Wandering Eyes

A solid field will contest the Seagram Cup at Woodbine as last-out graded victors Are You Kidding Me and Mr Havercamp face off against a group of quality foes. View the full article

Fore Left brings a 2-for-2 record into the $200,000 Best Pal Stakes (G2) at Del Mar, where the son of Twirling Candy will face a competitive field of six other 2-year-old males going six furlongs Aug. 10. View the full article

News Analysis When NYRA reached the halfway point of its 2019 Saratoga meet Wednesday, all-sources handle was $320,684,714, or 2.3 percent higher than the number posted after the 20th racing day a year earlier. While that may seem like only a minor increase in handle, the number is more impressive than it may look on paper. For several reasons, comparing Saratoga 2019 vs. 2018 is like comparing pineapples to watermelons, but there is a key factor involved in those numbers that tells you just how well NYRA has broken out of the gate. Due to the heat, NYRA lost an entire Saturday card on July 20. Saturday cards at Saratoga in July normally handle in the $23 million range. Had NYRA been able to run that card it would likely be up about 9.5 percent on the year at the midway point. Saratoga also lost seven races on July 25 due to a thunderstorm and one jump race earlier in the meet. They’ve made up for it by adding extra races to some cards and ran only six fewer races in the first half of 2019 than they did in 2018. Still, there’s no making up for a $23 million handle day on a Saturday. This is the first year that NYRA has gone to what basically amounts to a five-day-per-week, eight weeks of racing schedule. Officially, the change was made because NYRA needed to clear out of Belmont early to allow construction to begin on the new arena being built for the New York Islanders. NYRA has committed to the same schedule for 2020, but has said it will not make any decisions about 2021 until being able to evaluate the numbers from the prior two meets. Likely, they’ve already seen enough. Eight weeks, five days is here to stay. Employees, fans and horsemen will probably be worn out come closing day, Labor Day, and ready to leave quaint Saratoga for not so quaint Elmont, Long Island. Even in a place as special as Saratoga, eight weeks is a grind. But NYRA is so reliant on the revenue it brings in from Saratoga that it can’t turn away from a meet that looks like it has hit the magic number when it comes to maximizing profits. And getting to the finish line of the meet has been made easier by the five-day schedule, and that has to be the No. 1 reason this meet is doing as well as it is. No track, not even Saratoga, can make six days of racing every week work anymore. The quality of racing gets watered down, the field sizes shrink and everyone can use more than just one day a week off from the track. The average field size has increased from 7.61 to 7.98. While that, a 4.9 percent increase, may not seem like a lot, every last horse that can be added to a card adds to total handle. Had they been running six days a week there’s little doubt field size would be down. NYRA has also been able to run more turf races (85) this year as opposed to last (74). The difference is that 27 races came off the grass last year versus 20 this year. Ironically, while NYRA’s off-track business has been booming, on-track handle is down significantly, off 11.8 percent from last year. Through the first half of the meet there had been a $7.16 million decline. That could be because of the early start of the meet, July 11. The 2018 meet began July 20. Only $3.08 million was bet on track on opening day this year versus $5.4 million the year before. Racing fans, even after all these years, still seem to have a hard time adjusting to July racing at a track that had traditionally run only during the month of August. But should NYRA’s on-track numbers start to catch up to 2018 figures that should make the handle numbers look all that more impressive. The days of four-week, 24-day meets at Saratoga are something from the distant past. That has caused the quality of racing to suffer somewhat. It would have been unheard of in the eighties for NYRA to card a $12,500 claimer or a $20,000 maiden claimer at Saratoga. But the Saratoga brand has apparently become so strong that bettors don’t seem to mind cheap races, as long as they consist of a large field. With NYRA having created an “event” at Belmont, the Stars and Stripes Festival, the weekend before Saratoga opens and with Labor Day being the unofficial end of summer, there doesn’t appear to be any room for Saratoga to expand further. The 2019 meet appears to have set the stage for the future. The post Handle Figures Show Revamped Saratoga Dates Working appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Arlington’s GI Secretariat S., contested at a mile and a quarter since 1985, has been turned back in distance to a one-mile event this year, and drew a competitive nine-horse field for Saturday’s running at the Chicago area oval. True to form, Chad Brown has a pair of imposing runners in Peter Brant’s Fog of War (War Front) and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Mike Ryan’s Valid Point (Scat Daddy). Fog of War, who followed up a debut victory with a popular score in the GI Summer S. at Woodbine, was laid off for the next eight-plus months before returning with a disappointing sixth in the Paradise Creek S. May 25 at Belmont. The $400,000 Keeneland September grad bounced back, however, with a good second when adding blinkers in a salty renewal of the Manila S. July 4 in Elmont, out of which third finisher Casa Creed (Jimmy Creed) returned to win the GII Hall of Fame S. last week at Saratoga. Valid Point rallied to a sharp and well-bet first-out success Feb. 10 at Gulfstream and repeated with a 3 1/2-length allowance triumph June 7 at Belmont, in which he clocked a :44.92 final half-mile split. Aidan O’Brien sends over a pair for Coolmore looking for his record-extending fifth Secretariat win, led by Never No More (Ire) (No Nay Never). A second-out graduate over the Dundalk all-weather last October, the chestnut was seventh at even-money in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Legacy S. to close his 2-year-old account. Returning with an 8-1 tally in the Naas Racecourse Business Club Madrid H. Mar. 24, he repeated in the Ballylinch Stud Red Rocks 2,000 Guineas Trial last out Apr. 6 at Leopardstown. Van Beethoven (Scat Daddy) has kept better company, but has been out of the trifecta in eight straight outings since conquering the G2 GAIN Railway S. last summer at The Curragh. Spending his last three starts in Group 1 waters, the dark bay was sixth in the G1 Emirates French 2,000 Guineas May 12 at Longchamp, seventh in the G1 Tattersalls Irish 2,000 Guineas 13 days later at The Curragh and eighth in the G1 St. James’s Palace S. June 18 at Royal Ascot. The post Secretariat, Turned Back to Mile, Draws Competitive Group appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Magic Dance (More Than Ready), the TDN Rising Star who stumbled at the start of the GII Adirondack S. at Saratoga Sunday, sustained a bone bruise in her left front leg in the incident and will be off for an undetermined amount of time, according to her trainer, Steve Asmussen. “It was a result of the stumble that she had in the Adirondack which broke the skin in the back of her left front ankle,” said Asmussen from Saratoga Friday morning. “It was quite a significant stumble. She actually burned the hair off the front of her left front ankle, which I’ve never seen a horse do stumbling away from the gate.” Asmussen said the incident provided a couple of anxious moments back at the barn. “We were nothing short of very scared because she was obviously favoring it after the race, but after a couple of sets of X-rays and a couple of consultations, we feel she’ll be okay with some time off.” Asmussen said she will be sent to Three Chimneys Farm to rest and rehabilitate. “We are very comfortable with how she is the last couple of days,” said Asmussen. “She’ll stay here at Saratoga for the next couple of days, then head to Three Chimneys and be under the care of Chris Baker until she’s 100 percent, which is what she deserves.” Despite the incident, Magic Dance finished a game third in the race. She was named a Rising Star in her debut June 7, 24 hours before her half-sister Guarana (Ghostzapper) scored a runaway win in the Acorn. Magic Dance, bred and owned by Three Chimneys Farm, subsequently won the June 29 Debutante at Churchill. The post Bone Bruise for Magic Dance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

