Wandering Eyes

The Under-Tack Show for the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training begins Monday morning at 8 a.m. During the first of six sessions, hips 1 through 203 will work. Hips 204-406 will take to the track Tuesday; followed by 407-608 Wednesday; 609-813 Thursday; 814-1017 Friday; and 1018 through 1221 Saturday. The four-day auction will be held the following Tuesday through Friday with sessions beginning daily at 10:30 a.m. View the full article

Among the Oaklawn Park-raced horses with enough points to run in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) are Omaha Beach and Improbable, the top two finishers in the April 13 $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1). View the full article

Saturnalia (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}), who won the Dec. 28 G1 Hopeful S. over course and distance last time out, became the second Classic scorer for his sire with a gritty victory in the G1 Satsuki Sho on Sunday. The Nakayama 2000-metre feature found the Katsuhiko Sumii trainee a head better than runner-up Velox (Jpn) (Just a Way {Jpn}), who was a nose to the good of Danon Kingly (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). Heavily favoured at 70 cents on the dollar to make it back-to-back Group 1 tallies, Saturnalia was widest of all in the rush into the first turn, but eventually found his way into seventh as Lance of Puraana (Jpn) (Cape Blanco {Ire}) rattled along on the lead, covering the first 1000 metres in :59.10. Three deep next to fellow Carrot Farm colourbearer Courageux Guerrier (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) and Fantasist (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) with 800 metres remaining, he began to make inroads on the leaders by the 600-metre marker and swept up to fourth a furlong from the winning post. Velox to his inside was also letting down strongly and went right with Saturnalia. Those two drew even with Danon Kingly as the line neared and Saturnalia thrust his head across the wire first. Second choice in the wagering at 5-1 was Japanese champion 2-year-old colt Admire Mars (Jpn) (Daiwa Major {Jpn}) wound up fourth two lengths back. “I rode him for the first time in the race but I had confidence in him,” said Lemaire, who was winning his 24th JRA Group 1 in Japan. “He seemed a bit nervous and drifted towards the inside when we took command before the crowd. His condition was not 100% as it was his first start this year but he should be in top condition going into the Japanese Derby.” Flawless in all four trips to the post, Saturnalia won a June 10 newcomers affair at Hanshin before tasting listed glory in the Hagi S. at Kyoto last October. Stepped up to 2000 metres from 1800 in his third start, he delivered, stalking from just behind the leaders to score in the G1 Hopeful S. locally on Dec. 28 and was making his first start of 2019 on Sunday. Pedigree Notes One of three top level winners for his sire and the first from his 2016 crop, the Carrot Farm runner joins 2018 Japanese Triple Tiara heroine Almond Eye (Jpn) as the second Classic winner for Lord Kanaloa. Saturnalia is also the second Classic winner for his champion dam, who won the GI American Oaks Invitational S. in 2005 and foaled 2013 G1 Kikuka Sho (Japanese St. Leger) hero Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S) in 2010. He also counts champion and G1 Asahi Hai Futurity S. victor Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) as a half-brother. Second dam is Grade III victress Kirov Premiere (GB) (Sadler’s Wells) and she is a full-sister to SW & GSP Theatre Critic (Ire). Other notable members of the extended family are European highweight, MG1SW, and young sire Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), G1 Phoenix S. runner-up Amadeus Mozart (Ire) (Mozart {Ire}), English highweight and MGSW Anna Pavlova (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), and La Hoguette (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}), a MSW in France who ran third in the G1 Prix Jean Prat. Sunday, Nakayama, Japan SATSUKI SHO (JAPANESE 2000 GUINEAS)-G1, ¥242,880,000 (US$2,167,840/£1,658,623/€2,927,742), Nakayama, 4-14, 3yo, c/f, 2000mT, 1:58.10, fm. 1–SATURNALIA (JPN), 126, c, 3, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) 1st Dam: Cesario (Jpn) (Ch. 3yo Filly-Jpn, MSW-Jpn, GISW-US, $2,578,568), by Special Week (Jpn) 2nd Dam: Kirov Premiere (GB), by Sadler’s Wells 3rd Dam: Querida (Ire), by Habitat O-Carrot Farm; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); T-Katsuhiko Sumii; J-Christophe Lemaire. ¥133,016,000. Lifetime Record: 4-4-0-0. *1/2 to Epiphaneia (Jpn) (Symboli Kris S), MG1SW-Jpn, $6,693,376; Leontes (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), Ch. 2yo Colt-Jpn, G1SW-Jpn, $1,112,892; and Globe Theatre (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}), GSP-Jpn, $914,289. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. 2–Velox (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Just a Way (Jpn)–Selkis (Ger), by Monsun (Ger). (¥48,000,000 Ylg ’17 JRHAJUL). O-Makoto Kaneko Holdings; B-Northern Farm (Jpn); ¥50,576,000. 3–Danon Kingly (Jpn), 126, c, 3, Deep Impact (Jpn)–My Goodness, by Storm Cat. O-Danox Inc.; B-Mishima Bokujo (Jpn); ¥31,288,000. Margins: HD, NO, 2. Odds: 0.70, 8.00, 4.80. Also Ran: Admire Mars (Jpn), Courageux Guerrier (Jpn), Tagano Diamante (Jpn), Last Draft (Jpn), Admire Justa (Jpn), Daddy’s Mind (Jpn), Naimama (Jpn), Breaking Dawn (Jpn), Schwarz Riese (Jpn), Fantasist (Jpn), Satono Lux (Jpn), Meisho Tenegn (Jpn), Kurino Gaudi (Jpn), Nishino Daisy (Jpn), Lance of Puraana (Jpn). Click for the JRA chart or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. JRA Video. View the full article

