Wandering Eyes

The horsemen's organization representing Thoroughbred owners and trainers at Gulfstream Park is rejoining the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association as an affiliate.View the full article

Kendrick Carmouche has been named the winner of the 2025 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award after a nationwide vote by his fellow riders. The award, which has been presented annually by Santa Anita Park since 1950, honors riders whose careers and personal character earn esteem for the individual and for the sport of Thoroughbred racing. “Twenty five years of living as a professional jockey and living as a son to a jockey, this award means that the pavement that I have put down in the industry has been shown to a lot of people and they've seen me grow over the years,” said Carmouche. “I'm just honored, very honored. I just wish my dad would be here to notice. He was one of the biggest influences that got me into the sport. He is well missed. This is one of the things that we accomplish along the way to show our gratitude. Not only to my dad, but my wife and kids, my mom, brothers and sisters. Just accomplishing so many things along my career.” Carmouche began riding at age 16 and won his first race at Evangeline Downs in his home state. The son of jockey Sylvester Carmouche, Jr., he became a dominant force at Parx where he won four straight riding titles and seven overall. He has made New York his base since 2015 and won riding titles at Aqueduct during its 2020 fall meet and 2023 spring meet. Carmouche will be honored with the Woolf Award in a winner's circle ceremony at Santa Anita this spring. The post Kendrick Carmouche Wins 2025 George Woolf Award appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It was announced on Monday that last year's outstanding miler Charyn (Ire) has had his first mares confirmed in foal. The dual Listed scorer Game Theory (Ire) (Aussie Rules) was among the first mares to visit Charyn at Sumbe's Haras de Montfort et Preaux. She has since been scanned in foal, along with the multiple Listed-placed Helens Well (Ire) (Kodi Bear {Ire}), whose Listed-winning dam is out of a half-sister to Green Desert. Tony Parker's Infinity Nine reportedly have a majority stake in Helens Well. Charyn, who completed a hat-trick of Group 1 victories in 2024 when winning the Queen Anne Stakes, Prix Jacques le Marois and Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, stands his first season at Montfort et Preaux at a fee of €35,000. The post Champion Miler Charyn has First Mares Scanned In Foal appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The first two mares bred to GI Preakness Stakes winner Seize the Grey (Arrogate–Smart Shopping, by Smart Strike) have checked in foal, Gainesway announced Monday. Checked in foal to the new stallion are Above the Sun (Bernardini), who is owned by Three Times A Charm and is boarded at Collier Mathes's Chesapeake Farm, and stakes winner Queen of God (Paynter), who is owned and boarded at Todd and Angela Lewis's Westbrook Stables. In addition to the Preakness, Seize the Grey won the 2024 GI Pennsylvania Derby and GII Pat Day Mile Stakes. He is standing his first season at Gainesway for $30,000 LFSN. The post First Mares Checked in Foal to Seize the Grey appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

