Wandering Eyes

Grade 3 winner Sunny Ridge returns to Monmouth Park May 26 for the $100,000 Salvator Mile Stakes (G3), where the New Jersey-bred has fared well. View the full article

Warming up for a tilt at the June 19 G1 St James’s Palace S. at Royal Ascot, Without Parole went through the rain-softened ground to up his game after wins in novice contests at Newcastle Dec. 16 and Yarmouth Apr. 24. Sent off the 4-6 favourite, the bay was settled behind the leading trio early by Frankie Dettori before earning the lead approaching the furlong pole. Pushed out to the line as Gabr (GB) (Intello {Ger}) closed in, he had 3/4 of a length to spare there over last year’s G1 Racing Post Trophy fifth. “It was quite a slog up that hill and I was nervous about running him, as I had missed a couple of bits of work after the foot abscess,” Gosden said. “I missed a lot of time with him and he needed it a little bit. The ground was very testing and it was dead old ground. He is a likeable horse and good-to-firm ground is his scene. That was a little bit demanding for him and Frankie committed early, but his class got him through. It wasn’t his ideal conditions and he came there slightly below the minimum work, but I had to get a run in if I was going to Ascot. He was in his box for a long time, then just walking and I’ve only got two pieces of work in and one was somewhat leisurely to say the least. We will go to the St James’s Palace Stakes and if we have lovely summer ground he will come on a bundle.” Dettori added, “The soft ground was breaking his pattern and he was struggling on it. I think he would get a mile and a quarter, but he has the speed for a mile. He’s got quite a classical Frankel stride and is a pleasure to ride. He’s done nothing wrong so far.” WITHOUT PAROLE (GB), c, 3, Frankel (GB)–Without You Babe, by Lemon Drop Kid). (650,000gns RNA Ylg ’16 TATOCT). O-John & Tanya Gunther; B-John Gunther (GB); T-John Gosden; J-Lanfranco Dettori. £22,684. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, £30,964. View the full article

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced today that Pat Pope has been hired to serve as racing secretary for the Belmont Park spring/summer and fall meets. View the full article

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 is unconstitutional and the floodgates are about to open, with legalized sports betting expected to be up and running in dozens of states within the next few years. There’s little doubt this wouldn’t be the case if not for Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development, operator of Monmouth Park. Never giving up despite several defeats in lower courts, Drazin spearheaded the effort to have legalized sports betting in New Jersey and, in particular, Monmouth. Drazin was a recent guest on the TDN podcast, presented by Taylor Made. Excerpts from that podcast appear below. TDN: These last several years have not been good ones for Monmouth, the only track up and down the East Coast that does not benefit from casino revenue. Is it fair to say that sports betting will be the savior of Monmouth Park? DD: Monmouth Park’s very survival was tied toward trying to find an alternative revenue source. My intention was on behalf of the horsemen to preserve racing at Monmouth Park and do the best that we could to preserve some semblance of days and some semblance of a decent purse structure. We were unable to compete with the surrounding states that have casino revenues. In order to reestablish Monmouth as world-class venue and to put on a bet-able product and to give our horsemen extended days and a longer season, this decision was critical for the survival on a world class level. Would we have stayed open anyway and struggled along? Yes, I was committed to doing that. But this puts us in a totally different picture so far as out future goes. TDN: Not unexpectedly, the professional sports leagues now have their hand out and are asking for anyone taking legal sports bet to pay them what they are calling an integrity fee. How do you feel about that? DD: Yes, the leagues are out there trying to get this integrity fee and the integrity fee has kind of morphed over time. When they went to other states in the beginning they suggested they were entitled to 1% of the handle, which really equates to 20% of our revenue. That’s unreasonable. The Senate President in New Jersey has told them they are getting zero. They get nothing from Vegas for an integrity fee. His view is they should get the same in New Jersey, zero. I have been very vocal about the nerve of the leagues coming after an integrity fee when in fact they fought us for six years, they’ve been in court, they cost the taxpayers of New Jersey $9 million and the horsemen $1.5 million in legal fees. They have tried to slow us down at every step while they, in bad faith in our view, continued to grow these markets by being equity panthers with fantasy sports and have moved teams to Las Vegas. The leagues have acted in bad faith all along. All they really wanted from this was a revenue share and now they’re out there trying to get it. TDN: With more money about to come in for purses, will the emphasis be on more racing dates or higher purses, like you had with the elite meet in 2010? DD: You have to do it carefully. Horsemen have different views. The New Jersey horsemen versus the horsemen that come here from out of state, they’re not always on the same page. I see that some of the local guys have expressed they would rather have a lengthier season, even if the purse level was only $200,000 day. I don’t think that approach makes sense. They have their reasons. They think that is an adequate amount and an amount where they don’t have to compete with out-of-town horses coming in to race at a higher level. They think they are better off that way. I think you have to have a good mix, a good blend. When I look at this, I try to look at formula. How much do you need to be competitive in your region? You have to look at New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and you have to say what level do you want to compete at? The answer to me, and this may not be the same answer for everybody, is I want to compete at a world-class level. That’s the goal. If I could repeat the elite meet I would be more than happy to do that. What I’d like to do is carefully develop both, to try to have an elite meet at Monmouth and to try to increase racing days at the Meadowlands. Beginning in 2019, we intend to turn over the Standardbred track at the Meadowlands, so we can have dirt racing there again. We really want to add more days up there and have an extended season up there where we capture revenue from the nighttime betting market. TDN: Because the horsemen lease and operate Monmouth Park, sports betting profits will benefit racing. That’s not the case in other states. In fact, elsewhere people are worried that sports betting competition will hurt racing. What advice do you have for horsemen in other states? DD: I had been telling people they need to be proactive and get involved in the early stages. Now that this is a reality everybody is doing more than they did before. The NTRA is monitoring the situation and is working to make sure racing gets some share. In other states, horsemen have to be proactive and go to their legislators and lobby, testifying about the need for horse racing to get a share. Otherwise they can be left out. If they are saying that New Jersey got a piece so we will too, they are mistaken. They really have to be out their doing their homework, going to legislators and educating them. They need to go to their governors to advocate their positions. Those who aren’t aggressive will lose out. View the full article

Succeeding Joe Keeling, Nicholas Hartery has been appointed to a five-year post as Chair of Horse Racing Ireland by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D., Hartery, who has been involved in equine activities for many years and owns Caherass Stud in Co. Limerick where he mainly breeds Thoroughbreds for flat racing, is the current Chairman of Cement Roadstone Ireland (CRH), Chairman of the Musgrave Group which is an Irish food wholesaler, and President and CEO of Prodium, a consultancy and business advisory firm. Appointed following a competitive process conducted by PAS, Hartery breeds both to race and to sell, and has enjoyed success offering foals, yearlings and broodmares at major sales, as well as group victories with his runners. “I am delighted to appoint Mr. Hartery to the post of Chair of Horse Racing Ireland and I am confident that he will provide innovative strategic leadership and direction to the horse racing sector,” said Minister Creed. “The next five years will see major challenges for Ireland, particularly in the context of Brexit, and Horse Racing Ireland will benefit from continuity in strong leadership. I wish Mr. Hartery every success in this leadership role in promoting a sustainable horse racing industry, one that will expand employment and create the maximum contribution to the Irish economy.” Added Creed, “I wish to place on the record my deep appreciation of Joe Keeling’s commitment in chairman Horse Racing Ireland over the last five years. His business experience, effective chairing of the Board and work with the organisation has delivered tangible results.” View the full article

