Wandering Eyes

For Master Fencer (JPN)'s first track experience in Kentucky, he joined about a half-dozen other Thoroughbreds on the Keeneland training track April 26 for a leisurely gallop and walk before returning to the quiet quarantine barn. View the full article

South Africa’s three-day National Yearling Sale drew to a close on Friday, with the final 164 yearlings in the sale’s Session 2 offered. The top lot of the day was Boland Stud’s lot 517, a filly by young More Than Ready sire Gimmethegreenlight (Aus) who was bought by Antony Beck for R650,000. The bay is out of Scarlet Grits (SAf) (Parade Leader), a half-sister to stakes winner Storm Crossing (SAf) (Western Winter). Session 2 in total saw 249 yearling sold from 302 offered and 325 catalogued, for an aggregate of R42,960,000 (down 5% on last year when 33 fewer horses were sold). The average dipped 8.5% to R172,530, while the median was up 7.1% to R150,000. Bloodstock South Africa’s Gary Grant had commented earlier in the sale, “In line with international trends, there has been good money for top prospects, with the lower end of the market proving to be rather softer.” View the full article

Tattersalls and Anglo Hibernian Bloodstock Insurance Services Ltd., a Newmarket-based specialist bloodstock and equine insurance broker, have reached a new association agreement. Anglo Hibernian, which was purchased by Global Risk Partners (GRP) in 2017, owner of Lonmar Global Risks, a broker of international bloodstock insurance in the London Market, will have representatives at Tattersalls at Park Paddocks during sales to meet interested clients and answer questions about the full range of insurance services they offer. The company will be based in Office 10 in the Sale Ring, beginning with the May 2-3 Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up & Horses in Training Sale. “Tattersalls is pleased to be able to introduce our clients to Anglo Hibernian who offer a full range of Bloodstock and other insurance products,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony. Added Anglo Hibernian founder and CEO Jim Wordsworth, “Over the last 22 years Anglo Hibernian has established itself as a major player in the bloodstock Insurance market. Having always been situated next door to Tattersalls on the Terrace in Newmarket, we are delighted to have joined forces and effectively ‘knocked a hole in the wall’.” View the full article

Sunday’s G1 Tenno Sho Spring provides the stayers an opportunity to showcase their talents, and the 3200-metre contest in Kyoto is dominated in the betting by last year’s Classic crop. Fierement (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Etario (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}), one-two in last October’s G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger), return to do battle once again and are the leaders in the wagering but both have to buck a last-out loss. Sunday Racing’s Fierement has never been worse than second in five outings and he was second to Sciacchetra (Jpn) (Manhattan Cafe {Jpn}) as the favourite on his seasonal debut in the Jan. 20 G2 American Jockey Club Cup over 2200 metres at Nakayama. Trainer Takahisa Tezuka noted that the colt emerged from that race with a “slight fever”, but that he appears back on track now. “He’s since had a break at Northern Farm Tenei, and after returning, his training on Apr. 10 was fine,” the trainer said. “He picked up speed well and moved without any problems.” Etario has also never been off the board, but his fortune has been much different from Fierement’s. From 10 starts he has posted just one win and been second seven times, including his last three straight. Trainer Yasuo Tomomichi said Etario will have an equipment change off a second to Meisho Tekkon (Jpn) (Manhattan Cafe {Jpn}) in the G2 Nikkei Sho on Mar. 23. “Last time in the Nikkei Sho he took the bit from the start and ran well,” the trainer said. “Since that run, we’ve changed his blinkers to a lighter type and he’s worked well in training, not showing any problem and running powerfully.” Glory Vase (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) was fifth in the Kikuka Sho, and comes into this off a win in the G2 Nikkei Shinshun Hai on Jan. 13. Trainer Tomohito Ozeki said the dark bay was a bit tired after that effort, and was thus freshened for this spot. The aforementioned 6-year-old Sciacchetra is two from two this season after missing all of 2018, his most recent score coming over 3000 metres in the G2 Hanshin Daishoten on Mar. 17. You Can Smile (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) is another coming off a win, having scored in the 3400 metre G3 Diamond S. on Feb. 16. View the full article