When stablemates Bricks and Mortar (Giant’s Causeway) and Robert Bruce (Chi) (Fast Company {Ire}) first met in the June 8 GI Manhattan S. at Belmont, division-leading Bricks and Mortar got the jump while Robert Bruce was stuck in some midstretch traffic, and kicked away to a 1 1/2-length conquest. Saturday, the two will reconvene at Arlington Park for the 37th running of the GI Arlington Million, where Robert Bruce will be defending his title after taking home last year’s Million trophy. Klaravich Stables and Bill Lawrence’s Bricks and Mortar, four-for-four to start his career before running third in the local GIII Saranac S. as a sophomore two summers ago, was famously lost to injury for over a year after filling the same slot in the GIII Hill Prince S. at Belmont. Returning to powerfully annex the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S. second off the layoff Jan. 26, he reeled off victories in the GII Muniz Memorial H. at Fair Grounds and GI Old Forester Turf Classic S. at Churchill before returning home to take the Manhattan, asserting himself as the clear favorite for champion turf male. Robert Bruce, undefeated in six starts in his native Chile, including two Group 1 triumphs, scored in his Stateside debut in the GIII Fort Marcy S. last spring before running sixth, beaten just a length, in the Manhattan. Shipped to Chicago, he finished fastest of all to earn a half-length success in the Million, but was a well-beaten runner-up in the GI Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational and a no-factor seventh in the GI Breeders’ Cup Turf to close out his 4-year-old season. Fifth at odds-on when defending his Fort Marcy crown, he ran on well after being forced to idle in traffic to be second in the Manhattan when returning to his preferred firm ground. He’ll likely get that ground again Saturday as forecasts are clear for the big day in Arlington Heights. Coolmore’s Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the only filly in the 10-horse field, has already placed in a pair of Grade I events so far this year and takes her fourth journey across the Atlantic for Aidan O’Brien. Winless since a dominant success in the G2 Ribblesdale S. last June at Royal Ascot, the bay was runner-up in both the G1 Qatar Prix Vermeille and G1 Prix de l’Opera Longines at Longchamp before finishing fourth in the GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf. Completing the exacta again behind Bricks and Mortar in the Pegasus Turf, she was fifth in the G1 Dubai Sheema Classic and third, beaten less than a length in the GI Man O’ War May 11 at Belmont. Second two more times in the Wolferton S. and G1 Juddmonte Pretty Polly S. back in Europe, she’ll try to rebound from a rare poor effort after finishing last of 11 behind superstar Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. just two weeks ago at Ascot. Fiona Carmichael’s Intellogent (Ire) (Intello {Ger}) looks to get back to the Group 1-winning form from his sophomore season in this North American bow. Notching a 10-1 upset in the G1 Qatar Prix Jean last July at Deauville, he was off the board in his next two before running third at 16-1 when debuting as a 4-year-old in the G2 Prix d’Harcourt Apr. 7 at Longchamp. Last of five in the G1 Prix Ganay there three weeks later, the chestnut bounced back to be fourth, beaten 1 3/4 lengths, in the G1 Prix d’Ispahan last out May 26 in Paris. The Fabrice Chappet trainee adds blinkers and Lasix for this test and will be piloted by Florent Geroux, who won the 2015 Million aboard The Pizza Man (English Channel). The post Bricks and Mortar Meets Title-Defending Stablemate in Million appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Champion and win machine Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) looms large as she looks to defend her title in an expected seven-horse renewal of Saturday’s GI Beverly D. S., the first of three Grade Is at Arlington. A winner of three of four to start her career in France, the bay earned a trip to America with a second at 12-1 in the G1 Prix de Diane Longines two summers ago. Since then, she’s a neck and a head from being undefeated in seven U.S. starts, all except one coming at the Grade I level. Finishing a neck second in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational, her only Stateside outing