I am writing this letter in response to the article on the New York Times opinion piece, “In a Lengthy Guest Essay, the New York Times Advocates Ending Subsidies to Racing,” published in the March 1 edition of the TDN. The Times article has caused me and our industry pain from the untruths that are spoken within it. But I'm going to take a slightly different view here–let's see what is true in the article and what we need to do about it as an industry. Light Up Racing is doing a good job as an organization doing something proactive to put the good word out there about horse racing, and I appreciate their efforts. This article in no way is criticizing anyone but instead is trying to rally the troops to do something that needs to be done. I have a question: do we want the health of our industry to rely on income from gaming products that have little to do with horse racing? If so, we are in pretty good shape as long as our current financial arrangements stay in place in each state. If those financial arrangements start to go away, what will happen? The truth in the article is that our current customer is the horse bettor and our customer base is dying. What has led to this? Our industry does not have an entity that has authority or the incentive to be hyper-focused on serving our horse-betting customers and identifying and creating new ones. There are four elements to marketing which all of you know: product, price, place, promotion. That order they are listed in is important. Where our industry has failed, because of the lack of entrepreneurial zeal and the lack of incentive, is we have not tried to grow our customer base as any entrepreneur should if they expect success. Compare us to Apple–the ultimate marketing company–and the way they constantly anticipate what their customers want, and meet their changing desires with new products. An example of this follows. Our product offering to the gambling customer has a narrow focus. Racetracks and ADW's currently offer only bets that are based on knowledge and intellect. There's a different type of customer that we have not offered any products to. The other gaming entities have out-marketed us in developing products such as the slot machine, the lottery and other ways to bet for fun or to fulfill a desire–the hope that you can change your life with a single bet. Our industry has not looked at that segment of the market as a possibility to substantially grow our revenue. Therefore, we have developed none of those types of bets, which make up a large part of the revenue from gaming activities. This is problematic because we have used other nonintellectual bets from gaming entities that are not focused on the horse. What are the consequences of this approach? Less interest in horse racing? If you look at other major sports, most of the substantial revenue comes from eyeballs (TV and sponsorship revenue). We are losing our fan base (customer) and we are not focusing on what the sports fan and the gambler want. Let's look at our current situation. Who is developing our new product offerings? We have racetracks that have long been the customer-facing organizations, and the advance-deposit wager companies who are interfacing with customers. Oftentimes, these racetracks are looking at their real estate as a profit center, and the casino business sometimes is their main business. They are not looking to grow horse betting as their main source of revenue. I'm not being critical of the racetracks. If you're a public company, you are responsible to your shareholders and you must do what's best for them. The answer must come from bright minds who own horses and who see an opportunity and want to make a difference. The people that own the most horses have the most to gain and the most to lose. One truth about these people is that most of them make their money from different industries. They are in this sport to enjoy it and not looking at it as a job to bring profits into their organization or their families. Think of a young entrepreneur starting his own company and betting his livelihood on whether it makes it or doesn't. That's the kind of incentive we need to build within an organization that's going to be customer-facing and thinks about nothing day and night but what the customer wants. They would develop products with the right pricing, in the right place and with the right promotion of our offerings. This is what I saw as being true about the Times article–we are a business without energy to give the customer what they want. Therefore, we are non-essential, Yes, we provide jobs and infrastructure and that is great but those too are diminishing and will continue to diminish if we don't have customer focus. Who are our industry's real customers? The people that watch our sport and the people that buy our gambling products. We need to figure out the products our customers want. Then we need to price the product competitively, present the product at the right place and then start to promote a product we know through research that people like. In my opinion, we need an industry structure that will create exciting products to bring new customers, an entity structure full of innovation and full of zeal to do the best for the customer and create new revenue for purses and the members of this entity. This will take like-minded industry organizations (who want to put the thoroughbred at the center) to come together and select a great, qualified leader that can make a great deal of money based on performance. We have access to some great business minds–some of the world's most successful people love and participate in Thoroughbred racing. Many of our problems will be solved if this happens. We have greatly improved our safety with HISA and we are doing much better in taking care of retired racehorses. We now must collaborate and work together to figure out how to build a customer-focused structure to make our sport profitable and bring it back to relevance. I appreciate you reading and hopefully this will inspire collaboration and bring forth energy that can make our sport everything we know it can be! The post Letter To The Editor: The Truth In The New York Times Article appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After nearly dying as a foal, Demolisher carried owners and breeders Kenneth and Resia Ayres on an incredible journey to be crowned 2024 Indiana Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association Horse of the Year.View the full article

Prairie Meadows has hired two new racing officials, Eric DeCoster and Kelly McReynolds, for the upcoming 2025 racing season, the track announced Monday. DeCoster, a recent graduate from the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program & Animal Sciences, has been hired as the Thoroughbred Racing Secretary and McReynolds, who joins the team with around 40-plus years of experience in horse racing, has been hired as the Starting Gate Starter. “Eric really impressed me with his knowledge, abilities to support his decisions, and to get the job done at a high level when he joined our team in the office last season, and with him joining our experienced crew already in place, the sky's the limit for Eric,” said Prairie Meadows Vice President for Racing Derron Heldt. “Kelly brings so much to the table with his experience, dedication and proven ability as a horse race starter in the industry and I feel confident that he will continue to provide a high level of integrity and fairness that we've had over the years with Tom Benjamin,” Heldt added. The 2025 live racing season with 80 race days, begins with 20 days of Thoroughbred-only racing from May 9-June 14 followed by a mixed Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse schedule of 60 race days from June 15-September 27. The post Prairie Meadows Hires Two New Racing Officials Ahead Of 2025 Season appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