With last year’s G2 Sandown Mile winner Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) ruled out of the 2019 renewal of the Bet365-sponsored test due to the lack of rain, it was left to the G2 Celebration Mile and G2 Summer Mile scorer Beat the Bank (GB) (Paco Boy {Ire}) to continue the King Power Racing momentum on Friday. Granted a perfect lead by stablemate Zwayyan (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), the 7-4 joint-favourite took a while to find his stride but eventually ousted Sharja Bridge (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) passing the furlong pole en route to a half-length success. Friday, Sandown Park, Britain BET365 MILE-G2, £100,000, Sandown, 4-26, 4yo/up, 8f 25yT, 1:43.23, g/f. 1–BEAT THE BANK (GB), 127, g, 5, by Paco Boy (Ire) 1st Dam: Tiana (GB) (SP-Eng), by Diktat (GB) 2nd Dam: Hill Welcome (GB), by Most Welcome (GB) 3rd Dam: Tarvie, by Swing Easy (18,000gns RNA Wlg ’14 TATFOA; 30,000gns Ylg ’15 TAOCT). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-A S Denniff (GB); T-Andrew Balding; J-Silvestre de Sousa. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 15-8-0-0, $512,710. *1/2 to Salt Island (GB) (Exceed and Excel {Aus}), SP-Eng. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Sharja Bridge (GB), 127, h, 5, Oasis Dream (GB)–Quetena (Ger), by Acatenango (Ger). (500,000gns Ylg ’15 TATOCT). O-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum; B-Stiftung Gestut Fahrhof (GB); T-Roger Varian. £21,500. 3–Regal Reality (GB), 127, c, 4, Intello (Ger)–Regal Realm (GB), by Medicean (GB). O/B-Cheveley Park Stud Ltd (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute. £10,760. Margins: HF, 1, 3/4. Odds: 1.75, 1.75, 7.00. Also Ran: Suedois (Fr), Mitchum Swagger (GB), Oh This Is Us (Ire), Zwayyan (GB). Scratched: Addeybb (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. View the full article

The money spoke for Bangkok (Ire) (Australia {GB}) before Friday’s G3 bet365 Classic Trial at Sandown and it proved correct as the 10-11 favourite stamped his authority on the early Derby trial. Having beaten the impressive subsequent winner Telecaster (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) in a 10-furlong Doncaster maiden Mar. 30, King Power Racing’s bay was positioned with one behind early by Sylvester de Sousa. When the button was pressed, he picked up with an ease to take control approaching the furlong pole and assert for a 1 1/4-length success from Team Valor’s recent acquisition Technician (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Trainer Andrew Balding is happy to have a tilt at the Derby now. “We do think a lot of the horse, so I’m just relieved he’s won,” he said. “He’s got a good turn of foot and he’s going to stay further. He has matured mentally and is a very talented horse, so he deserves to run at Epsom and will probably go straight there.” BANGKOK (IRE), c, 3, Australia (GB)–Tanaghum (GB) (SP-Eng), by Darshaan (GB). (500,000gns Ylg ’17 TATOCT). O-King Power Racing Co Ltd; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Andrew Balding; J-Silvestre de Sousa. £39,697. Lifetime Record: 5-2-1-0, £45,759. View the full article