as a 3-year-old, she made her 2018 debut with a convincing win in the GI Coolmore Jenny Wiley S. at Keeneland. Runner-up by a head in the GII New York S. after that, she annexed the GI Diana S. Beverly D. and GI Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf to earn her champion turf female statuette. Unveiled for the season July 13, the Peter Brant colorbearer looked as good as ever, sweeping to a repeat conquest of the Diana. Sistercharlie’s main competition appears to be Coolmore’s 3-year-old filly Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}), making her North American debut while facing elders for the first time. Upsetting the G2 William Hill May Hill S. at 12-1 in her juvenile finale last September at Doncaster, the bay was last of 15 in the G1 QIPCO 1,000 Guineas off the bench May 5 at Newmarket, but has been in top form since. Third at 25-1 in the G1 Epsom Oaks May 31, she proved that was no fluke when second behind the promising Star Catcher (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in Royal Ascot’s G2 Ribblesdale S. June 20 and came up just a half-length short of that rival once more in the G1 Kerrygold Irish Oaks July 20 at The Curragh. Chad Brown, trainer of Sistercharlie, has backup in Klaravich Stables’ Competitionofideas (Speightstown), victress of last winter’s GI American Oaks, and Thais (Fr) (Rio de La Plata), third at 47-1 in last year’s Beverly D. The post Sistercharlie Looks Primed for Bev D Repeat appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The popular Shergar Cup jockeys’ competition is staged at Ascot on Saturday, and Hayley Turner, captain of the Girls Team, is looking forward to defending her Silver Saddle crown for leading rider at the fixture as well as the team title. “I love it, it’s like waiting for Christmas,” Turner told Sky Sports News. “I just enjoy it so much and I don’t know why, it’s just something a bit different and it’s good fun. I had a good year last year and having the team event, while we ride as individuals, you keep an eye on everyone else as well.” Last year the three-strong girls team included Turner’s fellow Brits Hollie Doyle and Josephine Gordon. This year’s lineup is much more international, with Turner to be joined by Nanako Fujita, the only licensed female rider in the Japanese Racing Association, and Australian Group 1-winning rider Jamie Kah. “I was speaking to licensing and I think Nanako Fujita is going to be able to claim, which is great in the big handicaps,” Turner said. “She’s had 92 winners so she’s very nearly a professional over here, but she’s not so that’s a big advantage. “I’ve seen Jamie ride in Australia and she’s doing really well. It will be a good experience for them both,” Turner added. “Riding at Ascot will be different to the tight, turning tracks they have and they’ll be up against Danny Tudhope, Jamie Spencer and Tadhg O’Shea, who have ridden it loads of times. I’ll hopefully get chance to walk the course with them and give them a bit of advice. Kah said she is looking forward to the experience. “It’s a privilege to ride in England and at Ascot,” she said. “I watch Royal Ascot on TV, it’s big back home, and I watched Hayley ride a winner there this year which was pretty cool. I’d love to ride at Royal Ascot one year. Hopefully this kicks off and I can come back next year.” Kah isn’t the only Australian competing on the card, with Mark Zahra joining the Rest of the World team with Hong Kong’s Vincent Ho and Japan’s Yuga Kawada. “I’m very excited, I’ve never ridden here before but it’s a great concept,” said Zahra. “A few of my great friends have ridden in this in previous years, so I can’t wait. I came two years ago as a spectator to Royal Ascot, but now I’ll be on the other side of the fence. It’s a great course so it should be a lot of fun. Ho added, “To represent Hong Kong as part of the Rest of the World team is a huge honour. I was at Ascot as a spectator when Enable won the King George two years ago, but riding there has always been an ambition of mine and I want to go there fully prepared.” The Great Britain and Ireland team includes Tadhg O’Shea, Danny Tudhope and Jamie Spencer, while Filip Minarik, Gerald Mosse and Adrie de Vries comprise the European team. The post Turner Primed For Shergar Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

