Wandering Eyes

William S. Farish's homebred Direct Dial has been named the 2018 Texas Horse of the Year, the Texas Thoroughbred Association announced today. View the full article

The Consignors and Commercial Breeders Association (CBA) installed its new board at its most recent meeting with Gray Lyster of Ashview Farm assuming the role of President, the trade organization announced Thursday. Allaire Ryan of Lane’s End Farm has been named Vice President, and Matt Koch of Shawhan Place will serve as Treasurer. Outgoing president Joe Seitz will maintain a newly established advisory role to the organization as former president. “The CBA owes Joe Seitz and the outgoing board members a big thanks for leaving us with a really strong organization who is the collective voice of the selling community,” Lyster said. “We look forward to continuing to help facilitate a vibrant commercial market within our industry.” In total, the CBA board consists of 15 members: eight from the top 20 consignors and seven from other consignors and commercial breeders. Each year a portion of the board rotates off and new members are appointed to fill the vacant positions. The newly appointed board members are Andrew Cary, Select Sales; Renee Daily, VanMeterGentry Sales; Tom Hamm, Three Chimneys; Derek McKenzie, Vinery; and Mark Toothaker, Spendthrift Farm. The remaining board members include the following representatives of top 20 consignors: Conrad Bandoroff, Denali Stud; Liz Crow, ELiTE; Brian Graves, Gainesway Farm; Walker Hancock, Claiborne Farm; and Adrian Regan, Hunter Valley Farm. Directors who are other consignors and commercial breeders are: Ben Henley, Airdrie Stud; and Sean Tugel, WinStar Farm. More information can be found by visiting the CBA website. View the full article

Estihdaaf (Arch-Enriched, by Ghostzapper) rolled to a 5 1/2-length victory in the G3 UAE 2000 Guineas for Godolphin and Saeed bin Suroor. Heavily favoured Walking Thunder (Violence) finished second after taking an overland trip. When the gates flew, Estihdaaf was among the early pacesetters glued to the fence, with Sporting Chance (GB) (Kodiac {GB}) three deep and Walking Thunder out in the center of the course. The first quarter was run in :25.17, and the Saeed Bin Suroor runner continued to make the most of his rail position approaching the far turn. Estihdaaf seized command in earnest 500 metres out and drew off at will, although Walking Thunder rallied into a definite second, while covering considerably more ground. Red Cactus (Hard Spun) filled the place spot, beating out a tiring Sporting Chance. The final time for the 1600 metres was 1:39.87. Second on debut at York last September, Estihdaaf dropped to third tried at Newmarket later that month, and was off the mark at Leicester on Oct. 16. Only eighth in his Jan. 10 Meydan unveiling, he ran second in his first dirt try going 1900 metres on Jan. 24. Estihdaaf is a half-brother to Libreta (Girolamo), SW, $128,660; and his dam is a full-sister to two-time Grade I victress Better Lucky and a half to GIII Marine S. hero Sahara Heat (A.P. Indy). His third dam ins GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint heroine Desert Stormer (Storm Cat). Lifetime Record: 6-2-2-1. O/B-Godolphin (KY). T-Saeed bin Suroor. View the full article

