Wandering Eyes

Horowhenua horseman Chris Rutten is taking a patient approach with the return of Group Two winner Scott Base, with the son of Dalghar recovering from an operation earlier this year. “He’s had an operation where he had a bone chip taken out in January,” Rutten said. “It has taken him quite a bit (of time), we just wanted to give him the time he needed to recover from that properly. “Dave Keenan (vet) did the operation. He is on the water-walker at the moment for about a month. We will just bring him up slowly and see how he looks after that.” Before his operation, the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m) hero contested all three legs of the Hawke’s Bay Spring Carnival last season, with his best result being a fourth-placing in the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m). “They (his runs) were just a bit below par for him. He got trapped a bit, the runs weren’t going his way really,” Rutten said. View the full article

Gobstopper will tackle Sunday’s Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown. Emily Farr could be in for one of her biggest days in racing on Sunday when she partners in-form jumper Gobstopper in the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown. It has been a rapid rise for the 2017 Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner, who is undefeated in his two starts over hurdles, including a last-start victory in the Brendan Dreschler Hurdle (3500m) at Pakenham. It took plenty of perseverance on Farr’s part to convince trainer Andrew Campbell to follow a jumps path this winter with the Tavistock gelding, but she eventually did, and that could pay big dividends on Saturday in the A$250,000 feature. “Andrew was against being a jumps trainer, so I have worn him down a bit,” Farr said. “Tommy (Heptinstall) the owner had been a bit disheartened about how he was going on the flat and they ended up saying do what you want. “I taught him to jump, which was great. I have had him from jumping the logs at the Cambridge track to jumping the hurdles, I gave him his first hurdle trial and start, it’s pretty hard to get me off now.” Emily Farr will have two wides at Riccarton on Saturday before flying to Melbourne to ride Gobstopper in the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown on Sunday. Trish Dunell Gobstopper thrived with his jumping education and it showed on the track, with the seven-year-old running into form for the first time in 18 months on the flat when finishing runner-up to Zacada in the Gr.3 Rotorua Cup (2200m) in May. His talents over hurdles were seen for this first time at Te Aroha in June where he won his maiden hurdle by 13 lengths and impressed his connections enough to warrant an Australian campaign. While Farr had every belief in Gobstopper, she admitted to being slightly nervous heading into his first-up run in Australia last start. “I was a little bit anxious going into it because I thought we had taken a big risk bringing him over and him only having one start (over hurdles) and one jumping trial, so he hasn’t done a lot of jumping,” she said. However, Farr needn’t have worried, with Gobstopper running away to a 2-1/2 length victory and showing he is adapting well to his new discipline. “It was good that I managed to get a sit behind Euroman around the big corner,” Farr said. “I let him stroll along the back, which is how he likes to run his races, and he made one mistake, but he learnt from it very quickly and flew the next one and put himself back in the race. “It was quite easy in the end, he won going away from them. He was quite impressive.” Farr has also been pleased with Gobstopper’s attitude towards jumping and said his quirky personality has a lot to do with it. “He has impressed me from the start,” Farr said. “He has a bit of a bold and arrogant personality on him. Everything he does, he does with purpose, even if it’s track work. “His ears, even in his first run, they tell you quite a bit. He has always got pricked ears, he’s always so switched on in a jumps race now.” Farr is pleased with Gobstopper heading into Sunday and believes he is in peak condition heading into his biggest jumping test to date. “I gave him a gallop on Wednesday at Cranbourne with Cochise and they went a really decent 1200m. He probably hasn’t galloped as good as that in a long time,” she said. “He’s so happy and pulled up really well. He is as fit as we could ever get him. “It’s kind of the same field (as last start) and a couple have been added in. I couldn’t pull him up after the Drechsler and I just can’t fault him at the moment.” Farr has been ticking up the frequent flyer points in recent months, flying between New Zealand and Australia to take care of Gobstopper and fulfill riding obligations back home. The in-demand rider will do the same this weekend. She will fly back from Melbourne on Friday to ride Laekeeper and Macklemore at Riccarton on Saturday, before flying back that same day to partner with Gobstopper. It is a hectic schedule for Farr, but she believes her two rides in New Zealand are worth her efforts. Laekeeper will attempt to make it back-to-back wins in the Racecourse Hotel & Motor Lodge Sydenham Hurdles (3100m) after taking out last year’s running of the race. “Laekeeper is very well,” she said. “I know he has only had two starts this year over fences, but he has done a lot of work at the beach. “I know 70 kilos is a bit of a lump, but he won it with 68kg last year beating Jackfrost and there is no Jackfrost in that field. “On ability he probably deserves to have the 70 kilos and I think he will still be very hard to beat.” Macklemore will line-up in the Maneline (NZ) Safety Trackx Raceplates Maiden Steeplechase (3200m) and Farr expects a good showing given the feedback she has received from trainer John Wheeler. “John reckons Macklemore will go very well,” she said. “I think he has done a lot of work since he has been back from Australia, so he should be very competitive.” Farr won’t be alone on her trip back to Melbourne on Saturday evening. She will be joined by fellow New Zealand jumps jockeys Matthew Gillies, Aaron Kuru, Buddy Lammas and her partner Shaun Phelan, who all have engagements at Sandown on Sunday. View the full article