With three wins in Britain already under his belt, Hong Kong jockey Vincent Ho Chak-Yiu heads into Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Shergar Cup at Ascot full of confidence.The top local jockey has been in the UK for three weeks preparing for this year’s event – which pits four teams of riders against each other – and he has already tasted success with two victories for Mark Johnston and one for Keith Dalgleish, all in Scotland.Ho will represent the Rest Of The World team alongside Japan’s Yuga Kawada… View the full article

The Shergar Cup really divides opinion within racing circles and the one-off event takes centre-stage this Saturday at Ascot where some of the World’s best riders do battle in a bid to lift the Shergar Cup. This unique team competition first took place in 1999 with just two teams but has evolved in recent times. […] The post Shergar Cup Preview – Can Hayley Retain The Silver Saddle? appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Four of the seven runners slated to contest Saturday’s GII Best Pal S. graduated at first asking, including morning-line choice Schrodinger (Justin Phllip), trained by Simon Callaghan and owned by Kaleem Shah. Heavy favorite in his Los Alamitos debut June 30, he came from just off the pace to score by 1 1/4 lengths under Flavian Prat. The French-born rider gets back aboard this time. Also likely to garner plenty of support at the windows, Fore Left (Twirling Candy) just got up for a narrow score subsequent GIII Bashford Manor S. victor Phantom Boss (Shackleford) in his career bow at Santa Anita May 19 before shipping east to take Belmont’s Tremont S. June 7. Mario Gutierrez, who was aboard last time, gets the call here. Collusion Illusion (Twirling Candy) came from off the pace to take his career bow at Del Mar July 21, and has been working sharply since for trainer Mark Glatt. Joe Talamo rides for the first time. Wrecking Crew (Sky Kingdom) got off to a slow start in his career opener at Del Mar July 27, but finished up nicely to win as the prohibitive choice. The potent duo of Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith and trainer Peter Miller align here. The post Seven Line Up for Best Pal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Ballarat trainer Mitchell Freedman has been handed the task of rejuvenating the career of Bassett. The recently turned seven-year-old runs for the first time for Freedman in Saturday's VRC Member Brenda Nugent Handicap (1000m) at Flemington. Bassett started his career with Peter Moody before being transferred to Mick Price's stable halfway through his three-year-old season. The gelding showed ability under Price, winning the Listed Hareeba Stakes at Mornington but that victory in March 2017, was... View the full article

Leading trainer Tony McEvoy has applauded the announcement of prize money increases for South Australian racing and is committing to the long term future of the sport in the state. Thoroughbred Racing South Australia on Friday announced an increase of $5.8 million. McEvoy said it was a clear indication from TRSA and the government they want racing to again be strong in SA. He believes it is incumbent on people like himself to get behind TRSA and the government to show support. "People will say I... View the full article

