Wandering Eyes

14:05 Newcastle – The Fighting Fifth Hurdle This Saturday, we await the return of the inaugural Betvictor Fighting Fifth Hurdle, the first leg of the triple crown of two-mile hurdling and the race has certainly garnered a tonne of interest so far. The top three horses of note seem to be the obvious choices of Samcro, Buveur D’air and Summerville Boy. Summerville Boy looks like a great prospect based on last seasons exploits however with 261 days since his last run, it’s only natural to have some kind of reservations regarding his current abilities. Having said that, his record over hurdles is not to be sniffed at with two wins and three places from 5 runs over similar distances beating the likes of Kalashnikov and Mengli Khan in the Supreme Novices Hurdle. Noel Fehily is the jockey booking who seems to get the best results out of this partnership. Irish raider Samcro has a more than impressive record when it comes to hurdles, winning four out of six starts and beating Black Op in the Ballymore Novices Hurdle. His confidence, however, has been knocked after falling at Punchestown in April and achieving a disappointing second in his most recent stint. He is a versatile horse and Jack Kennedy certainly knows how to get the best out of him, he cannot be ruled out if he keeps his cool and stays on task but he’s got tonnes of questions to answer. The obvious choice looks to be Buveur D’air with the horses’ trainer Nicky Henderson thriving in this environment and although he’s not run since March I am confident he has been put to work behind the scenes. He took this title 12 months ago and has only been beaten by top-class chaser Altior in his last eleven outings. His wins in both the Champion Hurdle (2017 & 2018) and Contenders Hurdle (2017 & 2018) were extremely commendable and rumour has it he’s in very good health. Likely to be a real blow for blow race between him and Samcro and as Barry Geraghty has yet to taste defeat aboard the horse it can only be a positive. If the horse has retained his ability from last years success, he has got to be the best contender in the field. BUVEUR D’AIR (WIN) – NAP Newcastle: 11:50 – Style De Vole (WIN) 12:25 – Cesar Et Rosalie (E/W) 13:00 – Beakstown (WIN) 13:35 – Aintree My Dream (WIN) 14:05 – Buveue D’Air (WIN) – NAP – ITV Racing 14:40 – Idee De Garde (WIN) 15:20 – Beau Sancy (E/W) – ITV Racing Doncaster: 12:00 – Anemoi (WIN) 12:35 – Outofthisworld (WIN) 13:10 – Shiroccan Roll (E/W) 13:45 – All Currencies (E/W) 14:15 – Sunnytahliateagan (E/W) 14:50 – Golden Investment (E/W) 15:25 – Book Of Invasions (WIN) Newbury: 12:10 – Lust For Glory (WIN) 12:45 – Kilbricken Storm (WIN) 13:20 – Behind Time (E/W) 13:50 – Ballymoy (WIN) – ITV Racing 14:25 – Lisp (E/W) – ITV Racing 15:00 – Black Corton (WIN) – ITV Racing 15:35 – Lady Buttons (E/W) – ITV Racing Fairyhouse: 12:15 – Dolciano Dici (E/W) 12:50 – Mrs Lovett (WIN) 13:25 – All The Answers (WIN) 13:55 – Raya Time (WIN) 14:30 – Eclat Des Mottes (WIN) 15:05 – Small World (E/W) 15:40 – Miss Shoe City (WIN) Bangor-On-Dee: 12:20 – Euxton Lane (E/W) 12:55 – Vengeur De Guye (WIN) 13:30 – Bordeaux Bill (E/W) 14:00 – Shantaluze (WIN) 14:35 – Pogue (WIN) 15:10 – So Sorry Sarah (WIN) 15:45 – Gaelik Coast (WIN) Wolverhampton: 17:15 – Benny And The Jets (E/W) 17:45 – Moraawed (WIN) 18:15 – Kodiac Pride (WIN) 18:45 – Admiral Art (E/W) 19:15 – Breaking Records (WIN) 19:45 – Salute The Soldier (WIN) 20:15 – Attain (E/W) 20:45 – Lucky’s Dream (E/W) The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Saturday 1st December appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

At the relatively young age of 41, Javier Castellano is riding in arguably the best form of his career. The Eclipse Award-winning jockey each year from 2013 through 2016, the native of Venezuela took his Breeders’ Cup tally to 10 winners with victories astride City of Light (Quality Road) in the GI Dirt Mile and atop Bulletin (City Zip) in the inaugural running of the Juvenile Turf Sprint. Those successes came on the heels of career victory number 5,000, but the humble Hall of Fame is not ready to rest on his laurels. Next Wednesday, Castellano will make his second appearance in the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship at the world-famous Happy Valley Racecourse, facing off with the likes of Ryan Moore, Christophe Lemaire, Hugh Bowman and defending IJC champion Zac Purton. Castellano was gracious enough to take time from his busy schedule to speak with the TDN’s Alan Carasso about the job ahead in Hong Kong and his future aspirations. TDN: What does it mean to you to be chosen to compete in the Longines International Jockeys’ Championship? Javier Castellano: I have been very lucky throughout my career and I am very fortunate to have to compete against some of the best jockeys in the world. I am very excited about and thankful for the opportunity. There are so many outstanding jockeys in the United States, and it is a great honor for me to be selected. Any one of my fellow jockeys could be in my position and I am very appreciative to be going to Hong Kong. TDN: You competed in the 2006 IJC, the same year you earned your first Classic with Bernardini in the GI Preakness S. What do you remember about that experience? JC: It is a very unique competition. Obviously the other jockeys are in the competition are extremely talented and it will be very tough to win. I remember how great the atmosphere was at Happy Valley, and the fans there in Hong Kong are so passionate about horse racing, they really love the sport. I remember looking over from the track to the grandstand and seeing it packed with people. TDN: What specific challenges does riding at Happy Valley present? JC: It’s a very different kind of racecourse, with tight corners. The backstretch is long and climbs a hill and then another tight corner into the homestretch. A lot of horses are trying for the same spot on the track and it makes it very challenging to ride. In the U.S., we do have those sorts of tight tracks, like Charles Town and Delta Downs. In order to do well at tracks like this, you have to be willing to make adjustments to the track. You have to be smart. TDN: You became one of just a handful of jockeys in U.S. history to ride 5,000 winners last month. How meaningful was that to you? JC: It meant a great deal to me because I have been working towards that for a long time. I don’t take anything for granted, I am so grateful to be in this spot and I am thankful for everyone that has given me the opportunity to allow me to win my 5,000th race. I am always challenging myself, I want to be the best jockey in the country. I thank God for giving me the skill to ride horses. I could not have done it without the support of my wife, Abby, and my three kids. My career is not an easy one. When you see those kinds of numbers, 5,000 winners is not easy. You have to go through a lot to get there. A lot of moments, a lot of ups and downs, a lot of luck to be successful in this sport. I am very glad to be a part of this. Also, being in the Hall of Fame is something I can carry with me for the rest of my life. My agents have worked so hard to find me the best horses around so I can compete and allow me to do my job to the very best of my ability. TDN: What jockeys, or people, have you tried to emulate in your life? JC: I looked up to my dad, he was my role model in my life. He was also a jockey and I always wanted to be like my dad. He was a top jockey in my country and I grew up with that. I always wanted to a jockey so badly. TDN: You are arguably riding in the best form of your career. What are some of your goals for the immediate future and beyond? JC: I always have a goal and I am a very competitive person, so I have a lot more to accomplish. I feel well right now, I am 41 years old and I would like to continue to ride for nine or 10 more years. Hopefully I can remain in good health and if that’s the case, I hope I can reach 6,000 wins and maybe even 7,000 wins. I would like to win the Derby, that’s a dream of mine. It’s a race that I’ve never won and one day I’d like to reach that goal. I want to be consistent and remain competitive. I have always had a lot of respect for John Velazquez. He’s one of the greatest of all time. He is enjoying himself right now, closing in on his 6,000th, he’s won two Kentucky Derbies. Those are the types of goals I am always looking to achieve and trying to get to that sort of level. View the full article