It didn’t get a whole lot of nationwide attention because of Magnum Moon (Malibu Moon)’s dominant win in the GI Arkansas Derby one race later, but a pair of top-class older horses threw down in a terrific battle in the GII Oaklawn H. Apr. 14, with emergent City of Light (Quality Road) narrowly edging incumbent Accelerate (Lookin At Lucky). Saturday, those two, along with another pair of potential handicap division heavy-hitters, will hook up again in a strong renewal of the GI Gold Cup S. at Santa Anita. Mr. and Mrs. William K. Warren, Jr.’s City of Light has yet to be out of the exacta in seven starts and proved his versatility in Hot Springs, conquering two turns for the first time despite a wide trip. Prior to that, the $710,000 Keeneland September graduate had been limited to seven furlongs, capturing both the GI Malibu S. and GI Triple Bend S. over the winter. He appears to have bounced out of his Oaklawn effort in good order, recording a trio of sharp local workouts, capped by a six-furlong bullet in 1:11 2/5 (1/8) May 19. Hronis Racing’s Accelerate, previously known for upsetting champion Arrogate (Unbridled’s Song) in the GII San Diego H. last July, broke through at the top level with a 5 1/2-length romp in the track-and-trip GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 10. Though vanquished in the Oaklawn, the chestnut showed his toughness by battling back late to cut what had been a clear deficit down to a neck at the wire. Reddam Racing’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Pavel (Creative Cause) will look to get back on track after a quartet of subpar efforts. The gray, dominant victor of the GIII Smarty Jones S. last September, showed well to be third against older rivals in the GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, but was 10th, beaten 34 lengths in the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic and finished fourth as the favorite behind City of Light in the Malibu and Accelerate in the GII San Pasqual S. before filling the same slot in the G1 Dubai World Cup last out Mar. 31. Natalie Baffert’s Dr. Dorr (Lookin At Lucky) gets the acid test in this spot. The progressive gelding was a middling allowance type through last year, but has turned the corner in 2018, winning three straight, including a dominant 7 1/4-length score in the GII Californian S. last out. The dark bay earned a 108 Beyer for that effort, which only Accelerate has topped among his competitors, but takes a steep class hike here. View the full article

Pat Pope has been hired as the Belmont racing secretary for the spring/summer and fall meets. He will assume some responsibilities during the current meet and will begin full time in the fall. Currently the racing secretary at Oaklawn Park, Pope was previously the racing secretary at Delaware Park from 2009-2013. He will continue his role at Oaklawn during the winter. “Pat’s decades of experience in racing will serve him well at Belmont Park,” said Martin Panza, NYRA’s Senior Vice President of Racing Operations. “We look forward to welcoming him to the NYRA team.” View the full article

Dual Classic winner Justify (Scat Daddy) returned to the track Thursday at Churchill Downs for the first time since his victory in the GI Preakness S. Saturday. The ‘TDN Rising Star’ galloped 1 3/8 miles under regular exercise rider Homberto Gomez during the special training period Churchill instituted for GI Belmont S. contenders from 7:30-7:40a.m. “We definitely saw what we needed to see,” Bob Baffert’s longtime assistant Jimmy Barnes said. “He had a good bounce to his step and he was very happy out there. Bob told me to make sure he has a nice and easy first day back galloping. He went about 1 3/8 miles and seemed to enjoy it.” Justify is following the same routine as Baffert’s 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof the Nile) as well as his Triple Crown hopefuls Silver Charm (1997), Real Quiet (1998) and War Emblem (2002). Baffert is expected to return to Churchill over the weekend to check on his stable star. “I try not to think too much about the Triple Crown,” Barnes said. “I just try to focus on the next day of training. I’m sure I’ll start thinking about it when we ship to Belmont. My biggest job is to keep Justify happy.” Also on track at Churchill during the Belmont training window Thursday were Preakness runner-up Bravazo (Awesome Again) and third-place finisher Tenfold (Curlin). Fans are welcome to come to Churchill to watch Justify and the other Belmont contenders on track during the special training period. The Belmont runners will also be live streamed each day here for those unable to make it to Louisville. View the full article