The April 17 opening race at Aqueduct Racetrack features the unveiling of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah's first two North American starters in Lady Delaware and Tesorina. View the full article

Six Oaklawn Park-raced horses have enough points to run in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), including Omaha Beach and Improbable, the top two finishers in the April 13 $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1). View the full article

Mohaather's connections have said he has earned the right to test his group 1 credentials and stamina in the QIPCO Two Thousand Guineas (G1) at Newmarket May 4 after his April 13 success in the Watership Down Stud Greenham Stakes (G3). View the full article

Trainer Marcus Tregoning reported Mohaather (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in fine fettle the morning after his impressive display in the G3 Greenham S. at Newbury on Saturday. Having rounded off his juvenile campaign with a surprise success in the G3 Horris Hill S. at the Berkshire venue, the Showcasing colt confirmed there was absolutely no fluke about that victory with an authoritative display on his seasonal reappearance. Tregoning said, “He’s absolutely fine this morning and we’re very happy with him. Whether he turns up in the Guineas or not, there has to be a question mark. It could be a wide open race or it might not be. We are very happy with our horse–he looks progressive–and I think he probably will run in the Guineas, but we’ve still got three weeks to go.” The Shadwell-owned colt will be stepping up to a mile for the first time in the G1 QIPCO 2000 Guineas if he lines up on May 4. “I think he’ll give himself a chance to stay the mile as he settles so well,” said Tregoning, who won the G1 Epsom Derby with Sir Percy (GB) (Mark of Esteem {Ire}). “Hopefully, off a strong pace, he’ll be fine. He does have a lot of speed, but you’ve got to have speed to win a Guineas.” View the full article

Recently-retired trainer Brendan Powell is looking forward to a new chapter after revealing he is to join Joseph O’Brien’s powerful team. The rider of 1988 Grand National hero Rhyme ‘N’ Reason (GB) (Kemal {Fr}), Powell announced on Tuesday he was handing in his training licence. However, it has not taken the 59-year-old long to find himself a new job–confirming on Sky Sports Racing’s Racing Debate programme on Sunday that he is set to return to Ireland for what he described as a “fantastic opportunity”. Powell said, “I’ve been to Ireland a couple of times in the last month or six weeks and I popped into Joseph O’Brien’s a few times. I went over there again on Friday and I’m going to go and join him. Joseph has a big yard and he’s going places. I’ve had a few mornings there and it’s fantastically run with great staff. Joseph, I think, wants to spend more time in the yard, so I’m going do a lot of the racing and hopefully look after some owners and syndicates. “I’ll be in the yard on a morning–hopefully when the horses are schooling. There’ll be a lot of travelling and a lot of racing especially, which I do enjoy. It looks a fantastic opportunity. I never thought I’d go back to Ireland to live, as much as I love it there, because I’ve been here since 1977. I’ve got to an age now when I need to do something where the pressure is off. I’m really looking forward to it.” View the full article

Trainer Charlie Fellowes has announced his purchase of Bedford House Stables in Newmarket. The historic yard had been the home of Luca Cumani since 1976, but following his retirement from training at the end of last season, Fellowes will now be the new occupant. He currently trains at St Gatien Cottage Stables and will make the move across to his new yard following next week’s Craven meeting. He told his Off The Bridle podcast, “We have bought Bedford House Stables. It is one of the most beautiful yards in Newmarket, situated on Bury Road. It’s got a few more boxes than I need at the moment, but that means we’ve got plenty of space for anyone who wants to send us some horses. It’s a beautiful yard, it’s got 120 boxes, loads of paddocks, a trotting ring, a nice house–it’s got everything you could possibly want and it’s a home for life. These places don’t come up very often so I’m very lucky. “If I can train half as many Derby winners as Luca did, I’ll be a very happy man. We will probably look to move the horses over after the Craven–something like that.” View the full article

