s been a great team effort overall and a big thanks to my stable team.” The win gave Lau his first ever victory in the Macau Gold Cup which is one of the few Macau features that have eluded him. A graduate of the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale, Sacred Capital was sold by Waikato Stud for $580,000 to the bid of Victorian trainer Ciaron Maher, in conjunction with bloodstock agent Bruce Perry and Waterford Bloodstock. The son of O’Reilly commenced his career under the name Rellson in Australia for Maher, where his six starts included a maiden victory, a fourth in the Listed Poseidon Stakes (1400m) and sixth placings in the Gr. 2 Autumn Classic (1800m) and Gr.3 Carbine Club Stakes (1600m). Since relocating to Macau, Sacred Capital has won six of his eight starts and earned more than M$2.5 million in prize-money (NZ$485,000) for Raffles Racing’s Dato Yap Kim San, who races him in partnership with Chen Ching Lung. The Macau Racing season concluded over the weekend with New Zealand breds winning 32.3 percent of all races for the season in the territory. Brazilian Ruan Maia was once again crowned Champion Jockey on 71 wins, 19 victories clear of Luis Corrales on 52 with Peter Ho third on 42 winners. Stanley Chin picked up his first Champion Trainer’s Title with 52 winners, 11 ahead of Sio Cheong on 41, with Danny Wong and Tony Fung in a tie for third on 38 wins. View the full article

The slew of top performances on the blockbuster Aug. 24 card at Saratoga Race Course produced some shifts among the top 10 in the National Thoroughbred Racing Association Top Thoroughbred Poll. View the full article

After two years away from race riding, Reece Cole was back in the winner’s circle at Ellerslie on Saturday possibly opening the door for a bigger assignment on the track in a fortnight. Cole signalled his comeback with a decisive seven-length win on Magic Cannon, who broke through for his first victory over fences for trainer Mark Brosnan. Straight after the race Brosnan was considering taking a big step with Magic Cannon and lining him up in the Boutique Body Corporates Great Northern Hurdle (4190m). “He can stay and he likes heavy ground,” Brosnan said. “We might have a look at the Northern. He’s very fit.” Cole believes Magic Cannon could be a “sneaky one” in the Great Northern Hurdle. “He feels like he will stay all day,” he said. A constant battle with his weight resulted in Cole giving up riding in August 2017 and during his time away from race riding he kept busy breaking-in and pre-training horses for Karen Fursdon, Mark Lupton and Jason Price. “Hard work has got me here this year,” he said. “I’ve also got to thank Bob and Toby (Autridge) and Wayne and Nessie Hillis. Wayne reckons that schooling lesson he gave me worked. “It’s good to get back and especially to win at headquarters. I’ve got my weight down and I know there’s only a little bit left in the (jumps) season, but I wanted to see if I’m hungry and it’s worked.” View the full article

Tony Allan. Former Levin jockey Tony Allan has capped off placings with a double in Queensland. Allan has been making the most of all opportunities since arriving in Queensland a few weeks ago, some times riding at two meetings in a day. He made the trip from his Deagon base to Toowoomba on Saturday night and was successful on the favourite Wall Street Tycoon in the first event, then ended the six-race meeting with victory in the last race on the second favourite Aladina, a five-year-old daughter of Darci Brahma and Pavan who formerly raced in New Zealand for her breeder, Sir Peter Vela, when picking up a few placings. “I was happy to ride a double from four rides,” Allan said. “I’m enjoying it over here.” Allan was particularly pleased to win on Aladina as he had a long and successful association with Sir Peter before his retirement in 2005. View the full article

Craig Thornton (right), pictured with Alex Teng, has returned to New Zealand after a training stint in China. Craig Thornton received a great welcome home gift at Ellerslie on Saturday when Lacustre took out the CLC Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4900m) for trainer Samantha Logan. Thornton has recently returned from a seven month training stint in China and he was pleased to be trackside on Saturday to watch the horse he formerly trained, and still part-owns, take out the time-honoured race. “To get home and have him back at Ellerslie and to get the job done it was a pretty special occasion,” he said. Thornton initially trained the son of Postponed for Westbury Stud Principal Gerry Harvey and pulled together a syndicate to purchase the horse when Harvey indicated he no longer wanted to persevere with Lacustre. “He was a horse I originally had for Gerry Harvey and Russell Warwick and we won a race with him on the flat over 1900m at Rotorua,” Thornton said. “He is a horse we have always liked, although he didn’t go as far as we thought he would on the flat. “They decided they weren’t going to continue with him, so I had a bunch of guys I thought would be suitable owners. Lacustre on his way to taking out the Pakuranga Hunt Cup (4900m) at Ellerslie on Saturday Kristin Ledington. “We put a syndicate together and purchased the horse. He wasn’t a natural jumper and we have had to play around with his jumping a lot and last year we just ran him over hurdles to get his confidence up. “It has been a long-term project, but he always showed he had the stamina that we were looking for.” Thornton was full of praise for trainer Samantha Logan after Saturday’s win. “She has done an incredible job with this horse,” he said. “He is not the easiest to train. He has a few muscle enzyme problems and she does a fantastic job keeping him fit and sound.” Thornton, a former jumps jockey, has a strong association with the Great Northern Steeplechase (6400m) and he said he would dearly love to win the Network Visuals-sponsored race at Ellerslie next month with Lacustre. “It is a race dear to my heart,” Thornton said. “When I was 14-years-old I led in Bean’s Beau and Bryce Waters after they won the Great Northern in 1981. “That’s when they had the white coats and I was so tiny I had to roll the sleeves up because the coat was too big for me. “I have been successful in it twice (as a jockey). I won on Brother Bart in 1991 and Amanood Lad in 2014.” Thornton said he was pleased to return home after a recent training stint in China and is looking forward to starting a new challenge as travelling foreman for Te Akau. “It was going well up in China, I was there for seven months,” he said. “I didn’t complete the whole 12 month contract, it’s a very difficult lifestyle living up there, but I had initial success. “I had four winners in the first month I was there and I had a number of placings. It tapered off a little bit and we came to a mutual agreement that I would return to New Zealand and they had an assistant that took over from me. “I am off to Melbourne on Wednesday. I am going to look after the UK import Caliburn for Te Akau. I was quite fortunate to fall into that position. “I spent a week in Singapore with Donna (Logan, trainer) when I left China and Mark Walker (Te Akau’s Singapore trainer) mentioned it to me.” – NZ Racing Desk View the full article

