Wandering Eyes

2nd-Curragh, €26,000, Cond, 6-8, 2yo, 5fT, 1:00.82, g/f. DOM CARLOS (IRE) (c, 2, Gale Force Ten {GB}–Fancy Feathers {Ire}, by Redback {GB}), who was fifth in the decent six-furlong maiden won by Indigo Balance (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) here May 27, put that experience to full use by bouncing out and taking initial control. Beginning to extend his slim advantage from the furlong pole, the 11-1 shot hit the line with four lengths to spare over Evasive Power (Elusive Quality). In doing so, he was becoming the first winner for the Irish National Stud’s G3 Jersey S.-winning first-season sire (by Oasis Dream {GB}). The dam, who also has a yearling colt by Zebedee (GB), is connected to the G3 Lancashire Oaks winner and MG1SP Ela Athena (GB) (Ezzoud {Ire}). Sales history: €34,000 Wlg ’16 GOFNOV; £45,000 Ylg ’17 GOUKPR. Lifetime Record: 3-1-0-0, $19,246. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-Martin O’Sullivan & Annus Mirabilis Syndicate; B-Philip O’Dwyer & P. J. Walsh (IRE); T-Joseph O’Brien. View the full article

The latest addition to the Goffs London Sale, in association with QIPCO, is the winning mare Belle Josephine (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) in foal to French standout sire Siyouni (Fr). Already the dam of dual listed winner Mildenberger (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) who ran second in the G2 Dante S. in May, she is scheduled to sell along with 21 other lots on the evening of Monday, June 18 at the Kensington Palace Gardens. “She comes from a great broodmare line developed by Meon Valley which works well with Pivotal, and as such, Siyouni should be an exciting cover for her,” said Daniel Creighton, bloodstock advisor to owner John Dance. “She is a particularly good looking mare by Dubawi and a proven broodmare with her exciting son Mildenberger.” Other notable entries announced earlier include Landikusic (Ire), a full-sister to Zoffany (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) in foal to Frankel (GB); Group 1 winner Miss Beatrix (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}); and listed winners Vintage Brut (GB) (Dick Turpin {Ire}) and Never Back Down (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}). Added Goffs Chief Executive Henry Beeby, “Belle Josephine is an outstanding addition to the breeding stock section of the London Sale catalogue. With just over a week to go until the fifth renewal of the Goffs London Sale, we are delighted with the current list of entries and expect to announce some further wildcards over the coming days. The depth and versatility of the entries, both breeding stock and horses in training means there is something for everyone. All looks set for a great afternoon of sales action as we have gathered a catalogue of true quality and depth which should attract both a domestic and international market.” For a video on the Goffs Londong Sale, click here or for the full catalogue, go to www.goffs.com. View the full article