European champion sprinter Bradsell (GB) has had his first mares scanned in foal, the National Stud reported on Monday. The mares in foal include the former George Scott trainee Final Rendezvous (GB) (Brazen Beau {Aus}), a half-sister to the G3 Pinnacle Stakes winner La Lune (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), and the winning Iffraaj (GB) mare Lady Eleanor (GB). Lady Eleanor is one of eight winners out of the dual Listed scorer Firenze (GB) (Efisio {GB}), with the others including the Listed winner Harry's Bar (GB) and the G3 Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint third Mazzini (GB), both by Exceed And Excel (Aus). National Stud general manager Joe Bradley said, “Bradsell is being strongly supported in his first season with over 120 mares booked in to date. He has settled into stud life beautifully and is a really exciting addition to our roster.” The post First Mares In Foal Reported for Star Sprinter Bradsell appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The horsemen's organization representing thoroughbred owners and trainers at Gulfstream Park is rejoining the National HBPA as an affiliate, the group announced Monday. The board of the National Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, North America's largest group representing thoroughbred owners and trainers, unanimously approved re-admitting the organization currently called the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen. Known as the Florida HBPA for years, the South Florida group left the National HBPA in 2019. “Our full board had serious discussions about the request of the South Florida horsemen to return as an affiliate,” said National HBPA CEO Eric Hamelback. “Everyone seemed very encouraged and felt as if now would be the time for them to return because of the ongoing issues in Florida. Our board members are convinced there is strength in numbers and working together is the best way to assist not only individual state affiliates but horsemen across the country.” The Gulfstream horsemen's association is under new leadership since the decoupling issue exploded in early January, when a track ownership's representative told horsemen the track would race three more years if the horsemen didn't fight the decoupling legislation and could close sooner if they did object. The Gulfstream representative said the track wants to build a casino and hotel on the property. Horse owner Tom Cannell now is the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's president, with fellow owners Adam Lazarus and Chester Bishop the vice presidents. The organization has more than 5,000 members, Cannell said. “Since the decoupling issue has hit the fan, we thought it was in our best interest to be under the umbrella of a national group,” he said. “We were members of the HBPA for years. We decided last week that if the opportunity presented itself, we'd look to get back into the HBPA. “We're looking forward to participating. Anything National would like of us, all they have to do is pick up the phone and call. We certainly respect Eric and the group. We share a lot of the same views. It just felt right” to rejoin. The South Florida horsemen would bring to 24 the number of National HBPA affiliates in the United States and five in Canada. Coincidentally, the annual HBPA Conference was held last week in Safety Harbor, near Tampa. The affiliates include the Tampa Bay Downs HBPA, which is the representative for owners and trainers at the Oldsmar track and is separate from the Gulfstream horsemen's association. Cannell and Bishop attended the HBPA Conference Tuesday at Hamelback's invitation. The National HBPA Full Board approved the Florida Thoroughbred Horsemen's membership at its meeting Thursday. The National HBPA was the first national organization to join the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders & Owners Association (FTBOA) in actively working to defeat decoupling legislation, which is HB 105 in the Florida House and SB 408 in the Florida Senate. The National HBPA, FTBOA and Tampa Bay HBPA quickly signed on with the Thoroughbred Racing Initiative (TRI), an industry collaborative created last month to provide funds and resources for protecting live racing, starting with South Florida. The Gulfstream Park horsemen joined TRI soon thereafter. The South Florida affiliate will continue to be separate from the Tampa Bay Downs HBPA. “The two of us have remained independent over the years, and we respect them and wish them the best,” Cannell said. The post Gulfstream Horsemen’s Organization To Rejoin The National HBPA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By TTR AusNZ Lot 428, a colt by Tally-Ho Stud stallion Mehmas (Ire), was among the top lots on day two of the 2025 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale when Dominic Sutton signed the docket with McKeever Bloodstock and Byron Rogers for A$420,000. Offered by Penfold Thoroughbreds, the colt is out of Salmah (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}), a half-sister to the dual Listed winner Tuned (Aus) (Toronado {Ire}), who was also placed at Group level in the US on several occasions. Their dam Zagora (Fr) (Green Tune) is the big attraction on the page. The US Champion Grass Female was a dual Grade I winner, notably winning the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, amongst eight stakes wins on either side of the Atlantic. She is also a half-sister to the G2 UAE Derby runner-up and sire Asmar (Ire). “[He's] a beautiful horse, neat with a massive walk, and a lovely horse to do anything with, though we did not expect that price–the reserve was only A$50,000!” said an elated Sam Matthews of Swettenham Stud. The colt was bred by Al Shaqab Racing, who part-own Mehmas, as well as having ownership of Shalaa (Ire), and Matthews was pleased to see the fruits of their support for Swettenham pay off. “Mehmas is a super stallion up north,” he said. “Al Shaqab Racing wanted to support Toronado with well-bred international mares, so they sent two down for him, both in foal to Mehmas. They wanted to try something a bit different and will now try this sort of thing again in the future.” Matthews was also pleased to see the result for Penfold Thoroughbreds as vendors. He added, “This is Hannah Penfold's first draft [at Inglis Premier]. She worked at Swettenham Stud–she actually foaled this colt down–and we wanted to support her as we have before with Crossley Thoroughbreds and Collingrove Stud.” Salmah has a colt on the ground by Toronado and visited Castelvecchio (Aus) in the spring. Lot 428 (Mehmas x Salmah) sells for $420k from the Penfold Thoroughbreds draft to @suttonracingdom! Good luck to those involved in this colt! #InglisPremier pic.twitter.com/6Nj2Xa4UeI — Inglis (@inglis_sales) March 3, 2025 Inglis Delighted with 'Extraordinary' Results Monday's session wrapped up Book 1 of the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale took place on Monday. Whilst there were no further A$1-million yearlings, after colts by Frankel (GB) and Toronado (Ire) reached that figure on Sunday, Inglis' Sebastian Hutch explained afterwards that the success of the sale had surpassed all expectations. “If you had said to me or any other participant that we'd end up with figures up on 12 months ago I don't think any of us would've believed you,” said Hutch. “People generally expected the sale to be down so to be up is verging on the extraordinary.” Hutch was especially pleased with the quality of yearlings who made their way to Oaklands Junction. “Led by the likes of Rosemont, Yulong and Gilgai, we were able to provide horses who had great appeal to the buying bench,” he said. “Vendors supported us with an outstanding group of horses which gave people the incentive to attend and to participate. “There were some really incredible prices for particular horses and what is most encouraging from our point of view is the variety of people participating. There were lots of different buyers and there always seemed to be a different underbidder and that's a good sign for the market.” Hutch was also excited to see different sorts of stallions to the norm proving very popular. “It is not as though the likes of Camelot, Mehmas and Earthlight have had anything big happen here recently to drive their big results,” he summed up. “It's astonishing really.” The post Mehmas Colt Among the Headline Acts on Day Two of Inglis Premier appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Light Up Racing continues to respond to the New York Times piece on horse racing written last week. In an email to members Monday, the organization encouraged positive action such as writing letters to local newspapers and talking about safety advancements on social media platforms. In their Letter to the Editor, Light Up Racing writes in part: “Long before the Super Bowl or the World Series, horse racing was America's first great sporting event. It has brought people and horses together for generations, shaping the cultural and economic fabric of the nation. But horse racing today is not the sport of the past. Because horse racing today is defined by progress. Safer and more closely regulated than ever. Yet, in his recent piece, Dead Athletes. Empty Stands., Noah Shachtman presents a one-dimensional view of an industry that is actively improving. The article suggests horse racing is on life support, ignoring the billions it contributes to local economies, the private investment that sustains it, and the enormous strides made in equine welfare.” The post Light Up Racing Issues Letter To The Editor In Response To New York Times Racing Piece appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