We have long appreciated the role serendipity can play in our lives and major events, so imagine our arched eyebrow reaction to a link that popped up during our research into this dispatch. Having settled on delving into the sire-line of GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. winner Justify (Scat Daddy), we took notice of very strong evidence that it is one that has held on by a thread through only two sons of its founder, Hennessy. That’s when our admitted tendency to get to the pourquoi of things brought memories of a visit to Cognac, France, where the fumes of the distillation process of the libation named after the rustic town rise above and then settle on the red clay rooftops in what the locals call “angel hair.” More lusciously, however, is that some visitors get lucky enough to sample (by sniff only) the finest blends of vintages which are labeled V.S.O.P., which stands for Very Superior Old Pale (or Very Special Old Pale). Only after resting for a minimum of 25 years are the contents of V.S.O.P. casks allowed to enter bottles. Enter Justify in 2018, the link to his great-grandsire, Hennessy, named after a brand of cognac, who was born in 1993, which we believe was 25 years ago. That Hennessy was a somewhat plain, and not flashy, chestnut, we shall claim poet’s license in judging him to have been about the right shade of that color to fill out all the requirements of that V.S.O.P. veneration. Hennessy was a bit of a conundrum both as a racehorse and a stallion. The son of power influence Storm Cat was unbeaten in his first three starts at two, all sprints including two graded stakes, which was a bit of a surprise since his dam, Island Kitty, was by the turf router *Hawaii. His attempt at a mile in his next start, the GI Champagne S., was uninspiring for those looking for evidence of his dam’s contribution. However, in one of the more memorable GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile renewals, he hammer-and-tonged his way through the Belmont Park stretch with the larger Unbridled’s Song, only to succumb at the end by a neck. That race took a toll on the $500,000 Keeneland July yearling purchase made by D. Wayne Lukas on behalf on Bob & Beverley Lewis, and his sophomore year was nothing to write home about. Still, he entered stud at Ashford with a splendid reputation for speed, and he was, after all, a Storm Cat. Phenotypically he was a very well-balanced horse as far as power and stride factors were concerned and he had adequate weight to process the energy generated by his powerful quarters. But many observers thought he was long in the back, which depending on what you are looking for is a plus or minus in terms of extension. The reality is he had an exceptionally long ilium, the bone that runs from the back of the hip to the point where it meets the femur. This alignment is well noted for early thrusting power and he showed it as a racehorse, but it is not something which is passed on consistently. Hennessy apparently didn’t pass that factor on much, but he served breeders well with more than 60 stakes winners, including a number in Argentina where he passed away suddenly at the age of 14. What stands out most from his record is that he got only two sons who have gone on to real success at stud, and they could not be more different from each other. For reasons implied below, we’ll deal with Henny Hughes first who came along in 2003 and was a genuine high-class sprinter-miler who emulated his sire in that he also placed second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after leading almost all the way. He was a decent success when he first went to stud, but was sent to Japan, and then came back to North America where he sired his best runner, the multiple champion filly Beholder. He has more than 30 stakes winners to his credit, and one son in this country–Chitu, in Florida, with first foals yearlings–who looks like he is the last chance to move this branch along here because Henny Hughes is now back in Japan. On the other hand, we have Johannesburg, a member of Hennessy’s second crop, who rolled out of Europe as a Group 1-winning juvenile to shatter his rivals in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, thereby getting revenge for his sire and Henny Hughes. A splendid individual who was very much like his sire phenotypically and in his average size and scope, Johannesburg achieved quick success at stud with current New York stallion sprinter-miler Teuflesberg (Grade II winner) in his first crop who sired GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner Trinniberg in his first crop. But Johannesburg’s offspring were more appealing overseas. He retired to Ashford in Kentucky and shuttled to Australia where he had good success. After returning to Ashford in 2009, he shuttled to Argentina but before he came back home was sold to Japan where he has been ever since. Though a success wherever he went, nothing he sired was of as high class as Scat Daddy, a foal of 2004 who entered stud just about when his sire was being exported to Japan. A larger and more powerful individual than his sire and grandsire, Scat Daddy had a “Mr. Prospector look” reflective of his broodmare sire. His racing career was excellent-he won the GII Sanford S. and GI Champagne S. before finishing fourth to Street Sense in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile after being steadied. (Ironic fact here: Each of the four stallions in this essay ran in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Belmont Park). He came back at three to take the GII Fountain of Youth S. and GI Florida Derby before a rough trip wiped him out in Street Sense’s Kentucky Derby–after which he never raced. From the start of his career Scat Daddy simply floored them in all kinds of races, in all kinds of places, and with all kinds of class during his career in Kentucky and Chile. In addition to Justify and his three other sons who started in the Kentucky Derby (Mendelssohn, Flameaway, Combatant), you have multiple European sprint champion Lady Aurelia, European juvenile champion No Nay Never and Chilean champion Il Campione (Chi) (now at stud in Argentina)-and more than 20 stakes winners around the world in 2017 alone. In addition to those and others which are still racing, he has sons such as Group 1 winner Caravaggio at stud in Ireland, Graded winners Handsome Mike, Frac Daddy, and Daddy Nose Best and Tu Brutus (Chi) at stud in Kentucky. His final crop sold like they could do no wrong as yearlings last year and 2-year-olds this year, so it looks like he may be about to build a legacy of his own with only eight crops. Like his equally short-lived grandsire, Scat Daddy has made quite an impression even though Hennessy may not get the credit he deserves for starting it all. But Hennessy’s impact has been somewhat analogous to the way the cordial for which he was named came about. Cognac was developed by happenstance and environment. The Champagne grape of the region (not the same varietal from which bubbly Champagne is made) was turned into wine and shipped to The Netherlands in the late 16th Century where the Dutch distilled it into brandy-and the French caught on. The expansion of trade to the Far East created a demand for white wine like that of the Cognac region, but the long voyages naturally distilled the product in oak barrels and turned into something which puzzled the recipients. So, they cut it with water to make it taste like white wine. That’s how it’s still taken in many places in Asia, where Hennessy the stallion’s two best sons now spend their lives carrying on the Very Special Order of Propagation for their old man. Bob Fierro is a partner with Jay Kilgore and Frank Mitchell in DataTrack International, biomechanical consultants and developers of BreezeFigs. He can be reached at bbfq@earthlink.net. View the full article

Second in the 2000-metre G1 Schweppes Oaks when flying late behind Sopressa (Aus) (So You Think {NZ}), the Matthew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained Sheezdashing (Aus) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) looks as if she will relish the step up to 2200m of Saturday’s G1 Queensland Oaks. Always just appearing to find one a little better on the day, jockey Daniel Thornton sticks with the filly and from barrier three, should be able to possibly settle a little handier than normal. Impressive in the tradition Oaks lead-up, the G2 The Roses, Chris Waller’s Youngstar (Aus) (High Chaparral {Ire}) put the writing on the wall with her length win over stablemate Another Dollar (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) and looks very hard to beat here. Never outside of the top three in her six starts to date, Another Dollar was forced to travel wide for a portion of The Roses before run down late by her stablemate, and with a better run in transit will finish closer. Successful in her last two starts at Ipswich and the Sunshine Coast, the New Zealand raider Terra Sancta (NZ) (Pierro {Aus}) looks capable of giving her sire his third Classic winner of the season and with her last start coming just six days prior, the Tony Pike-trained filly will surely have race fitness on her side. Following a somewhat obscure path to Saturday’s Oaks, John Sargent’s Tinkermosa (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}) is bound to be tuned right to the minute for the 2200m, and with a narrow second over 2150m at her most recent run on May 16, the Jeff Lloyd-ridden filly is bred to be a player in the race. With five in the field, Waller will provide many of the leading chances, and one of his roughest will be the well-bred Impulsive (Aus) (So You Think {NZ}), a winner last Saturday at the Gold Coast over 1800m, and although a half-sister to a champion South African sprinter, she is clearly throwing towards her sire. View the full article

Successful in the 1350-metre G1 Stradbroke H. a little over 12 months earlier, Godolphin’s Impending (Aus) (Lonhro {Aus}) looks right on track to add another elite level score in Saturday’s G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup to his record before he heads to the stallion barn at the end of the racing season. First-up this campaign he captured the G2 Victory S. before closing late for a narrow second in the G1 Doomben 10,000 over 1200m. The extra trip on Saturday will be right down his alley and from barrier nine he should settle rearward and come with a late challenge in the home straight. Scorching along the inside rail last time out to hold off the late charge of Impending was the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained English (Aus) (Encosta de Lago {Aus}) and from barrier one again here, jockey Tim Clark should find himself in a similar position to play a role in the finish. With form around some of the best of her age group and having never finished outside of the top three, the Bjorn Baker-trained Champagne Cuddles (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) comes into the race as a slightly unknown commodity, but her authoritative performance in the G3 Gold Coast Guineas must give her a show here with 55 kilos on her back. Travelling wide when taking third behind English and Impending in the 10,000, Le Romain (Aus) (Hard Spun), from a mid-field barrier on Saturday, will see jockey Glyn Schofield likely to settle in a forward position where the Kris Lees-trained runner will show plenty of fight when it matters. Unbeaten at the track and distance, Matt Dunn’s 4-year-old Care To Think (Aus) (So You Think {NZ}) settled in second last position in the 10,000, and although making up considerable ground to finish just over two lengths from the winner in sixth, jockey Jeff Lloyd didn’t knock him around, and with James McDonald back for his first Group 1 ride since his return to the saddle, he will be gunning for forward showing. Having her first start outside of New Zealand, 4-year-old Group 1-winning mare Volpe Veloce (Aus) (Foxwedge {Aus}) will tackle a class field in her first Brisbane race, and although was somewhat disappointing when beaten over two lengths into second when racing first-up, the 10-time winner has a rough show. View the full article

