Wandering Eyes

The likely fields for the $35-million Dubai World Cup night at Meydan on Mar. 30, were released by the Dubai Racing Club on Tuesday morning. Consisting of eight Thoroughbred races and one Arabian race, the crown jewel is the $12-million G1 Dubai World Cup, which sees Godolphin’s 2018 World Cup hero Thunder Snow (Ire) (Helmet {Aus}) take on an international cast over 2000 metres. 2018 G1 Al Maktoum Challenge R3 victor North America (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and this year’s winner Capezzano (Bernardini) are slated to line up, as are American Grade I winners Audible (Into Mischief) from the Todd Pletcher barn, Yoshida (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}), who has won at the highest level on both dirt and turf for Hall of Famer Bill Mott, Gunnevera (Dialed In), Pavel (Creative Cause), and Seeking the Soul (Perfect Soul {Ire}). The darling of the Japanese turf, 2018 Horse of the Year and Triple Tiara victress Almond Eye (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}) is taking her show on the road and steps forward in a highly contentious $6-million G1 Dubai Turf. G1SW Deirdre (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) and 2017 Dubai Turf heroine Vivlos (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) will also make the trip. Mar. 9 G1 Jebel Hatta victor Dream Castle (GB) (Frankel {GB}) seeks to add another top-shelf victory to his resume for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor, while G1SW Without Parole (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and Hong Kong’s MG1SP Southern Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) are also likely. The G1 Longines Dubai Sheema Classic sees Charlie Appleby trainee and 2018 G1 Melbourne Cup hero Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) as a possible, although he is also targeting the $1.5-million G2 Dubai Gold Cup. G1 Japanese Derby hero Rey de Oro (Jpn) (King Kamehameha {Jpn}) and fellow Group 1 winners Suave Richard (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) and Cheval Grand (Jpn) (Heart’s Cry {Jpn}) also take part. Dual U.S. champion sprinter Roy H (More Than Ready) is aiming for the $2.5-million G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen, and 2018 U.S. champion turf male Stormy Liberal (Stormy Atlantic) takes on Godolphin’s G1SW Blue Point (Ire) (Shamardal) in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint. For all the potential fields for the nine-race card, click here. View the full article

Absent since finishing third in a seven-furlong newcomers event at Saint-Cloud in June, Godolphin’s Epic Hero (Fr) (Siyouni {Ire}) exploded onto the scene at Chantilly on Tuesday as he created a deep impression in the Prix du Belvedere over a mile on the Polytrack. Settled in the middle of the pack early by Mickael Barzalona, the 53-10 chance cruised to the fore with just under 300 metres remaining and powered clear for an emphatic eight-length success from the Italian black-type performer Eagleway (Fr) (Sakhee’s Secret {GB}), with the winner’s favoured stablemate Nordic Fire (GB) (Dream Ahead) a further 1 1/4 lengths back in third. The dam Grace Lady (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}) was a smart performer, winning the G2 Prix Corrida before producing as her first foal this colt’s stablemate Alhadab (Fr) (Camelot {GB}) who was second in last year’s G3 Prix Noailles and third in the G2 Prix Greffulhe. Her yearling filly is a full-sister to the latter. Sales history: €120,000 RNA Ylg ’17 ARQAUG; €280,000 2yo ’18 ARQMAY. Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. 3rd-Chantilly, €35,000, Cond, 3-19, 3yo, c/g, 8f (AWT), 1:36.50, st. EPIC HERO (FR) (c, 3, Siyouni {Fr}–Grace Lady {Fr} {GSW-Fr, $209,174}, by Muhtathir {GB}) Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, €21,550. O-Godolphin SNC; B-Jean-Philippe Dubois (FR); T-Andre Fabre. View the full article

Silver Dust, coming off a victory in the Mineshaft Handicap, has a recency advantage as he seeks to double up in graded stakes action at Fair Grounds in the New Orleans Handicap (G2) going nine furlongs View the full article

The expected field for the Dubai World Cup presented by Emirates Airline (G1) includes five United States-trained runners. View the full article