Fox Hill Farm’s Omaha Beach (War Front) exited his victory in Saturday’s GI Arkansas Derby in fine shape, according to trainer Richard Mandella. “We’ve had him out and checked him over,” Mandella said. “He looks great.” Omaha Beach is expected to ship by van to Louisville Tuesday to continue preparations for the May 4 GI Kentucky Derby. On the board in his first four career starts, Omaha Beach has now won three straight. He won the Mar. 16 GII Rebel S. prior to his Arkansas Derby win. “I’ve said all along, some day somebody will ask me, ‘How did you get this horse beat so many times?” Mandella said with a laugh. “I started saying that way back because we always thought it was there.” Arkansas Derby runner-up Improbable (City Zip) will also head to Louisville, but plans for third-place finisher Country House (Lookin at Lucky) are still undecided. “I haven’t talked to the owners [Mrs. J.V. Shields Jr., E.J.M. McFadden Jr. and LNJ Foxwoods] this morning,” trainer Bill Mott said. “As far as I know, they were pleased. Initially, it sounded like they were last night. We didn’t talk Derby. I think that was one of the goals, to get enough points to go to the Derby. Now we’ve got to assess the situation and see if it makes sense to enter up.” Peter Redekop’s Anothertwistafate (Scat Daddy), currently sitting 23rd on the Derby points list after his runner-up effort in Saturday’s GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland, will ship to Churchill Downs. “If he doesn’t get in [the Derby], we still have the [May 18 GI] Preakness S.,” trainer Blaine Wright said. “He has done a lot of shipping, and I think the best thing now would be to get to one place and settle in.” The Preakness could also be the next target for Lexington winner Owendale (Into Mischief), who sits 29th on the Derby points list. Third-place finisher Sueno (Atreides), already back at trainer Keith Desormeaux’s Churchill Downs base, sits in 24th on the leaderboard. “Now we will keep our fingers crossed,” assistant trainer Julie Clark said of making it into the Derby field. View the full article

Saturnalia won a three-way sprint to the finish in the first leg of the Japanese Triple Crown, the Satsuki Sho (Japanese Two Thousand Guineas, G1) April 14 at Nakayama Racecourse, remaining undefeated in four career starts. View the full article