Lael Stables’ Hawksmoor (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) has tried on seven occasions to get a Grade I/Group 1 victory. Time after time, she’s come tantalizingly close without tasting victory. There was the third by a head after leading past the sixteenth pole in the GI Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup S., her North American debut. There was the second after leading for most of the GI First Lady S. There was another runner-up effort after widening past the eighth pole in the GI Matriarch S. Saturday, the bay mare will get another chance at that fleeting prize as the likely heavy favorite in Santa Anita’s GI Gamely S. Victress of the GII New York S. and GIII Beaugay S. last spring, Hawksmoor comes into this affair off three straight second-place runs, and will need to bounce back after disappointing as the 3-10 favorite in Laurel’s Dahlia S. in her seasonal debut Apr. 21. Michael Dubb, Head of Plains Partners, Robert LaPenta and Bethlehem Stables’ Uni (GB) (More Than Ready) also ships in from the east coast. Winner of last September’s GII Sands Point S., the chestnut closed her sophomore campaign with a fourth in the QEII, and was sharp in capturing the Plenty of Grace S. upon return Apr. 14 at Aqueduct. The top local hope appears to be Slam Dunk Racing and Medallion Racing’s Beau Recall (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}). Just missing when second by a nose in last summer’s GI Del Mar Oaks, the bay picked up her first graded tally when closing from last to take the GII Royal Heroine S. here Apr. 7. View the full article

In this ongoing series, Alan Carasso takes a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Kyoto and Tokyo Racecourses. The latter plays host to Sunday’s G1 Tokyo Yushun (Japanese Derby), which has attracted a field of 18, including US-bred GSW & G1SP Gendarme (Kitten’s Joy), to be ridden by ‘the legend’ Yutaka Take. Saturday, May 26, 2018 4th-Kyoto, ¥9,550,000 ($87k), Maiden, 3yo, 1600mT MOZU SUTOFURA (c, 3, Smart Strike–Every Cloud, by Storm Cat), a $160K KEESEP grad, is a debuting full-brother to two-time turf graded winner Cloud Scapes and his dam is a full-sister to 1993 GI Test S. winner Missed the Storm. Every Cloud is also a half to Green Means Go (Green Dancer), himself a dual graded winner on grass. Third dam Miss Carmie (T.V. Lark) bred champion Chris Evert, the granddam of champion Chief’s Crown (Danzig), and All Rainbows (Bold Hour), dam of GI Kentucky Derby and Eclipse Award winner Winning Colors (Caro {Ire}). B-Kendall E Hansen MD Racing LLC & W S Farish (KY) 9th-Tokyo, ¥28,600,000 ($262k), Allowance, 4yo/up, 1400m EAGLE BAROWS (c, 4, Henny Hughes-Minny’s Niece, by Quiet American) was well-bet, but well-beaten on debut last July, but won his maiden by better than a dozen lengths the following month (gate 14) and added a five-length allowance score at this venue when last seen Oct. 28 (video, gate 14). Eagle Barows was a $20K KEESEP yearling turned $250K OBSAPR breezer. B-C Kidder & N Cole (KY) WATCH: Eagle Barows’s towering maiden victory last August Sunday, May 27, 2018 1st-Kyoto, ¥9,550,000 ($87k), Maiden, 3yo, 1200m ANCHOR TESORO (f, 3, Giant’s Causeway–Anchorage, by Tapit) split a field of maidens in her January bow, but has since seen her value enhanced, as her full-brother Chip Leader was second in the GIII Ben Ali S.–and is entered for Saturday’s GIII Salvator Mile–while her year-younger half-sister Tijori (Will Take Charge) was named a ‘TDN Rising Star’ for a smashing debut score at Santa Anita May 11. Anchor Tesoro was a $25K KEESEP yearling and $60K OBSAPR juvenile. B-Dr Christoph Berglar (KY) 1st-Tokyo, ¥9,550,000 ($87k), Maiden, 3yo, 1400m SPADA (c, 3, Speightstown–A Bit of Humor, by Distorted Humor) failed to handle the turf when well down the field on January debut, but improved markedly to finish third in a course-and-distance maiden May 5 (gate 9). The $600K FTSAUG graduate is out of a winning full-sister to MSW Saratoga Humor, the dam of MGSW Heart Stealer (Speightstown). B-Fairlawn Farm (KY) WATCH: Spada was a much-improved third last time out View the full article