Apprentice jockey Dylan Mo Hin-tung says his favourite moment in racing is “still coming” but he is hoping it will come to fruition on Wednesday night.The 25-year-old is one win away from completing his apprenticeship and jumps aboard last-start winner Circuit Glory in the Class One Happy Valley Vase (1,800m).It would be fitting if he was to bring up his 70th winner in the race, with Mo yet to ride a winner in better than Class Two grade.The race will see just eight runners saddled up in a wide… View the full article

Luckless galloper Southern Legend will head to Dubai in the form of his life as trainer Caspar Fownes dodges the Beauty Generation juggernaut but runs into another.The six-year-old departs on Tuesday night for the US$6 million Group One Dubai Turf (1,800m) and while he avoids Hong Kong’s superstar, he is set to take on champion Japanese mare Almond Eye in the March 30 clash.Southern Legend trialled at Sha Tin on Tuesday morning under jockey Zac Purton ahead of his night-time flight to ensure… View the full article

Champion horse Beauty Generation is set to shine on the world stage with momentum growing to tackle Japan’s Group One Yasuda Kinen in June.Trainer John Moore confirmed the plans on Tuesday morning after the six-year-old trialled at Sha Tin ahead of his run in the Group Two Chairman’s Trophy (1,600m) on April 7.“Overall, it is the same preparation as we were hoping for before,” Moore said.“He will go to the Group Two, then the Champions Mile [on April 28], then everything going well Japan is on… View the full article

Tan backs Revolution for another good run View the full article

While Game Winner maintained his spot atop the NTRA Top 3-Year-Old poll despite his first career loss March 16 in a division of the Rebel Stakes (G2), the champion 2-year-old male's lead narrowed. View the full article

While Game Winner maintained his spot atop the NTRA Top 3-Year-Old poll despite his first career loss March 16 in a division of the Rebel Stakes (G2), the champion 2-year-old male's lead narrowed. View the full article