Last seen finishing in the wake of Cracksman (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in Ascot’s G1 Champion S., Sir Evelyn De Rothschild’s Crystal Ocean (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) returned in the same kind of form that saw him among the best of Europe’s middle-distance horses to provide Sir Michael Stoute with a 10th edition of Sandown’s G3 bet365 Gordon Richards S. on Friday. Sent off the 5-6 favourite, the bay tracked Knight To Behold (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) on the front end with Ryan Moore keen not to allow that smart rival too much rope. Taking his measure before the two-furlong pole, the homebred asserted to score by 2 1/4 lengths, with Extra Elusive (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) 3 1/2 lengths back in third. “That seemed an improved performance on last year’s and I think he’s a little bit more forward this season,” his trainer said. “He is in the [G1] Tattersalls Gold Cup [at The Curragh May 26] and that is on my mind, so we’ll consider that. Ryan was impressed with him today, so we’ll have to determine what to do next. We are lucky that we get sent some beautifully-bred horses whose owners have the time for us to be patient with.” 1–CRYSTAL OCEAN (GB), 126, h, 5, by Sea the Stars (Ire) 1st Dam: Crystal Star (GB) (SW & GSP-Eng), by Mark of Esteem (Ire) 2nd Dam: Crystal Cavern, by Be My Guest 3rd Dam: Krisalya (GB), by Kris (GB) O-Sir Evelyn de Rothschild; B-Southcourt Stud (GB); T-Sir Michael Stoute; J-Ryan Moore. £39,697. Lifetime Record: MG1SP-Eng, 13-6-5-2, £1,083,177. *1/2 to Hillstar (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Hwt. 3yo-Eng at 11-14f, GISW-Can, MGSW & G1SP-Eng, $1,221,978; Crystal Capella (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}), Hwt. Older Mare-Eng at 9.5-11f & MGSW-Eng, $550,532; and Crystal Zvezda (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), SW-Eng. View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK–Over the years, Newmarket’s Abington Place has provided a temporary home for a number of Australian equine visitors, including Black Caviar (Aus) (Bel Esprit {Aus}) and Takeover Target (Aus) (Celtic Swing {GB}), in the run up to Royal Ascot. The latest star incumbent, the 2017 Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Houtzen (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}), is having more than just a mini-break and, having arrived at the end of March, is likely to be in town for most of the British turf season, with a tilt at the G1 King’s Stand S. merely the start of what could be a lengthy international campaign. The 4-year-old is the standout of Toby Edmonds’s string of around 90 horses on Queensland’s Gold Coast and, under the care of the trainer’s son Trent and Peter Brown, she has settled in well to the box once occupied by Black Caviar back in 2012. Like her travelling mate Acqume (Aus) (Sepoy {Aus}), Houtzen is now owned outright by Aquis Farm. “She had only had a week of work when she came here so she had her first gallop last Tuesday,” says Trent Edmonds. “We thought we’d come a little bit early and prep her here specifically.” The visitors can rely on gaining some local knowledge from fellow Australian Jane Chapple-Hyam, who trains from Abington Place, once home to the Wragg family and now owned by South African owner-breeder Mary Slack. “Jane has been a great help and because we’re here for quite a while it’s been good to have a look at all the different gallops,” Edmonds added. “The facilities are fantastic. We’re trying to replicate what we do at home with both of the mares, and a big thing at home is to try to vary things and keep them enthused and happy. After Houtzen runs at Ascot she’ll go to a paddock for a week and then come back into work–that’s what we do at home and she loves it.” Houtzen, the winner of seven of her 18 races, including Group 3 contests in Melbourne and Sydney, as well as more than A$2- million in prize-money, exercises in a hood but appears to be pretty settled in her daily excursions on the bustling Newmarket Heath. “She was a bit fizzy when she was younger but the older she’s got, the better she’s got, and especially being here she is just so much more relaxed,” says Edmonds. “Sometimes we go out with Jane’s string. She’s pretty laidback but once you get up over her neck she switches on. She knows when it’s game day.” Her first big game will come on the opening day of Royal Ascot in the G1 King’s Stand S., with a G1 Diamond Jubilee S. entry also having been made. Later in the year, there’s the possibility of a trip to Paris on Arc weekend, followed by the Breeders’ Cup. Edmonds says, “It’s 99% certain that she’ll run in the King’s Stand but if there was some issue, or if the track came up wet on the Tuesday, then she’d run on the Saturday, but that’s really just a back-up plan. “If she performs well then there’s a stack of races over here. She’s effective at 1200 metres but we’re probably not looking at the July Cup. We were thinking about spacing her races more, so after the King’s Stand we would possibly look at the Nunthorpe [in August]. She’s dynamite fresh up. We could then look at the Prix de l’Abbaye. We’re basically here for the whole season. She has to perform and her first race will tell us that. If she performs well then we just keep staying on and the dream would be to take her to the Breeders’ Cup for the Turf Sprint–1100 metres round a bend, that’s ideal, and she’s run well on tight tracks before.” Toby Edmonds will take a short break from his responsibilities at home to pay Houtzen, Acqume and his son a short visit in Newmarket in around a month’s time before returning with the whole family in time for Royal Ascot. Acqume may well have made her British debut before then, with the aim being to add some European black type to the stakes placing she has on her Australian record. As for her stablemate Houtzen, Trent Edmonds is acutely aware of how the success of the A$105,000 yearling has helped his family. He says, “We didn’t pay much for her as a baby and she’s earned a stack of money and started favourite for the Golden Slipper. She’s been a dream. We have 92 horses and before she came along we had maybe half that number, so she’s just done wonders for our business. We’re not at the top of the tree but we’re always working on improving the quality of our horses and trying to get the bigger winners. A Royal Ascot winner would be huge.” Australian Winners at Royal Ascot 2003: Choisir (Aus), King’s Stand S., Golden Jubilee S., trained by Paul Perry 2006: Takeover Target (Aus), King’s Stand S., trained by Joe Janiak 2007: Miss Andretti (Aus), King’s Stand S., trained by Lee Freedman 2009: Scenic Blast (Aus), King’s Stand S., trained by Daniel Morton 2012: Black Caviar (Aus), Diamond Jubilee S., trainer by Peter Moody 2018: Merchant Navy (Aus), Diamond Jubilee S., on second start for Aidan O’Brien (formerly trained by Ciaron Maher/Aaron Purcell) View the full article