In three generations the Cumani family has set up training businesses across three different countries on two continents. Sergio Cumani started the familial tradition in his native Italy. His son Luca spread his wings to become one of the most respected trainers in the British racing heartland of Newmarket, and Luca’s son Matt has flown farther still, to Australia, where he has been training since 2016. Now in his third season with a licence, and with a wealth of international experience behind him, including stints with Todd Pletcher, Paddy Gallagher, Ed Dunlop and Chris Waller, Matt Cumani is enjoying the challenge of immersing himself in perhaps the most vibrant racing nation in the world. “The racing is nonstop here and it’s hard to keep tabs on what’s going on at home, but I do try,” he says. “I’m still learning the pedigrees but I fall back on what I know about horses and judge them on their work and their physical type. I was invited to a pedigree club the other night which was fascinating, but as for getting a handle on Aussie racing, I thought it would be a little more straightforward than it is.” He continues, “I think I’m really getting a grip of it now and understanding what sort of skills a horse needs to really excel here. Also, whether this helps or hinders, you need a lot more luck because of how tight the tracks are down here. I remember I used to think how impossibly tight Chester was, but that’s probably about the average of Australian tracks.” Though not at one of the main city-based training tracks in Victoria such as Flemington or Caulfield, Cumani has chosen to make the upwardly mobile Ballarat, west of Melbourne, his base. It’s no backwater, having been the launchpad for Victoria’s champion trainer Darren Weir, as well as another British ex-pat who has made a flying start in Australia, Archie Alexander. Both Alexander and Cumani have been given significant support in their start-up ventures by Terry Henderson of OTI Racing, which the latter is quick to acknowledge. “OTI were instrumental in me setting up here, not just in convincing me and giving me the confidence to do it, but then helping me with actually setting up the business and supporting me with horses,” says Cumani. “They have interests in 11 horses with us at the moment, not necessarily wholly owned and they continue to be great supporters and advisors.” OTI Racing has been one of the forerunners in international syndication, an element of ownership which is now particularly prevalent and successful in Australia, which to an extent has stolen a march on the rest of the world in this field. “Owning a horse is no longer the preserve of the elite, a pastime associated with royalty, captains of industry or movie stars. Especially not in Australia. For the price of the average household appliance you can become the part-owner of a horse. For less than the cost of a family car you can keep it running for years,” states the website for Aushorse, the marketing arm of the country’s racing industry. And indeed, the lucrative prize-money on offer across the country coupled with a forward-thinking approach from many stables has led to a situation whereby one in around 300 Australians owns or part-owns a racehorse. “Syndication opens up the field to anyone who wants to give it a crack,” says Cumani, who grew up among the stock of a number of Europe’s elite owner-breeders at his parents’ Bedford House Stables. “You can really reduce the cost of having a share in a horse so it also means that any trainer gets a chance, not just those with good connections. If you put work into advertising yourself and selling yourself you can get anyone to get involved in racing.” This of course has changed the way modern-day trainers have to operate and communicate. “You have to add to your skill set a little bit,” he admits. “I’m not particularly good with names and faces but you have to get good at that. With 60 horses on the books I have about 600 to 700 owners. Obviously it’s a huge number and I can’t possibly know all of them individually but I am getting quite good at developing those skills.” He continues, “Technology helps very much nowadays when it comes to communicating and the most important thing is that it creates a really healthy ownership base for racing. It gives racing a future because the pyramid of owners has a really solid foundation to it. If one in a hundred of your syndicate is perhaps developing his or her own business and gradually takes a bigger share or eventually has a horse of their own, then it’s feeding the top of the pyramid. It does seem to me that England struggles a bit and that the ownership is very top heavy compared to Australia.” Through his OTI connection, Cumani achieved what many trainers dream about by having a runner in the Melbourne Cup in his first year of training. The now 6-year-old Grey Lion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a typical OTI import who, having been bred by German-based Gestut Ammerland, raced first in France for Andre Fabre before shipping to Australia. The four-time French winner, who was runner-up for Cumani in the G3 Queen Elizabeth S. at Flemington, has subsequently had his partnership increased further to include Aquis Farm. Grey Lion will be one to follow as the staying races of the Australian spring get underway, as will Etah James (NZ), who became his first group winner when landing the G2 Lord Reims S. back in March. The 5-year-old mare is a daughter of the New Zealand-based stallion Raise The Flag (GB) (Sadler’s Wells), a rare under-achiever on the track for the great broodmare Hasili (GB) whose enticing pedigree was enough to find the half-brother to Dansili (GB) a home at White Robe Lodge on New Zealand’s South Island. “She’s such a tough, robust, good mare and one that came to me in slightly funny circumstances,” Cumani says. “The owners called me out of the blue and they told me they had an unraced 4-year-old mare by Raise The Flag and I was embarrassed to say that I hadn’t actually heard of the stallion, but when I looked into him I realised quickly that his pedigree is fantastic.” “Etah James is just an absolute gun, as they say here. She’s gone from strength to strength and I don’t think I’ve ever had her 100% fit. She’s a really big, heavy filly and she’s just done it all on her own ability. I’m hoping that when we get to the major races she’ll be really ready to put in her best performance. She’s had a spell and will be coming in within the next two weeks and we’ll try to get her ready for a race in August and then aim for some of the bigger races in the spring.” This time last year the 37-year-old trainer was forced to take a brief spell from his fledgling career after having his licence suspended for 2 1/2 months for failing to adhere to Racing Victoria protocols following the outbreak of strangles at his stable. “I have a great team at home and we drafted in an experienced older trainer to work with my team, and my assistant Andrew Bobbin is great, a really good all-rounder who loves his racing and is a star with the horses,” he says. “Andrew held it all together and it was good to come back and have all the horses in good nick and really ready to kick off and start winning in the new season, which they did in September and October.” The temporary hiatus has not affected business, with all 60 of the boxes at the Cumani yard full and plans for growth in the pipeline. “We’re actually looking to expand a bit and hope to build some more stables at the end of the winter. We have about 30 yearlings to come in at some point,” he says. “Ballarat is fantastic. It has everything you really need. Okay, it doesn’t have a beach but there are sand tracks, good turf and they are developing at a fantastic rate and putting in a full Polytrack racecourse in May next year, so it’s got a bit of everything.” With the equine numbers increasing along with many syndicate owners, the pressure is on the young trainer to ensure that he keeps them all fully up to date with their horses’ progress. He says, “Technology is fantastic but you’re always chasing your tail a little bit to be the most innovative when it comes to communication and providing interesting content each week. If I get much bigger I’m going to have to employ somebody to be solely in charge of producing videos and reports. It has its costs but I think their benefits are really worthwhile.” As well as a booming business, Cumani’s personal life has been very much enhanced this year by his marriage in February to Sarah, not to be confused with his mother, Sara. “My wife is another Sarah Cumani, and another force to be reckoned with,” he says with a grin. “She’s great and is getting involved in the business, riding four lots in the morning and then helping out in the office. While Sarah’s family is not directly involved in racing, her grandfather [Jim Bell] was head of the AJC in Sydney, so she comes from a good racing heritage without being directly involved.” That good racing heritage on both sides will doubtless help the newlyweds to ensure that Cumani Racing becomes a respected brand in two hemispheres. View the full article