The British Racing School has today announced Her Majesty The Queen as its Royal Patron. Her Majesty has a long association with British horse racing and equestrianism and visited the British Racing School as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations in 2023. The school was officially opened by His Majesty The King, then as HRH The Prince of Wales, in 1983. Ex-racehorse Schematic (GB), who was formerly owned by The King and The Queen, is a current resident of the school and is used to train the next generation of racing professionals. Her Majesty's other racing-related patronages include the Jockey Club, with His Majesty The King; the National Horseracing Museum; the National Stud; the Thoroughbred Breeders' Association; and York Racecourse. Andrew Braithwaite, chief executive of the British Racing School, said, “We are honoured that Her Majesty has accepted our invitation to become Patron of the British Racing School. “The Queen is hugely committed to supporting British racing and to ensuring that young people have the opportunity to experience the life-changing benefits of working with and riding horses, and are able to access the brilliant careers within racing. We are incredibly lucky and proud to have Her Majesty's support.” More information about the work done by the British Racing School can be found here. The post Her Majesty The Queen Becomes Royal Patron of the British Racing School appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

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The National Hunt Chase staged at the Cheltenham Festival has been permanently named in honour of HRH The Princess Royal, the Jockey Club announced on Sunday. The oldest contest staged at the meeting, it will now be known as the Princess Royal National Hunt Chase. In 2025, it will take place on Tuesday, March 11, the opening day of the Festival. Guy Lavender, CEO of Cheltenham Racecourse, said, “It is a tremendous privilege for us to announce today that the National Hunt Chase will now honour HRH The Princess Royal in its title. “As an outstanding all-round equestrian, it is appropriate that the Princess Royal will be associated with such a historic contest–one which goes right back to the establishment of organised jump racing. “All of us at Cheltenham Racecourse look forward to the 2025 running of the Princess Royal National Hunt Chase.” The post HRH The Princess Royal Honoured at the Cheltenham Festival appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Danny Shum has indicated that his Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) may yet return to Riyadh for a second attempt at the Saudi Cup at the age of eight. The 10-time Group 1 winner lost out by a neck to Forever Young (Jpn) (Real Steel {Jpn}) in the $20 million contest, the pair having pulled more than 10 lengths clear of 2024 runner-up Ushba Tesoro (Jpn). “It was a great run and for the next 10 years they will be talking about what a great race The Saudi Cup was,” said Shum. “The horse is fine since the race and he recovered fast and has eaten well. He is already back to his normal body weight and seems very happy in himself.” He continued, “Next year Romantic Warrior will be eight years old and Forever Young a five-year-old so it will be more difficult, but I am not saying no. I am open to the possibility. “We will take in the Group 2 in November and then the Hong Kong Cup and see then if he takes the same plane and goes to Dubai with the same plan. We will know more after the Hong Kong runs.” Romantic Warrior will be aimed next at the G1 Dubai Turf on April 5, before a possible return to Japan for the G1 Yasuda Kinen, which he won last June. “I am still talking to the Japan Racing [Association] and the Hong Kong agricultural department about the possibility of going to Japan, but it will depend on quarantine,” Shum added. “I'd like to maybe go there but if not we will go back to Hong Kong for the Group 2 and then the Hong Kong Cup.” The post Romantic Warrior Could Return for 2026 Saudi Cup appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Chief executive Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges pleased the government has recognised ‘a significant illegal gambling problem’.View the full article