The Tenno Sho (Spring) (G1) at Kyoto April 28 literally ushers in a new era for Japan with a rematch of the 1-2 finishers from the 2018 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger, G1). View the full article

Last season’s G2 Coventry S. winner Calyx (GB) (Kingman {GB}) will not line up for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas next Saturday and is instead likely to make his seasonal debut in the G3 Merriebelle Stable Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot on Wednesday. Frankie Dettori was aboard the Juddmonte homebred for a gallop on the Rowley Mile on Friday morning, immediately after which his trainer John Gosden and Juddmonte’s racing manager Lord Grimthorpe indicated that a decision would be made regarding the colt’s participation in the first Classic of the season over the weekend. However, by lunchtime on Friday Calyx had been ruled out of the Guineas, which would have been his first start in a little over ten months after he suffered an unspecified injury in training last July. “Both John Gosden and Frankie Dettori felt that to go straight to the 2000 Guineas after such a long lay-off would be asking too much,” said Grimthorpe. During his early-morning exercise over the Guineas course, Calyx was joined in the gallop by First Eleven (GB) (Frankel {GB}), ridden by Rab Havlin, and pulled clear of his workmate once out of the dip. Gosden said afterwards, “I’m happy with his work, it was a nice, normal blow and he picked up well. The ground was very much on the good side, with the odd good to firm patch.” Calyx will now be one of the potential stars on show during the inaugural Royal Ascot Trials Day on Wednesday and is among 14 entries for the race formerly known as the Pavilion S., which has been branded as a trial for the G1 Commonwealth Cup. Despite making his comeback over six furlongs, the colt is expected to be stepped up to a mile later in the season. The opening meeting of the season at the Berkshire course also includes the G3 Longines Sagaro S., which is a qualifying race for the Weatherbys Hamilton Stayers’ Million, as well as the five-furlong Royal Ascot Two-Year-Old Conditions Stakes. The winner of the latter £14,000 contest will be given free entry to any of the six juvenile races at the royal meeting. View the full article