Trainer Chad Brown brings a three-pronged attack in the latest renewal of the GI Fourstardave H., headed by a pair of Grade I winners–Uni (More Than Ready), winner of the GI Matriarch at Del Mar last December and GI Hollywood Derby victor Raging Bull (Fr) (Dark Angel {Ire}) on the same weekend. Since those victories, Uni has added another victory to her resume in Belmont’s June 29 Perfect Sting S., while Raging Bull finished fourth in both Keeneland’s Apr. 12 GI Maker’s 46 Mile S. and the nine-furlong GI Turf Classic at Churchill May 4. Stretching out to 10 furlongs for his latest, he finished a credible third stablemate Bricks and Mortar (Giant’s Causeway) in the GI Manhattan S. June 8. Rounding out the Brown triumvirate, Made You Look (More Than Ready), a graded stakes winner when formerly with trainer Todd Pletcher, won his first start for Brown-a Belmont optional claimer in May-but has been winless since, including a fourth last time out in a soggy edition of Belmont’s GIII Forbidden Apple S. July 12. Mark Casse is represented by the consistent Got Stormy (Get Stormy), on the board in all four starts this term including the latest a victory in Saratoga’s De La Rose S. Aug. 3. Tyler Gaffalione, who was aboard for the victory, opts to ride the other Casse entry, March to the Arch (Arch), victorious in the GII Wise Dan S. at Churchill June 15. The gelding finished fifth in the Forbidden Apple last month. Adding some intrigue to this renewal, Ostilio (GB) (New Approach {Ire}), bred by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum, went to the main track had a strong blowout down the Oklahoma straight Thursday. “He got across it really well,” said trainer Simon Crisford, running a horse for the first time at the Spa. “We’re very happy with him. It was just a couple of furlongs, what we would call a half-speed, a swinging canter for two furlongs.” The chestnut holds four wins and five seconds from 11 starts, including scores in the Britannia S. at Royal Ascot last season and the G2 Prix Daniel Wildenstein at Longchamp in October. “The Britannia is a very tough race for 3-year-olds at a straight mile,” he said. “It’s quite a demanding test and he made nearly all the running. When he went to France [for the Wildenstein]– a right-handed track–it’s an easier mile than what we had to do at Ascot, but he won that nicely and was very resolute and strong at the finish.” Winless in two starts this year, Ostilio finished eighth last out in the G1 Lockinge at Newbury. “We felt a flat oval track would suit him really well,” said Crisford. “It’s a huge race and it fits into his program really well as hasn’t run since May and he’s all about the second half of the year. It’s a very good starting point for him. He’s coming here fit and well and we hope he can acquit himself well.” Typically near the front end, Ostilio drew post five in the 10-horse field. “He races quite freely,” said Crisford. “We’ll see how quick he is out of the gate compared to American horses. We haven’t schooled him to be American quick. He’s very much European-quick out of the gates, and that’s different from here. Andrea [Atzeni] will ride him as he finds him once he jumps. Hopefully, he jumps well and gives him a forward ride, if he jumps into that position.” The post Brown Trio Tops Fourstardave appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Four-time Group One winner and shuttle stallion, Roaring Lion, returned to Cambridge Stud on Thursday following two colic surgeries in the last ten days. The son of Kitten’s Joy was admitted to Cambridge Equine Hospital within minutes of arriving at Cambridge Stud from quarantine on July 27. He underwent immediate surgery which had to be repeated on August 1 to repair adhesions which had formed in his small intestine. “Thanks to two world-class surgeons, Dr Alanna Zantingh and Dr Greg Quinn ... View the full article

Expat New Zealand jockey James McDonald is excited for the season ahead with dual Group One winner Verry Elleegant after her two recent trials in Sydney. The Chris Waller-trained mare created quite a following last season after her heroics in autumn, taking out the Gr.1 Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) and Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m). “She was very good last preparation and hopefully she can take that to weight-for-age and be competitive in those bigger races,” McDonald said. The daughter of Zed ... View the full article

Cambridge trainer Shaune Ritchie is taking advantage of the training conditions on offer in the winterless north and hopes to capitalise when he lines up a trio of runners at Ruakaka on Sunday. Ritchie views Tumbleweed, She's A Smash Hit and All Paid Up as winning prospects at the Northland meeting and said they have benefited from an extended visit to the racing and training facility two hours north of Auckland. “We've got eight horses up there at present and those three are part of the tea... View the full article

It’ll be a night to remember for Luke Whittaker at Alexandra Park this evening. The Cambridge-based junior driver not only takes his first runner to the races as a trainer, he also has a race named after him. And he could very well win ‘his race’ too. The ticking over of the new season brought with it the execution of a long-held plan to get his trainers license and his first horse is an unraced family-owned mare, Major Rage. She starts in the first race on the card and has come up on the second line of betting with bookies, at $4.80. “It’s a pretty special moment for me with mum and dad and nan and grandad owning her,” Whittaker told HRNZ. “I always wanted my first winner as a trainer to be for them so hopefully it will come with her, if not this week, then soon.” Major Rage was a workout winner at Cambridge a fortnight ago and that should put her in good stead for tonight’s race. “She’s a typical Art Major – very green and will only get better with racing. “Her trial two weeks ago was very good and I’m pretty happy with her.” Once he finishes washing down Major Rage and puts her back in her stall, Whittaker will have to prepare himself for his other drive on the night, All Yours. The big, bold pacer has been going gangbusters for Mike Berger and Matthew White recently and presents as a very strong chance tonight. Bookies agree and have him a $4.40 second favourite behind Sole Ambition. Curiously, the race is named the Luke Whittaker – AP’s Leading Jnr 18/19 Mobile Pace. It is, of course, a gesture on the Auckland Trotting Club’s part to acknowledge that Whittaker drove six winners at ‘The Park’ last term, the most of any junior driver. “It was a bit of a surprise because they didn’t really say anything to me about it.” He’s unsure whether he will get a race memento as the ‘sponsor’ but should he get the job done on All Yours, it would be a photo worth putting on the wall. “I’m expecting a very good run from him; the 2700 metres will suit him down to the ground. “A few starts ago he sat four-wide and still won then last time he ran second to Perfect Stride on a fast last quarter.” Whittaker’s employer, Nicky Chilcott, also has two runners in tonight and he says they are both good chances. “Juice Brogden, I think she’s a good chance from the standing start. “Nicky said she worked really good during the week and the 20 metres won’t be a disadvantage to her. “And the maiden trotter (Smartly Spoken) has got really good manners so I expect he will get away well and be handy. “He’s going to be there or thereabouts and that’s half the battle with these maidens. “If you step well, you’ll probably be in the top 5.” Whittaker pointed firmly to All Yours as the best chance on the night out of the four horses he is involved with. “They are really happy with him and tell me his work’s been pretty good, too.” View the full article