Star British jockey replaces Zac Purton on in-form galloper for Wednesday night’s Happy Valley meeting.View the full article

By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk With one milestone ticked off Nina Hope is now just one win away from another. The Woodend-based trainer became the most successful female trainer ever in this country with Kowhai Summit’s upset win at Rangiora yesterday. That gave her 899 New Zealand wins, eclipsing the old mark set by Natalie Rasmussen, in partnership with Mark Purdon, between 2014 and 2021. Yesterday Kowhai Summit started well in the Mainstreet Sports Bar Rangiora Trot before settling into the one-one for driver Henry Sail. Turning for home they took some shortcuts along the inside before getting the perfect split between the pace-making Trans Tasman Bubble and Tessamae to get up on the line by a head. “(Son) Ben tracks all the facts and figures so I knew I was close,” says Hope, “and to get there was pretty cool.” All 899 wins have come in partnership with husband Greg Hope. Together they have had 6747 starters, their first winner together being Eyreton Bay at Marlborough in May 2001. “It’s very much a team thing I haven’t done this on my own,” Nina says. Other female trainers to have topped 500 winners are Catherine Butt, who’s trained 740 in partnership with husband David Butt, Michelle Wallis with 691 (323 on her account and 368 in partnership with husband Bernie Hackett), and Nicky Chilcott on 558. In the last 20 or so years there have been so many highlights for the Hopes – but a few stand out for Nina. “The Dominion quinella with Monbet and Quite The Moment was a pretty cool moment.” In the country’s most prestigious trotting race only three quarters of a length separated Monbet, driven by Ricky May, and Quite A Moment, with the two stablemates five lengths clear of the rest. Bred by the Hopes, Monbet won 23 from 37 and was voted New Zealand Horse of the Year in 2015/16. These days fellow multiple Group 1 winner Muscle Mountain is the stable star. “He’s special because I spend so much time with him.” “You have different connections with different horses and you love them all but Jason Rulz had my heart,” she says. Jason Rulz won 14 races in this country including back to back Central Otago Cups in 2014 and 2015. Hope’s history-making training feat follows Sam Ottley’s record-breaking year as a driver in 2024. She became the first woman to rein 100 winners in a 12-month season and also become the first female driver in this country to go past 800 career wins. Now Nina Hope is one away from 900 training successes, and that could come later this week with more of the team’s runners heading to the West Coast with Westport on Friday and Reefton on Sunday. View the full article

Harness Racing New Zealand and Addington Raceway have confirmed that qualifying trials are going to be held before Addington’s Tuesday and Wednesday meetings. There will be a maximum of four trials, one of each gait, and a mobile and a standing start. The trials will be for only unqualified horses seeking to qualify. The trials will be held on : Wednesday, March 19 Wednesday, April 9 Tuesday, April 15 Wednesday, April 30 Wednesday, May 7 Wednesday, May 14 Nominations should be sent to Cameron Kirkwood at HRNZ by the day prior to the trials. He can be contacted at : cameron@hrnz.co.nz or 03 964 1183 View the full article