NEWMARKET, UK—The unbeaten Calyx (GB) (Kingman {GB}) hasn’t been seen on a racecourse since winning the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot last June but he reappeared on Newmarket’s Rowley Mile on Friday morning to undertake a piece of work which will determine whether or not he lines up for the QIPCO 2000 Guineas next Saturday. Arriving by horsebox from the other side of town with his workmate, fellow Juddmonte homebred First Eleven (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Calyx was reunited with Frankie Dettori, while Rab Havlin hopped aboard First Eleven after both horses had taken a turn of the pre-parade ring at Newmarket. Under the gaze of trainer John Gosden, his son and assistant Thady, and Juddmonte’s racing manager Lord Grimthorpe, Calyx worked down the centre of the Guineas course, pulling clear of First Eleven once out of the dip. The colt is also entered for the G3 Merriebelle Stable Commonwealth Cup Trial at Ascot on Wednesday, and Gosden reported that a decision regarding his participation in the Guineas will be made over the weekend. He said, “I’m happy with his work, it was a nice, normal blow and he picked up well. The ground was very much on the good side, with the odd good to firm patch. Michael [Prosser, clerk of the course] has done a good job with the ground, given that we only managed to conjure up half a millimetre of rain yesterday.” Lord Grimthorpe added, “We still have a few things to think about. I want to discuss it with Prince Khalid and see how [the horse] is after this. There’s no decision right now about whether the will run or not. Frankie is happy with him but we have to look at a few other things as well.” Calyx, who made his winning debut at Newmarket ten days ahead of his Coventry S. victory, is a member of the first crop of Juddmonte stallion Kingman, whose sole defeat in eight starts came in the 2000 Guineas when the field split into two groups and he was beaten half a length by Night Of Thunder (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). He went on to win four consecutive Group 1 contests over a mile, including the Irish 2000 Guineas. Kingman is also the sire of Poule d’Essai des Poulains favourite Persian King (Ire). View the full article

It’s day two of the Sandown festival and it’s all about jump racing and in particular all about Altior who bids to extend his winning record. The fan favourite Black Corton also bids to regain the winning thread at Sandown. There is also some good fat action to look forward to at Haydock and Leicester. […] The post Saturday Preview – All Eyes On Altior appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Alpha Centauri’s four Group 1 wins last season contributed handsomely to Jessica Harrington’s best Flat campaign in terms of winners and prize-money, and by her own admission it will be a hard act to repeat that level of success this year. “2018 was a wonderful season for us and it will be very difficult to follow last […] The post Jessica Harrington Stable Tour appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

One thing you can rely upon with Roger Varian is consistency. Since he started training in 2011, the trainer is yet to dip below a 17 per cent strike-rate for a year, and in 2018 he had a runner finish in the first three in 49 per cent of races contested. However, despite coming just short of […] The post Roger Varian Stable Tour appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

It’s a very busy day on Friday with lots of runners at one of my local tracks; Bangor and then two heading for Chepstow. I’ll be staying close to home where it looks like we’ve got a few live chances of a winner. My thoughts on all my runners can be read below and with […] The post Donald McCain – Bangor & Chepstow Runners Guide appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

The Flat season is very much upon us, so I have trawled through the notebook and gone back over the video replays to pick my 10 horses to follow for the season ahead. There is a nice mix of classic horses, classy improvers and unexposed horses. Obviously it’s the unexposed horses that could be worth […] The post 10 Horses To Follow For 2019 Flat Season appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Prolific Australian owner Rupert Legh has won some of the biggest races Down Under but will never forget the moment his pride and joy Chautauqua won the Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize at Sha Tin in 2016.“I actually stood there for about what seemed about 30 seconds or a minute to get my composure and ask myself the question ‘did that really happen?’,” Legh remembers.“Everybody who was there that day, at the top of the straight they would have said you had no chance from there and now the… View the full article