The Shark – Best at Auckland on Friday View the full article

PARK PICKS Best bet: Sole Ambition (R3, No.3): Got lost on home bend at Cambridge last week and stormed home. Should atone. Go Again: Flying Steps (R6, No.1): Was the mare who got the winning break on Sole Ambition last week. Has the gate speed to use the ace. Trials stars: Henry Hu (R8., No.1): Jogged last 800m in 57.6 seconds to win at Pukekohe workouts last Saturday and showed some gate speed. By Michael Guerin A total reboot of the Steve Telfer stable could make it one for harness punters to follow in the next month, starting at Alexandra Park tonight. Telfer has three hopes in the major handicap pace tonight and one of the bets of the night earlier in Flying Steps (race six) as he attempts to embellish his strong winter record in recent seasons. Telfer has long seen the logic of attacking winter racing at Alexandra Park, especially now the stakes are almost as lucrative as in the summer. But that attitude had to be shelved this year when his team was struck down with the same virus which has affected some of the north’s bigger stables in recent months. “We had a bug go through the team that probably 80 per cent of them got,” said Telfer. “So we just left them all alone, let them have a total rest for 10-14 days and that worked the trick. “It was frustrating but it worked and there seem to be no lingering effects with any of them.” None were obvious when Flying Steps, a mare involved in a horrific fall last December, was an impressive winner at Cambridge last Thursday. “She won well and should be even better this week,” says Telfer. “Her work was good on Wednesday and I am sure she has improved.”
Telfer takes three to the $25,000 handicap tonight, including Dance Time who is back from a useful campaign with Menangle trainer John McCarthy. It is not the first time Telfer has sent horses to different trainers depending on what suits them at certain stages of his career, something he did with recently-retired stable star No Doctor Needed. But while Dance Time has returned looking well Telfer opts for backmarker Check In as the best of his three hopes in the 2700m standing start. “It is never easy to win off 30m but he is a good standing start horse and working well,” says Telfer. “I think both Dance Time and Ivana Flybye will improve with the race this week so Check In would be our best hope.”
Tonight’s meeting has a $40,000 Pick6 and plenty of maiden depth and a good intermediate trot. View the full article