In three generations the Cumani family has set up training businesses across three different countries on two continents. Sergio Cumani started the familial tradition in his native Italy. His son Luca spread his wings to become one of the most respected trainers in the British racing heartland of Newmarket, and Luca’s son Matt has flown farther still, to Australia, where he has been training since 2016. Now in his third season with a licence, and with a wealth of international experience behind him, including stints with Todd Pletcher, Paddy Gallagher, Ed Dunlop and Chris Waller, Matt Cumani is enjoying the challenge of immersing himself in perhaps the most vibrant racing nation in the world. “The racing here is nonstop and it’s hard to keep tabs on what’s going on at home but I do try,” he says. “I’m still learning the pedigrees but I fall back on what I know about horses and judge them on their work and their physical type. I was invited to a pedigree club the other night which was fascinating, but as for getting a handle on Aussie racing, I thought it would be a little more straightforward than it is.” He continues, “I think I’m really getting a grip of it now and understanding what sort of skills a horse needs to really excel here. Also, whether this helps or hinders, you need a lot more luck because of how tight the tracks are down here. I remember I used to think how impossibly tight Chester was but that’s probably about the average of Australian tracks.” Though not at one of the main city-based training tracks in Victoria such as Flemington or Caulfield, Cumani has chosen to make the upwardly mobile Ballarat, to the west of Melbourne, his base. It’s no backwater, having been the launchpad for Victoria’s champion trainer Darren Weir, as well as another British ex-pat who has made a flying start in Australia, Archie Alexander. Both Alexander and Cumani have been given significant support in their start-up ventures by Terry Henderson of OTI Racing, which the latter is quick to acknowledge. “OTI were instrumental in me setting up here, not just in convincing me and giving me the confidence to do it, but then helping me with actually setting up the business and supporting me with horses,” says Cumani. “They have interests in 11 horses with us at the moment, not necessarily wholly owned, and they continue to be great supporters and advisors.” OTI Racing has been one of the forerunners in international syndication, an element of ownership which is now particularly prevalent and successful in Australia, which to an extent has stolen a march on the rest of the world in this field. “Owning a horse is no longer the preserve of the elite, a pastime associated with royalty, captains of industry or movie stars. Especially not in Australia…For the price of the average household appliance you can become the part-owner of a horse. For less than the cost of a family car you can keep it running it for years,” states the website for Aushorse, the marketing arm of the country’s racing industry. And indeed the lucrative prize-money on offer across the country coupled with a forward-thinking approach from many stables has led to a situation whereby one in around 300 Australians owns or part-owns a racehorse. “Syndication opens up the field to anyone who wants to give it a crack,” says Cumani, who grew up among the stock of a number of Europe’s elite owner-breeders at his parents’ Bedford House Stables. “You can really reduce the cost of having a share in a horse so it also means that any trainer gets a chance, not just those with good connections. If you put work into advertising yourself and selling yourself you can get anyone to get involved in racing.” This of course has changed the way modern-day trainers have to operate and communicate. “You have to add to your skill set a little bit,” he admits. “I’m not particularly good with names and faces but you have to get good at that. With 60 horses on the books I have about 600 to 700 owners. Obviously it’s a huge number and I can’t possibly know all of them individually but I am getting quite good at developing those skills.” He continues, “The most important thing is that it creates a really healthy ownership base for racing. It gives racing a future because the pyramid of owners has a really solid foundation to it. If one in a hundred of your syndicate owners is perhaps developing his or her own business and gradually takes a bigger share or eventually has a horse of their own, then it’s feeding the top of the pyramid. It does seem to me that England struggles a bit and that the ownership is very top heavy compared to Australia.” Through his OTI connection, Cumani achieved what many trainers dream about by having a runner in the Melbourne Cup in his first year of training. The now 6-year-old Grey Lion (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is a typical OTI import who, having been bred by German-based Gestut Ammerland, raced first in France for Andre Fabre before shipping to Australia. The four-time French winner who was runner-up for Cumani in the G3 Queen Elizabeth S. at Flemington has subsequently had his partnership increased further to include Aquis Farm. Grey Lion will be one to follow as the staying races of the Australian spring get underway, as will Etah James (NZ) who became Cumani’s first Group winner when landing the G3 Lord Reims S. back in March. The 5-year-old mare is a daughter of the New Zealand-based stallion Raise The Flag (GB) (Sadler’s Wells), a rare under-achiever on the track for the great broodmare Hasili (GB) whose enticing pedigree was enough to find the half-brother to Dansili (GB) a home at White Robe Lodge on New Zealand’s South Island. “She’s such a tough, robust, good mare and one that came to me in slightly funny circumstances,” Cumani says. “The owners called me out of the blue and they told me they had an unraced 4-year-old mare by Raise The Flag and I was embarrassed to say that I hadn’t actually heard of the stallion but when I looked into him I realised quickly that his pedigree is fantastic. “Etah James is just an absolute gun, as they say here. She’s gone from strength to strength and I don’t think I’ve ever had her 100% fit. She’s a really big, heavy filly and she’s just done it all on her own ability. I’m hoping that when we get to the major races she’ll be really ready to put in her best performance. She’s had a spell and will be coming in within the next two weeks and we’ll try to get her ready for a race in August and then aim for some of the bigger races in the spring.” This time last year the 37-year-old trainer was forced to take a brief spell from his fledgling career after having his licence suspended for two and a half months for failing to adhere to Racing Victoria protocols following the outbreak of strangles at his stable. “I have a great team at home and we drafted in an experienced older trainer to work with my team, and my assistant Andrew Bobbin is great, a really good all-rounder who loves his racing and is a star with the horses,” he says. “Andrew held it all together and it was good to come back and have all the horses in good nick and really ready to kick off and start winning in the new season, which they did in September and October.” The temporary hiatus has not affected business, with all 60 of the boxes at the Cumani yard full and plans for growth in the pipeline. “We’re actually looking to expand a bit and hope to build some more stables at the end of the winter. We have about 30 yearlings to come in at some point,” he says. “Ballarat is fantastic. It has everything you really need. Okay, it doesn’t have a beach but there are sand tracks, good turf and they are developing at a fantastic rate and putting in a full Polytrack racecourse in May next year, so it’s got a bit of everything.” With the equine numbers increasing along with many syndicate owners, the pressure is on the young trainer to ensure that he keeps them all fully up to date with their horses’ progress. He says, “Technology helps very much nowadays when it comes to communicating but you’re always chasing your tail a little bit to be the most innovative in providing interesting content each week. If I get much bigger I’m going to have to employ somebody to be solely in charge of producing videos and reports. It has its costs but I think their benefits are really worthwhile.” As well as a booming business, Cumani’s personal life has been very much enhanced this year by his marriage in February to Sarah, not to be confused with his mother, Sara. “My wife is another Sarah Cumani, and another force to be reckoned with,” he says with a grin. “She’s great and is getting involved in the business, riding four lots in the morning and then helping out in the office. While Sarah’s family is not directly involved in racing, her grandfather [Jim Bell] was head of the AJC in Sydney, so she comes from a good racing heritage without being directly involved.” That good racing heritage on both sides will doubtless help the newlyweds to ensure that Cumani Racing becomes a respected brand across two hemispheres. View the full article

