Wandering Eyes

All 13 colts in Saturday’s Epsom Derby are male line descendants of Sadler’s Wells, and all but one of them are sons, grandsons or great-grandsons of Galileo. Let’s wrap our heads around that. The craziest part may just be that, so dominant have Galileo’s descendants been in the blue riband since his third-crop son New Approach won it in 2007, it doesn’t seem that crazy that he should supply all but one of the runners in Britain’s greatest race. What seems crazier is that it took Galileo three crops to supply that initial winner. And that, given his titanic influence on the race in the 21st century, Sadler’s Wells didn’t throw his first Derby winner–Galileo himself in 2001–until he was 20. He promptly made up for lost time by siring the following year’s winner, High Chaparral, too. In 2005 and 2007, Motivator (GB) and Authorized (Ire), both sons of the Sadler’s Wells sire Montjeu (Ire), recorded five-length wins on the first Saturday in June, and Galileo’s former Coolmore barnmate remarkably added his third and fourth winners in Pour Moi (Ire) and Camelot (GB) in 2011 and 2012. The longshot winner Pour Moi would go on to sire another high-priced winner, Wings of Eagles (Fr), from his second crop in 2017. Meanwhile, Galileo’s first winner, New Approach, came along in 2008, the year before Galileo’s half-brother Sea the Stars (Ire) won. Galileo would follow up Montjeu’s back-to-back winners with the same feat in 2013 and 2014 courtesy of Ruler of the World (Ire) and Australia (GB), the latter of which is the sire of two of Saturday’s runners from his first crop. After a short hiatus in 2015 and 2016-when the winners were by Cape Cross (Ire) and his son Sea the Stars-Montjeu was back in the fray in 2017 courtesy of his grandson Wings of Eagles, and Galileo last year with New Approach’s Masar (GB). For all his success, it’s a bit surprising that Galileo hasn’t yet achieved a Derby trifecta, although he came close in 2013 with New Approach’s Libertarian (Ire) splitting Ruler of the World and Galileo Rock (Ire). He has plenty of ammunition to shoot with on Saturday, however, with six of the 13 runners. Five of those (Anthony Van Dyck, Circus Maximus, Japan, Line of Duty, and Sovereign) are from Danehill-line mares-that magical cross that has left the likes of Frankel (GB), Highland Reel (Ire), Minding (Ire), Teofilo (Ire) and Intello (Ger)-while Norway (Ire) is out of a daughter of Kingmambo, so bred similarly to Camelot. Australia has a pair of live chances for a first-crop Derby winner in Broome (Ire) and Bangkok (Ire). New Approach’s champion 2-year-old and Guineas-winning son Dawn Approach (Ire) is the sire of Madhmoon (Ire), who is an interesting contender at 11-1 after showing plenty of quality at two and running a respectable race to be fourth in the Guineas. Dawn Approach was favourite for the 2013 Derby, but the experiment to test whether he could stay proved inconclusive after his lost his cool at the start and pulled Kevin Manning through the entire race and was virtually eased late on to finish last. New Approach has a shot to land his second Derby as a sire with Telecaster (GB), the G1 Dante S. winner who was supplemented for the Derby. When talking descendants of Galileo, one name that is missing is that of his best son Frankel (GB). And while that unbeaten superstar is not represented in the blue riband, he made amends on Friday when Anapurna (GB)-one of his three representatives–took out the Oaks to become his first British Classic winner. Frankel’s full-brother Noble Mission (GB) deputizes in the Derby with first-crop son Humanitarian, who was bought by Godolphin at Keeneland September for $200,000 and races in the silks of Sheikh Mohammed’s young son Sheikh Zayed. Also stirring memories of Frankel (GB) is Nathaniel (Ire), who bookended his racing career with second-place finishes behind the great horse and who is the sire of Derby longshot Hiroshima (GB). They could all be usurped, however, by the lone runner not from the Galileo line in the favourite, Sir Dragonet (Ire), a son of the 2012 Derby winner Camelot, by Montjeu. However, run Sir Dragonet’s pedigree and who will you find? Galileo. The G3 Chester Vase winner’s second dam, All Too Beautiful (Ire), is Galileo’s full-sister. Which reminds us, if we really needed it, of the homage that must be paid to their iconic matriarch Urban Sea (Miswaki). The 1993 G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe winner’s profound influence on this race since the turn of the century has been solidified not only by Galileo but also Sea The Stars, sire of the 2016 Derby winner Harzand from his third crop. Urban Sea featured on both the top and bottom of the pedigree of last year’s winner Masar, who was inbred 3×4 to her. They say nothing is certain in racing, but this Saturday something is: yet another Derby will go the way of the Sadler’s Wells sireline. The post Galileo’s Derby Monopoly appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Tesio’s Derby is the toughest of its kind in Europe, coming second only to the Kentucky equivalent in terms of demands made on still-developing Thoroughbred bodies and minds. At Louisville in May 2018, Justify (Scat Daddy) broke most of the rules