Mike Smith has a problem. It appeared that he had his mount for the GI Kentucky Derby when Roadster (Quality Road) won the GI Santa Anita Derby. Now, we’re not so sure, not after Omaha Beach (War Front) won Saturday’s GI Arkansas Derby. Smith must choose between the two horses who will likely be the first and second choices in the Derby. And whenever he makes his pick, that will likely kick off a domino effect that will determine the mounts on several horses. Smith, of course, will not make his decision until he absolutely has to. With a little less than three weeks to go to the Derby, there’s plenty that go wrong between now and then. He doesn’t want to commit to one horse over the other only to find out that his choice has spiked a fever and will miss the race. “It’s a very hard choice,” Smith said Sunday. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. When I get back to California [Monday], I’ll talk it over with my agent.” Unless Smith has a firm opinion on who is the better horse, and it’s hard to imagine that he does, I’ll set the odds at 3-5 that he rides Roadster and 9-5 that he chooses Omaha Beach. His decision will be more about the trainers than the horses. Both Baffert (Roadster) and Richard Mandella (Omaha Beach) are Hall of Fame trainers, but only one has won five Kentucky Derbies, and that’s Baffert. Mandella has run six horses in the Derby and has yet to have a horse finish better than fifth. Smith is also coming off a year where he rode a Triple Crown winner for Baffert in Justify (Scat Daddy). He was also the regular rider for another Baffert superstar, Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song). Would he ever choose to take off a horse coming off a Grade I win, who is trained by arguably the best Kentucky Derby trainer of all time and one for whom he just won a Triple Crown? Add up all the factors and it seems unlikely. That is unless he is firmly convinced Omaha Beach is the better horse. Then what does Mandella do? Flavien Prat is the most likely answer. After riding Omaha Beach in his first five starts, he took off the horse to ride Gunmetal Gray (Exchange Rate) in the GII Rebel S. Omaha Beach won, while Gunmetal Gray was fourth. But it’s doubtful that Mandella will hold a grudge as Prat is his main rider. Since 2016, he’s ridden 614 horses for him, while Smith has been aboard just 76. Prat has no other mounts for the Derby. If Smith chooses Omaha, there’s no clear path for Baffert. He also rides Joe Talamo and Drayden Van Dyke, but doesn’t appear to have the confidence in either one to put them aboard a possible Kentucky Derby favorite. He could also reach out to an East Coast jockey, maybe John Velazquez or Irad Ortiz, Jr. Todd Pletcher does have two horses that have the points to get into the Derby in Cutting Humor (First Samurai) and Spinoff (Hard Spun) and Velazquez could obviously have the mount on either one, but both will be among the longest shots in the race. The other jockey with a tough decision to make is Jose Ortiz. Baffert put him on Improbable (City Zip) for the Arkansas Derby, replacing Van Dyke. He finished second behind Omaha Beach and remains a top Derby contender. Ortiz is also the regular rider of GII Wood Memorial and GII Tampa Bay Derby winner Tacitus (Tapit) for trainer Bill Mott. Improbable could be the better horse of the two, but the prediction is that Ortiz will go with Tacitus. He is based in New York and he’s going to get a lot more business from Mott than Baffert over the next several years. He’ll want to stay on his good side. How about his brother? Irad Ortiz, Jr. is the regular rider of Win Win Win (Hat Tricks). Win Win Win is a nice horse, but will be an outsider in the wagering. Does Ortiz stick with him or take off when, or if, he is offered an open mount on a more highly regarded horse? Then there’s the Jon Court situation. At 58, he became one of the feel-good stories on the road to the Derby when he guided Long Range Toddy (Take Charge Indy) to a win in a division of the Rebel. But he is not considered a premier jockey and Long Range Toddy was up the track in the Arkansas Derby. Court has only ridden in three Derbies and none since 2013. Does trainer Steve Asmussen stick with him or go for his number one rider, Ricardo Santana, Jr.? Easy Does It For Maximum Security Jason Servis is a controversial figure in racing, which happens with anyone whose winning percentage skyrockets into the 35-405 range. Can anybody really be that good? While I’ll leave that up to others to decide, perhaps it’s worth noticing that Servis’s training style is unlike that of any other trainer in the country. He trains his horses so slowly you can barely call their works works. It happened again Saturday when GI Florida Derby winner Maximum Security (New Year’s Day) worked a half-mile at Palm Meadows in :54.85. In his first workout since the Florida Derby, it was the slowest work at the distance among the 50 horses who went four furlongs. In his prior workout, also at Palm Meadows, he went four furlongs in :52.95, also the slowest work at the distance among 63 horses. Professional clocker Bruno De Julio said there’s a method to what others might consider Servis’s madness. He notes that Servis’s horses don’t work from a traditional starting spot to the wire. “He’ll start off, for example, at the half-mile pole, and the horse will start galloping and he’ll go in an :18, :19, :20 clip,” De Julio said. “Then all of a sudden, when he gets to the seven-eighths pole or the mile-pole, he’ll finish off the last half-mile in :52 or the last three furlongs in :38. At Palm Meadows, he doesn’t train them through the stretch. He lets them pull up at the three-sixteenths pole. I think he believes that the stretch run there is affected by wind. The wind comes in at the eighth-pole and dries out the track from the eighth-pole on. It’s looser. With him, he lets them do their main running going around the turn, so he doesn’t have to set them down on a part of the track that is looser and tiring.” De Julio believes the unusual pattern is among the reasons Servis is successful. “When people would talk to Bobby Frankel, he’d often tell them horses are overtrained,” De Julio said. “Jason’s style gets horses ready and they’re not overtrained. I think it has something to do with the mental part of it. It teaches a horse to shut down. He doesn’t beat up his horses in the morning like some other trainers do.” Steve Davidowitz, RIP Noted handicapping author Steve Davidowitz passed away over the weekend at his home in Summerlin, Nevada at the age of 77. The news was reported by his son, Brad. Davidowitz first became well known in 1977 with the publication of his book, “Betting Thoroughbreds,” which was among the best handicapping books ever written. Davidowitz came into prominence right around the same time Andy Beyer did and was sometimes overshadowed by his fellow handicapper and friend. But Beyer has said that he learned much about the sport and handicapping from Davidowitz. Betting Thoroughbreds introduced handicappers to terms like “key races” and “track biases.” Now part of everyone’s handicapping lexicon those were terms and concepts that Davidowitz developed. A prolific writer, Davidowitz was still penning columns for Horse Racing Nation right up to his death. The cause of his death has not yet been determined. View the full article