Mark Todd has fit more into his life than most could ever dream of but he is far from finished even if the curtain is beginning to close on his distinguished eventing career.The 63-year-old is in Hong Kong as the trainer of Eminent, who runs in Sunday’s FWD QE II Cup (2,000m) and is the only racehorse under his care.But while it’s the first time Todd has brought a racehorse to Hong Kong, it’s certainly not the seven-time Olympian’s first rodeo.He trained two Group One winners in New Zealand in… View the full article

Zac Purton concedes he’s blessed to sit atop the world’s best miler Beauty Generation - the horse who seeks a ninth consecutive win in Sunday’s (28 April) G1 HK$18 million FWD Champions Mile. The horse who, some might claim, is the best in the world given the recent retirement of Winx. “The best horse I’ve ridden,” Purton says of the Patrick Kwok-owned and John Moore-trained six-year-old. The 36-year-old Australian-born, Hong Kong-based, jockey also sits on top of the world or as nea... View the full article

Group Two winning filly Pinmedown will be back in action at Te Rapa on Saturday when she contests the Maara Grange Rehabilitation And Fencing Premier (1600m). The Michael Moroney and Pam Gerard-trained daughter of Pins is being set for a tilt at the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) and resumes from a short break after her tenth placing in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) last month. “She has had a freshen-up since the Oaks,” Gerard said. “She had a week off and we just backed off ... View the full article

The South Island Sale will be held at the Canterbury Agricultural Park in Christchurch on Monday 29 April, commencing at 11am. With yearlings accounting for all 61 lots catalogued, they are eligible to be nominated for the lucrative Karaka Million Series which comprises of two $1 million races – the Karaka Million 2YO and the Karaka Million 3YO Classic – in addition to the $100,000 CollinsonForex Karaka Cup which they can contest for the duration of their career. Highlighting the quality sou... View the full article

Three-time champion jockey Joao Moreira is set to remain in Hong Kong with the Brazilian declaring he will not sit the Japan Racing Association test required to secure a full-time licence this year.Moreira told Japanese reporters on Friday he was set to stay at Sha Tin after the expiration of his current stable jockey arrangement with John Size.“The contract with the current stable will expire on June 9, but I will stay in Hong Kong and continue to ride,” Moreira said. “I do not think that I… View the full article

Dual Longines Hong Kong Sprint winner Mr Stunning is under an injury could ahead of Sunday’s Group One Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1,200m), while Australian speedster Viddora has climbed off the canvas and is on track to take her place in the race.Trainer Frankie Lor Fu-chuen said champion sprinter Mr Stunning was sore on Friday morning and didn’t work as planned.“He walked out this morning and he looked [tender]. If I worked him maybe he would have got worse,” Lor said.“He had a little bit of a… View the full article

Two-year-old gelding Super Pursuit will contest Saturday’s Cambridge Equine Hospital Premier 2YO (1200m) at Te Rapa and trainer Richard Collett is hoping the horse will take improvement from his debut outing at Pukekohe in which he finished second to Ramazzotti in an 800m dash. “He didn’t help himself clearing the gates at Pukekohe, but in saying that, he wouldn’t have won the race anyway as the horse that won it was dominant,” Collett said. “He has drawn barrier eight on Saturday ... View the full article

Riccarton trainer Michael Pitman is enjoying the build-up to racing at Sha Tin on Sunday as his class sprinter Enzo’s Lad gets set to contest the HK$16 million Gr.1 the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (1200m). The Kiwi conditioner is enjoying every minute of his time in Hong Kong, as he takes in what is a once in a lifetime experience. Pitman, who prepares the dual Group one winner with son Matthew, was happy to answer questions when attending a media briefing prior to the all-important barrier dra... View the full article