The pharaohs had their pyramids. The Thoroughbred kings, even one cut down as prematurely as Pioneerof The Nile (Empire Maker), instead secure their immortality in the pages of the Stud Book. And if paper seems more vulnerable than stone to the passage of the years, it certifies a far more vital legacy. Moreover the tragic precedent of the horse who sired the 21st Century’s other Triple Crown winner should reprove any attempt, so soon, at a definitive assessment of Pioneerof The Nile. The true scale of Scat Daddy’s loss only became apparent after he, too, dropped dead out of the blue. If that process has since culminated in Justify, then how bitter now to reflect that a graduate of Pioneerof The Nile’s second crop, in slaking a 37-year thirst for a Triple Crown winner, had appeared as sensational a kick-start as any young stallion had enjoyed in a generation. But at least Pioneerof The Nile made hay while the sun shone. Bold Reasoning had not yet had a runner when he died, leaving all his eggs crammed into the basket of Seattle Slew. Luckily, A.P. Indy then came along to salvage the Bold Ruler line. In the case of Pioneerof The Nile, not only is the Fappiano sire-line in flourishing health; even as it stands, at just 13, he has given himself every chance of establishing a lasting branch of his own. For while American Pharoah will expect the family attorney to read out his name first, when it comes to the reading of the will, he cannot be complacent. Perhaps Cairo Prince, backing up that explosive sales debut with a solid start on the track, will ultimately prove able to reassert the principle of male primogeniture. (He was the pick of Pioneerof The Nile’s first crop.) Then there is Classic Empire, whose advent–as his second champion juvenile in four crops–did so much to stifle mutterings that Pioneerof The Nile might be a one-trick pony. These had reflected the fact that their sire had only one other North American graded stakes winner during American Pharoah’s sophomore campaign. In fairness, that was Midnight Storm who himself proceeded to earn a very legitimate place at stud. All these rival claims to the succession, admittedly, are being staked away from the patriarch’s farm. Pioneerof The Nile was the only six-figure cover among 22 stallions crowded onto WinStar’s roster. Of the four standing at $50,000 or higher, Distorted Humor (Forty Niner) is 26; Tiznow (Cee’s Tizzy) and More Than Ready (Southern Halo) are 22; and Speightstown (Gone West) is 21. The farm does have a bunch of promising young sires, several supported with big books, and maybe one or two will break through to improve the balance. Moreover the WinStar silks are again associated with emerging talent on the track, and you can only keep all those cogs moving together if you take a pragmatic view about, for instance, the decision to cash in Justify to Coolmore. That was an avowed wrench, however, and one that will perhaps compound the grief now being experienced among the WinStar team. But who knows? The upgrade in his books following American Pharoah, who was conceived at just $17,500, may yet produce further competition for Pioneerof The Nile’s legacy. Only last week one of his sons realized $1.2 million at OBS, while his weanlings last year averaged over $600,000. And there would be something nicely symmetrical about bookending his career with another champion or two. He was, after all, bred from the very first broodmare bought by Zayat Stables. Star Of Goshen (Lord At War {Arg}) herself only died a few weeks ago, aged 24. She had been sought out by Ahmed Zayat after her son Forefathers (Gone West) had been Grade II-placed in his silks, and was purchased carrying a foal by Empire Maker (Unbridled). That, of course, turned out to be Pioneerof The Nile. Star Of Goshen’s genetic contribution should not be neglected. She was by a splendid and underrated influence, not least as a broodmare sire–in which capacity Lord At War also gave us GI Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass (Elusive Quality) and GI Kentucky Derby winner War Emblem (Our Emblem). And she was a wildly talented runner herself, storming home by 11 lengths in the La Troienne S.–incidentally beating a subsequent Grade I winner in Hennessy (Storm Cat)’s half-sister Pearl City (Carson City)–before sadly derailing. But it will doubtless be as a conduit for her son’s sire-line that people will continue to seek “the source of the Nile.” Curiously, it has been cursed by wretched longevity. Fappiano died at 13, Unbridled at 14. Happily Empire Maker himself continues to ply his trade at 19, having been young enough to be repatriated after his grandson (by a graduate of only his second crop) won the Triple Crown. Both by their own deeds and those of their stock, this has become much the most Classic-flavored of Mr. Prospector lines, and is founded in a Nerud family seeded by epochal influences. Empire Maker, moreover, brought into play the extraordinary genes of his mother Toussaud. American Pharoah took his sire-line’s record in the Kentucky Derby to 1-2-2-1, famously redressing his sire’s contribution to a sequence of three seconds in four runnings for the Zayats. Admittedly Pioneerof The Nile broke his maiden on turf at Saratoga and won two synthetic Grade Is as a juvenile, so may yet diversify his legacy. But his size and length and immense timber were ideally adapted to two turns of dirt. How very sad, that those great bones should have to be laid to rest already. But there is no need for the kind of embalmment that consoled the pharaohs, for the name of Pioneerof The Nile to endure on the Turf–not just in our grateful memories, but in the deeds of his sons; and soon, with luck, those of his grandsons. View the full article

Mortgage lender Quicken Loans and Churchill Downs have teamed up to launch the “Rocket Mortgage Homestretch Sweepstakes.” The sweepstakes will give 20 entrants a chance to win a VIP trip to sit near the finish line of the 2019 GI Kentucky Derby and one fan walk away from the event with $250,000 to put toward paying off their mortgage or buying a new home. “Much like Rocket Mortgage, the Kentucky Derby is symbolized by speed and power. That is why Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans is the perfect fit for the most exciting two minutes in sports,” said Jay Farner, CEO of Quicken Loans. “We are a company that has made a name for itself by being bold, innovative and the first to do things–from the Quicken Loans Carrier Classic to the Billion Dollar Bracket–partnering with Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby is the next step.” To enter, visit homestretchsweepstakes.com. The entry period is Mar. 18 through 11:59 PM ET Apr. 7. View the full article