Pak Kwan Siu’s globetrotting Stormy Antarctic (GB) (Stormy Atlantic) earned minor prizes in four of five starts since annexing last season’s G2 Badener Meile, finishing second in Munich’s July 29 G1 Grosser Dallmayr-Preis, third in Goodwood’s Aug. 25 G2 Celebration Mile and the Sept. 15 GI Woodbine Mile before posting a fourth in the Oct. 20 G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. at Ascot. He went postward for Sunday’s G3 Kalkmann Fruhjahrs-Meile at Dusseldorf returning off an eighth in Sha Tin’s Dec. 9 G1 Hong Kong Cup and justified odds-on favoritism, albeit narrowly, for a fifth black-type success. Positioned fifth in mid division through halfway, the gelded chestnut tanked into second soon after turning for home and stayed on strongly under a final-furlong drive to deny the persistent Madita (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) by a neck. Pedigree Notes Stormy Antarctic, also runner-up in the 2015 G1 Criterium International and 2016 G1 Prix Jean Prat, is the leading performer for G3 Meld S. third Bea Remembered (GB) (Doyen {Ire}), who has also produced G2 Queen Mary S. and G2 Prix Robert Papin runner-up Al Johrah (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) and a yearling colt by Deep Impact (Jpn). He is from a family which features GSW G1 Deutsches Derby runner-up Taishan (Ger) (Armistice Day {GB}). Sunday, Dusseldorf, Germany KALKMANN FRUHJAHRS-MEILE-G3, €55,000, Dusseldorf, 4-14, 4yo/up, 8fT, 1:34.11, gd. 1–STORMY ANTARCTIC (GB), 130, g, 6, by Stormy Atlantic 1st Dam: Bea Remembered (GB) (GSP-Ire, SP-Eng & Swe), by Doyen (Ire) 2nd Dam: Leinster Mills (Ire), by Doyoun (Ire) 3rd Dam: Miss Turnberry (Ire), by Mummy’s Pet (GB) (68,000gns Wlg ’13 TATFOA; 200,000gns 2yo ’15 TATBRE). O-Pak Kwan Siu; B-East Bloodstock Ltd (GB); T-Ed Walker; J-Gerald Mosse. €30,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, GSW & MG1SP-Fr, G1SP-Ger, GISP-Can & GSP-Ire, 26-7-6-5, €660,694. *1/2 to Al Johrah (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}), GSP-Eng & Fr, $129,933. Werk Nick Rating: D+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Madita (Ger), 120, f, 4, Soldier Hollow (GB)–Manita (Ire), by Peintre Celebre. (€15,000 Ylg ’16 BBAGS). O-German Racing Club; B-Gestut Hachetal (GER); T-Sascha Smrczek. €12,000. 3–Degas (Ger), 128, g, 6, Exceed and Excel (Aus)–Diatribe (GB), by Tertullian. (€100,000 Ylg ’14 BBAGS). O/B-Gestut Rottgen (GER); T-Markus Klug. €6,000. Margins: NK, 2HF, 3 1/4. Odds: 0.70, 23.70, 9.40. Also Ran: Palace Prince (Ger), Wonnemond (Ger), Alinaro (Ger), Wetrov (Fr), Zargun (Ger), Campanos (Ger). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. View the full article

Andre Fabre has a strong hand with his 3-year-olds this term and the outcome of Sunday’s G3 Prix Noailles at ParisLongchamp further underlined that as the Wertheimers’ Slalom (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) kept his unbeaten record intact ahead of stablemate Syrtis (GB) (Frankel {GB}). Held up in last early with Maxime Guyon intent on following Syrtis, the homebred who had previously won over a mile on soft ground at Clairefontaine in August and over nine furlongs on Chantilly’s Polytrack in November was following the right horse as it turned out with the pace set by Lone Peak (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) proving strong. Sweeping aside the Godolphin representative with just over 100 metres remaining, the 3-1 second favourite was hand ridden to record an impressive 2 1/2-length success with Syrtis in turn a length ahead of Surrey Thunder (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}). The owner-breeders’ racing manager Pierre-Yves Bureau said, “He had won nicely last year, but had to prove up to that class and he did. He showed a very good turn of foot in a truly-run race and although he has the pedigree to be a miler he is also a full-brother to Folamour who stays a mile and a half well. He obviously seems to stay, but also Intello was third in an Arc. We are blessed with some nice 3-year-olds this year, so we’ll wait and see what the others like Shaman and Starmaniac do and see what do with them. We’ll have a better picture of what we have in hand in time.” Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France PRIX NOAILLES-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-14, 3yo, 10 1/2fT, 2:10.88, gd. 1–SLALOM (FR), 128, c, 3, by Intello (Ger) 1st Dam: Zagzig (GB), by Selkirk 2nd Dam: Danzigaway, by Danehill 3rd Dam: Blushing Away, by Blushing Groom (Fr) 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Wertheimer & Frere (FR); T-Andre Fabre; J-Maxime Guyon. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, €75,500. *Full to Folamour (GB), SW & GSP-Fr, $116,139; and 1/2 to Empreinte (Footstepsinthesand {GB}), GSP-Fr. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Syrtis (GB), 128, c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Sabratah (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB). (€350,000 Ylg ’17 ARAUG). O-Godolphin SNC; B-GB Partnership (GB); T-Andre Fabre. €16,000. 3–Surrey Thunder (Fr), 128, c, 3, Le Havre (Ire)–Zakania (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire). (€25,000 Ylg ’17 AROCT; €67,000 2yo ’18 ARQMAY). O-Surrey Racing Ltd; B-Patrick Chedeville & Cocheese Bloodstock Anstalt (FR); T-Joseph Tuite. €12,000. Margins: 2HF, 1, 1. Odds: 3.10, 2.50, 3.70. Also Ran: Joe Francais (Fr), Soft Light (Fr), Life’s a Breeze (Ire), Thyme White (Fr), Lone Peak (Fr). Scratched: Corando (GB). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