In this continuing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Hanshin and Chukyo Racecourse, the latter of which plays host to Sunday’s G1 Champions Cup with US-bred Pavel (Creative Cause) and the return to action of the very exciting Eagle Barows to close the program: Sunday, December 2, 2018 5th-CKO, ¥13,400,000 ($118k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1400mT FOSSAMAGNA (c, 2, War Front–River Belle {GB}, by Lahib), bought back on a bid of $275K at last year’s Keeneland September sale, was consigned as lucky hip 888 to this year’s OBS April Sale and was hammered down to Emmanuel de Seroux’s Narvick International as agent for Katsumi Yoshida for $725K after drilling a quarter-mile in :21 1/5. The April foal’s MGSW & GISP dam has also produced GSW Strathnaver (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) from the same Danzig sire line as well as SW Siyaadah (GB) (Shamardal). Christophe Lemaire is at the controls. B-Lofts Hall Stud (KY) 9th-HSN, ¥19,000,000 ($167k), Allowance, 2yo, 1400mT MEINER ABE (c, 2, Into Mischief–Spring, by Stravinsky) is already a veteran of four starts, having graduated in his third career start and first try on the grass at Kokura Aug. 12 (see below, gate 6). An $85K KEENOV weanling turned $170K KEESEP yearling, the May foal is a half-brother to MSW & MGSP Spring Included (Include) and to the latter’s Grade I-placed full-brother Pulsion. The deeper female family includes six-time G1/GISW Gentlemen (Arg) (Robin des Bois). B-Robert B Trussell Jr (KY) 12th-CKO, ¥28,600,000 ($252k), Allowance, 3yo/up, 1200m EAGLE BAROWS (c, 4, Henny Hughes–Minny’s Niece, by Quiet American) was well beaten in his career debut over 1800m last July, but has since rattled off three open-length victories. The bay, who cost just $20K as a KEESEP yearling in 2015 before fetching $250K as an OBSAPR breezer, closed out 2017 with a tally at Tokyo and most recently returned from an October layoff with an easy score at headquarters May 26 (see below, gate 14). Joao Moreira has the call. B-C Kidder & N Cole (KY) View the full article

The ITV racing team is bringing viewers action from Newbury and Newcastle on Saturday, where the Fighting Fifth takes centre stage at the Northeast course. The jumps season just gets better and better, we can enjoy a big speed clash in the Fighting Fifth and the ever-competitive Ladbrokes Trophy. I have taken a look at four of the key races on Saturday, where even if we don’t get the winner, the races will prove very informative for the remainder of the season. Ladbrokes Trophy This race was formerly known as the Hennesy and has produced some spectacular winners down through the years, most notably Denman winning carrying top weight in 2007 and 2009. The race was won last season by the Willie Mullins trained Total Recall but unfortunately, some of the lustre of this years race was lost when the Willie Mullins representative Kemboy was unable to travel due to a ferry cancellation. Elegant Escape tops the market and there is a very interesting form line with leading Fighting Fifth fancy Smacro as Colin Tizzard’s inmate finished runner-up to Samcro in a point to point in Ireland. He ran in some of the leading novice chases last season, with a third-place finish in the RSA chase behind Presenting Percy the highlight. He won a listed chase at Sandown on seasonal debut and could be a horse to follow for the remained of the season. The race looks quite open this year and some of the more interesting runners include Harry Fry’s American who runs very well fresh and would appreciate any rain that arrives. Aine O’Connor has received the call-up, on this very lightly raced horse, but it’s worrying that he pulled up in the race twelve months ago when very well-fancied. The Young Master is one of the most popular horses in training and received a warm reception when getting a “peach” of a ride from Sam-Waley-Cohen to win at Cheltenham earlier in the month. He has a nice racing weight here and cannot be ruled out. Nicky Henderson is represented by Beware The Bear, who was an impressive winner on debut last season but was disappointing in the Welsh and Scottish Nationals. He also ran very well in the Ultima at the festival and following a wind surgery he’s an interesting contender. Selection: American Fighting Fifth Hurdle This marks one of the first proper tests for aspiring Champion Hurdle contenders. The Noel Meade trained Harchibald produced some of his memorable “on the bridle” performances when taking the prize in 2004 and 2007. A mouthwatering clash lies ahead this season with last season Champion hurdle winner Buveur D’Air and the young pretender Samcro go head to head in what looks like a match race. Nicky Henderson’s Buveur D’Air took this contest twelve months ago en-route to landing back to back Champion Hurdles and he will look to repeat the dose this year. The JP McManus trained seven-year-old is now unbeaten in his last ten starts and will prove difficult to beat if turning up in good form. Samcro is the new kid on the block in the two-mile hurdling division and although last season’s Ballymore winner was disappointing in the WKD Hurdle at Down Royal earlier in the month behind Bedrock, he is a very exciting prospect. As a rule, Gordon’s horses have been improving for their seasonal debuts and I expect a much better run from Samcro on this occasion. Bedrock produced a career-best when beating Samcro but it would be a surprise if Ian Jardine’s gelding was able to uphold the form. Summerville Boy should not be underestimated as he was a dual Grade 1 winner last season, including the Supreme Novices Hurdle at Cheltenham. Tom George’s lightly raced six year is open to progression and should be taken seriously on seasonal debut. Selection: Samcro Intermediate Hurdle Although a handicap, this race has been won by some proper Grade 1 horses in the past including Rock on Ruby and L’Ami Serge. Nicky Henderson has won three of the last nine runnings and is represented by Whatswrongwithyou this time around. This seven-year-old has very few miles on the clock and seems to be improving all the time. He was a beaten favourite when last seen in the Imperial Cup but this was still a very credible run and should he return in the same form, then he’s the one to beat. Henry Daly is a very shrewd trainer and looks to have another quality horse in his care this season with Whatmore. He has taken his form to a new level in two starts this far when finishing third in the Silver Trophy and then comfortably beating the good yardstick Ballyhill most recently. The ever-green Andrew Tinkler takes the rider on a horse he knows well and they should be bang there at the business end. Another horse who has excelled this season is What’s Occurring, the Oliver Sherwood trained gelding might have only won a brace of small hurdle events at Hereford but such was the manner of these victories he has to be a contender. He was also only beaten eleven lengths behind the race favourite in a novice event last season. Selection: What’s Occurring Rehearsal Chase Otago Trail was a smart horse when last seen in action, but that was over 600 days ago and he has obviously had problems since then. Venetia Williams inmate won this contest in 2016 off a mark of 146 and returns here off a six pounds higher mark. If he retains the ability he had shown then he must enter calculations. Last seasons Eider winner Baywing makes his seasonal debut here and although he now races off a career high of 149, he is a likeable type that should give his running. I’d imagine there might be bigger targets for the remained of the season and he’ll improve for whatever he does on Saturday. Charlie Longsdon runs Ballydine, who has only run three times over fences but boasts form figures of 231 in the discipline. The very lightly raced eight-year-old was Grade 2 placed as a hurdler and given his profile, he looks like one of the more likely types to feature. Others to consider include Big River and Bishops Road. Selection: Ballydine The post Saturday Preview – Who’ll Come Out Fighting At Newcastle? appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Finally, the rain has arrived and I can run some of the horses that have been getting cabin-fever waiting for it. On Saturday we head to Bangor, Doncaster and Newcastle. On Sunday, it is off to Carlisle with seven runners. Saturday Mr McGo Track: Bangor – 12:20 Jockey: Brian Hughes He’s been off for a long time and it’s a very strong looking race. It’s his first run over fences so we will be hoping he jumps round safe and he’s a horse to look forward to. This race looks hotter than usual and on ratings, he wouldn’t be good enough but we have to start somewhere. Mr Monochrome Track: Bangor – 12:55 Jockey: Brian Hughes It was his first run for me the last day and his jumping hadn’t been the best, so we went to Carlisle over two and a half mile and he just didn’t get home. We have dropped him back in trip and he’s better going this way, so we are hoping for the best. Shantaluze Track: Bangor – 2:00 Jockey: Brian Hughes He won well the last day but perhaps this ground is just soft enough for him. That being said the race is coming at the right time for him and hopefully the ground can be loose enough for him to add to his previous course and distance victory. Pogue Track: Bangor – 2:35 Jockey: Brian Hughes I’m looking forward to running him, as he’s a nice big horse. It’s a competitive race but he was an impressive point-to-point winner that needs to get started and this looks like a good opportunity. I will know more after the race and we can make a plan from there. Golden Investment Track: Doncaster – 2:50 Jockey: Lorcan Murtagh The conditions should suit this fella, he wants three miles two furlongs on some nice ground, which he will get here. This is the lowest grade he has run in for a while which should also help and he should run a nice race. Chicago Lady Track: Bangor – 3:10 Jockey: Jack Dinnenn This is Jack’s first ride and he came to me from Gordon Elliott’s. I own the mare and she probably doesn’t want the best part of three miles, but the ground is soft and she’ll hopefully give Jack a good ride. Gaelik Coast Track: Bangor – 3:45 Jockey: Brian Hughes It looks a warm enough bumper on paper, he has done all his work well and we like him but similar to Pogue this is just a stepping stone and will be an informative run. Testify Track: Newcastle – 3:20 Jockey: Will Kennedy We would have liked to have started over a slightly shorter trip but he does get three miles and it’s hard to find races for these horses. He has a decent strike-rate when fresh and has had his wind done since last season. He started off last season quite well but it fell apart slightly, so we are just looking to get back on track with as he is a very nice horse. Sunday The Con Man Track: Carlisle – 12:25 Jockey: Brian Hughes I have been told that he wants soft ground and a trip but I’m not sure, we will go and see as it’s the right type of race. His work has been good and he is a nice straightforward horse. Secret Escape Track: Carlisle – 12:55 Jockey: Brian Hughes I run three in here, the ground could be slow enough for her. She has got some decent form on soft but when she was running well on it we didn’t really think she wanted it. She is the most useful of the three but the ground is a concern. Princess Mononoke Track: Carlisle – 12:55 Jockey: Abbie McCain She will love the ground but might not get the trip, Abbie claims a valuable seven pounds off her back and she should run a nice race. Dark Sunset Track: Carlisle – 12:55 Jockey: Harrison Beswick The trip and ground should be fine for her and the opportunity to run in races this valuable doesn’t occur that often, so she takes her chance. Wazowski Track: Carlisle – 2:00 Jockey: Brian Hughes He is as honest a horse that you will find, which you can see by his consistent form. We have given him a small break to freshen him up and a stiff two miles on heavy ground is his bag. We don’t have much up our sleeve but the trip, track and ground should all be fine. Mahler Lad Track: Carlisle – 2:30 Jockey: Brian Hughes He ran well the last day but I wouldn’t be convinced he wants the ground as soft as it’s going to be, but he has run well at the track before and it’s a valuable contest. We gave him a small break since his last run and we’d be hoping he runs well. Whitsundays Track: Carlisle – 3:30 Jockey: Brian Hughes He is a bit of tricky character that can tail himself off and he has surprised me on occasion. It looked like he was going to pull up at Kelso in January and he ended up winning on the bridle. He has been to Carlisle before and not run great but again he has to start somewhere Best Chance: Golden Investment The post Donald McCain Blog appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