In the wake of the death of 22 Thoroughbreds at Santa Anita, Belinda Stronach and The Stronach Group have taken the bold action to ban race day Lasix, including more stringent regulations on pain killers and more transparency in veterinary records. I believe these reforms, implemented correctly, will substantially enhance the sport’s integrity, and by this extension the very future of horse racing. For the past 50 years, as an owner, breeder, administrator and operator, the use of Lasix has been one of the most controversial and complex topics that has faced the sport of Thoroughbred racing. These reforms have been proposed before and are under attack again today. In the history of racing, many advocates of reform have been laid to rest in a veritable “Flanders Fields” of heroes. First, there was the great Dinny Phipps. When Mr. Phipps took over The Jockey Club in 1982, he made restoring and preserving the integrity of racing his top priority. He advocated the banning of Lasix and all race day medications. Under Dinny’s strong ride, The Jockey Club was a vocal leader on all of these issues advancing uniformity in drug medication which have sadly remained without resolution amongst state racing jurisdictions for decades. A second hero was former Chairman of the New York Racing and Wagering Board, Richard Corbisiero. For part of the 1980s and ’90s, New York, under Corbisiero’s leadership, was one of the few states that prohibited the use of Lasix. The use of Lasix would be thrust into the spotlight, when horses who raced in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness went to the Belmont Stakes. The great Alysheba had Lasix as he won the first two legs of the 1987 Triple Crown but couldn’t use it in the Belmont Stakes and lost. That hero fell when NYRA started losing money from handle as its field sizes dwindled badly and race day Lasix was reinstated in New York. Most recently, the “Horse Racing Integrity Act.” Sponsored by representatives Paul Tonko and Andy Barr, co-chairs of the Congressional Horse Caucus, reintroduced H.R. 1754: the “Horseracing Integrity Act,” would establish a uniform national medication program, bringing the United States in line with international standards. The bill is championed by The Jockey Club and many other fine advocates. For four years this bill has been stalled in Congress, longing to be passed. Most say its chances of passage this year are slim. Why? Now along comes the new chair of The Stronach Group, Belinda Stronach, relative newcomer to the everyday ins and outs of the complex issues of racing, who courageously makes the decision–after the horrible deaths of 22 Thoroughbreds at Santa Anita–to ban all race day medications at the track, including one of the most controversial parts of the proposed “Horse Racing Integrity Act”–to ban race day Lasix–a courageous act which has set the grounds for great concern amongst many Thoroughbred owners and trainers in America. Let’s hope this bold act, which some have falsely criticized as nothing more than a gratuitous gesture to save face for track after the breakdowns at Santa Anita, will win the day and set an example! Belinda has the power as an operator of many prime American racetracks to make this happen. For this initiative to succeed, Ms. Stronach must stick to her guns and initiate these reforms at all Stronach racetracks with common sense guidance. This will be the telling test for the end of the Lasix era in race day medication. I commend Belinda Stronach–following in the footsteps of her father, Frank–and The Stronach Group for its courage and hope through their leadership that all race day medication, including Lasix, will be eliminated once and for all and level the playing field. Please don’t let Belinda be laid to rest with our past heroes in Flanders Fields. Nota bene all racetrack operators: “The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die. We shall not sleep, though poppies grow. In Flanders fields.” View the full article

Serengeti Empress, a free-wheeling daughter of Alternation and an easy winner of the Feb. 16 Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2), is the one to catch in the March 23 TwinSpires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) in New Orleans. View the full article

Egyptian Storm (Pioneerof the Nile–Stage Magic, by Ghostzapper), a half-sister to Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy), has been retired from racing. The 3-year-old filly will visit Quality Road and owners Robert S. Evans and West Point Thoroughbreds expect to offer her at public auction at one of the Kentucky breeding stock sales in November. Egyptian Storm finished fifth over the Tampa Bay Downs turf Feb. 20 in her lone start. She came out of the race with a splint injury that would have sidelined her until summer. Evans and West Point purchased the filly for $230,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September sale, four months before Justify made his career debut. She is also a half-sister to graded stakes winner The Lieutenant (Street Sense). Street Magic’s now 2-year-old One More City (Will Take Charge) RNA’d for $1.75 million at last year’s Keeneland September sale. The mare produced a colt by Pioneerof the Nile in 2018 and was bred back to Quality Road. View the full article

G1SW Aclaim (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}–Aris {Ire}, by Danroad {Aus}), who is standing his second season at the National Stud, will shuttle to Aquis Farm in Queensland for the Southern Hemisphere breeding season after a partnership deal was struck with Phoenix Thoroughbreds, according to published reports. The G1 Prix de la Foret hero will stand for A$13,750 (including GST). Trained by Martyn Meade and raced by Canning Downs and Partner, he also saluted in the G2 Challenge S. and G2 Park S. and was second in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest. The son of the SP Aris (Ire) (Danroad {Aus}), herself a half-sister to MG1SW Again (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), retired with seven wins in 15 starts and earnings of $595,666. Phoenix Thoroughbreds purchased a 50% stake in Aclaim in November of 2017 and his first foals are arriving now. View the full article