Tavis Court. The Anna Clement-trained Tavis Court kept his impressive form line intact on Thursday when winning the Sandford Brothers 1400 at Hawera. The son of Tavistock extended his record to two wins and three runner-up performances from five starts, but had to work hard to secure his second victory on the Heavy11 track. Jockey Lisa Allpress elected to press forward for the lead from their wide barrier (13) and the pair were able to take control of the race, going clear of their rivals at the turn of the straight. However, Tavis Court began to tire in the concluding stages of the race, but managed to hang on for a 1-1/2 length victory over Beckidboo, with Manolo a further 1-1/4 lengths back in third. Allpress was pleased with the win, but believes the gelding is suited to better tracks. “He didn’t jump away and travel as well as what I thought he would,” she said. “Once we were halfway down the back, I was always going to be wide, I just let him roll along a bit more and then he crossed them really easily. “It was a good result in the end because he did work hard, but he really did tie up that last bit. I don’t think he is a genuine heavy tracker. “His maiden win was on a slow track at Waverley. I think on a better track he will be a nice horse.” View the full article

Minister for Racing Winston Peters has announced that 2019/20 applications for funding to improve racecourse safety are now open. The Racing Safety Development Fund has two funding rounds per year. The first funding round of 2019/20 is open for applications as of 31 July 2019. “While the Government is in the process of implementing reforms to revitalise the racing industry, health and safety will always be of the upmost importance” Peters said. All racing clubs and racing code bodies should consider the condition and standard of their facilities and equipment, and assess whether they are safe for animals, staff and customers. “The Fund not only benefits clubs and racing bodies across the country, but helps to address the health and safety of the racing animals, riders, spectators, officials, and others involved in racing.” Peters said. The Racing Safety Development Fund covers up to half the costs of a project with between $7,500 – $50,000 funding being available for each project. Past projects have included improvements for safety running rails, irrigation and drainage, lighting upgrades and grandstand repair. Applications must be submitted by 25 September 2019. Further information is available from: www.communitymatters.govt.nz View the full article

Ace High. New Zealand breeders will get their first opportunity to inspect Rich Hill Stud’s new season stallion Ace High for the first time at their Walton property (570 Landsdowne Road) on Sunday at 1pm. The dual Group One-winning son of High Chaparral will be one of four stallions on show. Rich Hill will also showcase Group One winner Vadamos, Group One performer Proisir, and Melbourne Cup hero Shocking. Rich Hill’s shuttle stallion Satono Aladdin is currently in quarantine. View the full article

Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel has broken his own domestic stakes earnings record this past season. Savabeel has broken his own domestic stakes earnings record, narrowly missing becoming the first stallion to hit $4 million in New Zealand in a season, as he stretched his Grosvenor Award winning streak to five years running. The Waikato Stud stallion has enjoyed yet another banner season, becoming leading two-year-old sire for the first time, as well as sweeping the main New Zealand stallion awards for the fourth straight year. Savabeel’s progeny earned $3,951,419 in New Zealand for the 2018-19 season, easily eclipsing his previous record mark of $3,396,125 set 12 months earlier. It is the third season in a row Savabeel has set a new benchmark, having narrowly eclipsed Thorn Park’s 2010-11 then record of $3,003,062 when his progeny banked $3,078,170 in the 2016-17 season. Another Waikato Stud sire Pins, who died last year, finished second on the Grosvenor Award standings with $2,131,256, while Per Incanto was third with $2,117,843. Waikato Stud boss Mark Chittick said the most pleasing aspect of Savabeel’s record was that he continued to maintain high standards. “The thing we’re most proud of is his versatility. He’s just as capable of leaving two-year-old stakes winners as he is of leaving stakes winners at all ages over all distances and both sexes,” Chittick said. “His best season was 19 stakes winners and the season just gone he’s had 18, so he’s continuing to set the bar high.” Savabeel’s winning margins were even greater in the other main stallion award categories. He earned $9,891,820 in Australasian earnings to win the Dewar Stallion Trophy for the fifth year running, heading a Waikato Stud domination of the standings with O’Reilly ($5,910,578), Pins ($4,449,698) and Ocean Park ($4,049,972) finishing second, third and fourth. World-wide, Savabeel’s progeny earned $17,456,908 to earn him a fourth straight Centaine Award title, heading off O’Reilly ($9,699,533) and Road To Rock ($9,481,894). “They are huge numbers,” Chittick said. “He’s so important to us and so important to New Zealand. He just keeps on doing a great job.” Perhaps what makes Savabeel’s domestic record read even better is that most of his best progeny are sold offshore, international buyers securing a large number of the 47 Savabeel yearlings sold at Karaka this year which netted $13.96 million at an average of $297,021. “The results he created at Karaka this year were outstanding,” Chittick said, noting that Savabeel was responsible for six of the top 10 yearlings sold at Karaka in January. “And that was all off the back of Probabeel winning the Karaka Million. Not taking anything away from his own great sire Zabeel, but he’s achieving things even he didn’t do. He’s on 89 stakes winners now and we’ll have a big party when he gets to 100.” Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) winner Probabeel was a big contributor to Savabeel’s domestic success and a crucial part in the stallion becoming leading two-year-old sire for the first time. However, Savabeel’s record of 14 stakes-winning two-year-olds shows that juvenile success has become common-place for the sire. And Chittick said Savabeel was showing few signs of slowing down. “He’s fantastic. It’s been well documented the treadmill is in place to get him fit and that’s been a fantastic tool to get him up and going for the breeding season,” Chittick said. “He’s turning 18 and he’s still fit and healthy but we will be restricting his numbers again this year because it’s the sensible thing to do. “All our best mares will be going to him this season and the shareholders have been great. They know what they’ve got and they support him with the best of the best mares too.” View the full article

Revolution. Singapore trainer Alwin Tan may be going through a bad patch but if there was to be a silver lining, at least one horse is giving him something to look forward to – Revolution. The smart Unencumbered colt, who was sold out of Kilgravin Lodge’s 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run draft, was the former Singapore champion trainer’s only winner for the month of July. Tan actually did enjoy a healthy first 2019 quarter with a haul of 13 winners to sit in fifth place, a spot his yard has been accustomed to over the last five or six years, but the frequency of walks down to the Champagne Room has halved since. Despite the downward turn this time in, Tan has got a bit of a spring back in his step ahead of his pet race, the Merlion Trophy (1200m) on August 25. Tan has earmarked progressive four-year-old Revolution as his new contender for a fifth Merlion hurrah. Mark Walker’s Polytrack specialist Distinctive Darci will be one among Revolution’s small group of six adversaries in this Sunday’s S$100,000 Class 1 race over 1100m, a race that will also be a huge leap of class for the five-time winner, but which was necessary should Tan press on towards the Merlion Trophy for him. “Polytrack suits him. It will be a big step-up in class but at the same time, it’s also a small field and he’s got no weight on his back (50kgs),” said Tan. “Even though there won’t be many runners, I think there will be some pace to the race. I will tell CC (Wong Chin Chuen) to sit off the pace where he is comfortable and then sprint home. “That’s his usual pattern as he’s got a strong finish. If he runs well, then we will set him for the Merlion Trophy. “That race is special to me. It’s been locked away as his target for a while.” Tan said Revolution had kept up the same condition since his last-start win in a Class 3 Polytrack speed dash over 1200m on July 19. He lumped the steadier of 59.5kgs then and steamed home under champion jockey Vlad Duric (his winning partner at his last two wins, both earned this year) to beat Elite Conquest. “He galloped with CC yesterday. I was happy with that work, he’s pulled up well,” said Tan. “He’s maintained his condition and fingers crossed, he can come through with the light weight. The Merlion Trophy is a weight-for-age race and will be tougher, so he must run well this Sunday.” -STC View the full article