Lining up for a Classic exactly 12 months after topping a sale is the kind of endorsement that is quite satisfying not only for current connections but also for the auction house that sold the horse, the vendor and no doubt the breeder. When the Jessica Harrington-trained Landshark (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) was knocked down to Eamonn Reilly of BBA Ireland on behalf of Bob Edwards’s e5 Racing for €210,000 at Goresbridge last year it wasn’t the highest price given for a breezer at the Kilkenny venue since it began selling 2-year-olds just over 10 years ago, but it did contribute to a record breaking sale in 2017 that saw aggregate, average and median each eclipse figures attained previously. The clearance rate also held firm last year at 86%, but given the scenario at other European breeze-up sales this year coupled with a slightly larger catalogue of 246 lots, the upward momentum of this sale will certainly be tested on Friday. That said, it seems every year while previewing this sale it is mentioned that the previous year’s edition will be a hard act to follow, and so far that has proven not to be the case. It could be that the rise in quality of horse offered each year offsets any negative market conditions, and looking at the pedigrees on offer this year it certainly appears that quality has taken another leap forward. With the above-mentioned Landshark slated to take his chance in tomorrow’s G1 Tattersalls Irish 2000 Guineas, his vendor Mark Flannery of Egmont Stud is hoping lightning can strike twice as he offers the colt’s half-brother as lot 81. He famously pinhooked Landshark for only 5,000 gns before hitting the jackpot last May, and this year’s offering by Foxwedge (Aus) doesn’t seem to have been overly expensive either when picked up by Flannery for 7,000gns at Tattersalls Book 3 last October. Comparing the two colts, Flannery said, “He’s quite like Landshark in a lot of ways. He has a super action and is a very well-balanced type, though he’s probably a better physical than his older brother.” The Egmont Stud draft also features lot 214, one of two juveniles in the sale by Sea The Stars (Ire), and this filly boasts a very recognizable Moyglare Stud pedigree that features a host of stakes winners including Profound Beauty (Ire) (Danehill) and Carla Bianca (Ire) (Dansili {GB}). It surely won’t harm the Foxwedge colt’s chances that Bob Edwards of e5 Racing is planning to pay his first visit to Goresbridge in advance of attending The Curragh to cheer on his Classic contender on Saturday. An international cast of buyers were in attendance for the breeze at Gowran Park on Thursday as 2-year-olds enjoyed perfect summer ground to show themselves off, something that has been absent at many breeze-ups held in Britain this year. Goresbridge boss Martin Donohoe appears to hold the key to the weather at this time of year and it seems whatever weather god he prays to delivers the goods each year. “Conditions are perfect and I think we have a quality bunch of horses in action here today,” he said. “There seems to be plenty of the right faces here today and feedback has been good so far so let’s hope that translates into a good sale on Friday.” This year’s recurring auctioneer’s refrain of ‘one of your last chances to buy a Scat Daddy’ will never be truer as lot 125 steps into the ring. This last and final 2-year-old to be offered at public auction by the great and much lamented sire will be offered by Willie Browne, a man who certainly knows how to prepare the progeny of the sire, having topped the Arqana Breeze-Up with a Scat Daddy colt that sold for €825,000. This offering, a filly out of Akris Queen (Arch), went through the ring at Keeneland last year for $150,000. Another in-demand sire represented by a single lot is Frankel (GB), and Katie Walsh of Greenhills Farm has been entrusted with consigning lot 177, a chestnut filly by the sire of Cracksman (GB) out of the stakes winner Vital Statistics (GB) (Indian Ridge). The Greenhills draft also includes lot 19, a filly by Bated Breath who is a half-sister to Grade I winner and sire Bellamy Road. Of the first season sires, No Nay Never (Scat Daddy) has impressed with both his number of winners and the quality therein, and his solitary representative, offered by Ambrose O’Mullane and Mary Reynolds’s Ardglas Stables as lot 72, will surely be on many people’s shortlists. The Ardglas team picked him up outside the ring at Arqana last year for €20,000, and his dam Laber Ildut (Ire) (Whipper) is a half-sister to Italian champion Hero Look (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). A recent Group 1-winning update for a pedigree is always nice heading into a sale but lot 63 from Baroda & Colbinstown has the kind of pedigree that requires little updating. The filly by Iffraaj (GB) is out of Best Regards (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), a stakes-winning granddaughter of the blue hen Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), herself the granddam of last weekend’s G1 Al Shaqab Lockinge S. winner Rhododendron (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}). Early in the sale lot 11 from Mayfield Stables could cause a stir. The filly’s sire Charm Spirit (Ire) has impressed with his first runners this year, while her stakes-winning dam Elusive Pearl (Medaglia d’Oro) has already produced an interesting type in On The Warpath (Declaration Of War), who was snapped up by Godolphin after winning twice on the all-weather in England last winter for Sir Mark Prescott. Two vendors who won’t have to travel too far for the sale are Tom Whitehead’s Powerstown Stud and also Ballylinch Stud. Whitehead has seven lots catalogued including lot 139, a Kodiac (GB) full-sister to a stakes performer in Bear Behind (Ire) who cost the vendor 65,000gns at Tattersalls as a yearling. The famous Ballylinch Stud, a rare enough breeze-up consignor, offers a Holy Roman Emperor filly as lot 17. The bay is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Cailin Mor (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) from the family of Wizz Kid (Ire) (Whipper), who carried the Ballylinch colours to victory in the G1 Pix de l’Abbaye in 2012. View the full article

Those who watched dual classic winner Justify head to the track May 24 for his first bit of training since his victory in the May 19 Preakness Stakes (G1) were impressed at the unbeaten chestnut colt's ability to keep such rigors at bay. View the full article

Coolmore Australia got off to a strong start during the opening session of the marathon Magic Millions National Sale on Thursday, selling the top four lots during the first of two sessions of the weanling sale. Two of those, including the A$650,000 session-topping colt out of New Zealand Group 1 winner Diademe (NZ) (Savabeel {Aus}) (lot 138), were by Fastnet Rock (Aus). The session’s top-priced filly, a A$625,000 half-sister to Classic winner Preferment (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) (lot 66), is from the first crop of Coolmore’s G1 Golden Slipper winner Vancouver (Aus), and bringing up the quartet was a filly by Coolmore’s ever reliable Choisir (Aus) who is a half-sister to four-time group winner Formality (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) (lot 239). Vancouver trailed only his barnmate Fastnet Rock on average for the first day, with seven sold for an average of A$190,000 compared to three sold for an average of A$358,333 for the elder champion sire. Another Coolmore resident, the red hot second-season sire Pierro (Aus), sits third (five sold, A$172,000), followed by Queensland’s first-season sire sensation Spirit of Boom (Aus) (two sold, A$132,500), Sebring (Aus) (four sold, A$116,000) and leading first-season sire Zoustar (Aus) (four sold, A$115,000). Coolmore’s Tom Magnier said of Vancouver, “He was an unbelievable racehorse. On the back of that you’d be excited about him going forward. He’s got some really nice foals back at the farm and a lot of the breeders are really supporting him again this year. If it happens like it’s happening with Pierro you’d be looking forward to it.” With 191 youngsters sold (clearance rate 82%) for A$11,640,000, figures were up across the board on Thursday. The average climbed 12.2% to A$60,942, and the median was up 33.3% to A$40,000. “We’re really pleased with the day’s proceedings,” Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch said. “It’s a good, solid start to the National Weanling Sale. There’s good confidence in the market and there’s a great spread of buyers on the sheets. No one is really dominating among the buyers– that is very pleasing. On a whole it’s been a good, solid day of trade.” Bred by China Horse Club, the session-topping colt is the second foal for his dam, who was bought by China Horse Club and Coolmore for A$740,000 at this sale’s broodmare section three years ago. Diademe’s first foal, a full-brother to this colt, was bought by Mark Pilkington and Lindsay Park Racing for NZ$1-million at Karaka in January. The colt on Thursday was bought by Craig Rounsefell’s Boomer Bloodstock for a syndicate of owners. “He’s a lovely colt,” Rounsefell said. “He’s obviously by Fastnet Rock–huge pedigree being out of a Group 1 winner–just an exciting colt to get. He’s the right type. He’s going to grow into a nice horse and hopefully it’s a good decision.” “I bought him for a syndicate of owners, the decision is now in their hands, whether he will be re-offered or taken to the racetrack, it will be a decision made in the coming months.” China Horse Club was also busy buying at the top of the market on Thursday, snapping up the session’s highest-priced filly, the A$625,000 Vancouver half-sister to the triple Group 1 winner Preferment. China Horse Club is also listed as the breeder of the filly, who was sold through Coolmore. While those two were the breakout horses of the session, there was plenty of action at the top of the market. Other highlights included a full-sister to Group 2 winner Mongolian Falcon (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) (lot 34) bought by Damion Flower’s Jadeskye Racing and Samaco Racing and a colt from the fourth crop of dual Classic-winning sire Pierro (Aus) (lot 171) picked up by Rhys Smith for A$225,000. Tom Magnier opted to take home a Vancouver (Aus) filly from the Coolmore draft when signing for lot 202 at A$225,000. Yet another exciting young Coolmore sire, So You Think (NZ), had a filly (lot 255) sell for A$210,000 to U.S.-based agent Roderick Wachman, and Victoria’s leading sire Written Tycoon (Aus) saw support from Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock and Paul Moroney, who signed for a colt (lot 252) for A$200,000. In addition to the Kentucky-based Wachman, who purchased three total on the day, other international buyers that were busy included Hannah Wall’s Redwall Bloodstock, which bought four weanlings for between A$45,000 and A$125,000; Justin Casse, who bought three; and Dermot Farrington, who signed for four. View the full article