Just days out from the inaugural running of the $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m), Slot Holders Kerri Spence Bloodstock and Clotworthy Racing have been forced to find another contender following the withdrawal of Dealt With (NZ). The son of Ace High looked to be among the race’s leading contenders, having won his first two starts before placing in the Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) and Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m). Trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood felt there was plenty of improvement left in the gelding, but he has been ruled out of the Southern Hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race after he pulled up sore following track work on Saturday. “He has galloped on Saturday and we haven’t completely gotten to the bottom of exactly what happened. At this stage we are thinking he has probably pulled a muscle high up in a hind limb,” Wellwood said. “The vets are going to come for further diagnostics. We don’t think it is going to be a major long-term, but it is something that means we are unable to get to the race.” Wellwood said it is disappointing for all concerned, but the welfare of the horse comes first. “It is absolutely gut-wrenching,” he said. “It is such a high-profile race, and we were so excited to have him in there for the ownership group and ourselves. “His form looked to put him right there with a winning chance. “It’s hard to take, but the reality of it is that the horse comes first.” A silver lining for the Cambridge barn is that the slot holders have elected to replace Dealt With with stablemate Zormella (NZ), who had previously just missed out on securing another slot in the race. The daughter of Almanzor, who is raced by RNZ Frac Club 1 and Surf Coast Racing, has had just two starts to date, breaking through for her maiden win in impressive fashion over 1400m at Pukekohe last month. “Fortunately, we had a filly (Zormella) we had just missed out on another slot with,” Wellwood said. “She looks high quality and we are very lucky that the slot holders have chosen us. There were a number of options they were going through and have clearly decided that filly fits the bill. “It is bittersweet to have another one in there.” While the Slot Holders share Wellwood’s disappointment in losing the services of Dealt With for the NZB Kiwi, they believe they have found a suitable replacement in Zormella. “It is sad news (withdrawal of Dealt With). I feel for the trainers and owners,” Slot Holder representative Shaun Clotworthy said. “The horse looked like he had a lot of potential and looked like a real chance in the NZB Kiwi. “Roger and Robert have been happy with her (Zormella) and she won nicely the other day. She looks like a progressive horse, with a nice action, and being an Almanzor we hold no fears getting up to the 1500m. “We have relied a lot on Roger and Robert’s opinion of her, and they have quite a high opinion of her. She lacks a bit of ringcraft with only have a couple of starts, but we think she has got potential, and Roger thinks she has potential. “We had to make a decision pretty quickly. It’s a bit frustrating, but that is horse racing, and we all know what it’s like with horses, they can be sound one day and unsound the next.” View the full article

Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) is a step closer to returning to the racetrack after an impressive jump out win at Cranbourne on Monday morning. With Craig Newitt in the saddle, the seven-year-old and reigning Australian Horse of the Year bowled along in her customary front-running style over 1000-metres winning the heat by four lengths. It was her first official outing since the Gr.1 Champions Mile (1600m) over the Melbourne Cup Carnival where she bled from both nostrils. “Her prep has been pretty smooth to date and we wanted to see a good showing today and she’s pleased us up until now and she was quite impressive again this morning,” Maher said. “You are never really surprised with Jenni, it’s just good to see her back bowling along out doing what she loves doing. “Froggy said she gave him a good feel and she seemed to pull up pretty well. “She had a bit of a blow and she will take improvement off it but all signs are pretty positive.” Maher identified the Gr.1 Queen of the Turf (1600m) at Randwick on April 12 as a possible kick-off point. “Normally she has a couple of trials and I would say that is still probably going to be the case,” Maher admitted. “She seems her same old self and hopefully it was just a little glitch there and she can go right back to business .” The $10 million earner is a $15 chance with Sportsbet for the Queen of the Turf Stakes. View the full article

The inaugural Property Brokers Otago Classics Day was staged at Wingatui over the weekend, and for the club, racegoers and horses alike, the day was an undeniable success. Noelle Prince, General Manager of Otago Racing Club, acknowledged how special it was for the club to host such a significant event, which was a step in the right direction for racing in the lower South Island. “It was amazing to be given the opportunity to host such a big day,” she said. ‘It was incredible to be a part of. “The racing calendar was rejigged to have all of our large races moved to this day, so it was phenomenal to create a day like that down here and it was something we’ve never seen before. “The team worked very, very hard on it, so it was great to see it come to fruition and everyone enjoy themselves on the day.” A total stake of nearly $1 million was on offer, with the meeting combining four of the Otago Racing Club’s big races, with the $220,000 Gr.3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m), $170,000 Listed Dunedin Guineas (1600m), $170,000 Listed Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) and $200,000 ODT Southern Mile Final (1600m). The track, prepared by Wayne Stevens and Kevin Jones, played fairly throughout the day, improving from a Soft5 to a Good4 through the 10-race card. Despite raiders from Canterbury, Central Districts and Waikato, the southerners held their own in many of the feature races, including the Wingatui-trained Loose Sally dominating the Guineas for Shankar and Ruvanesh Muniandy. “It was fantastic to see some local wins,” Prince said. “Seeing Loose Sally win was probably the highlight as Ray Chalklin, her owner, sponsored the Dunedin Gold Cup for many years when he owned Fire and Mechanical, so seeing him pick that up was pretty outstanding.” Ascot Park gallopers Loftys Gift and Maximus Augustus were successful in the Dunedin Gold Cup and ODT Southern Mile Final respectively, while there was plenty of cheering on course when Danny Frye’s Our Echo came out on top in a Group Three thriller over Perfect Scenario. “It was awesome to watch the Group Three and Danny Frye get the win, seeing what it meant to his team was a highlight as well,” Prince said. “Those four big races stood out and it was a joy to be a part of.” Off the track, the various hospitality areas were buzzing, and entertainment act The Black Seeds were a big hit after the last. “The Black Seeds were fantastic, they entertained the crowd and everyone loved it, we had Loose and Colourful on before them too,” Prince said. “We partied on with the DJ for the evening as well. “We hoped to put on a well-rounded day, racing is the star of the show, but we wanted to entertain everybody and give them a great day out. “It was one big experience.” Prince is among a nearly all-female contingent operating the club, with Samantha Wells (Sales and Marketing Coordinator), Becs Michelle (Event Coordinator) and Sharyn Anderton (Club President) bringing the Classics Day vision to life, fittingly with International Women’s Day approaching this Saturday. As the dust settles, the team is already looking ahead to next year, with areas in racing, entertainment and hospitality all with improvement to come. “There will be a lot,” Prince said. “In the events experience industry you put on the first day and there are many tweaks and changes. We’ll put on buses later in the day next time, as the students don’t want to come as early as when we had them. “There are a lot of things we will do differently and build on, so onwards and upwards from here.” View the full article