The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s recently opened training facility in mainland China displays all the aspects of an impressive top-of-the-class racecourse that has left nothing to chance. After a three-hour ride by car from Hong Kong, crossing the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border and passing by the Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport along the way, we finally arrived at the Conghua Training Centre, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC)’s latest investment in Guangdong Province in Southern China. The lavish Conghua Training Centre is one of the most expensive investments the HKJC has undertaken since building Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong 40 years ago. The HK$3.7 billion training centre not only mimics Sha Tin, minus the grandstand, but the facilities it offers are way above and beyond what Hong Kong currently has – four racetracks together with an 1100-metre uphill gallop; 20 spelling paddocks; a world-class veterinary hospital equipped with an X-ray unit, an exam room, and operating suites; and a rehabilitation unit that includes salt-water spas and an aqua treadmill to treat injured horses. Louis Romanet, Chairman of the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, described the Conghua site as “truly exceptional” while Racing Australia Chief Executive Officer Barry O’Farrell summed it up as “world class and revolutionary.” “In the early stages, there was a bit of reluctance among owners and trainers about training horses at Conghua, primarily because of the distance from Hong Kong coupled with a fear of the unknown,” said Bill Nader, director of racing business and operations of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. “But the early results have been so encouraging that our important stakeholders not only accept Conghua as a world-class training centre, they now embrace it.” The site was built with the vision to take Hong Kong racing to the next level and to create a more spacious and relaxed training environment for Hong Kong racehorses, while still maintaining the longstanding principle that Sha Tin is the home base. Hong Kong is one of the world’s most densely populated areas and the city’s skyrocketing property prices mean that there is literally no place in Hong Kong to allow the Club to build additional training facilities. After searching for suitable land for 20 years without success, the Hong Kong Jockey Club finally solved the issue with the site in Conghua. There are currently nine trainers in Hong Kong who train horses out of both Conghua and Hong Kong, and horses are shipped to Sha Tin two days before running. To read the rest of this feature in the TDN Weekend, click here. View the full article

The British Horseracing Authority produced this Q&A following an outbreak that forced all racing to be canceled Feb. 7. View the full article

If you put aside all the obligatory clichés—anything can happen in a horse race, you still have to run the race, etc.—Kaleem Shah's Bellafina is supposed to win the $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes (G2) Feb. 9 at Santa Anita Park. View the full article

The Jockey Club will back its processes against the threat of equine influenza (EI) after the British Horseracing Authority cancelled all racing on Thursday, with three cases of the deadly virus detected among vaccinated horses in an active yard. Despite the fact concerns have been raised that it could potentially be a new strain of EI which is yet to be vaccinated for, horses making the trip from Europe to Hong Kong are unlikely to be delayed at this stage. “There is no reason to expect... View the full article

The Year of the Pig is off to a “lucky start” after more than 100,000 Hongkongers decided to try their luck at the racetrack, betting an astonishing HK$1.755 billion on the territory’s favourite sport. The monster crowd of 105,716 – the third-highest ever, trailing only the 2013 (118,864) and 2000 (116,188) meetings – rolled through the Jockey Club turnstiles to enjoy an unseasonally warm day and all the associated festivities – with plenty of lai see, red... View the full article