Ahead of a quiet midweek meeting at Newmarket, the sun is shining and a hint of a breeze occasionally ruffles the heads of the flowers surrounding the parade ring as one of the world’s most famous jockeys sits serenely by, awaiting his three rides of the evening. Gerald Mosse has experienced the clamour of many a big raceday since his riding career began some 35 years ago. He won the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe for fellow young buck Nicolas Clement aboard Saumarez (GB) back in 1990 and the following year guided Arazi through a faultless quintet of French Group wins before Pat Valenzuela took up the reins for the colt’s now infamous and breathtaking Breeders’ Cup Juvenile romp. The most successful jockey at the international meeting in Hong Kong, the place which has been his home on and off since 1992, Mosse has partnered such iconic names of the global racing circuit as Jim And Tonic (Fr), Sacred Kingdom (Aus) and Red Cadeaux (GB). Having ridden the last named in two of his three runner-up finishes in the Melbourne Cup, the jockey went one better when becoming the first French rider to win Australia’s most famous race, teaming up with his compatriot Alain de Royer-Dupre for a resounding victory on Americain. In short, Mosse knows the buzz like few others. It’s fair to say that the only thing buzzing at the Rowley Mile this peaceful evening is a hopeful bee by the flowerbed but the bucolic scene is very much in keeping with the current demeanour of Newmarket’s newcomer. “I’m a British resident now,” says the winner of 65 Group 1 races. “I live in Newmarket and what could be better than today—beautiful weather on a beautiful racecourse?” Mosse is certainly not an unfamiliar face on Newmarket’s training grounds in the morning. Back in the mid-1990s, during his stint as the Aga Khan’s number one jockey, he could regularly be found on Newmarket Heath and on British tracks riding the owner-breeder’s horses trained by Sir Michael Stoute and Luca Cumani. And indeed only last season he appeared on occasion in Jeremy Noseda’s string during his retainership with the then-fledgling Phoenix Thoroughbred operation for whom he rode Take Me With You to her third-place finish at Royal Ascot in the G3 Albany S. behind Different League (Fr) and Alpha Centauri (Ire). While the foundations of that team continue to shift, Mosse has been signed up by another owner with a growing Thoroughbred portfolio in British racing, Dr Johnny Hon. He says, “I have ridden here in my career but I never had the chance to be based here. Now the opportunity has come up and I’ve grabbed it, and I really appreciate the opportunity given to me by Dr Johnny Hon. He has a number of horses based here and he asked me to help him. He’s based in Hong Kong and that’s where we got to know each other. It’s a big help to be able to communicate with him about his investment and his team here and to try to be part of the team.” That team stretches to around 40 horses, most of whom are named with the ‘Global’ prefix, spread between Ed Dunlop and Gay Kelleway in Newmarket and Ed Walker and Charlie Hills in Lambourn. “I’m riding these horses as a priority but I can ride for other people as well,” Mosse explains. “I’ve been here for long enough that people have given me support over many years and I’m very grateful for that. I have the privilege to ride for William Haggas, Saeed Bin Suroor, John Ryan, Ed Dunlop, Gay Kelleway. It makes me very pleased but to be honest I would like to ride a little bit more because sometimes I feel that I’m missing something. But I’m not greedy, I’m happy with what I have and I can always look forward to the next day.” The peripatetic nature of the lives of all top jockeys is not something which Mosse has completely turned his back on. While his colleagues and compatriots were riding at ParisLongchamp’s controversial Guineas meeting, Mosse travelled to Rome to win the G2 Premio Presidente della Repubblica aboard Royal Julius (Ire), the first time he had ridden for fellow Marseille-born trainer Jerome Reynier. The same partnership looks set to be back in action at Royal Ascot, where the 5-year-old son of Royal Applause (GB) will be one of the outsiders in a competitive field for the G1 Prince Of Wales’s S. “He’s a lovely young trainer and we come from the same place but we don’t know each other well,” says Mosse of Reynier, whose impressive strike-rate from his southern outpost has ensured that he has growing support. “He asked me to go to Rome and I really appreciated that. It was a dream trip. Royal Ascot will be a different story, we’ll be stepping up big time but the horse has some ability. We don’t know if that’s his level—I cannot expect to beat a champion there but he’s well and in great form at the moment and he’ll give his best. He has a great temperament and is a good traveller so we should be able to travel worldwide. I used to ride Red Cadeaux and he wasn’t a superstar in England but when he went overseas he became a superstar. It was the same story with Jim And Tonic and Americain. So we’ll carry on and see if we can follow the same kind of itinerary with Royal Julius.” Though Mosse has yet to ride at the new ParisLongchamp, he’s been keeping an eye on developments from afar and feels that it was a mistake to return the first two French Classics to the ‘moyenne piste’. In the end, only the colts’ race was run over that course, with the fillies’ contest being switched to the outer track after a jockeys’ protest led by Christophe Soumillon. “I wasn’t very comfortable when I saw that they had put the Guineas over the medium track,” he admits. “I used to ride in the Guineas on the medium track years back and it was trouble. I don’t understand who thought that this would be a good idea. Longchamp is quite big but the medium track is tight and the turn is very slippery. So I’ve seen many accidents there and then after the first Guineas they realised it was trouble. I also don’t think the false [cutaway] rail will work because now all the jockeys will be thinking we have time and we can drop in and then everybody tries to jump in the same hole and it creates more trouble. If you know that the fence is there you have to find your way out, and if you are on a good horse you have plenty of time to catch up.” He will return to Longchamp for the first time on Sunday when riding First Sitting (GB) for Chris Wall in the G3 La Coupe. But it is the curious twists, turns and undulations of a number of Britain’s quirkier tracks that will doubtless be testing every bit of Mosse’s canny as he travels the length and breadth of the country to fulfil his new contract. At the end of May he was reunited with Wall’s stalwart for a third stakes success on the 7-year-old and though that was at the unconventional Goodwood, Mosse will know well Britain’s Grade 1 tracks. Today, however, he finds himself heading north for Yorkshire to take in the tight bends of Beverley for the first time. “I think it’s very brave at this stage of his career,” says Ed Dunlop, who has enjoyed international success with the jockey, notably through the G1 Hong Kong Vase win of Red Cadeaux, and is delighted to be able to call on his experience in Newmarket. “He’s internationally very talented but he’s having to learn fast about all these different tracks here. Having Gerald in town has been very useful for me in the mornings as he has such great experience. I hope he’s enjoying it.” Mosse himself says of his new venture, “The thing that is most difficult for the guys [jockeys] here is that they have to travel a lot. I respect people’s involvement with the horses in Britain—the tradition, the crowds, the owners—everybody makes the effort and racing has really solid support with a strong root. I believe it was probably something missing in my career so far not to be part of it.” Naturally lithe with a healthy tan and a hawk-like look that gives him an air of being constantly on guard, Mosse could quite easily pass for being at least a decade younger than he is. At 51, he has a few years on Frankie Dettori and is now mixing with weighing-room colleagues not even born when he won the Arc. “I believe it’s probably easier to join the team of jockeys here and to be accepted than in other countries,” he says. “Of course when you arrive and are new you have to find your own space but I’ve been here long enough to be able to blend in without too much trouble. I’m one of the older ones and for me it’s a privilege to challenge with the younger ones. As long as everybody can play the game, everybody will enjoy it.” An hour after chatting to TDN, Mosse files out from the weighing-room amid his new colleagues, noticeable at once by the distinctive white gloves of a magician. He is clearly not the only one to believe that he still has a few tricks up his sleeve as he heads into the twilight years of what has been a magical career. “I’ve a few years left to go to the end of my trip so I definitely want to enjoy it as much as I can to the end,” he says. “After that will be another challenge.” View the full article