The colours of Khalid Abdullah’s Juddmonte Farm were carried to victory by Flintshire (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in the G1 Hong Kong Vase in 2014, and four years later Mirage Dancer (GB) (Frankel {GB}) will attempt to cap off a big year for that owner/breeder in the same race next Sunday. In addition to the exploits of the dual Arc winner and GI Breeders’ Cup Turf winner Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), team Juddmonte visited the winner’s circle at the Breeders’ Cup with the GI Mile winner Expert Eye (GB) (Acclamation {GB}), and further Group 1 glory for the season now rests on the shoulders of the 4-year-old Mirage Dancer. The son of the impeccably bred Grade I winner Heat Haze (GB) (Green Desert) is shaping like a typical Sir Michael Stoute improver, and he has won twice over the Vase’s 2400 metre trip this year: the Listed Tapster S. in May and the G3 Glorious S. at Glorious Goodwood in August. He was beaten a short head by Young Rascal (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) in the G3 Legacy Cup S. over a furlong shorter on Sept. 22. “This will be Mirage Dancer’s first start in a Group 1 race, but his form stands up well enough and we are looking forward to the challenge of running him in Hong Kong,” Judmonte racing manager Teddy Grimthorpe said. “The horse is progressive, he is well, and we have been pleased with his recent gallops. It is true to say we have had the Longines Hong Kong International Races in mind since the summer. “He is a fresh horse, having not run for a while. We thought about running him in the Canadian International, but aimed him for Champions Day at Ascot instead, and then the ground went against him. He should get fast ground in Hong Kong, which is what he wants.” Grimthorpe said it is hoped Ryan Moore will be available to ride the horse, but his trainer won’t be able to make the trip. “Unfortunately, his trainer, Sir Michael, will not be in Hong Kong as he cannot travel having recently undergone knee surgery. Happily the horse is moving better than he is,” Grimthorpe said. View the full article

RACING POST NAP 15:00 Newbury The big race of the day sees a Grade 2 contest at Newbury get underway with the annual running of the Long Distance Hurdle. A massive trial for the Grade 1 Stayers Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival. Some of the main protagonists are set to do battle prior to March and it’s great to see Sam Spinner, Unowhatimeanharry and Wholestone lineup. Although it may be unfair on the other runners it’s hard to see past this trio and unless a less experienced runner is going to provide a shock the winner looks likely to be from the three at the head of the market. Former festival victor Unowhatimeanharry is clearly the classiest horse in the race but at the age of 10 seems to be on the decline and after finishing 3rd behind Wholestone on his seasonal reappearance it looks a difficult task for Harry Fry’s runner to reverse the recent result. Sam Spinner is mightily consistent and has only finished outside of the top 3 once in his entire national hunt career. A fifth in last years Stayers Hurdle is far from a negative and he looks a major player. Sadly with a very big break off the track, I’m not sure if he’s going to need this run and although he has gone well fresh in the past it looks like Wholestone is going to be the one to beat. A win over today’s rival Unowhatimeanharry showed that he’s progressed further over the summer and although he finished stone last in this race that year subsequent efforts has seen him leave that result way behind. WHOLESTONE (WIN) – NAP RACEBETS ALTERNATIVE BET 12:25 Southwell A trio of course and distance winners are set to lineup in the third race on the card at Southwell and all have great chances of entering the winners’ enclosure once again. Star Ascending absolutely adores it here at this venue with 5 wins and 6 places from 18 previous course starts. He returns to his beloved Southwell with 1lb less weight to carry than his last victory and is bound to be pushing our selection all the way. The horse that gets the nod is a fellow course and distance victor as Epitaph aims to improve on his 4th placed effort earlier in the month. As with the aforementioned rival Star Ascending he’s got less weight to carry since his last victory and with trainer Mick Appleby in form he looks to have the tools to at least finish in the top three. Of the remainder, you can see Restive putting in a solid effort and after a layoff of over 7 years, it’s worth noting that Landscape returns to the flat and a close look at the betting is going to be worthwhile with the ten-year-old veteran. EPITAPH (E/W) Southwell: 11:20 – Nuzha (E/W) 11:50 – Fuel Injection (WIN) 12:25 – Epitaph (WIN)* 13:00 – Corelli (WIN) 13:30 – Kommander Kirkup (E/W) 14:05 – Kupa River (E/W) 14:40 – Sultan Baybars (E/W) 15:50 – Sooqaan (E/W) Doncaster: 12:00 – Nadaitak (E/W) 12:35 – Charmant (WIN) 13:10 – The Tangler Barry (E/W) 13:40 – Nightfly (E/W) 14:15 – Almost Gold (E/W) 14:50 – Travertine (E/W) 15:25 – Dhowin (E/W) Newbury: 12:10 – Bright Forecast (E/W) 12:45 – Kupatana (WIN) 13:20 – Eclair D’Ainay (WIN) 13:50 – La Bague Au Roi (WIN) 14:25 – Willoughby Court (WIN) 15:00 – Wholestone (WIN) – NAP 15:35 – Aux Ptits Soin (E/W) Limerick: 12:15 – Vinnwarr (E/W) 12:50 – Ilikedwayurthinkin (E/W) 13:25 – Linger (E/W) 13:55 – Cairnhill (WIN) 14:30 – Whatsinthecorner (WIN) 15:05 – The Ballyboys (E/W) 15:40 – Arion Sky (WIN) Newcastle: 17:15 – Angels Acclaim (WIN) 17:45 – Bataar (WIN) 18:15 – Kenny The Captain (E/W) 18:45 – Ffiur (E/W) 19:15 – Tha’ir (E/W) 19:45 – Matterhorn (WIN) 20:15 – Indian Warrior (E/W) 20:45 – French (E/W) Dundalk: 17:30 – King’s Vow (WIN) 18:00 – Yamato (E/W) 18:30 – Anythingyouwanttobe (E/W) 19:00 – Grandmaster Flash (E/W) 19:30 – Stormy Daniels (E/W) 20:00 – Kasbah (E/W) 20:30 – Chelkar (E/W) 21:00 – Brokopondo (E/W) The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Friday 30th November appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Tony Cruz’s enigmatic duo of Pakistan Star and Time Warp have both been given the green light to compete in next week’s Longines Hong Kong International Races after they passed crucial barrier trials on Friday morning. The pair had both been barred from racing after tailing out to finish a combined 40 lengths last in the Group Two Jockey Club Cup (2,000m) earlier this month. Trialling against the likes of gun sprinters Hot King Prawn and Beat The Clock over 1,200m on the all-weather... View the full article