Trainer Neill Ridley (right) is hoping Far Site will handle the heavy track conditions at Riccarton on Saturday. A testing Riccarton track is trainer Neill Ridley’s biggest concern ahead of an early season assignment for promising Makfi filly Far Site. A winner of two trials leading into her debut win at Ashburton last month, Far Site will tackle the El Doute At Stud Cashmere Plate (1200m) at Riccarton on Saturday. Ridley is pleased with his filly as she prepares to step out as a three-year-old for the first time but it’s the prospect of a taxing run on a Heavy11 track that he believes might be her biggest obstacle towards remaining unbeaten. “It’s pretty wet down here and they had another inch of rain overnight too,” Ridley said. “She won nicely the other day and she’s come through it well, so if she does handle it, she should go all right. This will be her first go on a heavy track so hopefully it’s not too bad come Saturday.” Bred and raced by Noel Nicholson, a first-time client of Ridley’s stable, Far Site defeated three of her seven rivals at Ashburton and while she has gone up in weight, Ridley has again opted to utilise Kin Kwo’s three kilogram claim. Ridley will assess Far Site’s performance before making plans for the spring but hopes she can develop into a filly capable of mixing it in stakes races in the South Island this spring. The Riccarton trainer has ruled out a trip north for the Gr.3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings on September 21 but he could yet travel north with another member of the stable. Ridley has Darci Brahma seven-year-old He Kin Fly entered for the Gr.1 Tarzino Trophy (1400m) at Hastings on August 31 and is keen to tackle the weight-for-age feature should the twice stakes-winning sprinter trial well at Rangiora next Tuesday week. “It all depends on how he trials on the 13th but at this stage I’m quite happy with him. I’m quite pleased with the way he’s coming up,” Ridley said. Ridley’s other entrant at Riccarton on Saturday is War Chant eight-year-old Red Rose Warrior in the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations 122nd Winter Cup (1600m) but the former England and Hong Kong galloper is fifth on the ballot. “He’s going all right but I don’t like my chances of getting in there,” Ridley said. View the full article

Heavy track specialist Rosewood will be met by ideal track conditions at Riccarton on Saturday when she lines up in the Gr.3 Winning Edge Presentations 122nd Winter Cup (1600m). The six-year-old daughter of Redwood has won all but one of her 10 starts on a heavy surface and trainer Marilyn Paewai is pleased with the Heavy11 rating ahead of the weekend. “I am happy with the ground, it is nice and wet and there is a bit more rain coming by the look of things,” she said. “It was a worry comin... View the full article

Such a Natural when he wins View the full article

Makanani back on top for Big Valley View the full article

End of rocky road for Bencoolen View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings August 2 View the full article

Horses' body weights August 2 View the full article

Early scratching August 2 View the full article

As the second leg of the initial series approaches, NYRA's Turf Trinity has proven to be an effective lure for horsemen eager to take home part of the combined $3 million up for grabs for 3-year-olds in the three turf stakes. View the full article

Ellis Park will serve up five turf stakes, each with purses of $100,000, in its Aug. 4 Kentucky Downs Preview day. View the full article