and “Apollo’s curse” as a Derby hero without a single juvenile run behind him. That had already been achieved here in the modern era when Morston (Fr) took the blue riband on the back of a sole 3-year-old outing at Lingfield in 1973 and since then there have been two more to make light of the jolting trajectory from unknown to immortal in the space of a few weeks. They were Commander In Chief (GB), who came from nowhere to comprehensively eclipse the fellow Henry Cecil-trained Tenby (GB) here in 1993, and Ruler of the World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who conquered the 2013 edition just eight weeks after his debut appearance. If winning the Derby without having raced as a 2-year-old is an every-20-year phemonenon, Saturday’s G1 Investec Derby favourite Sir Dragonet (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) is in trouble but like Justify he does not appear a horse who respects guidelines. The ‘TDN Rising Star’ has arguably done a lot more than Ruler of the World already, with his eight-length defeat of solid stablemate Norway (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the May 8 G3 Chester Vase a souped-up version of the 2013 blue riband hero’s defeat of three rivals in that trial. Only introduced to the world at Tipperary on Apr. 25, the colt his stable hardly knew about also gets a significant leg up from his impeccable pedigree. If Tesio could design the ideal bloodlines for pointing to his famous winning post, Sir Dragonet’s would be it. His dam’s half-sister Wonder of Wonders (Kingmambo) had similarly low exposure when second in the 2011 Oaks and her dam All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells) took on Ouija Board (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) on only her third start in 2004. The latter’s dam Urban Sea (Miswaki) is the font of all matters Derby-related, as she proved again 12 months ago when her descendant Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) arrived at Epsom to upstage all pretenders. “He was always a very easy horse at home and does what is asked of him,” Aidan O’Brien said of the colt who has taken everybody by surprise. “He was kind of a reserved type of horse who didn’t run last year, so we just minded him. The reason he ran first time at Tipperary was just in case there was something special in there. Sir Dragonet’s work has been lovely since he last ran and he shows he gets a mile and a half well.” At the other end of the experience spectrum is Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), a gold-standard second or even third string for Ballydoyle who underwent rigorous examination throughout his formative campaign which took in visits to England and the United States. Like Masar, he took part in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and that remains his sole disappointing effort after wins in the G3 Tyros S. and G2 Futurity S. and placings in the G1 Vincent O’Brien National S. and G1 Dewhurst S. His straightforward success in the May 11 Listed Lingfield Derby Trial over an extended 11-furlong trip came on the back of a hold-up, so can be upgraded significantly. Bar a couple of exceptions, that prep has suffered after it was used by connections of the ultra-impressive 1985 Derby winner Slip Anchor (GB), but the half-brother to the high-class sprinter Bounding (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}) could be the one to put it back on the map. Donnacha O’Brien’s record in English Classics is an impressive three wins from his last six rides and his partnering of the Apr. 6 G3 Ballysax S. and May 12 G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial winner Broome (Ire) (Australia {GB}) is a positive. On racing style, he looks most likely to stay the trip and being by a Derby winner who was himself out of an Oaks winner he is tailor-made for these contours. “Broome has had two runs and we have been very happy with him. Ryan was very happy with him the first day and Donnacha was very happy the second day and everything has gone well since then,” the master of Ballydoyle said. “Anthony Van Dyck is a horse we always thought would get middle distances well. We kept him short enough last year as we didn’t have any other 2-year-olds really ready to go into battle. We were very interested in watching him run at Lingfield and Ryan was very happy with him and that he got the trip well.” Like Sir Dragonet, Castle Down Racing’s Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) was also unable to make the track at two before charting rapid progress through the spring and early summer. Second to Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) on debut when notably green at Doncaster on Mar. 30, the Meon Valley homebred went one better by nine lengths at Windsor on Apr. 15 before winning the G2 Dante S. at York on May 16 in the manner of a colt with unusual prowess. Another by a sire successful in this highlight, he is Britain’s headline act. Telecaster’s already much-respected trainer Hughie Morrison is on the verge of a sensational highlight of his training career and said, “As much as we’ve always liked him, we never got stuck into him at home. Oisin [Murphy] made sure he did learn plenty at