In what was described as a “precautionary measure”, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) suspended all racing in the country on Thursday following confirmation of three cases of Equine Influenza (EI) in racehorses believed to be in the Cheshire stable of Donald McCain. McCain was the only trainer to be represented by a runner at each of the jump meetings at Ludlow and Ayr on Wednesday. By early Wednesday evening, it had been confirmed by the Animal Health Trust (AHT) that three vaccinated horses in one racing yard had tested positive for EI. Confirmed cases among the British racehorse population must be reported to the BHA. Robin Mounsey, Head of Media for the BHA, told the TDN on Thursday morning, “Coughing and nasal discharge are commonly seen symptoms in equines and we don’t stop movement of horses in this situation until there is a confirmed case of Equine Influenza.” Once the presence of the disease had been identified on racing premises, the BHA issued a statement at 11:30pm on Wednesday to warn of an initial one-day shutdown for racing across Britain. The bulletin included confirmation that horses from the affected yard had raced at Ayr and Ludlow. “This is a standard contingency in the event of an infectious disease affecting our horses,” read a follow-up statement on Thursday. “It was essential that racing be stood down today and controls on movements of horses be put in place in order to attempt to control the spread of the disease, and the decision was taken swiftly last night that this course of action should be taken, once the extent of the issue was known. The BHA consulted with its veterinary committee before making this decision. “We will endeavour to issue regular information but we are still in the early stages of assessing the scale and severity of the outbreak. We are working quickly to identify the extent of the infection and will have more information when further test results are returned today. The results from those tests will not be known until this evening. Following these results being known a call will be convened to discuss the implications and a decision will then be made as to the impact on racing in the coming days. “We are aware that people want to know the situation as regards racing tomorrow and this weekend and we will seek to provide more clarity as soon as we are able. It is likely that any definitive decisions on whether racing can take place tomorrow will be taken later this evening.” While racing was suspended in Britain on Thursday, it continued at Thurles in Ireland. Gordon Elliott, whose stable is based in County Meath, had sent five horses to race at Ayr in Scotland on Wednesday but, advised of the situation while his horses were still in transit on the way home, he was able to send the Ayr runners to an isolation yard 15 miles away from his main stable. The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board confirmed on Thursday that racing will continue in Ireland but that British-trained horses cannot be entered for Irish races until further notice “as an interim precaution”. In the meantime, all trainers who had a runner at either Ludlow or Ayr on Wednesday, or at Wolverhampton on Monday, have been notified by the BHA that they will be unable to send out runners until all horses in the respective yards have been tested and cleared for EI. Fergal O’Brien, who saddled three horses at Ludlow on Wednesday, is taking extra precautions at his stables in Naunton, Gloucesterhsire. He said, “I normally don’t take the horses’ temperatures unless I am worried about one of them but at the moment we are taking temperatures morning and night and will do so for the next week. All our horses will be required to have nasal swabs tomorrow so that we comply with the BHA rules. I share the gallops with Nigel Twiston-Davies and we have been advised to keep our horses 100 metres apart for now, or to use the gallops at different times.” He continued, “I have emailed the BHA to suggest that we don’t have any racing for the next three or four days to give themselves some breathing space. It would be no different to losing racing through a hard frost and it’s really important that we get a handle on this so we know exactly what we are dealing with.” Following a number of outbreaks in northern Europe since early December, the BHA had previously issued an equine influenza alert to trainers on Jan. 25. It warned to isolate new arrivals in a yard for 14 days and to investigate with a vet any spread of nasal discharge or dry coughing. It was also advised that horses which had not been vaccinated within the last six months should receive a booster vaccination. Prior to the three cases confirmed on Wednesday, Feb. 6, there had been 19 incidents of EI across northern Europe in Thoroughbreds and non-Thoroughbreds since early December—ten in France, four in the UK, three in Germany, two in Ireland and two in Belgium. Eleven of these occurred in vaccinated horses. All British racehorses are vaccinated against equine influenza, but it is believed that a different strain of the virus in the recent cases has been affecting vaccinated horses. EI vaccinations are not compulsory for the wider horse population of the UK. With the covering season set to start from the end of next week, the breeding industry will naturally be hoping that a more widespread outbreak can be averted. Tweenhills Farm & Stud, which stands Roaring Lion, Zoustar (Aus), Charming Spirit (Ire), Havana Gold (Ire) and Lightning Spear (GB), issued the following bulletin to mare owners on Thursday morning: “On veterinary advice we are now insisting that all mares visiting Tweenhills have received an Equine Influenza booster vaccine within six months of proposed arrival at the stud. This includes walk-in mares as well as those boarding at the farm and passports will be checked before mares are allowed to disembark.” In 2007, the Australian racing industry suffered major disruption through the lockdown of a number of equine properties, including a two-month quarantine of Randwick racecourse, following a major EI outbreak which was traced to four Japanese stallions at a quarantine station in New South Wales. Racing and all horse movement was cancelled nationwide for three days. TDN will continue to update this story as the situation develops. View the full article

An out-of-luck Chad Schofield could not have picked a better day to turn his fortunes around. The talented jockey had endured a six-week drought in the saddle before he booted home $28 outsider Smart Rocket in front of a bumper crowd celebrating the Lunar New Year at Sha Tin. The win came from an unlikely ally in trainer John Moore, who Schofield had not ridden a winner for since October 2016, and could increase his stocks with trainers and owners, with the meeting often seen as a springboard... View the full article