Australian jockey Tye Angland is clear of any brain injury from Sunday’s horror fall at Sha Tin, but his wife Erin concedes there is still “a long and difficult road ahead”. While the specific nature of Angland’s injuries were not revealed, Erin released a statement through the Jockey Club on Friday morning, confirming he remains in the intensive care unit of the Prince of Wales Hospital in a serious but stable condition. “Tye’s well-being is paramount and... View the full article

The 2018-19 Championship Meet will get underway at Gulfstream Park Dec. 1, and no one will be more thrilled than trainer Jorge Navarro that the opening-day program will be celebrated with 20th edition of the Claiming Crown. View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings November 30 View the full article

Horses' body weights November 30 View the full article

Early scratchings November 30 View the full article

Jockey three-way battle getting closer View the full article

Darc Bounty returns to winning ways View the full article

Troy at first look-See around Champ de Mars View the full article

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Friday’s Insights features a son of G1 Falmouth S. victress Music Show (Ire) (Noverre). 5.45 Newcastle, Mdn, £10,400, 2yo, 7f 14y (AWT) Jaber Abdullah’s FIGHTWITHME (IRE) (Shamardal), a son of G1 Falmouth S. victress Music Show (Ire) (Noverre), returns off a promising debut third at Newmarket earlier this month. Rivals to the John Gosden trainee feature King Power Racing’s hitherto unraced Top Power (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), who is a 325,000gns TATOCT half-brother to G1 Prix du Moulin second Akatea (Ire) (Shamardal), representing Andrew Balding; and Cheveley Park Stud’s once-raced homebred Scheme (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), who is out of a stakes-placed half-sister to G1 Prix de Diane heroine Confidential Lady (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), from the Sir Mark Prescott stable. View the full article

The applications for Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields' upcoming after-Christmas meets were both conditionally approved without incident during a California Horse Racing Board meeting at Del Mar Nov. 29. View the full article

In what is being called the most expansive TV programming agreement in racing history, FOX Sports will televise over 500 hours of NYRA racing during 2019, including coverage of nearly every live program from Belmont Park and Saratoga, the network and officials from the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced Thursday. The agreement builds on the already-existing deal between the two entities that resulted in more than 100 hours of live coverage of NYRA racing in 2018. The broadcast schedule will increase to better than 600 hours in 2020. “This is a transformative agreement between NYRA and FOX Sports that will dramatically expand national television coverage of the best thoroughbred racing in the country,” said NYRA President and CEO Chris Kay. “With increased competition for wagering dollars, we recognize the importance of capturing the attention of sports fans and bettors using high-quality television production to provide the best coverage and racing analysis available anywhere today, which is something our television department has been providing for the last two years.” The FOX/NYRA programming will be presented by America’s Best Racing, created in 2012 to develop new fans by increasing the profile and visibility of North America’s top thoroughbred racing events. The shows will be produced by NYRA and will be hosted by FOX Sports’ Greg Wolf, with handicapping insights and other commentary from NYRA’s Andy Serling and Maggie Wolfendale as well as trainer Tom Amoss and Paul LoDuca. The voice of NYRA and the Triple Crown, Larry Collmus will deliver the majority of the race calls. “The goal of the ‘Live’ broadcasts is to educate and entertain the viewer through in-depth racing analysis paired with compelling storytelling,” said Tony Allevato, President of NYRA Bets & Executive Producer for NYRA TV. “The expansion of FOX’s horse racing programming, and its appeal to seasoned horseplayers and newcomers alike, is a positive for all aspects of the industry and we thank FOX Sports for their commitment to our sport.” Added Michael Mulvihill, executive vice president of league operations, research and strategy for FOX Sports, “NYRA has been a terrific partner and we are looking forward to presenting more horse racing on a national stage than ever before. With this commitment, FOX Sports has taken the lead in developing content in the fast-growing area of sports gaming by expanding our relationship with the most prestigious name in horse racing, the New York Racing Association.” View the full article

OZONE PARK, N.Y.–With a Hall of Fame plaque, two Eclipse awards, 15 Breeders’ Cup victories and four Triple Crown race wins to his credit, John Velazquez is one of the most accomplished riders in the sport. The 47-year-old rider is on the verge of his latest milestone as he is just one win away from 6,000 North American victories, a feat previously accomplished by just 15 riders. The TDN’s Christie DeBernardis and Joe Bianca caught up with Velazquez as the New York racing community anxiously awaits win 6,000. The Puerto Rican rider has four mounts on Friday’s card at Aqueduct and five more chances on Saturday’s GI Cigar Mile card. TDN: How does it feel to be on the verge of 6,000 North American victories? JV: “Well, it’s a number. It’s an important number, but I just concentrate on winning races basically and the numbers come after. So, it’s not something I shoot for or live for. I think I concentrate more on winning races and the rest is history. One day when I’m retired, I’ll look back and I’ll say, ‘I think I accomplished something.’ But, for now I’m here, I’m very active, I’m looking forward to winning more races and now they are just a number.” TDN: You’ve won a lot of important races throughout your career. Tell us about some of the highlights. JV: “I’ve had a lot of winners and a lot of important races. The [GI Kentucky] Derby is obviously one of the most recognized races in the world and obviously with the career that I have so far, thankfully I have two winners in the Derby, two Belmonts and plenty of Breeders’ Cups, which are the races that people remember the most. I’ve always said I’m very blessed for the opportunities that I’ve been given and very humble. {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"John Velazquez Approaches 6,000 Wins","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/303580496.sd.mp4?s=ef8c9c87701344cca9d9e1c35fdf09c15c29bab1&profile_id=164","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/281449967.sd.mp4?s=b7485f32ab2c8512189fee9b10e4f87b059d2ea3&profile_id=164","prerollSkipTimer":"5","midrollAD":"no","midrollAD_displayTime":"midrollAD_displayTime","midrollGotoLink":"midrollGotoLink","midroll_mp4":"midroll_mp4","midrollSkipTimer":"midrollSkipTimer","postrollAD":"no","postrollGotoLink":"postrollGotoLink","postroll_mp4":"postroll_mp4","postrollSkipTimer":"postrollSkipTimer","popupAdShow":"no","popupImg":"popupImg","popupAdStartTime":"popupAdStartTime","popupAdEndTime":"popupAdEndTime","popupAdGoToLink":"popupAdGoToLink"}],"instanceTheme":"light","playerLayout":"fitToContainer","videoPlayerWidth":720,"videoPlayerHeight":405,"videoRatio":1.7777777777778,"videoRatioStretch":true,"videoPlayerShadow":"effect1","colorAccent":"#000000","posterImg":"","posterImgOnVideoFinish":"","logoShow":"No","logoPath":"","logoPosition":"bottom-right","logoClickable":"No","logoGoToLink":"","allowSkipAd":true,"advertisementTitle":"Ad","skipAdvertisementText":"Skip Ad","skipAdText":"You can skip this ad in","playBtnTooltipTxt":"Play","pauseBtnTooltipTxt":"Pause","rewindBtnTooltipTxt":"Rewind","downloadVideoBtnTooltipTxt":"Download video","qualityBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Close settings","qualityBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Settings","muteBtnTooltipTxt":"Mute","unmuteBtnTooltipTxt":"Unmute","fullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Fullscreen","exitFullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Exit fullscreen","infoBtnTooltipTxt":"Show info","embedBtnTooltipTxt":"Embed","shareBtnTooltipTxt":"Share","volumeTooltipTxt":"Volume","playlistBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Show playlist","playlistBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Hide playlist","facebookBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Facebook","twitterBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Twitter","googlePlusBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Google+","lastBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to last video","firstBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to first video","nextBtnTooltipTxt":"Play next video","previousBtnTooltipTxt":"Play previous video","shuffleBtnOnTooltipTxt":"Shuffle on","shuffleBtnOffTooltipTxt":"Shuffle off","nowPlayingTooltipTxt":"NOW PLAYING","embedWindowTitle1":"SHARE THIS PLAYER:","embedWindowTitle2":"EMBED THIS VIDEO IN YOUR SITE:","embedWindowTitle3":"SHARE LINK TO THIS PLAYER:","lightBox":false,"lightBoxAutoplay":false,"lightBoxThumbnail":"","lightBoxThumbnailWidth":400,"lightBoxThumbnailHeight":220,"lightBoxCloseOnOutsideClick":true,"onFinish":"Play next video","autoplay":false,"loadRandomVideoOnStart":"No","shuffle":"No","playlist":"Off","playlistBehaviourOnPageload":"opened (default)","playlistScrollType":"light","preloadSelfHosted":"none","hideVideoSource":true,"showAllControls":true,"rightClickMenu":true,"autohideControls":2,"hideControlsOnMouseOut":"No","nowPlayingText":"Yes","infoShow":"No","shareShow":"No","facebookShow":"No","twitterShow":"No","mailShow":"No","facebookShareName":"","facebookShareLink":"","facebookShareDescription":"","facebookSharePicture":"","twitterText":"","twitterLink":"","twitterHashtags":"","twitterVia":"","googlePlus":"","embedShow":"No","embedCodeSrc":"","embedCodeW":720,"embedCodeH":405,"embedShareLink":"","youtubeControls":"custom controls","youtubeSkin":"dark","youtubeColor":"red","youtubeQuality":"default","youtubeShowRelatedVideos":"Yes","vimeoColor":"00adef","showGlobalPrerollAds":false,"globalPrerollAds":"url1;url2;url3;url4;url5","globalPrerollAdsSkipTimer":5,"globalPrerollAdsGotoLink":"","videoType":"HTML5 (self-hosted)","submit":"Save Changes","rootFolder":"http:\/\/wp.tdn.pmadv.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/Elite-video-player\/"} TDN: Are there any races left on your bucket list that you have yet to win? JV: “You know, I always thinking about the Preakness. I haven’t won the Preakness yet and it’s one of the races that everybody talks about. Obviously, it’s one of the most famous races, so that’s the only one I’m still chasing so far. Maybe that’s why I’m still around here. Let’s see what happens. TDN: Can you name some of your best or favorite mounts over the years? JV: “Wise Dan was one of my favorites. He was two-time Horse of the Year and he was probably the best horse I have ridden in my career. There are many. Winning the Belmont with Rags to Riches is one of my favorite races that I’ll always remember. It was my first Classic from the Triple Crown and I did it with Todd Pletcher. Winning the Kentucky Derby, first with Graham Motion, who is a very good friend of mine, with Animal Kingdom. Those are the races that you remember the most and the connections that you all have, especially with my career with friends and families that I grew up with. It’s just great, just very fortunate and very blessed to have these opportunities.” TDN: Tell us about some of the people involved in helping you get those victories, such as Todd Pletcher, who you’ve worked with for a long time. JV: “Well, I’m very fortunate and very blessed with all the people that I work with and to still be working with a lot of the same people for the last 20-something years. I ride a lot of good horses and that’s what keeps you coming back again, keeps you kind of hooked to the racing and the excitement, trying to find the next good horse or something that’s going to bring you more excitement. Working with Todd Pletcher for that many years and winning that many races with him, it’s very unusual for a jockey and trainer to be together for that many years. I think we’ve been together at least 20 years. That’s incredible, you know, for the business that we are in doesn’t last that long.” TDN: Can you describe your relationship with Angel Cordero over the years? JV: “It has been a long relationship. He was the one who brought me here from Puerto Rico and I lived with him when I came here for about three months. It’s always been a kind of father and son relationship. We have our moments, obviously like a father and son. We have our arguments, but it’s very healthy arguments and we’re still together. I’m very proud of the things we have done together ever since I came in from Puerto Rico. It’s very unique. TDN: As you get older, what steps do you take to stay at the top of the game? JV: “As I get older, I think that I don’t need to prove anything, so it’s not just about proving yourself or about the money, it’s about staying on top of a certain level and getting the mounts that you really like to get, if you will. And if you still get them, that’s the opportunities that keep you excited about the game. You stick around if you’re healthy. First of all, for me, it’s being healthy, being 100% where I can do the best job that I can do. TDN: How have you grown as a jockey since you first came to America? Back then, did you ever see yourself getting to the point in your career that you are at now? JV: “Absolutely not. When I first came in as a young rider, I didn’t know anything about the racetrack, I just went to a jockey school in Puerto Rico, I loved horses, that’s all I cared about. I just wanted to ride horses. I didn’t know where it was going to take me. I was hoping that I’d do well enough to help my family. That was one of my main things when I came in. I came from nothing and wanted to make sure that I did well and could help my family back in Puerto Rico. I just started building up, learning about the business and how competitive it is and it started growing on me. It was like, ‘Oh, man, I can do this.’ And the more you win, the more you learn, then the more passionate you get about your job and what you do. In anything you do you just have to try to put your best at it and see where you can fit.” TDN: Do you see yourself as a mentor to some of the younger riders, especially those from your native Puerto Rico? JV: “Every kid who comes in, I try to help them the best I can. The better rider they become, the better it is for us. It’s safety first, and, second of all, you can ride better with the younger riders once they understand the dangers of the game. So, if you can concentrate on something, try to teach them the best you can and hopefully they listen and they follow up, that will be good for them. There were many riders when I came in, obviously I lived with Angel [Cordero] and he was my main mentor when I came here, but I mean there was Mike Smith and Jose Santos and other guys that really helped me out, so it’s just a little bit giving back.” View the full article