Disco Partner will attempt to improve upon his stellar record over the Belmont Park turf when he faces seven opponents, including stablemate Pure Sensation, in the $400,000 Jaipur Invitational (G2T) June 9. View the full article

The mood at Barn 1 June 8, after Justify put in his final bit of work in preparation for the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (G1), was noticeably light. View the full article

Shortly after Joao Moreira announced his plans to leave Hong Kong to ride in Japan, the Hong Kong riding ranks lost another member when Tommy Berry revealed he will return to his native Australia at the end of the current season. “There are two things that have led to this decision and the first of those is my family,” Berry told Racing.com. “I’ve got a young family, we’ve got three kids under the age of three-and-a-half and the youngest is only still a baby. It was always going to be a challenge coming back to Hong Kong this season with a young family and to be honest, they haven’t settled in as well as we would have liked. The lifestyle doesn’t really suit at this stage of my life and being back in Sydney will make it much easier for everyone.” Berry had initially set out to Hong Kong as contract stable rider to trainer John Moore, but after the pair had little success together they agreed to break the contract and Berry, who recently won the G1 Champions & Chater Cup on Pakistan Star (Ger) (Shamardal), has since been riding on contract with the Hong Kong Jockey Club. He admitted he hasn’t been riding as much as he would like. “I’m getting seven or eight rides at Sha Tin on a Sunday and maybe three or four during the week at Happy Valley,” Berry said. “That is only about 12 rides a week and I want to be riding more than that. I enjoy working, I like riding four times a week, sometimes more and that can happen back home. I’m only 27 and still like working hard, maybe a little down the track when I’m a bit older this lifestyle may be suitable, but I like the challenge of constant riding.” View the full article