International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) chairman Louis Romanet issued the following statement in response to recent race-day medication reforms in California: The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), composed of racing authorities and race organizers from all major racing jurisdictions across more than 50 countries, has as its core missions to protect the safety of horses and riders and to ensure the integrity of our sport. An unwavering anti-doping policy in both training and during competition is of the utmost importance to safeguarding the welfare of racehorses and the fairness of racing. I am in complete support of the actions and decisions made by The Stronach Group to bring its medication policies in line with international standards, notably those outlined in Article 6 of the IFHA’s International Agreement on Breeding, Racing, and Wagering (IABRW). Article 6 of the IABRW, drafted with input by racing regulators, veterinarians, chemists, and administrators from around the world, has served as the basis for medication regulation, enforcement, and testing for racing authorities such as the British Horseracing Authority, France Galop, the Hong Kong Jockey Club, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, Japan Racing Association, Racing Australia, among others. I am calling on other jurisdictions and race organizers in the United States to adopt stringent medication principles in accord with Article 6 of the IABRW. This adoption, in addition to the implementation of the guidelines outlined in the recently introduced Horseracing Integrity Act of 2019, will apply internationally accepted measures that protect horses, jockeys, and all stakeholders of our great sport. View the full article

A yearling filly by Soft Falling Rain (SAf) (National Assembly) took top honours at the Bloodstock South Africa Cape Yearling Sale on Monday. It was the second consecutive year a yearling of the late South African and UAE champion topped the sale, with colt Tree Of Wisdom (SAf) bringing R200,000 in 2018. Consigned by Wilgerbosdrift, lot 167 is out of the winning Susanna (SAf) (Tiger Ridge) and caught the eye of Puller Racing Stables for R360,000 (US$24,930). The Grade 3-placed second dam London Niece (SAf) (Northern Guest) is a half-sister to SW and G1 SA Fillies Guineas third Secret Heart (SAf) (Fort Wood), Equus Champion 3-year-old filly Promisefrommyheart (SAf) (Elliodor {Fr}), and G1SW Covenant (SAf) (Western Winter). The most expensive colt was also consigned by Wilgerbosdrift as lot 95, and hammered at R280,000 on the bid of Suzette Viljoen. The son of Legislate (SAf) (Dynasty {SAf})’s dam Londalozi (SAf) (Trippi) is a half-sister to SP Barberton Daisy (SAf) (Western Winter) and a full to MGSP Shingwedzi (SAf). This is also the family of French highweight 3-year-old filly Bright Sky (Ire) (Wolfhound), who struck twice at Group 1 level including the G1 Prix de Diane. Overall, the sale grossed R9,275,000 (US$642,300) for 144 sold from 169 offered (85%). The average rose by 10.2% to R64,410 and the median remained steady at R50,000. “Today delivered a solid regional sale with an approximate 10% increase in average and a R5 million increase in aggregate to boost breeders’ cash flow,” said Bloodstock South Africa’s Gary Grant. “The sale offered great value for buyers, especially in view of the R60,000 added stakes bonus for all juvenile winners. BSA are well satisfied with the result and look forward to building the sale further in 2020.” For complete results on the Cape Yearling Sale, go to www.bsa.co.za. View the full article