Windsor and that paid dividends at York, but we’ve had three races in a short space of time and that is hard on a horse. He’s come a long way very quickly and giving a 3-year-old three runs before Ascot is unusual. As for the track, we won’t know until we try. He handled Windsor and that can be a challenge. He’s bred to stay this far and hopefully he’s got more improvement in him.” King Power Racing’s Bangkok is the second Derby representative of his sire alongside Broome and hails from one of the stables that has carried all before them so far in 2019 in Andrew Balding’s Kingsclere. While he has to improve on the bare form of his success in the Apr. 26 G3 Sandown Classic Trial, he is a colt with a willing attitude and a likely stayer at a mile and a half. “It has always been a difficult race to win and it is not getting any easier,” his trainer said. “If everything goes well in the prelims and we can get a half-decent position in the first half of the race, I’m sure we will be there or thereabouts. On his home work, he is the best I’ve trained–he has got to put that together on the track, but in terms of raw ability he is up there with the best I’ve had of any age.” Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Madhmoon (Ire) (Dawn Approach {Ire}) is by one who actually disappointed in this race when running far too free in the 2013 edition and he bids to live up to the old “fourth in the Guineas, first in the Derby” adage. While he was staying on in the style of the 1991 Epsom hero Generous (Ire) when filling that position in the May 4 Newmarket Classic, he is no certainty to get this trip on pedigree. “My dad had seven placed horses in it, he never won it but he won every other programmed race in England and Ireland,” his 86-year-old trainer Kevin Prendergast commented. “If we get the trip, we have every chance. There were a couple of impressive horses at Chester, but the ground was very soft. We’ve beaten Broome 2 1/2 lengths in a Group 2 at Leopardstown and he is nearly favourite now.” John Gosden’s sole representative is Sheikh Zayed bin Mohammed Racing’s Humanitarian (Noble Mission {GB}), who needs to up his game after novice wins over a mile at Lingfield in November and at Salisbury on May 16 but his profile is not unlike the 2000 Guineas runner-up King of Change (GB) (Farhh {GB}). “He went and won nicely at Salisbury last week,” Gosden said at the ‘Breakfast With the Stars’ day here. “You have to be bold sometimes.” Also at Epsom, the G3 Princess Elizabeth S. features Cheveley Park Stud’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Veracious (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who carries a penalty for her success in the G3 Atalanta S. at Sandown in September. Third in the G1 Coronation S. at Royal Ascot and G1 Nassau S. at Goodwood last term, the homebred has to rebound from a return fourth when the re-opposing Nyaleti (Ire) (Arch) was second in the G2 Dahlia S. at Newmarket on May 5. “I think we were all a bit disappointed with her last run,” the stud’s managing director Chris Richardson said. “I don’t know if she didn’t like the ground, as it was pretty uneven on the day because of the all the rain they had. We’ll put a line through it and move on. Sir Michael is very happy with her and we know she’s a good filly. Hopefully she’ll take to Epsom and we can decide from there whether we go to Royal Ascot.” The King Power connections warm up for Bangkok’s Derby tilt with the 3-year-old Bye Bye Hong Kong (Street Sense) in the G3 Investec Diomed S. Successful in the May 13 Listed Royal Windsor S., he is reported in peak condition by Andrew Balding. “He’s taking on older horses again, but I would like to think he’ll like the track and hopefully he’ll run a big race.” He meets Ahmad Alotaibi’s May 1 Listed Paradise S. winner Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), whose form has subsequently been boosted by the runner-up Barney Roy (GB) (Excelebration {Aus}). The post Dragonet Out To Buck Derby History appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Without a win since last May’s G2 Jockey Club S. at Newmarket, Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum’s now-gelded Defoe (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) sprang from the clouds to register a career-defining success in Friday’s G1 Investec Coronation Cup at Epsom. Settled in last early by Andrea Atzeni alongside Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the 11-1 shot enjoyed a rail run approaching the straight but needed room on the inner as that Ballydoyle representative struck the front looking to have it won two out. Getting a split in time, the grey swamped Kew Gardens 100 yards from the line before asserting for a half-length success, with five lengths back to last year’s runner-up Salouen (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) in third. 1–DEFOE (IRE), 126, g, 5, by Dalakhani (Ire) 1st Dam: Dulkashe (Ire), by Pivotal (GB) 2nd Dam: Saik, by Riverman 3rd Dam: Close Comfort, by Far North O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Darley (IRE); T-Roger Varian; J-Andrea Atzeni. The post Dalakhani’s Defoe Prevails In Cup Thriller appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