Gerald Cayford is a man with many levels of involvement within the harness racing industry. He’s not only a regular race sponsor and a passionate owner and breeder, but he is also currently the President of the Kurow Harness Racing Club, and Vice President of the Waikouaiti Trotting Club. Gerald and his bus have become a familiar landmark at race meetings around the southern parts of the country, and when he’s not hauling whitebait from the rivers of the West Coast, he’s serving them to industry participants from his perfectly set up house bus. The bus comes complete with a live trackside feed on tv, food preparation facilities and a well-stocked bar. Gerald and the bus will be in operation next Sunday when the Kurow Harness Racing Club holds its annual race meeting at Oamaru, and as an owner himself the President of the Club is once again thanking owners for racing at the meeting by offering them a free BBQ complete with whitebait patties. He says it was only natural that he would gravitate towards racing in some way, shape or form, with his family being keen on the sport. “My family has always been into racing. My uncle was a professional punter, he never smoked, never drank, but just loved racing. He was based in Dunedin and would drive around all the meetings and trials and follow the form,” explained Gerald. “Our ownership journey actually started in gallopers. But I had a mate that had horses with Ian Munro who was based in Otematata in the Waitaki Valley, and they suggested I look into harness ownership.” “The first harness horse that won for us was Affitoeti, who was a syndicate horse that my brother Alex trained.” “I was actually away at a golf tournament in Nelson when it won. I remember watching it on the tv at the pub and everyone at the pub backed it. I thought if this loses, I’m going to get my backside kicked. But the whole place was just roaring with excitement when it won,” Gerald laughed. The wins have continued to tally up for Gerald over the years, but despite that he still finds the magnitude of the occasion can affect him when watching his horses compete. “I actually get quite flustered and uptight when my horse is anywhere near the front turning for home,” he admits. “But if they do win it takes me awhile to wind down. It doesn’t matter if it’s a seven win horse winning, or a maiden win. I still get just as excited every time we get a win.” “The thrill that I get seeing other people as first time winning owners is just as exciting too,” Gerald explained. “The other week I was at Forbury and a young lady had just trained her first winner. We took them up to the members bar afterwards and to see that thrill and emotion they were feeling was so special. We couldn’t get a word in for twenty minutes they were so excited. It was just awesome.” Gerald and his wife Rose have formed a great relationship with Amber Hoffman, who trains the majority of their horses from her Waikouaiti Beach stable. “We have been involved with Amber Hoffman for a number of years now, we live next door. Amber would be the hardest working person that I have ever met. She just needed an opportunity.” “She does a lot of work with sore horses, and a lot of people won’t realise that she works with a lot of horses that have problems and she does an amazing job.” And despite the fact he lives right next door to most of his horses, a bad past experience of the equine variety has led him to be very cautious around the stable. “When I had gallopers I got bitten badly by one. I had my back turned to it and it lunged out with its teeth and picked me up by the shoulder. So now I am not hands on, I keep my distance from the horses and I’m weary, but I love them.” Along with ownership, came the chance for Gerald to dip his toe in the water with breeding, to the point where he now has ten mares booked to be bred in the upcoming season. “I suppose the breeding side was always sitting at the back of my mind,” he said. “I bought Tara Magic in foal from Ray Anicich, and I ended up losing the colt. But she had left Class of Tara who raced here and in Australia and it had won a big race in Aussie so it was a great family.” “We bred Shez Good out of her, who has won three races for Patrick O’Reilly, and she is going to go in foal this year. And I’ve also got another filly out of her too that I will breed from in Gerrys Girl.” When asked who might be his favourite horse, a fond glint appears in his eye. “Heard The Whisper is such a gentleman,” he smiles. “He’s only had 48 starts and 7 wins, and is lightly raced for a nine-year-old as he’s had so many issues,” explained Gerald. “Amber Hoffman and Peter Gillespie put so much into the horse to try and get him right. Amber was just so heartbroken.” “She came to me twice in a week and was really upset, and she said she just can’t work out what is going on with the horse and why she can’t get him right.” “So I said to her, it’s not your fault. Just find the problem and we will fix the horse.” So after extensive work with vet Peter Gillespie coming out to film the horse working on the beach, and assistance from a farrier and Amber, they finally found out exactly what the issue was. “The farrier did some work and found that he has to be shod specially for his feet, he wears a pad and a silicone layer and then there’s a layer that goes over the top. He looks like he’s walking on tip toes but when he flattens out it’s amazing how much he had actually been hurting.” “So they found the problem and the results were amazing. He’s now gone north to Jason and Megan Teaz and is so competitive up there.” Gerald admits that the horse has a special place in his heart. “We’ve had a lot of offers from Australia, but when he’s retired he’s coming back to a paddock at our place. He’s not going anywhere.” For Gerald his dream would be to just have a horse good enough to compete at the highest level. “I’d love to have a horse that could run in the New Zealand Cup. I had a friend who had Mighty Silks in the Cup and I just cheered it from the start to the finish, and I wasn’t even the owner”. “Way back then I thought to myself if could have a horse good enough to just be in a race like that that would be an amazing thrill.” And when it comes to getting other people involved he can’t recommend it enough. “I would encourage people to get into ownership, even if it’s in a syndicate as a more affordable option.” The bigger the syndicates are, the bigger the crowd at the races and the more whitebait patties I get to giveaway!” “It’s just a great sport. It’s my hobby and I Iove it.” View the full article