The first juvenile contest of the year occurred at Saint-Cloud on Mar. 17 and more are on the horizon, signaling that the ‘flat season’ is getting back into gear. Perhaps the greatest sign that spring is well and truly upon us, however, are the imminent breeze-up sales, and with the February breeding stock sales effectively counting as an extension of the November and December sales, the breeze-ups will provide an early look at what the bloodstock market looks like in 2019. Not that we should expect any great revelations; the breeze-ups will serve as a reaction to what happened in the market overall last year, as we learned all too well 12 months ago. The complete bottoming out of the middle and lower markets in 2018 was the result of the supply of horses-a response to general overproduction–far exceeding demand. After a few years of thriving business, most of the breeze-up sales increased their catalogue sizes in 2018. The sales companies learned the hard way that there was simply no market for a significant slice of the horses, and clearance rates plunged. But, the beauty of trying something is that we can learn from it, and the three breeze-up catalogues that have thus far been released-Tattersalls Ireland Ascot, Goffs UK and Tattersalls Craven-have numbers back in line with 2017 figures. Bonus incentives have also been added for both Ascot and Craven. The 2019 breeze-up season begins like it did last year, with the Tattersalls Ireland Ascot sale on Apr. 3. Richard Pugh, Tattersalls Ireland’s director of horses in training sales, admitted that the jump from 99 catalogued to 146 last year was a major contributor to the fact that just half the horses through the ring were sold, but he pointed out that it was a perfect storm of unfortunate events that led to the dismal trade. “Trade wasn’t exceptional in any event, but running alongside that we were, as luck would have it, in the middle of Easter week,” Pugh said. “There was another breeze-up sale [Goffs UK] two working days after our sale, and there was weather the likes of which Noah would have had to build an Ark for. The size of our catalogue had grown and as we know now demand hadn’t grown with it. “As we left last year we were aware of a number of factors we could implement to ensure it wouldn’t happen a second time,” he added. “Some of them were within our control and some weren’t; I said to our team with regards to the weather it might be as bad, but it absolutely couldn’t be worse.” In a new incentive, the 90 juveniles catalogued for Ascot next week are in line to take home a £100,000 bonus should they be able to win at Royal Ascot in roughly 75 days after their turn in the ring. “We brought in the bonus to remind people that the focus of Ascot is precociousness,” Pugh said. “If you really want a meaningful, fair and realistic amount of time for a new trainer to manage the new 2-year-old they’ve just bought, 76 days [to Royal Ascot] is in that bracket. I do believe the bonus has focused the vendors’ minds, and our inspectors tell us it has. A Royal Ascot winner is nice, but £100,000 is a very nice addition.” Having readjusted the factors under the firm’s control, Pugh said he is “surprisingly hopeful” heading into the breeze-up season. “Being first, I suppose you’re always waiting to see what the market is going to react to,” he said. “I do think this year though as a percentage cut of the catalogue we might be the biggest. We really have been quite serious about making sure we get back to where Ascot sits well. The numbers are enough to bring people to the venue, but not too many that vendors should feel that we’ve oversupplied it. We have a good date-we’re not compromised by any significant dates on the calendar. We’re the earliest breeze-up by a couple weeks and we get first crack at it with a nice number. “There are an awful lot of things in our favour this year. I’m surprisingly hopeful from where I was last year; we were all a little downbeat about breeze-ups but I’m very hopeful we can have a nice sale and keep consolidation the focus at Ascot.” It seems that consolidation has also been a focus among vendors. “The consignors have bought fewer [yearlings] in general-not all, but in general, us included,” said John Cullinan of Horse Park Stud. “We’ve dropped from 24 or 25 down to 16 or so, so we’re going to fewer sales and we have fewer of them. “So far the catalogues I’ve seen, there’s been a tightening up of numbers taken in by the sales companies. That tightening up needed to happen; I hope it has the desired effect when we get to the sales.” Con Marnane, who operates under Bansha House Stables, is in the same boat. “We’re down a little bit on numbers but we’ve gone up on quality. We didn’t buy horses just for the sake of buying horses; we bought horses that we thought were going to be good, tough, hardy racehorses. That was in our heads the whole time. I’m really delighted I did that, because when you get up in the morning now and go down to the yard, there’s a bounce in your step. You really enjoy those good horses.” Cullinan said it was a clash of numerous factors that resulted in last season’s tricky breeze-up market. “A couple of things came together,” he said. “I don’t think it was specifically a breeze-up thing; I think it was more in relation to the economy and outside factors. The first sales of the year were the breeze-ups, and the negativity that was about in the spring last year kind of carried through to the autumn.” Cullinan noted that the very nature of the breeze-ups is much more selective. “Breeze-up sales are a niche market; people don’t keep their yards empty all winter to stock them up with breezers; they’re a way of topping up,” he said. “The bulk of your intake of 2-year-olds for the coming season would be bought as yearlings and they’d be topped up with breezers. Brexit left a lot of uncertainty as well, so there were a lot of things happening at the same time. “Another factor was the big increase in numbers at the sales. There were 1,200 horses offered. It could never really absorb those kinds of numbers. Clearance rates were very tough. We were working at 50% to 60% more or less through the season, and Goresbridge raised it to well over 80%. That brought up the average but that didn’t fully reflect how it felt on the ground; it was tough going.” Osarus stages a single-session breeze-up sale on Apr. 11, after which comes Tattersalls’s Craven sale on Apr. 16 and 17. While not nearly as dramatically as at Ascot, numbers are down for Craven, too-the catalogue has dipped to 147 from 172, bringing it back into line with numbers from 2015 through 2017. Tattersalls Marketing Director Jimmy George said the firm’s