The Albany television station WNYT reported Thursday that NYRA will, at a meeting of the Board of Directors, put forth a proposal to go to a five-day-a-week racing schedule at Saratoga with the track being closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. To continue to operate 40 days of racing at the upstate New York track, NYRA would begin the meet earlier than normal, on July 11. The traditional closing day, Labor Day, would still be in effect. WNYT reporter Chris Onorato tweeted the following: “According to multiple sources, proposed expansion of Saratoga racing season will be key topic of NYRA board meeting this AM in NYC.” There was at least one factual error in Onorato’s tweet as there was no NYRA Board meeting held Thursday. It is scheduled for next week. Patrick McKenna, NYRA’s director of communications, dismissed the report in a statement. “Any reporting to suggest that the NYRA Board of Directors met today to discuss the 2019 Saratoga season is absolutely incorrect,” the statement read. “While we appreciate the interest that surrounds the Saratoga racing calendar, we will formally release the dates for the 2019 season at the appropriate time. This is and has been our standard practice in notifying the public.” NYRA has not yet released stakes or racing schedules for any of its three tracks for 2019. View the full article

Coming off a runner-up finish in the Tempted Stakes (G3), Enliven heads a field of seven 2-year-old fillies in the $250,000 Demoiselle Stakes (G2) Dec. 1 at Aqueduct Racetrack. View the full article