While this year’s G1 Investec Derby lineup is largely comprised of homebreds or private acquisitions, there are also some auction buys in here on both ends of the scale: the least expensive was 28,000gns, and the most expensive 1.3-million gns. ANTHONY VAN DYCK (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}-Believe’N’Succeed {Aus}, by Exceed and Excel {Aus}) The last-out Listed Lingfield Derby Trial S. winner Anthony Van Dyck is the first Northern Hemisphere foal out of the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude winner Believe’n’Succeed, who was bought by Coolmore at the 2014 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for A$1.1-million after producing the New Zealand champion sprinter and Group 1 winner Bounding (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}), who was bought by Stonestreet at that same sale two years later for A$1.6-million and exported to America. Believe’n’Succeed is a full-sister to Kuroshio (Aus), who has done well as a young sire with limited opportunities from shuttling to Britain. B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt. BANGKOK (IRE) (Australia {GB}-Tanaghum {GB}, by Darshaan {GB}) A 500,000gns Book 1 yearling, Bangkok is from the first yearling sales intake of King Power Racing. He is out of the listed-placed Tanaghum and a 3/4-brother to two other stakes winners as well as a half-brother to the dam of four-time Group 1-winning miler Ribchester (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}). His second dam is the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Mehthaaf (Nureyev), while he traces back to the excellent producer Fall Aspen. B-Barronstown Stud. BROOME (IRE) (Australia-Sweepstakes {Ire}, by Acclamation {GB}) A €120,000 vendor buyback by Croome House Stud at Goffs Orby in 2017, Broome was bought by MV Magnier for 150,000gns two months later at the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale. His dam was a listed winner over five furlongs at Sandown and Grade III-placed going a mile in the U.S., and he is from the family of Zoffany (Ire). B-Epona Bloodstock Ltd. CIRCUS MAXIMUS (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}-Duntle {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) Bred by co-owner Flaxman Stables, Circus Maximus is the first and only reported foal to date out of the Niarchos Family’s G2 Duke of Cambridge S. winner and multiple Group 1-placed Duntle. Duntle was bred by Sonia Rogers and raced by her until breaking her maiden by 18 lengths at second asking, after which she was bought privately by the Niarchos Family. B-Flaxman Stables Ireland Ltd. HIROSHIMA (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}-Lisiere {Ire}, by Excellent Art {GB}) Hiroshima, a 250-1 shot for the blue riband after beating just two home in Anthony Van Dyck’s Lingfield Derby Trial, was a 28,000gns purchase by trainer John Ryan at Book 2 for koi carp trader Graham Smith-Bernal. His dam is a half-sister to the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Dick Whittington (Ire) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}). B-Mrs P A Cave. HUMANITARIAN (Noble Mission {GB}-Sharbat, by Dynaformer) A $200,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by Godolphin from breeder Will Farish’s Lane’s End Farm, Humanitarian races in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed’s young son Sheikh Zayed. He is out of the U.S. listed-placed Sharbat, a half-sister to the G2 Lancashire Oaks and G3 Prix Minerve winner Pomology (Arch). B-W S Farish. JAPAN (GB) (Galileo {Ire}-Shastye {Ire}, by Danehill) A 1.3-million gns Book 1 purchase by the Coolmore partners, Japan was the latest in the procession of millionaires out of his dam to pass through the Tattersalls October ring. Shastye, the dam of G2 Middleton S. winner and G1 Oaks second Secret Gesture (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and two other stakes winners in addition to the G2 Beresford S. winner Japan, has had her sales yearlings gross an incredible $16.6-million. Those have also included the 3.6-million gns Sir Isaac Newton (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and last