Guineas breeze-up sale, which takes place early May on the eve of the G1 2000 Guineas meeting, would likely see a cut as well. Tattersalls also introduces a bonus for Craven-sold horses: for a £1,000 entry fee, Craven graduates are eligible to win a £15,000 bonus should they win a class two, three or four 2-year-old maiden or novice race in Britain or an open 2-year-old maiden in Ireland. The qualifying races, of which there will be around 300, begin just four weeks after the Craven sale. The bonus is modeled after Tattersalls’s £25,000 October Book 1 bonus, which George said has stimulated plenty of interest in that sale. “In the Craven breeze-up sale there are 147 2-year-olds that could win £20,000-plus [bonus and prize-money] if they win their maiden, and if they’re Plus 10 bonus eligible, that’s another £10,000,” he said. “And there are six lots in the sale that are Book 1 bonus eligible as well, so they get a minimum of £40,000 [both Tattersalls bonuses] plus their prize-money if they win a qualifying maiden. There is a reason that strikes a chord with connections, because that more than pays a year’s training fees.” It is a tall task to raise significantly the middle and lower markets at sales without healthy purses for owners to compete for, and George concurred, “Prize-money is so, so important to the overall health of the sport. I don’t think that can be overstated. Recent events in Britain in particular with the horsemen’s response to the cuts in prize-money levels of the Arena racecourses have made it very apparent that prize-money levels in this country are arousing strong feelings, and perfectly justifiably so. We’re not saying for a moment that introducing schemes like the October Book 1 bonus or the Craven breeze-up scheme are going to change the face of British racing, but they are our best response to try to address this particular issue and to try to encourage people to think that owning a racehorse remains a great way to enjoy their leisure money.” Goffs UK’s breeze-up sale moves to a slightly later slot on this year’s calendar on Apr. 25. While last year’s figures represented an improvement from Ascot’s sale four days earlier-a 76% clearance rate as opposed to 50%-they were still a far cry from 2017, when 90% had cleared. Goffs UK Managing Director Tony Williams, however, said he is “really optimistic” about this year’s sale; the company has zeroed in on quality and brought the catalogue back down to 160 from 207. “Undoubtedly, the breeze market everywhere last year was very sticky,” Williams said. “There was a lot more in respect to numbers offered everywhere; each sale was bombarded with entries. This year, I know with Goffs UK we’ve consciously gone out and tightened up the numbers. Make no mistake, there was an industry push for that. We tried-and I know we have achieved-to strengthen the catalogue in respect of the sire profile, the physicals and of course pedigree. I feel that we’ve lifted our entire catalogue. “Our vendors were really conscious of the need for quality and I’d say across the board rather than vendors concentrating on numbers, they’ve probably gone a little further up the ladder with respect to what they were buying and that shows in the quality of our catalogue. We’re really optimistic about this sale this year, for all the right reasons.” A few years ago Goffs UK began nominating all its 2-year-olds to the Scandinavian Classics, something Williams said has helped the middle market. “We have a good buying base out of Scandinavia, and that’s another incentive we put in a couple years ago, entering the entire catalogue in the Scandinavian Classic series,” he said. “That’s certainly helped strengthen the middle market and we’re really pleased with how that’s working.” Also fueling confidence ahead of the breeze-up season could be the performance of graduates on the racecourse. Over 50% of breeze-up graduates from the last two years are winners, and over 30% of those are 2-year-old winners. And while Group 1-winning 2-year-olds like The Wow Signal (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}) and La Pelosa (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}) are generally the breeze-up poster children, the 2-year-old sales have proven equally adept at turning out top-class 3-year-olds and older horses like G1 Gold Cup winner Trip To Paris (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}), G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner The Grey Gatsby (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and last year’s G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches winner Teppal (Fr) (Camacho {GB}). Arqana breeze-up graduate War Of Will (War Front) is one of the favourites for the GI Kentucky Derby, while Divine Image (Scat Daddy), who sold during the same session as War Of Will, won the G3 UAE Oaks last month and could have more Classics in her sights in either Europe or America. In 2015, Cullinan founded the Breeze-Up Consignors Association with fellow consignors Brendan Holland and Willie Browne as a means to raise awareness about the exploits of juvenile sale graduates and to quash some of the negative press about the sales. “We felt a few years ago that there were some misconceptions and a bit of negativity about breeze-up horses that needed addressing, and also that the success of breeze-up horses wasn’t recognized,” Cullinan said. “So we set about trying to allay some of those perceptions. “The first thing we did was get some statistical research done and it proved to us what we always felt, that breeze-up purchases measure favourably with the general population. The strike rate, consistency, soundness and ability held up well and in some cases surpassed [the general population]. The average cost of a breezer tends to be less than the premier yearlings, which wasn’t necessarily recognised by the buying public. “It [the association] was just a self-help scheme and we believe it has had an impact,” Cullinan added. “It was hard to believe it when the sales were on last year, but certainly the feedback from the trainers and agents is that it has helped them explain to potential racehorse owners that it’s as good a way of buying a racehorse as any. We feel that we add value to the yearling; we reveal more in terms of ability, soundness, action, wind. It is our way of adding value to the product but in doing so we’re exposing the bad ones unfortunately too. You have to take the good with the bad.” Those that make the breeze-ups happen seem to have done just that, expressed resilience and taken the good with the bad, and there is an overriding sense of hopeful optimism heading into the 2019 season. View the full article