The structure and board of British racing’s new Racing Authority, which will take over Levy distribution from April 2019, has been agreed by the British Horseracing Authority, the Horsemen’s Group and the Racecourse Association. The UK Gambling Commission will collect the Levy and distribution will be carried out by the Racing Authority. Part of its role will include distributing the funds fairly and transparently, consultation with the betting industry and wider stakeholders and growing the racing product. The eight members of the Racing Authority Board are Sir Hugh Robertson (Chairman, independent), Nick Rust (BHA Chief Executive), Richard Wayman (BHA Chief Operating Officer), Julian Richmond-Watson (Chairman, Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association), Charlie Liverton (Chief Executive, Racehorse Owners’ Association), Maggie Carver (Chairman, Racecourse Association) Stephen Atkin (Chief Executive, Racecourse Association), and one additional independent individual yet to be determined. Robertson said, “Today sees a significant step forward for British Racing. I have been very encouraged to see how well the Authority’s new Board is working together to agree spending priorities. We now have an intense period of work ahead of us as a new organisation to prepare for the formal transfer of responsibilities in April 2019, and we look forward to working with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport; the Horserace Betting Levy Board; the Gambling Commission and stakeholders throughout racing and betting in the coming months.” View the full article

Belmont Stakes Preview The Belmont Stakes is the final leg of the much coveted but seldom won Triple Crown. This year marks the 150th Belmont Stakes and the big question is, can Justify win the Triple Crown? The Triple Crown itself starts with the Kentucky Derby, where Justify lived up to all the hype with a comfortable two and a half-length victory on just his fourth career start. Amazingly Justify didn’t run as a two-year-old and only first stepped foot on a racetrack in mid-February. This victory in the Kentucky Derby confirmed that Bob Baffert had a special animal in his barn. Just two weeks later and the son of Scat Daddy was lining up as a hot favourite for the Preakness Stakes, it may not have been plain sailing but the chestnut colt fought hard to get the verdict by half a length. All eyes will be on Justify and his jockey Mike Smith on Saturday, as he tries to become the 13th horse to complete the Holy Grail “Triple Crown” and if successful at Belmont Park, he will become the first Triple Crown not to have raced as a two-year-old. Some previous Triple Crown winners include War Admiral (Seabiscuit’s old advisory), Secretariat, Seattle Slew and in more recent times American Pharoah. “Big-Money Mike,” thinks that Justify will add his name to this illustrious list saying that: “To go for a Triple Crown is incredible, and so tough to pull off, but this is the kind of horse that’s got the required talent. He’s got the ability, there’s no doubting that…He’s by far the best three-year-old I’ve been involved with.” It seems quite hard to oppose Justify and every racing fan will be cheering him home on Saturday but is there viable contenders to take the crown away? Todd Pletcher who famously trained Rags To Riches to win the Belmont in 2007, saddles two runners in the form of Vino Rosso and Noble Indy. Even with Justify having to break from the dreaded stall 1 Pletcher said: “I think, like all of us, we need Justify to wake up on the wrong side of the bed to have a chance,” In reality, it looks like only two things could stand in the way of Justify entering the record books as the 13th Triple Crown winner…they are fatigue and Hofburg. The Triple Crown has only been won 12 times for good reason, it’s very demanding for a three year old to run over three different distances at three tracks in a space of five weeks. It would seem on the face of it that Justify has all the attributes needed to win but we won’t truly know until Saturday. Bill Mott saddles Hofburg in the Belmont Stakes and I believe that the son of Tapit is the biggest danger to Justify. Hofburg has only won two races from five starts but he seems to be crying out for the step up in distance. Following a creditable second behind Audible in the Florida Derby, he went to Churchill Downs with leading claims, however, the Juddmonte owned colt had a rough trip to finish a never nearer seventh behind Justify. Hofburg comes into the race as a fresh horse having skipped the Preakness and I think he will be victorious come Saturday. RaceBets have a fantastic offer in the Belmont Stakes if your selection