One of the forgotten pieces of the open class trotting puzzle is back in full work. Bordeaux is on the comeback trail from an injury that derailed his 2018-19 season after only two starts, and his trainer thinks it probably bothered him for up to a year before that. “An extensive examination late last year found an incomplete fracture to his left knee,” said Philip Iggo, of Flaxton in North Canterbury. “That had been causing him some discomfort for quite a while and meant he was trotting roughly.” Bordeaux’s best, of course, is very good – he placed at Group 1 level in the National Trot and Rowe Cup and twice ran fourth in the Dominion Handicap. But he got progressively worse last year and the once-bombproof showy chestnut started showing signs that he wasn’t happy. “It would only really be evident on an oval track so when he worked on the straight track here, it certainly wasn’t obvious. “But we knew he wasn’t trotting perfectly and as soon as he had to put pressure on the knee on the bends, he couldn’t cope.” Iggo saw both sides of the coin once the diagnosis was in. “To some extent, there was disappointment but on the other hand it identified something that gave us answers as to why he was trotting like he was.” Bordeaux was shut down before Christmas and a recuperation plan was mapped out. “He was out for six months, nearly seven, and has been back in the stable for two months. “He’s just had his first couple of fast runs.” The Ordeal Trotting Cup at Addington on September 13 comes up too soon, but the DG Jones Trotting Cup at Motukarara on September 29 could be a pipe-opener. “I certainly am not thinking about the Ordeal, and it’s not a race that appeals to us anyway, but by late September or early October I expect he should be back.” With longtime driver Dexter Dunn now in America and his brother John committed to Sundees Son, Iggo will be forced to find someone new to jump in the cart for what looks like being a full-on open class season. And he’s already made his mind up. “I think we’ll go for Matt Anderson, who I think is a very good young driver. “He’s been driving him at the trials and I just think he’s a young fella that deserves the opportunity.” Iggo himself has also been out of action thanks to an ongoing issue with an ankle. “I’ve been on the injured list for many months and not able to drive him. “I had surgery to fuse my ankle at the beginning of April and then I fractured that same ankle six weeks ago trying to do too much. “It’s very frustrating and I’m stuck in a moon boot.” So, veteran horseman Ned Black, who until recently worked for many years beside the late George Timperley at Motu Lodge Stud, has been doing the driving behind Bordeaux. “I’m relying on Ned for how the horse feels because he’s doing all the driving and he’s certainly very enthusiastic on his progress.” Iggo and Black have four in work as the former hopes to bounce back from a written-off season last term where the two runs of Bordeaux were his only two starters. “We’ve got four in work – Ned’s doing 25 hours a week for me at present. “Among them is B D Yasothon, a half-brother (Andover Hall) to BD Khaosan that we qualified early last season. “And there’s another just-turned three-year-old by Andover Hall that I quite like, too.” Bordeaux will be nominated for the Inter Dominions at Auckland, a track both horse and trainer have had a lot of success at in recent years. “He’ll be nominated and that’s certainly the desire, to go up there. “He does enjoy the Auckland way of racing, though part of me wonders if that was because it was taking the pressure off the near side knee. “I guess you could say we are hopeful rather than confident but I think if he stays sound, he’ll do very well.” View the full article

Trainer Simon Wilson with last Saturday’s Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) winner Dez. Waipukurau farmer Simon Wilson started the racing season off in perfect style at Riccarton last Saturday, recording his first stakes victory as a trainer when Dez took out the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m). “I was really happy, he tried really hard,” Wilson said. “He ran a tough race, Chris (Johnson, jockey) did a great job on him and he ran strongly to the line. “It’s definitely the biggest win of my training career. It was a great thrill to get my first stakes win, it was a thrill for the horse and the group of owners.” The son of Zed will return to the Christchurch track on Saturday for the last day of the Grand National Festival of Racing in a bid to defend his title in the Christchurch Casino Winter Classic Handicap (1800m). Dez beat Platinum Command and Elfee home to win last year’s running of the race and he will face them once again on Saturday, where he has been installed a $2.50 favourite ahead of Winter Cup runner-up Rosewood at $3. Wilson has been pleased with Dez since his victory, but he is a bit wary heading into the weekend where his gelding will carry 59.5kg in the 1800m contest. “He’s done well since Saturday. He’s bright and is eating and working well, so that’s all I can ask really,” he said. “I was happy with how he went (last Saturday), but it’s a totally different race this weekend being 1800m and we have got more weight. “It’s a good field and there are a few talented winter horses on lighter weights. Rosewood is a good horse as well, she’s a very tough mare. It will be a tough race and I’m certainly not confident.” Dez will head for a quick freshen-up after Saturday’s race and Wilson is eyeing a possible tilt at more black-type targets with the eight-year-old next month. “He will go home and have a week in the paddock,” he said. “I’ll possibly look at the Metric Mile (Gr.3, 1600m) at Awapuni in September, but we’ll get home first and see what happens.” Wilson, who runs a sheep and beef property in Hawke’s Bay, is in his ninth season of training. He came to racing from a showjumping background and said he always wanted to have a crack at training thoroughbreds. “I am a showjumper really,” he said. “My Uncle Harvey and (Aunty) Anne Wilson, and my parents, had a big influence on me with horses. I had ponies from a young age. “I just liked horses and have always been interested in the industry. I played around with it a bit on and off over the years.” Wilson had his first start as a trainer in the 2000/2001 season before having a decade long hiatus from the sport. “I was just busy on the farm and with kids and family,” he said. “I then had a bit more spare time and I have always wanted to come back to it.” Wilson enjoys working his small team of horses and is looking forward to staying in the racing game for some time. “I have got about three or four racehorses at the moment and I just have a few younger ones that are getting educated,” he said. View the full article

Lerner rides first hat-trick of wins at Kranji View the full article

Collett back early on Kranji winner's list View the full article