year’s 3.4-million gns Galileo colt, both also bought by MV Magnier. Secret Gesture was bought by Godolphin in foal to War Front for $3.5-million at Keeneland November in 2016 and that resultant foal, Silent Wave (GB), won her first start at Goodwood on May 25. B-Newsells Park Stud. LINE OF DUTY (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}-Jacqueline Quest {Ire}, by Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) The GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner Line of Duty was bought by Godolphin from the New England Stud consignment for 400,000gns at Book 1. He is out Jacqueline Quest, who crossed the line first in the 2010 G1 1000 Guineas but was demoted to second for interference. Jacqueline Quest visited Galileo for her first four seasons and now has a 2-year-old Dubawi (Ire) filly named Onassis (Ire), a yearling colt by Galileo and a colt foal by Dubawi. B-Triermore Stud. MADHMOON (IRE) (Dawn Approach {Ire}-Aaraas {GB}, by Haafhd {GB}) The G2 KPMG Champions Juvenile S. winner Madhmoon is a homebred for Sheikh Hamdan. He is out of the G3 Blue Wind S. second Aaraas, who is a half-sister to the dam of another recent Shadwell luminary, the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas winner Awtaad (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}). B-Shadwell Estate Company Limited. NORWAY (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}-Love Me True, by Kingmambo) Last year’s Listed Zetland S. winner Norway is a full-brother to his owners’ 2013 Derby winner Ruler of the World. Remarkably, that young sire wouldn’t qualify as the most accomplished produce of Love Me True: that honour falls to Duke of Marmalade (Ire), the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth S., G1 Prince of Wales’s S. and total five-time Group 1 winner. Norway is a great grandson of the legendary American producer Lassie Dear, whose legacy includes Weekend Surprise, the dam of A.P. Indy and Summer Squall as well as the champion, Classic winner, five-time Grade I winner and excellent sire Lemon Drop Kid. B-Southern Bloodstock. SIR DRAGONET (IRE) (Camelot {GB}-Sparrow {Ire}, by Oasis Dream {GB}) Derby favourite Sir Dragonet was bred by the Coolmore partners and is out of a Group 3-placed daughter of All Too Beautiful (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells), the G3 Middleton S. winner and a full-sister to Galileo (Ire) and a half to Sea The Stars (Ire). This is also the family of last year’s Derby winner Masar (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}) as well as the 2018 G2 Rockfel S. winner Just Wonderful (Dansili {GB}) and many, many other standouts. B-Orpendale, Wynatt & Chelston. SOVEREIGN (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}-Devoted To You {Ire}, by Danehill Dancer {Ire}) The maiden winner Sovereign, placed behind Broome in both of that one’s Group 3 wins this year, is out of the dual group-placed Devoted To You, whose dam Alleged Devotion (Alleged) is a half-sister to the G1 Irish Derby and Irish Oaks winner Balanchine (Storm Bird). Balanchine’s high-class dam Morning Devotion also features in the pedigrees of the G1 Prix de Diane winner West Wind (GB) (Machiavellian) and the dual G1 Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}). B-Barronstown Stud. TELECASTER (GB) (New Approach {Ire}-Shirocco Star {GB}, by Shirocco {Ger}) The supplemented G2 Dante S. winner Telecaster was offered by breeder Meon Valley Stud at Book 1 in 2017, and it is now looking like a very wise decision that they bought him back for 180,000gns. Telecaster certainly has it in his genes to excel over this course and distance; his sire won the 2008 blue riband while his dam was second in both the Investec Oaks and the Irish Oaks, as well as the G2 British Champions Fillies and Mares S. and the G2 Prix Royallieu. B-Meon Valley Stud. The post Where Did They Come From? appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The New York State Senate is poised to enact legislation to enter the Mid-Atlantic Interstate Equine Drug Testing Compact, an effort to try to streamline model rule-making across the participating states. View the full article