A largely fine weather week in Hastings ahead of day one of the Bostock New Zealand Spring Carnival is expected to provide perfect footing for all runners on Saturday, which marks the return to Group One racing with a strong field to be assembled for the Tarzino Trophy (1400m). “Richard Fenwick (Racecourse Manager) did a reading on the track this morning and it came up a Dead5,” Hawke’s Bay Racing General Manager Andrew Castles said. “There might be a shower on Tuesday and the possibility of a shower on Friday, and that would do more good than harm I would have thought. “If we could provide a Dead5 track at this time of year, it gives everyone a surface on which they can operate on.” The Hawke’s Bay Racing Club and its partners will again get behind a good cause to support the Hawke’s Bay Cancer Society, with a host of fundraising initiatives and activities on course. Over the past five years Hawke’s Bay Racing has raised more than $135,000 to provide care and support to local families affected by cancer. Group One racing returns on Saturday for the Tarzino Trophy TAB Daffodil Raceday at Hawke’s Bay Trish Dunell This year the TAB is doubling its donations, handing over $2,000 per winner in the Daffodil Raceday silks to the Cancer Society. Former All Black and World Cup hero Stephen Donald will be the guest speaker at a High Tea for Hawke’s Bay Cancer Society Volunteers. Admission on the day is by $5 donation to the Hawke’s Bay Cancer Society. “It’s a special day for us here at Hawke’s Bay Racing to be able to contribute to our local cancer society,” Castles said. “It’s a terrible disease that afflicts so many people and no one is immune to being caught up in it. My mother this year has had cancer treatment and she was able to capitalise on the great stuff that the cancer society are able to provide. “It is special to all of us here and we are thrilled and privileged to be able to raise money for that cancer society and see them make a difference in our community.” In addition to a quality program of racing, there is the promise of plenty of action with The Hits free family zone with children’s entertainment, live music, and a food precinct offering Hawke’s Bay’s finest outdoor catering. View the full article

American Pharoah and Constitution currently lead the freshman sire standing as the top two, respectively, and both young stallions have a chance to sire their third stakes winner this year in the Aug. 28 With Anticipation Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga. View the full article

A guide to television and radio horse racing coverage, compiled by America's Best Racing, through Labor Day weekend and the end of the meets at Saratoga Race Course and Del Mar: View the full article

Aaron Kuru recorded a career highlight when winning the Grand National Steeplechase (4500m) aboard Tallyho Twinkletoe at Ballarat on Sunday. Last season’s premiership winning jumps jockey Aaron Kuru secured the biggest scalp of his riding career when taking out the Grand National Steeplechase (4500m) at Ballarat on Sunday aboard the Patrick Payne-trained Tallyho Twinkletoe. The duo have formed a formidable partnership, retaining their 100 percent strike-rate after combining to win the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown earlier this month. Kuru was delighted with the win although he said the nine-year-old gelding was overly eager in the early stages of the race. “In the first half of the race he was probably doing a bit more than he needed to. He was a bit fresh and a bit keen and fired up. “Nevertheless, he settled into his work and he finished the race off nicely.” Kuru was quick to divert praise to part-owner Jo Rathbone and former trainer Kevin Myers after the win. “I am only a small piece of the puzzle,” he said. “I have only sat on the horse twice and both times they were at the races. “I don’t know what goes on behind the scenes with them, but what they have done with this horse is pretty amazing. “Jo did say to me before the National Hurdles that no one has seen the best of this horse. She proved that with what he did on Sunday.” With the victory Tallyho Twinkletoe became the first horse since Mosstrooper in 1930 to take out the Grand National Hurdle-Steeplechase double in the same season. “I think he is just a true stayer and he just jumps what is in front of him,” Kuru said. “He has also got plenty of speed, which goes along with his stamina. He is the perfect horse to break the record on Sunday.” While Kuru expected regular rider Mathew Gillies to regain the ride after missing the Grand National Hurdle following a fall at Riccarton earlier this month, he was pleased to secure the ride and win against strong company. “I didn’t think I was going to pick the ride up again,” he said. “I thought Mat Gillies was going to take the ride, but they offered me the ride and I jumped at the chance. “I think that was one of the strongest fields I have been up against in my career. It was a really good field and it wasn’t going to be easy, but he made it look that way.” Kuru is unsure what the next steps are for the son of St Reims, who was bred by Ardsley Stud’s Jim Wallace, but he is hoping he is part of those future calculations. “I don’t think Jo or Kevin have made any plans just yet, but it’s pretty exciting.” – NZ Racing Desk View the full article