Dual licence holder Samantha Wynne had a day to remember in the saddle at Wingatui on Saturday, and she is hoping she can take that winning momentum north to Ellerslie on Saturday where she will line-up Pivotal Ten in the inaugural $3.5 million NZB Kiwi (1500m). At the Property Brokers Otago Classics Day last Saturday, Wynne rode Loftys Gift and Maximus Augustus to victory in the Listed Positive Signs + Print Dunedin Gold Cup (2400m) and $200,000 ODT Southern Mile Final (1600m) respectively, while she finished runner-up aboard Airpark Hustler and Perfect Scenario in the Listed Property Brokers – Ray Kean Dunedin Guineas (1600m) and Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m) respectively. “It was a great day,” Wynne said. “I thought I had nice enough rides in great fields. I was more hopeful than confident going into the day, and they did really well. “It was a dominant effort by Loftys Gift, and it was great to get the win. It was also great to get the win for Bill (McNamara, with Maximus Augustus). He is a small trainer and does a great job in looking after his horses. I thought he was a cheeky chance going into the race, but he travelled like the winner throughout and he had a great finish on him.” Wynne said the meeting was a big hit with locals, attracting plenty of punters to the Dunedin track. “It was great to see so many young people on course enjoying themselves, and it is only going to get better as it grows,” she said. Wynne’s attention has swiftly shifted to preparing her star filly Pivotal Ten for Saturday’s NZB Kiwi. “It’s the biggest week of my career,” she said. Wynne will don Cambridge Stud’s familiar colours when she rides Pivotal Ten in the southern hemisphere’s richest three-year-old race, after they recently bought into the filly, with Colin Wightman remaining in the ownership. “It (Cambridge Stud ownership) was a confidence boost going into this week, which was needed,” Wynne said. The Canterbury horsewoman has a good relationship with Cambridge Stud, which she is looking forward to extending with Pivotal Ten. “I rode in the Auckland Cup (aboard Dance Card) for Brendan and Jo (Lindsay, Cambridge Stud principals), and I am retained rider to one of his (Brendan’s) good friend’s, Alan Harper,” Wynne said. “I have trained a horse for Cambridge Stud, and I lease and have bought horses off them. They have been great people to deal with and it’s exciting going forward.” The Lindsays colours will also be represented in the NZB Kiwi by First Dance, with the couple selecting the Lance Noble-trained filly to fill their slot. Pivotal Ten, who has strung together five successive victories, her last three at stakes level, will fly to Auckland on Monday where she will spend the week at Cambridge Stud’s Karaka complex. “She is good, and she is happy in herself,” Wynne said. “She’s perky at the moment and we are flying out today (Monday) so hopefully she handles the travel. It is going to be a lot easier on her than the truck. “We are going to base ourselves at Lance Noble’s (Cambridge Stud’s private trainer) at Karaka. She is going to be in the best place. It is amazing, I was lucky to spend a week there before and it is out of this world, so I am excited to bring her up there and show her what it is all about.” Pivotal Ten, who will represent NZB Kiwi slot holders Selangor Turf Club, is currently rated a $12 winning chance with TAB bookmakers in the NZB Kiwi futures market, with Australian raiders Evaporate and Public Attention dominating the market at $2.80 and $4 respectively. While Pivotal Ten is currently Wynne’s only ride for Champions Day, she said she is open to being more active on the exciting card. “If I could get another ride or two on the day that would be amazing,” she said. View the full article