It’s Derby day at Epsom where Aidan O’Brien runs seven horses in a bid to win his sixth Derby. The ITV racing team are bringing us five live races from Epsom Downs where Hathiq has been all the rage in the Dash and Veracious bids to put a disappointing run behind her in the Queen […] The post Epsom Derby Day 2019 Preview – Can Aidans Arsi appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

We had a good start to the week with Ontthefrontfoot making it 2-2 over hurdles at Cartmel on Monday. He was a point to point winner in Ireland and seems to be progressing nicely. It’s going to be a quiet weekend with just the two runners on Saturday. My thoughts on both their chances can […] The post Donald McCain Blog – Weekend Runners appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

I LOVE Epsom and it holds many happy memories for me as I was fortunate enough to win the Oaks four times and the Derby three times during my career. There is going to be some excellent action over the next couple of days and hopefully I can point you in the direction of a […] The post Kieren Fallon Epsom Blog appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, the late owner of Leicester City, also dreamed of success on the racetrack and on Saturday tears could flow if he wins English racing’s blue-riband event of the turf, the Epsom Derby, with the Silvestre de Sousa-ridden Bangkok.A helicopter crash last October outside Leicester’s stadium killed Vichai and provoked an outpouring of grief in the city, where he invested about £30 million (HK$297 million) in 60 horses in recent years.Vichai enjoyed some success – he had two… View the full article

The Tony and Lyn Prendergast-trained Who Dares Wins recorded a hat-trick of wins at Riccarton on Friday when taking out the Christchurch Casino Open (1600m). The six-year-old son of Iffraaj recorded stakes victories in the Listed Easter Cup (1600m) and Gr.3 Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) in April and punters duly installed him as a $3.40 favourite for Friday’s contest. He did not disappoint, winning by a neck over the fast-finishing Owen Patrick, with a further three-quarters of a length back to ... View the full article

Trainer Mike Moroney is pleased with the progress of his three runners at Doomben on Saturday, with the trio set to improve markedly from their first runs straight off the plane from New Zealand. Tough-as-teak filly Pinmedown will represent the stable in the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) for which she is a $31 chance. The Group Two winner finished 12th in the Gr.2 The Roses (2000m) at Doomben three weeks’ ago and Moroney believes the flight over took its toll. “I think she was just a little... View the full article

Fulife King scores in a thriller View the full article

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Surpass Natural scores impressively on debut View the full article

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Former Kranji trainer John Meagher inducted into Australian Racing Hall of Fame View the full article

After emphatically ending a seven-race skid in her previous outing, HS Stable and Martin and Pam Wygod's Paradise Woods will try to build on that success June 1 in the $200,000 Santa Maria Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

Multiple stakes winner Yorkton looks to rebound off an off-key effort as the Chiefswood Stables' homebred takes to the turf in the $175,000 Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T) June 1 at Woodbine. View the full article

A noticeable change in attitude is giving Hastings trainer John Bary optimism for a bold showing from Dalghar filly Cinzento in Saturday's Listed John Turkington Forestry Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui. Bary describes Cinzento's demeanour as far more mellow as she prepares for the first two-year-old stakes race of winter. "She's a grey and she's a Dalghar so we're hoping that's the right combination to pull off a winter feature," Bary said. "She's done a bit wrong so far and beaten hersel... View the full article

Three-time Group Two winner Ocean Emperor has been retired from racing and is about to embark on a stud career. “He’s not going to race again, and now I’m looking for a home for him to stand at stud,” trainer and part-owner Gary Hennessy said. By Zabeel out of the Group One-placed Pins mare Tootsie, Ocean Emperor was a $450,000 yearling purchase at Karaka. He was raced by Hennessy in partnership with Andrew Wong and Stephen Yan – the same team that owned the Gr.1 Cox Plate (2040m... View the full article

Any number of “Best Racehorses In History” lists could be made, with each one different and that’s the beauty of our sport. Some people love horses for some strange reason and their favourite horse might not even win a race. I have taken a look back at some of the greats that have graced the […] The post Best Racehorses In History appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Daddy's Boo, a "horse for the course," appears to be the one to catch in the $100,000 Arlington Matron Stakes (G3) June 1 on the Arlington International Racecourse all-weather track. View the full article

Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, Ky, is introducing a new fan-based membership initiative, “The Hoof Patrol,” which will serve to educate members and aid with equine retirees facing costly and ongoing hoof-related issues. Members who join the The Hoof Patrol will be able to choose from different levels of support, and their contribution will supply a continuous funding stream to for Old Friends retirees that have short and long-term ailments–everything from common abscesses to serious issues such as Laminitis. All Hoof Patrol memberships will include a gift of an official key chain, a full year of email updates and information, including spotlight horse case-studies, videos & photos, “Talk to the Hoof” Q & A’s, and photo opportunities with Old Friends Hoof Patrol horses when visiting the farm. The post Old Friends Launches New Membership Program appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article