Aidan O’Brien deftly maneuvered his silver Land Rover inside a covered round pen at Ballydoyle where a group of yearling fillies was being ridden single file against the perimeter wall. He drove surprisingly close to them, circling inside of them, observing and exchanging words with the riders, motioning with his right hand as he steered the vehicle with his left. “Alright Christopher, good man, good man; okay Eddie, good man, good man; alright James, good man, good man,” he said, on and on to each rider. The yearlings had arrived at Ballydoyle only two weeks ago after the breaking process at John Magnier’s Coolmore, and they were already comfortable with O’Brien’s SUV next to them. They were in the early stages of preparation for their 2-year-old seasons and were a little behind the four sets O’Brien had supervised from the Land Rover in larger outdoor paddocks earlier that morning. O’Brien knew them all, as he did every rider by name. Each horses’s pedigree was written on the saddle cloth, with the initials of the sire and the dam’s full name. Naturally, there were a lot of “Gs” for the Galileos. In 2001, Galileo (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) became the first of O’Brien’s six G1 Epsom Derby winners. The bay colt also won the G1 Irish Derby and the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Stakes on his way to being crowned the champion 3-year-old of Europe. “He was so genuine, it was unbelievable,” O’Brien recalled. From his Coolmore base, Galileo has since become one of the greatest stallions of all time, just as O’Brien has become one of the sport’s greatest trainers from his nearby Ballydoyle headquarters. Each year O’Brien seems to send out an endless stream of group winners for the trio of Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, and Derrick Smith, including the winners of a record 28 Group 1 races in 2017–a good many of them sons or daughters of Galileo. In other words, the stallion and the trainer have relied upon and benefitted from each other in their second act together. {"id":3,"instanceName":"Articles No Playlist","videos":[{"videoType":"HTML5","title":"Galileo at Coolmore","description":"","info":"","thumbImg":"","mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/303390519.sd.mp4?s=dae1bbeaa9dc9e30e25c3264159f863bd1c41d65&profile_id=165","enable_mp4_download":"no","prerollAD":"yes","prerollGotoLink":"prerollGotoLink","preroll_mp4_title":"preroll_mp4_title","preroll_mp4":"https://player.vimeo.com/external/272988451.sd.mp4?s=d56dd3feed52ead87a402039df8675111519c715&profile_id=165","prerollSkipTimer":"5","midrollAD":"no","midrollAD_displayTime":"midrollAD_displayTime","midrollGotoLink":"midrollGotoLink","midroll_mp4":"midroll_mp4","midrollSkipTimer":"midrollSkipTimer","postrollAD":"no","postrollGotoLink":"postrollGotoLink","postroll_mp4":"postroll_mp4","postrollSkipTimer":"postrollSkipTimer","popupAdShow":"no","popupImg":"popupImg","popupAdStartTime":"popupAdStartTime","popupAdEndTime":"popupAdEndTime","popupAdGoToLink":"popupAdGoToLink"}],"instanceTheme":"light","playerLayout":"fitToContainer","videoPlayerWidth":720,"videoPlayerHeight":405,"videoRatio":1.7777777777778,"videoRatioStretch":true,"videoPlayerShadow":"effect1","colorAccent":"#000000","posterImg":"","posterImgOnVideoFinish":"","logoShow":"No","logoPath":"","logoPosition":"bottom-right","logoClickable":"No","logoGoToLink":"","allowSkipAd":true,"advertisementTitle":"Ad","skipAdvertisementText":"Skip Ad","skipAdText":"You can skip this ad in","playBtnTooltipTxt":"Play","pauseBtnTooltipTxt":"Pause","rewindBtnTooltipTxt":"Rewind","downloadVideoBtnTooltipTxt":"Download video","qualityBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Close settings","qualityBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Settings","muteBtnTooltipTxt":"Mute","unmuteBtnTooltipTxt":"Unmute","fullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Fullscreen","exitFullscreenBtnTooltipTxt":"Exit fullscreen","infoBtnTooltipTxt":"Show info","embedBtnTooltipTxt":"Embed","shareBtnTooltipTxt":"Share","volumeTooltipTxt":"Volume","playlistBtnClosedTooltipTxt":"Show playlist","playlistBtnOpenedTooltipTxt":"Hide playlist","facebookBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Facebook","twitterBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Twitter","googlePlusBtnTooltipTxt":"Share on Google+","lastBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to last video","firstBtnTooltipTxt":"Go to first video","nextBtnTooltipTxt":"Play next video","previousBtnTooltipTxt":"Play previous video","shuffleBtnOnTooltipTxt":"Shuffle on","shuffleBtnOffTooltipTxt":"Shuffle off","nowPlayingTooltipTxt":"NOW PLAYING","embedWindowTitle1":"SHARE THIS PLAYER:","embedWindowTitle2":"EMBED THIS VIDEO IN YOUR SITE:","embedWindowTitle3":"SHARE LINK TO THIS PLAYER:","lightBox":false,"lightBoxAutoplay":false,"lightBoxThumbnail":"","lightBoxThumbnailWidth":400,"lightBoxThumbnailHeight":220,"lightBoxCloseOnOutsideClick":true,"onFinish":"Play next video","autoplay":false,"loadRandomVideoOnStart":"No","shuffle":"No","playlist":"Off","playlistBehaviourOnPageload":"opened (default)","playlistScrollType":"light","preloadSelfHosted":"none","hideVideoSource":true,"showAllControls":true,"rightClickMenu":true,"autohideControls":2,"hideControlsOnMouseOut":"No","nowPlayingText":"Yes","infoShow":"No","shareShow":"No","facebookShow":"No","twitterShow":"No","mailShow":"No","facebookShareName":"","facebookShareLink":"","facebookShareDescription":"","facebookSharePicture":"","twitterText":"","twitterLink":"","twitterHashtags":"","twitterVia":"","googlePlus":"","embedShow":"No","embedCodeSrc":"","embedCodeW":720,"embedCodeH":405,"embedShareLink":"","youtubeControls":"custom controls","youtubeSkin":"dark","youtubeColor":"red","youtubeQuality":"default","youtubeShowRelatedVideos":"Yes","vimeoColor":"00adef","showGlobalPrerollAds":false,"globalPrerollAds":"url1;url2;url3;url4;url5","globalPrerollAdsSkipTimer":5,"globalPrerollAdsGotoLink":"","videoType":"HTML5 (self-hosted)","submit":"Save Changes","rootFolder":"http:\/\/wp.tdn.pmadv.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/Elite-video-player\/"} Galileo surpassed his own sire’s formidable record of 73 Grade/Group 1 winners in October and recently got his 75th when Godolphin’s Line of Duty (Ire) won the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf earlier this month at Churchill Downs. The stallion stands for a private fee but he’s easily the most expensive sire in the world, more than Darley’s Dubawi (Ire) (Dubai Millennium {GB}) in Europe, Shadai’s Deep Impact (Jpn) (Sunday Silence) in Japan, and Claiborne’s War Front (Danzig) in the U.S. Because O’Brien has trained many of his best, including current Coolmore stallions such as dual Derby winner Australia, G1 English and Irish 2000 Guineas winner Churchill, champion 2-year-old and Irish and English Guineas winner Gleneagles, seven-time Group 1 winner Highland Reel, Epsom Derby winner Ruler of the World, G1 French 2000 Guineas winner The Gurkha, and the speedy Group 2 winner Gustav Klimt, he has firsthand knowledge of their makeup. “Galileos are, like, very strange horses, meaning that they try so hard,” O’Brien said. “And always with the Galileos, all you’re trying to do is slow them down and relax them. With most other horses, it’s the complete opposite. But Galileos, they never remember what happened yesterday. Say they got really tired– and when a horse gets really tired, they feel a bit of pain–some horses get very clever to that and they don’t want to go back there anymore. So what happens is that when they start controlling that, you can only train them to a certain level because they won’t let you push them any further. But with Galileos, they will give their absolute 150% every day. It’s very strange. It’s a mental trait, not a physical trait. Of all the horses we’ve ever trained, we’ve never seen it in another horse before. It’s a gene that will carry on. It’s a pure remind of him.” A Pilgrimage It was Galileo who had brought me to Ireland a week ago–for the first time, by the way. I’d never seen Coolmore’s iconic sire Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer) in the flesh and didn’t want to miss his legendary son, who at age 20 is closing in on his sire’s 294 stakes winners with 289 to date. The son has already passed the father by number of group winners, 190 to 168. When our son, a Florida-based college senior, said he wouldn’t be home for the Thanksgiving holiday, my wife and I decided on short notice to visit Galileo, which meant an overnight six-hour flight from New York to Dublin followed by a two-hour drive to Cashel, a historic little town in County Tipperary. From there it was a 20-minute trip to the speck of a village that is Fethard, where Magnier’s historic and sprawling property is discreetly situated without a sign at the main gate. Ballydoyle is just 10 minutes from Cashel, and is likewise devoid of signage. The grand horse didn’t disappoint. At a little over 16 hands, Galileo is taller than his 15.2-hand grandsire and 16-hand sire, but he’s not a big horse by any means and appears smaller in height than he is. Perhaps that’s because he has some of the unmistakable resemblance and swagger of that little big man from Windfields, Northern Dancer, who transformed the European racing landscape the moment his son Nijinsky set Europe alight from Ballydoyle for Aidan O’Brien’s legendary predecessor, Vincent O’Brien. The last English Triple Crown winner, Nijinsky, was a larger, scopier horse than most of the Northern Dancers, who as a group were smaller, more rounded and muscular, and faster than their taller and stretchier European contemporaries that their gear-changing abilities frequently left flat-footed in pattern races. This was the primary North American tribe at the forefront of the transformative “international racehorse” of the 1970s and 1980s, and they came relentlessly from Ballydoyle after Nijinsky and included among many others such Classic winners as The Minstrel, El Gran Senor and Sadler’s Wells for Vincent O’Brien and his ownership group of Robert Sangster and Magnier, Vincent O’Brien’s son-in-law. Historically, the sequence of Northern Dancer/Sadler’s Wells/Galileo as Classic winners and Classic-siring breed shapers is unparalleled, though it’s fair to include Sadler’s Wells’s “other” Coolmore-based son Montjeu (Ire), who died prematurely at age 16, in the conversation. It’s rare enough to find three successive generations of breed-shaping stallions in one hemisphere to begin with–Raise a Native/Mr. Prospector/Fappiano and Nearco/Nasrullah/Bold Ruler are two sets; Northern Dancer/Danzig/Danehill, with Redoute’s Choice (Aus) (Danehill) and Fastnet Rock (Aus) (Danehill), straddle two hemispheres, and Northern Dancer/Danzig/War Front has more to come–but with the advent of Galileo’s Juddmonte-based son Frankel (GB), four successive Classic winners as top sires is a possibility. Plus, with Galileo’s accomplished young sons at Coolmore, there’s every chance to continue the streak with others, and O’Brien is convinced that Australia in particular will be one of them. “Australia is going to be an unbelievable stallion,” O’Brien said. “They have the courage. Then, you have Churchill. One of them is going to strike big. It’s going to happen. With the Galileos, it’s a mental trait, and so many of them have it.” O’Brien believes that Galileo’s daughters are just as effective in passing on their sire’s traits, and he points to one of his stars this year, 2000 Guineas winner Saxon Warrior (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who was produced from the fast Galileo mare Maybe (Ire), as an example. “The trait is so strong that the Galileo comes out,” O’Brien said. “Saxon Warrior would absolutely kill himself stone dead for you. He wasn’t a mile-and-a-quarter horse at all; he was a miler. But he kept trying, and he never relented in any way. He was so genuine. If we had kept him to a mile, he probably would have never been beaten.” That Saxon Warrior, who enters stud in 2019 at Coolmore, was tried repeatedly at up to a mile and a half is part of the Coolmore ethos, O’Brien noted. “What’s changed with ‘the lads’ is that they don’t want [their horses] to go to stud with false pretenses anymore,” O’Brien said. “They want to expose every horse. They’re thinking of the big picture, so they want to expose them–see what their limitations are. Because when you know that, you can let the pedigree progress. They have so many stallions standing, so they need to go through them and find out who’s the best.” That type of thinking extended to Galileo himself, who was sent to the U.S. to compete in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic on dirt after a demanding European campaign. Galileo ran a creditable sixth in the race behind Tiznow in 2001. For all of his accomplishments, Galileo still has one hole in his resume: He doesn’t yet have a graded winner on dirt. O’Brien is fully aware of this and said he’d like to fill that gap. “I’ve been thinking about this a lot,” O’Brien said. “I’ll tell you why the Galileos will suit the dirt when we get them. They’re so determined when they get to the front. They will not relent. But you need to get the right horse and give him the right preparation.” In fact, O’Brien said he’s thinking about a Galileo for Coolmore for the 2019 Kentucky Derby. “I’ve been trying to think, like, how can we have a Kentucky Derby horse this year, and I’ve been thinking that it has to be a Galileo if we are going to do it. It’ll take a run or two for a horse to learn from coming from the grass to go to the dirt, but it’s not impossible. We just have to pick the one for the program. I haven’t picked one yet, but we’re getting close and we’ll decide in the next couple of weeks.” That’s an exciting thought to ponder, because if Galileo and O’Brien can add a Kentucky Derby to their long list of European Classics, it would be a stunning achievement. As it is, the trainer and the stallion that are so interwoven together have accomplished more than most as a unit, with yet more to come. It’s why O’Brien spends this time of year schooling his yearlings as they approach two. “What happens now will affect their entire careers,” he said, as he drove his Land Rover from where the young horses were stabled to the Giant’s Causeway yard at Ballydoyle, where his best 3-year-old colts will be domiciled. More than a few Galileos will be there when the season starts. Sid Fernando is president and CEO of Werk Thoroughbred Consultants, Inc., originator of the Werk Nick Rating and eNicks. View the full article