finishes second behind Justify then you’ll get your money back as a free bet. Money back if your selection finishes 2nd to Justify in the Belmont Stakes! On the domestic front, this weekend gives us a chance to grab our breath following consecutive weeks of top-class action. Haydock plays host to a brace of Group Threes on Saturday, while Musselburgh features the Scottish Sprint Cup handicap where Line of reason bids to win back to back renewals. Scottish Sprint Cup Musselburgh racecourse has been hosting races since 1816 and the Scottish Sprint Cup is one of the courses flagship races. It’s run over the minimum trip of five furlongs and attracts some top speedsters with the last two renewals going the way of Hoofalong and Line of Reason. Some of the leading contenders for this year include: El Astronaute far sideEl Astronaute Approve ex Drumcliffe Dancer Trainer: J J Quinn Owner: Mr Ross Harmon Racing John Quinn’s El Astronaute has been an absolute revelation this season with 4 placed efforts in as many runs and going up six pounds in the process. A head defeat at the hands of Mr Lupton at York was a career-best when last seen. The only concern would be that this run was only two weeks ago, and this run will be his fifth within six weeks. If showing no ill effects for these excursions El Astronaute is the one to beat. Move in Time Monsieur Bond ex Tibesti Trainer: P Midgley Owner: A Turton, J Blackburn & R Bond Paul Midgley’s veteran had been steadily slipping down the handicap until capitalising most recently at Newmarket off a mark of 83. In his pomp Move In Time held a rating of 113 following a third-place finish in the Group Two King George Stakes at Goodwood. This first win since 2015 resulted in a seven-pound rise for the son of Monsieur Bond and with this confidence boosting run behind him Move In Time has very strong claims of getting back to back wins. The only slight reservation is that he finished last in the races in 2017 behind stablemate Line of Reason. Line of Reason Kheleyf ex Miss Party Line Trainer: P Midgley Owner: Taylor’s Bloodstock Ltd Line Of Reason bids to retain the race off a mark seven pounds lower than last season. The much-raced eight-year-old is being reunited with Joe Fanning and having finished less than four lengths behind race favourite El Astronaute on his previous start, Paul Midgely’s stable star looks the one. Others to note include Dark Shot, Soie D’leau and Orion’s Bow. Selection: Line Of Reason Outsider: Orions Bow Luca Cumani trainer of God GivenPinnacle Stakes This 1 Mile 4 Furlong Group Three contest is fascinating with six of the seven horses being four-year-olds. The only exception to this is the improving German raider Fosun from the Markus Klug yard and SDS in the saddle. The Soldier Hollow mare most recently won a listed race at Hannover and will pose punters problems. God Given looks to provide Luca Cumani with a welcome winner and it would be no surprise if this lightly raced yet highly tried filly obliged in the hands of Jamie Spencer. A midfield finish in the Group One Prix Vermeille at Chantilly last year is the standout piece of form in the field. If the daughter of Nathaniel can handle the much quicker underfoot conditions then she will prove very tough to beat. The most progressive filly in the race is Roger Charlton’s Cribbs Causeway who went from a mark of 62 to 95 last season, winning five times in the process. A third-place finish in a Group Three at York on seasonal debut suggests that the progression may not have stopped and she will give God Given plenty to think about. Selection: God Given Outsider: Fosun The other Group Three contest at Haydock on Saturday is the John Of Gaunt Stakes run over seven furlongs. There are some very smart horses lining set to face the starter including triple listed winner Tabarrak, Emmaus who has only been beaten once in four career starts and the consistently smart D’bai. However, none of the aforementioned horses has the class of Dutch Connection, particularly over seven furlongs. Put simply Dutch Connection has run three times at Group Three level all over seven furlongs and the result?…. Three wins! In fact, over he’s specialist trip Dutch Connection has only been beaten three times including finishing in arrears of Gleneagles and Toormore. This is very strong from in the context of this race and following a seasonal pipe opener in the Lockinge, Dutch Connection really should be collecting the prize. Selection: Dutch Connection Outsider: Larchmont Lad Don’t Forget to check out all of RaceBets offers here The post Will he “Justify” the hype? Belmont Stakes & UK Preview appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