Gun three-year-old Savaglee will likely head to the spelling paddock following his heroic runner-up performance behind fellow Kiwi-bred Feroce in Saturday’s Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington. Racing in The Oaks Stud’s familiar colours, Savaglee has been a standout in his three-year-old term for trainer Pam Gerard, winning the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) and placing in the Gr.1 BCD Group Sprint (1400m) prior to Saturday’s result. While he was unable to get the chocolates at Flemington, The Oaks Stud General Manager Rick Williams was rapt with his performance and said it indicates the best is yet to come from the Savabeel colt. “It was terrific,” he said. “It was quite a significant lift on his run at Te Rapa (in the BCD Group Sprint). As Mick Dee (jockey) said, he is right up to Group One form, he was just a bit on the steel early and that cost him in the last 100m. That is just practice and experience at that level. “I am very happy with him. He is a very sound horse. I think he is still a bit of a baby and is improving, like most Savabeels, the good ones get better with each year. I think he has still got his best races in front of him. “It (Saturday’s result) has only added to his value, the way that the media and the people that I respect are talking about his performance. He is right up there with the best three-year-olds over here (Australia) and another day, another way, he might have won. “I think a very good horse (Feroce) has beaten him and a horse that you will see more of as they go deeper into the autumn.” Nominated for Saturday’s Gr.1 All-Star Mile (1600m) at Flemington, Williams said Savaglee would more than likely take his place on a mid-week flight back to New Zealand and enjoy some time in the paddock. “I put a nom in as an afterthought (for the All-Star Mile),” Williams said. “We will see what the ratings are like, he has bounced through the race incredibly well. “I haven’t had a talk with Pam, but at this stage he is booked to come home on Wednesday and that will be the end of his three-year-old season, and that is more than likely what is going to happen. We will just watch the noms and see what happens over the next 24-hours to make a final decision.” Meanwhile, The Oaks Stud filly Alaskan will press on to the $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) later this month following Sunday’s unplaced run in the Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Trentham. “She got in an awkward position back and then went for the run at the top of the straight and got shut right out, so it was a non-event,” Williams said of the Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray-trained filly. “If she has bounced through the race, I am still very keen to go through to the Oaks now.” While The Oaks Stud has plenty to look forward to with Savaglee and Alaskan, the racing career of fellow promising three-year-old Cypher has likely ended. The Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained filly was set to line-up on Champions Day at Ellerslie this weekend but has been ruled out after she was injured in a track incident. “I am pretty certain she won’t be able to race again,” Williams said. View the full article

Goodwood Stud has downsized its thoroughbred operation in more recent times, but the Manawatu farm remains a breeding force to be reckoned with. Its latest high-profile graduate is the Per Incanto mare Marble Arch, a hollow last-start winner of Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington. The Ben, Will and JD Hayes-trained five-year-old’s victory also earned her a golden ticket into this weekend’s Gr.1 All-Star Mile (1600m), should Lindsay Park take the option of backing her up. “It’s exciting and that would be her toughest task, but she was pretty impressive on Saturday,” Goodwood’s William Fell said. “We haven’t bred a nice horse up to that level for a little while, so it’s nice to see one come off the farm.” Marble Arch was offered via the gavelhouse.com platform in 2020 and was knocked down for $3100 while her dam Jonquil was sold for $800 as part of a downsizing approach. Ill-fated multiple Group One winner Gingernuts and his dam Double Elle were also significant past sales. “We had a lot of horses on the farm, and it probably took a good five or six years to get down to a more manageable level and more commercial viability,” Fell said. “It was a process to move on mares and weanlings and from that point we have concentrated on building up the quality. “It’s inevitable when you downsize that something will pop up and it would be nice to have a crystal ball, but these things happen. “Peter Wood bought Marble Arch and he’s a local guy whose been involved in the industry for a long time and Margaret Cartwright bought the mare and bred the winner Black Opium. “Someone else benefits and we’re very happy for them.” Marble Arch subsequently finished third on debut at Wanganui from Wayne Marshment’s stable before her sale to Lindsay Park and partners. Goodwood is now operating with a small broodmare band along with client mares and yearlings. “It works pretty well for us and with about six to 10 mares and Rosie and I can manage that pretty easily,” said Fell, referring to his wife (nee Myers). “We still have stallions shares, Little Avondale is handy, and we’ve had some luck with Sam (Williams) so Per Incanto and Little Brose are the main two and it’s a good model for us.” Goodwood also has a handful of horses in training, including home-bred Great Escape who is prepared by Rosie and was third when recently resuming at Waverley. “She looks like she should have a pretty handy preparation,” Fell said. View the full article