Newmarket, UK–Lest we forget, these animals are born to run. Because they certainly aren’t all bred to do so. There is nowhere like a foal sale to remind you how many Thoroughbreds are sooner brought into the world to walk round in a circle for two minutes, and then good luck to them once the hammer falls. True, for a majority of shoppers at Tattersalls this week, the idea is that they will still prove capable of doing the same next autumn. In the case of the filly who made the headlines on the second day of the December Foal Sale, however, it was all about her eligibility to do exactly what she was born to do. “She’s not for resale,” said Anthony Stroud with a grin, after a daughter of Juddmonte’s dashing young sire Kingman (GB) was knocked down to the adjacent John Gosden for 370,000gns. The pair routinely operate for Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin stable, of course, and were able to see off a sustained challenge from Jamie Railton for lot 704. Her price—exceeded only once in the equivalent session, back in 2007—contributed to a much more cheerful session after that dispiriting start to proceedings on Wednesday. From a virtually identical offering, 211 lots changed hands out of 263 offered, compared with 216 of 259 last year, for turnover of 9,142,000gns, barely down from 9,258,500gns last year. That brought the average right back to 43,327gns, up marginally on 42,863gns last year, albeit the median shrank to 30,000gns from 33,500gns. The clearance rate also recovered well from the opening day, at 80% just short of 83% in 2017. Consigned by Castlebridge, the session-topping filly is out of Blue Angel (Ire) (Oratorio {Ire}) and duly a half-sister to Listed Dee S. winner Viren’s Army (Ire) (Twirling Candy). The second dam, moreover, is a Classic-placed half-sister to the top-class miler Bigstone (Ire). “She does trace back to a very good Wildenstein family,” Stroud said. “And Kingman has had a fantastic year. It was probably more than one wanted to spend but when you want one, sometimes you have to stretch for it.” “She is a queen, a beautiful filly,” said Bill Dwan of Castlebridge. “She has been very busy here, she was vetted nine times. We were obviously very hopeful, but that certainly exceeded expectations.” Blue Angel boards with Dwan for Geoffrey Howard-Spink, who bred the filly as Ruskerne Ltd. “Her first foal Viren’s Army was a stakes horse, and her second was a good racehorse too, so we decided the mare deserved an upgrade,” Howard-Spink said. “Kingman was such a good racehorse, which was why we chose him. But he had such a good season with his first runners, and everything has just fallen into place. We always try and sell as foals, and this is easily the best result we have had in the sale ring.” The Show Goes On-And On… Showcasing (GB) is certainly enjoying a remarkable sale—which is no less than you would hope, after the latest elevation in his fee at Whitsbury Manor Stud to £55,000 for 2019. If that’s what you have to pay for a cover, even an average of 90,615gns for 13 sold to date represents a fair deal for a living, breathing weanling. One way or another, the market is certainly backing him to upgrade mares—much as he has done his own profile, from a fee of £4,500 just five years ago. Several foals that brought big money yesterday were out of either unraced or unproven mares. True, one or two of these had already caught quite a following wind. Literally so, in the case of Lisiere (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}), the dam of lot 745, a colt offered by Trickledown Stud and sold to Joe Foley for 190,000gns. Lisiere was bought for Penny Cave and Trickledown’s Paul Thorman by Bobby O’Ryan at the Horses-in-Training Sale here five years ago for just 15,000gns—at which time her half-brother Dick Whittington (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) was a hot-off-the-press €280,000 punt at the Goffs Orby Sale. A punt that paid off, the following year, when he won the G1 Phoenix S. for Aidan O’Brien. Cave explained, “It was blowing a gale, a real hurricane, and a lot of the horses could not get in. So I rang Paul and said this might be an opportunity to pick one up cheaply. So he said we should both go through the catalogue and list six lots, and see if any doubled up-and Lisiere was the first to come up. I couldn’t believe what we got her for.” With just two other mares at home, and husband Simon as “the staff”, Cave protested that she could not afford £35,000 even for what she views as “an all-singing, all-dancing sire” at Whitbury—but was delighted to agree to a foal-share. Then there was the dam of lot 652. The Shadwell-bred Ealaan (Invasor {Arg}) was sold for just $4,000 at the Keeneland November Sale in 2013. As the daughter of G3 Nell Gwyn S. winner Misterah (GB) (Alhaarth {Ire}), with a stakes-winning half-sister meanwhile producing Ertijaal (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), she was imported to Europe and artfully picked up by Whitsbury for 26,000gns here three years ago. It was only subsequently that Ertijaal really began to stamp himself as one of the fastest horses to have operated at Meydan. Sure enough, Peter and Ross Doyle were prepared to go to 130,000gns for Ealaan’s second foal, a colt, alongside Jimmy Murphy of Redpender Stud. “Showcasing is out in the open with everything he has done,” Murphy said. “So the idea will be to come back here next year. Ertijaal is a son of Oasis Dream and obviously so is Showcasing. So hopefully the cross will work.” Another fan of Showcasing is Jamie Railton, who warmed up for his crack at the top lot of the day by giving 140,000gns for lot 700, a colt presented by Castlebridge out of a Night Shift half-sister to German Group 1 winner Temida (Ire) (Oratoria {Ire}). “He’s for the investment syndicates we operate and will be back for resale,” Railton explained. “To me, he was the standout of the day. Obviously we sold Advertise (GB) and Quiet Reflection (GB), so hopefully this can be our third good one by the sire.” His colt is a sibling to three winners but another son of Showcasing to score well as a first foal was lot 747, out of a winning Pour Moi (Ire) mare from the family of Group 1 winner Wannabe Grand (Ire). He made 130,000gns from Howson and Houldsworth, from the draft of Hawes Stud—who promptly bettered that with lot 748, a Starspangledbanner (Aus) colt, drawing 150,000gns from Railton. Shalaa Lives Up to Billing Shalaa (Ire) must look to his laurels as his first weanlings come onto the market, having retired at the most expensive fee of his intake in Europe. But he certainly stepped up to the plate with lot 728, a filly out of G3 Princess Margaret S. runner-up Full Mandate (Ire) (Acclamation {GB})—herself a half-sister to G1 King’s Stand winner Profitable (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). That’s a pretty brisk pedigree and persuaded Al Shaqab Racing to go to 160,000gns, representing a warm vote of thanks to breeder Liam Sheridan for sending Full Mandate to their stallion. (Glory be! Another end user, by the look of things.) Jill Lamb bought the mare for Sheridan here in 2012, for 80,000gns, when Profitable was just a weanling himself. His subsequent success had pointed the way to Haras de Bouquetot. “It was a fairly obvious decision to send the mare to Shalaa as we wanted to use a son of Invincible Spirit,” Lamb explained. “Liam is a commercial breeder and as a daughter of a first-crop sire, we thought it was a good point to sell. The mare is in foal to Kodiac (GB).” The filly was presented by Newsells Park Stud, whose Julian Dollar added, “She is a lovely, racy filly and it is great that she has gone to what we’d assume is the end user.” Shalaa, clipped to €22,000 for 2019, achieved another six-figure sale through lot 630, the first foal of a winning Peintre Celebre sister to the dam of Classic-placed Little Nightingale (Fr). Presented by Plantation Stud, the colt raised 100,000gns from Abbeylands Farm. “I loved Shalaa as a racehorse and