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Godolphin have well and truly laid down the gauntlet in 2019 and Castle Lady (Ire) (Shamardal) followed where Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) led by completing a ParisLongchamp Classic trial double in the G3 Prix de la Grotte. Successful by 3 1/2 lengths in a mile debutantes contest on Chantilly’s Polytrack Mar. 14, the 47-10 shot was the least experienced in the line-up and a touch free in the hands of Mickael Barzalona tracking the front pair Imperial Charm (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Epistrophy (Fr) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) early. With the hold-up horses never getting involved in a race eventually run two seconds slower than the Fontainebleau, the homebred kicked into the lead passing the two-furlong pole and asserted to beat the long-time leader Imperial Charm by 1 3/4 lengths, with a length between that British raider and Epistrophy in third. Henri-Alex Pantall is thinking of the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches back over this course and distance May 12. “I was very impressed with her first run at Chantilly and although she was up in class a lot here I have always thought she had the class and potential,” he said. “In case she turned out to be really good, I wanted her to run in this race to allow more time between her second start and the Pouliches. She still lacks experience, but settled quite well. She took her time to find her best stride, but stayed on really nicely. She is not entered in the Pouliches, so I’ll have to discuss it with His Highness and see what he wants to do. I’d like to see her back here.” Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France PRIX DE LA GROTTE-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-14, 3yo, f, 8fT, 1:38.39, gd. 1–CASTLE LADY (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Shamardal 1st Dam: Windsor County, by Elusive Quality 2nd Dam: Ascutney, by Lord At War (Arg) 3rd Dam: Right Word, by Verbatim 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN; 1ST GROUP WIN. O/B-Godolphin (IRE); T-Henri-Alex Pantall; J-Mickael Barzalona. €40,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €52,500. *1/2 to Top Score (GB) (Hard Spun), SW-UAE, SP-Eng & Tur, $422,848. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Imperial Charm (GB), 126, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Reem Three (GB), by Mark of Esteem (Ire). O/B-Sheikh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum (GB); T-Simon Crisford. €16,000. 3–Epistrophy (Fr), 126, f, 3, Charm Spirit (Ire)–Cheriearch, by Arch. (€100,000 Ylg ’17 AROCT). O-Masao Ogawa; B-Oceanic Bloodstock Inc, Mme Ariane Gravereaux & OTI Management Pty Ltd (FR); T-Satoshi Kobayashi. €12,000. Margins: 1 3/4, 1, NK. Odds: 4.70, 15.00, 47.00. Also Ran: Cala Tarida (GB), Rocques (Fr), Tifosa (Ire), Montviette (Fr), Sicilia (GB), Lily’s Candle (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

Champion’s Way proved he is the real deal as he recorded his fifth-straight victory at Sha Tin on Sunday despite having every right to throw in the towel.John Size’s star three-year-old never looked comfortable on the “good to yielding” surface with jockey Joao Moreira niggling him throughout, making the punters who backed him at $1.85 understandably nervous.Champion’s Way faced a huge task at the top of the straight, still half-a-dozen lengths from the leaders, who were going strong, but he… View the full article

With a potential crack in the armour of Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) showing, TDN Rising Star Persian King (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) could be ready to take charge in the mile Classics judged on his emphatic return win in Sunday’s G3 Prix de Fontainebleau at ParisLongchamp. Sent off the 1-5 favourite, Godolphin and Ballymore Thoroughbreds’ G3 Autumn S. winner carted Pierre-Charles Boudot to the front after a furlong with a formidable exuberance and kicked clear of over-matched rivals in the straight. To his credit, fellow TDN Rising Star and stablemate Epic Hero (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) got within five lengths of the highly impressive winner at the line, with Duke of Hazzard (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) a head away in third. Sunday, ParisLongchamp, France PRIX DE FONTAINEBLEAU-G3, €80,000, ParisLongchamp, 4-14, 3yo, c, 8fT, 1:36.41, gd. 1–PERSIAN KING (IRE), 128, c, 3, by Kingman (GB) 1st Dam: Pretty Please (Ire), by Dylan Thomas (Ire) 2nd Dam: Plante Rare (Ire), by Giant’s Causeway 3rd Dam: Palmeraie, by Lear Fan O-Godolphin & Ballymore Thoroughbred Ltd; B-Dayton Investments (Breeding) Ltd (IRE); T-Andre Fabre; J-Pierre-Charles Boudot. €40,000. Lifetime Record: GSW-Eng, 5-4-1-0, €119,252. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. 2–Epic Hero (Fr), 128, c, 3, Siyouni (Fr)–Grace Lady (Fr), by Muhtathir (GB). (€120,000 Ylg ’17 ARAUG; €280,000 2yo ’18 ARQMAY). O-Godolphin; B-Jean-Philippe Dubois (FR); T-Andre Fabre. €16,000. 3–Duke of Hazzard (Fr), 128, c, 3, Lope de Vega (Ire)–With Your Spirit (Fr), by Invincible Spirit (Ire). (€130,000 Ylg ’17 ARAUG). O-Mrs Fitri Hay; B-Runnymede Farm Inc & Catesby W Clay (FR); T-Paul Cole. €12,000. Margins: 5, HD, 3. Odds: 0.20, 9.00, 6.40. Also Ran: Price Range, Prince Hamlet (Fr). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. View the full article