4th-Angers, €24,000, Cond, 5-24, 3yo, 6fT, 1:14.53, sf. ON A SESSION (c, 2, Noble Mission {GB}–Destiny Calls {MSW-US, $644,220}, by With Approval), the first winner for his freshman sire (by Galileo {Ire}) when successful going five panels at Lyon-Parilly on debut last time May 10, was shuffled back to race at the tail of the field after breaking in the front rank here. Coming under pressure at the top of the straight, the 7-10 pick kept on strongly under mainly whipless rousting in the closing stages to prevail by 3/4 of a length from Jamala (Fr) (Evasive {GB}). Full-brother to a filly foal and half to a yearling filly by Paynter, the bay is one of four winners for six-time stakes scorer Destiny Calls (With Approval), herself a half-sister to the stakes-winning duo You’llbeinmyheart (Broad Brush) and Nowandforevermore (Sky Classic), from a family which features G1SW sire and dual champion juvenile Storm Bird (Northern Dancer). Sales history: $50,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP; £60,000 RNA 2yo ’18 GOFAPR. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, €21,000. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton. O-Mme Theresa Marnane; B-Green Lantern Stables (KY); T-Matthieu Palussiere. View the full article

I’m not much of a fan of Facebook, other than as a means of seeing updates from my sisters, cousins, nieces, nephews and godchildren scattered around the country. The supposedly motivating slogans that now seem to be the norm among the trash on my timeline are a constant irritation, though one that popped up recently struck a chord. It read, ‘In a world where you can be anything, be kind’. There’s irony in this appearing regularly on social media platforms, of course, with so many people intent on being anything other than kind when commenting on strangers in the still mostly unregulated world of Twitter and beyond. Readers in Britain may have caught Sunday night’s excellent programme A Very English Scandal, for which Hugh Grant is an odds-on shot to be showered with awards. So superb is the scriptwriting and acting that it’s easy to overlook the fact that at the core of the story is a man driven to attempt murder for fear of being outed as a homosexual. Some 50 years later, we can in many parts of today’s world, without fear of reprisal, be pretty much anything: gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual—hell, women can even be jockeys! The racing world is not renowned for being the most collectively progressive in its thinking, but previously held prejudices are being eroded, perhaps not fast enough for some, yet gradually the barriers are coming down. A piece of racing history was made on Tuesday at Warwick when transgender jockey Victoria Smith became the first person to have ridden in a race as both a man and a woman. Eighteen years had elapsed since the 53-year-old, formerly known as Vince, had last ridden competitively, having enjoyed a lengthy career as a jockey, riding more than 250 winners before going on to train for several years just outside Newmarket. It has only been during the last six months that Victoria has made public her decision to make the transition from male to female. Through my husband John, I’ve been fortunate to know his old friend Vince, now Victoria, for many years. When I first heard of this decision my main concern was that there was the potential for people to be unkind to a person I know to be unfailingly kind. As Victoria said herself in a recent television interview, “The worst scenario was that nobody would accept it and I’d have to go to live somewhere else. The best scenario is what’s happened today.” And what’s happening today is that Victoria is living effectively the same life, with the same friends and her same job at Godolphin, but a life in which she feels she can finally be herself. Most important was acceptance from her parents, which was given instantly, with her father touchingly turning to his wife and saying, “You always wanted a daughter, didn’t you?” Victoria’s brother Clint was at Warwick to support her comeback ride in a charity race which raised money for the Warwickshire Air Ambulance, but was perhaps as important in other ways for raising the profile of an issue which can be hard for people to understand. “My friends are the brave people,” said Victoria in typically self-deprecating fashion during her BBC interview. “They didn’t have a choice as to whether I did this or not and they are the ones who have to be brave and stand by you, walk down the street with you. But I think once they’ve done it once, they realise that you’re still the same person, you just look a bit different.” Wednesday’s return to the saddle didn’t quite provide the desired Hollywood ending, with Victoria finishing second on Roy Rocket, trained by my husband and owned by the wonderful Larry McCarthy and her 85-year-old mother Iris. “I felt great and felt that my fitness was pretty good. I want to do it again now and may look for another race somewhere,” Victoria said. “A year ago, before I told people about my decision, I never thought I would be standing here but everyone has been so wonderful. I did this for myself really, it wasn’t to make any kind of statement, but if the publicity helps other people in racing who might be feeling the same way then that’s great.” We can be anything in life. We can be kind and we can also be brave. View the full article

What do punters do with Thewizardofoz in Sunday’s Group Three Sha Tin Vase (1,200m)? At his best, he is one of the region’s top racehorses, at his worst, he is an also-ran. When John Size’s gelding destroyed his rivals in the Group Three Premier Cup (1,400m) in June, he became the equal highest-rated horse in Hong Kong alongside stablemate Mr Stunning. It looked like the champion trainer had finally got on top of the injury issues and found the key to the Thewizardofoz, but he... View the full article

Smart Baby is yet to break through for his first Hong Kong victory, but it shouldn’t be far away going off his effort at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. The Caspar Fownes-trained five-year-old has taken a while to acclimatise since arriving from Great Britain, where he won one of his six starts – a maiden over 1,975m. He landed on a mark of 73 and didn’t fire a shot in four starts last season, starting at triple-figure odds on each occasion and never finishing with nine... View the full article

Despite a scare at trackwork on Thursday morning, Eagle Way is set to take his place in Sunday’s Group One Standard Chartered Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin. After completing his gallop, jockey Joao Moreira jumped off the gelding when he became unbalanced and walked him off the track. The Magic Man told stewards his decision to dismount was precautionary only and the horse was not obviously lame. The stewards also interviewed trainer John Moore who said Eagle Way was found to be... View the full article

In a field of seasoned veterans, Jeff Mullins-trained Itsinthepost (FR) has been dubbed the highweight to run 1 1/4 miles on the Santa Anita Park turf May 26 in the $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T). View the full article

Khoo's Guineas runner Lord of the turf for a day View the full article