we’ve seen a good few that we like,” explained Frannie Woods. “So we were keen to get our hands on one. Hopefully he’ll be a Book 2 horse, he’s a very good individual with a good pedigree.” From the family of Group 1 winners Lost World (Ire) and Fijar Tango (Fr), the colt had been acquired in utero when Mags O’Toole gave €70,000 for the mare as part of the Etreham draft at Arqana last December. If that looks good business now, the plaudits must be extended to the consignor—Plantation Stud having sandwiched this sale with three other mustard offerings. First had been another son of Shalaa, lot 628, who raised 68,000gns from Tina Rau Bloodstock; BBA Ireland then signed an 82,000gns docket for lot 629, a Muhaarar (GB) colt, on behalf of an Irish pinhooker; and then Yeomanstown gave 95,000gns for lot 631, another first foal to sell well for Showcasing (GB) out of an unraced sister to G1 Lockinge S. winner Virtual (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Grass Greener at Meadowlands The above comments about Showcasing’s foals riding the slipstream of a fee hike are still more relevant to No Nay Never, who has received a giddy elevation to six figures for 2019 after his first crop of runners put him to the fore of his intake in Europe. One of his daughters had duly topped the low-key opening session on Wednesday and yesterday his son lot 625 brought 120,000gns from Fairway Partners, as part of a stellar draft presented by Brian Kennedy of Meadowlands Stud. This colt was offered on behalf of Kennedy’s vet John Yarr. He credits Jason Walsh at Coolmore for advising No Nay Never, whose first crop has put him at the top of an exciting intake of new European stallions this year, as an option to impart speed to his Montjeu (Ire) mare. Not that he needed much persuading, having made his only visit to Royal Ascot in the year both Caravaggio and Lady Aurelia put No Nay Never’s lamented sire Scat Daddy in lights. “He’s been bought just for a group of friends to resell,” explained purchaser Benoit Jeffroy, standing with Nicolas De Watrigant. “He’s a very athletic horse, with plenty of quality, and of course the sire is on fire.” Meadowlands has a fine record here and moments later achieved another impressive return when lot 627, a colt from the first crop of Estidhkaar, brought 80,000gns from Yeomanstown Stud. That represents a great dividend on a €5,000 cover by the Tara Stud rookie. And the consignment produced another very attractive proposition in lot 689, an Acclamation (GB) colt out of Gold Again (Touch Gold)—whose Kodiac foal at this sale last year brought 210,000gns. This time her son of Acclamation generated 130,000gns from Aquis Farm. Gold Again has certainly lived up to her name since Richard Venn picked her up here for just 6,500gns in 2009. The European foal market is a new footprint for the Australian superpower Aquis, who will keep him here for resale. “We thought him the stand-out of the day,” reasoned chief executive officer Shane McGrath. “A strong, quality colt, by an established sire, a great mover with a big hip. Let’s hope he winters well, and goes the right way. We’ve had a good look around, and seen a lot of different physicals. Obviously the foals are a bit younger than we’re used to seeing, but then a nice horse is a nice horse. It’s all about expanding the horizons.” Paca Packs a Punch Another intriguing international presence was Paca Pace Farm of Japan, whose Harry Sweeney signalled his intent when paying the top price of the morning, 95,000gns, for a colt by Havana Gold (Ire) from the speedy family of Ya Malak (GB) and Dominica (GB) consigned by Mickley Stud. Lot 573 was co-bred by the Countess of Lonsdale from Mocca (Ire) (Sri Pekan), who was stakes-placed for her with Denis Coakley but was subsequently sold. Mocca then came up with Kiyoshi (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who won the G3 Albany S. and was twice placed at Group 1 level, and when she came back on the market, her original owner persuaded Mickley’s Richard Kent to join her in returning her to the fold for 72,000gns. The partnership has previously struck a rich seam with Havana Gold, having bred Group 1 winner Havana Grey (GB)—a new recruit to Whitsbury Manor Stud—by the Tweenhills sire. “Caroline’s very clever at breeding, the brains of the operation,” said Kent—prompting Lady Lonsdale to declare that if she were the brains, he must be the beauty. “We just feed them,” Kent responded. “I’m delighted Caroline persuaded me to join her in buying the mare. This colt has the most fantastic temperament you could wish for, never had a moment’s worry.” Sweeney ended the session as signatory to seven lots for 582,000gns, headed at 200,000gns by lot 734—a colt by Le Havre (Ire) offered by Nafferty Stud. His dam Village Fete (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}) was picked up by Nafferty here in 2015 for just 27,000gns, even though a listed winner for Juddmonte, and her son Kings Fete (GB) (Kings Best) promptly won two Group 3 races the following year. For 100,000gns Sweeney also secured the beneficiary of a neon update in lot 766, an Iffraaj (GB) colt consigned by Dukes Stud out of a half-sister to the dam of Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf winner Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}). Cracking the Kodiac Further overseas investment came through Justin Casse, who gave 175,000gns for lot 750, a brother to Best Solution (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}), whose Group 1-winning achievements over middle distances have rather broken the mould for his prolific sire. But Casse will not be taking the colt, presented by McCracken Farms, back across the Atlantic. “He’s for resale and will stay somewhere in Ireland, I just need to organise where,” the agent said. “He’s a great walker, really a lovely action, with a beautiful pedigree, and should do nothing but get better with time.” Kodiac had another good score with lot 769, a son of an accomplished Argentinian racemare in Chibola (Arg) (Roy) offered through Whatton Manor Stud. His next destination, Paul and Marie McCartan’s Ballyphilip Stud, could hardly be more auspicious in view of their established knack with the sire: witness Tiggy Wiggy (Ire), Kodi Bear (Ire) and Coulsty (Ire). After signing a 160,000gns docket, Paul McCartan said, “We’ve had luck with Kodiac before, and he was the one we wanted today. There are a lot of lovely foals here and plenty of money for good ones. Let’s hope there’s plenty of money for them as yearlings too.” But there was still money around with the racetrack in mind, and Damien Burns saw off another potential end-user in Shadwell’s Angus Gold at 180,000gns for another Kodiac–lot 778, a filly homebred by Cobham Court Stud. Her dam Crown (Ire) (Royal Applause {GB}) has already produced listed winner Global Applause (GB) (Mayson {GB}) and Group 2-placed German juvenile Revelstoke (GB) (Toronado {Ire}). “She’s been bought possibly to race,” Burns said. “It’s the same cross as Adaay (Ire) and the mare gets very good-looking stock. She just looks a runner, like she’ll try all day. She was the same down in the yard and the same when she came up here.” View the full article

WINTER SUNSET (f, 2, Tapit–Winter Memories {MGISW, $1,268,100}, by El Prado {Ire}) got her career off to a strong start with a front-running debut victory, impressive enough to earn the ‘TDN Rising Star’ moniker. Breaking on top from her rail draw, the gray was a bit green rounding the far turn, but was quickly straightened out and showed the way through opening splits of :24.64 and :49.09. Confronted by two rivals to her outside approaching the bend, she took the final turn much better than the first and sailed clear in the lane under a quiet ride to win as she pleased by five lengths. Sales history: $900,000 RNA yrl ’17 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O-Coffeepot Stables & Phillips Racing Partnership; B-Phillips Racing Partnership (KY); T-Wayne Catalano. View the full article