Group One-winning Australian jockey Tim Clark will be reunited with top-rated galloper Dark Dream in the QE II Cup (2,000m) in two weeks, trainer Frankie Lor Fu-chuen has confirmed.Clark rode Dark Dream three times for two Group-level victories in Australia, including the Group One Queensland Derby (2,200m) in June last year – the horse’s last start in Australia before being sold to Hong Kong.Clark is no stranger to Hong Kong, having spent three years at Sha Tin before returning to Sydney,… View the full article

Zac Purton notched his quickest-ever century at Sha Tin on Sunday and looks to have found yet another superstar partner in crime as his stronghold on Hong Kong racing shows no signs of relenting.The Australian’s eye-catching win on impressive two-year-old Aethero was his 100th for the term and he added to that by booting home Flying Victory later in the afternoon, meaning he has 21 more winners than he has ever had at this stage of a season.It is the fourth occasion the two-time champion has… View the full article

It is said that as one door closes another opens, but for Douglas Whyte this has happened in reverse. In mid-February, the Hong Kong Jockey Club approved the 13-time champion jockey’s application for a trainer’s licence, thus expediting his retirement from the saddle ahead of the end of the season. The door is now firmly closed on that phenomenally successful chapter of his life, and as Whyte puts plans in place for the second phase of his racing career in time for the new season in September, he has made the most of some downtime to expand his knowledge by visiting a range of trainers in Newmarket. For the last month, he has been experiencing a markedly different training base to Sha Tin through the eyes of William Haggas, Sir Michael Stoute, Charlie Appleby, Marco Botti and Sir Mark Prescott. He says, “Some of the best trainers in the world are here and we obviously buy [for Hong Kong] a lot of horses from here, for the Derby and so forth. From a training perspective, I’m never going to be able to follow the procedures, but I didn’t come for those reasons. There’s horsemen out here that have been around a lot longer than me, and that are smart and wise. So to be around them, and pick up a few things along the way, I thought that would be of benefit.” The last few weeks have been no one-way street, however, for while Whyte may have been picking up a few tips from his fellow trainers, they have made the most of having a jockey of his calibre in their midst. On Saturday morning, Whyte was among the first-lot gallopers from the Stoute stable, riding alongside his former colleagues Silvestre de Sousa, Ted Durcan and Richard Hills. “When I came over to England with London News (SAF) after he won the QE2, I was based with Barry Hills [in Lambourn]. I’d never done a gallop on Newmarket Heath, but I’ve pretty much done every one of them now,” adds Whyte. “The training here is different, and you can see why the horses have longevity and why you can keep them colts because you’re out at exercise longer. In Hong Kong, it’s a very different work regime and it’s all against the clock. To get your horses out for more than 45 minutes would be pushing to the absolute limit.” After more than two decades in Hong Kong, there’s little the South African-born Whyte doesn’t know about the racing scene on the island. As the winningmost jockey in Hong Kong’s history, he is revered. From September, however, the counter is reset to zero as he sets about proving himself in a different sphere. “I’m very grateful to the club for having the confidence in me,” he says. “I’ve been there 22 years and I think I know the system inside out. I’ve changed a few systems from when I rode, with the form and asking for rides, and booking rides. I know that side of it, and I’ve been around horses all my life. I’m not afraid of anything. It’s more about management. You need the right team, and once you have the right team behind you, I think you can do anything.” The idea to train has been no long-held back-up plan, but it is a fork in the road that has appeared at the right time for the 47-year-old, who landed Hong Kong’s championship for 13 consecutive years from the 2000-2001 season. He says, “Funnily enough, I never gave it much thought. Ask most jockeys that have retired, they’ll say that you don’t give it a thought. When I’d won my 13 premierships, and I was flying still, and then I was mostly in the top three or four, it wasn’t a question of being ready to retire, it was more that there’s a shelf life in Hong Kong, and they love new competition. That’s what Hong Kong is about. So I saw an opportunity that might present itself, and the penny dropped, and that’s when I started to think about it realistically. It’s been on my mind for a while, and when I say a while, not the last ten, five years, but long enough for me to have accepted that should the Jockey Club offer me the opportunity, I was going to grab it with both hands. And I was fortunate enough that that all unfolded.” With the balloting for owners’ permits currently taking place in Hong Kong, Whyte can’t start to assemble his equine team immediately, hence his fortuitous hiatus from his adopted homeland. “I won’t be able to do this again in my life. Once you start out you’re too busy. I’ll get back and set up a team. I’ve got a couple of work riders. I’m still looking for an international work rider, so I’m keeping my eyes open. The club, fortunately, has said I can bring one back,” he explains. “When I start off, I will be getting some transferred horses from other yards. It’s what always happens. And I know a lot of owners—I think I’ve ridden for just about everyone—so from that point of view, I have a slight advantage and I’m hoping I will get some support.” He continues, “I know the system, so now it’s just getting my team into place, managing things correctly and having that confidence in what you see. Watching Sir Michael and William Haggas, it been interesting to see them having a look at a horse and being able to be to have the confidence to change the track work because something doesn’t look right. It’s not falling into a system whereby, today’s Monday so we’re galloping and tomorrow’s Tuesday so we’re doing something else. They’re very open-minded, and I think that’s been one of the biggest learning curves. They’re not afraid, if something’s not right, to say don’t work it today. Walk it, give it a day off. I think that’s the biggest difference, which I will try my best to have the mental power to follow. It’s very difficult, when the pressure’s on, to do that. “That’s why I chose this period, because there’s no big racing but they’re building up, leading into races. And by watching those horses furnish, even just in two weeks that I’ve been with each individual, it’s just phenomenal.” Whyte’s working holiday also came at a good time for him personally following an understandably emotional retirement from a career which saw him ride more than 1,800 winners in Hong Kong. “I held it together, I didn’t think I would,” he says. “I think the fact that I knew I was staying in Hong Kong, and I’d still be around that group made it a little bit easier to walk away. But it was tough, the first two weeks were very tough. And I made a quick decision that I needed to get out of there straight away but I needed to still be around horses, and be with people. I went to Dubai straight away and I was with Mike de Kock for two weeks, and then coming here and still riding work, it’s kind of kept me on the straight and narrow.” He adds, “It’s been fantastic. The likes of Ryan Moore, William Buick, James Doyle, they’re great guys, and having ridden against them in Hong Kong, they know me as a competitor. They don’t see me as a competitor now, but still to have that respect and say ‘let’s go out for dinner’ and those sorts of thing. I really appreciate it.” Despite his enjoyable sojourn in Newmarket and Dubai, Whyte, who has effectively lived an ex-pat life for almost half his years, is adamant that he would only wish to train in Hong Kong. He says, “My children were all born there. We’ve got Hong Kong passports, we’re locals. I’ve ridden against the best of the best that have come out there, and that’s what they’re good at in Hong Kong. They just want the best, and they want the best facilities. They want to be the most professional. They want to run their races cleanly, but very competitively, and they want everybody to be well looked after in the industry. There’s a big list [of people] that want to be there. There’s been some of the best that have been there, and I’ve seen them come and go.” He continues, “I’m going from the limelight of a riding career, of 22 years in Hong Kong, to being a trainer, and I wouldn’t have trained anywhere else in the world. I wouldn’t have been able to start from scratch like some of these guys do, and have to worry about monthly payments, and all these concerns, such as how my horse is going to get to the races. The club offers you all of that. All you have to do is try, and turn up and do your job as well as you can. It’s a great opportunity.” The door is open. Expect Douglas Whyte to come bursting through. View the full article