UK Horse of the Year, Roaring Lion underwent a second colic surgery at the Cambridge Equine Veterinary Hospital on Thursday morning. Roaring Lion had been making positive progress since his initial surgery last Saturday but began to show symptoms of discomfort overnight. The symptoms were evaluated by the Cambridge Equine Hospital team with some international consultation and the decision was made to return to the operating table. There were two adhesions from the first operation compromising... View the full article

Horowhenua horseman Chris Rutten is taking a patient approach with the return of Group Two winner Scott Base, with the son of Dalghar recovering from an operation earlier this year. “He’s had an operation where he had a bone chip taken out in January,” Rutten said. “It has taken him quite a bit (of time), we just wanted to give him the time he needed to recover from that properly. “Dave Keenan (vet) did the operation. He is on the water-walker at the moment for about a month. We will... View the full article

King Zachary patiently stayed off the pace and took over in the final turn in breaking a track record that stood for almost 91 years in an 8 1/2-length victory in Thursday's $100,000 Birdstone for 3-year-olds and up at Saratoga Race Course. View the full article

Imperial Racing's Plus Que Parfait is best known for his victory in the Group II UAE Derby, which landed him a berth in a Grade I Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. View the full article

The New York Racing Association Inc. will welcome a dozen of the sport's top jockeys back to Saratoga Race Course for the sixth annual Jockey Legends Day, presented by Fasig-Tipton, Sunday, August 4. View the full article

Emily Farr could be in for one of her biggest days in racing on Sunday when she partners in-form jumper Gobstopper in the Grand National Hurdle (4200m) at Sandown. It has been a rapid rise for the 2017 Gr.3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) winner, who is undefeated in his two starts over hurdles, including a last-start victory in the Brendan Dreschler Hurdle (3500m) at Pakenham. It took plenty of perseverance on Farr’s part to convince trainer Andrew Campbell to follow a jumps path this winter with the... View the full article

The 67th Annual Round Table Conference on Matters Pertaining to Racing, held at the Gideon Putnam Resort in Saratoga Springs, New York Aug. 11, will feature international perspectives as well as communications strategies in times of crisis, The Jockey Club announced on Thursday. The Jockey Club Chairman Stuart Janney, III will preside over the conference, which begins at 10 a.m. EST and will be aired on TVG2, www.tvg.com and live streamed on www.jockeyclub.com. A Q&A session with Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara will be conducted by The Jockey Club’s President and Chief Operating Officer James Gagliano. Hong Kong Jockey Club Chief Stipendiary Steward Kim Kelly will discuss category 1 interference policies and general stewarding practices in Hong Kong. Among the other speakers are Fox Sports Executive Vice-President of Research, League Operations and Strategy, Mike Mulvihill, who will speak on his organization’s television coverage of the sport and the strategies they employ for addressing legalized sports betting; Monmouth Park Vice-President of Business Operations Bill Knauf will cover Monmouth’s embrace of sports betting; while Xenophon Strategies President and COO David Fuscus will speak on how the Thoroughbred industry should react in times of crisis. For the full conference schedule, go to www.jockeyclub.com. The post Jockey Club Round Table to Feature International Perspectives appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Rick Hammerle, among horse racing’s most respected and innovative officials; popular New England sportscaster and former NBC racing analyst Bob Neumeier, and jockey Aaron Gryder are joining the team at Kentucky Downs. Hammerle will serve as Kentucky Downs’ director of horsemen’s relations and racing operations, working closely with racing secretary Tyler Picklesimer and senior vice president and general manager Ted Nicholson. Hammerle spent the past 16 years directing Santa Anita’s racing program as racing secretary. “I’m a utility man; I’ll do whatever they need,” said Hammerle, who recently was also hired to be racing coordinator at Oaklawn Park’s winter and spring meet. “I worked in California, obviously, and I’ve been in New Jersey, the East Coast and Florida. But the Midwest is new to me. And you know what? I love it. Because I’m going to meet some new people. I’m really excited to come out there. Whatever Tyler and Ted need, I’m in.” Neumeier will be the guest paddock analyst along with Caton Bredar. Gryder will join Bredar doing on-air analysis when he is not riding. The post Hammerle, Neumeier, Gryder Join Kentucky Downs Team appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article