Multiple Grade I winner and star stallion Pioneerof the Nile (Empire Maker–Star of Goshen, by Lord At War {Arg}), best known for siring 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, has died suddenly at the age of 13, WinStar Farm announced. According to the farm, Pioneerof the Nile bred a mare Monday morning and started acting uncomfortable once he was back in his stall. He was en route to the clinic when he died. “We are all extremely saddened by the loss of Pioneerof the Nile,” said WinStar Farm’s Elliott Walden. “He was a superior physical specimen, a Triple Crown Sire, and a unique personality. All of us at WinStar are heartbroken.” Bred and owned by Zayat Stables during his racing career, Pioneerof the Nile won both the GI CashCall Futurity and GI Santa Anita Derby and was runner-up in the 2009 GI Kentucky Derby. He entered stud at Vinery in 2010 and spent three years there before transferring to WinStar in 2013. He was a perennially among the leading sires and was represented by Eclipse 2-Year-Old champion Classic Empire in 2016. View the full article

Addressing your thoughts, questions and statements about Hong Kong racing. Have something to say? Send a tweet to @SCMPRacingPost.Some ride by Hugh Bowman there. Barrier beat Waikuku – @armodanIn the aftermath of the BMW Hong Kong Derby, there was plenty of talk surrounding some of the rides – both good and bad.It’s always easy in hindsight so it’s better to assess the process, rather than the outcome, when it comes to dissecting performances. Of course luck is involved, but that’s the game… View the full article

First-season jockey Grant van Niekerk is attempting to make hay while the sun shines with an unexpected lightweight ride at Happy Valley on Wednesday night.The South African is booked to ride one-time Derby prospect Charity Go in the Class One Happy Valley Vase (1,800m) at 113 pounds and knows the advantages that come with being a featherweight jockey.While Van Niekerk normally rides at 115 pounds, he is able to shed the additional weight if required and believes the ride on the Danny Shum Chap… View the full article

Updates on stewards' follow-ups to Friday and Sunday meetings View the full article

Horses' test results March 16 & 18 View the full article

See, Zuriman, Lerner, Murray suspended View the full article