The result of Sunday’s three-year-old feature at Te Rapa was ultimately decided by the judicial committee after the protest siren sounded shortly after runners crossed the finish line in the 1200m contest. Unbeaten filly Sheezallmine was first past the post after leading throughout however an erratic performance over the final 300m, that saw her move out into the path of Qiji Express on more than one occasion, saw connections heading to the enquiry room to settle the battle. After viewing repl... View the full article

Matamata trainer Jamie Richards arrived back in New Zealand late on Saturday night with the knowledge his class filly Avantage had done all she could to secure her third placing in Saturday’s Gr.2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (1200m) at Randwick. Successful in the Gr.3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m) at her first Australian run, Richards and the team at Te Akau Racing had been keen to find a suitable 1400m contest for the Fastnet Rock three-year-old but settled on the Arrowfield as the next best option ... View the full article

Approaching the home turn in Saturday’s Gr.1 Sydney Cup (3200m), Waverley trainer Bill Thurlow had the feeling something special was about to unfold in front of him. Thurlow’s stable star Glory Days and rider Corey Brown had just commenced the same sweeping run that carried her to victory in the Gr.1 Auckland Cup (3200m) last month and to Thurlow’s eye she was travelling just as well, if not better, than she was that day. Unfortunately, the Red Giant mare couldn’t quite reel in the leade... View the full article

Debutant Kali stamped herself as a filly to follow when she eased to an effortless victory over 1300m at Hastings on Saturday. The Darci Brahma filly had caught the eye with a pair of convincing trial wins prior to her debut and was warmly supported as second favourite for the event behind debut winner Puysegur. Rider Leith Innes positioned the filly perfectly behind pacemaker Stateline throughout and it was obvious approaching the home turn that he had a lapful of horse underneath him. Once Inn... View the full article