Zac Purton is fighting a fierce on-track battle with Joao Moreira for the 2017-18 jockeys’ championship but he still led the way in paying tribute to his departing arch-rival and said the Brazilian had helped him become a better rider. Moreira stunned Hong Kong racing late on Thursday when he withdrew his application for a Jockey Club license and announced he would leave for Japan at season’s end in attempt to become the Japan Racing Association’s third full-time foreign... View the full article

The upheaval of the Jockey Club riding ranks has reached unprecedented levels with veterans Brett Prebble and Olivier Doleuze to finish up their Hong Kong careers at the end of the season. The two mainstays will not be on the jockey roster for the 2018-19 season but South Africans Callan Murray and Grant van Niekirk have both been granted licences for the first six months of the term. It has been a crazy 24 hours for movements in the Jockey Club riding ranks after three-time champion Joao... View the full article

The landscape of the Hong Kong racing scene will change dramatically with Joao Moreira leaving Sha Tin – what will the fallout be and who will benefit most? Winner – Zac Purton The Australian jockey has been Moreira’s chief rival for the Brazilian’s time in Hong Kong and no one else comes close. With the Magic Man out of the way, Purton becomes the clear top dog and the jockeys’ championship, at least in the short-term, looks to be at his mercy. Loser – Zac... View the full article

Star Australian rider Tommy Berry has decided to head home, opting not to seek a licence from the Hong Kong Jockey Club for next season. The 27-year-old is the latest high-profile departure from the Hong Kong jockey ranks after three-time champion Joao Moreira shocked the racing world by announcing his move to Japan on Thursday night. Berry enjoyed plenty of success at Sha Tin as a fly-in, fly-out rider and made the full-time move at the start of the season, becoming stable jockey for John... View the full article

Owner Martin Schwartz first won the Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T) in 2006 with Gorella, and he'll try for a long-delayed encore June 9 in the one-turn mile turf stakes for fillies and mares, when trainer Chad Brown sends out Off Limits. View the full article

According to published reports, the New Jersey State Legislature voted as expected Thursday to legalize sports betting in the Garden State. The development comes after last month’s landmark Supreme Court decision that struck down the federal law banning wagering on sports teams, and days after Delaware became the first state other than Nevada to start offering Las Vegas-style wagering. It was unclear Thursday evening when facilities in New Jersey, including Monmouth Park, would begin taking bets. Governor Phil Murphy had not yet signed the bill, but a last-minute provision was made to allow wagers to be placed before Murphy officially signed off, as he is expected to. Dennis Drazin, the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association advisor and attorney at the forefront of the push for legalized sports betting, told The New York Times he would wait for Governor Murphy’s go-ahead before Monmouth took any sports wagers. “If it comes down to the governor telling me no, I’m going to do what the governor says,” he said of taking bets Friday. The bill sets the legal age to place a sports wager at 21 (compared to 18 for horse bets), and an 8.5% tax on in-person wagers compared to 13% for bets made online or via mobile devices–online wagering will not be allowed until 30 days after the new law is signed by Murphy. The bill also specifically stipulates that no money will be paid to sports leagues, and bans the wagering on collegiate contests taking place within the state or involving New Jersey schools. View the full article

After setting dawdling fractions under jockey Joel Rosario, French-bred La Signare had plenty of run left to score her first graded victory in the $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park. View the full article

Group 2 winner La Sardane rallied from fourth in a field of eight to post a neck victory over the Bob Baffert-trained Faypien in the $200,000 Intercontinental Stakes (G3T) going seven furlongs June 7 at Belmont Park. View the full article

New Elite horse Powers away to first Kranji win View the full article

Most Favorite back in the good books View the full article

Placais-Peters combo bounce back with Mr Hopkins View the full article

Dixieland Rocks the house at first gig View the full article

Horses' body weights June 8 View the full article

Track conditions and course scratchings June 8 View the full article

Curatolo back race-riding next Friday View the full article

Early scratching June 10 View the full article

Early scratchings June 8 View the full article