What Else But You handed trainer John Size his sixth victory in the Class One Chinese New Year Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday but the result held far greater significance for owner Vicky Tang as she paid tribute to her late friend Lily Scheng Hsi-feng. The pair shared a love for horses until Scheng’s death last year and Tang was in tears as she celebrated What Else But You’s impressive two-length victory. “It is because this horse What Else But You is from my friend Lily,... View the full article

This week is a recap of The Factor's win in the Feb. 20, 2011 San Vicente Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park. The recap, written by Tracy Gantz, ran in the Feb. 26, 2011 magazine. View the full article

16:35 Thurles It may seem a bit of a “daft” choice finding our best bet of the day in a national hunt flat race in Ireland where the expected field of sixteen have little or no form to go through but with a lack of UK racing things aren’t all that easy! Never the less there’s a […] The post Picks From The Paddock Best Bet – Thursday 7th February appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

I’ve had a really enjoyable week out here as I’ve been riding Thunder Snow, who is our big hope for the Carnival. It’s been a pleasure to be aboard him. He’s getting ready to defend his title in the Dubai World Cup next month, probably with a prep run in the Al Maktoum Challenge R3 beforehand. […] The post Kieren Fallon Dubai World Cup Carnival Blog appeared first on RaceBets Blog EN. View the full article

All race meetings in Britain have been cancelled today (Thursday) following confirmation from the Animal Health Trust late on Wednesday evening of three cases of Equine Influenza (EI) in an active racing stable. The yard in question had runners at jump meetings at Ayr and Ludlow on Wednesday. A statement from the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) read, “Horses from the infected yard have raced at Ayr and Ludlow, potentially exposing a significant number of horses from yards across the country and in Ireland. The fact that the cases have been identified in vaccinated horses presents a cause for significant concern over welfare. The potential spread of the disease and the action to cancel racing has been viewed as necessary in order to restrict, as far as possible, the risk of further spread of the disease. “The BHA has worked quickly to identify which yards could potentially have been exposed today and to identify the further actions required. The BHA is presently communicating with yards potentially exposed, to ensure appropriate quarantine and biosecurity measures are put in place and horse movements restricted to avoid potential further spread of the disease. “The full extent of potential exposure is unknown and we are working quickly to understand as much as we can to assist our decision making. The BHA is working closely with the Animal Health Trust and will issue a further update tomorrow. We recommend that any trainer who has concerns about the health status of any of their horses should contact their veterinarian.” Equine Influenza is a highly contagious disease and is considered to be the most serious respiratory virus to occur in horses in the UK. Transmission of the disease can occur through indirect contact, for example through people, and it can also be airborne over a reasonable distance. Symptoms include fever, coughing and nasal discharge. There has already been a number of reported cases across Europe this year, several of which have occurred in horses vaccinated against EI. A widespread outbreak of EI in Australia in 2007 resulted in racing being halted for three days and severe restrictions on horse movements from a number of equine properties for months. Three jumps meetings had been due to take place in Britain today at Huntingdon, Doncaster and Ffos Las as well as an all-weather Flat meeting at Chelmsford. View the full article

After a close second and hard-fought victory in a pair of maiden starts last year at Aqueduct Racetrack, Shadwell Stable homebred Haikal will make his stakes debut there Feb. 9 in the $150,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes. View the full article

Heliosphere takes Derby trail through Friday's Kranji Stakes B View the full article

Saraab looking to open turf account View the full article

Friday replacements for Vorster and CC Wong View the full article

Nowyousee on fast track to first 1200m turf test View the full article

Horses' test results February 5 View the full article

Early scratching February 8 View the full article

Perth jockey Joseph Azzopardi granted three-month licence View the full article

Madaket Stables, Tom Coleman, Team Hanley and Norton Herrick's multiple graded stakes winner Rymska will be the horse to beat when she kicks off her 5-year-old campaign in Saturday's $150,000 Suwannee River (G3T) at Gulfstream Park. View the full article

Trainer Ben Colebrook has seen enough from the morning works at Tampa Bay Downs by Knicks Go to make the track's path to the spring classics Plan A for his first grade 1 winner. View the full article